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Our Judeo/Christian civilization is unravelling before our very eyes and if we don't dramatically change course we will be regressing to a pre-enlightenment dark period in world history.

Beginning in the early '90s, multiculturalism was introduced and touted as superior to what were once homogeneous populations that promoted e pluribus unum (from many one).

Instead of advancing American patriotism and American exceptionalism, the global left here at home and across Western Europe adopted the U.N.'s agenda of transplanting millions of third world migrants from Africa and the Islamic Middle East into first world cities of Western Europe and North America. The result has been a disaster for native Americans and Europeans.



As we look across the pond, the U.K. under the leadership of Labour Prime Minister Keith Starmer is no longer free nor safe. There have been thousands of British girls and women raped by the influx of Muslim men who view non-Muslim woman as chattel to be used as sex slaves under the guise of sanctioned Quranic doctrine.

We read with increasing frequency and see the reports of many young girls, women, boys, and young males knifed to death or injured by migrant Islamic gangs, a crime almost unheard of before the influx of third world migrants.

To make matters worse, any criticism of Islam or migrants on social media will land one in prison. The justice minister of the U.K. is a hijab-clad Muslim as are many of the mayors of major cities in the U.K., and it appears that Islamic blasphemy laws are now openly enforced.

Churches are being converted to mosques and the call to prayer as morning dawns is now a common sound streaming from the hundreds of mosques now plaguing the U.K.



Ireland too is not far behind with many African and Muslim migrants transplanted into small Irish villages; thus, transforming the rich quaint culture of Ireland into unrecognizable uninhabitable third world outposts with third-world values.

Germany under Angela Merkel transplanted millions of these migrants into German cities, and although the Germans have seen their societies and culture transformed before their eyes (the traditional Christmas marketplace has been seemingly erased so as not to offend Muslim sensibilities), the native population appears too afraid and powerless to stop the transformation.

Nearby France has the largest Muslim population of any nation in Europe with many no-go zones where non-Muslims are not allowed to enter.

Many neighborhoods in Paris resemble third world enclaves, streets littered with dirt and trash and where there is no respect for local law enforcement. The once-clean streets of Paris laden with cafes, beautiful parks, and haughty couture are long gone. What we have today is women clad in black burkas with only their eyes visible, graffiti marked old buildings belying their once beautiful old architecture and remnants of Europes bygone era.



Here in the United States, the influx of Muslims from the Middle East and North Africa increased exponentially after 9/11.

In the aftermath of the largest Islamic terrorist attack by Muslims on American soil there should have been a halt to Islamic immigration, but instead the gates were flung wide open.

Today, we have millions of Muslims and thousands of mosques throughout the land, and the proposed implementation of Sharia law governed Islamic cities constructed only for Muslim inhabitants is under consideration in Texas.

Billions have been spent by foreign Islamic states to fund our universities to gain influence; to shape and control public opinion while undermining our love of country and American culture.

American Jews whose history on our shores goes back to Americas founding were once safe and secure, but now find themselves verbally and physically attacked on American streets and campuses for being Jews.

Anti-Semitism has increased exponentially since Oct. 7 and much of it is a result of Jew-hatred ingrained in Quranic doctrine.

Instead of leaving their Jew-hatred behind, they brought their hate with them to the West.

Our American campuses and streets are filled with young Americans openly calling for the genocide of all Jews, proclaiming their admiration for Hitler, and the call to complete Hitler's Final Solution.



Additionally, the Islamic/communist alliance has brought forth a lack of civility unlike seen in American history where the rule of civil engagement is no longer respected and often disregarded in the media, television, schools, and even in our halls of Congress where profanity and the use of mob rule is encouraged as a means to an end.

When we have Democrat elected legislators (Maxine Waters, Chuck Schumer, Jamie Crockett) encouraging Americans to take to the streets, it should be no surprise when people resort to violence (the attacks on Tesla cars, dealerships, and Tesla owners) to obtain what they couldn't obtain at the ballot box.



Today we have a militant trans movement and Obama's domestic shock troops (antifa and BLM) to stir unrest and destabilize what were once peaceful neighborhoods. They threaten and intimidate those with whom they disagree. We are now living in a period of disarray where violence, profanity, recreational drug use, homelessness, gender confusion, lack of standards, and incivility have become the norm.

The unravelling of our civilization can be attributed to the deliberate attempt by foreign enemies and a compliant willful global oligarchy to erase our Judeo/Christian foundation in their quest to destroy Western Civilization and to transplant it with a new form of feudalism controlled by a communist/Islamic one-world order.





Shari Goodman writes political commentaries. Her articles have appeared in American Thinker, WND, Israel National News, Israel Today and other publications.



Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
Democrat Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recently admitted that he can sometimes be a train wreck because he speaks from the heart.

Minnesotas Manic Marxist also told New York Magazine, in an interview published March 31st, that the Democrat party lost the 2024 presidential election because it is too timid.

Wow, never heard that one before.

Tampon Timmy also claimed that Democrats should have doubled down on DEI and other forms of wokeness.

This is the same guy who, when pressed during the vice presidential debate about patently false statements he had made regarding his presence at the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, said: Im a knucklehead at times.

Incredibly, the knucklehead train wreck said of Elon Musk, This guy is a loser.

Let that sink in. Walz was actually on the thoroughly rejected Democrat presidential ballot in 2024. Musk was not  and is not  on any ballot.

Walz inherited a large surplus and turned it into a significant deficit in no time flat. Musk, on the other hand, has a history of buying bankrupt companies and making them profitable.

Walzs leadership has resulted in Minnesotas schools falling from sixth-best nationally in several comparative measures to 19th best, also in short order.

In a 2024 promo video attempting to portray him as an average Midwestern guy out pheasant-hunting, Walz clearly couldnt even load his shotgun.

Conversely, Elon Musk started Tesla, a car company that had been a chronic money-loser in the electric vehicle market, and turned it into the largest and most profitable in the world. He did much the same with Starlink, a company that provides internet access to remote regions and marginalized peoples around the world. His Neuralink company seeks, among other things, to one day enable the blind to see. Musk bought Twitter, a formerly far-left site that repressed and oppressed conservatives and which was losing money, and rebranded it as X, thereby saving free speech in the U.S. as well as bringing it into the black.

Oh, and he recently rescued astronauts who had been deliberately stranded on the Space Station for nine months past their originally proposed stay.

And Musk is the loser"?!

Sadly, polls seem to indicate that Musk is viewed unfavorably by a majority of Americans. How is this possible? Only through media indoctrination, misinformation and rabid jealousy.

Democrats are trying to turn Musk into a villain, spewing lies in an all-out effort to deflect from their graft and corruption.

Bizarrely, Musk may be more despised than George Soros, a true modern-day villain who funds a vast panoply of evil around the globe.

Leftists have gone ballistic at the Trump administrations plan to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the cold-blooded killer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Yet Musk says he receives thousands of death threats a day, and no one seems to care.

Sen. Patricia Fahy (D-NY) recently introduced Senate Bill S6894, legislation that would effectively ban Teslas from being sold in the state of New York.

Think of that! Shes banning a greenie private company that employs thousands of people, pays its taxes, and produces a totally legal product that doesnt burn fossil fuels  simply because she doesnt like the guy who is exposing governmental waste and corruption on an epic scale!

She doesnt care about the jobs, economy, what anyone else thinks  or how it affects everyone else  she just wants to inflict pain on Musk. Fahy is a Marxist commissar.

Tesla EVs: from being subsidized and effectively mandated to being banned outright, almost overnight.

If The Left succeeds in trashing Musk and his companies, Musk will have experienced a loss.

But we will all be losers. Maybe that will make Walz feel better about himself.

Image: X video screen shot
Its not exactly a secret that smartphones have become quite expensive. Thats just the world we live in now. The prices have gone up in general, and that includes technology. Some phones cost over $2,000 these days. Those are extremes, but still, if you want a proper flagship device, chances are youll have to part with over $1,000. Even though there are exceptions, of course, those price tags are head-spinning.

Thats where refurbished devices come into play. Not everyone has the cash to buy a more expensive new device, and yet there are plenty of advantages to having one. For example, maybe you want a better camera, faster wireless charging, a better display, or better haptics. Well, getting a refurbished device will get you that phone youve been wanting for considerably less money, though it wont be new. So, youll have to wait a bit, you wont be able to get it at launch, of course. Buying refurbished is not a bad idea for many people, so lets talk more about that.

What does refurbished mean, exactly?

Many people still confuse refurbished with used, its not the same thing, not at all. Used devices are basically just devices that other people used, and then you bought them. They can be extremely worn out, have considerable marks of usage, and have various other issues. Refurbished devices are something else entirely. They go through inspection, testing, and a restoration process. Those are the three things you have to remember, its a major difference.

Now, lets see what that entails when talking about Australia specifically. It means that the devices get professionally cleaned and sanitized. Worn-out and defective components get replaced, while software updates are applied too. Prior to that, however, a factory reset is performed to wipe the data entirely. Battery health testing is done, and often those batteries get replaced with new ones. Comprehensive quality control checks are being conducted as well. On top of all that, you also get a new warranty on the device, typically somewhere in the region between 6 months and a year.

What are refurbishment grades?

Reburbished tech retailers in Australia use a grading system to communicate a devices condition. Well, most of them do. The specific terminology can vary from one seller to the next, but there are specific grades that all of them usually follow. There are three of them, so lets see what each of them entails.

Grade A

The top level is called Grade A, it could also be marked as Excellent or Like new. These are devices with minimal to no visible signs of use. Were talking about premium refurbished products here that could have been display models, opened-box returns, or very lightly used.

Grade B

The second level is called Grade B or Good. These devices have light cosmetic wear. So, were talking about minor scratches or scuffs, but they work perfectly fine. Theres essentially nothing wrong with them other than those cosmetic issues.

Grade C

The last and lowest grade is Grade C or Fair. Devices that belong here are devices with noticeable cosmetic imperfections but with fully functional components. Needless to say, these ones can be bought for the least amount of money.

Software support provides long-term value

When buying a smartphone, you need to consider the software support itll be getting. Some Smartphone manufacturers offer up to 7-8 years of software updates, while some go as low as 2. It all depends. One thing is for sure: software support is important. Not only are you getting the latest features, but youre also getting the necessary security updates. So the higher, the better. That way, you can easily get a device that is a year or two old but refurbished and be sure youre on the software update train.

Long software support

So, for example, Apple offers up to 7-8 years of iOS updates to its iPhones. If you, for example, purchase a refurbished iPhone 13 or iPhone 14 today, youll be good to get updates for years to come. Google, on the other hand, offers up to 7 years of OS and security updates to its smartphones (Pixel 8 and newer). Samsung also offers major support of up to 7 years of updates to its Galaxy devices, though only to select premium models. Other Android manufacturers usually offer between 3 and 5 years of support.

Where can you get refurbished devices in Australia?

When looking for refurbished devices in Australia, there are several types of reputable sources to consider:

1. Specialized Refurbished Tech Retailers: A number of businesses focus specifically on selling refurbished electronics. These retailers (such as Phonebot, Reebelo, Boost Mobiles refurbished store, Kogan, and others) often provide a wide selection across various brands and typically use clear grading systems like the ones mentioned earlier. Its advisable to compare their stock, pricing, warranty terms, and return policies.

2. Manufacturer Refurbished Programs: Major manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, and sometimes others sell their own certified refurbished products directly through their websites. These devices often undergo rigorous checks and come with manufacturer warranties, though prices might be slightly higher than third-party options.

3. Major Electronics Retailers: Large chains such as JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman also offer refurbished products. For JB Hi-Fi, these deals are typically found online only, while availability and channels for other retailers may vary. Always check their websites for current listings and purchasing options.

4. Telecommunication Providers (Telcos): Carriers like Telstra and Optus occasionally sell refurbished phones, sometimes bundled with plans or available for outright purchase. Check their specific offerings directly.

Regardless of the source, always verify the warranty period, return policy, and the sellers reputation before buying.

What should you consider before purchasing a refurbished device?

There are some things to consider before you opt for a refurbished device. Battery health is definitely one of them. You should confirm that the battery health is over 85% before getting a device, and also check whether the battery has been replaced or not. If not, you can always ask what can be done and what the costs are. Needless to say, battery health is immensely important when getting a phone.

Warranty coverage

Warranty coverage is something else you should consider checking. You should always get at least 6 months worth of warranty, but youll often be able to grab 12 months too. Note the return policy before getting a refurbished phone, and also check Australian Consumer Law protections.

Accessories

Some of you will likely want to check what accessories come with the device and what the packaging situation is like. While original packaging should not be a priority of any kind, accessories may be, especially when it comes to an original charger.

Environmental impact

The last thing wed like to mention is environmental impact. Why? Well, because by purchasing a refurbished device, you can contribute to preserving our environment. Youll be helping with e-waste reduction, as each refurbished device potentially prevents 35-100kg of CO emissions. Resource conservation is also a part of the deal, and the same goes for reduced manufacturing demand. Youll play a small part, but an important one.

Conclusion

Make sure to consider what you actually need in terms of tech, or in this case, smartphones. If you dont really need the latest and greatest, or dont have the budget for it, getting an older flagship as a refurbished device can be an excellent option. There are quite a few upsides to buying refurbished, including significant cost savings and a positive environmental impact.

The key is to purchase from a reputable source. Investigate the different types of sellers available  specialized retailers, manufacturer programs, major stores, and telcos. Compare their offerings, carefully review warranty details and return policies, and check customer reviews before making your decision. Doing your homework will help ensure you find a quality refurbished device that suits your needs and budget.
Summary: Both OpenAI and Anthropic made announcements aimed at students in college within 24 hours. OpenAI made ChatGPT free for students while Anthropic announced a new Claude for Education.

AI companies are clamoring to reach student around the world. While AI can be used to cheat on assignments, it can also be a great tool for education if used properly. As such, theres a lot of potential for the student market. We also have to take the timing into account. Many students are cramming for their finals, and mid-terms right now. So, many of them are looking for tools to help them Ace their tests.

Enter OpenAI and Anthropic with their announcements aimed at students

OpenAI and Anthropic didnt partner with one another for this. They just happened to make their announcements within 24 hours of each other. Talk about lucky! If youre a student, then you just got the help you need for your test.

Starting off with OpenAIs announcement, the company is making its paid platform, ChatGPT Plus, free for student in the U.S. and Canada. This will grant them advanced features and more powerful models. It usually costs $19.99/month. If youre a student, then youll want to act on this soon, as this promotion only lasts through May.

We, obviously, dont recommend that you use ChatGPT to cheat. You can use the chatbot as a helper when researching, a buddy to bounce ideas off of, a homework partner, and more. Along with this, youll also gain access to ChatGPT Voice mode, image generation, and advanced models.

Anthropics announcement

Next, Anthropic announced Claude for Education. This version of the chatbot will come with a Learning mode. Rather than provide the answers for students, the model will guide them in the right direction with their reasoning. This means that the students will actually learn the material theyre studying; thats the important thing.

To make this happen, Anthropic partnered with several universities: Northeastern University, Champlain College, and the London School of Economics and Political Science. It will provide 50,000 students access to Claude across 13 campuses.
While Anthony Albanese has campaigned alongside the West Australian and South Australian premiers, Jacinta Allan has been notably absent. The PM and Victorian premier were pictured together in May 2024. Photograph: Con Chronis/AAP

During the 2022 election campaign, Anthony Albanese waited until the 30th day to hold a press conference with the then Victorian premier, fearing Daniel Andrews association with Covid lockdowns.

When the two finally appeared together, Andrews didnt hold back. He launched into an impassioned tirade against Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg, revisiting the fraught themes of the pandemic, while Albanese stood beside him, visibly uneasy. After that, Andrews largely stayed off the campaign trail.

But the fears proved unfounded. Victoria swung hard against the Coalition, securing Labor the seats it needed to form government and delivering the best two-party preferred result of all the states at 54.8%. Six months later, Andrews was also re-elected with an increased majority.

Three years on, a similar situation is unfolding with federal Labor increasingly nervous of being linked to Andrews successor, Jacinta Allan.

While Albanese campaigned alongside the West Australian premier, Roger Cook, on Monday and the South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, on Tuesday, when he was in Melbourne on Wednesday and Thursday, Allan was notably absent.

Asked why, Albanese blamed this little thing called parliament. Allan offered the same excuse, though parliament sitting has hardly impeded in the past.

At the same time, the Coalition leader, Peter Dutton, who needs to pick up seats in Victoria to have any hope of forming government, did all he could to link the two leaders.

Related: What do Peter Duttons proposed funding cuts really mean for Melbournes long-awaited airport rail?

He accused Albanese of being joined at the hip with Allan when it came to the Suburban Rail Loop  a project from which he pledged to pull $2.2bn in federal funding.

Both his state and federal colleagues have been hammering the line: A vote for Anthony Albanese is a vote for Jacinta Allan. A recent Liberal flyer branded them double trouble for Victorians, highlighting the states debt and rising crime rates.

The same thing happens every single election, one state Labor MP said.

Another Labor source described the ads as not new, not unique and not very clever.

But others within the party think this time, its different.

Liability or scapegoat

Since Allan took over as leader, consecutive surveys have shown her personal standing has taken a hit while support for her government has plummeted.

Polling published by the Age this week found Allans likeability rating had plunged to -32% in February and March while primary support for her government stands at just 24%, a minor improvement on two months earlier.

Some of this may not be entirely of her own making. Like many female leaders, shes facing a glass cliff scenario, stepping into a role after a popular, long-serving male predecessor and inheriting his baggage, including a dire budget situation and rising debt.

But there is no denying Allan has also stumbled from one crisis to another, the latest being a huge spike in crime and instability within the police force. Rather than being known for bold policy, shes become more associated with backflips and backdowns.

Given this, it is easy to see how federal Labor is worried her poor standing will rub off on them.

The Coalition believes they can pick up as many as nine seats in Victoria, while even the most optimistic Labor sources expect to lose at least three. (The more pessimistic say even traditional Labor strongholds like Bruce and Hawke are now in play.)

If it turns into a wipeout, some state Labor MPs concerned about their own chances in 2026 say theres a possibility Allan could be rolled.

Its just not sustainable, one said. We cant keep getting battered week after week.

However, some Labor insiders suggest it is unfair to scapegoat Allan for all of the states woes.

Since the 2022 election, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia have all changed governments. With the exception of the ACT, Victoria now boasts the longest-serving Labor government.

Related: Six graphs reveal the true state of crime in Victoria and whos behind it

One Labor source suggested the partys dominance in Victoria may have simply worn thin.

The most common refrain I hear is that the government is just tired, theres too much baggage, they said. Its hard to combat the its time factor.

Another said it wasnt all doom and gloom in Victoria, pointing to the latest BludgerTrack poll, which aggregates voting intention across multiple surveys, showing Labor at 50.5% two-party preferred in Victoria, just behind NSW at 51% and Queensland where it is 46.3%.

They acknowledged, however, that Victorias polling represented a 4.3% swing away from Labor since last election. By contrast, in New South Wales, the federal vote has held up much better, with just a 1.3% swing away from Labor.

Further complicating matters federally is the redistribution, which saw the Labor-held seat of Higgins abolished and about a third of Victorians move into new electorates.

That means for a lot of voters, theyll have a new local MP, and incumbency is compromised, a source said.

Others believed federal Labor MPs were already laying the groundwork to deflect blame and point the finger at the state if they lost. They argued the real issue was that federal Labor had failed to do the necessary work themselves.

One state Labor MP said their federal counterparts had delivered nothing for Victoria, with their government carrying the load when it came to funding for infrastructure, schools, mental health and family violence.

They said some federal MPs had taken their seats for granted, many opting not to live in them or attend local events.

The Canberra bubble is very real, they said.

One thing all of Labor could agree on, however, was that the best thing the party had going for it in Victoria was Peter Dutton.

They were convinced Victorians  with their undeniable progressive streak  hadnt forgot Duttons comments about being scared to go out for dinner in Melbourne, his stints as home affairs and health minister or his plans for nuclear energy. They said his hard-man image was also a turn-off in a state that remained deeply wary of his style of politics.

This could explain why the Victorian Liberal leader, Brad Battin, has also been conspicuously absent from Duttons press conferences so far this campaign  though its received considerably less media attention.

As for Allan, perhaps one Labor MP summed up the situation: If we win, then it will be in spite of her. If we lose, its because of her.
The King and Queen will spend their 20th wedding anniversary evening as guests of honour at a state banquet held in Rome.

Charles and Camilla are expected to be joined by leading figures from Italian life at the black-tie dinner, held as part of the couples four-day state visit to Italy which begins on Monday.

The head of state and his consort wed in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on April 9 2005 following a romance that began when they were in their early 20s.

The King and Queen on their wedding day (Reuters/PA)

Charles first met fun, confident Camilla on the Windsor Great Park polo field in 1970 when he had just left Cambridge University, a year before he joined the Royal Navy.

No marriage proposal came, despite the closeness between the pair and when the relationship cooled after Charles dedicated himself to his Navy career, Camilla wed cavalry officer Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973 and Charles later married Diana, Princess of Wales in 1981.

After Charles and Camilla both divorced  and Diana died in l997  Camillas eventual emergence as Charles long-term partner was part of a carefully planned PR campaign masterminded by the heir to the thrones spin doctor Mark Bolland.

Their first public appearance together was outside the Ritz hotel in London in 1999, dubbed Operation Ritz, where the mass of waiting photographers had been tipped off.

Charles and Camilla are fast approaching their 20th wedding anniversary (Samir Hussein/PA)

At their wedding reception, held the same day as the Grand National, Queen Elizabeth II said about their romance: They have overcome Bechers Brook and The Chair and all kinds of other terrible obstacles. They have come through and Im very proud and wish them well.

My son is home and dry with the woman he loves.

The King spent Friday making final preparations for the state visit to the Republic of Italy but the separate state visit to the Holy See, the government of the Roman Catholic Church located in the Vatican  the worlds smallest independent state  has been postponed as the Pope is recovering from a bout of pneumonia.

With a number of Vatican events removed from the itinerary in Rome, the remaining engagements in the Italian capital have been spread over two days with extra elements added to some engagements.
YWAM faces scrutiny over extreme interventions among young volunteers. Photograph: Gerald Herbert/AP

The worlds biggest youth Christian missionary organisation is facing allegations of spiritual abuse and controlling behaviour from young people who say they were left traumatised.

An Observer investigation has revealed evidence of safeguarding failings within Youth With a Mission (YWAM), a global movement that trains young Christians to spread the gospel. A spokesperson for YWAM said the organisation was heartbroken by the claims and was deeply committed to the safety and wellbeing of everyone in its care.

The allegations span two decades and include claims that young missionaries were publicly shamed, subjected to rituals to cure their homosexuality, and told that leaving was against Gods will.

Young British adults who signed up for training schools and overseas mission trips  many during their gap years  described regular confession sessions where they were pressured to admit their sins in a group.

These included perceived moral transgressions such as homosexual thoughts, sexual activity, abortions and watching pornography, as well as other sins such as disobeying a leader or having rebellious thoughts. Those who confessed could be questioned and made to give public apologies, according to former missionaries. They could be prayed for or could face punishment, including being removed from volunteer roles. In some cases, interventions were more extreme. Former YWAM volunteers described the use of rituals similar to exorcisms to banish demons from people who acknowledged having sex outside marriage.

Another former British YWAM worship leader described a casting out at a base in Australia, arranged after a man revealed that he had sexual relations with other men. Leaders placed their hands on him before chanting prayers to banish the spirit of homosexuality, and he reportedly convulsed. The British man was himself struggling with his sexuality and said he was left feeling as though a demon was living inside him.

Others described how people disclosed being victims of assault or sexual abuse, as well as transgressions such as speeding fines.

The repentance and forgiveness rituals are alleged to be part of a wider picture of control at some bases, which also included restrictions on romantic relationships, clothing and when missionaries could visit family.

Commands were often communicated by leaders as though they were instructions from God. They were always changing what other people wanted to do by saying: I reckon, God is saying this. It was used to manipulate, one former missionary said.

YWAM operates in about 180 countries and sends about 25,000 people on short-term missions each year. It was founded in 1960 by the American missionary Loren Cunningham and has key bases in the US, Australia, Switzerland and the UK, where it is a registered charity.

A spokesperson for YWAM England said it was committed to continuous improvement in safeguarding practices and that each location was responsible for upholding standards. It said it was strongly opposed to forced confessions. While confession of sin may occur, the person should never be publicly shamed or pressured to apologise.

In 2021, YWAMs base in Perth, Australia  one of the biggest in the world  faced scrutiny over its handling of alleged historic sexual misconduct, including claims that its leaders told alleged victims to apologise to their alleged attackers for leading them on. A YWAM base in the UK was recently closed amid claims of spiritual abuse.

The allegations come as a prayer movement linked to YWAM  which aims to recruit the next generation of Christian missionaries  sweeps through Britain.

The Send UK & Ireland, an initiative by a coalition of Christian groups, which is legally controlled by the YWAM branch in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, launched with a show last July at Ovo Arena Wembley. It has since held pop-ups at churches and concert halls across the UK.

Its aim is to recruit 100,000 young British adults to do missionary work in the UK and abroad and reverse the trend of decline among western missions.

After the Wembley event, hundreds of people signed up via QR code to serve as missionaries through YWAM and the Sends other partner organisations.

The allegations, made by former missionaries whose experiences span two decades and 18 countries, raise questions about culture and safeguarding within YWAM, which has a decentralised structure that critics say leads to insufficient oversight. The organisation defers power to leaders on bases around the world, who say they take safeguarding seriously.

YWAM has underlying statements of principles and runs discipleship training schools which have a similar structure across all bases, with lectures on topics such as sin, repentance and restitution, spiritual warfare and discipling nations.

The code of conduct for the University of the Nations, YWAMs unaccredited Christian university, which oversees YWAM training schools, says any moral violation, including sexual immorality, is grounds for disciplinary action. Other bases list fornication and homosexuality as immoral behaviours alongside incest and bestiality.

In 2020, Lynn Green, one of YWAMs most senior leaders and the founder of YWAM England, published a blog post urging the human race to repent for ignoring the laws of God, blaming abortion and the homosexual agenda for bringing destruction.

Felicity Davies, 34, a designer from Yorkshire who spent six years in YWAM after joining at the age of 18, said the purity culture and alleged controlling behaviour at a base in South Africa left her feeling suffocated and not good enough.

I constantly had to do certain things in order for God to love me or to be accepted, she said. People should be aware that this isnt all happy-clappy. A lot of people get traumatised.

Lena Stary, 26, from Bristol, who joined YWAM aged 18, said her experience in Switzerland left her suffering panic attacks and had taken years to untangle. It had made it very difficult to trust other people. She is no longer religious. I just found it so difficult to believe that God is a loving being if all of what I was being told was true, she said.

A YWAM spokesperson said: Although a high number of individuals have had a positive experience in YWAM, we are aware and deeply regret that some have had harmful experiences of spiritual abuse and manipulation. They said each base was responsible for safeguarding and was held to account by leadership teams overseeing specific regions.

In England, a YWAM spokesperson said leaders had implemented stricter oversight mechanisms after claims of spiritual abuse at a base which it has since closed. They said YWAM held traditional Christian views on sexuality and marriage but was reviewing how it communicated those beliefs to prevent shame or rejection, and that it condemned any practice that traumatised people or associated their identity with demonic influence.

We are deeply grieved to hear reports that spiritual practices intended for healing were instead used in coercive or shaming ways, they said.

Green stood by his comments on abortion and homosexuality and said he sought to approach the matters with both grace and faithfulness, adding that he, like others in YWAM, condemned any form of spiritual abuse.

A YWAM Perth spokesperson said any comment that an alleged victim had led on their alleged attacker or must apologise to them did not reflect the views of leadership.

 This article was amended on 7 April 2025. An earlier version said Youth With A Mission had last year faced scrutiny over its handling of alleged historical sexual misconduct; it was actually in 2021 that the allegations surfaced. It has also been expressly clarified that closure of a YWAM England base was a decision made by the charity.
Daniel, who is using a pseudonym, told the Observer about his experiences. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/The Observer

One Sunday last summer, 5,000 young people packed into the Wembley Arena for a mass gathering of gen Z Jesus followers. They danced to Christian rock, hugged, wept and sang. Between performances, charismatic leaders proclaimed something huge was afoot.

Tonight kicks something off, said Andy Byrd, a leader of Youth With a Mission (YWAM). He told the crowd they were witnessing the start of a spiritual awakening. Soon, the UK would send out thousands of missionaries to preach the name of Jesus  and see every tribe, tongue and nation worshipping before the throne.

The event, called The Send, was a hit. Hundreds of attenders scanned a QR code committing to devote their lives to Jesus. Some poured into London and preached to passengers on the tube.

The organisers of the event say it heralds a new era for the UK. Since Wembley, pop-ups from St Albans to Sheffield have recruited more people to the cause. What were seeing  [our generation] have never had this. Its one of those history-making moments, a Send volunteer said.

For those who are no longer in the fold, its rise rings alarm bells. Daniel* from Bristol signed up with YWAM, the global organisation leading The Send UK, aged 19. He moved to Perth, Australia for a training course, later leading mission trips to countries including India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Mozambique. At first, it was everything hed hoped for: fun, adventure, a shared sense of purpose. It was an experience that not many people get to have.

At one point, Daniel considered leaving. But when he spoke to base leaders, they told him to go away and re-pray

But behind the scenes, there was a darker side. Back at the base, there were strict rules about morality, purity and sexuality. Daniel, who is using a pseudonym, felt closely watched by the base leaders, who were treated like royalty and viewed as messengers for God. There was an expectation of obedience and absolute transparency, with regular confession of sins. People publicly repented for perceived moral transgressions, including disobedience, negativity, masturbation and homosexual thoughts. Sometimes, they underwent healing to banish demons. The reaction was This is a deep sin, so were going to need to cast this out, said Daniel, who was privately questioning his own sexuality.

At one point, he considered leaving. But base leaders said it wasnt Gods plan and told him to go away and re-pray. He stayed for another two years. I thought, Maybe God really is saying this, he said.

For centuries, Christian missionaries have travelled the world preaching the gospel. In the 1800s and 1900s, western missionaries helped spread Christianity in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It was very mixed up with colonialism, said Rev Canon Mark Oxbrow from the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.

Today, the flow of western missionaries has slowed. In Britain and Europe, theres been a pretty steep decline, said Brian Stanley, professor emeritus of world Christianity at the University of Edinburgh.

At the same time, YWAM (pronounced why-wam) has thrived. Founded in 1960 by American Loren Cunningham, it has bases across more than 180 countries and trains young people to spread the gospel in the nations, often on short-term trips. Key targets include the Muslim world, the Hindu world, tribal peoples, and the poor and needy.

The Observer has spoken to 21 current and former YWAMers whose experiences span two decades and 18 countries. For each of them, their first exposure to YWAM was a discipleship training school (DTS).

Costing 5,000 to 10,000, the programmes, which follow a similar structure at all YWAM bases, are a gateway to the movement, combining an outreach trip with lectures on topics such as sin, repentance and restitution, spiritual warfare and discipling nations. Afterwards, graduates can stay on as unpaid volunteers in roles ranging from mentoring new students and leading mission trips to cooking and cleaning at a base.

One former missionary, Lena Stary, 26, from Bristol, signed up for a DTS at YWAMs base in Switzerland after leaving school. She said her A-levels hadnt gone well and she was wondering what on earth she would do. Growing up in a churchgoing family, missionaries had been revered, so she began researching YWAM.

Scrolling through the website for the YWAM base in Lausanne, near Lake Geneva, Stary, then 18, was captivated by the whimsical, Swiss adventure vibes. She took on two jobs to save 6,000 for the programme, room and board.

At the base, she shared a room with five other young women and had a schedule of lectures and prayer sessions from when you wake up to when you go to sleep. Outside the classroom, she recalls rules on general life, including restrictions on dating, expectations about what people would wear, and how often they could leave to visit family.

Early on, there was a message drilled in that the best thing to do with your life is be a missionary. She claims that leaders suggested people who had left had backslidden and that lectures were very shame-driven and heavily focused on obedience, submitting to God and laying down your rights. On the third day, students were invited to a testimony night, the first of many during Starys 18 months there. In a room in the headquarters  a converted hotel  they sat in a circle and confessed their sins. Youre expected to share all your secrets, Stary says. If you were more reserved, its like you werent really committed to giving your life to Jesus.

Ex-missionaries from bases around the world describe similar sessions  often lasting late into the night or held over several days at a time. For some, it could feel cathartic. One British woman who did a DTS and trained as an outreach leader in London in 2019 said she spoke about classic teenage insecurities and that the sessions could feel like counselling.

Other times, it felt punitive. People admitted to kissing outside marriage, homosexual thoughts, masturbating, having abortions, using sex toys, illegally streaming TV programmes and speeding. They could be prayed for, made to apologise, questioned in front of the group  or face punishment. A man in his 20s who admitted to having masturbated said he was asked to step back from a leadership role.

Sources across multiple bases described how people were also put under pressure to confess to sinful thoughts  such as thinking highly of themselves or disagreeing with leaders, which was seen as having a rebellious spirit.

Anything related to sex outside marriage was particularly problematic because of the belief that it leads people to form soul ties, soaking up each others sin. In this context, some people disclosed suffering sexual abuse. One woman who said she had been raped was prayed for by the group.

At a base in Brazil, two British ex-YWAMers described how a man and woman were forced to apologise to the group after they were found to have hooked up. The other missionaries then voted on whether they should stay.

Others were subjected to healing rituals similar to exorcisms. At a base in South Africa, a British ex-YWAMer described rituals branded as inner healing, which were used for people who had sex outside marriage. We prayed off all the demons and sin and asked God to forgive them and make them whole again.

Daniel recalled a similar ritual in Perth, where a man who admitted sexual relations with other men was subjected to a casting out. Leaders laid hands on him, chanting prayers as he convulsed on the floor. People would say it was the opposite of God in you. I saw it as the spirit of homosexuality which needed to come out.

These repentance and forgiveness rituals are alleged to have been part of a wider picture of control. Former YWAM volunteers described rules ranging from an alcohol ban to restrictions on what music they could play, what clothes they could wear, when they could visit relatives and who they could date.

Sammy*, 24, from Sheffield, joined a DTS during her gap year in 2018 at a now-closed YWAM base in Kings Cross. At first, she loved it. But when she returned for a leadership course, she found it quite controlling. At one point, she was put under pressure not to attend her ill grandmothers birthday because it clashed with a church service. When she started dating a man from a Christian dating app she says she was told it was ungodly.

[The leader] said, Its your choice. You do what you want to do, but also, Its really bad. I got on the train home and cried a lot. There is shame that seeps through, even if you disagree.

At other bases, women were told not to wear leggings or strappy tops to avoid tempting men and opening a door to the devil. There was so much [pressure] on the woman not to let the brothers stumble. It just makes you feel shit to be a woman, an ex-YWAMer said.

In South Africa, a woman was reprimanded by base leaders after telling friends she was considering getting dreadlocks. In an email, she was told not to get the hairstyle because it was linked with rebellion, false worship, mind control, witchcraft  ostracisation from society, destruction and death and would compromise the spiritual integrity of the base. We thank you in advance for your submission to this boundary, the email said.

The woman said her time in YWAM had left her feeling very trapped and that the email was the cherry on top. Since leaving, she has had to unlearn what she had been taught about sex and the way women should behave. Its so damaging, she said. You are programmed that you have to hide yourself and that sex is wrong.

Many who shared their stories caveated them by saying it was not black and white. They made friends for life in YWAM, missed the strong sense of community and said the bad experiences were mixed with good ones.

But several described the intense control and insular community as feeling cult-like. Though everyone was technically free to leave, they said there were practical and psychological barriers. Youre not physically restrained, but the level of thought control  and the level of influence other people had over the way that you were living your life  made it hard, said Stary.

Often, YWAMers were young, thousands of miles from home, and reliant on YWAM for their housing and visas. Many say they were discouraged from taking outside jobs and encouraged to raise donations that were paid to YWAM for living expenses. One fundraising guide advised listing the names of everyone you know, literally everyone to ask for support.

Some say they struggled to cover their basic needs, let alone extras like plane tickets. Id have to sell my furniture at the end of each month and then buy it all back again, said one YWAMer.

Eudo Albornoz, 35, a Venezuelan political sciences graduate now living in Bristol, left YWAM in December 2019 after spending seven years in Switzerland, Albania, and the Dominican Republic. He did missionary work in homeless shelters and orphanages and felt like he was doing a good thing, but found the experience alienating.

You feel like you are a saint, because youre a missionary. And you feel like the leaders hear God more directly than your family would, he said. You dont know how to get back to a regular church. You start mistrusting everybody outside YWAM.

Some say they were directly put under pressure by leaders not to leave. Emily Garces, 43, a former YWAM staff member who now runs a Facebook group for those who have left, says she was told by base leaders in Argentina in 2005 that she could not leave with their blessing. We sat in this big circle of leaders and they said, We dont think you should be doing this. If you go, you will fall into sexual sin.

In the mission field, meanwhile, people described having a genuine desire to help the communities they served. YWAM says it aims to address practical and physical needs through relief and development initiatives. But looking back, some question the impact of the work. Daniel, the former outreach leader based in Perth, said teams would often work with people in extreme poverty; during one trip to Indonesia, he preached the gospel to sex workers in a Jakarta slum and collected statistics on how many people had been saved. We would promise them that Jesus would change their life. But then a week later it was, See you later! Bye! Have a nice life! And theyre still living in the slums, he said. I really look back and think, what was the fruit of our labour?

I remember talking to my mentor and the response was just: Our leaders arent perfect Sammy, ex-YWAM

Others recall finding themselves in risky situations with little practical training  and being praised by leaders for their devotion. One YWAMer described smuggling bibles into countries where it was banned or strictly controlled. No one said: Dont do this. It was more, like, encouraged. But if you are caught with them, you can go to prison. It was putting young people in really vulnerable situations, he said.

In South Africa, a young woman described going into a red light district while posing as the partner of a man hosting a sex party. The idea was to gather data on the sex trade and share the evidence with the police, but there were a lot of gangs  watching these places and we were going door to door, trying to find the youngest girls.

Looking back, she says there was a lack of safeguarding, with red flags left, right and centre. There was also this element of, if youre doing something thats a bit scary and a bit dramatic, its seen as more radical. We were praised for it. But actually, what was radical about it? We were being so stupid.

In response, YWAM said that while many people had positive experiences, some had suffered spiritual abuse, which it deeply regrets. It said it had sought to strengthen its policies, encouraged people to speak out and took safeguarding seriously. It has a decentralised structure, which devolves responsibility for bases to local leaders.

In England, a spokesperson said YWAM held traditional Christian views on sexuality and marriage but was actively reviewing how it taught those views to ensure it did not cause shame or rejection. They said the organisation strongly opposed pressured public confessions; that no one should be shamed or made to apologise; and that healing prayer must be conducted only with informed consent, trauma-awareness and appropriate spiritual and pastoral oversight. They also condemned any practice that traumatised people or associated them with demonic influence. We are deeply grieved to hear reports that spiritual practices intended for healing were used in coercive or shaming ways, they said.

YWAM Perth said the same, adding that while it held traditional Christian convictions about marriage and sexuality, it recognised that in the past, some of our methods of encouraging this have lacked grace or sensitivity. It was truly saddened by any negative impacts and never aimed to coerce or control anyone. It said a voluntary audit of its practices by an external agency in 2021 had led to it improving its policies and reporting structures.

YWAM Lausanne denied missionaries were subject to strict rules, saying they could take six weeks of holiday a year, and that instruction on what to wear involved advice for their protection, such as when travelling to countries with a malaria risk or playing sports. It denied suggesting people who left had backslidden, saying it valued every form of engagement in society equally. It said claims that people felt alienated from the outside world did not reflect its beliefs or practices. We encourage relationships and good communication with family, friends and the local church, a spokesperson said.

In relation to mission trips, a YWAM England spokesperson said teams were given thorough pre-departure briefings, including training in cultural sensitivities, and dangerous trips were discouraged. Teams also had an orientation on arrival. We understand that these briefings are consistently practised across YWAM, they said.

Ex-YWAMers said they wanted the organisation to improve its complaints processes and to strengthen central oversight of bases, to improve the safety of both young missionaries and the communities they serve.

Olivia Jackson, a researcher at Durham University who worked as a human rights consultant to mission movements and spent 10 years in YWAM herself, said the current decentralised structure allowed for plausible deniability about abuse and poor behaviour. When people did complain, she said concerns were not always escalated. Youre told: If its not on a par with what Jesus suffered for your sake, then youve got no right to complain.

Sammy from the London base felt her concerns about leadership had not been taken seriously. She said there had been a clear hierarchy if another student or volunteer was accused of wrongdoing  but not when it was a base leader. I remember talking to my [YWAM] mentor and the response was just: Our leaders arent perfect, she said.

While there is a decentralised structure, YWAM is founded on principles that apply across all bases. The University of the Nations, an unaccredited university that oversees training schools, sets the direction of courses and has codes of conduct that students must follow. These say any moral violation, including sexual immorality, is grounds for disciplinary action. Individual bases are more explicit about their policies, including a US base which lists fornication and homosexuality as immoral behaviours alongside incest and bestiality, and another which says changing gender goes against Gods will.

Leaders have also made their views clear. In 2020, Lynn Green, founder of YWAM England, published a blogpost urging the human race to repent for ignoring the laws of God, blaming abortion and the homosexual agenda for bringing destruction.

For Daniel, who was struggling with his sexuality, knowing YWAM had strict rules on sex outside marriage meant it initially felt like a safe space. Any niggles he might be gay became more and more silenced. It felt quite nonexistent. There was nothing going on there, he said.

Witnessing the treatment of other gay people eventually made it impossible to ignore his own sexuality. He began believing his heart was not clean and said he felt that fundamentally there was something wrong with him.

He would regularly repent of his thoughts and dreams. I felt as though this demon was inside of me and I needed to get my heart right, he said. It was this constant struggle to be accepted by God.

At YWAM Englands HQ  a 48-acre campus in Harpenden, Hertfordshire  The Send UK and Irelands director, Josh Cutting, distanced the movement from problems of the past.

He emphasised safeguarding, saying The Send was working with an external organisation which had given it a vision of how to help people make good decisions, prevent spiritual abuse and avoid the power play that could arise. And he said The Send was open to all. Everyones in. We go on the journey together of people that are willing to say yes to [Jesus].

Cutting added that while The Send was closely connected to YWAM, it works in collaboration with 60 other churches and Christian groups, including those supporting people to do missions work at home as well as abroad. The thing we have in common is we want to follow Jesus and obey his words and share the good news, he said.

Some ex-YWAMers say that, even so, it makes them nervous. With slick TikTok and Instagram marketing, The Sends website pitches it as a modern movement for those who have shunned the church as a tradition of the past. But behind the marketing, there is a strong link to the evangelical right, including groups opposed to same-sex marriage and abortion.

The Send itself was born out of The Call, an American prayer movement whose co-founder, Lou Engle, has caused controversy with his radical views, including speaking at a rally supporting Ugandan anti-gay laws, calling for the criminalisation of abortion and saying Muslim proclamations were fuelling the demonic realm.

Asked about The Send UKs link to Engle, who was pictured on its website until last week, Cutting provided a written comment saying the organisation was aware of past statements made by Engle which do not reflect the culture or tone we want for The Send UK & Ireland. He said that, while Engle played a role in the movements early days in the US, its UK team operated independently, adding that it held a traditional Christian view of marriage but rejected any approach that fosters fear, exclusion, or internalised shame.

When the Observer spoke to Cutting, he said The Send had an orthodox view on the things Jesus says and that there was an alignment with Engle on issues such as marriage, but that he hoped that, in practice, this would look slightly different in the UK because of how we would do it. Its less polarising; its more nuanced, he said. Thats not to take away from what we believe.

In his written statement, he said The Send did not endorse, condone or facilitate public confession, coercion, shame or forced healing, adding that it had clear processes for reporting concerns. He said he was aware of concerns within YWAM and supported efforts to bring the issues to light, adding that The Send UK was committed to fostering a message of respect, service to others and love.

For Sarah*, a current volunteer with YWAM and The Send, submitting to Jesus has been the most releasing thing. The 24-year-old said she had previously been living a lukewarm lifestyle with one foot in her religion and one out. So she quit her job at a PR agency in London to do a DTS in Hawaii. She now runs Send events in the UK and said she felt honoured to be part of it.

Felicity Davies, a designer from Yorkshire, said she had joined YWAM at 18 because she was passionate about her religion and really wanted to help people. But she said her six years at bases in New Zealand and South Africa had left her feeling suffocated and not good enough. I constantly had to do certain things in order for God to love me, she said.

After leaving, she came out as queer. She also began questioning the version of Christianity she had been taught. I think theres a lot of solid good bits in the Bible, but the version Id seen just didnt sit right, she said.

Now 34, she said movements such as The Send made her nervous for the next generation  and hopes speaking out will help young people make a more informed choice. I learned so much about generosity and community in YWAM, so it wasnt all awful. But people should be aware that this isnt all happy-clappy, she said. A lot of people get traumatised. And no ones held to account.

*Names have been changed
UK prime minister Keir Starmer is said to be rethinking key elements of the governments economic policy. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

Keir Starmer is preparing to rethink key elements of the governments economic policy in an emergency response to Donald Trumps tariff blitz, amid growing concern in Downing Street that the US presidents trade war could do lasting damage to the UK.

The prime minister believes, say allies, that old assumptions should be discarded in the UKs response, suggesting he and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, may be preparing to raise taxes again  despite having promised not to do so  or even possibly change their iron clad fiscal rules to allow more borrowing and fire up economic growth at home in the event of recession.

Related: The fallout from Trumps tariffs: is there a masterplan, are we heading for recession and what does it mean for UK?

Almost $5tn (4tn) was wiped off the value of global stock markets after Trump launched his tariff offensive last Wednesday on the rest of the world, including a 10% base tariff on imports into the US from the UK.

On Friday, the FTSE 100 closed more than 7% lower than last Monday, after what was its worst week since the height of panic over the Covid pandemic in March 2020.

Underlining the potential impact on UK businesses of a global trade war, Britains luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said on Saturday that it would pause shipments to the US in April as it considered how to respond. As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions, including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans, said JLR.

This week, Starmer, who has refused to criticise Trump or his tariffs directly, will focus on how to frame an economic response to a global economic shock that protects working people, and their incomes and jobs  as well as the UKs public services.

He believes that the last few days have ushered in a new era, that the world has changed and that a global trade war risks undermining a proud, hard-working nation.

The kind of language now emanating from Starmers circles will be seen by economists  and politicians at Westminster  as preparing the ground for big potential shifts in economic policy on the basis that emergency times may require emergency measures.

Speaking to the Observer, Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said: To the extent that this does change the economic situation in ways that could not have been predicted, that does give permission to do things that were not politically doable otherwise.

He added And if this is an economic crisis, it changes what is the appropriate policy response.

On Friday, China, the worlds second-largest economy, hit back at Trump by announcing a punitive 34% of additional tariffs on imports into China of US goods, mirroring the levy imposed on Beijing by Washington on Wednesday.

The EU has yet to announce its response, while the UK said it is keeping all options available.

Starmer spoke with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, on Saturday to share their concerns about the global economic and security impact, said a Downing Street spokesperson. They agreed that a trade war was in nobodys interests, but nothing should be off the table.

In an interview with the Observer, former World Trade Organization head Pascal Lamy, who is also an ex-EU trade commissioner in Brussels, said the EU can use its big trade firepower to threaten the US with strong and well-targeted countermeasures, and hit the US if they do not move back.

Lamy said there was a danger that European countries could be flooded with cheap goods from nations such as China that could no longer sell them into the US. But he added: We have both a trade defence arsenal with anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard systems in case of import surges.

Referring to Trumps tactics, Lamy said it was best to respond robustly in a way the US president understood: I think Mr Trump learned to do business in the New York mafia-influenced real estate market and that his tactics are based on extortion  you hit and keep hitting for as long as you do not get a good price for stopping. Showing your muscle, it seems to me, is the way to transact with him and his people.

In a sign of growing concern in the US about the direction of the country after Trumps election, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Washington and other big cities on Saturday in a show of defiance against the presidents authoritarian overreach and billionaire-backed agenda.

The Hands Off protests  of which more than 1,000 events are planned across the country  were expected to be the largest single day of action since Trump was sworn into office for a second term.
Marine Le Pen and her RN party plan to hold a rally in Paris on Sunday to protest against her conviction. Photograph: Marie Genel/The Guardian

Near a roast chicken stand at a rural market, Jocelyn Dessigny was giving out leaflets bearing a photograph of the French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and the words Save democracy!

It is a political attack, he said of Le Pens criminal conviction this week.

After a two-month trial in Paris, Le Pen was found guilty of organising a system of fake job contracts to embezzle more than 4m (3m) of European parliament funds between 2004 and 2016. Judges placed an immediate ban on her taking part in elections for five years, sparking fury from Le Pen, who said they had effectively excluded her from the 2027 French presidential race.

Theres a sense of stupefaction, said Dessigny, 43, a former sales manager who is a member of parliament for Le Pens anti-immigration National Rally (RN) party in the LAisne departement in north-eastern France. The area, which has higher than average unemployment and poverty levels, is a Le Pen heartland that has contributed to some of the partys highest electoral scores in recent years.

Dessigny now found himself hurriedly organising car-shares to Paris where, on Sunday, Le Pen will hold an open-air protest rally to challenge what she called a tyranny of judges who wanted to stop her running in a presidential race she said she could otherwise win.

Calling a protest rally in Paris is a departure for Le Pen, who for more than a decade has endeavoured to present her party as a mainstream operation that is able to govern, rather than a repository for angry protest votes, even as political opponents say its policy platform remains racist, xenophobic and anti-Islam.

Political commentators speculated that after the embezzlement verdict, Le Pens party might now revert to a more overtly populist approach. The rightwing head of the northern Hauts-de-France region, Xavier Bertrand, warned that Sundaysrally could be a Donald Trump-style response to stoke supporters fury. He said it could be a poor remake of the Capitol  a reference to Donald Trumps supporters storming Capitol Hill in January 2021.

We are absolutely not in the spirit of the Capitol, Dessigny said. On the contrary, this meeting is about calming and channelling peoples anger. So many voters have got in touch that we had to do something to reassure them.

We know political opponents will attack us. For years they tried to demonise us, saying we were crazy, neo-Nazi, antisemitic  But today, people know were just like everyone else. We dont want to get elected at any price, we defend our ideas.

The RN said it had gained 20,000 new members in the four days after Le Pens conviction, and half a million people had signed a petition on the partys website to support Le Pen.

But several polls showed a majority of people across France clearly approved Le Pens conviction. One poll by Cluster 17 for Le Point found 61% thought her sentence was justified. Another Elabe poll found a majority of French people felt it was a normal conviction given the crimes she was accused of.

For Le Pens electoral standing to grow she needs to expand beyond her core base and gain support from pensioners, the traditional right and higher-earners. But those new supporters now appear much harder to win over. Sundays Paris rally seems primarily intended to show Le Pens historic supporters that she is not dead politically and will appeal the verdict.

In Villers-Cotterets, a rural town of around 10,500 people north east of Paris, the views at the market were mixed. The town, which has had a RN mayor for more than a decade, is famous for being the historic home of the revolutionary General Dumas, born to a French nobleman and an African slave, and father to the writer Alexandre Dumas. Last year, the centrist president Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the towns restored castle as a museum to celebrate the French language.

Paul, who used to run a charcuterie shop, and his wife, Marceline, who had worked as a housekeeper on Pariss left bank, said they were standing by Le Pen. This wouldnt change our vote for the party, Paul said. The RN vote is rising here because people want change.

Hugues, 64, a former chef who now worked as a delivery driver to markets, once voted for the socialist Francois Mitterrand, but now always chooses Le Pen. I think judges have done this to her deliberately, in order to break her because shes leading in public opinion, he said. Ill still back her.

Daniele, a former Paris restaurant manager said: Im against injustice and I think Le Pen was targeted politically. Shes a fighter, shell stand firm.

Others disagreed. A market worker in his 30s said: Sorry but if youre a crook, you pay. Of course the judges verdict makes sense.

Catherine, 73, a retired nurse and healthcare manager, said: Any ordinary person would go to jail, so why shouldnt a politician face a tough sentence. Its absolutely crazy to have a rally in Paris, shes a crook.

Celine, 45, an estate agent, had once voted for the rights Nicolas Sarkozy but has since abstained. Part of a demographic of non-voters that Le Pen is seeking to court, she said the RNs leader had lost credibility over the embezzlement verdict.

Some Le Pen supporters said the 29-year-old party president Jordan Bardella could be an alternative in the presidential race. Noel, a former tiler, said: Im for Marine Le Pen all the way, but if Bardella stands as a new face for the party he could do well.

The towns RN mayor, Franck Briffaut, said if the judges had wanted to scupper Le Pens political future, it could backfire: New people have joined the party this week, and I think more people will actually come to us now.
The Maid of Orleans cropped her hair like a man and wore male clothes but never adopted a non-binary gender identity - Bettmann

Joan of Arc was non-binary, secondary school pupils are being taught.

Lesson plans produced for English language students aged between 11 and 14 include the claim about the medieval figure, who is the patron saint of France and fought against the English during the Hundred Years War.

In the Who We Are anthology published by Collins, which is made up of representative and inclusive contemporary texts, a lesson plan includes a biography that reads: Joan of Arc (1412-31) is today considered by some to have been non-binary.

The knight cropped her hair in the male fashion and wore mens clothes, which formed part of the heresy case against her for which she was burned at the stake in 1431.

But she never claimed not to be female and also did not adopt the non-binary gender identity, which only emerged in the late 20th century.

Joan of Arc burned at the stake in 1431 - Universal Images Group

Robert Tombs, professor emeritus of French history at the University of Cambridge, branded the claim insulting.

Joan of Arc fought as a woman and died as a woman, he told The Telegraph. To call her something else is insulting to her and indirectly to all women who are brave enough to risk their lives for their beliefs  as if women are incapable of heroism.

Carolyn Brown, a retired psychologist now working with the Womens Rights Network, said: This is yet another ridiculous example of attempting to rewrite history and erase strong, rebellious female characters from our past.

Its insulting to suggest that non-conforming women are not women. Non-binary is a nonsense term  indeed the Supreme Court in the UK recently ruled against including it as an option on passports.

Its also another example of the junk science of queer theory being visited on children. Its unhelpful psychologically to childrens development and is likely to cause confusion and anxiety.

A campaigner said it was insulting to suggest that non-conforming women are not women - Hulton Archive

It is not the first time Joan of Arc has been dubbed non-binary. In 2022, the Globe Theatre put on the play I, Joan which gave her the pronouns they/them instead of she/her.

The claim made in the Collins anthology formed part of a lesson plan designed around drag queen Amrou al-Kadhis biography Life as a Unicorn.

The plan reads: To provide some useful context, teachers may explain to students that there are references to non-binary people in ancient Mesopotamia (4,000 years ago); that in India and Pakistan, hijra is a legally recognised third gender (hijra are usually assigned male at birth but present female); and that Joan of Arc (1412-31) is today considered by some to have been non-binary.

These historical and global references may prepare students unfamiliar with LGBTQ+ identities to understand the content of the extract.

One teacher said the lesson plan  used by state schools  made an absolute mockery of the profession.

In schools today there is simply far too much identity-first woke reading materials being foisted on pupils at the expense of established classics like [To Kill a] Mockingbird or Of Mice and Men, the teacher said.

We should also not lose sight of the fact that there are cohorts of teenagers vulnerable to reality-denying nonsense like this when it is presented earnestly.

Collins was approached for comment.
Oliver Glasner said nine-man Crystal Palaces victory was a priceless achievement after they clung on to a 2-1 lead to secure their first league double over arch-rivals Brighton in 92 years.

Daniel Munozs deflected strike 10 minutes into the second half ultimately made the difference at Selhurst Park, but the Eagles needed everything in the tank to survive 12 minutes of added time following the dismissals of Eddie Nketiah and captain Marc Guehi.

Danny Welbeck had cancelled out Jean-Philippe Matetas third-minute opener just after the half hour, and it briefly became nine versus 10 when Jan Paul van Hecke was also sent off with a second booking in the sixth minute of second-half added time.

With the dramatic situations, with the circumstances today, its a massive win, said Palace boss Glasner.

But Im really exhausted, because so much was going on, the atmosphere at the end in the stadium, the fighting spirit of the team and the togetherness of our fans, its just great to experience.

Ive talked about it very often. These moments you cant buy, you have to experience, and thats great to get this experience and be part of it. (But Ill be) really happy to lay on my sofa and just do nothing today.

Palaces last league double over Brighton was in 1932-33, when they were in the Third Division, and until this encounter had never done it in the Premier League.

The victory also snapped a streak of five successive 1-1 Premier League draws between the sides at Selhurst Park.

It concludes an eventful week for the Eagles, who last Saturday booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a 3-0 victory at Fulham, then rescued a midweek draw at Southampton.

The Austrian boss could even be seen encouraging fans to get behind his side after they were forced to dig deep.

He said: I could see how the players were fighting together, and I felt that they needed all the support we can give. It was a fantastic atmosphere.

Also, I think I needed something to do with my arms, because I couldnt keep them in my pockets.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler was forced to reflect on another frustrating result, one week after they were knocked out of their own FA Cup last-eight encounter by Nottingham Forest in a penalty shootout, then were beaten 3-0 by Aston Villa.

Hurzeler agreed his youthful squad needed to be in better control of their emotions, saying: It was important for the players to keep calm and find the right solutions. We have to analyse why that was, be honest with each other and then make it better.

They went down to nine men and then we made a silly mistake to concede a red card ourselves. Its difficult to win Premier League games when youre not on the highest level, we had the same situation against Aston Villa on Wednesday.

We have had too many individual mistakes this week, and if you do that you cant win many Premier League games. We have a lot of young players and in some moments we perhaps werent mature enough. But we will analyse it and Im sure we will show a good reaction.
The Duke of York was seen riding a horse near his home at Royal Lodge in Windsor, Berkshire, on Saturday - JIM BENNETT

Prince Andrew has been seen for the first time since it emerged the King had held secret meetings with him about his planned Chinese investment scheme run by an alleged spy.

The Duke of York was photographed riding a horse near his home at Royal Lodge in Windsor, Berkshire, on Saturday morning.

He appeared cheery despite it emerging on Friday that the King was aware of an investment fund in which Yang Tengbo, an alleged spy, was directly involved.

A witness statement provided to an immigration tribunal by Dominic Hampshire, a senior adviser to Prince Andrew, said he and the Duke were twice smuggled into Windsor Castle for clandestine meetings with the King during which the Eurasia Fund was discussed.

The fund, which aimed to plough Chinese investment into renewable energy projects in Africa, would have provided an income for the Duke following his public fall from grace.

Sources insist the fund failed to get off the ground and never traded, but it appears to have been linked to an entity called Eurasia Global Partners, incorporated as a management consultancy firm in November 2022.

Prince Andrews appearance near his home comes as he finds himself once again in the headlines - JIM BENNETT

Yang, who was banned from the UK on national security grounds, was a junior partner, owning just under a third of the company.

Elsewhere in the document, Mr Hampshire reveals that he had discussed such work not only with the King but with key advisers to Elizabeth II.

He also claims that the Duke was a key conduit to Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, and admits that the Dukes reputation was irrecoverable following his notorious Newsnight interview.

Buckingham Palace said on Friday that the King had no knowledge of the Dukes dealings with Yang, previously identified in court documents as H6, who they said was never directly mentioned in their meetings.

A palace spokesman said: While His Majesty met with the Duke and his adviser to hear outline proposals for independent funding over the past year, the individual known as H6 was not mentioned at any time or in any way as part of these discussions.

Royal sources appeared to cast doubt on other claims made in the statement concerning senior figures from the Royal household, suggesting that certain details did not conform with their understanding and record of events.
Matcha was originally served in highly stylised fashion at formal tea ceremonies. Photograph: REDA/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

The appearance of the vivid-green powder elicits smiles and appreciative sounds, and anticipation among dozens of tea lovers. Their hand-milled batches now ready for whisking with hot water, they will soon be rewarded for their patience.

The foreign tourists attending a matcha-making experience in Uji, near Kyoto in western Japan, are united in their love of the powdered, bitter form of green tea the Japanese have been drinking for centuries, and which is now at the centre of a global boom.

Made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant and originally served, in highly stylised fashion, at formal tea ceremonies by masters of sado  the way of tea  matcha is the flavour profile of the times, the must-have ingredient in everything from lattes and chocolates to ice-cream and boiled sweets.

After the lean years of the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses in Uji, a town known for deep historical ties to the matcha trade, are cashing in.

Buoyed up by record levels of tourism to Japan, restaurants take the matcha theme to its culinary extreme: gyoza and takoyaki drizzled in matcha-infused dressing, and bowls of stamina ramen topped with the chlorophyll-rich green stuff. Every cafe is packed on an overcast, drizzly afternoon, as are the family-run shops doing a roaring trade in packets of locally produced tea, colourfully decorated containers and matcha-themed confectionery.

At Chazuna, a park and museum devoted to the towns tea culture, matcha workshops are fully booked for the next fortnight. Of the 60 people a day who come to make, and then drink, their own tea, about 90% are from overseas.

We opened in 2021 and for the first two years we didnt have many visitors, says Chazunas director, Naoto Sakayori. Then everything changed in March last year and, since August, interest has rocketed. Its all about matcha, matcha. People think that if they come to Kyoto on holiday, then they absolutely have to come here for a matcha experience. And then everyone posts their photos and videos online.

Stephen Blackburn, a tourist from New York, was among the first to ride the matcha wave. I have more or less stopped drinking coffee and now just drink matcha, says Blackburn, a former barista who started drinking the Japanese pick-me-up eight years ago. I like the taste and the way it makes me feel. Its not like coffee. It doesnt leave me agitated  it makes me more focused.

But some visitors to Uji are still not convinced. To be honest, we dont really like matcha, says Henrik Hantel, who is honeymooning in Japan with his wife, Tessa. We tried it in Germany several times and disliked it, but we thought Japanese matcha might be different  and its everywhere here, so we dont have much choice but to try it in its traditional home. Were going to give it one more go and hope we wont be disappointed again.

However, the global appetite for all things matcha is a double-edged sword. Reports of a shortage emerged last autumn, prompting tea companies in Kyoto to impose unprecedented purchase limits on the powder, which has been consumed in Japan since the 12th century after it was introduced by Buddhist monks from China.

Soaring demand in Europe, the US and Australia has prompted warnings of further shortages this year. While consumption of leaf green tea and matcha is declining in Japan, the rest of the world cant get enough, with the global market in matcha alone expected to surge from $2.8bn [2.2bn] in 2023 to about $5bn by 2028.

According to the agriculture ministry, Japan produced 4,176 tonnes of matcha in 2023, almost three times the quantity in 2010. Keen to exploit the growing commercial potential, Japans government is reportedly planning subsidies to encourage growers to move away from traditional leaf tea, or sencha, and produce more tencha  tea for grinding  the type of leaf that produces matcha.

Official campaigns to spread the word about matcha have been wildly successful. The tea promotion account on Instagram, run by the Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Centre, has almost 50,000 followers.

This years tea harvest, which will start this month, will replenish the matcha supply, but relief will be temporary. Overseas consumption reached a record high last year, Fumi Ueki, chief of the Leaf Brand Group, a department of Ito En, one of Japans largest tea companies, told the Japan Times.

Inevitably, social media has been a driver of interest. Matcha content is hard to avoid on TikTok, with users pointing to evidence of the health benefits of regular consumption of antioxidant-rich green tea, whose caffeine levels are slightly lower than those in coffee.

While he has been taken aback by the levels of interest in matcha  Chazuna will soon host large groups of British visitors  Sakayori appreciates its aesthetic, even spiritual, appeal.

Its not like drinking coffee or English tea, he says. Its about more than the taste drinking matcha is an experience.

The march of the brilliant-green powder continues, winning unlikely converts along the way, including Henrik and Tessa Hantel. We decided to try matcha along with a dessert and, to be honest, it was the best experience weve had so far, they wrote in an email after speaking to the Observer. I still dont think well order it back in Germany but it was a happy way to end our matcha experience in Japan.
Sir Keir Starmer has discussed concerns about tariffs with Emmanuel Macron, as Jaguar Land Rover said it will pause shipments to the US while it looks to address the new trading terms of Donald Trumps rules.

The Prime Minister and French president talked about their concerns about the global economic and security impact of the new taxes, particularly in South-East Asia in a call on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the announcement from JLR earlier on Saturday came as companies are grappling with the new trade rules, and the fallout on the global stock markets. The firm has said it is looking to develop its longer term plans.

A 10% tariff on goods imported into America from around the world kicked in on Saturday morning, while a 25% levy on foreign car imports came into force on Thursday.

Sir Keirs conversation with Mr Macron was the latest in a series of calls with world leaders following Mr Trumps announcement on Wednesday.

Issuing a readout of the call, a Downing Street spokesperson said: They agreed that a trade war was in nobodys interests but nothing should be off the table and that it was important to keep business updated on developments.

The Prime Minister and president also shared their concerns about the global economic and security impact, particularly in South-East Asia.

Trading across the world has been hammered in the aftermath of the presidents tariff announcement. While the UK is set to continue at the 10% baseline, other nations are due to see their tariff rates increase further next week.

Some of the highest tariff rates have been applied to nations in South-East Asia, with imports from Vietnam will be subject to a 46% tariff, while those from Cambodia will face a 49% rate.

Imports from France will see a 20% tariff, the rate that has been set for EU nations.

JLR said on Saturday that the USA is an important market for JLRs luxury brands.

A spokesperson added: As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans.

The FTSE 100 plummeted on Friday in its worst day of trading since the start of the pandemic, while markets on Wall Street also tumbled.

Londons top stock market index shed 419.75 points, or 4.95%, to close at 8,054.98 on Friday, the biggest single-day decline since March 2020 when the index lost more than 600 points in one day. The Dow Jones fell 5.5% on Friday as China matched Mr Trumps tariff rate.

(PA Graphics)

Mr Trump has warned Americans that the tariffs wont be easy, but urged them to hang tough.

In a post on his TruthSocial platform, the president said: We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it wont be easy, but the end result will be historic.

Meanwhile, protesters gathered in central London as part of global demonstrations against Mr Trumps administration.

Crowds in Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoon had banners with slogans such as Dump Trump.

Brent Robertson, 56, from Albuquerque, criticised Mr Trumps tariffs.

Mr Robertson said: Stupid is not the word.

He is shooting himself and all of us as Americans, just so he can make himself look like a tough guy.

Sir Keirs call with his French counterpart came after separate conversations with the prime ministers of Italy and Australia on Friday.

Number 10 said the leaders all agreed that an all-out trade war would be extremely damaging.
Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to do everything necessary to protect the UKs national interest in the wake of Donald Trumps tariffs, as he said that ministers are ready to use industrial policy to help shelter businesses.

The Prime Minister said that these new times demand a new mentality, after the 10% levy on British imports into America came into force.

It comes as Jaguar Land Rover announced it would pause shipments to the US, as businesses are grappling with the new taxes.

The car manufacturer said on Saturday that it was working to address the new trading terms and is looking to develop our mid- to longer-term plans.

The 10% tariff on goods imported into America from around the world kicked in on Saturday morning, while a 25% levy on foreign car imports came into force on Thursday.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Sir Keir said that when it comes to tariffs, the immediate priority is to keep calm and fight for the best deal.

Mr Trump urged Americans to hang tough as his tariffs took effect (AP)

The Prime Minister said that in the coming days we will turbocharge plans that will improve our domestic competitiveness, and added: We stand ready to use industrial policy to help shelter British business from the storm.

It is thought that a number of announcements could be made soon as the Government looks to encourage growth.

The FTSE 100 had its worst day of trading since the start of the pandemic on Friday, with banks among some of the firms to suffer the sharpest losses.

(PA Graphics)

The Prime Minister wrote: This week, the Government will do everything necessary to protect Britains national interest. Because when global economic sands are shifting, our laser focus on delivering for Britain will not. And these new times demand a new mentality.

Sir Keir has been taking calls from foreign leaders through the weekend to discuss the tariff changes, and shared his concerns about the impact on global economics and security in a call with Emmanuel Macron.

Issuing a readout of the conversation with the French President, a Downing Street spokesperson said: They agreed that a trade war was in nobodys interests but nothing should be off the table and that it was important to keep business updated on developments.

The Prime Minister and president also shared their concerns about the global economic and security impact, particularly in South-East Asia.

There will be an economic impact from the decisions the US has taken. We will continue to negotiate on a deal in our interests. Decisions will be guided only by our national interests and what is best for the security of working people. We will go further and faster on the pic.twitter.com/VMJlCfZLP5  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) April 3, 2025

While the UK is set to continue at the 10% baseline, other nations are due to see their tariff rates increase further next week.

Some of the highest tariff rates have been applied to nations in South-East Asia, with imports from Vietnam will be subject to a 46% tariff, while those from Cambodia will face a 49% rate.

Imports from France will see a 20% tariff, the rate that has been set for EU nations.

Sir Keirs call with his French counterpart came after separate conversations with the prime ministers of Italy and Australia on Friday.

Mr Trump has warned Americans that the tariffs wont be easy, but urged them to hang tough.

In a post on his TruthSocial platform, the president said: We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it wont be easy, but the end result will be historic.
Trumps 10% tariff on UK products to come into force as stock markets plunge

Donald Trumps 10% tariff on UK products is set to come into force on Saturday, as global stock markets have continued to fall in response to the imposition of import taxes.

The FTSE 100 plummeted on Friday in its worst day of trading since the start of the pandemic while markets on Wall Street also tumbled.

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to spend the weekend speaking to foreign leaders about the tariffs, after calls with the prime ministers of Australia and Italy on Friday in which the leaders agreed that a trade war would be extremely damaging.

The baseline 10% US tariff on goods imported from around the world is due to come into effect shortly after 5am on Saturday UK time.

Many other countries will see their tariff rates increase above that next week  including the EU which will be hit with a 20% rate. A 25% tariff imposed on all foreign cars imported into the US came into effect on Thursday.

Trading across the world has been hammered in the aftermath of the Presidents announcement at the White House on Wednesday.

Londons top stock market index shed 419.75 points, or 4.95%, to close at 8,054.98 on Friday, the biggest single-day decline since March 2020 when the index lost more than 600 points in one day. The Dow Jones fell 5.5% on Friday as China matched Mr Trumps tariff rate.

(PA Graphics)

Beijing said it would respond with its own 34% tariff on imports of all US products from April 10.

All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday, with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.

Downing Street said that Sir Keir spoke to Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese and Italian premier Giorgia Meloni, and had been clear the UKs response will be guided by the national interest.

Issuing a read-out of their separate conversations on Friday, Number 10 said the leaders all agreed that an all-out trade war would be extremely damaging.

A spokesperson said the PM has been clear the UKs response will be guided by the national interest and officials will calmly continue with our preparatory work, rather than rush to retaliate.

He discussed this approach with both leaders, acknowledging that while the global economic landscape has shifted this week, it has been clear for a long time that like-minded countries must maintain strong relationships and dialogue to ensure our mutual security and maintain economic stability, the spokesperson added.

It is expected that Sir Keir will take further calls with counterparts over the weekend.

US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (PA)

Ministers have so far avoided criticism of Mr Trump as they seek to secure a trade agreement with America which they hope could secure some exemption from the tariffs.

However, the Government has drawn up a list of products that could be hit in retaliation, and is consulting with businesses on how any counter measures could impact them.

Rachel Reeves said on Friday that the Government is determined to get the best deal we can with Washington.

Of course, we dont want to see tariffs on UK exports, and were working hard as a government in discussion with our counterparts in the US to represent the British national interest and support British jobs and British industry, the Chancellor said.

The Liberal Democrats have said that the Governments attempts to appease the White House are not working, and called on ministers to coordinate a response with allies.

Calum Miller said in a statement: We need to end this trade war as quickly as possible, but the Governments attempts to appease the White House and its offers to cut taxes on US tech billionaires simply arent working.

Instead, the best way to end this crisis is to stand shoulder to shoulder with our European and Commonwealth friends. We must coordinate our response and strengthen our trading relations with our reliable allies. Thats how we can protect our economy from Trumps bullying.
Ukrainians who are seeking asylum on their way to enter the United States, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on 6 April 2022, in Tijuana, Mexico. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Donald Trumps presidential administration has acknowledged and apologized after it says it accidentally informed some Ukrainian refugees fleeing their countrys invasion by Russia that they needed to leave the US because their legal status was being revoked.

About 240,000 Ukrainians have been settled in the US as part of the Uniting for Ukraine  or U4U  program launched during Joe Bidens presidency. But according to CBS News, some resettled Ukrainians received emails this week telling them that the US Department of Homeland Security would be terminating their legal protections.

More than 20,000 Ukrainians who flew to Mexico at the start of the war were also allowed into the US, which allows DHS officials to offer temporary work permits and deportation protections to migrants on humanitarian grounds.

DHS is now exercising its discretion to terminate your parole, read the notice dated 3 April, referring to the temporary legal status (TPS) granted to Ukrainians after Russia invaded its neighbouring state. Unless it expires sooner, your parole will terminate 7 days from the date of this notice.

If recipients failed to leave the US, the message warned, they would be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal from the United States and encouraged the recipients to sign up for self-deportation.

Do not attempt to remain in the United States  the federal government will find you, the notice warned. Please depart the United States immediately.

But the DHS said in a statement to the outlet on Friday that the notice had been sent in error to some Ukrainians under the U4U program. The U4U parole program has not been terminated, the DHS statement read. And the missive had been corrected with a follow-up message that said: No action will be taken with respect to your parole.

Ukraine nationals have not been caught up in the cancellation of Biden administration immigration programs that include Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, and ordered them to self-deport by 24 April. Nonetheless, the rescinded notice caused panic with Ukrainians in the US who have been widely fearing that they could face the same cancellations affecting those of other nationalities.

On Friday, a federal judge gave the Trump administration until the end of Monday to return a Maryland man who was inadvertently deported under a controversial use of the Alien Enemies Act to El Salvador in March.

Judge Paula Xinis ruled that federal officials had acted without legal basis when they arrested Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national living in Maryland legally, and deported him without due process.

Administration officials have said there was little they can do to get Garcia returned, despite acknowledging that his deportation last month had been a mistake. The justice department said that it intended to appeal Xiniss decision.
People protest outside an immigration detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on 3 March 2025. Photograph: Kena Betancur/View press/Corbis via Getty Images

Venezuelans with legal permission to live and work in the United States are being unlawfully arrested by federal authorities at their homes, in their cars, at regular immigration check-ins and on the streets, attorneys say.

They are then stuck in immigration detention around the country, sometimes for weeks, despite the law explicitly banning the government from keeping them behind bars.

Ive seen a lot of terrible policies, and a lot of mistreatment, and government abuses and misconduct and, you know, even wrongful deportations, said Sirine Shebaya, executive director of the National Immigration Project, an organization of attorneys, advocates and community members based in Washington DC.

But this level of impunity and lack of even a pretense of following legal standards or thinking about the facts of someones situation before targeting them is something that I truly have never seen before, she added.

The Venezuelans who are being apprehended have what is called temporary protected status (TPS), which allows people to stay in the US short term and apply for work permits when its unsafe for them to go back to their home countries because of extraordinary circumstances such as political unrest or a natural disaster.

Venezuela qualifies for a TPS designation because of an ongoing crisis where its president, Nicolas Maduro, is using security forces to imprison and abuse his critics while the vast majority of citizens endure intimidation and desperate poverty. The ensuing fallout has forced nearly 8 million Venezuelans to flee their homeland, whether because of potential persecution or simply the impossibility of surviving without potable water, reliable electricity and other household basics.

Although most Venezuelan immigrants and asylum seekers have settled elsewhere in Latin America, in recent years an increasing number have traveled farther north to the US. In recognition of their inability to safely return home, the federal government has allowed many of them to qualify for TPS.

But after the outgoing Biden administration extended these protections for Venezuelans, the new Trump administrations homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, quickly tried to revoke them once in office, rendering people who are legally in the country now vulnerable to deportation and, meanwhile, being unlawfully thrown into detention.

A federal judge has since paused Noems attempt to terminate TPS for Venezuelans, providing a much-needed if temporary reprieve for 350,000 people who would have lost their legal status come 7 April. The judge wrote in his order that the secretarys actions could inflict irreparable harm on hundreds of thousands of persons whose lives, families, and livelihoods will be severely disrupted, cost the United States billions in economic activity, and injure public health and safety in communities throughout the United States  the very opposite of the sort of warnings Donald Trumps Make America Great Again (Maga) movement puts out.

Yet even as a battle over the protections plays out in the courts, the Trump administration has been pre-emptively arresting Venezuelan TPS holders and keeping them in bleak US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) facilities. This is despite the law saying that someone with TPS shall not be detained based on their immigration status. There are narrow exceptions, but attorneys who spoke to the Guardian say none of the myriad cases theyve seen so far would apply.

Its unclear why immigration officers have been going after these legal immigrants, though one conjecture is that the Trump administration is preparing for mass deportations in case Venezuelans do end up eventually losing TPS.

To some extent, I think its hard to know whether whats happening here is a concerted policy or instead just a lot of rogue activity, said Ahilan T Arulanantham, co-director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law.

I think its possible that no Ice official was willing to write down that we want to jail Venezuelan TPS holders in advance because we think that TPS will end soon, because doing that would be illegal, he continued, but that nonetheless they were willing to sort of send the message out that this would be a useful thing to do in order to swiftly deport a lot of Venezuelan TPS holders, you know, if and when the TPS grant termination takes effect.

Venezuelans with TPS have faced immigration enforcement in Virginia, New York, Texas and New Mexico, with no changes in their cases that would explain why. In one instance, a man was complying with his supervision rules and attending an Ice check-in when he was handcuffed and held in custody in New Mexico for six weeks. He couldnt work, was separated from his long-term romantic partner, and felt officials were provoking him to agree to leave the country despite his right to stay.

The man has documentation proving he has no criminal record in Venezuela, and he has not committed any crimes in the US. But he has tattoos of his mothers and daughters names. Tattoos seemingly put him on the USs radar as a potential member of the transnational criminal organization, Tren de Aragua (TdA). The US government has been using the TdA label as carte blanche on multiple fronts to dragnet people accused of crimes as well as those who are not, and to often bypass due process, while employing abnormal procedures and abstruse legal arguments.

Venezuelan men are being painted as TdA members, as dangerous gang members, at like the highest levels, by President Trump himself, said Zoe Bowman, an attorney at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, which is based in El Paso, Texas. And so theyre trying to show people that to them, it doesnt matter what kind of status you have  that they have the power to detain you anyways.

The man has since been released based on a temporary restraining order from a judge, which seemingly prompted Ice to also let out other TPS holders who had been detained in the area, Bowman said.

Related: He is not a gang member: outrage as US deports makeup artist to El Salvador prison for crown tattoos

But the man is still being forced to wear an ankle monitor so that Ice can track him. And though it isnt working properly, hes too afraid hell be detained again if he tries to go into a government-affiliated office to get it fixed.

This is mental anguish for him, said Crystal Sandoval, director of cross-border strategies at Las Americas.

Likewise, in the DC area, a couple was arrested twice  once at home, once in their car, both times in front of their children. The Trump administration accused them of crossing the border unlawfully in 2022, a criminal charge that Shebaya, of the National Immigration Project, said immigrants are suddenly being prosecuted for now, several years after they entered the country.

Ice later tried to assert the couple was also connected to TdA, which was completely baseless, Shebaya said. At a hearing over their confinement, a judge ordered them released immediately, letting them freely walk out of the courtroom. That is how little basis there was for their detention, Shebaya said.

I think that what were seeing right now is just a blatant disregard for the law, she added. And it is going to be very much up to us as a community and the courts to really hold the administration accountable and say: Even if you have an agenda that youre trying to pursue, there are legal boundaries that cannot be crossed.
A side view of a young teenage boy who is looking forlorn and sad after being sen out of the classroom in a school

Last weekend I was on a panel at the Oxford Literary Festival (sponsored by The Telegraph, if you please) and the topic was the Southport riots. In considering the subject, the excellent Tony Sewell, aka the Lord Sewell of Sanderstead, aired the view that one big cause of social unrest in Britain is that white working class boys are left behind. Theyre bottom of the barrel, whether in school, higher education prospects, health, happiness, or projected income. Sewell, the chair of the 2021 Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report, knows the stats well. His report found that systemic racism is not what lies behind disparities in outcome in Britain: its class, and poor white youth, mostly boys, do by far the worst.

This wasnt the first time the topic of struggling working class white boys hit the headlines. There has long been a panic about the effect that feminism, and more recently MeToo, and the discourse of toxic masculinity have had on their psyches, leaving them no choice but to turn to that barbarian Andrew Tate in droves.

The topic has once more caught fire since Netflixs Adolescence came out, the miniseries about an English teenage (white, working class) boy accused of the murder of a female classmate.

So revered is Adolescence as a  perhaps the  document for our times that Keir Starmer has on multiple occasions intoned reference to it in Parliament, mistakenly and hilariously calling it a documentary. It has provoked anti-woke fury among those who believe that a white boy is the fall guy in a story of violence by another ethnic group; it is always safe, they point out, to blame a white cisgendered heterosexual male.

And it has provoked that whiny mixture of faux indignation and performative sentimentalism among those who feel, as their sons turn to Tate (or know boys who do), that they must hold their nose and take seriously the idea that perhaps this squashed, left-out, derided demographic  once the backbone of the Empire  has been given a raw deal since in the decades since wokeness began its institutional creep.

Despite its zeitgeistiness, I have refused to watch Adolescence. I may be among the last few, at least in the chattering classes, who have not tuned in.

There are several reasons for my refusal. One is that the miniseries is obviously far too depressing. When I turn on a streaming platform these days, I want something jollier, something more along the lines of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City or The White Lotus.

The second is that, while I recognise that this group is suffering, I simply dont feel inclined to indulge in either the huge pity party, or the jamboree of toxic-masculinity-awareness-raising, that Adolescence has inspired.

Yes, masculinity is in crisis, but the truth is that masculinity has always been in crisis  ask any social historian. And as with all moments of media-friendly crises of masculinity, we find ourselves talking about men like they are helpless little flowers. It is odd.

Working-class white boys are found to be treated badly, and therefore to do badly and act badly. One of the big issues cited is that they dont know their worth or purpose anymore in a society constantly calling them toxic.

Very sad, but it is possible to get over such slights and thrive anyway. Women faced derision for almost all of history for simply being women  they were seen as neurotic, nervous, intellectually inferior, limited to backbreaking domestic labour and breeding. Any who tried to go beyond this were stymied, ridiculed and often simply barred.

Of course there was no educational encouragement or even guaranteed access, unlike that enjoyed by every single child in Britain today. And it was completely acceptable for husbands to beat or rape wives seen as intransigent, or just irritatingly alive. And still women by and large obeyed the law and tried to get on.

Some sniping about toxic masculinity is hardly a life sentence. And if boys are small men, and men are meant to be tough (which is why so many are frustrated now, we are told, in this feminised society) cant they hold strong even in the face of adversity?

The idea that if we dont give them all a big cultural and social hug theyll commit violence and become arsonists and misogynists isnt good enough. Why cant we expect them to be decent, hardworking people  even in tough circumstances? It might be good for them, even though wed immediately be told we are crushing them with unrealistic expectations.

Yes, young white men need help and encouragement and resources and schemes and mentorships and to not be told they are worthless. But they are not entirely victims either. They do have a bit of agency; they do have their own will.

I dont wish the draft on anybodys son but it does occur to one that in days gone by, the majority of these rootless boys without obvious or easy prospects, held back by socioeconomic class (in far more rigid, brutal times) would have donned a uniform and gone off to war. Many would have died, which is a tragedy that is every parents worst nightmare.

For many, though, it was the making of them: they were scalded into men, they tasted valour, heroism and  for the more thuggish  the satisfaction of the appetite for brute force and combat, sanctioned by the state.

Let Britain be saved from a war like those that our 20th-century forefathers and mothers experienced. May conscription never be necessary again. But let us find some way to get our neer-do-wells, stragglers and miserable young men into something bigger than themselves, to stop them gravitating to all that is lower, nastier and meaner.
A Russian missile and drone attack in Kryvyi Rih killed at least 18 people on Friday evening - AP

British, French and Ukrainian military chiefs have made tangible progress towards how a peacekeeping mission could be deployed after the war ends, Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president met with Adml Sir Tony Radakin and Thierry Burkhard, the British and French chief of defence staffs, in Kyiv on Friday to discuss the structure, size and composition of any future reassurance force.

Following the meeting on Saturday, Mr Zelensky said: There is tangible progress and initial details regarding how a partner security contingent could be deployed.

He stressed that the joint efforts were focussed on ensuring Ukraines security and establishing reliable long-term guarantees.

It is precisely this kind of joint work  with everyone focused on a strong result  that helps us bring a durable and lasting peace in Ukraine closer, he continued.

The Ministry of Defence said the talks addressed the structure, size and composition required of any future reassurance force, adding that 30 countries were expected to take part in the coalition of the willing.

Sir Tony said: Our meetings looked at how we can build on the formidable capabilities of the Ukrainian Army and put them in the strongest possible position to deter Russian aggression.

Further discussions are expected to take place next week when John Healey, the Defence Secretary, will meet his European counterparts in Brussels on Thursday before co-leading the Ukraine Defence Contact Group with the German defence secretary on Friday.

Latest Russian strike was launched hours after drone strikes in Kharkiv, killing at least five people and injuring 34 others - State Emergency Service/Shutterstock

Our coalition of nations  working at pace and willing to stand with Ukraine for the long term  is a stark contrast to Russia, who stands alone with only North Korea for a friend, Mr Healey said.

As Putin prevaricates over a ceasefire, we will continue to ramp up our military planning, exploring the air, sea and land forces that could support a lasting peace in Ukraine.

Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, had urged Europe to develop concrete proposals on security arrangements for the Ukrainian people after a meeting with Nato foreign ministers in Brussels.

But Mr Zelensky remains unhappy with the US. On Saturday, he launched a scathing attack on the US embassy for its weak response to a Russian missile strike that killed nine children the previous evening.

A combined ballistic missile and drone attack struck Kryvyi Rih, Mr Zelenskys home town, on Friday, killing at least 18 people and injuring 60 others.

Mr Zelensky said he appreciated the support of European allies  including the UK, Germany and Finland  but that he was disappointed by the reaction from the US embassy in Kyiv.

While it described the attack as horrifying, the embassy did not mention that it was carried out by Russia.

Bridget Brink, the US ambassador to Ukraine, said: It is horrifying that a ballistic missile hit near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi tonight This is why this war must end. It was the only official US reaction.

In a statement on X, Mr Zelensky responded: Such a strong country, such a strong people and yet such a weak reaction. They are afraid to even say the word Russian when speaking about the missile that murdered children.

It marks the latest development in the Ukrainian presidents testy relationship with the Trump administration. His visit to the White House in February descended into a public shouting spree with Donald Trump and JD Vance, the vice-president.

Days later, the US announced a temporary pause on all military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

The city of Kryvyi Rih, a frequent target of Russian missile and drone strikes, has declared three days of mourning following Fridays attack.

Jan Lipavsky, the Czech Republics foreign minister, has said this strike on a childrens playground is not war, this is barbarism - Associated Press

Russia claimed to be pursuing a meeting of military commanders at a restaurant, saying it had killed 85 military targets without providing evidence.

The attack was widely condemned by foreign ministers across Europe.

Firing a missile at a childrens playground  this is not war, this is barbarism, Jan Lipavsky, the Czech Republics foreign minister, said on X. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and with those defending their country against Russian terror.

Kaja Kallas, the EUs chief diplomat, described it as tragic and inhumane. Another reckless Russian attack struck a crowded residential area ... Russia continues to destroy Ukraine, no interest in peace, she added.

Moscow, meanwhile, continued to accuse Ukraine of breaching a 30-day moratorium on striking energy infrastructure, saying Kyiv had hit 14 targets that included an industrial plant in the southwestern region of Samara.

But there were signs that Russias position may be shifting after a senior adviser to Vladimir Putin suggested that Moscow may accept Ukraine being given some security guarantees.

Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russias sovereign wealth fund, told Fox News: Some security guarantees in some form may be acceptable. However, he ruled out the possibility of Ukraine joining Nato.
Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news on severe weather for Saturday, April 5. For the latest news, view our story for Sunday, April 6.

Flood watches and warnings blanketed the nation from Texas to Ohio on Saturday as forecasters warned already deadly storms and flooding rainfall would keep going.

At least nine people have died as the storms swept over Tennessee, Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky, as officials warned the toll could grow. A 74-year-old in Nelson County, Kentucky, died after becoming trapped in a vehicle that responders found fully submerged in floodwaters early Saturday morning. A 9-year-old swept away by floodwaters is also among the dead.

In already ravaged Tennessee, forecasters said Saturday could be the most dangerous day of this outbreak.

"As has been said repeatedly for the last several days, this has the makings of a catastrophic, potentially historic heavy rainfall and flash flood event, with some locations potentially seeing rainfall amounts as high as 10-20" when all is said and done," the National Weather Service said Saturday morning.

Across a large stretch of the country that includes parts of about a dozen states from Texas to Ohio, nearly 12 million people were under flood warnings and an equal number had flood advisories Saturday morning, while 36 million more were under flood watch.

Meanwhile, forecasters said damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes are still a threat to the Arkansas-Louisiana-Texas region to the Ohio Valley on Saturday before the threat moves east to the Appalachians and Southeast on Sunday.

The inundation of rainfall is caused by an atmospheric river stalling over the region. It is expected to finally begin to move again late Saturday and into Sunday, and the threat of excessive rainfall will wane by Monday, the weather service said.

Outside the WCBL broadcasting station in Benton, Kentucky, owner Chris Freeland was hauling sandbags in tall waterproof boots as floodwaters approached Saturday morning. Freeland, also the state representative for the area, is a Benton native, and said "never in my life" have floodwaters come up so high at the station.

"I'm worried," Freeland told the Louisville Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. "With more rain coming, and all the threat that they're talking about, who knows? We've been here for 70-something years in this building. It's never gotten past the front steps ... We'll see."

Map shows flood warnings, watches

Train derails after floodwaters wash out track

Several cars of a train derailed early Saturday morning after floodwaters damaged a railroad bridge, sending train cars tumbling into the water in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.

BNSF Railway said the train was stopped on the bridge because of weather alerts in the area.

"Heavy flood waters washed out the bridge and derailed multiple cars," the railway said in a statement, adding that it received the report about the derailment at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday.

Three cars were derailed, three ended up in the river and five were on the washed out track, BNSF said.

Roads and towns already flooded out as rain continues

In Kentucky and the Ohio River valley, towns were already inundated with floodwaters and roads were covered with water while forecasters predicted 4 to 8 inches of additional rainfall over the weekend, the Louisville Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.

Parts of the town of Hopkinsville in Christian County flooded after 8.6 inches of rain fell in 48 hours. In Marshall County, more than 8.7 inches fell in that time.

"It is only going to get worse over the next few days," the Marshall County Emergency Management Agency said.

Bethel Street is seen flooded in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on April 4, 2025. Hopkinsville recorded 8.6 inches of rain in 48 hours.

In Clarksville, Tennessee, Candace Payne told the Nashville Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, that her home was filling with water for the third time in two years. Clarksville has seen over 5 inches of rain in the last few days, according to the National Weather Service, with more on the way. After flooding hit her home in February, Payne said she's been living in a rented apartment while still paying her mortgage.

"I'm not sure how much more I can take," she said. "My home was everything I worked for and now I have nothing left."

Rivers could overflow from heavy rainfall

Repeating rounds of rainfall are likely to cause rivers to flood across the Ozarks, portions of the lower and middle Mississippi valleys, and the lower Ohio Valley, the weather service said. The threat will continue into next week even after rain has stopped falling.

In Ohio, the weather service issued flood warnings for areas along the banks of some of Cincinnati's prominent rivers. The Ohio River water level was at 51 feet Saturday morning and is expected to reach 60 feet by Monday, putting it at moderate risk for flooding.

As the Ohio River Valley is inundated with rain, Kentucky creeks were already spilling over their banks on Friday and feeding major rivers, many of which are expected to hit major or moderate flood levels, the Louisville Courier Journal reported.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Storm's deadly deluge in Mid-South floods homes, streets
Eyewitness News ABC7NY/Youtube Driver hits 3 pedestrians outside Our World Neighborhood Charter School

A woman is facing multiple charges after being accused of hitting three people, including two kids, with her car outside the school attended by her child.

Salmata Bah, 35, allegedly reversed her 2014 Nissan Versa onto the sidewalk in front of Our World Neighborhood Charter School in Queens, N.Y., at around 5:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, April 3, local outlet ABC 7 reported, citing police.

A 7-year-old girl broke her femur and suffered a head injury, while a 14-year-old girl  who is believed to be her sister  and a 59-year-old man both sustained injuries to their legs, according to the outlet and The New York Post.

Bah has since been charged with reckless endangerment, reckless driving and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, the outlets reported.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) and Our World Neighborhood Charter School did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, April 5.

Google Maps Our World Neighborhood Charter School

Related: Dead Body Found in Passenger Seat After Driver Pulled Over in Georgia Traffic Stop, Authorities Say

The three victims of the crash are currently in stable condition, according to ABC 7.

The elementary school has a crossing guard, but they do not operate around the time the crash took place, per the outlet.



Speaking with ABC 7, Ivan, a witness who had picked up his daughter moments before the incident, recalled, "I saw what looked like a younger child in a car where it shouldn't be on a sidewalk, and I actually tried calling 911 and I couldn't get through because I was panicky and my fingers weren't doing what they were supposed to be doing, and my daughter and I were both a little hysterical."

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Getty Ambulance (stock image)

Related: Driver Rear-Ended onto Train Tracks Escapes Crash with Seconds to Spare in Shocking Video

Following the incident, parents are hoping it will make others more cautious of the school zone.



"I would urge people to really think about that in terms of maybe not allowing parking during drop-off time or pickup time, I don't know, but it's definitely a hectic environment when parents are picking up kids," Ivan told the outlet.

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By Ana Mano

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Indigenous protests and poor roads have disrupted shipping of Brazil's bumper soybean crop in recent days via the river port of Miritituba in the Amazon rainforest, worrying global companies including Cargill and Bunge which have important operations.

Abiove, an association representing grain handlers, said on Friday road access to Miritituba has remained under partial or total blockade for two weeks, preventing the shipment of around 70,000 tons of grains per day, which corresponds to almost $30 million in product value.

In a joint statement with farm group Aprosoja Brasil and private ports operator lobby ATP, it urged authorities and civil society to find a quick solution as the blockades disrupt not only grain shipments but also people movement and the arrival of critical goods and services.

Demand for soy from Brazil, the world's largest producer and exporter, has surged in No. 1 consumer China as traders brace for a trade war discouraging Chinese imports of U.S. soybeans.

Miritituba loaded some 15 million tons of soy and corn last year onto barges bound for larger shipping ports down river, representing more than a tenth of Brazil's total exports of those grains. Volumes at the port are expected to rise around 20% this year.

Protesters from the Munduruku people have been blocking a key stretch of the Transamazonian Highway near Miritituba at certain hours of the day to pressure Brazil's Supreme Court to overturn a 2023 law aimed at limiting their land rights.

That has worsened backups along an unpaved five-kilometer stretch of the road. Trucking group ANATC said the traffic has left some cargos waiting three days to unload at Miritituba.

AMPORT, which represents the largest firms shipping from the terminal, said truckers with pre-scheduled access have not suffered those wait times at the port.

Still, AMPORT President Flavio Acatauassu estimated each hour of the protesters' blockade prevents at least 12,000 tons of soybeans from arriving at the terminal.

Via Brasil BR-163, which administers 1,009 kilometers (627 miles) of the highway linking farms in Mato Grosso state to the river port, said a new access will be built when courts give it permission to expropriate certain areas.

Frustrations have boiled over into violent episodes between truckers and Indigenous protesters, according to a statement from Munduruku representatives.

"Our fight is peaceful, but we have been suffering attacks and threats from truck drivers, including insults, stone throwing, gun shots and dangerous driving," they wrote.

Rafael Modesto, a lawyer for the Indigenous Missionary Council, which argues for Indigenous interests before the Supreme Court, said the protest reflects fears among native peoples about losing their lands to an advancing farm frontier.

Brazil's powerful congressional farm lobby has been at odds with the Supreme Court over a proposed cut-off date for new reservations on lands where Indigenous people were not living in 1988.

"We believe that, if any proposal that changes the text of the Constitution goes through, demonstrations like this one may become more frequent all over Brazil," he said.

(Reporting by Ana Mano; Additional reporting by Manuela Andreoni; Editing by Brad Haynes and Alistair Bell)
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department/Facebook Donte Brown

The suspect in the double homicide of his estranged girlfriend and her daughter who were killed in Compton, Calif. on Tuesday, April 1, is on the run, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LACSD) Thursday, April 3 news release.

Donte Lamont Brown, 41, is suspected of killing Tameeka "La'von" Hall, 45, and her daughter Ma'Laysia "Lay Lay" Martin, 22, who were both fatally shot on Tuesday. Brown, who was Halls estranged boyfriend, is considered to be armed and dangerous, per the LACSD.

Brown allegedly drove up alongside Hall and Martin in their vehicle while they were stopped at a red light at the intersection of Caldwell Street and South Central Avenue, the LACSD said. He allegedly fired shots into the vehicle. Hall then left the driver's side of the vehicle and fell to the ground.

The suspect, who was in a driverless vehicle, fled the scene and then collided with a traffic signal pole.

Around 7:05 p.m., deputies responded to a call reporting a shooting. There, they found Hall suffering from gunshot wounds on the ground. Authorities also discovered Martin suffering from gunshot wounds in the vehicles passenger seat.

The Compton Fire Department responded to the scene and pronounced both victims deceased.

Related: Man Killed Girlfriend While She Was Driving Her Kids, Then Didnt Try to Save Them When Car Veered into Water

Gofundme Ma'Laysia Martin

"My brother got murdered around the corner some years ago. I can't imagine the pain they were going through at the time," witness Debbie Shaw said, per ABC 7. "Just to come out here to see a mother and a daughter - that's really heartbreaking."

"It's just very tragic for our community. We don't like to hear anything like that. We don't want that sort of thing to happen in anyone's community," Compton City Councilman Jonathan Bowers said, per ABC 7. "We've had enough violence occur here in Compton. We're not pleased with this at all."

"When I heard on the news, being a mother and a woman, it just touched my heart," nearby neighbor named Ronnie told Fox 11. "I felt for the family."

"Sometimes, you cant even have a party [at] your house because somebody [will] drive by and shoot up the party," she said. "Its really ridiculous."

"I hope you get caught because you need to go to prison," Ronnie said directly to Brown. "You need to stay off the streets. Why dont you go and turn yourself in, and were going to pray for you anyways."

Hall's aunt, Habeeb Rasheed, and brother Uron, created a GoFundMe page to help raise money for funeral expenses.

"The story of their end was horrible," read the description. "Tameeka the mom, my niece worked as the school district many years and helped nurture a brilliant young artist Ma'Laysia Lay Lay. I want to share the love of family and each other."



Related: Man Allegedly Killed Girlfriend and Wounded Victim's Teenage Daughter Before Shooting Himself: Police

Getty Stock image of the roof of a police patrol car at night

Representatives for the Compton Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department did not provide further comment when contacted by PEOPLE on Friday.

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.

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.



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Google Maps Five nurses from the same floor at Mass General Brigham's Newton-Wellesley Hospital have been diagnosed with brain tumors.

Five nurses who worked together on the same fifth-floor maternity ward at a Boston-area hospital have been diagnosed with brain tumors

Mass General Brigham's Newton-Wellesley Hospital tells PEOPLE that extensive tests have been done to confirm "there is not an environmental risk" for patients and staff

However, the Massachusetts Nursing Association tells PEOPLE it believes the testing "was not comprehensive" and it is reviewing "more than 300" responses from people affiliated with the hospital

Five nurses who worked together on the same maternity unit at a Boston area hospital have been diagnosed with brain tumors  and other staffers have reported health issues.

Out of 11 staff members interviewed by Mass General Brigham's Newton-Wellesley Hospital, five have been diagnosed with brain tumors that were benign, and six have other, unspecified health concerns, NBC reports.

In a statement to PEOPLE, a rep for the hospital said, After we became aware of reported brain tumors in individuals who currently or previously had worked in the same area of the hospital, we conducted an extensive investigation in collaboration with the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Newton-Wellesley Safety Officer, radiation and pharmaceutical safety offices, and external environmental consultants.

The statement continued: Every staff member who came forward was given the opportunity to be interviewed by the Occupational Health and Safety team to evaluate each diagnosis in the context of their individual medical history and risk factors. To evaluate for any possible environmental exposures in that area of the hospital, comprehensive environmental assessments following CDC guidelines began in December  Based on these results, we can confidently reassure our dedicated team members at Mass General Brigham/Newton-Wellesley Hospital and all our patients that there is no environmental risk at our facility. As always, the health and wellbeing of our staff, clinicians, and patients is our absolute top priority.

Tom Werner/Getty Stock image of a doctor's hand pointing to a brain scan.

Related: Idaho Cancer Survivor Fights to Uncover Cancer Clusters: 'No Kids Should Have to Go Through What I Did'

The hospital provided a more detailed "Fifth Floor Work Environment Q&A" that had been shared with the nursing staff to PEOPLE. The document addressed environmental concerns and gave an update on the situation. It said 5 cases were determined to be brain tumors of 3 different types, all of which were benign (non-cancerous). The only type of benign (non-cancerous) tumor that had more than one case was meningioma, which is the most common form of brain tumor; It develops in the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, Brain Tumor Research explains.

The staff Q&A addressed concerns about portable X-ray machines, sharing that 668 x-rays from portable machines [were] performed on the Fifth Floor from 2020-2024  Even if a staff member had been present for all of these x-rays, however, they would not have absorbed this much exposure (i.e., one meter from the machine) as we utilize appropriate x-ray safety techniques throughout the hospital.

Geiger counters  electronic devices used to measure radiation  did not find any abnormal/increased levels of ionizing radiation, and pharmacy and ventilation equipment was was found to be operating properly.

Regarding questions that the tumors were related to mask wearing, decontamination procedures during the Covid-19 pandemic, the hospital said the Occupational Health Services department performed a comprehensive review of the medical literature as part of the investigation. There is no scientific evidence linking long-term mask use (including processing/re-wearing of masks) to the development of brain tumors. Regarding the decontamination process and the re-use of N-95 respirators during the pandemic the Battelle decontamination system used vaporized hydrogen peroxide that resulted in a breakdown to water and oxygen, thus leaving no chemical contaminants.

The Q&A also addressed the water supply, sharing that while water is tested regularly, the hospital has since employed an outside lab to test the water and ice machines, and is awaiting results.



Keith Bedford/The Boston Globe via Getty Five nurses from the fifth floor at Mass General Brigham's Newton-Wellesley Hospital have been diagnosed with brain tumors.

Related: Dozens of Auburn University Alumni Suffering Deadly Eye Cancer in Desperate Race For A Cure: 'Our Lives Are At Stake'

The hospital noted that investigations into previous concerns about construction, pesticide use, and cleaning products found there is not an environmental risk at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. The hospital said it's scheduling a town hall for fifth-floor staff next week to discuss.

The Massachusetts Nursing Association (MNA), however, told PEOPLE in a statement that The hospital only spoke to a small number of nurses and their environmental testing was not comprehensive. The hospital cannot make this issue go away by attempting to provide a predetermined conclusion.

The MNA told PEOPLE it is actively supporting Newton-Wellesley nurses who have brought forward serious medical concerns, focused on brain tumor diagnoses on the 5th floor maternity unit ... We have received more than 300 survey responses, emails, and telephone calls. The responses are from current NWH nurses, other professional disciplines at NWH, and from former employees It will take time to sort through the information received, vet it, and obtain follow-up, including medical records, if respondents are willing to provide them.

The nurses organization concluded, While we currently cannot release specific numbers or other diagnosis information, we are committed to being transparent about our findings when we have finished verifying the information we collect. Completing this step-by-step process is critical to providing the support Newton-Wellesley nurses deserve.

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Read the original article on People
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images

Chris Pratt may be most famous for both his career in Hollywood and his connection to the Schwarzenegger dynasty, but behind the scenes, he also plays father to four children. The Thor actor welcomed his first, a son, back in 2012 with his then-wife Anna Faris. Following the arrival of Jack, however, the couple got divorced. Pratt subsequently had a meet-cute at church with Katherine Schwarzenegger, and the rest, as they say, was history. After welcoming three children with her husband, the new mom explained their penchant for privacy on an episode of the Today show.

"We were allowed to be our own people and have our own identity and kind of choose to step into whatever form of being public we wanted to when we felt comfortable," she said. "It's something that's really important to my husband and I to give to our kids and to be able to have that privacy, and not necessarily show much of them on social media."

Despite rarely showing their kids online, Pratt and Schwarzenegger have opted to announce each of their arrivals in 2020, 2022, and 2024, respectively. Ahead, everything you need to know about Pratt's four children, Lyla, Eloise, Ford, and Jack.

Lyla Marie

Instagram/@katherineschwarzenegger

Pratt and Schwarzenegger's eldest daughter arrived on August 10, 2020. The announcement came after the actor revealed he wanted "lots of kids" during an exclusive interview with E! News.

"I always want to be that guy that works to live, not lives to work. I think [I want to spend] just a lot of time at the farm and a lot of time catching a lot of fish and seeing lots of sunsets," he said.

The couple took to Instagram to share the news of Lyla's arrival: "We are beyond thrilled to announce the birth of our daughter Lyla Maria Schwarzenegger Pratt," the caption read. "We couldn't be happier and we feel extremely blessed! Love, Katherine and Chris."

Eloise Christina

Instagram/@katherineschwarzenegger

Lyla officially became a big sister when Eloise arrived on May 21, 2022. "We are so excited to announce the birth of our second daughter, Eloise Christina Schwarzenegger Pratt," Katherine wrote on Instagram. "We feel beyond blessed and grateful. Love, Katherine and Chris."

Ford Fitzgerald

Instagram/@katherineschwarzenegger

Pratt and Schwarzenegger once again took to Instagram to announce the arrival of their third child and first son on November 8, 2024. "We are overjoyed to announce the birth of our son, Ford Fitzgerald Schwarzenegger Pratt," they wrote in a joint post. "Mama and baby are doing well and Fords siblings are thrilled by his arrival. We feel so blessed and grateful."

One month later, Schwarzenegger posted the first photos of her newborn with a carousel shared to Instagram and simply captioned "November."

Jack

Instagram/@prattprattpratt

Named after his ex-wife Anna's father, Pratt's first son Jack Faris arrived seven weeks premature on August 17, 2012. He spent his first month in a NICU unit followed by many more months of medical supervision. "The day came when I got to take Jack home, and the first years were filled with doctor's appointments, five surgeries, physical therapy, a lot of laughterbecause Jack was and is the most adorable cutest thing I could ever have imagined," Faris later shared during a nonprofit event.

Since then, Jack has happily embraced his role as big brother to his younger half-siblings. "There's a big age separation," Pratt explained. "He does a great job, he's so sweet with them. And they love him so much and they miss him when he's gone."

Read the original article on InStyle
Cars sit in a flooded street in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on Friday. - George Walker IV/AP

As communities in the central US grapple with widespread devastation from a line of deadly storms that spawned dozens of tornadoes this week, more grave threats to the region are underway: additional severe thunderstorms and relentless rain with the potential to trigger generational flooding into the weekend.

At least eight people have been killed across Tennessee, Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky during extreme weather this week. The most recent death occurred Friday morning, when a boy was swept away by floodwaters while walking to his school bus stop in Frankfort, Kentucky, police said.

He was identified as 9-year-old Gabriel Andrews, the Franklin County Coroners Office told CNN in a statement. Gabriels body was found about half a mile from where he was reportedly swept away, Coroner William C. Harrod said. It took first responders more than two hours to find his body, police said.

The Mississippi Valley, including parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi, is in the midst of a three-day stretch of a level 4 of 4 high risk of flooding rain  an occurrence almost unheard-of outside hurricane season. The prolonged extreme flood threat adds another level of danger and misery for anyone picking up the pieces from extensive storm damage.

About 260 flood warnings spanned at least 15 states Friday evening and those numbers will likely climb into the weekend.

Around 4 million people are under flash flood warnings across five states that stretch from Texas to Kentucky.

On Friday afternoon, severe storms fired up in northeastern Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas that led to multiple tornado warnings and some observed tornadoes, forcing people to take shelter.

Damage was reported in northeast Texas following a series of tornadoes. In Wood County, one person was injured and at least one house was damaged by toppled trees, according to county emergency officials.

Flash flooding fueled by intense rainfall forced water rescues in Missouri and Kentucky Friday afternoon. There were 15 water rescues in Van Buren, Missouri, alone after 3 inches of rain fell.

Residents in Louisville, Kentucky, were asked to temporarily reduce their water use for appliances like washing machines and dishwashers as the sanitary sewer system hit capacity.

Selmer, Tennessee, a town about 90 miles east of Memphis, was hit hard in Wednesdays tornado outbreak. Residents of a newly built apartment complex there scrambled to take shelter as the storm struck.

Most people took shelter in their laundry rooms inside of the apartments, said resident Justin West, whose unit survived while the front of the complex was almost gone.

West witnessed cars destroyed in the parking lot, piles of debris and sections of the roof torn away. The complex opened less than a year ago, he pointed out.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee urged residents to stay alert, saying, Dont let your guard down.

Theres been a lot of damage, theres been a lot of tornadoes, theres been loss of life and real devastation across the state, but this storm is going to continue, Lee said on Thursday.

At least five deaths had been reported in the state, according to Patrick Sheehan, director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. And there were more than 2,200 customers without power in the state Friday evening, according to PowerOutage.us.

At one point Thursday, tornado sirens in Nashville were sounding so frequently, their batteries drained and they fell silent, remaining inoperable until power was restored, city emergency officials said, encouraging residents to have multiple ways to receive weather alerts, including local news, weather apps and weather radios.

In Pilot Grove, Missouri, a tornado swept through the small city, leaving a trail of scattered debris, CNN affiliate KOMU reported. Among those affected was Justin Gerke, who rushed home after receiving an alert.

I got a tornado warning alert on my phone and came home as soon as I could from work, Gerke told KOMU. When he arrived, he found the roof of his childhood home ripped off, the garage obliterated, and several destroyed cars.

In Nevada, Missouri, the storm left widespread damage, including at Nevada Oaks, a former motel now serving as student housing for the Missouri Welding Institute, a trade school specializing in welding and metal fabrication. The family-owned property, which houses approximately 50 students, sustained significant damage, residents told CNN affiliate KSHB.

This is our heart and soul, Shari Snyder, who operates Nevada Oaks, told KSHB. We love this place, my dad put everything into this place, and the students loved it here. While no students were injured in the storm, the tornado shattered windows and destroyed several cars in the parking lot, the affiliate reported.

Jesse Furman is handed one of her belongings by Brayden McLemore near her destroyed trailer in Selmer, Tennessee, after a suspected tornado tore through the town. - Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal/USA Today Network/Reuters

Damage survey teams from the National Weather Service have given preliminary ratings to at least 31 tornadoes in eight states since the outbreak began Wednesday.

So far, they have found three tornadoes of at least EF3 strength in Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas. Additional surveys could take days to complete and some have been held up by the continuing hazardous weather.

More life-threatening flooding to come and more severe thunderstorms roaring to life

As the cleanup of tornado damage begins, the persistent threat of flooding and a renewed risk for damaging thunderstorms looms large.

A life-threatening, catastrophic, and potentially historic flash flood event continues across the Lower Ohio Valley and Mid-South to Lower Mississippi Valley, the Weather Prediction Center warned Friday.

A level 4 of 4 high risk of flooding rainfall is in place Friday and Saturday, with the greatest impact going forward expected from far northeastern Texas to Kentucky.

From Arkansas to Kentucky, historic rainfall could bring once-in-a-generation flooding, with more than a foot of rain falling on the area in just a few days.

Flooding is already underway and will likely worsen after some areas recorded more than 6 inches of rain Wednesday through Thursday. Rainfall totals are projected to be so extreme that forecasters are using statistical terms, such as 1-in-25-year, 1-in-100-year, and even 1-in-1000-year events, to describe their rarity.

Climate change is making heavy rainfall events heavier. A recent study found hourly rainfall rates have intensified in nearly 90% of large US cities since 1970.

A serious storm threat is developing Friday in tandem with the flood threat. A level 4 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms is in place from northeastern Texas, through Arkansas and into southern Missouri, according to the Storm Prediction Center. More than 3 million people were under tornado watches in the region Friday afternoon.

The fiercest storms started to fire up Friday afternoon and will continue through the evening. These storms could unleash damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes  some of which could be rated EF2, EF3 or higher, according to the center.

Ahead of the worsening flooding and new storms, federal and local agencies have mobilized water rescue teams and emergency supplies, including food and water, to brace for the worst.

In Nashville, over a dozen water rescues took place on Thursday as relentless rain battered the city. Near Trevecca Nazarene University, first responders pulled a driver from a partially submerged vehicle, guiding him through a window and onto a rescue raft.

Officials in Tennessee and Kentucky announced schools in several districts would remain closed on Friday, including Allen County Schools and Davidson Academy.

In Missouri, the Army Corps of Engineers said it had filled roughly 1,500 sandbags to bolster a levee near Poplar Bluff, where the Black River is projected to approach a level of major flooding category over the weekend. An urban search-and-rescue team has also been deployed to the area to support emergency efforts.

Shipping delays are also possible with the major cargo hubs of Louisville, Kentucky, and Memphis, Tennessee, in the line of storms.

In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency for the western part of the state, warning of record rainfall in areas unaccustomed to flooding. More than 300 roads across the state were closed due to flooding, including 109 state highways, state officials said Friday.

This comes after other recent flooding events in Kentucky. In February, a deadly winter storm claimed several lives, and in 2021, the state faced another large-scale flash-flooding disaster.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the number of storm-related deaths in McNairy County, Tennessee. As of Friday morning, one death has been confirmed in the county, the states emergency management agency said.

CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller and CNNs Sara Smart, Taylor Romine, Jillian Sykes, Chris Youd and Holly Yan contributed to this report.

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Charlotte County Sheriffs Office; Getty Brock Horner mug shot; boats in Punta Gorda, Fla

Brock Horner, 40, was arrested on April 4 after police in Florida said he was filmed unlawfully boarding a fishermans boat amid a verbal confrontation in Punta Gorda

The Punta Gorda Police Department said the Florida man is charged with burglary with assault or battery (non-forced entry)

This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our waterways  or anywhere else in our city, Chief Pam Smith said in a statement

A 40-year-old Florida man, who was allegedly filmed pulling up alongside and "unlawfully" boarding another persons boat amid a heated confrontation, has now been arrested following an investigation.

The footage shows a man  who referred to himself as the best charter captain you'll ever meet  arguing with a younger fisherman and then climbing into the victims boat to demand an apology in Punta Gorda on April 1. The footage has gone viral on TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.

On April 4, the Punta Gorda Police Department (PGPD), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the U.S. Coast Guard said in a joint news release that Brock Horner had been taken into custody and charged with burglary with assault or battery (non-forced entry).

"I never wanted to post this video [in] the first place because it made me feel so weak but I was already having a horrible day and this iced the cake," the original uploader, Gage Towles, wrote on YouTube. "I look at it now like I possibly can save another person from Brock Horner or possibly someones life by getting this captain off the water."

Charlotte County Sheriffs Office Brock Horner mug shot

Related: A Repo Man Had His Head Run Over in a Viral Video. Now, 2 People Have Been Charged with Aggravated Assault

According to the PGPD, the department's investigation involved reviewing the "video evidence" and interviewing those present during the confrontation, as the PGPD Marine Unit established "probable cause" to arrest Horner over what its calling "the unlawful boarding and threats made during the altercation."

Upon reviewing the footage, investigators found that Horner "unlawfully" boarded the victim's boat without permission before threatening the victim and "escalating the situation into a criminal offense." The Coast and FWC are conducting separate investigations.

As of April 4, police said Horner remained in custody at the Charlotte County Jail.

This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our waterways  or anywhere else in our city, Chief Pam Smith said in the news release. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors, both on land and on the water.

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.

Scott Weinberg, an attorney for Horner, said in a statement provided to NBC affiliate WBBH that Horner "sincerely apologizes to Gage, to Gages family, and to anyone who was frightened or upset by what they saw."

"Brock is not proud of how he acted. But its important to remember: we are not the sum of our worst day. That video captured one moment  not the whole of who he is. Since the video went viral, Brocks business has been destroyed, his reputation damaged, and his family  including his wife and motherhave been harassed and even threatened," the attorney wrote. "Some have gone so far as to question his military service and accuse him of stolen valor."

"We live in a time when online outrage can quickly spiral into personal destruction," he added. "But just as Gage showed grace in the moment, I ask others to do the same now. Lets hold people accountable  but also give them room to grow and make amends."

In an announcement on Facebook, the Fisherman's Village in Punta Gorda has since shared that it has "severed any association with this captain."

Punta Gorda Police Department Facebook Punta Gorda Police Department vehicles (stock image)

In the footage, also shared by Fox affiliate WTVT and captured by Towles in Florida's Peace River, a man could be heard approaching the victim about a previous encounter. He claimed the victim was "cussing me out" on a different occasion, while the victim argued that Horner "ran through the middle of the bridge" when he was fishing on an earlier date.

The argument then transitioned to the captain complaining about the victim's boat lights, while the victim asked him to "get the f--- out of here."

During the encounter, the captain then brought up his own military service, before calling himself "the best charter captain you will ever meet" while boarding the other man's boat and demanding he "apologize." The younger boater attempted to drive away as the suspect continued to threaten him, before asking him to bring him back to his boat.

"Do it again and watch what f----- happens," the man could be heard saying to the younger boater.

Related: American YouTuber Arrested After Visiting Remote Island Tribe and Leaving Can of Diet Coke

On April 5, the PGPD held a press conference on Horner's arrest, as authorities confirmed that the April 1 confrontation stemmed from another that took place on the evening of March 30  when the victim claimed that Horner drove his boat at "a high rate of speed" and came within 10 feet of his own boat.

Chief Smith confirmed that the most-recent confrontation took place when the victim was fishing "by himself."

"If you have seen the video, you'll see that the victim tries to disengage," she said. "He doesn't want anything to do with the confrontation. At some point saying, 'Please bro, I don't want anything to do with this.' But Mr. Horner continues to be aggressive and eventually pulls up to the victim's vessel."

Police added that Horner, at one point, grabbed the victim "by his shirt." The victim became "so afraid for his life, he actually contemplated jumping off his boat to get away from Mr. Horner," Smith said. Horner was apprehended around 10:15 p.m. on April 4, with the investigation "still open."

Speaking with reporters on April 5, Smith called the video a "crucial piece of evidence" in the case. "It always helps to have video when you're in a situation like this," she said. "The witnesses have been cooperative and have basically corroborated the victim's statement."

Ultimately, Smith told reporters that the "aggressive behavior" captured on camera is "not tolerated" in the city.

"We want to assure everybody that the city of Punta Gorda is a boater-friendly community," she said. "We want our residents and our visitors to know that we take these things seriously and we want them to be able to enjoy our waterways."



Read the original article on People
Hugh Grant recently dealt with "intrusive" questions asked to his family while passing through the airportand that type of behavior isn't going to fly with the British movie star.

The Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy actor said he and his family were traveling at Heathrow Airport in London when an immigration officer asked a question he found to be inappropriate.

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Taking to X (formerly Twitter) to air his grievances, Grant wrote, "Just came through Heathrow with wife and children. We all have the same last name (Grant) on our passports. Immigration officer engages my children in chit chat then whispers to them 'Are these your Mum and Dad?'"

The 64-year-old film starwho is a father to five childrenwent on to call the situation "Intrusive, insulting and creepy."

Just came through Heathrow with wife and children. We all have the same last name (Grant) on our passports. Immigration officer engages my children in chit chat then whispers to them Are these your Mum and Dad? . Intrusive, insulting and creepy.  Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) April 4, 2025

But some of Grant's fans disagreed with his take on the issue, with many X users replying to the post to insist that the officer was just "doing their job." Many also pointed out that such questions are often asked in an attempt to prevent child trafficking and kidnapping.

"This is standard operating procedure," one person wrote on X, while someone else told Grant, "It's for child safeguarding reasons. Be thankful the officer was doing their job correctly."

"Not creepy or intrusive if a child has been trafficked/kidnapped? Think bigger than the world revolving around you and yours," another person replied.
Courtesy of Ameenah Thobani

Ameenah Thobani is a 48-year-old clinical hypnotherapist in Vancouver.

She started having perimenopausal symptoms in her early 40s.

She wakes at 4 a.m. every morning and repeats positive affirmations about herself.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ameenah Thobani. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Before my dad died last year, I remember him flicking through my wedding photos from 23 years prior and commenting on how young he looked  how he used to be so healthy and energetic. He had changed. He was no longer the young man in those photos.

But for years, he had been. It was only when he started to tell himself and verbalize how tired he was that he became tired and seemed to age more rapidly.

Perimenopause left me drained

Around the age of 43, I began experiencing perimenopausal symptoms, starting with sudden episodes of unexplained rage. Over time, these symptoms expanded to include irregular bleeding, severe fatigue, and debilitating migraines. There were days when simply getting out of bed felt impossible, deeply affecting my daily life and emotional health. Negative self-talk about my body and health further intensified my struggles during this period.

At 45, I thought about all the years before perimenopause that I had felt well nearly all the time. I didn't have any health issues, was on no medication, and felt good most of the time. But even then, all I focused on was my weight. I spent my "good years" ungrateful for the body I'd had  only concerned with how I looked, thinking beauty was only to be found in being a certain size.

As I watched my dad regret taking all those younger years of his life for granted, I wanted to make sure I didn't do the same. I wanted to learn to appreciate the moment and how my body is currently rather than focusing on what I don't like about it.

I express my thankfulness to my body

In 2022, I started to retrain how I thought about my body. From my work, I know that you can retrain your brain, but it takes effort and time.

I now go to bed early every night and wake up at 4 a.m. to meditate, connecting to the source of all my energy. I intentionally acknowledge my body, express thankfulness for it, and remember I have to take care of it.

Next, I look in the mirror and brush my teeth with my left hand (my dominant hand is my right  using my left-hand makes my mind focus on what I'm saying to ingrain it into my thought pattern) while repeating affirmations.

"I am healthy, wealthy, and divine," I say. "Everything comes to me in perfect time. I shine bright like the sun. I am vibrating in abundance and health and wellness."

Instead of focusing on all that is going wrong with my body, I focus on its health and ability.

Another way I stay grateful is by imagining I am 90 years old and getting to wake up in my 48-year-old body again. It leaves me feeling grateful and bubbling with energy. After all, I've got another 40 years to live! I'm not going to spend my time worrying about my body  there's so much more to life!

As I became more appreciative of my body, I wanted to take care of it. I spoke with my doctor about the symptoms I was experiencing, and she gave me the option of HRT. I eventually decided to try it, and my symptoms alleviated.

Even in the middle of perimenopause, I am grateful for my body and all it is able to do, aware that one day, I'll reflect on my body at 48 with joy.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Water covers roadways following extreme flooding in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on Friday. A state of emergency has been declared in response to rising waters and hazardous conditions. - Jason Davis/Getty Images

Severe thunderstorms and relentless rain are triggering catastrophic flooding across the middle of the US this weekend, as areas already hit hard by a recent string of storms and tornadoes remain in the path of this current system.

The storms have killed at least 16 people across Tennessee, Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas and Kentucky since Wednesday. In Franklin County, Kentucky, a 9-year-old boy was swept away by floodwaters while walking to his school bus stop, police said. And in Little Rock, Arkansas, a 5year-old was killed at a home battered by severe weather.

There are 41 million people at risk for severe storms Saturday from the Ohio River Valley southwestward to southeast Texas, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

Saturday is the third consecutive day of level 4 of 4 risk of flooding rain across the Mississippi Valley, including parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi. Residents in these areas will likely see the peak of life-threatening flash floods on Saturday afternoon to evening, when rainfall will be at its heaviest. The three-day stretch of the highest possible flooding threat is almost unheard-of outside hurricane season.

Very heavy showers and thunderstorms will continue to move repeatedly over portions of central and eastern Arkansas and western Tennessee over the next few hours. The high rainfall rates from these storms will lead to life-threatening and locally catastrophic flash flooding.

The storms have already prompted tens of thousands of power outages across the region and delays for more than 6,000 flights within, into or out of the US on Saturday.

As of Saturday, 36 million people were under flood watches and ongoing rain prompted over two dozen flash flood warnings from northeast Texas to southern Illinois. In some areas of Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas, flash flood emergencies  the highest level of flood warning  have been issued through Saturday evening.

The possibility of generational flooding that the National Weather Service warned about this week stems from a stagnation in the current weather pattern thats caused the string of storms to repeatedly hit the same areas in the central and southern US. By Sunday, the stuck pattern will finally start to break, and the storms will begin to push eastward.

Storm threats will remain in effect for Florida Panhandle, Alabama and Georgia on Sunday, while the flood threat for Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky should lessen by Sunday afternoon.

A state road crew clears drains in Paducah, Kentucky, on Friday. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued a state of emergency ahead of the storms. - Michael Swensen/Getty Images

Flooding overwhelms homes and roads, leading to multiple water rescues

Authorities in West Plains in southern Missouri carried out as many as a half a dozen water rescues as of late Friday, according to CNN affiliate KY3. At least half a dozen different fire departments were assisting in the rescues as part of a task force to help the inundated city.

A woman in West Plains was taken to the hospital after being struck by lightning, KY3 reported, citing the citys emergency manager. CNN has reached out to officials about the womans condition.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol urged residents to stay off the roads as night fell Friday, warning that darkness hides dangers like water-covered paths, leading to fatal situations. The highway patrol statement noted troopers were already busy rescuing stranded motorists who underestimate the risks.

Videos obtained by CNN show rushing water covering part of a state highway in Howell County, Missouri, west of West Plains. The highway patrol told CNN it was just one example of many other low water crossing areas.

Earlier Friday, authorities carried out 15 water rescues in Van Buren, Missouri, about 65 miles east of West Plains. Van Buren was hit with 3 inches of rain over a short period.

The Black River near Poplar Bluff is projected to approach a level of major flooding category this weekend. On Friday, the Army Corps of Engineers said it had filled roughly 1,500 sandbags to bolster the nearby levee.

Areas from far northeastern Texas to Kentucky are expected to feel the greatest impact from the floods  locations left vulnerable by the recent tornadoes.

More than a foot of rain falling in a matter of days on areas in Arkansas to Kentucky could bring historic, once-in-a-generation flooding, forecasters warn.

In northern Arkansas, the city of Hardy experienced significant flooding overnight, as the Spring River reaches historic water levels.

Water rescues were ongoing overnight Friday into Saturday, with Sharp County Sheriff Shane Russell personally rescuing three dogs, he told CNN. Hardy Mayor Ethan Barnes said more than half of the citys residents will be impacted by high waters this weekend.

Weve been heavily impacted over the last few days, A.J. Gary, the director of Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, told CNN Saturday afternoon.

So far, at least 12 people have been injured across the state, the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management said.

In Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, a train was stopped on a bridge due to multiple active weather warnings in the area early Saturday morning, when heavy flood waters washed out the bridge and derailed multiple cars, according to BNSF Railway. BNSF personnel were on site coordinating with Mammoth Spring State Park to clear the incident and repair the bridge Saturday afternoon.

Some of the train cars were fully underwater, with nonstop rain from the early hours of the morning complicating recovery efforts.

Meanwhile, more than 83,000 homes and businesses throughout the state were left without power as of Saturday night, according to poweroutage.us.

Flash flood emergencies are in effect for two different parts of Arkansas due to torrential rains, according to the weather service office in Little Rock.

A flash flood emergency is the highest level of flood warning, only issued when extremely heavy rain is leading to a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage from a flash flood is happening or will happen soon.

President Donald Trump on Saturday approved Arkansas request for an Emergency Declaration for Direct Federal Assistance to assist the state with its response to storms, tornadoes, and flooding, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

In Kentucky, there were 390 road closures across the state on Saturday morning due to flooding, mudslides and rockslides, Gov. Andy Beshear said.

Beshear declared a state of emergency for the western part of the state, citing potentially record rainfall in areas unaccustomed to flooding.

Residents of Jessamine County, Kentucky, traveled through floodwaters in boats as water encircled buildings along the Kentucky River and houses were partially submerged, videos show.

Louisville, Kentucky has already seen impacts on daily life as the Ohio River has risen over five feet over the last 24 hours  and its expected to rise significantly higher over the next two to three days, Mayor Craig Greenberg said Saturday afternoon.

Drone video released from downtown Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on Friday showed the scale of the widespread destruction left behind in the city after the area was pounded by rain this week. In the video, buildings, cars and roads were partially submerged by water.

Right now were kind of going under a flood, which I had been through once before in 1997. The water had come up and came into the business, said Tony Kirves, a Hopkinsville resident whose photography studio flooded from the storm.

Around him, cars were submerged in water. Numerous front doors of businesses also appear flooded.

Weve been trying to maintain this water by sandbagging and using shop vacs and some pumps, but its just too massive of an amount to kind of control, Kirves said.

According to the National Weather Service, between 5 and 8 inches of rain fell in Hopkinsville from Thursday night to Friday.

In Van Lear, Kentucky, on Friday, swift water technicians rescued six people from their homes, which the W.R. Castle Fire-Rescue described to be surrounded by water, according to a post on Facebook.

The fire department said first responders went door to door in the Silk Stocking Loop, now inundated with stormwater, to check on residents safety.

Kentucky is one of the handful of states in the region to have sustained repeated damage from a string of deadly storms. In February, a deadly winter storm claimed several lives, and in 2021, the state faced another large-scale flash-flooding disaster.

Drew's on the River Sports Bar and Grill manager Carrie Haines, left, and Dave Schmidt, son of owner Ron Schmidt, right, load chairs onto a trailer in the rain for moving them to higher ground as the Ohio River rises behind them, in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Friday. - Carolyn Kaster/AP

Fresh threat of tornadoes

Dozens of tornadoes have been reported across the central US this week, with some stronger ones possible in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and the Lower Mississippi Valley throughout the weekend. Tornadoes forming Saturday mark the 10th day in a row with tornadoes somewhere in the country. In each of the last seven days, tornadoes have occurred east of the Mississippi River.

The highest risk zone, level 3 out of 5, impacts more than 10 million people from just west of Nashville southward to just north of Houston and includes those cities, along with Memphis, Tennessee; Jackson, Mississippi; Shreveport and Alexandria in Lousiana; and Lufkin, Texas. These are places where strong tornadoes reaching EF 2 intensity (winds over 111 mph) are likely to form.

Additionally, large hail about golf-ball sized or larger is possible along with damaging wind gusts. Some of these areas, especially in western Tennessee and eastern Arkansas, have endured tornadoes for the past several days.

Selmer, Tennessee, a town about 90 miles east of Memphis, was hit hard by a tornado that broke out on Wednesday, with residents of a newly built apartment complex scrambling for shelter as the storm struck.

Most people took shelter in their laundry rooms inside of the apartments, said resident Justin West, whose unit survived while the front of the complex was almost gone.

West witnessed cars destroyed in the parking lot, piles of debris and sections of the roof torn away. The complex opened less than a year ago, he pointed out.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee urged residents to stay alert, warning that despite widespread damage and destruction, this storm is going to continue.

Tornado sirens in Nashville were sounding so frequently its loudspeakers ran out of battery on Thursday, remaining inoperable until power was restored, city emergency officials said.

On Friday, there were 80 nationwide reports of severe weather, which included 13 tornado reports, 42 hail reports and 25 wind reports. Tennessee has so far been the state with the highest storm-related death toll, with at least ten deaths reported by Saturday.

As of Saturday night, more than 56,000 homes and businesses in the state were without power.

In Missouri, a tornado swept through the small city of Pilot Grove on Wednesday, leaving a trail of scattered debris, CNN affiliate KOMU reported. Among those affected was Justin Gerke, who rushed home after receiving an alert.

I got a tornado warning alert on my phone and came home as soon as I could from work, Gerke told KOMU. When he arrived, he found the roof of his childhood home ripped off, the garage obliterated, and several destroyed cars.

In Nevada, Missouri, the storm left widespread damage to a former motel now serving as student housing for the Missouri Welding Institute, a trade school specializing in welding and metal fabrication. The family-owned property, which houses approximately 50 students, sustained significant damage, residents told CNN affiliate KSHB.

This is our heart and soul, Shari Snyder, who operates Nevada Oaks, told KSHB. We love this place, my dad put everything into this place, and the students loved it here. While no students were injured in the storm, the tornado shattered windows and destroyed several cars in the parking lot, the affiliate reported.

Damage was reported in northeast Texas Friday following a series of reported tornadoes. In Wood County, one person was injured and at least one house was damaged by toppled trees, according to county emergency officials.

Damage survey teams from the National Weather Service have given preliminary ratings to at least 31 tornadoes in eight states since the outbreak began Wednesday. So far, they have found three tornadoes of at least EF3 out of EF5 strength in Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas.

Additional surveys could take days to complete and some have been held up by the continuing hazardous weather.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN Meteorologists Brandon Miller, Mary Gilbert and CNNs Sarah Dewberry, Sara Smart, Taylor Romine, Jillian Sykes, Hanna Park, Chris Youd, and Holly Yan contributed to this report. CNNs Michael Yoshida contributed from Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.

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WASHINGTON, D.C.  Tens of thousands of people are gathering Saturday at rallies across the country to voice concerns over President Donald Trump's actions since taking office.

The "Hands Off" protests are expected to be the largest and most numerous protests since Trump's second term began. Nationwide more than 500,000 people have RSVP'd to attend one of 1,000 rallies marches or protests organized by grassroots groups. The biggest protest was expected to be in D.C..

By 1 p.m. Eastern, protesters stretched as far as the eye could see along the National Mall and the crowd had been flowing toward the base of the Washington monument for hours. Metro Police were forced to shut down 14th street, a major road across the National Mall, because so many pedestrians were crossing.

People were waving American flags and Ukrainian flags. They carried signs protesting cuts to the Education Department and Social Security, supporting trans rights and urging people to vote and defend the Constitution. Some played drums and shouted from bull horns. Toddlers rode tricycles or their parents' shoulders. Dogs wore shirts declaring themselves "dogs against DOGE."

The White House had earlier dismissed the protests, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt telling USA TODAY this week that "protests, lawsuits, and lawfare" will not sway Trump "from delivering on the promises he made to make our federal government more efficient and more accountable." Trump was not in D.C. Saturday, though protests were expected near his estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

More: Hands Off! protests happening across USA on Saturday: What to know

Luella Jaslowski, 59, of Twin Lakes, Wisc. said she and her sister jumped to buy plane tickets to Washington when they learned about the Hands Off protest two weeks ago. She said it was important to be there in person, even if Trump is not in Washington.

"I want to be here. I know he's not here, but I want to be here because this is where democracy starts," she told USA TODAY.

She said she hopes people see the size of the opposition to Trump and opposition to Elon Musk, who has led the Department of Government Efficiency, which has cut tends of thousands of federal jobs.

Luella Jaslowski, 59, of Twin Lakes, Wisc. said she and her sister jumped to buy plane tickets to Washington when they learned about the Hands Off protest two weeks ago.

But Lee Eiden, 72, works at the National Institutes of Health and said it was time to stand up and say something.

"The reductions in force have been so indiscriminate and clumsily laid out that we're actually endangering health and safety and the protection of federal property," he said.

Renee Beaver, 45, of Washington, DC had friends come down from Philadelphia for the protest.

"I don't know how much an actual protest can change Donald Trump's mind about anything, but getting out with people and engaging in solidarity activities, I think, is good for everyone's spirit, and also shows that there is an opposition, that there are people that don't like what's going on," she said.

Across the country  and the world

More than 1,200 other protests were planned across the country. Organizers said they wanted to have protests that are not only accessible for people wherever they are in the country, but also highly visible to show that opposition exists in every part of the country.

In Erie, Pennsylania, for instance, a crowd estimated by organizers to number more than 700 gathered in the city's Perry Square. About 200 stood on the Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart, Florida, roughly an hour's drive north of Mar-a-Lago. In Sedona, Arizona, well over 500 protesters marched through downtown with chants of Deport Musk. In Providence, Rhode Island, a crowd estimated at 6,000 met at Hope High School at noon and then marched down Thayer Street and Angell Street to Burnside Park, joined by brass bands.

Senior residents from Arbor Terrace in Teaneck and Bristol House in Hackensack during a "Hands Off!" rally outside of Arbor Terrace, a senior living community in Teaneck, NJ on April 5, 2025.

In York, Pennsylvania, well over 700 people stood on the four quadrants of the square named in honor of the Continental Congress nine-month stay in York during the Revolutionary War. The peaceful protesters waved signs targeting Trump and Musk.

And some even wore costumes. Caro Stowell of Thomasville was dressed up like a clown.

I came out because we have elected a clown, and now we have a circus, she said as cars drove past beeping their horns in support of the rally.

Stowell said she believes the administration is destroying education and health care. You can see all the people here who are not happy with whats happening to our Constitution, she said motioning toward the crowd.

Thousands of protesters also gathered Saturday in Berlin, Paris and London to rally against Trump and Musk.

In February alone, more than 2,085 protests took place nationwide, according to the Crowd Counting Consortium, a joint project of Harvard Kennedy School and the University of Connecticut.

That's an increase from 937 protests in February 2017, the first full month of the first Trump administration. But many of the protests in the early months of Trump's first term were much larger than the nation has seen so far in 2025, and there has been less frequent media coverage of protests this year.

MoveOn Executive Director Rahna Epting said the goal was to concentrate all of those protests into one day to show how many Americans oppose cuts to critical services and benefits they've earned like Medicare.

"Hands Off is like hands off on all these things, not just our services and benefits, but our rights and our freedoms, all of which are being threatened right now, and we're seeing it every single day, she said.

Protesters cheer during the Hands Off protest outside the Ohio Statehouse on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. The event is part of the nationwide protests in opposition to the Trump administration and Elon Musk.

All of Saturday's protests were reported to be peaceful with almost no counter-protesters and only a small number of arrests.

In downtown Appleton, Wisconsin, a man was arrested just moments after the protest began.

According to bystanders, the man pulled a Tesla driver, Matt Simon, out of his car and punched him in the face while protesters nearby chanted Peaceful! Peaceful! The Tesla drivers wife, Edie Simon, who was there to protest, said her husband bought the Tesla three years ago and was driving it for Uber because he was out of work.

Were anti-Trump, anti-Musk in every way, she said.

The issues: Standing up for democracy

CC Kay of Silver Spring, MD said she came to the Washington monument protest because "either I do this or I stay in bed depressed."

The issue she was there to raise was voting rights.

CC Kay of Silver Spring, MD, attends the "Hands off" protest in Washington, DC, on April 5, 2025. CC Kay said she came to the Washington Monument protest because "either I do this or I stay in bed depressed." The issue she was there to raise was voting rights. "Protesting is the way I can scream. And I just feel that voting underscores everything. Everything. Without the vote, we get nothing. We have to make voting the number one priority," she said.

"Protesting is the way I can scream. And I just feel that voting underscores everything. Everything. Without the vote, we get nothing. We have to make voting the number one priority," she said.

Ed Jeffries, 74, of Poland, Ohio said he feels like Trump is robbing America of its democracy.

"We're losing it in this country, and we need to start fighting back. He has too many people that are just siding with him," Jeffries said. "Somebody has to stand up, and that's what we're here for."

Ann Berger, 78, of Stuart, Florida, who lives half the year in Wisconsin, said she was protesting at the Roosevelt Bridge over the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court election in which a candidate backed by Musk lost.

Elon Musk came in and put $28 million in, and offered millions of dollars for votes, and I think thats wrong, Berger said. We are not for sale. Thats not the way our government should run.

She felt a "duty" to attend Saturdays protest in Stuart.

We all should be speaking out; we all should be speaking our piece, she said. We should be respectful and listen to each other, but we need to speak the truth. Theres too much fear going on.

Thousands of local protestors on the side of Indiana 933 between Douglas Road and Angela Boulevard participate in the national "Hands Off!" rallies on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in South Bend, IN. The protests are for what organizers call the President Donald Trump administrations "ongoing attacks on democracy, public services, and the rights of everyday people."

Joan Kelly, 60, of Port St. Lucie, who also attended the Florida protest, felt similarly.

Today I am standing up for myself, my daughters, my grandchildren, all of our rights, Kelly said as she grabbed a chair from her car. I just think what's going on in America today is so sad and it's confusing. It's just scary and confusing, to be honest.

Her friend, Amy Morgan, 61, also of Port St. Lucie, nodded her head as Kelly spoke.

Its just terrifying. I'm just scared and upset and angry and I just feel like Ive got to do something, Morgan said. Sitting back and hoping isn't working.

Protesting federal cutbacks

Former federal employee Lisa Gibbon used to work in HR and said Trump violated proper procedures for laying off federal employees.

"I know the right way to do these things and the wrong way, and this was the wrong way," she said.

Former federal employee Lisa Gibbon attends the "Hands off" protest in Washington DC on April 5, 2025. Gibbon used to work in HR and said Trump violated proper procedures for laying off federal employees. "I know the right way to do these things and the wrong way, and this was the wrong way," she said. She traveled into the city from Frederick County, Md. "I'm here to do my little part, because I don't have a lot of power, but I want to join those who do to save our country from those who are trying to destroy it," she said.

She traveled into the D.C. from Frederick County, Maryland,, for the protest.

"I'm here to do my little part, because I don't have a lot of power, but I want to join those who do to save our country from those who are trying to destroy it," she said.

Sam Lau of Dover sat in a wheelchair in York, Pennsylvania, wearing a mask and holding a sign that said Hands off Medicaid. She said she feels the administration is targeting the federal program designed to cover medical costs for people with limited income and resources.

Im on Medicaid. This is not me being dramatic here. I will die without it, she said, noting that she needs thousands of dollars of medications and treatments each month that keep me alive. Without Medicaid, its just going to be a quick death.

People protest outside of the Milwaukee Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse as part of the Hands Off! South-East Wisconsin Fights Back rally, April 5, 2025 in Milwaukee.

Mark Askew, 67, said the workforce cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs and Trump's firing of Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are what motivated him to attend Saturday's event in his hometown of Cincinnati. It marked his first time at a protest.

Askew, a Navy veteran, described Trump's removal of Gen. Brown as "basically racist."

"I don't like the fact that he feels that all veterans are suckers," Askew continued. "He's cutting VA benefits and reducing government workers who are veterans  I just think that somebody needs to do something, that's why I'm here."

He added that he loved experiencing his first protest.

"The rain is probably going to have me sneezing tomorrow, but I enjoy it," Askew said before adjusting the grip on his sign, which read "Trump hates veterans because they are brave and he is a coward."

It's the economy

In Boca Raton, Matthew Kass, a former Republican town council member from Chester, N.J., carried a sign reading TARIFFS KILL JOBS! on one side, and the other, END THE TRADE WAR! NO MORE DOGE! FIRE MUSK! DUMP TRUMP!

Musk is canceling federal contracts with companies, with Trumps approval, and giving his own company that money. Its corruption before our very eyes, said the retired bonds trader.

What keeps him optimistic, Kass, 67, of Boynton Beach said, is seeing the protesting crowds and Republicans losing at the ballot box in smaller elections since November.

Karen Shernit 57, and her sister Susan, 64, attended the rally in Detroit in part to mark the fifth anniversary of their mother's death from COVID-19.

Karen Shernit said she protested to fight her own feelings of helplessness, in addition to her many complaints about Trump,

"You could name anything, from the economy, tariffs, health insurance, Elon Musk, who is not elected to any office, just taking jobs away from people and just dismantling our entire federal government leaves me terrified," she said.

Concerned about cruelty

Outside the Indiana capitol building in Indianapolis, Gwyn Skrobul, 62, worried that cuts to Social Security and Medicare would harm her 95-year-old mother.

The retired history teacher said she's concerned the past could be repeating itself.

"The whole targeting minorities and polarizing the community  it's looking very Nazi-esque to me, which is frightening. I don't want to leave this kind of a world to my children, grandchildren," Skrobul said.

Thousands of local protestors on the side of Indiana 933 between Douglas Road and Angela Boulevard participate in the national "Hands Off!" rallies on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in South Bend, IN. The protests are for what organizers call the President Donald Trump administrations ongoing attacks on democracy, public services, and the rights of everyday people.

Her husband, Guy Skrobul, 62, spent his career as a special education teacher.

"The minute that he mocked a reporter with a physical handicap  that was it. The hateful rhetoric. The injustice. Relishing in cruelty toward other people is wrong."

Carla Greenfield, 67, who joined a protest in Rochester, New York said she felt the need to express her frustration Saturday.I feel like we need to take control and let them know how we're feeling, said Greenfield, who voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in last fall's election because she was concerned about Trump's apparent lack of empathy. I have friends that are veterans that are in VA hospitals and they're lacking services. I've had family members with cancer, that is losing the research that's necessary for them," she said. "I was in education for my whole career and it kills me to see them potentially taking services away from children and affecting civil rights, especially children special needs.

Melissa Holsman contributed to this report from Stuart, Florida, Chris Persaud from Boca Raton, Florida, Scott Fisher from York, Pennsylvania, Antonia Noori Farzan from Providence, Rhode Island, Ryan Murphy from Indianapolis, Kerria Weaver from Rochester, New York, Grace Tucker from Cincinnati, Rebecca Loroff from Appleton, Wisconsin, John Wisely in Detroit, and Laura Gersony and Ronald J. Hansen from Arizona.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thousands protested Trump nationwide in towns big and small
Columbias school newspaper published an incendiary op-ed from graduate student Mahmoud Khalil  in which he mocks his classmates for manufactured fears of anti-Semitism and likens the universitys administration to Nazi collaborators.

Khalils commentary  dictated from ICE custody in Louisiana  accuses Columbia of laying the groundwork for my abduction and accused the Morningside Heights institution of suppressing student dissent under the auspices of combating antisemitism.

Mahmoud Khalil is currently in a Louisiana ICE facility. REUTERS

The situation is oddly reminiscent of when I fled the brutality of Bashar al-Assads regime in Syria and sought refuge in Lebanon, Mahmoud said in the letter published late Friday in the Columbia Daily Spectator.

Mahmoud explicitly called out University President Minouche Shafik, former interim University President Katrina Armstrong, and the deans of the school for cooperating with the federal government.

Last year, Columbia turned over student disciplinary records to Congress and created the Task Force on Antisemitism that broadly categorized anti-Israel sentiment as hate speech to condemn protests, he wrote.

Mahmoud Khalil also tears into his fellow Columbia students in his commentary. REUTERS

Since my abduction on March 8, the intimidation and kidnapping of international students who stand for Palestine has only accelerated, Khalil wrote, then listing Leqaa Kordia, Dr. Badar Khan Suri, and Rumeysa Ozturk as other political prisoners.

Mahmoud Khalil also tears into his fellow Columbia students  dismissing the fear his protests have sparked among Jewish Columbia students as manufactured.

In a cruel irony, the students who publicize manufactured safety concerns regarding antisemitism are the same ones who repeatedly show up at your events looking for provocation, leaving only disappointed, he wrote of his Jewish peers at Columbia.

Mahmoud explicitly called out University President Minouche Shafik, former interim University President Katrina Armstrong, and the deans of the school for cooperating with the federal government. AFP via Getty Images

I cant help but think that if I were in Palestine, some of these students would be the ones stopping me at checkpoints, raiding my university, piloting the drones surveilling my community, or killing my neighbors in their homes, Mahmoud added.

In one shocking line, he compared the leadership of Columbia to World War II Nazi collaborators.

Who can still pretend this is an educational institution and not the Vichy on the Hudson?he wrote, referring to the Vichy French leaders who worked with Hitler after the nations conquest by Germany during the war, and who sent thousands of Jews to their deaths in concentration camps.

In one shocking line, he compared the leadership of Columbia to World War II Nazi collaborators. Anadolu via Getty Images

Khalil dictated the fiery letter through his lawyers.

Reps for the school newspaper could not immediately be reached for comment. The paper has a history of writing both pro and anti Israel op-eds, having roughly an equal number of each so far this school year.

The foreign graduate student was taken into custody on the night of Mar. 8 in the lobby of his apartment building after his student visa was revoked by the Trump administration.

The 30-year-old Syrian of Palestinian descent  who is a citizen of Algeria  arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after he helped fuel back-to-back anti-Israel protests at Columbia-affiliated Barnard College last month.
More than a dozen Houston-area residents have been accused of operating an illegal gambling business, including game rooms, that made more than $22 million in proceeds, federal authorities said.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, Nizar Ali, 61, of Richmond, Texas, and his alleged accomplices "conspired to own, operate or assist in the operation of illegal game rooms." The group also allegedly conspired to conceal and disguise the money made from the illegal gambling scheme by conducting fraudulent financial transactions, the Justice Department said.

U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei on Thursday called the bust "one of the largest ever law enforcement operations in the Southern District of Texas."

In addition to Ali, the other Texas residents charged include Naeem Ali, 33, and Amer Khan, 68, both of Richmond; Ishan Dhuka, 33, and Sahil Karovalia, 32, both of Rosenberg; Sarfarez Maredia, 38, and Shoaib Maredia, 40, both of Sugar Land; Yolanda Figueroa, 40, of Pasadena; Viviana Alvarado, 45, of LaPorte; and Anabel Eloisa Guevarra, 46, Precela Solis, 27, Maria Delarosa, 53, Claudia Calderon, 37, and Lucia Hernandez, 34, all of Houston.

Two additional persons charged  Sayed Ali, 59, of Richmond, and Stephanie Huerta, 35, of Houston  are considered fugitives, and warrants remain outstanding for their arrests, the U.S. attorney's office said. Authorities also arrested 31 individuals living in the country illegally on various immigration and gun charges during the operation on April 2, according to the Justice Department.

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Federal authorities seized more than $16 million in cash, property and guns

To bring down the alleged operation, more than 700 law enforcement officers from 18 agencies served 45 search and 40 seizure warrants at locations throughout Houston and the surrounding area, according to the Justice Department. Of the searched locations, 30 were illegal game rooms with names like El Portal and Yellow Building, the U.S. attorney's office added.

During "Operation Double Down," authorities recovered more than $4.5 million in cash, $5 million in property and vehicles, 2,000 slot machines, 100 Rolex watches and eight firearms, the Justice Department said. Additionally, law enforcement seized about $6.5 million from bank accounts and other financial institutions.

Seven tigers found in arrest: Nevada man says some of his 'emotional support' tigers came from Joe Exotic

Those named in the indictment have been charged with conspiracy, operating an illegal gambling business, interstate travel in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the U.S. attorney's office. If convicted, each faces up to five years for the first three initial charges, while the money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, the Justice Department said.

Nizar Ali is also charged with 32 counts of federal program bribery for allegedly paying more than $500,000 to an undercover officer to try and protect the illegal game rooms from being busted by law enforcement, according to the U.S. attorney's office. If convicted on these charges, he faces up to 10 years for each count, the Justice Department added.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Houston illegal gambling scheme bust results in 16 Texans charged
Mpox, previously rare, is spreading globally due to changing human behavior and genetic mutations. (CREDIT: Halfpoint - stock.adobe.com)

For decades, the human niche for viruses related to smallpox has remained mostly empty. Since eradicating smallpox, only rare outbreaks of related viruses appeared. But today, mpox, once confined mainly to rural parts of Africa, is spreading globally, and the reasons behind this shift have researchers deeply concerned.

Mpox is a viral disease related closely to smallpox, causing fever, swollen glands, and painful skin rashes. It spreads from animals to humans and traditionally stayed within limited rural settings, usually infecting adolescent boys and their younger siblings.

Unlike other similar viruses, mpox quickly moves beyond the initial infection site, creating widespread secondary rashes on the body. These severe symptoms, resembling smallpox, set mpox apart from other related viruses, raising alarms among scientists and public health officials.

How Mpox Transmission is Changing

Scientists initially believed mpox rarely spread from person to person, limiting outbreaks to small groups. That changed dramatically in 2022, when a strain called clade IIb suddenly began infecting adults worldwide. Surprisingly, this strain showed no obvious biological changes compared to older samples.

Mpox is a viral disease related closely to smallpox, causing fever, swollen glands, and painful skin rashes. (CREDIT: Kontek brothers / Getty Images)

Instead, its rapid global spread linked directly to human behavior, especially among sexually active groups, notably gay men. This change in transmission patterns startled researchers and highlighted how quickly the virus could adapt to new human behaviors.

Carlos Maluquer de Motes, a molecular virology expert at the University of Surrey, explains this new reality clearly: The most recent outbreaks show that intimate contact is now a significant way the virus spreads. That shift in how its transmitted is leading to longer transmission chains and lasting outbreaks.

This strain created primary rashes directly at infection sites, such as the genital area, allowing the virus to pass more rapidly between people without waiting for secondary rashes to develop.

By shortening the time between infections, mpox established longer chains of transmission, raising the risk of larger, more sustained outbreaks. However, current outbreaks remain mostly limited to specific social groups, particularly those involving frequent intimate contact.

Related Stories

Evolution and Genetic Changes in Mpox

One key factor pushing mpoxs spread is genetic mutations occurring during human infection. Traditionally considered stable, mpox viruses now display unexpected mutations caused by enzymes naturally present in humans, called APOBEC3. These enzymes usually restrict viruses by introducing damaging errors in their genetic material. Strangely, mpox withstands this assault, using mutations as a source of evolutionary variation without weakening significantly.

Scientists tracking these mutations believe the current strain emerged around 2016, earlier than previously thought. As these mutations continue accumulating, researchers fear the virus may become increasingly well-adapted to humans, just as smallpox once evolved from similar viruses.

Dr. Maluquer de Motes emphasizes the potential risk: These viruses appear to be accumulating specific genetic mutationsdriven by enzymes in the human bodythat may be changing viral properties. The longer these viruses circulate amongst us, the higher the chances these mutations help mpox adapt to humans.

Transmission and dissemination of MPXV in animals and humans. MPXV circulates in a poorly defined animal reservoir in the wild, with evidence of infection in mice, dormice, rats and squirrels. (CREDIT: Nature Medicine)

New Outbreaks Raise Alarm Globally

Further worrying scientists, outbreaks now include all four known mpox clades. While the globally dominant clade IIb spreads mainly through sexual networks, recent outbreaks of clades Ia, Ib, and IIa also show sustained person-to-person transmission. This shift indicates broader changes in human-virus interactions, especially in regions where immunity from past smallpox vaccinations fades.

Alarmingly, the more aggressive clade I viruses, historically associated with higher death rates, now compete directly with milder clades. This competition creates opportunities for the virus to adapt further, enhancing its spread or severity. For instance, clade Ia infections are increasing dramatically in the Democratic Republic of Congo, often infecting childrenraising fears the virus could begin spreading easily among younger populations.

Such a development would drastically widen mpoxs reach, potentially turning small, controllable outbreaks into major epidemics. Although childhood outbreaks remain limited, scientists worry that urbanization and declining vaccine immunity could open new transmission routes. Urban areas offer closer physical contact and denser populations, increasing opportunities for rapid viral spread.

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Global Challenges and Future Risks

Todays mpox threat arises partly because of reduced human immunity since smallpox vaccinations stopped decades ago. This declining immunity makes humans increasingly vulnerable to related viruses. While most recent cases remain concentrated in adult sexual networks, especially among men who have sex with men, scientists stress the situation could quickly change.

Theres a growing worry that mutations and wider transmission could eventually cause outbreaks beyond current groups, such as spreading through families or childcare settings. Because mpox remains capable of infecting animals, it cannot be eradicated like smallpox was. This animal reservoir means outbreaks could recur indefinitely unless effectively controlled.

Another concern is the limited number of medical tools available to combat mpox. Current rapid tests, vaccines, and antivirals remain scarce globally, with limited local production capabilities in most regions. Adding to this problem, recent cases revealed the emergence of antiviral-resistant strains, complicating treatment further.

Distribution and timeline of MPXV outbreaks declared in the indicated countries since 2022. Data were sourced from the WHO covering the period between 1 May 2022 and 10 November 2024. (CREDIT: Nature Medicine)

Dr. Maluquer de Motes points out this critical gap: Mpox control has to climb up the global health agenda. We have limited diagnostic tools and even fewer antiviral treatments. We urgently need better surveillance and local or regional capacity to produce what we needotherwise, we are at risk of future epidemics.

Scientists insist global cooperation and urgent investments are essential to keep mpox in check. Rapid, accessible diagnostics, affordable vaccines, and effective antiviral treatments must be produced locally or regionally. Without these measures, future outbreaks could escalate quickly, threatening broader populations and causing severe illness worldwide.

Preparing for a Safer Future

Mpoxs persistent animal reservoirs mean controlling human transmission alone isnt enough. Efforts must also target preventing animal-to-human infections through better monitoring and preparedness. If these steps arent taken seriously, mpox might adapt further, becoming harder to control or treat, and evolving into a recurring global health emergency.

Despite past assumptions that mpox posed minimal risk, recent developments clearly demonstrate its potential global threat. The growing frequency and expanding geography of outbreaks demand swift international action. Investing in stronger healthcare infrastructure, better global disease surveillance, and affordable local vaccine production is critical to preventing future crises.

Global map of mpox outbreak in 2024 from CDC (1 January 2024). (CREDIT: CDC)

In the meantime, understanding how human behavior, genetic mutations, and changing demographics drive mpoxs spread can guide public health responses. Scientists remain hopeful that timely action can control current outbreaks and prevent broader epidemics.

But without urgent global commitment, mpox could soon become an even greater health concern, testing our ability to respond effectively and protect public health worldwide.

Research findings are available in the journal Nature Medicine.

Note: The article above provided above by The Brighter Side of News.

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By Anna Tong

OAKLAND (Reuters) - - Billionaire Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI will go to a jury trial in spring 2026, the federal judge presiding over the case decided on Friday.

Last month, OpenAI and Musk agreed to fast-track a trial over OpenAI's for-profit shift, the latest turn in a grudge match between the world's richest person and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman playing out publicly in court.

The judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, had denied Musk's request to pause the ChatGPT maker's transition to a for-profit model and instead proposed an expedited trial.

Musk cofounded OpenAI with Altman in 2015 but left before the company took off and subsequently founded the competing startup xAI in 2023. xAI last month acquired Musk's social media company X in a deal that values X at $33 billion and allows the value of his artificial intelligence firm to be shared with co-investors in X.

Last year, Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla, sued OpenAI and Altman, accusing OpenAI of straying from its founding mission  to develop AI for the good of humanity, not corporate profit.

OpenAI and Altman have denied the allegations, while Altman alleges that Musk has been trying to slow down a competitor.

At stake in the lawsuit is the ChatGPT maker's transition to a for-profit model, which the startup says is crucial to raising more capital and competing well in the expensive AI race.

OpenAI is under pressure to transition quickly. The company is currently raising a funding round of up to $40 billion led by Japanese tech investment group SoftBank. SoftBank said it has agreed to fund OpenAI with $10 billion in mid-April and an additional $30 billion in December, contingent on the firm's transitioning to a for-profit by the end of the year.

Altman, who has said OpenAI is not for sale, rejected a $97.4 billion unsolicited takeover bid earlier this year from a Musk-led consortium with a "no thank you."

(Reporting by Anna Tong in Oakland, California; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Thiago Rocha | Unsplash

(The Center Square)  Indiana University offers a wide range of LGBTQ programs and services, including Queer Prom, gender affirming surgery, gender affirming hormone therapy, and a gender affirming closet.

The IU School of Medicine performs gender affirming surgery for those 18 and over.

Some of the surgeries available are chest reconstruction, orchiectomy, vulvoplasty, vaginoplasty, voice surgery, facial feminization surgery, metoidioplasty, phalloplasty, and hysterectomy and oophorectomy, according to its website listing.

We are a national leader in LGBTQ+ health education, offering a robust learning and teaching environment to prepare the next generation of healers to provide equitable care to LGBTQ+ people, the IU School of Medicine states on its LGBTQ+ Health webpage.

IU Bloomington has a LGBTQ+ Culture Center that says IU is a leader among U.S. colleges and universities for its policies, programs, and practices toward LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Through the LGBTQ+ Culture Center, students will find a safe and welcoming learning environment that provides resources and support to help students successfully reach their educational goals, the center says of itself.

IU Bloomington educates nearly 50,000 students as of 2024, according to its website, and receives a rating of 5/5 for LGBTQ friendliness.

The LGBTQ+ Culture Center offers a Gender Affirming Closet where free clothing is available and the LGBTQ+ Library that provides resources on gender and sexual diversity.

The LGBTQ+ Culture Center also offers a resource on Changing Your Preferred/Primary Name at IU and a page entitled Transitioning at IU.

Other resources direct students to a nearby Planned Parenthood that offers abortion and gender-affirming hormone care; Kaleidoscope Youth Community, an all-inclusive social group for 12 through 20-year-olds; Bloomingtons all ages PRIDE Pridefest; a 21+ queer bar and grill; as well as a comprehensive guide to personal pronouns.

The LGBTQ+ Culture Center put on a Queer Prom on March 29 that was advertised as a night of Regency-era glamour and a time to live out ones Bridgerton fantasy.

If youre simply a fan of love, drama, and or period style clothing, this event promises an evening of music, and the chance to mingle with other bold, beautiful souls in a setting where everyones royalty, the proms description said.

The LGBTQ+ Culture Center also refers students to IU Bloomingtons Student Health Center, which provides gender affirming hormone therapy.

When reached twice each for comment, neither IU executive director of media relations and public affairs Mark Bode, deputy director of media relations at Bloomington Vic Ryckaert, nor LGBTQ+ Culture Center director Bruce Smail responded.
ROME (Reuters) - U.S. tech-billionaire Elon Musk said on Saturday he hoped in future to see complete freedom of trade between the United States and Europe, speaking days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced tariffs on trading partners.

Musk, a Trump adviser who has been working to eliminate wasteful U.S. public spending, spoke via video-link at a congress in Florence of Italy's right-wing, co-ruling League Party.

"At the end of the day, I hope it's agreed that both Europe and the United States should move ideally, in my view, to a zero tariff situation, effectively creating a free trade zone between Europe and North America," Musk said.

Under Trump's plans announced on Wednesday, Italy, which has a large trade surplus with the United States, will be subject to a general tariff of 20% along with other European Union countries.

Interviewed by League leader Matteo Salvini, Musk, who has repeatedly expressed support for right-wing parties across Europe, said he also hoped to see greater freedom of movement between Europe and the United States.

"If people wish to work in Europe or wish to work in North America, they should be allowed to do so in my view," Musk said, adding that this "has certainly been my advice to the president."

Musk, who has been close in the past to Italy's rightist Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party, has also expressed support for Salvini's League.

Both groups have a hard-right agenda based on law-and-order, tax cuts and cracking down on irregular immigration.

Italy's Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, who is from the League, said earlier on Saturday the government wanted "de-escalation" with the U.S. following Trump's tariff announcement, and warned against imposing retaliatory tariffs.

Musk last month expressed gratitude to Salvini after the League chief said Italy should pick his Starlink company to obtain a system for satellite communications.

(Reporting By Gavin Jones, additional reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Barbara Lewis)
Gov. Gavin Newsom previewed the 2025-26 state budget top lines on Jan. 6, 2025. California Governor's Office

(The Center Square)  When it comes to tariffs, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is trying to distance himself from President Donald Trump.

The governor Friday announced he is asking the states longtime international trade partners to exempt California-made products from retaliatory measures as his administration pursues new strategic trade relationships

California leads the nation as the #1 state for agriculture and manufacturing  and its our workers, families, and farmers who stand to lose the most from this Trump tax hike and trade war, Newsom said in a news release.

To our international partners: As the fifth largest economy in the world, the Golden State will remain a steady, reliable partner for generations to come, no matter the turbulence coming out of Washington, Newsom said. California is not Washington, D.C.

In a video posted on X, Newsom said Trumps tariffs dont represent all Americans. Saying he was speaking on behalf of Californians, Newsom said the state values stable trading relationships around the world.

The White House responded Friday.

"Gavin Newsom should focus on out-of-control homelessness, crime, regulations and unaffordability in California instead of trying his hand at international dealmaking, White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Fox News Digital and other media.

Trumps plan, announced Wednesday, creates a 10% tariff for every nation and steeper rates for countries that the president believes have unfair relationships with the U.S.

States power on trade is limited by Article I, Section 10, Clause I of the U.S. Constitution and Section 8 of the same article. Those sections give that power to the federal government. Section 8 grants Congress the power to collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises. Newsom and other governors don't have the power to remove or impose tariffs.

Newsom has signed 38 international agreements with 28 foreign partners, the Governors Office said.

Newsom Friday said hes seeking collaborative trade opportunities that protect Californias workers, manufacturers and businesses. He said he wants to promote the creation of jobs, economic stability and access to critical supplies such as construction materials needed to rebuild the Los Angeles area after Januarys devastating fires.

More than 40% of Californias imports come from Mexico, Canada and China, according to the Governors Office. Together they make up $203 billion of the more than $491 billion goods that California imported in 2024.

Mexico, Canada and China are Californias top three export destinations, the Governors Office said. The nations buy almost $67 billion in California exports, which is more than one-third of the states $183 billion in exported goods in 2024.

Almonds are the most valuable food export from California, with $4.7 billion in foreign sales in 2022, the California Department of Food and Agriculture reported.
By Will Dunham

(Reuters) -The Sahara Desert is one of Earth's most arid and desolate places, stretching across a swathe of North Africa that spans parts of 11 countries and covers an area comparable to China or the United States. But it has not always been so inhospitable.

During a period from about 14,500 to 5,000 years ago, it was a lush green savannah rich in bodies of water and teeming with life. And, according to DNA obtained from the remains of two individuals who lived about 7,000 years ago in what is now Libya, it was home to a mysterious lineage of people isolated from the outside world.

Researchers analyzed the first genomes from people who lived in what is called the "Green Sahara." They obtained DNA from the bones of two females buried at a rock shelter called Takarkori in remote southwestern Libya. They were naturally mummified, representing the oldest-known mummified human remains.

"At the time, Takarkori was a lush savannah with a nearby lake, unlike today's arid desert landscape," said archaeogeneticist Johannes Krause of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, one of the authors of the study published this week in the journal Nature.

The genomes reveal that the Takarkori individuals were part of a distinct and previously unidentified human lineage that lived separated from sub-Saharan and Eurasian populations for thousands of years.

"Intriguingly, the Takarkori people show no significant genetic influence from sub-Saharan populations to the south or Near Eastern and prehistoric European groups to the north. This suggests they remained genetically isolated despite practicing animal husbandry - a cultural innovation that originated outside Africa," Krause said.

Archeological evidence indicates that these people were pastoralists, herding domesticated animals. Artifacts found at the site include tools made of stone, wood and animal bones, pottery, woven baskets and carved figurines.

The ancestry of the two Takarkori individuals was found to have derived from a North African lineage that separated from sub-Saharan populations around 50,000 years ago. That roughly coincides with when other human lineages spread beyond the continent and into the Middle East, Europe and Asia - becoming the ancestors of all people outside Africa.

"The Takarkori lineage likely represents a remnant of the genetic diversity present in northern Africa between 50,000 and 20,000 years ago," Krause said.

"From 20,000 years ago onward, genetic evidence shows an influx of groups from the Eastern Mediterranean, followed by migrations from Iberia and Sicily around 8,000 years ago. However, for reasons still unknown, the Takarkori lineage persisted in isolation for much longer than expected. Since the Sahara only became habitable about 15,000 years ago, their original homeland remains uncertain," Krause said.

Their lineage remained isolated throughout most of its existence before the Sahara again became uninhabitable. At the end of a warmer and wetter climate stage called the African Humid Period, the Sahara transformed into the world's largest hot desert roughly around 3,000 BC.

Members of our species Homo sapiens who spread beyond Africa encountered and interbred with Neanderthal populations already present in parts of Eurasia, leaving a lasting genetic legacy in non-African populations today. But the Green Sahara people carried only trace amounts of Neanderthal DNA, illustrating that they had scant contact with outside populations.

Although the Takarkori population itself disappeared around 5,000 years ago when the African Humid Period ended and the desert returned, traces of their ancestry persist among various North African groups today, Krause said.

"Their genetic legacy offers a new perspective on the region's deep history," Krause said.

(Reporting by Will Dunham in Washington; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Migrants, mostly from Venezuela, hold a prayer vigil outside the Mexican immigration detention center that had a deadly fire one month prior in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in 2023.

Rubbelsy Perez Rodriguez remembers the 2023 fire at the Ciudad Juarez immigration center every day, he said, including every time he runs out of breath, as he did that night, and especially at night, when he can still hear the sounds of despair.

Rubbelsy Perez Rodriguez

Everyone was screaming. I swear I still remember those screams  they were screams of anguish, the Guatemalan immigrant said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo from his home in Springfield, Tennessee. No one knew what to do. Out of desperation, some started banging on the doors, but they were made of iron and couldnt be opened, said Perez Rodriguez, 40.

On the night of March 27, 2023, at a facility located in the border town of Ciudad Juarez, 40 migrants from Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras and El Salvador were killed by asphyxiation as a result of a fire started by two Venezuelan migrants, according to investigations by Mexican authorities. Security videos leaked after the incident appeared to show smoke coming out of a cell and immigration agents fleeing without helping the locked migrants.

Perez Rodriguez is one of the dozens injured during the fire.

"I remember the shortness of breath, the hot smoke  its all quite frustrating because you want to breathe but you cant," Perez Rodriguez said. "My entire airway was burned, and I had two injuries to my right lung," he said, noting that he suffers the consequences of these injuries on a daily basis.

Last week, on the two-year anniversary of the fire, families of the victims denounced what they said was institutional neglect and prevailing impunity around the case. They noted that Francisco Garduno, who heads the National Migration Institute (INM) that ran the center, remains in his post.

"It makes you desperate and it's frustrating not to find justice when the rights of a human being have clearly been violated. All we can do is continue fighting for our family, the family members said in a statement shared by the Foundation for Justice.

Firefighters and police rescue migrants from an immigration center in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state in 2023, where 40 people were killed and dozens injured after a fire.

Groups representing the families as well as the relatives say that none of the criminal cases against 11 defendants, including eight INM officials, have gone to trial.

According to a report by the Juarez-based investigative newspaper La Verdad, only three of the eight officials charged with the deaths of the migrants face imprisonment; three of them were released on bail and another is on the loose.

In this country, more than 90 out of every 100 crimes go unpunished. And if this is true for Mexican citizens, it is evidently even more serious for migrant populations in Mexico, Javier Urbano, professor of International Studies at the Universidad Iberoamericana, said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo.

The detention center closed after the fire; last May, Garduno announced that it would be replaced by a new building several miles away, near the Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge. The new center would be overseen by Mexicos National Human Rights Commission (CNDH).

People gather during a 'Vigil for Memory and Justice' to remember the victims who died in the Ciudad Juarez immigration center two years ago, outside the immigration center in the border port of Lerdo, Durango, Mexico on March 27.

When they set fire to the mattress, it was hot, we had no ventilation or fire protection system, and there were no fire extinguishers. We had run out of drinking water, and there was practically no water in the bathrooms, Perez Rodriguez said of the conditions at the facility on the day of the fire.

In 2024, a cross-border investigative report by El Paso Matters, La Verdad and Lighthouse Reports revealed new details highlighting a series of lapses in the detention center's security protocols. Migrants detained by the National Migration Institute (INM) lacked food and water, were held in an overcrowded cell and were verbally abused and threatened with deportation, the report stated.

The detention center was designed to accommodate a total of 60 people, but on the day of the fire it had a total of 90, including seven employees.

Authorities said the migrants were there because they had been returned from the U.S. to Mexico under Title 42, a public health measure initially implemented by the first Trump administration during the pandemic to immediately expel migrants back to Mexico until their immigration status was resolved.

A call for changes

Other fatal incidents involving migrants have taken place in Mexico in recent years, and they've been attributed to organized crime. In January 2021, 19 migrants were found burned in two vans in the municipality of Camargo, Tamaulipas. In February 2015, the remains of 16 migrants from Honduras and Guatemala were found in Guemez, another town in Tamaulipas, and the same state also saw the massacre of 72 migrants in 2010.

A Vigil held in Lergo for memory of Ciudad Juarez immigration center fire victims in Lerdo, Durango, Mexico on March 27.

But the fire in Ciudad Juarez took place while migrants were in Mexican state custody. Its known who the culprits are, theyre the people who were in charge of that immigration station, said Perez Rodriguez.

Even though the slow pace of judicial processes in the country and the lack of convictions continue to be a source of complaints, the fire was the starting point for promoting changes in Mexico's immigration centers or stations, according to Eunice Rendon, a coordinator for Agenda Migrante, (Migrant Agenda), a coalition of migrant advocacy groups in Mexico and the U.S.

The National Migration Institute opened the door for us to work with them, and in two years we replaced 15 Mexican government immigration detention centers, Rendon said. We realized that this immigration detention center model was conceived 20 years ago as a prisonlike model, and thats part of the problem."

But Perez Rodriguez said he is frustrated over the lack of indictments and convictions.

Last January, Garduno succeeded in obtaining an 18-month freeze on the legal proceedings against him, Perez Rodriguez noted.

The person in charge of immigration is Garduno. Hes the one in charge of giving the orders, and he should be involved in the case, but hes practically unindicted, he said.

Noticias Telemundo contacted the Mexican Attorney Generals Office and the National Institute of Migration for comment on the allegations made by survivors and advocacy organizations, but received no response.

However, the INM published an interview with Garduno on social media last week announcing he would issue a public apology on April 16 in Ciudad Juarez. Garduno so far has denied allegations of mistreatment of the victims and their families, and emphasized that the Mexican government has provided nearly 240 million pesos (about $12 million) or 3.5 million pesos (about $171,600) to those who were directly or indirectly affected by the fire.

Perez Rodriguez, who spent more than a year recovering, said he did receive this compensation it's not enough.

"There are health issues right now, and that practically doesnt make up for it. Im still seeing the doctor, still paying for my medications and everything, he said.

Despite the daily health issues, Perez Rodriguez lit up when he talked about his experiences living in the U.S. with his wife and three children, while he works through his asylum case.

The truth is, we have a better life in the U.S. Its a wonderful experience, having the whole family here, he said. Here, the children go to school happily, they laugh and play, theyre healthier and everything. Its honestly the best thing that could have happened to me."

While his life in the country has meant a new beginning for his family, he's concerned about the current immigration measures and increased deportations.

Its a little sad, and sometimes we get discouraged by the situation were going through, but I think we should entrust ourselves to God and try to do the best we can  our dream is to live better, work, and continue to make this country even greater," he said.

An earlier version of this story was first published in Noticias Telemundo.
Britain needs to rearm and build reserves through a form of national service to defend against Vladimir Putins hopes of dominating eastern Europe and undermining the West, the former head of MI6 has warned.

Sir Alex Younger said 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.

Reflecting on whether Britain has the mettle for a full-scale war, he told Independent TV: I worry  we have disarmed militarily, self-evidently. Weve largely dismantled our military and industrial base, which is a big problem.

We have, for many years, been completely free of any form of existential threat.

Weve unforgivably launched a set of wars of choice, which have imposed sacrifice needlessly on young people and theres great cynicism about this idea of collective effort to defend your country.

I think were more comfortable thinking about the army as like the England football team; they go and do their thing over there and we watch it on telly  and that cant happen anymore.

Watch the full episode of The Conversation: Shifting Alliances with Sam Kiley, Alex Younger and Rachel Ellehuus here.

Sir Alex Younger, former head of MI6, said: We have, for many years, been completely free of any form of existential threat (The Independent)

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.

Sir Alex, a computer science graduate and former officer in the Scots Guards, gave a distinctly British establishment response to the question of whether or not, after backing Putin so publicly, Trump could be working for Russia, an allegation which has been made against the US president in the past, without any evidence.

I mean, who knows? I personally dont think hes a Russian agent. I went out of my way not to find out because why would you want to know? So I dont know.

In a sense, thats not the point. The point is he agrees with Vladimir Putin. He agrees that big countries get additional rights over small countries, particularly in their own backyard.

There can never have been a time before this when asked, in public, whether the president of the USA could conceivably be a Russian agent that the former head of MI6 would have replied with a political shrug.

Speaking on the first episode of The Conversation, a new expert-led discussion series on Independent TV, alongside the US defence secretarys former envoy to Nato, Dr Rachel Ellehuus, Sir Alex said Britain had fallen behind other European nations in its ability, and willingness, to defend itself.

It really depends on how close to Moscow you are. I think in Finland its well understood and theres a properly integrated resilient culture where everyone is accustomed to playing their part. I think we go to Portugal at the other end thats just not true  and in a sense thats understandable.

I think the UK is quite conflicted as well. Weve got this astonishing history, which makes people readier to conceive of Britain playing a much more active role, but I think here too, theres real concern about being asked to actually do stuff.

Keir Starmer speaks at a Nato base in Northwood, London, where he met planners mapping out next steps in the coalition of the willing on 20 March, 2025 (AP)

By that he means contribute large numbers of people to fight but also to comprehend that a hybrid war with Russia  where disinformation, cyberattacks and economic pressure are equally important  is already underway.

Dr Ellehuus, now director general of the Royal United Services Institute, Britains leading security think tank, laid out the threat that European nations are urgently trying to cope with.

This threat has intensified following the sudden change in strategic ideology in Washington under Trump.

Since his inauguration, Trump has signalled that Europe must pay for its own security. He has also said that he no longer sees the Nato alliance that has underpinned western security for 80 years, as useful.

He has threatened to colonise both Canada and Greenland. He has also supported most of Putins claims on at least a fifth of Ukraine and agreed that it may not be a country.

Dr Ellehuus, an American, said that while the threat posed by the Kremlin had been persistent, it has been the dramatic shift in Washington that has been the greatest strategic shock.

Dr Rachel Ellehuus, director general of the Royal United Services Institute, said Putin is trying to redraw the map of Europe (The Independent)

The galvanizing moment for Europe? Yes. Take a look at the Trump-Putin relationship or the Trump/Maga-Putin relationship, she said.

President Putin is trying to redraw the map. Some of the changes that were made at the end of the Cold War that left Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova as not part of the Soviet Union but neither part of Nato or the European Union, left them in a kind of limbo.

[It] created an opportunity for him to chip away at the margins of those countries and create pockets of instability or insecurity that would prevent them from fully integrating into Nato or the EU.

Am I saying hes going to invade the Baltic states or Poland tomorrow? Im not. But he is going to test the boundaries of what we call Article 5, which is the commitment that an attack against one Nato ally is an attack against all of them.

Hes already been pushing the boundaries of that through below-the-threshold activities that arent conventional attacks.

According to the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, there was a 300 per cent increase in unconventional attacks on Europe by Russia last year, 2023-2024.

Roughly 27 per cent of the attacks were against transportation targets (such as trains, vehicles, and airplanes), another 27 per cent were against government targets (such as military bases and officials), 21 per cent were against critical infrastructure targets (such as pipelines, undersea fiber-optic cables, and the electricity grid), and 21 per cent were against industry (such as defence companies), the CSIS said in a report last month.

According to the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, there was a 300 per cent increase in unconventional attacks on Europe by Russia last year (EPA)

Sir Alex said Trump, Putin and Chinas Xi Jinping appear to be carving the world up into spheres of influence which sweep aside notions of national sovereignty in places like Europe.

On top of that, the longstanding issue of trust is now being undermined by the US. Both in terms of military doctrine, as shown by Natos Article 5, and in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing system between the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Trust between the US and its allies under Trump was strained when Sir Alex was in charge at MI6, after Trump blurted out secret intelligence of an Isis bomb plot to Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister.

It also has been badly damaged by the recent Signal messaging group scandal.

The mess flowed from the US presidents decision to put inexperienced leaders in the top intelligence jobs, Sir Alex suggested.

Whatever you think about that, it comes at a cost just in terms of a basic understanding of the environment in which we all operate and the threats that exist.

On the face of it, using a phone, an iPhone or whatever it is, to plan an attack you dont want your enemy to know about, is not sensible.

Donald Trump chats with Vladimir Putin at the APEC economic leaders meeting in November 2017 (Sputnik/AFP via Getty)

The use of personal mobile phones for top secret communications was unforgivable, Dr Ellehuus said.

These communications were usually held over secure video link because they involved not only US (or UK) personnel, but forces and intelligence agents who could be at risk on the ground.

Whatever the strains, and new risks, that the Trump administration has now brought to western intelligence agencies, Sir Alex said CIA officers would die in a ditch to protect their human sources.

It is a very unusual time. But all I am saying when it comes to the defence of the integrity of our capabilities as five [eyes], there will be a very, very strong machine in operation to retain the integrity, even if I cant belittle the idea that its more at risk than it was.
By David Lawder and Trevor Hunnicutt

WASHINGTON/JUPITER, Florida (Reuters) -U.S. customs agents began collecting President Donald Trump's unilateral 10% tariff on all imports from many countries on Saturday, with higher levies on goods from 57 larger trading partners due to start next week.

The initial 10% "baseline" tariff to be paid by U.S. importers took effect at U.S. seaports, airports and customs warehouses at 12:01 a.m. ET (0401 GMT), ushering in Trump's full rejection of the post-World War Two system of mutually agreed tariff rates.

"This is the single biggest trade action of our lifetime," said Kelly Ann Shaw, a trade lawyer at Hogan Lovells and former White House trade adviser during Trump's first term.

Shaw told a Brookings Institution event on Thursday that she expected the tariffs to evolve over time as countries seek to negotiate lower rates. "But this is huge. This is a pretty seismic and significant shift in the way that we trade with every country on earth," she added.

Trump's Wednesday tariff announcement shook global stock markets, wiping out $5 trillion in stock market value for S&P 500 companies by Friday's close, a record two-day decline. Prices for oil and commodities plunged, while investors fled to the safety of government bonds.

Among the countries first hit with the 10% tariff are Australia, Britain, Colombia, Argentina, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection bulletin to shippers indicates no grace period for cargoes on the water at midnight on Saturday.

But a U.S. Customs and Border Protection bulletin did provide a 51-day grace period for cargoes loaded onto vessels or planes and in transit to the U.S. before 12:01 a.m. ET Saturday. These cargoes need arrive by 12:01 a.m. ET on May 27 to avoid the 10% duty.

At the same hour on Wednesday, Trump's higher "reciprocal" tariff rates of 11% to 50% are due to take effect. European Union imports will be hit with a 20% tariff, while Chinese goods will be hit with a 34% tariff, bringing Trump's total new levies on China to 54%.

Beijing on Saturday said "the market has spoken" in rejecting Trump's tariffs after it hit Washington with a slew of countermeasures, including extra levies of 34% on all U.S. goods and export curbs on some rare earth minerals.

"China has been hit much harder than the USA, not even close," Trump said on Saturday on social media. "THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it wont be easy, but the end result will be historic."

Shortly after posting the comment, Trump was spotted arriving at his Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida, reading a New York Post article covering China's retaliation to Trump's tariffs and the stock market "crash."

Some world leaders moved quickly to strike a deal with Trump to avert economic disruption while others weighed countermeasures.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit the White House on Monday, sources said, as unspecified goods from the country face a 17% tariff under the new policy. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was reportedly seeking a telephone conversation with Trump. Tokyo faces a 24% levy.

Vietnam, which benefited from the shift of U.S. supply chains away from China after Trump's first-term trade war with Beijing, will be hit with a 46% tariff and agreed on Friday to discuss a deal with Trump.

The head of Taiwan's National Security Council was in Washington for talks with the Trump administration that were expected to include the tariffs, a source said. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te huddled with tech executives on Saturday to discuss how to respond to the 32% duty it faces on its products.

Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti warned on Saturday against the imposition of retaliatory tariffs on the United States, saying at a business forum near Milan that doing so could cause damage.

Canada and Mexico were exempt from both Trump's latest duties because they are still subject to a 25% tariff related to the U.S. fentanyl crisis for goods that do not comply with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada rules of origin.

Trump is excluding goods subject to separate, 25% national security tariffs, including steel and aluminum, cars, trucks and auto parts.

His administration also released a list of more than 1,000 product categories exempted from the tariffs. Valued at $645 billion in 2024 imports, these include crude oil, petroleum products and other energy imports, pharmaceuticals, uranium, titanium, lumber and semiconductors and copper. Except for energy, the Trump administration is investigating several of these sectors for further national security tariffs.

(Reporting by David Lawder in Washington and Trevor Hunnicutt in Jupiter, Florida; editing by Diane Craft)
Jose Alfredo Pacheco, left, with his brother Jose Gregorio Gonzalez.

A Venezuelan man who came to the United States to help his brother, who has end-stage renal disease, was reunited with his sibling after his temporary release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday.

Jose Gregorio Gonzalezs story made headlines this week after community members rallied to show support for the brothers. Gonzalez had been detained by ICE since March 3, when he was arrested after he had accompanied his brother, Jose Alfredo Pacheco, to a dialysis appointment.

They asked his name, he told them and the officer told him, We are the ICE team. We have a deportation order from the judge. Dont run because it will be worse, Pacheco told Telemundo Chicago in Spanish in a recent interview.

Pacheco, 37, said his world just fell. Im here alone, he said.

Gonzalez, 43, traveled to the U.S. from Venezuela last year to help in his younger brothers medical care.

Gonzalez sought U.S. asylum, but did not pass an initial credible fear interview and had a deportation order placed on him. He was, however, allowed to remain in the U.S. under ICE supervision.

He had no criminal record, said Tovia Siegel, director of organizing and leadership at The Resurrection Projects Immigrant Justice Department, which has been working on the case.

Meanwhile, Pacheco has been receiving four hours of dialysis multiple times a week, beginning at 4 a.m.

My health is at serious risk  I have 100% kidney failure and depend on dialysis three times a week from 4 a.m. until 8 a.m. Its extremely difficult  sometimes, I can barely get out of bed, Pacheco told a crowd of supporters at a rally earlier this week.

I have three children, 9-year-old twins and a 17-year-old back home, and I want to live to see them grow up. My brother used to take me to my appointments, but now Im alone. My brother is a good man, not a criminal in Venezuela or here  he came only with the hope of donating his kidney to me, Pacheco said.

According to a letter from Pachecos doctors obtained by NBC News, Gonzalez is the living kidney donor Pacheco desperately needs because 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.

Participating in a paired kidney exchange means Gonzalez could save two lives, his brothers and a second kidney recipients, Siegel said.

Gonzalez spoke to Telemundo Chicago last week from the Clay County Detention Center in Indiana where he was being held.

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, Gonzalez said.

On Friday, the brothers' hope became reality.

"Im extremely happy, its a blessing, Pacheco told the Chicago Tribune on Friday after he was reunited with his brother.

A day before the brothers' reunion, Resurrection Project chief program officer Erendira Rendon said ICE's decision to temporarily release Gonzalez so he could go through with his planned kidney donation was a victory for humanity and compassion."




Lisovskaya - Getty Images



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We can safely say that winter is over. As temperatures start heating up, we can finally take advantage of outdoor dining. And few things channel warm weather vibes as well as a tray of freshly shucked oysters.

Whether you like East or West Coast, mignonette or lemon, Tabasco or no Tabasco, an oyster is a one-bite wonder thats best enjoyed on a patio (preferably with an Aperol spritz in hand). But you may be less excited about summer oysters when you hear about the R rule.

The R rule is a longstanding rule of thumb that you should only eat oysters during months that have the letter R in them. Eating oysters outside of that time frame was traditionally believed to be linked to lower quality and a higher risk of foodborne illness. That range is between September and April, which suggests that your summer oyster dreams (during the months missing that important letter: May, June, July, and August) may be dashed.

But how real is this rule, anyway? We consulted seafood and food safety experts to unpack the truth about eating raw oysters and what you should do to avoid getting sick.

Why Was The R Rule Invented?

Wirestock - Getty Images

First, its worth noting that oysters have been consumed for tens of thousands of years by civilizations across the world. But before there were oyster farms, humans sourced their mollusks in the wild.

The R rule was first coined in reference to wild-caught oysterspartially for food safety, but also for quality. In warmer, R-less months, oysters spawn, which changes their texture, says Dr. Bryan Quoc Le, food scientist and author of 150 Food Science Questions Answered.

That texture will vary depending on the oyster. Some oysters incubate thousands of tiny shells that feel like sand in your mouth. Others will develop an unpleasantly soft texture. And the flavor of oysters in this time period can range from watery to milky to bitter.

But beyond that, there have been inherent safety risks with harvesting, processing, and eating wild oysters in R free months. Oysters are filter feeders and absorb any toxins in their growing environment, says Roberta Muir, cookbook author, gourmet tour leader, and former instructor at Sydney Fish Markets seafood cooking school. And many toxins have higher concentrations in warmer parts of the year.

Harmful algae proliferate in warmer waters, as do pathogenic bacteria like Vibrio. Before modern refrigeration, keeping oysters fresh in hot weather was also a challenge, further reinforcing the need for seasonal caution, adds Melissa Vaccaro, senior food safety program specialist at The National Environmental Health Association.

Before the development of modern technology and aquaculture, there was no way to test or treat waters that might have contained large concentrations of toxins. Thus the "R rule was created to limit oyster consumption during high risk periods and mitigate illness.

Do We Still Need To Follow The R Rule?

mantonino - Getty Images

You can thank industry safety protocols and the rise of oyster farming for making the R rule nearly obsolete.

Many oysters are farmed in controlled environments, reducing bacterial risks, and some are bred as triploids, meaning they dont spawn and remain plump year-round, Vaccaro says. These controlled environments and stringent safety measures significantly reduce the risk of illness.

As long as oysters are handled properly by being shaded and iced down at time of harvest, and come from bodies of water that are regularly monitored, they should be safe to consume, says Nicole Powell, oyster farmer and co-owner of Neguntatogue Oysters.

Wild oysters are still harvested and sold, carrying some degree of risk in warmer months. The modern oyster industry imposes strict rules on processing to avoid passing harmful germs to consumers. However, climate change is making it much easier for oysters to become contaminated.

Rising global temperatures are clearly linked to increasing waterborne food poisoning, particularly from eating raw oysters, says Dr. Benjamin Miller, EVP of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs at The Acheson Group. This is particularly true when it comes to Vibrio vulnificus bacteria. The CDC says that Vibrio infections have increased eightfold over the past fifty yearsand nearly 20% of cases are fatal.

And with the rising water temperatures worldwide, the risk of illness is not going away. Vibrio infections have been steadily shifting northward, appearing in regions where they were previously rare, Miller says. The Chesapeake Bay has seen Vibrio infections nearly double from 2007 to 2019, with nearby Pennsylvania experiencing a 490% surge in cases.

Miller also warns that the safety of oysters is under threat with FDA budget cuts, which could impact regulatory programs like the National Shellfish Sanitation Program. But that does not mean you need to forgo oysters entirely.

Food safety experts say that you can minimize health risks by sourcing oysters from reputable suppliers who follow strict safety protocols. It is always a good idea to ask where your oysters are from when ordering, including the region and body of water, Powell says. Le adds that reputable restaurants usually have that information on hand and serve oysters well-chilled on clean ice.

An added safety precaution is forgoing wild oysters in the summer. Many farmed oysters are grown in controlled environments with strict safety measures, often making them a safer choice than wild-caught oysters in warmer months, Vaccaro says.

None of these measures will fully eliminate your risk of foodborne illness from oysters, but they are still more reliable than the R rule.

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As the global economy absorbs Donald Trump's massive tariffs, Sen. Rand Paul is continuing to speak out about the negative consequences of the president's course of action.

The Kentucky Republican, who briefly tangled with Trump for the GOP presidential nomination in 2015, has been an ally to the president on a host of other issues.

But Paul, a fiscal hawk, has distinguished himself as one of the few voices within the Republican Party who is vehemently opposing the trade war since the levies were first announced on April 1.

"Tariffs have... led to political decimation. When (President William) McKinley most famously put tariffs on in 1890, they lost 50% of their seats in the next election," Paul told reporters a day after Trump's announcement, later adding "So theyre not only bad economically; theyre bad politically."

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) speaking to reporters just off the Senate floor on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

Paul has slammed the idea in other conservative venues such as with the Cato Institute, a libertarian-leaning think tank and editorials on Fox News criticizing the move as a risky economic strategy.

He has also teamed up with Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., in sponsoring a resolution to end the emergency declaration enabling Trump's tariffs against Canada.

"We should not live under emergency rule," Paul said in an interview with Fox News reporter Bret Baier. "The Constitution said taxes are raised by Congress. Most specifically, taxes originate in the House and come to the Senate, so I'm against emergency rule."

Paul and Kaine's efforts were supported by three other Republicans: Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Trade wars arent good, and they arent easy to win.@SenRandPaul says that President Trumps tariff policies are a looming disaster. Can we fix trade and rein in Congresss spending spree? pic.twitter.com/wqD7P88HFt  Cato Institute (@CatoInstitute) April 4, 2025

"I'm not a fan of taxes... but tariffs are simply a tax," Paul told the CATO Institute on Friday. "When you tax something you get less of it. So if you tax trade, you get less of it."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rand Paul carves out ant-tariff haven within GOP
Albert L. Ortega/Getty Robert Trebor attends the Society Of Camera Operators Lifetime Achievement Awards on Feb. 6, 2016

Robert Trebor, an actor known for his work on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, has died at 71

The TV star died of sepsis on March 11, years after being diagnosed with leukemia in 2012 and undergoing a stem-cell transplant a year later, his wife told The Hollywood Reporter

Trebor's online obituary states his "talent, humor, energy and enthusiasm will be greatly missed"

Robert Trebor, the actor who played Salmoneus in both Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, has died. He was 71.

Trebor died of sepsis on March 11 at the Los Angeles Medical Center, his wife, Deirdre Hennings, told The Hollywood Reporter.

He was previously diagnosed with leukemia in 2012, before undergoing a stem-cell transplant in 2013, which he suffered side effects from, per his online obituary.

"Mr. Trebor's talent, humor, energy and enthusiasm will be greatly missed by all who knew him, most especially by his wife," the star's obituary states.

MCA Television / Courtesy Everett Collection Kevin Sorbo and Robert Trebor appear in a 1995 episode of 'Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'

Related: Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2025

Trebor, who was born in Philadelphia and attended Northwestern University, spent some of his earlier years as an actor at New York City's Ensemble Studio Theatre, where he performed in Shel Silverstein's plays, according to his obituary.

From there, his breakout role came in 1985, when he starred in the TV movie Out of the Darkness as Son of Sam, alongside the likes of Martin Sheen and Hector Elizondo. His other early projects included 1986's 52 Pick-Up, 1987's My Demon Lover, 1987's Making Mr. Right and Oliver Stone's 1988 film Talk Radio.

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CBS/ Courtesy Everett Collection Robert Trebor and Martin Sheen appear in 1985's 'Out of the Darkness'

Perhaps his best-known role came in 1995 on the series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, in which he played the merchant Salmoneus. He also reprised the role for Xena: Warrior Princess, appearing in a handful of episodes.

In a 2001 interview with The Voyageur, Trebor said his character's arc was "to try to be a good person, but his essential mercantile instincts kept interfering with that."

I never saw him as a thief. [Bruce Campbell's] Autolycus was the thief. I never saw him as a con man either, although I could understand why other people could," Trebor continued "He was just a very enthusiastic guy who didnt read the fine print and needed to make a living when he wasnt a farmer or fighter. He lived by his glib tongue.

Among his other Hercules projects, Trebor appeared as Waylin in the 1994 TV movie Hercules and the Lost Kingdom, and, as his obituary notes, he eventually became "so popular" playing Salmoneus that he "became an action figure and appeared at fan conventions" throughout the world.

Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock Robert Trebor and Lucy Lawless pose for a photo at the 2007 Celebration of New Zealand Filmmaking

Some of Trebor's other projects included 2004's Jiminy Glick in Lalawood, as well as appearing in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and Tales from the Crypt.

As his obituary states, Trebor was named one of the first Artists-in-Residence at The Braid in Los Angeles in 2013. He also published two books during his lifetime  Dear Salmoneus: The World's First Guide to Love and Money and The Haircut Who Would Be King.

Albert L. Ortega/Getty Robert Trebor attends the Illusion Industries Halloween Party in 2013

Related: Lucy Lawless Reunites with 'Xena' Costar Renee O'Connor in 'My Life Is Murder'  See the Photo

In 2016, he was credited in his final film, the Coen Brothers' satire Hail, Caesar!

Trebor is survived by Hennings, his wife of 43 years, per his obituary. Those wishing to show support are being encouraged to donate to The Braid  where a scholarship fund is being established in his name  as well as the Leukemia Research Foundation.



Read the original article on People
I rode in a premium-class car on a train through Kenya and had a great experience. Suzie Dundas

I traveled in style in a premium train car aboard Madaraka Express between Voi and Nairobi in Kenya.

My ticket cost about $66, and the ride made me feel like I was in a first-class plane cabin.

The route goes through multiple national parks, and I was able to spot elephants from my seat.

On a recent trip to Kenya, I learned about the new premium-class train service on the Madaraka Express.

It connects the tourist-favored coastal city of Mombasa and the cosmopolitan Kenya capital Nairobi. The train travels through numerous national parks, game reserves, and wildlife conservancies.

Essentially, it makes it possible to go on an extended safari throughout Kenya without renting a car or arranging drivers.

So, I booked a ticket and an upgrade. Here's what it was like to ride premium class on Kenya's Madaraka Express.

My one-way premium ticket only cost about $66.

I thought the ticket was reasonably priced. Suzie Dundas

I took the Madaraka Express to Nairobi after spending four days at the nearby Lions Bluff Lodge near Voi, a town on the edge of the Taru Desert

The cost to go one way on the full route from Mombasa to Nairobi in the premium class is about $93. However, my trip from Voi to Nairobi was only $65.50 and I could bring my large backpack and overstuffed duffel for no extra charge.

That's less than a one-way economy flight on Kenya Airways between Mombasa and Nairobi, which usually costs around $71 each way (not including a checked bag).

I took a morning train from Voi Station, near Mombasa.

It took a second for me to find the premium-class coach. Suzie Dundas

Voi Station is one of the largest stations on the line.

The station had a large, crowded waiting area, as well as a small lounge for premium passengers (which I wasn't allowed to photograph) with padded chairs and basic snacks.

I arrived about 30 minutes before my train left, giving myself plenty of time to go through the quick security check and browse the two small souvenir shops over the station.

Boarding was easy, but I had to hustle to find the right car.

I liked the look of the premium cabin. Suzie Dundas

Boarding the train felt straightforward, although I had to quickly make my way to the front car  where the premium class is  before it left.

Once aboard, staff checked my ticket, escorted me to my seat, and helped me store my luggage in the back of the car.

My premium seat felt spacious and offered lots of privacy.

My seat on the Maradaka Express was very comfortable. Suzie Dundas

The premium seating looked like what I'd find in business or first class on an international flight.

There's just one large seat on each side of the train, staggered so when you step into the aisle, you're not directly next to another person.

Each seat looked extra wide and could transform into a lie-flat bed, though I didn't try to sleep during my daytime journey. However, I saw several passengers from Mombasa just waking up when I boarded, and they looked pretty comfortable.

My seat was loaded with amenities.

I had my own outlets at my seat. Suzie Dundas

My premium seat came with a large side table with USB ports and a standard (Kenyan) plug, an adjustable reading light, a small storage compartment, a screen with seat controls, and a footrest.

There was also a large TV screen and plenty of space in the overhead bin for my large backpack and overstuffed duffel.

I recommend choosing a seat on the left side of the train if you're on this route.

I saw wildlife right from the train. Suzie Dundas

Every seat was tilted slightly to the left, which left my back a little more exposed to the aisle. The angled seating felt odd at first.

However, once the train started moving, the design made more sense. Passengers on the left side got a direct, unobstructed view of the landscape without needing to turn their heads.

Although the right side of the train also had great views, those passengers had to twist a bit more to take in the scenery.

The sleeping situation felt as nice as a first-class flight.

I could lay all the way back. Suzie Dundas

I've flown first class on international flights before, and this train felt just as nice as those trips.

The lie-flat seat controls worked well, and when combined with the footrest extension, my entire setup became a continuous sleeping surface.

At 5 feet, 7 inches, I could fully stretch out  but taller passengers might need to bend their legs slightly.

The meal was so-so, but it still added to the experience.

I got breakfast on the train. Suzie Dundas

Breakfast service began soon after I boarded. Train attendants came around to take my order from three meal options: Indian, Kenyan, or Western.

I chose scrambled eggs with tomatoes and yogurt. Although I wouldn't say the meal was the highlight of my ride, it helped the trip feel more elegant  especially as I could spot elephants while sipping a hot coffee.

The Madaraka Express travels through some of Africa's most iconic sites.

We rode through Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks. Suzie Dundas

The Madaraka Express passes between Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks.

From the left side of the train, I got a clear view of the Tsavo Railway Bridge  the infamous site of the 1898 attacks in which lions killed many railway workers. It later inspired the movie "The Ghost and the Darkness." As a history buff, I appreciated getting to see the bridge.

A highlight was also traveling above Nairobi National Park, about 4 miles from the city center. It's one of the few places travelers can do a full big-game safari within a major urban area.

The last few miles of the Standard Gauge Railway leading into Nairobi are elevated above the park, allowing wildlife to move freely beneath it.

Trains slow down over this stretch to reduce disturbances to wildlife and give passengers a chance to spot elephants, giraffes, and even rhinos from their seats.

My train ride felt like an international first-class flight for a fraction of the price.

I loved my time on the Madaraka Express. Suzie Dundas

My train ride was only about four hours, although my setup was so good I wish it was longer.

I spent the ride working on WiFi (which was intermittent), watching the landscapes go by, and chatting with other tourists in the dining car.

If I'd had more time on board, I would've used the other features of the seat to really stretch out and spent more time watching for wildlife outside my window.

Read the original article on Business Insider
After the federal building was bombed in Oklahoma City in 1995, a grant helped preserve stories of survivors. A similar grant supported the recording of oral histories from survivors of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. Veterans centers, public schools and rural communities have also received some of the $42 million handed out by the state-run Oklahoma Humanities over the last 50 years.

That ended this week with a grant termination letter from the Trump administration.

"Our funding is quietly sustaining the cultural infrastructure and educational infrastructure of our state," executive director Caroline Lowery told USA TODAY. "I think our absence will be felt once it's too late."

More than a thousand National Endowment for the Humanities grants were terminated this week by the administration, including grants provided to every state humanities council for decades.

The agency also sent an estimated 70% of its staff home on administrative leave while it weighs how to scale down as part of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's attempts to reduce the size of government.

Among the terminated grants was the National History Day history competition that serves more than 500,000 students a year and is just weeks away from holding its national competition.

AFGE Local 3403, a branch of the American Federation of Government Employees that represents NEH employees said that an informal survey of its members reflected that most of its 180 NEH employees are in the process of being removed from their positions.

Kam Martin, 12, explains his 'Salem Witch Trial' project to teacher Emma Preston during West Bridgewater Middle Senior High School National History Day in Massachusetts on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.

"NEH administers grants and funding for museums, libraries, researchers and others who seek to preserve the American story. Untold numbers of grantees have already been informed that their funding is being cut," the union local said in a statement. "The union condemns these damaging cuts to people and funding. The arbitrary and dismissive approach to employees and grantees is frankly un-American and unacceptable."

NEH did not respond to requests for comment, but the White House has repeatedly said cutbacks are necessary across the government to reduce waste and improve efficiency.

'In a new direction'

Earlier this week 56 state and jurisdiction humanities councils across the country received a letter that their NEH grants were being terminated because the NEH is "repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of President Trump's agenda." Nearly half of the NEH's budget goes directly to humanities councils in every U.S. state and jurisdiction.

Lowery said she's struggling with how abruptly the grant was terminated. Without the money, she and many others will be out of a job, and the work they've done to preserve the state's history and culture for future generations will end.

"We are not a big, flashy, abstract D.C. agency. We are in Oklahoma. I'm from Oklahoma. I've lived here my whole life. This is my life's work. We're just a quiet agency working hard to make Oklahoma a better place, and have devoted our lives to this," she said. "Our small office serves hundreds of thousands of people, in all 77 counties, in all five congressional districts."

More: Libraries are under siege: How Trump's cuts put community hubs in peril

Oklahoma Humanities had to match the federal money with private investment before it could be spent. This year they received just under $1 million from the federal government.

"I don't just get a blank check from the federal government. I am from an incredibly red, incredibly fiscally conservative state, and these are my taxpayer dollars too. This investment has been broadly supported by Oklahoma lawmakers and Oklahoma citizens for over 50 years, we turn a not even a rounding error in the federal budget into millions of dollars for the state," Lowery said.

National History Day

NEH has always been a partner to National History Day, said executive director Cathy Gorn, and not just financially. The agency helped push the organization from a small Ohio-based contest to a national competition where more than 500,000 students across the country conduct and present original history research projects that "helps them understand their nation's past and their place in their nation and in the world."

From left, Kayla Walker, 12, Chloe George, 13, Chloe Concannon, 13, and Leah Perez, 12, with their project '911' during West Bridgewater Middle Senior High School National History Day in Massachusetts on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.

"We always felt like we had confidence that NEH would be there to help History Day continue to do the great things that we do. So this is not just a loss of money, but it's a real loss of that sort of sense of security, and that could be devastating," Gorn said.

History Day received termination letters for its four-year grant totaling $650,000 and a two-year grant totaling almost $200,000 to create a teacher resource book that deals with Jewish American history and antisemitism.

More: Federal worker data visualized: Maps and charts show jobs, locations, departments

This year's regional competitions have completed and state competition's are taking place amid the funding turmoil, she said. Compounding the loss is that several state humanities councils that just had their own grants terminated help run the state level competitions, Gorn said.

With private contributions she is "relatively confident" that the state programs will conclude and the national contest can take place in June. "Next year is sort of up in the air," Gorn said.

Why fund humanities?

Stephen Kidd, Executive Director of the National Humanities Alliance, said the National Endowment for the Humanities, fills gaps that private donors miss.

"It funds organizations that other private funders don't fund and frequently overlook or don't even have contact with," Kidd said "The loss of NEH funding and the loss of the agency would mean that heritage is not preserved in communities across the country, people don't have access to museum exhibitions that tell their story, and the next generation of students won't have the rich curricular resources that support learning in classrooms all over the country."

The agency is mandated by Congress to operate across the country to make sure that every community has access to the humanities, the study of human experiences over time, and "ensure that community treasures of all kinds are preserved and help these communities preserve their heritage."

(Left) Dr. Tru Leverette and Dr. Laura Heffernan look over documents from the collection of work by Viola Muse. They were awarded a $100,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant for their project, "Documenting Black Jacksonville: The Viola Muse Digital Edition."

"They include history and literature and languages and all of the things that look at what it means to be human, and to help us understand the context that our societies have lived in in the past, so that we can understand better our context in the present," he said.

Kidd said the Alliance is still trying to get a scope of the terminations.

"Our understanding is that it is well over 1,000 grants. There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to which ones were cut. It is just a broad swath of everything, including a number of grants for projects that have been incredibly impactful for veterans," he said.

'This will set me back by years'

NEH grants fall into two general pools: grants to state humanities councils and grants to individuals or institutions, said Nathalie Hester, who is a past grant recipient and has represented the University of Oregon at National Humanities Advocacy Day.

"Humanities funding tends to be under the radar a lot because these are relatively tiny amounts of funding, but they go such a long way. They fund a computer, they fund an airplane ticket, they fund interviews with people," she said. "It's a lot of elbow grease, and it goes such a long way. It's community projects. It's your local library. It's the exhibits that your local museum prepares for your kids. It's library archives so that all Americans have access to digital resources and historical information."

Dr. Tru Leverette looks through student drawings which are included in the collection of writings by Viola Muse. He was awarded a $100,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant for the project, "Documenting Black Jacksonville: The Viola Muse Digital Edition."

The endowment also supports museums, libraries, preservation, history and media projects through a competitive application process.

"Getting an NEH is one of these things that is a milestone achievement in your career," said Terrance Peterson, whose termination letter sent from a nongovernment account first landed in his junk mail folder.

Peterson was one of fewer than 20 professors selected nationwide this year for a grant that replaces part of their salary so they have time and resources to research and write a book.

Peterson's work is focused on a French internment camp that opened prior to World War I and why countries choose to detain people rather than monitor them out in society. The idea was inspired by the ICE detainment facility near Florida International University where he is an Associate Professor of History. He's four months into his year-long grant and is scrambling to see if the university will give him a few classes to teach.

Meanwhile he'll have to complete his research whenever he can find time and money.

"This will set me back by years, easily," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump administration cancels thousands of humanities grants
Crowds of college and high school students representing student governments from some of the largest schools in the Washington, D.C., area rallied outside the U.S. Department of Education on Friday to oppose the administration's gutting of the agency.

Chanting "hands off our schools" and "give us back our DOE," demonstrators attended the rally outside department headquarters as education advocates and student organizers discussed the department's importance to U.S. students.

Julia Comino, student body vice president at American University, said shuttering the agency would harm the rights of America's most vulnerable.

PHOTO: Students from Washington, DC universities protest cuts to the Department of Education (Allison Bailey/Reuters)

"The Department of Education is the government agency that ensures that our universities have equal access, that people of all gender identities, of all racial, ethnic and protected classes," Comino told ABC News. "And we know that when you go after the Department of Education, you're actually going after the marginalized communities. So this is just an ongoing history of the attacks on those marginalized and vulnerable groups," she said.

Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all necessary steps to shrink the department and return education control to the states. The department has already let go of nearly half its workforce.

"I think what we're really trying to get across is that the Trump administration has just exceeded its authority," said Asher Maxwell, a student press coordinator for the Georgetown University Student Association. "That's really going to harm our education and our futures."

The demonstration was organized by the student governments representing over 130,000 students at several colleges in the region, including Georgetown University, American University and Howard University, as well as Temple University in Philadelphia, according to the organizers.

PHOTO: Students Rally For The Department Of Education As Trump Administration Threatens Cuts (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

MORE: McMahon hijacks House Democrats' presser after closed-door meeting outside Department of Education

The coalition is a "historic alliance" standing against the "assault on education," including campus free speech and student financial aid programs, according to a release by organizers.

MORE: Trump signs order gutting Department of Education while surrounded by kids

Critics say college students will especially be affected if the president follows through with transferring the responsibilities of the Office of Federal Student Aid  with its $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio -- to another agency and terminating the federal workers who administer funds for higher education.

Ethan Henshaw, a Pell Grant recipient and Georgetown's student body president, called the agency a "lifeline" for students to attain an equitable and quality education.

"This is threatening the livelihoods, the education access, the economic mobility of low- and middle-income Americans from every background all across the country," Henshaw said. "I know, without access to the programs that come from this building, you know, education may not have been possible for me, so it's incredibly important to come out here and demand that this institution stays strong, and that the Trump administration does not take away what's so important to us."

PHOTO: President Donald Trump shows his signature on an executive order to shut down the Department of Education, during an event in the East Room at the White House in Washington, Mar. 20, 2025. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

At an impromptu appearance at a news conference held by Democrats outside the department's headquarters earlier this week, McMahon defended the administration's moves, saying she believes the best education is "closest to the child where teachers and parents, local superintendents, working together and local school boards to develop the curriculum for those students is the best way that it can happen."

McMahon has also vowed to continue funding statutorily mandated functions and responsibilities of the department.

MORE: Elizabeth Warren launches campaign to investigate Department of Education closure: 'I will fight it with everything I've got'

The rally Friday followed about a month's worth of Friday demonstrations at the department, including an "ED Matters" rally, "study-ins" and "clap-outs" for terminated federal workers.

More recently, Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill have condemned the changes at the department. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., launched a "Save Our Schools" campaign this week against the administration's attempt to dismantle the department. Her campaign includes investigations, oversight, community engagement and lawsuits, according to the senator.

PHOTO: A view shows a placard during a Defend Our Schools rally to protest President Donald Trump's executive order to shut down the U.S.Department of Education outside its building in Washington, Mar. 21, 2025. (Kent Nishimura/Reuters)

"The federal government has invested in our public schools," Warren said in an exclusive interview with ABC News. "Taking that away from our kids so that a handful of billionaires can be even richer is just plain ugly, and I will fight it with everything I've got."

Completely abolishing the department can't be done without congressional approval.

Still, the students at Friday's demonstration said the threats to close the department have already had a chilling effect on their campuses, according to Georgetown University Student Association Vice President Darius Wagner.

"We're seeing them directly influence what we're able to discuss in our spaces, teach in our classrooms and also through K through 12 schools, because they're threatening to cut their funding if they do not comply with the views of the president," Wagner told ABC News.

"That's what's happening here and it's not hard to see that that is the road to breaking our institutions and limiting our ability to freely speak," he said.

"This is only the beginning," Wagner said, "This is why we started here at the DOE."

Students protest Education Department closure in 'Hands Off Our Schools' rally originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
President Donald Trump and Linda McMahon during an executive order signing at the White House on March 20.

WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the Trump administration to terminate Education Department grants for teacher training that officials deemed to violate their new policy opposing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

The 5-4 decision blocks a Massachusetts-based judges ruling that said the administration had failed to follow the correct legal process in terminating the grants. About $65 million in grant payments are outstanding.

The decision is the first win for President Donald Trump at the Supreme Court in his second term.

Five of the court's conservatives were in the majority, while Chief Justice John Roberts joined the three liberals in dissent.

The unsigned decision said that the district court judge did not have authority to order that the funds be paid under a federal law called the Administrative Procedure Act.

The administration "compellingly argues" that the entities receiving the funds will not suffer irreparable harm as a result of the funds being withheld, the decision said.

In a dissenting opinion, liberal Justice Elena Kagan disputed that conclusion, saying that the grant recipients had said they would be forced to cancel some of their programs.

"Nowhere in its papers does the government defend the legality of canceling the education grants at issue here," she added.

"It is beyond puzzling that a majority of justices conceive of the governments application as an emergency," liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said in a separate opinion.

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The 104 grants at issue had been awarded under two different programs, the Teacher Quality Partnership and another called Supporting Effective Educator Development.

The Department of Education in February found that the grants violated Trumps executive order that the administration eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs that are traditionally aimed in part at ensuring that people from historically marginalized groups can obtain equal opportunities to advance their careers.

Administration officials said the funded programs promote or take part in DEI initiatives or other initiatives that unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or another protected characteristic.

In court papers, acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris said many of the programs contained objectionable DEI material.

A lawsuit was filed in March by eight states including California, Massachusetts and New York  on behalf of entities that receive the grants, such as universities and nonprofits  saying the decision to rescind the awards violated a federal law called the Administrative Procedure Act.

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun issued a temporary restraining order blocking the administrations move, saying officials had failed to properly explain their reasoning.

The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to block Jouns ruling, noting that the Education Department had sent the same boilerplate letter to all of the grant awardees announcing the termination of funding. The letters contained no specific information on why any particular program was deemed to be in violation of the anti-DEI policy, the appeals court said.

The case only involves grants issued to entities in the states that sued. In total, the Department of Education canceled about $600 million in grants for teacher training.

Trump last month signed an executive order that seeks to dismantle the Education Department. Completely eliminating the department, however, would require congressional approval.

In two prior emergency applications filed by the Trump administration, the Supreme Court did not grant its requests.

In one, the court rejected the administration's bid to avoid immediately paying contractors for the U.S. Agency for International Development whose funding was cut.

In the other, the court sidestepped a decision on whether Trump could fire a federal government watchdog, although as a result of a lower court decision, the administration ultimately prevailed.
By Trevor Hunnicutt and Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The head of Taiwan's National Security Council arrived in the United States for talks with President Donald Trump's administration, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday, days after China concluded war games around Taiwan.

Joseph Wu was leading a delegation for a meeting known as the "special channel," the Financial Times reported earlier. It marked Trump's first use of the channel since returning to the White House on January 20.

Earlier this week, China's military concluded two-day war games around Taiwan in which it held long-range, live-fire drills in the East China Sea, marking an escalation of exercises around the island.

Taiwan has denounced China for holding the drills. The United States, Taiwan's most important international supporter and main arms supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations, condemned the latest exercises earlier this week.

Taiwan is only one area of tension between the United States and China whose ties have been tested by multiple issues such as human rights, the origins of COVID-19 and trade tariffs, including measures put in place by Trump this week.

Trump's tariffs this week also upset Taiwan which called them unreasonable.

Trump has also been critical of Taiwan for taking U.S. semiconductor business, saying he wants the industry to re-base to the United States. Taiwan's top security official has said the Trump administration's support for Taiwan remains "very strong."

China has stepped up rhetoric against Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, calling him a "parasite" on Tuesday in the wake of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Asia visit, during which he repeatedly criticized Beijing.

The White House and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has repeatedly denounced Lai as a "separatist". Lai, who won election last year, rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and says only Taiwan's people can decide their future.

Taiwan has lived under the threat of Chinese invasion since 1949 when the defeated Republic of China government fled to the island after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's communists, though the two sides have not exchanged fire in anger for decades.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Kanishka Singh; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Sandra Maler and Stephen Coates)
Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, speaks during a news conference at CASA's Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. Justice Department told an appeals court Saturday that a judge did not have the authority to order the Trump administration to broker the return of a Maryland man who was mistakenly sent to a notorious El Salvador prison, and it suspended a government lawyer who admitted in court that the deportation was an error.

The government's attorneys asked the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to pause a Friday ruling by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who ordered the administration to facilitate and effectuate Kilmar Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S. by late Monday night.

A judicial order that forces the Executive to engage with a foreign power in a certain way, let alone compel a certain action by a foreign sovereign, is constitutionally intolerable, they wrote.

The appeals court asked Abrego Garcia's lawyers to respond to the government's filing by Sunday afternoon.

Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national, was arrested in Maryland and deported last month despite an immigration judges 2019 ruling that shielded him from deportation to El Salvador, where he faced likely persecution by local gangs.

His mistaken deportation, described by the White House as an administrative error, has outraged many and raised concerns about expelling noncitizens who were granted permission to be in the U.S.

During a court hearing Friday at a federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni conceded to Xinis that Abrego Garcia should not have been removed from the U.S. or sent to El Salvador. Reuveni could not tell the judge upon what authority he was arrested in Maryland.

Im also frustrated that I have no answers for you for a lot of these questions, he said.

But by Saturday, Reuveni had been placed on leave by the Justice Department, a department spokesperson confirmed. His name was not on Saturdays filing to the appeals court.

At my direction, every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States. Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

Xinis, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, ruled Friday that there was no legal basis for Abrego Garcias detention and no legal justification for his removal to El Salvador, where he has been held in a prison that observers say is rife with human rights abuses.

Abrego Garcias attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said the government has done nothing to get his client back, even after admitting its errors.

Plenty of tweets. Plenty of White House press conferences. But no actual steps taken with the government of El Salvador to make it right, he told the judge on Friday.

The White House has cast Abrego Garcia as an MS-13 gang member and doubled down on that claim after Fridays hearing. Abrego Garcias attorneys have countered that there is no evidence he was in MS-13.

Abrego Garcia had a permit from DHS to legally work in the U.S., his attorney said. He served as a sheet metal apprentice and was pursuing his journeyman license. His wife is a U.S. citizen.

Abreho Garcia fled El Salvador around 2011 because he and his family were facing threats by local gangs. In 2019, a U.S. immigration judge granted him protection from deportation to El Salvador.

Government lawyers say they have no control over Abrego Garcia and no authority to arrange for his return  any more than they would have the power to follow a court order commanding them to 'effectuate' the end of the war in Ukraine, or a return of the hostages from Gaza.

It is an injunction to force a foreign sovereign to send back a foreign terrorist within three days time. That is no way to run a government. And it has no basis in American law," they wrote.

___

Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.
Trump's Reciprocal Tariffs On India Exempt Pharma, Easing Mark Cuban's Price Hike Concerns

Billionaire entrepreneur and Cost Plus Drugs co-founder Mark Cuban won't have to raise medicine prices, as Trumps new reciprocal tariffs on India exempt the pharmaceutical sector.

What Happened: While appearing on the Somebody's Gotta Win With Tara Palmeri podcast earlier this week, Cuban stated that if the Trump administration imposes tariffs on India, his company would be compelled to raise the prices of its medications. "We won't have a choice," Cuban stated

Interestingly, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 26% reciprocal tariff on India. The pharmaceutical industry, however, was exempted from these new levies, as per the fact sheet released by the White House on April 2.

Cost Plus Drugs did not immediately respond to Benzingas request for comment.

See Also: Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target  Many are rushing to grab 4,000 of its pre-IPO shares for just $0.26/share!

Cost Plus Drugs, co-founded by Cuban, strives to make pharmaceuticals more accessible through a transparent pricing model, which includes a markup of 15% on drug manufacturing costs and includes a possible pharmacy fee from their suppliers (approximately $5, plus $5 for shipping)

However, Cuban cautioned that imposing tariffs on goods, particularly medicines, imported from India would compel the company to raise its medication prices. He further explained that the company would be unable to absorb the costs of tariffs and broker fees, which would be passed on to consumers directly.

Why It Matters: India provides nearly half of the generic medicinesaffordable alternatives to brand-name drugsconsumed in the U.S., significantly reducing healthcare costs. A study by consulting firm IQVIA revealed that in 2022, the U.S. saved nearly $219 billion due to Indian generic drugs.

Meanwhile, Cubans concerns over the potential impact of tariffs are not new. The Shark Tank judge advocates strategic tariffs and highlighted the disproportionate impact of tariffs on lower-income Americans. He agreed with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnicks view of tariffs as a form of consumption tax but also emphasized the potential economic consequences for the countrys most vulnerable populations.

Read Next:

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If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it?

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This article Trump's Reciprocal Tariffs On India Exempt Pharma, Easing Mark Cuban's Price Hike Concerns originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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Taylor Schabusiness, 27, is shown inexplicably screaming and trying to attack attorney Paul Julka during a court appearance.

A Wisconsin woman who killed and dismembered her lover during a meth-fueled tryst lunged at her own lawyer in a wild courtroom outburst Friday and had to be restrained by officers, stunning footage shows.

Taylor Schabusiness, 27  who strangled boyfriend Shad Thyrion then cut off his corpses head and penis in February 2022  is shown inexplicably screaming and trying to attack attorney, Paul Julka, during a court appearance.

At least five court deputies are seen rushing to hold her back before she can strike the attorney, who had been seated at a table next to her, according to footage published by Court TV.

Taylor Schabusiness, 27, is shown inexplicably screaming and trying to attack attorney Paul Julka during a court appearance. AP

The lawyer throws up his hands and shrugs with resigned nonchalance as she writhes on the floor next to him, surrounded by court officers.

Schabusiness, who was sentenced to life in prison in September 2023, had been back in court in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, for a hearing because she allegedly attacked a prison guard earlier this year.

Julka was speaking to the judge about a witness when Schabusiness flipped out and began shouting something undecipherable, the footage shows.

In February 2022, Schabusiness mutilated and sexually abused Thyrions corpse after initially choking him during foreplay, Green Bay Police Department Detective David Graf testified during her trial.

At least five court deputies are seen rushing to hold her back before she can strike the attorney, according to footage published by Court TV. Court TV

She said she enjoyed the choking during sex and wanted to see what would happen if she kept going, the cop testified.

After he died, she chopped off her lovers head and cuddled his corpse, Graf said.

In February 2022, Schabusiness mutilated and sexually abused Shad Thyrions (pictured) corpse after initially choking him during foreplay, officials testified during her trial. Facebook/Shad Thyrion

Schabusiness, who was sentenced to life in prison in September 2023, had been back in court for a hearing because she allegedly attacked a prison guard earlier this year. AP

Schabusiness was found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, third-degree sexual assault, and mutilating a corpse.

A jury rejected her insanity plea.

Her Friday morning hearing for the alleged prison guard attack was moved to Zoom after the outburst.
Today's news: Min Aung Hlaing attends BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok as junta hinders aid flow to Myanmar; Families of the victims of Duterte's war on drugs demand investigation into the severe cyberbullying; Tibetans accuse China of eliminating their cultural identity by repressing their language; Modi visits Sri Lanka.

GAZA - ISRAEL

The Israeli army has killed dozens of women and children in the latest attacks on schools in Gaza. At least 33 children have been killed in the last two days in the Gaza Strip in Israeli attacks on schools housing displaced Palestinians, in a context in which children are being killed in cold blood. At least 100 Palestinian children have been killed or injured every day in Gaza since Israel broke the ceasefire, the head of UNRWA said. Since 7 October 2023, Israel has left over 39,000 orphans in Gaza.

MYANMAR

Min Aung Hlaing, head of the coup junta, met with the leaders of India and Thailand - Modi and Shinawatra - during the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok, while the UN has stated that his army is limiting humanitarian aid following the earthquake. Min Aung Hlaing is taking advantage of a rare trip abroad, using the diplomatic window opened by the earthquake to intensify international contacts. Modi has called for the ceasefire declared until 22 April to become permanent.

PHILIPPINES

The families of the victims of the war on drugs in the Philippines, who have been the target of a coordinated campaign of online harassment, have urged the police to investigate the attacks and identify those responsible so that legal action can be taken. Many of those who have publicly denounced the situation have been subjected to heavy online harassment since former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on 11 March and transferred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where he is awaiting trial.

CHINA - TIBET

Hundreds of Tibetans are calling on China to reinstate the teaching of the Tibetan language in schools. China claims that the Tibetan language is widely used in government documents, public notices, the media and schools, and that it is taught in schools. But Tibetans say this is not true and accuse China of actively repressing the use of the Tibetan language as part of a broader plan to completely eliminate Tibet's cultural identity.

SRI LANKA - INDIA

Indian Prime Minister Modi was welcomed in Sri Lanka by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Sri Lanka reserved the honour of a grand welcome, probably for the first time, making the gesture both historic and symbolic of the strengthening of ties between the two neighbouring countries. Modi received assurances from Dissanayake that the country would not allow its territory to be used to harm India's security: this seems to be an attempt to calm concerns about China's growing influence.

GEORGIA

The President of Georgia, Mikhail Kavelasvili, considered illegitimate by the opposition, has announced that in April he will make his first official trips abroad, visiting Azerbaijan and Armenia to make Georgia the peace mediator for the Caucasus region, breaking away from the alliance with the USA to restore the 3+3 format with Russia.

ARMENIA - RUSSIA

Despite growing tensions between Moscow and Erevan, the foreign ministers Ararat Mirzoyan and Sergej Lavrov exchanged messages of congratulations on the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Russia, considering that  in this not long period of time relations have been strengthened and expanded, thanks to constructive and fruitful common efforts, to be developed also in the conditions of changes in the international architecture.
by Nirmala Carvalho

In the village of Kondavat, in the district of Khandwa, eight workers had gone down to clean it in preparation for the diving ceremony during the Gangour Mata festival. The victims were trapped and died of suffocation. Compensation of 400,000 rupees (4,200 euros) has been announced for the families. Activist Fr Prakash Louis: It could have been avoided. Do workers come from disadvantaged castes? Is their life worth so little?

Khandwa (AsiaNews) - In a tragic accident that took place in the village of Kondavat, in the area of Chaigaon Makhan, district of Khandwa, eight people lost their lives after descending into a well to clean it in preparation for the immersion of images of the popular deities Isar and Gauri during the Hindu festival of Gangour Mata. The authorities reported that the victims probably died because of toxic gases emanating from the water.

According to the local administration, the accident happened around 4pm on Thursday. Initially, five villagers descended into the well, but when they became trapped, three more people joined the rescue attempt.

All eight later died; authorities attributed the deaths to inhaling poisonous gases that had accumulated in the well, which had been inactive for a year.

The staff of the State Disaster Emergency Response Force, the local police and the villages launched a rescue operation that lasted four hours. In the end, the bodies were recovered and an autopsy was performed.

The administration announced compensation of 400,000 rupees (approx. 4,200 euros) to the families of each victim. The eight victims have been identified as Mohan (55), Anil Patel (30), Sharan Sukhram (30), Arjun (35), Gajanand (25), Baliram (36), Rakesh (22) and Ajay (25). The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav, also confirmed in a post on X that all eight people died of asphyxiation.

Jesuit Father Prakash Louis, former director of the Indian Social Institute in New Delhi and human rights activist, told AsiaNews: This is a tragic accident.

The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and the district administration have also called it a tragic accident. However, no one is saying or accepting that this could have been avoided.

The Jesuit therefore draws attention to the minimum safety standards for these operations, which are not considered and ensured for the workers.

Tragedies of this kind should not be repeated, he continues. Then, if it should happen again, what punitive measures will be taken? These workers come from low castes and I'm not sure if they acted alone or were hired by someone else.

Fr Prakash Louis considers the compensation provided for the families to be at least positive, but asks: Is this the value attributed to the lives of our brothers? The lives of these workers are not worth just 400,000 rupees. How can their loss be replaced with a reward?
by Stefano Caprio

Ilja, Kirill's spiritual father, had been awarded the highest monastic title, that of archimandrite with the skhima, a super-cape with symbols that attest to the highest vows of spiritual life and the strictest ascetic rules. A miracle worker and prophet of patriotic Orthodoxy, his personality greatly influenced those of the Patriarch of Moscow and President Putin.

On 15 March last, the Orthodox starets Ilja (Nozdrin), spiritual father of the Patriarch of Moscow Kirill, died at the age of 93 in the famous monastery of Optina Pustyn, in central-southern Russia.

He had been awarded the highest monastic title, that of skhiarkhimandrit, archimandrite with the skhima, a super-mantle with symbols that attest to the highest vows of spiritual life and the strictest ascetic rules, like those of the Egyptian anchorites of the early days of this special way of living the Christian faith.

The funeral of starets Ilja, celebrated by Patriarch Kirill himself three days after his death, was an extraordinary event, due to the mass of thousands of participants and the presence of many high-ranking regional and federal officials.

In recent years, a visit to starets Ilja had become an almost rite of passage for celebrities stars, politicians and businessmen of the highest level. Vladimir Putin himself had met him several times, assuring that he loves the starets very much, and always listens to what he has to say.

The entire contemporary history of the Russian Church is reflected in the life of the starets, miracle worker and prophet of patriotic Orthodoxy, and his personality has greatly influenced those of the patriarch and the president.

The authority of the startsy, the Russian spiritual fathers, never depends on their formal role in monastic and ecclesiastical life in general; on the contrary, Russian tradition exalts them in their purely spiritual superiority that transcends all hierarchy, as the writer Fedor Dostoevskij himself states in the opening chapter of The Brothers Karamazov, in which he describes the atmosphere of Optina Pustyn.

The entire novel, one of the fundamental milestones of Russian literature and culture, is dedicated to the search for monasticism in the world, comparing the differences of the three brothers Dmitrij, Ivan and Alesa, the three contradictory faces of the Russian soul.

Thus Ilja Nozdrin remained in the hermitic shadow during the long years of semi-clandestinity in the Soviet Union, until in 2009 Patriarch Kirill emphasised his importance for his own formation, just after his election to the patriarchal throne.

No previous patriarch had ever publicly declared the name of his spiritual father, nor was it even mentioned in official documents. The nature of the relationship between Kirill and Ilja is unknown, and the starets had not sought fame before, other than embodying the classic image of the old man, which is precisely what the word starets means: short in stature with a long flowing beard, a kind of oracle able to foresee events and mystically reveal himself in the soul of his devotees.

The two had met in the early sixties, when they were still called Vladimir Gundjaev and Aleksej Nozdrin, in the Leningrad seminary under the watchful eye of the KGB.

Both were part of the inner circle of the most charismatic of the Russian hierarchs during the Brezhnev era, Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov), who died of a heart attack in Rome in 1978 in the arms of the newly elected Pope John Paul I, before he was even fifty.

Nikodim was also the head of the patriarchal department for external affairs, and became patriarchal exarch for the whole of Eastern Europe, representing the reference point for the Ostpolitik policies of the European governments and the Holy See towards the Soviet power.

His masterpiece was the agreement for the participation of a Russian Orthodox delegation at the Second Vatican Council, obtaining a commitment not to explicitly condemn communism, and in general Nikodim was able to reach very daring compromises with the regime, thus trying to protect the Church from further persecution, and gaining a series of privileges for his hierarchs, making them equivalent to the propagandist agents of Soviet politics.

One of the privileges that Nikodim obtained for himself was precisely the possibility of forming a group of his followers, who would then be installed in the main positions of responsibility in the ecclesiastical structure, like Kirill himself, ordained bishop at only 29 years of age in 1976 and already considered at that time the most promising of the nikodimtsy, the disciples of Nikodim.

Ilya was also admitted to monastic life and ordained a priest by Nikodim, but he chose a less ostentatious path than young Kirill, remaining within the closed walls of the monastery, first of all in the community of the Caves of Pskov, the only male monastery that remained open under the Soviets, where in the eighties the current Metropolitan of Crimea Tikhon (Sevkunov) was also consecrated, who later became the young starets and spiritual father of Vladimir Putin himself.

The Pskov monastery had remained open in the years following the Bolshevik revolution because it was located in the territory of independent Estonia, and during the Second World War it became the centre of a special anti-Soviet mission in all the territories occupied by Nazi Germany.

After 1945 it was part of the Soviet province of Pskov, managing to preserve its monastic tradition, becoming the only reference point besides the Trinity Lavra of St Sergius in the village near Moscow of Zagorsk. This had been renamed in honour of the revolutionary hero Sergei Zagorskij, and it was the Soviet seat of the Moscow Patriarchate.

In the Pskov Caves, several monks and ordinary faithful who had passed through the Stalinist camps took refuge, including some startsy who were very well known among the Orthodox people, making the monastery a constant destination for pilgrimages from all over the USSR.

Ilya Nozdrin didn't see the most recent developments, when Tikhon took the future president Putin to see the other famous starets of Pskov, Ioann (Krestjankin), because he had already managed to move to Mount Athos in 1976, the point of reference in Greece for the whole of Russian monastic life since the early days.

It was probably a strategic choice made by Metropolitan Nikodim, in agreement with the KGB, to have a secure point of reference in the historic Russian monastery of St Panteleimon on Mount Athos, which had remained almost empty during the Soviet period, so as not to leave it totally in Greek hands.

Ilya had the experience and the authority necessary to regain control of the place from which the main evangelisers of Russia had come over the centuries, and he remained on the Chalkidiki peninsula for thirteen years, until the fall of the Berlin Wall, acquiring the reputation of starets of Athos, even if the Greeks looked at him with suspicion as  almost Catholic, in the ecumenical line of Metropolitan Nikodim.

He then returned to Gorbachev's Russia at the end of the 1980s, taking part in the preparations for the millennium celebrations of the Baptism of Rus', the end of the religious persecutions that had led to the restitution of churches and monasteries, even before the collapse of the empire; and it was the monastery of the 19th-century startsy of Optina Pustyn, returned to the Church in 1989, was one of the first symbols of the religious rebirth of Russia.

It was entrusted to the now skhiigumen Ilya, the abbot with the skhima received at Mount Athos like the founder of the first hermitage of the Kiev Caves, Anthony of Pechersk, at the time of the original Rus' in the 10th century.

Next to the monastery a village was organised for the most eminent guests, intellectuals and therefore politicians of the new post-Soviet Russia, thanks in particular to the initiative of the oligarch Andrei Belousov, Putin's current minister of defence in times of war, who intended to rebuild the Russia we have lost.

The village of Kozelsk, next to the monastery of the desert of Opta, recalling the name of the medieval brigand who had converted to monastic orthodoxy, became the first centre of ideological resistance to the invasion of the West in the Yeltsin decade, providing the spiritual reasons for a return to the traditional values of Russia in the subsequent reign of Tsar Putin.

The starets Ilya taught his disciples to oppose all the institutions of post-Soviet Russia, instilling mistrust in schools and universities, politicians and officials and even church hierarchs, until he received a visit from his old friend from the time of Nikodim, the then Yeltsin Metropolitan Kirill, who promised to put the ecclesiastical life back on the right track.

The new alliance between Kirill and his spiritual father became evident as early as the Jubilee Council of 2000, with the proclamation of Orthodox sovereignty in the social doctrine of the Church, which served as the political programme of the new president Vladimir Putin, to annihilate the heresy of a liberal Russia enslaved by the West, and to proclaim the rebirth of a Russian world destined to save all of humanity.

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5 April 2025 12:20 (UTC+04:00)

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Iran is negotiating with Azerbaijan to import 140 megawatts of electricity during the summer of 2025, according to a senior Iranian energy official, Azernews reports.

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5 April 2025 16:35 (UTC+04:00)

The Azerbaijani Parliament Chairperson (Speaker) Sahiba Gafarova has met with the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in Tashkent during her working visit to Uzbekistan, a source in the parliament told Azernews.

The meeting saw a broad exchange of views on the relations between our friendly and brotherly countries and parliaments.

It was emphasized that the strategic relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan are based on the principles of friendship and brotherhood.

The mutual visits of the heads of state have stimulated the further expansion of these relations.

It was highlighted that our countries have successful cooperation both on a bilateral basis and support each other on all international platforms.

During the conversation, it was noted that the legislative bodies of both countries make significant contributions to the further development of relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

Gafarova, recalling her meeting with the Senate chairman in Baku this February, emphasized that close contacts and positive dialogue serve to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries' parliaments.

The meeting expressed satisfaction with the cooperation and mutual support in international parliamentary organizations.

The speaker informed her counterpart about the activities of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network, which was created under the initiative of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and the steps taken toward the institutional development of the organization.

It was expressed that the fourth conference of the network, which will be held in Tashkent, will lead to important discussions and successful outcomes for the future development of the organization.

Meanwhile, Gilani highly appreciated the work carried out under the leadership of Azerbaijan's Parliamentary Network.

He noted that his country attaches great importance to its relations with Azerbaijan and emphasized that Pakistan and Azerbaijan are brotherly countries that always support each other.

He also expressed the importance of people-to-people contacts.

In this regard, the significance of further expanding cooperation between parliaments was pointed out.

The meeting also involved an exchange of views on other mutually interesting issues.
5 April 2025 08:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

The Meta company has been accused of using the pirated Libgen library to train its latest artificial intelligence model, a fact uncovered by a study published by The Atlantic. The library contains over 7.5 million books, including many copyrighted Swedish works, which has sparked significant backlash from Swedish authors, Azernews reports.

In response, 53 Swedish authors of children's and youth literature have sent an open letter to the Swedish Minister of Culture, Parisa Liestrand, urging her to take action. The authors are demanding greater transparency from Meta about which of their works have been used in training the AI, as well as compensation and the right to refuse the use of their works.

"Meta creates new content using the work of others and profits from it," said Inti Chavez Perez, one of the authors who signed the letter. "We lack the resources to defend ourselves against a multibillion-dollar corporation. This battle must be fought at the governmental level."

In addition to the Swedish authors, several writers in the UK, including Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro, have raised concerns about Metas alleged plagiarism. A representative from Meta responded to The Guardian, stating that the company disagrees with these allegations and will vigorously defend itself and its artificial intelligence model.

This controversy is part of a growing debate around intellectual property rights in the age of AI. As generative models like Metas become increasingly sophisticated, the question of whether using copyrighted works without permission constitutes theft or fair use remains a contentious issue. In fact, the debate has sparked wider discussions about the ethics of AI training and the potential need for clearer laws and regulations to protect creators' rights. While AI models can democratize access to knowledge, they also raise fundamental questions about the value of human creativity and how it should be safeguarded in a rapidly advancing technological landscape.
5 April 2025 22:50 (UTC+04:00)

China's Ministry of Finance said on Thursday that it deeply regrets and does not recognize a ratings downgrade by Fitch Ratings, Azernews reports, citing Xinhua.

The statement by the ministry came after the ratings company said in a report on Thursday that it has downgraded China's long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating to 'A' from 'A+', with a stable outlook.

The downgrade was announced despite Fitch's recognition that China has a more robust economic growth prospect and a key position in global trade based on communications between the company and the Chinese side, the ministry said in a statement, while adding that the downgrade is biased and does not fully and objectively reflect the actual situation in China.

The ministry argued that China's 5 percent GDP growth in 2024 was among the best in major world economies, and that China is currently further building up advantages stemming from talent dividends, capital and technological progress. In addition, the ministry also pointed out that China's emerging economic sectors, urbanization and market-oriented reforms represent further growth potential.

Since the beginning of this year, various macro policies have continued to make an impact -- with the economy extending a good growth trend and the quality of development steadily improving, it said.

Notably, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank recently both made improved revised projections for China's economic growth in 2025.

Meanwhile, the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have forecast that China's GDP growth this year will be above 4.5 percent, close to the growth target of around 5 percent set by the Chinese government.
5 April 2025 21:45 (UTC+04:00)

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Friday that landmines and explosive remnants of war continue to pose a severe threat in Iraq, contaminating an estimated 2,100 sq. km, Azernews reports, citing Arab News.

In a statement issued to coincide with the International Day for Mine Awareness, the organization said landmines from past conflicts, including the Iran-Iraq War and the 201417 battle against Daesh, remained a major hazard.

The contamination had resulted in civilian casualties, forced displacement, restricted farmland access and slowed reconstruction efforts, it said.

Between 2023 and 2024, the ICRC recorded 78 casualties from landmines and remnants of war in Iraq. Earlier this year, three students were killed in an explosion in Abu Al-Khasib, Basra.

The ICRC has appealed for greater efforts to reduce contamination and support mine-affected communities. Clearance operations continue in cooperation with national authorities and humanitarian partners.

The call for action comes at a time when several NATO member states, namely Poland, Finland and the Baltic states, have signaled their intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, the international treaty banning antipersonnel landmines. They cited the growing military threat from Russia as the reason for reconsidering the ban.

Meanwhile, the US, previously the largest funder of global mine clearance efforts, has cut back support due to a foreign aid review under the Trump administration.

Washington had contributed over $300 million annually, covering 40 percent of total international mine action funding, according to the 2024 Landmine Monitor report, which led to major clearance efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Laos.

A State Department official said last month that the US had restarted some global humanitarian demining programs but provided no details.
Music and Gigs

Review: This is the best Oasis have been since 96  some might say better... a rock reunion to end them all
Revered hairbrushes from Co Down get tangled up in Trump trade war

Long-haired lovers of Denman products in the US will now have to pay more for their tools

Vidal Sassoon endorsed the now world famous Denman hairbrush

Margaret Canning Sat 5 Apr 2025 at 09:46

His own insubstantial, wispy hairdo is the subject of much derision, and he was even depicted having a hair transplant in biopic The Apprentice last year.
A top official who vanished, a whirlwind of activity and a radical reshaping of NIs education system

A DUP minister is pushing through urgent changes in how teachers teach, what they teach, and how children are assessed. How hes done this is unorthodox, and shows how few other ministers use the powers at their disposal

From left, Education Minister Paul Givan; Mark Browne, and Richard Bullick

Sam McBride Sat 5 Apr 2025 at 08:00

A few months ago, one of Stormonts most senior civil servants vanished. No one will say precisely when. No one will say why. Indeed, no one will say anything at all  at least officially.
Father of Belfast murder victim John George arrested over harassment claim

Billy George was detained this week accused of harassing a female connected to Johnny Smyth, a suspect charged in connection with the case

John Georges dad Billy George holds a picture of his son

Allison Morris Sat 5 Apr 2025 at 09:59

The father of a Belfast man murdered in Spain has been arrested on suspicion of harassment.
A man arrested in England as part of the investigation into the murder of Sunday World journalist Martin OHagan has been charged.

The 42-year-old has been charged with fraud by false representation and is due to appear before Craigavon Magistrates Court on May 2.

He was arrested in the Sheffield area yesterday morning, with the assistance of Counter Terrorism Policing North East and South Yorkshire Police, and has been transported to Northern Ireland for questioning in the Serious Crime Suite at Musgrave Police Station.

A PSNI spokesperson said the 42-year-old was arrested as part of the overall investigation.

Detectives also conducted a search of a property in the Sheffield area as part of the operation.

The LVF murder of journalist Martin O'Hagan

The LVF gunned Martin OHagan down on the 28th of September 2001, as he walked home from the pub in Lurgan along with his wife.

No one has ever been convicted of the murder.

The Sunday World reporter was deliberately targeted because of his investigative journalism  and had been living under threat.
A gorse fire in Co Antrim needed more than 50 firefighters to bring it under control, with 10 acres alight at the peak of the blaze.

Fire crews dealing with a fire front of 200 metres, were finally able to scale back their operation on Friday evening, after being called to the Lisboy Road area of Ballymoney shortly after 4pm.

Two appliances and a specialist vehicle remained at the scene for a few hours extra, before the incident was eventually fully resolved.

Firefighters tackling large gorse fire in Co Antrim. Photo NIFRS

At one point, seven fire appliances and 51 firefighters were in attendance at the incident near the Co Antrim town.

Locals had been asked to avoid the area to help support firefighting operations.

A spokesman from the NIFRS said: Following an initial call just after 4pm on Friday 4th April 2025, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service has been tackling a wildfire on Lisboy Road, Ballymoney of approximately 10 acres with a fire front of 200 metres.

Seven fire appliances and 51 firefighters are in attendance from Ballymoney, Ballymena, Ballycastle, Coleraine and Maghera Fire Stations supported by a Command Support Unit and other specialist vehicles.

Firefighters tackling large gorse fire in Co Antrim. Photo NIFRS

The NIFRS later confirmed that all resources left the scene by 10.18pm.

It comes after a number gorse fires have swept across parts of the Northern Irish countryside in the past week as the spell of dry weather continues.

Earlier this week NIFRS said they believed some have been sparked deliberately.

On April 2 firefighters extinguished a 10-acre gorse fire in the Sperrin Mountains.

A day prior they responded to a gorse fire covering 25 acres in Warrenpoint which was ignited deliberately.

Meanwhile the PSNI has said that officers have been deployed to undergo additional patrols in the Mournes Mountain area.

Encompassing almost 9000 acres of land, the natural beauty spot will be under watch from officers in 4x4 vehicles, motorcycles, quads as well as aerial support.

District Commander Superintendent Norman Haslett said: Gorse fires can cause untold damage and in an area of outstanding natural beauty like the Mournes, this is particularly devastating, not to mention the risk to life and property that they pose.

We have been implementing additional preventative patrolling in the area, deploying officers on vehicles like 4x4s, motorcycles and our quad bike which can access more remote areas.

We have also been utilising Air Support to give us an aerial overview of the mountains.

Firefighters tackling large gorse fire in Co Antrim. Photo NIFRS

News Catch Up - Friday 4th April

He added: Wildfires are completely avoidable and are more often than not, they are caused by human activity - whether this is through carelessness and inattention, or deliberate and malicious fire setting.

They are devastating to the environment and ultimately risk the lives of people in the local area and those of the emergency services tasked to deal with them.

"Deliberately setting a wildfire is a criminal offence for which you can be prosecuted. We work closely with our colleagues in the Fire Service in dealing with these fires and where it is found that a fire has been maliciously set, it will be fully investigated and when identified, those responsible can expect to be arrested and brought before court.

We ask the public to help us prevent wild fires by acting responsibly when in the Mournes, and if anyone has any information about criminal action linked to previous fires, please call us on 101.
Reverend McWhirter at Annagh Parish Church earlier this week during his pilgrimage through Belturbet, Co Cavan

The reverend was joined on his walk on Friday morning by two ladies from Lavey, Co Cavan, and another two ladies from The Aisling Centre, which he is supporting with this fundraising pilgrimage

A Co Fermanagh minister is using his bare feet and bare faith in a fundraising pilgrimage that will see him walk 100 miles from just outside Enniskillen to Dublin.

Reverend Stephen McWhirter started his barefoot journey on Sunday, March 30, after delivering his usual morning service at Rossorry Parish Church.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph on Friday from Lavey in Co Cavan, the Church of Ireland clergyman admitted that the road has been tougher than he initially anticipated.

My wee feet are sore, he explained.

Now, Ive been walking barefoot for a good chunk of the year, on and off, but I have to say this is harder than I thought it was going to be.

However, the generosity and kindness of those he has met on his travels thus far have made the escapade all worth it for Rev McWhirter.

Throughout his barefoot adventure, he will be sleeping only in churches, with his route already planned out for him, through counties Fermanagh, Cavan, Meath and Kildare, eventually reaching St Patricks Cathedral in Dublin on Palm Sunday.

The reverend was joined on his walk on Friday morning by two ladies from Lavey, Co Cavan, and another two ladies from The Aisling Centre, which he is supporting with this fundraising pilgrimage

Christian pilgrims historically  and often still  travel light to symbolise reliance on God and detachment from worldly possessions, focusing on the spiritual journey rather than material comfort, a principle the reverend has also undertaken.

Its hot and my feet are swelling a bit as well, he added.

Ive had blisters but Ive been very fortunate. I had two nights where a nurse was looking after my feet, and then had reflexology for two nights, and that was lovely. That helped my feet a lot. But Im doing OK.

That wasnt planned at all. The two of them happened to be parishioners of one of the wee churches I was staying in. And so, thats just parishioners just coming out of the woodwork.

Ive got my sleeping bag, but Ive no money. Ive no credit card. I cant get out of trouble if Im stuck. And people have been so generous, from cooking me three-course meals and bringing them to the church, to people stopping at the roadside and giving me what they have in their cars to keep me going.

Dozens of people have been seeing me and stopping and getting me water  even going to garages and driving back in order to give me water.

Ive been overwhelmed by the help offered. Even by my own parishs support drivers coming out every day  a different car and a different driver. Theyre having to leave earlier in the morning the further I get down the road.

And some of them will be down to meet me in Dublin when I get to St Patricks. I had no expectation for that, but it is just lovely.

Reverend McWhirter at Annagh Parish Church earlier this week during his pilgrimage through Belturbet, Co Cavan

The reverend is raising funds on his travels for a community hub at Rossorry Church and an extension to the car park, as well as for the Aisling Centre in Enniskillen, which is a professional counselling and psychotherapy service.

The Aisling Centre is about mental health and mindfulness, he continued.

And the reason Im doing that is Ive obviously learned that walking barefoot is very purposeful. So you cant just dander along.

You have to watch where youre putting your foot every single step and concentrate that youre not stepping on thorns or glass, so you dont have time for your head to fill with rubbish.

For the six weeks of Lent last year I didnt wear shoes at all. I got quite comfortable doing that, so then I didnt wear shoes at the weekend or certain times through the week.

I certainly havent worn them at church at all for over a year, because you feel very grounded, feeling the different surfaces under your feet in church. And thats really grounding as you worship.

Rev McWhirter during his expedition

One of Rev McWhirters favourite aspects of his pilgrimage, despite the gruelling toll its taken on his feet, has been calling at a number of national schools along the way, speaking to pupils about the history and role of pilgrimages, and meeting new people everywhere he goes.

The great thing about our Christian life and faith is that a lot of my colleagues who are hosting me I dont know and have never met. But as soon as I said what I was doing, they were saying Yes, come on and Of course wed love to see you.

We have that continuity of faith. Were brothers and sisters in Christ. We dont always in our life of faith have the opportunity to express that.

So it very much goes back to that principle of the lone traveller who would have been hosted in biblical times. Thats been a real treat for me, meeting colleagues that I didnt know and being so warmly invited into their life and parish.

To find out more about Rev McWhirters pilgrimage or to donate, visit the Rossorry Parish Church Facebook page here or his online GoFundMe page here.
Over 100 firefighters battled deliberate blaze on Saturday nightSeveral new gorse fires underway on SundayShocked MP calls for arsonists to face swift justiceSilent Valley Mountain Park closed until further notice

The Deputy First Minister has slammed the appalling destruction of Northern Irelands countryside following a spate of gorse fires.

Emma Little-Pengelly said the wanton destruction of our natural landscape must stop after another huge blaze engulfed a vast stretch of the Mourne Mountains.

Emergency services declared a major incident on Saturday evening as dozens of firefighters tackled the wildfire, which is believed to have been started deliberately.

A man was arrested on suspicion of arson. He was later released.

View of the fire in the Mourne Mountains at Slievenaman Road in Newcastle. Photo by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye.

Today new gorse fires were spreading across the Mournes. Fire crews were sent to tackle wildfires in the Silent Valley and Ben Crom areas of Newcastle.

A senior PSNI officer urged anyone engaging in this reckless behaviour to carefully consider the consequences of their actions.

Superintendent Norman Haslett said: Gorse fires have the potential to cause widespread damage to the environment and harm to wildlife as well as threatening homes, farms and the people living in those areas.

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Mr Haslett, who is District Commander for Newry, Mourne and Down, said: The gorse fire, which is being treated as deliberate ignition, was ablaze in the Sandbank Road area of Hilltown.

Road closures were in place overnight, with local diversions in place. These closures have now been lifted. Police also assisted with the evacuation of nearby residents.

Officers conducting follow up enquiries have since arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, and non-related driving offences.

This evening the PSNI said the man had been released on bail to allow further enquiries to take place.

It is the latest in a spate of gorse fires across Northern Ireland, exacerbated by days of dry weather.

In a post on X, the Deputy First Minister slammed those who are torching the countryside deliberately.

Ms Little-Pengelly said: It really is appalling, and while I'm glad that the PSNI have arrested someone it is incredibly sad to see wanton destruction and abuse of our beautiful natural heritage by fire on such a regular basis when we have a spell of good and dry weather. It needs to stop.

A view of the wildfires

South Down MP Chris Hazzard said those responsible for fires in the Mournes should be held to account.

"Authorities have indicated that the fire is believed to have been started deliberately. This is deeply concerning, he said.

There must be a full and rigorous investigation into the causes and consequences of these fires.

Colin McGrath, an SDLP MLA, said he cannot understand why anyone would want to destroy the natural beauty of his constituency.

We cannot allow these fires to become an annual threat to our homes, health and environment and if we continue to see fires of this magnitude I fear that someone will be seriously hurt or even worse, he said.

Alliance MLA Andrew McMurray said many of the fires are deliberate.

They are causing significant damage to our environment and wildlife, while also putting many lives at risk," he added.

Over 100 firefighters dealt with Saturday nights blaze.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said it was mobilised at 5pm to a significant wildfire on Sandbank Road in Hilltown. It said there was a fire-front of approximately two miles including a large area of forestry close to property.

At its height, 15 fire appliances worked with partner agencies in difficult conditions and high winds through the night.

Some residents were evacuated from their homes on the Sandbank and Kilbroney roads.

At 3am, the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service began reducing resources at the wildfire incident.

However, the PSNI said a new gorse fire was underway in a separate location today.

A PSNI spokesperson said: The Slievenaman Road, Newcastle is closed this morning due to a gorse fire in the Mournes. Ott Car Park is also closed  members of the public, including road users, are asked not to travel to the area.

NI Water also announced that Silent Valley Mountain Park will be temporarily closed.

The fire began raging in hills outside Hilltown (main image - stock)

We know how much our visitors love Silent Valley and earlier this week we had partially reopened the park in the aftermath of Storm Eowyn, NI Waters Ciaran Diamond said.

However, NI Water must ensure public safety so the park will be closed from today, Sunday, until further notice.

We would like to reiterate our appeal to the public to be vigilant. Wildfires not only pose a risk to human life, wildlife and the environment but also our drinking water catchment areas, he added.

Chief Fire & Rescue officer Aidan Jennings said from midnight on April 3 to midnight on April 5, the fire service has received 741 calls into its regional control centre.

An amber warning remains in place for wildfires across Northern Ireland. NIFRS are asking the public to remain particularly vigilant to the risk of fire at this time. We can reassure members of the public that normal service delivery is being maintained.
People in South Belfast pay the highest rate of income tax in Northern Ireland, figures suggest.

The average person contributed 6,900 per year.

Official statistics have suggested a growing divide in how much tax is paid around the UK.

The Times, which analysed Treasury data, found a single London constituency area now pays more income tax than the whole of Northern Ireland.

The 67,000 taxpayers of Kensington & Bayswater paid 4.2 billion in income tax in 2022-23 - 62,300 each on average.

By contrast, 842,000 taxpayers in Northern Ireland handed over a combined 3.8 billion - just over 4,500 each.

Read more All you need to know as larger rates bills start arriving this week for NI homes and businesses

The UK constituency with the lowest average taxpaying contribution was Leicester East - 2,770 each.

West Belfast, where the average person pays 2,850 in tax, is fourth-lowest of all the 650-odd UK constituencies.

Both areas have been affected by long-term deprivation and poverty.

The average Northern Irish taxpayer contributed 4,460, the figures show.

But there is a wide disparity across the 18 local constituencies, reflecting the wider UK picture.

The fact that South Belfast tops the list and West Belfast is bottom indicates the wealth disparity in the city.

The average taxpayer in North Belfast pays 3,510.

Aside from South Belfast, the areas with the highest average tax payments were Lagan Valley (5,760), North Down (5,560) and East Belfast (5,150).

In the north west, the average payment in East Londonderry is 4,140 and 3,860 in Foyle.

The Times analysis found the top 10 UK taxpaying constituencies - all based in London - contributed 24.2 billion a year in income tax, based on 2022/23 figures, which are the most recent available.

That was 21 times the amount paid by the bottom 10  a gap that has grown over the past decade.

Britain has become increasingly dependent on top earners to fund public services.

The top 1% of earners pay 29% of income tax - in 1980 that figure was 11%.

Treasury data indicates average tax payments for NI constituencies.

Watch: Belfast woman creates new mural on peace wall

The full list of average Northern Ireland tax payments and the total contribution by constituency is as follows:

East Antrim - 4,560 average tax per taxpayer, 214m total by taxpayers

North Antrim - 4,050, 185m

South Antrim - 4,630, 238m

East Belfast - 5,150, 262m

North Belfast - 3,510, 157m

South Belfast - 6,900, 345m

West Belfast - 2,850, 107m

East Londonderry - 4,140m, 174m

Foyle - 3,860, 164m

Fermanagh and South Tyrone - 3,870, 196m

Lagan Valley - 5,760, 318m

Mid-Ulster - 4,230, 198m

Newry and Armagh - 3,900, 166m

North Down - 5,560, 275m

South Down - 4,460, 196m

Strangford - 4,420, 199m

West Tyrone - 3,800, 158m

Upper Bann- 3,750, 209m

Source: HMRC/The Times
The death toll after a Russian missile strike in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has risen to 18, including nine children, regional governor Serhii Lysak said.

A further 72 people were injured in Fridays attack, ranging from a three-month-old baby to elderly residents.

Forty remain in hospital, including two children in a critical condition and 17 in a serious condition.

The missile attack killed 18 people (Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP)

There can never be forgiveness for this, said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the citys defence council. Eternal memory to the victims.

Kryvyi Rih is the home town of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The missile struck an area right next to residential buildings  hitting a playground and ordinary streets, Mr Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

Local authorities said the strike damaged about 20 apartment buildings, more than 30 vehicles, an educational building and a restaurant.

The Russian Defence Ministry claimed on Friday that it had carried out a high-precision missile strike with a high explosive warhead on a restaurant where a meeting of unit commanders and western instructors was taking place.

The Russian military claimed the strike killed 85 military personnel and foreign officers and destroyed 20 vehicles. This could not be independently verified, but the Ukrainian General Staff rejected the claims.

A burned car and damaged residential buildings in Kryvyi Rih (Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP)

A later drone strike on Kryvyi Rih killed one woman and wounded seven other people.

Mr Zelensky blamed the daily strikes on Russias unwillingness to end the war. Every missile, every drone strike proves Russia wants only war, he said, urging Ukraines allies to increase pressure on Moscow and bolster Ukraines air defences.

The United States, Europe and the rest of the world have enough power to make Russia abandon terror and war, he said.

Russian forces launched 92 drones into Ukraine overnight, with 51 shot down by air defences, the Ukrainian air force wrote on social media. A further 31 decoy drones failed to reach their targets, it said.

One person died on Saturday in the Russian-occupied town of Horlivka in Ukraines Donetsk region due to shelling, Moscow-installed governor Denis Pushilin said.

Security officials told Russian state news channels they had destroyed 28 Ukrainian drones over the Donetsk region overnight, marking the first time the occupied territory had been targeted by such long-range strikes.
Israeli troops have deployed to a newly established security corridor across southern Gaza, officials said.

On Wednesday, Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the new Morag Corridor to raise the pressure on the Hamas militant group.

He suggested it would cut off the southern city of Rafah, which Israel has ordered to be evacuated, from the rest of Gaza.

A military statement on Saturday said troops with the 36th Division have been deployed in the corridor.

It was not immediately clear how many had deployed or where exactly the corridor was located.

Israel has continued to push into Gaza (AP)

Morag is the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, and Mr Netanyahu suggested it would run between the cities.

Maps published by Israeli media showed the new corridor running the width of the narrow coastal strip from east to west.

Mr Netanyahu said it would be a second Philadelphi corridor, referring to the Gaza side of the border with Egypt further south, which has been under Israeli control since last May.

Israel has also reasserted control over the Netzarim corridor that cuts off the northern third of Gaza, including Gaza City, from the rest of the strip.

The Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors run from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean Sea.

We are cutting up the strip, and we are increasing the pressure step by step, so that they will give us our hostages, Mr Netanyahu said on Wednesday.

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Saturdays announcement came shortly after a White House official confirmed that Mr Netanyahu would again meet with President Donald Trump on Monday  their second meeting at the White House since Mr Trump took office in January.

The US has been a mediator in ceasefire talks, along with Egypt and Qatar, but also supported Israels resumption of fighting.

Following his previous meeting with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Trump made the surprise proposal that displaced Palestinians in Gaza be permanently resettled outside the territory and he suggested that the United States take ownership in redeveloping the area.

Palestinians, Arab nations and rights groups sharply criticised the idea.

Israel has pledged to escalate the fighting with Hamas until the militant group returns the remaining hostages taken in the attack on October 7 2023 that sparked the war, and also disarms and leaves the territory.

Israel last month again halted all supplies of food, fuel and humanitarian aid to Gaza in another application of pressure on the militant group and the territorys more than two million Palestinians.

Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu will meet again next week (AP)

Rights groups say the tactic is a war crime. Gaza relies largely on humanitarian aid, and its residents cannot easily leave.

Hamas says it will only release the remaining 59 hostages  24 of whom are believed to be alive  in exchange for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The group has rejected demands that it lay down its arms or leave the territory.

The October 7 attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Some 251 hostages were taken, most of them released in ceasefire agreements and other deals.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during Israels offensive, according to Gazas Health Ministry. It doesnt say whether they are civilians or combatants but says the majority have been women and children. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.

Among Gazas dead are 15 Palestinian medics killed last month by Israeli forces, who then bulldozed over the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave.

The war is the deadliest and most destructive fighting ever between Israel and Hamas. It has left much of Gaza devastated and most of its residents displaced, often multiple times.
Drunken Belfast intruder cant remember threat to burn down strangers home as judge issues parting advice

Woman left shaken by incident as goon escapes with suspended

Alistair Doherty leaving Laganside court

John Toner Sat 5 Apr 2025 at 20:00

A boozed-up thug who threatened to burn down a womans house for no reason having let himself in uninvited has been given a suspended sentence.
Business

Eyewear company Warby Parker will open its new location at the Old Mill District on Saturday. The company
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POWNAL  Select Board members said they got what they were looking for Thursday  a wide range of ideas, opinions and comments on proposals for reuse of the old town office building.

Participating in a public hearing at the current town hall and via Zoom, residents expressed numerous opinions on possible uses for the now-vacant building at 467 Center Street, which housed town offices for nearly 90 years before the new Pownal office building opened on a nearby parcel in 2022.

While a few spoke of specific reuse options, such as a center for community activities, several stressed that their prime concern is that the building not increase Pownals tax burden.

Donna Lauzon, Fred Miller and others said the best option might be to raze the building rather than create a town facility there that could result in higher taxes.

Steve Kauppi and others said the building has historical value and should be preserved in some way if fiscally possible.

Among ideas floated were to create space there for community groups, such as town senior citizens, to use, and/or to retain the front section of the 1,500-square-foot building  dating to 1928  because of its historical significance.

The larger rear section was constructed in the 1970s.

Some speakers suggested selling the building or seeking a private party or group to take over and manage it at no cost to the town for an suitable purpose.

Second hearing

The Select Board will hold a second hearing on Saturday at 3 p.m.  again encouraging residents to voice their concerns, ask questions and propose reuse options for the former office building.

In addition, town Executive Assistant Tara Parks said she will post further information about the building, including recent utility costs, testing over the past decade for mold issues that developed in the rear office section, which does not have a basement, and information on the status of the land parcel deed.

Asked what will happen after the second hearing, Select Board Chair Mike Gardner said there is no plan to make an immediate decision concerning the structure, only to continue to discuss the towns options going forward.

Vice Chair Jeannie Alexander said, I think that something we all heard  I certainly heard it  is slow down. I dont think that anybody up here is saying that after Saturday, we make a decision.

She added, I think we need to have more conversations.

Gardner had proposed a public hearing on the old office building in response to criticism that the board discussing possible reuse options without reaching out more to involve the public.

Historical considerations

The structure, which originally held the town clerks office, land records and other documents, is located at the dead center of Pownals first settlement, said Kauppi, who advocated preserving at least the front section for its historical significance.

He said the town should explore every option for preserving it before allowing it to be demolished or sold.

The building is adjacent to the historic Pownal Center Community Church, which was built in the mid-1800s over the foundation site of the first Pownal meeting house, dating to the 1789.

The larger section at the rear of the former offices is not considered of historical significance, but it would provide most of the potential square-footage for any reuse of the building.

Discussion also focused on the cost of eliminating mold issues that surfaced in the newer section, and otherwise on the cost of upgrading the building for any reuse if that responsibility fell to the town.

Adding a foundation under the newer section has been considered, along with renovations to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act access requirements.

I am completely against using this building for anything," if the town would be involved in funding or managing it, said Jenny Dewar.

Despite any grants that might be available, she said, we cannot afford for our taxes to go up, especially in light of recent property tax increases around the state.

Dewar said a purchase by a social service agency or other entity would be terrific, but the town should not be involved.

Angie Rawling said the building would be a good place for a community center, adding that some 20 organizations receive funding from the town annually, and it could become a site for community meetings or activities.

Bob Jarvis said having a private group take over the building could be a good option

This really shouldnt be a burden to the town, Jarvis said, adding that having a private group do something with that is probably going to be a better option than the town continuing to own it.

Carl Villanueva proposed a place for local youth to gather, saying groups or individuals might be willing to contribute to make that happen.

Jim Boutin of the Solomon Wright Public Library board of directors said he would like to see more detailed information about the potential costs of maintaining or upgrading the building, including the status of the mold issue.

He noted that the library has been trying to increase the number of public gatherings or events there but he has not seen overwhelming interest among residents at this point.

Parks said mold inspection reports are included in the information now posted on the towns Facebook page, along with operational and renovation cost information on the building.

In addition, recent videos taken of the building by Villanueva are also posted.

Jason Olansky said he favored a community use for the former office building, as did Matt Gardner.

Nate Fowle suggested in an online comment using the building to create a small business incubator facility for town residents, providing low rent for businesses to test out their model in Pownal.

Another suggestion was to create space for arts-related activities.

Referring to the likely costs of upgrading the building, John Bushee mentioned a 2022 estimate for a foundation of $28,000.

The costs [of needed renovations] are already at $30,000 at a minimum, he said.

Several residents said meetings for community groups could be accommodated in the new town office building.

However, Parks said use of the Select Board meeting room there has sometimes proven disruptive for town staff in their nearby offices.

Is there a demand [for more community meeting space]? Dewar asked at one point. I dont think so.

Jim Kocsis said he was pleased with the public hearing and the range of opinions voiced. He and others had been critical of discussion of old town hall options without greater public input.

He noted that the town of Shaftsbury recently began a process with wide citizen involvement to decide whether to take over a building in the town center that formerly housed a medical practice.

He also suggested that the town Historical Society look into the historical significance of the former offices.

Whatever the town does, he said, the options should be studied and plans developed.

Lets take our time and find out what we really need, he said.
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WILLIAMSTOWN  From protests to town hall-style meetings, Greylock Together is organizing local resistance to President Donald Trumps administration.

Though its members differ ideologically, Greylock Together is united by concern over Trumps anti-democratic tendencies  whether it's his expressed desire for a third term, ICE deportations carried out without due process or restrictions on gender-affirming care.

The through lines that cement the group's mission are opposition and community, said Greylock Together founders Jessica Dils and Wendy Penner.

Its building power through collective action to resist the MAGA platform, Penner said. The four key organizing areas right now are to protect people from harm, to defend institutions, to build alternatives, and to disrupt and disobey. We also want to build community because people feel hopeless, isolated, alone.

Greylock Together started in 2016, the day after Trumps first election. What began as a meeting of concerned citizens has grown to include more than 1,000 newsletter subscribers and Facebook followers today. The group hosts frequent events, and at least 30 to 50 people attend every meeting. Recently, it hosted a large rally at the Colonial Theatre, and gathered seniors to discuss their worries about Social Security.

What's next? A bus trip to Boston to join Saturday's nationwide anti-Trump movement, which is expected to be the largest single-day protest since he entered office.

COMMON CONCERN

Dils calls Greylock Together an antidote to the Trump agenda. LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, and Black and brown people feel more at risk, but Greylock Together connects people from different backgrounds with a common concern.

We did a lot with the racial reckoning of 2020, Dils said. And we as neighbors want to build from the inside out, from the small local church organizing room to our neighbors who dont see they have any agency, who dont understand what power is, that when we come together, we can get a lot done.

A stark reminder of the Trump administrations impact in the Berkshires came with an ICE sweep in March, when at least 10 people were detained. Only one persons alleged criminal activity has been made public. The sweep was an appalling moment for Greylock Together.

The group had an immigrant support action team in place when ICE came to Berkshire County, as well as relationships with local immigrant support groups.

Right now, amidst harm and fear and uprooting of families being ripped and torn apart, what do you need? Dils said. We were able to instantly call for an emergency fundraising effort for those families displaced from their homes.

Penner added, no one I know asked for ICE to come in and apprehend community members, some of whom we know have no kind of criminal activity. This is intimidation, and it is demoralizing to me personally that Berkshire County is being targeted by ICE in this way.

GETTING IT DONE

Greylock Together, part of the national progressive group Indivisible, will bus nearly 60 people to Boston on Saturday to join the Hands Off! protest, a nationwide demonstration against Trump and billionaire Elon Musk.

The group also had a hand in organizing No Kings in America, last month's anti-Trump agenda rally at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. It organized Sundays event at Price Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church in Pittsfield where legislators responded to concerns about Social Security.

The point is, Greylock Together is in a groove right now. Beyond the big events, the group rallies people to lobby lawmakers, back like-minded groups and spread the word.

DIFFERENT THIS TIME

During Trumps first term, citizens opposed to his agenda essentially endured his four years in office.

This time, people recognize everything is on the line, Penner said.

Theyre talking about a third term for Trump. Theyre disregarding the Constitution. He staffed the entire administration with loyalists to do his bidding," she continued. "So I think theres a level of urgency of the stakes being higher.

Peter May, an active member, said Greylock Together provides hope, purpose, community, and organizational and mobilization tools.

The current political atmosphere is such a stressful time," but the group is "bringing people together," May said.

May has noticed how Greylock Together has diversified and grown. Today, meetings are attended by a range of ages and backgrounds, not just by a small group of stalwarts.

At the last meeting I went to, there were more people, May said.

Dils and Penner cited higher levels of fear, urgency and distrust in Trump's second term.

Greylock Together is reaching a broader socioeconomic and geographical membership, Dils said.

People do burn out, and this is really hard work, Dils said. Its emotional. Its draining. Theres a lot of grief in it. And the only thing thats kept me going is we have each other.

Greylock Together doesn't believe in "purity tests," or turning people away because of party affiliation. If people don't like the way the country is being governed, they're welcome to join Greylock Together, she said.
A naturalization ceremony for new U.S. citizens is held at Naumkeag in Stockbridge in 2020. "The procedure for receiving legal status or citizenship in the United States has changed frequently over our 270-year history," writes Berkshire Alliance to Support the Immigrant Community volunteer Becky Meier. "The way my great-grandparents became citizens is no longer possible.
Ralph Gardner Jr. is a journalist whose work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and New York magazine. He can be reached at ralph@ralphgardner.com . More of his work can be found on Substack.
Editor's note:



Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, is both one of the 24 solar terms and an important traditional holiday in China. It carries a profound cultural heritage, incorporating ancestral veneration, spring outings and the remembrance of revolutionary martyrs  especially significant as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. From ancient rituals to modern practices, Qingming reflects the enduring legacy and evolving expressions of Chinese culture.

Join China.org.cn as we explore the festival's traditional customs, historical roots, contemporary relevance and the red-themed memorials that honor the nation's revolutionary spirit and patriotic devotion.




Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia
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Postal Code
Actor Richard E Grant has praised Barry Keoghan, his Saltburn co-star, saying he will be a fantastic Ringo Starr in the new Beatles biopics.

Sony Pictures has announced a collection of four films about the band members, with Keoghan cast as drummer Sir Ringo Starr.

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Speaking on The One Show, Grant praised the 32-year-old Irish actor who he worked with in the 2023 Emerald Fennell thriller.

Richard E Grant said Barry Keoghan was instinctive and brilliant (Jeff Moore/PA)

Grant said: Hes an extraordinary actor. Hes unlike anybody else Ive ever, ever worked with before, so completely untrained, instinctive and brilliant.

I think hell be a fantastic Ringo Starr.

Directed by Sir Sam Mendes, each of the movies will showcase one of the members of the Fab Four: John Lennon, Sir Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Starr.

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Keoghan is best known for his roles in The Killing Of A Sacred Deer and The Banshees Of Inisherin, the latter winning his the Bafta for best supporting actor in 2023.

From left, Ringo Starr and Sir Paul McCartney, the two surviving members of The Beatles (PA)

A scene from Saltburn showing his character  an Oxford University student who gets wrapped up in the charming and aristocratic world of his classmate  dancing naked around a country manor to Sophie Ellis-Bextors Murder On The Dancefloor went viral.

The cast for the Beatles films also includes Normal Peoples Paul Mescal, who will play McCartney, while Lennon will be portrayed by Babygirl actor Harris Dickinson.

Mescals Gladiator II co-star Joseph Quinn has been cast as Harrison.

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The films are expected to be released in April 2028.
Former minister for foreign affairs and trade Simon Coveney has said the government should be willing to put supports in place for workers and firms affected by US tariffs.

Mr Coveney, who stepped away from politics last year, said employers will want to avoid large-scale redundancies or people losing their jobs because of the effects of the sweeping 20 per cent tariff imposed by the US.

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The decision was announced by President Donald Trump last Wednesday and will come into effect in the coming days.

Business leaders have called for short-term government support for workers and businesses affected by US tariffs.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Ibec and others have called for the introduction of measures similar to those introduced during Covid, such as short-time works schemes, to protect jobs and businesses during the looming economic challenges.

Ibec chief executive Danny McCoy was among a number of industry leaders and representatives who met senior ministers at the Government Trade Forum on Friday to discuss the impact of US tariffs on Irish exports.

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Mr McCoy warned that the impact on demand for fast-moving consumer goods, like the drinks industry, will be felt immediately.

Mr Coveney told RTE Radio One that the government should be willing to put short-term supports in place.

He said it could apply to specific sectors that are heavily impacted, including the food and beverages industry which will be particularly exposed.

Mr Coveney said: The first thing Id say is that President Trump and the team around him dont negotiate in a normal way. Were not seeing the normal channels of diplomacy where a large superpower like the US reaches out to its friends and allies and trading partners and says, look, this is why we need to change things.

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Instead, weve had a dramatic announcement and then a hint that the US is willing to take calls from capitals around the world to discuss them.

That is, that is a very aggressive way to negotiate, but its something we need to get used to for the next few years in relation to the relationship with Washington.

In terms of the impact in Ireland, so far, there hasnt been an announcement in relation to tariffs on pharmaceuticals  60 per cent, in fact slightly more than 60 per cent, of our exports to the US are in the pharma sector.

Minister of State Timmy Dooley said that a scheme to help businesses affected by the tariffs cannot be a one-size-fits-all (PA)

If youre looking for some positive news from this week, thats positive, although lets wait and see what happens in the next few weeks.

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I think the government should be willing to put supports in place. What we dont want to see here is large-scale redundancies or people being forced out of a job because exporting companies have to diversify into new markets and that will take some time.

However, Minister of State Timmy Dooley said that a scheme to help businesses affected by the tariffs cannot be a one-size-fits-all.

Speaking on the same radio programme, Mr Dooley said any such scheme would have to be tailored to different sectors.

He also urged caution and calm in comparing Mr Trumps announcement to the economic challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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He claimed it was creating a hype that is unnecessary.

Clearly, there will be a fallout from the imposition of tariffs. Its yet to be clear what the tariffs ultimately will be, Mr Dooley said.

The expectation is now that were entering, or hopefully entering, a phase of discussion and negotiation that will ultimately give us a picture as to where were going.

Of course, the state will stand by the workforce of those that are affected and the companies affected.

Ireland Tanaiste to meet Trump administration officials in... Read More

He added: I mean, there isnt going to be a one-size-fits-all (scheme). Its not like taking a scheme from the shelf here and presenting it to the public at large.

They will have to be tailored for different sectors. And I have every confidence in the state agencies to work with the companies and the sectors that are most affected.

Its very clear, it doesnt take an expert to recognise that theres significant funds available to address the crisis that may emerge here and to try and smooth the impact on companies.
The EU response to Donald Trump's tariffs should be "measured and strategic" rather than reactionary, according to an Irish MEP.

Speaking to BreakingNews.ie, Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh said she felt like she was watching an episode of The Apprentice as the US president announced his tariffs on 'Liberation Day'.

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"It was like watching a scene out of The Apprentice with the big board open and him going through it line by line. It is comic in value, but the fact that we're living through this in 2025 and a country that has paved the way for democracy and diplomacy as we know it, historically, is doing this is worrying.

"We have to face the demons that are and sadly, this is what this Trump administration is."

Ms Walsh added: "I'm with the the Irish Government in the sense that waiting to respond with measures is better than going down the route of tit for tat, which I don't think will serve us well.

"It hasn't served the American people to this point, and certainly won't serve Europeans."

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Ms Walsh, who is an MEP for the MidlandsNorth-West constituency, expressed concerns about how the trade deficit with Northern Ireland will affect businesses.

Mr Trump has imposed a 20 per cent tariff on EU products, while the UK rate is 10 per cent.

She also said pharmaceutical companies in Ireland should be wary of further announcements from the US. The initial list appeared to exclude tariffs on pharmaceutical products, but she warned "president Trump could change all that in 24 hours".

On an EU level, she said a united front is the most important thing.

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Ms Walsh, who is an MEP for the MidlandsNorth-West constituency, expressed concerns about how the trade deficit with Northern Ireland will affect businesses.

"We certainly need to make sure we're collected and combined. That includes the likes of Viktor Orban and Hungary and other pro-Maga, pro-Russia governments in the EU. We just have to make sure we're united as much as possible.

"If you look at the economics of it, we are most impacted given our reliance on the likes of FDI companies and the border now."

Ms Walsh added: "The fact that it wasn't too long ago we fought really hard against a hard border, and obviously generations before us, and this just complicates that and gives us a lot of headaches.

"It just created such a wealth of support for Brexiteers, which is another troubling issue if we look at the culture of which this Trump 2.0 Liberation Day has brought here. That is troubling because we have a growing anti-EU sentiment in Ireland.

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"We still need to have a more balanced approach, making sure that we are being strategic in what we go back with and then ultimately listen."

Ms Walsh emphasised the trading opportunities present with other markets besides the US.

She added that Mr Trump's belief that trade levels cannot rebound without the US is misguided.

I'm looking at reports and it's 'Trump doesn't believe that the trade can happen around America', which it absolutely could.

"I mean we have the Commission looking at India, Central Asia. We have the quite controversial Mercusor trade deal, we have Switzerland, Canada and Mexico. Now they're more alienated by their closest neighbours.

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"I'm looking at reports and it's 'Trump doesn't believe that the trade can happen around America', which it absolutely could.

"Normal Mary and Joe Soaps feel this first in America and then we'll feel this across the EU, which is incredibly difficult. To explain to people and businesses where in the EU, and particularly in Ireland, that you say you know, 'here's our response, here's our measures'.

"We rely so heavily on FDI, in particular pharmaceuticals. Bear in mind, pharmaceuticals still need a presence in Europe and about 60 per cent of their exports are for the European market. I don't expect for them to shut up and and return tomorrow."

She added: "This will play out in terms of we have a lot of products that go back and forth. There is 4 billion in trade per day between the EU and US.

"To maybe start in the EU added on with materials, raw materials from the US come back, then the final product is sent back to the US or sold in the EU. When you add those 20 per cent tariffs up it will really impact companies."

Ireland Tanaiste to meet Trump administration officials in... Read More

Ms Walsh said Mr Trump's recent rhetoric concerning Ireland was a further example of how the State benefits from EU membership and protection.

'Wake up call'

"President Trump's narrative around Ireland, even on Saint Patrick's Day or since, we're very much at the forefront of his mind.

"It's difficult with the uncertainty to focus, but we need to figure out a way to have that measured response, be strategic, work together and then make sure businesses and those that are creating these services and products from their kitchen tables, they know that they have access into other markets, in particular the EU."

She also said the tariffs should be a "wake up call" to the European Commission to reduce red tape for companies that want to expand their business into different member states.
A Dublin man has been accused of demanding thousands of euro from a woman, or else he would rape her, injure and confine her to a horsebox until I get what I want.

Thomas McAuley, 25, of Shamrock Terrace, North Strand, Dublin 1, has been charged with extortion and three other alleged offences.

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He appeared before Judge David McHugh at Dublin District Court on Saturday and was remanded in custody after he signalled that he wished to put off applying for bail.

Mr McAuley, who is on a carers allowance, is accused of extortion by demanding 5,500 on March 22nd from a woman in north inner city Dublin.

The charge alleges he demanded the cash, Or I am going to drag you into a van, I am going to rape you and break your pelvis, and then I am going to lock you in a horsebox until I get what I want.

He also has a charge for threatening to kill or cause her serious harm on the same date.

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Mr McAuley, who did not address the court, was also accused of robbery of clothing worth 50 from a male at another location in the city centres north side on March 21st and assault with intent to cause him bodily harm on the same date.

Garda Darragh OConnor told Judge McHugh he intended to object to bail.

The case was paused for defence solicitor Conor Ruane to consult with the accused. When it was recalled, the court heard there was no application for bail at this stage.

Ireland Alleged getaway driver decided at every turn to as... Read More

Legal aid was granted after the judge noted Mr McAuley was in receipt of a social welfare payment.

No evidence surrounding the allegations was presented after the judge noted the contested bail hearing would not be going ahead.

Mr McAuley, who has not indicated a plea, will appear again at Cloverhill District Court next week.

It was not disclosed in the proceedings whether or not his case would remain in the District Court or go forward to the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers.
Tanaiste Simon Harris is set to pay a visit to the US next week as the fallout continues from Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day'.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs will travel to Washington DC, where he is due to attend meetings with US secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick.

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It comes days after president Donald Trump slapped the EU with 20 per cent tariffs.

Mr Harris is set to hold trade and wider political talks in Washington. He will hold meetings with a number of figures in the Trump administration and the US Congress.

He believes negotiations between the EU and US will involved "give and take".

Mr Harris has warned that trade relationships are unlikely to go back to the way they were before the so called 'Liberation Day'.

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Can our economy manage it? Of course we can.

"I think we are operating in an environment - after having many years, many decades of free trade and globalisation - we're operating in an environment where there's an effort from the United States of America to move to a more protectionist stance, and that will pose challenges.

"Can our economy manage it? Of course we can. Can the European economy manage it? Of course we can. Will it be without challenge? No it won't."

He added that tariffs are already proving to be bad news for the American people.

"We've seen estimates that there's going to be thousands of euro in additional cost put on the average American household as a result of that [tariffs]. So far we've heard president Trump say this is kind of temporary pain for long term gain, we don't believe that to be the case.

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"I've yet to hear economic advice or opinion that vindicates that."

While Ireland was not mentioned individually in Mr Trump's tariff announcement, the president has namechecked US pharmaceutical companies based here.

Mr Lutnick, his secretary of commerce, has also mentioned Ireland on several occasions.

US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt arrive for Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' event in the Rose Garden at the White House. Tanaiste Simon Harris will meet Mr Lutnick next week. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Speaking on the All-In Podcast, Mr Lutnick said Ireland is running a 60 billion surplus.

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The reality is that the countrys surplus is closer to half that amount.

Were going to try and fix a whole bunch of these tax scams  Ireland is my favourite.

Business One chart shows why Ireland could be among hardest... Read More

He added: What do they do? Oh, they have all of our (intellectual property) for all our great tech companies and great pharma companies.

Mr discussed the claims with Mr Lutnick in a call last week.

Asked if Mr Harris had corrected Mr Lutnick on this figure, a spokesman said: The Tanaiste set out the position of Irelands perspective and laid out some of the details of Irelands surplus, for example, but also the two-way economic relationship.

Pressed on whether this included a clarification on the budget surplus figure, the spokesman said he had nothing further to add to a statement on the call which had been issued earlier.
Britain's Prince Andrew always had a communication channel with the Chinese leader and Andrew would send him birthday letters, a tribunal heard.

Andrews former senior adviser Dominic Hampshire said the royal household, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, were fully aware of the Andrew's communication with President Xi Jinping and may have even encouraged it.

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His witness statement was disclosed to the media on Friday after being used in the Special Immigration Appeals Commission case related to Yang Tengbo, who Mr Hampshire referred to as Chris.

Mr Hampshire said: The duke has always had a communication channel with the president, largely to support the success of Pitch@Palace in China, and this was never hidden.

As is my job, I would draft these letters with the help of those, in this instance Chris, that understood how messages need to be conveyed due to cultural differences. At no time did I have any concerns of the contents.

Mr Hampshire said that Andrew would send a letter to Xi Jinping for his birthday each year.

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He continued: The royal household, including the late Queen, were fully aware of this communication  it was certainly accepted, and it may be fair to say that perhaps, even encouraged  it was an open channel of communication that was useful to have.

It was not a channel that was hidden from the royal household.

He added: Importantly, it was also a channel that pre-existed the dukes relationship with Chris and me, with the duke hosting the president during his state visit to the UK in 2015.

Mr Hampshire also said that he believes that Andrew must surely be a valuable communication point with China.

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He added: Whilst I think China would prefer a different royal, the reality is, to this day, that if the UK government or the palace said that someone needs to see the Chinese president and talk to him, I think the duke would be able to do that, whereas I dont think anyone else could do so as simply.
Israeli troops have deployed to a newly established security corridor across southern Gaza, officials said.

On Wednesday, Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the new Morag Corridor to raise the pressure on the Hamas militant group.

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He suggested it would cut off the southern city of Rafah, which Israel has ordered to be evacuated, from the rest of Gaza.

A military statement on Saturday said troops with the 36th Division have been deployed in the corridor.

It was not immediately clear how many had deployed or where exactly the corridor was located.



Israel has continued to push into Gaza (AP)

Morag is the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, and Mr Netanyahu suggested it would run between the cities.

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Maps published by Israeli media showed the new corridor running the width of the narrow coastal strip from east to west.

Mr Netanyahu said it would be a second Philadelphi corridor, referring to the Gaza side of the border with Egypt further south, which has been under Israeli control since last May.

Israel has also reasserted control over the Netzarim corridor that cuts off the northern third of Gaza, including Gaza City, from the rest of the strip.

The Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors run from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean Sea.

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We are cutting up the strip, and we are increasing the pressure step by step, so that they will give us our hostages, Mr Netanyahu said on Wednesday.

Saturdays announcement came shortly after a White House official confirmed that Mr Netanyahu would again meet with President Donald Trump on Monday  their second meeting at the White House since Mr Trump took office in January.

The US has been a mediator in ceasefire talks, along with Egypt and Qatar, but also supported Israels resumption of fighting.

Following his previous meeting with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Trump made the surprise proposal that displaced Palestinians in Gaza be permanently resettled outside the territory and he suggested that the United States take ownership in redeveloping the area.

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Palestinians, Arab nations and rights groups sharply criticised the idea.

Israel has pledged to escalate the fighting with Hamas until the militant group returns the remaining hostages taken in the attack on October 7 2023 that sparked the war, and also disarms and leaves the territory.

Israel last month again halted all supplies of food, fuel and humanitarian aid to Gaza in another application of pressure on the militant group and the territorys more than two million Palestinians.



Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu will meet again next week (AP)

Rights groups say the tactic is a war crime. Gaza relies largely on humanitarian aid, and its residents cannot easily leave.

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Hamas says it will only release the remaining 59 hostages  24 of whom are believed to be alive  in exchange for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The group has rejected demands that it lay down its arms or leave the territory.

The October 7 attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Some 251 hostages were taken, most of them released in ceasefire agreements and other deals.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during Israels offensive, according to Gazas Health Ministry. It doesnt say whether they are civilians or combatants but says the majority have been women and children. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.

Among Gazas dead are 15 Palestinian medics killed last month by Israeli forces, who then bulldozed over the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave.

The war is the deadliest and most destructive fighting ever between Israel and Hamas. It has left much of Gaza devastated and most of its residents displaced, often multiple times.
Prosecutors are seeking more than seven years in prison for disgraced former US congressman George Santos after he pleaded guilty to federal fraud and identity theft charges.

The US attorney for the Eastern District of New York argued in a court filing Friday that a significant sentence was warranted because the New York Republicans unparalleled crimes had made a mockery of the countrys election system.

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He lied to his campaign staff, his supporters, his putative employer and congressional colleagues, and the American public, the office wrote.

From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santoss unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives.





The office also argued that Santos had been unrepentant and defiant for years, dismissing the prosecution as a witch hunt and refusing to resign from Congress as his web of lies was debunked.

Even after pleading guilty before trial, prosecutors argued his claims of remorse ring hollow, noting that he has not forfeited any of his ill-gotten gains or repaid any of his victims.

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The volume of Santoss lies and his extraordinary pattern of dishonesty speaks to his high likelihood of reoffending and the concomitant need to remove him from the community he has repeatedly victimised, prosecutors wrote.

The 87-month sentence proposed by prosecutors represents the high end of court guidelines in such cases.

That would be roughly four to five years behind bars plus a mandatory minimum two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft, they said.

Santoss lawyers did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday, which was the deadline for both sides to submit their sentencing memos to the court.

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A federal judge on Long Island is scheduled to hear arguments and decide on Santoss sentence during a court hearing on April 25.

The once-rising Republican, who represented parts of Queens and Long Island, served barely a year in office before he was ousted by his House colleagues in 2023, just the sixth congressperson ever expelled in the chambers history.

Santoss political demise came after it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his life story, leading to questions about how the political unknown had funded his winning campaign.

The now-36-year-old cast himself as a wealthy businessman who had graduated from top colleges, worked at prestigious Wall Street firms and held a valuable real estate portfolio.

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In truth, he was struggling financially and faced eviction.

Santos admitted in August that he duped voters, deceived donors and stole the identities of nearly a dozen people, including his own family members, to make donations to his congressional campaign.

He was initially due to be sentenced in February, but a judge granted him a three-month reprieve to come up with more than half a million dollars in court fines.

As part of his plea deal, Santos agreed to pay nearly 375,000 dollars (290,850) in restitution and 205,000 dollars (158,998) in forfeiture.

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Santoss lawyers said at the time that he had little more than 1,000 dollars (775) in liquid assets and needed more time to build his newly launched podcast to begin paying off the debt.

Prosecutors maintain that Santos profited handsomely from his infamy, arguing he has earned more than 800,000 dollars (620,480) from appearances on the video-sharing website Cameo and from a new documentary since his expulsion from US Congress.

Two of Santoss campaign staffers have also pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with the campaign financing scheme.
Reports of racism in Victorias schools are on the rise as the Education Department receives at least one call about racist behaviour every school day  a 28 per cent increase in 12 months.

More than 500 calls about discrimination have been made to the Education Department since 2023 via the Report Racism Hotline and the general inquiries line. Last year  which had about 200 school days  288 complaints were lodged, up from 225 in 2023. Young people have reported discrimination from teachers as well as their schoolmates, but the data does not differentiate between the two kinds of calls.

The Report Racism Hotline opened in 2020 to give parents and carers a way to raise concerns about racism if they felt dissatisfied with their schools response or were not comfortable speaking with their childs school.

Rumaysa was a student last year who experienced racism while at both primary and secondary school. She says more needs to be done to combat racism in schools. Credit: Joe Armao

The calls were usually about student bullying or dissatisfaction with the way a school handled an incident, or other allegations of discrimination.
Home owners will be offered 30 per cent off home electric batteries under a Labor scheme to give thousands of dollars in taxpayer subsidies to any household that wants the power-bill reducing devices, regardless of their wealth.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Anthony will unveil a Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which this masthead revealed Labor was planning last week, as a centrepiece of a campaign speech on Sunday in Brisbane to counter criticism of his failed 2022 pledge to lower power prices.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference in Longreach, Queensland, on Saturday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Labor is pledging to pay for 30 per cent of purchase and installation cost of a new home battery with rooftop solar panels, which it said could shave $4000 off overall costs, though the systems could still take a decade to pay for themselves.

The government forecasts the discounts would spur a wave of investment resulting in more than 1 million new batteries by 2030, at a cost of $2.3 billion.
We board our Ferrari-red iryo at Barcelonas Sants Station, settling into the High Comfort XL seats of our Singular Only YOU category, which is one below the top-fare Infinito Bistro, and two above the entry-level categories. Having arrived in Barcelona after a seven-night Mediterranean cruise with Sun Princess, its the ideal opportunity to keep the holiday vibe going. Weve pre-ordered tapas (extra cost) from the market menu and barely finished it before arriving in Zaragoza. While we have chosen to get off in the capital of Aragon, most stay on for the final stretch to Madrid, the full 622-kilometre journey taking just two hours and 30 minutes. Zaragoza, once named Caesaraugusta, is all Roman ruins and Renaissance-style palaces, domed cathedrals, and artworks by local-lad Francisco de Goya. Cobbled alleyways lead from the Ebro River to public plazas and sweet shops grace every corner. Off the tourist trail it has everything you could ask from a Spanish city  without the crowds, and without the eye-watering prices. For 7 ($11.60) we gain entry to all four archaeological sites of the Caesaraugusta museums route  theatre, public baths, river port and forum  a well-marked trail looping above and below the city and back in time 2000 years. The 6000-spectator theatre is a highlight, not only do we have it to ourselves, but we finish our visit with a glass of 2 ($3.30) wine overlooking the ruins. As dusk turns to dark we head to the lively El Tubo district, with its tangle of traditional tapas bars tucked inside the Old Town. Transport dramas Nil.

Hotel suggestion Hotel Sauce is well-priced, conveniently located in the Old Town and boasts its own pastry shop. Rooms from 80 ($140), see hotelsauce.com Art, science and sunshine in Valencia It takes just under five hours to travel from Zaragoza to Valencia aboard the state-owned Renfe train. This is the first leg of our Eurail Spain Pass, which we navigate with ease via the Rail Planner app on our phones (note: reservations for some routes need to be done at a station in Spain). Having had our dose of cobblestones and cathedrals, weve chosen to stay beachside at Playa de las Arenas, rather than the city centre. The bus system between the two districts is cheap and convenient, and after an initial taxi to our hotel, we master it like school kids. Valencias stunning Reina Sofia Art Palace. Credit: iStock

This is my first trip to Valencia, and while I expected sunshine (300 days a year), beaches (more than 20 kilometres worth) and paella (the city is said to be the dishs birthplace) I didnt expect the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences. Not just a museum, but an astonishing complex of seven main elements including the Oceanographico aquarium, the IMAX-like Hemisferic, the Science Museum and the Palau de Les Arts. Designed by Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela, the city stretches for almost two kilometres along the former Turia riverbed. This revitalised riverbed is the second surprise. After the deadly floods of 1957, the Turia River was diverted, a bold move which allowed for the creation of a nine-kilometre green ribbon of urban parklands curling through the city Transport dramas While many Renfe trains have a buffet car, our leg from Zaragoza to Valencia didnt have one. Someone (cough) didnt read the fine print. Hotel suggestion Pamphylia Hotel is a three-star beachfront hotel with direct access to the promenade and its many bars and restaurants. Rooms from 130 ($225), see pamphylia.es A whistle-stop in the Ebro Delta

Part of the romance of train travel lies in the grand old stations themselves. Valencias Estacio del Nord is a stunning example of Art Nouveau/Modernist architecture, with colourful ceramics, stained-glass windows and agricultural motifs reflecting the regions orange trade. From here its two hours and 30 minutes by Renfe intercity train to LAldea-Amposta, gateway to the Ebro Delta. Tootling north, we trace one of the prettiest coastal routes in Spain, where orange groves alternate with glimpses of the Mediterranean Sea. A short taxi ride brings us to Apartment Eco Deltaic, our eco-friendly accommodation in the La Cava neighbourhood in the heart of the delta. Flamingos at sunset on the Ebro Delta. Credit: iStock As one of the most significant wetlands in the western Mediterranean, the Ebro Delta is famous for two things  nature and gastronomy. We start with an organised sunset tour of the Terres de lEbre UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, where more than 350 species of birds have been identified. From an observatory on Tancada Lagoon we spot mallards, terns, black-winged stilts and black-headed gulls. And flamingos. So many flamingos the water blushes pink. Surrounded by such natural beauty we slip easily into the slow way of life; dining on organic produce at Deltaics restaurant; riding bikes among the rice fields; shopping for local delicacies at village markets. Did we miss having a car? Not even for one minute. Transport dramas One small one, when we stood on the wrong side of the platform and almost missed our train.

Hotel suggestion Apartment Eco Deltaic offers a range of self-contained accommodation sleeping four to six. Photography, bird watching and bike tours can be arranged. Apartments for a two-night stay from 180 ($310), see deltaic.eco Five other whistle stops Girona

Situated between the Pyrenees mountain range and the Costa Brava this City of the four rivers is known for its well-preserved Jewish Quarter. A must-visit for Game of Thrones fans.

Zamora

Straddling the Duero River, Zamora is the Spanish capital of Romanesque architecture and art.

Jaen

Lesser-known than other Andalucian cities, Jaen has maintained its strong sense of tradition and religious heritage. Explore further afield for mountains and nature reserves.



Leon

An important staging post along the Camino de Santiago, this former Roman town combines stunning architecture with a distinctive Leonese tapas scene. Tarragona

Gorgeous beaches, Roman ruins and delicious Catalan cuisine; the port city of Tarragona makes an ideal side trip from Barcelona. THE DETAILS RAIL

A three-day flexible Eurail Spain Pass starts from $286. See raileurope.com CRUISE

Fares for a Cabana mini-suite on a seven-night Mediterranean voyage departing Barcelona on April 26, 2025, visiting France and Italy, and finishing in Rome from $3739 a guest on a Princess Premier package which includes Wi-Fi (up to four devices a guest), premier beverage package, two speciality dining meals and unlimited fitness classes. See princess.com/sun-princess
Badly behaved bogans in Bintang singlets beware: Bali is clamping down on disrespectful tourists. The government is seeking to close loopholes in laws that allow recklessness to thrive among visitors as well as overhauling poor law enforcement of certain behaviours.

Beach villa, Regent Bali, Canggu.

The Indonesian island is looking to attract a different kind of tourist, and now the hotel industry is doing its bit to help.

The Regent Bali Canggu has opened on Balis south-west coast, making it only the second internationally branded five-star in the increasingly popular enclave.

The first was COMO Uma Canggu, which opened in the once-sleepy town in 2018.
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...
A 59-YEAR-OLD man who issued a threatening letter to Operation Transformation psychologist Dr Eddie Murphy was jailed for four months at Portlaoise District Court.

Sergeant JJ Kirby said that Dr Murphy was waiving his right to anonymity and was agreeing to lift reporting restrictions.

Paul Mangan, 25 The Green, Liffey Hall, Newbridge, Co Kildare pleaded guilty to a single charge under Section 4 of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020.

Garda Rebecca Cleary said that on 31 October 2023, the accused entered Portarlington Enterprise Centre, Canal Road, Portarlington, where Dr Murphy has an office, and delivered a letter for his attention before leaving.

In a statement to gardai, she said that Dr Murphy initially thought the envelope contained a Mass card as his mother had died recently, but it transpired that an allegation was made that he was having an affair with the accuseds wife.

Garda Cleary said that a cautioned statement was taken from the accused and in it Mr Mangan admitted to delivering the letter.

In his statement, Mr Mangan said: The letter outlined that I knew that there was something going on with him and my wife. The gist of it was to stay away from my wife and my family. I did say that I would confront him. By that I meant I would speak to him about it. There was no physical threat, nor would I dream of it. Defending solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said that her client provided full co-operation to gardai when he was contacted.

Dr Murphy took the stand and asked for permission to read into the court record his victim impact statement.

He said: This victim impact statement is provided by myself and my wife, as a couple who have been affected by a criminal action of an individual.

This person inflicted significant distress and fear through his targeted and deliberate harassment, including coming to my workplace and issuing threats, and attempted to damage my personal and professional reputation. It was deeply disturbing. It has shaken our personal security. He sent a direct communication containing threats warning of vengeance and severe consequences, saying I will destroy you. I will confront you at your office.

He specifically targeted my good name as a professional psychologist. He threatened to post it on specialised forums that would then go on to mainstream. That he would contact my colleagues and peers in my place of work. His threats were explicit, calculated and terrifying. He said that he was going to be utterly ruthless with the capacity for vengeance. He said that he would bring so much trouble into my world that it would bring Armageddon and so much trouble.

Dr Murphy said: These threats caused emotional harm to me. It terrified me. It affected my wife. She just had a significance cancer diagnosis as well. Our home, which is a place of safety, is now a fortress. We put in security cameras and alarms. We have no sense of peace. The ordeal came a week after the death of my mother. It was a time when my family was in a very vulnerable state. We were thrown into a nightmare of fear and distress. I couldnt grieve for my mother for over a year, because I was so anxious and depressed.

I was diagnosed with acute stress disorder and my GP advised that I take a month off work. I was always wondering whether he would follow through on the threats. Dr Murphy said that he had never met Mr Mangan.

Under questioning from the defendants solicitor, Dr Murphy said that Mr Mangans wife works in the psychology services, and he manages over 40 psychologists. He said that he had worked with the accuseds wife for over 20 years and had never socially met her.

Ms Fitzpatrick said that her client had written a letter of apology, which Dr Murphy refused to accept.

Referring to the letter that Dr Murphy had received at his place of work, Judge Andrew Cody said it was shocking, disgusting and despicable. It must have been terrifying.

Ms Fitzpatrick said that her client, who is originally from Co Mayo, had recently been separated, partly arising from the incident. She said that at the age of 24 he graduated with a qualification as a registered qualified nurse. In his early 30s he began as a staff nurse in St Patricks Mental University Hospital in Dublin and since 2017 has been in charge of a ward with a staff quota of 22 people.

She said that Mr Mangan firmly believed that his wife, who is a senior psychologist, was having an affair with Dr Murphy and she asserted that he was suffering with a delusional mental disorder. He felt that she was using the weight of her professional standing to categorise him as an individual with a mental disorder.

Ms Fitzpatrick said that Mr Mangan was offering 3,000 by way of compensation for the distress he caused to Dr Murphy. However, Dr Murphy said he was refusing to accept it and instead asked that it be given to the charity Lust For Life.

Before passing sentence, Judge Cody said that he was bemused and questioned why the DPP did not direct that the case be heard at circuit court level, where a higher sentence could be passed.

The judge said the letter was as bad as you can get in terms of the threats, the name-calling and the allegations.

He added: The fact that this would be sent by a mental health professional is equally shocking. Id hate to think that any relative of mine would be treated in any hospitals where Mr Mangan was working.

Sentencing Mr Mangan to four months in prison, Judge Cody, at the request of Ms Fitzpatrick, went on to set an own bail recognisance of 1,000 with a cash bond of 500 in the event he wished to appeal against the sentence, which he took up before close of court business.
James Cox

The EU response to Donald Trump's tariffs should be "measured and strategic" rather than reactionary, according to an Irish MEP.

Speaking to BreakingNews.ie, Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh said she felt like she was watching an episode of The Apprentice as the US president announced his tariffs on 'Liberation Day'.

"It was like watching a scene out of The Apprentice with the big board open and him going through it line by line. It is comic in value, but the fact that we're living through this in 2025 and a country that has paved the way for democracy and diplomacy as we know it, historically, is doing this is worrying.

"We have to face the demons that are and sadly, this is what this Trump administration is."

Ms Walsh added: "I'm with the the Irish Government in the sense that waiting to respond with measures is better than going down the route of tit for tat, which I don't think will serve us well.

"It hasn't served the American people to this point, and certainly won't serve Europeans."

Ms Walsh, who is an MEP for the MidlandsNorth-West constituency, expressed concerns about how the trade deficit with Northern Ireland will affect businesses.

Mr Trump has imposed a 20 per cent tariff on EU products, while the UK rate is 10 per cent.

She also said pharmaceutical companies in Ireland should be wary of further announcements from the US. The initial list appeared to exclude tariffs on pharmaceutical products, but she warned "president Trump could change all that in 24 hours".

On an EU level, she said a united front is the most important thing.

Ms Walsh, who is an MEP for the MidlandsNorth-West constituency, expressed concerns about how the trade deficit with Northern Ireland will affect businesses.

"We certainly need to make sure we're collected and combined. That includes the likes of Viktor Orban and Hungary and other pro-Maga, pro-Russia governments in the EU. We just have to make sure we're united as much as possible.

"If you look at the economics of it, we are most impacted given our reliance on the likes of FDI companies and the border now."

Ms Walsh added: "The fact that it wasn't too long ago we fought really hard against a hard border, and obviously generations before us, and this just complicates that and gives us a lot of headaches.

"It just created such a wealth of support for Brexiteers, which is another troubling issue if we look at the culture of which this Trump 2.0. Liberation Day has brought here. That is troubling because we have a growing anti-EU sentiment in Ireland.

"We still need to have a more balanced approach, making sure that we are being strategic in what we go back with and then ultimately listen."

Ms Walsh emphasised the trading opportunities present with other markets besides the US.

She added that Mr Trump's belief that trade levels cannot rebound without the US is misguided.

I'm looking at reports and it's 'Trump doesn't believe that the trade can happen around America', which it absolutely could.

"I mean we have the Commission looking at India, Central Asia. We have the quite controversial Mercusor trade deal, we have Switzerland, Canada and Mexico. Now they're more alienated by their closest neighbours.

"I'm looking at reports and it's 'Trump doesn't believe that the trade can happen around America', which it absolutely could.

"Normal Mary and Joe Soaps feel this first in America and then we'll feel this across the EU, which is incredibly difficult. To explain to people and businesses where in the EU, and particularly in Ireland, that you say you know, 'here's our response, here's our measures'.

"We rely so heavily on FDI, in particular pharmaceuticals. Bear in mind, pharmaceuticals still need a presence in Europe and about 60 per cent of their exports are for the European market. I don't expect for them to shut up and and return tomorrow."

She added: "This will play out in terms of we have a lot of products that go back and forth. There is 4 billion in trade per day between the EU and US.

"To maybe start in the EU added on with materials, raw materials from the US come back, then the final product is sent back to the US or sold in the EU. When you add those 20 per cent tariffs up it will really impact companies."

Ms Walsh said Mr Trump's recent rhetoric concerning Ireland was a further example of how the State benefits from EU membership and protection.

'Wake up call'

"President Trump's narrative around Ireland, even on Saint Patrick's Day or since, we're very much at the forefront of his mind.

"It's difficult with the uncertainty to focus, but we need to figure out a way to have that measured response, be strategic, work together and then make sure businesses and those that are creating these services and products from their kitchen tables, they know that they have access into other markets, in particular the EU."

She also said the tariffs should be a "wake up call" to the European Commission to reduce red tape for companies that want to expand their business into different member states.
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General Interest Imported List: General Interest
Hills for Everyone produced this image of the Chino Hills State Park to point out that there is a distance greater than 100 feet to homes in most areas. Exceptions are Olinda Village in Brea, Rimcrest Street in Yorba Linda, and the neighborhood near the Chino Hills entrance which is buffered by Elinvar Drive and Sapphire Road.

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This afternoon the Mayor's Office learned that Chattanooga received a letter dated Feb. 7 informing city government that city data was affected by the Nationwide Recovery Services breach. That letter is viewable at this link.

Nationwide Recovery Services provides debt collection services to city government. There is no indication that anything other than debt collection services data was affected, it was stated.

Officials said, "The failure of this information to reach necessary channels is an unacceptable error. We will launch a thorough investigation into how this information failed for so long to reach necessary channels and we will share the results of that investigation with the public, while taking the necessary steps to ensure this kind of error never happens again.

"Today, the City Attorneys office wrote Nationwide Recovery Services, compelling them to inform everyone potentially affected and to offer them complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection."

The letter from the City Attorneys office is viewable at this link.

Officials said, "The Mayors Office will be aggressive in ensuring that those affected are notified and offered protection in a timely manner."

County officials have been discussing how information about a similar breach involving Nationwide Recovery Services also was slow in reaching top officials.




Leigh Ann Hester, a native of Nashville, Tn., was the first female Silver Star recipient since World War II and one of only nine to receive the award in history.





She is the first recipient recognized for engaging the enemy in combat. In her case, she was cited for valor in close-quarters combat for her actions in responding to an ambush on a convoy in Iraq. She was Team Leader for RAVEN 42B in the 617th Military Police Company, 503d Military Police Battalion (Airborne), 18th Military Police Brigade, stationed at Camp Liberty.





Hester, now 43, enlisted in the Army in April 2001 at age 19.She says: I joined the military because it was a childhood dream. I always looked up to seeing anybody in uniform, especially a woman in uniform, because it was rare. Police officer or a female Soldier, I always wanted to be that person.





In her civilian life, Hester managed a retail store, but four years after being assigned to her Kentucky Army National Guard MP company, she would find herself in a fight for her life and those of others. Deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom, her MP squad consisted of eight men and two women who were shadowing a 30-truck convoy in their three Humvees near the town of Salman Pak, south of Baghdad. The trucks were mostly unarmored 18-wheelers driven by Iraqi and Turkish contractors.





As she described their security operation, Basically, we would go out in our Humvees, and we would clear the route for [improvised explosive devices] or insurgents before the convoys would start coming through.  It was nothing for us to get shot at every other day or more.





On March 20, 2005, the convoy the 617th MP Company was protecting was ambushed by more than 50 insurgent fighters using RPK machine guns, AK-47s, and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). In the initial assault, the insurgents also hit and disabled one of the MP Humvees.





After the attack began, then-SGT Hester directed her fire team through intense enemy fire into a flanking position where she and her squad leader, SSG Timothy Nein, began what would be a deadly 30-minute firefight. They first assaulted and cleared two trench lines of insurgents with their M203 grenade launcher and hand grenades. They continued the defense of the convoy on foot, along with platoon medic Specialist Jason Mike, who used both an M4 carbine and an M249 SAW machine gun, and they successfully defeated the insurgents.





Its not like you see in the movies, she said of engaging and killing enemy forces. They dont get shot and get blown back five feet. They just take a round, and they collapse.





For their actions that day, defending the unarmed convoy against an overwhelming enemy force, Hester, Nein, and Mike would receive Silver Stars. Neins medal would later be upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross, the Armys second-highest award below the Medal of Honor.





According to Hesters Silver Star citation:





Sergeant Leigh A. Hester is cited for conspicuous gallantry in action against an armed enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with anti Iraq forces (AIF) as a team leader for Raven 42B The AIF were utilizing irrigation ditches and an orchard for the well planned complex attack. The AIF had cars combat parked along a road perpendicular to the ASR with all doors and trunks open. The AIF intent was to destroy the convoy, to inflict numerous casualties, and to kidnap several TCN drivers or U.S. Soldiers. The initial ambush disabled and set on fire the lead TCN vehicle, which effectively blocked the southbound lanes of ASR Detroit, stopping the convoy in the kill zone.  Sergeant Hester directed her gunner to provide heavy volumes of MK 19 and M240B fires into the field where an overwhelming number of insurgents were executing a well coordinated ambush on the convoy. Raven 42 elements were outnumbered five to one.  Sergeant Hester began engaging the insurgents with her M203 in order to suppress the heavy AIF fire. Sergeant Hester followed Staff Sergeant Nein to the right side berm and threw two well placed fragmentation grenades into the trench eliminating the AIF threat. Sergeant Hester and Staff Sergeant Nein went over the berm into the trench and began clearing the trench with their M4s. Sergeant Hester engaged and eliminated three AIF to her front with her M4. They then made their way to the front trench and cleared that as well. After clearing the front trench cease fire was called and she began securing the ambush site. The final result of the ambush was 27 AIF KIA (killed in action), 6 AIF WIA (wounded in action), and one AIF captured.





Responding to the award, Hester said: Im honored to even be considered, much less awarded, the medal.  You know, its just something that happened one day, and I was trained to do what I did, and I did it.  Your training kicks in, and the soldier kicks in. Its your life or theirs.  Youve got a job to do  protecting yourself and your fellow comrades.





As for being one of nine female recipients, she said, It really doesnt have anything to do with being a female. Its about the duties I performed that day as a soldier.





In the years that followed, Hester would serve additional deployments, including in 2014 a tour in Afghanistan for 18 months during Operation Enduring Freedom.





1SG Leigh Ann Hester, SSG Timothy Nein, and Specialist Jason Mike: Your examples of valor  humble American Patriots defending Liberty for all above and beyond the call of duty and in disregard for the peril to your own lives  is eternal.





(Read about the second female Silver Star recipient since World War II, PFC Monica Lin Brown.)





(Portrait: National Guard Bureau)





"Greater love has no one than this, to lay down ones life for his friends." (John 15:13)





Live your life worthy of his sacrifice.





Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis

Pro Deo et Libertate -- 1776





Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform  Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen -- standing in harms way in defense of American Liberty, and for Veterans, First Responders, and their families.
The Covenant softball team returned to its home field for the first time in 16 days to begin a three-game set with Piedmont. In a game that had a combined 26 runs and four home runs, the Lions came out on top.



Final: Covenant 9, Piedmont 17 The Lions pounced on the Scots in the first inning with five runs, highlighted by a 2-RBI triple and two-run home run to left field hit by Kyle Carlson.

In the second inning a solo home run to left field by Codey Funk for the Lions made it 6-0.



Two more runs scored in the frame via a 2-RBI double.



With the help of back-to-back RBI doubles in the third inning, the Lions went ahead 11-0.



Zeke Gilbert put Covenant on the board in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single to left field that scored Jones.



The Scots added two more runs with the help of an infield error and an RBI single from Hudson Couch. Covenant made it 11-8 in the fifth inning with five runs scored, four of which came off the bat of Luke Carter who blasted a grand slam to left field for his first collegiate home run.



Piedmont scored a run on an RBI groundout in the sixth inning to end a streak of eight consecutive runs scored by Covenant. In the seventh inning, an RBI single followed by Carlson's second home run of the day, which was a three-run shot, put the Lions ahead 17-8.



Daniel Bell brought home a run in the eighth inning with an RBI single to right field.



Covenant moves to 15-23 all-time against Piedmont. RHP Bryce Bollinger suffered the loss for Covenant on the mound while RHP Christian Vander Veen and RHP Zach Barrett threw in relief.

Sam Cecil (3-for-5, 3 R) led the Scots with three hits.



Gilbert (2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 R), Benjamin Johnson (2-for-4, 1 R), and Couch (2-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 R) each had two base knocks. Piedmont outhit Covenant 22-11. The Lions committed four errors while the Scots had two.



Game two of the series is set for tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.
Hugh Owen Maclellan Jr., longtime Chattanooga business, civic and Christian leader, passed away on Friday morning.



Heritage Funeral Home said it will be announcing funeral arrangements for Mr. Maclellan on Monday afternoon as final details for the funeral are being made.



Condolences to the family can be sent to heritagechattanooga.com



The Maclellan family has long been synonymous in Chattanooga with Provident Insurance Company.



Hugh O. Maclellan Jr. attended Vanderbilt University and the Wharton School of Finance before joining Provident in 1963.



He served on the board of directors of Unum Group and its predecessor companies for nearly 32 years. He retired from the board in 2007.



"Hugh has been a very thoughtful contributor to the board and the company for many years," said Jon Fossel, chairman of the board, and Tom Watjen, president and chief executive officer, in a joint statement at the time of the retirement. "He and his family have helped Unum become the strong industry leader that it is today. Although we will miss his guidance, we hope he will continue to share his thoughts and insights with us. We look forward to carrying forward the values that have been the hallmark of the Maclellan family since they founded the company.



Mr. Maclellan said at the time, "It was not an easy decision to retire from the board of the company that my family has been involved with since 1887. However, this will enable me to spend more time with my family and the exciting opportunities at the Maclellan Foundation. I wish my colleagues on the board and the management team, as well as the fantastic employees at Unum, continued progress inin the years ahead. The company is significantly stronger today than it has been in recent years and is well positioned for continued success."



He later became more involved in the familys foundation and he was a leader at Chattanooga Christian School.



He married Nancy Browne.



David Denmark, executive director of the Maclellan Foundation, said, "With hearts full of sadness and joy, we wish to share that Hugh Maclellan, Jr. has entered his eternal home in heaven. While we are sad to have lost our leader of over 55 years, we are full of joy as we think about the reception he is experiencing today. Hes being reunited with his beloved wife of 57 years, Nancy, and he is seeing the Lord he has served faithfully since a very young man.



"After his love for his family, Hugh had two primary passions: Evangelism and encouraging other Christians to experience the joys of generously investing in the advancement of Christs Kingdom.



"In 1957, Hughs predecessors at the Foundation gave a grant to Billy Grahams burgeoning ministry. In 1974, Billy Graham and John Stott convened the first Lausanne Congress, which Hugh attended with his friend, Leighton Ford. It was at this conference that Hugh caught a vision for global evangelism that shaped the course of his life and his leadership of the Maclellan Foundation.



"Under Hughs leadership, the Foundation was an early pioneer in investing in indigenously-led ministries and new methods like The Jesus Film to accelerate the proclamation of the Gospel. In the early 90s, Hugh started gathering other wealthy Christians together in World Strategy Conferences to cast a vision for Kingdom investing. His favorite encouragement to these peer families was Find out where the Holy Spirit is leading, and get in on it. When you do, please give more, and give more strategically!



"Here at home in his beloved Chattanooga, Hugh was equally busy and focused. He helped start or launch several impactful organizations, including First Things First, Chattanooga Resource Foundation, Chattanooga House of Prayer (now Pray Chattanooga), the Maclellan Shelter for Families, and others.



"It thrills our hearts to think of the many saints in heaven who are meeting Hugh in person for the first time, and for him to see the fruit of his obedient partnership with the Holy Spirits work. He was indeed a good and faithful servant.



"The Maclellan Foundation was founded by the 2nd and 3rd generation of Chattanoogas Maclellans. Representing the 4th generation, Hugh prepared his family and the foundation for the future, which is currently being governed by the 5th and 6th generation of family members. Hugh is survived by four children, 22 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.



"For over 50 years, Hugh was faithful to continue the Foundations Founders passion for the advancement of the Gospel. It will be our honor, privilege and duty to con
Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Kyler Nixon

An Arizona man was found guilty by a federal jury for targeting four churches in a hoax bomb threat. Zimnako Salah, a 45-year-old resident of Phoenix, was convicted on Thursday for securing a backpack around a toilet at a California church as part of his scheme.

Salah approaced to four churches in three statesCalifornia, Arizona, and Coloradowhile carrying a black backpack. At two of the churches, he left the backpacks containing the hoax bomb threats; however, he was stopped by church security at the other two locations.

According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Salah was also in the process of constructing an actual bomb that could fit inside a backpack. His sentencing is set for July 18 before U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins, and he faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison along with a potential fine of $250,000.

Michele Beckwith, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, commented in the press release that Salah's actions were not merely a prank. She stated, His actions were designed to threaten and intimidate the congregation because he disagreed with their religious beliefs. People of all religions should be able to worship freely and exercise their First Amendment rights in this country without fear of violence.

Salah, who previously worked as a mechanic and claimed to have served as a U.S. Army interpreter, reportedly has a history of mental illness. Last year, he was indicted for this incident, as well as for leaving a backpack at another church in Arizona and attempting similar threats at a church in Colorado and another near San Diego, California.

Court documents indicated that Salah held anti-American views, including an altercation with a neighbor wearing a hat adorned with a U.S. flag, as reported by The Sacramento Bee. Additionally, court papers quoted by the Bee noted that he had a storage unit featuring an antisemitic statement painted on the wall in Kurdish along with a reference to the [Islamic prophet] Muhammad.
The Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City. | Screenshot: YouTube/ African American History Is AMERICAN History

A federal judge has dismissed a gender discrimination lawsuit against Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City and its search committee chair, Valerie S. Grant. The dismissal was based on the First Amendment's "ministerial exception."

The ruling was issued on Monday by U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho of the Southern District of New York. It follows a lawsuit filed in December 2023 by Rev. Eboni Marshall Turman, a Yale Divinity School professor and the youngest pastor ordained at Abyssinian in 2007, against the church and Grant. Turman alleges that she was rejected for the church's top position due to her gender.

Judge Ho concurred with the attorneys representing the church and Grant, asserting that the ministerial exception prohibits the court from intervening in church matters, even if legitimate discrimination claims exist. The ministerial exception is a legal principle that shields religious institutions from judicial interference in their employment relationships with ministers.

Ho emphasized, To determine whether Abyssinian's proffered reason for declining to hire Dr. Marshall Turman  her lack of qualifications  is pretextual, the Court would have to engage in exactly the type of inquiry-based entanglement from which this Court is prohibited.

He continued, Under the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses, it is not the business of this Court to question or otherwise look beyond Abyssinian's stated reasons for finding Dr. Marshall Turman unqualified to serve as its senior pastor.

The judge pointed out that there is no way for this Court to resolve Dr. Marshall Turman's employment discrimination claim without becoming entangled with Abyssinian's ecclesiastical inner workings, concluding that it was appropriate to apply the ministerial exception at the motion to dismiss stage of the litigation. As a result, he dismissed Turman's claims against the church and also noted that it also shields Grant from liability under the same cause of action. Therefore, the claims against Grant are dismissed.

Following the death of the church's previous pastor, Rev. Calvin Butts, in October 2022, Abyssinian Baptist Church stated that it conducted a thorough pastoral search process that included 40 candidates from diverse backgrounds across various ages, genders, and sexual orientations. In June 2024, Kevin R. Johnson was appointed as the church's new pastor, taking on the role in July 2024.

In her lawsuit, Turman, who studies gender politics in Black churches, maintained that the selection process was unjust. She accused Grant of posing inappropriate questions that were not directed at male candidates for the position.

The complaint stated, Gender discrimination motivated the decision not to hire (Marshall Turman), a fact discussed openly during meetings of the Committee, including by Grant and another Committee member, who said that Abyssinian would only hire a woman as its Senior Pastor over my dead body.

Turman also alleged that before his death, Butts told her she could never be senior pastor because Abyssinian would never hire a woman for the position and worked to ensure that the male line of succession would continue.

CopyRegenerate
Volunteers from Samaritan's Purse are praying before departing to dispatch an emergency field hospital to Myanmar following a catastrophic 7.7-magnitude earthquake. | Photo Credit: Facebook/ Franklin Graham

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.

The DC-8 aircraft, which departed from Greensboro, North Carolina, on Monday, traveled to Calgary to load the field hospital from Samaritan's Purse's Canada office. The aircraft is also transporting 28 disaster response specialists, including doctors and nurses, to support the relief efforts on the ground.

The fully equipped emergency field hospital includes two operating theaters, an emergency room, inpatient wards, a pharmacy, and a laboratory. This facility is designed to handle a high volume of trauma cases, addressing the urgent need for surgical care, blood transfusions, and essential medicine.

Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse, remarked, Now, families are grieving the loss of loved ones and many are left with nothing  sleeping outside in the elements as aftershocks continue. He added, Samaritan's Purse is responding in Jesus' Name to bring relief to those who are hurting, urging Christians to pray for all those affected and for our teams as they serve.

The earthquake struck Myanmar and parts of Thailand on Friday, resulting in widespread devastation, including collapsed infrastructure and thousands of injuries. In Myanmar alone, the official death toll rose to 2,719 on Tuesday, with 441 individuals still reported missing and over 4,000 injured, according to Myanmar's military ruler Min Aung Hlaing, as quoted by Reuters.

The earthquake has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, which has been grappling with political instability and armed conflict since a military coup in 2021. A United Nations representative noted that nearly 20 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance even before this disaster. In response, the U.N. has issued a flash appeal for $8 million to support emergency operations in the country.
Home News Duck Dynasty family shares update on Phil, Kay Robertsons health

Phil Robertsons health is declining significantly, while his wife, Kay, has recently shown improvement following a severe infection. Their son, Jase Robertson, revealed these updates on a recent episode of the familys podcast, Unashamed With the Robertson Family.

Jase stated candidly that Phils health hasnt been good, adding that he now openly informs friends and fans about the seriousness of his fathers condition. He described the familys approach to Phils health as focused on making him comfortable and providing the best possible care, AL.com reported.

Phils declining condition involves multiple serious health complications.

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Previously, Willie Robertson disclosed back in December that his father suffers from a blood disorder causing excessive blood production, potentially leading to ministrokes. Doctors have also noted early signs consistent with Alzheimers disease, alongside cognitive impairments possibly linked to the ministrokes.

Interview: Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson, 'Fame Is Fleeting; What Matters Most Is Jesus Christ'

Willie Robertson noted Phil had severe appetite issues, compelling him to personally cook meals  including hamburgers and crawfish dishes  in an effort to encourage Phil to eat more. Willie had said Phil enjoyed these meals at the time despite ongoing health struggles.

According to Jases latest update, Phils overall condition has worsened significantly. Jase candidly said he now tells family friends and supporters the blunt truth: Not good. The family continues exploring all possible medical care options, but Jase clearly indicated the primary goal is comfort at this stage.

Conversely, Kays condition has recently improved. Jase shared that Kay had been hospitalized due to an infection stemming from a fall-related injury, initially causing great concern among family members. The severity of her condition had prompted fears within the family that her life might be nearing its end, with Jase acknowledging, We were kinda dealing with the fact that maybe this is it.

However, Kays condition has notably stabilized and improved in recent days. She remains hospitalized, but the focus has shifted toward rehabilitation, physical therapy and encouraging her to eat. Jase stated explicitly that Kay is doing a lot better compared to the previous week, when her condition was more critical.

Phil and Kay gained national recognition through the A&E reality TV series Duck Dynasty, which aired from 2012 until 2017. The show followed the lives of the Robertson family, owners of the successful duck-call business Duck Commander, known for their outspoken Christian beliefs and conservative values.

Phil Robertson has credited all of his familys success to their faith in Jesus Christ and their devotion to living a Christian lifestyle.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Phil Robertson said his family had managed to stay humble amid all of the fame because they know that all blessings come from God, and in the end, everyones going to the same place: a 6-foot hole.

Fame is rather fleeting, as you know, or should know, he said. Money can come and go, and fame comes and goes. Peace of mind and a relationship with God is far more important, so this is the precedent that weve set in our lives. The bottom line is, we all die, so Jesus is the answer. Many have told me through the years: I think Ill take my chances without Jesus. And I always come back and say, so what chance is that?
Home Opinion You need this key feature to grow as a Christian

A disciple of Jesus Christ is called to be a disciplined servant of our Savior. And every follower of Christ comes to realize that spiritual growth does not just happen automatically. In fact, whenever we fail to maintain discipline, we take a step backward and stunt our spiritual growth.

Believers have already arrived in terms of our standing with God through faith in Jesus (Justification). And we are growing to become more like Christ in our daily life (Sanctification). A believer's justification is complete at conversion, whereas our sanctification is a lifelong process.

You may feel at times like you are taking three steps forward and two steps back in your life of discipleship. Needless to say, every Christian has room to become more obedient and disciplined as we seek to please the Lord moment by moment. Every follower of Christ is obviously a work in progress.

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Are there areas in your life today lacking in spiritual discipline? An undisciplined life creates complex problems. After all, God wired you to live a disciplined life. God is not a God of disorder but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). And so, it is especially critical that your thought life comes under the control of the Holy Spirit. A disciplined mind is essential in order to walk closely with the Lord.

The Apostle Peter wrote to Christians, Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking (2 Peter 3:1). Meditating upon the Word of God disciplines your mind and helps you stay under the control of the Holy Spirit. Wholesome thinking is a critical aspect of spiritual health.

Like you and I, Peter knew from firsthand experience what happens when we allow our mind to go off the rails. For example, one night while out on the lake, Peter got down out of the boat and walked on the water to Jesus (So far so good, right?). But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me! (Matthew 14:29-30). Peter's disciplined mind and strong faith initially enabled him to walk on water. But the second he took his eyes off Jesus and focused instead on the wind and the waves, fear quickly flooded his heart and mind.

And on the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested, Peter once again succumbed to fear when in three separate incidents he denied being one of Christ's disciples. (see John 18:15-27) Peter's crooked behavior was a shameful display and an ugly manifestation of the crooked thoughts he adopted when temptation came knocking.

You see, the battleground is the mind. And whenever you give up territory in your mind, (jealousy, lust, fear, etc.) you become far more susceptible to sinning with your words (lying, gossip, fits of rage, etc.) and even with your body (physical violence, sexual sin, gluttony, etc.)

There is no question that spiritual growth requires self-control. Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control (Proverbs 25:28). On the flip side, the Holy Spirit empowers believers to surrender our will and our desires to the will of God. The fruit of the Spirit is ... self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).

Thankfully, the Lord does not abandon us when we take a step backward. When Peter started to sink, Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him (Matthew 14:31). I suspect you can recall times in your own life when God rescued you after you foolishly chose to plunge headfirst into a particular sin.

Our Father in Heaven produces perseverance, character and spiritual maturity in the lives of His children (see Romans 5:3). It is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose (Philippians 2:13). Bible reading, prayer, gathering with other Christians, serving people and obeying the Lord are five holy practices that help facilitate spiritual maturity while producing disciplined followers of Jesus Christ.

Our biggest threat oftentimes is not the world or even the devil, but our old self (see Ephesians 4:22-24). This internal dynamic led the Apostle Paul to write, I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature (Romans 7:18).

When you were born again through faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, (see John 3:3-8; Titus 3:4-6) King Jesus replaced your old self on the throne of your heart (see Romans 6:1-18). Paul wrote, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).

Unfortunately, believers sometimes attempt to get back up on the throne. Rather than fully trusting God through the storms and saying No to sinful desires, we allow our old self to once again assert some measure of control over our thoughts and behavior, even if only for 20 or 30 seconds.

Giving into temptation disturbs a believer's fellowship with the Lord. This ever-present threat requires constant vigilance, and it led David to wisely and humbly pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14). The thoughts we entertain and the words we speak tend to reveal the measure of self-control we are enjoying at any given moment.

Jesus works in the hearts and minds of His followers to help us think straight and commit ourselves to this noble goal: We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). The Apostle Paul also penned this powerful insight: The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say No to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age" (Titus 2:11-12).

Followers of Christ have been saved by grace through faith in Christ alone (see Ephesians 2:8-10). And we learn more every day about the necessity of saying No to those thoughts and actions which God forbids, while putting into practice holy habits which help to foster spiritual growth.
Home News Ariz. man found guilty of hoax bomb threat targeting 4 churches

An Arizona man was found guilty by a federal jury of targeting four churches as part of a hoax bomb threat aimed at disrupting their worship services.

Zimnako Salah, a 45-year-old resident of Phoenix, was found guilty on Thursday of securing a backpack around a toilet at a California church as part of the bomb threat.

Salah traveled to four churches in three states  California, Arizona and Colorado  with a black backpack in tow. At two of the churches he managed to leave the backpacks containing the hoax bomb threats. At two other locations, however, he was stopped by church security.

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According to a U.S. Department of Justice press release on Friday, Salah had also been in the process of building an actual bomb that could fit inside a backpack.

Salah's sentencing is scheduled for July 18 before U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins. He faces a maximum penalty of six years behind bars and a fine of $250,000.

Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California was quoted in the press release as noting that Salah wasn't simply engaging in a prank with his deeds.

His actions were designed to threaten and intimidate the congregation because he disagreed with their religious beliefs, said Beckwith. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of federal and local law enforcement and the attorneys from my office and our DOJ partners in Washington D.C., our communities are safer with yesterdays verdict.

People of all religions should be able to worship freely and exercise their First Amendment rights in this country without fear of violence.

Salah was a mechanic who claimed to have served as a U.S. Army interpreter and reportedly had a history of mental illness. When he left a backpack attached to a toilet inside a church in Roseville, California, the congregation was forced to evacuate the building.

Last year, Salah was indicted for this action, as well as for leaving a backpack at a church in Arizona, and attempting to do the same at a church in Colorado and another near San Diego, California.

Salah also held anti-American views, with court documents describing an altercation he had with a neighbor who was wearing a hat with a U.S. flag on it, according to The Sacramento Bee.

He also reportedly had a storage unit that displayed an antisemitic statement painted on the wall in Kurdish along with a reference to the [Islamic prophet] Muhammad, according to court papers quoted by the Bee.

According to a report by the Family Research Council released last year, there were 436 attacks against churches in 2023, which was over twice the number reported by the group in 2022.

From January through November 2023, the FRC report found at least 315 acts of vandalism, 75 acts of arson or attempted arson, 10 gun-related incidents, 20 bomb threats and 37 other incidents at churches.
Home News Court sentences Christian pastor to life in prison for raping woman, recording it as blackmail

An Indian court sentenced a controversial Evangelical Christian pastor, Bajinder Singh, to life imprisonment for raping a woman in the northern state of Punjab in 2018. Singh was found guilty of drugging and assaulting the woman, then recording the act to blackmail her.

The special court in Mohali last week announced Singhs rigorous imprisonment for the remainder of his life and imposed a fine of Rs 100,000 (roughly $1,200), the BBC reported.

The woman testified that Singh initially promised to help her travel abroad, instructing her to meet him at a restaurant in Zirakpur area in September 2017. After taking her passport, Singh took the woman to his flat, where he drugged and sexually assaulted her, simultaneously filming the act. He later used the recorded video to blackmail her, extorting money.

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Following the sentencing, the victim experienced a panic attack and fainted outside the courtroom but quickly recovered, according to the Times of India. She described Singh as a fraud, bluff master, a cheater, and a hypocritical guru.

In her earlier statement to police, the victim recounted initially attending Singhs prayer meetings after encountering him at a roadside eatery, believing he could heal her panic attacks. Instead, she became a victim of sexual exploitation.

Singh gained widespread recognition through his preaching and miracle healings. His Rhema Assembly Church, also known as the Church of Glory and Wisdom, became one of Punjabs largest private churches, attracting millions of followers, including celebrities from Bollywood.

Singhs preaching sessions, often marked by dramatic healings, significantly boosted his popularity, resulting in over 3 million subscribers on YouTube.

His website claims global outreach with branches in countries such as the U.S., U.K., and Canada. The preacher, frequently appearing in tailored suits, often promised followers wealth and miraculous cures during his sermons.

During sentencing, Singh requested leniency due to his health and family conditions, citing his wifes spinal condition and his own physical ailments. The court, however, determined that the seriousness of his crimes justified a stringent sentence.

Singhs lawyers are expected to appeal the decision in the high court.

His past includes imprisonment related to a murder case in the early 2000s, during which time he converted from Hinduism to Christianity. On his website, Singh claims his criminal past resulted from evil forces, which changed after someone gave him a Bible during his incarceration.

Singh is reportedly accused of sexual assault by at least two other women.

In February, a former disciple accused him of assault, prompting a police investigation. Shortly thereafter, a third accusation emerged regarding an assault after a prayer session. Singh has denied both allegations.

Singh has accused rivals of orchestrating negative publicity to tarnish his reputation.

Punjab Christian Movement leader Hamid Masih described Singhs case as possibly influenced by efforts to curb Christianitys growing popularity in Punjab.

Behind the rise of megachurches and independent pastors in Punjab is the states history of cult-like followings, such as Dera Sacha Sauda  rooted in Sikh and Hindu influences  with over a million followers, and a prevalent prosperity or security gospel among Christians.

However, Christianity is rapidly growing in Punjab, partly driven by widespread caste discrimination against Dalits, which has infused a sense of rebellion in significant sections of Punjabi society. The state is also grappling with lingering trauma from Indias violent suppression of the Khalistan separatist movement, linked to events like former Prime Minister Indira Gandhis assassination.

Further, drug abuse and alcoholism remain serious issues in the state. Furthermore, Sikhism, Punjabs majority religion, focuses on philosophical teachings and doctrine, distinctly avoiding idol worship, unlike Hinduism.
Home News Trump's week in review: Tariffs impact stocks; USDA freezes Maine funding; military fitness questioned

During the past week, the Trump administration has taken several actions to enforce President Donald Trumps domestic and foreign agenda  from wide-ranging tariffs that have sent shockwaves globally to launching a comprehensive review of the military's fitness standard.

Steps taken by the administration include the freezing of federal funds in a bid to enforce compliance with Trumps executive orders, the restoration of family-planning funds for pro-life states and investigations into antisemitic activity at an Ivy League school.

Here are five developments that unfolded this week.

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The Children's Center of Medina County is launching the Court Appointed Special Advocate program to offer support for children in need. Emily Canning-Dean, Special to Cleveland.com

MEDINA, Ohio  A new program will recruit community members to act as advocates for children in need as the Childrens Center of Medina County launches its local Court Appointed Special Advocate Program.

The national CASA program and the Ohio CASA program provide great resources as we start to recruit volunteers and engage in training, said Ashley Krause, director of the Childrens Center of Medina County.

This new program will be added to the agencys network of services and is in collaboration with Medina County Juvenile and Probate Court, Judge Kevin Dunn and the Ohio CASA/GAL association.

As judge, I am most excited to have engaged in the collaboration to form a CASA program that will be beneficial to the community, families and children that are court involved, Dunn said.

Currently there are 48 CASA programs serving children in 62 Ohio counties.

I know we have Medina County residents who are currently serving the CASA program in other counties I and I think they are happy to have the program come to their own county, Krause said.

Krause said the next step for the agency is to hire a program director and complete the National CASA New Development Process. In the meantime, she is compiling a list of community members who are interested in volunteering for the program. Krause said eligible volunteers need to be at least 21. Volunteers will receive at least 30 hours of initial training as well as 12 hours of continued education each year.

They will meet with the child whether that child is still in their home, a foster home or a residential facility and they will work with that child to gain an understanding of them, their school and medical records, she said. They will attend staff meetings and go to court advocating for what is in the best interest of the child based on the information they have gathered.

Krause said anyone interested in volunteering for the program should contact her directly at akrause@medinacountychildrenscenter.org. Anyone interested in learning about the program director position should visit medinacountychildrenscenter.org/careers/.
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio --

OVI: Warrensville Center Road

At 2:35 a.m. March 12, an officer initiated a traffic stop on a red Pontiac convertible near 2224 Warrensville Center Road. The car was seen traveling through a red light.

The vehicle initially failed to stop and crashed into a support structure while driving through the first level of the University Square parking garage.

The driver, a Cleveland man, 40, was found to be intoxicated and was arrested for OVI and obstructing official business.

Warrant arrest: Cedar Road

At 8:35 a.m. March 11, police stopped a vehicle on Cedar Road, near Washington Boulevard, for a traffic violation.

The driver, a Cleveland woman, 35, was found to have a suspended drivers license and to be wanted on several outstanding warrants.

Police cited her for failing to yield at a left turn, driving without a license, and driving under suspension.

She was arrested and transferred to Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority police on an outstanding felony warrant. Her vehicle was impounded.

Warrant arrest: Cedar Road

At 2:35 p.m. March 13, loss prevention at Target, 14070 Cedar Road, reported that a male stole a backpack and left the store.

Police soon after found the man, 22, of Garfield Heights. Although the store did not wish to prosecute for theft, police learned that the man was wanted on an Ohio Adult Parole Authority warrant. He was arrested on that warrant.

Theft from auto: Warrensville Center Road

At 11:45 a.m. March 14, a Medina man, 21, reported that between Feb. 28 and March 3, someone took his backpack, which contained a laptop worth approximately $600.

The backpack was stolen from the students unlocked car that had been parked in the driveway of his off-campus housing on Warrensville Center Road.

Theft: Cedar Road

At 5:20 p.m. March 14, security at Target reported that two unknown males shoplifted $123 worth of merchandise and fled the area in a vehicle. An investigation is pending.

Disorderly conduct: Warrensville Center Road

At 7:20 p.m. March 14, officers were dispatched to the area of Warrensville Center and Traymore roads on reports of an intoxicated male falling into the roadway.

Officers located the male and discovered that he was highly intoxicated and was unable to care for himself.

The man, 19, of Blacklick Ohio, was issued a criminal citation for disorderly conduct. He was transported to a hospital for evaluation.

Receiving stolen property: Warrensville Center Road

At 11:35 a.m. March 16, an officer on patrol conducted a registration check on a suspicious vehicle at 2643 Warrensville Center Road.

The vehicle was found to have been entered as stolen out of Cleveland. The vehicle was stopped and the driver, a Shaker Heights woman, 28, was arrested for receiving stolen property.

Read more from the Sun Press.
Northeast Ohio hospitals are watching Congress to see if lawmakers will cut federal funding to the state's Medicaid program.

CLEVELAND, Ohio  Northeast Ohio hospitals are bracing for a wave of negative impacts if state and federal lawmakers follow through with Medicaid cuts that would take health insurance away from hundreds of thousands of Ohioans.

Patients could lose their health care while in the midst of cancer treatment. The newly uninsured may avoid getting care because theyre afraid of the bill. When they finally do see a physician, these patients will be sicker.

Hospitals  which already pay millions annually to make up the difference between the cost of health care and what Medicaid pays -- would take a financial hit because they would foot the cost of care for the newly uninsured. Some systems  especially safety-net and rural hospitals -- might have to cut services or reduce their workforce.

And in a painful ripple effect, communities where hospitals are a major employer may see their already precarious economies suffer.

Ultimately, wouldnt it be cheaper in the long run to keep people covered and healthy and not have our economic growth and our economic stability implode? said Charlotte Rudolph, executive director of UHCAN Ohio, an advocacy group supporting affordable health care for Ohioans.

Possible changes to Medicaid, explained

The roughly 770,000 Ohioans who joined Medicaid under the states 2013 expansion program are at risk of being kicked off under potential state and federal changes.

The expansion program serves those earning up to 138% of the federal poverty line. For a family of four, that translates to $44,000 per year. The federal government currently funds 90% of the costs, and the state pays 10%.

Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio House lawmakers, in their proposed budgets this year, added a trigger provision, which would eliminate all of Ohios funding if the federal government makes even a small cut to its federal share. If both cuts come to pass, Ohios entire expansion population will be disenrolled from Medicaid, explained UHCAN Ohios Rudolph.

The state proposal still has to go through a process with the House and the Senate before the final version becomes law.

While Congress hasnt approved any cuts yet on its end, Republican lawmakers are considering how to slash $880 billion in spending over the next decade. Experts and Democratic lawmakers say that would be nearly impossible without touching Medicaid.

For most other Medicaid populations in Ohio, which include people who are low-income, pregnant women, infants, children, older adults and people with disabilities, the federal government covers slightly less than two-thirds of every dollar spent and the state covers the rest.

In another move that could boot Ohioans from the rolls, Ohio has requested a waiver from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to institute a work requirement for Medicaid recipients.

If it accepts Ohios request, Ohioans would need to be one of the following to qualify for Medicaid: at least 55-years old; employed; enrolled in school or occupational training for at least 20 hours per week; enrolled in an alcohol and drug addiction treatment program; or have intensive physical or mental health needs.

Some hospitals would take the largest hit

At three Northeast Ohio hospitals, as many as 21% of patients are on Medicaid. That figure includes the expansion population and all other Medicaid recipients.

All hospitals would be impacted by the cuts because they must pay for the cost of care that Medicaid doesnt cover. But safety-net hospitals, like MetroHealth System, are particularly vulnerable if cuts occur, because they treat a disproportionate share of the regions lower-income individuals.

MetroHealth is very concerned about the possible cuts, because they would negatively impact the most at-risk members of our community who have the greatest need for regular access to health care, a spokesperson said.

More than 75% of its patients use government-sponsored insurance like Medicaid, are uninsured or are MetroHealth employees, the health system said.

It is our distinct hope that policymakers can balance the need to address healthcare costs while also maintaining coverage for those who need it the most, the spokesperson said.

The cuts could also hit rural hospitals, like Ashtabula Regional Medical Center, the hardest, industry watchers say.

Rural hospitals face challenges due to their often remote geographic location, small size, limited workforce and low patient volumes, according to the American Hospital Association. Rural Americans are more likely to be uninsured, to have lower incomes, and be older and less healthy than city-dwellers, the American Hospital Association said.

In 2023, Ashtabula Regional Medical Centers patient load included 19.6% Medicaid recipients. It is the largest employer in Ashtabula County, employing over 1,300 people.

Reduced reimbursement from the Ohio Medicaid program could lead to reduced access to care, reduction in the services offered, financial instability for healthcare institutions, and further economic instability in Ashtabula County as a whole, said Ashtabula medical center CEO Leonard Stepp, Jr.

Medicaid shortfall, percentage of patients shows impact

There are two ways to examine the impact on hospitals: Medicaid shortfall and percentage of patient population on Medicaid. Medicaid shortfall is the difference between Medicaid payments to hospitals and the actual cost of care.

If patients lose Medicaid coverage, each hospitals shortfall amount would grow significantly, and those climbing bills would likely force them to make cuts in other areas to make up the difference.

The Clinic, MetroHealth, Summa Health and University Hospitals, in total, spent about $840.1 million combined on Medicaid shortfall in 2023, according to hospital data.

The leader in this category was the Clinic, which had a Medicaid shortfall of $648.1 million in 2023, the hospital system said. At the Clinic, 13% of its patients used Medicaid in 2023.

Any reduction to the Medicaid program would threaten access to healthcare services for patients and result in additional financial strain on all health systems across Northeast Ohio, said Cleveland Clinic chief financial officer Dennis Laraway.

At Summa Health, the percentage of Medicaid patients stayed even at about 21% in 2023 and 2024. Summa Health serves 60,000 patients a year through the Medicaid program.

Any state or federal changes to Medicaid eligibility and provider payments would create barriers to care for many people in our community and significantly impact our organization financially, said Tracy Carter, system director, government relations and health policy for Summa.

Our hope is that the current Medicaid model is preserved and that all Medicaid beneficiaries can continue to access essential healthcare services, Carter said.

At UH, 18.2% of its patients were Medicaid recipients in 2023.

Fighting the cuts

Hospitals and health advocates are rallying to prevent Medicaid cuts.

Tuesday, the new Ohio Medicaid Matters coalition of some of the states largest human services agencies, health advocacy associations and hospital systems announced it is working to combat the threat posed to Ohios economy and workforce by possible massive cuts to Ohio Medicaid.

The coalition, which includes more than 35 organizations, is urging Ohio lawmakers and DeWine to maintain authority over Ohio Medicaid benefits as the federal government weighs cuts to the program, the group said in a news release.

Medicaid is a foundation for health and economic stability, said Teresa Lampl, CEO of the Ohio Council of Behavioral Health & Family Services Providers, which is part of the coalition. Access to health care empowers Ohioans to work, contribute and fuel economic growth.

The state coalition is fighting for the same thing as a group of chief financial officers of health systems from across the country, who recently met with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., to push against proposed Medicaid cuts, according to media reports.

While Rudolph said her organization will help newly-uninsured people find healthcare plans through the Affordable Care Act, shes deeply concerned about the potential fallout.

The federal cut is going to cause a cataclysmic ripple effect in our state and many others, she said.

Julie Washington covers healthcare for cleveland.com. Read previous stories at this link.
Hundreds rallied Saturday in Market Square Park and across Northeast Ohio as protests against recent actions by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk erupted nationwide.

Cleveland, Strongsville, Ravenna, Medina and other sites joined more than 1,200 Hands Off! demonstrations planned by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LGBTQ+ advocates and veterans. Protest sites included the National Mall in Washington D.C. and other locations in all 50 states, according to the Associated Press.

At West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue, demonstrators lined the four-way intersection from 2 to 4 p.m. The atmosphere was akin to a block party. The unbroken sound of supportive honks from passing vehicles traded with cheers from the crowd.

Signs carried by demonstrators pointed to various grievances: America is not for sale; or The White House is not a Tesla Dealership; or Veterans against fascism.

Some in the crowd expressed support for Ukraine. Others took aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin. Several American flags, including one that flew upside down, and Pride flags lined the intersection. A Maple Heights man carried what looked like an American flag  on closer inspection, the stars had been replaced by logos of corporations.

It is a symbol of corporate control in America, said Mike Gesling. He said he came out to the rally to protest tariffs, deportations and federal layoffs, among other reasons. Gesling, who also attended recent local protests at Tesla dealerships, said the size of Saturdays crowd was encouraging.

The crowds call-and-response chants oscillated between Elon Musk has got to go, protect our rights, and tax the rich.

Lifelong Cleveland resident Wendy Deuring said shes frustrated with her state senators for not doing more to check the Trump administrations power.

I am greatly dismayed at the senators for not doing their job, Deuring, 69, said. Theres an equal separation of powers, and the Senate is sitting by and letting the president do whatever he wants.

Deuring said shes not hopeful that demonstrations like Saturdays will affect state republicans.

But it does help the people to see that they are not alone in the fight and that the fight is real, she added.

Mary Alfidi, also of Cleveland, said such rallies are important for democracy.

We have malignant narcissists in the government, she said. They dont care about you. They only care about themselves.

Madi Dee, of Cuyahoga County, said her primary focus is the climate. She carried a sign encouraging others to go vegan.

Im out here for a multitude of reasons, but its a little bit about the Trump administration, you know? she said. I think its incredible seeing all these people out here fighting with so much at risk in this presidency right now.

According to the Associated Press, hundreds of demonstrators also gathered in the rain outside the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus.

7 1 / 7 Medina Square protest Mike Rose

Meanwhile, Clevelands rally remained mostly dry. Demonstrators began leaving in small groups as a mist settled over the city.

Two young men, now holding their signs low, walked away along the Detroit-Superior Bridge. Fewer cars honked at them there, until the sounds dropped off altogether.
People at a demonstration march ending in front of the US consulate, under the slogan, Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people, in Nuuk, Greenland, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Christian Klindt Soelbeck/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) AP

Greenlanders dont appear impressed by President Donald Trumps repeated threats to gain control one way or the other of the giant, strategically located, semi-autonomous Arctic island. Dominated by people of Inuit descent, according to the CIA World Factbook, although Vikings landed in the 10th century and Danish colonization began three centuries ago, Greenland is a self-ruling part of Denmark, electing two members to the Danish parliament. Its economy relies on Danish financial support.

It could even be said that Greenlanders are peeved -- especially after the recent (uninvited) arrival of a delegation that included Vice President JD Vance and national security adviser Mike Waltz. A recent poll found that only 6% of Greenlanders liked the idea of becoming part of the United States, with 85% opposed.

Why Greenland? Strategically, it commands vital air and ocean space  the reason U.S. troops have had a base there since World War II. In a warming world, it will become far more important. Large oil and gas deposits and rare earth minerals make it an even more tantalizing prize.

But are bombast and threats the best way for Washington to get its way -- or might diplomacy be preferable? The Editorial Board Roundtable offers its perspectives.

Leila Atassi, manager public interest and advocacy:

The United States should never annex a territory whose people overwhelmingly reject us. JD Vances recent claim that wed invest in Greenlands people is laughable. At home, our government is disinvesting in Americans, exploiting natural resources and destabilizing our economy. Greenlanders are right to be wary  theyd be trading Denmarks neglect for Washingtons extractive opportunism.

Thomas Suddes, editorial writer:

Like much else with President Trump and his waiting successor, Mr. Vance, the presidents obsession with Greenland is a manifestation of intellectual ... disorientation. It seems to have escaped Mr. Trump that Greenland belongs to Denmark, a U.S. ally. According to Hoyle, its just not done for an ally to publicly jerk another one around. But in the presidents world, rules are made for other people.

Ted Diadiun, columnist:

Like most Americans, I suspect, Ive spent zero time worrying about Greenland  until Trump brought it up. Even though hes approaching it in his usual ham-handed way, it appears he has a point. Russia and China dont play fair, so if we have to play hardball to maintain our security and keep them from establishing a foothold on the island, I say go for it.

Eric Foster, columnist:

It may come as a shock, but the idea of America acquiring Greenland is not new. The idea was floated in as early as 1867, after we acquired Alaska from Russia. Nonetheless, why would we want the responsibility of running a distant nation? We have enough trouble managing what we have now. It makes more sense to keep the country close as a strategic ally.

Lisa Garvin, editorial board member:

American diplomacy has been replaced with bullying. Its true that, in a warming and increasingly polarized world, Greenlands location and natural resources are key to international security. But U.S. officials arriving uninvited and trashing Denmark is an unmistakable shot across the bow. Instead of working toward a mutually beneficial arrangement, Trump is acting like a Mafia boss while the rest of the world wonders when theyll be next.

Victor Ruiz, editorial board member:

I dont believe this is really about America, its about Trump, his cronies, and their personal gain. Whats truly concerning is the threat of taking over other countries. Trump clearly sees himself as a king, so is this part of his imperialist fantasies? How many more countries are on his list? And do truly we believe that the world will sit idly by?

Mary Cay Doherty, editorial board member:

Trumps idle invasion threats are counterproductive. But Greenland, Denmark, and Europe should support our quest to purchase the island. Given its economic reliance on Denmark, Greenland clearly needs foreign capital investment. If China steps into that role, the safety and security of the United States and Western Europe will be imperiled. U.S. ownership of Greenland is the most powerful deterrent against undue Chinese Arctic influence.

Elizabeth Sullivan, opinion director:

As China already practices, luring countries with honey (road-building and other good works) is a far better technique than hammer-and-tong threats. Granted, theres no honey in President Trumps toolbox, but it would behoove him to grasp the positive dynamic that a less belligerent approach could create.

Have something to say about this topic?

* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this Editorial Board Roundtable to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com
Howmet Aerospace , which supplies parts for planes built by Airbus and Boeing , may halt some shipments if they are impacted by tariffs announced by President Donald Trump, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

Pittsburgh-based Howmet said in the letter to customers that it has declared a force majeure event, a legal practice that allows parties to a contract to avoid their obligations if hit by unavoidable and unpredictable external circumstances.

"Howmet will be excused from supplying any products or services that are impacted by this declared national emergency and/or the tariff executive order," Howmet wrote in the letter.

Howmet declined to comment.

Howmet is a supplier of critical metal components used across the $150 billion jetliner industry.

Boeing and Airbus did not immediately reply to requests for comment on the letter, which three industry sources said went to multiple firms across the aerospace sector.

It appeared to be the first such maneuver by a major aerospace company since the tariff announcement, one of the sources said.

Howmet's rare legal declaration does not mean that supplies will automatically be halted or disrupted but opens the door to the supplier potentially claiming it cannot meet its contracts if impacted by the emergency order.

The letter left room for negotiations over sharing the cost of tariffs, saying Howmet would work with customers "including discussing your interest in alleviating the impact of the Tariff Executive Order on Howmet."

The three industry sources said any successful declaration of force majeure could ripple through the supply chain as companies attempt to pass on the burden.

The move is the latest wrinkle in a hard-hit aerospace supply chain where some companies now face higher costs due to U.S. tariffs on imported aluminum and steel along with fresh duties expected to hit imports from other countries.

On Wednesday, Trump cited trade deficits as a national emergency when he announced tariffs with rates ranging from 10% to around 50%, escalating a dispute that has rattled investors and fed fears of a coming recession.

Aerospace companies typically contest such maneuvers, two of the sources said, adding that the success of Howmet's move would hinge on the degree to which the tariffs were unpredictable, given that Trump had referred to them in his election campaign last year.
Mustafa Suleyman, chief executive officer of Microsoft AI, speaks during an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the company at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on April 4, 2025.

Microsoft owns lots of Nvidia graphics processing units, but it isn't using them to develop state-of-the-art artificial intelligence models.

There are good reasons for that position, Mustafa Suleyman, the company's CEO of AI, told CNBC's Steve Kovach in an interview on Friday. Waiting to build models that are "three or six months behind" offers several advantages, including lower costs and the ability to concentrate on specific use cases, Suleyman said.

It's "cheaper to give a specific answer once you've waited for the first three or six months for the frontier to go first. We call that off-frontier," he said. "That's actually our strategy, is to really play a very tight second, given the capital-intensiveness of these models."

Suleyman made a name for himself as a co-founder of DeepMind, the AI lab that Google bought in 2014, reportedly for $400 million to $650 million. Suleyman arrived at Microsoft last year alongside other employees of the startup Inflection, where he had been CEO.

More than ever, Microsoft counts on relationships with other companies to grow.

It gets AI models from San Francisco startup OpenAI and supplemental computing power from newly public CoreWeave in New Jersey. Microsoft has repeatedly enriched Bing, Windows and other products with OpenAI's latest systems for writing human-like language and generating images.

Microsoft's Copilot will gain "memory" to retain key facts about people who repeatedly use the assistant, Suleyman said Friday at an event in Microsoft's Redmond, Washington, headquarters to commemorate the company's 50th birthday. That feature came first to OpenAI's ChatGPT, which has 500 million weekly users.

Through ChatGPT, people can access top-flight large language models such as the o1 reasoning model that takes time before spitting out an answer. OpenAI introduced that capability in September  only weeks later did Microsoft bring a similar capability called Think Deeper to Copilot.

Microsoft occasionally releases open-source small-language models that can run on PCs. They don't require powerful server GPUs, making them different from OpenAI's o1.

OpenAI and Microsoft have held a tight relationship shortly after the startup launched its ChatGPT chatbot in late 2022, effectively kicking off the generative AI race. In total, Microsoft has invested $13.75 billion in the startup, but more recently, fissures in the relationship between the two companies have begun to show.

Microsoft added OpenAI to its list of competitors in July 2024, and OpenAI in January announced that it was working with rival cloud provider Oracle on the $500 billion Stargate project. That came after years of OpenAI exclusively relying on Microsoft's Azure cloud. Despite OpenAI partnering with Oracle, Microsoft in a blog post announced that the startup had "recently made a new, large Azure commitment."

"Look, it's absolutely mission-critical that long-term, we are able to do AI self-sufficiently at Microsoft," Suleyman said. "At the same time, I think about these things over five and 10 year periods. You know, until 2030 at least, we are deeply partnered with OpenAI, who have [had an] enormously successful relationship for us.

Microsoft is focused on building its own AI internally, but the company is not pushing itself to build the most cutting-edge models, Suleyman said.

"We have an incredibly strong AI team, huge amounts of compute, and it's very important to us that, you know, maybe we don't develop the absolute frontier, the best model in the world first," he said. "That's very, very expensive to do and unnecessary to cause that duplication."

WATCH: Microsoft Copilot beginning of a seismic shift in AI integration, says Microsoft AI CEO Suleyman
The SpaceX logo is shown on a Falcon 9 rocket as it is prepared for launch to carry NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin to the International Space Station at the Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., March 2, 2024.

Elon Musk's SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin on Friday won U.S. Space Force rocket launch contracts worth a combined $13.5 billion through 2029 to send some of the Pentagon's most sensitive and complex satellites into space.

The Space Force's flagship National Security Space Launch procurement program will assign roughly 54 missions through 2029 in incremental task orders, according to its Space Systems Command office.

SpaceX, awarded 28 of the missions, won $5.9 billion. ULA, the joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin , won $5.3 billion for 19 missions. Blue Origin got seven missions worth a combined $2.3 billion, with those planned for launch in a later year.

Reuters earlier reported SpaceX and ULA were tapped for the awards.

The program, the most competitive and lucrative U.S. launch effort, effectively affirms the companies as the most capable American rocket providers, though Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket has launched once in January and has less experience than SpaceX's and ULA's rockets.

SpaceX, with its Falcon 9 rocket, is the world's most active launch company. It has launched dozens of military space missions in recent years. The company said it will use Falcon 9 and its more powerful Falcon Heavy  three Falcon cores strapped together  for the Phase 3 missions.

ULA's new Vulcan rocket had its first two launches last year. The Pentagon certified Vulcan for national security missions this month after months of review into a mishap with its solid rocket motors during one of its flights.

The awards are part of the Phase 3 program's "Lane 2" track. That track contains the Pentagon's most difficult and expensive missions, involving a variety of complex orbits around Earth, for which only the top U.S. launch companies with the most experience are to compete.

SpaceX, according to two people familiar with the plans, will get a vast majority of the missions ordered by the Space Force in the first year of the program. The company's launch rate with Falcon 9 is far greater than ULA and Blue Origin's.

SpaceX CEO, Musk, a special government employee and close ally of President Donald Trump, has wielded enormous influence over the U.S. government, from slashing federal agencies in his government efficiency effort to pushing allies to lead federal agencies that oversee billions of dollars' worth of SpaceX government contracts.

Friday's awards have been years in the making. It is a third phase of a program governing how the U.S. Defense Department purchases rides to space for its military and intelligence satellites, a lucrative area of government procurement once dominated by the Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint venture, United Launch Alliance.

SpaceX has risen in the past decade to become a dominant launch player. Its reusable Falcon 9 rockets offer a cost-cutting capability its rivals have been slower to match, making the company a key vendor for the Pentagon, which is also increasingly reliant on the company for satellite-based military intelligence.

In an earlier phase of the national security launch program, Phase 2, SpaceX won 40% of the missions while ULA got 60%, representing over $6 billion in missions combined.

Some missions originally assigned to ULA under Phase 2 had to be transferred to SpaceX over development delays with ULA's Vulcan rocket, which had frustrated Pentagon officials.

"We are very pleased to be awarded 40 percent of the Phase 3 procurement," ULA CEO Tory Bruno said in a statement. "Vulcan is the right choice for critical national security space missions and is the only rocket today designed to meet all the requirements of our nation's space launch needs."

With SpaceX emerging as a dominant winner in the program, Musk nonetheless took a jab at SpaceX's rivals on X, his social media platform.

"Winning 60% of the missions may sound generous, but the reality is that all SpaceX competitors combined cannot currently deliver the other 40%! I hope they succeed, but they aren't there yet," he said.
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Trucks are shown from a drone view after clearing U.S. Customs and entering the United States from Tijuana along the U.S. Mexico border at Otay Mesa port in San Diego, California, U.S. April 2, 2025. Mike Blake | Reuters

DETROIT  As President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on imported vehicles were set to take effect, executives at Ford Motor scrambled to figure out how to respond to the new levies. While they and their industry counterparts are still trying to navigate the impacts, Ford decided to move quickly in one area by offering an employee pricing program  called "From America, For America"  for U.S. consumers. Such programs have historically been controversial, as they sell vehicles close to or lower than invoice prices for dealers and eat away at already tight profit margins for the retailers. But Ford decided the time was right to launch the program to promote its U.S. operations  the largest among automakers  and assist sales amid consumer concerns and economic uncertainty due to Trump's tariffs. "We understand that these are uncertain times for many Americans. Whether it's navigating the complexities of a changing economy or simply needing a reliable vehicle for your family, we want to help," Ford said in a statement Thursday morning announcing the program. "We have the retail inventory to do this and a lot of choice for customers that need a vehicle." It's an example of how some automakers are attempting to find "opportunity in the chaos" or trying to "capitalize on the moment" amid the tariffs, as several industry analysts told CNBC.

"I absolutely love it. I think it's going to drive sales," said Ford dealer Marc McEver, owner of Olathe Ford Lincoln near Kansas City, Kansas. "It's really exciting to see Ford step up and take the lead on this program. I think it's a great play.  It's truly a real deal for the customer." Ford, which is helping retailers financially with the program, told dealers about it a day ahead of the tariffs taking effect Thursday. It publicly announced the new program  which runs through June 2  hours after the levies began. Heading into the tariffs, Ford also was largely viewed by Wall Street analysts as being one of the best-positioned automakers because of its large U.S. production footprint, specifically for trucks. Ford's stock fared better than its rivals this week, closing the week down by 1.4%. That compares with Chrysler parent Stellantis losing 14.2% and General Motors dropping 5.4% for the week.

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Others are following Ford's strategy, which also is assisted by vehicle prices and profits being higher since the Covid pandemic. Crosstown rival Stellantis on Friday announced a similar employee-pricing program, while Hyundai Motor said it would not raise prices for at least two months to ease consumer concerns. "It makes sense that they would try to capitalize on the moment," said Erin Keating, executive analyst at Cox Automotive. Keating points out that with Ford and Stellantis  the latter of which is based in Europe but has major operations and brands in the U.S.  it's a reminder to consumers that they're "domestic" companies. The automakers also have inventory, including older models, that they need to sell to make way for newer vehicles. "Making room for those new vehicles to come into the showroom and trying to maintain that market share makes a lot of sense," Keating said. "Anyone who's able to beat the price out there right now, with the level of demand, is going to be able to hold on to their market share longer than others, and perhaps capture something from those that aren't willing to meet the customer where they are right now." Ford and Stellantis brands such as Ram Trucks and Jeep have among the highest days' supply of vehicle inventories in the automotive industry, according to Cox Automotive. The two companies also were among the only major automakers this week to report notable drops in first-quarter vehicle sales. Stellantis was off roughly 12%, while Ford was down 1.3% from a year earlier. Cox reports the national days' supply vehicle average was 89 days, while those brands were between 110 days and 130 days. The auto industry has historically considered a healthy days' supply to be between 60 days to 80 days. In light of the tariffs and fears for potential price increases, demand for vehicles has been high. Consumers flocked to dealer showrooms at the end of last month as Trump confirmed the tariffs would be coming, leading to significant sales gains for many automakers.

A Ford Raptor pickup truck is displayed for sale at a Ford dealership on August 21, 2024 in Glendale, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images
Elon Musk has been promising investors for about a decade that Tesla's cars are on the verge of turning into robotaxis, capable of driving themselves cross-country, after one big software update.

That hasn't happened yet.

What Tesla offers is a sophisticated, but only partially automated, driving system that's marketed in the U.S. as its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) option, though many Tesla fans refer to it as FSD. In China, Tesla recently changed the system's name to "intelligent assisted driving."

Full Self-Driving, as it was previously called, relies on cameras and software to enable features like automatic navigation on highways and city streets, or automatic braking and slowing in response to traffic lights and stop signs.

Tesla owner's manuals warn users that FSD "is a hands-on feature" that requires them to pay attention to the road at all times. "Keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times, be mindful of road conditions and surrounding traffic," the manuals say.

But many of Tesla's customers ignore the fine print and use the system hands-free anyway.

Tesla's partially automated driving systems have been a source of inspiration for its stalwart fans. But they've also caused controversy and concern for public safety after reports of injurious and fatal collisions where Tesla's standard Autopilot or premium FSD systems were known to be in use.

FSD does a lot of things "amazingly well," said Guy Mangiamele, a professional test driver for automotive consulting firm AMCI Testing, during a recent long drive in Los Angeles. But he added that "the times that it trips up, you could kill somebody or you could hurt yourself."

The pressure has never been higher on Tesla to elevate the technology and deliver on Musk's long-delayed promises.

The Tesla CEO is the wealthiest person in the world and was the biggest financial backer of President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign. Since Trump's January inauguration, Musk has been leading the administration's Department of Government Efficiency effort to drastically slash the federal workforce and government spending.

The DOGE team has been connected to more than 280,000 layoff plans for federal workers and contractors impacting 27 agencies over the last two months, according to data tracked by Challenger Gray, the executive outplacement firm.

Musk's work with DOGE  along with his frequently incendiary political rhetoric and endorsement of Germany's far-right, anti-immigrant party AfD  has led to a tremendous backlash against Tesla.

Protests, boycotts and even criminal acts of vandalism have targeted the electric vehicle maker in recent months and led many prospective Tesla customers to turn to other brands. Meanwhile, existing Tesla owners have been trading in their EVs at record levels, according to data from Edmunds.

Tesla's stock dropped 36% through the first three months of 2025, representing its steepest decline since 2022 and third-biggest slide for any quarter since the EV maker went public in June 2010. Tesla also reported 336,681 vehicle deliveries in the first quarter of 2025, a 13% decline from the same period a year ago.

Product unveilings and a "robotaxi launch" expected from Tesla in Austin, Texas, this year could revitalize investors' sentiment about the company and hopefully lift its share price, Piper Sandler analysts wrote in a note following the worse-than-expected deliveries report.

On Tesla's last earnings call, Musk promised investors that Tesla will finally start its driverless ride-hailing service in Austin in June.

To see whether the company's FSD technology is anywhere close to a robotaxi-ready release, CNBC spent months riding along with Tesla owners who use Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and speaking with automotive safety experts about their impressions.

Auto-tech enthusiast and Tesla owner Chris Lee, host of the YouTube channel EverydayChris, told CNBC that Tesla's system "definitely has a ways to go, but the fact that it's able to go from where it was three years ago to today, is insane."

Many experts, including Telemetry Vice President of Market Research Sam Abuelsamid, remain skeptical. There's been "no evidence" that FSD is "anywhere close to being ready to be used in an unsupervised form" by June, said Abuelsamid, whose firms specializes in automotive intelligence.

Tesla FSD will "often work really well, particularly in daytime conditions" but then "randomly, in a scenario where it did fine previously, it will fail," said Abuelsamid, adding that those scenarios can be unpredictable and dangerous.

Watch the video to learn more about the evolution of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and whether it will be robotaxi-ready this June.
The U.S. Capitol building viewed through the bars of standard barricades in Washington, U.S., April 4, 2025.

The U.S. Senate approved a Republican budget blueprint early on Saturday that aims to extend trillions of dollars worth of President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts and sharply reduce government spending.

The vote, following an all-night legislative session, unlocks a maneuver that will allow Republicans to bypass the Senate's filibuster and pass the tax cuts later this year without Democratic votes.

Non-partisan analysts say the measure, if enacted, would add about $5.7 trillion to the federal government's debt over the next decade. Senate Republicans contend the cost is $1.5 trillion, saying that the effects of extending existing tax policy that was scheduled to expire at the end of this year should not be counted in the measure's cost.

The measure also aims to raise the federal government's debt ceiling by $5 trillion, a move Congress has to make by summer or risk defaulting on $36.6 trillion in debt. It aims to partly offset the deficit-raising costs of tax cuts by cutting spending. Democrats have warned that Republican targets would imperil the Medicaid health insurance program for low-income Americans.

Republican Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, warned that allowing the 2017 tax cuts to expire would hit Americans hard.

"The average taxpayer would see a 22% tax hike. A family of four making $80,610, the median income in the United States, would see a $1,695 tax increase," Graham said. The 2017 cuts, Trump's signature legislative achievement in his first term, cut the top corporate tax cut to 21% from 35%, a move that is not set to expire.

The balance of the cuts, for individual Americans, were set to expire, a decision made to limit the 2017 bill's deficit-raising effects.

"The Republican bill that now sits before the Senate is poison," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, of New York, said on Friday. "But as Americans learn that Republicans are doing it simply to give tax cuts to the ultra-rich, an electric shock is going to go through the American people."
Germany is considering the removal of its gold reserves stored in New York due to concerns over US President Donald Trumps policy unpredictability, Yahoo News reported, citing German publication Bild.For decades, Germany has stored around 1,200 tonnes of its goldabout 30% of its total reservesdeep within the vaults of the US Federal Reserve in Manhattan.These reserves, currently valued at approximately 113 billion (9.83 lakh crore), were historically kept overseas to ensure quick dollar liquidity during financial emergencies.However, senior members of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which is expected to play a major role in Germany's next government, are rethinking that strategy.According to Bild, the move is driven by fears that Washington can no longer be considered a consistently reliable partner.Of course, the question has arisen again, said Marco Wanderwitz, a former German minister and CDU member who has long advocated for either regular inspections or the repatriation of the gold.CDU European Parliament member Markus Ferber echoed this view, stating, I demand regular checks of Germanys gold reserves. Official representatives of the Bundesbank must personally count the bars and document their results.Both politicians made their remarks before Trumps recent decision to impose sweeping tariffs on the European Union, a move likely to harden Germanys stance.Michael Jager from the Taxpayers Association of Europe also supported relocation, suggesting that Germany should bring all gold reserves to Frankfurt or at least to Europe as quickly as possible.Germanys gold holdings, accumulated largely through post-World War II export surpluses under the Bretton Woods system, are the second-largest in the worldtrailing only the United States, according to the report.
Fun fact: Mauritius was discovered by the Arabs. In the early 16th century, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to visit the island which was successively colonised by the Dutch, the French and the British. The country gained independence in 1968.

Summer vacations are a time for families to bond, relax, and have some fun together. And what better way to do that than by exploring one of the best destinations in the world. Mauritius is a beautiful and an exciting destinations to enjoy a good vacation with children. (Image: Shutterstock)



Planning a tropical escape to Mauritius but not sure about how to get a tourist visa quickly and easily from India? Then you've landed at the right place. Now you can experience the white-sandy beaches, and turquoise lagoons without needing to apply for a tourist visa in advance. The East African island offers free visa-on-arrival to Indian passport holders for up to 60 days. The visa is issued at the immigration counter at the airport once you land in Mauritius.Once you land at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in Mauritius, head to the immigration counter.Submit the necessary documents required for getting a tourist visa.After all the verification and interrogation, the stamp will be issued on the passport.A person should have a passport valid for at least 6 months from their date of entry.You need to have a return ticket as proof.Show evidence of a confirmed hotel reservation or if staying at a relative's place, show an invitation letter from them.You need to provide bank statements for the last 3 months.Two recent passport-size photos.There should be at least two blank pages in the passport.When travelling with both parents, a copy of each parent's and the child's ID or citizen card should be sent with the application.If just one parent is going, a copy of both parents and the child's ID or citizen card is required. Additionally, the parent who will not be travelling with the child must provide a letter (original copy attested) allowing the child to go with the other parent.When travelling with other family members or friends, both parents must consent and the person accompanying the child must show identification.Indian tourists do not have to pay any charges for a tourist visa on arrival in Mauritius. It's just that a person should return within 60 days and have sufficient funds to travel. The immigration officers expect tourists to have $100 (approximately60,000 for each day they plan to stay.
To attract more visitors from India, Oman is looking to promote the country as a prime destination for corporate events and special celebrations like destination weddings, a senior official Tourism Oman told PTI. The strategy primarily targets the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector, with many Indian clients already recognising Oman as a feasible and attractive option, Arjun Chadha, Country Manager for Oman Tourism in India said.The goal is to increase participation in corporate travel and weddings to build a loyal base of clients who regularly organise MICE events in Oman, he added. Oman continues to showcase its diverse tourism offerings for Indian travellers, which contributed to around 6,00,000 Indian visitors to the country in 2023. In September of the previous year, the Omani embassy launched the "A Journey to Explore Oman" campaign, with the ambition of increasing Indian tourist arrivals to 7,00,000.Chadha pointed out the positive trend in the growing number of Indian tourists visiting the Gulf nation. Beyond its expansive deserts, Oman is home to three distinctive regions, each offer their own unique appeal: Muscat, the lively capital; Salalah, famed for its lush greenery and waterfalls; and Jabal Akhdar, known for its stunning mountains and valleys.In August 2024, Omans Ministry of Heritage and Tourism designated India as one of its primary source markets outside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. To capitalise on this, Oman Tourism is leveraging factors such as its geographical proximity, streamlined visa processes, and targeted promotional activities, including roadshows in major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata.Chadha emphasised Oman's focus on tourism as a key component of the nations development in the coming years. "While corporates regularly book MICE events, Oman also offers varied options for personal experiences, including the rising trend of destination weddings, he said.One of the key attractions for couples is the Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Muscat, which draws many due to its historical and royal significance. Chadha mentioned that a growing number of Indian couples have chosen this iconic venue for their weddings in recent years, and he expects that number to continue rising.In addition to this, several other venues across Oman are perfect for beach weddings, supported by resorts offering vast spaces. Omans large Indian community also adds strength to its hospitality sector, ensuring quality services for Indian tourists.Salalah, located in Omans southern region, is also a prime destination for large events, such as corporate meetings, product launches, and weddings. Muscats proximity, just four hours from Dubai by road, also appeals to travellers wishing to explore both destinations, Chadha said.
President Donald Trumps global tariffs are convincing Austria to ditch its long-time opposition to a trade deal between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc.Economy Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer is now urging the European Commission to prepare a final agreement and ratification process for the free-trade deal signed in December, which seeks to create an integrated market of 780 million consumers in Europe and Latin America.We should evaluate the Mercosur agreement in a completely new context, Hattmannsdorfer said in a statement on Saturday. We need this agreement now.The shift means theres one fewer European nation opposing the pact that followed 20 years of negotiations. Some European countries, including France and Poland, have said they wont accept the agreement due to its potential impact on farmers, raising questions over its implementation.It also shows how Trumps onslaught on the global economic order is pushing nations to adapt on the fly, including by forging new trade alliances and seeking markets for export goods that may no longer reach the US.EU trade ministers are due to meet on Monday to discuss the US measures. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised a firm and proportionate response, but has also indicated that the EU would prefer to avoid a confrontation and instead find a negotiated solution in the coming weeks.Hattmannsdorfers comments are all the more remarkable as they come from a minister appointed by the conservative Peoples Party, which is deeply rooted in rural Austria and has been wary of damaging farmers, against the backdrop of surging popularity for the far-right Freedom Party.Austrias government is looking to pull the economy out of what will likely be a third year of recession, while also narrowing a budget deficit and helping an industrial sector hurt by tariffs and high energy costs.The objections to the original agreement are understandable, said Hattmannsdorfer, 45, who took up his post in March. But the advantages and opportunities for Austria as an exporter will outweigh these objections, he said.Mercosur, the regional economic market established in 1991, has five full members - Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Venezuelas full membership has been suspended since 2016. Seven other countries in South and Central America are associate members.
China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) said on Friday that it has decided to suspend the exports of poultry meat from some U.S. firms to China as well as suspend the qualifications of some U.S. firms to export certain products to China.

Effective April 4, China will suspend the qualification of C&D (USA) Inc. to export sorghum to China. It will also suspend the qualifications of three other U.S. firms, namely American Proteins, Inc., Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. and Darling Ingredients Inc., to export poultry meat and bone meal to China, the GAC said.

The decision came after Chinese customs detected excessive levels of zearalenone and mold in imported U.S. sorghum, and salmonella in imported U.S. poultry meat and bone meal, the GAC said in a statement, adding that the suspension aims to protect the health of Chinese consumers and the safety of animal husbandry sector in China.

In a separate announcement, the GAC also announced the immediate suspension of poultry meat imports from the two U.S. companies of Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. and Coastal Processing, LLC.

The GAC said that this suspension follows the Chinese customs' detection on several occasions of the prohibited drug furacillin in imported U.S. chicken products and that the suspension decision is to protect the health and safety of consumers.

An official with the GAC said that the suspension of poultry meat import from the two U.S. companies would help prevent food safety risks from the source, and the decision was made in accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations and international standards.

"The above measures taken by the General Administration of Customs are necessary precautions to ensure food safety, and they are reasonable and in line with international norms," the official said.
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Whisper it, because that's what the Prime Minister prefers to do. But his No-Drama-Starmer approach to diplomacy is starting to pay off.

'We can't slap ourselves on the back,' a senior government insider told me in response to the news the UK was escaping the worst of Donald Trump's tariff wrath. 'It's still going to have a negative effect on us. But we got off more lightly than anyone else in the G7 and the EU. And that shows our work is having some impact.'

Another sign Starmer's unlikely bromance with the hero of the MAGA movement is bearing fruit came with the news Trump had formally rubber-stamped his controversial Chagos deal.

When Trump won re-election, it was widely predicted the agreement struck with the outgoing Joe Biden and Mauritius administrations would be torn up. But some deft massaging of the infamously fragile presidential ego  coupled with some skilful behind-the-scenes wrangling from Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Washington ambassador Peter Mandelson  persuaded Trump to sign on the dotted line.

And there may be even better news to come. Some government insiders say serious progress is being made towards delivering on the Holy Grail  a bespoke trade deal with the United States.

'Wednesday's tariff announcement was never a hard deadline for us,' a minister told me. 'Peter [Mandelson] thinks the framework for a deal is now there. The signs are positive.'

Downing Street sources are keen to downplay the suggestion any announcement is imminent, instead emphasising the work Starmer is doing to cushion the impact of the tariff after-shock.

Car manufacturers will be given greater flexibility on the phasing out of non-electric vehicles, while the Prime Minister has ordered ministers and officials to accelerate efforts to establish relationships beyond the main global trading blocs.

Sir Keir Starmer met President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington in February

'Keir's view is we can't just look to the EU and the US any more,' one ally told me. 'We're going to need to start diversifying our relationships.'

But a No 10 source confirmed direct talks with the Trump administration continued on Friday. And there is a belief within government that if that elusive trade deal could be secured it would represent an economic and political game-changer.

'The Tories had the best part of a decade to deliver Brexit,' another minister told me, 'and they failed. Theresa May couldn't get a US trade deal. Boris couldn't. Truss couldn't. Sunak couldn't.

'If we get to turn round and say, 'Keir did it. He's the man who really can get Brexit done', it'll leave the Tories and Reform floundering.'

Possibly. But any deal would come at a potentially heavy price.

Allies of Starmer claim his strategy for dealing with Trump is guided by one principle: delivering results for the British people, rather than grandstanding.

'We think the public see what we're doing is exclusively motivated by what we think is in their interests,' a government source claimed. 'There's no point just shouting for the sake of it.'

But what the Prime Minister and his Cabinet believe is in voters' interests, and what they see as in their interests, is not necessarily the same thing.

President Trump with the King - then the Prince of Wales - at Clarence House in 2019

Everyone I've spoken to connected with the US trade negotiations concedes a deal is unlikely unless it contains a cut in the Digital Services Tax, which is levied on the US tech giants. And the prospect of such a cut  which would be seen as providing a tax break for billionaires such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos just at the time ministers are axing support for pensioners and the disabled  is petrifying Labour MPs.

'Oh God!' one Labour MP in a marginal Red Wall seat exclaimed. 'That would be very problematic for a lot of people. It would basically communicate to our voters that Trump has got us by the gonads.'

The dilemma facing No 10 is just how far Starmer can go in cultivating a relationship  actually, let us be honest, debasing himself  with Trump in the national interest, without the nation turning away in total disgust.

Some ministers are already warning of the backlash that will accompany the State visit which would almost certainly have to coincide with any trade agreement. Especially given there are rumours circulating within Westminster that the King is less than enamoured at the idea, following Trump's threats towards Canada, a leading member of the Commonwealth.

'What's it going to look like,' one minister remarked, 'if we're seen to be using a King who's in the middle of cancer treatment as bait to deliver a trade deal? The optics will be terrible.'

But other ministers are becoming worried at more than some unflattering photocalls.

I spent last week in Israel, where a series of political, diplomatic and military sources confirmed they are actively preparing for a joint US/Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Which is in turn raising the spectre of re-run of the Blair/Bush Iraq debacle.

'It would be a nightmare for Keir,' one minister explained. 'The party's already on the brink of revolt over Gaza. If he decides to line up with Trump and Israel to attack Iran it's all going to boil over.'

There is one other key problem for Keir Starmer in investing his economic and diplomatic hopes in Donald Trump  he would be doing so at a time when the US President literally appears to be going stark staring mad.

The threats to subjugate Greenland and Canada. The decision to impose tariffs on the penguins of the Heard and McDonald Islands. The angry denunciation of European beef as 'weak'.

At the beginning of the Trump administration there was a belief there was at least some rationality in his decision-making. But as the architecture of the US government that kept him broadly in check during his first term has been stripped away, there appears to be no circuit breaker within the White House.

Those closest to him  or who claimed to be close to him  such as Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, confidently predicted the bluster and bombast of the election campaign would be quietly set aside.

'I don't believe he will cave in to Putin. I believe he has the guts and clarity to back Ukraine  as he has in the past,' Boris wrote just before the presidential inauguration.

It was a fantasy. So given those who know Trump no longer know him at all, what chance does Keir Starmer  a political, ideological and philosophical stranger  really have of shaping that increasingly maniacal MAGA mind?

The Prime Minister will pay a price if he isolates himself from Donald Trump. But the price of keeping him close may well prove significantly higher.
A two-time North Korean defector broke down in tears as he recalled his tragic life growing up in the dictatorship - where he claims he was brutally tortured by the regime.

In an interview with LADbible TV on YouTube, Timothy Cho, who grew up in a small town of 10,000 people near the Chinese border, opened up about living in the 'prison country' and how he eventually escaped.

Timothy's parents abandoned him when he was just nine years old, leaving him homeless and battling starvation. Through tears, he remembered being forced to go to public executions at just 11 years old.

Incredibly, he managed to escape but said he was captured by the Chinese Army and brutally tortured for his defection.

However, he finally gained freedom thanks to the actions of a 13-year-old student who saved his life by writing a letter which got picked up by international media.

Recalling being forced to go to public executions at just 11 years old, he said: 'Hundreds of people gathered, but specifically, they told all children to sit at the front of the crowd, children.

'And the man tied up on the post. He was a criminal because he helped three North Korean women to cross the border to China. So, three policemen, each with an AK-47.

'The first bullet, it went into the eyes. The eyes were covered, and the bullet popped out of the eyes.

Timothy Cho (pictured), who grew up in a small town of 10,000 people near the Chinese border, broke down in tears as he recalled his tragic life growing up in the dictatorship

'And second, three bullets went into the belly button, where the belly was tied up as well. And third, was on the knee. Now, the body was falling into a hole that was prepared.'

When Timothy was nine years old, his parents, who were both high school teachers, fled the country after hearing that they were politically persecuted and would end up in a prison camp.

Timothy recalled arriving home from school to realise his parents had abandoned him.

He said: 'From the day when I came back from school, I could see they had left. And I ran to the train station, the train was gone.

'And I sat down at the railway and cried and cried. And then the next day, the reality came. I went to my uncle's house. I thought they might be able to look after me.

'I went on the train in cold weather and, on my arrival, went to my uncle's house. I could see sweet cornbread and soup on the table. It was quite warm.

'You feel hungry, you feel relieved thinking you were able to eat. My auntie and uncle were there. They would not ask me if I had eaten at all.'

Timothy explained that in Korean culture if someone had travelled a long way, they would usually be provided with food and a bed for the night, but his relatives were unable to offer him food as they were going through a 'hard time'.

He said: 'So I left my uncle's house in tears. And then went to the market picking up food on the floor. So, the memory was many years ago, but it remains deep.

'I don't blame them. And I have seen many kids die of starvation on the streets. And even myself, I often slept in train containers or on the bridge, at the station.'

Timothy's parents abandoned him when he was aged just nine, leaving him living on the streets and battling starvation (featured in The Daily Star)

Timothy said he lived for a 'few years' on the streets before going to his grandmother's house to work on her farm.

He said: 'It was a few years of my life with my grandmother. It was one of the best moments. I did ask my grandmother so many times, ''Why are my parents gone?''

'I didn't understand at that time, which I now understand. And then she was crying with me. There was love. She was like my mum, yeah, until I escaped from the country.'

When Timothy finished high school, he made the brave decision to escape by crossing the Tumen River into China at night with five other people.

Once they arrived in China, the group parted ways, and Timothy attempted to cross the Mongolian border, where he was captured and arrested by the Chinese army.

Timothy's escape was seen as a 'political treason act', and he was sent back to North Korea for 'punishment'.

He said: 'The police were waiting for us and was swearing at us. 'B*****ds. You betrayed your dear leader's country. And we were all tied up with our hands and legs. Now, I was in a prison cell. In my prison cell, I had around 50 people.

'The rest of my life, I'll never forget what I saw there. And things happened to me. The painful stuff which I still have on my body. By the time when I was sent to my grandmother's house I couldn't walk, I couldn't sit down.'

Despite this, Timothy attempted to escape again, and his friend's mother helped him escape into China for the second time. From there, he travelled to Shanghai with eight other defectors.

The group went to an American school in Shanghai, which they thought would help them leave China safely.

He said: '[We] Went inside the school. And we had a paper [with writing saying] that ''we're North Korean escapees, please help us''.

Since arriving in the UK he has received a BA in International Relations and Politics from the University of Salford and an MA in International Relations and Security from the University of Liverpool (pictured with James Cleverly)

'And school was now panicking, as you can imagine. Public school, all these school children, young children were all coming and watching us, standing there.

'The school principal came and say to us and said ''I'm gonna have a chat with someone and come back to you guys.'' He probably made a call with the US Embassy in Beijing.'

The Chinese police 'used force' to drag them into the police van, even 'beating the women' with Timothy while the school children watched on in tears.

Later, Timothy said he attempted suicide in the police station toilet because he didn't want to be killed by the regime. But he later woke up in a prison cell in China.

He said: 'After a couple of months, two men visited me in the prison. I first thought they were from North Korean embassy.

'And they were actually smiling at me. And that smile didn't look like from North Korean embassy. But one guy was a South Korean diplomat, and the other guy was a Westerner. I wasn't sure where he came from.

'But they came and told me, ''You have very good news.'' The Chinese government made the very unusual decision to deport me and my group to the Philippines instead of North Korea.'

Timothy learned that a 13-year-old student from the American school in Shanghai wrote an email to a reporter begging her to do something to help the group.

He said: 'That little girl wrote, "We were traumatised watching the arrest, and beaten of the group who were dragged into police vans. And we were young and powerless. We were in tears, and couldn't do anything. As a reporter, could you please do something?'

Timothy now lives in the UK, where he has studied at Salford and Liverpool universities

'And that little girl's email touched the reporter's heart. And then she urged CNN, Washington Post, BBC, and all the international media to press on the Chinese government to not send us back to North Korea because we would be killed.'

Timothy said the story led to human rights groups and religious groups protesting in front of the Chinese government.

He and the eight other escapees were given diplomatic passports and given refugee status in the Philippines.

From the Philippines he continued his journey to find a democratic life, eventually settling in the UK.

In 2004, he arrived in the UK aged 18, and said the immigration officers started tearing up when he explained what he had been through to them upon arrival.

Since arriving in the UK, he has gained a BA in International Relations and Politics from the University of Salford and an MA in International Relations and Security from the University of Liverpool.
Los Angeles is known for its glitz and glamour.

From the Beverley Hills Hotel to the Four Seasons, there are many famous celeb-heavy spots that bring in thousands of tourists each year.

But few are as gristly or infamous as the former Cecil Hotel.

The establishment is located on the city's so-called Skid Row, where most of LA's homeless population sleeps, and was put on sale last year after being converted into an affordable housing complex by LA's city council.

It is just the latest instalment in the history of a building so macabre and shocking that it is difficult to believe.

The Cecil Hotel (renamed in 2011 to Stay on Main, though most used its former title) opened on December 20, 1924. With 700 rooms and decadent decor, it was a luxury establishment until the Great Depression of the 1930s, when it fell on hard times.

After this time, the once grand 14-storey hotel changed drastically. It adopted a more hostel-style model, where tenants rented cheap rooms, taking both short and long term stays.

The cheap rooms - which offered tenants shared bathrooms - alongside the hotel's location in a deprived, crime-ridden area meant that many of those staying there included criminals, those suffering through hard times, and sex workers.

It was in January 1927 that the first suicide took place at the hotel, when, according to reports, estate agent Percy Ormond Cook took his own life by shooting himself in the head, after the irretrievable breakdown of his relationship with his estranged wife and son.

Sadly, another three men would take their lives over the next 11 years.

The Hotel Cecil in Los Angeles (pictured in 2013) - renamed the Stay On Main - has a surprisingly macabre past

There have been at least 16 deaths at the Cecil Hotel since it opened in 1927, from suicides to accidents and murders

In 1931, WK Norton took poisonous pills. Three years later, in 1934, Army Sergeant Louis D. Borden died by suicide after slitting his throat. And in 1938, Roy Thompson, of the Marine Corps, leapt to his death from the building.

He would, sadly, not be the last person to die after falling from the building: a number of further deaths - some ruled as suicides and some as accidental occurred over the next few decades.

These deaths included the 1938 fall of Grace E Margo, the 1947 death of Robert Smith, and the 1954 tragedy of Helen Gurnee.

They were followed by Julia Frances Moore in 1962 and Alison Lowell in 1975. In 1992 and 2015, two unidentified men fell to their death.

A sinister death took place in September 1944, when a newborn baby boy was thrown from the hotel by his mother Dorothy Jean Purcell, 19. She later said she believed the baby was stillborn, though this was not corroborated by the coroner's findings.

While she was arrested and tried for the crime, Purcell was found not guilty of murder, due to reasons of insanity. Instead of being incarcerated in prison, she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital.

In 1947, one of the biggest mysteries linked to the hotel took place: the vicious murder of actress Elizabeth Short, 22. While it is not thought that she was killed at the hotel, it is thought that the crime may have some ties to the Cecil.

Elizabeth, whose case became known as the Black Dahlia murder, was last seen alive at the hotel according to unconfirmed reports, with claims (that some deny) that she was either a guest at the hostel or was drinking at its bar.

Aspiring actress Elizabeth Short (pictured in the 1940s) was murdered in 1947. Her body was found five miles away from the Cecil Hotel - according to some rumours, she had been seen at the hotel before going missing

Haunted history: Six people reportedly committed suicide in the hotel in the 1930s alone, while a teen mother threw her newborn baby out of the window after giving birth in 1944

After going missing on January 9, 1947, Elizabeth's body was found some five miles away from the Cecil, in an empty lot in the Leimert Park area. The crime had been violent, and her body was naked and mutilated.

Her body had been severed at the waist and completely drained of blood. Her face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth toward her ears, creating an effect known as a Glasgow smile.

Elizabeth also had multiple cuts on her thigh and breasts, where entire portions of flesh had been removed. The body had been washed and cleaned and had been posed with her hands over her head, her elbows bent at right angles, and her legs spread.

Despite ongoing interest in the case, and numerous theories, it remains unsolved - with the FBI saying that due to the passage of time, it is likely that the culprit will never be found.

In 1962, a tragic suicide became a homicide, when Pauline Otton, 27, leapt to her death from the building, landing on George Giannini, 65, who was walking on the pavement below. They both died instantly.

Just two years later, retired telephone operator, 'Pigeon' Goldie Osgood was found murdered in her room at the Cecil Hotel on June 4, 1964.

Osgood, who earned her nickname by feeding the pigeons at nearby Pershing Square, was raped, strangled, and fatally stabbed to death. A suspect was found walking nearby in bloodstained clothes, but he was later cleared. The crime remains unsolved.

Serial killer Richard Ramirez (known as The Night Stalker) who killed at least 13 people was known to stay at the Cecil Hotel

Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger (pictured) also lived in the notorious Cecil Hotel, around 1991

Among the hotel's most infamous guests were serial killer Richard Ramirez (known as The Night Stalker) and Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger.

Ramirez who killed at least 13 people in California in the mid-1980s, and he lived in a room on the hotel's 14th floor in 1985 before he was caught.

Richard Schave, who runs Esotouric bus tours in Los Angeles with his partner Kim Cooper, told CNN in 2013 that while Ramirez was staying at the Cecil, he was 'just dumping his bloody clothes in the dumpster at the end of his evening and going in the back entrance'.

Meanwhile, Unterweger was working as a journalist covering LA crime for an Austrian magazine when he checked into the hotel in 1991. He killed three sex workers in the city while staying there.

'We believe he was living at the Cecil in homage to Ramirez,' Schave said.

A more recent tragedy took place in 2013, when student 21-year-old Elisa Lam went missing while staying at the hotel.

She checked into the hotel on January 26, 2013, after traveling from British Columbia, Canada, where she was studying, on her way to Santa Cruz.

On January 31, Elisa stopped using her phone. She was last seen in surveillance footage on February 1, behaving strangely in the hotel elevator, appearing to hide from someone or something.

Elisa's naked body was found float in the hotel's water tank on the roof on February 19, 2013, after hotel guests complained the water tasted and smelled bad.

Police believe Elisa, who was bipolar and had been staying at the hotel, had been there for two weeks by the time she was found.

TRAGEDY: Canadian student Elisa Lam went missing while staying at the hotel. Her body was later found in a water tank on the roof

Elisa's naked body was found floating in the hotel's water tank on the roof on February 19, 2013, after hotel guests complained the water tasted and smelled bad

No other information about her final movements  including how she got onto the roof and into the tank  has been confirmed. Lam's death was officially ruled accidental but how she died and the details leading up to it remain a mystery.

Her story was part of an anthology series made by Netflix which focused on eerie places shrouded in death, criminal activity, and conspiracy theories.

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, which debuted in 2021, was the first installment of the anthology series. The debut season touched upon the Cecil's haunted past while investigating Elisa Lam's disappearance.

In the programme, a former Cecil Hotel manager recalled being asked: 'Is there a room here that maybe somebody hasn't died in?'

'I never got used to that,' she admitted.
An extreme cleaner has transformed one of Britain's filthiest bathrooms after spending 11 days scrubbing through layers of grime.

British TikToker Victoria Gordon, best known for sharing incredible cleaning transformations with her 139,000 followers, took to the app to share her results after tackling a hoarder's bathroom that was caked in filth and piled high with rubbish.

Victoria, who runs Pocket Rockets specialist cleaning company, offers specialist services in biohazard, trauma, and crime scene cleaning, as well as providing free or subsidised cleans to people in need.

From Lincolnshire, the 43-year-old cleaner regularly shares transformation videos from various jobs, which can range from 'body decomposition jobs' to 'needle picking drug sites' and 'welfare jobs'.

Additionally, she offers 'free cleans for people who really need it', such as people who extreme hoarding disorder, which she is able to fund based off earnings gathered from posting on the app.

In one video, Vicky documented how she blitzed a bathroom that belonged to a hoarder after the specialist cleaner spent hours scrubbing it within an inch of its life.

When she first arrived, the bathroom sink was filled to the brim with hard black and orange sludge and the ceiling was covered with a thick tapestry of cobwebs.

The toilet was coated in a viscous layer of filth and had brown residue covering the inner and outer layers of porcelain.

An extreme cleaner has revealed the transformation of one of Britain's filthiest bathrooms after spending 11 days scrubbing through layers of grime

British TikToker Victoria Gordon, who is is famed for sharing incredible cleaning transformations with her 139,000 followers, took to the app to share her results after tackling a hoarders bathroom that was caked in filth and piled high with rubbish

Strewn around the bowl were stacks of disused toiletries, including empty shower gels, rusting razors, and untouched bottles of bleach.

'I use my TikTok creator fund to do free cleans for the most vulnerable people in society,' she captioned the clip.

Vicky shared incredible scenes of the revamp as she cleared what looked to be years worth of cobwebs.

Elsewhere, she cut through layers upon layers of grime, brushing over rust-coated tiling, and hacking away stacks of filth.

Vicky spritzed the bathroom radiator in layers of bleach, slicing through the grease and grime.

The floor didn't appear to have been swept in a long period of time since it was coated in dust and dirt.

In the comments section, Victoria explained that she and her team had spent a total of 11 days scrubbing the bathroom from top to bottom.

Vicky added that it had taken herself and two other cleaners to complete the mammoth job before showing off the end results.

The clip included a jaw-dropping after section in which she revealed how the bathroom went from being covered in filth and grime to pristine condition.

By the time Vicky was done with it, the sink had been emptied of sludge, and the floors swept clear of empty bottles.

The ceiling that was once coated in cobwebs had also been hoovered and was spotless.

She captioned the video: 'Thank you so much.'

Strewn around the bowl were stacks of disused toiletries, including empty shower gels, rusting razors and untouched bottles of bleach

'I use my TikTok creator fund to do free cleans for the most vulnerable people in society,' she captioned the clip

It took Victoria a total of 11 days to complete the transformation

She revealed the outstanding results of the clean on TikTok

Dozens in the comments offered their praise, calling the cleaning specialist an 'absolute diamond' for helping hoarders.

'Amazing work Victoria, someone should nominate you for the pride of Britain Award for all your contributions,' one wrote.

'Boosting you! Thanks for doing such great deeds,' a second wrote, sharing their support for the social media cleaner.

Another called her a 'cleaner with wings', praising her for the 'incredible' transformation.

'You deserve far more than you get paid to tackle things like this. You are helping people so much. Commenting to try help,' one penned.

'Not all heroes wear capes! Some wear their heart on their sleeves and PPE,' another wrote.

'Well done. That must have taken a while? Im sure the person was so grateful.'

'Now that's a before and after. Bless you for doing this.'

'Amazing work Victoria, someone should nominate you for the pride of Britain Award for all your contributions,' one wrote

It comes after the owner of the 'cleanest house in Britain' stunned TikTok users with her extreme daily routine.

Daf, 25, who posts her cleaning tips to her TikTok account @cleanwithdaf, has left her 117,000 followers both baffled and impressed by the amount of cleaning she gets up to every day.

Her routine, which she says she fits in around her two jobs, involves bleaching her walls, changing her sheets, cleaning underneath her fridge and washing her toilet as well as a host of other chores.

The office worker and bank staff member does the majority of her cleaning between 7am and 9am before beginning work and has shared TikToks about what are her house rules and 'non-negotiables'.

The content creator does the majority of the cleaning with her mother and previously explained that they both have OCD, meaning cleaning is a priority for them.

She has also shown off her huge set of shelves filled to the brim with cleaning products including bottles of bleach, cloths, fabric conditioner and other products.

She then went on to show how she moved the fridge out from its space in the kitchen to wipe the back of it and wash the floor underneath.

She explains: 'Secondly, every other day you will see me and mum always taking the fridge out because the things behind this fridge honestly you guys will be to your surprise.'

Moving on to her bedroom, Daf confessed that she wipes down her grey suede headboard every day and it's an essential task for her because she hates dust and streaks.

She also changes her sheets every day and wipes and hoovers her bedframe, telling her followers you can always catch her moving her mattress.

Another of the cleaning obsessed content creator's non-negotioables is wiping down the walls with bleach.
Bill Gates's youngest daughter has revealed that her 'privileged nepo baby' status gave rise to feelings of intense insecurity throughout her student years.

The 22-year-old, who studied Human Biology at California's Stanford University and graduated last year, discussed her father's extraordinary success and the pressure that brings on her new podcast, The Burnouts, alongside her business partner and close friend, Sophia Kianni, 23.

Phoebe, daughter to the Microsoft co-founder, 69, and his philanthropist ex wife Melinda Gates, 60, said: 'I had so much insecurity and such a desire to prove myself at Stanford.

'I came in, I was like, ''I'm so privileged, I'm a nepo baby'', like I had so much insecurity around that. I feel it's so hard when you're a freshman in college because you have no experience. You have nothing.'

Despite her billionaire father's gravitas, the graduate, who is dating Sir Paul McCartney's grandson, Arthur Donald, said she was 'flat-out rejected' from a business class after devising her first pitch, Bluetooth tampons, giving women health status updates throughout their periods.

'This was our first big failure of many, many, many,' Phoebe admitted. 'I don't think it's really a shocker that we got flat-out rejected from this class - they asked us, ''What problem does this solve? How would it make money?'' We couldn't answer those questions.'

It wasn't just her Stanford professors who doubted Phoebe's entrepreneurial skills, but Bill also blocked his daughter's request to drop out of school to pursue her debut company despite him doing something similar 49 years earlier.

Phoebe, who will soon launch her company, digital fashion platform Phia, which she describes as a 'new way to shop' online, with Kianni, said: 'I remember even when we wanted to start the company, him being like, ''Are you sure you want to do this?''

Phoebe Gates, the youngest daughter of Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates (pictured together), has discussed the downfalls of being a 'privileged nepo baby'

The youngest child of Bill and Melinda Gates studied Human Biology at California 's Stanford University and graduated last year

'Because both of my siblings were incredibly intelligent and took very typical career paths - my brother's a genius, my sister has two kids and a horse-back riding career and is in residency [as a Junior Pediatrician] - but there wasn't this adverse risk of failure.'

Phoebe and her siblings, Jennifer, 28, and Rory, 25, will famously receive a minute percentage of their father's fortune because Bill will instead divert his mammoth fortune to charitable organisations.

The 22-year-old continued: 'So my parents were really cautious when I was like, ''I want to do Stanford abroad and do this remotely and finish up my degree and do the start-up''.

'They were very much like, ''You need to finish your degree. You don't just get to drop out and [start] a company.'' Which is so funny because my dad literally did that - that's like the reason I'm able to go to Stanford, have my tuition paid.'

Bill dropped out of Harvard in 1975 after three semesters to start Microsoft, a decision which helped earn him his estimated $107 billion (83 billion), according to Forbes.

Phoebe added that, despite having a close relationship with her father, she has few recollections of him discussing Microsoft with her.

Pictured: Bill and Phoebe Gates on the red carpet at the TIME 100 Gala in New York City in June, 2022

The 22-year-old is in a relationship with Sir Paul McCartney's grandson, Arthur Donald (seen together at he Albies hosted by the Clooney Foundation for Justice at the New York Public Library in September, 2024)

Episode one of the Burnouts by hosts Phoebe and Sophia is available to listen to on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts

'I literally never remember my dad talking to me about the start of Microsoft. I literally mostly just remember him talking about the Foundation,' she said.

Instead of depending entirely on knowledge passed down from her father, Phoebe claimed that she is securing her future through a solid work ethic.

She said: 'I really like the results we're seeing - and this is not just true for business, but any career you're in: it is just the result of habits.

'The tracking we're seeing with our product is really just the result of our habits; it's the result of loving your work, waking up early, working 'til damn late on this company because you love it.

'It's not work-life balance: this is your life, and you really enjoy it. It has to be fun, and you have to have the habits built around that.

'And controlling - being able to control that part of your brain that wants to stay in bed and being like, I don't want to eat but I need to go eat lunch because I need to be productive this afternoon.'

Gates offered the example of embracing rejection as a habit she and Kianni adopted to enable success.

She said: 'A habit that we had that I thought was so good at the beginning was just constant outreach and constant acceptance of rejection.

Phoebe revealed that her billionaire father denied her requests to drop out of Stanford, despite him dropping out of Harvard after three semesters

Phoebe will soon launch her debut fashion company Phia alongside her close friend, Sophia Kianni

Pictured: Melinda and Phoebe Gates at the Clooney Foundation for Justice's 2023 Albie Awards in New York

'When we were trying to get our first partnerships for Phia, we would outreach like... we maxed out the LinkedIn credits. And they wouldn't grant us more because we hit the limit.

'We'd get people respond like, ''Please leave me alone and never email me''. We'd still respond again.

'I really feel the greatest lesson from this is vulnerability is not embarrassing. Yes, our cold email outreach template was awful at first, and it was a complete flop, but I've connected with some of those people now, and they were like, ''Good for you for reaching out in college.''

The 22-year-old added: 'The biggest things we've learned is have that vulnerability - you just need to take shots on goal.'

Listen to The Burnouts with Phoebe and Sophia here.
Nostalgic shoppers are obsessing over a 'must-have' $39 item from Kmart, with many saying they're already struggling to get their hands on one.

The new Kids Camcorder has landed in stores, and it comes in two colours - pink and blue, perfect for creating fun home videos.

Designed for young explorers or big kids, the easy-to-use camera features simple controls, allowing them to capture photos and videos.

Other features include full HD 1080P resolution, expandable micro SD memory up to 32GB, rechargeable battery, USB charger and support for JPEG and AVI formats.

What shoppers love about the new gadget is that it brings back childhood memories of making amusing amateur videos with family and friends.

The camera comes with 15 stickers, three special effects, six filters and five in-built games - including the classic Snake.

Many parents couldn't wait to get the camcorder for their children, with one saying: 'Ooh I know what I'm buying and saving for Christmas for my kid now.'

However many revealed they haven't been able to buy one as they are already flying off the shelves or are yet to launch in their local stores.

Kmart has launched a nostalgic range of camcorders, perfect for creating fun home videos

'Already all sold out. Perfect for my son's birthday too,' one said.

A Kmart Australia spokesperson told shoppers on social media: 'We hope more stock will arrive soon.

'We're working hard to make sure there are lots of products you love to shop in-store and online.'

Many expressed their excitement over the new product, with one saying: 'looks like a great item to help little ones to even start journaling.

'Running to Kmart,' another said.

'What a great idea,' one shared.

'It's so cute - definitely going to buy it,' another added.

Designed for young explorers or big kids, the easy-to-use camera features simple controls, allowing them to capture photos and videos

Last month, Kmart surprised shoppers with the return of a retro-inspired digital video recorder, priced at just $39

Last month, Kmart surprised shoppers with the return of a retro-inspired digital video recorder, priced at just $39.

The Digital Video Recorder sparked a frenzy on social media, with customers calling it an 'iconic' blast from the past.

The compact camera features a two-inch LCD screen, up to 16x digital zoom, and records in 720p HD, making it a perfect throwback to home movies of the 90s and early 2000s.

Melbourne content creator Coco Devile rushed to snap one up before they sell out.

'I wanted to find one before anyone else gets their hands on it because I know it's going to be popular,' they said.

'The quality is very bad, and I like that... Do a Cathy Freeman and run to Kmart for the Y2K vibe camera.'
For most of her life, Annaliese Holland has been trapped in a battle against her own body.

At 18, after years of suffering, she was diagnosed with autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy (AAG), a rare neurological disorder that attacks the nervous system.

By 22, she was told she was terminal.

Now 25, Annaliese has endured unimaginable pain, the loss of independence, and the heartbreaking realisation that she will never live out the future she once dreamed of.

But despite it all, she has found her purpose: turning her tragedy into advocacy, ensuring that others do not suffer in silence as she once did.

Annaliese's health issues began when she was just 11 after a case of glandular fever spiralled into something far more insidious.

'I had a few issues as a kid, but nothing serious enough to end up in hospital. But after glandular fever, everything changed,' she told FEMAIL.

By 13, Annaliese was diagnosed with endometriosis after a laparoscopy, and she underwent an experimental Botox treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction, desperate for relief.

For most of her life, Annaliese Holland has been trapped in a battle against her own body

The 25-year-old from Adelaide has been diagnosed with autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy (AAG), a rare, debilitating illness

Annaliese's health issues began when she was just 11, and what started as a case of glandular fever soon spiralled into something far more insidious

But the moment she woke up from the procedure, her life took another drastic turn.

'I couldn't wee at all and after that, I started getting really unwell,' she recalled.

She was admitted to the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide, suffering from bowel obstructions, severe pain, and a body that seemed to be shutting down.

Her blood pressure and heart rate became unstable, her pupils remained dilated, and she could no longer eat.

'My entire gut shut down,' she said.

'I was placed on TPN (total parenteral nutrition), which is IV nutrition, because my intestines were failing. Over the next three or four years, all my organs just started shutting down.'

TPN is administered when someone cannot eat or absorb nutrients through their gut.

As of 2025, Annaliese has been on TPN for ten years; she couldn't eat anything at all for the first four years, after which she could chew food for the taste but then she had to spit it out.

For much of her life, Annaliese lived within the walls of the hospital

By 13, Annaliese was diagnosed with endometriosis after a laparoscopy, and she underwent an experimental Botox treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction, desperate for relief

The procedure typically costs $3,000 a week and is exceptionally underfunded in Australia.

For much of her teenage life, Annaliese lived within the walls of the hospital.

Her condition worsened, yet no one could explain why.

'We tested for everything. I had genetic testing done, but nothing made sense,' she said.

'I felt like I was crazy. My body was failing me, but no one could tell me why.'

It wasn't until 2018 - after she had transitioned into the adult healthcare system - that Annaliese's doctors sent her to Melbourne, hoping for answers.

At the Royal Melbourne Hospital, she finally received a diagnosis: autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy, a rare neurological disorder that attacks the autonomic nervous system.

'When I got that diagnosis, I actually felt happy,' she said.

'Even though it's not a great diagnosis, it was a relief to finally have a name for it. We could start researching, we could start treating it. But at the same time, I felt let down. Why wasn't this found earlier?'

It wasn't until 2018 - after she had transitioned into the adult healthcare system - that Annaliese's doctors sent her to Melbourne, hoping for answers

Doctors attempted treatments - plasmophoresis to cleanse her blood, high-dose steroids to suppress her immune system - but her body continued to deteriorate

The diagnosis came with heart-wrenching news: from diagnosis, the life expectancy for AAG patients is only six to nine years.

Despite finally having a name for her illness, Annaliese's suffering didn't stop.

Doctors attempted treatments - plasmophoresis to cleanse her blood, high-dose steroids to suppress her immune system - but her body continued to deteriorate.

'I was constantly battling sepsis. I lost so many central lines because of infections,' she said.

'I developed Avascular Necrosis, which is where the blood supply to your bones dies, and then your bones crumble. I've had it in my legs and jaw. My spine fractured, leaving me with scoliosis and kyphosis. My face would swell from the steroids. My hair thinned. My body was unrecognisable.'

The illness robbed her of everything she had once taken for granted.

'I used to be really fit. I got into para-science, I wanted to be a paramedic,' she said.

'But suddenly, my future was gone. Instead of making plans, I was just trying to survive the next day.'

'I developed Avascular Necrosis, which is where the blood supply to your bones dies, and then your bones crumble. My spine fractured, leaving me with scoliosis and kyphosis,' Annaliese said

Doctors attempted treatments - plasmophoresis to cleanse her blood, high-dose steroids to suppress her immune system - but her body continued to deteriorate

As her illness progressed, Annaliese lost her ability to eat, and multiple bowel surgeries left her with permanent stoma bags.

'My belly was covered in scars, tubes, bags, I hated how I looked. When I first got sick, I didn't ask my doctors if I was going to die - I asked them if I was going to be ugly,' she said.

She withdrew from social media, cut off friends, and disappeared from the world she once belonged to.

'I thought if I just waited, if I just got through this, I'd be me again. I didn't want anyone to see me like this.'

In 2022, four years after her diagnosis, Annaliese's body had reached its breaking point.

'I kept losing central lines because of infections, and I only had one vein left for nutrition,' she said.

'Without that, I'd have no way to survive.'

Doctors told her there was nothing more they could do, and she was placed in palliative care and admitted to a hospice.

As her illness progressed, Annaliese lost her ability to eat, and multiple bowel surgeries left her with permanent stoma bags

Determined to make a difference, Annaliese set a goal: walk 3km in the City to Bay fun run to raise money for the hospice

'I told my team I didn't want any more treatment,' Annaliese said.

'I was done. I didn't care if I died the next day.'

She spent months in the hospice, isolated, with no visitors.

'I felt like a shell of myself. I thought, "No one would care if I died". I had lost all hope. I was just waiting for it to happen.'

Then, one day, she turned to her mother and said something that would change everything.

'I told her, "If I die tomorrow, no one would come to my funeral. No one would know I even existed. I haven't achieved anything",' she recalled.

That realisation sparked something inside her.

'I thought, why am I ashamed of my illness? Why am I taking my story to the grave when I could help even one person get diagnosed earlier and avoid this suffering?'

'I met a girl named Lily in hospice. She had the same disease as me. She became one of my best friends,' she said

Annaliese has dedicated herself to raising awareness and funds, ensuring no one else has to face what she has alone

Determined to make a difference, Annaliese set a goal: walk three kilometres in the City to Bay fun run to raise money for the hospice.

She defied the odds, completing the walk and raising $15,000 in the process.

'When I spoke out about it, it kind of blew up in our state. I didn't expect that. It gave me a reason to keep going,' she said.

In the years since, Annaliese has dedicated herself to raising awareness and funds, ensuring no one else has to face what she has alone.

'I met a girl named Lily in hospice. She had the same disease as me. She became one of my best friends,' she said.

Lily made the heartbreaking decision to undergo euthanasia at just 23.

'I held her hand while she went,' Annaliese said.

'No young girl should have to go through that. Before she died, I promised her I'd keep raising awareness, and I will.'

Though she has outlived many doctors' predictions, Annaliese knows her time is limited

Instead of weddings and baby showers, Annaliese has spent the past three years writing eulogies for friends her own age

Though she has outlived many doctors' predictions, Annaliese knows her time is limited.

'I have a lot of anger now,' she admitted.

'Everyone around me is getting married, having babies, starting careers, and I feel stuck. I never got the chance to have those things.'

Instead of weddings and baby showers, Annaliese has spent the past three years writing eulogies for friends her own age.

'I've never been to a wedding, but I've been to so many funerals,' she said.

'People forget, they move on. And I just wonder, what was I here for?'

But she refuses to let her suffering be for nothing.

'If I can stop just one person from going through this, maybe that's why I'm here,' she said.

Her message is clear: talk about chronic illness, death and the things we're often too afraid to say.

'The only reason we're scared of death is because we don't talk about it,' she said.

'It's just part of life, like birth. And if we talked about it more, it wouldn't be so terrifying.'

Even as she faces the unknown, Annaliese is determined to leave a legacy - not of suffering, but of change.
Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have helped millions of Americans lose hundreds of pounds.

And now, new research shows they could also help pad their bank accounts.

Obesitys impact on health is well known, with a 25 to 60 percent increased risk of heart attack, a 30 to 53 percent increased risk of diabetes, and a 64 percent higher risk of stroke.

However, it also carries a massive economic toll, costing the economy around $1.4trillion annually in healthcare costs, lost productivity and absenteeism from work, premature deaths, and disability.

Research has shown that losing weight saves the individual money as well, not just the country. A study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University found when a 20-year-old goes from being obese to just overweight, they save on average $17,655 in future healthcare expenses.

Around 15 million Americans have used Ozempic or a similar medication to lose weight since the class of drugs burst onto the scene about five years ago.

But millions who would benefit from the costly drugs initially designed to treat diabetes arent getting them. Insurance typically pays only in instances in which the drugs are deemed medically necessary  when a patient is diabetic or has prediabetes.

But researchers at the University of Southern California reported that expanding access to every obese American makes financial sense, estimating it could generate $10trillion per year for the country through increasing productivity and the number of years a person can work, reducing healthcare costs, improving peoples general well-being, and adding to their lifespan.

USC researchers found expanding obesity treatment access could generate $10 trillion by boosting productivity, cutting healthcare costs, and extending lifespans

Dr Alison Sexton Ward, an economist and health policy expert at USCs Schaeffer Institute, said: While the costs of anti-obesity medications have grabbed headlines, our analysis shows why its important to consider the lifetime value of treatment.

Expanding access will prevent or delay obesity-related comorbidities, resulting in improved quality and quantity of life for many Americans.

USC researchers found its more than just diabetic and obese patients who would benefit (and thus boost the economy) if access were expanded.

Younger, healthier adults  those with a lower diabetes risk score or a moderate BMI (3039)  who qualified for and started the medications between ages 25 and 35 saw the greatest benefits, gaining an average of 1.8 years in life expectancy.

The researchers also calculated how much money people in certain age groups with different diabetes and obesity risks would generate if given weight-loss drugs like Ozempic.

For example, one estimate shows that if a 25- to 34-year-old with obesity is given a weight-loss drug, it will generate about $208,000 per year through increased productivity, reduction in healthcare costs, improvement in their general well-being, and addition to their lifespan.

For a 35- to 44-year-old with a high risk of diabetes, taking a weight-loss drug would generate $115,000 per year.

Dr Dana Goldman, co-author of the report and founding director of the USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service, said: Expanding access to anti-obesity medication is probably the single most effective policy to improve Americans public health.

Medications used by millions to lose weight, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro, cost more than $1,200 per month without insurance coverage.

An estimated 40 to 60 percent of coverage claims for one of these medicines are denied, though a growing number of employers are beginning to include coverage for them in their worker insurance plans.

The UCS analysis comes as the federal government considers a proposal to expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage for seniors and the poor, respectively, for anti-obesity medicines.

This would likely encourage private insurers to follow suit.

Researchers at the Schaeffer Center used the Future Adult Model to project the long-term health and economic impacts of anti-obesity medications for eligible adults 25 and up without diabetes.

One estimate shows that if a 25- to 34-year-old with obesity is given a weight-loss drug, it will generate about $208,000 per year (illustrated in graph on the right)

The analysis accounted for age, body mass index (BMI), and diabetes risk, assuming stable drug prices until generics enter the market in 2032 at about half the price.

Researchers calculated the 'social value' of expanding access to the medications, which involved quantifying the number of extra years a person would be alive and in good health, the prevention of chronic diseases, and the ability to work and contribute to society.

They found that investing in preventing obesity and diabetes earlier in life had a far greater payoff than treating an older person.

For instance, a healthy 25-year-old with obesity and a low to moderate diabetes risk treated with Ozempic or a similar medication gains more healthy years over their lifetime compared to a 35-year-old with the same risks simply due to the fact that treatment started earlier.

Early intervention prevents severe and expensive health issues down the road, which saves money for both the 25-year-old and society as a whole.

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An estimated 38 million Americans have diabetes, a disease that costs about $412.9 billion to treat in the form of direct costs to the patient of doctor visits, hospitalizations, and insulin, as well as indirect costs such as missed work days, worsening job performance, and premature death.

In addition to treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, this class of drugs has also been shown to lower the risk of worsening heart failure and heart disease, which costs the US about $252 billion each year.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally and affects roughly 48 percent of American adults. That figure is expected to rise over time, with current projections showing 61 percent of Americans will have it by 2050.

Dr Darius Lakdawalla, chief scientific officer at the Schaeffer Center, said: Insurers often limit coverage of anti-obesity medications to sicker patients, such as those with prediabetes or diabetes, but our analysis shows they are likely missing out on a chance to prevent worse and more costly outcomes through early treatment.
An over-the-counter painkiller regularly taken by millions of Britons each year could trigger bizarre personality changes, scientists have warned.

Experts have discovered that paracetamol, known as acetaminophen and sold as Tylenol in the US, triggers risk-taking behaviour in some people.

In experiments involving almost 550 people, those given paracetamol were far less likely to rate as risky activities like passing off someone else's work as their own.

They also felt more comfortable with the idea of driving a car without wearing a seatbelt than those given a placebo, or dummy tablet.

And in another experiment, in which participants played a computer game where they inflated balloons for cash, those on paracetamol far more likely to keep playing and burst the balloonlosing all their winningsthan those given a dummy pill.

These experiments are said to predict if a person might participate in more serious risky behaviours, such as high risk sexual encounters, dangerous driving, drug and alcohol use and shoplifting.

Ohio State University neuroscientist Professor Baldwin Way, author of the study, said: 'Acetaminophen seems to make people feel less negative emotion when they consider risky activitiesthey just don't feel as scared.'

He added that the implications are potentially huge given how widely the drugs are taken.

Paracetamol, known as acetaminophen in the US, is one of the most common drugs taken across the world and is a key ingredient in medications like Panadol or Tylenol

'With nearly 25 per cent of the population in the US taking acetaminophen each week, reduced risk perceptions and increased risk-taking could have important effects on society,' he said.

The study itself notes that many patients in hospital have paracetamol in their system when asked to make 'potentially life-changing' decisions such as undergoing risky surgery or before performing potentially dangerous tasks like driving.

British studies also show paracetamolavailable for as little as 2p per pill at some supermarketsis a frequently used painkiller.

An estimated 200million packets are sold over the counter each year in the UK, equivalent to every Briton using three packets per year or about 70 tablets.

NHS backed data also suggests 1.6million paracetamol prescriptions were dished out by GPs in England last year, to the cost of almost 70million to the taxpayer.

The health service insists paracetamol is safe for the vast majority of patients provided it's taken at the correct dosage.

Taking too much at once can cause liver damage and research has suggested frequent use could be dangerous.

One study in 2022 found that popping a paracetamol every day could raise the risk of a deadly heart attack or stroke by about a fifth.

Another study that same year found that certain formulations of the drug could contain more salt per dose than a McDonald's Big Mac.

In Professor Way's study, researchers tested the impact of paracetamol on risk taking on 545 university students across three experiments.

Before the tests half the group were given either 1,000mg of paracetamol, equivalent to about double the usual dose for adults, or a placebo.

Publishing the findings in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, the researchers theorised the increased risk taking could be due to the painkiller reducing anxiety about the future.

Referencing the balloon bust experiment they said: 'It may be that as the balloon increases in size, those on placebo feel increasing amounts of anxiety about a potential burst,' they explained.

'When the anxiety becomes too much, they end the trial.'

'Acetaminophen may reduce this anxiety, thus leading to greater risk-taking'.

While the researchers observed the impact paracetamol had on risk-taking, they said the biological mechanism of how the drug was doing this remained unclear and an area for future research.
England's filthiest hospitals were today exposed in MailOnline's dossier of interactive data.

The worrying stats show a stark divide between NHS trusts across the country, with some recording scores almost 10 per cent lower than the top rated.

Health service analysts said while this isn't a measure of poor care, lower figures serve as a smoke alarm that necessitates further investigation.

Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust ranked lowest in the country, according to the data published by NHS England.

This was followed by Whittington Health NHS Trust in North London and Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

It comes as a shock report this week revealed NHS hospitals and buildings are crumbling, plagued by vermin and crippled by sewage leaks.

The staff survey of almost 9,000 health workers by the union Unison found the workplaces are crawling with rats, cockroaches, silverfish and other pests.

Staff are also affected by crumbling ceilings, defective lighting and broken lifts and toilets, raising concerns that staff and patient safety is at risk.

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Of those polled, around one in six (16 per cent) said they had seen vermin such as rats inside their building in the past 12 months.

Similarly, 16 per cent said there had been other infestations such as silverfish, ants and cockroaches.

Silverfish are metallic, silvery bugs that thrive in damp conditions while cockroaches can carry diseases and illnesses such as gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, typhoid and salmonella.

Rats carry several diseases such as leptospirosis, which is spread in their urine, and can cause liver failure in humans.

Unison suggested the pests may be thriving in damp conditions and unfixed premises.

The fresh figures ranking NHS trusts in England by cleanliness were published in the health service's own 2024 Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) report in February.

The document reports the results of assessments undertaken by teams of NHS staff and members of the public, known as patient assessors.

A total of 1,107 assessments were undertaken across all settings in England, with the national cleanliness average standing at 98.3 per cent.

Whittington Health NHS Trust ranked second lowest among all NHS trusts in the NHS England PLACE report published in February. Pictured, Whittington Hospital

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While all were rated above 90 per cent, there were clear differences between the 190-plus NHS trusts in England.

According to the figures, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust ranked at 92.5 per cent.

This was followed by Whittington Health NHS Trust, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust.

Each recorded scores of 93, 93.1 and 93.5 per cent respectively.

East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust and East London NHS Foundation Trust, meanwhile, logged 94 and 94.2 per cent.

A Whittington Health NHS Trust Spokesperson told MailOnline: 'The feedback received from our patient assessors, and wider service users, is incredibly valuable to our organisation.

'We use this information to help inform our improvement priorities.

'We have a wide-ranging plan to deliver improvements for service users and staff, including refurbishment of the care environment, training and support for our teams, and enhancements to our catering provision.

Whittington Health NHS Trust was followed by Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust at 93.1 per cent. Pictured, Arrowe Park Hospital, which is a Wirral University Teaching Hospital

'This work is underway, and it is our priority to make best use of all available resources to support improvement.'

Paul Brooks, director of estates and facilities at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn, said: 'Feedback from the Patient Led Inspection of the Care Environment (PLACE) survey in 2024 was mainly positive with people praising our food and confidence in our care.

'We are very proud of the cleanliness of our hospital. During this survey there was one ward for which an assessor raised a concern about cleanliness, however this comment centred around the ward being in need of refurbishment, rather than directly relating to how clean the facility was.

'As a Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) hospital, we are undertaking important safety works across our Trust main building.

'The ward where this issue was raised is now closed as part of this programme and undergoing a full refurbishment at the same time.'

Dawn Hanwell, deputy chief executive at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, also added: 'We take the PLACE assessment process very seriously.

'Our most recent PLACE assessments were conducted in October and November 2024, where 19 people with lived experience of our services took part in the inspection process.

'We are over halfway through completing the actions it has highlighted. We are now addressing the outstanding actions.'

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MailOnline has approached the other NHS trusts mentioned for comment.

By contrast, seven NHS trusts including Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust and Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust were all awarded scores of 100 per cent.

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust and Gloucestershire Health and Care Foundation Trust followed, recording 99.9 per cent each respectively.

It comes as the fresh Unison survey, released this week, also found 17 per cent of staff do not think their building is safe.

More than half (52 per cent) reported seeing buckets catching leaking water in their workplace buildings in the past year while almost a quarter (23 per cent) witnessed sewage leaks.

One member of staff working in the north-west of England told how rodent bait boxes were dotted all over his hospital and a leaking waste pipe had resulted in a foul odour.

However, rats were still getting into a room storing sterile instruments and supplies, he said.

Another worker in charge of cleaning and handling medical equipment in the east of England told Unison he had seen mouse droppings on the floor and desks in reception, in staff breakrooms and in the sterile instrument storage room.

Helga Pile, head of health at Unison, said: 'This survey paints a worrying picture of an NHS system that's falling apart at the seams and in need of a serious overhaul.

'No-one should be dodging rats, stepping over sewage or watching out for falling ceiling tiles in NHS buildings.

'The last thing patients or staff want is vermin, cockroaches and other unpleasant things roaming the wards. Disease-carrying pests can put people's health at risk.

'Previous governments made wildly exaggerated claims about building new hospitals and raided pots of cash earmarked to improve the NHS estate.

'The NHS should be fit for the 21st century, not a crumbling Dickensian relic.

'Fixing the damage done by years of neglect isn't going to be a five-minute job. Money needs to be made available immediately to sort out the worst of the problems.

'Longer-term investment plans must be sped up and maintenance budgets spared the axe.

'If operations are cancelled and wards closed because of pests and sewage leaks, delays and waiting times will only get worse.'

In January, MailOnline revealed mice were running around a 'disgusting' ward at Walsall Manor Hospital.

Pictures published last year also showed a rat infestation in a kitchen at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust that serves 1,500 patients every day.
Lady Pamela Berry: Passion, Politics And Power by Harriet Cullen (Unicorn 25, 224pp)

Lady Pamela Berry is available now from the Mail Bookshop

Its extraordinary that as recently as the mid-1950s, the misogynistic expression petticoat power was still in use in Britain.

It referred to the soft power wielded by wives of politicians and newspaper magnates, who gave dinner parties at which they influenced political outcomes through snide conversation and witty gossip.

It sounds like something out of the 18th century: high-society wives changing the course of politics with a flick of a fan or the reveal of an ankle.

But Lady Pamela Berry, above, was accused of petticoat power in the run-up to the Suez Crisis in 1956, when an editorial in the Daily Telegraph, the newspaper owned by her husband Michael Berry (the future Lord Hartwell), stated that PM Anthony Edens administration lacked the smack of firm government. Pamela was suspected to the be the agent provocatrice behind the piece.

At one of her earlier lunch parties, shed declared Eden to be far too ill ever to be prime minister. That caused her to fall out with Edens wife, Clarissa. There were bitter exchanges of letters between the two women, leading the American press to revel in what they called a petticoat feud.

In the Left-wing New Statesman, Malcolm Muggeridge also demolished Eden, describing his ingratiating smile and gestures, and the utter nothingness of what he had to say.

It so happened that Muggeridge was Pamelas lover. Was she influencing him, too? Theyd fallen in love in 1953, when she was 39 and he was 49. Both were married.

Newly Weds: The wedding of Lady Pamela Smith to Michael Berry

Pamela was insanely jealous of Muggeridges wife Kitty, obsessed by the thought of them sleeping in the same bed, and feeling sorry for herself as the other woman. Of Pamela, Muggeridge wrote in his diary, She is not clever, not pretty, not nice a remarkable person.

Their affair carried on for at least ten years. At the Labour Party Conference in 1963, Pamela was spotted with her shoulders covered in leaves and hay after a stroll with Muggeridge.

The author of this lively, if heavily name-droppy, biography of Lady Pamela is her daughter Harriet Cullen. Clearly not a nice mother, Pamela was a typically unaffectionate, hands-off, snobbish, upper-class mother of the mid-20th century.

The children were packed off to the country and saw their parents only at weekends. When Harriets sister Eleanor had to go to hospital for terrifying electric-shock therapy, Pamela left to go on holiday in the South of France.

Born in 1914, Pamela was the daughter of F. E. Smith, Lord Birkenhead, Lord High Chancellor. He spoiled her rotten and died when she was 16. Much later, her great friend the journalist Paul Johnson would say of her that she really wanted to be a politician, but felt debarred by her sex. He railed against the way her father had restricted the formal education of his intelligent daughters, at the same time as encouraging in both an unusual social precocity and worldliness.

It was a recipe for trouble. Pamela couldnt resist being at the centre of political and cultural intrigues. Her lunch and dinner parties were certainly never dull.

Society hostess: Lady Pamela Berry (left) with Michael Todd and Elizabeth Taylor

At one dinner party at their house in Westminster in 1951, John Betjeman first met Elizabeth Cavendish, setting off a lifelong love affair, and Guy Burgess failed to turn up, although Anthony Blunt did.

It later emerged that Burgess had left for Russia in a hurry, knowing he was about to be arrested for betraying US atomic secrets. It wasnt till 1979 that Blunt himself would be revealed as a spy.

One of the few pieces of advice that Pamela gave to her daughters was Be bloody, bold and resolute. With her Left-wing lover, and her access to a national Conservative paper through her husband, Pamela herself was indeed a kind of lunch-party Lady Macbeth.
What Art Can Tell Us About Love by Nick Trend (Laurence King 18.99, 208pp)

What Art Can Tell Us About Love is available now from the Mail Bookshop

What do we think was in the Mona Lisas heart when that subtle smile played on her lips? Might she have felt she had him in her power  and felt a spurt of triumph? Was the painter fascinated by another mans wife? It wouldnt be the first time

Wisely, art historian Nick Trend doesnt speculate about arguably the most famous painting in the world, but his suggestion that love influenced the worlds greatest artists is appealing  and he gives 70 examples. He asks, if poems, novels, fairy tales and films unfold around a romance, then why not art?

A painters partner can be a convenient model, and one who usefully comes free of charge.

So Rubens paints his second wife Helena, Rembrandt uncovers the sensuality of his maid and lover, Hendrickje Stoffels, and Marc Chagalls beloved wife Bella floats through his dreamscapes.

Surprisingly, Trent leaves out Bonnards wife Marthe, who seems to have spent much time in the bath.

But the Dutch master Jan Steen paints his wife Margriet looking directly at him with the cheekiest of smiles and merry eyes that are surely inviting him to bed.

Dreamy: Marc Chagall and his wife Bella

Yet when love is complicated we may have to work harder to see beneath the surface of the paint. The Renaissance art historian Giorgio Vasari is tantalisingly honest when discussing Filippo Lippi, alive a century earlier. He, it seems, was so lustful that he would give anything

to enjoy a woman he wanted if he thought he could have his way; and if he couldnt buy what he wanted, then he would cool his passion by painting her portrait

Talking of such passions, Picasso painted his elegant wife Olga as poised and respectable in a Spanish dress, but when he grows tired of playing respectable husband and doting father, his images become brutal  and he turns his obsessive attention to the 17-year-old he saw on a Paris street when he was 45.

Marie Therese was his erotic muse for years  even after Picasso had found a new love, Dora Maar.

Trend structures his accessible and entertaining book according to degrees of complexity, from husband-and-wife teams to illicit lovers and secret affairs to strange threesomes and unrequited passions.

His insights are always illuminating  for example, the way American artist Winslow Homer reveals his unrequited love for fellow artist Helena de Kay by painting her eyes unattainably cast down. Helen married and Homer lived alone for the rest of his life.

The real challenge for the art lover is to read a painting without knowing the artists biography. But Trent makes it huge fun to know all the gossip.
The Womens Orchestra Of Auschwitz by Anne Sebba (Weidenfeld & Nicolson 22, 400pp)

The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz is available now from the Mail Bookshop

Maria Mandl, known as The Beast, was the sadistic SS chief guard at Auschwitz-Birkenau who founded the womens orchestra.

Notorious for her brutality, Mandl smiled while selecting prisoners for the gas chambers and was known to kick a woman to death.

She imposed roll calls from dawn to dusk in sub-zero conditions, leaving women frozen to the point of immobility before pulling them aside to be gassed.

She took children from incoming transports, held them, sang to them, and then escorted them to their deaths.

The more vicious, the higher in the ranks she rose.

It feels impossible to reconcile the exceptional brutality for which Mandl was known with her professed love for music but she was part of a system in which cruelty and culture coexisted, where murderers could appreciate Mozart and still commit atrocities without a flicker of conscience.

Anne Sebba is unflinching about the camp atrocities, describing shocking instances of cannibalism where starving prisoners ate the stolen organs of their dead campmates in their desperate bid for survival.

On Mandls watch, young violin student Eva Benedek, initially safe within the orchestras protective ranks, proved unable to escape death once her burgeoning pregnancy was discovered.

Permitted to deliver her baby, she was then deprived of food and so unable to nurse him. The baby starved to death in her presence, after which she was gassed.





In this deeply affecting book, Sebba reconstructs the experiences of the women, both Jewish and non-Jewish, who played in the orchestra in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

There is a terrible paradox at the heart of the orchestras very existence, an unbearable intrusion of beauty into the ugliest place imaginable. While for some prisoners it may have offered momentary comfort and an illusion of freedom, for others it was a cruel reminder of the lives they had lost.

The orchestra performed daily, playing marches while starving prisoners were forced to and from work in the nearby factories; entertaining the whims of SS officers after their rounds of mass murder; and creating a grotesque illusion of normality for newcomers to the camp.

Instruments were stolen from Jewish prisoners who had arrived carrying their most treasured possessions, unaware they were about to be stripped of everything, including their lives.

Survival in Auschwitz was arbitrary, dependent on the whims of guards, the possession of a skill deemed useful, or sheer luck.

Initially, Jews were excluded from the orchestra, but demand for women musicians led to their inclusion and it soon became a microcosm of the wider world, marked by tensions between Jewish and non-Jewish musicians.

Their varying talents and consequent entry into the orchestra was, in pianist and accordionist Flora Jacobs words, a doorway to life. Jews have long been encouraged to acquire portable wealth: knowledge and skills that cannot be taken away, as they have so often faced displacement, persecution and confiscation of property.

Sebbas book is full of remarkable individuals, such as Alma Rose, the Austrian-Jewish violinist and niece of Gustav Mahler. After the orchestras first conductor, Polish non-Jew Zofia Czajkowska, was ousted by Roses superior talent, Rose became both protector and a taskmaster.

Once made conductor Alma Rose began replacing non-Jewish musicians with Jewish players, saving 40 extra lives as a result

She was ruthlessly disciplined, pushing the women to maintain a standard of excellence because she knew their survival depended on it.

Rose strategically decided to replace non-Jewish musicians with Jewish ones whenever possible, knowing that the non-Jewish players, many of them political prisoners, were not in danger of the gas chambers. It was a decision that saved 40 lives; however, her position was fraught with moral dilemmas.

Many of the women questioned whether their survival had come at too high a price. However, as Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, the orchestras cellist, now aged 99 and the last surviving member, bluntly put it: they had no choice.

And yet, there is something deeply disturbing in the knowledge that SS officers, among them Josef Mengele, would demand particular pieces of music then return to their gruesome selection of who should live and die. Mengeles choice was Schumanns Traumerei (Dreaming), a piece from his Scenes Of Childhood.

What stands out most in this book, beyond the horror, is the ultimate resilience and solidarity among these women. In a place designed to strip them of their humanity, they clung to one another. They shared food, protected the weakest among them, and found small ways to defy their captors.

Despite the danger, Alma Rose dared secretly to play forbidden compositions by Mendelssohn, whose Jewish heritage made his music unacceptable under Nazi ideology.

No choice: Many of the women, including Anita Lasker-Wallfisch (pictured), felt morally compromised by their involvement in the Orchestra and the slight priviledge it afforded them

As the war neared its end, the Jewish members of the orchestra were transported to Bergen-Belsen. They had no idea whether this move meant a chance at survival or merely another stage in their extermination. Sebbas description of the camps liberation is deeply moving.

However, liberation was not the end of suffering. The women carried the scars of Auschwitz for the rest of their lives. Some never touched a musical instrument again, unable to separate their art from the horror it had been forced to serve. Others constantly questioned if they had done enough to resist.

What makes The Womens Orchestra Of Auschwitz so powerful is its unswerving commitment to detail. Sebba ensures that every womans name, every story, is documented.

This is not a faceless tragedy, it is a collection of individual lives, each deserving of remembrance. In Jewish tradition, when someone dies, we say, May their memory be for a blessing. This book is a deeply felt articulation of that sentiment.

There is added poignancy in the wake of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz as the last survivors leave us, passing on the responsibility to bear witness to the next generations. This book reminds us that extremism does not emerge in a vacuum and that dehumanisation can happen in increments.
My first food memory was aged six in South Africa, having an operation on my ear on the kitchen table. My brother James was being born in a bedroom down the corridor. When I came around from the anaesthetic, my nanny asked if I wanted to see my brother. I said no, Id rather have a banana. I remember I was given a lecture about being greedy. I am very greedy.

Prue Leith

I had a privileged life in South Africa and we had the most wonderful Zulu cook called Charlie, who was classically trained. He cooked a mix of British and French  all rather colonial. Lots of shepherds pie, macaroni cheese, coq au vin and cassoulet.

Every year on my fathers birthday we had Heinz Tomato Soup from a can. He was addicted to it and insisted Charlie sent it to the table, the tin heated but unopened, in a silver soup tureen and wrapped in a napkin. This was so Charlie couldnt doctor it in the kitchen, adding a bit of cream or sherry or parsley. My father would open it and dole out this annual treat. I grew up thinking Heinz Tomato Soup was the height of gastronomic luxury.

My mother was the worst cook in the whole world and it didnt occur to her, or me, about my becoming a cook. It took until I was in Paris at the Sorbonne for me to realise how important food was, how interesting it is and how it takes creativity and intelligence to do well.

Prue was born in Cape Town, South Africa

When I was little, we lived in England for three years. It was just after the war and everything was rationed. I was shocked at how awful the food was, mainly reheated cold meat covered in gravy, described by Elizabeth David as sauce industrielle. Id been brought up on salads, fruit and fish straight out of the sea and on to a barbecue at the beach. We ate simply but well. There was none of that in England. Fish was always in batter.

Growing up, Heinz tomato soup was a birthday treat

In England we had a sweets ration. Once I was walking down Edgware Road [in London], Werthers toffees in my hand. We passed a row of German prisoners of war digging a ditch. My mother told me to offer them one of my toffees. So, rather reluctantly, I proffered my bag. One soldier took the whole lot! I kicked up a fuss and my mother was incredibly angry with me.

I joined the board of British Rail in 1980, when the food was still good on trains. A lot of the stewards ran their own enterprises, selling homemade bacon butties and pocketing the cash. I remember a letter from one irate customer saying how hed had this incredible bacon sandwich on the GWR to Herefordshire, and why couldnt they have it on the Cornish line? I looked into it and found we had never sold a bacon butty on that line  it was the stewards butty.

When I opened my first Leiths cookery school in South Africa, in 1975, we asked students to come up with a first course inspired by childhood. One boy produced mopane worms, which are actually caterpillars. Im sure if deep fried, theyd be delicious. But they were steamed. The outside was leathery and the inside squishy. I found that difficult.

I do love all the classic English comfort foods, like sausage and mash and spag bol. When Im feeling tired and lazy, I like a big bowl of greek yogurt with almonds and honey on top.

I always have Champagne in the fridge. And custard, too  either Tesco Finest or Birds. That shocks some people, but its every bit as good as anything I can make. And since theres always cake in the freezer and jam in the house, I can assemble a trifle in five minutes.

My last supper would depend on what I had eaten for lunch. If I was hungry, it would be cassoulet with lamb, sausages and lumps of ham or goose. For pudding: trifle. Im addicted to it.

Prue Leiths Cotswold Kitchen is on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player every Saturday at 11:40am
According to the National Hedge Laying Society, there are around 130 hedgelayers in the country. And although I cannot know this for certain, I would wager quite confidently that Paul Lamb is the only one with almost 200,000 Instagram followers.

The 48-year-old set up his account (@westcountry_hedgelayer) less than five years ago, on the advice of his daughters who are both in their 20s. Initially, it got about as many followers as you would expect from an Instagram filled with pictures and videos of a man in Somerset laying hedges  not that many. Then, one Friday, an American flower farmer with 1.2 million followers shared one of Lambs videos; 48 hours later, he had gone from having 1,000 people follow him, to 10,000. From there, things kept growing.

He can lay up to 20 metres of hedge in a day

Lamb was born in Essex, left school at 16 and moved to the West Country. He did odd bits of farm work until, aged 21, he met a woodsman called Bill Bugler who taught him how to lay hedges. This month, after 28 years of hedgelaying, Lamb is publishing a memoir: Of Thorn & Briar.

Anyone could plant a row of shrubs and trees, trim them to shape and call it a hedge. But hedgelaying is quite different. It involves cutting the plants that make up a hedge at their base, then bending them backwards so that they rest on top of each other diagonally. After that, the hedgelayer drives wooden stakes along the centre of the hedge and into the soil. Lastly, they weave binders (long sticks of willow or hazel wood) between the stakes, to hold everything together. The result is a hedge that has been, essentially, fortified; a laid hedge should be strong enough that it could stop a cow from trampling through it and thick enough to keep a lamb from scurrying under it.

At a farm in Somerset, Lamb stands in front of a hedge he laid last winter  a 300-metre-long mass of blackthorn. Depending on the weather, he can complete 20 metres of hedge a day and earns around 20 a metre. That sounds like a lot of money but, once a hedge has been laid, it doesnt need to be laid again for around 20 years. It just needs a small annual trim.

He cannot explain why so many people on the internet are suddenly so interested in hedges  Who would have thought?  but they are. On Instagram, his followers are split 50/50 between men and women, predominantly British, and aged mostly between 40 and 55. The teenagers couldnt give a toss. I havent cracked that market yet. He has, however, cracked a celebrity market. Guy Ritchie, Monty Don and Charlie Mackesy are among Lambs 195,800 fans. The latter sends him occasional messages, saying things like, Ive planted a blackthorn!

Social media has changed everything for him. Because my life has just been woods, hedge, woods, hedge, you know? And then Instagram comes along. The platform got Lamb his book deal and, via Instagram, he has begun advertising hedgelaying courses to the public. In the past six months he has run 25 courses and all places sold out immediately.

Lamb is also, sometimes, recognised. Recently, he was at a pub in Wales when a group of strangers approached him. They said, Are you the hedgelayer? And I said, Well, I am a hedgelayer. And they said: No, but you are the West Country hedgelayer!

Paul with his girlfriend

Later, when we go to the farm shop cafe, the farms owner, Ian, comes over to our table. He says all of this  Lambs book, his Instagram fame  couldnt have happened to a nicer man. When he adds that there will probably be a Hollywood film next, I ask who should star as Lamb.

Daniel Craig, I think, replies Ian.

More like Tommy Cooper, says Lamb.

All I will say about Lambs physical appearance is that last month, when he posted a photo of his girlfriend on Instagram for the first time, one of the top comments read: Arghhhh youve broken a lot of womens hearts. (Apparently, when his girlfriend told her 19-year-old daughter about Lamb, the teenager looked him up out of curiosity. Oh my god, Mum, she said, after finding his Instagram, youre going out with an influencer.)

Its thought that hedgerows were invented in Britain during the Bronze Age. They were a farming technique, designed to demarcate whose land was whose and to keep cattle contained. The oldest-known surviving hedge in the country is a one-kilometre stretch of shrubbery in Cambridgeshire called Judiths Hedge. It was planted in the 11th century by William the Conquerors niece, Judith.

By the 1700s, 200,000 miles of hedgerows had been planted because of the Enclosure Act, when previously open and public fields were carved up and sold to private owners. (The Enclosure Act was bad news for peasants but great news for hedges.) At its peak England had more than 500,000 miles of hedges but, after the Second World War, the government began to encourage larger farms, and more than 100,000 miles of British hedgerows were destroyed. King Charles, the patron of the National Hedge Laying Society, has recalled his horror at watching hedges being dug up when he was a child.

Today, there are around 240,000 miles of hedges in England. That is still loads  if you lined them all up end to end, they would circle the earth ten times  but, says Lamb, about 60 per cent of those are in poor condition: overgrown or overtrimmed, gappy at the bottom, unlaid.

Lamb doesnt blame farmers for this neglect. The easiest thing in the world is to use the farmer as a scapegoat and say: He just doesnt give a toss about nature. Ive never met a farmer who doesnt love to see the spring coming on, or wildlife on the farm. But, farms are businesses, and one farmer, on his own, trying to manage a farm, is normally already up against it.

Its a shame because, alongside being a stronger structure, a laid hedge has environmental benefits; it offers food and shelter for various birds, mice, voles and invertebrates, and it acts as a carbon sequester. Its a linear woodland, says Lamb. Also, bar a few patches of northern France and Belgium, hardly anywhere on earth has hedgerows. They are a central part of what makes England England, wrote Bill Bryson. Without them it would just be Indiana with steeples.

Still, Lamb is hopeful about our hedges. When he started laying, in 1997, the work was scarce. Now, Im flat out. Im already booking up for the next year. Suddenly, theres this interest. Part of that is due to people who moved to the countryside during Covid. They bought houses with paddocks and are happy to spend money on good hedges. And part of it is a new, younger generation of farmers, who are more interested in the benefits of hedgelaying than their predecessors. Thats what I find most encouraging.

On the day I meet Lamb it is late February and unusually sunny. The hedgelaying season lasts from September to March (in the summer months, Lamb does wattle-hazel fencing) and the work, which is already hard and tiring, is often done in miserable weather. There are days when you think: S**t, I wish Id tried harder at school, he says, laughing. Im out here and Im soaking wet and my hands are full of splinters. Its hard graft. But for me  and without trying to sound too romantic  when I get a day like this, and the suns on my back, and the hedge is coming into leaf, and the birds are singing, well, he gestures to the enormous Somerset fields, there are times where I feel like the luckiest person on earth.

Pauls book Of Thorn & Briar is published by Simon & Schuster, price 20. To order a copy for 17 until 20 April, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free delivery on orders over 25.

Hamish Beeston, @WESTCOUNTRY_HEDGELAYER/INSTAGRAM
FRIDAY

12pm We land in Shakespeares ultimate Italian city after a two-hour flight from London. Our AirBnB (219 for two nights) is near Ponte Pietra, Veronas oldest bridge, built in 100BC. Its destruction by retreating Germans in 1945 means just one original Roman arch remains.

2pm Quick march to osteria Caffe Monte Baldo for white wine and cicchetti  slices of bread with various toppings. These are local to Venice but, given thats an hour away by train, they do a good job here, too. Its around 17 for a selection of ten. The salted cod is best.

4pm We skip Juliets Balcony, because 1) tickets cost 10 and 2) Shakespeares Juliet wasnt a real person and the balcony is therefore just some balcony from the 20th century. So we visit Piazza delle Erbe, a square with a 380AD sculpture of Madonna Verona.

7.30pm Trattoria Al Pompiere translates as the firemans restaurant and, unsurprisingly, was opened by a retired fireman in the early 1900s. When my grandmother visited Verona she liked this place so much she went twice. After our (excellent) supper, I can see why.

SATURDAY

9.30am We walk to Ponte Castelvecchio, a fortified bridge built in the 1350s by Cangrande Il della Scala  a tough lord of Verona dubbed the Raging Dog. Scala is said to have been assassinated by his (presumably just as tough) brother at the age of 27.

11.30am If Id been organised, Id have booked opera tickets for the Arena di Verona (above)  a Roman amphitheatre. But, Im not, so we pay about 10 to walk around it. Its impressive: old (built in 30AD) and vast (22,000 stony seats  opera-goers, bring a cushion).

3pm After lunch we visit a branch of United Colors of Benetton, which, randomly, has a well-preserved Roman ruin in its basement, with tiles from a 100AD domus or house. Now, its cordoned off amid racks of jewel-coloured jumpers and puffer jackets.

6pm We buy beers and climb San Pietro, a hill that leads to a neo-Romanesque fortress from 1398, to watch the sunset. Supper is at Pizzeria da Salvatore. Locals say to ask for La Burratina  an off-menu pizza that comes with a big burrata on top. This proves good advice.

SUNDAY

12.30pm Our flight isnt until 5pm so we get coffee and pastries at Pasticceria Scapini Verona. This is, apparently, not enough food, which means one final plate of proscuitto (about 10) at Trattoria Al Pompiere. Twice in one trip. Like grandmother, like granddaughter.
Gayle King left CBS viewers stunned when she casually uttered a gay slur during Thursday's broadcast of CBS Mornings.

King was interviewing comedian Matteo Lane about his new cookbook Your Pasta Sucks when the conversation turned to Lane's stand-up material.

'Can I just say one joke? I hope I don't get in trouble,' King began. 'You do a riff about white women who approached you, and they said something about cooking, and you said, "What in the f****try are you talking about?"'

Her remark referenced one of Lane's own punchlines and seemed to land well with the comedian, who uses the controversial term in his sets.

But King's co-hosts were less amused and CBS vowed to edit the word out of subsequent feeds and scrub it from online re-runs.

'Gayle was quoting Matteo Lane in a live conversation,' the network said in a statement.

'We removed the slur from the later feeds of the show, as you can see on our social channels, and we have removed this version of the segment from YouTube and CBSNews.com.'

The offensive term has long been considered a homophobic slur, but has been reclaimed by some gay men.

Gayle King left CBS viewers stunned when she casually uttered a gay slur during Thursday's broadcast of CBS Mornings

King had been interviewing comedian Matteo Lane about his new cookbook Your Pasta Sucks when the conversation turned to Lane's stand-up material

The studio grew visibly tense after King used the homophobic slur

King is yet to apologize and there has been no further comment from Lane.

But many viewers have since taken to social media platform X to share their disapproval over the faux pas.

'Oh wow, Gayle King dropping an f-slur mid-interview while quoting a joke? Messy move, fams probably not vibing with that one,' one person wrote.

'Did Gayle King just say that out loud on National TV!!!!!! Im GAGGED! Literally jaw dropped!' another added.

'Gayle King saying f****t on daytime television in 2025 what timeline are we living in,' posted another.

'Not okay with Gayle King using the f-slur in her interview with Matteo Lane on CBD. That word has a very dark history for gay men. The fact it was used so casually and laughed at on morning TV, even if she was quoting his standup, is really depressing,' a fourth person wrote.

King, 70, has been a vocal ally of the LGBTQ+ people and has previously used her platform to highlight the importance of celebrating Pride.

Her staunch support for the community, combined with her close friendship with fellow veteran broadcaster Oprah Winfrey, 71, has even led to some misplaced speculation the two are in a relationship.

Lane burst into laughter, declaring his love for King, but her cohosts looked shocked

Many of those on social media were not impressed with her use of the word on live television



Both women have firmly and frequently denied any romantic involvement.

'You know, for years, people used to say we were gay, and listen, we were up against that forever,' Oprah said during a recent appearance on Melinda French Gates' podcast Moments That Make Us. 'And people still may think it.'

King, always the more gregarious of the pair, once begged Oprah to do a segment on the rumors on The Oprah Winfrey Show, simply to clarify that she was, in fact, available for dating.

'Because if we were gay, we'd tell you!' King declared with her trademark laugh.

The rumors have become almost part of the fabric of their friendship with the pair being seen arm-in-arm at red carpets, on vacation, at gala fundraisers and Met Galas alike.

Despite their undeniable chemistry, Winfrey has pointed out that the intensity of their bond doesn't make it romantic.

'Gayle is the mother, sister [and] friend that I never had,' Oprah said in the podcast.

'The reason why I think our friendship has worked is because Gayle is happier - not just happy, but happier - for me than I am for myself.'

During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live back in 2013, Winfrey denied ever taking 'a dip in the lady pond.'

When asked if she had ever been intimate with a woman before, Winfrey answered: 'No, no I have not. Thank you.'

Three years earlier, she said in an interview with Barbara Walters that she's 'not a lesbian' or 'even kind of a lesbian.'

'Why would you want to hide it? That is not the way I run my life,' she said of her sexuality.

In the same interview, Winfrey added that no one can out-happy Gayle.

King and her friendship with Oprah has also faced rumors that their decades-long friendship is secretly romantic. They are pictured together during a December 2023 gala

In 2020 Oprah shared images of her with her friend Gayle King over the years

Oprah shared photos from her youth including a very rare image with her best pal Gayle King

Both women have firmly, and frequently, denied any romantic involvement. Pictured in 2024

Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King are seen at the Sun Valley Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho last July

Oprah previously revealed that King has joined her and Steadman on every one of their trips together since 1993 (seen in 1994)

Oprah and her partner Stedman Graham have been together for 36 years

'You cannot out-happy her. I am equally as happy for her.'

The pair met when they were about 21 or 22 years old when they worked at Baltimore's WJZ station.

Oprah invited King over when she couldn't get home during a snow storm.

'The very first night, we spent the entire night up talking and she said, "I never met another Black girl like you," and I go "I've never met another Black girl like you!"' Oprah told in 2020.

'Since, we have literally talked every day of our lives. It's a more than 40-year friendship, and it's the thing I cherish most in my life.'

Oprah also joked how, 'When Gayle went through a divorce...I felt like I went through the divorce.'

King said her husband's infidelity was painful, but she is grateful for her kids Kirby, now 38, and Will, 37.

'You have to love your children more than you're mad at him,' King said.

King meanwhile has been open about her past relationships with men, including her former marriage to William Bumpus.

She has joked about her dry dating life and gushed about her platonic love for Oprah.

In 2006, the pair addressed the rumors in Oprah's O Magazine.

'I understand why people think we're gay,' Oprah wrote. 'There isn't a definition in our culture for this kind of bond between women.'

She went on to say that society lacks a language to describe emotional intimacy between women when it's not rooted in romance.

DailyMail.com has reached out to King's reps for further comment.
At popular LGBT newspaper The Word, there was only one terrifying story in town: young gay men vanishing without a trace.

Edition after edition, it was always the same narrative. The men were gay or bisexual, aged around 18 to 35 and had disappeared after visiting gay bars in downtown Indianapolis.

Often it was in these bars that they were last seen alive, before leaving with a mystery man or getting into a suspicious vehicle.

It was the early 1990s, and fears were growing that these disappearances were all connected. Was a serial killer at large preying on the gay community?

Missing persons posters were plastered across the walls of popular haunts such as Our Place, Metro and The Unicorn Club along Massachusetts Avenue.

Ted Fleischaker, a well-known figure in the LGBT community and the founder, owner and publisher of The Word, was using his newspaper to warn people about the dangers of leaving bars and clubs with strangers.

But not everyone could be saved.

In August 1995, one of Fleischakers own friends became the latest suspected victim to vanish.

Herb Baumeister's Fox Hollow Farm property (pictured) where he lured his victims, killed them and scattered their remains around the estate

Jerry Williams-Comer vanished from Indianapolis in August 1995. He is still listed as a missing person but is widely presumed to be a victim of serial killer Herb Baumeister

Jerry Williams-Comer, 34, ran rival publication The Sarj Guide - focused on happenings, events and bars in the LGBT community - with his long-term partner Ray Comer.

'He was a competitor and a friend,' Fleischaker tells the Daily Mail. 'I would see him out often. And there was a bit of friendly competition between our publications.'

Williams-Comer, who had a son from a previous marriage, was last seen alive in downtown Indianapolis on August 8, 1995.

'Jerry and Ray had an open relationship so the situation was that Jerry went home with people quite frequently from bars,' Fleischaker recalls. 'Then he went missing.'

Comer filed a missing persons report to police.

Not long later, Williams-Comer's vehicle was found abandoned in the parking lot of the Castleton Square Mall. But there was no sign of him.

'He wasn't the kind of person to just vanish,' Fleischaker says.

Three decades later, no one has seen or heard from him since.

Law enforcement find human bones on the Fox Hollow Farm estate belonging to wealthy businessman and married father-of-three Herb Baumeister in June 1996

Comer continued publishing The Sarj Guide after Williams-Comer's disappearance. He died in 2013, never learning the truth about what happened to his partner.

Fleischaker, now 74, says friends reported seeing Williams-Comer leaving a bar with a man who they would later come to learn was notorious serial killer Herb Baumeister.

'He was seen leaving Metro with Mr. Baumeister, so they said,' he recalls. 'I mean gossip is gossip, but he was supposedly seen leaving with him and then was never seen again.'

Williams-Comer is still listed as a missing person by the Indiana State Police and the FBI.

But he is widely presumed to be among Baumeister's victims.

The serial killer had spent years masquerading in the community as a family man and successful business owner, with two local Sav-A-Lot thrift stores.

But when his wife and children were out of town, he would frequent Indianapolis gay bars and lure victims back to his 18-acre Fox Hollow Farm in the elite suburb of Westfield. There, he would murder them and dispose of their burned remains around the vast estate.

His chilling secrets came to light in the summer of 1996, when a search of Fox Hollow Farm uncovered a huge graveyard of human bones and charred remains, along with chilling tools including handcuffs and shotgun shells.

While Baumeister escaped justice by fleeing to Ontario where he died by suicide, authorities were able to identify eight victims among the remains - Williams-Comer was not among them.

But, as a young gay man, he fit the profile.

Ted Fleischaker (pictured) was a well-known figure in the LGBT community and founder, owner and publisher of The Word

The circumstances of his disappearance also matched those of Baumeister's confirmed victims, who were last seen leaving a bar in the heart of Indianapolis's queer nightlife scene.

The mall where his car was found is located around halfway along the driving route between the Metro bar and Fox Hollow Farm in the suburbs.

But 30 years later, Williams-Comer's remains have yet to be found.

In 1998, the conservative enclave of Hamilton County stopped investigating the case or working to identify any more victims - leaving 10,000 still-unidentified human bones and bone fragments to sit on a shelf at the University of Indianapolis.

A new investigation launched by Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison in 2022 has now taken on the mammoth task of identifying the rest of the remains and naming all of Baumeister's victims.

A ninth victim - Allen Livingston - was identified in 2023. Jellison tells the Daily Mail that two other DNA profiles have been found, meaning two more victims should soon have names.

It is unclear how many more victims are yet to be identified among the thousands of bones and bone fragments - or if all of the remains were even found in the '90s.

Fleischaker is doubtful that the full extent of Baumeister's killing spree will ever be truly known.

'We're never going to know one thing: We're never going to know how many people were killed,' he says.

'We don't really have any idea how many people died. We just don't know.'

Allen Livingston, 27, and Manuel Resendez, 34, both went missing in 1993. Their remains have since been found on Fox Hollow Farm

When young men first began disappearing in the early '90s, the LGBT community was already in the grips of another crisis.

It was the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the US, so it wasn't uncommon for friends and community members to lose their lives.

'I was going to three or four funerals a week at the time,' Fleischaker says.

But soon it became obvious within the community that someone was preying on its members.

Between the summers of 1993 and 1994, at least 10 young men were reported missing after they were last seen in downtown bars.

'Lots of men disappeared without a trace there would be people you'd see all the time - and then, one day, you didn't see them at all anymore,' Fleischaker recalls.

'And when we would ask questions and ask around, which a lot of us did, we would find out that they had just vanished.'

With a killer on the loose, the community worked together to try to keep each other safe.

Herb Baumeister fooled the local community into thinking he was a family man when in reality he was harboring a dark secret

A lab technician with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department examines human bones in the woods around Fox Hallow Farm during the original 1996 investigation

People would search for their friends and fellow community members.

Bars would put up missing person posters.

Local LGBT papers and publications like The Word tried to spread awareness and encourage people to stay safe on nights out.

'Our goal was to say, "You don't want to leave a bar with someone you don't know and don't want to get into a sexual situation with someone you dont know,"' Fleischaker remembers.

'People were told to double their guard and to take care and go out together, so if you were going to go out on Saturday night, rather than go by yourself, take a friend or at the very least you'd tell your roommate or somebody, "Hey, I'm going to Metro." So if you didn't come back, they would go to look for you.'

When people did go missing, the community rallied together to search for them.

But for a long time, Fleischaker says, the queer community was very much on its own.

Beyond the LGBT press, news of a serial killer on the loose didn't reach the rest of Indianapolis. Mainstream TV channels and newspapers barely reported on the string of suspicious disappearances.

A pool room is seen inside the Fox Hollow Farm estate in the new ABC News Studios docuseries. Baumeister is believed to have killed his victims in the room

Pictured: Fox Hollow Farm. With a killer on the loose, the LGBT community worked together to try to keep each other safe

Fleischaker claims law enforcement also failed to take the situation seriously.

While the LGBT community 'figured it out along the way' that there was a serial killer in their midst, Fleischaker says the 'police were very late to the table.'

At that time, same-sex sexual activity was still a crime in some US states and same-sex marriage was banned across the country.

As a Republican-led, conservative state, Indiana was not considered progressive.

'It wasn't an accident that nobody paid attention to what was going on,' he adds.

'Indiana is extremely right wing and extremely conservative and a lot of these men were basically non-people to the majority of folks and to the police.

'Who really cares about a bunch of gay guys?'

But there was one investigator, detective Mary Wilson of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, who did care and was working with the LGBT community, including Fleischaker, to solve the case.

'She was one of the only ones who would pay attention and cared about what was happening,' he says.

The hunt for missing men was also complicated by the fact that many of those who disappeared were estranged from their families because of their sexuality or they had not told their loved ones where they had gone, which meant they didn't even know to look.

'A lot of kids vanished. These were young people who came to Indianapolis from small towns out in the state of Indiana. They would party their butts off every night, then after that they might go home with someone,' Fleischaker says.

'Some of these were people who nobody knew where they were his mom and dad probably didn't know where they went. So if they disappeared, no one would really question where they were or where they had gone.'

'And Baumeister knew that - he was a smarter guy than he was given credit for,' he adds.

Mark Goodyear (pictured in the 1990s around the time of Herb Baumeister's killing spree) claimed he survived a night with Baumeister and helped lead cops to the killer

Mark Goodyear (seen now in a new ABC News Studios docuseries) has changed his story about what happened that night

It's a chilling thought that the missing person reports may only represent a fraction of the young men who disappeared and met a horrific end at Baumeister's hands.

Jerry Williams-Comer (pictured) has never been found

The nine confirmed victims - Johnny Bayer, Jeff Jones, Richard Hamilton Jr., Allen Livingston, Steven Hale, Allen Broussard, Roger Goodlet, Mike Keirn and Manuel Resendez - were identified by family members submitting their own DNA samples for comparison.

But some victims may never have even been reported missing - or, at least, not in Indianapolis.

Williams-Comer's disappearance was one that did set off alarm bells in the community at the time.

Fleischaker says it was out of character for the 34-year-old to vanish.

He had a long-term partner, he was a doting father and he was a prominent member of the LGBT community.

Williams-Comer's son, Adam Williams, said in the ABC News Studios docuseries, The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer, that his family instantly knew something bad must have happened.

'It was very unusual for my dad to disappear mysteriously,' he said.

'So the distinct possibility he was murdered was there from the get-go.'

Adam recalled the last moments he had with his dad on his birthday in 1995.

He said both he and his mom were 'mad' because Williams-Comer had been working that day so he couldn't spend time with his birthday-boy son. He said his mom took him to see Williams-Comer later in the day.

'I gave him a hug and he gave me 20 bucks and said, "I'll see you next weekend,"' he recalled.

That was the last time he saw his father.

Law enforcement search Fox Hollow Farm in June 1996. Fleischaker believes law enforcement didn't take the disappearances of young gay men seriously at the time

The 1996 search of Fox Hollow Farm. Ted Fleischaker fears that the extent of Herb Baumeister's crimes will never be truly known

Fleischaker doesn't remember ever personally coming face-to-face with Baumeister.

But after he was unmasked as a serial killer prowling the community, many of his friends realized they had.

'Several of my friends had interactions with him,' he says. 'He used to sit at the bar at Metro and hang out.

It was fairly common for people to leave the bar with someone they didn't necessarily know, he adds.

'Back then you didn't have cellphones to call people or track them or Facebook or Twitter or TikTok or post about it.'

Ultimately, it was the queer community that led police to their own killer.

A man named Mark Goodyear told Detective Wilson he met a man in a bar in August 1994 who took him out to a huge farm in the suburbs and tried to strangle him.

Around two years later, Goodyear spotted the man again in a bar and his friend took down his license plate, according to a 1996 police interview transcript.

Police traced the car to Baumeister - culminating in the summer 1996 search of Fox Hollow Farm. Goodyear, meanwhile, has changed his story several times since and claimed in the ABC docuseries that he had not been attacked.

Fleischaker feels that even once Baumeister's depraved crimes finally came to light, there was still a the lack of interest in the case from authorities.

In 1998 - two years after Baumeister's killing field was uncovered - the case was effectively closed with thousands of human remains still unidentified.

In a bombshell press conference, investigators from several local counties got together to announce they believed Baumeister was also responsible for a series of other unsolved murders of gay men - which effectively ended all active investigations into those cases, too.

Between 1980 and 1991, multiple young men and boys were strangled and their bodies dumped along Interstate 70 between Indiana and Ohio. Many of them had also been known to frequent Indianapolis' gay bars.

The killer became known as the I-70 Strangler, but victims mysteriously stopped appearing along the interstate around the time Baumeister bought Fox Hollow Farm in 1991, presumably finding a new dumping ground.

After Baumeister's dark secrets came to light in 1996, an eyewitness told police that he was the man he saw leave an Indianapolis nightclub with victim Michael Riley on the night Riley was last seen alive.

Riley was found in a ditch days later.

An air vent where Baumeister is believed to have kept a hidden camera above a couch in the basement to record his victims

But there was no concrete evidence tying Baumeister to these killings.

At the time of the 1998 press conference, Fleischaker publicly slammed authorities for quickly concluding Baumeister was the I-70 Strangler, rather than being open to the possibility that there could be more than one murderer targeting the LGBT community.

He stands by that criticism today and still firmly believes the highway-side strangling is the work of a different killer.

'Some [of the murders] happened at too much the same time and, no matter how miraculous you are, you can't be in two places at once,' Fleischaker said. 'You can't be at Fox Hollow Farm and also Dayton, Ohio, at the same time.

'And the MO was very different: Baumeister was known to be very careful and had it all situated at his place Fox Hollow Farm, whereas the I-70 murderer was throwing bodies out along the highway.'

This all came at a time when there was a series of other serial killers targeting LGBT communities across the US, from Jeffrey Dahmer to John Wayne Gacy.

And in Indiana specifically, another notorious serial killer was on the loose.

Investigators are seen searching Herb Baumeister's sprawling estate for human remains in 1996

The infamous 'Highway Killer' Larry Eyler picked up men at bars, male sex workers and hitchhikers from Indiana and other Midwestern states in the 1980s, killing them and dumping their bodies along highways and rural stretches.

Eyler was convicted of kidnapping and murdering a 16-year-old boy and has been tied to at least 21 murders.

He was sentenced to death, but died while awaiting execution. Eyler has also long been eyed as the I-70 Strangler.

Fleischaker believes authorities at the time just wanted to be able to shut down both cases in one fell swoop.

'What I always got from the county sheriff's offices was that they wanted to close the cases and that it was a nuisance to them to have a bunch of gay guys missing and it was a nuisance to them to have a bunch of unsolved murders of gay guys,' he says.

'No one wanted to deal with it.'

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office told Daily Mail that authorities have not definitively concluded that Baumeister was the I-70 Strangler. However, neither Hamilton County nor any other jurisdiction where he struck are actively investigating the case.

Jellison, the Hamilton County coroner, agrees with Fleischaker that authorities wanted to simply shut the door on the murders of gay men.

Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison is now working to identify all the remains from Fox Hollow Farm

'In the original investigation, they had identified eight men. They knew all eight of these men were gay,' he says.

'They were from Indianapolis and this is Hamilton County, it is a very conservative county. So basically the suspect was dead, they had eight gay men from Indianapolis, they weren't going to look for more.'

Jellison explained that the coroner at the time decided to stop funding any efforts to identify the found remains.

'They put that burden on the families,' he explained. 'They said, "We're not going to do it for you so if you want to identify your family member from the remains, then you pay for DNA testing and do it yourself."'

It was only in 2022 that the case got renewed attention - when Eric Pranger, the cousin of victim Allen Livingston, reached out and asked Jellison to help him find the truth about what happened.

Livingston was last seen alive in August 1993 getting into an unknown individual's vehicle in Indianapolis. He was reported missing by his family at the time.

He - like Williams-Comer - wasn't among those identified on Baumeister's estate in the '90s.

When Jellison launched a new investigation to identify all the remains, Livingston was the first victim to finally get a name.

Pranger tells the Daily Mail that his aunt, Sharon Livingston, had always known her son must have been a victim of the heinous serial killer. She had begged for closure before her death from terminal cancer in November 2024.

Sharon Livingston finally learned that her son was a victim of Herb Baumeister just before her death

He says 'it meant the world to her' to finally be able to find her son and bring his ashes home to her.

'Thirty years is a really long time to not have her kid home and for her to always wonder if he was still alive or was somewhere else. She no longer had to wonder about that anymore,' he says.

Jellison is committed to getting answers for other families and friends whose loved ones vanished all those years ago.

But Fleischaker isn't hopeful that the LGBT community will ever get true closure from the depraved serial killer's reign of terror.

'There's so many names out there that disappeared,' he says.

'But the thing is with this, it's 30 years later. It's getting so old that so many people involved in this story in the first place are now dead.

'To me it's an old expression and a bad expression, but lots of stuff just fell through the cracks and I dont think it's going to ever come out of the cracks.'
A 28-year-old man has died just three days short of his 29th birthday after a bacterial infection left 72 holes in his lungs.

Dylan Watts from Broulee, south of Bateman's Bay in New South Wales, sadly died from the bacterial infection on March 22.

Doctors had initially told Mr Watts and his family that he was unlikely to make it to 30 due to the severity of the bacteria in his lungs.

His family said while Dylan had been unwell, his early death still came as a shock.

Dylan's younger sister, Caitlyn, told Daily Mail Australia the family was still waiting to learn how the illness could have progressed so quickly.

'I found out in July of last year how severe things had begun to get, that he had holes in his lungs and had been in hospital for three weeks after coughing up blood.

'His doctor told him if he hadn't got in so soon that could have killed him.'

In 2021, a scan identified two holes in Mr Watts' lungs. Over the following year, his health began to deteriorate.

NSW South Coast man Dylan Watts, 28, succumbed to a bacterial infection

Doctors believed the infection would claim Dylan's life before he turned 30

'He had reflux, was very lethargic, coping with mental health issues and his persistent cough was (not fixed) with over-the-counter medication,' Ms Watts said.

Dylan began receiving specialist treatment in early 2024 when he was hospitalised for three weeks following a lung haemorrhage.

By mid-2024, the number of holes in his lungs had grown to 72.

At this point, Caitlyn said that Dylan was on enough medication and antibiotics that it 'filled an entire backpack'.

'He was severely unwell yet fighting for his health and optimistic about some kind of recovery,' she said.

Just two weeks ago, Dylan's mother, Suzanne, picked up her son and his puppy, named 'Polar' from Goulburn and began making arrangements for his long-term care.

Five days later, her son died.

Caitlyn said her brother had an 'intelligent curious nature' and 'stood up for what he believed in, for his family and friends and for anyone he felt didn't have the voice to do so for themselves'.

'I always looked up to him, he was my big brother so how could I not?

'He was always there to protect and guide me, and pull me up when I was making bad decisions as he'd learned from his own experiences and shared those lessons with me.'

Dylan was on enough medication and antibiotics that it 'filled an entire backpack', his sister said

The siblings grew closer as they became older, and bonded over a shared passion for music and tattoos.

'The last thing my mum and I were supposed to do with him was get a tattoo done by him as he had learned and practiced on himself for the last few years, and was getting quite good,' Caitlyn said.

'His spirit is walking alongside my mum and I, we are his voice now and boy did he always have questions.'

A GoFundMe launched to help the family in meeting funeral costs has received 46 donations, raising $3,380 towards a $6,000 target.

'Let this be a reminder that those you love can be gone in an instant,' Caitlyn wrote on the fundraiser page.

'So, hold them close today and tell them you love them. There is a fragility in all of us.

'His memory and his story will be remembered by many who loved him and he will be forever missed.'

His family said Dylan's death still came as a shock despite his doctor's warnings

Family friend Cheyenne O'Brien said Dylan's death was no less shocking despite the repeated warnings from his doctors.

'Although Dylan had been unwell, this has, of course, come as a shock to his loved ones who are now having to deal with not only their grief, but the stress of having to organise his farewell,' she said.

'To help Dylan's family be able to celebrate his life and have the send-off that he deserves please donate if you can and share.

'Thank you from Dylan's family'.
American lawyer Robert Amsterdam has been inundated with messages from expats to Spain in recent months, appealing for help after having their lives turned upside-down by sudden changes to their tax regime.

Mr Amsterdam, a political lawyer, says he has since uncovered a much deeper problem within the Spanish bureaucracy, leaving scores of people millions of pounds out of pocket.

Where wealthy expats were once courted by Spain under a tax initiative known as Beckham's Law, offering a reduced burden on Spanish-sourced income, many are now reporting sudden hikes in their tax obligations, leaving them facing financial 'ruin'.

Writing for MailOnline, Mr Amsterdam argues that Spanish auditors have 'declared war' on Brits and other foreigners who moved to the country under the promise of a favourable tax regime - only to have it ripped away from them.

The Spanish taxman has declared war on Brits and other 'foreigners' who moved to Spain to work. The Hacienda operates in ways that would make HMRC blush. Its ethics look fresh from the jungle.

Mr Amsterdam, a political lawyer, only took on the case to help some friends. But he says he has since uncovered a much deeper problem within the Spanish bureaucracy, leaving scores of people millions of pounds out of pocket.

Where wealthy expats were once courted by Spain under a tax initiative known as Beckham's Law, offering a reduced burden on Spanish-sourced income, many are now reporting sudden hikes in their tax obligations, leaving them facing financial 'ruin'.

We've been investigating a particular scam that lures foreign workers to Spain with tax breaks. Which then evaporate. A massive con trick.

Robert Amsterdam said the sprawling Spanish tax system 'seems structured to extort the maximum amount from unsuspecting foreigners'. (Pictured: British tourists in Benidorm, 2023)

Its known as the Beckhams Law. Introduced in 2004, it was designed to entice employers to transfer employees to Spain in a bid to sweep up top talent from abroad.

Foreigners on big salaries, like David Beckham during his move to Real Madrid, could benefit from huge tax savings on their Spanish income if they registered to live in Spain.

It sounds good on paper. And it looks real. But it's a trap. We've interviewed dozens of victims who say their lives have been ruined after being promised the world, and then had it taken away.

British Solicitor Advocate Robert Amsterdam, of Amsterdam & Partners LLP

The scam works like this

Your employer wants you to work in Spain. Great! Sunshine, good food, a more leisurely lifestyle. What could be wrong with that? The tax authority. That's what.

They've conned your employer and lured you with lower income tax on your pay  mostly 24% - and they won't tax investments you have outside Spain.

So you go there. Who wouldn't?

It's all fine for a few years. Then the mood music changes. And a nightmare begins.

The letter through the door. The taxman's love letter: we're going to audit you. For every year we still can. Look forward to a close relationship with us

They ask for every scrap of information you possess. Not just about your pay and your job  about overseas investments as well.

Hang on  you said you wouldn't tax those. Well, now it's a different story.

We have heard from scores of people who say that they have had their Beckham Law status withdrawn without explanation.

It's then retroactively charged with back taxes to said periods, completely outside the semblance of the rule of law.

Expats who moved to Spain under the promise of one contract with the government now fear financial ruin, having seen it torn up overnight.

In some cases, expats are left hundreds of thousands of pounds out of pocket.

People have also been left deeply disturbed by the relentless probes. One had a heart attack under the pressure of being audited by the authorities.

The auditors doorstop your dentist, your gym. They harass your kids' school. Interview the headmaster. Do your kids speak good Spanish? Were you a good parent? Wow! If you resist, they slap you with a penalty notice for obstruction. 10,000 euros. That's more than 8,000!

The Spanish tax inspectors have a bonus scheme. You might think it could influence their behaviour. They say you never qualified for the tax breaks. But they gave you a Certificate. They go for tax and penalties (typically 125% of the tax) and interest.

ROBERT AMSTERDAM: Your employer wants you to work in Spain. Great! Sunshine, good food, a more leisurely lifestyle. What could be wrong with that? The tax authority. That's what. (file)

Remember, they've hit you late, so you owe a lot of interest. If you don't pay, they seize your assets. Freeze your bank accounts.

If you appeal  good luck  it can take 8 years. There's a famous case that took 25 years. Until then you've got no money.

Your advisers have been nobbled. They tell you to pay up. Otherwise, it'll be the criminal court. The tax authority will do that. The fines. The threat of making you a criminal. You're not but it doesn't seem to matter.

It's a scandal. It's cost people their health and most of their cash!

If that sounds horribly familiar to you, let us know. We're working to get this con trick stopped. Spanish courts. European Courts. Every way that's possible.

Why are they ruining people? Wrecking their lives? To earn themselves a bonus.
For the past ten years, online gangs of vigilante 'paedophile hunters' have been causing chaos on UK streets, operating outside of the law with mob-style 'stings' that see suspects confronted, interrogated and livestreamed on social media.

They typically operate by pretending to be a child and messaging suspected paedophiles on social media - relying on tip offs and online rumours to identify them.

After establishing their interest, they then arrange to meet them in person - only for two or more of the hunters to turn up instead with cameras and interrogation techniques at the ready.

But while thousands of fans praise the gangs for alerting police to alleged paedophiles, sometimes leading to trials and convictions, there is a deeply dark side to their activities which has led to arrests, angry mobs and even death.

From driving men not charged with any crime to suicide, to upending completely innocent people's lives and harassing journalists, these self-styled hunters have been beleaguered with high profile missteps in recent years.

Not to mention the many hunters who have been charged with crimes themselves and even jailed - for everything from false imprisonment to possessing or sharing indecent images of children themselves.

Here MailOnline takes a look at the dark underbelly of the so-called 'paedophile hunters' - and the damage their crusade can really do.

Driving men to suicide

Father-of-four Adrian Smith, 48, died in February just hours after being accused of sending sexually explicit messages to someone he was said to believe was a 14-year-old girl

Mr Smith was released on bail hours after the sting by paedophile hunters and died on the M4 on the same day

The hunters claimed they had 'no control' over Mr Smith's choices, and allowed hundreds of sick comments to be posted celebrating his death - he had not been charged with any crime

Father-of-four Adrian Smith, 48, died in February just hours after being accused of sending sexually explicit messages to someone he was said to believe was a 14-year-old girl.

He was filmed by vigilante so-called paedophile hunters being confronted and later arrested by police. The video was uploaded to social media.

After being interviewed he was released on bail by Avon and Somerset Police. Hours later, he was dead - having thrown himself off an M4 bridge onto the busy motorway below.

The hunters, who had streamed the 'sting' on Facebook, took down the video after hearing of his death to 'allow his family to grieve' but did not apologise.

'We exposed a paedophile and handed him to the police,' the group said. 'We have no control over the choices made by him.'

Replying to the post, fans of the group posted hundreds of sick comments appearing to celebrate the incident.

'One down, one million to go,' said one user, while another added: 'Fantastic'. Others said they hoped his death 'starts a trend', and the news was 'a brilliant way [to start] a Monday morning'.

One woman wrote: 'Some see it as cowards way out, I see it as the trash dumping itself. Best for everyone, doesn't waste taxpayers money by going to court and jail.'

Mr Smith had not been charged with any offence at the time of his death.

David Baker, 43, barricaded himself in and took a fatal overdose three days after being accused of being a paedophile

It follows the case of David Baker, 43, who killed himself after being confronted by vigilante hunters in 2017.

Baker, who was accused of arranging to meet a 14-year-old boy for sex, was filmed being confronted by hunter Steven Dure on October 4, 2017.

After being arrested by police officers and released under investigation, he died just three days later - having barricaded himself in and taken a large overdose of prescription medication.

A coroner ruled that online posts by the group and others following his arrest was a direct cause of his death.

'I believe in this particular case the postings on social media after his arrest contributed to the stress on David and to him being alone and isolated in his own home where he made his decision to end his own life.

'This was therefore a causative factor to what led to his death, at least in part.'

Mr Dure told the Sun at the time he had 'no regrets'.

'The only tragedy here is that justice could not be done before he took his life. At the end of the day, he travelled 20 miles to meet a 14-year-old child. It is what it is,' he said.

Hunters arrested

Some of the first arrests of so-called paedophile hunters occurred in 2017, when two men were detained by Kent Police for impersonating a police officer.

A 43-year-old man from Blackheath and a 34-year-old man from Maidstone were arrested just a week after senior police officers in the country had issued a warning against such practices.

Around the same time, another two men were arrested on suspicion of affray after a viral video appeared to show them attacking a suspected paedophile in a violent confrontation at Bluewater shopping centre that prompted onlookers to join in.

Sam Miller became one of the first hunters in the UK to be jailed for false imprisonment after confronting an innocent man, and has previous convictions for assault and impersonating a police officer

James Moss was convicted over the same incident as Miller, but was handed a suspended sentence

Another five hunters from Leeds were subject to a lengthy criminal trial in 2019 after being accused of assault, false imprisonment and public order offences.

They were eventually cleared by a jury, but police again warned vigilante groups not to confront suspected paedophiles, and not to post footage online.

But little changed and in 2022 in Norwich, a 49-year-old man, a 56-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman were arrested on similar charges.

And a year later self-styled justice seeker Sam Miller became one of the first hunters in the UK to be jailed.

Miller, then 29, was sentenced to eight months behind bars after confronting an innocent man, forcing him to the ground and accusing him of being a convicted rapist and paedophile.

He also had previous convictions for impersonating a police officer and assault.

A second man involved in the sting, James Moss, 58, was also convicted and handed a suspended sentence.

A judge said: 'You wrongly said he had been convicted of rape.

'Your actions made towards him were clearly designed to cause maximum humiliation and distress. He had no rights at all, as far as you were concerned.'

Hunters convicted of child sex offences

Tim Heron, 35, has a string of offences to his name and is a convicted child sex offender, having been found guilty of making a Category B image

Tim Heron, 35, has a string of convictions for his involvement in vigilante groups in Northern Ireland.

Heron joined a group in 2016 and was convicted three years later of intimidating a former BBC journalist who was reporting on the group's controversial tactics.

He was also convicted in the same year of assault alongside fellow hunter Richard Curtis, after the pair were among a group who attended an alleged paedophile's address.

At the scene, the man was assaulted and his wife verbally abused, with Curtis and Heron both found guilty over the incident.

The actions of the men were so disgraceful that a judge 'stayed' a charge of sexual communication with a child against the suspect they confronted due to their behaviour.

In 2022, Heron was back in court again accused of himself owning indecent images of children.

He was charged with one count of making a Category B indecent photo of a child and five of possession of extreme pornography.

Heron - who claimed another member of the paedophile hunter gang must have put the images on his device without him knowing - was convicted of all charges by a judge.

'Destroying innocent people's lives'

Shiz Hussain's whole family shunned him after he was confronted by vigilante hunters over alleged offences that never took place

It was months before he was exonerated and he even hid in a bathroom for four days out of fear - it turned out a man with a grudge against him had knowingly passed the group false information

Since the rise of online hunter gangs, an alarming number of men have told how their lives have been totally ruined after being wrongly accused, filmed and even assaulted by vigilantes, before being arrested by police.

Multiple men have spoken out about almost being driven to suicide after being wrongly accosted in the street or outside their homes and publically humiliated online.

Many of the cases of mistaken identity have involved paedophiles hijacking an innocent person's photos in a fake profile in order to avoid detection.

Others have involved people with grudges getting in touch with the online gangs and knowingly accusing innocent people of child sex offences.

A Lancashire barber recently told how he almost killed himself after a man with a grudge against him told a local gang he was a paedophile.

Shiz Hussain's whole family shunned him after he was confronted by vigilante hunters over alleged offences that never took place.

He described being pulled out of his car and thrown up against a brick wall, being accused of 'being interested in little girls' and of being a 'dirty paedo'.

It took months until the gang admitted online that he was entirely innocent, and they had been given false information.

After the confrontation, Mr Hussain said he was so terrified he hid in the toilet in his barber shop for four days.

Darrell Edmondson, from Tunbridge Wells, was also driven to considering suicide after being wrongly accused over a fake Facebook profle

And Darrell Edmondson, from Tunbridge Wells, told how he was the victim of a sting in 2021 that led to him losing his job, friends and reputation.

He had been messaging an adult woman, who was actually a paedophile hunter, online when she suddenly pushed to meet up with him one evening - telling him she had dropped her children at her mother's.

But when he turned up there was a whole vigilante gang of hunters who 'interrogated' him in the back of a van for two-and-a-half hours before police arrived.

The former van driver said that, three days after the livestream, he lost his job of 17 years in Tunbridge Wells.

He has been shunned by friends and family members as well as being shouted at in the street, which left him contemplating suicide at a local beach.

Mr Edmondson said the gang had a large A4 ring binder file full of photocopies of messages between a young girl and another account which had his profile picture.

But the picture belonged to a different Facebook account, in which a paedophile had picked his photos at random from the internet to use as a fake profile.

The group later apologised and admitted Mr Edmondson was entirely innocent.

Harassing journalists

George Keenan was one of three men convicted over the ugly footage of a gang of paedophile hunters harassing a BBC journalist in Belfast

Richard Curtis (left) and Tim Heron (right) were among those who surrounded reporter Kevin Magee - who required security guards to escort him to his car

Many of the online gangs have reputations for hitting back hard at any criticism of their activities.

Several have posted photographs of journalists who have questioned their tactics online to their thousands of followers.

In one particular case in Belfast, BBC journalist Kevin Magee encountered a group of hunters at a coffee shop on Botanic Avenue while making a report into hunters' activities.

Footage showed how he was surrounded and confronted by a gang of hunters before having to be escorted to his car by a security guard.

During the ugly confrontation, one of the hunters holds his phone up to Mr Magee's face and says: 'This is the closest you will get to any of these groups, do you understand?

'You came here tonight thinking you were gonna get stuff on me. You better watch your f****** self.'

George Keenan, Richard Curtis and Tim Heron were all found guilty of attempting to intimidate the reporter, disorderly behaviour and obstructing a road.

They were each given a three-month suspended prison sentence.

Paedophiles posing as hunters

Lee Philip Rees ran a major blackmail operation which saw him make 40,000 by posing as a teenage girl online - the court was told he is a paedophile himself, despite claiming to be a hunter

A man who claimed to be an online paedophile hunter was actually a paedophile himself, a judge ruled, in a concerning sign of how the very offenders vigilantes are out to catch could be hiding in their ranks.

Lee Philip Rees ran a major blackmail operation which saw him make 40,000 by posing as a teenage girl online.

He would message men and send them computer viruses in hidden indecent images he send in return for images from the men he was targeting.

Rees would then begin blackmailing the men who sent the 'teenage girl' pictures, threatening to expose them as paedophiles if they didn't pay up.

At Cardiff Crown Court, Rees was sentenced to nine years in prison for 31 offences including computer misuse, hacking and blackmail as a judge told him the 'moral crusade' of paedophile hunting did not excuse his behaviour.

The court heard he had a previous conviction in 1989 for possession of indecent photographs of children and had again distributed category C images in a bid to entrap paedophiles.

The judge also referred to a psychiatric report which found Rees 'suffers from paedophilia' himself.

'I have reached the conclusion that you derived much enjoyment and satisfaction in controlling and manipulating these individuals, preying on their fears and extracting for yourself significant financial gain.

'The money was spent on holidays abroad, buying expensive computer equipment and sending money to persons in Thailand.

'This was a cynical exercise and you even encouraged others to carry out similar offending.'

Gangs passed illegal information

Customer Services Assistant Chloe Carr from Hull City Council shared the name and address of a convicted sex offender with a paedophile gang - information she accessed through work

Because of Carr's actions, a mob of 30 people turned up to the man's address and threatened to kill him and burn his house down

Some paedophile gangs operating outside the legal system have been found to have been passed information illegally.

In April 2022, a Hull city council worker admitted to unlawfully disclosing private data to an online website without consent in court after passing on an address of a sex offender.

Customer Services Assistant Chloe Carr sent the highly sensitive information to paedophile hunters, telling them that the sex offender 'deserves all he gets' and was 'disgusting'.

The anti-paedophile gang whipped up a mob of 30 who turned up at the offender's house, threatening to kill him and burn down the property.

The sex offender was moved to a new address, as the court heard that Carr's actions helped to 'whip up a frenzy' and were 'not a public service at all' as they 'destabilised' convicted criminals and risked making them 'unpredictable.'

By definition, the gangs rely on anonymous tip-offs to identify many alleged paedophiles - but this information can be shared illegally, such as in breach of data protection law, or be highly unreliable.
More than 30,000 migrants have now arrived in Britain by small boat under Keir Starmer - as the number of arrivals continues to surpass that of any other year or Prime Minister on record.

A total of 154 people arrived on Friday in four boats - taking the total number of small boat arrivals under the Labour PM to 30,034.

The number of arrivals for the year totals 6,792 according to MailOnline analysis - higher than any other year on record up to yesterday's date.

In 2020, the number of people who had crossed by this date was 465; in 2021, it was 1,134; by 2022 that had surged to 4,548 before dropping to 3,770 in 2023; it then rose to 4,644 last year.

Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary, said it was proof the Government had lost control of migration and that its attempts to break up smuggling gangs were failing.

He told MailOnline: 'These shocking figures show this Labour government has lost control of our borders. When Keir Starmer scrapped the Rwanda plan before it started, he gave up the only deterrent this country had.

'Crossings are up 31 per cent since the election and 2025 so far has been the worst year ever as a result. Starmer's claim to 'smash the gangs' lies in tatters.'

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said that good weather had enabled the high number of arrivals in March after January and February, when several storms were wreaking havoc on the UK, had lower levels of crossings than previous years.

'March had much higher levels and the really unacceptable situation that we're in is because of the way the criminal gangs have taken hold, our border security ends up being dependent on the weather and we cannot continue like this, where the number of calm days affects the number of crossings and affects our border security as well,' Ms Cooper told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.

Ms Cooper added: 'We've seen higher numbers in March, lower numbers in January and February, and that's reflected in the number of calm days.

'We cannot carry on with border security being so dependent on the number of calm days that happen in the Channel.'

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, on Friday

A total of 154 people arrived on Friday in four boats. Some are pictured here disembarking a Border Force vessel

Migrants are paying thousands to make the journey - with some even being given discounts if they post about it on social media (as seen here in one video)

Your browser does not support iframes.

The Tories have proposed initiatives to reduce and deter migration, from deporting foreign criminals to repealing the Human Rights Act in matters concerning immigration.

Mr Philp added: 'If Labour was serious about protecting Britain they would back these measures - but instead Labour voted against them. Labour is an open borders Government.'

On average, more than 55 people are being stuffed into tiny inflatable dinghies at a time and cast into the Channel - not all of whom will necessarily make it across alive.

According to the French-run Office for the Fight against Illicit Trafficking of Migrants, 78 people died trying to reach Britain via small boat last year.

And last week, two migrants died in the space of two days last week. At least eight others have either died or been reported missing in the Channel since the start of 2025, according to the United Nation's International Organisation for Migration.

A Home Office spokesperson said of the ongoing small boats crisis: 'We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.

'The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.

'Thats why this government has put forward a serious, credible plan to finally restore order to our asylum system, including tougher enforcement powers, ramping up returns to their highest levels for more than half a decade and a major crackdown on illegal working to end the false promise of jobs used by gangs to sell spaces on boats.'

Ms Cooper signalled the Government is reviewing how international human rights law is applied in the UK in order to prevent it frustrating the deportation of migrants.

The Home Secretary was asked by the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme if she could confirm reports that ministers are reviewing how Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights is applied in UK law.

Ms Cooper replied: 'Well, we continue to support international law. That is really important, and it's because we support international law that we've managed to get new agreements with France and Germany.

'There have been some cases that do raise some real significant concerns, and that is also about the way in which the immigration asylum system operates.

'It's about the application, including of Article 8, as the Prime Minister has said, so we are reviewing all of this area to make sure that, really, the immigration asylum system works effectively in the way that Parliament meant it to, and make sure that there is a sort of proper sense of control in the system.'

Earlier this month, the Government signed a roadmap with French authorities that aims to disrupt smuggling gangs and deter migrants from making the journey, as well as making it easier to send migrants out of Britain.

It comes as Labour looks set to backtrack on an election promise to scrap the use of hotels to house asylum seekers.

Earlier this week MailOnline reported that an ongoing review of Government spending acknowledged that 'demand for short-term residential accommodation... is likely to remain over the coming years'.

The figures show Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) has 'lost control of the borders', Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said

Attempts to crack down on the people smuggling gangs encouraging the crossings do not appear to be stemming the flow of arrivals (pictured: confiscated outboard motors)

An average of 55 migrants pack themselves onto each inflatable dinghy, according to MailOnline analysis of figures (file image of a packed dinghy in the Channel last August)

The Home Office spent 2.3billion on hotels for asylum seekers in 2022/23 due to 'pressures on housing supply' and 'risks presented by global instability'.

The Home Office is considering setting up 'return hubs' in the Balkans for asylum seekers who have had their claims rejected and all options of appeal exhausted to reduce the pressure on Britain.

It would involve payments being made to partner countries for each person removed from the UK.

Similar plans are being looked at in the European Union, with 'return hubs' set up outside the EU. The EUFRA, the bloc's human rights body, said the hubs must not become 'rights-free zones'.

The Government has shifted its focus away from moving migrants out of Britain and onto dismantling the gangs responsible for enabling their journeys.

Labour scrapped the previous Conservative government's controversial plan to fly migrants to Rwanda - which had been beset by legal wranglings and challenges.

It signed agreements with Serbia, North Macedonia and Kosovo in a bid to crack down on the people-smuggling gangs who support asylum seekers' efforts to reach the UK via the English Channel.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) - Britain's FBI - said earlier this month it had been taking down thousands of pages and profiles on social media that targeted would-be migrants on social media.

And advertisements have been distributed in Albania, Vietnam, and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) that attempt to dissuade people from making small boat crossings.

The ads distributed in the KRI, for instance, warn of a risk of dying at sea, or being forced into slavery by smugglers.

Another campaign targeted at Albanians, entitled Histori Nga Britania (Stories from Britain), sees Albanian migrants share stories about how life in the UK is not as rosy as it seems via social media.

Black and white images show miserable-looking housing estates covered in graffiti and feature accounts from migrants who lament about the cost of living, and the difficulty in securing a right to remain.

One account notes: 'The moment you come here illegally that's how life will go on is very hard this state won't let you become a legal person no matter how hard you try.'

But an internal Foreign Office assessment of the scheme concluded there was 'limited evidence on the effectiveness' of what it termed a 'dissuasive communications approach'.

The Government is trying new strategies to cut migration after ditching the Tories' Rwanda plan - such as these adverts targeting Kurdish Iraqis which warn: 'People were lost at sea'

The Foreign Office also funded the Histori Nga Britania (Stories from Britain) campaign targeting Albanians, which sought to paint life in Britain as less than rosy

Smuggling gangs charging them thousands of pounds to help them reach the UK - offering them discounts if they promote their journey on social media in a twisted form of 'influencing' others to make the trip.

Last month, three people smugglers were jailed for their part in arranging small boat crossings, earnings huge amounts of cash in the process.

Pistiwan Jameel, Artan Halilaj and Fiorentino Halilaj were jailed for a combined 130 months after being convicted of facilitating illegal migration.

Jameel had been recorded by NCA detectives arranging crossings, moaning about competition pushing his prices down, and bragging he had made at least $2million for his criminal partners.

Earlier today we reported on the migrants trying to reach Britain by stowing away in caravans and lorries - costing their owners millions in fines when caught.

Around 5,000 'clandestine entrants' were found last year at UK border controls in Calais, Coquelles and Dunkirk, according to a report by the immigration and borders watchdog.

David Bolt noted that the number of detections had fallen dramatically from more than more than 56,000 people in 2016 - before tighter security around ports and the Channel Tunnel prompted people smugglers to change their tactics to favour small boat crossings.

The Home Office's Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme handed out 1,276 fines worth nearly 10million in 2023/24 to drivers who were found with migrants hiding in their vehicles, either in northern France or after crossing into the UK.
An elite private school has been rocked after social media gossip among its wealthy parents blew up an incident between two boys on a camping trip into a wild White Lotus-style sex act.

Cranbrook School - an all-boys school at Bellevue Hill in Sydney's eastern suburbs which charges up to $49,500 a year in tuition - notified parents this week that inappropriate behaviour had taken place at the camp.

Daily Mail Australia understands that other students had seen two senior school boys kissing each other.

When adults became aware of the incident, mandatory reporting rules required the school to launch a probe, consulting the Association of Independent Schools of NSW and even the police.

The school advised parents of the incident but was not able to go into any specifics, leading the rumour mill to go into overdrive among parents.

The speculation sparked claims of a much more serious sex act to spread, similar to one shocking scene in the current season of the HBO TV drama, The White Lotus.

The reality however was much more naive and innocent, sources have stressed to Daily Mail Australia, despite the wild allegations in parents' WhatsApp groups.

'I think the (school) handled it very poorly by sending out an email that was too vague,' said one parent, who wished to remain anonymous.

Cranbrook School, an all-boys school at Bellevue Hill in Sydney 's eastern suburbs, notified parents this week that inappropriate behaviour had taken place at the camp

Rumours described an act similar to one shocking scene in the current season of the HBO TV drama, The White Lotus

Contrary to claims among parents, no White Lotus-style sex act took place on the camping trip

'The (school) were looking out for their own interests and not the interests of the boys. They should have handled it internally.

'Of course you would jump to conclusions if you received an email like that.'

A Cranbrook spokesperson said an 'incident that occurred at the school's outdoor education programme was addressed by the school'.

'The school received external advice from the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales (AISNSW),' the spokesperson said.

'Cranbrook contacted the police at this time who confirmed it was not a police matter.

'As a school, we seek to balance our duty of care to any students involved with the need to provide appropriate information and reassurance to our parent community.

'The wellbeing and safety of all our students remains our highest priority.'

Cranbrook is the fifth-most expensive school in Australia. Its alumni include billionaires such as Mike Cannon-Brookes, James Packer and Will Vicars.

The current acting head of school is Michele Marquet (pictured), who will make way for Cranbrook's first female leader, Anne Johnstone, in term three

Cranbrook (pictured) is due to start accepting girls for Years 7 and 11 in 2026, with the goal of becoming fully co-educational by 2029

The Anglican school is due to start accepting girls for Years 7 and 11 in 2026, with the goal of becoming fully co-educational by 2029.

Cranbrook has attracted unwanted attention since the ABC's Four Corners program exposed claims of bullying and a toxic culture in March 2024.

Among the allegations aired was that a female teacher was the victim of an attempted blackmail attempt by a male student, who demanded she send him nude photos.

The ABC later claimed a teacher allegedly sent graphic emails to a former female student at a previous school where he worked.

The teacher allegedly boasted about looking up girls' skirts in class and having sexual fantasies about his students.

Cranbrook headmaster Nicholas Sampson was aware of the emails but kept the teacher on staff and even promoted him, the ABC alleged.

Mr Sampson resigned in the wake of the scandal.

The school held an independent review of its culture and apologised to the community for what it described as 'past failings'.

The current acting head of school is Michele Marquet, who will make way for Cranbrook's first female leader, Anne Johnstone, in term 3.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Cranbrook School for comment.
From London to Liverpool, Britain's Chinatowns pull in millions of visitors with their thriving food scenes and lively nightlife.

But a hidden menace looms over their bustling streets - its presence obscured by a code of silence that makes speaking about it a risk few are willing to take.

Chinese triad gangs may rarely hit the headlines, but they operate in many of Britain's Chinatowns - while also exerting control much further afield.

One experienced detective described them today as 'by far the most sophisticated and organised criminal gangs' in Britain, with operations spanning the entire country.

The detective claimed that all the UK's urban police forces have 'huge issues' with triad activity, namechecking London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool in particular.

'They have a huge influence and use fear and violence to extort, tax and control,' he warned.

David McKelvey, who spent nearly 30 years with the Met, said there was an urgent need for police to recognise the threat they pose and clamp down on their activities.

So who are the triads, what crimes are they involved in, and where are they active?

The first clue may come in a surprising place - a quiet street in the trendy neighbourhood of Walthamstow in north London.

In recent weeks this area has become the centre of a bizarre crimewave that has seen homes splashed with red paint and daubed with the word 'brothel' in a series of mysterious nighttime attacks.

A suspected member of triad group Wo Shing Wo was arrested during a wave of raids on Honk Kong. The group is known to be active in Britain

Detectives say the triads wield considerable power over Chinatowns in cities like Manchester (pictured)

A group of 30 men believed to be affiliated with the triads were involved in a vicious brawl in Manchester's Chinatown in 2010

Following intense speculation, criminologist Oliver Chan linked the incidents to an intimidation tactic used by triad gangs to enforce debt repayments - a theory seemingly supported by footage of some of the attackers speaking Mandarin.

Mr McKelvey, a former detective chief inspector specialising in organised crime who now runs his own private investigation company, TM Eye, believes they are a worrying sign.

'This indicates triad activity and is a sign the gangs are involved in open warfare,' he told MailOnline.

Originating in secret societies formed during the 18th- and 19th-century China, the triads first appeared in the UK in the early 1950s after the end of World War II.

Rivalling the Italian mafia and Japanese yakuza as one of the most powerful and feared of the world's transnational organised crime networks, they now operate across six of the world's seven continents - albeit splintered into rival factions.

Mr McKelvey said UK-based triads were now involved in a wide variety of illicit activities including cannabis manufacture, modern slavery and human trafficking, as well as the production of the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Another specialism is tobacco smuggling, which led the former DCI to draw a worrying link between the recent events in London and the current gang war underway in Australia over the trade in illegal cigarettes.

'This could potentially spill out into the public domain like in Australia, where we have seen firebomb attacks on tobacco shops and killings,' he said. 'These networks are very organised, very successful and operate across the whole UK.'

Liang Jie Chen was part of a gang - allegedly with triad links - that smuggled illegal tobacco into the UK

Xiaolong Lin and Ke Chen were also convicted as part of the plot - but they were all handed suspended sentences

Officers also intercepted fake pouches bearing the brand names Golden Virginia and B&H

Red paint daubed on a house on Chingford Road in Walthamstow, north London, as part of a suspected gang dispute

Several tobacco shops have been firebombed in Australia amid a gang war over the illegal trade

TM Eye recently secured the successful private prosecution of four members of a triad-linked crime gang who had been importing counterfeit tobacco from Hong Kong.

Despite the seizures being carried out by Border Force officers at Stansted Airport, neither the police nor HMRC decided to take on the case - prompting TM Eye to be brought in instead.

Mr McKelvey, who has been investigating the triads in a private capacity for six years, said their focus on crimes like tobacco smuggling - which are generally considered a lower priority than violent offences - meant they frequently fell under the police's radar.

'They go for high reward, low risk criminality,' he said.

'We haven't seen any real violence up to date from the raids we've done, but that's because they are all making vast amounts of money, most of which goes out to China via social media platforms.'

Mr McKelvey linked the tobacco network he investigated to 14K, an outfit based in Hong Kong. They are one of the most prominent triad groups operating in the UK alongside Wo Shing Wo - which also originates in the former British territory.

A rare public clash between the two rival groups took place in Manchester's Chinatown in June 2010, when 30 men launched into a full-scale street battle that left five of them in hospital with serious stab wounds.

Jurors heard how the trouble began inside the K2 karaoke bar when the alleged leader of Wo Shing Wo is said to have challenged a rival by shouting: 'I've run the streets of Manchester for over 10 years - who do you think you are?'

In a shocking incident that took place two years earlier, a group of them were involved in the kidnap of five young men from a house in Plumstead, south-east London, in 1998. This is the moment the men were rescued by police

Police in protective gear prepare to smash into the room to rescue the hostages

A backstreet in Birmingham's Chinatown, where triads are also said to have a presence

London's Chinatown has seen several triad-linked killings in recent decades. This is a general view of the area

Knives and other weapons were used in the ensuing violence, while one man was hit by a passing 4x4.

Five of the combatants were later sentenced to prison terms of up to eight months, with a judge suggesting the incident could have been part of an 'old-fashioned turf' war between the two gangs.

Another group of organised Chinese criminals are the Snakeheads, who originate in Fujian province and are involved in human trafficking - including the deaths of 58 illegal immigrants left to suffocate in a lorry at Dover in 2000.

In a shocking incident that took place two years earlier, a group of them were involved in the kidnap of five young men from a house in Plumstead, south-east London.

This came to the attention of the Met when a neighbour called 999 to describe how an armed gang had broken into a nearby house before dragging out a group of hostages at knifepoint and bundling them into cars.

They then demanded massive ransoms from their families, prompting a lengthy hostage incident that only ended when police used mobile phone data to track down the gang's location and free the hostages.

The investigation was assisted by an FBI interpreter, who was able to decode the local dialect the men were speaking in.

Police went on to arrest 35 suspected Snakeheads in relation to the kidnap. The ringleaders were jailed for 14 years and some - without the prior knowledge of British officers - were executed after they returned to China.

Triad leader Huang Hongfa wearing a face mask and full body protective suit before being sentenced to death in 2020

A regional high court found the former triad leader guilty of 17 charges including organising and leading an organization of a gangland nature, intentional assault and offering bribes

A senior member of the police team who helped track down the badly beaten hostages spoke anonymously to warn of the dangers groups like the Snakeheads posed.

'We were dealing with a highly secretive, impenetrable criminal subculture embedded deep within the Chinese community - it was a black economy based around people smuggling, extortion and racketeering,' he told MailOnline.

'Because the workers were smuggled into the UK, they were in no position to report matters to the authorities. They were therefore open to the worst forms of abuse and exploitation.'

The former Detective Chief Superintendent said that the Snakeheads were not formally part of the triads but often worked with them.

'In my view the words Snakehead and triad are interchangeable - they often relate to the same groups of people. They exist in a culture that often communicates in dialects that cannot be understood by westerners.'

Some triad gang turf wars have spilled over into murders, including the fatal shooting of a Chinese man in the BRB bar in Gerard Street, London, in June 2012. Five years before, another man was hacked to death nearby by a gang with machetes.

We can only hope this time will be different.
Britain's most crowded borough has doubled in population since the early 1990s, MailOnline analysis shows.

Tower Hamlets' population has spiralled from 166,300 to just shy of 328,600.

It means there are now more than 16,400 residents per square kilometre in the east London district, the most densely populated zone in the country.

That is, for comparison, 633 times more than in Powys, Wales  the least densely populated authority with just 25.95 people per square kilometre.

Experts claim Tower Hamlets' growth explosion lays bare the staggering reality of uncontrolled immigration.

Almost half of residents living there were born outside of the UK, 46.8 per cent, as per the last Census.

Immigration levels have since shot to all-time highs, meaning the true figure within Tower Hamlets now could be even higher.

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Soaring populations heap even greater pressure on housing, schools and the ailing NHS.

MailOnline can reveal populations in 10 authorities in England and Wales have grown by at least 50 per cent since 1991, when modern records began.

Behind Tower Hamlets came neighbouring borough Newham, increasing by 67.7 per cent from 216,300 to 363,600.

Milton Keynes ranked third, jumping 67.3 per cent from 178,200 to just north of 298,300.

Ten authorities also saw their populations shrink over the same time-frame, when excluding Scotland and Northern Ireland, who did not have 2023 data.

This included Blaenau Gwent, traditionally a coal mining community in south Wales.

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Its population shrank by 7.3 per cent, from 72,600 to around 67,300.

Dr Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory told MailOnline: 'Migration has been the main driver of UK population growth over the past decade, particularly since 2020, when net migration rose sharply and the gap between births and deaths fell. This is not unique to London  the foreign-born share of the population has increased across the UK.

'London is the most popular destination within the UK for international migrants, but overall population growth is actually slightly lower in London than most other regions. That is because London sees a net outflow of people to the rest of the UK.'

Englands population stood at 57.1million in 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) latest report.

It is expected to surpass 64m in 2042. For comparison, around 47.9m people lived in England 1991.

Back then, 2.8m people were recorded as living in Wales. This hit 3.1m in 2022 and is forecast to rise to 3.4m by 2042.

By 2122, the population of the UK is predicted to hit 81.6m, with England expected to house almost 71.3m people.

Alp Mehmet, Chairman of think tank Migration Watch told MailOnline: 'Official figures from the ONS have revealed projected population growth by mid-2032 of almost five million people and of almost ten million people by 2047. This astonishing increase will be entirely due to immigration and the children of migrants. The projections are based on the assumption that net migration will fall to an annual 340,000, from 2029, which is unlikely without radical policy change.'

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Net migration hit an all-time high of almost one million last year in the UK.

This year alone, almost 7,000 migrants have arrived on small boats, with record numbers of people packed onto each boat  with one vessel intercepted carrying 71 passengers.

In the year to June 2023, the ONS said 1.32m people immigrated here, mainly from India, Nigeria, Pakistan, China and Zimbabwe. Another 414,000 emigrated.

It meant around 906,000 people  the equivalent to Leicester-sized cities  settled in Britain.

That excludes natural changes to the population, with births outnumbering deaths and only adding to the strain of Britains public services.

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Soaring populations will pile pressure on ministers to build millions more homes.

Builders arent even hitting the current target of 300,000 homes a year.

In order to meet Labours building blitz pledge, some councils have been to build seven times as many houses.

Thousands more GPs will also be needed to keep up.

Under the widely accepted safe limit, one fully-qualified, full-time equivalent GP is needed for every 1,800 patients.

In February there were just 28,000 in England  well below the 35,500 needed by 2042 is current trends continue.
One of the world's most iconic car brands, the Toyota logo has become a mainstay of our roads and television screens.

But despite seeing dozens of them every day, how many people know what the signature three interlocking ovals that underpin the Japanese vehicle actually mean?

Not a huge amount it seems - as hundreds have taken to social media to voice their surprise at a secret 'hidden' message.

So what is the branding really all about?

It turns out the logo was not dreamed up overnight and in reality was five years in the making.

The emblem was finally finished in October 1989 to mark Toyota's 50th anniversary and carries a much deeper meaning than might initially be thought.

TikTok users are now suggesting the logo contains a representation of every letter in the company's name.

One person said: 'The Toyota logo is a thread passed through the eye of a needle because they started out making industrial sewing machines.'

TikTok users are now suggesting the logo contains a representation of every letter in the company's name

Despite seeing dozens of them every day, how many people know what the signature three interlocking ovals that underpin the Japanese vehicle actually mean?

It turns out the logo was not dreamed up overnight and was actually a whole five years in the making

Another had a different take, writing: 'I don't know. To me, Toyota looked like a circle around the world.'

A third added: 'You're wrong about Toyota emblem. They were originally a sewing machine company, and that is a piece of thread going through the eye of a needle.'

Amid all the speculation, a bit of digging reveals the truth.

The Toyota Magazine explains the three ovals in the logo are linked in a horizontally symmetrical layout so the symbol is recognisable both head-on and when seen through a rear-view mirror.

The customer is apparently at the heart of it all - as the inner ovals overlap to represent a mutually beneficial relationship and trust between driver and company, as well as forming a "T" shape for Toyota.

Meanwhile, the outer oval takes on a more all-encompassing role as it is meant to signify the world embracing Toyota.

Each oval is described as being 'drawn with different stroke thicknesses, pointing to Japanese calligraphy art and culture'.

The space in the background within the logo is meant to exhibit the 'infinite values' which the car company says it stands for.

The Toyota logo has become a mainstay of our roads and television screens as one of the world's most iconic car brands

Toyota, a Japanese multinational company, was founded as a spin-off of Toyota Industries, a machine maker started in the 1920s

The outer oval takes on a more all-encompassing role as it is meant to signify the world embracing Toyota

These are: superb quality, value beyond expectation, the joy of driving, innovation, and integrity in safety, the environment and social responsibility.

A new logo was launched in July 2020 specially for Toyota Motor Europe, retaining many of the existing elements, but complete with a 'new, bespoke, typography'.

Toyota, a Japanese multinational company, was founded as a spin-off of Toyota Industries, a machine maker started in the 1920s.

The Toyota Motor Corporation developed its first product, the Type A engine, in 1934 and its first passenger car in 1936, the Toyota AA.

Since then, it has built itself into the largest car manufacturer in the world.
In May of 1891, the Thomas Hume ship took off from Chicago after dropping off a load of lumber in the Windy City and was heading back to Wisconsin when the ship and its seven sailors never returned.

Despite the foreboding clouds on the horizon, the vessel headed toward Muskegon, setting its sails as it slipped into the heart of Lake Michigan.

During its course, the ship disappeared and no broken parts were discovered after the sailors failed to return to home, nor were their bodies found, according to Milwaukee Magazine.

More than twenty years later, the Rouse-Simmons was transporting Christmas trees from Michigan to Chicago when it sank.

Witnesses had spotted the vessel sailing in good conditions with its distress flag up. But when a lifeboat took off to save the 16 passengers, when it arrived, there was nothing there, the magazine said.

Two years later, Christmas trees began washing up on shore and the captain's wallet did too.

It wasn't until October of 1971 that the shipwreck was discovered 165 feet below the surface. It gave no indication about what took it down.

In 2006, the Thomas Hume was discovered underwater in near-perfect condition.

Both shipwrecks happened in what is locals call the Lake Michigan Triangle, which is similar to the legendary Bermuda Triangle.

Aerial of Lake Michigan with Chicago city skyline in the distance Willis Tower and other skyscrapers. The Thomas Hume ship took off from Chicago after dropping off a load of lumber in the Windy City and was heading back to Wisconsin when the ship and its seven sailors never returned.

Locals claim Michigan has its own Bermuda Triangle called the Lake Michigan Triangle. The triangle runs the 60 miles between Manitowoc, Wisconsin and Ludington, Michigan and down 130 miles to Benton Harbor, Michigan

Several other ships have sunk in the same area over the decades.

The Great Lakes have been the final burial grounds for 6,000 ships, but Lake Michigan alone has eaten a quarter of those.

Around 1,500 ships have perished in the waters off Lake Michigan, especially along shipping routes and within the bounds of the so-called Lake Michigan Triangle.

The triangle runs the 60 miles between Manitowoc, Wisconsin and Ludington, Michigan and down 130 miles to Benton Harbor, Michigan, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The triangle was given its name after Jay Gouley called it The Great Lakes Triangle in a book, and it picked up fame in the 1990s by Chicago Ghost Hunter, Richard Crowe, Wisconsin Historian Brendon Baillod told the outlet.

Although there is no official triangle - outside of the Bermuda one - the Great Lakes are known as inland seas and can have very dangerous waters.

Lake Michigan has been the most deadly, carrying 25 percent of the shipwrecks. It's also the busiest out of the five.

Lake Huron is the next deadliest, followed by Erie, Ontario, and Superior, according to the local outlet.

The Great Lakes have been the final burial grounds for 6,000 ships, but Lake Michigan alone has eaten a quarter of those (pictured: a shipwreck in Lake Michigan)

The triangle was given its name after Jay Gouley called it The Great Lakes Triangle in a book, and it picked up fame in the 1990s by Chicago Ghost Hunter, Richard Crowe, Wisconsin Historian Brendon Baillod said (pictured: diver looking at shipwreck)

Lake Michigan is particular dangerous due to the waves being steep and close together, causing the water to crash into the ship rather than the boats rolling over it, according to the National Park Service.

Waves can come as close as every three seconds, which can cause the boat to 'turtle', the agency said.

The Manitou Passage in Lake Michigan is also quite dangerous and hundreds of wrecks happened between the two islands.

Last year broke the record for total number of shipwrecks found in Lake Michigan in a single year with 13 found, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The previous record was in 2016 with only four shipwreck discoveries.

Wisconsin shipwreck hunters discovered a 131-year-old shipwreck at the bottom of Lake Michigan that fell victim to a storm and took the life of the captain's dog.

The Margaret A. Muir, a schooner, was found off the coast of Algoma, Wisconsin, on May 12 just moments before the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association's research team nearly pulled the sonar out of the water for the day, a press release said.

'I knew she was going to be in about 50 feet of water, I knew that her sides had opened up. I know she was laying flat, and I knew she'd be harder to find,' Brendon Baillod, a crew member of the search, told Fox 6 Milwaukee.

Lake Michigan is particular dangerous due to the waves being steep and close together, causing the water to crash into the ship rather than the boats rolling over it (pictured: a ship that would later wreck)

Last year broke the record for total number of shipwrecks found in Lake Michigan in a single year with 13 found (pictured: shipwreck in Lake Michigan)

Tamara Thomsen, a member of the Wisconsin Historical Society, said all the pieces of the ship were found, including the personal items sailors lost in the wreck.

The 130-foot three-mast schooner was supposed to dock in South Chicago from Bay City, Michigan, when it got stuck in a storm with 50mph gale-force winds around 5am on September 30, 1893.

The ship battled the harsh weather until 7.30am when gigantic waves came crashing over its deck and several feet of water began to fill the hold, causing 71-year-old Captain David Clow to call for his crew to abandon the ship.

The vessel had nearly made it to Ahnapee - present-day Algoma - when they abandoned her.

Although all the sailors survived the wreck, they still had to battle 15-foot waves in an open boat, where they were forced to to keep 'bailing' water out of the lifeboat to make it to shore.

They eventually made it to safety, where a local spotted the soaking wet and freezing crew of six.

Lake Michigan is used to experiencing harsh weather conditions. It is usually the first lake hit by storms coming from the Great Plains with winds picking up very suddenly from nowhere.

Sailors have reportedly experienced strange phenomenon where blocks of ice fall from a seemingly clear sky, all adding to the mystery of the triangle.
Violent Albanian gangland mobsters are hiding in vans, using Rolexes and hiring fake tourists to send dirty money back home to be used on a life of luxury.

At the end of last year there were almost 1,100 Albanians in jail including murderers, rapists and feared Balkan mafia kingpins. Just three were women.

As well as controlling the drug trade, Albanian gangsters terrorising the UK have also been convicted of murder, sex offences, money laundering and people smuggling.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has for years warned about the 'significant threat' posed by Albanian gangs, infamous for their professionalism and discipline as well as savage tactics to keep competition at bay.

Ruthless Albanian gangs have come to dominate the British drug trade, negotiating directly with Colombian cartels and undercutting criminal rivals to flood Britain's streets with cheap cocaine.

The flow of money back to Albania is a growing concern to the NCA. Its fears have increased so much that last year the agency signed a deal with Albania anti-organised crime bureau SPAK that will see the unit hunt for the assets of Albanians convicted in the UK.

In 2010, just 1.5 per cent of foreign nationals jailed in England and Wales were Albanian.

But by the end of 2024 Albanians made up 10.6 per cent  more than any other nationality.

Albanian gang member posts a picture of two members wearing red balaclavas emblazoned with the Albanian flag, while one brandishes a machine gun

Images posted on the Instagram page of gangs include a cake made from 50 notes and gang logos spelled out in drugs

Albanian gang members are not afraid to show off their ill-gotten gains, often posing with wads of cash

The swelling numbers of Albanians are in part due to large numbers crossing the channel, with a total of 12,685 coming to Britain on small boats in 2022.

The rate has, however, fallen since ministers signed a prisoner transfer agreement with Albania's government in 2022.

Under Rishi Sunak, 200 were deported in exchange for 8million to modernise their prison system.

Labour has vowed to deport foreign criminals faster, saying it 'cannot be right' for taxpayers to foot the bill.

It is thought to cost around 40,000 a year to house each prisoner, suggesting that the UK spends 44million on locking up Albanian criminals.

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As crime gangs seek to move their money back home, they are known to hide money in delivery vans which travel between the two countries.

An insider in the Albanian community in the UK said the sheer number of vans and lorries making the Dover crossing each day means criminals can hide in plain sight transporting hidden stashes of money in amongst the goods.

In one case in 2021, police seized 123,000 hidden in a bumper of a van transporting goods from the UK.

Olsa Sefolli was arrested in Albania after an X-ray found 10 packages concealed within his white Mercedes van.

He was accused of laundering money gained from criminal activities and for not declaring money at the border crossing. Police also found guns hidden in the van.

Speaking at the time, Edi Merkaj, the former Director of the Department for Border and Migration in Albanian State Police said: 'Controls by the Albanian border police and custom authorities, punch another case identified in illegality in the transport of monetary values.

Sefolli said: 'The owner of this van should give an explanation for the money, not me. He has three vans. I count only for goods inside who are visible. How could I know what has been hidden? I do not get the salary but I get paid for each journey I do'.

Guns found in a courier van driven by Olsi Sefolli stopped in Albania that were UK bound

Albanian gangs have been known to use buildings for the large cultivation of cannabis. Pictured a police raided farm in Norfolk in 2023

123,000 of cash was seized from Olsi Sefolli after he tried to cross the border

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Olsi Sefolli told the prosecutor that he went to Ankona port in North Italy and did get the van. 'From the UK van was driven by a different driver' he said.

According to Albanian police, the van belonged to a company based in Luton under Guxim Sefolli.

In an Albanian court, he was given a nine-month suspended sentence for not declaring the money.

Guxim Sefolli told the court he had migrated to the UK in 2010 and had worked for seven years in the black market, as he was an illegal migrant with no documents to stay in the UK.

He was planning to invest the money in an apartment in the city of Vlora in southern Albania.

He admitted to hiding the money in the van, saying his cousin Olsa was unaware of the money.

Olsi Sefolli was arrested after police found the huge stashes of money concealed in his van

Some Albanian gangsters such as Marsel Meco, (pictured left with another inmate) even shared pictures while they were in British prison

There are more than 30 companies registered in the UK which transport items such as clothes and furniture to Albania.

Inside the Albanian community in the UK, a source said it is well known that some of these companies smuggle money out of the country.

In another case at Bari port in Italy, police discovered 225,000 hidden in the roof of a van.

Ansa Italian News Agency reported that the money was sealed in vacuumed bags and that the driver was en route to Albania.

Customs staff in Bari said that cars with UK plates and Albanian drivers are often stopped at the port, adding that trips such as these are made 'weekly'.

Thousands of pounds in cash was concealed within the tights of Suzanna Sokolli

Olsa Sefolli was arrested after an x-ray found 10 packages concealed within his white Mercedes van

X-ray images of Olsi Sefolli's van revealed the hidden items to officers

Another way that gangs use to smuggle the money out of the UK is by employing couriers to pose as tourists, in order to sneak the money out through commercial airports, trains and ferries.

The couriers are given money to make the journey and wads of cash totalling around 20,000 to take with them back to Albania.

In 2018, mother and son Suzanna Sokolli and Xhino Mata from Albania were caught in Dover with 40,000 hidden in a pair of woman's tights.

They were both jailed at Canterbury Crown Court for more than three years.

Mata, who claimed he was going to France and Milan, said that he had 7,000 and produced a bag full of banknotes.

Suzanna Sokolli attempted to smuggle money out of the UK concealed in her tights

Mata and his mother between them attempted to smuggle more than 40,000 in cash through Dover

A handbag was found with several large bundles of cash inside the lining.

Sokolli was then searched and officers found more cash in a pair of beige tights wrapped around her waist.

She claimed the money was her life savings and said she was hoping to use it to start a business.

She claimed she had previously been robbed and felt it was safer to have it on her person.

Officers ended up seizing more than 40,000 from the pair.

In another case, Albanian husband and wife Ardian Sharra, 51, and Valbona Laloshi, 41, from Tring were stopped at the Channel Tunnel in Kent by NCA officers.

The couple declared they had 5,000 with them, claiming it as to pay for dental treatment in Italy.

However, officers found an extra 14,000 stashed in a handbag and a further 200,000 hidden in a rucksack in the car boot.

A search of the couple's home found a number of document which detailed large cash deposits into the couple's bank accounts.

The gangs have also been known to transport money using Rolexes.

An insider in the Albanian community in the UK said the gangs will buy the expensive watches and sell them for 2,000 to 3,000 less in Albania.

The insider said this tactic was used because travellers wearing a Rolex are less likely to be stopped by border control officers.

Criminal gangs are also thought to now be using cryptocurrency to transfer money between the two countries.

The money is then used to by earned from Albanian crime in UK are invested in Albania in properties, luxury bars, luxury cars. The insider said this is how the money is washed.

In recent weeks, the SPAK applied for permission to freeze the assets of drug kingpin Ermal Biba.

Drug kingpin Ermal Biba was jailed for 13 years for organising the supply of cocaine in Harrogate

Head of NCA Graeme Biggar in Tirana signing a memorandum of cooperation with head of SPAK Altin Dumani

The NCA and SPAK signed an agreement which will see assets of Albanian criminals in the UK seized in their home country

Biba was sentenced in August 2023 by the Crown Court in Leeds, UK, to 13 years and six months in prison.

According to the court, he had organized the supply of at least 5kg of cocaine in Harrogate between September 2019 and May 2022 and, along with his associates, produced 144kg of cannabis.

British authorities estimate that Biba and his accomplices made a financial profit of 1.48million from drug trafficking.

Ermal Biba was the head of an organized network that included several Albanians, a British national, and a Polish citizen, all involved in drug trafficking in Harrogate, Yorkshire.

In December 2024, a judge at the Crown Court in Leeds issued a seizure order against Biba's assets.

SPAK has now seized Biba's two-story house in Lezha and a Mercedes-Benz SLK, as well as freezing all monetary assets, properties and bank accounts in Albania held from illicit gains.

An NCA spokesperson said: 'Members of Albania's law enforcement agencies are crucial partners in the NCA's fight against serious and organised crime and in our mission to protect the UK public.

'In February 2024, the NCA and SPAK signed a memorandum of understanding which deepened our commitment to work together for the benefit of both nations.'
If you've ever wondered how Palm Beach's wealthiest raise their families, ask their six-figure-earning nannies!

To be a nanny on the island of Florida's Palm Beach, it requires more than just good childcare skills and an affinity for messes, but a unique set of skills, discretion, and the ability to change your schedule on a moment's notice.

'Every family is different, so sitters must have the ability and flexibility to accommodate each individual family's requests, personalities, needs and expectations,' Christelle Martin, the CEO of Sitters In A Second, told DailyMail.com.

And discretion is a major asset in the job field, as nannies are working with high-profile people who engage with equally as impressive guests.

Martin has her sitters sign an NDA to 'ensure trust, respect and credibility with our local families and the hotels and resort guests to whom care is provided.'

So how does one get one of these coveted high-paying jobs with some of the country's most wealthy?

For Jovana Capric, 33, of Florida, she began her nanny career after being poached from Chuck E. Cheese in Boca Raton, she told The New Yorker.

'There was someone having his second birthday party, and the parents just loved how I interacted with their son,' she told the outlet. 'And theyre, like: "Hey, do you by chance babysit?"'

To be a nanny on the island of Palm Beach requires me than just good childcare skills, and an affinity for messes, but a unique set of skills, discretion, and the ability to change your schedule on a moment's notice

Housekeepers, waiters, and other staff members are also expected to have unique skills, like knowing how to care for fine art and china, emotionally raise children, and how to stop softly when braking. Pictured: Worth Avenue in Palm Beach - the upscale shopping and dining district

She eventually dropped out of college and began nannying full-time in 2015 and she's now a rotational nanny for a family, where on her on-weeks, she could work more than 60 hours.

However, the gig pays well. For Capric, she makes a base salary of $145,000 a year. Plus she gets a housing stipend and a bonus, pushing her toward the $160,000 mark, she told The New Yorker.

'Thats also why I get paid a lot, because my dedication to this family is my life, pretty much,' she told the outlet. 'Theres no way I could have my own family and do this job.'

And with more wealthy people flocking to the Sunshine State from major cities, like New York, many now seeking help in their mansions.

This has led to booming business for butlers, now called 'hospitality managers' or 'estate managers', private chefs, nannies, drivers, security guards and especially housekeepers.

A typical salary for a housekeeper used to be $25 an hour in 2020. In 2024, it surged to nearly $50 an hour, CNBC reported.

Yearly, housekeepers with experience are making upwards of $150,000 plus benefits - including 401(k) plans, healthcare, and overtime.

April Berube, owner and founder of the Wellington Agency told DailyMail.com last year that she has more than 30 years of experience in placing all types of household domestic staff - including private chefs, nannies and housekeepers.

April Berube, owner and founder of the Wellington Agency said the industry is competitive and certain homes can have certain procedures

Nanny gigs pay well, with some making over $150,000 a year. But they'll do expected to do more than just 40 hours a week (pictured: stock image)

'The highest demand right now we're seeing is in Miami, Palm Beach, and it's still in New York and the Hamptons,' she said - adding that her clients usually have multiple homes.

And it's more than just time the employees of the wealthy need to accumulate to work on the same island that President Donald Trump spends his weekends on at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Chauffeurs are encouraged to attend the Rolls-Royce White Glove Chauffeur Training Program to perfect their 'champagne stop' - which requires them to gently roll to a halt, The New Yorker reported.

And the wealthy expect their staff to keep up with appearances as much as they do.

A family reportedly replaced one of their chefs for being too sweaty, Berube told The New Yorker.

They also have to deal with the parents and the children's moods and always be positive.

'Who wants to hire someone who is low energy or who walks into a household and is negative?' Berube said.

'Theres a lot of people out there like that, but my clients do not want that.'

Some households even dictate what shoes staff will wear and have uniform requirements (pictured: stock image)

Housekeepers will also need to know how to care for fine art and china, delicate rugs, and how to wash designer clothes, The New Yorker reported.

Some households even dictate what shoes staff will wear and have uniform requirements.

And like Capric, several will be recruited from parks and outings. Waiters will even be recruited from the gym due to their nice appearance.

Tim Edwards, a former butler, said he often recruited waiters from the gym because they were clean-cut and presentable.

However, looks alone wouldn't cut it.

'It has to be one of those people that wants to be in the back row, not the front row,' he told The New Yorker.

Nannies are also expected to deal with a variety of different household rules, like some who don't allow screen time for their children.

A nanny named Isabel told The New Yorker that she expected to be an emotional resource for the children and to teach them how to be well-mannered and have conservations with adults.

And being a full-time nanny for the wealthy isn't some deal made on the couch anymore, as some will involve lawyers while negotiating benefits and pay, The New Yorker said.

Currently families will also counteroffer in hopes of keeping their staff too.

And the old timers of Palm Beach are bristling at the newcomers, who snapping up their nannies.

'This new migration has brought its share of horror stories - of newcomers poaching nannies, snapping up tee times and cosmetic surgery appointments, and emitting an overall tenor of rudeness and ruthlessness,' journalist Daisy Prince wrote in a recent Vanity Fair piece.

Palm Beach was the 10th wealthiest city in Florida last year, according to a Forbes ranking, with an average household income of $332,764 and a staggering median home value of $1,523,100.
Teals' code of silence

Where are the conga line of teals disassociating themselves from their candidate for Bradfield, Nicolette Boele, after she made an inappropriate sexual gag to a teenage hairdresser?

She's apologised in that standard non-apology kind of way, but I'm more concerned why her virtue-signally colleagues haven't said that she should recuse herself from the election race.

Just imagine how they all would have reacted if a Liberal MP did what Boele did, much less a male MP. Imagine, for a moment, if it had been Paul Fletcher, the Liberal MP for Bradfield since 2009. The frothing at their collective mouths would have been a sight to behold! The demands for that MP to resign would have been endless. The media fascination with the story would have been an ongoing distraction.

But a female teal does it and it's cockpit silence from the teal MP collective. Not a single one of them has criticised what Boele did. Not one. That's despite their maiden speeches extolling the importance of good behaviour and integrity in politics.

Did you know Boele has had what she refers to as a 'shadow electorate office' set up in Bradfield for the last three years during this term of parliament?

Imagine that - calling herself the 'shadow member for Bradfield'!

And it's not even a secret. Her slobbering media cheerleaders at Crikey and The Saturday Paper have previously trumpeted the moniker like it's some great zinger.

Pollies and journos are having a good laugh this week at teal candidate Nicolette Boele, who once owned the label 'shadow member for Bradfield' until a humbling incident at a local salon

A staff member at the Envy Room salon in Gordon (pictured) said Boele had been banned 'indefinitely' after she made an inappropriate sexual gag to a teenage hairdresser

The silence from the teals over Boele's inappropriate sexual gag is, quite frankly, deafening. Imagine how they all would have reacted if a Liberal did what Boele did, much less a male MP. Imagine, for a moment, if it had been Paul Fletcher (pictured), the MP for Bradfield since 2009

Of course, after the salon incident, it's become a running joke among pollies and political journalists. How embarrassing.

Once you find out about the whole 'shadow member' thing, it becomes easier to understand the sort of arrogance that made her think it was somehow appropriate to make the sexually laced joke that she did.

It takes a certain type of person to think any of that is normal.

Yet her fellow teals continue to stand by her, notwithstanding that doing so entirely strips them of their self-righteousness as a consequence.

I'm a natural ally of the teals, insofar as they've fashioned themselves as moderate right-of-centre alternatives who recognise the Liberal Party has neglected women for too long. These are topics I've written about for years.

But there is little worse than a hypocrite, and hypocrisy is all around the teals when it comes to practising what they preach.

Nothing personifies that more clearly than their (non) reaction to what Boele did.

Albo's post-truth era

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's bizarre denial that he fell of the stage at a union event on Thursday highlights the Labor leader's rather strained relationship with the truth

'I didn't fall off stage.'

That was Anthony Albanese's honest-to-god answer when asked how he was feeling after falling off the stage at a union event he attended on the election trail.

As Tony Abbott once said, 'S*** happens.' People fall over all the time. Of itself its no big deal. Politicians have fallen off stages before - take John Howard during the 1996 election campaign, for example. For his biography he told me he badly twisted his ankle but kept that under wraps, quietly putting up with the pain for the rest of the campaign.

But for what can only be the strangest of reasons, the current PM decided to deny falling down, quibbling with the journalist who asked him about it, claiming that one leg falling off the stage instead of two doesn't constitute a fall. Bizarre.

Unless his second leg was contorted at a right angle with the tip of his shoe still touching the side of the stage, he clearly fell off, with both legs, case closed.

But no, he quibbled about it. That natural response to deny the undeniable, which was captured on camera by the way, says so much about Albo the career politician.

Put simply, he's loose with the truth. The very same criticism he regularly levelled at Scott Morrison. Quite rightly by the way - Morrison was also loose with the truth.

Albo's ability to call night 'day', black 'white', and up 'down' becomes easier to grasp when you hear him deny falling off that stage.

Politicians have fallen off stages before - take John Howard during the 1996 election campaign for example (pictured). Of itself it's no big deal. As Tony Abbott once said, 'S*** happens'

His denial may have just been a knee-jerk response to embarrassment, sure. But a cursory glance at his track record shows it is no isolated incident.

He was happy to break promises on superannuation and stage-three tax cuts, and even now continues to deny breaking his promise to cut power bills.

While these denials are more calculating because to admit to each would be politically damaging, what's the excuse for denying falling off that stage?

The only thing I can think of is that lying has become second nature for him. If true, that's a very sad state of affairs.

Dutton's strategy still a mystery

With the first full week of the election campaign done and dusted, there is little doubt that Labor has poked its nose in front.

As readers of this column will know, I have long said I expect Labor to win this election, albeit as a minority government.

The polls that had Peter Dutton and the Coalition in front during the months ahead of the Budget were never more than protest results.

Once the election was called and the Budget delivered, that was always going to adjust - which is exactly what happened when the first round of published polls came out at the beginning of last week.

Still, it's anyone's game. Especially as the public hasn't properly switched on yet.

Peter Dutton's (centre) only real hope of winning is a late realisation by voters that the last thing they want is three more years of Labor running the joint in partnership with the Greens

With four weeks to go, why would they? Before we even get to election day, there are school holidays, the Easter long weekend and the ANZAC long weekend still to come.

By that time, there will only be four days of campaigning left before the big day - which probably favours Labor.

An electorate distracted is less likely to shift support and change the government, certainly not after just one term in office, and especially not in uncertain times. And thanks to Donald Trump's tariffs announcement, the times we are living in are undoubtedly uncertain.

Dutton's only real hope is a late realisation by voters that the last thing they want is three more years of Labor running the joint. Certainly not in unison with the Greens, which really is the only way Labor can win this election.

There isn't a great deal to see yet when it comes to what the Coalition's campaign looks like, but once it ramps up it will hone in on declining standards of living, arguing that three more years of Labor will only worsen the situation.

On Tuesday evening, the leaders go head-to-head in the first election debate. That should give us an early indication of how the Coalition hopes to fight back in the polls.

We'll also get a better sense of whether voters see Dutton as a viable alternative PM rather than just a belligerent opposition leader.

Debt forgiveness a farce

Just a final thought on one of Labor's election promises - cutting everyone's HECS debts by 20 per cent if they're re-elected.

In all the time I've covered federal politics, I honestly think this is the most flagrant election bribe I have ever seen.

Albo could have included the promise in this year's Budget but didn't, presumably because his priority was to use it as a vote-buying tool.

The policy literally just wipes one fifth off everyone's HECS debts. If you already paid yours off, too bad! If you are a new student yet to accumulate HECS debt, too bad! Nothing changes for you.

Labor's election promise to cut everyone's HECS debts by 20 per cent if they're re-elected is honestly the most flagrant election bribe I have ever seen in my time as a political journalist

And the whole vote-buying exercise doesn't even appear in Budget papers as more debt - remembering that this policy is expected to cost $16billion. That's because HECS is 'off-budget' because it's seen as a Commonwealth investment.

While the government doesn't have to own the bribe as contributing to the deficit, once it forgives $16billion worth of HECS debts, that cost immediately transfers onto the national debt, which of course we pay interest on.

The disgrace of this policy approach is palpable, even if you think reform in the higher education space is necessary.

What's to stop Peter Dutton and the Coalition matching the vote-buying commitment, or doubling it to trump Albo? Nothing really, other than acting semi-responsibly.
China deployed dozens of warships and planes to encircle the island nation of Taiwan in menacing, large-scale war games earlier this week.

Chilling satellite pictures also revealed what appear to be Beijing's 'invasion barges' - gargantuan platforms that connect to form a mobile pier that could enable thousands of soldiers and hundreds of vehicles to land on Taiwan's shores.

The multi-day military drills forced Taipei to respond by scrambling fighter jets and warships of their own to dissuade any overzealous members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) from posing a serious threat.

But these alarming exercises were just the latest addition to a worrying trend that has seen Beijing grow increasingly aggressive toward its island neighbour in recent years.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), headed by authoritarian President Xi Jinping, sees Taiwan as a renegade province to be brought back under Beijing's control, by force if necessary.

Taiwan's elected Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presides over a self-governing, democratic society and has sought close ties with the US, hoping its political, military and economic heft will keep Xi's expansionist tendencies at bay.

American deterrence, the reliance of China's export economy on the West and the cost of a military operation to seize Taiwan has led most analysts to suggest Beijing is more likely to use less direct means to pressure Taipei.

But politicians, military chiefs and industry leaders the world over can no longer afford to ignore the prospect of a full-scale invasion - a scenario which would shake the foundations of the world as we know it and could well trigger a Third World War.

Now, as Donald Trump pushes Taiwan to pay more for its defence while slapping it with significant trade tariffs, concern is growing that the US President may begin treating Taipei - as one analyst put it - 'as a pawn to trade with China to achieve his interests'.

With the help of international security, development and Indo-Pacific experts, we examine what would happen if China were to pull off a successful storming of Taiwan and wrest back control of its island neighbour.

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Chinese troops from the People's Liberation Army are seen patrolling with the Chinese flag on an exercise

This satellite image taken on March 25, 2025 and received on April 3, 2025 by Planet Labs PBC shows three Chinese barges connected via extendable bridges in waters off Zhanjiang city, in southern China's Guangdong province

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), headed by authoritarian president Xi Jinping , sees Taiwan as a renegade province to be brought back under Beijing 's control, by force if necessary

Taiwanese soldiers pose for group photos with a Taiwan flag after a preparedness enhancement drill in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

Taiwan is a small island adrift in the South China Sea roughly 100 kilometres off China's southeastern shores, positioned at the crossroads of East Asia.

Measuring just 36,000 square kilometres, Taiwan is roughly 1/25th the size of mainland China, or about half the size of Scotland - but it is a territory of immense strategic and economic importance.

The island is a manufacturing and technological powerhouse that occupies a critical part of the global supply chain, while the Taiwan Strait - a narrow waterway separating it from mainland China - is a key trade route facilitating the movement of goods, electronics and oil throughout Asia and beyond.

Taiwan is also an integral member of the 'first island chain', a ring of territories running from Japan to the Philippines, each of which is to some degree allied with the US to form a natural barrier against Chinese military expansion into the Pacific.

For all these reasons and more, a successful invasion of Taiwan by China would herald the advent of a new world order, according to Professor Kerry Brown, Director of the Lau China Institute at King's College London (KCL) and former First Secretary at the British Embassy in Beijing.

China expands its control of Indo-Pacific

This world order would see China 'move from a challenger and competitor into an aggressor and an enemy of the political West', Brown said.

In sheer military terms, seizing Taiwan - or the Republic of China (ROC) - would afford the People's Republic of China (PRC) a strengthened platform from which it could further project air and naval power.

This in turn would allow Beijing to strictly police key transport and trade routes, thereby cultivating great influence over the economy of its neighbours and rivals, having shattered the first island chain.

Dr Philip Shetler-Jones, Senior Research Fellow in IndoPacific Security at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think-tank, said: 'If the PRC controls Taiwan, it gains an advantage in controlling air, surface and sub-surface areas astride the main shipping and air routes connecting Japan and South Korea to their sources of critical imports -especially energy - and markets.

'It would be enabled to challenge the US Navy more effectively across the Pacific, because it could move submarines out past the first island chain with more security.'

Dr. Sean Kenji Starrs, Lecturer in International Development at KCL, added that such a scenario 'would probably mean the end of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait' altogether.

'These waterways account for the bulk of the world's electronics trade and much else, including to Western Europe and the United States. It would also make it much more difficult for the US to blockade the Straight of Malacca,' he said.

This strait, a stretch of water between Malaysia and Singapore, connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans and constitutes the shortest shipping route between East Asia and the Middle East on which China's export economy is heavily dependent.

Beijing is acutely aware of this vulnerability, fearing that a US blockade of the strait could deal a punishing blow to its economy.

As Starrs points out, taking Taiwan would mean Beijing would reduce the likelihood of this weak point being exploited.

'All of this would basically mean that China could become a peer competitor to the United States in East Asia, thus the end of US hegemony in East Asia,' he concluded.

Military equipment takes part in long-range live-fire drills in waters of the East China Sea, in this screenshot from a handout video released by the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on April 2, 2025

This handout photo from Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence shows Taiwanese soldiers operating tanks

Containers are seen at the Port of Keelung on April 04, 2025 in Keelung, Taiwan

US reputation is destroyed, influence in Indo-Pacific eroded

A successful Chinese invasion and annexation of Taiwan presupposes one of two seismic events - a total defeat of the US military in the Indo-Pacific theatre, or Washington abruptly abandoning a decades-long security partnership with Taipei.

Both scenarios would be catastrophic for America, and by extension, Western interests in the highly strategic region.

Washington's influence in the region would evaporate as Asian nations who have long sought to build strong strategic ties with America, both military and economic, would be forced into a drastic rethink of their allegiances.

Meanwhile, various Western-aligned transcontinental security alliances such as the Quad (Australia, India, Japan, US), AUKUS (Australia, UK, US)- not to mention NATO - would be left reeling from their disastrous failure to safeguard Taipei.

Starrs explained how an American defeat, or refusal to uphold its security commitments to Taiwan in the face of a Chinese attack, would dispel any notion that the US remains the world's dominant political and military power.

'National populations in Japan and South Korea, let alone Philippines, Indonesia and elsewhere would likely shift their opinion in favour of China due to the massive shift in power this would entail - otherwise they would risk being the next victim of Chinese attack.

'Political and economic elites of US allies would still want to integrate with the US, but they would be under pressure to have better relations with China,' he said.

'If the US lost and China successfully occupied Taiwan, then this would entail the military defeat of Japan and South Korea, and probably Australia and NATO as well.'

Starrs went on to posit that China could even seek to seize more territory if it were to take Taiwan without significant losses.

'Chinese military presence in Taiwan would significantly diminish Japanese and South Korean security and increase vulnerability to further attack. Certainly, China would go for the Japanese-controlled Senkaku/Daiyou Islands and perhaps more.'

North Korea emboldened

Just as a successful invasion of Taiwan would entail a collapse of the US military deterrent and a weakening of the West's allies in the region, it would only serve to embolden China's allies.

None more so than North Korea, whose dynastic, dictatorial leader Kim Jong Un maintains his grip on power by keeping his citizens perpetually fearful and hateful of the US and its allies - particularly South Korea, which Kim has called his nation's 'principal enemy'.

Pyongyang has in recent months cut itself off completely from the South, detonating the few roads and railways that kept the two connected while mining the frontier along the demilitarised zone.

Kim also continues to pour resources into military modernisation and arms manufacturing, up to and including his burgeoning nuclear arsenal.

Shetler-Jones was sceptical that Kim would seek to invade or strike South Korea, arguing that the endurance of his regime is contingent on keeping his subjugated population in a constant state of fear and anticipation of an existential clash, rather than actively pursuing a conflict.

But Starrs said North Korea could potentially play a key role in a Chinese ploy to seize Taiwan and would be compelled to act if such a conflict were to break out.

'I think the more likely scenario would be China encouraging or pressuring North Korea to invade South Korea in order to expel US troops... to open a new front against the US so that China could more easily take Taiwan,' he said.

Markus Garlauskas, a former US National Intelligence Officer for North Korea, has also argued that a conflict over Taiwan would 'almost certainly become a region-wide war' that engulfs the Korean Peninsula, with Pyongyang expected to seize the opportunity to 'settle scores with Seoul' and 'exploit the vulnerabilities of a distracted United States'.

Taiwan Air Force personnel conduct pre-flight inspection on Mirage 2000 fighter jets inside Hsinchu Airbase, in Hsinchu, Taiwan, 01 April 2025

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un aims a weapon as he visits the training base of the special operations armed force of North Korea's army at an undisclosed location in North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, his daughter and an official watch what it says is an intercontinental ballistic missile launching from an undisclosed location in North Korea

Fate of the Taiwanese People

Despite China's insistence that Taiwan is nothing more than a renegade province, opinion polls have consistently shown that the overwhelming majority of Taiwanese people feel they have a distinct identity.

Surveys conducted by the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation in December 2024 and January 2025 showed 76.1% of adults aged 20 and above said they see themselves as Taiwanese.

Just 10.1% of respondents said they felt they had a Chinese identity, and 9% felt both Taiwanese and Chinese.

More than half (51.8%) want to see Taiwan secure full independence from China as an internationally recognised state, and another quarter (24.2%) want to maintain the status quo, in which Taiwan maintains its complete autonomy from China as a self-governing nation.

By contrast, just 13.3% of people said they'd like Taiwan to reunite with the mainland.

If China were to mount a successful invasion, we can say with relative certainty what would happen to the island's flourishing democratic society.

One only has to look at what transpired in Hong Kong after China passed its sweeping National Security Law in 2020 in response to widespread pro-democracy protests the year before.

Starrs said Taiwan would face a similar crackdown on personal freedoms, social and political thought and mobility - but to a far harsher degree, given that China would have had to seize the island by force.

'If China were to successfully annex Taiwan, they would have to shut down democracy as they did in Hong Kong after the passage of the National Security Law in June 2020.

'They would have to ban free and fair elections, shut down or nationalise the media, reform the education system, increase control of the Internet, and - unlike in Hong Kong - would have to have a massive military presence to contain any potential insurgencies, mutinies or even just popular street protests.

'They probably would also have to significantly tighten immigration and emigration controls to try and prevent a brain drain, since many upper income and highly educated Taiwanese have a Green card, US or other citizenship.'

Shetler-Jones added: 'Given the long period over which Taiwanese have enjoyed de facto independence, it is likely that resistance to authoritarian governance would be stiffer and the crackdown would be more severe.'

Taiwan's elected Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), led by Lai Ching-te (centre), steadfastly argues it presides over a self-governing, democratic, capitalist society with overwhelming support from its people

Air Defense and Missile Command of Taiwan Air Force takes part in a military exercise, at an undisclosed location in Taiwan in this handout picture provided by Taiwan Defence Ministry and released on April 9, 2023

How could China take Taiwan?

Recent years have seen Beijing scale up the frequency and intensity of its war games around the island - as evidenced earlier this week.

Meanwhile, the PLA has warned that 'the theatre's troops are ready to fight at all times and can fight at any time to resolutely smash any form of 'Taiwan independence' and foreign interference attempts.'

Taiwan's alliance with the US has afforded it a bristling military arsenal equipped with state-of-the-art American air and sea defence systems, manned by highly trained troops.

But in a straight fight between the might of China's PLA and Taiwan's armed forces, Goliath would inevitably triumph over David - albeit at great sacrifice.

There are two scenarios that defence analysts tend to settle on when thinking about China's military options against Taiwan.

The first is a naval blockade - a tactic which would represent an enormous challenge for an island nation that is reliant upon its ports for survival, given it can only produce roughly a third of its food domestically.

Taiwan is within easy reach of the PLA Air Force, and China's navy would be capable of encircling the island as demonstrated by various war games and simulated blockades.

Beijing's warships operate a large quantity of anti-ship cruise missiles that would pose a major threat to Taiwan's naval forces. China can also equip its fighter planes with various weapons designed to take out naval vessels, while the country's land-based rocket forces wield the mighty DF-26B - which has a range of up to 2,500 miles.

The Chinese navy would likely launch dozens of missiles in salvos designed to arrive at the target location simultaneously while preventing any military or humanitarian aid from reaching Taiwan by sea.

This tactic would enable Xi's armed forces to deny Taiwan the vital food and minerals that the island relies upon, while simultaneously presenting a defensive nightmare for Taipei and any of its partners trying to break the blockade. The goal would be to coerce Taiwan into accepting China's will.

The second scenario is the one which sees China's vast army embark on an amphibious invasion of Taiwan in a similar fashion to the D-Day landings.

This scenario, which might happen as an extension of the naval blockade, would include an extensive preparatory period that Beijing would be unable to hide. An invasion would require  at a conservative estimate  between half a million, and a million personnel, as well as the transport ships to get them to Taiwan.

At some point, the airspace over the Taiwan Strait would be closed and China's army, air force, and navy would begin a massed air and missile attack.

Cruise and ballistic missiles would be directed at Taiwan's air defences, logistics hubs, airfields, and government buildings in the hope of decapitating its ability to maintain and coordinate resistance. Once the PLA's leadership was satisfied that Taiwan's defences had been sufficiently softened, it would begin the invasion in earnest.

The first wave may well include helicopter-borne special forces as well as the PLA Airborne Forces, which have their own armoured vehicles (APCs) designed to be parachuted into combat, and would likely consist of soldiers from the Chinese army's Eastern Theatre Command as well as the Marine Corps.

The APCs would be packed onto amphibious assault ships, and those that survive Taiwan's fierce defences would disembark their APCs to steam onto the target beach.

An animation provided by Chinese military officials to The Global Times showed a simulated attack on Taiwan

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a missile from the rocket force of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) takes part in operations during the combat readiness patrol and military exercises around the Taiwan Island on Friday, April 7, 2023

Ships of Taiwan Navy take part in a military exercise in Taiwan in this handout picture released on April 10, 2023

This satellite image taken on March 25, 2025 and received on April 3, 2025 by Planet Labs PBC shows three Chinese barges connected via extendable bridges in waters off Zhanjiang city

Once on the beach they would face fierce resistance from Taiwan's armed forces in prepared defences, but China has a huge advantage in terms of the number of bodies it can commit to the fight.

Now, China's 'invasion barges' make the prospect of an amphibious landing yet more alarming.

'These barges may enable Chinese forces to make landings even on the more challenging terrains of the Taiwanese coastline,' said Wen-Ti Sung, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub.

This, he added, 'gives the Chinese military a greater selection of potential landing spots, and spreads Taiwanese defences thin'.

Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC obtained by AFP showed the system deployed in the waters off Zhanjiang city of Guangdong, southern China, at the end of March.

In a programme on state TV last month discussing the barges, military commentator Wei Dongxu touted their ability to transport large numbers of heavy equipment onto an island 'while keeping their feet dry'.

'Once the naval and air forces effectively control the air and sea, then this... barge will appear,' he said.

'It can be said that it is a sign of victory.'

Experts hope Taiwan will never see such violence. Starrs and Shetler-Jones both said the likelihood of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan remains very low.

Although they admitted that Beijing could pursue less drastic measures, such as a naval blockade of Taiwan, cyber attacks, economic sanctions and a ramping up of other diplomatic and political pressures, they felt that a full-scale attack would prove too costly for China's economy and trigger all-out war with America.

'(China taking Taiwan) would be so disastrous for the US that they would not allow it, they would bring the full spectrum of US power to prevent success, up to and including use of nuclear weapons,' Starrs said.

But Professor Brown stressed that Beijing's ongoing war games and increasingly antagonistic rhetoric over Taiwan increases the likelihood that one or a series of errors could quickly spiral, with cataclysmic consequences.

'These (blockades and military drills) are happening so regularly - it shows that China wishes to maintain psychological pressure on Taiwan and to continue to remind the international community of its claims and its resolve to see them ultimately fulfilled.

'The issue with these actions is that they create plenty of opportunity for miscalculation, misunderstanding and mistake.

'Nationalist sentiment in China is high at the moment, but the costs currently of moving against Taiwan are very, very high. Unless provoked, I cannot imagine that China would do this.

'But we are living in very worrying and uncertain times. Alas, this issue is now more dangerous than it has ever been before.'
Prince Harry should be 'nervous' his alleged 'unpleasant' note to Sentebale's boss will be made public given he 'alienated his family' and 'moved heaven and Earth' when he believed Meghan was bullied, an insider at the charity has claimed.

The Duke of Sussex could look like a hypocrite if an 'angry' message he allegedly sent to Dr Sophie Chandauka defending his wife is as 'unpleasant' as claimed, according to a source.

Harry said in a statement yesterday that 'the truth will be unveiled' by the Charity Commission after the British watchdog launched an investigation into how organisation is run after a bitter boardroom battle between Harry and Dr Chandauka.

But a Sentebale insider has said Harry should be concerned about what could be revealed about his dealings with its under fire boss, who he has accused of telling 'blatant lies'.

Harry allegedly sent her an 'unpleasant' and 'imperious' message that 'reinforced ideas that he is used to people being subservient to him' when Sentebale's chair refused to publicly back his wife in a row over a lavish polo event last year.

'Harry should be nervous about this message coming out, especially when he has been so outspoken about his wife being bullied in the past,' an insider at the charity has said.

Dr Sophie Chandauka, pictured with Meghan and Harry at a polo event last year that sparked a row. A year on the trio have fallen out and the Duke of Sussex resigned from Sentebale

Sentebale chairman Dr Sophie Chandauka has made several damaging claims against the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, calling their brand 'toxic'

The 'highly awkward' moment at a fundraising polo match for Sentebale in the US last year. The incident now forms part of the row between the charity boss and Harry

Speaking to Page Six in the US, the source added: 'When Meghan was accused of being a bully, Harry's world stopped.

'He moved heaven and Earth to try to protect her. He alienated his family to protect her  and now he's being accused of the same thing'.

Page Six claims it has spoken to multiple sources who say the message could make him look like a hypocrite, if it is very rude.

Dr Chandauka has accused Harry of 'harassment and bullying' - a claim that is denied.

She also accused of gatecrashing a Sentebale charity polo event in Florida with Serena Williams and a Netflix film crew in tow, and then awkward footage emerged of Meghan moving Dr Chandauka away from her husband on stage.

Sophie Chandauka the investigation by Britain's charities watchdog, saying she anticipated its findings would show that the organisation was in good hands.

But Harry, who stood down as patron of the charity last week along with his fellow co-founder Prince Seeiso in support of a group of trustees who have also quit, could not resist taking another swipe, accusing Ms Chanduaka of telling 'blatant lies'.

He said they 'fully expected [the investigation] will unveil the truth that collectively forced us to resign'. He added: 'We remain hopeful this will allow for the charity to be put in the right hands immediately, for the sake of the communities we serve.'

Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and Prince Harry at a children's centre in Lesotho in October 2024

Prince Harry giggles as he holds old friend Mutsu Potsane, six, in the grounds of the Mants'ase childrens home, while on a return visit to Lesotho in 2006 as he set up Sentebale

Harry and the former trustees have accused Ms Chandauka of poor governance and spending hundreds of thousands of pounds of donors' money on consultancy fees after it was decided to move the running of the charity from London to Africa.

But Zimbabwean-born lawyer Ms Chandauka said she was a 'whistleblower' and claimed the charity was beset by 'poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir [bias against black women]'. She has also accused Harry of 'harassment and bullying at scale', trying to use the charity as his own PR weapon and attempting to oust her when she stood up to him.

Ms Chandauka took legal action to prevent them from demanding her resignation and reported her concerns to the Charity Commission. The former trustees have also reported their concerns.

Yesterday, the commission announced it had opened a 'regulatory compliance case' into the matter. It said it was now in 'direct contact' with all parties to 'gather evidence and assess the compliance of the charity and trustees past and present with their legal duties'. Its focus will be to determine whether the charity's current and former trustees, including its chairman, have fulfilled their duties and responsibilities under charity law.

Dr Chandauka (left), the chair of Prince Harry's beleaguered charity Sentebale, said she had been asked to defend Meghan Markle against negative publicity but declined

The commission said Sentebale's patrons  who would have included Harry and Prince Seeiso  are not trustees and therefore do not share their legal duties and responsibilities.

However, the Mail understands that Harry's actions will be brought into the investigation as Ms Chandauka has partly blamed the problems of governance on the fact that some of the trustees were his friends or associates.

She says this affected the decision-making process and made it difficult to have robust conversations about the charity's direction and future as she was encouraged not to discuss the issue while he was in the room.

Harry added: 'What has transpired over the last week has been heartbreaking to witness, especially when such blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades in this shared goal.

'On behalf of the former trustees and patrons, we share in the relief that the Charity Commission confirmed they will be conducting a robust inquiry.' Ms Chandauka said the charity would continue to be focused on its 'day-to-day operations' in Lesotho and Botswana.

She added that she hoped the probe would offer 'comfort' that Sentebale and its new board of trustees were 'acting appropriately to demonstrate and ensure good governance and a healthy culture for [it] to thrive'.

Prince Harry recently appeared in a video promoting the sustainable tourism initiative Travalyst. Today he said he is heartbroken by what has happened at Sentebale

The royal founded the organisation in honour of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help young people and children in southern Africa, particularly those living with HIV and Aids.

MailOnline revealed this week how the Chair of Sentebale has shut down her social media after a pile-on led by the so-called Sussex Squad.

Dr Sophie Chandauka deleted her Twitter account in the face of 'online bullying' including racism.

One troll, who uses #TeamSussex in their bio, called her a 'house negro'  a derogatory and racist term used to compare contemporary black people with slaves who lived in the homes of their slave-owners.

She has also been branded a 'fraud' who is 'jumping on a bandwagon of hate' from several accounts professing to support the Sussexes.

There have also been bizarre and baseless conspiracy theories including the false suggestion that Dr Chandauka is in the employ of the Prince and Princess of Wales or the Royal Family to bring down the charity Harry set up to help African children and make his mother proud.

A spokesman for Sentebale said: 'Dr Chandauka deleted her Twitter account due to the proliferation of online bullying'.

It came as a friend of Harry's told the Mail's Alison Boshoff that he is 'grief-stricken', 'in total shock' and feels 'like he's had one of his fingers cut off' amid the chaos at the charity he founded in 2006.

Meghan has this week launched her As Ever brand

The Sentebale chief has deleted her Twitter account after online bullying, the charity said

Since Harry's resignation, Sentebale's chair has faced an onslaught of trolling over the past week including her being accused of criminal behaviour and even 'trashing' Princess Diana's memory.

One insider who has worked with Sentebale told MailOnline: 'While the pile-on has nothing to do with the Sussexes themselves, it doesn't look good that much of the venom is from their fans.

'The couple have campaigned against cyber bullying and misinformation on social media. I'm sure they will be appalled'.

A spokesman for Prince Harry declined to comment.

Sentebale's under fire chair shut down her main social media profile yesterday.

It came after Harry was accused of sending an 'unpleasant' and 'imperious' note to Dr Chandauka demanding she 'explain herself' when she declined to publicly defend his wife.

The excruciating video showing Meghan Markle moving the charity boss away from her husband in Florida in April 2024 has been viewed by millions online.

Dr Chandauka said on Sunday that Prince Harry had, via his team, asked her 'to issue some sort of a statement in support' of Meghan to quash any rumours of tension between them.

Sentebale's boss claimed she didn't want to get involved as any statement might lead to Meghan being trolled.
Internet users are finally realizing what Google really means 27 years after it was developed.

The popular search engine known for transforming the internet is used by billions of people worldwide since its creation in 1998.

Google has grown significantly over the last 27 years and now operates Gmail, YouTube, and Workspace.

The company also has its own smartphone, owns the Pixel brand, and completed a $2.1 billion acquisition of Fitbit.

However, the popular name that individuals use on a regular basis is not only a common word but also a misspelling.

A recent Quora post made by some wondering if 'Google' was an acronym revealed the word was actually a misspelling of 'Googol.'

Googol is the number 1 followed by 100 zeros, which was selected to reflect the mission of Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

The mission - 'to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful'.

The name 'Google' comes from 'Googol' - the number one followed by 100 zeros

(Stock image only) Google got its name after a friend of founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin misspelled 'Googol'

The word 'Googol' was invented by nine-year-old Milton Sirotta in 1920.

Sirotta's inspiration behind the term may have been the comic strip character Barney Google.

The boy was the nephew of American mathematician Edward Kasner, who frequently referenced Googol in his book 'Mathematics and the Imagination.'

Page revealed the name came up while he and Brin were thinking of what to name their search engine.

However, the individual who suggested the name accidentally spelled the word as 'Google,' which they kept.

Despite Google coming from that mathematical term, Quora member Ezio Solutions Private Limited thought otherwise despite the explanation of the meaning.

The user claimed Google actually stands for 'Global Organization of Oriented Group Language of Earth.'

While the user's definition of 'Googol' is similar, due to lack of evidence, the theory 'Google' stands for 'Global Organization of Oriented Group Language of Earth' is considered to be false.

Google was founded in 1998 and its parent company, Alphabet Inc, is valued at more than $1.8 trillion

Page and Brin's partnership began shortly after meeting at Stanford University in 1995.

The pair began working in their dorm rooms to built a search engine that used links to determine the importance of pages on the internet.

After they originally called it 'Backrub,' Page and Brin changed the name to Google.

Google quickly caught the attention of investors, and what turned into a project became a reality after Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim invested $100,000.

Businessmen Jeff Bezos and Ram Shriram also funded the company, and by 1998, Google was a company with over $300,000 invested in it.

Today, there are 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches yearly worldwide, according to Internet Live Stats.

Page and Brin worked with Google and its parent company, Alphabet Inc, on and off until stepping down from all duties in 2019.

As of this month, Alphabet Inc is valued at more than $1.8 trillion.
Progressive leaders are quietly tiptoeing away from the radical reaches of the transgender movement, but don't be fooled.

They haven't yet reversed course on one of their most shameful positions.

The brutal political reality for Democrats is that more than 70 percent of Americans simply don't support their extreme positions, like taxpayer-funded gender surgeries and the medicalization of gender dysphoria for minors with off-label cancer drugs (puberty blockers), cross-sex hormones and irreversible surgeries.

But the Left had to learn that the hard way in the 2024 elections, when liberal and moderate voters  many of them exasperated parents  handed Kamala Harris a devastating electoral defeat.

Now the message is unmistakable: enough is enough.

Even California Governor Gavin Newsom  once one of the loudest champions of 'gender-affirming care'  is beginning to course-correct.

He has pulled back from his full-throated support for the right of biological males to compete in women's sports. And he's softened his rhetoric around the state's role in subsidizing gender transitions for minors.

These, however, are political concessions, not moral awakenings.

Progressive leaders are quietly tiptoeing away from the radical reaches of the transgender movement, but don't be fooled.

Even California Governor Gavin Newsom, once one of the loudest champions of 'gender-affirming care', is beginning to course-correct.

Don't mistake this for a full reckoning.

For Newsom and others like him still refuse to give way on the issue that drove so many parents, like me, to conclude that the Democratic Party had abandoned us: the issue of parental rights.

On Real Time with Bill Maher in March, Newsom doubled down on his support for California's 'Safety Act,' which he signed into law in July.

The law prohibits schools from requiring their staff to inform parents if their child requests to socially transition at school.

A social transition is the process by which a person  in this case a minor  requests to be addressed by a name or set of pronouns that they believe more accurately aligns with their 'gender identity.'

Social transitions in school settings may also include a child asking to use bathroom facilities that are typically associated with the opposite sex.

Why does this matter?

Because social transition may be a step toward medical transition  and life-alerting consequences.

Puberty blockers  originally developed to treat prostate and breast cancer  are used off-label to halt natural development in children, with long-term effects that are not fully understood.

The risks that we do know of are alarming: impaired brain and bone development and the inability to ever experience sexual function or orgasm.

Cross-sex hormones carry similar risks, including cardiovascular problems and sterility.

There are dangers of deep psychological pain should regret set insomething 'detransitioners'  those who feel remorseful over their transitions - are now speaking out about in growing numbers.

And these aren't fringe cases. These are often young women who carry scars from a medical system that  many claim  fast-tracked them into irreversible procedures without fully exploring the root causes of their distress.

But here's what Newsom said Maher asked him if he still backs the 'Safety Act.'

'I think teachers should teach. I don't think they should be required to turn in kids.'

I'm sorry, Governor? 'Turn in Kids'

To be clear: California's 'Safety Act' isn't about protecting children from abusive homes, as many of its supporters claim. There are already mandatory reporting laws in public schools to help children trapped in those tragic situations.

Let's call this law what it is: progressive ideological overreach that undermines family unity, parental responsibility, and healthy child development. And it should be a dealbreaker for any parent, regardless of political affiliation.

As a mother, and as someone who believes the family is the bedrock of a stable society, I find the notion of cutting parents out of the equation not only mindboggling, but outrageous and completely unacceptable.

If a child is contemplating a gender transition, then I'd say that is the moment that a parent's attention is most important. Secretly validating a child's gender dysphoria isn't giving them space  it's potentially robbing them of the guidance that they may need to figure things out.

And here's where Newsom's stance becomes particularly maddening.

He knows the tide is turning. He's seen the lawsuits. He's heard the story of 'detransitioners.' And he knows the majority of the country is no longer on board.

But when it comes to rethinking 'transgenderism' in schools, he's immovable.

Why?

Let's be honest: transgenderism  especially among the most privileged is seemingly prized. It was made to be fashionable. And far too many kids, and frankly parents  enabled by politicians eager to cash in on the craze  treated the phenomenon with shocking naivety.

Those are the people that Governor Newsom was catering to when he signed the 'Safety Act' into law.

It seems to me that transgender identity  especially among kids  was allowed to spread through social contagion in many progressive circles. And, indeed, transgenderism among children is concerningly prevalent in Hollywood.

Now, I am not suggesting that every trans-identifying youth is faking it. But I do believe that parents should be deeply skeptical of the sudden surge in gender dysphoria among children, particularly among adolescent girls, who are more prone to social mimicry, identity struggles, and emotional distress than boys.

I am not suggesting that every trans-identifying youth is faking it. But I do believe that parents should be deeply skeptical of the sudden surge in gender dysphoria among children. (Pictured: Jillian Michaels).

There have been similar waves of social contagion in the past involving eating disorders and self-harm. Like past waves, this one comes with severe medical consequences  and it also comes a built-in ideological defense: question it, and you're labeled a bigot.

Confronting this appears to be a bridge too far for suddenly moderate Gavin. So, don't allow his strategic shift to fool you.

If he, or any politician like him, wants to be seen as a credible, principled leader rather than just a slippery opportunist, he needs to do far more than recalibrate his rhetoric.

He needs to confront a dangerous ideology that has taken hold on the left that many people now feel deeply committed to and one that involves our children.

There's still time  for Newsom, for Democrats, for anyone complicit in this betrayal  to reverse course. But it will require more than optics and spin. It demands moral courage. It demands they face the parents they misled and admit: we were wrong.

Until then, the message to parents is loud and clear: your role is optional, your voice is disposable and your children are political pawns. And that is unforgivable.
Universities are reviewing their transgender equality policies in the wake of a record fine handed to one institution after a feminist professor was hounded out of her job over her belief in biological sex.

The University of Sussex was fined 585,000 by the Office for Students (OfS), the regulator for higher education, following the incident involving Professor Kathleen Stock.

In particular, the OfS took exception at the university's policy statement on 'Trans and Non-Binary equality' and said it had breached free speech.

Professor Stock, 53, said she had been 'cancelled' and was forced to leave the university in 2021 after she was accused of transphobia.

Her offences included stating in 2020 that 'the claim 'transwomen are women' is fiction, not literally true' and 'spaces where women undress and sleep should remain genuinely single-sex in order to protect them'.

The OfS said Sussex's requirement to 'positively represent trans people' and an assertion that 'transphobic propaganda [would] not be tolerated' could have led staff and students to 'self-censor'.

Now in the aftermath of the controversy, scores of universities have taken down or are in the process of reviewing their policies.

On its website, the University of Leeds has updated its policy statement on trans equality by stating it is 'currently being reviewed in light of the ruling by the Office for Students of 26 March 2025.'

Universities are reviewing their transgender equality policies after Sussex University was handed a record fine over the handling of feminist professor Kathleen Stock, who was hounded out of her job by activists

Activists at the University of Sussex called for Professor Stock to leave her position

Professor Stock, 53, said she had been 'cancelled' and was forced to leave the university in 2021 after she was accused of transphobia

Meanwhile, the University of Essex has removed a link to its policy on supporting transgender and non-binary staff, while the University of Exeter is reviewing its guidance across trans and LGBTQ+ inclusion policies, The Times reports.

A spokesman told the paper that the university keeps 'our policies and guidance under regular review as part of meeting our legal obligations and protecting freedom of speech within the law'.

The OfS said however it was 'important to emphasise that none of this means providers can't have policies which set out how they will protect students from harassment  indeed, our new harassment condition will require them to do so'.

MailOnline has reached out to Sussex, Leeds, Essex and Exeter Universities for comment.

As institutions now review their policies, Sussex University has vowed to legally challenge the OfS findings, Vice-Chancellor Prof Sasha Roseneil told the BBC.

It described the judgment as an 'unreasonably absolutist definition of free speech', in a strongly worded statement, warning the ruling left institutions facing 'opposing and irreconcilable duties' which rendered them 'powerless to prevent abusive, bullying and harassing speech'.

The OfS was given the power in January to issue fines where freedom of speech was not upheld at a university.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson supported the ruling saying free speech and academic freedom were 'non-negotiables' in universities.

Leeds University said that it was reviewing its policy statement on trans equality in light of the recent OfS ruling

Under review: The University of Essex has removed a link to its policy on supporting transgender and non-binary staff

Kathleen Stock at the Oxford Union in 2023. In May 2023 Stock faced a rally led by angry trans activists as she gave a talk at the prestigious Oxford Union debating society

She explained: 'If you go to university you must be prepared to have your views challenged, hear contrary opinions and be exposed to uncomfortable truths.

'We are giving the OfS stronger powers on freedom of speech so students and academics are not muzzled by the chilling effect demonstrated in this case.'

Arif Ahmed, the OfS director for freedom of speech and academic freedom, said the decision to fine the university had followed a thorough investigation.

He said it found the existing policy meant staff feared disciplinary action and Prof Stock had changed the way she taught her course as a result.

Mr Ahmed added the OfS was 'concerned that a chilling effect may have caused many more students and academics at the university to self-censor'.

The regulator said the Trans and Non-Binary Equality Policy Statement issued by the University of Sussex was considered in the context of existing legal duties on freedom of speech as well as the European Convention on Human Rights.

Four elements of the policy were found to be 'concerning' in the OfS report.

These included a requirement for course materials to 'positively represent trans people and trans lives' and an assertion that 'transphobic propaganda [would] not be tolerated'.

Protestors pictured at a gathering in Library Square at the University of Sussex to protest against Prof Stock

Another aspect of the policy highlighted that 'transphobic abuse' would be a serious disciplinary offence for staff and students.

The OfS also took a general look at the management and governance of the university around freedom of speech.

Since being hounded from the university in 2021, Professor Stock has been continually pilloried over her views amid claims she is 'transphobic and trans-exclusionary' for opposing gender self-identification and saying biological sex is real.

Professor Stock faced protests on the campus after publishing a book on gender identity, an experience she told the BBC was like a 'surreal anxiety dream'. She resigned her position at the university in 2021.

In May 2023 she faced a rally led by angry trans activists as she gave a talk at the prestigious Oxford Union debating society.

Hundreds of demonstrators chanted and played loud music to try to drown out the academic - while inside the chamber her address was crashed by anti-royal trans activist Riz Possnett, who glued theirself to the floor as others ranted about 'no more dead trans kids'.

Sussex's Professor Roseneil has blamed the 'culture wars' and 'libertarian free speech absolutism' for the OfS judgement.

She said: 'The OfS's findings mean that it is now virtually impossible for universities to prevent abuse, harassment or bullying on our campuses.

Posters put up in the tunnel from Falmer station to the University of Sussex's campus said she 'makes trans students unsafe' and 'we're not paying 9,250 a year for transphobia'

Protestors gathered in Library Square at Sussex University to rally against Professor Kathleen Stock before she quit her job

'It means universities cannot protect groups subject to harmful propaganda or determine that stereotyped assumptions should not be relied upon in the university curriculum.

'The OfS is effectively decreeing libertarian free speech absolutism as the fundamental principle for UK universities. In our view, the OfS is perpetuating the culture wars.'

She criticised the way the three-and-a-half year investigation was conducted, saying nobody employed by the university was interviewed.

'The circumstances around Professor Stock's departure from the University of Sussex are deeply regrettable,' she said. 'Sussex has consistently and publicly defended her right to pursue her academic work and to express her gender critical beliefs.

'Academic freedom and freedom of speech are the foundational elements of a university, and the university is committed to ensuring that diversity in all its forms, particularly diversity of thought and identity, are able to flourish at Sussex.'
Sir Keir Starmer is urging world leaders to cut trade barriers between themselves to soften the impact of Donald Trump's tariff war.

The Prime Minister last night began a flurry of diplomatic calls designed to coordinate responses to President Trump's 'Liberation Day' announcement on tariffs, which has triggered market meltdowns across the world.

Last night the Prime Minister discussed the crisis by phone with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and Australian leader Anthony Albanese.

Downing Street said: 'They all agreed that an all-out trade war would be extremely damaging and is in nobody's interests,' adding: 'It has been clear for a long time that like-minded countries must maintain strong relationships and dialogue to ensure our mutual security and maintain economic stability.'

Sir Keir is expected to continue the diplomatic push with calls to a string of European, Commonwealth and Gulf leaders over the weekend.

Sir Keir Starmer began a flurry of diplomatic calls designed to coordinate responses to President Trump's 'Liberation Day' announcement on tariffs

Australian leader Anthony Albanese received a call from the Prime Minister about the market meltdowns across the world

He will urge them to delay retaliating to the US move with tit-for-tat tariffs, which economists warn could plunge the world into an even deeper trade war.

And he will suggest that they work on lifting trade barriers to help offset the impact of the US President's tariff policy.

Whitehall sources said the PM was 'very interested' in the proposal which was floated yesterday by former minister and Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill.

Lord O'Neill said ministers were right to 'politely carry on discussions about a trade deal with the US'.

But the independent peer said the US President's 'kamikaze approach' meant leaders should also look to reshape the global economy and 'stop this addiction to the US consumer'.

He said the economies of other G7 countries were roughly equivalent in size to the US, and suggested that other major powers like China and India could be asked to collaborate.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni agreed with Downing Street that 'an all-out trade war would be extremely damaging and is in nobody's interests'

He told BBC Radio Four's Today programme: 'A very sensible thing to be doing would be having a serious conversation with the other (G7) members about actually lowering trade barriers between ourselves.

'That would be very healthy for all of those countries because it's the one area for global trade where most countries haven't done enough.'

No 10 yesterday rejected Mr Trump's claim that he is 'very happy' about the tariffs imposed on the UK, which are in the lowest 10 per cent band  half that levied on the EU. A spokesman said Sir Keir was 'disappointed' by the move.

A Government source said Sir Keir would continue to pursue a trade deal with President Trump but added: 'He does not think we can just have a tactical response.'
A landlord has requested their tenants pay a further $110 to cover shared water usage, sparking fury among renters in the unit block.

The renter, who lives in Victoria, said they had been asked to pay the flat rate every month to reimburse the landlord for the essential utility.

In a letter to tenants, which the renter shared to Reddit, the property owner states the exact water usage for each tenant in the block cannot be measured.

The property manager explained the landlord was covering the cost of water supplied by Yarra Valley Water because the units are not separately metered.

'We do ask that this month when paying the normal rent an additional $110 is made towards the cost of the water usage,' the letter states.

'YVW advised that as it was unable to accurately determine each unit's consumption of water, it would need to be done privately through the real estate agent.

'As managers of the property this can be done perhaps next meter reading.'

The furious tenant slammed the request for reimbursement.

A landlord has requested their tenants pay a further $110 to cover shared water usage, sparking fury among renters in the unit block (the letter announcing the charge is pictured)

The renter, who lives in Victoria, said they had been asked to pay the flat rate every month to reimburse the landlord for the essential utility (stock)

'How nice landlords appeal to their tenants to give more,' they wrote.

'This agent thought it would be fair to ask for reimbursement for shared water usage.

'There are five units on this block, and recently, the tenants have had rent increases (again).'

Consumer Victoria guidance states that, if a property has its own meter, the renter must pay for the water they use, as well as the sewage disposal charge.

However, if there is no means of measurement, the rules are different.

'If a property doesn't have its own meter, the rental provider must pay,' the state government body said.

Aussies also lashed the request, with one commenter suggesting a response to the agent quoting the Consumer Victoria guidance.

'Whilst I appreciate the landlords position. If you can't accurately measure my water usage I will not be paying this water usage flat rate,' they said.

The furious tenant slammed the request for reimbursement for water usage (stock)

Another user said: 'Is this a new version of 'tip your landlord' because it isn't rent and there's no invoice just please can I have some money.'

A third said: 'What a bulls*** notice.'

'Do not pay it, tell them to look up the law,' a fourth agreed.
The sister of a young Queensland mum who vanished without a trace two months ago has vowed she will 'bring her home' as their devastated family awaits the results of a forensic investigation into human remains.

Investigators searching for Tayla Spies discovered the human remains on Friday, 1km from where police located the 29-year-old's 2017 Toyota Hilux the day before.

Officers 'suspect' they may be the remains of Ms Spies but cannot confirm until a forensic examination has been completed.

Rebecca Spies shared a TikTok video on Saturday addressing the gruesome discovery and shared a powerful message to her missing sister.

'I'm not done fighting for you sissy, your story is far from over!' she said.

'I really have tried my hardest to find her and bring her home where she belongs, and I'm not done yet.'

Ms Spies was last seen driving her Hilux through Surat on Queensland's Western Downs, about 80 kilometres south of her home in Roma, on February 2.

Two months later, investigators found her abandoned vehicle near Noorindoo, a town 460km west of Brisbane, about 3pm on Thursday.

Rebecca Spies (pictured) said she is not done fighting to bring her sister, Tayla, home after the 29-year-old vanished without a trace eight weeks ago

Tayla Spies (pictured) was last seen driving her Hilux through Surat on Queensland's Western Downs on February 2. She has not been seen since

Investigators found Ms Spies' abandoned vehicle near Noorindoo, a town 460km west of Brisbane, about 3pm on Thursday (the ute is pictured)

The Hilux was discovered at a Yuleba-Surat Road private property about five minutes' drive from where the young mum was last seen.

Detective Chief Inspector Garry Watts told a press conference on Friday that a landowner contacted police after coming across the vehicle on their land.

'He does not believe it was been there over two weeks, however, we are making inquiries just to ascertain the veracity of that,' he said.

'The vehicle was locked and an amount of property that we believe belongs to Taylor was located in the vehicle.

'It was not in a good condition, put it that way.'

Det Insp Watts said investigators found the pink shirt Ms Spies is seen wearing in CCTV footage on the day she went missing.

He said investigators are yet to find a connection between Ms Spies and the property.

Police had been searching a 9,000 square kilometre area of bushland around the towns of Surat, Yuleba, Meandarra and Glenmorgan before they found Ms Spies' ute.

The Toyota Hilux and pink shirt of Tayla Spies (pictured) were discovered on private property by Queensland Police on Thursday, helping investigators pinpoint a location for a grid search

Police had been searching a 9,000 square kilometre area of remote bushland before they found the vehicle belonging to Tayla Spies on Thursday (pictured)

Rebecca Spies (pictured centre) previously called on the public for help finding her sister

Investigators have also accessed her social media accounts and were monitoring her bank accounts.

Officers have set up a search and recovery base at the landholder's address and, along with the SES, they are conducting a grid search to locate any items of interest.

Det Insp Watts admitted the case was proving to be one of the more difficult missing persons investigations due to the vast area police are looking at.

'Now that we've got a location of the motor vehicle, we can hone our resources into that area and conduct a full and thorough foot search,' he said.

The location of the vehicle is a backroad deviation from the more direct route to Ms Spies' hometown of Roma on the Carnarvon Hwy.

Ms Spies - pronounced 'Speez' - had spent the night at the Windsor Hotel in Dalby before she disappeared.

The next day the mother-of-three drove west and stopped at a service station in Surat, where she was captured on CCTV.

She was later observed north of Surat, driving on the Carnarvon Highway - this was the last time she was seen.

A friend of the Spies family had offered a $5,000 reward for information that could lead to her discovery.
Democrat fundraiser turned Republican Lindy Li was attacked on Fox News over her political evolution from helping build up Kamala Harris' war chest to Donald Trump supporter.

A consummate liberal who once referred to Trump as 'a serial rapist' and the woman's chair of the Democrat National Committee, after the election Li became so disgusted with the party that she fundraised for the president's inaugural.

Li, 34, has since become a popular figure to critique the Democrats on Fox and other networks as Trump goes about his first 100 days in office.

On The Will Cain Show Friday, however, right-wing podcast host Wade Stotts took her to task for her changing position and called her 'delusional' for thinking she could go from Democrat fundraiser to Trump supporter.

Cain and Li discussed Democrats' hypocrisy on trade issues and tariffs in the past before Stotts attempted to rake her over the coals.

'Yeah, I'm not surprised at this behavior. These are people with no core beliefs. They just say whatever's most advantageous to them personally at that moment,' he said of Democrats, before turning to Li.

'You know, it's almost as bad as a person who raised tens of millions for Kamala trying to pass herself off as a right-wing influencer the second her team loses. So I don't know what Lindy thinks about that, but just my opinion.

Li immediately shot back: 'I've been on Fox News for years saying that I'm a conservative Democrat. This is not a sudden switch at all. It's been a years-long evolution, and I've been warring against the leftist faction of the Democratic Party for years.'

Democrat fundraiser turned Republican Lindy Li (pictured left) was attacked on Fox News over her political evolution from helping build up Kamala Harris' war chest to Donald Trump supporter

On The Will Cain Show Friday, however, right wing podcast host Wade Stotts (pictured right) took her to task for her changing position and called her 'delusional' for thinking she could go from Democrat fundraiser to Trump supporter

Stotts continued in, saying he was stunned that Li had the gall to say the Democrats were hypocritical.

'It's hilarious to hear Lindy Li slamming Democrats for being duplicitous. She was a Democrat until five minutes ago. The only belief she's kept from six months ago is that she should be in charge of moving large sums of money. And that's it,' he said.

He added: 'If you think you're going to be able to avoid conversations about your loyalty, you're delusional.'

Stotts read out paraphrased versions of past opinions Li held - that Trump has a 'Christo-fascist' view of America, that Ruper Murdoch 'broke Democracy' and 'anti-woke is code for anti-Black' - and said 'now you're on Fox, talking about how fickle other people are.'

'Which version of you was the real version and why should we listen to you now?'

After Li briefly stood up for herself, Cain pivoted the show to discussing a separate topic but Stotts wasn't done.

When Cain asked Stotts why previously anti-tariff conservatives were supporting Trump's 'Liberation Day' agenda, he took a very thinly veiled shot again.

'Well, because Trump is the leader of the movement, and whatever you say about the pushback from the right, none of these people who are on the right tried to raise tens of millions of dollars for the people who tried to put Trump in jail,' he said.

Li didn't respond to the charge but to Stotts' tactic of criticizing her.

A consummate liberal who once referred to Trump as 'a serial rapist' and the woman's chair of the Democrat National Committee, after the election Li became so disgusted with the party that she fundraised for the president's inaugural

Li, 34, has since become a popular figure to critique the Democrats on Fox News and other networks as Trump goes about his first 100 days in office

'You're just trying to ambush me this entire time. I'm not going to sink to your level. You can do whatever you want, but I'm not as malicious as you are.'

Li has yet to publicly comment on the incident but afterward, Stoss posted some of her previous takes to X with the caption: 'Couple receipts, in case you need em.'

She was a high-energy fundraiser and failed Congressional candidate before making the shocking 180 after an extraordinary journey though a crazy year in Democratic politics culminating in Kamala Harris' historic loss to Donald Trump.

During the 2024 election, Lindy was considered a consummate Democratic influencer combined with her ability to fundraise for the Democratic Party.

She was invited to join events with President Joe Biden, Harris, and First Lady Jill Biden and she championed all of them on her social media platform.

Born in China, she moved to America at the age of four and went to Princeton. She self-described herself as a book worm and a wallflower who majored in philosophy, championing issues of climate change and even ran and won and unlikely campaign for class president.

After college, she took a job at Morgan Stanley, but continued pursuing a dream of running for political office. She worked enthusiastically to boost Democrats for decades, interning with former congressman Joe Sestak, and even unsuccessfully running for Congress herself at the age of 25.

In many ways Lindy Li could have been the next rising political star in the Democratic Party. A Chinese immigrant, whose great-grandfather was murdered by communists, ran as an inspirational figure who believed in the promise of America. But every attempt at running for office ended in the establishment figures in Pennsylvania crushing her political aspirations.

Li was a high-energy fundraiser and failed Congressional candidate before making the shocking 180 after an extraordinary journey though a crazy year in Democratic politics culminating in Kamala Harris' historic loss to Donald Trump

During the 2024 election , Lindy was considered a consummate Democratic influencer combined with her ability to fundraise for the Democratic Party

She continued on as a fundraiser and a media personality, trashing Trump and his MAGA movement at every opportunity.

Named by WIRED magazine as one of the top influencers of the 2024 election, Li was invited to the Democratic National Committee last August as an official credentialed influencer and given access to events.

On TV she celebrated Bidens vitality, Kamala Harris political strengths and condemned Trumps racism and the overall toxicity of the MAGA movement.

At the last Kamala Harris campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Li was there in the front row with prominent figures and Bidens daughter Ashley and others to cheer on Harris as the historic first female president on the United States.

But that all came crashing down on Election Day, when Harris lost badly and it was clear that Democrats had seriously oversold their chances at beating Donald Trump.

That infuriated Li, who had invested a great deal of personal time and energy in the campaign.

She was outraged that for months, Democrats had told her and others that Harris would easily sweep the election and encouraged them to raise more money and work harder. Crestfallen, she explained that she realized that top leaders in the Democratic Party were just 'lying' to her the entire time.

That inspired her to go public to criticize the campaign for their obvious failures and outrage at the way Democrats spent her and her fellow donors money.

But that all came crashing down on Election Day, when Harris lost badly and it was clear that Democrats had seriously oversold their chances at beating Donald Trump. That infuriated Li, who had invested a great deal of personal time and energy in the campaign

She was outraged that for months, Democrats had told her and others that Harris would easily sweep the election and encouraged them to raise more money and work harder. Crestfallen, she explained that she realized that top leaders in the Democratic Party were just 'lying' to her the entire time

She was angry, but still a Democrat who wanted to voice her criticism and frustration for the party.

It was just startling how there was no sense of responsibility. They essentially set $2 billion on fire in 100 days, she said in an interview after the election with NewsNation.

For Li to criticize the party post-election was a massive shift in her life, but one she did not expect would change her political identity.

Her criticism was not received well by the wounded Democratic influencer community who had sat with her in the same events with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and White House officials.

All I did is tell the truth I literally thats all I did, all I did is tell it like it was, she reflected.

Li estimated to DailyMail.com that she had raised funds within six-figure range for the Trump transition team in the short time she started soliciting donations. The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment.

Republicans, Li said, accepted her with open arms, even inviting her to Trump's club Mar-a-Lago for the year-end fundraisers and festivities. She did not go to Mar-a-Lago but was touched by the warm welcome that Trump supporters were willing to give her.

With Democrats, Li said she fought tooth and nail just to get recognized. Republicans, she said, were far more welcoming.

Its like night and day, she said, citing daily communications from Republicans on the committee.

Many Democrats are furious at her betrayal, but Li argued they made a mistake by failing to recognize their failures and accept criticism.

Theyd rather destroy the critics rather than than accept that the party might have done something wrong, its more convenient to blame me, she said.

Li says her family and lose friends are accepting of her identity flip, but the influencers she spent time with during the election are now out to destroy her.
Andrew and Tristan Tate are under federal criminal investigation by the heavy-hitting Manhattan US Attorneys Office, according to a claim in a new court filing.

The revelation of the alleged federal probe was made in a Friday filing in a Florida civil case in which the Tates are involved.

It is the latest in a slew of criminal probes the alleged rapist and human trafficker brothers face  and is significant as the Southern District of New York (SDNY) US Attorneys Office is known for its tough approach and ample resources.

The Tates already face rape and human trafficking charges in the UK as well as a $27 million 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 Floridas Attorney General, and civil lawsuits by their alleged victims.

The news of this latest alleged federal probe came in a legal filing made in a Palm Beach County civil court.

The brothers sued an anonymous woman for defamation in 2023 after she claimed they trafficked her.

The womans attorney, sex abuse victims rights advocate Danielle Pinter, filed documents with the court on Friday that asked to keep aspects of the case confidential due to the United States federal investigation and/or prosecution by the Department of Justice for the Southern District of New York.

Until the United States federal investigation and/or prosecution by the Department of Justice for the Southern District of New York of Andrew and Tristan Tate has concluded, the entire document the Defendants and Counterclaimant Jane Does Emergency Motion to Stay Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1595(b)(1) Related to United States Federal Investigation of Andrew and Tristan Tate should be confidential and sealed, Pinters filing said.

Andrew, 38, and Tristan Tate, 36, are under federal criminal investigation by the heavy-hitting Manhattan US Attorneys Office, according to a claim in a new court filing. Pictured: Andrew Tate (left) with brother Tristan Tate (right) sitting cage side during UFC 313 at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas on March 8

The Tates already face rape and human trafficking charges in the UK as well as a $27 million tax evasion lawsuit brought by British police; rape, human trafficking and organized crime charges in Romania, among other things. Pictured: Andrew Tate (left) and his brother Tristan Tate (right) walk inside the Court of Appeals on October 15, 2024 in Bucharest, Romania

Since the defamation case is about claims of human trafficking, it is possible that the alleged SDNY investigation is a criminal probe of those allegations. Pictured: The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York

Since the defamation case is about claims of human trafficking, it is possible that the alleged SDNY investigation is a criminal probe of those allegations.

But the Manhattan federal prosecutors office did not immediately respond to DailyMail.coms request for comment.

Tates attorney Joseph McBride did not confirm or deny the federal criminal probe when asked by DailyMail.com.

Appearances can be deceiving. We're not worried about anything, McBride said, in the cryptic statement.

A spokesman for SDNY Acting US Attorney Matthew Podolsky declined to comment.

British lawyer Matthew Jury, who represents four accusers of the Tate brothers, also posted on X about the alleged new criminal investigation.

Andrew and Tristan Tates civil action in Florida against one of their alleged trafficking victims has been stayed at the request of the US authorities. Why? Because the Tates are now the subject of a Federal investigation and/ or prosecution by the DOJ for the Southern District of New York, Jury wrote.

To be clear, this is separate from Floridas criminal investigation of the Tates. This means the Tates are now the subject of criminal investigations in five separate jurisdictions: Romania, the UK, Florida, California, and the US.

The searing allegations against the troubled brothers come as the Andrew's ex, Brianna 'Bri' Stern, is suing him for alleged assault and battery.

She described how the elder Tate brother allegedly 'took a dark turn' after constant displays of affection during their 'loving' 10-month relationship.

 Andrew and Tristan Tates civil action in Florida against one of their alleged trafficking victims has been stayed at the request of the US authorities.



Why?



Because the Tates are now the subject of a Federal investigation and/ or prosecution by the DOJ for the Southern pic.twitter.com/T0ZHbJFN2e  Matthew Jury (@MattJury_Law) April 4, 2025

The news of this latest alleged federal probe came in a legal filing made in a Palm Beach County civil court. Pictured: Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate speak to journalists after having been released from detention in Bucharest, Romania on March 12, 2024

Brianna 'Bri' Stern, who says she dated Andrew Tate for 10 months, spoke exclusively to DailyMail.com to detail what she describes as a terrifying night in a hotel where he allegedly choked her until she was almost unconscious

Stern filed a lawsuit against Tate on March 27 for alleged abuse. She claims he choked her at the Beverly Hills Hotel in the early hours of March 11 until she was almost unconscious, even though she begged him to stop

The model claims the self-proclaimed misogynist started attacking her with a barrage of sickening insults, physical abuse and threats to 'ruin my life, rape me, and kill me' if she betrayed him, as laid out in her recent lawsuit.

The 29-year-old has also accused the former kickboxer and anti-feminist of sending her a slew of threatening messages including: 'What's the point in having you if I don't beat and impregnate you.'

She says the alleged assault took place in room 311 at the iconic Beverly Hills hotel, hotel, a 780-sq-ft suite costing $3,000 per night.

Stern says she has since been subjected to multiple death threats from fans of Tate, who has millions of followers on social media.

Tate has denied the allegations and his lawyers have questioned Stern's credibility.

'My heart was beating so fast, and I was really anxious, but there was something in me that just told me, 'You need to go, run,' she told DailyMail.com of the alleged violent encounter.

She escaped in the early morning hours after Tate said 'shut the f**k up b**ch. You will never backtalk me. You are my property,' according to her suit.

Their intense affair started off 'sweet, kind, and loving', but over 10 months turned 'darker' - much darker - until it exploded and flamed out in an episode of sexual violence at the famed 'Pink Palace' on Sunset Boulevard, says Stern.

Stern says she was physically abused by Tate, including being choked, during a sex session on March 11

Now, she says, she feels 'completely shattered' and 'broken'.

'My world was flipped upside down. I was so, so, so upset, sad, scared,' she said about that night.

The model's filing claims sexual battery and harassment by Tate, 38, which lists chilling details of abuse - emotional and physical.

She has also filed a complaint with the Beverly Hills Police Department and is seeking a restraining order.
The all-white board at one of Britain's wealthiest charities has quit after an anti-racism diversity drive.

The board of The Tudor Trust, which has assets of 288 million, was previously dominated by descendants of its founder - Sir Godfrey Mitchell.

However, the members have now been replaced by eight new trustees - only one of whom is white, it has been reported.

Mitchell's grandson Christopher Graves, who was the executive director and worked at the charity for 38 years, has stepped down.

Other family trustees that have stepped down include chairman Matthew Dunwell and his brother Benjamin.

Dunwell, 61, who is also one of Mitchell's descendants, said he hoped his decision would inspire other family trusts to do the same, The Times has reported.

He wrote in his final report as chairman: 'Letting go of power is a messy business, and there is no perfect time or way to do this.

'The role of long-standing family involvement in philanthropy, or family trusts, has quite rightly come under scrutiny, particularly over the last five years.

Christopher Graves (pictured), who was the executive director and worked at the charity for 38 years, has been replaced by a black woman

Pictured: Raji Hunjan the new chief executive of the Tudor Trust

The board of The Tudor Trust, which has assets of 288 million, was previously dominated by descendants of its founder - Sir Godfrey Mitchell (pictured)

'I hope at Tudor we have demonstrated that changes to longstanding ways of working are possible.

The organisation, which gives about 20 million a year to good causes, was founded in 1955 by a bequest from Sir Godfrey, founder of building giant George Wimpey.

However, in 2023, the organisation branded itself as 'white and privileged' and was accused of undergoing a woke makeover.

The charity stopped accepting grant applications for 20 months while it 're-thought' its future and staff learnt about 'racial justice' and 'white supremacy culture'.

The decision forced many smaller organisations to look for funding elsewhere.

The Bristol Older People's Forum received a 3,000 grant to go towards Platform 60, a national website for older people that will be launched shortly.

'It has been really useful to get the grant,' a spokesman previously said. 'It was only a small amount of money, but we wanted to get another small amount to continue the development of the project.'

However, the Tudor Trust changes meant they have had to rely on a national lottery grant and volunteers giving time for free to complete the work.

Another charity that helps children in north-west England, but asked not to be named, said the funds from the Tudor Trust were a 'lifeline' and they would have applied for grants in future but that is now uncertain.

The organisation, which gives about 20 million a year to good causes, was founded in 1955 by a bequest from Sir Godfrey (pictured), founder of building giant George Wimpey

The organisation now asks groups to apply for funding and does not accept unsolicited applications.

This week the Tudor Trust announced its first grants since the 2023 freeze - 9.3million in funding for 11 groups.

Among those receiving the funds are the Black Feminist Fund, the Good Ancestor Movement and The Ubele Initiative which supports the African diaspora.

Raji Hunjan, the new chief executive said: 'This marks a defining moment for The Tudor Trust with racial justice now embedded as the lens through which we tackle all forms of injustice.'

A statement by the Tudor Trust previously read: 'We recognise that we live in a society that is shaped by white privilege and racism.

'We also acknowledge that being a family Trust has given rise to a trustee board that is almost entirely white and privileged.

'While the profile of the staff of the trust is more diverse, we recognise that, throughout the organisation, most of us do not have experience of what it means to be discriminated against because of our colour.'

A spokesperson for the Tudor Trust said: 'In 2022, the Board of family trustees started a challenging widely-publicised process of organisational change and subsequently agreed to centre racial justice to tackle all forms of injustice and achieve a fairer society for all.

'The trustees, including family members, some of whom departed their roles three years ago, with the final family trustee concluding their role in 2024, stepped down amicably and approved the appointment of the new board.

'They did not step down as a result of a 'race review', and there is no executive director in place.

'They are confident in Tudor's renewed vision and we all feel it's a loss when efforts to address these issues are shut down before they even begin. It helps no one and only fuels division.'
Some of Australia's largest superannuation funds could be slapped with exorbitant fines after reportedly failing to provide members with multi-factor authentication.

The country's biggest fund AustralianSuper, which has about 3.5million members, was among those targeted on Friday following reports a cache of passwords had been stolen.

Industry super funds Australian Retirement Trust incorporating QSuper and Sunsuper, REST and Hostplus were affected along with Insignia Financial, as owner of MLC.

The funds may now face severe penalties from the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA), according to former director of policy at the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre, Anne-Louise Brown.

'If adequate consumer cybersecurity protections are found to have not been adopted, the companies could face significant financial penalties,' Ms Brown told The Australian.

The expert referenced the major cyberattack on Medibank in 2022 which saw personal information of 9.7million Australians stolen.

After an investigation, APRA forced Medibank to allocate $250million as 'insurance', reflecting 'weaknesses identified in [its] information security environment'.

'The financial services sector is heavily regulated when it comes to cyber security,' Ms Brown said.

AustralianSuper, which has roughly 3.5 million members, was one of five super funds targeted by hackers after reports a cache of passwords were stolen (stock image)

AustralianSuper member, Samantha Burns, told Daily Mail Australia she had alerted her super fund in late February about being hacked (stock image)

'Not only do they need to take reasonable steps to protect their data under the critical infrastructure regime, they also have obligations under APRA.

'While it will take a while to unpick the full scale of the breach and how it occurred, it is concerning that sensitive personal financial data was potentially breached.'

Ms Brown warned that Australians impacted by the cyberattack need to be alert to the risk of identity theft and fraud.

AustralianSuper member, Samantha Burns, told Daily Mail Australia on Friday that she had alerted her super fund in late February about being hacked.

'I phoned AustralianSuper on the 27 February 2025, telling them when I logged into my account, the balance was zero,' she said.

'They said its probably an upgrade and to wait and re-log on. I tried that, same thing, zero balance.

'I rang multiple times after that, and was told, the problem was being fixed by the IT department. So it's not just in the past week.'

AustralianSuper has declined to comment on Ms Burns' case.

As funds responded to the cyberattack, an Australian Retirement Trust spokesman said it was able to stop suspicious transactions (stock image)

The union-backed industry super fund said it was working with the Australian Signals Directorate and the National Office of Cyber Security to resolve the issue.

It is urging all members to log on to their account to check their bank account and contact details are correct and ensure they have a strong password that hasn't been used for other sites.

REST chief executive Vicki Doyle said the super fund noticed unauthorised activity during the last weekend of March and responded by shutting down the member access portal - after 8,000 accountants were affected.

MLC Expand chief executive Liz McCarthy told the Australian Securities Exchange a malicious third party had engaged in 'credential stuffing' where a hacker collects user names and emails.

'We detected suspicious activity on around 100 Expand Wrap Platform customers' accounts and at this stage there has been no financial impact to customers,' she said on Friday.

A Hostplus spokesman said no funds had been stolen. An Australian Retirement Trust spokesman also said it was able to stop suspicious transactions.
Up to 18 people have been swept out to sea at a seaside town in Victoria, sparking a mass rescue operation involving a police helicopter.

Ambulance Victoria were called to reports of a water incident at Point Lonsdale, 30km south of Geelong, about 11:45am on Saturday.

It's understood multiple swimmers and kayakers had to be rescued after they were dragged out to sea by strong currents.

All were rescued from the water and were treated by paramedics at the scene.

The Police Air Wing, Lifesaving Australia, Water Police and the coast guard attended.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Victoria Police in relation to the incident.
Melbourne crime boss Tony Mokbel has spent his first day of freedom shopping for perfumes in Myer after spending 18 years behind bars.

The gangster was spotted in the perfume section of the department store at Northland Shopping Centre in a northern suburb of Melbourne on Saturday.

He left the shops with multiple bags in hand including one from Coles and one from nutritional store, Elite Supplements.

Earlier that morning, Mokbel emerged from his new home and checked in at his local police station while being followed by a media scrum.

Asked how he was feeling, he said he could not comment, The Age reported.

'[Court] proceedings are afoot. I can't say anything,' Mokbel reportedly said.

He was then seen at Viewbank Park with a dark-haired woman rumoured to be his girlfriend, as well as his sister Gawy Saad and her husband Youssef.

On Friday, the 59-year old walked down the steps of the Victorian Supreme Court of Appeal with a beaming smile after spending almost two decades behind bars.

Melbourne crime boss Tony Mokbel and a dark-haired woman rumoured to be his girlfriend (pictured) were caught shopping in the perfume section at Myer in a northern suburb of Melbourne 24 hours after his release from prison on Friday

During the first 24 hours of freedom, Mokbel (pictured) has been spotted at a Northland Shopping Centre, just north of Melbourne

Mokbel (pictured) could not contain his joy as he walked down the steps of the Victorian Supreme Court of Appeal on Friday after 18 years behind bars

Daily Mail Australia revealed on Friday that Mokbel's first act after being released from jail was to visit the grave of his mother.

Lora Mokbel, 83, was farewelled at a service at Our Lady Of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in Thornbury in 2013, where mourners mixed with some of Melbourne's criminal elite.

Mokbel had been unable to attend the funeral, nor had his brother Milad, who was also serving time for drug offences.

But, on Friday, Mokbel made his way straight to Fawkner Memorial Park with an entourage of supporters where he finally got to pay his respect to his mother.

The gangster notoriously bought a yacht named 'Edwena' in 2006 and hired a Greek crew to spirit him away from Australia while on bail when he fled justice.

He was released on Friday after the Court of Appeal agreed he had been set up by disgraced former lawyer and police informer Nicola Gobbo.

The 59-year old said nothing as he walked through a police cordon shielding him from a horde of journalists and other onlookers.

The decision to release Mokbel saw gasps from his supporters, who crammed into the courthouse.

Mokbel had been treated like a celebrity from within the prison dock, shaking hands and chatting with his supporters

The court heard the gangster had 'strong family support' and a mystery long-term de facto partner who he was pictured with just hours after his release

Daily Mail Australia revealed that Mokbel's first act after being released from jail was to visit the grave of his mother (he is pictured leaving Fawkner Cemetery where his mother is buried)

While free on bail, Mokbel will be required to wear a GPS ankle bracelet that will monitor his every movement.

The court heard the gangster had 'strong family support' and a long-term de facto partner.

He will need to report to his local police station every day and adhere to a strict curfew between 11pm and 6am.

After his release, Mokbel was spirited away in a matte black Mercedes where he was taken to his new home with his sister and her family in the north of Melbourne.

But neighbours hid in fear with one resident, Donna telling Daily Mail Australia on Friday that she thinks it is 'very bad' for the community.

'Firstly, I worry that he has enemies, which has been shown in jail that he does have enemies because he nearly died and that these enemies or other crime figures are gonna come and they, you know, kill him,' she said.

In setting Mokbel free on bail, Justices Karin Emerton, Robert Osborn and Jane Dixon agreed he stood a solid chance of winning his appeal against three convictions for drug trafficking, which is expected to be heard later this year.

If he wins, it will likely result in his complete release.

His current sentence expires in 2037, but he is eligible for parole in June 2031.
An Oklahoma man has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a Catholic priest at a church rectory in northeast Kansas.

Father Arul Carasala was discovered with gunshot wounds outside the rectory of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca on Thursday, the Nemaha County Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post.

The 57-year-old priest was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he died.

Sheriff's deputies and officers with the Seneca Police Department later arrested Gary Hermesch of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Hermesch, 66, was charged on Friday and held in the Nemaha County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond, County Attorney Brad Lippert said.

The charging complaint states that Hermesch 'intentionally and with premeditation' killed Carasala.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation have not released a possible motive for the shooting or said whether the suspect and the priest knew each other.

'From what we know, an older man walked up to him and shot him three times,' the parish's director of religious education, Kris Anderson said.

Arul Carasala, 57, was shot three times and died at his church rectory in northeast Kansas

Officers were called to the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca on Thursday afternoon and found Carasala with gunshot wounds outside the rectory

Gary Hermesch, 66, of Tulsa, Oklahoma was charged on Friday with first-degree murder

The priest's death has left the 2,100 strong community in mourning.

He had been the leader of the church, situated about 90 miles northwest of Kansas City, since 2011, according to his profile on the parish website.

Carasala was ordained as a priest in 1994 for the Diocese of Cuddapah, located on the southeast coast of his native India.

He had served in Kansas since 2004, including as pastor of five Kansas parishes, after he was invited to visit by Archbishop James P. Keleher.

Carasala became a US citizen in 2011, while retaining his status as an overseas citizen of India.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said in a Facebook post that there was no ongoing threat to the community, but that he recognized the 'pain and shock' the priest's death had brought to the community.

'This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend,' he wrote.

Carasala was ordained as a priest in 1994 for the Diocese of Cuddapah, located on the southeast coast of his native India. He had served in Kansas since 2004

There was a huge turnout at a church service held to remember Father Carasala

Hermesch, 66, was charged on Friday and held in Nemaha County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said in a Facebook post that there was no ongoing threat to the community, but that he recognized the 'pain and shock' the priest's death had brought to the community

'Father Arul was a friend to me and a great priest. I shared in my homily that being a priest today requires heroic love.

'That quality was evident in Father Arul, who left India to come to the heartland of America and serve the people of the Catholic Church in northeast Kansas,' Naumann said.

'While we continue to mourn the loss of Father Arul, I pray that we will not lose hope.'
Australian police officers have travelled thousands of miles to Bangladesh as part of a probe into what is now believed to be the suspected murder of a Queensland mother.

Rehana Parvin, 37, was found dead in the South Asian country on September 12, 2024, after travelling there with her teenage daughter in June to manage her properties.

The mother-of-five was discovered buried next to a septic tank on her sister-in-law's property.

An Australian Federal Police (AFP) spokesperson revealed on Saturday that officers had flown to Bangladesh last November.

The visit was part of the investigation into the 'suspected murder of an Australian citizen in Bangladesh', they said.

The spokesperson said the probe comes under a section of the Commonwealth Criminal Code which refers to the murder of an citizen or resident outside of Australia.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the AFP for comment.

The last revelation in the case came in November when it emerged Ms Parvin had been hospitalised following a miscarriage on July 3.

Rehana Parvin (pictured) was found dead in Bangladesh on September 12, 2024, after travelling there with her teenage daughter in June to manage her properties

It was reportedly the last time her family heard from her. Her sister Tania Parvin told the ABC that she had been 'four months pregnant'.

Ms Parvin was initially treated at Nawabganj Upazila Health Complex but later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, local police said at the time.

It was reported that at the time her body was discovered, much of the the local property she owned with her husband Awlad Hossain was in Ms Parvin's name.

Mr Hossain, 48, travelled to Bangladesh on June 29 and returned to Australia on July 13.

The assistant superintendent in charge of the investigation said police had applied for an arrest warrant and are pursuing the extradition of Mr Hossain from Australia to Bangladesh.

Daily Mail Australia does not suggest that Mr Hossain had any involvement in his wife's death, only that Bangladeshi police have applied for an arrest warrant.

Mr Hossain's sister Papia Akhter and Amzad Hossain, a man from the village where Ms Parvin grew up, were also arrested.

They confessed to having knowledge of Ms Parvin's disappearance, local authorities said at the time.

Australian Federal Police officers flew to Bangladesh in November to investigate Ms Parvin's 'suspected murder' (stock image)

Ms Parvin's mother Irean Akter said in September she had 'worked hard to educate my daughter and send her to Australia, where she became a citizen'.

'My daughter earned and acquired property in Australia,' she said.

'I need help, I need proper action. Rehana had five kids. Five kids lost their mother.'

While there is no extradition treaty between Bangladesh and Australia, there is a mechanism for people to be extradited between Commonwealth countries, which both nations are part of.
An urgent watch and act alert has been issued to locals in a South Australian suburb after a hardware store went up in flames.

Tumby Bay residents have been warned to remain indoors after a fire broke out at a Mitre 10 on the Eyre Peninsula, 240km northwest of Adelaide, on Saturday afternoon.

South Australian Country Fire Service (CFS) issued an alert for the Spencer Street location at 3.23pm.

The alert has since been taken down.

Nine fire trucks and 55 CFS firefighters attended the scene, assisted by the Metropolitan Fire Service as well as police, ambulance and power services.

The fire remained active hours after the blaze broke out, though emergency responders prevented it from spreading to adjacent properties.

Residents within the warning area running east-west from Trezise Street and Tumby Terrace and north-south between North Terrace and Park Terrace have been advised to immediately move indoors.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined but investigators will attend the scene on Sunday morning.

Footage posted to social media depicted stunned shoppers standing by in shock as the flames rose from the building's roof.

Locals watched on in horror as the hardware store went up in flames on Saturday

Fire investigators will attend the scene on Sunday to determine the cause of the Tumby Bay fire

Authorities have warned that smoke may reduce visibility within the vicinity of the store.

Emergency services have closed roads around the store meaning residents may not be allowed to enter the vicinity of the site.

Mitre 10 Tumby Bay has served the local community since it opened in nearly 20 years ago.

For updates, check the CFS website at cfs.sa.gov.au or phone the Information Hotline on 1800 362 361.
This is the first photograph of a man shot dead by police after running towards them with a knife outside a busy rail station.

David Joyce, 38, had only been out of prison a matter of months, having been jailed for possession of firearms and making his own gun three years ago, when he was fatally shot outside Milton Keynes Central Rail station, MailOnline has learned.

In photographs posted on his Facebook page he is seen taking aim with a rifle and bow and arrow in a woodland.

He also posted a snap of a Taser he had crafted himself from a '200,000 voltage ignition coil' and boasted of making a 'burning laser' which would cut through plastic and 'blind you instantly'.

Mr Joyce died of a single gunshot wound to his abdomen after an armed officer fired at him in the Buckinghamshire town on Tuesday.

Police had received reports that he was outside the station area with a gun. However, it transpired he was carrying a knife and no other weapon was found at the scene.

MailOnline can reveal that cannabis-smoking Mr Joyce had become agitated and paranoid just hours before he was gunned down telling a neighbour 'the police are out to get me'.

The neighbour said: 'He was a quiet lad, didn't say much but I think he had some mental health issues.

David Joyce, 38, had only been out of prison a matter of months having been jailed for possession of firearms and making his own gun three years ago, MailOnline has learned

He was shot dead by armed police officers after running at them with a knife outside Milton Keynes station on Tuesday

'On the day he was shot, he came to my gate and started talking to me.

'He was very paranoid and said 'Can't you see them? The camerasthey're following me everywhere. The police are out to get me.'

'It was a bizarre conversation but a few hours later he was shot dead by armed police.

'He had a knife apparently and ran at them but I wonder if they could have handled it differently because he was clearly unwell.

'He admitted that he'd been sentenced to five years in jail and told me he was some sort of engineer who built his own gun.

'He had a fascination with firearms and weapons but I remember he told me he had made a big mistake making the gun saying "I did something very silly".

'The fact he'd been inside and his mental health issues meant he didn't have a job. I just used to see him going from his flat to the shop.'

Another neighbour added: 'He'd only been out of prison a few months.

'I used to see him smoking weed outside the block. The smell would drift up to my flat. He kept to himself and didn't have much family in the area.'

Mr Joyce, originally from Galway in Ireland, lived with his partner in a ground floor flat in the Hodge Lea area of Milton Keynes.

Joyce, originally from Galway in Ireland, had made his own gun and had only just come out of jail for firearms offences

Joyce was shot at close range and was treated by officers at the scene before being rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead nearly an hour later

The couple were engaged in 2013 but there was no answer at the property today.

In a chilling premonition outlining his fate, Mr Joyce wrote on Facebook in 2016: 'Keep having the same kind of mad dreams over and over, getting shot at, having gun fights, being attacked by creepy weirdos and being in jail.

'Not to mention getting stabbed and oh yes, my favourite, the poltergeist I always dream of being locked in a house with. Telling you I do wake up full of adrenaline expecting something or someone to be there. This is every night.'

He was jailed in 2022 after being charged with two counts of possession of a firearm, two counts of possession of an offensive weapon and one count of possession of an article for use in connection with conversion of imitation firearms.

Following his shooting, just before 1pm on Tuesday, police revealed that Mr Joyce had 'moved at speed towards officers' with a knife in his hand outside the rail station's main entrance

He was shot at close range and was treated by officers at the scene before being rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead nearly an hour later.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: 'Our officers and those from British Transport Police were called to reports of a man carrying a firearm at the station on Elder Gate at 12.55pm this afternoon.

'Our armed officers responded and challenged a white man who was carrying a knife outside the station. He moved at speed towards officers with the knife before a shot was fired by police.

'Life-saving actions were immediately taken at the scene, but the man was pronounced dead at 1.44pm. We have not yet informed the man's next of kin so has not been formally identified.

'We understand that this incident may cause concern locally, but we would like to reassure the community that there is no wider risk to the public.

Joyce also bragged online about making his own taser and was pictured posing with deadly bow and arrows

Matthew Barber, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley Police said the shooting had been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over the incident which led to Joyce's (pictured) death

'We have made a mandatory referral to Independent Office for Police Conduct, and they will be carrying out an independent investigation into this incident. Please do not to share footage or speculate about other details online.'

Matthew Barber, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley Police said the shooting had been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

He said: 'This is of course a shocking incident there is no ongoing risk to the public.

'Of course it is right that the IOPC review this incident, but from what I understand at this early stage I am confident that the officers should be praised for their actions to protect members of the public.

'As a society we ask the police to put themselves in harm's way every single day on our behalf, most of those officers are unarmed.

'The small number of armed officers often face even greater risks and carry a still greater responsibility.

'Whilst it is right that yesterday's incident is independently reviewed, it is important that we also recognise exactly what we are asking of our armed police officers.

'It is tragic that a man died in yesterday's incident, but I am thankful to the police officers who responded bravely and acted decisively in order to protect the public. If they had not done so the outcome could have been much worse.'

The IOPC said Mr Joyce was formally identified at a post-mortem examination on Thursday morning.

The watchdog said it had already viewed a 'substantial amount' of CCTV and police body-worn camera footage of the incident.

Derrick Campbell, the IOPC director, said: 'Given a man has died after being shot by police, our role is to independently investigate all of the circumstances surrounding this incident, including the actions and decisions taken by the police.

'We have obtained details of some members of the public who witnessed the incident who we will be contacting.

'However, we know there were many people near the station around the time of the shooting and we want to hear from anyone who may have seen the incident or has footage of it.'
A Sydney mother has been rescued after impaling her arm on a school fence while trying to retrieve her daughter's mobile phone.

Authorities were called to Riverstone High School, in northwestern Sydney, at 9am on Saturday morning where the woman was found 'dangling by her left arm' two metres in the air.

'It's evident that the fence tore some of the flesh which caused significant pain to her,' NSW Ambulance inspector Nathan Sheraton told 7News.

Mr Sheraton said the 37-year-old woman was left with a 'significant wound to the inside of her left upper-arm' and remained conscious despite the pain.

She is understood to have climbed the fence in an attempt to retrieve her daughter's phone after she left it at the school.

A spokesperson for NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia emergency services were called to the McCulloch Street school just before 9am.

Officers attached to the Riverstone Police Area Command offered assistance at the scene along with paramedics, fire and rescue crews and a medical helicopter.

Nearby tradesmen raised a ladder for the woman to rest her weight on in order to relieve pressure on the wound.

Emergency services were called to Riverstone High School on Saturday morning where they found the woman 'dangling by her arm'

The woman is believed to have been attempting to retrieve her daughter's phone which had been left at the school when she suffered the injury

Authorities were forced to remove part of the fence to free the woman who then received treatment at the scene.

She was soon taken to the Royal North Shore Hospital with fragments of the fence remaining in her arm.

'Upon arrival firefighters located a person impaled on a fence about two metres in the air,' Fire and Rescue NSW Station 83 Riverstone wrote in a post to Facebook.

'A platform was set up to allow access to the casualty and under the guidance of Aeromedical Doctors and NSW Ambulance, firefighters worked to remove the impalement and free the casualty from the fence.

'A coordinated effort by agencies resulted in a positive outcome for the patient.'
Former president Barack Obama spoke out against Donald Trump's administration in a highly critical tirade signalling the end of their supposed 'bromance'.

The 63-year-old took aim at the Republican leader's crackdown on law firms, press freedoms and free speech in universities, breaking his silence on what he described as an 'unimaginable' presidency.

Obama also claimed Trump's imposition of import taxes  which saw the FTSE 100 suffer its sharpest drop since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic  is not 'going to be good for America'.

Trump's 10% tariff on UK products has also seen nearly 175 billion wiped off the UK stock market in just a week  hammering the pensions and savings of millions.

Obama warned Trump's presidency could be 'dangerous', adding had been acting like a 'wannabe dictator running around trying to punish his enemies'.

Addressing students at Hamilton College on Thursday, Obama said: 'Imagine if I had done any of this.'

'It's unimaginable that the same parties that are silent now would have tolerated behavior like that from me, or a whole bunch of my predecessors.'

Obama's comments come just months after he and Trump were seen sharing a moment of laughter at Jimmy Carter's funeral, which viewers claimed was a clear show of affection between former political opponents.

Former US president Barack Obama (pictured in October 2024) has spoken out against Donald Trump's administration in a highly critical tirade

Obama's comments come just months after he and Trump were seen sharing a moment of laughter at Jimmy Carter's funeral

Trump's imposition of import taxes has seen the FTSE 100 suffer its sharpest drop since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic. Pictured: Trump announcing the import taxes on Wednesday

'I just want to be clear about this,' Obama continued in his speech to students.

'Imagine if I had pulled Fox News' credentials from the White House press corps. You're laughing, but this is what's happening.'

'Imagine if I had said to law firms that were representing parties that were upset with policies my administration had initiated, that you will not be allowed into government buildings,' he continued.

'We will punish you economically for dissenting from the Affordable Care Act or the Iran deal. We will ferret out students who protest against my policies,' Obama added.

The Trump administration has barred the Associated Press from participating in the press pool over the organization's refusal to use the president's preferred 'Gulf of America.'

AP remains credentialed, but the White House has also taken over who can participate in the daily pool, adding podcasters and conservative influencers.

The Trump administration has also gone after law firms - using executive orders - who were involved in some of the cases that the president refers to as a 'witchhunt.'

'When I watch some of what's going on now, it does not look, I don't think what we just witnessed in terms of economic policy and tariffs is going to be good for America, but that's a specific policy,' Obama continued.

Former President Barack Obama addresses Hamilton College students on Thursday

Hamilton College's President Steven Tepper (right) pictured with former President Barack Obama (left)

Barack Obama (right) meets with Donald Trump in the Oval Office in Washington, in 2016

'I'm more deeply concerned with a federal government that threatens universities if they don't give up students who are exercising their right to free speech,' the former Democratic president said.

'I am more troubled by the idea that a White House can say to law firms, "If you represent parties that we don't like, we're going to pull all our business or bar you from representing people effectively".

'That kind of behavior is contrary to the basic compact we have as Americans.

'Just because (Trump) acts goofy, doesn't mean his presidency won't be dangerous.

'We do not need four years of a wannabe king, a wannabe dictator running around trying to punish his enemies.

'What I cant understand is why anyone would think that Donald Trump will shake things up in a way that is good for you. Because there is absolutely no evidence that this man thinks about anybody but himself.'
A dog owner was left hopelessly chasing after her hound as it caused a stampede of panic-stricken deer in Richmond Park.

The hilarious moment sees the dog, who was off its leash, causing chaos as it charged at a herd of deer while the owner runs after it in vain.

The owner is seen sprinting after her pet as dozens of deer dart away, many in the direction of nearby oncoming cars.

A witness said the woman ran almost 1km to catch her misbehaving mutt on a beautiful sunny day in south west London.

The video, posted on Instagram by photographer Chris Gorman, is captioned 'all calm in Richmond Park until an off leash dog chases the entire herd towards traffic'.

It adds: 'The off leash dog causes chaos in Richmond Park. Park guidance is always keep dogs leashed when around deer.'

Jo Scrivener, Assistant Park Manager, Richmond Park said: 'We are aware of a video circulating on social media showing a dog chasing deer in Richmond Park, causing the herd to flee in panic and come dangerously close to oncoming traffic.

'Dog chasing causes extreme stress to the deer and poses significant danger to park visitors, road users, and pets. Frightened deer can run onto roads, which could lead to serious accidents.'

A dog owner was left hopelessly chasing after her hound as it caused a stampede of panic-stricken deer in Richmond Park

A witness said the woman ran almost 1km to catch her misbehaving mutt on a beautiful sunny day in south west London

The hysterical scenes have drawn comparisons to an iconic viral video which saw another owner running after his black labrador Fenton

Richmond, the largest of London's eight Royal Parks, is home to over 630 red and fallow deer

The scenes have drawn comparisons to an iconic viral video which saw another owner running after his black labrador Fenton as it chased after deer at the same park.

The 46-second clip saw owner Max Findlay become an internet sensation as his desperate pleas were completely ignored by his dog.

'Oh Jesus Christ,' he can be heard barking after repeatedly and increasingly loudly shouting 'Fenton'

Mr Findlay's furious attempts to stop Fenton failed as the frightened animals stampede across a road, forcing cars to stop and leaving the exasperated owner swearing in despair.

The owner later said 'I just want to move on' after the footage, recorded by a 13-year-old boy, went viral on YouTube.

At the time, friends of Mr Findlay said he was even considering renaming his dog.

Richmond, the largest of London's eight Royal Parks, is home to over 630 red and fallow deer.

The animals have been freely roaming the park since 1637.

The park's deer safety advice states they can feel threatened by dogs 'even when the dog is at a distance and is not behaving in a provocative manner.

'From May until the end of July it is compulsory to keep dogs on a lead in all areas of the park because of the deer birthing season,' it adds.

They ask for dog walkers to stick to the perimeter of the park and to avoid areas of long grass and bracken plants where newly born deer may by concealed.
A journalist who appeared on the BBC's Arabic Channel has reportedly described Jews as 'devils'.

Ahmed Alagha has appeared on the broadcaster reporting on the Israeli conflict several times since January last year.

He appeared last Sunday reporting from close to the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis just after Israeli forces killed a senior Hamas leader, Ismail Barhoum, in an air strike.

The bombing was caught on camera and Mr Alagha's report appeared on BBC News.

However, the Telegraph has now reported that Mr Alagha, Palestinian journalist, appears to have described Israelis as worse than 'beasts' on his social media accounts.

Sharing the footage of a Gaza tower block being bombed by Israeli forces after Hamas' attacks on October 7, 2023, Mr Alagha posted on X: 'This is not a Hollywood film; this is what was done to these towers in Gaza City at the hands of the Israeli occupation, and it's happening to us in Gaza.

'It [the Israeli occupation] is the embodiment of filth, the unrivalled swamp of wickedness. As for the Jews, they are the devils of the hypocrites.'

Ahmed Alagha has appeared on the broadcaster reporting on the Israeli conflict several times since January last year

He appeared last Sunday reporting from close to the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis just after Israeli forces killed a senior Hamas leader, Ismail Barhoum, in an air strike

The day after he also posted: 'And as we know, the 'Israelis' are not human beings to begin with, rather they are not even beasts. Perhaps they belong to a race for which no description can capture the extent of their lust and sadism.

'That's just one snapshot. What if we were to compile all their crimes across that entire dark/black history, from the moment of occupation up until now? It is the entity of filth, and the unrivalled swamp of wickedness.'

The day after the October 7 attacks in which 1,320 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, Mr Alagha had written on X, in apparent reference to Hamas's victims: 'Rip your sympathy out, no matter what ugly condition you see them in. They are the corrupt side of this story, my friend. No spilled blood of theirs is honorable.'

He also responded to a shooting hear a Jerusalem synagogue which killed seven civilians on Holocaust Memorial Day in January 2023.

He shared a photo of the attack with the message: 'This martyr stole my heart, he alone killed eight Zionists.'

In March last year he also said: 'We often hear the phrase: 'Palestine is Arab from the sea to the river'. But do we know what it means? In short, Palestine is entirely Arab, east and west.'

After the Telegraph approached Mr Alagha, some of his posts seem to have been deleted.

Sources have told the newspaper the journalist is not a member of staff at the broadcaster.

Last month the leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch called for a 'wholesale reform' of BBC Arabic after a report by Camera UK accused the corporation of 'appalling anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias'.

A BBC spokesperson said: 'International journalists including the BBC are not allowed access into Gaza so we hear from a range of contributors in the region.

'Ahmed Alagha was a contributor, he is not a BBC member of staff or part of the BBCs reporting team.

'In this instance, we were unaware of the contributors social media activity prior to hearing from him.

'His views were not expressed on a BBC platform, his posts do not reflect the BBCs view and we are absolutely clear that there is no place for antisemitism on our services.'
Two drug mules caught attempting to smuggle over 35kg of cannabis into the UK have warned that traffickers are targeting women whose glamorous social media profiles conceal how their globe-trotting lifestyle is beyond their means.

In their first account of what happened, Levi-April Whalley, now 31, and Sophie Bannister, 30, admitted making a stupid decision - but blamed their downfall on being groomed by international criminals.

And after walking free from court with suspended sentences they told the Daily Mail that while it might appear they escaped scot-free, their lives had been ruined.

Shamed ex-nurse Whalley  who now faces being struck off - and her boarding school educated friend continue to insist they thought the cases contained watches.

But they admit that they felt panicky about what might really be inside as they flew home  saying they were in far too deep to turn around.

The pair were arrested on arrival at Birmingham International Airport following a three-day pre-Christmas shopping trip to New York in 2023 when the incriminating packages were found in their luggage.

The true friends sobbed and held hands in the dock this week as a judge imposed suspended prison sentences after being told neither of them had been in trouble since then.

The pair  both originally from Blackburn, Lancashire - have nearly 60,000 followers on Instagram, and until their arrest regularly posted about enjoying beach holidays around the world.

Sophie Bannister (pictured) and Levi-April Whalley, both 30 from Blackburn, told border officials they had been on a three-day shopping spree in the Big Apple

Text messages between Bannister (pictured) and Whalley later revealed that the pair had become involved in a lucrative plot to import cannabis into the UK

The drugs in Bannister's suitcase had an estimated street value of 40,500 and Whalley's were estimated at 121,500

A woman whom Bannister had met in Marbella contacted her over Instagram offering them 2,000 each to bring what they thought were watches and jewellery back from New York, they allege.

Whalley told the Mail the offer was you can go on holiday for free and go shopping, and then at the end of it you brought some suitcases back, but you didn't have to think about it until the day that you actually came back.

Its something Ive always wanted, to go to New York, since I was a little girl. I thought Oh, lets do it, but not thinking about the actual consequences.

As a result, they very stupidly agreed.

Whalley  who has since had a baby - said they were told to go and enjoy your holiday and that at the end of it they would have to bring the watches back with them.

However after being handed her case and checking onto their flight to Birmingham via Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport on December 9, 2023, Bannister said they felt a bit anxious.

I wasnt 100 per cent what was in it to be honest, she said.

I just started to get a bit panicky.

The pair  both originally from Blackburn, Lancashire - have nearly 60,000 followers on Instagram , and until their arrest regularly posted about enjoying beach holidays around the world. Pictured: Sophie Bannister

Since their arrest, neither has committed any other offences and Whalley (pictured) has become a mother to a young baby, the court heard

Officers found 34 sealed packages of cannabis in Bannister's case and a further 39 packages in Whalley's luggage

Whalley said it was only at the end of the break that reality hit  but claimed they felt they had no choice but to smuggle the cases due to being threatened.

We had an absolutely amazing time in New York.

Then on the last day when we had to get these cases back it was like, S***, what are we actually doing?

But we felt like we were already in far too deep to turn around at that point.

They were stopped by Customs officers after picking up the locked cases  for which they didnt have keys - from the carousel at Birmingham airport.

He asked us if wed packed our cases ourselves, said Bannister.

Levi said Yes at first, but when he asked us to open it we said No.

And then when he opened it, we found what was inside.

Bannister is pictured at a hotel in Ibiza, Spain in August 2023

Whally, a former nurse, is pictured on a boat in Thailand in 2023

Whalley is pictured on a trip to New York City in 2023 before she was caught with the drugs

Bannister's case was packed with 34 heat sealed packages containing 16.5kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of 40,500, Preston Crown Court heard this week.

A further 39 packages containing 19kg of cannabis were in Whalley's case worth an estimated 121,500.

Continuing to insist she had no idea of the contents, Bannister told the Mail she was absolutely heartbroken and gobsmacked.

We thought thats it, our lives are over.The friends spent more than 24 hours in police custody  during which time Bannister said she was hospitalised due to a severe panic attack  before being released on bail.

Both insist they were groomed as a result of their social media profiles  and argue they were vulnerable to exploitation due to coming out of difficult relationships and  in Bannisters case - debt.

Whalley told the Mail that at the time she had wanted to escape myself.

I thought Yeah, why not, not really thinking much about the consequences.

Whalley believes traffickers target women like her on social media leading a certain lifestyle, sucking them in with the offer of a free holiday.

They approach the type of vulnerable people because even though they might have so many followers on Instagram they're not as confident as they may seem.

Theyve obviously seen that we were travelling a lot.

She insists that her reaction to the offer today as a mother-of-one would have been absolutely not.

So it just it proves that that we had some vulnerability, that we took that risk and opportunity.

Whalley lost her job as an adult nurse after informing her employer of her arrest.

She now faces being struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council  she is currently under an interim suspension.

Whalley is now juggling running a beauty business with being a single mother.

Whalley (pictured) believes traffickers target women like her on social media leading a certain lifestyle, sucking them in with the offer of a free holiday

Bannister  who attended 15,000-a-year Kirkham Grammar School  used to run a clothing brand in Dubai but is now living with friends in Manchester following her arrest.

It's caused a lot of upset and hurt, she said.

My family all fell out with me. Its not been easy.

The pair have been bombarded with harsh messages about their crimes since their sentencing this week.

Were being treated as if weve murdered someone, said Whalley, whose mother died last week.

Its disgusting, Ive got a baby here and Im being trolled.

What I really dont like is people saying Ive had a baby to avoid me going to jail. That simply wasn't the case.

I'm ashamed for my family, Ive got to live with that for the rest of my life.

But the things that people are saying, that doesnt go away either. We've made a mistake and were really sorry for that.

And you're paying for it, not just in the terms of the suspended sentence.

Everything is different now and I do I look back and I think I wish I didn't do that.

At the end of the day we chose that path and we've got to pay the price.

Weve both said were ashamed, Bannister added.

'I wish we'd made better decisions, to be honest.

Bannister is pictured posing with a Starbucks cup in the iconic Times Square in New York

Bannister (pictured)  who attended 15,000-a-year Kirkham Grammar School  used to run a clothing brand in Dubai but is now living with friends in Manchester following her arrest.

And while their Instagram feeds continue to be packed with images of partying and nights out, both insist that doesnt mean they have no regrets.

Just because youre smiling on a picture it can hold a lot of pain, said Whalley.

A smile can hide 1,000 tears.

Just because we've posted on Instagram ever since doesnt mean were ok, we're still trying to rebuild our lives.

The suspended sentences imposed on both friends by the judge have sparked outrage  the maximum penalty for cannabis importation to the UK is 14 years in prison.

Both women said they attended court with bags packed in preparation for potentially being jailed.

We were mentally already prepared for the worst, said Whalley.

I had childcare for my daughter, things in place - I haven't gone in there thinking Im going to get off with this.

Whalley said her life had been ruined by their mistake.

I had an amazing career in the NHS and Im paying ultimately the price for that. So that's the biggest cost.

I dont think we should get away with it scot-free at all and I understand it looks like we sort of have.

But we've lived with this for 15 months.

Ive had to turn my life around since. Its not been easy. I've trained all my life to be a nurse.

Just because we've not got prison, it doesnt mean its not scarred us.

Both women pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a class B drug.

On Wednesday at Preston Crown Court Judge Richard Archer gave Whalley a 16-month sentence suspended for 18 months, with 10 days rehabilitation and 80 hours of unpaid work.

Bannister was sentenced to 20 months suspended for 18 months with 30 days rehabilitation activities and 200 hours of unpaid work.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned the US's 'weak' response to a deadly Russian ballistic missile strike that killed 19 Ukrainians.

The death toll from Friday's attack in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih included nine children.

A further 61 people were injured while forty remain hospitalised.

Zelensky thanked his allies for their support following the deadly strike, but blasted the response of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.

Ambassador Bridget A. Brink had posted on social media Friday that she was 'horrified' by the strike in Kryvyi Rih.

'This is why the war must end,' the post said.

But Zelensky, who has so far had a strained relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, described the post as 'unpleasantly surprising' for not directly naming Russia as the perpetrator of the attack.

'Such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction. They are afraid to even say the word 'Russian' when speaking about the missile that murdered children,' the Ukrainian leader wrote on Telegram.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned the US's 'weak' response to a deadly Russian ballistic missile strike that killed 19 Ukrainians on Friday

Kryvyi Rih is the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

People react next to a body at the site of a Russian missile strike in a residential area, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, April 4, 2025

He went on to praise countries including Japan, Britain, Switzerland and Germany for their 'principled statements.'

'Yes, the war must end. But in order to end it, we must not be afraid to call a spade a spade,' he said.

Russian forces launched 92 drones into Ukraine overnight, with 51 shot down by air defenses, the Ukrainian air force wrote on social media Saturday.

Kryvyi Rih is the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Pictures and videos posted online showed bodies of the dead and wounded lying on the pavement as grey smoke rose into the sky.

Among the dead was tragic boy, 'Timofiyko', aged three.

Footage showed him being carried out from an area close to a playground that was hit by the Russian rocket as rescuers sought to resuscitate him during the night.

At the time of the explosion, he and his grandmother were returning home from the playground.

His mother Valeria ran outside to her family to witness the hell from Putin's attack.

A further 61 people were injured in Friday's attack

Emergency employees carry the body of a person killed in a residential area by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region

Zelensky blamed the daily strikes on Russia's unwillingness to end the war

There was hope he could be saved - but he died from wounds sustained in the brutal strike.

'Timofiyko was a very energetic child, he was passionate about space and space rockets,' said his distraught mother as she shared pictures of her beloved child.

'He really loved collecting ladybugs and various beetles.'

Also among the dead in Putin's terror strike was mother Vita Holovko, 50, while her son Matviy, eight, is in intensive care.

Ukrainian sources say the Iskander-M missile had a high-explosive fragmentation warhead.

A further 61 people were injured in Friday's attack, ranging from a three-month-old baby to elderly residents.

Forty remain hospitalized, including two children in critical condition and 17 in serious condition.

Other videos show rescuers recovering the bodies of those killed in the attack, while firefighters rush to put out the flames.

'There can never be forgiveness for this,' said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city's defense council. 'Eternal memory to the victims.'

Pictures and videos posted online showed bodies of the dead and wounded lying on the pavement as grey smoke rose into the sky

Rescue workers toiled through the night with flashlights in Kryvyi Rih, moving around wrecked cars, buildings with shattered windows and a gaping crater.

Using their mobile phones for light, some people registered at help centres.

'There were dead children lying there, crying parents, it was horrible,' Yulia, 47, told Reuters as she surveyed the damaged blinds, fixtures and furniture in her apartment.

'The missile struck an area right next to residential buildings  hitting a playground and ordinary streets,' Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.

The strike on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown was one of Moscow's deadliest this year in the conflict, launched with the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Local authorities said the strike damaged about 20 apartment buildings, more than 30 vehicles, an educational building and a restaurant.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Friday that it had carried out a high-precision missile strike with a high explosive warhead on a restaurant where a meeting with unit commanders and Western instructors was taking place.

Russian military claimed that the strike killed 85 military personnel and foreign officers and destroyed 20 vehicles.

The military's claims could not be independently verified. The Ukrainian General Staff rejected the claims.

A view shows a residential area hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih

Ukrainian sources say the Iskander-M missile had a high-explosive fragmentation warhead

The bodies of the dead and wounded could be seen lying on the pavement in unverified videos circulating on Telegram

Emergency personnel work next to a body lying on the ground, at the site of a Russian missile strike in a residential area, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, April 4

People stand inside a house that was damaged by a Russian missile strike in a residential area, in Kryvyi Rih

Russia denies targeting civilians, but thousands have been killed and injured in the invasion

A later drone strike on Kryvyi Rih killed one woman and wounded seven other people.

Zelensky blamed the daily strikes on Russia's unwillingness to end the war: 'Every missile, every drone strike proves Russia wants only war,' he said, urging Ukraine's allies to increase pressure on Moscow and bolster Ukraine's air defenses.

'The United States, Europe, and the rest of the world have enough power to make Russia abandon terror and war,' he said.

Russia denies targeting civilians, but thousands have been killed and injured in the invasion.

The General Staff of Ukraine's military said the attack showed that Russia 'is in no way seeking peace, but rather intends to continue its invasion and war to destroy Ukraine and all Ukrainians.'

On Friday, each side accused the other again of flouting the energy-infrastructure ceasefire.

Russia's Defence Ministry accused Ukraine of attacking Russian energy facilities six times in the past 24 hours.

It comes as U.S. President, who took office in January after pledging he would end the war in 24 hours, has sought to broker an end to the conflict.

Washington said last week it had agreed with Russia and Ukraine two ceasefire accords, including one that would on each other's energy infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the UK and France have been at the forefront of planning for a so-called 'coalition of the willing' made up of nations that could help to keep Ukraine secure in the event of a peace deal with Russia.

Zelensky said he was 'grateful to all the countries' supporting the effort, and said there has been 'tangible progress and initial details regarding how a partner security contingent could be deployed'.

On X, he said: 'It is precisely this kind of joint work - with everyone focused on a strong result - that helps us bring a durable and lasting peace in Ukraine closer.'
Sickening CCTV footage has been released of the moment a 22-year-old bought drinks for his killers just moments before they stabbed him to death.

Lucas Sutton, 22, was killed by Keahn Williams, 21, and Kai Nelson-Palmer, 18, near the Pawson's Arms pub in Selhurst, London, at around 7pm on May 23, 2023.

The murderers were sentenced to life imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court on August 14, 2024, with Williams to serve a minimum of 23 years behind bars while Nelson-Palmer was given a minimum of 16 years.

The chilling footage released today shows Mr Sutton's final moments alive as he leaves the shop on Northbrook Road with the pair before they launched the fatal knife attack.

The 22-year-old, dressed in a blue tracksuit, had met Williams and Nelson-Palmer, who were both wearing dark clothing, that night in a flat on Princess Road, Croydon.

Police say it is unclear whether Mr Sutton was expecting to meet them, but the court heard the killers had set up a group chat in the days prior with a name consisting of a sword emoji, the word 'or', and an explosion emoji, which the prosecution say translated to 'Stab or Shoot.'

As they walked back from the shop, Williams produced a knife and plunged it into Mr Sutton's back, who dropped the drinks and tried to escape as Williams and Nelson-Palmer chased him.

Williams caught up with the 22-year-old as he ran along Mayo Road and stabbed him again before he and Nelson-Palmer fled.

Lucas Sutton was killed by Keahn Williams (left, with his back to camera) and Kai Nelson-Palmer (right) near the Pawson's Arms pub in Selhurst, London, at around 7pm on May 23, 2023

The 22-year-old, dressed in a blue tracksuit, had met Williams and Nelson-Palmer, who were both wearing dark clothing, that night in a flat on Princess Road, Croydon

Chilling footage released today shows Mr Sutton's final moments alive as he leaves the shop on Northbrook Road with the pair before they launched the fatal knife attack

Prosecutor Mark Fenhalls KC earlier told jurors that Mr Sutton burst into the bar area of the Pawsons Arms after the attack to seek help.

He said: 'He had two deep stab wounds in his back. He asked for help from the bar staff. He tried to take off his top, but he collapsed to the ground.'

The emergency services were called and paramedics tried to save Mr Sutton's life, but he was pronounced dead at St George's Hospital at 9.14pm.

Both attackers ran in the direction of the address where they had originally met, with Williams later leaving the scene in a taxi which was also caught on the driver's camera footage.

Detectives' analysis showed Williams wearing a distinctive balaclava as he chased Lucas down the street which was later recovered at an address linked to him.

Both attackers ran in the direction of the address where they had originally met, with Williams later leaving the scene in a taxi which was also caught on the driver's camera footage (above)

Prosecutor Mark Fenhalls KC told jurors Mr Sutton burst into the bar area of the Pawsons Arms where he asked for help after being stabbed before collapsing to the ground

They also established some of the events that had taken place in the weeks leading up to the attack.

Mr Sutton had been looking after a weapon, likely a gun, for a criminal gang and had become nervous in the weeks leading up to his death, the court heard.

Mr Fenhalls added: 'Lucas had foolishly tried to sell the item without their permission.

'He then made himself scarce, but the mistake he made caught up with him and he was attacked by these men as a punishment for what he had done..'

Messages recovered show the gang had repeatedly tried to contact Mr Sutton and had called him 'over a thousand times' when he tried to cut himself off from the group.

Williams (above) was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 23 years after being found guilty of the murder

Nelson-Palmer (above) was also jailed for life, but was given a minimum term of 16 years behind bars

Williams and Nelson-Palmer were arrested in the week following the murder, while Terrone Thomas, 19, was accused of luring Mr Sutton to his death by arranging the meeting with his killers.

Thomas denied any involvement and was cleared by an Old Bailey jury after a retrial on April 3, 2025.

In a joint statement, Mr Sutton's family said: 'The murder of Lucas has left a large hole in our lives which can never be filled. Lucas wasn't perfect, he made mistakes but he was ours. He had a bright future ahead of him, but it has been taken away from him.

'They have not only taken away a nephew but a son, a grandson, a brother, a cousin, a father, a partner, a friend and so much more. We sit at home in the evening almost expecting him to come in with a smile on his face, but he never does.

'He leaves behind his young son who will have to grow up without his best friend and father. It breaks our heart that he will never see his Dad again, we sometimes see him watching his friends playing with their dads, and we just think he will never have that.'

Mr Sutton's family said 'the murder of Lucas (above) has left a large hole in our lives which can never be filled'

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie of the Met Police said: 'The evidence gathered and presented to the jury built up a clear picture of a plot to lure Lucas to an address in Croydon, act as if nothing was wrong, and then violently attack him.

'Lucas and one of the defendants had been friends but in the minds of the group, Lucas had crossed them by attempting to get rid of a firearm he had been holding onto. This perceived betrayal was the motivation for this deadly attack.

'It is clear in the weeks leading up to the murder that Lucas realised he was in danger but he did not suspect it was from those he thought of as his friends.

'This was a pre-meditated, callous act that has left Lucas's family and friends utterly devastated. While those responsible have been held to account for their actions, I know this will do little to ease the unbearable pain Lucas's loved ones continue to endure.'
A British woman who is alleged to have travelled to Syria to join ISIS could win back her UK citizenship after a court has ruled that it would be 'unjust' not to give her more time to plead her case from one of Syria's largest detention camps.

Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd deemed the woman a risk to national security for her allegiance to the Islamic terror state ISIS after she left her home in Tower Hamlets, London, in December 2014.

She is currently being held in the Al Roj camp in Syria, containing 2,500 people, including ISIS bride Shamima Begum.

But the woman - who was a dual British and Pakistani national - has been given an opportunity to fight to reclaim her UK citizenship after a ruling from judges in a Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) court.

The SICA has ruled that the woman was not aware of the decision to strip her UK citizenship until she was in an 'oppressive' detention camp in Syria - by which point the deadline to challenge the decision had passed.

The ruling comes amid fears about the security of both the Al Roj and Al Hol camps following the toppling of the Assad regime in Syria.

Jihadi brides at the Al Hol camp - where the woman and her children were also held - last month told reporters 'soon we'll be free and ISIS will be revived' as Syrian prison camp guards admitted the 40,000 inmates are on verge of freedom and Islamic State could return.

According to the SIAC, the woman's poor health and the 'appalling' camp conditions amounted to 'special circumstances' that meant it was 'unrealistic' to expect her to mount a legal challenge within the 28-day appeal window, according to the SIAC.

A British woman who is alleged to have travelled to Syria to join ISIS could win back her UK citizenship after a court has ruled that it would be 'unjust' not to give her more time to plead her case

She is currently being held in the Al Roj camp in Syria, containing 2,500 people, including ISIS bride Shamima Begum (pictured)

ISIS bride Shamima Begum last year lost her final appeal against the government's decision to rescind her British citizenship

The letter stripping her UK citizenship was sent to the woman's former address in Tower Hamlets in 2017 - but in 2016 counter-terrorism police had notified her family that they believed she had fled abroad with her husband and their three young children.

In early 2019, the family were caught up in a major battle between ISIS terrorists and Syrian Democratic Forces in Baghuz, Syria.

During the fighting, the woman, who has been granted anonymity by the courts, suffered a 'significant' head wound and her eldest child - aged eight - was killed.

The woman and her remaining children were separated from her husband, and taken to the notorious Camp Al Hol, which is now home to around 40,000 primarily ISIS-linked women and their children, including almost 7,000 highly-radicalised foreigners.

The woman was beaten by guards and now walks with crutches, according to court documents.

In August 2020, the family was moved to Camp Al Roj.

The camp is described as an 'unsafe, inhumane, and violent place', where mobile phones and meetings with aid workers are 'severely restricted', according to a British charity worker quoted in the SIAC documents.

Camp Roj is one of several camps that has been holding families of individuals with alleged links to ISIL for the past five years, according to the UN (file photo)

Begum abandoned her family in London ten years ago to join the Islamic State in Syria - a journey that made her the UK's most infamous teenager

They added: 'The camp is lawless, violence between those who are detained is commonplace. Women are also afraid that if they start legal proceedings to return home they may be harmed by other detainees who consider returning home to be treachery.'

The woman - who is referred to as F3 in legal documents - was supported to lodge an appeal by staff from the British legal charity Reprieve, who visited the woman twice across several months.

The lack of communication and support, alongside the 'the physically and mentally exhausting' work of caring for her four children in camp, meant the woman's opportunity to mount a legal fight sooner was 'vanishingly small', according to a SIAC judge.

In the SIAC ruling, Mr Justice Swift said: 'Drawing matters together, we are satisfied that F3's detention in northern Syria, first in Camp Al Hoy and then Camp Al Roj, the conditions of that detention we have described, her ill health, and the need for her to support herself and her children in those conditions, provide special circumstances such that it would be unjust not to extend time for filing appeal until 19 August 2022, the date the appeal was filed.'
An Adelaide local could face more than 15 years behind bars after allegedly pointing a high-powered torch at an overflying aircraft.

Police arrested the 58-year-old man on the front lawn of his Salisbury home at 7.30pm on Friday after a pilot alerted them to his address.

The pilot told police someone had intentionally shone a 'bright light' towards his aircraft, affecting his visibility.

Police claimed to have caught the man red-handed in the act of shining the light towards the plane from the front yard of his Copas Drive address.

A high-powered torch and a Taser were allegedly identified during a subsequent search of his property.

He was charged with prejudice safe operation of an aircraft and possess dangerous article which can attract a maximum combined jail sentence of 15 years and six months. He was granted bail to appear at Elizabeth Magistrates Court on May 16.

According to the Australian Civil Aviation Authority: 'Lasers and high-intensity lights pose a serious risk to pilots that can result in difficulties flying and impaired vision.

'It takes only a fraction of a second to cause flash blindness or ocular damage, even if the aircraft is travelling quite quickly.'

Pictured is the view from the cockpit of the overflying plane, whose pilot told police his vision had been impacted by the beam (in white) from the high-powered torch

Footage showed the bright light clearly visible from the cockpit (stock image)

Police arrested the 58-year-old after allegedly catching him pointing the high-powered torch (right) towards the aircraft from the front-yard of his Salisbury home (left)

The incident is not the first of its kind in South Australia.

In November 2020, Woodcroft man Mark Andrew Golka, 49, was arrested after repeatedly shining a laser 2000 times the legal strength at a police helicopter.

The police helicopter was being used to conduct Covid-19 compliance checks during a short lockdown.

The father-of-two was given a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to an aggravated charge of committing an act likely to cause harm and possessing a prohibited weapon.

In sentencing the man, Chief Judge of the SA District Court Michael Evans said the act could have had 'catastrophic consequences'.

'If the laser beam had gone directly into the pilot's eyes, the immediate safety of the aircraft and its occupants would have been compromised,' the ABC reported.
Hundreds of homeware enthusiasts managed to bag tickets to an exclusive sale stocking Meghan Markle's favourite crockery.

Le Creuset, a luxury homeware brand, has gained a cult following with buyers willing to queue hours outside the stores warehouse in Andover, Hampshire, just to get their hands on a limited-edition mug.

And following the Duchess of Sussex's new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, where she used the brand's lavish items such as a white pan which costs between 180-250, the crowds flocked to Andover today to get some pots and pans.

For this years annual sale organisers made the event ticketed, curbing chaotic queues and only giving a lucky few the opportunity to buy a cast iron casserole dish for less than half price.

Its harder than getting Glastonbury tickets, said Jack Thompson, who was the fifth person to enter the warehouse this morning. Ive spent 1,155 but I think Ive saved 1,500.

In November, the event was a freefall with people queuing around the block, but today shoppers had to arrive within their allocated timeslot.

Isaac Griffiths, 20, and his girlfriend Caitlan Gregory are both Le Creuset enthusiasts and explained that this new system was much better.

Mr Groffiths told MailOnline: We came to the sale at Christmas and I was the first through the door, it was hectic, but now its a lot more relaxed.

Le Creuset, a luxury homeware brand, has gained a cult following with buyers willing to queue hours outside the stores warehouse in Andover, Hampshire, just to get their hands on a limited-edition mug

Following the Duchess of Sussex's new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, where she used the brand's lavish items such as a white pan which costs between 180-250, the crowds flocked to Andover to get some crockery for themselves

Isaac Groffiths (left) and his girlfriend Caitlan Gregory (right) told MailOnline they are both Le Creuset enthusiasts

Were Le Creuset enthusiasts, we managed to get three limited edition fish plates, there were only six available.

Were stocking up as much as we can, were saving it all up for a house.

The brand has become notorious for its array of colourful mugs, stainless steel pans and cast-iron skillets, some of which Meghan displayed across the show where she spent a lot of time in the kitchen.

On a typical day a purchase can set you back well over 400 for a casserole dish and 23 for a mug.

But today's sale boasts up to 60 per cent off, with one casserole dish being reduced from 559 to 229 and mugs being made available for 8.

Molly Bhattacheriee, 24, and Jordan Inskip, 24 travelled two hours just to come to the sale where they spent 800 combined.

Molly Bhattacheriee (left) and Jordan Inskip (right) travelled two hours just to come to the sale where they spent 800 combined

The brand has become notorious for its array of colourful mugs, stainless steel pans and cast-iron skillets

In November, the event was a freefall with people queuing around the block, but today shoppers had to arrive within their allocated timeslot

One customer's trolley was full of Le Creuset items from glassware, mugs and an oven glove

It took two hours, but it was worth it, Ms Bhattacheriee said. We both bought stuff for our first homes, we love the stuff.

Im so accomplished and happy with what I bought.

Ms Inskip added: We bought stuff for other people as well; everyone loves the mugs.

Another pair of friends who set their alarms to spend the morning in Andover were Lucy Robinson, 33, and Charlies Grace, 31.

Ms Robinson said: Lucy collects the pink and I collect the black.

Another pair of friends who set their alarms to spend the morning in Andover were Lucy Robinson (right) and Charlies Grace (left)

Ms Robinson said she was 'lucky' to get the tickets after being on the waiting list

A 13-piece Le Creuset 'Ultimate Cookware Set' would typically cost nearly 1300, but shoppers today rushed to get cut-price deals

Some queued for as long as two hours before getting into the sale which is boasting up to 60 per cent off, with one casserole dish being reduced from 559 to 229 and mugs being made available for 8

People in the packed crowds left with baskets full of cookware, bakeware, pots, pans, skillets and kitchen & bar tools

We were on the waiting list so we were lucky to get the tickets.

I got anything black, I even got the last black mug, Im so glad we came, weve easily saved hundreds.

The premium French cookware brand has been selling pricey pots and pans since 1925 in various colours - but is best known for its classic orange.

Recent launches have included pastel colour collections, casserole dishes embellished with a petal design, a heart-shaped Valentines collection and small bowls in the shape of fruits and pumpkins.

Ticket holders had to queue for around 15 minutes before their allocated timeslots but by the look of their brimming shopping trolleys it was worth it.

The premium French cookware brand has been selling pricey pots and pans since 1925 in various colours - but is best known for its classic orange

Recent launches have included pastel colour collections, casserole dishes embellished with a petal design, a heart-shaped Valentines collection and small bowls in the shape of fruits and pumpkins

Ticket holders had to queue for around 15 minutes before their allocated timeslots but by the look of their brimming shopping trolleys it was worth it

Jack Thompson (left) and Liam Mclean (right) joined the crowds snapping up the reduced price homeware

Jodi Scadan, who came to the sale with her mum and daughter, told MailOnline: This is the second time weve come the deals are really good.

This sale is a lot better than last year.

Her daughter, Amy Scadan, added: I was waiting on my phone for the second tickets got released.

Its on par with getting Glasto tickets.

Between the three of them they spent a combined total of over 800.

The sale took place at the Le Creuset Warehouse in Andover, Walworth Business Park

Jodi Scadan (middle) came to the sale with her mum (left) and daughter (right) and told MailOnline how the three of them spent 800 combined

The sale boasts up to 60 per cent off, with one casserole dish being reduced from 559 to 229 and mugs being made available for 8 (pictured are two staff members at the event)

Tara Purser (left), Ella Fisher (middle left), Harriet Purser (middle right) and Dominic Cook (right) all left with their trolleys packed full of Le Creuset goods

Brogan Petch added: My mum wouldnt say its a deal but weve saved hundreds of pounds.

We got a casserole oven and I got a cast iron skillet.

The kitchenware has become beloved by UK influencers and boast a large following on TikTok.

Gen Z have even given the brand their own twist, with the hashtag #LeCreuSlay often trending on the platform.
An enraged woman violently sucker-punched a Catholic pro-life activist during an interview on the streets of New York City, leaving her face bloodied and in need of stitches.

Savannah Craven Antao, a 23-year-old reporter for Live Action advocacy group, was interviewing a pro-abortion advocate about planned parenthood in Harlem this week when the conversation abruptly escalated into violence.

In a matter of a second, the unidentified woman aggressively swung at Antao, striking her in the face twice before walking off.

'The left and many abortion supporters, they don't like a differing opinion - they don't like their opinion to be challenged,' Antao told Fox News.

'The truth is, abortion is violence, and it creates violence,' she added. 'And this is what abortion does to people. It hurts women, it hurts families and it hurts babies.'

On Thursday afternoon, Antao was filmed conducting a street interview with an unidentified New Yorker when she asked the simple question: 'Do you know what Planned Parenthood does?' according to a Live Action press release.

The organization shared a 15-second clip of the interview, in which the woman appeared to become immediately defensive.

'You don't understand the magnitude of having a child,' the woman stated in the video.

Savannah Craven Antao, a 23-year-old reporter for Live Action advocacy group, was violently sucker-punched by an enraged pro-abortion woman during an interview in the streets of New York City

The Catholic pro-life activist was filming a video interview with a pro-abortion advocate about planned parenthood out on the streets of Harlem when the woman suddenly slugged her directly in the face - once with a closed fist and once with a phone

The violent incident came moments after Antao (middle) asked the unidentified New Yorker a simple question: 'Do you know what Planned Parenthood does?'

At one point, Antao told Catholic News Agency, the woman stated 'f**k the police' and suggested that killing children is better than sending them to foster care.

In the fiery debate, Antao countered with those repeated statements from the woman: 'I'm not the one who admitted they would be okay with killing babies in foster care and killing children that have been abused.'

'That's not the point,' the woman said, raising her voice. 'What I'm saying is...'

Before continuing the rest of her sentence, the woman suddenly slugged Antao directly in the face - once with a closed fist and once with her phone.

'Suck my d**k,' the woman said over her shoulder as she walked out of the frame and across the street, sticking up her middle finger in the process.

'I believe what happened here was we got to the end of the argument, I was repeating back the things that she had stated to me, and maybe she realized it didn't sound too great,' Antao told Fox News after the fact.

'She knew about Planned Parenthood,' Antao told CNA. 'She totally agreed with me that abortion kills a baby. She knew how the procedure worked.'

In photos shared to social media, Antao was seen with blood and tears dripping down her face and neck. Her left eye appeared to have taken the brunt of the damage, clearly swelling from the unexpected attack.

In photos shared to social media, Antao was seen with blood and tears dripping down her face and neck. Her left eye appeared to have taken the brunt of the damage, clearly swelling from the unsuspecting attack

Right before the attack, Antao repeated the woman's statements back to her and said: 'I'm not the one who admitted they would be okay with killing babies in foster care and killing children that have been abused'

'Suck my d**k,' the woman said over her shoulder as she walked out of the video frame and across the street after the attack, sticking up her middle finger in the process

VIDEO OF THE ASSAULT OF PRO LIFE JOURNALIST BY PRO-ABORTION ADVOCATE IN NEW YORK



Savannah Craven was working with Live Action conducting man on the street interviews, asking Do you know what Planned Parenthood does? when she was attacked



She is at hospital now pic.twitter.com/oTOKATXsjp  Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) April 4, 2025

'To other people, I've seen this happen, but it was in a moment where I never thought this was going to happen to me,' Antao told Fox.

'I live here in the city and I'm very used to dealing with out-of-control protestors and abortion supporters, but there was no lead up to this altercation,' she added.

'It was like, we were having a conversation and all of a sudden, she just lets loose on my face.'

A video Antao shared to social media showed her riding in the back of a police car while on the way to the hospital for treatment, uneasily describing her attacker to authorities.

'She's big. She's tall,' she said in the clip.

Henry Antao, her husband and cameraman, also called 911 after the attack and provided officers with photos and descriptions of the suspect.

However, the woman remains at large as she hasn't yet been identified.

The pro-life activist shared an update to X Thursday evening, informing concerned followers that she required two stitches right below her eyebrow and was in the hospital recovering.

Antao was unsuspecting of the attack, explaining that she lives in Manhattan and is used to 'out-of-control protestors and abortion supporters'

The pro-life activist shared an update to X Thursday evening, informing concerned followers that she required two stitches right below her eyebrow and was in the hospital recovering

'The left and many abortion supporters, they don't like a differing opinion - they don't like their opinion to be challenged,' Antao told Fox

Her husband released a statement to Live Action, expressing hope that justice would be served soon.

'The woman became aggressive and violent upon learning Savannah's pro-life stance,' he said.

'We are pro life activists because ending abortion and protecting babies from the violence that Planned Parenthood commits is the most important issue of our lifetime.'

Lila Rose, Live Action's founder and president, also issued a statement to the organization's website.

'We are deeply grateful for the work Savannah has done to protect preborn children and help end abortion in our nation,' she said. 'Her bravery in the face of violence is heroic.'

'We are grateful she is safe and receiving support. No one should ever face physical assault for expressing their views in public,' she added.

'We will not be intimidated. Live Action will continue our goal to defund Planned Parenthood - which kills over 1,000 children every day while receiving more than $700 million in taxpayer funding.

'We remain committed to our mission to completely abolish abortion and ensure every child is protected under the law.'

The violent incident comes just two months after an activist holding a trans flag was caught on film charging at a group of anti-abortion protestors on a march in Richmond, Virginia.

In February, the Students for Life group was joining the annual anti-abortion demonstration, March for Life.

A video Antao shared to social media showed her riding in the back of a police car while on the way to the hospital for treatment, uneasily describing her attacker to authorities as 'big' and 'tall'

Antao's husband and cameraman, Henry, released a statement to Live Action, expressing hope that justice would be served soon, though the attacker remains at large

Live Action's founder and president released a statement after the attack, which said: 'We will not be intimidated. Live Action will continue our goal to defund Planned Parenthood - which kills over 1,000 children every day while receiving more than $700 million in taxpayer funding'

A video of the incident, captured by Students for Life Action Government Affairs Coordinator Savanna Deretich, showed the activist running at the group, pushing their banners aside.

The activist appeared to knock the glasses off of one of the protestors head with their flag, causing others to stumble and back away.

In a later clip, they can be seen being led away by police officers.

Sharing the video online, Deretich said: 'Apparently this activist is infamous and has appeared at events like this before.

'He came rushing forward, chanting something, and I knew he was going to attack so I pulled out my phone to record it.

'He sprinted up to our people, knocked the glasses off peoples heads, dashed through our march sign, and kept running.

'I saw he was arrested by police sometime later.'
Joe Biden gave Kamala Harris a chilling warning on the day of her debate with Donald Trump after she took over the Democratic nomination, according to an upcoming book.

The president publicly supported Harris' bid for the White House and backed her campaign platform, but behind the scenes he was more concerned over how she was framing his presidency.

The moment was recounted in upcoming book FIGHT: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, which details how Biden attempted to keep Harris on a leash.

'He would say publicly that Harris should do what she must to win. But privately, including in conversations with her, he repeated an admonition: let there be no daylight between us,' the authors wrote.

After he was forced out of the race following his disastrous debate performance against Trump and questions over his age, Biden reportedly 'expected Harris to protect his legacy.'

On the day that Harris was set to face Trump on the debate stage, 'Biden called to give Harris an unusual kind of pep talk  and another reminder about the loyalty he demanded,' the authors wrote.

Biden reportedly gave Harris a three-word warning: 'No daylight, kid.'

Joe Biden reportedly told Kamala Harris there should be 'no daylight' between them during her doomed presidential run as he was more concerned with his legacy than winning, according to a new book

Biden is said to have called Harris ahead of her debate with Donald Trump in September and given her a three-word pep-talk: 'No daylight, kid'

The book continued that Biden was focused not on 'whether she won or lost the election' but on how he would be remembered.

'He thought, she would only harm him by publicly distancing herself from him  especially during a debate that would be watched by millions of Americans.

'To the extent that she wanted to forge her own path, Biden had no interest in giving her room to do so.'

The book is one of several inside looks at the end of the Biden presidency that are set to come out over the summer, with another by journalist Chris Whipple, Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History, claiming Biden was so 'out of it' he needed fluorescent tape to guide him around.

In Fight, the authors claim Biden was seen by many as an albatross around Harris' neck that wore her candidacy down during the election.

During the bruising election campaign, Biden's staffers remained with the Harris campaign, making it even more difficult to publicly refute the president.

Sean Clegg, a Harris advisor not trusted by the Biden staffers, was helping her prepare for a joint appearance with Tim Walz when she started listing things that she and Biden accomplished when he stopped her.

'Wait, wait, wait! Lets not do this. Lets not go down memory lane,' Clegg said, according to an excerpt published by The Hill.

Clegg was reportedly disinvited from future media prep sessions by longtime Dem communications staffer Stephanie Cutter.

Biden was forced out of the race following his disastrous debate against Donald Trump in June and questions over his age, but upcoming books claim he was still undermining Harris' candidacy over concerns for his legacy

Insiders have claimed Biden was an albatross around Harris' neck during the election

Previously, Biden was blamed by senior Harris advisor David Plouffe for refusing to drop out earlier in the race after his June debate disaster.

Plouffe claimed no Democratic candidate could have won without a proper primary process  what he called 'the cardinal sin' of this race.

And he said he was shocked by the internal polling numbers when he finally joined the team after Joe Biden dropped out with less than four months to go, a situation he described as 'catastrophic.'

'When I got in, it was the first time I saw the actual numbers under the hood. They were pretty gruesome,' he told The Atlantic.

'The Sun Belt was worse than the Blue Wall, but the Blue Wall was bad. And, demographically, young voters across the boardHispanic voters, Black voters, Asian voterswere in really terrible shape.

'When the switch happened, some of that stuff got a little bit better, but nowhere near where we ended up or where we needed to be. This was a rescue mission.

'It was catastrophic in terms of where it was.'
Police are searching for a man accused of damaging a four-wheel-drive in the carpark of a Melbourne pub by stomping on the hood and 'body-slamming' it.

The man is alleged to have approached the vehicle in Cranbourne, south-west of Melbourne's CBD, at about 10.30pm on Friday.

The man climbed on the hood of the four-wheel-drive before he jumped repeatedly on the bonnet, CCTV footage obtained by 7News showed.

He then stomped on its windscreen before he jumped onto his backside and landed with a thud on the vehicle's before he then walked off.

The carpark is located on Cranbourne-Frankston Road, a major arterial route connecting Melbourne's southeastern suburbs.

The extent of the damage to the car was not clear.

The man was wearing a hood and beige-coloured shorts.

The unidentified man climbed onto the bonnet of an SUV in the carpark of a Cranbourne hotel

The hooded man 'body-slammed' the vehicle's hood after stomping on its windshield

Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia no arrests have yet been made and the investigation is still underway.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
A young cowboy met a horrific end when a bull stepped on his neck, tragically killing him, during a rodeo competition in Texas.

Dylan Grant, 24, was a fearless real-life cowboy and participated in professional bull riding events around the country before his untimely death.

On Thursday night, he was competing in an Xtreme Bulls event at the Wharton County Fair in Wharton, about an hour South of Houston, when he was bucked off by a bull named Commander.

He sustained a serious injury when the bull trampled him, but medics rushed to stabilize him and he was transported by a helicopter to a hospital.

Despite efforts to save his life, the young cowboy died at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston, the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association confirmed.

'The PRCA would like to send its thoughts and prayers to bull rider Dylan Grant's family, friends and the entire rodeo/bull riding community,' the association wrote.

Grant's father, Wade, told ABC News that his son's neck was stepped on after the bull bucked him off, but he still was able to stand up and run out of the arena for help.

'He ran out of the arena and straight to the ambulance with these injuries. Dylan was double tough,' Wade tearfully recalled.

Dylan Grant, 24, tragically died after a bull stepped on his neck while he was competing in a bull riding competition at the Wharton County Fair in Wharton, Texas

Medics rushed to attend to Grant and he was airlifted to a hospital in Houston, but died due to the injuries he sustained

Grant joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association in 2024 and competed at the collegiate level at the University of Wyoming's team

The event's announcer, Robert Blue Jeanes, told Cowboy State Daily, that Grant was the last rider of the night and about 2,500 people witnessed the traumatizing moment a bull trampled the young cowboy.

Jeanes told the outlet that it looked like Grant's hand got stuck in the rope and he fell underneath the bull.

He added that it can be difficult for medics to immediately attend to bull riders after they're injured since the bull is still in the arena.

However, since Grant was able to get up and was rushed to a hospital, Jeanes said he had hoped the young cowboy could survive.

'We're just upset,' Jeanes told the publication. 'Sad and heart-broke for the kid and the family. For everybody that was there, it was just terrible.'

Grant was a member of the PRCA since 2024 and earned over $3,760 this season and over $15,000 since he started competing, according to his rodeo profile.

He placed 15th in the Dixie National Rodeo in Jackson, Mississippi, in February, walking away with $367.

In January, he won $932 for placing 5th in the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver, Colorado, riding a bull named Smokin Joe.

Grant's father described him as 'double tough' and said the cowboy managed to get up after a bull stomped on his neck

Grant was from Laramie, Wyoming, and graduated from the University of Wyoming, where he competed on the school's rodeo team.

He won the title at the Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo in 2021 while competing at the collegiate level.

'We are deeply saddened at the news of his death and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends,' the university said in a statement.

'He was a true Wyoming Cowboy.'

Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis also paid tribute to Grant, writing on X, 'My heart goes out to the friends and family of Dylan Grant. This is a heartbreaking loss for Wyoming and the entire rodeo community. My prayers are with you all during this difficult time.'

Jeanes wrote in a post on Facebook, 'He [Grant] went out with his boots on, and I hope I'm that lucky. My heart is broken today, I think everyone who was there feels the same.

'The paramedics got to him within 20 seconds after he was stepped on. They did all they could. Every time we step in the arena we know it can happen, but we never think it will. God bless Dylan Grant and his family.'

Sean Gleason, the CEO of PRCA, shared a photo of cowboys kneeling in remembrance of Grant in a tribute post

Family friend, Cyd Davidson, told the Cowboy State Daily, 'He was an absolute, awesome guy. He was so kind and so compassionate, and he was just a family-oriented kid.'

Sean Gleason, the CEO of PRCA, paid tribute to Grant on Instagram with a photo of cowboys kneeling in remembrance of the young cowboy.

'Dylan was blessed as an athlete  a state champion from Jackson Hole High School and a proud University of Wyoming alumnus  but more than that, he was known for his kindness, compassion and big heart,' he captioned the photo.

'His spirit touched everyone who knew him.'

'Incredibly tragic but he died what he loved doing and not many of us can say that. Rest in peace cowboy!' one comment on Gleason's post read.

'What an honor it is to die do something you love rest in peace,' another agreed.
Britain's FBI is fighting against Chinese and Vietnamese encrypted apps which are fuelling an explosion in migrants crossing the Channel in small boats.

The National Crime Agency has warned smugglers cannot be entirely stopped from using social media to advertise journeys across the Channel.

National Crime Agency boss Paul Brisley suggested social media firms such as Tiktok and Facebook still have more work to do to rid their platforms of video adverts which promote crossings across the Channel to Britain.

And he warned apps from China and Vietnam were being used by migrants and smugglers in the far east 6,000 miles away from Calais.

They were causing law enforcement chiefs a headache as they were harder to engage with.

One app in particular called Zalo where smugglers can promote their services and arrange calls and send photos of relevant information.

The app is being used to promote boat crossings where Vietnamese people see and message smugglers in Europe and arrange the crossings

Mr Brisley said: 'There's some huge challenges because some platforms like Zalo, is Vietnamese and there's some Chinese ones as well.

Some 6,642 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year in 119 boats, including more than 4,000 this month alone

The National Crime Agency has warned smugglers cannot be entirely stopped from using social media to advertise journeys across the Channel. Pictured: A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent

National Crime Agency boss Paul Brisley (pictured) suggested social media firms such as Tiktok and Facebook still have more work to do to rid their platforms of video adverts which promote crossings across the Channel to Britain

'That makes engagement a lot harder. They're not based in Britain and we don't have that relationship like we do the more established ones.

'There's been an influx of Vietnamese migrants coming on small boats in recent months.

'What the smugglers can do over there is fast-moving. It shows this is a truly geographical crime by scale. It's the 2025 or modern challenge we face.

'It's a platform used over there, they operate differently. They have different vulnerabilities and the smugglers expose that.

'This is an evolving world we live in. Criminals are adapting their tactics to avoid being detected and different apps is a part of that.'

This is despite being several years into a major agreement between the authorities and the social media firms.

Mr Brisley said he does not know the full scale of the social media content out there and said new videos and adverts were appearing much quicker than the NCA and companies were able to take them down.

Organised crime gangs are preparing multiple dormant accounts which are activated as soon as others are removed.

One app in particular called Zalo allows smugglers to promote their services and arrange calls and send photos of relevant information

Your browser does not support iframes.

He said it all points to the traffickers being one step ahead of law enforcement agencies.

When asked if social media could ever be rid of migrant crossing adverts, he said: 'There's an obligation now on the platforms to put measures in place to prevent and remove this content. It's only just coming in now, so we'll have to wait and see how that works. in practice.

But we've also got to bear in mind that as I mentioned earlier, the criminals will adapt.'

By June 2024, 12,000 adverts promoting crossings had been taken down.

A relationship is in place between X, Facebook, Tiktok and Youtube to crackdown on content which promotes the crossings.

He said: 'We can help them to develop their detection capabilities and also help them moderators understand what they're looking at.

'That's the four sort of main platforms. We have engaged with some of the other ones as well, and that's partly to have a conversation around making sure they're aware of what the threat looks like, even if they're not necessarily seeing much or even any content on their platforms. because, you know, there's always a consideration that popularity in platforms might change or we manage to have some kind of significant disruption effect.'

'We haven't reached out to every single company because there's lots of them. We do look around to see if there is content springing up.

Illegal immigrants crossing the Channel are up 30 per cent since last year's election, according to Shadow home secretary Chris Philip

'It's challenging, we don't know the truth of what's actually out there, but it's probably considerably more than the figures that we have for what we find because you know, we have so much resource that's available to do what we do.'

He said the vast majority of migrants arriving to Britain have used social media at some point in their journeys.

He said rival smuggling gangs were now also creating a war of words among each other.

He said: 'We're also seeing some of the groups now making comments against the competitors.

'They say things like don't trust cheaper smugglers, they'll rip you off. They will tell them not to trust it. They'll say they charge a bit more but you get better service.'
President Donald Trump's Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller invited backlash with his callous response to the accidental deportation of a father wrongfully suspected of being MS-13 gang member.

Miller took to social media after US District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the White House to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the US, after he was rounded up last month by ICE and sent to a hellhole gang prison in El Salvador.

Following Xinis's order to bring Garcia home, Miller responded to an X account named 'End Wokeness', saying: 'Marxist judge now thinks she's president of El Salvador.'

Miller's remark was criticized as it came after the Trump administration admitted Garcia was illegally deported by mistake, with his detention coming after he was denied any due process.

Garcia is married to a US citizen with whom he shares a five-year-old child, and is suing the Trump administration over his removal from the US after the White House admitted it was due to 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,' the White House said.

But while the Trump administration publicly admits the mistake, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also mocked Garcia's predicament.

She said in a statement after Xinis' order: 'We are unaware of the judge having jurisdiction or authority over the country of El Salvador.'

President Trump's deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller invited backlash with his callous response to the accidental deportation of a father wrongfully suspected of being MS-13 gang member

Kilmar Abrego Garcia (pictured) was deported last month and sent to a hellhole gang prison in El Salvador in what the White House admitted was due to an 'administrative error'

Following Xinis's order to bring Garcia home, Miller responded to an X account named 'End Wokeness', saying: 'Marxist judge now thinks she's president of El Salvador'

Garcia was one of almost 300 foreign nationals who were rounded up in the US and deported to El Salvador, before being locked up in the nation's notorious CECOT prison.

Although the men sent to the prison were suspected of being linked to cartels and organized crime, none appear to have been given due process, leading to errors such as Garcia's imprisonment.

Garcia was arrested in Baltimore as he left his job as a sheet metal worker, and was detained while on his way to pick up his five-year-old son.

In her order, Xinis described his detention as an 'illegal act', and wrote: 'The record reflects that Abrego Garcia was apprehended in Maryland without legal basis and without further process or legal justification was removed to El Salvador.'

The mocking attitude toward Xinis's order and Garcia's detention extended all the way up to El Salvador's president Nayib Buekele.

Buekele responded to an account named 'End Wokeness' announcing Xinis' order with a gif of an animated rabbit looking confused.

The mocking attitude toward Xinis's order and Garcia's detention extended all the way up to El Salvador's president Nayib Buekele, who responded to an X post announcing Xinis' order with a gif of an animated rabbit looking confused

Garcia's wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura, an American citizen, seen speaking at a news conference where she pleaded for her husband's return

Sura identified this image of a man seen in El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison this week as her husband

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.

It appears that Bukele is also not interested in taking the judge's order seriously.

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.

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.

Garcia is a native of El Salvador, and his attorney has denied he belongs to MS-13, TdA or any other criminal group

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.

Several judges have also ruled that the flights to Venezuela violated the deportees rights, even if they are Venezuelan TdA members-- neither of which Abrego-Garcia is.
Two Royal Military Police officers responsible for investigating sex crimes in the Army have been charged with sexually assaulting colleagues.

Captain James Key and Lt Liam Hulkes will both face court martials in Catterick later this year for separate sex-related offences.

Capt Key of 3 Regiment Royal Military Police (RMP) and Lt Hulkes of 1 Regiment RMP, have been charged under Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act - which relates to inappropriate sexual touching.

If found guilty they face sentences of up to 10-years in jail.

The alleged offences took place on military bases but it is unclear whether the victims are male or female.

Capt Key and Lt Hulkes are part of a group of six junior military officers currently facing trial by court martial for a series of sex offences, the Mail on Sunday can reveal.

All of the officers will be tried in military courts later this year and face being jailed up to 10 years for a variety of crimes, including child pornography.

The others facing military trials for sex-related offences include three RAF officers and a Royal Navy officer.

Captain James Key (pictured) and Lt Liam Hulkes will both face court martials in Catterick later this year for separate sex-related offences

Capt Key graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2019 and joined the RMP's 174 Provost Company, as a 2nd Lieutenant. Pictured: A stock image of Sandhurst

RAF officer Flight Lieutenants Bird and Gwynn have also been charged with sexual assault.

A third RAF officer, Flt Lt Ibrahim, has been charged with disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind during an RAF exercise in Sweden.

Lieutenant SJ Wyatt, currently serving at HMS Nelson, a Royal Navy training base in Portsmouth, has been charged with making an indecent photograph of a child and possession of an extreme pornographic image.

Capt Key graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2019 and joined the RMP's 174 Provost Company, as a 2nd Lieutenant.

A picture of 2nd Lieutenant Key and other RMP Sandhurst graduates was posted on the unit's Facebook page in 2019 with a welcome from senior officers.

After being promoted to Captain, Key joined the RMPs 3rd Regiment based in Bulford Wiltshire, home to one of the Army's largest garrisons.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the Royal Military Police - known as Red Caps in the Army - are responsible for investigating 'complex operations and serious crimes'.

The role of an RMP officer, according to the Army, is to 'conduct complex investigations, using your outstanding training. Specialist courses in Serious Crime Investigations and Close Protection expand your knowledge, along with civilian qualifications.'

It is unusual for RMP personnel to be charged with any serious offences, especially sex crimes.

MoD figures from 2023, the latest available, show that there were 283 investigations into sexual assault, including 62 rape allegations.

Last July, Major General James Roddis, one of the most senior army officers to be court-martialled in the last 200 years, admitted to playing with a woman's hair and kissing her without consent.

He was originally charged with sexual assault, but pleaded guilty to disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind at military court.

The Army's chain of command has recently faced intense criticism over the death of Royal Artillery Gunner Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley, Beck.

The 19-year-old was found hanged in her barracks at Larkhill Camp, Wiltshire, in December 2021.

After a nine-day inquest, Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg, said Gnr Beck had taken her own life following harassment by Bombardier Ryan Mason and sexual assault by Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber.

He condemned the Army for 'systemic failure' in its handling of a complaint by Gnr Beck

In the wake of Gnr Beck's death, the army has revealed it will reform the way bullying and sexual harassment complaints are investigated

An MOD spokesperson said: 'It would be inappropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.'
The Trump Administration accidentally sent a cringeworthy email telling up to 240,000 Ukrainians legally living in the US to immediately leave the country in 'error.'

Many Ukrainians legally in the US under a Biden-era humanitarian program received an email this week telling them their status had been revoked and they had seven days to leave the country or the 'federal government will find you.'

'If you do not depart the United States immediately you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal from the United States,' the Thursday email read.

'Again, DHS is terminating your parole. Do not attempt to remain in the United States.'

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said on Friday the email had been sent in error and that the Ukrainian parole program created after the 2022 Russian invasion of that country had not been terminated.

It was not clear how many Ukrainians received the email, but around 240,000 immigrated to the US since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Many of the immigrants who had received it had renewed their parole under the Uniting for Ukraine program. Trump paused the program, pending a review, in January.

The Department of Homeland Security sent a follow-up note on Friday, informing them that the order was in error and that 'the terms of your parole as originally issued remain unchanged at this time.'

The Trump Administration accidentally sent a cringeworthy email telling up to 240,000 Ukrainians legally living in the US to immediately leave the country in 'error'

Many Ukrainians legally in the US under a Biden-era humanitarian program received an email this week telling them their status had been revoked and they had seven days to leave the country or the 'federal government will find you' (pictured: Ukrainian refugees in Mexico waiting to legally enter the US in 2022)

It was reported last month that the Trump administration was planning to revoke temporary legal status for some 240,000 Ukrainians who fled the conflict with Russia.

Such a move, which was later called 'fake news' by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, would be a reversal of the welcome Ukrainians received under President Joe Biden's Administration.

One Ukrainian parolee, who asked that her name not be used for fear of retribution from the US government, told Reuters she 'couldn't breathe normally and was uncontrollably crying' upon receiving Thursday's email.

The woman said she had renewed her immigration status last August and had been told that it was valid for another two years, and she racked her brain trying to figure out what she had done wrong to be booted from the US.

She could think of no reason, telling the outlet: 'I don't have as much as a parking ticket, don't post on social media.'

Angela Boelens, president of IA NICE, a non-profit in Iowa that has sponsored dozens of Ukrainians, said she knows of at least two women who received the letter, one of whom is pregnant.

'It's a very scary email. All of my families are in complete panic,' Boelens told Reuters. 'I'd been telling people they would have time after a revocation notice. But this letter is very different.'

For Danyil, whose last name was withheld for security purposes, he cannot renew his parole due to the pause.

The Department of Homeland Security sent a follow-up note on Friday, informing them that the order was in error and that 'the terms of your parole as originally issued remain unchanged at this time'

It was not clear how many Ukrainians received the email. Many of the immigrants who had received it had renewed their parole under the Uniting for Ukraine program. Trump paused the program, pending a review, in January (pictured: Ukrainian refugees in Mexico waiting to legally enter the US in 2022)

'I dont want to stay here illegally but I dont want to go back to Ukraine. I am afraid, I am young, I want to live,' the 20-year-old told The Guardian.

'A lot of people like me dream of staying in the US because theres an opportunity. I am afraid of going back, Ive seen those soldiers.'

Previously, Trump was said to be considering ending Ukrainian's legal status even before recent tensions between Washington and Kyiv after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a contentious meeting with Trump and VP JD Vance.

Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey criticized the Trump Administration for the vile email mistake, telling the Washington Post: 'Telling Ukrainians they have to return to an active war zone in seven days or face criminal prosecution is unconscionable.

'The Trump administrations incompetence and cruelty continues to astound, and they must be held accountable.'

It was announced last month, the Trump Administration will revoke the temporary legal status of 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans in the United States.

The order applies to about 532,000 people from the four countries who came to the United States since October 2022 under a program called CHNV that the Biden administration was heavily criticized for.

Noem said they will lose their legal status on April 24, or 30 days after the publication of the notice in the Federal Register.

Previously, Trump was said to be considering ending Ukrainian's legal status even before recent tensions between Washington and Kyiv after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a contentious meeting with Trump and VP JD Vance

The new policy impacts people who are already in the US and who came under the humanitarian parole program.

It follows an earlier Trump administration decision to end what it called the 'broad abuse' of the humanitarian parole, a long-standing legal tool presidents have used to allow people from countries where there's war or political instability to enter and temporarily live in the US.

During his campaign, President Donald Trump promised to deport millions of people who are in the US illegally, and as president, he has been also ending legal pathways for immigrants to come to the US and to stay.

DHS said parolees without a lawful basis to stay in the US 'must depart' before their parole termination date.
A model accused of assaulting her high-profile bodybuilder boyfriend during a late-night spat on a Sydney street has claimed it is all a big 'misunderstanding'.

Police allege Katherine Elise Johnston, 33, struck Ozcan Aytemiz, 35, in the head following a fiery argument on a suburban street in Sydney's west in the early hours of March 21.

Aytemiz - who rose to fame as a member of 'Aesthetics Crew' alongside its late founder Aziz 'Zyzz' Sergeyevich Shavershian - said the incident threatens to derail their wedding day just weeks away.

Johnston's name appeared in a Sydney newspaper on Saturday after police charged her with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and she is set to appear in court next week.

A teary Johnston told Daily Mail Australia the incident was blown out of proportion.

'It's really no one's business, is it?' she said. 'Why is it anyone's business? It's a very personal court case. I've got two children. I don't need this.

'We're trying to get to the bottom of this because it's beyond a joke.

'I'm so angry. I'm so upset.'

Katherine Johnston has been accused of assaulting her fiance during an argument, but they both claim it has been blown out of proportion

Well known Sydney bodybuilder Ozcan Aytemiz was allegedly hit in the head during the spat

Johnston said she was 'very well aware' that her partner had enjoyed a high profile because of his membership with Aesthetics Crew.

The group had been an internet sensation before 'Zyzz' died of a heart attack in Thailand in 2011.

Aytemiz, known as 'Supa Turk', continued to have a cult following afterwards and still has more than 12,000 followers on social media.

The bodybuilder claimed he had actually suffered the wound to his head on the night in question while getting out of a car.

'This is pretty much a big understanding. The information is kind of wrong,' he said.

'At the time, when I got out of the car I actually hit my head on the car roof. They (police) thought it was her but it wasn't actually her.'

Aytemiz said that he was also concerned about any adverse publicity ahead of his looming wedding.

'For her family and my family it would just be a big issue between everyone because we're going to be getting married in a month or so,' he said.

The Aesthetics Crew was an internet sensation in the 2000s (pictured)

Ms Johnstone is set to front court next week, just a month out from the pair's wedding

Aytemiz said he hit his head getting out of a car

Police allege the incident occurred outside a home on Sydney Street, North Strathfield shortly before 2am on Friday, March 21.

'Officers attached to Burwood Police Area Command attended and were told a 35-year-old man was allegedly assaulted by a 33-year-old woman during an argument,' a spokesperson said.

'The 35-year-old man sustained a minor injury to his head.

'The woman was arrested and taken to Burwood Police Station, where she was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV).'
President Donald Trump's controversial global tariff plan is set to send the price of everyday items soaring.

Everything from your daily cup of coffee to clothes, cars and sunglasses are expected to rise as imports from around the world are slapped with heavy tariffs.

Several companies have announced layoffs or product cancellations in response to the move, with Stellantis saying it will temporarily lay off 900 workers at five US factories.

Nintendo also said hours after Trump revealed his tariff plan that it was pausing the preorder of the much-anticipated Switch 2 gadget.

The new levies take effect on Saturday starting with a base rate of 10 percent, upending industries including beauty products, supermarket goods and even sex toys.

Trump appeared unmoved by the chaos he enacted on global markets, saying on Thursday that he viewed the nation as a patient needing emergency surgery.

'It was an operation. Like when a patient gets operated on and it's a big thing. I said this would exactly be the way it is,' the president told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House.

Here, DailyMail.com takes a look at some of the items that are set to get more expensive in the near future thanks to the tariffs.

President Donald Trump's controversial global tariff plan is set to send the price of everyday items soaring

Americans looking to step up their eyewear as we head into summer may have to pay more for a pair of the brand beloved by former President Joe Biden

Ray Bans

Americans looking to step up their eyewear as we head into summer may have to pay more for a pair of the brand beloved by former President Joe Biden.

Most Ray Bans are produced in the mountainous Dolomites region of Italy, and is overseen by parent company EssilorLuxottica SA, which also makes brands Oakley and Vogue.

Trump hit the European Union with a 20 percent reciprocal tariff on April 9, meaning the popular summer staple is likely about to get more expensive in the US.

Botox

Cosmetic surgery-loving Americans may soon have to shell out more for their favorite procedure as Botox could be hit by the levies.

The company that makes Botox, AbbVie Inc., produces almost all the product on Ireland's west coast in the town of Westport.

Because Botox for aesthetics is not covered by insurance, price increases will hit the wallets of millions.

The increase is likely to be unpopular on Trump's home turf amid the rise of 'Mar-a-Lago' face.

Pictured above is Matt Gaetz who turned heads when he appeared at the Republican National Convention because of his over-arched eyebrows. He is pictured on the left in 2018

Sex Toys

Trump's heavy tariffs on China are set to send the price of some of America's favorite sex toys through the roof, per Bloomberg.

China is among the top global producers of sex toys, manufacturing an estimated 70 percent of the world's supply.

The US market for sex toys stands at $10.6 billion, but with China hit with a tariff of 34 percent, products are likely to get more expensive.

Trump addressed his tariffs on China in a Truth Social post on Saturday, saying the country had treated the US 'unsustainably badly.'

'We have been the dumb and helpless whipping post, but not any longer. We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before,' he said.

'Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it wont be easy, but the end result will be historic. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!'

Trump's heavy tariffs on China are set to send the price of some of America's favorite sex toys through the roof

Nespresso

Nestle's popular Nespresso coffee capsules are another product likely to be hit hard by the tariffs.

Over 14 billion of the pods are sold worldwide every year, and they are manufactured solely inside Switzerland before they are shipped globally.

Swiss imports to the US are set to be hit with a 31 percent tariff, with the nation slapped with one of the highest levies in Europe.

Nestle's popular Nespresso coffee capsules are another product likely to be hit hard by the tariffs as they are exported from Switzerland

Oura Rings

Popular health tracking gadget Oura Ring is also likely to get more expensive thanks to Trump's tariffs on Europe.

The brand is owned by Finnish tech firm Oura Health Oy, with Trump's 20 percent levies on the EU set to hit the Scandanavian country.

Timo Vuori, Director of International Trade and Trade Policy at the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), called the tariffs a 'significant blow to EU and Finnish exports' on Friday, per YLE.

Popular health tracking gadget Oura Ring is also likely to get more expensive thanks to Trump's tariffs on Europe because they are manufactured by a Finnish company

Hospital beds

One of the world's major suppliers of hospital beds said this week that it will be forced to raise prices in response to Trump's tariffs.

Czech company Linet Group said it will have to review its contracts with US clients and will likely need to focus on higher priced products to keep up its bottom line, reports Bloomberg.

The firm's CEO Tomas Kolar said exports to the US make up around 20 percent of the company's annual sales.

Another summer staple could be set for a price increase as Birkenstocks could go up along with the clothing industry

Birkenstocks

Another summer staple could be set for a price increase as Birkenstocks could go up along with the clothing industry.

The company behind Birkenstocks said on an earnings call reported by Bloomberg that it would look to take extra measures against price increases.

The company, based in Germany, said it 'historically had the ability to take pricing action globally' to offset issues such as tariffs, meaning American customers may not feel the brunt as much as in other industries.
Tens of thousands of furious Spaniards have taken to the streets across the country to demand a solution to a housing crisis that they say has been fuelled by mass tourism.

The demonstrations in major Spanish towns and cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca come as the country finds itself struggling to balance the promotion of tourism and addressing citizens' concerns over increasing housing costs.

Meanwhile, protesters have been urged to superglue the locks of holiday rentals by organizers as they made calls to disrupt holidaymakers.

According to organizers, 30,000 people took to the streets of Malaga - a seaside town in the south of Spain which is popular among British and German holidaymakers - as they demanded solutions to the housing crisis, with banners reading: 'Houses for the people of Malaga. Hotels for tourists, affordable rents.'

But police have reported that around 5,000 demonstrators took part in the Malaga march.

Residents were photographed holding banners with the slogan: 'Houses for the people of Malaga. Hotels for tourists'.

Some have also hung posters from their balconies and windows with messages saying: 'Housing is a right, not a business'.

Meanwhile in Madrid, around 15,000 people gathered in the capital's neighbourhood of Atocha and marched towards Plaza de Espana shouting slogans like: 'Landlords are thieves' and 'Madrid will be the tomb of rentals'.

Angry renters have pointed to instances of international hedge funds buying up properties, often with the aim of renting them to foreign tourists.

An aerial view of people gathering to protest soaring housing prices as part of a nationwide demonstration organized by tenant unions under the slogan 'End the Housing Business' in Madrid, Spain on April 05, 2025

According to Spain's central bank, almost 40% of Spanish families who rent spend nearly half of their income on housing. Pictured: Mallorca is not for sale' reads a protest banner held by a girl in a march against housing prices and the impact of tourism on the residents of the Balearic Islands, in Palma, Mallorca

The demonstrations took place in major Spanish towns and cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca

The question has become so politically charged that Barcelona's city government pledged last year to phase out all its 10,000 permits for short-term rentals, many of them advertised on platforms like Airbnb, by 2028.

Marchers in Madrid on Saturday chanted 'Get Airbnb out of our neighborhoods' and held up signs against short-term rentals.

'No more leaving our neighborhoods, our homes, or even our cities every five or seven years,' said Valeria Racu, spokesperson for the Madrid tenants' union, in a statement at the start of the demonstration.

'We're calling on the half-million households whose contracts expire in 2025 to stay home and resist,' she added.

Irate activists aired their grievances to the angry mobs filling the streets, taking aim at the 'touristification' of resorts along Spain's coasts.

In the southern city of Murcia, 500 people chanted: 'We will not tolerate one more eviction'.

Up north in Santander, a city on Spain's Atlantic coast, residents demanded public houses.

'No houses without people, no people without houses,' 'everyone under a roof, housing is a right', those in attendance chanted.

A generation of young people say they have to stay with their parents or spend big just to share an apartment, with little chance of saving enough to one day purchase a home.

Protests took place in more than 30 cities across Spain, highlighting growing concerns over unaffordable rent and the housing crisis

Thousands gathered in Madrid today to protest against a housing crisis caused by tourists

The average rent in Spain has almost doubled in the last 10 years

Last year, Spain saw a record-breaking number of tourists, with over 15 million visitors flocking to the island of Mallorca alone

Today's protests are the latest in a spate of demonstrations that rocked Spain last summer, as tens of thousands of fed up locals filled the streets to protest mass tourism

High housing costs mean even those with traditionally well-paying jobs are struggling to make ends meet.

According to Spain's central bank, almost 40% of Spanish families who rent spend nearly half of their income on housing.

In April last year the government said it would scrap its so-called 'golden visa' programme granting residency rights to foreigners who make large investments in real estate in the country, which the Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said would help make access to affordable housing 'a right instead of a speculative business'.

The average rent in Spain has almost doubled in the last 10 years.

The price per square meter rose from 7.2 euros in 2014 to 13 euros last year, according to real estate website Idealista. The increase is bigger in Madrid and Barcelona.

Incomes have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment.

Spain does not have the public housing that other European nations have invested in to cushion struggling renters from a market that is pricing them out.

Today's protests are the latest in a spate of demonstrations that rocked Spain last summer, as tens of thousands of fed up locals filled the streets to protest mass tourism.

Police officers stand guard during a protest to demand lower housing rental prices and better living conditions, in Madrid, Spain

Police officers intervene during a protest to demand lower housing rental prices and better living conditions, in Madrid

Anti-tourism campaigners have long been contesting the current tourism model

Last month, anti-tourism campaigners issued a chilling warning to British holidaymakers after they threatened to unleash more chaos this summer

Slogan pictured in a demonstration in Madrid today that says: 'right to roof'

Protesters were urged today to superglue the locks of holiday rentals by organizers as they made calls to disrupt holidaymakers

Protests took place across 40 Spanish cities today

Incomes in Spain have failed to keep up with rising housing costs, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment

Anti-tourism campaigners have long been contesting the current tourism model, claiming that many locals have been priced out by holidaymakers, expats and foreign buyers.

Last year, Spain saw a record-breaking number of tourists, with over 15 million visitors flocking to the island of Mallorca alone.

In response, protestors took to the streets across Spain, leaving countless visitors fuming after paying hundreds of pounds to enjoy their holidays abroad.

Actions included marches on the street with protesters chanting 'tourists go home', as well as demonstrations on beaches which saw locals boo and jeer at sun-soaked tourists.

In one particular instance, up to 50,000 locals descended onto the streets of the Mallorca capital Palma.

Popular Spanish holiday destinations were rocked by protests last summer

People attend an anti tourism protest under the motto 'Enough! Let's put limits on tourism' organized by different civil society groups in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, 06 July 2024

People take part in a protest against mass tourism and gentrification in Palma de Mallorca, May 2024

Anti-holidaymaker protests took a sinister turn last year as 'kill a tourist' graffiti appeared on a wall in Mallorca

Demonstrators hold a sign which reads 'tourism yes, but not like that' during a march in Palma last summer

Meanwhile in Barcelona, some 2,800 people marched along a waterfront district of Barcelona to demand a new economic model that would reduce the millions of tourists that visit every year.

Protesters carried signs reading 'Barcelona is not for sale,' and, 'Tourists go home,' before some used water guns on tourists eating outdoors at restaurants in popular tourist hotspots.

Chants of 'Tourists out of our neighbourhood' rang out as some stopped in front of the entrances to hotels.

Last month, anti-tourism campaigners issued a chilling warning to British holidaymakers after they threatened to unleash more chaos.

With summer holidays looming, the Mallorcan anti-tourism campaign group Banc del Temps Sencells posted a video hinting that there will be more action taken.

In the clip, locals can be seen marching through Mallorca's streets holding 'For Sale' signs, as they vent about how they are being priced out by tourists.
Donald Trump's former Mar-a-Lago chef is setting his sights on Downtown Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

Joe Isidori, a Michelin star chef and New York native, launched his prosperous career running the Mar-a-Lago estate and Trump Hotel Collection in 2004.

Isidori was Trump's go-to chef in the early 2000s serving as the Trump restaurant collection's Vice President and Corporate Executive Chef, supervising the president's culinary ventures around the county.

In 2008, Isidori won a Michelin star for DJT, a restaurant at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.

He was even floated as a potential White House chef but instead returned to his New York Italian roots with Arthur & Sons.

Now, the Michelin chef is taking Arthur & Sons to Downtown Disneyland, replacing the beloved Tortilla Jo's, which closed last year.

Arthur & Sons has four locations in New York with a menu that features classic Italian-American dishes.

However, the new restaurant across the country, Arthur & Sons Steak and Bourbon, has a sleeker steakhouse feel.

Donald Trump's former Mar-a-Lago chef is venturing over to the West Coast with two new restaurants opening in Downtown Disney in Anaheim

Disney revealed a concept design for how Arthur & Sons Steak and Bourbon will look

Isidori won a Michelin star for his work at DJT, a restaurant in Trump's International Hotel in Las Vegas

The menu features prime cuts of beef, seafood, salads, sandwiches, and an impressive bourbon collection.

Disney announced the collaboration with Isidori in November but recently shared the design plans for the new steakhouse.

The images revealed the restaurant's sophisticated aesthetic, with brick walls, an expansive bar, plush red booths, and a black-and-white floor design.

For those looking for a more casual spot, Isidori is also opening a barbeque place in Disneyland called Pearl's Roadside BBQ.

The inside of the new Arthur & Sons steakhouse features a sleek and sophisticated aesthetic

The new restaurants are replacing the iconic Disney restaurant, Tortilla Jo's, and its sister taqueria

The restaurant's exterior resembles a 1950s style with bold red lettering and a picture of a green pig painted above the entrance.

The inside of Pearl's has a cafeteria-like feel with tables and chairs and a mural of the countryside on one wall.

'Pearls Roadside BBQ will be a quick service eatery blending the best of chef-driven, modern barbecue with traditional North Carolina cookouts,' Disney said of the new restaurant.

The menu includes traditional barbeque dishes like pulled pork, beef brisket, and smoked heritage turkey.

In line with the restaurant's roadside aesthetic, the bourbon drinks have been swapped for beers and moonshine cocktails.

The new Disneyland restaurants add to Chef Isidori's long resume of innovative culinary ventures.

BBQ Pearl's Roadside is set to have a more casual feel with barbeque dishes and an outdoor patio

Pictured: Inside BBQ Pearl's Roadside

He was born with cooking in his blood, as his grandmother owned a renowned Manhattan Italian restaurant and his grandfather ran Artie's Steak and Liquor Lounge in Brooklyn.

He studied at the Culinary Institute of America and began his career in Florida before returning to his home city.

Isidori left DJT in 2009 and went on to run several restaurants including Southfork Kitchen in the Hamptons, Arthur on Smith in Brooklyn, and Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beers, which has even expanded to Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.

Isidori will soon dabble in West Coast cooking as Arthur & Sons Steak and Bourbon and Pearl's Roadside BBQ are in the production process. Disney hasn't yet announced when the restaurants are slated to open.
Democrat lawmakers have awkwardly avoided calling the recent attacks on Tesla cars and dealerships acts of 'domestic terrorism.'

The Trump Administration recently declared the act of attacking a Tesla for political reasons will carry the charge of domestic terrorism after the president's ally Elon Musk's company took a hard hit following his DOGE conquest.

Attorney General Pam Bondi also warned those thinking of destroying Tesla dealerships and properties that they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law on Monday.

But Democrats have been mum on their thoughts regarding the high charge and have avoided countering with their own definition.

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, who recently announced he would sell his Tesla, said he would 'certainly' agree the attacks are 'vandalism' and a 'significant crime,' but fell short of calling it terrorism.

'I think we've got to tread lightly on the whole terrorist word,' he told Fox News Digital. 'Sometimes trying to expand this thing, it kind of loses its focus.

'But when folks are vandalizing peoples vehicles or dealerships, it is wrong and it is dangerous. Somebodys going to get hurt. For that reason, we should let the full force of law enforcement get to this problem and prosecute it.'

Nearly 100 incidents have occurred across the US and Canada since Musk joined Trump's camp.

The Trump Administration recently declared that the act of attacking a Tesla for political reasons will carry the charge of domestic terrorism after the president's ally Elon Musk 's company took a hard hit following his DOGE conquest

Democratic strongholds, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have avoided the topic. When ask if the anti-Musk rhetoric by Democrats was a factor in the Tesla attacks, AOC fired back Republicans had previously called her a 'communist' and claimed she hated the country and they didn't claim the hatred toward her was driven by them

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, who recently announced he would sell his Tesla, said he would 'certainly' agree the attacks are 'vandalism' and a 'significant crime,' but fell short of calling it terrorism. 'I think we've got to tread lightly on the whole terrorist word,' he said

Tesla's sales also plummeted by 13 percent to a three-year low before he announced he would be stepping down from the Department of Government Efficiency on Wednesday.

Other Democratic strongholds, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also avoided the topic.

When asked if the anti-Musk rhetoric by Democrats was a factor in the Tesla attacks, AOC fired back Republicans had previously called her a 'communist' and claimed she hated the country and they didn't claim the hatred toward her was driven by them, Fox News Digital said.

Previously, the vocal liberal claimed her GOP counterparts engaged in 'stochastic terrorism' after she and other congressmen had received threats following Republicans, like Donald Trump, coming after them.

Pennsylvania Representative Summer Lee told Fox News Digital that 'violence is against human beings,' insinuating that a metal Tesla cannot be harmed.

She also said it is important to 'recognize the difference between the frustration of people that is maybe organic, but also the language that is coming from people who are in power.'

She went on to say that the rhetoric coming from the Trump Administration is dangerous.

'Donald Trump is in power and hes abusing that and its going to harm people and has already,' she told the outlet.

Firebrand Representative Jasmine Crockett - who recently told Musk to 'f**k off' - told the conservative outlet that AG Bondi needs to thread lightly.' Bondi warned those thinking of destroying Teslas that they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law on Monday

Pennsylvania Representative Summer Lee told Fox News Digital that '"violence" is against human being,' insinuating that a metal Tesla cannot be harmed

However, Republicans have been vocal on their feelings toward suspected liberal damaging Tesla. 'What you see these woke, radical liberals doing to a car they used to want championed, is lighting them on fire, destroying property, thats not how adults behave,' he said

'Because of the rhetoric from the administration, because of the rhetoric from the right, were seeing American citizens being picked up, were seeing a lot of profiling thats happening, I think that thats incredibly dangerous and again those are being perpetrated against people.'

The representative also admitted she hasn't really been following the Tesla attacks in the news.

Firebrand Representative Jasmine Crockett - who recently told Musk to 'f**k off' - told the conservative outlet that AG Bondi needs to thread lightly.'

However, Republicans have been vocal on their feelings toward suspected liberal damaging Tesla.

Representative Addison McDowell recalled how Republicans boycott Bud Light after it gifted transgender content creator Dylan Mulvaney a personalized can of the beer.

'We didnt just say: "Were going to burn down Bud Light manufacturers." We just didnt buy it,' he told Fox News Digital.

'What you see these woke, radical liberals doing to a car they used to want championed, is lighting them on fire, destroying property, thats not how adults behave.'

Anti-Elon Musk demonstrations have erupted across the US with protesters attacking Tesla showrooms with guns and Molotov cocktails.

Dozens of fired-up crowds assembled outside Tesla stores across the country recently to protest against Musk's efforts to slash government spending and enact reforms with DOGE

Anti-Elon Musk demonstrations have erupted across the US with protesters attacking Tesla showrooms with guns and Molotov cocktails.

Tesla's sales also plummeted by 13 percent to a three-year low before he announced he would be stepping down from the Department of Government Efficiency on Wednesday

Dozens of fired-up crowds assembled outside Tesla stores across the country recently to protest against Musk's efforts to slash government spending and enact reforms. Demonstrations also erupted in London, Portugal, Malaysia and Iceland.

Roughly 250 activists were gathered outside a showroom in New York City last month, holding anti-Musk placards that read 'Block Fascism Now and 'Musk Must Go' as they shouted 'Elon Musk is not elected! Democracy must be protected!'

Five protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct at the Manhattan demonstration and one was taken into custody for resisting arrest, obstruction and violation of local law, The New York Daily News reported.

There have also been more than a dozen acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles, dealerships and charging stations since President Donald Trump's inauguration, according to police and local reports.

A Tesla showroom in Salem, Oregon, was shot at with an AR 15-style rifle in February. Suspected vandal Adam Matthew Lansky, 41, is also accused of causing major damage at the same store with Molotov cocktails in January.

Similarly, four Tesla Cybertrucks were set ablaze overnight at a storage lot in Seattle's industrial SoDo neighborhood, KING-TV reported.

Officials say at least two vehicles were severely damaged in the fire. Seattle police are investigating if the blaze was an act of arson.

The attacks came after DOGE faced intense scrutiny for its chaotic handling of layoffs, particularly its firing of key federal employees only to attempt to rehire them later.
A British backpacker who was detained in a cell for almost three weeks after trying to cross from the US to Canada says she was 'naive' about Donald Trump's border crackdown.

Rebecca Burke, 28, from Monmouthshire, south Wales, was trying to enter Canada from the state of Washington when she was refused entry by officials.

The graphic artist, who crossed the pond in January and had been living in Portland, Oregon, after some time sightseeing in New York, was told she should have applied for a working visa rather than a tourist visa.

Ms Burke said she had not been concerned about leaving the US prior to her attempts to cross the border, which seen her locked up for 19 days.

'I was worried on their [people being detained at the border] behalf - an abstract worry and concern for others - rather than for myself,' she told The Guardian.

'I was naive to think that what was going on in the world or at the border wouldn't affect me.'

When trying to cross the border into Canada, authorities told her to go back to the US and fill in new paperwork before returning.

But when she tried to re-enter the US, Ms Burke was immediately handcuffed and locked in a cell before being taken to Tacoma Northwest detention facility in Washington state.

Rebecca Burke (right) from Monmouthshire, south Wales, was trying to enter Canada from the state of Washington when she was refused entry by officials; also pictured is Ms Burke's mother, Andrea Burke (left)

The graphic artist (above) who crossed the pond in January and had been living in Portland, Oregon after initial sightseeing in New York, was told she should have applied for a working visa rather than a tourist visa

When she tried to re-enter the US, Ms Burke (left) was immediately handcuffed and locked in a cell before being taken to Tacoma Northwest detention facility in Washington state

She was taken to a dorm which she shared with dozens of other women, most of whom were asylum seekers.

Her father Paul Burke first contacted the British foreign office before deciding to bring it to the attention of the UK press.

His daughter was released after just one week of widespread media coverage.

'I was aware that it was from a major position of privilege that the press listened to this story,' Ms Burke said.

'Maybe border security have been pressured to prove they're stepping up. It did feel like they wanted to get me from the moment I walked to the American side.'

Mr Burke has advised those planning to visit the US to rigorously plan ahead, but his daughter has urged people not to go at all.

'First, because of the danger of what could happen to you,' she said.

'And, secondly, do you really want to give your money to this country right now?'
Residents living in a UK asylum capital have said while they are happy to help those fleeing conflict, the Scottish government should be looking to help the country's less fortunate first.

Glasgow is the largest dispersal area for asylum seekers in the UK after London - with some 3,953 sent to the city by the Home Office while their applications are being considered and 240 others in emergency accommodation.

But since February 2024, a further 1,000 people have also come to the city from elsewhere in the UK in order to access homelessness support - prompting fears that the number of people applying for accommodation is becoming 'unsustainable'.

Among them are hundreds of migrants granted leave to remain by the Home Office - who are given 28 days to find somewhere new to live and leave their Government-provided lodgings, sparking an asylum homelessness crisis.

MailOnline understands that a meeting has been arranged for the coming week between the Scottish Government and the Home Office about the matter.

It comes after Allan Casey, Glasgow City Council's convener for homelessness said the authority was considering asking the UK Government for a pause on asylum dispersal due to the 'unprecedented pressure' being placed on the city's housing.

And while locals in Scotland's second city are internationally renowned for its welcoming attitude to those seeking refugee status, some do believe charity should start at home.

Douglas Jaap, a lawyer from Falkirk who works in Glasgow, said that 'proportionately everybody should help' but there should be restrictions put in place when applying for family reunion visas

The rising number of asylum seekers presenting as homeless in Glasgow is placing an 'unprecedented' strain on the system, its council has warned

Douglas Jaap, 59, (pictured) is a great believer in being 'charitable' but believes you should look after 'those less fortunate in your own country before you then look after everyone else'

George Brown (pictured right, pictured left his wife June) said: 'Ive never seen as many people sitting in the street begging as here, even in London.

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On the topic of the visa - which allows refugees to sponsor their immediate family members - the 59-year-old believes they shouldn't be able to apply for them 'where there is a shortage of homes'.

'I'm a great believer in it's great to be charitable,' he said: 'But you should look after yourselves and those less fortunate in your own country before you then look after everyone else.'

Retired couple George Brown, 87, and his wife June, 77, both originally from Scotland's second city described the immigration as well as the homelessness situation bubbling in Glasgow as 'unbelievable'.

On a visit to their current home from Hampshire, Mr Brown said: 'Once they are in the UK you cant stop them coming to Glasgow. Ive never seen as many people sitting in the street begging as here, even in London.'

His wife June added: 'I think the government should get a grip of all of them and stop bringing them over and put them back in their own country.

'I think there's too many people scrounging off the government...We are losing our sense of identity.'

The city is currently using 4,100 of its 6,735 available bed spaces for those awaiting asylum decisions according to figures provided to the Home Affairs Committee last month - more than triple the amount the Home Office says it should be using.

Glasgow Cllr Casey previously told The Guardian that he wanted to 'work with the UK government some potential solutions', which includes a pause on dispersal as he believes failure to act could provoke 'social unrest'.

Glasgow prides itself on welcoming refugees (pictured: pro-refugee protesters) - but city leaders have warned that it cannot cope with the number of asylum seekers

Cllr Allan Casey, Glasgow City Council's homelessness convener, has warned that the number of applicants for housing threatened 'social cohesion'

A tent blowing in the wind in Glasgow's Buchanan Street shopping thoroughfare. Glasgow hosts a disproportionate number of asylum seekers

Barry Robertson, 49, (pictured) said 'better border forces' are needed to regulate the issue at hand

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Barry Robertson, 49, who is an off-shore worker from Aberdeenshire and regularly visits Glasgow, believes the UK 'as a whole has taken more than its fair share' migrants, whilst adamant he takes no issue with Ukrainian and Syrian families seeking asylum.

'These guys are single males. They are coming over by boat boasting they are living in hotels.'

He added: 'We need a better borders force. If they applied through a standard route, through correct channels and apply I don't have a problem with that.

'I don't think anywhere can sustain it. Our economy is in decline at the moment and we can't afford it.'

Lewis McLeod, 20, says Glasgow also echoed that the Scotland's second city had taken more than its share of asylum seekers, adding that there are homeless people 'all over the street, especially at nighttime'.

'I think it's a little bit of a problem,' the student from Dunoon added: 'It is a tricky situation but I suppose they should ask for a pause just now.

'I live in a small town, about two hours away and you don't get as many homeless people there so when you come into the city it's a bit of a shock, because you see homeless people around almost every corner.'

Barber Calum Walker, 19, believes Scotland needs to solve its 'problems' first before letting people into Glasgow.

'We need to prioritise fixing the problems in Glasgow first,' he said: 'I think there's still an is too much strain in everything here whether it's homeless or asylum seekers.'

Nnenda Hekerem, 18, who works in McDonald's, believes the city agrees that asylum seekers fleeing danger should always be welcome, but quipped that Holyrood should be putting a 'wee bit of effort and more money into citizens pockets first.'

'Anyone fleeing a dangerous situation is quite urgent and you can't criticise them cause they are trying to do their best,' she said.

'If you are born and raised in Scotland and end up homeless and you see the Scottish government letting people from another country have housing and more and they have not given you it, I don't think that's very fair.'

Politics student Breagha McMahon, 20, believes Glasgow has taken in plenty of refugees but doesn't feel as though the city has been 'overrun'.

'I think this is a major city. I'd rather have them here and safe than whatever horrible place they've come from. If people have left, there's a reason that they have left,' she said.

Politics student Breagha McMahon, 20, (pictured right) believes Glasgow has taken in plenty of refugees but doesn't feel as though the city has been 'overrun' (Pictured left: Lewis McCleod)

Nnenda Hekerem, 18, (pictured with Calum Walker, 19,) said Holyrood should be putting a 'wee bit of effort and more money into citizens pockets first

What is an asylum seeker? Asylum is protection given by a country to someone fleeing from persecution in their own country. An asylum seeker is someone who has applied for asylum and is awaiting a decision on whether they will be granted refugee status. An asylum applicant who does not qualify for refugee status may still be granted leave to remain in the UK for humanitarian or other reasons. An asylum seeker whose application is refused at initial decision may appeal the decision through an appeal process and, if successful, may be granted leave to remain. Advertisement

'I do think there's things that we need to work on for people like Glaswegians, in terms of, the homelessness here which is a big problem.

She continued: 'If we're going to turn everything on the city centre into student housing, then why not keep a couple of places for everyone else who needs it?'

While asylum seekers cannot choose where they are dispersed to, other people facing destitution are thought to come to Glasgow because of Scotland's steadfast homelessness laws.

Unlike other parts of the UK, Scottish local authorities are also required by law to treat all homeless-presenting individuals as needing a place to stay with priority, regardless of their situation.

Those who are granted refugee status are typically given 28 days to leave their temporary accommodation and find a new place to live.

However, waits for documentation needed to secure tenancies and Universal Credit claims can be much longer, forcing people onto the streets.

The Home Office is piloting a doubling of the time to 56 days amid criticism that the existing limit is too small and that asylum seekers, who cannot work while their application is being considered, have little money with which to arrange a tenancy.

The Scottish Refugee Council is hopeful this will ease the pressure on councils and alleviate some of the strain. It also wants asylum seekers to be able to work while their application is being considered - a move it says is backed by the public.

'When people receive a positive decision about their asylum application... there are a lot of significant changes to navigate in a very short space of time,' a spokesperson said.

'People seeking asylum are not allowed to work to support themselves or their families and, with many are living on as little as 1.25 a day, very few people have savings for a rental deposit or the up-front costs required for moving.

'All levels of government have a duty to come together and agree a robust response to help the thousands of people affected by homelessness in Glasgow.'

More than 40 per cent of homelessness applications being processed in Glasgow come from refugee households.

Glasgow Reform councillor Thomas Kerr (pictured) has called the SNP-run council's warning shot an 'empty gesture'

The city declared a housing emergency in 2023 after the Home Office streamlined its asylum applications process - amid a doubling in the number of homeless refugees

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But people may also come to Glasgow because it is renowned for its friendliness towards asylum seekers, as evidenced by scenes of entire neighbourhoods coming out to block Home Office deportation vans in 2021.

A Glasgow HSCP report published in January noted that people may be fleeing England because of 'significant hostile behaviour towards asylum seekers and refugees, culminating in protests and the targeting of hotels'.

The report added: 'Whilst Glasgow has always been, and will continue to be, a welcoming city for those fleeing persecution, it is evident that an increase in asylum cases... make(s) it challenging for Glasgow to continue to commit to the national framework in relation to asylum seekers and refugees.'

The issue is compounded by those who are granted leave to remain then applying for family reunion visas - placing significant strain on the city, which lacks the stock to accommodate larger households.

It presents an additional issue for the city council, which is already having to find additional accommodation as the Home Office expedites its asylum assessments process in order to clear the backlog.

Official Home Office figures for the year to December 2024 state Glasgow has 4,193 supported asylum seekers living in accommodation, including 240 in emergency lodgings - making up 0.66 per cent of its 630,000 population.

That dwarfs the proportion of asylum seekers in similarly sized city councils such as Manchester (0.34 per cent), Sheffield (0.22 per cent) and Leeds (0.4 per cent).

And the number of people presenting as homeless who have been given leave to remain has doubled to 2,709 as of last year, according to a social work report scrutinised by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The city's health and social care partnership (HSCP) estimates that Home Office expedited decisions will cost Glasgow 26.5million in 2024/25, according to a recent report.

The reasons are partly historical: Glasgow was, until 2022, the only city in Scotland to which the Home Office would disperse asylum seekers. As of now, more than nine in 10 asylum seekers supported in Scotland live in Glasgow.

Labour asylum minister Angela Eagle (pictured) has been warned Glasgow faces 'utterly untenable' pressures

The city's population of homeless refugees - those already granted leave to remain after seeking asylum - is rising

Edinburgh, which has a population of 523,000, is home to just 173 asylum seekers, of which all but nine are in unsuitable 'contingency' quarters such as hotels or B&Bs.

And including resettled Ukrainian and Afghan refugees, Glasgow has an asylum seeker population of 0.77 per cent - higher than anywhere in Britain except Chichester, Coventry, and half a dozen London boroughs.

The number of homeless refugees doubled in the city in 2023 as the Home Office tried to accelerate its efforts to clear the backlog of applications - making 2,500 batched decisions by the end of that year.

This prompted Glasgow to declare a housing emergency, which remains ongoing.

In February, the council wrote to the owners of 2,500 empty homes asking them to consider selling up or renting them out. It has even invoked compulsory purchase orders to buy up empty homes that have lain unused.

A government spokesperson previously said: 'We have implemented a pilot scheme to double the move-on period, allowing newly recognised refugees 56 days to move on from the point they are served their grant of leave, while also supporting local authorities as this government clears the asylum backlog.

'There is a clear need for a smooth transition between asylum accommodation and other accommodation for asylum seekers granted leave to remain, which is why we are working to identify and implement efficiencies to support this process and mitigate the risk of homelessness.'
A car involved in a police chase crashed in the early hours of Saturday, leaving one woman with critical injuries and another man battling for his life.

The collision took place at approximately 4.20am on March 5 in Paddington, west London.

The driver of a white SUV failed to stop for a marked Met Police vehicle, The Standard reported.

After a very short pursuit, believed to have been less than a minute, the fleeing motorist lost control of the vehicle and crashed into street furniture near Westbourne Bridge.

Images from the scene show the car's crumpled bonnet and its front two doors have both been removed.

The entire vehicle appears to have gone over a barrier and is pivoted forward on its front wheels, with its back wheels off the ground, resting on a wall.

The scene was cordoned off by police, with an investigations team surveying the aftermath of the crash.

An ambulance took a man in his twenties to hospital with what were described as 'life-threatening injuries,' while a woman, also in her twenties, was hospitalised with 'life-changing injuries'.

A car involved in a police chase crashed at approximately 4.20am on Saturday in Paddington, west London

The entire vehicle appears to have gone over a barrier and is pivoted forward on its front wheels, with its back wheels off the ground, resting on a wall

The scene was cordoned off by police, with an investigations team surveying the aftermath of the crash

According to The Standard, the pair continue to receive treatment in hospital.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) have now launched an investigation into the crash.

An IOPC spokesperson said: 'We can confirm that we are assessing a road traffic incident involving a car which was in collision with street furniture in west London this morning (Saturday 5 April).

'We were advised the collision took place at around 4.20am near Westbourne Terrace, Paddington, following a short pursuit by a marked Met Police vehicle after the driver failed to stop for officers.

'A short time later it mounted the pavement and was in collision with street furniture. The two occupants of the car both suffered serious injuries and have been taken to hospital.

'After being notified by the force we sent investigators to the scene and to the police post incident procedure where the officers involved provided their initial accounts.

'We have requested further information from the force and once received, we will determine what further action may be required from us.'

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: 'Anyone with information that could assist police is asked to call 101 or post @MetCC quoting reference CAD 1279/5April.

'To remain 100 per cent anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.'
A new form of digital ID is being introduced across Scotland - sparking fears of a Big Brother system that could threaten peoples security and privacy.

As part of a programme originally called Digital Identity Scotland, the SNP government is rolling out a system which collates information about individuals - including photos and personal details.

The ambition is to create a single centralised form of ID that will tackle fraud and also make it easier for people to prove who they are when accessing public services - potentially including everything from travel to health, taxes to benefits.

Now rebranded as ScotAccount, the system has already been piloted for a handful of services provided by public bodies - including criminal record checks, witness appearances in court, licences to sell tobacco and vapes, funeral registrations and debt management.

And now it is set to be expanded across a much wider range of public services.

However campaigners last night warned that a system storing so much sensitive data could leave users vulnerable to hacking and identity theft.

They also raised fears about potential misuse of information resulting from multiple government bodies being able to access individuals details - as well as being able to see exactly when and where people logged in to their account.

Author George Orwell coined the term 'Big Brother' in his groundbreaking novel 1984, to describe the book's omnipresent, all-seeing leader.

Madeleine Stone of Big Brother Watch, which is campaigning UK-wide against the rollout of digital ID, said: Digital identity systems are a honeypot for criminals and hackers.

The plans have sparked fears of a Big Brother system that could threaten peoples privacy

These plans could give the Scottish government free rein to build huge population wide-datasets and to share the personal information of millions of users between government departments.

The group is also concerned that, while ScotAccount is being rolled out on a voluntary basis, it could become mandatory by default as the technology is introduced across more and more public bodies.

Ms Stone added: We urgently need a legal right to non-digital ID, otherwise such schemes could become a mandatory ID system in all but name, disadvantaging the millions of people in this country who rely on physical documents and letters, and cannot or choose not to use digital identity systems.

According to documents relating to the Digital Identity Scotland programme, the aim is to develop a common public-sector approach to online identity assurance, which could apply across multiple public services.

This would enable individuals to create a digital identity, which then can be used and re-used for secure access to personalised public services.

Having completed a proof of concept phase, the government has just awarded a contract worth 1.18m to a firm called Scott Logic, based in Newcastle, to develop the beta stage of the project - which is now called ScotAccount - and progress towards a live service.

Users create an account using their email address and password, with security codes sent through text messages or a telephone landline.

They submit a live picture of themselves as well as scans of their passport, driving licence or biometric residence permit.

Madeleine Stone of Big Brother Watch, fears the plans could give the Scottish government free rein to build huge population wide-datasets

Former prime minister Tony Blair met with fierce opposition when his government previously called for mandatory digital ID cards across the UK

The system then uses a third-party credential provider - such as data and credit-checking firm Experian - to verify the users identity.

Once operational, the account can be used by any public bodies that are signed up to the scheme as a way of proving the users identity. Each time the account is used it accumulates user information.

The Scott Logic website states: Public services in Scotland require various types of identification, but there is plenty of overlap between different services.

When a users identity document is verified to access one public service, it is saved as a verified attribute, and can be used individually or in combination to access other services.

The firm described the system as user-centred, highly secure and resilient, and built to the highest standards.

It added: Once it enters full operation....ScotAccount will continue to be integrated into new and existing online public services, providing citizens with inclusive, secure access while minimising fraud and delivering value for money to Scottish taxpayers.

Last night the Scottish Government said the new beta stage involved developing a live digital service, starting with pilots involving smaller numbers of users before enabling improvements and scaling over time.

A spokesperson also insisted precautions were in place to prevent identity fraud and protect privacy.

They added: ScotAccount aims to provide a secure and simple way for people to prove who they are and that they are eligible for a public service or benefit online.

The service has been developed following National Cyber Security Centre guidance, with robust encryption and authentication protocols to help prevent identity fraud.

Former prime minister Tony Blair and former Tory leader William Hague were both met with fierce opposition when they previously called for mandatory digital ID cards across the UK.

However the current Labour government is introducing new technology later this year which campaigners fear could lead to mandatory digital ID.

From June, digital driving licences will be accessed on a new government smartphone app that could also be accepted as proof of identity when buying alcohol, voting, or boarding domestic flights.

A UK government spokesperson said: This government is committed to using technology to make peoples lives easier and transform public services.

Technology now makes it possible for digital identities to be more secure than physical ones, but we remain clear that they will not be made mandatory.

But tech experts have warned that digital ID is open to abuse. Cyber-security firm Setigo said: We already see scammers can take thousands of pounds from bank accounts when people are socially engineered to login and transfer funds or to provide passwords and PINs to online bank accounts. If trusted digital identities such as drivers licences and passports are subject to the same kind of attacks, the results could be worse and more long-lasting.

And tech security firm Bridewell said hacking was a major threat with digital ID, saying: A major breach would likely expose complete identities, leading to identity theft, fraud, and lasting harm to victims financial and personal lives.
His death is one of Scotlands most enduring mysteries and has given rise to a host of conspiracy theories from secret service involvement to claims of a paedophile ring operating at the heart of the Scottish establishment.

Now, 40 years on from his demise, campaigners have made fresh calls for a judge-led inquiry into the death of controversial lawyer and nationalist Willie McRae.

On April 5, 1985, McRae left his Glasgow flat at 6.30pm to spend the weekend at his cottage at Ardelve in Ross-shire, but he never arrived.

His maroon Volvo saloon, which had gone 27 metres off the A87 near Invergarry and was straddling a burn, was found the next morning at 10am by two Australian tourists. McRae was alive but unconscious with a wound to his temple.

They flagged down a second car with four passengers including a doctor and then SNP Dundee councillor David Coutts, who knew McRae.

McRae, ex-Vice Chairman of the Scottish National Party, was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, and then Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where medical staff discovered a bullet wound in his head.

He subsequently died.

The grisly case, riddled with inconsistencies, conflicting testimonies and criticisms of how McRaes death was investigated, continues to intrigue everyone from crime writer Sir Ian Rankin to ex-policemen.

Lawyer and nationalist Willie McRae died on April 5, 1985, in unusual circumstances

MacRae was found dying in his Volvo near the A87 near Invergarry, Inverness-shire

It has been dramatised in two plays, the subject of a Channel 4 documentary, and a book, Firebrand, by Ron Culley.

Now it has emerged that former First Minister Alex Salmond was on the verge of asking the Scottish Government to open a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into McRaes death only months before his own death last October.

That intention did not die with Mr Salmond, though. Campaigners, including political lobbyist and former councillor David Coutts, who was among the handful of people to have been on the scene when McRaes body was found, are keen to push for an FAI.

As author Mr Culley prepared to address a memorial event to mark the anniversary of McRaes death, he told the Mail on Sunday: Alex Salmond phoned me. He was persuaded that there were so many coincidences and contradictions that a public inquiry was necessary.

The commemorative event to honour McRaes memory was held yesterday at the spot where he was found, at Loch Loyne in the Highlands.

McRae, who was a lieutenant commander and aide-de-camp to Admiral Lord Mountbatten during the Second War, stood for parliament as the SNP candidate for Ross and Cromarty in 1974, losing by only 600 votes.

He successfully campaigned against the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authoritys plans to dump nuclear waste in the Galloway hills.

He had no shortage of enemies following his campaigns against nuclear waste dumping, drug trafficking in the west coast, and claims that he had evidence of sexual abuse by men in high places.

Ron Culley, who has written about the case, at the Willie Macrae memorial at Loch Loyne

Even now - 40 years on - Mr Coutts vividly recalls that fateful day and told the Mail on Sunday: He still had his seatbelt on. We couldnt open the drivers door and had to pull him out through the passengers side.

A post-mortem concluded suicide but questions have persisted for decades over the position of the bullet entry wound  officially reported to have been above the right ear but contradicted by a nurse who attended the patient who said McRae had been shot in the nape of his neck.

To further muddy the waters, the gun was not found when the scene was first visited by the police but the following week.

Officers variously reported the gun was found several metres from the car, underneath the drivers door, and the passenger door.

The death is certainly contentious and I dont believe he committed suicide  how could he have if the gun was found outside the car yards away while he was stills trapped in? said Mr Coutts, who wrote to the Solicitor General of Scotland, Peter Fraser, later Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, Lord Advocate, asking for a fatal accident inquiry (FAI), but the decision was made not to order one.

There should now be an FAI to determine what happened as there are still hundreds of questions to answer, added Mr Coutts.

One of those attending yesterdays event was Donald Blair, McRaes driver. He is convinced that 61-year-old was executed and has spoken out following claims he was killed to prevent him identifying high-profile sex offenders.

Willie told me perhaps two or three years before his death that he had come across information on a paedophile ring in the Scottish judiciary. He was appalled by it, he said.

Conspiracy theorists also point to McRaes alleged involvement with the Scottish National Liberation Army, who used violence to further the independence cause  and that the security services had him under surveillance.

Constable Donald Morrison of Strathclyde Police, who was one of the last people to see him alive, claims that Special Branch had been monitoring McRaes activities.

Mr Morrison said: I believe what happened was state-sanctioned murder.

Event organiser and member of Yes Highlands and Islands Pete Smith said: Willie McRae took a massive secret to his grave and we intend to seek justice by demanding a public enquiry into the case.
British bobbies are being poached by Australian police in a recruitment campaign showcasing the countrys tropical climate and white sand beaches.

South Australia Police are hosting a series of events around the UK as they look to tempt new recruits Down Under.

The Aussie force has even enlisted its commissioner to record a jokey video that sees him sell the benefits of the job.

During the short film, Commissioner Grant Stevens outlines the reasons why people might want to work for the force.

As the video progresses a background screen  showing a squad car parked on a beach at sunset - falls over to reveal the footage is actually being shot at an equally picturesque seaside location in blazing sunshine, with the commissioner even wearing shorts as he stands in the crystal clear waters.

In the clip, Commissioner Stevens, who is looking to attract 200 experienced officers from overseas, states: We have a lot of competitive advantages, including a great salary, and well pay for the cost of a permanent Visa for you and your family.

The video starts with Commissioner Stevens inwhat looks like a sunset scene at a beach

Officers who swap crimefighting in Britain for the sunshine of Oz are told they will enjoy competitive advantages including a great salary, according to the campaign.

But the recruitment drive is unlikely to be welcomed by UK forces looking to retain their experienced staff.

As the campaign video progresses, it turns out he's been standing in front of a screen and that's he's actually knee-deep in the sea in a pair of shorts amid blazing sunshine

Officers moving Down Under will be able to enjoy the beaches around Adelaide

A delegation of SAPOL officers are travelling to London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow in April and May of this year to host information sessions and meet with interested police officers face-to-face.

Chief Insp Scott Collins, a former Thames Valley police officer, is leading the international recruitment drive.

He said: Having made the move myself, I can personally attest to the incredible opportunities and lifestyle that South Australia offers.

I am leading a team travelling across the UK this April and May to meet with English, Welsh, and Scottish police officers and deliver information sessions.

Part of the marketing campaign has includeda video recorded by one of the Aussie force's officers who documented what she gets up to on her days off.

The footage showed her surfing off the coast of a sun-drenched beach, meeting friends for lunch and then getting ready to start a shift at work.

David Threadgold, chair of the Scottish Police Federation which represents rank and file officers, said: Its quite a smart marketing strategy.

The slick marketing campaignfeatures sunny Australian weather, which stands in stark contrast to the more inclement weather often endured by officers in Britain

Another video used to attract recruits from the UK showed what an officer does on her days off

The footage showed her surfing off the coast of a sun-drenched beach, meeting friends for lunch and then getting ready to start a shift at work.

'However, I dare say the realities of policing wont be that different to what it is in Scotland. You can have all the job satisfaction youd want working here.

The wider question for Police Scotland is what it will do to retain officers and replace those that do go.

The Aussie force has already had success in poaching talented staff from Scotland.

One new recruit, called Emma, was said to have 14 years worth of policing experience in Scotland before moving to Oz.

Another new recruit  Darren  filmed a video for his new employers with his wife Laura, revealing hed been recruited at an event at Scotlands national stadium  Hampden, in Glasgow, last year.

The former Police Scotland officer, who revealed it had taken just 10 months to make the move, said: When the opportunity came along to do the job that I love here  in the place I wanted to stay  then it was a no brainer.

His wife Laura added: Its been really straightforward. Even the school system has been super easy to get in touch with and everyone has been so pleasant to deal with. Its made it really easy for us.

In January, the Aussie force boasted of securing 34 new recruits from interstate and overseas, including two Scots.

In a post, it shared a photo of the two Scots, stating: Robert and Aimee are two recruits that were sworn-in this week.

Robert arrived in South Australia on New Years Day with his wife and two young children from Scotland.

It added: Aimee, also from Scotland, made the decision to move to South Australia after speaking with the recruitment team in her home country.

Aimee, whose surname was not given, added: When speaking with the officers at the recruitment event I heard their stories about the job and day-to-day life.

The work life balance really appealed to me, as I felt this was something I was really missing in my previous role.

The Aussie force is looking to recruit officers from the UK with at least three years experience.

It is even offering to cover the cost of a permanent visa for recruits and their families, as well as stating those taken on will get six weeks annual leave.

Successful applicants start on a salary of around 38,845 ($80,190) during their probation period, which can last as little as six months.

After that, they will be paid at a level that recognises their prior service and learning.

The video ends with the smiling officer wearing her uniform as she prepares to start her shift

For example, the salary for a constable ranges from 40,150 to 47,780. A senior constable earns between 47,990 and 54,784 or up to 56,140 for senior constable(first class).

Senior sergeants earn up to 69,800 while an inspectors salary goes up to 82,882 and 90,180 for a chief inspector.

A superintendent salary goes up to 98,400 while it is 102,137 for a chief superintendent and 105,545 for a commander.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: Policing is a relentless, but immensely rewarding vocation, and I am grateful to those who put themselves forward to provide this crucial service to the people and places of Scotland.

As a single nationwide organisation, our urban, remote, rural and island communities are policed by dedicated officers who are committed to providing the best possible service backed up by their local knowledge.

They do so knowing they are supported by the strength of a national services with specialist resources available right across the country.

All our officers, and staff, work incredibly hard to maintain effective policing.

As with all sectors, people leave policing for all sorts of reasons, but retention levels within Police Scotland remain very high compared to other organisations.
A Republican lawmaker revealed Joe Biden's White House doctor will be grilled by Congress over the former president's cognitive health.

Republicans and some Democrats have long called for the truth behind what they claim is a cognitive decline in the 82-year-old during his presidency.

Now, Texas Representative Ronny Jackson, who has a medical degree, said Dr. Kevin O'Connor will have to speak for the Democrat leader's health.

'Dr. Kevin OConnor will absolutely, positively be implicated in the cover-up of this,' Jackson told the New York Post. 'I guarantee you Kevin OConnor has medical information that the American people dont have.

'Ive known him for a long time; hes part of the Biden family. He would do or say anything to cover up and protect that family, regardless of what it meant professionally for him,' the GOP representative accused.

'This could not have been covered up without him - and Jill Biden - in particular.'

O'Connor had previously said the then-president's health was 'excellent' and there was nothing to worry about just days before Biden dropped out of the 2024 race.

Many Americans and lawmakers, like Jackson, were also suspicious of Dr. Kevin Cannard eight visits to the White House between July 2023 and March 2024. Cannard specializes in Parkinson's at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Republicans have long called for the truth behind what they claim is a cognitive decline in the Biden during his presidency. Now Texas Representative Ronny Jackson, who has a medical degree, said Dr. Kevin O'Connor (pictured) will have to speak for the Democrat leader's health

'Dr. Kevin OConnor will absolutely, positively be implicated in the cover-up of this,' Jackson (pictured) told the New York Post . 'I guarantee you Kevin OConnor has medical information that the American people dont have'

O'Connor, at the time, said only three of those visits had been for Biden's yearly physical.

Biden's doctor - who the politician affectionally calls 'doc' - said the Delaware native didn't need a cognitive test last year, despite many calling for one ahead of the big election.

Concerns grew as Biden appeared confused on stage multiple times, was falling up the stairs of Air Force One and mixed up names and as his gait changed to a stiff walk.

'He was probably putting President Biden on lots of medications that we have no clue of - in efforts to try to treat his cognitive decline,' Jackson speculated to The Post.

Jackson said a House panel will investigate if a 'shadow presidency' was happening during Biden's term.

The House of Representatives have not officially announced a probe into Biden's presidency.

Jackson also wants to bring in other doctors and experts who evaluated Biden during his re-election campaign.

Several doctors - including Jackson - had outwardly speculated that Biden was suffering from cognitive decline through the Democrat's campaign.

'Ive known him for a long time; hes part of the Biden family. He would do or say anything to cover up and protect that family, regardless of what it meant professionally for him,' the GOP representative accused (pictured: Biden and O'Connor together in 2017)

'I said that over and over and over and God knows how many times I was on TV,' the Republican lawmaker told The Post. 'I was saying that this man was not fit to be president when he was candidate Joe Biden in 2020.'

He accuses O'Connor and others of knowing 'two or three years ago' that Biden's health was declining, but 'these people are cashing in on, you know, telling the truth now and writing these books and stuff that's coming out of the woodwork.'

Neurologist Dr. Tim Pitts told NBC News in July that he 'could've diagnosed [Biden] from across the Mall' with a Parkinson's diagnosis.

The Biden Administration has denied the politician was facing health issues.

DailyMail.com has reached out to O'Connor for comment.

In fact, during his re-election campaign, his team released a 2.5-minute video showing moments Trump, who is 78, appeared to be confused.

'Here is a montage of Donald Trump getting confused, lost, wandering off, and waving to nobody,' the Biden campaign countered.

The clips show Trump, during his presidency, departing events before he's supposed to, or awkwardly standing in place when he's supposed to be exiting.

Despite the denial, Jackson said those who covered up Biden's suspected health problems by 'purposely lying to the American people' will be held responsible.

The Biden Administration has denied the politician was facing health issues

Jackson (pictured with Trump) accuses O'Connor and others of knowing 'two or three years ago' that Biden's health was declining

Kamala Harris succeed him in the Democratic race for the top spot in the nation. She narrowly missed the popular vote by 2 million votes.

Biden was blamed by senior Harris advisor David Plouffe for refusing to drop out earlier in the race after his June debate disaster.

Plouffe claimed no Democratic candidate could have won without a proper primary process  what he called 'the cardinal sin' of this race.

And he said he was shocked by the internal polling numbers when he finally joined the team after Joe Biden dropped out with less than four months to go, a situation he described as 'catastrophic.'

'When I got in, it was the first time I saw the actual numbers under the hood. They were pretty gruesome,' he told The Atlantic.

'The Sun Belt was worse than the Blue Wall, but the Blue Wall was bad. And, demographically, young voters across the boardHispanic voters, Black voters, Asian voterswere in really terrible shape.

'When the switch happened, some of that stuff got a little bit better, but nowhere near where we ended up or where we needed to be. This was a rescue mission.

'It was catastrophic in terms of where it was.'
A man was brutally stabbed to death during a broad daylight fight in west London - as a second man, who also received knife injuries, was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Police were alerted to a brawl in the street on Saturday lunchtime, where they found two men with stab wounds, Met Police said.

Despite the efforts of medics at the scene, on Erconwald Street, East Acton, the first man died from his injuries.

The second man was rushed to hospital and later arrested on suspicion of murder, The Sun reported.

His condition is currently unknown.

Erconwald Street remains shut while an investigation into the incident continues.

Rupa Huq, Labour MP for East Central and Acton posted on X tonight that she was 'deeply saddened at the news of a fatal stabbing.'

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called at 1.08pm today (April 5) to reports of a stabbing at Erconwald Street, East Acton.

'We sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer, members of our Hazardous Area Response Team and a car from London's Air Ambulance.

A man was brutally stabbed to death during a broad daylight fight in west London - as a second man, who also received knife injuries, was arrested on suspicion of murder

Police remain at the scene in Erconwald Street, East Acton, as a murder investigation continues

The second man was rushed to hospital and later arrested on suspicion of murder. Pictured: A forensic officer investigates the murder of a man in the double stabbing this afternoon

'Our crews treated two people at the scene, unfortunately despite the best efforts of our crews and emergency partners, one person was pronounced dead at the scene.

'The other was conveyed to a major trauma centre.'

A Met Police spokesperson said: 'Around 1.10pm on Saturday, 5 April, officers were called to Erconwald Street, Shepherd's Bush, following reports of an altercation.

'Officers attended within minutes, and established that two males had suffered stab injuries.

'Very sadly, and despite the best efforts of paramedics, one of them was pronounced dead at the scene.

'The second person was taken to hospital, where he remains. We await an update on his condition, but he has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

'Erconwald Street remains closed while officers carry out investigative work.'

Anyone with information should contact the police on 101, quoting reference 3435/05APR.
The rare hantavirus that killed Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa has claimed the lives of three more people in California.

The victims were all from the town of Mammoth Lakes, around 250 miles inland from San Francisco, where officials said they had been struck by hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).

Dr. Tom Boo, the Public Health Officer for Mono County, where the deaths occurred, described the incidents coming so close together as 'tragic and alarming.'

The health official said it is not yet understood where the deceased individuals had contracted the deadly virus, which is exceedingly uncommon.

HPS is so rare in the US that only one or two people die every year, and there have only been around 1,000 cases in the past three decades, mostly among farmers, hikers and campers and homeless populations.

The deaths come weeks after Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found dead in their New Mexico home on February 26, after Arakawa suffered HPS and passed away and left Hackman to die days later.

At a press conference held after their bodies were discovered, medical investigators said Arakawa was infected with hantavirus which caused a deadly build-up of fluid in her lungs.

The virus is spread through the inhalation of airborne particles containing the virus, which is typically found in the urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents.

Three people have died in the town of Mammoth Lakes, California (pictured) from the same rare hantavirus disease that recently killed the wife of actor Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa (pictured here with Hackman in 1993) died of the rare rodent disease hantavirus pulmonary syndrome

After Arakawa passed away, Hackman, who was suffering from Alzheimer's, died from cardiovascular disease days later.

Arakawa was found in the bathroom of the couple's home, and the scene left behind told a grim tale of how quickly she declined after being struck down by HPS.

She was found lying on the floor with her head next to a space heater with thyroid medication pills scattered around her.

Hackman may have wandered around the sprawling 9,000-square-foot home, lost and confused, for seven days - without his partner of three decades by his side to feed and care for him, or look after their three treasured dogs.

Left to fend for himself and with his wife's body decomposing in their bathroom, Hackman, who was already in 'very poor health', went without food.

An autopsy showed his stomach was empty at the time of his death.

Hackman was found dead with his cane and sunglasses by his side in a room just off the kitchen following an apparent fall - hinting he may have been on his way out of the home before his weak heart gave in.

His pacemaker's last recorded activity was on February 18 - but help would not arrive until over a week later.

Pictured above is the home of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa. DailyMail.com understands that while there were no mouse droppings in the main house, they were in the garage and two smaller buildings on the property

The couple, who died within days of each other in February, were found near one of their German Shephard dogs in its cage

The dogs were discovered loose when the mummified bodies of Hackman and Arakawa were discovered on February 26 by two maintenance workers.

DailyMail.com understands while there was no rodent activity in the main house, there were rodent droppings in the couple's garage and outhouses.

Experts told this website Arakawa could have picked HPS up from cleaning those areas. Officials added that based on surveillance footage, Arakawa was not ill in the days leading up to her death.

Hackman and Arakawa's dog was also found dead in the house. Authorities note that while there is evidence that dogs can catch the virus, the animals do not show symptoms and there are no recorded cases of them passing the virus on to humans.

Hantavirus is not known to spread from person to person, and health officials confirmed Hackman was negative for the virus and died from natural causes, including Alzheimer's disease.

HPS is transmitted through the inhaling virus particles from rodent saliva, urine, or feces. It may also spread through rodent bites.

In the US, deer mice are the most common carriers.

The type of hantavirus found in the Southwest is spread by deer mouse, which is commonly found in New Mexico.

Symptoms typically show up within one to eight weeks of exposure to infected rodents.

HPS is an extremely rare disease usually spread by rodents through saliva, urine, feces, or bites. In the US, it's most commonly spread by the deer mouse, pictured here

Signs include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, headache, dizziness, chills, and abdominal or digestive issues.

After four to 10 days of the early symptoms, patients may experience shortness of breath, chest tightness and fluid in the lungs.

HPS is thought to kill 30 to 40 percent of patients, and there is no specific treatment for the virus.

Patients are instead given supportive therapies like rest, hydration, and breathing support.

The CDC estimates HPS only affects about 40 to 50 Americans per year, and only 864 cases were identified between 1993 and 2022, the latest data available.

In New Mexico, where Hackman and Arakawa lived, there have been 129 cases of hantavirus confirmed since 1993, including seven in 2023, the most recent year data is available.
Most landlords looking to spend a six-figure sum sprucing up their pub would likely have to take out a loan or dip into their own cash.

However, locals on a debt-ridden Scots island have had their pub refurbished at taxpayers expense after being given a grant of almost a quarter of a million pounds.

The Gigha Hotel has been shut for two years because it was haemorrhaging money.

But now the public has footed the bill for a 248,000 upgrade to the bar in the hope that it might turn a profit.

The hand-out is among more than 1 million of government cash lavished on community-owned Gigha last year.

Other controversial buy-out schemes in the Highlands and islands also saw their subsidies increase sharply - even as council taxpayers elsewhere are being hit with record hikes to bills while services are being axed.

Shimeon Lee, policy analyst at the Taxpayers Alliance campaign group, said: Taxpayers will be asking why theyre footing the bill to revamp a pub that was shut for being unprofitable.

While council tax soars and public services are cut to the bone, the SNPs pet projects seem to be exempt from the belt-tightening that everyone else is facing.

The Gigha Hotel and pub on the island has been given 248,000 for an upgrade

Scottish ministers need to put hard-working taxpayers first rather than costly ideological missions.

Gigha lies off the Kintyre coast and has a population of around 150.

The Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust (IGHT) community group bought out its laird for 4 million in 2002  with the Scottish Government and National Lottery bankrolling most of the deal.

Ever since, the island has been battling debt and been reliant on public sector grants to stay afloat.

In 2022/23, the Trust received 706,000 of public money, but last year it was handed 1.07 million.

That total included almost 819,000 from the Scottish Governments Rural Housing Fund and around 114,000 from the quango Nature Scot for a landscape restoration project.

In addition, it was promised 248,000 for the pub upgrade from the UK Governments Community Ownership Fund, which has since been axed.

The Trusts annual report revealed: During the year, the Gigha Hotel lessee returned the property to the IGHT.

The Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust bought out its laird for 4 million in 2002

The [refurbishment] is part of a wider plan to upgrade the propertyto ensure a sustainable and viable future for the Hotel. This has meant that the Hotel has not operated during 2023-24.

Locals got to see the new interior during the islands recent annual Gigha Day celebrations and the Trust is advertising for a new tenant.

Councillors in Gighas local authority, Argyll & Bute, are raising council tax by 9.9 per cent next week while awarding themselves a 22 per cent pay rise.

Elsewhere, the island of Eigg received 109,000 of public money in 2023/24, more than twice the 42,000 it was handed the year before.

The remote community has been propped up by the taxpayer for nearly 30 years since its own buy-out.

Neighbouring Rum was given 44,000, up from 27,000.

And the Assynt Foundation - which owns the Glencanisp and Drumrunie estates near Lochinver, Sutherland, and has cost the taxpayer 5 million so far  was handed a further 66,000, up from 39,000.

Last year, it admitted a property it had been renting out wasnt fit for habitation, and it also took a holiday on repaying a Covid Bounceback loan, underwritten by the Treasury.

It recently unveiled a deal to lease its hunting lodge  which was refurbished out of the public purse for 1.1 million but has lain empty for years  as a hotel.

Scottish Conservative shadow rural affairs and land reform secretary Tim Eagle said: These schemes sound great in theory for communities to enable them to take decisions in their best interests, but the costs cannot spiral out of control.

As SNP ministers push forward with more aggressive land reform measures, they need to learn from what has happened previously, and ensure that taxpayers are not getting a raw deal.

Scots who are being hit with the highest taxes in the United Kingdom will want SNP ministers to start justifying these costs, if the benefits are not clear to see.

Council tax bills are set to rocket this week as town halls grapple with budget shortfalls worth millions of pounds.

Many local authorities are preparing double-digit increases, including a 15.6 per cent rise in Falkirk.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: Community ownership is an investment in tackling depopulation, providing crucial facilities, and giving people more power and a stake in the land where they live and work.

Our support  whether funding, advice, or greater legal powers  is helping meet the different needs of communities seeking to acquire land and assets that contribute benefit those who live there.

The UK Government said it had axed the fund that granted Gigha the pub hand-out due to the challenging inheritance left by the previous government.

IGHT was approached for comment.

This week, the 20,000 South Sleat Estate on Skye was put up for sale after its owner, the Clan Donald Lands Trust, admitted it couldnt make it run profitably.
The overstretched NHS may not be able to deliver on landmark legislation that would guarantee treatment for drug addicts and alcoholics, nurses fear.

The Royal College of Nursing in Scotland (RCN) has said that, while it supports the principle of the Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill, bringing it into law might overload the health service.

If implemented, the Bill  which has garnered cross-party support  would establish a right in law to treatment for anyone in Scotland addicted to alcohol, drugs, or both.

But RCN Scotland said that making access to treatment a legal entitlement when services are under strain and under-resourced could lead to people not having their rights met.

The union warned last year that there are not enough nurses to deliver safe patient care.

Meanwhile, Scotland is still in the grip of a drugs death emergency after police recorded more than 1,000 fatalities last year.

At the same time, latest Public Health Scotland statistics show there were around 43,400 people with opioid dependence in Scotland as of 2023.

Nurses fear the overstretched NHS may not be able to deliver on landmark legislation that would guarantee treatment for drug addicts and alcoholics

Scottish Conservative MSP Douglas Ross proposed the Bill as a lifeline for addicts

There are just 541 beds currently available in Scotland for residential rehabilitation.

Only around 1,000 Scots a year receive access to the inpatient treatment on the NHS.

Scottish Conservative MSP Douglas Rosss proposed Bill has been pitched as a lifeline for thousands of Scots suffering the torture of addiction.

However, RCN Scotland has said that the law is unlikely to achieve improvements to access to treatment in itself.

It has suggested that, rather than introduce new laws, the Scottish Government should bolster the workforce to help addicts, as recommended by the Auditor General last year.

And it said that the Government should prioritise increased funding for prevention, better information to inform service planning, and work to ensure funding is directed effectively.

RCN Scotland has also raised concerns that introducing legally binding targets could see people rushed into treatment before they are ready, or into treatment that does not best suit their needs.

Colin Poolman, executive director of RCN Scotland, said: Nursing staff play a key role in the delivery of drug and alcohol services. Were concerned that the Bill wont deliver the improvements needed to increase access to services as this requires an increase in resources to expand service capacity and train and develop staff.

There needs to be a better understanding of the existing workforce and action to ensure the workforce is boosted to meet levels of need.

Mr Ross last night said: I welcome the Royal College of Nursings support for the principles of my Bill.

Everyone in Scotland deserves a right to recovery and rehabilitation, but to make this possible we must have the resources in place to deliver it.

I look forward to working with the RCN, other organisations, and cross party MSPs to pass this important legislation.
As anyone who has had the misfortune of dealing with civil service bureaucracy will know, it can be a complicated endeavour. There is the jargon, the minutes that bleed into hours spent on hold on the phone and, of course, the endless form-filling. But mastering this red tape - particularly in relation to Britain's bloated benefits system - can apparently also present extraordinarily lucrative business opportunities. Just ask Charlie Anderson, a YouTube blogger who says her chronic arthritis and fatigue has rendered her unable to work. Thanks to her lengthy experience with the welfare system, she is extremely proficient at filling out forms used to claim the Personal Independence Payment [PIP] allowance disability benefit. So adept has she become in applying for this taxpayer-funded help that she has taken to explaining the 'tricks of the trade' to any prospective benefits claimant - for a hefty fee, of course.
Lori Vallow Daybell, widely known as the 'Doomsday cult mom,' disclosed why she has decided to represent herself as she prepares to face her second murder trial.

Already convicted in Idaho for conspiracy to murder her children, Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow, as well as her husband's first wife, Tammy Daybell, Vallow Daybell was extradited to Maricopa County, Arizona, in November 2023 on two indictments.

Speaking to True Crime Arizona, Vallow Daybell, who is already serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole, stated, 'I'm fighting for my life here.'

This upcoming trial focused on the 2019 death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, who was fatally shot by her brother Alex Cox in Chandler, and the attempted murder conspiracy involving her niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux.

Although Cox claimed self-defense and later died of natural causes, a jury was selected for the conspiracy to commit murder trial, with opening statements scheduled for Monday.

Explaining her decision to represent herself, Vallow Daybell said, 'I'm not an attorney. I don't have training to be an attorney. There's something that I figured out when I got to this jail, you know. This experience has been five years running, OK.

'I went through a whole trial, you know, before in my other state. And then, I was brought here to Arizona to face some more serious charges.'

The convicted child killer also responded to how the public viewed her decision: 'I never hear any of this stuff because I'm in a room 23 hours a day, and we don't have access to any kind of news.

'So I didn't know that people were saying that, but I wouldn't agree with that, obviously.'

Daybell said her choice was also motivated by a desire for a speedy trial, not only for herself but for other women incarcerated with her.

Lori Vallow Daybell, widely known as the 'Doomsday cult mom,' disclosed her reasoning behind a surprising legal decision as she prepared to face her second murder trial.

Vallow, also known as 'doomsday cult mom', was handed multiple life sentences with no chance of parole in July 2023 for murdering two of her children , Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, 7

'There are intelligent, strong, beautiful women in here that have been here for eight years because of family tragedies,' she said.

It's the same, like my case, a family tragedy, not crime. A family tragedy, and they're waiting and they're facing the death penalty for a family tragedy,' she said.

'I know these women. I talk to them every day. I try to uplift, strengthen and help women in this jail, and I think that's the purpose, why I'm here.'

She described the events of her life as a 'family tragedy' and despite a jury finding her guilty, maintained that she had been wrongfully convicted in Idaho.

'It's a tragedy. Families have tragedies. Things happen and there was a domino effect of tragedies in my life. And that's really sad.'

When prompted to elaborate on the 'domino effect,' Vallow Daybell smiled and responded, 'It's probably something that we should save for next time.'

As the trial approached, she admitted she was feeling some pressure.

'It's a big case. It's stressful. There's a lot of things,' she said. 'There's a lot of legal things that have to be done. We're working on stuff every day. We're working late into the night. The biggest challenge for me in this trial will be the logistics.'

When asked about the possibility of being found not guilty, Vallow Daybell replied, 'I don't think I'm here to convince anybody. I think I'm there to just tell the truth. I'm defending myself against being wrongfully accused.'

This upcoming trial focused on the 2019 death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow (pictured), who was fatally shot by her brother Alex Cox in Chandler

Pictured: In this Tuesday, June 9, 2020, file aerial photo, investigators search for human remains at Chad Daybell's residence in the 200 block of 1900 east, in Salem, Idaho

This is not the first time Vallow Daybell has made a shocking request before trial.

In February, Vallow Daybell asked a judge to block Court TV from streaming her upcoming murder trial in Arizona on March 31.

The disgraced mother filed an objection last month in Maricopa County Superior Court, stating the Court TV 'should be ashamed' for asking to stream her upcoming murder trial.

'Court TV should be ashamed of its very nature and its request, since its sole objective is NOT to bring people real news or facts but instead its objective is to entertain the public with the very true-life tragedies that happen in real people's lives,' she wrote in court documents, obtained by Fox News Digital.

Vallow Daybell also claimed that the broadcasting network is using her and Daybell's images in commercials, leading the couple to be 'falsely characterized, libeled and slandered.'

Her husband, Chad Daybell, was sentenced to death in June of the previous year after being convicted of murdering Tammy, J.J. and Tylee in cult-like killings.

The two children went missing in 2019, and their bodies were discovered the following year buried in Chad Daybell's backyard in eastern Idaho.
Political guru James Carville warned that any Republicans cooperating with President Donald Trump will end up being viewed similarly to how Nazi 'collaborators' after WWII.

Carville, a former advisor to Bill Clinton, said Trump supporters like Laura Loomer will face retribution after the current president's reign is over and will be humiliated and punished like the Nazis.

'They didn't take very kindly to the collaborators,' he said on on his Politicon podcast on Friday. 'No, it was not a very pretty sight in the streets of Paris.'

His statement refers to the aftermath of the liberation of Paris from German forces in 1944, when French Nazi collaborators were rounded up to face public retribution.

Women who were deemed Nazi colluders also had their heads shaved and were publicly shamed for their participation in the war.

'I'm not saying that these people should be placed in pajamas and have their head shaved, marched down Pennsylvania Avenue and spit on,' he added. 'I'm not saying that, but I'm saying that that did happen.'

He branded law firms and companies that are 'sucking up' to Trump 'a pack of grifter'.

'They're stupid, they're anti-patriotic,' he fumed. 'How disgraced must these law firms feel now, how disgraced must these companies that are sucking up to him that are giving him tens of millions of dollars for access... do you know what's going to happen? Do you know how this ends?'

The use of the term 'collaborators' is especially inflammatory as it has connotations of collusion with the Nazis.

'These people betrayed the French nation in the same way that I think that these law firms and these giant corporate conglomerates are betraying the United States,' Carville said.

Political guru, James Carville, warned Republicans cooperating with President Donald Trump will end up like the Nazi collaborators after WWII

'They're stupid, they're anti-patriotic, and they're all - in my humble opinion - a pack of grifters,' he said of Trump's supporters

Carville, a former advisor to Bill Clinton, said Trump supporters like Laura Loomer (pictured with Trump) will face retribution after the current president's reign is over and will be humiliated and punished like the Nazis were

'Etch their names in the tablet of history for being some of the greatest traitors appeasers that we've seen in the history of our great country.'

He encouraged Democrats to wait it out and 'keep a list of collaborators and traitors that have exhibited extreme coward-ness in the face of the most dangerous domestic enemy this country has faced since the Civil War.'

The Trump Administration has pressured several law firms that have connections to Democratic policies or anti-Trump causes.

Trump banned Perkins Coie's employees from accessing government buildings in an executive order and called for the firm's government contracts end. The law firm sued Trump over the order.

A New York-based firm - Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP - agreed to pledge $40 million of legal support toward the administration after Trump pressured them.

Carville lamented that he isn't calling for the humiliation treatment of Trump's collaborators at the end of his term, but did suggest a 'Hall of Fame' where the collaborators would be publicly named for all to see.

'Feel free to make nominations,' he joked.

Recently, Carville declared Trump's presidency has already collapsed - barely 80 days into the Republican leader's historic return to the White House.

In 1944 in Paris after the city was liberated and in Norway, women who were deemed Nazi collaborators had their heads shaved and were publicly shamed for their participation in the war

'These people betrayed the French nation in the same way that I think that these law firms and these giant corporate conglomerates are betraying the United States,' Carville said.

Carville made the bombshell claim during an appearance on CNN, telling host Michael Smerconish that he was surprised by just how quickly the Trump administration had in his view, fallen apart.

'I had no idea. I thought I'd have to wait longer for the imminent collapse. It happened even faster than I could imagine,' Carville said, with his trademark bayou drawl.

Carville has spent decades dissecting the highs and lows of American politics and seen plenty of erratic behavior from politicians.

But the 'Ragin Cajun's' latest comments were rooted in his February New York Times op-ed, in which he advised Democrats to essentially play dead in order to bide their time and allow the Trump administration to implode under the weight of its own dysfunction.

'Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is retreat on the immediate battlefield - and advance in another direction,' he wrote.

'It won't take long. Public support for this administration will fall through the floorboard. It's already happening.'
Legendary SAS commander Paddy Mayne was denied a Victoria Cross because of a glaring 'clerical error' by two army chiefs, new research reveals.

Lieutenant-Colonel Blair 'Paddy' Mayne - whose heroics during the Second World War feature in the BBC drama series SAS Rogue Heroes - was recommended for a VC for smashing through a Nazi ambush in Germany in April 1945.

During the action, he rescued wounded men and eliminated a German machine-gun position.

The recommendation was, however, controversially downgraded in Whitehall. He instead received a Distinguished Service Order - his fourth of the Second World War.

The Mail on Sunday revealed in January that the Ministry of Defence was being urged to reverse the decision.

Now an extraordinary military document discovered in an archive in Canada and shared with the MoS suggest that senior officers assessing Lt Col Mayne's citation appear to have made an embarrassing mistake by confusing the word 'signal' with 'single'.

The Royal Warrant that instituted the VC in 1856 states that the medal is awarded to those who have performed 'some signal act of valour or devotion to their country.'

But Lt Col Mayne appears to have missed out because he received help from a comrade who was blasting the Germans with a machine gun which, it was argued, meant his feat was not 'single' act of valour.

Lt-Col Mayne, a founding member of the SAS, was recommended for a VC for blasting through a Nazi ambush in Lower Saxony in April 1945

During the action, he rescued wounded men and eliminated a German machine-gun position

The revelation comes ahead of a debate by MPs in the House of Commons on Tuesday about Lt Col Mayne's denial of a VC.

A letter written by Brigadier JRC Gannon, a senior British Army officer, in July 1945 praised Lt Col Mayne's 'magnificent act of heroism' but warned there was a 'certain flaw' in the citation.

He suggested that he had consulted Sir Colville Wemyss, one of the most senior Generals in Whitehall, who agreed that Mayne's heroics were not 'quite up to VC standard'.

Brig Gannon wrote: 'It was not a single-handed act of heroism, rescuing the wounded, as another officer was present in the jeep giving covering fire.

'Nevertheless, it was a magnificent performance and it is suggested that the rare distinction of a third bar to the DSO would be the appropriate award.'

Last night historian and SAS expert Damien Lewis, who along with the grandson of one of the founders of the SAS commissioned the research, described the letter as a 'smoking gun' that exposes how the officers misunderstood the rules governing the award of VCs.

'This reveals that the refusal of Paddy Mayne's VC seems to have been a clerical error or an error of interpreting the rules of how VCs get awarded.

'Therefore the debate is no longer asking the British Government to overturn decades of military tradition that awards are not revisited retrospectively. It is just asking them to correct an error of fact.

'It would be very simple to do and it would not set a precedent. It would suitably reward Paddy Mayne and the SAS and also send a wonderful message to Britain's armed forces today.'

Brig Gannon's letter was found in a Canadian archive because Lt Col Mayne's SAS unit was embedded with Canadian forces in Germany in 1945.

The MoS revealed in February how Labour Defence minister Lord Coaker had rejected calls for Lt Col Mayne to be awarded a VC.

'No records remain as to why the decision was made, and it would be impossible to second guess the decisions made by military commanders at the time: to do so would be to cast doubt on their competence and integrity,' he said.

Lt-Col Mayne's heroics in the Second World War are featured in the BBC drama series SAS Rogue Heroes (Jack O'Connell pictured as Mayne)

The decision not to award a posthumous Victoria Cross (pictured) was criticised by former defence secretaries including Sir Ben Wallace and Grant Shapps

'Furthermore, neither this Government nor any previous one has departed from the rule that British awards are not granted retrospectively.'

The Commons debate on Tuesday has been tabled by Jim Shannon, the Democratic Unionist Party MP for Strangford in Northern Ireland. Lt Col Mayne was from Newtonards in Ulster.

Mr Shannon told the MoS: 'As a wee boy growing up in Ballywalter in the 1960s and the early 1970s, Blair Mayne was my hero. He was a hero for every wee boy and probably most wee girls as well.

'The momentum is growing for this and the interest is growing. We are hoping that the support from across chamber will enable the minister to take this to the next stage and that at long last the wrong that was done against Blair Mayne 80 years ago can be righted.'

Veterans Minister Alistair Carns, a former Royal Marine who has won the Military Cross and DSO for gallantry on operations, will respond on behalf of the Government during the debate.
On a recent spring night, nearly a thousand drones took flight simultaneously at a college in southwest China's Sichuan Province, lighting up the sky with messages like "set aside studies and work" and "savor our nation's beauty" in announcing an upcoming seven-day break.

"It was definitely a surprise when I first learned about the additional break. Most of us choose to travel with friends," said a student at Sichuan Southwest Vocational College of Civil Aviation.

Such spring breaks are now popular among Chinese schools and universities, as it provides more opportunities for students to connect with nature and engage in hands-on learning, while also unleashing great consumption vitality for the country.

Traditionally, besides public holidays, students in China have only had breaks in summer and winter. Now, however, many higher education institutions, such as Renmin University of China in Beijing, allow students to enjoy extra breaks.

Notably, additional breaks are becoming increasingly common for younger Chinese students as well. In March, Chinese authorities issued an action plan, encouraging regions with suitable conditions to implement spring and autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools based on local realities, with such breaks forming part of efforts to stimulate tourism-related consumption.

To date, the plan has received positive responses from over a thousand schools in at least 12 provincial regions.

In Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, a total of 310 students from Yuyan Middle School recently enjoyed an additional five-day holiday, going on a journey to explore history and science at sites like the Museum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and Zhuhai Aerospace Land. "While others are stuck in classrooms, we're out enjoying ourselves," a student said excitedly.

According to the school, the break was a pilot program for seventh-grade students only, but it may be expanded to include other non-graduating grades next semester.

The implementation of this plan has enjoyed broad public support. A 2024 online survey showed that 71.3 percent of respondents backed the idea of spring breaks for primary, secondary and college students. Many parents are particularly supportive of the new policy.

The mother of an elementary school student in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, said she plans her work schedule ahead of time each year, arranging leave during her child's spring break for family trips. During last year's spring break, they traveled to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, while this year they will visit the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, experiencing its beauty by boat.

Such arrangements are common among primary and secondary school parents in Hangzhou. As a result, the city's major transport hubs experience a surge in travelers around the spring and autumn breaks.

On April 28, 2024, the first day of Hangzhou's spring break last year, the city's international airport reported 904 scheduled flights, with an estimated 140,000 passengers -- an over 10 percent increase from the previous week. Among the outbound travelers, families with children were a major group.

In China's tourism market, family travel is rapidly emerging as a strong consumption force. According to Trip.com, China's leading online travel platform, family travel accounted for 28 percent of all travelers in 2023, with total travel bookings by this group surging 186 percent year on year.

As the first Chinese city to introduce spring and autumn holidays for students, Hangzhou has been refining the system over the past two decades. "Overall, public feedback has been positive, with parents responding favorably," said Tu Xiaodan, an official in charge of basic education at Hangzhou's education bureau.

These additional holidays help reduce academic pressure on students while enabling families to travel during off-peak periods. "This improves holiday quality and strengthens parent-child bonds," Tu said, adding that in recent years, many officials from other regions have come to learn about the implementation of spring and autumn breaks in Hangzhou.

Cities and schools exploring such seasonal breaks should plan them carefully -- taking economy, climate and other factors into consideration, emphasized Luo Caijun, principal of Hangzhou Maiyuqiao Elementary School. "Adopting different vacation periods is essential in fulfilling the purpose of establishing the additional breaks," he said.

This off-peak travel approach effectively addresses the "tidal effect" in holiday economies, unlocks family spending power, and ensures more sustainable tourism market growth throughout the year.

Additionally, this institutional reform transcends mere adjustments to vacation schedules, as it represents an evolution in educational philosophy and an optimization of public policy frameworks in China.

"Education is not just about classrooms and books. It can happen in museums, libraries and in nature, too. Seasonal breaks are a vital upgrade to China's education model," said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy.

The inclusion of these breaks in the action plan chapter on protecting rest and vacation rights, alongside measures like strictly enforcing paid annual leave and prohibiting illegal extension of working hours, sends a strong signal of emphasizing the protection of leisure rights, he added.
Nearly half of all companies are cutting recruitment because of Rachel Reeves' hike in National Insurance, research suggests.

A survey of 254 companies representing more than 260,000 employees found that 46 per cent said they would curtail their hiring as a result of the rise  which comes into effect from Sunday.

The Chancellor has hit companies with an increase in the rate which employers pay in contributions from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent, adding 25 billion to the amount they pay in tax and helping to push many struggling companies closer to insolvency.

The NI hike, revealed in last October's Budget, has piled the pressure on firms who are also facing higher minimum wages and business rates, as well as the cost of adapting to new workers' rights.

The survey, by recruitment company Reed, found many companies reporting that they had already postponed or stopped recruitment.

Almost two thirds of respondents said they were concerned about the upcoming changes to NI contributions. On average, they estimated their annual profits would decrease by 29 per cent after it had been implemented.

The increase to NI contributions is also causing 16 per cent of businesses to start making redundancies.

Some 19 per cent also said they were postponing or cancelling salary reviews. In addition, 22 per cent said they were having to make budget cuts in certain departments as a result of the changes.

Nearly half of all companies are cutting recruitment because of Rachel Reeves' hike in National Insurance, research suggests

The Chancellor was joined by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and London Mayor Sadiq Khan in Ronnie Scott's yesterday

The trio's visit followed the government taking new steps with business leaders to boost the growth of UK's hospitality business

London has been particularly hard hit, with 60 per cent saying it is impacting their hiring decisions, compared with 38 per cent of firms from outside London.

And 24 per cent of businesses from London said they were already making redundancies in response to the NI increase, versus 12 per cent in the rest of the country. The rise in the national minimum wage this month, from 11.44 an hour to 12.21 for everyone employed aged 21 and over, has also hit recruitment, with 26 per cent saying they had paused hiring and 35 per cent saying it had significantly affected their ability to hire.

James Reed, chairman and CEO of the Reed Group, said: 'Everyone understands there are difficult decisions to be made given the state of the public finances, but we warned when the increase in employers' National Insurance was announced it was a tax on jobs and so it has proved.

'The findings of our survey clearly demonstrate the impact and suggest the jobs market will remain under pressure. The hole this tax increase has made in a million company balance sheets is regrettable.

'These are tough times for companies that want to hire and expand and this will feed through into weaker economic growth.'
A British pensioner held hostage for more than nine weeks by the Taliban has described his torment inside Afghanistan's most notorious prison as 'the nearest thing to hell I can imagine'.

Peter Reynolds, 79, speaking from a payphone inside Pul-e-Charkhi maximum security jail in Kabul, also voiced his fears for his 76-year-old wife Barbie, who is being held in the prison's women's quarters.

'I've been joined up with rapists and murderers by handcuffs and ankle cuffs, including a man who killed his wife and three children, shouting away, a demon-possessed man,' he said.

Mr Reynolds said his circumstances  'a cage rather than a cell'  were 'VIP conditions' compared with those in for the women. He said he had lost weight thanks to a single meal a day, usually nan bread and chickpeas with green tea for breakfast.

'The atmosphere is pretty shocking. I am learning a lot about the underbelly of Afghanistan. The prison guards shout all the time and beat people with a piece of piping. It's a horrible atmosphere  the nearest thing to hell I can imagine.'

A lawyer working for the European Union mission was allowed to bring him medicine last week after Reynolds ran out of the heart pills and beta blockers, which he needs after a mini-stroke last year.

No charges have been issued, nor any explanation given for why Peter and Barbie were arrested on February 1 with their interpreter, Jaya, and a visiting Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall.

They were detained after flying in a small plane from Kabul to an airstrip near their home in the central province of Bamiyan, known for its giant Buddha statues, which were blown up by the previous Taliban regime.

Peter Reynolds, 79, and wife Barbie Reynolds, 75, are being held by the Talban at Pul-e-Charkhi maximum security jail in Kabul

The couple were detained as they travelled back to their home in the country's Bamyan province on February 1 of this year

Your browser does not support iframes.

The couple's visiting Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall, was released from Taliban jail at the end of March after the Trump administration lifted bounties worth $10 million from the heads of senior Taliban figures including Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister

A Taliban soldier attends a rally to celebrate the withdrawal of US forces in Kandahar, Afghanistan on September 01, 2021

Between 2004 and 2016, the US bought the Afghans more than 64,000 machine guns. Above, a Taliban fighter stands guard at a checkpoint in Kabul in 2021

Their arrest was by ordered by a commander linked to the Haqqani network, a faction led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister (pictured)

Sources within the Taliban say the arrests are a bid to increase international pressure on the government and its supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada (pictured)

Hall was released last weekend after the Trump administration lifted bounties worth $10 million from the heads of senior Taliban figures including Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister.

The couple have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years, having fallen in love with the country when they travelled there as students at Bath University. They got married in Afghanistan in 1970 and have two sons and two daughters after a third son died.

Mr Reynolds has pleaded with his family not to pay any ransom and demanded the Taliban apologise for detaining them.

'No money should be paid in hush money or hostage money, it doesn't solve anything if millions of dollars are paid,' he said in calls from prison which were shared with The Sunday Times.

'This government needs to face up to the fact it has made a mistake, it has done wrong.'

His biggest concern, he said, was his wife, who is being held separately. They both ask every day for permission to meet but so far this has not been granted.

After being told that the American woman who was detained with the couple had been freed, Mr Reynolds's fears only increased.

In a call with his son Jonathan, he said: 'Oh no, so Mum's on her own. Oh my, oh my goodness, and they won't let me see her, that's terrible news.'
A senior nurse who addressed a transgender paedophile as 'Mister' has been suspended after speaking to The Mail on Sunday.

Jennifer Melle, 40, was previously investigated and disciplined by NHS bosses despite being called the N-word three times by the patient, a convicted sex offender, who lunged at her.

Now, after a four-minute meeting with a manager last week, she was suspended, ordered to collect her belongings and escorted out of St Helier Hospital in Carshalton, Surrey, in tears.

Last night Tory leader Kemi Badenoch described Ms Melle's treatment as 'completely crazy'. She said: 'She has my full support. It's time the Government pulls its finger out and intervenes to make it clear no one should be punished at work for stating biological reality to paedophiles.'

Ugandan-born Ms Melle, from Croydon, South London, spoke to this newspaper last month about her ordeal. She said that in response to being called 'he' rather than 'she', the paedophile, known as Patient X, flew into a rage and left her fearing for her safety.

The nurse has now been told she faces investigation over a 'potential breach' of patient information.

Ms Melle told the MoS: 'I am devastated to have been suspended just for whistleblowing. Despite being the one placed at risk, I am the one being punished. The message I have received is clear: I am expected to tolerate racism, deny biological reality and suppress my deeply held Christian beliefs.'

After her story was published, Ms Melle was praised by colleagues. They told her of their own encounters with Patient X, who turned up last year from a high-security men's prison to receive treatment for a urinary problem.

Jennifer Melle, 40, who addressed a transgender paedophile as 'Mister' has been suspended after speaking to The Mail on Sunday

After a four-minute meeting with a manager last week, she was suspended, ordered to collect her belongings and escorted out of St Helier Hospital in Carshalton, Surrey, in tears

During the evening shift, a colleague told Ms Melle the patient wanted to self-discharge and a doctor was called for guidance. Ms Melle spoke to the doctor on the phone outside the patient's room, during which she referred to the patient as 'Mister' and 'he'. She said she was discussing a catheter for a male, adding: 'This was a medical scenario that required accurate terminology.'

Overhearing, the patient took issue with the male pronoun. The nurse replied she was 'sorry I cannot refer to you as 'her' or 'she', as it's against my faith'.

The patient began to verbally abuse the nurse, saying: 'Imagine if I called you n*****? How about I call you n*****? Yes, black n*****.'

Ms Melle said: 'It was terrifying. I'd never been called that word. I thought I was going to be attacked.'

But it was Ms Melle who was punished by the hospital with a final warning and a referral to the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Now she is filing a legal claim against the Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust for harassment, discrimination and human rights breaches.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Ms Melle, said: 'This is blatant, unlawful victimisation. Jennifer's decision to speak out about her treatment is a legally protected act under the Equality Act.

The nurse has now been told she faces investigation over a 'potential breach' of patient information

'The NHS has become so entrenched in transgender ideology that it is willing to side with a man brought in from prison in chains  who was shouting racist abuse  over a Christian nurse. We call on Health Secretary Wes Streeting to intervene.'

A spokesman for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust said: 'We expect all members of staff to follow professional standards  this includes maintaining confidentiality for any patients in their care at all times.'
Ministers have scrapped a Tory-initiated review into the 'woke culture' in the Armed Forces, despite claims that diversity policies have contributed to a serious shortage of trained officers.

Grant Shapps, who commissioned the review last year when he was defence secretary, condemned Labour for blocking moves to 'stop woke ideology from seeping into our Armed Forces like rust weakening steel'.

Last month, the Daily Mail revealed that diversity-hiring practices had contributed to a 30 per cent shortfall in pilots at the ranks of flight lieutenant and squadron leader in the RAF, after an attempt to discriminate against white male applicants backfired.

Candidates who had been overlooked in these attempts to prioritise the recruitment of women and ethnic minorities are now being urged to reapply for training as the RAF frantically tries to fill cockpits with combat-ready crew.

But Labour's defence minister Alistair Carns has admitted in a parliamentary answer that staffing on the review into equality, diversity and inclusion policies in the Armed Forces had been 'paused'.

When launching the review, Mr Shapps said 'the drumbeat of those who despise Britain, her proud history and the culture of her great people, is failing the Armed Services and the British public'.

Last night he said: 'Sadly, this proves what we feared  this government is drawn to indulging in social engineering rather than ensuring our forces are battle-ready.

'Scrapping this review betrays the integrity of our Armed Forces by sidelining the only criterion that should ever matter  excellence.'

Former defence secretary Grant Shapps, who commissioned the review last year, condemned Labour for blocking moves to 'stop woke ideology from seeping into our Armed Forces like rust weakening steel'

Last month, the Daily Mail revealed that diversity-hiring practices had contributed to a 30 per cent shortfall in pilots at the ranks of flight lieutenant and squadron leader in the RAF , after an attempt to discriminate against white male applicants backfired. Pictured: Alistair Carns, Labour's Minister of Veterans and People, speaks to Army personnel in October last year

Candidates who had been overlooked in these attempts to prioritise the recruitment of women and ethnic minorities are now being urged to reapply for training as the RAF frantically tries to fill cockpits with combat-ready crew. Pictured: Alistair Carns speaks with cadets during a STEM challenge, on October 29, 2024

Tory defence spokesman James Cartlidge said: 'These rules have led to pilot shortages, and we were taking action to stop them.

He added: 'It is shocking, but not surprising, that this isn't a priority for a government that rejected our plan for higher defence spending last July because it would have meant cutting the civil service and upsetting their union paymasters.'

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'We want the broadest talent and skills in our Armed Forces and we are committed to recruiting and retaining the best talent, whatever their background.'
Millions of vapers are willing to take a chance on buying possible toxic products to dodge an upcoming ban on their habit, a survey suggests.

The Government has banned the sale of disposable vapes from June 1. But the survey of users over the age of 18 found one-third admit they are likely to turn to the black market to beat the crackdown.

Illegal products can often contain nicotine levels higher than the UK legal limit and may harbour cancer-causing chemicals.

A study by the University of Derby also found illegal vapes with alarming levels of copper, nickel and lead that could cause dangerous long-term health impacts.

Of the estimated 5.6 million vapers across the UK, men are more than twice as likely as women to turn to the dangerous products  with those aged 35 to 54 most likely to say they will buy the outlawed disposable items.

Markus Lindblad, from vaping company Haypp which conducted the poll, said: The disposable vapes ban will create a black market. There is no guarantee that any vape in circulation after June 1 is safe.

Millions of vapers are willing to take a chance on buying possible toxic products to dodge an upcoming ban on their habit, a survey suggests

NHS England revealed that doctors have seen a 733 per cent surge in children and teenagers being admitted for vaping-related disorders since 2020

NHS data shows that one in four children has tried vaping while one in ten uses them regularly. Among 16 to 17-year-olds, the rate rises to one in six. Disposable varieties are by far the most common form, with as many as 70 per cent of child vapers using them.

NHS England revealed that doctors have seen a 733 per cent surge in children and teenagers being admitted for vaping-related disorders since 2020.

Research by Midland Health, a private GP firm, has found that in the past four years councils have seized more than five million illegal vapes worth 60 million.Dr Rupa Parmar, a Birmingham-based GP, said: Without proper restrictions, these vaping products can include carcinogens, chemicals linked to lung disease, and metals such as lead.
Cash-strapped hospitals have written off 256.4 million owed by foreign patients because of failures to properly check that they were entitled to free NHS treatment.

An investigation by The Mail on Sunday shows escalating debts from health tourists  who have had everything from spinal surgery to heart care and cancer treatment  is creating a growing black hole in NHS finances.

In the last year alone, 44 million has been lost  a 63 per cent increase on the 26.9 million that hospitals had to write off in 2017-18.

Damning findings from our research, based on an analysis of health service accounts over the past seven years and a detailed Freedom of Information request to trusts across England, reveal:

Just a third of the 621 million owed by overseas visitors to hospitals has been repaid.

One Nigerian patient who had planned treatment at Barts Health NHS Trust in London ran up a near 500,000 bill, and a Romanian patient owes Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust in south London 71,000.

More than 400 overseas patients had non-urgent treatment last year at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust in east London  with 285 invoices still outstanding for a combined total of 1.3 million.

The number of healthcare tourists using the NHS for planned treatment has doubled in nine years, adding to growing waiting lists for taxpayers.

Cash-strapped hospitals have written off 256.4 million owed by foreign patients because of failures to properly check that they were entitled to free NHS treatment

Escalating debts from health tourists  who have had everything from spinal surgery to heart care and cancer treatment  is creating a growing black hole in NHS finances

In the last year alone, 44 million has been lost  a 63 per cent increase on the 26.9 million that hospitals had to write off in 2017-18

Last night, after being confronted with the MoS's investigation, Health Secretary Wes Streeting vowed he would act to 'clean up this mess'.

However, the figures are likely to be the tip of the iceberg as only patients who have been identified as having to pay are included  raising fears that many more millions of pounds are slipping through the net.

Tory MP Joe Robertson, who is on the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, said: 'Britain is not a healthcare charity for the world. NHS management needs to charge these people upfront before they receive any planned treatment. That way chancers can't abscond without paying the bill.

'The NHS can't claim it needs more money while writing off millions of pounds of debt owed by foreign nationals for elective, non-urgent surgery.

'If a tourist has an accident on holiday in the UK it is fair they receive emergency care, but the NHS seems to be providing planned, elective surgery to foreigners who fail to pay.

'If NHS management won't get a grip then the Health Secretary needs to force their hand. There is no point scrapping NHS England and taking the NHS back in-house if Wes Streeting won't stamp out more of this gross waste.'

The Government has been forced to shore up the NHS's budget by a further 21 billion over the past two years, while waiting lists for hospital treatment remain at a record high with just 59 per cent receiving care within the 18-week target.

The 256.4 million written off could have paid for 8,500 new nurses or nearly 3,000 GPs. It would cover the cost of treating 27,000 breast cancer patients or fund 15,000 kidney transplants.

Only a third of the 621 million owed by overseas visitors to hospitals in the UK has been repaid

The fact many foreign patient bills are for treatment which is 'elective'  planned in advance  has added to the anger.

While GP services and emergency care are free for anyone, regardless of residency status, hospitals are supposed to identify chargeable patients and bill them upfront  at 150 per cent of NHS prices  before receiving any other care, such as specialist appointments and planned procedures.

But the figures reveal overstretched hospitals often fail to do this in time, and instead issue invoices to the patient afterwards  allowing them to leave the country without paying.

This contrasts with health systems in France, Ireland, the US and Australia, where payment is required upfront.

Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK, said it was 'outrageous' that only a fraction of overseas patients' costs were being recovered.

'Wes Streeting must push trusts to stop relying entirely on the taxpayer to pay for non-emergency treatment to those not entitled to it,' he said.

'The founders of the National Health Service, like Nye Bevan, would be horrified to find it had become the International Health Service.'

The NHS has billed overseas patients 621 million over the past seven years. Just 233 million  about a third  has been repaid, while the amount being written off is rising because patients can't be traced, have died or because the hospital has chosen not to pursue the debt.

Alp Mehmet, the chairman of Migration Watch UK, says the founder of the NHS Nye Bevan (pictured here with his wife Jennie Lee), 'would be horrified to find it had become the International Health Service'

This is despite the fact that in 2014, amid concern the NHS was 'overly generous' to overseas visitors, the Government pledged to recover up to 500 million a year.

John O'Connell, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, called on MPs to reform the system and 'treat taxpayers' money with the respect it deserves'.

He said: 'The fact that the health service is unable to even ensure those who are not entitled to free healthcare are paying what they owe is indicative of a culture that doesn't care about wasted money.'

All hospitals have a legal duty to identify patients who are not entitled to free NHS care and recover costs, a duty overseen by overseas visitor managers.

This may involve the MESH system, an IT tool developed by NHS England which cross-references a patient's information against other records, including those held by the Home Office.

Foreign patients should be told what the charge is likely to be and how to pay, and hospitals must take 'all reasonable measures' to recover the cost before treatment starts.

But for compassionate reasons, official guidance states care which a doctor rules is urgent should not be withheld  even if a patient has indicated they cannot pay.

This is particularly the case on maternity wards, where withholding care can harm mothers and babies.

One Nigerian patient who had planned treatment at Barts Health NHS Trust in London ran up a near 500,000 bill, and a Romanian patient owes Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust in south London 71,000

In this instance an invoice is issued and efforts are made to recover the costs later, which may involve payment plans.

Hospitals can use international debt collectors to recoup these costs, but it is expensive with no guarantee that the patient will be willing or able to pay, even if they are traced.

One policy expert said: 'The reality is that it's often not worth the hospital trusts' while as it can cost more to employ enough staff to check the status of every patient and to chase up the payments once an invoice has been issued. Some trusts are better than others.'

The figures include patients who have been treated in A&E and then admitted to a ward, where further care becomes billable. Others are referred to hospital by GPs for an assessment or treatment which is elective.

Most hospitals were unable to separate out bills for elective and non-elective care. But some, including Barking, Havering and Redbridge  whose 1.3 million unpaid debt in a year includes a Ghanaian who owes 18,000 for orthopaedic care  did supply figures. University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust revealed it provided elective treatment to 531 overseas patients last year, which includes a 22,000 unpaid bill for spinal surgery.

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust confirmed that 396 foreign patients had elective treatment last year, with 194 invoices worth nearly 300,000 outstanding. Other examples include a Hungarian who received kidney and heart treatment at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and owes 23,000, and several patients from India and Cameroon who received cancer treatment and owe tens of thousands of pounds.

Separate figures from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) show overseas patients appear to be increasingly seeking elective NHS procedures.

While statistics for those receiving emergency care have not substantially changed, the numbers admitted for day procedures have more than doubled in nine years from 3,885 to 8,585 in 2022-23. That dipped to 6,205 last year.

The Mail on Sunday's data shows Nigerians had by far the most outstanding debts, followed by Romanians, Indians, Albanians and US citizens. Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust revealed that, in one year, 92 Nigerians had debts totalling 238,553  around 2,600 each. It also billed 76 Romanians for a total 178,936 and 33 Albanians for 106,959.

The Mail on Sunday asked several large hospital trusts to explain the hurdles to identifying chargeable patients and recouping these costs, but all refused.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust did admit 'capacity' issues meant only about half of patients flagged by MESH as potentially chargeable could be further analysed by its staff. Of more than 8,000 patients flagged by MESH, 5,130 were prioritised for further checks and 982 ended up being invoiced for treatment. Some were discounted as they had a valid exemption or turned out not to be chargeable.

The DHSC said it has recouped 4.4 billion from overseas patients since 2015-16, but this includes all payments made via the Immigration Health Surcharge  which charges people with a student or working visa 776 a year to use the NHS  and income from countries within the European Economic Area to treat their patients.

Mr Streeting said last night: 'Just as Brits abroad have to pay for healthcare, so should visitors to this country. At a time when patients are waiting unacceptably long for a GP appointment, an operation or even an ambulance, it is unacceptable for the NHS to be stuck with the bill for treatment that should be paid for.

'We will act to clean up this mess. As we work to cut waiting lists, we'll also work to cut freeloading at the British taxpayers' expense.'
Former City Minister Tulip Siddiq was last night facing questions about whether she misled Parliament over the ownership of a flat in her native Bangladesh.

The 600,000 apartment in the capital Dhaka is the subject of an asset-freezing order at the request of the country's Anti-Corruption Commission, which is investigating the Labour MP.

Ms Siddiq, 42, who denies any wrongdoing, has told the Mail she received the flat as a gift from her parents in 2002 and transferred it 'lawfully and legitimately' to her sister, Azmina, 34, within weeks of being elected to Parliament in May 2015.

Entries in Westminster's Register of Members' Interests state she co-owned the property with a family member in June 2015 and by the following month ownership had been transferred.

But searches made last week by the Mail at the Dhaka Sub Registry Office appear to show that Ms Siddiq still owns the flat, as the ACC alleges. A Bangladeshi court will now decide who owns it.

Last month, the ACC said Ms Siddiq tried to 'transfer' ownership of the flat to Azmina in 2015 using a Heba, an Islamic document which allows a person to hand over an asset to a family member 'out of love'.

However, experts say under Bangladeshi law a property transfer is not considered legal until its ownership is changed at the Sub Registry Office.

The ACC claimed the Heba was 'fake', as the barrister who authenticated it denied being involved and alleged that his signature was faked.

Former City Minister Tulip Siddiq (pictured) was last night facing questions about whether she misled Parliament over the ownership of a flat in her native Bangladesh

Vladimir Putin, third right, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, third left, and Tulip Siddiq, left, attend a signing ceremony in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia

Ms Siddiq, 42, who denies any wrongdoing, has told the Mail she received the flat as a gift from her parents in 2002

Ms Siddiq's lawyers, however, said the Heba was executed correctly and she declared the flat was 'co-owned with a family member' since all rental income went to her sister.

Her representatives have called the ACC allegations 'false and vexatious'.

Last night her lawyer, Paul Thwaite, said a Bangladeshi legal expert had told him the Heba document was sufficient for a transfer and the Registry records were 'unreliable'. He said it was 'untrue and nonsensical' to suggest Ms Siddiq had misled parliament.

Ms Siddiq resigned as City minister in January over a 700,000 London flat given to her by a UK-based property developer linked to her aunt Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted as prime minister of Bangladesh in August.

She had claimed to the Mail in 2022 that it had been bought for her by her parents.

An investigation by Sir Laurie Magnus found Ms Siddiq had inadvertently misled the public.

On X last week, Ms Siddiq described the ACC allegations against her as 'baseless'.

She said: 'Here in the U.K., we have due process, the rule of law and a tradition of fair play. I would happily respond to any legitimate questions, but I will not be drawn into dirty politics, nor allow their witch-hunt to undermine my work as a British citizen and proud member of the U.K. Parliament.'
King Charles was crowned on May 6, 2023  1,214 days after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as working royals and moved their family to the US.

Putting their differences aside, the Duke of Sussex, now 40, flew back across the pond to take his seat at Westminster Abbey and support his father on what would be one of the most important days of his life.

It was the first time Harry was pictured with the Royal Family since the funeral of his grandmother the late Queen, and the first time since lambasting them in the bombshell memoir Spare.

Unable to wear military dress to the Coronation as this is a privilege reserved for working members of the family, Harry looked dashing in a sleek three-piece morning suit with an assortment of medals on his chest.

Relegated to the third row, he sat alongside his cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, their respective husbands and the disgraced Prince Andrew.

But of all the blood relatives he could have chosen to confide in, Harry instead chose to speak to Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank  a marketing executive. A clip from ITV News shows the start of this conversation.

Expert lip reader Jeremy Freeman told The Sun that a grim faced Harry allegedly said: 'I'm fed up with the way they treat me.'

'It's not an ideal situation,' the Duke added. To which Mr Brooksbank apparently replied: 'Its not the quiet life, is it?'

Prince Harry arrives to the Coronation of his father King Charles on May 6, 2023

The Duke of Sussex sits alongside his cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, their respective husbands and the disgraced Prince Andrew

Prince Harry sits next to Jack Brooksbank, husband of Princess Eugenie, for his father's #coronation https://t.co/UjObJnhUV0 pic.twitter.com/fxQI57aSuX  ITV News (@itvnews) May 6, 2023

Although this doesn't appear in the clip, Harry, who is fifth-in-line to the throne, shook his head and seemingly said: 'They don't care.'

'I havent time for that,' Mr Brooksbank allegedly replied. 'Not if its over'

'Its an eventuality,' Harry interrupted.

While it is not clear exactly what the pair were discussing, many royal fans theorise it was regarding Harry's strained relationship with his immediate family.

But this was not the only interaction Freeman was able to interpret during the Coronation.

As Charles was sheltering from the rain in his gold-lined carriage ahead of the ceremony, the trained lip reader saw him moaning about the time.

Freeman also noticed the King grumbling under his breath while waving to the roaring crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony after the ceremony.

'I can't see a thing with this crown. I can't look up,' the King told his wife Camilla.

It was the first time Harry was pictured with the Royals since lambasting them in the bombshell memoir Spare

Harry speaks to Princess Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank at Westminster Abbey

Minutes after the ceremony ended, the Duke headed to Heathrow to fly back to California

'I can't see anything either,' she replied. 'My crown will fall off.'

The newly crowned King and Queen were joined on the balcony by an array of familiar faces including Prince William, Princess Catherine, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh  all of whom are working royals.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis also joined their parents on the balcony, waving enthusiastically to the crowds of adoring fans.

But their uncle Prince Harry was nowhere to be seen.

Minutes after the Coronation ended, he had jumped into a BMW and taken to Heathrow where he boarded a flight to Los Angeles. He was in the UK for just over 24 hours.

It is believed the Duke was eager to get back to his 11million Montecito mansion to celebrate his son Archie's fourth birthday.

A well-placed source told the Daily Mail's Royal Editor Rebecca English at the time that the King was 'genuinely quite disappointed' that Harry did not stay.

Rebecca later wrote that the King had raised a glass to toast Archies birthday at a family lunch after the Coronation  a tribute to the grandson he has barely seen.

The King and Queen grumble on the balcony about their crowns, according to a lip reader

Charles and Camilla wave to a sea of adoring royal fans from the Buckingham Palace balcony

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Charlotte, Princess Catherine, Prince Louis and Prince William joined the King and Queen on the balcony

Prince George (centre) served as a Page of Honour at the coronation

The royal reception opened with an adoring speech from Prince William who congratulated his father for getting through the historic day.

Charles then thanked everyone in return and raised a glass to his three grandchildren Prince George  who also served as a Page of Honour  Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who were among the stars of the show and carried out their public appearances with aplomb.

But he also toasted 'those that weren't there' before wishing his grandson Archie a very happy birthday 'wherever he was'.

A source told Rebecca: 'It was apparently a very sweet moment'.
When it comes to high-profile royal events, the officials at Buckingham Palace are famous for meticulous planning.

It is their job to ensure the millions watching ceremonial spectacles see them go off without a hitch, which means thinking through every eventuality.

And perhaps at no time was their role more important than for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.

The ginger elephant in the room causing a headache for the planners was Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, as tensions were high following their decision to attack the Royal Family in their Oprah interview in March 2021.

Therefore, to avoid any awkward moments within the estranged family, seating arrangements for the service to honour Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years on the throne at St Paul's Cathedral had to be carefully designed.

Things were especially torturous between William and Harry, and officials took great care to avoid repeating the frosty scenes when they sat near each other at their last joint event in March 2020 at Westminster Abbey.

They did manage to avoid a bust-up by ensuring they arrived and left at different times and sat on separate sides of the aisle in a carefully orchestrated plan.

However, even the best-laid plans cannot account for one thing - the behaviour of the public.

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were greeted with a mixed reaction of boos and cheers as they walked down the steps of St Paul's Cathedral on June 3, 2022

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were difficult for planners to manage as their fall out with the rest of the Royal Family had worsened since they stepped down in 2020

Prince William and Princess Kate (left, circled) were sat across the aisle from the Sussexes (right, circled) at St Paul's to avoid any awkward scenes

As when Harry and Meghan walked down the steps at St Paul's Cathedral, they were met by the unmistakable sound of the crowd outside booing them.

In fairness, there were some cheers as well but their appearance caused a noticeable stir within the crowd, as the audio from the two live video feeds at the service picked up the din.

The crowd's reaction was a significant moment for the couple as it was their first joint official royal engagement since they quit the Royal Family - and the first time the public had greeted them.

It proved that their behaviour had left the public with a profound dislike of them.

And, although they would have known it had they seen their plummeting approval ratings in opinion polls, it was the first time they had to face up to the new reality.

It must have been especially difficult for Harry, who was used to being the very essence of a popular 21st-century prince.

He was what every romantic expected a dutiful young royal to be  not only good-looking and a brave soldier, but someone who could laugh easily at himself.

Indeed, the sound of laughter accompanied him everywhere he went.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex walk into St Paul's Cathedral

The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II was celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022

Guests began to crane their necks to watch Harry and Meghan look for their seats, which were located in the second row

When Harry and Meghan began to walk down the long central aisle, all eyes turned on them

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were positioned away from their immediate family

Prince Harry and Meghan arrive at their seats in St Paul's Cathedral

Prince Harry and Princess Beatrice smile ahead of the Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate the Queen

Prince Harry looks to the ceiling while celebrating his grandmother's Platinum Jubilee

Prince Charles and Camilla led the royal departures from St Paul's Cathedral after the service

But now it was the sound of booing which seemed to surround him.

The Sussexes didn't let the noise get to them, on the surface at least, and, as they walked, they held hands and smiled.

They were greeted by the Lord Mayor and spent a few minutes chatting before they entered the place of worship and proceeded to greet the long line of clergy.

Sky's Kay Burley said at the time she wasn't sure if there were 'more cheers or more jeers' while MailOnline's man on the ground reported both cheers and whistles.

An AFP video of the couple leaving the service carried some audible boos alongside more supportive noises.

Others said that the cheering for Prince William and Kate was 'the biggest of the day by some margin'.

Royal correspondent Richard Palmer noted: 'There was a loud reaction from the crowd to the arrival of Harry and Meghan: a mix of boos and cheers.

'Our correspondent outside says what sounded like a mixed reaction had turned into a clear cheer by the time the Sussexes had reached the top of the steps.'

Sky News commentator Rhiannon Mills, also present, said: 'We were debating how many boos, how many cheers but I think also when you compared it to later arrivals there was a mixed reaction to them.

Tensions were high following Harry and Meghan's decision to attack the Royal Family in their Oprah interview in March 2021

Social media users weighed in on the crowd's reaction to the Sussexes

'Despite the fact they have stressed they have a huge amount of respect for the Queen, they are still in contact with her, the Queen has constantly stressed they are much-loved members of the family, the assembled crowd clearly had mixed feelings about them being here.'

The moment would have proved an interesting one for the Queen, who was watching the events unfold at home on television as she was too frail to attend.

When Harry and Meghan began to walk down the long central aisle, all eyes turned on them.

Guests began to crane their necks to watch the couple look for their seats, but they found them not in the front row but in the second.

Their newfound position away from the seats of importance underscored their lesser roles as non-working members of the Royal Family.

On the other hand, Prince Charles, who was representing the Queen, and Camilla had special chairs in the front row on the other side of the aisle.

Prince William and his wife Catherine were seated next to them.

The long distance between Harry and the rest of his immediate family meant the service in front of 2,000 special guests passed without any negative 'optics', given the attempts to ensure the day was about the Queen and her 70-year reign.

Queen Elizabeth II stands on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Platinum Pageant on June 5, 2022. She was not able to attend the thanksgiving service two days before, but watched the events unfold on television

Prince Charles and Camilla arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral

Catherine, Prince William, Camilla and Prince Charles in the front row

The Princess Royal, the then Duchess of Cambridge and the then Duke of Cambridge in their seats

The Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral was not attended by the Queen as she was too frail

Kate and William chatted to Charles and Camilla inside the cathedral, but there was no sign of the same rapport with Harry and Meghan who sat in between Lady Chatto and Princess Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank.

A source said at the time: 'It's a typically elegant solution as you would expect. The Queen wants her family there and they are still part of it. But in a carefully controlled fashion.'

Watching the family drama unfold at the event were 400 key workers, charity volunteers and members of the armed forces who had been invited in recognition of their contribution to public life during the pandemic.

Harry's long-standing feud with his family had plunged to fresh depths after he accused his father of cutting him off financially and Meghan claimed an unnamed royal made a comment about Archie's skin tone before he was born.

Their move to California and the signing of lucrative media contracts had prompted dismay within royal circles.

But at least there were no signs of the Netflix cameras in St Paul's that had followed them around at the Invictus Games in the Netherlands a few months prior in April.

Meghan and Kate had not been together properly since the Duchess of Sussex accused her sister-in-law in her TV interview with Oprah Winfrey of making her cry over bridesmaids' dresses.

It is impossible to know how the Royal Family felt about having to share the event with Harry and Meghan, but one could imagine the service would have been tense.

Theresa May, Philip May, Samantha Cameron, David Cameron, Sarah Brown, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and Cherie Blair all attended the service

Peter Phillips, Meghan, Prince Harry, Zara Tindall and Viscount Linley outside St Paul's

Meghan and Zara Tindall outside St Paul's Cathedral after the Service of Thanksgiving

One royal insider said they believed the couple had taken their 'low-key' cue from the Queen, who had made clear that she didn't want the Jubilee celebrations to be about herself but a means to bring the nation together after a difficult few years.

'Her Majesty has made clear that this shouldn't even be about herself, let alone family dramas. Even the Sussexes respect that,' they said.

The day before the ceremony, the Sussexes introduced their little girl Lilibet to the Queen.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wanted a private photographer to capture the moment their daughter met her namesake, The Sun reported at the time.

However, they were allegedly told 'no chance' because it was a 'private family meeting'.

Trust was so low between the Sussexes and the rest of the family at this point that Palace insiders may have worried any photos taken by Harry and Meghan would be shared with US TV networks.

At 2.28pm, Harry and Meghan arrived at their home of Frogmore Cottage, leaving the rest of the Royal Family to attend a reception without them.

For Harry the whole day must be the hardest of homecomings to royal life, because he had been reduced to little more than a spectator.

William and Kate leave after attending the Service of Thanksgiving

Prince Charles and Camilla speak with William and Kate after arriving at St Paul's Cathedral

As someone who had always made his dislike of the 'Spare' identity known, he might have preferred the obscurity of being among the cousins who reside far down the royal line of succession.

On the occasion of the last two Jubilees in 2012 and 2002, the prince had enjoyed favoured status and a prominent role alongside William and Prince Charles, basking in the affection of the public.

The 2022 occasion revealed the affection no longer existed from the public who had been wearied by his endless sniping at the royals and at the country.

The tragedy is that before Meghan came along, Harry was beloved by the public - even managing to beat every other royal, including the beloved Queen, to finish first place in a national poll of the public's favourite royal in November 2018.

Meghan's arrival in his life changed so much of that. But was this her fault, or was it down to Harry's uncertainty over how to bring a fragrant Hollywood figure into the restrictive and highly controlled world of royal life?

Rather than stay and use her undoubted talents as a force for change, they chose to abandon his heritage and his birthright for the riches of celebrity and life in California, according to royal expert Richard Kay.

It is tempting to wonder if the diminished role he had and the booing crowd gave him pause for thought on the steps of St Paul's.

But since that day there has been no lasting sign of family rapprochement, nor warmth from the public.

Instead, Harry remains in self-imposed exile in California, although at least he can't hear the boos from there.
The Washington DC housing market is in a standstill as federal employees' cushy salaries are still under threat by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts.

More than 25,000 rental properties and 9,800 homes are listed in the DC Metro area, with nearly 10,000 rentals and 500 homes just in the District of Columbia alone as of early April, according to Zillow.

And although Spring is always a hot time on the market for sellers, buyers are hesitant to snap up homes as their federal and federally-adjacent jobs are still under the threat of massive layoffs as Musk worked to dismantle the government sector.

'[There's a] fear of making big purchases,' Charlie Latimer, 31, a DC-area lender, told DailyMail.com. 'People are afraid of a recession.'

Roughly 40 to 50 percent of Latimer's customers' professions have some connection to the government and he found his clients were holding off on getting loans for their homes due to the uncertainty in the job market.

And roughly 20 percent of his clients have a 'fear of getting laid off', he told DailyMail.com.

Latimer and Keller Williams Realtor, Omer Reshid, 24, are seeing potential homebuyers being a 'little more scared' to seal the deal.

People are 'reconsidering their entire life structure', right now, Reshid, who has worked in real estate for six years, told DailyMail.com.

The Washington DC housing market is in a standstill as federal employees' cushy salaries are still under threat by Elon Musk 's Department of Government Efficiency cuts

More than 25,000 rental properties and 9,800 homes are listed in the DC Metro area, with nearly 10,000 rentals and 500 homes just in the District of Columbia alone as of early April. Pictured on top map in red are homes for sale. On bottom map in purple are homes for rent

And although Spring is always a hot time on the market for sellers, buyers are hesitant to snap up homes as their federal and federally-adjacent jobs are still under the threat of massive layoffs as Musk (pictured with Trump) worked to dismantle the government sector

Corcoran Realtor, David Howell, 69, agreed, saying the market has 'soften[ed] a bit' over the fear of job insecurity.

'People [who are] uncertain tend not to make big life decisions,' he told DailyMail.com. 'The market is still hot, just a little cooler.'

Keller Williams owner, Kymber Menkiti agreed, saying most people who are facing layoffs aren't going to quickly offload and many will weigh their options.

'You don't put your house on the market seven days after a layoff,' she said. 'That's not driving it.'

Potential homebuyers are also hesitating as they wait for a recession to come full-throttle in hopes that homes rates will significantly decrease like in 2008. However, Latimer and Reshid don't think they will.

'The best time to buy a house was five years ago,' Latimer said.

'We don't see prices coming down,' Reshid said. 'Everyone is holding off until the rates come down.'

Reshid recommends buying a home when your find it, rather than waiting for a miracle, and Menkiti agreed, as refinancing is always an option if you're playing the 'long game'.

Charlie Latimer and Keller Williams Realtor, Omer Reshid, 24, are seeing potential homebuyers being a 'little more scared' to seal the deal. People are 'reconsidering their entire life structure,' right now, Reshid said

As for people hightailing it out of the metropolitan, it's not a huge amount, according to Howell and Kymber Menkiti. 'It's not a tsunami, it's not a wave, it's a ripple of people leaving,' Howell said. 'Not much of an exodus. People are bidding their time.'

However, despite what social media says, the DC housing market is not about to collapse, although there was a 'slight' uptick in offloads after the election.

'But nothing too significant,' Reshid told DailyMail.com. 'Every time administration changes, you're going to see people coming in and coming out.'

New listings are up 40 percent in the Greater DC Region compared to a year ago, according to Bright MLS statistics.

However, new pending contracts are up five percent and showings are up nearly 13 percent, compared to last year.

Reshid said there was a bigger spring market in 2024 than what they're seeing in 2025.

'It's a seasonal trend,' Menkiti, who started her real estate career in 2007, said. 'It's really not tied to the federal change.'

Howell, who has studied the DC market every election since 2000, also agrees. Rarely does the market drastically change when the administration does - regardless of political party.

In fact, he said the only reason the market has seen an uptick this time around is due to the Trump Administration drastically cutting the federal workforce. Musk announced on Wednesday that he would step down from DOGE.

Howell, who has studied the DC market every election since 2000, also agrees. Rarely does the market drastically change when the administration does - regardless of political party. He said the only reason for the uptick is due to the Trump Administration drastically cutting the federal workforce (pictured: a home available to buy in DC)

However, the federal layoffs haven't quite effected the DC market, as it's too soon to tell and people are holding onto their homes. 'You don't put your house on the market seven days after a layoff,' Menkiti said. 'That's not driving it.'

'Political elections have very little impact,' he said. 'The only difference in this election is the objectives [of the administration].'

However, he also admitted it's too early tell how the gigantic cuts to the federal workforce will truly impact the DC region, as right now, laid off workers are hunkering down and trying to figure it out.

There was a slight upward trend of federal remote workers looking for places to live in the DC area as work-from-home policies were rapidly shifting in the government. Latimer found that those clients weren't hesitating to sign loans like those who already live in the area.

Although the trend has started to veer off as the policy becomes more clear to workers, Menkiti said.

'[It's a] little bit of whiplash,' Menkiti told DailyMail.com.

Overall, all four told DailyMail.com that the biggest obstacle for DC buyers and renters is affordability as the metropolitan area is facing a crisis in that regard. And that there's a lot of uncertainty in the market right now that is stressing it as people become immobilized by fear.

As for people hightailing it out of the metropolitan, it's not a huge amount, according to Howell and Menkiti.

'It's not a tsunami, it's not a wave, it's a ripple of people leaving,' Howell said. 'Not much of an exodus. People are bidding their time.'
READ MORE: Scientist claims we chose to become characters in an AI world

Up to now, humans have only been able to observe four dimensions in the universe  height, length, width and time.

But beyond these dimensions, collectively known as 'spacetime', there may be more that we cannot perceive  including the fabled fifth dimension.

In an episode of 'The Twilight Zone', the fifth dimension is depicted as a terrifying, warped place where our sense of time and direction is greatly distorted.

It later inspired an episode of The Simpsons, where Homer accidentally enters another dimension when he hides behind a bookcase to escape his sisters-in-law.

But Christopher Nolan's 2014 film 'Interstellar' presents a more compelling version, where people can perceive and interact with all moments of time  past, present and future  in multiple possible timelines that exist in parallel.

'It would be like being able to go into an infinity of worlds like the one that we live in,' Michael Pravica, a professor of physics at the University of Nevada, told MailOnline.

But what evidence is there in the universe to suggest the concept is more than just Hollywood-worthy sci-fi?

Now, scientists reveal the clues that at least one other dimension does exist.

In an episode of The Simpsons, Homer accidentally enters the third dimension when he hides behind a bookcase to escape his sisters-in-law. The joke was that the third dimension had not existed in the show until then as the characters had always been drawn in two dimensions (height and length)

In a 1962 episode of 'The Twilight Zone' called 'Little Lost Girl', a six-year-old passes into another dimension from her bedroom

HUMAN CONCIOUSNESS

A belief that the universe is made up of more dimensions than just the four we perceive  height, length width and time  is known as 'hyperdimensionality'.

Professor Pravica, who received a PhD in condensed matter physics from Harvard University, points to human consciousness as evidence of hyperdimensionality.

When we dream, meditate or use our brains for creative or intellectual tasks (such as making art or pondering philosophy), our consciousness taps into a higher dimension, he claims.

In these moments, our consciousness syncs with hidden dimensions and receives a flood of inspiration, according to the academic.

In other words, the ability to be fully conscious is to enter a dimension that is not accounted for by the existing four dimension (height, length, width and time).

Humans are the only species that can reach this sort of full consciousness, while some organisms on this planet don't have consciousness at all.

'Humans are actually higher dimensional creatures from the standpoint of the soul which is the essence of our consciousness and conscience,' Professor Pravica told MailOnline.

In Christopher Nolan's 2014 film 'Interstellar', the fifth dimension lets people perceive and interact with all moments of time - past, present and future - in multiple possible timelines that exist in parallel

When we dream, meditate or use our brains for creative or intellectual tasks (such as making art or pondering philosophy), our consciousness taps into a higher dimension, the theory claims

What would a 5th dimension be like? In 'The Twilight Zone', a physicist warns it'd be too dangerous to enter another dimension as it 'just wouldn't be laid out like our world'. It depicts the 5th dimension as a scary, warped place where our sense of time and direction is greatly distorted. But Christopher Nolan's 2014 film 'Interstellar' presents a more compelling version, where people can perceive and interact with all moments of time - past, present and future - in multiple possible timelines that exist in parallel. 'It would be like being able to go into an infinity of worlds like the one that we live in,' said Professor Pravica. Advertisement

However, this theory is controversial; Stephen Holler, associate professor of physics at Fordham University, has said it 'borders on science fiction'.

Howard Wiseman, a physicist at Griffith University in Australia, said consciousness is 'considered a mystery by a fair fraction of scientists and philosophers'.

'But very few of them would say that mystery points to extra dimensions in that sense,' Professor Wiseman told MailOnline.

LIMITS OF THE UNIVERSE

It was more than a century ago that Russian physicist Alexander Friedmann provided evidence that our four-dimensional universe is constantly expanding.

This generally-accepted concept is central to the Big Bang theory  that the universe exploded into existence from a single minute point about 14 billion years ago and has been expanding since.

Now, this mind-bogglingly vast space that we call the universe is 93 billion light years in diameter  and expands another light year for every Earth year.

Although we don't know what's beyond the universe, the fact it can keep growing suggests the possibility of higher-dimensional planes beyond, according to Professor Pravica.

The theory of general relativity allows for the universe to take one of three forms - spherical, flat like a sheet of paper or or open like a saddle ('hyperbolic')

The universe's size is unknown, and it may or may not be infinite in extent  but there is always a limit in how much humanity is able to observe ('the observable universe'). This illustration marks the observable universe - with the circular edge its limit and our galaxy, the Milky Way, in the centre

What's more, cosmologists speculate that the universe is not perfectly flat, meaning it must be at least slightly 'hyperbolic' (shaped like a saddle) or spherical.

'By definition, this implies that there are higher dimensions to curve into,' said Professor Pravica.

GRAVITY

According to the Standard Model of particle physics, there are four fundamental forces of nature  electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force and gravity.

Curiously, gravity is so much weaker than the other fundamental forces  a fact that's evidenced in everyday life.

For example, a small fridge magnet is enough to create an electromagnetic force greater than the gravitational pull exerted by our planet  otherwise the magnet would fall onto the floor.

We dont feel the full effect of gravity because part of it potentially spreads to extra dimensions, according to the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

If extra dimensions exist, they could explain why the universe is expanding faster than expected and why gravity is weaker than the other forces of nature.

In Einstein's view of the world, gravity is the curvature of spacetime. Depicted here are merging neutron stars, a source of gravitational waves, which are ripples in space-time caused by some of the most violent and energetic processes in the universe

Also, unknown dimensions could cause ripples through reality by modifying gravitational waves  changes in the spacetime fabric.

STRING THEORY

Lastly, an idea that the universe may contain many more dimensions that we cannot yet observe is supported by something called 'string theory'.

In string theory, reality is not made up of elementary particles (like electrons or quarks) as previously thought, but infinitely small vibrating one-dimensional strings.

String theory unifies the two pillars of modern physics  quantum mechanics (the physics of the very small) and general relativity (the physics of the very big).

In this sense, string theory provides a compelling answer of how the universe works, albeit by reimagining the fundamentals of reality.

But according to physicists, for string theory to work it necessitates multiple dimensions to exist  as many as 10 or 11 dimensions in fact.

'String theory postulates that there are higher dimensions, some which wrap around each other and cannot be observed as they are too small,' Professor Pravica told MailOnline.

'The problem is that string theory is not verifiable at the present time, experimentally.'
A security flaw in Verizon's Call Filter app may have exposed the call histories of millions of customers to hackers, a new report has found.

The issue was discovered by ethical hacker Evan Connelly, who warned that 'this wasn't just a data leak, but a real-time surveillance mechanism waiting to be abused,' in his report.

The Call Filter App, which allows users to block spam calls and identify unknown numbers, comes pre-installed on many Verizon phones.

The vulnerability allowed unauthorized users to retrieve detailed incoming call logs for any Verizon number through the app's back-end server.

In other words, a hacker could enter any Verizon number into the server and obtain a list of recent incoming calls with timestamps, which poses a serious risk to customers' private data.

'This is, of course, a privacy concern for all. But for some, this could also represent a safety concern,' according to Connelly.

While call data might seem harmless, it can become a powerful surveillance tool when it falls into the wrong hands, Connelly explained.

'With unrestricted access to another user's call history, an attacker could reconstruct daily routines, identify frequent contacts, and infer personal relationships,' he wrote.

A security flaw in Verizon's Call Filter app may have exposed the call histories of millions of customers to hackers, a new report has found

Verizon has not confirmed how many customers were impacted by this security flaw, but told DailyMail.com that it only affected iOS devices.

Connelly, however, estimated in his report that it 'impacted either nearly all, or all customers' with the Call Filter service enabled.

He reported it to Verizon on February 22, and received confirmation from Verizon that the issue was resolved on March 25.

Still, leaving millions of customers' call histories vulnerable to hackers for weeks may have had serious consequences.

'Consider scenarios involving survivors of domestic abuse, law enforcement officers, or public figures  individuals who rely on the confidentiality of their communication patterns,' he wrote in his report.

'Having their incoming call logs exposed is not just invasive; it's dangerous.'

Connelly explained how hackers could exploit the Call Filter app's security flaw in his report.

'In order to display your recent history of received calls in the Verizon Call Filter app, a network request is made to a server,' he wrote.

While call data might seem harmless, it can become a powerful surveillance tool when it falls into the wrong hands, Connelly explained

'That request contains various details such as your phone number and the requested time period for call records. The server then responds with a list of calls and timestamps for each.

'So surely the server validated that the phone number being requested was tied to the signed in user? Right? Right?? Wellno.

'It was possible to modify the phone number being sent, and then receive data back for Verizon numbers not associated with the signed in user.'

Verizon's website states that the Call Filter app is pre-installed on most Android devices, and Connelly believes this service 'may be on by default for many/all Verizon Wireless customers.'

In a statement to DailyMail.com, a Verizon spokesperson said: 'Verizon was made aware of this vulnerability and worked with the third-party app owner on a fix and patch that was pushed in mid-March.

'While there was no indication that the flaw was exploited, the issue was resolved and only impacted iOS devices.

'Verizon takes security very seriously and appreciates the responsible disclosure of the finding by the researcher.'
Among the most distinctive landmarks in Chicago's northwest suburbs is Niles' unexpected Leaning Tower.

This architectural curiosity is a precise half-scale version of Italy's famous Pisa tower, rising 94 feet tall with a 28-foot diameter and leaning a significant 7.4 feet, according to the town's website.

But what led to this striking Italian tribute being built in the American Midwest?

The tower's origins date back to the 1920s and entrepreneur Robert Ilg, owner of the 22-acre Ilgair Park with its two large outdoor pools.

Ilg needed a substantial water tower for the park, but his admiration for Italian design inspired him to commission more than just a functional structure.

He opted for a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, constructed from reinforced concrete and completed in 1934.

Later, in 1960, Ilg's family donated part of the park, including the tower, for the creation of the Leaning Tower YMCA.

The donation came with the condition that the YMCA allocate a minimum of $500 annually for maintenance until 2059.

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Among the most distinctive landmarks in Chicago's northwest suburbs is Niles' unexpected Leaning Tower

This architectural curiosity is a precise half-scale version of Italy's famous Pisa tower, rising 94 feet tall with a 28-foot diameter and leaning a significant 7.4 feet

Over the years, this funding proved insufficient, leading the tower to show signs of wear, particularly widening cracks caused by the area's damaging freeze-thaw cycles.

Recognizing the tower's historical and cultural significance, the village of Niles took proactive measures towards its preservation.

In 1991, the village formalized a sister-city relationship with Pisa, Italy, thereby strengthening its ties to the original monument.

Subsequently, in 1995, the village entered into a lease agreement for the tower with the YMCA and initiated a comprehensive $1.2million renovation project.

This extensive undertaking involved crucial structural repairs, updated lighting systems on all eight floors, the creation of a new plaza adorned with four fountains, a 30-foot reflecting pool, a classic telephone booth, and significantly enhanced landscaping.

The newly refurbished Leaning Tower Plaza was formally dedicated on June 26, 1997.

The tower's importance gained further official acknowledgment in 2019 when it was nominated by the National Park Service for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Championed actively by the Village Manager's Office, the nomination received unanimous approval from the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council, securing its place on the prestigious list that April.

Over the years, this funding proved insufficient, leading the tower to show signs of wear, particularly widening cracks caused by the area's damaging freeze-thaw cycles

Now open for public enjoyment, the Leaning Tower of Niles encourages visitors to take photos and relax within the nearby picturesque plaza

This designation served not only to recognize the tower's architectural and cultural value but also provided valuable incentives for ongoing preservation efforts and increased public visibility.

In recent years, initiatives to restore and potentially reopen the tower to climbers have gathered steam.

The full restoration of the historic bells was completed in December, marking a significant milestone.

Seven bells were successfully restored to play a full musical scale and reinstalled in the tower, while two others, deemed unrestorable, are now displayed at ground level with informational plaques.

Further improvements included the installation of higher safety railings along the walkways and substantial concrete restoration work, further enhancing the structure's long-term integrity.

Today, the tower's restored bells ring out daily at 9am, 12pm, 3pm, and 6pm, performing melodies such as 'Red River Valley,' 'On Top of Old Smokey,' 'My Favorite Things,' and a bespoke tune for Niles, supplemented by chimes every 15 minutes.

Now open for public enjoyment, the Leaning Tower of Niles encourages visitors to take photos and relax within the nearby picturesque plaza.
This is the scary message cruise passengers are sent if they are under threat from pirates.

The Queen Anne ship travelled through the Sulu sea, an area notorious for pirates, on its journey from Darwin, Australia to Manila, Philippines, as it was plunged into darkness when guests were warned of piracy.

To avoid being spotted by any pirates, the crew instructed guests to turn off their lights and close their curtains.

They were prohibited from entering the ship's outdoor decks and the crew even set up water cannons to help repel pirates.

TikTok user 'Lilydapink' was a passenger on the cruise and shared the terrifying ordeal in a series of videos.

An announcement through the tannoy said: 'This area is known for piracy threats. Therefore we will be operating at a heightened level of security during this period.

'The external promenade deck will be closed on both sides from 9pm to 5am overnight and no guests will be allowed access during these times for the duration of the transit.

'During the hour of darkness, only essential open deck lights will be on to reduce the ships external lighting.

o avoid being spotted by any pirates, the crew instructed guests to turn off their lights and close their curtains

Guests were prohibited from entering the ship's outdoor decks and the crew even set up water cannons to help repel pirates

'We also request you turn off your state room lights when not needed and close the curtains of your window or balcony.'

The crew member added: 'In the unlikely event of an emergency, a broadcast will be made with the following instructions:

'Guests are to proceed to their staterooms. Guests with a window or balcony should proceed to the corridor outside their room, ensuring the door remains closed. If you are in an inboard state room please remain inside.

'During this time, guests should not remain on any open decks or near any external windows.

'I assure you that measures to prevent any unlikely incident have been well planned and the likelihood of this happening on a big ship like Queen Anne is absolutely minimal'.

Many took to the comments to share their shock that pirates still exist and remain a real life threat to ships.

One user said: 'Every time I hear about real life pirates I'm always shocked/amazed that they really exist.'

'it's a bit comical that Pirates still exist', one said in disbelief.

The Queen Anne ship travelled through the Sulu sea, an area notorious for pirates, on its journey from Darwin to Manila as it was plunged into darkness when guests were warned of piracy (stock image)

A third said: 'ONE of the scariest things you can hear on cruise ships'.

Another said: 'Reason number 10,001 I have no interest in going on a cruise'

While some thought the threat should be disclosed prior to the trip: 'I would want to know this prior to booking. WTH.'

'I feel that's something I'd want to know before buying a ticket!'

But Peter Lehr, a piracy expert, says they are still very real and maritime highways are most at risk.

'As such, they do pose a problem for all shipping transiting these waters, including cruise ships'.

The biggest piracy hotspot is in Somalia and where they are more likely to pose a real threat, according to Lehr.

'Somali pirates kept us busy for a while between about 2005 to 2013 in the Gulf of Aden and the so-called Somali Basin as part of the Arabian Sea,' he says.

During this period, pirates were so active that the European Union and NATO sent their own anti-piracy flotillas to the region.

A multi-national combined task force was also deployed to the region as part of an anti-piracy operation.

However many of those anti-piracy forces are now gone, and as a result, pirates in Somalia are making a comeback.

The senior lecturer at the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St. Andrews said they are just after money and passengers and crew would likely be able 'to walk away and tell the taleas long as they didn't try to resist'.

'The pirate modus operandi is to board a vessel, ransack the crew's valuables plus the ship's safe, and then make off again after about 30 minutes,' he told Fodors Travel.

There have only been six reported pirate attacks on cruise ships in modern history.
Many people dream of travelling the world, relaxing on tropical beaches and shaking off the worries of everyday life.

But would you want to do it naked?

That's the lifestyle of Nick and Lins, a naturist couple from Belgium, who travel the world stripping off at the globe's huge array of nudist beaches, resorts and campsites.

They've been sharing their journey on their blog (nakedwanderings) since 2017 and told MailOnline Travel about the most common misconceptions, the best destinations for naturism and what they really think about the UK...

Nick and Lins' first experience of naturism was at a nude spa in Belgium. Nick says: 'Belgium's spa culture is by default nude. So that was our first step into social nudity. We went again and again and then we started looking for what else was out there for people who like to spend time naked.'

Their travels have so far taken them across to nudist hotspots across Europe, North and South America, Oceania, South Africa and parts of Asia.

The couple explain that it would now feel 'very strange' to them to wear clothes on a beach with Lins revealing that the feeling of swimming nude in the ocean is 'unbelievable'.

She tells MailOnline: 'Bikinis suck, right? Nobody likes to wear them. They're not comfortable. We always think that we don't look good in them. So just get rid of them and go naked in the ocean! It's unbelievable, a whole other sensation. I'm getting goosebumps just talking about it!'

Nick and Lins, a naturist couple from Belgium, travel the world stripping off at the globe's huge array of nudist beaches, resorts and campsites. They're pictured above at Zipolite Beach in Mexico

Their travels have so far taken them across to nudist hotspots across Europe, North and South America, Oceania, South Africa and parts of Asia

Lins says the couple always 'stick to the rules'

Nick and Lins say their friends and family weren't that shocked when they left their jobs in HR and IT to travel round the world as naturists as they've always been 'outsiders, in a good way'.

However, when their blog first got media coverage, Lins says her mum was a little surprised to see her naked online.

She explains: 'When we first appeared in the media, I remember my mum was like "Now I can't go to the bakery anymore because everybody's seen you naked". But now she's super supportive.

'My grandma even has very beautiful pictures of us naked in her retirement home.'

While naturism can attract strong opinions, Lins and Nick explain they've never had a negative experience at a nude beach as they always 'stick to the rules' and undress in areas where nudity is permitted.

Lins says: 'We're not going to strip off at the Eiffel Tower just for the sake of it. We don't believe in things like that. We want to be respected for what we do, so we also respect other people.'

In the UK, the couple say the country's attitude to naturism was 'much better than expected'.

Lins says: 'People from the UK have this tendency of talking themselves down and [describing themselves] as prudey or Victorian. But everybody was fine. Every nude beach we went to had people on them.

The couple explain that it would now feel 'very strange' to them to wear clothes on a beach

The couple visit naturist beaches as well as nude resorts and campsites around the world

Lins explains that her grandma even has naked photos of the couple on the walls in her retirement home

'We even went up Glastonbury Tor naked and we didn't get a single negative comment. People found it funny and thought we'd lost a bet!'

Out of all the destinations they've dared to bare in, the couple single out France as the best spot for private naturist resorts and campgrounds, while Spain takes the award for nude beaches. They also love New Zealand's 'rustic' beaches and 'beautiful' Zipolite, a nude beach in Mexico.

But while France is a haven for naturist resorts, one famous nude village left them 'disappointed'. Cap D'Agde is a leading naturist resort on the Mediterranean coast with nude restaurants, bars and a beach.

'We hear it used to be a real naturist village but now they've gone completely towards swingers and sex parties,' claims Lins.

'The minute you arrive there, it's all billboards advertising sex parties. So definitely do your research. Read the Google Reviews. It was a shock for us. This is the "naked village of the world" and they've hijacked the name of naturism.'

Nick says the couple have always been 'disturbed' by the common misconception held by many people that naturism is sexual.

Another false impression many people have is that it's purely for older people, says Nick.

'They're seen some reality show or human interest programme and most of the time it's older people talking,' he explains. 'But when we started our blog, we were in our early 30s.

The couple explain that 'more and more young people' are now going to nude beaches

For a baby step into naturism, Lins recommends staying nude after a shower and enjoying a coffee naked

'More and more young people are on the nude beaches. In South America, it's really taking off and it's all young people. If we go to events there, it's very often that we're the oldest there.'

Interested in taking the plunge?

For a baby step into naturism, Lins recommends staying nude after a shower and enjoying a coffee naked.

Nick adds: 'One thing we always tell people is that it's not permanent if you try it. They're not going to tattoo "naturist" on your forehead or anything. Just try it and if you don't like it, put your clothes back on and leave.'

Want more from Nick and Lins? Check out their blog - nakedwanderings.com or travel tips at @destination_clothes_free or follow them on Youtube - @NakedWanderings or Instagram - @n_wanderings.
Beyond Paradise fans have been flocking to the Cornish seaside after the hit detective series impressed them with stunning vistas and a cosy vibe.

But the reality for those living in coastal town Looe, where the BBC show is set, is completely different, with residents painting a portrait of an isolated and unprosperous existence.

The series, which first aired in 2023, is a spin-off of immensely popular crime drama Death In Paradise and has proved a hit among viewers across two seasons.

It tracks Detective Inspector Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall), who moves from the Caribbean to fictional town Shipton Abbott after becoming engaged to Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton).

He makes a vast impact on the small group of existing police officers in the area, overhauling the way they go about their work.

Viewers are currently being dazzled by the show's third season, to the extent that many are visiting Looe, according to CornwallLive, but the town is not the 'paradise' fans are expecting it to be.

Beyond Paradise fans have been flocking to Cornish seaside town Looe (pictured: Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman and Zahra Ahmadi as DS Esther Williams in season three)

The show tracks DI Goodman who moves from the Caribbean to fictional town Shipton Abbott after becoming engaged to Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton, left)

The publication reports that the area remains blighted by 'deprivation' and struggles with 'housing, poverty, social problems, a declining fishing industry and even loneliness'.

There has also been a spike in homelessness in Looe, in part due to many properties being converted into Airbnbs for the floods of tourists.

On top of this, 'hidden homelessness' is on the rise, with many locals being driven to live in vans, tents or even on other people's sofas as they look to stay off the streets.

It has not been helped by a string of weather-related crises, including floods which have left shops and homes ruined, and four serious landslides.

This week, MailOnline reported that villagers in similar seaside ports around the country have been encouraged to fight back against rich out-of-towners buying second homes.

From April 1, more than 150 councils across the country will increase the tax on second homes to 100 per cent - meaning bills could rise as much as 10,000 for the year.

MailOnline visited villages around the country where councils are urging locals to report their wealthy neighbours if they suspect them of being second home owners.

From the 'second home capital' of Mousehole, Cornwall, to the north Wales beach resort of Rhosneigr, locals are preparing to dob in any neighbours avoiding council tax increases that could cost them thousands.

The reality for those living in Looe, where the BBC show is set, is completely different, with one resident painting a portrait of an isolated and unprosperous existence

The series (pictured, left), which first aired in 2023, is a spin-off of crime drama Death In Paradise and tourists have been flocking to snap selfies at the show's filming locations (right)

Elsewhere in the town, locals remarked how many people loved watching the programme being filmed

Looe is believed to be more affected than most by the severe housing crisis hitting Britain's southernmost county.

The former fishing town on the south Cornwall coast is famous for its stunning scenery and quaint harbour and has been a popular tourist destination for decades.

Beyond Paradise's staggering audiences of more than eight million triggered another increase in visitors to Looe, with reports of streets being clogged with fans in search of selfies.

Staff in the Guildhall Market - which doubles as Shipton Abbott police station - have even had to redirect customers to the town's real police station half a mile away.

The show is filmed in numerous locations in Devon and Cornwall but Looe - a bustling fishing port with a thriving tourism industry and many independent businesses - was chosen as the home for the show because it felt like an authentic town.

In an interview, producer Tim Key explained: 'We travelled around lots of different places and were on the hunt to find somewhere that felt like a real town over a seaside resort.

'When we went to Looe, which is actually in Cornwall, it was a beautiful tourist town, but also a thriving community with fishing businesses, so we felt we had found our home.

'The fictional town is set slightly back from the coast, so we have all sorts of story worlds to dive into.

There are reports that the area (right) remains blighted by 'deprivation' and struggling with 'housing, poverty, social problems, a declining fishing industry and even loneliness'

Producer Tim Key said: 'The fictional town is set slightly back from the coast, so we have all sorts of story worlds to dive into'

'The series looks beautiful, and we were lucky with the weather as well.'

One key location that is not open to the public is DI Goodman's houseboat, during filming the boat is moored on the banks of the Tamar River at Pentillie Castle.

The quay - and neighbouring stone cottage which also features in the show - is a private home although couples can choose to have their wedding in the neighbouring Bathing Hut.

Sammie Coryton who owns the castle - which can be rented for private events - told MailOnline last year that being in the show has not directly led to more business.

Beyond Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Don't you forget about this Hollywood actress...

For the Eighties star looked unrecognizable as she dodged cabs and coffee stands in New York City this week.

There was no sign of her Brat Pack peers as the 62-year-old walked alone through the Big Apple's streets.

And her once-famous bangs are also long gone, as the mother-of-one used her sunglasses to pin back her tresses.

The award-winning movie star then hailed a cab - perhaps on her way to enjoy some High Art.

So can you guess who she is?

The 62-year-old takes a solo stroll in New York City this week... but can you guess who she is?

The actress covered up against the cold with a long grey coat, skinny jeans and high top Converse All-Star sneakers before hailing a cab

It is Ally Sheedy!

The star covered up against the cold with a long grey coat, skinny jeans and high-top Converse All-Star sneakers.

And, while she was known for her bobbed brunette curls during her heyday, this week she wore her long hair loose.

It marks a rare public outing for Sheedy, who is best known for her role in 1985 indie teen drama The Breakfast Club.

She starred as Allison Reynolds, an eccentric 'basket case' who joins four other students from different high school cliques in a Saturday detention.

The iconic film - which was directed by John Hughes - also stars Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez and Judd Nelson.

It also featured the Simple Minds's single Don't You (Forget About Me) - which went on to reach No1.

While she was known for her bobbed brunette curls during her Eighties heyday, Ally Sheedy wore her long hair loose

The New Yorker is best known for her role in 1985 indie teenage drama The Breakfast Club, along with Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall and Molly Ringwald

Ally with fellow Brat Pack members Andrew McCarthy and Demi Moore at the premiere of the Brats documentary last June

Ally starred in other Eighties films such as Bad Boys, War Games and St. Elmo's Fire. From those roles, she became a prime member of the Brat Pack, the nickname given to the young actors appearing in a series of Eighties teen dramas.

She went on to win three awards, including the Independent Spirit Award, for her role as a photographer in 1998 romantic drama High Art.

One of her last public appearances was last June when Ally reunited with fellow Brat Pack members Demi Moore and Andrew McCarthy at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The trio were attending the premiere of Brats, a documentary directed by McCarthy about their stardom during the Reagan Era.

Away from the camera, Ally married actor David Lansbury, nephew of veteran Hollywood star Angela, in 1992. They had one child, Beckett, but divorced in 2009.

In January 2022, Ally opened up about supporting Beckett, now 30, who is trans.

'I've learned a lot,' she told People magazine at the time. 'Beck doesn't hide anything. I feel very comfortable talking to anyone whose kid is just beginning the process of transition. Parents need to educate themselves. It's natural to have fears about your kids, no matter what. But in this case, Beck is in a really great place in his life. I give him the room to run, and I just really try to just watch.'

Describing their relationship now, Ally added: 'This is a good phase right now. [Beck's] very independent. But I like it when I can help him with something, whether it's advice or he needs a new mattress.

'I want him to be able to do what he wants to do with his life and have the freedom to make his own choices and surround himself with a loving, supportive community.

'So far, he's been able to do that. It's such an empowering and beautiful thing to be able to stand with your kids in the face of all that and hold true and support them.'
An iconic movie star and Broadway trailblazer was seen during a rare outing in New York City on Tuesday.

The Hollywood staple has just turned 85-years-old and looked to be in good shape still as he was carrying a black briefcase on a busy sidewalk.

This actor with a theater background has popped up in many big films over the years.

He was in the screwball comedy What's Up, Doc? in 1972 with Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal. In 1979 he was featured in the classic kids' feature The Muppet Movie.

And in 1992 he worked with Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei in the comedy My Cousin Vinny.

In 2001 the versatile actor co-starred with Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly in the Oscar-beloved film A Beautiful Mind.

His six-decade career has also included roles in films such as Catch-22 (1970); The Front Page (1974); Short Circuit (1986); Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990); Mr. Nanny (1993); Guarding Tess (1994); and Amistad (1997).

And he voiced a character in the animated hit Finding Nemo (2003). Can you identify the mystery star?

An iconic movie star and Broadway trailblazer was seen in New York City this week. The Hollywood staple has just turned 85-years-old and looked to be in good shape still as he was carrying a briefcase on a sidewalk

This actor has popped up in many big films over the years. Who is he?

It's Austin Pendleton who is known for roles in My Cousin Vinny, Guarding Tess and A Beautiful Mind.

Pendleton was born in Ohio. He is the son of actress Frances (nee Manchester) Pendleton; she taught him how to act.

Austin graduated from the University School, a private all-boys school in Shaker Heights, Ohio, then participated in theater while attending Yale University, from which he graduated in 1961.

After Yale, Pendleton moved to New York City and broke into the theater performing in the 1962 off-Broadway production of Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad.

The actor also appeared in Fiddler on the Roof, The Last Sweet Days of Isaac, The Diary of Anne Frank, Goodtime Charley, and Up from Paradise.

And he worked as a director too.

Austin directed Elizabeth Taylor and Maureen Stapleton in Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes garnered him a Tony Award nomination in 1981.

Austin never gave up on theater.

In 2009, Pendleton directed Uncle Vanya, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, at the Classic Stage Company.

He is Austin Pendleton, seen here in the movie My Cousin Vinny in 1992

The actor also had a role in the 1994 movie Guarding Tess with Shirley MacLaine

Pendleton served as artistic director of the Circle Repertory Company with associate artistic director Lynne Thigpen. The company closed in 1996.

Pendleton was the subject of Starring Austin Pendleton, a 2016 documentary in which former costars Meryl Streep, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Olympia Dukakis and Ethan Hawke talked about his career.

Pendleton has been married to actress Katina Commings since November 1970. They have one child.

During an interview with Steppenwolf, Austin revealed what his first lucky break was.

Austin is the actor in the white suit and tie next to Ryan O'Neal and Barbra Streisand in What's Up, Doc? in 1972

From left, Ryan, Austin and Barbara

'An important one was the first time I met the Steppenwolf ensemble. It was all because of the play Say Goodnight, Gracie, which I had directed OffBroadway. The producer wanted to bring it to Chicago, but the playwright wouldn't give him the rights unless I was the director. But I kept saying, "I don't want to direct it, I've already directed it,"' he said.

'But, he convinced me and I flew out for auditions in a foul mood... and it was like Alice in Wonderland.

'I fell into this rabbit hole of brilliance that I didn't know existed. I met and auditioned the whole ensemble, which was an unforgettable couple of hours.

'I hadn't even heard of any one of them, and all of a sudden, I had to choose between actors like Laurie Metcalf and Joan Allen for the same role.

'The rest of the cast included John Malkovich, Glenne Headley, and Fran Guinan. I remember offering another role to Jeff Perry, and he said to me, "Buddy"  we had just met and he calls me "Buddy"  "Buddy, I can't do this. I've played too many big parts in recent productions. For the good of the ensemble, I shouldn't take this part."

Austin, left, with Russell Crowe, in 2001's A Beautiful Mind

'And I said, "Are you out of your mind?" I was a New York actor, I had never heard a sentence like that!

'He said, "Oh, I want the part and I'd love to work with you, but I mustn't. It will disturb the equilibrium of the ensemble." I thought, "These people are lunatics."'

And he added, 'Almost everything has been an accident.'

He also shared: 'I can't think of a project that I have pursued. Even Orson's Shadow was written because Judith Auberjenois asked me to write it for her husband Rene, who then didn't want to do it.'

And he discussed working with Orson Welles on Catch22, hinting he was not nice to work with.

Pendleton and wife Katina Commings pose at the opening night of This Beautiful Future in 2022 in New York City

'When the movie came out, I was quoted in all these magazines saying really snide things about him. And, as big an a**hole as he was, he was still a great artist, though he really injured Catch22 artistically.

'He redirected all the scenes he was in  and I was in all of them with him, so I know. [Director] Mike Nichols would finish a scene, and then Orson would redirect it and take all the humor out of it.

'He would say to Mike, "You don't understand comedy." Now, the worst detractors of Mike Nichols have never said he doesn't understand comedy! [laughter] Orson would give these pompous little speeches about comedy and then redirect the scene.'
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Tori Spelling revealed she made a sex tape with her ex and it was almost leaked.

The reality TV personality, 51, made the bold confession in this week's episode of her misSPELLING podcast and admitted she wished she had let it be leaked.

She said she and her ex-husband Dean McDermott once filmed themselves during an intimate moment after he suggested it to her on Valentine's Day.

The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum  who also recently admitted she never drinks water because she is afraid of being poisoned  explained that somebody got ahold of the tape and tried to sell it for money.

To her surprise, however, it never leaked.

Spelling and the actor, 58, tied the knot in 2006 and were together up until their divorce last year.

Tori Spelling revealed she made a sex tape with her ex and it was almost leaked; pictured March in Los Angeles

The reality TV personality, 51, made the bold confession in this week's episode of her misSPELLING podcast and admitted she wished she had let it be leaked

She recalled filming it when she and her ex were 'in the height' of their fame while filming their reality show, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, which aired from 2007 to 2012.

'It was Valentine's Day or something, and I was in New York,' she began. 'He was filming a movie, came to visit me, and he was like, "Hey, let's film ourselves having sex."

'We had never done it before, you know,' she said, explaining that they had been together and 'married for years' at that point.

The actress recalled how she 'never even watched it back' and forgot about it until it got into the hands of somebody who had access to their home.

'We trusted everybody,' she said. 'He had it on our computer at home, and a friend he thought was a friend stayed at our house while we took the kids to Hawaii. Anyway, [the friend] took the computer and tried to sell it to Vivid Video.'

They actually contacted us and said, "We want to let you know we didn't accept it,' she said.

Jokingly, she recalled responding to them: 'I said, "Why? Were my angles not good?"

She continued about how their friend broke their trust. 'So we had to get a restraining order on this guy,' she said.

She said she and her ex-husband Dean McDermott once filmed themselves during an intimate moment after he suggested it to her on Valentine's Day; pictured June 2023 in Los Angeles

The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum explained on her podcast that somebody got ahold of the tape and tried to sell it for money

To her surprise, however, it never leaked

She recalled filming it when she and her ex were 'in the height' of their fame while filming their reality show, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, which aired from 2007 to 2012; pictured August 2005 in Hollywood

In the end, she said they 'got all of it back and everything.'

Reflecting on the incident, Spelling admitted she sometimes wished she had just let it leak.

'I don't believe in regrets,' she said. 'But I'm bummed I said no to Playboy and now at 51, I wish I had been on the cover of f***ing Playboy!'

She added: 'I was doing it with my husband, and we were together. I should have let that sex tape go out.'

Spelling also recently reflected on her past marriage with McDermott and opened up about her love life.

While talking to guest Audrey O'Day, Spelling broke down in tears and said she does not want to 'die alone.'

'I'm now 51 and single again with five kids,' she said in another episode from this week. 'So, I don't even know where I stand in the future. I just don't want to be alone. I don't want to die alone. I don't know what I'm doing right now.'

Spelling filed for divorce from McDermott in March 2024 after nearly two decades of marriage.

The actress recalled how she 'never even watched it back' and forgot about it until it got into the hands of somebody who had access to their home; pictured August 2019 in Los Angeles

In their 18 years of being married, the pair welcomed five children together. The former couple are parents to Liam, 17, Stella, 15, Hattie, 12, Finn, 11, and Beau, seven; pictured December 2019 in Hollywood

In their 18 years of being married, the pair welcomed five children together.

The former couple are parents to Liam, 17, Stella, 15, Hattie, 12, Finn, 11, and Beau, seven.

In a past episode of her podcast from March, she spoke about their current, cordial relationship.

'[I'm a] single mom of five now, co-parenting very well with my ex, Dean, which I gotta say, it is super challenging,' she shared with her listeners.

'I don't know if anyone has gone through this, but I've never called him Dean. I've called him babe for 20 years. So it is super hard to remind myself that, "Oh, OK. You guys aren't together anymore."

'So when we're doing kid drop off and switcheroos and he's over helping, I'm like, "Oh, babe." And I'm thinking to myself, "Is that OK? I just called him babe." And he's cool with it.'
Line Of Duty is reportedly set to return next year for a seventh series - and the filming start date is said to be already be confirmed.

The popular BBC show wrapped up four years ago, and fans are desperate to know if there will ever be another instalment after their disappointment over the identity of H.

Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, and Adrian Dunbar starred in the police drama which last aired in 2021 - and it's great news for viewers who have been begging for another season as their 'diaries have finally aligned'.

According to The Sun, the iconic trio will start filming the new six-part instalment in January when their other commitments have come to a close.

A TV insider told the publication: 'This is the news Line of Duty fans have been waiting for since the sixth season left them deflated when it aired back in 2021.

'The BBC almost immediately requested more episodes to continue the story, but the success of the show meant Vicky, Martin and Adrian were instantly snapped up for other projects.

Line Of Duty is reportedly set to return next year for a seventh series - and the filming start date is said to be already be confirmed

The popular BBC show wrapped up four years ago, and fans are desperate to know if there will ever be another instalment after their disappointment over the identity of H

They added: 'But after several meetings with Jed [Mercurio, creator and writer] and the production team, they've finally managed to clear space in their calendars next year to commit to making the show.'

MailOnline has contacted the BBC for comment.

It comes just after Vicky, Martin and Adrian reunited for a St Patrick's Day drink - as they continued to tease fans with another series.

The three main actors who played officers Kate Fleming, Steve Arnott and Ted Hastings in the beloved BBC series have remained good friends since the show last aired after a decade on screens.

And fans desperate for a seventh instalment of the action saw it as a clue that they could be filming another series soon.

Sharing the snap Martin, 40, penned in the caption: 'St paddy's day with one of Erin's finest the gaffer. Vicky's here as well.'

Fans wrote under the post: 'Season 7 please!', 'Can't wait for the new series.', 'Name a more iconic trio...I'll wait!'

Martin recently opened up on the possibility of a new series of Line Of Duty, as he admitted he'd 'like to pull his waistcoat out again'.

In an interview with The Times, Martin was asked the question on everyone's minds, and hinted that viewers could be in luck.

A TV insider told the publication: 'This is the news Line of Duty fans have been waiting for since the sixth season left them deflated when it aired back in 2021'

It comes just after Vicky, Martin and Adrian reunited for a St Patrick's Day drink - as they continued to tease fans with another series

Sharing the snap Martin, 40, penned in the caption: 'St paddy's day with one of Erin's finest the gaffer. Vicky's here as well'

He reasoned: 'I just don't know. I'm busy next year. Vicky's ridiculously busy, so's Adrian. If there's a story Jed (Mercurio) wants to tell, he'll come to us.

'As soon as there's some news we'll let you know, but right now there's nothing there. I'd like to pull my waistcoat out again.'

Martin joked: 'I like a waistcoat but I can't wear them now; it's like putting on Steve's character.'

The actor, who starred as Detective Inspector Steve Arnott for six series of Line of Duty between 2012 and 2021, recently appeared on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X.

Host Chris, 50, asked the question on everyone's lips to find out if it's coming back any time soon.

Throwing another hint, Martin replied: 'I love that people ask and the love that people have.

'When people stop asking about it it'll be a sad day. I do love that but, you don't want to give fans false hope because people get excited.'

He added: 'We're not planning anything immediately. We'd love to do another one at some point but we're all working next year on other stuff.'

Chris joked: 'Well stop working on other stuff, stop being so selfish.'

Martin recently opened up on the possibility of a new series of Line Of Duty, as he admitted he'd 'like to pull his waistcoat out again'

Despite there being nothing set in stone, Martin seems to be hopeful about the future.

Martin later confessed: 'I'm hopeful and sure we'll get to it at some point, but honestly once we're going to do it you'll hear it from us first.

'We'd be delighted to tell people!'

Martin's co-star Adrian also recently appeared to 'confirm' the show's return.

The Irish actor, 66, has played Superintendent Ted Hastings in Line of Duty from the very start of the series.

He opened up about his character's hilarious sayings on the show, such as 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey' and 'There's only one thing I'm interested in and that is catching bent coppers.'

During an interview with Virgin Radio UK, he told Ryan Tubridy: 'The one I didn't get in, which is kind of a really good Irish one about not stopping things happening is, 'Don't stall the digger'.

'That's a good one, isn't it? Like, you know, 'You've got to keep going'' That's going in the next season.'

Not only that, he also explained that Jed Mercurio has been working on it.

He added to the radio host: 'He is writing We haven't got a script on the desk yet.

'We know that Dr. Mercurio is out there doing something, Jed is writing. But as to when it's going to happen, we don't know.'
Only Fools and Horses fans were stunned to learn that Wanda Ventham, who portrayed Cassandra Trotter's mother, Pamela Parry, is part of a rather famous family.

Wanda, 89, and Denis Lill, 82, played Pamela and Alan Parry, appeared in four episodes across series six and seven of the beloved sitcom over three years.

However, fans were shocked to discover that Wanda is the mother of Hollywood star Benedict Cumberbatch, 48.

In the 1980s sitcom, Alan (Denis) owned a successful printing business where Rodney Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst) worked between 1989 and 1991.

Alan eventually became friends with Del Boy (David Jason). He often overindulged in food and drink with the legendary character, much to the dismay of his uptight wife, Pamela.

The couple also made an appearance at Damien's christening in Miami Twice.

Only Fools and Horses fans were stunned to learn that Wanda Ventham, who portrayed Cassandra Trotter's mother, Pamela Parry, is part of a rather famous family (pictured 1970)

Wanda, 89, and Denis Lill, 82, played Pamela and Alan Parry, appearing in four episodes across series six and seven over three years (L-R Denis, Roger Lloyd-Pack, and Wanda on the show)

Though their roles in the series were relatively minor, both stars were well-known in their own right.

Denis had notable roles in Survivors, The Royal and Outside Edge, while Wanda appeared in two Carry On films, as well as Holby City and Heartbeat.

In 1976, Wanda married fellow actor Timothy Carlton, who came from a family of decorated war heroes and was a well-known actor in his own right.

Timothy starred in Keeping Up Appearances, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Next of Kin. Together, they had a son who would go on to become a Hollywood heavyweight  Benedict.

Wanda and Timothy shared screen time in the drama The Lotus Eaters in 1973, and later appeared alongside Benedict in the third and fourth series of BBC's Sherlock (2014 and 2017), playing Sherlocks parents.

Benedicts career skyrocketed with his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, leading to roles in Atonement, The Imitation Game and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

His trajectory then veered into big-budget films, where he played Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness and voiced Smaug and Sauron in The Hobbit series.

He also embodied Dr. Stephen Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starring in Doctor Strange and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

However, fans were shocked to discover that Wanda is the mother of Hollywood star Benedict Cumberbatch, 48 (L-R Wanda, Benedict, Tracie Bennett and Timothy Carlton pictured 2012)

Benedicts career skyrocketed with his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, leading to roles in Atonement, The Imitation Game and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Off-screen, Benedict is married to Sophie Hunter, a director and actress known for her roles in Midsomer Murders, Torchwood, and Vanity Fair, where she starred alongside Reese Witherspoon.

Wanda has often expressed her pride for Benedict, particularly when he portrayed Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre in 2015.

After the performance, she said she was 'extraordinarily proud' of him and remarked on the liveliness of his performance, adding: 'He was quite lively growing up, but I thought that was phenomenal.'

Only Fools and Horses is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and BritBox.
A crisis at a Connecticut doughnut shop that was dragged into Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's ongoing legal battle got a major update late on Friday.

The It Ends With Us star, 37, was previously part of a PR stunt at Rise Doughnuts in Wilton, Connecticut, where she was called out by fans for the 'disgusting' act of not wearing a hairnet while she baked at the shop.

After the Wilton Health Department received complaints about Lively working in the kitchen  which accompanied negative Yelp comments apparently written by overzealous defends of Baldoni  an official investigation into the establishment was launched over alleged unsanitary practices

At issue was allegedly Blake's decision to briefly work in the establishment's kitchen without wearing a hair net for her long blond locks.

But the Wilton Health Department later cleared Rise Doughnuts of any health code violations, according to a document outlining its decision obtained by TMZ on Friday.

It indicated that an investigation was launched into the local business as the result of an 'anonymous' complaint, but investigators did not find any code violations.

A crisis at a Connecticut doughnut shop that was dragged into Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's ongoing legal battle got a major update late on Friday

As such, the health department didn't have any reason to issue fines, and it closed the case.

But even though the bakery is no longer facing an investigation over Blake's visit, its online reputation appears to be suffering due to online trolls who have gotten wrapped up in the drama between her and her former costar Justin.

After a string of bad reviews began popping up on the doughnut shop's Yelp page referencing the actress' appearance, an alert noting that the business was 'being monitored by Yelp's Support team for content related to media reports' was appended to the page.

A 'Unusual Activity Alert' graphic was also displayed at the top of the reviews section warning of attempts to alter the business' ratings.

It said there was 'increased public attention' to Rise Doughnuts, 'which often means people come to this page to post their views on the news.'

New reviews were temporarily blocked in hopes that trolls looking to score points in the LivelyBaldoni battle would lose interest before the doughnut shop became collateral damage.

A source close to Blake told TMZ that the 'so-called complaints are from people who have never been there and who dont even live in Connecticut.'

'Targeting a lovely, small, family-owned business is a new low in the retaliation campaign,' they added.

An investigation was launched due to an 'anonymous' complaint to the local health department, but the investigation was closed with no findings or fines on Friday, according to TMZ

That didn't stop trolls, many of whom appeared to have gotten wrapped up in the drama between Lively and Baldoni, from leaving negative reviews on Rise Doughnuts' Yelp page, forcing the site to temporarily block reviews

The troubled 37-year-old captioned BTS footage from Sunday: 'Baking with genius food friends and their kitchen mixer the size of a car. This is what my happy place looks like...' She also joked, 'I must know what this donut's skincare routine is' before scarfing it down

Blake documented her visit to the doughnut shop with footage and photos posted to Instagram.

'Baking with genius food friends and their kitchen mixer the size of a car. This is what my happy place looks like...' she captioned one post.

A spokesperson for the Wilton Health Department previously confirmed it had received complaints about Lively working in the kitchen without a hairnet, covering, hat, or hair-tie to keep her flaxen mane from shedding all over the $5 craft donuts  and that the business is under investigation.

It's unclear what possible health code violations, sanctions, or fines could have been enforced on owners Hugh Mangum and Laura Malone, who acquired the former pizzeria in 2022.

Prior to the wave of trolling reviews, Rise Doughnuts had a 4.5 out of five star rating on Yelp.

'Is it the practice at this doughnut shop to allow employees handling the food to wear their hair loose & hang a few inches above a tray of doughnuts?' Yelp user J.J. complained in a recent review that got through.

'Why don't your employees have to wear hairnets? This does not seem sanitary.'

Yelp user Stephanie T. appears to be one of the people reporting Rise to the health department after claiming to have visited Sunday 'and found long, stringy hay-like hair in my doughnuts. Perhaps it was from the loud, annoying blond woman working behind the corner.'

It's unclear what possible health code violations, sanctions, or fines could have been enforced on owners Hugh Mangum (L) and Laura Malone, who acquired the former pizzeria in 2022

Prior to the wave of trolling reviews, Rise Doughnuts had a 4.5 out of five star rating on Yelp

Yelp user J.J. complained in a recent review: 'Is it the practice at this doughnut shop to allow employees handling the food to wear their hair loose & hang a few inches above a tray of doughnuts? Why don't your employees have to wear hairnets? This does not seem sanitary'

Yelp user Stephanie T. appears to be one of the people reporting Rise to the health department after claiming to have visited Sunday 'and found long, stringy hay-like hair in my doughnuts. Perhaps it was from the loud, annoying blond woman working behind the corner'

'No matter who is baking or serving, food safety guidelines need to be followed,' Yelp user Wendi C. advised in her review.

'Friends shouldn't be hanging out in the food prep areas, leaning on equipment and not having their hair up.'

Yelp user Yiyi Z. claimed in her review: 'Found a hair in my doughnut, would not recommend. Do the workers not have hygiene training before serving food?'

Yelp user Crystal I. quoted the FDA Food Code and alleged: 'These basic food safety standards are not followed. Recent pictures and video show no one in this establishment follows protocol. Health inspector has been notified.'

Indeed, Rise Doughnuts posted a silly staff Instagram video on October 11 where none of the employees appear to be wearing hairnets.

DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for Blake Lively. the Wilton Health Department and Rise Doughnuts for comment but has not heard back.

Lively (born Brown) seems to bring backlash wherever she goes with her most recent scandal involving an improvised crotch grab on her costar Henry Golding that she hypocritically admitted to during the DVD commentary of A Simple Favor.

The Secrets of the Penguins narrator is in the midst of a legal war against her It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni, whom she's accused of sexually harassing her on set.

'No matter who is baking or serving, food safety guidelines need to be followed,' Yelp user Wendi C. advised in her review. 'Friends shouldn't be hanging out in the food prep areas, leaning on equipment and not having their hair up'

Yelp user Crystal I. quoted the FDA Food Code and alleged: 'These basic food safety standards are not followed. Recent pictures and video show no one in this establishment follows protocol. Health inspector has been notified'

Indeed, Rise Doughnuts posted a silly staff Instagram video on October 11 that may have been fodder for negative reviews. In the video, none of the employees appear to be wearing hairnets, though most appear to be wearing hats of various styles

Lively seems to bring backlash wherever she goes with her most recent scandal involving an improvised crotch grab on her costar Henry Golding that she hypocritically admitted to during the DVD commentary of A Simple Favor

The Secrets of the Penguins narrator is in the midst of a legal war against her It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni (M, pictured in 2024), whom she's accused of sexually harassing her on set

It all began December 20 when Blake filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department against the 41-year-old filmmaker for sexual harassment and retaliation on the set of the Sony Pictures drama, and revealed her side to the New York Times.

Justin immediately filed a libel lawsuit for $250M against the New York Times for allegedly biased coverage of Lively's California complaint and she filed a lawsuit against him and his PR team on December 31 for his alleged 'plan to undermine her reputation in retaliation' with a vicious smear campaign in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment.

All of the parties deny the allegations against them.

On January 16, Baldoni filed a second $400M lawsuit against the Gossip Girl alum, Reynolds, and their publicist Leslie Sloan for civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy.

The federal trial in the Southern District of New York, in Manhattan, is currently scheduled for March 2026.

Baldonis court papers allege evidence that Blake - who requires 'authorship' on all her films - appears to have masterminded a takeover of the It Ends with Us script, wardrobe, score, and editing departments by threatening to pull out of promoting the domestic violence drama.

Last August, Lively faced substantial outrage over her treatment of journalists, sarcastically answering questions about DV in her movie, and floral-filled Barbie-style promotion directly tied to her haircare and booze brands.

The Deadpool & Wolverine actress was also accused of having two of her friends (including director Paul Feig's wife) pose as ordinary fans with her outside the Paramount Theatre in Austin for the SXSW premiere of Another Simple Favor on March 7.

Blake reprised her role as bride-to-be Emily Nelson, who's somehow free after being sentenced to 20 years in prison for the double murder of her father and sister, in the Italian-set sequel premiering May 1 on Prime Video.

Another Simple Favor also features Anna Kendrick, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, Michele Morrone, Elena Sofia Ricci, Elizabeth Perkins, Alex Newell, and Allison Janney.
Longtime Access Hollywood host Kit Hoover has filed for divorce from husband Crowley Sullivan after 25 years of marriage and three kids.

It comes after news broke in December that the couple had separated.

Hoover, 54, filed divorce documents on March 26 in a Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences, per a report from Us Weekly. The official date of separation is listed as May 1, 2024.

The couple married in August 1999 and went on to welcome daughters Campbell, 22, and Hayes, 21, and son Crowley Jr., 18. Hoover has requested joint legal and physical custody of their youngest child, who is listed as a minor.

It was also noted in the filing that she and Sullivan have come to a separate support agreement, per the outlet.

Longtime Access Hollywood host Kit Hoover has filed for divorce from husband Crowley Sullivan after 25 years of marriage and three kids; pictured March 24

It comes after news broke in December that the couple had separated; pictured in 1995

Kit is seeking spousal support from the Athlete Advantage CEO as noted 'per agreement of the two parties.'

'Shes been telling people she is single and getting divorced,' a source told Us Weekly late last year, months before she officially filed for divorce.

Hoover marked her and Crowley's 24th wedding anniversary on Instagram in August 2023.

'Holy Cow  We are 24 years old in this pic and NOW  Happy 24th anniversary Honeybun!!!' she wrote at the time.

She added, 'Thanks for loving this lunatic and for our beautiful family that is my EVERYTHING. I love you.'

And the mom-of-three added hashtags, '#stillhavingfun #stilltheone #grateful #joyfulliving.'

In September 2021, shortly after they marked 22 years of marriage, she shared a photo of the couple taken in 1995.

The caption read: 'Throwing it back to 1995...Crowl described me as "ALL GAS - NO BREAKS"...and to think I haven't even hit full speed yet.'

Hoover, 54, filed divorce documents on March 26 in a Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences

The couple married in August 1999 and went on to welcome daughters Campbell, 22, and Hayes, 21, and son Crowley Jr., 18

On Friday, days after her divorce filing, Kit shared a smiling photo to Instagram

On Friday, days after her divorce filing, Kit shared a smiling photo to Instagram, writing, 'Friday!!!!!!,' to her 109,000 followers.

In February it was announced that she will be inducted into University of North Carolina's Media & Journalism Hall of Fame.

Taking place on April 11, the longtime reporter will be honored alongside Rich Beckman, Allen Bosworth, LaToya Evans, Woody Durham, and Robyn Tomlin.

She received a special congratulatory message from filmmaker Henry Winkler this week, as he recorded a video and gushed, 'UNC, you have chosen the right human being for your hall of fame.'

Kit, who launched the podcast The Coop with Kit in 2024, responded by sharing the clip online and writing, 'You are simply the best. Lucky me to have you and your family in my life.'
Blake Lively has accused Justin Baldoni of 'trying to silence sexual harassment victims' amid the pair's explosive legal battle.

The Gossip Girl alum, 37 - whose 'disgusting' donut shop stunt sparked a health and safety investigation - has been embroiled in legal drama with Baldoni, 41, since December 2024 after she accused him of sexual harassment and launching a smear campaign against her.

He responded with a $400 million lawsuit against the actress as well as filing a $250 million libel lawsuit against the New York Times which reported on Lively's allegations.

Earlier this week on Thursday, Justin accused Blake of staging a PR stunt against him which he claimed was 'designed to ruin the reputations and careers of the Wayfarer parties' after she filed to dismiss his lawsuit on March 20.

In his filing this week, Baldoni stated he was 'exercising' his First Amendment right 'to petition the court to clear their names from her false and harmful claims.'

Blake's attorneys Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson told TMZ on Friday: 'That's right: Justin Baldoni, the man who has built his brand on supposedly speaking up for victims, believes that the First Amendment rights of victims of sexual assault and harassment to speak out should give way to the rights of perpetrators to sue their victims "into oblivion."'

Blake Lively, 37, has accused Justin Baldoni, 41, of 'trying to silence sexual harassment victims' amid the pair's explosive legal battle; seen in March in Austin

Earlier this week on Thursday, Justin accused Blake of staging a PR stunt against him which he claimed was 'designed to ruin the reputations and careers of the Wayfarer parties' after she filed to dismiss his lawsuit on March 20; seen in 2024

Her legal team further stated that Baldoni and his lawyer Bryan Freedman are trying to 'shed' a law that protects victims and also prevents others from speaking out in the future.

In response, Freedman told DailyMail.com on Friday: 'This convoluted statement makes it abundantly clear that Ms. Lively and team are rattled and once again resorting to making inflammatory remarks to steer focus away from the actual facts.

'Clearly they want to divert the public's attention from the receipts, the actual documents, video footage and additional evidence shown that make it irrefutable that there was no sexual harassment.'

Freedman added it is 'surprising that Ms. Lively and her team are suddenly speaking so passionately about the hard won rights of the survivor community, considering she sidestepped this topic for the entirety of the film campaign...

'Focusing instead on her hair care and alcohol products which at that time caused the organic backlash that she received. She does not need discovery to find out who smeared her. Just a mirror will do.'

Justin's attorney also recently told TMZ, 'Ms. Lively and her circle of Hollywood elites cannot prevent my clients from exercising their constitutional right to petition the court to clear their names from her false and harmful claims.'

Last year, Justin and Blake both starred in the adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel It Ends With Us - which the actor also directed.

She went on to file a sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni, who she also accused of orchestrating a 'retaliation campaign,' and he responded by suing Lively, Reynolds and Lively's publicist Leslie Sloane for defamation.

Her legal team further stated that Baldoni and his lawyer Bryan Freedman are trying to 'shed' a law that protects victims and also prevents others from speaking out in the future

also told the outlet on Friday, 'This convoluted statement makes it abundantly clear that Ms. Lively and team are rattled and once again resorting to making inflammatory remarks to steer focus away from the actual facts'; seen in 2024 in NYC

The two stars have since been embroiled on ongoing legal drama as they prepare to go to court next year on March 9, 2026.

Justin recently issued a scathing response to Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds after the couple filed to dismiss his $400 million defamation lawsuit against them.

Last month, Lively, Reynolds and Sloane filed to dismiss Baldoni's 'vengeful and rambling' $400 million lawsuit.

In a fiery statement, Reynolds slammed Baldoni as 'thin-skinned' while describing himself as a 'supportive spouse' to Lively.

And on Tuesday, April 1, the legal team representing Baldoni and the Wayfarer Studios parties called Reynolds Lively's 'co-conspirator' as they asked Judge Lewis J. Liman to deny both the Deadpool star and his wife's dismissal request.

According to People, Baldoni's lawyers claim in the legal docs that Reynolds 'pretends that the Wayfarer Parties' First Amended Complaint (the 'FAC') fails to set forth any basis for his liability and that he merely acted as a supportive spouse. Not so.

'The FAC specifically alleges ample facts to support the Wayfarer Parties' claims against him, based on both his direct actions and his liability as a co-conspirator.'

They've also suggested that Reynolds should not be able to recover attorneys fees from Baldoni in the 'extremely unlikely event' that he is dismissed from the lawsuit.

Last month, Lively, Reynolds and Sloane filed to dismiss Baldoni's 'vengeful and rambling' $400 million lawsuit; Blake and Ryan seen in February in NYC

This comes after Lively's attorneys stated in her March 20 dismissal filing that Wayfarer's legal efforts against her could end up costing Baldoni's team $100 million.

In an April 3 statement to DailyMail.com, a spokesperson for Reynolds responded to Baldoni's latest legal move.

The spokesperson claimed that Baldoni and the Wayfarer Studios parties 'finally realize the plain defects in their complaint,' while calling the lawsuit 'frivolous.'

They also told DailyMail.com that Reynolds will continue to standby his wife while reiterating Lively's harassment and retaliation allegations.

'They once again claim defamation without alleging who was defamed, what specifically was said, or how anyone suffered actual harm.

'Unlike Mr. Baldoni, who built his brand pretending to be a man who is 'confident enough to listen' to the women in his life, Ryan Reynolds actually is that man and he will continue to support his wife as she stands up to the individuals who not only harassed her but then have retaliated against her.

'Under New York law, California law, and indeed in every jurisdiction of the United States this lawsuit not only fails but may result in the Wayfarer Parties covering Ryan's costs and attorneys' fees for bringing such a frivolous case in the first place,' the statement concluded.

Baldoni's response to Lively's dismissal filing was obtained by TMZ.

According to court docs obtained by the outlet on Thursday, Baldoni provided the judge with reasons as to why the Gossip Girl's attempt to toss out his lawsuit should be denied.

The spokesperson claimed that Baldoni and the Wayfarer Studios parties 'finally realize the plain defects in their complaint,' while calling the lawsuit 'frivolous'; seen in 2024 in NYC

According to court docs obtained by the outlet on Thursday, Baldoni provided the judge with reasons as to why the Gossip Girl's attempt to toss out his lawsuit should be denied

Baldoni accused Lively of being the mastermind behind an elaborate smear campaign, which he claimed was 'designed to ruin the reputations and careers of the Wayfarer parties.'

Baldoni claimed claims 'there is sufficient evidence that [Lively] took a responsible part in publishing each of the allegedly defamatory statements by approving or authorizing them prior to publication.'

He also alleged that Lively 'told the NYT a false and damning story about an insidious PR sabotage operation deployed as revenge for sexual harassment complaints, with the knowledge and intent that the newspaper would publish that false story.'

He continued to insist that Lively acted out of malice and accused her of actively trying to destroy his Hollywood career.

Freedman also informed TMZ, 'What Ms. Lively is attempting to do is to set a dangerous precedent by barring the courthouse doors to my clients and punishing them for having their day in court, a right protected by the First Amendment.

'This right protects not only Mr. Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties in this particular case, but all Americans in the future who have false accusations levied against them and seek relief from our justice system.'

He added, 'This must stop here, and we will continue to fight against this blatant attempt to block access to the court system and to weaken our nations Constitution to serve those who are in the position of power.'

Lively, Reynolds and publicist Sloane filed to dismiss Baldoni's defamation lawsuit on March 20.

In court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, Lively's attorneys slammed Baldoni's 'vengeful and rambling' lawsuit as a 'profound abuse of the legal process that has no place in federal court' as they asked for all claims against her to be dropped.

He continued to insist that Lively acted out of malice and accused her of actively trying to destroy his Hollywood career; seen in 2024 in L.A.

In court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, Lively's attorneys slammed Baldoni's 'vengeful and rambling' lawsuit as a 'profound abuse of the legal process that has no place in federal court' as they asked for all claims against her to be dropped; seen in 2024 in NYC

In a shocking twist, the documents also state that Wayfarer's legal efforts against Lively may end up costing Baldoni's team $100 million due to a mandatory fee shifting provision in California Civil Code Section 47.1, which provides protections to individuals with claims of sexual harassment and similar allegations.

In the introduction and summary of their argument, Lively's legal team argues the lawsuit against her has 'no place in federal court' due to legal protections for individuals who have spoken out about sexual harassment or filed legal claims.

Under the California law, communication by an individual making a claim - without malice - about sexual harassment and similar matters is considered privileged communication.

Section 47.1 dictates that these individuals who prevail in a defamation lawsuit against them over the allegations will be awarded their attorney's fees, punitive damages, and treble damages (an award three times what the jury decides to give the plaintiff). The law applies to those who had a 'reasonable basis to file a complaint' of harassment and similar allegations, whether or not the complaint was filed.

The documents note that the 'Wayfarer Parties' - Baldoni's studio - will be financially responsible for all of this should the defamation lawsuit be dismissed.

With this fee shifting provision in mind, the documents note that Steve Sarowitz, the co-founder of Wayfarer Studios, may end up forking over the $100 million he allegedly pledged to spend on litigation in a manner he did not intend.

'Steve Sarowitz may indeed make good on his threat to spend $100 million litigating against Ms. Lively, but perhaps not in the way he planned.'

They said Wayfarer's First Amendment Complaint - shortened to 'FAC' in the legal documents - relied on 'implausible conjecture and conspiracy theories' to make their case about Lively.

Lively's legal team called the FAC a 'blunt public relations instrument' intended to 'bury' and destroy' Lively for speaking up about her claims.

The documents note that the 'Wayfarer Parties' - Baldoni's studio - will be financially responsible for all of this should the defamation lawsuit be dismissed

In the documents, Lively's legal team argue she did not act with 'actual malice' when making her claims about Baldoni, 'a public figure subject to the actual malice standard'.

They state Wayfarer's FAC 'confirms' Lively reported her claims and sincerely believed them to be true.

The documents also said Wayfarer failed to demonstrate that Lively doubted the truthfulness of her allegations.

Additionally, it cites an alleged text conversation between Justin and his crisis publicist Melissa Nathan in which they agreed Lively truly believed she was right.

The filing also says the FAC fails to demonstrate Lively and her team were all conspiring against Wayfarer.

It also adds that alleged coordination between Lively and The New York Times - whose article about Lively's original complaint sparked a lawsuit from Baldoni - was 'not wrongful as a matter of law.'

They also allege that their documents failed to 'allege that Ms. Lively wrongfully interfered with any contract or economic relationship.'

This references Wayfarer and Baldoni being dropped by talent agency WME following the filing of Lively's claims.

They state the documents lack evidence showing Lively did anything to destroy the relationship, and that the only 'specific allegations' were surrounding her husband, who allegedly referred to Baldoni a 'sexual predator' in conversation with a WME executive.

The filing also says the FAC fails to demonstrate Lively and her team were all conspiring against Wayfarer; seen in 2024 in NYC

They also claim Wayfarer did not state any damages related to their extortion claims.

The lawsuit concluded by asking the court to 'dismiss all claims against Ms. Lively with prejudice, deny leave to amend, and award Ms. Lively all relief sought.'

Baldoni and his company Wayfarer Studios filed the $400M lawsuit in January. His studio's chief executive Jamey Heath, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, and publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel were also listed as plaintiffs, according to NPR.

The legal fallout between Lively and Baldoni came after months of intense fan speculation of tension between the two during the promotion of the film, with the duo not posing together at the premiere and doing press separately.
The nepo relative of a television icon was her spitting image while attending a glitzy event in Miami on Thursday.

Claudia Vergara, 32 - the niece of Modern Family alum Sofia Vergara - proudly represented the actress's Toty suncare line during Stitch Lab Miami 2025.

Back in 2023, the America's Got Talent judge launched the brand to 'redefine suncare to provide an easy system to protect and correct against sun-aging caused by sun damage to achieve your healthiest and most gorgeous skin,' per the website.

Claudia flashed a cheerful smile while posing at the Toty pop-up amid the festivities which took place at the Miami Design District.

The media personality donned a strapless, white corset top as well as a denim skirt that contained a slit on the front.

She slipped into a pair of closed-toed, gold heels and allowed her locks to flow down naturally past her shoulders.

The nepo relative of a television icon was her spitting image while attending a glitzy event in Miami on Thursday

Claudia accessorized the look with a gold-chained necklace with a shell pendant on the front as well as a dainty bracelet and flashy watch.

The niece of Sofia could be seen testing out some of the products at the pop-up which was decorated with colorful flowers and a large umbrella.

At one point, she also stopped to take a quick photo with Stitch Lab founder Karina Rosendo who opted for a stylish white dress.

The festivities officially opened to the public on Friday and will come to a close later this weekend on Sunday, April 6.

Stitch Lab 'brings together over 40 of the most exciting Latin American designers, all in one place,' per an official description.

Toty was just one of the many brands represented at the event this week thus far, which Sofia founded in June 2023 in collaboration with Spain-based pharmaceutical company Cantabria Labs.

On the Toty website, Vergara explained that she created the line with Cantabria Labs which is 'a leading European pharmaceutical company with more than 30 years of track record based in Spain.

'They're experts in dermatology and sun-aging innovation. I have trust their products for more than 15 years,' the Griselda actress added.

Claudia Vergara, 32 - the niece of Modern Family alum Sofia Vergara - proudly represented the actress's Toty suncare line during Stitch Lab Miami 2025

Claudia flashed a cheerful smile while posing at the Toty pop-up amid the festivities which took place at the Miami Design District

The media personality donned a strapless, white corset top as well as a denim skirt that contained a slit on the front

The niece of Sofia could be seen testing out some of the products at the pop-up which was decorated with colorful flowers and a large umbrella

At one point, she also stopped to take a quick photo with Stitch Lab founder Karina Rosendo who opted for a stylish white dress

Some products that are offered from Toty include the creamy compact foundation with SPF 50+ which is priced at $56.

Reversa Retinol ($89) as well as Ilumina Mineral Glow SPF 50+ ($44) and Solaria Body SPF 50 ($38) are also available to consumers on the official website.

During a past interview with Harper's Bazaar, Vergara opened up about the importance of suncare.

'I grew up in very tropical weather in Barranquilla, Colombia, and there was no one ever telling you, "Don't get sunburn" or "Don't tan."'

Sofia added, 'I wish I had made that decision sooner also for the rest of my body, but I didn't. I just thought to save my face, and that was it. So, I haven't had my face in the sun without protection since the '90s.'

The name of the line, Toty, is also based off of a nickname that Vergara had while growing up.

'In Latin America, everybody has a nickname, and so that was mine. It came from my brother who was two years older than me.'

She continued, 'They used to call me Sofi, and he couldn't say Sofi, so he would say Toty. Only the people from Barranquilla call me like that, so if you say Toty and I turn around, I'm always thinking I'm going to see someone from Barranquilla.'

Some products that are offered from Toty include the creamy compact foundation with SPF 50+ which is priced at $56

During a past interview with Harper's Bazaar, Vergara opened up about the importance of suncare; seen in March in Beverly Hills

Sofia's niece Claudia is the daughter of her late brother Rafael - who was murdered in the late 90s during a kidnapping attempt in Columbia.

While talking to Variety last year, the actress reflected on his shock passing and expressed, 'It destroyed my family.'

Vergara continued, 'It destroyed my mom. It changed our lives completely. We didn't know what was happening, why he had been killed.'

After the tragic incident, the actress and some of her family members moved to the United States. 'It was hard, because I had to take responsibility for my whole family,' the star recalled.

And during a past interview with Parade, Sofia candidly told the outlet, 'My older brother, Rafael, was killed in Colombia. A nightmare.'

She added that her mother 'was like a zombie. I wanted to be with them, so I got a big house [in Miami, Florida] and we all lived together. I am so grateful to be in this country.

'With so many bad things happening, it creates a tough skin. You just have to take a deep breath and keep on going - if not for yourself, then for everybody you love.'

Both Sofia and Claudia have appeared in photos together on social media over the years and back in 2019, the pair revealed that they also share each other's clothing, per Us Weekly.

Sofia's niece Claudia is the daughter of her late brother Rafael - who was murdered in the late 90s during a kidnapping attempt in Columbia; seen in 2019 in Las Vegas

Both Sofia and Claudia have appeared in photos together on social media over the years and back in 2019, the pair revealed that they also share each other's clothing, per Us Weekly

'We share clothes all the time, all the time. Anything from the waist down, for sure. From the waist up, I don't have the boobs for it,' Claudia humorously said at the time.

'I borrow everything from her except shoes because she's 5'9", so it's the one thing I can't steal, but purses and jackets for sure. We're also the same size in denim, so that too.'

In regards to fashion advice from the actress, Claudia added that Sofia 'is always like, "Just wear whatever you want and don't follow just what's on trend. It needs to look good on you."'

The media influencer gushed about the 'amazing' actress 'because she did everything by herself...She's a busy woman and a very empowered woman. She doesn't need anyone and I love that about her...'
Married At First Sight star Jules Robinson has revealed her thoughts about the current season of the reality experiment.

The 42-year-old was paired with Cameron Merchant on the 2019 iteration of the Channel Nine reality juggernaut.

Speaking to Stellar, Jules said that the current crop of MAFS stars may've been trying a little too hard to reach the dramatic heights.

'When we were on it, what you saw was what you got, as in what happened then aired and there wasnt really any contrived episodes of people doing things for, I guess, attention or for reaction,' she said.

While admitting that she has been keeping up with the drama that has kept millions of Australians glued to heir screens, Jules added that it had been, at times, difficult.

'This new season has been a bit hard to watch, I think  some parts of it,' Jules admitted.

Married At First Sight star Jules Robinson has revealed her thoughts about the current season of the reality experiment

'I cant put my finger on it. You keep watching but youre like, "What am I actually watching?"

'At least theres a bit of love this year, a couple of relationships.'

Jules, who shares two children, Oliver, four, and Carter, nine months, with Cameron, also revealed that the couple may be looking to expand their brood in the near future, admitting that she had been 'manifesting a little girl.'

'So next year, we decided we will try again,' she said.

'I think I am immortal, dont I? I go into everything with positivity - thats just how I see it. So, next year is the year.'

It comes after Jules was forced to hit back at a troll who had claimed that her son Oliver had passed away.

She took to Instagram in March to address a cowardly keyboard warrior who made the false and hurtful comments about her boy.

Shared to a MAFS fan site the troll had used a picture of Cam and Jules welcoming their son in 2020 with the caption: 'RIP Oliver'.

Speaking to Stellar , Jules admitted that the current crop of MAFS stars may've been trying a little too hard to reach the dramatic heights. Jules is pictured with husband Cam Merchant

'When we were on it, what you saw was what you got, as in what happened then aired and there wasnt really any contrived episodes of people doing things for, I guess, attention or for reaction,' she said. Pictured: 2025 MAFS star Jacqui Burfoot

The nasty troll added, 'Could this be the end? Cam Merchant blames son's tragic death on partner Jules Robinson.'

Jules shared the cruel post and added her own comment: 'Ok I've had some pretty awful and untrue things said about me...but this is the worst.

'Whoever wrote this is you should be ashamed of yourself. If you see please report. A family member shared this with me; it's a MAFS fan page.'

Jules also shared a video to her stories in which she could be seen holding her seven-month-old baby Carter James while urging users to 'stop and think' before posting 'stupid comments'.

'Okay, you know what the funny thing is? On Friday, I spoke at an event, and I had a lot of questions about trolling and how I deal with it,' a tearful Jules began.

'And you know what, nine times out of ten, Im always fine.

'Ive done enough work on myself to be able to protect myself and to always know that generally theyre always about how I look or how I dress or whatever,' she continued.

'You know what? That does not bother me at all. But to come at my family and to say something so awful.

'This new season has been a bit hard to watch, I think  some parts of it,' Jules admitted. 'I cant put my finger on it. You keep watching but youre like, "What am I actually watching?"'

Jules, who shares two children, Oliver, four, and Carter, nine months, with Cameron, also revealed that the couple may be looking to expand their brood in the near future, admitting that she had been 'manifesting a little girl'

'So next year, we decided we will try again,' she said. 'I think I am immortal, dont I? I go into everything with positivity - thats just how I see it. So, next year is the year'

'And the point that youve gone to source photos of [Oliver] as a baby... like what is the purpose of this?

'It's just insane and people just need to stop and think before they do such stupid things,' she went on.

'So yeah I am upset and I am human and that is not fair to write things like that about my children so who ever you are, you are an absolute moron.'

After almost six years together, Jules and Cam recently opened up about their experience on MAFS and revealed how it can leave participants a 'shell' of a person.

'The reason why we feel it did go so well for us was because we did so much work on ourselves as individuals prior. So the universe was like, "Okay, now you're ready for it",' Cam told Yahoo Lifestyle in August.

Jules added: 'We're forever grateful for our experience.

'It was tough, we both broke into tears in there, but we're really grateful for such a fun, amazing experience that led to all this.'

The 2019 Married At First Sight lovebirds have gone to strength-to-strength since the show aired, welcoming Oliver in October 2020.

They then added to their family, in July last year, with the arrival of their second son Carter James.
It looks like the Married At First Sight gang is back together  and ready to party.

Fan favourites from the explosive 2025 season of Married At First Sight were spotted checking into the stylish Ovolo Hotel in Sydney on Friday ahead of Daily Mail Australia's highly anticipated reunion soiree.

In a surprising  and rather wholesome  moment, controversial groom-turned-fan-favourite Eliot Donovan was seen gallantly helping fellow cast mates Jamie Marinos and Beth Kelly with their luggage as they arrived.

Eliot, 35, who underwent a public redemption arc after returning to the experiment for a second shot at love, looked relaxed and upbeat as he hauled a large black suitcase from the back of a van.

Dressed in cargo pants and a crisp white tee, the Gold Coast businessman flashed a big smile while lending a helping hand.

Meanwhile, Jamie Marinos, 28, cut a chic figure in oversized grey pants, a black knit sweater and dark sunglasses as she effortlessly wheeled her pale pink suitcase across the street.

Fan favourites from the explosive 2025 season of Married At First Sight were spotted checking into the stylish Ovolo Hotel in Sydney on Friday ahead of Daily Mail Australia's reunion soiree

Jamie Marinos, 28, cut a chic figure in oversized grey pants, a black knit sweater and dark sunglasses as she effortlessly wheeled her pale pink suitcase across the street

The stylish marketing manager from Melbourne wore her blonde hair in a shoulder-length bob and clutched a drink and her jacket in one hand while juggling her bags in the other.

Not far behind was Beth Kelly, 28, who kept things sporty in an all-black athleisure set consisting of figure-hugging leggings and a sleeveless tank.

The operations manager from Brisbane paired the look with sneakers and wore her long brunette locks down and sleek as she shared a laugh with Eliot on the street.

The unlikely trio's friendly reunion comes ahead of a star-studded bash hosted by Daily Mail Australia, which will bring together some of the most beloved  and controversial  stars from season 12 of the hit Nine series.

Among the confirmed attendees are Jamie, Beth, Eliot, Awhina Rutene, Carina Mirabile, Paul Antoine, Teejay Halkias, Tony Mojanovski, Katie Johnson and Ashleigh Ackerman.

Fan favourites, and the only remaining couple matched by the experts, Rhi Disljenkovic and Jeff Gobbels will also be making an appearance.

Insiders say the reunion will be 'full of fireworks, flirty moments and fierce fashion'.

It's also the first time many of the cast will be under the same roof since the reunion episode was filmed earlier this year  and all eyes will be on how the dynamics have shifted since the cameras stopped rolling.

Not far behind was Beth Kelly, 28, who kept things sporty in an all-black athleisure set consisting of figure-hugging leggings and a sleeveless tank

The unlikely trio's friendly reunion comes ahead of a star-studded bash hosted by Daily Mail Australia, which will bring together some of the most beloved  and controversial  stars from season 12 of the hit Nine series

Fan favourites, and the only remaining couple matched by the experts, Rhi Disljenkovic and Jeff Gobbels will also be making an appearance

Eliot, who was originally paired with Lauren Hall before being rematched with Veronica Cloherty, is expected to reunite with several of his former castmates  including those he clashed with on and off screen.

Beth, who was partnered with Teejay during the show, is said to have remained close friends with Jamie, Awhina and Ashleigh since filming wrapped.

Jamie, whose emotional vulnerability and girl-next-door charm made her a breakout star this season, has quickly become a fan favourite and is already tipped to be the next influencer to watch.

Married At First Sight reunion airs Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine
Sydney Sweeney and Emily Ratajkowski turned heads in New York City on Friday as they teamed up for a Kerastase campaign shoot.

The Anyone But You star, 28, and the model, 33, brought the star power as they strutted their stuff in glamorous ensembles while advertising for the haircare brand.

Sydney, who recently split from fiance Jonathan Davino, put on a busty display in a figure-hugging mini dress with a daring neckline and layered skirt.

She showed off her toned legs in a pair of cream peep-toe heels and shielded her eyes with a pair of chic oval sunglasses.

She styled her golden tresses in bouncy waves as she put her best foot forward for the shoot with the haircare and styling brand.

Sydney walked hand-in-hand with Emily, who showed off her incredible figure in a sleek, fitted midi dress in the same soft hue.

Sydney Sweeney and Emily Ratajkowski turned heads in New York City on Friday as they teamed up for a glamorous Kerastase campaign shoot

The Anyone But You star, 28, and the 33-year-old model brought double the star power to the set as they showcased the haircare brand in coordinated cream ensembles

Sydney wowed in a figure-hugging mini dress with a daring neckline and ruched skirt that showed off her toned legs

The supermodel toted her belongings in a tiny cream clutch bag and added inches to her frame with a pair of clear heels.

After wrapping up the campaign shoot, Sydney and Emily made an appearance at the Kerastase pop-up launch.

The pals appeared to be in jovial spirits as they posed for a series of fun-filled snaps at the star-studded event.

They were joined by fellow guests including Ebonee Davis and Camila Coelho.

Sydney flashed a huge smile as she threw herself into work after it was revealed she had quietly called off her engagement with her fiance Jonathan, 41, just a few months short of the date they were originally planning to tie the knot.

Following their split, the actress was supported by her friends as she reunited with her Anyone But You co-star Glen Powell to attend his sister's wedding in Dallas, Texas.

Glen then made a telling remark about 'timing' after their friendly reunion but did not address the swirling romance rumors while making an appearance on Today's Jenna & Friends.

He said that his sister and Sydney are 'great friends' after seemingly referencing the actress' newly single status.

During the shoot on the streets of New York, the pair stunned as they gracefully walked toward the camera

At one point, Sydney held up an oversized version of one of the products

Meanwhile Emily also impressed in a sleek, fitted midi dress in the same soft hue

After wrapping up the campaign shoot, Sydney and Emily made an appearance at the Kerastase pop-up launch

The duo looked incredible as they posed for a series of fun-filled snaps at the star-studded event

They were joined by fellow guests including Ebonee Davis (left) and Camila Coelho (right)

The event comes after it emerged that Sydney had called off her engagement to her fiance Jonathan Davino , 41, after about seven years together. They are pictured in 2023

Following their split, the actress was supported by her friends as she reunited with her Anyone But You co-star Glen Powell to attend his sister's wedding in Dallas; pictured February 2024

He laughed: 'You know, timing is everything in this world, isn't it?'

Sydney and Jonathan, who reportedly have been separated since January, had originally planned to tie the knot this May before the actress reportedly got cold feet.

It was reported last week that the actress and film producer scrapped their wedding plans due to 'major issues'.

The pair started dating in 2018 and got engaged in 2022, but for the most part kept their relationship assiduously private.

On Monday, a source told People that the couple's relationship had been 'rocky for a long time'.

The insider noted that Sydney 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 she 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', they claimed.

'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.'
Woody Harrelson has revealed he turned down a role on The White Lotus after the staff salaries were revealed.

The actor, 63, was considered to play the role of both Sam Rockwell's character Frank and Rick, who is played by Walton Goggins.

It was previously claimed that Woody wanted to negotiate the salary, despite all the actors being paid the same, and eventually dropped out of the project.

However, he has now set the record straight, revealing that it was never about the money.

In a statement to The Daily Beast, he explained: 'I was set to do The White Lotus and very excited.

'Unfortunately, their production schedule shifted, and conflicted with a pre-planned family vacation, forcing me to make an extremely hard decision.'

Woody Harrelson has discussed why he turned down a role on The White Lotus on Friday after staff salaries were revealed (pictured in January 2024)

Sources told THR earlier this week that the all-star cast was originally set to include Woody as he was considered to play the role of Rick, which is currently played by Walton (pictured)

'Things must be meant to be though because I couldnt have done as fantastic a job as Sam, who is killing it,' he added.

His representatives added that when Woody was no longer available, producers were forced to recast Sam as Frank.

Earlier this week, one of the hit show's producers disclosed how much each actor  including top starsLeslie Bibb, Walton and Patrick Schwarzenegger  was paid for the show.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, producer David Bernad also revealed how much each episode cost to produce for HBO.

He said: 'Everyone is treated the same on The White Lotus.

'They get paid the same, and we do alphabetical billing, so you're getting people who want to do the project for the right reasons, not to quote The Bachelor.'

David also claimed that this system has been in place since the first season, which was led by Jennifer Coolidge and John Gries.

Another casting choice for season three who was ultimately replaced was Francesa Corney, who was on set for several weeks and was originally casted for the role of Chloe.

He was also considered to play the role of both Sam Rockwell's character Frank (pictured) but has revealed he had to drop out when the production schedule shifted

Woody said: 'Things must be meant to be though because I couldnt have done as fantastic a job as Sam, who is killing it' (pictured in February 2023)

The third season of the satirical comedy-drama anthology from creator Mike White premiered on HBO on February 16.

Set in a White Lotus resort in Thailand, the story follows the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week, per the synopsis.

The all-star cast includes Carrie Coon, Sarah Catherine Hook, Jason Isaacs among many more.

Fellow actors starring in season three also include Lalisa Manobal, Michelle Monaghan, Sam Nivola, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Lek Patravadi, Aimee Lou Wood, Tayme Thapthimthong, Scott Glen and Jon Gries.

The finale is set for release on the streamer this week on April 6.
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Hugh Grant has shared a 'creepy and insulting' interaction he had while travelling through Heathrow Airport alongside his family on Friday.

The Hollywood actor, 63, alleged that his children were questioned by an immigration officer.

Hugh shares three children John, 12, Lulu, eight, and Blue, six, with his wife, Anna Elisabet Eberstein, 46.

The Bridget Jones star also has two older kids Tabitha, 13, Felix, 11, with ex Tinglan Hong, and largely keeps his children out of the public eye.

On social media platform X, Hugh explained: 'Just came through Heathrow with wife and children. We all have the same last name (Grant) on our passports.

'Immigration officer engages my children in chit chat then whispers to them 'Are these your Mum and Dad?' Intrusive, insulting and creepy.'

Hugh Grant has shared a 'creepy and insulting' interaction he had while travelling through Heathrow Airport alongside his family on Friday

While the incident took place at Heathrow Airport, the immigration officers are employed by the Home Office rather than by the airport directly.

Official government guidance states: 'If you are travelling with a child (under 18) and are not the child's parent, or may appear not to be the parent (for example, if you have a different family name), we may ask you a few questions to establish your relationship with the child.

We will always do this as quickly as possible and in a way which is sensitive to the interests of the child and the adult involved.'

MailOnline has contacted Heathrow Airport and the Home Office for comment.

It comes after Hugh's ex Elizabeth Hurley revealed she no longer speaks to him after being coupled to fame in that Versace dress at the premiere of his 1994 movie Four Weddings And A Funeral.

The actress became a household name overnight thanks to the extravagant couture gown, manufactured from a mix of black silk and Lycra, held together with oversized safety pins and borrowed from the Versace flagship store on Old Bond Street.

Likewise, Hugh also enjoyed a significant change in fortune - both personal and professional - thanks to his role as the perennially single Charles in director Richard Curtis' romantic comedy.

And Elizabeth credits their relationship for helping her navigate a pivotal time in her life but admits they no longer see each other - despite remaining firm friends following their amicable separation in 2000.

Hugh shares three children John, 12, Lulu, eight, and Blue, six, with his wife, Anna Elisabet Eberstein, 46

The Bridget Jones star, 63, explained: 'Just came through Heathrow with wife and children. We all have the same last name (Grant) on our passports'

Appearing at the Bazaar At Work summit in London earlier this month, she said: 'I was with my ex, Hugh Grant, so it happened to both of us at the same time.'

'Like me, he'd also worked a lot, and thought he was doing pretty well until Four Weddings and a Funeral came out and suddenly it was completely different  he was a phenomenon.'

'The film was a massive success, and everything changed. But there were two of us and I think that massively helped. When you're suddenly thrust into the spotlight, your lives aren't set up for it.'

She added: 'You don't have any protection. It was alarming. The press was much ruder back in the 90s and 2000s than it is now. I truly believe that people aren't allowed to be as rude as they were then.'

'[I] think it gives you a bond when you sort of go to the trenches with someone. I mean, he's married with five children. I hardly ever see him, but he's still very close to my heart.'

It comes after Elizabeth revealed she no longer speaks to ex Hugh Grant after being coupled to fame in THAT Versace dress at the premiere of his 1994 movie Four Weddings And A Funeral

Reflecting on her iconic dress - borrowed as a last-minute favour from Dean Aslett, then Head of Womenswear and Atelier at Versace - Elizabeth admits she was stunned by the attention it received.

'It was very strange,' she recalled. 'I'd been working for a few years, and in my mind, I thought I was quite famous  I had been in a few things.'

'To my family, I was a success; but I had no idea what it actually meant to really be in the public eye. That was a real shock to one's psyche.'
Lila Moss looked stunning in a chic ensemble as she attended YSL Beauty's LOVE CLUB event in Miami, Florida on Friday.

The lookalike daughter of Kate Moss wore a black fitted midi dress that featured a criss-cross halterneck.

Lila, 22, teamed the elegant number with a pair of strappy heels and added a leather belt with a gold buckle.

The model completed her look by puling her air back into a sleek up-do and opted for very subtle make-up.

The event, which took place in Celebration of Self-Expression, was also attended by Nicole Richie.

The media personality, 43, wore a black off-the-shoulder gown that featured cut-out sections across the waist.

Lila Moss looked stunning in a chic ensemble as she attended YSL Beauty's LOVE CLUB event in Miami, Florida on Friday

The lookalike daughter of Kate Moss wore a black fitted midi dress that featured a criss-cross halterneck

Elsewhere, DJ Xandra Pohl, 24, turned heads in a busty corset style top teamed with a black mini skirt and peep toe heels.

Lila is the daughter of Kate and Dazed Media CEO Jefferson Hack, 52, who the supermodel was in a relationship with in the early 2000s.

She has followed in Kate's model footsteps and nabbed her first modelling gig at the age of 15 with a Marc Jacobs Beauty campaign - just a year older than her mother was when she entered the business.

Despite her mother being one of the famous models in the business, Lila revealed that Kate was keen to deter her from following in her footsteps.

'My mum always put me off [modelling],' Lila said. 'She was always like, 'If you want to do it, you can, but I wouldn't recommend it.'

As well as her flourishing career, Lila's love life has been thriving as she has been dating Yoni Helbitz, 23, for roughly 18 months.

In August 2023, MailOnline exclusively revealed that Lila's boyfriend was Yoni, with the pair seen out in London frequently together over those summer months.

Last year a source confirmed the couple, who were first pictured together as friends in 2021, had been dating for around a year.

Lila, 22, teamed the elegant number with a pair of strappy heels and added a leather belt with a gold buckle

The event, which took place in Celebration of Self-Expression, was also attended by Nicole Richie

Elsewhere, DJ Xandra Pohl, 24, turned heads in a busty corset style top teamed with a black mini skirt and peep toe heels

Olivia Ponton look elegant in a black velvet mini dress

Ryan Destiny and Precious Lee also wore black dresses for the event

As well as her flourishing career, Lila's love life has been thriving as she has been dating Yoni Helbitz, 23, for roughly 18 months

Yoni's official job title is e-commerce coordinator/ fashion marketer for fashion brand Self Portrait.

Before that, he worked as an e-commerce co-ordinator for James Lakeland Ltd and he also had a six months stint as an estate agent.

The happy couple had kept their romance relatively under wraps, yet Instagram posts by Yoni reveal they have been enjoying each other's company for quite some time.

The fashion marketer's page features several snaps of himself enjoying dinner dates and days out with Lila amid their blossoming romance.

Though Yoni is happy to share images of his famous girlfriend on social media, Lila keeps her page relatively professional.
Strictly's Aljaz Skorjanec has made a major move with wife Janette Manrara as he dropped a hint about his future on the BBC show.

The Slovenian dancer, 35, and his wife Jannette, 41, moved into their 'dream home' in Cheshire two years ago after deciding to leave London to start a family.

But despite the property being everything they'd hoped for, the couple - who share daughter Lyra, one - have been forced to relocate back down south.

In a new interview, the lovebirds opened up about the ordeal, with Aljaz - who returned to Strictly last year - describing the move as 'absolutely awful'.

He told the Mirror: 'Moving home is one of the last things you want to do, let's be honest, and it doesn't matter how you do it, if you get someone to help you with it, if you do it yourself.

'The reality is you're going to be looking at cardboard for a foreseeable amount of time.'

She said Aljazs return to Strictly and her own bi-weekly work commute during the autumn and winter made it incredibly challenging to maintain a balanced family life.

Strictly's Aljaz Skorjanec has made a major move with wife Janette Manrara as he dropped a hint about his future on the BBC show

The Slovenian dancer, 35, and his wife Jannette, 41, moved into their 'dream home' in Cheshire two years ago after deciding to leave London to start a family (pictured with their daughter Lyra)

She explained: 'We tried it this year with me commuting to London for It Takes Two and Aljaz staying down in London for the whole series of Strictly. In retrospect, we spent some very, very minimal time together as a family.

'Lyra and I were traveling up and down twice a week, staying in hotel rooms to try and make it work.'

Janette also hinted that Aljaz is keen to return to Strictly once again this year but said he is still waiting to hear whether he will be in the 2025 line-up.

She said they have decided to move back to London for the sake of Lyra's well-being, predicting that Aljaz will soon be returning to Strictly.

Aljaz is currently anxiously waiting for the announcement of the 2025 Strictly line-up with his fellow professional dancers.

Last year, pro dancer Kai Widdrington was forced to step down due to the low number of female celebrities taking part.

He still participated in the group dances but was unable to compete in the main show.

The 2024 Strictly line-up marked a historic first with only six women competing against nine men.

The male-heavy line-up came after bullying allegations surfaced, with Amanda Abbington and Zara McDermott sharing their negative experiences from rehearsals.

Janette revealed that Aljazs return to Strictly and her own bi-weekly work commute during the autumn and winter made it incredibly challenging to maintain a balanced family life

She told the Mirror: 'We tried it this year with me commuting to London for It Takes Two and Aljaz staying down in London for the whole series of Strictly' (pictured together at Christmas)

Aljaz stepped down from Strictly in 2022 but returned last year after Giovanni Pernice left due to a misconduct probe.

The dancer - who was the first to ever be invited back - insisted that he 'replaced nobody' as he opened up about his decision to return to the dancefloor.

Speaking to the Mirror, he confessed: 'I replaced nobody. I felt like coming back. I decided myself to step away, and then I came back into my own dancing shoes.

'And I'm still doing Strictly exactly the same way as I did before I left. And I'm really happy. I'm proud of it.'

Leaving the show in March 2022, Aljaz wanted time off to embrace fatherhood.

He continued: 'I sort of made that conscious decision, as soon as she fell pregnant, that I'm going to put everything else on hold.

'And it was actually advice from someone really close to me, who said that careers come and go, but time doesn't.'
Beloved Australian actor Paul Karo has died, aged 89.

The veteran actor, who enjoyed a decades-long television and film career died on Friday, just two months before his 90th birthday, TV Tonight reported.

While he starred in dozens of roles on stage and screen throughout his career, Karo was best known for playing openly gay TV producer Lee Whiteman in the long-running series The Box.

Karo starred in nearly 200 episodes of the adult-oriented drama that was set in a fictional television station.

It proved to be quite a trailblazing role, as during his tenure from 1974 to 1976, homosexuality was illegal in much of the country.

South Australia became the first state to decriminalise homosexuality in 1975.

Beloved Australian actor Paul Karo has died, aged 89. Karo is pictured in a scene from Prisoner

The Box was the first soap from Crawford Productions and was intended to compete with the success of the racy Number 96.

It featured envelope-pushing storylines, including some of the first representations of same-sex relationships on television in the country.

Karo drew high praise for his performance as Whiteman, winning a Best Australian Actor Logie in 1976.

It was the first time a Logie had been awarded for the portrayal of an openly gay character.

However, Karo left the series soon after out of fear of being typecast, having previously played a gay character in iconic Crawford's drama Division 4.

'Everyone thinks of me as playing the role of a queer,' he told TV Week at the time.

'They haven't had the opportunity to see me do anything else.'

Commenting on the TV Tonight story, television historian Andrew Mercado shared how important Karo's portrayal of a gay character was.

While he starred in dozens of roles throughout his career, Karo was best known for playing openly gay TV producer Lee Whiteman in the long-running series The Box

It proved to be quite a trailblazing role, as during his tenure from 1974 to 1976, homosexuality was illegal in much of the country

'In 1974, Paul Karo featured on the cover of TV Times alongside Joe Hasham (Don from Number 96),' he began.

'The headline said Gay Guys Are Great and the 3 page story inside talked about the showbusiness phenomenon of how three gay TV characters (including Dudley played by Chard Hayward on 96) had become the most popular people on Australian TV.

'How incredible to think that back when homosexuality was illegal, a family magazine was happy to talk about this, and Aussie viewers were open to learning new concepts and were cool with it.

Mercado continued: 'And then both shows ended and it took two decades for anyone to go there again. Funny that.'

Following his trailblazing role, Karo enjoyed a string of small screen credits including in such iconic fare as Prisoner, The Sullivans, Cop Shop and Carson's Law.

He also had guest roles in the likes of Phoenix, Janus, Blue Heelers and Good Guys Bad Guys.

Karo's big screen credits include. the feature film adaptation of The Box, Evil Angels, Paperback Romance, and Lucky Break.

Paul was born in Scotland before relocating to New Zealand with his family where he began a career as a cadet journalist.

Karo drew high praise for his performance as Whiteman, winning a Best Australian Actor Logie in 1976. Karo is pictured with Number 96 star Joe Hasham on the cover of TV Times magazine

Following his trailblazing role with a string of small screen credits including in such iconic fare as Prisoner (pictured), The Sullivans, Cop Shop and Carson's Law

He then relocated again, this time to Australia in 1950 where he began to hone his acting talents on the stage.

His first TV role came in 1959 in Tragedy in a Temporary Town - an episode of the anthology series Shell Presents.

Karo enjoyed a storied career on the stage which included a Best Actor of 1966 award, for his role in A Lily for Little India.

















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Robert Irwin has sent fans wild again after he shared a slew of BTS snaps from his latest racy underwear shoot on Saturday.

The Wildlife Warrior, 21, once again showcased his muscular physique while modelling a pair of Bonds' briefs in his dressing room.

Robert beamed as he went shirtless for the pictures, just days after he sent fans into a frenzy with his Bonds underwear shoot.

He captioned the candid snaps: 'Between takes shooting for @bondsaus.'

Rushing to the comments, fans gushed: 'We still haven't recovered from the last one': 'Breaking the internet for one day wasn't enough, round 2': 'bro more?!': 'Yess Robert, give the fans what they want, keep slaying!'.

'Sir, you know exactly what youre doing.and it is working': 'Robert Irwin thirst traps was not on my 2025 bingo card but OK': 'Leave some women for the rest of us Rob': 'Never would I have imagined Robert advertising for underwear'.

Robert Irwin, 21, has sent fans wild again after he shared a slew of BTS snaps from his latest racy underwear shoot on Saturday

The Wildlife Warrior once more showcased his incredibly buff physique while modelling a pair of the Bonds' briefs in his dressing room

On Thursday the shoot - which featured in People Magazine to help launch the Aussie brand in the US - sent fans swooning.

Fans flocked to the comments to gush over the smouldering images as the son of Steve Irwin flaunted his muscular frame while posing with various wildlife critters.

'Rob my wife is on Instagram, mate. Please,' one person pleaded with the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! host.

'Crikey. The khaki has been hiding that rig the whole time?' another added.

'Wait what when did he... how did he... huh,' a third flabbergasted fan said.

'Calvin Klein gave me Jeremy Allen White [US actor] and Bonds gives me Robert Irwin! GOD BLESS YOU FOR THIS!' yet another follower wrote.

'Hey Bonds. Thank you for your service!' commented one, while others added, 'I am PREGNANT' and 'Which snake are we supposed to be looking at?'

In one of the eye-popping photos, the conservationist wore a pair of white underwear, giving a sultry look to the camera as a large snake was wrapped around his neck.

Robert beamed as he went shirtless, sending temperatures soaring with his rock hard abs and bronzed skin

Just hours after the shoot sent fans into a frenzy, he captioned the candid snaps: 'Between takes shooting for @bondsaus'

Rushing to the comments fans gushed: 'We still haven't recovered from the last one': 'Breaking the internet for one day wasn't enough, round 2'

He also draped the snake around himself as he sat down in a chair in a pair of black Bonds underwear, showing off his washboard abs.

In another snap, he cuddled with a large lizard, but this time, Robert was more covered up in a casual white tank top and dark teal undies.

Robert later proved he's not afraid of anything as the famous zookeeper even had a large spider crawling up his arm while he lay with one leg up in the grass, showing off a pair of grey boxers.

The photos have since gone viral, with fans from all around the world swooning after the zookeeper recently revealed his relationship status after his split from Rorie Buckey last year.

'I'm single. It's funny, I'm at this point in my life where I'm like, I'm so open to that, but I'm just waiting for the stars to align,' the Australian told People.

However, he has an idea of how he might meet someone.

On Thursday the shock shoot, which featured in People Magazine, to help launch the Aussie brand in the US, sent fans swooning

'Interestingly, my parents, my sister Bindi met her husband [Chandler Powell] hereeveryone met here at our wildlife sanctuary,' he told the outlet of The Australia Zoo in Queensland where he lives and works.

He explained he was looking for an 'American tourist' visiting the zoo to court.

'In both instances, there were American tourists that were coming over and visiting the zoo. So I'm waiting. I'm waiting for that American tourist to come into the zoo and for it all to happen!' Robert shared.
Kathy Griffin loves a good prank and even her friends aren't immune to her shenanigans.

Just ask Sharon Stone, who has been the subject of an insidious campaign by Griffin to annoy her friend.

'I'm friends with Sharon Stone and one of the things I do to torture her is adding her to random text chains with people she doesnt know,' the Suddenly Susan alum, 64, told Us Weekly.

'I have her on four text chains now, and she keeps side-texting me and says, "Im going to f**king kill you. Stop adding my phone number to people Im never going to meet."'

During a November 2024 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Griffin explained how the prank all came out.

'My new favorite hobby is that every time Sharon Stone blows me off for a dinner date, I add her to a random text chain,' the comedian revealed, making Kimmel crack up. 'And Jimmy, she, like, wants to kill me.'

Kathy Griffin loves a good prank and even her friends aren't immune to her shenanigans

Just ask Sharon Stone , who has been the subject of an insidious campaign by Griffin to annoy her friend. Seen here in 2024

'How many times has this happened?' Kimmel asked.

'Around four,' Griffin said. 'And theyre like 17-person text chains.'

'And itll say, "Sharon Stone has been added to the conversation?"' Kimmel asked.

'And its her real number,' Griffin added. 'Its not her office number.'

'I like that,' Kimmel said while giggling. 'Im going to use that, I like that idea.'

Griffin also appears to be reigniting her long-standing feud with Will Smith.

The controversial comedian claimed the actor gave her the cold shoulder when they worked together decades agoyears before she would go on to slam him for his infamous Oscar slap.

During Tuesdays episode of her Talk Your Head Off podcast, the actress recalled her early days in Hollywood when she landed a guest role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1990.

'I'm friends with Sharon Stone and one of the things I do to torture her is adding her to random text chains with people she doesnt know,' the Suddenly Susan alum, 64, told Us Weekly. Seen in 2015

'I have her on four text chains now, and she keeps side-texting me and says, "Im going to f**king kill you. Stop adding my phone number to people Im never going to meet."' Seen here in 2004

During a November 2024 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Griffin explained how the prank all came out. Seen here in 2012

But according to Griffin, Smith, then a rising star, completely ignored her until the moment they filmed.

'This was the first big gig I had,' she said, adding, He did not talk to me until show day.

Griffin explained that the episode was shot before The Fresh Prince had even premiered, at a time when Smith was primarily known as a rapper.

She explained that Smith had 'ignored her all week because hes launching a gigantic show.'

When I finally got to talk to him on shooting day, which was Friday, I said, What would you like me to call you, Fresh Prince or Will? And he said, You can call me Will, she continued.

'So I did, and I was, you know, nervous around him, because Id seen all his videos, and Jazzy Jeff was there for a day, which was great, and the live audience went crazy when they saw Jazzy Jeff. He may have even DJd, if I recall correctly.

While she acknowledged the pressure Smith was under as the face of a brand-new show, she claimed he was distant all week, only warming up when cameras rolled.

He really took his time to kind of get to know me a little bit, she said. 'And he was asking about me and helping me relax.

'My new favorite hobby is that every time Sharon Stone blows me off for a dinner date, I add her to a random text chain,' the comedian revealed, adding, 'And Jimmy, she, like, wants to kill me'

'I didnt tell him I was nervous, but I think he could tell that I hadnt done a show this big before.

The resurfaced tension between Griffin and Smith follows years of her publicly dragging him over the 2022 Oscars controversy, when he stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock.

Ahead of the 2024 Academy Awards, Griffin reignited her criticism by posting a throwback clip of Joan Rivers slapping her during a roast, joking, Joan and I walked so Chris and Will could run my jaw still hurts.'
Kourtney Kardashian poked fun at herself for a personality trait that her fans have been lovingly ribbed her for throughout her years of stardom.

Since she became a celebrity on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kourtney has been noted for her cold demeanor and deadpan vocal delivery.

Now the 45-year-old mother of four, who has enjoyed nearly two decades of fame, has turned her occasionally acidic sense of humor onto herself.

She fired up her Instagram over the weekend to post a couple of glamour shots in which she pulled her best enigmatic supermodel stare.

The photos were accompanied by a meme that read: 'The happiest people forgive, forget, love, help, care, smile. The happiest people are the givers, not the takers.'

In her caption, Kourtney took a dig at her own reliably frosty facial expression, joking: 'the happiest people (smiling on the inside ;)'.

Kourtney Kardashian poked fun at herself for a personality trait that her fans have been lovingly ribbed her for throughout her years of stardom

The post comes on the heels of claims that Kourtney has suggested crisis PR for her stepdaughter Alabama Barker after being left 'frustrated' at her refusal to adhere to the familys request to quit the drama.

The 19-year-old  whose father Travis Barker is married to the reality TV star  has been embroiled in a vicious feud with Bhad Bhabie which saw Kourtneys son Rocky dragged into the spat.

Days later, Alabamas boyfriend Scooter Jackson went live on Instagram with Kourtneys 10-year-old son Reign, who was faced with wild rumors about his paternity.

Kourtney is at her wits end with Alabama, an insider close to the family told DailyMail.com. She is a loose cannon and refuses to play by the familys request to be drama-free. Despite pleas to stay out of trouble, Alabama is doing the exact opposite. Kourtney doesnt raise her children this way.

The Poosh founder, 45, has three children with her ex-boyfriend Scott Disick, and one-year-old son Rocky with Travis, 49, who she married in 2022.

He shares Alabama and son Landon with his ex-wife Shanna Moakler.

Kourtney and Travis are frustrated and at a loss as to how to help. Kourtney feels crisis PR could help, but Alabama is an adult and so she feels there is only so much she can intervene.

Kourtney and Travis are not clashing over what to do with Alabama because they share the same beliefs about her actions, said the insider. Theyre just frustrated because there is nothing they can do. She doesnt blame Travis.

In her caption, Kourtney took a dig at her own reliably frosty facial expression, joking: 'the happiest people (smiling on the inside ;)'

Kourtney Kardashian has suggested crisis PR for her stepdaughter Alabama Barker after being left frustrated at her refusal to adhere to the familys request to quit the drama, sources claim

Alabama, 19, has been feuding with Bhad Bhabie which saw Kourtneys son Rocky dragged into the spat, then her son Reign faced wild rumors about his paternity on a live stream with Alabama's boyfriend Scooter Jackson

They continued: She believes Alabama needs crisis PR, but shes an adult, making her own choices, and Kourtney can only sit back and let it play out.

Kourtney was said to be livid after Reign appeared on the Instagram Live with Scooter earlier this week.

He shocked fans when he responded to a viewer who had asked if Justin Bieber, 31, was his real 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 has never talked to Reign about the rumors and she would imagine this was the first time he had ever heard them, an insider told DailyMail.com.

'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 believes Alabama needs crisis PR, but at this point, theres nothing anyone can do,' a source told DailyMail.com (Pictured Reign, 10,on the live stream with Scooter)

Kourtney is at her wits end with Alabama, the insider added. She is a loose cannon and refuses to play by the familys request to be drama-free'

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.

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.

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 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 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.'

'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.'

Last month Kourtney issued a warning to her stepdaughter (left) to stand down from her messy feud with Bhad Bhabie (pictured with Travis, Reign, Landon and Atiana De La Hoya)

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.'
President Donald Trumps auto tariffs are meant to boost American manufacturing. Instead, they might just supercharge electric cars.

Experts say the unintended consequence of a 25 percent tariff on imported cars taking effect this week  could make EVs cheaper than gas cars.

Most electric cars sold in the US are already built domestically, meaning they wont be affected by the tariff.

In contrast, many gas-powered cars are imported, and since automakers cant build new factories overnight, their prices are set to rise.

Trump, who has been a vocal critic of electric vehicles, claims his tax policy will push automakers to build more vehicles in the US.

But experts told DailyMail.com the tariffs could price Americans out of gas-powered cars and accelerate the shift to EVs.

'You could have a situation where prices rise faster for combustion engine cars then they may for EVs,' Seth Goldstein, a chartered financial analyst for MorningStar, told DailyMail.com.

'That could potentially bring EVs to price parity with full-gas engines.'

Donald Trump has long said tariffs will bring back American manufacturing - and automakers have been making investments in EVs

In conversations with multiple car analysts, investors, and sales professionals, one conclusion remains unanimous: car prices will raise. The question is how much.

But these two major reasons could make tariffs a de-facto environmental policy.

Loads of EVs and hybrids are built here

For years, automakers have been throwing billions into US assembly plants, but mostly for electric powertrain production.

BMW has invested $1.7 billion in US production, Ford $11.2 billion, GM $9 billion, and Toyota $13.9 billion  all to build battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, or mild hybrid vehicles.

This means each company's newly-minted factories will pump out millions of battery-powered cars to American shoppers.

On March 24, Hyundai announced plans to spend $21 billion on US plants in response to the President's signature economic policy.

That money, too, will only help produce Hyundai's popular American-made EVs.

GM has invested billions in America to produce its EVs

Rivian, an American EV manufacturer, saw stock prices rise after Trump's announcement

BMW has invested billions in American EV manufacturing

Honda also announced plans to build its mild hybrid Civic in Indiana. Production starts in 2028.

Tesla, still far and away the largest EV manufacturer by US sales, operates several US-based factories.

Even before Trumps latest move, the US was seeing an EV manufacturing boom. In 2019, the country had just two battery and EV factories; today, 34 are pumping out EVs or are under construction.

In 2025, American factories will churn out 117 models  28 are full electric and another 33 offer plug-in or hybrid electric vehicles variants.

That means 52 percent of US-built cars will have trims with some level of electrification, far outpacing consumer appetite. In 2024, only 19.3 percent of American buyers chose a hybrid or EV.

Meanwhile, American-made gas cars aren't cheap.

American production facilities are dominated by luxury manufacturers and expensive pickup trucks.

High-cost brands like Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Lincoln, and Buick operate American facilities. Chevy, Ford, and Dodge all produce their uber-expensive full-size pickups in the US.

A DailyMail.com analysis found the average American-made, gas vehicle's base price is $44,187.

Gas trucks, some of the most expensive cars in the US market, will be hit with import fees for their parts

Seth Goldstein, an analyst, said that gas car prices could spike while prices for battery-powered cars might rise slower

Only three American-made gas cars have a base price under $25,000: the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, and Honda Civic.

All three currently have low-end lease prices around $200 a month.

Meanwhile, three of the lowest-cost EVs in the US market are produced in America.

The Tesla Model 3 boasts a monthly lease price as low as $299, VW's ID.4 is as low as $289, and the Hyundai Ioniq 6 can be had for just $199 a month.

Plus, all three cars are still eligible for some state and federal tax credits.

Investors have also tipped their hat at the pricing advantage for electrified carmakers: on March 27, the day after Trump's car tariff announcement, the stock market responded far more positively to American EV makers than their gas competitors.

Shares of Rivian (8 percent increase), Lucid (3.4 percent), and Tesla (1.6 percent) jumped the day after the tariff announcement, while automakers that rely on foreign-built gas cars saw sharp drops.

Rivian and Lucid stayed in the green in the past five day trading period after the announcement. GM, Ford, Stellantis, Toyota, and Honda were all deep in the red in the same period.

That one-week increase added millions more of capital for the American EV producers, while the declines took away millions from automakers that rely on gas cars.

Still, EV makers are not fully immune to the tariffs.

China has launched export controls on critical minerals in response to Trump's tariffs that could dwindle US supplies and drive costs up.

Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, previously posted on X, his social media company, after the tariff announcement, saying that the company is 'NOT unscathed' by tariffs because of its parts supply.

Some of America's most popular low-cost EVs  including the Chevy Blazer EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Honda Prologue  are made outside US borders.

But even international EVs are far less susceptible to higher prices than most other cars currently on American roads because they're less complex.

Gas cars have more parts... and more problems

Carmakers will eventually stop making full gas-powered successors to the beloved muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s (Pictured: Steve McQueen in Bullitt) - but Trump could change rules to keep gas cars in production longer

Trump isnt just taxing imported vehicles  hes also slapping tariffs on some auto parts.

Thats a much bigger problem for gas-powered cars than for EVs.

Combustion engines have an average of 2,000 components to function  like pistons, belts, pipes, and valves  and many of which are sourced internationally.

'The initial auto parts tariffs are specific to "critical engine parts",' Tom Hynes, an automotive insurance industry specialist, told DailyMail.com.

'[That includes] engines, transmissions, electrical components, and powertrain parts coming from Europe only, not Canada or Mexico.

'The tariffs do not affect parts that are used in the regular maintenance of vehicles; brakes, tires, oil filters, etc.'

EVs, by contrast, are far simpler than gas cars. Their batteries are essentially just cathodes and circuits, many of which may not be impacted by tariffs, per Hynes' analysis.

And because EVs require an average of 20 parts, just 1 percent of the number of parts needed in a gas car, they may avoid most tariffs if final assembly happens in the US.

'The question on my mind is "how deep does the tariff go?"' Goldstein said.

'If you import a cathode for a battery, is that subject to a tariff? Or, if you still assemble the battery pack in the US, are you tariff free?'

Trump's pricing threat

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said his company is 'NOT unscathed' by tariffs

Behind the scenes, Trump has reportedly been pressuring automakers not to raise prices despite the tariffs, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Though, President Trump has denied this reporting, saying that he 'couldnt care less' if automakers raise prices in an interview on NBC News.

'If you make your car in the United States, youre going to make a lot of money,' President Trump said on the call with NBC.

'If you dont, youre going to have to probably come to the United States, because if you make your car in the United States, there is no tariff.'

If Trumps strategy holds, more than half of new US-built cars  52 percent  will be hybrid or electric.

And those EVs  built without the disadvantage of the 25 percent tariff on their retail value  could become cheaper than imported gas cars American consumers have relied on.

Plus, a growing supply of used EVs are now cheaper than ever.

This all could lead to more Americans driving electrified cars, experts said.

'Our thesis for when a country or region will start to see mass market adoption is when EVs are at price parity with a typical gas engine,' Goldstein said.
For the first time, India and Sri Lanka on Saturday inked an ambitious defence cooperation pact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlining a broader roadmap for deeper bilateral cooperation, asserting that security of both nations is interlinked and dependent on each other.

The defence pact is among seven key agreements signed by the two sides following wide-ranging talks between PM Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The defence pact, being seen as a major move to bolster strategic ties, came nearly four decades after the Indian Peace Keeping Force's intervention in the island nation.

"We believe that our security interests are similar. The security of both countries is interlinked and dependent on each other," Modi said in his media statement.

"I am grateful to President Dissanayake for his sensitivity towards India's interests. We welcome the important agreements concluded in defence cooperation," he said.

In his remarks, Dissanayake said he assured PM Modi that Sri Lanka will not allow its territory to be used in any manner inimical to India's security interests.

He said he also conveyed to Modi that India's assistance to Sri Lanka in times of need and continuing solidarity are deeply cherished.

Another important agreement that the two sides inked was on developing Trincomalee as an energy hub.

PM Modi and President Dissanayake also virtually inaugurated the Sampur solar power project.

"The Sampur Solar Power Plant will help in Sri Lanka's energy security. All the people of Sri Lanka will benefit from the agreements signed for building a multi-product pipeline and developing Trincomalee as an energy hub," Modi said.

The grid inter-connectivity agreement between the two countries will open up options for Sri Lanka to export electricity, he said.

Modi said Sri Lanka has a "special place" in India's Neighbourhood First policy and Vision 'MAHASAGAR'.

"In the last four months, since President Dissanayake's visit to India, our cooperation has progressed significantly," he said.

The Modi-Dissanayake talks were held a day after the prime minister arrived in the Sri Lankan capital after concluding his trip to Bangkok where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).

Ahead of the talks, Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the historic Independence Square in the heart of the Sri Lankan capital, in the first such honour given to a foreign leader.

President Dissanayake received the prime minister at the Square -- the venue for national day celebrations and takes its name from the Independence Memorial Hall built to commemorate the island nation's independence from British rule in 1948.
Ahead of the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Jammu on April 6, alert jawans of the Border Security Force (BSF) neutralised a Pakistani intruder near Abdullian border outpost along the International border in the Ranbir Singh Pura sector of Jammu frontier late Friday night.

The multi-tier security grid, which is on high alert due to ongoing anti-terror operations in the upper reaches of Kathua district, has been further beefed up, and additional security forces have been deployed to sanitise the routes taken by the Union Minister.

Meanwhile, senior officers of the Border Security Force, Jammu frontier, also lodged a strong protest with the Pakistan Rangers after foiling a fresh infiltration bid.

aOn the intervening night of April 4 and 5, the alert BSF troops saw suspicious movement in the Jammu border area and an intruder was seen crossing the IB,a the BSF spokesperson said.

He said the troops challenged the intruder, but he paid no heed and kept moving.

aThe BSF troops, sensing a threat, neutralised the intruder. The identity and motive of the intruder are being ascertained,a he added.

After completing the legal formalities, the BSF conducted a flag meeting with the Pakistan Rangers on Saturday afternoon, where they formally lodged a strong protest.

The Pakistani side, however, refused to accept the body of the intruder during the meeting.

On his arrival in Jammu, the Union Home Minister is scheduled to chair a meeting of BJP legislators on Sunday evening and also review the performance of the party legislators during the budget session.

Shah is scheduled to chair a crucial meeting of the Unified Headquarters along with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in Srinagar.

The Unified Headquarters is expected to draw a strategy for ensuring zero infiltration and elimination of terrorists from the mountains and forests of the Jammu region, besides the Kashmir Valley.

Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, MHA officials dealing with Jammu and Kashmir, Heads of Intelligence agencies, and paramilitary forces from New Delhi will also join Amit Shah in back-to-back security review meetings.

A separate meeting to review the preparedness for the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra this year is also scheduled to take place in Srinagar.
This April celebrate the Thingyan with rich flavours, writes ABHI SINGHAL

This April, Burma Burma, the Burmese speciality restaurant and tearoom, invites food enthusiasts to partake in a grand celebration of Thingyan - the Burmese New Year and harvest festival. To honour this joyous occasion an exclusive festive menu is available for dine-in across its outlets in Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad, as well as for home delivery via Swiggy and Zomato from 2nd to 30th April 2025.

This yearas Thingyan festivities feature an exciting array of offerings, including the Thingyan Tiffin Meal, traditional celebratory desserts, a live hawker-style Noodle Salad, and a selection of refreshing beverages. Food is an integral part of this celebration, bringing people together in a communal spirit that is deeply embedded in Burmese and broader Asian traditions.

The highlight of this yearas menu is the Thingyan Tiffin Meal presented in an elegant, hand-crafted enamel tiffin made by Burmese artisans. This multi-tiered feast begins with crunchy Hand-tossed Broad Beans served alongside a crispy Tofu Sandwich. The centrepiece of the meal is a fragrant Mock Meatball Curry, perfectly paired with flaky Palata. Diners can also savour the zesty Tofu and Bottle Gourd Curry, best enjoyed with Jasmine Rice with White Peas, topped with spicy stir-fried soybean. Completing the meal are flavourful sides, including a Pumpkin and Bok Choy Stir Fry and hand-pounded Cashew and Tomato & Preserved Bean Dips.

Adding an interactive touch to the experience, the restaurant introduces a live Hawkeras Noodle Salad counter. This live counter is inspired by the bustling street markets of Yangon, this station allows guests to customise their salads with an assortment of 16 fresh ingredients including three types of noodles, chickpea or fried tofu, and a variety of dressings such as tamarind water, lime, and turmeric oil-prepared on the spot by an in-house hawker.

No festive meal is complete without a touch of sweetness, and the Thingyan menu presents a selection of traditional Burmese desserts. Indulge in Banana Sanwin Makin, a rich banana and semolina pudding, or the Black Rice Custard, a creamy coconut milk delicacy. The Sago Delight, a tapioca pudding with coconut custard and toasted sesame, and the Tropical Jelly, bursting with mango and coconut flavours, promise to satisfy every sweet craving. Complementing the meal are specially crafted beverages, including the tangy Plum Sour, the aromatic Basil & Ginger, and the refreshing Musk Lemon, blending sweet musk melon with zesty lemon and floral white tea lavender.

The restaurantas commitment to preserving and showcasing Burmese traditions extends beyond its food. Each restaurant will be adorned in the bright hues of the Padauk flower, which blossoms during Thingyan, and guests will be welcomed with a ceremonial Burmese hand wash, symbolising renewal and prosperity.

According to Ankit Gupta, Co-Founder, aThingyan is a time for new beginnings, and our special festive menu embodies the essence of this celebration. The shared experience of a vibrant meal will transport guests to the heart of Burma, making for the perfect way to welcome the New Year.a This Thingyan, immerse yourself in a the warm hospitality at Burma Burma - a celebration that promises to be as delightful as the festival itself.

FACT SHEET

Thingyan Special Menu: 2nd to 30th April 2025 (At all Burma Burma Outlets)

Tiffin Meal: Rs 1800++

A la carte: Rs 350++ per dish each

Special Beverages: Rs 330++ each

Noodle Hawker Salad: Rs 300++

Average meal for two: Rs 1800++
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Saturday accorded a tri-services ceremonial welcome at the historic Independence Square in the heart of the Sri Lankan capital, in perhaps the first such honour given to a foreign leader.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake received the prime minister at the Square -- the venue for national day celebrations and takes its name from the Independence Memorial Hall built to commemorate the island nation's independence from British rule in 1948.

Modi landed in Colombo last evening after concluding his trip to Bangkok where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).

"PM @narendramodiwas welcomed by President @anuradisanayake with a ceremonial reception at the Independence Square in Colombo," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post.

"Bilateral discussions to foster a partnership for a shared future & mutual prosperity of our people, lie ahead," he said.

Officials said it was the first time a foreign leader was accorded such a welcome at the Independence Square.

Modi is now holding delegation-level talks with President Dissanayake.

The two sides are expected to come out with around 10 ambitious outcomes, including a defence cooperation agreement and frameworks for deeper engagement in the energy sector.

The MoU on defence cooperation is set to signal a major upward trajectory in India-Sri Lanka defence leaving behind the bitter chapter relating to India pulling out the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) from the island nation around 35 years ago.

The prime minister's visit to Sri Lanka comes at a time when the island nation is showing signs of recovery from the economic stress. The country was reeling under a massive economic crisis three years back and India extended financial assistance worth USD 4.5 billion.

After the talks between Modi and Dissanayake, two documents facilitating India's assistance to Sri Lanka on debt restructuring and another one on currency swap are likely to be made public.

The two sides are also expected to seal a separate pact on cooperation in the digital domain.

Modi is also scheduled to lay a wreath at the IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force) memorial later in the day.

In an interview with PTI, Indian High Commissioner to Colombo Santosh Jha said on Friday that New Delhi's assistance to the island nation was "unprecedented" in terms of India's assistance to any country in the world.

"It was a huge bit of assistance and we are continuing to work with Sri Lanka in providing it assistance in various areas and that is much appreciated here," Jha said.

In Colombo, Modi and Dissanayake will also dedicate several projects that are being built in that country with India's assistance.

The two leaders will also witness the virtual groundbreaking of the Sampur solar energy project.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Saturday conferred with the 'Mithra Vibhushana' award by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in recognition of his role in boosting bilateral ties.

The award, the highest civilian honour of the island nation, was instituted in February 2008 by then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Its previous recipients include former Maldivian president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

"It is an honour for me to be awarded the Sri Lanka Mithra Vibhushana by President Dissanayake. It is also an honour for 1.4 billion Indians," Modi said in his remarks.

The award was bestowed on Modi by Dissanayake during a ceremony at the presidential secretariat in Colombo.

The recipient of the honour is awarded a citation and a silver medal to be worn around the neck, studded and adorned with nine types of Sri Lankan gems and the symbols of a lotus, globe, sun, moon and sheaves of rice.

The Dharma Chakra on the medal reflects the shared Buddhist heritage that has shaped the cultural traditions of both nations.

The Pun Kalasa or ceremonial pot adorned with sheaves of rice symbolises prosperity and renewal, according to an official.

The Navarathna or nine precious gems are depicted within a globe encircled by lotus petals.

Modi landed in Colombo last evening after concluding his trip to Bangkok where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and agreed to further deepen the partnership between the two countries and its peoples. Oli, who is battling pro-monarchy protests in Nepal, met Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the sixth BIMSTEC summit that agreed to improve cooperation in trade and transport, and step up natural disaster relief efforts in the backdrop of the earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand.

Prime Minister Modi said he had a aproductive meetinga with Oli.

aIndia attaches immense priority to relations with Nepal. We discussed different aspects of India-Nepal friendship, especially in sectors like energy, connectivity, culture and digital technology,a Modi said in a post on X. aWe also talked about some of the key positive outcomes from this yearas BIMSTEC Summit, especially in areas of disaster management and maritime transport,a he said.

Oli described the meeting as intimate and said he was delighted to meet Modi. In a post on X, the Nepali Prime Minister also said that he had a meaningful and positive conversation with Modi. The two leaders reviewed the unique and close relationship between India and Nepal and expressed satisfaction at the progress in enhancing physical and digital connectivity, people-to-people linkages, and in the domain of energy, a PMO statement said.

It said that Modi and Oli agreed to continue working towards further deepening the multifaceted partnership between the two countries and its peoples.

aNepal is a priority partner of India under its Neighbourhood First Policy. This meeting continues the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries,a a statement from the PMO said.
Everything in the modern world is linked to the internet. Imagine if the internet was incapacitated completely for a period of time or infinitely. Suddenly, the global information system linking billions of humans would be gone. It is now almost a certainty that a Cyber Pandemic will materialise soon.

This can happen, and with multiples of threats from hackers, and organised criminal gangs who are tech savvy, the internet could be completely taken offline causing societal mayhem and chaos.

In July 2025, the WEF will conduct a live simulation that will reproduce this very event. This simulation for a Cyber Pandemic, is similar to the exercise the WEF conducted before the Coronovirus Pandemic.

Supply chain vulnerabilities are emerging as the top ecosystem cyber risk

Of large organizations, 54% identified supply chain

challenges as the biggest barrier to achieving cyber

resilience. The increasing complexity of supply

chains, coupled with a lack of visibility and oversight

into the security levels of suppliers, has emerged as

the leading cybersecurity risk for organizations.

Key concerns include software vulnerabilities

introduced by third parties and propagation of

cyberattacks throughout the ecosystem.

Geopolitical tensions shape cybersecurity strategy

Nearly 60% of organizations state that geopolitical tensions have affected their cybersecurity strategy. Geopolitical turmoil has also affected the perception of risks, with one in three CEOs citing cyber espionage and loss of sensitive information/intellectual property (IP) theft as their top concern, while 45% of cyber leaders are concerned about disruption of operations and business processes

Rapid adoption of AI introduces new vulnerabilities

While 66% of organizations expect AI to have the

most significant impact on cybersecurity in the year

to come, only 37% report having processes in place

to assess the security of AI tools before deployment.

This reveals the paradox of the gap between the

recognition of AI-driven cybersecurity risks and the

rapid implementation of AI without the necessary

security safeguards to ensure cyber resilience.

Generative AI is augmenting cybercriminal capabilities,

contributing to an uptick in social engineering attacks

Some 72% of respondents report an increase

in organizational cyber risks, with ransomware

remaining a top concern. Nearly 47% of

organizations cite adversarial advances powered

by generative AI (GenAI) as their primary concern, enabling more sophisticated and scalable attacks. In 2024 there was a sharp increase in phishing and social engineering attacks, with 42% of organizations reporting such incidents.

The challenge for the year ahead

The 2025 report finds that a series of compounding

factors are driving an escalating complexity in the

cyber landscape:

Geopolitical tensions are contributing to a

more uncertain environment. Increased integration and dependence on more

complex supply chains are leading to a more

opaque and unpredictable risk landscape. The rapid adoption of emerging technologies

is contributing to new vulnerabilities and new threats.

Meanwhile, the proliferation of international

regulatory requirements adds an additional

compliance burden for organizations. All of these

challenges are compounded by a widening skills

gap, further complicating the ability to manage

cyber risks effectively.

Together, these factors drive increasing complexity

and unpredictability in the cyber landscape,

which affects organizations in many ways. First,

it drives inequity throughout the cyber ecosystem,

undermining resilience by creating a divide between

those organizations that have the resources to

adapt and those that do not and subsequently

fall behind. This affects the resilience of the

ecosystem, because many larger and more

mature organizations typically depend on extensive

networks of smaller, often less-mature suppliers,

and any incident affecting them could also impact

the entire supply chain. Second, it drives greater

demand for more specialist skills in cybersecurity,

further exacerbating the skills gap. Keeping up

with technological advances requires more specific

skills that are in greater demand in the cyber

skills market. At the same time, complexity puts

increasing pressure on often already stretched

cybersecurity teams.

These challenges demand a comprehensive reevaluation

of cyber strategies at the organizationaland

ecosystem level to address the complexity that

has become inherent in the cyber landscape.7

A broader understanding of cyber risk is necessary

that goes beyond mere IT and considers cyber

from an overall business risk perspective

The rapid advancements and increasing adoption of digital

platforms globally is matched by an equally evolving cyberthreat

landscape. Cybercrime today is increasing not just in scale but also in

sophistication. As our digital footprints widen, so does the potential

attack surface for nefarious actors. It is essential that we work together

to address this growing menace. The borderless nature of the internet

necessitates collaboration across various jurisdictional limitations to

ensure that threat actors have no safe haven for their evil activities.

Ivan John E. Uy, Secretary of Information and Communications

Technology of the Philippines

Cyberattackers are adopting new tools to increase

the effectiveness and scope of familiar forms of

attack, such as ransomware and business email

compromise (BEC). GenAI tools are lowering

the cost of the phishing and social engineering

campaigns that give attackers access to

organizations. Therefore, while the core character

of cyberattacks has remained stable, organizations

may need to place additional emphasis on

protecting themselves against well-developed

phishing and cyber-fraud campaigns.

Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) platforms

continue to be a dominant and rapidly growing

business model in the criminal landscape, allowing

individuals or groups without technical expertise to

engage in illicit online activities by purchasing the

necessary tools and support.

This model, which is already well established

among criminal groups,has progressively been

adopted in other areas of cybercrime, such

as AI-enhanced phishing attacks.

These platforms present a challenge, as they remove

the barriers for entry into cybercriminal activities.

While progress has been made in dismantling

some of the platforms, enforcement efforts remain

inconsistent as CaaS platforms continue to thrive.

The convergence of cybercrime and organized crime groups

The surge in the volume and value of cyber-enabled

fraud has attracted traditionally violent organized

crime groups into the cybercrime market. The

interaction of organized cybercrime with organized

violent crime groups is changing the nature of

cybercrime and greatly increasing their social impact.

This is perhaps most starkly shown by the trafficking

of more than 220,000 people to forcibly work in online

scam-farms in South-East Asia.10 With such farms

engaging in the harvesting of data, disinformation and

social engineering to name a few capabilities, they are

essentially becoming criminal service providers.

According to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, scammers

have siphoned away more than $1 trillion globally in

the past year, costing certain countries losses of more

than 3% of their gross domestic product (GDP).12

The entry of traditional organized crime groups

into the cybercrime arena changes the character

of the criminal market. Organized crime groups

are accustomed to causing physical harm and are

arguably less concerned about the risk created by

attacking critical social services such as medical

services.13 When this cultural change is paired with

the scale provided by CaaS platforms, the range

of organizations that could be targeted by attacks

such as ransomware becomes wider.

Cybercrime has persistently evolved alongside the threat landscape,

and its reach extends beyond financial loss, becoming a disruptive force

that threatens our societies. We must remain vigilant and collaborate

across sectors to safeguard the future of our digital world. Cybercrimes

impact is far-reaching  it can halt operations, undermine confidence

and permeate to our operational technology and critical infrastructure.

In the year ahead, we must prioritize not only defence but proactive and

systemic disruption of these criminal networks as part of our collective

effort to ensure cyber resilience and protect our digital future.

Ken Xie, Founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Fortinet

AI as a catalyst of cybercrime

GenAI tools are reshaping the cybercrime

landscape by enabling criminals to refine their

methods, and automate and personalize their

techniques. With 47% of organizations citing their

top concern surrounding GenAI as the advance

of adversarial capabilities, cybercriminals are

harnessing the efficiency of AI to automate and

personalize deceptive communications. Some

42% of organizations experienced a successful

social engineering attack in the past year, a number

that can only increase with advances and the

malicious adoption of AI.

With emerging technologies reshaping the landscape, cyber is no longer

limited to the CIA triad: confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.

Cybersecurity now encompasses human safety and needs to address the

real risk to peoples lives when a system is attacked or compromised.

Bushra AlBlooshi, Director of Cybersecurity Governance Risk Management

Department, Dubai Electronic Security Centre

Escalating geopolitical tensions and increasingly

sophisticated cyberthreats pose significant risks to critical infrastructure, which depends on networks of interconnected devices and legacy systems. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine exemplifies these vulnerabilities, with critical sectors such as energy, telecommunications, water and heating repeatedly targeted by both cyber and physical attacks.16

These attacks often focus on disrupting control

systems and compromising data, highlighting the

critical risks associated with operational technology

(OT). As cyberthreats continue to evolve, they

not only threaten system functionality but also

jeopardize human safety, increasing the severity and

consequences of disruptions to vital infrastructure.

Some critical, high-risk areas to monitor are:

Water facilities

Cyberattacks on water facilities pose significant

risks to public safety, infrastructure and national

security. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure

Security Agency (CISA) of the United States

outlined these risks in a toolkit, emphasizing the

vulnerabilities in OT systems used in water facilities, such as remote access points and outdated software.17 Cybercriminals can exploit these weaknesses to disrupt water-treatment processes, causing potential contamination, loss of service or

other hazardous consequences. A notable example

of these threats occurred in October 2024, when a

cyberattack targeted the largest water utility in the

United States, disrupting operations and raising

alarms about the security of critical infrastructure.18

Biosecurity

Rapid technological advances have redefined the

biological threat landscape, with biosecurity coming

to the forefront. The World Health Organization (WHO)

has warned that advances in artificial intelligence,

cyberattacks and genetic engineering could pose

potentially catastrophic risks to global biosecurity.19

A 2024 WHO report highlighted several ways in

which cyberthreats could compromise biosecurity,

including accessing sensitive data or research,

disruption of laboratory security systems, theft or

sabotage of biosecurity-relevant information and

espionage for competitive or harmful objectives.20

Furthermore, cyberattacks could incapacitate

essential laboratory systems, interrupting operations

and causing loss of data integrity, which would

delay critical research or compromise safety

protocols. Over the course of 2024, two laboratories

were targeted in South Africa and the United

Kingdom.21 These vulnerabilities underscore the

need for advanced cybersecurity measures in

biosecurity strategies to address these growing risks.

Simultaneously, the sensitive nature of genomic data poses new risks due to its unique qualities, such as the ability to identify individuals and reveal their familial ties.22 These characteristics expose genomic data to threats such as reidentification from seemingly anonymous datasets, unauthorized access leading to

privacy violations and potential misuse. The breach of a genetic-testing company in late 2023 that exposed the data of nearly 7 million people

has already trained the spotlight on these risks.

Escalating complexities in cyberspace

challenge ecosystem cyber resilience

and expose gaps in preparedness

The increasing complexity of cyberspace presents

a profound challenge to achieving cyber resilience,

exacerbating inequities that leave less-resourced

organizations vulnerable. Geopolitical tensions

are prompting organizations to re-evaluate their

strategies, balancing security concerns with global

operations. Such tensions often drive targeted

attacks, as state-sponsored actors exploit

vulnerabilities for espionage and disruption. This

dynamic landscape requires adaptive strategies

that account for shifting global risks and supply

chain dependencies.

At the same time, the growing sophistication of

cybercriminals remains a persistent challenge. AI

enhanced tactics, Ransomware-as-a-Service and

advanced social engineering methods enable threat

actors to outpace traditional defences. Addressing

these evolving threats demands not only advanced

technological solutions but also cross-sector

collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

Despite these obstacles, there is cause for cautious

optimism. Organizations that embrace proactive risk

management, prioritize collaborative approaches

across ecosystems and invest in scalable, equitable

solutions can help reduce disparities. Addressing

systemic vulnerabilities  such as supply chain

dependencies and skill shortages  will be essential

to promoting a resilient digital ecosystem.

Ultimately, overcoming todays challenges requires

not just technological innovation but a shift in

perspective. Cyber resilience must be recognized

as a collective responsibility, with organizations of all

sizes working together to fortify the interconnected

networks that underpin the digital economy. Further,

there is a need for decisive leadership action

to prioritize cybersecurity among and between

organizations; beyond technical indicators, robust

criteria rooted in the economic implications of cyber

insecurity will be required. A united leadership team,

in which business and cyber leaders see eye to eye

on the cyber risks facing the organization, is critical

to navigating growing cyber complexity.

https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Cybersecurity_Outlook_2025.pdf
One of the many casualties of the Trump tariff market bloodbath on Friday was the Nike company, which uses cheap labour in Vietnam to produce their items before being sold off at huge markup prices to hood rats and the like, in America and other Western countries.

In 1984 the multi-billion dollar Nike Corp. closed its last U.S. factory and moved its entire production to the cheap labour zone of Asia.

Many of their sweatshops can now be found in Indonesia, China, and Vietnam, because these countries have no protective labour laws and endless supplies of cheap labour.

Naturally, the Trump tariff of 46% on Vietnam is going to hit the production of the cheap items, as now they wont be so cheap.

Workers at Vietnam Nike shoe sweatshops make $.20 an hour or $1.60 per day. The average cost of three meals is $2 a day, meaning that most people skip meals throughout the day.

Nike controls over 470,000 sweatshop workers and 150 factories in Vietnam where its products are made.

You see this shoe? Well, it was produced by a 10-year-old sweatshop worker for less than 80 cents. The company then ships this mass-produced crap to America and sells it for over $150 to some dumb cunt from the projects. Now thats what I call markup, and a pure profit strategy, a business commentator revealed on Friday.
A judge has given a suspended sentence to a man for what he described as 'totally unacceptable behaviour' in Altnagelvin Hospital.

Cormac McGroarty (22) of Milldale Crescent in Derry admitted a charge of disorderly behavior that occurred on December 26 2023.

The court heard that police were in attendance at the hospital and two males one of them being the defendant were shouting in A&E.

Police spoke to the men and warned them about their behaviour.

A short time later a male and female with bruising entered A&E and a shouting match ensued between them and the two males.

READ NEXT: Rescue operation after casualty falls from Sea Wall Ballykelly

At around 9.00am police were told two males were fighting again one of them being the defendant.

Police separated the pair and McGroarty was charged.

Defence solicitor Paddy MacDermott said the behaviour was 'reprehensible' and totally unacceptable especially in a hospital setting.

Deputy District Judge Trevor Browne said that people were generally nervous attending hospital 'without this sort of conduct'.

He sentenced McGroarty to four months in prison suspended for 18 months.
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Louth Labour TD Ged Nash, has said that US President Donald Trump is "attempting to turn the clock back to a golden age that only exists in the imaginations of some" and that his newly announced tariffs "could end up as a massive act of self-harm against his own people".

Responding on Wednesday night to the announcement tonight of new US tariffs, Labour Finance spokesperson Ged Nash said that, the threat of tariffs on EU imports has now moved from the abstract to the real. There is a huge amount at stake for jobs in Ireland and across the EU, for our economic and investment model and the future of the public finances.

The EU has significant power and agency and that must be used wisely. In the meantime and to help Irish firms prepare for the threat of job displacement in vulnerable sectors, government must work to introduce Labours proposal for a new short-time work scheme to keep workers close to their firms in order to retain skills and employment in exposed parts of the economy during what will be a tumultuous period.

Deputy Nash continued: No country has done more to create the current system of globalised trade, or has benefitted more from it over time than the US itself. President Trump is attempting to turn the clock back to a golden age that only exists in the imaginations of some. This could end up as a massive act of self-harm against his own people.

Read next: Louth survivors call for inquiry into Michael Shine abuse

While we await additional details, what was announced tonight is more or less what was expected. There is an enormous responsibility on the government and the EU to fully digest whats been announced, and be strategic in how we respond with a negotiations-first approach needed.

For a long time now Labour has drawn attention to our excessive reliance on US firms for a high proportion of well-paid skilled jobs, and a growing quantum of our corporation and income tax take. Focused work needs to be done to build up our indigenous enterprise sector and to diversify markets for Irish goods and services.

Coupled with this is the need to boost infrastructure delivery on housing, transport and other critical infrastructure to make our economy more competitive.
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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.
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns that "nobody wins in a trade war," his spokesman said on Friday.

Amid widespread opposition, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order on the so-called "reciprocal tariffs," imposing a 10-percent "minimum baseline tariff" and higher rates on certain trading partners.

When asked about Guterres' comments on the latest tarriff policy of the White House, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said that "in a trade war, nobody wins."

"Our concern right now is with the most vulnerable countries who are the least equipped to deal with the current situation," the spokesman said.

He noted that the UN Sustainable Development Goals would be impacted "negatively" by a global trade war.

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warned in a statement on Friday that tariffs imposed by the United States will harm vulnerable countries, adding that "the global trade system is entering a critical phase -- threatening growth, investment, and development progress, particularly for the most vulnerable economies," as major economies are set to impose sweeping new tariffs.
Cork-based travel agent Tom Randles has been elected as the new president of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA).

He was elected to the position following the associations AGM at The InterContinental Hotel in Ballsbridge, Dublin.

Mr Randles joined Barters Travelnet in Cork as financial controller in April 1996. Originally from Killarney, he was appointed managing director in January 2012 and successfully completed a takeover of the company in March 2023.

The ITAA represents the travel industry in Ireland, bringing together more than 100 travel agent members and 70 affiliate partners in more than 140 outlets in different towns and cities throughout Ireland.

Mr Randles described it as an honour to take up his new position as ITAA president: I step into this role with an enthusiasm and a deep respect for those who have come before me. The travel industry has undergone extraordinary change in recent years, from the growing focus on sustainability to groundbreaking advancements in technology and AI.

The industry I joined is barely recognisable today, just as it was a completely different world when the association first raised its sails in the 1970s, he said.

As the industry changed its shape, so has the ITAA. We have embraced these changes, evolving into trusted advisors, industry experts and problem solvers for our clients.

Meanwhile, at the AGM Martin Skelly, director of Navan Travel, was elected treasurer. Other appointments to the ITAA board included Paul Hackett of Click&Go Holidays, Jeff Collins of Best4Travel, Caroline Quigley of Keith Prowse Ireland, Alan Lynch of Travel Escapes, Maura Fahy of Fahy Travel, Olivia McGeown of Centre Travel, and Angela Walsh of FROSCH Ireland.

Clare Dunne, CEO of the ITAA, said she is delighted to work alongside an exceptional team of industry experts.

Each board member brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and strategic insight, ensuring we are well-equipped to navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Together, our collective efforts will not only drive a successful year for the association but also contribute to the long-term resilience and growth of the Irish travel industry, she added.
Cork-based chef and social media personality Trisha Lewis has been announced as part of WellFest, Europes largest outdoor health and wellness festival.

Taking place at Dublins IMMA at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11, WellFest will see more than 50 new fitness, food and wellbeing experts joining previously revealed headliners. These include the Kardashians longtime personal trainer DB DONAMATRIX, the mental health activist and trainer Get Better with Chris, and holistic sex educator Jenny Keane.

Cork native Ms Lewis is best known for her weight loss journey. Beginning in 2018, she took on the task of changing her life when her physical and mental health was at its worst.

Through her weight loss journey she has changed her life for the better and in more ways than one, helping her to get the rest of her life back on track.

A new addition to WellFest this year is the Run Club, which is being hosted by Irish 800m Olympic athlete Nadia Power and Aoibhinn Raleigh, founder of Dublins beginner-friendly running group Sole Mates.

Irish Life Health also are back at WellFest this year with their brand new festival area, WellFem.

Their two-day programme focuses on both empowering and educational talks featuring the leading experts in female health in the country.

Covering topics such as hormonal, reproductive and pelvic health, to menopause and pre and postnatal care, Irish Life Health will host open panel discussions with expert advice from speakers including Dr Maire Finn, GP, educator and broadcaster; Dr. Michelle Hone, co-founder of Herology and founder of The Fit Clinic and PhD Nutrition, and Dr Sarah Kelly, co-founder of Herology and PhD Clinic Exercise Physiology, along with many other speakers confirmed for the event.

Womens Aid are also returning as the festivals official charity partner and will lead a Too Into You panel discussion on the WellTalk stage. The Too Into You campaign is focused on young people, in particular young women, aged 18-25 and aims to teach people about the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships and provide support for young people.
RETAIL

Throughout January and February, the Cork city retail scene had an injection of new shop outlets and permitted renovations, with additional applications for construction and developments submitted in March.

During this three-month period, several applications were lodged with Cork City Council relating to material changes, including a submission from Holren Properties Ahall Ltd to renovate a section of Corks Paul St Shopping Centre, which has been given the go-ahead, and an application from Better Value Unlimited Company, seeking changes to the front of the Dunnes Stores department store on Patrick St, which is yet to be green lit.

There were also additions to the heart of Corks shopping district, with the arrival of UK outdoor retailer Mountain Warehouse, which is now located at the former Topshop premises on Opera Lane. That saw the street fully occupied for the first time since 2019.

However, shortly after this, British clothing company New Look, which occupied a centre outlet on Opera Lane, and also had shops across Blackpool, Wilton and Ballincollig, announced the closure of all of its Irish stores, quickly undoing the fully-occupied status.

At the time of the announcement, a spokesperson for New Look said that following a lengthy review, the company found that it was no longer viable to trade in Ireland.

Over the past few years, we have had to navigate a tough external environment, which has only become more unpredictable, the spokesperson said.

We have adapted to this evolving landscape by investing in our product proposition and digital offer.

However, due to the increasingly volatile trading conditions, we needed to expedite our existing plans, which included conducting a review of our operations in the Republic of Ireland.

Following this review, the group regrettably concluded that it was no longer viable to continue trading here, so it has made the difficult, but necessary, decision to enter liquidation in this market.

As a counterpoint to this loss to the retail scene, an application was made to Cork City Council by US clothing retailer Urban Outfitters in the same week, seeking permission to revamp the former Dorothy Perkins location at no 101 Patrick Street. The plans, lodged by Urban Retail Ireland Ltd, request permission for the installation of external hanging and fascia signage, as well as the internal retail fit-out to ground- and first-floor levels.

Proposed works at the protected structure will include the installation of new fitting rooms at first-floor level, new balustrades to stairs, new standards fixed to existing walls, to support merchandising racking and shelving, and minor alterations and adaptions to mechanical and electrical systems.

New Look announced the closure of all of it's Irish stores including it's location at Opera Lane. Picture: Larry Cummins

Cork City Council is due to make a decision on the retailers application by April 7.

Another application lodged during Q1, submitted to Cork County Council by Corajio Unlimited Company, who trade as Mr Price, is seeking to construct the retailers fifth Cork store, along Broad St and Bakers Lane in Charleville.

The proposed development will see the demolition of a dwelling, a car-repair garage, lean-to warehouse extension and ancillary buildings, for the construction of the new outlet.

The application is also seeking a change of use of the warehouse site from industrial to retail, and proposes the implementation of 35 car parking spaces to be used by store customers.

The plans further include provision for the widening of the entrance and dished kerb access off Bakers Lane, with the relocation of speed ramps.

Cork County Council is due to make a decision on the application by April 14.

Other announcements made within the retail landscape throughout the first three months of the year include the closure of Mannix & Culhane on Washington St, who shut their doors for the last time at the end of March, after 95 years of trading. The owners decided to retire.

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In addition to the notable changes in retail,there have also been a number of announcements and disappointing exits in the food and drink scene in Cork city.

These included the closure of Frankies pizza on South Mall, which cited difficulty operating a food business in the current economic climate, as well as the closures of Pizzeria San Marco in Midleton, Kabin cafes in both Ballincollig and Ballinhassig and the Guji coffee bar at the Marina Market.

Elsewhere an application made to Cork City Council in March, by McDonalds Restaurants of Ireland Ltd, is seeking to remodel the chains Douglas location.

The proposed plans provide for modifications and upgrade works to the interior and exterior of the restaurant, along with improvements to the drive-thru lane and associated signage.

The applicant is further seeking to implement a new entrance lobby, with a new sliding door and glazing, new internal doors and walls, extension works to provide for increased kitchen and dining areas, and new booth windows.

They are also seeking to install a new height restrictor, canopies and road markings in the drive-thru lane, as well as a new fast-forward booth and associated bay, where customers can wait for their orders without causing congestion, and solar panels at roof level.

Cork City Council is due to make a decision on the proposed modifications by April 22.

Additionally, a number of commercial opportunities arose within the city and county during Q1, including the listing of the iconic Flying Enterprise complex, which was posted for sale for 5.3m, as well as the listing of The Cotton Ball Bar and Brewery in Mayfield, for 950,000.

Cork's 151-year-old Cotton Ball Bar and Brewery has been listed for sale for 950,000. Picture: Daft.ie.

The sale of the Flying Enterprise complex, which includes the Flying Enterprise Lounge and Restaurant, The Courtyard Bar on Sober Lane and the former CBS building on Sullivans Quay, is being overseen by Cohalan Downing and Lisney.

The complex, which incorporates a number of mixed-use elements, is being sold as a whole, or in three separate lots, and brings with it an opportunity for up to 185,000 of rental income for interested buyers.

The sale of The Cotton Ball Bar and Brewery comes after more than 150 years of trading in Corks northside, having been established in 1874 by the Lynch family.

Included in the sale is the traditional Cotton Ball bar, which was partially renovated in 2019, and on-site brewery, consisting of a 12-barrel brew house, six 2,000-litre conical cyclo-cylindrical conditioning tanks, and two 2,000-litre bright beer tanks.

The property, being sold by agents Sherry Fitzgerald, sits on 0.5 acres and is contained in an end-of-terrace, part-single, part-two-storey building.

The decision to sell the property comes as its owners have decided to retire from licensed trade.

In recent days, developer BAM has also applied for an extension to its planning permission for the long-awaited Cork Event Centre development.

With the current permission set to expire on June 19, BAM is requesting an extension of five years until June 18, 2030, in order to complete the construction of the facility.In an extension-of-duration application lodged with Cork City Council, BAM said numerous delays to the project will lead to the permission lapsing, unless the extension is granted.

RESIDENTIAL

In addition to developments in the retail and commercial sectors in the coming months, there are also plans for further expansion of the residential space across Cork city and county.

Throughout Q1, several applications were green lit by Cork City Council for housing, including a 406-bed student accommodation at the site of the former St Jospehs Convent on the Model Farm Rd, and a 48-home residential development on the Blackrock Rd.

Applications, which are yet to be decided on, that were submitted during this time to Cork City Council, include plans for the construction of a small residential development at the site of the former Distillery Bar in Blackpool, and plans for another 170-bed student accommodation in Bishopstown.

The plans for the small residential development, submitted by Unique Fitout Unlimited, are seeking permission for the redevelopment of the site to the rear of the bar on the Watercourse Rd, and if permitted, will see the demolition of a number of outbuildings for the construction of eight residential dwelling units at the site.

Cork City Council is due to make a decision on the application by April 30.

The plans for a 170-bed student accommodation, lodged by Denis OBrien Developments, seek the demolition of the two-storey office building to the rear of Bishopstown House on the Model Farm Rd, for the construction of 21 student houses, with 163 beds in two buildings of two and three storeys.

The proposed development also consists of work on Bishopstown House, which is a protected structure.

The application contains plans to demolish some internal walls at the former health services building, with a dining/living room, reception and student study hub, as well as a further seven bed spaces.

New walls, railing, footpaths, gates, steps and entrances are also included in the plans, as well as 85 bike spaces and five car spaces.

Cork City Council is due to make a decision on the development by May 13.

Plans for more than 360 homes were also resubmitted to Cork County Council during Q1, following refusals from the local authority, due to prior applications being deemed incomplete.

The application, submitted by Bridgewater Homes Ltd, seeks to build 362 residential units, along with a creche and a cafe, at a site on the Mountain Rd in Kilmoney, Carrigaline.

The proposed plans will see the demolition of all existing structures on the 12.97-hectare site, in order to allow for the construction of the large-scale residential development.

The planned development would include 318 dwelling houses, consisting of a mix of two-, three- and four-bed semi-detached and townhouse/terraced units, and 44 two-bed apartment/duplex units.

The plans also seek permission for additional works, including access, footpaths, car and bicycle parking, drainage, including a pumping station, bicycle and bin stores, lighting, and landscaping areas.

Cork County Council is due to make a decision on this latest application, which is at the pre-validation stage, by May 26.

More recently, a Part 8 planning notice has been published for a new social housing development at the former site of Topps sweet factory in Ballincollig, which could see 56 homes built.

The development consists of the construction of one four-bed house, 17 three-bed houses, 12 one-bed ground-floor apartments, 12 two-bed duplex units, seven two-bed ground-floor apartments, and seven three-bed duplex units.

Also included in the plans are 58 car parking spaces and 120 bicycle spaces, which are being developed on a one-hectare site, in partnership with OBR Construction Group and Cork City Council.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin has spoken of his personal delight at officially opening the Marina Promenade with the Lord Mayor of Cork, Green Party councillor Dan Boyle.

Speaking to The Echo on a bright and warm Friday afternoon beside the Lee, Mr Martin said he had walked the Marina countless times over the years on the old tarmacadam surface which was very hard on the legs.

When someone out walking the new 5.5 metre-wide pedestrian and cycle corridor told him: You brought the sunshine, the Taoiseach replied with a laugh: I always do.

The transformation over the years in terms of the Marina Park and the Marina Promenade has been absolutely fantastic to behold, he said.

It shows that with good investment you can do an awful lot with active travel, greenways, cycleways and walkways. I was here last Sunday walking, and the numbers were extraordinary, I mean the place was jammed, its helped the revitalisation of Blackrock village, and its good for peoples health and mental wellbeing.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaking with wheel chair user Isabella Twomey and her mom Rowena Twomey of Midleton at the opening of the Marina Promenade. Picture: Clare Keogh

Mr Martin said the Marina Promenade was a vital piece of infrastructure that would enable people to live and work in the city, and he said it was good that people with disabilities were being facilitated and welcomed.

I hope now we can get the whole greenway done, the Atlantic Pond done, itll be something special, he said.

Mr Boyle said he was thrilled to be a part of the facilitys official opening.

The Marina has historically been a place of recreation and a part of our citys transportation and maritime heritage, he said.

CMK 04042025 REPRO FREE NO FEE Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaking at the official opening of the Marina Promenade Picture: Clare Keogh

Every day we see this route packed with people of all ages and abilities, using it for their commute, for relaxation, in training for their chosen sporting endeavours  it is truly a superb amenity, and this revitalisation has only increased its popularity as a destination of choice in Cork City.

The 1.8km long new amenity space extends from Centre Park Road to Blackrock village and features age-friendly seating, riverside viewing balconies, enhanced landscaping, environmentally sensitive public and feature lighting and other features.

Phase 1 of Marina Park, consisting of 14 acres, was opened in 2022, with Phases 2 and 3, consisting of an additional 56 acres, now expected to be open to the public in late 2025.
Cork TDs have raised concerns in the Dail about tariffs imposed by US president Donald Trump, with the finance minister, Paschal Donohue, acknowledging that people in Cork are particularly worried.

While Fianna Fail TD for Cork North West, Aindrias Moynihan, acknowledged in the Dail on Thursday that the tariffs had only just been announced, he said: We recognise that the technology, pharmaceutical, and food and beverage sectors are a serious concern.

In my own area in Cork, pharmaceuticals and food and beverages are a major concern. Will the minister be making the case to his counterparts on different sectors when he meets with them?

With 10% tariffs on the UK and the higher 20% tariff on the EU, there is a particular concern about the all-island economy and how people in the Republic will be impacted by the tariffs versus those in the six counties, said Mr Moynihan.

His party colleague in Cork South Central, Seamus McGrath, pointed out his constituency has a large concentration of US companies.

I live only a couple of miles from Ringaskiddy, a large industrial base. I welcome the ministers comment earlier that our first and foremost priority is negotiation and finding ways forward but it is critical we have a strong strategy for our multinational and FDI sectors to show them the Government will take a step-by-step approach with them in addressing the economic challenges we face, said Mr McGrath. It is vital we show that support to them, and show that we will be shoulder to shoulder with them so that we can navigate these difficult times.

I know the EU will respond as a collective but Ireland is particularly exposed. Within Ireland, the region I represent is particularly exposed. I urge the minister to ensure every effort is made to find solutions and negotiate our way out of this, he added.

Minister Donohoe acknowledged their concerns and told Mr McGrath: The Government and I have engaged with individual employers on this. We are proud to have them in Ireland. They have contributed to the growth of our country but we also believe we have played a role in contributing to their success here and back home in the US also. Of course we will continue to engage with these very important employers at what is also an unprecedented time for them.

I am aware that employers and workers in Cork will be feeling particularly worried. It is something that affects everybody but I am conscious that large life science and medicine producers are located in Cork, many of which have been there for decades.

Some very important food and drink manufacturers, farmers and suppliers that are located in Cork are also worried about what this will mean for their food, agricultural and drink exports to the US, said Mr Donohue. I am very much aware of this. We are engaging with them to hear their views. We will have to work to see if we can avoid the worst happening in the short term.

That is why negotiation is vital, but we will see a big change happening in the global economy and we will need to support employers and firms in moving to that new equilibrium, he added.
A 38-year-old man accused of assault causing harm in Carrigaline to his 82-year-old grandmother who died in hospital two days later was remanded in custody until April 16.

On the application of Sergeant Gearoid Davis, Judge Mary Dorgan remanded the accused in custody to allow time for directions from the DPP.

Brian Nnamdi Ogbo is charged him that on February 23 at 17 Garrydhu Drive, Kilmoney Road, Carrigaline, County Cork, he assaulted Stella Nnamdi causing her harm.

Det. Garda Tom Delaney said family members informed gardai that Brian Ogbo suffers from schizophrenia and that he allegedly produced a knife during the assault.

It was alleged that he broke into the upstairs bathroom where his grandmother was located and that he dragged her out of the bathroom. He dragged her downstairs. She was off her feet and being dragged headfirst down the stairs and pushed out of the house.

Nobody required hospitalisation at the time of the occurrence. However, Stella Nnamdi deteriorated and was subsequently taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital on February 25 and died later that afternoon, Det. Garda Delaney said.

During his application of bail the accused agreed that he did need a system of support and that he received help from his family in relation to the taking of medication for his conditions which include schizophrenia, depression and epilepsy.
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.

A new investigative report, Tricks, Traders and Trees, by international NGO the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) reveals widespread illegal logging, corruption and fraud in the Brazilian Amazon.

The investigation traced illegal timber that had originated from five logging sites in Para state to the United States and European Union, despite laws that prohibit the importing of illegal timber and require due diligence from companies.

Our investigation shows how illegal Amazon timber is flooding EU and U.S. markets, fueling unfair competition for legitimate companies despite laws banning the trade in illicit wood. European and U.S. consumers dont want to walk on the remnants of illegally cut rainforest when strolling their local seaside boardwalk, said Rick Jacobsen, senior policy manager at EIA US, in a press release from the NGO.

The investigators were able to identify 30 importers that had bought the tainted wood. They found that Brazils illegal logging industry used sophisticated schemes to fake the origins of timber by artificially inflating standing tree volumes and falsifying paperwork.

In one case, timber was exported from a protected area where the owner was also illegally mining gold; in another, it was laundered through a site embargoed for illegal deforestation by Brazils environmental agency, IBAMA, EIA said in the press release. Twenty-six of the 35 sawmills and exporters that bought the tainted timber have been fined by IBAMA  a sign of systemic abuse.

Investigators discovered widespread corruption allegations throughout Brazils logging industry, including bribery of politicians and enforcement agents.

Everyone does it, one insider said.

The U.S. and the EU are the largest timber export markets for Brazil. Both have established laws that require companies to ensure they are not importing wood that is illegally produced: the Lacey Act in the U.S. and the EU Timber Regulation, soon to be replaced with the stricter EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

Illegal logging harms forests, hurts ecosystems and feeds organized crime, undercutting the rule of law. Brazil ranks fourth in the global tropical hardwood industry, with the U.S. and EU its largest export markets. Yet almost one third of the timber extracted from the countrys Amazon states is thought to be illegal  a conservative assessment, the report said.

The dense tropical hardwood ipe (Handroanthus spp.) is one of the highest valued and most traded types of timber because of its durability. It is commonly used to make outdoor decks, including large public construction projects like New Yorks Long Island boardwalk.

Due to excessive logging, ipe trees are rarer than they once were and are now protected under the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna.

A 2019 report by the European Commission Expert Group confirmed that importing timber from the Brazilian Amazon was extremely high risk, and that additional due diligence measures would need to be taken by importers.

The investigative report calls for immediate and robust action including traceability and transparency in timber supply chains, stricter enforcement and penalties in Brazil and destination countries, and improved international collaboration to protect the Amazon rainforest from ongoing environmental crimes, the press release said.

The reports findings come amid a decision late last year to delay EUDRs implementation by one year, and as the EU has been attempting to weaken European companies new due diligence requirements.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., environmental law enforcement resources have seen unprecedented cuts.

This is not the time to water down or weaken enforcement of legal requirements for EU and U.S. companies to ensure they arent buying illegal wood. We need more, not less, scrutiny on this high-risk timber trade that is trashing the Amazon rainforest, Jacobsen said.

Brazil has announced ambitious targets for reducing its emissions and curbing deforestation ahead of hosting the United Nations COP30 climate summit in November.

Cracking down on rampant criminal logging, which often acts as a door opener to complete deforestation, will be crucial for Brazil to reach its climate targets, said Chris Moye, Latin American expert with EIA US, in the press release.
The White House is vigorously refuting claims that Elon Musk, known as the "First Buddy" of President Donald Trump, is set to leave his role in the Department of Government Efficiency in the coming weeks.

A report from Politico citing anonymous sources within Trump's circle suggested that Musk would transition to a supporting role and return to the private sector.

The article generated considerable speculation in Washington, suggesting a potential break between Trump and Musk, who previously had poured millions of dollars into the president's 2024 campaign.

According to sources quoted in the report, Musk became "an unpredictable, unmanageable force" and an "internal political problem" for Trump.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the claims as "garbage," stating that both Trump and Musk have publicly committed to maintaining Musk's position until his work on the DOGE initiative is completed.

Musk corroborated this sentiment by retweeting Leavitt's message and labeling the report as "fake news."

This scoop is garbage.



Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete. https://t.co/Brppff6SKi  Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) April 2, 2025

Errol Musk, Elon Musk's father, also weighed in, asserting that his son would not abandon the DOGE initiative until his commitments are fulfilled.

'Elon will never walk away from DOGE until his commitment is over.

Everything they are claiming about Elon leaving DOGE has been made up and is not true,' he told DailyMail.

Despite the White House's strong rebuttal, speculation persists that Musk may be facing internal opposition, particularly from Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

Wiles has reportedly expressed frustration over Musk's lack of communication regarding his plans for reorganizing federal agencies and his tendency to share information via social media without prior vetting.

Elon Musk's Political Influence

Political analysts are divided on just how much clout Musk wields inside the administration.

Some believe his high-profile endorsements, including a recent $20 million donation to Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel, have become liabilities for Trump, especially after Schimel's defeat.

Musk's actions have also prompted protests and boycotts against Tesla, which have negatively impacted the company's stock price.

Investors are increasingly urging Musk to step away from his government role to focus on his business interests.

Musk has indicated that he anticipates concluding his work with DOGE by the end of May, coinciding with his status as a special government employee, which limits federal service to 130 days within a year.

However, Trump has expressed a desire to retain Musk's expertise for as long as possible.

As the situation develops, the White House maintains that any discussion regarding Musk's departure from DOGE is premature and without basis.
Prince Harry's charity, Sentebale, is in the spotlight after a scandal saw its CEO, Dr. Sophie Chandauka, accused of using her race to brush aside a dispute. The allegations, which stemmed from a purported dispute over the charity's direction, have also been described as hypocritical in light of previous accusations of racism Meghan Markle made against the royal family.

Dr. Chandauka, who chairs Sentebale's board, had been accused of paying the "race card" when questioned on leadership matters.Things are said to have come to a head after Prince Harry and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, stepped down as patrons, suggesting a significant fracture in the organization.

The Daily Telegraph quoted a source as saying, "As soon as anyone turns against [Chandauka], she brings the race card in and she comes for you. She's a very poisonous woman and it's very sad it's come to this."

Claims of Racism and Mismanagement

The dispute was allegedly over fundraising strategies, where Dr. Chandauka wanted to move to Africa. In the aftermath, she said the board displayed "abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir"  a word meaning the specific discrimination against Black women.

Royal biographer Hugo Vickers said of the situation to The Sun, "The whole situation is obviously very toxic and very difficult."

As for what Harry and Meghan would think of the allegations that arose among them, he pointed out the irony of the couple suddenly finding themselves on the opposite side of a racism dispute after suggesting discrimination within the royal family.

As for the complaint that a small chip is on Meghan's shoulder, Vickers said, "Meghan Markle herself has played this card once or twice rather prominently," referring to her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 where she alleged that members of the royal family did ask about the color the skin of her unborn son, Prince Archie, might be. The British royal family's representative denied.

Harry's Role in Sentebale's Future

Sentebale, which the prince co-founded in 2006 in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana, is created in support of children impacted by poverty, HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward told The Sun, "I'm absolutely certain that Harry had no idea this was going to blow up in the way that it has, and it would be the last thing that he wanted. He's very, very distressed about the whole thing."

Harry is said to be still emotionally attached to the organization--which has always been one of his charitable cornerstones alongside the Invictus Games--despite having stepped back from his position.

While tensions remain, experts say the dispute is far from settled. Seward said, "I don't think that Mrs. Chandauka is going to let this go, and I think this will go on and on until there is some kind of resolve."
Newly released police bodycam footage is shedding light on the tragic deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, who were found dead in their Santa Fe home on February 26.

The footage provides a closer look at the unsettling circumstances surrounding their passing, including the role their three dogs played in the discovery.

The 95-year-old legendary actor was found collapsed in the entryway of the home, next to his cane, and 65-year-old Arakawa was discovered in a bathroom in their residence. In a nearby crate, just steps from where Arakawa's body was put, their Australian Kelpie mix dog Zinfandel, or Zinna, had also died of apparent starvation.

Footage obtained by Radar Online shows Joey Padilla, owner of the pet daycare Santa Fe Tails, arriving at the home to tend to the surviving dogs and speak with investigators. Padilla, routinely took the couple's dogs in for the night, also gave insight into what the household was like.

"(The dogs) were really rough with Gene," Padilla said in the footage. "Betsy was the one who dealt with all of the dogs. Gene didn't do anything with the dogs. And that's why they slept in separate places, in different parts of the house."

In November, Padilla adopted the two surviving dogs, a German shepherd named Bear and an Akita-shepherd mix named Nikita, to make sure they were safe too.

Dogs Alerted Authorities to the Tragedy

When first responders arrived at the home, they were greeted by loud barks and tried to figure out where their owners are. Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya said, "They realized (the dog) was trying to say, 'Hey, come over here! Come over here!'"

According to reports, one of the dogs sat next to Hackman's body and refused to leave him. One dog, Nikita, on the other hand, was described as "skittish" and remained very close to Hackman and Arakawa, visibly distressed.

The Kelpie mix, Zinna, is said by authorities to have died as a result of neglect, following the deaths of the couple. The dog had just recently been seen by a veterinarian, was "mummified" in a crate. Unlike Bear and Nikita, who could enter and out through a doggy door, Zinna stayed locked up and was unable to access food or water.

Sheriff Adan Mendoza said the survivors of the dogs are now in good hands.

"They are healthy and receiving the best care in a familiar environment," Padilla said. "They are surrounded by people they know who love them and are committed to their safety."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are under the microscope once again following bullying claims amid a leadership reshuffle at a charity co-founded by him, Sentebale. Dr. Sophie Chandauka said the allegations have reignited public debate over the leadership and treatment of colleagues by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

In a statement after Prince Harry abruptly quit as patron of the charity, along with Prince Seeiso and the rest of the board of trustees, Dr. Chandauka accused him of " harassment and bullying at scale." The departures come as she says internal conflict has quietly been taking place for months, and the resignations were under a lot of pressure.

Prince Harry responded to the controversy, stating he is "heartbroken" over the situation. "No one suffers more than the beneficiaries of Sentebale itself," he said. "We fully expect [the Charity Commission inquiry] will unveil the truth that collectively forced us to resign."

'Toxic Brand'

Dr. Chandauka has also alleged she was the victim of a similar harassment campaign after publicly refusing to defend Meghan in 2019. She also slammed Harry for apparently leaking to donors about her and accused him of playing the "victim card."

"This has been months of attempted ousting, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir," she said in her statement. She added that the couple's behavior reflects poor governance and weak executive management within the organization.

Speaking on The Sun's Royal Exclusive segment, royal expert Phil Dampier described the developments as "catastrophic" for the image of Harry and Meghan.

"To have a Black woman who is head of your charity accuse you of the very things other people have accused you of for many years  it couldn't get much worse really," Dampier said. "It's following a pattern that they are very difficult people to work for, if not bullies."

He pointed to past bullying charges related to Meghan as a working royal (that Buckingham Palace opted not to counter at the time) and the couple being called "grifters" after their Spotify deal blew up.

News commentator Samara Gill echoed Dampier's views, describing the Sussexes as "a toxic brand."

"It's a story we have heard so many times. It is no surprise," she said. "Dr. Sophie gives this credibility. She's worked at Meta and been a high-powered solicitor. It says a lot that Harry and Meghan are the ones to tip her over the edge."
Candace Owens is urging Blake Lively to end her lawsuit against actor and director Justin Baldoni. The actress should immediately drop out of the legal fight entirely, Owens  who aired her views on her podcast "Candace"  told her listeners while bringing up an alleged incident on the set in 2018.

The outrage was prompted by an old video that recently went viral on social media from Lively's 2018 film "A Simple Favor," where the actress grabbed her co-star Henry Golding in an improvised sexually suggestive way. In the video, director Paul Feig is heard complimenting Lively and her improvised "addition" to the moment, saying, "One of my favorite additions you came up with was you grabbed his nuts, and you really went for it, too."

Lively, apparently unconcerned about how it might come across, continued, "That's always awkward, when you're like, 'Hey nice to meet you! Can I grab your nuts really hard?' Not because I want to, but because I feel like she would."

After using Lively's previous actions as a launching pad for criticism.

The podcast host said, "It seemed perfectly acceptable for Blake Lively to grab her co-star's genitals in 2018, but now, in 2024, she's clutching her pearls."

Owens further said it was hypocritical of Lively to be a "female that defends" herself in a suit now because the actress had once engaged in that kind behavior on the set.

As if publicly feuding with Owens wasn't enough, Lively is also facing legal trouble over Baldoni. Meanwhile, in her amended suit against her "It Ends With Us" co-star, the actress says the events of the last couple of years, especially involving others particular to the film, have been extremely harmful to her career and personal life.

Owens laughed off the lawsuit amendment, sniping at Lively for continuing to face the litigation.

"I don't understand what your problem is with me, other than the fact that I am under your skin," she said, seemingly unfazed by Lively's legal actions. "I'm not going to let go. I'm like a pit bull. I'm onto you."

Further fueling the controversy over her public persona, Lively attracted backlash for her March 2024 trip to a donut shop in Wilton, Connecticut. While employed at the shop, Lively allegedly did not wear a hair tie or net while baking, a violation that prompted a hygiene issue and resulted in a health inspection of the establishment.

Owens said, "Her PR strategy before consisted of listening to her husband... The worst PR plan executed ever was the idea that they should show up to Saturday Night Live's special... She's doing it better than Meghan Markle."

Owens Hits Back After Mentioned in Lively Lawsuit

Owens also reacted to Lively's decision to recently name-check her in the lawsuit. Owens celebrated being cited in a mocking tone, saying, "I made it [and] I can now retire. All the haters out there who doubted me are now asking for forgiveness, and I just want to say thank you to all of you who believed in me."

Owens also sarcastically expressed that Lively has only begun to fight her legal battles. "I'm just telling the truth," she said, still standing by her comments about the "Gossip Girl" star's on-set and off-set demeanor.
(The Center Square)  An Illinois House bill would prevent public utilities from making campaign contributions to political candidates if it becomes law.

State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashids, D-Bridgeview, measure has the support of the Citizens Utility Board and its director of Governmental Affairs, Bryan McDaniel.

This would make it so that utilities, water, gas, sewer, could not make any campaign contributions to a candidate for municipal or state office, McDaniel told The Center Square.

The bill would also prevent donations to political action committees organized to support candidates. The measure has three co-sponsors.

So this would be HB 1621. I can tell you thatd be wonderful if that bill could pass. Well see, McDaniel said.

ComEd and other utilities have drawn the attention of federal authorities in recent corruption cases, including the trial and conviction of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

On Feb. 12, a jury convicted Madigan on 10 counts of bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud and use of a facility to promote unlawful activity. Four of the 10 counts were related to ComEd.

Madigan is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13. U.S. government attorneys are also seeking $3.14 million from the former speaker in forfeiture at a bench trial. The amount includes payments to ComEd subcontractors who were Madigans political allies. Prosecutors say the payments were bribes.

In the related ComEd Four case, four people were convicted of corruption charges in 2023, and ComEd agreed to pay $200 million in fines as part of a deferred prosecution agreement.

Sentencing dates for the ComEd four defendants are scheduled in July and August.

Connie Mixon, professor of political science and director of the Urban Studies Program at Elmhurst University, said the corruption cases are frustrating to her as a political scientist and to people who care about good government.

There are legislative things that could be done to curtail some of this corruption, and yet our General Assembly doesnt seem interested or doesnt feel any urgency in pushing through legislative reforms, Mixon told The Center Square.

Rashids bill is currently in the Illinois House Rules Committee.
Three men were arrested in Bozeman this week on drug charges after law enforcement found multiple pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine in their apartments.

On Thursday, Uzziel Reyes Olmos, 18, Jesus Antonio Nunez Aguirre, 28, and Jose Trinidad Hernandez Canelo, 23, were charged in Justice Court and are held at the Gallatin County Detention Center on U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) holds. A press release from the Gallatin Media Center said all three are in the country illegally.

A maintenance employee at the apartment complex reported finding the paraphernalia, the Sheriff's Office said.

Canelo was charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs and faces up to five years in prison. Olmos and Aguirre, who were charged with criminal possession of drugs with intent to distribute and use or possession of property subject to criminal forfeiture, face up to 30 years in prison.

This operation illustrates the long-term detrimental effects felt locally of unsecure borders and the need for strong community collaboration and enforcement amongst all of the cultural communities in Gallatin County," Sheriff Dan Springer said in a press release. "One observant citizen was unafraid to make a report and had a major impact on drug trafficking known to exist in Gallatin County.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the Missouri River Drug Task Force executed a search warrant on April 2 at 2159 South 11th Avenue near Bobcat Stadium.

The three men were detained and, during the search, law enforcement found 909 grams or 2 pounds of crystal powder later identified as methamphetamine, 638 grams or 1.4 pounds of white powder identified as cocaine, 76 grams of an unknown powder, three digital scales, cell phones, plastic bags and $43,996 in a room law enforcement allege was Olmos.

In another room allegedly belonging to Aguirre, law enforcement said it found 66 grams of a crystal powder also later identified as methamphetamine, cell phones and $969.

In the room alleged to belong to Canelo, who wasnt charged with intent to distribute, law enforcement found $3,131 along with some rolled-up cash with cocaine residue, the police report said.

Lastly, in the common area of the apartment, investigators located the following items: one gram of white powder (field tested positive for cocaine) and narcotic paraphernalia with visible residue, the affidavit said.

On Thursday, the three defendants were in justice court, where Judge Rick West set bail. Their initial hearings are scheduled for April 18.

Olmos bail is $500,000, Aguirres $100,000 and Canelos $10,000.

A press release about the case from the Missouri River Drug Task Force is expected to be released soon.
Marc Racicot is worried. Hes worried about the state of the country, its Constitution, the freedom of the judiciary and what tomorrow may hold.

In March, the former Montana governor attended town hall-style political events in Bozeman and Billings, stepping back into the limelight to caution that the U.S. is in crisis.

Racicot is an American attorney who served as Montanas 21st governor from 1993 to 2001. He was chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2001 until 2003 and served as chairman of the reelection campaign for George W. Bush.

During that time, the Washington Post reported, he was one of Bushs closest friends and advisors.

In his heyday, Racicot was Montanas top Republican. He has since been rebuked by his own party after becoming an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump.

In 2020, Racicot threw his support behind Joe Biden, and he supported Monica Tranel and former Sen. Jon Tester in 2024. Last year, he also filed a brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in support of barring Trump from the 2024 ballot in Colorado.

Now, he says hes doing what he thinks is right and courageous, voicing his concerns while remaining cognizant that many of his fellow Montanans voted for the still-unfolding changes in Washington, D.C.

In a recent interview with the Chronicle, Racicot ultimately issued a stark warning.

Hes not just concerned about major changes disrupting the day-to-day lives of federal workers, nonprofits and universities. Rather, hes worried about the outright collapse of the U.S. and its 237-year-old Constitution, as he watches what he describes as a storm-trooper style dismantling of the federal government.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Chronicle: You recently attended a town hall-style political rally in Bozeman and Billings where none of the Montana congressional delegation showed up. Whats encouraging you to get out and be part of something like that?

Racicot: The driving force for me is my concern and anxiety about the Constitution of the United States being subject to manipulation. We all swear to abide by its provisions, and the moment it starts falling apart is when we have to worry about whether a people can live with freedom and independence. These violations of the law, the refusal and rejection of the requirements that are in place for the courts, the encroachment upon the judicial branch, all of those issues that weve seen develop over the last 2 1/2 months lead me to conclude that were in danger of finding our democracy in grave need of protection.

I was there to speak about the Constitution, and frankly, you cant have to notice the delegates werent there. Its a horrible disappointment that they werent there. The motivating factor for me was not that I thought I could fill in for them, but that I could talk about the concurrent dangers to the Constitution that we confront all across the country.

BDC: There are plenty of people who view the Trump administration and Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency positively, that theyre essentially taking a hatchet to the government by cutting funding, deporting those who entered the U.S. illegally, and so on. What is your perspective?

Racicot: Legitimate reform involves careful inquiry into the facts and circumstances surrounding different agency operations and personnel and objectives, and if youre going to disable and defund them, it can be painful even when it is done lawfully and done with a degree of surgical precision that allows for the function that was funded by Congress, which is a law they passed. There are needs and necessities for improvement, but this is not how legitimate, meaningful and lasting government reorganization takes place. It ends up violating the laws of Congress and that lawlessness is simply not contemplated or approved by the Constitution. If the DOGE people and the president of the United States can violate the law, why does anyone else obey it? This starts calling into question whether a free people can live in freedom if theyre not careful and responsible with how they proceed to address these questions.

BDC: But you believe some reform is necessary?

Racicot: Yes, there are legitimate inquiries that should be made into government operations. But simply revoking peoples credentials and tearing down the signs of agencies that were funded 50 years ago without any kind of explanation, thats not what we expect in America. Its not going to last. It just simply causes extraordinary disruption.

In my view, they dont know what theyre doing. They dont understand how government works. It works differently than private business and you have to be careful and proceed in a way that ultimately the people who fund it, the taxpayers, approve of.

BDC: You mentioned respect for the judicial system briefly. People are worried that the Trump administration will eventually defy a court order outright, a notion spurred by the recent planes heading to El Salvador carrying alleged gang members.

Racicot: We already have a constitutional crisis because that question has already been raised. Its not lawlessness just toward the deportation of people without due process, its lawlessness thats contemplated and accepted and sometimes generated and precipitated by the administration with what theyre doing with various different government agencies. Theyre violating the laws of Congress and while Congress sits there on its thumbs. This continues to get bolder and bolder and bolder.

The lawlessness starts to permeate the entire landscape and if the president and his coterie dont need to make sure that they abide by the law, who else has that same feeling? What happens when theres a court order, as the judge in the deportation case who ordered those flights be turned around and come back, and they defied it, and they came up with this lame excuse about how it was that they didnt mean to defy it?

We have not only crossed the boundary there, but were skating on thin ice thereafter. I have no question in my mind that there will be additional efforts, additional initiatives, that are generated at the presidents direction that cross the line and end up violating court orders.

If you cant depend on people to be self-disciplined enough and restrained enough to observe the provision of the Constitution and the law, and they happen to be sitting in the Oval Office in the White House, you have real problems with whether your democracy could survive.

BDC: What do you think is the responsibility of Montanas four congressional delegates? For example, regarding the recent Forest Service and National Park Service layoffs, the response weve received from Rep. Ryan Zinkes team is that Congress doesnt do layoffs. So, from your perspective, what should Zinke, Rep. Troy Downing, Sen. Steve Daines and Sen. Tim Sheehy be doing?

Racicot: Why did they run? Why would you run if you didnt want to do something that was in the best interest of the people that you serve and why would you not accept responsibility? They claimed to bring leadership to the position but thats semantics. Its word games. At the end of the day, it means nothing. Its just flim-flam thats filling space. The obligation, the responsibility is so obvious it hardly needs to even be pointed out.

BDC: Well, point it out.

Racicot: Take the National Park Service. We know that the layoffs were initially imposed in the dark of night, that they are not going to be able to do everything from clean trails to police the park and make sure that there is a level of organization that allows for people to visit. Thats going to decrease the amount of tourism and visitation, which is a huge part of our economy. Thats just one instance where the discharge of people impacts all of the state of Montana financially.

There have been some retractions here and there but the intent was to disembowel the Park Service and diminish what it has in terms of assets so they can claim that they saved all this money. It hardly needs a description. You know how critical the timber industry is to our state or the tourism industry or the agricultural industry.

They have an obligation to act to protect their constituents and if they dont, thats a neglect of duty. They dont want to report for duty because they dont have answers. I dont think they really know whats going on in any of these agencies and if they do, why dont they talk about them? Why dont they address them? Perhaps theyre concerned about sanctions being imposed upon them by the president or his withdrawal of support in the next election. Whatever it is, its a failure of courage to do the right thing at the right time for the right reasons.

BDC: Regarding Yellowstone, there were seven out of some 400 that were laid off. Its not a massive percentage of the workforce. Even if the delegates agreed with the layoffs, they didnt come out and say it directly. They could have said, Yes, we need to trim some of the fat. We are OK with laying off seven people. It almost appears as if theyre walking a tightrope between supporting the Trump administration and supporting all of their constituents, especially those who dont agree with whats happening.

Racicot: Because theyre afraid. Theyre fearful they wont get reelected, or they wont have the support of the president. The notion that somehow they cant appear out here in Montana and talk to the people that they work for, namely the taxpayers and voters, to me suggests that its a tightrope theyre walking, but it leads to nowhere. Theyre not taking care of either responsibility, either to stop whats going on in Washington or to address their constituents in Montana.

BDC: If all the delegates outright say, We agree with everything the Trump administration is doing, and that they believe its in the best interest of Montana, what other responsibility do they have?

Racicot: If they have enough strength of character and courage to tell the truth as they see it and tell us honestly if they support these efforts, then I dont think we can complain about their honesty. But thats not what theyve done. The gatherings in Bozeman and Billings were simply to have a conversation and to ask questions. Even if they didnt know the answers, if they showed up thats enough. They either serve Montana and the people, or you serve the president and their delusions surrounding whats going on with the budget and the expenditure of funds in this country.

BDC: What should the people of Montana be doing? Clearly many voted for whats happening.

Racicot: Informing themselves. Theyd like to be involved, which is their right as a citizen, in making these judgments about what should be kept and what should not. Its their money. Its their country. They have a right to participate but this is just running over the system with bulldozers and speed before anyone figures out what theyre doing.

BDC: Lets focus a little more on the GOP in Montana. You were once the Republican governor for the Big Sky State. Whats changed?

Racicot: The system has changed. I havent changed one bit. When I was in office we would have never dreamed of invading the authority and the jurisdiction of the courts. We would have been embarrassed to say we didnt like the courts ruling and that were going to create a different set of courts. That is such a blatant violation of the Constitution. The point of a democracy is to discuss these issues and then as a legislator to make your judgment with the understanding there is another branch of government, theres another review that going to try and help us keep the balance within this consensual agreement that we all share and that is the judiciary.

Its the weakest branch because they have no ability to defend themselves. They are simply there to provide their judgment. The notion that because you dont get what you want from a court that you go out and eviscerate the judicial system and create another is a reflection of how easily this entire democracy can fall apart.

BDC: What would you say to the people of Montana that say, you know, We have the governor as a Republican, we have the House, the Senate, lets get the judiciary. Lets make every person of power in Montana a Republican and finally get some real stuff done. How do you respond to that?

Racicot: That would fulfill the warning of President George Washington and explain why he never ran for a third term. He thought these political parties were an abomination, and that they ultimately would lead to factions regional, geographic and now in these days, cultural issues that would separate and ultimately bring about the demise of this consensual agreement that we have with each other. How long do you think that could last? The notion that somehow you get your way every day, and its always going to be red and never blue. Take a look at the history of humankind and try to figure out whether that ends in disaster, or it ends precisely where you would want it to be.

BDC: Do you still consider yourself a Republican?

Racicot: Its totally unimportant to me. I have some conservative thoughts and beliefs about expenditures, but the label was never important to me. My dad was a Democrat and my mom was a Republican. My life was spent in the Army as a prosecutor and when I got out as a prosecutor in Missoula County and a state special prosecutor and then the attorney general. None of these jobs were political.

BDC: We recently received an email that highlighted how the Montana GOP rebuked you and said youre not a Republican. It makes the case that party adherence isnt up to the voter, that the party can say, Youre not a part of our party.

Racicot: Thats what I felt at the time. Thats not their decision. They rebuked me because I didnt toe the line. I made my decision in 2016 when I came out in opposition to Donald Trump because I thought he was totally lacking in the character to run that office. When I came out in opposition of Trump I thought I could get others to join me. I thought they would, but they wouldnt. I then wrote a brief before the United States Supreme Court seeking the disqualification of Donald Trump and the affirmation of the decision made by the Colorado Supreme Court. I tried to get Republican members to sign on to that brief and two did, but none of the other ones would. I worked for three or four years in D.C. with the party and candidates. I worked hard for a lot of people who are presently serving in Congress and, frankly, I thought they were people of character, strength and conviction and thats why I campaigned them. Their remaining silent in this moment of crisis is an incredible disappointment to me.

BDC: Do you see yourself in the same vein as Trump critics and former Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger? How do you compare?

Racicot: I was probably there about a decade before them  well, not a decade, but close. They sat through the same kind of things. I would say Adam and I and Liz are very close in what we think. We have some conservative beliefs but, frankly, its not even important. Whats the point of it? I dont want to belong to a tribe. These tribal part politics are just an absolute scourge on the American system of government. They reward people, a small cabal or coterie of people, to decide who gets the money, who gets support from the party, whos going to show up and be their surrogate. I dont know why the people of America continue to relegate their responsibilities and their prerogatives to a small group of people who dictate for them who it is that they can vote for in a general election. It seems to me to be just absolutely illogical and bizarre.

BDC: At the recent town hall political event in Bozeman, people were saying that in 2026 theyll be able to vote out Zinke, Downing and Daines, and that Sheehy is up for reelection in 2030. Who do you view as the most likely candidate to be ousted?

Racicot: I dont know if any of them can be. I dont really pay attention to that or think about it. I would like to see them stand up with more courage and precision in their responses and a reflection that they do their homework and that they have concern about whats going on here with us, their neighbors and friends, rather than what Donald Trump thinks.

The people of Montana voted in pretty strong numbers for Donald Trump, and I think thats going to change over time because hes going to ultimately be disappointing. It just cant last. I dont know which delegate would be vulnerable, but I have to accept the verdict of the people I live with. They voted in strong numbers but that doesnt mean I have to agree with those elected people.

If we fall apart, its always been amazing to me how major catastrophes like the Civil War, World War I and II, and even the Korean and Vietnam wars, were quite popular in the beginning and then ultimately faded. These catastrophes that weve gone through have seemed to somehow crystallize the intent and the ability of people to survive together in our country and the party boundaries become almost invisible. I hope that we dont get to the point where theres violence in the streets and we end up in a situation where the country is just simply falling apart.

We know that in catastrophe we can bond together. We did it as a people during the Civil War and other battles thereafter. But if we have that kind of revolutionary destruction, then nobody knows what tomorrow holds, so Im fearful. Some people, I suspect, think Im exaggerating, but I dont think thats the way a massive number of people in this country feel. They feel as if things have fallen out of rhythm, that the traditional stability they grew up with is dissipating and undependable, and that with the unknown things that could happen so quickly, especially on the Internet, theres a feeling of tenuousness and concern about what it is that will happen to us.

I dont think I ever felt that before in my life, until the last 10 years or so.
MONTANA - School districts in Montana, particularly those on indigenous reservations, are experiencing delays in receiving federal Impact Aid funding. This funding is crucial for maintaining school operations, as it compensates for the lack of taxable property in these areas.

Jason Sargent, Superintendent of St. Ignatius School District, explained the importance of this funding. "Our general fund pays for the salaries of all of our employees and Impact Aid pays for everything else," said Sargent. Impact Aid funding accounts for 25% of the St. Ignatius school budget.

Approximately 40 school districts in Montana rely on this federal funding and have already received half of this school year's grant. Typically, the second half of the grant arrives in March, but they are currently delayed due to a continued resolution that remains to be passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. This uncertainty complicates budget planning for the schools.

Sargent expressed the challenges of planning without a clear timeline for the funding. "It's nicer when you know where it's (the funding) coming from, when it's going to come, and how much it is. Obviously just for planning, it would be in our best interest to know as soon as possible," he stated.

Despite these delays, St. Ignatius is still in good financial standing as the district is using funding that was granted last year.

Lonnie Morin, executive director of Indian Impact School of Montana and business manager for the Arlee School District, voiced concerns about layoffs in the Department of Education. The layoffs included IT staff responsible for processing Impact Aid applications and determining school payments. Morin fears this could further delay and complicate the funding process. "If there is no one to compile the data, or if this is put off on some other department, there is no way to determine if the payments will come to us correctly, and in a timely manner," Morin emphasized.

Montana's Office of Public Instruction addressed the issue, with McKenna Gregg, communications and policy advisor, stating, "We have received no indication that Impact Aid would decrease. Congress is the one with the authority to reduce Impact Aid and the superintendent has spoken with our congressional delegation to let them know the importance of this funding."

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the Impact Aid funding, Superintendent Sargent remains "optimistic" the funding will arrive in the near future.
The Trump administration has turned off satellite links broadcasting news content into Russia and Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, according to Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

Radio Free Europe has been a U.S. financed media outlet that produces and broadcasts news to authoritarian countries  including Russia, Belarus, Iran and China  since the Cold War.

It was originally created to counterbalance the Soviet Union and now reports on authoritarian regimes in Russia, Belarus and other countries as well as covering Russias war in Ukraine.

The Prague-based outlet has had editorial independence from the U.S. government but receives funding from the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

USAGM is the parent company of Voice of America.

VOA, RFE/RFL and other U.S. backed media outlets such as Radio Free Asia are in the crosshairs of President Donald Trumps austerity measures.

Trump has put VOA journalists on leave and shut down its international news operations.

Kari Lake, a former Fox news anchor, has been made special advisor at USGAM and is spearheading cuts, calling the agency wasteful and displaying a liberal bias.

The Trump White House has also called Voice of America and other affiliates biased.

The Trump administration has sought to nix media contracts for Radio Free Europe and other affiliates.

RFE/RL has sued the Trump administration over its funding already approved by Congress that is part of an existing contract.

A federal judge has ruled the U.S. government needs to pay out those already appropriated and contracted.

RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said April 1 that the news agency was still waiting for USAGMs payment.

On Friday, Radio Free Europe said USAGM has terminated contracts with two satellite systems that carry Russian-language content produced by Current Time, a network run by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

According to RFE, Current Time said on April 4 that broadcasts on the Astra and Eutelsat satellite systems were no longer running after the move by the U.S. government agency, which oversees the operations of RFE/RL and Voice Of America, though Current Time was still being carried on the Hotbird satellite system. The USAGM gave no explanation for its decision.

"We received a notice from USAGM that contracts for satellites distributing Current Time's Russian-language programming were being terminated. We hope this decision will be reversed in the future, Capus said in a statement.

Radio Free Europe and Current Time have been deemed as undesirable organizations by the Russia President Vladimir Putins government.

RFE journalists have been arrested in Russia and Belarus. Some Radio Free Europe's staff are Russian exiles.

USAGM has not yet responded to a request for comment on the satellite situation or RFE/RL funding.

Trump and his envoy to Russia Steve Witkoff have voiced friendly and fraternal tones toward Putin since returning to the White House in January.

Trump has said he trusts Putin and the administration has sided with the Kremlin in opposing Ukraine joining NATO as well as United Nations war resolutions backed by Kyiv and Europe.

Trump also did not include Russia in his high Liberation Day tariffs on China, the European Union, Japan, South Korea and other countries.

There are U.S. war sanctions on Russia, which still imported $3 billion worth of goods into the U.S. last year, according to federal figures.

Voice of America, which was created during World War II, and also enjoys contemporary editorial independence from the U.S. government has not posted new reports on its website since March 15.

A group of VOA journalists are suing the Trump administration over the freeze and whether it violates congressional mandates.

Trump is seeking to end the war in Ukraine. Putin has not agreed to a wider ceasefire, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to after Trump turned off U.S. military and intelligence support for Kyiv.

That came after Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance clashed with Zelenskyy at the White House calling him ungrateful for U.S. war aid after he pushed back on their trust in Putin.
Garment exports from Sri Lanka reached $827.2 million in JanuaryFebruary 2025, reflecting a 12.0 per cent increase compared to the $738.4 million exported during the corresponding months of 2024, according to statistics released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

During the first two months of 2025, textile exports from Sri Lanka declined by 4.5 per cent, totalling $43.9 million. Over the same period, exports of other manufactured textile articles fell by 2.5 per cent, amounting to $18.6 million, as reported in the Central Bank's publication titled External Sector Performance  February 2025.

Sri Lanka's garment exports rose by 12 per cent to $827.2 million in JanuaryFebruary 2025, despite declines in textile and other manufactured textile article exports. Garments remain the country's top industrial export, with textile product exports totalling $889.7 million. In 2024, garment exports reached $4,660.1 million, up 4.9 per cent from the previous year.

Combined exports of textiles, garments, and other manufactured textile articles accounted for 53.91 per cent of all industrial exports from Sri Lanka during this period. Total textile product exports amounted to $889.7 million in JanuaryFebruary 2025, while Sri Lanka's overall industrial exports were valued at $1,649.7 million for the same period.

In February 2025, textile and garment exports rose by 1.4 per cent year-on-year, reaching $428.3 million. By category, garment exports increased by 2.4 per cent, totalling $398.8 million, while textile exports decreased by 13.0 per cent, amounting to $20.0 million. Over the same period, exports of other manufactured textile articles slipped by 4.6 per cent to $9.5 million, as reported by the Central Bank.

In the year 2024, the island nations garment exports totalled $4,660.1 million, showing a 4.9 per cent increase. Sri Lanka also exported textiles worth $294.5 million and other manufactured textile articles worth $106.4 million during the year. The country imported textiles and textile articles valued at $2,847.1 million and clothing and accessories worth $225.8 million in 2024.

In 2023, Sri Lanka's garment exports were valued at $4,440.6 million, a 19 per cent decrease from the $5,483.1 million exported in 2022. Meanwhile, imports of textiles and textile articles dropped by 22.6 per cent to $2,371.2 million, and imports of clothing and accessories declined by 21.1 per cent, totalling $170.0 million in 2023.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Luxembourg, Luxembourg--(Newsfile Corp. - April 4, 2025) - Nexa Resources S.A. (NYSE: NEXA) (" Nexa Resources " or " Nexa " or the " Company ") announces today the expiration and results of its previously announced offer to purchase for cash (the " Tender Offers ") for any and all of its outstanding (i) 5.375% senior unsecured guaranteed notes due 2027 (the " 2027 Notes "); and (ii) 6.500% Notes due 2028 (the " 2028 Notes " and, together with the 2027 Notes, the " Notes "), issued by Nexa and guaranteed by Nexa Resources Cajamarquilla S.A., Nexa Resources Peru S.A.A. and Nexa Recursos Minerais S.A. (together, the " Guarantors ").

The Tender Offers were made upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the offer to purchase dated March 31, 2025 (the " Offer to Purchase ").

As of 5:00pm (New York City time) today (the " Expiration Date ") according to information received from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information and tender agent for the Tender Offers, (the " Tender and Information Agent "), (i) US$104,987,000.00, or approximately 48.72%, of the principal amount outstanding of 2027 Notes was validly tendered, and not validly withdrawn; and (ii) US$289,279,000.00, or approximately 72.23%, of the principal amount outstanding of 2028 Notes was validly tendered, and not validly withdrawn, with an additional US$5,911,000.00 in aggregate principal amount of 2028 Notes tendered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures.

The following table sets forth certain information relating to the Tender Offers, including the principal amount Notes validly tendered, not validly withdrawn, and accepted for purchase.

Title of

Security CUSIP ISIN Principal Amount Outstanding Prior to the Tender Offers Principal Amount Validly Tendered and Not Validly Withdrawn at or Prior to the Expiration Date(1) Principal Amount Following the Tender Offers Tender Offer Consideration(2) 5.375%

Notes due

2027 91832C

AA4/

P98118 AA3 US91832CAA45/ USP98118AA38 US$215,500,000.00 US$104,987,000.00 US$110,513,000.00 US$1,015.00 6.500%

Notes due

2028 65290D

AA1/

L67359 AA4 US65290DAA19/ USL67359AA48 US$400,500,000.00 US$289,279,000.00 US$111,221,000.00 US$1,041.25

_____________________________

(1) Not including Notes tendered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures.

(2) The amount to be paid per US$1,000.00 principal amount of the applicable Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase. In addition, Accrued Interest (as defined herein) will be paid in each case.

The deadline for holders of Notes to tender their Notes in the Tender Offers was the Expiration Date. Notes tendered pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) must be delivered by the Guaranteed Delivery Expiration Date (as defined in the Offer to Purchase). Accordingly, Notes that have been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn may no longer be withdrawn, except as required by applicable law.

Holders who validly tendered and did not validly withdraw their 2027 Notes on or prior to the Expiration Date or the Guaranteed Delivery Expiration Date, as applicable, will be eligible to receive the total consideration of US$1,015.00 per US$1,000.00 principal amount of Notes tendered (the " 2027 Tender Offer Consideration ").

Holders who validly tendered and did not validly withdraw their 2028 Notes on or prior to the Expiration Date or the Guaranteed Delivery Expiration Date, as applicable, will be eligible to receive the total consideration of US$1,041.25 per US$1,000.00 principal amount of Notes tendered (the " 2028 Tender Offer Consideration ").

The settlement date of the Tender Offers is expected to occur within three business days following the Expiration Date, on April 9, 2025, or as promptly as practicable thereafter (the " Settlement Date ").

The applicable Consideration will be paid together with accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes from the last interest payment date preceding the Settlement Date to, but not including such Settlement Date (" Accrued Interest "). All Notes accepted for purchase in the Tender Offers will cease to accrue interest on the Settlement Date, unless Nexa Resources defaults in the payment of amounts payable pursuant to the Tender Offers. Any Notes not tendered or accepted for purchase shall continue to accrue interest.

Nexa Resources has engaged Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and Santander US Capital Markets LLC to act as the dealer managers (the " Dealer Managers ") in connection with the Tender Offers. For questions regarding the terms of the Tender Offers, please contact: Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at +1 (800) 558-3745 (toll free) or +1 (212) 723-6106 (collect), Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc. at +1 (212) 710-6749 (collect), J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at +1 (866) 846-2874 (toll free) or +1 (212) 834-7279 (collect), and Santander US Capital Markets LLC at +1 (855) 404-3636 (toll free) or +1 (212) 350-0660 (collect).

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation of acceptance of the Offer to Purchase. Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any U.S. state securities commission, nor any regulatory authority of any other country has approved or disapproved of the Tender Offers, passed upon their merits or fairness, or confirmed the adequacy or accuracy of the disclosure in the Offer to Purchase.

About Nexa

Nexa is a large-scale, low-cost, integrated polymetallic producer, zinc being our main product, with over 65 years of experience developing and operating mining and smelting assets in Latin America. Nexa currently owns and operates four long-life underground polymetallic mines, two located in the Central Andes region of Peru, and two located in Brazil (one in the state of Minas Gerais and one in the state of Mato Grosso). Nexa also owns and operates one low-cost polymetallic open pit mine, also in the Central Andes region of Peru, and three smelters, two located in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil (Tres Marias and Juiz de Fora), and one, located in Lima, which is Cajamarquilla, the largest smelter in the Americas.

Nexa was among the top five producers of mined zinc globally in 2024 and one of the top five metallic zinc producers worldwide in 2024, according to Wood Mackenzie.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements as defined in applicable securities laws (collectively referred to in this news release as "forward-looking statements"). All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "will," "may," "may have," "would," "estimate," "continues," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "expects," "budget," "scheduled," "forecasts" and similar words are intended to identify estimates and forward-looking statements. Forward-Looking statements are not guarantees and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Nexa to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments may be substantially different from the expectations described in the forward-looking statements for a number of reasons, many of which are not under our control, among them, the activities of our competition, the future global economic situation, weather conditions, market prices and conditions, exchange rates, and operational and financial risks. The unexpected occurrence of one or more of the above mentioned events may significantly change the results of our operations on which we have based our estimates and forward-looking statements.

Our estimates and forward-looking statements may also be influenced by, among others, legal, political, environmental or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of our projects, including risks related to outbreaks of contagious diseases or health crises impacting overall economic activity regionally or globally, as well as risks relating to ongoing or future investigations by local authorities with respect to our business and operations and the conduct of our customers, including the impact to our financial statements regarding the resolution of any such matters.

Our estimates and forward-looking statements may also be influenced by regulatory changes in the countries where we operate, including new trade restrictions, tariff escalations, and policy shifts affecting cross-border commerce and supply chains. Certain forward-looking statements are based on third-party data, market forecasts, and assumptions that may be subject to change. Nexa does not guarantee the accuracy of such external data and disclaims any obligation to update these statements unless required by law.

These forward-looking statements related to future events or future performance and include current estimates, predictions, forecasts, beliefs and statements as to management's expectations with respect to, but not limited to, the business and operations of the Company and mining production, our growth strategy, the impact of applicable laws and regulations, future zinc and other metal prices, smelting sales, capex, expenses related to exploration and project evaluation, estimation of Mineral Reserves and/or Mineral Resources, mine life and our financial liquidity.

Forward-Looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable and appropriate by management and qualified persons considering their experience are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies and may prove to be incorrect. Statements concerning future production costs or volumes are based on numerous assumptions of management regarding operating matters and on assumptions that demand for products develops as anticipated, that customers and other counterparties perform their contractual obligations, full integration of mining and smelting operations, that operating and capital plans will not be disrupted by issues such as mechanical failure, unavailability of parts and supplies, labor disturbances, interruption in transportation or utilities, adverse weather conditions, and that there are no material unanticipated variations in metal prices, exchange rates, or the cost of energy, supplies or transportation, among other assumptions.

We assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required under securities laws. Estimates and forward-looking statements refer only to the date when they were made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any estimate or forward-looking statement due to new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Estimates and forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and do not guarantee future performance, as actual results or developments may be substantially different from the expectations described in the forward-looking statements. Further information concerning risks and uncertainties associated with these forward-looking statements and our business can be found in our public disclosures filed under our profile on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and on EDGAR (www.sec.gov).

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/247456

SOURCE: Nexa Resources
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 4, 2025) - Global Tactical Metals Corp. (CSE: MONI) ("Global Tactical" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has entered into a definitive Share Purchase Agreement (the "Agreement") dated April 2, 2025, to acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Critical Defense Metals Inc. ("Critical Defense"), a privately-held Ontario-based company.

Critical Defense owns two strategic properties: the Firstbrook Property located near New Liskeard, Ontario, comprising 50 claims totaling approximately 1,091 hectares, and the Fox River Area Property located northwest of Hearst, Ontario, consisting of 13 claims.

Under the terms of the Agreement, Global Tactical will pay an initial non-refundable cash payment of $30,000; issue an aggregate of 3,500,000 common shares of Global Tactical (the "Consideration Shares"); and Grant the vendors a 2.5% royalty on gross revenues derived from the sale of hydrogen, helium, or any other mineral products from the acquired properties. The Company retains the option to buy back 100% of this royalty for $5 million at any time.

The closing of the acquisition is expected to take place no later than April 30, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, including approval by the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE).

About Global Tactical Metals Corp.

Global Tactical Metals Corp. is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of critical minerals and strategic metals. The Company is committed to sustainable and responsible exploration practices.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Specific risks include the risk that the transaction may not close as planned or at all, risks associated with regulatory approval processes, uncertainties inherent in mineral exploration activities, potential fluctuations in commodity prices, uncertainties regarding economic feasibility, the ability to obtain necessary financing for exploration and development, environmental risks, and general economic and market conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are available at www.sedarplus.ca.



To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/247458

SOURCE: Global Tactical Metals
Summary: Ontario-based CarDoor has achieved a revenue milestone as the province's largest used-car platform. The digital marketplace streamlines vehicle purchases with at-home convenience, transparent pricing, a 7-day return policy, and a 90-day complimentary warranty, maintaining an impressive 99% customer satisfaction rating.

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 4, 2025) - CarDoor, a digital car-buying platform, celebrates a revenue milestone of $100 million and a growing customer base. Launched just three years ago, CarDoor offers a more convenient and transparent way to purchase or sell a vehicle, all from the comfort of one's home.

Photo Courtesy of CarDoor

CarDoor currently offers 3,000 vehicles-the largest used-car inventory in Ontario. With glowing 5-star reviews, CarDoor has become a formidable online competitor in Ontario.

The platform lets buyers browse vehicles, sell or trade in their current vehicles, secure financing, and accept delivery from their homes. The website is designed to be user-friendly and transparent, with no gimmicks or surprises. Each vehicle listing includes detailed information and clear pricing so buyers can make informed decisions without the typical upsell tactics.

CarDoor also offers a unique seven-day return window, allowing buyers to test their new vehicle without the risk. To further reassure customers, all vehicles come with a complimentary 90-day warranty. The result is a remarkably low return rate of under 1%.

CEO and founder Mark Eleoff heads CarDoor. Imran Vasta leads the company's marketing efforts, bringing over a decade of automotive digital marketing expertise. Scott Brown oversees sales, financing, and logistics. Eleoff comments on CarDoor's consistent monthly growth, "Our goal is to simplify the car-buying process and make it as easy as purchasing any other product online. We want to create an amazing, trustworthy, and transparent experience for consumers that aligns with the significance of their purchase."

After its successful launch in Ontario, CarDoor plans to extend its reach across Canada. The company strives to become the go-to platform for all automotive needs, from vehicle purchases to ongoing maintenance. To learn more about CarDoor and its milestones, visit www.cardoor.ca.

About CarDoor



CarDoor, Ontario's premier online buyer and seller of used cars, has transformed vehicle transactions since its launch three years ago. Led by CEO Mark Eleoff, the company offers 3,000 vehicles-the largest used-car inventory in the province. The platform enables customers to browse, purchase, trade-in, secure financing, and accept delivery entirely from home, with transparent pricing and no hidden fees. CarDoor's buyer-focused strategy includes a seven-day return window and complimentary 90-day warranty, resulting in an impressive under 1% return rate. After establishing dominance in Ontario with consistent monthly growth and stellar 5-star reviews, CarDoor now plans to expand its convenient, trustworthy service across Canada.

Contact Information:

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246349

SOURCE: Baden Bower
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 4, 2025) - Entheon Biomedical Corp. (CSE: ENBI) (OTCQB: ENTBF) (FSE: 1XU) ("Entheon" or the "Company") announces the appointment of Harrison Newlands to the Company's Board of Directors, effective April 3, 2025.

Harrison Newlands has a diverse understanding of start-ups and capital markets, having invested, advised, and helped co-found dozens of mid-cap companies spanning close to a decade of experience in the industry. He started his career working on Bay Street as a Research Associate at MacNicol and Associates, thereafter he jumped into the fast growing cannabis industry, and was one of the co-founders of Fire & Flower, one of Canada's first retail focused cannabis companies, where he led its early growth and served as Director of Business Development. Shortly thereafter, he helped take the first EV company public in Canada, Taiga Motors, where he served as a strategic advisor.

Mr. Newlands also co-founded Hoshi International, a producer of medicinal cannabis with a state of the art facility in Portugal, focusing on the emerging European market. Harrison also co-founded Hypercharge Networks, Canada's first publicly traded EV charging company. Harrison was formerly a partner at Rockbank Capital, a Vancouver based merchant bank, and has been a managing partner at North King Capital over the past 4 years, where he continues to advise both public and private companies, as well as invest.

Andrew Hegle has resigned from the Company's Board of Directors. The Company wishes to thank Mr. Hegle for his services and wishes him all the best in future endeavours.

About Entheon Biomedical Corp.

Entheon is a biotechnology research and development company interested in treating addiction and substance use disorders.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

Timothy Ko, CEO, President and Director

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/247466

SOURCE: Entheon Biomedical Corp.
Carnivore Audio's Vocal Marinade plugin simplifies vocal processing with intuitive controls, pro-grade sound design, and creative FX-built for producers, artists, and engineers who demand fast, flawless results.

Carnivore Audio, a forward-thinking audio software company dedicated to empowering music creators, proudly announces the launch of Vocal Marinade, a powerful new plugin built to transform how producers, engineers, and artists approach vocal mixing and sound design.

Vocal Marinade plugin by Carnivore Audio

Carnivore Audio Launches Vocal Marinade: A Game-Changing Plugin for Vocal Mixing and FX

Unlike generic plugins that aim to do everything, Vocal Marinade was created with one focus: delivering instant warmth, polish, depth, and clarity to vocals-without slowing down your workflow. The plugin features one-knob saturation, tone shaping, spatial enhancement, and carefully crafted FX modules, all packed into a clean and intuitive interface optimized for creativity on the go.

What sets Vocal Marinade apart is not just its sound, but its origins. Developed in close collaboration with independent artists JavyDade and Waynewood, the plugin reflects real-world needs from creatives in the trenches of production and engineering.

"After 15 years of producing and engineering, designing this plugin was personal," said JavyDade, co-developer and seasoned producer. "I used to struggle with getting my vocals to sound right and now we've built the tool I wish I had back then. This is from one independent artist to the rest of us pushing the craft forward."

For co-developer Waynewood, the goal was just as clear:

"Music & creating have always been a massive part of my life. Developing a plugin that can help other independent artists achieve pro-level vocals with ease was a huge priority for me."

Carnivore Audio has built its foundation on blending professional-grade audio engineering with user-first design, ensuring accessibility for artists at any level-from bedroom producers to seasoned engineers.

The release of Vocal Marinade marks a pivotal moment for Carnivore Audio as it expands its footprint in the music tech industry, aiming to bridge the gap between polished sound and creative independence. The company's mission is rooted in community, creativity, and equipping musicians with the tools they need to bring their sonic vision to life.

Vocal Marinade is available now at https://carnivoreaudio.shop.

Contact Information

Dustin Lebleu

CEO/Developer

dustin@carnivoreaudio.shop

8703028099

Javy Dade

artist/developer

javy@carnivoreaudio.shop

7863655252

Austin Rea

UI/Developer

austin@carnivoreaudio.shop

8705777053



SOURCE: Carnivore Audio
Report offers early analysis of how Canada's 2025 proxy season is unfolding through a corporate governance lens

Highlights include data and insights on emerging trends, shareholder proposals and shareholder activism shaping boardroom dynamics

"Early Insights: 2025 Proxy Season (Canada)" is now available for download here





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11559/248444_da3163b564a5f96e_001full.jpg

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 15, 2025) - Kingsdale Advisors, the strategic shareholder and governance advisory firm trusted by business leaders for 22 years, has released a new report offering an early look into the 2025 proxy season in Canada. Titled "Early Insights: 2025 Proxy Season (Canada)", the timely report comes amid heightened market volatility, global tariff tensions and a growing demand for strategic clarity.

Kingsdale has made the report publicly available - sharing corporate governance insights that are normally behind closed doors - to help boards and executives navigate a more unpredictable proxy season.

Wes Hall, Founder and CEO of Kingsdale Advisors, said, "We're seeing a perfect storm of market pressure, a shifting regulatory landscape and political influence reshaping how boards operate and how shareholders engage. Activists are not slowing down. Many are engaging privately and shaping outcomes behind the scenes."

"Canadian companies should take a hard look at their proxy voting and engagement frameworks, especially as investor meetings yield less detailed feedback. Proactive and strategic communication with proxy advisors and shareholders, with a focus on how investors vote versus what they say, is more critical than ever before as scrutiny intensifies," added Hall.

Key findings from the report include:

Minimal guidelines, rising expectations: While both ISS and Glass Lewis made only modest updates to their proxy voting guidelines for Canadian companies in 2025, expectations around board diversity, transparency, and AI oversight continue to intensify - especially in the face of global economic uncertainty.

Cross-border complexity : U.S. political developments are having ripple effects. Following President Trump's January 2025 executive orders to dismantle DEI programs, some U.S. institutional investors have scaled back stewardship efforts. ISS has paused its board diversity policy for U.S. companies, while Glass Lewis has reaffirmed its commitment. Canadian companies with U.S. operations or listings now face conflicting expectations and evolving regulatory risks.

Shareholder activism gaining momentum: Kingsdale has tracked 36 shareholder activist campaigns in the 2025 proxy season, nearly matching the four-year average by the end of March. Over half of these are board-related, where activists have either proposed alternative director slates or launched Withhold or 'Vote No' campaigns.

Heightened Investor Engagement: There has been a surge in shareholder engagement this proxy season, as Canadian banks and Quebec-based companies continue to receive the most shareholder proposals. Notably, Toronto-Dominion Bank has received 11 shareholder proposals, with some focus on governance and oversight in response to the bank's anti-money laundering challenges.

Shareholder dialogue reshaped by U.S. SEC guidance: New SEC rules introduced in February indicate that certain interactions, even those by passive investors, might be construed as attempts to influence or control a company. This has created uncertainty and led to a reduction in engagement activities during the 2025 proxy season, which spans July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. Several large U.S. investors, including BlackRock and State Street, have adopted a "listen-only" approach during engagements.

Additional themes explored in the report include expectations for board oversight of artificial intelligence, trends in director opposition, and an analysis of the growing volume and complexity of shareholder proposals.

As macroeconomic headwinds continue to challenge corporate growth strategies, Kingsdale's report offers timely, practical insights for boards and executives seeking to stay ahead of the curve.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE: "Early Insights: 2025 Proxy Season (Canada)"

To receive governance insights tailored to your board's needs, email strategy@kingsdaleadvisors.com.

About Kingsdale Advisors

With offices in Toronto, Calgary and New York, Kingsdale Advisors is the leading advisor to public companies on all shareholder, governance, and transaction-related matters, having acted on the largest and highest profile proxy fights, transactions, and other special situations. For 22 years, public companies across North America have looked to the expertise of Kingsdale Advisors to secure the success of transactions or resolutions driven by shareholder votes. Trusted by business leaders for over two decades, Kingsdale Advisors boasts a multidisciplinary team offering an array of specialized services focused on strategic and defensive advisory, governance advisory, compensation advisory, strategic communications, and voting analytics.

For further information, please contact:

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/248444

SOURCE: Kingsdale Advisors
Lobe Sciences Ltd. ("Lobe" or the "Company") (CSE:LOBE)(OTCQB:LOBEF)(FWB:LOBE.F), a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing products using lipid technology to treat diseases with significant unmet medical needs is providing a corporate update with respect to certain recent transactions. The Company wishes to provide notice of the following transactions:

On March 14, 2024, the Company issued C$678,450 (US$500,000) principal amount of convertible notes (the "Notes"). The Notes were secured against the Company's intellectual property. The security interest has since been released. The Notes bear interest at 10% per annum and mature on March 15, 2027. The Notes are convertible into common shares in the capital of the Company ("Common Shares") upon listing of the Common Shares on the Australian Securities Exchange Ltd. or another recognized securities exchange in the United States or Australia (collectively, a "Designated Stock Exchange") prior to maturity at any initial public offering price. The Company and the holder of the Notes have agreed to amend the Notes to comply with the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") and to provide that the conversion price shall be equal to the lowest price permitted by the policies of the CSE.

On April 4, 2024, the Company issued 16,424,220 Common Shares in settlement of C$318,782 owing by the Company to Clearway Global, LLC ("Clearway"), a related party.

On May 15, 2024, the Company issued C$1,462,716 (US$1,072,609) principal amount of convertible notes (the " Settlement Notes ") in satisfaction of outstanding accounts payable. The Settlement Notes bear interest at 10% per annum and mature on May 15, 2027. The Settlement Notes are convertible upon a change of control or upon listing of the Common Shares on a Designated Stock Exchange prior to maturity at the greater of: (i) C$0.024; and (ii) the initial public offering share price, if applicable; provided that in no case shall the conversion price be less than the minimum price permitted under applicable law or the rules of any exchange on which the Common Shares are then listed for trading, which shall be not less than $0.05 while the Common Shares are listed on the CSE, without the prior consent of the CSE.

Effective September 1, 2024, the Company entered into a compensation agreement (each, a " Compensation Agreement ") with each director of the Company providing for the issuance of 7,000,000 Common Shares to each director (the " Compensation Shares "). One third of the Compensation Shares were issued upon signing of the Compensation Agreements, one third of the Compensation Shares are to be issued on the one-year anniversary of signing the Compensation Agreements and the remaining Compensation Shares are to be issued on the two-year anniversary of signing the Compensation Agreements.

On November 13, 2024, the Company issued an aggregate of 10,828,400 Common Shares to a former director, a current officer and Clearway, in settlement of $246,572 owing to such person.

On December 12, 2024, the Company issued a convertible note to a private investor for gross proceeds of US$250,000. The convertible note bears interest at 10% per annum and matures on December 12, 2027. The note is convertible into Common Shares upon completion of a transaction as defined in the convertible note agreement at a 30% discount to the prevailing market price at the time of conversion. The Company and the holder of the convertible note intend to amend the convertible note to comply with the policies of the CSE and to provide that the conversion price shall be equal to the lowest price permitted by the policies of the CSE.

On December 13, 2024, the Company issued an aggregate of 850,000 Common Shares to a former officer and director in settlement of $17,000 owing to such person.

On January 29, 2025, the Company issued an aggregate of 9,413,333 Common Shares to current officers and directors of the Company in settlement of $188,267 owing to such persons.

On January 31, 2025, the Company issued 3,500,000 restricted share units to an officer of one of the Company's subsidiaries, with 1/3 of such restricted share units vesting on issuance, and 1/3 vesting on each of the first and second anniversaries of issuance.

In connection with the above transactions, an aggregate of 36,015,952 Common Shares and 3,500,000 restricted share units were issued to "related parties" (within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101")), and such issuances were considered "related party transactions" for the purposes of MI 61-101. Such related party transactions are exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the securities issued to the related parties nor the consideration paid by the related parties exceeded 25% of the Company's market capitalization.

The Company also wishes to provide the following corporate update on its current operations:

The Company continues to make significant progress in its businesses, notably Conjugated Psilocin TM and Altemia. As previously reported, the Company has obtained two patents issued by the US patent office for psilocin mucate (Conjugated Psilocin TM ). The Company has also filed patent applications in multiple key international pharmaceutical markets as a follow-up step.

The Company published the results of a key clinical study: "Phase 1, First-in-Man Clinical Trial and Pharmacokinetics of Psilocin Mucate (L-130)" in the peer reviewed Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (2024;5(3):1061.

The Company has received pre-IND "Investigational New Drug" feedback from the FDA. This key consultative step with the US regulator allows the Company to confirm the steps necessary to complete the pre-clinical program to file and obtain an IND to initiate human clinical trials. The Company is now actively finalizing the development plan based upon this feedback.

About Lobe Sciences, Ltd. - Lobe Sciences, Ltd. is a commercial stage biotechnology company focused on using lipid technology developing solutions for unmet medical needs. Lobe Sciences is developing patented drug candidates to treat chronic cluster headache and innovative medical foods to address deficiencies commonly seen in sickle cell disease (Altemia).

Dr. Fred D. Sancilio, CEO

Lobe Sciences Ltd.

Investor and Media

Info@Lobesciences.com

www.lobesciences.com

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding future estimates, plans, objectives, timing, assumptions or expectations of future performance, including, without limitation: expectations regarding the Company's ability to achieve its current business objectives are forward-looking statements and contain forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should" or "would" or occur.

Forward-looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analysis made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this press release, including, among other things, that: the Company's planned activities will be able to create shareholder value and address serious unmet medical needs; the Company will continue to pursue its planned research and development activities, that the Company will be able to raise funds among others. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Important risks that may cause actual results to vary, include, without limitation, the risk that: the Company's planned activities will be unable to create shareholder value or address the targeted unmet medical needs; the Company is unable to obtain the desired results from its current research and development activities; and the Company is unable to raise funds or to do so on the timelines anticipated.

Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Lobe Sciences Ltd.
Vision for Growth, Innovation, and Consumer Engagement

REJO, a global provider of heat-not-burn(HNB) solutions, proudly unveils its refreshed brand identity and strategic expansion into the European market, which is a meaningful milestone in its journey of growth and innovation. Known for crafting innovative and reliable products, REJO's new visual identity reflects its progressive approach to advancing the industry.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250404882478/en/

Crowds Gathering at the REJO Stand

Strategic Market Entry into Europe

Building on its steady progress in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, REJO is now poised to tackle the challenges of the European market with a focus on Switzerland and the Czech Republic with its diverse product range and market adaptability. Recognizing the rising demand for herbal alternatives, REJO is making thoughtful investments in heat-not-burn products, including TOZE herbal sticks, inspired by East Asia's rich tradition of tea-based cigarettes.

Designed to deliver a refined user experience, TOZE herbal sticks pair seamlessly with REJO HS40, the company's signature heating device, ensuring optimal flavor and consistency. This tailored approach positions REJO as a reliable provider of innovative alternatives in European HNB market.

A Fresh Look for a New Chapter

"Take a Break. Take REJO."

With a renewed vision, REJO unveils a refreshed brand identity alongside a new slogan that underscores its commitment to offering innovative alternatives to traditional smoking. The brand now features a vibrant color palette, centered around a warm, inviting shade of green-symbolizing comfort, relaxation and a natural connection to the essence of the product.

The redesigned brand icon, featuring an extended "O" with a petal-like shape, highlights REJO's advanced heating technology and reflects the brand's commitment to innovation. This change aligns with REJO's mission to empower individuals with mindful alternatives that redefine the smoking experience, while embracing the smoke-free future alongside its global partners.

REJO aims to be a trusted companion during those brief five-minute pauses in life, offering a diverse range of alternatives that support the journey toward a mindful lifestyle. Through ongoing innovation, REJO is driving change and inspiring an elevated way of living for consumers around the world.

Commitment to Innovation

The TOZE brand name embodies REJO's commitment to join a smoke-free future, symbolizing the combination of "TO-bacco ZE-ro".

Leveraging the well-established expertise in tea-based cigarettes from East Asia, REJO has innovated a unique herbal stick formulation that combines natural tea fibers, nicotine, and precisely balanced flavors. After over 300 product trials, REJO has perfected a formula that enhances aroma absorption while delivering a rich, full-bodied experience with every use.

Paired with the REJO HS40 heating device-boasting an impressive 40-stick capacity per charge-this combination delivers a smoother, more consistent flavor profile.

Strengthening Market Presence in Europe

REJO is strengthening its foothold in Europe, starting with the Czech Republic and Switzerland. Following a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a Czech distributor, REJO is poised to further expand TOZE's footprint across the region. This initiative is part of a broader market strategy to establish a strong European presence.

Early market feedback from France, particularly among traditional tobacco retailers, has underscored the growing demand for TOZE products. Praised for their consistent aroma and reduced smoke odor, TOZE herbal sticks are well-positioned to meet the rising market demand for flavored alternatives.

Localized Growth and Consumer Engagement

REJO's European expansion goes beyond product availability-it's about building lasting connections with consumers. The company is actively recruiting industry professionals who embody its brand spirits:

"Stay Courageous, Be Undefined."

To ensure a seamless market entry, REJO has secured key regulatory approvals, including: Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) registration, Poison Centre Notification (PCN) compliance, and Track-and-Trace registration.

Additionally, REJO is launching the REJO Club Fans Community, blending online interactions with offline events to create meaningful brand experiences and foster deeper connections with local users. By redefining the traditional five-minute break, REJO seeks to engage consumers through interactive experiences that go beyond product use, exploring new possibilities while meeting consumer needs.

Global Expansion and Continued Growth

While Europe remains a key focus, REJO continues to expand its global footprint, with products now available in nearly 10,000 retail outlets across Russia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. With a diversified product portfolio and the flexibility to adapt to various markets, REJO is poised for continued growth.

In Southeast Asia, REJO has rapidly expanded its presence, securing distribution in convenience stores and lifestyle locations. In Indonesia, the brand has established brand booths in cafes and dining bars, integrating e-commerce solutions for greater accessibility.

In the Middle East, REJO has solidified its presence through an exclusive partnership agreement at World Tobacco Dubai 2024 and a major distributor event in Dubai, engaging over 20 secondary distributors.

These efforts reflect REJO's commitment to scalable, sustainable growth in key markets worldwide.

Pioneering the Future of Heat-Not-Burn Solutions

As REJO continues its global expansion, the company remains committed to its mission of redefining the smoking experience through innovation, reliability, and sustainability. With a strong foundation in place and ambitious plans for growth in Europe and beyond, REJO is committed to delivering reliable alternatives that empower consumers to make informed choices about their smoking experience.

"We remain flexibility in adapting to the changing market. By integrating market insights with technological advancements, we are confident that our European expansion will strengthen our position within the HNB industry," said Li. "We believe in the potential of this market and are dedicated to creating reliable, accessible alternatives that cater to the evolving needs of global consumers."

About REJO

REJO is a pioneering global provider in heat-not-burn solutions, crafting innovative and reliable products that redefine the smoking experience.

In partnership with REJO Friends, we are committed to delivering exceptional user experiences worldwide. Our diverse product portfolio champions healthier alternatives, setting a new standard for mindful consumption.

For more information about REJO and its products, visit www.rejonow.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250404882478/en/

Contacts:

Newsroom@rejonow.com
Art Shopping 2025 opened in spectacular fashion on April 4 at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, France. Kasashima Gallery from Japan presented a themed exhibition titled "La Beaute dans Chaque Eventail" , featuring innovative creations by 20 artists from Taiwan and Japan. These works combined traditional Chinese ink art with Kyoto-style folding fans, drawing significant attention from international tourists, art enthusiasts, and media outlets. The exhibition area not only embodies the results of cross-national collaboration but also offers the public a fresh perspective on the creative fusion of Eastern cultures. It continues to showcase the innovation and appeal of Asian art on the global stage.

Asian artists participating in the exhibition pose for a group photo in the display area. Seated in the front row from left to right are Lu Lan-Hsin, Tsai Yu-Yun, Chien Hsuan-Ming, Chen Meng-Huan, Huang Tzu-Ying, and Wu Li-Ying. Standing in the second row from left to right are guests Klervi, Arthur Og, Alexandre, Daulieprane, Valentin, and Cristel Freon. (Photo via Kasashima Gallery)

The "La Beaute dans Chaque Eventail" exhibition area features Kyo folding fans crafted by a century-old fan workshop in Kyoto as the primary medium. These works integrate elements of Chinese landscape painting, bird-and-flower painting, traditional brush calligraphy, pen calligraphy, and contemporary art, captivating the attention of European and American visitors. Kasashima Gallery arranged professional multilingual guided tours, with Wei-Ting, Lin and Li-Lun, Wang providing clear and accessible explanations of the artworks, which combined Chinese culture and Japanese craftsmanship, in fluent French and English.

Li-Lun Wang (far left), a staff member of Kasashima Gallery, explains the artistic concepts behind the works in fluent English and French. (Photo via Kasashima Gallery)

Wei-Ting Lin (far right), a staff member of Kasashima Gallery, introduces the exhibits to international visitors in multiple languages. (Photo via Kasashima Gallery)

Kasashima Gallery has invited a strong lineup of artists for this exhibition, including Taiwanese artists Chen Meng-Huan, Angela Lin, Wu Li-Ying, Cheng Tzu-Leong, Chou Yao-Tsung, Chang Yu-Hsuan, Wu Pei-Chi, Huang Tzu-Ying, Wang Guang-Hwa, Chien Hsuan-Ming, Ho Ming-Chu, Yang Ching-Chiang, Wu Hsiu-Yin, Tsai Yu-Yun, Lu Lan-Hsin, Kigawa Kokoro, as well as Japanese artists Sakaguchi Juri and Wada Chiari.

The "La Beaute dans Chaque Eventail" exhibition area was well received by European and American visitors, with many stopping to purchase artworks. (Photo via Kasashima Gallery)

Yu Le, Public Relations Manager of Kasashima Gallery, stated that the exhibition not only showcases the aesthetic depth of Eastern culture but also aims to reintroduce the significance and potential of Asian art within a contemporary global context through thematic curation. Kasashima has long been dedicated to promoting international exchange in Asian art, actively participating in major exhibitions in Spain, the United States, Italy, Japan, and beyond, with a mission to bridge Asian creativity and the global art scene. Looking ahead, the gallery plans to combine physical exhibitions with digital curatorial platforms to support more Asian artists in gaining international visibility and expanding their cultural influence.

Art Shopping 2025 is currently taking place from April 4 to 6 at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. As one of the key annual events in the international contemporary art salon circuit, this year's edition continues its mission to promote diverse artistic languages. The exhibition presents a wide array of works across disciplines such as painting, sculpture, photography, installation art, design, and crafts, reflecting the richness of contemporary artistic practices in terms of cultural context, materials and techniques, and creative concepts. Visitors are welcome to attend and experience the distinctive allure of this international art event in person.

Media Contacts:

Kasashima Gallery

Ada Huang

art@kasashima.art

https://kasashima.art

SOURCE: Kasashima Gallery
DUBAI, UAE, April 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Bashar Bizrah, a leading specialist in facelift and neck lift surgery, has introduced a revolutionary facelift technique. Known for his expertise in Deep Plane Facelift and Neck Lift procedures, Dr. Bizrah's approach combines advanced technology with surgical precision to provide natural, youthful results while prioritizing patient safety.

The Deep Plane Facelift, the cornerstone of Dr. Bizrah's technique, goes beyond traditional methods by addressing not only the skin but also the deeper layers of the face, including muscles and connective tissue. This comprehensive approach results in a more lasting, authentic rejuvenation, eliminating the "pulled" look often associated with conventional facelifts.

Innovative Focus on Safety and Precision

A key feature of Dr. Bizrah's technique is the integration of real-time facial nerve monitoring during surgery. This technology enables surgeons to track facial nerve activity throughout the procedure, ensuring high precision and reducing the risk of nerve injury. This advancement allows for immediate adjustments during the surgery, safeguarding the natural movement and expression of the face.

"We don't just create beauty-we protect human identity," says Dr. Bizrah. "A smile, a glance, a subtle expression-all are part of a person's essence. It's our responsibility as surgeons to preserve them with the utmost precision. This technology allows us to do just that."

Using advanced neuromonitoring, Dr. Bizrah's surgical team can detect nerve activity and adjust surgical technique instantly-ensuring zero compromise and maximum precision.

This adds to a long list of achievements by the globally celebrated surgeon, Dr. Bizrah, who has performed over 45,000 facial plastic surgeries and is globally regarded as a leading expert in nose reshaping, blepharoplasty and facelift in Dubai and London.

Global Recognition for Excellence in Aesthetic Surgery

Dr. Bizrah's technique has earned him international acclaim, with patients worldwide seeking his expertise. His combination of artistry, technology, and personalized care has positioned him as one of the top facelift surgeons in both Dubai and London.

Patients who have undergone Dr. Bizrah's procedures enjoy a more youthful and natural look.

"The results have far exceeded my expectations. My jawline is sharper, my skin is tighter, and I look years younger-all without the telltale signs of surgery," says one satisfied patient.

Dr. Bashar Bizrah's technique offers a revolutionary approach for those seeking a natural, long-lasting rejuvenation.

For information or to schedule a consultation, visit:

Bizrahmed

hello@bizrahmed.com

www.bizrahmed.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dr-bashar-bizrah-introduces-groundbreaking-facelift-technique-in-mena-region-302421426.html
Dia Mirza, who played Ibrahim Ali Khans mother in Netflixs Nadaaniyan, defended him and Khushi Kapoor and slammed the eat the privileged culture for it read more

Saif Ali Khans son, Ibrahim Ali Khan, recently made his acting debut with Netflixs Nadaaniyan, which also featured Sridevis younger daughter, Khushi Kapoor, in a lead role. However, the film garnered severe criticism for its storyline and the performances of the two leads on social media.

Now, Dia Mirza, who played Ibrahims mother in the movie, defended him and Khushi and slammed the eat the privileged culture for it.

I have never been in favour of personal attacks and find them extremely disrespectful. Everyone is free to have an opinion, but it shouldnt be expressed at the cost of somebodys mental health. Ive been concerned, especially for the younger actors, about the harshness of whats being said. I feel theres a culture of eat the privileged,  which is harsh because people have their own struggles to deal with, said Dia while talking to Bombay Times.

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Recently, during the trailer launch of Akaal, producer Karan Johar spoke about the trolling at the trailer launch of Akaal.

Responding to the journalist who asked the question about the film. Johar said, Bas yehi kahoonga purane gaane ka yeh alfaaz hai kuch to log kahenge logo ka kaam hai kehna chodo bekaar ki baatein kahin beet na jaaye raina bas yehi kehna chahoonga aur kya kahoon.

When asked about the negative reviews Nadaaniyan getting, Mahima Chaudhry, who appeared at the IIFA 2025 in Jaipur, told DNA, The negative reviews are okay. The audience is divided. Whether it was Animal or any other film in the past, they were criticised. Some people like real cinema, some like make-believe. I sometimes wanted to watch real cinema. Sometimes I want to watch something easy. It will always be divided.

Directed by Shauna Gautam, the film also featured Jugal Hansraj and Suniel Shetty in prominent roles.
Originally from Goa, India, and now based in Los Angeles, California, Lawande has carved a niche for himself in the industry with his exceptional eye for lighting, composition, and movement read more

Cinema is a powerful medium that allows audiences to escape into new realms, immersing them in narratives that can entertain, inspire, and evoke deep emotions. While actors often take center stage, filmmaking is a collective effort, with countless creative minds working behind the scenes to bring a vision to life. From directors and cinematographers to art directors, sound designers, gaffers and screenwriters, each plays a crucial role in shaping the final masterpiece.

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One such visionary making waves in Hollywood is Nandan Lawande, a radical cinematographer whose award-winning visuals have captivated audiences worldwide.

Originally from Goa, India, and now based in Los Angeles, California, Lawande has carved a niche for himself in the industry with his exceptional eye for lighting, composition, and movement. His expertise has led him to work on high-profile projects, earning him recognition from top filmmakers, musicians, and luxury brands.

Characterized by bold storytelling, emotional depth, and technical precision, Lawandes cinematography seamlessly adapts to various genresbe it feature films, dynamic music videos, or high-end commercial campaigns. His unwavering commitment to crafting visually compelling narratives has firmly established his place in the competitive world of Hollywood cinematography.

Among his notable projects is Processing Charlie, a striking black-and-white feature film that showcases his mastery of light and shadow to enhance emotional depth. Another highly anticipated film is Vande Bharat Via America, starring Malhar Thakkar, which has been extensively shot in Los Angeles and is set for a worldwide theatrical release in June 2025.

In the music industry, Lawandes work on the music video Tell Me, featuring Karan Aujla, OneRepublic, and Bollywood actress Disha Patani, has taken the internet by storm, amassing millions of views and trending globally on YouTube.

Beyond films and music videos, he has also left an indelible mark in the world of advertising, crafting visually stunning campaigns for renowned skincare brands.

From indie films to international acclaim, Nandan Lawandes journey is nothing short of inspiring. With several major projects lined up in the United States, he is poised to reshape the landscape of visual storytelling on a global scale. His ascent in Hollywood is a testament to his talent, dedication, and the limitless potential of cinematic artistry.

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It was on April 5, 1955, when Winston Churchill, one of the greatest wartime leaders, resigned from his position as the prime minister of Britain. Later in the evening, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attended his farewell dinner held at 10 Downing Street along with his colleagues. On this day in 1994, lead singer of Nirvana Kurt Cobain died by suicide read more

Winston Churchill was one of the greatest leaders of Britain. File image/AP

One of the most important events for both Britain and the world took place on April 5, 1955, when Sir Winston Churchill tendered his resignation as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Many consider his resignation as the end of an era in the Britains political landscape.

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.

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The lead vocalist of the grunge band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, died by suicide on this day in 1994. He was found dead in his home in Seattle, Washington, with injection marks in both arms and a fatal wound to his head.

Here are some of the important incidents that took place on this day across the world.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill resigned

In 1955, the United Kingdom bid farewell to one of the most outstanding wartime leaders to hold public office. Sir Winston Churchills resignation was announced in a statement from Buckingham Palace on the afternoon of April 5, 1955.

According to the BBC, the statement read, The Right Honourable Sir Winston Churchill had an audience with the Queen this evening and tendered his resignation as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, which Her Majesty was graciously pleased to accept.

Winston Churchill addresses the first session of the European Movement conference at the Palais des Academies in Brussels, Belgium. File image/AP

The announcement was followed by a dinner party held at 10 Downing Street, attended by the Queen along with the Duke of Edinburgh. Several colleagues of Churchill, both present and past, were also present in attendance.

The resignation marked the culmination of a distinguished political career that had encompassed more than five decades, notably characterised by his critical leadership during World War II. Though influenced by political and personal factors, Churchills resignation was largely a voluntary act. After delaying for months to manage Cold War tensions, he recognised the need for a successor and passed the prime ministership to Anthony Eden.

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The enduring respect for Churchill was evident in the honours he received, including the Order of the Garter and a state funeral in 1965, which was a watershed moment in British history.

Kurt Cobain died by suicide

The lead vocalist of the grunge band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, took his own life on this day in 1994. He was found three days later in his Seattle home with injection marks and a fatal wound to the head from the 20-gauge shotgun found between his knees.

While his suicide terminated his life, it is crucial to recognise that his existence was marked by a level of suffering disproportionate to that generally associated with the public perception of rock superstardom. Cobain had struggled with mental health issues, drug addiction and the pressures of fame for the better part of his life. Despite Nirvanas immense success, he often expressed discomfort with stardom and felt overwhelmed by the commercialisation of his music.

Rock star Kurt Cobain took his own life from a drug overdose. File image

He was known for his raw lyrics, distinctive voice and rebellious attitude. In early 1994, Cobains personal struggles intensified. He had previously overdosed in Rome in March, which many believe was an early suicide attempt. On April 1, he escaped from a rehabilitation centre in Los Angeles and returned to his Seattle home.

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On April 8, 1994, his body was discovered in the greenhouse of his home by an electrician who had arrived to install a security system. A shotgun lay beside him, and a suicide note was found nearby. The autopsy confirmed he had died on April 5 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

This Day, That Year

In 1951, Julius Rosenberg and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death for espionage.

Chile declared war on Peru and Bolivia, beginning the War of the Pacific on this day in 1879.

US President George Washington issued the first presidential veto in US history on 1792.
PM Narendra Modi is set to be in Anuradhapura, a Unesco World Heritage Site, during his trip to Sri Lanka from April 4 to 6. He will pray at the Sri Maha Bodhi, along with Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. As his travel brings the island nations ancient capital to the limelight, we look at the history of the sacred city read more

Buddhist devotees offer prayers during Poya, a religious festival to mark the full moon at the Ruwanwelisaya Temple in Anuradhapura on April 5, 2023. File Photo/AFP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Anuradhapura, the capital of ancient Sri Lanka, this week. The trip to the sacred city is a part of the Indian leaders scheduled visit to the island nation  his first since 2019  from April 4 to 6.

Modi will travel to Anuradhapura, along with Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on the last day of his two-day visit. After offering prayers at the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, the two leaders will reach the Anuradhapura Railway station to inaugurate the signal system for the northern railway line, Sri Lankas Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told The Hindu.

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As PM Modis visit puts a spotlight on Sri Lankas Anuradhapura, we take a look at the citys history.

Rich history of Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura, a Unesco World Heritage Site, was the capital of what we now call Sri Lanka for more than a thousand years.

Located in the North Central Province, the ancient city boasts a rich religious and political history. It stands as a testament to the cultural and religious ties between India and Sri Lanka.

Anuradhapura was founded by Anuradha, a minister of King Vijaya, in the 6th Century BC. King Pandukabhaya established his capital in Anuradhapura in 377 BC.

It remained the capital of Lankan rulers from 377 BC to 1017 CE.

The kingdom of Anuradhapura ceased to be the seat of the ruler for a brief period when King Kashyapa I in 473 CE moved his capital to Sigiriya. Anuradhapura became the capital again in 491 CE after Kashyapas death.

Anuradhapura hosts some of the most holiest sites for Buddhists.

Buddhism came to Sri Lanka from India in the 3rd century BC. When King Ashoka  who embraced the faith around 250 BC  sent his son, Prince Mahendra, to Sri Lanka, Devanampiya Tissa was the ruler of Anuradhapura.

Tissa, who was reportedly a friend of Asoka, converted to Buddhism at Mihintale. Later, the Indian leader dispatched HIS daughter, Princess Sanghamitra, with a group of bhikkhunis (nuns) to the island, according to Sahapedia.

She is said to have brought a sapling from the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya in todays Bihar. Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment under this tree in Bodh Gaya. This sapling, planted in Anuradhapura, attracts thousands of devotees even today.

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A Buddhist monk sweeps in front of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree at the Sri Maha Bodhi temple in the north-central town of Anuradhapura on May 19, 2023. File Photo/AFP

Soon, the Buddhist religion spread across Sri Lanka, influencing the culture and society of the Sinhalese people.

Dotted by ancient stupas, monasteries, and relics, Anuradhapura is home to many famous Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka. The Jetavanaramaya Stupa, originally 122 metres tall, was the worlds tallest stupa when it was constructed in the 3rd century CE.

This photo taken on May 18, 2018 shows Sri Lankan schoolchildren walking around the Jetavanaramaya stupa, one of the largest structures of the ancient world, in the ruins of the former capital and world heritage site Anuradhapura in north central Sri Lanka. File Photo/AFP

Built by King Dutugemunu in 140 BC, the Ruwanwelisaya Dagoba (stupa) stands 103 metres tall and has a circumference of 290 metres. While it was a ruin in the 19th Century, the stupa was restored to its former glory in the early 20th century, as per a History Hit article.

The Abhayagiri Dagoba once housed the Tooth of Buddha. The sacred tooth is now kept at a temple in the city of Kandy.

Other important ancient structures in Anuradhapura include the Isurumuniya monastery (known for its famous stone sculptures like the Isurumuniya Lovers), the Theravada school, and Kuttam Pokuna, or twin ponds.

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Downfall of Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura, which once flourished as Sri Lankas capital, was invaded and destroyed by the Indian ruler Rajendra Chola I in 993.

The Cholas captured Mahinda V, the last king of Anuradhapura, and his family, marking the fall of the sacred Lankan city in 1017 CE.

Mahinda was taken to India, where he breathed his last in 1029 CE.

The seat of the ruler was shifted to Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura, which was the capital for over 1,300 years, was abandoned.

With inputs from agencies
Yashwant Varma took oath away from public eye in an unusual fashion. He was administered oath in a private chamber, a move condemned by Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) read more

Embattled Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma, who is facing a Supreme Court-monitored probe following the discovery ofa huge sum of cash at his official Delhi residence, took oath as a judge of the Allahabad High Court on Saturday (April 5).

Despite being administered the oath, he will be not be assigned any work until the in-house probe concludes.

According to media reports, Yashwant Varma took oath away from public eye in an unusual fashion. He was administered oath in a private chamber, a move condemned by the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA).

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Allahabad High Court Bar Association condemns clandestine oath-taking

The lawyers body Saturday revealed that the bar association was not notified about the oath-taking ceremony, which they alleged was held in a clandestine manner.

The body further added that it has once again questioned the credibility of the judicial system and eroded the trust of people.

On April 5, Allahabad HCBA secretary Vikrant Pandey wrote to Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Arun Bhansali and said that legally and traditionally, the oath administered to Justice Varma is fallacious and unacceptable.

In his letter, Pandey also urged the chief justice to not assign any judicial or administrative work to the embattled judge.

The entire Bar Association is at pains to learn about the clandestine manner in which Justice Yashwant Varma has been administered the oath of his office at Allahabad, the letter said.

In due deference to our remonstration against the repatriation of Justice Yashwant Varma to Allahabad High Court, the Honble CJI had met the members of the Bar and assured that appropriate steps be taken to maintain the dignity of the judicial system, Pandey wrote in the letter.

We are given to understand that the system is taking every step in a fair and transparent manner, but why this oath is not notified to the Bar, is a question which again eroded the trust of people in the judicial system, the letter read.

The Allahabad High Court didnt release any statement regarding the controversial development.

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After a fire broke out last month at the home of Justice Varma, authorities found four to five semi-burnt sacks filled with Indian currency notes at the scene. This discovery prompted the Chief Justice of India to order an internal investigation.

Justice Varma has claimed that neither he nor his family knew anything about the money found.

The incident has sparked fresh debate over judicial accountability, with people demanding strict action. Many say its necessary to set an example and restore public trust in the judiciary.
No tangible policy shift can be expected as Chinas strategic calculus seeks a conducive periphery and a subdued neighbourhood; marginalised India well aligns with its grand design read more

While exchanging congratulatory messages to mark the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations on April 1, 2025, President Xi Jinping told President Draupadi Murmu that the China-India relationship should take the form of the Dragon-Elephant Tango to serve the interests of both sides. Even the Chinese Premier Li Qiang in a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that China is ready to work with India to enhance strategic mutual interest, promote exchanges and cooperation and properly handle the boundary.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had made a similar proclamation at a press conference last month in Beijing when he stated that a cooperative pas de deux of Dragon and Elephant is the only right choice for China and India. Wang Yi also noted that the relations between the two countries made positive strides as a sequel to the successful meeting between Xi and Modi in Kazan last October.

The diplomatic activity between Delhi and Beijing picked up pace consequent to the signing of a crucial agreement to resolve the standoff at the Depsang-Demchok areas in Eastern Ladakh on October 21, 2024. There have been a series of ministerial and top diplomatic level meetings between the two sides, including the Special Representatives (SRs). Delhis openness to a better relationship with Beijing is apparent from PM Modis recent interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman, wherein he spoke positively about the bilateral relations and noted that normalcy has returned to the disputed India-China border.

India-China relations are marked by many signposts, emitting mixed signals. The two are in intense competition in the geopolitical arena. Beijing has continuously frustrated Delhis great power ambitions by blocking its membership to the key influential bodies. China has also made deep inroads into Indias neighbourhood and maintains close security ties with Pakistan, besides wielding significant influence in Nepal, the Maldives, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Beijing remains sceptical about Delhis relations with Washington, deepening ties with Taiwan and Dalai Lamas presence in India. Communist leadership views forums like Quad and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as attempts to counter China. Additionally, China is also averse to India developing closer defence ties with Southeast Asian nations to help them cope with Chinas aggressiveness in the South China Sea.

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The border issue is a major irritant between the two neighbours. The Chinese militarys massive transgressions in Eastern Ladakh in May 2020 to alter the status of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by violating key border agreements led to a prolonged standoff. While the opposing troops have disengaged in the contentious areas with buffer zones in place, there has been no progress on de-escalation as both sides continue to maintain heightened forward deployment. As per the Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, the situation on the LAC remains stable but sensitive. He ruled out any plans to cut troops along the disputed locations at present. In fact, the Indian Army is raising another division for deployment in Eastern Ladakh.

Over the last couple of years, China has fortified the LAC right from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh and concurrently undertaken extensive buildup of military infrastructure in the areas along the line. Tibet has been converted into a formidable defence shield. Over 720 border villages (Xiaokangs) have been constructed, around one third in the vicinity of the LAC to act as forward border outposts. To legitimise the control over the annexed territories, Border Defence Law was enacted in 2022. Chinese leaders remain persistent on delinking the border issue from the bilateral relations.

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Despite the border tension, bilateral trade has shown robust growth, with the balance of trade tipped in Chinas favour. It is primarily due to Indias dependence on upstream imports of goods from China used for further exports in sectors like electronics, chemicals and machinery. However, over-reliance on Chinese imports exposes vulnerability to supply chain disruption due to geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions and pandemic-related shutdowns.

Though allowing Chinese investment in Indias manufacturing sectors is under consideration, critical sectors such as telecom, defence equipment and data-sensitive IT product-services should be kept out of the purview of Chinese funding in view of security considerations.

The 33rd Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs was held in Beijing on March 25, 2025. The two sides reviewed the situation along the LAC and explored measures to progress the decisions taken during the 23rd meeting of SRs on the boundary issue in Beijing in December 2024.

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Further progress was made to facilitate and promote people-to-people exchanges, including the resumption of direct flights and the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra. A day after the above WMCC meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar acknowledged that India and China will have issues in the foreseeable future but stated that there are ways to handle these without conflict.

During this years Two Sessions, a key political yearly event, the Chinese leadership has reviewed its policies, evident from the softened tone and quest for innovations to endure the disruptive global economic-technological competition. Beijing is redrawing the supply chains and shifting towards technology-led growth to contain global diversification efforts under the China Plus One strategy and trade war with the US.

Chinese policy makers are known to make modest concessions to achieve their geopolitical ambitions and safeguard the national interests. The recent political thaw between India and China should be seen as part of the realignment process being undertaken by the Communist leadership. No tangible policy shift can be expected as Chinas strategic calculus seeks a conducive periphery and a subdued neighbourhood; marginalised India well aligns with its grand design.

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India needs to adopt a whole-of-nation approach to deal with China from a position of strength. In Elephant-Dragon Tango, Delhi ought to exercise cautious optimism and a calibrated approach and be fully cognisant of Communist leaderships past record of blatantly disregarding agreements and protocols to suit its convenience.

The writer is a war veteran, currently Professor of Strategic and International Relations. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
President Donald Trump too wants the US to remain on top of the world as the sole superpower, but as a businessman, he knows that the economy is in shambles, which everyone else has been covering up read more

Unleashing the tariff wars on nations that are not at all prepared to face or face off against the same, the president seems to acknowledge that the US cannot, anymore, pretend to be what it is not. Reuters

US President Donald Trump, especially in his current second term, seems to be more focused than the world is ready to acknowledge. Of course, there are others outside his charmed circle inside the country who may have other views on his upstartish ideas and unorthodox ways of executing them.

To some, his extravagant exhalations are out of this world, but for most others, both inside that country and more so outside, its outlandish at best and un-American otherwise. After all, no other US president has been so very outspoken about his intention and contentions to support and/or defend them.

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Whatever that may be, Trumps devil-may-care tariff war and also the threat to annex nations seem more of a cover-up for Americas falling and failing economy. Unlike his predecessors, he seems to be acknowledging the same and also seems to intend Making America Great Again (MAGA), his clarion call during poll time, but in unorthodox ways that tend to threaten the sovereignty and economic stability of nations.

The truth of the matter is that Trump is hiding less, unlike his predecessors, and saying more. But he says it in a way that the world is not reading him right. Or is it again a tactic for them to divert global attention elsewhere, to the effect of his tariff actions, rather than the real causes?

Whether it was Trumps earlier statements to annex Canada, Mexico and Greenland, if needed, by deploying American forces, or now unleashing these tariff wars on nations that are not at all prepared to face or face off against the same, the president seems to acknowledge that the US cannot, anymore, pretend to be what it is not. He too wants the US to remain on top of the world as the sole superpower, but as a businessman, he knows that the economy is in shambles, which everyone else has been covering up.

Put out in short, sweet words, the US cannot hope to keep the economy going by the Bretton Woods mechanism of printing more dollars at will while other nations, including friends and allies, have to earn each of those pieces of currency. As of 2023, the US national debt stood at $36.22 trillion. It equals the GDP of very many nations, big and small, put together. In the past year, the figure could have only gone up, not down.

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More than meets the eye

Trump is now eyeing only those nations that have critical mineral wealth that the US either lacks or has already burnt. Likewise, his unilateral declaration of a tariff war on all nations all at once is also aimed at reducing massive dollar outages from the country and telling American big businesses to pay local labour rather than locate their manufacturing facilities in China, Vietnam or India.

In this endeavour, the president wants American dollars to stay within America, and fellow Americans, starting with his rust belt constituents, to directly benefit from it rather than any foreign labour, immigrant or not. Of course, it may take time for these constituents to acquire adequate proficiency in IT skills and more, but that will be the aim and goal of the American state from now on  Trump or not.

Rather, unless Trump fails on all fronts as president, his successors dare not try to meddle with the new agenda that he is setting for the American nation and American people(s). Again, India and Indians, watch out. It may not be only about H1-B visas, and there may be more to it than meets the eye.

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Ukraine example

Trumps reset national agenda is likely to work this way. The US would not send troops or subsidise other nations military budgets just to pretend that it is on the top. Nor would it subsidise other nations through trade to keep them in good humour. Instead, it would be business that is not usual and which other nations are yet to get accustomed to.

Trump sent out this message to NATO and other regional allies like South Korea during his first term as president, but they could not  rather than did not  read the writing on the wall. They had concluded that it was all about shoring up the Green Pack, nothing more. The way Trump intended doing it did not seem to have occurred to them, then or since.

Take the case of the Ukraine War. Trump wants peace in Europe, and on his terms. He does not want to spend more dollars on wars and European security than the US can really afford. By affordability, he is asking his allies, starting with Ukraine now, Whats in it for the US? Why should the US fund your wars, fight your wars, when we do not get countable returns?

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In short, he is saying, Let national prestige go to hell  unless, it too should make economic sense if American boots have to be put on another nations soil. Trumps Ukraine deal is all about obtaining long-term mineral contracts for the US. As a rule, the US state does not do such business; they are palmed off to American big business, who will mint millions  and will have to bring them back home.

Why, they may not even be encouraged to set up manufacturing plants in Ukraine or elsewhere, unlike it is hazardous, health-wise or otherwise. Manufacturing facilities for the use of the raw materials extracted out of Ukraine, refined on the ground or in the US homeland, would have to be set up only in the US, thus providing jobs to locals and revenue to the American state.

In saying and doing all these, Trump has also inserted a caveat, if it is one. He has said that if American interests are to be interfered with, then (and then only), he would be sending US troops there, to secure, protect and defend American (economic interests). Under Trump, that is, the tired-out terminology supreme American self-interest is acquiring a new meaning and purpose, isnt it?

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Extending this argument to cover Canada, Mexico and Greenland, Trump is implying that as new states of the US, they all would automatically get American security cover or whatever they lack. But their minerals, the US wants, all the same, for a shared future, that is (?)

Honourable exit

What does it all entail? In more ways than one, Trumps method of reasserting American supremacy comes with a price that the US cannot ignore. His threat to annex nations may not go all the way up there but is aimed only at negotiating favourable terms on minerals, mining, trade and investments.

The same applies to his tariff wars, which may end up in tariff negotiations, where he may ease them on smaller Third World nations but stick to stiff reciprocity from affordable nations and groups  like the EU and ASEAN, India, China and Japan, among others.

But Trumps threats of the kind have only triggered dormant nationalistic sentiments in every nation that he has set his eyes on for purported annexation. Leaving aside taking over any or all of them all at once is not going to be easy  or is not going to happen. That could become the rallying point for all Americans who are now against him, going beyond his adversaries in the Democrats camp. They could include his rust belt constituents and intellectual supporters from the sidelines.

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Also, it is one thing for you to annex a nation; it is another to keep it. Trump has only to learn from contemporary American experience in Afghanistan and, earlier, Vietnam, in the previous century. Of course, then there was also the experience of and with the likes of the Shah of Iran and Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines.

American wisdom

It looks as if Team Trump, if there is one, seems to be following the conventional American wisdom (?) of strategising their war plans to the T, without planning for the day-after. The day-after, in most cases, involved a hurried exit. There was nothing on paper to make that unavoidable exit an honourable one, either.

Should any of Trumps annexation plans backfire likewise, or even refuse to take off owing to internal pressures and possible street protests, again within the US, his possible plans for satisfactory negotiations on the tariff front(s) too can fly through the roof. Trump can then become the wonderful disaster that he did not intend to be, when he started it all off, in his first term.

There is another caveat. The US is generally controlled by the Deep State, which also subserves the interests of the military-industrial complex. At the commencement of the Second Iraq War and also the Afghan expedition, the likes of President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney showed how there is big money for their friends, first in the Blackwater kind of outsourcing soldiers work, when average Americans did not want body bags of their dear ones serving the US military elsewhere.

But there was more money in the reconstruction of the war-ravaged enemy territory, which had become a friend after a forced regime change of the Saddam Hussein kind. Recall how Trump said that after evacuating Gaza of Palestinians, they could have a resort or whatever. Its a businessmans mind at work, not that of a well-meaning politician (alone?).

Two, and more importantly, if the American Deep State is as well-entrenched as it is believed to be, and is as much in cohorts with the nations military-industrial complex as purported to be, how would it be disposed towards a president who wants them to change tack? In Trumps Agenda for America, the economy comes first, and military aid and support, if any, has to follow  not otherwise. Is it acceptable to em all?

During his poll campaign, Trump, occasionally at least, kept speaking about demolishing the Deep State. He has not said anything substantial after coming back to power. Is there something that the naked eye cannot see in all these?

The writer is a Chennai-based Policy Analyst & Political Commentator. Email: sathiyam54@nsathiyamoorthy.com. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
Islamic fundamentalism at home and the invitation to the Chinese debt trap will make Bangladesh the Dragons vassal state read more

Muhammad Yunuss recent four-day visit to China exposed his frustrations. Indias measured silence over Bangladeshs flurry of provocations unsettles Yunus and his cohorts. Economic crisis, political vendetta, targeted attacks on minorities, especially Hindu men and women, kangaroo courts, civic chaos, law and order crisis, increasing isolation, religious fundamentalism, etc, unearth the incompetence of the unelected group of people who have self-appointed themselves as the ruling elite of Bangladesh.

The US support for Yunus has thinned significantly because of the electoral defeat of the Democrats. US aid is less likely to come to Bangladesh under Donald Trumps administration. On April 2, he imposed a 37 per cent tariff on imports from Bangladesh under the Reciprocal Tariffs system to counter unfair trade practices. The tariff pressure will bleed Bangladesh, especially its garment industry. Bangladeshs garment export to the US constitutes the lions share of its export profile. This decision from the US will hit Dhaka badly. The economic vulnerability may trigger social unrest soon. The US support is sparse. Bangladesh does not feature even marginally in Trumps assessment of South Asia.

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Since the US is no longer in Yunuss catalogue of benefactors or friends, he runs to China for support. Islamic fundamentalism at home and the invitation to the Chinese debt trap will make Bangladesh the Dragons vassal state. Bangladesh emulates Pakistan. The hatred for India is a euphemism for Hindu hatred. It is so strong that Bangladesh loses its reason and goes wholesale to China for self-destruction. It also touches the pressure points to make India react. New Delhis indifference to Yunus rattles him severely. He mentions Indias northeast, landlocked geography, and disconnection from the sea space. He valorises Bangladesh as the guardian of the Bay of Bengal.

The borrowed courage is a short-lived one. Bangladesh does not have any strength of its own. It depends utterly on India for everything from eggs to electricity. Yunus weaponises Bangladeshs geostrategic space. Inviting China does not make India weak. It makes Bangladesh vulnerable. If India has its Achilles Heels, so do Bangladesh and China. Neither China nor Bangladesh is entirely self-sufficient. New Delhis tolerance is not its weakness.

In fact, during the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok on Friday, Modi raised the issue of the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh while asking Yunus to avoid rhetoric that vitiates the environment.

Bangladeshs pressure points are so many and so insecure. Bangladeshs Beijing camaraderie will be short-lived, and reality will soon bite the current unelected leaders. They will bundle Bangladesh into a grave crisis, leaving it in deep trouble. China is nobodys friend. It only guards its interest. Handing over Bangladesh and its maritime space to China invites a debt trap and surrender of the formers sovereignty. Chinas overtures to Bangladesh undergird a deep-seated interest in exercising hegemony over the Bay of Bengal.

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Yunus said, Seven states of India, the eastern part of India, called the seven sisters they are a landlocked country, a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean. He calls the seven northeastern states of India landlocked countries and then corrects himself by saying they are landlocked regions of India.

Is it a Freudian slip, the unconscious manifesting through the crevices of a slip? Is it senility or a conscious attempt to imply something ominous? When Yunus does everything in his arsenal to provoke India, can this slip be construed as deliberate? How does it matter to him whether Indias northeast is landlocked? Why does he juxtapose it with the extension of the Chinese economy in the Bay of Bengal? When did Bangladesh become the guardian of the Bay of Bengal?

This is pure provocation. It also ascertains Yunus anxiety and frustration. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives, Myanmar, and African countries invited China to improve their economy but got embroiled in the Dragons debt trap and compromised sovereignty. Therefore, Bangladesh treads Pakistans path. The hatred for India is so deep that Yunus and his Islamist compatriots will not hesitate to sell Bangladesh to China. Surrendering to China only means an indefinite suspension of Bangladeshs sovereignty.

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Given the background of the Chinese unsubstantiated claim on Arunachal Pradesh, Yunus politically loaded remarks undergird the ill intentions, provocations, optics, and messaging. The critical areas of the recent China-Bangladesh bilateral agreements were the China Industrial Economic Zone (CEIZ), Mongla Port expansion and modernisation, among other things.

Amid these pronouncements, the one-China policy, opposition to Taiwans independence, and Taiwan as an inalienable part of China rhetoric were included to spice up the meeting and raise a few eyebrows. This reduced the Bangladesh-China meeting to mere messaging and cliches. The tedious moralising lectures or homilies are mere symbolisms, recurrently retold to signal the relevance of some issues.

The joint press release referred to the Chinese companies working to develop the CEIZ in Chattogram, the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP), etc. Teesta is a braided river and on a barind tract. Building dams on it carries environmental consequences and agrarian crises. The catchment area remains in India. If India does not release the water, the dam downstream is a futile exercise.

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Apart from Teesta and CEIZ, the Xi-Yunus meeting signed increased economic and technical cooperation, infrastructure, culture, translation, media, health, and other paltry things. China knows very well that Yunus is not the elected head of the government. Once the electoral process begins, the democratically elected leader may disapprove of the MoUs signed between Xi Jinping and Muhammad Yunus.

Yunus and Jamaat-e-Islami forcefully took over the power through students protests to do domestic reforms. Conversely, they have created more chaos and disruption than what they opposed. They hardly do any domestic reforms and instead indulge in foreign policy. The election is nowhere to be seen on the horizon, except uttered consistently as a refrain. Reforms in collusion with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) without recognising the Awami League may later be construed as fraudulent and undemocratic.

However, China never takes Yunus seriously. It uses his desperation for recognition and resuscitation of the collapsing Bangladeshi economy. Beijing uses Yunus to raise the Taiwan issue by making flippant statements when the world is least interested in Taiwan. The American sensitivity towards Taiwan is self-evident. Yunus unnecessarily irks Trump when making statements about Taiwan. It was unexpected of Yunus. He did it deliberately. This may invite some repercussions. Be that as it may.

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The domestic front is quite dire in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Army chief Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman commented on the anarchy, political vendetta, infighting, and religious radicalism on February 25 and warned the people at the helm of Bangladeshi politics of the risk of losing sovereignty. This warning demonstrates the gravity of the deterioration of law and order conditions in Bangladesh.

Yunus typically toes the Pakistani path. He externalises all the problems of Bangladesh to conceal his incompetence. He even reaches China to amplify the externalisation of its domestic disruption. This tactic will not bury the truth. The truth is that neither Yunus nor Jamaat-e-Islami is an elected entity in Bangladesh.

The phase of excitement and expression of emotive energy is over. Reality hits hard. Diversion or prevarication overrides the brutal reality on the ground. Muhammad Yunus has specialised in this craft since he became the Chief Advisor of Bangladeshs interim government. His China trip is a magnificent illustration of this craft.

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Jajati K Pattnaik is an Associate Professor at the Centre for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Chandan K Panda is an Assistant Professor at Rajiv Gandhi University (A Central University), Itanagar. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
US President Donald Trump imposed Reciprocal Tariffs on over 60 countries, but a report by The Verge suggests the math behind it may have come from a simple formula often suggested by AI chatbots like ChatGPT. read more

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC. Reuters

US President Donald Trump announced Reciprocal Tariffs on more than 60 countries, calling it a Liberation Day, but a report by The Verge suggests the math behind it may have come from a simple formula often suggested by AI chatbots like ChatGPT. He imposed a 10 per cent tariff on all imports into the US  even from uninhabited islands  and much higher rates on certain countries.

Trump claimed that these were based on what those countries charge the US, though the numbers didnt match official data. As a result, stock markets dropped sharply, and consumers now face price increases on nearly everything they buy.

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According to a report from The Verge, it turns out the calculations of these tariffs could have been based on an overly simple formula that some AI chatbots suggest.

Economist James Surowiecki figured out that you can get the White Houses numbers by dividing a countrys trade deficit with the US by its total exports to the US  then cutting that number in half. That gives you a so-called discounted reciprocal tariff.

The White House denied using this method and shared its own formula. But, according to a report from Politico, it looked very similar to Surowieckis version.

According to The Verge, it seems they may have turned to AI tools at the last minute  like students rushing to finish homework.

Many X users have noticed that if you ask AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Grok for a simple way to fix trade deficits and level the playing field for the US, they all give a similar answer: a formula based on dividing the trade deficit by exports.

The Verge tested this by asking the bots using both casual and more official-sounding questions  such as how the US could calculate tariffs to eliminate trade deficits with other countries. All four AI tools suggested the same basic idea.

There were small differences. Grok and Claude suggested cutting the tariff result in half to make it more reasonable, similar to Trumps idea of a discount. The bots also disagreed on whether a 10 per cent baseline tariff should be added to the total or not. Still, their answers were mostly alike.

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Each bot also gave warnings. Gemini, in particular, strongly cautioned that this method is overly simplistic and could have serious downsides. It noted that many economists believe tariffs arent the right way to fix trade imbalances.

Its unclear whether Trumps team actually used AI to shape its new tariff plan. Since AI models reflect what theyve learned from existing data, no one knows exactly where the formula came from. But with the new tariffs possibly taking effect on 5 April, the world will be watching to see what impact this quick-fix maths could have on global trade.
Protesters returned to the streets across European cities on Saturday against US President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk, following a bruising week for financial markets after Trump unveiled sweeping global tariffs. read more

A demonstrator holds a placard as members and supporters of "Democrats Abroad" call on fellow Americans living in Germany to protest for "an end of the chaos" at home and against U.S. President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk in Berlin, Germany, April 5, 2025. Image- Reuters

Hundreds of people took to the streets in several European cities Saturday to protest against US President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk following a turbulent week for global financial markets triggered by Trumps announcement of sweeping tariffs.

In Frankfurt, Germany, the Hands Off! protest was organised by Democrats Abroad, the official overseas branch of the US Democratic Party. Demonstrators gathered at Opernplatz, calling for Trumps resignation and carrying signs that read Restore Democracy, Hands off our data, and The world is tired of your bullshit Donald, be gone!

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In Berlin, protestors rallied outside a Tesla showroom, urging fellow Americans living in Germany to push back against what they described as growing chaos in the United States.

In Berlin, slogans directed at Musk read Shut up Elon, no one voted for you, and a dog wore a sign that said Dogs against DOGE, referring to the Department of Government Efficiency run by senior adviser Musk, an initiative of the second Trump administration to reduce federal spending waste, fraud and abuse.

A dog attends a demonstration as members and supporters of Democrats Abroad call on fellow Americans living in Germany to protest for an end of the chaos at home and against U.S. President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk in Berlin, Germany, April 5, 2025. REUTERS

In the French capital of Paris, about 200 people, mostly American, gathered on the Place de la Republique to protest against Trump. Some gave speeches to denounce the president, with protesters waving banners ranging from Resist Tyrant, Rule of Law Feminists for Freedom not fascism and Save Democracy. One sang and played the Bob Dylan song Masters of War.

Protests against Trump and Musk were also held in other European cities, including London and Lisbon. In the British capital, a few hundred people gathered in Trafalgar Square, holding signs saying Proud American Ashamed and WTAF America? The crowd chanted Hands off Canada, Hands off Greenland and Hands off Ukraine while listening to speeches criticising Trump.

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With inputs from agencies
An investigative report revealed that Gazas health ministry has removed thousands of names from its official fatalities list because most of them either died of natural causes or were imprisoned. This begs the question, can we trust the numbers? read more

The body of a Palestinian killed in an Israeli airstrike is brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. File image/AP

As the Israel-Hamas war continues to escalate, the latest report suggests that Gazas health ministry has removed 1,852 people from its official list of fatalities since October. According to an investigative report published by Sky News, the names were removed by the Hamas-run agencies because some of these victims died of natural causes or were alive but imprisoned.

As per the report, the list of total fatalities in the coastal enclave currently stands at 50,609 following the removals. 97 per cent of the names removed from the list were initially submitted through an online form which allows families to record the death of loved ones where their body is missing.

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The head of the statistics team at Gazas health ministry, Zaher Al Wahidi, told Sky News that the name submitted through the form had been removed as a precautionary measure and there will be a judicial investigation into each case.

We realised that a lot of people [submitted via the form] died a natural death, Wahidi told the British news outlet. Maybe they were near an explosion and they had a heart attack, or [living in destroyed] houses caused them pneumonia or hypothermia. All these cases we dont [attribute to] the war, he added.

Some families submit false claims

Wahidi mentioned that some names submitted via the website were found to be imprisoned or missing, with insufficient evidence that they had died in the war. The Gaza health ministry statistician said that there were some Palestinians who submitted false claims as they may have been motivated by the promise of government financial assistance.

This is not the first time names were removed from the official ministry death list; however, it was the most significant removal. Between August and September last year, 1,441 names were removed from the list54% of them originated from the hospital morgue records rather than the online forum. Wahidi told Sky News that his team started auditing the data after the ministry received complaints from people who had ended up on the list despite being alive.

Wahidi noted that 8 per cent of the people who were listed as dead in August have since been removed from the official death toll. However, many of these people were added back during a judicial investigation process.

Lack of Verification process was the route cause

Wahidi said that until October, the names submitted via the online form were added to the official list of registered deaths without undergoing a judicial confirmation process. Out of the 1,295 people removed from the list, 474 were added back following proper verification.

This does cause me to downgrade the quality of the earlier lists, definitely below where I thought they were, said Professor Michael Spagat, chair of Every Casualty Counts, an independent civilian casualty monitoring organisation.

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They basically said that they were posting these things provisionally pending investigation. There may have been literally zero people, including us, who actually absorbed this message, but they werent hiding it either, he added.
The talks between Trump and these countries pertain to only a small fraction of those affected by his sweeping tariff measures. Notably, this is seen as the first phase of broader discussions, as countries consider their response read more

India, Vietnam and Israel are reportedly in negotiations with President Donald Trump, CNN reported, two days after the United States announced the tariffs.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the levies with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Reuters, which cited a State Department readout of their meeting.

The talks between Trump and these countries pertain to only a small fraction of those affected by his sweeping tariff measures. Notably, this is seen as the first phase of broader discussions, as countries consider their response.

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On Friday, Vietnam  which has been hit with a 46 per cent tariff  announced it was reducing its tariffs on US goods to zero. Trump made the announcement on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Just had a very productive call with To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who told me that Vietnam wants to cut their Tariffs down to ZERO if they are able to make an agreement with the US. I thanked him on behalf of our Country, and said I look forward to a meeting in the near future, said Trump in a post.

While some officials argue that the tariffs are a deliberate attempt by the president to disrupt global trade patterns, Trump told reporters on Thursday that he believes the tariffs strengthen his ability to negotiate trade deals with other world leaders.

Every country has called us. Thats the beauty of what we do  we put ourselves in the drivers seat. The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have, Trump said.

While imposing 27 per cent tariffs on India, Trump remarked that, although Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a friend, India imposes a 52 per cent tariff on American goods. We have charged them almost nothing for years and years, Trump added.

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Vietnam  the USs largest trading partner in Southeast Asia and a key manufacturing hub  was hit with a 46 per cent duty as part of Trumps broader trade policies. Although earlier statements suggested that the tariffs were non-negotiable, the latest talks suggest otherwise.

The Times of Israel reported that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to visit the United States soon, citing an announcement from Trump. If the visit materialises, one of the key issues on his agenda is expected to be the Trump administrations 17 per cent tariff on Israeli goods.
India and other Quad nations have come together to support Myanmar and Thailand after a powerful earthquake struck on 28 March. The group  which includes India, the US, Australia, and Japan  has pledged over $20 million in humanitarian aid and is working with ASEAN and others to provide urgent help. read more

India and other Quad countries have expressed support for the people of Myanmar and Thailand after the earthquake that hit Myanmar on 28 March, with sending humanitarian aid of over $20 million.

The Quad  made up of India, the US, Australia, and Japan  is working together to provide over $20 million in humanitarian aid. They are also coordinating with partners like ASEAN to deliver urgent help.

India  along with Quad  partners stands with the people of Myanmar & Thailand in the wake of the March 28 earthquake.



For Myanmar, alongside our bilateral aid, weve joined hands with our Quad partners to contribute over USD 20M in humanitarian aid & are coordinating  Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 5, 2025

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This is in addition to the aid India has already sent directly to Myanmar.

In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, India, along with Quad partners, stands with the people of Myanmar & Thailand in the wake of the March 28 earthquake. For Myanmar, alongside our bilateral aid, weve joined hands with our Quad partners to contribute over USD 20M in humanitarian aid & are coordinating with other partners, including ASEAN, to deliver life-saving assistance.

Earlier, India has launched Operation Brahma to help Myanmar after the powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the country on 28 March. The operation includes search and rescue, medical help, and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Myanmars Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok and assured him of Indias full support. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said PM Modi told the General that India, as the first responder, stands with Myanmar and is ready to send more help if needed. The Prime Minister also stressed the need for restoring democracy in Myanmar through fair elections.

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Indias National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is leading the relief efforts. Deputy Commander Kunal Tiwari said that an 80-member team, along with four specially trained dogs and advanced equipment, is carrying out rescue operations. So far, India has sent 625 metric tons of aid and relief supplies to Myanmar under Operation Brahma.
The defence cooperation MoU was one of seven agreements signed during PM Modis bilateral talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. It was signed by Defence Ministry Secretary Thuiyakontha on behalf of Sri Lanka and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on behalf of India. read more

It is for the first time that India and Sri Lanka have inked a major defence pact to institutionalise a framework for deeper engagement in the military domain.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation between India and Sri Lanka, signed on Saturday during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the island nation, will remain valid for five years, according to Sri Lankas top defence official, Sampath Thuiyakontha.

Speaking at a press briefing, Defence Secretary Thuiyakontha noted that India trains approximately 750 Sri Lankan military personnel annually and described the defence partnership as a vital asset.

He said the decision to formalise the MoU was taken during the 2023 defence dialogue between the two countries, and the agreement received cabinet approval in January this year.

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As part of the cooperation under this MoU, both parties are committed to respecting each others military and national laws, as well as the principles and purposes of the UN Charter-including sovereign equality and non-intervention in internal affairs, Thuiyakontha said.

He also noted that either party has the right to terminate the MoU by providing three months advance notice.

The defence cooperation MoU was one of seven agreements signed during PM Modis bilateral talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Defence Ministry Secretary Thuiyakontha signed it on behalf of Sri Lanka and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on behalf of India.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi held delegation-level talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The two leaders exchanged warm greetings before beginning the official discussions.PM Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Independence Squarethe first time Sri Lanka has honoured a visiting foreign leader in this way. His last visit to Sri Lanka was in 2019.

Despite the rain, six senior Sri Lankan ministers received the Prime Minister at the airport on Friday. Later, he interacted with members of the Indian diaspora at his hotel and attended a traditional puppet performance.

With inputs from agencies
India, the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka signed the pact for the hub during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Sri Lanka, the first by a global leader since Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake took office in September. read more

India and the UAE have agreed to jointly develop an energy hub in Sri Lanka, Indias foreign ministry announced on Saturday, a significant step in New Delhis growing strategic engagement with Colombo amid intensifying competition with China in the region.

The trilateral pact was signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Sri Lankathe first by a foreign leader since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake assumed office in September.

India and Sri Lanka have been strengthening ties as Colombo continues its recovery from the 2022 financial crisis, during which India extended $4 billion in support.

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Saturdays agreement boosts New Delhis competition with China, whose state energy firm Sinopec (600028.SS) has signed a deal to build a $3.2-billion oil refinery in Sri Lankas southern port city of Hambantota.

The energy hub in the strategically important city of Trincomalee, a natural harbour in the Sri Lankas east, will involve construction of a multi-product pipeline and may include using a World War Two tank farm partly held by the Sri Lankan subsidiary of Indian Oil Corp, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters in Colombo.

The UAE is a strategic partner for India in the energy space and therefore was an ideal partner for this exercise that is being done for the first time in the region, Misri said. The exact contours of UAEs role will be elaborated once the business to business discussions kick off.

The three nations will next choose business entities that will consider the financing and feasibility of projects for the hub, he said.

Modi also inaugurated a $100 million solar power project, a joint venture between Ceylon Electricity Board and Indias National Thermal Power Corp.

India and Sri Lanka also concluded their debt restructuring process, Foreign Secretary Misri said. Sri Lanka owes about $1.36 billion in loans to EXIM Bank of India and State Bank of India, according to Sri Lanka Finance Ministry data.

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Colombo kicked off debt restructuring talks after it defaulted on its debt in May 2022, signing a preliminary deal with bilateral creditors Japan, India and China last June.

India and Sri Lanka also signed pacts on power grid connectivity, digitalisation, security and healthcare.

With inputs from agencies
In a post on X, the Embassy said that the suspect was taken into custody following the incident read more

A large Canadian flag hangs on the front of the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, March 5, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)

An Indian national was stabbed to death in Rockland, near Ottawa on Saturday morning. The news was confirmed by the Indian Embassy in Canada.

In a post on X, the Embassy said that the suspect was taken into custody following the incident. In the past, New Delhi has raised concerns about the safety of Indians in Canada.

We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in Rockland near Ottawa, due to stabbing. Police have stated a suspect has been taken into custody," the embassy said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in Rockland near Ottawa, due to stabbing. Police has stated a suspect has been taken into custody. We are in close contact through a local community association to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved  India in Canada (@HCI_Ottawa) April 5, 2025

We are in close contact through a local community association to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved kin, the statement further reads.

The motive of the suspect and further details of the incident were not immediately known. The incident took place at a time when diplomatic ties between India and Canada were not in a good place.

According to CBC News, one person died in Clarence-Rockland, and a second was arrested. However, it is still unclear whether it is the same incident the Indian embassy referred to in its post.

In the CBC report, police said that the incident took place near Lalonde Street just before 3 pm Friday (local time). The authorities are yet to reveal whether the suspect will face charges or not.

The Ontario Provincial Police have notified Rockland residents to anticipate an increased police presence in the area, adds the report.

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Images released by state media showed Kim peering through the scope of a sniper rifle that KCNA said was going to be newly supplied to special operation units' read more

This picture taken on April 4, 2025 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on April 5, 2025 shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (C) looking through a rifle scope as he visits a training base of the Korean People's Army's special operations forces to observe a comprehensive training session, at an undisclosed location in North Korea. AFP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has test-fired a newly developed sniper rifle, state media said Saturday, as he inspected special forces whose training he said bolstered actual war capability for guaranteeing victory.

Such units are among the thousands of troops that South Koreas spy agency says Pyongyang has deployed to Russia to support Moscows war against Ukraine.

During the visit to a special operations unit on Friday, Kim said the actual war capability for guaranteeing victory in the war field is bolstered up through intensive training, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

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He added that their training is the most vivid expression of patriotism and loyalty to the country, according to the agency.

Images released by state media showed Kim peering through the scope of a sniper rifle that KCNA said was going to be newly supplied to special operation units.

Other images showed him pointing to the bullseye of a target, crouching alongside heavily camouflaged soldiers, and smiling and waving to troops.

Kim supervised automatic rifle firing drills and sniper rifle firing drills and, after personally test-firing the weapon, expressed great satisfaction over the performance and power of the sniper rifle developed in our own way, KCNA said.

Kims visit to the special forces came on the same day that South Koreas Constitutional Court upheld president Yoon Suk Yeols impeachment over his disastrous martial law declaration, booting him from office and triggering fresh elections.

Yoon had defended his December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule as necessary to root out anti-state forces and what he claimed were threats from North Korea.

KCNA reported Yoons dismissal for the first time on Saturday, citing foreign media.

South Koreas opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is seen as a frontrunner in the next election, experts say, and his party has taken a more conciliatory approach towards North Korea.

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US President Donald Trump, who met Kim three times during his first administration, said this week that he is in communication with Kim and intends to do something at some point, according to Seouls Yonhap news agency.
Meningitis is a significant public health challenge in Africas most populous country, which is also battling malaria read more

Nigeria has received more than 1 million vaccines from the Gavi-funded global stockpile to combat a meningitis outbreak in the northern part of the country, the government said on Friday.

At least 74 people have died from the disease, with more than 800 cases reported across 23 of Nigerias 36 states, according to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, or NCDC. The northern region of the country has been hit hardest by the disease.

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Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said that the arrival of the vaccines is a crucial milestone in Nigerias response to the current meningitis outbreak.

We have prioritized epidemic preparedness and rapid response as part of our broader health security agenda, Pate said in a joint statement by the global vaccine alliance Gavi, UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the Nigerian government.

The vaccine is also critical to Nigerias long-term health security and helping prevent future outbreaks and safeguarding future generations, said Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHOs representative in Nigeria.

Meningitis, more common during the hot season in Nigeria, affects the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Its a significant public health challenge in Africas most populous country, which is also battling malaria.

Nigeria previously received aid from the U.S. Agency for International Development to combat these diseases, but that support has recently been withdrawn.

Nigeria is located in an area known as the African Meningitis Belt. Between 2022 and 2023, the country recorded 2,765 suspected cases and 190 deaths, according to NCDC.

Nigeria is working to implement a road map approved by the World Health Assembly in November 2020 that aims to eradicate meningitis by 2030.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has opened a newly renovated naval base built with Chinas help, saying the country has nothing to hide. The US has raised concerns that the base could give China a key foothold near the South China Sea. read more

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Saturday inaugurated a renovated naval base, saying the country has nothing to hide amid concerns from the United States over Chinas role in the upgrades.

The Ream Naval Base, located on Cambodias southern coast, has been refurbished with help from China. The US has warned the base could give Beijing a strategic advantage near the disputed South China Sea.

US officials have raised concerns that the base might be used exclusively by Chinas navy. However, Cambodian leaders have repeatedly denied this, saying the base is open to all countries.

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During the opening ceremony, attended by military officials from various nations, Hun Manet welcomed a delegation from Chinas Peoples Liberation Army and said the base is open for joint drills with any partner.

From today, Cambodia will welcome all friends to hold joint exercises at Ream. We have nothing to hide, he said.

Chinese military official Cao Qingfeng, also present at the event, called the base a symbol of the iron-clad friendship between China and Cambodia. He said it would boost regional security and host joint drills, including the Golden Dragon exercises in May.

Cambodia has long been a close ally of China. Under former Prime Minister Hun Sen  Hun Manets father  China invested billions in Cambodian infrastructure, while ties with the US weakened.

Hun Manet also confirmed that Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Cambodia later this month.

China has been helping upgrade the Ream base since 2022. The base was originally built with partial US funding. Western concerns about the site go back to 2019, when reports claimed China had a secret deal to use it.

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In 2023, Chinese warships began docking at the base. Cambodia is also set to receive two Chinese warships to boost its defence.

Despite tensions, the US has made recent efforts to re-engage. In December, a US warship docked in nearby Sihanoukville  the first such visit in eight years  followed by a visit from a senior US army official in February.

Last month, Cambodia announced that a Japanese warship would be the first to dock at the renovated Ream base.

With inputs from AFP.
The honour was given after Modi landed in Colombo for his three-day visit to Sri Lanka. It is pertinent to note that PM Modi is the first global leader hosted by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake after he took office in September last year read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the prestigious Mithra Vibhushana medal by the Government of Sri Lanka on Saturday. The Indian premier was honoured for his exceptional efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and promote the shared cultural and spiritual heritage of the two nations.

The honour was given after Modi landed in Colombo for his three-day visit to Sri Lanka. It is pertinent to note that PM Modi is the first global leader hosted by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake after he took office in September last year.

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Interestingly, this marks the 22nd International award conferred by a foreign nation to Prime Minister Modi. According to the Sri Lankan presidents office, the medal was specially instituted to recognise extraordinary global friendships, reflects the depth and warmth of India-Sri Lanka relations.

The honour stands as a glowing tribute to PM Modis visionary leadership and his steadfast commitment to regional cooperation, cultural revival, and spiritual diplomacy, the statement reads.

PM Modi was conferred with the prestigious Mithra Vibhushana Medal by Sri Lanka. NW18

Why the visit is crucial?

Before the prime minister was honoured with the medal, he received a ceremonial guard of honour. While India is looking to strengthen energy and defence ties with Sri Lanka, Colombo is keen to attract foreign investments to stabilise the newly recovering economy, which was hit by a historic financial crisis in 2022. It is pertinent to note that during the Sri Lankan economic crisis, India provided $4 billion in financial assistance.

India is also one of Sri Lankas key bilateral lenders, which agreed to restructure about $1.36 billion in loans after the island nation defaulted on its debt in May 2022. Prime Minister Modis visit aims to strengthen the longstanding ties between Sri Lanka and India, the Sri Lankan presidents office said in a statement ahead of PM Modis visit.

 BREAKING NEWS



Sri Lanka Honors PM Modi with TOP award, the "Mithra Vibhushana Medal" 



 22 international awards and counting; PM Modis global streak continues  pic.twitter.com/p59J00H45h  Megh Updates  (@MeghUpdates) April 5, 2025

The visit will see pacts signed on key sectors such as energy, digitalisation, security, and healthcare, as well as agreements related to Indias debt restructuring assistance for Sri Lanka, it added. PM Modis visit came after Dissanayake paid a trip to New Delhi in December last year.

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In light of this, the two leaders sat down for delegation-level talks in Colombo. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other officials were present at the meeting as well. The prime minister is on a state visit to Sri Lanka from April 4 to 6 at the invitation of the Sri Lankan president. Modi reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, where he attended the 6th edition of the BIMSTEC Summit.

In January, Dissanayake said the two were in talks on building an oil refinery there as a joint venture focusing on exports, domestic media reported. New Delhi-run Indian Oil Corp is already the second biggest fuel supplier after state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corp.
During the visit, the prime minister will aim to strengthen bilateral ties, with anticipated agreements in defence, health, trade, and energy sectors read more

Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands during a photo opportunity ahead of their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, December 16, 2024. File Image / Reuters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a grand ceremonial welcome in Sri Lanka shortly after he landed in Colombo on Saturday. Upon arrival, the prime minister received the guard of honour, marking the commencement of his three-day visit to Indias southern neighbours. During the visit, the prime minister will aim to strengthen bilateral ties, with anticipated agreements in defence, health, trade, and energy sectors.

He is scheduled to hold discussions with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. After landing in Colombo, the prime minister also received a warm welcome from the Indian community in Sri Lanka. It is pertinent to note that Modi is the first global leader hosted by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake after he took office in September last year.

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#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi received a ceremonial Guard of Honour in Colombo at the Independence Square.



PM Modi is on a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, which began yesterday after he attended the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok.



(Source - ANI/DD) pic.twitter.com/GZaBnwhQ1l  ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2025

While India is looking to strengthen energy and defence ties with Sri Lanka, Colombo is keen to attract foreign investments to stabilise the newly recovering economy, which was hit by a historic financial crisis in 2022. It is pertinent to note that during the economic crisis, India provided $4 billion in financial assistance to Sri Lanka.

Why PM Modis visit is crucial

India is also one of India is also one of Sri Lankas key bilateral lenders, which agreed to restructure about $1.36 billion in loans after the island nation defaulted on its debt in May 2022. Prime Minister Modis visit aims to strengthen the longstanding ties between Sri Lanka and India, the Sri Lankan presidents office said in a statement ahead of PM Modis visit.

The visit will see pacts signed on key sectors such as energy, digitalisation, security, and healthcare, as well as agreements related to Indias debt restructuring assistance for Sri Lanka, it added. PM Modis visit came after Dissanayake paid a trip to New Delhi in December last year.

At that time, the leaders discussed investments in Sri Lanka and plans for India to supply liquefied natural gas to Sri Lanka and help link power grids. The talks also focused on the development of a regional energy and industrial hub in eastern Trincomalee. In January, Dissanayake said the two were in talks on building an oil refinery there as a joint venture focusing on exports, domestic media said. New Delhi-run Indian Oil Corp is already the second biggest fuel supplier after state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corp.

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With inputs from Reuters.
A Russian missile strike on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys hometown of Kryvyi Rih killed 18 people, including nine children, officials said. The missile hit a residential area near a childrens playground, leaving over 20 others injured. read more

A Ukrainian serviceman passes by a residential building damaged by Russian military strikes in the frontline town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, Ukraine. Reuters

A Russian missile hit the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Friday, killing 18 people, including nine children, officials said. Kryvyi Rih is the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The missile struck a neighbourhood near a childrens playground and injured over 20 others, according to local authorities.

Videos on social media  not yet verified  showed bodies on the street and smoke rising into the sky.

Eighteen that is how many people were killed by the Russians when they launched a missile at Kryvyi Rih. Among them were nine children, Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Sergiy Lysak said on Telegram.

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He said 61 people were injured in the attack, among them 12 children.

This is the kind of pain you wouldnt wish on your worst enemy, Lysak added.

Russias Ministry of Defence said it launched a targeted missile strike on a restaurant in Kryvyi Rih, claiming it was hosting Ukrainian commanders and Western military advisers. In a separate drone attack on the city, one person was killed and three others injured, local officials said.

Russia has no interest in peace: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was born in Kryvyi Rih, said the attack showed that Russia had no interest in peace. This war continues for one reason  Russia does not want a ceasefire. The world can see that, he said.

Former US President Donald Trump has pushed for a quick end to the war since taking office, but his administration has not been able to secure a ceasefire, despite talks with both sides. The Kremlin recently rejected a full ceasefire proposal from the US and Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump would not be drawn into endless negotiations with Moscow and warned that Russia must show its commitment to peace within weeks.

Kryvyi Rih, an industrial city around 60 kilometres from the front line, has been frequently targeted by Russian missile and drone attacks. The latest strike hit near a childrens playground and damaged several apartment buildings.

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Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said police had cordoned off the area and were collecting evidence. We are documenting Russias war crime and helping the victims, he said.

Videos from the scene showed a burning car and people shouting in panic. Officials said the missile used was a Russian Iskander  a short-range ballistic missile capable of hitting targets up to 500 kilometres away.

This was a deliberate attack to kill civilians, said Ukrainian official Andriy Kovalenko.

In his nightly address, Zelensky said Russia sees diplomacy as meaningless. A ceasefire was possible, but Putin refuses to agree, he said.
The US has intensified efforts to broker peace between the two warring sides but with little success. Last month, Ukraine and Russia reached an agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure but allegations of violations have flown from both sides read more

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday (April 5) blasted US embassy in Kyiv for issuing what he termed a weak reaction to Russian strikes that killed 18 in his hometown.

Taking to X, Zelenskyy posted footage showing the moment when a Russian missile struck Kryvyi Rig area on Friday, killing nine children and 11 others. At least 62 people were injured in the attack.

In his post, the Ukrainian leader expressed gratitude towards the embassies of Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Germany but criticised the US embassy for its weak reaction.

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Tragically, three-year-old Tymofii died in the hospital today. Seven-year-old Radyslav. Arina, who will forever be seven as well. Nine-year-old Herman. Fifteen-year-old Danylo. Fifteen-year-old Mykyta. Fifteen-year-old Alina. Kostiantyn, who will forever be sixteen. Nikita  pic.twitter.com/3jz4XS0YgI  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) April 5, 2025

Zelenskyy wrote, Unfortunately, the response from the US Embassy is surprisingly disappointing  such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction. They are afraid to even say the word Russian when speaking about the missile that murdered children.

He added that while he supported bringing the war to an end, no one should shy away from call things by their names.

Yes, the war must end. But to end it, we must not be afraid to call things by their names. We must not be afraid to put pressure on the one who continues this war and ignores all the worlds proposals to end it. We must pressure Russia  the one choosing to kill children instead of choosing a ceasefire, the Ukrainian leader added.

US embassys reaction to Russian strikes

On Friday, US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink posted that he was horrified by the strikes that targeted a playground and restaurant.

Brink wrote in a post, Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in (Kryvyi Rig). More than 50 people were injured and 16 killed, including 6 children. This is why the war must end.

Brink has been US ambassador to Ukraine since May 2022 and has refrained from directly calling out Moscow for deadly strikes.

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Zelenskyy in his post added that he is hopeful that the US and the world will back Kyiv to overcome this evil Russian aggression.

We count on our agreements with the President of the United States, who promised to help find more Patriots. And we count on the strength of the world to overcome this evil  this war, this Russian aggression.

After the Russian attack, Ukraine hit back by sending drones to target an explosives factory in Russias Samara region.

The US has intensified efforts to broker peace between the two warring sides but with little success. Last month, Ukraine and Russia reached an agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure but allegations of violations have flown from both sides. Zelenskyy on Friday accused Russia of launching a drone attack at a thermal power plant in Kherson.

All Russian promises end with missiles and drones, bombs or artillery, Zelenskyy said, adding, Diplomacy is an empty word for them."

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Earlier this week, Chinas military conducted two days of war games outside Taiwan, including long-range, live-fire drills in the East China Sea, signalling an increase in operations around the island read more

Days after China wrapped its war drills surrounding Taiwan, a person familiar with the situation said Friday that the chairman of Taiwans National Security Council has arrived in the United States for discussions with President Donald Trumps administration.

Joseph Wu was leading a group to a meeting known as the special channel, according to the Financial Times. It was Trumps first use of the channel since returning to the White House on January 20.

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Taiwans representative office in Washington confirmed the claims but did not provide any other details.

Earlier this week, Chinas military conducted two days of war games outside Taiwan, including long-range, live-fire drills in the East China Sea, signalling an increase in operations around the island.

China has stepped up rhetoric against Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, calling him a parasite on Tuesday in the wake of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths Asia visit, during which he repeatedly criticised Beijing.

The White House and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has repeatedly denounced Lai as a separatist. Lai, who won election last year, rejects Beijings sovereignty claims and says only Taiwans people can decide their future.

Taiwan has denounced China for holding the drills. The United States, Taiwans most important international supporter and main arms supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations, condemned the latest exercises earlier this week.

Taiwan is only one area of tension between the United States and China whose ties have been tested by multiple issues such as human rights, the origins of COVID-19 and trade tariffs, including measures put in place by Trump this week.

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Taiwan has lived under the threat of Chinese invasion since 1949 when the defeated Republic of China government fled to the island after losing a civil war with Mao Zedongs communists, though the two sides have not exchanged fire in anger for decades.
Global stock markets plummeted following Chinas retaliation and Trumps comments on Friday that he would not change course, extending sharp losses that followed Trumps initial tariff announcement earlier in the week and marking the biggest losses since the pandemic. For the week, the S&P 500 was down 9%. read more

China responded on Saturday to US President Donald Trumps latest tariff hike by saying that the market has spoken in rejecting the move and urged Washington to engage in equal-footed consultation after global markets plunged in response to the escalating trade conflict.

State media outlet Xinhua echoed the governments position, calling on the U.S. to stop using tariffs as a weapon to suppress Chinas economy and trade. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan told public broadcaster RTHK that the city would not introduce separate countermeasures, stressing the importance of maintaining its status as a free and open economy.

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Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun reiterated the sentiment on Facebook, sharing an image of Fridays sharp market downturns in the U.S. as he declared, The market has spoken.

Trump had earlier imposed an additional 34% tariff on Chinese goods, raising total duties on China this year to 54%, and closed a loophole that had allowed small-value Chinese packages to enter the U.S. duty-free. In retaliation, China imposed its own 34% tariffs on all U.S. goods and introduced export restrictions on certain rare earth materials, deepening the trade rift between the worlds two largest economies.

Global stock markets tumbled following Chinas countermeasures and Trumps refusal to reverse course. The sell-off extended earlier declines sparked by the initial tariff announcement, with the S&P 500 posting a 9% drop for the week  its worst performance since the pandemic began.

Now is the time for the U.S. to stop doing the wrong things and resolve the differences with trading partners through equal-footed consultation, Guo wrote in English on Facebook. In a separate statement published by state-run Xinhua news agency, the Chinese government urged the U.S.: Stop using tariffs as a weapon to suppress Chinas economy and trade, and stop undermining the legitimate development rights of the Chinese people.

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China has taken and will continue to take resolute measures to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests, said the government.

Washington seriously undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system, and seriously undermines the stability of the global economic order, it added. Earlier on Saturday, several industry chambers of commerce ranging from those representing traders in metals and textiles to electronics, issued statements condemning the tariffs.

Chinas chamber of commerce, representing traders in food products, called on Chinas food and agricultural products import and export industry to unite and strengthen cooperation to jointly explore domestic and foreign markets.

Hong Kongs Chan said it strongly opposes Trumps actions and would continue to be free and open.Allowing a free flow of capital and acting as a free port are our advantages, and this will not change, Chan told public broadcaster RTHK.The rules-based multilateral trading system is our core, he said.

With inputs from agencies
The Trump administration is quietly revoking the visas of some international students, often without warning or clear explanation. Colleges across the US say the crackdown is disrupting lives and may scare future students away. read more

A crackdown on foreign students is causing concern among college students, as they say the Trump administration is using vague reasons and new tactics to force some international students to leave the country, The Associated Press reported.

University officials fear this will discourage more international students from coming to the US. In a major shift from past policies, students who lose their visas are now being ordered by the Department of Homeland Security to leave immediately, instead of being allowed to stay and finish their studies.

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Some students have been targeted for supporting pro-Palestinian causes, for committing crimes, or even for minor traffic violations. Others have no idea what they did wrong or why theyre being punished.

At Minnesota State University in Mankato, President Edward Inch told the campus that five international students had their visas revoked for unclear reasons.

The school found out about the revoked visas after checking a federal student database, following the detention of a Turkish student at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The State Department said the detention was linked to a drunk driving conviction.

These are troubling times, and this situation is unlike any we have navigated before, Inch wrote in a message to the campus.

Former President Donald Trump had promised to deport foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests. The crackdown began when Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, a green-card-holder and Palestinian activist, was detained. He had been active in protests at Columbia University the previous year.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently said students are being targeted for protest activity and possible criminal behavior. Over the past two weeks, the government appears to have expanded the crackdown. Colleges across the country have reported international students losing their visas and legal residency statuswithout warning. This includes students at Arizona State, Cornell, North Carolina State, the University of Oregon, the University of Texas, and the University of Colorado.

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Some students are leaving the country on their own. Others, like at Tufts and the University of Alabama, have been detained by immigration authoritiessometimes even before the university was notified of their visa changes.

In this wave of enforcement, officials say the federal government is bypassing colleges and directly deleting international students records.

Students are being told to leave the US so suddenly that universities are struggling to respond, said Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.

In the past, students who lost their visas could still stay in the US and continue studying, though they would need to renew the visa if they left the country and wanted to return. Now, more students are losing their legal status altogether, putting them at risk of arrest.

None of this is regular practice, Feldblum said.

At North Carolina State University, two students from Saudi Arabia left the US after their legal student status was revoked. The university said it would help them finish the semester remotely.

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Philip Vasto, who lived with one of the students, said his roommate was studying engineering management, didnt attend any protests, and wasnt politically active. Still, his student status was terminated without explanation. Since returning to Saudi Arabia, his roommates main concern has been finding another university.

Hes made his peace with it, Vasto said. He doesnt want to let it take away his peace any further.

At the University of Texas at Austin, staff checking a federal database discovered that two international students had lost their permission to be in the US. One student from India had their legal status revoked on April 3, flagged in a criminal records check or due to a visa issue. Another student from Lebanon lost their status on March 28 for similar reasons.

Both students were recent graduates working full-time under a program allowing international students to gain professional experience. According to someone familiar with the case, neither had broken any rules related to their work permits.

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Some students have had their visas revoked under a little-known law that blocks noncitizens whose presence may cause serious adverse foreign policy consequences. Trump cited this law in a January order to crack down on campus antisemitism.

However, many students being targeted in recent weeks have no clear political ties. Some are being forced to leave over minor crimes or traffic tickets, Feldblum saideven when those offenses had already been reported to the government.

Michelle Mittelstadt, from the Migration Policy Institute, said many of these cases would not have raised concerns in the past. As legal challenges move through the courts, students First Amendment rights may be tested.

In some ways, what the administration is doing is really retroactive, she said.

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is asking for a meeting with the State Department. While its unclear if visa revocations are happening more often than before, colleges worry it could have a chilling effect on international education.

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Many schools have reported at least one student losing their visa, said Bernie Burrola, a vice president at the association. With little official information, some colleges are interviewing students or checking their social media for signs of political activism.

The universities cant seem to find anything connected to Gaza, protests, or social media, Burrola said. Some of these students are even funded by foreign governments that strictly discourage political involvement.

Theres no clear pattern to who is being targeted, but some students are from the Middle East and China, he added.

At Texas A&M, officials looked into three students who lost their status and found that some had only minor offenseslike a speeding ticketthat had already been resolved.

US universities have long been seen as top destinations for the worlds brightest students, bringing valuable tuition money and research talent. But now, students are considering other options, said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, a group of international educators.

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We shouldnt assume this is just the way it will always be, she said.
Senior military leaders were informed Thursday of the firing of Air Force Gen. Tim Haugh, who also oversaw the Pentagons Cyber Command, the officials said read more

President Donald Trump has abruptly fired the director of the National Security Agency, according to U.S. officials and members of Congress, but the White House and the Pentagon have provided no reasons for the move.

Senior military leaders were informed Thursday of the firing of Air Force Gen. Tim Haugh, who also oversaw the Pentagons Cyber Command, the officials said. They received no advance notice about the decision to remove a four-star general with a 33-year career in intelligence and cyber operations, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel decisions.

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The move has triggered sharp criticism from members of Congress and demands for an immediate explanation. And it marks the latest dismissal of national security officials by Trump at a time when his Republican administration faces criticism over his failure to take any action against other key leaders use of an unclassified Signal messaging chat that included The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to discuss plans for a military strike.

Its unclear who now is in charge of the NSA and the Cyber Command.

Also fired was Haughs civilian deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble.

The NSA notified congressional leadership and top lawmakers of the national security committees of the firing late Wednesday but did not give reasons, according to a person familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity to discuss the matter. The person said Noble has been reassigned to the office of the defense undersecretary for intelligence.

The White House did not respond to messages seeking comment. The NSA referred questions about Haugh to the Defense Department. The Pentagon did not respond to questions about why he was fired or provide other details.

Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, would only say, in a statement, that the department thanks Haugh for his decades of service to our nation, culminating as U.S. Cyber Command Commander and National Security Agency Director. We wish him and his family well.

Far-right activist and commentator Laura Loomer appeared to take credit Friday in a post on X, saying she raised concerns to Trump about Haughs ties to Gen. Mark Milley and the Biden administration and questioned the NSA chiefs loyalty to the president. Milley served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Trumps first term but has since become an outspoken critic.

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Given the fact that the NSA is arguably the most powerful intel agency in the world, we cannot allow for a Biden nominee to hold that position, Loomer wrote. Thank you President Trump for being receptive to the vetting materials provided to you and thank you for firing these Biden holdovers.

Its unclear what Loomer meant about Haughs ties to Milley  who served in the Army. Milley retired in September 2023, a few months before Haugh took over at the NSA. Haugh would not have been a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Milleys tenure. As chairman, Milley could have provided input or advice on dozens of military nominations for senior officer slots, so it remains to be seen if any or all officers who were promoted during that time are also considered vulnerable.

Loomer, who has claimed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were an inside job, had discussed staff loyalty with Trump in an Oval Office meeting Wednesday, according to several people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel manner. A day later, Trump said he fired some White House National Security Council officials.

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Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding to know why Haugh and Noble were fired.

Public reporting suggests that your removal of these officials was driven by a fringe social media personality, which represents a deeply troubling breach of the norms that safeguard our national security apparatus from political pressure and conspiracy theories, Himes, D-Conn., wrote.

Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said Friday that he has long warned about the dangers of firing military officers as a political loyalty test.

In addition to the other military leaders and national security officials Trump has fired, he is sending a chilling message throughout the ranks: dont give your best military advice, or you may face consequences, Reed said in a statement.

He added that Trump has given a priceless gift to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea by purging competence from our national security leadership.

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Another Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the U.S. was facing unprecedented cyber threats and asked how firing Haugh, who has served in the military for more than 30 years, makes America safer.

Haughs firing sets off a 60-day process. Unless he is moved to another three- or four-star job in 60 days he would automatically revert to a two-star.

Any new high-level job would be unlikely since that would require a nomination from Trump, who just fired him. As a result, Haugh, who was confirmed for the NSA job in a unanimous Senate vote in December 2023, would likely retire.

Trump hasnt commented on Haugh or Noble, but on Thursday he dismissed the National Security Council firings as normal.

Always were letting go of people, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he made his way to Miami on Thursday afternoon. People that we dont like or people that we dont think can do the job or people that may have loyalties to somebody else.

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The firings come as Trumps national security adviser, Mike Waltz, fights calls for his ouster after using the publicly available encrypted Signal app to discuss planning for a sensitive March 15 military operation targeting Houthi militants in Yemen.

Warner called it astonishing that Trump would fire the nonpartisan, experienced leader of the National Security Agency while still failing to hold any member of his team accountable for leaking classified information on a commercial messaging app  even as he apparently takes staffing direction on national security from a discredited conspiracy theorist in the Oval Office.

Haugh met last month with Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency has roiled the federal government by slashing personnel and budgets at dozens of agencies. In a statement, the NSA said the meeting was intended to ensure both organizations are aligned with the new administrations priorities.

Haugh had led both the NSA and Cyber Command since February 2024. Both departments play leading roles in the nations cybersecurity. The NSA also supports the military and other national security agencies by collecting and analyzing a vast amount of data and information globally.

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Cyber Command is known as Americas first line of defense in cyberspace and also plans offensive cyberoperations for potential use against adversaries.
Lifestyle influencer and Simplified stationery business founder Emily Ley filed the federal lawsuit in Pensacola, Florida on Thursday read more

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC. Reuters

The first known lawsuit against US President Donald Trumps sweeping tariffs against different nations around the world was filed by the New Liberties Civil Alliance. The group moved the court on behalf of a Florida stationery business entrepreneur who is arguing that the president unlawfully overstepped his authority to impose a national economic emergency and levies.

Lifestyle influencer and Simplified stationery business founder Emily Ley filed the federal lawsuit in Pensacola, Florida on Thursday. These unlawfully implemented tariffs cause harm to American businesses, American jobs, and American consumers, and will be the end of many American dreams, Ley said in a post, the day after Trump announced a series of steep tariffs.

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As per the court filing, the suit specifically targets Trumps 20 per cent tariffs on goods from China. In the post, Ley mentioned that her Florida-based small business purchases products from China to sell in the US.

The suit challenges Trumps authority

The lawsuit specifically challenges Trumps use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA), which requires extensive investigations before any sort of sanctions are imposed. It is pertinent to note that Trump had cited opioid trafficking from China as a reason for the emergency tariffs against the country.

The lawsuit on the other hand, argues that neither Trump nor his administration has shown that his actions are necessary or tailored to address a drug trafficking emergency. The lawyers cited Trumps speech, where the American leader said that the tariffs are intended to reduce Trump deficit. In any case, the IEEPA allows for asset freezes, trade embargos and similar sanctions, but not tariffs, the suit argues.

The law authorizes presidents to order sanctions as a rapid response to international emergencies. It does not allow a president to impose tariffs on the American people  Presidents can impose tariffs only when Congress grants permission, the suit reads.

Congress passed the IEEPA to counter external emergencies, not to grant presidents a blank check to write domestic economic policy."

In the IEEPAs almost 50-year history, no previous president has used it to impose tariffs. This is not surprising, since the statute does not even mention tariffs, nor does it say anything else suggesting it authorizes presidents to tax American citizens," it furthered.

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The suit asks the court to declare Trumps Chinese tariffs unlawful and block their implementation. While Trump supporters argued that small and local companies should use American manufacturing for their products, Ley said that her company already tried that alternative.

We pursued domestic manufacturing from the outset, the entrepreneur said in an Instagram post. Our first planners were made in the U.S. in 2012. Each unit cost $38 to make. The US did not/does not yet have the infrastructure to support what we make," she added.

Trump initially imposed a 10 per cent tariff on Chinese goods in a Feb. 1 executive order, then doubled it in another order on March 3. He boosted that to a total tariff of 54 per cent on Wednesday. In response to this Beijing attacked bullying Trump and imposed an across-the-board tariff of 34 percent on all American products sold to China.

With inputs from agencies.
While five of the courts conservatives  Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh supported the block, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson all dissented read more

In a controversial ruling, the US Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump and his administration to temporarily freeze $65m in teacher-training grants. In a close 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court allowing the White House to block the grant, intends to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The decision was delivered on Friday afternoon.

While five of the courts conservatives  Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh supported the block, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson all dissented. The court argued that the states made it clear that they have the financial wherewithal to keep their programs running.

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The freezing of funds would cut more than 10 programs that had been temporarily blocked by a federal judge in Boston. Arguing that the move would affect training programs aimed at addressing a nationwide teacher shortage, the Boston appeals court rejected an appeal from the Trump administration to allow them to resume. Fridays ruling was the first time in three attempts that the nations highest court gave the administration what it wanted on an emergency basis.

Trumps battle against the Education Department

The Republican president has also signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the education department. In light of this, his administration has already started overhauling much of its work, including cutting dozens of contracts it dismissed as woke and wasteful.

The two programs who grants the Supreme Court has allowed Trump to block are the Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development. The federal government provide more than $600m in grants for teacher preparation programs, often in subject areas such as math, science and special education. Several states have argued that the data has shown increased teacher retention rates and ensured that educators remain in the profession beyond five years.

While dissenting the majority, Kagan wrote that there was no reason for the courts emergency intervention. Nowhere in its papers does the Government defend the legality of cancelling the education grants at issue here, Kagan wrote. It is beyond puzzling that a majority of Justices conceive of the governments application as an emergency," Brown Jackson wrote in a separate opinion.

The administration halted the programs without notice in February. Joun, an appointee of Democratic president Joe Biden, found that the cancellations probably violated a federal law that requires a clear explanation. It is pertinent to note that the appellate panel that rejected the administrations request for a stay also was made up of judges appointed by Democrats. California is leading the ongoing lawsuit, joined by Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, New York and Wisconsin.

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With inputs from agencies.
The United States has previously recognised that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant with a work visa, was mistakenly deported as one of three planeloads of migrants flown out last month due to claimed links to violent gangs read more

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 to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, as part of an agreement with the Salvadoran government, in Tecoluca, El Salvador, in this handout image obtained March 31, 2025. File image/ Reuters

A US court decided on Friday that the Trump administration must return a Maryland man who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador to the United States within three days, the latest legal setback for the administrations strict deportation policy.

The United States has previously recognised that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant with a work visa, was mistakenly deported as one of three planeloads of migrants flown out last month due to claimed links to violent gangs.

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However, the administration claims it lacks legal authorisation to bring him back to the nation, which Abrego Garcias attorneys dispute.

They put him there, they can bring him back, Andrew Rossman, lawyer at prominent law firm Quinn Emanuel that joined Abrego Garcias legal team on Friday, said in a statement.

After grilling government attorneys, US District Judge Paula Xinis decided during a court hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland, that the government must take action to return him to the United States by April 7.

According to a court document issued during the hearing, the Justice Department will appeal the ruling to the 4th United States Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond.

In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Xinis should contact El Salvadors President Nayib Bukele because we are unaware of the judge having jurisdiction or authority over the country of El Salvador.

At the hearing, Abrego Garcias lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, informed the judge that the deportation had no legal foundation.

They admit they had no legal authorization to remove him to El Salvador, Moshenberg said. The public interest lies in the government following the law.

Erez Reuveni, a lawyer for the government, conceded that Abrego Garcia should not have been removed.

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That is not in dispute, Reuveni said.

In an unusual exchange, Xinis grilled Reuveni on why the US couldnt get Abrego Garcia back - to which Reuveni said he had asked US government officials that question without getting a satisfactory answer himself.

The absence of evidence speaks for itself, Reuveni said.

The case is the latest flashpoint in the Trump administrations crackdown on immigration, which has raised constitutional questions and drawn the rebuke of a judge in Washington who is weighing whether US officials violated a court order temporarily blocking the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members under an 18th-century law.

Trump on March 15 invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to rapidly deport alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The administration said it sent two flights to El Salvador that day carrying deportees processed under the rarely used wartime statute and a third flight carrying people deported under other rules.

Abrego Garcia was wrongfully placed on the third flight despite an October 2019 judicial order granting him protection from deportation, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement official has said in a court filing.

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Abrego Garcia was stopped and detained by ICE officers on March 12 and questioned about his alleged gang affiliation. The government asserted in his earlier immigration dispute in 2019 that Abrego Garcia was a member of the gang MS-13, which he has denied.

His lawyers, who also represent his wife and five-year-old child in the US, in a court filing said the US had failed to take any voluntary steps to rectify what they themselves describe as an error. Abrego Garcias wife, who attended Fridays hearing, and child are US citizens.

The Trump administration has also sent military troops to the US border and reassigned federal agents to focus on immigration enforcement amid ramped up arrests and deportation efforts.
Just hours after the powerful earthquake hit Myanmar on March 28, India stepped in as one of the first responders, launching Operation Brahma to provide urgent help read more

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday (April 5) said that India and China were rich countries and they should step up aid to quake-hit Myanmar.

Rubio added that while the US was not running away from its responsibility of providing humanitarian assistance, he expected other nations to pitch in.

Well, were not the government of the world. No, we will provide humanitarian assistance just like everybody else does and do it the best we can. But we also have other needs we have to balance that against. Were not walking away from humanitarian assistance, Rubio said while speaking to reporters at Nato headquarters.

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We are not the govt of the world, we will provide Humanitarian assistance.China is a very rich country, India is a rich country..", says US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the lack of US humanitarian aid in Myanmar.

pic.twitter.com/ZKTeqEbiJT  Gayatri (BharatKiBeti) (@changu311) April 5, 2025

The US official was asked whether the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has had any affect on the countrys ability to provide assistance during such crises.

Other countries need to do so as well. China is a very rich country, and India is a rich country. There are a lot of other countries in the world and everyone should pitch in. I dont think its fair to assume the United States needs to continue to share the burden  60 to 70 per cent  of humanitarian aid around the world. We will be in the business of humanitarian aid but have other priorities as well that are in the national interest of the United States, and were going to align all those to be properly balanced, Rubio said.

He further said how Myanmars military junta doesnt like us and doesnt necessarily allow us to operate in that country the way we want to.

Just hours after the powerful earthquake hit Myanmar on March 28, India stepped in as one of the first responders, launching Operation Brahma to provide urgent help.

The first batch of relief arrived swiftly via the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)  15 tonnes of essential supplies like tents, blankets, medicines, and food were flown in using a C-130J aircraft, which landed in Yangon early on March 29.

Soon after, two more IAF C-130J aircraft delivered the second tranche. These carried:

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80 NDRF specialists trained in search and rescue

17 tonnes of gear, including personal protective equipment, communication tools, and rescue kits

5 tonnes of relief materials such as generators, hygiene kits, ready-to-eat food, medicines, cooking sets, and blankets
The Vances will land in India around the same time when US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz would be in India for a planned visit. These visits will also mark the first official meetings since the US began enforcing its reciprocal tariffs starting Saturday read more

US Vice President JD Vance will reportedly be travelling to India later this month with his American wife of Indian origin, Usha Vance. The VP is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, who will host a dinner for the Vance family, The Hindu reported citing sources in New Delhi. Vances schedule in India would be largely private, the sources confirmed.

The report said that the Vances are likely to arrive in India on April 21 for a four-day visit, which would be a sort of heritage tour for JD Vance. They will likely visit Jaipur and Agra too.

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Earlier, Politico reported that Vance was supposed to travel to India in March but the visit was postponed several times. It will be Vances third overseas trip since assuming office in January. His first two trips remained largely controversial, where he first went to France and Germany in February and lambasted European leaders for allegedly violating peoples freedom of speech. Then, last month, he visited Greenland with the second lady of the US amid ruckus over USAs bid for the Danish island.

More visits by top US officials

The Vances will land in India around the same time when US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz would be in India for a planned visit.

Waltz is expected to meet his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. He will also speak at the Indo-US Forum organised by the Delhi-based Ananta Centre.

Later this summer, US Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth will visit India ahead of a planned visit by President Donald Trump himself to attend the Quad Summit.

Ahead of the visits by the Vances and Mike Waltz, US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard arrived in India last month. She met with Doval and also held a meeting with PM Modi.

These visits will also mark the first official meetings since the US began enforcing its reciprocal tariffs starting Saturday, April 5. The new policy includes a hefty 27 per cent tax on Indian goods. For India, this will be a key moment to directly respond to Washingtons one-sided move  a step that has already shaken global markets and could lead to more economic instability.
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Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has called for unity between Denmark and Greenland in response to growing pressure from the United States, emphasizing that the two parts of the Kingdom must remain closely aligned to safeguard their shared interests.

She made the remarks in an interview with Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq during her three-day visit to Greenland from Wednesday to Friday. The visit marked an important step in Denmark's effort to consolidate ties with Greenland.

"There is no doubt that many (people) in Greenland feel unsafe, because the insecurity is real," Frederiksen said. "It is a pressure that has unfortunately been created, and which we are doing our best to handle."

The prime minister said that the most effective response to U.S. pressure is, for Greenland and Denmark, to stick together. "Regardless of what internal discussions we may have within the Realm, we must stand united. That is the clearest signal we can send," she said.

Frederiksen's remarks came as U.S. Vice President JD Vance reaffirmed Washington's growing strategic interest in Greenland. In an interview with American media outlet Newsmax on Thursday, Vance described Greenland as critical to U.S. national security and pledged that the United States would protect its interests there "come hell or high water."

Vance also suggested that the United States could offer financial incentives to Greenlanders, claiming that Denmark currently provides approximately "60,000 (U.S.) per year per person in Greenland." He said that the United States could offer "way more money than that."

At a press conference with Greenlandic officials in Greenland's capital of Nuuk on Thursday, Frederiksen told the United States "You cannot annex other countries -- not even under the pretext of international security."

She questioned "When you seek to take over part of the Kingdom (of Denmark)'s territory, when we are subjected to pressure and threats by our closest ally, what are we to think about the country we have admired for so many years?"

Greenland, once a Danish colony, became an integral part of the Kingdom of Denmark in 1953. It was granted home rule in 1979, expanding its autonomy, though Denmark retains control over foreign affairs and defense.
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 Colorado Court of Appeals denied an appeal from a woman convicted of killing two girls in Norwood in 2017.

Ika Eden was the caretaker for 8-year-old Hannah Marshall and 10-year-old Makayla Roberts, who were discovered dead in a car having been left in there without food or water because the leader of the cult they were a part of believed the two girls were evil spirits.

Eden was sentenced to 96 years in prison in 2021 after being found guilty of child abuse causing death.

At the trial, which was held in Grand Junction, Edens defense centered around her religious beliefs, according to court documents. She told the jury the two children were not of the house of light, and that her case was cosmic case number one.

Eden was initially ruled competent to proceed to trial, but additional evaluations were ordered after writings in her jail cell were discovered, including referring to the children as the two-headed dragon, stating that Eden was 6,684,964 years old, and stating the childrens deaths were judgment that was meted out to their consciousness.

Competency evaluations were performed by several doctors, who disagreed on whether Eden had a delusional disorder, and whether the delusions interfered with Edens understanding of the proceedings.

Eden was ruled competent to proceed to trial.

According to the opinion, the court ruled Eden does not suffer from a diagnosable delusional disorder, but, rather, that she holds extreme religious beliefs.

The court also found that Edens persistence in applying her beliefs to the facts in this case, demonstrates her unwillingness, rather than her inability, to hold a rational understanding of the proceedings.

Edens appeal contended the trial court erred by finding her competent because she did not have a diagnosable disorder.

However, the Court of Appeals ruled the trial court had the right to weigh different expert opinions in its ruling.

Edens appeal also stated the court incorrectly used Edens mannerisms and body language in court as part of the decision-making process in finding Eden competent.

The Court of Appeals found the trial court had the right to use Edens interactions with her attorney, which according to court documents demonstrated Edens understanding of the proceedings, as part of a finding that Eden was competent.

Another argument Eden made in her appeal is that the court erred by allowing her to proceed to trial without counsel. Eden represented herself in court during the trial and sentencing.

The appeals court disagreed, stating criminal defendants have a constitutional right to represent themselves in court, and the court found Eden knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently waived her right to counsel. The court found that because Eden was competent to proceed to trial she was also competent to proceed without an attorney.

A trial court cannot stop a defendant from invoking their constitutional right to self-representation, and consequently waiving their right to counsel, simply because the defendant wishes to adopt an inadvisable defense strategy, the opinion stated.

Of the other cult members, Madani Ceus was sentenced to 64 years in prison. Nashika Bramble, the girls mother, was sentenced to life in prison. Ashfor Archer, another group member, was sentenced to 24 years in prison. Frederick, Alec Blair, whose land the group was staying on, accepted a plea deal and was paroled in 2022.
April 4, 2025

Release

Statement by Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell

The Defense Department thanks General Timothy Haugh for his decades of service to our nation, culminating as Commander, U.S. Cyber Command and Director, National Security Agency. We wish him and his family well.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4146879/

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Statement of Senate Intel Vice Chairman on the Firing of Gen. Tim Haugh

US Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA)

Apr 04 2025

WASHINGTON - Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement on General Tim Haugh, Commander, U.S. Cyber Command and Director, National Security Agency/Chief, Central Security Service:

"General Haugh has served our country in uniform, with honor and distinction, for more than 30 years. At a time when the United States is facing unprecedented cyber threats, as the Salt Typhoon cyberattack from China has so clearly underscored, how does firing him make Americans any safer?

"It is astonishing, too, that President Trump would fire the nonpartisan, experienced leader of the National Security Agency while still failing to hold any member of his team accountable for leaking classified information on a commercial messaging app - even as he apparently takes staffing direction on national security from a discredited conspiracy theorist in the Oval Office."

###

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EU Defence Ministers approve reinforced mandate for EDA

European Defence Agency

28 May 2024

Today, at the Steering Board of the European Defence Agency (EDA), the 27 EU Ministers of Defence approved the Agency's 2024 Long-Term Review (LTR).As strategic guidance given to EDA, the 2024 LTR outlines five core tasks for the Agency with a stronger focus on supporting Member States through the full development cycle of military capabilities. Ministers agreed to increase the number of EDA's core tasks from three to five, with dedicated taskings on aggregating demand towards joint procurement and enabling collaborative defence research, technology, and innovation. Ministers were also briefed on preliminary opportunities stemming from the 2024 Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) and marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Agency.

AN AGENCY FIT FOR THE FUTURE

Ministers of Defence endorsed an update of the Agency's mandate to fully reflect the deteriorated security environment in Europe and the evolving role of the Agency within the EU defence landscape, marking 20 years since its establishment. Reflecting the dramatic geopolitical changes since 2017, when the last iteration of the LTR was approved, the 2024 LTR outlines how the Agency can support Ministries of Defence (MoDs) along all the capability development cycle, including limited off-the-shelf acquisitions, when Member States so decide.

The LTR also bolsters EDA role to voice MoDs' joint positions at EU level and ensure the coherent alignment of current and future EU defence initiatives, policies, and legislation. The LTR also calls for the Agency to reinforce mutually beneficial cooperation with NATO through the conclusion of an Administrative Arrangement and fully leverage synergies with EU stakeholders to reflect defence needs.

Head of European Defence Agency and HR/VP, Josep Borrell said: "The European Defence Agency must have a more strategic role if we want to live up to the level of ambition that we have set for EU Defence in the Strategic Compass. The EU needs to develop defence capabilities to address the full range of threats we are facing. With a stronger and clearer vision, focused on capability development and the launch of concrete projects, the Agency can play a key role in building stronger and better equipped armed forces."

EDA Chief Executive, Jiri Sedivy said: "This renewed and strengthened mandate ensures that Ministries of Defence have an Agency that is fit for the future. Ministers of Defence have endorsed a review that enhances the Agency's ambitions, visibility, and support for Member States. With expanded tasks and a stronger intergovernmental voice, Ministers signal the Agency's crucial role in bolstering EU defence capabilities."

INITIAL LOOK AT THE CARD(s) AND MARKING 20 YEARS OF EDA

Ministers were also presented with a preliminary assessment on the possible actionable collaborative opportunities stemming from the third CARD cycle. This Steering Board was used as an opportunity to allow Ministers to provide early guidance to help sharpen and finalise the opportunities to be highlighted in the final CARD Report which will be presented in November.

Before the Steering Board was formally opened, Head of Agency, Josep Borrell, and EDA Chief Executive, Jiri Sedivy and Deputy Chief Executive, Andre Denk, marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Agency. Created in 2004, EDA has played a pivotal role in greater European defence cooperation, and made tangible contributions to EU defence planning, capabilities, training and innovations.

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U.S. Marines, Sailors with MRF-D 25.3 arrive to Northern Territory

US Marine Corps News

2 Apr 2025 | Capt. John Fischer Marine Rotational Force - Darwin

DARWIN, NT, Australia -- U.S. Marines and Sailors have arrived in the Northern Territory to kick off the 14th annual rotation of the Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Marine Air-Ground Task Force.

This deployment, part of the standing 25-year Australia-U.S. Force Posture Agreement, brings approximately 2,500 U.S. Marines and Sailors to Australia to train and operate alongside the Australian Defence Force. Together, they will conduct various exercises to enhance cooperation, readiness and regional security. The MAGTF's arrival is assisted by a standing MRF-D Coordination Element in Darwin, part of the MRF-D program, to facilitate a smooth transition into training.

Marines and Sailors apart of this year's MRF-D MAGTF will participate in diverse simulated and live training activities across the Indo-Pacific, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, non-combatant evacuations, embassy reinforcements, expeditionary operations and rapid deployment of forces.

Exercises will span the Australian continent and extend beyond its borders to the Philippines, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and other regional security partners. The expansion of the MRF-D operational landscape serves to deepen multinational collaboration and bolster collective preparedness. This year, the MRF-D MAGTF is scheduled to participate in 17 exercises, including Exercise Talisman Sabre 25, which will be Australia's largest military exercise since World War II with 19 different countries set to participate.

Since its inception in 2011, the MRF-D program has grown in scale and complexity, reflecting the shared commitment of the U.S. and Australia to a secure, resilient, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. This rotational force is a visible testament to the enduring strength of the Australia-U.S. alliance and a cornerstone of peace and security in the region.

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NATO Foreign Ministers to discuss building a 'stronger, fairer, more lethal NATO'

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

02 Apr. 2025

Last updated: 03 Apr. 2025

NATO Foreign Ministers will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (3 and 4 April) to continue planning for the forthcoming Summit in The Hague and discuss urgent security issues.

Addressing media ahead of the meeting, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte highlighted increased defence investment as a key agenda item and critical to the Alliance's future success. "We will focus on strengthening our collective defence" he said, emphasising that "it is the foundation on which NATO was built, and it remains our number one priority."

On the third anniversary of Russia's brutal actions in Bucha and ahead of the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting on Thursday evening, Mr Rutte paid tribute to the victims and survivors. He commended Allied efforts to bring a just and lasting end to the war and underscored NATO's enduring commitment to Ukraine with the announcement of more than 20 billion euros in security assistance - pledged by Allies - so far this year.

The Secretary General also acknowledged that global threats are creating a more dangerous world. "In the face of these and other challenges, we must build a stronger, a fairer and more lethal NATO," he affirmed, going on to praise NATO's partners for making essential contributions to our shared security. Mr Rutte noted that NATO Ministers would meet with NATO's Indo-Pacific partners on Thursday afternoon, with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and the EU High Representative Kaja Kallas in the NATO-Ukraine Council Thursday evening, and in a dedicated session with the EU High Representative on Friday.

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Following Discovery of Mass Grave in Gaza with Bodies of 15 Aid Workers, Human Rights Chief Warns Security Council about Heightened Risk of Atrocity Crimes

Meetings Coverage

Security Council

9891st Meeting (PM)

SC/16037

3 April 2025

Following the recent discovery of a mass grave in Gaza  in which the bodies of 15 humanitarian workers were interred  the United Nations human-rights Chief warned the Security Council today of a high and increasing risk that atrocity crimes are being committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

"I am appalled by the recent killing of 15 medical personnel and humanitarian aid workers, which raise further concerns over the commission of war crimes by the Israeli military," said Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Additionally, he observed that the temporary relief granted by the ceasefire "has been shattered". According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Israeli military operations have killed more than 1,200 Palestinians, including at least 320 children, since 1 March. Bombardments of residential buildings, tents, hospitals and schools continue, including places where Palestinians have been ordered to move.

Pointing out that a month has passed since the Israeli military imposed a complete blockade on vital aid and supplies to Gaza, he underscored: "The blockade and siege imposed on Gaza amount to collective punishment and may also amount to the use of starvation as a method of war." He also noted that, as of 1 April, the World Food Programme (WFP) shut its 25 bakeries in Gaza  leaving many without access to bread  and he spotlighted a "return to the breakdown of social order that preceded the ceasefire". Additionally, he said that inflammatory rhetoric by senior Israeli officials regarding seizing, dividing and controlling territory "raises grave concerns about the commission of international crimes".

Further noting that the situation in the West Bank is "extremely alarming", he said that the announcement that residents must not return to their homes for a year "raises serious concerns about long-term mass displacement". While "nothing can justify" the horrific attacks committed on 7 October 2023, he stressed that the same is true for the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Urging immediate restoration of the ceasefire in Gaza, he warned: "There is a high and increasing risk that atrocity crimes are being committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."

'Many Appalling Records' Broken in Gaza, with Highest Number of Aid Workers Killed in Any Conflict

"Many appalling records have been broken in this war," observed Younes Al-Khatib, President of the Palestine Red Crescent Society. The war on Gaza, he said, has seen the greatest number of aid workers killed in any conflict. Recently, a mission coordinated by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs uncovered a mass grave, where 15 first responders  including eight Palestine Red Crescent Society paramedics, six civil-defence members and one UN officer  were buried. "They were killed while on mission to save lives," he said.

Noting the Society's documentation of the mission's timeline, as well as dispatch communications and what one team "had witnessed when they went back to the scene", he added that Asad Al-Nasasra, a Society member, had reported that his team was being fired upon and that several colleagues were injured. He is still missing. "We call on the Israeli occupation forces to provide information on his fate," he urged. Also calling for a thorough investigation and the immediate resumption of aid delivery, he added: "We call on the Security Council  and on the whole international community  to spare no effort to return to the ceasefire."

World Will Not Respect Security Council if It Fails to Take Meaningful Action

As the floor opened, the representative of Algeria noted that, earlier today, Israeli air strikes targeted a school sheltering displaced people, killing dozens of civilians. On 2 April  yesterday  the bombing of a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) clinic killed 22 others. "The surge of bodies after this massacre has been heartbreaking, with children identified only by their clothes," he said  a red blouse for one, brown for another. He emphasized the result if the Council does not act: "The world  our constituency  will no longer respect neither the Council nor its deliberations".

Others felt similarly. The representative of Pakistan, recalling the Council's many meetings on this issue, nevertheless observed that the Palestinian people "are left questioning whether this body will take meaningful steps, or merely lament their suffering". He added: "Our failure not only undermines this institution, but also erodes the international order based on the UN Charter." Sierra Leone's representative underscored that "respect for international law is not optional", stressing that settler violence is part of a broader crisis that must be addressed immediately.

Risk of Total Collapse of International Law in Region

Guyana's representative pointed to the risk of "total collapse of international law in the region if the Council does not find the collective will" to uphold the rule of that law. She therefore called on the organ to address the "anomaly in Palestine", where the occupying Power inflicts immense hardship on Palestinians with no accountability. "Continued impunity for grave violations against Palestinian civilians undermines the credibility of the international system," stressed the representative of Somalia. Going further, he said: "The international community's silence on what is happening in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is a disgrace to humanity."

Humanitarian Assistance Cannot Be Used as Political Tool

The representative of Slovenia, deploring the erosion of humanity in Gaza, also condemned Israeli attacks on humanitarian workers. "We cannot choose to believe these were simply mistakes," he said, underscoring that "intentionally directing attacks against personnel involved in a humanitarian-assistance mission is a war crime and must be prosecuted accordingly". China's representative, on the "shocking" 23 March killing of 15 humanitarian workers, pointed out that their bodies were later found in a mass grave, close to damaged vehicles with humanitarian markings. Underscoring the need for accountability, he also opposed the use of humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip.

Similarly, Denmark's representative stressed: "Humanitarian assistance must never be used as a political tool." She also expressed support for an independent investigation into the killing of Red Crescent staff, observing that this is the third time "within less than a week" that the Council debates the protection of humanitarian personnel. The United Kingdom's representative said that the killing of Red Crescent medics was "an outrage", underscoring the need for accountability and for Israel to respect deconfliction notifications from aid workers. And, while stating that the remaining Israeli hostages must be released, she opposed Israel's decision to resume military operations in Gaza.

Outrage over Attacks on Palestine Red Crescent Society, UN Workers

Despite Israel's declaration of its intent to target Hamas operatives, "the clear fact" is that the majority of those killed are innocent civilians  including children and humanitarian workers  said the representative of the Republic of Korea. And, while "Hamas' refusal to an immediate and unconditional release of hostages is unconscionable", he stressed that "this does not legitimize the blocking of humanitarian aid". The representative of France, Council President for April, spoke in his national capacity to urge the release of hostages. Nevertheless, he also called for an inquiry into the unacceptable attacks on the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Gaza.

The ambulances involved in that incident were all clearly marked, noted the representative of the Russian Federation. Also spotlighting a 2 April Israeli strike on an UNRWA medical centre serving as a shelter for more than 700 people, he said: "Hope for the situation changing for the better is almost non-existent." Greece's representative said that his delegation was "particularly troubled" by continued attacks on UN premises, including that incident. He also joined others in condemning increased settlement activity in the West Bank, as well as Hamas' ongoing detention and cruel treatment of its hostages.

United States Representative: Hamas Responsible for Resumption of Hostilities

The representative of the United States, meanwhile, said that Hamas is solely responsible for the resumption of hostilities, and that using civilians to shield military operations violates international humanitarian law. Every death, she stressed  including those discussed today  would have been avoided had Hamas accepted the "bridge" proposal on the table in March. Panama's representative, for his part, appealed to all actors to protect humanitarian workers and joined others in urging a return to ceasefire.

Palestinian Observer: Israel's Aim Is Stealing Palestinian Land, Not Releasing Hostages

After Council members had their say, the Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine underscored: "Enough occupation, enough wars  we need a ceasefire now." Israel not only completely blocks humanitarian aid but also ensures that civilians are denied all assistance. Pointing to the recent execution of Red Crescent workers, bombing of an UNRWA clinic and strike against a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City, he stated that Israel wants to make clear that "the only alternative to death is displacement out of Gaza". Israel's objective, he stressed, is not releasing the hostages  it is "stealing Palestinian land".

Israel's Representative: War Will Not End Until Hostages are Released

Israel's representative then stated: "This war will not end until the 59 remaining innocent hostages are released and Hamas is driven from Gaza." He also said that the same pattern unfolds every time the Council convenes to address the situation in Gaza: "Hamas commits an atrocity, Israel takes action to defend ourselves and, somehow, the story that gets told in this room is upside-down." On the "incident" that occurred on 23 March involving the Red Crescent, he said that active Hamas terrorists were present inside those vehicles. He added: "There is no ceasefire agreement that can hold while innocent people remain in captivity."

Crisis Has Reached Peak

The representative of Libya, speaking for the Arab Group, said that the crisis has reached its peak, and making statements and "selecting words" is of no use. The massacre of Red Crescent aid workers was committed deliberately, and then their bodies were thrown into a mass grave to cover up the crime. Stressing that the occupying Power is committing genocide, he underlined the need for a ceasefire and the subsequent delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Further, he warned Council members against becoming "accomplices" in the suffering of the Palestinian people.

As the meeting drew to a close, the observer for the State of Palestine and the representative of Israel each took the floor two additional times to address the other directly. "We are not your enemy  your enemies are Hamas," stressed the latter, while the former stated: "We don't have a partner for peace from your side."

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The EU's new approach to defence: procurement from European industries and rationalisation

Ministry of Defence & Armed Forces of the Czech Republic

4.4.2025

Author: redakce (ob)

The changing security reality in Europe requires radical steps to strengthen defence capabilities of the Member States, EU Defence Ministers agreed in an informal meeting in Warsaw on April 2-3. The representatives of the Member States also focused on stepping up military assistance to Ukraine and strengthening the European defence industry. The Czech Republic was represented by Deputy Minister of Defence Daniel Blazkovec.

White Paper for European Defence: the key to ensuring security by 2030

The first topic of the meeting in Warsaw was the EU White Paper - a ground-breaking strategic document of the European Commission, primarily designed to outline the steps necessary to significantly increase Europe's defense capacity by 2030 through joint projects, investments into defence industries and boost the capabilities of the Member States. The White Paper was firstly presented on Wednesday by the EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius. Subsequently, it was subject to detailed discussion during the Ministers' working lunch on Thursday.

A key topic of discussion on the White Paper was the ReArm Europe Plan, which seeks to help Member States increase national defence expenditures. Among other measures, this could involve joint loans backed by the EU budget or EU funds, facilitated by loosened rules. The White Paper also accentuates the need to eliminate critical shortcomings in European defence capabilities through joint projects in acquisitions and development, while ensuring compatibility with NATO planning. Special attention was given to strengthening the European defence industry, a key factor in enhancing security across the continent. Simplifying regulations for the defence industry, reducing administrative restrictions, and mitigating the impact of other policies on defence industry all seek to stimulate innovation and competitiveness. This initiative presents opportunities for economic growth in the Czech Republic, which has extensive experience in arms making. However, it is essential to strike balance in current EU's efforts combining support for European industry with maintaining flexibility and openness to other markets. Given the urgency of strengthening both defence capacity and strategic partnerships, such balance is of key importance.

According to Deputy Minister Blazkovec, the White Paper is a step in the right direction. "It is an opportunity to realize the EU's potential. That means, in the first place, mobilizing funds and creating an environment that enables effective defence," he said. He also emphasized the need to swiftly address weaknesses that hamper the EU's security and defence posture. Deputy Minister Blazkovec also welcomed efforts to strengthen the defence industry and simplify regulations in this sector. "We must take a proactive approach to individual proposals to ensure that we seize this opportunity to enhance our defence in a way that maximally benefits the Czech defence industry and, in turn, the entire economy."

Ukraine according to the EU: a porcupine of steel

An important pillar of the White Paper is the support for Ukraine, which was the focus of the next session of the meeting. The European Commission, backed by many Member States, intends to turn Ukraine into a "steel porcupine" which would serve as a barrier against potential further Russian aggression. For this reason, European aid to Ukraine should not only take the form of short-term reactive support but should also focus on long-term, systematic measures that will enhance its ability to defend itself effectively against Russian aggression in the years ahead and, in turn ensure the security of EU Member States. The document outlines military assistance in areas such as artillery ammunition, air defence, and drones. Additionally, according to proposals by some Member States, the EU should grant Ukraine access to its satellite services.

One of the key topics on the agenda of the Ministerial meeting was the plan proposed by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas. In line with Ukraine's requirements, the plan focuses on the commitment to jointly supply Ukraine with 2 million large-calibre rounds valued at EUR 5 billion. "The new ambition of EUR 5 billion is the bare minimum we should jointly commit to. The Czech Republic is ready to play a key role in the proposed supplies of 2 million rounds of large-calibre ammunition in 2025," Deputy Minister Blazkovec said, adding that this goal is achievable provided the funds are allocated in time and procurement begins as soon as possible and without restrictions.

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April 4, 2025

By David Vergun, DOD News

U.S. Special Ops Conduct Combined Training With Panama, Formalize Commitment

Recent security engagements between U.S. and Panamanian forces culminated in the first official U.S.-Panama special operations forces talks, Feb. 18, 2025. The talks, along with concurrent joint combined exchange training exercises, underscore a decades-long bilateral partnership and highlight the global impact of U.S. special operations forces.

Since 2020, the U.S. Special Operations Command South's continuous presence has enabled the United States to collaborate with its Panamanian partners daily.

"This enduring partnership is crucial for regional stability and reflects our shared commitment to a secure future," said Navy Rear Adm. Mark A. Schafer, Socsouth commander.

During the meeting, Schafer thanked Frank Abrego, Panama's public security minister, as well as leaders from Panama's SOF community for their dedication and expertise, and for their role in ensuring the safety and stability of the region.

"The work you do is not just critical to Panama but serves as a cornerstone for regional security. Your contributions embody the highest standards of professionalism, courage and adaptability," Schafer said.

The rear admiral added that the dialogue represented a shared commitment to addressing complex challenges  whether countering transnational threats, combating illicit trafficking, or responding to natural disasters with agility and resilience.

Schafer said these first talks are just the beginning, as they set the stage for deeper collaboration and open the door to innovative solutions. He encouraged open dialogue and curiosity.

With about 6,000 U.S. SOF personnel deployed across 80 countries, the U.S.-Panama relationship exemplifies how strong military-to-military partnerships underpin peace through strength and regional stability worldwide, said Army Maj. Trevor Wild, Socsouth public affairs officer.

"Socsouth has been instrumental in strengthening Panamanian security since the early 1990s. This enduring partnership reflects the broader U.S. SOF commitment to building partner capacity and fostering interoperability with allies and partners globally," he said.

Wild said a prime example of the partnership is Socsouth's critical role in training Panama's National Border Service in counter-narcotics operations, which they have done since its inception in 2008.

Additional U.S.-Panama training ranges from small team exchanges to large-scale exercises like Panamax-Alpha, a U.S. Southern Command-supported exercise focused on Panama Canal security and interoperability; Socsouth has participated in Panamax-Alpha for more than a decade. Wild said the sustained engagement epitomizes SOF's global presence and commitment to forging enduring partnerships.

In May 2024, Panama hosted the Fuerzas Comando 2024, a Southcom-sponsored special military exercise consisting of a skills competition and senior leadership seminar. About 450 military, law enforcement and civilian personnel from various nations attended the 18th iteration of Fuerzas Comando.

Wild said Panama's hosting of the exercise "further strengthens this partnership" and fosters relationships, which are crucial to SOF's global mission.

The recent SOF talks culminated in a memorandum of agreement, formalizing the ongoing commitment to shared security objectives. Wild said they also established a framework for long-term collaborative training with U.S. SOF. He added that the agreement reinforces the vital role of such partnerships in building partner capacity and enhancing interoperability.

The concurrent joint combined exchange training included advanced marksmanship, communication, small unit combat tactics, demolition and medical care. Wild said this rigorous, hands-on training, coupled with the strategic dialogue of the SOF talks, builds upon years of joint exercises and exchanges, demonstrating the depth of the U.S.-Panama security relationship.

He added that the continued presence of U.S. SOF personnel working alongside Panamanian security forces embodies the SOF's forward deployment model and dedication to building partner capacity.

These combined efforts, within the context of SOF's broader global engagement, demonstrate the enduring strength and continued evolution of the U.S.-Panama security partnership  a partnership built on shared values, a commitment to regional security and stability, and the recognition that strong military-to-military relationships are essential for achieving shared security goals, Wild said.

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Defence Ministers, including EDA, discuss the future of Europe's defence in Warsaw

European Defence Agency

04 April 2025

Under the auspices of the Polish EU Presidency, EU Ministers of Defence and key decision-makers gathered in Warsaw on Thursday 3 April for an informal council meeting. The meeting included senior NATO and EU officials, such as the NATO Deputy Secretary-General, the EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, the Chairwoman of the European Parliament SEDE Committee, and the EDA Deputy Chief Executive.

Chaired by High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas and Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, participants exchanged views on strengthening Europe's defence industry and rearming the continent. They also discussed the EU's role in supporting Ukraine and efforts to bring a just peace to end the war.

Ahead of the informal council meeting, the Polish EU Presidency hosted a conference on the White Paper on the future of European defence. Following a presentation by European Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, EDA's Deputy Chief Executive Andre Denk took part in a panel discussion on the development of defence capabilities in the EU.

"EDA helps Member States' cooperate on defence innovation and capability development. We offer the right framework to make the best use of the intergovernmental approach and know-how at EU level. EDA has proposed robust solutions and stands ready to do more, at the speed and scale that our Member States require," said Andre Denk.

Participants also acknowledged EDA's growing role in coordinating defence efforts among Member States. In recent years, the Agency has acted as a facilitator and, at times, an intermediary in joint procurement initiatives. Aggregating demand for common procurement is now a core EDA task and the result of the Agency's Long Term Review adopted by the Ministers of Defence last year.

EDA's broader role

Founded in 2004, the Agency helps foster defence cooperation across Europe. It serves as the central hub for EU countries aiming to develop their defence capabilities together. EDA's activities span from harmonising requirements and developing operational capabilities to research, technology, innovation, training, and supporting Common Security and Defence Policy operations. The agency also works closely with the European defence industry to strengthen Europe's technological and industrial base.

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EU and Mongolia hold Joint Committee in Ulaanbaatar

European External Action Service (EEAS)

04.04.2025

Strategic Communications

The European Union (EU) and Mongolia held their annual Joint Committee meeting under the EU-Mongolia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, in Ulaanbaatar on 4 April. The meeting offered the opportunity to reaffirm that partnership between the EU and Mongolia is based on democracy, human rights, the rule of law, multilateralism and the respect of the principles of the UN Charter.

The EU reiterated its support to Mongolia's Third Neighbour Policy and welcomed Mongolia's firm commitment to multilateralism. The EU and Mongolia also reaffirmed their commitment to continue to develop EU-Mongolia relations within the framework of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

The EU and Mongolia agreed on the importance to promote peace and security in Northeast Asia, and the EU expressed its appreciation of Mongolia's bridging role in the respect.

The EU and Mongolia welcomed the training on gender-sensitivity for Mongolian peacekeepers jointly organised on the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2024.

The EU and Mongolia agreed on the continued need to combat climate change and protect the environment as well as to support the full implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs Agenda. In that regard, the EU and Mongolia express their ambition to contribute to a successful outcome of COP 30. The EU and Mongolia are committed to addressing desertification and land degradation. In this spirit, the EU welcomed Mongolia for hosting the 17th session of Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar in 2026 and looks forward to working with Mongolia on substantial achievements.

The EU remains fully committed to assist Mongolia in sustainably diversifying its economic and foreign trade policies. A stable, predictable and reliable business environment is of a crucial benefit for all economic operators. The EU appreciates Mongolia's efforts so far and strongly encourages Mongolia to continue taking decisive measures towards improving the conditions for foreign investment. The EU and Mongolia agreed on the importance for Mongolia's economic diversification to make greater use of the Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+).

The EU and Mongolia discussed the importance of energy for safeguarding the sovereignty of any country. The EU welcomed in that respect Mongolia's plans to develop renewable energy and to increase its energy independence and confirmed its readiness to support this process.

The EU and Mongolia note that critical raw materials have a great potential to facilitate the diversification of Mongolia's economy and trade as well as to increase the country's energy independence. The EU and Mongolia envisage additional exchanges in this area.

The EU and Mongolia aim for decisive progress in the negotiations related to an agreement on the protection of geographical indications in 2025, paving the way for a swift conclusion of the process

The EU and Mongolia also discussed regional and global challenges. The EU and Mongolia expressed concern over the suffering of the civilian population and the bombing of civilian infrastructures, and emphasised the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of sovereign equality and territorial integrity of States. The EU recalled its position clearly expressed in the UNGA resolutions ES-11/1, ES-11/2, ES-11/3, ES-11/4, ES-11/5, ES-11/6, ES-11/7 and ES-11/8. The EU reiterates its resolute condemnation of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a manifest violation of the UN Charter. The EU and Mongolia reaffirmed their commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and international law, including the need to respect the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of all nations. It is essential to uphold international law and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and security.

The EU and Mongolia and the EU reiterated their commitment to continue working together to protect and promote human rights. The EU and Mongolia held their annual Human Rights Dialogue on 2 April, which discussed most recent human rights related developments in the EU and Mongolia. The EU and Mongolia concurred on the importance of freedom of speech and media freedom in democratic societies. Mongolia expressed its intention to implement fully the recommendations of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

The EU and Mongolia held on 3 April a meeting of the Development Cooperation Working Group, during which both parties welcomed the significant progress achieved in the implementation of the Multiannual Indicative Programme for 2021-2027. In particular, they discussed about strengthening their cooperation in the renewable energy sector, reiterated their commitment to deliver on the Forest Partnership and explored digital connectivity opportunities, in line with the EU's Global Gateway strategy and Mongolia's development agenda.

The EU and Mongolia confirmed that the Subcommittee on trade and investment would be organised in the coming days.

The EU and Mongolia agreed to hold their next Joint Committee meeting in 2026 in Brussels.

The Joint Committee was co-chaired by Paola Pampaloni, Deputy Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service (EEAS) and Munkhtushig Lkhanaajav, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia.

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NATO: Press remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas ahead the Ministers of Foreign Affairs Ministerial meeting

European External Action Service (EEAS)

04.04.2025

Brussels

Strategic Communications

Check against delivery!

Today we have a very important meeting, NATO-EU meeting.

Of course, the European Union and NATO are very natural partners, as [the] majority of European Union members are also members of NATO. So, our collective defence is based in NATO. Yesterday we heard [US] Secretary [of State] Rubio also saying that they are committed to NATO, but European countries should be stronger. That is exactly what we are doing.

We have the White Paper on Defence, which talks about how we can unblock funds to do more for defence, to do more for capabilities, to do more for cooperation, and eventually make NATO stronger.

So, this plan goes actually hand in hand with NATO's capability targets. It helps the NATO countries - European countries also - to fulfill their capability targets that we have in NATO. In turn, it makes the whole of NATO stronger, which is our goal.

Q&A

Q. Did you get reassurances from Secretary Rubio that in discussions with Vladimir Putin, the US will not make concessions that go against the interests and the red lines of Ukraine and Europe?

It was stressed that nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, and of course Ukraine and Europe need to be agreeing to whatever is discussed, because this is all happening in Europe. So, yes, he was giving us assurances about this.

Q. The new US tariffs could have a strong negative impact on Europe's ability to invest in defence. Do you think that these tariffs are in line with Article 2 of NATO, and how are you going to address this issue?

As I have said before, there are no winners in trade wars and, of course, all these tariffs are not very positive development, because if we have natural partners, like America and Europe are, if we have a trade war, then our adversaries are looking on the side. So, of course, our trade people are dealing with trade negotiations to have a more positive outcome of this but we are also ready to defend our interests. It is clear that it raises prices for the consumers and companies, and eventually it is not good. But on the defence side, we really need to move [forward] with the proposals. Of course, we need to also develop our economies to be able to fund defence spending that we need to do.

Q. Yesterday, Marco Rubio said that the U.S. will remain in NATO, in addition to the tariffs. That was the big news of the day. So, what does it tell us about the state of the alliance when something so self-evident is making headlines?

Well, you are the journalist, so you can tell what it means. We are living in very unpredictable times, and therefore maybe it is good to reassure the things that seem self-evident and give the reassurance that some things are still in place. I think that is why it was important for everybody to hear this, and this is how we move forward.

Q. Today marks NATO's 76th birthday. What would be the greatest gift for you?

It is that NATO is 76 years [old] and it is fully functional. We are talking about military plans, we are talking about capability targets, all this. And what is very important for me is how NATO cooperates with the European Union. We can complement each other, because the majority of European countries are also NATO countries. So, I think this is a good platform to go forward.

Q. Why do you believe that the United States still sees Russia as a direct threat and not as a potential business partner?

The picture is quite clear. Russia has attacked another country and has not given up its goals. They are spending more than 9% of their GDP on the military, so they will want to use it again unless we are strong enough, unless we do our own homework when it comes to defence spending, then we are under threat ourselves. And I think it is also more global, because all the aggressors or would-be aggressors of the world are really carefully watching right now.

Thank you, all the best.

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-270043

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Foreign Minister Tsahkna: We will continue strengthening NATO and supporting Ukraine

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

04.04.2025

On 3 and 4 April, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna attended the meeting of NATO foreign ministers, where the agenda focused on boosting the deterrence and defence posture of Allies, supporting Ukraine and countering the Russian threat.

At the meeting with Allies, Tsahkna underlined that a strong transatlantic bond reinforced the security of both Europe and North America and ensured the most successful resistance to the threat posed by Russia, which is the most serious and long-term threat for the entire Alliance.

"Russia still wants to weaken and divide the West, destroy Ukraine and restructure European security," the foreign minister said, adding that NATO must remain united and strong to counter this threat.

Tsahkna said the Alliance's strength was based, above all, on its defence capabilities, which is why a new defence spending target must be agreed upon at the Alliance's June summit in The Hague. "It is good that several Allies have already announced an increase in defence spending and I hope that we will hear about more decisions of this kind before the summit in The Hague," Tsahkna said, noting that Estonia's defence spending would amount to almost 4% of GDP this year and will stand at a minimum of 5% of GDP next year.

At a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Tsahkna underlined that all efforts must be aimed at a just and lasting peace.

"The formula for this is simple: we must continue providing maximum military aid to Ukraine and above all, economic pressure must be put on Russia to force it into giving up its goals," Tsahkna said, welcoming the initiative by US senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal to impose additional sanctions if Russia does not agree to a lasting peace with Ukraine.

"Ukraine has proven its readiness for peace, while Russia has continued setting preconditions and conducting brutal attacks against Ukraine," the foreign minister said.

NATO foreign ministers also had a meeting with the foreign ministers of Indo-Pacific partners (Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand), and a discussion with the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas. The foreign minister also had bilateral meetings with his Belgian, Japanese, Greek and Turkish counterparts.

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Joint press release on the EU-Central Asia Summit

European Commission

Press release

Apr 4, 2025

Samarkand

On 4 April 2025, the first Central Asia - European Union Summit was held in Samarkand. It was chaired by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The EU was represented by the President of the European Council Antonio Costa and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Together with President Mirziyoyev, Central Asian countries were represented by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

Against the backdrop of increasing high-level bilateral engagements over the past years and a rapidly evolving multilateral- and regional agenda, the EU and Central Asia leaders agreed to elevate relations between the two regions by establishing a strategic partnership.

"At this historic Summit, Europe and Central Asia have decided to elevate our cooperation to a strategic partnership. In an uncertain world, we send a clear and powerful message: we are partners of choice, and we can rely on each other. To kick-start this new era, we are launching a 12 billion Global Gateway investment package  strengthening transport links between us and deepening cooperation on critical raw materials, digital connectivity, water, and energy. These investments will benefit us both. Because when our partners grow and prosper, Europe does too."

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

"After years of successful cooperation it is time to take our partnership with Central Asian to the next level, deepening trade, strengthening regional collaboration and expanding people-to-people ties. This summit reaffirms our shared commitment to a strategic partnership built on common values and interests. The EU remainsa reliable forward-looking partner for Central Asia, investing in its long-term sustainable development for mutual, long-lasting benefit. Consistency, predictability and ambition will continue to drive our joint efforts."

Antonio Costa, President of the European Council

"Central Asia and the European Union are traditional partners, and the need for close co-operation is only growing. The development of our multifaceted co-operation is facilitated by the profound transformation in Central Asia, which has become sustainable and irreversible thanks to common political will. Our summit will result in a historic decision to establish a strategic partnership between Central Asia and the European Union. I am convinced that our strategic partnership should be filled with concrete decisions, projects and programmes. I would like to emphasise the importance of introducing mechanisms for the practical implementation of our initiatives and agreements."

Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

There is a growing momentum in the EU-Central Asia relations with a view to securing enhanced bilateral cooperation in several key areas, as well as a shared commitment to peace, security, democracy, and the fundamental principles of international law.

During the EU-Central Asia summit, leaders discussed joint efforts on strengthening sectoral cooperation, highlighting progress on economic, trade and investment ties, based on the implementation of current and future bilateral Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (EPCAs).

They also supported ongoing efforts towards sustainable transport connectivity and strengthening economic ties through initiatives under the Global Gateway Strategy. In this context, leaders highlighted the progress on the Trans Caspian Transport Corridor connecting Europe and Central Asia. To further support efforts on this front, leaders welcomed the mobilisation of a 10 billion international investment package to support sustainable transport infrastructure and logistics networks in Central Asia. The EU leaders reiterated their continuing support towards the accession of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

To boost cooperation on energy and the green transition, the summit highlighted the shared EU and Central Asia commitment to sustainable value chains for critical raw materials, through the endorsement of the EU-Central Asia declaration of intent on critical raw materials.

Leaders also welcomed the increasing involvement of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the region in the specific areas of energy, water management, connectivity, transport and critical raw materials.

During the summit, Leaders expressed their commitment to regional and global stability, particularly in Afghanistan and Ukraine, and to the promotion and protection of the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms.

EU leaders congratulated President Mirziyoyev for the warm hospitality and organisation of a successful summit, which marks a new chapter in EU-Central Asia relations.

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Joint Declaration following the First European Union-Central Asia Summit

European Commission

Statement

Apr 4, 2025

Samarkand

We, the Leaders of the European Union (EU), Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and of Uzbekistan, held our first EU-Central Asia Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on 4 April 2025 and concluded the following:

1. Reaffirming our commitment to deeper cooperation in an evolving global and regional geopolitical landscape, we decided to upgrade relations between the European Union and Central Asia to a strategic partnership. We acknowledged the significant results achieved in recent years to strengthen dialogue and cooperation between our regions.

2. The EU reconfirmed its commitment to the goals of the EU Strategy on Central Asia of 2019. The Joint Roadmap for Deepening Ties between the EU and Central Asiaadopted on 23 October 2023 in Luxembourg has been useful in operationalising the Strategy. We acknowledged the role of the EU-Central Asia high-level regional meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the President of the European Council, held in Astana in 2022 and Cholpon-Ata in 2023, and the EU-Central Asia Ministerial meeting in Ashgabat on 27 March 2025 in taking stock of these commitments in preparation for this Summit. We welcomed the progress achieved and underscored the importance of maintaining its momentum.

3. We are committed to cooperate for peace, security and democracy, to fully respect international law, including the UN Charter and the fundamental principles of respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States, within their internationally recognised borders. We emphasised the importance of achieving as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.We emphasised the need to uphold the principles of the OSCE by the participating States. We reconfirmed the obligation of all States to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force, to respect international humanitarian law and underlined the need for peaceful resolution of conflicts.

4. In the same context, we committed to respect the above principles, in particular the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states within the framework of all international and regional fora, and to refrain from taking any steps that run contrary to those principles. In the same spirit, we reaffirmed our strong commitment to the relevant UNSC Resolution 541(1983) and 550 (1984). We emphasised that engagement in regional cooperation frameworks should fully respect these international principles, which remain essential to the enhancement of EU-Central Asia relations.In this context, Turkmenistan recalls that it applies its international commitments in strict accordance with the principles of its permanent neutrality status.

5. In an increasingly complex world, we expressed our readiness to address common security challenges through new possibilities of further engagement and to strengthen cooperation at bilateral, regional and multilateral level on cybersecurity and hybrid threats, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threats, preventing and countering radicalisation and terrorism, strengthening border security, and preventing drug trafficking and human trafficking. We agreed to initiate a dedicated Dialogue on counter terrorism and violent extremism and build societal resilience against disinformation.

6. We emphasised our strong commitment to see Afghanistan develop into a secure, stable and prosperous State with inclusive government and governance systems that respects the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all its citizens, including women, girls, persons belonging to ethnic and religious groups and minorities, is at peace with itself and its neighbours, and that respects its international obligations. We expressed our common concern over the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and recognised the need to continue supporting the people of Afghanistan. We called for full and equal access to education conforming to international standards and participation in public life of women and girls in Afghanistan. In this regard, we supported the continuation of regular consultations of Special Representatives and Envoys of the Central Asian States and the EU.

7. Cooperation on preventing sanctions circumvention remains an important aspect of our relations. In this context, we agreed to continue cooperation on this issue, especiallyto avoid re-exports of common high priority items, in line with the work of the EU Special Envoy on Sanctions.

8. Significant efforts have been made to strengthen regional cooperation within Central Asia, overcoming challenges and fostering closer partnerships to ensure prosperity, sustainable development and to accelerate the energy transition and decarbonisation, strengthening stability, security, and good neighbourly relations. In this respect, the EU welcomed strengthened regional cooperation through regular Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia. The EU expressed its readiness to support ongoing and future actions in support of further regional integration.

9. The Leaders welcomed the signing in Bishkek on 13 March 2025 of the Treaty on the State Border between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan which will contribute to peace and prosperity in the region

10. EU and Central Asian Leaders agreed that the deep and comprehensive cooperation between the two regions will be based on full implementation of the current and future bilateral Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (EPCAs). In this context, the Leaders welcomed the signing of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the Kyrgyz Republic on 25 June 2024 and looked forward to the signing of the EPCAs between the EU and Uzbekistan, and between the EU and Tajikistan. We also acknowledged the interest of the EU and Kazakhstan to launch negotiations for a Visa Facilitation Agreement and a Readmission Agreement when their respective internal procedures for negotiating mandates are concluded and welcomed recent steps taken by the European Commission in this regard.

11. Strengthening trade and investment ties between Central Asia and the European Union is essential for economic growth, as well as developing and diversifying regional and interregional trade. To advance this agenda, we committed to regularly organise economic events, including the Central Asia-European Union Economic Forum fostering strategic dialogue and sustainable economic partnerships. This cooperation should be in line with the Global Gateway strategy, the EU's external investment strategy, which will be scaled up in the years to come to further unlock the potential of our region-to-region relations.

12. Among many areas of shared interest, enhanced cooperation on critical raw materials is of strategic importance, aimed at ensuring secure, sustainable and diversified supply chains. We agreed that the Declaration of Intent endorsed at this Summit will deepen cooperation in this field, strengthening economic resilience, mutual prosperity and facilitating the transition to a green and digital economy.

13. The EU and Central Asia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening sustainable transport connectivity as a driver of economic growth and regional integration. The mobilisation of EUR 10 billion in support and investments for Central Asia at the Global Gateway Investors' Forum (January 2024) marks a pivotal step towards developing efficient regional transport corridors, logistics, networks, value chains and effective mechanisms to support mutual access to our respective markets. We additionally agreed to support the Coordination Platform for the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and critical infrastructure projects along the Middle Corridor, ensuring mutual market access and long-term cooperation. We also agreed on the importance of peace and stability in the South Caucasus as a prerequisite to the successful implementation of these projects.

14. With rising global temperatures, extreme weather events and environmental degradation, protecting our planet is not just an option but a necessity, and therefore full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement requires our joint actions. In line with this commitment, we agreed to step up the fight against climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. The EU welcomed the decision of all Central Asian partners to join the Global Methane Pledge.

15. Water is essential for the development and prosperity of Central Asia. Ensuring its sustainable and rational use is in the vital interest of all countries in the region. The EU and Central Asian Leaders agreed to continue to implement innovative approaches in water-energy cooperation to foster concrete and socially significant actions to protect and efficiently use water resources. We also agreed to strengthen cooperation and continue our partnership to improve the situation in the Aral Sea region and the entire Aral Sea basin. In this context, Leaders recognised the importance of both continuing the efforts to improve the work of IFAS to enhance its effectiveness and of the next IFAS Summit in Kazakhstan in 2026. Leaders took stock of preparations for the UN Ocean Conference, recognised the importance of the Dushanbe Water Process and acknowledged international initiatives such as the One Water Summit in 2024 as well as the UNGA Resolution on "Sustainable Mountain Development".

16. The EU and Central Asian Leaders reiterated that the promotion and protection of rule of law,human rights and fundamental freedoms is a common fundamental value. Ensuring freedom of expression and association, an enabling environment for civil society and independent media, protection of human rights defenders as well as the respect for the rights of women, the rights of the child and labour rights remain at the core of EU-Central Asia relations. The EU reiterated its readiness to support efforts in this regard at regional as well as at national level.

17. The EU and Central Asian leaders agreed that the EU-Central Asia Civil Society Forum is a key platform for dialogue, advancing the objectives of the EU Strategy on Central Asia in strengthening the resilience and prosperity of societies, as well as regional cooperation through civil society engagement.

18. The role of the EU Special Representative for Central Asia was recognised to contribute to strengthening cooperation between the EU and Central Asia and in the region.

19. We agreed to build upon the outcomes of today's Summit in Samarkand and the 20th EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting held in Ashgabat to further strengthen our partnership and enhance cooperation across all mutually beneficial areas, as outlined in the Annex to this Declaration.

20. We expressed our gratitude to the Government of Uzbekistan for successfully hosting the first EU-Central Asia Summit in Samarkand.

ANNEX: Deliverables in Sectoral Cooperation

Strengthening multilateralism

The Participants:

Agreed to periodic assessments of the implementation of the Joint Roadmap for Deepening Ties between the EU and Central Asia, ensuring its continued effectiveness and alignment with regional priorities.

Noted the importance of the UN General Assembly Resolution 72/283 of 22 June 2018 on strengthening regional and international cooperation to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in Central Asia adopted at the initiative of Uzbekistan on behalf of the region.

Welcomed the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution that formalises the UN Regional Centre for SDGs for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty to accelerate achievement of SDGs in the region.

Highlighted the role of preventive diplomacy as a key instrument for conflict prevention and resolution, in line with the mandate of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) based in Ashgabat.

Took note of the importance of the 'Treaty on Friendship, Good-Neighbourliness, and Cooperation for Development of Central Asia in XXI Century' signed on 21 July 2022 in Cholpon-Ata by Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan.

Acknowledged the UN General Assembly Resolution designating Central Asia as a "Zone of Peace, Trust and Cooperation," adopted by the initiative of Turkmenistan on behalf of the region.

Recognised Turkmenistan's initiatives dedicated to peace, trust, and preventive diplomacy, including its lead in advancing the designation of 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust and its initiative in promoting the role of the UNRCCA, both of which were adopted by the UN General Assembly.

Welcomed the inclusion of the regional Transport and Logistical Hub in Termez into the Global Supply Network of the UNHCR and noted the importance of its use in efforts to effectively distribute humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan and globally, contributing to regional development and creating new economic opportunities.

Recognised the initiatives of the Kyrgyz Republic on sustainable development of mountain regions within the framework of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as the importance of the UNGA Resolution on "Sustainable Mountain Development", declaring 2023-2027 as the "Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions" to enhance international cooperation on the global mountain agenda and took note of the Second Global Mountain Summit, 'Bishkek+25', to be held in 2027 in Kyrgyzstan.

Recognised the importance of the Dushanbe Water Process and looked forward to the upcoming High-Level International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation, which will take place in Dushanbe from May 29-31, 2025 as well as the Regional Climate Summit in Astana in 2026.

The concerned Participants called for increased global action and ambition, including in the context of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).

Acknowledged the critical importance of cryospheric sciences for sustainable development, the Participants commended the Republic of Tajikistan and the French Republic for their initiative in advancing the adoption of the UNGA Resolution in August 2024, declaring the years 2025-2034 as the "Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences".

Acknowledged the high value of ongoing regional cooperation in the area of health, including through the support of the WHO, on health security preparedness, digital health, universal health coverage and more.

Noted the significance of the UN General Assembly Resolution proclaiming 5 March as the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness and emphasised the need to strengthen global efforts in promoting peace, security, and international stability", adopted at the initiative of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Addressing common security challenges

The Participants:

Confirmed readiness to cooperate on addressing common security challenges, including exploring new possibilities of engagement between the EU and Central Asian countries, based on respective requests, interests and needs including through the European Peace Facility.

Welcomed funding for the regional response to displaced Afghans, as part of the EU's commitment to support Central Asian partners in the efforts to address the security challenges arising from the situation in Afghanistan.

Confirmed the continued work under the BOMCA programme to strengthen border guards' capacity and border security in Central Asian countries. In this context, the Participants also acknowledged the Dushanbe Process on Counter-Terrorism Cooperation and Border Security.

Agreed to strengthen engagement on tackling disinformation and information manipulation, including through capacity building activities.

Enhancing e conomic ties, t rade and i nvestments

The Participants:

Confirmed the respective commitments towards signing the EPCAs between the EU and Uzbekistan in 2025 and between the EU and Tajikistan in 2026.

Noted Turkmenistan's proposal for enhancing the legal framework of its bilateral relations with the EU emphasising the significance of further steps in this direction.

Agreed to continue to work towards the accession of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Recognized that stakeholders welcomed the future establishment of an EIB Regional Representation for Central Asia, enabled by the signature of a Host Country Agreement between Uzbekistan and the EIB, strengthening the Bank's presence in the region, and encouraged the establishment of EIB country offices in Astana and other Central Asian capitals.

Engaging on energy, climate neutral economy, connectivity under the Global Gateway and cooperating on the European Green Deal

The Participants:

Underlined the concrete follow-up to the EU Study on sustainable transport connections between Europe and Central Asia (published in June 2023), notably the successful holding of the Global Gateway Investors Forum for EU-Central Asia Transport Connectivity (29-30 January 2024, Brussels) and the establishment of a Coordination Platform in 2024, as well as the mobilisation of EUR 10 billion from the international community in support of sustainable transport connectivity in Central Asia.

Announced the Trans Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC) Investors' Forum and the EU-Central Asia Economic Forum to be held in Uzbekistan in 2025.

Committed to further enhancing aviation cooperation between the two regions, building on the work done towards the signature of the Horizontal Agreement with Kazakhstan.

Acknowledged the progress made in the framework of the regional Green and Digital Team Europe Initiatives (TEIs) in Central Asia.

Recognized the good cooperation with European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the areas of energy, water, connectivity, transport and critical raw materials.

Welcomed the signature of the EU-Kazakhstan and the EU-Uzbekistan Memoranda of Understanding on critical raw materials.

Endorsed the EU-Central Asia Declaration of Intent on Critical Raw Materials to confirm the willingness to a deeper cooperation with all five Central Asian countries. Endorse the Roadmap 2025-2026 under the EU-Kazakhstan Memorandum of Understanding on Critical Raw Materials, Batteries and Green Hydrogen.

Welcomed the EIB signing four MoUs with partners in Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan, as these agreements will unlock up to EUR 365 million for sustainable transport, water management, energy-efficient housing, and climate resilience.

Welcomed the EIB and Turkmenistan declaring the opening of negotiations for a Framework Agreement which will enable the EIB to start operations in the country.

Welcomed the opening of today's Samarkand Climate Forum with participation of the Presidents of the European Council and of the European Commission as well as of the five Central Asian States, which will become an important step in supporting regional cooperation on the issues of ecological sustainability, green economic development and climate stability.

Strengthening people-to-people contacts and mobility

The Participants:

Confirmed the commitment to intensify common efforts to deepen cooperation in the field of education, including vocational education and training/skills development.

Welcomed the annual meetings of Deputy Ministers of Education and Employment under the DARYA programme in 2023 and 2024.

Welcomed the upcoming EU-Central Asia Forum of Women Leaders in Turkmenistan in 2025, to be organised at the initiative of the EU and Turkmenistan, as an important platform for advancing women's empowerment in the region.

Welcomed the good cooperation within the framework of the 2024 training programme for Central Asian diplomats and pledged the EU's continued commitment to develop further concrete initiatives for joint learning.

Confirmed commitment to intensify joint efforts to deepen cooperation in the field of education and science , including using the opportunities of the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes, and to promote the implementation of projects to introduce advanced European educational methods and cooperation in fundamental and applied research.

, including using the opportunities of the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes, and to promote the implementation of projects to introduce advanced European educational methods and cooperation in fundamental and applied research. Confirmed commitment to promote cooperation in development of sustainable tourism, including in accordance with the UNGA Resolution 74/214 of 19 December 2019 on Sustainable Tourism and Sustainable Development in Central Asia, adopted at the initiative of Uzbekistan.

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Statement by Commissioner Lahbib on the forced displacement orders in Rafah, Gaza

European Commission

Statement

Apr 4, 2025

Brussels

Reports coming out of southern Gaza are deeply alarming. Over 140,000 people are being forcibly displaced. Civilians are fleeing under fire.

The suffering of the people of Gaza must stop.

Since the breakdown of the ceasefire, over 300 children have been killed. The month-long aid blockade by Israel threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

The World Food Programme announced that their meaningful stockpiles will be soon exhausted. Gazans are trapped, with no safe way to escape the violence. They face unbearable levels of death, disease, destruction, and hunger.

International humanitarian law is clear  humanitarian aid must reach civilians in need. The use of humanitarian aid as a tool of war is prohibited by international law.

We must swiftly return to a sustained ceasefire. All hostages must be immediately released. People displaced in Gaza must be guaranteed the right to return to their homes safely and with dignity.

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Speech by President von der Leyen at the plenary session of the first EU-Central Asia Summit

European Commission

Speech

Apr 4, 2025

Samarkand

"Check against delivery"

President Mirziyoyev,

President Costa,

Presidents,

It was a great explorer of the past who said 'travel leaves you speechless'. That was after his visit to Samarkand. For more than a thousand years this city has been the beating heart of Central Asia, the hub of a vast trading network. Over the centuries Samarkand has witnessed new partnerships and new friendships. So it is a privilege to be here for the first Summit between Central Asia and the European Union, marking a new chapter in our long-standing friendship.

World history has often turned on events in this city. And as we meet here today, we are at another turning point. New global barriers arise, investments are being re-directed or cut. Powers around the world are carving out new spheres of influence. But here in Samarkand, we show there is another way.

Central Asia is a region of proud, sovereign nations. With ancient histories and great ambitions. Your strategic location can open global trade routes and investment flows. And these new investments will enhance sovereignty. They will strengthen your economies, and most importantly they will make new friendships. They will bring people together. We Europeans want to be partners in this new chapter in your thousand-year history. So today we establish a new Strategic Partnership between Central Asia and Europe. We are moving closer together. This Partnership will make deeper connections between our two regions. It will lead to new opportunities for cooperation. Be it in the energy sector or security, from digital to tourism. And it will bring people together from across our regions. Reliable partners have never been so important. Our Strategic Partnership is a commitment to be there for each other. We want to explore new avenues for cooperation. So, let me focus on four promising areas.

Let me start with transport corridors. Central Asia is the very definition of a global gateway, the beating heart of Eurasia. This is why our Global Gateway investment agenda focuses so much on this region. Last year, we pledged EUR 10 billion to the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor. This will cut the overland journey between Europe and Central Asia by around a half. That is down to just 15 days. The corridor will also unlock untapped potential for business between our regions. And it will boost links and trade within your five Central Asian nations. Today I am pleased to announce that a new Investors Forum will take place in Uzbekistan in 2025. This will secure private funding for the Corridor and allow us to assess progress. In an increasingly fragmented world, the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor will boost connections between your five countries and Europe. But infrastructure is not everything. Smooth border crossing within Central Asian and South Caucasus countries is also essential to reach the Black Sea. After three decades of closure, the opening of the borders of Armenia with Turkiye and Azerbaijan is going to be a game changer. And it will bring Europe and Central Asia closer together like never before.

My second point concerns more cooperation on critical raw materials. Your countries are endowed with immense resources. The region has 40% of the global reserves of manganese, as well as lithium, graphite, and more. These raw materials are the lifeblood of the future global economy. Yet they are also a honeypot for global players. Some are only interested in exploiting and extracting. Europe's offer is different. We also want to be your partners in developing your local industries. The added value has to be local. Our track-record speaks for itself. European companies are already involved in raw materials here in Uzbekistan, with a EUR 1.6 billion investment at the Almalyk copper mine. They do not just contribute to extracting minerals but also to processing them on site. This creates local jobs and local added value. But there is so much more we could do across the region. Together, we could build local industries right along the raw materials value chain. From mining to refining. From opening new research labs, to training local workers. We want to build a long-term partnership. Such a partnership is benefitting both our citizens, their children, and those of the future. We have already signed Memoranda of Understanding on critical minerals with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Today we bring this cooperation to a new level - by endorsing a Joint Declaration of Intent on Critical Raw Materials. This will attract large-scale private investment throughout the region. It is a partnership that will benefit both Europe and Central Asia. Because your strategic autonomy on raw materials is our strategic interest.

Third, this region aims to be a clean energy hub: wind in Kazakhstan, solar in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, hydro in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. And geothermal across the region. You could produce enough clean energy for your economy and for export. You could turn part of this energy into clean hydrogen. Together, we are making history at the Rogun Dam in Tajikistan. Here the world's tallest dam will generate electricity for the region. Combined with the Kambarata Dam in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia can become a clean energy powerhouse. Driving electric trains, industry and mining, and exporting energy to neighbours. So let us expand our cooperation. Together we can advance Central Asia's energy independence, and the global clean transition.

Fourth, good partnership depends on good communication. Yet for many people, internet access is still a far-off dream. Europe has a world-class network of satellites, which can reach the most remote areas where data cables may never arrive. This year alone, we are connecting 2,000 schools and hundreds of villages in Kazakhstan to European satellites. Then we are extending to 1,700 villages across the region in the coming years. That is transformative. It connects communities and people. It attracts new business and investments. And it gives direct access to high-speed internet, without your neighbours acting as gatekeepers. Now we want to work with all of you, so that all Central Asia can enjoy the same opportunities. Central Asia may be landlocked, but it is certainly not space-locked. And space can be your gateway to the world.

There is so much we can achieve in these four priority areas: The transport corridor, raw materials, clean energy, and digital connectivity. And to accelerate progress, today I am proud to announce a Global Gateway Investment Package worth EUR 12 billion. It will bring together investments from our Union and Member States. We call it a Team Europe approach. And it will launch a new pipeline of projects to Central Asia. This is truly the start of a new era in our ancient friendship.

Colleagues, these are exciting times for Europe and Central Asia. This Summit opens a new chapter in our relations. Today we launch a Strategic Partnership. This Partnership shows you can rely on the EU. Working together we can cultivate closer relations which benefit both our regions. Relations which we strengthen and grow through new friendships and trading networks. The two Forums later this year will be an opportunity to judge progress. And explore new areas of cooperation. The best really is yet to come.

Thank you again for your amazing hospitality.

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Human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Europe are crucial for Norway's security

Government of Norway

Press release | Date: 04/04/2025

Today, the government presented a white paper to the parliament on Norway's efforts to promote democracy, the rule of law, and human rights in Europe.

'We are living in a time when democratic values are under increasing pressure. This is a troubling development that threatens the foundation our society is built upon. Peace and security in Europe depend on our ability to stand up for fundamental democratic values. This white paper highlights Norway's contributions to protecting Europe's shared values', said Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.

The white paper places particular emphasis on the Council of Europe and outlines how Norway will continue its work with the organization. The Council of Europe, headquartered in Strasbourg, is mandated to promote human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in its 46 member states. Russia was expelled in 2022 following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. All Council of Europe member states are parties to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) serves as a guarantor that member states fulfill their obligations under the Convention. In addition, the Council of Europe provides country-specific assistance, offering practical support for capacity- and institution-building.

'The Council of Europe plays an invaluable role in promoting human rights, the rule of law, and democracy in Europe  not least in Ukraine. Technological developments are presenting new challenges, and it is vital that the Council of Europe is defended and strengthened to face emerging threats to our values', said Eide.

Support for the Council of Europe is part of the government's broader initiative to promote democracy, the rule of law, and human rights in Europe. Cooperation with the EU is also part of this effort. For the 2021-2028 period, a dedicated civil society fund has been established through the EEA and Norway Grants, with a total of more than EUR 300 million.

The white paper outlines how the government will strengthen Norway's efforts to promote these standards in key areas:

Enhancing civil society participation in the work of the Council of Europe

Norwegian contributions to the Council of Europe's action plans, with particular focus on Ukraine, Moldova, and Armenia. Norway will help strengthen and streamline the Council's country-level efforts to build the rule of law and democracy

Increased EEA and Norway Grants focus on democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Europe

Greater attention to the implications of artificial intelligence and digitalization for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Europe

Measures to counter hybrid threats and disinformation

Strengthening democratic resilience in Europe through education, anti-corruption efforts, and good governance

Emphasizing the need to maintain the shared community of values and the legitimacy of the Council of Europe

A summary of the white paper will be published at a later time.

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Statement by Foreign Minister Eide on Hungary's decision to withdraw from the ICC

Government of Norway

News story | Date: 04/04/2025

'Hungary's decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) is deeply regrettable. In these turbulent geopolitical times, we need binding international cooperation and continued respect for the international legal order more than ever', said Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.

'The ICC plays a key role in ensuring accountability for serious international crimes committed around the world. Norway has been a strong and consistent supporter of the ICC since its inception. I urge other countries to make their support for the ICC clear', said Eide.

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Hamas confirms killing of al-Qassam's senior commander in Israeli airstrike in Lebanon

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Apr 4, 2025

The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, has confirmed the assassination of a senior commander in an Israeli attack on the Lebanese city of Sidon.

In a statement on Friday, the al-Qassam Brigades said that Hassan Ahmed Farhat, a senior commander of Al-Qassam, was assassinated along with his daughter and son in an airstrike conducted by the occupation regime on their home in the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon.

The statement added, "The cowardly policy of assassinating our children and mujahideen by the Israeli occupation regime, whether in the occupied Palestinian territories or abroad, will never deter us from continuing the path of jihad and sacrifice."

The strike, carried out by an Israeli drone on Friday, hit a residential apartment in the city of Sidon, where Farhat was reportedly located.

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Baiba Braze at the NATO meeting: We all want to live in peace and security; investment in security is a necessity not a choice

Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

04.04.2025

Increasing the Alliance's collective defence capabilities, support to Ukraine and constraining Russia, cooperation with partners from the Indo-Pacific, preparations for the NATO summit in the Hague - those were key topics addressed at the NATO Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Brussels on 3-4 April 2025. The event takes place on a significant date: on Friday, 4 March, the Alliance marks 76 years since its founding.

"The new members of the Alliance, Finland and Sweden, are fully integrated, NATO's defence and deterrence capabilities have been considerably increased over the past decade, we have strengthened cooperation with our partners in the Indo-Pacific region - regardless of distance, we are in the same boat, and geopolitical challenges are too great to be addressed individually. The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has pledged an unshakeable U.S. commitment to NATO; nevertheless, the requirement for Europe to invest more and faster into its own security and defence remains unchanged so that we are able to deter the aggressor and defend every centimetre of the Alliance's territory. The fulfilment of the NATO defence plans requires at least 3.5% of GDP of the individual members of the Alliance, this being in the collective security interests of us all," the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braze, underlines.

She emphasised that Latvia takes its security and defence very seriously: for 2025, it has allocated the largest defence budget in the country's history - more than EUR 1.5 billion, or 3.66% of GDP - and has taken a decision to increase the amount to 5%. The Minister also highlighted Latvia's important "homework" - over the next five years Latvia intends to invest EUR 303 million in the strengthening of its eastern border, which is also the external border of NATO and the EU. In 2025, EUR 45 million will be channelled into military reinforcement of Latvia's eastern border of Latvia in addition to EUR 25 million invested in 2024.

At the NATO-Ukraine Council, the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, briefed the ministers about the current situation on the battlefield and the military support needed by Ukraine. Baiba Braze noted that Latvia has been among the biggest supporters of Ukraine in terms of percentage of GDP. Latvia will continue to support Ukraine both in achieving a just and lasting peace and in advocating for a continued sanctions pressure against Russia to urge its involvement in peace efforts and honouring any agreement reached. Sanctions are working. They limit Russia's ability to wage war, and they weaken the already crumbling Russian economy.

"We all want peace. Ukraine wants it more than anyone. The only country we don't see as interested in achieving peace is Russia. We are all of one mind that Russia is, and remains the most significant long-term threat to the entire Alliance. We are currently under no direct military threat," Baiba Braze underlined at the meeting.

NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers exchanged views with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, on the EU's White Paper for European Defence and the ReArm Europe plan, as well as the opportunities for cooperation between NATO and the EU to advance the development of the European defence industry and military capabilities of NATO's European members.

The ministers engaged in a discussion with partners from the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific regions on security challenges they face and on the need for NATO to work closer with Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and New Zealand to share experience in combating various threats of unconventional warfare. The ministers thanked the Indo-Pacific countries for support they are providing to Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pointed out that the summit in The Hague on 24-25 June will start a new chapter, as the Alliance must be built stronger, fairer and more lethal, so as to guarantee our future shared security. He also stressed that Allies are aligned in support of Ukraine and that in the first three months of 2025, the Alliance has pledged more than 20 billion euros in security assistance for Ukraine.

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Air chiefs discuss capability development during NATO Air Chiefs' Symposium 25-1

NATO Allied Air Command

Apr 4 2025

RAMSTEIN, Germany -- On April 2 and 3, 2025, Senior Leadership from Allied and Partner air forces convened to discuss capability development, during the first iteration of the NATO Air Chiefs' Symposium (NACS) in 2025.

General James Hecker, Commander Allied Air Command, hosted senior representatives from 28 Allied Nations and 5 Partner Nations at NATO's Allied Air Command in Ramstein, Germany.

The focus topic for NACS 25-1 was the exchanges on Air and Space Power, with the overarching theme of the symposium being capability development through exercise, experimentation, and operational deployment.

"NACS is a great opportunity to strengthen relationships and improve communications amongst each other," said General Hecker. NACS 25-1 will be the last symposium General Hecker will host during his tenue, and he thanked all the Allied Air Chiefs for their continued commitment and cooperation.

Following on from previous NACS topics of NATO Air Command and Control (C2), evolution and implementation, the senior representative discussed matters relating to NATO's Agile Combat Employment (ACE), Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) and capability development.

The Keynote speaker Vice Admiral Jeff Hughes, Deputy Chief of Staff, Allied Command Transformation, held a speech with the theme of capability development. Focusing on having the right capabilities, right Solutions and timely delivery.

The NACs is hosted semi-annual by AIRCOM as a vehicle to exchange views and experience in the Joint and Air domain. It also provides an opportunity to compare and discuss cooperation, coordination and development of NATO Air and Space Power.

Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office

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UN experts call on Pakistan to stop displacing Afghans

Press releases

Special Procedures

04 April 2025

GENEVA - UN experts* today urged Pakistan not to proceed with plans to forcibly remove Afghans from the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, nor to deport them to Afghanistan.

The deadline for their voluntary departure was set for 31 March, but reports said it may have been extended until 10 April.

The experts called on the Government of Pakistan to continue its important role as a neighboring country with a long history of hosting Afghans fleeing their country.

"Millions of Afghans in Pakistan are at risk of being pushed back to Afghanistan without regard for their genuine protection concerns - including gender-based violence and the systemic dismantling of the rights of women and girls - in violation of international human rights law and refugee law, and disregarding UNHCR's non-return advisory," the experts said.

"We urge Pakistan to immediately stop mass internal relocations, deportations, arrests, evictions, intimidation and other pressures on Afghans to cross the border into Afghanistan, and to uphold the absolute and non-derogable principle of non-refoulement," they said. The experts expressed particular concern about the gendered and intersectional impact.

The UN experts have repeatedly spoken out against Pakistan's Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan of September 2023, which has already pressured hundreds of thousands of Afghans to uproot their lives and return to Afghanistan.

Ahead of the 31 March deadline, the UN documented a worrying increase in arrests of Afghans. Many desperate Afghans have contacted the experts, fearing persecution by the Taliban in Afghanistan if they are forced to return.

"The most vulnerable are Afghan women, girls, LGBTI persons, ethnic and religious minorities, former government officials and security personnel, human rights defenders, and media workers," the experts said. "Children, especially unaccompanied, are at heightened risk of trafficking, child marriage and abuse, while persons with disabilities and older persons are also particularly vulnerable. They should all be individually assessed."

The experts expressed concern about returns of Afghans to Afghanistan from other countries, potentially contravening international human rights and refugee law.

The experts also acknowledged security risks, including terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, as well as Pakistan.

The experts noted that many Afghans who had left for Pakistan, having been given reasonable expectations of being resettled in a third country, had their dreams of a secure future shattered by the sudden halt of resettlement programmes.

They stressed that funding cuts will reduce the ability of the de facto authorities in Afghanistan, together with humanitarian agencies, to support a large influx of people from neighboring countries.

"Abrupt and drastic funding cuts by donors are already having a severe impact on much-needed humanitarian assistance to Afghans," the experts said.

"Given the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan, durable solutions are needed for Afghans outside the country, with strong support from the broader international community."

*The experts: Richard Bennett, Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan; Siobhan Mullally, Special rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krstic, and Haina Lu, Working group on discrimination against women and girls; Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; Mr Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing; Mr. Richard Bennett, Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR. Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/

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WTO chief says deeply concerned over U.S. tariffs

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:41, April 04, 2025

GENEVA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, expressed deep concern on Thursday over the decline in global trade and the potential for an escalating tariff war, sparked by U.S. tariff measures.

Iweala said in a statement that the U.S. tariff measures will have "substantial implications for global trade and economic growth prospects."

The WTO estimates that the new measures, coupled with those introduced since the beginning of the year, could lead to an overall contraction of around 1 percent in global merchandise trade volumes in 2025. This represents a drop of nearly four percentage points from previous projections.

"The WTO Secretariat is closely monitoring and analyzing the measures announced by the United States on April 2, 2025," Iweala said, adding that "Many members have reached out to us and we are actively engaging with them in response to their questions about the potential impact on their economies and the global trading system."

The director-general stressed that the vast majority of global trade still flows under the WTO's Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) terms, though the share has now shrunk to 74 percent from around 80 percent at the start of the year.

Warning of the potential for significant trade diversion effects resulting from the recent trade measures, Iweala called on WTO members to prevent escalating trade tensions, engage constructively and seek cooperative solutions.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new set of levies, imposing a 10 percent baseline tariff on all imports starting on April 5 and slapping individualized reciprocal higher rates on those trading partners with which the United States "has the largest trade deficits," which will kick in on April 9.

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Houthi: Intensified US aggression failed to stop Yemeni resistance operations

Iran Press TV

Friday, 04 April 2025 7:32 PM

The leader of the Ansarullah resistance movement says the intensified US acts of aggression against Yemen have failed to stop Yemeni resistance operations in support of the people of Gaza as well as to protect Israeli ships in the Red Sea.

In a speech on Friday, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said the US has intensified its attacks on Yemen, which exceeded 90 attacks on some days, as part of its support for Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.

However, al-Houthi stressed that the aggression "has failed to stop the military operations supporting the Palestinian people, nor has it been able to provide protection for Israeli navigation in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea."

Al-Houthi also said that US military officials admitted that the attacks have failed to destroy Yemen's military capabilities.

"The US has not been able to achieve its declared goal of liquidating the leaders and eradicating the free people of Yemen," al-Houthi said.

He vowed that Yemen would proceed with its retaliatory operations, saying, "America does not frighten us."

The Ansarullah chief also warned the Arab and neighboring regimes against supporting the pro-Israel US strikes on Yemen.

He stressed that Israel, backed by the US, seeks to liquidate the Palestinian cause, referring to the intensified Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank, which he said, aim to "displace" Palestinians.

Al-Houthi further noted that "Al-Aqsa Mosque is constantly targeted with the raids," stating that Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's incursions into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound are a testament to Israel's escalated violations against "one of the greatest Islamic sanctities."

He urged the international community to adopt a serious stance on Israeli crimes and called on countries to cut political and diplomatic ties with the Tel Aviv regime.

Since the onset of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, Yemeni forces have carried out scores of operations in support of the war-hit Gazans, striking targets throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to targeting Israeli ships or vessels heading toward ports in the occupied territories.

In support of Israel, the US announced the formation of a maritime task force in the Red Sea in December 2023 to protect the passage of vessels bound for the Israeli-occupied territories.

The Yemeni forces responded by ramping up their strikes against strategic and sensitive Israeli and American targets, including the US warships and aircraft carriers that are deployed off Yemen's coastline.

The Yemeni forces paused their retaliatory strikes in support of the ceasefire that took effect in Gaza on January 19 before Israel broke it last month.

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Israeli captives held in areas targeted for evacuation by the regime: Al-Qassam Brigades

Iran Press TV

Friday, 04 April 2025 7:01 PM

Half of the Israeli living captives are reportedly located in areas where the regime demanded be evacuated in recent days.

"We have decided not to transfer these captives from these areas, keeping them under strict security measures, knowing that these measures place their lives at extreme risk," Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida said.

"If the enemy is concerned about the lives of these captives, it must negotiate immediately for their evacuation or release," he added.

Hamas announced that the Israeli regime's prime minister bears full responsibility for the lives of the captives.

"Had it been concerned about them, it would have adhered to the agreement signed in January, and perhaps most of them would be at home today," the spokesperson said.

According to the United Nations Human Rights Office, the Israeli military has issued 10 evacuation orders since March 18, covering large parts of Gaza's territory, including more than half of northern Gaza.

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'War crime': Israeli strike destroys water desalination plant in Gaza

Iran Press TV

Friday, 04 April 2025 5:46 PM

An Israeli strike destroyed a water desalination plant in the Gaza Strip, as the regime pushes its intense bombardment of the besieged territory amid a shortage of food and water.

The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, confirmed that a plant in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City was targeted early on Friday.

The destruction of the water desalination plant is a "documented war crime aimed at tightening the noose of siege and hardship on innocent civilians," the resistance movement said in a statement.

"The occupation's systematic military escalation, deliberate targeting of densely populated civilian areas, and the denial of the most basic necessities of life expose its true objectiveswhich go beyond the issue of retrieving captives to a sadistic, fascist vendetta, and the attempt to implement criminal plans of extermination and forced displacement," it added.

The statement comes as the Israeli regime has intensified its brutal war on Gaza in the past few days. At least 38 Palestinians have been killed throughout the Gaza Strip since dawn in Israeli bombardment, according to local reports.

The new phase of the prolonged Israeli genocide against Palestinians is further associated with unconventional methods of warfare including starvation and dehydration, through which the occupying regime continues to deprive over two million people of water, food, and medicine.

Hamas on Friday said that the occupying forces continue to massacre civilians with an unprecedented pace across all areas of the Gaza Stripparticularly in Khuza'a east of Khan Younis, the town of Al-Nasr northeast of Rafah, and the neighborhoods of Al-Shuja'iya and Al-Tuffah in eastern Gaza Cityresulting in dozens of martyrs and wounded in recent hours.

"These atrocities are being carried out in full view and hearing of the world," it regretted.

"These flagrant violations of international law against Gaza and its people will remain a mark of shame on the forehead of the international community and its complicit, silent institutionsa curse upon all who have betrayed our people and colluded in these unprecedented crimes," Hamas said.

The Islamic Resistance Movement also vowed to continue to thwart all attempts to liquidate their cause or uproot them from their land.

In a Thursday report, the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said its field teams had documented thousands of crimes committed by Israeli forces, constituting overwhelming evidence of mass atrocities.

"These crimes include an unprecedented pattern of violence in recent history, in terms of scale, deliberate targeting, and genocidal intent," it said, adding that "the crimes' horrifying scope, methodical execution, and wide-ranging effects ... surpass those of armed groups like ISIS."

These acts amount to one of the "most extensive and systematic campaigns of extermination in contemporary history," noted the organization.

Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday that 1,163 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since Israel resumed intense bombing on March 18, bringing the overall death toll since the war began to 50,523.

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Yemen's army thwarts two US attacks: Spokesman

Iran Press TV

Friday, 04 April 2025 3:00 PM

The Yemeni Armed Forces have conducted a retaliatory attack against US warships in the Red Sea, including USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, thwarting two planned strikes targeting the impoverished nation.

In a statement on Friday, army spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the country's military targeted "hostile warships in the Red Sea, including the US aircraft carrier, [USS Harry S.] Truman, with a number of cruise missiles and drones," in response to the US strikes on Yemen.

He noted that the operation, "the second in the past 24 hours," thwarted two planned US aerial attacks against Yemen.

This comes as the US has intensified its strikes on Yemen since President Donald Trump ordered a "powerful military action" against Yemen's Army last month.

In his statement, Saree stressed Yemen's readiness to confront any possible escalation, and vowed that pro-Palestine operations will continue until Israel's war in Gaza ends.

"The aggressor will know that Great Yemen can't be broken or surrender, and will not abandon its religious, moral and human duties towards the oppressed Palestinian people, whatever the repercussions and whatever the outcomes," he said, stressing that "Victory will belong to Yemen, God willing."

Since the onset of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, Yemeni forces have carried out scores of operations in support of the war-hit Gazans, striking targets throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to targeting Israeli ships or vessels heading toward ports in the occupied territories.

In support of Israel, the US announced the formation of a maritime task force in the Red Sea in December 2023 to protect the passage of vessels bound for the Israeli-occupied territories.

The Yemeni forces responded by ramping up their strikes against strategic and sensitive Israeli and American targets, including the US warships and aircraft carriers that are deployed off Yemen's coastline.

The Yemeni forces had paused their retaliatory strikes in support of the ceasefire that took effect in Gaza on January 19, before Israel broke it last month.



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Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan-Uzbekistan agreement on tripoint will promote peace: Tehran

Iran Press TV

Friday, 04 April 2025 1:36 PM

Iran has welcomed the signing of a historic agreement by Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan on the establishment of the junction point of the three countries' borders.

The deal was signed by Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, and Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the Tajik city of Khujand on Monday, following a trilateral summit.

The trilateral deal, as well as an agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on the state border, will "serve to ensure the goals of stability and sustainable development, increasing the international authority of the entire region," an Uzbek presidency statement said.

In a Friday statement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei hailed the agreement as a "significant step towards mutual respect for territorial integrity and national sovereignty" of the three Central Asian countries.

The deal, he continued, would also build trust and consolidate peace and stability in Central Asia.

The spokesperson reiterated that Iran's principled stance is to support efforts and initiatives by the countries in the Central Asia region aimed at solving border disputes through peaceful means and improving intra-regional convergence.

Baghaei expressed hope that the trilateral pact would guarantee sustainable peace and stability in the region, prepare the ground for further understanding and cooperation in various fields, and develop economic cooperation among the regional countries.

Earlier in March, the Kyrgyz and Tajik presidents signed a long-sought agreement on the state border during a meeting in Bishkek.

For over 30 years, the two countries had been unable to finalize the border, which had led to sporadic armed conflicts. The inking of the deal brought the reopening of road, rail and air links between the two countries.

Later, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan restored flight connections that had been suspended in May 2021 following the armed conflict at the border. After four years, the first aircraft from Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, landed in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.





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Trail of death, destruction as Israel expands ground invasion of Gaza

Iran Press TV

Friday, 04 April 2025 9:26 AM

Israel has announced the launch of a new ground onslaught in Gaza City, with rescuers saying military aggression has killed at least 30 people across the Palestinian territory since dawn.

In Gaza City, the Israeli military said ground troops had begun pushing into the Shejaiya neighborhood to expand the so-called "security zone" there, claiming that civilians had been allowed to evacuate the area.

Initial reports, however, said a Palestinian woman and her daughter were just killed in an Israeli artillery shelling on displaced people in Shejaiya.

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli military aggression had killed at least 30 people in the Palestinian territory since dawn, adding that the toll was "not final".

A single Israeli strike on Khan Yunis killed at least 25 people, a medical source at the southern city's Nasser Hospital said.

"The situation is very dangerous, and there is death coming at us from every direction," Elena Halas told AFP reportedly via text message, adding that she and her family were trapped in her sister's house in Shejaiya.

Israel has pushed since the collapse of a short-lived truce in the war to seize territory in Gaza. Simultaneously, it has escalated attacks on Lebanon and Syria, with a strike in the south Lebanese city of Sidon killing a Hamas commander along with his son on Friday.

Minister of military affairs Israel Katz had said on Wednesday that Israel would bolster its military presence inside the Gaza Strip to "seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones", without specifying how much territory.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military was dividing Gaza and "seizing territory" to force Hamas to free the remaining captives seized in the October 2023 operation inside southern settlements.

Netanyahu has said his regime is working closely with the US to implement President Donald Trump's plan to displace Gazans.

Latest air raids have targeted Gaza City, as well as Beit Lahia, Rafah, and Khan Yunis, killing dozens of people and injuring several others.

On Thursday, hundreds of thousands of fleeing Gazans sought shelter in one of the biggest mass displacements of the war, as Israeli forces advanced into the ruins of the city of Rafah.

A day after declaring their intention to capture large swathes of the crowded territory, Israeli forces pushed into the city on Gaza's southern edge which had served as a last refuge for people fleeing other areas for much of the war.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Thursday that 112 Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes, with at least 70 of those deaths taking place in Gaza City, in the north of the strip.

Gaza's civil defense agency said women and children were among the dead, while six people were still unaccounted for in the strike on Dar al-Arqam School in the al-Tuffah neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City, including a pregnant woman who was expecting twins.

Beit Hanoun Mayor Mohammad Nazek Al-Kafarna was one of the victims of the Israeli strike that hit the school on Thursday.

The Health Ministry said on Thursday that 1,163 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since Israel resumed intense bombing on March 18, bringing the overall death toll since the war began to 50,523.

The usurping entity accepted longstanding negotiation terms by the Hamas resistance group under a Gaza ceasefire, which began on January 19.

On March 18, however, Israel unilaterally broke the truce and resumed its relentless bombing of Gaza.





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Three killed, including top Hamas figure, in Israeli strike on south Lebanon

Iran Press TV

Friday, 04 April 2025 6:46 AM

At least three people, including a senior figure from the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in southern Lebanon, in the latest blatant violation of a shaky ceasefire agreement with the Arab country.

Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television reported that an Israeli drone strike targeted an apartment on Dalaa Street in the Lebanese port city of Sidon, located 48 kilometers (29 miles) south of Beirut.

Hassan Farhat, a member of Hamas, and his son were reportedly killed in the airstrike.

Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, confirmed the assassination in a statement, pledging that "the path of resistance will continue until the complete liberation of the land of Palestine, and the blood of the martyrs will be the light of the path" for its fighters.

"The policy of cowardly assassinations by the Israeli occupation regime against our children and fighters, whether in the occupied Palestinian territories or outside them, will never be able to stop us from continuing the path of jihad and sacrifice," it said.

A statement issued by Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's media office said, "The attack on Sidon or any other Lebanese region is a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a clear breach of UN Resolution 1701 and the security arrangements for halting hostilities."

"Prime Minister Salam emphasizes the need to exert maximum pressure on Israel to compel it to stop its ongoing assaults, particularly on residential areas, stressing that a complete cessation of military operations is essential," it said.

Israeli military forces also launched hours-long raids on other regions in southern Lebanon, including the towns of Naqoura and Nabatieh, resulting in damage and casualties.

An Israeli airstrike on a car near the city of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon injured two people on Thursday morning.

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji urged the EU to step up pressure on Israel to withdraw from all occupied Lebanese territories, cease attacks, and respect Lebanon's sovereignty.

Rajji made the appeal during talks with Stefano Sannino, director-general for the Middle East and North Africa at the European Commission, who led an EU delegation visiting Beirut, Lebanon's official National News Agency reported.

The minister condemned Israel's continued military aggression, including daily strikes in southern Lebanon and renewed attacks on Beirut.

Israel had to agree to a ceasefire with Hezbollah following significant losses incurred over nearly 14 months of conflict, failing to achieve its goals in the onslaught against Lebanon. The ceasefire took effect on November 27.

Since the commencement of the agreement, the occupying forces have been carrying out near-daily assaults on Lebanon, breaching the ceasefire, which includes airstrikes throughout the Arab nation.





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UNRWA chief slams Israel's attacks on UN facilities

Iran Press TV

Friday, 04 April 2025 1:10 AM

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has strongly condemned Israel's deadly attacks on the world body's facilities in Gaza.

On Thursday, Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), called the regime's attacks a violation of international law, demanding an independent investigation into them.

Lazzarini made the remarks while slamming Israel's targeting of a UNRWA building in northern Gaza, which killed nine children.

In a post on X, commenting on the Israeli military's targeting of a UNRWA building in the northern Gaza Strip, he said: "Even the rubble has become a target in Gaza, as Israeli forces attacked the UNRWA building in Jabalia in northern Gaza."

He noted that the targeted UNRWA building had previously been used as a health center and suffered severe damage at the beginning of the attacks.

Lazzarini explained that according to initial reports, the building was sheltering 700 people at the time of the attack and that 9 children, including a baby only two weeks old, were among the victims.

He emphasized that Palestinians displaced by Israeli attacks in Gaza have nowhere to go and that even after the UNRWA building was targeted, those who sought refuge there continued to stay.

On another note, the UN official revealed that "since the beginning of the war, more than 300 UN buildings have been damaged or completely destroyed, despite regular exchanges of all coordinates with the parties involved."

He added that "more than 700 people have been killed while seeking UN protection" during the Israeli attacks on Gaza, asserting that the disregard for UN facilities, its staff, and its operations constitutes a violation of international law.

Lazzarini called for an independent investigation into the attacks on UN facilities.

He said that since October 2023, more than 300 UN buildings have been damaged or destroyed by Israel, and over 700 people have been killed while seeking UN protection.

Lazzarini's remarks came as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights slammed Israel's March 23rd attack on many ambulances, killing fifteen medics and humanitarian workers.

Addressing the UN Security Council, Volker Turk said the "appalling" attack raises concerns over the commission of war crimes by Israel.

He also condemned Israel's ban on the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza for a month.

Turk said the blockade of Gaza constitutes a form of collective punishment and may also amount to the use of starvation as a method of war.

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Samarkand Summit Marks A New Era In EU-Central Asia Relations Amid Geopolitical Challenges

By RFE/RL's Uzbek Service and Merhat Sharipzhan April 04, 2025

The European Union says it is entering a "new era" in its relationship with Central Asian nations following a summit aimed at making inroads in a region dominated by Russia and China.

Speaking on the last day of the summit, held in Uzbekistan's ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said a deluge of global tariffs laid out by US President Donald Trump on April 3 showed the importance of building relations in a new era.

"We are at another turning point. New global barriers arise, investments are being redirected, powers around the world are carving up new spheres of influence," von der Leyen emphasized in a speech on April 4.

"Reliable partners have never been so important. We want to explore new avenues."

The two-day summit involving the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, comes as traditional ally Russia and neighboring China vie for influence, while the region also eyes deeper ties with the West.

Central Asia is interested in Europe's advanced industrial technology -- which Russia and China struggle to provide -- while Brussels eyes the region's precious natural resources.

Von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU's 10 billion euro investment in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), a project that could potentially halve the travel time between Europe and Central Asia while bypassing Russia.

Von der Leyen also declared an additional 12 billion-euro investment in the Global Gateway to kick-start a new digital and infrastructural development project set.

The investment is aimed at enhancing connectivity and trade, tying the five Central Asian nations closer to European markets and opening a route to access the region's richness in critical raw materials such as uranium, copper, coal, zinc, titanium, manganese, lithium, graphite.

"We want to be partners not just in extraction but in building up local industries," von der Leyen said.

Central Asian leaders have been trying to maintain a balance with Moscow and Beijing while also developing ties with Europe.

But they've also been looking to open up borders among themselves following decades of underdeveloped relations.

"Seven or eight years ago, borders between states were closed. There was no trade, no transit, no business... Relations were frozen," Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev, who was chairing the summit, said.

"Nobody would have imagined that we could unite to represent the region at negotiations with European leaders," he said.

Mirziyoev has opened up Uzbekistan after he came to power in 2016 following decades of isolation under his predecessor Islam Karimov.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-central-asia-china- russia-samarkand/33373713.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.

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Saudi Arabia Strongly Condemns Israeli Escalation in Occupied Palestinian Territories

Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh, April 04, 2025, SPA -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's strong condemnation of the Israeli escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories, the continued targeting of unarmed civilians and their shelters, and the killing of dozens, including the targeting of Dar Al-Arqam School that shelters the displaced in Gaza.

The Kingdom also strongly denounced the Israeli occupation forces' targeting and destruction of a warehouse owned by the Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage in the Morag area, east of Rafah, along with the medical supplies it stored, which were intended to assist the sick and injured in the Gaza Strip.

The ministry stated that the absence of international accountability mechanisms to deter Israeli violence and destruction has allowed the Israeli occupation authorities and forces to continue violating international law and international humanitarian law. It added that the continued lack of international accountability mechanisms exacerbates Israeli aggression and violations, threatening regional and international security and stability.

The Kingdom reaffirms the critical importance of Security Council members assuming their role in ending the tragedy experienced by the brotherly Palestinian people.

-- SPA

15:05 Local Time 12:05 GMT

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Deputy Secretary Landau's Call with Nigerian Foreign Minister Tuggar

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

April 4, 2025

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau spoke today with Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar. The call highlighted the United States' commitment to a strong and enduring partnership with Nigeria.

Deputy Secretary Landau and Foreign Minister Tuggar discussed several key areas of mutual interest including strengthening commercial ties, enhancing security, and deepening the bilateral relationship.

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Gaza: Paramedic still missing after aid worker killings, Palestinian Red Crescent Society calls for answers

4 April 2025 - The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) on Friday called for urgent answers over the whereabouts of a missing paramedic, coupled with a full independent investigation into the killing of 15 humanitarian workers in Gaza on 23 March.

Last Sunday, a joint PRCS and UN humanitarian coordination office (OCHA) mission uncovered a shallow grave in Rafah. The bodies of eight PRCS paramedics, six civil defence workers, and one UN staff member were found.

They had been killed by the Israeli military while attempting to reach victims of shelling on 23 March.

"They were humanitarians. They wore emblems. They should have been protected," the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC)'s Permanent Observer, Dylan Winder, told journalists during a briefing at UN Headquarters on Friday.

Dr. Younes al-Khatib, PRCS President, confirmed that one of the team members - now identified as Assad - is still unaccounted for.

He explained that the incident was the "single most deadly attack" against Red Cross Red Crescent workers anywhere in the world since 2017.

Investigation in progress

PRCS officials said it remains unclear whether their colleague, Assad, had been killed at the scene or taken into detention.

A video recorded from one of the PRCS ambulances appears to show Israeli tanks firing on clearly marked emergency vehicles, refuting claims that the ambulances were unidentifiable or operating without sirens.

"It's a trap," one responder can be heard shouting in the footage, according to PRCS Vice President Marwan Jilani.

The final words of one PRCS paramedic, captured in an audio recording found on his phone, were also shared during the briefing.

"Forgive me, mom. I just wanted to help people. I wanted to save lives," he said, moments before he was killed. His phone was discovered with his body.

Dr. al-Khatib noted that a forensic report is being prepared and will be released in due course.

PRCS officials reiterated calls for an international, independent investigation, challenging the "narrative" put forward by the Israeli Government and demanding justice for the victims and their families.

Humanitarian operations under siege

The grim discovery comes as Gaza's humanitarian crisis deepens, with all crossings still closed.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric warned that thousands more families have been forced to flee westward in the Gaza Strip, following new displacement orders issued by Israeli forces in parts of Gaza City.

"These displacement orders have left civilians exposed to hostilities and deprive them of access to essential services for their basic survival," he said, citing information from OCHA.

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), food parcel distributions are expected to end soon. Hot meal distributions continue but supplies are running low.

Meanwhile, sanitation conditions are worsening. OCHA reports infestations of fleas and mites in three makeshift displacement sites in Al-Mawasi, causing rashes and other health issues.

Treatment is impossible without the chemicals and medical supplies that remain blocked at closed border crossings.

UN humanitarian partners also report a spike in criminal looting and insecurity - a food distribution centre from the Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) and surrounding buildings were looted on Wednesday.

West Bank operations

In the West Bank, OCHA reports that tens of thousands of people remain displaced due to ongoing Israeli operations, particularly in Jenin and Tulkarm.

Mr. Dujarric noted that humanitarian partners are providing urgent assistance and psychosocial support to affected communities, but conditions continue to deteriorate.

'Gaza cannot be left alone'

More than 220 PRCS staff have been killed over the last 50 years, noted Dr. al-Khatib, stressing: "We are looking for action."

The PRCS leadership made five formal appeals to the international community, including an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access and an end to impunity for attacks on aid workers.

"Gaza cannot be left alone," Dr. al-Khatib concluded. "This is a cry to our international community."



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US, French forces conduct joint parachuting exercise in Djibouti

Published April 4, 2025

By Master Sgt. Kayla White

406th Air Expeditionary Wing

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) -- U.S. Pararescuemen and French paratroopers conducted a three-day parachuting exercise in Djibouti, March 17-19, strengthening their partnership and demonstrating NATO interoperability with a series of jump operations with various U.S. and French aircraft and parachute systems.

The exercise, led by a master sergeant and pararescueman assigned to the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, saw the two nations exchange parachute systems and techniques.

"The master sergeant's expertise as our most experienced Military Freefall Jumpmaster was essential," Captain Courtney M. Bailey, the 82nd ERQS commander said. "His meticulous three-month planning effort, encompassing waivers, aircraft coordination, liaison visits and academic training, ensured the exercise's success." He also served as the primary jumpmaster for the deployments from U.S. aircraft, conducting inspections, verifying the release point and overseeing the deployment of jumpers.

The exchange allowed French paratroopers to use the U.S. MC-6 parachute system, jumping from a U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J, while American jumpers used the French EPC parachute, jumping from a French Casa CN 235.

"This exercise highlighted the procedural interoperability between our forces," Bailey said. "We share similar safety restrictions and jump procedures, crucial for safe and effective operations. Increased frequency of these exchanges will streamline future collaborations."

The exercise culminated in a combined military freefall jump from a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey at 13,000 feet  the first time any participating jumper had used the Osprey as a jump platform and only the second known instance of such an operation in Djibouti. The successful jump showcased the adaptability and readiness of both forces.

"It was the highlight of an intense aeronautical week," said a French Sergeant Major, a military freefall instructor, in charge of managing all French airborne activities, who has 28 years of service. "Through our exchanges, the 'paratrooper spirit' that drives us all allows us to successfully carry out our missions and always strive to do what others won't. We are driven by the same enthusiasm."

A total of 83 individual jumps and two equipment bundle drops were executed. Participants included personnel from the U.S., France and Djibouti, representing 16 units, including eight French Land Army and French Air & Space Force units specializing in rigging, medical support, ground support and flight operations.

"I believe training with partner nations is essential," said French Chief Sergeant Frederic. "It allows us to share knowledge and improve together and even evolve our own techniques. The jump was the most memorable part for me. The atmosphere was excellent and sharing that experience with the Americans made it unforgettable."

"Future 82nd ERQS teams will continue training with French Forces Djibouti as opportunities arise, focusing on close air support, parachuting, vertical lift operations and weapons training," the commander said. He also noted the morale boost the exchange provided: "These exchanges are always rewarding, and the French tradition of serializing jump wings adds a unique element of prestige."

The event underscored the shared regional interests of both nations and their commitment to stability in the Horn of Africa. Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa emphasized the importance of such partnerships in promoting regional stability, free trade and countering violent extremist organizations. The exercise serves as a testament to the strong partnership between U.S. and French forces in East Africa.

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Navy to Commission Submarine Iowa (SSN 797)

US Navy - Press Release

04 April 2025

GROTON, Conn. -- The Navy will commission the 24th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, the future USS Iowa (SSN 797), during a 10 a.m. EST ceremony Saturday, April 5, at Naval Submarine Base New London, Conn.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds will deliver the principal address. Additional speakers are set to include Secretary of the Navy John Phelan; Adm. Daryl Caudle, Commander, Fleet Forces Command; the Honorable Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Senator from Connecticut; the Honorable Joe Courtney, U.S. Representative from Connecticut; and Mark Rayha, president, General Dynamics Electric Boat.

The submarine's sponsor is former Iowa first lady Christie Vilsack, an educator with a 50-year career in public service. She and her husband, the Honorable Tom Vilsack, former Secretary of Agriculture, live in rural Iowa and continue to support domestic and international education and agriculture programs. In keeping with Navy tradition, she will give the crew the order to "man our ship and bring her to life." With the hoisting of the colors and commission pennant, Secretary Phelan will formally place the ship in active service.

The future Iowa is the fifth naval vessel named for the state and, once commissioned, will be the third placed in service. Battleships named for the Hawkeye State include USS Iowa (BB 4), which commissioned in 1897 and saw action in the Spanish-American War and World War I, and the highly decorated USS Iowa (BB 61), which commissioned in 1943 and served in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

Each Virginia-class submarine is 7,800-tons and 377 feet in length, has a beam of 34 feet, and can operate at more than 25 knots submerged. It is designed with a reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship, reducing lifecycle costs while increasing underway time. Iowa is designed with stealth, surveillance capabilities and special warfare enhancements to meet the Navy's multi-mission requirements. Its keel was authenticated on Aug. 20, 2019, and it was christened on June 17, 2023.

The submarine was built under a unique teaming agreement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding; both companies build certain portions of each submarine and then alternate deliveries. SSN 797 is the 13th Virginia-class submarine delivered by GDEB.

The commissioning of USS Iowa symbolizes the Navy's 250-year commitment to innovation and maritime dominance. From seabed to space, the Navy delivers power for peace - always ready to fight and win. Iowa's cutting-edge capabilities represent the Navy's dedication to maintaining a powerful maritime force for the future. This ceremony celebrates not just the commissioning of the Navy's newest warship, but the Navy's enduring legacy and commitment to shaping the future of maritime power.

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Yemen's army targets Tel Aviv, downs Giant Shark F360 drone in Sa'daa amid Israel's genocide in Gaza

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 05 April 2025 12:36 AM

The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) have carried out a military operation targeting an Israeli military site in the occupied city of Yafa using a domestically developed "Yaffa" drone, and have shot down a "Giant Shark F360" reconnaissance drone in Sa'daa Governorate.

In a statement on Friday, the YAF said that the retaliatory operation targeting Tel Aviv was conducted in response to the continued Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the daily massacres of Palestinians carried out with American support.

In a separate development, YAF air defenses shot down a Giant Shark F360 reconnaissance drone operated by the "American-Israeli enemy" while it was conducting missions over Yemen's northern Sa'daa Governorate.

The drone was downed using a domestically produced surface-to-air missile, according to the statement.

The Yemeni forces also issued a call to action, urging "all free people of the nation" to stand against the Israeli genocidal war on Palestinians, warning of the risks of inaction and the potential expansion of Israeli aggression into other Arab and Islamic nations.

"The consequences of silence, inaction, and failure to fulfill one's religious, moral, and humanitarian duties will be dire for all," the statement read.

The YAF also pledged to continue operations until the Israeli regime halts its assault and lifts the siege on the Gaza Strip.

Earlier in the day, the YAF conducted a retaliatory operation against US warships in the Red Sea, including the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, thwarting two planned strikes against Yemen.

YAF spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree confirmed the attacks, saying they were in direct response to recent US airstrikes on Yemen.

Brigadier General Saree noted that the operation, "the second in the past 24 hours," thwarted two planned US aerial attacks against Yemen.

He stressed Yemen's readiness to counter further escalation and vowed that pro-Palestinian operations would continue until Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza ends.

Gaza's health authorities have reported that the death toll from the US-backed Israeli genocidal campaign has surpassed 50,609, with more than 115,000 others injured. Since mid-March alone, Israeli strikes have killed 1,249 Palestinians.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 04 April 2025 - Day 1136

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 Ukrainian defenders decisively give a block to the attempts of the Russian enemy to advance deep into Ukrainian territory, giving him an effective fire effect and exhaustion across the entire frontline.

Since the beginning of this day, there have been 116 combat clashes. Russian zagarbniki made one rocket and 79 aviation strikes, using one rocket and 126 cab. In addition, the Russians have engaged 966 kamikaze drones and carried out 4687 shelling positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements.

In the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces four times tried to advance in the areas of vovchansk, figolivki and towards kamenka.

In the Kupians komu direction, Russian forces carried out four assaults of the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the areas of Golubivka, Nova Kruglyakivka and Zagrizovoye. Ukrainian defenders repelled all attacks, Russian forces had no success.

In the Lyman direction during the day, Russian invaders 32 times attacked the positions of Ukrainians towards the settlements of Novomikhailivka, Katerynivka, Grekivka, Olgivka, Novosergiyivka, Nove and near Hope. Eleven clashes are ongoing so far.

In the Sivers komu direction from the beginning of the day, there have been two collisions near Bilogorivka and in the direction of Verkhnyokamiansky. Both attempts of the Russian enemy to advance were successfully thwarted by Ukrainian defenders.

In the Toretsky direction Russians 18 times attacked the positions of Defense Forces. The efforts of the occupiers concentrated in the areas of Crimea, Dachny, Toretsk, Leonidivka and in the direction of Diliyivka. At the moment, five fighting are still ongoing.

Since the beginning of this day in the Pokrovsky direction Russian zagarbnic ki units 27 times tried to break through Ukrainian defense near the settlements of Andriyivka, Suha Balka, Elizabethtivka, Lisivka, Uspenivka, Shevchenko, Nadiivka, Tarasivka and in the directions of Oleksandropol, Stara Mykolaivka, Kotlyarivka, Bogdanivka and Muravka. Defense forces contain the pressure of the Russian enemy and repeled 23 enemy attacks, so far four clashes are ongoing. Russian forces caused aviation strikes controlled bombs in the areas of Pokrovsk and Suhogo Yar.

The Russian enemy suffers significant losses - today in this direction Ukrainian warriors zneszkodili 148 invaders, 65 of them - irrevocably. Three units of automotive equipment, five BPLA control points, two anti-tank missile complexes, six communication antennas and seven satellite terminals were also destroyed. In addition, the Russian opponent's car and motorcycle were significantly damaged.

In the Novopavlivs komu direction, Russian forces six times attacked Ukrainian positions near Rozlivu, Konstantinopol, Rozdolny and in the direction of Bagatyr. The three clashes continue. Bagatir settlement suffered strikes controlled air bombs.

Russian forces once attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the area of Novosilka in the gulyajpils komu direction. At the same time, Russian forces carried out air strikes on Novopol, Gulyaipol and Novodarivka.

In the orihiv direction, Ukrainian troops repelled four Russian attacks in the areas of small scherbakiv and stepovoye. Two more clashes are still ongoing.

In the Kursk region Ukrainian defenders repelled 11 Russian attacks, one battle continues so far.

In the pridniprovskkomu and kramators komu directions, Russian forces did not carry out active offensive actions.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that from 29 March to 4 April 2025, the Russian Armed Forces have carried out seven group strikes by high-precision weapons and attack unmanned aerial vehicles, as a result of which the infrastructure of military airfields, a missile and space industry enterprise, command posts, workshops and storage areas of strike drones have been hit.

In addition, ammunition depots, explosives-producing facilities as well as temporary deployment areas of the Security Service of Ukraine, Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries have been engaged.



Over the past week, units of the Sever Group of Forces continued to eliminate AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region.

Air and drone strikes, and artillery hit manpower and hardware of a mechanised brigade, three air assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and a territorial defence brigade.



In Kharkov and Belgorod directions, units of three mechanised brigades, a motorised infantry brigade, an unmanned aerial system brigade, two assault regiments of the AFU, a marine brigade, and three territorial defence brigades were hit.

During the week, in the Sever Group's area of responsibility, the enemy lost over 1,910 troops, four tanks, 34 armoured fighting vehicles, and 72 motor vehicles. Eighteen field artillery guns, three electronic warfare stations, and two ammunition depots were eliminated.



Units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. The Russian Armed Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, two assault brigades of the AFU, a territorial defence brigade, and a border guard detachment.

The enemy lost more than 1,505 troops, five tanks, 18 armoured fighting vehicles including ten U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers.

Thirty-two motor vehicles, 36 field artillery guns including 15 Western-made artillery pieces, 13 electronic warfare stations, and 12 field ammunition depots were eliminated.



The Yug Group of Forces liberated Panteleymonovka and Rozovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

Russian formations engaged seven mechanised brigades, two jaeger brigades, a motorised infantry brigade, a mountain assault brigade, an airmobile brigade, an assault brigade, a regiment of unmanned aerial systems of the AFU, a territorial defence brigade, two national guard brigades, the Lyut Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine, and the Azov special forces brigade.

The AFU lost up to 1,975 troops, seven tanks, 21 armoured fighting vehicles including five M113 armoured personnel carriers, and a U.S.-made HMMWV armoured vehicle. Thirty-six motor vehicles, 11 field artillery guns, two electronic warfare stations, and four field ammunition depots were eliminated.

The Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Zaporozhye and Uspenovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

Russian units damaged manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades, two assault brigades, an infantry brigade, an airmobile brigade, a jaeger brigade, two drone brigades, an assault regiment of the AFU, a marine brigade, two national guard brigades, and the Omega special forces detachment.

The AFU losses amounted to more than 3,150 troops, seven tanks including two German-made Leopard tanks, 19 armoured fighting vehicles including two French-made VAB armoured personnel carriers, an M113 armoured personnel carrier, and a U.S.-made HMMWV armoured vehicle. Thirty-nine motor vehicles and 27 artillery guns were neutralised including three Western-made artillery pieces.



The Vostok Group of Forces advanced into the depths of the enemy's defence and liberated Razliv and Veseloye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Russian elements hit formations of a tank brigade, three mechanised brigades, an infantry brigade, a mountain assault brigade, a jaeger brigade, and an airmobile brigade of the AFU, a marine brigade, two territorial defence brigades, and a national guard brigades.

The AFU losses amounted to more than 945 troops, three tanks, an armoured fighting vehicle, 16 motor vehicles, and 18 field artillery guns including two Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery systems. Four electronic warfare stations were eliminated.



The Dnepr Group liberated Shcherbaki and Lobkovoye (Zaporozhye region).

The Russian Armed Forces inflicted losses on the manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, a mountain assault brigade, three coastal defence brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and two territorial defence brigades.

The AFU lost more than 435 troops, a tank, four armoured fighting vehicles including a U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier, 26 motor vehicles, and two field artillery guns. Seven electronic warfare stations, ten ammunition and fuel depots have been eliminated.



In the past week, air defence systems have shot down 15 JDAM guided bombs, four U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, one Uragan projectile, as well as 895 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.



In total, since the beginning of the special military operation the AFU lost 660 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 49,774 unmanned aerial vehicles, 601 anti-aircraft missile systems, 22,689 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,534 MLRS combat vehicles, 23,221 field artillery guns and mortars, 33,696 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region.

The Sever Group of Forces hit a mechanised brigade, three air assault brigades, and a territorial defence brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Gornal, Guyevo, and Oleshnya.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and Artillery strikes engaged AFU manpower and hardware close to Basovka, Belovody, Vladimirovka, Vodolagi, Zhuravka, Kondratovka, Loknya, Miropolye, Novonikolayevka, Privolye, Sadki, and Yunakovka in Sumy region.

For the past 24 hours, the AFU lost more than 190 troops, a tank, an armoured personnel carrier, three armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, three artillery guns, a mortar, and eight UAV command posts.

Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 71,940 troops, 404 tanks, 330 infantry fighting vehicles, 294 armoured personnel carriers, 2,247 armoured fighting vehicles, 2,609 motor vehicles, 595 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.





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CWMD Meets with Chicago Area BioWatch and STC Partners

Release Date: April 4, 2025

WASHINGTON -- On March 27 - 28, the Assistant Secretary for the DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD), David Richardson, traveled to Chicago, Illinois, to meet with state and local representatives for the BioWatch and Securing the Cities (STC) programs.

During the March 27 BioWatch meeting, A/S Richardson met with the Chicago area BioWatch program representatives to discuss the future of the program, its value, and what actions CWMD could take to strengthen this valuable program further.

The BioWatch program operates 24/7/365 in over 30 major metropolitan areas to provide an early indication of any potential airborne biological attack. DHS CWMD manages the program, supported by other federal agencies. The program is operated by a network of scientists and laboratory technicians, along with emergency managers, law enforcement officers, and public health officials across federal, state, and local levels of government.

On March 28, A/S Richardson met with the Chicago STC program leadership. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss detection equipment needs, the program's status, and to see if there are any areas CWMD can improve upon in supporting the state and local team.

The STC Program was established in 2007 and included in the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 2018. STC's mission is to prevent the illicit possession, movement, and use of radiological or nuclear materials and weapons in the United States by enhancing the nuclear detection capabilities of state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies.

Through STC's coordinated planning and operations, federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners work together in the STC regions to defend against the threat of radiological or nuclear terrorism. CWMD provides radiological and nuclear detection equipment, training, exercise support, and operational and technical subject matter expertise to the STC regions through cooperative agreement grants.

CWMD supports STC implementations in broad areas centered on high-risk urban areas across the Nation. Urban areas include New York City/Newark, Los Angeles/Long Beach, National Capital Region, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Denver, Phoenix/Maricopa County, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, and New Orleans.

CWMD serves as the Department of Homeland Security's focal point for countering weapons of mass destruction efforts. By supporting operational partners across federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial levels, CWMD coordinates DHS efforts to safeguard the United States against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.

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United States Secures the Extradition from Canada, Colombia, Germany, Honduras, Kosovo, Israel, Mexico, Spain and Thailand of Fugitives Wanted for Murder, Drug Trafficking, Child Sexual Abuse and Cybercrime in California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minne

Friday, April 4, 2025

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs

Extensive coordination and cooperation efforts between the United States Department of Justice and law enforcement authorities in Canada, Colombia, Germany, Honduras, Kosovo, Israel, Mexico, Spain, and Thailand resulted in the extraditions last week of individuals alleged to have committed murder child sexual abuse, drug trafficking, cybercrime, money laundering, and fraud.

The fugitives extradited to the United States include:

Roberto Avina-Casillas, 30, a Mexican citizen, was extradited from Mexico to stand trial in Franklin County, Ohio for murder, felonious assault and endangering children. Avina-Casillas evaded arrest for more than 11 years after he was accused of the Aug. 7, 2013 death of his former girlfriend's 3-year-old son.

Justin David Lanoue, 44, a Canadian citizen, was extradited from Canada to stand trial in Washington County, Utah, on charges filed against him in 2015 related to child rape and felony sexual abuse of a minor. The Washington County Attorney's Office is handling the prosecution.

Dominik Rydz, 24, a Polish national, was extradited from Germany to stand trial in the state of Michigan, where he faces two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree and one count of unlawful imprisonment. On the night of Sept. 3, 2023, Rydz allegedly lured a woman away from her friends at a social gathering and proceeded to sexually assault the victim and would not let her leave. Rydz's extradition was first sought from Poland, where he resided. While out on release from the Polish proceedings, Rydz travelled to Germany and was arrested there on an INTERPOL Red Notice.

Olof Kyros Gustafsson, also known as "El Silencio," 31, a Swedish national, was extradited from Spain to face conspiracy, wire and mail fraud, and money laundering charges in a 115-count federal indictment filed in the Central District of California alleging that he licensed the rights to use the name and persona of the late Colombian narco-terrorist Pablo Escobar and defrauded investors around the world by marketing and selling products  including flamethrowers and cellphones  that did not exist and that he never delivered to paying customers.

Ardit Kutleshi, 26, and Jetmir Kutleshi, 28, both Kosovo nationals, were extradited from Kosovo to face identity theft, access device fraud, and money laundering charges in the Western District of Pennsylvania for their roles as the alleged administrators of the Rydox cybercrime marketplace, an illicit website dedicated to selling stolen personal information, access devices, and other tools for carrying out cybercrime and fraud. The Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania are handling the prosecution.

Rene Javier Santos Alfaro, 53, a Honduran citizen, was extradited from Honduras to stand trial in the Southern District of Florida for drug trafficking offenses. Santos Alfaro is an alleged leader of a drug trafficking organization based in Honduras that was allegedly responsible for importing large quantities of cocaine from Honduras directly into Miami via commercial aircraft.

Cristian Eduardo Garcia Jerez, 36, a Colombian national, was extradited from Colombia to face drug trafficking charges in the Northern District of Georgia. Garcia Jerez is alleged to have owned two cocaine processing laboratories and coordinated the manufacturing of cocaine in Colombia and the smuggling of cocaine from Colombia into the United States.

Jose Guillermo Granja Rojas, 36, a Mexican national, was extradited from Colombia to face a money laundering conspiracy charge in the Northern District of Georgia. Granja Rojas was allegedly a money launderer for a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) who collected hundreds of thousands of dollars of proceeds from the sale of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the United States and transferred them to Mexico. DTO members directed the deposit of drug proceeds into accounts allegedly controlled by Granja Rojas, and Granja Rojas also allegedly traveled from Mexico to the United States to receive cash drug proceeds in person.

Tien Vy Tai Truong, 46, an alleged leader of a transnational drug trafficking organization, was extradited from Thailand to face conspiracy to export methamphetamine charges in a 2024 indictment filed in the Central District of California. Truong is alleged to have engaged in negotiations with a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confidential human source to export about 200 pounds of methamphetamine from the United States to Australia for sale.

The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing the defendants' arrests and extraditions along with the U.S. Marshals Service. OIA and the Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section's Office of Judicial Attache in Bogota, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions from Colombia. The Criminal Division's Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) also provided assistance with the extraditions from Kosovo. The Justice Department thanks and acknowledges the instrumental role of its law enforcement partners in Canada, Colombia, Germany, Honduras, Kosovo, Israel, Mexico, Spain, and Thailand for making these extraditions possible.

An indictment and criminal complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Components: Criminal Division

Criminal - Office of International Affairs

Criminal - Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance & Training

Press Release Number: 25-347

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New ADF pistol unveiled

By Corporal Luke Bellman

4 April 2025

With the new F9 sidearm weapon system (F9 SWS) in hand, personnel have begun pulling the trigger on a new chapter in close combat.

The system is based on the SIG Sauer 9mm P320 X-Carry Pro, featuring a red-dot sight, torch and holster.

It replaces the legacy 9mm Browning Mk3 pistol and is also supported by non-lethal training kit and Defence's Weapon Training Simulation System (WTSS).

Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2) Mark Biviano, of the Combined Arms Training Centre, said it was more than just a pistol.

"The first thing you notice is that you are employing a system as opposed to simply a weapon," WO2 Biviano said.

"You receive all of the components of the system, and then you use all the components throughout your lessons."

Rollout of the F9 began last year and will continue through to 2026 under Project Land 300.

For Army, rollout started this year at 7th Brigade and will continue throughout 2025.

"It's not just a weapon upgrade - it's a complete shift in how we build deployable capability," WO2 Biviano said.

The system is provided by Queensland-based NIOA Group, supported by Victorian suppliers Aquaterro and Platatac.

The F9 is part of equipment being acquired under Land 300, which includes fighting knives, new sniper rifles and sniper surveillance system.

F9 training includes web-based ADELE lessons, hands-on drills, WTSS and train the battle shot live fire - integrating combat mindset, shooting techniques and qualifications on all equipment in one course.

Students must demonstrate accuracy and weapon handling across multiple distances, replacing the outdated "10 rounds and done" approach.

In early March, a week-long train-the-trainer course was held at Amberley, where participants learned to qualify others on the F9 SWS.

One of those was Air Force Warrant Officer Brett Moy, Combat Support Group lead for the F9 rollout and training to RAAF, who said it was hands-on, practical and empowering.

"You don't just fire 10 rounds and tick a box anymore - you've got to display through application you can apply the skills required to achieve the grouping and alignment standards," Warrant Officer Moy said.

The WTSS is now a key part of the training, allowing participants to progress through theory, drills and simulation before live-fire.

"There is a lot of application and reinforcement before you actually go on to the range," Warrant Officer Moy said.

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Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin Travels to Russia for Consultations

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

Updated: April 03, 2025 23:00

On April 2, 2025, Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin held consultations on China-Russia relations and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) affairs with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko and met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Galuzin Mikhail Yuryevich in Moscow.

Liu Bin said under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era is moving to a higher level. China is ready to work with Russia to follow the fundamental guidance of the strategic common understandings reached between the two heads of state, intensify high-level exchanges, deepen strategic coordination and expand the space for win-win development. China has now assumed the rotating presidency of the SCO and will host the summit. China is ready to work with Russia and other member states to promote the SCO to strengthen cooperation and improve its operational mechanism, continue to grow, safeguard regional security and promote regional development.

The Russian side expressed willingness to work with the Chinese side to follow through on the important common understandings reached between the two heads of state and inject strong impetus into the development of Russia-China relations. Against the backdrop of complex changes in the international and regional situations, Russia is willing to maintain effective strategic coordination with China, promote cooperation in various fields and jointly hold a series of activities commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Russia firmly supports China in fulfilling the tasks of the SCO presidency, especially ensuring the success of the summit in Tianjin, and working for greater development of the SCO.

The two sides also had an exchange of views on the Ukraine crisis and other international and regional issues of common interest and concern.

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China hits back with 34% tariffs on US imports as fears of global recession rise

Iran Press TV

Friday, 04 April 2025 5:20 PM

China has announced retaliatory tariffs of 34% on US imports, taking effect from April 10, signaling a sharp escalation of a major trade war that could lead to a global recession.

Beijing has previously imposed tariffs of 15 percent on imports of coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US in retaliation for Washington's 10 percent levies on Chinese goods.

Retaliatory tariffs of 34% on US imports were announced on Friday.

"For all imported goods originating from the US, an additional tariff of 34% on top of the current applicable tariff rate will be imposed," China's finance ministry announced in a statement.

"The purpose of the Chinese government's implementation of export controls on relevant items in accordance with the law is to better safeguard national security and interests, and to fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation," the ministry added.

Referring to Trump's imposition of "reciprocal tariffs", China's state council tariff commission stated that the US action "is not in line with international trade rules, seriously undermines China's legitimate rights and interests, and is a typical unilateral bullying practice."

China has added 16 US companies and organizations to its export control list, restricting Chinese companies from doing business with them.

Moreover, China's industry associations have unanimously condemned the tariffs. China's National Textile and Apparel Council said that it "supported the government's forceful measures" and that the US had "damaged the resilience of the global textile industry's supply chain."

The giant economy has also filed a lawsuit against the US with the World Trade Organisation.

US President Donald Trump has responded to Beijing's announcement. "China played it wrong, they panicked - the one thing they cannot afford to do!" Trump wrote on social media.

Trump on Wednesday announced that China would be hit with a 34-percent tariff, on top of the 20 percent he imposed earlier this year, bringing the total new levies to 54 percent.

Experts believe that the mounting trade war is a blow to global trade.

Stephane Ekolo, a market and equity strategist for Tradition in London, told Reuters: "China comes out swinging with an aggressive response to Trump's tariffs. This is significant and is unlikely to be over, hence the negative market reactions. Investors are afraid of a 'tit for tat' trade war situation."

Wall Street's main indexes posted their biggest single-day percentage decline in years on Thursday, while investment bank JP Morgan has raised the probability of a global recession by the end of the year to 60%, up from a previous estimate of 40%.

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Germany Federal Foreign Office

04.04.2025 - Press release

On the occasion of International Mine Awareness Day, Luise Amtsberg, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement:

Safe Futures Start Here - the motto of this year's International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action encapsulates our work in this sphere. Together with affected states, we need to ensure that mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) are cleared as quickly as possible, with survivors receiving immediate support. This cannot work without dovetailed cooperation between all actors.

According to the United Nations, more than 100 million people around the world are at risk from landmines and ERW, such as unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices - in Ukraine, Syria, Gaza and many other places. They kill civilians, block essential humanitarian assistance and have a long-term social and economic impact - often long after a conflict has ended. The figures are shocking: more than 80 percent of victims of mines and ERW are civilians, including a horrifying number of children. Schools remain closed, displaced persons cannot return home and reconstruction is hampered.

Humanitarian mine clearance is therefore always about protecting human rights, too: the right to life, to security, to freedom of movement. It is about education, healthcare and livelihoods. For survivors of mine accidents, the focus is on their right to participate fully in public life.

As the second-largest bilateral donor, we have in recent years invested 70 million euro annually to provide significant support for humanitarian mine clearance. With our Humanitarian Mine Action Strategy, we are setting clear priorities for the future, such as the involvement of women in all spheres and the implementation of innovative approaches for more successful clearance, so assistance can be provided as quickly and efficiently as possible. The affected states also have to play their part here. After all, we have a shared responsibility for the safe future of people in war zones.
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: NATIONAL RARE EARTHS POLICY

India - Press Information Bureau

Department of Atomic Energy

Posted On: 03 APR 2025 6:37PM by PIB Delhi

Government of India has launched the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) in 2025 to establish an effective framework for India's self-reliance in the critical mineral sector. Under the NCMM, Geological Survey of India (GSI) has been assigned to carry out 1200 exploration projects from 2024-25 to 2030-31.

In order to reduce the import dependency of Rare Earth Elements (REE), Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) is carrying out exploration to augment resources of REE along the coastal / inland / riverine placer sands of the country for augmentation of heavy mineral resource, which include monazite (a phosphate mineral containing Th and REE) and xenotime (a phosphate mineral of yttrium and REE) as well as in several potential geological domains (hard rock) of the country. Further, during the last three years (2021-22 to 2023-24), GSI has taken up 368 mineral exploration projects on critical minerals including Rare Earth Elements (REE) and for 2024-25, GSI has taken up 195 exploration projects to assess the mineral potential of critical minerals including REE specified in Part D of First Schedule of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2023.

IREL (India) Limited (IREL), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has been mandated to produce Rare Earth Elements in the form of high pure Rare Earth Oxides from Rare Earths (RE) bearing mineral Monazite in India. IREL has been operating in three locations having the facility for integrated mining and processing of mineral sands and a facility each for extraction and refining of rare earths. With the grant of Letter of Intent (LoI) for three more reserve deposits in different geographies of India, the domestic production is planned to be enhanced.

As a part of functioning of IREL, IREL undertakes economic feasibility of mining of Rare Earths before taking up mining operations at each location.

This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

***

NKR/PSM

(Release ID: 2118380)

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PRESS COMMUNIQUE

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Commerce & Industry

Posted On: 03 APR 2025 2:13PM by PIB Delhi

The US President issued an Executive Order on Reciprocal Tariffs imposing additional ad-valorem duties ranging from 10% to 50% on imports from all trading partners. The baseline duty of 10% will be effective from April 05, 2025 and the remaining country specific additional ad-valorem duty will be effective from April 09, 2025. The additional duty on India as per the Annex I of the Executive Order is 27%.

The Department of Commerce is carefully examining the implications of the various measures / announcements made by the President of the USA. Keeping in view the vision of Viksit Bharat, the Department is engaged with all stakeholders, including Indian industry and exporters, taking feedback of their assessment of the tariffs and assessing the situation. The Department is also studying the opportunities that may arise due to this new development in the US trade policy.

The Hon Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, and the Hon President of USA, Mr. Donald Trump have announced on 13 February 2025 'Mission 500' - aiming to more than double the bilateral trade to US $500 Billion by 2030. Accordingly, discussions are ongoing between Indian and US trade teams for the expeditious conclusion of a mutually beneficial, multi-sectoral Bilateral Trade Agreement. These cover a wide range of issues of mutual interest including deepening supply chain integration. The ongoing talks are focused on enabling both nations to grow trade, investments and technology transfers. We remain in touch with the Trump Administration on these issues and expect to take them forward in the coming days.

India values its Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with the United States and is committed to working closely with the US to implement the India-US 'Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology' (COMPACT) for the 21st century to ensure that our trade ties remain a pillar of mutual prosperity and drive transformative change for the benefit of the people of India and the US.

***

Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan

(Release ID: 2118182)

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Raksha Mantri exhorts AMC to continue adopting latest technologies to provide quality health services to soldiers

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

"Need to develop tech for both defence & civilian sectors, Civil-military convergence is crucial for overall development"

INHS Asvini, Mumbai bags RM Trophy for best hospital in AFMS for 2024

Posted On: 03 APR 2025 5:58PM by PIB Delhi

"The medical sector is going through a phase of technological transformation across the globe, and the Army Medical Corps (AMC) must continue adopting latest advancements to provide quality health services to our soldiers," said Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh while addressing the 261stRaising Day celebrations of AMC at Army Hospital (Research & Referral), Delhi Cantt. on April 03, 2025.

While Raksha Mantri acknowledged AMC's efforts of adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) and carrying out research in cutting-edge tech, he stressed on the need to stay abreast with evolving practices to achieve new breakthroughs in the field. He pitched for encouraging simulator-based training, wherein expertise in medical procedure is achieved through machine-based learning. He batted for additional research and training centres for the personnel to achieve this proficiency.

Shri Rajnath Singh highlighted the need to develop dual-use technologies, which can prove to be beneficial to both defence and civilian sectors. Civil-military convergence in the field of defence technology is crucial for the overall development, he said, while commending AMC for working with academia such as ICMR, IITs & AIIMS and medical organisations of other countries. He also urged AMC to explore the possibility of training medical professionals of other developing and under-developed countries to increase India's stature in the field of military diplomacy.

Raksha Mantri appreciated the remarkable contribution of AMC in reforming the health sector - from infrastructure to services and policy making to implementation. He stated that AMC has strengthened the combat medical readiness of the Armed Forces by introducing Advanced Mobile Surgical Units and Rapid Response Medical teams. Indigenous Trauma Management System and AI-powered medical triage systems have improved emergency response time & patient care, he added.

Shri Rajnath Singh pointed out that the services of AMC are not limited to the serving soldiers, and they continuously strive for the well-being of the ex-servicemen and their families.

Raksha Mantri made special mention of Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, the incumbent and first female Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), describing her as a shining example of the growing Nari Shakti in the military. "Under her leadership, not only are our doctors carrying out exceptional work, the participation of women has also increased," he said.

On the occasion, Shri Rajnath Singh presented the Raksha Mantri Trophy in recognition of the outstanding performance in delivery of healthcare to Armed Forces personnel. The trophy for the best hospital in AFMS for 2024 was awarded to INHS Asvini, Mumbai, while the second-best hospital trophy was given to Command Hospital, Western Command, Chandimandir, Haryana. These awards stand as testimony to the AMC's unwavering pursuit of excellence and patient care.

The event was attended by senior dignitaries, including Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, DGAFMS Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin and other civil and military officials.

****

VK/SR/Savvy/SS

(Release ID: 2118354)

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Transcript of Special briefing by MEA on Prime Minister's visit to Thailand (April 04, 2025)

India - Ministry of External Affairs

April 04, 2025

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good afternoon, friends. I welcome you to this special briefing on Prime Minister's ongoing visit to Thailand. We have with us Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri, to brief us on the engagements of the Prime Minister. We are also joined by Secretary (East) Shri P. Kumaran, Joint Secretary BIMSTEC Shri Sugandh Rajaram, and Joint Secretary South Shri Ashish Sinha. With that I invite Foreign Secretary sir to give an overview of the visit. Sir, the floor is yours.

Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary: Thank you Randhir. Good Afternoon Friends. The Prime Minister is on a visit to Thailand ... for an official visit here, a bilateral visit, and also to participate in the sixth BIMSTEC Summit.

The Prime Minister arrived yesterday in the morning, and was warmly received at the airport by Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand ... Minister of Transport. There was also a large gathering of the Indian community that welcomed him at the airport, and at the hotel as well there were members of the Indian community to give him a warm and very special welcome.

You would perhaps have seen already that his first engagement on arrival at the hotel was to witness a performance of Ramakien, the traditional Thai Ramayan which he enjoyed very much and which is a symbol once again of the civilizational ties between our two countries.

Yesterday in the afternoon, the Prime Minister had a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Her Excellency Paetongtarn Shinawatra at Government House. The two leaders decided to elevate ties between India and Thailand to the level of a Strategic Partnership, and witnessed the exchange of six memoranda of understanding in the fields of strategic partnership, digital domain, handicrafts and handlooms, MSMEs, and maritime heritage.

As a special gesture, the Thai government marked the visit of the Prime Minister by the release of a postage stamp depicting Ramayan murals from the 18th century.

And in yet another special gesture, symbolic of the shared Buddhist heritage between our two countries, Prime Minister Shinawatra presented to the Prime Minister a set of holy scriptures, the World Ti-Pitaka series in Pali that has been brought out by the Thai government as a special commemorative publication.

Earlier today, the Prime Minister together with other leaders from the region attended the sixth BIMSTEC Summit. He called upon the leaders to look to contribute towards expanding the agenda and the capacity of BIMSTEC for the progress and prosperity of the people of the region. He announced a 21-point action plan to add new vibrancy and vigor to BIMSTEC. These announcements have already been posted on the Ministry of External Affairs website.

Now, on the sidelines of the Summit, the Prime Minister also held a few bilateral meetings. And I'll take this opportunity to brief you on two of the meetings that have been held thus far.

The Prime Minister's first meeting was with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of the State Administration Council of Myanmar.

The Prime Minister offered condolences at the loss of life and the damage caused by the recent earthquake in Myanmar. The two sides exchanged views on India's ongoing efforts under Operation Brahma to provide humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and medical assistance to Myanmar.

As you are aware, we've mounted a very large operation in this regard, and nearly 250 Indian personnel are on the ground in the form of a Field Hospital as well as search and rescue teams, aiding the efforts of Myanmar authorities to look for survivors and to bring succor and relief to those in need.

The Prime Minister conveyed to the Senior General that as the first responder, India stands with Myanmar in this hour of need, and is ready to deploy more material assistance as might be needed.

The Prime Minister also underlined the importance of early restoration of the democratic process in Myanmar, including through credible and inclusive elections, and that India would support all efforts, as it has in the past, at fostering trust and advancing a Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led transition towards a peaceful, stable, and democratic future.

The Prime Minister also appreciated the support that Myanmar has extended for the rescue and repatriation, including very recently, of Indian nationals from cyber-scam centers operating on the borders between Myanmar and Thailand. And both leaders also agreed on the importance of cooperating on matters such as activities of insurgent groups along the borders, transnational crimes, and human trafficking also along the India-Myanmar border.

Subsequently, the Prime Minister also met today with Professor Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh. The Prime Minister reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive, and inclusive Bangladesh.

He underlined that India believed in a people-centric approach to the relationship, and highlighted the cooperation between the two countries over a long period of time that has delivered tangible benefits to people in both countries. And in this spirit, he once again underlined to Professor Yunus India's desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh based on a spirit of pragmatism.

The Prime Minister also urged in this regard that any rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided. On the border, strict enforcement of the law and the prevention of illegal border crossings, especially at night, is necessary for maintaining border security and stability. There are a number of bilateral mechanisms between the two countries, and these mechanisms could meet as appropriate to review and take forward our ties.

The Prime Minister also underlined India's concerns related to the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, and expressed his expectation that the Government of Bangladesh would ensure their security, including by thoroughly investigating all cases of atrocities committed against them.

The Prime Minister also congratulated Bangladesh on assuming the Chair of BIMSTEC, and looked forward to the forum further advancing regional cooperation under the leadership of Bangladesh.

The leaders also exchanged views on other issues, and agreed to enhance consultations and cooperation to advance regional integration, including under the BIMSTEC framework.

The Prime Minister expressed his conviction that all issues of mutual interest between the two countries would continue to be addressed and resolved bilaterally through constructive discussions in the interests of the long-standing and mutually beneficial bilateral relationship between the two countries.

The Prime Minister has a meeting later this afternoon with the Prime Minister of Nepal, His Excellency Mr. K.P. Sharma Oli. We will update you on that meeting as soon as we have the details.

Let me stop there. We have time only for a few questions. So I will turn it over to Randhir.

Vishal Pandey, ABP News: Sir main Vishal Pandey hoon APB News se. Mera sawal hain ki, jab Muhammad Yunus aur Pradhan Mantri Modi ki mulakat hui toh kya usmei Sheikh Hasina ke mudde par bhi batchit hui hain? Aur dusra kya alpasankhyakon par jo aatyachar ho raha hain, us mudde ko Bharat ne aur jordar tarike se uthaya hain ? aur chunav ko lekar bhi koi batchit hui ? Bangladesh mei chunav kab honge?

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, I am Vishal Pandey from ABP News. My question isduring the meeting between Muhammad Yunus and Prime Minister Modi, was the issue of Sheikh Hasina also discussed? Secondly, has India raised the issue of atrocities against minorities more forcefully? And was there any discussion related to the upcoming elections in Bangladeshspecifically, when they are likely to be held?

Ayushi Agarwal, ANI: Sir, good afternoon, this is Ayushi Agarwal from ANI. Sir, my question is also related to Prime Minister's meeting with Professor Yunus. Since you told that the minority issue came up during the meeting, was there any assurance given by Yunus ? And also, any discussion regarding the formal request sent by Dhaka to India regarding the extradition of Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka?

Meghna Dev, DD News: Sir Meghna DD News se. Sir mere do prashna hain. Pehna Pradhan Mantri ki jo Muhammad Yunus se jo batchit hui hain usmei kis tarah ki pratikriya samne aayi hain, khas taur par jo alpasankyakon ke khilaf jo hinsa hui hain, aur dusra jo hindu mandiron ko bhi wahan par kai jagahon par tahas-nahas kiya gaya hain uske baare mei bhi. Dusra prashna sir Myanmar par hain, ki kya wahan par Operation Brahma chal raha hain, kai jagah par reports aayi hain ki jo aid ja rahi hain usko bhi kai jagah par roka ja raha hain ya wahan par is tarah ki koi dikkatain aa rahi hain, is par kya koi batchit hui hain?

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, I have two questions. First, during Prime Minister Modi's meeting with Muhammad Yunus, what kind of response emerged? Particularly concerning the violence against minorities, and reports of attacks and vandalism targeting Hindu temples in various parts of Bangladesh?

Secondly, on Myanmar, there have been reports suggesting that 'Operation Brahma' is underway, and in several areas, the humanitarian aid being sent is reportedly facing obstructions. Has there been any discussion regarding these challenges?

Dhairya Maheshwari, Sputnik: Sir, all the major BIMSEC countries have been impacted by the reciprocal tariff announcement, including Thailand and India. So, could you give us a sense of, you know, there is a collective strategy on how to navigate this protectionist environment, since we also heard from the EAM, talking about, you know, need for an ambitious approach to counter this global churn. Thank you, Sir.

Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary: Thank you. Mere vichar mei aap sabke jo sawal Bangladesh ko leke hain woh yahi do-tin muddon pe hain, toh main sabko ek sath le leta hoon. Dekhiye jahan tak Sheikh Hasina ka sawal hain, aur unke silsile mei jo Bangladesh ki aur se jo nivedan aaya hain main iske baare mei batchit hui thi. Aur jo hamare spokesperson hain unhone pahle hi iske baare mei aapko avgat kiya hua hain, ki hamare pass is mudde pe ek nivedan aaya hain. Is samay is vishay pe kuch aur kehna mere liye uchit nahi hoga.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Thank you. In my view, most of your questions regarding Bangladesh seem to revolve around a few key issues, so let me address them together. As far as Sheikh Hasina is concernedand the reference that was made in that context from the Bangladesh sideyes, this matter was raised during discussions. As our spokesperson has already informed you earlier, we have indeed received a communication on this issue. At this point, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the subject.

Minorities ki, alpasankyakon ki jo wahan pe halat hain, aur is vishay ko leke batchit mei jo donon leaders ke beech hui, jaisa maine apne remarks mei kahan, Pradhan Mantri ji ne is mudde ko khul ke samne rakha, iske baare mei hamari gehri chinta unhone jatai. Aur iska asar jo baaki samaj pe hota hain uske baare mei Professor Yunus ko avgat karaya. Aur unhone apni aasha jatai ki aakhirkar ye jo mudda hain iski jo jimmedari hain woh Bangladesh sarkar ki hain, aur unhone aasha jatai ki Bangladesh sarkar is vishay pe apni jimmedariyon pe khari utregi aur in chizon ki aage jaanch karegi.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] As I mentioned in my earlier remarks, Prime Minister Modi raised the issue of the condition of minorities in Bangladesh candidly during his conversation with Professor Muhammad Yunus. He conveyed India's deep concern on the matter and highlighted the broader societal implications of these developments. The Prime Minister also made it clear that the responsibility for addressing these issues lies with the Government of Bangladesh. He expressed his hope that the government would fulfill its responsibilities with seriousness and ensure that these matters are properly investigated and addressed.

Jahan tak chunav ka sawal hain, dekhiye koi bhi democracy ho usmei regular aur inclusive elections, uska ek bahot hi aham hissa hote hain. Aur humne, Pradhan Mantri ji ne iske baare mei bhi apni soch Professor Yunus se sajha ki, aur aasha jatai ki hum aage chalte ek democratic, inclusive aur stable Bangladesh dekhenge aur usmei elections ka apna ek role hota hain woh sab jante hain.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] As far as the issue of elections is concerned, it is well understood that in any democracy, regular and inclusive elections are a vital component. Prime Minister Modi shared his views on this matter with Professor Muhammad Yunus and expressed his hope that, moving forward, we will see a democratic, inclusive, and stable Bangladesh. It is universally acknowledged that elections play a crucial role in achieving that vision.

I think there was a question on Operation Brahma in Myanmar. We have not come across any reports of assistance, at least I can only speak for assistance that we have sent, which is by now approaching close to 800 tons of assistance that has been landed in Myanmar at different points. So, we have thus far not come across any reports that that assistance has been held up. It has reached its destinations. The field hospital has been set up in Mandalay, which is the worst affected area and where assistance is needed the most. The search and rescue teams are operating in Mandalay, again, one of the worst affected areas. So, I think our aid has reached most places where it is required.

We have not yet come across any reports about it being stopped.

Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East): You asked about BIMSTEC's response, if any, to the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. Let me just limit myself to saying that we are still studying this.

It is a very recent development. We continue to have discussions with the counterparts in the US administration. And plus, we are also trying to first use all available data to try and analyze the implications for our industry, and to address concerns in our own country first before we take it up with any multilateral forum. Thank you.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: With that, ladies and gentlemen, we come to the close of this press briefing. Thank you very much for your presence.

Bangkok

April 04, 2025

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Transcript of Special briefing by MEA on the State Visit of the President of India to Portugal and Slovak Republic (April 04, 2025)

India - Ministry of External Affairs

April 04, 2025

Shri Rajesh Parihar, Director (XPD): Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I welcome you all to this special briefing by Secretary West, Shri Tanmaya Lal, on the Honorable Rashtrapati Ji's upcoming state visits to Portugal and Slovak Republic, which is beginning on 6th of April.

Also joining on the dais are Ms. Pooja Kapur, Additional Secretary for Central Europe, and Shri Piyush Srivastava, Additional Secretary for Europe-West, and Shri Ajay Singh, the Press Secretary to the President. With that, I now invite Secretary West to brief our friends from the media on the visit.

Shri Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West): Thank you, good afternoon, Namaskar.

So I will be talking about the two very important landmark visits coming up, state visits by President to Portugal and Slovakia. I will begin by Portugal.

This is a historic visit because it comes at a time when we are marking 50 years of the diplomatic relations between our two countries, and it is also 27 years since the last visit by a President from India to Portugal. So it is a very symbolic and landmark visit. The President will be travelling to Portugal at the invitation of His Excellency President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of Portugal.

In fact, President Sousa had visited India in 2020. A year earlier, in 2019, Prime Minister Antonio Costa had visited India, and Prime Minister Modi had visited Portugal in 2017, and also earlier, Prime Minister Costa had visited India in 2017 also. So if we just see the last few years, there has been a very, very high-level exchange of visits between India and Portugal, and that shows the degree of high-level engagement that is ongoing between our two countries.

Our Prime Ministers, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Montenegro, they had also met recently last year in November in Rio de Janeiro at the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

Also, just a few months back in December, the Foreign Minister of Portugal, His Excellency Paulo Rangel had visited India, and External Affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar had visited Portugal in 2023. So it just shows how strong the political engagement and momentum is of the high-level visits, and coming at a time as we mark 50 years of our diplomatic relations, this visit will take this forward ... our friendship and partnership forward.

Between India and Portugal, there exists very strong goodwill. There is a long-standing historical context to our ties; very, very strong diaspora links; also unique cultural linkages ranging from food to art and architecture, music, language.

Another dimension of the India-Portugal relationship is the India-EU partnership, and there again the India-Portugal relationship adds to the strength of the India-EU relationship.

It is worth noting that during the Portuguese Presidency of the EU in the year 2000, the first India-EU summit had been hosted by Portugal. And also in 2021, the first ever India-EU Leaders' Summit was hosted under Portuguese Presidency. So this relationship has an important role in strengthening the strategic partnership between India and EU.

One more dimension at the multilateral and regional level is the association with the CPLP, which is the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, which has nine members, and India is an associate member in the CPLP.

If you look at the business ties, the trade is of the order of US$1.5 billion, and it has been growing steadily. There has been a 50% growth during the last five years. A range of areas of cooperation ... renewable energy, IT, pharmaceuticals, education, tourism and defense.

Portugal was also the first country in Europe with whom India had signed a Migration and Mobility Agreement.

For the State Visit that is upcoming now, the Honorable Rashtrapati ji will hold delegation-level talks with her counterpart, President de Sousa.

The President will also host a banquet dinner in her honor. The President will meet Prime Minister Luis Montenegro. She will also meet the Speaker of the Parliament of Portugal, Dr. Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco. The Mayor of Lisbon will also host a special event in her honor.

The President will also meet members of the Indian community in Portugal, and she is likely to meet some Indian researchers from various universities and academic institutions.

Now I will turn to the visit to Slovakia.

Again, the State Visit of the President is a historic visit. It is nearly three decades, 29 years to be precise, since the last President visit to Slovakia from India. And this is only the second ever state visit from India to Slovakia. In recent years, there has been a lot of political engagement at a very high level.

The Foreign Minister of Slovakia have visited India during the last three years, 2023, 2024, and also this year. The visit also comes 30 years after the establishment of the Indian Embassy in Bratislava, which was done in 1995. The Foreign Minister, Juraj Blanar, had visited India recently, and last year the then Foreign Minister, Rastislav Kacer, had met the External Affairs Minister in Vienna.

The External Affairs Minister had also travelled to Bratislava a year before in 2023. Slovak Minister of Economy, Mr. Karel Hirman, had visited with a business delegation last year, and Foreign Office Consultations were also held last year.

So with Slovakia also there is a strong political momentum. At the same time, business engagement is going ... there is exchange of business delegations. There is significant investment by Indian companies in Slovakia in a range of sectors from Automobiles to Engineering to IT.

Slovakian businesses are also investing in India, again in very diverse fields, manufacturing steel, IT hardware, railways, and there are also long-standing defense ties. One of the satellites of Slovakia was launched by an Indian rocket, PSLV, in 2017.

The trade is of the order of 1.2 billion and investment is of the order of 1.7 billion from India into Slovakia.

Coming to the elements of the State Visit. There will be delegation level talks and meeting with the counterpart between the President and the President of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini. There will also be a meeting with the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Mr. Robert Fico.

The Honorable President will also meet the Speaker of the National Council, which is the Parliament of Slovakia, His Excellency Richard Rasi. The President of Slovakia will host a state banquet in the honor of our President, and she will also meet the Indian community. There are around 6,000 Indians living and working in Slovakia.

The relationship also has close cultural ties. There are strong connections, and studies of Sanskrit language in Slovakia. Mahatma Gandhi's works have been translated into Slovak language.

In one of the recent episodes of Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Modi had spoken about these translations of Upanishads into Slovak language. I may mention that in 2022, during the evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine, Slovakia had extended very valuable help.

India-Slovakia relations are also important in the context of India-EU partnership. In fact, Slovakia had joined the EU at the time when India and EU had launched the strategic partnership.

Both these state visits are coming at an important time in the individual bilateral partnerships. They are coming after a considerable period, but also at a very important moment in our partnerships.

These will provide a very strong push to our ties, both with Portugal and with Slovakia. They also reflect India's increasing engagement with individual countries in Europe. We recently had the successful visit of the College of Commissioners, led by the EC President.

We have also seen many other high-level visits between India and European partners. We are very much looking forward to these two state visits by the Honorable President to Portugal and Slovakia. Thank you.

Shri Rajesh Parihar, Director (XPD): Thank you sir. Now if there are any questions, floor is open.

Sidhant Sibal, WION: Hi sir, Sidhant from WION. Sir, in terms of Portugal, its role for India in the European Union, and also, will there be a conversation on India-EU FTA, something that both sides plan to conclude by end of this year? And my second question, on the diaspora component, how much that will be part of the visit, the focus, during the President's visit?

Krishna Mohan Sharma, Bharat Express: Sir, Krishna Mohan Sharma from Bharat Express. Is there any business delegation also traveling with the President of India?

Niraj Kumar, News18 India: Sir Niraj hoon News18 India se. Sir, donon deshon ki tarikhain kya hongi, 6 April se daure ki shurwat hogi, agar donon deshon ki alag-alag tarikhon ki baat karain.

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, I'm Niraj from News18 India. Could you please the specific dates for the visits to both countries? Will the visit begin on April 6, and if so, could you clarify the separate dates for each country?

Shri Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West): Okay, so I will start with the dates. The days of engagement for Portugal are 7th and 8th of April, and for Slovakia, 9th and 10th April.

There will be a business component, especially in Slovakia, for which there will be Indian business people also traveling.

On the question regarding the India-EU partnership, as I mentioned, Portugal has always played a very important role in deepening the India-EU partnership. I had mentioned that way back in 2000, during the Portuguese Presidency, the first India-EU Summit had been hosted by them. And also, 2021, the first ever Leaders' Summit between India and EU, where all the leaders from all individual EU partner countries had attended this summit. So the India-Portugal relationship has a very strong element of India-EU partnership.

You referred to the possibility of discussion. Yes, the areas of mutual interest will be discussed. About the India-EU FTA, as you would remember, during the recent visit of the College of Commissioners, led by the President of EC, Ursula von der Leyen, both the leaders, Prime Minister Modi and the President of the European Commission, had decided to direct their teams to finalize the India-EU FTA within this year.

So that has been a very clear direction and the negotiations are ongoing. Both teams are taking forward the process in a very strong manner, and we are very hopeful that the FTA will be finalized soon. And as you may know, the Trade Commissioner from the European Commission side is Mr. Maros, who has been discussing with the Commerce and Industry Minister. They have had meetings, and he is from Slovakia.

In terms of diaspora links, because of our historical links, very strong diaspora links. It is estimated that perhaps 120,000 persons of Indian origin are living in Portugal, and that is a very substantial number for a country which has a population of 10 million. The Indian diaspora has been active in all sectors in Portugal, so all cross-sections of public life, ranging from government to diplomacy to politics to business, entrepreneurs, educationists, jurists. So it is a very, very vibrant community.

A very large section of this community ... they come from all over India, but also in significant numbers from Goa, from Gujarat, from Punjab. The former Prime Minister of Portugal, His Excellency Antonio Costa, as you know, he is of Indian origin. He is currently the President of the European Council. He is also a recipient of the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman. So all this reflects the very close diaspora links that exist between India and Portugal.

Rishabh Madhavendra Pratap, Times Now: Secretary, Good Evening, Rishabh from Times Now. In diplomacy, if the President is travelling, there has to be something with the timing of this visit. Is there anything significant about the timing of this visit, if we can have an in-depth knowledge about what is behind the visit, why now, and what are we trying to achieve from this visit?

Jayanti: Good Evening sir. Sir what is the engagement that's planned with the Indian Disapora in both Portugal and in Slovakia?

[Inaudible]

Niraj Kumar, News18 India: [Inaudible] ... Uske baad pichle saal wahan ke Videsh mantri bhi aaye the aur unhone bhi jo hamare Vanijya mantri hain, Videsh mantri se tamam muddon par batchit hui thi, chahe woh digital infra ho, green hydrogen ho, tamam muddon par sahmatiyan bani thi kuch toh. Abhi jo Rashtrapati ji ka daura hone ja raha hain toh un sahmatiyon ko kya kuch anuband mei tabdil hone ki sambhavana hain kuch? Hum MoUs aur karne ja rahe hain, jo sahmatiyan khastaur par december ki visit mei bani thi jab unke Videsh mantri aaye the.

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Following that, last year their Foreign Minister also visited India, and during his visit, there were detailed discussions with our Commerce and External Affairs Ministers on a range of issuesincluding digital infrastructure, green hydrogen, and others. Certain areas of agreement were reached at that time.

Now, with the upcoming visit of the President, is there a possibility that those earlier understandings will be formalized into agreements? Are we likely to see MoUs being signed, particularly on the points of convergence identified during the Foreign Minister's visit in December?

Shri Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West): So about the timing of the visit, yes, of course, as I mentioned, both are very, very significant. If you look at the state visit to Portugal, it comes at a time when we are celebrating 50 years landmark of establishment of our diplomatic relations. And that is a very, very important signal.

It also gives a signal how ... what I mentioned was the series of high-level engagement that have taken place in the last seven to eight years. It reflects that the momentum is strongly carried forward. We value our partnership with Portugal and this visit, which at the present level comes after nearly 27 years, gives a very, very important signal.

And it has significance not only in the bilateral context but also in the EU and the CPLP and other multilateral contexts.

Similarly, for Slovakia, the State visit comes ... this is only the second ever visit by a President from India to Slovakia. Slovakia is also an important EU member.

The visit comes after nearly 29 years. So it again shows ... although it builds up on the recent visits by Foreign Minister level and other Ministers level, but coming at a head of state it conveys a very, very important signal as to the importance that both countries hold of this partnership.

Both the countries are, as I mentioned, important EU members. And as we upgrade our partnership even further with the European Union, which was recently evidenced during the visit of the President of European Commission, all these things contribute to each other. And that reflects the timing and the significance of both India-Portugal and India-Slovakia partnership coming at this time.

Aapne pucha tha Portugal ke jo abhi recent vartalap hua tha hamare Pradhan Mantri ke star par Brazil mei, aur kai jo areas par baat hui thi. Agar hum areas of cooperation dekhein, Portugal ke sath, toh maine kuch ka jikar bhi kiya tha aur woh bahot hi wide ranging hain, renewable energy se leke IT, education, innovation, start-ups. Renewable energy mein for example, green hydrogen, talent mobility.

Portugal ek pehla desh tha Europe mei jisne ki MMPA India ke sath sign kiya. Pharmaceutical. Pichle saalon mei itni high-level visits, jinka maine jikar kiya Mantri level par but also Head of State aur Head of Government level par, toh ye continuous process hain. Ismei hum donon deshon ke businesses increasingly ek dusre ke sath kaam kar rahe hain aur bahot hi vyapak tarike se alag-alag keshtron mei ye kaam chal raha hain. Inhi par ye jo State visits hain, isko badhava degi aur isko aage le jane mei madad karegi.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] You had asked about the recent discussions held between our Prime Minister and the leadership of Portugal during the visit to Brazil, and the various areas that were covered in those talks.

If we look at the areas of cooperation with Portugal, I had already mentioned a few, and they are quite wide-rangingspanning renewable energy, IT, education, innovation, and start-ups. In the renewable energy sector, for example, there was specific discussion on green hydrogen and talent mobility.

Portugal was the first European country to sign the MMPA (Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement) with India. Pharmaceuticals is another important area of engagement.

Over the past few years, we've seen a number of high-level visitsnot just at the Ministerial level, but also at the level of Heads of State and Government. This is part of a continuous process.

Our businesses are increasingly engaging with each other, and across diverse sectors, this collaboration is deepening. These upcoming state visits will help further strengthen these ties, and take our cooperation to the next level.

Diaspora events... Both in Portugal and Slovakia, President will have an occasion to meet the members of the Indian community. I am not sure of the exact numbers in each place, but it would be a very substantive cross-section of the Indian community in both places.

Sidhant Sibal, WION: Sir just on the FTA bit. Will this visit help fast-track the FTA in light of the decisions announced by US President Donald Trump? Do you think that more political push will come with the President's visit to fast-track this FTA in light of the decision?

Shri Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West): There is a very broad understanding and mutual commitment on both sides to understand the value of the FTA. This has been discussed at various levels, at the Leadership level, both at the India-EU level and also between the leaders of India and individual countries. And while the FTA is negotiated by the European Commission on the EU side, they are also taking direction from the leaders in individual countries.

So we engage with both Leadership, EC and all the other stakeholders to see how this can be taken forward. And in all important conversations, this is one of the areas of discussion. And all such discussions also improve the mutual understanding of the importance of the early finalization of an FTA. Thank you.

Shri Rajesh Parihar, Director (XPD): With that, we come to the closure of this special media briefing. The visit begins on 6th of April, so I suggest all of you to stay tuned with us for any further update regarding the visit. And I thank you all for being with us.

New Delhi

April 04, 2025

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CURTAIN RAISER: NAVAL COMMANDERS' CONFERENCE 2025

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Posted On: 04 APR 2025 10:22AM by PIB Delhi

The First Edition of Naval Commanders' Conference 2025 is scheduled to be conducted in two phases (Phase I at Karwar on 05 Apr and Phase II at New Delhi from 07-10 Apr 25). The Conference is the Apex level, biannual, event facilitating deliberations on significant strategic, operational, and administrative issues among the top Naval Commanders. The Conference will play a pivotal role in emphasising India's role as a 'Preferred Security Partner' in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), bolstering Indian Navy's contribution to regional peace, security, and stability.

The Conference will commence with Phase I covering 'Flag-Off of Indian Ocean Ship Sagar' by the Hon'ble Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on 05 Apr 25 at Karwar. IOS Sagar is an initiative towards continued cooperation with IOR nations in pursuance of Gol's vision of Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Regions (MAHASAGAR), as elucidated by the Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, during his visit to Mauritius in Mar 2025. INS Sunayna is being deployed to the South-West IOR with a combined crew from Indian Navy and nine friendly foreign countries: Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. Post Flag-Off of IOS Sagar, the Hon'ble Raksha Mantri will inaugurate multiple maritime infrastructures and Support Facilities under Project Seabird. He will also be apprised on 'Indian Naval Op Readiness and Future Outlook' during the first phase of the Conference at Karwar.

The Phase II of the Conference will be held at New Delhi, which will witness a comprehensive review of major Operational, Materiel, Logistics, HR Development, Training, and Administrative aspects. The Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of the Army Staff, and Chief of the Air Staff, will also engage with Naval Commanders during the Conference to foster synergy amongst the three Services and further drive the convergence efforts. The Commanders will also engage with Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary (GoI), and Shri Amitabh Kant on issues related to foreign policy and international engagement. The Navy's quest to strengthen modernisation, indigenisation, and self-reliance in line with Gol's vision of AatmaNirbharta will be a key focus area during the event.

The Conference will bring out synergy and address critical operational, administrative and materiel issues meriting immediate attention and decisions by Naval Commanders, charting Indian Navy's course in pursuit of being a 'Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Ready Force'.

****

VM/SPS

(Release ID: 2118858)

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Indian parliament passes bill seen as step to seizure of mosques

Iran Press TV

Friday, 04 April 2025 10:04 AM

Indian parliament has passed a controversial bill that overhauls laws governing Muslim religious endowments amid the opposition of Muslims and the opposition party.

The Rajya Sabha, the Upper House, approved the legislation early Friday after a 12-hour debate. It passed with 128 votes in favor and 95 against. The Lok Sabha, the Lower House, had cleared the contentious legislation a day earlier, with 288 members voting in favor and 232 against.

Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, slammed the ruling BJP government for fostering division by targeting Muslims through the Waqf Bill.

Calling the legislation "unconstitutional" and detrimental to Indian Muslims, Kharge appealed for its withdrawal, citing numerous "mistakes" in the bill.

The bill, proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government, will change laws regulating Muslim charity organizations and endowments worth more than $14 billion.

The legislation's most contentious aspect pertains to new property validation rules. Many of India's historical mosques, shrines, and graveyards lack formal documentation, as waqf endowments were made centuries ago without legal records.

Critics warn that requiring waqf boards to obtain district-level approval for confirming land ownership could pave the way for government-backed seizures and legal disputes.

These concerns are heightened by recent moves from radical Hindu groups claiming that certain historical mosques were constructed over Hindu temples.

With several such claims currently under review in Indian courts, there is growing concern that the new law might expedite efforts to reclassify or take control of Muslim religious sites.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh confirmed the party would "very soon be challenging in the Supreme Court the constitutionality of the Waqf Bill, 2024."

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi warned that the bill is "a weapon aimed at marginalizing Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights."

In a message posted on X on Wednesday, the lawmaker from the elite Nehru-Gandhi political family warned that the bill is "aimed at Muslims today but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future,"

Muslim organizations and leaders have also slammed the legislation.

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) president Syed Sadatullah Husaini termed it a "highly condemnable move" and a "dangerous precedent" that paves the way for "legislative discrimination against Muslims."

The bill is set to be sent to Indian President Droupadi Murmu for the government's final approval before officially becoming Indian law.

Muslims, who comprise 14 percent of India's 1.4 billion population, are the largest minority group in the Hindu-majority nation. They are also the poorest, a 2013 government survey found.

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Tehran urges Europe not to follow the U.S. in imposing illegal sanctions on Iranian people

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Apr 4, 2025

Tehran, IRNA -- The spokesman for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has criticized certain European countries, including Britain and Germany, for misusing human rights mechanisms to pressure developing countries.

Esmaeil Baqaei condemned these countries for spearheading an anti-Iranian resolution in the United Nations Human Rights Council, saying that the resolution was legally invalid. He argued that resolution was based on malice, unsubstantiated claims, sweeping generalizations, conclusions based on one or a few alleged violations, contradictions, and undocumented allegations attributed to unnamed sources.

Baqaei highlighted the records of Britain, Germany, France, Canada, and other sponsors and supporters of the resolution over the past two years regarding human rights violations in West Asia, particularly the genocide in Gaza and Israel's crimes against the people of Syria and Lebanon, and said that these countries are in no position to lecture on human rights.

He explained that Britain is among the largest arms providers to Israeli and its foreign minister believes that proving a genocide in Gaza requires millions of deaths. He criticized Germany as the second provider of arms used in the Israeli genocide of Gazans, adding that the German foreign minister openly gave permission to massacre innocent Palestinian women and children,

Baqaei reaffirmed the Islamic Republic's commitment to protect human rights and freedom in accordance with its constitution and laws, and international documents and agreements approved by the Iranian government. He emphasized that the Islamic Republic is the outcome of a popular revolution and spares no efforts to discover and remove human rights violations.

He emphasized Iran's continued cooperation with the United Nations human rights mechanisms to foster global progress in this area.

Baqaei said that certain countries, especially Germany and Britain, use human rights council as a tool to impose their own political ideas on other countries, which undermines the council and disrupts the cooperation and synergy between countries to foster global progress in human rights.

He also advised these countries and other supporters of the anti-Iranian resolution to stop following the U.S. in imposing illegal and inhumane sanctions on the people of Iran to prove their honesty about being concerned about human rights in Iran. He said sanctions on Iranian people are an instance of crime against humanity.

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Tehran rebukes United Nations Human Rights Council for adopting anti-Iran resolution

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Apr 4, 2025

Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Office and International Organizations in Geneva Ali Bahreini has criticized the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for adopting the draft resolution L.20 concerning human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

At the 58th session of the Human Rights Council on Friday, during the presentation and adoption of draft resolution L.20 entitled "The situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran", Bahreini strongly criticized the resolution's discriminatory and unjustified monitoring mechanisms targeting Iran.

Highlighting the severe human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories and the lack of accountability for perpetrators, Bahreini said that while Palestine faces ongoing abuses with impunity, the sponsors of L.20 have fabricated a misleading portrayal of Iran's human rights situation to divert the Council's attention.

He said the resolution diminishes trust in the work of the UNHRC, exposes its inefficiency and wastes its resources.

Bahreini also urged the council to focus on the catastrophic situation of human rights in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

"In a situation where the most severe rights violations are being committed in Palestine and their perpetrators enjoy the highest level of immunity and impunity, the sponsors of draft resolution A/HRC/58/L.20/Rev.1 are trying to mislead the council by portraying a false picture of the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran," the envoy said.

He warned that the Western sponsors of the resolution, including the U.K and Germany, should be held accountable for all their oppression against the Iranian people and humankind.

The resolution extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and decided that the Fact-Finding Mission should continue with a mandate to "monitor and investigate allegations of recent and ongoing serious human rights violations in the Islamic Republic."

Bahreini said there is no proportionality between the provisions of the resolution and Iran's human rights situation.

He also called on the UNHRC member states to oppose the "deceptive" move by some countries aimed at politically abusing the U.N. rights body.

3266**2050

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Pezeshkian: Iran's capability in defending itself at highest level

Iran Press TV

Friday, 04 April 2025 6:19 AM

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has reaffirmed that the Islamic Republic seeks no war with any country, but is determined to defend itself against any aggression.

In a phone call on Thursday, Pezeshkian extended his congratulations to Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has never pursued war or conflict," Pezeshkian said in the phone conversation, stressing the peaceful nature of the country's nuclear program.

"The non-peaceful use of nuclear energy has no place in our security and defense doctrine," Pezeshkian said, as inspections carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency have also verified the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities.

It is possible for the nuclear activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran to remain fully subject to verification, as they have been in previous years, added the president.

He also expressed Iran's readiness to engage in dialogue, "based on mutual interest and respect" aimed at easing tensions over the program.

"We seek no war with any country, but will also not hesitate to defend ourselves. And our readiness and capability in this regard is at the highest level," he emphasized.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Pezeshkian stressed that unity among Muslim countries will secure regional peace, security and progress, and prevent crimes committed against some nations, including Palestine.

"I am confident that Muslim nations, by cooperating with one another, can bring security and prosperity to the region in the best way."

For his part, Mohammed Bin Salman extended his felicitations to Pezeshkian on Eid al-Fitr, and appreciated the president's efforts to promote unity among Muslim nations.

"I hope that we can make more achievements in the areas of stability, security and prosperity of the region by continuing to strengthen our cooperation," the crown prince said.

Bin Salman also expressed Saudi Arabia's readiness "to play a role in helping to resolve any tension or insecurity in the region."

This comes as US President Donald Trump threatened over the weekend that he might order military strikes against Iran if Tehran refused to enter negotiations to "make a new deal" on its nuclear program.

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from a previous agreement on Iran's nuclear program, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and launched a maximum pressure campaign against the country.

Trump restored that policy after returning to the White House for a second term in January.

On March 12, Trump sent a letter to Iran's leadership, asking for negotiations to reach a new deal and threatening military action if Tehran refused.

Iran has ruled out direct negotiations with the US under pressure and threats but says indirect talks remain an option.

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Military Confrontation 'Almost Inevitable' In Absence Of Iran Deal

By Kian Sharifi April 04, 2025

What You Need To Know

 Doubling Down On Nuclear Threats: Ali Larijani, a senior aide to Iran's supreme leader, has warned that military action against the Islamic republic would push Tehran to develop nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, France has raised the alarm over Iran's nuclear program, warning that if there is no deal by October military confrontation would be "almost inevitable."

 Alleged Bank Hacking Fuels Outrage: Iran's Sepah Bank was allegedly hacked by the Codebreakers group last week, exposing the data of 42 million customers, including high-profile accounts. Sepah Bank has denied any breach, insisting its systems are secure and "unhackable." The breach has fueled online outrage over economic inequality and Iran's cybersecurity weaknesses. The alleged compromised data includes information related to members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

 Sociologist Faces Backlash After Criticizing Khamenei: Iranian sociologist Mostafa Mehraeen sparked controversy after publishing two open letters criticizing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the first, he urged Khamenei to acknowledge mistakes, apologize, and step down, leading to legal action and a court summons. In his second letter, he questioned Khamenei's belief in his divine mission. In an interview with RFE/RL's Radio Farda, he praised the "strength" of Iranian society, crediting it for giving him the "courage" to address Khamenei.

The Big Issue

Friends Or Enemies -- Pick One

Larijani, a senior adviser to Khamenei, said on April 1 that the United States could either approach Iran as an economic partner or treat it as the enemy.

"They can talk about economic benefits and have fair cooperation with Iran on economic issues that benefit both," he said in a televised interview.

But Larijani, a former parliament speaker and ex-national security adviser, added that military threats against Iran would only make matters worse.

"If America or Israel attacks Iran under the pretense of nuclear issues, Iran might move toward making an atomic bomb," he said.

Why It Matters: US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if there is no agreement on Tehran's nuclear program.

The 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump withdrew from in 2018, is set to expire in October. Once the deal expires, world powers will not be able to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran.

Acknowledging that, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on April 2 warned in parliament that in the absence of a new deal, "a military confrontation would appear to be almost inevitable."

Iran has rejected Trump's proposal for direct negotiations, saying it will only agree to indirect talks unless the US president drops his "maximum pressure" campaign. However, Trump claimed on April 3 that he thinks Iran hasreconsidered its stance.

Barrot said "our priority" is to reach an agreement that "verifiably and durably constrains" Iran's nuclear program.

But contradictorymessages have been coming from the United States, with Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff calling for the "full dismantlement" of the program.

Fabian Hinz, a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said recent military drills and the unveilingof missile bases suggest Tehran believes military threats are credible. The United States beefing up its presence in the Middle East has certainly contributed.

He told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that a military strike would only "buy time" rather than destroy Iran's nuclear capability, since "knowledge can't be bombed."

Hinz argued that if Iran's nuclear program is attacked it would likely continue covertly. He added that identifying and targeting supply chains in Iran could "disrupt the program really heavily."

What's Being Said: Larijani's comments, particularly on the potential to develop a bomb, has caused a flurry of reactions inside Iran.

Reformist analyst Ahmad Zeidabadi said the Islamic republic "only makes matter more difficult for itself and easier for America and Israel" when officials keep touting Iran's military strength and the ability to weaponize the nuclear program.

Culture Minister Abbas Salehi rejected the possibility of Iran going nuclear, insisting Khamenei's fatwa against developing a nuclear weapon would not change based on current affairs because it was rooted in "religious principles."

Expert Opinion: "From an Iranian perspective, it would make sense to take all of Trump very seriously, because he killed one of the highest-ranking members of the regime," said Hinz, referring to the 2020 killingof IRGC Quds Force general Qassem Soleimani.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/farda-briefing-sharifi- iran-nuclear-talks/33373392.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.

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Japan: High Representative/Vice-President Kallas holds second EU-Japan Strategic Dialogue with Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya

European External Action Service (EEAS)

04.04.2025

EEAS Press Team

The High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union/Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Takeshi Iwaya held the second EU-Japan Strategic Dialogue on 4 April in Brussels.

During the Dialogue, High Representative Kallas and Foreign Minister Iwaya discussed EU-Japan bilateral relations, with special regard to deepening cooperation under the EU-Japan Security and Defence Partnership, concluded in November 2024. Amid increasing and multi-layered security challenges, the Partnership frames and enhances bilateral cooperation and dialogue on key areas of mutual interest, including cyber issues, maritime security, space security, fight against foreign information manipulations and interference.

During their discussions, High Representative Kallas and Foreign Minister Iwaya reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to the rules-based international order, peace, stability and prosperity worldwide, grounded in shared values and common interests. They highlighted the importance of close collaboration on regional and global security, with particular focus on the interconnected security environments of Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

The High Representative and the Foreign Minister reiterated their unwavering commitment to support Ukraine in pursuit of peace through strength, as it fights against Russia's war of aggression. They also highlighted the importance of achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, in line with international law and the UN Charter. They condemned third-country enabling of Russia's illegal war of aggression, the deployment of DPRK troops to Russia, and DPRK's unlawful arms transfers to Russia in breach of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. They also expressed grave concerns over Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, as well as over Russia-DPRK military cooperation which creates instability in North-East Asia.

In their discussions, the High Representative and the Foreign Minister expressed concerns about the situations in the East China Sea and the South China Sea and about increased tensions that undermine regional stability and the international rules-based order. Both reaffirmed that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are of strategic importance for regional and global security and prosperity, and expressed their strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.

Regarding the Middle East, High Representative Kallas and Foreign Minister Iwaya condemned the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza. They also called for the full respect of international humanitarian law and international law, and reiterated the need for a renewed focus on a two-state solution and the protection of civilians in conflict zones. With regard to Iran, they shared concerns about the alarming expansion of Iran's nuclear programme, and both stressed the need for a diplomatic solution and a multilateral approach.

The High Representative and the Foreign Minister agreed on the need for maintaining close G7 coordination and unity on key global and regional foreign policy priorities, as the international community in its entirety faces geopolitical tensions and major challenges to the rule of law.

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Joint Statement by the Quad Partners on Myanmar Earthquake Response

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

April 3, 2025

The following is a joint statement from the Governments of the United States of America, Australia, India, and Japan.

Begin Text:

We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the peoples of Myanmar and Thailand following the earthquake that struck central Myanmar on March 28, 2025.

The significant loss of life, injuries, and widespread destruction of infrastructure worsen an already-dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar.

We welcome recent commitments to temporary, partial ceasefires and call on all parties to implement, extend and broaden these measures, to provide a safe and conducive environment to facilitate timely delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance throughout Myanmar. We welcome the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' statements of 29 and 30 March, and the support provided by ASEAN and countries in the region to the communities affected.

We, the Quad partners, have so far committed humanitarian assistance estimated at a combined value of over USD 20 million. Through our funding and bilateral efforts, we are delivering relief supplies and deploying emergency medical teams and supporting humanitarian partners working in Myanmar to provide care for those affected by the earthquake.

The Quad is coordinating efforts to ensure that our response effectively and efficiently distributes assistance and meets the needs of the communities affected. The Quad's Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Partnership has established a coordination group that is collaborating closely with other partners, including the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management.

Quad cooperation traces its origin to our response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and since then we have provided practical and effective humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in moments of need across the Indo-Pacific.

We affirm the Quad's commitment to working together in response to natural disasters and broader challenges to regional stability and security, as part of our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

End Text.

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Myanmar junta leader's Thailand visit criticized amid earthquake aftermath

The junta continues attacks against rebel groups in quake-affected areas, and UN rights chief says humanitarian access is being restricted.

By RFA Burmese and Pimuk Rakkanam for RFA

2025.04.04

BANGKOK -- Human rights groups protested the Myanmar junta leader's visit to Bangkok for a regional summit Friday as the military continued to bomb earthquake-affected areas despite announcing a ceasefire with resistance armies.

The junta announced a 20-day ceasefire on Wednesday, which was followed by ceasefire offers from a major rebel group, the Arakan Army, and the exiled civilian National Unity Government, comprised of members of the democratic government ousted in a 2021 coup.

But airstrikes and military checkpoints have hampered rescue efforts to retrieve the bodies of over 3,000 people killed and more than 4,000 injured in the 7.7 magnitude quake last Friday, according to residents. The quake caused heavy damage across Shan state, Sagaing, Mandalay and Naypyidaw regions.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said Friday the military has carried out at least 53 attacks, including strikes by aircraft and drones, artillery and paramotors in areas affected by the earthquake.

At least 14 attacks by the military have been reported since the ceasefire announcement on Wednesday, he said in a statement from Geneva.

"The junta attacked us by air from March 31 near Singu township. Now, on April 3, they bombed again near Thabeikkyin," said a member of a rebel militia in Mandalay region's Pyinoolwinin township.

"When we're already in trouble, they keep bombing by plane to make it worse," he told Radio Free Asia, adding there were no casualties. No insurgent soldiers had instigated attacks, he said.

Other residents and insurgent groups have reported similar unprompted attacks in Bago region and Sagaing region, the epicenter of the earthquake.

The Mandalay region's junta spokesperson told RFA he didn't know about military affairs.

"I don't know about military operations. Thabeikkyin is far from us," he said. "I don't know if the military is doing anything there."

Similarly, junta paratroopers bombed six villages across Sagaing region's Kani and Yinmarbin townships on Thursday, residents said.

The bombs injured a 60-year-old woman in Yinmarbin township and damaged several stupas in Kani township, said one resident living in Kani, declining to be named for security reasons.

"On the night of April 3 at 9:30 p.m., in the eastern part of Yinmarbin, Hnaw Pin, Kyauk Hmaw and Inn Bet villages, five of them came and dropped bombs," he said.

"For one woman, both of her legs were hit."

Min Aung Hlaing comes to Thailand

The clashes coincide with military leader and self-appointed president Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing's visit to Thailand for a summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, known as BIMSTEC. The organization is a forum of seven nations including India, Thailand and Myanmar.

The military chief was greeted by a banner reading "We Do Not Welcome Murderer Min Aung Hlaing!" hung on a bridge next to the venue at Bangkok's Shangri-La Hotel.

International rights organizations criticized Thailand for permitting the visit while the International Criminal Court is investigating junta crimes against Myanmar's Rohingya minority. An Argentinian court has separately issued arrest warrants for Min Aung Hlaing and dozens of other junta officials.

"The regional body is tarnishing its image by welcoming a war criminal that has been committing horrific international crimes and led a coup attempt in 2021," advocacy group Justice for Myanmar said in a statement.

"Min Aung Hlaing is under sanctions, while being investigated by the International Criminal Court for international crimes committed against the Rohingya," it said.

In his statement, the U.N. rights chief Turk said that the military was limiting humanitarian operations in quake-hit areas of Sagaing region, Bago and Shan state, and has continued its drive to conscript civilians into the military's ranks, forcibly recruiting able-bodied young people assisting the rescue efforts.

"Sources from the ground describe a catastrophic humanitarian situation in earthquake-hit areas, especially those outside the military's control, an absence of relief efforts, and a lack of clean water, food, and medicines," the high commissioner said. "Fear and shock have augmented the suffering of a civilian population already subjected to four years of military violence since the coup."

Neighboring Thailand has continued to work with Myanmar's military administration while supporting humanitarian aid and promoting the possibility of peace efforts among the many rebel groups controlling areas of the country.

"It's hard for Thailand not to invite Myanmar," international relations expert Panitan Wattanayagorn told RFA. "Thailand and India may have a chance to discuss relief operations."

Thailand has enough influence to push for an effective ceasefire while Western nations would prefer to see Myanmar isolated so it faces pressure to negotiate with rebel groups, Panitan said.

Skirmishes in eastern Myanmar have not only pushed thousands over the border into Thai refugee camps, but economic devastation and controversial conscription laws forced roughly 1.4 million migrants into the neighboring country in 2024 alone.

Rampant scam centers, human trafficking and soldiers crossing the porous border to escape conflict have also complicated relations between the two neighbors.

The summit, Panitan said, "is a chance for Thailand to discuss the mutual border troubles, propose a peace plan and draft a ceasefire agreement."

Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Stephen Wright and Taejun Kang.

Kunnawut Boonreak from BenarNews contributed to this report.

Updates with comments from UN human rights chief.

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 April 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.

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UNHCR seeks funding to scale up support to Myanmar's quake survivors

UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch - to whom quoted text may be attributed - at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

4 April 2025

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is appealing for $16 million to assist 1.2 million people who survived last week's devastating earthquake in Myanmar. UNHCR will use the funds to expand its emergency relief efforts, manage displacement sites and support vulnerable people in six affected regions until the end of the year.

In the week since the earthquake struck central Myanmar, UNHCR has deployed existing in-country stocks, including plastic sheets and kitchen sets, for some 25,000 survivors in Mandalay, Sagaing and Bago regions, as well as the capital, Nay Pyi Taw, and parts of Shan State (South).

As part of the inter-agency response to the earthquake, UNHCR is co-leading the response on shelter, emergency relief items, camp coordination and protection.

The agency is mobilizing supplies from its Myanmar warehouses for an additional 25,000 people but will need to replenish stocks urgently to meet the massive needs in areas suffering from the impact of the earthquake on top of four years of conflict and displacement. These relief items are critical for people who have lost everything, including the means to buy supplies as some local markets are not yet functioning.

Additional funding will allow UNHCR to procure and distribute emergency shelter kits and relief items, and provide assistance to survivors during the initial weeks and months of recovery. Where displacement sites are set up, UNHCR will coordinate work to improve service delivery and mitigate risks.

Through the funding, UNHCR will also strengthen protection services, including legal assistance, psychosocial support and interventions for children, women and people with disabilities. Efforts will continue to advocate for and facilitate safe humanitarian access to affected areas through local partnerships.

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Myanmar quake: Airstrikes persist as UN pushes aid efforts

By Vibhu Mishra, with additional reporting by Daniel Johnson in Geneva

4 April 2025 - Amid ongoing military airstrikes and growing humanitarian needs following last week's 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, the UN has intensified calls for immediate, unhindered aid access to assist millions affected by the disaster.

Despite the military's announcement of a ceasefire, attacks have continued across the country, exacerbating an already dire situation, UN human rights chief Volker Turk warned on Friday.

"In the days following the deadly earthquake that tore through central Myanmar last week, the Myanmar military continued operations and attacks, including airstrikes - some of which were launched shortly after tremors subsided," said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"We urge a halt to all military operations and for the focus to be on assisting those impacted by the quake," she told journalists in Geneva, reiterating Mr. Turk's call for an "inclusive political solution" to end more than four years of fighting sparked by the junta's February 2021 coup d'etat.

Latest data from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, points to at least 61 reported attacks across Myanmar since the disaster happened, including 16 since the ceasefire announced by the military was supposed to take effect on 2 April.

A broad coalition of opposition armed groups has declared a temporary truce on offensive operations to facilitate emergency aid.

A broad coalition of opposition armed groups have declared a temporary truce on offensive operations to facilitate emergency aid.

The tactics of the military - known as the Tatmadaw in Myanmar - include using near-silent adapted paragliders to bomb communities, said James Rodehaver, Head of OHCHR's Myanmar team:

"What those are is an individual military operative who uses a hang-glider with a backpack attached to his back or to his torso with a large fan on it and he uses that to essentially paraglide using the fan as a motor over areas and drop hand-held bombs or munitions onto targets below."

UN relief chief arrives in Myanmar

Against this backdrop, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, arrived in Myanmar on Friday to assess the scale of devastation and meet survivors and aid workers.

After briefings with humanitarian teams in Yangon, Mr. Fletcher travelled to Myanmar's second largest city, Mandalay, near the epicentre of the quake, where 80 per cent of the buildings are estimated to have collapsed.

There, he met with frontline humanitarians and community organizations who have been leading earthquake response, applauding their "courage, skill and determination".

"Many themselves lost everything and yet kept heading out to support survivors," he said in a post on social media.

Security Council urges access

The UN Security Council issued a press statement on Friday reiterating the importance of a safe and conducive environment to ensure the timely and effective delivery of lifesaving assistance to all those in need, without disruption or discrimination.

"The members of the Security Council recognised the need to strengthen rescue, relief, and recovery efforts and to scale up immediate and rapid humanitarian assistance in response to the requests to help the people of Myanmar, supported by the international community," the statement said.

They also expressed their gratitude and support for the work of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), UN agencies and the wider international community, including the swift provision of urgent life-saving assistance, rescue, and disaster relief.

Humanitarian response ramps up

Immediately after the 28 March earthquake, which struck just before 1 PM local time, UN agencies deployed teams to affected areas, delivering critical aid to tens of thousands of families and assessing the damage.

More than 25 search-and-rescue teams are in the field, medical teams have been deployed, and essential aid - including water and shelter kits - is being distributed across impacted regions. On Thursday alone, 30 tons of medical supplies arrived in Myanmar, bringing the total delivered so far to 100 tons.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has also provided plastic sheets and kitchen sets for 25,000 people and is mobilizing additional supplies for another 25,000 people from its existing stockpiles.

Massive needs

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of escalating health risks in Myanmar, with hospitals overwhelmed by trauma cases, disrupted health services and growing fears of disease outbreaks in displacement camps.

No one could have foreseen the destruction, Elena Vuolo, WHO Deputy Representative in the country told UN News, in an exclusive interview from the stricken capital Nay Pyi Taw.

"I experienced this firsthand when a colleague was injured during the earthquake. We took her to two hospitals - both of which could not treat her, [a third] facility did not even have the supplies to give her stitches," she said.

"It was two hours after the earthquake, but the hospitals ran out of supplies. Nobody could predict the scale of the disaster."

The UN health agency has also received reports of increasing cases of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) and fears loom over an outbreak of cholera in the worst affected areas.

Funding crisis hampers response

Alongside overwhelming needs, funds to ensure a response at scale are lacking.

To address the need for resources, the UN is leading the preparation of a new humanitarian appeal, aligned with the $1.1 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which currently has about 5 per cent of required funding.

The funds will be used to manage displacement sites and support vulnerable people in six impacted regions until the end of the year.

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INTERVIEW: Myanmar 'an emergency within an emergency', UN warns

By Vibhu Mishra

4 April 2025 - As Myanmar grapples with the aftermath of a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake, its already fragile healthcare system is buckling under the intense strain.

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has been at the forefront of the emergency response, delivering critical medical supplies and coordinating lifesaving care. However, hospitals are overwhelmed, medical supplies are running dangerously low, and aid workers are racing to prevent deadly disease outbreaks among displaced communities.

Speaking from the stricken capital Nay Pyi Taw, Elena Vuolo, WHO Deputy Representative in Myanmar, told UN News the situation was "an emergency within an emergency".

"Even before the disaster, nearly 12 million people in Myanmar required healthcare assistance. Now, with this earthquake, the situation has worsened."

More than 3,900 deaths and nearly 6,000 serious injuries have been reported, and there are concerns over potentially deadly outbreaks of cholera and malaria.

"There are other needs - water, food, security and shelter that are becoming bigger. An already fragile outlook "has become even more fragile, an emergency within an emergency," she warned.

In the interview, Ms. Vuolo details the scale of the crisis, the biggest health risks facing survivors and why urgent global action is essential.

Listen to the interview below. The text of the interview, edited for brevity and clarity, follows.

UN News: It has been one week since the devastating 7.7 earthquake struck Myanmar. Can you give us an overview of the current situation in the affected areas?

Elena Vuolo: Unfortunately, one week has passed, which means that our window of hope to extract and find people alive is narrowing because usually, the "golden window" is the first three days after an earthquake strikes.

In the first 24 hours, we at WHO mobilized supplies, including trauma care kits from our warehouse in Yangon and transported them for immediate relief.

Over the past week, we have been working around the clock, alongside other UN agencies, emergency medical teams from abroad and our respective headquarters and regional offices to mobilize the response.

Unfortunately, we have witnessed the collapse of several hospitals. This was already a health system that was overstretched and severely impacted by four years of crisis. The earthquake has only exacerbated the humanitarian and healthcare needs.

Right now, hospitals are overwhelmed. Despite emergency medical teams from various countries, there is limited capacity to properly treat all those in need - especially those with severe injuries requiring advanced surgical care.

UN News: You mentioned the strain on the medical infrastructure even before this disaster. Now that the earthquake has struck, what are the emerging needs you are seeing?

Ms. Vuolo: The most immediate and critical needs are surgical care and trauma care.

WHO has brought in almost 100 tonnes of supplies through humanitarian cargo over the past week. When you extract someone from the rubble, you need to ensure they receive the right surgery at the right time in the right facility.

One major challenge is that 86 per cent of healthcare facilities, including many hospitals, have been damaged by the earthquake.

Even before the disaster, nearly 12 million people in Myanmar required healthcare assistance under the humanitarian response plan. Now, with this earthquake, the situation has worsened.

As of today, more than 3,900 deaths and 5,900 injuries have been reported. Our priority is ensuring that the injured receive trauma and surgical care.

UN News: What about other health concerns and diseases, especially outbreaks?

Ms. Vuolo: We are also working to prevent disease outbreaks, particularly cholera, which is a major concern due to poor water and sanitation conditions. Last year, Mandalay, one of the hardest-hit areas in this disaster, already reported cholera cases. Nearly half of the townships in Mandalay state were affected by cholera.

In response, we carried out a vaccination campaign for 70,000 people, but due to limited vaccine availability, we were unable to cover all those in need. Given Mandalay's vulnerability, there is a high risk of a cholera resurgence.

Additionally, funding cuts and reduced international aid are not helping. We are trying to deliver life-saving interventions, mental health support, trauma care supplies and preventing further disruption of health services.

There are other needs related to water, food, security and shelter that are arising and becoming bigger, because we were already working in a fragile context - a context that has become even more fragile, an emergency within an emergency.

UN News: What about the mental and psychosocial impact? Are you seeing significant challenges and are there support structures in place?

Ms. Vuolo: WHO has always prioritized mental health and psychosocial support, especially in hard-to-reach and conflict-affected areas. We work with various partners, either directly or through the health cluster.

Now, and this takes me back even to the times of the COVID-19 pandemic response - there are two main groups in need of support: affected communities, who have been traumatized by this unprecedented earthquake, and there are healthcare workers.

Many are working in makeshift hospitals under extreme conditions - 39C (102F) temperatures in tents amid power cuts and without basic resources. They are working under very difficult situations despite their own personal losses.

Like it was during the pandemic, the healthcare workers are on the frontline - they are the heroes of an emergency response: the nurses, the midwives, the doctors who continue working every day in these temporary hospitals or in hospitals that are no longer fully functional and doing it in the best way they can.

To support them, we are providing psychosocial and mental health support to our health cluster partners. And then through these partners, we are also supporting community-based psychosocial support.

There is severe trauma. But let us not forget that Friday was one of the shockwaves. There was a shockwave on Saturday, and then since then, every day. Some of them are minor but others are strong.

I want to be very honest - when I or WHO colleagues feel some shaking, we are very worried. And if we do not feel safe, I cannot think how people living outside their own houses feel, spending nights in temporary shelters.

UN News: What are the most urgent needs for WHO and health partners in terms of access and supplies?

Ms. Vuolo: Supplies are the top priority. More than 5,000 injured people need treatment, and many will require long-term recovery, including physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Additionally, patients with pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes or other chronic diseases, still need access to their medications.

I experienced this firsthand when a colleague was injured during the earthquake. We took her to two hospitals, both of which could not treat her. We took her to another, smaller facility that did not even have the supplies to give her stitches. She had an injury on her foot.

We found a solution and evacuated her to Yangon. But this gives you the sense of what are the needs are. It was two hours after the earthquake, but the hospitals ran out of supplies. Nobody could predict the scale of the disaster.

There is urgent need for not only trauma-related supplies but also essential medicines to prevent the disruption of routine healthcare services - for mothers, children or the elderly, and for diseases like malaria or tuberculosis.

We have launched an $8 million flash appeal to cover a 30-day emergency response, but beyond that, we also need resources for long-term recovery.

UN News: You mentioned an $8 million appeal, but even before this disaster in Myanmar and elsewhere, aid agencies were struggling with funding. With the United States and other key donors scaling back, how much of an impact are you seeing? How can the international community help?

Ms. Vuolo: The first three months of 2025 have been a game changer for the multilateral system in general. Several countries are, unfortunately, prioritizing military spending over global health, and international humanitarian aid and development.

Until December 2024, Myanmar was one of the least-funded humanitarian crises. I do not want to say that Myanmar is neglected, but certainly Myanmar deserves more attention. With the aid cuts from the US and some other countries, we have not been able to operate. As of March, the health cluster had received less than two per cent of the funding needed for this year.

Now, the $8 million flash appeal is for a window of 30 days. This is to allow our critical work to continue providing life-saving supplies and disease outbreak prevention, like what we do in other emergencies - from Gaza to Afghanistan. This will also allow to continue early detection response for disease that could become outbreaks - particularly cholera.

But beyond this immediate response - and I am speaking also for other UN agencies in Myanmar - we will have to work on recovery on reconstruction. Hospitals and schools have been destroyed, where the situation is already so fragile and limited in its capacity, and people need protection. We as the United Nations have a role to play.

Now when resources are going down, we need to find innovative solutions and partnerships, including with the community and with the others in the region, since this crisis has regional implications.

In addition, we appeal to the international community to also advocate with those countries that have decided to undermine the global aid architecture to rethink about the consequences of their actions. We know that elsewhere, people are dying from HIV because funding for lifesaving medicines have been cut. It is not only Myanmar, but there are also several other emergencies that are facing similar dire situation like us.

That said, I must say - I am very encouraged by the international support, like the deployment of medical teams from different corners from the world, which provide much-needed medical care.

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Security Council Press Statement on Myanmar

Press Release

Security Council

SC/16038

4 April 2025

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Jerome Bonnafont (France):

The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to those affected by the earthquake that struck central Myanmar on 28 March, and also impacted neighbouring countries especially Thailand, resulting in significant loss of life, injuries and widespread destruction. They stressed their solidarity with the peoples of Myanmar, Thailand and other affected families and communities.

The members of the Security Council recognized the need to strengthen rescue, relief and recovery efforts and to scale up immediate and rapid humanitarian assistance in response to the requests to help the people of Myanmar, supported by the international community. The members of the Security Council took note of the statements by ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] Foreign Ministers of 29 and 30 March. They reaffirmed the importance of a safe and conducive environment to ensure the timely and effective delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to all those in need, without disruption or discrimination. To that end, the members of the Security Council welcomed the ceasefire announcements to create a safe and conducive environment.

The members of the Security Council expressed their gratitude and support for the work of ASEAN, the region, the United Nations and the wider international community, including the swift provision of urgent life-saving assistance, rescue and disaster relief.



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Ex-S. Korean president Yoon apologizes for not meeting expectations

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 14:27, April 04, 2025

SEOUL, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was ousted from office on Friday by a constitutional court ruling, apologized for not meeting public expectations.

Yoon said in a message through his legal representatives that it was very regrettable and sorry not to meet people's expectations, expressing his deep gratitude to people for supporting and rooting for him, according to local media.

The ousted leader noted that it was his great honor to work for the country, adding that he will always pray for the country and people.

Earlier Friday, the constitutional court unanimously upheld a motion by the National Assembly to impeach Yoon over his short-lived martial law imposition last December.

The ruling came into force immediately, and a snap presidential election was required to be held within 60 days.

Yoon declared an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3 last year, but it was revoked by the opposition-led National Assembly hours later.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the parliament on Dec. 14, and he was indicted on Jan. 26 as a suspected ringleader of insurrection.

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Timeline: S. Korean President Yoon's political downfall from martial law to impeachment

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 13:36, April 04, 2025

SEOUL, April 4 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's constitutional court on Friday upheld the impeachment against President Yoon Suk-yeol.

The following are key political developments in South Korea since the short-lived imposition of martial law.

-- Dec. 3: In a surprise announcement at 10:29 p.m. local time, President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law in a televised emergency address, claiming to eradicate "anti-state forces" and uphold free constitutional order.

It marked the first martial law declaration since the country's military dictatorship ended in the late 1980s.

At around midnight, martial law troops began entering the parliament building, sealing the main gates and setting up barricades.

-- Dec. 4: The National Assembly held a plenary session in the early hours, passing a resolution to lift the martial law with 18 lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party and 172 lawmakers of opposition parties in attendance and voting in favor.

Yoon later gave another televised speech to lift the martial law. The decree was in effect for about six hours.

-- Dec. 5: South Korea's opposition parties began to report an impeachment motion against Yoon to the parliament over his declaration of emergency martial law.

By law, the 300-member unicameral National Assembly is required to cast a secret vote on the impeachment motion within 72 hours after it is proposed.

-- Dec. 7: South Korea's parliament failed to pass the impeachment motion against Yoon as most of the lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party refused to vote on it.

-- Dec. 8: South Korean prosecutors booked Yoon as a suspect on charges of treason.

Park Se-hyun, who leads a special investigation headquarters into Yoon's short-lived martial law declaration, said the prosecution is investigating charges of treason and abuse of power against the president.

While the president mostly has immunity from prosecution while in office, that does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.

-- Dec. 10: South Korea's National Assembly passed a resolution calling for the immediate arrest of Yoon and seven other officials over the botched martial law declaration.

-- Dec. 11: South Korean police raided Yoon's office over his martial law declaration.

-- Dec. 12: South Korea's parliament passed bills to appoint independent counsels to investigate Yoon's insurrection charge over his martial law declaration and scandals involving the first lady.

-- Dec. 14: South Korea's parliament passed the impeachment motion against Yoon with 204 votes in favor and 85 against, with three abstentions and eight invalid votes.

With the parliamentary approval, the constitutional court will deliberate the impeachment within 180 days, during which Yoon's constitutional power will be suspended and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will be the acting president.

-- Dec. 27: South Korea's opposition-controlled parliament voted to impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who had been serving as acting president following Yoon's impeachment.

Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok assumed the position of acting president.

The constitutional court started the first preparatory hearing for Yoon's impeachment trial.

-- Dec. 31: A South Korean court issued a warrant to arrest Yoon, marking the first time in the country's modern history that an arrest warrant was issued against a sitting president.

-- Jan. 3: South Korean investigators with the anti-corruption investigative unit failed to arrest Yoon and left the presidential residence after being blocked by the presidential security service.

-- Jan. 15: Yoon was arrested in the presidential residence, becoming the country's first sitting president to be kept in custody over his short-lived martial law imposition.

-- Jan. 21: Yoon attended the constitutional court's hearing of his impeachment trial for the first time, denying all charges relevant to his martial law imposition.

When questioned by a justice, he denied ordering military commanders to drag lawmakers out of parliament.

-- Jan. 26: South Korea's prosecution indicted Yoon on an insurrection charge.

-- Feb. 25: The constitutional court held the 11th and final hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial, with Yoon present for his final statement.

Yoon said he felt sorry for the confusion and inconvenience caused by his martial law imposition.

-- March 7: The Seoul Central District Court approved the release of the arrested president, accepting Yoon's request to cancel his detention that was made by his legal team on Feb. 4.

-- March 8: Yoon was released as the prosecution decided not to appeal against a court's release approval.

-- March 24: South Korea's constitutional court rejected a motion by the parliament to impeach Han. Han was immediately reinstated as prime minister and acting president.

-- April 1: South Korea's constitutional court said it would decide whether to impeach Yoon on April 4.

-- April 3: Yoon decided not to attend the constitutional court's ruling on his impeachment.

-- April 4: South Korea's constitutional court upheld the impeachment against Yoon.

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S. Korea's constitutional court upholds President Yoon's impeachment

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 13:29, April 04, 2025

SEOUL, April 4 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's constitutional court upheld a motion by the National Assembly to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol over his short-lived martial law imposition, a live TV broadcast showed Friday.

Moon Hyung-bae, acting chief of the court, read a ruling on Yoon's impeachment, saying it was a unanimous decision of eight justices.

The acting chief said Yoon broke his duty of protecting the constitution as he damaged the constitutional institutions, such as the parliament, and violated the basic rights of people by mobilizing the military and the police.

Moon stressed that the benefit of protecting the constitution through Yoon's dismissal will overwhelmingly exceed the national loss from his dismissal.

Yoon declared an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3 last year, but it was revoked by the opposition-led National Assembly hours later.

Throughout the midnight hours of the botched martial law attempt, military helicopters landed at the National Assembly, and hundreds of armed special forces troops broke into the parliamentary building.

By law, the ruling comes into force immediately after the reading and a snap presidential election is required to be held within 60 days. The election is expected to fall in late May or early June.

The conservative leader officially lost all presidential power, becoming the country's second sitting president to be forcibly removed from power following former conservative President Park Geun-hye's ouster through impeachment in 2017.

Yoon also became the third president to be impeached by the National Assembly in the country's constitutional history. Late liberal President Roh Moo-hyun was reinstated in the presidency after impeachment by the National Assembly in 2004.

Since the passage of Yoon's impeachment motion on Dec. 14 last year, a total of 11 hearings have been held in the constitutional court until Feb. 25.

It took 111 days before the constitutional court's final verdict, compared to 92 days for Park's impeachment and 64 days for Roh's impeachment.

Yoon was apprehended in the presidential office on Jan. 15 and was indicted under detention on Jan. 26 as a suspected ringleader of insurrection, becoming the country's first sitting president to be arrested and prosecuted.

If convicted of being the insurrection ringleader, Yoon could face the death penalty or life imprisonment.

He was released on March 8 as the prosecution decided not to appeal against a court's release approval.

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South Korea's court removes president over martial law controversy

Iran Press TV

Friday, 04 April 2025 6:38 AM

South Korea's top court has officially removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office following his surprise declaration of martial law which triggered a political crisis in the country.

The decision by Constitutional Court on Friday came after parliament voted to impeach him in December, ending his presidency which started in 2022.

Yoon, a former star prosecutor, had leaped from political novice to president in less than a year after he entered politics. Four months ago, however, he plunged South Korea into political turmoil by declaring a controversial martial law in the country.

The eight-member Constitutional Court announced on live television that it upheld Yoon's impeachment because his martial law decree was a serious violation of South Korean laws.

The court explained that there was no serious national threat at the time Yoon declared martial law.

"The defendant not only declared martial law, but also violated the constitution and laws by mobilizing military and police forces to obstruct the exercise of legislative authority," the court's acting chief Moon Hyung Bae said.

Moon pointed out that Yoon's declaration of martial law decree was a serious violation of the country's laws and "cannot be justified."

"Given the grave negative impact on constitutional order and the significant ripple effects of the defendant's violations, we find that the benefits of upholding the constitution by removing the defendant from office far outweigh the national losses from the removal of a president," Moon added.

The court concluded that Yoon, as head of the armed forces, not only violated the formal process of declaring martial law, but also committed a "grave betrayal of the people's trust."

It noted that since there was no justification for Yoon's behavior, he must be removed from power.

The Constitutional Court's ruling takes effect immediately and sets the stage for a new presidential election in South Korea.

Meantime, South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck Soo was reinstated by the Constitutional Court as acting president.

Political observers cite the swift rise and fall of Yoon, who was once touted as a key US ally who forged close ties to former US President Joe Biden, as an anomaly.

Yoon's removal had been a hugely divisive issue in South Korea, with mass rallies held by those in favor and those against his removal.

Anti-Yoon demonstrators gathered outside the court to celebrate the announcement, waving flags and dancing to music.

His supporters who had gathered outside the president's official residence in the South Korean capital Seoul demonstrated deep sadness.

To maintain law and order in Seoul, South Korean law enforcement agencies have ramped up security and police issued warnings to the protesters against any sort of violence.

According to reports, there had been an increase in police presence, and barriers and checkpoints had been set up in the capital.

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Mr. Dmitriev Goes To Washington: What We Know About The Kremlin's Envoy And His DC Meetings

By Mike Eckel April 04, 2025

Three years ago, Kirill Dmitriev, a sharp-elbowed, well-connected Kremlin insider, was persona non grata in Washington, sanctioned for his role as the head of what was described as a "slush fund for President Vladimir Putin and emblematic of Russia's broader kleptocracy."

His sanctioning, by the US Treasury Department, occurred days after Russia launched its February 2022 all-out invasion of Ukraine, sending bilateral relations with Washington into an all-out tailspin.

On April 3, however, Dmitriev stood a stone's throw from the White House, extolling his meetings with lead US envoy Steve Witkoff and other unnamed administration officials.

"We see absolutely clearly that the administration of President Trump, unlike President Biden, is committed to resolving issues," he said. "They are extremely respectful, they understand Russia's position, they ask a lot of questions, they find compromises. This is the creative spirit that has been set."

The visit by Dmitriev -- the most senior Russian official to travel to the US capital since the start of the invasion of Ukraine -- comes amid a flurry of backchannel and closed-door negotiations as the Trump administration tries to fulfill a major foreign policy goal: halting the fighting in Ukraine.

Will his visit accomplish that?

The White House had no immediate comment about the talks as of April 4.

"I think it's probably a good thing that he went there, and that the dialogue continues," said Sergey Radchenko, a Cold War historian and professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

"What he is obviously trying to do is to focus on Russian-US relations, paint a rosy vista of profitable cooperation, and hope that Trump will forget Ukraine," he told RFE/RL.

The meetings come about six weeks after top officials from Moscow and Washington met in Saudi Arabia in the highest-level direct talks since 2022. After the invasion, Joe Biden, Trump's predecessor, ruled out any direct talks with Moscow, which had sought talks not just about Ukraine but also about the broken US-Russian relationship and the entire post-Cold War global structure.

After initial February talks, the two sides agreed to move toward restoring diplomatic staffing in one another's countries and explore new business and political partnerships once the Ukraine conflict ends.

Days prior to those talks, however, Witkoff, a real estate developer and longtime friend of Trump's, traveled to Moscow on his private jet to retrieve an American schoolteacher whom the Kremlin had released after serving months in prison for a drug conviction.

"There's a gentleman from Russia, his name is Kirill, and he had a lot to do with this," Witkoff said after returning to Washington. "He was an important interlocutor bridging the two sides."

On March 18, the Kremlin and the White House announced a limited cease-fire deal that was hailed as a major step toward a wider peace deal. But both Moscow and Kyiv continued to pound one another with drones and missiles, and full-scale fighting has continued on the battlefield.

Observers also pointed to potentially problematic conditions that the Kremlin had included in its negotiating positions.

A Portfolio of Business. And More.

For his part, Dmitriev, who was named a Kremlin special envoy for international economic cooperation on February 25, has been largely focused on a sales pitch, trying to convince US businesses to return to Russia after pulling out due to the war and Western sanctions.

With degrees from Stanford and Harvard and professional backgrounds at Goldman Sachs and McKinsey, Dmitriev has served since 2011 as head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. He and the fund took a prominent role in developing a Russian-made vaccine for COVID-19 called Sputnik V.

Dmitriev's personal ties to the Kremlin have raised eyebrows. His wife, Natalia Popova, is a close friend of Putin's younger daughter, Katerina Tikhonova, and served as her deputy at the Moscow research institute Tikhonova heads. Dmitriev also served on the board of the petrochemical giant Sibur alongside Tikhonova's now ex-husband, Kirill Shamalov.

Dmitriev made a previous outreach to the Trump administration during its first term in the White House.

In January 2017, he traveled to the Seychelles Islands to meet with Erik Prince, a controversial businessman whose sister was Trump's first education secretary.

That meeting, and the communications that led up to it, drew the scrutiny of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who had been tasked with investigating the Trump administration's ties to Russia. It also drew scrutiny of investigators from the US Senate Intelligence Committee.

"Kirill Dmitriev...used multiple business contacts to try to make inroads with Transition Team officials," the committee's final report, released in 2020, said.

'Security Guarantees In Some Form May Be Acceptable'

It's unclear exactly what transpired in Dmitriev's talks in Washington or with whom exactly he met, aside from Witkoff.

The Treasury Department issued a temporary exemption for sanctions so he could travel to Washington.

In remarks to Russian reporters, Dmitriev made no mention of the issue that until recently has been the biggest thorn in US-Russian relations: the Ukraine war.

"Of course, there are disagreements on various points," he said. "But there is a process and a dialogue that, in our understanding, will help overcome these differences."

In a later appearance on Fox News, Dmitriev, who is fluent in English, said the Ukraine conflict had been discussed and that the Kremlin might consider providing security guarantees for Kyiv.

He did not provide specifics and, given the brutality of the war and Russia's violation of past security agreements like the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Kyiv would likely react strongly against such proposals.

"Some security guarantees in some form may be acceptable," he said.

Dmitriev also told CNN that he did not bring up the issue of sanctions relief in his talks; Russia is one of the most sanctioned countries in the world, most of which were imposed in punishment for the Ukraine invasion.

"At this point, we are not asking for any sanction relief," he said. "We are just discussing that if America wants to have more business with Russia...then of course US can do so."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-talks- dmitriev-witkoff/33373771.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.

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Joint statement following consultations between the ministers of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation and the Confederation of Sahel States (CSS), Moscow, April 3, 2025

4 April 2025 13:03

549-04-04-2025

1. At the invitation of the Government of the Russian Federation, the first consultations of the ministers of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation and the Confederation of Sahel States (CSS) were held in Moscow on April 3, 2025.

2. The participating delegations were led, respectively, by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Mali Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabe Abroad of the Republic of Burkina Faso Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Nigeriens Abroad of the Republic of the Niger Bakary Yaou Sangare. The meeting was co-chaired by Sergey Lavrov and Abdoulaye Diop, who represented the head of the state that currently holds the CSS presidency.

3. In accordance with the vision shared by President of Burkina Faso Ibrahim Traore, Interim President of the Republic of Mali and CSS President Assimi Goita, and President of the Republic of the Niger Abdourahamane Tchiani, and while taking into account the readiness of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to support the Confederation of Sahel States (CSS), the purpose of these high-level political consultations was to strengthen the bond of good relations, friendship, solidarity and cooperation between the CSS and the Russian Federation, and institutionalising this bond.

4. The meeting took place in a friendly and constructive atmosphere and included a fruitful exchange of views on issues of mutual interest.

5. In the field of security and defence, Russia and the CSS agreed to establish a pragmatic and solidary strategic partnership.

6. The parties also expressed their resolve to step up efforts to combat terrorism and instability in all manifestations across the CSS territory. In view of this, the Russian side reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Joint CSS Military Force's efforts to defend the territorial integrity of the CSS countries.

7. The parties also agreed to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Joint CSS Military Force by facilitating the acquisition of the latest high-performance military equipment and appropriate personnel training in order to ensure comprehensive security across the CSS territory. To achieve this, the Russian side expressed its readiness to provide the necessary technical assistance.

8. In addition, the parties strongly condemned acts of aggression by states supporting terrorism, in particular, Ukraine's criminal conspiracy with armed terrorist groups operating in the Sahel.

9. Taking this opportunity, the Russian side praised the CSS's leading role and considerable efforts to build a sustainable model of regional security and recognised its positive contribution to the security of the Sahara-Sahel region. The CSS welcomed Russia's significant input in strengthening international peace and security.

10. When it comes to diplomatic efforts, the parties welcomed their coordination and mutual support at international platforms in regard to major political and geostrategic issues based on respect for the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interconnectedness.

11. The parties welcomed their convergence of views on issues of mutual interest, in particular the de-politicisation of human rights issues, non-interference in internal affairs and equal treatment of states at international organisations.

12. The parties are committed to cooperation aimed at an expedient implementation of infrastructure projects for development.

13. The parties also reached a consensus on the key role of economic cooperation on a mutually beneficial and partnership basis. In this regard, the parties agreed to intensify contacts between economic operators and create favourable conditions for doing business.

14. The parties agreed to create a mechanism to monitor the implementation of the results of the consultations on these issues.

15. The ministers of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation and the CSS states agreed to hold consultations on a regular basis. Meetings will be held annually on a rotational basis. The second meeting will be held on the territory of the CSS at a time to be determined by mutual agreement through diplomatic channels.



Moscow, April 3 2025

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Russian and Indian ships train artillery fire at sea- and air-based targets during Indra Navy-2025 naval exercise in Bay of Bengal

04.04.2025 (08:00)

Ships of the Russian Navy and the Indian Navy completed tasks in the Bay of Bengal as part of the Indra Navy-2025 joint naval exercise.

Over the past three days, sailors of the two friendly nations practised tactical manoeuvres as part of joint formations, improved practical skills in fighting against unmanned aerial vehicles and uncrewed enemy boats, and conducted artillery firing at sea- and air-based targets.

During the exercise, crews also practised escorting a ship and organising repositioning on-board from the Pechenga tanker.

At phases of the exercise, deck-based helicopters of naval aviation were involved. A Russian Ka-27M helicopter landed on the Indian destroyer Rana, and an Indian Chetak helicopter crew landed on the deck of a Russian corvette.

The Russian side was represented by corvettes Rezky, Aldar Tsydenzhapov, and the medium-sized sea tanker Pechenga of the Pacific Fleet. India was represented by the destroyer Rana and the corvette Kutar.

At present, ships from the two countries returned to the Indian port of Chennai to summarise the results of joint actions at sea and hold the official closing ceremony.

Department for Media Affairs and Information

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Russia Rolls Out Unique Drone Encryption System That Outsmarts the Enemy

Sputnik News

20250404

Oleg Burunov

The Mirazh (Mirage) system, which is already used by Russian forces in the special operation zone, minimizes the risks of a first-person view (FPV) drone being intercepted.

The system also prevents the enemy from tracking the whereabouts of a drone operator.

Why is Mirazh Second to None?

"The Mirazh consists of a coding (transmitter) and decoding (receiver) module. The [drone] signal is encrypted with the help of a unique key, which has more than 60,000 variants [to avoid the key being compromised]," expert Sergey Kurapov explains.

Even though there is an analog of the Mirazh system on the Chinese market, the former yields to the Russian drone encryption system in terms of reliability and characteristics, the expert points out.

"The Chinese analog can only provide a stable signal over short distances, has few encryption keys, plus compatibility-related problems," Kurapov notes.

The Mirazh's feature to encode any signal makes it possible to use the system for video surveillance systems, including cable ones.

What Do Russian Troops Say?

The soldiers are pleased with the Mirazh, which they say retains a stable signal as an FPV drone flies at a distance of about 8 km from take-off over complex terrain.

"The 'bird' is amazing. It just flies straight ahead without being disrupted by enemy electronic warfare," one of the servicemen emphasized.

 Sputnik

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OIC Condemns Ongoing Israeli Incursion and Aggression in Syrian Territory

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

03-04-2025

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned the continuous and heightening Israeli aggression and incursion in multiple regions within the Syrian territory, leading to destruction of infrastructure and to scores of civilian casualties, in flagrant violation of international law, resolutions of international legitimacy as well as the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.

The OIC reaffirmed its solidarity with Syria and its people and the need to respect the country's sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity. It called on the international community, particularly the Security Council, to put an end to this repeated Israeli aggression which threatens regional peace and security.

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UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Core Group Statement to Introduce Item 4 Resolution on the Syrian Arab Republic

UK Core Group Statement to Introduce Item 4 Resolution on the Syrian Arab Republic. Delivered by the UK's Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley.

4 April 2025

Delivered on: 4 April 2025 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Mr President,

I have the honour to present draft resolution L.25 on the human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, on behalf of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Qatar, Turkiye, and the UK.

Mr President,

For 14 years this Council has stood with the people of Syria.

As the Assad regime brought despair, death and destruction to its own population this Council did not stay silent.

In 2011, when the former regime unleashed brutal violence against peaceful protesters, this Council condemned it. When the regime began a campaign of executions, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and torture, this Council established a Commission of Inquiry to bear independent witness to these atrocities.

The Commission has rigorously documented the truth about the savagery of the last 14 years: the use of chemical weapons, sieges, and systematic torture and sexual violence intended to break the spirit of the Syrian people.

But the Syrian people would not be broken, would not be defeated.

And so, we present this draft resolution today, 4 months after the end of the Assad regime, and just days after the historic formation of a new Syrian Government, as reflected in revisions to the text.

We present this at a time of hope in Syria. Hope for peace. Hope for healing. Hope for reconciliation. And hope, finally, for Syrian-led, and Syrian-owned, justice and accountability.

As Foreign Minister al-Shaibani said to this Council: justice in Syria is not a matter of political bargaining - it is a fundamental commitment we must uphold to ensure accountability and to combat impunity.

This draft resolution seeks to support this commitment whilst recognising the many challenges facing the new Government.

Indeed, disturbing reports of mass killings of civilians in Syria's coastal regions will have brought grief afresh to those who have suffered long enough, and are a chilling reminder of the deep wounds the years of conflict have inflicted.

We support the Syrian Government in setting out a path for accountability, that does justice to the victims and survivors, and which helps bring a peaceful future for all Syrians. And which brings truth to the families of the many thousands who remain missing. It is crucial that Syrian mechanisms are independent, impartial, prompt, and transparent. International bodies stand ready to support this process.

I thank all those who have engaged constructively on this resolution. In particular, I welcome the Syrian delegation's active participation and vocal support for the Council's efforts.

Let us adopt this resolution today. To renew the Commission of Inquiry, to maintain its independent reporting, to support the Syrian Government, and to stand in solidarity once again with the people of Syria.

They have waited too long for this moment. It is time for justice, for accountability and for human rights.

Thank you.

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Trump tariffs aim to cut trade deficit, won't affect security ties: Scholars

ROC Central News Agency

04/04/2025 08:49 PM

Taipei, April 4 (CNA) With U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariffs set to take effect in the coming days, scholars on Friday said the move aims to pressure countries into negotiations to reduce trade deficits, while security ties with allies will remain unaffected.

The scholars were reacting to Trump's announcement on Wednesday (Washington time) of sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on dozens of countries, including Taiwan, whose exports to the United States will face an import duty of 32 percent starting April 9.

Chen Shih-min (), an associate professor at National Taiwan University's Department of Political Science, told CNA that tariffs are not the main focus but rather a tool to pressure other countries into negotiations with the Trump administration.

Chen said Trump's primary goal is to reduce the U.S. trade deficit, as reflected in the formula used to calculate the upcoming "reciprocal tariffs" -- by dividing the U.S. goods trade deficit with a country by that country's exports to the U.S., converting the result into a percentage, and then halving it.

Taiwan's trade surplus with the U.S. stood at just over US$20 billion during Trump's first term but had grown to more than US$70 billion last year, according to Chen.



CNA graphic CNA graphic

Such growth was largely driven by the rise of artificial intelligence and the surge in semiconductor exports from companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) in recent years, Chen said.

"For Taiwan, the problem is not difficult to solve," he said, adding that to achieve the goal of reducing its trade surplus with the U.S., Taiwan could increase its procurement of American goods.

One example he cited was a recent move by Taiwan's state-run CPC Corp., which signed a letter of intent for trade and investment with Alaska LNG last week, agreeing to purchase liquefied natural gas from the U.S. state of Alaska.

Chen noted that Taiwan lacks domestic energy resources such as natural gas and oil, and shifting its energy purchases from the Middle East or Africa to the U.S. could help reduce the trade surplus with the U.S.

Following in the same vein, Kuo Yu-jen (), chair of National Sun Yat-sen University's Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies, said that countries like Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea were likely to pursue negotiations with the U.S. and adjust their trade models accordingly.

Such approaches would differ from that of China, which will take countermeasures by imposing broad-based tariffs on U.S. goods, and the European Union, which might respond more mildly by targeting specific products with symbolic tariffs, Kuo said.

As for the impact on U.S. security ties with its allies, Kuo said they will remain unaffected despite the deteriorating economic and trade relationships between the U.S. and other countries.

Unlike his recent decisions to give orders for the U.S. to withdraw from multilateral organizations such as the World Health Organization, Trump is now maintaining the "minilateral" security frameworks established under his predecessor, Joe Biden, Kuo said.

He cited the AUKUS (Australia-United Kingdom-United States) security partnership as an example, noting that under the partnership's agreement, U.S. Virginia-class fast attack submarines will be stationed in Australia -- a country also included on Trump's list that is set to face a 10 percent baseline tariff.

Kuo further noted that the U.S., Japan, and South Korea had just conducted a joint naval exercise last week near South Korea's Jeju Island, with the "Balikatan" joint military exercises between the U.S. and the Philippines set to take place later in April.

All three Asian countries are included on Trump's "reciprocal tariffs" list, with Japan facing a 24 percent tariff, South Korea 25 percent, and the Philippines 17 percent.

(By Wu Shu-wei, Yang Yao-ju and Sunny Lai)

Enditem/ASG

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Taiwan to seek talks with U.S. to mitigate tariff impact: Trade official

ROC Central News Agency

04/04/2025 07:56 PM

Taipei, April 4 (CNA) Planned negotiations with the United States will focus on bringing down the sweeping duties pledged by U.S. President Donald Trump on Taiwanese goods, Taiwan's top trade negotiator Yang Jen-ni () said Friday.

At a news conference in Taipei, Yang declined to elaborate on what position the government planned to take when seeking to negotiate with the Trump administration, saying only: "We have some plans."

The goal is to reduce the duties targeting most Taiwanese exports or limit their scope in order to safeguard the interests of Taiwanese industries and businesses and maintain their global competitiveness, said Yang, who concurrently serves as the Cabinet's minister without portfolio.

Trump on Wednesday (Washington time) announced a 32 percent "reciprocal tariff" on most Taiwanese products entering the U.S., starting April 9, with only certain goods, such as copper, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors, exempt from the latest measure.



CNA graphic CNA graphic

In addition, Taiwan's auto parts manufacturers will be hit with an import tax of 25 percent, expected to take effect before May 3, following the Trump administration's expansion of duties on foreign automobiles.

According to the Office of Trade Negotiations, which Yang heads, Taipei will emphasize its ongoing efforts to reduce the country's trade surplus with the U.S., such as encouraging Taiwanese investment in the U.S. and expanding the purchase of American raw materials.

Yang noted that the government would "take into consideration" some of the barriers highlighted by the Trump administration and used to justify its "reciprocal tariffs" on other countries, such as levies, currency manipulation and government subsidies.

The trade official declined to comment on whether the government would consider leveraging Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC) reported chipmaking joint venture with Intel Corp. in the U.S. in its planned talks with Washington.

The Information has cited sources involved in the discussions as reporting that TSMC had reached a preliminary agreement to form a joint venture to operate Intel's factories, although both companies declined to comment.

Yang, however, added that any overseas investment plans by Taiwanese enterprises would need to be screened by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA).

TSMC's new US$100 billion investment to build three new foundries, an R&D center and two packaging facilities in Arizona, on top of its previous US$65 billion commitment, was approved by MOEA's Department of Investment Review in late March.

The Cabinet did not respond directly to media questions about when such bilateral talks would take place or what officials would be involved, with Premier Cho Jung-tai () saying the trade office and a working group formed in the wake of Trump's second presidency would work hand in hand.

The working group, headed by Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun () and the Cabinet's Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (), is tasked with handling trade and economic issues between Taiwan and the U.S., according to the Cabinet.

(By Teng Pei-ju)

Enditem/ASG

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U.S. lawmakers reintroduce bill to back Taiwan, counter CCP coercion

ROC Central News Agency

04/04/2025 02:23 PM

Washington, April 3 (CNA) Members of the United States House of Representatives on Tuesday reintroduced a bill to support Taiwan's international space and counter coercion by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The Taiwan Allies Fund Act was reintroduced by Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi and other lawmakers across party lines, including Representatives John Moolenaar (R), Gregory Meeks (D) and Ted Lieu (D-), according to a statement issued by the House Select Committee on the CCP.

The Senate companion bill, meanwhile, is being led by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D), John Curtis (R) and Andy Kim (D). Krishnamoorthi had announced his intent to reintroduce the bill in late March.

The legislation authorizes an allocation of US$120 million over three years from 2026 to 2028 to provide foreign assistance to Taiwan's official and unofficial partners subjected to coercion and pressure from the CCP.

Under the bill, the appropriations may be used in countries that meet certain criteria, including those that "maintain official relations with Taiwan or have meaningfully strengthened unofficial relations with Taiwan" and "have been subject to coercion or pressure by the People's Republic of China [PRC] due to their relations with Taiwan."

A country that qualifies for such funds, however, may not receive more than US$5 million during any fiscal year.

According to the bill, the money may be used to support activities such as building "the capacity and resilience of civil society, media, and other nongovernmental organizations in countering the influence and propaganda of the PRC."

To maximize cost efficiency and eliminate duplication, the bill mentioned that the secretary of state should work with the director of the American Institute in Taiwan to ensure coordination with relevant parties of Taiwan.

"China wants the world to turn a blind eye to its nefarious ambitions with Taiwan," Curtis was quoted as saying in the release.

"We cannot allow nations to fall prey to China's pressure campaigns, which is why we've introduced bipartisan legislation to counter China's attempts to silence Taiwan's allies," he said.

"Our bill helps countries stand strong in the face of the CCP and strengthen their ties with Taiwan," he said.

That Taiwan Allies Fund Act was co-sponsored by Krishnamoorthi last year, but it was not enacted into law after stalling in the Senate.

(By Chung Yu-chen and Ko Lin)

Enditem/ls

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U.S., Japan, South Korea thanked for stance on cross-Strait stability

ROC Central News Agency

04/04/2025 12:38 PM

Taipei, April 4 (CNA) Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung () has expressed gratitude to his counterparts in the United States, Japan, and South Korea for voicing concerns over the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) "provocative" live-fire exercises around Taiwan.

In a news release Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said a joint statement by the three nations in Brussels on Thursday underscored that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is an international consensus and a matter of global interest.

"It is clear that China is a 'troublemaker' in the international community, seeking to alter the status quo," MOFA said.

As a responsible member of the global community, Taiwan will continue working with like-minded democratic partners such as the U.S., Japan, and South Korea to safeguard cross-Strait peace, stability, and prosperity, MOFA said.

The statement was issued in response to a declaration made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul following their meeting in Brussels on Thursday.

A section of their joint statement addressed China's threats to Taiwan, including the military exercises launched on Tuesday.

In it, they described peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as "an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community" and condemned Beijing's recent military drills as "provocative actions."

At the same time, their statement adhered to Washington's established position on Taiwan, opposing "any unilateral attempts to change the status quo" while expressing support for Taiwan's "meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations."

(By Chao Yen-hsiang)

Enditem/ls

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Collision between Navy vessel, Chinese fishing boat under investigation

ROC Central News Agency

04/04/2025 06:54 PM

Taipei, April 4 (CNA) The Taiwanese Navy said Friday it was still investigating a March 27 collision between one of its vessels and a Chinese fishing boat in waters off central Taiwan.

In a statement, Taiwan's Naval Fleet Command said the Navy was currently working with the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) to clarify accountability, and that subsequent matters will be handled in accordance with the mechanism for cross-strait negotiations and other relevant procedures.

The incident happened on March 27, when the Chung Ho-class tank landing ship, hull number LST-232, collided with the Chinese-registered "Min Lien Yu 61756" at 12:38 a.m. about 45 nautical miles off the Port of Taichung.

The Taiwanese vessel sustained some unspecified damage, but it did not compromise its navigational safety, the Navy command said at the time.

No one on either of the two boats was injured in the accident, it added.

According to the Navy, Taiwan's CGA that day dispatched two patrol vessels to the scene to handle the matter and collect evidence pending an investigation.

On Thursday, China's Taiwan Affairs Office demanded that Taiwan compensate the Chinese fishermen for their losses.

(By Wu Shu-wei, Sean Lin and Ko Lin)

Enditem/ASG

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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2025/04/04

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

1.Date:

6 a.m. Apr. 3 (Thu.) to 6 a.m. Apr. 4 (Fri.) (UTC+8)

2.PLA activities:

16 sorties of PLA aircraft, 9 PLAN ships, and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 15 out of 16 sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities.

1140404_PLA activities

1140404_PLA air activities in the vicinity of Taiwan

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Current events in Turkey: UK Statement to the OSCE

Ambassadors Holland says the UK is closely monitoring the situation in Turkey.

4 April 2025

Location: Vienna

Delivered on: 3 April 2025 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Thank you, Mr Chair. We are closely monitoring the situation in Turkiye. This is an ongoing domestic Turkish legal process, and the UK expects Turkiye to uphold its international commitments and the rule of law, including swift and transparent judicial processes.

We have raised recent events with the Turkish Government and the Foreign Secretary spoke with Foreign Minister Fidan to raise the UK's concern.

The UK is a staunch supporter of democracy, human rights and the rule of law across the world and will always support the fundamental rights to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and media freedom.

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Norway to increase support to Ukraine by NOK 50 billion

Government of Norway

Press release | Date: 04/04/2025

The Government has proposed a substantial increase in Norway's military support to Ukraine in 2025, in line with the broad-based political agreement reached in the Storting.

'This is a significant contribution to Ukrainian and European security at a time of great global instability. The funding will be used to strengthen Ukraine's ability to withstand pressure from Russia and improve Ukraine's negotiating position. It will also be used to support the potential peace plan that is currently being developed in cooperation with other European countries,' said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre.

Norway is increasing its support to Ukraine for 2025 by NOK 50 billion to NOK 85 billion. The additional funding will be used in its entirety to provide military support through international initiatives and procurements from the Ukrainian defence industry. Priority will be given to procurement of air defence systems, artillery ammunition and drones, as well as to enhancing Ukraine's maritime capabilities.

Norway's support is based on Ukraine's needs and is coordinated with contributions from other European partners. The funds will be transferred in line with the established practice for providing support to Ukraine, so as to ensure that the support is used for the intended purpose.

'Russia's war against Ukraine is a watershed event for Europe and poses a serious threat to European peace and security. Russia's war of aggression is continuing unabated, and Russia is rapidly rearming its military. I am therefore very pleased that all the political parties in the Storting have endorsed this increase in our support,' said Minister of Finance Jens Stoltenberg.

Serious security policy situation

Norway's support for Ukraine is important not only for the Ukrainian people, but also for the safety and security of Norway and Europe as a whole.

'With this increase in funding, Norway is making another major contribution to supporting Ukraine in its legitimate fight to defend itself. I have recently returned home from Ukraine, where I visited Kharkiv, not far from the front. I saw first-hand the devastation caused by attacks on parts of the city where there are no military targets, just apartment blocks. Russia is showing no sign of ending the war. That is why we will focus our support on strengthening Ukraine's military power as effectively and rapidly as possible, while also reinforcing Ukraine's negotiating position,' said Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.

'We will continue to target our military support towards maritime security and air defence, ammunition, and drones and autonomous systems. In addition, Norway will be leading a collaborative Nordic-Baltic effort to equip and train a Ukrainian brigade-level unit. The various countries will be providing funding and military equipment. Norway is taking on primary responsibility for training, but other countries will also be contributing to this,' said Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik.

In line with the fiscal rule

The increase in military support for 2025 will entail a temporary increase in the use of funds from the Government Pension Fund Global, and reflects the need to safeguard fundamental Norwegian security interests. The proposed increase does not entail any changes to the established fiscal policy framework.

'The proposed increase in funding is in line with the fiscal rule on the use of funds from the Government Pension Fund Global. It is important to maintain sound economic governance, particularly in times of turbulence,' Mr Stoltenberg said.

The new allocation brings the overall funding framework for the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine up to NOK 205 billion for the period up to 2030.

Facts about the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine

The Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine was first launched on 16 February 2023 by the parliamentary leaders, the Norwegian Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and Ukrainian President Zelensky.

The support programme has been endorsed by all the political parties in the Storting.

When it was first launched, the support programme was to provide a total of NOK 75 billion over a five-year period from 2023 to 2027, with an annual disbursement of NOK 15 billion each year.

Since the support programme was launched, the annual financial framework has been increased several times. In 2024, support amounted to a total of NOK 27 billion.

In autumn 2024, all the parties in the Storting reached agreement on expanding and extending the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine.

The programme was extended by three years, to run through 2030.



A minimum allocation of NOK 15 billion per year was established.



At the same time, the allocation for 2025 was increased from NOK 15 billion to NOK 35 billion. The overall funding framework was increased to NOK 155 billion.

This new allocation increases Norway's overall support to Ukraine for 2025 by NOK 50 billion, bringing this year's Norwegian contribution to NOK 85 billion and the overall funding framework for the period 2023-2030 up to NOK 205 billion.

This additional funding will bring Norway's defence spending in 2025 to an estimated 3.3 % of GDP.

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Minister Budrys with his Spanish counterpart discuss support for Ukraine and strengthening European defence

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Updated 2025-04-04

On the margins of the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting taking place in Brussels on 3-4 April, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Kestutis Budrys, met with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares.

Ministers discussed key regional security issues - support for Ukraine, strengthening European defence, and increasing defence funding.

Ministers agreed on the need to increase military support significantly for Ukraine. "Lithuania is committed to providing Ukraine with long-term support, allocating at least 0.25% of GDP annually," the head of Lithuania's diplomacy underlined.

The upcoming renewal of EU sectoral sanctions against Russia was also discussed. "The most effective means to pressure Russia include tougher sanctions and the use of frozen assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine," said Budrys.

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Secretary General reaffirms security through strength and support to Ukraine, as NATO Foreign Ministers lay groundwork for The Hague Summit

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

04 Apr. 2025

NATO Foreign Ministers wrapped up two days of meetings in Brussels on Friday (4 April 2025), focusing on preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague, defence investment, burden sharing, Allied support to Ukraine, and cooperation with partners.

On the anniversary of the foundation of the Alliance, the Secretary General said that "as the world grows more dangerous," the need for NATO has never been greater: "And we are united in our commitment to each other in this Alliance."

On Thursday, Mr Rutte commended "the biggest increase in defence spending on the European side of NATO since the end of the Cold War." He welcomed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to his first ministerial, thanking him for his tireless diplomacy and support for NATO. The North Atlantic Council then met for a working lunch, focused on defence investment and preparations for the Summit in The Hague.

This was followed by a meeting with partners from the Indo-Pacific; Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand. "The security of the Indo-Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic is more connected than ever before. The war in Ukraine is but one example of this as China, North Korea, and Iran continue to support Russia's war machine," said Mr Rutte. "This poses risks to us all."

On Thursday evening, ministers met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, in the NATO-Ukraine Council format, where they were also joined by the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. "We have to make sure that whenever a ceasefire or a peace deal is reached, that it is enduring, that it is lasting," Secretary General Rutte said. He reaffirmed NATO's support for Ukraine, and welcomed that Allies have pledged more than 20 billion euros in military assistance in the first quarter of 2025.

The ministerial concluded on Friday morning with a meeting of the North Atlantic Council with the High Representative Kallas where they discussed NATO-EU cooperation, building defence industrial capacity, the situation in the Western Balkans, and support for Ukraine.

The Secretary General concluded his press conference on Friday by underlining that NATO remains the cornerstone of transatlantic security and global stability: "Through the years, working together, Allies have delivered security through strength. From all I heard during the last two days, we are well on track to continue delivering well into the future."

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Trump advised not to call Putin until Moscow agrees to full ceasefire: NBC

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 15:59, April 04, 2025

WASHINGTON, April 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's inner circle has advised him not to call Russian President Vladimir Putin until Moscow agrees to a full ceasefire with Ukraine, NBC News reported Thursday.

The report, citing two administration officials, said no call had been scheduled as of Thursday afternoon between Trump and Putin, while the two officials cautioned that Trump could decide he wants to talk to Putin suddenly.

The officials said Trump has been advised that a phone call was not a good idea unless Putin has agreed to a full ceasefire in the conflict with Ukraine, according to NBC News.

Trump told NBC News on Sunday that he planned to talk to Putin this week. During their phone conversation on March 18, Trump and Putin agreed that peace in Ukraine "will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire."

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Russian Strike Kills 18 In Zelenskyy's Hometown In One Of The Worst Attacks On Civilians This Year

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 04, 2025

A Russian missile attack that hit in a residential area of the industrial Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on April 4 killed at least 18 people, half of them children, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The attack on Zelenskyy's hometown was one of the deadliest against civilians this year, said Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Lysak noted that the rescue operation in the city is ongoing.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said more than 50 people were injured, and "this number is growing. They continue to seek medical help."

Lysak said about two dozen high-rise buildings, more than 30 cars, schools, and restaurants were damaged in the strike, which occurred shortly after 6:50 p.m. local time.

The attack came on the heels of an overnight drone attack on the eastern city of Kharkiv that killed at least five people, including an entire family, and injured more than 30 others.

Photos of the attack on Kryvyi Rih published on X by Zelenskyy show several bodies of adults lying on the ground, including one next to a children's playground. Windows on the nearby apartment buildings were blown out.

"The whole world sees it. Each missile, every attack drone proves that Russia seeks only war," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, noting the ongoing rescue operation.

"All Russian promises end with missiles, drones, bombs or artillery. Diplomacy means nothing to them," he said in his nightly video address.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it had targeted a meeting of military officials in the city and described it as a "high-precision strike" that targeted "a meeting of unit commanders and Western instructors" in a city restaurant.

"As a result of the strike, enemy losses total up to 85 servicemen and officers of foreign countries, as well as up to 20 vehicles," the ministry said.

The claim could not be independently verified.

Zelenskyy said that Russia also attacked an energy facility in Kherson in the south. Ukraine and Russia separately agreed last month at meetings with the United States, which is trying to mediate a cease-fire, not to attack each other's energy facilities.

US President Donald Trump has made ending the war a top foreign policy priority since taking office less than three months ago. Earlier this week, he reiterated threats to sanction Russian oil if Russian President Vladimir Putin was an obstacle to achieving peace.

Kharkiv Attacks

The drone attack on Kharkiv, the fourth on the city this week, triggered fires, regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said on Telegram, updating the casualty count on April 4.

"An 88-year-old man died in hospital.... As of this moment, five people are dead and 32 are wounded," he said in a post on Telegram.

Preliminary reports indicate that an entire family was among those killed, regional police said after the bodies of a father, mother, and daughter were discovered beneath the rubble of their home.

The Prosecutor-General's office said its officials were working to identify those who were killed and that three children were among those injured in the attacks.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. Terekhov said Russian troops launched at least 14 strikes on Kharkiv in just 40 minutes.

In the southeastern city of Dnipro, three people were injured in a mass drone attack, the regional governor said.

And at least seven drones attacked targets in the Zaporizhzhya region, injuring one, the regional governor said.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said early on April 4 that Russian air-defense units repelled a drone flying toward Moscow.

"Emergency specialists are working at the site where fragments have fallen," Sobyanin said on Telegram.

Russian news agencies later quoted a representative of the federal transport agency as saying the capital's Vnukovo airport had been reopened for departing flights subject to further official approvals.

The agencies said two other airports had also been ordered closed but there was no immediate word on whether their operations had resumed.

With reporting by Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kharkiv-ukraine-drone- attack-russia-moscow/33373185.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.

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Europe Calls Out Putin For Failing To Make Ukraine Peace Deal

By Olena Abramovych and Marek Hajduk April 04, 2025

BRUSSELS -- Several of Europe's top diplomats called out Russian President Vladimir Putin for failing to agree to a US-led peace proposal to end the war in Ukraine amid signs Washington has grown wary of the Kremlin's intentions during several weeks of talks.

Several of Europe's top diplomats, commenting during the second day of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on April 4, urged allies to put more pressure on Moscow to come to an agreement.

British Foreign Minister David Lammy called out Putin, saying the Russian leader "continues to obfuscate, continues to drag his feet" instead of agreeing to a deal Ukraine has already signed off on.

"He could accept a cease-fire now, he continues to bombard Ukraine, its civilian population, its energy supplies. We see you, Vladimir Putin, we know what you are doing," Lammy said.

NATO allies have been determined to present a united front to counter Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but the European allies feel their efforts have been marginalized.

US President Donald Trump has made ending Russia's more than three-year full-scale invasion of Ukraine a top priority since taking office for a second term just over two months ago, quickly dispatching his top officials to Moscow and Kyiv and beyond to clinch a peace deal.

Last month, however, Moscow rejected the US proposal for a full 30-day cease-fire. And while Ukraine and Russia did agree to a limited halt in attacks on each other's energy infrastructure, both have since accused the other of breaching the agreement.

Several foreign ministers at the NATO meeting have called for timelines to pressure Russia to come to an agreement, while German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called out Putin for so far making "nothing but empty promises."

She added that the Russian leader was "playing for time by raising ever new demands."

Trump appears to be losing patience with Putin, lashing out at him last week while threatening Russia with new tariffs on oil products if Moscow blocks his cease-fire initiatives.

During a phone interview with NBC News on March 30, Trump said 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 current President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told journalists in Brussels on April 4 that Washington should know in a matter of weeks, not months, if Russia is serious about making peace with Ukraine.

"We will know from their answers very soon whether they are serious about proceeding with real peace or whether it's a delay tactic. [If] it's a delay tactic, the president's not interested in that," he said.

In what may be a bid to smooth the recent bumps that have emerged, Putin sent envoy Kirill Dmitriev to Washington this week to seek ways to improve bilateral relations that Trump has sought to reestablish after they broke down during the Biden administration over the invasion of Ukraine.

But European diplomats said pressure needs to be ratcheted up on Russia as they seek to convince Trump to harden his stance on Putin.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, standing next to Lammy in Brussels, said on April 4 that Russia "owes an answer to the United States" over its failure to agree to the US cease-fire proposal.

"Russia has been flip-flopping, continuing its strikes on energy infrastructure, continuing its war crimes," Barrot said.

"It has to be 'yes.' It has to be 'no.' It has to be a quick answer."

The NATO foreign ministers meeting also looked at how to support Ukraine through the end of the war and afterward.

Answering a question from RFE/RL on the alliance's stance toward Ukraine's position at the bargaining table, NATO chief Mark Rutte said pledges of financial support for Kyiv are key to solidifying Ukraine's standing.

"Let me reconfirm that they [Ukraine] have to be in the strongest possible position," Rutte said.

While Ukraine's membership in NATO 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 continues to operate.

However, 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 chaired the last meeting of the group in February, and the next one tentatively scheduled for April 11 could be co-chaired by the United Kingdom and France.

A Pentagon spokesman declined to confirm that US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth would not attend the meeting but told RFE/RL that the US would not be playing the central role at the gathering.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/europe-calls-out-putin- failure-ukraine-peace-deal-us/33373403.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.

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Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's comment on Kiev regime's unrelenting terrorist attacks on Russian civilians

4 April 2025 17:29

554-04-04-2025

On the night of April 4, in the village of Belaya Berezka, Bryansk Region, one civilian was killed and one wounded in Ukrainian military-operated drone strikes on residential quarters.

As we reported earlier, in the morning of April 1, as a result of a premeditated attack by a Ukrainian kamikaze drone on a bus carrying passengers in Pobedy Square in central Gorlovka, 16 people were injured. Five were hospitalised in critical condition.

Over the past three days, at least nine civilians were injured in drone attacks in towns and villages of the Belgorod Region. In the Kherson Region, seven people, mostly elderly, were injured in UAV strikes and shelling attacks over the same period.

It has been conclusively established that Banderites organise daily hunting raids using UAVs to target innocent and defenceless people. Drones carrying explosives are in cold blood targeted to attack anyone spotted by neo-Nazis. Zelensky's bandits mercilessly open fire on women, the elderly and children. They target residential houses, stores, schools, hospitals, social buildings, and mass transit facilities.

The above facts prove that the Kiev junta's plans do not include a ceasefire or a negotiated settlement. The Zelensky regime has no political will for peace. His clique is morbidly obsessed with causing bloodshed, sowing terror, and inflicting damage and utmost suffering on civilians.

As they continue to target Russian border regions, the Ukrainian Nazis aim to kill as many Russians as possible, to intimidate, and to sow panic among the Russian people. However, these efforts are useless. Our people will not waver and will do everything to repeat the feat of their forefathers who, 80 years ago, managed to achieve the Great Victory over Nazism and to rid the world of the brown plague.

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Statement by Russian Defence Ministry

04.04.2025 (12:25)

In the past 24 hours, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have deliberately attacked Russian energy infrastructure facilities.

On 3 April, at 23:28, in Bryansk region, in Belaya Beryozka of the Trubchevsky District, as a result of an attack by a Ukrainian strike drone, a low-pressure gas pipeline was damaged and civil consumers were deprived of gas.

On 4 April, at 00:36, in Belaya Beryozka of the Trubchevsky District (Bryansk region), as a result of the attack by a Ukrainian strike UAV, an internal low-pressure gas pipeline (Zhilkomservis unitary enterprise of Trubchevsk) was damaged and civil consumers were deprived of gas.

In Kotovsk of Tambov region, on 4 April, at 05:05, as a result of the attack by a Ukrainian strike drone, a distributing steel low-pressure gas pipeline (Gazprom Gazoraspredelenie Tambov JSC) was damaged. Civil consumers were left without access to gas supply.

On 4 April, 07:10, in Bryansk region, as a result of a deliberate shelling by the AFU against a power facility (Rosseti Tsentr's branch - Bryanskenergo), civil consumers of Klimovsky District were left without electricity.

Moreover, at 08:00, as a result of a shelling by the AFU against the power facility (Rosseti Tsentr's branch-Bryanskenergo), dozens of civil consumers of Klimovsky District were left without electric power.

In Lipetsk region, on 4 April, at 08:10, as a result of a Ukrainian strike drone attack against an energy facility in Nikolayevka (Rosseti Centre's branch - Lipetskenergo), civil consumers were cut off electricity in Lipetsky District.

For more than two weeks now, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to attack unilaterally on a daily basis the Russian energy infrastructure thus ignoring Zelensky's public commitments to halt such strikes from 18 March onwards.

Department for Media Affairs and Information

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Every Russian Promise Ends with Missiles or Drones, Bombs or Artillery; Diplomacy Means Nothing to Them - Address by the President

President of Ukraine

4 April 2025 - 21:07

Dear Ukrainians!

Rescue operations are currently underway in Kryvyi Rih following a Russian missile strike. Preliminary reports suggest it was a ballistic missile. As of now, 14 people are confirmed dead, including six children. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Many people are injured, and buildings have been damaged. The missile struck an area near residential buildings - hitting a playground and regular streets. They are nothing but inhuman scumbags - everyone who can do such things. There are no decent words to describe these Russian bastards. Also today, in Kharkiv, rescue efforts continued all day after a targeted Russian drone strike. A deliberate attack by six "Shahed" drones. Sadly, five people were killed. 34 others were injured. In total, 78 attack drones were launched during the past night alone, 56 of them "Shaheds." Also today, in Kherson - another targeted strike by a Russian FPV drone hit an energy facility - the Kherson thermal power plant. These strikes cannot be accidental - the Russians know exactly that these are energy facilities and that such facilities should be protected from any attacks under what Russia itself promised to the American side. Every Russian promise ends with missiles or drones, bombs or artillery. Diplomacy means nothing to them. And that's why pressure is needed - sufficient pressure on Russia so they feel the consequences of every lie of theirs, every strike, every single day they take lives and prolong the war. A ceasefire could have already been reached, and it is Putin who rejects it; it is Moscow that has refused a ceasefire since March 11; and it is they, in Russia, who want this war. And it's obvious that Russia won't be forced into peace just by talks or expectations. I'm grateful to everyone in the world whose strength helps diplomacy and all efforts for a just peace become effective. We count on America, on Europe, on other partners - we count on their ability to put pressure on the sole cause of this war - namely, Russia's desire to destroy and kill.

Today, reports were made by our military officials: the Commander-in-Chief, the Chief of the General Staff, and the Minister of Defense of Ukraine. We are strengthening our defense. We are explaining to our partners what is needed to strengthen our position and thus make diplomacy more effective.

It is very significant that today in Ukraine, our military officials met with our partner's representatives: the United Kingdom and France, specifically military teams. And the discussion is already very detailed - on the deployment of security contingents in Ukraine. There is tangible progress, and I personally thanked our partners today for this - we are shaping a shared vision and a concrete foundation for guaranteeing security. In Ukraine, we are not only striving for peace but also building a clear strategy to ensure that peace is truly reliable and truly lasting. I am grateful to all in Europe who are helping us with this, and it is important that this work and future security be supported by the United States.

And one more thing - based on the dialogue with our communities in the Chernihiv region yesterday. We have agreed with the communities that we will provide special support to the frontline and border communities adjacent to Russia. Today, government officials have already approved the parameters of this support. I am referring to the first installment - at least UAH 2 billion will be allocated to 200 communities in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, and Luhansk regions. As well as communities in the Dnipro region. We will assess the results achieved through the use of these funds and will continue this financial support. These funds can be used for the most urgent security needs - primarily for the protection of people, repairs and reconstruction, special transport, and the construction of shelters. I have instructed the Government to promptly allocate the funds to the communities. I thank everyone working for Ukraine, all those who are supporting and helping us!

Glory to Ukraine!

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The Presidential Office Hosts a Meeting with Italy's Special Envoy for Ukraine's Reconstruction

President of Ukraine

4 April 2025 - 19:12

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Ihor Brusylo, held a meeting with Italy's Special Envoy for Ukraine's Reconstruction, Davide La Cecilia, and Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Ukraine, Carlo Formosa.

The parties discussed the key preparatory stages for the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which will take place on July 10-11 in Rome. Special emphasis was placed on coordination between the Ukrainian and Italian sides, the event's agenda, and the involvement of international partners, as well as business and civil society representatives.

It is crucial to ensure representation from the broadest possible range of participants: both at the level of state leaders and governments, and at the level of business circles of partner countries. After all, this will be essential for the implementation of practical projects to rebuild Ukraine.

During the discussion on the conference program, the parties particularly noted the importance of integrating the cultural sector into the reconstruction process. This includes presenting projects for the preservation and restoration of cultural sites damaged by Russian aggression, as well as raising international awareness of the protection of Ukraine's cultural heritage.

In addition, they discussed the organization of thematic platforms and side events on the sidelines of the conference, which will allow to effectively present Ukraine's recovery priority areas and attract potential investors.

Ihor Brusylo thanked Italy for its initiative to host the conference in Rome and for its active efforts to ensure a high level of the event.

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We Will Undoubtedly Endure This War and Ensure a Dignified Life for Ukraine - The President During the Ceremony of Presenting the Orders of the Golden Star and Crosses of Military Merit

President of Ukraine

4 April 2025 - 19:08

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the Orders of the Golden Star to the defenders awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and to the family members of fallen warriors who received this title posthumously; he also presented the Crosses of Military Merit.

"Each name spoken today is a story of feats - both of an individual and of all our Defense and Security Forces. There would be no Ukraine without such people, without such heroism. Our blue and yellow flag remains on Ukrainian soil thanks to every one of our warriors who holds the line, fights for themselves, their brothers-in-arms, their families, and for all of Ukraine - achieving the result we so desperately need on the battlefield," the Head of State emphasized.

The President also thanked the families of Ukrainian defenders for their strength and resilience.

"We will undoubtedly endure this war. We will certainly ensure a dignified life for Ukraine. And we will definitely hold Russia accountable for everything it has done," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The participants honored the memory of all the defenders who gave their lives for Ukraine with a minute of silence.

The Head of State handed over the Orders of the Golden Star to the family members of the fallen Heroes of Ukraine. This title was posthumously awarded to:

Junior Sergeant Yurii Haponenko. In 2022, he took part in the liberation of settlements in the Kyiv and Kherson regions, and later in the defense of Bakhmut, Kurdyumivka, and Soledar in the Donetsk region. Thanks to his reconnaissance efforts, three enemy T-72 tanks, two BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, three BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, and more than 50 occupiers were destroyed. In February 2023, he was severely wounded in a mortar attack and died in hospital.

Junior Sergeant Yulian Matviychuk. From September 2022, he carried out missions to protect the state border in the Kharkiv, Sumy and Donetsk regions. His effective command of the UAV crew thwarted plans to assault Ukrainian positions. In May 2023, near Marinka, he sustained a serious injury during enemy shelling and died in hospital a few days later.

Lieutenant Colonel Yurii Tymus. In February and March 2022, the senior navigator-pilot carried out 28 combat sorties, destroying or damaging three tanks, four infantry fighting vehicles, seven armored personnel carriers, and eliminating up to one hundred invaders. He delivered ammunition and medical supplies and evacuated the seriously wounded from Azovstal. He also helped destroy an enemy camp that was preparing for an assault. Despite the difficult conditions, he organized the group's safe landing and takeoff. However, his helicopter was hit by a missile amid intense enemy fire, resulting in the death of the entire crew.

Junior Sergeant Denys Dorofieiev. In March 2022, an anti-tank minefield installed by his engineer-sapper group in Zaporizhzhia prevented the occupiers from breaking through. Since July 2023, he has been carrying out combat missions in the Donetsk region without loss of personnel or equipment. In January of last year, he was installing an anti-tank mine near Kostyantynivka, which detonated after being hit by an FPV drone. Denys Dorofieiev died from life-threatening injuries.

Senior soldier Ruslan Piskovyi. He volunteered for the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the first hours of the full-scale Russian invasion. In May 2022, he fought in the Kharkiv region as part of the Territorial Defense Forces, and at the end of the year, he took part in the battles in Bilohorivka, Luhansk region. In April 2023, in the Donetsk region, he masterfully organized the defense of positions during a night battle but died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Soldier Andrii Cheverda. In May 2023, as a machine-gunner of a rifle squad, he took part in repelling an assault on Ukrainian positions in the Luhansk region. The defenders of Ukraine fought against the enemy's superior forces, which numbered 80 people. Our warriors did not allow the occupiers to advance deeper into the positions, but Andrii Cheverda was killed in that battle.

Senior Lieutenant Andrii Fedosov. He carried out combat missions involving reconnaissance, repelling attacks, and detaining enemy fire spotters. On June 30, 2022, in Pryvillya, Luhansk region, Ukrainian warriors came under ambush fire when they were trying to push the Russian occupiers out of the city. Andrii Fedosov assisted four wounded brothers-in-arms and evacuated them but sustained terminal injuries himself.

Senior Lieutenant Ruslan Danko. On the outskirts of Malynivka, in the Zaporizhzhia region, he evacuated the bodies of fallen defenders from the "gray" zone and, together with the advanced group of the Special Operations Forces, inflicted fire. While covering the advanced assault group, he suppressed a Russian machine gun crew and cut off the infantry. However, as a result of the FPV kamikaze drone attack, he sustained fatal injuries.

Soldier Artur Stankus. In the Luhansk region, a unit under his command repelled assaults by superior enemy forces. He was severely wounded, but continued to carry out his mission, assisted others, and covered the retreat of the wounded. He held the position by himself, preventing the Russian occupiers from taking control and advancing further. After the reinforcements arrived, Artur Stankus led the evacuation of the wounded and was killed in a shelling.

Junior Sergeant Maksym Piasetskyi. In 2022, together with his unit, he was defending positions in Kamyanka, Kharkiv region, for more than 40 days and repeatedly destroyed enemy vehicles. His Stugna-P ATGM unit destroyed two tanks moving from Izyum, forcing the occupiers to retreat. Maksym Piasetskyi was killed by artillery fire while holding back another attack.

Junior Sergeant Oleksandr Tsebrii. He killed almost 30 invaders and captured an enemy infantry fighting vehicle in the Donetsk region. He was wounded during the assault but continued to hold his position. Despite the shelling, he evacuated three wounded brothers-in-arms. Last year, on the night of July 24, he led an assault group. The occupiers suffered losses and were forced to retreat. Oleksandr Tsebrii evacuated a wounded warrior but was killed while continuing his mission.

Junior Sergeant Oleh Andriichuk. He defended Ukraine in the area of Toretsk and Bakhmut. In April 2023, he took an active part in planning and preparing an assault and defense operation near Khromove. Despite being wounded, he refused to evacuate, gave the command to evacuate the most severely wounded, and continued to lead the defense until the rotation team arrived. As a result of his injuries, Oleh Andriichuk died at the stabilization point.

Sergeant Dmytro Shevchenko. Last year in May, near Chasiv Yar, he hit an armored vehicle, which disrupted the enemy's offensive. He blocked a group of Russian paratroopers, killing two and wounding seven others. On May 29, the unit under his command destroyed four units of military machinery and a significant number of invaders. While the warriors were moving to the evacuation site, the enemy hit them with FPV drones. Dmytro Shevchenko, sustained fatal injuries while covering his brothers-in-arms.

Soldier Mykyta Kolisnyk (National Guard). In January 2023, in Bakhmut, during an enemy offensive on a National Guard stronghold, he eliminated nearly 20 invaders with precision fire. Later, he killed 11 more invaders, shot down one armored personnel carrier and destroyed another. Later, during a battle, an enemy grenade exploded near Mykyta Kolisnyk's position, causing him to sustain a fatal injury.

Junior Lieutenant Andrii Siadrystyi (National Guard). In the Zaporizhzhia direction in July 2023, on his orders, a combat unit stopped the enemy's advance and destroyed an armored personnel carrier and two infantry fighting vehicles. Then the Junior Lieutenant personally eliminated six occupiers. Near Robotyne, Andrii Siadrystyi was the first to open fire on the enemy's superior forces, eliminating four invaders and destroying a Tiger light armored vehicle.

Major Andrii Hutsal (State Border Guard Service). On February 25 of last year, during an assault, he coordinated the evacuation of the wounded under enemy fire, helping the defenders repel the attack. After being wounded himself, he refused to leave the position and returned to complete the evacuation. During the withdrawal, he came under fire and was severely wounded. While the infantry fighting vehicle was heading to the stabilization point, it was hit by a missile, killing everyone inside.

Lieutenant Ihor Poliovyi (State Border Guard Service). In May 2024, his reconnaissance group occupied one of the forward positions in Vovchansk and halted the enemy's advance. This allowed for the rapid encirclement of a group of occupiers at one of the local plants. In June, he personally eliminated two occupiers in an enemy trench, wounded two more, and captured one, holding the position alone. Ihor Poliovyi was killed on October 23 while carrying out a combat mission in the Kursk region.

Senior Lieutenant Ivan Ulezko (Security Service of Ukraine). As part of a sniper team, he personally eliminated four occupiers and wounded three more in the Bakhmut area. In the Kharkiv region, acting as both a sniper and UAV operator, he conducted aerial reconnaissance and engaged in drone-kamikaze operations against enemy infantry: eliminating nine occupiers and wounding eleven. Last November, during an operation to neutralize an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group, his tactical team was ambushed. Ivan Ulezko ensured the withdrawal of his team but was fatally wounded.

The President presented warriors with the Golden Stars of the Hero of Ukraine. The highest state award was conferred upon:

Junior Sergeant Bohdan Masko. During the fighting in the Kherson region, he sustained combat injuries four times but continued to carry out his missions. In the Donetsk region, he conducted aerial reconnaissance and adjusted artillery and mortar fire. During one of the battles, he provided aid to a wounded brother-in-arms and helped transport him to the evacuation point. In 2024-2025, he eliminated nearly 50 occupiers using drones.

Soldier Vitalii Shuba. He has been defending Ukraine in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. As a member of an assault group, and later its commander, he took part in recapture and defense of strongholds. He repeatedly adjusted artillery fire. Over seven days, single-handedly eliminated ten occupiers and three infantry fighting vehicles, when replacement was impossible due to full enemy fire control. In total, his actions led to the destruction of 90 invaders, 12 IFVs, and a T-72 tank.

Soldier Vladyslav Stepanchuk (State Border Guard Service). In July 2023, he enrolled at the Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National Academy of the State Border Guard Service, and by April 2024, at his own request, he joined the newly created fire support unit. In the same month, during shelling, the 18-year-old soldier saved a 105-mm cannon. In the Kursk region, together with his crew, he brought to backup firing positions soldiers from adjacent units who had lost communication. In total, he saved 21 defenders, two of whom were injured.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also awarded warriors with the Crosses of Military Merit. The recipients are:

Junior Lieutenant Valentyn Roman. He performed combat missions in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Luhansk regions. He led assaults and defensive actions, strengthening the front-line positions. Last October, during his shift, he personally held the observation post and repelled an enemy attack. Valentyn Roman and the groups under his command destroyed over 170 occupiers, as well as infantry fighting vehicles, MT-LB armored fighting vehicles, and tanks.

Captain Vladyslav Bondarenko. He assembled an assault squad and recaptured two lost positions. Later, in conditions of encirclement, he was severely wounded but continued to lead the fight. After two days, communication with the group was lost. The captain, who was unconscious, was found and evacuated to the nearest position, but the warriors were noticed by the occupiers. To prevent a breakthrough, Vladyslav Bondarenko called down fire on himself. On the fifth day, he was finally evacuated to the stabilization point.

Lieutenant Colonel Andrii Horian. He commanded units of the airmobile battalion and coordinated assault actions in the Kursk region. He ensured the timely arrival of the unit at the designated positions, provided instructions to assault units to recapture new positions, led the battle, and effectively coordinated tasks for the assault groups.

Junior Sergeant Oleksandr Vlasov. In August 2024, in the Kursk region, he led groups out of the shelling and coordinated the evacuation of the wounded. Thanks to this, he saved the lives of 17 warriors. In October, under difficult conditions, he quickly responded to the changing combat situation, planned and carried out a clearance operation, destroying 16 occupiers

Senior Soldier Yurii Hrytsenia. Thanks to him, full control was restored over the village of Plekhovo in the Kursk region. He led his unit, personally killing three Russian soldiers and saving the lives of five wounded brothers-in-arms. In the village of Pohrebky, he eliminated nine enemies and seized radio stations, which allowed for the recapture of lost positions and halted the enemy's advance. In December, Yurii Hrytsenia lost his arm due to a wound.

Colonel Maksym Lanovyi. Deputy Head of the Hetman Petro Sahaidachny National Army Academy. Last September, in the areas of Vuhledar, Kostyantynivka, and Hostre, he carried out simultaneous offensive actions across the areas of responsibility of three brigades. In total, under his command, brigade units destroyed 30 artillery pieces, 33 mortars, 4 self-propelled guns, 17 tanks, 106 armored vehicles, eliminated 428 occupiers, and wounded nearly a thousand.

Captain Ihor Sudomiy. Near Hostomel, he prevented the capture of Ukrainian positions by an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group, killing three occupiers and wounding four more. In the Luhansk region, his assault group attacked enemy positions, destroying 10 invaders and two enemy IFVs. In the Kharkiv region, his unit took two strongholds and destroyed two tanks, eight APCs, three MT-LBs, six vehicles, and nearly a platoon of occupiers.

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Andriy Yermak Meets with Students of the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

President of Ukraine

4 April 2025 - 17:14

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, took part in a discussion on the role of artificial intelligence in bringing the Russian Federation to justice for the war in Ukraine.

Andriy Yermak emphasized that every war ends only with justice being restored, adding that the World Bank has estimated the damage caused by Russian aggression to Ukraine at USD 524 billion.

The Head of the Presidential Office noted that Ukraine is creating the Register of Damage, which includes all objects affected by the Russian aggression. The Russian Federation has destroyed 214,000 civilian infrastructure facilities, including 173,000 residential buildings and 9,000 communication facilities.

"Artificial intelligence can help process massive amounts of data, determine the exact amount of damage, and identify and locate war criminals. And we will actively use it for this purpose. AI can calculate all the damage caused to Ukraine down to the last penny. But only a human can convince the whole world that we are right, persuade them to ensure compensation for the damage, and restore justice," he said.

Andriy Yermak called on future diplomats to join efforts to restore justice and ensure that Russia compensates for the damage it has caused.

The event was also attended by the Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov. He noted that artificial intelligence is constantly evolving, and new opportunities are emerging in the field of technology. In particular, AI can collect evidence, analyze satellite images, and identify war criminals much faster.

"AI is capable of processing millions of pages of evidence in a matter of minutes, finding connections between events, and identifying the perpetrators. So, we need to master this technology and use it to help deliver justice," he concluded.

The discussion took place at the Institute of International Relations of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, where the results of a competition among Ukrainian students on the use of modern technologies in the field of international law and justice were announced.

The competition involved 130 students from 30 higher education institutions. The all-Ukrainian essay contest "The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Bringing the Russian Federation to Justice" was organized with the support of the Office of the President.

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Andriy Yermak Holds Phone Call with Adviser to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

President of Ukraine

4 April 2025 - 16:18

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, held a phone call with National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Jonathan Powell.

Andriy Yermak briefed his interlocutor on his joint visit with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Sumy region, where intense fighting continues along the border with the Russian Federation.

During the conversation, the officials also discussed the importance of maintaining the ceasefire regime. The Head of the Presidential Office emphasized that Ukraine adheres to the ceasefire agreement on energy facilities. At the same time, Russia continues to shell Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

In addition, the parties exchanged views on key aspects of advancing a just and lasting peace and underscored the need to provide Ukraine with reliable security guarantees and to maintain sanctions against Russia. Particular attention was paid to increasing military and financial support for Ukraine and for Europe's defense capabilities.

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Another Attack on Kryvyi Rih - The Cost to Families is Unbearable

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

THE HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR UKRAINE, MATTHIAS SCHMALE, STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE ATTACK ON KRYVYI RIH, DNIPRO REGION

I am outraged by reports of yet another large-scale attack this evening by the Russian Armed Forces on Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipro Region.

This brutal strike has reportedly killed more than a dozen people, including several children. Dozens more were injured, reminding us of the devastating toll this war has on civilians.

This attack follows a deeply disturbing pattern of repeated attacks on populated areas across Ukraine that continue to kill and maim civilians. Kharkiv is still reeling from the massive attack it endured just last night.

The cost to families is unbearable.

Civilians are protected under international humanitarian law. They are not a target.

For further information, please contact:

Hilary Stauffer, OCHA: +380 50 444 8329, staufferh@un.org

OCHA press releases are available at www.unocha.org or www.reliefweb.int

4 April 2025

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London, United Kingdom, April 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blushush, a London-based branding agency co-founded by Sahil Gandhi, has officially joined forces with Ohh My Brand, the personal branding consultancy founded by globally recognized branding expert Bhavik Sarkhedi. This collaboration combines two distinct yet complementary disciplinesstrategic brand architecture and high-impact storytellingto offer a comprehensive branding solution for founders, executives, and high-growth companies.





By merging expertise in brand strategy, personal branding, digital reputation management, and identity design, the partnership aims to redefine how business leaders establish trust, authority, and visibility in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.

A Unified Approach to Branding and Influence

With the rapid evolution of digital platforms, branding has expanded beyond just logos and taglines. Founders and CEOs today must navigate reputation, visibility, and strategic positioning to remain competitive. Recognizing this need, Sahil Gandhi and Bhavik Sarkhedi have created a holistic branding framework that integrates:

Brand Strategy Development  Crafting cohesive narratives and visual identities.

Personal Branding & Digital Authority  Enhancing thought leadership and credibility.

Reputation Management & Search Optimization  Building online trust and visibility.

Strategic Web Development  Designing high-conversion websites that reinforce brand positioning.

Bridging the Gap in Modern Branding

This partnership is designed to fill a critical gap in the marketwhere design meets influence. While many agencies offer branding services, few provide a seamless integration of brand architecture with storytelling, authority-building, and digital reputation management.

Sahil Gandhi, co-founder of Blushush and widely known as The Brand Professor , has built a reputation for helping businesses craft strategic brand identities that resonate and convert. Bhavik Sarkhedi, the founder of Ohh My Brand , is a globally recognized personal branding specialist, renowned for his ability to create high-impact content strategies that drive engagement and visibility. Together, they are bringing a new, data-driven approach to brandingone that prioritizes long-term influence over short-term tactics.

"Branding is no longer just about aestheticsits about building trust. A strong visual identity means nothing if it isnt backed by strategic positioning and a compelling story. Thats where this collaboration is different. Were bringing strategy and storytelling under one roof to create brands that dont just look good, but actually stand for something, said Sahil Gandhi.

"A powerful brand is built at the intersection of design, identity, and influence. In todays digital-first world, a brands authority is shaped as much by search and social presence as it is by traditional marketing. This collaboration ensures our clients not only stand out but are also seen, trusted, and remembered," added Bhavik Sarkhedi.

A Data-Driven Vision for Founders and Business Leaders

Through in-depth market research and industry insights, the duo identified a recurring challenge: even seasoned CEOs, startup founders, and Fortune 500 executives often lack a unified brand strategy. Whether its inconsistency in messaging, scattered digital presence, or ineffective reputation management, the need for a cohesive, full-stack branding solution has never been greater.

This partnership is designed for business leaders who need:

 A clear, differentiated brand strategy that sets them apart.

 Personal branding strategies that enhance authority and engagement.

 Optimized online presence to dominate search and social ecosystems.

 A complete branding ecosystemfrom identity design to reputation management.

Upcoming Initiatives & Global Expansion

As part of their joint mission to simplify branding, Blushush and Ohh My Brand will be rolling out a series of global initiatives aimed at making high-level branding accessible to more professionals. Their roadmap includes:

Brand Strategy Workshops & Masterclasses  Exclusive sessions for startup founders, corporate leaders, and creative professionals.

Digital Reputation Accelerator  A targeted program designed to enhance online credibility and search presence.

Bespoke Personal Branding Packages  Tailored solutions for executives looking to establish themselves as industry thought leaders.

With a combined track record of working with Fortune-backed brands and Forbes-featured leaders, this collaboration is set to reshape the future of branding by bridging the gap between design, identity, and digital influence.

For more details on their services and upcoming initiatives, visit www.blushush.co.uk.





About Blushush

Blushush is a London-based branding agency specializing in brand strategy, identity design, and digital presence development. Co-founded by Sahil Gandhi, the brand strategist helps businesses build impactful brands that drive engagement, trust, and long-term growth.

About Ohh My Brand

Ohh My Brand, founded by Bhavik Sarkhedi, is a personal branding consultancy focused on storytelling, digital reputation management, and authority-building. The firm works with executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals to craft compelling personal brands that elevate their influence in the digital space. Visit www.ohhmybrand.com for more details.
NEW YORK, April 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a lawsuit has been filed against Atkore Inc. (NYSE: ATKR) and certain of the Companys 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 Revealed

On 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 Atkores 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 Companys 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:

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/atkore-inc

Or contact:

Ross Shikowitz

ross@bfalaw.com

212-789-3619

Why 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.

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/atkore-inc

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NEW YORK, April 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) between February 3, 2022 and February 3, 2025, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important April 14, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Merck 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 Merck class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=34975 or 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 firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants provided investors with material information concerning Mercks expected revenue of $11 billion from sales of Gardasil by 2030. Defendants statements included, among other things, confidence in Mercks purported ability to utilize successful consumer activation and education efforts on the benefits of Gardasil in order to drive demand and capitalize on eligible populations for vaccination, resulting in confidently optimistic reports and forecasts of Gardasils growth in China. Defendants provided these overwhelmingly positive statements to investors while, at the same time, disseminating materially false and misleading statements and/or concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of Gardasils demand in China; notably, that Merck lacked visibility into demand for Gardasil in China among eligible and otherwise targeted populations, resulting in the inflated inventory of its distributor, Zhifei. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Merck class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=34975 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 investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

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Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

-------------------------------

Contact Information:

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Austin, April 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The SNS Insider report indicates that the Oilfield Equipment Market Size was estimated at USD 109.20 billion in 2023 and is expected to arrive at USD 146.15 billion by 2032 with a growing CAGR of 3.29% over the forecast period 2024-2032. The Oilfield Equipment Market is witnessing a transformative phase, propelled by the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and the escalating global energy demand. Innovations like AI and IoT are revolutionizing traditional oilfield operations, enabling real-time data analysis, predictive maintenance, and improved decision-making processes.

The U.S. metering pumps market is projected to grow from USD 83.0 billion in 2023 to USD 109.8 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 3.16%. This steady growth is driven by increasing demand across industries such as water treatment, chemicals, and oil & gas. The market's expansion is supported by advancements in pump technology and stricter regulatory standards for fluid management.





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Key Players:

ABB (Drilling Control Systems, Power Solutions)

Baker Hughes (Drilling Equipment, Well Completion Tools)

Delta Corporation (Pressure Control Equipment, Wellhead Solutions)

EthosEnergy Group Limited (Turbomachinery, Rotating Equipment)

Integrated Equipment (Blowout Preventers, Valves, Wellhead Equipment)

Jereh Oilfield Equipment (Fracturing Units, Cementing Equipment)

MSP/Drilex, Inc. (Mud Pumps, Drill String Components)

Sunnda Corporation (Wellhead Equipment, Flow Control Products)

Uztel S.A (Well Control Equipment, Valves)

Weir Group (Pumps, Pressure Control Equipment)

Halliburton (Drilling Tools, Production Equipment)

SLB (Schlumberger) (Well Services, Logging Equipment)

National Oilwell Varco (NOV) (Drilling Rigs, Pipe Handling Equipment)

Weatherford International (Artificial Lift Systems, Well Construction)

Cameron (a Schlumberger company) (Blowout Preventers, Wellheads)

TechnipFMC (Subsea Production Systems, Drilling Systems)

Aker Solutions (Subsea Equipment, Flow Assurance Solutions)

Dril-Quip, Inc. (Wellheads, Subsea Equipment)

Expro Group (Well Flow Management, Wireline Services)

Tenaris (OCTG Pipes, Premium Connections)

Oilfield Equipment Market Report Scope:

Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2023 USD 109.20 Billion Market Size by 2032 USD 146.15 Billion CAGR CAGR of 3.29% From 2024 to 2032 Base Year 2023 Forecast Period 2024-2032 Historical Data 2020-2022 Report Scope & Coverage Market Size, Segments Analysis, Competitive Landscape, Regional Analysis, DROC & SWOT Analysis, Forecast Outlook Key Segments  By Type (Drilling Equipment, Production Equipment, Other Equipment Types)

 By Application (Onshore, Offshore) Key Drivers  Rising global energy demand, fueled by industrialization and population growth, drives the need for advanced oilfield equipment and technologies.

If You Need Any Customization on Oilfield Equipment Market Report, Inquire Now @ https://www.snsinsider.com/enquiry/2372

Production Equipment and Onshore Applications Dominate the Oilfield Equipment Market

By Type: The Production Equipment segment led the Oilfield Equipment Market in 2023, holding a market share of over 44%. This predominance can be explained by its key character in oil and gas extraction, processing, and handling. These equipment pieces include separators, heaters, storage tanks, and artificial lift methods that have a major impact on ensuring that production is running at peak levels. However, global energy consumption is rising rapidly, and the number of mature oilfields is also growing, which drives the need for modern production equipment. Technological innovations, including automation and digital surveillance, have also improved efficiency and reliability. Moreover, strict environmental regulations have led to innovations in equipment design that ensure compliance while optimizing output, further solidifying the position of the segment within the oilfield equipment industry. 

By Application: The onshore applications segment accounted for over 62% of the Oilfield Equipment Market share in 2023. This dominance is primarily the result of the vast onshore oil and gas reserves that exist around the world, particularly in regions such as North America, the Middle East, and Russia. Offshore drilling is generally more expensive than onshore operations, requiring higher capital investments and involving more complex logistics. A growing attention on unconventional resources, including shale oil and tight gas, has also driven the demand for onshore oilfield equipment. Improvements in drilling technologies such as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have increased efficiency and production rates, further strengthening the onshore segment's dominance over the oilfield equipment market. 

North America Leads, While Asia-Pacific Emerges as a Key Growth Hub in the Oilfield Equipment Market

North America held a dominant position in the Oilfield Equipment Market in 2023, accounting for over 40% of the total market share. The majority of this control is the result of years of oil and gas exploration and production, especially in the U.S. and Canadian territories. The extract below shows that the U.S. leads the way in the region with massive extraction of shale oil and gas, due to advanced drilling techniques and supportive government policies. Canada is also a huge source, thanks in part to massive investments in offshore drilling and oil sands projects. Further, the presence of key oilfield equipment manufacturers as well as service providers within the region strengthens the market. Increasing investments in non-conventional oil and gas resources, such as shale and deepwater reserves, further enhance oilfield equipment requirements in North America.

The Asia-Pacific region is witnessing rapid expansion in the Oilfield Equipment Market, driven by increasing oil and gas exploration activities in key countries such as China, India, and Australia. Increasing energy demand, driven by industrialization and urbanization, is leading to heavy investment by governments and energy companies in domestic oil and gas production. And China, with some major offshore and onshore drilling projects, is a big part of it. India is ramping up exploration efforts to cut its reliance on energy imports, while Australia is capitalising on its massive natural gas reserves. The expansion of energy exploration-related industries and growing foreign investments are driving the market growth, along with the supportive policies established by the governments. There is also a trend towards augmenting efficiency in oilfield activities in the region through the deployment of advanced drilling equipment and digital solutions. 

Recent Developments

In August 2023: Halliburton and PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to market and co-innovate digital transformation solutions for the energy sector in Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. This collaboration aims to develop advanced digital solutions to enhance operational efficiency, including PTTEPs WellSafvy, Well Delivery Process, and APEX, built on Halliburtons DecisionSpace 365 suite.

Table of Contents  Major Key Points

1. Introduction

2. Executive Summary

3. Research Methodology

4. Market Dynamics Impact Analysis

5. Statistical Insights and Trends Reporting

6. Competitive Landscape

7. Oilfield Equipment Market Segmentation, By Type

8. Oilfield Equipment Market Segmentation, By Application

9. Regional Analysis

10. Company Profiles

11. Use Cases and Best Practice

12. Conclusion





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About Us:

SNS Insider is one of the leading market research and consulting agencies that dominates the market research industry globally. Our company's aim is to give clients the knowledge they require in order to function in changing circumstances. In order to give you current, accurate market data, consumer insights, and opinions so that you can make decisions with confidence, we employ a variety of techniques, including surveys, video talks, and focus groups around the world.
Austin, April 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Proppants Market is projected to reach a valuation of USD 20.10 billion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.89% from 2024 to 2032.

In hydraulic fracturing, the key function of proppants is to keep the fractures open, thereby allowing the movement of hydrocarbons. Driven by increasing shale gas exploration, growing investments in energy infrastructure, and the widespread application of proppants in unconventional oil & gas production, proppants consumption is rising globally. Moreover, technology trends of proppants like resin coated, ceramic polyvalent proppants, which increase efficiency and production of wells, shape proppant market dynamics. Differentiating lightweight and high-strength proppant production technologies improves competitiveness in the market. Additionally, the growing government regulations on environmental features concerning water usage and the sustainability of fracking practices are expected to boost the growth of environmentally friendly proppants. Increasing investments in oil and gas infrastructure and the resurgence of drilling activities across major regions are adding to the market outlook.

In the United States, which accounted for a major share of the global proppants market in 2023, the surge in shale gas and tight oil production continues to fuel demand The Permian Basin, Eagle Ford, and Bakken formations remain key regions for proppant consumption, supported by favorable government policies, tax incentives, and increased well completions. Moreover, the U.S. market is witnessing growing adoption of advanced proppant technologies, such as ultra-lightweight proppants and proppant transport techniques, to optimize fracture conductivity and maximize hydrocarbon recovery.





Download PDF Sample of Proppants Market @ https://www.snsinsider.com/sample-request/6133

Key Players:

CARBO Ceramics Inc. (CARBOHSP Ceramic Proppant, CARBOLITE Lightweight Proppant)

U.S. Silica Holdings Inc. (Silica Sand Proppant, Resin-Coated Proppant)

Covia Holdings LLC (Unifrac Resin-Coated Sand, Unifrac Ceramic Proppant)

Hi-Crush Inc. (Northern White Sand, In-Basin Sand)

Hexion Inc. (XRT Resin-Coated Proppant, Prime Plus Proppant)

Saint-Gobain Proppants (Sintered Bauxite Proppant, Sintered Kaolin Proppant)

Badger Mining Corporation (BadgerFrac Industrial Sand, BadgerCoated Resin-Coated Sand)

Emerge Energy Services LP (Superior Silica Sands, White Frac Sand)

Preferred Sands (Preferred Resin-Coated Sand, Preferred White Sand)

Fairmount Santrol Holdings Inc. (Santrol Proppant, Propel SSP Proppant)

Atlas Sand Company, LLC (Atlas White Sand, Atlas In-Basin Sand)

Mineracao Curimbaba (Ceramic Proppant, Lightweight Proppant)

Xinmi Wanli Industry Development Co., Ltd. (Wanli Ceramic Proppant, Ultra Lightweight Proppant)

China GengSheng Minerals, Inc. (Ceramic Proppant, High-Strength Proppant)

ChangQing Proppant (Ceramic Proppant, Intermediate-Strength Proppant)CoorsTek Inc. (Ceramic Proppant, High-Density Proppant)

Eagle Materials Inc. (Frac Sand, Resin-Coated Proppant)

Fores LTD (Ceramic Proppant, Lightweight Proppant)

Halliburton (SandCastle PS-2500 Vertical Storage Silo, SandForce Advanced Proppant Delivery System)

Baker Hughes Company (Ceramic Proppant, Resin-Coated Sand)

Proppants Market Report Scope:

Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2023 USD 9.27 Billion Market Size by 2032 USD 20.10 Billion CAGR CAGR of 8.98% From 2024 to 2032 Base Year 2023 Forecast Period 2024-2032 Historical Data 2020-2022 Report Scope & Coverage Market Size, Segments Analysis, Competitive Landscape, Regional Analysis, DROC & SWOT Analysis, Forecast Outlook Key Segments  By Type (Frac Sand, Resin-coated Proppant, Ceramic Proppant)

By Application (Shale Gas, Tight Gas, Coal Bed Methane, Others) Key Drivers  Rising shale gas and tight oil exploration which drives market growth.

If You Need Any Customization on Proppants Market Report, Inquire Now @ https://www.snsinsider.com/enquiry/6133

Which Region Leads the Proppants Market Growth?

In 2023, North America gained the largest market share at 48%. That is the case in the U.S. and Canada, thanks to some shale gas and tight oil production. Frac sand, resin-coated proppants, and ceramic proppants were also in high demand to stimulate production from wells with the advent of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and horizontal drilling. Additionally, major shale formations such as the Permian Basin, Marcellus, Eagle Ford, and Montney serve to drive proppant demand. Positive government policies, technology advances, and energy security programs have also stimulated ongoing exploration and production activities. Which consists of an established supply chain, substantial silica sand deposits, and firm investments by key oilfield services companies shaping the region into the number one propellant hub in the world.

Market Segmentation

By Type

Frac sand dominated the market in 2023, holding approximately 58% of the total share. The dominance of frac sand is attributed to its cost-effectiveness, wide availability, and compatibility with hydraulic fracturing processes. High-purity quartz sand is extensively used in shale formations due to its ability to withstand high pressure and provide optimal permeability.

Ceramic proppants are witnessing increased adoption due to their superior strength and conductivity, particularly in deep and high-pressure wells. Resin-coated proppants are also gaining traction as they offer enhanced flowback control, reducing proppant embedment and increasing fracture longevity.

By Application

In 2023, the highest share of around 38% is found in the shale gas segment The contribution was made as the output was led by major basins such as the Permian, Marcellus, Eagle Ford, and Sichuan Basin that drive the proppant demand. Enormous amounts of proppants are required for extraction of shale gas, primarily frac sand placed back into the fracture, resin-coated proppants, and ceramic proppants, which are being deployed to support the cavities that open and permits the hydrocarbons to flow. Government support and energy security policy have also contributed to shale gas exploration, particularly in North America, creating additional independence from imports. If the relative expense of extraction of shale gas as against conventional gas sources and an insatiable global demand for even cleaner sources of energy don act to auger its place at the top, nothing else will.

Recent Developments

In 2023, U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. expanded its frac sand production capacity to meet the growing demand from hydraulic fracturing operations in North America.

In 2023, Hi-Crush Inc. introduced an advanced resin-coated proppant technology aimed at improving well productivity and minimizing proppant flowback.

In 2023, Covia Corporation announced a strategic collaboration with major oilfield service providers to enhance the supply chain and distribution of ceramic proppants.

Table of Contents  Major Key Points

1. Introduction

2. Executive Summary

3. Research Methodology

4. Market Dynamics Impact Analysis

5. Statistical Insights and Trends Reporting

6. Competitive Landscape

7. Proppants Market Segmentation, By Type

8. Proppants Market Segmentation, By Application

9. Regional Analysis

10. Company Profiles

11. Use Cases and Best Practice

12. Conclusion





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WASHINGTON, April 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A former intelligence advisor to the CIA and U.S. Treasury says America is on the verge of unleashing a long-ignored national treasureone that could fundamentally reshape the countrys economic landscape.

Jim Rickards, who served as a national security consultant during multiple crises and helped shape the Petrodollar Accord in the 1970s, claims that a little-known federal provisionburied in obscure legal code for over 160 yearsmay soon be brought to light.

Its been this big secret for years, Rickards says. Yet over time, the estimated size of this asset has grown and grown to the point where its raw value sits near $150 trillion and counting.

According to Rickards, this asset isnt located in bank vaults or government reserves, but beneath American soiland its been sealed off from the public for generations.

We have all these essential materials right under our feet, says one former Department of the Interior insider, cited in the report. Incredibly, insanely, however the United States is the only nation in the world that locks them up.

Legal Shift Could Change Everything

The long-standing barrier, Rickards argues, has been a decades-old policy that granted unelected federal agencies the ability to halt projects and block access to critical resources. But that all changed last year, when the Supreme Court struck down the Chevron Doctrine.

Last year, Trumps Supreme Court overturned the Chevron Doctrine, Rickards explains. It essentially gave so-called government experts kill shot power.

Now, for the first time in decades, those restrictions are being liftedand Rickards says the nation could be standing on the threshold of a new era of resource-driven growth.

For the first time in our lives, the government is set to unlock this massive asset, he says.

Its not the government that will profit. Its the people who act on this opportunity first.

A Forgotten American Blueprint

Rickards believes this moment echoes a forgotten chapter of U.S. historywhen public land and untapped resources were used to build entire cities and elevate millions into the middle class.

He points to the Homestead Act of 1862 and the birth of cities like San Francisco, Denver, and Houston as historic examples.

Despite giving away 10% of all land in the United States the government retained the most valuable part, Rickards says.

Now, he argues, a similar chapter may be opening this time, tied not to real estate, but to strategic materials essential to national infrastructure, energy, and defense.

We are entering a new era, says Rickards. And this all has to do with Trumps great rally cry: MAGA.

What Happens Next?

While the full details of how this will unfold remain unknown, Rickards is adamant that this shift will have long-lasting effectsnot only on federal policy, but on Americas national identity and future prosperity.

They have deprived us of OUR Birthright, he says.

Its time for the United States to return to the system that made us richer and more powerful than ever before.  President Donald J. Trump, quoted in the interview

Rickards is encouraging Americans to pay close attention to these developments in the months ahead, as the government begins to reassert control over domestic resources and rebuild what he calls the American System.

About Jim Rickards

Jim Rickards is a veteran national security advisor, economist, and lawyer. A former advisor to the CIA, Pentagon and U.S. Treasury, Rickards has been involved in some of the most significant financial and geopolitical moments of the last half-century. He is the author of several bestsellers, including Currency Wars, The Death of Money, and The New Case for Gold, and remains one of the most sought-after voices on the intersection of economics, law, and global power.

Media Contact:

Derek Warren // Strategic Intelligence Media Team

Public Relations Manager

Paradigm Press Group

Email: dwarren@paradigmpressgroup.com
Dynacor Group Inc. (TSX-DNG) ("Dynacor" or the "Corporation"), recommends that shareholders of its common shares vote on the Gold Proxy to protect their Dynacor investment at the costly special shareholder meeting (the "Requisitioned Meeting") called by iolite Capital Management AG ("the "Dissident") on April 16, 2025.

Why is the Dissident in a Rush? Given that Dynacor's annual meeting of shareholders is set to occur just two months after the Requisitioned Meeting and all nominees hold office only until the next annual general meeting, the actions taken by the Dissident have led to unnecessary costs and disruptions. Shareholders should question why the Dissident is in such a rush. This behavior only exposes that the Dissident is self-serving.

Key Highlights

Do not be misguided by the Dissident. Shareholders should consider the FACTS below and then vote using only Dynacor's GOLD Proxy.

The Board has openly and frequently engaged with the Dissident.

The Dissident rejected a mutually agreeable director nominee offer - a director nominee who would bring additional depth to the already experienced Board.

The Dynacor Board has a duty to serve its Shareholders. Not the Dissident who is acting in its own self-interest.

Dynacor and its Shareholders are well-served by the Board who has guided a long track-record of growth and brings a diverse range of expertise and backgrounds in line with the Corporation's business needs and plans.

Dynacor has strong and proven leadership under CEO Jean Martineau's stewardship - Do not let the Dissident's actions and misdirection erode Dynacor management's outperformance.

Financing necessary for expansion and long-term growth. The Dissident's lack of insight into incomplete, non-public negotiations and lack of understanding of the Company's need for significant inventory does not recognize this.

The Corporation's 2025 guidance provides for a foundational year with heavy investment in growth, stable production, and a sales increase.

Dynacor plans to maintain its dividend policy and will renew its normal course issuer bid to maintain optionality for share buybacks. Note that the Dissident does not support the Corporation's dividend policy.

GO FOR GOLD! Vote using only Management's GOLD 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 the Dissident, who called the unnecessary Meeting.

Dynacor has engaged in an open, transparent manner with the Dissident, holding multiple meetings with Leitz to judge his suitability for a board position on the 2025 AGM. Dynacor sincerely regrets to inform its shareholders that the Dissident snubbed its suggestion to appoint a new, mutually agreeable board member who would bring additional depth to the already experienced Board. This sound offer have would have avoided the expense, distraction and share value destruction incurred by holding a Requisitioned Meeting.

The Dissident proposed its candidate Leitz two months after the 2024 AGM but not for the 2024 AGM.

The Dissident was unable to explain its haste and, as The Board slate was full, was advised to wait until the 2025 AGM.

The Dissident was unable to explain its haste, but did not wish to wait. In total, over 10 meetings (in-person and virtual) were held between the Dissident and members of The Board to consider Leitz as a potential board nominee at the 2025 AGM.

When the position of head of the audit committee of The Board arose in late 2024, Leitz's candidacy was considered but not retained because he did not fulfil the criteria of the nomination committee.

In 2025, The Board continued to engage with the Dissident, including after its request for a Requisitioned Meeting until Leitz lost the trust of The Board and company management through his behaviour. The Board believes that Dynacor is best served by a diverse, expert but collaborative Board.

Unfortunately, the Dissident rejected The Board's suggestion to nominate a new board member who was mutually acceptable to both parties. This would have saved shareholders the cost of holding a Requisitioned Meeting, just two months before its scheduled Annual General Meeting ("AGM"). The Board therefore recommends that the Dissident bears the sole expense for the unnecessary meeting.

Leitz's experience is not additive to The Board. Dynacor is well-served by The Board, which has guided a long track record of growth, and whose members are aligned with the company's business needs and plans.

Dynacor's seasoned board has guided a long track record of growth. This includes 14 years of consecutive profit, over 10 years of net positive cash flow, a growing dividend, a share buyback program, record 2024 performance, and significant expansion milestones. The Corporation's recent conditional offer to acquire a plant in Ecuador is aligned with our strategy of maximizing shareholder value through our expansion into new jurisdictions, diversifying geopolitical risk and by quadrupling ounces by 2030.

Leitz's experience is not additive to The Board. Seven of Dynacor's eight board members already have M&A experience, all of them have international business expansion experience, and all have experience in capital allocation or financial acumen. Currently, 6/8 are independent. The Board would prefer that any new nomination to the Board be independent and add new expertise, ideally in one of Dynacor's new target jurisdictions.

The Board has a duty to serve the best interests of all shareholders, not just one. The Board listens to shareholders including Leitz and takes informed decisions that are in the best interests of all shareholders.

The Corporation is open to discussions with its shareholders but does not provide selective disclosure to any particular shareholder.

From its discussions with Leitz, it was clear for Dynacor and The Board that Leitz prioritized his own self-serving interests over those of all shareholders and did not share the company's values. This was one of the main reasons for The Board's reluctance to add him to the slate.

The Board had to reject Leitz's idea of preferred shares with no voting rights as there was zero interest from most shareholders at the time. However, the management team evaluated and is participating in a small-scale way in PX Group's proposed e-waste pilot plant project.

Dynacor has a unique business model with an enviable track record of growth that is beginning to attract more investor interest.

Dynacor began trading on the TSX in 1997 with Jean Martineau as President. Since then, Dynacor has played a foundational role in helping governments improve governance of the artisanal mining sector and minimize environmental damage. It has also improved the quality of life for hundreds of its suppliers through fair pricing, transparent dealing, traceable measures and investment in their communities.

In 26 years, Dynacor has evolved from a small 50-tpd pilot plant to a 500-tpd gold ore processing plant that is the only publicly traded profitable artisanal gold processor globally. Its score card includes 14 years of consecutive profit, over 10 years of net positive cash flow, a growing dividend, a share buyback program, record 2024 performance and significant expansion milestones. In 2024, it ranked on the TSX30 2024, a rating of the top-performing stocks on the TSX over a three-year period.

The Corporation is at an exciting inflection point as it begins to execute on its international expansion plans.

The Corporation would not have been able to carry out and act on its international expansion plans without the US$22.1 million equity financing this year.

At year-end 2024, Dynacor held approximately US$61M in net cash and working capital. However, the $61M includes US$20M for paid inventory and work in progress. Clearly, this US$20M is not near-term liquidity, as the Corporation needs reasonable inventory levels to operate efficiently with a rising gold price. The true near-term liquidity amount was about US$40M, which was insufficient to maintain annual working capital of at least US$25M while investing in expansion projects.

The Corporation has budgeted for up to US$15M in capex for Peru and Senegal in 2025, plus requires up to US$5M annually for the dividend, which equates very roughly to the annual operating cash flow. This was clearly insufficient to cover working capital in Senegal, carry out environmental impact studies in Africa, and give the Corporation a war chest to acquire the Ecuador processing plant. At the time of the financing, Dynacor had extensively reviewed the plant in Ecuador, was certain of its potential, but had not entered into an agreement with the seller. The financing was carried out in order to be able to carry out the Corporation's immediate expansion plan. Given the current uncertainty in the financial markets, it believes the timing of its financing was appropriate.

Groundwork for the Corporation's strategy to maximize shareholder value creation through international expansion is progressing well.

Dynacor is delighted with the progress made year to date on its international expansion plans and believes that its strategy of international expansion will be a significant driver of shareholder value.

Planning for the Senegal 50-tpd pilot plant is progressing well, and construction is on track for start-up in H1-2025.

If the external due diligence review for the Ecuador plant is positive, the Corporation plans to move swiftly in retrofitting the plant with the aim of generating first cash flow next year.

The Corporation's 2025 guidance provides for a foundational year with stable production, investment in growth, and a sales increase.

Investment of up to US$15M for capex in Peru and Senegal in addition to potential for investment of up to US$25M in capex and working capital to purchase and upgrade the Arkham processing plant in Ecuador and build ore inventory.

Stable production of between 120,000 -130,000 AuEq oz.

A 27% increase in sales at midpoint driven by the higher gold price.

An average gold price of US$2,800 and US$3,000/ oz is assumed but at a less dramatic growth rate than achieved in 2024, which is reflected in the budgeted margins. Because the Corporation has a regular inventory turnover rate, small, progressive increases in the gold price are more beneficial to its margin than a single, sharp increase.

Dynacor plans to maintain its dividend policy and will renew its normal course issuer bid to maintain optionality for buybacks

Since its inauguration, Dynacor has grown the dividend every year to a yield of 3.6% as of April 4, 2025. Dynacor has no plan to change its dividend policy, which it believes instills financial discipline and is appreciated by its largely retail investors.

The Corporation's last sizeable share buyback was in February 2024. It had not envisioned carrying out a buyback program in the wake of an equity financing but plans to renew its normal course issuer bid as a matter of due course to maintain its options.

Voting Process

Due to the essence of time, Shareholders are urged to vote online by following the instructions found on the GOLD Proxy.

Vote using only the Gold Proxy and discard the Dissident's blue proxy. If you have already voted using the Dissident's Blue proxy, you may recast your vote using the Gold Proxy. The later dated Proxy will be the vote that counts.

Shareholders are encouraged to vote well in advance of the proxy cut-off of 5:00 PM (Eastern Time)? on April 11, 2025.

Your Board of Directors recommends a vote AGAINST the Dissident resolutions 1 and 2; and FOR Management's resolution 3 that the Dissident be responsible for costs associated with the Meeting. These costs were created solely by the Dissident's actions in calling the Meeting. The board engaged freely with Leitz until his behaviour deteriorated.

Dynacor Shareholders may vote using the suggested methods:

Registered Shareholders

Online - Go to www.meeting-vote.com. Enter the 13-digit control number printed on the GOLD Proxy and follow the instructions on screen.

Telephone - Call 1-888-489-7352 and an agent will help you vote online. You will need the 13-digit control number printed on the GOLD Proxy to vote.

Non-Registered Shareholders

Online - Go to www.proxyvote.com. Enter the 16-digit control number printed on the GOLD Proxy/voting instruction form and follow the instructions on the screen.

Telephone - Call the number provided on your GOLD Proxy/voting instruction form, enter your 16-digit control number and enter your voting instructions.

The circular with respect to the Meeting is available on Dynacor's website at www.dynacor.com and www.sedarplus.ca.

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 Corporation plans 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/20250404909262/en/

Contact

For more information, please contact:

Ruth Hanna

Director, Investor Relations

T: 514-393-9000 #236

E: investors@dynacor.com

Website: https://dynacor.com
VANCOUVER - One World Lithium Inc. (CSE-OWLI) (OTCQB-OWRDF) (the "Company" or "OWL") today announces a Term Loan Offering (the "Loan") of up to $500,000. The Loan will be unsecured and will bear interest of 8% per annum. The term of the Loan will be twelve (12) months from the closing of the Loan or five (5) business days following a written notice of the Company that the Company has raised a minimum of one million dollars through an equity or debt financing.

As an inducement for the Loan the Company will issue common shares of the Company to each Lender (an aggregate of 3,333,333 common shares) (the "Loan Bonus Shares") or share purchase warrants to each Lender (an aggregate of 16,666,667 share purchase warrants) (the "Loan Bonus Warrants") or a combination of 50% of the Loan Bonus Shares and 50% of the Loan Bonus Warrants. Each share purchase warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at an exercise price of C$0.05 for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the closing of the Loan.

There is no minimum aggregate amount to close the Loan and the Company may, at its discretion, elect to close the Loan in one or more closings. Management anticipates that the Company will allocate the net proceeds from the Loan towards further research and development of the Company's Direct Lithium Carbonation Extraction ("DLCE") Technology and working capital.

The Company may pay a finder's fee in connection with the Loan. Closing of the Loan is subject to a number of conditions, including receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals. All securities issued in connection with the Loan will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the closing of the Loan in accordance with applicable securities legislation.

None of the securities issued in connection with the Loan will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and none of them may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there by any sale of the securities in any state where such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful.

About One World Lithium

One World Lithium Inc. remains focused on properties of merit that may contain lithium. The Company is also focused on the commercial application of its Direct Lithium Carbonation Extraction Technology for natural brine and for slurries made from clay, pegmatite, volcanic rock and sediment. The Company intends to license or joint venture its technologies to current and future lithium carbonate producers. For more information, visit: https://oneworldlithium.com/.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of One World Lithium Inc.,

"Douglas Fulcher"

President and Chief Executive Officer

For further information please visit www.oneworldlithium.com or email info@oneworldlithium.com

or call 604-564-2017

Forward-Looking Information: This press release may include forward looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of the OWL, including, but not limited to: (I) the ability for OWL to raise any funding from the Loan, (II) the ability of OWL to further develop the Company's DLCE Technology, and (II) OWL's ability to commercialize its DLCE Technology. Although OWL believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because OWL can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from the those anticipated in such statements, important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the company's expectations include: (I)) the inability of OWL to commercialize its DLCE Technology (II) OWL's inability to execute its business plan and raise any required financing, (III) risks and market fluctuations common to the mining industry and the lithium sector in particular, and (IV) advancements in other new direct lithium extraction technologies. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond the control of the OWL. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information contained in this press release.

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 release

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Copyright (c) 2025 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Stuhini Exploration Ltd. ("Stuhini" or the "Company") (TSXV: STU) (OTCQB: STXPF) announces the resignation of Ehsan Salmabadi as the Company VP of Exploration, effective April 22, 2025 and the appointment of Dave Nuttall who has assumed Mr. Salmabadi's responsibilities as Senior Geologist .

Dave O'Brien, Stuhini President and CEO commented: "We would like to thank Ehsan for his contributions and we are happy for him as he transitions to an exciting and well-deserved new chapter in his career. Ehsan is working diligently to ensure a smooth transition including the transfer of data and knowledge regarding our suite of projects. We are very pleased and feel fortunate to have Dave Nuttall join the Stuhini team. He comes highly recommended by Ehsan Salmabadi and we look forward to moving Stuhini's projects forward under Mr. Nuttall's guidance."

Mr. Nuttall holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of British Columbia and is registered as a Professional Geologist (P.Geo.) with the Engineers and Geoscientists of BC. He is the President of Geo Exploration and has a comprehensive field, technical and academic background in deposits across Canada and the southwest USA. Dave has served as VP Exploration for Serac Exploration, Technical Advisor to Walker River Resources, and Chief Geologist to Scottie Resources Corp. While at UBC, his thesis focused on magma chamber dynamics and mineral compositions from the Coast Plutonic Complex and was the recipient of several prestigious rewards including the Shell Petroleum Mapping Award, Economic Geology Memorial Scholarship, Endeavour Silver Scholarship, and the GAC Logan Award. Dave has managed numerous early and advanced stage projects, focused on the exploration of both precious and base metals, lithium, boron, and rare earth elements (RRE).

About Stuhini Exploration Ltd.

Stuhini is a mineral exploration company focused on exploration and development of precious and base metals properties in western Canada and the southwest United States. The Company's portfolio of exploration properties includes: the flagship Ruby Creek Property, 14 km east of Atlin, BC; the South Thompson Nickel Project, 35 km northwest of Grand Rapids, Manitoba; the Big Ledge Property, 57 km south of Revelstoke, BC; the Red Hills Project in northeast Nevada; the Jersey Valley Project in northwest Nevada; and the Lindsay Project in southeast Arizona.

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.

SOURCE Stuhini Exploration Ltd.







For further information please contact:



David O'Brien, President & Chief Executive Officer Telephone: (604) 835-4019, Email: dobrien@stuhini.com


When the Pandemic Is Political

A New Level of Protest

Long Hours, Low Pay and Frustration

Nichole Quick had had enough. As the chief health officer in Orange County, Calif., she issued an order requiring face masks. At a hearing in May, nearly a hundred people spoke out against the order. Quicks home address and the name of her boyfriend were read aloud by one speaker, while Quick was threatened with gun violence.Quick was assigned a security detail, but still decided to resign her position earlier this month. She is not alone. Across the country, more than two-dozen top public health officials have resigned, retired or been fired since April, including half a dozen each in Colorado and California (with three in Orange County alone). No fewer than eight state health directors have quit, although two of those were long-planned retirements.Across the country, health officials have been met with armed protesters at their homes and been subjected to anti-Semitic or transphobic slurs. On social media, they encounter posts that include phrases such as lets start shooting and bodies swinging from trees. As the nation faces its gravest health challenge in more than a century, many leaders in public health are reluctantly leaving the field.Its unfortunate that the death threats and the politicization of public health have been this severe, says Michael Fraser, chief executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. The death threats and anti-Semitism and protests outside of their houses and transphobia are really unprecedented.Given the combined stress of dealing with disease and angry mobs, no one is confident that the initial wave of resignations will be the last. Even if they are all replaced by equally expert officials  something thats not guaranteed  transitions at the top invariably distract agencies from their primary focus and missions.We run the risk of losing some of our best, most well-qualified people right when we need them the most, says Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.Its true that there have been protests over health policy questions before, from abortion to the Affordable Care Act. Death threats have also become a fact of life for prominent physicians promoting vaccine use, given the virulence of the anti-vaccine movement But anger has never been so deep in so many places as during the coronavirus pandemic. Health officials, who have possessed shutdown authority in many jurisdictions for more than a century, havent had to use it for decades. People arent used to having their freedoms impinged upon so widely or for so long.People are enormously frustrated and angry and worn down, and so they lash out, says Paul Offit, an attending physician in the division of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. You shoot the messenger. What you really want to shoot is the virus, but instead you shoot the people who tell you about the virus.Many health officials have played a prominent role during the pandemic, standing alongside governors and mayors at news conferences. Still, to a degree, they find themselves playing a secondary role. During previous health crises, such as Zika, Ebola and anthrax, nearly all public communications were handled by physicians, from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on down.This time, the public face of the response has been more political, from the White House to governors. That has helped make the pandemic appear more political  and thus more divisive  than previous outbreaks. Whether its nationally or locally, many people view the pandemic were experiencing as a political issue, rather than a public health issue, says Mysheika Roberts, health commissioner for the city of Columbus.This is a moment of public displays of gratitude toward health-care workers, from people opening their windows to join in citywide applause to yard signs planted all over suburbia. Even as clinical doctors and nurses are being lauded for providing treatment, however, people in public health  those shaping policies designed to slow or stop the spread of disease  suffer disdain.We were put in the spotlight and we are the bad guys," Roberts says. "It is stressful, I have never had to deal with this amount in my career and I dont know when it will end.Roberts says she has not received death threats herself, but she has spoken with colleagues around Ohio who have. Amy Acton, the states health director, won national praise for her response to the virus, but also found herself subjected to an anti-Semitic slur and was called a medical dictator.That was just from state legislators, some of whom sought to curb her power. Actons house became a staging ground for gun-toting protesters. She resigned earlier this month.I was disappointed when Dr. Acton stepped down, but I definitely understand, Roberts says. She was worried about her familys safety and her own safety as well as her mental health.Benjamin, the APHA director, notes that public health decisions are often controversial enough to meet with protests. Big, burly men might show up at a hearing to express their displeasure about having to wear motorcycle helmets. Abortion opponents have bombed clinics and murdered physicians. Anti-vaccine protesters have targeted lawmakers with death threats and other intimidation tactics.But protests targeting individual health officials have reached a new level. Its true weve had protests, Benjamin says. Weve had offices taken over by AIDS activists, but I dont think anyone felt threatened. They told us they were coming.People in public health are facing the challenge of a lifetime. Theyre working 12- to 14-hour days, trying to learn what they can about whats still a new disease and convince people to take the risks seriously.With more than 120,000 deaths in the U.S. and case counts rising in roughly half the states, its not easy to conclude that its going well. As the virus moves to more states and people are impacted in more places, you would hope they would take this more seriously, but instead a lot of people are just resolving to this being an acceptable loss, says Fraser, the ASTHO official. To me thats so antithetical to what we do in public health. When theres a chance to prevent a disease, we take it.The sense of frustration among some public health officials at this point is palpable. A number of prominent voices in the field either endorsed or gave tacit support for anti-racism protests. When criticized for blessing large gatherings during a pandemic, they shrugged. No one listened to public health when we said reopening early was dangerous either, tweeted Abraar Karan , a Harvard physician working on Massachusetts response to coronavirus.Public health has long taken a back seat to health care  treating individual patients  when it comes to funding and prestige. Recruiting wasnt easy for us before, Fraser says. A clinician can make five or 10 times the money they can make serving the state.The pandemic might have presented an opportunity to change that. The promise of saving not just individual lives but also preserving the health of entire communities has been put on display in a way not seen in this country in living memory.To me, I keep my eye on the prize, the people who are the most vulnerable, says Offit, the Philadelphia physician.But things havent played out in ways that would encourage people to go into public health. It turns out that the job is not just thankless but also so unpopular as to require police protection, at least in some cases. The people who take these jobs have to understand its a very public-facing job, Benjamin says. One of the things were going to have to teach people is how to engage protesters, how to teach them.Its already difficult finding people with the right mix of administrative experience and medical knowledge. In Ohio, Lance Himes has taken over for Acton as interim director of the Department of Health. He had been serving as her chief of staff. No one doubts his ability to run the department, but hes an attorney, not a physician. A few days before Actons departure, Mark Hurst, who was serving as assistant director and medical director, retired.In Columbus, Roberts notes that she hasnt been able to find anyone to replace her as the citys chief medical officer, three years after she left the post to become commissioner.The challenge of staffing top jobs in public health necessarily becomes more difficult when people understand they could end up wearing a target on their backs.Youre putting yourself in a position of risk, and frankly your family, Fraser says. You wonder who would ever want to be a public health official.
Albon jetted into Thai earthquake for F1 talks

Alex Albon jetted into his native country last week expecting only to support Thailand's bid for a Formula 1 race.

Alex Albon, Japanese GP 2025

 Williams

Actually, he landed in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake that so far has cost at least 3000 lives.

It was like DEFCON 3, the British-born Thai driver for Williams told Sky Deutschland. "Everyone was totally panicking.

It was almost surreal because I had no mobile internet and could only see people panicking, but I didn't know why. It was a bit scary.

When he checked into his hotel, his alarm continued.

There were cracks everywhere, Albon revealed. I was surprised that most of the buildings were still standing. It was quite frightening.

Prior to the earthquake, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali had also travelled to Bangkok, where he - like Albon - met with Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

A memorandum of understanding about a debut race in 2028 was subsequently signed.

We're making progress, 29-year-old Albon said, "even if nothing is finalised yet.

"But it's really nice to see how seriously Thailand is taking this. They're very committed. And I think they have a strong concept.

I've gotten a rough overview of what they're planning, and it looks good. What they're putting together is pretty impressive.

(GMM)
Boss admits growing unrest around Doohan cockpit

The weight on Jack Doohan's shoulders turned into real-world pain at Suzuka with a 300kph crash.

Jack Doohan, Japanese GP 2025

 Alpine

Auto Motor und Sport reports that the rookie Australian, already clinging to his race seat at Alpine, tried to replicate a trick he tried in the simulator by taking the flat-out first corner with DRS wide open.

After he slammed into the wall, having already been replaced in initial practice by reserve Ryo Hirakawa, team boss Oliver Oakes called Doohan's move a misjudgement .

Some estimated the damage at $1.5 million, and early whispers of a hand or arm injury triggered rumours that Franco Colapinto could be in Doohan's car sooner rather than later.

However, reserve driver Colapinto is not in Japan, despite the fact that he is clearly team advisor Flavio Briatore's preferred driver for the cockpit next to Pierre Gasly.

We know there's a bit of unrest around Jack's position, Oakes told Sky Deutschland, "but he's working well. So far it's been ok.

He's staying calm and focusing on himself. There are a lot of rumours about Franco, but at the moment we're happy.

However, that's not a job guarantee. You always have to decide what's best for the team, Oakes continued. Every driver in Formula 1 has to perform. They know that.

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher thinks Doohan's crash was a clear sign of the 22-year-old's growing desperation.

You can tell that the pressure is on and that he really wants to show that he deserves that cockpit, he said. He wants to show that he's fast and can make the difference. So he goes straight beyond the limit like that.

Former Racing Bulls boss Franz Tost agreed, telling ORF: "You can't go into that corner that fast. But you don't see any deceleration at all.

I'm completely surprised. If it was a driving error, then it was a very serious one, I have to say.

Schumacher is expecting a driver change sooner rather than later.

Flavio hopes and believes that Colapinto will do a better job, said the German, which would, of course, also lead to the team being pushed further forward.

As for Colapinto, who is working in the simulator at Enstone, he told Clarin: My French isn't perfect. I'd love to learn, but right now my priority is staying in top shape so I can get back in a seat.

(GMM)
F1 engine makers to discuss V10s in Bahrain

A meeting next week could end all the speculation about the return of V10 engines to Formula 1.

George Russell, Japanese GP 2025

 Mercedes

While Red Bull and Ferrari appear open to delaying the start of the radical 2026 engine rules so that V10s running on sustainable fuel can arrive, Mercedes, Honda and Audi seem opposed.

We are aware that the FIA is considering bringing back the V10 engines, and that a first meeting is being planned, Koji Watanabe, boss of Honda Racing Corporation, told De Telegraaf newspaper.

We do not have any further details yet.

But Aston Martin boss Andy Cowell, whose team will use works Honda engines from 2026, does not sound supportive.

We need to talk about the positive aspects of these rules, he said. Sustainable fuels, batteries that are more relevant than in other industries, efficiency, and the straight-line speed mode, which is a more efficient aerodynamic package, he said at Suzuka. "We should be talking about all of this.

We have these rules for five years, and perhaps in a few months we can talk about what will happen in 2031.

However, the global economy has taken a sharp turn in recent days, largely due to the start of Donald Trump's radical import tariff impositions.

Therefore, a meeting involving all the engine manufacturers - presumably also including Cadillac - has been scheduled to take place in Bahrain next week.

(GMM)
Marko's account of Tsunoda selection history wrong

Dr Helmut Marko's account of recent driver decisions at Red Bull have been contradicted.

Yuki Tsunoda, Japanese GP 2025

 Red Bull

Yuki Tsunoda is in the cockpit now, but only after Sergio Perez's contract was renewed last year - and then bought out for millions.

Liam Lawson was his replacement, but he underperformed so extremely that he lasted only the first two races of 2025. Marko explained a few days ago that Red Bull was leaning towards Tsunoda from the beginning, but the selection was vetoed by Adrian Newey during the decisive phase around the time of the 2024 Mexican GP.

Tsunoda drove into Pierre Gasly's car, and parts of the cars on the track damaged the underbody of Verstappen's car, which cost him the race, Marko claimed. "Adrian Newey was furious at the time.

From that point on, Yuki was a red rag to him.

Newey's wife Amanda has been quoted as questioning the account.

How could he (Newey) have had any influence on the lineup? she said. He was no longer working for Red Bull by then.

Even team boss Christian Horner denies Marko's story.

Adrian was certainly not involved in the driver lineup for this year, he said at Suzuka. He had no influence on our lineup.

Whatever is true, Marko is happy with Tsunoda for now.

FP1 already confirmed that the driver swap was the right one, the 81-year-old Austrian said at Suzuka.

Former Racing Bulls team boss Franz Tost fully agrees.

I would have chosen Tsunoda from the start, Tost told ORF. "I have always said that. I made that clear last autumn.

"Why? Because Yuki is much faster than Lawson. You could give Lawson 100 years, but he would still be slower than Yuki. For me, it would have been a very simple decision.

If he can also keep his emotions in check, it will be a very, very good season for Red Bull and Tsunoda.

(GMM)
Meet Sheila Azuntaba: the new Acting Deputy MD of Consolidated Bank Ghana

Kweku Zurek Business News Apr - 05 - 2025 , 20:46

A former Miss Ghana and experienced finance professional, Sheila Azuntaba has been appointed as the new Deputy Managing Director of Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG), marking a new chapter in her career and setting a strong example of leadership built on purpose and determination.

Her appointment, effective March 26, 2025, was announced alongside that of Naomi Wolali Kwetey, who has been nominated by President John Dramani Mahama to serve as Acting Managing Director of CBG.

The nominations were confirmed in a letter signed by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, addressed to the Board Chairman of the bank.

You [Board] are required to regularize the appointments in compliance with the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992) and the Banks Constitution, the letter stated.

Taking to Instagram to express her gratitude and excitement, Azuntaba posted:

A New Dawn at CBG!

First and foremost, I give all glory to God Almighty for this incredible opportunity. He truly does all things in His own time and on His own terms. This is a divine reminder that His plans are always perfect, and His timing is unmatched.

Congratulations to @dr.naomi_kwetey, our new Managing Director of Consolidated Bank Ghana! It is with immense pride and joy that I celebrate this groundbreaking moment  not just for our institution, but for women everywhere who continue to rise, take up space, and shatter glass ceilings.

As your deputy, I pledge my unwavering support, loyalty, and commitment to your vision and leadership. I will show up  always  with excellence, purpose, and strength, ready to serve and drive our collective mission forward.

I am deeply grateful to H.E. @officialidmahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, for the honor of being nominated as Deputy Managing Director of Consolidated Bank Ghana. I do not take this responsibility lightly, and I pledge to serve with integrity, excellence, and a heart for impact.

I also extend my sincere appreciation to H.E. Professor @njoagyemang, Vice President of the Republic. Thank you for blazing the trail and being an extraordinary example of what women in leadership can achieve. You continue to inspire a generation of women to dream, to lead, and to rise with confidence and purpose.

With more than 20 years of experience in the banking and finance sector, Sheila Azuntaba brings a wealth of knowledge to her new role. She has worked across Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria, and notably served as Assistant Vice President at Citigroups Global Transaction Services Unit in Nigeria, where she was involved in product development, marketing, and sales strategies.

Aside from her corporate roles, Azuntaba is well-known for promoting financial support for women. As the founder and CEO of Innovative Microfinance Ltd, she has helped improve the lives of over 100,000 people in Ghanas Northern Region, offering small loans and financial education to women and families in need.

The North is like a breadbasket of Ghana, Azuntaba explained in an earlier interview with thosewhoinspire.com. You go to the North, and you see a woman, and shes got four or five kids to feed, and a lot of times they dont even sleep. So when you see that, the best thing you could do is give her that extra push.

Her public journey began in 1996 when she became the first woman from the northern part of the country to win the Miss Ghana crown. She credits her mothers influence in shaping her character. She always wanted her kids to be very independent, very strong, and very focused  those were the values she passed on to us.

Azuntaba holds a BA (Hons) in Marketing from the University of Westminster in London and an MBA in Finance from Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow, Scotland.

At CBG  a government-owned universal bank licensed by the Bank of Ghana  she is expected to help improve the banks operations and long-term development.
See how much Nigerian and South African musicians earned from Spotify last year

Kweku Zurek Showbiz News Apr - 05 - 2025 , 19:36 2 minutes read

Artists from Nigeria and South Africa raked in a combined $59 million in royalties from Spotify in 2024, as global appetite for African music continued to soar, according to data released by the streaming platform.

The Swedish audio streaming giant announced that Nigerian musicians earned over $38 million, more than twice the amount paid out in 2023, while their South African counterparts took home $21 million, marking a 54% year-on-year increase.

The surge in earnings reflects the growing popularity of African sounds on the international stage, driven by global chart-toppers like Nigerias Burna Boy and South Africas Grammy-winning vocalist Tyla.

What we're seeing is an excellent evolution around more and more mid-tier or up-and-coming artists making a living, said Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify's Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa in an interview with Reuters.

Spotify paid out approximately $10 billion in royalties worldwide last year, and while Africa still makes up a relatively small share of the platforms global payouts, it is rapidly becoming a hotspot for musical growth.

According to Spotify, around 250 million user-generated playlists now feature at least one Nigerian artist, while 220 million playlists include a South African act  underscoring the continents expanding influence on global listening habits.

The growth is not limited to domestic markets. Nigerian artists have experienced a 49% increase in export growth over the past three years, while South African musicians recorded an even more dramatic 104% growth in international streams.

In terms of individual earnings, Spotify noted that the number of Nigerian artists making at least 10 million Naira annually has doubled year-on-year, and tripled since 2022. For South African artists, those earning between 100,000 and 500,000 Rand also doubled over the past three years.

With Afrobeats, Amapiano, and other genres steadily gaining ground globally, Spotifys latest figures reaffirm the commercial viability and global appeal of African music  and hint at even greater returns for the continents artists in the years to come.
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Weekend Talk: Writings on the wall

Lawrence Darmani Features Apr - 05 - 2025 , 09:57 4 minutes read

The phrase writing on the wall is an idiom suggesting that something unpleasant is approaching.

For example, we may say, Now that hero-worshipping has increased in independent churches these days, the writing is on the wall for Christianity.

That phrase evolved out of the time the Babylonian King Belshazzar feasted with a thousand officials while drinking from the sacred vessels looted from the Lords Temple.

Suddenly, a hand appeared on the wall with the ominous writing: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin, meaning: You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.

God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.

I like to read writings on walls, but Mene, Mene Tekel... is one writing I wouldnt want to read, for it promises disaster and delivers it.

On reception wall

Last week, I chanced upon an inscription on the reception wall of the Wesley Towers, the new headquarters of the Methodist Church in Accra.

The writing was distinctly different from what Belshazzar saw thousands of years ago.

What the king saw announced his downfall, but what I saw at the Wesley Towers reception wall proclaimed life and hope.

It read: All people need to be saved; can be saved; can know they are saved; can be saved completely.

The statement carries four truths of equal importance.

As people went in and out of the reception area, I stood in a corner and gazed at the writing, overwhelmed by its spiritual depth and simplicity.

The fact that they inscribed the message at the reception was indicative of the need to reach the thousands who would go in and out of the Towers.

The need

The inscription starts with All people need to be saved.

This declaration is at the very core of scripture and has engaged Christendom for centuries.

It is this need that sent missionaries around the world in response to the Lords command to Go and make disciples of all nations.

At the peril of their lives, the missionaries traversed the world, not counting their lives as worth anything to them.

They just wanted to fulfil their ministrythe ministry of declaring the Good News of the grace of God (Acts 20:24).

When Jesus said he came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), and that he came that we may have life and have it in abundance (John 10:10), he was declaring the need for all people to be saved; for unless we are saved, we are lost.

Can be saved

The writing declares that all people can be saved. That is not a presumption; it is the truth.

Some people hide from God because they think they are beyond salvation because of their many sins.

But the work of salvation is not self-delivered; it is God-granted, and God is capable of saving anybody who comes to him.

He who comes to me, Jesus said, I will not turn them away (John 6:37).

We used to sing: Gods love is so high, you cant go over it; so deep, you cant go beneath it; so wide, you cant get around it, oh what wonderful love!

The apostle Paul said he was the chief of sinners, and if the chief of sinners could be saved, so could anybody else.

Of course, he who will be saved must repent, confess their sins, and accept Christ as Lord and Saviour.

We can know

Then comes one of my beloved theologies of salvation, which the inscription boldly declared: those who are saved can know that they are saved. It is a fundamental truth that shouldnt cause any doubt.

If we doubt our salvation, weve missed the way.

Because the Lord doesnt want to keep us in doubt about our salvation, he caused John to write: I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13).

This is assurance double sure!

Saved completely

If our salvation were only a percentage certain, we would be insecure.

Imagine being told, You are saved 50 per cent on earth and will be given the remaining 50 per cent if you make it to heaven! 

If our salvation were based partly on Gods grace and partly on our good deeds, we could never be sure of being completely saved, for our good deeds would fail us miserably.

But thanks be to God that we can know we are saved and that we are saved completely.

In a way, the inscription on the reception wall at the Wesley Towers is a timely warning.

While the writing is far from King Belshazzars Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin, it is nevertheless enough warning.

To those who reject the Lords invitation to get saved, the writing is on the wall!
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Trumps Trade War: Economic Masterstroke or Costly Misstep?

Richmond Acheampong, PhD International News Apr - 05 - 2025 , 09:24 6 minutes read

Since assuming office in 2017 and returning for a second term, US President Donald Trump has radically reshaped Americas approach to global trade, launching a series of aggressive tariff policies aimed at correcting what he perceives as long-standing economic injustices.

By slapping hefty tariffs on steel, aluminum and a host of Chinese goods, Trump aims to rebalance trade deficits and bring manufacturing jobs back to the US.

However, these policies have triggered retaliatory measures from China, the European Union, Canada and Mexico, leading to a protracted trade war that has disrupted global supply chains and shaken international markets.

The question remains: Is Trumps trade war a masterstroke in economic nationalism designed to bolster Americas economic supremacy, or is it sowing the seeds of its economic and diplomatic decline?

Rationale behind

At the core of Trumps trade war is the belief that America has been unfairly exploited by its trading partners for decades.

The US has run trade deficits with China, Mexico and the EU, which Trump sees as evidence that other nations are taking advantage of American generosity.

His administration particularly focuses on China, accusing it of intellectual property theft, currency manipulation and unfair trade practices.

Trumps solution has been to impose tariffs on Chinese goods, which he believes will pressure China into making concessions and levelling the playing field.

His America First economic agenda resonates with many working-class Americans, especially in manufacturing and industrial sectors.

By targeting Chinas industrial exports, Trump promises to revive American factories and end the so-called outsourcing of American jobs.

For his supporters, this is a bold and necessary move, akin to a long-overdue correction of global economic imbalances.

Immediate Impact

However, the immediate effects of Trumps trade war have been mixed.

On one hand, some U.S. industries, particularly in steel and aluminum, have seen temporary gains as tariffs make foreign imports more expensive, thereby encouraging domestic production.

On the other hand, the tariffs have led to increased costs for American businesses that rely on imported raw materials.

For instance, automakers, technology firms and agricultural businesses face higher input costs, which they either have to absorb or pass on to consumers through higher prices.

Farmers, in particular, have borne the brunt of retaliatory tariffs from China, which targeted American agricultural exports such as soybeans, pork and corn.

With China drastically cutting its imports of US farm goods, American farmers have suffered financial losses, prompting the Trump administration to introduce multi-billion-dollar bailouts to mitigate their pain.

This raises concerns about the sustainability of such policies, while Trump champions free-market capitalism, his trade policies paradoxically result in large-scale government intervention.

Diplomatic fallout

Beyond economic ramifications, Trumps trade war has strained US relations with traditional allies. Canada and Mexico, both key US trading partners, were hit with tariffs that prompted them to retaliate, leading to diplomatic tensions.

The European Union also responded with tariffs on American goods such as motorcycles and whiskey, further deepening trade hostilities.

At a time when the US needs strong alliances to counter Chinas growing economic influence, Trumps trade war risks alienating partners rather than fostering collective economic resilience.

Even as the administration renegotiated NAFTA, leading to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), critics argue that the benefits of these new deals are marginal compared to the economic damage inflicted by tariffs and counter-tariffs.

Moreover, the unpredictability of Trumps policies creates uncertainty in global markets, deterring long-term investments and fostering a sense of instability among multinational corporations.

The China Challenge

Trumps aggressive stance on China has yielded some concessions. In the Phase One trade deal signed in January 2020, China agreed to purchase more American agricultural products and enforce stricter intellectual property protections.

However, the deal failed to address key structural issues such as Chinas state subsidies and its control over global supply chains.

Furthermore, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic further complicated trade negotiations, reducing the effectiveness of Trumps tariffs in compelling China to make deeper economic reforms.

Moreover, the trade war has not significantly reduced the US trade deficit with China.

While tariffs curtailed imports from China, American businesses have simply shifted supply chains to other countries such as Vietnam and India, rather than bringing jobs back to the US.

This exposes a fundamental flaw in Trumps strategy; tariffs alone are insufficient to reverse decades of globalisation and outsourcing.

Long-term consequences

As Trump continues his presidency, the economic toll of the trade war is becoming clear.

While GDP growth remains steady, businesses have suffered increased costs, farmers have endured financial losses and global markets have been rocked by uncertainty.

A study by the Federal Reserve estimates that the trade war has cost the US economy hundreds of thousands of jobs and led to higher consumer prices.

Moreover, the protectionist stance taken by Trump risks undermining the very economic leadership that makes America an attractive global trading hub.

Many economists argue that instead of using tariffs as a blunt instrument, a more effective approach would be to build international coalitions to pressure China collectively, rather than engaging in unilateral economic warfare.

Conclusion

Trumps trade war is a bold experiment in economic nationalism that seeks to reshape Americas position in the global economy.

While it has succeeded in drawing attention to the imbalances in US-China trade relations and securing some concessions, it ultimately falls short of achieving its larger goals.

The costs, both economic and diplomatic, are high and the benefits are unevenly distributed across industries.

For some Americans, particularly those in manufacturing, Trumps trade policies represent a necessary pushback against globalisations excesses.

Yet, for others, especially farmers and consumers, the trade war has brought financial strain and market volatility.

In the grand scheme of history, Trumps trade war may be remembered as a moment of economic realignment, but whether it truly makes America great again remains a fiercely debated question.

As Trump continues his leadership, maintaining tariffs while engaging in diplomatic negotiations, the long-term impact of his policies will continue to unfold.

Whether they are a stepping stone towards a more balanced global trade system or a costly misstep in Americas economic trajectory remains an open debate, one that will be analysed for years to come.
Fight against cholera: Health Service to vaccinate 541,798 persons in Central Region

Shirley Asiedu-Addo Apr - 05 - 2025 , 09:57 4 minutes read

The Central Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has begun an exercise to vaccinate more than half a million people against cholera in the coming days.

The move is to help combat the persistent surge of cholera cases in the Central Region in recent times.

The four-day exercise targets vaccinating 541,798 individuals across three districts in the Central Region from Friday, April 4, 2025, to Monday, April 7, 2025.t

The districts include the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality, Cape Coast Metropolis and the Mfantseman Municipality.

According to the Central Deputy Regional Director of Health, in charge of Public Health, Dr Joojo Cobbinah, the three districts were selected due to the high numbers of recorded cholera cases.

He said persons from the ages of one year and above were eligible for the oral vaccination, and that only pregnant women and lactating mothers were exempted from the vaccination.

Deaths

The Central Region has recorded more than 30 deaths and more than 2,000 suspected cases of cholera since the outbreak in October 2024.

A vaccination point at Effutu in the Cape Coast Metropolis

Health officials have undertaken several interventions to contain the outbreak transmission.

However, last year was not the only time that the region had been hit by an outbreak.

The Central Region had a critical cholera outbreak in 2014 during the countrys worst ever cholera epidemic.

The region reported 3,846 cases of the disease with 60 deaths.

That was the worst outbreak in the last two decades.

There were no cases of the disease in 2013, but in 2012, there were 108 cases with 12 deaths and 588 cases in 2011 with 11 deaths.

In 2015, the region had 18 cases of cholera, while in 2016, cases of cholera in the Central Region hit more than 260 cases.

The region did not record cases during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the adherence to strict hygiene protocols.

According to the Central Regional Health Promotion Officer, Mathew Ahwiren, unlike the COVID-19 vaccines which many residents refused to take, residents were receptive to the cholera vaccines so far.

He indicated that vaccinating teams were working together with the leadership of the communities to achieve vaccination targets.

Appeal

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting at the Regional Health Directorate in Cape Coast last Thursday, Dr Cobbinah gave an assurance that the drugs were safe and had no post-vaccination symptoms.

Some pupils being vaccinated at Mantsimankabi, a surburb of Komenda in the KEEA Municipality

He, therefore, appealed to all residents in the selected districts to avail themselves and their households of the vaccination to help solve the persistent rise of recorded cholera cases in the region.

He urged residents to report any suspected post-vaccination reaction to the nearest health facility for redress.

Dr Cobbinah further urged residents to prioritise hygienic lifestyles by ensuring that all health protocols as witnessed during the era of COVID-19, amid the vaccination exercise were adopted.

He stressed the need to eat adequately heated foods and to wash hands regularly, especially before meals.

He said it was important to ensure a cleaner environment and sanitary conditions to help break transmission in the communities.

Sanitation

The Head of Immunisation for the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Ghana, Fred Osei Sarpong, for his part advised Ghanaians to clean up their communities for the sake of their health.

Dr Joojo Cobbinah, Deputy Central Regional Director of Health

He said it was necessary to take the sanitation of their communities seriously and not to rely on agencies to clean their environment.

He emphasised that Ghana and Ghanaians could no longer rely on other countries for support in times of health emergencies, saying countries like America had decided to withhold its funding for many health interventions, adding that it behoved Ghanaians to promote a cleaner, safer environment to promote improved health for all.

He advised communities to put in place the necessary interventions such as clean-up exercises to promote cleaning the communities, saying such interventions were critical to reducing infectious diseases caused by filth.
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Health Ministry, FDA destroy seized opioids

Benjamin Xornam Glover Apr - 05 - 2025 , 10:35 4 minutes read

The Ministry of Health and the Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA) have destroyed a large consignment of opioids intercepted at the Tema Port last month.

A total of 230 cartons of opioids were destroyed in yesterdays exercise which was undertaken at a private incinerator at Katamanso, near Ashaiman, in the Greater Accra Region.

They included 128 cartons of tafradol, 92 cartons of timaking tapentadol and 10 cartons of rahol tapentadol.

The destruction was witnessed by the Registrar of the High Court, personnel of the FDA, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), as well as the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, based on the orders of the Accra High Court.

Also present at the destruction was the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the FDA, Dr Delese Mimi Darko.

Background

The consignment of undeclared opioid pharmaceuticals, worth GH20 million, was purportedly in transit to the land-locked West African state, Niger.

They were seized following a joint operation by regulatory and intelligence agencies at the Tema Port on March 14, this year.

The shipment was seized following a coordinated inspection involving the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the NACOC, National Security, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), the FDA, and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA).

The consignment included a large quantity of opioid pharmaceuticals, laced with other drugs, raising concerns over illicit drug trafficking through Ghanas ports.

Briefing

Briefing journalists at Vigour Enterprise, a private incinerator at Katamanso Newland in the Greater Accra Region, Mr Akandoh said the safe disposal of the items followed a court order secured for their destruction.

On March 14, 2025, a team of NACOC, FDA and GRA Customs Division officials impounded the consignment of opioids being transported under the guise of transiting from Ghana to Niger.

After impounding the consignment, the state sought a court order for the destruction of the opioids.

The courts granted the destruction application with clear orders, including the venue for destruction and the people who must witness the destruction.

Way forward

Mr Akandor said after the safe disposal of the consignment, the government was going further to interrogate and investigate the client, agent and the importer.

"Our information indicates that the importer is not a Ghanaian. The goods were being transported to Niger.

And so, we are in touch with the Niger government to know whether or not they okayed such a consignment into their country, the minister said.

Even if the Niger government has okayed such a consignment, our borders, our ports, our airports will never be used as a haven," Mr Akandoh stressed.

He said the ministry had waged a war against the influx of opioids in the country and would continue to monitor whatever was going on at the ports and harbours.

Mr Akandor reiterated that only the Kotoka International Airport and the Tema Port had been designated for the import and export of drugs, as such the government had instructed the security agencies, including the Customs Division of GRA, to impound whatever drugs they got at any of the land borders.

On the ongoing investigations, he said customs officials had been instructed to hand over the culprits to the Office of the Attorney-General once they finished the investigation to pave the way for their prosecution.

Collaboration

For her part, the CEO of the FDA said her outfit would continue to collaborate with the Customs Division and other regulatory bodies at the various ports to ensure that such illegal drugs were not sneaked through.

"We have increased our border presence. At the airport, we're now working 24 hours. So, we're going to start working 24 hours at the airport, so that our consignment cards are not evaded," Dr Darko said.

Dangerous opioids

Opioids are strong painkillers or narcotics.

They activate an area of nerve cells in the brain and body called opioid receptors that block pain signals between the brain and the body.

Codeine, heroin, hydrocodone, morphine, oxycodone, and fentanyl are examples of opioids.

When used over time, a person using opioids can become tolerant and addictive, paving the way for its side effects, such as drowsiness, euphoria, nausea, vomiting, slowed breathing and constipation to hold sway.

They can develop opioid use disorder, with the risk of overdose and death.

Tafrodol, for instance, is a combination of the very addictive painkiller, Tapentadol, and Carisoprodol, known to be a strong muscle relaxant.

Many advanced countries consider the drug risky so they put measures in place to control it, and many others are banning it.

No country in the world allows the legal sale of Tapentadol-Carisoprodol combinations as the formulation makes no sense clinically and the prospects of abuse and harm are so high as to render them literal poisons, a social innovator and entrepreneur, Bright Simons, points out in a published article.
Immigration, Prison bosses call on Gbese Mantse

Emmanuel Quaye Apr - 05 - 2025 , 09:57 3 minutes read

The Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Samuel Basentale Amadu, and the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS), Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, have paid a courtesy visit to the Paramount Chief of the Gbese Traditional Council, Nii Ayi Bonte II.

The two separate visits were to familiarise themselves with their operational areas in the country and to build a strong working relationship with the traditional authorities.

It was also to seek their blessings as well as find ways of working together to build stronger institutions.

The first to visit was the Comptroller-General of the GIS, Mr Amadu, who was accompanied by his deputies and other directors of the GIS.

He was followed by the Director-General of the GPS, Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie, who was also accompanied by her deputies and other service directors.

The two delegations were welcomed with traditional prayers, and both presented assorted drinks as tradition demands to the Gbese Mantse.

Welcoming them to his palace, Nii Ayi Bonte II said it was refreshing to receive such high-profile personalities and pledged to work with both institutions to ensure the development of the country.

Comptroller-General

The Gbese Mantse said the effectiveness of the countrys immigration service would ensure peace as well as promote foreign direct investment since foreigners would feel comfortable coming to live in the country.

Samuel Basentale Amadu (right), Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service, being welcomed to the Gbese Mantse Palace by Nii Ayi Bonte II

Nii Gbese, who is also the Adonten of the Ga State, explained that his jurisdiction as the Gbese Mantse covered the whole of the Central Business District of Accra, which is gradually experiencing growth in foreign traders.

With the inception of the 24-hour economy by President John Mahama, we expect to see growth in the retail sector, which Accra Central will lead. We hope that you will work with us to make immigration processes very friendly to ensure the foreign participation we expect, he said.

He also appealed to the Comptroller not to forget the youth of Gbese in the area of recruitment into the GIS, stressing that When there are job opportunities and businesses at your workplace, our youth are educated, hardworking and diligent.

Mr Amadu said the headquarters of the Immigration Service was located on Ga land, and as such it was important for him to come and seek his blessings before commencing with work.

He said, So, Your Royal Majesty, this is to tell you that I am prepared to take the relationship between the Ghana Immigration Service and the Gbese Mantse to the next level.

Prisons Director-General

Nii Ayi Bonte said the Ghana Prisons Service Director-Generals visit demonstrated her commitment to building a holistic approach to reforming the service.

He said the service was very critical in shaping society and the appointment of Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie as the Director-General demonstrated the high level of confidence the President had in her.

Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie said her vision for the service was to push for more reforms and position the service as a world-class reformation centre on the continent.

I am here to assure you that you are going to see more reformation in the Ghana Prison Service.

She said the prisons are for the good, the bad, the non-educated, hot-tempered people, but daily, their work as prison officers is to make sure to relate very well with all of them to ensure they allow them to live their lives once again.
Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City marks 10 years of excellence

Joselyn Kafui Nyadzi Apr - 05 - 2025 , 09:47 3 minutes read

Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City Accra has launched its 10th anniversary celebration, marking a decade of excellence in luxury and hospitality.

As part of its anniversary celebrations, Kempinski will introduce a new gourmet and bar experience to enhance its dining offerings.

The festivities will culminate in a grand gala in November, honouring the dedication of its staff and the loyalty of its guests.

The media launch, which took place last Thursday, was attended by industry leaders, government officials and media representatives, and highlighted the hotel's achievements and its contribution to Ghanas tourism and hospitality sector.

A decade of luxury hospitality

The General Manager of the hotel, Hanno Barkhoff, in his address, reflected on the hotels journey since its establishment, emphasising its impact on the local hospitality industry.

Ten years ago, we opened our doors with a vision to redefine luxury hospitality in Accra.

Today, we can proudly say that we have not only met but exceeded that vision.

We have become an integral part of this vibrant city, a beacon of elegance, and a hub of memorable experiences, he said.

He acknowledged that the journey had not been without its challenges; however, the hotels ability to adapt and innovate had been key to its success.

Our journey has not been without its challenges but it is through these challenges that we have grown stronger.

We have adapted, innovated and constantly strive to raise the bar in Ghana's hospitality industry.

Our commitment to providing exceptional service and creating unforgettable moments has remained unwavering.

As we look ahead to the future we remain committed to investing in our team, fostering innovation and setting the standard of luxury hospitality in Ghana Mr Barkhoff said.

Contribution

The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Dwumfour, commended Kempinski for setting a high standard in Ghanas hospitality sector and for its longstanding support of the media.

He highlighted the hotels support for the media, including its role in hosting the GJAs flagship GJA Awards for five consecutive years, as well as the World Press Freedom Day celebration and the associations 70th anniversary.

The management of Kempinski deserves commendation for this feat. A decade is a testament to resilience, innovation and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Over the past 10 years, Kempinski has significantly contributed to Ghanas tourism, culture and creative industry, he said.

Impact

Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dzifa Abla Gomashie, lauded Kempinskis role in elevating Ghanas global reputation as a premier hospitality destination.

Kempinski has not only transformed Ghanas tourism landscape but has also played a significant role in our countrys economic and cultural development.

Your commitment to excellence has complemented our national vision of making Ghana the gateway to Africas rich heritage, vibrant culture and unparalleled hospitality, she said.

The minister highlighted the positive impact of the hospitality industry on Ghanas economy, which indicated that in 2023, the country recorded over 1.14 million international tourist arrivals, a 25 per cent increase from the previous year.

She urged Kempinski to expand its contributions by considering the construction of a modern, multi-purpose hospitality training school in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism.

We look forward to deepening our collaboration in promoting cultural tourism, supporting local talent, and advancing eco-friendly and community-driven hospitality initiatives.

Ms Gomashie further commended the hotel for its support of people on the autism spectrum, emphasising the importance of inclusive corporate social responsibility efforts.
SU Ghana inducts new council

Samuel Ohene Ewur Apr - 05 - 2025 , 09:57 2 minutes read

The Scripture Union (SU) Ghana has ushered in a new era of leadership with the induction of new council officers in Accra.

The newly inducted five-member council is made of the National Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and a Chief Executive Officer.

Upon their induction, the Chairperson of the Council, Emmanuel Boate, pledged that the council, under his leadership, would restore the organisations influence and expand its reach.

Mr Boate assured the gathering that his team would work for SU-Ghana to reclaim its role in shaping young lives.

Mr Boate also reiterated that SUs role was to complement, not compete with, church ministries.

"We are working in the same kingdom of God. Our goal is to partner, not to replace," he added.

Call for Revival

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Boate emphasised the need to restore SUs influence in youth discipleship, adding that changes in church structures had affected its reach.

"Many years ago, youth discipleship in Ghana was synonymous with SU. However, churches developed their own programmes over time, some of which weakened our influence," he said.

The national chairperson added that efforts to rebuild SUs presence in schools and churches had already begun.

Appeal for support

As he concluded, Mr Boate urged corporate Ghana, churches and alumni of the movement to contribute to SUs revival.

"When you do a sample of leadership in this country, over 90% would have had a touch with SU. Why not give back?" he asked.

He also mentioned SU's plans to establish a strong alumni network to harness resources and mentorship for the next generation.

"Lets come together and help SU have the greater impact it needs," Mr Boate urged.
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Legendary Teddy Osei of Osibisa fame laid to rest (PHOTOS)

Emmanuel Baah Apr - 05 - 2025 , 09:55 4 minutes read

The legendary Teddy Osei, renowned for his role in the Afro-pop band Osibisa, was laid to rest following a body viewing and final funeral rites held at his family residence in Chiriapatre, Kumasi, on Saturday, April 5, 2025.

A burial mass was held at the St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica, near Fante Newtown in Kumasi, after the body viewing, where family members, friends, and loved ones gathered to mourn and celebrate his life.

Born Francis Kwabena Osei on December 17, 1935, and better known as Teddy Osei, he was a Ghanaian musician celebrated for his talents as a saxophonist, drummer, and vocalist. Osei was the founder and leader of Osibisa, the iconic Afro-pop band formed in 1969.

Osibisas legacy includes timeless hits such as Woyaya (1971), with the famous lyrics "We are going... Heaven knows where we're going... We know we will," as well as Sunshine Day and Dance The Body Music.

Teddy Osei leaves behind three daughtersMatilda, Agnes, and Shantaas well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Widow

In a heartfelt tribute, Benedicta Adu-Poku honored her late husband, Kwabena Teddy Osei, saying, "Today, I pay a glorious tribute to my dear husband, Kwabena Teddy Osei.

As the Book of Romans clearly expresses, our love endures even though you are no longer with me. Your songWe are going, heaven knows where we are goingcontinues to echo in my heart."

She also shared that, despite Teddys busy schedule and constant travel due to his music career, it never affected the strength and unity of their family.

"If not on tour, he always made time for me and those were very precious times together. I will carry your love with me always, until we meet again"., she soberly said.

Biography

Osei was born in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital. At birth, he was christened "Francis" by his parents - Micheal Kyekyere and Josephine Kyekyere - who were Roman Catholics.

He was the second of seven children. Osei was named after the Ashanti King Osei Tutu I. Osei's father was an amateur musician who played the horn in the local church band, thus exposing Teddy to music at an early age.

He was introduced to traditional music instruments by his school teacher , and played the bass drum in the school band. He also frequently visited the Ashanti Palace, where he occasionally learned folk songs from visiting musicians.

Music career

Following his graduation, Osei worked as an office help for a year, before moving to Sekondi to study craftsmanship at a college. Sekondi was an important commercial and cultural hub, where he encountered a number of modern musicians and genres.

During this time, he was by Ghana's First President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and supported his political party and its campaign against British colonialism.

After completing his degree, he returned to Kumasi and worked as a building inspector for a brief while, before choosing to become a professional musician.

Teddy created a semi-professional band along with his brother, Mac Tontoh of blessed memory, and some friends.The band was known as "Comets", and became successful in Ghana, recording with Philip West Africa and playing for a radio show.

Their music was inspired by "Highlife," a genre derived from a fusion of European and African influences. Comets, enjoyed brief popularity before Osei travelled to London in 1962.

He received a grant from the Ghanaian government to study at a private music and drama school for three years , before being forced to leave by a regime change in Ghana.

In 1969, he founded Osibisa along with several other musicians. The band remained popular through the 1980s and 90s, and continues to perform till date.

Stardom

In 1969, Teddy Osei, Sol Amarfio, and Mac Tontoh came together with other musicians, that they had been previously acquainted with to form Osibisa.

The new band derived its name from "Osibisaaba", the name given to the style of music that was a fusion of "palm wine" music and traditional Fante fisherman's traditional music.

In its early stages , Osibisa had neither an agent nor a manager. The band played at psychedelic venues around London while it tried to find financial support.

During the period, Osei played flute, African drums, as well as, saxophone.

The band became an instant success, producing several songs that reached the British top-ten. They were even more popular when playing live.

During the late 1970s they played on several international tours to India, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and several African countries.

In 1980, the band played at a concert celebrating the Independence of Zimbabwe.
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Madam Ayorkor Botchwey pays courtesy call on King Charles

Graphic.com.gh Apr - 05 - 2025 , 10:12 1 minute read

Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the newly appointed Commonwealth Secretary-General, has paid a courtesy visit to King Charles III, the Head of the Commonwealth, at Windsor Castle in London.

Madam Botchwey, who previously served as Ghanas Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, officially began her tenure as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth on April 1, 2025.

She has pledged to uphold and promote the values of the Commonwealth Charter in a world marked by increasing tensions and changing global dynamics.

Botchwey, who succeeds Dame Patricia Scotland, is both the first African woman and the second African overall to hold this prestigious role within the 56-member Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth represents a third of the worlds population and over a quarter of the United Nations' membership.
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Skin disease outbreak leaves Mepe-Avetakpo residents in agony

Gertrude Ankah Apr - 05 - 2025 , 16:38 2 minutes read

The sub-divisional chief of Mepe Gbavie-Dekume, Togbe Kwasi Amedor III, has expressed concern over a communicable skin disease outbreak affecting many children and adults in Avetakpo enclave, a farming community in the Ho West District of the Volta Region of Ghana.

According to the chief, the infected residents are experiencing sleep deprivation, acute, and prolonged bodily pains.

Despite the severity of the outbreak, he indicated that affected individuals are unable to access medical treatment due to a lack of funds.

Based on the request by the Queen Mother of the area, Mama Aku Seme II, officials from the Ho West District Health Directorate of Ghana Health Service (GHS) visited the area, but a budget of GH 6,642.50 was set for the community to pay before treatment could begin.

Unfortunately, the community couldn't raise the funds.

"We are pleading with the government to come to our aid because we are not able to raise the total of GH 6,642.50 estimated budget," Chief Togbe Amedor III stated.

He disclised that the disease has spread to neighboring communities, with over 46 people affected so far.

Togbe Amedor III is calling for immediate government intervention to support the community with funds for mass medical treatment.

He emphasized the need for contingency measures to prevent infections and maintain residents' well-being.

The chief expressed frustration that health officials didn't provide the actual name of the disease or its source, leaving the community uncertain about the situation.

The lack of access to clean drinking water, with residents sharing sources with cattle and animals, may be contributing to the outbreak.

The chief's appeal highlights the need for government support to address the skin disease outbreak in Mepe-Avetakpi.

With the situation becoming increasingly serious, urgent action is required to provide medical treatment and prevent further spread of the disease.
UGs first female Dean of the School of Law Prof. Akua Kuenyehia honoured

Graphic.com.gh Apr - 05 - 2025 , 09:56 4 minutes read

The first female Professor of Law and the first female Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law, Prof. Akua Kuenyehia has been honoured with the Institute of African Women in Laws (IAWL) Legacy Award.

This is in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to legal education, womens rights, the rule of law and international justice.

At the recently held public adoption of the Gender Equality in Law Model Policy by the UG School of Law, the legal luminary was eulogised by some notable personalities and presented with a citation of honor by the organisers, the IAWL.

In her acceptance speech, Prof. Kuenyehia thanked the IAWL and the guests who took time off their busy schedule to celebrate her.

She dedicated the award to her mother, whom she described as her role model. My mother was a teacher, and I grew up seeing her putting my younger brother at her back and teaching in the classroom.

I remember carrying my two children to teach in school. I am grateful for what she did, Prof. Kuenyehia recounted the countless sacrifices her late mum made.

"One thing I have learned through my career is taking responsibility for the things you want to do. You have to know what you want to do, and you have to take responsibility for it," she advised.

She further shared her relentless efforts as Dean of the School of Law in building a state-of-the-art School which is currently being used.

"I call this building the house Jesus built because it was just by His grace," Prof. Kuenyehia added. She also thanked her husband and family for helping her juggle work and family life.

Special Guest of Honour, the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo described the honoree as a "mentor who conveyed essential lessons of leadership through mentorship. Her commitment to utilising the Law as a tool for social good rather than for self-serving purposes shaped my appreciation for the value of law to date."

The Chief Justice recalled her formative years working under Professor Kuenyehia at the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), where she learned the art of client advocacy, legal drafting and strategic case preparation.

But beyond the technicalities of legal practice, it was the Professors inclusive leadership style and commitment to empowering others that left an indelible mark.

On her part, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, also added that Some of us are where we are today because we looked up to bold and audacious women like Prof. Akua Kuenyehia.

Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo.

The Founder of IAWL, Prof. Josephine Dawani, acknowledged the honorees leadership in advancing legal education.

"We are here in this building because of Prof. Kuenyehia. Her leadership, her passion and her drive in legal education are admirable. I congratulate a mentor and a trailblazer," Prof. Dawani noted.

At the event, the Dean of the School of Law, Prof. Raymond Atuguba, stated that "she is the Dean who employed me to the UG School of Law. The remarkable thing about her is she engaged in gender activism with traction and staying power."

He further disclosed that UGSoL is working on a Legal History Museum which will be housed on the 6th floor of the new Law School building, currently under construction.

"In that museum, we will have not only legal historical documents, but we will also have audio and video recordings of some of the most astute personalities in Law in the country," he said.

President of the Ghana Bar Association, Mrs. Efua Ghartey also called on Prof. Kuenyehia to publish her memoires which she believes will be a rich and inspiring masterpiece.

Also present were renowned statesman Mr Sam Okudzeto; former Ambassador of Ghana to France and Lawyer, Ambassador Anna Bossman; former Deputy Attorney General, Diana Asonaba Dapaah; renowned lawyers, judges, high-level personalities, UG officials and law students as well as the family and classmates of Prof. Kuenyehia who also took turns in paying glowing tributes to the legal scholar.

A video documentary highlighting Prof Akua Kuenyehias legal milestones in the law industry was also screened at the ceremony.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple is planning to expand its manufacturing facility in Brazil in an attempt to avoid the newly imposed tariffs on China by the Trump Administration.

Trump's newly announced tariffs include 34% on Chinese imports and 26% on Indian, two crucial markets for Apple hardware. This means that Apple will be forced to pay higher taxes and transfer that to its customers. To mitigate those high tariffs, the company is considering expanding its assembly facility in Brazil since the country faces only a 10% import tax.

Reportedly, Apple started making plans in 2024 and has already received the necessary certification so that Apple and Foxconn can assemble the iPhone 16. The Cupertino-based company has manufactured the iPhone 13, 14, and 15 in its Brazilian plant, but it plans to expand production with the iPhone 16 Pro. This would require some restructuring and investment.

This way, Apple will not only meet the local demand, but also export some of the production to the US, avoiding a big chunk of the tariffs.

Source (in Portuguese)

Apple iPhone 16

Apple iPhone 16 Pro
Attorney General Doug Moylan is asking the court to dismiss a complaint filed against him by the governor, arguing that he was not given a proper summons.

However, the governors legal counsel Leslie Travis argues the error doesnt merit the case being dismissed.

On March 18, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero filed a complaint for declaratory judgment in Superior Court, seeking an order to appoint a special assistant attorney general and special prosecutor.

The appointees would investigate and potentially prosecute Moylan for illegally hiring 70 unclassified employees including his brother, according to documents filed by the governor.

Moylan has denied any wrongdoing, and an internal investigation conducted by his office found the hirings were proper. He and others from his office defended their actions in an informational session before the legislature Monday, saying staff were hired as allowed by law to deal with a shortage of attorneys.

In his filing Tuesday, Moylan argued the March 18 summons in the case gave him 20 days to reply to the complaint, cutting the time allowed to reply by a full 40 days.

Under the Guam Rules of Civil Procedure, Moylan argued, he should have 60 days to respond.

Moylan later shared correspondence that showed that Travis acknowledged the mistake, and had asked the court for permission to modify the summons.

Among her points for non-dismissal and request to amend, is that the summons substantially complied with the Guam Rules of Civil Procedure, that Moylan was not prejudiced by the defect and that Moylan had actual knowledge of the claims against him.

As part of his reply, Moylan wrote, This defect must be rectified; a wrong summons should be treated as no summons.

He quoted a section of the rules that state, the government of Guam or an officer or agency thereof shall serve an answer to the complaint, or to a cross-claim, or a reply to a counter claim, with 60 days of after the service upon the Attorney General or appropriate agency counsel of the pleading in which the claim is asserted.

He said the law requires the plaintiff  in this case the governor  to prove the summons was properly served before the court can have jurisdiction. Since his office was not properly served, he shouldnt have to respond to the summons, according to his filing.

This is why the voters elect an AG who is responsible for hiring capable attorneys to represent the People of Guam, Moylan wrote in an email to news media. Basic understanding of civil procedure rules and understanding who is being sued and applicable rules that apply.

Travis explained that the summons given to Moylan inadvertently contained the default 20-day period which non-government defendants are required to answer. Government defendants are allowed 60 days.

In his motion to dismiss, AG Moylan did not allege that he was prejudiced in any manner by the incorrect return date noted in the summons but asserted nonetheless that the court lacks personal jurisdiction over this matter because of the defect, Travis wrote.

She has asked the court to grant leave to amend the summons to remedy the defect, but said it didnt merit dismissal of the action.
The federal program that helps control feral swine on Guam and prevents the spread of brown tree snakes and other invasive species wont have to move from its Tiyan location.

In an effort to save money, the federal government is consolidating office space. The lease for the U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, APHIS, Wildlife Services facility on Guam was among those slated for cancelation.

However, Wildlife Services has received word that that, as of now, the Guam lease is no longer scheduled to be canceled, spokesperson Tanya Espinosa stated in an email late Friday night. The cancellation has been rescinded.

In an effort led by Del. James Moylan, congressional representatives from the Pacific Islands sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the General Services Administration asking that the lease be reinstated.

The Tiyan office houses 47 full-time employees, firearms storage and sensitive field equipment, including a helicopter. Lawmakers were concerned that the unique needs of the program would make consolidation with other civilian agencies impractical, and Department of Defense facilities are already under strain with the military buildup.

The program inspects inbound and outbound cargo to prevent the spread of brown tree snakes and other invasive species. Workers also coordinate with village mayors to control feral swine on Guam.

Earlier this week, the mayor of Agana Heights said USDA crews captured, killed and removed 300 feral pigs from his village in the last two months.

The program also manages bird air strike hazard management, which reduces wildlife-related aviation risks.

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 the bipartisan effort to rescind the lease cancellation.
Former Guam Medical Examiner Dr. Jeffrey Nine's remote testimony will be enough for the court, and all else involved in the case against Paul John Tuncap Cruz who is accused of child abuse in the death of his baby.

That was the decision and order released by Superior Court of Guam Judge Vernon P. Perez late Thursday.

Cruz was indicted Nov. 9, 2023 for one count of child abuse as a third-degree felony and one count of failure to provide as a misdemeanor. These charges stem from the death of his minor son, born Aug. 13, 2022, and died in November 2023.

Cruz's case was severed from that of the child's mom, Giltinan Ramangmou, for trial. Ramangmou went to trial in July 2024, and a jury found her guilty of negligent homicide and child abuse.

Trial was set to start April 3 as Cruz had asserted his right to a speedy trial, and the court issued a second amended criminal trial scheduling order.

On March 21, the government said it would file a motion regarding the testimony of Nine who had since relocated to Ohio to care for his ailing wife and son.

The defendant filed opposition on March 24 and a day later, the court heard sworn testimony from Nine via Zoom. A week later, the court ordered the government to have Nine submit a statement from a medical professional regarding his wife's medical condition, which the court reviewed under seal.

In his discussion and analysis of the case, Perez held that Nine being away for more than 24 hours would result in severe consequences for his family and that his remote testimony was necessary in the case, as he was the doctor who performed the autopsy on the dead infant.

Perez also was satisfied with the reliability of remote testimony via Zoom, which was the same technology used on March 25. At that hearing., the court, the government and the defense counsel saw and heard Nine without difficulty. His camera presented his upper body and face, similar to if he were sitting on the witness stand.

Having answered the two main issues as required in the test to allow the testimony, Perez granted the government motion to allow Nine's remote testimony.

Cruz's jury selection and trial will commence 1:30 p.m. April 10.
A report from the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress includes views from Department of Defense-affiliated civilian employees and their families on Guam who deem the overall standard of care at local facilities such as Guam Memorial Hospital subpar and some even said they feared receiving treatment there and have traveled back to the mainland United States for surgeries.

But beyond patients views, the federal report said GMH is in a state of severe disrepair, including mold and corrosion problems, citing a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report.

The GMH building, it said, lacks adherence to modern codes, and its condition puts it at risk of failing accreditation.

All this is part of the Government Accountability Offices newly released report, DoD is implementing actions to address challenges with accessing health care in Japan and Guam.

The GAO report includes DoD plans to open a new military medical facility at Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz in Fall 2025 for active-duty service members only, adding capacity to the overall health care ecosystem on Guam.

The report said a senior DoD official told GAO that there are plans to increase staff by about 244 at Naval Hospital Guam to meet demand from new growth through 2037.

Guams military population, including affiliated civilian personnel and families, is expected to grow from the current 26,000 to 44,000 by 2037.

These include the redeployments of Marines and their dependents from Okinawa to Guam, and deployments to support the Guam Missile Defense System.

GAO added that it has ongoing work related to Guam missile defense, including the adequacy of infrastructure to support military personnel.

GAO said the common challenges in accessing health care on Guam are:

Failing infrastructure

Limited health care professionals

Geographic remoteness

The GAO report said the DoD has worked with Guam partners to:

Attempt to lease land to build a new public hospital

Has provided funding to upgrade existing public medical facilities, and

Plans to expand military medical facility capacity as the active-duty population grows on the island.

But the report also said many of these are recent or planned and it is too soon to determine their full effects.

Plans to build a new GMH

For example, in 2023, the DoD negotiated a no-cost land lease of about 113 acres with the government of Guam for the construction of a new hospital on DoD property. It was at the Eagles Field property.

GAO cited info from the DoD that the hospital would have included a pediatric intensive care unit, an inpatient hemodialysis capability, large helicopter-capable helipad for patient transfer, an inpatient rehabilitation capability with services, and capacity for a DoD field hospital expansion if needed.

However, the lease was ultimately not signed because the Guam Legislature passed a law that halted the process, the GAO report said.

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero plans to build a new hospital to replace GMH without the DoD land lease.

The governor, during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths recent visit to Guam, asked for assistance in funding the new hospital. After that meeting, the governor said some $600 million was needed to support the hospital project.

In September 2024, the DoD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation provided a $2.7 million Defense Community Infrastructure Program grant to GMH to upgrade its HVAC system, the GAO said.

This is meant to directly support the health and readiness of military personnel who rely on GMH through this investment, and will also benefit DoD-affiliated civilians and families who receive care at GMH, the report said.

Growing importance of Indo-Pacific region

The DoD relies on thousands of federal civilian employees and contractors in Japan and Guam to accomplish its missions in the increasingly important Indo-Pacific region, and amidst China and North Koreas threats.

However, these individuals face unique challenges accessing health care, the GAO said.

In 2022, the Defense Health Agency issued guidance restating that these individuals may receive health care at military medical facilities only if capacity allows, referred to as care on a space-available basis, because active-duty service members and their families are prioritized.

As a result, the DoD civilians and families rely on local providers for their health care such as GMH.

GAO said GMH suffers from systemic failures due to environmental exposure, aging, and insufficient funding for necessary repairs, based on the Army Corps findings.

The GMH building lacks adherence to modern codes, and its condition puts it at risk of failing accreditation, it said.

For example, most of GMHs heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, HVAC, equipment has exceeded its useful life and needs replacement, the GAO report said.

Accelerated corrosion due to the marine environment has caused significant damage to GMHs ductwork, which the Army Corps deemed unusable without repairs.

Guams two other hospitals  Guam Regional Medical City built in 2015 and Naval Hospital Guam built in 2014  are more modern, the report said.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said she doesnt have the authority to issue an executive order to help the Guam Department of Education in response to a request from freshman Sen. Shawn Gumataotao.

Gumataotao sent a letter to the governor on Friday to issue an executive order that would deploy financial and grants management personnel from executive branch agencies to provide GDOE with technical assistance.

This is necessary to preserve federal resources for their intended use, the freshman senator wrote.

The letter came as GDOE is asking the U.S. DOE to give Guam another year to use $125 million in American Rescue Plan funds.

The appeal came days after U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon McMahon issued a letter setting a March 28, 2025 deadline to spend ARP funds.

Gumataotao said theres a shared desire to prevent the financial crisis at GDOE from further affecting students education because of a failure by our local education department to properly administer critical federal assistance including COVID-19 pandemic recovery funding it received four years ago.

He suggested agencies that could help include the Guam State Clearinghouse, Bureau of Budget and Management Research and the Department of Administration.

As decision makers we must use every resource at our disposal to prevent the GDOE crisis from getting worse than it already is at this point. If not addressed, this emergency threatens the financial solvency of the government of Guam and our collective ability to deliver critical public services now and in the fiscal years going forward, Gumataotao said.

On Saturday, Leon Guerrero responded to clarify that she cant issue an executive order that would unilaterally mandate changes affecting the operations of GDOE.

That power rests with the Guam Legislature, which has delegated that authority to the Guam Education Board, the governor said.

Leon Guerrero said her administration remains committed to working with GDOE and exploring all legally available avenues of support.

To that end, I am in the process of setting up a conference call with federal education officials to formally request approval for an extension on the obligation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, she said.

At the same time, the governor encourages Gumataotao to consider legislative measures that would further the initiatives he believes are necessary to improve GDOE.

As a policymaker, you are uniquely positioned to enact laws that can directly impact and support the departments long-term goals, from structural oversight to fiscal accountability, Leon Guerrero said.

She reminded Gumataotao that she has previously proposed temporarily assuming limited control over GDOE operations during a time of urgent need, but the previous legislative body rejected that proposal and accused her of executive overreach.

While I accepted that decision, it underscored the clear limits on my office in matters related to GDOE, the governor said.

In August last year, the governor attempted to transfer temporary control over GDOE to her through a bill and called senators into a special session to vote on it.

The bill would have given the governor authority over GDOE until Jan. 4, 2027 or the end of her term.

Give me the legal authority to fix itand then you can have the right to hold me accountable, Leon Guerrero said at the time.

Senators voted 11-3 and didnt pass the bill.
The Guam Police Department is conducting a death investigation after a decomposed body was found at a beach in Anigua on Friday afternoon.

At 5:24 p.m. Friday officers from Central Precinct were called to the scene where the decomposed body of a male was found on the beachside in Anigua.

The individual was wearing tan shorts, according to police.

GPD said a death investigation was initiated and remains ongoing until the medical examiners report is completed.

A next of kin still needs to be located, GPD said.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact police at 671-475-8615 through 671-475-8617.

Residents can also contact Guam Crime Stoppers through their website http://www.guam.crimestoppersweb.com/. Information provided will remain confidential.




Haiti - Religion : Message from the Episcopal Conference of Haiti on the situation in Mirebalais





The Episcopal Conference of Haiti (CEH) in a note expresses its deep sadness and outrage at the tragic events that struck the city of Mirebalais https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44597-haiti-flash-mirebalais-under-attack-numerous-victims-more-than-500-escapees-on-the-run-video.html and has once again plunged the country and the Church into mourning.



"Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,



The Episcopal Conference of Haiti (CEH) expresses its deep sadness and outrage at the tragic events that struck the city of Mirebalais and has once again plunged our country and our Church into mourning. The assassination of Sisters Evanette Onezaire and Jeanne Voltaire, among others, Little Sisters of Saint Therese https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44611-haiti-flash-two-nuns-from-the-order-of-saint-therese-murdered.html is a heinous crime that serves as a reminder of the magnitude of the evil plaguing our society. Faced with this situation, we wish to:



1. Express our closeness and compassion for the religious and biological families of our dearly departed sisters. Their lives dedicated to the service of the Gospel and the most vulnerable remain a shining testimony to the love of Christ;



2. Prophetically denounce the inaction of the authorities who, despite warnings, have failed to take the necessary measures to prevent this tragedy. The lack of an effective response to persistent insecurity is a serious failure that endangers the nation, abandoned to the mercy of destructive forces;



3. Morally condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric act, as well as all the violence that is plunging our country into chaos and suffering;



4. Call on armed groups to immediately cease their acts of violence and rediscover a sense of respect for human life. No struggle justifies bloodshed and the terror sown among the innocent. Let's never forget that 'If you want peace, prepare for peace.'



5. Encourage the Haitian people to be vigilant, show solidarity, and pray.



In this ordeal, we must not give in to hatred or indifference. Let's resist through faith and unity, and refuse to let violence define our future. Haiti is passing through the valley of the shadow, but Christian hope assures us that the light of the Risen One will illuminate our paths toward better days.



May Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Mother of our people, accompany us in this ordeal and intercede for us, her wounded children!



May God bless us and bless Haiti !



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44611-haiti-flash-two-nuns-from-the-order-of-saint-therese-murdered.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44597-haiti-flash-mirebalais-under-attack-numerous-victims-more-than-500-escapees-on-the-run-video.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Constitution 1987 : The right to education is not a pious wish





On the occasion of the 38th anniversary of the 1987 Constitution, Sterline Civil, Director General of the National Education Fund (FNE), recalled in a message that "the inclusion of education as a fundamental right in the Constitution is no accident."



"When Article 32 proclaims that 'the State guarantees the right to education,' it is not a pious wish, but rather establishes a profound obligation. For ignorance, more than poverty, is the most insidious obstacle to emancipation. Knowledge shapes citizens and forms Nations."



Sterline Civil emphasizes, "At the National Education Fund, we bear the weight of this historical responsibility. We are the heirs of a vision that places education at the heart of the social contract. Every day, we measure the gap between the constitutional ideal and the realities on the ground. These persistent disparities are not mere statistics; they represent shattered destinies, untapped potential, and deferred dreams. [...]



[...] The Constitution is not a simple document to be commemorated; it is a roadmap for action.



[...] When the Constitution speaks of free and compulsory education, it sets a horizon for us. When it speaks of universal access to education, it sets a course for us. [...] Constitutionally guaranteed education is the crucible in which our common destiny is forged. It is there that the next generation is prepared, our intellectual sovereignty is affirmed, and our national resilience is built.



Every teacher who passes on their knowledge, every student who awakens to knowledge, every parent who supports this quest, contributes to the realization of this constitutional project.



May every citizen become the vigilant guardian of this fundamental right. May every institution serve as a vehicle for this constitutional requirement. [...] The fight for education is the fight for our collective survival. It is the purest expression of our loyalty to constitutional ideals : education for all is not an option, but a social imperative."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





The Government strengthens the capabilities of the Haitian Armed Forces (FAd'H)

The Government recently strengthened the capabilities of the Haitian Armed Forces (FAd'H) with the delivery of two troop transport trucks and the acquisition of 25 new vehicles to improve soldier mobility. In addition, the first military garage was installed at the Vertieres base in Tabarre. Other strategic equipment, including armored tactical vehicles, is on order and will be delivered shortly.



More than 5,500 escapees in 12 months

More than 5,500 prisoners freed by bandits between March 2024 and March 2025: this includes inmates from the national penitentiary in Port-au-Prince https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41793-haiti-flash-the-national-penitentiary-stormed-many-prisoners-escape-chaos-in-the-capital-video.html , as well as prisoners from the Croix-des-Bouquets https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41804-haiti-flash-update-on-the-situation-in-haiti.html and Mirebalais prisons, the latter of which was attacked on March 31, 2025. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44597-haiti-flash-mirebalais-under-attack-numerous-victims-more-than-500-escapees-on-the-run-video.html



The PNH in action (video)

On Friday, April 4th, 2025, police operations continued in the Cul-de-Sac plain, north of Port-au-Prince. Several bandits were fatally injured the day before during these operations, the PNH reported. The heavy equipment unit, accompanied by several armored vehicles, deployed in Clercine, Butte Boyer, Chada, Santo, etc..., demolished several small houses that the bandits had been using as hideouts and firing positions. The officers also seized a generator that the bandits used as a power source to light up at night.







236 Haitians arrested in El Hoyo de Friusa

Following the nationalist march of the Ancient Dominican Order in El Hoyo de Friusa, Bavaro https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44596-haiti-news-zapping.html , the General Directorate of Migration (DGM) has intensified its operations in Friusa, resulting in the arrest in 48 hours of 236 Haitians in an irregular migratory situation, in the Mata Mosquitos sector (Little Haiti). These operations were carried out in coordination with the Dominican Armed Forces, the National Police, the Public Prosecutor's Office, and other entities. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44596-haiti-news-zapping.html and https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44585-haiti-flash-a-few-hours-before-a-nationalist-march-in-pequeno-haiti-the-atmosphere-remains-tense.html



5,981 displaced persons

Following the population displacements caused by the armed attacks that occurred on March 31, 2025, in the communes of Saut d'Eau (specifically in the 2nd Section of La Selle) and Mirebalais (3rd Section of Grand Boucan and 4th Section of Crete Brule), a total of 5,981 people (1,272 households) were forced to flee their homes. The majority of displaced people (83%) found refuge within host communities, while 17% settled in 14 newly established displacement sites following these attacks.



Equipment Donation to PoliFRONT

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with support from Canada, equipped the Haitian Border Police (PoliFRONT) with 50 laptops, 50 printers, and 20 communication radios to strengthen its capacity to secure Haiti's borders and combat human trafficking.



HL/ HatiLibre


















With the Pixel 9a, Google is introducing a new function called battery life optimization to increase the service life of the devices. To do this, the maximum voltage of the battery is reduced over time.

Anzeige

Smartphones can be used for longer and longer thanks to extended update guarantees, among other things. For example, Google and Samsung, as well as Honor, promise Android versions and patches for seven years for some devices. To ensure that consumables such as batteries can also keep up, Google has installed the battery life optimization function on its Pixel devices.

Battery optimization cannot be deactivated on the Pixel 9a

According to Google, the first device to receive the new battery-saving function is the budget model Pixel 9a, which will be released on April 14. The battery-saving function  also known as Battery Health Assistance  cannot be deactivated by the user on the new smartphone.

Google explains in a support document that the function is intended to help maintain battery health even as the device ages. The manufacturer also writes that the maximum voltage of the battery will be adjusted in stages after 200 charging cycles. This adjustment is to be continued gradually up to 1,000 charging cycles to stabilize battery performance and ageing.

The function also helps to adjust the charging speed of the smartphone based on the adjusted capacity. According to Google, adjusting the voltage leads to a slight reduction in battery life as the battery ages.

The charging capacity also changes slightly, although the manufacturer does not provide any further specific details. This software adjustment is not completely new: Google had already released an update for the Pixel 4a, which was released in 2020, in January 2025 to protect against the risk of overheating. However, the capacity of the Pixel battery was almost halved, which, according to research by software developer Hector Martin, is apparently related to a faulty battery charge.

Anzeige

Google is not the first company to bring such a battery-saving function to smartphones. Apple introduced a similar power management system for the iPhone a while ago.

Older Pixel models also get battery saver function  but optional

The Pixel 9a will also not be the only device to be equipped with the battery optimization software. As Google told 9to5 Google, the feature will also land on some older Pixel devices via an update.

In contrast to the 9a, however, owners of an older Pixel model can switch the function on or off if they wish.

Google advises replacing the battery after a certain runtime

In its support document, Google also makes recommendations for replacing the battery. For Pixel models 3 to 8 Pro and the Pixel Fold, the battery should be replaced when the remaining capacity is less than 80 percent or 800 charging cycles have been reached. For newer models from the Pixel 8a onwards, a new battery is recommended when it is less than 80 percent or 1,000 cycles.

According to the manufacturer, a new battery improves the performance of the smartphone at low and high ambient temperatures. In addition, the battery life is extended and the service life of the smartphone can also be increased.

(mho)

Don't miss any news  follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.
New machine learning methods allow for efficient analysis of corporate reporting. A doctoral dissertation by Essi Nousiainen at the University of Vaasa demonstrates how artificial intelligence supports the extraction of information on innovation, responsibility, and blockchain from financial statements.

It focuses on U.S. corporate filings, specifically annual reports (10-K) and listing particulars (S-1). Using language models and machine learning techniques such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation and sentiment analysis, the study identifies reporting trends across industries.

According to Nousiainen, companies that are actively seeking buyers report more frequently on responsibility themes. However, actual responsibility-related actions in those companies did not differ from peers, she said. This may reflect an effort to appear more responsible in sales situations and underlines the need for regulation in responsibility reporting.

In another finding, companies reduced discussion of cryptocurrency topics compared to earlier periods. Blockchain more broadly, however, received increased attention, showing a divergence in how businesses address related technologies.

The dissertation presents three main analytical tools. The first is an innovation metric based on topic modelling. This identifies the extent of innovative discourse in company reports without relying solely on patent data. The second is a responsibility metric that assesses how much firms report on responsibility through keyword frequency and context-based classification. The third combines existing AI techniques to study how firms report on blockchain and cryptocurrency themes.

Nousiainen said these methods serve several purposes beyond academic use. Companies, researchers, and other stakeholders can apply them in competitor analysis, industry comparisons, mergers and acquisitions, and partnership assessments.

The studys material covered a wide range of U.S. firms and reporting periods. All analyses were based on publicly available documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Statistical models validated the relevance of the metrics.

The dissertation, titled Essays on Corporate Textual Disclosure, is published in the Acta Wasaensia series (number 552). It will be defended at the University of Vaasa on 4 April.

In Finland, digitalisation of corporate reporting has also progressed. According to Statistics Finland, 87 percent of companies with more than 10 employees submitted electronic financial statements in 2023. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has supported projects promoting machine-readable reporting formats.

Finland is also advancing regulation on corporate responsibility reporting. The Finnish Accounting Board has issued updated guidelines in line with the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, which will become mandatory for large companies by 2026.

HT
The digital subscription rate among young adults has risen from 20 percent in 2020, marking a 40 percent increase over five years.

One in four households in Sweden now pays for access to digital newspapers. Among 20 to 30-year-olds, the proportion is higher. New figures from Mediavision show that 33 percent of young adults had at least one digital daily newspaper subscription during the first quarter of 2025.

The general household subscription rate stands at 25 percent. In the 40 to 50 age group, the rate remains below the national average.

Households with digital newspaper subscriptions pay an average of 130 SEK per month.

Marie Nilsson, CEO of Mediavision, said the data challenges earlier assumptions. The fact that young adults are more inclined than older people to pay for digital news media shows that journalism holds a strong position within this group, she said. There is often concern about young peoples willingness to pay for journalism. However, our figures point in a partly different direction.

The broader media environment has changed during the same period. Social media platforms continue to attract large segments of the population, particularly younger users. Despite this, paid digital subscriptions among young people have increased, indicating sustained demand for structured news formats.

Nilsson said this trend is critical for media companies. The fact that young adults are increasingly willing to pay for digital daily newspapers is a positive sign, especially now that competition for their attention is fiercer than ever, she said. For newspaper companies and news media, its essential to continue attracting younger readers and subscribers.

In Finland, digital newspaper subscriptions have followed a similar trajectory. According to Statistics Finland, 65 percent of the population read online news media weekly as of 2023. Among those aged 16 to 24, the figure rises to 79 percent.

Print circulation has continued to decline. In 2022, only 29 percent of Finnish households received a printed newspaper at home, compared to 44 percent in 2012. In contrast, nearly half of all Finnish households subscribed to some form of digital news service in 2023.

Among Finnish daily newspapers, Helsingin Sanomat leads digital subscriptions, reporting over 400,000 digital-only subscribers by the end of 2023. Other newspapers, including Aamulehti and Turun Sanomat, have also increased digital readership, supported by apps and paywall content models.

Mobile device use plays a central role. Over 90 percent of Finnish adults own a smartphone, and 75 percent access news through mobile platforms. Among people under 30, mobile is the dominant mode of consumption, with news alerts, apps, and social media links serving as entry points to digital articles.

Journalism in Finland remains highly trusted. A 2023 report by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that 69 percent of Finns trust the news most of the time, the highest level in Europe. Trust levels are slightly lower among younger people but still above the European average.

The Finnish government and media sector have cooperated to promote media literacy in schools and youth services. The Finnish National Agency for Education includes news literacy in its core curricula, encouraging critical consumption of media from an early age.

HT
The organisation considers communication a central element of successful collaboration. Language learning supports integration into the workplace and Finnish society. It also forms the basis for professional development.

Esperi has increased efforts to support Finnish language learning among care workers who have moved to Finland from abroad. The company employs a growing number of international staff across its care homes.

Varpu Ahtonen, HR specialist for international staff, said that Finnish studies start in the recruits home countries. Employment requires a minimum language level of A2.2, she said. In Finland, training continues to level B1.1, which is the official requirement for care professionals.

Esperi offers several tools for language development. Staff use mobile games, dialogue exercises, and a new virtual learning environment. This includes digital simulations of care home spaces and practical vocabulary. The virtual environment covers resident rooms, living areas, and hygiene facilities.

Most foreign workers are trained nurses. Through apprenticeship training, they study Finnish health care practices, legislation, and pharmacology in Finnish. Completion of the programme grants professional rights from Valvira. With work experience and improved language skills, some later qualify as nurses under the Finnish system.

The training is designed for professionals who have moved to Finland, said Ahtonen. The feedback has been positive.

Esperi requires staff to use Finnish from the beginning. Orientation includes materials in English to support safety and understanding. English or interpreters are allowed in early phases of instruction when necessary. Still, Finnish is used from the start in daily situations, Ahtonen added.

Colleagues play an important role in supporting language learning. An open culture and psychologically safe environment are central. If progress slows, workers may attend additional professional language courses. Other factors such as homesickness or adjustment difficulties may also affect learning. Support is available through occupational health services.

At Hoivakoti Laune, Kaija Julkunen, unit director, said: We encourage staff to speak Finnish and participate actively in conversations.

A care assistant named Capella, originally from the Philippines, begins questions in Finnish but switches to English when unsure. Julkunen encourages continuing in Finnish. My colleagues help if I say something wrong, Capella said. Their support means a lot.

Tilini, from Sri Lanka, has lived in Finland for five years and now speaks Finnish fluently. A Finnish citizen, she is studying to become a practical nurse through an apprenticeship at Hoivakoti Laune. I read Finnish books, listen to easy news, and talk a lot, she said. Finnish videos on YouTube help, too.

Youssef, a care assistant, and Rose, a practical nurse, said improved language skills helped them settle in Finland. Its easier to talk with residents and colleagues when we share a language, said Rose. It also helps with everyday things like shopping.

Colleagues are helpful and explain new words, said Youssef.

Understanding Finnish culture is also seen as essential. Silence, privacy, and punctuality are common expectations. Time is seen through the clock in Finland, Ahtonen said. In other cultures, time can be understood more flexibly.

Esperi includes training on Finnish work culture in its home country orientation. All foreign employees also receive material for self-study in Finnish and information on Finnish laws and employment practices.

This spring, Esperi will release an online course for Finnish staff. It is titled Inclusive Work Community and aims to support respectful and effective collaboration across cultural lines.

These investments support equal workplaces where everyones skills are recognised, Ahtonen said.

HT
A Finnish tourism delegation concluded a five-day roadshow across Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai on 28 March. The delegation included Visit Finland and representatives from 25 Finnish tourism companies. The aim was to deepen cooperation with China, Finlands largest tourism market in Asia, and support recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finland has intensified its engagement with China through a tourism industry roadshow and an upcoming high-level parliamentary visit.

Teemu Ahola, Director of International Operations at Visit Finland, said the turnout demonstrated the importance of the Chinese market. We are here today with our 25 supplier partners. It is a sign that we value the market, he said.

Ahola noted that Chinese travellers ranked eighth globally in overnight stays in Finland in 2024, maintaining their position as Finlands top Asian source market. If we look into Chinese overnight stays in Finland in 2024, we see the one-year growth has been over 60 percent compared to 2023, which gives a signal that we are coming back. However, it's still a long way to go and that's why we are here to bring back the business, he said.

Finland offers 41 national parks, extensive nature tourism options, and activities such as lakeside sauna experiences, which continue to attract visitors from Asia.

In a separate development, Finlands Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho will visit China from 6 to 9 April. The visit is taking place at the invitation of Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress of China.

The parliamentary visit is part of ongoing efforts to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries. It follows a series of exchanges in the fields of trade, education, and environmental cooperation.

HT
Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said Finland will not initiate contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that such outreach would be premature while the war in Ukraine continues.

Speaking on Yles Saturday morning programme Ykkosaamu, Valtonen stated that no European leaders currently see value in calling Putin.

Russia does not respect agreements it signs. Russia respects only strength, she said.

Valtonen dismissed the idea that Finland could act as a neutral mediator in future dialogue between the West and Moscow. Instead, she said Finland should promote European interests directly and supported the role of President Alexander Stubb in representing those interests.

Stubb said earlier in the week that Finland must mentally prepare for the eventual restoration of relations with Russia. Valtonen clarified that this would only be relevant after significant changes in Russias behaviour and intentions.

No meaningful actions have been seen. Not even words, Valtonen said, referring to Moscows ongoing war in Ukraine and its rejection of international norms.

Valtonen said there was no discussion during last weeks NATO foreign ministers meeting about reopening channels with the Kremlin. She reaffirmed Finlands commitment to sanctions, calling for a stronger economic pressure campaign.

The Russian economy cannot sustain this war indefinitely. Circumventing sanctions is expensive, she said.

Valtonen called for a new sanctions package and encouraged countries imposing restrictions to remain patient and increase pressure.

She said internal discontent in Russia is growing as consumer prices rise. In her view, economic pain may eventually shift the Kremlins calculus.

Valtonen also addressed trade tensions between the EU and the United States. She said new tariffs imposed by the US, including a 20 percent duty on EU goods, were likely an opening bid in negotiations rather than a long-term trade strategy.

Europe has the option of counter-tariffs, but a tariff war is not a desirable outcome, Valtonen said.

She stated that Finland, as a small country, benefits most from a world without trade barriers.

Turning to domestic policy, Valtonen backed the governments plan to increase defence spending to at least three percent of GDP by 2029. She said this would be financed through long-term tax revenue rather than new debt.

Security and defence must be the priority, she said.

Valtonen also defended Finlands NATO membership, calling it a success and stating that the alliance has met expectations since Finland joined in 2023.

While Finland has historically been viewed as a bridge between East and West, Valtonen stressed that the countrys role is now firmly aligned with the Euro-Atlantic community.

There is no room for neutrality when facing an aggressor, she said.

HT
Insta, a private technology and defence firm, said it would consider entering landmine production if the government authorises their use.

A Finnish defence company has become one of the first to publicly express interest in manufacturing anti-personnel landmines following the governments decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty.

The company already collaborates with the Finnish Defence Forces and is developing a remotely detonated "bounding mine".

If the decision is taken that we as a nation permit landmines again, of course we want to look from that point forward how we can be involved in the context of our strategic partnership, CEO Tapio Kolunsarka told Reuters.

Kolunsarka added that no final decision on starting production had been made.

Finland announced on Tuesday that it intends to leave the 1997 Ottawa Convention, which bans the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines. The decision is based on concerns over long-term threats posed by Russia. Finland, a NATO member since 2023, shares a 1,300-kilometre border with Russia.

Instas bounding mine is designed to launch into the air before detonating and releasing projectiles, similar in function to traditional mines but operated remotely. The device has been under development as a substitute for the over one million landmines Finland destroyed after joining the treaty in 2012.

The move comes as other regional NATO allies take similar steps. Last month, Poland and the Baltic statesEstonia, Latvia, and Lithuaniaannounced their intention to leave the treaty, citing security threats from Russia.

Finland was the last European Union country to join the treaty, which took effect in 1999. Its withdrawal would allow the government to legally stockpile and deploy anti-personnel mines, marking a significant shift in defence policy.

Critics of the move include international disarmament organisations and humanitarian groups, who have described the treaty withdrawals as a serious setback to global mine bans.

The Finnish government is expected to submit a formal withdrawal proposal to Parliament before the summer recess. Once approved, the exit would take effect six months after notification is received by the United Nations Secretary-General, the treatys depositary.

The announcement follows a broader rearmament programme by Finland, including a planned increase in defence spending to at least 3 percent of GDP by 2029 and renewed investment in land-based military capabilities.

HT
The United Nations has accused Israeli forces of killing 15 rescue workers in Gaza on 23 March 2025. The victims included eight members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), six from the Palestinian Civil Defense, and one staff member from UNRWA. The incident occurred in Rafah, southern Gaza, where the workers were responding to an emergency call. Their bodies were later found in a mass grave near their destroyed vehicles.

According to UN officials, the victims were operating in clearly marked ambulances and fire trucks. The UN described the killings as a profound violation of human dignity and called for full accountability. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies condemned the attack as a war crime.

Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, criticised the burial of the workers in shallow graves. He noted that over 400 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023, most of them Palestinians. At least 280 UNRWA staff and 34 PRCS staff are among the dead.

Amnesty International has called for an independent and impartial investigation. These killings must be independently and impartially investigated, and the perpetrators must be held to account, said Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty Internationals Senior Director for Research, Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns. Amnesty also expressed concern over Israels refusal to allow forensic investigators into Gaza, warning that this undermines justice and increases the risk of impunity.

An internal probe by Israels Southern Command is underway. Israeli military officials denied carrying out execution-style killings but admitted that troops had fired on vehicles deemed suspicious. The army said that no coordination had been received from the aid groups and that emergency signals were not visible. Israeli forces were in control of the area at the time of the incident.

A PRCS medic, Mustafa Khafaja, had been injured earlier during an attempt to treat victims of Israeli shelling. The joint rescue team from PRCS and the Civil Defense was dispatched to assist him but disappeared. After a nine-day search, their bodies were discovered on 30 March.

Amnesty interviewed a member of the Civil Defense involved in the operation. One of the paramedics was reportedly detained by Israeli forces and later released. The group had travelled to the Hashashin area in Rafah, which had been the scene of heavy bombardment.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and several NGOs have reported systematic targeting of aid convoys and medical teams in Gaza. The International Criminal Court and other international bodies have been urged to launch formal investigations into alleged war crimes.

Israel maintains a blockade of the Gaza Strip, restricting access to international investigators. Amnesty warned that this obstructs evidence collection and delays justice for victims. It also called on all states to uphold their obligations under international law and ensure the protection of humanitarian personnel.

Since October 2023, the humanitarian toll in Gaza has escalated. According to the UN, over 408 aid workers have died. Repeated calls for humanitarian access and ceasefires have not led to sustained relief.

International human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and the UN Human Rights Office, have reiterated demands for Israel to cooperate with investigations and allow forensic teams to enter the area. Several EU countries have called for an emergency meeting at the UN Security Council.

A video published by the New York Times and reviewed by CNN shows the wreckage of the ambulances and fire trucks, along with visible markings identifying them as rescue vehicles. A forensic expert interviewed by Al Jazeera stated that some of the victims showed signs consistent with close-range gunfire.

As of early April, no international investigation team has been granted access to Gaza. The Israeli military has not released full findings from its internal probe. UN bodies continue to request access and documentation.

HT
Appellate ruling gives 61,000 voters 15 days to fix registration

More than 61,000 voters challenged by state Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin have 15 business days to prove their eligibility, or have their ballots removed from the count in Griffins 2024 bid to unseat Justice Allison Riggs, according to a Friday ruling from a three-judge panel of the N.C. Court of Appeals.

After all votes were tallied in November, the contest came down to 734 votes, with incumbent Riggs, a Democrat, in the lead. Soon thereafter, Griffin, a Republican Court of Appeals judge, asked for recounts and filed election protests.

The recounts maintained Riggs lead, while the State Board of Elections dismissed the protests.

Since then, Griffins legal challenges and countering lawsuits from Riggs have made their way through state and federal courts on their path to a delayed resolution while Riggs retains her seat.

Friday, the most significant decision in the case came down from two Republican justices on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. In a 2-1 decision from the panel, the court declared that Griffins protests were valid.

Incomplete voter registrations

The panel majority ruled that the largest portion of challenged voters, those who have incomplete voter registrations without a drivers license or Social Security number included in their elections records, are ineligible to vote because they were not registered to vote correctly.

The blame lies squarely on the State Boards of Elections, which did not update voter registration form to make that information required in accordance with the federal Help America Vote Act, the panel majority opinion states.

Once the issue was identified in 2023, the State Board issued a new registration form, but didnt go back and contact registrants who didnt list a drivers license or Social Security number, or check a box saying they had neither to be assigned a unique identification number.

Now, the appellate court panel says those voters are ineligible. The majority emphasized that the court has the right to remove ballots cast by these voters from the count, but is choosing not to do so immediately.

Instead, panel directed a Wake County Superior Court to tell the State Board to contact impacted voters and provide them an opportunity to fill in the missing information. If voters do so within 15 business days of notification, their votes will count. If not, they will be removed from the count for the Supreme Court race, but not other races.

Overseas and military photo ID

The court panel ruled similarly on Griffins second protest, which challenged overseas and military voters who did not provide photo identification with their absentee ballots.

During legal proceedings, the State Board has argued that under the states Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act, overseas and military voters are exempt from the voter ID requirement. UMOVA is contained in a separate statute from the one including photo ID requirements, and the Board argued that was intentional.

The appellate court panel disagreed. It ruled that the two statutes were intended to be read together, and that all voters are subject to the photo ID requirement.

Again, implicated voters have 15 business days to provide photo identification or an exception form, or be removed from the count.

In his dissent, Judge Toby Hampson, the lone Democrat on the panel, said providing time to fix these issues does not make up for the fact that impacted voters followed the rules available to them at the time.

The proposition that a significant portion of these 61,682 voters will receive notice and timely take curative measures is a fiction that does not disguise the act of mass disenfranchisement the majoritys decision represents, Hampson wrote.

Panel nixes Never Residents

North Carolina law includes an exception to the state constitutions residency requirement for a small subset of voters labeled Never Residents: overseas U.S. citizens who were born outside the country and whose parents or legal guardians last residence was North Carolina.

Friday, the appellate court ruled that statute ran afoul of the state Constitution, and voided the votes of Never Residents.

Panel dissent and equal protection issues

Hampsons dissent had a few arguments that may be seen again in future litigation.

First, he questioned the timing of Griffins protests. The statutes and Board interpretations that are being challenged have been in existence for several election cycles.

The majority declared that eligibility is determined as of Election Day, Hampson noted.

Despite professing this basic tenet, the majority changes the rules of the 2024 election  and only for one race  months after election day, he wrote. It does so even though there is no actual showing or forecast that any challenged voter was not registered or otherwise unqualified to vote.

Second, Hampson objected to which votes are being challenged. All protests include only early and absentee voters, since that was the information Griffin had available at the time he filed them.

Additionally, the overseas and military photo ID protest only includes Guilford County ballots.

Each of these voters is at risk of being disenfranchised while similarly-situated voters are not, simply because of the county in which they reside, when they cast their ballot, or their physical location, Hampson wrote.

Whats next after appeals panel?

The appellate decision may be key in determining the ultimate outcome of the race.

Riggs has already declared her intention to appeal the decision to the North Carolina Supreme Court, calling it a deeply misinformed decision that threatens to disenfranchise more than 65,000 lawful voters and sets a dangerous precedent, allowing disappointed politicians to thwart the will of the people.

However, if the North Carolina Supreme Court comes to a very possible 3-3 tie, the appellate courts decision would be the one that stands. Either way, if the state high court fails to take the case or acts to leave the panels ruling in place, Riggs legal team has indicated it will likely return the case to the federal courts on equal protection grounds.

The State Board also issued a statement saying that they would comply with the order, if it goes into effect.

Regardless of the ultimate outcome of this ongoing legal dispute, any voter who is concerned that their voter registration information is incomplete or is not up to date should submit an updated voter registration form, the statement read.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin was less neutral.

This partisan decision has no legal basis and is an all-out assault on our democracy and the basic premise that voters decide who wins their elections, not the courts, he said in a statement. If upheld, this could allow politicians across the country to overturn the will of the people.

While Griffin has stayed mum since November, North Carolina Republican Chairman Jason Simmons called the ruling a victory for the rule of law and election integrity in a social media post.

This decision and order finally holds the N.C. State Board of Elections accountable for their actions and confirms every legal vote will be counted in this contest, he wrote.

* * * * *

Sarah Michels is a staff writer for Carolina Public Press specializing in coverage of North Carolina politics and elections. She is based in Raleigh. Email her at smichels@carolinapublicpress.org to contact her.






THREE helicopters set off from Benson for the last time.

The Pumas left RAF Benson on Thursday last week as part of a two-day farewell flight around the UK.

The aircraft has been the workhorse of the Royal Air Force for more than five decades.

Introduced in 1971, the Puma became a key asset for the force, known for its agility, speed, and versatility, providing mobility and support for British forces.

In its lifetime the Puma has been deployed worldwide following its first operational use during the conflict in Northern Ireland. More recently, they served in Afghanistan from 2015 to 2021.

During the coronavirus pandemic they took part in Operation Rescript, providing aid to those in need. Up until March, the helicopter has been involved in operations in Cyprus and Brunei.

The farewell flight was organised to honour the service of the aircraft. Wing Commander Nick Monahan, officer commanding 33 Squadron and Puma Force Commander, said: This flight route is via various locations of significance.

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 defence operations for more than five decades. We want to celebrate its contribution to supporting our people around the world over the past 54 years.

Wing Commander Alice Tierney, station commander at RAF Benson, said: It is very sad as the Pumas have been a big part of Royal Air Force Benson but it is all about celebrating what shes achieved.

People are smiling and happy but, at the same time in the back of their minds, you can see it and feel it, that we are sad.

Throughout my 17 years of service of support to the Puma I have loved working with the crews, the team, the engineers and the pilots. It is one team and that very much comes across and they are very proud of what they do and what they have done and that shows.

Wing Commander Tierney said despite the aircraft retiring the base will remain a hub of activity.

She said: We will continue to operate the Chinook and Benson will remain a vibrant, busy station. We are looking forward to NMH, the medium helicopter that will be coming in.

We have got the fly-past today and tomorrow and then next week we have a formal dinner here at Benson to celebrate with approximately 120 guests coming to that.

Then, looking forward to July, we have got a hangar party which will be brilliant and a commemorative service happening in the station church on Monday of next week as well.

The end of service of Puma is part of the Ministry of Defences mission to modernise defence capabilities to be better placed to face the evolving threats of today for the future.

Six new H145 Helicopters better known as Jupiter HC2 will enter into service in Cyprus and Brunei from 2026, where some Puma are stationed.

To support the transition from the Puma to the Jupiter HC2, two Chinook helicopters will deploy to Cyprus to support the firefighting capability there.

In the future, a new medium helicopter will be designed to replace the legacy Puma capability of medium-lift to land forces. The contract is still in the negotiation phase.

Squadron Leader Niall Davidson, who is second in command of the 33 Squadron operating the Puma, said: It does come a time where we need modernisation but it is great to see it operating right up until the end of its time.

Dave Stewart, a Puma ground school instructor, completed six tours serving in the aircraft in a variety of roles, and described the Puma as workhorse.

Mr Stewart said: I first stepped on to this aircraft in 1982 and I was at the stage a young sergeant crewman. It was a great joy to come to something as modern as the Puma was back in 1982.

I feel a huge sadness but it is lovely to see them today. In 1983, we did a 13-aircraft return from an exercise in Wales. I do wish that we had been able to get more of the fleet here. The staff that are teaching the Puma in the simulator, there are no jobs for them, so we are going to be made redundant.

I worked from Sergeant through to Flying Officer, Flight Lieutenant, Squadron Leader and ended up as a Wing Commander. The Pumas are just amazing workhorses, just a wonderful piece of kit. If you look at what she does today, she is not past it.

RAF Benson is a support helicopter main operating base supporting Joint Helicopter Command.

From Monday, it became home to one Operational Conversion Unit, which flies Chinook HC4 helicopters. It also continues to support the Operational Evaluation Unit of the Joint Helicopter Command.

Joint Helicopter Support Squadron, 606 Squadron RAF Reserves, 6 Flying Training Squadron, the Civilian National Police Air Service and Thames Valley Air Ambulance which operates 24 hours a day, also call RAF Benson home.l end
In a significant escalation of its military presence, Russia plans to bolster its forces in Ukraine by an additional 150,000 soldiers in 2025, roughly the size of 15 motorized infantry divisions, according to Pavlo Palisa, Deputy Head of Ukraine's Presidential Office.

The Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne reported the development on April 3.

"Their formation is ongoing. The Russians have no problems with recruiting personnel now. However, it should be understood that all these formations cannot be put into action at the same time," Palisa stated.

This military expansion coincides with Russia ramping up battlefield pressure while simultaneously engaging in ceasefire negotiations. Palisa suggested that Moscow has little interest in peace talks beyond matters related to maritime security, where a ceasefire aligns with Russian strategic interests.

Ukraine had previously agreed to a full 30-day ceasefire in U.S.-mediated discussions in Jeddah on March 11. However, Russia rejected the proposal unless Ukraine accepted conditions restricting its military capabilities. Instead, a partial agreement was reached between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S., focusing on protecting energy infrastructure and maintaining stability in the Black Sea.

Despite the truce, both Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of violating the energy ceasefire. Russia has further linked the start of the Black Sea agreement to the potential easing of Western sanctions.

On the battlefield, Russian forces continue to advance gradually, targeting key frontline positions. Palisa acknowledged that while Russia has achieved some tactical successes, Ukraine is mounting counterattacks and securing its own gains. "If they do this, they will continue to stall (peace talks) to get time," he warned.

As of Jan. 15, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Ukraine's military strength stood at 880,000 troops, tasked with defending the nation against an estimated 600,000 Russian soldiers deployed in various regions. However, Ukraine has struggled with manpower shortages, particularly in frontline infantry units, as Russia ramped up its summer 2024 offensive in Donetsk Oblast.

Although Russia has made territorial advances, the pace has slowed in recent months. Data from battlefield monitoring group DeepState indicates that in March, Russian forces captured only 133 square kilometerstheir lowest monthly total since June 2024. Analysts attribute this slowdown to harsh winter conditions, effective Ukrainian drone strikes, and temporary exhaustion of Russia's offensive momentum.

Nevertheless, Russian troops continue to mount aggressive assaults, particularly in Donetsk Oblast's Pokrovsk region, where fighting has intensified since late March.
An aspiring young mechanic from Eston, North Yorkshire, tragically took his own life after falling victim to a devastating financial scam. Kieron Mullins Bunn, just 18 years old, was described by those close to him as 'funny' and 'chatty' in the days leading up to his death. His passing has reignited urgent concerns around the UK's rising scam epidemic and highlighted the need for stronger protections and prosecutions for such crimes.

Kieron Mullins Bunn's Tragic Passing

On 17 February 2024, the body of Kieron Mullins Bunn was discovered in woodland. It is believed he died the night before. An inquest at Middlesbrough Town Hall heard that he had completed his usual late shift at McDonald's, clocking off at 11pm, with no noticeable change in behaviour. Shortly before his death, Bunn sent a message to his friends detailing how he was feeling and his location. Assistant coroner Benjamin Haigh concluded that his death was suicide.

Following his passing, messages found on Bunn's phone revealed he had fallen victim to a financial scam. Investigators believe the emotional shock and financial panic contributed directly to his decision.

'It is very poignant as to how these messages had made him feel,' Haigh said during the inquest, according to Daily Mail.

Grieving Family Gives Heartfelt Court Statement

Bunn, a student at Middlesbrough College, was described by his family as 'an amazing young man, so caring, funny and kind'. They shared how he enjoyed outdoor adventures, including mountain biking and watersports, and had a close bond with the family's two dogs. Although he enjoyed nights out, they emphasised that he 'never got into any trouble'.

He also had dreams of starting his own garage and often spent his free time working on cars. Bunn supported his younger brother and was seen as someone who embraced life with optimism and determination.

A statement shared on Fawcett and Hetherington Funeral Service's Facebook page reads: 'Kieron was a fun-loving young man who was very much adored by his family and friends and will be deeply missed by everyone who knew and loved him.'

The Alarming Rise of Scams in the UK

Bunn's tragic death is not an isolated case. A report from Citizens Advice found that one in five Britonsaround 9 million peoplefell victim to a financial scam in 2024 alone. A staggering 76% of these schemes were carried out via social media platforms. Despite the prevalence of such scams, 71% of victims fail to report them, often due to embarrassment or a lack of confidence in authorities' response.

According to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), the average victim loses approximately 1,400, with the total UK scam losses for the year surpassing 11.4 billiona 4 billion increase from the previous year. These losses often come with devastating consequences: 43% of victims are forced into debt, 24% borrow from family or friends, and 20% take on extra work to make ends meet.

The Most Common Financial Scams Targeting Britons

In response to the growing crisis, Citizens Advice has launched a Scams Awareness campaign to help the public identify and avoid the most widespread cons. The most common include:

Fake debt assistance : Over 3 million individuals were scammed by fraudsters posing as debt advisers on social media to collect sensitive data.

: Over 3 million individuals were scammed by fraudsters posing as debt advisers on social media to collect sensitive data. Investment fraud : 2.5 million people were lured into fictitious opportunities in gold, cryptocurrency, and property.

: 2.5 million people were lured into fictitious opportunities in gold, cryptocurrency, and property. Impersonation scams : Another 2.5 million victims were tricked by scammers posing as friends or family, often requesting a six-digit verification code to gain account access.

: Another 2.5 million victims were tricked by scammers posing as friends or family, often requesting a six-digit verification code to gain account access. Fake pension reviews : Fraudsters convinced victims to transfer their retirement funds into non-existent or high-risk investments.

: Fraudsters convinced victims to transfer their retirement funds into non-existent or high-risk investments. QR code fraud: Perhaps the most shocking2.5 million people scanned fake QR codes placed in public areas such as car parks. These redirected users to fake payment sites that harvested their financial details.

A Call for Urgent Reform and Greater Awareness

Bunn's death highlights how devastating and deeply personal the impact of fraud can be. His story serves as a tragic reminder that financial scams are not only an economic threat but a serious public health concern. As scam rates reach unprecedented levels, it is clear that more rigorous investigations, stronger legal consequences, and improved public awareness campaigns are urgently needed.

Victims must be encouraged to report such crimes and to speak out, not only to protect themselves but to raise awareness and prevent others from being exploited. While older generations have often been considered prime targets due to less digital literacy, younger, tech-savvy individuals like Kieron are just as vulnerable.

As financial fraud becomes more sophisticated, so too must our collective response. There is no shame in falling victimonly urgency in ensuring that others do not suffer the same fate.

Originally published on IBTimes UK
Taylor Schabusiness, the convicted killer serving a life sentence for the gruesome murder and dismemberment of Shad Thyrion, caused chaos in a Wisconsin court Friday when she attacked her defense attorney during a preliminary hearing.

Schabusiness, 27, was in court facing new charges for allegedly assaulting a sergeant at Taycheedah Correctional Institution last July. However, before the hearing could proceed, she suddenly lunged at her lawyer, Curtis Julka, prompting deputies to rush in and subdue her, as seen in video obtained by Court TV.

The courtroom was briefly thrown into disorder as officers restrained Schabusiness, leading the judge to adjourn the hearing for 45 minutes. When proceedings resumed, she appeared via video from jail instead of in person.

Despite the courtroom attack, the hearing moved forward. A not guilty plea was entered on her behalf, and a judge ordered Schabusiness to stand trial, Fox 11 reported.

Julka, who is now the second lawyer Schabusiness has attacked after assaulting her previous attorney, Quinn Jolly, during a 2023 outburst, requested to withdraw from the case.

The shocking courtroom incident adds another disturbing chapter to Schabusiness' violent history as she awaits trial for the latest charges against her.

Originally published on Latin Times
A teenage girl allegedly wrote in her diary that she wanted to kill her mother. Now her mother is dead, and she is being charged as an adult in the brutal stabbing death that occurred in a Utah vacation rental.

Following the death of 47-year-old Andreea Mottram, Mihaela "Bella" Gabriela Sorescu, 16, and her friend Abigael "Jay" Paige Flanagan, 17, have been charged with murder, obstruction of justice, and motor vehicle theft.

Mottram's body was discovered by cleaning staff on March 23 at a short-term rental in Washington City, Utah, ABC 4 reported. Authorities say Mottram, who lived in California, had been stabbed more than a dozen times.

A knife with traces of blood was found in the sink, and a pair of bloodstained pants were recovered from a bathroom. Authorities also found phones and a wallet stuffed into a toilet at the scene, suggesting an attempt to destroy evidence.

Police identified Sorescu  Mottram's daughter  and Flanagan as the last people seen with the victim. The two teens allegedly fled in a rental car and were later located in southern California.

"At this time there is probable cause to suspect that the victim was stabbed to death by Jay and/or Bella and that both are criminally responsible," court documents obtained by ABC 4 stated.

According to investigators, a person came forward to say they had found Sorescu's diary months earlier, where she allegedly wrote about hating her mother and wanting to kill her. Police documents also noted Sorescu had a documented history of violence and had spent the last three years in a treatment facility.

Both teens will be tried as adults, as required under Utah law for defendants aged 16 and 17 charged with murder. However, they are not eligible for the death penalty or life without parole.

Originally published on Lawyer Herald
A Russian ballistic missile strike on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's home city of Kryvyi Rig killed 16 people on Friday, six of them children, authorities said.

The missile struck a residential area near a children's playground and wounded more than two dozen others, according to the head of the city's military administration.

Unverified videos on social media appeared to show bodies lying on a street, while another showed a plume of smoke rising into the evening sky.

"Sixteen lives lost. Six of them children. There are no words. This is the kind of pain you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy," regional governor Sergiy Lysak said on Telegram.

US President Donald Trump has been pushing for a speedy end to the more than three-year war since taking office, but his administration has failed to broker a ceasefire despite talks with both sides.

Zelensky said the attack showed Russia had no interest in stopping its invasion.

"There is only one reason why this continues -- Russia does not want a ceasefire and we see it. The whole world sees it," he said.

The Ukrainian leader was born in Kryvyi Rig, an industrial city which had a pre-war population of around 600,000 people.

Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional and full ceasefire in March, while the Kremlin has made a US-proposed truce in the Black Sea dependent on the West lifting certain sanctions.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier on Friday that Trump was not "going to fall into the trap of endless negotiations" with Russia over the invasion.

"We will know soon enough, in a matter of weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace or not," he said.

Kryvyi Rig, in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region, is about 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the front line, and has regularly been targeted by Russian drones and missiles.

A previous Russian ballistic attack on the city on Wednesday killed at least four people and wounded more than a dozen others.

Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city's military administration, said the missile landed near a children's playground.

Five apartment buildings were damaged, interior minister Igor Klymenko said.

He said police had blocked off the area to maintain order.

"The police are documenting the consequences of Russia's war crime and accepting statements from the victims," Klymenko added.

Social media video from the scene showed a car in flames, while people could be heard shouting.

Andriy Kovalenko, a Ukrainian official tasked with countering disinformation, described the missile involved in the attack as an "Iskander".

The Iskander is a Russian ballistic missile system that can have a range of up to 500 kilometres (311 miles).

"This is a deliberate strike to kill a large number of people," Kovalenko said.

Zelensky accused Russia of regarding diplomacy as an "empty word" in his evening address.

"A ceasefire could have been reached by now and it is Putin who rejects it," he said.
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A Hoosac student in a VR headset tries to complete a 'mission' for the Air Force, which brought its mobile ECHO experience to the school this past week. Inside the ECHO training trailer. A student gets help with VR goggles. The participants also wore a haptic feedback vest and noise canceling headphones for total immersion. The experiences included trying to catch 'light balls' and tracking where numbers appeared. Students line up to try out the ECHO experience in the parking lot. PreviousNext

Hoosac Valley Students Experience Air Force's ECHO VR Training



Students did some warmups on the ECHO training tools. CHESHIRE, Mass.  Hoosac Valley High School students traded textbooks for virtual reality on Monday, when the Air Force brought its Enhanced Cognitive Human Operations, or ECHO, experience to the school.

"It is a cognitive experience, and it gets the kids out here doing something different, especially during the school day," Air Force Tech Sgt. Lacey Dixon said about the recruitment tool. "It gets them out of the classroom to see some of the cool things the Air Force is doing. Maybe it is something they want to do in their future."

The ECHO program is a training tool developed by the Air Force that challenges participants' cognitive and decision-making skills in real-time, high-pressure situations.

Inside, the ECHO trailer features 10 separate booths, framed by blue neon, where participants can safely engage in the VR missions.

Students wear Meta Quest 3 VR headsets, haptic vibrating vests and noise-canceling headphones, for total immersion in two different cognitive skill tests. These experiences test accuracy, reaction time, comprehension, focus, and composure.

In the first mission, called "Track and React," students stand in a virtual space that looks like a vortex. In VR, they have one light hand and one dark hand. They are challenged to catch light spheres with the light hand and dark spheres with the dark hand. Between levels, an airman will announce a four-digit number sequence, which the students then have to trace in the correct order as numbers appear in the VR environment.

In the second mission, students play a cybersecurity defense game. They stand in a virtual mesh network that looks like a brain, where "bases" are connected by a series of "veins." When a base is under attack by a virus, it flashes red, and students have to select the base and trace a pattern to eliminate the virus.

After completing the tests, students received a total score on their cognitive skills, which is displayed on a leaderboard.

Director of Student Services Erica Girgenti said the ECHO program aligns perfectly with Hoosac Valley High School's mission to support students in becoming well-rounded, competent individuals prepared for the challenges of the future. She added skills tested and learned mesh with the school's Portrait of a Graduate framework.

Girgenti said it also gives students an opportunity to explore different career paths. When registering, students are asked about their interests. She said the ECHO experience offers a hands-on way for them to gain insights into various professional fields, including technology, engineering, and the military.

"It asks what they are interested in: health care, physical fitness, and all these different questions," she said. "You know, for us, it provides the opportunity for us to show some awareness of what's out there in this particular field."

Upon arrival, students registered electronically on iPads, providing basic demographic information. If a student expresses interest in the armed forces, this information will be shared with a local recruiter.

The ECHO trailer travels to events across the country, including sporting and snocross events, NASCAR races, and off-road competitions. Between events, the team stops at high schools.

Dixon and Betty Jo Poulton from the school's counseling office contacted the ECHO team and invited them to the school.
New York Times Bestselling Author to Speak at MCLA's MOSAIC

NORTH ADAMS, MASS.  The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will host a special lecture, "The Acid Queen: The Psychedelic Life and Countercultural Rebellion of Rosemary Woodruff Leary," featuring New York Times bestselling author Susannah Cahalan.

The event will take place on April 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the MOSAIC Event Space on 49 Main St., North Adams. This event is free and open to the public.

According to a press release:

Presented as part of the Politics of the Visual: Lecture Series in Visual Culture, this talk will explore the legacy of Rosemary Woodruff Leary, a key but often overlooked figure in the 1960s counterculture movement.

Known primarily as the wife of Timothy Leary, Rosemary played a pivotal role in the psychedelic movement, from her participation in peyote ceremonies with Beat artists to her involvement in Leary's infamous acid commune in Millbrook, NY, and her eventual status as an international fugitive. Drawing from archival materials and an unfinished memoir, Cahalan will reconstruct Rosemary's journey, shedding light on her contributions to the cultural and political landscape of the era.
Sheds-N-Stuff office manager Erin Paris with Daniel Collins, Kendall Poirot and Charlotte Chapman, whose ad designs were selected as the winners.

Create an Ad: Sheds-N-Stuff



The children didn't have to go far to find a Sheds-N-Stuff product  there's a shed right on the school property. FLORIDA, Mass.  Abbott Memorial School fourth-grade students participated in our Junior Marketers Create an Ad series.

This month, students highlighted the company Sheds-N-Stuff in Cheshire, showcasing its array of merchandise and services, including selling, delivering, and assembling its products.

The family business was founded about 30 years ago under the name "Small Building Movers" by George Mott and, like its name suggested, it focused on moving small buildings.

The company has since expanded to designing, building, delivering, and selling yard furniture and custom outdoor structures, including sheds, gazebos, garages, playsets, and more.

Sheds-N-Stuff office manager Erin Paris visited the school to answer students' questions, which covered various aspects of the business, including its history, products, operations, and capabilities.

The business visit to the school was great, Vice Principal Denise Chesbro said.

"I didn't think [the students] were going to stop asking questions. If we hadn't stopped them, they would have continued all day, but I think it was really impactful for them to really hear what a small business is like, and one that they have witnessed and seen in their community," Chesbro said.

"We have a shed here from Sheds-N-Stuff at our school for storage, and so I think [the visit] really showed them that anybody can start a business as long as they work hard and that businesses can change over time too, and so they can make decisions in their life, and as they go forward, they can always change things and make them even better."

When the school first got the shed, the students had several questions, including its purpose and where it came from, she said.

It was nice to see it come full circle with the business coming to the school because students realized that it was made by real people in their area, bringing a sense of connection and understanding, Chesbro said.

"I think it's really important for them to realize that they're not an island. That no matter what we do, we can impact someone else," she said.

"It's important [for them] to see who's in our community and what can they offer to the community, and how we all rely on each other within the community. So it's nice for them to see different businesses and different community members doing different things."

Sheds-N-Stuff will design structures based on customer preferences, allowing them to choose their desired colors, windows, roof styles, and other features to meet the customers' diverse needs, like home storage, farm use, art studios, and more.

"I've been working [Sheds-N-Stuff] for 10 years, and I'm their only employee, and I typically am out doing labor work and office work," Paris said.

"So I deliver, build, [and design] the sheds. I do all kinds of things. So, just remember, it doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl or what you want to do. We can do everything. You just have to put your mind to it."

The designs are built by the Amish in Pennsylvania and sent to Sheds-N-Stuff as a kit to be assembled at the customer's home or delivered on a tractor-trailer truck alongside several orders.

Paris highlighted the importance of engaging children in various career opportunities and demonstrated how her career is multifaceted, such as engineering, architecture, safety, construction, and other things.

"There's so many different facets and different things that you can do with Sheds-N-Stuff. It gives them an idea to see that regardless of your age, if you start thinking at a young age, you can do anything, and sheds and stuff, or this type of work, is something that they can be very successful at," she said.

While at the school, Paris answered questions students had about her role at Sheds-N-Stuff.

"Our number one priority at Sheds-N-Stuff is safety because we have such big buildings, and they're top heavy, and sometimes they weigh a lot. You have to be very, very careful," Paris said.

"So we have a lot of safety equipment involved in our job, but it's a good job to have. You'd have to go to college and get a couple of different certificates and trainings, so you would be safe."

The students drawings showcased Sheds-N-Stuff in a detailed and colorful way, Chesbro said.

"I didn't get to see all the drawings, but the ones that I did see, they were so beautiful. They were detailed. They really represented the business," Chesbro said.

"I liked that they used different colors. I saw that they applied some of the art skills that they learned in art class, and so that was really nice to see things come together."

Paris also highlighted this sentiment, saying the students were given a brief description of the business, and the children really listened and paid attention.

They pulled out pertinent information and highlighted it in their advertisements, such as the different products, the services the business provides, and the delivery trucks they use.

The students they selected as the winners for their outstanding design were in first place, Daniel Collins, Kendall Poirot for second, and Charlotte Chapman for third.

Daniel's drawing depicts a scenario of someone with no space for their bike and lawnmower who buys a shed to protect their equipment from the weather.

"I think [my drawing] showcased how they can go out in rugged places, and yet they still get the job done," he said.

Kendall drew a play set with a gazebo next to it and included text saying, "Sheds and Stuff: We sell gazebos, playsets, outdoor furniture, and more" to represent the business's product range.

"I learned that Sheds-N-Stuff is a great business because they came so far in their business," she said.

Charlotte drew a person putting a lawnmower in a shed with detailed features customized by the customer, including windows, shutters, doors, and a ramp.

She highlighted how Paris mentioned in her presentation that she took a ferry to Long Island, N.Y., to deliver a shed, which demonstrated how Sheds-N-Stuff delivers all over.

"I learned that they can go as far out as to try to get their sheds to customers that they will take ferries to get where they need to go," Charlotte said.

"We selected the three winners because they did very good drawings. All [the students] but those three actually showcased our logo for Sheds-N-stuff," Paris said.




iciHaiti - Obituary : Me Mario Joseph has passed away





ME Mario Joseph, a Haitian lawyer well known for his involvement in high-profile cases, died in hospital on March 31, 2025, at the age of 62, after being involved in a car accident two days earlier.



Joseph co-directed the International Lawyers Office in Port-au-Prince, which represented victims of human rights violations.



"Mario never forgot his humble origins. Although he won international awards and honorary degrees, he worked tirelessly every day against the injustice that afflicted too many Haitians," said Brian Concannon, executive director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, a Boston-based nonprofit organization where Joseph served as attorney director.



Joseph represented dozens of political prisoners before Haitian courts and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.



He led the prosecution of the year 2000 Raboteau massacre, a landmark trial in a country where politicians and senior officials are rarely charged, let alone prosecuted.



Joseph's law firm was also involved in a lawsuit on behalf of 5,000 cholera victims who accused the UN of introducing the disease into Haiti, which killed nearly 10,000 Haitians.



In addition, he represented women whose children were the children of UN peacekeepers and sought child support against the absent fathers and the UN.



TB/ iciHaiti


















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Bill Murray has shared further insight into his alleged inappropriate misconduct on the set of Aziz Ansaris directorial debut that prompted an internal investigation and ultimately led to the movies indefinite suspension.

In 2022, a female crew member filed a complaint against the Lost in Translation star, accusing him of straddling and kissing her through a mask. At the time, Murray described the incident as a difference in opinion, saying that he had done something I thought was funny and it wasnt taken that way.

It was reported that the actor eventually entered mediation with the woman and ended up paying a settlement of just over $100,000.

Reflecting on the incident in a new interview with the New York Times, Murray, 74, admitted that hes still bothered by the way it was handled.

I tried to make peace. I thought I was trying to make peace. I ended up being, to my mind, barbecued, the Groundhog Day actor recalled of the backlash he faced.

But someone that I worked with, that I had had lunch with on various days of the week  it was Covid, we were all wearing masks, and we were all stranded in this one room listening to this crazy scene. I dunno what prompted me to do it, he admitted.

open image in gallery Bill Murray was accused of 'inappropriate misconduct' on set of Aziz Ansari's indefinitely suspended production of 'Being Mortal' ( Getty Images for SiriusXM )

Its something that I had done to someone else before, and I thought it was funny, and every time it happened, it was funny. I was wearing a mask, and I gave her a kiss, and she was wearing a mask. It wasnt like I touched her, but it was just, I gave her a kiss through a mask. And she wasnt a stranger, Murray added.

It still bothers me, he continued, because that movie was stopped by the human rights or H & R of the Disney corporation, which is probably a little bit more strident than some other countries. It turned out there were pre-existing conditions and all this kind of stuff. Im like, what? How was anyone supposed to know anything like that? There was no conversation, there was nothing. There was no peacemaking, nothing. It went to this lunatic arbitration, which, if anyone ever suggests you go to arbitration: Dont do it. Never ever do it. Because you think its justice, and it isnt.

Of whether he feels he learned something from the experience, the Caddyshack actor replied: I think so. You can teach an old dog new tricks. But it was a great disappointment, because I thought I knew someone, and I did not. I certainly thought it was light. I thought it was funny. To me its still funny, the idea that you could give someone a kiss with a mask on. Its still stupid. Its all it was.

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Murray, who currently co-stars alongside Naomi Watts in the new movie The Friend, recently surprised Watch What Happens Live viewers after he kissed Watts during last weeks episode.

At one point in the show, Watts, whos married to Billy Crudup, was asked about the best movie or TV kiss of her career, after which Murray quickly grabbed her face and kissed her.

open image in gallery Bill Murray kissing Naomi Watts on Watch What Happens Live ( YouTube )

While Watts, 56, appeared visibly shocked, placing her face in her hands and shaking her head, she took the moment, which was intended to be a joke, in stride.

Youve got lipstick on her face, she told Murray, asking: Did I go red?

Murray, who previously starred opposite Watts in the 2014 film St.Vincent, looked into the camera and put his thumb up.
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Chris Hemsworth has claimed he was very intimidated at the thought of working with one of his Hollywood co-stars.

The Thor actor was nervous about starring in a film opposite Oscar-winning star Halle Berry as he has admired her work for years.

Hemsworth, who is about to start filming the next Avengers movie, admitted in a new interview: I was very intimidated to sit opposite her within the scene and try not just be in awe of what she was doing.

He said that he loved every experience of their time together on new drama Crime 101, saying that the Oscar winner brought out the best in him.

People bring out not just the best in you, but also a comfort level where it does feel like its a place to explore and to examine different ideas, try different things, he told E! News at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

That was the experience. I loved every second of it.

Berry, who has shut down speculation shell reprise her X-Men role in the fifth Avengers film alongside Hemsworth, was just as complimentary of the actor, revealing that he supported her in a contentious moment during the films shoot.

He stood up for me in a moment in our movie. I instantly knew right then Im going to follow this guy, be a fan of this guy for the rest of my life because he stood up for a woman.

Crime 101 is an adaptation of Don Winslows novel directed by Bart Layton (The Imposter, American Animals).

The film, which doesnt yet have a release date, also stars Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan and Monica Barbaro, who was recently Oscar nominated for her role in Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. She played Joan Baez.

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Halle Berry and Chris Hemsworth had a greats time working together on Crime 101 ( Getty Images for CinemaCon )

Rounding out the cast of the new film are Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Nick Nolte.

Berry has attempted to end the rumours claiming shell return as Storm in Avengers: Doomsday, which starts shooting this month in London.

The actor was notably missing from the list of actors who would appear in the sequel, which is bringing back a number of stars from the films released between 2000 to 2016.

Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and James Marsden will all reprise their roles as Professor X, Magneto and Cyclops, as will Alan Cumming and Rebecca Romijn as Nightcrawler and Mystique, respectively.

Kelsey Grammer will also return as Beast, having shown up in a post-credits sequence for 2024 film The Marvels.

But fans were upset to see Berrys name missing from the credits, with many assuming Storm would be a shoo-in to show up.

However, hope was kept alive when Marvel suggested more names would be confirmed nearer the films release, with their roles being filmed in secret.

Berry has now ended the speculation, telling Black Girl Nerds she is not going to be there, telling fans to keep waiting.
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Hugh Grant has angrily shared an insulting and creepy encounter he had at Heathrow Airport with his wife and children.

The Notting Hill and Bridget Joness Diary actor, who was Bafta nominated earlier this year for his rare scary turn in 2024 horror film Heretic, was travelling through the airport on Friday (4 April) where he claimed that his three children were unnecessarily questioned by an immigration officer.

He wrote on X/Twitter: Just came through Heathrow with wife and children. We all have the same last name (Grant) on our passports.

Immigration officer engages my children in chit chat then whispers to them Are these your Mum and Dad?

Grant described the encounter as intrusive, insulting and creepy.

The actor was travelling with his three children  aged 12, nine and seven whom he shares with his wife Anna Elisabet Eberstein. He also has a 13-year-old and 12-year-old with ex Tinglan Hong.

The actor, who is private when it comes family affairs, did not say where he was travelling to or from.

Immigration officers  also known as Border Force officers  are employed by Home Office, not the airport.

Official government guidance notes that officers may ask travellers a few questions if they are not the childs parent or if you have a different family name to establish your relationship with the child in a way that is sensitive to the interests of the child and the adult involved.

The Independent has contacted the Home Office for comment.

open image in gallery Hugh Grant shares insulting encounter at London Heathrow ( X/Twitter )

While Grant rarely discusses his children, he recently revealed that his youngest daughters middle name is a hilarious reference to Austin Powers.

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The British film star said that the decision came after finding himself in a bit of a panic with his wife, whom he married in 2018.

Grant said of his six-year-old, who was born in March 2018: We thought it might be nice for her when she was older if she could say in bars that her middle name is Danger. So her name is Lulu Danger Grant. Austin Powers, you know?

In the first Austin Powers film, International Man of Mystery (1997), Powers (Mike Myers) corrects a man who asks him if his name is Danger Powers. When he tells him his name is, in fact, Austin Powers, the man replies: It says here Danger Powers, to which Austin flirtily looks at Elizabeth Hurleys Vanessa Kensington and says: No, no, no  Dangers my middle name.

Grant also revealed that he almost named his other daughter after his sons favourite Despicable Me character  the Minion called Kevin.

open image in gallery Hugh Grant with his wife Anna Elisabet Eberstein ( Getty Images )

We asked her elder brother when she was on the way, Theres a new baby coming along, what shall we call her? and he said Kevin, because that was his favourite Minion.

Grant continued: And we did think about calling her Kevin, but then we said, Youd better think of something else, and he said Blue because that was his favourite colour.

The actor was in a relationship with Austin Powers star Elizabeth Hurley from 1987 to 2000, and the pair have remained close friends since their split. Grant, who has five children, is godfather to Hurleys son, Damian.

Speaking about Grant in 2021, Hurley said: Hes very happily married. I spent some time with him and his wife a few weeks ago at a birthday party. He has five children. Hes a great daddy.

His career is through-the-roof fantastic at the moment. Best reviews of his life, brilliant offers on the table. Were good friends and I hope it always stays that way.
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Pierce Brosnan has said he could still get away with playing James Bond, as speculation continues to mount over the direction of the 007 films now that the franchise is owned by Amazon.

The 71-year-old Irish actor played the iconic British spy character in four films: GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002).

During an appearance on the Today show to promote his latest role as the patriarch of a London gang in the Guy Ritchie show MobLand, Brosnan was asked by host Savannah Guthrie whether he could still play Bond.

I think I could get away with it, yes, he replied. In a pinch.

When Guthrie asked whether he would want to, Brosnan continued: I dont know. Lets see where the wind takes us. Lets see what happens. They know where to find me. Why not?

After the host pointed out that its a very physical role and Brosnan agreed, she suggested that his role in Mobland proves he could still handle those demands.

Pierce Brosnan is currently promoting the Guy Ritchie gangster series, Mobland ( Theo Wargo/Getty Images )

Thats very kind of you to say, Brosnan replied. Theres great things you can do with AI as well, so there you have it. [But] Im quite content the way it is. I love Mobland, and The Thursday Murder Club is coming out sometime this year. So there you have it, Im quite content.

Brosnan is set to appear alongside Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, and David Tennant in a Netflix adaptation of Richard Osmans bestselling novel The Thursday Murder Club. When the host noted his busy schedule on top of the speculation he could return as Bond, Brosnan responded: Its an embarrassment of riches, Savannah.

Mirren, who also stars in Mobland, singled out Brosnan as one of her favorite Bonds in a recent interview, saying, Im a huge fan of Pierce Brosnan, I mean massive fan... And indeed Daniel Craig, who Ive met and know a little bit.

But, she criticized the movies for being drenched and born out of profound sexism.

Brosnan reacted to Mirrens comments as he told People: "Yes, there's a certain agreement there.

However, he continued: But theres a certain world and room to move within the proscenium arch of what [Bond creator and author] Ian Fleming put down. So theres always going to be conflict.

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Speculation continues as to who will replace Daniel Craig as the British spy in the forthcoming films. A number of actors have been rumoured to replace him in the iconic role, including Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, and the reputed favourite to replace him, Aaron-Taylor Johnson.
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James May has taken a swipe at Jeremy Clarksons rival pub, claiming that his own establishment is better than his competitors.

The Grand Tour stars previously fronted Top Gear together from 2003 to 2015, with May resigning in solidarity from the show alongside Richard Hammond after Clarkson was fired.

May and Clarkson have both ventured into hospitality in recent years with May opening The Royal Oak in Salisbury in 2021, while Clarksons Asthall pub, The Farmers Dog, opened last summer.

Clarkson, 64, has previously admitted he has struggled to make a profit from the business and has responded to backlash from punters who complained about him charging 5.50 for pints.

Speaking to Al Arabiya News host Tom Burges Watson, May shared his verdict on Clarksons pub, claiming: Mines much better. I think thats the main difference.

I havent actually been to Jeremys pub, he admitted, per Metro. Ive met a few people who have. It sounds like, well, from what I can gather, hes gone for a sort of mass throughput model.

So hes got hundreds of people queuing up to have his burger, whereas ours is a little bit more relaxed.

open image in gallery James May has criticised Jeremy Clarksons rival pub ( Prime Video )

May added: Its a village pub where people come. The food is great, weve got a fabulous chef and team of chefs. So mine would feel more like, more like a regular English pub.

Its not old fashioned, it hasnt got horse brass on the walls or any of that tweed stuff, he specified. Theres no Morris dancing. I wont allow that. It is just a pub.

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The Grand Tour star revealed that he has also been finding it extremely difficult to run a pub, even though the business is successful, admitting The Royal Oak has just survived rising costs.

Ahead of opening The Farmers Dog, Clarkson was warned about the high number of pub closures in the UK, how hard it would be to make money by having only a British food menu and finding staff post-Brexit. He believed itd all be fine.

open image in gallery Jeremy Clarkson opened The Farmers Dog last summer and has faced issues earning a profit from the business ( PA )

However, Clarkson later admitted in a column published in The Times was hit with a different reality. It is galling to see how much effort is required to make so little money on the farm, he said.

Its worse at the pub. The customers are coming. Theres no problem there. But turning their visits into a profit is nigh-on impossible.

Last year, the presenter described the whole process of becoming a pub landlord as terribly stressful and said there are many inconveniences that you dont think about.
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Mother of God  the BBC is set to bring back Line of Duty for a brand new series.

Its been reported, months after the alleged return of the corporations most underrated series, that the central trio have signed a deal to make six new episodes of the crime show as early as this year.

Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar played the roles of Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming and Ted Hastings in the much-loved drama, which depicted the lives of the team working in a unit tasked with rooting out corruption within the police.

Jed Mercurios crime procedural, which started in 2012, last aired in 2021.

It drew to an apparent end after finally revealing the identity of H  the name given to a corrupt officer working within the upper echelons of the police.

But there were still threads left unanswered. In the episodes final shot, the statement that AC-12s powers to curb wrongdoing in public office have never been weaker suggests an element of unfinished business.

Viewers widely panned the finale, which was watched by a staggering 12.8 million, as disappointing.

Dunbar previously suggested a new series could take the form of a film or as few as two episodes.

But Compston said in April 2024 that there were no immediate plans for another series.

Its just getting us all together and stuff. Wed like to but, yeah, these things are a bit complicated. But there are no immediate plans, he told The Mirror.

open image in gallery The central Line of Duty cast are set to return for new series ( BBC )

In a statement after the end of series six, outgoing BBC Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore said: Im looking forward to having a conversation with the team about where we go next and what the future of the series might be.

Moore added: Addictive event television, Line of Duty has kept the nation guessing for the last seven weeks, so its no surprise that last nights jaw-dropping finale set a ratings record.

She hailed Mercurio as a master of his craft, continuing: I would like to congratulate him and the entire cast and crew for delivering such an incredible drama series.

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According to The Sun, Mercurio has written most of the storyline for the new episodes, which will start production later this year and could air by autumn 2026.

A source said: This is the news Line of Duty fans have been waiting for since the sixth season left them deflated when it aired back in 2021.

open image in gallery Vicky McClure and Martin Compston are poisted to return for more Line of Duty ( BBC/World Productions )

The BBC almost immediately requested more episodes to continue the story, but the success of the show meant Vicky, Martin and Adrian were instantly snapped up for other projects.

But after several meetings with Jed [Mercurio, creator and writer] and the production team, theyve finally managed to clear space in their calendars next year to commit to making the show.
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The White Lotus executive producer David Bernad has revealed that fake scripts containing six different finales were distributed during production to ensure the real ending wouldnt leak.

The final episode of season three of Mike Whites hit social satire airs this Sunday, with speculation rife as to how the 90-minute final installment will play out.

Speaking to People, Bernad said: We have fake endings to the scripts.

So we wrote up  we have six different endings  and we kind of distributed fake endings to people just in case someone leaked anything, and then we could say theres different fake endings.

He continued: And then when we shot the ending scene, it's a locked down set. So no one really has access to what we were shooting, and there would be no non-White Lotus participants ever seeing what we're doing.

Along with the ending, Bernad said there were two further key secrets that were closely guarded during production: the return of Jon Gries and the casting of Sam Rockwell.

Patrick Schwarzenegger as Saxon Ratliff and Sam Nivola as his brother Lochlan in season three of The White Lotus ( Fabio Lovino/HBO )

Bernad explained that Gries was determined not to reveal his presence ahead of time, saying: Jon was really committed to keeping the secret.

When we were traveling and entered Thailand, he, one time, rode with the equipment in a bus, instead of flying the 45 minutes or whatever it was. I think he drove like, 12 hours from Phuket to Bangkok.

Ahead of Sundays finale, it has still not been revealed which character or characters may end up dead and which may be killers. Seven The Independent writers have offered their own theories.

Phil Harrison suggests sweet-natured security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) could turn violent: Is he going to be the hero? Or, as seems more likely, entirely lose the run of himself when things get real? Its always the quiet ones

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Annabel Nugent says troubled patriarch Tim Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) is the most likely murderer: For seven episodes straight, the financially troubled Ratliff patriarch has been simmering like a kettle on the stove about to go off. And theres only so much lorazepam one man can take. Hes been fantasising about it all along: first, hell shoot Victoria, then Saxon and lastly himself.

Jacob Stolworthy speculates that Rick (Walton Goggins) might turn to murder if he catches his girlfriend being unfaithful: How might Rick react if he returned to the resort after his abortive revenge mission to find the incest-curious American [Saxon] in his private suite? My money is on badly.

Read more White Lotus theories here.
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A 24-year-old American tourist has been detained in India for entering a remote tribal area where islanders have no contact with the outside world, police said on Wednesday.

Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, whose father is from Ukraine, set foot on North Sentinel Island, a part of Indias Andaman Islands, in an attempt to make contact with the isolated Sentinelese tribe, police said.

He recorded his visit to the island, leaving a can of Coke and a coconut on the shore as an offering to the people of the tribe.

The influencer, who runs a YouTube channel documenting extreme travel and previously visited Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, travelled nine hours in a small rubber dinghy with an outboard motor to reach the island and used binoculars to survey the area but saw no inhabitants.

He tried to get the attention of native people by blowing a whistle and briefly landed on the shore for a few minutes before leaving. He left the offerings and collected sand samples while recording a video, police said.

He arrived in the capital, Port Blair, on 27 March and was arrested three days later on Sunday after he was reported to police by locals, who saw him taking a boat to North Sentinel Island.

open image in gallery Police said they reviewed his GoPro camera footage which showed his entry and landing into the restricted North Sentinel Island ( YouTube/Neo-Orientalist )

Andaman and Nicobar, a former British penal colony, is a group of 572 islands located more than 1,200km (700 miles) from mainland India. The Indian government strictly monitors access to some remote parts of the federal territory, which are home to five known indigenous tribes, some of whom are hostile to outsiders.

These tribes include the Sentinelese, Jarwa, Onge, Shompens, and Great Andamanese, and are among the worlds last remaining isolated communities.

Indians and foreigners alike are prohibited from traveling within 5km (3 miles) of the island to protect the indigenous people from external diseases and safeguard their way of life.

Andaman and Nicobar director general of police HS Dhaliwal said police were alerted after locals spotted the man near Khuramadera Beach in South Andaman, relatively close to the Jarwa Reserve Forest, which is a protected area for the Indigenous Jarwa tribe.

open image in gallery Map showing the location of Indias Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal ( The Independent/Datawrapper )

We are getting more details about him and his intention to visit the reserved tribal area. We are also trying to find out where else he has visited during his stay in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. We are questioning the hotel staff where he was staying in Port Blair, the police told Press Trust of India.

Mr Dhaliwal told AFP the American tourist landed briefly for about five minutes, left the offerings on the shore, collected sand samples, and recorded a video before returning to his boat.

A review of his GoPro camera footage showed his entry and landing into the restricted North Sentinel Island.

open image in gallery Sentinelese islanders on the Andaman Islands ( Christian Carron via Survival International )

A formal complaint has been registered against him under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and for entering a tribal reserve or restricted area without permission.

Mr Polyakov was reportedly on his third trip to the islands after visiting twice last year. The police said they have informed the home ministry about his detention and that officials there were in touch with the US embassy.

open image in gallery Polyakov poses with a gun on a visit to Afghanistan which he posted about last year ( Neo-Orientalist/YouTube )

Tribal lands are legally protected under the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956, which prohibits unauthorised entry.

In 2018, American missionary John Allen Chau, 27, was killed by the Sentinelese, an endangered tribe, after illegally trying to enter their territory to preach Christianity. He was allegedly killed after tribespeople shot him with arrows as his boat approached the island.

In 2006, two Indian fishermen who accidentally drifted to the North Sentinel Island were killed by the Sentinelese tribe. When an Indian military helicopter later flew low over the island, tribal members fired arrows at it in a show of defiance.

The navy has since enforced a buffer zone around the island, ensuring no outsiders come close.
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Indias political opposition on Saturday protested a controversial bill moved by prime minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist government to amend laws governing Muslim land endowments.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 was passed on Thursday after a 12-hour debate in parliaments lower house with 288 votes in favour and 232 against. The contentious bill later sailed through the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Indian parliament.

Under the bill, the government is seeking to add non-Muslims to boards that manage Waqf land endowments and allow the Hindu-led government a larger role in validating their land holdings.

Muslim groups and opposition parties protested the move, with Indias three opposition parties  Indian National Congress (INC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), challenging the bill in the countrys Supreme Court.

The groups have called it an overreach by Mr Modi and pointed out that the move will further undermine the rights of the minority Muslims. They said it will be weaponised to confiscate historic mosques and other property from Indias past Islamic rule.

Waqf refers to property donated for religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law. Once declared Waqf, ownership is transferred from an individual to Allah, and the asset becomes inalienable, managed by a trustee for the benefit of the community.

Amanatullah Khan, the AAP lawmaker who moved the top court on Saturday, said the amendment will reduce the religious and cultural autonomy of Muslims in India, reported NDTV. The government intervention will also undermine the rights of Muslim minorities to manage their religious and charitable institutions, he said, challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf amendment bill.

Mr Khan said the legislation violates multiple fundamental rights of citizens, including freedom of equality, managing religious affairs, and the rights of minorities.

Mr Modis ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government argued that the changes moved by the amendment will help to fight corruption and mismanagement while promoting diversity. The top Indian leader cheered the clearance of the amendment and called its passage a watershed moment in our collective quest for socio-economic justice, transparency and inclusive growth.

Additionally, the bill will transfer ownership determination to a state-appointed collector if the land is disputed  removing this power from the Waqf Board itself.

At least 24 people were arrested in northern state of Uttar Pradesh for protesting the amendment by wearing a black band.

Muslims shout slogans as they take part in a protest after their Friday prayers in Jalandhar against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill passed by Indian parliament ( AFP via Getty Images )

The Congress-led Indian opposition parties firmly opposed the proposal, calling it unconstitutional and discriminatory against Muslims.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a weapon aimed at marginalising Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights. This attack on the Constitution by the RSS, BJP and their allies is aimed at Muslims today but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future, said Rahul Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Parliament.

He said the Congress party strongly opposes this legislation as it attacks the very idea of India and violates Article 25, the Right to Freedom of Religion.

The government says disputed land will now be assumed to be government property, and itll be the collectors decision. Thats against natural justice, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi told The Independent. How can you be a judge in your own case? he asked.
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The Indian parliament has passed a bill introducing sweeping changes to laws governing Islamic charitable assets, triggering sharp opposition and accusations of state overreach.

The Narendra Modi administration says the reforms to the system of waqf properties  religious and charitable assets governed under Islamic law  will address bureaucratic gaps, clarify ownership disputes, improve transparency and reduce encroachments on public land. Critics, however, say it is a thinly veiled attempt to seize Muslim-controlled properties, weaken the autonomy of the countrys 200 million-strong Muslim minority and increase state oversight of religious assets.

The term waqf refers to property donated for religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law. Once declared waqf, ownership is transferred from an individual to Allah, and the asset becomes inalienable, managed by a trustee for the benefit of the community.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 was passed on Thursday after a 12-hour debate in the lower house with 288 votes in favour and 232 against, and later sailed through the upper house with 128 ayes and 95 nays.

Modi called its passage a watershed moment in our collective quest for socio-economic justice, transparency and inclusive growth.

The practice of waqf has its roots in Islamic traditions and was formalised during British rule via the Religious Endowments Act of 1863, which allowed religious communities to manage their properties. The current framework stems from the Waqf Act of 1995, which established central and state waqf boards to regulate and protect these assets, including mosques, madrasas, graveyards, hospitals, and schools. Many such properties are centuries old and of cultural and historical significance.

This will particularly help those who have long remained on the margins, Modi posted on X (formerly Twitter).

But opposition leaders slammed the bill as an attack on democratic values and religious freedoms.

One of the most contentious changes is the removal of the waqf by user clause. This provision currently allows properties to be deemed waqf based on their long-standing religious use, even in the absence of formal documentation  a critical safeguard for older properties predating modern records.

Waqf by user means a property becomes waqf through long-term possession and use, explained opposition MP Asaduddin Owaisi. Properties from centuries ago were rarely documented, yet theyve served religious purposes for generations.

open image in gallery Muslim devotees offer noon prayers on the last Friday of the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Shah-i-Hamdan shrine in downtown Srinagar on 28 March ( AFP via Getty Images )

The current act allows waqf creation through three routes: formal declaration, endowment after the end of a succession line, or by recognition of religious use over time. The new bill restricts this: only Muslims whove practised for at least five years and own the property can declare it waqf. The removal of the user provision disqualifies undocumented properties from waqf status.

The bill transfers ownership determination to a state-appointed collector if the land is disputed, removing this power from the waqf board itself.

The government says disputed land will now be assumed to be government property, and itll be the collectors decision. Thats against natural justice, Owaisi tells The Independent. How can you be a judge in your own case?

open image in gallery Union minister Kiren Rijiju addressing a function organised by Bharatiya Janata Party ( AFP via Getty Images )

Critics argue the move could undermine religious institutions and dispossess communities. These properties support countless schools, hospitals and welfare projects serving Muslims, said Rasheed Ahmed, executive director of the Indian American Muslim Council. Increased state control will deprive vulnerable populations of essential support and strip the community of its ability to address socio-economic inequality.

The aim is clear, Ahmed continued. To take control of waqf institutions and dilute Muslim authority. It undermines religious autonomy and the very purpose of waqf.

The government argues that the bill addresses systemic issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. BJP MP Jagdambika Pal said the bill followed extensive consultations with stakeholders, including Muslim organisations, and described it as historic and beneficial for poor Muslims.

Pal cited longstanding structural flaws in waqf boards  such as political appointments, weak financial oversight and bureaucratic bottlenecks  and called for professional management, judicial oversight, and regular audits.

Unlike in some Islamic countries where waqf is strictly religious and state-controlled, Indias model includes statutory and judicial oversight, noted Anas Tanwir, Advocate on Record at the Supreme Court and founder of the Indian Civil Liberties Union. Waqf boards have legal power to stop encroachments, but enforcement is poor and courts often have to intervene.

The challenge is striking a balance between religious autonomy and state regulation, he added, especially when secular laws clash with the waqfs perpetual nature.

Illegal encroachment of waqf land is well documented. But Ahmed said the bill increases the risk of government acquisition under the guise of public interest or development. This move reflects a dangerous pattern where waqf lands could be handed over to private corporations or government-aligned interests.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which represents Muslim interests on personal law matters, echoed these concerns.

The bill doesnt improve the governance of waqf boards, said AIMPLB spokesperson Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyasi. Its anti-constitutional, violates fundamental rights, and fits into the broader communal agenda of the ruling party.

Modis minister for parliamentary and minority affairs, Kiren Rijiju, introduced the bill in the lower house and renamed it UMEED (Unified Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development). He dismissed the concern for minorities voiced by the opposition in parliament.

Some members say minorities are not safe in India. Thats completely false, he said after the debate. There is no place safer than India for minorities. Minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan came here after religious persecution, he added, referring to Hindus coming to India from those countries. How can you say minorities are unsafe?

Rijiju tried to allay fears in parliament, saying: No land will be snatched under the Waqf Bill. He accused the opposition of spreading rumours and insisted the bill would benefit all.

Ilyas said the government bypassed those most likely to be affected  Muslims themselves  during the formation of the new law. We werent consulted during the bills drafting. We sent 50 million emails with suggestions. Nothing was considered. Changes proposed by opposition MPs were all rejected. This is not how democracy works.

open image in gallery Parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi makes an address as members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, along with various minority organisations, take part in a protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi ( EPA )

After the BJPs failure to win an outright majority in the 2024 general elections, Modi  reliant for the first time on coalition partners  sent the Waqf Bill to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC), a departure from his typical strongman style.

Yet despite significant opposition input, the JPC cleared the bill with few amendments.

We gave our representation to the JPC, said Ilyas. But nothing was accepted. The process was entirely one-sided.

Pal, chair of the JPC, denied this. We called AIMPLB before the committee and considered their concerns. Their inputs were included in the report, he told The Print.

Another flashpoint is the proposed inclusion of non-Muslims in the management of waqf institutions.

Currently, all board members must be Muslim, with at least two women, and include elected representatives from the Muslim community in legislatures, local bodies, and the Bar Council. The new bill allows for the nomination of two non-Muslim members and enables state governments to nominate members, including non-Muslim MPs, judges, and eminent persons.

Waqf is a purely Islamic charitable institution, said Owaisi. Now the government wants non-Muslims on all 31 state waqf boards. Is there any parity here?

He pointed out that religious boards governing Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists  like the Hindu Religious Endowments Boards of Tamil Nadu and Telangana, or the Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee  require members to belong to their respective faiths.

This change disregards that precedent, Owaisi said. Its not about representation. Its about control.

open image in gallery AIMPLB protests against the Waqf Amendment Bill, in New Delhi ( EPA )

Rijiju, however, defended the amendment, saying: We represent all people of our constituency. How can we, then, ask how non-Muslims are being included in it? Because this is just property management; it is not about religion.

Another contentious issue was the changes to waqf tribunals which were established to resolve disputes related to waqf properties. Comprising a judge, a senior government official, and a Muslim law expert, the decisions by the tribunals are legally binding but can be challenged in higher courts. The new bill, however, reduces the tribunal's powers and makes the High Court the final arbiter on waqf disputes.

Additionally, the bill changes the composition of waqf tribunals, replacing the district judge appointed by the High Court Chief justice with a retired judge of the governments choosing.

When chief justice of the High Court appoints a district judge to head the tribunal, he's under the administrative control of the chief justice of the particular state high court, Owaisi explains. But, if he can be a retired judge, how will he be under the control of the chief justice of the High Court? he says, referring to doubt about the independence of government-appointed judge.

It also removes the option to file a review petition in High Courts, instead forcing litigants to file lengthy appeals.

This is designed to create an endless legal maze that will benefit those seeking to take over waqf properties, Owaisi warns. The amendments to the Waqf Bill will lead to grabbing of masjids, dargahs, khankas, graveyards, everything.

Ahmed argues that the bill is not an isolated move but part of a broader, systematic effort by the Modi government to encroach upon the rights of Muslims. This bill fits squarely into the larger agenda of dismantling the institutional autonomy of religious minorities and depriving them of their resources and influence.

The bill introduces 44 amendments to the existing Waqf Act, 1995, but according to Ilyas, none of these changes are aimed at safeguarding waqf properties, increasing their revenue, or addressing the problem of encroachment.

open image in gallery India prime minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi ( AFP via Getty Images )

The opposition Congress party called the bill an assault on the Indian constitution. In a statement, Congress MP and spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said the BJP was attempting to damage centuries-old bonds of social harmony and keep society in a state of permanent polarisation for electoral gains.

Congress said the bill was an attempt to demonise minority communities and dilute constitutional provisions that guarantee equal rights and protections to all citizens, regardless of religion. Akhilesh Yadav, the chief of another major opposition outfit in the Samajwadi Party, echoed these concerns, saying: The BJP wants control over everything. This bill is yet another attempt to interfere in religious matters.

Chinks also started to appear in the BJPs governing coalition. Just a few hours before the voting, Naveen Patkaiks Biju Janata Dal, which is in alliance with BJP, told its seven upper house MPs to conscience vote, adding that they would not be bound by a whip and could vote for whichever side they wanted.

Despite that, the bill sailed through both houses of parliament late on Thursday and now only needs the assent of president Droupadi Murmu to become law.
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Manufacturers and suppliers across Asia are anxious over the future of apparel hubs following Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs that they believe could endanger their businesses.

The US president on Wednesday slapped particularly harsh tariffs on major apparel manufacturing countries in Asia, with Cambodia being hit by 49 per cent levies, followed by Vietnam with 46 per cent, Bangladesh with 37 per cent, Indonesia with 32 per cent and "very good friend" India at 26 per cent.

The tariffs have pushed companies in mostly impoverished South Asian countries such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh  both nations that have recently witnessed political upheaval and a socio-economic crisis  to press government officials to negotiate with the Trump administration to prevent foreign buyers bolting to save costs.

The tariff hike will directly impact the fast-fashion retailers and sportswear brands manufactured in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

The US is one of the worlds largest consumers of apparel and footwear, but only 2.5 per cent of the US apparel market and 1 per cent of footwear are produced domestically.

open image in gallery A man works at a clothing factory in Bangladesh ( AFP via Getty Images )

Manufacturing hubs in South Asia got a boost during President Trumps first term, when tariffs on China pushed apparel and footwear makers to shift to other parts of Asia. However, the hefty tariffs have left them nowhere to hide.

"We knew something was coming, but we never expected it to be this drastic ... This is terrible for our business and for thousands of workers," garment exporter Shahidullah Azim, whose clients include North American and European retailers, told Reuters.

Mr Azim said his company, which employs 3,200 factory workers, was bracing for order cancellations as rising costs for buyers could spell the end of Bangladesh's competitive edge.

The ready-made garment industry is of existential importance to Bangladesh's economy, accounting for more than 80 per cent of total export earnings, employing 4 million people, mostly women, and contributing roughly 10 per cent to its annual GDP.

Bangladesh, the second-largest producer after China, produces garments for global brands such as Carrefour, Tire, Uniqlo, Primark, H&M and Zara. Manufacturers rued that buyers would be forced to choose other cost-competitive markets, which would be a massive blow to the industry in Bangladesh.

open image in gallery US President Donald Trump delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs ( AFP via Getty Images )

The International Apparel Federation, which represents garment manufacturers in 40 countries, called the tariffs a "major shock", adding: "Ultimately, someone will have to pay the price."

In Sri Lanka, the garment industry exports about 40 per cent of its output to the US, which helped the island nation earn $1.9bn last year, following a massive economic crisis that triggered a mass protest against the government in 2022

The tariffs will hurt more than 350,000 employees of the garment industry. Apparel is also Sri Lanka's second largest foreign exchange earner, which helped the country limp back to economic stability following the protests.

Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake's office said in a statement that a panel of government officials and apparel companies has been formed to study "potential issues" that could arise from the new tariffs.

"Sri Lanka could very quickly see its share of US business move to countries with lower tariffs," said Yohan Lawrence, Secretary General of Sri Lanka's Joint Apparel Association Forum. "This situation is serious, and it must be addressed as a matter of national urgency."

Trade group United States Fashion Industry Association said they were "deeply disappointed by the Trump Administrations decision to impose new tariffs on all imports". It added that the action will "particularly affect American fashion brands and retailers.
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President Donald Trump has escalated his trade war with China, confirming a staggering 125 per cent tariff on goods imported to the US on Thursday.

This is on top of the existing 20 per cent levy for Chinas alleged role in fentanyl trade, the White House confirmed; bringing tariffs to 145 per cent.

Now, Beijing has responded by matching a new 125 per cent tariff on imported US goods.

The trade war will hit US consumers hard, with Chinese imports spread across major industries and supply chains - and Apples iPhone in the firing line.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said earlier that there were no winners in a tariff war in a meeting with the Spanish prime minister on Friday.

Earlier this week, President Trump postponed retaliatory tariffs for all countries except China, in what has become a tit-for-tat levies exchange between the two countries.

If the US insists on having its way, China will fight to the end, the Chinese commerce ministry has warned.

What Chinese goods will be affected?

Of all the countries hit with tariffs, Americans will likely feel the impact of Chinas most  and soon.

Meanwhile, as the worlds largest exporter, China sells products to nearly every country. This adds a layer of economic protection against Trumps tariffs, since the US makes up just 14 per cent of its goods exports.

The 145 per cent total tariff on imported Chinese goods is the highest of any country. And more importantly, American consumers are highly reliant these goods, through many parts of the supply chain.

Unsurprisingly, electronics and machinery are the top goods imported to the US from China, at $208bn in 2023 alone.

open image in gallery Almost all iPhones are still assembled in China, as Apple products risk price increases from 104% tariffs. ( Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

These products span all elements of Americans lives; from computers to domestic appliances, and electric batteries.

Smartphones are the biggest single export (9 per cent of the total) - and not just Chinese brands such as Huawei, but also American tech leaders including Samsung and Apple which manufacture in China.

On a wider scale, drugs and medicines will likely face price shocks as pharmaceutical companies import billions in ingredients from China each year.

This expense will ultimately fall to patients, warns Dr Michael Aziz, a board-certified internist and regenerative medicine specialist.

"The effect of tariffs on prices of these drugs will be mostly be absorbed by patients, retail pharmacies versus insurance companies, said Dr Aziz.

I believe that the rapid application of those tariffs leaves doctors and patients totally unprepared. Many will skip their meds if they cant afford those generic drugs."

open image in gallery Trump Tariffs Ending Exemption ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Textile imports worth $36bn will also impact regular consumers; particularly since more and more clothing brands import from China, such as Nike and H&M.

The US is also ending an exemption that allowed low-value products to avoid tariffs.

This means that cheap, American-favourite clothing and homeware brands such as Shein and Temu may face tariffs for the first time  and be forced to increase their prices.

The US-China trade relationship

Previously, retaliatory tariffs from China only covered specific industries such as fuel and agricultural products. Now, all US exports to China will be hit.

The US imports far more from China than it exports. In 2024, goods exported to China were worth $143.5bn, according to the US Trade Representative office.

Meanwhile, the US bought three times as many goods ($438.9bn) in the same period.

This makes the trade deficit $295bn in 2024 - a 5.8 per cent increase from the previous year; and a prime target for President Trump.

This means that the US will be less affected by retaliatory tariffs, Dr Xin Sun, a senior lecturer in Chinese and East Asian business at KCL, told The Independent.

"Given the imbalance in trade between China and US, the damage caused by China's retaliation to US is due to be smaller than the impact of US tariff on China, which is not only the highest among all countries but also affects a wider range of sectors.

In addition, the economic ties between China and the US have already been shrinking, and the US-China trade relationship accounts for less than five per cent of global goods trade.

"There's been a significant unwinding in the economic ties between these countries since the middle of part of the last decade, explains Simon Evenett, Professor of Geopolitics and Strategy at the International Institute for Management Development.

The disengagement has been well underway. What we're seeing now is the next chapter in the process of decoupling between these geopolitical rivals," he said.

Retaliatory tariffs on US industries

According to 2023 data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), around half of all goods exported to China are concentrated within five key categories.

The top goods exports are fuel products, including crude and petroleum oil, propane, and liquefied natural gas, which were worth $23.6bn in 2023 (the latest available data).

While the US is a big buyer of machinery and electronics from China, it is also reliant on China buying its own technology.

China bought $17bn in machinery and parts from the US in 2023, and $12bn in electronics.

The top products most affected by reciprocal tariffs, are integrated circuits and gas turbines.

While Mr Trump was quick to slap tariffs on foreign-made cars and parts, the US also exports $7.5bn in cars to China, which will now be impacted by its reciprocal 125 per cent tariffs.

Other areas of the transport manufacturing sector, namely aviation, have billions of dollars in goods at risk.

Dr Mary Lovely, Senior Fellow at Peterson Institute for International Economics, said major American brands will suffer from the changes.

We had settled into a new routine, and now that status quo was just completely upended by the tariffs from both sides, she told The Independent.

I think long term, this actually reduces the prospects for companies like Boeing. This is going to impact companies like Apple and Caterpillar exports - companies which also export to [China].

The US pharmaceutical industry is also a major exporter to China, selling over $7.5bn in vaccines and packaged medicine in 2023, alongside $3.3bn in medical instruments.

US farmers set to suffer most

Most of all, Dr Lovely believes that the US agricultural sector will be worst hit by Chinas tariffs.

China is a top buyer of its vegetable products ($20bn)  not least US soy ($15bn), buying over half of all US exports.

Billions in American meat and animal products will also be affected, while Mr Trump attempts to force the UK to buy chlorinated chicken in exchange for tax relief.

open image in gallery Soybeans are one of the American products hardest hit by retaliatory tariffs ( Scott Olson/Getty Images )

These tariffs on farmers could have a significant impact on Trump's core political base, Dr Sun warned, pointing out that agriculture is a key export from the US to China.

Dr Sun said: "Since agriculture constitutes a lion share of US export to China, China's retaliation has a bigger impact on some of Trump's core political base. By targeting this population, China hopes to cause political pains for Trump and force him to back down somewhat.
 Close Starmer vows UK won't be cowed by Trump's tariffs

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Donald Trump has confirmed that the US will not be pausing tariffs, stressing that they were not looking at that.

The president said many countries have been negotiating with Washington and they will try and make "fair deals" with each of them. It comes as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to eliminate the trade deficit with the U.S, while Trump also accused the EU of being formed to create a unified force against the United States for trade.

Londons FTSE 100 stock index plunged a further 4.3 per cent on Monday to a value last seen in March 2024, as Donald Trumps tariffs continue to wreak havoc on the global markets.

After the US president announced his sweeping tariffs last week, Wall Street sank again, with the S&P 500 briefly approaching bear market territory on Monday, coming off its worst week since Covid-19 began crashing the global economy in March 2020. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 2.3 per cent, and the Nasdaq composite 1.5 per cent lower.

The continued volatility came as Mr Trump threatened China with a further tariff of 50 per cent and said all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated unless Beijing withdraws its planned 34 per cent retaliatory levy.
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Asda has launched a live facial recognition trial that will track shoppers walking down its aisles.

The two-month pilot of the new technology that police use to monitor protests and large crowds comes as retailers say they are facing an epidemic of retail crime.

It launched this week at Asda stores in Ashton, Chadderton, Harpurhey, Eastlands and Trafford Park in Greater Manchester after the supermarket recorded 1,400 staff were assaulted last year  an average of four assaults on staff per day.

The facial recognition technology has been integrated into Asdas existing CCTV network and scans images of shoppers comparing the results to a known list of people who have previously committed criminal activity on an Asda site, the supermarket said.

If a match is found by the automated system, in a matter of seconds a member of the Asda head office security team can report a suspect to the store in real time.

An Asda spokesman said: Store management will alert the authorities whenever they feel it is right to do so when an offence is being committed; that is true of all stores and not only those participating in the trial.

Only the mathematical data is stored of confirmed persons who have committed an offence, and this is for the two months of the trial.

open image in gallery The Metropolitan Police deploying the use of live facial recognition technology in Croydon, south London. ( PA )

The supermarket giants said results would be assessed but if successful, it could be rolled out nationally.

According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), there are more than 2,000 incidents of violence and abuse against shopworkers every day  a threefold increase since 2020.

Liz Evans, Asdas chief commercial officer, said: The rise in shoplifting and threats and violence against shopworkers in recent years is unacceptable and as a responsible retailer we have to look at all options to reduce the number of offences committed in our stores and protect our colleagues.

We consistently look for new ways to improve the security in our stores and this trial will help us understand if facial recognition technology can reduce the number of incidents and provide greater protection to everybody in our stores.

open image in gallery On average, four Asda staff were assaulted each day last year ( PA Wire )

The use of live facial recognition by police forces in public places  where cameras scan an area and analyse every person that passes through  has raised concerns about privacy.

Campaigners have branded the technology as disturbing and unnecessary as they likened it to Orwellian mass surveillance in Russia and China.

There are also questions about how data is stored and the companies who supply the technology.

Human rights organisation Liberty raised concerns about racial profiling using the new technology after a study by the National Physical Laboratory found that it was 11 times more likely to misidentify black women rather than white women.

An Asda spokesman said they didnt recognise those concerns, adding: Once the system finds a suspected match, an alert is then sent to a member of our internal security team who will confirm the match is accurate ... at which point they will alert the store.

The trial comes as shoplifting has surged to another record high with nearly half a million offences recorded last year, while retailers have warned crime in shops is spiralling out of control.

A separate survey by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) found that incidents of retail crime  including racial and sexual abuse, physical assault and threats with weapons  have reached three times the level they were in 2020.

Retail crime is spiralling out of control. People in retail have been spat on, racially abused, and threatened with machetes, said BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson.

Every day this continues, criminals are getting bolder and more aggressive. We owe it to the 3 million people working in retail to bring the epidemic of crime to heel. No one should go to work in fear.
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The former head of MI6 has warned that Britain is no longer prepared for war and must urgently rebuild its military capabilities  including possibly reintroducing some form of national service.

Speaking on The Independents debut episode of The Conversation, Sir Alex Younger said the UK has largely dismantled its military and industrial base, leaving it vulnerable in the face of escalating global threats, especially from Russia.

He argued that national resilience and collective effort are no longer embedded in British society, and that the country must take serious steps to reconnect citizens with defence and preparedness.

His comments come amid growing concern across Europe over Vladimir Putins ambitions, the destabilising impact of Donald Trumps foreign policy shifts, and a dramatic rise in Russian unconventional attacks  including cyber, infrastructure and disinformation operations.

While countries like Finland have developed a culture of national readiness, the UK, Sir Alex said, has grown cynical about sacrifice and self-defence. The challenge, he believes, is not just military  its cultural.

So, what do you think? Should Britain reintroduce national service or conscription? Would you or your children be willing to serve?

What cultural changes do you think are needed in Britain? Is the UK doing enough to protect itself in an increasingly unstable world?

We want to hear from you. Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the comments  well feature the most insightful responses and discuss the results in the coming days.

All you have to do is sign up and register your details  then you can take part in the debate. You can also sign up by clicking log in on the top right-hand corner of the screen.

Watch the full episode of The Conversation: Shifting Alliances with Sam Kiley, Alex Younger and Rachel Ellehuus here.
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Tonys Chocolonely has issued a warning to customers not to eat certain batches of two of its chocolate bars due to potential contamination with "small stones".

The chocolate brand issued the warning on April 1.

"We wish this were an April Fools, but wed never kid about the quality of our products," it said.

Customers who have purchased the affected bars are advised to return them to the point of purchase for a full refund.

The affected bars are the Everything bars and Dark Almond Sea Salt.

The food recall affects bars with the lot codes 162633, 162614, 163061, 4331, 4332 and 4333.

open image in gallery Dark Almond Sea Salt bars with the best before dates 28 February 2026 and 2 April 2026 have been recalled ( Tony's Chocolonely )

Dark Almond Sea Salt bars with the best before dates 28 February 2026 and 2 April 2026, and Everything bars with a best before date between the 26 and 28 November of this year should be avoided.

The company explained on its website that it managed to trace the issue back to one of its almond suppliers.

Following an investigation, it discovered the new origin of almonds in a limited batch was insufficiently processed at the suppliers factory.

That resulted in small stones being present in the final product.

open image in gallery Everything bars with the best before date between 26 to 28 November 2025, are also affected ( Tony's Chocolonely )

In a statement, Tonys Chocolonely said: We are extremely sorry to have to issue this recall, and for the inconvenience that this will cause people who purchased these products.

Whilst the probability of a product being affected is low, we always put the safety and satisfaction of our consumers first and that is why we have made the decision to recall these products.

We apologise to consumers and our partners for the impact this will have.

The Food Standards Agency also issued a food alert, adding in a statement: If you have bought any of the above products do not eat them. Instead, return them to the store from where they were bought for a refund or replacement. For further information, please visit the Tonys Chocolonely website.

Last week, shoppers were issued a warning not to eat a vegetable lasagna sold in Iceland over fears it could contain plastic.

Customers of the high street supermarket chain are being asked to return Vegetable Lasagnes in a 400g pack with best-before dates of 23 to 30 July 2026. The Food Standards Agency issued a notice explaining the precautionary measures.
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The King and Queen will mark their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday by spending the evening as guests of honour at a state banquet in Rome.

The black-tie dinner, a highlight of the couples four-day state visit to Italy which begins on Monday, will be attended by prominent figures from Italian society.

The day will mark two decades since Charles and Camilla wed at Windsor Guildhall on April 9, 2005.

The civil ceremony followed a romance that began when they were in their early 20s.

Charles first met fun, confident Camilla on the Windsor Great Park polo field in 1970 when he had just left Cambridge University, a year before he joined the Royal Navy.

No marriage proposal came, despite the closeness between the pair and when the relationship cooled after Charles dedicated himself to his Navy career, Camilla wed cavalry officer Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973 and Charles later married Diana, Princess of Wales in 1981.

Charles and Camilla wed on April 9, 2005 ( PA Archive )

After Charles and Camilla both divorced  and Diana died in l997  Camillas eventual emergence as Charles long-term partner was part of a carefully planned PR campaign masterminded by the heir to the thrones spin doctor Mark Bolland.

Their first public appearance together was outside the Ritz hotel in London in 1999, dubbed Operation Ritz, where the mass of waiting photographers had been tipped off.

At their wedding reception, held the same day as the Grand National, Queen Elizabeth II said about their romance: They have overcome Bechers Brook and The Chair and all kinds of other terrible obstacles. They have come through and Im very proud and wish them well.

My son is home and dry with the woman he loves.

The King spent Friday making final preparations for the state visit to the Republic of Italy but the separate state visit to the Holy See, the government of the Roman Catholic Church located in the Vatican  the worlds smallest independent state  has been postponed as the Pope is recovering from a bout of pneumonia.

With a number of Vatican events removed from the itinerary in Rome, the remaining engagements in the Italian capital have been spread over two days with extra elements added to some engagements.
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A 15-year-old boy has died after getting into difficulty in a lake in south-east London, the Metropolitan Police said.

Specialist divers, paramedics and firefighters rushed to Beckenham Place Park, Lewisham, shortly after 3pm on Friday and closed the park off as emergency services searched for the teenager.

The hunt was called off about eight hours later after a body was found. The boys family have been made aware and are being supported, the force said.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: A boy was recovered from the lake at around 10.42pm on Friday 4 April.

He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. His death is being treated as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious.

open image in gallery Specialist divers, paramedics and firefighters rushed to Beckenham Place Park, Lewisham, on Friday ( Google Images )

In a statement, Lewisham Council, which manages the Beckenham Place Park, said the park has re-opened but the lake will remain closed with security in place until further notice.

We are working closely with the police in order that their investigation establishes the full facts of whats happened, the council added.
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About 60,000 parents in the UK are expected to benefit from the new neonatal care leave and pay entitlement from April 6.

Parents of babies in neonatal care will be entitled to an additional 12 weeks of leave, and pay if eligible, on top of parental leave from Sunday, in what campaigners say will make a huge difference.

Those eligible will include working parents of babies who are admitted into neonatal care up to 28 days old and who have a continuous stay in neonatal care of seven full days or longer. It will be available to an employee from their first day in a new job.

The Department for Business and Trade said the measure will aim to relieve some of the pressure on working families and allow them to be by their childs side without having to work throughout or use up their existing leave.

Caroline Lee-Davey, chief executive of prematurity charity Bliss who campaigned for the measures over many years, said she was delighted the new right was coming into force.

open image in gallery Parents of babies in neonatal care will be entitled to an additional 12 weeks of leave and pay, if eligible ( PA Archive )

We know it will make a huge difference for parents who only want to be by their babys cot-side when their baby is very sick in hospital, Ms Lee-Davey said.

We also know the evidence is clear, babies do best when both parents do their parenting together and are able to play that hands-on role in care.

We have heard stories over many years particularly from fathers and non-birthing parents who have been back at work while their babys still desperately sitting in hospital.

Catriona Ogilvy, founder of parent-led charity The Smallest Things, said the neonatal entitlement coming into force was a bittersweet moment.

Were absolutely celebrating the new entitlements coming in, but we know there have been hundreds of thousands of families whove missed out over this time, particularly since the legislation went through two years ago.

She added: Both my children, Samuel and Jack, were born prematurely, and it was in the years after they came home from hospital that we realised that its a lasting journey  its not just the time in hospital.

My first eight weeks of Samuels life was spent visiting him everyday in intensive care and when youve got a really tiny, fragile baby covered in wires and a life support machine, and youre told thats your maternity leave, you almost feel robbed off that time with your baby.

Crucially, when you finally get home, you dont have the time that you need to recover.

open image in gallery Justin Madders during a visit to the charity The Smallest Things, Bliss and Working Families ( Department for Business and Trade/PA Wire )

After meeting with parents and charities on Thursday, Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders said there had been a groundswell of opinion in favour of the new rights for a very long time.

Mr Madders told PA: Theres an awful lot of kids that are born prematurely or have to go into hospital shortly after theyve been born, and dads in particular have not had any legal right to special leave in those circumstances.

The MP for Ellesmere Port and Bromborough said there would be an opportunity for employers to get reimbursed.

He added: Small employers will get full reimbursement on that so it shouldnt cost them anything and actually, the best employers understand that theyve got to support their workforce when its a very difficult time.

Jane van Zyl, chief executive of the Working Families, said the additional leave and pay would mean parents can be by their babys side when they need them most.

Ms van Zyl added: We hope employers will build on this support by developing enhanced neonatal polices, as many compassionate employers have already, and consider flexible working, a little of which can go a long way in supporting families.
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One of Reform UKs local election candidates accused Queen Elizabeth of scrounging and sponging and called for her to be jailed, The Independent can reveal.

Mark Wade, council candidate in Chorley Rural West, marked Her Majesty becoming the longest-reigning British monarch with a post on Facebook saying she had spent a long time scrounging.

He also commented on the late Queens visit to Crumlin Road Gaol in north Belfast: The Queen has just entered an old jail in Belfast, lets shut the gates and get the rest of her sponging family to join her.

open image in gallery Critics said the comments raise questions about Reform UKs partiotism ( Reuters )

Following the announcement the Prince and Princess of Wales were expecting their second child, Charlotte, Mr Wade said: Yet another royal scrounger on the way, I wonder how much this one will cost us?

The Independent has reached out to Mr Wade for comment.

Critics called the remarks offensive and said Mr Wade should be sacked, adding that his candidacy makes a mockery of Nigel Farages claims Reform is the party of British patriots.

Mike Tapp, a Labour MP and fervent anti-Reform campaigner, said: Farage wraps himself in our great flag, but votes against workers rights and wants people to pay for healthcare. He rejects British values, so its no surprise that there are more Reform fake patriots and opportunists out there.

The Dover MP, who argues Labour is the party of British values, added: Its offensive.

open image in gallery Mike Tapp has claimed Labour is the party of British values ( PA Archive )

James Frith, Labour MP for Bury North, said: People across the North West and the whole UK will be appalled at these appalling remarks about our late Queen.

Nigel Farage has been boasting about Reforms high vetting standards. Well, clearly they did a lousy job and Farage should sack this candidate immediately for these appalling slurs.

Unless he acts, then people will come to the conclusion that such offensive and unpatriotic attitudes are acceptable to Reform. They should be ashamed.

A Reform UK spokesperson said: We wont take any lectures on patriotism from the party that allowed Jeremy Corbyn to be its leader and who are currently allowing record levels of illegal immigration into the country.

The calls come just days after Mr Farage boasted that Reform has put forward 1,638 candidates for the 1 May local elections, with nominations in 99.8 per cent of the seats up for grabs.

The Reform leader said: I said the day after the general election last year that my mission was to professionalise the party.

Since that day we have formed 400 branches, increased our membership to 221,000 and now have a full slate of candidates for the elections on May 1st.

I am immensely proud of our small, professional team and our wonderful volunteers all over the country.

Mr Farage promised in September that the partys vetting process would be rigorous. During the general election, Reform was hit by a series of revelations about the online activities of some of its would-be MPs, including suggestions the UK should have remained neutral in the fight against the Nazis and admiration of Adolf Hitlers brilliant ability to inspire action.

Calls for Mr Wade to be suspended come after Reform suspended a council candidate in Oxfordshire who had claimed Jimmy Savile was a working class hero and his role model.

Labour has separately attacked Reform as a rebranded version of the Conservatives, with more than 60 of its local election candidates being Tory defectors.

A Labour spokesperson said: A snake might shed its skin but at the end of the day its still a snake. Is that why so many of Nigel Farages council candidates are slithering away from their years serving the Tory party?

Farage claims to be a breath of political fresh air, but he just hoovered up 60 candidates who failed our country as card-carrying Conservatives.

A Reform spokesman said of these remarks: This is less than 4 per cent of all our 1,630 candidates. Is this the same Labour party that accepted the defections of then-Conservative MPs Christian Wakeford and Natalie Elphicke?
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Labours biggest financial backers are among the loudest voices pressing Sir Keir Starmer to have a much more ambitious approach to his Brexit reset in the wake of Donald Trump unleashing an international trade war by imposing sweeping tariffs.

Trade unions, who were previously divided over Brexit and still provide more than half of Labours campaign funding, are now at the forefront of a new push for much closer ties with the EU.

Armed with a survey by pollster Peter McLeod  who has carried out research for Labour and the unions  the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has joined with business groups and others to urge Sir Keir to rethink his Brexit red lines.

While the prime minister has insisted he will resist what he calls a false choice between the EU and US, the TUCs public demands are being reflected in private by many in Labour as well.

It follows President Trump imposing a 10 per cent base reciprocal tariff on the UK, half of the 20 per cent slapped on the EU. Other countries such as China, South Korea, Japan and Cambodia face tariffs of more than 30 per cent.

But some specific tariffs including 25 per cent on automobile, steel and aluminium products have hit the UK as well putting at least 25,000 jobs at risk in the carmaking sector alone.

open image in gallery Keir Starmer is being urged to forge closer ties with the EU ( PA )

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak told The Independent: The British public agree  they overwhelmingly back a common-sense reset. The Conservatives botched Brexit agreement has set workers and business back, at home and abroad.

Its time for a new approach that honours the referendum result while giving us a much-needed closer trading relationship with the EU.

The survey of 5,000 voters for the TUC by Mr McLeod revealed that 66 per cent now want closer ties with the EU.

Even some supporters of pro-Brexit parties want closer ties with the EU  Reform (former Brexit Party) voters now back closer ties with Brussels by 42 per cent to 41 per cent, while Tory voters overwhelmingly back closer ties by 67 per cent to 21 per cent.

The polling also showed that eight in 10 Conservative to Labour switchers at the 2024 general election, and more than half (56 per cent) of Reform-leaning voters (who voted Labour in 2024 but would now vote Reform) support a closer UK-EU relationship. Only 28 per cent opposed closer ties.

open image in gallery Donald Trump insists his sweeping tariffs will make the USA richer ( AFP/Getty )

Mr McLeod said: "The new poll confirms that what we heard from those voters also holds nationally by a very strong margin.

"The focus groups help explain why a lot of people feel this way. The dominant view was that Brexit has not been a success and that it would be sensible to try for a better deal. Some of the Leave voters in our groups expressly said that their votes had been a mistake.

Labour MPs are also demanding that the Brexit reset talks set to conclude in a month are made much more ambitious.

Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy, chair of the Labour Movement for Europe, said: We do five times more business with the European Union than with America. It is in our interest to have a close and stable trading relationship with Europe, but right now, that is up for grabs, too.

A number of other Labour MPs are also voicing demands for a more ambitious approach in private.

One bemoaned Labours manifesto promise on red lines not to re-enter the single market or customs union.

We thought we had to keep to the Brexit settlement but actually we could have gone to voters with a much more pro-EU policy, the MP complained.

We have to unpick Brexit as best we can, added another.

Business groups are also adding their voices to demands of a much closer relationship with the EU in the wake of Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey demanding that the UK enters an economic coalition of the willing in trade and rejoins the EUs customs union.

open image in gallery Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC ( PA )

Chris Southworth, secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce United Kingdom, said: It is critical the UK shifts gears and moves on from the toxicity of Brexit. We need to quickly adapt to a world that has changed dramatically since 2016.

The EU is our closest trading partner with 40 per cent of UK trade dependent on the continent. We have much more in common than we have differences when it comes to trade so the economic priority must be to strengthen our relationship with the rest of Europe so we stand strong together to protect our economies from the impact of US tariffs.

Ben Farrell, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, added: With all the disruption from tariffs going on it is not unreasonable to think this could push the UK closer to the EU in terms of trade.

Research carried out for Best for Britain by Frontier Economics shows the government can secure 1.5 per cent growth from a better trade deal with the EU that deepens alignment on goods and services.

Tom Brufatto, director of policy and research at Best for Britain, said: The most effective course of action isnt trying to appease the party that is hurting us with tariffs, its offsetting that damage by securing a common-sense deal with our closest and more reliable trading partners in Europe.

But former Tory business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg is one of a number of senior Brexiteers still disputing the conclusions regarding Mr Trumps tariffs.

He told The Independent: We are clearly better off outside the EU as we are being affected less by tariffs and crucially are not forced to impose self-harming retaliatory tariffs. Additionally, we save billions each year as we are not subscribing to the EU budget and we are helping our economy by not applying their silly rules. AI is a good current example.

They still take comfort that the UK got 10 per cent instead of the EUs 20 per cent.

Mike Galsworthy, chair of the European Movement UK, is pressing for Sir Keir to abandon his red lines altogether with the backing of a large number of MPs.

He said: "The Brexit red lines are utterly obsolete. Everyone knows it and these data show, yet again, that the people of this country care much about the economy than self-flagellating with three self-imposed red lines following a referendum on a different question nine years ago."
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Day after day, Chinese rescue teams haul children and elderly people from collapsed buildings as cameras beam the thanks of grateful survivors around the world. Russian medical teams show off field hospitals erected in a flash to tend the wounded.

Notably absent from the aftermath of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in the poor Southeast Asian nation Myanmar: the uniquely skilled, well-equipped and swift search-and-rescue teams and disaster-response crews from the United States.

At least 15 Asian and Western government rescue teams have landed crews reaching hundreds of workers in size, alongside initial pledges of financial aid reaching tens of millions of dollars, as the death toll of the March 28 quake tops 3,000, Myanmar's government says. Cameras showed Vietnam's team on arrival, marching square-shouldered to the rescue behind their country's flag.

While Myanmars military junta and civil war have posed challenges, the U.S. government has worked with local partners there previously to successfully provide aid for decades, including after deadly storms in 2008 and 2023, aid officials say.

The American government dwarfs other nations' rescue capacity in experience, capacity and heavy machinery able to pull people alive from rubble. But in Myanmar after the most recent quake, the U.S. has distinguished itself for having no known presence on the ground beyond a three-member assessment team sent days after the quake.

We all worried what would be the human impact of President Donald Trumps dismantling of the six-decade-old U.S. Agency for International Development, said Lia Lindsey, a senior humanitarian policy adviser for Oxfam, which scrambled to provide tents, blankets and other aid to quake survivors.

Now, Lindsey said, "we're seeing it in real time. Were seeing it in increased suffering and increased death.'

A retreat from decades of American policy may be fueling the absence

The United States, the worlds largest economy, long saw its strategic interests and alliances served by its standing as the worlds top humanitarian donor. Myanmar's quake is as close to a no-show as the nation has had in recent memory at a major, accessible natural disaster.

Current and former senior private and government officials say the Myanmar disaster points to some of the results  for people in need on the ground, and for U.S. standing in the world  of the Trump administration's retreat from decades of U.S. policy. That approach held that Washington needs both the hard power of a strong military and the soft power of a robust aid and development program to deter enemies, win and keep friends and steer events.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Europe for a NATO gathering, rejected a suggestion that the administration was ceding influence abroad by canceling thousands of its aid and development contracts, including for disasters. He told reporters that those complaining were the aid groups, which he accused of profiting off past U.S. aid.

We will do the best we can," Rubio said Friday. But we also have other needs we have to balance that against. Were not walking away."

He pointed to a lot of other rich countries in the world. They should all be pitching in and do their part.

Leading Senate Democrats wrote Rubio this week, urging him to scale up U.S. disaster aid to Myanmar  and fast. Separately, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, a Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke of watching a news broadcast of the disaster showing Chinese government teams at work.

It hurt my heart to see where, instead of a USAID ... team leading the response, there was a team from the PRC that was being celebrated for having saved some people in the rubble, Coons said.

The 2 1/2-month-old Trump administration, through Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency teams, has frozen USAID funding, terminated thousands of contracts and is firing all but a handful of its staff globally. It accuses the agency of waste and of advancing liberal causes. The Myanmar quake is the first major natural disaster since that work started.

The Trump administration and some Republican lawmakers say they will reassemble a reduced slate of aid and development programs under the State Department, fitting their narrower interpretation of work that serves U.S. strategic and economic interests.

The first announcement of help came days later

Days after the Myanmar quake, the U.S. made its first announcement of help: It was sending a three-member assessment team of non-specialist advisers from a regional USAID office in Bangkok, Thailand. Coincidentally, like hundreds of other USAID staffers around the world, the three had received layoff notices from the Trump administration on March 28 within hours of the quake, current and former USAID officials confirmed.

The administration also promised $2 million in aid, and announced another $7 million Friday. But there's a much larger number at play.

That $9 million total is dwarfed by the roughly $2 billion in payments for previously rendered services and goods that the Trump administration has owed nonprofit humanitarian groups and other contractors and government and nongovernment foreign partners, aid officials say. The Trump administration abruptly shut down USAID and State foreign assistance payments  including for work already done  on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.

Combined with abruptly terminated aid contracts and the freeze on the USAID and State aid and development payments, the U.S. back debt is forcing larger aid operations and businesses to scale back their services to people in need and to slash staff. Some smaller organizations were driven out of business. That was even before the Myanmar quake.

Under court order, the administration is slowly making good on those back payments.

In the meantime, nonprofit groups are having to draw on reserve funds they would normally use for sudden unplanned disasters like the Myanmar quake to pay the bills that the U.S. should have paid, said Lindsey, the Oxfam official.

Asked about the burden that the non-government organizations  another name for aid groups  say USAID's unpaid back bills are placing on their work, the State Department said in an email, The U.S. government cannot comment on how NGOs manage their financing."

Typically, the United States itself would have provided $10 million to $20 million in the initial phase of response to a disaster like the Myanmar quake, with more later for long-term aid and rebuilding, said Sarah Charles, who ran disaster response and overall humanitarian affairs at USAID in the Biden administration.

We have a long history in Burma, Charles said, adding, Its an environment that the U.S. government has been operating in over the last many decades."

Normally, the United States also would have had 20 to 25 specialized disaster workers on the ground in as few as 24 hours, Charles said. That number would have jumped to 200 or more if USAID had flown in urban rescue teams from California and Virginia. They deploy as self-contained units, with dog handlers and the capacity to feed and provide clean water to the teams, Charles said.

The Trump administration preserved contracts for the California and Virginia rescue teams under pressure from lawmakers. But the contracts for their transport are believed among the thousands of USAID contracts that the administration canceled. That left the U.S. no quick way to move search-and-rescue crews when disaster struck, Charles said.

Britain has pledged $13 million in aid and said it will match up to $5 million in private donations, and China and others have promised financial aid. At least 15 countries sent in dozens or hundreds of rescuers or aid workers, including Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, according to Myanmar officials.

China shares a border and close ties with Myanmar. Chinese rescuers had their first success Sunday, fewer than 48 hours after the quake, when they joined hands with local people to pull an elderly man from a badly damaged hospital in the capital city of Naypyitaw.

By Wednesday, Chinese rescuers had pulled out nine survivors, including a pregnant woman and a child. In Mandalay, Chinese rescuers saved a 52-year-old man who trapped for nearly 125 hours.

-

Rising reported from Bangkok. Matthew Lee and Didi Tang contributed from Washington and Jill Lawless from London.

-
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Donald Trumps sweeping international tariffs may raise the price of Bibles - including the presidents branded version of the holy text.

The CEO of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, which describes itself as the U.S.s largest commercial Bible and Christian book publisher, told The Wall Street Journal that it had been all hands on deck, after the president announced the tariffs on Wednesday.

Bibles are typically printed on thin paper stock and with presses that are largely located outside the U.S., according to The Journal.

This includes China, where Trumps official God Bless the USA Bibles are printed.

open image in gallery Donald Trumps sweeping international tariffs may impact the production of Bibles. This may include his own personal holy book, which are reportedly printed in China ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

According to a chart produced as a prop by the president during his announcement, Chinese imports will face a 34 percent reciprocal tariff in addition to a pre-existing 20 percent tariff imposed earlier this year, for a total of 54 percent.

There may be more coming, with additional industry-specific tariffs.

Though Trump has never said where his personally branded holy books are printed, or what they cost; a copy hand-signed by the president was previously priced at $1,000. Trump has also not disclosed how much he earns per sale.

However, global trade records previously reviewed by The Associated Press showed that a printing company in Chinas eastern city of Hangzhou shipped close to 120,000 of the Bibles to the United States last year.

open image in gallery Donald Trump in an ad for the God Bless the USA Bible on Truth Social. A copy hand-signed by the president sells for $1,000 though Trump has also not disclosed how much he earns per sale ( Truth Social/@realdonaldtrump )

The estimated value of the three separate shipments was $342,000, or less than $3 per Bible, according to AP, who cited databases that track exports and imports. The minimum price for the Trump-backed Bible is $59.99, putting the potential sales revenue at about $7 million.

It is unclear how such future shipments of the presidents own product would be affected by his international tariffs.

The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment about international Bible shipments, as well as HarperCollins Christian Publishing and the American Bible Society.
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In its sweeping deportation campaign against Venezuelan immigrants, the Trump administration has repeatedly relied on tattoos to determine whether someone is a member of the feared criminal syndicate Tren de Aragua.

But The Independent has found that the U.S. governments examples of TDA tattoos, created under the Biden administration, include art by artists in the UK and India, who say the tattoos they etched had innocent meanings. One honored the birth of a child, while another appears to commemorate the Aussie rock band AC/DC.

It is mind-blowing that this is being used as an example of gang tattoos. It makes no sense at all, the British artist whose clock tattoo appears in a 2024 Department of Homeland Security briefing on detecting and identifying TDA members told The Independent. I have no relationship to Venezuelan gangs, and my art has nothing to do with them.

Other examples used by DHS can be found in online posts dating back up to 11 years, suggesting that they were acquired simply by searching the internet for tattoos of various topics, including crowns, trains, stars, clocks, and the words "Hijos de Dios" (meaning "sons of God"), or HJ for short.

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 )

"Yes, this tattoo was done by me," said Vipul Chaudhary, a tattooist in Gujarat, India whose image posted on Pinterest in 2021 appears to be the original version of DHSs HJ example.

"The person who got this tattoo is my friend, and he lives in Gujarat."

The briefing is one of eight U.S. government documents, obtained by the transparency group Property of the People via public records requests and shared with The Independent, which reference tattoos as a way for law enforcement officers to spot potential members or affiliates of TDA.

Largely compiled under Biden, these documents have now taken on new weight thanks to Trumps use of 18th-century wartime powers to deport hundreds of alleged TDA members with little to no due process  following a deal with El Salvadors president to hold them in a notoriously harsh mega-prison.

Among those deported so far are Andry Jose Hernandez Romero, a gay makeup artist who has repeatedly denied any association with TDA, and Neri Alvarado Borges, who has an autism awareness tattoo in honor of his brother.

Well, youre here because of your tattoos, an ICE agent allegedly told Borges. Were finding and questioning everyone who has tattoos.

open image in gallery Alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government are being imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) ( Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS )

Court papers shared by the ACLU suggest that DHS is using an "Alien Enemies Act Validation Guide" to decide who can be deported, assigning different point values to various characteristics including tattoos.

Its unclear whether these documents played any role in the current deportations. But they are some of the only public evidence available of what kind of tattoos DHS considers indicative of someone possibly being a member or associate of TDA.

I can't say whether these particular documents were in the hands of particular agents at particular moments. What I can say is these documents have been circulated widely among law enforcement, and that the clear, intended purpose of these documents is to be instructional for law enforcement in identifying supposed TDA members, said Ryan Shapiro, executive director of Property of the People.

Experts say that TDA, like most Venezuelan gangs, doesnt use tattoos to signal membership, and several documents seen by The Independent clearly warn officers not to rely solely on tattoos.

open image in gallery Three of the four train tattoos from the government documents first appeared on a lifestyle blog offering train tattoo ideas for men ( DHS )

Its an idea that has been taken from Central America and has been incorrectly applied to Tren de Aragua, Rebecca Hanson, a University of Florida professor who studies violence and policing in Venezuela, told The Independent.

And while some of the example photographs of tattoos feature actual Venezuelan nationals detained at the U.S. border, others have more obscure origins.

It looks like theyve just pulled random images off Google

Take the elaborately detailed arm tattoo of a pocket watch and dove, which comes from the Instagram page of a tattoo artist in Nottingham, England. In DHSs version, someone has manually removed the artists watermark.

The tattoo was done in England on someone that is of caucasian ethnicity, said the artist, who asked to remain anonymous. It was to represent the birth of his child and love.

open image in gallery In the DHS documents, a screenshot of a clock matches a tattoo posted on Instagram by a British tattoo artist ( DHS )

In DHSs briefing the tattoo is blurred, but on the artists Instagram page it clearly includes a date across the clock face.

The artist called the DHS document linking it to TDA membership as a total misrepresentation of the tattoos meaning, saying: To me it honestly looks like they have just pulled random images off Google or Pinterest Im not happy that its been used within some document about this issue.

The Independent has confirmed that the man who got the tattoo lives in the UK, but is withholding his identity out of respect for his privacy.

Or take the HJ tattoo inked in India by Vipul Chaudhary, which appears cropped and stretched in the DHS briefing.

open image in gallery The 'HJ' tattoo that Vipul Chaudhary says he inked for his friend in Gujarat, India ( Vipul Chaudhary via Pinterest )

Chaudhary said he has known the tattoos owner for about two or three years, and that rather than meaning Hijos de Dios, the letters are simply family initials. "My friend's name's first letter and his wife's names' first letter. That's all, he told The Independent.

Meanwhile, one of the examples of a train tattoo DHS provides was actually inked in 2019 by Revival Tattoos in the historic English seaside resort of Blackpool, according to a post on Pinterest.

Revival did not respond to requests for comment, but the photo offers a clear clue to the tattoos true meaning: the logo of Australian rock band AC/DC, who performed in front of a giant model train during their 2008-10 world tour.

open image in gallery Upon closer inspector, the logo for the band AC/DC is clearly visibly across the side of the train ( DHS )

Three of the other four train examples included in the documents were all featured in a 2015 article on the mens lifestyle site Next Luxury, entitled 70 Train Tattoo Ideas for Men.

DHSs example of a crown tattoo appears to have come from a Spanish-language tattoo ideas blog, while one of its Real hasta la muerta examples came from the TikTok page of a Colombian tattoo artist  who indicated that it was actually quoting the debut album of widely popular Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Anuel AA.

The photos' provenance was first spotted by Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council, a pro-immigrant non-profit, UK-based political consultant Arieh Kovler, and Bluesky user @itsTyGrey. The documents themselves were f irst reported by USA Today.

A spokesperson for DHS did not respond to questions from The Independent.

open image in gallery Real hasta la muerte is also the name of a popular Reggaeton album ( DHS )

Hundreds deported with minimal due process

The documents seen by The Independent predate Trumps recent declaration of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, spanning July 2023 to January 2025. They bear the marks of various government agencies such as DHS, the FBI, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Although some documents are based purely on photos and details of named Venezuelan nationals whom agents suspected of TDA links, several incorporate internet material with no apparent connection to the gang.

In one briefing from the Homeland Security Investigations's Chicago Field Division, whose serial number suggests it was created in 2024, eight out of the nine reference photos appear to have come from innocuous online posts.

Open source material has depicted TDA members with a combination of the below tattoos, it reads (see Exhibit 2 here), under the heading DETECTING AND IDENTIFYING.

Most of the documents offer little detail about how agents decided certain designs were linked to TDA. The exception is a DHS summary of an interview with Venezuelan asylum seeker who claimed to have been a high-ranking police officer in his home country, and who described tattoos as the easiest but least effective way to spot TDA members.

The documents make plain what should have already been obvious: The use of tattoos to justify these deportations is a ploy to disguise nativism and cruelty as a national security imperative, said Shapiro from Property of the People.

On DHSs Alien Enemies scorecard, tattoos linked to gang membership is worth four points, while clothing such as high-end streetwear or Michael Jordan gear counts for another four. That is despite some of the documents explicitly warning that these alone are not proof of TDA membership.

ICE only needs eight points, according to the guide, to determine whether a suspect is a validated member of Tren de Aragua and can be summarily deported.

The ACLU has accused DHS of wrongly deporting people with no opportunity to challenge the claims against them, and multiple judges have ordered such deportations be halted. Officials have admitted that at least one of the prisoners was deported in error.

White House insists father 'mistakenly' deported to El Salvador was MS-13 leader

That they are placing so much weight on common tattoos and hand gestures is inconsistent with what experts say are reliable methods of determining TDA membership, ACLUs lead counsel on the case Lee Gelernt told The Independent.

When The Independent questioned White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt about these criteria on Monday, she did not dispute the document but said DHS considers a litany of criteria that they use to ensure that these individuals qualify as foreign terrorists.

Then she turned her fire on our reporter. "Shame on you and shame on the mainstream media for trying to cover [for] these individuals," she said.

Additional reporting by Alex Woodward.

This story was updated on April 7, 2025 to correct that three out of five train tattoo examples appeared in the same 2015 article, not three out of four.
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The first known lawsuit against President Donald Trumps tariffs has been filed by the New Liberties Civil Alliance on behalf of a Florida stationery business entrepreneur who is arguing that the president unlawfully overstepped his authority to impose the levies.

Lifestyle influencer and Simplified stationery business founder Emily Ley filed the federal lawsuit in Pensacola, Florida against Trump and his administration on Thursday.

These unlawfully implemented tariffs cause harm to American businesses, American jobs, and American consumers, and will be the end of many American dreams, Ley said in a post on social media the day after Trump announced a series of steep tariffs on nations around the word that sent global stock markets plunging.

The suit specifically targets Trumps 20 percent tariff on goods from China he imposed early last month. Leys Florida-based small business purchases products from China to sell, including planners.

The lawsuit is challenging Trumps use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA), which requires extensive investigations before sanctions can be imposed. Trump has used opioid trafficking from China as a reason for the emergency tariffs against the country.

The lawsuit contends that Trump has not shown that his actions are necessary or tailored to address a drug trafficking emergency. In fact, lawyers note, Trump has said the actual reason for the tariffs is to reduce a trade deficit.

In any case, the IEEPA allows for asset freezes, trade embargos and similar sanctions, but not tariffs, the suit argues.

The law authorizes presidents to order sanctions as a rapid response to international emergencies. It does not allow a president to impose tariffs on the American people ... Presidents can impose tariffs only when Congress grants permission, the suit states.

Congress passed the IEEPA to counter external emergencies, not to grant presidents a blank check to write domestic economic policy, it states.

In the IEEPAs almost 50-year history, no previous president has used it to impose tariffs. Which is not surprising, since the statute does not even mention tariffs, nor does it say anything else suggesting it authorizes presidents to tax American citizens, the lawsuit notes.

The suit is asking a judge to declare Trumps Chinese tariffs unlawful and block their implementation.

The first lawsuit against Trumps new widespread tariffs has been filed in a Florida federal court ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Allies of the president have argued that small and local companies should use American manufacturing for their products, which Ley has argued her company has already tried.

We pursued domestic manufacturing from the outset, the entrepreneur said in an Instagram post. Our first planners were made in the U.S. in 2012. Each unit cost $38 to make. The US did not/does not yet have the infrastructure to support what we make.

The lawsuit notes that paying the tariffs will take away funds that could be used to pay salaries, fund growth, and pour into communities. Those funds will now instead force small businesses such as Simplified to raise prices or draw down on staff, the legal filing states.

Trump initially imposed a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods in a Feb. 1 executive order, then doubled it in another order March 3.

He boosted that to a total tariff of 54 percent on Wednesday.

Beijing on Friday attacked bullying Trump and imposed an across-the-board tariff of 34 percent on all American products sold to China.

The White House could not immediately be reached for comment on the lawsuit.
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The Department of Justice is seeking an 87-month sentence for former New York Republican Rep. George Santos after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft last August.

Santos history and characteristics are troubling in the extreme. Santos is a pathological liar and fraudster, states the 26-page sentencing memo from the department. For years, Santos manufactured and promoted a fictionalized biography, one that depicted himself as a highly educated, independently wealthy, successful businessman, all premised on a heap of lies.

Santos was elected in the 2022 midterms when he flipped a Democratic district covering parts of Long Island and Queens.

His life story, however, was quickly found to be largely fabricated. His claims that he worked at top firms on Wall Street and had attended a particular college were debunked, and the financing of his campaign raised questions.

Santos was expelled from Congress in December 2023, after only 11 months as a representative. He was only the sixth member to be expelled; the other five were members of the confederacy.

The governments investigation uncovered extensive evidence of Santos fabricated past, the sentencing memo adds. He falsely asserted associations with venerable institutions and organizations in a cynical effort to trade off their reputations to bolster his own.

As he pleaded guilty in August, Santos admitted that he tricked voters and donors, and stole almost a dozen identities, including those of his own family, in order to make campaign donations to himself. He acknowledged that he stole credit card information for personal use and that he lied to the Federal Election Commission.

Former New York Republican Rep. George Santos prepares to give a statement after a court hearing last August in West Islip, New York. The government is arguing for an 87-month sentence ( Getty Images )

Santos said at the time that ambition had affected his judgment and that he was flooded with deep regret. In a deal with prosecutors, Santos agreed to pay almost $580,000 in fines.

The volume of Santos lies and his extraordinary pattern of dishonesty speaks to his high likelihood of reoffending and the concomitant need to remove him from the community he has repeatedly victimized, the sentencing memo says.

In January, Santos asked a New York judge to delay his sentencing on federal fraud charges until the summer to allow him to make more episodes of his podcast, Pants on Fire, to pay off the more than half a million dollars in fines. At the time, prosecutors said the title of the podcast was a tone-deaf and unrepentant reference to the crimes he committed.

In Fridays sentencing memo, prosecutors said Santos was guilty of craven efforts to leverage his lawbreaking as a springboard to celebrity and riches.

Prosecutors argued in the memo that Santos worked to monetize his criminal charges by joining Cameo, the platform where consumers can buy personal videos from celebrities. Prosecutors claimed that he has earned more than $350,000 selling his videos. The memo also notes that Santos has been paid at least $200,000 after contracting with a documentary filmmaker.

Even when confronted with his lies and fraud, Santos continued to recidivate and escalate, his criminality growing bolder and more audacious over time, the prosecutors argue in the sentencing memo.

The sentencing is set to take place on April 25.
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Russia is running low on time to take action on the peace talks with Ukraine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Friday.

Following two days of meetings with NATO ministers in Brussels, Rubio said the U.S. had had enough of talks about talks, and urged the Russians to stop trying to delay the negotiations. He also indicated that the Russians may face further American sanctions.

We will know soon enough, in a matter of weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace or not, Rubio told reporters, according to The New York Times.

Rubio said that Members of Congress are putting together fresh sanctions that the administration wont be able to stop without signs that the process is moving forward.

President Donald Trump vowed while he was campaigning for the White House that he would end the war in Ukraine in his first day in office.

Rubios comments indicate that the Trump administration may finally be growing suspicious that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been negotiating in good faith. Observers note that Putin is likely trying to buy time to push ahead on the battlefield.

But there are also significant differences between Europe and the U.S. on Ukraine, Trumps trade war, and Greenland.

Rubio also pushed NATO members to increase military spending to 5 percent of their Gross Domestic Product, which would surpass what the U.S. spends on its own armed forces.

However, when speaking to reporters, the secretary softened his remarks on military spending, saying that NATO members have to be on a path of getting up to 5 percent at some point.

In another hot-button issue, Rubio defended Trumps startling, wide-ranging tariffs even as they threaten Europes economy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives for talks at NATO's headquarters in Brussels on Friday. Rubio warned Russia that the U.S. is running low on patience when it comes to peace negotiations with Ukraine ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images )

After a meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the State Department said in a summary that the meeting was a reaffirmation of the relationship between the two countries. The summary didnt mention Greenland, which Trump has publicly stated should become part of the U.S. Greenland is a semiautonomous Arctic territory of Denmark.

Rasmusson took to X to say that he had an honest and direct meeting with Rubio.

I made it crystal clear that claims and statements about annexing Greenland are not only unacceptable and disrespectful. They amount to a violation of international law, said Rasmussen.

Rubio responded to those remarks on Friday, noting that a significant portion of Greenlanders want to achieve independence from Denmark.

We didnt give them that idea, said Rubio. Theyve been talking about that for a long time.

Theres nothing to suggest, however, that any considerable part of Greenlanders want to become part of the U.S.

Meanwhile, Trump has suggested that a peace deal in Ukraine could lead to a refreshed relationship between the U.S. and Russia. However, the Russians have only agreed to a partial ceasefire, such as a pause in attacks on energy infrastructure that neither Russia nor Ukraine has adhered to.

European leaders are concerned that Trump may put Putins demands first in any peace negotiation, and theyre pushing for Ukraine to be protected.

Military leaders from France and Britain visited Kyiv on Friday to discuss a possible deployment of troops to ensure that any ceasefire is followed, such as air defenses and a presence on land and at sea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters.

He didnt name other countries also in talks to provide peacekeepers. The Russians, however, have been clear that they wouldnt accept any NATO troops in Ukraine.
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There's trouble in Trumpland; Tesla CEO and head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, has taken public swipes at Donald Trumps adviser on trade and manufacturing, Peter Navarro, who helped shape the president's reciprocal tariff policy that tanked markets across the world.

Musk is typically vocal in his support and defense of the president, but has been quiet since Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcement that killed $2.5 trillion from the U.S. stock market  a loss of value that cost the Tesla CEO more than $30bn, according to CNBC.

On X, which Musk owns, he took swipes at Navarro, a Harvard-educated economist who advises Trump on trade. Navarro who was originally tapped for a spot in the White House by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is the author of books on China and the economic threats he says the nation poses to the U.S.

A user on X posted a video from CNN in which Navarro defends the tariffs, noting positively that he went to Harvard. Musk took issue with that, calling it a "bad thing."

open image in gallery Elon Musk lashed out at Donald Trumps adviser on trade, Peter Navarro, after the economist defended the presidents tariff policy, which has wiped out trillions in value, and tens of billions in Musks personal wealth ( AP )

"A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing," he wrote. "Results in the ego/brains>>1 problem."

Another user replied, insisting that Navarro was correct in his defense, but Musk rejected that and questioned Navarro's practical economic experience.

"He aint built s***," Musk wrote.

Navarro was jailed after a grand jury indicted him in 2022 on two counts of contempt of Congress. He refused to comply with a subpoena from the White House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

The economist was sentenced to four months in jail and was fined $9,500. He was the first former White House official imprisoned on a charge of contempt of Congress.

In another post, an X user shared a quote from conservative American economist Thomas Sowell that critiqued Harvard-trained professionals.

"In every disaster throughout American history, there always seems to be a man from Harvard in the middle of it," the quote, attributed to Sowell, said.

Musk replied to the post with a simple "yup."

open image in gallery Peter Navarro with Musk and Stephen Miller in the White House last month ( AFP via Getty Images )

Sowell has been a vocal critic of Trump's tariffs, and warned that the president's policy could set off a global trade war and potentially another Great Depression, according to Fox Business.

Despite the shock and condemnation of Trumps tariffs even by some conservatives, it hasnt dulled the negative attention Musk is facing for his actions as the head of DOGE. Under Musk, the agency has demanded the firing of tens of thousands of federal workers, effectively shuttered entire agencies, and has crippled some agencies' ability to work efficiently. Protesters took to the streets on Saturday to voice their anger at Trump and Musk for their dismantling of the federal government.

open image in gallery White House tariff czar Navarro insisted over the weekend that the upcoming Liberation Day tariffs would be the biggest tax cut in American history and bring in $600 billion in the next year ( Fox News )

Americans frustrated by Musk  who was not personally elected  meddling in the federal government have responded by protesting outside Tesla facilities and boycotting the company's vehicles. Some have gone so far as to vandalize or even destroy Tesla vehicles and showrooms.

Tesla announced a 13 percent drop in its first quarter sales this year when compared to last year, making it the company's worst quarter since 2022, according to a company statement. As of Friday, Tesla's stock price was down 10 percent between Musk-related blowback and Trump's tariffs.

Musk's comments come shortly after news broke that Trump told his inner circle that the Tesla CEO will be stepping back from his duties at the White House, although he has not given a timeline for this happening.
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The Trump administration has not distributed funding approved by Congress for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, even after a judge ordered that officials keep the network in operation, court filings reveal.

The network was initially established to set the record straight on propaganda emanating from the Soviet Union. It hasnt received almost $12 million in funding for April from the federal agency overseeing the network, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, according to The New York Times.

The delay in financing has forced the news organization to furlough some staff and cut some programs.

The groups general counsel, Benjamin Herman, said in a statement to The Times: We hope that USAGM sends our April funds immediately.

Our journalists across Europe and Asia, who assume enormous risk to work for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), rely on the timely disbursement of these congressionally appropriated funds, he added.

The U.S. Agency for Global Media also ended RFE/RL satellite contracts on Thursday, possibly impeding the broadcasting of Russian-language programs, two RFE/RL officials told The Times. Around 40 stations in Europe that broadcast RFEs live Russian programs use satellites.

Last month, a Washington federal judge paused President Donald Trumps shutdown efforts, in a ruling stating that the administration cant close a news organization established by Congress.

This photo, taken on March 18, 2025, shows the logo on the facade of the headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL) in Prague, Czech Republic. The Trump administration has been withholding funding from the news organization ( AFP via Getty Images )

The continued operation of RFE/RL is in the public interest, Judge Royce Lamberth wrote.

An attorney for the news organization said in a Monday court filing that the Trump administration has refused to commit to disbursing RFE/RLs congressionally appropriated funds for April 2025.

Two days after the court order, the federal global media agency sent a letter to the news organization, backtracking on its previous order ending the funding.

Special adviser to the media agency and failed Arizona gubernatorial and Senate candidate Kari Lake said in a statement that the administration had not distributed the funding in an attempt to boost oversight and accountability. Lake is a former TV news anchor who attacked journalists during her campaigns.

RFE/RL is one of many grantees funded by the U.S. Agency for Global Media through congressional appropriations, she was quoted byThe Times.

Like other agencies, USAGM has uncovered notable waste, fraud, and abuse among its grantees, she claimed, without sharing any evidence to back up her assertion.

She added: The agency is diligently enhancing oversight while legally confronting those demanding unrestricted taxpayer money without accountability.

Founded in the 1950s, RFE/RL was a U.S. intelligence operation secretly funded by the CIA, seeking to promote anti-communist discord in Russia and Eastern Europe. However, it has been funded by Congress since the early 1970s, and it has since had editorial independence.

RFE/RL reports in almost 30 languages and reaches about 47 million people weekly in 23 countries, such as Russia, Hungary, and Afghanistan.

The networks president, Stephen Capus, said in a statement Tuesday: For more than seven decades, RFE/RL has been a vital U.S. national security asset, fighting censorship to bring news to millions of people in the worlds most repressive societies.

He added that the organization would remain in court until the Trump officials distribute the funding allocated by Congress, as the court has ruled.
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Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy flatly told Fox News Friday that the market meltdown in the wake of Donald Trumps radical series of global tariffs is not good.

The stock market matters, Kennedy said in the interview , noting that millions of Americans have money in the markets.

Whats happening is not good. Will it continue? Will we find the bottom, and then it will start to go back up? I hope so, Kennedy said. Thats what Im pulling for. But if it doesnt, well have to recalibrate.

Kennedy is one of the latest to join a tiny, but growing and increasingly vocal group of Republican lawmakers revealing mounting jitters about Trumps latest action on tariffs.

Long-time Trump stalwart Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson has warned of the risk of the presidents draconian tariffs and subsequent market plunge in what could be his harshest criticism of Trump to date.

I think it's a reasonably high risk, he told NPR Thursday. He will either reap the rewards or suffer the consequences.

Earlier this week Johnson said on CNN that he expected Wisconsin to be particularly hard hit with all the manufacturing and agricultural interests.

He added: Right now, Ill give him [Trump] the benefit of the doubt, but I am concerned.

Kennedy ominously told Newsmax on Wednesday of Trumps tariff edict: In the long run, were all dead.

He added: Were in uncharted territory ... anybody who tries to tell you that they know what the short-term impact is going to be is just lying. Either that or theyre selling deep stupid.

Kennedy noted: My experience with Washington economists is that they make those late-night psychic hotlines look respectable.

Trump has insisted any pain will be over quickly.

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis told CNNs Manu Raju earlier this week: Anyone who said therell be a little bit of pain before we get things right, they didnt talk about farmers who are one crop away from bankruptcy.

The growing opposition is beginning to band together.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, another long-time Trump defender, has joined forces with Washington Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell to spearhead legislation to wrest tariff control from the president back to Congress.

The long-shot bill, introduced Thursday, would require the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of the imposition of any tariff, while Congress would have to explicitly approve any new tariffs within 60 days.

The bill also would allow Congress to end any tariff at any time.

For too long, Congress has delegated its clear authority to regulate interstate and foreign commerce to the executive branch, Grassley said in a statement.

Four Republican senators  Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Maines Susan Collins and Kentuckys Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell  also joined forces Wednesday in a 51-48 Senate vote adopting a resolution to nullify the national emergency Trump declared last month in order to implement 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports.

The vote was the Senates first major break with Trump since the start of his second term.
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The Trump administration has issued a set of sweeping demands that Harvard University must accept in order to maintain its financial relationship with the federal government.

The asks came as more than $9 billion in federal grants and contracts to the university were put under review earlier this week.

The demands, communicated in a letter on Thursday, are the latest step in Donald Trumps unprecedented campaign to potentially cut billions from Ivy League universities in response to their alleged failure to combat antisemitism.

The letter, obtained by Harvards Crimson student paper, demands that Harvard cooperate with federal law enforcement, end diversity-based hiring and admissions practices, ban face masks, which were common among campus pro-Palestine protesters, and cooperate with federal law enforcement like the Department of Homeland Security, which has carried out arrests of immigrant activists on campus.

Officials from the General Services Administration and the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services also alleged in the letter that Harvard had failed to protect American students and faculty from antisemitic violence and harassment, and called for direct changes to the elite universitys academic culture.

Programs and departments that fuel antisemitic harassment must be reviewed and necessary changes made to address bias, improve viewpoint diversity, and end ideological capture, the message reads.

Federal officials accuse Harvard of allowing antisemitism during widespread pro-Palestine protests in recent years ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Harvard received the letter from the federal task force Thursday afternoon, a university spokesperson told The Independent.

In a letter to the Harvard community this week, university president Alan Garber insisted Harvard was committed to combating antisemitism and warned that cutting off funds would halt life-saving research and imperil important scientific research and innovation.

The threat from the Trump administration, which mirrors similar demands on Columbia, Brown, and Princeton, was met with mixed responses and protests on campus.

Kirsten Weld, a Harvard history professor and president of the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors, told the Associated Press the demands were a dominance test.

If Harvard, the wealthiest university on the planet, accedes to these demands, the task force wont go away  it will simply return with additional demands, just like a schoolyard bully, Weld said. Harvard must contest this patently unlawful attack in the courts.

Alexander Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Harvard student suing the school for antisemitism, said the changes wouldnt be necessary if the university took antisemitism seriously during widespread campus encampment protests that followed the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

Given that the expenditure of American taxpayer funds is an expression of values, we are brought to the inevitable conclusion that if Harvard insists on discriminating against a student group on campus, then they have forfeited their right to the privilege of receiving American taxpayer money, he wrote in a Crimson opinion piece.

Jacob Miller, former president of the campuss Hillel group in 2023, argued in a separate piece in the paper that the threats were not genuinely about stopping antisemitism.

The expansive nature of these billion-dollar cuts suggest Trumps interest is not narrowly fighting antisemitism on campus, but rather neutering universities and their ability to conduct research, he wrote. Institutions of higher learning are cornerstones of liberal democracies and act as bulwarks against authoritarianism. It is telling that Trumps team wants them demolished.

The letter comes at a time of heightened pressure on elite U.S. universities from the Trump administration, which has warned at least 60 colleges and universities they could face repercussions as the Department of Education investigates antisemitism.

Last week, Columbia interim president Katina Armstrong stepped down, after the school agreed to a similar list of Trump demands in order to win back potential access to $400 million in federal funding.

At the same time as the administration has frozen university finances, it has conducted multiple controversial immigration arrests of students and recent graduates involved in various degrees of pro-Palestine activism, including Mahmoud Khalil, who led negotiations between faculty and protesters at Columbia, and Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University who wrote an op-ed criticizing Israel.

Others, like Cornell PhD Momodou Taal, who was suing the Trump administration over its executive orders on non-citizens and antisemitism, have chosen to self-deport rather than face arrest.
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A former Trump administration official and ex-CIA agent has revealed why he believes current Cabinet members used the publicly available app Signal to discuss Yemen attack plans, rather than a more secure system.

Kevin Carroll, who previously served under President Donald Trump in his first term and as a CIA officer, wrote an op-ed for The Guardian arguing National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other administration officials use Signal to ensure their communication isnt discoverable in legal battles or subject to information requests.

I believe the reason these officials risk interacting in this way is to prevent their communications from being preserved as required by the Presidential Records Act, and avoid them being discoverable in litigation, or subject to a subpoena or Freedom of Information Act request, Carroll writes.

Waltz mistakenly added The Atlantics editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a group chat on Signal last month that was used to discuss White House plans to strike Houthi targets in Yemen.

Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and several other administration officials were also in the chat. Hegseth sent detailed information about planned U.S. strikes using the non-secure app, including the times of expected attacks.

National Security Advisor Mike Waltz mistakenly added a reporter to a group chat discussing U.S. attack plans against Houthi targets in Yemen ( Getty Images )

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has claimed Signal is an approved app for government use, while Trump has said the incident is not a big deal.

This case has been closed here at the White House as far as we are concerned, she said this week.

But Carroll argues the administrations use of Signal to discuss these plans has put lives at risk.

Loose talk on insecure phones about a coming operation jeopardizes the lives of US sailors and marines standing watch on warships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, naval aviators flying over the beach towards the target, and likely special operators, intelligence officers and human sources working in the shadows on the ground, he wrote.

The Pentagons acting inspector general said Thursday hes reviewing Hegseths use of the Signal messaging app. He will also look at other defense officials' use of the app, which isnt able to handle classified information and isnt part of the Department of Defenses secure communications network.
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Almost no countries were spared from President Donald Trumps sweeping tariffs; even small, uninhabited islands in the Indian Ocean were included in the exhaustive list. But one country was notably missing: Russia.

One of the United States largest adversaries was omitted from the list of countries slapped with even the 10 percent baseline tariff  a move that raised some eyebrows given Trumps previously friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But other countries, including the uninhabited Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, which have a population of 59 and Svalbard and Jan Mayen, islands in the Arctic Circle with approximately 2,000 people, were hit with tariffs.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday that Russia was exempt because the U.S. doesnt trade with them under heavy sanctions placed on the country after it invaded Ukraine in 2022.

open image in gallery Noticeably missing from the list of countries slapped with a minimum 10 percent tariff is Russia ( Getty Images )

However, the U.S. Trade Office indicates the U.S. does some trade with Russia, though significantly less than it did. Last year, the total goods trade with Russia was $3.5 billion.

Most of Russias exports to the U.S. are radioactive chemicals, nitrogenous fertilizers and platinum. They are the second-largest exporter of fertilizer to the U.S.

That number is still higher than the number of imports from other countries hit with tariffs such as Fiji, Paraguay or Albania.

Bessent reminded people that other countries the U.S. has heavily sanctioned, including Belarus, Cuba and North Korea, were also excluded from the tariffs.

open image in gallery Trump has threatened additional tariffs on Russia if a peace deal isnt agreed. ( REUTERS )

Trump may have left Russia off the list as some reprieve while he seeks to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Russia did ask the U.S. to lift some of those sanction during the stalled peace talks. However, president recently threatened to impose tariffs on buyers of Russian oil if Putin fails to agree to a ceasefire deal.

If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russias fault  which it might not be  but 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 during an NBC interview.

That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you cant do business in the United States, he added. There will be a 25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios that Russia could still face additional strong sanctions.

Meanwhile, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal announced new legislation on Tuesday that would slap 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium or other products. The extreme measures are an attempt to get Russia to engage in good faith negotiations, according to the Daily Mail.

Other countries left off Trumps tariff list are Canada and Mexico, the U.S.s largest trading partners. Trump has already implemented tariffs on both countries for what he claims is their lack of attention to preventing fentanyl from being trafficked across the borders.
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President Donald Trump announced wide-reaching tariffs against many U.S. trade partners on Wednesday  but the list inexplicably includes a series of uninhabited islands near Antarctica.

The Trump administration has placed a 10 percent reciprocal tariff on the Heard and McDonald Islands, which are external territories of Australia near Antarctica, home to penguins, seals and glaciers.

The islands are entirely uninhabited by humans and only accessible via a two-week voyage from Perth via a boat.

Nowhere on Earth is safe, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Thursday.

The White House did not immediately respond to The Independents request for information on why Trump chose to target uninhabited islands.

open image in gallery Penguins stand on Heard Island, an uninhabited Australian territory that President Donald Trump has targeted with tariffs ( AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC DIVISION/AF )

Norfolk Island, a tiny volcanic outcrop in the South Pacific, also found itself on Trumps list.

The move has left the islands 2,188 residents scratching their heads, a mixture of amusement and bewilderment rippling through the community.

For Richard Cottle, owner of a local concrete-mixing business, the explanation is simple: "It was just a mistake."

The island, located roughly 600 miles off eastern Australia, boasts a limited export trade, primarily Kentia palm seeds, the value of which falls well below $1million annually, and mostly shipped to Europe.

open image in gallery Australian PM Anthony Albanese was bemused by Norfolk Islands tariff ( EPA )

"Norfolk Island is a little dot in the world," Cottle explained. "We don't export anything."

The island's inclusion on the list of territories subject to the tariff, alongside major global economies, highlights the seemingly indiscriminate nature of the new trade measures. Dozens of other small territories, similarly lacking significant manufacturing or export industries, also found themselves unexpectedly targeted.

Some, like the Heard and McDonald Islands in the Antarctic, which like Norfolk Island is overseen by Australia, did not even have human inhabitants. No matter - as of Thursday, they faced a 10 per cent tariff for exports to the U.S.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, on the campaign trail ahead of an election in a month, told the media his country did better than most with a tariff of 10 per cent - half of what the EU was hit with and one-third of what China got - but he had no explanation for Norfolk Island.

"Last time I looked, Norfolk Island was a part of Australia," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. The separate, higher tariff "was somewhat unexpected and a bit strange", he added.

open image in gallery Norfolk Island has a population of just 2,188 ( AFP via Getty Images )

According to U.S. government data, the U.S. has recorded trade deficits with Norfolk Island for the past three years. The island exported $300,000 worth of goods to the U.S. in 2022, $700,000 in 2023 and $200,000 in 2024. Its imports from the U.S. stayed at $100,000 in those years.

Norfolk Island's imports from the U.S. peaked at $11.7 million in 2020, when no exports were recorded. The data did not specify what goods were traded.

Other Norfolk Island business owners could think of no manufacturing industry on the island, and added that its main industry by far was tourism.

One pest control business owner, who asked not to be named, said that although they did not export to the U.S., they imported some rodent bait from the U.S. via Australia.

"Products from Norfolk Island are going to have a 29 per cent tariff? Well, there is no product, so it's not going to have an effect," said Gye Duncan, who owns a tax consultancy on the island.

"They probably don't even know where Norfolk Island is in the world. It's just probably an anomaly."
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Carlo Acutis, set to become the Catholic Churchs first millennial saint, is already drawing crowds of pilgrims to Assisi, Italy.

His remains, dressed casually in sneakers, jeans, and a sweatshirt, lie in a shrine, a testament to the uncommon devotion he inspires.

A canonisation Mass had previously been scheduled for 27 April in St Peters Square to formally recognise his sainthood.

However, following the death of Pope Francis on 21 April, plans to canonise Acutis have been postponed.

The Catholic Church is now preparing for the late pontiffs funeral on Saturday and subsequent conclave to choose his successor, which is not due to commence until at least 5 May after nine days of mourning.

The Holy See said in a statment: Following the death of the Supreme Pontiff Francis, it is announced that the Eucharistic Celebration and the Rite of canonisation of Blessed Carlo Acutis, scheduled to take place on 27 April 2025, Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday, on the occasion of the Jubilee of Teenagers, is suspended.

open image in gallery An image of Carlo Acutis is displayed during his beatification ceremony in 2020 ( AP )

But who was this teenager who has captured the hearts of so many?

Born in London on May 3, 1991, to a wealthy Italian family, Carlo spent his formative years in Milan.

His deep connection to his faith began early, after receiving his First Communion at seven years old. From then on, daily Mass, praying the rosary, and eucharistic adoration became integral parts of his life.

While he enjoyed typical teenage pursuits like hiking, video games, and spending time with friends, Carlo also dedicated himself to serving others.

open image in gallery Cardinal Agostino Vallini (L) holds a relic of 15-year-old Carlo ( AP )

He taught catechism at his local parish and actively worked with the homeless, demonstrating a profound commitment to his faith and community.

He used his computer savvy to create an online exhibit about more than 100 eucharistic miracles recognised by the church over many centuries, focused on the real presence of Christ that Catholics believe is in the consecrated bread and wine.

In October 2006, at age 15, he fell ill. Ten days later, he died of acute leukaemia at a hospital in northern Italy.

His body was later transferred to an Assisi cemetery as Acutis had asked, because of his devotion to the hometown medieval saint, St. Francis.

open image in gallery Statuettes of Carlo on sale in Assisi ( AP )

Why is Carlo Acutis about to become a saint?

His road to sainthood  the canonisation process  started more than 10 years ago at the initiative of a group of priests and friends, and formally took off shortly after Pope Francis began his papacy in 2013.

Carlo was named venerable in 2018 after the church recognised his virtuous life, and his body was taken to a shrine in Assisis Santuario della Spogliazione, a major site linked to St. Francis' life.

He was then declared blessed in 2020 after the Vatican dicastery that studies sainthood processes recognized a miraculous healing through Carlos intercession  a child in Brazil who recovered in a scientifically inexplainable manner.

In 2024, the church paved his way to sainthood by attributing to him a second miracle: the complete healing of a Costa Rican student in Italy from major head trauma in a bicycle accident after her mother prayed at Carlos tomb.

open image in gallery Amelia Simone, an 18 year-old student from Chicago, poses with a picture of Carlo ( AP )

How popular is Carlo, the first millennial saint?

The Rev. Domenico Sorrentino, Assisi's bishop, said that over the last year, a million pilgrims made their way to Carlos shrine in this medieval hilltop town in central Italy.

Images of Carlo, usually portraying him with a backpack and smiling broadly, are in shops all over town, from pocket-sized cards to statuettes. A religious souvenir shop near the Vatican recently displayed in its window a near-life-sized statue of the teenager next to one of Mother Teresa of Kolkata.

To many pilgrims, the draw is his relatability as a teen of this time.

Its amazing this saint, a young person  we can propose him to our people to imitate because everybody can be a saint, said Rev. Jacinto Bento, a Portuguese priest who was leading a group of 30 jubilee pilgrims from the Azores islands to Assisi earlier this month.

The same day, Tomaso Barbon of Treviso, in northern Italy, was visiting the shrine with his wife and three children, two of them teens.

He appears like one of our kids, Mr Barbon said of Carlo. A special prayer to him is really welcome.
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British and French military chiefs have met their counterparts in Ukraine to discuss how Sir Keir Starmers coalition of the willing can build on the formidable capabilities of the Ukrainian army.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the chief of the UK defence staff, was in Kyiv this week for talks on the structure, size and make-up of the Ukraine force, in the event of a peace deal between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.

Sir Tony said: The UK is ironclad in our support for Ukraine, which is why were stepping up for a just and lasting peace.

Our meetings looked at how we can build on the formidable capabilities of the Ukrainian army and put them in the strongest possible position to deter Russian aggression.

open image in gallery Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin (Andrew Matthews/PA) ( PA Archive )

I am encouraged by the strength of unity weve seen between our European and international allies.

Defence secretary John Healey will host counterparts in a 30-strong coalition of the willing meeting in Brussels next week. The group was convened by the UK prime minister and French president Emmanuel Macron to bolster support for Ukraine against Russia.

Sir Keir and Mr Macron, spoke on Saturday and agreed good progress had been made during the week by the coalition of the willing.

open image in gallery Keir Starmer welcomes French president Emmanuel Macron (PA) ( PA Wire )

Talks will now focus on the next stages of planning to assemble a force capable of deterring future Russian aggression in Ukraine once a ceasefire is in place.

Mr Healey said: Our coalition of nations, working at pace and willing to stand with Ukraine for the long-term, is a stark contrast to Russia who stand alone with only North Korea for a friend.

As Putin prevaricates over a ceasefire, we will continue to ramp up our military planning, exploring the air, sea and land forces that could support a lasting peace in Ukraine.

However, we will not jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the war.

Mr Healey also vowed a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, including around 50 nations, next week will see allies boost the military support being sent to Kyiv to put them in the strongest possible position as they fight back brutal continuing Russian attacks.
 Close Zelensky condemns Russian strikes on hometown: Diplomacy means nothing to them

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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.
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Join us as world affairs editor Sam Kiley sits down with former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger and Dr Rachel Ellehuus, director-general of The Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) and former Pentagon official, to explore the shifting global security landscape.

In this debut episode of The Conversation, The Independents new expert-led discussion series, our panel unpacks the fast-changing global security landscape in a discussion entitled Shifting Alliances.

They delve into the strategic importance of Russias actions in Ukraine, Natos future, and whether Europe has the strength and resolve to face the Russian challenge.

During the panel, former MI6 chief Sir Alex warned Britain must rearm and rebuild its reserves  potentially through national service  to face the growing threat from Russia and the destabilising influence of leaders like Putin and Trump.

Alongside Dr Ellehuus, he highlighted how Trumps shift in US strategic priorities has shaken European security, emboldened Putin, and increased unconventional Russian attacks across Europe.

Watch the full panel below.

Full Video: Watch former MI6 chief and Rusi boss discuss Russia, Trump and the future of the West

The panel

Chair: Sam Kiley

open image in gallery Sam Kiley chaired the discussion ( The Independent )

Sam Kiley is The Independents world affairs editor, bringing over three decades of experience covering global conflicts and major crises. He has reported on the Somali famine, the Rwandan genocide, and wars across the Balkans, Africa, Palestine, Ukraine, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Before joining The Independent, he spent six years as senior international correspondent for CNN in Abu Dhabi and seven years at Sky News, covering conflict and security. His career began in 1990 with The Sunday Times, followed by roles at The Times, Evening Standard, and Channel 4s Dispatches, before moving to Sky News in 2010 as foreign affairs editor.

Speaker: Sir Alex Younger

open image in gallery Sir Alex Younger, former MI6 chief, has a career in intelligence stretching back 30 years ( The Independent )

Sir Alex Younger was for 30 years a career intelligence officer in Britains Secret Intelligence Service, MI6. He served in Europe, the Middle East and Afghanistan. He was appointed as director of counter terrorism in 2009, and as chief from 2014 to 2020.

Prior to MI6, Alex served in the British Army as an infantry officer.

Speaker: Rachel Ellehuus

open image in gallery Rachel Ellehuus is the director-general of Rusi ( The Independent )

Rachel Ellehuus is the director-general of Rusi. She joined after nearly three years at Nato as the US Secretary of Defense Representative in Europe and Defence Adviser to the US Mission to Nato.

Previously, she was deputy director of the Europe and Eurasia Programme at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a senior adviser at WestExec Advisors, and held multiple roles at the US Department of Defense, including acting deputy assistant secretary for European and Nato policy. She also worked on the UKs 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review during an exchange at the Ministry of Defence.
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
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Massage pillows, fake cosmetics and sex toys. Throw in some crude homemade explosives. Add a Russian known as Warrior. One code word: Mary.

These are among the elements of a bizarre suspected Russian-run sabotage plot.

It saw three parcels being detonated at courier depots in Britain, Germany and Poland last summer, an insider with knowledge of the Polish investigation told Reuters.

The pillows, packed into the parcels with the cosmetics and sex toys, contained hidden homemade incendiary devices.

They were made of a cocktail of chemicals including the highly reactive magnesium, according to the source.

The chemicals were ignited by pre-timed detonators adapted from cheap Chinese electronic gadgets used to track items like lost keys.

open image in gallery It is thought the parcels were a dry run for a future plot to detonate similar packages in midair on cargo flights to the United States and Canada ( Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

The effect was enhanced by the tubes of what looked like cosmetics... but in fact contained a gel made of flammable compounds including nitromethane, according to the source.

"The proceedings in this case concern criminal activities inspired by Russia's GRU," this person said, referring to Moscow's foreign military intelligence agency.

Reuters is reporting the details of the investigation for the first time, drawing on the account provided by the source close to the Polish case as well as interviews with more than a dozen European security officials. The findings provide a rare insight into how sabotage campaigns play out on the ground.

European security chiefs made the parcel fires public in October, describing them as part of a "hybrid war" being waged by Russia to destabilize the functioning of countries that support Ukraine, involving tactics like arson and cyberattacks.

They said the parcels - which caught alight in warehouses, causing fires but not hurting anyone - were a dry run for a future Russian plot to detonate similar packages in midair on cargo flights to the United States and Canada.

"With the war in Ukraine, these attacks have intensified, they became more frequent, more assertive," said Nicu Popescu, Moldova's deputy prime minister and foreign secretary until early last year and now distinguished policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations think-tank.

"Of course, this poses a risk to people, to citizens across the European Union."

The Kremlin rejected the accusation of Russia having a hand in the fires. "We know nothing about it," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters. "We do not rule out that this is just more fake news or a manifestation of blind Russophobia."

The Kremlin said European allegations of a Russian sabotage or hybrid campaign were wholly unsubstantiated.

The GRU didn't respond to a request for comment.

The package detonations took place on July 19, 20 and 21 in the British city Birmingham, Leipzig in Germany and near the Polish capital Warsaw.

Two EU security officials with knowledge of alleged attacks, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive information, said the Polish cell was typical of Russian intelligence's methods. Russian handlers often recruit local criminals to carry out their plans, the officials added, giving them basic instructions via Telegram and paying each operative up to a few thousand euros per job.

The ingredients and igniters detailed in the case are widely available in stores selling products like fertiliser inputs and pyrotechnics, said Jaroslaw Stelmach, a former bomb-disposal specialist who runs the Safety Project, a consultancy that advises on the security of public buildings among other things.

While the small, crude devices might only be able to cause a small fire, they could be difficult to detect, he told Reuters. "This is an extremely cheap, very effective, highly anonymous method of producing explosive devices," he added.

Warrior, Mary and a fourth parcel

The Polish prosecution case is based on testimony from at least five suspected members of the alleged sabotage cell as well as the classified findings of security services, according to the person with knowledge of the investigation.

The national prosecutor's office told Reuters that investigators had also seized a fourth parcel that failed to explode at a Warsaw depot, allowing them to examine the contents intact.

Polish investigators allege a Ukrainian named Vladyslav D who lived in southern Poland played a key role in the European dry run, acting on instructions he received on Telegram from a GRU handler whom he knew only as "Warrior", the source said.

Polish law doesn't allow the public disclosure of the surnames of people facing criminal charges. However, the suspect's full name - Vladyslav Derkavets - was publicly disclosed in a related court case in Bosnia, where there are no identification restrictions, in which another suspected member of the alleged parcels plot faced extradition to Poland.

On July 18, Vladyslav drove an Opel Astra from his home in Katowice across the border to the Lithuanian city of Kaunas where he collected more than a dozen items from the trunk of a parked car, according to the person close to the Polish prosecution case.

The 27-year-old drove on to Lithuania's capital Vilnius where he boxed up four packages, each with a pillow plus a few of the cosmetics tubes and sex toys. Before sealing them, he pressed two buttons to activate pre-timed detonation mechanisms, according to the source who said the gadgets were of a type that allowed users to set trigger times from a few seconds to months ahead.

On July 19, he handed the parcels over to a man in a park in Vilnius who used the code word "Mary", the person said. The packages were posted on the same day from the city, they added.

Vladyslav was arrested in Poland in early August and charged with performing terrorist acts on behalf of Russian intelligence. In January, a Warsaw court extended his detention near the capital until May while the investigation continues.

Reuters was unable to contact Vladyslav in detention and his court-appointed lawyer said he couldn't comment given his lack of knowledge of the details of the investigation, which is at a pre-trial stage.

The national prosecutor's office told Reuters that the suspect denied both the charges levelled at him including working for a foreign intelligence agency, and provided "extensive explanations" for his actions which the office said it was unable to disclose because of investigation confidentiality.

When questioned after his arrest, Vladyslav told investigators he had been introduced to Warrior by a friend and that they only communicated over Telegram, the source familiar with the investigation said.

Polish prosecutors accuse another man, 44-year-old Alexander B, of being part of the same Polish cell as Vladyslav. His task, they say, involved preparing the way for targeting the North American-bound cargo planes by organising for packages of sneakers and clothes to be sent from Warsaw to Washington and Ottawa to gather information about parcel-processing methods and timing.

Alexander was the suspect Polish authorities sought to extradite from Bosnia, where he was publicly named in full as Alexander Bezrukavyi, a Russian national from Rostov-on-Don. He told a hearing in Bosnian capital Sarajevo in January that he had no part or knowledge of any plot to target depots or cargo planes.

Bezrukavyi lost his extradition battle and was extradited to Poland in February. Reuters was unable to contact him in detention or reach a lawyer acting for him. He has denied the charges levelled against him including working for a foreign intelligence agency, according to the person familiar with the Polish investigation.
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A British backpacker detained in the US for nearly three weeks has admitted she was "naive" to believe she would be unaffected by Donald Trumps immigration crackdown.

Rebecca Burke, a 28-year-old graphic artist from Monmouthshire, South Wales, was refused entry to Canada from Washington state, where she planned to stay with a host family, exchanging domestic work for accommodation.

She was informed she should have applied for a working visa, not a tourist visa.

Ms Burke told The Guardian she had been unconcerned about leaving the US before her 19-day detention.

open image in gallery Canadian authorities told her to go back to the US and fill in new paperwork ( PA )

I was worried on their (people being detained at the border) behalf  an abstract worry and concern for others  rather than for myself, she told The Guardian.

Because, I thought, Im getting out of here.

She added: I was naive to think that what was going on in the world, or at the border, wouldnt affect me.

Ms Burke had previously been staying with a host family in Portland, Oregon, under a similar arrangement after spending some time sightseeing in New York City, where she first arrived from the UK at the start of the year.

Canadian authorities told her to go back to the US and fill in new paperwork before returning to cross into Canada.

However, when she tried to re-enter the US, she was handcuffed and put in a cell before being taken to Tacoma Northwest detention facility in Washington state.

She said: I heard the door lock, and I instantly threw up.

Ms Burke said after she arrived at the facility, she was taken to a dorm which she shared with dozens of other women.

Most of them were asylum seekers, she told The Guardian.

But there was this handful of new people who had come in recently who did not know why they were here.

Her father Paul Burke first contacted the Foreign Office in the UK and then decided to go the British press.

Just over a week after widespread media coverage of Ms Burkes story, she was released.

I was aware that it was from a major position of privilege that the press listened to this story, Ms Burke said.

I was a British tourist, I had these images of my trip on Instagram, and I had contacts with journalists, so I was very lucky. And I wanted the same thing that Ice wanted, which was for me to go home.

Ms Burke said: Maybe border security have been pressured to prove theyre stepping up. It did feel like they wanted to get me from the moment I was walked to the American side.

She has joined her father in warning tourists over plans to visit the US.

Mr Burke previously said: Even with someone so careful, she was in detention for 19 days.

If you are going to the US for anything other than a standard holiday, I would write to the US embassy, tell them what visas you think you need and get them to write back to confirm yes or no, and then carry that letter with you.

Ms Burke warned people not to go at all.

First, because of the danger of what could happen to you, she said. And, secondly, do you really want to give your money to this country right now?
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More than 250 passengers on a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Mumbai reached India on Friday evening after being stranded at a remote military airport in Turkey for nearly 40 hours, sparking distress calls on social media.

The passengers have called out the airline for keeping them in inhumane and awful situations for two days at an airport with limited facilities and without adequate food and essential supplies.

Virgin Atlantic flight VS358 departed Londons Heathrow airport at 11.40am BST on 2 April and was scheduled to land in Mumbai at 8.10pm BST.

However, the plane made an unscheduled landing at the Diyarbakr airport in Turkey at around 5pm BST due to a medical emergency onboard.

The VS358 flight from London Heathrow to Mumbai on 2nd April was cancelled due to an urgent medical diversion to Diyarbakir airport in Turkey and subsequent technical inspections required," Virgin Atlantic said.

The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority and we apologise for the inconvenience caused.

After the emergency landing, the Airbus A350-1000 aircraft encountered a technical issue as it had made a "hard landing" and was deemed unfit to fly.

The passengers stranded at the airport said they were not given any information about completing their journey to India.

The airline said the flight would resume its onward journey to Mumbai from Diyarbakr at 10am BST on Friday.

With the necessary technical approvals now in place, we will continue flight VS1358 from Diyarbakr Airport at approximately 12:00 local time on Friday 4th April, arriving in Mumbai at approximately 20:30 local, it said.

Officials later confirmed the flight landed in Mumbai on late Friday evening.

Many passengers expressed frustration and distress over the situation on social media and said they were being confined to a restricted area of the airport with limited facilities.

My family along with 250+ passengers have been inhumanely treated by @virginatlantic, a passenger named Hanuman Dass said on X.

It's now been 30 hours since @VirginAtlantic flight left London and we are appalled at the lack of humanity and treatment of #Indian and #British citizens. My wife and kids have one pillow between 3 people and no blankets and have been sat in a confined space with 300 people.

Another passenger said there was just one toilet for hundreds of people, no adequate food and no supplies like blankets or pillows.

Preeti Sharma Menon, a politician from Mumbai who was on the flight, said there were pregnant women and elderly people among the stranded passengers.

"Its been 24 hours and not a single airline representative has met the passengers, she said. They have barely any food, one toilet amongst 275 pax, phones running out of batteries as they dont have Turkish adapters. There are babies, pregnant women, diabetics and old people in this ordeal.

She aded that pressure from passengers, Indian authorities and media finally got Virgin Atlantic officials to "rescue" passengers stranded.

Later, on Thursday night, she said they were being moved to a hotel.

Virgin Atlantic said the majority of our customers were provided with overnight hotel accommodation ahead of their onward journey today. According to news outlet News18, Virgin Atlantic arranged hotel accommodations for passengers and stated it was working toward a solution to allow customers to continue their journey to Mumbai on 4 April.

Wed like to sincerely apologise for the delay and any inconvenience caused.

The Indian embassy in Turkey said it was in touch with the airline, the Diyarbakir airport directorate and the Turkish foreign ministry.

"Through the missions coordination, appropriate care is being extended to the passengers, the embassy said on X. We are in discussion with the related authorities for the early resolution of the issue and the arrangement of an alternate flight to Mumbai for the stranded passengers."
Former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger told The Independents Sam Kiley that Vladimir Putin lacks rationality unless in a permanent state of antagonism, offering Russia only security. This remark comes just months after the third anniversary of Russias unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

What does Putin have to offer the Russian people really? He offers them security, Sir Alex said. What you need in that environment though, is a threat, particularly when you have no other offer.

He added, Putin doesnt have a rationale unless hes in a permanent state of antagonism, specifically with Europe.

This statement follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys remarks that Putin is not seeking a ceasefire after one of Moscows deadliest attacks of the year.
A school building where displaced Palestinian families were sheltering in Gaza City was reduced to rubble following an Israeli strike on Thursday, 3 April.

At least 27 people including women and children were killed in the strike, according to Gaza health authorities.

Israel's military said the Dar Al-Arqam school building in the Tuffah neighbourhood was used as a command and control centre by Hamas militants and accused the fighters of deliberately using civilian infrastructure as bases.

Hamas denies that it operates among civilians.
The Brexit drums are beating again. Donald Trumps decision to lessen the UKs tariffs versus the EU is being hailed as proof of Brexit success. You see, we were smart to put distance between ourselves and Europe, look at this dividend.

Not only does that analysis ignore the fact that back then this customs onslaught and with it, more favourable treatment for Britain, was not even the subject of speculation, it chooses to ignore the preceding years of harm.

It also pays no attention to the ongoing simple truth that most businesses would still prefer to see a Britain able to exploit the free movement of goods and people with its neighbours. They miss the EU and theyve struggled to substitute the lost trade and skilled workers. They have also had to contend with stifling red tape and delays on top of their other burdens.

All of this seems to pass the Brexiteers by. As does the fact that the City, a linchpin in our economy, is wilting as bankers and traders decamp to desks in the EU. Their current preference? Milan.

Not London, not anymore. For five decades, the UK capital basked in its position as the geographic and economic springboard for companies seeking an entry into the EU. Those heady days have gone.

Still, Trump has come up, well, trumps. There is though another connection between his tariffs blast and Brexit. The entire Trump ethos is based on the past, on the idea that America can be made great again, that US manufacturing can be reborn.

It owes much to the boy in New York who grew up in a period when America really was booming and leading the world. They were American limousines that prowled the streets, American brands that sat atop the Manhattan towers. Then, those vehicles were replaced by cheaper, better models from Europe and Asia, from Germany and Japan  countries that had previously been wrecked by war and benefited from US financial largesse. Those sky-high domestic names became foreign. Bit by bit American might and majesty waned.

In real estate, the self-styled arch-negotiator, found himself losing out to overseas investors. They had the money, they called the shots. That rankled. The Art of the Deal author saw America retreating and reduced.

Put like this, Trumps credo has a familiar ring. On this side of the Pond, we were told over and over how Britain had also lost its power, its independence, that our historic, hard-won hegemony had been subjugated to Brussels. The argument had an imperial flavour. Leaving would make Britain great again.

Trump believes he has put America in charge of its own destiny. That was the declared aim of Brexit, to take back control.

Hes presented his move as reacting to a National Emergency. That also bears echoes. Anyone reading the adverts on the side of London buses during the Referendum campaign would be entitled to be baffled by the claims made. The UK, the nation that for years stood alone against Nazi tyranny was apparently now seeing cash draining away, taken by those very countries which it once so bravely defended. Compare that with the messages to Europe from Trump and JD Vance these past few months and you wonder if theyve not been studying the Brexit playbook.

The NHS was not being starved of resources as the Europhobes claimed, but it did the trick. Today, Trump is proclaiming America has been raped and pillaged by the EU.

Boris Johnson led the official Vote Leave campaign bus in the Brexit referendum (Stefan Rousseau/PA) ( PA Archive )

Just as the UK economy was in good shape prior to Brexit, so too was that of the US before his tariffs attack. The Remainers did a poor job of fighting their corner; arguably, Trumps predecessor was equally lacklustre at pointing up his achievements. The Brexiteers filled the vacuum; Trump marched in and stole the Democrats ground.

The then UK government displayed a weak grasp of place and workings of the economy  famously Dominic Raab did not know the vital role played by the Dover-Calais route. Trump and his supporters are showing a not dissimilar lack of knowledge in failing to understand the joined-up, inter-dependent nature of world trade, how those US products rely on imported parts and materials.

Prices rose in the UK post-Brexit and items were in short supply. America can expect the same.

There was the prospect here of British factories and workers stepping up. It has not happened. Trump is looking to his plants and citizens to replace what has been lost. We wait to see whether they do.

All because the principal architects have a sepia-tinted view of the past. They fail to realise that the life they remember and the one they read about, gloried in books and stories, had changed. Britain no longer ran anything but was an isolated island; other nations did not rush to do trade deals with us. The US no longer dominates; others may get along fine without it.

Maybe Britain will now, finally, reap that promised Brexit bonanza. Let us hope so, but it will have to go some distance to recovering what was lost. Americans may also soon find themselves scratching their heads and wondering what have we done? For tariffs read Brexit, and not in a positive way.

Far from being Brexits moment as its proponents insist, this could well be Trumps Brexit moment which has a different connotation altogether.
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A tsunami warning was canceled for Papua New Guinea after a strong magnitude 6.9 earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey.

The quake was shallow, striking the Pacific island nation at a depth of 10km (6 miles) on Saturday morning local time. It was centred offshore, 194km (120 miles) east of the town of Kimbe, on the island of New Britain.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later called off an alert issued immediately after the jolt that warned of waves of 1 to 3 meters along some parts of the Papua New Guinea coastline. A caution about smaller waves of 0.3m issued for nearby Solomon Islands was also called off.

There were no immediate reports of damage. Just over 500,000 people live on the island of New Britain.

Australias Bureau of Meteorology said there was no tsunami threat to the country, which is Papua New Guineas closest neighbour. No warning was issued for New Zealand.

Papua New Guinea sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where much of the worlds earthquake and volcanic activity occurs.
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
The new trailer for the latest Tron film, fronted by Jared Leto, sees the game programme appear to invade the real world in the first look.

Tron: Ares, which sees the return of original Tron cast member Jeff Bridges, is helmed by Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil director Joachim Ronning.

The original Disney story followed video game developer Kevin Flynn (Bridges), who is inadvertently zapped into a brutal digital universe where he is forced to compete in gladiatorial game in a computer programme called the Grid.

The teaser, released on Friday, opens with a voiceover of police officers tracing a suspect across an American cityscape, before the red light cycles of Tron cars come in to frame.

They slice a police car in half, and later terrified bystanders look up at the sky, as The X Files and Sex Education star Gillian Anderson looks anxiously out of a window while wearing a grey suit.

Text also appears on screen promising that worlds will collide, when the film is released in cinemas on October 10.

Oscar winner Leto, 53, known for Dallas Buyers Club, Morbius and Suicide Squad  along with fronting the band Thirty Seconds to Mars, then shows up as a person being generated into the real world by technology.

The trailer ends with explosions in the sky, and Greta Lee, who featured in the Oscar-nominated movie Past Lives, looking up.

Last year at Disneys fan convention D23, Leto revealed that he plays Ares, master control of the Dillinger Grid, a programme whos looking for a way to make the real world his own permanently.

Jeff Bridges (Ian West/PA)

Also in the cast is American Horror Story actor Evan Peters.

Peters plays Julian Dillinger, who shares a last name with the villain of the first Tron film, while Lee said she is playing a human character in the film, named Eve Kim.

Shes a brilliant programmer whose greatest work provides a path for Ares to come into her own world, Lee said.

US rock band Nine Inch Nails are scoring the film.

Oscar winner Bridges previously reprised the role in 2010 in the sequel Tron: Legacy, which featured American actress Olivia Wilde, and Welsh actor Michael Sheen.
A man who hurled despicable racial abuse at a garda and had to be removed from a hospital for his drunken behaviour there has been jailed for seven months.

A judge said it was no wonder people are terrified of going to hospital because they were afraid of meeting people like Thomas Stokes, whose conduct towards gardai was also outrageous.
Coolock feud exposed: Trial reveals how Dublins underworld erupted into deadly violence

Shooting of Jordan Davis as he pushed son in pram was one of five killings in just a few months

Coolock feud

Robin Schiller and Alison ORiordan Sat 5 Apr 2025 at 03:30

A trial has lifted the lid on a gangland feud that claimed five lives in only a few months in 2019. One particular incident of drug-debt intimidation involving two criminals and their debtor ended with two men being shot dead 36 hours apart and the other serving a 20-year jail term.
Ireland is expecting moderate interim EU tariffs on US goods next week, coupled with an offer of negotiations, after China opted to meet fire with fire.

Chinese president Xi Jinping announced 34pc retaliatory tariffs that incensed US president Donald Trump, perhaps opening the door to the EU to attempt a softer initial response and a call for talks.

Irish employers and unions yesterday emphasised the seriousness of situation in a consultation with the Government  and were told of the Coalitions "intense focus on finding a negotiated solution".

But Tanaiste Simon Harris said after a meeting of the Governments new consultative Trade Forum  at which Ibec predicted short-time working from this weekend and further lay offs later  that Ireland had to be ready for escalations.

"I have to be honest  I do expect measures on pharma to follow," Mr Harris said, calling instead for "talks, not tariffs".

The EU wanted to negotiate and de-escalate, he said, but admitted there was a chance of further Trump impositions.

It also has to be a working assumption that US tariffs are here to stay, Mr Harris said.

There is a fundamental shift in the global trading environment. The Government stands ready to support businesses and to assist workers, he added.

This came after Ibec criticised a lack of "oven-ready supports, even though Covid-style measures may yet be called on.

Ibec chief executive Danny McCoy warned after the meeting: "If demand is likely to dry up, then you have an excess supply of both product and workers."

He predicted the staffing cutbacks "because the impact on demand for products, and for people that are selling them, will be immediate".

As a result, there would be short-time working from this weekend, he said, because of the expected slowdown for "fast-moving consumer goods, like our drinks industry, for instance".

Mr Harris said: "We continue to monitor the situation in terms of the impact on the Irish economy on a very regular basis. I think we have to take the Trump administration at its word. I do expect measures on pharma to follow."

He insisted Ireland had employment supports in place, and others that could be deployed as the situation demanded.

"There's the short-term employment, ensuring people can access supports if put on reduced hours. I said at the Trade Forum that Government stands ready to assist business and workers."

Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers at Government Buildings for the Governments Trade Forum. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins

He also said he was satisfied that other EU member states would be cognisant of Ireland's exposed position when counter-measures are approved.

The EU retaliation is expected to be agreed at a meeting of trade ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, with different sets of options already drawn up.

Meanwhile, Siptu has called for a taskforce to protect thousands of jobs such as in the medical devices industry.

Siptu spokesman Neil McGowan said the sector was "a significant employer", with many manufacturing facilities along the Atlantic coast that were crucial to the local economy.

While much attention has been paid to pharma, this threat is now a reality for the over 7,000 of our members producing medical devices, he said, calling for wage subsidy programmes to be rolled out.

Trump's tariff announcement has delivered a 'moment of chaos', says Simon Harris

Mr Harris said trade between the EU and US was worth 1.6tn annually and could not be replaced by EU free trade agreements with India or anyone else.

The Tanaiste said Mr Trump had campaigned on the high cost of living, and "I'm not sure how he can square the circle" of what his trade war would now do to consumer prices.

Mr Harris welcomed the strategic dialogues European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is to have with the pharma industry.

"I think the dialogue with the pharma sector is on Tuesday, and it also proves the point that it's not just Ireland when it comes to pharma, he said.

"It is a very big and important part of the European economy, and European and global supply chains."

Twelve EU countries have significant pharma industries, although Irelands has the largest links with the United States.

"There are a number of fundamental truths that remain the truth, regardless of the position of President Trump," Mr Harris said.

Some Irish locations had been a good home to US pharma for 70 years, he said.

"The pharma companies know Ireland well. The companies tell us of the positive experience they have. That's the reason they're here, he added.

"They have access to a market of 450 million consumers. For many of them, six out of 10 products are going to the European Union."

On the wider picture, Mr Harris said: "What we're going to do is control those things we can control. We can take a number of decisions in the days ahead to continue to boost our competitiveness and our productivity, and therefore make them an even more compelling offering."

He stressed again that Ireland now had full employment, budget surpluses and hundreds of millions stashed away in rainy-day funds.

"We will get through this," he said.
Ryanairs carbon pollution has risen again as new data shows the airlines greenhouse gas emissions exceeded 12 million tonnes last year.

The airline, which this week celebrated becoming the first European airline to fly 200 million passengers in a year, now has annual emissions equalling that of Cyprus and Malta combined.
Chinas decision to hit back at US president Donald Trumps tariffs means we are now heading towards a global trade war. Global wars are fought not between two protagonists but between multiple forces in many different places.

Until the announcement by Beijing that it would introduce 34pc tariffs on all US imports, it appeared America was taking on the rest of the world in trade terms. A fight it surely couldnt win.
After a year of uncharacteristic harmony, the DUP and Sinn Fein are falling back on what they know best: Tribal disputes. While they bicker, essential public services are unravelling  but a structural change to Northern Irelands government means this is now embedded in the system.The scale of Northern Irelands decline is overwhelming and ongoing. Unionists once looked down their noses on the south, seeing their society as superior both economically and culturally.
Applying coercive-control tactics to subdue the global economy ought to have been an over-reach, even for Donald Trump. If the US president was unable to check his zeal for America only dominion, his cabinet or his party ought to have interceded.

As markets plunge and world leaders grapple with a new global disorder, many business owners are already assuming crash positions. Far from setting the foundations for a great recovery, Mr Trump may be laying down a road to ruin, economists have suggested.

China has now entered the fray, and the collision between the worlds two biggest economic beasts will further destabilise nervous markets.

Discerning method or meaning from the wilful destruction of the world order almost seems futile.

Mr Trumps railing about the exploitation of American industry by foreign countries defies the facts. Some of his outlandish claims need to be challenged.

The tariff tower he has erected, far from being justified, is a repudiation of long-standing trade agreements with partners. As the Washington Post has pointed out: his insistence that the liberal trading system has wreaked havoc on the US economy, and unravelled its social fabric, is utterly deluded.

America was both the dynamo and the biggest winner in the post-World War II economic boom. Be that as it may, leaders must now calibrate their responses without adding to the consternation.

The markets are tumbling, with trillions being lost, so perhaps it is better to let them do the talking

But given the yo-yo like decision making that has characterised the first months of Mr Trumps presidency, that is a tall order. The ups and downs are playing havoc with investment plans and economic stability, despite Mr Trumps insistence to the contrary. The experiences of Mexico and Canada show that tariffs can be imposed, cancelled, delayed or ramped up again at the raising of an eyebrow.

So attempting genuine negotiations when the ground rules change with the wind will be challenging. European leaders must show solidarity. They do not want to be seen as pushovers. As European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.

But lashing out is not the answer. Better to double down on building new markets and new tapping strengths within the bloc, working closer together.

The markets are tumbling, with trillions being lost. So perhaps it is better to let them do the talking. Their verdict seems to suggest the tariffs are regarded somewhere between acts of self-sabotage and self-harm. The earthquake Mr Trump has set off will play havoc with supply chains, forcing countries to forge alternative trade relationships.

Far from attracting new industry, Mr Trumps gambit risks further isolating America from future business.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said the era of free trade may be coming to an end. Amid all the uncertainty about what to do next, one thing remains clear: history is a searing reminder that protectionism is the one sure way of making a bad situation worse.
Theres a measles outbreak currently ongoing in the US. Numbers are still small and its mainly in Texas, but doctors are worried that case numbers will continue to climb. Like in the days of Covid-19, the NBC TV channel is giving regular updates on numbers of cases.
Music

Longitude Festival 2025 in Marlay Park: Everything you need to know

With big names like David Guetta, 50 Cent, Belters Only and Sonny Fondera headlining, Longitude is going to be one of the major events in Dublin this summer.
Representing Kerry with pride, Kerry Education and Training Board Student Forum members Katie Stack, Emma OShea, David Hunt, and Gavin Dillon pictured at the ETBI Excellence Awards in Croke Park, where their peer-led vaping awareness campaign was highly commended. Also pictured are Ethos Coordinator Pat OSullivan, Chairperson of Kerry ETB, Norma Moriarty and CEO Ann ODwyer.

Its a case of a job well done for students from the Kerry Education and Training Board (Kerry ETB) Student Forum after their project was highly commended at the recent Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) Excellence Awards that were held at Croke Park back on March 28.

Four student representatives Katie Stack, Emma OShea, David Hunt, and Gavin Dillon travelled to Dublin with Ethos Coordinator Pat OSullivan to represent the Kerry ETB Student Forum at the national celebration, where they were honoured in the ETB Excellence Award for Care category.

Pat OSullivan, who has supported the Student Forum throughout the project, said the recognition reflected the groups commitment and integrity:

"Im so proud of the students. They built this project from the ground up. The judges were deeply impressed by their maturity and the strength of the project."

Their entry, a peer-led Information on Vaping campaign, was recognised by Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) for its innovation, relevance, and the empowering role it gave to young people. The project, designed and delivered by students for students, addressed the legal and health risks of vaping and promoted positive peer-led discussion and support across all eight Kerry ETB post-primary schools.

Ann O'Dwyer, CEO of Kerry Education and Training Board, congratulated the students:

"I want to offer my heartfelt congratulations to our Student Forum representatives on this well-deserved national recognition. Their initiative, leadership, and commitment to supporting their peers through education and care is truly inspiring. Being highly commended at the ETBI Excellence Awards is a testament to the strength of student voice in Kerry ETB and the power of young people to lead meaningful change."

The group worked closely with the HSE to ensure the workshops were factual and informative, and trained peer facilitators in each school to ensure the message would be delivered in an accessible, relatable way. The judges praised the students for their leadership, empathy, and for creating an initiative with lasting impact.

Student Katie Stack said receiving the award was a moment she would never forget:

"We were absolutely blown away when we heard we were highly commended. It felt like all our hard work had really paid off. We created something that came from students, for students, and being recognised on a national stage just shows that student voices really do matter."

David Hunt added. "It was such a proud day for all of us. We got to share our story, meet students from across the country, and celebrate what can happen when young people are given the chance to lead. The experience has inspired us to keep going, we know now that we can make a real difference."

The ETBI Excellence Awards, hosted by Education and Training Boards Ireland, recognise excellence in care, respect, equality, community, and education across Irelands ETBs. Kerry ETBs commendation in the Care category underlines its commitment to fostering a learning environment where students are supported, heard, and empowered to lead.

For more information about the Kerry ETB Student Forum and its initiatives, visit www.kerryetb.ie.
The idea of flesh-eating plants may seem like the stuff of horror films, but we do have a few carnivorous wild plants in Ireland.

In far-off tropical climes some exotic carnivorous plants have been recorded feeding on small birds and small mammals; in Ireland our flesh-eating species confine themselves to small insects like midges, damsel flies, and aquatic life forms.

Carnivorous plants feed on flesh to get nutrients rather than energy. Like the majority of other green plants, most carnivorous species get their energy via the chemical reaction photosynthesis where they use their green pigment to make food using sunlight to power the reaction. They need the animal-based nutrients because they grow in nutrient-poor environments like waterlogged bogs where elements such as nitrogen are in poor supply.

Eleven species of carnivorous wild plants have been recorded growing in Ireland: three sundews, four bladderworts, three butterworts, and one pitcher plant. The Round-leaved Sundew is by far the commonest and most widespread species as it grows in every county.

The leaves of the Round-leaved Sundew are spoon-shaped and are covered in crimson hairs each with a terminal gland that produces shiny, sticky fluid that glisters attractively in the sunshine. Insects that mistake it for sweet nectar, or bump into the sticky hairs by accidents, get stuck. The hairs are sensitive to touch so, when touched, the spoon-shaped leaf closes like a hand making a fist and the insect gets trapped and the nutrients in its body are digested by the plant.

Bladderworts have bladder-like pouches with lids and trigger hairs that when touched snap shut trapping tiny aquatic creatures in the bladder. Butterworts have sticky leaves that curl inwards enclosing the unfortunate prey, and preventing it from escaping before it is slowly digested.

The sole species of pitcher plant that grows in Ireland is a naturalised alien that is native to Canada and the USA. The leaves of the Canadian Pitcher Plant are purple and are shaped like ice cream cones with flap-like lids. Each pitcher is partially filled with fluid and the lid is folded back inviting insects to explore within. When an insect enters the trap with its slippery walls the lid closes, the hapless victim drowns, and the plant digests its body for the nutrients it contains.
Residents of The Faythe are to host two protests at peak morning times as they seek to highlight what they see as the gradual decimation of one of Wexford towns most historic areas. Scheduled for 8.30 a.m. on Thursday, April 10 and Friday, April 11 the protests will be, according to a spokesperson, peaceful and dignified with residents focused on bringing attention to a recent planning case which has caused outrage in the area.
Manager of Tesco Arklow Adrian Barry presents a donation from the Tesco Community Fund to Avoca NS School students and principal Kathy Van Eesbeck. Photo: Michael Kelly

Avoca National School was recently presented with a cheque for 767 from the Tesco Blue Token initiative, which will go towards the creation of an inclusive outdoor playground.

Pupils and principal Kathy Van Eesbeck welcomed Tesco Arklow manager Adrian Barry to receive proceeds from the initiative, which was organised by the schools parents association.

Thanking the parents association, Ms Van Eesbeck said: Weve been spreading the word in our newsletters about the Blue Token initiative and to remember us when shopping in Tesco, and every time I went in, ours was full!

The funds will go towards an inclusive outdoor playground, which our fantastic parents association will be fundraising for as well.

I hope to make an outdoor sensory area, as we opened an autism class this year, and were opening a second one in September.

We have a big playground out in our front. So, I hope to section a bit off and make it a more enclosed playground that anybody in the school can use if they want a quieter space to go.
The story of the Wicklow film maker who helped set up Bollywood

She has met popes and presidents, yet Isolde Moylans hero is her film-making father

Isolde Moylan at her home in Martello Terrace, Bray. Photo: Leigh Anderson

David Medcalf Bray People Sat 5 Apr 2025 at 07:00

I came to Bray when I was ten, says Isolde Moylan. Six decades and more later, she still resides in the town, close to the sea front. However, the now retired ambassador spent many of those intervening decades posted to represent her country in various parts of the world. She also has a particularly strong association with the Indian sub-continent, where she spent time as a child.
MobLands Lisa Dwan: I turn down a lot of roles. Anything deeply misogynistic, I just say no

Bored of being cast as the bimbo, the psycho or the bitch, the Westmeath actor mastered the art of jumping outside the box early in her career. Here, she talks about pushing back, motherhood and the brilliance of Beckett

Lisa Dwan. Photo: Faye Thomas

Kate Demolder Sat 5 Apr 2025 at 03:30

The Lisa Dwan youll have come to know, by way of television, film or theatre, is one who channels extremes. Poised at a crossroads of ferocity and grit, directors prefer to paint the actor in shots that pick up her wildness  whether thats as Lizzie Daughton, the scowling Irish drug lord in Channel 4s Top Boy, or as Tori Matthews, a doctor among paramilitaries in BBCs Bloodlands.
Anger as shunned Myanmar junta leader shakes hands with heads of world states at high-profile summit

Protesters furious Hlaing getting to grandstand while bombing goes on after earthquake

People queue for donated relief supplies following the devatating earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar. Thailand was also affected. Photo: Reuters

Shweta Sharma UK Independent Sat 5 Apr 2025 at 03:30







Myanmars military ruler shook hands with world leaders and delegates as he was hosted by Thailand for a regional summit despite protests by rights groups that he was overseeing a bloody civil war in his country even when it was reeling from the impact of a devastating earthquake.
Pro-impeachment citizens celebrate in front of the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul yesterday, after the announcement President Yoon Suk Yeol would be removed from office. Photo: Getty Images

South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted yesterday by the Constitutional Court, ushering in an election after it upheld parliaments impeachment over his imposition of martial law that sparked the nations worst political crisis in decades.

The decision now sets in motion a race to elect the next president within 60 days, as required by the constitution. Prime minister Han Duck-soo will stay on as acting president until a new leader is sworn in.
Hundreds of Palestinians killed since fighting resumed, as IDF expands its security zone in Gaza

Residents say they believe Israels aim is to permanently depopulate swathes of the enclave

Palestinian children receive food cooked by a charity kitchen in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. Photo: Reuters

James Mackenzie Sat 5 Apr 2025 at 03:30







Israeli troops have moved into an area of northern Gaza, taking control of more territory around the edge of the enclave, the military said yesterday, days after the government announced plans to seize large areas with an operation in the south.
Mourners carry the coffin of Hassan Farhat, who was killed by an Israeli strike yesterday. Photo: AP

Israel killed a commander of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in an airstrike on southern Lebanon yesterday, further testing a ceasefire that halted last years war between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The Israeli military said the targeted militant, Hassan Farhat, was behind a rocket attack on the city of Safed last year that killed and wounded several Israeli soldiers. It vowed to act against Hamas fighters wherever they operate.
Muthayya OTT release: This touching Telugu film about a 70-year-old villager chasing his dream of becoming an actor is finally making its way to OTT, two years after its release in November 2022. Muthayya will soon be available on ETV Win, though the exact streaming date is yet to be announced.

 Muthayya plot summary

Muthayya is a 70-year-old man who owns a small piece of land and does small jobs to earn a living.

But what he truly loves is cinema. His biggest dream is to act in a movie one day. He spends most of his time watching films and talking about them with his young friend Malli, a local mechanic.

The story follows their friendship, Muthayya's love for movies, and his hope to chase his dream despite his age. The film also shows the charm of village life and the slow decline of stage plays.

Muthayya cast and crew

Lead Actor: Sudhakar Reddy plays Muthayya with depth and sincerity.

Supporting Cast: Arun Kumar (Malli), Purna Chander, Mounika, T Sai Leela

Director: Bhaskhar Maurya

Cinematography: Divakar Mani

Music: Karthik Rodriguez

Muthayya reviews

OTTplay praised the film, stating, "Muthayya is a story that reminds us it's never too late to dream and work towards it, regardless of what the world has to say."

Muthayya has also achieved recognition on the international stage. It was the first Telugu film to be officially selected for the UK Asian Film Festival, premiering in London on May 9, 2022.

Furthermore, the film won the Best Indian Film award at the Kolkata International Film Festival.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.
The Glass Dome OTT release date: If you're a fan of mystery and thrillers, then this Swedish series, created by bestselling crime author Camilla Lackberg, is just what youre looking for. The Glass Dome will begin streaming on Netflix from April 15, 2025.

The Glass Dome plot summary

In a quiet Swedish village caught between old traditions and modern changes, Lejla returns to the place where she grew up. But for her, this homecoming is filled with painful memories.

As a child, she was kidnapped and held in a glass dome by an unknown person. Years later, when a young girl suddenly goes missing in the same area, Lejla is drawn into the case. While searching for the truth, she must also face the dark secrets of her own past.

Is this new case just a coincidenceor is something frighteningly familiar happening again?

The Glass Dome cast and crew

In The Glass Dome, the lead role of Lejla is played by Leonie Vincent, supported by a talented cast that includes Johan Hedenberg, Johan Rheborg, Farzad Farzaneh, Ia Langhammer, Cecilia Nilsson, Emil Almen, Emma Broome, and Oscar Toringe.

The series is directed by Henrik Bjorn and Lisa Farzaneh, while the script is penned by renowned crime author Camilla Lackberg. Produced by Agnes Blasjo, the show comes from Creative Society Production.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge launch date leaked: Samsung's forthcoming Galaxy S25 Edge is making waves in the tech industry thanks to its innovative features and incredibly thin form. Originally anticipated in April, new reports indicate a launch date of May 13, 2025, potentially as a result of unanticipated delays.

According to rumors, this stylish gadget is Samsung's thinnest smartphone to date, with a thickness of 5.84mm. The Galaxy S25 Edge is expected to have the potent Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU under the hood, guaranteeing excellent performance.

Fans of photography should anticipate a dual-camera configuration that promises stunning image quality. Expectations are rising for what would be a revolutionary addition to the Galaxy series, even though Samsung has not yet confirmed these features. 

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge launch date (Expected)

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge expected to launch on 13th May | Credit: Samsung

Samsung now intends to release the Galaxy S25 Edge on May 13th, per the SamMobile story. It also emphasizes that even though the Edge is a recent invention, the business might not be able to hold a large-scale event.

Samsung only needed a brief presentation to introduce the Galaxy S25 Edge, which is still a bit more work than the press release Apple produced for the iPhone 16e. Furthermore, the sale date is still unknown, according to the article.

It is possible that the phone won't be available until the following month. This implies that those who are interested in purchasing the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge could have to wait a little while longer.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge expected specifications

Processor: The Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU, the newest and possibly fastest Qualcomm chipset, powers the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. The remainder of the S25 series uses the same processor.

Design: The Galaxy S25 Edge's incredibly thin and light design is one of its best qualities. According to rumours, the phone is among the thinnest in its class, weighing less than 162g and only 5.84mm thick. The titanium frame is hypothesized to ensure long-lasting strength by improving durability and offering resistance against corrosion and abrasion.

Camera: It is anticipated that the Galaxy S25 Edge will have a 50-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 200-megapixel primary sensor, offering sharp and clear images. A 12-megapixel front camera is included for selfies, guaranteeing sharp photos and video calls.

Battery and Connectivity: Given that the Galaxy S25 Edge is rumoured to have a small 3,900mAh battery, battery life could be a significant disadvantage. Because of the ultra-slim design and strong chipset, this capacity may be restrictive for some users. Samsung's software improvements, however, ought to contribute to longer battery life for all-day use. Furthermore, Bluetooth 5.4 will be supported by the gadget, guaranteeing smooth wireless connectivity.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge expected price

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge expected to come with Snapdragon 8 Elite chip | Credit: Samsung

According to rumours and leaks, the Galaxy S25 Edge is expected to cost between 1,200 and 1,300 (about Rs 1,13,000 to Rs 1,22,500) for 256GB in Europes. Additionally, depending on the market, the 512GB version may cost between 1,300 and 1,400 (approximately Rs 1,22,500 to Rs 1,31,900).

For the latest and more interesting tech news, keep reading Indiatimes Tech.
Greece's Defense Minister Nikos Dendias signed an agreement in London Friday to modernize Greece's military museums in partnership with Britains Imperial War Museum, while also urging the international community to prioritize the protection of children in conflict.



The memorandum

of cooperation between the Athens War Museum and the Imperial War Museum will facilitate joint exhibitions, educational programs, research, and the exchange of best practices. It's part of Greece's broader effort to revamp the public presentation of its military history , particularly through its Agenda 2030 defense reform.

The Imperial War Museum will provide us with the know-how to showcase our exhibits and history in a way that resonates with todays generation of Greeks, Mr. Dendias said. He called the pact a first step in a completely new approach, adding that a future initiative aims to establish a Greek presence in Rimini, Italy, the site of historic WWII battles involving the Sacred Band, an elite Greek unit.



The memorandum was signed by the Athens War Museums chairman of the board, retired Air Marshal Konstantinos Karamesinis, and the Imperial War Museums director general and CEO, Caro Howell.

Greeces ambassador to the United Kingdom, Mr. Ioannis Tsaousis, and board representatives from both museums also attended.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Dendias met with Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in London. The highlight of his visit was a Thursday event organized by the Greek Embassy and the NGO Together for Children, titled "Our future matters: Protecting children in crisis situations. From struggle to strength."



During war, it is always the innocent who suffer most  and there is no group more vulnerable than children, Mr. Dendias said in a forceful address. Conflict steals their homes, their education, their families  and tragically, too often, their lives.



Calling it a moral and strategic obligation, Mr. Dendias stressed Greeces commitment to international law and humanitarian principles, including its participation in peacekeeping missions and adherence to child protection standards in military operations.

He emphasized that governments, NGOs, civil society, and international institutions must collaborate to prevent child soldier recruitment and ensure access to education, healthcare, and psychosocial support. Behind every statistic is a child with dreams, hopes, and a right to a peaceful future, Mr. Dendias said.



Greece, recently elected for its third time as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2025-2026 term, will use its position to raise global awareness about protecting children in conflict zones, he said.

Mr. Dendias also pledged to prioritize accountability for crimes against children in armed conflict and promote preventive and restorative justice through child-friendly legal mechanisms and international cooperation.

The protection and promotion of childrens rights  and the elimination of all forms of violence and abuse against them, especially in conflict  remain fundamental to Greeces values, Mr. Dendias concluded.

   iefimerida.gr
Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis met with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Monday to discuss the next steps in the ongoing Greek-Turkish dialogue, amid a cautiously improving climate in bilateral relations.



Diplomatic sources said the two ministers discussed transatlantic relations and key regional and international developments.1 Central

to their talks was planning for the next High-Level Cooperation Council, scheduled to take place after Orthodox Easter , with the exact date to be confirmed based on the leaders schedules.Mr. Gerapetritis and Mr. Fidan also coordinated the organization of a Greek business delegation visit to Istanbul , scheduled for May 89, 2025, as part of broader efforts to boost economic ties between the two neighbors.The two ministers agreed to meet again on May 1415 during the informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers, signaling continued diplomatic engagement.

   iefimerida.gr
According to reports, the two dismissed employees- a trainee stationmaster and a trainee signal operator- had not yet completed their required training or final examinations and had not begun official work duties.

In a revelation that raises new concerns about safety standards within Greeces railway system, two trainee station employees were recently dismissed after testing positive for drugs during a surprise

inspection. The announcement was made by Deputy Minister of Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis, who confirmed that the individuals were immediately removed from duty as part of a broader initiative to reassess staff in critical railway positions.

According to reports, the two dismissed employeesa trainee stationmaster and a trainee signal operatorhad not yet completed their required training or final examinations and had not begun official work duties. Both were part of a recent hiring wave within OSE, Greeces national rail operator, working under freelance contracts. Their drug use was detected through a urine test conducted unexpectedly at their training center, part of the ministrys wider push for stricter oversight in the wake of past safety failures.

Kyranakis emphasized that the governments goal is to implement a new operating doctrine for personnel in high-responsibility roles. He linked the current reform efforts to the national reckoning that followed last years tragic train collision in Tempi, which exposed serious gaps in the rail systems infrastructure, oversight, and staffing policies. Leaked audio recordings from that period, which revealed unprofessional and careless behavior among rail staff, shocked the public and led to widespread calls for reform.

Despite ongoing investments in infrastructure and technology, Kyranakis stated that the human factor remains central to railway safety. He called for a cultural shift in how key roles such as stationmasters and train drivers are approached, coupled with modernized systems and more stringent accountability measures.

OSE has now begun a process of retraining and re-evaluating approximately 250 employees currently working in or preparing for critical roles. These efforts include not only additional technical instruction but also comprehensive medical examinations. Tests are being conducted in partnership with diagnostic centers across the country and include screenings for narcotics, alcohol, and psychotropic substances.

#GREECE
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has denied a claim made by suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over an alleged assassination.

Recall that the female Senator, had accused Mr. Akpabio of conniving with former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to assassinate her.

Mrs. Natasha raised the concern during her Sallahs visit to Kogi Central in March, 2025.

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She called on Nigerians to hold the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, and Mr. Bello responsible, if anything bad happen to her.

Reacting to the allegation in a statement by his media aide, Eseme Eyibo, on Friday, Akpabio described the accusation as malicious and false.

READ MORE: Hold Akpabio, Bello, Ododo Responsible If Anything Happens To Me  Senator Natasha Alleges At Homecoming Rally

He said: This outrageous accusation is not only false but a complete fabrication and deeply irresponsible and dangerous attempt to provoke public unrest, attract media attention, and discredit the person and office of the President of the Senate for ulterior motives.

It is important to remind the public that this same individual had previously made an unsubstantiated accusation of sexual harassment against Senator Akpabio, a claim she seems to have abandoned without explanation.

Having failed to gain traction with that narrative, she has now escalated her campaign of misinformation to a deadly and defamatory dimension.
Former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has denied claims that he resigned from the party. Atiku reaffirmed his status as a bona fide and loyal member of the PDP, rejecting the rumors circulating about his resignation.

He accused certain desperate politicians of being behind the false reports, which were spread through a Facebook page. Atikus denial comes amid growing political speculation, and he emphasised that these misleading claims were an attempt to tarnish his image and disrupt the partys unity. He reiterated his commitment to the PDP and its goals, urging members and supporters to remain focused on the partys progress.

In a statement issued on Friday and signed by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku Abubakar condemned the claims as malicious fabrications and a politically motivated smear campaign.

The statement read: We ordinarily would not waste words on faceless social media platforms like the so-called Adamawa Happenings. However, in light of inquiries from concerned Nigerians and credible members of the press, we are compelled to set the record straight: His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria (19992007) and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has not  we repeat, has not resigned from the PDP. He remains a steadfast, bona fide, and loyal member of the party.

The source of this baseless rumour is a Facebook page peddling falsehoods, evidently orchestrated by desperate political operatives with nothing but mischief and confusion on their agenda. It is a calculated attempt to mislead the public and sow discord among the millions of Nigerians who look to Atiku Abubakar for direction and leadership. This is not just fake news it is a crude, shameless political hatchet job.

We urge Nigerians, especially supporters of the Waziri Adamawa, to disregard this malicious fabrication. It is a vile, vexatious ploy that deserves nothing but contempt.

Atiku Abubakar remains committed to the ideals of the PDP and to the democratic aspirations of the Nigerian people.
Gunmen struck in Ikobi, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State when they hijacked a fully loaded Benue Links bus, killing the driver and kidnapping all the passengers on board.

The assailants, however, abandoned a toddler who was also in the vehicle. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident and are working to identify the perpetrators while seeking to secure the release of the kidnapped victims.

Reacting to the latest attack on Friday, the president of Ochetoha KIdoma youth wing, Mike Magaji, disclose: It is heartbreaking that our people continue to live in fear while the government remains silent. How many more lives must be lost before decisive action is taken?

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The governors visit to Otukpo was a disappointment. Our people expected leadership, not vague reassurances. We need a clear plan to end these attacks.

The government must rise up to its responsibilities. We cannot continue to mourn our people daily while those in power look the other way.
An High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State has issued an order restraining supporters of Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, from holding a mega rally in the state.

The proposed movement was scheduled for Yenagoa, on April 12, 2025.

Meanwhile, Hon. Justice I. A Uzakah granted the motion ex-parte in Suit No. BYHC/YHC/CV/133/2025, filed by the states Attorney General, Biriyai Dambo (SAN).

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The defendants are FCT Minister, Nigeria Police Force, Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Police Command.

READ MORE: Rivers Crisis: Gov Diri Warns Bayelsa Youths Against Planned Protest Against Wike

The enrolled court order reads: An order of the interim injunction is hereby made or granted restraining the 1st and 2nd Defendants, whether by themselves, their agents, associates, privies, representatives (or any person whatsoever acting at their behest), from conducting, convening, coordinating, engaging in, organizing, participating in, holding, hosting, or facilitating any political assembly, rally meeting, or gathering within Bayelsa State, for the purpose of solidarity, hosting, and celebrating the 2nd Defendant in Bayelsa State, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.

The matter has been adjourned to April 11, 2025, for hearing.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has barred parties in the suit filed by suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio from granting press interviews on issues relating to the case.

Justice Binta Nyako also restricted all lawyers involving in the case to stop parading media outlets over the issue.

It was gathered that the judge issued the order on Friday following a complaint by the lawyer to Akpabio, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), that Mrs. Natasha was moving from one television house to another, granting press interviews on issues relating to her case, which is currently pending before the court.

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Meanwhile, in a brief ruling on Friday, Justice Nyako said that there shall be no press interviews by all parties and their lawyers regarding the subject matter of the case.

READ MORE: INEC Wasted Too Much Time Before Rejecting Petition For My Recall  Senator Natasha

She subsequently adjourned the case till May 12 for a hearing.

Recall that Senator Natasha is challenging the decision of the Senate to suspend her for six months over alleged misconduct.

The plaintiff is contending, among others, that she was not accorded fair hearing before the Senate took the decision to suspend her.
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has revealed Federal governments efforts to monitor suicide cases on Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos State.

The Minister, during an interview with Channels Television on Friday disclosed that closed-circuit television, also known as surveillance cameras have been installed on the popular bridge.

He added that security agencies have been positioned to check through the camera and monitor anyone attempting to take his or life.

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Umahi said: We have put CCTVs down under the deck so that anybody that is excavating sand within the 10-kilometre radius will be spotted.

We have built, beside the bank of the sea on Third Mainland Bridge, an examination house where we have the police, navy, army and local security.

READ MORE: FG Reopens Independence Bridge, Begs Lagosians Over Lack Of Proper Communication

They will all be there watching the CCTV so that anybody who is trying to take his life on the third mainland bridge, they will spot the person.

With this CCTV, there will be no more excavation of sand under the deck around the pies.

The Minister also addressed reopening of Independence Bridge in Lagos State following emergency repair works.

He stated that the closure was prompted by a structural failure involving the approach slab of the bridge, which caved in due to a faulty design.
Faduri O. Joseph, a former presidential aspirant under the Labour Party (LP) and leader of the Rescue Movement for New Nigeria, has hailed the sacking of Barr. Julius Abure as the partys chairman as a relief for both the Labour Party and the Nigerian public.

Joseph expressed that Abures removal was a necessary step for the partys rejuvenation and a positive move toward restoring the integrity of the LP.

He emphasised that this decision was crucial for the broader goal of fostering a healthier political environment in Nigeria, where the interests of the people are prioritized.

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In a statement by Faduri Joseph on Friday, he had this to say: What we are going through today in our country was never what we wanted for NigeriaBut certain factors during the former leadership made the party turned into a laughing stock among good people of Nigeria who put their hope in our great party.

Its of note that we revived the Labour Party in 2022 to position it to win general elections in 2023 to turn our country back from the wrong way, So we can make a real change, not this type, which today Nigerians can see as renewed hunger..

He said Nigerian people were now impoverished more than before.

He expressed dismay that from the day of the presidential primary in Asaba, the LP was turned from an organization that would drive the ship of our nation to success into a party that broke into pieces, and the centre could not hold from 2023 to date.

Every effort to reposition the party failed. Many great leaders of the party were suspended..And the illegalities went on uncautioned and uncontrollably bad. But today, the law of the land has caught up.

My Advice to my fellow leaders and members of Labour Party now is for all of us to come together and lets start the process of regrouping and repositioning of our party towards 2027 for a New Nigeria we all desire and a Nigeria we desire devoid of tribalism, favouritism, ethnicity and, incompetence.
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has officially submitted his expression of interest and nomination forms to contest in the upcoming All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) primary election. His submission comes after the party cleared him to seek re-election for a second term as governor of the state.

Soludos candidacy was endorsed by APGAs National Working Committee, led by Ezeokenwa Sly, who gave him the green light to run again. The announcement solidifies Soludos position as the partys chosen candidate in the race for the 2025 governorship election.

Speaking at the partys National Secretariat in Abuja on Friday, APGAs spokesman, Ejimofor Opara, described the governor as the first aspirant on the partys platform to seek re-election, based on his track record of performance.

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Opara disclosed that the upcoming primary election of the party would be a historic event, with over 3,260 delegates.

The Partys leadership has been praised for its commitment to peaceful and stable politics, with the screening process conducted without any rancour or controversy.

As the party prepares for the primary election, APGA members and supporters are optimistic about the future of the Party and the state, he said.
A military-grade grenade exploded near Idi-Araba in Lagos States Mushin neighbourhood, killing an unidentified scavenger.

According to PUNCH Online, three other persons were injured in the incident, which occurred on Thursday.

Reports indicate that some scavengers at a metal scrap yard were attempting to dismantle a grenade in their possession.

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During the process, the device unexpectedly exploded, killing one scavenger instantly and leaving three others with severe injuries.

READ MORE: 28-Man Syndicate Arrested For Extorting Ghanaians Under Guise Of Travel Assistance

A resident, Akin Olawale, informed PUNCH on Friday that the explosion also sparked panic among the locals.

He said, A sound of explosion was heard around past 12 pm and the police were immediately contacted because no one could ascertain the cause. It was later when the police arrived that we discovered that it was a grenade. The scavengers were trying to cut one of them open when it detonated.

After security operatives arrived at the scene, two undetonated grenades were reportedly discovered.

Another resident, speaking anonymously for security reasons, stated that the injured individuals were transported to the hospital.

We saw a vehicle moving some injured persons to the hospital and that was when we knew what happened. Those people we saw were terribly injured. It was when the vehicle stopped by a filling station that we saw them. The driver could not even wait because of the queue, the resident disclosed.

When reached for comment, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident and stated that the Explosive and Ordinance Department of the command had secured the area.

He said, The explosion was caused by a military-grade grenade. One person was killed and three were hospitalised. The incident happened at about 1:30pm and the Explosive and Ordinance Department has rendered the place safe.

The scene of the incident has also been cordoned off. There is a zero possibility of another explosion and investigation has commenced.
Some yet to be identified gunmen have kidnapped Governor Francis Nwifurus aide, Mrs Blessing Adagba, in Okposhi Eheku community, Ebonyi State.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that Mrs. Blessing is also the coordinator of Ngbo Central Development Centre in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.

In a statement by Spokesman for Ebonyi State Police Command, Joshua Ukandu, on Friday, disclosed that the governors aide was abducted on Thursday.

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He said that men of the police force were already on the matter.

Joshua said: Around 12 a.m., a group of men disguised as soldiers invaded the residence of Hon. Blessing Adagba.

READ MORE: Ebonyi Police Arrest Suspect With Human Skulls, Recover Stolen Items

They demanded she open the door, but she refused, questioning why soldiers would come at such an (odd) hour.

The kidnappers brandished firearms, overpowered the coordinator and abducted her to an unknown location.

The Anti-Kidnapping Squad has already moved for the rescue of the victim, Adagba. I believe they are working hard to secure her immediate release.

Yes, Adagba was abducted at Okposhi Eheku community in the Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.
Kogi State Social Democratic Party has expressed concern and lack of confidence in Independent National Electoral Commission over the recall process of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Senate.

In a statement by Kogi SDPs Spokesman, Isaiah, Davies Ijele on Friday, disclosed that INECs inconsistency in its pronouncements regarding the petition to recall Senator Natasha has undermined public trust and fueled suspicion of manipulation.

The party also questioned how the commission could have confirmed signatures of 208,132 individuals, a figure that almost doubles the total number of voters in that election.

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Ijele said: Our party notes with dismay that despite INECs previous statements to investigate and prosecute electoral offenders in Kogi State and the cancellation of election results from Okene, Okehi, Adavi, Ajaokuta and Ogorimangogo local government areas, the commission proceeded to declare election results without adhering to the stipulated procedures, particularly regarding the actual accredited voters.

This raises serious questions about INECs commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring free and fair elections.

READ MORE: FCT Court Bars Natasha, Akpabio, Others From Addressing Newsmen

The commission initially declared the petition as not meeting the required standards, only to reverse its position within a short period.

This erratic behavior undermines public trust and fuels suspicion of manipulation.

We call on all lovers of democracy worldwide to closely monitor the situation in Kogi State. The SDP questions how INEC could have confirmed the signatures of nearly 208,132 individuals, a figure that almost doubles the total number of voters in that election.

The SDP is deeply concerned about INECs demonstrated incompetence in past elections and will not fold our hands while the commission attempts to repeat its past mistakes to the detriment of Kogi citizens.
A 33-year-old man, Oluwatuyi Bidemi, has been sentenced to 84 years in prison by an Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti for robbery, attempted murder, kidnapping, and rape.

Justice Adeniyi Familoni delivered the judgment after finding him guilty on all four charges brought against him. Bidemi was initially arraigned on July 21, 2021, for crimes that violated Sections 320, 402 (1) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap.C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012; Section 2 of the Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, No 18 of 2019; and Section 3 of Ekiti State Kidnap and Terrorism (Prohibition) Law, No. 12 of 2015.

According to court records, Bidemi attacked his victim, Abiodun Agnes, on July 7, 2021, in Omuo Ekiti. He attempted to murder her, stole her phone, charger, wristwatch, and ATM cards, and then kidnapped and raped her.

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Testifying in court on Friday, the victim recounted her ordeal: I am a civil servant. I was going to the office through a bush path around 8:00 a.m. along with other residents when suddenly, someone grabbed my neck from behind. I could barely breathe as he dragged me into the bush, tied me up, and stuffed a handkerchief into my mouth.

He took my wristwatch, phone, charger, and ATM cards. He then held my neck again, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I realized he had raped me. My armpit and private part hairs had been shaved. She further explained that she was in the bush from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. before managing to crawl out, where passersby rescued her and took her to the hospital. She later identified the attacker, leading to his arrest by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Omuo Ekiti.

The prosecution, led by Oluwaseun Olasanmi, presented four witnesses and submitted key evidence, including the defendants statements and a medical report. The defendant, represented by his lawyer Charles Ayobioloja, did not call any witnesses but pleaded for leniency.

Delivering judgment, Justice Familoni ruled: It is my findings that the prosecution has proved the offences of attempted murder, robbery, kidnapping, and rape against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt in this case. The sole issue for determination is resolved in favor of the prosecution. Accordingly, he is convicted on all the counts as charged. The judge then sentenced Bidemi to 21 years in prison for each of the four charges, to run concurrently, with the sentence taking effect from the date of his arrest and detention.

This verdict highlights the Ekiti State governments commitment to enforcing justice and protecting citizens against violent crimes.
A yet to be ascertain number of persons have been killed while other were injured in an accident around Ibafo axis of Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Saturday.

It was gathered that the unfortunate incident occurred around 7am.

In a statement by Spokesperson for Federal Road Safety Commission, Ibafo outpost command, Florence Okupe, on Saturday, disclosed that the incident involved two tankers and a yellow public transport bus.

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Mrs. Okupe noted that suspected cause of the multiple crash was excessive speed on the part of the Mack truck, which led to loss of control and ramming into the other two vehicles.

She said: The crash vehicles were towed off the road for free flow of traffic.

READ MORE: Oyo: Petrol Tanker Overturns Along Ogbomoso-Ilorin Expressway

The Sector Commander, Fasakin Akinwumi, visited the crash scene for further investigation as he sympathised with the families of the crash victims and enjoined them to contact FRSC IBAFO for more information.

The injured victims were taken to Divine Touch Hospital and Glory Center Hospital Ibafo while the dead bodies were taken to Idera morgue Sagamu.
A coordinated operation comprising the police, military, and local hunters was successful in rescuing an Israeli national kidnapped in Taraba States Takum Local Government Area.

The rescue operation ended in a fierce gunfight between security operatives and the kidnappers at Kofai Ahmadu, where Itamar was rescued.

Confirming the incident on Friday, the Acting Public Relations Officer of the Taraba State Police Command, ASP James Saminu, said: Information was received via a phone call from one Alhaji Saidu, a staff member of SCC in Takum, that at about 09:15 hours on the same date, Mr. Gil Itamar, an Israeli national and SCC employee, was kidnapped by armed hoodlums at Atim Community along the TakumChanchanji road while under military escort.

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Upon receiving the distress call, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Takum promptly mobilized his personnel alongside operatives from the 67 PMF, in collaboration with the military and local hunters, and stormed the scene.

A rigorous cordon, search, and rescue operation ensued, which led to the successful rescue of the victim at Kofai Ahmadu after a heavy exchange of gunfire. The kidnappers were overwhelmed and forced to flee.

READ MORE: 28-Man Syndicate Arrested For Extorting Ghanaians Under Guise Of Travel Assistance

The Israeli national who was rescued is presently receiving medical care at the SCC medical centre in Takum.

ASP Saminu further stated that security personnel are actively working to locate and arrest the fleeing suspects, adding that they are currently under surveillance to guarantee they are brought to justice.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Bretet Emmanuel Simon, psc(+), expressed his admiration for the bravery shown by the officers and security personnel involved in the operation. He also reiterated the Commands ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property in Taraba State.
Nigerian skit maker and activist, Mr. Macaroni, has condemned the alleged prolonged detention of some domestic workers reportedly accused of stealing jewellery from former First Lady, Patience Jonathan.

In a post shared via social media on Friday, Mr. Macaroni reacted to a report claiming that the domestic workers have been held in prison since 2019  over five years  without any court conviction.

The injustice in this country is so painful!!! According to this report, these men and women have been locked up for over five years without a court conviction!! he wrote.

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READ MORE: Olamide Gave Me A Verse, Left Me Without Management  Portable

The content creator questioned whether Patience Jonathan, who allegedly ordered the arrests, even remembers the workers still being in custody.

Does Madam Patience Jonathan even remember that they are still in prison??? he asked.

He also criticised the system that permits influential individuals to detain others indefinitely without proper legal procedures.

We must stand against this pattern of abusing power that allows rich or influential people lock up others because they cannot speak or fight for themselves, Mr. Macaroni added.

Citing the law, he reminded the public that the detained workers remain innocent until proven guilty, urging authorities to put an end to such practices.

The case has sparked outrage online, with many Nigerians calling for a full investigation and justice for the detained individuals.

SEE POST:
The Nigerian Navys Operation Delta Sanity II recovered nearly 400,000 gallons of stolen crude oil across the Niger Delta in March 2025.

Furthermore, over 30 illegal refinery sites were shut down, and numerous suspects involved in arms smuggling and oil bunkering were apprehended by the operatives.

Commodore A. Adams-Aliu, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Navy, stated in a release on Friday that the operation, which covered Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Ondo States, dealt a significant blow to illegal oil activities, such as oil theft, illegal refining, and smuggling, which threaten Nigerias economic and environmental stability.

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In a significant operation on March 25, he mentioned that a large wooden boat, which was carrying around 100,000 litres of crude oil, was intercepted close to the Egbessan oilfield in Ilaje Local Government Area, Ondo State.

READ MORE: 28-Man Syndicate Arrested For Extorting Ghanaians Under Guise Of Travel Assistance

On March 27, just two days later, Adams-Aliu revealed that a large-scale operation in Ndoni, Ogba, Ohaji, and Egbema West in Rivers State uncovered eight illegal refinery sites, four damaged wellheads, 40 ovens, 30 reservoirs, and 50 dugout pits, which together held over 110,000 litres of illegally refined products, including AGO, kerosene, and crude oil.

On Sunday 9 March 2025, a seagoing vessel, MFT Olokun VIII with IMO Registration N0: 8778275 was arrested around Saint Nicholas River in Bayelsa State with illegal arms and ammunition onboard. The arms included 1 G3 Rifle, 1 pump action

gun, 20 x rounds of 7.62/51mm ammunition and 7 x live cartridges. Two suspects linked to the illegal firearms were also arrested and will face prosecution.

On Monday 10 March 2025, three Illegal Refinery Sites, 3 ovens, 7 dugout pits, 8 sacks with 3,700 litres of crude oil, 23 polythene sacks with 1,900 litres of illegally refined AGO were discovered and deactivated around Obodo Omadino in Warri, South West Local Government Area, Delta State, the statement added.

Between March 7 and 31, he added, the Navy dismantled several illegal refining camps in Obodo Omadino, Warri South-West, and confiscated cooking ovens, pumping machines, sacks of refined AGO, and thousands of litres of crude oil.

Adams-Aliu stated that the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, reiterated the Navys dedication to aiding national economic recovery by securing the oil-rich waterways.

He mentioned that the achievements of Operation DELTA SANITY II are in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubus directive to increase crude oil production and tackle oil theft, which has become a significant drain on national revenue.

The Nigerian Navy will continue to intensify its operations in support of Nigerias economic activities, he quoted Ogall as saying.
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo has expressed confidence over his election victory, saying that Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party will lose again at the Appellate Court.

Speaking on Friday at Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area of the state, Governor Okpebholo accused previous administration under the leadership of former governor, Godwin Obaseki of looting Edo peoples money to defend their legal cases in court.

Recall that INFORMATION NIGERIA had reported that Edo State Election Tribunal, dismissed PDP and its candidate case seeking to nullify the victory of APCs Okpebholo as the winner of the September 21 governorship election in 2024.

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Reacting to the verdict, Mr. Ighodalo, vowed that he will be approaching Appeal Court to get back his stolen mandate from APC.

Addressing Esan people on Saturday, the Governor said that Ighodalo and PDP are both free to appeal the ruling, as he assured them that they would fail at the Appeal Court.

READ MORE: Edo Guber: Ighodalo To Appeal Tribunal Judgement After Okpebholos Victory

He said: The opposition party has been talking and shouting, but Edo people spoke very clearly and loudly with their votes on September 21, 2024. Edo people voted for the right person in Senator Monday Okpebholo. The people will speak again when the time is right.

We have defeated them at the Tribunal, and they said they want to appeal the ruling. If they like, let them appeal and even get to the Supreme Court. We will defeat them.

They have stolen enough money from Edo State. So, they are wasting the money on court cases. If they like, let them spend the whole money they stole from the people.

They will never steal Edo peoples mandates given to me and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the September 21st governorship election.

I am an Edo man, an Esan man, and I know the problem of Esan people. Today, I came to tell you people that the tribunal has given us victory again after the September 21st governorship election.
Security agents, including men of Anambra State Police Command have invaded a criminal hideout located at Ogbunka in Orumba South Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that the commands police-led joint security team comprising Nigeria Army, Navy, Department of State Services officials and vigilante group carried out the operation on Friday.

In a statement by Spokesman for Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga on Saturday, disclosed that the police team engaged the hoodlums in a gun battle for six hours.

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He added that during the operation, some of the criminals escaped from the scene with bullet wounds.

Ikenga said that the team also recovered a lot of relief materials like pots, foodstuffs and parts of dismembered suspected stolen vehicles.

He said: The Police-led Joint Security Team comprising the Army, from the 302 Artillery Regiment (GS), Navy from the Naval Command, Department of State Security, Anambra State Vigilante, acting on information received over time, dislodged a criminal Camp at Ogbunka.

READ MORE: Anambra Police Arrest 10 Suspects, Rescue Four Kidnapped Victims

The Joint Security Team, in a six-hour gun battle with the armed criminals, due to its superior firepower, diffused some explosives used as shields on the camp by the hoodlums.

The team also recovered a lot of relief materials like pots, foodstuffs and parts of dismembered suspected stolen vehicles, even as some of the criminals escaped with various degrees of bullet injuries inflicted on them.

The operatives have taken over the area to sustain security dominance aimed at addressing any untoward situation that may arise and to possibly arrest the fleeing suspects.

Given the above, the Anambra State Police Command assures on behalf of other security agencies that the confidence reposed in her by Ndi Anambra and residents alike for the protection of lives and properties is not taken for granted.
Activist and politician, Omoyele Sowore, has called for the imprisonment of former Nigerian First Lady, Patience Jonathan, in response to the recent sentencing of 15 of her domestic staff.

The staff members were imprisoned for over six years due to their alleged involvement in the theft of Mrs. Jonathans jewelries, reportedly worth over N750 million. Sowore, reacting to the case, stated that Patience Jonathan herself should be held accountable and face legal consequences. He criticized the situation, suggesting that the staff members were used as scapegoats while the real culprits went unpunished.

Making his remark on X, Sowore Posted: Former Nigerian first lady Patience Jonathan has detained 15 domestic staff members for over six years while awaiting trial for allegedly stealing N750m worth of jewelry from her.

Where did she she get the funds to purchase jewelry valued at N750 million? Nigeria appears to be the only country where alleged public treasury looters have the audacity to arrest others accused of stealing a portion of the funds they themselves looted from the public treasury.

We must do everything to get them released from unjustified prosecution. Patience Jonathan should be the one in prison.

https://x.com/YeleSowore/status/1908087425726882126
The Supreme Court has overturned the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had recognized Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

Delivering a unanimous verdict, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court ruled that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to declare Abure as the partys leader, emphasizing that issues of party leadership are internal affairs beyond the judiciarys scope.

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The appeal was brought by Nenadi Usman, who was appointed as the caretaker chairperson by the Labour Partys National Executive Committee (NEC) in September 2024. The NEC had dissolved the Abure-led executive and formed a 29-member caretaker committee, led by Usman, to organize elections for new leadership within 90 days.

The Supreme Court upheld Usmans appeal, declaring that the lower courts had erred in interfering with the partys internal matters. Additionally, it dismissed the cross-appeal filed by Abures faction, ruling it lacked merit.

Reacting to the judgment on Friday, Usman said, Justice has been served today. This verdict reaffirms that party leadership should be determined by party structures, not the courts. We will now focus on rebuilding the party and ensuring unity among members.

Abure, however, expressed disappointment, stating, We will respect the courts decision, but this is a setback for democracy and internal party stability. The fight for fairness continues.

With this ruling, the leadership crisis within the Labour Party may finally be settled, allowing the party to move forward with its political agenda.
U.S. President Donald Trump has granted TikTok an additional 75 days to find a non-Chinese buyer or face a potential ban in the United States.

The new deadline provides more time for the popular social media platform to resolve national security concerns related to its ownership by the Chinese company ByteDance.

The U.S. government has expressed fears over user data being accessed by the Chinese government, prompting calls for the apps sale.

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This decision gives TikTok a crucial window to negotiate with potential buyers, including major tech companies, to ensure it remains operational in the U.S. If a solution is not reached, the platform could face a complete shutdown by the deadline.

In a statement on Friday by President Donald Trump, he disclosed: My administration has been working very hard on a deal to save TikTok, and we have made tremendous progress,

A transaction requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days.

We do not want TikTok to go dark. We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the deal, he added.

The hugely popular video-sharing app, which has more than 170 million American users, is under threat from a US law that passed overwhelmingly last year and orders TikTok to split from its Chinese owner ByteDance or get shut down in the United States.

Trump has insisted his administration is near a deal to find a buyer for TikTok and keep it from shutting down that would involve multiple investors, but has given few details.

Motivated by national security fears and belief in Washington that TikTok is controlled by the Chinese government, the ban took effect on January 19, one day before Trumps inauguration.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States will soon determine if Russia is genuinely committed to peace with Ukraine, with a resolution expected within weeks.

This comes after European allies expressed concerns that Moscow is stalling efforts to implement a ceasefire, a key demand from the Trump administration.

While President Trump has repeatedly emphasised his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin is dedicated to bringing the war to a close, the White House has grown increasingly cautious about Putins intentions in recent days.

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The Trump administration has made it clear that Russias actions in the coming weeks will be critical in assessing their true commitment to peace. Despite this growing skepticism, Trump continues to publicly express confidence that Putin desires an end to the conflict, hoping for a resolution that would end the three-year war.

Speaking to news men on Friday Marco Rubo disclosed: We will know soon enough, in a matter of weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace or not. I hope they are.

If this is dragging things out, President Trumps not going to fall into the trap of endless negotiations about negotiations.

Were testing to see if the Russians are interested in peace. Their actions  not their words, their actions will determine whether theyre serious or not, and we intend to find that out sooner rather than later, Rubio said.
No fewer than two persons have been killed, while 13 passenger were abducted following an attack by gunmen on a commercial bus belonging to Benue State government.

It was gathered that the incident happened on Thursday at Ikobi community in Otukpo Local Government Area of the state.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that the fully loaded bus which was en route from Makurdi to Otukpo town was ambushed by the armed men.

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Confirming the development, the management of Benue Links in a statement by the information officer of the company, Johnson Daniel, on Friday said that efforts were on to rescue the kidnapped victims.

He said: Benue Links Nigeria Limited regrets to announce the tragic attack on one of its buses, bearing registration number PP512, which was en route from Makurdi to Otukpo.

The incident occurred in the evening of Thursday, April 3, 2025, near Otukpo Burnt Bricks, when armed assailants ambushed the vehicle.

Regrettably, the driver of the 18-seater bus, Mr Samuel Agege, and a front-seat passenger were fatally shot by the attackers.

While the gunmen attempted to abduct the remaining passengers, three individuals managed to escape, and another passenger had disembarked earlier at Taraku town before the incident.

READ MORE: Teenager Kills Self Over Pregnancy Pressure In Benue

The management of Benue Links Nigeria Limited extends its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and stands in solidarity with those whose loved ones remain in captivity.

We assure the general public that we are in constant communication with security agencies, who are making concerted efforts to rescue the abducted passengers.

We appreciate the swift response of the law enforcement agencies and express confidence in their ongoing efforts to rescue the abducted passengers.
New directives from the Trump administration are threatening two major sources of funding that have brought tens of millions of dollars in recent years to Philadelphia area museums, libraries, and other cultural organizations.

Department of Government Efficiency, the initiative headed by Elon Musk, this week targeted the National Endowment for the Humanities, demanding deep cuts to the agency as well as the cancellation of grants already committed to groups but not yet paid, according to the New York Times.

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Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order gutting the Institute of Museum and Library Services, putting staff on leave and directing that the agency be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.

Incredibly disruptive is how Patricia Wilson Aden, president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, described the one-two punch of dismantling the NEH and IMLS and its consequences.

IMLS and NEH have been bedrock funding sources to cultural organizations across the U.S. for decades. Messages to both agencies Friday were not returned.

This has been an indiscriminate approach to the arts and culture sector that threatens the very infrastructure, said Wilson Aden. It has been taken without regard to the indisputable value of the programs offered by the organizations, without regard to the quality of the programs they provide and their impact on the communities that they serve. We believe that this is a shockingly irresponsible approach that goes directly to undermining the value of the contributions of the creative sector to our communities, the economic benefits, the social impact  all of the things that we have carefully documented.

In the Philadelphia area, grants from both agencies have paid for a wide range of projects  K-12 educational programs, renovations, exhibitions and public events, conservation of historic materials, and more. The NEH has awarded about $37 million in grants to Pennsylvania in the past five years, according to GPCA. IMLS has distributed $54.4 million across the commonwealth in the same period, the IMLS database shows.

Last year, the Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill was awarded a $750,000 grant from IMLSs Save Americas Treasures program to stabilize and conserve significant works by Philadelphia artists in its collection. Woodmere director and CEO William R. Valerio said the work is underway. The grant has been partially paid, an invoice has been submitted for another payment, and we hope to get paid for the rest, he said. IMLS is an incredibly important organization, and the Save Americas Treasures program preserves American history.

The Wagner Free Institute of Science in North Philadelphia was awarded a $350,000 NEH grant toward a new $1.9 million HVAC system for its library wing as part of a project to protect its 17th- to 19th-century collection of natural history, archival, and special collections materials.

The grant has not been paid and the institute has no word on its fate.

That leaves us in a vulnerable position, said Susan Glassman, executive director of the Wagner. We were very close to having it [fully] funded. Without the NEH, we would have a lot more fundraising to do.

Moreover, the NEH grant had helped leverage other large gifts. We were moving forward and were ready to start the project in 2025. Right now we might have to pause a little bit, Glassman said.

Stewards of the Philadelphia-focused Atwater Kent Collection were also in a holding pattern. IMLS awarded a grant of $138,547 to conserve Civil War-related material previously in the collection of the former Philadelphia History Museum, but work cannot begin unless the funding is assured.

We had a generous grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts directed in part to this conservation work. The IMLS grant was meant to leverage that and allow us to conserve even more of this rare material so the public can enjoy it, said Rosalind Remer, senior vice provost of Drexel University, which oversees the Atwater Kent collection. If the IMLS grant is officially terminated, we will not be able to afford as much and will have to make some decisions about which materials warrant the most immediate attention.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art was awarded a $400,000 NEH grant for last years Mary Cassatt exhibition, and that grant has been paid, according to Art Museum spokesperson Maggie Fairs. Like other institutions, we are monitoring what is happening daily to gauge the impact to the museum, she said.

NEH funding is awarded to individual scholars as well as organizations. It has also flowed through dozens of agencies across the U.S. like PA Humanities, which this week received word from the NEH that its general operating grant had been terminated effective immediately. The Pennsylvania agency conducts arts and culture advocacy and research and gives grants of its own  recently to groups in Chester, Gettysburg, Tunkhannock, and two dozen others, according to its 2022 tax return.

The NEHs allocation of $1.8 million to PA Humanities this year accounted for 60% of the groups annual budget, and making up that money has put us in crisis mode where we are reaching out to allies and supporters, said executive director Laurie Zierer. But to be frank, with current staffing and infrastructure, we have three to four months before we have to scale back. $1.8 million is not an easy plug.

Wilson Aden of GPCA said the group has asked its own community to write letters and has been lobbying members of Congress for a reversal of the decisions to gut the NEH and IMLS.

All of these things we are hoping, collectively and individually, will hold back the tide of these irresponsible actions, she said.
I will soon announce the largest and most ambitious fundraising campaign in Temples history, John Fry told an audience of several hundred as he was inaugurated as Temples 15th president. Read more

As colleges around the country reel from proposed federal funding cuts, Temple University President John Fry says the school must raise our game at philanthropy.

I will soon announce the largest and most ambitious fundraising campaign in Temples history, Fry, 64, said Friday to an audience of several hundred at the schools performing arts center where he was inaugurated as Temples 15th president. This campaign will run to 2034, when we celebrate Temples 150th anniversary.

Fry did not release the amount of the campaign or when it would launch. The university hasnt had a major fundraising campaign in more than 15 years. It only ever had one major, comprehensive fundraising campaign that concluded in 2009, under former president Ann Weaver Hart.

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 READ MORE: Temple president targets safety, neighborhood improvements and fundraising for early attention in his tenure

Capping his address, Fry, who became Temples president a little over five months ago, also announced the largest gift in the universitys history, $27.5 million from philanthropists Sidney and Caroline Kimmel, to help fund the schools new Klein College of Media and Communication and the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts, scheduled to open in fall 2027.

The announcement brought applause and a standing ovation, uplifting a university that has faced leadership turnover and challenges in recent years but now appears on firmer ground, even amid federal funding uncertainty.

Fry alluded in his address to the funding pauses and terminations that President Donald Trumps administration has imposed on some universities.

We have always appreciated the federal governments wisdom to support university research and affordable access to college, he said. However, Temple now must raise significantly greater sums of money just to stay as we are, let alone become one of the nations foremost urban public research universities.

 READ MORE: As Drexels John Fry gets voted in as Temples next president, heres what he plans to do

In his 35-minute speech, Fry also talked about seeing Temple as a urban land grant institution. Pennsylvania State University is the states only land grant university, a designation the university received under the 1862 Morrill Act that gave federal lands to the school for its mission of teaching, research, and service.

Temple and other public urban research universities must extend our expertise and know-how toward unlocking the extraordinary potential that cities and their people have to offer, he said.

 READ MORE: College president as urban planner

Friday marked Frys third investiture as a university president. He served as Drexels president for 14 years before coming to Temple, and before that, he led Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster. Since arriving at Temple, he has prioritized safety and neighborhood relationships and improvements, in addition to fundraising.

Noting a recent New York Times editorial that appeared in print with the headline Colleges are under attack. They can fight back, he highlighted Temples commitment to access and diversity.

Temples mission has been  and always will be  to open doors and minds to worlds of discovery and opportunity, to be an inclusive community where all are welcome, and to provide students of all backgrounds with affordable pathways to an excellent, life-changing educational experience, Fry said.

...We are a proud global family of more than 370,000 living alumni who bleed cherry and white. And we are bound together by fundamental values. Today we are called upon to uphold and to fight for those values.

Student body president Ray Epstein said she was especially moved by Frys vow to stand up for Temples values at a particularly difficult time in the country and that he chose to start off his speech with the Times quote.

It was the proudest I ever felt to be at this school in all four years, said Epstein, a senior from Washington, who also spoke at the inauguration.

Fry cited the importance of academic freedom  again bringing cheers from the audience  the right to peaceful protest, and engaging respectfully in robust debate.

Boosting Temples status as a research university

He cited aspirations of turning Temple into one of the top 10 public urban research universities in the United States.

And he noted again the intention to create an innovation corridor area between the main campus north to the health sciences campus, with a focus on innovation in the life sciences and technology while infusing the fine, creative, and performing arts from main campus to Terra Hall, the former University of the Arts building that Temple purchased to house its Center City site.

The Broad Street innovation corridor will be developed in the spirit of the great innovation districts in University City and the Navy Yard, and hopefully one day all three will be connected into one great Philadelphia research and innovation triangle, he said.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, who spoke at the event, called Fry a leader who has had a transformative impact both on our city and our region.

When it comes to doing the necessary work that can enhance the city and the region, John Fry, he already understands the assignment, and there is no better place for him to maximize his impact than here at Temple University, she said.

A stronger Temple will lead to a stronger Philadelphia, she said.

We can become a powerful engine for social progress and inclusive economic growth that leave no neighborhood behind, Fry said.

Fry hardly talked about himself, saying he wanted the ceremony to be about Temple.

This is a celebration of Temple and Im sort of one of the excuses to bring people together, he said in an interview earlier this week.

But there was a personal touch: his daughter Mia, 34, finished the ceremony by reading the poem A House Called Tomorrow by Alberto Rios, Arizonas inaugural poet laureate.

Thank you, sweetheart, Fry said, hugging his daughter as she finished.
It turns out that the Middle Child sandwiches inside the new Chase Sapphire Lounge at Philadelphia International Airport were just the start of sandwich slingers presence at PHL: A standalone Middle Child is planned for Terminal D this fall.

This truly fast-casual iteration of Middle Child, as owner Matt Cahn described it, will have 50 seats and serve brunch and sandwiches from a bar and sandwich counter. The menu isnt set  Cahn said he hasnt started research and development yet  but the focus will be sandwiches from Center City that can stay delicious at the volume an airport requires.

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Well work hand-in-hand with Jackmont [Hospitality, an airport-restaurant specialist] to re-create the items that you know and love, but also drum up some new ones just for the airport, Cahn said.

Jackmont is also behind the forthcoming PHL outposts of Oyster House and Federal Donuts, as well the Elixir Coffee that opened last year. (Elixr will be supplying Middle Childs coffee as well.) Oyster House and Federal Donuts are both are expected to open by late spring/early summer, said Dana Krawchuk, a marketing manager at MarketPlace PHL, the developer and landlord for shops and restaurants at the airport.

This fast-casual Middle Child is an entirely different operation from the offerings at the Chase Sapphire Lounge, both in terms of the partner and the inspiration.

The Lounge is a culinary partnership with Clubhouse, Cahn said. It stays true to the Middle Child ethos, of course, but it has more of that composed, elevated feel that Clubhouse offers.

Five additional seasonal items are planned for the lounge, on top of the currently offered breakfast burrito and Shopsin club, Cahn said.

Perhaps the most practical difference for travelers, though, is that you dont need a fancy Chase credit card to visit the Terminal D Middle Child, which will be located near gates D12 and D14. Im stoked to see someone from who-knows-where, North Dakota, eat a club sandwich with miso on it, Cahn said.

The airport seems unlikely to be Middle Childs last stop. In a trademark fight last year with a Las Vegas restaurant also calling itself Middle Child, Cahn said that he was planning future Middle Childs at PHL as well as Los Angeles and Austin. (A judge dismissed the lawsuit against the Vegas upstart earlier this year.)

Now that Cahns airport ambitions have been fulfilled, whats next? For now, were just having fun, Cahn said without commenting on specific locations. But in the future, maybe well use all of our learnings to create a greatest hits version of Middle Child that we can take outside of Philadelphia.
Jefferson Torresdale Hospital is among the facilities that is back in-network for Cigna's commercial insurance customers. Read more

Jefferson Health, the Philadelphia regions largest health system, is back in-network for people with Cigna Health insurance through their employers after the two parties agreed to a new contract, Jefferson said Friday.

The new contract is retroactive to March 15. Thats when Jefferson announced that negotiations had failed, blaming Cigna for offering unsustainable rates.

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We appreciate the patience and support of our community throughout this process of ensuring that our patients have uninterrupted access to the trusted providers who know them best, Jefferson said in a e-mailed statement about the contract.

Cigna, based in Bloomfield, Conn. with a significant presence in Philadelphia, said it was pleased to reach an agreement with Jefferson. We know this period has been stressful for patients, so as part of the agreement, any claims since March 15 will be reprocessed as in-network, the company said.

The impasse did not affect Cignas 38,000 customers in Medicare Advantage plans in the Philadelphia area. They include Bravo and HealthSpring.

Services were also not interrupted for people with traditional Medicare and a supplemental Medicare plan from Cigna.

Data were not available on how many people with Cigna insurance through their employer were faced with the possibility of changing doctors or paying more for out-of-network heath-care services.
Clockwise: Pilot Alan Montoya Perales, 46, and copilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, 43. Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, 41, was the paramedic, and Raul Meza Arredonda, 41, was the doctor. Read more

The cremated remains of the six Mexican nationals who died aboard a medical jet that crashed in Northeast Philadelphia earlier this year were returned to loved ones in Mexico City on Friday, according to a spokesperson for the Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia.

A brief, somber ceremony to mark their departure took place at 3 a.m. outside the Center City headquarters of the consulate. Carlos Obrador Garrido Cuesta, the head consul, helped load six small wooden boxes into the back of an SUV.

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We thank you, and we feel the solidarity of Philadelphia with the Mexican families that will have some sort of closure today, the head consul told 6abc before accompanying the remains on a flight to Mexico.

The medical transport jet  a Learjet 55 owned by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, headquartered in Mexico City  crashed just after 6 p.m. along Cottman Avenue near the Roosevelt Mall on Jan. 31. Upon impact, the plane exploded in a giant fireball, sending flames and debris into neighboring homes.

Among the passengers who died aboard the jet were 11-year-old Valentina Guzman Murillo and her 31-year-old mother, Lizeth Murillo Osuna. They were returning home after Valentina had spent four months undergoing treatment for a spinal condition at Shriners Childrens Philadelphia.

All six occupants aboard the jet died. They also included the pilot, Alan Montoya Perales, 46; his copilot, Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, 43; a Jet Rescue doctor, Raul Meza Arredonda, 41; and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, 41.

The jet had taken off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport at 6:06 p.m. and was headed first to Springfield, Mo., then to Mexico, where the recovering girl and her mother lived in a town outside Tijuana.

The plane crash injured at least 24 people on the ground and killed a Philadelphia father, 37-year-old Steven Dreuitt Jr., who died after flames engulfed his car. Dreuitts 9-year-old son, Ramesses, and his fiancee, Dominque Goods-Burke, suffered serious burns and remain hospitalized.

A preliminary investigative report, released last month by the National Transportation Safety Board, found that the jets cockpit voice recorder likely hadnt worked for several years. Investigators had hoped a recording would offer clues about what had gone wrong. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Before daybreak on Friday, a procession of cars departed from the Consulate of Mexico at 17th and Arch Streets and headed to the Philadelphia International Airport. Several first responders, who had rushed to help crash victims that night, joined the procession.

A consulate spokesperson said the head consul planned to deliver the victims remains to family members during a private ceremony late Friday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico City.
Tina Lewis holds up one of her fishing nets while in her studio in the Frankford section of Philadelphia on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022. Lewis left her corporate job during the pandemic to start making custom, wooden fishing nets. Read more

When the corporate life grew stale and the drumbeat of the Great Resignation grew louder, Tina Lewis cast her attention and artistic ability toward the unlikeliest product.

Lewis, 40, crafts custom, handheld fishing nets prized by fly fishermen from the Poconos to Sweden. Her business, the Wayward Trading Post, makes the nets out of Amish-sourced wood and epoxy in an eclectic Frankford warehouse filled with her art, weightlifting equipment, and an assortment of industrial power saws and sanders. A Fishtown resident, Lewis said she grew up in Delaware County, venturing into the outdoors often with her father, John, to fish, shoot, and hunt. Still, fly-fishing is as much an art as a hobby and Lewis says shes still a novice.

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My core competency is the woodwork, art, and illustration, she said.

While a fishing net isnt as technical as say a custom violin or guitar, its a critical component of a fishermans arsenal. Few fisherman can relax until their catch is safely in the net. Its the final step in a long process that begins with making fuzzy pieces of hair look like a fly. Lewis understands this, and also believes simple things can be beautiful as well. Thats why many of her nets have custom art of late: beloved pets, drawn by her, or mementos from the customers past, like military medals or coins, embedded into the wood.

These are heirloom pieces, something the customers want to pass down from generation to generation, she said.

Lewis took art classes as a child and later again as a student at Community College of Philadelphia but had no real formal training beyond that.

I actually got into drawing by reading comics, drawing those characters and later, musicians, as I got into high school, she said.

She worked in technology for a pharmaceutical company for years but yearned to turn art into a steady income. The business started when her husband, Justin, also a woodworker, built a custom net for a friend that they dubbed the Fat Jake. She added an illustration of a green trout and a bear, and people took notice. She founded the Wayward Trading Post in August 2019 and left the corporate job two years later.

It started off slow but its really taken off, she said.

Lewis declined to say how many nets shes sold so far, but dozens hang in various stages and sizes in the warehouse. Strips of walnut and cherry wood abound there, too, waiting to be bent into shape. Lewis uses rubber netting, which makes it easier for fishermen to release their catch.

Each net takes weeks to finish, Lewis said, depending on how much custom art the buyer wants. Lewis said she sells nets anywhere from $100 to $1,000 depending on the size and amount of art work the customer wants included. Many of them are shipped to Europe, she added.

Its a perfect blend of the outdoors and art for me, which is what I grew up with, she said.

Old artwork, including portraits of Bob Marley and Jerry Garcia, hang in the epoxy room alongside photographs of various trout species. Her fathers old sharpshooting trophies glimmer in the warehouses rafters, and Gertie, the one-eyed shop dog, is never far behind on the floor.

I like to have reminders and inspiration around, she said.

While nets are the top product, Lewis company also sells wooden boxes to store fishing flies, and is experimenting with gun stocks, cutting boards, coffee tables, and maybe even canoe oars. If its a flat, wooden surface, shes interested.

I have lists every day, she said of things I have to do and things I want to do, artistically.
Dave Pryor stands along a dirt road in Lehigh County, Pa. Pryor organizes dirt and gravel roads races in the state of Pennsylvania. Read more

Some unpaved roads reveal natures simple engineering, like the path deer chose in a forest centuries ago. Native Americans used the deer paths to travel, and those trails widened over time for horses and buggies to become dirt roads.

Pennsylvania is home to approximately 23,000 miles of unpaved public roads, and there are likely thousands of miles more on private property and in the vast Allegheny National Forest. Theyre more than just a quaint feature of rural America, too. School buses, mail and other delivery vehicles, first responders, and a growing number of gravel-loving cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts use them daily.

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In places like Bradford County, which has the most miles of unpaved road in the state at just under 1,600, maintaining the dirt and gravel isnt just about transportation and smoothing out a bumpy ride, though. Its about water quality.

With all those miles here, just about every dirt road in the county touches a waterway of some sort, said Joe Quatrini, a dirt and gravel roads specialist with Bradford Countys conservation district.

Many dirt and gravel roads hug the banks of rivers and streams, two lines on a map following the path of least resistance like two synchronized snakes. On an ideal gravel road, rainfall disperses evenly across the surface, like a sheet of water, filtering through more land before it reaches a stream. Unmaintained or orphaned roads that no ones taking care of often sink or become deeply rutted, forming small bogs. When it rains, those rutted roads can funnel water, collecting sediment, trash, and other pollutants like pesticides, oils, and fertilizer into an erosive torrent that rushes into a creek. That sheer volume of water can wash away stone and rock beds that fish and other aquatic life need to breed.

The sediment is the main impact from a dirt road, and thats what our program aims to eliminate, said Justin Challenger of the State Conservation Commission. Thats why were more of an environmental program than a traditional, PennDot type of road program.

The states effort to address sediment runoff from unpaved roads was inspired by some frustrated trout fishermen and resulted in the opening of Penn States Center for Dirt and Gravel Studies in 2001. In the last two decades, Penn States unique program provided training and technical assistance for thousands of projects in nearly every Pennsylvania county. It has also advised a handful of other states, including Arkansas and Vermont, on how to develop their own. The center is the educational arm for Pennsylvanias Dirt Gravel and Low Volume Roads Program, which provides the grant funding for the projects through the Conservation Commission in Harrisburg.

Pete Ryan, a dentist and avid trout fisherman from Coudersport, in rural Potter County, saw that process play out time and time again on his favorite streams when it rained. One late-spring afternoon, in 1990, he eyed an overcast sky over coffee, looking for divine intervention in the charcoal clouds rolling through the county. The sulphur and green drake mayflies were hatching all over northern Pennsylvania, and rainbow, brook, and brown trout would rise to eat them in the countys cold, clear streams. Fishermen would try to fool a few into biting fuzzy hooks instead.

But Ryan hoped rain would ruin the fishing that day in Gods Country, so he could prove a point. And the heavens opened up.

It was perfect, Ryan recalled.

Ryan and another member of the Gods Country chapter of Trout Unlimited had invited a state biologist, a Penn State professor, and a fellow fly fisherman to Potter County to show them how those timeworn, unmaintained dirt and gravel roads affected water quality in those world-class trout streams. Rain, like the kind they saw that day, flowed quickly into Big Moores Run, clouding up the water in the short term but also introducing pollutants and washing away rock.

It was like pouring milk into coffee, Ryan said of the runoff.

As a direct result from that rainy day in Potter County, a state task force on dirt and gravel roads was formed in 1993. For the next five years, volunteers from Trout Unlimited, a national nonprofit that advocates for clean waterways and fisheries, traveled the state, identifying approximately 900 sites where sediment from unpaved roads was disrupting waterways. The number of potential sites grew to 12,000.

State funding for maintenance was approved in 1997 and Penn States center opened in 2001, focusing on educating and training county conservation districts. From 1997 to 2013, the dirt and gravel maintenance program received $4 million in funding per year. That number jumped, in 2014, to $28 million with a minimum of $8 million per year dedicated to low-volume roads that see fewer than 500 cars per day.

In most areas, the number of gravel roads are likely decreasing, but in some rural areas, when townships realize they cant afford to maintain paved roads, theyll actually rip it back up, said Steve Bloser, director of the Penn State Center

While students cant major in dirt and gravel roads at Penn State, Bloser said, the center developed a Rural Road Ecology class primarily for forestry or engineering students.

On a recent winter day in Potter County, Pete Ryan and Andrew Mickey, the countys dirt and gravel roads technician, took a drive out to Big Moores Run to see where the states gravel and dirt road maintenance program began. Big Moores Run Road was covered in snow. Trout, Ryan said, are like the canaries in the coal mine  but for watersheds. They demand cold, clean water, free of pollutants. In Potter County, the trout population is thriving, because the roads are maintained.

We dont have development or industry, Mickey said. We just have a huge dirt-road network.

When Mickey stopped his truck by a stream crossing, brook trout darted off in the clear water.

Fishermen arent the only group that care about dirt and gravel roads. All over the state, cyclists and runners are looking to gravel as a softer and safer substitute for traditional roads. Dave Pryor runs unPaved Pennsylvania, which promotes gravel and dirt bicycle riding and racing. He sees the states abundance of gravel and dirt roads not only as a playground but as an economic driver. The 2021 unPAved race of the Susquehanna River Valley Pryor hosted saw more than 800 participants from all over the country converging on Lewisburg, Union County, for a weekend.

There were a lot of events in the Midwest, and I figured we need to do this in Pennsylvania, Pryor said. The public lands we have in Pennsylvania are gems. We have miles and miles of quiet, gravel roads. We have some of the best in the country.

On a fall day in Lehigh County last year, Pryor was out scouting random gravel roads near Emmaus. Like many, this one ran beside a creek. People lived along it, and every few minutes or so, a car would pass. Farther down the road, a metal sign credited the countys conservation district and the Penn State center for a reconstructed stream crossing.

Better roads, cleaner streams, the sign read.

Pryor said hes raced in other states where rainfall all but shuts riding down.

Or it gets so muddy you have to walk your bike, he said. Here, it could rain for a week, and youd get wet, but youd still be able to ride.

The bicycle industry now makes gravel-specific bikes that can cost as much as $6,000. There are magazines dedicated to dirt and gravel riding, and Pryors wife, Selene Yeager, wrote a book about the phenomenon called Gravel!

Gravel riding is the hottest thing in bikes right now, Outside Magazine wrote in 2020.

The Penn State center said Philadelphia is the only county in the state without a conservation district, and the city isnt on its list of counties with unpaved mileage. The city does have dirt and gravel roads in parks, however, including Forbidden Drive, a gravel road that mostly serves as a popular recreation area for cyclists, runners, and hikers. It runs just feet from Wissahickon Creek.

In 2020, Pennsylvanias dirt, gravel, and low-volume road maintenance program helped build or replace more than 1,200 culverts to break up surface water flow. It builds buffers and bridges and fills in roads that have become entrenched, or sunken, after decades of use. The program used 395,000 tons of fill to build them back up in 2020.

Some of these roads can be 100 years old, Bloser said.

While COVID-19 affected the number of projects able to be done in recent years, Bloser expects work to ramp up again in the coming years.

On very rare occasions, when homeowners and other stakeholders are gone and public use has dwindled, some counties will give their unpaved roads back to nature. Thats often the case with old logging roads. Bloser said the goal, in those rare instances, is to obliterate the road and fill it in.

Grasses grow again, then trees, and roads slowly become hiking trails and deer paths again.
Nathan Good, 35, of Quakertown, Pa., is with his kids Winslow, 5, Deacon, 7, and Eulalia, 9, and his nephew Elijah, 7, volunteering to dump trout into the creeks in the local area for fishermen in Quakertown, Pa., on Friday, March 28, 2025. Read more

Trout can get carsick.

Thats why millions of rainbow, golden, brook, and brown trout have been crisscrossing Pennsylvania in large trucks on empty stomachs for the last month. Theyre parked outside Sheetz, Rutters, and a few Wawas while drivers grab a coffee, use the bathroom, and do a fish check. Theyre at rest stops and traffic lights and, eventually, wind up in buckets carried down to creeks by volunteers in every corner of the Commonwealth.

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Oh my gosh, look at the tail, volunteer Kyle Kocher, 45, said about a particularly large rainbow trout that barely fit in a bucket.

Its huge, his daughter, Marley, squealed.

Then, with a here we go, he tossed the bucketful of fish into a stretch of Unami Creek in Quakertown, Bucks County. One large golden trout, a bright color morph of the rainbow trout, swam in circles in a deep hole on the creek.

Up and down the creek, about 50 volunteers, young and old, were doing the same thing with buckets, all of them gathering on this Friday afternoon in late March to help the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission prepare for an annual rite of spring: opening day of trout season.

As of April 5, starting at 8 a.m., anyone with a valid fishing license can try to catch them. In Philadelphia, the Wissahickon and Pennypack Creeks are both stocked with trout, and anglers will be lining up early to get an open spot.

They put some real big ones in there, said Mark Cooper, a Bucks County fisherman whos been volunteering to dump trout for 20 years.

While Western states like Montana and Colorado might make for more scenic trout fishing photos, Pennsylvanias rivers and streams are world-renowned for both their fish and history. The states fisheries management program dates back more than 140 years. The commissions first mission was to repopulate American shad, a once-ubiquitous fish that spawned en masse in the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers. Fish were transported via horse-and-buggy in the earliest days, then by train, before todays custom-fitted flatbed trucks with aerated tanks.

There are 15 hatcheries in the state, often in areas with direct access to clean waterways. About half of the hatcheries produce approximately 4 million trout in total for fishermen and, ideally, to bolster some existing populations. The state produces a slew of other fish too, everything from the largemouth bass and their smaller, feisty cousins, the smallmouth bass, to the elusive, toothy muskellunge or muskie.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission estimates that recreational fishing adds $1 billion to the states economy. The trout stocking program is mostly user-funded by fishing license sales, and the state issued more than 790,000 of them last year.

The trout that were tossed into Unami Creek started their morning 120 miles southwest, at the Huntsdale State Fish Hatchery in Carlisle, Cumberland County. The 167-acre hatchery was opened in 1932 with water drawn from nearby springs and waterways, including the famous Yellow Breeches, a clear and cold stream known for its trout fishing.

Andrew Wagner, the hatchery manager at Huntsdale, said trout are cold-water species that require more attention than typical Pennsylvania fish. While only the brook trout is native to Pennsylvania, browns and rainbows have long been established and are part of the fishing culture.

Other species can go up to 75 / 80 degrees and still survive, he said in the hatcherys visitor center.

Just before 8 a.m., about a dozen Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission employees, most with a biology background, gathered for a meeting to discuss the days planned stocking over cookies and coffee. The rush of trout stocking season was almost over, and outside, the hatcherys many concrete raceway holding tanks were growing sparse.

Theyll be all rainbows from there on out, Joe Tusing, Huntsdales foreman, told the crew after looking at some paperwork.

The crew was broken down into loaders and stockers. The stockers would be dispersing over the region in their trucks, meeting volunteers at various waterways with a brigade of buckets to release the trout.

Weve done 305,000 fish here in about five weeks and tomorrow is our last day of preseason, Tusing said.

The loaders would be getting wet and slimy, donning waders and rain slickers to hop into the raceways to scoop up hundreds of pounds of fish into a conveyor that leads up to the trucks.

Yeah, its a workout, one aquarist said while scooping up a heavy net full of fish.

The trucks can carry approximately 3,500 pounds of fish to each stocking location. Aquarist Eric Bitzer drove the load of trout from the hatchery to Bucks County. He took a rest stop at Cabelas, an outdoors superstore in Berks County, to check on the fish. The store is a fishermans paradise and some visitors have questions when they see his truck.

Yeah, they want to know if theres any big ones in there and where Im going, Bitzer said.

Just before noon, Bitzer pulled the truck into a fire station parking lot near Unami Creek and, about 15 minutes later, it was full of volunteers. Local schools were off on this Friday and fathers, grandfathers, and uncles brought them all down to dump trout.

Were just big fans of fishing and we eat a lot of trout, said Jesse Killion, a knife maker who came to carry buckets with his son, Jonah.

After a briefing from a Fish and Boat officer, the convoy headed down to the creek.

You want to toss the trout. Dont dip the bucket in the water. We dont want our buckets touching the water, Officer Travis Miller told the crowd, in order to avoid cross contamination back at the hatchery.

The trout are fed with pellets for most of their time at Huntsdale and are generally ready to be stocked when they reach about 11 inches. A few trophy lunkers are mixed in too. The feedings stop a few days before they head out, though. Its not to make them hungrier for fishermen, though that helps on opening day when the fishermen can be elbow-to-elbow.

All the sloshing around in trucks on Pennsylvania highways, it turns out, is not good for their tummies.

Yeah, theyd just chuck all that food up and really foul up the water in the tanks, Bitzer said.

Fishermen should come to opening day hungry, too. Rainbows go great with a little thyme, dill, and garlic butter.

Fishing licenses can be bought online and in person at some locations. Click here for more info. Out-of-state residents can also buy licenses, though they cost more.

Click here for a directory of all the creeks, streams, and lakes where trout are stocked in Pennsylvania.
As the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding approaches, it's time to consider a name change for William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, writes Jim Ludlow. Read more

For decades, Ive walked through 30th Street Station more times than I can count, and every time, Ive thought the same thing: This name doesnt belong here.

30th Street Station is not a real name. Its a location. A coordinate. A missed opportunity. And for a city as storied as Philadelphia, the cradle of liberty, the birthplace of American democracy, its downright demeaning.

With Americas 250th anniversary fast approaching, we have a powerful opportunity to change that. I propose we rename the station Independence Station, a name that reflects who we are and what we represent, both to ourselves and to the world. This is more than branding; its about civic identity and civic pride. And its overdue.

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Around the country and the world, great train stations dont just mark where you are. They say something about who you are. New York has Grand Central Terminal. Washington and Chicago have Union Station. London has St. Pancras. Paris has Gare du Nord. Tokyo, Berlin, Rome, and others all have civic or geographic names that reflect stature, symbolism, or centrality. Philadelphia has 30th Street. Its as if we gave up halfway through christening it.

Imagine stepping off a train and seeing signage for Independence Station  a name that connects instantly to the citys soul. That ties the past to the present. That reminds travelers, students, businesspeople, and tourists: This is where the American idea began. Thats the kind of identity our city deserves. Thats the kind of name that lifts a station into the status of being a genuine landmark.

In 2014, Congress formally designated the station as William H. Gray III 30th Street Station to honor a very good man and a respected leader. Rep. Gray broke barriers as the first Black majority whip in U.S. history and served Philadelphia with distinction. His legacy matters, and it should remain visible and honored. Thats why Im not proposing we erase that name. Im proposing we enhance it.

A revised name, William H. Gray III Independence Station, does both. It keeps the federal honor intact while replacing the lifeless 30th Street label with something worthy of Philadelphias place in history.

Other cities have used similar hybrid naming models to preserve legacy and elevate identity. Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station in New York is a prime example, honoring a statesman while keeping a landmark name intact. This isnt an erasure. Its a clarification. And its a civic upgrade.

The upcoming America250 celebration is hopefully bringing more than $250 million in new investment to Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Committees are forming. Events are being planned. Institutions are preparing for global attention. What better way to mark the moment than to rename our central gateway to Independence Station?

This name would appear on every ticket, every travel app, every map, every arrival.

It would send a message not just to visitors, but to residents that we know who we are, and were not afraid to show it.

It would remind all of us that this city still leads the way.

Some may say there are bigger issues. But I would argue that civic identity matters more than ever. We need symbols that unify, names that mean something, places that remind us where we came from and what we aspire to.

We need Independence Station.

Im calling on Amtrak, city leaders, state officials, and Congress to consider this proposal seriously and urgently. The window is narrow. But having a name that honors both Rep. Gray and the spirit of 1776 is one Philadelphia can be proud of.

Lets make sure when America comes to Philadelphia in 2026, it doesnt just arrive at a station, it arrives at a statement.

Jim Ludlow produces the Good Government Show podcast and is the founder of Liquid Interactive. He resides in Fogelsville, Pa.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General Offices Bureau of Consumer Protections wont be taking further action on the complaints made by more than a dozen Pennsylvanians who received unsolicited $100 checks following the 2024 presidential election that appeared to be from billionaire Elon Musks pro-Donald Trump America PAC.

We received several complaints regarding the $100 checks, reviewed them and deemed no further action was required, Brett Hambright, a spokesperson for Attorney General Dave Sundays office, said in a statement Thursday.

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The Inquirer reported in December that the AGs office received approximately 20 complaints from Pennsylvanians who said they received the mysterious $100 checks from Musks PAC without signing any forms.

During the heated 2024 presidential campaign, as Musk trained his efforts on delivering Pennsylvania for Trump, America PAC offered cash prizes to swing-state voters, including a $100 special offer for those in Pennsylvania who signed a petition avowing their support of the First and Second Amendments.

But at least 18 Pennsylvania voters from various counties, many of whom were Democrats, told The Inquirer they received a check without signing the petition or without knowledge of friends or family members signing them up.

The checks, many of which were received in the days leading up to and after the 2024 presidential election, included an address for United States of America Inc., the name of a holding company established by Musk, now Trumps billionaire adviser.

In late 2024, a spokesperson for the attorney generals office said the nature of the complaints would determine the next steps for the BCP. After that, complaints were reviewed as they came in, and there are currently no more issues to be reviewed, the spokesperson said Friday.

If the office receives new complaints regarding the checks, those will be evaluated, the spokesperson added.

When BCP receives a consumer complaint, the bureau will typically attempt to mediate the issue, according to the Pennsylvania AGs website. The bureau will only take legal action when its believed that a business is engaging in illegal activity and its in the public interest to address it. Public interest includes practice of fraud, an important question of law, a significant number of consumer victims, a significant amount of money at risk or a variety of other things.

The check special offer and the petition were some of the strategies Musk used to secure Trumps victory in the critical battleground of Pennsylvania in November. Following Trumps win, Musk was appointed the figurehead of the newly-established Department of Government Efficiency, which has led a major upheaval throughout the federal government, though he may step back in the coming weeks, Politico reported. On the Musk-owned platform X this week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote that Musk will depart from his role at DOGE when his work is complete.

And while some say they received Musks PACs money without asking for it, at least one Pennsylvania resident alleged this week that hes still waiting to be paid for his efforts.

Earlier this week, a complaint was filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on behalf of an unnamed Bucks County resident who alleged Musk and America PAC of owing him more than $20,000 for soliciting signatures for the America PAC petition while he was canvassing for the political action committee ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
An Italian friend of mine, long resident in Ireland, avoids talking about food with fellow Italians as it always leads to arguments. Everyones mamma or nonna cooks better than everyone elses; in Italy food is never fuel, it is culture, it is everything.

So, can three Irish people open an Italian restaurant in what used to be Locks? Of course they can if they are Liz Matthews, Simon Barrett and Paul McNamara, who already run Uno Mas and Etto, two of Dublins best-loved restaurants.
Inca Trail, Peru

Length: 42km | Duration: 4 days

Difficulty: strenuous

Arguably one of the most bucket-listed backpacking hikes on the planet, Perus iconic Inca Trail, set high in the Peruvian Andes, lives up to the lofty hype. The legendary trail takes you through some of the civilisations incredible archaeological ruins, with a large portion of the stairs still intact. Youll get your steps in  there are said to be over 70,000 steps on the trail alone. For a more off-the-beaten-track route, Id recommend the Lares Trail, which takes you through remote mountain valleys dotted with grazing llamas and traditional Quechuan hamlets. The ultimate crescendo for either option is arriving at Machu Picchu, with many trips reaching the breathtaking lost city at sunrise.

Book it: G Adventures offer four-day guided Inca Trail trips from 739 (excl. flights); gadventures.com

Sentier des Fromageries, Switzerland

Length: 15km | Duration: 5hrs

Difficulty: moderate

Switzerland may be chock-a-block with heavenly hiking trails, but a deliciously bite-sized one to consider for your next Alpine visit is this charming Cheesemaker Trail at the famous town of Gruyeres. Wanderers can choose between two equidistant routes, which lead from the dairy-obsessed town up through lush alpine meadows, evergreen forests and valleys, peppered with bell-clanging cows. Hikes are self-guided and reach their peak at mountaintop dairy, where you can enjoy a ttour and tasting. Wrap up back down in the castellated old town of Gruyeres, where local menus of raclette awaits.

Book it: Check out myswitzerland.com for more.

Camino de Santiago, Spain

Length: 780km | Duration: 30-35 days

Difficulty: moderate

The most famous walking holiday of them all, the very word camino has lent itself to the tourism lexicon for any overnight walk in Ireland or beyond. There are myriad iterations of the route nowadays, from the original Primitivo pilgrim route from Oviedo to the Portuguese camino, but all trails ultimately lead to the shrine of Saint James in Santiago De Compostela. Most popular is the Camino Frances from Jean-Pied-de-Port in the Pyrenees through Basque country and northern Spains rugged coast to Santiago. Most tourists tend to take it in chunks over the years. Either enjoy it DIY or join guided tours where accommodation  and crucially, baggage transfers, are all included.

Book it: Six-night trips including breakfast, accommodation and luggage transfers from 525pps; shandontravel.ie

Mount Kilimanjaro Trek, Tanzania

Length: 64km | Duration: 7 days

Difficulty: strenuous

Discover Africas most famous summit via Rongai route, the northern route of the mountain known for its drier, kinder climate. Starting from your gateway base of Moshi, trekkers will zigzag up to the 5895m summit as spectacular savannah scapes and sunsets spill around you.

Book it: Trailfinders offer a seven-night guided Kilimanjaro Route from 2,354pps (excl. flights) which includes meals, hotels and full-service camping en route. trailfinders.ie.

Nakasendo Trail, Japan

Length: 540km | Duration: 20-22 days

Difficulty: moderate

Think of Japan and you might think of millions of commuters zipping through the Shibuya Crossing but theres a far more serene side to traditional Japanese life and the Nakasendo Trail is one of the best ways to experience it. Self-guided tours along

the 400-year-old route which connects Tokyo and Kyoto, where you can wander from village to village staying in traditional shukubo temple lodgings or ryokan inns along the way.

Book it: Responsible Travel offer a two night self-guided Nakasendo Trail experience from 1,250pps (excl. flights) which includes accommodation, train transfers and a step by step itinerary. responsibletravel.com

Appalachian Trail, USA

Length: 3,536 | Duration: up to 200 days

Difficulty: moderate to strenuous

Claimed to be the worlds longest hiking only trail, the AT, taking in 14 states along the US East Coast, is one of Americas true outdoor paradises. Campsites and primitive shelters are the most popular bases to overnight but you can also do back and forth trips from some of the trails most popular hunts from Hot Springs, North Carolina to Damascus, Virginia. Route highlights include the Great Smokey Mountains and Shenandoah National Park while the 100 mile wilderness which leads to the northern terminus of the trail, Mt Katahdin in Maine is a dream section to take a chunk out of, not least in the fall. Just mind the moose.

Book it: See appalachaintrail.org for infinite trail inspiration.

West Highland Way, Scotland

Length: 154km | Duration: 6-8 day

Difficulty: moderate

Arguably the UKs most beloved hiking route, the West Highland Way winds hikers through some of Scotlands most spectacular scenery, sandwiched between the towns of Milngavie to Fort William. Though a week is required to take in the full trip, many hikers take a night or two and you can even pick up an official passport to log your progress. Highlights include Loch Lomond and traversing the wild expanse of Rannor Moor while being wowed by stunning sites such as the peak of Buachaille Etive Mor. Great public transport also makes this a fine option for those who fancy a few days in the great outdoors via Glasgow.

Book it: Seven day self-guided trips with B&B hotel accommodation from 885pps (excl. flights); orbisways.com

Cinque Terre, Italy

Length: 40km | Duration: 5 days

Difficulty: moderate

To give your hiking boots the bella vita treatment, lace up for a trip to Cinque Terre, Italys exquisite urban Unesco site perched along on the Ligurian coast. Youll wander along the cliffs, beaches and cobbled streets of the five towns of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, breathing in some of Europes most romantic trails.

Book it: Seven-day fully guided trip based on half board accommodation from 1,759pps (incl. flights); tdactiveholidays.com

St Olavs Way, Norway

Length: 643 | Duration: 32 days

Difficulty: moderate

When Norwegians ditch the snow shoes for the hiking boots they are spoiled with some of Europes most incredible hiking terrain. St. Olavs Way is the countrys most significant pilgrim route and follows nine different routes from capital Oslo to Nidaros Cathedral of Trondheim. Today, the 600km stretch between Trondheim and Oslo is the most popular, particularly in summer when you can enjoy great scenery under (almost) midnight sun, where you can visit some charming sites like a medieval pilgrim farmstead and where you can soak in the heritage while fuelling up on moose tacos.

Book it: Plan your DIY trip via pilegrimsleden.no

Tour du Mont Blanc, France

Length: 170km | Duration: 10-12 days

Difficulty: atrenuous

What was originally formed by shepherds moving their flock from valley to valley, is today one of Europes most epic outdoors experiences. Trails to circumnavigate Europes highest mountain typically start at the French village of Les Houches in the scenic Chamonix Valley and border hop into both Italy and Switzerland before looping back.

The blockbuster route is certainly one for the more sure-footed (youll need to scale fixed ladders on occasion, for example) but there are also few options to leap-frog sections via cable car.

Book it: Hike with macsadventure.com from 1,035pps (flights excl.) for a four-night tour.

Oukaimeden to Tachdirten, Morocco

Length: 8km | Duration: 5hrs

Difficulty: moderate

Dont overlook Moroccos Atlas Mountains if youre looking for a walking getaway with sunshine, culture and spectacular vistas guaranteed. Guided tours across the range are increasingly popular and take the heat out of map reading and orientation in the North African sun.

Some of the best routes include the Tizi nAddi mountain pass which youll discover after meandering mule paths through traditional Berber villages. At an altitude of over 2,000m, a decent level of fitness is required for these routes, but refuelling on hearty tagines along the way will aid any recovery.

Book it: TD Active Holidays offer a seven night guided Atlas Mountain walking tour on a half board basis from 1,699pps (incl. flights); tdactiveholidays.com

Tatranska Magistrala Trail, Slovakia

Length: 72km | Duration: 7 days

Difficulty: moderate

Slovakia is one of the lesser-trundled walking destinations for Irish travellers, but with some excellent mountain ranges and great budget airline connections to Bratislava (and nearby Krakow), the country should certainly be on everyones rambling radar. The countrys High Tatras mountains, which form part of the greater Carpathian range and fold into neighbouring Poland, are a hiking paradise in summer and feature a well developed hiking infrastructure for tourists. The trail is the countrys most beloved route which can be discovered by hotel-to-hotel hiking or overnighting in traditional mountain huts.
Childrens disability teams are dangerously understaffed with figures showing the crisis is getting worse across Munster and Dublin.

In Cork, one childrens disability network team is operating with 10 fewer staff than it is funded for.

None of the seven teams across the city are staffed to their funded numbers.

A team in Clonmel in Tipperary has 125 children on waiting lists but since January last year has hired just one extra therapist.

One Dublin team has 28 children waiting for an individual family service plan since 2016.

In Waterford, the Dungarvan team alone has 499 children allocated to its care.

In Limerick, one team is down seven people with 905 children on the countys waiting lists for a team.

This is despite seeing 1,440 children or parents in January alone.

A HSE-commissioned review of childrens disability network teams is currently ongoing and should be completed by the end of the year, but for now, the shortages mean although thousands of children receive help every week from childrens disability networks, many struggle.

Rainbow Club Cork chief executive Karen OMahony described Cork as a red spot for staffing vacancies.

I would be hopeful that this Government in the next few years  working with the HSE, the minister for disability  could really push campaigns for recruitment further and make the careers appealing.

There are families in Rainbow Club that absolutely cant get services but we have other families that can access and are getting services. I think it depends on where they are.

The Cork City data was provided to the Labour Party and shared with local councillor Ciara OConnor.

Families are being left in limbo, while staff within the childrens disability network teams face immense pressure to provide services with dangerously understaffed teams, said Ms OConnor.

There are significant shortages across most childrens disability network teams in Cork.

She welcomed a recent pay deal for staff who provide HSE services but do not work directly for the State, but she called for further urgent action to boost recruitment.

HSE head of disability services for the South West Angela ONeill pointed to the very competitive global market for healthcare talent as a factor.
The family of a Cork man who died following an incident at a Cork City nightclub more than two decades ago is calling on the Taoiseach to help them get answers.

Adrian Moynihan, a 23-year-old apprentice mason from Ballincollie Road in Ballyvolane, died on March 26, 2001, following an incident at the Sidetrax nightclub in Cork City.

An inquest in 2003 found he had died of asphyxiation arising from the manner in which he was restrained at the club.

The jury delivered a verdict of death by misadventure, after the matter had been adjourned to allow the Director of Public Prosecutions consider the opinion of State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy.

The DPP, having previously considered a Garda file on the matter, decided no one should be prosecuted in relation to the death.

Adrian Moynihans family remain devastated a verdict of unlawful killing was not an option in the 2003 inquest into the death.

Now, Adrians brother Alan has written to Taoiseach Micheal Martin in hope he will help the family.

A year ago, he wrote to the then taoiseach Simon Harris after he made an apology to the families of the Stardust victims' families in the Dail following the returning of the verdict of unlawful killing in the inquest of 48 people who died in the nightclub fire in 1981.

In the letter, Mr Moynihan begged Mr Harris to take an interest in this case and help us get the answers.

However, Mr Moynihan said the family did not get a response from Mr Harris.

In his letter to Mr Martin, Mr Moynihan said: I beg of you to take an interest in this case and help us get the answers and the correct verdict from the coroners court.

He told Mr Martin: We have seen similar wrongs done in the past and we also have seen some amends made to put these wrongs right.

He referenced the Stardust case and said: Our case is similar to Stardust in so many ways, but we do not have the high profile to get the notice and support to have this dealt with appropriately. All we have is the speech of Simon Harris where he said the State should have stood with the families, instead the families stood alone, well that is us, standing alone and not been given the right to put finality to this and allow our brother/son rest in peace.

He also said the Moynihans had been forced to stand alone in our fight for justice.

The family has been looking for a review of the case for more than two decades.

In 2004, Adrians father, Andrew, went on hunger strike outside the Dail to highlight the case.

He wanted to secure a public inquiry into Adrians death.

His mother, Lily, also contested the 2004 European Parliament election to raise awareness of the familys campaign for justice.

The case was one of more than 200 looked at by the seven-member Independent Review Commission to establish if it should be referred to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission or to an existing commission of inquiry examining complaints by garda whistleblowers. But no action was taken.
Ill see you later.

These are the last words Michael Gaine said to staff at Kenmares Centra on March 20 before he left, never to be seen again.

As well as getting phone credit, he bought a lunch roll and a bottled drink at the supermarket he had visited almost every day.

He was his usual chatty, happy-go-lucky self, said someone who met him that day.

He was always in Centra around about the same time every day, as far as I could tell.

As the wealthy 56-year-old sheep farmer stepped away from the till and headed for the exit, little did anybody who knew him expect the instore CCTV to record his last known movements in the town.

Standing 5ft 10in with a stocky build, brown grey hair, and a bushy beard, he was wearing his distinctive orange woolly hat, black fleece, blue jeans, and black boots.

Michael 'Mike' Gaine buying phone credit in Centra, Kenmare, Co Kerry, at 9.48am on March 20.

His sleeves were rolled up, he was clutching something with his hands as he walked away towards the main entrance.

A short while later he walked out into the car park, got into the nine-year-old bronze Toyota Rav4 jeep his wife Janice bought in 2015, and drove onto the Killarney Rd towards Molls Gap.

Where exactly he went after leaving Centra remains as much of a mystery as does his current whereabouts.

It is not yet publicly known if he popped into the house he shared with his wife Janice in Carhoomeengar East, a short distance from Kenmare before heading straight to his familys old farmhouse.

Less than 1km from Molls Gap, it lies in the glaciated heart of a mixed mountainous realm of rocks and grassy bogland into which he was born and bred.

Searches by hundreds of volunteers in the initial stages of his disappearance failed to find anything of evidential value.

All of his usual haunts have been visited by detectives, and questions asked.

One of those haunts is the small filling station owned by his friend and neighbour, Independent councillor Dan McCarthy.

I was at the mart on that Thursday, so I wouldnt have seen him in the shop, if he was there, said Dan.

But Id say five days out of seven he would be there to get ration for his animals and if he wanted a cup of tea, wed have a cup of tea.

A creature of habit, another place where Mike would be regularly was the Kenmare Co Op Mart, which Dan manages.

If he didnt have anything to buy or sell, he would still be there on mart days.

He would be seen talking to other farmers in the small canteen or in their huddles behind the thick iron bars of the ring side.

As hed catch up on news at that ring, hed be keeping a quiet eye on what was fetching what on mart days, as animals bellowed and whined in the ring and pens behind it.

This would also be as the loud, fast monotonous drill of the auctioneers voice reverberated around the concrete hall, speedily calling out prices per animal in increments of 10 or 100.

Dan referenced Mikes frequent appearance on mart days when he paid an emotional tribute to him on Thursday.

His tribute  and an appeal for anybody with any kind of information about Mikes possible whereabouts  came before half the farmers small cattle herd was sold off.

Dan was visibly shaken after he made his appeal.

Afterwards, he said: Selling Mikes stock was one of the hardest jobs I have had to do since I took over the mart 21 years ago.

To sell your neighbours cattle when he is not around to see them being sold is very sad. It hit every bone in my body.

I can feel the pain that the family is going through. I looked down from the rostrum and could see some of his friends and neighbours crying as they stood around the ring side.

He said that, after the sale was done, these same friends went into the canteen for a cup of tea and some sandwiches and went back out to keep searching.

Ask anybody in the close-knit community and theyll just shake their head in wonder.

But as time goes on, there is a growing acceptance that Mike is no longer alive.

There is also a growing feeling now that there may have been foul play, and that this is not  as many initially thought  a personal tragedy.

On the day before he vanished, he looked at two pairs of walking boots in a local shop, one for around 99 and the other for around 46.

In picking the cheaper ones, he was overheard saying he would go for the cheaper ones because I dont have far to go, or words to that effect.

This led to speculation that his last actions involved walking a few kilometres to a local quarry at Molls Gap or to a lake a little further away down the road.

Apart from the fact that a Garda Water Unit team, soldiers, Kerry Mountain Rescue, Civil Defence, and a small army of local volunteers have failed to find any sign of him in and around the quarry or lake, there is also the issue of his knees.

One local farmer said: If there was a delivery at the gate to the farm and the gate was closed and the package was left there, he wouldnt walk up to get it if he could avoid it.

Hed tear up to the gate in his quad bike. He was not a huge fan of walking anywhere. He had issues with his knees, and he had an issue with a hip too. The knees had been plaguing him in recent years.

Although his quad bike was out of action at the time he vanished, according to a friend, he would often be seen on it feeding his sheep along the road or off the many tracks crossing his sprawling land.

Mother's death

Some have suggested that, at the time he disappeared, he had been upset about his mothers death. She died in February.

Up to a few years ago, Sheila had helped Mike run his farm, which he had taken over from his uncle John.

Mike grew up with his two sisters at his parents house on Railway Rd, Kenmare.

He owns that property jointly with wife Janice.

As far as the farm and lands in Carrig East, near Molls Gap, is concerned, he and other members of his family were given them as a gift by his uncle John in March 1995.

Other land nearby was also gifted by John to another member of his family in 1987.

This is understood to be the two properties across the road from the entrance to Mikes farm.

According to local farmers and friends, Mike and Sheila worked side by side for decades and she was seen pretty much as the matriarch who ran everything.

As well as having around 30-40 head of cattle, they had hundreds of sheep, possibly as many as around 600 at one point.

His own father, Jimmy, had also helped out on the farm.

However, Mikes distraught wife Janice, who is a former school vice principal, is not known to have been very involved with the farm.

When herself and Mike went to Australia for about eight months in around 2000, it was Sheila who ran things while they were abroad.

They were devoted to each other, said a family friend.

She was a real rock to him as he ran the farm. Her death in February hit him and his sisters hard. It is still very raw.

There have been suggestions locally that Mike might have been prone to not returning home the odd night, but friends have dismissed this.

In the distant past, Mike might go awol [absent without leave] for a few days, one farmer said.

But round here that just means someone was too legless after a match or a funeral or some celebration, and what of it?

That did used to happen but very, very rarely and thankfully, that isnt against the law.

Gardai stopping motorists in Kenmare as part of their search for the missing man: Picture: Neil Michael

Another suggestion has been that he went up North to buy a tractor, which may have been on the cards at some stage.

This is because Mike quite often bought tractors, especially if the ones he had broke down and he couldnt get it fixed.

A fan of classic cars, as well as tractors, they were his toys that would be buy from time to time, said a friend.

He was not a great one for repairing the ones he had. Even if he could, he would go off it and get interested in another one.

I think he had at least four tractors, maybe a fifth before he disappeared.

To add to the mystery, his wallet and his mobile phone appear to have been left in his jeep, which was still at his farm house when gardai arrived.

Shortly after he went missing on March 20, questions about the welfare of his animals started to be raised.

While the couple do not have any children, his nephews  who are in their 20s  could have looked after them.

But according to friends, it was felt that, under the current circumstances, it would be better if the herd could be minded elsewhere or sold off.

Although an American he let live rent-free in a derelict property on his farm about six years ago still lives at the farm, it is not known how the man felt about the prospect of looking after the cattle.

Understood to be a former US marine who served in Afghanistan or Iraq, he had been living rough on land in and around Ladies View, not far from Kenmare and Killarney.

Mike, in what people say is a great example of his kind-hearted soul, let him live rent-free in a derelict cottage near his old farm house at the farm.

He has been living there for about six years and rarely leaves the farm.

While not known to spend time working with Mikes animals, the American has worked on Mikes tractors and cars and has a reputation locally as being something of a mechanic.

The day after Mike went missing, friends say the American was fixing the brakes on one of the farmers jeeps that was due to have its NCT done.

The American is understood to have helped gardai as much as he could and has said he is, like so many others, baffled by Mikes disappearance.

Friends say that while Mikes sheep scattered around the 1,000-acre estate can be left to their own devices, the cattle need more hands-on care and attention.

The farm of Michael Gaine is situated between Kenmare and Moll's Gap. Picture: Dan Linehan

For a start, Mike did not grow his own silage and had to buy it in, adding to the cost of looking after them.

Added to that, the cattle needed to be regularly checked for any illnesses.

On Thursday, around 13 were sold off in Kenmare, of which eight  which were sold over two lots  made more than 12,000.

The rest of his herd was removed from the farm last week and are being looked after by a family friend.

He is believed to be based in Co Meath and was a friend of Mikes father Jimmy and uncle John, who he has taken over the farm from.

The family friend is understood to be the same man who has sold the Gaine family thousands of sheep over the past four or five

decades, according to a local farmer.

While people do not believe Mike is suddenly going to turn up out of nowhere, as one local farmer put it, they increasingly doubt his disappearance is the result of a personal tragedy.

Instead, the general feeling locally is  in the absence of any new information  that there may well have been some foul play.

In his appeal for information before he auctioned off some of Mikes cattle, he pretty much alluded to this.

Addressing farmers thronging around the ringside, he said he and the rest of the community will keep looking for Mike because someone knows something about what happened to Mike.

Afterwards, he was asked by the Irish Examiner if anybody suspects foul play.

Someone does know something, and they do know the whereabouts of where Michael is.

If he was alive, he would be here today, and he would go into the canteen and there would be plenty of banter.

Hopefully he will come back alive. But as time goes on it is getting harder to see that [being the case].

The stark possibility of his not being found alive is understood to have been discussed with the family last week.

Members of the Garda Water Unit arrived in Kenmare last Wednesday week to see if they could locate Mikes body, and they are understood to have met a member of his family to discuss their work.

While families struggle to cope with the disappearance of a loved one in any circumstances, a very important factor for families is them being able to recover their body, said a source familiar with underwater searches by Garda divers.

It doesnt give them closure, because few families ever get closure.

But it is a huge emotional thing to at least know where they are and that they were able to give them a proper burial.

It is a great comfort to families in tragic situations like this.

Members of the Defence Forces searching the farm of Michael Gaine. Picture: Dan Linehan

The divers, who had driven down from their base in Tullamore, searched for water in an old disused quarry up the road from Mikes old farm house on Thursday morning.

They also then spent two hours going back and forth along the shore of the nearby Barfinnihy Lake but found nothing of any evidential value.

Another area that was expected to be searched was the Looscaunagh Lake about an hours walk from Mikes old farm house.

It is near Ladies View, so named after a visit there by Queen Victorias ladies-in-waiting during the English monarchs 1861 visit to Ireland.

Dan, who was visibly upset by the end of his appeal for information at Thursdays auction said: There is a terrible sense of doom and gloom in the town and area about this. It is hanging over all of us.

It is so unlike Mike to just head off without telling somebody. I have heard the suggestion that he went up North to buy a tractor but if he did, he would have either been seen by now or he would have contacted his family to assure them that he is OK.

Aside from that, somebody would have seen him by now, stopping to get diesel or eating in a cafe.

Somebody somewhere would have seen him by now, and they havent.

He added: All we want is to bring him back to his family, whatever the outcome. They just want him back.

There is no one saying anything, its just everyone is numb and is completely stunned as to what has happened.

Everyone is waiting to see what the next move is.
Light years ago  last Sunday  I felt a mix of inspiration and admiration watching Mothers Against Genocide gather outside the Dail to highlight the slaughter of thousands of children  more than 14,500, according to Unicef  in Gaza.

It was, I thought, a very worthwhile way to mark Mothers Day. Here was a group of women showing that mothers, so often straitjacketed into the domestic sphere, can be political too.

And here they were, giving up their Mothering Sunday treats to highlight the ongoing obscenity of pretending that mass murder in Palestine is some kind of proportionate response to the Hamas outrage of October 7.

On Monday, however, the protest took a very sinister turn. Gardai, in bewilderingly large numbers, broke up a peaceful vigil and, according to the group, trampled on photos of children killed in Gaza and a symbolic washing line hung with blood-soaked baby grows.

Later, the Dail heard that one of the women was strip-searched, a claim denied by gardai.

HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading

One line of justification for garda action was that the group was blocking the entrance to parliament, although protesters say the gates were locked and nobody was seeking access at the time.

The Taoiseach has promised to follow up on the claims of strip-searching while Mothers Against Genocide is considering making a complaint to GSOC, the Garda watchdog.

We dont need any investigation, though, to see that this was heavy-handedness in action. Yes, public order has to be maintained but the handling of the protest on Monday was reminiscent of a similarly disquieting event in Britain last week. Some 20 British police officers forced their way into a Quaker meeting house in London to arrest six female supporters of the activist group Youth Demand, as they discussed the assault on Gaza and the climate emergency over tea and biscuits.

One of the arrested women, student journalist Jennifer Kennedy, told the press that her phone, camera and laptop were confiscated and she not allowed to make a phone call so family and friends did not know where she was.

Her crime, and the crime of the other activists? In the words of journalist George Monbiot, it was simply dissent.

There is certainly something in that, and you have to ask if we have an issue with dissent and protest here too? Particularly protest by women.

The scenes outside the Dail on Monday reminded me of another protest, by less than a handful of women, which brought the police out in ridiculously high numbers.

There is, let me be the first to admit, a vast difference in scale and in context here, but its still worth revisiting that day in 1917 when 400 policemen were called out to take on four women.

On the first anniversary of the execution of the Easter Rising leaders, activists Rosie Hackett, Helena Molony, Jinny Shanahan and Brigid Davis went onto the roof of Liberty Hall in Dublin, barricaded themselves in and unfurled a huge poster that read: James Connolly Murdered, May 12th 1916.

The spectacle attracted thousands of onlookers who gathered along the quay to have a good gawk. Soon, hundreds of police officers were called in to stop the protest. It took them more than an hour to get into Liberty Hall.

Unlike this week, there were no arrests and not a line appeared in the press. As Rosie said of the incident later: Of course, if it took four hundred policemen to take four women, what would the newspapers say?

I was reminded of another one of the founding members of the state this week when Mary MacSwiney, Leeann Lanes new biography of a woman unafraid to speak to her mind, plopped on the hall mat.

I look forward to spending much more time with a woman whose imprisonment and three-week hunger strike in 1922 made national and international headlines. But, in a quick skim of this timely and important book, one section jumped out at me.

In 1975, republican and journalist Maire Comerford told historian Dr Margaret Ward that Mary MacSwiney was vilified because she was a woman who spoke her mind: She was a most tolerant and kind person but she had great courage in confronting every situation. But the men they made a harridan of her. But she wasnt at all. But men wont face up to a woman if they be in the wrong you know, and she was one person above all they couldnt face.

One man who did try to face up  or face her down, might be a more apt term  was Eamon de Valera. In 1922, he delivered this memorable line: I have done my utmost to be angry with you, but it is impossible  you are incorrigible!

She was certainly that. And speaking of protests, there is a wonderful photo of her protesting outside Mountjoy jail in 1922, along with Maud Gonne and Charlotte Despard.

Charlotte Despard continued campaigning for women's rights, poverty relief, and world peace into her 90s.

Incidentally, few embody the spirit of female protest better than Charlotte Despard, activist, socialist, pacifist and co-founder of the Irish Womens Franchise League. There is a famous photo of her, aged 90, still giving it socks at an anti-fascist rally in London in 1933.

She was jailed four times but that did not stop her advocating for womens rights, peace and the relief of poverty, among many other issues.

Looking back now, its surprising  though so inspiring  to see such vocal women because things went so quiet after the new Irish State established itself.

To remember just how quiet, pick up a copy of Ailish McFaddens beautifully illustrated and thought-provoking volume, Eve in Ireland: Controlling and Silencing Irish Women, 1922-1972 (Liffey Press).

Given the recent Mothers Day protests, it is really interesting to read what she says about three of Irelands central figures  Patrick Pearse, Archbishop John Charles McQuaid and Eamon de Valera  and their relationships with their mothers.

Pearses mother Margaret was a pious woman who devoted her life to her four children; a worthy role model for a new state. The archbishop and the man who would be taoiseach and president had more complicated stories.

Archbishop McQuaid was said to be devastated when, as a teenager, he found out that the woman who cared for him, his fathers second wife Agnes, was not his biological mother. His mother, Jennie Corry, had died eight days after he was born in 1895, but he was never told.

Devs complicated relationship with his mother, Catherine Coll, is well-documented. Born in New York in 1882, a very young Eamon was sent back to Ireland into the care of his grandmother after his father Vivion de Valera died.

The only evidence that his parents were married was his mothers word for it. Despite a search, a marriage certificate was never found.

As McFadden points out, little wonder McQuaid and de Valera both sought to create a country full of stable, mother-centred homes. The influence they had in shaping the day-to-day life of women and children cannot be underestimated, she writes.

In the years that followed, there was little place for protest, dissent or female anger. Recall that in 1952, the Irish Housewives Association was accused of being a band of Marxist agitators responsible for riots on OConnell Street in Dublin.

Happily, the blessed winds of change blew furiously in the 1970s. The buoyant spirit so evident in the photo of members of the Irish Womens Liberation Movement defying customs as they brought illegal contraception from Belfast to Dublin still gives me a kick. And there have been very many female protests that passed off without incident since, even if female anger still sticks in the collective craw.

Now, though, its time to unleash that anger and get to the bottom of the troubling garda response to the Mothers Against Genocide protest. As that group has said: We wont be silent.
Last Tuesday serious allegations of police brutality were aired in Dail Eireann. Unidentified gardai were accused of abusing women who had been arrested after engaging in a protest outside Leinster House. There was a claim of strip searching of women, of threats, that one woman was told to strip naked and was touched in all my sensitive parts, and, most appallingly of all, that at least one woman was subjected to a cavity search.

Is that the sort of society we are heading for, asked Richard Boyd Barrett, after making the serious allegations.
A dear friend, perhaps thinking I needed some spiritual guidance, put me in touch with another friend as they were passing through town last week, and insisted we meet.

You like the same things, she insisted, and by that I didnt know whether she meant Jean-Claude Izzo, Mediterranean noir novels, or coleslaw.

Still, this friend has rarely put me wrong and has a famously kind heart so, eager to please, I set about establishing contact with the other friend, who for the purposes of this exercise we shall call Friend Eile.

Do you voice-note a stranger, or just a straightforward text?

Always unsure of social convention, I opted for a hybrid, which I understand is likely disconcerting for the recipient, who probably just wants consistency in the communication they receive.

Like everything in life, the more you overthink, the more likely you are to confuse not just yourself, but those who really are only trying to fulfil the contract of friendship they involuntarily signed up for and meet a damn stranger for a cup of coffee.

Place and time eventually established, the next mental hurdle to be cleared was manoeuvring the greeting. Id just returned home from Lebanon, where kisses are de rigueur.

The problem there is, depending on the kissee, one doesnt know until halfway through the kissing how many kisses are going to be kissed. Its sometimes two, sometimes three.

Being Irish, and not of kissing stock, training yourself to kiss without making hmmmmmmmm sounds, while also retaining a modicum of physical grace under pressure, is an unnatural thing to do.

Walking into the room to meet Friend Eile, I had to remind myself that no kisses were necessary. Thats for French architects and wealth managers. We are a nation of hand shakers. Huggers at funerals. Thumps on shoulders at weddings.

So, I picked a course of action and stuck to it. Regardless of what pleasantries were offered to me, I was shaking hands, firm but fair, and offering no opening for anything else.

Too traumatised am I by misreading signs of over or under familiarity that first meetings require a level of mental planning and preparation befitting the Normandy landings.

I nailed the landing, executing a strong but casual handshake the way one might during peace offerings at Mass, a safe space when the parameters of the social contract are clear; shake hands, move on.

The next hour or so was spent confirming what our mutual friend thought.

Shared interests

Interests were shared, beyond coleslaw and Mediterranean noir, and plans were made for future collaborations.

Is this what networking is? I thought, as my new friend politely took a phone call, allowing me time to revel in my newfound maturity, daydreaming as I was about creating a LinkedIn profile with a picture of me staring artistically out to sea, a quote from Homers Iliad tempting views from haughty literary magazines  Everything is more beautiful because we are doomed etc.

With the encounter nearing a successful end, Friend Eile mentioned requiring a taxi to the train station.

Buoyed by bombast, I offered to take them in my car, an offer that was well received and accepted.

This is adulthood. Making friends with like-minded creatives. Giving lifts and exchanging ideas like a couple of subterranean resistance fighters conspiring against Vichy France.

Hubris, however, is a cruel mistress. As we discussed the decline of Berlin as a liveable city, while waiting for the bill, I suddenly realised I had not driven to the rendezvous, but cycled, fatally disqualifying my offer of a ride to the train station.

My mental miscalculation had cost my new friend vital minutes. Taxis would now have to be ordered, after all.

The mood changed. My offer to pay the paltry bill was flatly declined.

A cold sweat descended the back of my neck like a cyclist down Mount Ventoux.

Still, there was room to recover, and seeing as the meeting had gone so well up to the lift/no-lift debacle, I figured what better way to celebrate the foundation of a new friendship than with an actual grown-up hug.

A statement of intent. A deposit in the joint account of acquaintance the two of us had just opened together.

What happened next was catastrophic. I am tall. My friend is small. Realising my attempt to hug goodbye was misguided, I withdrew mid-movement, clumsily offering a hand to shake instead.

Friend Eile had already reacted, however, and tried to overcompensate with a hug of her own, which resulted in her headbutting by retreating torso like I was Marco Materazzi, and she Zinedine Zidane.

We left, promising to keep in touch, but knowing we never will.

Later, our mutual friend reached out to ask how it went. I think Im too old for new friends, I thought, but did not say.

Feeling doomed, I told her Homer was full of shit.
Paul Schrader, the writer of Taxi Driver and director of American Gigolo, has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting his former personal assistant.

He also stands accused of firing her when she would not acquiesce to advances and reneging on a settlement that was meant to keep the allegations confidential.

The former assistant, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, sued the filmmaker and his production company on Thursday.

She is seeking a judges order to enforce the agreement after Schrader said he could not go through with it. The terms, including a monetary payment, were not disclosed.

This is an open-and-shut settlement enforcement matter, the womans lawyer, Gregory Chiarello, wrote in court papers accompanying the breach of contract claim.

This is an open-and-shut settlement enforcement matter.

Schraders lawyer, Philip J Kessler, deemed the lawsuit desperate, opportunistic and frivolous and said many of its allegations are false or materially misleading.

We absolutely deny that there was ever a sexual relationship of any kind between Mr Schrader and his former assistant, and we deny that Mr Schrader ever made an attempt to have a sexual relationship of any kind with his former assistant, Mr Kessler said.

The lawsuit, filed in a New York court, exposed allegations that the confidential settlement between the woman, 26, and Schrader, 78, had been intended to remain secret.

They include her claim that the filmmaker trapped her in his hotel room, grabbed her arms and kissed her against her will last year while they were promoting his latest film, Oh, Canada, at the Cannes Film Festival in France.

Two days later, the lawsuit said, Schrader called Jane Doe repeatedly and sent her angry text messages claiming he was dying and could not pack his bags.

When she arrived to help, the lawsuit said, Schrader exposed his genitals to her as he opened his hotel room door wearing nothing but an open bathrobe.

She went on to allege Schrader fired her last September after she again rejected his advances.

As per the lawsuit, he sent her an email expressing fear that he had become a Harvey Weinstein in her mind.

Weinstein, the movie mogul turned #MeToo villain, was convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022 and is awaiting an April 15 retrial in his New York rape case.

According to the lawsuit, Schrader agreed to the settlement on February 5 but changed his mind after an illness and soul searching.

Schrader conveyed through his lawyers last month that he could not live with the settlement, the lawsuit said.

Mr Kessler disputed that.

We absolutely deny that there was ever a sexual relationship of any kind between Mr Schrader and his former assistant, and we deny that Mr Schrader ever made an attempt to have a sexual relationship of any kind with his former assistant.

The agreement that theyre trying to enforce against Mr Schrader, in plain English, required both parties to sign it before it became legally effective, Mr Kessler said.

Mr Schrader declined to sign it. Its frankly as simple as that.

She worked for Schrader from 2021 until 2024, according to the lawsuit.

During that time, Mr Kessler said, she posted on social media about how much she loved her job and referred to Schrader as an extraordinary mentor and my man.

Schrader rose to fame through his collaborations with director Martin Scorsese, beginning with Taxi Driver in 1976.

Schrader co-wrote Scorseses 1980 boxing drama Raging Bull, starring Robert De Niro, and authored his 1988 religious epic The Last Temptation of Christ and his 1999 paramedic drama Bringing Out the Dead.

He has also directed 23 of his own films, highlighted by 1980s American

Gigolo, which he also wrote.

In 2023, he trashed the Oscars as scrambling to be woke with diversity efforts and more international voters.

And in 2021, in the wake of #MeToo, he decried so-called cancel culture, telling Deadline it was so infectious, its like the Delta virus.

If your friend says, theyre saying these terrible things about me that arent true,  youre afraid to come to their defence because you might catch that virus too, Schrader told the entertainment news outlet.
Prosecutors are seeking more than seven years in prison for disgraced former US congressman George Santos after he pleaded guilty to federal fraud and identity theft charges.

The US attorney for the Eastern District of New York argued in a court filing Friday that a significant sentence was warranted because the New York Republicans unparalleled crimes had made a mockery of the countrys election system.

He lied to his campaign staff, his supporters, his putative employer and congressional colleagues, and the American public, the office wrote.

From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santoss unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives.

The volume of Santos's lies and his extraordinary pattern of dishonesty speaks to his high likelihood of reoffending and the concomitant need to remove him from the community he has repeatedly victimised,

The office also argued that Santos had been unrepentant and defiant for years, dismissing the prosecution as a witch hunt and refusing to resign from Congress as his web of lies was debunked.

Even after pleading guilty before trial, prosecutors argued his claims of remorse ring hollow, noting that he has not forfeited any of his ill-gotten gains or repaid any of his victims.

The volume of Santoss lies and his extraordinary pattern of dishonesty speaks to his high likelihood of reoffending and the concomitant need to remove him from the community he has repeatedly victimised, prosecutors wrote.

The 87-month sentence proposed by prosecutors represents the high end of court guidelines in such cases.

That would be roughly four to five years behind bars plus a mandatory minimum two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft, they said.

Santoss lawyers did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday, which was the deadline for both sides to submit their sentencing memos to the court.

A federal judge on Long Island is scheduled to hear arguments and decide on Santoss sentence during a court hearing on April 25.

The once-rising Republican, who represented parts of Queens and Long Island, served barely a year in office before he was ousted by his House colleagues in 2023, just the sixth congressperson ever expelled in the chambers history.

Santoss political demise came after it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his life story, leading to questions about how the political unknown had funded his winning campaign.

The now-36-year-old cast himself as a wealthy businessman who had graduated from top colleges, worked at prestigious Wall Street firms and held a valuable real estate portfolio.

In truth, he was struggling financially and faced eviction.

Santos admitted in August that he duped voters, deceived donors and stole the identities of nearly a dozen people, including his own family members, to make donations to his congressional campaign.

He was initially due to be sentenced in February, but a judge granted him a three-month reprieve to come up with more than half a million dollars in court fines.

As part of his plea deal, Santos agreed to pay nearly 375,000 dollars (290,850) in restitution and 205,000 dollars (158,998) in forfeiture.

Santoss lawyers said at the time that he had little more than 1,000 dollars (775) in liquid assets and needed more time to build his newly launched podcast to begin paying off the debt.

Prosecutors maintain that Santos profited handsomely from his infamy, arguing he has earned more than 800,000 dollars (620,480) from appearances on the video-sharing website Cameo and from a new documentary since his expulsion from US Congress.

Two of Santoss campaign staffers have also pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with the campaign financing scheme.
Phone footage from one of 15 Palestinians medics killed by Israeli forces last month appears to contradict Israeli claims that the medics vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire on them in southern Gaza.

The footage shows the Red Crescent and Civil Defence teams driving slowly with their emergency vehicles lights flashing, with the logos visible, as they pulled up to help an ambulance that had come under fire earlier.

The teams do not appear to be acting unusually or in a threatening manner as three medics emerge from the vehicles and head toward the stricken ambulance.

The @IFRC condemns the killing of eight @PalestineRCS medics in Gaza.



We are heartbroken. These dedicated humanitarians, killed while responding to the wounded, should have been protected.



We mourn their loss and stand with the Palestine Red Crescent.



Full statement: pic.twitter.com/ohKLIjaW1O  IFRC (@ifrc) March 30, 2025

Their vehicles immediately come under a barrage of gunfire, which goes on for more than five minutes with some brief pauses. The owner of the phone can be heard praying amid the shooting.

Forgive me, mother. This is the path I chose, mother, to help people, he cries, his voice weak.

Eight Red Crescent personnel, six Civil Defence workers and a UN worker were killed in the shooting before dawn on March 23 by Israeli troops conducting operations in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Troops then bulldozed over the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave. UN and rescue workers were only able to reach the site a week later to dig out the bodies.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Societys vice president, Marwan Jilani, said the phone with the footage was found in the pocket of one of its workers who died at the scene.

Fifteen Palestinians medics were killed (Palestinian Red Crescent Society via AP)

The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations distributed the video to the UN Security Council.

The Associated Press obtained the video from a UN diplomat.

One paramedic who survived, Munzer Abed, confirmed the veracity of the video to the AP.

Two block-shaped concrete structures visible in the video are also seen in a UN video released on Sunday showing the recovery of the bodies from the site  a sign that the location is the same.

Asked about the video, the Israeli military said the incident was under thorough examination.

It said all claims, including the documentation circulating about the incident, will be thoroughly and deeply examined to understand the sequence of events and the handling of the situation.

The Israeli military has said it opened fire on the vehicles because they were advancing suspiciously on nearby troops without headlights or emergency signals.

The bodies of eight of the Red Crescent emergency responders were found in Rafah (AP)

The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Younes Al-Khatib, called for an independent investigation into the attack.

We dont trust any of the army investigations, he told a briefing at the United Nations on Friday.

One medic, Assaad al-Nassasra, has been missing since the attack, the Red Crescent says. Mr Abed said he saw Mr al-Nassasra being led away blindfolded by Israeli troops. Mr Al-Khatib said the organisation has asked the military where it is holding their worker.

Mr Al-Khatib said the slain men had been targeted at close range and that a post-mortem examination report would be released soon.

Israel has accused Hamas of moving and hiding its fighters inside ambulances and emergency vehicles, as well as in hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, arguing that this justifies strikes on them.

Medical personnel largely deny these accusations.

Israeli strikes have killed more than 150 emergency responders from the Red Crescent and Civil Defence, most of them while on duty, as well as more than 1,000 health workers, according to the UN. The Israeli military rarely investigates such incidents.

The bodies were found a week after the attack (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

Ambulances started heading to Tel al-Sultan at around 3.50am local time on March 23, responding to reports of people who had been wounded, Mr Jilani said. The first ambulance returned safely with at least one casualty, he said. But subsequent ambulances came under fire.

His hands trembling, Mr Abed told the AP on Saturday that as his ambulance entered the area, its siren lights were on. All of a sudden, I am telling you, there was direct shooting at us, so intense that the vehicle ground to a stop, he said.

A 10-year veteran of the Red Crescent, Mr Abed said he was sitting in the back seat and ducked to the floor of the ambulance. He could hear nothing, he said, from his two colleagues in the front seat  the only others in the vehicle. They appear to have been killed instantly.

Israeli troops, some with night goggles, dragged Mr Abed out the ambulance door onto the ground, he said. They made him strip to his underwear, beat him all over his body with their rifle butts, then tied his hands behind his back, he said.

They interrogated him, asking him about his paramedic training and how many people were in the ambulance with him, he said. One soldier pressed the muzzle of his automatic rifle into his neck; another pressed his knife blade into Mr Abeds palm, almost cutting it, until a third soldier pulled them away and warned Mr Abed: Theyre crazy.

As food stocks in #Gaza run out, WFP's various assistance programmes are gradually shutting down.



All WFP-supported bakeries are closed

Last food parcels were distributed this week

Hot meals continue, but supplies are running low



We urgently need aid to enter Gaza. pic.twitter.com/kyhYc1tUVG  World Food Programme (@WFP) April 4, 2025

Mr Abed said he witnessed them opening fire on the next vehicles to arrive. Soldiers forced him onto his stomach and pressed a gun into his back, he said, and amid the shooting in the darkness, so he could only see two Civil Defence vehicles.

The phone video shows a rescue convoy of Red Crescent of Civil Defence vehicles that was sent out after contact was lost with the stricken ambulance. Taken from the dashboard of one vehicle, it shows several ambulances and a fire truck moving down a road through a barren area in the darkness.

The emergency lights on their roofs are flashing the entire way.

They arrive at an ambulance on the side of the road and stop next to it, their lights still flashing. No Israeli troops are visible.

Lord, let them be OK, a man in the car says. Then he cries out: Theyre tossed around on the ground! This is apparently referring to the bodies.

Three men in orange Civil Defence clothing can be seen getting out of the vehicles and walking toward the stopped ambulance.

"There must be an independent, prompt & thorough investigation into the killings & those responsible for any violation of international law must be held to account.



 @volker_turk on attack that killed 15 medical & humanitarian personnel in Gaza.https://t.co/PvQjYw82cp  United Nations (@UN) April 3, 2025

A shot rings out and one of the men appears to fall. Gunfire then erupts.

The man holding the phone appears to scramble out of the car onto the ground, but then the screen goes black, though the audio continues. The gunfire goes on for nearly five and a half minutes  with long, heavy barrages followed by silences punctuated by individual shots and shouts and screams of men.

Throughout, the man with the phone says over and over: There is no God but God and Muhammad is Gods prophet  the profession of faith that Muslims say when they fear they are about to die.

Near the end of the six-minute, 40-second video, voices can be heard shouting in Hebrew. The Jews are coming, the man said, referring to Israeli soldiers, before the video cuts off.

The Israeli military says that after the shooting, troops determined they had killed a Hamas figure named Mohammed Amin Shobaki and eight other militants.

Our aid workers were killed and thrown into a mass grave in Gaza. Our staffs red uniforms should have protected them. Instead they became their death shrouds.



This should never happen again. For the sake of humanity.



My op-ed in @guardian: https://t.co/Z48tdRdkq6 pic.twitter.com/fDmPOf6FYq  Jagan Chapagain (@jagan_chapagain) April 5, 2025

However, none of the 15 medics killed has that name, and no other bodies are known to have been found at the site, raising questions over the militarys claims they were in the vehicles.

The military has not said what happened to Mr Shobakis body or released the names of the other alleged militants.

Jonathan Whittall, interim head in Gaza of the UN humanitarian office OCHA, dismissed allegations that the medics were Hamas militants, saying humanitarian staff had worked with the same medics previously in evacuating patients from hospitals and other tasks.

These are paramedic crews that I personally have met before, he said. They were buried in their uniforms with their gloves on. They were ready to save lives.
A US federal judge did not have the authority to order the Trump administration to broker the return of a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported from America to a notorious El Salvador prison, government lawyers argued, as they urged an appeals court to suspend the ruling.

US district judge Paula Xinis ordered the administration to facilitate and effectuate Kilmar Abrego Garcias return to America by Monday night.

However, US justice department lawyers asked the 4th US circuit court of appeals to immediately pause the judges order.

A judicial order that forces the executive to engage with a foreign power in a certain way, let alone compel a certain action by a foreign sovereign, is constitutionally intolerable, they wrote.

The appeals court asked Mr Abrego Garcias lawyers to respond to the governments filing by Sunday afternoon.

Protests took place in Maryland (AP)

Mr Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national, was arrested in Maryland and deported last month despite an immigration judges 2019 ruling that shielded him from deportation to El Salvador, where he faced likely persecution by local gangs.

His mistaken deportation, described by the White House as an administrative error, has outraged many and raised concerns about expelling non-citizens who were granted permission to be in the US.

Dozens of supporters gathered at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland, for Fridays hearing.

A cheer erupted in the courtroom when Judge Xinis ruled in favour of Mr Abrego Garcia, whose wife, US citizen Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was in attendance.

Judge Xinis, who was nominated by former president Barack Obama, said there was no legal basis for Mr Abrego Garcias detention and no legal justification for his removal to El Salvador, where he has been held in a prison that observers say is rife with human rights abuses.

Mr Abrego Garcias lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said the government has done nothing to get his client back, even after admitting its errors.

Plenty of tweets. Plenty of White House press conferences. But no actual steps taken with the government of El Salvador to make it right, he told the judge on Friday.

This undated photo provided by Casa, an immigrant advocacy organisation, shows Kilmar Abrego Garcia (Casa via AP)

The White House has cast Mr Abrego Garcia as an MS-13 gang member and doubled down on that claim after Fridays hearing.

Mr Abrego Garcias legal team has said there is no evidence he was in MS-13.

He had a permit from DHS to legally work in the US, his lawyer said. He served as a sheet metal apprentice and was pursuing his journeyman licence.

Mr Abreho Garcia fled El Salvador in around 2011 because he and his family were facing threats by local gangs.

In 2019, a US immigration judge granted him protection from deportation to El Salvador.

Government lawyers say they have no control over Mr Abrego Garcia and no authority to arrange for his return  any more than they would have the power to follow a court order commanding them to effectuate the end of the war in Ukraine, or a return of the hostages from Gaza.

They added: It is an injunction to force a foreign sovereign to send back a foreign terrorist within three days time. That is no way to run a government. And it has no basis in American law.
In the Wake of the Trump-Zelensky Conflict, Europe Must Consider Its Security Alternatives

The public confrontation between US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday will be remembered as one of the most calamitous political press events in recent history.

It appeared as a blatant ambush, and Mr. Zelensky took the bait, countering Mr. Vances claim that Ukraine now required diplomacy.

The body languageraised hands from Mr. Trump and Mr. Vancespoke volumes: they want no part in continuing to assist Ukraine in its fight against the war initiated by Russia.

Mr. Trump also made it known that he has no preferred side in the conflict.

This must have come as a shock to Ukraines president, who had previously been warmly received by former US president Joe Biden in the same setting.

In just over two weeks, Mr. Trump and his vice president have overturned the previous Biden administrations robust support for Ukraine and cast doubt on Americas longstanding commitment to Europe.

One can only speculate about Russian President Vladimir Putins reaction, now empowered by the Trump administrations warming ties with Kremlin officials.

The verbal clash on Friday also reveals the significant divide that has appeared between Europe and the US regarding methods to conclude the war in Ukraine.

In response to the extraordinary scene in the Oval Office, European leaders rallied in support of Mr. Zelensky, while Mr. Trump subsequently criticized the Ukrainian president on his Truth Social platform.

Later in London, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will convene over a dozen European leaders, including Mr. Zelensky, at a summit to deliberate on the future of European security and the situation in Ukraine.

This was intended to be an opportunity for Mr. Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron to brief their fellow leaders on their discussions with Mr. Trump in Washington earlier in the week.

Keir Starmer visited Donald Trump in the White House earlier this week.

However, Fridays confrontation at the White House will likely overshadow the agenda and redirect the conversation on how Europe and Ukraine can persuade the US to re-engage as a security guarantor in any peace deal with Russia.

Mr. Trump, who was born one year after World War II ended, seems to bear little of the transatlantic loyalties that informed the European policies of the 13 other American presidents since 1945.

Thats not to say this second Trump administration will completely abandon Europe.

Nearly 80 years following the conclusion of World War II, Americas military still operates more than 30 bases throughout Europe, from Britain to Bulgaria, housing over 60,000 personnel.

Nonetheless, the incoming US administrations abrupt rapprochement with Russiabeginning with the Trump-Putin phone call that blindsided both Europeans and Ukrainians, followed by initial discussions with senior Russian officials regarding the wars conclusionhas prompted European governments into action over the past fortnight.

Most European NATO members are now spending over 2% of GDP on defense, successfully meeting the target set by the alliance.

For years, many member countries, including France and Germany, had not met that target, relying instead on the US to uphold the alliance.

This second Trump administration has made it clear that it expects European nations to increase their defense spending and take the lead in maintaining peace in Ukraine.

Its just not fair or sustainable, described US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an interview with Fox News this week regarding the disproportionate role the US has played in funding NATO.

However, that is on the brink of changing.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the US role in NATO is not fair or sustainable.

Since the re-engagement with Russia, European leaders have come to realize they must prepare for a scenario in which the continent might need to defend itself in the future.

Discussions commenced last week when Mr. Macron convened an emergency summit to determine how to respond to the American-Russian dialogue aimed at ending the war and to address the future of European defense.

The upcoming summit in London is a follow-up to that first meeting.

Two key security challenges facing the continent are at stake, both deeply connected.

The first is the destiny of Ukraine: ensuring Kyiv achieves a fair peace agreement and that Europe is involved in any peace negotiations to conclude the war.

The cost for that involvement in what now appears to be US-brokered peace talks is that European nations may need to assume a central role in any security guarantee for Ukraine by deploying their soldiers as peacekeepers following any ceasefire agreement.

A proposal is emerging for the likely structure of a peace monitoring or reassurance force, potentially involving up to 30,000 European soldiers.

Unsurprisingly, this plan has been primarily driven by the two nations that have spearheaded this European awakening: France and the UK, the only nuclear powers in Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron with US President Donald Trump last month.

Their leaders have expressed readiness to commit troops to a peace monitoring operation in Ukraine.

Denmark, Sweden, and Lithuania have also shown interest in contributing forces.

Others, like Germany and Poland, will require more persuasion.

According to The Telegraph, the reassurance force would involve European troops stationed well behind the front lines around the eastern cities of Poltava, Dnipro, and Kryvyi Rih.

It will be a monitoring mission, primarily using technical sensors and instruments like drones, stated Mykhailo Samus, a senior Ukrainian defense analyst, to RTE News.

The British-French plan anticipates that the mission would be bolstered by an American backstop in the form of US fighter jets based in Poland and Romania, ready to react if Russia violates the ceasefire or threatens European ground troops.

Yet, the willingness of the Trump administration to provide a security guarantee for Ukraine hangs in the balance after the events of Friday in the Oval Office.

Ukrainian and Russian forces would still hold their ceasefire positions along the frozen front lines, which now seems to be a weak point in the strategy.

Not placing a peacekeeping force between the two armiesdespite the inherent riskswill leave much to chance.

Dilemma

If Russia were to breach the ceasefire agreement, the European reassurance force would then face a dilemma on how to respond, as would the US if it agrees to provide the security backstop that Ukraine and Europe seek.

The issue for Trump is that he may believe Putins assurance that he wont attack Ukrainian forces, remarked Mr. Samus, director of the New Geopolitics Research Network, a think tank in Kyiv.

Thats why French and UK forces might only monitor the situation but be unprepared to engage. So, this poses a very challenging task for Trump.

It is understood that Mr. Starmer was meant to discuss the plan for the European reassurance force with Mr. Trump during their meeting in Washington on Thursday.

However, no information arose from the meeting regarding whether the US would extend a security guarantee to the force, which does not bode well.

Without that American backstop, the likelihood of deterring Russia would decrease significantly, leaving European troops in Ukrainestationed at critical Ukrainian infrastructure sitesmore vulnerable to potential Russian provocations.

Despite the fallout in Washington on Friday, Ukraine continues to seek that US security guaranteeregardless of the mineral dealto deter Russia from re-escalating its war in the near future.

Fridays confrontation has cast doubt on American support for Ukraine.

Of course, Russia has continued to oppose the deployment of European soldiers as peacekeepers to Ukraine, despite Mr. Trump asserting that Russian President Vladimir Putin endorsed the notion.

Consequently, the proposition of establishing a European reassurance force will be one of the first matters to discuss when talks finally commence.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has stated that Ireland could provide peacekeepers to Ukraine if required under a UN-mandated ceasefire agreement.

The second and longer-term security challenge facing Europe lies in the need to establish an independent European defense architecture.

European leaders will look at Russia and realize that their nations cannot compete with the Kremlins annual military expenditure of 9% of GDP.

Mr. Macron has consistently advocated for Europe to possess greater autonomy from the US regarding defense.

The UK is also becoming more aligned with this idea, though it will seek to preserve its special relationship with the US. Its nuclear doctrine remains fully integrated with that of the US.

Germany, under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has pursued a policy of providing essential armaments to Ukraine in concert with the US or only after the Biden administration has acted.

Independence from the USA

That approach is expected to shift with the appointment of the next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, leader of the center-right CDU-CSU alliance.

While he is a devoted transatlanticist, Mr. Merz has stated that his primary focus is ensuring European security and achieving independence from the USA.

These were bold declarations from a German leader aiming for Europe to develop its own independent defense capacity.

He has also sought discussions with the UK and France on whether their nuclear security could extend to Germany.

Both Merz and Scholz are strong supporters of Ukraine and advocate for a more robust EU-led security architecture, noted Sebastian Bollien, an analyst at the German Federal Academy for Security Policy, to RTE News.

A key distinction is that Merz appears more in tune with the French view regarding the potential for a US withdrawal from Europe, he added.

To achieve the sort of security independence from the US that Mr. Merz refers to, Europe will need to invest significantly.

The European Commission estimates that the EU must allocate at least 500 billion to defense over the next decade.

An immediate concern for Europe is the urgency to rearm, as many countries have dispatched their most modern armaments (as well as outdated equipment) to Ukraine.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

EU governments do not possess such spare funds, and substantial tax hikes are not a feasible option for many. Thus, borrowing is likely the only viable route.

Currently, the European Investment Bank (EIB) is prohibited from financing the production of weapons, military hardware, or ammunition.

However, this could soon change given the pressing demand for increased defense expenditure.

Nineteen EU member nations, including France and Germany, recently urged the EIB to augment its lending for Europes defense sector.

An initial discussion on various funding mechanisms may occur at next Thursdays extraordinary EU leaders summit focused on defense and Ukraine.

Mr. Zelensky has also been invited to this summit by Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, underscoring that the EU views Ukraines future as intertwined with its long-term security strategies.

Europe, as a collective, acknowledges that the time has come to become more independent from the US concerning defense.

Yet, the prospect of foregoing a US security guarantee altogetherwhether to uphold a future peace agreement in Ukraine or to shield the continent from Russian threatsis still a situation European leaders wish to avoid.

In the aftermath of Fridays unprecedented confrontation at the White House, European leaders now confront the delicate challenge of sustaining support for Mr. Zelensky and Ukraine without antagonizing the Trump administration to the point of alienating Europe entirely.

The question that looms is what role the US envisions for itself in Europes defense architecture, concluded Mr. Bollien.
The United States has temporarily halted intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, as stated by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, increasing the pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to collaborate with US President Donald Trump in initiating peace discussions with Russia.

This suspension, which may undermine Ukraines capability to defend against Russian missile attacks, came after the US military aid to Kyiv was also put on hold earlier this week. It highlights Mr. Trumps readiness to adopt a tough stance with an ally while shifting to a more conciliatory strategy towards Moscow, contrasting the previous strong US support for Ukraine.

The pressure appears to be effective, with Mr. Trump announcing yesterday that he received a letter from Mr. Zelensky, in which the Ukrainian leader expressed his willingness to engage in negotiations.

I believe that the pause in military and intelligence support will be resolved, Mr. Ratcliffe mentioned during an interview with Fox Business Network.

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Mr. Trumps national security adviser, Mike Waltz, indicated on another Fox program that the president might reconsider providing assistance to Kyiv if peace talks were established and certain unspecified confidence-building measures were implemented.

A source familiar with the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that the Trump administration had paused everything, including the targeting data that Ukraine relies on to strike Russian positions.

A second source mentioned that intelligence-sharing had only been partially curtailed but could not provide further specifics.

On Monday, Washington ceased military assistance to Kyiv following a contentious meeting in the Oval Office on Friday, during which Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelenskiy engaged in a heated argument in front of the media. This confrontation delayed the signing of a Ukraine-US minerals agreement.

European nations are racing to enhance defense expenditures and continue their support for Ukraine, as the freeze on military aid has raised concerns about Washingtons commitment to its European NATO partners.

In his address to Congress last night, Mr. Trump stated that Kyiv was prepared to finalize a deal regarding the exploration of Ukraines vital mineral resources, which the US leader has insisted should cover the expenses of US military assistance. No additional details were provided.

Donald Trump delivering his address to Congress yesterday

Mr. Trump also claimed to have engaged in serious discussions with Russia and noted that strong indications suggested they were open to peace talks.

Its time to put an end to this senseless war. If we want to conclude wars, we must communicate with both parties, he commented.

The US has been supplying crucial intelligence to Ukraine for its fight against Russian forces, including information that helped thwart Russian President Vladimir Putins initial attempt to seize Kyiv during the full-scale invasion starting in February 2022.

However, within less than two months of taking office, Mr. Trump has dramatically altered US policy, surprising and alienating European allies and raising concerns regarding the future of the NATO alliance.

He has also diminished Mr. Putins international isolation through phone communications with the Russian leader and discussions between Russian and US officials in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, from which Ukraine and its European allies were excluded.

Some experts believe that the suspension of US intelligence-sharing will hamper Ukraines capacity to target Russian forces, which currently occupy approximately 20% of the countrys territory.

Some experts believe that the suspension of US intelligence-sharing will hamper Ukraines capacity to target Russian forces.

Regrettably, our reliance on this intelligence is significant, ranging from missile threats and attacks to whats occurring in Russia, particularly in the temporarily occupied areas concerning strike operations, remarked Mykola Bielieskov, a research fellow at Ukraines National Institute for Strategic Studies.

Some of the impact may be mitigated by acquiring commercial satellite imagery, but only military satellites could accurately identify missile launches, he explained.

The suspension of intelligence also complicates Ukraines defense against Russian air and missile assaults, which frequently target civilian infrastructure like schools and hospitals, resulting in numerous non-combatant casualties.

We will have less time to respond, leading to greater destruction and potentially more fatalities; this will significantly weaken us, he added.

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Mr. Waltz informed reporters this morning that the US had taken a step back, and that the administration is reassessing all facets of its intelligence collaboration with Ukraine.

I believe we will witness movement very shortly, he added.

Russia strikes energy facilities

Meanwhile, Russia conducted nighttime strikes on energy facilities in the southern Ukrainian region of Odesa, as stated by officials, resulting in power outages across the Black Sea area and leaving at least one person dead.

Russia has intensified drone and missile assaults on Ukraine, despite escalating discussions in the US and Russia regarding potential negotiations to cease hostilities.

Regional officials reported that critical infrastructure has been damaged, and part of Odesa is without electricity, water, and heating. Emergency services characterized the damage as extensive and released images of firefighters battling blazes.

The governor indicated that a 77-year-old man died due to shrapnel in a village near Odesa city.

Utility workers and special equipment at the site of a Russian drone attack in Odesa, Ukraine

In a separate incident, the governor of the adjacent Kherson region confirmed that a 55-year-old was killed in Kherson city.

No immediate response came from Moscow regarding the attacks.

The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched four missiles and 181 drones, including Iranian-designed Shahed attack unmanned aerial vehicles, noting that Kyiv managed to shoot down 115 of the Russian drones.

Russias defense ministry declared that its forces had captured the village of Pryvilne in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region.

Meanwhile, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russias Security Council, stated that Russias primary objective remains to inflict maximum defeat on Ukraine.

Russia is making progress. The enemy is resisting and has not yet been vanquished, declared Mr. Medvedev, a former president of Russia.

Inflicting maximum defeat on the enemy on the ground remains our primary objective today.

Mr. Medvedev predicted that the United States would resume military assistance to Ukraine, which was suspended on Monday, once President Volodymyr Zelensky signs a minerals agreement with the US.

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The first cardinal to be removed from the clerical state by the Pope due to sexual abuse allegations has passed away in the United States, according to a senior church official.

Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington and the highest-ranking American prelate in the Catholic Church facing abuse claims, died at the age of 94 in Missouri, as reported by the New York Times, citing a statement from the Vatican.

This was also confirmed by the current Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Robert McElroy.

Today I was informed of the passing of Theodore McCarrick, former Archbishop of Washington, read a statement.

McCarricks tenure in the Catholic Church was extensive and distinguished; he served as an emissary on human rights for former Pope John Paul II, a position that led him to conflict zones and brought him into contact with global leaders such as Fidel Castro from Cuba.

A former archbishop of New York, he was appointed archbishop in the US capital in 2000, where he interacted with US presidents, including Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

He was also elevated to the rank of cardinal, a position that includes some of the highest clergy and those responsible for electing a new pope.

However, following allegations of past misconduct in 2018, a Vatican investigation concluded that he had assaulted a teenager five decades prior.

He was also suspected of additional assaults involving minors and young men.

Pope Francis, facing criticism over a growing abuse scandal within the Catholic Church, defrocked him in 2019, removing his ability to celebrate Mass, even in private.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), which advocates for accountability, labeled McCarrick as one of the most infamous and powerful abusers in the modern history of the Catholic Church.

SNAP stated that McCarrick was never held accountable for his actions.

While he was ultimately removed from active ministry, defrocked, and stripped of his red hat, he never faced trial for the extensive harm he caused to children, young adults, seminarians, and others in his care.

His passing signifies the end of his life  but does not bring justice for his victims, the statement concluded.
The military has announced that Israeli forces have initiated a ground offensive in Gaza City, as rescuers reported at least 30 fatalities across the Palestinian territory since dawn.

Following the end of a brief truce last month, which was part of ongoing military operations against Hamas, Israel has intensified its efforts to capture territory in Gaza. This strategy aims to compel militants to release hostages still in detention.

Additionally, Israel has heightened its attacks in Syria and Lebanon, coinciding with the visit of a US envoy on Friday, just hours after a pre-dawn strike in the port city of Sidon led to the death of a Hamas commander.

In Gaza City, the Israeli army stated that ground troops were deployed in the Shujaiya area to expand the security zone established by the military within the Palestinian territory.

AFPTV footage showed that others have fled the area following an Israeli evacuation order issued on Thursday.

As Israeli assaults persist, Gaza refugees are relocating in search of safety.

A single airstrike in Khan Yunis reportedly resulted in at least 25 deaths, according to a medical source from the Nasser Hospital in the southern city.

After an Israeli strike hit a school in the al-Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City, a man hurriedly transported an injured Palestinian child to the hospital.

The bombing of my grandfathers house occurred without any warning, recounted Ahmed al-Aqqad, whose family owned the property.

He indicated that more bodies may be trapped under the rubble, but we cannot retrieve them due to a lack of necessary equipment.

We implore the entire world to unite in halting the bloodshed, urged family member Diaa al-Aqqad.

Latest updates from the Middle East

We couldnt locate our children

On Wednesday, Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that the military would increase its presence within Gaza to confront militants and eradicate terrorist infrastructure, with unspecified large areas to be integrated into Israeli security zones.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that the army was partitioning Gaza and seizing territory to compel Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages captured during the October 2023 attack that initiated the conflict.

Out of 251 people abducted during the Hamas assault on Israel, 58 remain hostages in Gaza, including 34 the military claims are deceased.

A view of the devastation following the Israeli strike on Dar al-Arqam School

On Thursday, the Israeli military reported that it had targeted over 600 terror sites across Gaza in its renewed offensive since 18 March.

According to the civil defense agency, an Israeli strike on Thursday targeted a school serving as a shelter for displaced Palestinians in the Gaza City vicinity, resulting in at least 31 fatalities, including children.

They bombed us with missiles, and everything went dark We couldnt find our children, wept Raghda al-Sharafa, a displaced civilian seeking refuge at the Dar al-Arqam School complex in northeast Gaza City.

The Israeli military announced that it had struck a Hamas command and control center in the vicinity of Gaza City, although it did not provide specifics on its location.

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The Jordanian foreign ministry condemned the bombings, accusing Israel of systematically targeting civilians and displacement centers, in clear violation of international law.

Today, Doctors Without Borders reported that its staff member Hussam Al Loulou, 58, was killed along with family members in an airstrike earlier this week in central Gaza, one of many aid workers who have died in the ongoing conflict.

We strongly condemn his killing and reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire and protection of civilians, stated the medical charity.

Lebanon strike

The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza reported that 1,249 individuals have died since Israel resumed intense bombings last month, bringing the total death toll since the start of the war to 50,609.

The attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 that ignited the conflict resulted in 1,218 deaths, primarily civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli statistics.

In Lebanon, Hamass military wing announced that its commander Hassan Farhat was killed in an Israeli strike that targeted his apartment in Sidon.

The group also reported that his son Hamza, a member of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, and his daughter Jenan were killed as well.

The Israeli military confirmed the elimination of Hassan Farhat, alleging he was responsible for coordinating attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians, including deadly rocket fire on Safed last year.

Lebanon condemned the action as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty.

The US deputy special envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, who played a role in overseeing a November truce between Israel and the Lebanese Hamas ally Hezbollah, arrived in Beirut on Friday for discussions with high-ranking officials, as reported by Lebanons official National News Agency.

Ms. Ortagus has faced backlash from Hezbollah after stating in February that the Iran-backed groups reign of terror had ended. She has also advocated for a political resolution to address Israel-Lebanon border disputes.
Italy Issues Caution on Retaliatory Tariffs Against the US, Advocates for Budget Flexibility

Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti has cautioned against the introduction of retaliatory tariffs on the US in response to President Donald Trumps declaration of extensive import duties targeting trade partners.

During a business forum near Milan, Mr. Giorgetti emphasized that Italy seeks a de-escalation in relations with the US.

According to Mr. Trumps plans announced on Wednesday, Italy, which enjoys a significant trade surplus with the US, will face a broad tariff of 20% along with other EU nations.

We should refrain from initiating a policy of counter-tariffs that could have detrimental effects on everyone, especially ourselves, Mr. Giorgetti remarked, adding, we must strive to maintain a calm approach.

High-debt Italy consistently urges the EU to provide more flexibility in budgetary matters.

Under EU regulations, commitments made with the European Commission to reduce public spending can be suspended in the face of a severe economic downturn within the euro zone.

According to US President Donald Trumps proposals, Italy will be subjected to a general tariff of 20%.

The Bank of Italy announced yesterday that the euro zones third-largest economy is projected to grow by just 0.5% this year, which is less than half of the governments 1.2% forecast released in September.

Recently, there has been discussion of assistance for companies, but such support is a form of state intervention that must comply with EU regulations, Mr. Giorgetti stated.

Italy is committed to reducing its deficit below the EUs 3% of gross domestic product threshold by 2026, down from 3.4% in 2024, a challenge made more difficult by its sluggish economic growth.

The government is expected to lower its growth estimates for this year and 2026 next week when it unveils multi-year economic projections.

The Italian public debt limits our budgetary flexibility, a constraint that must be taken into account in any decisions we undertake, Mr. Giorgetti commented.

Italys debt, which is the second highest in proportion in the euro zone, is currently projected to rise to nearly 138% of GDP by 2026, up from 135.3% last year.

Read more: Donald Trumps global baseline tariff takes effect
Which U.S. Exports Have China Targeted with Retaliatory Tariffs?

US agricultural exports, fuel, and manufactured goods are anticipated to face challenges due to Chinas comprehensive retaliation against President Donald Trumps significant tariffs, with both sets of measures expected to be implemented next week.

Following President Trumps announcement of a new 34% tariff on imports of Chinese products, which increases the total rate imposed this year to 54%, China declared it would impose an equivalent across-the-board tariff on US goods, along with other countermeasures.

Previously, China focused its retaliation on specific industries in a mirror response to US export restrictions, noted Emily Benson from consulting firm Minerva Technology Policy Advisors.

However, its wider strategy revealed yesterday serves as a pretty significant warning shot to the Trump administration to refrain from further actions, she stated.

The United States exported nearly 132 billion in goods to China in 2024, significantly lower than the 401 billion it imported, according to data from the Commerce Department.

Key export sectors include electrical and electronic equipment, various fuels, as well as oilseeds and grains.

Nonetheless, China appears to be more confident in retaliating this time compared to Mr. Trumps initial presidency, during which he engaged in an escalating tariff conflict with Beijing.

While the US remains a crucial market, fewer firms are currently existentially reliant on US suppliers, stated Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING.

She further mentioned that Beijing has also made strides toward achieving technological self-sufficiency.

US farmers will face significant challenges, remarked Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Their agricultural exports to China could become prohibitively expensive to remain competitive due to Chinas new tariffs, she explained.

The US exported around 13.96 billion in electrical machinery to China last year.

Soybeans, oilseeds, and certain grains constituted a major portion of US exports to China, totaling 12.23 billion last year, according to US trade data.

China accounted for 52% of our (soybean) exports in 2024, commented Scott Gerlt, chief economist of the American Soybean Association.

Considering the magnitude of its purchases, replacing China as a market is not straightforward, he added.

Soybean prices significantly dropped following the news announced yesterday.

Additionally, China imported 13.4 billion worth of various fuels and oils from the United States last year.

Tariffs could significantly impact the oil and gas industry in states like Texas, which along with Louisiana experienced a surge in exports to China in 2023, as reported by a US-China Business Council analysis.

Moreover, the US exported around 13.96 billion in electrical machinery to China last year, according to official trade statistics.

However, shipments of semiconductors have declined due to the expansion of US export controls on advanced technology.

In addition to tariffs, China has restricted exports of rare earth elements and taken action against US companies, including those involved in drone manufacturing and the defense and aerospace industries.

China controls approximately 69% of rare earth element mining and about 90% of refining, stated Benson from Minerva Technology Policy Advisors.

This is likely to become a chokepoint moving forward, she added, which could impact semiconductor manufacturing, as well as magnets, optics, and lasers.

Some of these measures are, naturally, aimed at chips, she noted.

As Washington and Beijing continue to utilize an expanding array of measures in their conflict, Benson cautioned that the US is relatively vulnerable to these Chinese controls without an industrial policy response that includes a significant cash investment to scale up domestic production.
By Shalom Goldman, Middlebury

(The Conversation)  During confirmation hearings, Mike Huckabee, President Donald Trumps nominee as ambassador to Israel, told senators that he would respect and represent the President, not his own views. But the Baptist ministers views on the Middle East  and their religious roots  came through.

The spiritual connections between your church, mine, many churches in America, Jewish congregations, to the state of Israel is because we ultimately are people of the book, he said on March 25, 2025, in response to a question from a senator. We believe the Bible, and therefore that connection is not geopolitical. It is also spiritual.

Huckabee is one of the GOPs most prominent Christian Zionists  a phrase often associated with conservative evangelicals support for Israel.

But Christian Zionism is much older than the 1980s alliance between the Republican Party and the religious right. American Christian attitudes toward the idea of a Jewish state have been evolving and changing dramatically since long before Israels creation.

Theologians for Israel

Zionisms modern form emerged in the late 19th century. Its declared aim was to create a Jewish homeland in the region of Palestine, then under control of the Ottoman Empire. This was the land from which Jews were exiled in antiquity.

The founding father of the modern movement was Theodore Herzl, an Austro-Hungarian Jewish intellectual and activist who convened the first Zionist Congress in Switzerland in 1897. While most of the 200 attendees were Jews from various parts of the world, there were also prominent Protestant Christian leaders in attendance: church leaders and philanthropists who supported the restoration of the Jews to their land. Herzl dubbed these allies Christian Zionists.

Catholic leaders, however, were not among the supporters of a Jewish state. The prospect of a Jewish state in the Christian Holy Land challenged the churchs view of Judaism as a religion whose people were condemned to permanent exile as punishment for rejecting Christ.

Eventually, in the wake of the Holocaust and the establishment of Israel, attitudes shifted. In 1965, reforms at the Vatican II council signaled a radical change for the better in Catholic-Jewish relations.

But it would be three decades until that change was reflected in the Vaticans diplomatic recognition of the Jewish state.

In contrast, Protestants were more open to Jews aspiration to return. In 1917, the British foreign secretary published the Balfour Declaration, announcing government support for the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people. With the British victory over the Ottoman Empire, the area soon fell under British control in the form of the League of Nations Mandate for Palestine.

In the U.S., the idea elicited enthusiasm among conservative Christians who hoped that the Jews return to Israel would help hasten the end times, when they believed Christ would return. Within a few years, Congress endorsed the Balfour Declaration.

Pastor W. Fuller Gooch summed up the evangelical reaction to the Balfour Declaration: Palestine is for the Jews. The most striking Sign of the Times is the proposal to give Palestine to the Jews once more. They have long desired the land, though as yet unrepentant of the terrible crime which led to their expulsion. This terrible crime refers to Jews rejection of Jesus  one of multiple anti-Jewish tropes in the sermon.

Pivotal moment

Two decades later, prominent American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr declared himself a supporter of political Zionism. Unlike evangelicals, Niebuhrs support for a Jewish state was based on pragmatic grounds: Considering the dangerous situation in 1930s Europe, he argued, Jews needed a state in order to be safe.

In the early 1940s, Niebuhr wrote a series of articles titled Jews After the War for The Nation magazine. His biographer Richard W. Fox called these articles an eloquent statement of the Zionist case: The Jews had rights not just as individuals, but as a people, and they deserved not just a homeland, but a homeland in Palestine.

Thus, in the 1930s and 40s, two different types of American Christian Zionism emerged. Some liberal Protestants, while giving qualified support to Zionism, expressed concern for the fate of the Palestinian Arabs. Conservative evangelicals, on the other hand, tended to be more hostile to Arab political aspirations.

In 1947, on the eve of the United Nations vote on the partition of Palestine, Niebuhr and six other prominent American intellectuals wrote a long letter to The New York Times, arguing that a Jewish state in the Middle East would serve American interests. Politically, we would like to see the lands of the Middle East practice democracy as we do here, they wrote. Thus far there is only one vanguard of progress and modernization in the Middle East, and that is Jewish Palestine.

In 1948, the U.S. government, at President Harry Trumans direction, granted the newly declared state of Israel diplomatic recognition, over the objections of State Department officials.



Photo by Taghian Abod: https://www.pexels.com/photo/abbey-of-dormition-in-jerusalem-6104797/

There were, of course, prominent Americans who objected to recognizing Israel, or to embracing it so strongly. Among them was journalist Dorothy Thompson, who had turned against the Zionist cause after a Jewish militant group bombed Jerusalems King David Hotel in 1946. These opponents made the case for supporting emerging Arab nationalism and Palestinian autonomy and asserted that recognizing Israel would deepen Americas entanglement in the unfolding Middle Eastern conflicts.

But by the late 1950s and 60s, American criticism of Israel was increasingly muted. Liberal Christians, in particular, viewed it as a beleaguered democratic state and ally.

Rightward shift

Conservative Christian Zionists, meanwhile, continued to often view love of Israel through a biblical lens.

In the late 60s, the American journal Christianity Today published an article by editor Nelson Bell, father-in-law of famous evangelist Billy Graham. Jewish control of Jerusalem inspires renewed faith in the accuracy and validity of the Bible, Bell wrote.

Fifteen years later, televangelist Jerry Falwell told an interviewer that Jewish people have both a theological and historical right to the land. He added, I am personally a Zionist, having gained that perspective from my belief in Old Testament scriptures.

These Christians, like some Jewish religious Zionists, saw the hand of God in Israels conquest of East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War of 1967. They considered any territorial compromise with Arab states and the Palestinians to be an act against God.

During the 1980s, as the Republican Party forged alliances with the emerging religious right, Israel would become a core cause for the GOP. Some liberal Jews who supported Israel grew alarmed by these ties and by the rightward shift in Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.

Yet this brand of Christian Zionism is clearly the forerunner to todays  and holds sway in Washington. Today, 83% of Republicans view Israel favorably, compared with 33% of Democrats. Republicans in Congress are pushing to use the biblical terms Judea and Samaria instead of the West Bank. Evangelical Christian Zionists continue to call for support of the Israeli right and of settlers in the occupied territories.

And in Huckabee, they see a potential ambassador who shares their views.

In 2009, when Huckabee was considering a presidential campaign, he visited Israel and met with settler leaders. On hearing of Huckabees presidential aspirations, a rabbi said, We hope that under Mike Huckabees presidency, he will be like Cyrus and push us to rebuild the Temple and bring the final redemption. The rabbi was referring to the biblical story of Cyrus, King of Persia, and his proclamation that the exiled Jews be allowed to return to Zion.

Seven decades after the state of Israels founding, evangelical Christian Zionisms influence is greater than ever. This turn to the political right is very far from the mid-20th century Zionism of Truman, Niebuhr and the Democratic Party.

Shalom Goldman, Professor of Religion, Middlebury

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
by Andrew S. Maier

( Middle East Monitor )  The largest case in public discourse today revolves around Columbia University, where 22 students  including Mahmoud Khalil  have faced suspensions, diploma revocations, or even deportation. The crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism has escalated sharply since US President Donald Trump came to power in January, but Khalils case signals a premeditated attempt by the US government to deter global Palestinian solidarity.

Khalils detention, orchestrated through opaque legal manoeuvres, reflects a broader strategy to suppress dissent. His sudden disappearance, the secrecy around his whereabouts, and the swift transfers across multiple states all raise serious concerns about violations of due process.

The timeline of Khalils detention

On 8 March, plainclothes ICE agents seized Khalil outside his university-owned apartment. For days, his wife and lawyers had no idea where he was; initially held at the Elizabeth Detention Centre in New Jersey, Khalil was quickly transferred the next day to Louisiana. His legal team only confirmed his location through ICEs detainee locator database on 13 March meaning Khalil was taken off the grid for five days.

Key questions remain unanswered: Why was he moved from New York to New Jersey, and then to Louisiana? Why was his arrest conducted covertly? And why was his legal status  as a Green Card holder  ignored in favour of a deportation push?

A federal immigration case with no grounds

ICE procedures typically apply to undocumented immigrants or visa holders. Yet Khalil, a Green Card holder, had no criminal charges against him  federal or state  that would justify his arrest and deportation. His detention has been driven by political motives rather than legal grounds, a stark example of how federal power can be manipulated to silence political expression.

New Yorks sanctuary policies complicate this effort  the state prohibits local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration agencies unless due process is followed. This likely explains why ICE agents conducted Khalils arrest in secret.

Why New Jersey? Why Louisiana?

Transferring Khalil across state lines appears to have been a calculated move. Federal law dictates that immigration cases are heard in the state where the person is detained. Holding Khalil in New Jersey, rather than New York, allowed prosecutors to avoid New Yorks progressive courts while keeping options open for a potential transfer to a more conservative jurisdiction.

Louisiana, a state with a more conservative judicial climate, was the governments preferred location for the case. With almost double the national rate of authorised deportations, it is clear why President Trump would attempt to push for Khalils immediate deportation without trial. Although that motion failed, the transfer process highlights an alarming trend: the strategic use of federal power to undermine legal protections for pro-Palestinian activists.

A broader crackdown on dissent

Khalils case does not exist in a vacuum. His detention is part of a much larger crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism, signalled explicitly by Trumps promise that Khalil is the first of many. This repression is happening particularly on university campuses, where students and faculty members are increasingly being surveilled, harassed and punished for expressing solidarity with Palestine.

The recent case of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish university student, also went viral exposing the terrifying moment plain-clothed ICE agents detained her for her pro-Palestinian views.

The US is disappearing dissenters in broad daylight

At the heart of this repression is the weaponisation of accusations of anti-Semitism to delegitimise any criticism of Israel. Advocacy for Palestinian rights, opposition to US military aid to Israel, and even calls for a ceasefire have been deliberately conflated with hate speech, creating a climate where pro-Palestinian voices are systematically silenced. Universities, long considered bastions of free thought and political debate, have become central battlegrounds in this effort.

Students at elite institutions like Harvard, Columbia, and NYU have faced suspensions, revocation of job offers and outright expulsions for their political activism. Student groups, particularly those affiliated with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), have been disbanded, investigated or had their funding revoked.

Pro-Palestinian British student leaves US citing detention fear

The suppression is not just limited to campuses. The Trump administration has signalled a willingness to go even further, with the Department of Education opening investigations into multiple universities under the guise of addressing anti-Semitism  investigations that, in practice, are targeting pro-Palestinian speech. State legislatures have also joined the fray, with Florida banning campus chapters of SJP and Texas lawmakers pushing to criminalise pro-Palestinian advocacy altogether.

The Khalil case represents the newest form of this crackdown  where legal mechanisms, normally reserved for serious criminal cases, are being weaponised against activists. His detention suggests that the state is willing to bypass due process entirely to send a clear message: Palestinian solidarity will be punished.

Repression breeds resistance

But if history teaches us anything, its that repression often breeds resistance. Instead of silencing the movement, Khalils case has only fuelled international outrage and mobilisation. Student encampments, walkouts and demonstrations have surged across the US and beyond, with activists doubling down on their calls for justice. Rather than cowering in fear, students and organisers see Khalils case as a rallying cry, exposing the lengths to which the US government will go to protect Israeli impunity.

Khalils detention ignited outrage far beyond US borders. Within days of his arrest, students in British universities such as SOAS and UoM launched solidarity encampments, explicitly linking their protests to his case. In Glasgow, activists occupied university buildings demanding their institutions cut ties with Israeli counterparts, while in Melbourne, protesters chanted Khalils name during rallies. This wasnt coincidence  it was proof of a movement learning to weaponise repression against itself. The state wants fear to win. But as Khalil wrote from detention: They cant jail a movement.

The state miscalculated. By making Khalil a global case, they handed the Palestinian solidarity movement its most powerful narrative tool: visible proof of the crackdowns cruelty. His case now appears on protest banners from Berlin to Jakarta, with demonstrators drawing direct parallels between his treatment and Israels detention of Palestinian journalists.

History offers a clear lesson. When Columbia tried to crush Vietnam War protests in 1968, it radicalised a generation. Today, each heavy-handed response  whether Khalils detention, Columbias suspensions, or the UKs proposed protest bans  only fuels the movements growth.

The state fears this solidarity precisely because it works. When Louisiana jailers tried to isolate Khalil, they didnt account for the flood of letters from London, Johannesburg and Sao Paulo that followed. The greatest irony has been the response of university students globally seizing parts of their campuses in solidarity with Khalil, whose case has become inextricably tied with university suppression.

This is the resistance they never planned for  not lawsuits or lobbying, but a tidal wave of collective rage that treats every attack as a recruitment poster. Khalils captors thought they were building a wall of fear. Instead, they gave the world a ladder, and people are rising up.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor or Informed Comment.

Via Middle East Monitor
Syria's government said late Friday it was "closely following" the findings of a new Amnesty International report urging an investigation into sectarian massacres last month.

Amnesty called on the Syrian government in a report on Thursday to ensure accountability for the massacres targeting the Alawite minority, saying they may constitute war crimes.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor has said security forces and allied groups killed more than 1,700 civilians, mostly Alawites, during the violence.

Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led the offensive that toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, has vowed to prosecute those responsible.

In a statement on Friday, the government said it had been "following closely the Amnesty report" and its "preliminary findings".

"It is up to the Independent National Commission for Investigation and Fact-Finding to evaluate them, in accordance with the mandate, independence, and broad powers granted to it by presidential decree," it said.

The Syrian authorities have accused armed Assad supporters of sparking the violence by attacking the new security forces.

The government on Friday complained the report failed to note "the broader context of the events".

It said the violence began with a "premeditated assault" by the "remnants of the previous regime, targeting army and internal security personnel".

In the ensuing chaos, "acts of retaliation and serious violations occurred", it said, vowing that these would be investigated and a report issued within a month.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit the White House on Monday, according to a senior US official.

The two countries are dealing with a set of extremely thorny issues, including President Donald Trump's shock imposition of 17 percent tariffs on Israeli imports, an elusive search for a ceasefire in Gaza, and mounting concern over Iran's nuclear program.

If the two men discuss tariffs, as seems nearly certain, Netanyahu would be the first foreign leader to travel to Washington in an attempt to negotiate a better deal with Trump.

Israel had attempted to duck the tariffs imposed on nearly every country by moving preemptively Tuesday -- a day before Trump's big global tariff announcement -- to drop all remaining duties on the one percent of American goods still affected by them.

But Trump moved ahead with the tariffs, saying the United States had a significant trade deficit with its Mideast ally and top beneficiary of military aid.

A White House official on Saturday confirmed that Netanyahu is expected at the White House on Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump had said Thursday that he expected a visit soon from Netanyahu -- "maybe even next week" -- though the Axios website said Israeli officials and even some in the Trump administration were caught by surprise.

The US and Israeli leaders are likely to take up stalled efforts to reach a new agreement on a Gaza ceasefire deal and the return by the Hamas militants of the remaining hostages. Israel renewed military operations there last month, ending a short-lived truce.

Trump meanwhile has pressed Iran, so far amid few signs of progress, for a new deal on its nuclear program. There has been widespread speculation that Israel, possibly with US help, might launch a military strike on Iranian facilities if no agreement is reached.

Netanyahu's US visit, originally expected to take place later this month, appears to have been moved up following the tariff announcement Wednesday, Axios reported.

Trump and Netanyahu had spoken by phone on Thursday about Hungary's decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the possibility of the Washington visit apparently arose at that time.
Recently, actors Im Si-wan and Ahn Bo-Hyun triggered speculation on the internet after both cut down their social media following lists and found out that neither of the two followed fellow actor Kim Soo-Hyun.

The move comes as Kim faces ongoing controversy regarding allegations involving the late Kim Sae-ron.

On April 2, a keen-eyed observer noted that Ahn, who had previously followed Kim Soo-hyun on Instagram, was now following no one on the platform.

At the same time, Im Si-wan's Instagram account, with over 3.7 million followers, was found to follow only one accounthis agency, Plum A&C.

This significant change in his following list has prompted attention, especially as he had been following 87 accounts just days before, including Kim Soo-hyun.

As per KBiZoom, the apparent social media "cleanup" by the two actors has sparked debate online.

Kim Soo-hyun is currently embroiled in controversy following allegations of an inappropriate relationship with Kim Sae-ron, who was a minor at the time.

The claims have inspired widespread backlash and calls for public accountability.

Whether Im Si-wan and Ahn Bo-hyun purposely unfollowed Kim Soo-hyun is hard to say, but many web users have conjectured that the scrubbing was a reaction to the actor's current legal and public scrutiny.

"It might've been awkward to unfollow just one person," one commenter said.

"Seems like a wise move," another wrote, praising the actors for distancing themselves from the scandal.

Fans of the "88-line," a group of actors who gained prominence after appearing together in the variety show Good Day, have been vocal in their reactions.

Im Si-wan and Kim Soo-hyun, both members of the group, were once seen as close colleagues.

However, amid the controversy, some fans have urged Si-wan to cut ties with his fellow actor.

Despite the unclear motivations behind the decision, many supporters view it as a necessary step in navigating the current media climate.

Jung Hae-in, another member of the "88-line" who is still following Kim Soo-hyun on Instagram, has also been receiving pressure to reassess his own social media following.

Comments on his recent posts suggest a growing expectation that he, too, should sever ties to avoid potential fallout.

The ongoing Kim Soo Hyun controversy has gotten many netizens thinking about the impact of social media on the way they treat stars.

The cleanup of their following lists has prompted reflection on how actors and other public figures handle their digital relationships, especially during times of controversy.

While some have speculated that Kim Soo-Hyun could face criminal charges, legal experts say it is doubtful, and the whole drama has sparked renewed calls for legal reforms.

In the face of public pressure, some fans and commentators have defended Im Si-wan and Ahn Bo-hyun, citing the email as a reason they should unfollow everyone on social media so that they do not face further controversies.

Others, however, believe that simply unfollowing Kim Soo-hyun directly would have been a more straightforward approach.

As of now, Im Si-wan and Ahn Bo-hyun have not publicly commented on their reasons for the social media changes.
Eva Osborne

A six-year-old girl was fatally injured as a result of a collision with a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) in Co Galway on Saturday.

Gardai in Galway are appealing for witnesses to the fatal road traffic collision, which occurred at Headford Road, Galway, at approximately 12:05pm on Saturday afternoon.

A garda statement said: "The collision involved a female juvenile pedal cyclist and a heavy goods vehicle at the junction of Headford Road and Sandyvale Lawn.

"The female pedal cyclist, aged 6 years was fatally injured as a result of the collision. Her body was removed from the scene to University Hospital Galway and a post mortem will take place in due course."

Gardai said the male driver of the truck, who is aged in his 30s, is uninjured.

The road was closed and a technical examination of the scene by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators has taken place. The road has since reopened.

Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.

Gardai are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) who were travelling in the area of the Headford Road (N84) between Coolough Road/Headford Road junction and the entrance to Tirellan Heights/Headford Road junction in Galway city between 11:45am and 12:15pm on Saturday to make this footage available to investigating gardai.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Galway Garda Station on 091 538 000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

Gardai said investigations are ongoing.
A plan to improve the futures of young people and families in Kildare was launched In Sync Youth & Family Services, serving Kildare and West Wicklow, unveiled their new strategic plan at the Westgrove Hotel in Clane. The event attracted over 65 attendees, including local representatives and key partners, all eager to support the organisation's vision for the future.

The launch provided a platform to discuss In Sync's strategic objectives for 2025-2027, highlighting the areas of focus and the challenges ahead.

Among the guests were Fianna Fail TD Naoise O Cearuil, Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly, Fine Gael Councillor William Durkan, and Social Democrats Councillor Pat Balfe.

Representatives from Kildare County Council, Tusla, and Youth Work Ireland also attended, highlighting the collaborative nature of the event and the organisation.

This new strategic plan outlines In Sync's vision for an inclusive and just society where young people, children, and families are valued as individuals and positively engaged by their communities and wider society.

The plan is informed by the aspirations and challenges faced by those who participate in In Sync's services, with over 3,500 young people, children and families engaging with our services annually.

In Sync Chair Ger Conlon, Cllr Pat Balfe SD, Tom Dunne In Sync CEO, Aidan Farrelly TD SD

The four key priorities for the organisation over the next three years are: youth and family services; advocacy and innovation; premises, youth spaces and facilities and organisational excellence.

In Sync Junior Board Member Steven Leahy was delighted with the plan which was testament to the amount of work the senior board put into it, as well as a great way to communicate the principles and values that In Sync holds, in an easy to access way.

Chairman Ger Conlon added: This plan, the fruit of dedicated collaboration and insightful consultation with the In Sync team and our funders and stakeholders, has been crafted over the last 9 months, under the expert guidance of our facilitator, Helen Newman of Facilitation Matters and alongside a working group made up of Board members, staff and young people.

Its been a rewarding journey of reflection, and one that reaffirms our commitment to evolving and improving the vital work we do. CEO Tom Dunne said the core of the plan were the voices and dreams of young people, children, and families across Kildare and West Wicklow.

He added: Their rights, strengths, and challenges shape our mission, reminding us of why we exist: to improve outcomes and create brighter futures for those we are privileged to work alongside. The strategic plan is available to review on In Syncs website at www.insync.ie
A 59-YEAR-OLD man who issued a threatening letter to Operation Transformation psychologist Dr Eddie Murphy was jailed for four months at Portlaoise District Court yesterday 3 April.

Sergeant JJ Kirby said that Dr Murphy was waiving his right to anonymity and was agreeing to lift reporting restrictions.

Paul Mangan, 25 The Green, Liffey Hall, Newbridge, Co Kildare pleaded guilty to a single charge under Section 4 of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020.

Garda Rebecca Cleary said that on 31 October 2023, the accused entered Portarlington Enterprise Centre, Canal Road, Portarlington, where Dr Murphy has an office, and delivered a letter for his attention before leaving.

In a statement to gardai, she said that Dr Murphy initially thought the envelope contained a Mass card as his mother had died recently, but it transpired that an allegation was made that he was having an affair with the accuseds wife.

Garda Cleary said that a cautioned statement was taken from the accused and in it Mr Mangan admitted to delivering the letter.

In his statement, Mr Mangan said: The letter outlined that I knew that there was something going on with him and my wife. The gist of it was to stay away from my wife and my family. I did say that I would confront him. By that I meant I would speak to him about it. There was no physical threat, nor would I dream of it.

Defending solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said that her client provided full co-operation to gardai when he was contacted.

Dr Murphy took the stand and asked for permission to read into the court record his victim impact statement.

He said: This victim impact statement is provided by myself and my wife, as a couple who have been affected by a criminal action of an individual.

This person inflicted significant distress and fear through his targeted and deliberate harassment, including coming to my workplace and issuing threats, and attempted to damage my personal and professional reputation. It was deeply disturbing. It has shaken our personal security. He sent a direct communication containing threats warning of vengeance and severe consequences, saying I will destroy you. I will confront you at your office.

He specifically targeted my good name as a professional psychologist. He threatened to post it on specialised forums that would then go on to mainstream. That he would contact my colleagues and peers in my place of work. His threats were explicit, calculated and terrifying.

'He said that he was going to be utterly ruthless with the capacity for vengeance. He said that he would bring so much trouble into my world that it would bring Armageddon and so much trouble.

Dr Murphy said: These threats caused emotional harm to me. It terrified me. It affected my wife. She just had a significance cancer diagnosis as well.

'Our home, which is a place of safety, is now a fortress. We put in security cameras and alarms. We have no sense of peace. The ordeal came a week after the death of my mother. It was a time when my family was in a very vulnerable state.

'We were thrown into a nightmare of fear and distress. I couldnt grieve for my mother for over a year, because I was so anxious and depressed.

I was diagnosed with acute stress disorder and my GP advised that I take a month off work. I was always wondering whether he would follow through on the threats.

Dr Murphy said that he had never met Mr Mangan.

Under questioning from the defendants solicitor, Dr Murphy said that Mr Mangans wife works in the psychology services, and he manages over 40 psychologists. He said that he had worked with the accuseds wife for over 20 years and had never socially met her.

Ms Fitzpatrick said that her client had written a letter of apology, which Dr Murphy refused to accept.

Referring to the letter that Dr Murphy had received at his place of work, Judge Andrew Cody said it was shocking, disgusting and despicable. It must have been terrifying.

Ms Fitzpatrick said that her client, who is originally from Co Mayo, had recently been separated, partly arising from the incident. She said that at the age of 24 he graduated with a qualification as a registered qualified nurse.

In his early 30s he began as a staff nurse in St Patricks Mental University Hospital in Dublin and since 2017 has been in charge of a ward with a staff quota of 22 people.

She said that Mr Mangan firmly believed that his wife, who is a senior psychologist, was having an affair with Dr Murphy and she asserted that he was suffering with a delusional mental disorder. He felt that she was using the weight of her professional standing to categorise him as an individual with a mental disorder.

Ms Fitzpatrick said that Mr Mangan was offering 3,000 by way of compensation for the distress he caused to Dr Murphy.

However, Dr Murphy said he was refusing to accept it and instead asked that it be given to the charity Lust For Life.

Before passing sentence, Judge Cody said that he was bemused and questioned why the DPP did not direct that the case be heard at circuit court level, where a higher sentence could be passed.

The judge said the letter was as bad as you can get in terms of the threats, the name-calling and the allegations.

He added: The fact that this would be sent by a mental health professional is equally shocking. Id hate to think that any relative of mine would be treated in any hospitals where Mr Mangan was working.

Sentencing Mr Mangan to four months in prison, Judge Cody, at the request of Ms Fitzpatrick, went on to set an own bail recognisance of 1,000 with a cash bond of 500 in the event he wished to appeal against the sentence, which he took up before close of court business.
I am not going to go against the wishes of two teenagers, said a judge, as he refused an estranged father court access to his two children.

Both teens, dressed in school uniform, took time off school to appear behind closed doors at Athy Family Court to say their piece after their father had made his formal application for some visitation.

The younger of the two took the stand first, and when she did, Judge Desmond Zaidan reassured her with: Im sorry you have to be brought in to try and restore it between your mom and dad.

Now, you wanted to speak with me over access to your dad? he asked.

She told the judge that she lives full-time with her mam.

When he asked did she want to give her father a chance, she replied: No. Hes a stranger to me.

How old were you when you last saw your dad? the judge asked.

A few years ago, said the girl.

You know your dad loves you, and you may regret this when youre 18? he warned gently.

Is this your own free will? he asked, and the girl nodded.

Judge Zaidan reminded her that this decision was not final, and if you change your mind any time before youre 18, just notify the court.

As a man and a dad, it saddens me you dont want to see him, commented the judge.

He hasnt played any part in raising you, were not perfect, but everybody deserves a second chance, he added.

Thered be nothing shameful if you change your mind, and it may help you grow up to be a well-balanced woman.

"I believe everyone deserves to see their mum and dad, he said.

Next up was her brother, who the judge also tried to put at ease.

When the youth talked briefly how school, the judge asked: How are you doing? Kickin ass? to plenty of settling laughter.

Again, Im sorry you have to come here and Im not here to criticise your dad, but I believe its very important for everyone to get on with their mum and dad, said the judge to the teen.

But saying that, I respect your wishes, so whats your view on this?

I havent seen him in three or four years and hes practically a stranger to me, said the teenager.

Thats very sad, commented the judge.

So, your mother has been raising you with little or no help from your dad? he asked, and the youth nodded.

What do you want to do after school?

Something like accounting, said the lad.

The judge told the teen the same as his sister: if you change your mind before youre 18, I will do that for you.

He let them stand down until second calling, when both parents could also attend.

Addressing them directly, he pointed out that both (named teens) came across very well but say they dont want access to their father.

(Named son) said I barely know him, so Im not going to force these guys, said the judge.

I tried to persuade them and offered if they change their minds before 18  but Im not going to go against their wishes, he said.

I will refuse access, he ruled.
A RECENT gathering of family and friends in Kilcullen paid tribute on the 70th birthday of a retired farrier who had been respected for his craft amongst the most notable racehorse owners and trainers, as well as by his peers.

The celebration for Ned Kelly held in MacTernans was, as always with the Kelly clan, a musical one  not only had Ned and his siblings been brought up to the song of the hammer on the anvil at their blacksmith's father's home, but several of them have continued the household's long-standing love of and participation in music.

Sean Landers, Noel Clare, Joe Kelly and Eamonn McDonnell

Pat Kelly recalled how his brother had pivoted from a potential career as a blacksmith with their father.

"Rather than be an apprentice to his father, he registered with Bord na gCapaill and served his time in Ferns, Co Wexford, with a man named Jim Canavan," he recalled. "Over subsequent years he became a master farrier, working with the likes of Paddy Mullins and others like him, and he also became the farrier on the Curragh Racecourse."

Pat also remembered a very proud moment one year when Ned was featured on the RTE Six O'Clock News as Best Farrier at the Dublin Horse Show.

Ned Kelly, centre, with his mother Elisabeth, sister Martha and brothers Pat and John. Another brother, Joe, sent good wishes from his travels in Australia

Due to health issues, Ned had to retire from the farrier trade some two decades ago, but is still remembered with high esteem by former colleagues such as John Brennan and Bobby Halford. "He was a brilliant blacksmith as well," Pat added. "Obviously he picked that up from our father. He was there to do iron work, water work and welding as well. Tonight it's just great to see so many friends and family here to celebrate with him."
CEO of the Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce, John Hurley, has admitted it's a 'very worrying time' for Kilkenny businesses as the country prepares to hear US President, Donald Trump's latest round of tariffs.

EU goods are expected to face a tariff of about 20% when entering the United States. In 2024, Irish goods exports to the US were worth 73bn, almost a third of the country's total exports.

"We very concerned about it. The Irish economy is an open economy, we need to have as much freedom to trade as possible and Kilkenny is part of that," Mr Hurley said.

READ MORE: Kilkenny business issues a 'heartfelt thank you' as they reveal big news!

"We have a number of significant businesses in terms of size and employment in Kilkenny, all involved in some sort of international trade of one sort or another.

"A significant change in tariffs being mooted by Trump would have potential significant negative impacts on those countries abilities to trade in the way they've done and ultimately on the economy in Ireland and in Kilkenny," he added.

Abbott officially opened its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kilkenny last November, with the site a global manufacturing centre of excellence for Abbotts diabetes care business, employing more than 800 people.

However, under President Trump's likely new tariffs, the future of such a business locally is brought into question.

"They are clouds on the horizon in that respect but however, being realistic about it too, it's unlikely to result in a sudden mass exit, that's just simply not going to happen," the Chamber CEO vowed.

"That doesn't mean it's not bad news, it is bad news and it is a cause for concern as it will have both short and long term implications," Mr Hurley continued.

"We're not getting ahead of ourselves, we are very much focusing on the day to day things that need to be done and continuing on with business as usual as best we can, however, with an acute eye on the horizon to see what is coming.

"Yes, it is true Ireland is a big country financially and economically for its size but it still is a small and open economy, very much at the mercy of others which we have no say over but very much have influence and our business representatives have been pro-actively engaging to do what we can to get the across that this isn't a good idea, not even for America really," he continued.

"We have a number of businesses in Kilkenny that are based on export and America would be a significant proportion of, so it's a very worrying time for them and for us all."

READ NEXT: Kilkenny Castle slips from top spot in list of national visitor attractions

However, despite an apparent tricky road ahead, Mr Hurley has described the first three months of the economic year locally as 'positive'.

"By and large it has been a positive start to the year. We were impacted by weather events which slowed down our ability to get things done when you're all locked down snow and storms and impacted by the damage that they do, that did slow down things but the indications are good.

"Businesses are still dealing with the high cost of doing business and there's new additions constantly to that and there's more on the horizon," he continued.

"It's challenging times but Kilkenny still has a lot going for it, it's still a very popular destination both for visitors and for people doing business and we'll continue to do what we can (the Chamber) which is an important role for us, supporting and representing business," he concluded.

FOR MORE KILKENNY BUSINESS NEWS, CLICK HERE
A number of Kilkenny businesses were in attendance at Meitheal, the largest and most important trade event for the Irish tourism industry, this week.

The Pembroke Hotel, Kilkenny City Tours, Shenanigans Walks Kilkenny, and Kilkenny Design Centre were amongst the many businesses that travelled down to the event, held at the Gleneagle INEC in Killarney.

Meitheal is Failte Irelands annual flagship trade event, organised in partnership with Tourism Ireland, to provide Irish tourism businesses with the opportunity to sell directly to top international buyers and tour operators.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Irish tourism bodies hosting trade events to promote Ireland to influential overseas buyers.

Significant business deals are expected to be signed over two days as over 10,000 sales meetings are scheduled to take place between 389 Irish tourism providers and 255 international buyers and tour operators from 15 countries.

The countries represented are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, Great Britain, and the USA.

The best of what is on offer in Irelands Ancient East, Irelands Hidden Heartlands, the Wild Atlantic Way, and Dublin was showcased with the aim of being scheduled on the itineraries of the global tour operators.

Key themes and trends interesting international buyers this year include multi-generational trips, small private tours, outdoor activities and immersive experiences that incorporate food and traditional craft making.

Director of Demand Development at Failte Ireland Niall Tracey said, For 50 years, tourism trade events have brought together the best of our local industry with international partners, creating lasting relationships that benefit our economy and showcase the unique beauty and culture of Ireland.

"For a small island, we have a fantastic legacy as a visitor destination with a huge amount to offer from world-class scenery, hospitality, activities, attractions, culture, heritage, and food.

"With the significant investment in the tourism product in recent years, there are many new or improved attractions and experiences on offer all around Ireland that buyers will be learning about over the two days.

"I have no doubt they will leave Meitheal 2025 with many new additions to itineraries and countless reasons to sell Ireland to their clients," he concluded.
The Irish economy may currently be in good health, and Kilkenny is in the midst of high employment, but some warning signs are there that all may be far from rosy.

US President Donald Trumps targeting of Europe and Ireland with the introduction of 20% tariffs is causing considerable turmoil. Food and drink exporters will be affected, and more tariffs may yet be on the way for our pharmaceutical sector.

Tanaiste Simon Harris has warned of the potential impact on the industry here, and says pharma exports from Ireland could be halved over the next five years. Kilkenny is home to several pharma and healthcare companies which contribute to the local economy and offer employment. Our relationship with the US is certainly changing.

Another major employment sector, tourism, is also dealing with potential new realities.

While Kilkenny Castle has previously taken the top spot Irelands most visited paid attractions, Dublin Castle has now emerged out in front in 2024, with over 727,000 visitors, up from half a million in 2023. Kilkenny Castle saw 429,546 visitors, down 5% on 2023. About 100,000 fewer people visited Kilkenny Castle and Parklands last year compared to 2023, according to OPW figures. This may just be a one-off  but when both No1 (Dublin Castle) and the No 3 site (Rock of Cashel), have shown increased numbers, we should be keeping a close eye on it.

For a long time, there has been a in issue with capitalising on the half a million or so visitors who go to the castle, but no further. Developing the Medieval Mile concept has been one way of addressing the imbalance. The council and Failte Ireland are also hoping to add to the citys tourism product by turning the Tholsel into a top class attraction.

Another positive addition is the new tourism kiosk at the Parade. This new initiative aims to enhance the visitor experience, and promote the rich heritage and attractions in and around Kilkenny City, beyond the iconic castle.

Ultimately, if people are to explore Kilkenny and the wider county, they need somewhere to stay. Finding accommodation is often the big challenge for visitors. We need more beds, and we need a greater range of affordable accommodation if this important industry is to continue thriving, and keeping people employed.

READ NEXT: Kilkenny businesses brace themselves for 'worrying time' as economic turmoil looms
No Limit Wrestling (NLW) is bringing its Clash in Castlecomer event to Castlecomer Community Hall on Sunday, April 6.

An event of this type is new to Castlecomer, and its going to be an extra special evening for Kilkennys Chainsaw Luke Frehill, who will to take the ring in his first big event in his home county.

Frehill, who hails from Paulstown, is a rising star in Irish wrestling, and he is looking forward to flexing his tremendous talent in front of a raucous and supportive home crowd.

READ NEXT: Kilkenny pilot George O'Hara reflects on his storied career in Ryanair

Ive always liked wrestling since I was a young lad, Luke explains. I saw an ad on Instagram one time, just after Covid, for the School of Irish Wrestling in Dublin. They were doing an open day.

Funnily enough, it was actually on my birthday  my 19th birthday. So I said Id go down and give it a go, especially seeing as it was free. I fell in love with it then and havent stopped since.

Luke is committed to a routine training schedule in a bid to hone his skills and fitness, with a view to hopefully getting a big breakthrough.

Training is on in the school four times a week so I try to get down as much as I can. I like it as well, even though it can be tough enough on the body. I started training in wrestling about three years ago. Ive been wrestling in shows for about a year and a half.

Im wrestling at the moment for No Limits Wrestling, who usually run shows out of Naas.

I think this is the first time in a long time that theyre running a show somewhere else.

Clash in Castlecomer is going to be an extra special event for Luke, who is delighted to see the county embracing wrestling.

It will be the first big wrestling event in Kilkenny in a long time and itll be the first time Ill ever be wrestling in Kilkenny, he said.

Its great to have the opportunity to be able to do one of these events at home, on home soil.

All my family and friends will be there too, so that will make it a bit extra special.

Getting a suitable venue for an event like this can be difficult, and Luke gave special mention to Maurice Shortall, local independent councillor, for playing his part in making it happen.

So how did the nickname Chainsaw come about? Like most nicknames, Luke explains that it just popped out in discussion one day during training and stuck.

One time I was just messing around at training and I just revved up like a chainsaw before I hit a move called the clothesline, he laughs.

I tried it [the nickname] then at an event and the crowd really seemed to enjoy it, so I decided to keep it up, and since then its become part of my persona.

Looking to the future, Luke is determined to try his hardest to break into wrestling for some of the worlds biggest wrestling organisations.

Id like to make a full-time living out of it, he said. Get signed by a company like WWE or someone like that. Thats the dream.

FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE
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
For over 20 years, Helen Mallon has been the heart and soul of the local creche in Paulstown in North Kilkenny, offering unwavering support to countless families and playing an integral role in the community.

Her dedication has extended far beyond the creche walls, contributing to every event and lending a hand whenever needed.

On February 1, Helens life changed drastically when she suffered a slipped disc at home, causing significant damage to her spine.

READ NEXT: Residents in area of Kilkenny 'left incredibly frustrated'

Despite undergoing surgery at Cork Regional Hospital, the procedure did not relieve the swelling, and Helen is now paralysed from the waist down.

Helen has been receiving care at Waterford Regional Hospital for the past six weeks and has begun intensive physiotherapy.

She is now awaiting a place at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin, with a waiting time of approximately four months.

Right now, as Helen faces the challenges ahead, and the local community are focused on supporting her through her rehabilitation and the significant costs that will arise in adapting to her new life and ongoing medical needs.

Helen has been a pillar of strength for so many families in the parish, and now its their turn to support her, but they need your help too.

READ ALSO: Take a peek at this brand new Kilkenny housing estate!

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up aimed at raising funds to assist with her rehabilitation and the necessary adjustments she will need in the future.

She has spent her life caring for others, and her lies an opportunity to help her as she takes on this life changing challenge.

Your support is greatly appreciated by Helen.

FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 73F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

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Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 73F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Russian attack on Zelenskys home city kills 19 people, including 9 children, one of the deadliest strikes this year
The Supreme Court on April 4 allowed President Donald Trump to temporarily freeze millions of dollars in grants to states for addressing teacher shortages. The US Supreme Court is shown March 17 in Washington, DC.
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When four dams were built on the lower Snake River in Idaho in the 1960s, they inundated ancestral lands and fishing grounds of Columbia River Native Americans, including the Nez Perce Tribe. (AP Photo/Nicholas K. Geranios, File) AP

Alyssa Kreikemeier, University of Idaho

(THE CONVERSATION) Long before the large-scale Earth Day protests on April 22, 1970  often credited with spurring significant environmental protection legislation  Native Americans stewarded the environment. As sovereign nations, Native Americans have been able to protect land, water and air, including well beyond their own boundaries.

Their actions laid the groundwork for modern federal law and policy, including national legislation aimed at reducing pollution. Now the Trump administration is seeking to weaken some of those limits and eliminate programs aimed at improving the environments in which marginalized people live and work.

As an environmental historian, I study how Native Americans have shaped environmental management. Tribal nations are the longest stewards of the lands today known as the United States. My work indicates not only that tribal nations contributed to the origins and evolution of modern environmental management on tribal and nontribal lands, but also that they are well poised to continue environmental management and scientific research regardless of U.S. government actions.

Environmental sovereignty

Native peoples stewarded and studied their environments for millennia before European colonization. Today, Native nations continue to use science, technology and Indigenous knowledge to benefit their own people and the broader population.

Their stewardship continues despite repeated and ongoing efforts to dispossess Native peoples. In 1953, Congress reversed centuries of federally recognizing tribal authority, passing a law that terminated tribal nations legal and political status and federal obligations under treaties and legal precedents, including requirements to provide education and health care.

This termination policy subjected tribal nations and reservation lands to state jurisdiction and relocated at least 200,000 Native people from tribal lands to urban centers.

A groundswell of Native American resistance captured national attention, including protests and tactics such as fish-ins, which involved fishing at traditional grounds guaranteed by treaties but not honored by land use at the time. Their efforts led federal courts to affirm the very rights termination had sought to expunge.

Native nations regained federally recognized rights and political power at the same time as the national environmental awakening. In fact, tribal nations exercised environmental sovereignty in ways that restored federal recognition and influenced broader U.S. environmental law and policy.

Air quality

In the 1960s, air pollution in America posed a serious health threat, with smog killing Americans on occasion and harming their long-term health. Under the 1970 Clean Air Act amendments, the federal government set national standards for air quality and penalties for polluters.

As early as 1974, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in southeastern Montana began monitoring its own air quality. Finding that its air was substantially cleaner than other areas of the country, the tribe used a new approach to push the Environmental Protection Agency to approve enhanced protections beyond the minimum federal standards. The Northern Cheyenne wanted to prevent polluting industries from moving into locations with cleaner air that could be polluted without exceeding the federal limits. That protection was codified in the 1977 Clean Air Act amendments, which established legal protections and a process for communities to claim greater pollution protections nationwide.

In 1978, the Northern Cheyenne used their higher standards to limit pollution sources on private land upwind of tribal lands, temporarily blocking the construction of two additional coal-fired power plants.

Within a decade, the Assiniboine and Sioux nations at Fort Peck and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes also claimed enhanced air protection and developed air quality monitoring programs even before most state governments did. Dozens of tribal nations have taken control of their air quality in the years since.

Waterways

Native nations also exercise sovereignty over waterways. In the Pacific Northwest, people whose ancestors have lived in the area for at least 16,000 years have moved to protect themselves and their lands from the effects of massive hydropower projects.

The Columbia River Basin hydropower project, which began in the 1930s, now includes over 250 dams that together generate nearly half of the United States hydropower. Its dams and associated development stretch from the Canadian Rockies to Southern California, with effects crossing dozens of Native nations as well as international and state boundaries. The construction of the dams inundated multiple tribal nations lands and displaced thousands of Native people.

When four dams were built on the lower Snake River in Idaho in the 1960s, they inundated ancestral lands and fishing grounds of Columbia River Native Americans, including the Nez Perce Tribe. The dams decimated fish populations many tribes have long relied upon for both sustenance and cultural practices and destroyed ancient and culturally significant fishing sites, including Celilo Falls near The Dalles, Oregon, which had been fished for at least 10,000 years.

Nez Perce scientists and environmental managers, working alongside other Northwest tribes, have documented the near extinction of numerous species of salmon and steelhead fish, despite federal, state and tribal agencies investing billions of dollars in hatchery programs to boost fish populations. The Nez Perce Department of Fisheries Resources Management protects and restores aquatic ecosystems. In collaboration with nearby communities, the tribe also restores significant areas of habitat on nontribal lands. That includes decommissioning many miles of logging roads, removing mine tailings and sowing tens of thousands of native plants.

The Nez Perce and other tribes advocate for the removal of those four dams to restore salmon populations. They cite, among other evidence, a 2002 Army Corps of Engineers study that found removal was the most effective way to meet the Endangered Species Acts requirements to restore decimated fish populations.

Taking a long view

Native Americans and tribal nations see environmental sovereignty as essential to their past, present and future.

In 2015, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes became the first Native nation to take over a federal dam when they purchased the Selis Ksanka Qlispe dam, operating on the Flathead River in Montana. Managed by a tribal corporation, the dam produces enough hydropower to supply 100,000 homes, bringing millions of dollars to tribal coffers rather than enriching a corporation in Pennsylvania.

Over the decades, Native nations have partnered with federal agencies and used federal laws and funds to manage their environments. They have also built connections between tribes and nations across the continent.

For instance, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission coordinates and assists Columbia Basin tribes with environmental management and fishing rights. In northern New Mexico, the Indigenous women of Tewa Women United work against the legacy and ongoing effects of nuclear research affecting their homelands and communities from Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Across the U.S., the Indian Land Tenure Foundation works with Native peoples to secure control of their homelands through land return and legal reforms, while Honor the Earth organizes Indigenous peoples in North America and globally to advance social change rooted in Indigenous sovereignty through treaty organizing and advocacy.

Tribal governments have been hit hard by the shifts in federal priorities, including Trump administration funding cuts that have slowed scientific research, such as environmental monitoring and management on tribal lands.

Tribal governance takes a long view based in Native peoples deep history with these lands. And their legal and political status as sovereign nations  backed by the U.S. Constitution, treaties, more than 120 Supreme Court rulings and the plain text of federal laws  puts Native nations in a strong position to continue their efforts, no matter which ways the federal winds blow.



This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/as-federal-environmental-priorities-shift-sovereign-native-american-nations-have-their-own-plans-251685.

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)
A woman appeared in court accused of deception involving bank transfers totalling 100,000.

Catherine OBrien (47) of An Grianan, Ballinroad, Dungarvan, Waterford appeared before a sitting of Portlaoise District Court.

She is accused of deception in relation to the transfer of 80,000 at the Bank of Ireland, Portlaoise on September 2, 2018, 10,000 from the same bank on October 25, 2018 and 10,000 on October 26, 2018.

Solicitor Raymond Kavanagh argued that there was a jurisdictional issue in relation to her appearance at Portlaoise District Court. He said she was arrested in Waterford on March 11 and released on bail.

She should have been released on bail to the next sitting in the district court area or within 30 days, he argued. He said his client was in the courthouse but not in the courtroom.

Judge Andrew Cody asked that she be brought into the courtroom.

I will bring her in under protest, said Mr Kavanagh.

Judge Cody said there was no evidence of deliberate or conscious violation of the defendants constitutional rights and he was satisfied that the court had jurisdiction.

Garda Sgt JJ Kirby said the DPP had given directions and he requested five weeks to compile a book of evidence in the case.

Judge Cody adjourned the case to Portlaoise District Court on May 5 for service of a book of evidence.
Irelands biggest music and arts festival, Electric Picnic has unveiled exciting new offerings in the General Admission campsite alongside existing pre-booked campsites, with the new offerings available at no extra cost to festival goers.

With the Laois festival set to grow by another 5,000 people this year to 80,000, Festival Republic has announced an upgrade to Electric Picnic campsite options, with pre-booking for some of them now open.

"Youll find the original legendary campsites in Jimi Hendrix, Samuel Beckett, Andy Warhol, Eriu and Janis Joplin right where you left them, a hub of festival fun with the usual automatic camping access for weekend ticket holders - just turn up and pick a spot (first come first served as always).

"Facilities in the festivals campsites, including the accessible campsite, will be brought up a notch with more showers, toilets and Get Ready With Me (GRWM) stations which will include mirrors and plugs for straighteners and hairdryers."

There will be brand-new pre-booked options available at no extra cost. Campers can register for these sites via the Electric Picnic website /Ticketmaster to ensure theres sufficient space for their tent in their preferred campsite. However ticket holders are reminded that this is not a reservation for a designated pitch.

Reservations, (subject to availability) for Glitterball, Eco, Poets, and An Lathair Ghaeltachta are available immediately via Ticketmaster. Access to these will be via additional specific wristband only. Jimi Hendrix, Samuel Beckett, Andy Warhol, Eriu and Janis Joplin require no reservation.

Read more: Gardai investigating after 'sum of cash' taken from vehicle

These sites include the brand-new Glitterball Campsiteadded to the reformatted Poets Camp and the existing Eco and An Lathair Ghaeltachta  all designed to improve your Electric Picnic experience. More below new campsite map.

Glitterball is at the heart of the ethos of Electric Picnic, celebrating inclusivity and sounding like it will be fabulous fun.

"This camp is supported by gender-inclusive teams who are dedicated to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all. Youll be spending your weekend with some of Electric Picnics most fabulous citizens as your neighbours. Therell be showers and toilets, and you can get your glam on in the GRWM station with mirrors, plugs for straighteners and dryers."

The festival has launched its own Eco campsite, at double the size of the previous one.

"This is the expanded (double the size) environmentally conscious Eco Camp with some new, special additions, including more showers and toilets. In a brand-new camping spot beside the woods which has more space for more people, youll find like-minded people here, all with the same goal in mind - leaving no trace. Get involved with sustainability workshops and hands-on activities throughout the weekend."

Poets Camp has a new calm aura this year.

"Redesignating Poets into an oasis of calm away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Picnic, with limited noise after 1am youll find yourself camped in a community of fellow bliss seekers. Here you can kick off your day at a gentle pace, with yoga and Pilates classes, meditation sessions and more to blow off all the cobwebs. Youll be able to freshen up in peace too at the GRWM station with mirrors, plugs for straighteners and hair dryers, toilets and showers."

For the Irish speaking fans, there is the Gaeltacht campsite, see if you can read about it in Irish and then check the translation.

"Beidh an lathair Ghaeltachta ag an bPicnic Leictreach ag filleadh aris agus beidh deis ag lucht freastail na feile a bpubaill a chrochadh in eineacht le Gaeil eile. Ta an lathair champala rathuil seo idir lamha ag Conradh na Gaeilge le cupla bliain anuas agus taimid ag suil go mor le failte a fhearadh roimh na Gaeil aris i mbliana. Beidh an Ghaeilge mar theanga labhartha sa lathair seo agus tabharfaidh se deis do lucht freastail na feile spas faoi leith a bheith acu lena gcuid Gaeilge a usaid le linn na deireadh seachtaine. Iarraimid ar dhaoine meas a leiriu don teanga agus spas a chur in airithe, direach ma ta se i gceist acu bheith ag labhairt as Gaeilge amhain sa lathair thar an deireadh seachtaine ar fad."

"The Gaeltacht campsite returns once again to the Picnic and campers will have the opportunity to pitch their tents in the company of other Irish language speakers. Conradh naGaeilge have been organising this hugely successful campsite for the last number of years and are looking forward to welcoming Irish speakers back again. The Irish language will be the language spoken in this campsite as it provides festival goers with a unique space to use their Gaeilge throughout the weekend. We ask people to respect the language and to only book a space in the campsite if they plan to speak as Gaeilge in the campsite throughout the weekend."

Electric Picnic 2025 takes place from August to 31 in its home in the Cosby Estate Stradbally. Tickets are sold out but resale tickets are available on the TicketMaster website.
A South Kildare Senator has raised the issue of the lack of GP services in Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare.

Fianna Fail Senator Fiona O'Loughlin raised the matter in the Seanad this week with Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell.

Senator O'Loughlin told Deputy O'Donnell that Ballymore Eustace, a beautiful small town in County Kildare between Naas and Blessington, has a lack of adequate GP clinics.

READ NEXT: Paths in Kildare forest park still blocked two months after storm

She said this is despite the fact that it has a growing population of 1,700 people, and the highest number of older people in Kildare, according to the most recent census.

She said: There was a full-time clinic in Ballymore Eustace and about 15 years ago, a GP based in Blessington, whose name I will not mention, took over the practice.

Initially, the agreement was that there would be four clinics a week in the HSE premises and that, therefore, the local population would miss one day.

Over the first summer, however, without any consultation with the HSE or the local people, that was cut to two clinics, on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Given that on bank holiday Mondays, the practice would not open, that meant there was a service of just one clinic morning a week, which is totally inadequate.

According to Senator O'Loughlin, the GP practice was encouraging patients from Ballymore Eustace to go to Blessington, which she said is some distance away with poor public transport.

The Fianna Fail Senator told the Minister of State that at one stage, a doctor from Naas approached the HSE about holding additional clinics in Ballymore Eustace, but on the agreed day, when the doctor arrived at the premises, the locks had been changed and the HSE said it could not happen.

After two years, she said, the clinics in Ballymore Eustace are back down to two days, Mondays and Tuesdays, from three, which she said is wholly inadequate for the population.

The fact that the clinics are only held twice per week, and in some instances, once per week means the population is not being served, she said.

She added: I feel strongly that the Minister of State is in a position to help deal with this and ensure the people of Ballymore Eustace get the full-time GP practice they need and deserve.

Responding to Senator O'Loughlin, Deputy O'Donnell said that as self-employed practitioners, Gps themselves rather than the HSE determine where they will establish their practices.

The Minister of State pointed to significant supports for practices in rural areas, which were increased under the 2019 GP agreement.

There has also been significant investment in GP services in general, he pointed out.

Furthermore, he added, a strategic review of general practice is under way which is examining issues related to GP capacity.

This review will specifically consider rural and under-served areas, he said, and will be presented to the Minister for Health with recommendations.

Deputy O'Donnell advised Senator O'Loughlin to write to the Minister directly with any further concerns.

Senator O'Loughlin replied: Many people I know in Ballymore Eustace are using Vista and out-of-hours services, so something is wrong.

I will respond with an email to the Minister and copy the Minister of State on it. I will also contact the HSE directly.
The family of the late Liam Farrell, an 87-year-old man who was found dead at his home in Rooskey in January 2020, are due to meet with the Senior Investigating Officer assigned to the case next Friday in Carrick-on-Shannon.

The meeting, scheduled for April 11th in the local Garda station, follows the completion of a peer review into the original Garda investigation. The review was ordered by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris last September and has been with the Commissioners office for the past four weeks.

Detective Inspector Ray Mulderrig, the current Senior Investigating Officer, has been instructed to meet with the Farrell family to go through the recommendations arising from that review. Superintendent Peter Conlon, who was commissioned by Commissioner Harris to carry out the review, prepared the findings.

Speaking this week, Peter Farrell said the family expects the meeting to address their long-standing concerns over how the case was initially handled. The family believes Liam Farrell was attacked in his home and has consistently called for a full new investigation.

The Farrells have raised concerns about the original handling of the case, particularly the fact that the post-mortem was carried out by a consultant pathologist who was not informed that a crime scene had been declared. Consultant pathologist Professor Paul Hartel later stated that had he been made aware of the suspicious circumstances, he would have declined to carry out the autopsy, which would instead have required a forensic pathologist.

The family later appointed former Northern Ireland State Pathologist, Professor Jack Crane, to review the case. Professor Crane found that Mr Farrells injuries were consistent with an assault, contradicting the earlier conclusions.

While the upcoming meeting is viewed as a positive development, the family continues to seek a direct meeting with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

Speaking on TV3 (now Virgin Media Television) last year, Commissioner Harris publicly stated that he wanted to get justice for the Farrell family and that he would meet with them to discuss their concerns directly. Despite this, the family says they have not yet received confirmation of such a meeting, though they remain hopeful that the Commissioner will follow through on his commitment.

Peter Farrell also confirmed that he had the opportunity to briefly speak with Taoiseach Micheal Martin during a recent visit to Austin, Texas, informing him of the ongoing issues surrounding the investigation. While the Taoiseach did not comment publicly, the family says he listened respectfully and is now aware of the situation.

The Farrells have stated that if justice cannot be achieved through domestic channels, they are prepared to escalate the matter to the European Court of Human Rights.

The upcoming meeting in Carrick-on-Shannon marks a significant next step in the family's ongoing search for answers, as they continue to seek accountability and clarity surrounding the death of their father.

READ NEXT: From the Leitrim border to the Paris Runway: Dowra woman's dream comes true
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THE efforts of groups across Limerick to keep their communities looking clean and tidy were recognised at an awards ceremony in Cork.

Tidy Towns volunteers from Limerick and around the country descended on the Talbot Hotel, in Ballincollig, which was named Irelands tidiest town, for a special ceremony.

In that number were groups from Adare, Castleconnell, Galbally, Newcastle West, Ardpatrick and Limerick city centre.

Adare, which is a former winner of the national Tidy Towns competition, received a gold award in the Supervalu-sponsored competition.

The Limerick City Tidy Towns group have achieved a silver award after six consecutive years of winning bronze.

READ MORE: Limerick star returns to TV for 'quirky and slightly chaotic' travel series

Meanwhile, a silver award went to another former Tidy Towns winner, Galbally, which was Limerick's most recent victor in 1994.

They were joined by Castleconnell in securing silver, with the riverside village also being highly commended in the Waters and Communities section of the contest.

Bronze medals went to Tidy Towns groups in Ardpatrick and Newcastle West, while Patrickswell also secured an Endeavour award.

It was a busy day for Limerick City Tidy Towns, which had just before travelling to Cork, given its annual award for shop fronts in Limerick

It was a busy day for Limerick City Tidy Towns, which had just before travelling to Cork, given its annual award for shop fronts in Limerick to the Adapt charity outlet at Parnell Street in the centre.

We are giving an award and getting one, exclaimed chair of Limerick City Tidy Towns Helen ODonnell.

She feels the city Tidy Towns group getting an award is a great achievement given the size of the area, its higher population, and the challenges it faces as a result to keep the streets clean.

She said a big thank you is owed to every single volunteer who takes part in the groups twice weekly clean-ups - on Wednesday evening and now Sunday lunchtime, given the summer months have arrived.

It's important to acknowledge the work we do. This would not happen without all the volunteers who go out twice a week. We have a really loyal cohort of people. They may not get in every week, but they pop in when they can. Its all about making Limerick a better place, she said.

As it is the first time the city has ever won a silver, Ms ODonnell said its a double celebration.

"We went up in the rankings last year. It was a pretty hectic time last year, she added.

She praised Maura O'Neill and Sharon Slater for putting together the Tidy Towns application.

This is not just about a clean, tidy city, it's about the environment, fresh air, noise pollution. There is a whole element of biodiversity. There is a huge amount we fill into our application form. We work very closely with the local authority. They support us in some of the areas too, she said.
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LIMERICK owner JP McManus has never hidden his love of the Grand National and claiming the outright record for wins in the great race with a fourth success on Saturday would be the icing on the cake following last months Gold Cup triumph.

Cheltenham hero Inothewayurthinkin is absent from the Randox-sponsored Aintree spectacular  but there will be a five-star squad carrying the famous green and gold colours, including the Willie Mullins-trained I Am Maximus, who was so brilliant 12 months ago.

McManus also has leading hopefuls Iroko and Perceval Legallois in the field.

The Randox Grand National is underway at 4pm on Saturday and is live on Virgin Media One and ITV.

Mullins said on Thursday he feels he has nine-year-old I Am Maximus exactly where I want him after two moderate runs at Leopardstown so far this season.

And Frank Berry, racing manager to McManus, is happy to have I Am Maximus leading the team: Were going there with some really nice horses and we hope to have a bit of luck on the day.

Things havent been as smooth for I Am Maximus this year and theres been a few little hiccups along the way, which isnt ideal, but Willie thinks hes back in good form.

Im not sure how hell cope with drying ground and he would probably like a bit more juice in the ground, but hopefully he will be all right on the day.

He couldnt have done it any better last year, he was very good.

Mullins also runs Meetingofthewaters, while Gavin Cromwells Perceval Legallois is another strongly-fancied Irish raider for McManus following two wins over fences and hurdles this winter.

Berry said of the latter: We were a little bit disappointed in the autumn, but he turned up trumps at Leopardstown over Christmas and then went back there over hurdles and was very good once again.

He would maybe like more juice in the ground, but Gavins horses are in great form, so he goes there in good order.

Nicky Hendersons Iroko is among the market leaders for the Cheshire-based team of Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.

Greenall  son of former Aintree chairman Lord Daresbury, who oversaw the bomb scare National and the void race that never was  commented: Wed like it a little bit softer, but theyve done a great job with the ground and it should be perfectly fine.

Everything has gone well up to this point and its very exciting. The plan will be to just get him settled in mid-division and enjoying himself and then take it from there.

Irish trainers have taken six of the last eight renewals and Cromwells Stumptown is vying for favouritism following his impressive cross-country success at the Cheltenham Festival, while stablemate Vanillier was an eyecatching third in that race and seeks to go one better than his 2023 National second.

Cromwell said: Stumptown seems very well, its a quick enough turnaround but he seems very fresh and well.

Hes been very good this season, the drying ground is a small bit of a concern. Its going to be a fast pace, we just need him to keep his position and then hopefully hell stay well.

Hes going to love the fences. He loves the cross-country fences so I think it will really bring out the best in him.

Vanillier ran very well at Cheltenham, again hes one that may struggle to keep his position as I imagine hes going to be flat out. He will stay well, so I just hope he doesnt get too far back.

Perceval Legallois is coming into it a bit fresher than the other two, hes never gone further than three miles, but I dont think its going to be a problem.

He should travel round fine as he has a little bit more pace, he hasnt been round Aintree but he has seen the fences at home and jumped them fine, so hopefully he will take to it.

Tom Gibneys Intense Raffles bids to follow up last years Irish Grand National triumph with an even more famous victory for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

Their racing manager Anthony Bromley said: Tom has been very happy with his preparation and the horse is relatively unexposed and we hope he is reasonably handicapped.

We would have liked it to have been proper soft ground rather than watered soft ground, but it is what it is and we couldnt be happier with the horse at the moment.

Aintree glory would add another amazing chapter to the Hewick fairytale, with the 850 bargain buy having already earned over 750,000 in prize-money.

Trainer John Shark Hanlon said: There has only been one plan for this year and that plan has been in place for the last six months. The English National is the race we want and, please God, all we ask is a bit of luck now.
A NEW design update has been published on the N21 Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale bypasses with plans for the major schemes to be submitted to An Bord Pleanala early next year.

Limerick City and County Council is working in partnership with Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the Department of Transport to develop the two projects to relieve congestion in Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale.

The design update shows the proposed mainlines, side road realignments and junction layouts as well as whether the roads are in cut or on fill. Additionally, it shows the proposed access arrangements, indicative land take lines, watercourse diversions and the location of drainage ponds and other details.

Cllr Liam Galvin said the bypasses of Abbeyfeale (see below) and Newcastle West (see above) have to be a priority after Adare.

Unfortunately, there are a few houses that need to be demolished. Those families have to be treated with respect and well looked after financially, said Cllr Galvin. Similarly, as a farmer and landowner, he stressed the importance of working with farmers affected.

They have to be looked after financially, and with underpasses and overpasses for their cattle. Farmers have a connection to their land. I dont want to see anyone upset, said Cllr Galvin.

He said it is hoped plans will be submitted to An Bord Pleanala in the first quarter of 2026.

I'm using the N21 on a regular basis. It could take me an hour and a half now to get to Limerick or come from Limerick. I would travel from the Woodlands House Hotel to Dublin in the same time. There is something very wrong, said Cllr Galvin, who lives in Abbeyfeale.

He also highlighted the associated dangers from many drivers using local roads to get around Adare, Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale.

READ MORE: Record price per acre paid for County Limerick field

The Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale bypasses are still years away but Cllr Galvin looks forward to the day that our towns are not swamped with passing traffic and more people coming in to do business in our towns.

Cllr Galvin praised the councils roads section and has full faith in them to work closely with affected homeowners and landowners.

The team in the roads section led by Ger Carey in the council are the most professional people I have ever dealt with. Ill criticise our planning department and our housing section when I have to but credit where credit is due to our roads team, said Cllr Galvin.
RPG Group chairman Harsh Goenka has backed Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal amid the latest uproar over the latter's criticism of the Indian startup ecosystem. Goenka also seemingly supported N.R. Narayana Murthy's controversial 70-hour workweek concept, claiming that Murthy and Goyal were not being literal but directional in their respective statements.

While supporting their statements, Goenka explained that the two leaders were simply asking what India is really building through their remarks. "They were asking: What are we really building? " Goenka said in his latest post.

Harsh Goenka on how India can compete with US Goenka, while rallying behind Murthy's 70-hour work week concept, which caused a major divide among India Inc leaders earlier this year, also clarified that this is not about glorifying burnout, but shifting the national mindset.

Amid the latest global tariff war, Goenka has also said that if India wants to compete with the US and China, it needs to build with ambition. The industrialist highlighted sectors such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and energy that move the needle' for India to focus on long-term growth.

Goenka took to the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter) and said in a post on Saturday, April 5,

"When Murthy and Subrahmanyan spoke of 70-90 hour work weeks, and Piyush Goyal questioned startups making vegan ice creams and chasing 10-minute deliveries, they werent being literalthey were being directional. They were asking: what are we really building?

If India wants to compete with the US or China, we cant just focus on comfort, convenience, and brands. We need to build with ambitionAI, deep tech, robotics, clean energysectors that move the needle.

This isnt about glorifying burnout. Its about shifting the national mindsetfrom ease to effort, from quick wins to long-term value," said Goenka in his post.

Piyush Goyal's criticism on India's startup ecosystem While speaking at the Startup Mahakumbh 2025 event on April 3, 2025, Goenka's remarks come after Union Minister Piyush Goyal slammed Indian billionaire kids for opening ice cream and cookie businesses and calling them startups instead of focusing on the nation's technological growth.

Questioning India's vision for the future, Goyal asked whether or not India wants to focus on tech advancement or if people are satisfied with ice cream brand startups. Fancy ice cream and cookies. I know at least three or four billionaires whose children make one brand or the other, very fancy ice cream and cookies, and run a very successful business, said Goyal in his address.

The Union Minister shared his analysis of the startup success stories in India and said, And I have no complaint against that. But is that the destiny of India? Is the future of India satisfied with that? Goyal also questioned the strategies of these new and successful startups and said that the brands are using fancy terms and good packaging to call themselves startups in India.

Harsh Goenka's stand on 90-hour workweek In January, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman S N Subrahmanyan sparked an online debate by advocating for a 90-hour work week and suggesting employees should even give up Sundays. After the heated controversy, D-Street analysts and India Inc. experts soon picked sides for or against the notion. This came after Murthy advocated for a 70-hour workweek last year.

Goenka had expressed his concern about the idea of working 90 hours a week following the L&T chairman's comments on work-life balance. Goenka had stated that with such a practice, why not rename Sunday to Sun-duty and make day offs a mythical concept?
In a social media post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump hailed the US tariffs on nations after the stock market crash and said that more than $5 trillion and more has been invested for the cause as he eyes a trade war win for the United States.

President Donald Trump, in his post, highlighted that China has been hit harder in the ongoing trade war between the world nations and the United States. He also said that the reciprocal tariffs imposed on the nations are a result of them treating the US badly with their tariff rates.

China has been hit much harder than the USA, not even close. They, and many other nations, have treated us unsustainably badly. We have been the dumb and helpless whipping post, but not any longer, said Trump in his Truth Social post.

According to an AP report, the US jobs report released on Friday showed that there were 2.28 lakh jobs which were added in the month of March, however, the unemployment rate in the nation increased to 4.2 per cent.

Also Read | Goldman Sachs slashes crude oil price target by 5.5% amid tariff woes

In his post, Donald Trump also highlighted that the new administration is working to bring back jobs like never before.

The President also attempted to reassure the people of America and investors that the $5 trillion lost in the US stock market crash on Friday was a form of investment which is aimed at making America great again. However, he also addressed that this trade war route will not be easy for the nation.

Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it wont be easy, but the end result will be historic. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! said Donald Trump in his post on Truth Social.

China's response to US market crash China on Saturday flagged that the United States should to stop doing the wrong things and work to resolve its differences with its trading partners.

Now is the time for the U.S. to stop doing the wrong things and resolve the differences with trading partners through equal-footed consultation, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, in a Facebook post.

This comes after the bloodbath in the US stock market, in which nearly $5 trillion was wiped out in market capitalisation. This market crash was the worst crisis since the COVID-19 pandemic, as China announced its move to impose 34 per cent additional tariffs on all imports from the United States effective April 10, 2025.
New Delhi: In the immediate aftermath of the new US tariffs, Indias response has been twofold: to seek new opportunities in the changing world order, and re-evaluate its manufacturing strategy.

US President Donald Trumps additional 26% tariff on Indian imports into the US hits at the protection the Union government offers to domestic products from competing importsone of two key elements of the countrys manufacturing strategy; the other is incentives linked to production.

The two elements are key to Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision for making India a developed nationor Viksit Bharatby 2047, a century since Independence.

On Friday (Thursday in the US), Trumps administration recalibrated its reciprocal tariff on India to an additional 26% levy across a range of commodities starting 9 April, down from the 27% hike announced on 2 April, as it corrected its trade deficit computations.

Also read | Trumps reciprocal tariffs: India braces for economic ripples

We are of the view that the reciprocal tariffs on India and other Asian countries could create an opportunity for India to scale up its manufacturing capabilities," said a government official who spoke on condition of not being named.

There is a strong possibility that manufacturing firms in countries like Vietnam and Thailand may consider relocating to India to take advantage of lower tariff and incentive benefits, the official said. The US has imposed additional 46% tariffs on Vietnamese imports into the US, and 36% on products shipped in from Thailand.

Our focus is on increasing domestic manufacturing, which will lead to employment generation. If required, we are open to introducing new schemes or modifying existing ones to incentivise manufacturing further," the official said.

Arvind Virmani, NITI Aayog member and former chief economic advisor, said Indias efforts to achieve self-reliance and its production-linked incentive scheme, which aids with value addition in the domestic manufacturing sector, will continue to evolve.

The Atma Nirbhar (self-reliance) policy is sensitive, both to changes in the external environment and to lessons arising from domestic performance," Virmani said in response to an emailed query from Mint. It has been gradually adjusted to address new issues and opportunities and will continue to evolve."

Key Takeaways With the US imposing steep tariffs on imports from more than 60 countries, India, which faces a relatively lower levy, may look to position itself as an attractive alternative for global manufacturers looking to relocate from higher-tariff markets.

India may also look to recalibrate its manufacturing push by tweaking its production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes and accelerating trade agreements with the US, the EU, and the UK to build trusted supply chains and drive export growth.

While short-term impact from US tariffs may be limited, increased global protectionism and trade uncertainty could disrupt long-term growth. India aims to mitigate risks through policy flexibility, global engagement, and deeper US trade ties.

Global distress opportunities

A key element of Indias manufacturing game plan is free trade agreements, which have been an important part of the Union governments strategy for promoting domestic manufacturing, Virmani said. Over the last decade, the focus has shifted from FTAs with countries that are Indias actual or potential competitors to nations whose economies are complementary, he added.

Reduction of tariffs on manufactured goods is a key element of these FTAs with a view to developing competitive, trusted supply chains. The FTAs under negotiation with the UK and the EU, and the bilateral trade agreement being negotiated with the US, will help further this goal," said Virmani.

Pronab Sen, former chief statistician of India, said India should analyse evolving trading patterns, other countries response to US tariff increases, identify opportunities, and fill the gaps."

US exports may face increased duties in countries retaliating against Trumps reciprocal tariffs, providing an opportunity for India to tap those markets, explained Sen.

On Friday, China hit back at the US with an additional 34% tariff on American imports into the country, matching Washingtons imposition of 34% additional tariffs on Chinese goods, escalating the tariff war.

Sen, however, added that the emerging protectionism in world trade may be a transitory phase and that India should strategically ride out of this.

Also read | US tariffs on China, Thailand may open door for Indias toy exports

As for Indias PLI scheme, Virmani pointed to the Union governments responses to global challenges, emerging opportunities, and expanding base of mobile exports, to incentivise electronics components and other inputs and intermediates".

The PLI scheme will continue to evolve to promote supply chains for complex, network products like electronics, semiconductors, instruments, machinery and equipment", he said.

Sen added that targets set under Indias production linked incentive scheme may be reviewed in light of the absorption capacity of the domestic market and the global demand conditions.

The ministries of finance and commerce did not reply to queries emailed on Thursday.

Eyes on India-US trade pact

The direct impact of the US reciprocal tariffs on most market economies would be minimal in the immediate short-term, said Virmani.

Every country is, however, feeling the effect of increased trade policy uncertainty during the last few months. World trade, FDI (foreign direct investment), and GDP growth will all be affected," the economist said. This will have a small indirect effect on India given our low trade dependence."

In the short-medium term, the impact of differential US tariffs would depend on the commodity and the relative tariffs on competitors, he added.

Goods exempt from reciprocal tariff, for example, pharmaceuticals, will have little or no effect. And for products in which Indias closest competitors are from South, East and South East Asia, demand for Indian goods would increase, Virmani said.

Also read | India eyes swift trade pact with US amid higher tariff pressures on Asian rivals

In the medium-term, the negative factors would be minimised through the first phase of the US-India BTA, by fall of 2025. In the long-term, the final BTA with the US will aim to enhance the potential gains during the next 5-10 years," said Virmani.

That said, the US Trade Representatives 2025 National Trade Estimate latest report flagged several Indian policies, including Make in India, as trade barriers, even as India and the US were engaged in discussions for the bilateral trade agreement, a proxy for a free trade agreement.
US President Donald Trump is actively participating in negotiations with representatives from India, Israel, and Vietnam to secure trade deals.

As per latest reports, India, Israel and Vietnam are seeking to fast-track trade talks, with Donald Trump personally involved in finalising agreements ahead of a looming tariff deadline.

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu to visit White House

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit the White House on Monday, Axios reported, citing four sources with knowledge of the matter.

The report added that if the visit takes place as planned, the Israeli leader would be the first foreign leader to meet with US President Donald Trump in person to try to negotiate a deal to remove tariffs.

On Friday, US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio discussed tariffs with Benjamin Netanyahu, reported Reuters. Israel currently faces a 17 per cent tariff from the Trump ruled country.

Vietnam wants to cut down tariffs to zero Earlier, Donald Trump, on his social media platform Truth Social, said that the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam mentioned that the country wants to cut their tariffs down to zero if they are able to make an agreement with the US.

India's tariff concerns In addition to the baseline tariff of 10%, India faces a 26% tariffs on exports from the nation.

Also Read | Trump tariffs unleash market mayhem: US stocks in freefall

Starting today, a 10% base tariff will be implemented, while a flat 26% country-specific duty for India will take effect next Wednesday, April 9.

The Indian government has stated that it is "carefully examining" the impact of the tariffs announced by Trump on April 2.

The Commerce Ministry is evaluating the situation in consultation with stakeholders, gathering feedback from exporters, and exploring potential opportunities arising from the tariff changes, stated reports.
Europe is limping into the trade fight launched by President Trump with zero growth, high debt and political turbulence in its major economies. As the continents biggest trading partnerthe U.S.turns hostile, some policymakers here want to double down on Europes relationship with China.

That could come at a steep priceincluding, potentially, the loss of Europes storied auto industry, analysts say.

European manufacturers are facing a nightmare scenario of 20% reciprocal tariffs on exports to the U.S., potentially stacked on top of 25% auto and other tariffs. So in some ways, China is an attractive fallback option.

Europe trades nearly as much with China, the worlds No. 2 economy, as it does with the U.S. Notwithstanding recent wobbles, Chinese economic growth is still racier than Americas, at least according to official data.

For its part, China, with its weakening economy and a business model geared toward exports, has been eager to secure better access to the European Unions single marketone of the worlds largest and richest. Nations in the global south, which China has been courting, dont have the scale to replace the U.S. and Europe. Beijing might also relish the chance to drive a wedge between the U.S. and its NATO partners.

European and Chinese officials have publicly flirted with the idea during a flurry of recent high-level exchanges. Last week, Chinas Vice Premier He Lifeng told European trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic in Beijing that China was willing to work with the EU to resist protectionism, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. China is a vital trading partner," with whom there is room to engage constructively," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU ambassadors in February.

In a trade fight with America, Europeans may have more to lose. European businesses have thinner profit margins, making them less able to absorb tariffs. In the U.S., average operating margins have increased from 12.5% to 14.3% over the past decade, while in Europe they have increased from 9.7% to 11.2%, the difference resulting from stronger innovation in the U.S., a more favorable regulatory environment and stronger global market expansion, according to Allianz.

If both the U.S. and the EU were to apply 25% import tariffs, that would knock 1 percentage point off the eurozones economic growth over the next two years, and 0.8 percentage point off U.S. growth, according to Allianz. That is something that the export-oriented bloc can ill afford with its large industrial sector already mired in recession, while Americas economy is growing at an annual 3% rate.

However, any trade deal with China would hold risks for Europe.

The U.S. holds a special place in the world economy because it buys much more from the world than it sells to it. Americans are the worlds consumers of last resort, helping to balance out vast trade surpluses in places like China and Europe that do the reverse: sell more to other countries than they buy.

Chinese manufacturers, wrestling with overcapacity in some sectors, have recently flooded global markets with cheap goods and started competing aggressively with American and European businesses around the world. Chinas surplus with the world overall was just shy of $1 trillion last year, three times its size in 2018. The EU last month unveiled plans to protect its steel and aluminum producers from global overcapacity, pointing to rising exports from China and increasing trade barriers in key markets like the U.S.

Chinas exports to the EU exceeded imports from the bloc by over 300 billion euros, equivalent to almost $332 billion, in 2024, according to EU data, a gap that is roughly twice as large as when Trump first started imposing tariffs in 2018. The EU has highlighted that burgeoning trade deficit as problematic even as it has defended its large goods surpluses with the U.S.

For European businesses, even with a new trade deal that lowers barriers to entry, it isnt clear that they could significantly increase exports to China.

China exports, it doesnt import," said Brad Setser, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. If Europe wants to do a deal with China, it has to be prepared to kiss its auto industry goodbye."

As the trade confrontation between the U.S. and China escalates, Chinese companies will come under increased pressure to dump their excess production in Europe, further increasing the competitive pressure on the continent.

These goods showing up in Europe could have both a deflationary and a contractionary impact because they would crowd out local products," European Central Bank executive board member Piero Cipollone said in a February interview published on the ECBs website.

What would an EU-China trade deal look like? Analysts say it could build on an agreement signed by the two blocs in late 2020 but frozen five months later amid tit-for-tat sanctions over Beijings treatment of its Uyghur population in Xinjiang province.

China has changed since then. Its businesses rapidly scaled the value chain during the Covid-19 pandemic and are now producing high-value engineering goods in green technologies and electric vehicles.

Given those advances, European officials might seek to encourage Chinese companies to build factories in Europe and share their know-how with the Europeans, especially in green technologies, said Noah Barkin, senior adviser with Rhodium Group in Berlin.

That would be a reversal of Chinas opening to the West in recent decades, when it was American and European companies investing and sharing technologies with China.

European officials have largely welcomed recent Chinese greenfield investments. Those have included battery makers such as CATL, EV manufacturers such as BYD in Hungary and Chery Automobile in Spain. But while some European officials thought tariffs on Chinese auto manufacturers would force them to produce more in Europe, that hasnt really taken off at scale yet, said Barkin.

The Chinese are investing heavily in countries on Europes edge, such as Turkey and Morocco, places that have free-trade agreements with the EU but are outside the bloc, he said. China is still shipping most goods it sells in Europe from back home.

There are obvious political barriers to an EU-China deal too. The EU remains deeply concerned about Chinas support for Russias war in Ukraine, something that China has shown no willingness to change.

The EUs readout of its exchange with China last week was notably cooler than Beijings. We need to tangibly rebalance our trade and investment relations," Sefcovic, the EU trade commissioner, wrote on X.

Nor is it clear that China would give priority to a deal with Europe. Beijing recently installed a hard-line diplomat and ex-ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, as a key liaison with the EU. That is a sign that China isnt in a compromising mood and will play hardball with the EU, analysts said. Lu earned a reputation for making frequent combative statements during his five-year tenure as Beijings envoy to Paris.

The U.S. remains priority number one for China, analysts say, and as long as Beijing thinks Trump is interested in doing a deal, it will focus its energies there.

In fact, there is a chance that U.S. tariffs might drive Europe closer to America. Europe might commit to buy more liquefied natural gas and defense equipment from the U.S. to reduce its trade surplus. Higher U.S. tariffs would likely shift some European production across the Atlantic, something that Trump has said he wants to see.

In Germany, a significant minority of engineering businessesa key export sectorsay that U.S. import tariffs are unproblematic or might help them because they see China as their primary threat, said Andrew Adair, an official with the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association, a lobby group.

Some members say that a punitive [U.S.] tariff on China would help us to shore up our position," Adair said.

Write to Tom Fairless at tom.fairless@wsj.com
Duties levied on countries across the globe will increase the cost of wines made in France, Italy, and everywhere else outside the U.S. to consumers, while harming the approximate 400,000 U.S. small businesses that rely on foreign wine imports, according to the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance.

Foreign producers are likely to suffer from lower U.S. sales in what is considered the biggest worldwide market for wine consumption, but the alliance expects American businesses will face greater harm.

That has a lot to do with the way the wine industry is regulated in the U.S. Under whats known as the three-tier system, U.S. importers will pay the tariff when wine arrives in the country; that extra fee will get passed on to distributors, retailers, and restaurants. Ultimately, a consumer will pay more for their glass of French Sancerre with dinner.

These new duties on foreign wine imports will vary depending on where the wine is produced. Those made in European Union countriesincluding the popular wine regions of France, Italy, and Spainwill be subject to 20% tariffs. Wines made in South Africa will face 30% tariffs, while wines coming from Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Chile are being charged the more modest 10% baseline tariff.

The EU accounts for 72.3% of total imports of bottled wines into the U.S., according to Rafael del Ray, an independent consultant on wine markets who is based in Madrid.

The net effect is prices will go up," said David Parker, CEO and owner of Benchmark Wine Group in Napa, Calif., which deals in high-end and rare wines.

Wine that is already in transit, or that will be by April 4, wont be subject to tariffs, and wine that is on the way by April 8 will be taxed at the 10% base rate versus the country-specific levels. Though threats of a 200% tax on European wine and spirits remains a possibility, Parker, who is also president of the National Association of Wine Retailers, would be quite surprised" if that happened.

That would be a death knell to European wine in the U.S.," he said. I dont think the government wants to kill 400,000 small American businesses.

Ben Aneff, president of the wine trade alliance, agreed with Parker, although he said the fate of the 200% tariffs remains unclear."

The big beneficiary of Trumps tariff scheme is supposed to be U.S. manufacturers. But in the case of U.S. winemakers, the benefits are mixed. Its a misconception that [tariffs] are a positive for U.S. wine producers," Gabriella Macari, director of operations at Macari Vineyards in Mattituck, N.Y., told Barrons.

Macari, as most U.S. wine producers, rely on distributors to place their wines with wine shops and restaurants. Most of these distributors have relied on selling European wines, which typically realize higher profit margins because they have been less costly to buy than American wines, Macari said. As a result, few of these wholesalers limit their business to U.S.-produced products.

My main concern is my distributorswill my distributors survive," she said.

U.S. producers that export their wines abroad could also be harmed by retaliatory tariffs. The U.S. exports less than 5% of its total production, however, according to Rob McMillan, executive vice president of Silicon Valley Banks wine division.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the value of U.S. wine exports was $1.24 billion in 2024, less than the three-year average of $1.31 billion. Most of that winenearly $435 millionwas sold to Canada last year, while nearly $168 million in wine was sold to EU countries, and nearly $164 million was sold to the U.K.

Canada, which has been slapped with 25% tariffs on goods that arent part of an existing trade agreement, went beyond reciprocal tariffs to say they arent going to sell any U.S. beverages, McMillan said.

Were not a big export countrywe consume the wine we produce," he said about the U.S.

That means tariffs could potentially benefit U.S. producers, who make wine in every U.S. state.

Wine consumption has gone down across the world as younger consumers either abstain from alcoholic beverages or consume alternatives to wine, a trend McMillan has detailed for the past few years in an annual report on the state of the wine industry. About two-thirds of all wine consumed in the U.S. is produced domestically.

The fact we have wine that is going to be more expensive coming from foreign countries does present an opportunityin theoryfor our domestic producers to sell more to our own consumers," he said, although he noted thats if you ignore what tariffs do to the economy."

Whats important for the consumer to understand, is that tariffs wont lower prices for American goods. It just increases the price of foreign goods."
Gold price today in your city: Gold Futures on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) of India fell over 2 per cent on Friday, April 4, amid a global market selloff as investors became cautious over China's retaliation against reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States.

On April 5, 24-carat gold was priced at 89,360/10 gm in India, according to data from the Indian Bullion Association (IBA) at 9.15 am. While 22-carat gold was priced at 81,913/10 gms. Silver was priced at 87,720/kg (Silver 999 Fine) at 9.15 am on April 5, according to IBA data.

Here's a look at the prices of precious metals such as gold and silver in the city on Saturday, April 5. Check out gold and silver prices for cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

Also Read | The Bizarre REALITY Of Trumps Tariff Calculation For Countries

Gold and Silver Prices in New Delhi Gold bullion rates in Delhi on April 5   89,050/10 gm.

89,050/10 gm. MCX Gold rate in the national capital on April 5   88,850/10 gm.

88,850/10 gm. Silver bullion rate in Delhi on April 5   87,410/kg.

87,410/kg. MCX Silver 999 rate in Delhi on April 5   87,431/kg. Gold and Silver Prices in Mumbai Gold bullion rates in Mumbai on April 5 89,200/10 gm.

MCX Gold rate in the financial capital on April 5  88,850/10 gm.

88,850/10 gm. Silver bullion rate in Mumbai on April 5   87,560/kg.

87,560/kg. MCX Silver 999 rate in Mumbai on April 5   87,431/kg.

Gold and Silver Prices in Hyderabad Gold bullion rates in Hyderabad on April 5   89,340/10 gm.

89,340/10 gm. MCX Gold rate in Hyderabad on April 5   88,850/10 gm.

88,850/10 gm. Silver bullion rate in Hyderabad on April 5   87,700/kg.

87,700/kg. MCX Silver 999 rate in Hyderabad on April 5   87,431/kg. Gold and Silver Prices in Chennai Gold bullion rates in Chennai on April 5   89,460/10 gm.

89,460/10 gm. MCX Gold rate in Chennai on April 5  88,850/10 gm.

88,850/10 gm. Silver bullion rate in Chennai on April 5   87,810/kg.

87,810/kg. MCX Silver 999 rate in Chennai on April 5   87,431/kg.
Tata Capital IPO: Tata Group has filed draft papers with the capital market regulator SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) to launch its mega 15,000 crore Tata Capital IPO. According to a moneycontrol report, N Chandrasekaran-led conglomerate has filed its papers at SEBI to launch its most-awaited upcoming IPO, which Tata Sons and IFC own. The draft paper says that Tata Sons and IFC would offload their shareholding in Tata Capital IPO, which would be offer for sale (OFS). Tata Sons filed the draft papers through the confidential route, engaging Kotak Mahindra Capital, Citi, JP Morgan, Axis Capital, ICICI Securities, HSBC Securities, IIFL Capital, BNP Paribas, SBI Capital and HDFC Bank.

"The draft papers have been filed with the market regulator through the confidential pre-filing route. The issue will be a combination of primary and secondary issues of shares; Tata Sons and investor IFC will pare stake, with greater participation from the former," money control quoted without naming the source.

Tata Capital IPO details On March 9, 2025, PTI reported that Tata Capital is likely to file preliminary papers with markets regulator Sebi to raise USD 2 billion (over 17,000 crore) through an initial public offering (IPO) only after getting final approval from the NCLT for the Tata Motors Finance merger with the company. In this report, PTI estimated Tata Capital's IPO size at $11 billion.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) awaits the final order, which is expected to be closed by the end of this financial year (FY25), the Indian news agency reported.

Tata Capital, identified by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as an upper-layer non-banking finance company (NBFC), has already received its board approval to float the initial share sale.

According to a disclosure made to stock exchanges, the proposed IPO would comprise 2.3 crore equity shares through a fresh issue and an offer of sale (OFS) by certain existing shareholders.

Apart from the IPO, Tata Capital announced plans to raise funds through a rights issue further to bolster its financial position before the public listing.

If successful, this would be one of the country's financial sector's most significant initial share sales. This would also be the Tata Group's second public market debut in recent years after listing Tata Technologies in November 2023.

The move is part of the company's effort to comply with the RBI's listing requirements.

As per the RBI mandate, upper-layer NBFCs are required to list on the stock exchange within three years of being designated as such. Tata Capital was categorised as an upper-layer NBFC in September 2022.

Apart from Tata Capital, another upper layer, NBFC HDB Financial Services, owned by HDFC Bank, is also gearing up to launch its IPO. The company filed its draft papers in October to garner 12,500 crore through the initial share sale.

While law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and investment bank Kotak Mahindra Capital have been roped in as advisors to manage the company's IPO, a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with Sebi will be filed only after receiving approval of the NCLT on the proposed merger, sources said.

In the Q3 earnings call of Tata Motors, the auto maker's Group CFO PB Balaji said the Tata Motors Finance creditors meeting has been completed.

"Final orders (are) awaited from the NCLT, and we do expect closure for this by the end of this financial year," he had stated.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) cleared the proposed merger in September.

In June 2024, the boards of all three companiesTata Capital, Tata Motors Finance, and Tata Motors  approved a merger of Tata Motors Finance with Tata Capital through an NCLT scheme of arrangement.

As consideration for the merger, Tata Capital will issue its equity shares to the shareholders of Tata Motors Finance, resulting in Tata Motors effectively holding a 4.7 per cent stake in the merged entity.

As of March 31, 2024, Tata Sons owned 92.83 per cent of Tata Capital Limited, while other Tata Group entities and IFC held the balance stake.

(With inputs from PTI)
BOTANICAL TREASURES An ongoing exhibition at Sarmaya, In The Dappled Light, looks at the influence of Indias natural bounty on art, literature and spirituality. It includes botanical illustrations, contemporary art that advocates for conservation and indigenous art inspired by nature-worship. The highlights connect the past and presentthese include folios from a 17th-century treatise, Hortus Malabaricus, about the medicinal plants of Kerala, hand-coloured lithographs of Himalayan birds and flowers from the 19th century, and a 120-piece mosaic of botanical observations by Gopa Trivedi. The exhibition has been designed by Pavitra Rajaram Design. At Sarmaya, Lawrence and Mayo House, Mumbai, till 4 May, 10am-5pm (Tuesday to Sunday).

A painting by Lal Bahadur Singh on show at Gallerie Nvya's art show, 'Silent Echoes of a Flight Beyondand Whispers of the Earth Beneath'.

A POIGNANT COMMENTARY Born in Uttar Pradesh, Lal Bahadur Singhs work is connected with cultural and artistic practices of rural life. And now he is showing his recent series of works as part of the exhibition, Silent Echoes of a Flight Beyondand Whispers of the Earth Beneath. Presented by Gallerie Nvya, this solo show is situated on the intersections of nature, urbanisation and resilience. In its entirety, the exhibition is a poignant commentary on the paradox of modern life: the insatiable hunger for progress and abundance, embodied by the giant apple or ears of wheat, contrasts sharply with the environmental decay, social inequality, says the gallery note. At Bikaner House, Delhi, till 9 April, 11am-7pm.

Bukhara: A Journey on the Silk Road features textiles with suzani embroidery, ikats, and rugs from 19th century central Asia.

TEXTILE LEGACIES OF THE SILK ROUTE The four-day show, Bukhara: A Journey on the Silk Road, will include textiles featuring suzani embroidery and ikats, and rugs from 19th century central Asia. All the exhibits belong to the private collection of David and Mandeep Housego, both founders of textile brand Shades of India. At The Folly, Amethyst, Royapettah, Chennai, 8-11 April, 11am-7.30pm. For details, visit Amethystchennai.com.

A still from the musical, Abba: A Tribute Show.

SUPER TROUPERS Directed by Vishaal Asrani and Sarosh Nanavaty, Abba: A Tribute Show, is a 100-minute long musical that pays tribute to the Swedish pop group and will feature their hits like The Winner Takes it All, Super Trouper, Waterloo, Mamma Mia and Dancing Queen. At The Royal Opera House, Mama Parmanand Marg, Mumbai, 6 April, 6.30pm. For details, visit www.royaloperahouse.in.

'Baby' by Dhruvi Acharya from Chemould Prescott Road.

AN ESSENCE OF COMMUNITY Bambai Se Aaya Mera Dost, the forthcoming art exhibition at the newly opened Method Gallery in New Delhi brings the pulse of Mumbais vibrant art scene to the capitalnot as a singular voice, but as a collective force. As the title suggests, the exhibition celebrates the essence of friendship, community, and creative exchange featuring select works from some of Mumbais most exciting galleries including 47-A, Apre Art House, Chemould CoLab, Gallery Maskara, Tarq among others. Participating artists include Aravani Art Project, Sameer Kulavoor, Akshata Mokashi, Meher Afroz Vahid, Amshu Chukki, Dhruvi Acharya and Vikrant Bhise and more. The preview night of the exhibition on 7 April features performances by Swanand Kirkire, Jeet Thayil, Stuart DaCosta, Bongoland, and Shiv Ahuja. At Method Delhi, Underground, D-59, Defence Colony, New Delhi, 8 April  18 May, 12pm-8pm (Tuesday to Sunday).

A still from Hindi play, 'Barff'.
Former US President Barack Obama voiced sharp concerns about President Donald Trumps recent actions, warning that they threaten fundamental American values. Speaking at Hamilton College in New York, Obama rebuked the administration for cracking down on free speech, targeting legal professionals, and isolating America through erratic foreign policy moves.

Im more deeply concerned with a federal government that threatens universities if they dont give up students who are exercising their right to free speech, Obama said, according to a transcript shared on his Medium profile.

Criticism without naming names While Obama did not explicitly name Trump, the references were clear as he criticised policies on tariffs, media access, and legal retaliation. He pointed to the targeting of law firms representing politically unpopular causes and the penalisation of media outlets, such as the barring of the Associated Press for not using the term Gulf of America.

That kind of behavior is contrary to the basic compact we have as Americans, Obama stated.

This has to do with something more precious, which is who are we as a country and what values do we stand for.

"Imagine if I had done that" Obama called out what he sees as a double standard in political discourse, saying Republicans would have been outraged had he taken similar actions during his presidency.

Imagine if I had pulled Fox News credentials from the White House press corps, he said.

Its unimaginable that the same parties that are silent now would have tolerated behavior like that from me or a whole bunch of my predecessors.

Warning: Its about to affect the price of eggs Obama emphasized that these are not abstract issues. They may soon impact everyday Americans.

People tend to think, oh, democracy, rule of law, independent judiciary, freedom of the press  thats all abstract stuff because its not affecting the price of eggs. Well, you know what? Its about to affect the price of eggs.

Foreign policy and Greenland remark The former president also blasted the administrations foreign policy, particularly its disregard for international norms and alliances.

We have seen a U.S. government actively try to destroy that order and discredit it, Obama said.

The thinking, I gather, is that since we are the strongest, were going to be better off if we can just bully people... and if we see a piece of land, be like, whos going to stop us? Greenland looks good.

Harris joins the chorus of criticism Former Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking at the Leading Women Defined Summit in California, echoed Obamas concerns. She warned that fear was spreading across the country as democratic norms are eroded.

We are seeing those who are capitulating to clearly unconstitutional threats, Harris said.
After participating in the BIMSTEC summit in Thailand, PM Narendra Modi met Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, where he was accorded with ceremonial welcome. This marks the first visit by a foreign leader to the island nation after it saw a dramatic political shift last year, with National Peoples Power (NPP) alliance in power.

According to PTI, they are likely to sign a separate pact on cooperation in the digital domain. PM Modi will lay a wreath at the IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force) memorial later in the day. The two documents paving the way for Indias assistance to Sri Lanka on debt restructuring and another one on currency swap are expected to be made public.

PM Narendra Modi received a special ceremonial welcome at Independence Square, Colombo. (Photo: ANI)

PM Narendra Modi walks along the red carpet at Independence Square, Colombo. (Photo: ANI)

PM Narendra Modi welcomed with a commanding officer holding a ceremonial sword, with soldiers dressed in their uniforms. (Photo: ANI)

PM Narendra Modi receives military honour guard, while Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stands beside him. (Photo: ANI)

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi condoles death of actor Manoj Kumar

Sri Lanka ministers welcome PM Modi Irrespective of rains, Modi was warmly received at the airport by six senior ministers, namely Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Labour Minister Anil Jayantha, Science and Technology Minister Chrishantha Abeysena and Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, at a talk at the SRM University in Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, dismissed the idea of the One Nation, One Election and said that it would not be implemented in the upcoming elections, reported the news agency PTI on April 5.

Also Read | Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to visit the UK and US in April

Sitharaman disclosed that nearly 1 lakh crore was spent on the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, and such expenditures can be reduced through simultaneous elections in India.

The Finance Minister also highlighted that if simultaneous elections are held, nearly 1.5 per cent or 4.50 lakh crore will be added to the nation's gross domestic product (GDP).

If simultaneous elections are held for electing the members of Parliament and Assembly, about 1.5 per cent growth will be added to the country's GDP. In value terms, 4.50 lakh crore will get added to the economy. This is a black and white example of One Nation One Election' concept said Nirmala Sitharaman, according to the agency report.

False Campaign At the SRM University talk, Sitharaman also alleged that some political parties were blindly opposing the One Nation One Election initiative by spreading a false campaign on the topic.

The Finance Minister confirmed that simultaneous polls will only take place after the year 2034 and the groundwork is current underway to make that vision a reality.

This concept was widely discussed during several occasions. It was not something introduced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This One Nation One Election' was in existence till 1960s. Instead of blindly opposing it, if it has been supported considering its benefit, the One Nation One Election' concept will make the country move forward, Sitharaman said, reported the news agency.

FM Sitharaman also alleged that Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK's) Patriarch M Karunanidhi earlier supported the One Nation One Election idea.

However, she also mentioned that his son and the current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin, do not share that idea and is not in support of the One Nation One Election.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been in Colombo for his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019, shared that he was the first foreign leader President Anura Kumara Dissanayake hosted during his presidency.

In a tweet, PM Modi shared pictures from his meeting with the Sri Lankan President. He said he held extensive and productive talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo.

A few months ago, President Dissanayake chose India as the place for his first overseas visit after becoming President. Now, I have the honour of being the first foreign leader he is hosting in his Presidency, he added.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi meets Sri Lanka President Anura Dissanayake in Colombo| In pics

This indicates his personal commitment to India-Sri Lanka ties and the unbreakable bond that exists between our nations, the prime minister said.

Sharing details of their meeting, PM Modi said, Substantial ground has been covered since President Dissanayake visited India, particularly in sectors like energy, solar power, technology and more.

In our talks today, we discussed ways to add more momentum to linkages in security, trade, agriculture, housing, culture and other sectors, he added.

Also Read | PM Modi to inaugurate Rameswaram-Tambaram train service on Ram Navami

India, Sri Lanka ink major defence pact India and Sri Lanka on Saturday inked an ambitious defence cooperation pact with PM Modi outlining a broader roadmap for deeper bilateral cooperation, asserting that security of both nations is interlinked and dependent on each other.

The defence pact is among seven key agreements signed by the two sides following wide-ranging talks between PM Modi and President Dissanayake.

The defence pact, being seen as a major move to bolster strategic ties, came nearly four decades after the Indian Peace Keeping Force's intervention in the island nation.

Another important agreement that the two sides inked was on developing Trincomalee as an energy hub.

PM Modi and President Dissanayake also virtually inaugurated the Sampur solar power project.

"The Sampur Solar Power Plant will help in Sri Lanka's energy security. All the people of Sri Lanka will benefit from the agreements signed for building a multi-product pipeline and developing Trincomalee as an energy hub," Modi said.

The grid inter-connectivity agreement between the two countries will open up options for Sri Lanka to export electricity, he said.

Mitra Vibhushana for PM Modi Sri Lanka honoured PM Modi with the highest award to a foreign head of state, Mitra Vibhushana. President Dissanayake said PM Modi highly deserves this honour.

This prestigious honour, which was introduced in 2008, is conferred upon heads of states and government for their friendship.
An Indian national was killed in Canada and racism is believed to be the motive behind the attack. The High Commission of India said in a statement on Saturday, April 5, that the Indian national died in Rockland near Ottawa due to stabbing.

Taking to social media platform X, the High Commission said, We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in Rockland near Ottawa, due to stabbing. Police has stated a suspect has been taken into custody."

While assuring assistance to the victim's family through local community contacts, the Indian Embassy in Canada said, "We are in close contact through a local community association to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved kin.

The high commission didn't name the accused or shared any further details.

Also Read | Canada Hindu temple vandalised; police launch manhunt to nab suspects

Who is the Indian national killed Rockland? The victim of the stabbing incident has yet to be formally identified. However, people offering support to his wife in the town of Rockland, Ontario, said he was 27-year-old Dharmesh Kathireeya, the Hindustan Times reported.

Kathireeya hailed from Bhavnagar district in Gujarat, the reported added.

People told the Hindustan Times that on Friday afternoon, Kathireeya was stabbed by a neighbor while he was exiting a shared laundry room in the building he resided in.

The accused is a white male, believed to be in his 60s, who had earlier allegedly hurled racial and anti-Indian epithets at the victim and his wife.

The alleged attacker was taken into custody by police after the incident, but his name is yet to be released.

Moreover, the high commission didn't confirm if this was the case it was refering to in its tweet.

Not the first incident Gurasis Singh, 22, a first-year business management student at Lambton College, was stabbed in December last year in in Sarnia, police said, according to a PTI report. It happened during an altercation in Canadas Ontario.
A private marketing firm operating in Kerala has been accused of subjecting its underperforming employees to degrading punishments, including being made to crawl on their knees like dogs and lick coins from the floor, reported Udayavani.

The state Labour Department has launched a probe into the allegations, which emerged through local media reports quoting former employees. The incident is believed to be linked to a firm operating in Kaloor, with the alleged abuse taking place at a partner unit in Perumbavoor.

Kerala Labour Minister V Sivankutty reacted strongly, I have ordered a probe into the incident and instructed the district Labour officer to submit a report in connection with the incident after carrying out a probe", he told Udayavani. He also described the claims as shocking and disturbing, adding, It cannot be accepted at any cost in a state like Kerala.

Employees reportedly told a local television channel that those who failed to achieve targets were regularly punished by being forced to crawl on the floor or perform other humiliating acts, under instructions from the firms management.

The police have confirmed that while no formal complaint has yet been received, they are aware of the allegations. No case has been registered so far and an investigation is underway, an officer said. The owner of the Kaloor-based firm has denied involvement, claiming the alleged harassment may have occurred at a different company in Perumbavoor that used to market their products.

Also Read | Harsh Goenka shares 12 simple tips for workplace kindness, check list here

The incident has also drawn the attention of rights bodies. The Kerala State Human Rights Commission registered a case after receiving a complaint from High Court lawyer Kulathoor Jaisingh. Separately, the Kerala State Youth Commission has initiated its own inquiry and has directed the District Police Chief to submit a report.

Youth Commission Chairman M Shajar called for accountability, stating, Legal action should be taken against such practices unacceptable in a civilised and democratic society. As a civilised society, we should collectively respond against such anti-social trends.
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, embroiled in controversy over a parody song seemingly targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, failed to appear before the Mumbai Police for the third time despite being summoned to the Khar police station on April 5.

The case, stemming from a satirical performance that allegedly branded Shinde a "traitor" without explicitly naming him, has already led to vandalism by Shiv Sena activists at the recording venue and multiple FIRs against Kamra under defamation and public mischief laws.

Also Read | BookMyShow erases Kunal Kamra from platform, all history deleted too amid row

Notably, Kunal Kamra has secured interim anticipatory bail until April 7.

The Khar police booked Kamra on a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel for allegedly making defamatory remarks against the deputy chief minister during a show.

Kamra shot a video lampooning Eknath Shinde over the split in the Shiv Sena, and party workers later ransacked the studio and the hotel in which it is located on the night of March 23.

The official said the Mumbai police asked Kamra to appear before it on April 5, issuing summons to him for the third time.

Earlier this week, a team from the Khar police visited his residence in Mahim after he skipped the second summons.

The Madras High Court has granted interim anticipatory bail to Kamra till April 7. He is a permanent resident of Tamil Nadu.

Three FIRs registered against the comedian at Nashik Rural, Jalgaon and Nashik (Nandgaon) have been transferred to Khar police station.

Also Read | Kunal Kamra summoned by Mumbai Police for third time over Eknath Shinde remarks

BookMyShow removes Kamra from its artist list BookMyShow has delisted stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and removed all his content from its platform following a formal request by Rahool N Kanal, Yuva Sena General Secretary of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.

Kanal, in his letter, expressed concerns that continuing to host Kamra's shows could be perceived as endorsing divisive rhetoric, potentially disrupting public sentiment and order in Mumbai.

The move comes amidst ongoing backlash against Kamra over a satirical performance allegedly targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, which has sparked protests and legal scrutiny.
Dhivya Sashidhar, wife of Rippling co-founder Prasanna Sankar, now engaged in a divorce battle and public scrutiny over the allegations, has dropped bombshell from her marriage in a conversation with The San Francisco Standard. From revealing Prasanna Sankar contacting several escorts to threatening consequences if she failed to provide sex to evading taxes  Dhivya Sashidhar has revealed all.

Dhivya Sashidhar's revelations have come days after Prasanna Sankar responded to all allegations of kidnapping, prostitution, and more against him, sharing screengrab of their WhatsApp chat, along with emails and legal documents.

In an interview with a news outlet, Dhivya Sashidhar has made serious allegations against Rippling co-founder Prasanna Sankar. She claims he pressured her into painful sexual acts, forced her to accept an open marriage. She also alleged that Prasanna co-founder installed hidden cameras throughout their homeincluding the bathroomto secretly record her.

Dhivya Sashidhar also accused him of moving her and their young son across multiple countries in an alleged attempt to hide his wealth from tax authorities, The San Francisco Standard narrates her story.

Dhivya Sashidhar has claimed in court transcripts that Prasanna Sankar was very neglectful as a husband and father. He would come back home, and he would sit with his laptop. When he comes, we had a restricted, small amount of time, she said.

Dhivya Sashidhar alleged that while Prasanna claimed to have no time for anything else, he always made time for sex. She stated that even as she was recovering from childbirth complications and in physical pain, he coerced her into intercoursethreatening consequences if she refused and warning that he would seek it elsewhere if his needs werent met at home.

One thing Sankar did have time for was sex, according to his wife. Even as Sashidhar continued to experience pain from complications during childbirth, he repeatedly pushed her for intercourse, threatening consequences if she failed to provide it, she testified.

Prasanna would come and tell me, Look, sex is a primal need for me. You have to do it. It doesnt matter, like, you know, how much pain youre in. He would literally, like, tell me that, you know, If you dont do it, then I want to go outside and get it, Dhivya Sashidhar told the court.

In 2019, when Prasanna Sankar wrote an email to Dhivya Sashidhar, he mentioned contacting several escorts but backed out. Im super sorry for the stress this put on our marriage. I promise to never put our marriage in this position again, he wrote.

And in another email, he asked Dhivya for an open marriage. He has confirmed this, as per the news article.

In 2020, Prasanna Sankar proposed relocating to Washington state, according to Sashidhars testimony. She stated that his motivation was financialhe anticipated a large number of Rippling shares would soon vest and wanted to avoid paying California's high income taxes.

After about two years, Prasanna Sankar wanted to move to Singapore.

Toward the end of their two-year stay in Washington, Sankar pitched another move  this time, to Singapore. When questioned in court about the reason behind the move, Sashidhar testified that Sankar intended to shift some of his assets outside the U.S. and reclaim his Rippling shares, which were temporarily held in his brothers name. He was afraid his brother's wife would ask for shares.

He believed that doing that while he was living in the US would be, you know, attracting the attention of tax authorities. He wanted to avoid that, she said in court.
Barack Obama said he "was in a deep deficit with my wife" Michelle Obama, during his tenure as the US President. His statement came amid reports suggesting that his eight-year term in the White House took a toll on his marriage to Michelle Obama.

Obama said this while speaking with Hamilton College President Steven Tepper on April 3.

Obama was asked, But what is life like now out of the White House? What do you do? What do you enjoy doing? How do you spend your days?

The former US President responded, "Well, right now, at the moment, Im splitting time between the work for the foundation. Michelle and I set up the Obama Foundation to train the next generation of leaders here in the United States and around the world, and that keeps me busy."

He said, "I am also finishing the second half of my presidential memoirs, which in case any of you feel sorry for yourself, this is like 50 term papers. I mean, it just goes on forever."

"But people ask me, 'Do you enjoy writing?' I say, 'Absolutely not,' but I do enjoy having written when its finished. Im hoping to get to the finish line on that," Obama said.

"Beyond that look, I was in a deep deficit with my wife, so I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things," the former US President said.

Obama spoke with Tepper for over an hour, running over time by nearly 20 minutes, to discuss globalisation, the importance of the Paris Agreement, artificial intelligence and the American peoples trust in government despite political affiliation, the Hill reported.

Before Obama bid Hamilton College adieu, he advised those who wish to make a difference in the world not to get discouraged because nothing can be fixed all at once.

The struggle According to Page Six, Barack Obama previously suggested that his back-to-back terms in office from 2009 to 2017 took a toll on his relationship with the former first lady.

Let me just say this: It sure helps to be out of the White House and to have a little more time with her, Barack said in an exclusive May 2023 interview with CBS news, praising Michelle for being forgiving of his shortcomings.

The former first lady had earlier spoken about her marriage struggles, saying she "couldn't stand" her husband for about a decade when their two children were little.
For the first time, the US Department of Justice publicly abandoned a foreign bribery case since President Donald Trump halted enforcement of a key anti-bribery law.

The long-running foreign bribery case involved two former Cognizant Technology Solutions executives, Gordon Coburn and Steven Schwartz. The prosecution dated from Trump's first term.

According to Reuters, US District Judge Michael Farbiarz in Newark, New Jersey, dismissed the case against the two on Thursday (April 4). The ruling also barred prosecutors from reopening the matter, a report by the New York Post said.

Trump's executive order The dismissal came two days after Alina Habba, the acting US Attorney in New Jersey, said the case should be dropped. She argued that US President Donald Trump's executive order in March invalidated the basis for continuing the trial under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

Habba, who also represented Trump in private practice, said her request followed consultation with Attorney General Pam Bondi's office, and reflected a "recent assessment" of Trump's executive order pausing enforcement of the FCPA.

After consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, the Government hereby moves to dismiss this matter, Habba said in a court filing Wednesday, as per the New York Post.

Last month, Farbiarz rejected a request by Habba's predecessor John Giordano to delay the case by 180 days, and scheduled an April 7 trial, Reuters reported. The judge cited the defendants' right to a speedy trial in the six-year-old case.

What's the case? Cognizant is a Teaneck, New Jersey-based information technology and outsourcing company.

US authorities charged Coburn and Schwartz in February 2019 with authorising a $2 million bribe to an Indian official for help obtaining a construction permit for a new Cognizant office campus in Chennai.

Coburn and Schwartz pleaded not guilty. Cognizant agreed to pay $25.2 million to settle a related Securities and Exchange Commission civil case, which included an accusation the company authorized two additional bribes totaling $1.64 million.

James Loonam, a lawyer for Coburn, said in a statement: "We are grateful that we were able to convince DOJ of what we have long known: that this case never should have been brought."

Lawrence Lustberg, a lawyer for Schwartz, in a statement referring to his client said: "As we have maintained all along, he is innocent, and these charges should never have been brought."

Enacted in 1977, the FCPA prohibits companies that operate in the United States from bribing foreign officials.

Trump has called the FCPA a "horrible law," and when signing his executive order said ending enforcement would "mean a lot more business for America."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit the White House on Monday (April 7). A senior US official confirmed the arrangement on Saturday, as the two countries battle extremely thorny issues, including President Donald Trump's shock imposition of 17 percent tariffs on Israeli imports.

Netanyahu would become the first foreign leader to meet President Donald Trump in person following the imposition of sweeping new US tariffs. The visit is likely to focus on negotiations to remove those tariffs, as well as discussions on the Iran nuclear threat and the ongoing war in Gaza, the report stated.

"Maybe even next week": Trump hints at meeting Trump first mentioned the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Washington during remarks to reporters on Air Force One on Thursday, saying the Israeli leader could arrive maybe even next week.

The comment came just hours after a phone call between Trump, Netanyahu, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The call was reportedly initiated after Hungary announced it would withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), but Netanyahu used the opportunity to raise concerns about the newly announced US tariffs.

According to Axios, Trump responded by inviting Netanyahu to the White House, although he did not commit to a specific date during the call.

Schedule moved up after Friday talks Originally, US and Israeli officials had expected the visit to occur later in April, possibly during Passover week starting April 14, as per the report. However, following talks between the White House and Netanyahus office on Friday, both sides began exploring an earlier visit, news outlet reported.

Iran nuclear crisis high on the agenda Alongside trade issues, the two leaders are expected to hold critical discussions on Iran. A senior Israeli official told the news outlet that Netanyahu believes there is little chance of diplomacy succeeding on the Iranian nuclear issue and wants to reach an understanding with Trump about potential military action if talks collapse.
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) has accused Dr. Kevin OConnor, President Joe Bidens longtime personal doctor, of covering up the presidents cognitive decline during his time in office.

Jackson, who now chairs the House Intelligence Committees subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, speaking to The New York Post said, OConnor will be a key figure in a looming congressional investigation.

Dr. Kevin OConnor will absolutely, positively be implicated in the cover-up of this. He is a massive, massive part, Jackson said.

Claims of withheld medical information Jackson, who served under three presidents as a White House physician, claimed that OConnor withheld critical health details from the public and possibly prescribed undisclosed medications to manage Bidens alleged mental decline.

I guarantee you Kevin OConnor has medical information that the American people dont have, Jackson asserted.

He was probably putting President Biden on lots of medications that we have no clue of  in efforts to try to treat his cognitive decline.

Part of the Biden family Jackson went further, suggesting that OConnor was too close to the Biden family to be objective in his role as physician.

Ive known him for a long time; hes part of the Biden family, Jackson said.

He would do or say anything to cover up and protect that family, regardless of what it meant professionally for him.

He also implicated First Lady Jill Biden, suggesting she played a role in concealing the presidents condition.

This could not have been covered up without him  and Jill Biden  in particular, Jackson stated.

Shadow Presidency allegations Jackson floated the idea that the US may have effectively had a shadow presidency for a portion of Bidens term, although he admitted no formal committee hearings have yet been announced.

We will look into whether or not we actually had a shadow presidency for a large part of [Bidens] term, he said.

House probe to target experts and doctors The Texas Republican said that in addition to OConnor, the House GOP intends to call in other medical experts who may have evaluated Biden for neurodegenerative diseases.

We want to haul in doctors and other experts who may have tested and evaluated [Biden] for Alzheimers and Parkinsons and whatever else, Jackson said.

Not fit to be president Jackson, who has long questioned Bidens fitness for office, claimed that many knew of the presidents condition years ago but are only now admitting it in hindsight.

I was saying that this man was not fit to be president when he was candidate Joe Biden in 2020  and I said that over and over and over and God knows how many times I was on TV, Jackson said, talking about [how] this man is not in control.
The US' Internal Revenue Service is the latest in the line to make sweeping cuts to its workforce. According to Reuters, the agency's leadership said in an email to staff on Friday that among the first to go will be employees of its civil rights office.

It was earlier reported that more than 20,000 staff would be cut. A source familiar with Friday's announcement confirmed that 20-25 percent of the tax-collecting agency's workforce would be targeted.

"The IRS has begun implementing a Reduction in Force (RIF) that will result in staffing cuts across multiple offices and job categories," Reuters reported while citing an internal human resources email sent to all staff on Friday.

The email said 75 percent of the agency's civil rights office, previously called the office of diversity, equity and inclusion, will be cut and its remaining employees will move under a separate office.

Also Read | Yes Bank lays off senior employees, restructures portfolios

According to another report, the civil rights office will be effectively shuttered by the move, with the remaining staffers moved into the Office of Chief Counsel, the email stated.

It also noted that employees will be offered early retirement incentives starting next week.

The email said the mass layoffs would take place in phases. They come amid the busiest time of the year for the IRS, with the filing deadline for most individual tax returns falling on April 15.

Also Read | Trump administration announces 10,000 job cuts in major HHS overhaul

The Washington Post had first reported the start of the layoffs and the elimination of the civil rights office. The cuts are part of a major overhaul of the federal workforce that has already cost more than 200,000 workers their jobs.

US President Donald Trump has tasked billionaire Elon Musk with leading the reshaping and downsizing of the government.
US President Donald Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on nearly all US trade partners on Wednesday, including a 26% tariff on India. Meanwhile, the government offered another lifeline to debt-ridden Vodafone Idea by converting some of the company's dues into equity.

Reciprocal math: Advantage India?

Unveiling his Liberation Day reciprocal tariffs, US President Donald Trump announced a baseline tariff of 10% on all US imports, with specific reciprocal tariffs on nearly all of its trade partners, effective 9 April.

India has been slapped with a 26% reciprocal tariff, lower than many Asian peers such as Vietnam (46%) and China (34%). Higher reciprocal tariffs on Indias emerging market peers could give the country a competitive advantage. In a major breather for India, pharmaceutical products, which account for nearly 12% of its exports to the US, are exempt.

Also read: Many countries will retaliate against Trumps tariffs. India must not.

US tariffs threaten Indian EV battery makers

Indias electric vehicle battery makers may suffer due to the 25% US tariffs on all EV battery imports announced last week. Foreign companies could dump cheap batteries in the country, just as local companies such as Amara Raja, and Reliance Industries will invest in building battery plants, Mint reported.

Experts warned that while Indias EV market could absorb the excess supply, it nonetheless posed a threat to local firms. Most EVs use lithium-ion batteries. In FY24, India imported lithium-ion cells worth about $3 billion, up 135% since FY20.

Vi gets a second government lifeline

48.99%: That will be the governments stake in debt-ridden Vodafone Idea after it agreed to convert 36,950 crore of the company's dues into equity, Mint reported. The amount covers deferred spectrum payments, the telco said in an exchange filing.

Also read: After a new lifeline, Vodafone Idea searches for a new CEO

As part of the deal, Vodafone Idea will issue 3,695 crore equity shares at 10 each within 30 days of getting the necessary regulatory approvals. This is the second major government bailout for the telecom operator. In February 2023 it converted 16,133 crore of interest dues into equity.

Last-minute project push

New projects worth 18.7 trillion were announced in the March quarter, making up half of FY25's total, according to provisional data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, Mint reported.

A 117% year-on-year rise in government projects in January-March drove the surge even as private investments remained subdued. Private projects increased by only 3.3% year-on-year. Investment typically picks up in the final quarter of the fiscal year in order to meet yearly targets. Overall, project announcements in FY25 saw only a 2% overall increase.

Manufacturing cheer

India's manufacturing sector activity expanded at its fastest pace in eight months in March, data showed. The manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 58.1 in March from 56.3 in February, which was a 14-month low. A print above 50 means expansion, and one below 50 denotes contraction.

The rise was driven by quicker increases in factory orders and production amid strong demand conditions, the survey said. Despite a slowdown in international orders, firms tapped their inventories, which saw the sharpest decline in three years.

Theobroma's sweet deal

2,200-2,300 crore: That how much homegrown PE firm ChrysCapital will invest to acquire a controlling stake in bakery chain Theobroma Foods, Mint reported. Theobroma's founder Kainaz Messman and his family are expected to retain around 10% in the company.

The deal will cause ICICI Venture to fully exit from the company, in which it held a 42% stake. ICICI Venture had invested around $20 million in Theobroma in 2017 to fund its expansion in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Pune.

QIPs hint at IPO revival

March saw a halt in IPOs owing to market volatility, with no mainboard listings. However, a subsequent Nifty recovery and increased qualified institutional placement (QIP) launches, particularly by public sector banks, indicate growing confidence, Mint reported.

Also read: Manipal shortlists banks for $1 billion IPO, to file by June

March saw seven QIPs, with banks such as Indian Overseas Bank and Bank of Maharashtra raising funds to meet shareholding norms. Analysts suggested IPOs could see a revival if this bullish trend continued since QIPs and IPOs move in tandem, with both surging during bullish phases.

Indian prisoners abroad

More than 10,000 Indians are currently imprisoned in 86 foreign countries, the external affairs ministry told a parliamentary panel. This number includes undertrials as well. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have the highest number of Indian prisoners, with more than 2,000 each, the data showed.

Follow our data stories on the In Charts and Plain Facts pages.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has strongly criticised the US for what he called a weak response to a Russian missile strike that killed 14 people, including eight children, in his hometown of Kryvyi Rih.

Unfortunately, the response from the U.S. Embassy is surprisingly disappointing  such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction, Zelensky said in a post on X.

They are afraid to even say the word Russian when speaking about the missile that murdered children.

We must pressure Russia Zelensky emphasized that lasting peace will not come through silence or diplomacy alone.

Yes, the war must end. But to end it, we must not be afraid to call things by their names, he said. We must pressure Russia  the one choosing to kill children instead of choosing a ceasefire.

There must be additional sanctions against those who cannot exist without ballistic strikes on their neighboring nation.

Eight children among the dead in Kryvyi Rih The missile attack on Kryvyi Rih killed 14 people in total, including eight children. Zelensky mourned the young victims by name in his statement.

Tragically, three-year-old Tymofii died in the hospital today. Seven-year-old Radyslav. Arina, who will forever be seven as well. Nine-year-old Herman. Fifteen-year-old Danylo. Fifteen-year-old Mykyta. Fifteen-year-old Alina. Kostiantyn, who will forever be sixteen. Nikita  seventeen, he wrote.

These are the children killed by a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kryvyi Rih.

Strike hit residential street, playground Zelensky described the missile impact zone as a normal civilian area, far from any military targets.

The missile struck right at the ordinary street with residential buildings, a playground, shops, and a restaurant around, he said.

In total, 62 people were injured, including 12 children. Doctors are doing everything possible to save lives, he added.

Drone attacks during rescue efforts In a further act of aggression, Zelensky said Russia launched drones on Kryvyi Rih during ongoing rescue efforts.

Russians launched attack drones against Kryvyi Rih yesterday during the rescue operation  in time of such grief for people. The drone attack injured seven people. One person was killed, he said.

There is simply no deeper level of cynicism, vileness, or hatred toward people than what Russia embodies today.

Calls for stronger global response Zelensky urged the international community to respond decisively to each Russian attack.

It is critically important not to leave this Russian strike on civilians, on the city  every such strike  without a response from the world.

He expressed gratitude to European leaders and diplomats for their support. I thank the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for her position and support, he said, also naming the Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Austria, and embassies from Japan, the UK, Switzerland, and Germany.

Appeal for Air Defense systems The Ukrainian leader reiterated his countrys need for enhanced air defense capabilities, particularly from the United States.

We have discussed this, in particular with the American side, the additional air defense systems supply to defend against precisely these types of missile attacks, he said.

We count on our agreements with the President of the United States, who promised to help find more Patriots.

Closing message: Eternal memory Zelensky concluded with a tribute to the victims and a renewed plea for unity against aggression.

Eternal memory to all our people whose lives were taken by Russian strikes, he said.
Justice Yashwant Varma, who was embroiled in a controversy following the cash recovery at his residence during a fire, has taken oath as the Allahabad High Court judge amid the row. Despite this, Yashwant Varma would not be able to undertake any judicial work.

On March 28, the Central government notified the transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma to the Allahabad High Court, directing him to assume his position and take charge at his parent high court.

As he joins the Allahabad High Court, the Chief Justice has been directed not to assign any judicial work to Justice Yashwant Varma. Earlier, the Supreme Court had recommended his transfer to Allahabad High Court.

However, Yashwant Varma's transfer was not linked to the discovery of the wads of cash found at his residence. The Supreme Court asserted that the recommendation was separate from the in-house investigation which was initiated against him over the cash recovery.

Cash recovery case and Justice Varma's reaction The alleged cash discovery happened on the night of Holi, March 14, when a fire broke out in the storeroom of Yashwant Varma's Lutyens' Delhi residence around 11.35 pm. Several pictures of the burnt cash surfaced on social media.

In his response to Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice DK Upadhyay, Justice Varma unequivocally denied the allegations against him. He said neither he nor his family members ever placed cash in the storeroom and that the suggestion that this cash was kept or stored by us is totally preposterous.

I state unequivocally that no cash was ever placed in that storeroom either by me or any of my family members and strongly denounce the suggestion that the alleged cash belonged to us. The very idea or suggestion that this cash was kept or stored by us is totally preposterous, Justice Varma said.
Climate Change & You is a fortnightly newsletter by Bibek Bhattacharya and Sayantan Bera. Subscribe to Mint's newsletters to get them directly in your email inbox.

Dear Reader,

Even a few years ago, it would have seemed ridiculous to suggest that Delhi might hit a daytime high of 40 degrees Celsius in late March. The climate crisis, though, has a way of turning even the most unthinkable weather phenomena into the new normal. And so it came to pass that on 26 March, Delhi touched a scorching 40.5 degrees Celsius. It was a seasonal high, beating the heat record from just the previous daythat of 37.1 degrees Celsius.

The daytime temperature on the 26th was 6.3 degrees Celsius above normal for this time of the year, and over the years, the hottest March day has been getting hotter: 37.8 degrees Celsius in 2024 and 34.3 degrees Celsius in 2023. But this isn't an isolated anomaly. Heat has been striking ridiculously early all across India, and it is now clear that our seasons are shifting, sometimes by a whole month. This shift in seasons (or the complete erasure of specific seasons) is striking enough that even ordinary people can feel and comment on it.

However, this is also evident in hard data. Hindustan Times analysed the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) temperature-gridded data and found that the key heat threshold temperature of 40 degrees Celsius arrives earlier across the country and lasts longer. The analysis found that 56.7% of the regions that crosses 40 degrees Celsius each year hit the mark a week in advance.

The IMD has warned of an intensely hot summer this year, especially in Northwest India. While Northwest India usually experiences about five to six heatwave days every summer, this year, this could rise to 10-12 days, double the normal. The question is, will 2025 be as hot as last year? 2024 was India's hottest year on record, with 554 heatwave days. The IMD has forecast above-normal day and nighttime temperatures across the country between March-May,

STATE OF THE CLIMATE

Since November 2024, it has been evident that last year was the hottest the world had seen in 175 years when records began. This fact was confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) State of the Global Climate Report 2024, which was published on 19 March.

The world's hottest decade has been in the last ten years, and 2024 shattered all heat records, as the global average temperature was 1.55 degrees Celsius hotter than the pre-industrial baseline. This is especially alarming when the international effort against climate change is to limit warming to a 1.5-degree Celsius rise by 2100. At this rate, our planet will likely cross 1.5 degrees of warming permanently by the end of this decade.

View Full Image 2024 was the hottest year on record and the hottest 10 years have all been recorded in the last decade. (Courtesy WMO)

Of course, this is being caused by planet-heating carbon emissions due to human industrial activity and intense energy use. In 2024, CO2 emissions hit 420ppm (parts per million), a whopping 151% above pre-industrial levels. The report also notes that emissions are rising at a time when they should be falling dramatically. Methane and nitrous oxide levels, too, hit record levels last year.

View Full Image The deadly monsoon landslides in Kerala's Wayanad was one of the extreme weather disasters of 2024. (PTI)

No wonder, then, that people around the world experienced extreme weather events. According to WMO's data, there were 152 unprecedented weather events in 2024, the most significant being heatwaves, followed by extreme rains and floods. In the count, the WMO included India's intense heatwaves from May and June last year. Between 30 March and 2 June, over 200 people died due to intense heatwaves across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. The report also mentions other unusual weather events in India, like excessive lightning strikes in north India during the monsoon and the disastrous Wayanad landslide in Kerala in July.

THE NEWS IN BRIEF

-In this primer for Mint, my newsletter co-author Sayantan Bera explains the forecasts of extreme heat in India in 2025 and how that would affect our economy.

-How does one read the omens of India's climate breakdown? In my latest column, I track how India's seasons are shifting and, in some cases, disappearing altogether.

-The IMD is seeking to improve its weather prediction models by installing more radars and automated stations. This article explores how India's Met department hopes to provide panchayat-level forecasts by 2026.

CLIMATE CHANGE TRACKER

View Full Image At current rates of melting, Himalayan glaciers may be gone by 2100. (Istockphoto)

Himalayan glaciers melt away

The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, comprising ranges such as the Himalaya, the Hindu Kush, the Karakoram, the Pamirs, Kun Lun Shan, and others, is often called the Third Pole. This is because it is home to 87,340sqkm of glaciers, the largest concentration of ice and snow outside the two poles.

However, snow and ice in the region are collapsing at an alarming rate due to climate change. The unprecedented rate of glacial loss in major ranges such as the Himalayas was confirmed by both the WMO report and a separate Unesco report on the world's glaciers, released on 20 March.

Also Read Climate Change and AI's rising carbon footprint

The main finding that pertains to the HKH is that the glaciers in the region melted 65% faster in 2011-2020 than in the decade before that. If we limit heating to 1.5-2 degrees Celsius by 2100, the HKH will lose up to 50% of its glaciers. If warming exceeds this limit, 65% or more of the glaciers may be gone by the end of the century. The study also finds that glaciers in the eastern Himalaya are melting faster than the global average.

View Full Image All major mountain glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya are losing glacier volume. (Courtesy Unesco)

This degree of glacier loss is catastrophic. The HKH is the source of over ten major river systems (including the Ganga, Brahmaputra and the Indus) that support nearly 2 billion people who live downstream. As the world heats up, and Himalayan glaciers melt away, perennial rivers like the Ganga, Indus and the Brahmaputra will soon flood and then run dry.

KNOW YOUR JARGON

View Full Image Global wildlife populations have declined by nearly 73% since the 1970s. (Istockphoto)

Biodiversity Loss

Human environmental pressures on the planet, such as pollution, habitat changes, and climate change, are causing unprecedented biodiversity loss. Basically, human activity is killing off our partner species on the planet. A recent synthesis of over 2,000 studies found that human pressures have decreased local biodiversity across the planet. This die-off is especially being recorded among reptiles, mammals, and amphibians.

Last year, the annual Living Planet Report, prepared by the World Wildlife Fund, found that global wildlife populations have declined by 73% between 1970 and 2020, with an annual decline of 2.6%. The index monitors nearly 5,500 species around the world. According to the report, while marine and terrestrial animals have declined by 56% and 69%, respectively, freshwater species have declined by 85%.

The most significant declines have been in Latin America and the Caribbean (95%) and Africa (76%), while Asia Pacific, North America and Europe and Central Asia registered 60%, 39% and 35% respectively. This global loss of biodiversity has been referred to as the sixth extinction. There have been five known extinction-level events over the last 445 million years, four due to natural processes and the last and most recent due to an asteroid impact.

In February, the COP16 global summit on biodiversity established the "Cali Fund", under which governments worldwide have pledged to mobilize $200 billion annually by 2030 to finance global biodiversity conservation goals.

PRIME NUMBER

View Full Image 36 fossil fuel companies were responsible for half of global carbon emissions in 2023. (Istockphoto)

36

This is the number of fossil fuel companies responsible for half the world's planet-heating carbon emissions. According to the Carbon Majors database, in 2023, 169 companies emitted 33.9 gigatons of CO2 equivalent (GtCO2e) into the atmosphere. These emissions accounted for 78.4% of all global fossil fuel and cement emissions for the year. Just 36 state-owned and private firms were responsible for 50% of these emissions.

Of these 36 firms, Coal India, with 3.68% of these emissions, was the second highest contributor after the Saudi Arabia-owned oil company Aramco. Other firms on the list include private entities such as Shell, ExxonMobil, BP, and Chevron, as well as state-owned ones like China's CHN Energy and Iran's National Iranian Oil Company.

View Full Image The top 12 most polluting fossil fuel firms for 2023. (Courtesy Carbon Majors)

The Carbon Majors database is maintained by InfluenceMap, a global nonprofit think tank, and contains historical emissions data from 1854 to 2023. It has gained international importance in recent years, with its data being cited as evidence in important lawsuits in the US that seek compensation from fossil fuel companies for damage caused by climate change. Coal India is responsible for 1.53% of historical emissions and is at number 10.

BOOK OF THE MONTH

View Full Image The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert.

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert

When journalist Elizabeth Kolbert's landmark book was published in 2014, it revolutionized how we view the influence of human beings on the planet. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book joined the dots to show how human impact kills off other species at a rate comparable to the five previous mass extinction events in the Earth's history.

Kolbert's incisive reportage and vivid, conversational writing style make the book especially powerful. It was also one of the first books to show how climate change affects biodiversity loss worldwide. Her follow-up book, 2022's Under A White Sky, is another classic, butThe Sixth Extinction remains a work of genius.

So that's it for this edition of Climate Change and You, dear Reader. See you again in a fortnight when Sayantan writes the newsletter.

Also Read Climate change in 2025: An era of record heat and rising disasters
Born into privilege as a princess in the 1900s in India, Amrit Kaur could have led a life of comfort and quiet influence. Instead, she used her station to steer some of independent Indias most vital reforms.

With a Cambridge-educated father and schooling in Englands Sherborne School for Girls and Oxford University, Kaur developed a reformist zeal and a global outlookalong with a deep compassion for the less privileged.

In 1950, Time magazine named her one of the worlds 100 most powerful women, noting: In leaving her life of luxury, Kaur not only helped build lasting democratic institutions, she also inspired generations to fight for the marginalized." It was a rare international acknowledgment of an Indian woman at the time.

Read this | The merchant who built Bombay: How David Sassoon shaped a global city

Born on 2 February 1889, in Lucknow, Kaur was the youngest of ten children of Raja Harnam Singh, a progressive member of Punjabs Kapurthala royal family. Her mothers early death and her fathers close ties with nationalist leader Gopal Krishna Gokhale shaped her formative years.

In what now seems like an early reversal of the modern brain drain, she returned to India in her 20s from Englanddrawn to a nation in political ferment. A chance meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in Kapurthala in 1919 changed everything. Inspired by his vision, she became one of his closest associates, and served as his secretary for over a decade.

By the 1930s, Kaur had thrown herself into Indias freedom struggle and the fight for womens rights. She joined the All India Womens Conference in 1930, serving as its president from 1938 to 1944. She championed education, health, and legal reforms for women, including voting rights and the right to divorce. Kaur participated in landmark movements like the Dandi Salt March (1930) and Quit India (1942), enduring arrest and prison time.

Her efforts extended far beyond politics. She tackled Indias public health crises head-on, founding the Tuberculosis Association of India in 1939. Her empathy was radical for its time. Touring leprosy colonies in the 1940s, she would embrace patientsthen considered untouchableand even share tea from the same cup. When a horrified official tried to stop her, she reportedly said, If I cant touch them, how can I heal them?"

All of this shaped her for a pivotal role after independence, when she became Indias first health ministerone of only two women in Jawaharlal Nehrus inaugural cabinet. In 1951, India had just 50,000 doctors for a population of 350 million and a health budget gutted by colonial neglect. But Kaur took to the task like an evangelist.

Zeroing in on the crucial healthcare needs of the country, Kaur launched the Central Leprosy Training and Research Institute, the Indian Council for Child Welfare and expanded vaccination programmes, slashing smallpox and malaria rates. Her BCG (Bacillus CalmetteGuerin) vaccination drive against tuberculosis reached millions by the mid-1950s.

But her grandest vision was the creation of an Indian equivalent of Johns Hopkins. Securing funding from New Zealand, Australia, and the US, she established the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in 1952. By 1960, AIIMS was training 120 doctors and treating 50,000 patients a year. That it remains Indias premier medical institution today is testament to her foresight.

Also read | The rise and reign of Indias beauty baroness Shahnaz Husain

Under her leadership, the number of primary health centres tripled from 725 in 1951 to over 2,000 by 1957, with a strong emphasis on rural access. She combined hands-on fieldwork with savvy global networking, regularly touring remote clinics while using her international ties to bolster Indias medical resources.

Eloquent, principled, and fearless, Kaur was not afraid to challenge the most powerfulNehru included. She lived with monastic simplicity, donating her Kapurthala estate to the public and driving a battered Fiat instead of using government transport. In one memorable episode from 1952, when her car got stuck in a flood-ravaged village, she hiked up her sari and waded knee-deep through water to reach a health centre.

She stepped down from the cabinet in 1957 due to ill health but remained active, co-founding the Indian Cancer Society and serving as a Rajya Sabha MP until her death on 6 February 1964, at the age of 75.

Read more from Sundeep Khanna here.

Her legacyAIIMS, a national rural health network, and pioneering work in womens advocacycontinues to shape India today. More than any single policy, Amrit Kaurs enduring contribution was her determination to transform a colonial-era health system into one built for an independent, equitable India.
Conservatives have long railed against the federal government, complaining that it is too deeply involved in telling Americans what they can and cant do. Unelected bureaucrats, they say, are too intrusive in regulating the economy and coercing private institutions to achieve liberal goals. From Barry Goldwater to Ronald Reagan until today, conservatives have wanted to eliminate this Nanny State mindset.

Now President Donald Trump has arrived for a second term, and he is indeed attacking the Nanny State. But rather than eliminate it, he is turning the idea in a populist, even authoritarian direction. He is replacing the meddlesome Nanny State with an aggressive, paternalistic Daddy State, based on the deference and devotion of his underlings.

Trump is cutting down the size of the bureaucracy with a vengeance. But he isnt dispersing power; he is consolidating it in the Oval Office and using the considerable weapons at his disposaltariffs, government grants and contracts, the power of law-enforcement agenciesto pursue the goals he believes he was elected to achieve.

Far from withdrawing federal power from American society, Trump is asserting it in a raw, unpredictable and often unprecedented way. The difference is that the president personally, rather than government agencies, or Congress, or the courts, is its driving force.

Trump supporter Tucker Carlson previewed this philosophy at a pre-election rally last October, when he likened the excesses of American society to the actions of unruly children and then declared: There has to be a point at which Dad comes home."

In this emerging model, a more muscular presidentin effect, the head of the government householdassumes powers once exercised by lawmakers and by independent agencies. He reaches deeper into law enforcement and the decisions of the Justice Department. Perhaps most controversially, he challenges the rights of courts to overturn his actions and even punishes law firms representing those who question him.

The underlying assumption of the Daddy State is that Americans want a president who is large and in chargeand that they asked for one when they re-elected Donald Trump.

Trump allies argue that Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden also used executive powers aggressively to impose a liberal agenda on schools, businesses and local governments. Overall, conservative legal scholar Jack Goldsmith said in a recent podcast, the U.S. is in a period of significant expansion" of executive power spanning presidents of both parties.

But what Trump is doing represents a dramatic acceleration of the trend. This is unlike anything that has ever occurred in all of American history," says J. Michael Luttig, a former federal judge who worked to expand presidential power while serving in the Justice Department under President George H.W. Bush. Because Trump has coupled his offensive with attacks on judges who question his authority, Luttig argues, were in a constitutional crisis already."

What is striking about Trumps onslaught and the support it is receiving within the Republican party is how much it represents a change in conservative thinking. Matthew Continetti, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of a history of the conservative movement, says that conservatives once preferred legislative power to executive power and saw Congress as a brake on activist presidents, particularly Franklin Roosevelt.

That started to change during the Watergate scandal and toward the end of the Vietnam War, he says, when conservatives began to think Congress was shackling weakened presidents. They complained about the emergence of what they called a fourth branch" of government: independent agencies created by Congress and housed in the executive branch but whose powers and leaders were beyond the presidents reach. That, in turn, led conservatives to espouse what they call the unitary executive theory," which holds that the president should, in fact, exercise full control over all those agencies and their personnel.

Trump has followed that lead. He has fired the head of the National Labor Relations Board, for example, and attempted through executive order to cripple other congressionally authorized agencies. But Trumps push goes a lot further. He is taking action across a much broader range of issues, advancing an agenda of the right to replace what he sees as an agenda of the left.

He is using the coercive power of federal grants and contracts to force universities and businesses to drop DEI programs and even to get rid of controversial professors and student activists. Though he has ordered the disbanding of the Education Department and declared he wants to return control of education to the states, he has also tried to tell them how to treat transgender students.

Last week he signed an executive order requiring voters to show proof of citizenship to register, moving into an area usually controlled by Congress and the states. At the same time, officers of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement service have been picking up immigrants in localities across the country at an accelerated pace, often with little due process.

While reducing the size of the Internal Revenue Service, Trump may also increase its power in some respects. He has signed an executive order that legal experts say could open the way for the IRS to revoke the tax-exempt status of charitable organizations if they continue DEI programs, much as it once did for schools deemed racially discriminatory. He is also inserting himself into the marketplace by taking an exceptionally expansive view of his authority to impose tariffs without consulting Congress.

And sometimes he is following a more personal agenda. In recent days, Trump has threatened to remove security clearances and contracts from law firms employing lawyers he believes have improperly pursued him. In perhaps the ultimate assertion of personal power, he has talked repeatedly in recent days of possibly running for a third term, even though that is expressly prohibited by the Constitution.

How this approach is going to work out politically is an open question. The presidents job approval ratings are the highest hes seen in his two terms, and voters are more likely to say the country is moving in the right direction than they were at the end of Bidens term.

But there are warning signs. Republicans saw disappointing results in elections this week, with a loss in a race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court and narrower than expected margins in two special elections in GOP strongholds in Florida. The presidents approval rating, while high for him, is lower than for any other modern president at this stage of his term.

There are also signs of public skepticism about the Daddy State approach. In a poll taken in the early days of Trumps term, the Pew Research Center found that 65% of Americans said it would be too risky" to give him more power to deal directly with the nations problems. Only a third said that the countrys problems could be dealt with more effectively if Trump didnt have to worry so much about Congress or the courts.

There is also the political reality that any power Trump establishes for himself will likely be used down the road by a Democratic successor. Perhaps as a result, a kind of backhanded bipartisanship may be emerging. Leaders in both parties have expressed concern about the powers exercised by presidents of the other sidea consensus that might just open the door to rethinking how much untrammeled authority any president should have.

Yes, we absolutely would prefer a model of more restrained executive power," says Oren Cass, founder of American Compass, a conservative economic think tank generally supportive of Trump. But the path to that is not going to be one in which Democrats do whatever they want when they are in power and Republicans turn the other cheek and behave responsibly when they are in power." He adds: It seems to me there is room at this point for some bipartisan rethinking of a dynamic that is approaching mutually assured destruction and would benefit from an arms-control treaty."

Gerald F. Seib is a former executive Washington editor and Capital Journal columnist of The Wall Street Journal and the author of We Should Have Seen It Coming: From Reagan to Trump, a Front-Row Seat to a Political Revolution."
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has confirmed that the makers of ChatGPT are delaying the launch of its latest base model, GPT-5, after facing 'biblical' demand for its recently launched native image generation feature. Notably, ChatGPT's underlying model GPT-4o received a massive update last week that allowed it to directly generate images instead of relying on an external model such as DALL-E 3. The new features allowed ChatGPT to better understand the user's context while generating more nuanced and accurate images, resulting in a global Studio Ghibli-style image trend by social media users.

The viral trend led to a shortage of GPUs within the company, leading to image generation limits being imposed even on ChatGPT Plus and Pro members. However, OpenAI seems to have learnt the lessons of the recent supply shortages, saying that it wants to make sure we have enough capacity to support what we expect to be unprecedented demand.

Altman explained that the GPT-5 release has been delayed for "a bunch of reasons," but the most exciting one being that the Microsoft-backed company now believes it can make the language model much better than it originally imagined.

What do we know about GPT-5? Not a lot is known about GPT-5 other than the details that Altman shared via a social media post earlier this year where he outlined that GPT-4.5 - which was released last month - will be the last non-reasoning model for the company.

A top goal for us is to unify o-series models and GPT-series models by creating systems that can use all our tools, know when to think for a long time or not, and generally be useful for a very wide range of tasks. Altman explained the roadmap for GPT-5 in his post.

Notably, OpenAI's newer o series models like o3 Mini and o1 are reasoning first models that are aimed at mimicking human level thinking capabilities in order to solve more complex problems like coding, maths and reasoning related tasks. The reasoning models while offering nuance do take a bit more time than their standard counterparts and may not be ideal for simple queries.

Altman had confirmed that OpenAI will do away with the model picker in GPT-5 and integrate a lot of companies existing models. OpenAI plans to give unlimited access to GPT-5 at standard intelligence settings (subject to abuse thresholds) while Plus and Pro subscribers are planned to get an ever higher level of intelligence.

Also Read | India fuels ChatGPTs AI surge as users create over 700 million images

OpenAI's new language models: Altman also confirmed that OpenAI is rolling out 3 new models o3 Pro, o3 and o4 Mini - the latter two scheduled for release in the coming few weeks.

Notably, OpenAI had first announced its o3 and o3 Mini language model during a 12 day event in December. Amid the rise of China's DeepSeek AI that provides free reasoning abilities, OpenAI also rushed to bring out its o3 Mini model in late January and also made it available to free users with certain restrictions. However, this is the first time since then that the company has given a tenative deadline for the rollout of o3.
Young Sheldon

Season 7 of Young Sheldon will release on April 15. This spinoff of Big Bang Theory continues the story of young Sheldon who is in high school.

Credit : NETFLIX
The Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, and Only the Catholic Church Can Save It

By Shayne Heffernan

April 4, 2025

Ive spent years looking at what shapes societies, and one thing is clear: the Catholic Church built Western civilization as we know it. From the schools to the hospitals, from the laws to the idea of human rights, the Churchs influence is everywhere. But today, as the West grapples with moral decline, broken families, and a loss of purpose, Im convinced that only the Catholic Church can pull us back from the edge. Its teachings make better peoplepeople who live with honesty, compassion, and a sense of dutyand better people make a better world. Lets explore how the Church shaped the West, why its needed now, and how its values can lead us to a better future.

The Catholic Church Built Western Civilization

Picture Europe after the Roman Empire fell in the 5th centurytribes fighting, roads crumbling, no one in charge. The Catholic Church stepped in to hold things together. Monasteries became centers of learning, with monks copying ancient texts by hand while writing their own works on faith, philosophy, and science. The Benedictine monks didnt just praythey farmed, built libraries, and figured out better ways to grow food, as Thomas Woods writes in How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization. They turned wastelands into farms, feeding villages and showing the value of hard work.

The Church also gave us the university system. The University of Bologna, started in 1088, and the University of Paris, around 1150, were set up under Church guidance to teach clergy and regular folks. They didnt just cover religionthey taught law, medicine, and the arts, laying the groundwork for the Renaissance and the scientific revolution. The Churchs belief that faith and reason go hand in hand shaped Western thinking. Thomas Aquinas argued that truth comes from both scripture and logic, a bold idea that helped spark modern science. Jesuit priests like Roger Boscovich and Gregor Mendel made breakthroughs in physics and genetics, showing the Church wasnt against scienceit helped drive it forward.

Then theres the legal system. The Churchs canon law, developed in the Middle Ages, brought in ideas like due process and the principle that everyone, even kings, answers to the law. That was huge in an era when power often meant you could do whatever you wanted. The Church also pushed the idea that every person has dignity because theyre made in Gods image. Thats the root of human rights, something the West takes for granted now but owes to Catholic teaching, as Samuel Moyn notes in Christian Human Rights.

Hospitals, charity, and art? All shaped by the Church. The first hospitals were run by religious orders, caring for the poor and sick when no one else would. The Churchs charity networks fed the hungry and housed the homeless, a model that modern welfare systems built on. And the artMichelangelos Sistine Chapel, Bachs Masses, cathedrals like Notre-Damethese werent just beautiful; they were a way to show that beauty reflects Gods glory.

The West Is in Trouble, and the Church Can Save It

Now look at 2025the West is struggling. Anxiety and depression are through the roof; over 20% of U.S. adults reported mental health issues in 2023, according to the CDC. Families are falling apart, with divorce rates around 40% in many Western countries, per OECD data. Crime, political fights, and a lack of shared values are pulling us apart. The West has drifted from its moral foundation, chasing money and self-interest over community and meaning. Ive seen this play out across markets and cultures, and its obvious: were losing what made us strong.

The Catholic Church is the only institution with the history, moral weight, and global reach to turn this around. Its been through worsethe Dark Ages, the Black Deathand it always comes out stronger, bringing society along. The Church has a roadmap for living thats been tested over centuries, one that can fix the Wests problems if we let it.

Catholic Teachings Make Better People

Catholic teachings arent just a list of dos and dontstheyre a guide to being a better person. The Ten Commandments, for example, arent about control; theyre about living right. Thou shalt not steal and Thou shalt not bear false witness teach honesty and respect, things any society needs to work well. The Churchs focus on the Seven Virtuesprudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, faith, hope, and charitypushes us to live with discipline, fairness, and love. Ive seen people who follow these values; theyre more dependable, more caring, and more focused on doing whats right for everyone, not just themselves.

The Churchs teachings on family are another big piece. It sees marriage as a sacred, lifelong commitment, creating stable homes for kids. Studies back this upkids from intact families are less likely to face poverty, crime, or mental health issues, according to the Institute for Family Studies. The Church also teaches forgiveness, something we need in a world full of grudges and cancel culture. The story of the Prodigal Son isnt just a taleits a call to let go of anger and rebuild relationships, which is how you heal communities.

Then theres charity. The command to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31) isnt optionalits a way of life. Catholic charities like Caritas Internationalis feed millions, house the homeless, and care for refugees worldwide. Ive met people who live this out, giving their time and money to help others, not because theyre forced to, but because they believe its right. That kind of selflessness makes better people, and better people make a better world.

Better People, Better World

When people live by Catholic teachings, they become the kind of citizens who build strong societies. Theyre honest, so you can trust them in business or politics. Theyre charitable, so they lift up the poor instead of ignoring them. They value family, so they raise kids who grow up with stability and purpose. They forgive, so they dont let bitterness tear communities apart. Ive seen this in places with strong Catholic roots, like rural Poland or Ireland, where crime rates are often lower and social bonds are tighter, as the European Social Survey has shown.

A world full of better people is a better world. Its a world where trust replaces suspicion, where families stay together, where the poor arent forgotten, and where forgiveness heals old wounds. The Catholic Church has the teachings to make this happen, and it has the global presence1.3 billion members, per Vatican statsto spread them. No other institution can match that reach or moral clarity.

The Path Forward

The Catholic Church built Western civilization, and its the only one that can save it now. Its teachings make better peoplehonest, charitable, family-focused, forgiving peoplewho can rebuild a world thats falling apart. Were at a turning point, and the West needs to return to the moral foundation that made it great. The Church has the roadmap; we just need to follow it. Better people make a better world, and the Catholic Church is the key to making that happen.
The Chattanooga native was finally welcomed home after 81 years. Family members say Sergeant Sanford G. Roy will forever remain a hero in their hearts, despite not meeting him.

"He was shot down over Germany for his country, and we have a true live hero in our family, says Darla Blazek, niece of Sergeant Roy. Hes going to be at home, where he was born and raised, and buried here for his final resting place.

Chattanooga Airman identified and accounted for from World War II Roy's family has been given a full briefing on his identification as well as the details of what happened to him.

The United States Army Air Forces Tech was on a bombing mission when his aircraft was shot down April 8, 1944.

"When his plane went down, he went to heaven, Charles Broadrick, great nephew of Sergeant Roy, says.

For nearly 80 years, the airman remained undiscovered, until last summer when family members received a call saying the remains of Sergeant Roy had been identified. Now, after months of anticipation, a beloved son, grandson and uncle finally made it home.

"[Its] after 81 years of being missinghis own parents didn't even know where he wasand knowing that we have him back home now, Blazek says.

Family members say the procession in his honor was an experience they'll never forget. Blazek and Broadrick say they saw a man hop out of his truck to salute them as they passed by, and people could be seen lined along the sides of the road holding their hats across their hearts.

"Every small town that we came throughevery single townwe would pick up another law enforcement, and they would follow us, and at the edge of their county, they would peel off, Blazek says.

With the soldier home, and here to stay, his family wants to send a message:

"Thank you, Broadwick says.

"You're home, Blazek says. Youre home, and you're going to rest here for the rest of your beingHe's going to rest at home, here in Chattanooga, where he was born and raised.

Sergeant Sanford G. Roy was an American hero, lost, but never forgotten.

Visitation will be held at the North Chapel of the Chattanooga Funeral Home on Monday, April 7, from 4-8 p.m.

A graveside service will be held at the Chattanooga National Cemetery on Tuesday, April 8, at 12:30 p.m., with full military honors. The public is invited. If anyone wishes to join the procession to the cemetery, you will need to be at the North Chapel around 11:30 am for the procession to leave at noon.
Beginning in December 2025, Delta Airlines will begin offering nonstop flights from a variety of American cities to Latin America. Specifically, Delta will offer a nonstop flight from Nashville to Cancun.

"These flights will allow residents of these cities to quickly and easily access Cancun, the most preferred Latin leisure destination," says Delta.

Delta expands non-stop flights from Chattanooga to NYC through August The Saturday flight will be in addition to the current Sunday through Friday service for travelers during the summer months.

The well-known airline says the the service will be held on Saturdays, from December 20 to April 12, 2026.

For more nonstop flight information, visit the Delta website.
UPDATE: Three men have been arrested on separate complaints for involvement in drug-related crimes at two Antioch nightclubs near Nashville.

Rimon Salim, 37

Antuan Rhodes, 44

Jorge Luis, 35

The extraordinary number of calls from citizens to police about these establishments justifies law enforcement efforts to hold these individuals accountable for their criminal activity, said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. Night clubs like these, where illegal activity is rampant, are a blight on our city and we will do what it takes to clean them up for the benefit of the community.

Court documents show Salim as the owner and operator of Miami Club and Paisanos bar and billar. Paisanos operates as a nightclub from 6:00pm to 2:30am, say police. When it closes, Miami Club opens next door as a "after-party nightclub" from 2:30am to 7:00am.

Between 2020 and 2024, the Metropolitan Nashville Police has received over 400 calls from the clubs and nearby businesses. The calls normally involve:

Fights

Weapons

Shots fired

Individuals suffering gunshot wounds

Theft

Disorderly conduct

Various other crimes

Law enforcement began investigating drug trafficking in the clubs around 18 months ago. Police say they used undercover agents inside the clubs to observe drug sales and usage. They also used informants to purchase drugs in bathrooms.

Between February 2024 and March 2025, Jorge Luis sold the police informants cocaine in the Paisanos bathroom multiple times.

Between August 2024 and March 2025, Salim, Rhodes, and others sold and gave the informants methamphetamine and cocaine at the Miami Club multiple times.

Salim is charged with:

Maintaining a drug-involved premises Faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine

Distributing controlled substances Faces up to life in federal prison and a $10,000,000 fine



Luis and Rhodes are both charged with distributing controlled substances. They face up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1,000,000 fine for each count.

This operation exemplifies the effectiveness of collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies who have united to combat a drug trafficking operation, said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to keep illegal drugs off our streets and holding those accountable for endangering our communities.

PREVIOUS STORY: Multiple people were detained after a drug and human trafficking raid at the Miami nightclub in Antioch, just south of Nashville.

The FBI confirmed they were performing authorized search and arrest warrants, according to NBC Affiliate station WSMV.

Large police presence in Antioch, FBI involved According to NBC affiliate WSMV4, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that they executed an authorized search and arrest warrants at 2045 Antioch Pike.

Law enforcement agencies detained and questioned many people, but later released everyone.

One man who was in the nightclub when the bust happened said through a translator that multiple agencies were looking for someone.

"There were a lot of people in panic and afraid of everything and being arrested," said Leonidas Zelaya. "After everything became normal, they released us."

Another man, who wished to stay anonymous, said when the raid started it was like a warzone, with a lot of people in tactical gear.

"You could hear stun grenades going off," he told WSMV.

District 32's Council Member Joy Styles confirmed the raid involved a drug and human trafficking investigation.

She said other businesses in the area were also engaging in those illegal activities, and there will be an increased police presence in the area.

In Antioch, weve had an issue with these nightclubs in strip malls, Styles said. It was Miami today, it was Soho House on Bell Road a few months ago. Ive had the Skybar Lounge. There was another nightclub in a strip mall down Antioch Pike. Im not really sure what the allure is to having a club/lounge which is where most people are coming to do regular day-to-day activities, but I think that its a stupid idea and I hope people will stop doing it."

The other strip mall clubs she mentioned were not investigated for drugs and human trafficking, rather shootings alongside noise-related incidents, Styles said.
The US and Canadian flags fly on the Canadian side of the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, on March 8.
A driver convicted of dangerous driving while drunk was banned from the road for four years at Longford District Court.

Thomas Kelly (58) of Corfree, Lough Gowna, Cavan was convicted of dangerous driving and drink driving on Sunday, April 7, 2024 at Clough, Granard, Longford.



At a previous District Court sitting in front of Judge Bernadette Owens details of the offence were outlined. Last Tuesday Sergeant Paul Stewart continued with his evidence. He recalled turning off the ignition and removing keys from a car driven by Mr Kelly having stopped him at the Granard location.



The officer outlined forming the opinion the defendant was intoxicated while in control of a vehicle and so he took the keys from the ignition. He told Mr Kelly he was a member of the Gardai.

Prosecuting Inspector David Jordan asked the witness if the driver tried to leave the area where he was stopped, or if the officer had prevented Mr Kelly from leaving.



No, he just stayed there, Sergeant Stewart said.

The next witness, Garda Eamon Flanagan, told the judge he received a call that directed him to Clough, Granard, where he arrived at 6:20pm.

The Garda saw two cars at the location, with Sgt Stewart and another man standing beside them.

The officer said the second man, Mr Kelly, appeared to be intoxicated.



Garda Flanagan spoke to Sgt Stewart who described the lead up to stopping Mr Kelly. The driver had been travelling over 80kph on narrow country roads, and had barely avoided colliding with the sides of the road.

The offending vehicle had swerved from side to side, and hedge to hedge. He had been on the wrong side of the road negotiating some bends. At one stage the vehicle passed a pedestrian.



The witness said Sgt Stewart told him he never lost sight of the vehicle even though it often travelled at more than 90kph.

Garda Flanagan said Mr Kelly was glassy eyed and clearly intoxicated. He described the driver as having slurred speech and told how he staggered as he was being helped into the Garda van. The officer said a blood test returned an alcohol reading of 66/100.

Garda Colin Goldrick, the member in charge on the evening Mr Kelly was arrested, supplied the court with details of the arrest of Mr Kelly at Longford Garda station.



Counsel for the defendant, Henry Kelly BL, made three applications to Judge Owens about the prosecution case. Mr Kelly's application referred to the 20 minute period of observation, the reading of the notice of rights to his client and the clarity of the Garda evidence in respect of the dangerous driving charge.



Having reviewed the application Judge Owens said she was satisfied the State had met the threshold for prosecution.

Putting forward the mitigation for his client Mr Kelly BL said the defendant had no previous convictions, and works in Dublin, so the loss of his licence will be a significant imposition.



The judge registered a conviction for both charges, imposing a 750 fine for the drink driving charge, with a two years disqualification. The dangerous driving conviction attracted a 500 fine and a four year driving ban.

Recognisance was set in the event of an appeal on the defendant's own bond of 500.

Read next: https://www.longfordleader.ie/news/local-news/1769536/man-who-rented-out-properties-in-longford-as-brothels-is-jailed.html
A councillor has called on Longford County Council to take 'immediate action' to identify and secure an alternative site for a children's playground in Kenagh village.

Fianna Fail's Sean Mimnagh submitted a motion and highlighted the sitaution at a recent meeting of Ballymahon Municipal District.



He stated the lease on the existing playground is due to expire in 2026.

Cllr Mimnagh said he believed it was very important that an alternative site is found on time and there is no delay when the current playground shuts its gates.



The motion was seconded by his party colleague Cllr Mick Cahill who was very supportive.

"A lot of people have been on to me about it and I'd imagine they have been contacting other councillors here as well," Cllr Mimnagh added.

He acknowledged the existing playground is not in an ideal location as it is out of the town but he is keen for an alternative site to be identified as soon as possible.



"I don't want a gap in-between, there are 120 children in the school and 1,000 people living in the village," he added.

Cllr Mimnagh said the new playground site has to be somewhere secure and somewhere safe for children where there is no anti-social behaviour or risks to them.

He told the Longford Leader after the meeting he is eager for the project to commence in the near future.

"I will have to go back in and I will have to put a push on it, I'm not going to sit on my hands and wait for it to happen, I am going to make sure that it does happen.



"I will talk to the relevant director of services and see what we can do," he added.

Longford County Council Cathaoirleach, Cllr Mark Casey said the council has a suitable site and there is an onus to try and ensure a new playground on a different site does not face delays.

Read next: https://www.longfordleader.ie/news/local-news/1769966/colin-dalton-wins-fine-gael-vote-and-is-co-opted-to-longford-county-council-to-replace-senator-paraic-brady.html
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: April 04 2025

Clifford Whitaker, 43, allegedly attempted to prey upon an 80-year-old man and his 71-year-old wife by telling them that their roof was damaged.

The office of Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly is accusing a contractor of attempting to scam an elderly Franklin Square couple out of nearly $130,000 for work on their home that he never intended to do.

President of New Dawn Construction out of Jefferson, NY, Clifford Whitaker, 43, was arraigned in Nassau County Court on Thursday, April 3 on charges related to his attempt to prey upon an 80-year-old man and his 71-year-old wife by telling them that their roof was damaged and offering to repair it for $2,500.

However, repeated visits to the couples' home resulted in additional "problems" purportedly being found, with Whitaker swelling his repair estimates to a whopping $129,000.

Whitaker even went so far as to draw up fake claim approval paperwork from the victim's insurance company, Liberty Mutual, despite no claim ever having been filed on their behalf, according to prosecutors.

Ultimately, the couple never paid Whitaker the $129,000; he was later arrested on Wednesday, April 2.

Whitaker was arraigned on charges of insurance fraud, attempted grand larceny, scheme to defraud, and forgery, all of which he has pleaded not guilty to. Bail was set at $50,000.
David Frum attends Politicon at The Pasadena Convention Center on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Invision/AP) Colin Young-Wolff/Invision/AP

A former Republican speechwriter offered a one-two punch at recent policies enacted by the administration of President Donald Trump.

David Frum, a political commentator who served as a speechwriter for President George W. Bush, lashed out at Trumps efforts to reportedly lay off 20,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service along with his newly implemented tariffs across the globe.

The Trump tariffs incentivize smuggling. The Trump IRS layoffs invite cheating, Frum wrote Saturday on X. Federal revenues will decline even before the Trump recession craters them.

Read more: These 8 grocery items are set to explode in price after Trump tariffs

Frum, who writes for The Atlantic, had a story out Friday about how tariffs encourage smuggling. CNN poll analyst Harry Enten said the tariff issue had the potential of ending Trumps presidency, based on poor polling.

But news also broke on Friday that the IRS plans to cut as many as 20,000 staffers as part of layoffs that began Friday.

And Tax Day  April 15  is less than two weeks away.

According to the Associated Press, the layoffs are set to begin with the IRS Office of Civil Rights and Compliance, which would be reduced by 75% through layoffs, and its remaining workers would be absorbed into the agencies Office of Chief Counsel.

Fewer than 200 people work in the Office of Civil Rights and Compliance, formerly known as the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, according to the AP.

The layoffs are taking place through billionaire Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency, the AP reported.
A former traveling nurse was sentenced in federal court in Boston on Friday for tampering with morphine at a rehabilitation facility in Danvers, according to U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foleys office.

Loralie LaBroad, 55, of Hampton, New Hampshire, was sentenced to three months in prison by U.S. District Judge Julia E. Kobick. A nursee for over 30 years, she was licensed in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, Foleys office said.

LaBroad was also sentenced to two years of supervised release, during which she is prohibited from practicing as a registered nurse or any other work with access to prescription medication or other controlled substances, according to Foleys office.

In 2021, LaBroad voluntarily surrendered her New Hampshire nursing license after being fired from a rehabilitation center in Derry, New Hampshire. She was accused of tampering with morphine bottles, according to Foleys office.

However, she continued to practice under her Massachusetts license and was a traveling nurse from December 2021 through at least May 12, 2022, working at multiple nursing and rehabilitation facilities.

Several facilities believed LaBroad was siphoning morphine from patients. In April 2022, a nursing and rehabilitation facility in Danvers contacted law enforcement, Foleys office said.

A nurse noticed a morphine bottle was wet and leaking and other administrators found three other bottles which had been tampered with due to the color being lighter than expected and with puncture holes in the seal. Laboratory tests found the bottles were diluted, according to Foleys office.

Law enforcement began a controlled operation on May 12, 2022, to determine her involvement. They photographed and reviewed the bottles of morphine on LaBroads cart.

Before her shift, there were two bottles of morphine for the same patient  one which was fully sealed and the other opened which the investigators took a sample, Foleys office said.

Law enforcement seized the two bottles of morphine before they could be dispensed to the assigned patient and found that at the end of LaBroads shift, the previously sealed bottle was a different color, leaking and had multiple puncture holes, according to Foleys office.

Laboratory testing found both bottles were tampered with and diluted, Foleys office said.

LaBroad pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product in November 2024.
From left, Carol Konvalinka of Attleboro with her children Ada, 10, and Carson, 12, at the "Hands Off" protest Saturday in Attleboro. (Dave Demelia/The Sun Chronicle)

Hundreds of people lined the streets of downtown Attleboro on Saturday to protest the actions of President Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser, Elon Musk.

The rally, one of the largest in Attleboro in memory, was one of many such protests that happened across the country as part of the nationwide Hands Off! movement.

The exact number of people who jammed the sidewalks leading to Fiske Square -- South Main, North Main, Park and County streets -- could not be calculated, police said, but some estimated well over 300 attended. And it kept growing as the protest continued.

The movement calls for nonviolent action and demands the White House keep its hands off essential institutions and personal protections.

Kim Deane, head organizer of the Attleboro protest, said its purpose was to oppose the destruction of essential institutions and personal protections under the current administration.

More than 1,200 Hands Off! demonstrations were planned across the coutry by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists.

Musk, who owns Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has played a key role in government downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. He says he is saving taxpayers billions of dollars.

The protest sites included various places in New England including Boston, Providence and smaller communities like Main Street in downtown Wakefield, RI, Portsmouth, N.H., and elsewhere like New York City, the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Associated Press reported protests hit every state, including GOP controlled states like Florida and Texas.

Despite the chilly, pouring rain, protesters in Attleboro made sure to have their voices heard by passing motorists as they held signs and shouted chants like Hey-Hey, Ho-Ho, Trump and Musk have got to go.

I am here mostly because I see that my vote means nothing, said Attleboro native Jeff Pelletier, 53. And being discarded by an unelected body of the federal government, its unacceptable.

Pelleitiers friend, who is also an Attleboro native but declined to provide his name, said protests like these are a way of letting everyone know that there is a major problem going on in our country right now.

If everybody stayed home, people tend to stay in their own bubble, so this is a way to let people know there is something wrong going on right now, he said.

Each sign being held at this protest assailed the Trump administrations moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people, cut federal funding for health programs, and more.

Elena Varney, 49, displayed her sign of Hands Off Education, saying she was distraught over the Trump administrations dismantling of the Department of Education.

By Trump doing this, it puts so many children who are already at risk, in even greater risk of not being able to maximize their potential or be contributing members of this society, she said.

Varney, who has worked in the education field for most of her life, said the government simply needs to do better for kids.

Sister Barbara Harrington, 80, was holding a sign that read Hands off our creative selves. She said she was also there in support of younger people.

I have lived in this area for over 30 years and I care deeply about what happens to everyone, regardless of how they identify themselves, Harrington said. This is a moral issue and I am standing here today for the next generation.

Those included within this next generation were also in attendance at this protest, like one 18-year-old Attleboro High School student who preferred to stay anonymous.

The world we live in right now is rather depressing because of what Trump is doing, she said. But it is extremely uplifting to see how many people are here.

Harringtons fellow sister, Norah Guy, 80, said everyone, regardless of their age, is being subjected to hate put forth by the government.

I think that the White House now has filled everything about our country with hate, especially with the way he (Trump) is treating the LGBQT+ community, she said. All of what he is doing towards them is just so anti-American.

Another Attleboro resident, a 76-year-old man who declined to give his name, said he believed the country is one step away from a complete dictatorship.

We are seeing a government that helps the rich and powerful and tramples over the rights of the poor and less fortunate, he said.

Norfolk resident Beth Jackson, 72, was protesting against possible cuts on Medicaid and said she believes democracy as a whole is at risk.

Jackson, who worked helping people with disabilities apply for Medicaid for many years, and also worked in both state and federal government, said she fears what possible cuts could do to people.

I am just so afraid of what they are going to do in terms of cutting Medicaid for people who are poor, disabled or elderly and using that money to fund taxes for the rich, Jackson said.

The Attleboro protest lasted for a little over two hours in which many of those driving through the area were seen honking their horns in support.

Some people who came out of Morins Restaurant, saw what was happening, and joined in on the protest, saying they were thrilled with what community members were doing.

Everyone here today has a voice and we cant be silent any longer, the Attleboro High student said. We have to keep fighting because if we stay silent, nothing is going to change.

Saturday afternoons protest followed a lively, jammed Democrat City Committee breakfast at the Portuguese American Club on Prairie Avenue, that drew local and state politicians as well as Congressman Jake Auchincloss.

The Sun Chronicle is a news partner of MassLive.com. To subscribe to The Sun Chronicle, click here.
A Rhode Island judge sided with Democratic state attorneys general on Friday, ruling that the Trump administration violated a court order by freezing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds allocated for disaster relief.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island found that the Trump administration violated his court order that ordered the administration to not pause or terminate federal financial assistance to states, including FEMA.

The case began following an email from the director at FEMA, which instructed there to be financial holds on all FEMA awards.

The attorneys general said that they had not received substantial disbursement of funds on important grants since early February, according to court documents. This included, as of March 12, at least 215 FEMA grants to at least 19 plaintiff states that remained frozen or otherwise inaccessible.

The Trump administration countered, stating that there isnt a pause to funding but simply an internal control where FEMA staff manually review all grant payment requests before disbursing payments to recipients, the court documents said.

The Court sided with the plaintiffs, stating that the Trump administration must immediately comply with the plain text of the preliminary injunction order not to pause or otherwise impede the disbursement of appropriate federal funds to the States.

The Court added that the Trump administration must immediately cease the challenged manual review process that is underway at FEMA and resulted in an indefinite pause on the disbursement of FEMA funds.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell is co-leading the litigation, as well as attorneys general from New York, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha applauded Judge McConnells order, stating that the President is not above the law.

This Administration has been holding hostage FEMA funds that are critical to the health and safety of Rhode Islanders and Americans everywhere; funds that were lawfully allocated by the Congress to support natural disaster relief and other worthy initiatives Neronha said in a statement.

When the President and his Administration continuously flout court orders, they are testing the boundaries of what they can get away with, and toying with American lives in the process. Enough is enough, and the Court has made that crystal clear, he said.

Neronha said the attorneys general will continue our relentless pursuit of the rule of law, and we will not hesitate to ensure that the people of Rhode Island receive every dollar that they are due.
In this Nov. 13, 2015, file photo, Costa Rican 1987 Nobel peace laureate and former president of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias, looks at the media during the opening ceremony of the XV World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates at the University in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File) AP

Oscar Arias Sanchez has won the Nobel Peace Prize and served as president of Costa Rica twice  once from 1986 to 1990 and a second time from 2006 to 2010.

The 84-year-old leader has also just had his U.S. visa revoked.

In an interview with NPRs Morning Edition, Arias Sanchez said that he believes his criticisms of President Donald Trump likely led to his revoked visa status.

In a long statement posted to Facebook in February, Arias Sanchez wrote that Trump, whom he did not name, behaves like a Roman emperor, telling the rest of the world what to do.

The president has a personality that is not open to criticism or disagreements, Arias Sanchez told NPR.

Arias Sanchez was told at the United States visa office, which he said he lives five minutes away from, that his connection to China was the reason for the revocation.

As Costa Rican president in 2007, Arias Sanchez established diplomatic relations with China. He said that was because China has the second largest economy in the world and Costa Rica has a very open economy.

In speaking to his affection for the United States, to which he called himself a good friend, he said both of his children were educated in the U.S. His son went to Harvard and his daughter attended Boston College.

Freedom of expression is a prerequisite for any democratic government, Arias Sanchez told NPR. So I have benefited myself with criticism from all those sources. And it seems to me that nowadays, one shouldnt dare to criticize the U.S. because you could be punished.
Five international students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have had their visas revoked and student statuses terminated by the Trump administration, according to a Friday evening email from the universitys chancellor.

I want to stress how important our international community is to the vitality of our campus and assure every international student and scholar at UMass of our unwavering support as we confront this new reality, said Chancellor Javier Reyes in the email.

Reyes said the institution wasnt notified by federal authorities but was informed as a result of proactive checks in the Immigration and Customs Enforcements Student and Exchange Visitor Information System database.

Reyes announcement did not name the students, or discuss their status or safety, apart from saying that they are connecting with on- and off-campus resources to ensure that we do everything within our power to protect our community, Reyes said.

A UMass spokesperson declined on Saturday to offer any comment on the issue beyond the email.

Reyes noted in his email that the institution has an angel fund for emergency grants to help with the legal, academic, housing, living and counseling needs of students who are impacted by federal changes in immigration status.

Students on UMass-sponsored visas who receive any communications claiming to be a part of the federal government should contact the Office of Global Affairs for advisement on their options and resources, he said. Other students on asylum or other statuses should contact the student legal services office or their personal attorney, Reyes said.

Attracting students from every corner of the globe, higher education in the United States has always been the envy of the world. Like so many others, I came to the United States to study through the student visa program. We came to better ourselves, better our communities and better the country that welcome us as scholars, Reyes said.

Updates will be posted on the institutions federal actions website.

ICE actions at other schools

The announcement from Reyes comes after the arrests students at other schools by ICE and the revocation of their student visas. One happened in Massachusetts where Tufts University doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested by six masked federal immigration agents in Somerville on March 25, in apparent retaliation to an op-ed article she co-authored in the schools newspaper last year.

The revocation of student visas is also happening at other institutions. For instance, the visas of five international students at Minnesota State University were revoked this week, according to reporting from the Associated Press.

In his email, Reyes said the federal government is claiming, in some cases, that they are revoking visas due to alleged incidents, including minor off-campus traffic violations.

Students are being ordered to leave the country with a suddenness that universities have rarely seen, Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, told AP.

In the past, students legal statuses in the United States were not immediately canceled due to a revoked visa. Under the new administration, in some cases, student statuses are being revoked within hours of the visas revocation, he said.
Elon Musk attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, on Monday, March 24, 2025. (Pool via AP)

The Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) has been digging into the data of many Americans, and now a Congressman is urging Americans to dig into the data of DOGE.

Congressman Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, in an interview with Democracy Docket posted to Instagram, explained exactly how.

Federal courts have found that DOGE is a government agency and is affected by federal laws  specifically the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

This is our government. Thats our data, and we have a right to know, Raskin said during the interview. Heres something every American can do and ought to do: get your FOIA request in under the Privacy Act for your private information that may have been seized by Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency.

Under Musks leadership, DOGE has been downloading data from the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration and other departments that contain private data of every American.

Ruskin said he filled out a form demanding DOGE turn over all the data they have on him from the Social Security department, for the Department of Education, college student loans, anything they would have from any federal department that theyve assembled.

I want to see it, and guess what, Ive got a right to see it, Raskin said. And I want to know whether theyve made any changes to it.

Raskin said Americans have the right to determine whether everything there is accurate or if there are inaccuracies to change them, and the right to know whether the information has been diverted or leaked out to a third party  whether it is an artificial intelligence program owned by Musk or another business.

I have a right to know that. Thats my data. And guess who else has that right  340 million Americans, he said.

The form to obtain personal information from DOGE can be found here.

Raskin famously served as the lead impeachment manager for President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial in 2021 in response to the January 6 insurrection attack on the U.S. Capitol Building.
Have we found Mayos answer to School for Rock? It seems we have.

Indeed, who knew that the haunting, sombre jig so synonymous with The Last of The Mohicans could intersect so seamlessly with a Coldplay song?

But when youre as creative as they are out in Sancta Maria College, this sort of thing is not only possible, it is actively encouraged.

Wed encourage you to go on YouTube once youve read this article and listen to them yourselves (2025 Waltons RTE Lyric FM Music for Schools Competition - Gala Finalists Concert, starting at 2:03:40) because it really is quite unique. So unique that it saw them crowned second overall at the RTE Lyric FMs Music for Schools Competition.

Featuring 31 students in total, the piece begins with a gentle bit of rince. They are soon joined by piano and drums. Then, the accordions enter with the theme from The Last of the Mohicans (a film starring Daniel Day-Lewis playing an American Indian, to those not familiar). Seconds later, the soaring bagpipe melody is overlaid by female vocals before the whole band comes in with a pulsating, Iron Maiden-style dum-da-da-dum-da-da-dum.

Then, in the most bizarre but surprisingly pleasing of twists, they break into Coldplays A Sky Full of Stars - minus the light show needing enough electricity to power Erris.

UNLIKLEY BEDFELLOWS

THESE two most unlikely of musical bedfellows weave in and out to the rat-tat-tat of drums and dancing shoes and the melody of a 15-piece choir before coming to an abrupt but immensely satisfying halt. (Just go and listen to it; our words dont do it justice).

Regular Mayo News readers know that they are quite a creative bunch out in Louisburgh. As outlined in these pages back in February, Sancta Maria will become the first and only school in Mayo to offer Drama, Theatre and Film Studies as a Leaving Certificate subject for the 2025/2026 academic year.

Our front page on February 11 featured a colourful image from their latest school musical, Bye Bye Birdie, an annual extravaganza that goes from strength to strength every year.

So it seems only natural that they would take on a project like that - and not at all surprising that it would get to the Natural Concert Hall.

READ MORE: The bee's knees! Insect art project by Mayo children displayed at National Museum of Ireland

Some background information on Waltons Lyric fm Music for Schools Competition. It was founded in 2012 to promote the benefits of creative music in Irish schools. Open to every school in the country, the twelve finalists - six primary and six secondary - are picked from the schools own entry videos. The winners in each category receive 7,000 worth of vouchers for musical instruments and equipment from Waltons Music Ireland for their schools.

We used the competition as a place for all of the musical groups in the school to come together, explains Abigail Duffy, a student who took part in the rock-trad-Celtic mish-mash.

FORCE OF NATURE

ENTITLED Gaelforce, the piece is meant to mirror the continuous pulse and cycles of nature.

Speaking before their performance in the National Concert Hall, Felicity McElroy, a teacher in Sancta Maria College, explained: Our school is situated in a really, really spectacular area of totally natural beauty; mountains, the Atlanic Ocean, Clare Island, Inishturk, Inisbofin, all this beautiful landscape all around us. (Wow, that would make for one epic music video).

We really felt that the underlying subject of our element of our piece was the rhythm and the pulse of nature, and weve just tried to incorporate that into what youll hear today.

Guided by their musical director, teacher and well-known local musician, Matt Rowley, the performers used Lamh, a form of sign language used in Ireland by developmentally disabled and neurodivergent children and adults. It is integral to a modern, forward-thinking school like Sancta Maria College.

Like one of our primary schools, we used Lamh in our school as an assistive communicative tool with some our students, we just felt that the lyrics of the Coldplay song really lended themselves to just opening out the piece, to include everybody, explains Ms McElroy.

Well who needs A Sky Full of Stars when youve got a school full of them?
by Colin Kirkland , April 4, 2025

Despite his promise to make a deal before April 5, President Trump has further extended the deadline to sell off TikTok to an American buyer, or fully ban the video-sharing app in the region.

For weeks, both Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have been assuring the American people that the White House would reach a TikTok sell-off deal by this Saturday. Last week, Trump told reporters that there are a lot of potential buyers who have tremendous interest in TikTok. The President also stated that he would consider giving China a little reduction in tariffs or something to finalize a deal by the proposed deadline.

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In the past few days, major potential buyers have approached the White House with bids to buy the ByteDance-owned company, which hosts 170 million active American users -- including AppLovin, Amazon, a startup led by OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely, and most recently, Walmart -- however, Trumps administration did not make a deal.

The April 5 deadline will now be pushed forward 75 days, according to a TruthSocial post made by Trump on Friday.

My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress, he wrote. The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days.

Trumps continued delays to the law passed by Congress earlier this year are legally dubious. They have been passed by executive orders, not official acts, such as the proposed Extend the TikTok Deadline Act -- a bill that lawmakers urged Trump to support last month that would push the deadline until October 16.

Senators have called Trumps deadline extensions unlawful, arguing that the path to saving TikTok should run through Capitol Hill.

It is unclear whether lawmakers who sponsored the bill will sue over Trumps multiple extensions.

Shortly after Trump announced his decision to further delay the sell-off of TikTok, ABC News reported that Walmart is actively considering joining a group of investors to make a bid to buy the social platform.

The multinational retailer attempted to team up with Microsoft to buy TikTok in 2020, providing Walmart with unfettered access to hundreds of millions of consumers, and the potential to grow their e-commerce business.

Walmarts renewed interest in TikTok is likely a response to the recent offer by Amazon, a direct competitor.
by Teresa Buyikian , April 4, 2025

Italian Food and Italian wine always go hand in hand. Expanding the category, an Italian beer maker is jumping into the kitchen with a noted Italian chef.

This week Peroni Nastro Azzurro announced the brands year-long partnership with Emmy award-winning TV personality and chef Giada De Laurentiis. The collaboration brings together two icons of Italian style, to bring authentic, elevated culinary experiences to U.S. consumers nationwide, according to the brand.

The partnership kicks off with social content, consisting of De Laurentiis presenting culinary experiences like Peroni-infused recipes and tips for embracing Italian traditions. The content will run across all of Peronis social accounts.

"Peroni's crisp, refreshing taste and Giada's vibrant culinary sensibility offer a modern take on Italian livinginviting consumers to slow down, savor the moment, and embrace the art of Italian style in a fresh, inspiring way," said Courtney Benedict, vice president of marketing for Above Premium Beer at Molson Coors Beverage Company, in the announcement.

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Peroni will host an experiential activation, Aperitivo Hour with Giada, at Pebble Beach near Los Angeles later this month, and at the New York City Food & Wine Festival in October.

The brand and De Laurentiis are promoting the live events and recipe content through their social platforms @peroniusa and @giadadelaurentiis. Giada is the author of the new cookbook Super-Italian, in addition to 10 other New York Times bestselling cookbooks.

Separately, Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%, the brands non-alcoholic brew, recently marked the second year of its Scuderia Ferrari HP sponsorship with a video featuring Formula 1. As part of the brands continuing global ad campaign, The Italian Way, Peroni 0.0% released the short film, seen here, featuring F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc titled The Welcome Present. The drivers are seen relaxing at an Italian villa while awaiting a welcome gift of cases of Peroni 0.0% driven to them through the beautiful Italian countryside.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, April 4, 2025

Artificial Intelligence company Ross Intelligence can immediately ask an appeals court to review a ruling that it infringed copyright by training its legal research service on material published by the competing service Westlaw, owned by Thomson Reuters, a federal judge said Friday.

I recognize that there are substantial grounds for difference of opinion on controlling legal issues in this case, Judge Stephanos Bibas in Delaware wrote in an order issued Friday. These issues have the potential to change the shape of the trial.

The order comes in a legal battle dating to 2020, when Thomson Reuters alleged that Ross -- which sells legal research tools -- wrongly trained its platform on Westlaw headnotes, which are summaries of key points in legal opinions.

Ross argued that it should prevail for numerous reasons, including that it made fair use of the Westlaw.

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Bibas rejected that argument, ruling in February that Ross's use of the material protected by fair use concepts because it used Westlaw's headnotes for the same purpose as Thomson Reuters, and intended to develop a product that would substitute for Westlaw's in the market.

Rosss use is not transformative because it does not have a 'further purpose or different character' from Thomson Reuterss, he wrote at the time.

The judge added that a jury would decide remaining factual questions in the case, including whether some of Thomson Reuters' copyrights had expired.

Ross sought to immediately appeal the first-of-its-kind ruling, arguing that it would stop fair learning based on factual statements.

This copyright case presents urgent questions governing the innovation at the heart of Americas preeminence -- at least for now -- in artificial intelligence systems, Ross wrote in its request for permission to ask the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene.

Thomson Reuters opposed the request, arguing that a pre-trial appeal would delay the case, which has already been pending for five years.
Iron deficiency treatment reduces hospital admissions in heart failure patients.

  Trusted Source

Trajectory of Cognitive Function After Incident Heart Failure



Go to source Trusted Source

Did you know?

Nearly half of people with heart failure have iron deficiency even without anemia, intra-venous iron therapy can help lower their risk of hospital admission #medindia #hearthealth 

Nearly half of people with heart failure have iron deficiency even without anemia, intra-venous iron therapy can help lower their risk of hospital admission #medindia #hearthealth 

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Iron Deficiency: An Overlooked Challenge

anemia . This undetected status of iron deficiency leads to exhaustion, shortness of breath, and muscular weakness in heart failure patients. Treatments that resolve iron deficiency could both enhance current symptom management and stop potential health disasters from emerging.





Advertisement HEART-FID:Ironing Out the Risk Researchers looked at the effects of ferric carboxymaltose IV iron therapy on heart failure patients with iron deficiency using a sizable sample. According to the study's findings, hospitalizations for heart failure have significantly decreased, but the death rates remained unchanged. Thereby concluding that iron therapy is a valuable tool that directly addresses a correctable deficiency for patient care enhancement.





Advertisement Improving Quality of Life Real-world effects reach profound levels past statistical data in clinical settings. IV iron therapy allowed patients to experience elevated energy levels and active participation in their daily routines, together with reduced hospital requirements for their care. This evidence demonstrates that successful treatment aims to extend life duration as well as improve the personal quality of existence.



The noise generated by iron deficiencies remains quiet even when these deficiencies remain undetected in patients. Simple medical interventions like this can produce a significant impact, reminding us why they remain essential in healthcare practices!



"Iron for the heart, strength for life!"



Reference: Trajectory of Cognitive Function After Incident Heart Failure - (https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.124.011837 )

Source-Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Heart failure impacts millions of people worldwide, causing multiple hospital stays and life quality deterioration. The presence ofamongof these patients remains unclear to many physicians, even though it intensifies their heart failure symptoms.assesses how intravenous iron infusion treatments benefit heart failure patients by improving their medical results ().Most of the time, the medical community fails to monitor iron deficiency when it does not cause symptoms of
Heart surgery has evolvedthis grain-sized pacemaker needs no wires, no surgery, and no removal.

Highlights: Pacemaker that dissolves inside the body without requiring risky removal surgeries

Light-sensitive devices delivered via needlesno scars, no wires

Eliminating the need for extensive surgery with the newest pacemaker

Did you know?

This pacemaker is so small, it can be injected with a needleand it vanishes once its done! #cardiology #medindia 

This pacemaker is so small, it can be injected with a needleand it vanishes once its done! #cardiology #medindia 

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Grain-Sized Pacemaker That Melts Away!

  Trusted Source

An up-to-date review of cardiac pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators



Go to source Trusted Source

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Why Its Game-Changing?

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Engineering a Medical Marvel

Future Potential and Clinical Trials

"Heartbeats restored with no trace left behind!"

An up-to-date review of cardiac pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34472707/)

Scientists from the United States have developed the smallest pacemaker , which is smaller than a rice grain? This smart device naturally dissolves inside the body after its programming task ends, thus reducing patient risk, recovery time, and surgical procedure complications.Modern cardiac pacing systems received substantial advancements through the development of small wireless pacemakers. Thes study published significant findings about fully implantable pacemakers that operated throughtested on tiny animal subjects, unlocking the potential for self-powered cardiac technologies. This breakthrough finding influenced the incorporation of dissolvable components inside the pacemaker, eliminating the barriers faced with traditional devices ().The wireless pacemaker is, transmittingvia the skin surface. Small, light-sensitive electronic circuits built into the system enable it to receive and process external light signals used for real-time heart rhythm adjustments. The technology removes the requirement for heavy batteries and hazardous wires that commonly appear inside conventional devices. The pacemakerthrough its thin, flexible construction for precise electrical pulse delivery.Traditional pacemakers are effective, but they frequently result in adverse effects, including infections and dislodged lead, which require extra operations to remove them. Thats where the dissolvable pacemaker system comes into play!The device exists towhile simultaneously decreasing hospitalization time and lowering medical expenses and surgical procedures. Medical professionals have identified this temporary, non-invasive option as potentially lifesaving for patients who need post-cardiac surgery support particularly among newborns and infants born with congenital defects.Biodegradable materials likeform thestructure of the device. Engineers program these components to, which determine the patient requirements. The medical device exhibitedthroughout all preclinical tests conducted on small animals. Such an accomplishment within this bioelectronic and transient medical device demonstrates how medicine can benefit from nanotechnology integration!Researchers tested the pacemaker using animal subjects before moving to human trials. This innovation presents the potential to transform the global cardiac care system, which is particularly beneficial for neonatal and pediatric care as permanent devices face challenges related to size and growth requirements. This light-based control system demonstrates the potential of its technology, extending its usefulness in neuromodulation therapy and soft-tissue interventions.The dissolvable pacemaker delivered through injection has the potential to revolutionize temporary heart rhythm correction by providing safer and less invasive recovery along with quick treatment procedures. This clinical trial breakthrough is drawing global attention and may mark a new milestone in cardiac medicine.Source-Medindia
Russian health officials clarify that recent illness reports are linked to known respiratory infections, not a new virus.

Highlights: Russian health authorities deny claims of a new virus outbreak

deny claims of a new virus outbreak Cases linked to common infections like Mycoplasma pneumonia

like Mycoplasma pneumonia Public urged to rely on verified sources for health updates

  Trusted Source

Is Russia Facing a Mystery 'Covid-like. virus that makes patients cough up blood?



Go to source Trusted Source



A mystery illness in Russia sparked viral fearsfind out what really caused the panic! #healthalert #factcheck #medindia

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What Is the Mysterious Illness?

Persistent high fever (up to 39C / 102.2F )

) Severe coughing fits, sometimes leading to coughing up blood

Body aches, fatigue, and difficulty recovering despite medication

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Russian Authorities Dismiss Outbreak Fears

  Trusted Source

Russia Dismisses Claims Of Blood-Coughing Mystery Virus, Cites Common Respiratory Infections



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Public Reaction: Growing Mistrust in Official Reports

Is There Cause for Global Concern?

Media Panic or a Real Threat?

Is Russia Facing a Mystery Covid-like virus that makes patients cough up blood?- (https://www.firstpost.com/health/russia-mystery-covid-like-virus-outbreak-reports-13876555.html) Russia Dismisses Claims Of Blood-Coughing Mystery Virus, Cites Common Respiratory Infections - span class="breaktext"> (https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/russia-dismiss-claims-of-blood-coughing-mystery-virus-cite-common-respiratory-infections-8063530)

Reports of a mysterious illness in Russia have caused alarm, with patients experiencing. While social media and local news outlets have fueled speculation of a new virus, Russian health officials have denied any outbreak, attributing the cases to).The first reports of this mystery respiratory illness surfaced on March 29 through the Telegram channel SHOT, known for its alleged links to Russian federal agencies. Local media quickly picked up the story, describing patientswhile experiencing symptoms such as:A woman named Alexandra, one of the first reported cases, stated that her cough persisted for over a week even after taking antibiotics. On theRussias public health agency,, has denied the existence of anyin the country. In an official statement, the agency emphasized that the epidemiological situation remains)"Health officials insist that the reported cases are likely caused by, a bacterial infection that mimics flu and pneumonia symptoms. Often referred to asthis illness can cause prolonged coughing and fever but does not always lead to severe hospitalization.Despite reassurances from Russian authorities, public skepticism remains high. Many citizens recall the early days of COVID-19 marked by, causing the public to question official statements.Comments from affected individuals on social media suggest that symptoms are. One person described their experience:My ribs hurt from coughing, I cant eat, and even the medications make me sick.Another stated:The fever lasted for almost three weeks. I got over COVID much easier than this.International experts remain cautious about verifying the reports, noting the political sensitivity of health news in Russia., an independent disease tracker, warned thathas been used in the past for political reasons.Meanwhile, Russia maintains that there is no new virus. Officials argue that genomic surveillance has detectedWhile there is no confirmed evidence of a new virus, the severity of symptoms described by patients raises concerns. Whether this is a routine respiratory infection or an undetected outbreak, it highlights the ongoing challenge ofand public trust in medical institutions.In times of uncertainty,but not alarmed is key. Rely onfor updates, question sensational claims, andover fear to make informed decisions.Source-Medindia
When Sultan released in 2016, it was a huge hit. The Salman Khan starrer set the box office on fire. For the female lead, it was a film that turned her career around. Anushka Sharma did have hits before that but this one was a blockbuster. For her it was a redefining moment in her career. The One Who Missed Out But believe it or not, there was one other actress who auditioned for the role that went to Anushka. In fact, this actress auditioned 12 times but failed to bag it. She is none other than the very lovely Anupriya Goenka.

 X/Bollywood Hungama "Maine Sultan ke liye audition kiya tha, main part. Tab voh log naye logo ko dhoond rahe the. Mere kuch 11-12 test hue the pehle ek audition hua tha, phir doosra audition hua, phir there was a music video test, phir there was a dance test with Vaibhavi (Merchant), and then there were readings with Ali (Abbas Zafar)," she told Siddharth Kannan, as per DNA. (I auditioned for Sultan. At that time they were looking for new people. I had 11-12 tests. There was first audition, then second audition, then a music video test and then a dance test with Vaibhavi and then readings with Ali) "That one-month process was beautiful. Thankfully mere liye voh poora process ek mahine ka tha. Agar voh 6-7 mahine ya ek saal chalta toh insaan anxiety main hi reh jaata na Jab tak main Ali se nahi mili, mujhe pata bhi nahi tha ki Sultan ki baat ho rahi hai because YRF main they dont give you the actual script. They give you some other script and they make you audition for it It was only when I met Ali and he kept referring to Mr Khan, then I realised ki this is for Sultan and the main part," she added. (Thankfully for me the whole process was in one month. If it was 6-7 months or one year then a person would live in anxiety. Until I met Ali I did not know this was about Sultan because in YRF they dont give you the actual script)
The Navy has relieved the commanding officer of its Colorado-based Information Operations Command, according to a statement released Thursday.

Cmdr. Christopher Johnson was relieved from leadership of NIOC, a subordinate command of Naval Information Operations Command Pacific headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, by Capt. Chelsey Zwicker, the commodore of the Hawaii headquarters.

Johnson is the third commander of a Navy information warfare command to be removed by the service in the last six months, though the previous two commanders ran schoolhouses while this was an operational command.

Read Next: Family Lives in Fear After Marine Corps Denies Legal Claim over Abuse by Jailed Ex-Recruiter

In November, the sea service relieved the commander of the San Diego-based schoolhouse for information warfare, and in January the Navy fired the commander of its Norfolk-based information warfare school in two unrelated firings.

Johnson's relief, which was officially over a "loss of confidence in his ability to command," appears to be the Navy's second firing of a commanding officer this year.

Loss of confidence is a boilerplate reason provided by the military services that can encompass anything from consistent poor performance by a commander on key evaluations to personal actions like drunken driving.

A Navy official told Military.com on condition of anonymity that the reason for the firing was over performance-based issues and not any misconduct on the part of Johnson.

NIOC Colorado is based at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, and "provides a wide range of information warfare support to the fleet" that includes sailors trained in collecting signals intelligence, electronic warfare and cyber operations, according to its official website.

Based on public announcements, it appears that the Navy fired 14 commanding officers in 2024. In 2023, the official relief total was 15. There are currently around 1,600 commanding officers in the active-duty Navy across all communities.

According to his official Navy biography, Johnson was commissioned through the service's Officer Candidate School after completing his bachelor of science degree in physics from the University of Michigan.

Johnson's career included working with EP-3E signals intelligence collection squadrons in Misawa, Japan, and Bahrain in the Middle East, as well as three sea deployments aboard the aircraft carriers USS Carl Vinson and USS Theodore Roosevelt.

Johnson also completed two deployments to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Prior to coming to NIOC Colorado in May 2023, Johnson served as the executive officer of the Navy's Information Warfare Training Command at Corry Station in Pensacola, Florida.

His qualifications include information warfare officer, surface warfare officer, and naval aviation observer. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, among others.

According to the Navy's statement, Cmdr. Mark Tuner, the naval information forces liaison officer to U.S. Fleet Cyber Command, will temporarily serve as NIOC Colorado's commanding officer until a permanent replacement is designated.

Related: Navy Relieves Another Information Warfare School Commander in Unrelated Firing
The U.S. military wants to keep training at Pohakuloa, so it's ready to quickly send troops to Asia and the Pacific.
BAY CITY, MI  Enjoying a glass, or a bottle, of natural wine with your friend next to a fireplace sounds dreamy, right?

Now you can do just that in an intimate setting in downtown Bay City.

Neighbors Natural Wine + Bottle Shop, 809 Adams St., opened in September and is the neighbor to Public House and Elizabeth Charles, all of which are businesses owned by the same family.

Owner of Public House and Neighbors Lyndsay Edmonds said she loves having her mother, Debbie Edmonds, right next door with her shop, Elizabeth Charles.

The inspiration for opening Neighbors started with falling in love with the architecture and the space, Edmonds said.

The storefront was James Shearers personal office when he built the building in the late 1800s, Edmonds said, so she tried to keep everything as original as possible.

Were really trying to not cover Bay Citys history, but enhance it, Edmonds said. It allows more people to come and see the beautiful spaces of Bay City.

Theres a cozy fireplace, tall ceilings, textured walls, detailed woodwork and a safe, which is now the little bottle shop to purchase whole bottles of wine, whether you want to take them home or enjoy them at Neighbors with a $5 corkage fee.

After living in Florence, Italy for a while, Edmonds said she enjoyed the natural wine they were serving abroad and wanted to bring it back to Bay City.

They dont use a lot of pesticides really on anything, so even though its not labeled that way, its just how they drink, Edmonds said.

Although there is an open archway between Public House and Neighbors, they are two separate spaces.

Edmonds said they needed to come up with a different concept for the extra 25 seats in Neighbors because there isnt the space to serve the kinds of cocktails that Public House is able to.

Both businesses share the same food menu, but Neighbors focus is natural wine and wine-forward cocktails.

Neighbors also features a Sunday Slow Coffee Club when the space turns into a little European-style cafe where people can get pastries, coffee and read the New York Times newspaper.

Edmonds said the community support has been overwhelmingly positive.

We truly do  no smoke and mirrors  we have the best customers. People are so supportive. Bay City is great for that, Edmonds said.

Neighbors hosts many events such as baby or wedding showers and birthday parties, Edmonds said. To inquire about hosting your event, click here to fill out the form on their website.

Follow Neighbors on Instagram here or check out their website here.

Would you like MLive to feature your favorite restaurant in Michigans Best Local Eats? Send the details, including business name, address and best menu item, to Kaytie Boomer at kboomer@mlive.com.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Thousands of protesters gathered across Michigan on Saturday, April 5, to rally against what demonstrators called a billionaire power grab by President Donald Trump and his top adviser, Elon Musk.

Mass-action Hands Off protests were planned across the country on Saturday, in what organizers say was the largest anti-Trump mobilization of the presidents second term in office. More than 50 demonstrations were scheduled across Michigan, including in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Saginaw and Detroit.

RELATED: Protestors march against Trump, Musk in Hands Off demonstration near Ann Arbor

Protesters accused Trump and Musk of dismantling the countrys government through a brazen power grab that included shuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, deporting immigrants, cutting federal funding and programs, and more.

RELATED: Protests against Trump-Musk power grab planned at over 50 Michigan locations

Grand Rapids protest organizer Becky Palmer said she felt Trump and Musk misled voters to believe they would help everyday Americans, when in reality their tariffs and cuts to social programs would only line the pockets of the wealthiest.

When was the last time you felt like billionaires were really working for you? Palmer said. Thats not how they got there.

Over 4,000 people marched through downtown Grand Rapids Saturday afternoon, with attendees spanning from college-aged students to families with young children to retirees.

The environment was lively and energetic -- cheers of this is what democracy looks like and Donald Trump has got to go echoed through the streets as protesters lined the sidewalks holding anti-Trump signs and passing cars honked.

Some of the biggest issues that drew protesters in Grand Rapids included Trumps immigration crackdown and government cuts, as well as concerns over LGBTQ+ and womens rights.

Sparta siblings Mia Longworth, 21 and August Longworth, 18, said they felt there have been increased attacks against the LGBTQ+ community under Trump.

(Hatred is) way more prevalent and more accepted by everybody, August Longworth told MLive. Just because hes in office, they think they can be 10 times more hateful than before.

Trumps partnership with Musk was also a key concern for many protesters. Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, heads the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, where he has led mass efforts to downsize the government through federal layoffs and funding cuts.

RELATED: Flint feels sting of DOGE cuts after EPA revokes $1M environmental justice grant

Grand Rapids residents Sharon Breuker, 74, and Judy Hardy, 70, said they feel like the government is no longer working for the people.

It seems like their goal is to privatize everyone -- cut all of it and then let private people take it over, Breuker said. Its all about rich people.

Speakers at the Grand Rapids rally also spoke about Trumps nationwide immigration crackdown, which has been a point of concern for many activists in West Michigan, where there is a large immigrant population.

Nerida Aviles, a Mexican immigrant who has lived and worked in Grand Rapids for over two decades, said the Trump administration has painted immigrants out to be freeloading criminals. However, Aviles said immigrants pay taxes and work demanding jobs but dont get recognized as valuable contributors to the economy.

We put in the pieces of the pie, but we dont get a piece of the pie, she said.

Grand Rapids resident Bill Davis, 78, said the anti-immigrant rhetoric is harmful and divisive.

I lived in the south under segregation, he said. I dont ever want to see us go back to that.

Barbara Merlotti, 64, said Saturdays protest was the second time she has participated in an anti-Trump rally since she moved back to Grand Rapids a year ago. Merlotti said she has felt sick to her stomach over whats happening across the country and needed to take some kind of action.

It gives me a little bit of hope and a little bit of empowerment, she said. Trump doesnt care about us, and this is the way weve got to resist. Weve got to fight back.

RELATED: We are not criminals: Immigrants seek sanctuary status for Grand Rapids amid deportation fears

In Portage, Ken Greschak, an organizer with Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo, said they had close to 4,000 protesters gather along Westnedge Avenue on Saturday afternoon carrying signs, flags and banners.

Kaitlynn Zydlowski, a college student, said she was concerned about the economy under Trump.

It just seems like its hard to have a future, financially, and be able to be stable ever, she said.

Scenes from a Hands Off! Rally held Saturday, April 5, 2025 Portage, Mich. Audrey Whitaker | MLive.com

Mitch Kachun, a retired Western Michigan University history professor, said the Trump administration is pressuring libraries and universities to plug the administrations worldview. He held a sign reading Hands off museums and Hands off our libraries.

Libraries and museums are places where we present the world to the broad public, and you cant have that distorted, he said.

With the all the sources of misinformation and disinformation that are twisting peoples view of the way things are, we need our libraries and universities and schools and museums to present accurate information, whether its about history or the natural world or gender or climate change.
Amid a federal delay, city officials have withdrawn construction bids for a project that would remove four dams to restore the Grand River's rapids in downtown Grand Rapids. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

GRAND RAPIDS, MI  The city of Grand Rapids has withdrawn a request for construction bids for the scaled-back project to restore the Grand Rivers rapids in downtown Grand Rapids.

City officials and partner organization Grand Rapids Whitewater said an ongoing delay in the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) review of the project permit request has created unpredictability in the projects construction timeline.

Out of respect for all parties involved, weve withdrawn the bid so everyone may better plan and allocate existing resources, the city said in a statement. As soon as the remaining Federal approvals are secured, well re-issue the bid and begin work once river conditions allow.

Approval by the NRCS is a must for the project to move forward, and would free-up about between $9 million and $10 million for construction costs. Overall, the project is expected to cost roughly $20 million.

The city of Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Whitewater want to remove four low head dams just north of Bridge Street south to Fulton Street and add about 20,000 tons of natural rock and boulders to the river. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) signed off on the projects permit request in December.

Matt Chapman, executive director of Grand Rapids Whitewater, said he hasnt received any indication that the federal delay is the result of concerns about the project.

I think its just part of the complexity of the review process, he said. It has to go to several different places within the agency for review and comment.

The push to restore the Grand Rivers rapids has been envisioned for more than 15 years, and it has suffered numerous delays during that time. One of the biggest setbacks came in May 2023, when the city and Grand Rapids Whitewater withdrew the projects permit request after state and federal officials raised concerns about the projects environmental impact.

In response, the project was scaled back. The large, whitewater waves that officials hoped would attract tourists and kayaking competitions to the city were removed.

Chapman said officials wanted to start construction this summer. But because of the ongoing federal delay, work might not be able to begin until summer 2026.

We going to do everything we can to try to get some work started yet this summer, he said. But otherwise, well be ready to go in 2026.
Graduation rates in Kalamazoo Public Schools saw a strong increase in 2024, particularly so for Black males. That was one of the goals for Superintendent Darrin Slade, pictured here. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Black males often lag behind other demographic groups when it comes to graduating high school.

But in Kalamazoo Public Schools, Black males are starting to catch up.

Only 47% of Black males graduated on time in 2023. That number jumped to 67.1% in 2024, according to new state data.

Its refreshing to see such a dramatic increase, said KPS Board President TiAnna Harrison.

KPS Superintendent Darrin Slade attributes the change to a consistent, data-driven focus on improving student outcomes.

When he applied for the job in 2023, graduation rates were one of the top areas he wanted to improve  especially for Black males.

RELATED: Why arent folks outraged?: Kalamazoo Black male grad rate continues to decline

The graduation rates were unacceptable, Slade said. They needed to improve.

And in Slades first year, they have. Across the board, graduation rates across all demographic groups at KPS increased. But the increase for Black males was among the most eye-opening changes.

Ive been doing this a long time. Ive never seen that kind of subgroup improvement, especially for our African American males, Slade said.

(Cant see the chart? Click here.)

A firm stance

When Slade became superintendent in July 2023, the district was recovering from the online classes of the COVID-19 pandemic and a surprise resignation from the previous superintendent.

Slade wasted no time in rolling out a series of policies, part of his no-nonsense approach to leadership.

One of the goals: addressing the graduation rate for Black male students.

Although we are focused on improving the educational outcomes for all of our students, we had a laser focus on African American males since their data points are the lowest, Harrison said.

In a roundtable discussion with other Black education leaders in Kalamazoo, Slade wondered why more people werent outraged by how low the graduation rate for Black male students was.

The chart below shows the graduation rate each year for all of KPS, for Black males and for Black females.

(Cant see the chart? Click here.)

After one year of Slades leadership, the Black male graduation rate improved to 67.1%. Its still among the lowest graduation rates by demographic in the district, but the gap has narrowed.

Slade said the increase could be attributed to an intense focus on student achievement and grades.

Counselors are meeting with students every single trimester, having conversations with students about This is what you need to do to pass your class, Slade said. Were providing a significant amount of support to students who are struggling.

Dedrick Martin, superintendent of the Kalamazoo Regional Education Service Agency, said KRESA worked with county school districts to examine student data. Administrators and staff at KPS have been very intentional about acting on the data, Martin said.

Beyond just seeing the data, administrators need to talk to staff and students in buildings to understand whats happening.

Systemic obstacles

Lower Black graduation rates didnt happen overnight. The rates have lagged for years, Harrison said.

This is unacceptable in a district with so many resources, especially The Kalamazoo Promise, Harrison said.

Its not unique to KPS.

Black male students have a 68.6% graduation rate statewide, trailed only by the graduation rate for Native Hawaiian students at 64.6%.

Martin said presence and exposure are two barriers students must overcome to succeed. In other words, students must be present and engaged in classes and know they can succeed.

Our kids need to see or experience at some level something better than their current conditions, Martin said.

Another problem is when staff practice the soft bigotry of low expectations, in Martins words. Meaning, people have sympathy for marginalized and low-income students, but dont expect them to succeed.

Kids will rise up or down to the level of expectation you set for them, Martin said. Kids are intuitive. If they understand that you believe in them ... most of the time, theyll rise to the occasion.

Slade has consistently messaged to KPS students that theyre expected to succeed, and he applauds them when they do.

Policy intervention

One of Slades first initiatives at KPS was a strengthened discipline policy to address misbehavior in schools.

Slade said some described the behavior as out of control and that needed to change.

You have some students who are bold enough to make phone calls during the class period, to have their phone on speaker during the class period, Slade said.

Clear responses to certain behaviors were established depending on the level of misconduct. Rules and policies, like a cellphone policy to keep phones out of sight, would also be enforced, Slade said.

When students dont graduate high school, theyre more likely to be involved with negative aspects of the judicial system, Harrison said. They also cant use The Kalamazoo Promise, which gives them free tuition to college or trade school, Harrison said.

RELATED: 5 successes, 3 shortcomings of The Kalamazoo Promise free college program

On the support front, the district has started holding Saturday school for a portion of the school year. Students performing below grade level in certain grades have been invited to receive extra help from teachers on Saturdays.

If those students reach a set attendance milestone, they receive a free trip to an amusement park.

Slade said the district is also sending low-performing students to alternative schools like Phoenix High School so they can receive extra support if needed.

Though graduation rates are on an incline, overall theyre still not where Slade wants them. The districts overall graduation rate was 75% in the 2023-24 school year.

We still have a lot of improvement to make as a district but Im happy that our numbers are moving in a positive direction, Harrison said.

Slades ultimate goal? A 90% graduation rate.

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MUSKEGON, MI - Whippi Dip Northside, 1326 Holton Road, started welcoming customers back in 2021 after being closed for several summers.

Muskegon couple Ken and Angie Sutton became the new owners after providing food concessions at local events for 18 years.

The Suttons decided to reopen the ice cream shop at the tail end of the summer season during the COVID-19 pandemic to begin learning how to run the business.

And its been smooth sailing ever since. For the 2025 spring and summer season, Whippi Dip opened on Thursday, March 13, with half off all ice cream.

Popular flavors include soft-serve classics like cherry, orange and strawberry Dole Whip, and hard-serve options such as Superman, Michigan Pothole, Blue Moon, cake batter, mint chip, cookies and cream and strawberry cheesecake.

Whippi Dip also released a new flavor for Almond Joy lovers. It features coconut ice cream kissed with chocolate truffles and a thick blanket of fudge.

The North Muskegon ice cream shop also offers savory items, including crispy chicken and sirloin sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, chili cheese fries, sloppy joes and more.

Prices vary, ranging from around $1.50 for kids soft serve cones to $7.75 for large specialty sundaes and around $4-$6 for handhelds and carnival food options.

Angie Sutton said the best part about running Whippi Dip Northside, founded in 1992, is hearing from longtime customers.

People come up and say, Im so glad. This was a part of my childhood, Angie Sutton told MLive. Its a feeling they get when they come here.

The Whippi Dip North Muskegon is open daily from 3 to 8 p.m. Visit its Facebook page for menu updates.

Would you like MLive to consider featuring your favorite restaurant in Michigans Best Local Eats? Send the details, including business name, address and best menu item, to Skyla Jewell-Hammie at sjewell-hammie@mlive.com.

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MC Education Desk Read the latest and trending news on CBSE, board exams, NEET, JEE, CUET, competitive exams, scholarships, college admissions, education policies, and more.

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French DJ HUGEL to make his India debut with live performance in Mumbai

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R Madhavan talks about growing K-pop culture in India: How did we lose our audience...

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Shah Rukh Khan pays tribute to veteran actor Manoj Kumar, writes, "You will always be 'Bharat' to us"

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Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years.

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India Inc. must shed protectionism to stay competitive, says govt official

Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years.

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Want residency in Europe? Why Portugals golden visa could be your best bet

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India will foray big into deeptech: Piyush Goyals major boost for startups with Rs 10,000-crore fund

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Trade deal with US to give India first mover's advantage over Trump tariffs

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Trump's upcoming White House meeting with Netanyahu is expected to focus on Gaza and tariffs

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Amitabh Sinha is Executive Editor, News18 India. He has over 25 years of experience in print and TV journalism.

Aishwarya Dabhade

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Govt should learn from Trump, impose tariff restrictions on countries to save economy: Akhilesh Yadav

101Reporters

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India steps up scrutiny of China imports after US tariffs spark dumping concerns

Smriti Mishra

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Indian national stabbed to death in Canadas Rockland, suspect taken into custody

Smriti Mishra

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Manjiri Patil

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Manipur: Tension flares up between tribal communities after village chief assaulted by militants

101Reporters

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PM Modi accorded grand ceremonial welcome in Colombo, first ever for foreign dignitary

Chhabi Kala

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Rift in JDU as 5th leader resigns over party's stand on Waqf Bill

Chhabi Kala

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Teaching Marathi with love: Shiv Sena (UBT) counters MNS violence by launching its own campaign

J. Kumar is an author, journalist and a political commentator based in in Mumbai who writes on crime and Maharashtra politics. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.

Sonalee Borgohain

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Waqf Bill will be in dustbin if RJD wins Bihar: Tejashwi

Yeeshu Yadav

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'Won't allow territory to be used against India': Sri Lankan President Dissanayake assures PM Modi

Yeeshu Yadav

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Microsoft at 50: Bill Gates shares heartfelt tribute with rare throwbacks from his awkward photoshoot days

Shubhi Mishra

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Need help, not this: Mohandas Pai hits out at Startup Mahakumbh display comparing India, China

Shubhi Mishra

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Apple may look at expanding production of iPhone in Brazil to dodge Trump tariffs

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Damaged reputation led to links, show documents released by UK court on Prince Andrews ties to Chinese 'spy'

Chhabi Kala

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From Ray-Bans to wigs, US buyers may see unexpected price hikes

Sonalee Borgohain

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Netanyahu expected to talk tariffs with Trump in Washington on Monday, officials say

101Reporters

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'Shame on you': Microsoft's 50th anniversary event interrupted over pro-Palestinian protest by employees

Chhabi Kala

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Trade war 2.0: CA breaks down Chinas biggest retaliation yet to US tariffs and who takes the hit

Smriti Mishra

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Pragya Trivedi

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Trumps migrant detention at Guantanamo has cost $40 million so far, with most facilities unused and far below capacity

Abhinav Gupta

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US treasury chief Bessent says Zelenskyy misled on minerals deal: Lied to our faces

Deblina Halder

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Modesto, CA Governor Gavin Newsom announced the release of Californias Master Plan for Career Education, a statewide strategy intended to connect residents to higher-paying jobs through expanded workforce training and credit for real-world experience, with or without a college degree.

Unveiled at Modesto Junior College, the plan proposes aligning education systems with labor market needs, offering tools like Career Passports to document job skills and military service, and streamlining access to college credit for prior learning. The initiative is part of a broader push to improve career pathways and workforce readiness, particularly in rural and underserved areas. The plan includes proposals backed by the governors budget and emphasizes coordination across state and regional partners. It also supports creating a statewide body to better track labor trends and reduce overlap in education and training programs.

Originally outlined in a 2023 executive order and previewed last December at Shasta Community College, the Master Plan responds to ongoing economic shifts, including the impact of automation and artificial intelligence on job markets. The state projects the expanded credit-for-experience program could benefit up to 250,000 Californians, including 30,000 veterans.
Mberengwa  A cloud of scandal hangs over Masase High School in Mberengwa as Anywhere Gumbo, the deputy headmaster, has gone on the run following allegations that he sodomised over 35 male pupils. The school, run by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Zimbabwe (ELCZ), is now at the centre of a police investigation, leaving parents and teachers reeling.

For a long time, Masase High School stood as a beacon of hope for many families, a place where dreams flourished under the guidance of dedicated teachers. However, beneath its storied walls, a dark secret festered  one that would shatter the lives of many.

Anywhere Gumbo, the deputy headmaster, was once regarded as a charismatic figure in the Mberengwa community.

With his warm smile and open-door policy, he seemed to embody the spirit of mentorship. Parents trusted him, believing he had their childrens best interests at heart. Yet, as the saying goes, appearances can be deceiving.

It is alleged that Gumbo exploited his position, luring over 35 boys into his office under the guise of offering academic help. The boys, eager to please and afraid of disappointing an authority figure, found themselves trapped in a nightmare.

The breaking point came when an anonymous letter reached the Ministry of Education, detailing the horrific abuse allegations. The letter, penned by a fellow teacher who suspected something was amiss, ignited a chain reaction. Investigators descended upon the school, only to find that Gumbo had vanished into thin air, leaving behind a trail of anguish.

The deputy headmaster reportedly fled from the school on Friday, just as police arrived to conduct their investigations. Midlands provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, confirmed that Gumbo is currently at large. We are appealing to members of the public to assist with any information that may lead to his arrest, he said.

Sources say Gumbo would lure pupils to his office to sexually abuse them. The police and officials from the Ministry of Education have been on the ground after they received an anonymous letter from one of the teachers over the issue, said a source familiar with the investigation.

The allegations have sparked outrage and fear among parents, many of whom are now questioning the safety of their children at the school. One parent, whose child is allegedly among the victims, expressed their anger and frustration: The school head has a very tight policy which requires pupils to talk to him if they want to report anything, and this has seen the majority of the pupils being sodomised in silence. This policy, the parent claims, has effectively silenced victims and allowed the abuse to continue unchecked.

Adding to the controversy, some parents and teachers are accusing the headmaster, Mr Albion Masukume, of attempting to suppress the scandal. It is alleged that Mr Masukume was aware of the allegations but failed to take appropriate action, prioritising the schools reputation over the safety and well-being of the pupils.

Mr Masukume confirmed the probe in a letter to parents but denied involvement. I write with sorrow to inform you that allegations of child abuse by one of our staff members were reported. Currently, thorough investigations by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the police are underway, he said in the letter. However, this has done little to quell the anger and distrust felt by many in the community.

The Ministry of Education has dispatched a team of investigators to the school to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations and to assess the extent of the abuse. The team will also be tasked with reviewing the schools policies and procedures to ensure that they are in line with child protection standards.

The ELCZ, which runs Masase High School, has also expressed its shock and condemnation of the alleged abuse. A spokesperson for the church stated that they are fully cooperating with the police investigation and that they are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all pupils at their schools.

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Harare  Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti has launched a scathing attack on President Emmerson Mnangagwas 2030 agenda, branding it a corrupt scheme designed to protect ill-gotten wealth and install known looters into positions of power within the government. Bitis condemnation comes amidst growing speculation about Mnangagwas intentions to extend his rule beyond the constitutionally mandated two-term limit.

The outspoken politicians remarks follow claims by war veteran Blessed Bomshell Geza, who alleges that Mnangagwas third-term bid, dubbed 2030 agenda, is being driven by a cabal of corrupt individuals surrounding the President. These individuals, according to Geza, include prominent businessman Kuda Tagwirei, controversial figures like Wicknell Chivayo, Obey Chimuka, and Scott Sakupwanya, as well as Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, Finance Permanent Secretary George Guvamatanga, and former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor John Mangudya, among others.

Geza has further alleged that Mnangagwa is secretly grooming Tagwirei to succeed him, effectively undermining Vice President Constantino Chiwengas own leadership aspirations. This claim has added fuel to existing tensions within the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Tagwireis growing influence within Zanu-PF is evident in his recent nomination by the Harare provincial leadership to assume a role in the Central Committee, one of the partys most influential organs. This move has been interpreted by some as a clear indication of Tagwireis ambitions to play a more prominent role in the countrys political landscape.

Biti, however, has made it clear that he is vehemently opposed to Mnangagwas alleged plot to perpetuate his incumbency and the corrupt cartels that he believes are plundering Zimbabwes resources.

We are totally opposed to the third term agenda and its cousin Agenda 2030. We make no apology for this, Biti stated in a recent social media post. We firmly believe that this is an agenda spurned by corruption and the need to protect lucre loot and ill begotten sachets.

He further asserted his opposition to the individuals he believes are responsible for Zimbabwes economic woes: We therefore stand firmly against cartels, bandits, charlatans and brigands, who have been looting Zimbabwe for decades. We object to dangerous attempts to elevate some of these looters into the countrys corridors of power.

Biti also distanced himself and his political allies from the internal power struggles within Zanu-PF: We are not members of Zanu PF. We refuse to be drawn in by their endless toxic factions and power struggles.

Tagwirei has long been a controversial figure in Zimbabwe, facing accusations of leveraging his close relationship with Mnangagwa to secure lucrative government contracts and expand his influence in key sectors such as mining, fuel, agriculture, and land policy.

These allegations have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the lack of transparency in government dealings.

Bitis recent remarks echo his previous calls for Zimbabweans to unite in defence of the constitution, particularly in light of the push by some Zanu-PF members to extend Mnangagwas rule beyond 2028. In a recent interview, Biti elaborated on his concerns about the state of Zimbabwean politics and the economy.

When asked about his current activities after announcing a sabbatical from politics last year, Biti explained that he remains actively engaged as a lawyer, farmer, and participant in various international engagements. He also highlighted his involvement in efforts to defend the constitution against what he sees as attempts to amend it for political gain.

Addressing the argument put forward by supporters of extending Mnangagwas rule  that he has performed exceptionally well and deserves more time to complete his projects  Biti was scathing in his assessment.

Mnangagwas leadership, since he came to power seven years ago, has been an absolute disaster, Biti declared. He has made people regret the removal of (Robert) Mugabe. If president Mugabe was to resurrect right now like a Lazarus, millions of people would follow him in the streets and hail him. And that is a failure of Mnangagwas rule.

Biti argued that Mnangagwa had squandered an opportunity to reset Zimbabwe and create a new consensus based on inclusion and national unity. He missed the opportunity of being the president of every Zimbabwean, Biti stated. He missed the opportunity to renegotiate a new consensus in the international community, a new beginning, with the international community. He missed the opportunity of a new paradigm shift, charting a new trajectory for the country.

According to Biti, Mnangagwa instead reinforced the old order, characterized by coercion, violence, repression, and disregard for the rule of law. Unlike Mugabe; he has anchored his rule firmly on corruption and extraction, Biti asserted.

He further accused Mnangagwa of allowing the State House to become a haven for racketeers, mafia and zvigananda, citing the frequent visits of individuals like Wicknell Chivayo, Scott Sakupwanya, and Kudakwashe Tagwirei.

Responding to Mnangagwas recent claim that he has no connections with Wicknell Chivayo, whom he described as simply a philanthropist, Biti dismissed the assertion and pointed to the numerous individuals who have allegedly benefited from government tenders under Mnangagwas rule.

I dont want to talk about an individual, Biti said. All I can say is that, as I have already said, that under the second republic, a symbiotic relationship has been created with cartels, with runners, with racketeers, with criminals. Those criminals have invaded the State House. They go there without appointment, openly and brazenly. And that is bringing the state into disrepute. That is bringing the republic into disrepute. That is bringing Zimbabwe into disrepute.

Biti contrasted Mnangagwas rule with that of his predecessor, Robert Mugabe, noting that while both leaders prioritized the interests of a select few and Zanu-PF, Mugabe possessed a social base, elasticity, and a conscience.

Mugabe had a social base, he had elasticity, a conscience, Biti explained. I sat in the Cabinet and many times he would say: but where are our people? But the biggest difference between Mugabe and Mnangagwas regime has been levels of unmitigated corruption, of extraction. The level of racketeering is shocking. You know, the checks and balances in the system have collapsed.

Biti specifically criticized Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and Finance Permanent Secretary George Guvamatanga, accusing them of turning the Ministry of Finance into a crime scene by bypassing tender processes, parliamentary approval, and budgetary oversight.

George Guvamatanga and Mthuli Ncube have reduced the Ministry of Finance to a crime scene, without tenders, without parliamentary approval, without budgetary approval, Mugabe wouldnt have allowed that, Biti asserted.

He further accused Mnangagwa of reducing the country to a crude ethnic expression and lamented the fact that Mnangagwa has become so unpopular in a relatively short period of time that he now makes Mugabe look like an angel.

When asked to identify Mnangagwas greatest failure, Biti was unequivocal: Corruption.

He pointed to Zimbabwes declining ranking in Transparency Internationals corruption index and cited several examples of alleged corruption, including the Mutapa Fund, the privatization of title deeds, and the exorbitant cost of a durawall at State House.

The second republic is presiding over unprecedented corruption that has taken place in this country since 1923, Biti declared.

He expressed particular concern about the Mutapa Fund, which he described as an opaque entity that controls a vast array of state-owned enterprises and allows for the sale of public assets without parliamentary scrutiny or due diligence.

Biti also criticized the governments land tenure system implementation, arguing that it is an illegal setup that reverses the land reform programme and benefits a select few.

The people who were given title deeds on December 3 at Precabe Farm are the fat cats that own huge tracts of land under the A1 scheme, Biti claimed. So this is about looting and reversing the land reform programme. Mugabe turned in his grave. Joshua Nkomo is turning in his grave.

Addressing the legal arguments surrounding the possibility of extending Mnangagwas rule to 2030 without a referendum, Biti dismissed the notion as absurd.

It is not possible, Biti stated emphatically. The constitution is very clear: Any extension of time for any office requires a referendum.

He argued that any attempt to circumvent the constitutional requirement for a referendum would be a dishonest and mendacious attempt to cling to power.

In light of these concerns, Biti revealed that he is working with partners across the political spectrum to defend the constitution and prevent the extension of Mnangagwas term.

I think its very important that we form a platform to defend the constitution, Biti concluded. So I hope Zimbabweans can come together to form this forum of platform in defense of the constitution and I hope all constitutional defenders can join hands to fight in this important battle.

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Curcumin and resveratrol are two of the most powerful antioxidants ever discovered

Curcumin (from turmeric) and resveratrol (found in red wine and berries) are well-studied for their antioxidant benefits, but their effectiveness is limited by poor absorption.

Liposomal delivery, which encapsulates the compounds in tiny fat-like particles, dramatically improves bioavailability, making them up to 29 times more effective than standard supplements.

Curcumin can protect against oxidative stress thanks to its potent antioxidant properties. Meanwhile, resveratrol can support optimal health by also protecting cells from oxidative damage.

Taking liposomal curcumin and resveratrol together enhances their effects, offering stronger antioxidant defense and reliable support for your overall well-being.

Liposomal delivery unlocks the full potential of these antioxidants, making them a potent duo for maintaining long-term wellness.

Few compounds have garnered as much scientific attention as curcumin and resveratrol. Both are celebrated for their potent antioxidant properties, offering several health benefits.

However, one major challenge has limited their effectiveness: poor absorption in the body.

Enter liposomal technology, a cutting-edge delivery system that enhances bioavailability, ensuring these powerful compounds can reach where theyre needed most. Combining liposomal curcumin and resveratrol could be a game-changer for your health. (h/t to Healthline.com)

Curcumin: Natures golden antioxidant

Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, has been used for centuries in traditional medicine. (Related: Turmeric: How the golden spice stood the test of time.)

Modern research highlights its health-supporting properties, which include providing potent antioxidant protection.

Oxidative stress, caused by free radicals, has been linked to premature aging and serious health issues. Curcumin can neutralize free radicals and supports the normal activities of antioxidant enzymes, providing a double layer of defense against oxidative stress.

Unfortunately, curcumin is poorly absorbed by the body. Traditional supplements often require the addition of black pepper (piperine) or fats to enhance curcumin absorption.

Liposomal curcumin bypasses this issue by encapsulating the compound in tiny fat-like particles (liposomes), allowing it to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream up to 29 times more effectively than standard forms.

Resveratrol: the longevity antioxidant

Found in red wine, grapes and berries, resveratrol is another superstar antioxidant.

Resveratrol is known for supporting healthy blood circulation and protecting blood vessels from oxidative damage.

Resveratrol also helps combat oxidative stress and is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier. This allows it to protect neurons from damage caused by free radicals.

However, like curcumin, resveratrol suffers from poor bioavailability. Liposomal delivery ensures it can reach cells intact, maximizing resveratrol's protective effects.

Curcumin and resveratrol: a potent duo

To enjoy the benefits of both curcumin and resveratrol, it's best to combine them. When taken together, these two compounds create a synergistic effect:

Superior antioxidant defense  They can both neutralize different types of free radicals, reducing oxidative stress more effectively.

 They can both neutralize different types of free radicals, reducing oxidative stress more effectively. Supports healthy blood vessels and neurons  Thanks to curcumin and resveratrol's powerful natural properties, they can support healthy cells and blood vessels and help you maintain good overall health.

While generally safe, it is still recommended that you consult your healthcare provider before starting liposomal curcumin and resveratrol, especially if youre pregnant, nursing or taking blood thinners. Curcumin, in particular, may have mild blood-thinning effects.

Incorporating a liposomal curcumin and resveratrol supplement into your daily routine could be one of the easiest  and most effective  ways to harness natures most powerful antioxidants.

With enhanced absorption and proven health benefits, this dynamic duo offers a science-backed approach to vibrant, long-term wellness.

Where to find lab-verified Liposomal Curcumin + Resveratrol supplements

The Health Ranger Store is committed to helping you boost your intake of essential nutrients. Thats why were proud to introduce clean, lab-verified, healthy food options and supplements such as Liposomal Curcumin + Resveratrol in a highly bioavailable liquid format.

Groovy Bee Liposomal Curcumin + Resveratrol is one of the best supplements for supporting optimal overall health. Each one-teaspoon serving of our premium liposomal curcumin and resveratrol formula delivers roughly 200 milligrams (mg) of pure curcuminoids from turmeric root extract, and 75 mg of pure resveratrol from Japanese giant knotwood root.

Specially formulated for superior absorption, Groovy Bee Liposomal Curcumin + Resveratrol is non-GMO, made in the USA and extensively lab tested for glyphosate, heavy metals and microbiology.

Visit SupplementsReport.com to learn more about other supplements that can support your overall well-being. You can also visit Health Ranger Store and Brighteon Store for more clean food supplies and supplements for your daily needs.

Click on this link to learn more about key techniques for maintaining optimal brain health.

Watch this clip about Collagen Peptide Supplements and how they can support your overall well-being.

This video is from the Health Ranger Store channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

The secret to faster muscle recovery: Antioxidants like CURCUMIN.

Grapes: Versatile fruit with health benefits.

Bilberries: The wild blueberry powerhouse of antioxidants and flavor.

Enjoy a delicious cup of HOT COCOA, an energizing superfood bursting with antioxidants.

Sources include:

Healthline.com

Health.ClevelandClinic.org

HealthRangerStore.com 1

HealthRangerStore.com 2

HealthRangerStore.com 3

Brighteon.com
Scientists pioneer 3D-printed living skin, offering ethical alternative to animal testing

Researchers developed 3D-printed artificial human skin with living cells, offering a cruelty-free alternative to animal testing for cosmetics.

The bioengineered skin mimics natural tissue structure and maintains living cells for up to three weeks, a key milestone for reliability.

Specially formulated hydrogels enable cell growth, with a mild cross-linking method ensuring biocompatibility and stability.

The innovation could scale globally, with potential applications in drug testing, wound healing, and organ regeneration.

The breakthrough addresses ethical concerns, as over 500,000 animals die annually in cosmetic testing, with bans expanding worldwide.

In a groundbreaking advancement that could finally eliminate the controversial practice of animal testing for cosmetics, researchers from Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) in Austria and Indias Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) have developed a 3D-printed imitation of human skin embedded with living cells.

The innovation, which mimics the biomechanics of natural skin, could revolutionize the cosmetics industry by providing a cruelty-free, scientifically reliable testing method. Initial tests show promising results, with the bioengineered tissue maintaining living cells for up to three weeksa critical milestone in replacing animal models.

For decades, cosmetic companies have relied on animal testing to assess product safety, sparking ethical outrage and regulatory crackdowns. The European Unions Directive 2010/63/EU, which restricts animal testing for cosmetics, has intensified the search for humane alternatives. Now, this international research collaboration may have found the solutionone that aligns cutting-edge technology with ethical responsibility.

A three-layer breakthrough

The key to the innovation lies in specially formulated hydrogels, water-rich materials that provide an ideal environment for human skin cells to survive, grow, and multiply. Using 3D printing, scientists layer these hydrogels to replicate the three primary structures of human skin: the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis.

"The hydrogels for our skin imitation from the 3D printer have to fulfil a number of requirements," explains Karin Stana Kleinschek, a researcher at TU Grazs Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Biobased Systems. "The hydrogels must be able to interact with living skin cells. These cells not only have to survive, but also have to be able to grow and multiply."

Stabilizing these delicate structures without toxic chemicals posed a significant challenge. The team developed a mild cross-linking method  mimicking natural biological processes  to reinforce the hydrogels while keeping them biocompatible. Early tests confirmed the materials are non-toxic and mechanically stable, with cells thriving for two to three weeks  long enough to conduct rigorous cosmetic safety assessments.

An unsettling but necessary innovation

The idea of creating "living" skin in a lab may sound like science fiction  or even raise ethical concerns about bioengineering. But researchers argue that this application serves a vital moral purpose.

The teams findings, published in STAR Protocols, outline a cost-effective, customizable process that could scale globally. Manisha Sonthalia, a researcher at VIT, demonstrated the 3D-printing technique in video footage, showing hydrogel layers being precisely deposited to form skin-like scaffolds. These constructs, some arranged in checkered patterns, react to nanoparticles in cosmetics similarly to real human tissue.

While the breakthrough is promising, challenges remain. The artificial skin must consistently endure longer testing periods and replicate diverse skin types. Still, the implications extend beyond cosmetics. The same technology could advance drug testing, wound healing, and even organ regeneration.

Animal rights advocates have long decried the suffering inflicted by cosmetic testing. The Humane Society estimates that half a million animals  including rabbits, mice, and guinea pigs  die annually in such experiments, often subjected to painful procedures before being euthanized. Legislative bans are spreading, with 44 countries and 12 U.S. states restricting animal testing.

As the cosmetics industry faces mounting pressure to abandon animal testing, 3D-printed skin presents a viable  and ethically compelling  solution. While the technologys "living" aspect may unsettle some, its potential to spare countless animals from suffering is undeniable. With further refinement, this innovation could mark the beginning of the end for cruel and unnecessary testing practices, proving that scientific progress and compassion can go hand in hand.

Sources for this article include:

ScienceDaily.com

Independent.co.uk

PopSci.com
Deep State bureaucrats defy Trumps DEI crackdown with secret rebranding scheme

Federal employees at NASA and the State Department are circumventing Trump's ban on DEI programs by renaming them (e.g., calling them "multicultural activities") while keeping the same objectives.

Project Veritas released footage showing employees openly discussing these tactics, revealing deliberate defiance of presidential directives.

Employees admitted to evading restrictions by altering terminology  such as replacing "climate change" with "natural hazards"  to secure funding and avoid scrutiny.

The report highlights a broader culture of unaccountability, where agencies treat executive orders as optional and prioritize ideological agendas over policy compliance.

The revelations raise concerns about undisclosed defiance in other areas, undermining democratic accountability and taxpayer expectations of transparency.

Federal employees at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of State are bypassing President Donald Trump's ban on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives by rebranding the latter.

Project Veritas shined a light on this scheme through undercover footage it posted on Tuesday, April 1. The footage featured two federal employees openly bragging their agency's efforts to undermine Trump's reforms to an undercover journalist. This reveals a disturbing pattern of deliberate insubordination, and proves that the Deep State will stop at nothing to preserve its ideological grip on the federal government.

Foreign Service Officer Anthony Abate, caught on hidden camera, admitted that defiance of Trump's DEI bans is as simple as playing word games. "They canceled DEI stuff, but people just did it and called it something else," he told the undercover journalist. "Work around the rules  just change the word, but it means the same thing."

Abate predicted that the same strategy utilized during Trump's first term would be deployed again in his second term. Under this strategy, agencies would relabel DEI initiatives as "multicultural activities" to evade scrutiny. Stunned by the brazenness of the scheme, the undercover journalist could not help but call it "genius"  a testament to the bureaucratic cunning of Washington's entrenched swamp.

Meanwhile, NASA climate scientist Renato Braghiere revealed a similar tactic being used to bypass restrictions on politically charged terminology. "They don't like that term [climate change], they don't believe that and they're probably not going to fund any of that," he admitted.

But Braghiere shared his solution to the problem  rebranding. One example he gave to the undercover journalist was rebranding the term "climate change" to natural hazards.

DEI deception: The Swamp strikes back

The revelations from Abbate and Braghiere underscore a fundamental truth. Trump's efforts to dismantle DEI and refocus the government on merit-based policies are being systematically undermined by an unaccountable bureaucracy.

The president signed several executive orders on his first day back in office that explicitly banned federal funding for DEI programs. Such programs, Trump pointed out, are divisive and discriminatory. Yet as Project Veritas has exposed, agencies are treating these directives as mere suggestions and exploiting linguistic loopholes to keep their preferred policies alive. (Related: Trump signs executive order eliminating funding for schools and colleges with DEI policies.)

The implications are alarming. If federal employees feel empowered to openly defy presidential orders  bragging about their deception to undercover journalists  what else are they hiding? The footage suggests a culture of contempt for accountability, where career bureaucrats view themselves as the true stewards of government, regardless of who sits in the Oval Office.

Neither NASA nor the State Department has responded to the Project Veritas expose, leaving the public to wonder how widespread these subversive tactics truly are. If agencies are willing to deceive the administration on DEI and climate policy, what other directives are being ignored or manipulated behind closed doors?

The Deep State's defiance is not just an affront to the Trump administration  it's a betrayal of the American people. Taxpayers fund these agencies with the expectation that they will execute the policies of their elected leaders, not smuggle in forbidden initiatives through bureaucratic wordplay.

Project Veritas has peeled back the curtain on this shadowy resistance, but the real question remains: Will there be consequences for those caught red-handed, or will the Swamp creatures continue to operate with impunity?

One thing is clear  the battle for control of the federal government is far from over. And if these bureaucrats have their way, no executive order, no matter how forcefully written, will ever be enough to drain the Swamp.

Watch this video explaining how DEI is fascism in disguise.

This video is from the America at War channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Education Department places 55 employees on paid leave as part of Trump administration's efforts to dismantle DEI initiatives.

Trump administration gives schools 14 days to scrap DEI policies or lose federal funding.

Pentagon 'scrambling,' wiping evidence of DEI as Trump prepares to fire woke generals.

Sources include:

YourNews.com

ProjectVeritas.com

WhiteHouse.gov

Brighteon.com
FSB foils Ukrainian terror plot targeting Russian military cadets, exposes Kievs covert war against Russia

Russian FSB thwarts bomb attack planned against military cadets near Moscow

The suspect, a Russian serviceman recruited by Ukrainian intelligence, was arrested while retrieving explosives from a dead drop

Ukraines involvement in terrorism against Russia escalates as Kiev refuses peace negotiations, dragging Europe toward all-out war

Arrest follows earlier FSB interception of Ukrainian-sponsored letter bombs disguised as perfume

Arrest exposes Ukraines terrorism campaign

In yet another brazen escalation of its covert war against Russia, Ukraines intelligence services attempted to orchestrate a deadly terrorist attack on Russian military cadets  only to be foiled by the vigilance of Russias Federal Security Service (FSB). On Friday, the FSB announced the arrest of a Russian serviceman, recruited by Kievs Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR), as he attempted to retrieve explosives intended to blow up a dormitory housing cadets in the Moscow Region. The incident confirms Ukraines reckless strategy of terrorism rather than diplomacy, as Kiev continues to drag the world toward a catastrophic conflict.

Footage released by the FSB shows the moment agents apprehended the suspect near a remote wooded area in Moscow Region. The serviceman, whose identity has not been disclosed, was caught hauling plastic explosives from a concealed cache  components meant for a devastating attack on young military cadets. The suspect admitted his guilt and confirmed his recruitment by Ukrainian intelligence, the FSB stated. Investigators also recovered encrypted messages detailing his communications with a Ukrainian handler, further implicating Kiev in a deliberate campaign of terror.

This is not the first time Ukrainian operatives have attempted to strike inside Russia through subterfuge. Just last month, the FSB uncovered a network mailing disguised explosive devices as perfume gifts to Russian servicemen and government employees  devices rigged to detonate upon opening. The fact that Kiev resorts to such cowardly tactics, rather than engaging in honest conflict or peace talks, speaks volumes about the decay of Western-backed leadership in Ukraine.

Escalation or desperation? Kievs terrorism is a policy failure

The detained serviceman, a 49-year-old Russian Defense Ministry officer, reportedly admitted that his Ukrainian handlers promised to evacuate his children to the West as payment for the attack. Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko confirmed that the man was part of a terror cell actively collaborating with GUR operatives via social media. This revelation follows a disturbing trend: Ukraine, unable to secure battlefield victories, now resorts to recruiting Russian citizens to commit atrocities within their own country  acts of desperation mirroring the worst excesses of CIA-backed destabilization campaigns.

Historical precedent warns of what comes next. The Wests blind support for Kiev echoes the reckless brinkmanship that once plunged Europe into world wars. The relentless push to expand NATO  despite warnings from Moscow  has forced Russia into a defensive posture, recognizing that Ukraine is but a proxy in a larger strategy to encircle and weaken Russia. By refusing negotiations while escalating terror attacks, Zelenskys regime makes clear its ambitions are not peace, but perpetual war.

Who wins when terror becomes a strategy of war?

The recent thwarted terror plot against Russian military cadets, orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence, underscores the escalating desperation and recklessness of Kievs regime. As the FSB continues to expose and dismantle these covert operations, it becomes increasingly clear that Ukraine, propped up by Western support, is resorting to state-sponsored terrorism. This shift from conventional warfare to clandestine attacks on civilians and military personnel highlights the futility of continued conflict and the potential for broader destabilization in Europe. The international community must confront the reality that enabling such tactics only prolongs suffering and pushes the region closer to a catastrophic all-out war.

As the FSB continues dismantling Ukrainian terror cells, one must ask: When does resistance become outright state-sponsored terrorism? And how long will Western powers continue funding and arming a regime that targets students and civilians? The world watches as Ukraines war machine expands beyond battlefields into shadowy acts of sabotage, pushing Russia  and the world  toward a conflict with no clear end.

Sources include:

RT.com

Tass.com

RT.com
The revolution begins: HHS mass layoffs are a necessary purge of government bloat

HHS is cutting 10,000 employees, targeting agencies like the FDA, CDC and NIH, as part of an effort to reduce bureaucratic bloat and improve efficiency.

HHS is linked to scandals, including funding gain-of-function research tied to the Wuhan lab, raising concerns about accountability and transparency.

Democrats in 23 states are suing to block the cuts, while bipartisan senators demand answers from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the restructurings impact.

Though layoffs disrupt lives and public health programs (e.g., tobacco cessation, mental health), the administration frames them as necessary to refocus HHS on disease prevention and fiscal responsibility.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), long a bastion of unchecked government spending and bureaucratic excess, is undergoing a dramatic transformation. On Tuesday, April 1, the first stage of cuts began, with 10,000 employees slated to be fired in the coming weeks. The establishment media has been quick to paint this as a tragedy, with heart-wrenching stories of "public servants" losing their jobs. But the reality is far more complex, and the cuts are a critical step in rebuilding a government that is more efficient, accountable and focused on the real needs of the American people.

A monstrous bureaucracy in need of reform

The HHS currently employs around 82,000 people, with an average income of around $100,000 plus benefits. The majority of these employees are not doctors or scientists making groundbreaking discoveries; they are pencil pushers and social workers. The agency?s annual budget is a staggering 1.8 trillion, accounting for about 20% of all federal spending. This is a sum so large that it is almost impossible to track where all the money goes. It is a monstrosity, and it is high time for a change.

A troubled history of mismanagement and scandal

One of the most significant issues with the HHS is its involvement in controversial and potentially dangerous research. The agency was partly responsible for funding gain-of-function research by EcoHealth Alliance, in conjunction with projects run by Dr. Peter Daszak and Dr. Anthony Fauci at the NIH. This research reportedly led to the creation of human-transmissible coronaviruses at the Wuhan Level 4 Virology Lab, the ground zero of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not the only scandal, but it is a stark reminder of the risks of unchecked government power and the need for transparency and accountability.

A new era of accountability and efficiency

The cuts are expected to hit the FDA, CDC and NIH hard, with the FDA losing 3,500 employees, the CDC losing 2,400 and the NIH losing 1,200. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new HHS Secretary, has been clear about his intentions. "The revolution begins today!" he wrote on social media, celebrating the swearing-in of his new hires. He later added, "Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs, but the department needs to be recalibrated to emphasize disease prevention."

The firestorm of opposition

Democrats in at least 23 states are taking action to sue the Trump administration over the budget cuts and layoffs. In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, they are seeking a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief to halt the funding cuts. However, the civil suits are unlikely to make much difference, just as they failed to stop the cuts to USAID. The HHS, under Kennedy's leadership, is expected to undergo unprecedented changes in the coming months, with a level of accountability the institution has never faced before.

The impact on public health programs

The cuts are expected to have far-reaching impacts on public health programs. Programs focused on tobacco addiction, mental health and workplace safety are among those hardest hit. Some layoffs have already begun, with employees lining up outside HHS offices to find out if they still have a job. Kevin Caron, a health scientist at the CDC, lost his job just weeks before his wife is due to give birth. "It's absolutely a loss in security, financial security, the ability to be around and be a parent, because I need to look for another job," he said.

A bipartisan call for answers

The sweeping changes have also prompted a bipartisan request from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for Kennedy to testify about the changes at a hearing next week, titled "An Update on the Restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services." Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) penned a letter to Kennedy, expressing their concerns. Cassidy, a physician, has been especially vocal, calling on Kennedy to provide a detailed explanation of the goals, structure and benefits of the proposed reorganization.

A necessary overhaul for a better future

While the immediate impact of these layoffs is significant, the long-term benefits could be profound. By cutting through the layers of bureaucracy and focusing on essential health services, the HHS can become a more effective and responsive agency. The Trump administration's commitment to ending chronic disease and making America healthy again is a noble goal, and these cuts are a necessary step in that direction.

A brighter future for American public health

The mass layoffs at the HHS are not a tragedy but a necessary purge of government bloat and corruption. The American people deserve a government that is transparent, accountable and focused on their real needs. The changes being implemented by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are a step in the right direction, and while they may be painful in the short term, they are essential for a brighter and healthier future for all Americans.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

ABCNews.com

Yahoo.com
UN probes ICCs Karim Khan over retaliation claims amid sexual misconduct scandal

UN investigates ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan for alleged retaliation against staff who reported his sexual misconduct.

Khan denies the allegations, calling them a misinformation campaign linked to his high-profile cases.

Probe expands to examine claims of demotions and harassment against whistleblowers.

Khans aggressive ICC prosecutions (Netanyahu, Putin) have drawn sanctions and political backlash.

Human rights groups warn of conflict of interest in the UN-led investigation due to Khans wifes past role.

The United Nations has widened its investigation into International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, examining claims he retaliated against at least four staff members who reported allegations of his sexual misconduct. Khan, who has spearheaded explosive investigations into the Israel-Gaza war and Russias actions in Ukraine, has dismissed the allegations as part of a misinformation campaign. But sources say the UNs Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) is now scrutinizing whether Khan demoted employees who raised concerns about his behavior. The scandal unfolds as Khans office remains embroiled in high-stakes cases that have drawn sanctions from the U.S. and fierce criticism from global powers.

Allegations of retaliation and denials

According to Reuters, the UN probe initially focused on claims that Khan sexually harassed a female subordinate but has since expanded to include reports that he marginalized colleagues who exposed or questioned his conduct. Staff members allege they faced demotions and other retaliatory measures after speaking up  a charge Khans legal team vehemently denies.

He has not engaged in sexual misconduct of any kind and nor, to be clear, has he engaged in any retaliatory behavior as alleged, Khans lawyers stated. They also emphasized his intent to cooperate fully and transparently with the investigation. However, three sources familiar with the UN inquiry told Reuters the probe remains active, with witnesses citing concerns over possible reprisals for their testimony.

Khan has dismissed the timing of the allegations as suspicious, linking them to his pursuit of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. The move prompted U.S. sanctions against Khan in February, freezing his American assets and banning his entry to the country.

A prosecutor under fire

The ICC, tasked with prosecuting war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity, has long faced resistance from major powers like the U.S., Russia, and China, which reject its jurisdiction. But Khans tenure has been particularly contentious, marked by aggressive indictments against global figures  including Russian President Vladimir Putin  and accusations of political bias.

Some observers suggest the misconduct allegations could be weaponized by Khans adversaries. Yet critics argue the UN investigation raises legitimate concerns about workplace culture at the court. A 2020 internal review found widespread fear among staff reporting misconduct, and a 2024 survey revealed 30% of employees experienced harassment or discrimination in the past year.

Complicating the probe is the selection of the UNs OIOS to lead it  an agency where Khans wife previously worked. Human rights groups, including the International Federation for Human Rights, warned of potential conflicts of interest and called for Khans suspension during the inquiry. UN officials have not publicly addressed these concerns.

Khans defenders argue the allegations are an attempt to derail his high-profile cases and tarnish his reputation, but others insist accountability is overdue and that there is a pattern of protecting senior officials.

As the UN inquiry progresses, Khans legacy hangs in the balance. The outcome could either bolster claims of a smear campaign or confirm systemic issues within one of the worlds most scrutinized legal institutions. For now, the ICC continues its divisive prosecutions, even as its top prosecutor fights allegations that threaten to overshadow its mission.

Sources for this article include:

RT.com

Reuters.com

APNews.com
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A new study  just published in Nursing Research  has uncovered concerning disparities in patient outcomes, specifically related to nursing care, within hospitals that predominantly serve Black communities. The research, which analyzed data from over 3,000 hospitals across the United States, reveals that these Black-serving hospitals (BSHs) exhibit significantly higher rates of specific adverse patient events.

The study from Penn Nursing's Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR), utilizing data from 2019 to 2022, examined four key nursing-sensitive indicators: pressure ulcers, perioperative pulmonary embolus/deep vein thrombosis, postoperative sepsis, and "failure to rescue," which refers to death following serious surgical complications. These distressing, uncomfortable, or grave conditions are directly influenced by nursing care. Their occurrence can affect a patient's ability to go home, their comfort during recovery, and their overall healing process. Researchers categorized hospitals into high, medium, and low BSHs based on the percentage of Black patients they served.

The findings painted a stark picture. While the overall average rates for these indicators were 0.59 for pressure ulcers, 3.38 for perioperative pulmonary embolus/deep vein thrombosis, 4.12 for sepsis, and 143.58 for failure to rescue, the study revealed a significant divergence when comparing BSH categories.

We observed a clear trend. Hospitals serving a higher proportion of Black patients demonstrated significantly elevated rates of pressure ulcers, postoperative sepsis, and perioperative pulmonary embolus/deep vein thrombosis." Eileen T. Lake, PhD, RN, FAAN, lead-author, the Edith Clemmer Steinbright Professor in Gerontology; Professor of Nursing in the Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences; and Associate Director of CHOPR

The failure-to-rescue rates did not show significant differences across the BSH categories.

The study, encompassing 3,101 predominantly urban, non-teaching hospitals, also revealed a paradox: BSHs were more likely to have Magnet designation, a recognition of nursing excellence, than other hospitals (14% vs. 12%). This suggests that despite potential strengths in nursing infrastructure, patient outcomes remain compromised in BSHs.

These findings underscore the urgent need to address systemic factors contributing to these disparities. Further research is crucial to understand the underlying mechanisms, particularly the relationship between nursing resources, such as staffing and the work environment, and patient outcomes in these hospitals. The researchers emphasized that the poorer nursing-sensitive indicators observed in high BSHs and previously documented poorer nurse staffing necessitate immediate policy and management interventions.

Co-authors include Celsea Tibbitt, PhD, RN, John F. Rizzo MSN, CRNP, FNP-BC, and Christin Iroegbu, PhD, RN, all Postdoctoral Fellows (Tibbitt; Iroegbu) or former Predoctoral Fellow (Rizzo) at the University of Pennsylvania; Jessica G. Smith, PhD, RN, Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington; Douglas O. Staiger, PhD, John Sloan Dickey Third Century Professor at Dartmouth College; and Jeannette A. Rogowski, PhD, Professor at The Pennsylvania State University. The research was supported by a grant of T32NR007104 from the National Institutes of Health.
In a federally funded study, researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) found that 7% of Medicare patients cross state borders for cancer care, and rates were nearly double for those who lived in rural areas. This has important implications for telehealth policies and physician licensure, says Tracy Onega, PhD, MA, MPAS, MS, senior author of the study, senior director of population sciences at Huntsman Cancer Institute, and professor of population sciences at the U. A key research priority at Huntsman Cancer Institute is working to enhance access to care for cancer patients who live far from a major medical center.

Cancer patients, especially in rural areas, often travel far distances to receive specialized cancer care. But there are limitations on how physicians can follow up with their patients and practice across state lines, virtually, with telehealth. We can use the data from this study to inform policy and practices in order to remove this kind barrier to health care." Tracy Onega, PhD, MA, MPAS, MS, senior author of the study, senior director of population sciences at Huntsman Cancer Institute, and professor of population sciences at the U

The team-whose research results were published in JAMA Network Open-surveyed over 1 million Medicare beneficiaries with cancer. For patients enrolled in the federal health insurance program, designed to cover health care for Americans over 65, they found that 8.3% of all cancer patients crossed state lines for surgical procedures, 6.7% for radiation therapy, and 5.6% for chemotherapy.

Those figures were much higher for rural patients. Among this population, 18.5% traveled to other states for surgery, 16.9% for radiation therapy, and 16.3% for chemotherapy.

Onega says telemedicine, the delivery of health-related care through virtual conversations with a health care professional, can't replace these types of services provided in a clinical setting. Instead, she says telemedicine can fill in gaps in cancer treatment.

"Patients are traveling across state lines for specialized cancer treatment services that need to be done in a brick-and-mortar clinic-but surgical assessment and follow-ups could be offered by telehealth. A surgeon can follow patients remotely, and they can assess their progress from a distance," says Onega. "This would reduce additional travel burdens for all patients and their caregivers, especially those in rural and frontier areas."

Telehealth in cancer care can also be used to manage treatment-related side effects, clinical trial check-ins, and prevention services.

Onega says access to this service is particularly important for Huntsman Cancer Institute, whose clinicians provide comprehensive cancer care to five largely rural Mountain West states: Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Many patients travel far distances to access health care, in particular the kind of specialized care that's needed for cancer treatment.

The use of telemedicine in health care has boomed since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 37% of adults over the age of 18 were found to have used telehealth in 2022.

But stumbling blocks remain. The practice of medicine is governed by individual state medical boards and the cross-state licensure policies vary by state. Some states have more favorable telehealth policies, encouraging connected care regardless of location, while others have retained decades-old policies predating telehealth technologies. Unfortunately, for many rural patients, antiquated medical licensure governance prohibits their providers from engaging with them through telehealth.

"Some states have reciprocity, meaning that a doctor licensed in Utah may also be automatically licensed in the next state over. But that is limited," says Onega. "It would be great to expand those options so that we don't have so many of these barriers for physicians to be able to provide services across state lines by telehealth."

Onega says an altered policy could mean better outcomes for patients, their caregivers, provider teams, and insurers.

"The patients are always first. We have so many improvements in cancer care technologies now, many of which are benefiting patient outcomes. People are living longer and better lives after a cancer diagnosis," says Onega. "We want to make sure that people who live far away from an urban area can have all the same benefits."

The research described in this release is supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute including P30 CA042014, and Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
Are Banks Open Or Closed Today, April 5? Check Bank Holiday List For This Month

Reported By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 06:35 IST

Are Banks Open Today, April 5? Banks will remain open today across the country, except Hyderabad-Telangana.

Banks remain closed on second and last Saturdays of the month.

Are Banks Open Today, April 5? If you are planning to visit your bank branch, it is necessary to check the holiday list for banks. Today, April 5, being Saturday necessitates even more to check the holiday list as banks remain closed on second and last Saturdays of the month. Banks will remain open today across the country, except Hyderabad-Telangana, as April 5 is the first Saturday of the month, which is the working day for banks.

Bank branches remain closed on a number of bank holidays approved by the RBI. As per the standard banking schedule, all banksboth public and privateacross India remain closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month.

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Are Banks Open Today And Tomorrow?

Today (April 5), both public and private banks will remain open for public as a usual working day. The timing depends upon the individual bank. However, banks only in Hyderabad  Telangana will remain closed today on account of Babu Jagjivan Rams Birthday.

Tomorrow (April 6), the banks will remain closed across the country as it is a Sunday. Banks remain closed on every Sunday.

Customers can visit bank branches today, except Hyderabad-Telangana. However, they can access banking services through ATMs, mobile banking apps, and online banking platforms for essential transactions across the country irrespective of the bank holidays.

Timings of Banks on Saturdays?

Banks remain open on first and third Saturdays as usual.

Most major banks in India, including SBI, Bank of India, and Punjab National Bank, operate between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M., while ICICI, HDFC, Axis, Yes Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank usually function from 9:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. or 3:30 P.M., depending on the branch. Bank of Baroda has slightly extended hours, operating between 9:45 A.M. and 4:45 P.M. or 10 A.M. to 5 P.M., and Canara Bank typically works from 10 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.

Bank Holidays List For April 2025  State-Wise

Banks will remain closed for up to 15 days in April 2025 due to public holidays, including the second and fourth Saturdays and Sundays. Customers are advised to be aware of these holidays in advance to avoid any inconvenience with banking services.

Heres The Full List Of Bank Holidays In April 2025:

Holiday Day of the Week April 1  Year-end Bank Closing/Sarhul Tuesday April 5  Babu Jagjivan Rams Birthday Saturday April 10  Mahavir Jayanti Thursday April 14  Ambedkar Jayanti/Vishu/Bohag Bihu/Tamil New Year Monday April 15  Bengali New Years Day/Himachal Day/Bohag Bihu Tuesday April 16  Bohag Bihu Wednesday April 18  Good Friday Friday April 21  Garia Puja Monday April 29  Bhagwan Shri Parshuram Jayanti Tuesday April 30  Basava Jayanti/Akshaya Tritiya Wednesday

State-wise Bank Holidays in April 2025

State/City Holidays in April 2025 Agartala (Tripura) April 1, 14, 15, 18 Ahmedabad (Gujarat) April 1, 10, 14, 18 Aizawl (Mizoram) April 10, 16 Belapur (Maharashtra) April 1, 10, 14, 18 Bengaluru (Karnataka) April 1, 10, 14, 18, 30 Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) April 1, 10, 18 Bhubaneswar (Odisha) April 1, 14, 18 Chandigarh (Punjab & Haryana) April 1, 14 Chennai (Tamil Nadu) April 1, 10, 14, 18 Dehradun (Uttarakhand) April 1, 14, 18 Gangtok (Sikkim) April 1, 14, 18 Guwahati (Assam) April 1, 14, 15, 16 Hyderabad  Andhra Pradesh April 1, 14, 18 Hyderabad  Telangana April 1, 5, 14, 18 Imphal (Manipur) April 1, 14, 18 Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) April 1, 15, 16 Jaipur (Rajasthan) April 1, 10, 14 Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir) April 1, 14 Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) April 1, 10, 14, 18 Kochi (Kerala) April 1, 14, 18 Kohima (Nagaland) April 1, 18 Kolkata (West Bengal) April 1, 10, 14, 15, 16, 18 Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) April 1, 10, 14, 18 Mumbai (Maharashtra) April 1, 10, 14, 18 Nagpur (Maharashtra) April 1, 10, 14, 18 New Delhi (Delhi) April 1, 10, 18 Panaji (Goa) April 1, 14, 18 Patna (Bihar) April 1, 14, 18 Raipur (Chhattisgarh) April 10, 18 Ranchi (Jharkhand) April 1, 10, 14, 18 Shillong (Meghalaya) April 18 Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) April 15, 30 Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) April 1, 14 Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) April 1, 14, 18

Stock Market Holiday April 2025

Stock market will be closed for 11 days in April including Saturdays and Sundays. Along with these, market will be shut for three public holidays:

April 10 (Thursday)  Shri Mahavir Jayanti

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April 14 (Monday)  Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti

April 18 (Friday)  Good Friday

About the Author Mohammad Haris Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to markets, economy and companies. Having a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris has been previously asso... Read More Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to markets, economy and companies. Having a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris has been previously asso... Read More

First Published: April 05, 2025, 06:35 IST
Columbia Student Exposes Big Tech Hiring Flaws with AI Tool, Gets Expelled After Going Viral

Curated By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 17:00 IST

An AI tool developed by Columbia student Roy Lee helped him ace coding interviews and land internships at big tech companies.

He says he used an AI program to get internships at Amazon, Meta and TikTok. (Photo Credits: X/@BaptisteVicini)

A Columbia University student has said that he used an AI tool he created to help students successfully cheat during their coding interviews to land summer internships at tech behemoths like Amazon, Meta, TikTok, and more. An invisible program called Interview Coder was developed by Roy Lee to help students pass LeetCode interviews, which include algorithmic and coding challenges.

Baptiste Vicini, a tech entrepreneur and API pioneer, recently posted some insider information on X (previously Twitter) about how a 21-year-old student earned $170,000 each month trolling" Silicon Valley.

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This is Roy Lee. He is an undergrad student who just got EXPELLED from Columbia. Not for cheating on exams. But for EXPOSING Big Techs hiring secrets. Heres how a 21-year-old made $170K/month trolling" Silicon Valley," his lengthy post begins.

This is Roy Lee.He is an undergrad student who just got EXPELLED from Columbia. Not for cheating on exams. But for EXPOSING Big Tech's hiring secrets. Here's how a 21-year-old made $170K/month "trolling" Silicon Valley: pic.twitter.com/AGURkOPpoJ  Baptiste (@BaptisteVicini) April 4, 2025

Meet Chungin Roy" Lee. 600 miserable hours of practising LeetCode (techs most brutal coding interview prep platform) almost made him quit programming forever. But instead of giving up, he had an idea that would expose Silicon Valleys biggest weakness," this post added.

Meet Chungin "Roy" Lee.600 miserable hours practicing LeetCode (tech's most brutal coding interview prep platform) almost made him quit programming forever. But instead of giving up, he had an idea that would expose Silicon Valley's biggest weakness pic.twitter.com/Y0nOVM1r83  Baptiste (@BaptisteVicini) April 4, 2025

Roy Lee invented Interview Coder, an AI assistant that is unobtrusive and capable of instantly resolving any coding issue. The part about genius? The software for screen recording was unable to identify it. Surprisingly, Lee wasnt finished, though. Something crazy was about to happen to him.

He created Interview Coder  an invisible AI assistant that could solve any coding problem in real-time.The genius part? Screen recording software couldn't detect it. But Lee wasn't done. He was about to do something insane pic.twitter.com/XQSG9ujOtT  Baptiste (@BaptisteVicini) April 4, 2025

He went after the worlds largest tech firms: TikTok, Meta, and Amazon. Four interviews and 96 hours later? Each one offered him a position.

He targeted the biggest tech companies in the world: Amazon Meta TikTok96 hours and 4 interviews later? Every single one offered him a job. Then came the plot twist  Baptiste (@BaptisteVicini) April 4, 2025

Lee rejected their proposals. His true purpose? It was to show the true state of tech hirings dysfunction. To demonstrate how he deceived them all, he posted the interview video on YouTube. After 1 lakh views, Silicon Valley blew up.

Lee didn't want their offers.His real mission? Expose how broken tech hiring really is. So he uploaded the interview footage to YouTube, showing exactly how he fooled them all. 100,000 views later, Silicon Valley exploded pic.twitter.com/dbEsGixbRA  Baptiste (@BaptisteVicini) April 4, 2025

Executives at Amazon went crazy. They sent Columbia University a frantic email regarding Lees disturbing" behaviour. All corporate offers were immediately withdrawn.

Amazon executives lost their minds.They fired off a desperate email to Columbia about Lee's "disturbing" behavior. Every offer for the corporate world got pulled instantly. His response? https://t.co/Qo7Lfmh0ea  Baptiste (@BaptisteVicini) April 4, 2025

In the meantime, Lee earned $170K in a single month, and Interview Coder expanded by 50 per cent per week. The tool that reveals the flaws in Big Techs system? It was growing into an empire worth millions of dollars. But there were repercussions.

First, Columbia University suspended him for a week. The disciplinary board of the university determined that he was responsible for facilitating academic dishonesty." Lee, however, didnt leave quietly. He uploaded pictures of university employees to the internet and leaked tapes of his disciplinary hearings.

First came a week-long suspension from Columbia.The university's disciplinary board found him "responsible for facilitating academic dishonesty." But Lee didn't go quietly. He shared recordings of his disciplinary hearings and posted photos of university staff online. pic.twitter.com/1RP8E2bbeT  Baptiste (@BaptisteVicini) April 4, 2025

How did Columbia University react? A suspension of one year. However, Lee wasnt even bothered by it. His reaction to going viral? Update: I got kicked out!". In any case, he had no intention of returning to Colombia. Traditional paths already didnt matter to him.

Lees logic was bulletproof: Everyone programs nowadays with the help of AI. It doesnt make sense to have an interview format that assumes otherwise." One week of coding exposed decades of outdated practices," Baptiste Vicinis lengthy thread also added.

Lee's logic was bulletproof:"Everyone programs nowadays with the help of AI. It doesn't make sense to have an interview format that assumes otherwise." One week of coding exposed decades of outdated practices. But this revolution was already brewing  Baptiste (@BaptisteVicini) April 4, 2025

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Despite being specifically instructed not to, 80 per cent of students are reportedly already using AI in coding assessments. Big tech firms like Anthropic, Deloitte, and Google were thinking about drastically changing their employment practices.

Vicinis tweet claims that Lee has already enlisted viral creators to assist with Interview Coders marketing. In addition, he is working on an enigmatic new project. Where will Lee go next? San Francisco. At the age of 21, he decided to pursue entrepreneurship instead of corporate America.

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 05, 2025, 17:00 IST
What Should Indian Investors Do Amid US Recession Fears? Experts Share Tips As Tariff War Escalates

Reported By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 13:12 IST

Analysts say 'this market environment is ideal for starting investments through SIPs in mutual funds'. On sectors, they say investors should avoid IT, metal and other cyclical sectors; and focus on FMCG, finance, and pharma.

After the 'reciprocal tariffs' imposed by US President Donald Trump across countries, analysts expect the US economic to fall into recession.

Even as fears of a recession in the US economy deepens amid tariff war, analysts advise Indian investors to remain cautious and not panic. They said this market environment is ideal for starting investments through SIPs in mutual funds. For stock-specific investors, the analysts said they should avoid IT and metals as of now and focus on FMCG, pharma and finance as these sectors are showing relative strength.

Amid ongoing fears of a recession, Indian investors are advised to stay cautious but not panic. Its important to maintain a balanced approach in the current market scenario," said Swapnil Aggarwal, director of VSRK Capital.

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US President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed reciprocal tariffs across countries, including 27 per cent on India, on the majority of goods coming into the US, from April 9. Following this, analysts expect the US economic to fall into recession.

US Recession Fears: What Should Indian Investors Do?

Analysts advise Indian investors to remain cautious, not panic, during the current market environment. They suggest that sectors such as IT and metal should be avoided as of now amid the US recession fears.

VSRK Capitals Swapnil Aggarwal said it is prudent for Indian investors to avoid sectors such as IT, metals, and other cyclical stocks for now, as they may remain under pressure.

Focus should be directed towards sectors like FMCG, pharma, and finance, which are currently showing relative strength and resilience, he added.

For long-term diversification, Nifty Junior (Nifty Next 50) and Nifty ETFs are good options, although they may witness some short-term volatility. This market environment is ideal for starting investments through SIPs in mutual funds, which can help navigate volatility and build wealth steadily over time," Swapnil said.

Vinod Nair, head of research, Geojit Investments Ltd, also said that after the imposition of higher-than-anticipated tariffs by the US, sectors like IT and metals have underperformed relative to the broader market, reflecting growing concerns over the outlook for the US economy and potential retaliatory trade actions by other countries.

Investors are expected to closely monitor any countermeasures implemented by global trade partners, which could further exacerbate geopolitical and economic uncertainty," Nair added.

Jitendra Sriram, senior fund manager at Baroda BNP Paribas Mutual Fund, said, We may not see tone down of earnings as a direct impact of tariffs given that the potential industries/companies may not be significant index components, but second order impact on account of slower economic growth in USA itself cannot be ruled out."

The second order impact will weigh on sentiment in areas like IT services. These are likely to be more driven by the trend on discretionary spending in the US hereon, he said.

The tariffs are negative on the margin with incremental negatives emerging on industrial / equipment exports, chemicals, textiles and fisheries potentially," Sriram added.

The way we would approach this is to look at sectors that are more domestic facing versus those that are more export facing. However, there are certain sectors such as energy (oil marketing companies) which are positively impacted by areas such as softer crude, he said.

After the US tariff impositions, Indian markets came under heavy pressure and declined by nearly one and a half per cent, largely weighed down by weak global cues. After two days of lackluster movement, the Nifty on Friday slipped below its key support level of 23,100 in early trade and continued to drift lower, eventually settling at 22,904.45. Most sectors witnessed significant pressure, with metals, pharma, and energy being the worst performers. The broader indices, which had outperformed in the previous sessions, saw a sharp correction, plunging between 3% and 4%.

The Trump Tariffs & US Recession Fears

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed reciprocal tariffs across countries, including 27 per cent on India, on the majority of goods coming into the US, from April 9.

Though the pharma sector has so far been left out from tariffs, Trump has hinted at possible trade measures on the sector saying, Pharma is going to start coming in at, I think, a level that you havent really seen before".

Following the tariff announcements, analysts expect the US economy to face recession. JPMorgan Chase & Co said it expects the US economy to fall into a recession this year following the tariffs announced the Trump administrations.

We now expect real GDP to contract under the weight of the tariffs, and for the full year (4Q/4Q) we now look for real GDP growth of -0.3%, down from 1.3% previously," the banks chief US economist, Michael Feroli, said Friday in a note to clients, referring to gross domestic product. The forecasted contraction in economic activity is expected to depress hiring and over time to lift the unemployment rate to 5.3%," Feroli said.

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Importantly, following Trumps tariff announcements, China has also announced a retaliatory 34 per cent tariffs on US imports, effective April 10.

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: The views and investment tips by experts in this News18.com report are their own and not those of the website or its management. Users are advised to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

About the Author Mohammad Haris Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to markets, economy and companies. Having a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris has been previously asso... Read More Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to markets, economy and companies. Having a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris has been previously asso... Read More

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First Published: April 05, 2025, 10:29 IST
Life Comes A Full Circle For Angry Young Man Annamalai But Hes Here To Stay

Reported By :

News18.com Edited By: Apoorva Misra



Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 12:43 IST

Before his resignation, Annamalai is believed to have been "made to understand" the nuanced situation which required a new BJP chief who can work with a fresh slate with AIADMK and is from a different but equally significant caste than Gounder

Annamalai once flogged himself six times outside his residence in Coimbatore to take down all the evil, referring to an incident of sexual assault of a 19-year-old student at Anna University. (PTI)

The politically inevitable has happened in poll-bound Tamil Nadu where K Annamalai stepped down on Friday, clearing the road for an alliance between BJP and AIADMK, which was rocked because of the charismatic state BJP president.

After a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami is speculated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Tamil Nadu when he is scheduled to inaugurate the Pamban railway bridge off the Rameswaram coast.

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Life seems to have come a full political circle for Annamalai who, flanked by his close associates in Coimbatore, announced that he is not in the race for the southern states BJP chief.

There is no contest in Tamil Nadu BJP, we will select a leader unanimously. But I am not in the race. I am not in the BJP state leadership race," said the former cop. Election is due for Tamil Nadu BJPs organisation ahead of election of the BJPs national president.

THE ANGRY, YOUNG MAN

Annamalai, the aggressive face of BJP in a state where it is yet to be considered a serious player, and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have had a complex and often strained relationship, particularly in the context of Tamil Nadus political landscape leading up to the 2026 assembly elections.

During J Jayalalithaas tenure, then PM aspirant Narendra Modi had a warm relationship with her and hence the party. However, Annamalais arrival on the political scene and Jayalalithaas death changed much on ground. Though the BJP and AIADMK were allies within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) during the 2019 general election and the 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, the former cop had unconventional planning to create a larger vote share for the saffron party. His outspoken criticism of AIADMK icons, including former leaders CN Annadurai and Jayalalithaa were not received well by the former ally. It finally led to a full-blown war in September 2023 when EPS formally severed ties with the BJP, citing Annamalais conduct as the primary reason. However, Modi and Shah backed the BJP state chiefs ways to enlarge the partys electoral pie in the state.

Till the DMK government is not overthrown, I will walk barefoot. Im requesting the people, please look into all this," he announced last year, citing law-and-order problems in the state. In another instance, Annamalai promised to flog himself six times outside his residence in Coimbatore to take down all the evil", referring to an incident of sexual assault of a 19-year-old student at Anna University. Making a big spectacle, he indeed flogged himself. Such actions were meant to capitalise on the anti-establishment sentiment in Tamil Nadu while AIADMK was seen to be passive about raising issues.

WHATS NEXT?

But political realities ahead of next years assembly election in the state demanded that the BJP allies with its former ally  the AIADMK.

With respect to the alliance, you have to understand that for a national party like the BJP, a disciplined party, it is our national leadership that will decide. So, we have committees, we have parliamentary boards which look into a lot of angles before they make the decision," Annamalai recently said while blaming the states unusual five-cornered contest.

As of early 2025, the BJPs central leadership became keen to rekindle its alliance with AIADMK to strengthen its position against the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 2026. A key moment was the March 25, 2025, meeting between EPS and Shah in New Delhi, that signalled a thaw in relations.

But it wasnt easy for AIADMK to forget the angry young man persona of Annamalai that critiqued its top leaders who may not be around anymore but still command respect in a segment of Tamil society.

During a possible alliance talk, Annamalais caste also proved to be a roadblock. Both Annamalai and EPS hail from the Gounder community in western Tamil Nadu. The BJP top leadership was keen to have a BJP chief who is from another caste to widen the possible vote share next year. Well before his resignation, Annamalai is believed to have been made to understand" the nuanced situation which required a new BJP chief who can work with a fresh slate with AIADMK and is from a different but equally significant caste than Gounder.

News18 has learnt that lack of support from emerging parties like Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) was one of the reasons for the rush of this decision to tie the alliance before it captures the imagination of voters.

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Understandably, Annamalais supporters are upset, with many giving media reactions suggesting him to float his own outfit. However, sources suggest that is far from a consideration for the young leader who emerged as the face of fierce opposition in the state in a short period. Names like L Murugan, Tamilisai Soundararajan, or Nainar Nagendran are now being considered to replace him. As for Annamalai, BJP sources suggest they have bigger plans for the leader, who is said to have impressed even the prime minister in this short stint and it is now being actively considered to bring him to New Delhi.

Last year, ahead of Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi had said in an interview to a local channel: Annamalai is attracting the youth. They see him and think that if money and corruption were the reasons behind his conduct, then he could have joined the DMK. Annamalai chose the BJP not for personal reasons, but for national reasons."

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 05, 2025, 12:43 IST
TMC Claims 'Glaring Fraud' In Voter Identities But Data Shows Zero Appeals From Bengal In Roll Revision

Reported By :

News18.com Edited By: Apoorva Misra



Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 09:48 IST

EC data reveals that across India, only 89 appeals were filed and all of these were from Maharashtra

EC sources said there is a robust and transparent process in place for addition and deletion of voters in the list. (PTI)

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday met and wrote to the Election Commission of India raising the issue of fraud in voter identities". However, data from EC, seen by News18, shows that when the latest electoral roll was published in January, there were no appeals from West Bengal, despite the fact that the TMC has raised the issue multiple times in the last few weeks.

It is worth mentioning that apart from the continuous updation of electoral rolls, every year, the commission conducts Annual Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise to purify the rolls.

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The process takes place between October and December every year, with publication of final rolls in January. The schedule for the latest SSR was issued in August 2024 and the final rolls were published in January 2025. However, across India, only 89 appeals were filed and all of these were from Maharashtra. That means no individual or political party in any other state filed any complaint regarding issues in the roll.

WHAT HAS TMC SAID?

On Friday, a delegation of TMC MPs met the commission, demanding answers on why they are pushing for Aadhaar-EPIC linkage without first addressing the glaring fraud in voter identities. The party raised a series of questions, including how many voter identities have actually been verified, why hasnt EC explicitly stated that Aadhaar seeding is voluntary and why did EC fail to amend Form 6B despite its Supreme Court undertaking.

WHAT EC SAYS

When asked about these allegations, sources in EC told News18 that the poll body is legally bound to suitably modify Form 6B of the Registration of Elector Rules, 1960, in line with the orders of the Supreme Court and Section 23(4), 23(5) and 23(6) of the Representation of People Act, 1950.

Last month, EC had said it decided that the linking of Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) with Aadhaar will be done only as per the provisions of Article 326 of the Constitution, Section 23(4), 23(5) and 23(6) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and in line with the Supreme Court judgment in WP (civil) No. 177/2023.

Sources also explained that there is a robust and transparent process in place for addition and deletion of voters in the list.

The roll is verified at various points and political parties were given data and time to raise issues but, across India, only 89 objections were raised and all these were from Maharashtra. Only one second appeal was filed," sources said, adding that this is not even one per cent of the 99 crore registered electors in India.

PROCESS OF SSR

The official explained that every year, when the revision of the electoral roll takes place, at every booth, a Booth Level Officer (BLO) is appointed by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) from amongst the officials of the state government.

Political parties also have the right to appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) at every booth. These agents have the right to verify the electoral roll of the booth concerned and raise a complaint for anomaly, if any.

The BLOs conduct house-to-house field verification and submit the recommendations to the respective EROs.

The ERO verifies the details of each elector for updation of electoral rolls and goes ahead for the draft electoral rolls which are published on the website and also made available to political parties and the public.

A months time is given for the verification of the draft electoral rolls. The political parties and public can raise claims and objections during the 30-day period. Final rolls are published and made available to political parties.

During the period of revision, anyone can file an appeal or objections. The first appeal is made to the DM/District Collector/Executive Magistrate under section 24(a) of RP Act 1950.

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Even if the person is not satisfied with the decision of the first appellate authority, they can raise a second appeal to the Chief Electoral Officer of the state/UT concerned under section 24(b) of RP Act 1950.

As per EC data, there are 99.22 crore registered voters in India as of January 2025. A total of 10.49 lakh BLOs and 13.87 lakh BLAs were involved in the process across India. In West Bengal, there were 7.65 crore electors as of January 2025. Close to 80,500 BLOs and 1.75 BLAs from various parties were involved in the SSR process, EC data showed.

About the Author Nivedita Singh Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived... Read More Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived... Read More

First Published: April 05, 2025, 09:48 IST
70% Maternal Deaths Last Year Were Preventable, Finds Karnataka Govt Audit, Health Minister Admits Failure

Reported By :

News18.com Edited By: Apoorva Misra



Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 11:26 IST

Karnataka was jolted in November last year when the Ballari District Hospital witnessed five maternal deaths after caesarean births in a span of three days from November 9-11

Health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the government would work towards bringing the preventable deaths to 0 from the 70 per cent now. (X @dineshgrao)

An interim maternal deaths audit report in Karnataka by an eight-member, state-level expert committee has found that of the 464 maternal deaths from April 2024 to December 2024, a whopping 70 per cent were preventable.

Karnataka was jolted in November last year when the Ballari District Hospital witnessed five maternal deaths after caesarean births in a span of three days from November 9-11. The uproar led to the government cracking down on the usage of an IV solution, called Ringers Lactate solution, from a pharmaceuticals company in Bengal, which was found to have endotoxins. A government interim report on the maternal deaths has now found that 18 such deaths took place between April and December last year because of the solution, with Ballari seeing five of them.

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The findings of the audit report were revealed by health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao in a press conference in Bengaluru, who admitted that there was a failure in the system, and that the government would work towards bringing the preventable deaths to 0 from the 70 per cent now.

Data from the report shows that of the 464 deaths that Karnataka witnessed from April to December, 103 deaths (22 per cent) have taken place in private hospitals, while 305 (65 per cent) have taken place in public health facilities. A total of 68.75 per cent (319 cases) of maternal deaths during this period were high-risk pregnancies (HRP) while 31.25 per cent (145) were non-HRP.

Of the 18 cases of maternal deaths due to Ringers Lactate solution, five are from Ballari, four from Raichur, four from Bengaluru Urban, three from Uttara Kannada and one each from Yadgiri and Belagavi. Rao said after the Bengal-based pharma company Paschimbanga, which supplied the solution, was blacklisted last year, 112 cases had been registered and all were pending in court. Rao added that ever since the batches of the solution were stopped from usage, maternal deaths have seen a decline this year, with January recording 32 deaths, February seeing 34 and March seeing 36 deaths.

The audit report has also revealed that of the 464 deaths in the span of nine months last year, it was established that there was negligence of the service providers in at least 10 cases. When asked about the action taken against the staff, Rao said there were no suspensions but an enquiry was underway after notices were served.

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Among the leading causes of maternal deaths during the period, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (153 cases at 33 per cent), haemorrhage (125 cases at 27 per cent), and sepsis (42 cases at 9 per cent), have emerged as the leading causes. Of the 464 maternal deaths, 63 per cent of the mothers underwent caesarean operations, while 37 per cent had normal child births.

Taking note of the lapses in maternal care, the department of health and family welfare services has placed 27 recommendations for facilities in Karnataka. Among the recommendations, capacity building, strengthening the facilities with equipment and drugs, strengthening blood storage units, mandatory hospital stay of three days following normal births and seven days following caesarean operations, preventing unnecessary caesarean births are some of the key ones.

First Published: April 05, 2025, 11:26 IST
AAP's Amanatullah Khan Moves SC Against Waqf Bill, Says 'It Undermines Minority Rights'

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 13:42 IST

Besides AAP's Amanatullah, Congress and AIMIM have also moved the apex court against Waqf Amendment Bill.

A file photo of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan (PTI)

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Amanatullah Khan moved Supreme Court on Saturday challenging key provisions of the Waqf Amendment Bill. The bill that was passed by the parliament on Friday, has sparked a row, with Opposition calling it anti-Muslim".

In the plea filed through advocate Adeel Ahmed, Amanatullah alleged that the bill curtails the religious and cultural autonomy of Muslims. He also alleged that the act would enable arbitrary executive interference and undermine minority rights.

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The plea from the AAP leader comes only a day after Congress and AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi moved to SC against the Waqf Amendment Bill.

Notably, Waqf Bill was passed with 128 votes in favour and 95 opposing it. PM Modi has reacted to it saying that the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill of 2025 was a watershed moment" and that this would help the marginalised, who have been denied both voice and opportunity."

The Waqf Amendment Bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha by Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who emphasised that the bill is not against Muslims or intended to hurt their religious feelings, but seeks to improve the functioning of Waqf properties, address complexities, ensure transparency and introduce technology-driven management.

While it took Lok Sabha nearly 12 hours of debate to pass the bill, Rajya Sabha cleared it after an over 13-hour debate.

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While the Opposition leaders have expressed their dissatisfaction with the legislation, five JD(U) leaders left Bihar CM Nitish Kumars party, tendering their resignation over party supporting the bill.

The Waqf Amendment Bill proposes an amendment to the 1995 Act with the goal of improving the administration and management of Waqf properties in India. It aims to address the limitations of the earlier legislation, improve the efficiency of Waqf boards, simplify the registration process, and introduce technology to better manage Waqf records.

Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: April 05, 2025, 13:23 IST
Buddhism In Indias Foreign Policy: PM Modis Vision For Global Harmony

Reported By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 13:22 IST

By deepening ties with Buddhist nations and revitalising its own Buddhist heritage, India continues to reinforce its role as a global centre promoting peace and wisdom as propounded in Buddhism

PM Modis emphasis on Buddhism reflects Indias dedication to cultural and spiritual leadership. (IMAGE: X/Narendra Modi)

Act East has been a defining feature of Prime Minister Narendra Modis foreign policy. PM Modi, along with Thailands Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, visited the Wat Pho temple, also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, offering an interesting perspective on how he has celebrated Buddhism across the world.

As a gift to the King of Thailand, PM Modi presented a brass statue of the Sarnath Buddha in Dhyan Mudra  a stunning representation of Buddhist spirituality and Indian craftsmanship, inspired by the Sarnath style. Originating from Bihar, the statue reflects the Gupta and Pala art traditions with its serene expression, intricately detailed robe, and iconic lotus pedestal. The Dhyan Mudra posture symbolises deep meditation and inner peace, with the Buddha seated in Padmasana, radiating wisdom and compassion.

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In 2024, India sent several sacred relics of Lord Buddha and his disciples to Thailand. The relics of Lord Buddha and his disciples, Arahant Sariputta and Arahant Maha Moggallana, were taken to Bangkok by an Indian delegation and displayed for 25 days across four cities in Thailand.

During his recent visit to Sri Lanka, PM Modi visited the Mahabodhi Temple at Anuradhapura. This is yet another instance of PM Modis efforts to place Buddhism at the heart of Indias foreign policy, reinforcing Indias role as a global centre for Buddhism.

In 2017 as well, PM Modis Buddhist outreach was prominent during his visit to Sri Lanka. He addressed the International Vesak Day Celebrations in Colombo and visited the Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple, deepening India-Sri Lanka cultural and religious bonds.

In one of the recent books, Casting of Buddha: A Monumental History of Buddhism in India, author Shashank Shekhar Sinha mentioned how Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making it loud and clear across the globe how the Buddhas teachings could offer solutions to the greatest challenges confronting the modern world, including war, economic instability, terrorism and climate change."

In 2024, at the India-ASEAN Summit, PM Modi gifted a vintage brass Buddha statue to Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith, symbolising shared heritage and Indias commitment to cultural diplomacy.

In 2023, PM Modi and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, visited the Bal Bodhi Tree at Buddha Jayanti Park in Delhi, reinforcing the deep-rooted Buddhist ties between India and Japan. India also hosted the first-ever Global Buddhist Summit, bringing together scholars and practitioners to discuss contemporary challenges through the lens of Buddhist philosophy, where PM Modi stressed that Buddhas teachings provide solutions to global issues.

In 2022, PM Modi visited Lumbini, Nepal, on Buddha Purnima and laid the foundation stone for the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage, a landmark project promoting Buddhist culture and strengthening Indo-Nepal spiritual ties.

In the same year, India sent four Holy Relics of Lord Buddha, known as the Kapilavastu Relics, to Mongolia for an 11-day exposition coinciding with the Mongolian Buddha Purnima celebrations. A 25-member delegation accompanied the relics to the Batsagaan Temple in the Gandan Monastery complex in Ulaanbaatar, highlighting Indias commitment to Buddhist diplomacy and cultural exchange.

In 2019, PM Modi and Khaltmaagiin Battulga, President of Mongolia, jointly unveiled a statue of Lord Buddha and his two disciples, installed at the historic Gandan Tegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar. In 2018, PM Modi visited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore, showcasing Indias respect for Singapores Buddhist heritage and reinforcing cultural connections.

In 2016, during his visit to Vietnam, PM Modi toured the Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi, interacted with Buddhist monks, and emphasised Indias commitment to Buddhist diplomacy in Southeast Asia.

In 2015, PM Modi reinforced Indias Buddhist ties with multiple nations. He visited the Da Xingshan Temple and Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian, China, highlighting the historical Buddhist exchanges between India and China. In Mongolia, he visited the Gandan Monastery, where he emphasised the common spiritual heritage of the two nations. In Sri Lanka, he paid homage at the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura, strengthening Indias connection to one of Buddhisms most sacred sites.

In 2014, PM Modi visited Kyoto, Japan, where he explored the Toji and Kinkaku-ji temples, reinforcing India-Japan Buddhist ties. He also attended a luncheon hosted by the Kyoto Buddhist Association, reflecting his commitment to engaging with Buddhist leaders globally.

Domestically, PM Modis government has undertaken significant steps to promote Buddhist heritage. The Buddhist Circuit, developed under his leadership, traces significant sites associated with Lord Buddhas life and teachings, enhancing pilgrimage tourism. To facilitate travel across these sacred locations, the Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train (Mahaparinirvan Express) was introduced, offering an immersive pilgrimage experience covering India and Nepals most revered Buddhist sites.

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Additionally, the Kushinagar International Airport has significantly improved access to pilgrimage destinations, and the revival of Nalanda University reinstates India as a global centre for Buddhist learning. The government has also recognised Pali as a classical language, ensuring the preservation of Buddhist literature.

PM Modis emphasis on Buddhism reflects Indias dedication to cultural and spiritual leadership. His deep engagement with Buddhist heritage underscores Indias commitment to peace, harmony, and shared cultural values. By deepening ties with Buddhist nations and revitalising its own Buddhist heritage, India continues to reinforce its role as a global centre promoting peace and wisdom as propounded in Buddhism.

First Published: April 05, 2025, 13:22 IST
Justice Yashwant Varma Takes Oath as Allahabad HC Judge, Won't Be Assigned Work Amid Cash Row

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News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 15:27 IST

On April 2, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was submitted before the Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench seeking an order to its Chief Justice to refrain from administering the oath to Justice Yashwant Varma.

Justice Yashwant Varma (Image: X)

Justice Yashwant Varma took oath as a Judge of the Allahabad High Court on Saturday, days after his transfer from the Delhi High Court over alleged recovery of cash from his official residence.

The transfer occurred a week after the Supreme Court directed the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court to refrain from assigning any judicial work to Justice Varma upon his assumption of office.

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The Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court for the time being has been asked not to assign any judicial work to Justice Yashwant Varma when he assumes charge as a Judge of the Allahabad High Court," a Supreme Court press release stated.

Justice Yashwant Varma faces allegations concerning the recovery of unaccounted cash from his official residence in New Delhi.

The incident transpired on 14 March when the cash was discovered in a room separate from the main residence.

However, Justice Varma has refuted all allegations, stating that the room where the cash was found was accessible to numerous individuals due to its separation from the main residence.

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In a comprehensive response submitted to the Delhi High Court earlier, Justice Varma asserted that a fire had erupted in his storeroom on 14 March, prompting the evacuation of all household members. Upon extinguishing the fire and their return, no cash was found.

When the fire broke out around midnight, the fire service was alerted by my daughter and my private secretary, and their calls would be duly recorded. During the effort to douse the fire, all staff and members of my household were asked to move away from the scene of the incident due to safety concerns. After the fire was extinguished and they returned to the scene, no cash or currency was found on site," he stated in his response to the Delhi High Court.

Location : Allahabad, India, India

First Published: April 05, 2025, 15:05 IST
Heat Wave Alert: IMD Issues Yellow Alert For Delhi, Temperature To Touch 42 Degree Celsius

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 10:31 IST

Heat Wave Alert: Several adjoining areas of Delhi, including Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and western Madhya Pradesh, are also set to experience heat wave conditions.

Heat Wave Alert: IMD has issued alert for several parts of country (Representative image)

Delhi Heat Wave Alert: With rising temperatures in North India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for a severe heat wave in Delhi and its neighbouring states.

A yellow alert has been issued for the national capital starting today, April 5, and continuing until April 8. The temperature is also expected to soar to 42C in the coming days.

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Delhi witnessed a warm weather on Friday too. While the maximum temperature on Friday settled at 38.4 degrees Celsius, which is 4.4 degrees higher than usual, the minimum temperature was recorded at 18.8 degrees Celsius, according to the MeT office. Other monitoring stations across the city also reported high temperatures, with the Ridge recording 39.4 degrees Celsius, Ayanagar 38.1 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road 38 degrees Celsius, and Palam 37 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, several adjoining areas of Delhi, including Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and western Madhya Pradesh, are also likely to experience severe heat.

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States such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana are expected to face more heat wave conditions, with parts of northern Karnataka and Tamil Nadu set to experience more heat wave days than usual.

According to IMD predictions, the temperatures in several areas of central and northwest India will increase by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius during the next few days period, worsening the already intense weather conditions.

Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: April 05, 2025, 10:22 IST
IAFs Para Jumper Instructor Dies During Demo Skydiving Drop In Agra

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News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 21:16 IST

The IAF said that the instructor was a member of Akash Ganga Skydiving Team and suffered injuries while a demo skydiving drop in Agra.

The instructor succumbed to injuries sustained during a Demo Drop at Agra. (Representative image)

In a tragic incident, a Indian Air Forces (IAF) Para Jump Instructor died after he suffered injuries during skydiving training in Uttar Pradeshs Agra on Saturday.

The IAF said that the instructor was a member of Akash Ganga Skydiving Team and suffered injuries while a demo skydiving drop in Agra. The Air Force further expressed grief over the loss of live and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

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A Para Jump Instructor from the IAFs Akash Ganga Skydiving Team succumbed to injuries sustained during a Demo Drop at Agra today. The IAF deeply mourns the loss, and extends heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, standing firmly with them in this hour of grief," the IAF said in a post on X.

A Para Jump Instructor from the IAFs Akash Ganga Skydiving Team succumbed to injuries sustained during a Demo Drop at Agra today. The IAF deeply mourns the loss, and extends heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, standing firmly with them in this hour of grief. Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 5, 2025

Earlier this week, one IAF pilot died while another suffered injuries after a Jaguar aircraft crashed in Gujarats Jamnagar during a night mission. The pilots faced a technical glitch midair and initiated ejection.

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The incident took place in Suwarda village, nearly 12km from Jamnagar, where an aircraft crashed into a field. After the crash, a large cloud of smoke engulfed the entire area. Later, several burning pieces and debris of the plane could be seen scattered on the ground.

IAF had said that a Court of Inquiry was ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.

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 : Agra, India, India

First Published: April 05, 2025, 21:16 IST
Intruder Shot Dead At Jammu Border, Laid To Rest In India After Pakistan Refuses Body

Published By :

PTI

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 20:43 IST

A Pakistani infiltrator was shot dead by BSF near the International Border in R S Pura. Pakistan Rangers refused the body, leading to an Islamic burial by local Muslims.

A farmer carries a sack of grass as he walks near the fenced border between India-Pakistan in the Ranbir Singh Pura sector near Jammu. (IMAGE: REUTERS/REPRESENTATIVE)

A Pakistani infiltrator was shot dead by BSF troops along the International Border here, officials said on Saturday, as authorities ensured his proper Islamic burial after the Pakistan Rangers refused to accept his body at a flag meeting.

The unidentified Pakistani man, aged around 35 years, was killed when the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel opened fire after noticing suspicious movements near a border outpost in the Abdullian area in the R S Pura sector late on Friday night, officials said.

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BSF troops, who are on high alert in view of Union Home Minister Amit Shahs scheduled three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir from Sunday, lodged a strong protest with the Pakistan Rangers following the incident, the officials said.

On the intervening night of April 4 and April 5, the alert BSF troops saw suspicious movements in the Jammu border area and an intruder was seen crossing the IB," a BSF spokesperson said.

He said the intruder was challenged by the troops but he paid no heed and kept moving.

Sensing a threat, the BSF troops neutralised the intruder. The identity and motive of the intruder are being ascertained," he added.

The spokesperson said a strong protest has been lodged with the BSFs Pakistani counterpart.

According to sources, the BSF informed the police department, which sent the body for post-mortem and other legal formalities.

Later, around 1:10 pm, the BSF conducted a short-duration flag meeting with the Pakistan Rangers near the site of the incident, the sources said.

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A strong protest was lodged with the Pakistani side over the infiltration attempt. The Pakistani side refused to accept the body of the intruder during the meeting, the sources said, adding that the deceased was aged around 35 years and was not found in possession of any incriminating material.

After the completion of the post-mortem examination and other formalities, the body was taken by police to the Agra Chak area of R S Pura, where a burial was conducted in accordance with Islamic rituals by involving a group of local Muslims.

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 : Jammu, India, India

First Published: April 05, 2025, 20:43 IST
Kerala Lottery Results LIVE: Karunya KR-700 Winners For April 5, 2025; Full List Here!

Published By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 17:51 IST

Kerala Lottery Results Today: Here's full list of winning numbers for Karunya KR-700 lucky draw for Saturday, April 5, 2025.

Kerala Lottery Karunya KR-700 Results: The first prize winner of Karunya KR-700 will get Rs 80 lakh. (Image: Shutterstock)

KERALA LOTTERY KARUNYA KR-700 RESULT ON SATURDAY, 5.4.2025, LIVE UPDATES: The Kerala State Lottery Department has announced the results of the Karunya KR-700 lottery for Saturday, April 5. Participants with ticket number KK 928155 has won the first prize of of 80 lakh. The jackpot winning ticket was sold at Kattappana by an agent Akash Ashok (Agency No.: Y 3701).

The second prize worth Rs 5 lakh was won by person with ticket number KC 387159. The ticket was sold at Palakkad by agent Shajahan (Agency No.: P 3030). Check the Full List of Winning Numbers below.

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KARUNYA KR-700 LOTTERY: WINNING NUMBERS

WINNING NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 80 LAKH IS: KK 928155 (KATTAPPANA)

Agent Name: AKASH ASHOK

Agency No.: Y 3701

WINNING NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 5 LAKH IS: KC 387159(PALAKKAD)

Agent Name: SHAJAHAN

Agency No.: P 3030

WINNING NUMBER FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 1 LAKH ARE:

KA 904032 (VAIKKOM)

KB 156193 (KOTTAYAM)

KC 649794 (KARUNAGAPALLY)

KD 132742 (IRINJALAKUDA)

KE 753428 (KAYAMKULAM)

KF 820776 (PATHANAMTHITTA)

KG 715886 (IRINJALAKUDA)

KH 198880 (WAYANADU)

KJ 222562 (THIRUVANANTHAPURAM)

KK 350765 (ERNAKULAM)

KL 337619 (THRISSUR)

KM 179222 (PATHANAMTHITTA)

WINNING NUMBERS FOR THE 4TH PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE:

0556 2160 3040 3609 3668

4696 5005 5769 6541 6888

7599 7967 8360 8429 8801

8928 9257 9390

WINNING NUMBERS FOR THE 5TH PRIZE OF RS 2,000 ARE:

2401 5412 6050 6495 6746

8093 8783 9066 9213 9548

WINNING NUMBERS FOR THE 6TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE:

0076 1722 2818 2945 3181

3235 3275 3374 4023 4326

6199 6377 7860 8656

WINNING NUMBERS FOR THE 7TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE:

0071 0179 0329 0506 0555

0665 0958 1095 1106 1404

1610 2096 2133 2239 2275

2298 2497 2524 2594 2604

2884 2909 2941 2968 3039

3070 3071 3168 3258 3329

3335 3464 3475 3566 3772

3800 3807 3847 4113 4156

4322 4331 4492 4599 4716

4756 5055 5062 5211 5315

5338 5789 6414 6505 6518

6573 6799 7006 7266 7319

7392 7443 7624 7703 7795

7958 8123 8203 8275 8543

8662 8701 8860 9218 9275

9520 9534 9571 9874 9948

WINNING NUMBERS FOR THE 8TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE:

0170 0174 0272 0348 0545

0799 0852 0875 0903 0931

0953 1009 1153 1186 1419

1484 1604 1689 1691 1697

1720 1777 1833 1891 1956

2129 2290 2296 2315 2331

2341 2388 2468 2584 2589

2614 2851 2995 3260 3337

3350 3462 3564 3625 3728

3831 3837 3855 3923 3942

4064 4085 4134 4418 4600

4647 4667 4680 4742 4764

4789 4998 5027 5222 5286

5297 5370 5392 5407 5414

5421 5603 5637 5885 5901

6092 6177 6226 6361 6647

6685 6696 6802 6864 6949

6955 6971 7078 7247 7254

7287 7299 7352 7402 7426

7504 7625 7627 7661 7690

7713 7861 8179 8186 8262

8315 8365 8388 8445 8465

8490 8498 8815 8862 8879

8959 8986 9203 9561 9652

9677 9804 9929 9994

WINNING NUMBERS FOR THE CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE:

KA 928155

KB 928155

KC 928155

KD 928155

KE 928155

KF 928155

KG 928155

KH 928155

KJ 928155

KL 928155

KM 928155

HOW TO CHECK KERALA KARUNYA KR-700 LOTTERY RESULTS?

Visit the official Kerala Lottery website to check the KARUNYA KR-700 results.

Verify the winning numbers at the Kerala Government Gazette office.

Contact the Kerala Lottery Department for authenticated and official details.

How to Claim the Prize Money?

Check the official Kerala Government Gazette to verify the lottery results and compare them with your ticket number.

If your ticket appears on the winning list, you may be entitled to a prize.

Winners must visit the Kerala Lottery Office in Thiruvananthapuram within 30 days of the result declaration to claim their reward.

To receive the prize, winners need to present the original lottery ticket along with a valid ID for verification.

Documents Required to Claim Prize Money

Provide a signed photocopy of both the front and back of the winning lottery ticket.

Submit recent passport-sized photographs, duly attested by a Gazette officer, for verification.

Include a self-attested copy of your PAN card as proof of identity.

Fill out the official online prize claim form, affix a revenue stamp, and submit it.

Present a valid government-issued ID, such as an Aadhaar card, PAN card, voter ID, or ration card, for authentication.

HOW TO DOWNLOAD A PDF WITH A FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS?

Go to the official Kerala Lottery Department websites: keralalotteries.info or keralalotteryresult.net.

Find and click on the link for the KARUNYA KR-700 results.

The complete list of winning numbers will be available in the results section.

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Look for the download option on the website.

Click the link to open and save the lottery results as a PDF file.

About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More

Location : Thiruvananthapuram [Trivandrum], India, India

First Published: April 05, 2025, 09:00 IST
Kunal Kamra Skips Third Summons In 'Traitor' Jibe Case Against Eknath Shinde

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 15:42 IST

The Mumbai Police had issued the third summons to the stand-up comedian earlier on Tuesday and had asked to appear before it on April 5

Comdedian Kunal Kamra | Image/X

Kunal Kamra Row: Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra on Saturday skipped the third summon issued by the Mumbai Police in connection with a case over his alleged controversial remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

This is the third time Kamra failed to appear before the police, news agency PTI reported quoting an official as saying. The Mumbai Police had issued the third summons to the stand-up comedian earlier on Tuesday and had asked to appear before it on April 5 in the case lodged by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel for allegedly making defamatory remarks against Shinde during one of his shows.

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Earlier this week, a team from the Khar police visited his residence in Mahim after he skipped the second summons.

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.

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.

Last month, the Madras High Court granted interim anticipatory bail to Kamra in connection with multiple FIRs filed against him. Justice Sunder Mohan had 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.

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.

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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.

(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

First Published: April 05, 2025, 15:30 IST
Meerut Murder Case: Families Of Saurabh, Muskan Likely To Move Court To Seek Daughters Custody

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 18:12 IST

The six-year-old child is currently living with her maternal grandparents (Muskan's parents).

Merchant Navy officer from UP's Meerut was murdered by his wife and her lover. (Image: X)

Saurabh Rajput Murder Case: A fresh tussle has emerged between the families of slain Merchant Navy Officer, Saurabh Rajput and his murderer wife, Muskan Rastogi, as they are are most likely to approach the court to seek the custody of the couples six-year-old daughter, Pihu.

A Merchant Navy officer- Saurabh Rajput- from Meerut was murdered, chopped up and the 15-odd pieces of his body were put into a drum and sealed with cement. The investigation into the case brought to fore an extramarital affair between Saurabh Rajputs wife Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla.

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According to the media reports, the parents of Rastogi have approached to police to ensure that they get the custody of Pihu, while Saurabhs elder brother, Rahul has also made a similar request.

The six-year-old child is currently living with her maternal grandparents (Muskans parents).

Custody Battle Intensifies

Muskans father, Pramod Rastogi, said that they have no interest in Saurabhs property or bank balance. However, he emphasised that they will not allow Pihu to be taken away from them as she is like life to them.

We have nothing to do with Saurabhs property or his bank balance. Im even ready to give this in writing. But I will not let Pihu be taken away from us. She is like life to us," he said as quoted by news outlet.

He further said that if Pihu would start living with Saurabhs family, the child may remind them of his killer and they may eventually resent her. At present, they may be staking a claim on her because Saurabh had purchased a small piece of land in her name in Meerut last year and if she remains with them, they will be the rightful owner of that land," he told Indian Express.

On the other hand, Saurabhs elder brother, Rohit, also staked claim on the child. I dont have a daughter. Pihu is Saurabhs daughter, and I am her uncle. I can raise her like my own. If she stays with us, we will feel Saurabhs presence through her. We will approach the court for her custody," he said.

Saurabhs mother Renu Rajput said they are prepared to fight every legal battle to get justice for her son.

Parents Are In London

Completely unaware of the tragic murder, Pihu still believes that her parents are on a vacation. Clueless about the horrifying murder of her father, she continues to ask for her mother and father.

To hide the truth, Muskans parents have told her that both are on a trip to London and will return soon.

Saurabh Rajputs Brutal Murder

Saurabh Rajput and Muskan Rastogi married in 2016 for love after which the Merchant Navy officer left his job to spend more time with his wife. He also distanced his family for her. In In 2019, Saurabh found out that Muskan was having an affair with his friend Sahil which led to tension between the couple. Eventually, Saurabh decided to rejoin the Merchant Navy.

Saurabhs daughter turned six on February 28 for which her father returned home from London. Muskan and Sahil had decided to murder Saurabh, as per their statement to the police. Muskan mixed sleeping pills in Saurabhs food on March 4 and once he was asleep, she and Sahil murdered him with a knife. Following this, Muskan and Sahil chopped up the body, put the pieces in a drum and sealed it with wet cement in order to dispose of the body.

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When people asked about Saurabh, Muskan told them he had gone to a hill station. She and Sahil then travelled to Manali and uploaded pictures from Saurabhs phone on his social media handles- with the aim of misleading people. When Saurabh did not take any calls from his family members for several days, they filed a police complaint.

After the complaint, Muskan and Sahil were taken into custody where they confessed to the murder.

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 : Meerut, India, India

First Published: April 05, 2025, 18:10 IST
Gunmen Fire At Car In Delhi's Trilokpuri, Set It Ablaze, Leave Threat Message: 'Pay Up Or...'

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 23:03 IST

According to the officials, the miscreants allegedly set ablaze the car to threaten the property dealer, Sanjay Tosh, as he ran a betting racket and owed one of them Rs 30 lakh.

The men left behind a note in Hindi, warning Sanjay to return the money owed to one of them (X)

A car was fired at six times and set ablaze by a group of bike-borne miscreants outside a property dealers office in East Delhis Mayur Vihar area on Saturday, police said.

According to the officials, the miscreants allegedly set ablaze the car to threaten the property dealer, Sanjay Tosh, as he ran a betting racket and owed one of them Rs 30 lakh.

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Officials said that eight men on motorcycles arrived in Trilokpuri around 4 pm today and ambushed Tosh. Then they fired at his car, which was unoccupied, broke its windows and set it on fire.

Tosh was not present in his office when the firing incident happened in Mayur Vihars Trilokpuri area, news agency PTI reported.

The police recovered six empty bullet shells and a note from the spot that mentioned the Toshs name. Sanjay Tosh, either return my Rs 30 lakh or shut down the gambling business. Give me the money I won, or stop the gambling business at your house," it read.

The note also had Toshs picture on it, the police told the news agency.

A PCR call was received at 3.45 pm regarding a car being set on fire. A team reached the spot and found that a white car was set on fire and its glasses were broken. We also recovered six empty shells from the spot," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Vineet Kumar told the news agency.

Delhi: Unidentified miscreants opened fire and attempted to set a car ablaze in Block 31 of Trilokpuri under Mayur Vihar Police Station in East Delhi.Additional DCP East Vineet Kumar says, We received a call at 3:45 PM regarding a car being set on fire. Upon reaching Block 31, pic.twitter.com/9kUq8zqaq0  IANS (@ians_india) April 5, 2025

CCTV footage from the surrounding area is being scanned to identify the accused and ascertain the sequence of events.

Officials said Sanjay is being questioned and the statement of the witness is being recorded.

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Efforts are on to trace the men who fired at the car," said the official.

(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

First Published: April 05, 2025, 22:55 IST
Metal Chairs, One Toilet: After 45-Hour Turkey Airport Halt, Virgin Atlantic Flight Reaches Mumbai

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 13:32 IST

Frustrated passengers described the ordeal, claiming they were restricted into a small airport area for hours while the flight crew was whisked away to a hotel after deboarding.

The Virgin Atlantic flight landed in Mumbai on the night of April 4 after a 45-hour delay | Image/X

A Virgin Atlantic flight from London, with over 250 passengers on boardincluding several Indiansfinally landed in Mumbai on the night of April 4, after being stranded for more than 45 hours at Diyarbakir Airport in Turkey.

Frustrated passengers described the ordeal, claiming they were restricted into a small airport area for hours while the flight crew was whisked away to a hotel after deboarding. They further thanked the Indian Consulate in Turkey for its timely intervention to ensure they received basic facilities.

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The Virgin Atlantic flight landed in Mumbai last night, after a 45-hour delay. Abandoned by the airline at the small remote military Diyarbakir Airport, the local staff had no resources to manage 270 passengers despite trying their best," said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Preeti Sharma Menon, whose sister and niece were also on the flight.

Virgin Atlantic Flight VS358 took off from Londons Heathrow Airport at 11:40 am local time on April 2, with an expected arrival in Mumbai at 1:40 am on April 3. However, the flight was forced to make an unscheduled landing at Turkeys Diyarbakir Airport around 7 pm after a passenger required urgent medical assistance.

My family along with 250+ passengers have been inhumanely treated by @virginatlantic .Why is this chaos not being covered in the @BBCWorld or global media?? Over 30 hours confined at a military airport in Turkey.In contact with the @ukinturkiye to please more pressure needed pic.twitter.com/TIIHgE07bb  Hanuman Dass (@HanumanDassGD) April 3, 2025

Eventually, it was the intervention of the Indian Consul in Turkey that they were given good food and a hotel stay after a 26-hour ordeal of sitting on metal chairs and sharing just one toilet," she added.

The Diyarbakir Airport is a small military airport in south-eastern Turkey with limited facilities, further compounding the difficulties of the stranded passengers.

The pressure of the passengers, the Indian authorities, and the media finally got VA to rescue the passengers who landed in Mumbai two days after their scheduled arrival, having spent almost three days in transit," Menon said.

Amid the chaos, the UK-based airline said on Thursday that it was actively exploring all options, including deploying an alternative aircraft, to ensure customers could reach Mumbai as soon as possible.

Passengers Turkey Airport Ordeal

An X user, Sanjay Shah, whose family was stuck at the Turkey Airport, said, My family member is stuck up in Diyarbakir. She was visiting to meet her father, who has a weak medical condition. Why such cheap behaviour from a top aviation company? No food, no water."

All the cabin crew vanished after landing," he added.

Another X user, Sherilyn Fernandes, said that one of her relatives was stranded at the airport. The airport staff is furious about the landing, even though its not the passengers fault. They are even demanding their passports," she wrote.

They just got one sandwich, my relative is stranded there. He just dropped a single text one hour back or so. If not anything just provide water and food atleast," she posted.

They just got one sandwich, my relative is stranded there. He just dropped a single text one hour back or so. If not anything just provide water and food atleast. sherilyn fernandes (@sherilynfernan6) April 3, 2025

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After 24 hours, Virgin Atlantic arranged hotel accommodations for the passengers and stated it was working toward a solution to allow customers to continue their journey to Mumbai on April 4.

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 05, 2025, 12:43 IST
Mughals Out, Vikramaditya In: Madhya Pradesh CM Brings Ancient King To Centre Stage With Red Fort Play

Reported By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 22:57 IST

On Saturday, in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav announced an ambitious cultural production centred on the legendary king Vikramaditya, which will be performed in the Red Fort for three days, starting April 12

The event will be held at Delhi's iconic Red Fort, which was commissioned under Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. File pic/PTI

Bygone are the days of Mughal emperors Babar, Akbar, and Aurangzeb. Here comes the age of Ram, Vikramaditya, and Shivaji. The transition is deliberate and telling, an effort to set Bharats narrative right".

As films spotlight great kingsfrom Lord Ram to the Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajthe legacy of another ancient monarch, Vikramaditya, now takes centre stage through a theatrical production. On Saturday, in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav announced an ambitious cultural production centred on the legendary king Vikramaditya, which will be performed in the Red Fort for three days, starting April 12.

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Flanked by senior functionaries of RSSs cultural wing, Sanskar Bharati, Yadav invoked Prime Minister Modis lineVikas bhi, virasat bhi"signalling the play as not just an artistic effort but a cultural assertion tying past glory to present governance. The team involved in this production will have almost 250 artists. The programme has been named Samrat Vikramaditya Mahanatya under Vikramotsav.

While addressing the media in Delhi, the chief minister said, In order to bring the glorious history of the past before the general public, a grand theatrical presentation centred on the great emperor Vikramadityawho established a governance system based on the principles of good administration 2,000 years agois going to be staged at Delhis Red Fort on April 12, 13, and 14."

PM Modis mottovikas bhi, virasat bhi (from heritage to development)is proving to be a guiding force for us. We are giving heritage a significant place within our development efforts," he added.

The CM further stated that during its staging at the Red Fort in Delhi, more than 250 artists will perform alongside elephants, horses, and palanquins. The participating artists are professionals from different fields in their personal lives. The Delhi government is also extending support in presenting this timeless creation. Earlier, the play had also been staged in Hyderabad," the chief minister said.

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The play will bring together artists from various strata of societydoctors, engineers, professorsvichar se jude hue log," as the CM put it. He said that the Madhya Pradesh government also launched the Vikramaditya Research Centre earlier, and it has a fellowship programme to deepen study on the rulers legacy.

Vikramaditya, who had his capital in Ujjaini, was cast as an early icon of sushasana just and people-centric administration, Yadav said while drawing parallels between the ancient king and PM Modi. He also pointed out that both resisted royal labels: Vikramaditya never wanted to be called a raja, just as the PM prefers Pradhan Sevak over any title of power," he said.

About the Author Madhuparna Das Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa... Read More Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa... Read More

First Published: April 05, 2025, 22:54 IST
Nitish Kumar's JDU Faces Internal Rift As Five Leaders Resign Over Waqf Amendment Bill

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 11:48 IST

The five leaders who resigned from JD(U) include Nadeem Akhtar, Raju Nayyar, Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik and Mohammed Kasim Ansari.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar (File Photo: ANI)

Rajya Sabha passing the Waqf Amendment Bill was referred to as historic" by the BJP-led Central government. While the allies of the saffron regiment extended their support to the bill, it did not turn up very well for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U).

Five senior leaders of Janata Dal (United) tendered their resignation, pointing to dissatisfaction with the partys stand on the Waqf Amendment Bill. Nadeem Akhtar, joined the list of leaders quitting from the party, marking fifth and the latest resignation.

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Earlier, Raju Nayyar, Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik and Mohammed Kasim Ansari severed ties with the party.

Earlier, Nayyar, in his letter expressed disappointment with the partys stand on the Bill. I am deeply hurt by the JD(U) voting in favour of this black law, which oppresses Muslims. I resign from the post of former state secretary of JD(U) youth and primary membership of the party. I request to send a letter to the Honorable CM Nitish Kumar and relieve me from all responsibilities," read his resignation letter.

Tabrez, in the letter to CM Kumar, stated that the party had betrayed the trust of the Muslim community."

Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik wrote, Millions of Indian Muslims like us had the firm belief that you are the flag bearer of purely secular ideology. But now this belief has been broken."

Mohammed Kasim Ansari said the Bill deeply hurt" millions of Muslims.

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The resignations not only indicate a rift in the party but also come as a major setback to JD(U) as the Bihar assembly election is likely to be held in October or November this year.

Meanwhile, the Waqf Amendment Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha on Friday with 128 votes in favour and 95 against the legislation. The Opposition has called it anti-Muslim" and unconstitutional", with Congress and AIMIM leaders moving to SC against the Waqf Amendment Bill.

Location : Bihar, India, India

First Published: April 05, 2025, 11:48 IST
One Asiatic Lion Died Every Alternate Day In Gujarat In 2024, Highest Since 2020: Govt Data

Written By :

News18.com Edited By: Apoorva Misra



Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 10:03 IST

The causes of lion deaths include old age, illness, injuries from fights, cub mortality, falling into open wells, electrocution and accidents

The numbers also suggest that between 2020 and 2022, there was a consistent drop in the deaths of Asiatic lions. (PTI)

The data, shared by the ministry in Rajya Sabha last week, also shows that the deaths registered in 2024 were the highest after 2020. In the last five years, 669 lions have died in Gujarat, data shows.

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As shown in the graph, the numbers also suggest that between 2020 and 2022, there was a consistent drop in the deaths of Asiatic lions. However, in the next three years, the picture changed completely. There is about 41 per cent increase in lion deaths between 2022 and 2024.

The ministry, quoting the state government, said there were no incidents of poaching leading to death of lions during these years.

As reported by the state government, the causes of lion deaths include old age, illness, injuries from fights, cub mortality, falling into open wells, electrocution and accidents," the ministry added.

India is home to the Asiatic lion, found only in the Gir Forest. It is also worth mentioning that over the years, the population of lions has increased in India.

Conservation efforts in this region have seen the lion population grow from around 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020, a testament to the success of dedicated protection measures". Between 2010 and 2020, there has been an increase of 64 per cent in the population of lions, as shown in the graph.

Population estimation of Asiatic Lions is carried out once every five years. The last such exercise was carried out in 2020.The next and 16th Asiatic Lion Population Estimation will be conducted this year.

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As per the ministry, the Gujarat forest department plays a crucial role in the conservation efforts for lions, including conducting regular population censuses to monitor lion numbers and health.

Additionally, measures such as fire management, flood preparedness, and continuous wildlife monitoring ensure that lions have safe habitats and that any emergencies are promptly addressed.

About the Author Nivedita Singh Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived... Read More Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived... Read More

Location : Gujarat, India, India

First Published: April 05, 2025, 10:03 IST
PM Modi Meets Tamil Community In Sri Lanka, Offers Support For Construction Of 10,000 Houses

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 22:13 IST

PM Modi said India will support the construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, a temple and other projects for Indian-Origin Tamils In Sri Lanka.

PM Modi with Indian-Origin Tamil leaders in Sri Lanka. (Narendra Modi/X)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a fruitful" meeting with leaders of the Indian-Origin Tamil (IOT) community during his two-day trip to Sri Lanka. He offered support for construction of 10,000 houses for Indian-origin Tamils along with healthcare facilities and other projects.

In a post on X, PM Modi described the Indian Origin Tamils as a living bridge" between the two countries for more than two centuries. India will support construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred site Seetha Eliya temple and other community development projects for IOTs in cooperation with the Government of Sri Lanka," he added.

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The meeting with leaders of Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) was fruitful. The community constitutes a living bridge between the two countries for over 200 years. India will support construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred site Seetha Eliya temple and other pic.twitter.com/5A2VDDjnM1 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2025

Earlier, Sri Lankas Indian-origin Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arun Hemachandra, hailed PM Modis visit and said the two countries share a fruitful relationship. The support that we are getting from India is really enormous. We are confident that this relationship will become stronger in the days to come," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

India and Sri Lanka signed a landmark defense cooperation agreement on Saturday for the first time, following talks between PM Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. In addition to the defense pact, the two countries also agreed to develop Trincomalee into an energy hub and signed another agreement to facilitate Indias multi-sectoral grant assistance to Sri Lankas eastern region.

During his remarks to the press, PM Modi said Sri Lanka has a special place in Indias Neighbourhood First policy, and the debt restructuring agreement between the two countries will provide immediate help and relief to the people of Sri Lanka.

He also thanked Dissanayake, the Sri Lankan government and the people of Sri Lanka for honouring him with the Mithra Vibhushana Medal and stressed that this showcases the historical ties and deep friendship between the two nations.

A moment that echoes the enduring friendship between our nations. Honoured to confer the Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana on Prime Minister @narendramodi a true friend of Sri Lanka. This recognition reflects the shared values, trust, and timeless bond between our peoples," Dissanayake said in a post on X.

A moment that echoes the enduring friendship between our nations. Honoured to confer the Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana on Prime Minister @narendramodi  a true friend of Sri Lanka. This recognition reflects the shared values, trust, and timeless bond between our peoples. pic.twitter.com/FSetd5V3zq Anura Kumara Dissanayake (@anuradisanayake) April 5, 2025

PM Modi also conveyed to Dissanayake Indias expectation from Colombo to fulfill the aspirations of the Tamil community in the island nation and conduct provincial council elections. The Tamil community in Sri Lanka has been demanding the implementation of the 13th Amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution that provides for devolution of power to it.

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The two countries signed seven agreements and MoUs during PM Modis visit to Sri Lanka. The leaders also inaugurated the recently completed temperature-controlled warehousing facility at Dambulla, which is possibly the first facility of its kind on the island, and a project for the supply of solar rooftop systems to nearly 5,000 religious institutions across Sri Lanka.

(with inputs from agencies)

About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More

Location : Colombo, Sri Lanka

First Published: April 05, 2025, 18:18 IST
Rising Bharat Summit 2025: Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Hindustan Zinc Chairperson & Vedanta's Non-Executive Director, To Give Business Advice

Published By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 09:00 IST

Rising Bharat Summit 2025 on April 8-9: Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson of Hindustan Zinc Limited and the Non-Executive Director at Vedanta Ltd, will speak at the event

Priya Agarwal Hebbar holds a Bachelors in Psychology and Business Management from the University of Warwick in the UK.

Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson of Hindustan Zinc Limited and Non-Executive Director at Vedanta Ltd, will be among the prominent speakers at the CNN-News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2025.

The event, which will be held in Delhi on April 8-9, will see the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, among other big names.

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Hebbar holds a Bachelors in Psychology and Business Management from the University of Warwick in the UK. She is passionate about the environment and sustainability and has been playing an instrumental role in the ESG transformation at Vedanta. She also steers best-in-class people practices across the Group.

Hebbar is passionate about nature conservation, animal welfare, child nutrition and gender parity which has driven her to lead a variety of CSR initiatives. Under her leadership, the Anil Agarwal Foundation (AAF), the philanthropic arm of Vedanta, has invested around USD 240 million towards socio-economic development in India touching the lives of around fifty million people across 1300 villages in India and has pledged USD 600 million over the next five years towards social impact projects.

Vedanta has modernised over 4,000 anganwadis across the country through its flagship project Nand Ghar, which aims to ensure opportunities for seven crore children and 2 crore women even in the remotest parts of the country. Nand Ghar reimagines the anganwadi network with state-of-the-art infrastructure powered with 247 solar electricity, clean hygienic toilets, water purifiers and provides best in class services for e-learning based pre-school education, wholesome nutrition, health, hygiene, and women empowerment, according to the company website.

Following her love for animals, in 2010, Hebbar founded YODA  Youth Organization in Defence of Animals, today the largest animal welfare organization in Maharashtra with focus on rehabilitation of injured, sick, and abandoned stray animals, rehabilitating over 3000 animals each month. It partners with the local municipality to vaccinate and sterilise around 600 animals each month. YODA ensures the adoption of over 4,000 shelter animals every year, providing 247 ambulance services across the city of Mumbai with fully equipped ambulances to conduct emergency treatments on spot. It aims to reduce rabies, ensure stray population control in Maharashtra, and promotes community awareness and education through school outreach to instill sensitivity towards animals in young children.

Hebbar is also leading Indias first state-of-the-art animal welfare project TACO  The Animal Care Organization, under AAF, which will bring leading academicians, veterinary professionals, and communities together to create a more holistic approach to animal care in India. TACO also supports tiger conservation efforts and provides infrastructural support to the Ranthambore National Park in collaboration with the Government of Rajasthan.

With focused action plans on decarbonisation, water positivity, workplace safety, community welfare and workforce diversity, her leadership is driving Vedanta on a transformative journey to emerge as an industry leader in ESG.

RISING BHARAT SUMMIT 2025

The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2025 is where Indias defining conversations take centre stage. As the world acknowledges Bharats emerging power, this summit will bring together the biggest Indian leaders, global policymakers, industry stalwarts, tech innovators, and start-up revolutionaries to address the most urgent issues defining our future.

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From AI-led governance and futuristic technology to politics, economic policies, innovation, entrepreneurship, and urbanization, every discussion will tackle topics making headlines across the globe.

With insightful dialogues on global supply chains, sustainable urban growth, and the next wave of innovation, the summit will drive crucial conversations on the journey of a self-reliant, future-ready Bharat on its path to global leadership by 2047.

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 05, 2025, 09:00 IST
'Stop Cutting Telangana Jungles': BJP's Tajinder Bagga Slams Rahul Gandhi With Posters Across Delhi

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 08:39 IST

The hoardings, installed at multiple locations across the national capital, displayed a message: Rahul Gandhi ji, please stop cutting down our jungles in Telangana.

Hoardings put by BJP leader Tajinder Bagga were seen at several places in Delhi | Image/ANI

BJP leader Tajinder Bagga put up hoardings across Delhi targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the clearance of a large green area in Hyderabad.

It comes after the Supreme Court on April 3 ordered a stay on the felling of trees in Kancha Gachibowli- a 400-acre land parcel adjoining the University of Hyderabad in Telangana.

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The hoardings, installed at multiple locations across the national capital, displayed a message: Rahul Gandhi ji, please stop cutting down our jungles in Telangana."

#WATCH | Delhi | Hoardings put by BJP leader Tajinder Bagga can be seen at several places in the National Capital with the slogan Rahul Gandhi ji please stop cutting down our jungles in Telangana", related to the issue of clearance of green cover in Kancha Gachibowli village, an pic.twitter.com/VANFV8SGjb ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2025

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih took suo motu cognisance of the state-sponsored tree-felling drive in Kancha Gachibowli and said an interim report submitted by the Telangana High Court showed an alarming picture" of deforestation.

Congress Govt Under Fire

The Congress governments decision to launch development works on the green cover area faced massive criticism, with the opposition alleging that it had deployed hundreds of bulldozers to clear trees and wildlife from the University of Hyderabad land.

Why the rush to turn a green haven into a concrete jungle worth Rs 30,000 crore?" asked BRS leader KT Rama Rao, noting that a major portion of Hyderabads greenery has already diminished with rapid urbanisation.

Students Lead Protest

Earlier on April 3, the students of the University of Hyderabad launched an indefinite relay hunger strike, demanding immediate withdrawal of all JCBs from the site and an end to the felling of trees.

At least 50 students participated in the hunger strike, while over 200 others gathered in support on campus, according to reports.

The protest, which garnered support from the Workers Union and the non-teaching staff of the university, was withdrawn after Supreme Courts stay on the tree-felling drive.

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We have called off the protest and hunger strike as the Supreme Court has ordered a stay on the activities," Anamika, a UoH student, was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.

Students hailed the ruling as a triumph of their united fight for justice and announced a victory rally to be held on campus the following day.

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 : Delhi, India, India

First Published: April 05, 2025, 08:28 IST
Three Fugitives Facing Interpol Red Notices Brought Back To India From UAE After CBI Crackdown

Reported By :

News18.com Edited By: Karishma Jain



Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 12:12 IST

The fugitives are accused in separate cases of rape, forgery, and extortion registered in Kerala, Gujarat, and Rajasthan

Image for representation. | Manjunath Kiran/AFP

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has brought back three fugitives from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in coordination with Interpol and state police forces, officials said.

In two separate operations on 2 April 2025, Suhail Basheer and Tofik Najir Khan  wanted by the Kerala and Gujarat Police, respectively  were brought to India and landed at Cochin International Airport under heavy security. A third fugitive, Aaditya Jain, who was wanted by the Rajasthan Police, was brought back two days later on 4 April and landed at Jaipur International Airport.

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According to a CBI statement cited by PTI, the International Police Cooperation Unit (IPCU) coordinated with Interpols National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abu Dhabi and the respective state police teams to secure their return.

Suhail Basheer, wanted in Kerala in connection with Crime No. 1319/2023 registered at Muvattupuzha Police Station in Ernakulam rural district, faces charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for the alleged rape of a minor. A Red Notice  a global wanted" alert  was issued against him on 2 December 2024 at the request of the Kerala Police. Following his location in the UAE, he was escorted back by a Kerala Police team.

In a parallel operation, Tofik Najir Khan, wanted by the Gujarat Police in a criminal case registered at Bavlu Police Station in Mehsana district, was also returned to India. Khan faces charges of criminal conspiracy, forgery, and cheating. A Red Notice against him was issued on 25 February 2025 on the request of the Gujarat Police. He was taken into custody by Gujarat Police officials upon arrival at Cochin Airport.

Separately, Aaditya Jain, wanted by the Rajasthan Police for allegedly making extortion calls to businessmen using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications and for opening fire in cases of non-payment, was returned from the UAE on 4 April. A Red Notice had been issued against him on 18 February 2025 following a request by the Rajasthan Police. Jain was brought back under escort by a Rajasthan Police team and landed at Jaipur International Airport.

The CBI acts as Indias National Central Bureau for Interpol and is responsible for coordinating the tracking and return of fugitives facing Red Notices. Red Notices issued by Interpol are circulated to law enforcement agencies worldwide to facilitate the location and arrest of wanted individuals.

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These arrests are a testament to our commitment to bringing fugitives to justice, no matter where they flee," a senior CBI official told CNN-News18.

The CBI also said that through platforms like Bharatpol and close cooperation with state police forces, more than 100 fugitives have been brought back to India over the past few years.

First Published: April 05, 2025, 12:12 IST
Babu Jagjivan Ram Birth Anniversary: Is It A Bank Holiday? 10 Facts About The Leader

Published By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 09:08 IST

Babu Jagjivan Ram Birth Anniversary: With 30-year tenure, he is the longest-serving cabinet minister in Indian history.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying tributes to Babu Jagjivan Ram. (File photo)

Babu Jagjivan Ram Birth Anniversary 2025: Often referred to as Babuji," Babu Jagjivan Ram was a social justice activist, freedom fighter, and national leader. He dedicated his life to the cause of equal rights for the underprivileged.

Babu Jagjivan Ram was born to Sobhi Ram and Vasanti Devi on April 5, 1908, in Chandwa village, Bihar. His father, Dr. Birbal, served in the British Army and was a distinguished physician. Under his mothers encouragement, he passed his matriculation despite encountering caste-based discrimination. Later on, he graduated from Calcutta University after passing the Inter Science Exam at Banaras Hindu University.

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This year, on the occasion of his 118th birth anniversary, the nation will honour his legacy.

Babu Jagjivan Ram Birth Anniversary: Is It A Bank Holiday?

According to Reserve Bank Of India, Banks in Telangana will be closed on Saturday, April 5, to commemorate Babu Jagjivan Rams birth anniversary.

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10 Facts About Babu Jagjivan Ram

Babu Jagjivan Ram started his public career as a student activist and freedom fighter. His nomination to the Bihar Legislative Council in 1936 made him a lawmaker at the age of 28.

He married Indrani Devi, a liberation fighter and educationist, in June 1935.

The All-India Depressed Classes League was founded in 1935 with Babu Jagjivan Ram as a major contributor. Babuji had a strong commitment to the goal of equality for the untouchables, which this group was devoted to attaining.

He served in the Indian government under Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi in a number of significant positions, including Minister of Communications and Minister of Labour. He was Indias defence minister during the 1971 Indo-Pak War as well.

In 1977, Babu Jagjivan Ram quit the Congress party to voice his opposition to the Emergency that then-prime minister Indira Gandhi had enforced. He and his newly established Congress for Democracy party joined the Janata Party alliance. Later on, he was named Indias deputy prime minister, a role he held from 1977 to 1979.

From 1936 to 1986, he served as a member of parliament for 50 consecutive years, setting a record.

With an astounding 30-year tenure, he is also the longest-serving cabinet minister in Indian history.

Babu Jagjivan Ram is the father of Meira Kumar, a well-known Congress leader and former diplomat. From 2009 to 2014, she was the 15th Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Babu Jagjivan Ram died on July 6, 1986. He left a legacy of social and political action that continues to inspire people throughout the country.

A memorial was built near the place of his cremation in his honour. It is now called Samta Sthal, or Place of Equality."

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 05, 2025, 07:05 IST
Chaitra Navaratri 2025 Day 7: Goddess Mahagauri Puja Vidhi, Significance, Shubh Muhurat, Samagri, Mantra And Colour Of The Day

Published By :

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Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 06:00 IST

Chaitra Navaratri 2025 Day 7: Goddess Mahagauri is worshipped as the embodiment of purity, calmness and tranquility.

Chaitra Navaratri 2025 Day 7: Goddess Mahagauri will be worshipped on April 5, Saturday. (Image: Shutterstock)

Chaitra Navaratri 2025 Day 7: Navratri, a major Hindu festival, is celebrated for nine nights to worship the divine feminine power, mainly the various forms of Goddess Durga. This festival marks the victory of good over evil and follows various customs and rituals throughout the nine nights, across the nation. On the seventh day of Navratri, devotees worship Goddess Mahagauri for spiritual awakening and cleansing of past sins. This year, as Navratri began on March 30, Goddess Mahagauri will be worshipped on April 5, Saturday.

ALSO READ: Chaitra Navratri 2025: Ashtami And Navami Dates, Kanya Puja Muhurat, Rituals And Significance

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Goddess Mahagauris Significance

According to Hindu mythologies, it is believed that the Goddess Shailputri was blessed with a milk-white complexion and was extremely beautiful. This is why, at the age of sixteen, she came to be known as Goddess Mahagauri. Adding more to the divine beauty, the goddess adorns white (shwet) clothes and due to that, she is also known as Shwetambardhara. Due to her immensely fair complexion, she is also compared with the conch, the moon and the white flower of Kunda.

Hence, Goddess Mahagauri is worshipped as the embodiment of purity, calmness and tranquility, as it is associated with the colour white. The same colour also helps in spiritual awakening, providing inner strength, and clarity from negative influences.

Goddess Mahagauri is depicted with four hands, carrying a Trishul in one right hand and keeping the second right hand in Abhaya Mudra. While she holds a Damaru in one left hand and keeps the second left hand in Varada Mudra.

Moreover, the day holds significant meaning as the planet Rahu is governed by Goddess Mahagauri, which is believed that worshipping her helps in the reduction of malefic effects and brings stability and clarity in life.

Goddess Mahagauris Puja Samagri

The puja samagri needed for worshipping Goddess Mahagauri includes rice bhogs, incense sticks, panchamrita, dry fruits, perfumed water and flowers. The night-blooming jasmine (Raat Ki Rani) is Mata Mahagauris favourite flower, hence, it should also be offered to her.

Goddess Mahagauri Puja Vidhi

On the seventh day of Navratri, devotees should wake up early in the morning, best if possible during the Brahma muhurat and take a bath. They should wear grey-hued clean attire. Following, they should begin the puja rituals.

It is believed that for performing the puja on this day, tithi, and certain times are extremely auspicious. Likewise, puja should be performed at Pratah Sandhya, Abhijit Muhurta, Sayahna Sandhya, Vijaya Muhurta and Nishita Muhurta.

Goddess Mahagauri Pujas Shubh Muhurat

According to Drik Panchang, below are the auspicious times on the seventh day of Navratri:

Brahma Muhurta

Start Time: 4:35 AM

End Time: 5:21 AM

Pratah Sandhya

Start Time: 4:58 AM

End Time: 6:07 AM

Abhijit Muhurta

Start Time: 11:59 AM

End Time: 12:49 PM

Sayahna Sandhya

Start Time: 6:41 PM

End Time: 7:50 PM

Vijaya Muhurta

Start Time: 2:30 PM

End Time: 3:20 PM

Amrit Kalam

Start Time: 3:07 AM (April 6)

End Time: 4:43 AM (April 6)

Nishita Muhurta

Start Time: 12:01 AM (April 6)

End Time: 12:46 AM (April 6)

Rahu Kala

Start Time: 09:15 AM

End Time: 10:50 PM

Goddess Mahagauri Mantra

A simple mantra, Om Devi Mahagauryai Namah", should be chanted repeatedly while worshipping Goddess Mahagauri.

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Chaitra Navaratri 2025 Day 7: Colour

The seventh day of Navaratri is associated with the colour grey. The vibrant shade symbolises balanced emotions and keeps the person down-to-earth. Wearing grey-coloured ensembles on Saturday will let the Goddess Mahagauri help you free from all past sins and impurities.

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 05, 2025, 06:00 IST
International Day Of Conscience 2025: Theme, History, Significance, Quotes, Wishes And Messages To Share For Self-Love

Published By :

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Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 09:08 IST

International Day of Conscience promotes ethical behaviour, social responsibility, and global harmony.

International Day Of Conscience serves as a reminder of how conscience influences personal conduct and plays a vital role in promoting social harmony. (Image: Shutterstock)

International Day Of Conscience 2025: Observed on April 5, the International Day of Conscience highlights the significance of our inner moral compass, urging individuals to reflect on their values, actions and responsibilities. It serves as a reminder of how conscience influences personal conduct and plays a vital role in promoting social harmony.

International Day of Conscience 2025: History

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Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019, the International Day of Conscience underscores the vital role of conscience in guiding ethical behaviour and promoting social responsibility. It serves as a global call to reflect on our actions, embrace moral accountability, and foster a culture of peace and harmony.

On this day, the UN encourages individuals, communities and organisations to cultivate integrity, make ethical choices, and actively contribute to a just and peaceful world. It reminds us that conscience is central to advancing justice, human rights, and global harmony.

International Day Of Conscience 2025: Significance

The International Day of Conscience emphasises personal reflection and ethical responsibility in shaping both individual behaviour and global harmony. It encourages people to assess their actions, values, and decisions, fostering accountability rooted in moral principles.

By raising awareness of our inner moral compass, this day seeks to inspire positive change, promote peace and uphold human rights. Ultimately, it serves as a powerful reminder of consciences role in building a compassionate and just world.

International Day Of Conscience 2025: Theme

This years theme for the International Day of Conscience is Leave No One Behind.

International Day Of Conscience 2025: Quotes

Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life."- Mark Twain I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me, God. Amen."- Martin Luther There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts."- Mahatma Gandhi Never do anything against conscience, even if the state demands it."- Albert Einstein A clear and innocent conscience fears nothing."- Elizabeth I

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International Day Of Conscience 2025: Wishes And Messages To Share For Self-Love

May you always remember how beautiful and strong you are, inside and out. Embrace your uniqueness and let your light shine brightly.

Take time to nurture yourself, for self-love is the foundation of your happiness and well-being. May you always cherish your own worth.

You are worthy of all the love and care you give to others. Dont forget to pour that love back into yourself.

May you always speak to yourself with kindness, knowing that you deserve the same compassion and understanding that you offer to the world.

Your journey towards self-love is powerful and important. May you never doubt your strength or your worth.

Remember, you are not defined by your mistakes or flaws. You are an ever-evolving, beautiful soul deserving of love and acceptance.

You are enough, just as you are. May you always find the courage to embrace your authentic self with pride and confidence.

Self-love isnt selfish, its essential. May you always put yourself first and honour your own needs and desires.

May you always find joy in your own company, peace in your own heart, and strength in knowing how far youve come.

Sending you love and light as a reminder that you are worthy of the best things in life. May your heart be filled with love, always.

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 05, 2025, 07:00 IST
Who Is Tamanna Katoch? The Model Who Stole the Spotlight Behind Janhvi Kapoor at Lakme Fashion Week

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 00:12 IST

Tamanna Katoch, the model who walked right behind Janhvi Kapoor at Lakme Fashion Week 2025, stole the spotlight with her effortless poise and runway presence, becoming the internets newest obsession.

Tamanna has been a regular on Indias top runways

Janhvi Kapoor may have been the showstopper at the Lakme Fashion Week held on March 29, 2025, but it was the model walking right behind her who ended up creating waves online. Meet Tamanna Katochthe name thats suddenly everywhere after her commanding ramp presence turned heads and set social media buzzing.

While Janhvi dazzled in her designer ensemble, Tamannas striking walk, statuesque beauty, and effortless poise made her an instant internet favourite. Fashion enthusiasts and netizens alike couldnt stop raving about her, with many declaring her the real star of the show.

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Who is Tamanna Katoch?

Based in New Delhi, Tamanna Katoch isnt new to the world of fashion. According to her LinkedIn, she studied at Queen Marys School in Tis Hazari and later pursued Journalism and Mass Communication from Lingayas Lalita Devi Institute of Management & Sciences, graduating in 2018.

Tamanna has been a regular on Indias top runways. Shes previously walked for some of the most celebrated names in the fashion industry, including Manish Malhotra, Falguni Shane Peacock, Ankita Jain, and Sulakshna Monga, among others. Off the ramp, shes also appeared in ad campaigns for mobile phone brands and popular fashion labels, quietly building a solid career in modeling.

A scroll through her Instagram reveals a mix of raw elegance and understated confidence. While she keeps her presence relatively low-keyher bio reads, Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"she has amassed a loyal following of over 72.7K followers. She was also a contestant on Indias Next Top Model Season 4, where she showcased her versatility and flair for fashion.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by TAMANNA KATOCH (@tamanna__katoch)

The Internets New Muse

On April 1, Tamanna shared a video clip of her Lakme Fashion Week ramp walkand the internet couldnt get enough. Within hours, likes and comments flooded in. Actor Mrunal Thakur chimed in with a Wow, you killed it, T :)" while others showered her with praise.

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Comments like Lets pretend there was no Janhvi," and Your walk was on fire! " reflected the collective sentiment. One follower summed it up best: Nobody saw Janhvi, we all saw you, girl." Another gushed, Your ramp walk looks so effortless! Its a pleasure to watch."

With a career thats already impressive and a moment like this pushing her into the spotlight, Tamanna Katoch might just be Indias next breakout supermodel.

About the Author Swati Chaturvedi Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she's a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl... Read More Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she's a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl... Read More

fashion, travel, The News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health food , and culture  with wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration, and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

First Published: April 06, 2025, 00:12 IST
Amitabh Bachchan's 'Angry Young Man' Persona By Salim-Javed Inspired Youth During Emergency: Akhilendra Mishra

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 14:26 IST

The actor said Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar's dialogues instilled inspiration.

Amitabh Bachchan in Agneepath.

Amitabh Bachchan was known for his power-packed performances in the 90s and was also dubbed the angry young man of Indian cinema. The actor was a regular feature of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtars films, whose dialogues and anti-establishment characters struck a chord with the audience during the Emergency.

In a conversation with the Friday Talkies, actor Akhilendra Mishra opened up about how Amitabh Bachchans films inspired people. He said, In that era, Amitabh Bachchans movies were coming one after another, and we used to wear clothes just like him: the shirt with the big collar and size 36 bottoms."

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He added, I can say with confidence that the inclination towards being in films for my generation, the one before me and the one after, was because of Amitabh, whether it was to be an actor, writer, director or an editor. If anyone denies that and says that its not him, they are lying."

The actor mentioned, At the time of the JP movement and Emergency, cinema had a big impact on society. The younger generation, including us, used to relate with the angry young man that was created by Salim-Javed, and both of them changed the entire pattern for the Indian film industry."

People were suffering through the Emergency and then were going to watch a Bachchan film the very next day. The writing had a lot to do with what was going on; there was a visible change in the younger generation, and people grew up with that newly developed mindset," said the actor.

Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan and Salim Khan recently reunited to pay their last respects to the late legendary actor and filmmaker Manoj Kumar. Amitabh and Salim greeted each other with a hug and paid tribute to the late Bharat Kumar and his legacy.

About the Author Kashvi Raj Singh Kashvi Raj Singh is a News Trainee at News18. She extensively covers Bollywood, Hollywood and television. She not only keeps an eye out for interesting news angles but also often writes social commentary in lon... Read More Kashvi Raj Singh is a News Trainee at News18. She extensively covers Bollywood, Hollywood and television. She not only keeps an eye out for interesting news angles but also often writes social commentary in lon... Read More

First Published: April 05, 2025, 14:26 IST
Parth Samthaan Is New ACP Pradyuman As Shivaji Satam Quits CID? Inside Scoop Out

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 08:23 IST

Parth Samthaan may return to TV after five years, potentially joining CID as the new ACP Pradyuman. This follows reports of Shivaji Satam's exit. CID 2 returned to Sony TV in 2024.

Parth Samthaan likely to replace Shivaji Satam in CID.

Parth Samthaan is likely to make his comeback on television after five years. The buzz is that the actor is likely to join the popular show CID. As reported by Gossip TV, Parth is in talks with the makers of the show to be the new ACP Pradyuman. However, there is no official confirmation on this as of now.

It should be noted that the reports of Parth Samthaan joining CID come days after India Today reported that veteran actor Shivaji Satam is set to bid goodbye to the show. Reportedly, Satam will die in the show after becoming a victim of a bomb blast. Even the actor confirmed to the Times of India that he is currently on a break and is not shooting" for the show.

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Parth Samthaan is an Indian television actor who appeared as Prithvi Sanyal in the series Best Friends Forever. Parths career took off after he appeared in Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan, playing Manik Malhotra. He worked with Niti Taylor on the show, and the fifth season was streamed last year. He also appeared as Anurag Basu in Ektaa Kapoors sequel to the hit series Kasautii Zindagii Kay. The actor starred opposite Erica Fernandes.

In 2024, Parth Samthaan also made his Bollywood debut with the film Ghudchadi. It was a comedy drama which also starred Sanjay Dutt, Khushali Kumar, Raveena Tandon and Aruna Irani in key roles.

Meanwhile, talking about CID, the first season of the show went off air on October 27, 2018, following a successful 20-year run on Sony TV. The drama had a skilled cast, including Aditya Srivastava as Sr. Inspector Abhijeet and Dayanand Shetty as Sr. Inspector Daya. CID 2 returned to Sony TV on December 21, 2024, after much anticipation, bringing back the main characters. The show is presently available for streaming on Netflix as well.

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 05, 2025, 08:23 IST
Saif Ali Khan Stabbing Case: Cops Oppose Accused's Bail Plea, Share Key Information With Court

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 07:27 IST

Mumbai police opposed Mohammad Shariful Islam's bail in the Saif Ali Khan stabbing case, citing forensic evidence linking knife fragments to the recovered weapon.

Saif Ali Khan Stabbing Case: Previously Mumbai Police also confirmed that the accused entered India from Bangladesh and stayed at various locations in Kolkata before travelling to Mumbai. (File Image/ANI)

Mumbai police have opposed the bail plea of the accused in the Saif Ali Khan stabbing case. On Friday, police officials told a Mumbai court that the knife fragment that got lodged near the spine of the actor and the one found at the scene of the crime matched with the weapon recovered from the accused, Mohammad Shariful Islam. While opposing the bail plea, police told the court that the three pieces were part of the same weapon used to attack Saif Ali Khan.

In its written response to the court, police cited a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report. The court was also told that the three pieces of knife were sent for chemical analysis examination at the Forensic Science Laboratory in Kalina in Mumbai. After the examination, it was revealed that all three pieces are part of the same knife.

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Besides this, the police also opposed the bail plea by stating that the accused is a Bangladeshi citizen who was living in India illegally. Cops claimed that there is a possibility of the accused absconding and therefore, he must not be granted bail. Police also said the offence was very serious in nature" and strong evidence" is available against the accused.

For the unversed, the accused, in his bail plea, had claimed that he was being falsely framed. The FIR is patently false and a false case has been registered against him," his plea read.

Saif Ali Khan was stabbed by an intruder at his Mumbai residence in the wee hours of January 16. It was reported that at around 2 AM, the actor heard noises when one of his female employees was attacked in Jehs room. This prompted Saif to intervene, which led to an altercation between the two and the attacker injured both Saif and the female employee.

Islam has been accused of breaking into Saif Ali Khans Mumbai residence with the intent of robbing. He has also been accused of attacking the actor and his staff member using a wooden weapon and a blade.

Saif Ali Khan was stabbed six times by the robber, following which he was rushed to the hospital. The actor was discharged on January 21.

(With inputs from PTI)

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 05, 2025, 07:22 IST
Modis Lanka Play: How India Is Helping Its Neighbour Rebuild

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 14:26 IST

The prime ministers visit offers an opportunity to deepen this multifaceted relationship, drive forward key connectivity and energy projects, and hopefully address lingering issues like the fishermen's conflict

Prime Minister Narendra Modi being greeted by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo. (PTI)

Sri Lanka stared into the abyss in 2022. An economic crisis, born from mismanagement and external shocks, brought the island nation to its knees, culminating in a sovereign default that sent shockwaves through the region. Amidst this turmoil, as reserves dwindled and essentials vanished, one neighbour stepped decisively into the breach: India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Sri Lanka from April 4-6. The trip represents a critical juncture in Indias sustained, complex engagementa strategic Lanka Play" aimed at stabilising its neighbour while securing its interests in an increasingly volatile Indian Ocean region.

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India Steps Up

When Sri Lanka faced its darkest economic hour, the response from New Delhi was swift and substantial. Unlike the rest of the International support, India did not just offer a token of assistance, it was a lifeline. India extended close to $4 billion in crucial support through multiple channels, including currency swaps via the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), deferrals of trade liabilities under the Asian Clearing Union (ACU), and vital credit lines for importing fuel, food, and medicines facilitated by the EXIM Bank of India and the State Bank of India.

This emergency financing, disbursed rapidly during the critical January-April 2022 period, covered over 80 per cent of Sri Lankas merchandise imports from India that year, effectively preventing a total collapse and enabling the country to meet immediate needs and avoid defaulting on multilateral creditorsa move that would have barred access to crucial institutional funding.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri rightly emphasised a week ago that this assistance flowed from Indias Neighborhood First" policy, framing Sri Lanka as an integral partner. India acted as the quintessential first responder, providing nearly $4.5 billion in total assistance during 2022-23, dwarfing initial contributions from other international actors and demonstrating a capacity and willingness to shoulder regional burdens.

This intervention provided Colombo with essential breathing room, stabilised foreign reserves, and allowed for the continued import of essentials. It was done when other financing avenues had dried up. It was a direct, impactful intervention when Sri Lanka needed it most.

Debt Restructuring & Strategic Investments

However, Indias role was not at an end at this point. It transcended emergency aid, moving into the complex arena of debt restructuring and strategic investment, areas deeply intertwined with geopolitical calculus. Following Sri Lankas default, navigating the debt maze became paramount. India, despite holding a relatively minor portion (around 4 per cent) of the debt undergoing restructuring compared to Chinas significant share (around 27 per cent, including policy bank loans), played an outsized diplomatic role.

New Delhi was the first bilateral creditor to provide the financing assurances required for Sri Lankas IMF programme approval in March 2023. This promptness was in contrast to the delay from Beijing, positioning India as a proactive and reliable partner in Colombos recovery efforts. Furthermore, India co-chairs the Official Creditor Committee (OCC) alongside Japan and France, a key platform coordinating bilateral debt negotiations, underlining its diplomatic sway.

This leadership role complements a growing footprint of Indian investments in Sri Lankas strategic sectors. The Sampur solar power project (a joint venture involving Indias NTPC), expansion plans for the Kankesanthurai port, and potential energy connectivity projects like power grid interconnections and an oil pipeline from Nagapattinam to Trincomalee, underscore Indias intent to deepen economic integration.

These investments are not accidental; they align with Indias strategic objectives of securing its economic interests (particularly port access for transhipment), enhancing regional connectivity, and subtly countering Chinas longstanding influence in the islands infrastructure landscape. The goodwill generated by the 2022 assistance has undoubtedly facilitated progress on these initiatives, some of which had previously stalled.

Cementing Ties, Tackling Irritants

Prime Minister Modis fourth visit to Sri Lanka during his tenure, and significantly the first state visit hosted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, carries weight. President Dissanayake chose India for his first overseas visit in December 2024, signalling Colombos current orientation. Modis return trip is poised to solidify this relationship further.

The agenda is packed: the inauguration of India-assisted projects like the Sampur Solar Project, the exchange of MoUs covering energy connectivity, digitisation, health, and defence cooperation, and official discussions aimed at exploring new areas of partnership as Sri Lanka tentatively returns to a growth path. The visit to the historic city of Anuradhapura and the respects paid at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple underscore the deep civilisational links that form the bedrock of the relationship.

However, the visit also provides a platform to address persistent irritants. The issue of Indian fishermen operating near Katchatheevu, leading to arrests and boat seizures by the Sri Lankan Navy, remains a sensitive point, particularly given domestic pressures within India, notably from Tamil Nadu. Chief minister MK Stalin has urged PM Modi to seek a resolution. Finding a constructive way forward on this longstanding issue will be a delicate balancing act, requiring careful diplomacy alongside the broader strategic and economic discussions.

How this issue is handled could significantly impact perceptions and the overall success of the visit in fostering goodwill.

The Mutual Benefit Equation

The Lanka Play" is fundamentally rooted in mutual interest, albeit asymmetrical. For Sri Lanka, Indias continued engagement offers a pathway to sustained economic recovery. Access to Indias vast market (bolstered by the existing ISFTA and potential future agreements like ETCA), continued investment in critical infrastructure (energy, ports, connectivity), and financial stability support are crucial as Colombo navigates its post-crisis phase.

India remains Sri Lankas largest trading partner and a primary source of FDI and tourismvital for rebuilding the economy. A stable, economically recovering Sri Lanka serves Indias interests far better than a collapsing state susceptible to instability or excessive influence from rival powers.

For India, the benefits are manifold. A stable and friendly Sri Lanka is a strategic imperative, securing Indias southern flank in the vital Indian Ocean region. Deeper economic integration provides opportunities for Indian businesses and exporters and leverages Sri Lankas strategic location for trade and logistics (chiefly via Colombo Port). It also potentially turns Sri Lanka into a key energy partner through grid connectivity and renewable projects.

Furthermore, demonstrating effective regional leadership through robust support for Sri Lanka bolsters Indias Neighbourhood First" policy and enhances its credentials as a reliable partner, presenting a counter-narrative to Chinas regional influence. This engagement is a long-term investment in regional stability and Indias geopolitical standing.

A Calculated Embrace

Indias engagement with Sri Lanka since the 2022 crisis has been a defining feature of its regional foreign policy under Modi. Its a calculated embrace, combining genuine assistance with clear strategic objectives. From providing immediate lifelines to playing a key role in debt restructuring and driving strategic investments, India has cemented its position as an indispensable partner for Colombos recovery.

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Modis visit offers an opportunity to deepen this multifaceted relationship, drive forward key connectivity and energy projects, and hopefully address lingering issues like the fishermens conflict.

Yet, challenges remain. Underlying anti-India sentiment, fueled by historical baggage and nationalist politics, persists in Sri Lanka and could resurface, potentially complicating innate integration efforts. Balancing relations with China, which remains a significant economic player on the island, will continue to be a delicate act for Colombo. Indias Lanka Play," therefore, is not about outright dominance but about fostering interdependence, building resilience in its neighbour, and strategically positioning itself in a critical maritime space. The success of this play hinges on sustained commitment, sensitive diplomacy, and the tangible delivery of economic benefits for both nations.

About the Author Sohil Sinha Sohil Sinha is a Sub Editor at News18. He writes on foreign affairs, geopolitics along with domestic policy and infrastructure projects. Sohil Sinha is a Sub Editor at News18. He writes on foreign affairs, geopolitics along with domestic policy and infrastructure projects.

First Published: April 05, 2025, 14:26 IST
Opinion | From BIMSTEC To Rameswaram: PM Modis Ram Diplomacy

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 14:56 IST

By invoking the Ramayanas historical and spiritual ties across South and Southeast Asia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reinforcing Indias position as a cultural anchor in the region

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ramanathaswamy Temple, in Rameshwaram. (File photo/PTI)

In international diplomacy, policies dictate the formal script, but cultural ties shape the real connections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi understands this well, skilfully blending strategic alliances with civilisational outreach. His recent engagementsspanning the BIMSTEC Summit, a visit to Thailand and Sri Lanka, and a concluding stop at Rameswaramare more than just high-level meetings. They weave together a broader cultural and geopolitical narrative, rooted in the shared legacy of Lord Ram.

The timing of Modis visits is no coincidence. Arriving in Thailand and Sri Lanka just ahead of Ram Navami, then visiting Rameswaram on the festival itself, sends a strong message. By invoking the Ramayanas historical and spiritual ties across South and Southeast Asia, PM Modi is reinforcing Indias position as a cultural anchor in the region. This is not just about diplomatic agreementsits about strengthening a deeper, more enduring bond.

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Thailand, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka all have strong connections to the Ramayana. The Thai version, the Ramakien, is deeply embedded in their royal traditions, with the current monarch titled Rama X. In Sri Lanka, the epic is not just mythology; its a part of their historical consciousness. By highlighting these ties, Modi transcends policy discussions, reminding these nations of their shared heritage with India.

The connection between these regions and India is ancient. Long before modern borders, maritime trade routes linked them, spreading ideas, art, and faith. Emperor Ashoka sent his daughter, Sanghamitta, to Sri Lanka in 250 BCE with a sapling of the Bodhi Tree, cementing civilisational exchanges. Thailands Mon and Khmer kingdoms absorbed Indian scripts and epics, evolving them into their own cultural forms. Tamralipti, an ancient Indian port, was a key node in this exchange.

PM Modis approach echoes this historical outreach. Just as Ashoka used Buddhism as a diplomatic tool, the Prime Minister employs Indias cultural and spiritual legacy to build goodwill. His participation in the BIMSTEC Summit is not just about economic and security cooperationits about reaffirming Indias historical role in the region.

The Prime Ministers visit to Thailand (April 3-4) for the BIMSTEC Summit aligns with Indias Act East" and Neighbourhood First" policies. The summit focuses on security, trade, and connectivity, but cultural symbolism is woven throughout. His meeting with King Rama X, who embodies Thailands Ramayana legacy, and his presence at a Ramakien performance highlight the enduring cultural connections.

By aligning the visit with Ram Navami, Modi is not just engaging in protocol but reinforcing Indias civilisational ties. In a region where Chinas influence is growing, cultural diplomacy provides India with an edgeone that resonates beyond trade deals and infrastructure projects.

PM Modis Sri Lanka visit blends policy with historical reverence. His meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake aims at strengthening economic ties, including India-assisted infrastructure projects. Yet, it is his visit to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Temple in Anuradhapura that carries deeper significance.

The Bodhi Tree sapling, brought from India over two millennia ago, symbolizes the spiritual bond between the two nations. This visit just before Ram Navami evokes the Ramayanas narrative of Lord Rams Lanka journey, subtly linking mythology with modern geopolitics. It also serves as a reminder of Indias longstanding role as a regional spiritual and cultural leadercontrasting with Chinas more transactional approach to diplomacy.

The final leg of Modis journey, on Ram Navami itself, is in Rameswaram. Here, he offers prayers at the Ramanathaswamy Temple and inaugurates the new Pamban Bridge. At first glance, the bridge is a purely infrastructural achievementa modern engineering marvel improving connectivity. But its deeper symbolism is unmistakable.

Rameswaram is where Ram is believed to have built the bridge to Lanka with Hanumans aid. The new Pamban Bridge, linking the mainland to Rameswaram, mirrors this mythology. Modis presence here reinforces the idea that India is not just building physical infrastructure but also metaphorical bridgesbetween past and present, tradition and progress.

PM Modis itinerary is a masterclass in cultural diplomacy. The BIMSTEC Summit helps counter Chinas influence in the Bay of Bengal. His Thailand and Sri Lanka visits strengthen Indias regional ties through shared heritage. The Pamban Bridge inauguration on Ram Navami symbolically ties infrastructure to Indias civilisational outreach.

This approach is not new. In 326 BCE, Chandragupta Maurya, guided by Kautilya, used cultural diplomacy to strengthen alliances. Emperor Ashoka followed suit, spreading Buddhism as a soft power tool. Modis strategy echoes these historical precedents, using Indias cultural depth to reinforce its modern diplomatic objectives.

Indias rise is not just about economic growth or military powerits also about reasserting its civilisational identity. Whether engaging with King Rama X, honouring the Bodhi Tree, or inaugurating a bridge on Ram Navami, Modi is crafting a narrative where Indias past informs its future.

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In a world where soft power is as crucial as hard power, this blend of heritage and modernity offers India a unique advantage. Just as Ram built a bridge to Lanka, Modi is building connections that transcend borders, ensuring that India remains a vital force in shaping the regions future. Some sceptics may view this diplomatic approach as incongruous in our transactional global marketplace, where nations function on strict give-and-take principles. Yet, the sterile relationships of commerce provide little shelter in difficult times; only the profound connections of shared heritage offer genuine resilience. These relationships, cultivated over centuries, have withstood the hurricanes of history and will continue to endure whatever storms the future may bring.

The writer is a senior broadcast journalist who writes on cultural diplomacy. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.

First Published: April 05, 2025, 14:56 IST
Opinion | Maharashtras Trillion-Dollar Vision: A Bold Step Towards An Economic Powerhouse

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 15:39 IST

From fintech to startups, from ports to semiconductors, the state is firing on all cylinders, ensuring that its growth story remains one of ambition, innovation, and unparalleled progress

Mumbai is now witnessing reverse migrationentrepreneurs who once moved out of Mumbai are returning to establish and expand their ventures. (Representative image/Shutterstock)

Maharashtra stands at the cusp of an extraordinary economic transformation. With Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reaffirming his governments commitment to turning Maharashtra into a $1 trillion economy by 2029, the state is once again asserting its dominance as Indias premier investment destination. This ambition is not just a dreamit is a vision backed by policies, infrastructure, and an unrelenting drive to position Maharashtra as the heart of Indias economic future.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) first mooted the idea of a $1 trillion economy in 2016-17, recognising Maharashtras unmatched potential to spearhead the nations economic ambitions. Today, that goal is within striking distance, thanks to the states ability to attract investments across sectors, its emergence as a fintech and startup hub, and the robust policy framework laid out by the government.

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Maharashtra has consistently been at the forefront of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows, barring a brief period under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The renewed focus on economic expansion is already yielding positive results, with significant FDI inflows returning to the state, reaffirming investor confidence in Maharashtras business ecosystem.

MAHARASHTRA: THE FINTECH AND DATA CAPITAL OF INDIA

Maharashtra is not just the financial capital of Indiait is now cementing its position as the fintech and data capital as well. Mumbai, the beating heart of the countrys financial ecosystem, continues to attract global players, with institutions like the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) setting up their global headquarters in the state. The Maharashtra government has already allocated prime land in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) for NPCIs headquarters, further solidifying Mumbais status as the hub of digital transactions and fintech innovation.

Simultaneously, the startup ecosystem in Maharashtra is witnessing a paradigm shift. Mumbai, which once played second fiddle to Bengaluru in terms of startup traction, is now witnessing reverse migrationentrepreneurs who once moved out of Mumbai are returning to establish and expand their ventures. With an increasing number of startups choosing Maharashtra as their base, the state is poised to lead Indias startup revolution, creating thousands of jobs and driving technological innovation.

NAINA, an acronym for Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area Maharashtras upcoming mega-smart cityhas the potential to emerge as Indias Science Data capital, drawing inspiration from Chinas Guiyang. Strategically positioned near the soon-to-be-operational Navi Mumbai International Airport, NAINA is designed to be a hub for new-age industries, with data and allied sectors at its core. With Maharashtra set to attract $20 billion in investmentsnearly half of Indias totalthe city can be a game-changer in the countrys $14 billion data centre market by 2029.

VADHAVAN PORT: INDIAS GATEWAY TO GLOBAL TRADE

A developed Maharashtra is essential for a developed India, and infrastructure is the backbone of this vision. In a move that will redefine Indias maritime trade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year laid the foundation stone for the Vadhavan Port. Set to be Indias largest container port, this Rs 76,000 crore project is a landmark initiative that will double the countrys container handling capacity. Built in two phasesone concluding in 2030 and the other in 2039the port will transform Maharashtra into a global logistics hub. With a staggering 20-metre depth and a projected handling capacity of 298 million metric tonnes per annum, Vadhavan is set to be one of the top 10 ports in the world.

Strategically located on the west coast, the port will serve as the primary feeder for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEEC) and enhance trade flow through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). This project is not just about tradeit is about empowering Maharashtras economy with job creation, connectivity, and infrastructure development that will echo across industries. With an estimated employment potential of 12 lakh people, Vadhavan Port will be a monumental leap forward in Maharashtras journey towards economic supremacy.

SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING: POWERING THE NEXT INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Maharashtras industrial ambitions do not stop at ports and fintechit is also leading the way in semiconductor manufacturing. The pandemic-induced disruption in global supply chains exposed Indias overdependence on semiconductor imports. Recognising the need for self-reliance, Maharashtra became the first state to launch a dedicated semiconductor policy and lay the foundation for a robust ecosystem.

The recent inauguration of the states first semiconductor OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) plant in Navi Mumbai is a step towards technological self-sufficiency.

This initiative is a game-changer, fostering technical innovation, strengthening local supply chains, and creating opportunities for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The semiconductor revolution in Maharashtra is not just about manufacturing chipsit is about skilling the local workforce, enhancing research and development, and ensuring that India is at the forefront of cutting-edge technology. This industry will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of electronics, artificial intelligence, and Industry 4.0, reinforcing Maharashtras position as the nucleus of Indias digital revolution.

Maharashtra is set to become a semiconductor powerhouse with the $10 billion JV between Tower Semiconductor and Adani Group, approved by the state cabinet. The upcoming chip manufacturing facility in Taloja, Navi Mumbai, will have an initial capacity of 40,000 wafer starts per month (WSPM), scaling up to 80,000 WSPM in later phases. With Rs 58,763 crore earmarked for Phase 1 and Rs 25,184 crore for Phase 2, this project positions Maharashtra at the forefront of Indias semiconductor revolution.

MAHARASHTRA: THE ENGINE OF INDIAS ECONOMIC GROWTH

Maharashtras economic trajectory is a testament to its resilience, strategic vision, and investor-friendly policies. The state governments unwavering commitment to economic reforms, infrastructure development, and technological advancement has made Maharashtra the first choice for businesses, both domestic and global.

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As Maharashtra races towards its $1 trillion economy goal, it is not merely setting benchmarks for itselfit is paving the way for Indias emergence as a global economic powerhouse. From fintech to startups, from ports to semiconductors, the state is firing on all cylinders, ensuring that its growth story remains one of ambition, innovation, and unparalleled progress. The road ahead is promising, and with the right mix of policies, leadership, and investment, Maharashtra will not just meet its trillion-dollar ambitionit will redefine what is possible for Indias economic future.

Tuhin A. Sinha is National Spokesperson, BJP; Sumit Kaushik is a social impact and public policy consultant. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.

First Published: April 05, 2025, 15:39 IST
Opinion | Resurrecting Vikramasila: PM Modis Efforts To Lay Foundation Of Asian Century

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 04, 2025, 18:49 IST

As Narendra Modi embarks on his tour of Thailand and Sri Lanka, which have played a seminal civilisational role in the preservation and spread of Buddhism in ancient and modern times, the PM's milestone achievements remain significant

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for DU, said the order of the CIC deserved to be set aside. (Image/ PTI file)

Addressing a mammoth public meeting in Bhagalpur, Bihar, in February 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a historic declaration, which demonstrated his earnest zeal in preserving and rekindling the heritage  spiritual and intellectual  and legacy associated with Lord Buddha and with Buddhism in India.

He told the gathering that Bhagalpur held immense historical and cultural significance" because during the era of Vikramshila University, it was a global centre of learning. We have already embarked on a mission to revive the ancient glory of Nalanda University, aligning it with modern Bharat. Now, following in Nalandas footsteps, a Central University is also being established in Vikramshila. The Central government will soon initiate work on this ambitious project"

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Within less than a fortnight into his third term as the Prime Minister, Modi inaugurated the re-established Nalanda University, once the lighthouse of knowledge for civilisations of the ancient world.

In a historic address, while inaugurating Nalanda University, PM Modi had made a thought-provoking point. He had said that edifices and centres of knowledge and wisdom such as Nalanda University represent a thought, a vision and are connecting heritage bridges. Nalanda is not just a revival of Bharats past. It is connected to the heritage of many countries in the world, especially in AsiaNalanda is not just a name. Nalanda is an identity, a respect. Nalanda is a value, a mantra, a pride, a saga. Nalanda is the declaration of this truth that even though books may burn in the flames, the flames cannot extinguish knowledge. The destruction of Nalanda filled Bharat with darkness. Now, its restoration is about to mark the beginning of Bharats golden era."

Both Nalanda and Vikramasila symbolised civilisational India as a knowledge society. J Takakasus translations of I-tsings travelogue, A Record of the Buddhist Religion as Practised in India and the Malay Archipelago, bear that out. I-tsing, who travelled to Nalanda from China and lived there for nearly 11 years as a student, revealed that Nalanda was known throughout the Buddhist world of the time for its learned and versatile teachers, and the name of its acharyas Silabhadra, Santarakshita and Atisa Dipankarashining luminaries in a galaxy of many moreconjure up a vision of the supreme eminence of the Nalanda Mahavihara throughout its prosperous history".

Of Vikramasila Vihara, the doyen of Buddhist studies in modern India, Rahul Sankrityayan, historian, scholar, formidable, polymath and prolific writer, says that it became a great and successful rival of Nalanda". In his famous essay, Life of Acharya Dipankara Srijnana, (Buddhist Annual, Sri Lanka, 1932) the leader-Acharya of Vikramasila, who later revived Buddhism in Tibet, Sankrityayan writes that Vikramasila, patronised and nurtured by King Dharmapala (769-809) emerged as another node in the ancient global knowledge circuit. Sankrityayan records how Dharmapala spent much money, and donated many villages for the upkeep of the ViharaSuccessive kings and rich people competed with one another in bestowing favours in this Vihara" and until the beginning of the 13th century (when, like Nalanda, it was also destroyed by Muhammad-bin-Bakhtiyar), the splendour and riches of the Vihara were always on the increase".

In Sankrityayans description of Vikramasila, its grandeur, spread and its academic and intellectual uniqueness emerges. There lived in Vikramasila, writes Sankrityayan, Eight mahapanditas (great professor) and 108 panditas. Thousands of students not only from different parts of India but also from outside countries came there to study. At the time, Ratnakara-Santi, Maitri (Avadhutipa), Dombipa, Sthavira Bhadra, Smriti-kara- Siddha (Kashmirian) and Dipankara were 8 mahapanditas."

The physical edifice of Vikramasila was as impressive as its knowledge edifice, writes Sankrityayan. In the middle of the Vihara, there was a great temple of the Boddhisattva Avalokitesvara. Within the compound there were built 53 temples, big and smallThough within the limits of the Pala kingdom there were great Viharas of Nalanda, Udantapuri and Vajrasana, still Vikramasila received the special attention of the Pala dynasty."

It was from Vikramasila that Acharya Atisa Dipankara, at the request of the then ruling monarch of Tibet, journeyed to that country and spent 14 years in its climes. The symbolism and historicity of the decision to revive and re-establish Vikramshila University, thus, is immense and portentous. It is bound to be another leap in Indias effort, indefatigably undertaken through various outreaches and projects, over the last decade under PM Modis leadership, to reclaim and restate her unique civilisational heritage and inheritance.

For decades after independence, no leader had undertaken such a comprehensive rekindling and reclaiming of Indias civilisational legacy, especially of her Buddha legacy and its once magnificent and imposing centres. One only learnt of and read of them in ancient travelogues and archaeological documents and records. They were discussed ad infinitum; the ancient glory of India was reflected upon, but no attempt was made in decades after independence to resurrect these centres in a modern context, form and vision. When it was decided to resurrect the Nalanda University around 2010, the effort got mired in inaction, failed deadlines, futile meetings and snail-pace progress.

Post 2014, work on the Nalanda University project picked up pace and sustained work and application saw the effort reach a historic fruition with PM Modi inaugurating it in the summer of 2024. Actualising the aspiration of seeing a new Vikramasila will herald another watershed moment in Indias journey towards evolving into a vibrant knowledge society of the 21st-century world. Such a resurrected Vikramasila and Nalanda can also emerge as symbols of the Asian Century", a collective vision tirelessly championed and spoken of by PM Modi. Centres such as Nalanda and Vikramasila will eventually emerge as a dynamic bridge enabling the renewal of the cultural and educational dimensions between India and her past civilisational partners. These are developments that are unique in the modern history of the Buddhist world. The transformative educational and economic benefits of such institutions at the local and regional level will eventually be there for all to see.

Historian of civilisations and cultures, DP Singhal, in his Buddhism in East Asia (1984) refers to ancient India as the radiating centre of civilisation which left a deep mark on the greater part of Asia" and of how Buddhism brought the uniquely rich and creative cultures of India" to a number of countries and civilisations across Asia enabling them to come into contact with each other, and, over a period of more than a thousand years". This contact, Singhal argues, gave rise to a great spiritual and cultural community throughout Asia". The re-cementing of that community throughout Asia once more, can be the guiding ideal of these renewed Indian universities; they can form the ideational pillars of the Asian century.

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As PM Modi embarks on his tour of Thailand and Sri Lanka, both countries which have played a seminal civilisational role in the preservation and spread of Buddhism in ancient and modern times, these milestone achievements and announcements assume added significance.

The author is Chairman, Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, and a member of the National Executive Committee, BJP. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.

First Published: April 04, 2025, 18:45 IST
Opinion | Why Did Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra Evade Waqf Bill Debate?

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 10:34 IST

Insiders say that Rahul  and most likely Priyanka as well  was advised by close aides to desist from delivering a fiery defence of the old Waqf law as it would have resulted in Hindu consolidation against the Congress

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra have been wise not to remind the nation virulently about the beast of their own partys creation. (PTI)

For a man who has fashioned himself as the champion of Muslims, it was odd that Congress scion Rahul Gandhi remained largely absent from Lok Sabha during the heated Waqf Amendment Bill debates. He entered the House just before the voting of the Bill, did not speak on the matter, and was seen seemingly dozing off during the session which was adjourned after 2am on April 3.

Next morning, he posted on X about the Waqf amendments, calling it a weapon aimed at marginalising Muslims".

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The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a weapon aimed at marginalising Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights. This attack on the Constitution by the RSS, BJP and their allies is aimed at Muslims today but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 2, 2025

But Rahul Gandhi, at least, did the perfunctory. His sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was absent throughout the Waqf debate and did not even come to vote. The Wayanad MPs absence prompted an editorial tirade in Suprabhatham, the mouthpiece of prominent Muslim organisation Samastha Kerala Jemiyyathul Ulama.

Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, whom the country looks up to with great expectations, did not come to Parliament despite the party whip. That will remain as a blot. The question of where she was when the Bill was debated will remain forever."

The Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency has 39.5 per cent Muslim voters. Regional Muslim parties like the Indian Union Muslim league (IUML) had campaigned for the Gandhi siblings in recent elections and ensured their win.

This raises the question: Why did the Gandhis evade the Waqf Bill debate? Why did they not stand robustly behind a large section of Muslims who were opposing the Bill?

Insiders say that Rahul  and most likely Priyanka as well  was advised by close aides to desist from delivering a fiery defence of the old Waqf law. It would have polarised the debate further and resulted in Hindu consolidation against the Congress.

It would have also brought into sharp focus how the Congress kept sweetening the Waqf candy with its own extremely problematic amendments over the years.

One of the most reckless appeasements was Section 40 of the Waqf Act, which is now being omitted. It gave power to Waqf boards to declare properties, including vast tracts of lands that spanned entire villages, as Waqf property. In eight states, 515 properties had been declared as Waqf under Section 40 of the Waqf Act.

On its way out and in its last days, the Congress-led UPA government donated 123 Delhi properties to Waqf.

Stats from 25 Waqf boards show 5,673 government properties have been declared as Waqf property. Archaeological Survey of India has found that 132 protected monuments have been usurped by Waqf. There are legal cases ongoing for 108 properties under the control of Land and Development Office, 130 under Delhi Development Authority and 123 in the public domain that had been declared as Waqf properties.

Under the new Bill, an officer above the rank of district collector will investigate government properties claimed as Waqf.

Perhaps the Congresss biggest dilemma has been over how the Waqf issue has played out in Kerala.

The Kerala State Waqf Board has claimed ownership of around 400 acres of land, affecting over 600 predominantly Christians and some Hindu families living there for generations. These residents, mainly fishermen, own registered deeds and have paid land taxes, but have got no redress from civil courts because of the Waqf Act of 1995.

This slew of land disputes has made the Kerala church strongly oppose Waqf. This could dent the Congresss chances in the 2026 state assembly elections.

And lastly, a big section of poor and Pasmanda Muslims was affected by Waqf and many of them have welcomed the new Act. There are 40,951 pending property-related cases in Waqf tribunals across India. Of these, 9,942 cases have been filed by Muslims against Waqf boards. This suggests that at least 20 per cent of these disputes involve disgruntled Muslim petitioners against the Waqf boards actions or claims, such as encroachment, property mismanagement or ownership disputes.

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All this makes it extremely difficult for Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to be extremely vocal against the amendments. The Congress created a monster which the BJP has reined in. The siblings have been wise not to remind the nation virulently about the beast of their own partys creation.

Abhijit Majumder is a senior journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.

First Published: April 05, 2025, 10:34 IST
BJD Leaders Demand Action Against MP Sasmit Patra Over Waqf Bill Voting

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 22:23 IST

A senior BJD leader, on condition of anonymity, said party leaders representing Muslim-dominated constituencies are worried following the partys change of stand on the Waqf Bill.

BJD MP Sasmit Patra.

A section of senior BJD leaders on Saturday demanded strong action against Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sasmit Patra for "creating confusion" among lawmakers ahead of the voting on Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the upper house of Parliament.

Patra, also the leader of the BJD in Rajya Sabha, is in the eye of the storm after revealing that he had voted in favour of the contentious Bill.

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After the BJD announced it would oppose the Bill, and even party MP Muzibulla Khan spoke against it in Rajya Sabha on April 3, Patra put out a post on X before voting, stating that party MPs could vote "as per their conscience" and that there was no whip issued to them.

This led to confusion among the lawmakers, and many senior leaders have raised questions about whether Patra could change the decision of Naveen Patnaik, who apart from being the BJD president, was also chairman of the parliamentary party.

"I abstained from voting due to confusion the party had earlier decided to oppose the Bill and at the last moment, we were asked to vote as per our conscience," another Rajya Sabha MP, Debasish Samantray, said.

He, however, chose not to blame Patra.

"Sasmit Patra is not the villain here. He does not take decisions, he merely follows instructions. The real power lies elsewhere, with the chief advisor," Samantray told reporters, indicating a close aide of Patnaik.

He refused to divulge the name of the "chief advisor" and said, "Everybody knows who he is".

The BJD MP also hinted at a "big deal" between the "chief advisor" and the BJP.

"There has been a big deal. The chief advisor has made some kind of arrangement with the BJP. A bureaucrat who has recently taken voluntary retirement may be part of this deal. You all know who has recently taken VRS. I leave it to your understanding," Samantray said.

Senior Odisha cadre IAS officer Sujata R Karthikeyan, the wife of BJD president Naveen Patnaiks former close aide V K Pandian, recently took voluntary retirement from government service.

Karthikeyan, a 2000-batch Odisha cadre officer, was serving as the special secretary in Odishas finance department.

At least two senior BJD leaders  Prafulla Samal and Pratap Jena  have written letters to Patnaik demanding action against Patra for "going against the party stand by voting in support of Waqf Bill".

Also, Ganeswar Behera, the sitting MLA of Muslim-dominated Kendrapara assembly segment, also criticised Patra, questioning, "Who gave Patra the authority to change the party presidents decision?" "He has committed a mistake for which he is liable to action. Only BJD president has the authority to change the decision of the parliamentary party and nobody else," he told reporters, adding that this amounts to gross indiscipline.

Both Samal and Jena, in their letters to Patnaik, stated that the BJD continues to fight for the socio-economic development of minority communities including Muslims.

"However, instead of winning the trust of the minority communities, such action of Patra has caused damage to the partys image. Therefore, I urge you to take action as deemed fit," Samal said.

Senior BJD leader and former minister Pratap Jena expressed displeasure over Patras action and termed the move "anti-party" and "shocking".

"Patras recent social media posts reflect a mindset that contradicts the BJDs ideological position," Jena said.

Jena also raised suspicion over Patras behaviour and demanded a thorough inquiry into the matter.

"We must investigate who is behind this conspiracy and people responsible for this should be held accountable," he said, demanding disciplinary action against Patra.

BJD MLA and former minister Badri Narayan Patra was more critical: "This situation was a result of a deliberate mischief. How could Sasmit Patra dare to defy the BJD presidents decision and announce on his own X platform regarding the change of stand? He has put the entire party in a fix and this needs action." A senior BJD leader, on condition of anonymity, said party leaders representing Muslim-dominated constituencies are worried following the partys change of stand on the Waqf Bill.

"The Muslims, who constitute over 2.17 per cent of the states population, have all along supported the BJD. Now, they may change their political affiliation to the Congress. The present situation has given a wrong message to the Muslim community," he said.

Though a section of senior BJD leaders met Patnaik and held discussions on the matter on Friday, the BJD president was yet to give any remark on the prevailing political situation.

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Patra could not be contacted as he was on a tour to Tashkent from April 5 to 9 as part of the delegation of the 150th Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Reacting to the developments, Odisha BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal said, "The recent developments indicate that Patnaik has lost control over his party MPs. He could not impose a whip on them because he does not have command of the party." On allegations about a "deal" between BJD and BJP over the Waqf Bill, Samal said, "We do not do deals. Nation is first for us. People worried about the rights of poor Muslims have supported the Bill. The seven BJD MPs have been divided into three categories: one who supported the Bill, those who opposed it and one who abstained from voting. There is no unanimity in the BJD."

Location : Bhubaneswar, India, India

First Published: April 05, 2025, 22:23 IST
Fair, Inclusive, Course Set Right: RSS & Affiliates Hail Modi Govts Overhaul Of Waqf Act

Reported By :

News18.com Edited By: Apoorva Misra



Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 10:36 IST

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram said the amended law ensures equal land rights for all and ends a system that had, according to them, given Waqf Boards unchecked power over land acquisitions

The RSS said that the Modi government made an 'irregular Act regular' and the people, who were suffering, have finally been 'set free'. (PTI)

The Narendra Modi governments fresh amendment to the Waqf Act is being celebrated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which called the earlier Act unconstituional". With debates raging over the fresh amendments, the RSS said the Modi government made an irregular Act regular and people who were suffering have finally been set free".

Speaking exclusively with News18, a senior office-bearer of the organisation said: It was a long-pending reform. The earlier Act was unconstitutional and irregular. Finally, it has been made a regular Act in consonance with the Constitution of Bharat. The course of history has been set right."

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The affiliated organisations of the RSS, including Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the RSS, and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, an RSS-backed body working with Adivasi communities, have also issued statements, with both seeing it as a long-overdue correction of historical land injustices.

Senior functionaries of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram have revealed how the organisation actively engaged with the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), submitting several memorandums while presenting evidence of how tribal lands were allegedly encroached upon under the previous Waqf law.

Now, with the governments intervention, the senior Sangh functionaries claim the move will not only restore land to its rightful owners but also bring marginalised tribal communities into the national mainstream.

Calling the amendment fair, just, and inclusive", the functionaries argue that the amended law ensures equal land rights for all and ends a system that had, according to them, given Waqf Boards unchecked power over land acquisitions.

Transparency Ensured

Welcoming the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, the ABVP said in a statement: This Bill will help resolve several disputes related to Waqf through a just process and inclusion of non-Muslims and women in Waqf Council will make it more transparent, impartial and credible. The provisions mandating the audit and registration of Waqf properties and ensuring the protection of government properties are also commendable making this more efficient."

It added, Under the Waqf Amendment Bill, online registration of Waqf properties will be mandatory within six months, granting the government the authority to audit and monitor them, hence preventing the misuse of law. The inclusion of non-Muslims and women will ensure diversity, fairness and broader consensus in decision-making. The Bill, passed democratically in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, stipulates that only properties received through donations will be considered Waqf property, and no property can be claimed as Waqf without proper documentation and survey."

Virendra Solanki, ABVPs national general secretary, said: The Waqf Amendment Bill passed by both the Houses of Parliament is essential for ensuring fairness in Bharats overall development. Various disputes and challenges have arisen concerning the previous Waqf law which will now be addressed fairly through this Bill. The call for integration of non-Muslims and women in the Waqf Council will make it even more impartial."

The efforts to eliminate discrimination based on religious sects will put an end to the concept of parallel authority. All Bharatiya citizens must study this newly amended law comprehensively and compare it with previous provisions to develop a fact-based understanding. ABVP appreciates the governments significant step towards transparency and judicial reforms and considers it a historic initiative towards equality and inclusivity in Bharatiya society," he added.

The organisation also lauded the amendment that said the claims on government properties under Waqf would be examined by senior officials and if found invalid, the property would be recorded as the governments in the revenue records, creating ethical and credible decision-making in case of disputes. The Bill also allows decisions of the Waqf Tribunal to be challenged in the high court, enhancing transparency in the judicial process and strengthening individual rights, stated the organisation

Engaged Multiple Times With JPC

A senior functionary of the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, that works among tribal populations across states, said the provision which ensures that tribal land that comes under 5th and 6th Schedule of the Constitution will remain outside the purview of Waqf will protect such land from illegal occupation.

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The organisation also stated that the provision is the result of the continuous efforts of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram for the last 15 days". In a statement, the organisation said: Earlier, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram had submitted memorandums to JPC across the country, due to which JPC recommended in its report that provisions for protection of tribal land should be made in the Waqf Bill."

With elections approaching in multiple states, the move is expected to strengthen BJPs tribal outreach, particularly in states where land rights remain a politically sensitive issue.

About the Author Madhuparna Das Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa... Read More Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa... Read More

First Published: April 05, 2025, 10:36 IST
Lunch In 3 Countries? This Viral Picnic Table Makes It Possible

Curated By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 11:57 IST

All sculptures at the park where Austria, Slovakia and Hungary meet each other are reportedly crafted by international artists and share a common theme: triangle.

Many in the comments plan to travel to this iconic and viral picnic spot. (Photo Credits: X)

Ever wanted to be in three countries at once? Not metaphorically  like juggling emails in New York while texting a friend in London and bingeing K-dramas set in Seoul  but actually standing in three places at the same time. Sounds a bit like sci-fi, doesnt it? But oddly enough, its very real. And people love it. Take the USs Four Corners, for example  a tourist favourite where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet like old friends bumping elbows. Its that very fascination, the idea of existing in more than one space at a time, that pulls people to other multipoint destinations around the globe. And among the more popular ones? A quiet corner of Central Europe where Austria, Slovakia and Hungary nudge against one another.

All of the sculptures here are reportedly crafted by international artists and share a common theme: the triangle. That shape isnt just design flair. It represents the three countries. A nod to where lines blur and blend, rather than divide.

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Unbelievable & stunning borders around the world1. Slovakia, Austria, And Hungary Border pic.twitter.com/pS1PuVsFa8  Vertigo_Warrior (@VertigoWarrior) April 4, 2025

Borders, after all, are usually about barriers  walls, gates, stern-faced officials with stamps and scanners. But this park? It flips that narrative. Here, borders become a point of gathering. A celebration of proximity, not politics.

The Internet had a collective moment of awe, confusion and oddly specific travel planning when this peaceful little tripoint between Austria, Slovakia and Hungary went viral.

Okay but why am I emotional over a triangle picnic table?" one user commented, echoing what many were feeling. Another added, Me: emotionally unavailable. Also me: tearing up at the idea of borders dissolving over lunch." The travel-hungary joined in too  Adding this to my weird-but-wonderful travel list immediately," someone declared, while another joked, I did the Four Corners in the US. Time for the European sequel." Some got really specific: My best friends and I are each from one of these countries. This is practically screaming for a reunion trip."

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Of course, humour thrived in the comments section: Imagine getting into an argument and just walking off into another country," one person wrote, while another asked, So do you pay for lunch in Euros, Forints, or just split the sandwich emotionally?" But amidst all the fun, the deeper meaning landed too. This is the kind of soft, symbolic beauty we need more of," someone wrote quietly. And maybe the most hopeful comment of all? More borders like this, please  open, artful and shared with strangers over pasta."

Who knew a picnic table could say so much?

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 05, 2025, 11:52 IST
Woman Launches Bathing Products Made Using Expired Breast Milk; Heres How She Makes Them

Published By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 12:20 IST

While breast milk is considered the best food for newborns, the woman is tapping into its moisturising properties to create bathing products to fight skin issues.

The entrepreneur also makes dry shampoo, natural deodorant and chapstick. (Photo Credits: Instagram)

What do you do with breast milk that has passed its time for consumption? Probably throw it? But an Ohio-based entrepreneur is making waves in the bath and beauty industry with her truly unique and unexpected idea. Taylor Robinson, the owner of Leo Jude Soap Co, sells natural bathing products, like soaps, made using expired breast milk.

While breast milk is considered the best food for newborns, the woman is tapping into its moisturising properties to create bathing products that fight skin issues like eczema, psoriasis, and cradle caps.

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In the video doing the rounds on Instagram, the entrepreneur explains how she creates bathing products using expired breast milk and how her products have helped her customers deal with a range of skincare issues.

Robinson says, People ship us their breast milk. The milks normally expired, and we will turn that into soap, so its not going to waste."

Elaborating, she said that she cut the breast milk out of the bag, then added lye to it, and then poured that into the mould.

In the video, she explained that expired breast milk can be used on the skin and people can get all of its benefits. Its a good way to repurpose that milk. A lot of my customers have said it has helped them with eczema, psoriasis, and cradle cap," she added.

Talking about the peoples reactions to her breast milk, Robinson said that it goes from disgust to amazement. As the video continues, she talks about the essence of motherhood that has completely changed her life, including her business.

Taylor Robinson, owner of Leo Jude Soap Co. @leojudesoapco in Jackson, Ohio, repurposes expired breast milk into soap. Most of the breast milk she uses comes directly from local donors. Customers have used her soap for skin issues like eczema, psoriasis, and cradle cap," the post read.

The video has stirred curiosity among social media users. While some raised an eyebrow at the idea, others were intrigued by the natural and potentially beneficial properties offered.

Creative mama entrepreneur! Amazing! Inspiring!" hailed a user.

An individual wrote, Now, thats cool. Breast milk is the best."

Idk, Id give it a shot. Lots of people use weirder stuff for skin care," said another.

An account remarked, Why are people disgusted by breast milk? Its to feed our babies, theres nothing wrong with it, and it has many benefits. I would bathe my kids with BM added to the water. Great for their skin."

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Its actually less gross than goats milk soap," another expressed.

According to their Instagram bio, the Leo Jude Soap Co. also sells other products besides soaps. They include dry shampoo, natural deodorant and chapstick.

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 05, 2025, 12:19 IST
18 Killed In Russian Missile Strike On Zelenskyy's Home City; Ukraine Decries 'War Crimes'

Published By :

AFP

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 16:53 IST

The missile attack on Friday, one of the deadliest in recent weeks, struck a residential area near a children's playground, drawing condemnation from Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Emergency personnel carry a body at the site of a Russian missile strike in a residential area. (Reuters)

Ukraine on Saturday mourned 18 people, including nine children, killed in a Russian ballistic missile strike on President Volodymyr Zelenskys home city of Kryvyi Rig, as the regions governor said it was the kind of pain you wouldnt wish on your worst enemy".

Sixty-one people were wounded, 12 of them children, Dnipropetrovsk governor Sergiy Lysak said after emergency operations were completed overnight.

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The missile attack on Friday, one of the deadliest in recent weeks, struck a residential area near a childrens playground, said Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of Kryvyi Rigs military administration.

On 7, 8 and 9 April, days of mourning will be declared in Kryvyi Rig for those killed as a result of yesterdays terrorist attacks on our city by the killer country," he said.

Children, families, the elderly Ballistic missile and shakedown attacks on residential areas and playgrounds This is nothing less than a mass murder of civilians."

Pictures circulated by rescue services showed several bodies, one stretched out near a playground swing. This is the kind of pain you wouldnt wish on your worst enemy," Lysak said.

Russias defence ministry said it delivered a precision strike with a high-explosive missile on a restaurant" in the city where commanders of formations and Western instructors were meeting".

It said its air defence units had intercepted and destroyed 49 Ukrainian drones overnight.

The commander of the Ukrainian army retorted that Moscow was trying to cover up its cynical crime" and spreading false information" about the target of the strike. He accused Russia of war crimes".

Russia Launches 92 Drones

The Ukrainian air force said on Saturday Russia had launched 92 drones across Ukraine overnight.

Fifty one had been shot down and around 30 others had landed without causing damage.

US President Donald Trump, who said during his re-election campaign he could end the three-year conflict within days, is pushing the two sides to agree a ceasefire but his administration has failed to broker an accord acceptable to both.

Zelensky said the missile attack showed Russia had no interest in stopping its full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022. There is only one reason why this continues  Russia does not want a ceasefire and we see it. The whole world sees it," he said.

The missile struck an area near residential buildings, a playground and ordinary streets.

People who are capable of that kind of thing arent human, They are bastards," Zelensky said.

Zelensky on Friday met the heads of the British and French military in Kyiv to discuss a plan by London and Paris to send a reassurance" force to Ukraine if and when a peace deal is reached.

This is one of the latest efforts by European leaders to agree a coordinated policy after Trump sidelined them and opened direct talks with the Kremlin.

Together, we want to guarantee a lasting and solid peace in Ukraine, an essential condition for the security of the European continent," Thierry Burkhard, chief of the French defence staff, said on X on Saturday.

Burkhard and his British counterpart, Tony Radakin, also met their Ukrainian counterpart Oleksandr Syrsky and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.

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Kryvyi Rig, in Ukraines central Dnipropetrovsk region, is about 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the front line, and has regularly been targeted by Russian drones and missiles.

Zelensky was born in the industrial city, which had a pre-war population of around 600,000 people.

About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More

Location : Kyiv, Ukraine

First Published: April 05, 2025, 16:53 IST
Eric Trump Says Crypto Was A Way Out For Trump Organisation: Earths Most Cancelled Company

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 21:31 IST

The comments from Eric Trump come amid Trump familys bid to acquire financial stake in the US arm of cryptocurrency exchange Binance.

US President Donald Trump embraces Donald Trump Jr as Lara Trump, Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump at a campaign rally. (IMAGE: REUTERS FILE)

US President Donald Trumps son Eric Trump said the Trump Organisation and its businesses moved towards cryptocurrency because they were the most canceled company, probably on Earth".

Speaking to CNBC in an interview, Eric said: You realize that cryptocurrency was a lot faster, it was a lot more pragmatic, it was a lot more transparent, it was exponentially cheaper".

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Eric Trump and his brother Donald Trump Jr. have announced a new bitcoin mining venture, American Bitcoin, co-founded alongside Hut 8 CEO Asher Genoot. The duo also plans to launch a US dollar-backed stablecoin under their latest firm, World Liberty Financial.

Eric Trump insists his entry into crypto wasnt a gamble to get rich but a deliberate act of defiance. He told the outlet that his move was a reaction to what he sees as a coordinated regulatory siege  a war on the industry" involving SEC crackdowns, frozen accounts and a growing culture of debanking.

The American Bitcoins co-founder claimed that powerful nations are already channelling their surplus energy into mining.

And while the Trump family remains closely aligned with Washingtons pro-crypto tilt, Eric was quick to disown any key role in policymaking and distanced himself from the White House even as the crypto world bet big on his fathers return and send millions of dollars in donations.

I dont have anything to do with the government, and frankly, I dont want anything to do with the government," Eric was quoted as saying.

However, his comments come after it was reported in March that Donald Trumps family have held discussions to acquire a financial stake in the US arm of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, while the companys founder seeks a presidential pardon, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

According to the Journal, the talks reportedly began when Binance approached Trump allies last year, offering a business deal with the family as part of a strategy to re-enter the US market.

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The potential investment could be made directly by the Trump family or through World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency venture backed by the Trumps that launched in September.

Steve Witkoff, a longtime Trump friend who serves as his top negotiator in the Middle East and Ukraine, has reportedly been involved in the negotiations, though an administration official denied the development while speaking to the newspaper.

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 05, 2025, 21:31 IST
India, UAE Team Up To Turn Sri Lanka's Trincomalee Into Energy Powerhouse | Key Details Here

Reported By :

Edited By: Ronit Singh



Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 13:45 IST

Trincomalee Harbour, located in Trincomalee Bay (formerly Koddiyar Bay), is one of the largest natural deep-water harbours in the world and is considered a geo-strategic asset.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Sri Lankan President Dissanayake | Image@PMO

India, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop Trincomalee, located on Sri Lankas northeastern coast, as a regional energy hub.

The MoU was exchanged in Colombo in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Dissanayake.

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The agreement was formally signed by the Energy Secretary of Sri Lanka, the Indian Foreign Secretary, and the UAE Ambassador to Sri Lanka, representing the UAE government.

As part of the trilateral collaboration, India and Sri Lanka will also begin work on a joint venture solar power plant in Sampur. PM Modi and President Dissanayake virtually performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the project.

Strategic Importance

Trincomalee Harbour, located in Trincomalee Bay (formerly Koddiyar Bay), is one of the largest natural deep-water harbours in the world and is considered a geo-strategic asset.

Situated on a peninsula, it is the closest Sri Lankan port to Chennai, India, and already houses facilities such as the Lanka IOC terminal, Tokyo Cement operations, a grain terminal for a flour mill, and a tea export terminal.

The port plays a crucial role in Indias Indo-Pacific strategy and is viewed as a counterbalance to the Chinese presence at Sri Lankas Hambantota Port. Trincomalee is capable of accommodating warships, aircraft carriers, and large merchant vessels.

Its strategic value is enhanced by its 40-meter depth, underground ammunition depots, a functioning wheat flour mill, and the iconic World War II-era oil tank farms (OTFs), of which 99 remainsome already restored.

Historical Significance

Trincomalee has long been a point of contention and strategic interest for major powers. Historically, the Portuguese, Dutch, French, and British all vied for control of the harbour. During World War II, the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked Trincomalee in 1942, sinking three British warships anchored there.

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The harbour was one of Britains largest naval bases in the region. Although the British were initially reluctant to relinquish control after Sri Lankas independence in 1948, they eventually returned the naval base and oil tank farms to Colombo in 1957. In 1987, India secured a foothold in Trincomalee through the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord (ISLA), gaining partial control of the tank farms.

The development of Trincomalee is seen as part of a broader strategy by New Delhi to enhance its presence in the Indian Ocean Region. The partnership with Sri Lanka and UAE reflects a growing regional alignment focused on sustainable energy, maritime security, and strategic infrastructure.

Location : Sri Lanka

First Published: April 05, 2025, 13:45 IST
India, Israel, Vietnam In Talks With Donald Trump Over US Reciprocal Tariffs: Report

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 09:19 IST

US imposed 27 per cent tariff on India, 17 per cent on Israel and 46 per cent tariff on Vietnam.

US President Donald Trump (IMAGE: REUTERS)

Nearly two days after the United Nations imposed reciprocal tariffs on several countries, the country is holding trade talks with Vietnam, India, and Israel, with President Donald Trump personally engaging with representatives from these countries.

The talks between Trump and these countries represent only a small portion of those impacted by his broad tariffs. Notably, the talks are seen as an initial step in ongoing negotiations as nations prepare their responses, reported CNN, citing a source.

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The tariff on India, Israel and Vietnam will be imposed from April 9, along with other countries including Japan, Canada, Mexico, and China, among others.

Israel Discusses Tariffs With US

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed tariffs with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he plans to visit the White House to meet President Trump, the State Department said in a readout of their conversation on Friday.

Unspecified Israeli goods exports to the United States, Israels largest single trading partner, was slapped with a 17% tariff.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to underscore US support for Israel," the US readout said. The secretary discussed the situation in Gaza and the administrations resolve to free the hostages in Gaza and recently announced tariffs."

However, there is no statement on the call from the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahus Office.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu is likely to visit the US soon, reports suggested. It is speculated that if Netanyahu visits Washington, one of the key items on his agenda is expected to be the 17 per cent tax imposed by the Trump administration on Israeli imports.

Vietnam Slapped With Heavy Tariff

On Friday, Vietnam who was slapped with 46 per cent tariff, said it was cutting US tariffs to zero. Predient Donald Trump informed about the same from his social media platform Truth Social.

Just had a very productive call with To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who told me that Vietnam wants to cut their Tariffs down to ZERO if they are able to make an agreement with the US I thanked him on behalf of our Country, and said I look forward to a meeting in the near future," said Trump in a post.

While some members of the administration argue that the tariffs are a deliberate move by the president to shift global trade patterns, Trump told reporters on Thursday that he believes the tariffs will strengthen his ability to negotiate trade deals with other global leaders.

Every country has called us. Thats the beauty of what we do, we put ourselves in the drivers seat. The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have," Trump said.

Vietnam, the largest trading partner of the US in Southeast Asia and a crucial manufacturing hub, was slapped with 46 per cent tariff as part of Trumps sweeping trade policies. While it was earlier stated that the tariffs were non-negotiable, the recent talks with Trump point towards other direction.

27% Tariff On India

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Imposing 27 per cent tariffs on India, US President Donald Trump stated that while Indian Prime Minister is a friend, India charges a 52 per cent tariff on US goods. Trump also added, We have charged them almost nothing for years and years".

Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

First Published: April 05, 2025, 07:10 IST
Indian National Stabbed To Death In Canada's Rockland, Suspect Arrested

Curated By :

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Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 09:10 IST

The Indian Embassy in Canada said that it was in close contact through a local community association to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved kin.

Representative image (Credits: AFP)

An Indian national was stabbed to death on Saturday morning in Rockland, near Ottawa, according to the Indian Embassy in Canada. In a post on X, the Embassy also informed that the suspect was taken into custody following the incident.

We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in Rockland near Ottawa, due to stabbing. Police has stated a suspect has been taken into custody. We are in close contact through a local community association to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved kin," the Indian embassy in Canada said in a post on X.

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The motive of the suspect and further details of the incident were not immediately known.

We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in Rockland near Ottawa, due to stabbing. Police has stated a suspect has been taken into custody. We are in close contact through a local community association to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved India in Canada (@HCI_Ottawa) April 5, 2025

CBC News has reported that one person died in Clarence-Rockland, and a second was arrested. It remains unclear if this is the incident the Indian embassy referred to in its post on X.

According to the CBS report quoting Ontario Provincial Police telling Radio-Canada, the incident took place near Lalonde Street just before 3 pm Friday (local time).

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The police is yet to reveal the cause of death and whether the suspect will face any charges, as per the report.

The Ontario Provincial Police have notified Rockland residents to anticipate an increased police presence in the area, adds the report.

Location : Canada

First Published: April 05, 2025, 08:46 IST
Matter Of Pride': PM Modi Conferred Prestigious 'Mithra Vibhushana' Medal By Sri Lanka

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 15:28 IST

The award, the highest civilian honour of the island nation, was instituted in February 2008 by then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

PM Modi Conferred Prestigious Mithra Vibhushana Medal By Sri Lanka. (@narendramodi)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Saturday conferred with the Mithra Vibhushana award by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in recognition of his role in boosting bilateral ties.

The award, the highest civilian honour of the island nation, was instituted in February 2008 by then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

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Its previous recipients include former Maldivian president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

It is an honour for me to be awarded the Sri Lanka Mithra Vibhushana by President Dissanayake. It is also an honour for 1.4 billion Indians," Modi said in his remarks.

The award was bestowed on Modi by Dissanayake during a ceremony at the presidential secretariat in Colombo.

The recipient of the honour is awarded a citation and a silver medal to be worn around the neck, studded and adorned with nine types of Sri Lankan gems and the symbols of a lotus, globe, sun, moon and sheaves of rice.

The Dharma Chakra on the medal reflects the shared Buddhist heritage that has shaped the cultural traditions of both nations.

The Pun Kalasa or ceremonial pot adorned with sheaves of rice symbolises prosperity and renewal, according to an official.

The Navarathna, or nine precious gems, are depicted within a globe encircled by lotus petals.

The Sun and Moon further represent the timeless nature of this relationship, stretching from ancient history into the infinite future.

The honour stands as a glowing tribute to PM Modis visionary leadership and his steadfast commitment to regional cooperation, cultural revival, and spiritual diplomacy. It reaffirms Indias pivotal role in fostering peace, harmony, and shared progress across the region.

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PM Modi landed in Colombo last evening after concluding his trip to Bangkok, where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).

(With inputs from PTI)

Location : Colombo, Sri Lanka

First Published: April 05, 2025, 15:27 IST
Planning To Visit US? Immigration Authorities Keeping Check On Applicants' Social Media To Identify Red Flags

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 10:00 IST

The US immigration process now involves examining social media and public online information to detect potential security risks, prevent unauthorized employment, and verify the authenticity of visa applications.

Representative Image

Heightened scrutiny by the United States immigration officials is leading international travelers to review and manage their online presence before submitting visa applications or arriving in the country.

With public online profiles, social media content, and digital activity now playing a pivotal role in immigration screening processes, experts are asking travelers to exercise caution and consistency across all personal and professional online platforms.

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US agencies, including the Department of State, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), are now using digital footprint analysis as part of their background checks to detect potential security concerns.

These assessments may affect visa applications, border crossings, and citizenship processes. Immigration lawyers warn that even small differences between online information and visa documents can cause delays, questioning, or being turned away.

This practice started after 9/11 for security reasons and has become stricter in recent years, showing how online behavior affects travel and immigration.

The US immigration process now includes reviewing social media and public online content to identify potential security threats, prevent unauthorised work, and ensure visa applications are genuine.

This enables officials to verify the personal details disclosed during the application process with publicly available data.

The key agencies involved in this include the US Department of State (DoS), US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

DoS handles visa processing and may conduct social media checks during application reviews. USCIS) verifies information for green cards, work permits, and naturalisation applications.

Meanwhile, CBP reviews social media content during inspections at US ports of entry and has the authority to inspect travelers electronic devices.

Automated systems identify and flag online content, such as social media posts and profiles, that may suggest unauthorized work, false information, or potential threats to national security.

US Immigration Screens Social Media And Devices For Visa Checks

Immigration law experts say that all visa applicants undergo basic automated social media checks, which use keyword searches, watchlists, and risk assessments. If an applicant is deemed high-risk or triggers an alert, their application is reviewed manually.

There are three types of screenings, which include automated baseline screening, manual review and device inspections at ports of entry.

Automated baseline screening checks for flagged terms and matches to government databases. Manual review is done when inconsistencies are found or when applicants have traveled to high-risk countries.

During device inspections at ports of entry, CBP officers can lawfully inspect the phones and laptops of travelers for content that contradicts visa eligibility or terms.

Legal framework

The power to conduct these checks comes from laws related to immigration and national security, such as the Immigration and Nationality Act and anti-terrorism Executive Orders. The Trump administration broadened digital screening policies in 2017, and these policies have largely remained in place under subsequent administrations.

Precautions for visa applicants

Visa applicants should treat their digital footprint as an extension of their visa file. Any discrepancieshowever minormay delay processing or lead to denials.

Some of the precautionary steps are as follows:

Align your public online profiles with your application details, such as employment history and stated travel purpose.

Adjust your privacy settings to limit public access to old posts, photos, and tags.

Remove or update old information that may conflict with current visa documentation.

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Provide accurate and truthful information in your application.

Consult with a legal advisor if you have complex situations or concerns about past online content."

Location : United States of America (USA)

First Published: April 05, 2025, 09:59 IST
PM Modi Lays Wreath At IPKF Memorial In Colombo; Hails Fallen Warriors | Updates

Curated By :

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Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 22:14 IST

PM Modi also received the Mithra Vibhushana award, the highest Sri Lankan honour, from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

PM Modi laid a wreath at the IPKF Memorial in Colombo (x)

India and Sri Lanka signed a major defence cooperation pact for the first time after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake spoke.

India and Sri Lanka have strengthened their partnership with several key agreements. These include developing Trincomalee into a major energy hub and providing Indian grant assistance to Sri Lankas eastern region for multi-sectoral development.

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List of Outcomes: State Visit of PM @narendramodi to Sri Lanka. pic.twitter.com/sJhFBt4i57 Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 5, 2025

PM Modi also received the Mithra Vibhushana award, the highest Sri Lankan honour, from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday during his three-day visit to the island nation.

I am pleased to announce that the Government of Sri Lanka has decided to confer upon him (PM Narendra Modi) the highest Sri Lanka honour- Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana. Prime Minister Modi highly deserves this honour; that is what we firmly believe," Dissanayake said.

VIDEO | Prime Minister Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) was conferred the Mithra Vibhushana medal by the Government of Sri Lanka, in honour of his exceptional efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and promote the shared cultural and spiritual heritage of the two nations.(Full pic.twitter.com/CWBiSgVS0U  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 5, 2025

A moment that echoes the enduring friendship between our nations. Honoured to confer the Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana on Prime Minister Narendra Modi  a true friend of Sri Lanka. This recognition reflects the shared values, trust, and timeless bond between our peoples," Dissanayake said.

A moment that echoes the enduring friendship between our nations. Honoured to confer the Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana on Prime Minister @narendramodi  a true friend of Sri Lanka. This recognition reflects the shared values, trust, and timeless bond between our peoples. pic.twitter.com/FSetd5V3zq Anura Kumara Dissanayake (@anuradisanayake) April 5, 2025

The Prime Minister later in the day, paid tributes at the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute at the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial in Colombo, Sri Lanka. pic.twitter.com/j4MjtYvjYi ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2025

He also met the members of the 1996 Sri Lankan cricket team, which won the World Cup that year.

Cricket connect! Delighted to interact with members of the 1996 Sri Lankan cricket team, which won the World Cup that year. This team captured the imagination of countless sports lovers!" he said on X.

Cricket connect!Delighted to interact with members of the 1996 Sri Lankan cricket team, which won the World Cup that year. This team captured the imagination of countless sports lovers! pic.twitter.com/2ZprMmOtz6  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2025

Earlier, PM Modi also met the leaders of Indian Origin Tamil (IOT).

The meeting with leaders of Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) was fruitful. The community constitutes a living bridge between the two countries for over 200 years. India will support construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred site Seetha Eliya temple and other community development projects for IOTs in cooperation with the Government of Sri Lanka," he said on X.

The meeting with leaders of Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) was fruitful. The community constitutes a living bridge between the two countries for over 200 years. India will support construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred site Seetha Eliya temple and other pic.twitter.com/5A2VDDjnM1 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2025

PM Modi also virtually inaugurated the Sampur solar power project along with President Dissanayake, who is hosting a foreign leader for the first time since assuming office.

Earlier, the Prime Minister received an unprecedented ceremonial welcome in Sri Lanka on Saturday at Colombos Independence Square. Sri Lanka accorded this honour to a visiting dignitary for the first time, making the gesture both historic and symbolic of the deepening ties between the two neighbours.

A special welcome at Sri Lankas majestic Independence Square. PM Narendra Modi was welcomed by President Anura Disanayake with a ceremonial reception at the Independence Square in Colombo. Bilateral discussions to foster a partnership for a shared future & mutual prosperity of our people lie ahead, " the MEA posted on X.

PM Modi, who is currently on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka, was received at the grand ceremonial venue by President Dissanayake. The welcome marked the beginning of a visit focused on fostering regional collaboration and fast-tracking joint development projects.

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Soon after his arrival on Friday, PM Modi was greeted at his hotel by members of the Indian diaspora and treated to a cultural performance, including a puppet show. The vibrant reception reflected the warmth and cultural bonds shared between the two countries.

During the visit, he will travel to Anuradhapura to inaugurate development initiatives supported by India. His last visit to the island nation was in 2019.

Location : Colombo, Sri Lanka

First Published: April 05, 2025, 11:06 IST
Russia's 'Chessboard Killer' Alexander Pichushkin Confessed To Murdering 48. Now He Admits...

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 20:05 IST

Alexander Pichushkin, a Russian serial killer jailed for life in 2007 for killing 48 people, has said he is ready to confess to 11 more murders, Russia's penal service said on Saturday.

Alexander Pichushkin sits behind the glass in a Moscow court (Reuters)

Russian serial killer Alexander Pichushkin, jailed for life for killing 48 people, has said that he is ready to admit to 11 additional murders, Russias penal service said on Saturday

The 50-year-old serial killer, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2007, has spent the last 18 years in the Polar Owl prison in the remote Arctic northern region of Russia.

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Famously known as the chessboard killer", Pichushkin used to target majorly elderly people, alcoholics and homeless people around Bitsevsky Park, a large green area in southern Moscow. His killings lasted from 1992 to 2006.

He earned the nickname by the Russian media because he told detectives in a confession that he had hoped to put a coin on every square of a 64-square chessboard for each of his victims.

He has long been suspected of killing more people than the 48 for whose murders he has already been convicted. Now he has told investigators he is prepared to confess to 11 further killings, Russias prison system said in a statement on the Telegram messenger app on Saturday.

During his previous trial, he claimed to have killed 63 people, but he was only charged with 48 murders and three attempted murders.

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If convicted of the additional murders, it would make Pichushkin Russias second most prolific serial killer on record, behind Mikhail Popkov, a former policeman convicted of 78 murders.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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 : Moscow, Russia

First Published: April 05, 2025, 20:05 IST
Donald Trump's 10% Global Tariff Takes Effect In Dramatic US Trade Shift

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 10:48 IST

Trump's Wednesday tariff announcement shook global stock markets to their core, wiping out $5 trillion in stock market value for S&P 500 companies by Friday's close, a record two-day decline.

The list of products not covered by reciprocal tariffs, which will give India an edge and opportunity, consists of fertilisers, plastics and polymers, minerals, coal, most chemicals, pharmaceutical products, books, and metals, including precious ones. (Representational image/Reuters)

US customs agents began collecting President Donald Trumps unilateral 10% tariff on all imports from many countries on Saturday, with higher levies on goods from 57 larger trading partners due to start next week.

The initial 10% baseline" tariff took effect at U.S. seaports, airports and customs warehouses at 12:01 a.m. ET (0401 GMT), ushering in Trumps full rejection of the post-World War Two system of mutually agreed tariff rates.

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This is the single biggest trade action of our lifetime," said Kelly Ann Shaw, a trade lawyer at Hogan Lovells and former White House trade adviser during Trumps first term.

Shaw told a Brookings Institution event on Thursday that she expected the tariffs to evolve over time as countries seek to negotiate lower rates. But this is huge. This is a pretty seismic and significant shift in the way that we trade with every country on earth," she added.

Trumps Wednesday tariff announcement shook global stock markets to their core, wiping out $5 trillion in stock market value for S&P 500 companies by Fridays close, a record two-day decline. Prices for oil and commodities plunged, while investors fled to the safety of government bonds.

Among the countries first hit with the 10% tariff are Australia, Britain, Colombia, Argentina, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection bulletin to shippers indicates no grace period for cargoes on the water at midnight on Saturday.

But a U.S. Customs and Border Protection bulletin did provide a 51-day grace period for cargoes loaded onto vessels or planes and in transit to the U.S. before 12:01 a.m. ET Saturday. These cargoes need arrive to by 12:01 a.m. ET on May 27 to avoid the 10% duty.

At the same hour on Wednesday, Trumps higher reciprocal" tariff rates of 11% to 50% are due to take effect. European Union imports will be hit with a 20% tariff, while Chinese goods will be hit with a 34% tariff, bringing Trumps total new levies on China to 54%.

Vietnam, which benefited from the shift of U.S. supply chains away from China after Trumps first-term trade war with Beijing, will be hit with a 46% tariff and agreed on Friday to discuss a deal with Trump.

Canada and Mexico were exempt from Trumps latest duties because they are still subject to a 25% tariff related to the U.S. fentanyl crisis for goods that do not comply with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada rules of origin.

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Trump is excluding goods subject to separate 25% national security tariffs, including steel and aluminum, cars, trucks and auto parts.

His administration also released a list of more than 1,000 product categories exempted from the tariffs. Valued at $645 billion in 2024 imports, these include crude oil, petroleum products and other energy imports, pharmaceuticals, uranium, titanium, lumber and semiconductors and copper. Except for energy, the Trump administration is investigating several of these sectors for further national security tariffs.

Location : United States of America (USA)

First Published: April 05, 2025, 10:44 IST
Was In Deep Deficit With Michelle: Barack Obama Admits Marriage Hit Turbulence During Presidency

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Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 16:48 IST

Barack Obama said that he is reconnecting with Michelle by doing fun things occasionally.

The Obamas, who have been married since 1992, continue to face public speculation over the state of their relationship. (IMAGE: X)

Former US President Barack Obama recently acknowledged that his two terms as US President strained his ties with his wife Michelle Obama. Speaking at an event hosted by Hamilton College, Obama said he was reconnecting with Michelle by doing fun things" occasionally.

I was in a deep deficit with my wife, so I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by occasionally doing fun things," Obama told interviewer and senior journalist Jake Tapper.

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Whispers of a rift between Barack and Michelle Obama have lingered for months, surfacing again after the former US President attended Jimmy Carters funeral alone. Michelles absence was also noted during Donald Trumps inauguration, fuelling fresh speculation of a split.

Speaking at a Hamilton College event, Obama offered a rare insight into his personal life after leaving office. The 63-year-old said hes been largely occupied with the second volume of his presidential memoir. The first part, A Promised Land, was published in 2020.

I am finishing the second half of my presidential memoirs, which is like 50 term papers. I mean, it just goes on forever. But people ask me, Do you enjoy writing? I say, Absolutely not. But I do enjoy having written when its finished," Obama said.

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Barack and Michelle, who met at a law firm in the late 1980s, married in 1992. Over the years, Michelle too has spoken candidly about their struggles. In a 2022 interview, she had said there were ten years where I couldnt stand my husband."

Adding to the noise around their relationship was an unsubstantiated rumour linking Obama to actor Jennifer Aniston, but there has been no evidence to back that up.

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 05, 2025, 16:48 IST
'Won't Allow Territory To Be Used': Sri Lanka's Big Promise To India Amid PM Modi's Visit

Curated By :

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Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 14:51 IST

The statement was made during a meeting where both leaders discussed strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation in areas like defense, energy, and trade.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (@narendramodi)

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his country wouldnt allow its territory to be used in ways that threaten Indias security interests. This assurance aims to alleviate concerns about Chinas increasing influence in the region.

The statement was made during a meeting where both leaders discussed strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation in areas like defense, energy, and trade.

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I reaffirmed Sri Lankas stand that it will not permit its territory to be used in any manner inimical to the security of India as well as towards regional stability," he said.

#WATCH | Colombo: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says,  I reaffirmed Sri Lankas stand that it will not permit its territory to be used in any manner inimical to the security of India as well as towards regional stability. I requested Prime Minister Modis pic.twitter.com/wtiEOdJfrE ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2025

Chinese investments and infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka to develop its economy have raised concerns ranging from sovereignty and security issues.

India and Sri Lanka signed a landmark defense cooperation agreement on Saturday for the first time, following talks between PM Modi and President Dissanayake. In addition to the defense pact, the two countries also agreed to develop Trincomalee into an energy hub and signed another agreement to facilitate Indias multi-sectoral grant assistance to Sri Lankas eastern region.

Both leaders also virtually inaugurated the Sampur solar power project, marking a significant step in their growing energy partnership.

Several other agreements were finalised during the talks between the two leaders, further strengthening the bilateral relationship.

PM Modi landed in Sri Lankas Colombo on Friday evening to a warm reception and was greeted at Bandaranaike International Airport by five top Sri Lankan ministers, including Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, and Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar.

On Saturday morning, he also received a ceremonial welcome at Independence Square, where he was received by Sri Lankan President Dissanayake.

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Sri Lanka accorded this honour to a visiting dignitary, reportedly for the first time, making the gesture both historic and symbolic of the deepening ties between the two neighbours.

PM Modi, who was conferred the Mithra Vibhushana award by Sri Lanka President Dissanayake, said India stood with Sri Lanka in every difficult situation, citing the 2019 terror attack, the Covid pandemic and the recent economic crisis.

Location : Colombo, Sri Lanka

First Published: April 05, 2025, 14:26 IST
Yunus Calls Emergency Meeting As Trump Tariffs Deal 'Massive Blow' To Bangladeshi Textile Sector

Published By :

AFP

Last Updated: April 05, 2025, 20:00 IST

Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus called an emergency meeting after US tariffs hit the textile industry, which accounts for 80% of exports, impacting the $8.4B garment trade.

Bangladesh interim governments Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus called an emergency meeting to discuss tariffs imposed on Bangladesh by US President Donald Trump. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

Bangladeshs interim leader called an emergency meeting on Saturday after textile leaders in the worlds second-largest garment manufacturing nation said US tariffs were a massive blow" to the key industry.

Textile and garment production accounts for about 80 percent of exports in the South Asian country, and the industry has been rebuilding after it was hard hit in a revolution that toppled the government last year.

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US President Donald Trump on Wednesday slapped punishing new tariffs of 37 percent on Bangladesh, hiking duties from the previous 16 percent on cotton and 32 percent on polyester products.

Bangladesh exports $8.4 billion of garments annually to the United States, according to data from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the national trade body.

That totals around 20 percent of Bangladeshs total ready-made garments exports.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has convened an emergency meeting to discuss the US tariff issue," a government statement read, with the meeting to take place late Saturday in the capital Dhaka.

Top experts, advisers and officials will attend, it added.

Bangladeshs tax authority, the National Board of Revenue, is also expected to meet to review the fallout from the tariffs.

Rakibul Alam Chowdhury, chairman of RDM Group, a major manufacturer with an estimated $25 million turnover, said on Thursday that the industry would lose trade.

Buyers will go to other cost-competitive markets  this is going to be a massive blow for our industry," he said.

Several garment factories produce clothing for the US market alone.

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Anwar Hossain, administrator of the BGMEA, has told AFP that the industry was not ready" for the tariff impact.

Bangladesh, the second-largest producer after China, manufactures garments for global brands  including for US firms such as Gap Inc, Tommy Hilfiger and Levi Strauss.

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 : Dhaka, Bangladesh

First Published: April 05, 2025, 20:00 IST
Government will suspend all tariffs levied on goods originating from the US to facilitate the expansion of American imports within the Zimbabwean market while at the same time promoting exports of local goods to the worlds biggest economy, President Mnangagwa has said.

All this will be done in the spirit of constructing a mutually beneficial and positive relationship with President Trumps administration.

The US new baseline tariff of 10 percent on imports became effective yesterday.

However, the new regime of reciprocal tariffs, which will see Zimbabwean goods into the US attracting a punitive 18 percent tariff, is scheduled for Wednesday.

The principle of reciprocal tariffs, as a tool for safeguarding domestic employment and industrial sectors, holds merit. However, the Republic of Zimbabwe maintains a policy of fostering amicable relations with all nations, and cultivating adversarial relationships with none, said the President on his X handle.

In the spirit of constructing a mutually beneficial and positive relationship with the United States of America, under the leadership of President Trump, I will direct the Zimbabwean Government to implement a suspension of all tariffs levied on goods originating from the United States. This measure is intended to facilitate the expansion of American imports within the Zimbabwean market, while simultaneously promoting the growth of Zimbabwean exports destined for the United States. This action underscores our commitment to a framework of equitable trade and enhanced bilateral co-operation.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative says reciprocal tariffs are calculated as the tariff rate necessary to balance bilateral trade deficits between the US and each of our trading partners.

Zimbabwe stood at US$24,1 million last year, as its imports from Harare at US$67,8 million outstripped its US$43,8 million exports. Sunday Mail
The death toll from a Russian missile strike in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has risen to 18, including nine children, regional governor Serhii Lysak said Saturday. A further 61 people were injured in Friday's attack, ranging from a 3-month-old baby to elderly residents. Forty remain hospitalized, including two children in critical condition and 17 in serious condition. "There can never be forgiveness for this," said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city's defense council, per the AP . "Eternal memory to the victims." Kryvyi Rih is the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"The missile struck an area right next to residential buildingshitting a playground and ordinary streets," Zelensky wrote on Telegram. Local authorities said the strike damaged about 20 apartment buildings, more than 30 vehicles, an educational building, and a restaurant. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Friday it had carried out a high-precision missile strike with a high explosive warhead on a restaurant where a meeting with unit commanders and Western instructors was taking place. Russian military claimed that the strike killed 85 military personnel and foreign officers and destroyed 20 vehicles. The military's claims couldn't be independently verified.

The Ukrainian General Staff rejected those claims. A later drone strike on Kryvyi Rih killed one woman and wounded seven other people. Zelenskyy blamed the daily strikes on Russia's unwillingness to end the war. "Every missile, every drone strike proves Russia wants only war," he said, urging Ukraine's allies to increase pressure on Moscow and bolster Ukraine's air defenses. Russian forces launched 92 drones into Ukraine overnight, with 51 shot down by air defenses, the Ukrainian air force wrote on social media on Saturday. A further 31 decoy drones also failed to reach their targets, it said.
The British maker of Jaguar and Land Rover cars is pausing shipments to the United States as it works to mitigate the impact of a 25% tax on vehicle imports imposed by the Trump administration. Jaguar Land Rover Automotive, one of Britain's biggest carmakers, said Saturday that the pause would take place this month. "The USA is an important market for JLR's luxury brands," the company said in a statement, per the AP . "As we work to address the new trading terms with [our] business partners, we are taking some short-term actions, including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans."

The UK automotive industry is expected to be hit hard by the new tariffs, which come at a time when British carmakers are struggling with declining demand at home and the need to retool their plants for the transition to electric vehicles. "The industry is already facing multiple headwinds, and this announcement comes at the worst possible time," Mike Hawes, CEO of the UK's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said last week. "SMMT is in constant contact with government and will be looking for trade discussions to accelerate, as we need to secure a way forward that supports jobs and economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic."

The number of cars made in the UK dropped 13.9%, to 779,584 vehicles, last year, per the SMMT. More than 77% of those vehicles were destined for the export market. UK carmakers have already taken steps to lessen the immediate impact of the tariffs by building stockpiles in the US before the increase took effect. SMMT figures show that exports to the US jumped 38.5% from a year earlier in December, 12.4% in January, and 34.6% in February.

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British carmakers shipped $10.7 billion worth of vehicles to the US in the 12 months through September, making cars the single biggest goods export to the States, according to government statistics. But cars make up a relatively small part of overall trade between Britain and the US, which is heavily weighted toward services. Britain exported $231.2 billion of goods and services to the US in the year through September, with services making up 68.2% of that figure.
State education officials in New York have rejected the Trump administration's demand that they end certain diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in public schools or risk losing federal funding. A letter sent Friday to the federal Department of Education in response to the ultimatum says that the administration has not specified what practices it maintains violate civil rights protections, adding, "there are no federal or state laws prohibiting the principles of DEI." The response was far more direct and unyielding than those of other educational institutions, including universities, to the administration's threats, the New York Times reports.

Federal funding accounts for about 6% of New York's K-12 school budgets, per the Hill. For New York City Public Schools in fiscal 2025, that translates to about $2.2 billion. The letter says state officials are unaware of any authority the federal agency has to insist that states agree with its interpretation of court decisions or to cut off federal funding without a formal process, per the AP. It also points out that there's been no explanation for the federal government's shift on DEI programs, quoting Trump's first-term education secretary from 2020. Betsy DeVos had said diversity and inclusion were "cornerstones of high organizational performance," the letter says.
TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrains Foreign Minister and Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, has praised the Kingdom as a pioneering global model in promoting humanitarian values and peaceful coexistence among religions, cultures, and civilizations. Speaking on the occasion of the International Day of Conscienceestablished by the United Nations on Bahrains initiative and observed annually on April 5Dr. Al-Zayani highlighted Bahrains steadfast commitment to a visionary humanitarian approach inspired by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and supported by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Prime Minister.

In his remarks, Dr. Al-Zayani expressed pride in Bahrains leading role, which is deeply rooted in its rich historical heritage and noble human and civilizational values. He emphasized the nations tireless efforts in fostering peace, tolerance, and the rejection of fanaticism and hatred, all aimed at building a sustainable world marked by respect, justice, harmony, and solidarity.

These initiatives include the promotion of a culture of peace, conflict prevention through dialogue and negotiation, the organization of global forums for interfaith and intercultural dialogue, and the launch of significant awards such as the King Hamad Award for Coexistence and Tolerance. Additional accolades recognize contributions in areas supporting women, youth, education, and humanitarian service. The Kingdom has also embraced the Bahrain Summit for royal initiatives, which calls for an international conference on peace, the provision of essential health and educational services to those affected by conflicts, and cooperation in digital innovation and transformation. Moreover, the United Nations has endorsed the King Hamad Global Center for Coexistence and Tolerances initiative to designate an International Day of Peaceful Coexistence.

Looking ahead, Dr. Al-Zayani reaffirmed Bahrains commitment to playing an active role on the international stage. As the Kingdom currently chairs the Arab Leagues Council of Arab Universities and seeks a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2026-2027 term, Bahrain remains dedicated to strengthening global peace and security, fostering tolerance and solidarity, and upholding religious and cultural diversity. These efforts are part of the National Human Rights Plan (2022-2026), which aligns with international charters and the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.
NEW GLASGOW, NS, April 4, 2025 /CNW/ - Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust ("Crombie") (TSX: CRR.UN) will hold its Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of Unitholders on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at Cineplex Cinemas, 612 East River Road, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).

Webcast of AGM

The AGM will be broadcast via live audio webcast. The webcast may be accessed at www.crombie.ca. Time has been allotted at the end of the webcast for telephone questions.

Call-in numbers are:

(416) 945-7677

(888) 699-1199

To join the AGM call without operator assistance, you may register and enter your phone number at https://emportal.ink/4hQc1D8 to receive an instant automated callback.

Replay will be available by dialing (289) 819-1450 or (888) 660-6345 and entering password 31643 # until midnight, May 15, 2025, or on Crombie's website for 90 days after the meeting.

Q1 Fiscal 2025 Conference Call

Crombie will hold a conference call on Thursday, May 8, 2025, beginning at 12:00 p.m. (EDT) during which senior management will discuss Crombie's financial and operational results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. The financial and operational results will be released on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, after market close.

Teleconference:

Dial-in numbers to join the conference call are:

(416) 945-7677

(888) 699-1199

To join the conference call without operator assistance, you may register and enter your phone number at https://emportal.ink/449Lspc to receive an instant automated callback.

Replay will be available by dialing (289) 819-1450 or (888) 660-6345 and entering password 50388 #, until midnight, May 15, 2025, or on Crombie's website for 90 days after the meeting.

Webcast:

A live audio webcast of the conference call will be accessible on Crombie's website at www.crombie.ca under Investors. The webcast will be available for replay on Crombie's website for 90 days following the conference call.

About Crombie REIT

Crombie invests in real estate with a vision of enriching communities together by building spaces and value today that leave a positive impact on tomorrow. As one of the country's leading owners, operators, and developers of quality real estate assets, Crombie's portfolio primarily includes grocery-anchored retail, retail-related industrial, and mixed-use residential properties. As at December 31, 2024, our portfolio contains 304 properties comprising approximately 19.1 million square feet, inclusive of joint ventures at Crombie's share, and a significant pipeline of future development projects. Learn more at www.crombie.ca.

SOURCE Crombie REIT

Media Contacts: Kara Cameron, CPA, CA, Chief Financial Officer, 902-755-8100; Ruth Martin, CPA, CA, CPIR, Senior Director, Investor Relations and ESG Reporting, 902-759-0164
Food and beverages with high caffeine content may soon require clear labeling, and their effects may be studied after a spate of wrongful death suits and cardiac incidents across the country tied to energy drinks.

Currently, there are no federal regulations requiring clear labeling for energy drinks or other caffeinated products, despite some studies showing the severe health impacts of highly caffeinated beverages. Lawmakers and consumer safety groups say that leaves consumers unaware of how much caffeine theyre ingesting and the potential dangers.

The Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act, reintroduced Monday by U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez, would change that by requiring restaurants to disclose if a menu item contains more than 150 milligrams of caffeine on menus, menu boards and drive throughs. It would also require energy drink companies to label the amount of caffeine or other stimulants in a product.

These changes will ensure that everyone, no matter how old or young, can walk into a store or order off a menu and know with confidence how much caffeine is in their drink. We believe this transparency will save lives, Menendez said during a press conference in Washington, D.C. on Monday.

Menendez was joined by Jill and Michael Katz, who are championing the legislation in honor of their daughter, Sarah, who died three years ago after consuming a high-caffeine beverage.

Her life was cut short, Michael Katz said during Mondays press conference. Who knows how high she could have flown?

Sarah Katz was a 21-year-old student at the University of Pennsylvania when she died Sept. 10, 2022, after drinking a Panera Charged Lemonade she bought at a Panera store in Philadelphia, according to a wrongful death lawsuit.

Katz, from Jersey City, had an underlying heart condition and so she avoided energy drinks and highly caffeinated beverages, according to the suit.

The 30-ounce Charged Lemonade contained between 114 milligrams and 160 milligrams of caffeine and exceeded the caffeine levels in 12 ounces of Red Bull and 16 ounces of Monster Energy Drink, the suit states.

Sarah Katz, who grew up in Jersey City, died after consuming a Panera Charged Lemonade, according to a lawsuit. Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County

The lawsuit states Katz drank the Panera Charged Lemonade while with her friends at a restaurant in her apartment building and went into cardiac arrest. She was rushed to Pennsylvania Presbyterian Hospital, where she suffered another cardiac arrest and died, according to the suit.

Please let us help save lives, Jill Katz said Monday. Put this bill and information about it on your social media and spread the word.

A 2024 report by Epic Research, a medical and health journal, found that the rate of caffeine-related emergency room visits more than doubled among youths ages 11 to 14, from 3.1 per 100,000 visits in 2017 to 6.5 per 100,000 visits in 2023.

In addition to requiring labeling, the Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act would require the National Institutes of Health to further study how caffeine impacts vulnerable populations, require the FDA to bulk up regulations, and direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch a public safety education campaign.

Panera discontinued its high-caffeine Charged Sips lemonade drinks in May 2024.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.
NEW YORK  Mets reliever Max Kranick has experienced a series of cool  his words  moments so far this season.

-He made the Mets Opening Day roster after allowing two runs in 12 1/3 innings, a 1.46 ERA with 15 strikeouts in spring training.

-He made his Mets debut on March 29, pitching a scoreless 2/3 inning.

-In Fridays home opener, before 11 family members, including his father, he pitched the final two innings of the Mets 5-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

None of it compares to a text message he received before the Mets opening series against the Astros in Houston.

When I made the Opening Day roster in Houston, actually, David Wright texted me, which was really, really cool, Kranick told reporters. I was sitting with Hayden Sanger on the bus and I just showed him my phone, like, Is this real?

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Kranick isnt sure how Wright got his number. All he knows is that his favorite player growing up had found a way to communicate directly to him.

Definitely my coolest moment so far, Kranick added.

Alongside his father, John, the 27-year-old Scranton native grew up a devout Mets fan. His father actually has a streak of Citi Field home openers. Just dont ask Kranick how many games its been.

Its been some time. I mean, I guess eight years, something like that. Seven, eight years, maybe longer, Kranick said, wondering. Maybe 10. I dont know. Im gonna have to ask him today.

After missing the 2023 season because of Tommy John, Kranick received a fresh start from the Mets in 2024. In 45 appearances in Triple-A, he transitioned from starter to reliever, posting a 3.46 ERA in 52 innings of relief.

Early this season, hes proven valuable for the Mets, pitching a team-high 5 2/3 innings among relievers. He hasnt allowed a run in that span and has two strikeouts.

Kranick continues to do a hell of a job, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Friday.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Manny Gomez may be reached at mgomez@njadvancemedia.com.
Help is on the way for some businesses affected by the closure of a section of I-80 to fix sinkholes in the roadway.

Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday announced the state Economic Development Authority will create a $5 million grant program for small businesses in Morris County that are losing money because of the urgent roadwork.

Its been a grueling several weeks for Morris County business owners located off the Route 80 corridor, Murphy said in a statement. The NJEDAs planned grant program, paired with the U.S. Small Business Administrations Economic Injury Disaster Loans, will inject much-needed capital into small businesses. We are committed to doing this as swiftly as possible to ease the burden on local businesses.

State Department of Transportation officials plan to reopen two lanes of I-80 west in early May with two eastbound lanes to follow in the middle of May and a full reopening of the highway planned in late June.

The highway has been closed at exit 34 in Wharton since March 19, when a third sinkhole opened on the median next to the westbound lanes. A second sinkhole opened on Feb. 10, closing the eastbound lanes.

The Route 80 Business Assistance Grant Program will provide grants to businesses and non-profits located near Route 80s Exit 34. The grant program will go to the NJEDA Board next week for approval.

Murphy also announced the U.S. Small Business Administration approved Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million, for Morris County and neighboring counties of Hunterdon, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren. These will be working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their financial obligations because of the urgent repairs. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period.

SBA officials are on the ground in New Jersey and opening a Business Recovery Center in the Wharton Municipal Building on April 8, said SBA Atlantic Regional Administrator Matt Coleman, in a statement.

It will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays until April 22. For information, call the SBA Customer Service Center Line at (800) 659-2955.

The NJEDA shares Governor Murphys sense of urgency as we work to get critical funds to businesses most impacted by the Route 80 detours, NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan said. We look forward to launching the program, which will help relieve the financial burden on small businesses, allowing them to stay open and continue serving communities in Morris County.

The program will provide grants to small businesses and non-profits that have up to 50 full-time employees. Applicants must certify a negative financial impact of at least $1,000 for the first quarter of 2025. Pending the NJEDA Boards approval, the Authority is expected to open applications for the grant program by the end of April. Check the NJEDAs website and social media pages for updates.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com.
Passengers on the NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line and the PATH Newark to World Trade Center route will have to make travel changes due to construction work.

PATH riders will have no train service between Harrison and the Grove Street station in Jersey City from midnight to 8 a.m. this Saturday and Sunday. A handicapped-accessible shuttle bus will operate between the Grove Street, Journal Square, Harrison and Newark stations, officials said.

Passengers traveling from Journal Square must take the shuttle bus to Grove Street for trains to New York, because track signal testing is being done. A special shuttle train will operate between Newark and Harrison stations only.
Cody Bellinger is out of the starting lineup for the second game in a row due to a tight back. AP

PITTSBURGH  Cody Bellinger is out of the Yankees starting lineup on Saturday for a second consecutive day because of a back issue, but the outfielder doesnt expect to sit for too much longer.

Feel really good with where Im at right now, Bellinger said in front of his locker in the visiting clubhouse on Saturday afternoon.

This is an injury that Bellinger has dealt with multiple times in his career, he said. He described it as feeling unaligned in his lower back, right around his right hip on the belt line.

With treatment  like core exercises and good soft-tissue work  Bellinger expects this to be a few-day thing and nothing more.

The fact that he responded well to taking some swings on Saturday had Bellinger encouraged as well.

Bellinger wasnt sure why the back issue popped up on him recently. It couldve been the cold temperatures in New York as the Yankees wrapped up their season-opening homestand.

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Tough to really say the exact reason, he said. Felt it tighten up a little bit. I like where Im at right now.

He added: [I need to] do a better job of preventing it in the future.

With Bellinger out of the lineup again on Saturday, Trent Grisham gets another start. Hell be in center field, batting ninth.

Grisham had three hits in Thursdays win over the Diamondbacks and in Fridays series-opener against the Pirates, the outfielder had another hit and walked twice. Its a small sample, of course, but Grisham is batting .462 with a 1.357 OPS over 17 plate appearances.

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.
Juan Soto helped the Mets to a 5-0 win over the Blue Jays in their home opener on Friday. AP

NEW YORK  Juan Soto had already heard about the nasty chant that went up at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night, which left no doubt whats in store when the Mets travel to the Bronx next month.

When 40,000 angry fans start bellowing (Bleep) Juan Soto you might as well prepare for the worst.

They definitely hate me over there, Soto said matter of factly. He knows theres no changing anyones mind on 161st Street and River Avenue. The ticket buyers are dug in. Theyre waiting for their chance to let Soto know hes a traitor.

Forty one days and counting.

In the meantime, Soto is making friends in Flushing  lots of them. He helped the Mets to a 5-0 win over the Blue Jays in the home opener. That was no surprise. Soto has a history of rising to the moment.

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This was the day to introduce himself to Mets fans. Needless to say, they love the former Yankee. Soto and his $765 million contract represent Steve Cohens promise to upgrade the franchise.

The owner naturally wants to win a championship, but its just as important to catch and pass the Bombers as New Yorks No. 1 team. Thats why Cohen was fixated on out-bidding Hal Steinbrenner.

It wasnt just the cash, but the luxury suite for Sotos family the Yankees refused to include in the deal.

Thats the part Soto wishes Yankees fans would understand. Leaving the Bronx wasnt personal, it was strictly business, right out of Michael Corleones playbook. The Mets simply made the better offer.

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Thats why Soto plans to seek out Aaron Judge next month. Not that theres any awkwardness between the two. Theyre on good terms. But Soto wants to re-connect with his best friend among the Yankees.

Hes a good man, a good person, Soto said of Judge. When I signed (with the Mets), first thing, we got on the phone and talked about it.

He told me I made the right decision for my family and that he was happy for me. Thats what a real friend says.

Judges absolution has allowed Soto to find his niche in the Mets hierarchy. Soto was content to serve as No. 99s wingman last year. But as the richest player in Mets history, Soto is expected to be the face of the franchise, not to mention the lineups backbone.

Wouldnt you know, he smoked an RBI single in the sixth inning, breaking the game open against Toronto. The Mets went on to out-perform the Jays in every aspect, including the Day One drama.

It wasnt just Soto who won over the crowd, it was also Pete Alonsos homecoming. The Polar Bears six-year run with the Mets nearly came to an end this winter, until he finally signed a desperation two-year, $54 million deal on February 12.

Alonso isnt Judge, and Soto, batting second, wont get the same lineup protection as he did in 2024. Still, Alonso made a powerful statement in the first inning.

He slammed a two-run HR off Kevin Gausman  a lead the Mets would never relinquish  while establishing the 1-2 punch the Mets will be counting on this summer.

Its great to have a guy hitting behind you when hes hot, its really good protection, Soto said of Alonso. That gives me a chance to see more pitches around the strike zone and do more damage.

Brandon Nimmo has already drawing on the energy and focus that Soto projects.

Hes extremely respected around the league, as you can see the way people pitch around him, Nimmo said. Juan is someone we all look up to, and someone were going to look to in big moments.

Nimmo made a point of praising Sotos plate discipline, likening him to Barry Bonds, who he said, I grew up watching.

(Bonds) would only get one or two pitches per game when (opponents) would come after him. So thats the way its going to be with Juan until we prove otherwise. We want to have a complete lineup.

Scoring runs shouldnt be a problem for the Mets this year. Pitching, however, is what might keep them from living out the ultimate fantasy  dethroning the Dodgers in the playoffs before advancing to the World Series.

And thats assuming the Mets get that far, even if everything goes right. The talent level in the National League is that savage.

No doubt Soto understands the trade-off he made by picking the Mets over the Yankees. He scored the payday of his dreams, but in doing so landed on a tougher path to the World Series.

Soto isnt naive enough to think Yankees fans wouldnt love to see him and the Mets flame out in the first or second round of the playoffs. The Yankees, meanwhile, sail to their second straight pennant.

I asked Clay Holmes, the one person in the Mets clubhouse who has a history with Soto, if he thinks the slugger is burdened by his new job description: savior.

The other question is whether Soto cares that Yankees fans are rooting so hard against him.

Holmes flatly said no.

I dont think people on the outside realize what a confident, charismatic person Juan is, said the right-hander. I see the same person here with the Mets as I saw with the Yankees. That stuff doesnt bother him.

Its called a behavioral plate of armor. Sotos got it, and itll soon be put to the test.

Forty one days and counting.

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Bob Klapisch may be reached at bklapisch@njadvancemedia.com.
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This week we step back in time 200 years to the Marquis de Lafayettes visit to New Orleans. On April 10, the Cabildo will open a new exhibit, called Bienvenue Lafayette, inside the building which hosted the French hero of the American Revolution when he visited the city.

During the Revolutionary War, the Frenchman  born into aristocracy as Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier  joined the Americans cause, fighting alongside the colonists against the British and earning a place in General George Washingtons inner circle.

Thats why in 1825 it was a national celebration when Lafayette, the last surviving major general of the revolution, made a yearlong tour of the 24 U.S. states then in the union. New Orleans would occupy five days of his tour, with the general visiting here from April 10-15, 1825.

The city offices then housed inside the Cabildo were transformed into a residence and reception hall for him. A 58-foot-tall triumphal arch was erected in Jackson Square, then known as Place DArmes.

According to historian Patricia Brady, Lafayette and his entourage came up the Mississippi River from Mobile aboard the steamboat Natchez. They were welcomed with a ceremony at the Chalmette battlefield. In his remarks, Lafayette said, In this state, daily evidence is given of the fitness of a French population for a wise use of free institutions and for self-government.

His visit here was met with parades, banquets, plays and music written in his honor, ceremonies and military reviews. According to Brady, after his five-day visit, some 10,000 people assembled at the riverfront on April 15 to bid him farewell.
Hey Blake,

I love vintage signs, and I am wondering about the one for the Orleans Steel Products Company on Bienville Street in the French Quarter. What do you know about it?

Dear reader,

The Orleans Steel Products Company  whose sign remains outside its former home at 1025 Bienville  and its parent company, Holzer Sheet Metal Works, were located in the French Quarter for nearly 125 years.

Swiss tinsmith Rudolph G. Holzer immigrated to the U.S. in 1871, setting up shop on N. Rampart Street. His early work included manufacturing metal ice buckets and milk jugs. By 1900, he had moved to 317 Burgundy St. Its sister company, Orleans Steel Products, opened around the corner on Bienville Street in 1919. Holzer died in 1924 and his wife Magdalene and four sons carried on the business.

Times-Picayune reporter Elizabeth Mullener visited the business in 1990, then being run by Rudy Holzer, great-grandson of the founder.

(It is) one of the last remaining bits of industry in the French Quarter, where everything from gutters to pipes, flashing to junction boxes, is fabricated in a cavernous shop that sprawls across most of a city block, she wrote. It is a world of wheels and gears and levers and hooks and chains and belts and bushings. And machines that have been around since the streets outside were made of cobblestones and paddleboats plied the river.

A 1977 advertisement explained that while the founder worked in tin, sheet iron, zinc and copper, the company branched out into aluminum and stainless steel. Two high-profile projects were the Piazza dItalia and the lead-coated copper roof on St. Pius X Church in Lake Vista.

Both businesses have since left the French Quarter and their former homes are now a mix of other businesses and residences.
Drive down Interstate 65 south of U.S. 30 and the landscape looks entirely different than it did a decade ago.

Hulking warehouses flank the interstate highway. Domino's, Dawn Foods, Quality Pasta and other brand names dot the sides of the gargantuan big boxes. An ocean of Amazon tractor-trailer trucks surrounds the e-commerce giant's new distribution center, believed to be the largest building ever constructed in Lake County.

South of the new Franciscan Health hospital one of Northwest Indiana's newest business parks is taking shape.

Nearly $300 million in construction is underway at the new Point 65 Business Center between 137th Avenue and 129th Avenue east of I-65 in Crown Point. CORE X CROWN just opened the first phase of a $200 million cold storage facility that will eventually employ up to 150 people distributing ice cream, TV dinners and other frozen-food products around the country. Just down the street, Arcadia Cold is building a $93 million, 294,000-square-foot warehouse in the business center.

Mississippi Parkway Partners is developing the 250-acre business park just off the U.S. 231 exit of I-65.

"Point 65 is a business park of about 250 acres, of which we sold the first phase to CORE X. They're what helped us break our ground," developer and DVG Team President Jeff Ban said. "The infrastructure has been set up to help us service another 200-plus acres. We're looking forward to being part of Northwest Indiana's growth and its industrial development growth."

CORE X CROWN built a 225,000-square-foot building. Arcadia Cold will add nearly 300,000 square feet. Ban believes about 2 million to 2.5 million square feet of buildings could be developed.

"There's enough land area to house another 2.5 million square feet," he said.

Point 65 is one of several new business parks springing up along Interstate 65, including Northwind Crossings, AmeriPlex at the Crossroads, Silos at Sanders Farms and Venture Park 65.

The new business park in Crown Point could house more cold storage warehouses and distribution centers but won't exclusively be home to such firms. It will end up being "whatever the market wants it to be," Ban said.

"We're responding to a number of inquiries from different businesses, some of which we know what they are and some of which we don't. They're confidential projects that are described by just code names," he said. "They're anything from parts suppliers to different types of industry to food manufacturing. We've had a variety of interested businesses looking at the site."

The hope is that the business park will be filled in over the next five to seven years, Ban said. Mississippi Parkway Partners is evaluating whether to build any buildings on spec or speculatively without a tenant lined up.

CORE X CROWN, Arcadia Cold and the Amazon warehouse up the street have sparked interest from the Chicago broker community.

"Everything that's going on up and down I-65 at Northwind in Hobart, AmeriPlex in Merrillville and now Point 65 in Crown Point, all those master-planned developments have drawn a lot of attention from the Chicago-area brokerage community and businesses as well as the Midwest," Ban said. "Collectively, it's the attention all of us are bringing to the Region, not just one particular site."

More logistics firms have taken interest in I-65 in Northwest Indiana after realizing it's a day's drive from much of the country's population.

"Being so close to the interstate itself links us to the entire interstate system through the United States," Ban said. "The business park has proximity to the U.S. 31 interchange off the interstate. Talking with users of real estate, it seemed there was a void in the marketplace for a business park like this."

The business park got off to a strong start with the two cold storage facilities and the developer hopes to get underway on the next projects within the next year.

"We've had some international companies look at this location," Ban said. "We're out there working with Chicago industrial brokers who have a pipeline directly to the users. There are a variety of different businesses from a variety of locations that have expressed interest."

Crown Point extended infrastructure to the business park so it could house large-footprint businesses, whether logistics or light industrial, Mayor Pete Land said.

"It's a great location right by the interchange," Land said. "The city's done a great job over the last six or seven years to get the infrastructure here to attract these types of businesses."

Crown Point extended the road and underground utilities to the site east of the interstate to bring larger businesses to town, he said.

"Having these kind of businesses is a fantastic thing for the city and the entire Region," Land said.
[Read: Auto Tariffs Take Effect, Putting Pressure on New Car Prices]

[Read: Canadas Prime Minister Puts Tariffs on U.S.-Made Cars and Predicts Global Upheaval]

[Read: With Trumps Tariffs, the Chasm Between Allies and the U.S. Widens]

While industry executives and auto analysts had warned for months that the tariffs Mr. Trump was threatening would lead to plant shutdowns, they also thought that wouldnt happen for weeks.

The contract between Unifor and Stellantis will mitigate the immediate financial impact of the shutdown on union assembly workers. But most workers at auto parts plants in Canada and the United States, which will also probably close or lay off employees, dont have the same income protection guarantees.

Stellantis and the other companies that make passenger vehicles in Canada  Toyota, Honda, General Motors and Ford  have much to consider. For Canada and Mexico, the United States partners in the free trade agreement Mr. Trump signed in his first term, the tariffs will be reduced by the amount of American content in each car, so automakers may be rethinking where they get some of their parts. Auto parts imported from Canada will face similarly reduced tariffs next month, once U.S. officials figure out a way to measure their American content; the task is much more complex for parts than for finished vehicles.

Windsor, the capital of Canadas auto industry, could now be facing its greatest crisis since 2008, when Chrysler Canada, as Stellantis was then known, needed federal and provincial assistance to avoid financial collapse and a total shutdown.
An Offaly woman has graduated as one of Ireland's newest Air Traffic Safety Electronics Engineers.

Banaghers Siobhan Flannery graduated as an AirNav Ireland Air Traffic Safety Electronics Engineer and is set to join its skilled workforce.

She is one of 23 cadets graduated at the event in Limerick. Nine graduates have successfully completed their training as Air Traffic Control Officers, while fourteen others are now qualified as Air Traffic Safety Electronics Engineers.

The graduates from Clare, Cork, Dublin, Mayo, Monaghan, Offaly, Wicklow, Pakistan and Napal, completed internationally recognised training programmes. They will now become part of AirNav Irelands team of professionals, all dedicated to upholding the highest standards of aviation safety and service excellence.

The AirNav Ireland contributes to the management of Irish airspace, which spans nearly 500,000 square kilometres. It also oversees the safety of flights arriving at and departing from Dublin, Cork, and Shannon airports.

Dr. Peter Kearney, CEO of AirNav Ireland, highlighted the companys ongoing commitment to the professional development of its personnel. Todays graduation is an important milestone in our strategic plan to invest in the best talent to maintain Irish aviation safety at the highest level. Over the next decade, we aim to train 240 suitable candidates, further reinforcing our leadership in air traffic management and aviation safety.

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The Air Traffic Control Officers have undergone rigorous training to manage complex airspace scenarios, ensuring the smooth and safe movement of flights. Meanwhile, the Air Traffic Safety Electronics Engineers are equipped to implement and maintain advanced technologies and infrastructure, ensuring the resilience and reliability of air traffic control systems.

ABOVE: Siobhan Flannery, from Banagher, Co. Offaly, with her colleague Sarah Fisher, from Donabate, Co. Dublin, after they graduated as an Air Traffic Safety Electronics Engineer and an Air Traffic Controller Officer, at a ceremony in Limerick City on Friday

AirNav Irelands continued investment in its people and in cutting-edge technology underscores its commitment to shaping the future of aviation safety. This investment ensures that the company maintains world-class air traffic management services and a robust, technologically advanced air traffic control system.

Details of all the training programmes are available on www.airnav.ie
A man who rented out properties in Longford town and Ballymahon under false pretences and used them as brothels has been jailed for nine years.

Ilamar Rodrigues Ribeiro (54) was arrested by investigating gardai from the Garda Human Trafficking and Co-ordination Unit when he returned to Ireland from his native Brazil after a period of time abroad, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

Ribeiro, of Rua Nely Augusta Gomes, Goais, Brazil, had been under investigation after a number of rental properties being used as brothels around the country were linked to him, along with nearly 800,000 in proceeds of crime across multiple Irish bank accounts.

He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 19 sample counts, including using false instruments, inducing landlords to rent properties to him, brothel-keeping and possession of the proceeds of crime. They are offences that carry maximum sentences of between five and 14 years, the court heard.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material, known in law as child pornography, which was discovered on his phone when he was arrested at Dublin Airport on November 16, 2023.

The offending on the 60-count indictment spanned from 2010 to 2023, the court heard. Ribeiro has been in custody since his arrest.

Sentencing Ribeiro, Judge Patricia Ryan noted that he has previous convictions for fraud both from France and the UK.

She acknowledged that his plea to the charges were valuable to the State.

Judge Ryan said that many of the offences involved elaborate planning and pre-meditation and said that considerable sums of money, a total of 788,982, were involved in the money laundering offence.

The judge noted that Ribeiro accepted ownership of the accounts connected to the money laundering and that the accounts were held in his own name.

In relation to the possession of child abuse material, the judge observed that there was no distribution of the images, but said the images did fall into the most serious form of child abuse material.

Judge Ryan imposed a global sentence of 10 and half years in prison, which involved consecutive terms.

She suspended the final 18 months of the term on strict conditions for three years and backdated the sentence to when Ribeiro first went into custody in November 2023.

At an earlier sentence hearing, Detective Garda Vanessa Stafford of the Garda Human Trafficking and Co-ordination Unit told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that the charges against Ribeiro were part of a wider investigation after two women came forward to gardai with allegations of trafficking.

These two women identified rental properties around rural Ireland being used as brothels, while others were linked to Ribeiro's email address and phone number.

When investigating gardai knocked on the doors of some of these properties, the women who answered identified themselves as sex workers, the court heard.

Gardai linked 10 rental properties to Ribeiro, who used a different name from a fake Italian passport and fake utility bills to rent out the property from unsuspecting landlords and, in one case, a property agent.

The court heard the landlords told gardai they would never have rented the property to Ribeiro if they had known what it would be used for.

The properties used as brothels were located in Longford town, Ballymahon, Kildare town, Ballyconnell in Co Cavan, Enniscorthy in Co Wexford, Ballaghadereen in Co Roscommon, Carrick on Shannon in Co Leitrim, and Tullow, Co Carlow. A further two were located in Roscommon town.

The properties were rented out for varying periods of time between 2018 and 2023.

Bank accounts in Ribeiro's name or under his control were forensically analysed and found to contain a total of 788,982 which was deemed to be the proceeds of crime.

The court heard Ribeiro was out of the country for some years between 2021 and 2023, but was arrested upon flying back in November 2023.

The child abuse material on his phone comprised nine images and 16 videos, mostly of pre-pubescent girls and boys being made to engage in sexual activity with adults.

The court heard the images and videos all fell into category one, which is the most serious form of child abuse material.

Padraig Dwyer SC, defending, told the court his client arrived in the country in 2009.

He has two teenage children who reside in Brazil and who he minds at the weekends when he is resident in that country, he said.

Defence counsel said there was no evidence in relation to where in the pecking order Ribeiro had in the organisation, and that he was just one part of it.
OFFALY County Council marked a historic milestone on Friday, March 21st, with the launch of its first-ever Offaly Biodiversity Action Plan 2025-2030 at the Offaly Biodiversity Conference, held at the Tullamore Court Hotel.

The event, which had been booked out for weeks, brought together over 150 delegates, including community leaders, environmental experts, policymakers, and biodiversity enthusiasts, to celebrate and commit to the protection and enhancement of Offalys natural heritage.

The conference was opened by Ricky Whelan, Offaly County Councils Biodiversity Officer, with Leas Chathaoirleach Cllr. Oliver Bryant, and Chief Executive Anna Marie Delaney of Offaly County Council, officially launching the plan.

The Offaly Biodiversity Action Plan 2025-2030 sets out 53 priority actions across five strategic objectives: Surveys and Monitoring, Actions for Biodiversity, Invasive Alien Species, Building Resilience, and Awareness and Engagement. The plan aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, reflecting Offalys commitment to global environmental targets while addressing local challenges.

Ricky Whelan, Biodiversity Officer, emphasised the collaborative nature of the plan: This plan is not just the work of Offaly County Council, the Biodiversity Working Group and Heritage Forum. It is the result of collaborationof individuals, community groups, environmental organisations, professional bodies and landowners who offered their views and shared knowledge during two extensive public and stakeholder consultation phases. To each I extend my deepest gratitude, your submissions have shaped and strengthened this plan.

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Leas Chathaoirleach of Offaly County Council Cllr. Oliver Bryant highlighted the importance of community involvement: Nature belongs to everyone, and through collaborative projects like the Offaly Barn Owl Project and the forthcoming Hares Corner Project, we are proving that nature conservation and community can thrive hand-in-hand. This plan is a testament to Offalys leadership in bridging global ambition with local action.

Chief Executive of Offaly County Council Anna Marie Delaney underscored the significance of the plan for future generations: Today, Offaly County Council takes a decisive step forward in ensuring nature in Offaly thrives for generations. This plan, our first Local Authority Biodiversity Action Plan, is a testament to collaboration. It reflects the voices of community groups, farmers, landowners, agencies, and experts, and it outlines how we will build climate resilience, combat invasive species, and reconnect fragmented ecosystems.

Virginia Teehan, Chief Executive of the Heritage Council, also addressed the conference, welcoming the new plan and emphasizing its importance: The Offaly Biodiversity Action Plan represents a vital step in translating national biodiversity policy into local actions, reflecting Offalys distinctive landscapes, rich natural heritage, and engaged communities. The integrated, holistic approach to heritage embraced by Offaly County Council is particularly inspiring, drawing on community input, expert knowledge, and policy guidance to chart a course for sustainable, impactful conservation.

The conference featured a series of engaging presentations and discussions, highlighting the urgent need for action to address biodiversity loss and climate change. The conference schedule included an opening presentation by Claudia Pascalli who gave an engaging talk on the results of the Offaly Hedgerow Survey 2024.

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The morning break was followed by a trio of presentations on the topics of citizen science, invasive newts and communities delivering for biodiversity. Rachel McKenna opened with a captivating talk, demonstrating the rich diversity of species we can find all around us. Rob Gandola introduced delegates to the ever-increasing threat of Alpine Newts, a non-native species of newt that can spread rapidly, negatively impacting our native ecosystems. Pat Foley and Karen Carruthers gave an inspiring talk on how Geashill Tidy Towns and community have taken a leading role in creating space for nature in their village and how it is showing dividends.

In the afternoon session, the conference heard from Tochar Project Manager Shirley Clerkin and Owen Murphy Project Manager from the Breeding Wader EIP, two National Parks and Wildlife Service initiatives helping to to restore wetlands and to bolster breeding wading bird populations in the midlands and further afield. The day concluded with talks on two upcoming projects taking place in the county this year. Caroline Lalor, of Wetland Survey Ireland, discussed how they will complete a review of Offalys wetlands and create a map that will form part of the Offaly ecological network map which will help inform conservation initiatives and strategy decisions overtime.

The final slot of the day went to Fionn Doyle-Chowen of the Burrenbeo Trust. Fionn spoke about The Hares Corner Project which offers landowners a free of charge and hassle-free opportunity to create new spaces for nature on farms, in schools and in other suitable spaces. The project is open to applicants in Offaly until the end of March, applications can be made online via the hares Corner webpage.

Further highlights included, displays by The Offaly Barn Owl Project, a father and son team, Christy and Declan Franks who assist landowners with getting suitable Barn Owl nest boxes installed on their property. The Irish Peatland Conservation Council and The NPWS Clara Bog were also on hand to represent and advocate for peatland restoration.

The overwhelming interest in the conference, with tickets booking out weeks in advance, reflects the growing public awareness and commitment to biodiversity conservation in Offaly.

In his closing remarks and borrowing the words of Leas Chathaoirleach Cllr. Oliver Bryants earlier speech, Ricky Whelan said The launch of the Offaly Biodiversity Action Plan 2025-2030 is just the beginning of a collective journey to protect and enhance Offalys natural heritage. Together, we can ensure that Offaly remains a beacon of biodiversity, where wildflowers fill the callow lands, swifts fill the skies, and our rivers are teeming with life. 

The plan can be accessed as a PDF on the Offaly County Council website - Offaly.ie
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Posters created by ethnic studies students for community projects and organizing during Black Lives Matter week of action hang on the walls of a Parkrose High classroom. Angie Diaz, Youth Voices

Oregon school districts have been advised in no uncertain terms to sit tight while state leaders at the governors office, the Oregon Department of Education and the attorney generals office evaluate what appears to be the most direct threat yet to school funding from the Trump administration.

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education told state education leaders, including state schools chief Charlene Williams, that public schools were in danger of losing federal funding if any of their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts advantage one race over another.
"The best grass depends on the site, the owner and a dozen other variables, says Alec Kowalewski, Oregon State University Extension Service turf grass specialist. The Oregonian files

CORVALLIS  When faced with the task of establishing a new lawn, people want to know the best kind of grass to plant.

I rarely give the same answer twice, because the best grass depends on the site, the owner and a dozen other variables, said Alec Kowalewski, Oregon State University Extension Service turf grass specialist, who gets that question a lot.

Below are just a few grass seed mixtures that Kowalewski recommends for western Oregon lawns.

The percentages of mixture components are not sacred, Kowalewski said. You have to be flexible in shopping because every supplier has a different idea of what they want to sell you. The key is to study the label and go for the contents, not the price or the hype.

General turf on sunny sites

A mix of perennial ryegrass and fine fescue is good for western Oregon. This will make a lawn that is rugged, will tolerate some shade, requires medium to high fertility initially to look good and is fairly easy to cut, Kowalweski said.

Mixtures like this start fast and quickly give a functional lawn, he said. They tend to be hungry for the first year or two since they are initially dominated by perennial ryegrass. By the third year, the fine fescues begin to dominate, particularly if you have not fertilized regularly. This lawn will be susceptible to red thread.

When these lawns are not regularly fertilized, they will transition to bentgrass over time. Bentgrass is not the dark green color perennial ryegrass and fine fescue provide, but it is a grass species that thrives in low fertility lawns. If you are not planning to fertilize every spring and fall, bentgrass is a great lawn for you.

General turf on shady sites

Kowalewski recommends a mixture heavy on the fine fescue with a small amount of perennial ryegrass. He says it is an easy lawn to maintain with medium to low fertility, occasional irrigation, and mowing at about 2 inches.

This mix takes advantage of the natural shade tolerance of the fine fescues and the rapid establishment of the perennial rycgrass, he said. Fescues do better if the soil is fairly dry with good air movement. In wet shady sites typical of much of western Oregon, the fescues get riddled with fungal diseases.

Central and eastern Oregon

A mixture of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass works well for Central and Eastern Oregon. This mixture creates a lawn that needs relatively high fertility to look its best, Kowalewski said.

The mixture will initially be dominated by the perennial ryegrass, which is quick to germinate and establish. Kentucky bluegrass is very slow to establish but overwinters well under snow cover. The Kentucky bluegrass increases in density over time. Avoid planting it alone or weeds will germinate and establish faster than the turfgrass.

For more information on home lawn care, check out these publications from the OSU Extension Service:

 OSU Extension Service
Craig Dobson, the assistant chief of the Portland Police Bureau's operations branch, addressed reporters on April 4 alongside chief Bob Day (right) and public order policing expert Clifford Stott (not pictured). Tatum Todd

The day before hundreds of protesters are expected to head downtown  and throughout the metro area  police insist theyre not worried.

They expect the demonstration Saturday, part of the nationwide Hands Off! protest against Trump administration policies, to be peaceful.
Dozens of people were evacuated and more than 70 homes damaged in Burns during the flooding that triggered a state of emergency in Harney County, city officials said.

The flooding, which began last month, swamped parts of Burns last weekend, hitting north Burns and the Burns Paiute Tribe especially hard, Burns City Manager Judy Erwin told The Oregonian/OregonLive. The disaster has been compounded by a complete collapse of the sewer system, contaminating the floodwater and making bathrooms, sinks and laundry machines unusable in homes across the town.

Of the 76 homes assessed for damage in Burns, 73 had minor damage, meaning the homes are repairable, but the floors, wallboard and subfloors may have to be torn out and replaced, Erwin said. One house was a total loss  the water rose so high, it picked up a refrigerator and dropped it on the kitchen counter.

On Thursday, about 1,270 people were under a go now evacuation order, the Harney County Sheriffs Office said. Nearly 600 structures were in the evacuation zone.

Burns, the county seat, has a population of about 2,700.

By Friday, however, the floodwaters had receded enough  about four feet in some areas  so the county lowered the evacuation order to be set, the sheriffs office said.

Indeed, the Silvies River is expected to rise again early next week, the sheriffs office said, urging people to be ready in case the floodwaters return.

Evacuation levels may change at any time, the sheriffs office said in a statement. Residents are urged to be ready to leave the area again.

Part of Burns flooded flooded this weekend, forcing many people to evacuate temporarily. The flooding also overwhelmed the sewer system, contaminating the water. Riley Rirchardson's house was among those that was flooded. She took this photograph of a neighbor's house that she said was hit even harder than hers. Courtesy of Riley Richardson

Riley Richardson and her family left their Burns home Saturday as the water approached the front steps. They are staying with Richardsons in-laws in Hines, just west of Burns.

The next day, Richardsons brother-in-law kayaked to their house and reported back that the water had risen about 5 inches above the floor. Richardson saw the house herself Monday. The water had receded back to the stoop. By Wednesday, the water was low enough to be able to drive down the street to the house.

The destruction and damage she saw was devastating.

I think Im out of tears. Ive cried so much, Richardson said. Its your home.

Richardson, 31, lives with her husband and two daughters, 4 years and 18 months old, in North Burns, on Broadway Street  one of the areas hit hardest by the flood.

Richardson was recently elected Harney Countys justice of the peace. Her husband, Ty, is the director of Burns Public Works Department.

On Thursday, Riley Richardson and some family and friends tore out the vinyl plank flooring in the house she and her husband moved into about two years ago. The plan Friday was to tear out the 1960s hardwood flooring underneath the vinyl to expose the subfloor, which must dry so that the house isnt completely ruined. They will also have to tear out the drywall, Riley Richardson said.

They will then have to sanitize everything, because the floodwater was contaminated with sewage. One contractor estimated it would cost as much as $30,000 to sanitize and replace the damaged parts of the house.

Riley and Ty Richardson's house in Burns was flooded Saturday, March 29. Now that the water has receded, Richardson has been busy tearing out the floors. Courtesy of Riley Richardson

Ty Richardson hasnt been around to help because of the demands of his job during the crisis. She said he had been working for six weeks before the flood, trying to prevent it. He worked for nearly 40 hours straight starting the day before the flood hit, she said, trying to prevent the sewer system from failing.

Hes tried his best to try to do everything that he could to prevent this from happening, Riley Richardson said. But it just was outside of his hands.

Erwin, the city manager, said the fire department told her they evacuated 39 Burns residents at the height of the flooding, though many people decided they wanted to stay despite the rising waters. Some of the people who tried to stay had to be evacuated using front-end loaders, because the water was so high by the time they needed to be evacuated that no normal-size vehicle could reach them.

The cleanup and repair work will be extensive for Burns residents.

Anything the floodwaters touched is contaminated, Erwin said.

Part of Burns flooded flooded this weekend, forcing many people to evacuate temporarily. The flooding also overwhelmed the sewer system, contaminating the water. Riley Rirchardson's house was among those that was flooded. She took this photo of Burns during the flood. Courtesy of Riley Richardson

Floodwaters in Burns have tested positive for E. coli, officials said Wednesday.

The Burns Paiute Tribe reservation north of Burns was also hit, said Tribal Chair Tracy Kennedy. The entire sewer system is currently down, she said Friday afternoon, and about 11 homes have sustained significant water damage in the flooding. The tribe has been able to put up some displaced people in hotels, Kennedy said.

Burns resident Sherry Bradshaw, 74, said she was worried when she got a notice to evacuate, and she wanted to stay to watch after her animals. She said she was forced to leave when the water approached the third step up to the house.

Around 2 a.m. Sunday, police officers arrived at the home on Foley Drive, north of Burns, and evacuated her to a Red Cross shelter. She said she found people to take care of her pets, adding she believed none of the water actually got into the house, though she knows her two cars and her Airstream have been ruined.

The part of Burns hit directly by the flood is generally a lower-income area, Erwin said, including a mobile home park north of Burns she said has been completely flooded. The mobile home park is close to a levee that broke in the flood. The Army Corps of Engineers is reinforcing the levee and is expected to finish the work by Monday, the Harney County Sheriffs Office said.

Erwin said she is very worried about whether state or federal agencies will provide money to house displaced people or help people rebuild.

The flooding began late last month, caused by rainfall and a greater snowmelt than usual at this time of the year. Part of the reason for that was that the massive wildfires last year burned down trees and brush that would normally shade snow from the sun, preventing it from melting. Without that shade, the snow is melting fast, Erwin said.

Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency March 29, saying in a statement that the flooding in Harney County and on the Burns Paiute Reservation is creating serious public health and environmental hazards that require all hands on deck.

Koteks order activated an emergency response involving multiple agencies and led by the Department of Emergency Management.

The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

So far, Erwin said she hasnt gotten the sense that outside agencies are rushing in to help. The Department of Emergency Management hasnt offered money, she said, and shes not sure if FEMA, the federal disaster agency, can be relied on to help under the current White House administration.

The Burns community has rallied to support the public officials who have been working to evacuate people and assess and mitigate the damage.

Jennifer Keady and her husband, Forrest, own a restaurant on North Broadway Avenue that has been converted into a volunteer meal station of sorts, Jennifer Keady said.

A group of volunteers has been working at the restaurant, handing out several hundred meals a day.

People can also get lunch and dinner at the Harney County Fairgrounds and at the Harney Hub, the sheriffs office said.

 Fedor Zarkhin is a breaking news and enterprise reporter. Do you have a story? Reach him by phone or text at 971-373-2905 or by email at fzarkhin@oregonian.com.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs closed a clinic in Enterprise, Oregon on Monday. The state's two senators are raising concerns about the distance veterans must now travel to get care at other VA facilities. Charles Dharapak | The Associated Press

Oregons U.S. senators are raising concerns about the shadowy closure of a small Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in rural Wallowa County, where veterans now face lengthy drives for in-person care at other VA clinics.

In a letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins on Thursday, Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley wrote that they were worried Mondays closure of the VA clinic in Enterprise could create critical service gaps ... for veterans care in our states rural northeastern region. They asked Collins to provide assurances that health care would not be disrupted for veterans in Wallowa County and nearby areas.

Wyden and Merkley cited the Enterprise clinic closure as one of numerous cuts to Veterans Affairs services already this year. For example, they pointed to the Trump administrations cancellation of hundreds of VA contracts and ongoing hiring freeze at the federal agency. President Donald Trump also plans to cut roughly 20% of the VA workforce.

The two senators noted that veterans now must drive at least an hour each way from Wallowa County to a VA clinic in La Grande and around two hours each way to the Walla Walla VA Medical Center in Washington. Travel conditions can be treacherous during winter weather and wildfires, they noted.

And in a press release announcing their inquiry, the senators staffs labeled the closure shadowy.

A spokesperson for the VA, Emma Spaulding, wrote in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive that the decision to close the Wallowa County VA Telehealth Clinic in Enterprise was initiated in the final days of the Biden administration, on Jan. 8, and had been widely explained in the community.

Spaulding did not identify who at the VA sought to close the Enterprise clinic, but she said someone requested the closure after reviewing access and operational costs ...

According to Spaulding, in recent months staff at the Walla Walla VA Medical Center have held multiple town halls to disseminate this news and also discussed it community partners and congressional representatives.

Staff contacted each of the roughly 100 veterans who received care at this clinic and helped veterans either change to another VA clinic or find care in the community, ensuring continuity of care for all affected patients, Spaulding wrote.

Hillary Borrud is an investigative reporter. Reach her at 503-294-4034 or hborrud@oregonian.com.
Members of the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners meet at the Public Services Building in Oregon City on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian

After months of failed negotiations, Clackamas Countys largest employee union has given county officials 10 days to come to an agreement on a new contract. If not, employees will hit the picket line.

The Clackamas County Employee Association, which represents over 1,300 employees, officially notified the county of their intent to strike Friday morning. Its the first time the union has motioned to strike, the unions president, Alex Gonzalez, told The Oregonian/OregonLive.
From the Burnside Bridge, thousands of people can be seen gathering along the Willamette River in Portland Saturday, April 5, 2025, to protest President Donald Tump's policies. Lynda Bishop

Update from Madras:

At least 125 people flocked to the busy intersection of U.S. routes 26 and 97 in Madras on Saturday afternoon to protest President Donald Trumps cuts to federal programs and other policies.

The protest, the largest demonstration many attendees can recall in Madras, was part of a nationwide day of Hands Off demonstrations, which organizers described as peaceful protests meant to get Trump and billionaire Elon Musk to stop firing federal workers, slashing funding for government grants and programs and sharing Americans personal data with Musks employees at the Department of Government Efficiency.

Madras, the Jefferson County seat with a population just less than 8,000, is far from a hotbed of liberal activism: Trump won the county by 30 points in 2024.

The Madras demonstration attracted Jefferson County residents with years of experience protesting and speaking out politically and newcomers like Cheyenne Dobkins, a Madras resident who scrawled, My tummy hurts and Im mad at the government on a poster board she bought from Dollar General.

Im tired of being quiet, Dobkins said. And I dont want anyone after all this to ask Why didnt you say anything?

Dobkins said protesting was a little scary, especially given her citys conservative politics, but she wanted her neighbors to recognize that people who live and work there are being hurt by administration policies including plans to cut tens of thousands of workers who help veterans with their benefits, deportations of migrant workers and tariffs that caused the stock market and peoples retirement accounts to plummet.

Some hecklers drove by, including a man who yelled, Elon rules! and one who used a megaphone to shout, Make America great again. A few others used their diesel trucks modified engines to blow clouds of black exhaust and cause protesters to back away coughing.

And about four Trump supporters gathered on one corner, waving signs and flags of their own. Some protesters stood near them but avoided interacting, as protest organizers emphasized that the demonstration needed to stay peaceful.

Former Madras Mayor Royce Embanks, a 30-year veteran who served in the Air Force and Army, said Trumps rise to power made Madras a less friendly place than it was when he moved to town in 1998.

The friendliness is gone from a lot of people, Embanks said. Theyve drawn a line between all of us because of Trump.

 From Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle; read the full story at the Oregon Capital Chronicle website.

Update from Klamath Falls:

Southern Oregonians had a message for the White House this weekend: We fight for democracy.

In the Republican stronghold of Klamath County, an estimated 400 residents gathered in protest on all sides of a busy intersection in Klamath Falls.

Veterans, educators, healthcare providers, students and senior citizens were among the crowd, unified in protest of the current administration led by President Donald Trump and senior advisor Elon Musk.

Klamath Falls organizer Sara Garcia said that 97 people had signed up online prior to the start of the event.

The majority were veterans, Garcia said.

Klamath County is home to the highest veteran and active military population per capita in the country, 13% in total.

The headcount quadrupled expectations within the first hour of the rally, with supporters from Klamath County Democrats, Klamath County Democratic Socialism Association and nonprofits from the area.

The scene was a barrage of drivers honking their horns in support and patriotic chants of U.S.A. from crowds on every corner.

Citizens of all ages and backgrounds shared statements that, as Garcia said, underscore the real-life consequences of the administrations policies and executive orders.

Our communities are fighting back, Garcia said. Participants called on Trump and Elon Musk to take their hands off the programs that Klamath Falls relies on.  MOLLY OBRIEN, Herald and News

Update, 3:30 p.m.: Portland police say Northwest Naito Parkway is reopened to all traffic.

Meanwhile in southern Oregon, A Hands Off! protest in Medford drew an estimated 2,000 people earlier today and one in Grants Pass drew hundreds of people, according to the Grants Pass Daily Courier.

Update: 3:00 p.m.: Portland police say Southeast Grand Avenue is now reopened and so is the Burnside Bridge.

Update: 2:45 p.m.: Portland police posted to social media, The march is off the Morrison Bridge and we are opening it up to all traffic. There is still a big backup to work through, so thanks for your patience!

Update, 2:30 p.m.: The first few hundred people who streamed off of the Burnside Bridge and back to the Japanese American Historical Plaza where the march began were greeted with upbeat music and pop-up activist booths. Many of the protesters hung around under the cherry trees, while others danced to the DJs electronic beat. But even by 2:30 p.m., the Burnside Bridge was still lined with marching protesters from end to end.

Update, 2:20 p,m.: At about 2:10 p.m., Portland police posted on social media that the Morrison Bridge, Southeast Grand Avenue and the Burnside Bridge are all closed to vehicles.

Update, 1:50 p.m.: The crowd surged off the Morrison Bridge onto Southeast Grand Avenue chanting, Whos street? Our street! And dump Trump!

The protesters are heading to the Burnside Bridge now.

Update, 1:15 p.m.: Thousands of protesters gathered at the Japanese American Historical Plaza on Portlands waterfront before they started marching south down Naito Parkway onto the Morrison Bridge.

Police have closed the bridge on-ramp and are diverting traffic.

Update, 1 p.m.: Thousands of people marched in New York Citys midtown Manhattan. In Massachusetts thousands more gathered on Boston Common holding signs including Hands off our democracy, Hands off our Social Security and Diversity equity inclusion makes America strong. Hands off!

Hundreds of people also demonstrated in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, a few miles from Trumps golf course in Jupiter, where he spent the morning at the clubs Senior Club Championship. People lined both sides of PGA Drive, encouraging cars to honk and chanting slogans against Trump.

Read more about protests in other parts of the nation here.

Update, 12 p.m.: Crowds of people bearing signs streamed down the sidewalks approaching the Japanese American Historical Plaza on the Portland waterfront by 11:45 a.m. Saturday, as many more came by MAX train and public bus. More than 1,000 people appeared to be gathered by noon.

A reader in Northeast Portland reported that busses heading downtown are not picking up passengers because they are already full.

--

By 9:30 a.m., hundreds of people of all ages, well as many dogs, had gathered under giant trees in Westmoreland Park to protest Trump administration actions Saturday, April 5, 2025. Betsy Hammond | The Oregonian

Dozens of coordinated protests against the Trump administration are happening across Oregon Saturday, including several in the Portland area.

The Hands Off! demonstrations  which are happening across the country  come in response to the Trump administration firing thousands of federal employees, implementing sweeping tariffs and moving to roll back environmental regulations, among other issues.

By 9:30 a.m., hundreds of people of all ages, as well as many dogs, had gathered under giant trees in Westmoreland Park. Homemade signs and even costumes proliferated, asserting views such as Hand Off Our Libraries and Sick of the lies!

Speakers included Portland City Council Member Olivia Clark, who invoked the late civil rights leader and member of Congress John Lewis, and urged people to get involved at the hyper local level to do good and build community.

The vibe was fairly calm, with speakers avoiding angry tones and evoking occasional laughter from the crowd.

After the speakers were finished, some protesters gathered on the Bybee Bridge to wave signs and others headed downtown for the larger protest scheduled to start at the Japanese American Historical Plaza on the waterfront at noon.

A Beaverton protest is scheduled for 2:30-4:30 p.m. at City Park, 12500 S.W. 4th St., across the street from the main Beaverton Library. Scheduled speakers include Washington County Commissioner Nafisa Fai and Mayor Lacey Beaty.

 From staff and wire reports
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management released this aerial photo on Monday, March 31, 2025, of flooding in Harney County. Oregon Department of Emergency Management

State officials last week issued advice for people who want to help those affected by historic flooding in Harney County. They remind potential donors that financial assistance is preferred to other forms of support.

More than 70 homes were damaged in Burns during the flooding that triggered Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek to declare a state of emergency in Harney County.

Officials have warned that the Silvies River is expected to rise early next week above flood stage.

Here is the advice from the Oregon Office of Emergency Management:

Financial support to voluntary agencies is the most efficient and flexible way to help those impacted.

Cash donations allow organizations to purchase exactly what is needed, when and where its neededwithout delay.

Unsolicited food and clothing donations slow the aid and recovery process, as organizations are left sorting and disposing of unusable items instead of providing support to survivors.

To make a financial gift visit redcross.org/cascades or go to https://www.orvoad.org/current-members/ for a list of trusted organizations.

You can also check an organizations GuideStar rating to see how they rank among their peers and ensure they are a reputable organization.

Be careful around donating to individual fundraiser accounts like GoFundMe. GoFundMe has some tips and best practices to avoid common scams and to protect yourself.

The Oregon Department of Financial Regulation also has some guidance to protect yourself from fraud and exploitation, including for those needing to hire contractors for repair work.

The agency asks that volunteers wishing to help do not deploy to the area on their own. The arrival of uncoordinated volunteers can interfere with response efforts and create safety issues, a release from the agency said.

Instead, here is the Emergency Departments advice:

Volunteers will be needed most during the recovery phaseyour help will be vital, but timing and coordination are key.

To register your interest in volunteering, contact the Harney Hub by calling 541-573-6024. You may also volunteer with the American Red Cross Cascades Region through their volunteer portal at redcross.org/volunteer

Local organizations will provide training and placement as needs are identified.

The department also advises against given unsolicited items, which it said can overwhelm local resources. Instead, the agency advises:

Only donate items that are specifically requested by officials. Items not needed may go to waste and slow down relief efforts.

For local coordination of approved donations, contact Burns Christian Church, which is working with the American Red Cross.

Call the donation coordinator  541-573-7176 for more information.

--The Oregonian/OregonLive
Beta Theta Pi chapter members and select dates will travel to New Orleans, LouisianaFrench Quarter, where we will all stay at either the Le Pavillon or Hotel Indigo. In compliance with state and federal law, guests will be invited to social gatherings at Bourbon Street Drinker and Saddle Bar. The purpose of this event is to allow members to vacation together, allowing for an opportunity to bond and create memories. This event is an annual tradition.

Hosted by: Beta Theta Pi

Additional Information can be found at: https://ou.campuslabs.com/engage/event/11223481
Editor's note: This story was updated at 11:16 a.m. on April 7 to add a statement from a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.

The government of Thailand issued an arrest warrant Friday for OU alum Paul Chambers following a criminal complaint from the Thai army accusing him of insulting the country's monarchy.

Paul Chambers is being charged with violating the Computer Crime Act and the lese-majeste, a law prohibiting people in Thailand from defaming, insulting or threatening the monarchy. He will appear in court to be formally charged on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.

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While the warrant does not contain details of what Paul Chambers did to violate the law, he told The Associated Press he believes the charge is related to a webinar he hosted in October where he spoke about the military's influence in Thai politics.

Im basically in limbo because I cant go anywhere. Im not supposed to, he told The Associated Press. I dont know whats going to happen, but Im kind of nervous.

His mom, Peggy Chambers, an OU Classics and Letters professor, said Paul Chambers was aware of lese-majeste law and would never have broken it by speaking against the Thai government. Paul was shocked by the charge, she said.

Paul Chambers grew up in Norman, graduating from Norman High School in 1984 and from OU in 1987 and 1988 with degrees in letters and Spanish.

Paul Chambers went to Thailand in 1993 with the U.S. Peace Corps. He is now a lecturer on international affairs at Naresuan University in Phitsanulok, Thailand. Paul Chambers has also taught at OU and Chiang Mai University in Thailand and was a senior research fellow at Heidelberg University in Germany, according to his curriculum vitae.

Peggy Chambers said its important to tell his story because as someone interested in constitutional studies, Paul Chambers cares a lot about freedoms.

Academic freedom is something that all democratic societies need to have, Peggy Chambers said. It seems an assault against the university system.

Paul Chambers brother, Kit, is contacting U.S. Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) in hopes they can urge the U.S. Embassy in Thailand to free his brother, according to a Facebook post by Paul Chambers sister-in-law on Friday.

It is a ridiculous charge, and Paul says that he was simply stating facts in a webinar interview, Kit Chambers wrote. I don't believe that the timing of this is a coincidence with the US announcement of a 36% tariff on goods imported from Thailand.

NO PAYWALL, NONPARTISAN Students pay about $14 in fees that support the Daily. If you're not a student, please join those invested in OU and Norman who have given more than $110,000 to support our trustworthy, independent journalism. SUPPORT OUR LOCAL JOURNALISM

A state department spokesperson from the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand wrote in an email to OU Daily on Saturday that the safety of American citizens abroad is its highest priority, and the arrest warrant for Paul Chambers is concerning.

The United States strongly supports freedom of expression around the world, the statement read. We regularly urge Thai authorities, both privately and publicly, to protect freedom of expression in accordance with Thailands international obligations.

Paul Chambers specializes in Thai politics and has researched civil-military relations, according to 112Watch, a group that opposes lese-majeste law in Thailand. The group condemns the allegation against him and believes his research about the monarchys relationship to the military prompted the charge.

Southeast Asian Human Rights Studies Network, an association that promotes human rights and academics in the region, wrote in a statement on Facebook that using criminal law against scholars and students disrupts academic integrity and freedom is essential in democracy.

(Paul Chambers) academic work has contributed to a better understanding of Thai social and political dynamics, and had inspired many lives of Thai students through teaching, research, and mentoring, the statement read.

In Thailand, violating the lese-majeste is punishable by three to 15 years in prison and is one of the harshest iterations of the law in the world, according to the Guardian. It is uncommon for lese-majeste charges to be filed against a foreigner.

Human rights activists from the United Nations have called on Thailand to revise lese-majeste laws because they silence voices and threaten democracy.

Their increasingly harsh application has had the effect of chilling freedom of expression and further restricting civic space and the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms in Thailand, a 2021 UN press release reads.

According to the press release, lese-majeste sentences have increased since 2020 as well as the length of jail time. In January 2024, a man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for violating the law, the Guardian reported.

Paul Chambers is awaiting his court date at his home in Phitsanulok, his mom said.

Thank you, everyone for standing in solidarity with me, Paul Chambers wrote on Facebook.

This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure and Ana Barboza. Natalie Armour and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
Baltimore City Public Schools announced that it is canceling after-school activities and programs, including tutoring services, following President Donald Trump's spending cuts.

The development will mean the end of tutoring for 1,100 Baltimore students during the school day at 25 different sites by the middle of next week. The school system will close after-school programs on Friday, which serve 3,000 students at 44 different schools. The latter also includes one virtual program.

Baltimore Cuts Tutoring and Other Programs

Despite the end of the services and programs, no city school staff is getting laid off as the former are provided by vendors. However, some city school employees work in after-school programs to supplement their regular income.

Baltimore City became the first school system to announce efforts to immediately stem the spending on various programs and services. On Monday, the Trump administration said that it was reneging on a commitment to provide Maryland with up to $418 million in pandemic recovery funds, even as some of that money had already been spent, according to The Baltimore Banner.

Read more: Health and Human Services Faces Lawsuit After Cutting Legal Aid for Migrant Children Under New Regulations

The situation has resulted in at least a $305 million gap in the current year's education budgets, which is something that state and local leaders are trying to address. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a letter last week that the federal government had changed its course.

She said that officials have decided that it should now have extended the time that schools had to spend the funding. When the letter arrived at 5:03 p.m., it already set a time of 5:00 p.m. for all reimbursements would end, which made it too late for the state to request any other payments.

Much-Needed Funding

City schools also announced they are pausing various efforts to upgrade door locking systems at the secondary schools because of a lack of funding. They added that they are working to identify other programs or projects that can be stopped to address the gap, Fox Baltimore reported.

The situation comes as the Trump administration threatened to pull federal funding from K-12 school districts and states if they do not certify within 10 days that they do not have unlawful diversity, equity, and inclusion practices being implemented.

States are required to sign and submit a certification form that asserts that each of their districts does not provide advantages to people based on their race. The form warned that states or individual schools could become subject to litigation or be required to pay back funds if they are found to have violated the law, as per NBC News.
I havent checked on my retirement savings for a while, but Im beginning to think that I left my job much too early. Or, to put it in a slightly different way (and with credit to the movie Airplane), Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

Today being Friday, a new article has appeared in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. It is The Covenant Path of the Ancient Temple in 2 Nephi 31:1920, written by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw:

Abstract: In this article, I discuss how the ancient analogue to what President Nelson has called the covenant path might be seen in the Book of Mormon and elsewhere in scripture not so much as a journey of covenant-keeping that takes us to the temple but as a journey that takes us through the temple. Throughout the Book of Mormon, observant readers will find not only the general outline of the doctrine of Christ but also corresponding details about the covenant path as represented in temple layout and furnishings. Nowhere is this truth better illustrated than in 2 Nephi 31:1920 where Nephi summarizes the sequence of priesthood ordinances that prepare disciples to enter Gods presence. In doing so, he masterfully weaves in related imageryguiding readers on an end-to-end tour of the temple while reminding them of the three cardinal virtues of faith, hope, and charity. The doctrinal richness of these two verses is a compelling demonstration of the value of President Nelsons encouragement to study the biblical context of modern temples as a source of enlightenment about the meaning of the ordinances. This essay also suggests that the foundational elements of Latter-day Saint temple rites are ancient and were given to Joseph Smith very early in his ministry as he translated the Book of Mormon. It is hoped that a closer look at the beautiful imagery in 2 Nephi 31 will provide profitable reflection for readers.

I failed to make a note of this yesterday, when it went up on the moribund and never-changing website of the Interpreter Foundation: The Temple: Plates, Patterns, & Patriarchs, edited by Stephen D. Ricks and Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Reprint: Comments on Margaret Barkers Presentation, written by Samuel Zinner:

Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article originally appeared in The Temple: Plates, Patterns, & Patriarchs, edited by Stephen D. Ricks and Jeffrey M. Bradshaw. For more information, go to https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/the-temple-plates-patterns-patriarchs/. For video and audio recording of this conference talk, go to https://interpreterfoundation.org/conferences/2022-temple-on-mount-zion-conference/videos/zinner1/. I thank Margaret Barker for her challenging and stimulating presentation. My comments will be divided in two sections: the question of authenticity and the question of methodology.

From the Catholic News Agency: Post-election data shows nonreligious population in U.S. has plateaued

From NBC News: How embrace of religion among Gen Z men may explain rightward shift

And, in an almost completely unrelated but nonetheless interesting story from The Times of Israel: Archaeologists find first evidence of epic biblical battle at Armageddon: Pottery excavated at Megiddo in northern Israel suggests a military presence, possibly confirms the battle between King Josiah and Pharaoh Necho, and hints at Gog and Magog narrative

On the home front, here is a quartet of articles about my adoptive state:

How Trumps global tariffs could impact Utah: Countries that ship the most goods to the state face highest tariffs

Will tariffs drive food prices up even more? Inflation has already taken a bite out of some families food budget

Opinion: What does the loss of a film festival mean? I lament the departure of the Sundance Film Festival, not only nor even primarily for the financial impact that its loss will have on Utah but for the blow that it will deliver to the already decidedly (and, I think, undeservedly) low cultural reputation of the state (your people have absolutely no cultural cachet). But, of course, that is a matter where we can justly be somewhat ambivalent. I dont want the dominant values of the Hollywood and Manhattan elite to dominate or to represent Utah. Im not positively impressed with this next article, for instance:

Los Angeles Times: Of course Sundance is fleeing. Utah has become a hateful place

I also wanted to share with you an article that I read online within the past two or three days by a Latter-day Saint woman who was involved with Sundance. She wrote about the cultural hostility to Utah that she often encountered from folks based largely in New York and Los Angeles, and which, she believes, contributed to the decision by the Powers-that-Be at Sundance to depart Park City for more fashionable Boulder, Colorado. Unfortunately, I failed to bookmark the article, cant remember the authors name, dont recall its title, and cant think of where I saw it. (A pretty impressive display of senility, no?) Does that ring a bell with anybody? I really did intend to share the article here.

Im pleased to hear that Utahs governor and some others are apparently already thinking about some sort of event or festival  very possibly even a film festival  to replace Sundance.

There is an appalling abundance of data in this newly-released 45-minute video from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File. View it and weep: April 2025 World Report of the Church of Jesus Christ: The April 2025 edition of the World Report, a biannual compilation of news from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

And this example of religions perpetual war against science was located directly adjacent to the Hitchens File: Kuiper Belt object with NASAs Hubble data: The researchers identify a possible rare triple system in the Kuiper Belt. Incidentally, Darin Ragozzines entry on my Latter-day Saint Scholars Testify website went up in 2012, before he had joined the faculty at Brigham Young University.
The actual date when the person Gautama Siddhartha who became the Buddha was born is not known.

In the major schools of Buddhism, using lunar calendars although by somewhat different calculations, come up each year with dates that float mostly in the area of April or May. The Japanese, however, have adopted the Gregorian calendar and have set an annual celebration on the 8th of April.

And thats the one I count. And which I try to mark here every year.

With that

As I said the truth is that as far as the history of it, not only do we not know what day the Buddha was born. In fact we arent even clear on which century he was born.

So, theres a boatload of myth mixed in with what little history we have. That said most scholars who study the matter are confident the Buddha was a historical figure. Real, like you and me. And beyond that there are agreements about a few details marking his life. What we know of these things about his life are what we can glean from the suttas or sutras, texts written in Pali or Sanskrit some three, maybe four, possibly five hundred years after he died. Incidentally these were composed in languages he himself didnt speak.

But there are reasons to believe much of what the texts convey traces back to him or close enough for that sense of an actual human being.

Of course many Buddhists find it very important that the Buddha actually lived. But, for many really, all that matters is whether the teachings are true. And by true we mean do they work? I notice what we mean by works is different for many different people within the Buddhist family. For some the release of our human hurt comes with the cessation of an otherwise endless cycle of suffering. For others its rebirth in a place where the healing comes like a flower opening. And for others yet, it comes as a discovery of what has always been.

I write from the standpoint of the Mahayana, the great way. If of a more spare sort. And more specifically as a Zen person. Im concerned with the questions of our human hurt and the discoveries of who we really are from before the creation of the stars and planets. And Ive found truth and workable in one of the schools that descend from the Buddhas teachings.

What we are offered is a path. Well, yes, in fact several paths, as Ive suggested. Although they all share a family resemblance. But for all of them the path is clearly marked out, and the invitation is for us to find the particular one most resonant, and then to put our own feet on it, and to make our own way. Each of us.

And within this way stories matter.

They reflect how human beings think. They are a mirror held up for us. They ground the teachings, give us an opportunity to see them as stories about us, who we are, and what we might be. So, of course. We very much have a story of the life of the Buddha. Okay, a couple. Or, perhaps more accurately several variations on a theme.

According to one of these stories the queen Maya dreamed how four angels came to her and carried her away to the highest mountains, where a white elephant holding a lotus in its trunk, circled around her three times, and then walked into her right side.

In one version her husband the king Suddhodana consulted sixty-four sages to interpret what had happened, in another it was the ascetic Asita cast an astrological chart. Whether the sixty-four or the one it was prophesied that the queen would give birth to a remarkable child, one who would given circumstances either be the greatest emperor history had ever seen, or the savior of the world.

Not long after the baby was born.

And with that the real story begins.

(Heres a cartoon of the story with its own variations.)

(And, how about a clip from the movie Little Buddha?)

And so of course we celebrate the moment.

The wisdom of Gautama Siddhartha is a healing balm for the world, in all its variations. The wisdom of the Elders counts a clear path, step by step, the wild and lovely stories of the Great Way tell of endless incarnations of compassion, and the rationalist schools emerging today see a practical path for human beings living in the midst of so much terror and joy.

All trace back to the world honored one.

I, for one, am grateful beyond words.

And so endless bows, offerings of incense, flowers, and songs
Trader Joes fans rejoice because there is good news this week in that the popular grocery chain is bringing back an item that went viral a year ago.

That item?

Well, per USA Today, the company plans to release its canvas mini-totes to stores across the country this month  April. Trader Joes told USA Today that the exact date each Trader Joes will have the bag will vary.

Also, if you can get your hands on the bags, they are downright affordable at just $2.99 a pop, and USA Today says they will be available in blue, pink, purple and green.

But, again, that is if you can actually get your hands on the bags after last year.

The company released the bags in March of 2024 and in some places shoppers literally lined up in lengthy lines to wait for a chance to buy them.

Before we had the opportunity to promote them in any way, customers across the country found them at their neighborhood Trader Joes, a representative for the company told USA Today.

The demand for the bags became so great, in fact, that USA Today reported that they were being resold on secondary markets like Facebook or eBay for as much as $500.

Trader Joes told the site that was done without our approval.

To be clear, we neither condone nor support the reselling of our products and do all we can to stop the practice, the company added.

That may be so, but if you want a tote and dont want to break the bank, it is probably best to try to catch them for $2.99 in the store.

As for when they might hit your local Trader Joes in April, the company said the best way to find out is to ask any crew member in their neighborhood store.
U.S. Rep. Scott Perry on Saturday said that he is ready to ride with President Trump's tariff's plan. Charles Thompson

CAMP HILL - U.S. Rep. Scott Perry said Saturday he is ready to ride out the storm in support of President Donald J. Trumps latest package of globe-spanning tariffs.

There has to be some rebalancing of the ledger financially between other countries and our country, Perry said, after a morning address to the annual Pennsylvania Leadership Conference in Camp Hill.
George Hartwick has served the people of Dauphin County since 2004, rising to chair the board of commissioners last year when Democrats swept into power. But after events this week, many residents are calling for the countys longest serving commissioner to step aside for his own good.

They have valid reason to do so.
The second of four Day 1 flights in the $800 Main Event at the RunGood Poker Series has wrapped up at Hollywood Casino St. Louis. Day 1b drew a strong turnout with 179 entrants, with 22 players advancing to Day 2 and making the money.

Nick Syrigos emerged as the Day 1b chip leader, bagging 645,000 chips, putting him at the top of the overall leaderboard. Syrigos, who holds over $82,000 in career poker tournament earnings, surged late in the night to finish with a comfortable lead over Corey Nazaruk (525,000) in second, and Josh Hawkins (374,000) in third.

Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts

Rank Player Country Chip Count 1 Nick Syrigos United States 645,000 2 Corey Nazaruk United States 525,000 3 Josh Hawkins United States 374,000 4 Justin Done United States 359,000 5 Eric Bryant United States 332,000 6 Josh Martin United States 328,000 7 Ron Green United States 294,000 8 Chuck Telle United States 246,000 9 Cory Aurentz United States 241,000 10 Soad Ghamer United States 236,000

A number of RGPS ambassadors were part of the Day 1b field, including Craig Welko, who was active throughout the day but ultimately came up short of reaching the money or advancing to Day 2. Several other notable players took their shot in the flight, such as Blair Hinkle, Mark LaFata, Michael Johns, Forrest Kollar, legendary bridge player Brian Glubok, and 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer.

Another RGPS ambassador, Jeff Copeland, was the unfortunate bubble boy after he three-bet all in following an open from the chip leader Syrigos. Syrigos snap-called with ace-king, dominating Copelands ace-ten. The board ran clean for Syrigos, offering no help to Copeland and sending him out just shy of the money. With that pot, Syrigos not only secured the elimination but also cemented his position at the top of the leaderboard heading into Day 2, as the final 22 players bagged chips and locked up a payday.

Jeff Copeland

On Saturday April 5, the final two Day 1 flights will take place. First, Day 1c at 11:00 a.m. local time, followed by Day 1d beginning at 5:00 p.m. local time.

Players will begin with 30,000 in chips, playing 30-minute levels, which will increase to 40 minutes once late registration closes. Blinds will start at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante, and players will receive a 15-minute break every two hours of play.

The Main Event allows for unlimited re-entries, with late registration open until the start of Level 9. Each flight will continue until just 12.5% of the field remains, at which point players will reach the money, bag their chips, and advance to Day 2.

Participants may enter multiple Day 1 flights; however, if a player bags more than once, only their largest stack will carry forward. Any smaller stacks will be removed and awarded the minimum Day 2 payout. Day 2 blinds will resume at the lowest level reached across all Day 1 flights.

Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates and full RGPS Main Event coverage as we march toward crowning another champion in St. Louis.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 71F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 71F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Trident Technical College officially broke ground on the $37.5 million renovation and construction project at its Berkeley Campus on Friday, March 28. The event, marking the start of a transformative upgrade for the 40-plus-year-old facility, took place at the campus site at 1001 South Live Oak Drive in Moncks Corner.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Tropical storm conditions possible. Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low near 75F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Tropical storm conditions possible. Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low near 75F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

Today

Tropical storm conditions possible. Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low around 75F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Tropical storm conditions possible. Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low around 75F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
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PARIS, FRANCE / ACCESS Newswire / April 5, 2025 / Art Shopping 2025 opened in spectacular fashion on April 4 at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, France. Kasashima Gallery from Japan presented a themed exhibition titled "La Beaute dans Chaque Eventail" , featuring innovative creations by 20 artists from Taiwan and Japan. These works combined traditional Chinese ink art with Kyoto-style folding fans, drawing significant attention from international tourists, art enthusiasts, and media outlets. The exhibition area not only embodies the results of cross-national collaboration but also offers the public a fresh perspective on the creative fusion of Eastern cultures. It continues to showcase the innovation and appeal of Asian art on the global stage.Asian artists participating in the exhibition pose for a group photo in the display area. Seated in the front row from left to right are Lu Lan-Hsin, Tsai Yu-Yun, Chien Hsuan-Ming, Chen Meng-Huan, Huang Tzu-Ying, and Wu Li-Ying. Standing in the second row from left to right are guests Klervi, Arthur Og, Alexandre, Daulieprane, Valentin, and Cristel Freon. (Photo via Kasashima Gallery)The "La Beaute dans Chaque Eventail" exhibition area features Kyo folding fans crafted by a century-old fan workshop in Kyoto as the primary medium. These works integrate elements of Chinese landscape painting, bird-and-flower painting, traditional brush calligraphy, pen calligraphy, and contemporary art, captivating the attention of European and American visitors. Kasashima Gallery arranged professional multilingual guided tours, with Wei-Ting, Lin and Li-Lun, Wang providing clear and accessible explanations of the artworks, which combined Chinese culture and Japanese craftsmanship, in fluent French and English.Li-Lun Wang (far left), a staff member of Kasashima Gallery, explains the artistic concepts behind the works in fluent English and French. (Photo via Kasashima Gallery)Wei-Ting Lin (far right), a staff member of Kasashima Gallery, introduces the exhibits to international visitors in multiple languages. (Photo via Kasashima Gallery)Kasashima Gallery has invited a strong lineup of artists for this exhibition, including Taiwanese artists Chen Meng-Huan, Angela Lin, Wu Li-Ying, Cheng Tzu-Leong, Chou Yao-Tsung, Chang Yu-Hsuan, Wu Pei-Chi, Huang Tzu-Ying, Wang Guang-Hwa, Chien Hsuan-Ming, Ho Ming-Chu, Yang Ching-Chiang, Wu Hsiu-Yin, Tsai Yu-Yun, Lu Lan-Hsin, Kigawa Kokoro, as well as Japanese artists Sakaguchi Juri and Wada Chiari.The "La Beaute dans Chaque Eventail" exhibition area was well received by European and American visitors, with many stopping to purchase artworks. (Photo via Kasashima Gallery)Yu Le, Public Relations Manager of Kasashima Gallery, stated that the exhibition not only showcases the aesthetic depth of Eastern culture but also aims to reintroduce the significance and potential of Asian art within a contemporary global context through thematic curation. Kasashima has long been dedicated to promoting international exchange in Asian art, actively participating in major exhibitions in Spain, the United States, Italy, Japan, and beyond, with a mission to bridge Asian creativity and the global art scene. Looking ahead, the gallery plans to combine physical exhibitions with digital curatorial platforms to support more Asian artists in gaining international visibility and expanding their cultural influence.Art Shopping 2025 is currently taking place from April 4 to 6 at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. As one of the key annual events in the international contemporary art salon circuit, this year's edition continues its mission to promote diverse artistic languages. The exhibition presents a wide array of works across disciplines such as painting, sculpture, photography, installation art, design, and crafts, reflecting the richness of contemporary artistic practices in terms of cultural context, materials and techniques, and creative concepts. Visitors are welcome to attend and experience the distinctive allure of this international art event in person.Media Contacts: Kasashima GalleryAda Huang art@ kasashima.arthttps://kasashima.art SOURCE: Kasashima Gallery
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Carnivore Audio's Vocal Marinade plugin simplifies vocal processing with intuitive controls, pro-grade sound design, and creative FX-built for producers, artists, and engineers who demand fast, flawless results.HARRISON, ARKANSAS / ACCESS Newswire / April 4, 2025 /Carnivore Audio, a forward-thinking audio software company dedicated to empowering music creators, proudly announces the launch of Vocal Marinade, a powerful new plugin built to transform how producers, engineers, and artists approach vocal mixing and sound design. Vocal Marinade plugin by Carnivore Audio Carnivore Audio Launches Vocal Marinade: A Game-Changing Plugin for Vocal Mixing and FXUnlike generic plugins that aim to do everything, Vocal Marinade was created with one focus: delivering instant warmth, polish, depth, and clarity to vocals-without slowing down your workflow. The plugin features one-knob saturation, tone shaping, spatial enhancement, and carefully crafted FX modules, all packed into a clean and intuitive interface optimized for creativity on the go.What sets Vocal Marinade apart is not just its sound, but its origins. Developed in close collaboration with independent artists JavyDade and Waynewood, the plugin reflects real-world needs from creatives in the trenches of production and engineering."After 15 years of producing and engineering, designing this plugin was personal," said JavyDade, co-developer and seasoned producer. "I used to struggle with getting my vocals to sound right and now we've built the tool I wish I had back then. This is from one independent artist to the rest of us pushing the craft forward." For co-developer Waynewood, the goal was just as clear:"Music & creating have always been a massive part of my life. Developing a plugin that can help other independent artists achieve pro-level vocals with ease was a huge priority for me." Carnivore Audio has built its foundation on blending professional-grade audio engineering with user-first design, ensuring accessibility for artists at any level-from bedroom producers to seasoned engineers.The release of Vocal Marinade marks a pivotal moment for Carnivore Audio as it expands its footprint in the music tech industry, aiming to bridge the gap between polished sound and creative independence. The company's mission is rooted in community, creativity, and equipping musicians with the tools they need to bring their sonic vision to life.Vocal Marinade is available now at https://carnivoreaudio.shop Contact InformationDustin LebleuCEO/Developerdustin@ carnivoreaudio.shop 8703028099Javy Dadeartist/developerjavy@ carnivoreaudio.shop 7863655252Austin ReaUI/Developeraustin@ carnivoreaudio.shop 8705777053SOURCE: Carnivore Audio
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NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 5, 2025 /Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses Exceeding $75,000 In Venture To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their OptionsIf you purchased or otherwise acquired stock of Venture pursuant and/or traceable to Venture's registration statement for the initial public offering held on or about January 24, 2025 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).[You may also click here for additional information]Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Venture Global, Inc. ("Venture" or the "Company") (NYSE:VG) and reminds investors of the April 18, 2025 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com 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.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, Patrick Pouyanne, 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.In response to the news, Venture's stock price declined from $19.68 per share on February 5, 2025 to $17.48 per share on February 6, 2025.The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Venture's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.To learn more about the Venture Global, Inc. class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/VG or callFaruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP ( www.faruqilaw.com) . Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.SOURCE: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP
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Licensed Startup Combines Cutting-Edge Technology, Transparent Practices, and a Proven Track Record to Unlock Dormant Funds for Thousands of AmericansMIAMI, FL / ACCESS Newswire / April 5, 2025 / GovRecover, a licensed and tech-driven unclaimed asset recovery service, is setting a new industry standard by modernizing the process of reclaiming dormant funds. In an industry where over $70 billion in unclaimed assets remain scattered across the United States, GovRecover is revolutionizing recovery through advanced technology, robust security measures, and a transparent, consumer-first approach."Our mission is to dismantle the outdated bureaucracy that keeps billions in dormant funds," says Ricky Maldonado, Co-Founder of GovRecover. "In just a short time, we've already reclaimed millions for everyday Americans by leveraging innovative tools and a no-upfront-fee model. We're proud to say that our approach not only proves that unclaimed asset recovery can be efficient and secure, but also redefines industry standards for trust and transparency." A New Era in Unclaimed Asset RecoveryGovRecover's pioneering platform is designed to address several long-standing challenges in the industry:Advanced Technology: By utilizing state-of-the-art data analytics and automated matching systems, GovRecover dramatically shortens the time required to identify and process claims.Robust Security: With enterprise-grade encryption, multi-factor authentication, and strict state licensing, GovRecover ensures that every step of the recovery process meets the highest standards of data protection and compliance.Transparent Practices: GovRecover offers complete clarity throughout the claim process, from a verifiable "GovRecover letter" with a unique ID to real-time status updates-building trust among skeptical consumers.No Upfront Fees: Users pay nothing until their claim is successfully recovered, aligning GovRecover's success with that of its clients.Proven Impact and Industry RecognitionIn less than a year, GovRecover has helped thousands of Americans reclaim lost or forgotten funds-demonstrating a powerful impact on individual financial lives and challenging the status quo in an industry that has long relied on cumbersome, outdated systems.Real-Life Success: Clients have recovered life-changing sums-from a widow reclaiming a $500K life insurance payout to a homeowner accessing foreclosure surplus funds that helped him rebuild after hardship.Industry Leadership: GovRecover's innovative approach is garnering attention not only from satisfied customers but also from industry insiders who recognize the urgent need for modern, transparent asset recovery solutions.The Vision AheadGovRecover is on track to become the go-to resource for unclaimed asset recovery. With plans to further refine its technology and expand its reach, the company is actively seeking strategic partnerships and opportunities to collaborate with other industry leaders."I believe that by pushing for more transparent processes and harnessing technology to simplify recovery, we can fundamentally change how unclaimed assets are managed," Maldonado adds. "Our progress so far is just the beginning. We're excited to build lasting relationships within the industry and continue delivering tangible results for everyday Americans." About GovRecoverGovRecover is a licensed, tech-driven unclaimed asset recovery service dedicated to helping individuals reclaim dormant bank accounts, unpaid insurance policies, and other overlooked funds. Founded in 2024 by a dynamic team of entrepreneurs, GovRecover merges advanced technology, stringent security protocols, and a consumer-first ethos to streamline a traditionally complex process. With a proven track record and a commitment to transparency, GovRecover is poised to redefine industry standards-ensuring that the answer to "Is GovRecover legit?" is an unequivocal yes.MEDIA CONTACT: Ricky Maldonado, Co-Founder ricky@ govrecover.org 678-551-0236SOURCE: govrecover
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ROYSE CITY, TEXAS / ACCESS Newswire / April 5, 2025 / As more timeshare owners seek relief from burdensome contracts, ethical and legal exit solutions are in high demand. Lonestar Transfer, a leader in the timeshare exit industry, has built its reputation on integrity, transparency, and proven results, helping over 30,000 families legally and permanently exit their timeshares. Lonestar Transfer Your #1 Timeshare Exit SolutionA Trusted and Ethical SolutionThe timeshare industry is notorious for making exits difficult, with many companies using high-pressure sales tactics to trap owners in perpetual financial commitments. Some so-called "exit companies" only add to the problem. Lonestar Transfer takes a different approach - prioritizing a permanent, ethical, and transparent process to ensure owners can free themselves from unwanted obligations."Timeshare contracts are intentionally complex, making it challenging for owners to exit on their own," said Karen Holloway, spokesperson for Lonestar Transfer. "We advocate on behalf of our clients, ensuring a legitimate and permanent solution while holding timeshare companies accountable for their misleading practices." How Lonestar Transfer's Process WorksLonestar Transfer's approach is based on direct advocacy with resorts and timeshare developers. Their expert team thoroughly reviews each client's contract and identifies the best exit strategy tailored to their situation. Unlike unreliable resale markets or deceptive transfer schemes, Lonestar Transfer ensures a safe, legal, and guaranteed exit."Our team works directly with clients to navigate the legal complexities of timeshare contracts," Holloway continued. "We don't rely on shady resale tactics or loopholes - our solutions are built on years of experience, knowledge of industry regulations, and a firm commitment to doing right by our clients." Avoiding Timeshare Exit ScamsAs the demand for exit solutions grows, so does the number of fraudulent companies offering false promises. Many claim to offer quick exits but leave owners in a worse financial position than before. Lonestar Transfer distinguishes itself through its A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), thousands of five-star reviews, and a money-back guarantee - a level of transparency that unethical companies cannot match."If an exit company isn't offering a legitimate, verifiable guarantee, owners should be cautious," warned Holloway. "We take pride in our track record and ensure that every client who works with us can exit their timeshare legally and permanently." A Path to Financial FreedomFor many timeshare owners, escaping rising maintenance fees and inflexible contracts is life-changing. By working with Lonestar Transfer, clients have successfully redirected their money toward retirement, homeownership, and debt reduction-freeing them from a financial burden they once thought was inescapable."We're not just in the business of timeshare exits," Holloway concluded. "We're in the business of giving people their financial freedom back." About Lonestar TransferLonestar Transfer is a premier timeshare exit company dedicated to helping owners permanently exit their contracts. With a proven track record, an A+ BBB rating, and a money-back guarantee, Lonestar Transfer stands as the trusted leader in ethical and legal timeshare exits.For more information, visit www.lonestartransfer.com or call (855) 722-3166.Contact InformationLovelyne ArmstrongMarketing Manager, Lonestar Transferinquiry@ lonestartransfer.com 855-722-3166SOURCE: Lonestar Transfer
The Nigerian government on Friday signed a $27.3 million agreement with the LNG Arete, to develop a mini Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) plant in Ajaokuta, Kogi State.

The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) said the agreement will help the transportation of gas to other parts of the country, especially to the far North.

Speaking during the signing ceremony in Abuja on Friday, the Programme Director/Chief Executive of PCNGI, Michael Oluwagbemi, said LNG Arete has gone through various processes and committed about $12 million as counterpart funding for the project.

The project is expected, in total, to take about $27.3 million, of which $6 million is being provided by the PCNGI, Mr Oluwagbemi said.

He said the completion period for the project is 12 to 18 months, noting that the equipment required was already available.

This is what we want when we ask for private sector partnership. We want companies that do not just come to us seeking freebies but ones that have already done their own work, developed their project, and have identified sources of funding that can play along with us.

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Our work as government is then to catalyse the finishing funding to make that project a reality, to scale that project. Maybe this project will have a 3mm scope if we dont come in, but now its a 7mm scope a day, and that is our work as a government. But even more importantly is that we are putting incentives in place, which is part of this package of what were signing today to fast-tracking permits and enabling gas allocation, he said.

He explained that despite the abundant gas resources in the country, the constraint has always been how not just produce it, but how to distribute it.

Nigerians since the introduction of the programme have expressed confidence as well as embraced President Tinubus mandate of leveraging gas resources for transportation, as well as other critical sectors, he said.

He noted that the need to ensure that the country enjoys the benefits of cheaper, cleaner, safer, and more reliable gas has driven the PCNGI to look for immediate and sustainable solutions.

We are here today because Nigerian people have believed in the presidents vision that this country, a country blessed with gas in over 30 of our 36 states, has no business being solely dependent on oil. Gas is cheaper, it is safer, and its more reliable.

Nigerian peoples belief also meant that all across this country, especially in the far north, there has been increasing demand to be able to access gas to enable transportation and other sectors, he added.

In her remarks, Hajara Pitan, project director of LNG Arete, said the project will deepen Nigerias participation in the gas market, noting that the major reason for the lack of development of the gas sector has been the fact that infrastructure in gas is expensive.

But with the mini LNG technology, were able to participate as Nigerians in this sector in a major way. Our aim is clear in LNG Arete is to support the federal government in deepening gas utilisation across Nigeria, especially in the underserved regions of northern Nigeria.

This project is going to be completed in a 12 to 16-month timeline. And were excited for what it does, not just for CNG mobility, which is one of our major targets, but for industrialisation in the region and the employment of youth in that region, she added.

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) on Friday said the new Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Bayo Ojulari, has officially taken over the reins of the company from his predecessor, Mele Kyari.

Olufemi Soneye, the chief corporate communications officer of NNPC Ltd, disclosed this in a statement on Friday evening.

On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu sacked the board of the state-oil firm, including Mr Kyari and board chairperson Pius Akinyelure.

The president also approved Mr Ojulari as the new GCEO of the NNPC and Ahmadu Kida as non-executive chairman.

In its statement, the NNPC said in a brief handover ceremony held at the NNPC Towers on Friday, Mr Ojulari commended Mr Kyari for his contributions to the growth of NNPC Ltd and his sterling service to the nation.

He disclosed that the objective of his management was to consolidate the successes of his predecessor and take the company to the next level.

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He said though the targets set for his management were quite enormous, he would be relying on the cooperation of the management and staff of the company, as well as the counsel of his predecessor, to achieve set targets.

I will be counting on your support. I will need it. I will be coming around to seek your counsel, Mr Ojulari was quoted as saying to Mr Kyari.

Earlier in his remarks, Mr Kyari congratulated Ojulari and thanked the management and staff of the company for their support while in office.

He pledged to do everything within his power to support the new management to succeed, stressing that he was only a call away.

Senior management team

NNPC also announced the appointment of a new 8-man senior management team.

The company said the appointments take immediate effect, noting that the announcement follows the recent appointment of Mr Ojulari and the Board of Directors.

Following the appointment of the Group Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has announced the appointment of a new 8-man Senior Management Team on Friday, the statement said.

It said the team, which will be headed by Mr Ojulari, has Rowland Ewubare as Group Chief Operating Officer, Adedapo Segun as Group Chief Financial Officer, and Olalekan Ogunleye as Executive Vice President of Gas, Power & New Energy.

Other members of the team are: Udy Ntia, Executive Vice President of Upstream; Mumuni Dangazau, Executive Vice President of Downstream; Sophia Mbakwe, Executive Vice President of Business Services; and Adesua Dozie, Company Secretary & Chief Legal Officer.

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TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria Plc says it generated N27 billion as profit for the financial year ended Dec. 31, 2025.

This is 133 per cent surge from N12 billion recorded in 2023.

TotalEnergies disclosed this in its audited financial statement posted as a corporate disclosure through the Nigerian Exchange Ltd.

The company also proposed a dividend payment of N13.6 billion to shareholders for 2024, translating to N40 per share.

This represents 60 per cent increase when compared to the N25 dividend TotalEnergies paid the previous year.

The companys revenue in 2024 witnessed 64 per cent surge from N635.951 billion in 2023 to N1.04 trillion in 2024.

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TotalEnergies profit before tax grew by 140 per cent from N17.580 billion in 2023 to N42.255 billion in 2024.

The income rose from N12.920 billion in 2023 to N27.491 billion in 2024, a 113 per cent increase.

The share capital remained the same at N169.761 million for 2023 and 2024.

The shareholders fund grew by 34 per cent from N56.07 billion in 2023 to N75.08 billion in 2024.

(NAN)

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Actress Jemima Osunde has condemned the act of pressurising actors to become active social media content creators as criteria for landing roles in films.

Osunde, who took to her social media platforms in a video clip to voice her frustration over the industrys shift, said their aim of forcing actors to become online content creators was to promote their work.

According to her, acting should be based on talent and performance, but not forcing someone to be a social media content creator.

The actress noted that Hollywood star Keanu Reeves had continued to thrive in the industry based solely on his craft, in spite of his minimal social media presence.

Now they are forcing actors to be social media content creators. It is now like, You see that dance? You must dance on the internet. Why?

It is like they are forcing everyone; so if you are not an actor with a social media presence, you are not going to be cast because you need to sell the film.

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That should not be my job! Like, how many times do you see Keanu Reeves when he is not on your screen as an actor? she wrote.

Osunde is a Nigerian actress, model, and presenter, who gained exposure after playing Leila in the television series Shuga.

She was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 15th Africa Movie Academy Awards for her performance in The Delivery Boy (2018).

The actress recently debunked the rumour of undergoing a BBL surgery, where she clearly stated her personality and advocacy for natural beauty.

She also used the opportunity to question the validity of the users statement, subtly pushing back against the narrative that she had altered her body surgically.

(NAN)

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In response to President Donald Trumps reciprocal tariff, China has announced a slew of countermeasures, including a 34 per cent tariff on imports from the US.

The increased tariff rate announced by the Chinese Ministry of Finance on Friday matches the 34 per cent tariff President Trump imposed on the Asian country earlier in the week.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said the tariff will take effect on Thursday, 10 April.

Mr Trump had described the tariff as payback for unfair trade policies used in the past years. He imposed a 10 per cent minimum baseline tariff on all imports into the country and reciprocal tariffs, which specifically target imports from 60 nations including Nigeria.

China was one of the countries most affected. Earlier in the year, Mr Trump imposed a 20 per cent import duty tied to fentanyl trafficking on the country. As a result, Chinese imports now face tariffs well above 50 per cent.

President Trump also plans to end duty-free shipping of small parcels from China under the so-called de minimis exemption.

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The Chinese Commerce Ministry described the policy as undermining the balance of interests established through years of multilateral trade negotiations.

Then on Friday, China retaliated by announcing stiff export controls on key minerals and businesses, limiting what could be exchanged with the US.

The purpose of the Chinese governments implementation of export controls on relevant items in accordance with the law is to better safeguard national security and interests, and to fulfil international obligations such as non-proliferation, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

However, President Trump criticised Chinas retaliatory measure in a post on Truth Social, saying, China played it wrong. They panicked  The one thing they cannot afford to do!

WTO

China has also filed a formal complaint against the new US tariffs with the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The country argued that President Trumps recent policy violates WTO rules and is requesting consultations.

The Permanent Mission of China to the World Trade Organization said in a statement on Friday, China has filed the WTO complaint with respect to the United States measures.

The trade war, sparked by Mr Trumps sweeping reciprocal tariffs on all imports, has raised concerns about rising prices for goods and services, as well as potential long-term harm to the countrys economy

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US President Donald Trump has granted TikTok another 75 days extension to comply with a law requiring its US operation or face a ban in the country.

The president is extending the deadline for the popular video app to comply, granting it another extension several weeks after he signed the executive order to grant TikTok its first 75-day extension.

The first 75-day extension issued in January will expire on Saturday.

We do not want TikTok to go dark, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday.

We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the Deal.

The platform is currently owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.

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In 2024, the US Congress passed legislation signed by then-President Joe Biden, which mandated TikToks Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations to an approved buyer within nine months.

The law prohibits internet hosting services and mobile app marketplaces from offering TikTok to American users.

However, Mr Trump has said that during the extension, the US will not enforce the law.

Days before Mr Trumps inauguration, TikTok suspended and restored its services to users in the United States within 15 hours.

This was barely two days after the US Supreme Courts ruling upheld the law forcing ByteDance to sell.

The social media platform, which cut off access for about 170 million users nationwide, attributed its return to president-elect Donald Trumps move to save the app by delaying the bans enforcement.

Meanwhile, ByteDance is currently trying to broker a deal to bring the social media platform to keep the app functioning in the US.

However, in a statement on Friday, ByteDance stated that while it had been in talks with the Trump administration, no agreement had been finalised.

There are key matters to be resolved. Any agreement will be subject to approval under Chinese law, the company said.

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On Tuesday, 10 December 2024, Congressman Richard McCormick attacked Nigeria on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Republican politician from the U.S. state of Georgia was among lawmakers who campaigned vigorously for the release of Tigran Gambaryan, the Binance official detained and prosecuted in Nigeria before charges were dropped on humanitarian grounds on 23 October 2024.

Forty-eight days after Mr Garbaryan returned to America, the lawmaker rose during plenary to celebrate his constituents return to his home country. In his eleven-sentence speech that day, Mr McCormick descended on Nigeria, saying the West African nation falsely accused the Binance official of money laundering and tax evasion.

He said while the American was detained in Kuje prison for months, he was repeatedly denied access to medical care as his health deteriorated, denied basic due process rights, and otherwise treated inhumanely.

The claim that Mr Gambaryan was denied access to medical care while in detention in Nigeria was repeatedly made by American officials as they pushed for his release. In a series of posts on X on 14 February, the Binance official amplified that sentiment, claiming Nigerian authorities blocked him from accessing treatment. They even threatened administrators at Nizamiye Hospital, instructing them not to admit me when I was extremely ill, Mr Gambaryan said. Additionally, they pressured the hospital to withhold my medical records from my attorneys.

But are the claims valid? In its attempt to answer this question, this newspaper reviewed volumes of court records and other documents and interviewed people familiar with Mr Gambaryans case. Our findings showed the Binance official was consistently allowed medical care while in custody and was indeed attended to by medics in at least four reputable medical facilities.

Mr Gambaryan, his company, Binance Holdings Limited and Nadeem Anjarwalla, the Africa regional manager at the crypto exchange platform, were detained on 26 February 2024 for failing to cooperate with law enforcement agencies investigating how crypto exchange firms, including Binance, sabotaged the Nigerian economy and caused the West African nation substantial financial loss.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) then brought a criminal charge alleging money laundering, tax evasion, and terrorism financing. The EFCC arraigned the defendants on 8 April 2024, after which Mr Gambaryan was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his bail application. His colleague, Mr Anjarwalla, had escaped from lawful custody on 22 March, seventeen days before their arraignment. On 17 May, the court delivered a ruling denying Mr Gambaryan bail.

Six days later, on 23 May, Mr Gambaryans counsel, Mark Mordi (SAN), brought an application saying his client had a deteriorating health condition that needed prompt medical attention. Justice Emeka Nwite immediately ordered the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to allow the defendant to be treated at Nizamiye Hospital in Abuja or any other health facility within the courts jurisdiction deemed appropriate for his care.

Court filings and other documents reviewed for this report showed that Nigerian authorities complied with that order and gave Mr Gambaryan consistent access to medical care throughout his time in custody, contrary to claims by the Binance executive and American officials.

According to Mr Gambaryans medical report, which the NCoS submitted to Justice Nwites court, the Binance official arrived at the Kuje Prison with some medication. Based on his health history, he was admitted to the facilitys clinic, where the prisons resident doctor cared for him regularly. However, on 13 May, the detainee complained of a sore throat and requested to see an otolaryngologist. An ENT specialist from the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital was brought in to see him. He diagnosed acute pharyngotonsillitis and placed the patient on antibiotics, antihistamine, nasal spray and warm saline.

The report said Mr Gambaryan was treated for vomiting, headache, body weakness and diarrhoea on 13 May and cough, poor appetite and sore throat on 3 June. Although laboratory tests and physical examinations did not reveal any significant findings, the inmate was taken to the privately-owned Nizamiye Hospital (his preferred medical facility) when his complaint of chest infection persisted.

Of all the investigations done on him that day, only his white blood cell counts revealed abnormalities. The facility prescribed drugs and recommended managing him as an outpatient. But on returning to the custodial centre, Mr Gambaryan reportedly refused to take his medications, insisting that he must be taken back to Nizamiye for admission. It took the intervention and persuasion from nurses to accept the medication, a medical report said.

Three days later, on 6 June, Mr Gambaryan presented with cough, fever, sneezing, chest pain and catarrh. Tests were done, and treatment was administered, with two senior medical doctors (a controller of corrections and an assistant controller general of corrections) visiting on two occasions to counsel him on the need to comply with medications and treatment. An ENT specialist also visited him and prescribed medication. However, eleven days later, the inmate complained of difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath, although doctors determined that his respiratory rate was a typical 16 breaths per minute. Later, Mr Gambaryan complained of lower back pain and numbness in the lower limb, saying he was diagnosed with having a herniated disc about 10 years ago. He was seen limping, though physical examination revealed no abnormality, prison doctors said.

In its report on Mr Gambaryans treatment, Nizamiye Hospital said the Binance official was brought to its facility on 3 June 2024 on account of left-sided chest pain. He was seen by the doctor on duty, who noted that he was not in any visible distress and his vital signs were normal and stable. He had a physical examination with no significant findings, the report said. He also had a chest examination with the pulmonologist at the emergency room with no significant findings at that moment. He had some investigations carried out, and he had elevated white blood cells and neutrophils in his full blood count with nitrite positive in his urinalysis. He was prescribed oral antibiotics and an analgesic following a review of his investigation results.

Despite these medical treatment regimes accorded to Mr Gambaryan, he, his lawyers, and American officials continued to claim that the Binance official was being denied access to healthcare. With the claim unabating, the Nigerian presidency directed authorities at the State House Clinic to conduct a more detailed medical evaluation of him. The three-person medical team from the presidential facility met Mr Gambaryan in detention. Their assessment revealed a young man with stable vitals, not in any obvious distress but with a limping gait while working with support.

Based on that preliminary medical assessment, the Binance executive was taken to LifeBridge Medical Diagnostics Centre in Abuja, where a lumbosacral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was done. Mr Gambaryan was later admitted to the State House Clinic for optimal nursing care and basic laboratory investigations. Doctors determined his general laboratory investigation results as essentially normal. However, one medical report said his urine drug test was positive for morphine because the patient was on pain management at the time.

On 18 July 2024, a neurosurgeon was called in to examine the patient. His findings were consistent with the report of the earlier MRI done on him and the diagnosis of a second neurosurgeon whose opinion was sought. The first neurosurgeon placed the patient on medication, advised physiotherapy and strongly recommended a lumbar discectomy surgery as soon as possible.

However, the head of medical services, O.A. Onovo, said in a 29 August 2024 report that Mr Gambaryan was still dissatisfied with the medical interventions offered to him at the State House Clinic. He said the patient intermittently refused prescribed medications and food to force a transfer out of the facility. He was subsequently discharged and returned to the Nigerian Correctional Service at about 1300 hours, 21 July 2024, with no obvious deterioration in his health in the five-day admission period, Mr Onovo added.

On 23 August, about a month after Mr Gambaryan forced his discharge from the State House Clinic, his lawyers, Aluko & Oyebode law firm, wrote to the National Security Adviser (NSA), complaining about their clients poor health and lack of access to care. That correspondence prompted the NSA to commission another round of investigation to ascertain the health status and history of the Binance executive. That extensive investigation found that Mr Gambaryan received access to some of the best medical treatments available in Abuja, was strong healthwise, and had no compelling ill health condition that the medical team of the Nigerian Correctional Service and the State House Clinic could not handle.

Despite that finding, Mr Gambaryans counsel still filed a second bail application, claiming their client was too sick to stand trial and was being denied care. The prosecutor opposed the application. Justice Nwite agreed, saying the American failed to convince the court that he was denied access to medical treatment and that the Nigerian Correctional Service did not have adequate facilities for his health care. The court then adjourned the matter to 18 October, 22 November and 25 November for continuation of trial.

However, on 23 October, the Nigerian government suddenly dropped charges against the Binance official on humanitarian grounds after extensive diplomatic pressure from the U.S. government.

Nigerian authorities have maintained that Mr Gambaryans consistent complaint of ill health, even when physical examinations and test results showed otherwise, was to ridicule the West African nation and pressure it to terminate his trial and release him. It was a blackmailing and propagandist gimmick to force Nigeria to free him, an official said, asking not to be named because he had no authorisation to discuss the matter. Its great that we stood firm and refused to succumb to blackmail.

While at the Kuje Correctional Centre, a prison official said Mr Gambaryan had a comparatively comfortable room fitted with a mosquito net on his bed to protect him from mosquitoes and a private bathroom cleaned daily. He was very comfortable, and he loved the prison a lot, the official said, asking not to be named because he had no permission to discuss the matter.

The official said while in custody, Mr Gambaryan was full of antics to create the impression that he was gravely ill. When some members of congress were visiting him, three days to their arrival, Tigran stopped wearing shirts and wore only shorts. He wanted to catch a cold and malaria so he would be sick. That norm always preceded any important visit, including consular ones. He would limp and then walk normally when his visitors were gone. He also demanded a wheelchair for drama and to earn sympathy in court. As a former law enforcement agent, he knew all the tricks suspects play and utilised them against Nigeria.

When contacted, Mr Gambaryan said the claims by Nigerian officials in court filings and in interviews are complete lies and that he was not provided any healthcare in Nigeria. I almost died twice at Kuje because they didnt get me to a hospital, he said. I dont really care about them anymore. U.S. authorities will deal with them. I am done. I went through enough just for trying to help them. They are lucky they didnt get sanctioned.

PREMIUM TIMES requested the Binance official provide verifiable evidence of healthcare denialspecific details, dates, and documentation to support his claims. But in his response, he said the details we sought were already out therein print and in podcasts. He also advised this newspaper to watch the recording of the U.S. congressional hearing on his case as evidence of his claims.

In exchanges with this reporter, Mr Gambaryan also repeated claims that Nigerian authorities threatened Nizamiye Hospital not to admit him when he fell ill and that the facility hurriedly discharged him while he had pneumonia. The American did not provide evidence to back that allegation. He merely said his team sourced information about the Nigerian governments intimidation of Nizamiye from the Turkish Ministry of Health.

However, Nizamiye Hospital has countered Mr Gambaryan, saying his claims are false. Mohammed Abubakar, the organisations deputy chief operations officer, said officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service brought the American to the facility on 3 June 2024 and that he was immediately admitted to the emergency ward of the hospital.

He said after a series of tests were done, doctors determined that he was in reasonably good health and that his condition did not warrant prolonged admission. Drugs were then prescribed, and he was discharged, Mr Abubakar said. Our medics did their job professionally, and at no time did the government or anyone else threaten our hospital, the official said. Nizamiye is a private hospital incorporated in Nigeria. The Turkish Ministry of Health has no role or influence in its operation and could not have provided information to anyone about our patients.

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The National Human Rights Commission has called for an end to arbitrary arrests, intimidation and harassment of persons, particularly journalists, activists and human rights defenders in by law enforcement agencies.

In line with international human rights norms, law enforcement agencies must refrain from interfering with the right to freedom of expression unless necessary for the protection of public safety, order, or national security, read an advisory signed by the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu.

The advisory was released on Friday during the presentation of the monthly dashboard report of human rights complaints received from across the country in March at the NHRCs office in Abuja.

Interference may only occur under circumstances that meet the criteria of legality, necessity and proportionality, ensuring that actions taken do not unduly restrict or curtail the right to freely express opinions and ideas. Arbitrary arrests, intimidation, or threats made against individuals expressing their views, especially journalists, activists, and human rights defenders, are prohibited, the document added.

According to Mr Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the advisory was issued under section 5(l)(m)(o) of the NHRC (Amendment) Act.

He said it aimed to address concerns about the misuse of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) (Amendment) Act, 2024, which has resulted in arbitrary arrests and impacted freedom of expression.

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According to the advisory, freedom of expression is important in facilitating a developed and democratic society.

He added that it provides the opportunity for citizens to contest the policies of the government, demand accountability and exchange ideas.

Freedom of expression helps maintain the dynamic and inclusive nature of public discourses, allowing all voices to be heard and considered, the advisory reads in part.

Other recommendations

The advisory also recommended that the police prosecute only when there is clear and specific evidence of an actual threat to public order, rather than vague or generalized interpretations of the law.

The NHRC called on the Nigerian Police to respect the rights of citizens regardless of their differing opinions, and protect individuals from intimidation and harassment.

Also, the law enforcement officers must ensure that accused persons are granted fair hearing while their arrests and detention under the provision of the Cybercrimes Act must not be indefinite but according to constitutional limits.

Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) (Amendment) Act, 2024, penalizes individuals who send messages that are pornographic in nature or knowingly send false messages which can cause a breakdown of law or pose a threat to life.

Furthermore, the commission also urged the judiciary to protect and uphold the freedom of expression by ensuring that any restriction placed should be within the ambit of the law.

While encouraging citizens to exercise their freedom of expression while respecting the rights of others, the commission noted that it remained committed to monitoring and ensuring the protection of freedom of expression in all circumstances and will continue to advocate for a legal and institutional environment that supports the freedom of expression.

Advisory amid growing rights violations concerns

This is the second advisory the commission is issuing in about eight months, setting guidelines for the police and other law enforcement agencies to respect specific set of rights of citizens.

In July last year, the NHRC issued a protest advisory ahead of the #EndBadGovernance protest on the conduct and management of all protests in Nigeria and other actions leading to the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly and other associated rights therefrom.

But despite the advisory, security agents applied brute force against journalists and protesters during the demonstrations in Abuja and some other parts of the country.

Some citizens in Kano and some other states in the North also violated the advisory by destroying and looting public and private properties during protests.

Over 1,000 people, including minors, were arrested by the police in the wake of the August 2024 protests. The NHRC repeatedly condemned police crackdown on journalists and protesters and called on the police authorities to sanction their erring personnel.

Freedom of expression, speech under attack

NHRCs advisories come amid growing concerns about arbitrary arrests and harassment by police and other security forces targeting individuals exercising their rights to freedom of expression and speech.

Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, is currently prosecution after he was arrested for describing the continued stay of the incumbent Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in office as illegal.

In September, a human rights lawyer and founder of Hope Behind Bars, Funke Adeoye, was summoned by the police over her post on X concerning the detention of a 26-year-old photographer.

The police were reportedly investigating Mrs Adeoye for defamation and cyberbullying.

In October last year, the police arrested a journalist in Imo State, Chinonso Uba, popularly known as Nonso Nkwa, for allegedly engaging in cyberstalking, character defamation and misinformation.

The police stated that Mr Uba was arrested for uploading a viral video that incited civil unrest and disseminated misinformation and inflammatory statements.

However, the police did not specifically give details of how the journalist committed the offences.

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Many men worldwide worry about their penis size, often believing they are smaller than average.

According to a study published in the British Journal of Urology International, about 45 per cent of men believe they have a small penis, even though most fall within the normal size range.

The study also confirmed that the average erect length falls between 12 and 16 centimetres.

However, cultural beliefs and misinformation, particularly in Nigeria, have driven many to turn to risky procedures or unproven methods in pursuit of enlargement.

Speaking with PT Health Watch, experts debunked common myths surrounding penis size and warned against the risks of unproven enlargement methods.

Common myths

According to a Urologist, Muhammad Bala, one of the most common misconceptions is that a larger penis guarantees better sexual performance and satisfaction.

Mr Bala, however, explained that this belief is not backed by medical science.

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A normal penis size is measured when erect, and it varies widely across populations. While some men may be slightly above or below the average range, an erect penis between 12 and 16 cm is considered normal, he explained.

He added that sexual performance is influenced more by technique, emotional connection, and communication between partners than size.

Effectiveness of medication

Despite numerous advertisements promoting pills, pumps, and surgeries, Mr Bala emphasised that there are no medically approved drugs for penis enlargement in adults.

None that I know of, he said. However, in children, certain drugs may influence penis growth, but these are used strictly for treating medical conditions and not for enlargement purposes.

He noted that while surgery remains an option, the risks often outweigh the benefits.

Surgery may result in scarring, which is counterproductive in the case of the penis, he said, adding that complications could include loss of sensation and erectile dysfunction.

Psychological, cultural factors

Beyond the physical concerns, cultural influences play a major role in the emphasis on penis size, according to Mr Bala.

He explained that exposure to pornography creates unrealistic expectations, increasing anxiety and reinforcing misconceptions.

It still boils down to the misconception that size determines sexual performance and satisfaction. The emphasis on size is deeply rooted in cultural beliefs and misinformation, he said.

Similarly, another urologist, Khalifa Abdulsalam, highlighted the psychological burden that penis-enlargement myths place on men.

He noted that many who seek enlargement do so due to dissatisfaction with their flaccid penis size, unaware that significant increases occur when erect.

Dissatisfaction with penile size has existed for centuries, often driven by misinformation. Most men who feel inadequate base their judgment on the flaccid state rather than the erect size, he said.

This dissatisfaction, he explained, can lead to low self-esteem and anxiety, pushing men toward dangerous enlargement procedures. He stressed that psychological treatment is often more effective than surgical interventions.

He noted that many men who think they have a small penis have a normal-sized one, adding that counseling and education can help correct these misconceptions and improve confidence.

Risks of Penis-enlargement Procedures

While some men consider surgical enhancement, experts warn that it carries significant risks.

Mr Abdulsalam explained that complications can include infections, excessive bleeding, scarring, loss of sensation, and even paradoxical penile shortening.

Like with most surgeries, common side effects include infection, bleeding, and scar formation. For penile enlargement specifically, there is the added risk of abnormal penile sensation, paradoxical penile shortening, or overall dissatisfaction with the results, he said.

READ ALSO: Tinubu appoints new MD for Bank of Agriculture

He further stated that pumps and extenders, which are often marketed as non-invasive enlargement solutions, lack strong medical evidence to support their effectiveness.

He added that these devices may provide temporary results, but they are often associated with local irritation and, in some cases, erectile dysfunction.

Natural methods, including exercises promoted online, also carry risks if not done properly. Improper techniques can lead to penile injuries and even erectile dysfunction, he warned.

When to seek medical help

For men considering penis enlargement, Mr Abdulsalam highlighted several warning signs that should prompt medical attention, including penile pain, swelling, abnormal shape, loss of sensation, and poor erection quality.

He advised men against experimenting with unproven enlargement methods, stressing that most result in negative consequences.

Most unconventional methods can lead to negative outcomes if not properly done. Always seek advice from a urologist before considering any enlargement procedure, he warned.

Rather than pursuing enlargement, Mr Abdulsalam emphasised the importance of self-acceptance and confidence. He encouraged men to focus on technique and emotional connection with their partners rather than fixating on size.

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The police command in Benue, on Friday, rescued 14 passengers of Benue Links, kidnapped by gunmen on Thursday evening in Otukpo LGA of the state.

The Commands Public Relations Officer, Sewuese Anene, made this known in a statement, in Makurdi.

Mr Anene said that the bus was attacked on 3 April, around Otukpo Burnt Bricks area, leading to the death of the driver and one passenger.

She said the armed kidnappers thereafter took away the remaining 14 other passengers to an unknown destination.

The PRO said the command, in collaboration with the State Civil Protection Guard, rushed to the scene and found the driver and a passenger with gunshot injuries in the vehicle, while others were whisked away by the kidnappers.

The injured were conveyed to the hospital where they were confirmed dead by a doctor.

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The team launched a search for the kidnapped victims within the nearby forest immediately.

On April 4, at about 1500hrs, they sighted the bandits in the forest and engaged them in a gun duel. The superior firepower of the police subdued them and they took to their heels, abandoning their captives.

Unfortunately, they had inflicted matchet cuts on two of the victims before the rescue. Fourteen victims were rescued and taken to the hospital, where one was confirmed dead and others are currently receiving treatment, she said.

Ms Anene said that the Commissioner of Police, Steve Yabanet, commiserated with the families of the deceased and pledged to bring the perpetrators to book.

She said that he enjoined the people of Otukpo to look out for suspects with gunshot injuries and report them to the police, as many of the bandits received gunshot injuries during the exchange of fire.

(NAN)

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A fatal road accident involving a 40-foot containerised truck claimed the life of a pedestrian and left five others injured along the Cele Expressway, inward Oshodi, in Lagos State, on Saturday.

In a statement via its official X handle on Saturday, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), said the crash involved an articulated truck, five commercial buses, and two private vehicles  a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Sienna.

The statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASMA, Adebayo Taofiq, stated that preliminary investigations revealed that the truck, laden with two large containers, suffered a brake failure while in motion at high speed.

He explained that the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, leading to the detachment of the containers, which crashed onto several nearby vehicles.

A pedestrian was killed instantly, while five others sustained varying degrees of injuries. One of the injured, a commercial bus driver, suffered compound fractures in both his arm and leg.

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Emergency responders from the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) rushed the injured victims to the General Hospital in Isolo for urgent treatment.

In the aftermath of the crash, LASTMA officers, in collaboration with personnel from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and concerned residents, swiftly conducted rescue operations.

The Ijesha-Tedo Police Division also deployed officers to maintain order at the scene.

The main carriageway of the expressway was cordoned off to allow recovery operations, with traffic redirected to the service lane to ease congestion.

The recovery and evacuation of the fallen containers, trucks, and affected vehicles are ongoing. Safety measures have been activated, and our officers are on the ground managing traffic, LASTMA said.

LASTMAs General Manager, Olalekan BaMre-Oki, in a separate statement, offered his condolences to the family of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

He stressed the importance of regular mechanical checks on articulated trucks, especially those carrying heavy cargo.

The safety of all road users is paramount. We cannot continue to lose lives to preventable incidents caused by vehicle negligence and reckless driving, Mr Bakare-Oki said.

He added that a full investigation was underway to ascertain the cause of the accident and ensure appropriate accountability.

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The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Apo, Abuja, on Friday, scheduled 15 May for the trial of a former Deputy Director of Highways, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Augustine Olowoniyan, and a surveyor at the Department of Highways and Planning, Sulaiman Muhammed.

According to a press statement released by the prosecuting agency  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)  on Friday, the trial judge, Jude Onwuegbuzie, picked the trial date after granting bail to the defendants.

Messrs Olowoniyan and Muhammed are facing three charges of diversion and misappropriation of funds amounting to N1.9 billion (N1,936,961,649).

The anti-graft agency accused them of siphoning, between 4 March 2019 and 17 July 2020, the money meant for the acquisition of land titles for federal roads nationwide.

PREMIUM TIMES reported in March the arraignment of the defendants in and the courts subsequent order for their remand in a correctional centre pending their bail hearing.

At Fridays proceedings, defence lawyers  J.K. Kolawole and A.S.U. Garba  reminded the court that their clients had pending bail applications.

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They then requested that the court grant bail to the defendants on liberal terms until the case was decided.

However, the prosecution counsel, M.K Hussein, opposed the bail application, relying on his filings against the bail application, comprising a written address and a counter-affidavit sworn to by an EFCC investigator, Njoku Ekelechi.

Mr Hussein implored the court to reject the bail application or impose stringent bail conditions on the defendants to ensure they attend their trial.

Following the arguments of the lawyers, the judge granted bail to the duo in the sum of N800 million each and with two sureties who must be residents of Abuja.

Also, the judge ordered the defendants to submit their passports.

He then adjourned the case until 15 May for trial to begin.

Another case involving Mr Olowoniyan

This case is not the first case involving Mr Olowoniyan, the former Deputy Director, Highways, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.

The EFCC separately arraigned him charges of diverting N439.5 million in public funds.

According to the anti-graft agency, Mr Olowoniyan allegedly transferred N301.99 million to Chile Ushahemba, a staff member of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, and receiving N19.14 million in cash, which he converted for personal use.

In this case, the court granted Mr Olowoniyan bail in the sum of N400 million with a surety. Also, the surety must be a resident of Abuja.

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MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices in Adamawa says it averted 214 maternal deaths and prevented 16,623 unsafe abortions in 2024.

Oyewole Adejumi, MSIs Social Behavioral Change and Communication Officer, on Friday in Yola, disclosed this at a media roundtable on accountability to key stakeholders in their effort to serve vulnerable population in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting, organised by INGO Forum, had the theme Transparency in action: INGOs driving impact through accountability in Nigeria.

Mr Adejumi said their efforts were aimed at improving sexual and reproductive health through accessible, high-quality services.

We provide comprehensive SRH services such as family planning, contraceptive options, menstrual health, cervical cancer screening and other reproductive health choices to empower families, especially women and girls, he said.

According to him, during the period under review, MSI Nigeria reached 3.58 million clients, averted 20,053 maternal deaths, and prevented 1.6 million unsafe abortions in the country.

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He added that for accountability, they worked with federal, state, and community partners, ensuring transparency through data quality, clinical standards, and stakeholders.

Emmanuel Ande, a resource person, tasked journalists to always abide by the ethics of the profession on humanitarian reporting and ensure accountability for government, victims and the partners.

Highlight humanitarian needs- emphasise the urgent needs of affected populations, including food, shelter, medical care, and protection.

Account for multiple perspectives- present diverse viewpoints and avoid promoting any single narrative or agenda.

Ensure accuracy and objectivity- adhere to journalistic standards of accuracy, fairness, and impartiality, he said.

Mr Ande further advised the participants to be mindful of language use, bearing in mind that it should be sensitive, respectful, and avoiding perpetuating stereotypes or causing further harm.

(NAN)

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Former Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka, on Friday opened an account with Sterling Bank in Abuja, fulfilling his promise to support the lenders recent decision to eliminate digital banking charges.

In a post on X, he described the move as a quiet revolution in a country where every naira counts.

Mr Chidoka, who was joined by young Nigerians and former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, said the action went beyond account opening and symbolised a national conversation on what he called exploitative charges by most Nigerian banks.

We opened accounts, downloaded the OneBank app, and made real-time transferswithout paying a single kobo in fees, he said. I sent money to my wifeno charge. It felt good to bank without losing money.

The visit followed Sterling Banks announcement on Tuesday that it would no longer charge customers for interbank transfers, app usage or ATM card issuance.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the bank declared: Thats RIGHT! As of TODAY: Sterling Bank will NOT take any money for itself for: Mobile app, online  100% FREE! Interbank transfers  ZERO FEES! ATM Card Issuance  100% FREE! NIGERIANS ARE NO FOOLS! Enough is enough. No more quiet suffering.

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Mr Chidoka had responded by promising to move his banking to Sterling Bank and called on Nigerians to reward the banks decision. They walked away from N13.56 billion in transfer charges4.13 per cent of their total revenueto give Nigerians breathing room, he said. Other banks could, toobut they wont.

He also criticised larger financial institutions for what he called unnecessary earnings from transfer fees.

On Friday, Mr Chidoka said the issue reflected a wider failure of compassion in Nigerias financial system.

This isnt about me. Its about what banking should betransparent, compassionate, and people-focused. We need a system that builds prosperity by easing the burdens of everyday Nigerians, he said.

He warned that regulators and banks risked losing public trust. If banks wont change, we must change banks. If regulators wont act, we must act with our wallets, he said.

In a move he described as a remarkable gesture, Sterling Bank deposited N10,000 into the accounts of the young people who accompanied him to open new accounts.

Mr Chidoka drew parallels with the mobile telecoms revolution that began two decades ago. Remember when Glo introduced per-second billing? At first, it was radical. Now, its standard. Sterling Bank may just be reminding the sector that doing right doesnt harm the bottom lineit builds loyalty, he said.

Mr Chidoka also pointed out the issue of rising banking costs, despite the growth of digital banking, which was supposed to lower these costs.

He stressed the importance of compassionate capitalism, especially as Nigeria faces tough economic times. He believes that both the government and big businesses need to act to protect the financial well-being of Nigerians, particularly the shrinking middle class.

He encouraged Nigerians to take action by holding banks accountable for high charges, saying that small changes in how people bank could lead to bigger changes in the system.

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Nigeria has received over one million doses of the pentavalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Men5CV) to combat the meningococcus C and W outbreak in northern Nigeria.

The vaccine doses, funded by Gavi, were received by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, according to a joint press statement on Friday by the Vaccine Alliance, Gavi, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF).

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the country has recorded 807 suspected cases of cerebrospinal meningitis. PREMIUM TIMES reports that the suspected cases have resulted in 74 deaths from 22 states, with a case fatality rate of 9.2 per cent.

The Friday statement noted that the vaccine doses are part of an emergency response campaign targeting individuals aged one to 29 years, the most affected group.

The campaign will initially roll out in Kebbi and Sokoto states, with plans to expand to Yobe as additional doses arrive.

Nigerias response

Speaking on the significance of the vaccine arrival, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said it is a crucial milestone in Nigerias response to the current meningitis outbreak.

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Mr Pate noted that it reflects commitments to President Bola Tinubus Renewed Hope Agenda to protect the health and well-being of all Nigerians, especially children and young people.

Through the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the Sector-Wide Approach, we have prioritised epidemic preparedness and rapid response as part of our broader health security agenda, he said.

We are grateful for the support of Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF in enabling this swift deployment. Together, we are not only containing todays outbreak but also laying the foundation to eliminate meningitis and strengthen routine immunisation for the future, he said.

Gavi funding

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, funds the global stockpiles of vaccines against diseases like cholera, ebola, meningitis, and yellow fever. The vaccines are accessible to all countries.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the US governments actions to defund Gavi may affect countries like Nigeria in areas like the provision of vaccines.

Gavi also supports countries in the cost of procurement, delivery, and outbreak response campaigns in lower-income countries, as well as preventive and routine immunisation activities.

The use of the stockpiles for outbreak response is managed by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision, and doses are delivered to countries by UNICEF.

The ICG has approved the deployment of over 1.5 million doses of Men5CV in response to Nigerias request in March.

In his comments, Gavis Head of High-Impact Outbreaks, Francisco Luquero, noted that with Gavis support, vaccines successfully eliminated meningitis A from Africas meningitis belt.

Mr Luquero added that the vaccines are also combating other serogroups of this deadly and debilitating disease, bringing us closer to our goal of eliminating meningitis by 2030.

Continued investment in this work is critical to protect the incredible progress made so far, control future outbreaks, and dramatically reduce the devastating impact that seasonal epidemics of meningitis have on families and communities.

As of the end of 2024, the global meningococcal vaccine stockpile had been accessed 68 times by 16 countries since 2009, with over 34 million doses deployed in support of countries, the statement concluded.

About Meningitis

Meningitis, a serious infection of the meninges (the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord), remains a significant public health challenge. While it can be caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses, bacterial meningitis has the highest global burden.

The disease, particularly meningococcal meningitis, is prone to outbreaks and large-scale epidemics, especially in sub-Saharan Africas meningitis belt, stretching from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east.

The WHO stated that one in four meningitis survivors suffer permanent disabilities such as hearing loss, seizures, limb weakness, and vision or speech impairments.

Seasonal outbreaks typically occur during the dry season, from December to June, peaking between March and April when low humidity and high dust levels prevail.

Over the years, Gavi has worked with countries to support vaccination against meningitis A, reaching over 400 million children and young adults aged up to 29 years through campaigns and routine immunisation. These efforts have helped Africa eliminate meningitis A, with no new case detected since 2017.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a Sierra Leonean national, Ahmed Shaw, before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, for failing to declare $90,000 in cash at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

In a statement on Friday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale said Mr Shaw was arraigned on Thursday before a trial judge, Deinde Dipeolu, on one charge of money laundering.

The defendant was arrested on 3 March at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for non-declaration of the sum of $90,000, the EFCC stated.

He was subsequently handed over to the EFCCs Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 on 5 March, for further investigation.

EFCC alleged in the charge it subsequently filed against the defendant that his failure to make a declaration of $90,000 he came into Nigeria with to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on 3 March, constituted an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The law mandates that transportation of cash or negotiable instruments in excess of US$10,000 or its equivalent by individuals in or out of Nigeria shall be declared to the Nigerian Customs Service.

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Section 3(5) of the law prescribes, upon conviction, a penalty of forfeiture of the undeclared funds or negotiable instrument or to imprisonment for a term of at least two years or both for any person who falsely declares or fails to make a declaration to the Nigerian Customs Service.

Meanwhile, Mr Shaw pleaded not guilty to the charge.

After the defendants plea, EFCC counsel C.C. Okezie requested a trial date and the defendants remand.

Mr Dipeolu granted the request and remanded Mr Shaw at a Correctional Centre.

The judge then adjourned the case until 15 April for commencement of trial.

Previous arrests

Mr Shaws case is not the first involving undeclared foreign currency at Nigerian airports in recent time.

In March 2025, the EFCC began investigating Okorie Sunday, who was apprehended by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the same Lagos airport for false currency declaration.

Mr Sunday, who arrived from Johannesburg, South Africa, on 19 March, declared $279,000 at the Currency Declaration Desk.

However, further searches revealed an additional $299,000 concealed in various packages, bringing the total to $578,000.

NCS also found 100 and counterfeit $250 bills among his belongings.

According to EFCCs spokesperson Mr Oyewale, the anti-corruption agency took over Mr Sundays case on 21 March after the NCS Area Comptroller at the airport formally handed over the suspect.

Conviction

On 26 March, after the EFCC arraigned Mr Sunday, trial judge Mr Dipeolu sentenced him to six months imprisonment for failure to declare the money.

The judge further ordered that Mr Sundays money be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

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The Nigerian Navy says it apprehended some vessels carrying illicit arms and stolen crude oil and destroyed several illegal refining sites through its Operation Delta Sanity II in the month of March.

The Director of Naval Information, Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, made this known in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

Mr Adams-Aliu said the troops had, on 7 March, uncovered and destroyed an illegal refinery site laden with about 5,500 litres of stolen crude oil, and 2,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), at Oteghele community in Warri, South-West Local Government Area of Delta.

He said the site also contained one oven, nine dugout pits, 15 polythene sacks of illegally refined AGO, 13 sacks of stolen crude oil, and one pumping machine.

He added that a big wooden boat laden with 40,000 litres of crude oil was seized around Okrika and Ogajama general area in Rivers on 8 March.

On March 9, a seagoing vessel, MFT Olokun VIII with IMO Registration N0: 8778275 was arrested around Saint Nicholas River in Bayelsa, with illegal arms and ammunition onboard.

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The arms included one G3 Rifle, one pump action gun, 20 rounds of 762/51mm ammunition and seven live cartridges.

Two suspects linked to the illegal firearms were also arrested and will face prosecution, he said.

The naval spokesman said the troops had on 10 March discovered and deactivated three illegal refinery sites, with three ovens, seven dugout pits, and eight sacks with 3,700 litres of crude oil around Obodo Omadino in Warri, South-West Local Government Area, Delta.

He added that 23 polythene sacks with 1,900 litres of illegally refined AGO was also discovered at the site.

According to him, a vandalised wellhead, eight illegal refinery sites, 55 ovens, 12 reservoirs and 30 dugout pits with about 55,000 litres of stolen crude oil and about 4,000 litres of illegally refined AGO were discovered and seized around Ohaji/Egbema West in Rivers on March 13.

On March 14, two wooden boats laden with over 5,000 litres of stolen crude oil, and two drums were seized along Dodo River in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

On March 15, a fibre boat laden with 1000 litres of stolen crude oil was seized around Bille/Krakrama waterways in Rivers.

On March 17, three Illegal Refinery Sites, two ovens, 10 dugout pits, three sacks with about 2,700 litres of stolen crude oil and 18 polythene sacks of about 1,900 litres of illegally refined AGO were discovered and deactivated around Obodo Omadino in Warri, South-West Local Government Area of Delta.

On March 20, two wooden boats actively siphoning crude oil from a wellhead, two drums of stolen crude oil and one cooking oven were discovered and seized around Clough creek and Dodo river in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

On March 23, two illegal refining sites, 2 ovens, 10 dugout pits, 13 polythene sacks, three drums, with 2,700 litres of stolen crude oil and 2,200 litres of illegally refined AGO were seized around Oteghele, Obodo Omadino general area, he added.

Mr Adams-Aliu said the troops also seized a wooden boat laden with 1,500 litres of crude oil around Bille and Krakrama creeks in Rivers and another boat with about 100,000 litres of crude oil was around Egbessan oilfield, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

According to him, a wooden boat laden with 30,000 litres of illegally refined petrol was seized at Okirika axis in Rivers.

He said the troops on 27 March uncovered and deactivated a suspected cultist/kidnappers camp, four vandalised wellheads, eight illegal refining sites containing 40 ovens, 30 reservoirs, 50 dugout pits, with about 70,000 litres of crude oil, 25,000 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 15,000 litres of illegally refined kerosene.

He added that a storage facility with 15 jerrycans (30 litres) of illegally refined AGO was discovered around Bigimi, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, among others during the month.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, hereby reiterates that the Nigerian Navy will continue to intensify its operations in support of Nigerias economic activities, particularly the mandate to improve crude oil production as directed by President Bola Tinubu, he said.

(NAN)

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Ecobank Nigeria Limited, the local subsidiary of Lome-based Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, has initiated a legal action against Barbican Capital Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Flour Mills.

The lender in a court paper dated 3 April 2025 sought an order of interim injunction from the Federal High Court Lagos, restraining Barbican and seven others from taking any steps to amortize, dematerialize, compromise, sell, transfer or deal with the 6,314,116,229 collective aggregate shares of Barbican in FBN Holdings (now First HoldCo) pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice.

Honeywell Flour Mills, Siloam Global Services Limited, Otudeko Obafemi Adedamola (managing director of Honeywell Group Limited), Oyeleye Foluke, FBN Holdings Plc, Corporate Affairs Commission and the Nigerian Exchange are the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th defendants respectively in the suit.

Ecobank Nigeria also sought an order preventing the defendants from attempting to turn into cash or any negotiable instrument Honeywells dematerialised shares, pledged to the plaintiff in relation to the credit facility granted to the company to purchase the disputed shares.

Dispute

Ecobank Nigeria granted Honeywell Flour Mills and Siloam Global Services a number of credit facilities including a loan of N2.5 billion and another in the sum of N2.3 billion on 20 April 2010 and 14 December 2011 respectively, according to court papers seen by PREMIUM TIMES.

Following the alleged failure of the two loan beneficiaries to complete the repayment of the loan as and when due, the duo together with their sister company Anchorage Leisures Limited approached Federal High Court Lagos to file a lawsuit contending that they were no longer indebted to Ecobank Nigeria.

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Honeywell Flour Mills and Siloam Global Services claimed they had paid N3.5 billion out of a concession sum of N5.5 billion.

After eight years of legal warfare between the parties, the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2023 dismissed the appeal by the companies in which they had claimed they were no longer indebted to Ecobank Nigeria.

The debtor must pay all the debts that have accrued under the loan contract, the Supreme Court ruled.

Going by the affidavit sworn in support of a motion on notice by Jafaru Kupa, a finance officer at Ecobank Nigeria, the debt of the appellants (Honeywell Flour Mills, Siloam Global Services and Anchorage Leisures) to the bank had soared past N16 billion as of 23 January 2023.

Ecobank Nigeria then requested immediate settlement of the debt in accordance with the ruling of the court.

In response, the three companies launched another lawsuit against Ecobank Nigeria at the Lagos court, claiming that the Supreme Court judgment did not mention the specific amount due to the bank.

Prior to the commencement of the above-referenced judgment of the Supreme Court and suits in 2023, the 2nd defendant rather than await the decision of the Supreme Court divested a 71.69% stake (a majority stake) in its domain to one Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC on 29th April 2022 in a bid to overreach and frustrate all efforts of the plaintiff to recover its mammoth indebtedness, the affidavit noted.

In a further bid and a further brazen gait to annihilate the plaintiffs legal rights, the alter egos of the 2nd and 3rd defendant some of whom are represented by the 4th and 5th defendants sometime on 9th March 2023 (after the judgment of the Supreme Court) incorporated the first defendant herein with the 7th defendant, it added.

The court document further noted that Ecobank Nigeria was not aware of the purpose of incorporating Barbican until it became news that Barbican was a special purpose vehicle incorporated by its prime movers for the sole purpose of procuring a majority stake in FBN Holdings.

It also asserted that Barbicans share acquisition in FBN Holdings was done by using the proceeds of the disposal of the 71.69 per cent stake in Honeywell Flour and the shares pledged by Siloam Global Services to Ecobank Nigeria as security for the credit facilities.

I know of a fact that it is not in doubt that the debtor companies including the 2nd and 3rd defendants are indebted to the plaintiff in the sum of N20,890,183,433.00 (Twenty billion, eight hundred and ninety million, one hundred and eighty three thousand, four hundred and thirty three naira only), being their undisputed outstanding indebtedness to the plaintiff as at 20th March, 2025), Mr Gupa said in the affidavit.

Ecobank Nigerias prayers

Ecobank Nigeria is seeking a declaration from the Lagos court that by virtue of the Supreme Court judgment, the funds used by Barbican, Honeywell Flour Mills, Ms Oyeleye and Mr Otudeko in purchasing the FBN Holdings shares sequel to the said judgment are the property of the plaintiff.

It is also seeking an order of the court directing FBN Holdings and the Nigerian Exchange to rectify FBN Holdings register of shareholders to reflect Ecobank Nigeria as the substantive shareholders of the shares purchased in FBN Holdings by Barbican.

Ecobank Nigeria has asked the court to direct Honeywell Flour Mills to transfer to the lender the accumulated monetary value of the 618 million shares held by Siloam Global Services in Honeywell Flour Mills, which it pledged to Ecobank Nigeria as collateral for the facilities granted to the company.

Ecobank Nigeria is also requesting a perpetual order mandating FBN Holdings to recognise the former as the sole beneficiary of all the shares held directly or indirectly on behalf of Barbican and accordingly transfer the funds realised from the sale to Ecobank Nigeria in the cumulative sum of N20.9 billion.

The amount represents the outstanding indebtedness owed to Ecobank Nigeria in tandem with the judgment of the Supreme Court as at the 25th day of March 2025 and the interest thereon till the date of the final judgment in the suit.

Justice D.I Dipeolu, the presiding judge, adjourned the matter to 15 April for hearing the motion on notice.

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has re-arraigned Godwin Igbinoba, a professor, on degree peddling and forgery charges.

According to a statement shared by the anti-corruption agency posted via its X handle on Thursday, Mr Igbinoba was arraigned before trial judge A. N. Erhabor of the Edo State High Court in Benin City.

He pleaded not guilty to the three counts instituted against him.

The commission accused the don of unlawful award of academic degrees to members of the public via the Association of Professional Examination Board and the Association of Corporation of Chartered Secretaries, Benin City.

Mr Igbinoba was reportedly involved in a scheme that issued Bachelor of Science Degrees and National Diplomas without the necessary approvals from the key regulatory authorities like the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Board for Technical Education, or the National Universities Commission.

The statement added that Mr Igbinoba faces another charge of forgery of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Exemption Certificate, dated 12 March 2018, which he allegedly presented to one Osian Jude Tony. The commission said the act constituted an offence under section 465 of the Criminal Code Act.

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He was also charged with obtaining money under false pretence by luring unsuspecting members of the public into believing that the Associated Professional Examination Board and the Association of Corporation of Chartered Secretaries offered accredited educational programs leading to recognized qualifications. Under the scheme, students allegedly paid tuition fees into various bank accounts linked to the institution. The offence is said to be contrary to section 419 of the Criminal Code Act.

The defendant was initially arraigned before the former trial judge Efe Ikponmwonba.

However, the case had to start afresh following its reassignment to the new judge, Mr Erhabor.

Appearing before Mr Erhabor for the first time, Mr Igbinoba took his plea afresh, pleading not guilty to all charges.

At the proceedings, the defendants defence team was led by P. E. Chukwu, while that of the prosecution was led by D. N. Okoro of the ICPC legal department, Edo State office.

The defence urged the court to allow the bail earlier granted the defendant with the attached conditions and terms to remain in place, a request the judge granted.

Subsequently, the court postponed the case till 19 May for further proceedings.

Degree peddling

Degree peddling has remained a persistent challenge, with numerous Nigerians falling prey to fraudulent institutions, often based in neighboring countries.

In August 2024, PREMIUM TIMES reported the Nigerian governments discovery of about 21,600 so-called Nigerian graduates parading fake degrees obtained from degree mills institutions in Benin Republic, Togo and other countries.

The the-then Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, said, among other things, that 1,105 individuals had been identified to be holding fake degrees from Togo alone.

The problem had become alarming that the federal government had to set up, in March last year, an Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Fake Degree Certificate Milling, to probe the activities of certificate racketeers.

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of two properties linked to Aminu Garunbabba, a senior official of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), to the federal government.

The judge Obiora Egwuatu gave the order on Thursday following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which argued that the properties were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.

In a statement by the EFCC on Friday, the forfeited assets include a four-bedroom terrace maisonette with boys quarters located at Barumark Groove Estate, Plot 667, Cadastral Zone B03, Wuye District, Abuja, and a residential building at No. 5 Lodge Road, Kano State.

EFCC said the Abuja property was reportedly purchased for N65 million, while the Kano house was bought for N39 million.

EFCCs counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), moved the motion for final forfeiture pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and Section 44(2)(b) of the Nigerian constitution.

The commission had earlier obtained an interim forfeiture order in February 2022 and published the notice in national dailies, inviting any interested parties to show cause why the properties should not be permanently forfeited.

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At the resumed hearing on Thursday, the defence raised a preliminary objection, arguing that Mr Garunbabba was undergoing administrative disciplinary proceedings and could not simultaneously be subjected to a criminal investigation.

But Mr Egwuatu dismissed the objection, ruling that the forfeiture proceeding was non-conviction-based and distinct from a criminal trial.

This case targets properties suspected to be proceeds of crime. A criminal case requires proof beyond reasonable doubt, but in this instance, only reasonable suspicion is sufficient, the judge said.

The respondent failed to show that the funds used to purchase the properties were from legitimate earnings. Accordingly, the request for final forfeiture is granted.

The EFCC said the properties were traced to funds Mr Garunbabba allegedly diverted while claiming Duty Tour Allowances for fictitious trips between 2017 and 2018.

The agency said he fraudulently received over N341 million in DTA payments.

Assets recovery

Over the years, the EFCC has made assets recovery a part of its focus, relying on the non-conviction-based forfeiture process of court.

The commission announces the recovery of hundreds of billions of naira worth of assets recovered through the process.

In December 2024, the commission obtained a court order for the final forfeiture of a vast estate in Abuja, said to be the largest single-asset recovery since the EFCCs inception in 2003.

The estate, located in the Lokogoma District of the Federal Capital Territory and measuring 150,500 square metres, includes 753 housing units. It was reportedly built by a former top government official currently under investigation for money laundering.

Similarly, in February, the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the final forfeiture of N830 million, $4.7 million, and multiple properties linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele.

The EFCC argued that the assets were proceeds of unlawful activities.

Speaking on the agencys approach, EFCC chair Ola Olukoyede said asset recovery remains central to its anti-corruption strategy.

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One of the petitioners seeking the recall of Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, from the Senate has said they are preparing to resubmit a fresh petition after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rejected the initial one.

Sandra Musa, who spoke on behalf of the petitioners on the TVC breakfast show on Friday, insisted that theres no going back on the process to recall Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan.

It doesnt mean that the process has been put on a halt, and so we are believing that once we are able to meet up with the level of compliance that they need for it to be adequate, the process will definitely take its course, she said.

INEC had earlier rejected the petition for failing to meet the threshold outlined in Section 69(a) of the Nigerian Constitution, which requires that at least 50 per cent plus one of the registered voters in a constituency must sign a recall petition.

According to INEC, only 208,132 of the 474,554 registered voters in Kogi Central signed the petition, amounting to 43.86 per cent and falling short by 29,146 signatures.

Despite this, Mrs Musa stated that verified signatures from INEC were encouraging after it gave the petitioners hope that they could get the required signatures.

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The people in her compound, are they up to 5,000? And what we heard from INEC, being an independent body, has already made us understand that over 208,000 signatures have been verified. So, Ill leave that to the public to judge, she added.

How the recall started

The attempt to recall Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan began in early March when some constituents gathered to initiate the process. The process was met with criticism and allegations that the petitioners were financially induced.

On 24 March, a faction from her constituency, known as the Concerned Kogi Youth and Women, formally submitted the petition to INEC headquarters in Abuja.

In a letter 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.

Initially, INEC detected errors in the petition. The commission said the petition submitted 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 missing information, allowing the process to proceed and assured of being transparent with the process.

After receiving the necessary details, INEC proceeded with the verification process and officially notified the presiding officers of the Senate and Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan of the recall petition.

A few days later, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan reacted to the recall process, describing it as a fraudulent act.

Also, the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Monday vacated an ex-parte injunction that had initially granted her some relief on 20 March.

Accusation of incitement

Mrs Musa also criticised the visit by Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan to her constituency for Eid-il-Fitr, accusing her of trying to incite the people against the Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, who had imposed a ban on political rallies ahead of her arrival.

Now, having to say she came home to explain, if you look at the video of what she came to do, she came to incite the people. That visit was more about name tagging people, blackmailing them of which every one of the persons she had called, even to the president, governor, who is the chief servant of the state, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has also got a level of followership.

Imagine if his followers would have also gotten angry from that. And thats why Im trying to say that a whole lot has been done to keep Kogi Central in a place of peace, in a place of calm, which we enjoy today. And thats why our people can go back home and have a whole lot of time to spend with their people, she said.

Concerns over representation at National Assembly

Mrs Musa also raised concerns about Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghans suspension from the Senate, which she claimed has left the constituency without effective representation.

What we discussed initially..I was making you understand that the people who voted her into office, she had never come back to them to say, these and these are the things that happened.

And so what we know is that she has been given a suspension for six months, and that is tentative one year. And that means that were going to be out of the dividends of democracy for that period of time, she said.

She said the senator could have avoided suspension by apologising to her colleagues, noting that her refusal had also affected her ability to pursue a personal sexual harassment claim.

And I was also making it clear then that she would have taken time to listen to her colleagues. If you look at the video, a whole lot of people were trying to talk to her and then she didnt listen to anyone. And then go for the option of having to apologise.

Now, if she had apologised, and then this issue of being suspended for six months did not come to be, it would have been possible for her to go on with her sexual harassment case, which like I always said, and I maintain, is a personal thing, Mrs Musa said.

Why Apoti-Uduaghan cannot apologise

However, Abdulrazaq Mamman, spokesperson for the Say No to Violence in Ebira Land Initiative, defended the senator, saying she cannot apologise at this point.

Mr Mamman added that the matter had already escalated beyond the point of reconciliation, and the suspension itself violated the senators rights under the constitution.

It takes a lot. Where we are, before it got here, the event has overtaken that issue of apology. At this juncture, apologising, is saying everything that has been said is not true. And she was suspended on the issue of misconduct.

If you say that shes disorderly and you have suspended her for six months, which is against the constitution, you say shes disorderly to her rules in the house, giving her six months is disorderly too. The way and manner that suspension is being approached, its nothing short of legislative recklessness, Mr Mamman said.

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The Nigerian police in Kaduna State have disowned and arrested Hadaina Hussaini following his social media post threatening attacks on Southerners living in Northern Nigeria in retaliation for the recent killing of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo State, in South-South Nigeria.

Mr Hussaini, who appears in police uniform in an image circulating online, issued the threat in a comment under a Facebook post.

The Kaduna State Police Command described Mr Hussaini in a statement on Friday as a dismissed member of a voluntary police outfit.

The statement, shared on the X wall of the Nigerian polices Complaints Response Unit (CRU), and signed by Mansir Hassan, the police spokesperson in Kaduna State, maintained that Mr Hussaini does not belong to the Nigeria Police Force and is not an officer of the police command in the state.

It is pertinent to note that his picture captured on police uniform as displayed on the social media, which is an improper dressing, is that of him when he was a member of the Police Special Constabulary attached to Kaduna State Constabulary Office, parts of the statement stated.

The statement said he was dismissed from the voluntary outfit about two years ago due to his questionable character.

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Notifying his arrest and promising that he will be charged in court, the police spokesperson urged members of the general public to carefully observe the identity card attached to the uniform which contains the word PSC/KD meaning Police Special Constabulary.

Similarly, the pictures of him in uniform were posted on the Facebook platform two (2) years ago, prior to his dismissal. The suspect has been arrested and will be charged to court upon the completion of preliminary investigations in accordance with extant laws.

Edo killings

The tragic incident Mr Hussaini threatened to avenge involved the lynching of 16 travellers mistaken for kidnappers, in Uromi, Edo State, in what has been described as a harrowing display of mob injustice. The incident occurred in March.

The victims, said to be hunters travelling from Rivers State to Kano for Sallah celebrations, were attacked by vigilante group members and youths.

The attackers blocked the victims vehicle, dragged them out one by one, beat them, and then set them ablaze after being labelled as kidnappers.

Prominent Nigerians and organizations including Atiku Abubakar, Amnesty International, Nigerian Bar Association condemned the incident.

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State similarly condemned the tragic incident and suspended illegal vigilante groups in the state.

During a visit to the families of the slain travellers, the governor promised justice would be done by bringing all the perpetrators to book.

The governor, who was in company with his Kano State counterpart, AbbaYusuf, promised to pay monetary compensation to the families, while commending the people of the Kano State for not resorting to retaliation in the wake of the incident.

The police in Edo State have announced the arrest of at least 14 suspects connected with the attacks.

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President Bola Tinubu has condemned the violent attack that claimed 52 lives in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, vowing that the assailants will face severe punishment.

The president said this in a statement signed by his aide, Bayo Onanuga.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that terrorists invaded six villages  Ruwi, Mangor, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti, and Tadai  in Bokkos LGA, killing and razing houses including foodstuffs.

Those killed in the raids include five minors who were burnt to ashes, according to the chairperson of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC), Farmasum Fuddang.

Although the Plateau Police Command is yet to issue an official statement on the attack, the state government said some suspects had been arrested by security agents deployed to the area.

Mr Tinubu extended his condolences to the families of those killed in the attacks.

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The report of another violent attack in communities in Plateau State by mindless gunmen saddens me, Mr Tinubu said. The latest attacks on defenceless citizens are unacceptable. I have directed security agencies to hunt down the attackers, and they will face severe punishment when apprehended.

Amnesty International, in a statement posted on Facebook, had called on the Nigerian authorities to end bloodshed in the North-central state.

The group estimated that 1,336 people were killed between December 2023 and February 2024 in the resurgence of violence in places like Mangu, Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi LGAs.

In early 2023, climate change-induced violence erupted in Mangu, pitting the Fulani herding and Mwaghavul farming communities against each other. More than 300 people died in the violence, according to an investigation by WikkiTimes, a grassroots newspaper in neighbouring Bauchi State.

The Mangu violence was followed by the 2023 Christmas Eve attack in Bokkos. The violence later escalated to Barkin Ladi.

ALSO READ: More than 50 killed in renewed attack on Plateau communities

However, Mr Tunubu noted that the intermittent attacks should have no place in our country at a time when we are working so hard to restore peace and order in all parts of our country.

This unfortunate incident will never dampen and slow us down in our duty to protect every Nigerian citizen. Instead, we will work harder to exterminate forces of evil wherever they are lurking in our country, he added.

He also commiserated with the Government of Plateau State and Governor Caleb Mutfwang, urging the affected communities to cooperate with the authorities and security agencies by volunteering information to catch the perpetrators and secure their communities.

The president, therefore, assured Governor Mutfwang of his support in ending the spate of wanton bloodletting on the Plateau.

He directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to work with state authorities to provide necessary support to the victims and bring immediate relief to the affected communities and those wounded during the attacks.

NEMA will work closely with the state to ensure that affected communities rebuild and recover, he said.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims families and all those affected by this senseless violence. No community should have to endure such tragedy, the President said, adding Nigerians must unite to foster peace and stability. I urge all citizensregardless of ethnic, religious, or political affiliationsto uphold the shared humanity that binds us all, embrace peace and reject retaliation.

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Whatever the case, the alpha males of South Sudan and Sudan: President Salvar Kiir, Riek Machar and Generals al-Burhan and Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, need to be brought to justice for the senseless wars in their countries.

The African labour centre, the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), in April 2013, marked its 40th Anniversary. The anniversary lecture was delivered by then African Union Commission Chair, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

The trade union centre of the newest country in the world, the South Sudan Workers Trade Union Federation delegation rose up at the conference to invite the continents trade unions to meet in Juba.

A few weeks later, as the then OATUU Secretary General, I called the South Sudan labour president, Honourable Sinon Dieng, to arrange the meeting, only to find that he had become a refugee in Kenya. There had been political tensions in the country and he and some South Sudanese had fled the country. That was the beginning of the countrys civil war, which, over the next five years, claimed four hundred thousand lives.

The conflicts took the shape of an inter-ethnic fight led by President Salvar Kiir against Vice President Riek Machar. The signal for the current armed conflict was the 26 March arrest of the former.

Information minister and government spokesman, Michael Makuei Lueth, accused Machar of directing his forces to rebel against the government with the aim of disrupting peace so that elections are not held and South Sudan goes back to war.

In response to the arrest, Machars SPLM/IO party declared that: The prospect for peace and stability in South Sudan has now been put into serious jeopardy. Reath Muoch Tang, chairman of the partys foreign relations committee, claimed that unclear charges have been brought against Machar in violation of subsisting peace agreements and the constitution.

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While the African Union (AU) has sent a peace mission to ensure a de-escalation, the United States (US) has asked President Kiir to free his First Vice President. Its Bureau of African Affairs said, We urge President Kiir to reverse this action and prevent further escalation of the situation.

The United Nations Head of Mission in South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, claimed that barrel bombs believed to contain inflammable liquid had already been used in the latest conflict. He said this had caused significant casualties and horrific burns on peoples in communities across the Upper Nile.

I had concluded that the UN and AU need to be empowered to enforce peace. And that, There will never be a solution unless the butchers in South Sudan are made aware that they face arrest and prosecution for crimes against humanity, if they refuse or fail to allow peace reign in the country. Unless these steps are taken, peace is likely to elude South Sudan for a long time.

The UN official added that unless the situation is quickly arrested, these events could lead to, A conflict (which) would erase all the hard-won gains made since the 2018 peace deal was signed It would devastate not only South Sudan but the entire region, which simply cannot afford another war.

But Makuei, while confirming the bombings, disputed the UN chiefs claims that non-combatants have been affected, The bombardment was strictly against White Army positions and did not harm civilians.

Apparently, the conflict has been internationalised. The Chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, Yasmin Sooka, claims that Ugandan troops and their battle tanks have crossed into South Sudan, potentially violating the UN arms embargo. The UN seems quite worried by the renewed conflicts, as it has an estimated 18,000 peacekeepers in South Sudan.

Machars group has made similar allegations. In a statement, it said, The Ugandan forces are currently taking part in air strikes against civilians in counties of Nasir, Longechuk and Ulang in Upper Nile State, and Akobo County in Jonglei State.

There had been fightings in the northern Upper Nile state, with the armed forces taking on the White Army militia which used to be affiliated with Machars forces. So, the government accused the latter of being involved in the fighting.

I am not surprised about the renewed conflict in South Sudan. In my 4 March, 2016 column titled, The Butchers of Juba, I had analysed that, The crisis and its seeming intractable nature are due to a combination of personal ambition, the rich oil resource of South Sudan, national interests of neighbours like Uganda and the lack of a pan-national agenda.

I had concluded that the UN and AU need to be empowered to enforce peace. And that, There will never be a solution unless the butchers in South Sudan are made aware that they face arrest and prosecution for crimes against humanity, if they refuse or fail to allow peace reign in the country. Unless these steps are taken, peace is likely to elude South Sudan for a long time.

Until 2005, South Sudan was part of Sudan. The breakup of that country has merely led to new fault lines. As such, a further split of South Sudan on whatever lines would be no solution, and may lead to further splits. The solution is to rein in Kiir and Machar, evolve a self-governing system based on democratic values and the sovereignty of the people of the country. There is also the need to check the meddlesomeness of foreign powers and neigbouring countries.

Given the fact that both sides rely on various countries, the AU or the UN, levelling on this, need to convene an international peace conference that can force a ceasefire. Negotiations should include what is left of the civil groups. A transition agreement needs be reached, which would lead to a civil democratic process.

In the case of Sudan, the spiralling armed conflict that has led to the ongoing massacres and the split of the country into two, is mainly due to the incomplete mass uprising which terminated the al-Bashar regime, and the right wing counter-coup.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, RSF, led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo alias Hemedti, had conspired to abort the peoples democratic movement by overthrowing the transition Sudanese government and dividing the country as spoils of war.

The RSF had evolved from the Janjaweed, a vicious militant group that was used for ethnic cleansing in Darfur in which over 200,000 people were killed.

The European Union then strengthened the RSF by funding it in return for the militia using force to stop immigrants crossing into Europe through the Red Sea.

In the struggle for power between the two groups, Iran has thrown its weight behind the army, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has provided funds and arms for the RSF. The rival groups had begun fighting on 15 April, 2023. Since then, over 150,000 Sudanese have been killed and some 14 million displaced.

Given the fact that both sides rely on various countries, the AU or the UN, levelling on this, need to convene an international peace conference that can force a ceasefire. Negotiations should include what is left of the civil groups. A transition agreement needs be reached, which would lead to a civil democratic process. The alternative would be both groups fighting until one side is broken. That may not be in the immediate, and the remnants of the defeated side may continue the conflict at the various levels, including banditry.

Whatever the case, the alpha males of South Sudan and Sudan: President Salvar Kiir, Riek Machar and Generals al-Burhan and Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, need to be brought to justice for the senseless wars in their countries.

Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author.

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First, it is said that those killed were hunters who were residing in Port Harcourt and traveling to the North. If so, why were they traveling with their weapons, as reported? And, were their guns registered with the police as required under the law? Also, what hunting takes place in a largely riverine Rivers State?.. If they were travelling from Port Harcourt, what business do they have in the Esan rainforest that is heavily infested with Fulani bandits/terrorists, from where Dangote truck picked them?

On 27 March, sixteen persons were killed in Uromi on suspicion of being Fulani bandits/terrorists. They were said to be hunters travelling from Port Harcourt to some northern states.

President Bola Tinubu, who expressed, shock at the dastardly act, directed security agencies, to conduct swift and thorough investigations and punish suspected culprits. Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo described it as, barbaric and vicious and ordered a full scale investigation into the matter. He vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Speaker Abbas Tajudeen called it, barbaric, cowardly, unacceptable and one of the most cowardly acts seen in decades. Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin who condemned it as barbaric, inhumane, and devilish, urged security agencies to quickly swing into action to arrest the evildoers and ensure that they are punished in line with gravity of their criminal acts.

The Northern States Governor Forum portrayed it as appalling and gross violation of human rights, adding that the act undermines the rule of law and the very fabric of our society.

The indignation and widespread condemnation is understandable. However, questions arise which demand answers.

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First, it is said that those killed were hunters who were residing in Port Harcourt and traveling to the North. If so, why were they traveling with their weapons, as reported? And, were their guns registered with the police as required under the law? Also, what hunting takes place in a largely riverine Rivers State?

If they were travelling from Port Harcourt, what business do they have in the Esan rainforest that is heavily infested with Fulani bandits/terrorists, from where Dangote truck picked them? What would make a traveler to Uromi area give intelligence information that bandits/terrorists were being loaded in a truck?

Under this situation, how would Uromi youths differentiate between hunters and bandits/terrorists, more so when they were found in a notorious place infested with bandits/terrorists? What about the huge sums of money allegedly found on them during the search? Why was the money not displayed? Was any prey/game found in the truck? If yes, why were they not displayed?

Is Governor Okpebholo unaware that the desperate actions by some Uromi youths are desperate measures  even if unjustified  to tackle the highly desperate security crisis in Uromi? Is he unaware that over two hundred people have been killed by Fulani bandits/terrorists in the last few months, not to talk of the injured, maimed, and permanently disabled?

Undoubtedly, Nigerians have the right to move freely within the country. But does this freedom give people the right to go hunting in regions where they are unknown? Will Kano State rulers tolerate strange Uromi people from the remote rainforest to freely hunt in their savannah environment?

When, reportedly, the truck was stopped and being searched, why were the traveling hunters hidden under tarpaulin? Why did one of them reportedly draw out a knife and stab a vigilante? Was he afraid? If yes, why? Could it be that the blood that oozed from the vigilante was what provoked the youths to descend on them?

Why did the vigilante not handover the traveling hunters to the police for investigation? Could it be due to their past experiences, whereby whenever bandits/terrorists were arrested and handed over to police, they were allegedly released?

Or could it be due to the constant boast of bandits/terrorists that they would be released when handed over to police; that they own Nigeria, and are, therefore, untouchable? Why did it even take the police almost two hours to arrive at the scene?

The Uromi people are one of the most, if not the most, peace-loving people in Edo State. Christianity, Islam, and traditional religion are practiced there. They have intermarried with the Hausawa (Hausa people). Besides, they have over one-hundred years of mutually beneficial commercial relationship with traders from the North! So why would they kill the sixteen people? Could it be due to the years of violence perpetrated by Fulani bandits/terrorists?

The bandits/terrorists are notorious for kidnapping, collecting ransom, destroying farms, harvesting crops to feed their animals or to sell, slaughtering farmers on their farms, killing kidnapped peoples after huge ransom payment, sometimes setting corpses ablaze, organ harvesting, and, most painful and disgraceful, raping girls, women and even men in their farms.

Is Governor Okpebholo unaware that the desperate actions by some Uromi youths are desperate measures  even if unjustified  to tackle the highly desperate security crisis in Uromi? Is he unaware that over two hundred people have been killed by Fulani bandits/terrorists in the last few months, not to talk of the injured, maimed, and permanently disabled?

What did Governor Okpebholo do when women openly sang, cried, and demonstrated against the increasing insecurity in Edo State? Why did he not for once leave Benin to pacify the women, sympathise, solidarise and empathise with them, and give them assurance that concrete actions will be taken against Fulani bandits/terrorists in the state?

Does he think that buying seventy-five security vehicles for patrols is enough to tackle insecurity? Does he not know that kidnapping, banditry and terrorism take place in farms? Is ordering the houses of informants/collaborators to be destroyed, enough measure to tackle insecurity?

Was his attention not drawn to the recent speech of the Director-General, State Security Service, Mr Adeola Ajayi, that governments should, allow some level of armament for the communities (to) defend themselves, because it is impossible to deploy security forces everywhere? That, besides, our culture is communal, implying that banditry/terrorism should be collectively and communally fought!

Does Okpebholo not know that by scrapping the Uromi Vigilante squad, he has rendered the Uromi people defenceless and handed them over to be terrorised and killed? If he is providing alternative security measures, why did he not do so before 27 March? Why now?

Is he not aware that during the Buhari administration, when banditry/terrorism flowered, blossomed, and developed to what it is today, General Theophilus Danjuma called on Nigerians to take up arms and defend themselves against Fulani banditry/terrorism?

Was his attention not drawn to the recent speech of the Director-General, State Security Service, Mr Adeola Ajayi, that governments should, allow some level of armament for the communities (to) defend themselves, because it is impossible to deploy security forces everywhere? That, besides, our culture is communal, implying that banditry/terrorism should be collectively and communally fought!

Uromi violence is definitely outright hostile, dastardly vicious, cowardly barbaric, extremely horrific, highly inhuman, terribly gruesome and very disturbing. Yet, the Uromi vigilante squad arose out of a desperate desire by Uromi people to desperately tackle serious insecurity, resist moves by Fulani bandits/terrorists to waste their lives, and take over their lands.

Therefore, the bandits/terrorists should, first and foremost, be held responsible for the violence. Without the acts of banditry/terrorism, there will be no act of resistance.

Past and present Edo State governors should equally be held responsible for the Uromi violence. If they had done what the Yoruba governors did with Amotekun in their states, or the current Zamfara governor is doing with Yan Sakai in his state, the violence that happened would most probably never have happened.

The Federal Government (FG) is largely to be blamed. Admittedly, it has made significant improvement in security matters in Hausa land since 29 May, 2023. Terrorist camps have been successfully disbanded, and many terrorist leaders eliminated. But these successes have led to the mass exodus of the terrorists to the Middle Belt and Southern states.

Actions should be taken against the Uromi violence. But so must action must be taken against the Fulani bandits/terrorists roaming Edo State. The state government should be called out for being highly unserious in combating insecurity. So also should the Federal Government, which has been dilly-dallying on the security and welfare of Nigerians.

To concentrate on the Uromi violence and turn a blind eye on others, will be one-sided, double-standard, and unacceptable. In this situation, the victims of banditry/terrorism have the inalienable and moral right to legally and politically resist state hypocrisy, within and outside Nigeria.

Ahmed Aminu-Ramatu Yusuf worked as deputy director, Cabinet Affairs Office, The Presidency, and retired as General Manager (Administration), Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NiMet). Email: [email protected]

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As Africas most populous nation, Nigeria must emulate its economic counterparts in embracing the free trade agreement which promises significant economic benefits. Nigeria can overcome its trade barriers and foster economic growth by harmonising its trade tariff with state parties. It should also invest in specialised technologies to effectively manage security threats without imposing restrictive border controls.

In 2018, more than 40 member states of the African Union signed the Africa Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA) agreement after its adoption in Kigali, Rwanda.

The AfCFTA agreement aims to create a single continental market for goods and services in Africa, reduce trade barriers and boost intra-Africa trade. If fully implemented, it is projected to propel regional expansion worth $3.4 trillion. It is also projected to boost foreign direct investments and increase exports to the rest of the world by 32 per cent.

However, the national implementation of the agreement has been slow. Signatories like Nigeria, one of Africas leading economies, still contend with problems such as protectionism and insecurity, which delays its participation in the continental market. The treaty contains provisions such as free border exchange and trade tariff reduction seeking to facilitate economic integration. But this depends on state parties implementing the treatys trade mechanism.

Overcoming the Protectionist Dilemma

The Nigerian government has been shielding its local industries from foreign competition for decades, implementing restrictive trade measures to prevent the importation of cheaper products from countries such as the Republic of Benin. Benin is Nigerias neighbour to the west and has been a key re-exporter of cheaper foodstuff into the country.

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One of the trade measures Nigeria took included the implementation of the border closure policy in 2019, under the Buhari-led administration.

The border closure policy defines the governments decision to halt all trade and movement of goods and people across its land borders with neighbouring countries, primarily to curb smuggling, mitigate insecurity and boost local production.

Although all closed borders had been opened as of March 2024, citizens continue to decry the indelible impact it has had on the economy.

In January 2025, members of the National Assembly criticised the border closure policy, describing it as an ineffective and self-deceptive approach that affected the country, hampering economic fortunes and regional trade. The AfCFTA agreement promises an economic boost, but Nigeria is still holding back in its full implementation.

Aside from border restrictions, Nigeria has also been reluctant to remove tariffs, especially on in-demand agricultural produce like rice and sugar. As of 2024, the country maintained a tax rate of 70 per cent on rice and 75 per cent on sugar imported into the country.

Nigerias protective measures counter AfCFTAs goal of free exchange between signatory states and, in turn, prevents the country from partaking in the benefits of AfCFTA. But the narrative can be changed.

The West African nation can facilitate its involvement in the continents free trade initiative, first, by officially gazetting its tariff concessions under the trade mechanism.

As part of its efforts to promote free exchange, the agreement requires state parties to harmonise all tariff policies, aiming for a 90 per cent reduction on non-sensitive import goods. Adoption would yield an increase in imports and potentially propel an economy attractive to foreign direct investment. Countries like South Africa, Rwanda and Ghana are practical examples of states whose economies have significantly developed since gazetting their tariff concessions.

As of December 2024, South Africas energy sector acquired over US$7 billion in foreign direct investments.

Leveraging Advanced Technology to Tackle Insecurity

Another challenge that has prevented Nigeria from implementing AfCFTAs open border policy is insecurity. Insecurity remains one of the biggest barriers to free movement across Nigerias borders.

The country has encountered a series of security issues, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and ethnic violence in border areas like North-East Benin and North-West Nigeria. Nigerias security issues have led to even stricter border regulation, which it fears the free movement provisions of the AfCFTA might undermine.

However, Nigeria can sustainably contain security issues while ensuring an open border. To achieve this, the state should subscribe to investing in advanced technologies like border surveillance systems, such as drones, satellite monitoring, and biometric systems, to enhance border security. This infrastructure will enable the detection and prevention of illegal movements, smuggling, and cross-border crime.

As Africas most populous nation, Nigeria must emulate its economic counterparts in embracing the free trade agreement which promises significant economic benefits. Nigeria can overcome its trade barriers and foster economic growth by harmonising its trade tariff with state parties. It should also invest in specialised technologies to effectively manage security threats without imposing restrictive border controls.

Favour Adeboye is a development journalist and a Free Trade fellow at Ominira Initiative.

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Theres no conspiracy among mothers. Across all species, mothers stop producing milk when the job is done. Growth slows, and the sugar supply shuts off Just because we can digest milk doesnt mean we need to. Capability is not the same as necessity Galactose is a remarkable molecule. In the right context, it helps build a body. But when the blueprint is complete, its okay to let the architect rest.

Theres a quiet sugar that most people never think about: galactose. It doesnt show up on most food labels. Its not as famous as glucose or as controversial as fructose. But galactose plays a powerful role early in life  especially in nursing infants and in plants.

So what makes galactose so important  and why does it matter if were still consuming it long after childhood?

Unlike sweet fruits or nectar, which plants offer in exchange for pollination or seed dispersal, galactose is produced without any outside bargain. Its not a sugar of temptation. Its a sugar of structure.

In plants, galactose helps build the cell wall  the sturdy framework that gives plants their shape and resilience. It also shows up in sugars that help seeds survive drought and cold. Galactose, in nature, is precise and controlled. Its not used for quick energy. Its used to build.

The same goes for human biology. Galactose makes its debut in breast milk, where it pairs with glucose to form lactose  the primary sugar in milk. But this isnt just a source of calories. Lactose delivers galactose to help infants build the brain, nervous system, and connective tissues. Its the architect of early development.

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And then, nature does something very intelligent: it stops.

As babies grow, their bodies produce less of the enzyme that breaks down lactose. This shift, known as weaning, is natures way of saying, The building is complete. For most of human history, this was the norm. Milk came during growth, and stopped when growth slowed.

But in the modern world, we never really stop. Milk is everywhere  from breakfast cereals to smoothies, from cheese to protein bars. And with every serving comes more galactose, long after our bodies need it.

So what happens to it?

Without growth to support, galactose is rerouted through a process called the Leloir pathway and eventually turned into glucose. It may be used for energy, or stored as fat. But unlike glucose, galactose is a reactive sugar  its more prone to binding with proteins and contributing to what scientists call glycation; a process linked to inflammation and aging.

In simple terms, galactose that once built the brain may, over time, contribute to its wear and tear.

Some experts and influencers promote milk as a lifelong superfood. But this overlooks the purpose milk was designed to serve. Its not about demonising dairy  its about understanding its timing. Milk is a message, not a mandate. And nature already wrote the ending: Its called weaning.

Theres no conspiracy among mothers. Across all species, mothers stop producing milk when the job is done. Growth slows, and the sugar supply shuts off.

Just because we can digest milk doesnt mean we need to. Capability is not the same as necessity.

Galactose is a remarkable molecule. In the right context, it helps build a body. But when the blueprint is complete, its okay to let the architect rest.

Mukaila Kareem, a doctor of physiotherapy and physical activity advocate writes from the USA and can be reached via [email protected]

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Amnesty International and former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar have reacted to recent killings of residents of Plateau, North-Central Nigeria.

TheCable reported that some gunmen reportedly maimed on 2 April no fewer than 10 residents of five communities in Bokkos Local Government Area of the state.

The attackers were said to have invaded Mangor Tamiso, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti and Tadai communities when they struck, leaving a number of houses destroyed.

The attack is coming a week after gunmen attacked another community in the same area.

Reactions, condemnation

Reaction to the attack, Amnesty International, a global human rights watchdog, expressed concerns about how more deadly attacks have brought the death toll in Bokkos LGA of Plateau State to over 40 persons, with hundreds displaced, amidst fears of more attacks.

People of Ruwi, Mangor, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti, and Tadai have been repeatedly attacked and have been living in fear, always bracing themselves up for the next attack. Apart from killing people, the attackers also razed entire villages, deliberately destroying homes and farms, the group said in a series of tweets on its X wall.

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The human rights body said it documented an alarming escalation in attacks in Plateau state, where 1,336 people were killed between December 2023 and February 2024.

It said its findings revealed that many affected villages were in Mangu, Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas.

Apart from the reported security forces failure to heed warnings or respond in time to save lives, the fact that no perpetrators have been brought to justice leaves rural communities of #Plateau state feeling completely helpless and at the mercy of ruthless gunmen, the statement added.

In a similar vein, Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential flag-bearer in the 2023 general elections, described the recent killings as an unending gory story in our land.

In his post on the incident via his X handle, the politician worried that Nigerians are normalising mass killings and mass burials as a way of life in our nation, with communities now living in fear and no longer have a livelihood either in their farms or in their markets, without being killed, kidnapped, and maimed.

How long will these killings, kidnapping, maiming and criminality continue in our nation that is not at war?How long must we wait to act decisively and focus on this drastic situation that is crippling our nation? How many more must die before the government acts for the people? Mr Obi wondered.

He said that a number of communities like Bokkos in Plateau, Jato-Aka in Benue, Eha-Amufu in Enugu, Ufuma in Anambra, and Aba Oyinbo in Ondo deserve government protection.

He called for an end to the incessant killings, describing them as terror and extremely unacceptable.

He said no Nigerian should live in fear as authorities must do what it takes to protect the citizens.

The government and security agencies must ensure that these killings are stopped, concrete steps are made to prevent future occurrences, and those arrested face the justice they deserve, he said.

Also condemning the attack, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria and the 2023 Peoples Democratic Partys presidential candidate, blamed the issue on the weak security system under President Bola Tinubu.

According to him, the failure of Mr Tinubus security architecture has now become an endemic nationwide phenomenon with repeated killings, more of which do not even make the headlines.

I wish to restate my counsel to the Tinubu-led FG to reconfigure its security architecture to meet the needs of protecting the lives and properties of our people, he wrote in a statement signed by him.

Not the first time

Armed men killed scores when they invaded several communities in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State on 2023 Christmas Eve.

About a week later the Nigerian Senate summoned the-then Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director-General of State Security Services (SSS), Yusuf Bichi, over the killings.

The summons was sequel to a motion sponsored by Diket Plang (APC, Plateau Central) at one of the plenaries of the countrys legislative chamber.

Despite the claims by the Nigerian Army that its operatives had identified all the challenges in the lead-up to the killings in the state and its promise to take necessary measures to tackle the issue, the killings continue amidst growing concern of fears and tensions in the region.

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Fifty-two people, including minors, have been reported dead in coordinated attacks on some communities in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Although Bokkos has witnessed a series of violence, including the 2023 Christmas Eve attack that claimed more than 100 lives, the recent attacks started on 28 March when suspected cattle herders killed 10 mourners in Ruwi community.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the assailants raided at least six villages  Ruwi, Mangor, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti, and Tadai  killing and razing houses as well as foodstuffs.

Some victims of the renewed violence have been given a mass burial while locals continued to search nearby bushes for people still missing.

The Chairperson of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC), Farmasum Fuddang, told journalists on Friday that 31 people were given a mass burial on Thursday. According to him, five minors were burnt to ashes in Hurti village, while 11 others were killed in Ruwi.

Mr Fuddang added that four people were killed in Manguna and one other in Dafo.

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

Suspects arrested

While the Plateau Police Command is yet to issue an official statement about the raids, the state government said some suspects have been arrested.

When contacted, Alfred Alabo, the spokesperson for the Plateau State Police Command, declined to comment. He told our reporter to wait for an official statement.

However, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, revealed that security agencies deployed to the area arrested some suspects.

Ms Ramnap, who disclosed this in a statement, said the arrest will hopefully help in stemming the tide of this ugly situation.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang and his administration remain fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of all Plateau residents, she said.

Noting that the governor had deployed strategic measures to enhance intelligence gathering, surveillance and rapid response mechanisms in collaboration with security operatives, the commissioner urged residents to cooperate with law enforcement to facilitate the identification and apprehension of those responsible for these heinous acts.

She also advised residents to exercise restraint and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International, in a statement posted on Facebook, has called on Nigerian authorities to end bloodshed in the North-central state.

The group estimated that 1,336 people were killed between December 2023 and February 2024 in the resurgence of violence in places like Mangu, Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi LGAs.

In early 2023, climate change-induced violence erupted in Mangu, pitting the Fulani herding and Mwaghavul farming communities against each other. More than 300 people died in the violence, according to an investigation by WikkiTimes, a grassroots newspaper in neighbouring Bauchi State.

The 2023 Christmas Eve attack in Bokkos followed the Mangu violence. The violence later escalated to Barkin Ladi.

Apart from the reported security forces failure to heed warnings or respond in time to save lives, the fact that no perpetrators have been brought to justice leaves rural communities of Plateau State feeling completely helpless and at the mercy of ruthless gunmen, Amnesty said and called on Nigerian authorities to independently investigate all these deaths and ensure accountability by bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Amnesty added that the spate of killings was evidence of the failure of authorities to protect the people.

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The police have invited the Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, to Abuja, the nations capital, over an alleged murder during the last Sundays sallah festivities in Kano.

The police in Kano had earlier said they were probing the killing of a man during the procession on Sunday.

The violence occurred after Emir Sanusi returned home from Eid prayers. He went to the Eid prayer ground on foot, but returned to the palace riding a horse.

The police had invited the emirs aide Wada Isyaku, who holds the title of Shamakin Kano, over alleged violation of a ban on durbar, usually held to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The police and other security agencies in the state had banned the event, in pursuit of safe and secure celebration and to sustain the relative peace and public order in the state.

On Saturday the police in a letter dated 4 April, signed by Olajide Ibitoye, a Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, said Mr Sanusi was invited following a directive of the Inspector-General of Police.

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The letter requested the emir to report to the Force Intelligence Department headquarters in Abuja on 8 April, by 10 a.m.

Basis for the invitation

Violence erupted as Emir Sanusis encourage made its way back to the palace. Reports say some hoodlums threw sachets of water on the emir, which triggered violence that was promptly quelled by the police. Teargas was fired to disperse the rowdy crowd.

Also, on Tuesday, Mr Sanusi visited Governor Abba Yusuf to pay Sallah homage. The visit was delayed due to obstructions caused by the presence of the rival emir, Ado Bayero, on State Road.

Mr Sanusi was forced to use a longer route to the Kano State Government House in a convoy of cars.

The mini-palace occupied by the embattled 15th Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, is situated on State Road, about 300 metres from the Government House. On the day, it overflowed with Sallah activities as supporters paid homage to the palace.

Security agents barricaded the road from the main emirs palace (Gidan Rumfa), the traditional route the emir takes to the Government House.

Mr Sanusis entourage therefore followed the road from the main palace through Sabuwar Kofa, BUK Road, Zaria Road, Gadar Lado, and Tarauni Junction.

When returning to the palace, Mr Sanusi rode through Lodge Road, Nasarawa Hospital, Bank Road, Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kofar Mata and Shahuci.

His supporters were seen in a viral video singing to mock the polices ban on the durbar procession.

If we cant use horses for the Sallah durbar we can use cars, they sang while at the Government House.

READ ALSO: Police probe killing during Emir Sanusis Sallah procession

A Kano Emirate official told PREMIUM TIMES the emir did not violate the ban on durbar. What happened during the sallah celebration was not durbar, said the official, who asked not to be named because he had no permission to discuss the matter. The emir only rode a horse back to his palace after leading the Eid-el-Fitr prayers, in line with the practices of past Kano Emirs and the prophet of Islam. It was after the Emir passed that some hoodlums clashed and the police is free to investigate what happened.

The official said the Kano State Government was aware and approved the movement of the emir on sallah day and the day after.

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An All Progressive Congress (APC) gubernatorial aspirant in Anambra, Paul Chukwuma, has resigned from the party ahead of its primary election slated for 5 April.

Mr Chukwuma disclosed this in a resignation letter addressed to the APC Ward Chairman, Ward Two, Umueri, Anambra East Local Government Area of the state.

He made the letter available on Friday to journalists in his country home, Umueri in Anambra East Local Government Area of the state.

The aspirant did not give details about the issue or his next line of action but promised to continue to support the party and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu to better the country.

In his letter, he notified the party of his resignation as (a) card carrying member of the APC.

Rest assured of my support to our shared progressive ideas as I will devote more time to pursuing the realisation of a safe and prosperous Anambra state of our dream.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the national leadership of the party had cleared seven governorship aspirants to contest the 5 April primary election in the state.

They included Mr Chukwuma, Nicholas Ukachukwu, Obiora Okonkwo, Chukwuma Umeoji, Valentine Ozigbo, Johnbosco Onunkwo and Edozie Madu.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had scheduled the state governorship election for 8 November, as one of the off-cycle polls in the nations election calendar.

(NAN)

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Gunmen have killed two Chinese nationals in Uturu, a community in Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigerias South-east.

The incident, PREMIUM TIMES gathered, happened at about 5:30 p.m. on Friday when the hoodlums ambushed a convoy of the Chinese nationals.

The attackers also killed a police inspector attached to the convoy and abducted two other police operatives and four other Chinese nationals in the convoy.

Sources told this newspaper on Saturday that the victims were heading to a company belonging to the Chinese expatriates at Agukwu-Amaya, Ndundu Community in the council area when they were ambushed by the assailants.

Maureen Chinaka, the police spokesperson in Abia State, confirmed the development in a statement on Saturday.

Ms Chinaka, a deputy superintendent of police, identified the slain Chinese nationals simply as Mr Quan and Mr Cai.

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 spokesperson identified the slain police inspector as Audu Saidu, and said the hoodlums carted away his rifle during the attack.

She said the victims were killed after a joint security team engaged the hoodlums in a shootout.

Ms Chinaka, however, said the abducted officers and four Chinese nationals had been rescued by the joint security team comprising the police, military, and other security agencies.

She said the joint security team stormed the scene of the incident in response to a distress call about the attack.

Upon receiving the information, operatives from Abia State Command, in a joint operation with the military and other sister agencies, launched a search mission.

As a result, three Chinese expatriates were rescued unhurt, while one sustained injuries, she said.

Continuing, the police spokesperson said: Inspector Uba Ahmed, who was also rescued, suffered gunshot injury on his leg.

Today (Saturday), tactical team operatives of the command, led by the deputy commissioner of police (operations), visited the crime scene as part of the ongoing search and rescue efforts.

Through collaborative action involving the police, the military, and local community members, Inspector Ijeagwa Friday was also rescued unhurt.

Ms Chinaka said both the injured officers and the expatriate were still receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

She said the Commissioner of Police in Abia State, Danladi Isa, has assured residents of the state that the attackers would be tracked down.

Mr Isah urged the residents to remain security conscious, and support the police by reporting to them any suspicious persons, vehicles, or activities for action.

Increased attacks

Like other states in Nigerias South-east, security has deteriorated in Abia with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

Meanwhile, no group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack.

READ ALSO: Gunmen abduct Ebonyi govt official

However, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been linked to some deadly attacks in the South-east and South-South.

The group has, however, denied any involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the two regions.

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Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has expressed shock and sadness over the sudden passing of Tunde Oladunjoye, the All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesperson in the state.

Mr Oladunjoye, aged 58, reportedly passed away on Friday at an undisclosed hospital in the United Kingdom, where he was receiving medical treatment.

The governor, in a statement, described his death as a terrible loss, and praised his contributions to the party and the state government.

Mr Oladunjoye, who also served as a chief consultant to the Ogun State Government, was remembered by the governor as a forthright, down-to-earth, and consummate politician, who always stood by his principles.

Receiving the news of the departure of our gallant, highly resourceful, uncommonly cerebral and hard working party spokesman and consultant, Tunde Oladunjoye, was devastating to me.

This is tragic news that is, frankly, difficult to fathom; one death too many, but still we acknowledge the sovereignty of Almighty God who has chosen to call him home at this time, the governor 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 Governor Abiodun, Mr Oladunjoye was an exceptional party spokesperson, renowned for his brilliance and unwavering commitment.

He was also a passionate advocate for the administrations policies and programmes, consistently defending its image and ideals.

He was a voice of courage, and easily the best spokesman Ogun APC has ever produced. His contributions to the modest successes this Administration has recorded in various sectors cannot be overemphasized as I Commiserate with the family and Ogun APC.

His doggedness, tenacity and loyalty to the cause he believed shone through at all times, and there is no doubt that he contributed a lot in making Ogun APC a big brand. He was frank, down to earth, forthright, and focused, the governor added.

Governor Abiodun extended his deepest condolences to the Oladunjoye family, friends, and the Ogun APC.

Tunde Oladunjoye was a good man. He will be sorely missed! Mr Abiodun said.

Tunde Oladunjoyes life

An obituary released by Mr Oladunjoyes family described him as a man of exceptional honour, integrity, and boundless kindness who touched countless lives through his generosity, humility, and dedication to uplifting others.

Mr Oladunjoye, who hailed from Ijebu-Itele in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, was a multifaceted personality whose career spanned journalism, politics, and the arts.

He covered prestigious events like the Cannes Film Festival and the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou.

His journalistic expertise took him to global stages, including the World Economic Forum in Switzerland and the World Hunger Summit in the UK.

He served as a media adviser to Nigerias Minister for Agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina, and later as a national media consultant for the World Bank/FGN project on FADAMA III.

A poet at heart, Oladunjoye edited Activist Poets: An Anthology of Nigerian Pro-democracy Activists, published in 2002.

His work earned him recognition as a resource person to UNESCO and a peer reviewer with the World Bank.

Mr Oladunjoyes leadership roles included chairperson of Ogun State Television (OGTV), board member of the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation, and member of the Governing Council of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED).

He was also named United Nations Youth Ambassador for World Peace in 2008.

He was a former chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area in Ogun State.

Mr Oladunjoye was the running mate to the Peoples Democratic Partys governorship candidate, Tunji Olurin, in the 2011 Ogun State governorship election. Mr Olurin himself passed away in 2021.

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NEW YORK, April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --

Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of securities of Bakkt Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BKKT) between March 25, 2024 and March 17, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period") a class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the court no later than June 2, 2025.

So what: If you purchased Bakkt 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 Bakkt class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5546 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 2, 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, during the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) misrepresented the stability and/or diversity of its crypto services revenue; (2) failed to disclose Bakkt's Crypto services revenue was substantially dependent on a single contract with Webull; (3) misrepresented its ability to maintain key client relationships; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about Bakkt's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Bakkt class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5546 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.
CHICAGO, April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a historic moment, BlackDoctor.org (BDO) inducts its first class into the inaugural TBH Hall of Fame, BDOs highest distinction. This milestone, to be announced during the 10th anniversary of the Top Blacks in Healthcare Awards Ceremony, honors those who have made groundbreaking contributions and impacted the lives of generations to come.

The inductees, selected through a rigorous and thoughtful process, have demonstrated unwavering dedication to improving and saving lives. Their innovations, leadership, and advocacy have transformed the lives of millions of Black Americans.

A Key Partner to Healthcare Stakeholders, BDO Prepares Unforgettable Experience at Fontainebleau Miami April 9-10, 2025. Post this

"It is our honor and pleasure to recognize 11 exceptional individuals who are industry leaders in healthcare. Their long-lasting impact should never be forgotten," said Reggie Ware, CEO, BlackDoctor.org. "The TBH Hall of Fame is a first for BDO, and we felt it was the perfect time given it's our 10th anniversary for Top Blacks in Healthcare and our 20th anniversary for BlackDoctor.org."

Added Executive Editor Jade Curtis, "The TBH Hall of Fame inductees leave a legacy that will continue to inspire future generations, and we remain committed to sharing their stories because we know that where there is no vision, the people perish."

Introducing: The Inaugural class of 2025 TBH Hall of Fame Inductees

The Hall of Fame honors 11 medical giants to cement their rich legacy in their rightful place in history. In addition to the Hall of Fame, BDO recognizes this year's 12 distinguished TBH honorees for innovative thinking, contributions and leadership that inspire greatness in our industry - for now and for generations to come.

Vanessa Broadhurst , EVP, Global Corporate Affairs, Johnson & Johnson, Zoetis Board Member Craig Emmitt Cole, MD, Hematologist, Karmanos Cancer Institute Tony Ezell , Executive Vice President, President of the Americas, BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) Reshema Kemps-Polanco , Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Novartis Michael LeNoir , MD, F.A.A.P, F.A.A.A.A Pediatrician, allergist Freda Lewis-Hall , MD, Life Sciences Leader Ted Love , MD, Chair, BIO Board of Directors Myrtle Potter , Chair and CEO, Director, Former Chair & CEO, Sumitomo Pharma America Reed Tuckson , MD, FACP, Managing Director of Tuckson Health Connections Mitzi Joi Williams, MD, Founding Medical Director at Joi Life Wellness Group Neurology Center in Atlanta, GA Richard Allen Williams , MD, Founder and President of the Minority Health Institute and Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC)

Hall of Fame inductees offer advice for aspiring leaders:

"Innovate with empathy. When empathy is combined with transformational science and excellent business acumen, the remarkable is possible," said Reshema Kemps-Polanco, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Novartis. "Seek to understand the lived experiences of those you aim to serve- patients, caregivers, healthcare systems, and those who invest in your endeavors."

"Be prepared to work hard," advised Ted Love, MD, Chair, BIO Board of Directors. "The path to success in this field is competitive. However, if you genuinely love the work, you've already won half the battle."

"Keep your mentors but secure sponsors, who are senior individuals who take actions on your behalf," advised Myrtle Potter, Chair and CEO, Director, Former Chair & CEO Sumitomo Pharma America

"Be authentic. Apply your unique insights, perspectives and experiences to your work. You will then bring truly novel solutions," said Freda Lewis-Hall, MD, Life Sciences Leader.

"My best advice for future generations of Black doctors is not to let anyone define you and tell you what you can or cannot do," said Richard Allen Williams, MD, Founder and President of the Minority Health Institute and Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC).

About BlackDoctor.org (BDO)

BlackDoctor.org is the leading health and wellness destination for people of color, leveraging culture, content and technology to transform people's lives for the better.

Celebrating its 20th year, BDO has a monthly audience reach of 26 million on social media and 6.5 million monthly visitors to its website. BlackDoctor.org boasts the largest online database of Black physicians and dentists as part of its free doctor search tool. BDO has leveraged AI to create the "BlackDoctor Chat bot" which is the first AI tool providing culturally relevant answers to Black consumers' most pressing health questions. Consumers can ask it anything they want!

SOURCE Black Doctor.org
NEW YORK, April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --

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=33590 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than April 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 [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.
NEW ORLEANS, April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until May 5, 2025 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. ("ELF" or the "Company") (NYSE: ELF), if they purchased the Company's securities between November 1, 2023 and November 19, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Get Help

ELF investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-elf/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

ELF and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On November 20, 2024, Muddy Waters Research reported that the Company had materially overstated revenue over the past three quarters; that in Q2 FY24, it realized its growth narrative was in trouble as its inventory built; that it then began reporting inflated revenue and profits resulting in its reported inventory also appearing materially inflated; and that the Company concealed its inventory challenges from investors by falsely attributing its rising inventory levels to supposed changes in its sourcing practices rather than the true cause insufficient sales.

On this news, the price of ELF's shares fell $2.71 per share, or 2.23%, to close at $119.00 per share on November 20, 2024.

On February 6, 2025, the Company released its fiscal Q3 2025 results and provided fiscal 2025 outlook that confirmed the weaknesses identified in the report previously issued by Muddy Waters, including softer consumption trends and slower new product launches. On this news, Elf's stock price fell $17.36 per share, or 19.62%, to close at $71.13 per share on February 7, 2025.

The case is Rottman v. e.l.f. Beauty, Inc., et al., No. 25-cv-2316.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
NEW YORK, April 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Investment Research Redefined: Voices of Female Executives" panel on the first day of Quinnipiac University's 14th Global Asset Management Education (G.A.M.E.) Forum in New York focused on what makes a good market researcher in the age of A.I., rather than on a specifically female perspective on the field, and it also considered the Trump administration's April 2 tariff announcements.

The panel was hosted by Holly Raider, dean of the School of Business at Quinnipiac University. "We knew today was coming," said panelist Candace Browning, head of BofA Global Research. The panelists agreed that events like the tariffs put pressure on analysts to quickly provide their clients with high-confidence predictions.

Joyce Chang, managing director and chair of global research at JPMorgan Chase, said that "the hard data is going to lag," so in reaction to tariffs or other events it's important to weigh many factors, including looking at sentiment surveys, credit card data and talking to CEOs. "You have to use your judgement as a research analyst," she said.

According to Browning, "We have seen the technology available to us change dramatically, but the questions are the same ones as in 1982." That brought up artificial intelligence, which the panelists agreed is an excellent aid, but not one destined to eliminate the need for human analysts.

"A.I. is a fantastic tool that can synthesize data very quickly," Browning said, "but it's not really set up to tell people what they don't already know. I will use it, but I don't think it will replace research analysts." Lucy Baldwin, managing director and global head of research at Citi, added that A.I. is great at summarizing, "but it's terrible at being able to look around corners."

Knowing which data points are important is key. "There are endless scenarios and permutations we can play out, but only one or two factors will ultimately move the market," said Baldwin. Asked for a gender angle on market analysis, Chang said that women are underrepresented in the field (only about 15 percent of tenured economics professors) and that "it's important to recognize these gaps." Browning added that women are "perhaps more patient, more long-term oriented."

The virtual G.A.M.E. conference drew more than 1,600 participants from 150 universities. There were 30 panels, over 100 speakers, and 64 companies represented.

SOURCE Quinnipiac University
WASHINGTON, April 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- National Press Club President Mike Balsamo issued the following statement today following the dismissal of former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant's lawsuit against Mississippi Today, the nonprofit newsroom recognized last year with the Club's highest press freedom honor, the John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award:

"This is a decisive victory for press freedom  and a sharp rebuke to those who seek to bully journalists through the courts.

Lawsuits like this are meant to send a chilling message: stop asking tough questions or pay the price. Mississippi Today refused to back down. They stood firm, and today the rule of law stood with them.

When powerful people try to weaponize the legal system to punish accountability journalism, they're not just attacking reporters  they're attacking the public's right to know. Thankfully, the court recognized this for what it was: an attempt to silence watchdog journalism with baseless claims.

Mississippi Today exemplifies the best of American journalism. They dig deep, they hold power accountable, and they tell the stories that matter  even when it's uncomfortable for those in power. That is exactly why the National Press Club honored them last year with our highest press freedom award.

Let this ruling send a clear message: in this country, truth-telling is not a liability  it is a cornerstone of our democracy. And no amount of intimidation will change that."

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]

Director of the Press Freedom Center at the National Press Club

SOURCE National Press Club
Herman Law urges survivors to come forward as lawsuits reveal shocking failures by the County of San Diego to protect vulnerable children.

SAN DIEGO, April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Herman Law, a nationally recognized law firm specializing in sexual abuse cases, is urgently calling on survivors of sexual abuse at the A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children's Center in San Diego to come forward and share their stories in a show of unity by joining the survivors who already have. Over 75 lawsuits alleging systemic abuse and cover-ups at the county-operated emergency shelter have already been filed against the County of San Diego. Attorneys are actively seeking to speak with additional survivors as part of their investigation to ensure justice is served for all victims.

Attorneys are actively seeking to speak with additional survivors as part of their investigation to ensure justice is served for all victims.

"Many years ago, I tried to sound the alarm about the exploitations done to me and others by [Polinsky's] staff. Unfortunately for me, I was only met by deaf ears," one of the victims emotionally shared at a press conference, held by Herman Law.

The lawsuits, brought forward by Herman Law attorney Blake Woodhall, allege that children placed at Polinsky Children's Center, a shelter for at-risk youth, were sexually abused by staff members. These lawsuits further claim that the County of San Diego failed to protect these vulnerable children, dismissed their reports and, in many cases, intimidated victims into silence.

"This case represents the systemic failure of this County-run institution to fulfill its absolute duty to protect children," said Woodhall. "These lawsuits are meant to give these victims a voice and a measure of justice. We are committed to uncovering and exposing the full extent of this horrific situation."

Polinsky Children's Center, operated by the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency, was designed to offer temporary shelter and trauma-informed care for children  ages ranging from birth to 17 years  who had been removed from their families due to abuse or neglect. However, the center's mission to ensure safety and well-being was not upheld, as children were sexually abused under the County's watch.

"We were young, and we didn't have a choice in what was done to us, but we do today," shared another victim at the press conference. "Today, I am old enough to come forward and not only stand up for myself but also for other children in Polinsky Children's Center's care that they may not endure what I did."

One victim also talks about the lasting impact of the abuse they endured at Polinsky Children's Center. "The abuse [at Polinsky Children's Center] created an environment of fear and mistrust, making it incredibly difficult for me to create any healthy relationships, including with my father," the victim states.

The lawsuits allege, upon information and belief, that from 1996 to 2023, the County failed to protect children from sexual abuse; failed to adequately, properly and completely investigate whether children were safe and free from abuse and maltreatment; failed to adequately, properly and completely investigate the acts and conduct of the perpetrators once reported; failed to establish policies and procedures that were adequate to protect the health, safety and welfare of children and protect them from sexual abuse; failed to adequately monitor and supervise its employees and staff; concealed their knowledge that perpetrators were unsafe and posed a risk of child sexual abuse; and failed to report suspected sexual abuse of children to law enforcement.

"These children were already among the most vulnerable, removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. Instead of receiving protection, they were subjected to horrific sexual abuse under the County's watch," added Woodhall.

Herman Law is leading the legal fight to secure justice for these survivors. The law firm encourages anyone who may have been a victim of abuse at Polinsky Children's Center to come forward, confidentially and without fear, to share their story and ensure that this tragedy does not happen again.

"Healing is a journey, and while I continue to work through these difficulties, it's important to highlight how abuse can profoundly affect one's life and relationships. I hope that by sharing my story, others may find the strength to seek help and advocate for change," another victim shares.

Survivors are urged to contact Herman Law's confidential hotline for a free and private consultation. If you or someone you know was abused at Polinsky Children's Center, you are not alone. You have the right to speak out, and justice is possible. Victims or those with information can contact Herman Law at (866) 850-3766 or visit the dedicated website for more information.

For more information on Herman Law, visit HermanLaw.com.

About Herman Law

Herman Law is a nationally recognized law firm dedicated to representing victims of sexual abuse. Our experienced and compassionate team is committed to pursuing justice, holding institutions accountable and helping survivors heal by guiding them through civil litigation with compassion and integrity.

Contact:

Karla Nafarrate

Vice President of Public Relations

InnoVision Marketing Group

[email protected]

SOURCE Herman Law
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Sofia, April 5 : World leaders should adopt a broader perspective when devising strategies to safeguard peace in their own countries and region, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said in a doorstep statement ahead of an international meeting in Sofia.

"The great challenge not only for the Balkans and Europe but also for the world today is to free itself from the self-deception that it is possible for peace and security to be guaranteed only for a given country and region or at the expense of someone else," Radev said on Friday.

The one-day event, known as the "Aqaba Process for the Balkans," was organised under the auspices of the Aqaba Process Initiative, which is co-chaired by the Republic of Bulgaria and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Launched in 2015 by Jordan's King Abdullah II, the initiative addresses pressing issues related to terrorism, illegal migration, and radicalisation, reports Xinhua news agency.

Friday's event in Sofia marks the third edition of the high-level forum with a focus on the Balkan region, according to the Press Secretariat of the president.

In today's world, when security is challenged on a daily basis, it is especially important for state leaders to exchange views and seek joint solutions, Radev said, calling for the voices of more leaders and experts to be heard and their opinions and suggestions to be respected.

He went on to suggest that had this approach been followed earlier, Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive - a move he described as "fatal" - might have been avoided. Many European leaders, he argued, had clung to a naive belief that military support alone would enable Ukraine to achieve significant military successes and negotiate (a peace deal with Russia) from a position of strength, Radev said.

"The lessons of history are often forgotten, that in times of global conflicts there cannot be isolated islands of peace and tranquillity," Radev said.

He also noted that security is a key issue in the Balkans because countries here are directly affected by the consequences of nearby military conflicts. He highlighted human trafficking, illegal migration, terrorism and radicalisation as some of the most devastating consequences.

Nearly 30 delegations took part in the meeting, including heads of state, government officials, representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations and heads of diplomatic missions in Bulgaria.
Oslo, April 5 : Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has called for unity between Denmark and Greenland in response to growing pressure from the United States, emphasising that the two parts of the Kingdom must remain closely aligned to safeguard their shared interests.

She made the remarks in an interview with Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq during her three-day visit to Greenland from Wednesday to Friday. The visit marked an important step in Denmark's effort to consolidate ties with Greenland.

"There is no doubt that many (people) in Greenland feel unsafe because the insecurity is real," Frederiksen said. "It is a pressure that has unfortunately been created and which we are doing our best to handle."

The Prime Minister said that the most effective response to US pressure is, for Greenland and Denmark, to stick together, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Regardless of what internal discussions we may have within the Realm, we must stand united. That is the clearest signal we can send," she said.

Frederiksen's remarks came as US Vice President JD Vance reaffirmed Washington's growing strategic interest in Greenland. In an interview with American media outlet Newsmax on Thursday, Vance described Greenland as critical to US national security and pledged that the United States would protect its interests there "come hell or high water."

Vance also suggested that the United States could offer financial incentives to Greenlanders, claiming that Denmark currently provides approximately "60,000 (US) per year per person in Greenland." He said that the United States could offer "way more money than that."

At a press conference with Greenlandic officials in Greenland's capital of Nuuk on Thursday, Frederiksen told the United States, "You cannot annex other countries -- not even under the pretext of international security."

She questioned, "When you seek to take over part of the Kingdom (of Denmark)'s territory when we are subjected to pressure and threats by our closest ally, what are we to think about the country we have admired for so many years?"

Greenland, once a Danish colony, became an integral part of the Kingdom of Denmark in 1953. It was granted home rule in 1979, expanding its autonomy, though Denmark retains control over foreign affairs and defence.
Colombo, April 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a grand ceremonial welcome at the Independence Square in Colombo on Saturday, as Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake hosted him during his State Visit to the island nation.

This marks PM Modi's fourth visit to Sri Lanka since 2014 and his first since President Dissanayake assumed office.

The ceremony was attended by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and key members of Dissanayake's Cabinet.

PM Modi arrived in Colombo late on Friday evening from Bangkok following his participation in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit. The invitation for the visit was extended by the Sri Lankan President during his maiden official trip to India in December last year.

Despite heavy rains, hundreds of Sri Lankans and members of the Indian diaspora lined the streets and gathered outside Bandaranaike International Airport and the hotel to greet the Indian leader with enthusiasm.

Welcoming him at the airport were top ministers from the Sri Lankan government, including Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, Labour Minister Anil Jayantha, Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, and Science and Technology Minister Chrishantha Abeysena.

Shortly after landing, PM Modi took to X and wrote, "Landed in Colombo. Grateful to the ministers and dignitaries who welcomed me at the airport. Looking forward to the programmes in Sri Lanka."

Sri Lanka considers Dissanayake's State Visit to India last December a "watershed moment" in its bilateral ties with New Delhi.

PM Modi now becomes the first foreign leader to be hosted by the new President, further cementing the deep diplomatic bond shared by the two countries.

Ahead of the visit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri underscored the importance of the India-Sri Lanka partnership.

"The India-Sri Lanka relationship is deeply rooted in civilisational links, shared history, religion, culture, and strong people-to-people ties. In the modern era, it has evolved into a close economic, cultural, and technical partnership. Sri Lanka is an integral part of our 'Neighbourhood First' policy, and this relationship, built on mutual trust and goodwill, has stood the test of time," he said.

Recalling India's swift assistance during Sri Lanka's economic crisis in 2022, Misri said, "India was glad to be able to play a key role in the economic stabilisation and recovery of the country, thereby demonstrating its commitment as a dependable neighbour and as a first responder to any crisis in the region."

Prime Minister Modi will hold wide-ranging talks with President Dissanayake, reviewing progress on joint initiatives outlined in the "Joint Vision for Fostering Partnerships for a Shared Future" adopted during the President's December visit to India.

Several bilateral agreements across sectors, such as energy connectivity, digitisation, defence, health, and multisectoral grant assistance, are expected to be signed in the presence of both leaders.

In addition to his official meetings, Prime Minister Modi will engage with senior political leaders and other dignitaries of Sri Lanka.

On Sunday, he will accompany President Dissanayake to Anuradhapura to inaugurate development projects supported by Indian financial assistance.

The two leaders will also visit the revered Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple complex, an iconic site symbolising the civilisational ties between the two countries. PM Modi had previously paid homage at the temple during his 2015 visit and later revisited Sri Lanka in 2019.

The ongoing visit will also cover discussions on long-pending issues related to Indian fishermen. Both leaders are expected to address matters concerning the early release and repatriation of Indian fishermen and their fishing boats.

The Indian government has consistently maintained that the safety, security, and welfare of Indian fishermen are of the highest priority and has pursued the matter with Sri Lankan authorities through diplomatic channels and bilateral mechanisms.

"The Prime Minister has raised this matter in all recent interactions, including the December 16, 2024, meeting with the Sri Lankan President," Foreign Secretary Misri noted.

He also highlighted the historical background of the issue, tracing it to maritime boundary arrangements agreed upon in the 1970s between both nations.

"We have repeatedly requested the Sri Lankan Government to treat the fishermen issue as a humanitarian and livelihood concern without using force under any circumstances," Misri added.

The Prime Minister's current visit is seen as a continuation of India's sustained outreach to its neighbours under the Neighbourhood First policy, aimed at fostering greater cooperation, connectivity, and mutual respect across South Asia. He is scheduled to return to New Delhi on April 6.
Mumbai, April 5 : Punjabi superstar Gippy Grewal, who is awaiting the release of his upcoming film 'Akaal: The Unconquered', recently paid a visit to the Golden temple in Amritsar.

He was accompanied by Bollywood multi-hyphenate Karan Johar as the two sought blessings at the temple. Gippy took to his Instagram on Saturday, and shared a video in which the two can be seen inside the premises of the Golden temple.

He wrote in the caption, "Kan Kan de vich Rabb wasda Aye #Akaal releasing in Punjabi and Hindi worldwide, in cinemas on 10th April, 2025".

Earlier Gippy Grewal shared his thoughts on the transformative potential of 'Akaal', a film that delves deep into the darker, more complex side of human emotion.

Gippy earlier told IANS, "In Punjabi cinema, it's not that only comedies are madethere are other genres too. But yes, comedy films tend to be the biggest hits, which is why it may seem like more comedies are made. But if a role like the one in Aakal becomes successful, it will definitely change people's perception. They'll see that tough, hard-hitting roles can work too".

Gippy is one of the biggest superstars of the Punjabi film and music industry. His song 'Angrezi Beat' with Yo Yo Honey Singh was a rage at its time, and was also used in 'Cocktail' starring Saif Ali Khan, Diana Penty and Deepika Padukone.

His works span Punjabi and Hindi film industries. His single 'Phulkari' was very successful in the Punjabi music industry. He made his acting debut in the 2010 movie, 'Mel Karade Rabba', and which he followed with 'Carry On Jatta', 'Lucky Di Unlucky Story', 'Bhaji in Problem' and 'Jatt James Bond'.

He is owner of production houses Humble Motion Pictures and Big Daddy Films along with his brother Sippy Grewal.
New Delhi, April 5 : All reports circulating on social media platforms like X, TikTok, and Facebook "regarding comments allegedly made" by Warren Buffett are false, said American multinational Berkshire Hathaway.

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) All reports circulating on social media platforms like X, TikTok, and Facebook "regarding comments allegedly made" by Warren Buffett are false, said American multinational Berkshire Hathaway.

The remarks come after US President Donald Trump's account on his social media platform Truth Social shared a video suggesting Buffett, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, endorsed the US president's economic policies.

Trump's post claimed that the 94-year-old billionaire lauded the President for making "the best economic moves" seen in more than 50 years in America.

While a user on Instagram originally posted the claims about Buffett on March 13, it went viral more widely this week after Trump announced a slew of tariffs.

"There are reports currently circulating on social media (including Twitter, Facebook and Tik Tok) regarding comments allegedly made by Warren E. Buffett. All such reports are false," Berkshire said in a statement.

Buffett has been managing Berkshire since 1965. Berkshire had earlier in October last year said Buffett would not endorse political candidates or investment products. It came after "numerous fraudulent claims" suggested his support.

Meanwhile Trump's tariff announcement on Liberation Day, April 2, has sent shockwaves across global markets. It led to wiping out $2.5 trillion in wealth on Wall Street.

Many billionaires including SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg saw their combined wealth plunge.

While the market crash hit most billionaires, Buffett survived the storm. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Buffett lost $2.57 billion but remains in the green. His year-to-date profit still stands at $23.4 billion.

Notably, Trump on Truth Social has reassured Americans that the US economy would emerge "stronger, bigger, better and more resilient than ever before".

In a separate post, he added that "markets will boom".
Mumbai, April 5 : Stand up comedian Kunal Kamra has been issued a third summons by Mumbai's Khar Police, asking him to appear for questioning on Saturday.

This summons follows two previous attempts by the police to call Kamra in for investigation, but the comedian failed to show up for either of the earlier summons.

Kamra is under investigation for an alleged controversial comment that was understood to be an indirect swipe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The video, which aired following Kamra's performance at the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, saw the comedian using a modified version of a popular Bollywood song from 'Dil To Pagal Hai.' aMeri nazar se tum dekho toh, gaddar nazar wo aaye. Haaye," Kunal Kamra said during his show which was understood to be a jibe at Shinde.

The comments, were perceived to be made in the context of the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis, which led to the fall of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, resulted in multiple FIRs being filed against Kamra.

Following the release of Kamra's video on March 23, Shiv Sena workers, angered by his remarks, vandalised the Unicontinental Hotel in Khar where Kamra had recorded the video. This incident led to the arrest of 12 Shinde supporters, who were later granted bail.

In response to the summons, Kamra had earlier stated he was unavailable in Mumbai due to prior commitments and offered to appear for questioning on April 2.

However, the police did not accept his request for a delayed appearance.

Kamra's lawyer, V. Suresh, had expressed concerns about Kamra's safety, claiming he had received threats from certain Maharashtra Cabinet ministers.

Mumbai's Khar Police Station is investigating the matter, with two FIRs already filed against Kamra for derogatory remarks. In addition, three more FIRs filed against him in different parts of Maharashtra have been combined into the Mumbai investigation.

The police have confirmed that Kamra is not currently in contact with the Khar police station. Kamra has been granted protection from arrest until April 7 by the Madras High Court, but the latest summons indicate that the investigation is moving forward despite his earlier refusals to comply.
New Delhi, April 5 : India will support cancer care, as well as set up a Centre of Excellence for traditional medicine in BIMSTEC countries, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PM Modi said this even as he presented a comprehensive 21-point action plan during the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit held in Bangkok, laying out an ambitious road map for cooperation across diverse sectors.

"Public health is a vital pillar of our collective social development. I am pleased to announce that India will extend support for training and capacity building in cancer care across BIMSTEC countries," PM Modi said.

"In line with our holistic approach to health, a Centre of Excellence will also be established to promote research and dissemination of traditional medicine," he added.

It is worth noting that Thailand and India have robust traditional medicine systems with close mutual ties. With this announcement by the Prime Minister, the research and development activity in the area is set to get a significant boost.

The two countries have been working together to strengthen, promote, facilitate and develop academic and research collaboration in traditional medicine.

Last year the National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur, under the Ministry of Ayush and the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine of the Ministry of Public Health of the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an academic collaboration in ayurveda and Thai traditional medicine.

In academic collaboration, the ayush scholarship scheme of the Ministry of Ayush, is offered through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

The scholarship is provided for undergraduate and post-graduate studies in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy, B.Sc. in Yoga, B.A. in Yoga Shastra, Ph.D in Yoga and Ph.D in Ayurveda.

In the past five years, 175 students from BIMSTEC regions have availed the scholarships.

India and Thailand also have a long history of cooperation in various sectors including traditional medicine.
Chennai, April 5 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will embark on a two-day visit to the Nilgiris district starting Saturday.

He will fly from Chennai to Coimbatore, arriving at 12 pm, and then proceed to Nilgiris by road.

Upon his arrival, the Chief Minister will get a gand welcome organised by the Nilgiris District DMK at three locations, Kanchappanai in Kotagiri, Katapettu, and Cherringross in Ooty.

Thousands of DMK members are expected to gather for the occasion.

At 7 pm today, CM Stalin will chair a consultative meeting with DMK district executive committee members at a private hotel in Ooty.

The meeting will focus on the partyas preparations for the 2026 elections, where the Chief Minister is expected to urge party members to aim for a clean sweep in the district.

On Sunday, April 6, CM Stalin will leave the Ooty Guest House at 10 am and proceed to Pinker Post in Ooty, where he will inaugurate the new Government Medical College Hospital.

Built at a cost of Rs. 143.69 crore, the 700-bed facility is the first-of-its-kind in Indiaas hilly regions and includes a 50-bed ward exclusively for tribal people.

Ahead of the inauguration, Tamil Development and Information Minister M.P. Saminathan and Nilgiris MP A. Raja conducted an inspection of the hospitalas infrastructure.

Speaking to the media, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said the inauguration marks the fulfillment of a long-pending demand for advanced healthcare in the Nilgiris.

The hospital features ten operation theatres, MRI and CT scan centres, and other modern facilities.

Subramanian also highlighted the stateas investment of Rs. 22 crore to upgrade government hospitals in Emerald, Coonoor, and Kotagiri.

Additional infrastructure projects include, six Ayush wellness clinics across Primary Health Centres (PHCs), four new Sub-Health Centres, additional buildings for PHCs in Theppakkadu and Ithalar, a new Urban Wellness Centre at RK Puram and ongoing renovation of Gudalur GH with an allocation of Rs. 31 crore.

In terms of staffing, over 70 doctors have been appointed in the Nilgiris since April 2024.

With 36 vacancies recently filled, there are currently no vacant posts in any government hospital in the district.

The Health Department is also working to recruit specialist doctors.

During the visit, Stalin will also lay the foundation stone for Aavinas semi-automated cheese plant in Ooty.

Funded by NABARD under the Rural Infrastructure Development Scheme, the Rs. 13.14 crore facility will have a production capacity of one tonne of cheese per day.

Dr. M. Jayaraman, General Manager of Aavin Nilgiris, said this will be the only state-run cheese plant in Tamil Nadu, taking advantage of the regionas ideal climate.

Aavin previously produced 500 kg of cheese manually, but operations were paused three months ago to install new machinery. The new plant is expected to be operational within four months.

The plantas produce will be sent to Aavinas Chennai distribution network, with plans to supply outlets across Tamil Nadu and to cities like Mumbai. Recruitment of operational staff is underway, with approvals expected soon.

After inaugurating the medical college and laying the foundation stone for the cheese plant, the Chief Minister will head to the grounds of Ooty Government Arts College. There, he will participate in a ceremony to distribute welfare assistance, inaugurate completed projects, and lay foundation stones for new ones. He will also deliver a keynote address. Following the conclusion of his programs in Nilgiris, CM Stalin will return to Coimbatore in the evening and fly back to Chennai.
Islamabad, April 5 : Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) province has announced that no Afghan refugee will be deported "forcefully" from the area and termed the government's deportation policy as "faulty."

This decision comes as authorities in other parts of the country begin operations to expel refugees following a directive from the government.

Pakistan had set a March 31 deadline for refugees, including Afghan Citizen Card holders, to return to their home country, warning that those who remain after the deadline would face forced deportation, local media reported.

Addressing the media on Friday in Islamabad, Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur expressed his government's resolve against forceful deportation.

"We will not force anyone. However, if someone wants to return to their country voluntarily, then we will make arrangements for that. The federal government's policy with regard to Afghan refugees is faulty," said Gandapur.

Criticising the federal government, he further added that Pakistan's Foreign Office is directing talks with Afghanistan, but the federal policy on Afghan refugees is "fundamentally flawed."

Meanwhile, the federal government launched a crackdown in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, rounding up 60 Afghan migrants.

In Karachi, the city administration and law enforcement also started the forced repatriation of an estimated 16,138 ACC holders on Friday, and they detained over 150 Afghans, reports the leading Pakistani newspaper, The Express Tribune.

Pakistan authorities refused to budge despite calls from the international community to extend the deadline. The government had also dismissed concerns raised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other agencies regarding the mass repatriation of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers.

Recently, speaking to the country's leading daily, Dawn, UNHCR spokesperson Qaiser Khan Afridi stated that the UN agency is concerned regarding the government's directive, as among the Afghan Citizen Cardholders, there might be individuals requiring international protection.

"In that light, we are urging the government (view) their situation through a humanitarian lens. We also call for engagement between Pakistan and Afghanistan so that the returns can be dignified and voluntary," Afridi added.

Earlier this week, the Afghan Taliban government called upon Islamabad not to start the deportation of Afghan nationals.

Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, Afghanistan's Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, has urged neighbouring countries, Pakistan and Iran, to halt these deportations and allow Afghans to return home voluntarily.

He emphasised the importance of humane treatment for refugees, especially in light of reports of mistreatment of Afghans by border nations, including instances where individuals holding legal visas were also deported, Afghan state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported.

K-P hosts the largest Afghan refugee population in Pakistan, with Peshawar accommodating the highest number. Many refugees have been living in the province for decades, running businesses or working in various sectors.

Pakistan's deportation policy has come under scrutiny, with several international organisations condemning the act. They have raised concern over the grave risks faced by the refugees upon their return amid uncertainties in Afghanistan.
Pune, April 5 : Maharashtra BJP president and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule here on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of betraying the ideals and vision of his father, Balasaheb Thackeray, by opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill.

Bawankule claimed that Thackeray's stance was driven by vote-bank politics ahead of the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

"Uddhav Thackeray's position on the Waqf Amendment Bill is not even acceptable to his own workers. I've received messages from across the state suggesting that many Shiv Sainiks are disillusioned and considering quitting the party. His Shiv Sena won't survive another year," Bawankule asserted.

He further alleged, "By opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill, Uddhav Thackeray has committed a serious offence."

On Friday, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis defended the Bill, stating that it reflects the secular and democratic spirit enshrined in the Constitution.

"The Waqf Board that existed till now was a product of appeasement politics. It neither benefited the minority community nor contributed to any charitable cause. On the contrary, it was used to forcibly grab land. The biggest Waqf land scam in Maharashtra happened during the Congress regime. We had even initiated an inquiry into it," Fadnavis said.

He added that the amended law would bring much-needed transparency and ensure that the benefits reach the common Muslim.

"The Bill does not infringe upon any religious beliefs. It merely corrects historical wrongs. It also ensures women's representation on the Waqf Board and removes the earlier provision that barred judicial scrutiny of its actions," he said.

Fadnavis also alleged that Waqf lands were often taken over by the Board and later by Congress leaders, adding, "The Bill is aimed at ending this loot. Those who truly follow Balasaheb Thackeray's ideals should support it."

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who also heads a faction of the Shiv Sena, accused Thackeray of abandoning Hindutva and compromising Balasaheb's principles. "His opposition to the Bill exposes his real priorities -- power over people's welfare," Shinde said.
Colombo, April 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held bilateral talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo, aimed at bolstering the strategic and developmental partnership between the two neighbours.

The discussions are expected to be on a shared road map for mutual prosperity and regional cooperation under the "Joint Vision for Fostering Partnerships for a Shared Future," first adopted during President Dissanayake's visit to India in December last year.

During the wide-ranging discussions, both sides are expected to have reviewed progress on key joint initiatives and agreed to further enhance cooperation in critical sectors, including energy connectivity, digitisation, Defence, health, and multisectoral grant assistance.

Several agreements in these areas are expected to be signed in the presence of the two leaders.

In addition to his official engagements, PM Modi is also scheduled to interact with senior political figures and dignitaries of Sri Lanka during his visit.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Colombo's Independence Square, which the Ministry of External Affairs described as "special" -- marking the first time Sri Lanka has hosted such an event for a visiting foreign leader.

This is PM Modi's fourth visit to the island nation since 2014 and his first since Dissanayake assumed office.

The ceremonial event was attended by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and several key members of the Cabinet.

PM Modi arrived in Colombo late Friday from Bangkok after attending the 6th BIMSTEC Summit. His current visit comes at the invitation of President Dissanayake, extended during his maiden trip to India last year.

Despite heavy rain in the capital, hundreds of Sri Lankans and members of the Indian diaspora turned out to greet PM Modi with enthusiasm, lining the route from Bandaranaike International Airport to his hotel.

At the airport, the Prime Minister was welcomed by several top Lankan ministers, including Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, Labour Minister Anil Jayantha, Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, and Science and Technology Minister Chrishantha Abeysena.

Soon after landing, PM Modi posted on X: "Landed in Colombo. Grateful to the ministers and dignitaries who welcomed me at the airport. Looking forward to the programmes in Sri Lanka."

Sri Lanka has termed Dissanayake's December visit to India as a "watershed moment" in its relationship with New Delhi. PM Modi now becomes the first foreign leader to be hosted by the new Sri Lankan President -- a symbolic gesture underscoring the importance both nations place on their bilateral ties.

On Sunday, PM Modi will travel with President Dissanayake to Anuradhapura for the inauguration of development projects supported by Indian financial assistance.

The two leaders will also visit the revered Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple complex, which holds deep cultural and spiritual significance in India-Sri Lanka relations. PM Modi had visited the temple during his 2015 tour and again in 2019.

Among the major issues expected to be addressed during the visit are the long-standing concerns surrounding Indian fishermen. Discussions will focus on the early release and repatriation of detained Indian fishermen and their boats.

The Indian government has repeatedly highlighted its commitment to ensuring the safety and welfare of Indian fishermen and has consistently raised the matter through diplomatic and bilateral channels.

PM Modi's visit is seen as an extension of India's Neighbourhood First policy -- an initiative focussed on strengthening ties and trust with South Asian neighbours. The Prime Minister is scheduled to conclude his visit and return to New Delhi on April 6.
Kolkata, April 5 : In the wake of intelligence alerts warning of possible tensions during Ram Navami celebrations in parts of West Bengal, the state and Kolkata police have decided to bring every procession under comprehensive camera surveillance on Sunday.

To bolster monitoring, additional CCTV cameras have been installed along key procession routes in the state.

Furthermore, police personnel deployed for security will be equipped with body cameras to ensure transparent documentation of events.

"In the event of any disturbance, identifying the instigators and perpetrators is our top priority," said a senior state police official.

"With enhanced video coverage this time, it will be significantly easier to pinpoint those responsible for inciting or engaging in violence," the official said.

In Kolkata, drone surveillance will supplement ground-level monitoring. All officers and personnel deployed along the routes have been advised to wear adequate protective gear.

The state police have identified 10 particularly sensitive areas across Bengal. District police superintendents and commissioners of the respective police Commissionerate have been instructed to implement heightened security arrangements in these areas.

To reinforce security in these high-risk areas, 29 senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers have been deployed. In addition to uniformed forces, a substantial number of plainclothes officers will also be present during the processions.

All lanes and bylanes adjacent to procession routes will be thoroughly sanitized before the events begin.

Earlier in the day on Saturday, West Bengal BJP president and Union Minister of State Dr Sukanta Majumdar urged the state administration to ensure peaceful celebrations of Ram Navami.

"Crores of Hindus will be celebrating Ram Navami on Sunday. The festival has been observed in Bengal for thousands of years, just as it is across the country. Any attempt to disrupt these celebrations must be thwarted at all costs," Majumdar said.
Madikeri : , April 5 (IANS) Demanding that the names of two Congress MLAs be included in the FIR in connection with the suicide of a party worker, the Karnataka BJP has issued a warning to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara, stating that there is a limit to the patience of its workers.

"If their names are not mentioned, the government will be held responsible for the consequences," the party stated.

Vinay Somaiah, a native of Madikeri district, reportedly died by suicide at his office in Bengaluru, leaving behind a note on Friday.

In the note, he alleged harassment by Congress leaders and named MLAs A.S. Ponnanna, Manthar Gowda, and Congress leader Thennira Maheena as responsible for his decision. However, the Hennur police registered an FIR naming only Thennira Maheena.

Speaking to the media on Saturday in Kushalnagar town, Madikeri district, State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra issued a strong statement. He declared that if the names of Congress MLAs A.S. Ponnanna (also the Chief Minister's Legal Advisor) and Manthar Gowda are not added to the FIR within an hour, the party would begin a protest with the body of Vinay Somaiah in front of the Superintendent of Police's office.

"Our patience has limits. This is a warning to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara," he said.

"There is a limit to everything. They are taking away the rights of BJP workers. This cannot be allowed in the state. I have spoken to the SP and told him about the irresponsible police officer in Bengaluru who failed to name the Congress MLAs in the FIR. It is their responsibility to approach the Magistrate's Court and get the names added," Vijayendra said.

"I told the SP that if this is not done, we will not be responsible for the consequences," he warned.

He emphasised that the police must include the names of the Congress MLAs in the FIR and the government must ensure justice. He also warned the Chief Minister and Home Minister not to take the issue lightly. Referring to earlier officer suicides in Kalaburagi and Shivamogga, he said the government should be aware of the consequences.

"If the ruling party does not want the Opposition to raise concerns and issues, is this a 'Tughlaq durbar' being run in the state?" Vijayendra questioned.

He further added, "Congress MLA Ponnanna believes that being the CM's Legal Advisor gives him power, and MLA Manthar Gowda thinks he is the CM's right-hand man who can do anything. I will wait until their names are added to the FIR. They will be held responsible for what follows. If they want to maintain law and order, they must act. Are BJP workers not human beings?" he asked.

When asked about MLA Ponnanna's statement denying any responsibility for the BJP worker's death, Vijayendra claimed, "I've heard his statements. Ponnanna should be ashamed of making such remarks. He is directly responsible for the death of the BJP worker. He thinks of himself as a legal expertwe will show him what the law is. I will ensure this case is taken to its logical end."

Vijayendra also appealed to BJP workers and leaders not to take extreme steps under pressure from the Congress party. "Face them with courage. We are all here to support you," he urged.
Mumbai, April 5 : Minister of Marathi Language Uday Samant on Saturday said the Maharashtra government and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray share the same view that everyone living in the state should be able to speak Marathi, while also respecting all other languages.

"Respect for Marathi should be maintained, just as we respect other languages," Samant said after meeting Raj Thackeray in Mumbai here on Saturday.

The meeting comes amid MNS's renewed push to assert Marathi identity ahead of civic polls across major cities, including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, and Nagpur.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Samant said, "Raj Thackeray had invited me, as the Minister for Marathi Language, to discuss ongoing developments regarding the use of Marathi in the state. Before coming, I informed the Shiv Sena chief and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and took his permission."

Samant said Raj Thackeray had shared suggestions on how to ensure institutions, particularly banks, implement the use of Marathi in day-to-day business.

"I will personally speak to Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and CM Devendra Fadnavis. We will work towards improvements," he said.

"Raj Thackeray and the state government have a common stand -- Marathi must be respected, and all residents of Maharashtra should learn the language. I will call a meeting of all committees in the state to ensure that institutions dealing with the public, like banks, conduct their business in Marathi. We will then decide what action needs to be taken," Samant added.

The meeting took place a day after CM Fadnavis warned that while insisting on the use of Marathi is not wrong, taking the law into one's hands in the process would not be tolerated. "Those who do so will be dealt with appropriately," he said, responding to incidents of aggressive promotion of Marathi by MNS cadres.

Samant acknowledged that many languages are spoken in Maharashtra and the state has welcomed people from different backgrounds. "We respect them, and MNS does too. But bullying and injustice toward Marathi speakers must stop. Raj Thackeray suggested that Marathi should be given legal protection," he said.

He also reiterated that banks and institutions that engage daily with Marathi-speaking citizens must use the language in their services. "A meeting of the police department and district collectors will be held in the next eight to ten days. A committee has already been formed to promote the Marathi language, headed by the respective district collectors. These committees will decide on the necessary action against institutions that neglect Marathi."

Meanwhile, MNS spokesperson Sandip Deshpande took a sharper tone, saying on X, "Those who do not want to speak Marathi can leave Maharashtra. Those who refuse to speak Marathi while living in the state are traitors."

He added that MNS' stance -- that Marathi must be respected in Maharashtra just like local languages are in other states -- has found support among linguistic identity organizations in other regions.

"Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, for instance, has extended full support to Raj Thackeray's stand," Deshpande said.
Antibiotic use in first weeks of life may reduce efficacy of childhood vaccination. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, April 5 : Babies treated with antibiotics in the first few weeks of their life are likely to show weaker immune responses to essential vaccines taken in childhood, according to a study.

Researchers from Flinders University in Australia explained that this is due to a decrease in the levels of Bifidobacterium -- a bacterial species that lives in the human gastrointestinal tract.

On the other hand, replenishing Bifidobacterium in the gut microbiome using probiotic supplements such as Infloran showed promising results in restoring the immune response, revealed the study published in the journal Nature.

"Our data suggest that microbiota-targeted interventions could mitigate the detrimental effects of early-life antibiotics on vaccine immunogenicity," David J. Lynn from the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, at the varsity.

For the study, the team followed 191 healthy, vaginally born infants from their birth to 15 months. Of these 86 per cent infants received the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, and, by six weeks of age, began their routine childhood vaccinations.

Analysed of blood and stool samples revealed that children who were directly exposed to neonatal antibiotics, produced much lower levels of antibodies against multiple polysaccharides included in the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or PCV13 vaccine.

The PCV13 vaccine is taken to boost the immune system to fight Streptococcus pneumoniae -- a bacteria known for causing serious diseases like pneumonia, blood infections, and meningitis.

PCV13 vaccine produces antibodies by linking the polysaccharide capsule layer to proteins.

Exposure to neonatal antibiotics reduces antibody production against such polysaccharides, weakening the immune response, found the study.

Experiments on germ-free mice revealed that the lower immune response was linked to a reduced abundance of Bifidobacterium in the gut microbiome.

However, giving the mice a mix of Bifidobacterium species or Infloran, a commonly used infant probiotic, helped reverse the negative effects of antibiotics and regain the immune response to PCV13.

"Our results, which add to the findings of several important previous studies, indicate that immune responses to certain types of vaccine, particularly protein-polysaccharide conjugate vaccines such as PCV13, may be more dependent on signals from the gut microbiota than others," the team said in the study. "Administering probiotics to infants exposed to neonatal antibiotics may be a feasible, cheap, and safe intervention to enhance responses to vaccination," they added.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, April 5 : The National Pension System (NPS) has emerged as a cornerstone of India's pension sector with an accumulated corpus of Rs 14.4 lakh crore and 8.4 crore subscribers under NPS and the Atal Pension Yojana (APY), according to PFRDA chairman Deepak Mohanty.

Speaking at the first 'International Research Conference on Pension 2025' here, Mohanty said the focus of the pension system remains on expanding coverage, ensuring financial sustainability, and building a pension-inclusive society for future generations.

The two-day event was organised by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), to mark a historic milestone in India's journey toward robust old-age income security.

Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, said India's demographic landscape is rapidly changing and with 19 per cent of the population projected to be elderly by the mid-century, securing financial independence through inclusive pension schemes is not merely a goal, but a vital need for the country.

'Pension for All' must become a national priority, requiring policy action to ensure a dignified and secure future for our aging population, he added.

Nagaraju Maddirala, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, highlighted that India's pension framework stands at a pivotal moment of transformation and through the launch of the Unified Pension System and efforts to broaden coverage, the government is creating a robust foundation for secure retirement.

UPS provides an assured pension of 50 per cent of the average basic pay drawn over the last 12 months prior to superannuation. India's pension assets, constituting roughly 17 per cent of GDP, fall far short of the OECD average, where they typically exceed 80 per cent, revealing a stark disparity in retirement readiness.

Experts also held discussions at the conference to explore strategies adopted by various countries for enhanced pension coverage, building a sustainable pension system and challenges faced in inclusion of informal sector and gig economy workers.

This was followed by the session titled 'Global Lessons on New and Innovative Investment Practices in the Pension Industry,' which showcased innovative investment methods, approaches for the product design and sharing of international success stories to inspire India's pension sector.

Besides, there was a discussion on the "Pension Forum for Regulatory Coordination and Development of Pension Products," where a panel of regulators and government debated harmonizing policies for pension products across regulators and innovative strategies to drive the growth and accessibility of pension products in India.
Chennai, April 5 : The Censor Board of Film Certification has now cleared director Deeno Dennis's action extravaganza 'Bazooka', featuring Malayalam superstar Mammootty, for release with a U/A certificate.

Taking to its social media timelines, Saregama, one of the production houses producing the film, wrote," He is on his way to see you all.#Bazooka Censored with U/A 13+ Certificate. In cinemas worldwide from April 10."

It may be recalled that the makers of the film have also disclosed the characters certain actors play in the film. While actress Divya Pillai plays a character called Annie Benjamin in the film, actor Shine Tom Chacko plays a character called Franco Salvatore in the action entertainer.

The film, which has huge expectations riding on it, is scheduled to hit screens on April 10 this year.

A trailer of the film released by the production house earlier this year has made it clear that the film will revolve around gangsters. The trailer begins with Mammootty describing Gautham Menon's character in the film.

Gautham Menon plays a character called Benjamin Joshua in the film. Benjamin, the ACP of Cochin city, is one tough cop, who can get to the hideouts of even some of the most hardened criminals.

He has a team that is well trained and that moves in tandem with him.

The trailer also has a portion that has Gautham Menon describing Mammootty's character in the film.

We hear Gautham say, "He is Mr Nobody but definitely a somebody. Classy, sleek. If you ask me if whether he is a troublemaker. I don't think so because that is too simple a word to describe him."

The trailer also explains what the film will be all about. "This is a game. In this game of good vs evil, the ultimate goal is salvation," a voice over says.

Eventually, the trailer gives away the fact that Gautham Menon and Mammootty are not enemies and that they join forces to take on a formidable enemy of Benjamin

The film is eagerly awaited for a number of reasons. One of them is the fact that ace director Gautham Vasudev Menon, who directed Mammootty's previous film, Dominic and the Ladies purse, is acting alongside the Malayalam superstar.

The gangster drama has been produced by Vikram Mehra, Sidharth Anand Kumar, Dolwin Kuriakose, Jinu V Abhraham and co produced by Sahil S Sharma.

The film has music by Midhun Mukundan and cinematography by Nimish Ravi. Nishadh Yusuf has handled the editing of the film, which has its stunts choreographed by Mahesh Mathew, Vicky , PC Stunts and Mafia Sasi.

--IANS

Mkr/
Kochi, April 5 : The Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA) has planned to stage a token protest on Wednesday and file a writ petition challenging the recent hike in court fees in the state.

The meeting of the lawyers' body granted permission to call a token strike on Wednesday if all the bar associations of Kerala agree.

In 2024, the Kerala government had constituted a five-member Committee headed by retired Kerala High Court judge Justice V.K. Mohanan to study and suggest proposals for the revision of court fees so that the Kerala Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1959, can be amended as needed.

Based on the interim report of the Committee, the government had, in 2024, revised court fees for family court cases and cases that fall under the Negotiable Instruments Act. Petitions challenging the same are pending before the High Court.

In his budget speech delivered on February 7, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal noted that the hikes in court fees have been proposed, and the Finance Bill containing the new rates was passed in the state Assembly on March 25.

Following this, the changes in the fees announced in the budget speech came into effect on April 1.

The increase in court fees ranges from 500 per cent to over 6,500 per cent.

The only relief that came was when the court fees for filing habeas corpus and public interest litigation petitions before the High Court were left untouched.

Both the Bar Council of Kerala and the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association have also expressed their strong opposition to the increase in court fees.

The primary reason for the hike is the appalling financial position of the state government, and the hike in rates is not just in the judicial sector, but cuts across all the government services.

There has been a fresh hike in the electricity and water charges, which has come into effect from the new fiscal and it remains to be seen if there will be any relief.
Washington, April 5 : In an administrative error, the US government mistakenly issued an email to several Ukrainian refugees, notifying them that their provisional legal status would be terminated in 7 days and ordering them to leave the country.

The notice received by the Ukrainians who sought refuge in the US following the war with Russia caused panic among the immigrants this week.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acknowledged the error on Friday.

"A message was sent in error to some Ukrainians who entered the United States under the Uniting for Ukraine program," said DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin in a statement.

The email, sent on April 3, read, "DHS is now exercising its discretion to terminate your parole," referring to the temporary legal status that the Biden administration granted to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians.

"Unless it expires sooner, your parole will terminate 7 days from the date of this notice," it stated.

The agency also took the step of withdrawing the email on Friday, sending a follow-up message to the recipients, American broadcaster CBS reported.

"You may have received an email notification titled 'Notice of Termination of Parole.' The DHS sent this email to you in error. No action will be taken with respect to your parole," it read.

Last month, addressing reporters in the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump said the White House has not come to a decision yet regarding the legal status of 240,000 Ukrainian refugees currently living in the country.

Trump said that he had not made a decision on the matter yet, but planned to do so "pretty soon". He also claimed that his administration did not want to hurt refugees from Ukraine.

"We're not looking to hurt anybody, and we're certainly not looking to hurt them," Trump added.

"And I'm looking at that, and there were some people that think that's appropriate, and some people don't, and I'll be making a decision pretty soon," Trump added that Ukrainians had "gone through a lot."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back on the report at the time, saying no decision had been made.

The Biden administration announced in January before leaving office that it was extending temporary protected status for Ukrainians until October 2026 "due to armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions in Ukraine that prevent individuals from safely returning."

The revocation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS ) for Ukrainians would be in line with the Trump administration's broader approach to cracking down on legal pathways to enter the US amid a widespread crackdown on immigration.
New Delhi, April 5 : In a major development for Delhi's healthcare sector, the much-awaited Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is all set to be launched in the national Capital on Saturday.

Minister Parvesh Verma, speaking to IANS, expressed his enthusiasm over the initiative, saying, "Itas a big piece of good news for Delhi. An agreement is being signed today between the central Government and the Delhi Government. Under this, millions of poor people in Delhi will now be able to avail free treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh through the Ayushman Yojana. This is a very big and positive step."

The Delhi government and the central government are poised to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Saturday, marking a significant step towards providing healthcare benefits to the poorest families in the city.

The scheme will enable Delhi's most vulnerable populations to access medical treatment, covering a wide array of medical services, including hospitalisations, surgeries, and diagnostic treatments, free of cost.

The move is expected to have a profound impact on the cityas healthcare system, ensuring that those from the lowest income brackets receive quality medical care without the financial burden.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta confirmed that the MoU would be signed today, officially implementing the scheme in the city. This partnership aims to deliver Ayushman Bharatas health coverage to Delhi residents, reinforcing the governmentas commitment to inclusive healthcare.

In addition to the healthcare development, Minister Parvesh Sharma also spoke about the ongoing development in the Princess Park area, stating, "This area is called Princess Park, and we have resolved many of the problems that people were facing here."

The initiative aims to improve infrastructure and services for local residents, further solidifying the government's commitment to public welfare.
Colombo, April 5 : Several key agreements, including on defence cooperation and development of Trincomalee as an energy hub, were signed following the bilateral discussions held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, on Saturday.

Other MoUs signed included on Implementation of HVDC Interconnection for Import/Export of Power; on Cooperation in the Field of Sharing Successful Digital Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation; on Multi-sectoral Grant Assistance for Eastern Province; on Cooperation in the Field of Health and Medicine and on Pharmacopoeial Cooperation.

Prime Minister Modi also announced comprehensive capacity-building programme in India covering 700 Sri Lankans annually; India's grant assistance for the development of Thirukoneswaram temple in Trincomalee, Sita Eliya temple in Nuwara Eliya, and Sacred City Complex project in Anuradhapura; the Exposition of Lord Buddha relics in Sri Lanka on International Vesak Day 2025; as well as the conclusion of Bilateral Amendatory Agreements on Debt Restructuring.

The two leaders also jointly e-inaugurated High Impact Community Development Project in the field of agriculture, a first-of-its-kind 5000 MT temperature controlled warehouse in Dambulla and supply of 5000 solar rooftop units to religious places that span across all 25 districts of Sri Lanka. They also participated in the virtual ground-breaking ceremony for the launch of the 120 MW Sampur Solar Project.

Some other key projects built with Indian assistance that will be inaugurated during PM Modi's ongoing visit include inauguration of upgraded railway track of Maho-Omanthai railway line and the launch of Construction of Signalling System for Maho-Anuradhapura railway line;

The visit of the Indian Prime Minister, undertaken at the invitation of President Dissanayake, reaffirms the shared vision of 'Friendship of Centuries a" Commitment to a Prosperous Future' between the two nations.

Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath, Labour Minister Anil Jayantha, Presidential Secretary Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, along with other senior officials also participated in the delegation-level talks.

The Indian delegation included External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, along with several other senior officials of the government of India.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi was warmly welcomed by President Dissanayake upon his arrival at the Presidential Secretariat.

The official welcoming ceremony for PM Modi took place at the Independence Square in Colombo, under the patronage of President Dissanayake.

In a special gesture, Prime Minister Modi was ceremoniously escorted to Independence Square with a Police Mounted Guard of honour, following which he was warmly welcomed by President Dissanayake.

The Prime Minister was received with full state honours, including a ceremonial guard of honour and gun salute, in recognition of his State Visit to the island nation. Subsequently, PM Modi inspected the Sri Lanka Armed Forces Guard of Honour.
Colombo, April 5 : Praising Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for his "personal commitment to India-Sri Lanka ties", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the two countries have added more momentum to linkages in security, trade, agriculture, housing, culture and other sectors during the bilateral discussions held at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, on Saturday.

"Held extensive and productive talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo. A few months ago, President Dissanayake chose India as the place for his first overseas visit after becoming President. Now, I have the honour of being the first foreign leader he is hosting in his Presidency. This indicates his personal commitment to India-Sri Lanka ties and the unbreakable bond that exists between our nations," PM Modi posted on X.

"Substantial ground has been covered since President Dissanayake visited India, particularly in sectors like energy, solar power, technology and more. In our talks today, we discussed ways to add more momentum to linkages in security, trade, agriculture, housing, culture and other sectors," he added.

Several key agreements, including on defence cooperation and development of Trincomalee as an energy hub, were signed following the bilateral talks.

Other MoUs signed included on Implementation of HVDC Interconnection for Import/Export of Power; on Cooperation in the Field of Sharing Successful Digital Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation; on Multi-sectoral Grant Assistance for Eastern Province; on Cooperation in the Field of Health and Medicine and on Pharmacopoeial Cooperation.

Prime Minister Modi also announced comprehensive capacity-building programme in India covering 700 Sri Lankans annually; India's grant assistance for the development of Thirukoneswaram temple in Trincomalee, Sita Eliya temple in Nuwara Eliya, and Sacred City Complex project in Anuradhapura; the Exposition of Lord Buddha relics in Sri Lanka on International Vesak Day 2025; as well as the conclusion of Bilateral Amendatory Agreements on Debt Restructuring.

Some other key projects built with Indian assistance that are being inaugurated during PM Modi's ongoing visit include inauguration of upgraded railway track of Maho-Omanthai railway line; Launch of Construction of Signalling System for Maho-Anuradhapura railway line; Ground Breaking ceremony of Sampur Solar power project; Inauguration of Temperature Controlled Agricultural Warehouse in Dambulla; and, supply of Solar Rooftop Systems for 5000 Religious Institutions across Sri Lanka.

The visit of Indian Prime Minister, undertaken at the invitation of President Dissanayake, reaffirms the shared vision of 'Friendship of Centuries a" Commitment to a Prosperous Future' between the two nations.

Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath, Labour Minister Anil Jayantha, Presidential Secretary Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, along with other senior officials also participated in the delegation-level talks.

The Indian delegation included External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, along with several other senior officials of the government of India.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi was warmly welcomed by President Dissanayake upon his arrival at the Presidential Secretariat.

The official welcoming ceremony for PM Modi took place at the Independence Square in Colombo, under the patronage of President Dissanayake.

In a special gesture, Prime Minister Modi was ceremoniously escorted to Independence Square with a Police Mounted Guard of honour, following which he was warmly welcomed by President Dissanayake.

The Prime Minister was received with full state honours, including a ceremonial guard of honour and gun salute, in recognition of his State Visit to the island nation. Subsequently, PM Modi inspected the Sri Lanka Armed Forces Guard of Honour.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 5 : The Serious Fraud Investigation Office's (SFIO) charge sheet accusing Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena Vijayan of receiving illegal payments amounting to Rs 2.70 crore from Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) in exchange for mining sanctions has come as a jolt for the CPI-M amid its ongoing 24th Party Congress in Tamil Nadu's Madurai.

Though Vijayan continues to be the undisputed leader in the party not just in Kerala, but also nationally, this news has not gone down well with a section of the party leadership, especially those from West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and parts of north India.

While in-charge General Secretary Prakash Karat said that the party will deal with this both politically and legally, the differing response of West Bengal state Secretary Mohammed Salim came as a dampener for those strongly behind Vijayan and clearly implying that the top party leadership is not on the same page in its view of Vijayan and the case in which his daughter has landed in.

Salim said the legal aspect has to be dealt with directly by the person concerned, while the party will deal with the issue politically.

Though in the Kerala unit, there is not even a whimper of protest against Vijayan, a section of the party insiders however have become restless and it remains to be seen if the hopes of CPI-M Politburo member M.A.Baby gets dashed when the new General Secretary is going to be chosen.

While itas commonly known that Vijayan and Baby are not on the same page, a bigger section in the party, however, favours Baby.

However, another section contends that with half of the one million party card-holders in the country from Kerala, choosing the new General Secretary from the same state might turn out to party being relegated to just another Kerala party.

Now with Vijayanas daughter in trouble, all eyes are on Vijayan if he would flex his muscles to keep out Baby, so as to win some support from his senior colleagues to his larger cause of getting the party to back him and his daughter.

A political observer claimed that another trouble looming for Vijayan is Veenaas husband and state Tourism Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas, who was fast-tracked into higher positions when he was made a Minister and later elevated to the powerful state Secretariat of the party.

"Since this Party Congress is, in all likelihood, going to be Vijayanas last one, another elevation for Riyas to the powerful Central Committee is his desire and it remains to be seen if the party leadership will shoot it down, given the tangle that Veena is caught in," the observer postulated.
Seoul, April 5 : South Korean police said Saturday they have apprehended 435 suspects in a sweeping international probe on online child pornography crimes carried out jointly with five other Asian law enforcement authorities.

The National Office of Investigation (NOI) said the investigation was conducted in February and March in collaboration with police from Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, at Singapore's request, Yonhap news agency reported.

South Korea accounted for the largest number of crackdowns, with police apprehending 374 individuals. Of those, 258 were caught possessing or viewing child sexual abuse material, 74 were identified as content producers and 42 were involved in distribution. Thirteen suspects were arrested.

The majority of offenders in South Korea were teenagers, with 213 in their teens, followed by 127 in their 20s and 23 in their 30s.

In Japan, authorities reported the apprehension of 111 individuals on charges, including child prostitution and violations of child pornography laws.

"These crimes cause irreparable harm to children and require a strong international response, as digital exploitation goes beyond borders," an NOI official said. "We will continue to strengthen cross-border cooperation to tackle child sexual exploitation online."

In November last year, the global messaging service Telegram designated an officer in charge of protecting underage users from illicit content amid criticism over its passive response against sexually exploitative materials circulating on the platform in South Korea.

The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) said Telegram made the designation and set up an email account as a hotline at its request. Telegram also vowed to sternly respond to the distribution of illicit content or copyright violations on its platform, according to the KCC.

The move came as the government announced its plan to strengthen regulations on domestic and foreign platform operators after a series of pornography targeting young women on Telegram sparked public outrage in the country.
New Delhi, April 5 : Aerospace startup Sarla Aviation. which recently unveiled the country's first flying taxi prototype called 'Shunya' earlier this year, is aiming to soon start commercial operations.

Speaking to IANS, Adrian, co-founder and CEO of Sarla Aviation, said that bringing air taxis to India is one of their important goals under the 'Viksit Bharat' initiative.

"India needs a better transport system. This is where the idea of air taxis come into the picture. It can be expected to become an important part of public transport in the future," said Adrian.

Adrian further stated that it is necessary to bring air taxis to India so that problems like traffic jams can be eliminated.

Air taxis can be used to commute to places like schools, malls, hospitals and airports. He described air taxis as smarter, more economical and convenient mode pf transport than traditional vehicles.

Sarla Aviation has so far raised $12 million in funding from various venture capital firms and angel investors. The company plans to raise additional investments in the future to expand footprint.

Indian investors have played a vital role in the success of Sarla Aviation and Adrian is extremely happy about this.

He said, "Most of our investors are Indians, and we are proud to be backed by some of the brightest minds who have built some of the best companies in this country."

Sarla Aviation is developing India's most sophisticated electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The development highlights India's growing aspiration in sustainable urban air mobility and underscores the importance of synergies in driving innovation.

Focused on developing eVTOL aircraft, Sarla Aviation aims to transform urban mobility with faster, cleaner, and more efficient transportation solutions. The company plans to initiate test flights and develop additional prototypes, with a market launch targeted for 2028.
Patna, April 5 : Amid the political storm over the recently-passed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, BJP National Spokesperson and former Union Minister, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain has come out strongly in its defence, calling it a pro-Muslim and pro-poor legislation.

Speaking to IANS in Samastipur, Hussain said the Bill, cleared by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, is aimed at empowering underprivileged Muslims, especially those who were historically left behind.

"The Waqf Amendment Bill is in the interest of Muslims. It will benefit the poor among them and give them a chance to develop themselves anew," Hussain stated.

Hussain also revealed that he has been receiving threats and abusive messages online ever since he spoke in favour of the Bill.

"I am being constantly threatened and abused on social media. We are tracing such people. But I stand firm on what I believe is right," he told IANS.

On the political impact of the Bill, Hussain dismissed concerns over Muslim leaders resigning from the JD(U), calling them non-influential faces.

"No such big face is leaving JD(U). It will not affect the party or the NDA. In fact, this Bill will help us gain more votes," he said confidently.

Hussain addressed the fears and misconceptions being spread about the Bill, reiterating that the Waqf committees will still be headed by Muslims and that no religious or community bias is involved.

"The Opposition is misleading people, just like they did during the Citizenship Amendment Act. Muslims have nothing to fear," he clarified.

He made an appeal to the Muslim community to stay calm and informed: "Don't fall for propaganda. No one needs to come to the streets of Patna. PM Narendra Modi is working with the motto of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas," Hussain said.

Meanwhile, amid the growing resentment within sections of the Muslim community over the Waqf Bill, Union Minister Chirag Paswan responded with a heartfelt and reflective statement, invoking the legacy of his late father, Ram Vilas Paswan.

In a powerful message, Chirag Paswan acknowledged the dissatisfaction expressed by members of the minority community but said he values it as part of a democratic process.

"I want to tell every person of the Muslim community that I am grateful for your displeasure, but the reality is that my father also always fought for social justice with dedication," Paswan said.

Paswan underscored that his political values are deeply rooted in the principles his father stood for.

"I also have his blood in my veins, his values. I will also work to carry forward his thinking with the same honesty," he said.

Amid the intense debate over the Waqf Amendment Bill, he maintained that his actions should be judged over time, not based on immediate political narratives.

"Time will tell whether the decisions taken by Chirag Paswan were in your favour or not," he said.
Sydney, April 5 : Australia's prime minister has announced additional support for communities affected by catastrophic flooding in the country's northeast.

Anthony Albanese spent the eighth day of the campaign for the general election touring a vast area of the outback in the western part of the state of Queensland that has been inundated by flooding since late March.

The flooding in the sparsely-populated region, which is a major livestock farming area, is considered the worst since 1974 and has caused widespread damage as well as estimated losses of over 140,000 head of livestock, reports Xinhua news agency.

Albanese on Saturday announced 105 million Australian dollars ($63.4 million) in funding to rebuild fencing to protect livestock from feral pigs and dogs. The state government previously made disaster assistance grants worth up to 75,000 Australian dollars ($45,314) available for affected primary producers in the region.

Peter Dutton, leader of the opposition Coalition and Australia's alternative prime minister, toured the region earlier in the election campaign, where he committed 10 million Australian dollars ($6.04 million) in funding for a new weather radar -- a pledge that has been matched by Albanese.

Asked on Saturday why he visited the region, which has long been a Coalition stronghold if it does not serve him politically, Albanese said he wants to be prime minister "of all Australians".

"I have a message for Queenslanders, which is: We have your back. We are with you, we will provide whatever support is necessary," he said.

Dutton also on Saturday partially walked back the Coalition's plan to end work-from-home arrangements for federal public servants, saying it would only apply to those based in Canberra. The Coalition also plans to cut 41,000 public service jobs to reduce government spending.

Saturday marked four weeks until election day on May 3 and 17 days until early voting centres open across the country on April 22.

With voting in the election mandatory for all Australians aged 18 and over, early voting centers give people the option to avoid long queues to cast their ballot.

It has become increasingly popular in recent elections.

According to the Australian Electoral Commission, 8.41 million people voted early in the 2022 general election, either in person or by post, representing 47.7 per cent of the 17.6 million enrolled voters at the time.
Dhaka, April 5 : Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the major political parties in the country after the fall of the Awami League government last August, is considering holding nationwide street protests along with allies to highlight the failure of the current interim government led by Muhammad Yunus in providing a clear roadmap for national election.

During the rallies and public gatherings which will continue till May, the BNP leaders will be demanding restoration of democracy and the people's voting rights by holding elections as soon as possible.

Bangladeshi media outlet UNB reported on Saturday that the party will hold a large-scale public rally in Dhaka and set a deadline for the interim government to announce the election date.

In a televised address to the nation on March 25, Yunus stated that the elections will be held between December 2025 and June 2026. He added that the Consensus Commission is actively gathering opinions on reforms from all political parties.

A senior BNP leader stated that there is a deliberate effort to extend the tenure of the interim government and delay the elections. The party has warned of instability and "strong resentment" within the people if elections are not held by December.

"I am very disappointed that the Chief Advisor did not mention a clear election roadmap in his speech on March 25. What I believe is that the lack of a specific election roadmap reflects the government's political inexperience," said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, reacting to Yunus' statement.

Addressing a conference in February, BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman accused the Yunus-led interim government of causing instability in Bangladesh.

"For some time now, we have been observing with concern that some officials within the government are making conflicting remarks regarding the restoration of people's rights. As a result, unrest has spread across different regions," he stated.

Earlier, the BNP had expressed doubts about the possibility of national parliamentary elections being held in December. The party's senior leaders alleged a "conspiracy" to delay the polls.

The much-flaunted unity of the political outfits in Bangladesh, which was on full display during the ousting of the democratically-elected Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, is fading gradually.

With the country plunging into crisis over the last seven months, several political leaders, who had earlier backed Yunus, are now criticising him openly, especially over the long delay that has been witnessed in holding national elections.
New Delhi, April 5 : Amid rising bird flu cases in the country, the Union Government has made registration of poultry farms mandatory and urged the need for increasing surveillance to curb avian influenza.

A high-level meeting in New Delhi, chaired by Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary at the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying set up a three-pronged strategy with stricter biosecurity, surveillance and mandatory registration of poultry farms.

The strategy "encompasses stricter biosecurity measures wherein poultry farms must enhance hygiene practices, control farm access and follow stringent biosecurity protocols to minimise the risk of infection, strengthened surveillance and mandatory registration of poultry farms to enhance disease tracking and control", stated the ministry.

"All poultry farms must register with state animal husbandry departments within a month. The government has urged poultry industry stakeholders to ensure 100 per cent compliance with this directive," it added.

"Protecting our poultry sector is critical for food security and rural livelihoods. Strict biosecurity, scientific surveillance, and responsible industry practices are essential in our fight against bird flu," Upadhyaya said.

In addition, she stated the need for developing a predictive modelling system for early warning and environmental surveillance which would enable proactive disease detection and response, minimiing the risk of outbreaks and protecting the poultry industry.

Avian Influenza is a highly infectious viral disease affecting birds, with occasional transmission to mammals. Since its first detection in India in 2006, outbreaks have been reported annually across multiple states.

Notably, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has since January affected eight states -- Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Bihar.

Currently, six active outbreak zones remain in Jharkhand, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh in the country.

Besides poultry, the animal and bird species affected include tiger, leopard, vulture, crow, hawk egret, pet cat, demoiselle crane, painted stork, crow, jungle cat.

Meanwhile, DAHD has permitted the use of the H9N2 (Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza) vaccine, developed by ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal, which is now available commercially.

A national study will evaluate the vaccine's effectiveness of LPAI vaccination. The meeting also extensively discussed the possibility of allowing the use of a vaccine against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in India.

The meeting recommended conducting detailed science-based assessments to determine the feasibility of HPAI vaccination in India. Research efforts have also been initiated to develop an indigenous HPAI vaccine following global best practices.
New Delhi, April 5 : India's financial system has become more resilient and diverse, driven by rapid economic growth, and regulatory framework in securities markets has been enhanced in line with international practice to manage and prevent emerging risks, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said on Saturday, citing a latest IMF-Financial System Stability Assessment (FSSA) report.

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) Indiaas financial system has become more resilient and diverse, driven by rapid economic growth, and regulatory framework in securities markets has been enhanced in line with international practice to manage and prevent emerging risks, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said on Saturday, citing a latest IMF-Financial System Stability Assessment (FSSA) report.

The markets regulator said, in a statement, that the financial sector in India has shown recovery from various distress episodes of the 2010s and withstood the pandemic well.

"In terms of evolution of the financial sector landscape, the Non-Banking Financial Intermediaries (NBFI) sector has become diverse but more interconnected. Banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) have sufficient aggregate capital to support moderate lending even in severe macro-financial scenarios," the SEBI said, citing the IMF report findings.

On regulation and supervision of NBFCs, the IMF acknowledged Indiaas systematic approach for prudential requirements of NBFCs with scale based regulatory framework.

The IMF also appreciated Indiaas approach on introduction of bank-like Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) for large NBFCs.

For supervision of banks, the IMF suggested strengthening credit risk management through "IFSR 9 adoption and upgrading supervision over individual loans, collateral valuation, connected borrower groups, large exposure limits, and related-party transactions".

The report further stated that notable improvements include establishing the Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF), introducing swing pricing, and liquidity requirements for bond mutual funds.

The regulatory scope has also been expanded over emerging areas such as sustainability and investor protection measures for fast-growing equity derivatives products, according to the IMF-FSSA report.

According to the SEBI, the "FSSA report acknowledges that Indiaas insurance sector is strong and growing, with a significant presence in both life and general insurance. The sector has remained stable, supported by better regulations and digital innovations".

The report noted Indiaas progress in improving oversight, risk management and governance and suggests further steps toward risk-based solvency/supervision frameworks and stronger group supervision. It acknowledged transition plans towards a risk-based approach in the insurance sector.

"This reflects Indiaas commitment to global best practices and a resilient insurance sector," said the capital markets regulator.

The Financial Sector Assessment Programme (FSAP), a joint programme of the IMF and the World Bank (WB), undertakes a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of a countryas financial sector.
Ayodhya, April 5 : With just a day to go for Ram Navami, Ayodhya is witnessing extensive preparations for Shri Ram Janmotsav, with lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad expected to arrive in the holy city on Sunday.

Ayodhya, April 5 (IANS) With just a day to go for Ram Navami, Ayodhya is witnessing extensive preparations for Shri Ram Janmotsav, with lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad expected to arrive in the holy city on Sunday.

Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place to ensure a safe and smooth celebration. The surveillance is being carried out through drones and an extensive CCTV network.

Inspector General of Police, Ayodhya Range, Praveen Kumar said: "CCTVs have been installed at all key locations, and drone surveillance is underway. City residents, including boatmen and vendors, are also playing a role in maintaining vigilance and reporting any suspicious activity."

In anticipation of large crowds and rising heat, arrangements are being coordinated with the health department and civil administration. "Everyone is working together in a spirit of teamwork to ensure crowd management and devotee comfort," the IG added.

To manage the influx of pilgrims, special traffic and crowd control measures have been put in place. "The area around the Ram Mandir, Kanak Bhawan, Hanuman Garhi, and Rampath has been divided into zones. Internal diversions will be made, if required, to ease movement," he said.

The district administration has also planned a series of cultural programmes and exhibitions in the Ram Katha Park. A major highlight this year is the 'Surya Tilak' ritual, where a ray of sunlight will anoint Lord Ram's idol at noon on Ram Navami. The rare celestial event will be broadcast live for devotees worldwide.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged people to watch the event on television. "On the holy occasion of Shri Ram Navami, tomorrow in Ayodhya Dham, Lord Surya will be seen performing the Tilak of Lord Shri Ram Do watch this event on television," he wrote on X.

Champat Rai, General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, said Ram Navami is not just a festival but a unique confluence of Indian culture, spirituality, and scientific tradition.

Devotional activities have already begun in the temple premises. Shri Ram Katha is being held daily at the Angad Tila courtyard by renowned storyteller Atul Krishna Bharadwaj Ji Maharaj, he said.

In addition, the daily Navahan Parayan of Ramcharitmanas (8.30 a.m.  11.30 a.m.) and recitations from the Valmiki Ramayana (8.30 a.m. - 11.30 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.) are taking place outside the sanctum sanctorum.

Rai said special Vedic rituals are being performed in the temple's northeast corner -- the site of the Pran Pratishtha Yagna held in January. Ten Vedapati Acharyas are chanting one lakh mantras daily for three hours. The havan will culminate in a Maha Yagya on Ram Navami.

On the day of the festival, Shri Ram Lala will be ceremonially anointed with holy water, Panchamrit, and traditional herbal preparations at 6 a.m., followed by special Shringar and Bhog Arpan from 9.30 to 10.30 am.

At noon, during the Janmotsav celebration, a grand Aarti and Chhappan Bhog offering will take place. These events will be telecast live on Doordarshan and other media platforms.
New Delhi, April 5 : As the US reciprocal tariffs begin to shake up the world economy, India must consider how to approach this matter in a best possible way while safeguarding its national interest, Pervinder Singh Chandhok, who has been associated with the India-Iran and Middle East Chamber of Commerce in the UAE, said on Saturday.

In an interaction with IANS, Chandhok said he has great respect for US President Donald Trump. "It is his desire to grow his country in a very big way, and he has decided to introduce new tariffs unilaterally - something that most countries still do not agree with," said Chandhok, a second-generation Indian businessman who has lived in Tehran.

"This has now become a global issue, and India, in particular, must also consider how to approach this matter in its own national interest," he stressed.

The tariffs levied on India (27 per cent) are the lowest among its Asian peers, compared to 34 per cent on China, 36 per cent on Thailand, 32 per cent on Indonesia, and 46 per cent on Vietnam.

This is expected to give India a comparative advantage over these countries and result in an increase in exports in some sectors over the long term, according to the latest SBI report. India's exports to the US constitute only 4 per cent of its GDP, so the direct impact of the 27 per cent hike in tariffs on Indian goods will have only a "limited" impact, according to the report released on Friday.

On a question how can India and Iran further enhance the trade relations, Chandhok said that India and all the Middle-Eastern countries - including those with whom we currently do not have trade due to third-country sanctions - should work to expand the rupee trade mechanism as much as possible.

"We should also introduce preferential tariffs so that the business can grow to its fullest potential," he told IANS.

Meanwhile, Iran is looking at ways to resume supplying crude oil to India and is keen on expanding the overall trade basket, including in the petrochemical sector, through the strategically-located Chabahar port.

India stopped importing oil from Iran in 2019 after the after the United States refused to extend exemption from sanctions on the country.

Regarding procurement of oil from Iran, Chandhok said: "Keeping in view the global policies, practices and the global sanctions in place, India has to come up with its national interest and decide which way to go. So, the national interest will be the guiding factor for the oil purchases."
Bengaluru, April 5 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday asserted that there should be no doubt about internal reservation for the Scheduled Castes, which his government will surely implement in the state "without injustice to anyone".

"Even if you (people) object, we will ensure its implementation. We will strictly follow the Supreme Courtas directions," Siddaramaiah said at the event to mark the 118th birth anniversary celebration of Babu Jagjivan Ram, organised by the Department of Social Welfare, on the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha.

"Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das has sought two monthsa time. We have granted it. After that, we will ensure its implementation without injustice to anyone," he said.

The Karnataka Cabinet has approved the interim report submitted by the one-man commission of Justice Nagamohan Das (retired), which was constituted to study and recommend internal reservation within the Scheduled Castes.

Earlier, Law Minister Law H.K. Patil had stated that the interim report submitted by the Nagamohan Das Commission has been accepted by the Cabinet. It has been decided that the responsibility of conducting the fresh survey will also be entrusted to the Nagamohan Das Committee and that the classification for internal reservation will be taken up on a fast-track basis. He said that the committeeas tenure has been extended by two months to enable them to complete the survey within 60 days and submit the report.

Describing Babu Jagjivan Ram as a freedom fighter and a champion of social justice. Siddaramaiah said: "Due to the caste system, inequality still exists in society. He had a clear stance that as long as caste exists, reservation must continue."

"We didnat create the caste system, but we have suffered from the inequality it caused. As long as caste exists, equal opportunities wonat be available, because the caste system continues to influence society," he said.

About reservations in general, he stated: "Those who once spoke against reservation are now availing its benefits and enjoying the privileges. Therefore, no one opposes reservation anymore."

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced 10 per cent reservation under EWS (Economically Weaker Sections), everyone has become a beneficiary of reservation, he maintained.

He emphasised that education helps bring out hidden talent and enables youth to grow with dignity.

The Chief Minister also noted that only Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh have implemented the SCP-TSP Act (Scheduled Caste Sub Plan-Tribal Sub Plan). "Why havenat BJP-ruled states, which speak about social justice, implemented this law? Is mere speech enough? Shouldnat it reflect in action?" he asked.

He claimed that the five guarantees implemented by his government have successfully ensured that people have money in their hands and increased their purchasing power.

Recalling the contribution of Babu Jagjivan Ram as a Union Minister, Siddaramaiah said: "He led the Green Revolution and ensured food for all. Back then, we only had meals during festivals. We launched the Anna Bhagya scheme so that no one should go through such a situation and no one should sleep hungry."

He urged everyone to remember the concerns of this great leader and to follow in his footsteps.

"Both Jagjivan Ram and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar understood the struggles of society. The Constitution emerged as a solution to these problems, and it gave us all the right to education," he said.

"We wonat get another Ambedkar or Jagjivan Ram. Therefore, we must follow the ideals and concerns they left behind," he added.
Manila, April 5 : The Philippines on Saturday raised alarm over the arrest of three Filipino nationals in China who have been allegedly detained for suspected espionage.

The National Security Council (NSC) of the country stated that their detention can be seen as a "retaliation" for the series of legitimate arrests of Chinese agents and accomplices in the Philippines in recent months.

The agency further added that the arrested individuals are ordinary Filipino citizens with no military training.

"They are law-abiding citizens with no criminal records and were vetted and screened by the Chinese government prior to their arrival there," NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said in a statement.

He also mentioned an edited video released by Chinese media showing alleged "confessions" by the arrested Filipinos.

"There was also mention of a Philippine Intelligence Agency or Philippine Spy Intelligence Services, which is a non-existing government agency. The confessions appear to be scripted, strongly suggesting that they were not made freely," Malaya added.

He stated that the three arrested Philippine nationals are former recipients of the Hainan Government Scholarship Programme established under the sisterhood agreement between the Chinese province of Hainan and Philippines province of Palawan.

Meanwhile, Malaya assured the public that the Philippine government would prioritise their safety and well-being and ensure that they receive appropriate legal support.

"We urge the Chinese government to respect their rights and afford them every opportunity to clear their names in the same way that the rights of Chinese nationals are respected here in the Philippines," Malaya said.

China's state security authorities on Thursday said that it had recently discovered a case of suspected espionage, prompting the arrest of three Philippine nationals on spying charges.

China's judicial and relevant authorities will strictly, and in accordance with the law, handle a case of suspected espionage activities conducted by Philippine nationals in China, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The relations between the Philippines and China have nosedived due to the South China Sea standoff and the growing assertiveness of the Chinese in the Indo-Pacific region.
Los Angeles, April 5 : Reality star Helen Flanagan has revealed that her friends tried to impose a strict "man ban" after she parted ways from Scott Sinclair.

The former 'Coronation Street' star, who shares three children, Matilda, nine, Delilah, six, and Charlie, four, with her former fiance, revealed her pals tried to convince her to not to rush into a new romance following the split in 2022, reports 'Female First UK'.

Helen, 34, told The Sun's Fabulous Magazine, "A lot of my friends were trying to put me on a man ban, which obviously didn't work. I was hurting from the break-up and I've always just wanted to be loved so I started dating".

As per 'Female First UK', Helen and Scott, 36, dated for 13 years before their break-up and she has since moved on with construction worker Robbie Talbot, 45.

She said, "He's a kind, genuine person, he makes me laugh and he's brilliant with my kids".

Meanwhile, Helen recently admitted she and Scott don't get on very well but they still care about each other as co-parents. Speaking to Charlotte Dawson on her 'Naughty Corner' podcast, Helen said, "I still love him very much, I care about him deeply, but we don't like each other. We don't like each other at all, we don't get along. I do know that Scott, he'd never admit it, cares about me too and he does love me. But I'm so done, I could never have another relationship again where we would always be bickering. I haven't got another argument in me".

As women we try and do anything we can to make it work with the father of your children and I did. But I think for me if I was in a relationship with someone else it would have to be easy because I haven't got the energy in me again, I've done all that with the father of my kids. I've been a single mum for two years now. Co-parenting is hilarious, we were together for 13 years".

"The last time I saw him, I thought it was quite funny, I was taking the p*** out of him because he had a bucket hat on. I think he was trying not to laugh. He lives in Bath and I live in North Manchester so its about five hours and we meet in Birmingham to exchange things and the kids. He's throwing things in my boot and I just started taking the mickey out of his bucket hat to lighten the mood. We just try and not be in the same house together because the children are the priority and I want a good environment for them and I don't want them to see us arguing", she added.
Mumbai, April 5 : The Congress has accused Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate of repeatedly insulting the farmers and demanded his "immediate expulsion" from the state Cabinet.

"Baliraja (farmer) is the breadwinner of the world, but the state's Agriculture Minister, Manikrao Kokate, has become so engrossed in power that he is constantly insulting the farmers. After calling the farmers beggars, now this gentleman has insulted them once again, asking the farmers whether they should invest money after the loan waiver in agriculture or spend it on engagement and marriage ceremonies. Kokate, who insults the farmers, should be expelled from the Cabinet," Maharashtra unit Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said.

On the other hand, the Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said that farmers have been hit by unseasonal rains in Vidarbha and Marathwada in the state. Crops like tur, grapes, onion and vegetables have been damaged.

"In such a time, instead of providing relief to the farmers, the Agriculture Minister is insensitive and making sarcastic statements about the farmers. The government has left the farmers in the lurch as these ministers feel that no one will be able to do anything to them due to majority. Let the farmers commit suicide, let them suffer losses, but the MahaYuti government has nothing to do with the common people and farmers," he remarked.

He demanded that farmers, who were hit badly due to unseasonal rains, should be soon given financial assistance by conducting 'Panchnama'.

Sapkal further said that MahaYuti, which had promised to waive off farmers' loans after coming to power, has not yet been fulfilled.

The government said that there is no money for a loan waiver.

Against this backdrop, the Agriculture Minister's statement is insulting to farmers.

"When the government helps farmers or waives off loans, it is not doing them any favors. It is the people's money, not minister the money of Kokate's family. If the government's policies were favorable to agriculture and farmers, then why would farmers depend on government help? But the BJP-led coalition government is anti-farmer. Kokate had earlier insulted farmers by saying that even beggars do not take a single rupee, we provide insurance to farmers for one rupee. The minister has developed the disease of constantly insulting farmers. He should apologise to the farmers of the state," said Sapkal.

He further said: "I read in the newspaper that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis advised ministers to be polite while speaking, but ministers do not even respect the Chief Minister, they just talk nonsense. Kokate is one of them, and he should stop making insensitive and insulting statements."
Dhaka, April 5 : In yet another incident that highlights continued suppression of political dissent in Bangladesh, a leader of the Awami League party led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was detained in the early hours of Saturday.

The police confirmed the arrest of M A Khalek, Awami League's General Secretary for Meherpur district who is also a former chairman of Gangni Upazila Parishad.

The police, however, did not disclose the specific reasons for the arrest.

Khalek was earlier arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion force in a case related to the July uprising, last year. He was later granted bail and had been staying at home as he was removed from all his official positions after Hasina's ouster, Bangladesh's leading newspaper, The Daily Star, reported.

Since assuming power in August 2024, the interim government has unleashed a brutal crackdown on Awami League leaders, most of them on frivolous grounds.

Last month, three Awami League leaders, including a former lawmaker from the Tangail-5 constituency, was arrested in connection with an alleged attack on the July anti-discrimination student movement in the capital's Bhatara area.

Earlier this week, seven people were arrested as police suspected them to be supporters of the Awami League and its associate bodies after they brought out a procession in favour of the party's student wing Chhatra League in Sylhet.

In another assault on Awami League members, the residences of former Mayor Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury and former Member of Parliament Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel were attacked and vandalised by a mob under the banner of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)'s Chhatra Dal.

Many Awami League leaders have been brutally attacked and killed after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.

Several reports revealed that the bodies of over two dozen Awami League leaders and their family members were recovered from across the country in August 2024. Many leaders and supporters of the Awami League have faced severe assault and mob violence in recent months even as the interim government and its Chief Advisor have been making promises of maintaining law and order situation in the country.
Yangon, April 5 : Continuing with its humanitarian assistance to earthquake-ravaged Myanmar, India on Saturday delivered an additional 442-tonne of food aid under ongoing 'Operation Brahma'.

The consignment on board Indian Navy Ship Gharial arrived at Myanmar's Thilawa port and was formally handed over by the Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Abhay Thakur to Yangon Chief Minister U Soe Thein and his team.

"Meeting the needs of affected people. A large 442 tonne consignment of food aid (rice, cooking oil, noodles & biscuits) carried by Indian Navy landing ship tank INS Gharial arrived today at Thilawa Port and was handed over by Ambassador Abhay Thakur to CM Yangon U Soe Thein and team," Embassy of India in Yangon posted on X.

India launched Operation Brahma to provide necessary support, including Search and Rescue (SAR), humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and medical assistance, following the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28.

Acting as the 'First Responder' in times of crisis in its neighbourhood, India had until April 1 sent six aircraft and five naval ships to deliver 625 MT of Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) material.

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of State Administration Council and Prime Minister of Myanmar, on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok and discussed the situation in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in the country, including India's ongoing efforts under 'Operation Brahma' to provide humanitarian aid, disaster relief and medical assistance to Myanmar.

The Senior General expressed his gratitude for India's assistance efforts. The Prime Minister conveyed that, as the First Responder, India stands with Myanmar in this time of crisis and is ready to deploy more material assistance and resources, if required.

PM Modi had also underlined the importance of early restoration of a democratic process through inclusive and credible elections, adding that India supported efforts aimed at fostering trust and advancing a Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led transition towards a peaceful, stable and democratic future.

The two leaders had also discussed the ongoing India-supported infrastructure development projects in Myanmar. Prime Minister underlined Indiaas readiness to support the developmental needs of all communities in Myanmar.
New Delhi, April 5 : The Delhi government on Saturday signed an MoU for implementing the Ayushman Bharat Scheme for Rs 10-lakh health insurance even as Chief Minister Rekha Gupta slammed the previous city government for blocking the scheme, denying its benefits to lakhs of residents.

She announced that, in the first phase, distribution of beneficiary cards for 2.35 lakh families would begin from April 10.

Speaking at the event for signing of MoU between National Health Authority (NHA) and State Health Agency (SHA) on Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), GNCTD, CM Gupta said, "The scheme, which could have become a lifeline for Delhi, could not be implemented earlier due to the previous governments' ego it was blocked even when the medical facilities were in a poor state and each bed was being shared by two patients."

"Today, on behalf of my entire Cabinet, all the MPs and the people of Delhi, I want to thank our Central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for implementing this health scheme," she said, fulfilling a key promise made by the BJP during the Assembly election campaign.

The Delhi government aims to enrol at least 1 lakh beneficiaries within one month from the launch on Saturday.

CM Gupta said that Delhi citizens suffered due to the lack of previous state government coordination with the Central government. "Despite the public miseries, private hospitals used to deny treatment to patients," she said, adding that now, with the new insurance scheme, Delhiites will be able to undergo treatment at a hospital of their choice.

She said the health insurance will cover 1,961 medical conditions, and the beneficiaries would be entitled to avail the facility at any of the 30,957 hospitals across the country.

"Today, under the Central government's initiative, around 6.54 lakh families in Delhi will now be eligible to receive medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. Adding another Rs 5 lakh from the Delhi government's side, we will be able to provide a total health insurance coverage of Rs 10 lakh," she said.

At the MoU signing event, an online portal was also launched for Delhiites to file applications using ration cards and Aadhaar cards.

Under the scheme, nearly five lakh Delhiites above 70 will have the option of doorstep registration.

Earlier, Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma, speaking to IANS, expressed his enthusiasm over the initiative, saying, "It's good news for Delhi Under this, millions of poor people will now be able to avail free treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh through the Ayushman Yojana. This is a very big and positive step."
Shimla, April 5 : Himachal Pradesh Forest Department on Saturday said its Wildlife Wing has captured the photo of the woolly flying squirrel, once considered extinct, captured in the Miyar Valley of Lahaul-Spiti district.

The department said that this is the first photographic record flying squirrel.

This rare documentation was made during a camera trapping survey conducted from October to December last year.

A Forest Department spokesperson on Saturday said the woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus), endemic to the north-western Himalayas, was long believed to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1994 after a gap of nearly 70 years.

Its confirmed presence in the state marks a noteworthy addition to the stateas mammal checklist and is considered a significant milestone in wildlife conservation efforts.

The spokesperson said the camera trapping survey was part of the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) initiative was aimed at studying snow leopard populations and their habitat.

The survey followed SPAI protocols and involved the installation of 62 camera traps across strategic locations in the Miyar Valley.

This extensive exercise was carried out by the Wildlife Wing in collaboration with the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF).

He said the challenging deployment of camera traps across the rugged Himalayan terrain was led by a team of local youth from Kibber in Spiti, who have been engaged in such conservation efforts since 2010. Their efforts were further supported by a committed wildlife and conservation champion from Lahaul.

The spokesperson said in addition to the woolly flying squirrel, camera traps also recorded images of several other key species, including the snow leopard, the red fox, the Himalayan wolf and the mountain weasel.

These animals were observed in rocky cliff zones and transitional habitats just above the tree line areas typically favoured by the woolly flying squirrel.

These findings not only show the rich biodiversity of the Miyar Valley but also provide crucial insights into the high-altitude ecosystems of Himachal Pradesh, said the spokesman.

Such discoveries also show the importance of continued conservation research and the need to protect these fragile and unique habitats.

--IANS

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Mumbai, April 5 : Yesteryear diva Zeenat Aman expressed her grief on the passing away of the legendary actor and director, Manoj Kumar.

Posting a throwback image with Bharat Kumar, Zeenat penned on her Instagram handle, "Saddened to learn about the passing of Manoj Kumar, May his soul rest in peace."

Manoj Kumar and Zeenat were seen as the leads, Bharat and Sheetal, in the 1974 drama 'Roti Kapda Aur Makaan', directed by Manoj Kumar himself. The film turned out to be a massive hit, becoming the highest-grossing title of the year. 'Roti Kapda Aur Makaan' talks about a man tasked with looking after his family after his father's demise. The song 'Main Na Bhoolunga' from the movie is still inked in the memory of movie buffs.

Meanwhile, filmmaker Subhash Ghai believes that Manoj Kumar was one of the finest filmmakers in the country, whose work continues to inspire everyone.

He told IANS, "The biggest inspiration for the industry is a filmmaker. If we have ten filmmakers in India, who have been an inspiration for the coming generation, he was one of the finest we had, the biggest filmmaker and an actor".

Additionally, veteran actor Raj Babbar mourned the demise of Manoj Kumar. Calling for India's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna for the late actor, Babbar told IANS, "The film industry has lost a gem today. Manoj Kumar worked towards solidifying the dignity of India, paid respects to the freedom fighters of India through his work in cinema. A director, writer, and actor, who spoke about patriotism. He was very noble, and made a place for himself in the hearts of people through love".

Manoj Kumar's last rites took place in the Vile Parle area of Mumbai today. He was given a state funeral with the Guard of Honour during his last rites.

Numerous members of the film fraternity including Amitabh Bachchan, Salim Khan, Prem Chopra, Raza Murad, Vindu Dara Singh, Anu Malik, and Dheeraj Kumar were also present to pay their last respects.
Mumbai, April 5 : The Maharashtra government will set up help desks in Observation Homes across the state to ensure the rights and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday has approved a proposal for the establishment of Help Desks in Observation Homes across the state.

The Help Desks will be operated through collaboration with social organizations. An agreement is set to be signed between the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)  Resource Cell for Juvenile Justice (RCJJ), and the Women and Child Development Department (WCD), Government of Maharashtra, for the rehabilitation of Children in Conflict with the Law (CCL).

In the first phase, this initiative will be implemented in five districts -- Nagpur, Yavatmal, Latur, Pune, and Thane -- with the aim of reaching at least 4,000 children annually.

Eventually, the programme will be expanded to all districts in the state in collaboration with various NGOs.

Key services to be provided under Help Desk initiative include information and guidance about the Juvenile Justice system to juveniles and their parents, legal assistance and referral services for rehabilitation, preparation and submission of Social Investigation Reports, support in education, vocational training, de-addiction, and follow-up care, 24-hour helpline services and coordination with Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act bodies and speedy resolution of pending cases.

The Chief Minister stated that setting up Help Desks is an effort to treat CCLs with dignity and empathy, providing them a platform to voice their legal and social concerns and receive assistance.

The initiative aims to guide these children early on and help transform them into responsible citizens contributing positively to society.

He emphasised that issues concerning juvenile offenders are not just human rights concerns, but also critical aspects of sustainable human development.

Rehabilitation of such children is a vital and noble responsibility of the government of Maharashtra.

The Help Desks will ensure that legal procedures are better understood, reduce exploitation and misunderstandings, enhance transparency in judicial processes, and boost children's confidence, aiding in their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

"Many children involved in criminal activities belong to economically and socially vulnerable backgrounds and often lack legal awareness. Misguidance by lawyers, social stigma, and emotional trauma can hinder their access to justice. Parents too are frequently unaware of legal procedures. The Help Desks will assist in counseling and guiding such children to stay away from substance abuse.

"Additionally, the Help Desks will provide information and legal process awareness to CCLs and their parents, coordinate with Juvenile Justice Boards (JJB), lawyers, Child Welfare Committees (CWC), and other concerned agencies, and deliver consistent services through trained volunteers," said the government release.
Colombo, April 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of the 120 MW Sampur Solar power project, being developed as a joint venture between the two nations.

The project in the island's northeastern Trincomalee district will help Sri Lankaas transition to clean energy, reduce electricity costs for consumers, help create more jobs and stimulate growth.

PM Modi also inaugurated the supply of solar rooftop systems to 500 religious institutions in Sri Lanka, which will contribute 25 MW of electricity and enhance the energy security of various establishments.

Commenting on the development, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, said on Saturday that PM Modias visit to Sri Lanka "is powering a clean energy revolution".

"From the 120 MW Sampur solar project to rooftop solar systems for 500 religious institutions - energy security, reducing costs, creating jobs and driving growth," he remarked on social media platform X.

PM Modi held high-level talks with President Dissanayake and oversaw the signing of seven MoUs across key sectors, including defence, energy, digital infrastructure, health and trade.

An MoU between India and the Sri Lankan government was signed for the implementation of HVDC Interconnection for Import and Export of Power.

Another MoU between Indiaas Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Digital Economy of Sri Lanka provides for Cooperation in the Field of Sharing Successful Digital Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation.

During the visit, PM Modi announced comprehensive capacity-building programme in India covering 700 Sri Lankans annually; Indiaas grant assistance for the development of Thirukoneswaram temple in Trincomalee, Sita Eliya temple in Nuwara Eliya, and Sacred City Complex project in Anuradhapura; the Exposition of Lord Buddha relics in Sri Lanka on International Vesak Day 2025; as well as the conclusion of Bilateral Amendatory Agreements on Debt Restructuring.
New Delhi, April 5 : Calling former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a "Master of Corruption", Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Saturday shared RTI documents suggesting that the AAP National Convenor spent Rs 29.56 crore between March 31, 2015, and December 27, 2022 on maintenance of his official bungalow in north Delhi.

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) Calling former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a "Master of Corruption", Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Saturday shared RTI documents suggesting that the AAP National Convenor spent Rs 29.56 crore between March 31, 2015, and December 27, 2022 on maintenance of his official bungalow in north Delhi.

"The scams perpetrated by Kejriwal are not coming to an end. We will ask the Delhi government to inquire how almost Rs 1 lakh per day was spent on the maintenance of his bungalow. We also want every penny to be recovered," Sachdeva told IANS.

He said that Kejriwal has been avoiding the media since his defeat in Delhi elections but he will have to face these thorny questions on corruption.

"The people of Delhi expect him to come forward and clarify what exactly was so deficient in his bungalow that Rs 31 lakh per month was needed for its maintenance," he said.

"An annual maintenance expenditure of Rs 3.69 crore on a government bungalow clearly indicates the royal level of upkeep that Kejriwal maintained, or there may be corruption at play in this as well," he said.

The Delhi BJP chief highlighted that this expenditure was done only on the general repairs, sewage, electricity, and structural work of Kejriwal's old government bungalow located on Flag Staff Road in Civil Lines area.

Sachdeva said that a citizen from Maharashtra filed an RTI application seeking details on the maintenance expenses for the general wear and tear, sewage, electricity, and structural work of Kejriwal's old residence bungalow between 2015 and 2022.

"The Delhi government responded on December 29, 2023, providing a breakdown of the expenditures. The figures revealed in the RTI reply expose Kejriwal's extravagant lifestyle and the corruption in government works," he said.

Sachdeva said in Delhi where one can build a 250-300 sq. yard bungalow for Rs 3-4 crore, the cost of maintenance for Kejriwal's bungalow at Rs 3.69 crore annually is astonishing.

The Delhi BJP chief also hit out at AAP leader and former Education Minister Manish Sisodia, who is facing a CBI probe in the liquor scam.

"We will seek a CBI probe against Sisodia for his corruption in the education sector as well. We will also expose the AAP government's collusion with private schools," he said.
Jammu, April 5 : Protests erupted in J&K's Bhaderwah town on Saturday following a controversial social post, allegedly put up by the leader of a Hindu group.

Authorities have also suspended internet services in Doda's Bhaderwah town after an objectionable comment was posted on social media.

Protests and a partial bandh were also observed in the communally sensitive Bhaderwah town.

SP Bhaderwah, Vinod Sharma told reporters that an FIR has been registered against the accused, Virender Razdan and raids are underway to nab him.

The officer appealed to the people to maintain peace and communal harmony.

Razdan, the head of Shri Sanatan Dharam Sabha Bhaderwah, allegedly posted communally sensitive content on his social media account, drawing resentment from members of both Hindu and Muslim communities.

Anjuman-e-Islamia Bhaderwah on Saturday took out a march from the local Jamia Masjid to Bhaderwah police station, shouting slogans and demanding the arrest of the culprit for hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims.

The protesters dispersed after the SP assured an appropriate action against the accused in accordance with the law.

However, the shops in the town remained partially shut in response to the call by Anjuman.

"The peaceful protest will continue till the arrest of the culprit. This is not the first time he has made such a controversial comment against our religion. He is a habitual offender and needs to be dealt with as per the law in the larger interest of peace and brotherhood," the president of Anjuman-e-Islamia, Riyaz Ahmed Najar, said.

The SP Bhaderwah said a case under Section 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered against Razdan at Police Station Bhadarwah, and efforts are on to arrest him.

"I appeal to all the concerned to remain calm and maintain communal harmony as the law will surely take its course. The administration will not tolerate any kind of nuisance," Sharma said, adding multiple raids are underway to nab the culprit.

Officials said the mobile internet services have been suspended in Bhaderwah town and its peripheral areas as a precautionary measure.

Senior BJP leader and District Development Council (DDC) member from Bhadarwah West, Thakur Yudhvir Singh, condemned the "unfortunate post" and said Razdan uploaded the objectionable video in his personal capacity, and the Sanatan Dharam Sabha Bhaderwah has nothing to do with the post.

"An FIR has been registered against the person responsible for uploading irresponsible content on a social media site. Action as warranted under law shall take its due course. Remain cautious. Do not share or forward messages/videos spreading communal hatred," Doda Police said on X.

Bhaderwah town has an almost equal mix of Hindu and Muslim population. In the past, too, anti-social elements have tried to disturb peace between the two communities.
Rameswaram : , April 5 (IANS) A historic infrastructure project, the new Pamban Bridge, connecting Rameswaram to the Indian mainland, has not only enhanced the transportation network but has also bolstered the cultural and spiritual significance of the region. The bridge, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, coinciding with Ram Navami festival, is poised to transform Rameswaram into a major hub for both pilgrims and tourists.

This will also strengthen the economy and provide new job opportunities for residents.

The new Pamban Bridge is a marvel of modern engineering, stretching over 2.078 km with 100 spans and a vertical lift span of 72.5 metres. This makes it taller than the old bridge by three metres, allowing for smoother passage of larger vessels.

With 333 piles used in its substructure and advanced anti-corrosion technologies such as polysiloxane paint, stainless steel, and fibre-reinforced plastic, the bridge is designed for endurance for decades, ensuring safe and sustainable railway and marine operations.

The bridge was initiated in 2019 and has been completed within five years, far ahead of the typical timeline for such complex projects.

This swift completion is a result of the Prime Minister's clear vision to expedite large-scale infrastructure projects and ensure their timely delivery.

"When the Prime Minister lays the foundation stone for a project, he ensures its completion. This bridge is a perfect example of his leadership and commitment to national development," said Executive Director of Information & Publicity, Railway Board, Dilip Kumar.

In a conversation with IANS hours ahead of the launching of this bridge, Dilip Kumar spoke about the entire project.

"Rameswaram is a sacred land with a deep connection to the Ramayana period. When Lord Rama came here in search of Mata Sita, it was decided that a bridge would be built between Rameswaram and Lanka, which would allow Lord Rama's army to cross over and invade Lanka. Before embarking on this journey, Lord Rama performed a prayer to Lord Shiva on the holy land of Rameswaram. After this prayer, the temple that was built there is known as the Ramanathswamy Temple, which holds immense spiritual significance for millions of Indians.

"Every Indian wishes to visit the Rameswaram Dham, one of the four sacred pilgrimage sites in India, during their lifetime. And when railway connectivity is established, it brings immense convenience to the common people. This is why the construction of the new bridge was felt to be essential," he added.

"The old bridge, which had not been in use for over two decades, was closed for operation due to safety concerns. Now, the new bridge is ready, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit to dedicate it to the nation," Kumar told IANS.

"This bridge is 2.078 km long, with 100 spans and approximately 300 piles. With all these technical features, it is designed to be three meters higher than the old bridge. The bridge also has a vertical lifting span that is 72.5 metres long, which can be raised up to a height of 17 meters, allowing clearance for large ships to pass under it," he said.

Dilip Kumar further said: "This bridge holds importance for all of us. Whenever a major project is undertaken, it comes with a variety of challenges. However, our technicians, architects, and engineers have overcome all these challenges and completed the construction of this bridge within the stipulated time. They truly deserve congratulations. This bridge is a matter of pride. Every individual should travel across this bridge and experience the wonderful work our country is capable of achieving."

The bridge will not only facilitate the easy movement of pilgrims but will also spur economic growth in the region. With improved connectivity, the tourism sector will flourish, and there will be an increase in local business activities.

In addition to this, the employment opportunities for the people of Rameswaram will see a significant boost.
New Delhi, April 5 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday asserted that it is a necessity to reorient the future roles of the armed forces amidst the present unpredictable geopolitical landscape.

Addressing Naval Commanders, the Defence Minister referred to the unanimity among global experts that 21st century is Asia's century and India will have a crucial role to play and said: "It is our responsibility to ensure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific as the region has become a focal point for the world."

He also reviewed the maritime security situation, operational readiness of the Indian Navy, and the future outlook during the inaugural phase of the first Naval Commanders' Conference of 2025 in Karwar, Karnataka.

The Defence Minister interacted with the Naval Commanders, with deliberations focussing on addressing contemporary security paradigms, formulating the way ahead to further the combat capability of the Navy, and addressing strategic, operational and administrative aspects.

He was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and other senior officials.

Addressing the Commanders, Rajnath Singh commended the Navy's contribution in strengthening India's maritime security, surpassing the expectations of the people in every situation, and displaying continued commitment towards serving the nation with new energy and innovation.

Rajnath Singh reiterated that India stands for a free, open and rule-based order in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), urging the Commanders to assess the changing circumstances and ensure planning, resourcing and exercising accordingly, while remaining alert and prepared.

"Security is an ongoing adaptation process, wherein there is a need to keep assessing, planning, and coming out with new ideas. We need to analyse how India can make its role more effective," he said.

Emphasising that national security is of paramount importance to the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Defence Minister stated that it has always been ensured that the requirements of the Armed Forces are fulfilled.

"The speed at which the work of Naval modernisation is being carried out for the last 10-11 years is unprecedented. Induction of new platforms, state-of-the-art equipment has significantly enhanced our Naval prowess and the morale of our brave sailors. It is a testimony to the fact that we are always standing with you in your preparations," he said.
Jerusalem, April 5 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported on Saturday.

Citing an Israeli source, the channel stated that the two leaders are expected to discuss the 17 per cent tariff the United States imposed on Israeli goods as part of Trump's so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on all trading partners.

Israeli news website Walla reported that Netanyahu plans to depart for the United States directly from Budapest on Sunday, following his current visit to Hungary.

The White House visit, however, depends on an Israeli court granting permission to postpone the upcoming hearings in his corruption trial, according to Walla, Xinhua news agency reported.

The day before Trump's announcement, Israel had lifted all tariffs on imports from the United States, but this step did not prevent Trump from imposing tariffs on Israel.

In addition to the tariff issue, the two leaders are expected to discuss the nuclear crisis with Iran and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Netanyahu's Hungary visit takes place amid international scrutiny over an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC issued the warrants last November against Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of committing "crimes against humanity and war crimes" in Gaza. Hungary is the first European country to host Netanyahu since the ICC issued the arrest warrant.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto reiterated earlier this year that Hungary continues to welcome the Israeli leader despite the warrant.

He also said the ICC's move "discredited the institution" and confirmed it as "a politically motivated body," adding that such decisions would affect Hungary's future cooperation with the court.

Hungary has consistently backed Israel in the European Union fora and expressed strong support for its right to self-defence.
Jaipur, April 5 : Lawrence Bishnoi gang member and Kuchaman resident Aditya Jain was presented in court in Kuchaman City on Saturday amid tight security.

An official said that the entire court premises were cleared during his appearance, and a large deployment of police personnel was seen throughout the area.

Aditya, who was brought from Jaipur under special security arrangements, was first taken to the Kuchaman police station for necessary legal procedures.

The official said that Aditya was then produced before the court, which remanded him to judicial custody.

He said that additionally, police sought permission for his arrest under a protection warrant in Case No. 403, adding that the court approved his arrest under this warrant.

ADG Crime Dinesh MN of the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) stated that Aditya Jain, also known as Tony, is an active member of the extortion network operated by notorious gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Rohit Godara - both currently incarcerated in Gujarat.

Aditya has seven criminal cases registered against him across various districts in Rajasthan. These cases include serious offenses such as kidnapping, rape, extortion through intimidation, possession of illegal weapons, facilitating mobile phones and other items for jailed criminals, and fraud involving identity changes.

He is also a wanted accused in a high-profile extortion case involving the collection of crores of rupees from five businessmen in Kuchaman.

In this case, the Kuchaman Police had earlier arrested four individuals - Shafiq Khan, Faheem Pathan, Soyeb, and Sarfaraz alias Vicky. Aditya Jain, along with Rohit Godara and Virendra Charan, was listed among the wanted accused.

"We did our homework well and coordinated with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and SpiceJet for deporting the notorious criminal Aditya Jain, who is an active member of the Lawrence-Rohit Godara gang to Jaipur from Dubai," Additional Director General (ADG) of Crime, Dinesh MN told IANS.

Aditya was arrested by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Rajasthan team from Dubai and brought to Jaipur on Friday morning.

ADG Dinesh said that Aditya, a key operative of the gang, was reportedly operating its "control room," providing communication support and managing call facilities for gang members.

"He is wanted in multiple cases of extortion, firing incidents, and other crimes committed by the gang over the years," said Dinesh MN.
New Delhi, April 5 : Aiming to gain first-hand insight into innovative rainwater harvesting, flood management, and water conservation practices, a team led by New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Vice-Chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal visited Surat, an official said on Saturday.

Chahal met Union Minister C.R. Patil during the visit and informed the Minister about NDMC's ongoing efforts in New Delhi, including the redevelopment of 272 rainwater harvesting pits and the construction of 101 new ones.

He emphasised that these efforts were a part of the commitment to fulfil the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of achieving zero water logging in NDMC areas and significantly improving the city's groundwater levels.

The Surat meeting came close to a presentation that the NDMC made last month before the Union Minister, outlining plans for waterlogging prevention and drainage system upgrades in the NDMC area.

"Based on the discussions during that meeting, the Surat study tour was organised to observe and learn from one of the most successful urban water management models in the country," said an official.

Chahal, while briefing about Surat's Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), said that the centre was operationalised in 2016 under the Smart City Mission to strengthen inter-departmental coordination and improve the delivery of civic services.

This state-of-the-art facility integrates data from over 30 municipal services -- including BRTS, traffic management, emergency response, CCTV surveillance, streetlight monitoring, and grievance redressal -- onto a single, unified platform, he said.

Chahal added that the current ICCC of NDMC lacks several integrated services that are successfully implemented in Surat and emphasised the need to upgrade it by adopting the Surat model.

He said the NDMC team, during its visit to Surat, went to the Tertiary Treatment Plant at Bamroli, the Groundwater Recharge System at the Bio-Diversity Park.

"The Bio-Diversity Park, developed on a former waste dumping ground, stood as a shining example of the 'waste to wealth' concept under the Smart Cities Mission," added Chahal.
Canberra, April 5 : Australia's Prime Minister has announced additional support for communities affected by catastrophic flooding in the country's northeast.

Anthony Albanese spent the eighth day of the campaign for the general election touring a vast area of the outback in the western part of the state of Queensland that has been inundated by flooding since late March.

The flooding in the sparsely-populated region, which is a major livestock farming area, is considered the worst since 1974 and has caused widespread damage as well as estimated losses of over 140,000 head of livestock.

Albanese on Saturday announced 105 million Australian dollars (63.4 million US dollars) in funding to rebuild fencing to protect livestock from feral pigs and dogs. The state government previously made disaster assistance grants worth up to 75,000 Australian dollars (45,314 US dollars) available for affected primary producers in the region.

Peter Dutton, leader of the opposition Coalition and Australia's alternative prime minister, toured the region earlier in the election campaign, where he committed 10 million Australian dollars (6.04 million US dollars) in funding for a new weather radar -- a pledge that has been matched by Albanese.

Asked on Saturday why he visited the region, which has long been a Coalition stronghold, if it does not serve him politically, Albanese said he wants to be Prime Minister "of all Australians".

"I have a message for Queenslanders, which is: We have your back. We are with you, we will provide whatever support is necessary," he said, Xinhua news agency reported.

Dutton also on Saturday partially walked back the Coalition's plan to end work-from-home arrangements for federal public servants, saying it would only apply to those based in Canberra. The Coalition also plans to cut 41,000 public service jobs to reduce government spending.

Saturday marked four weeks until election day on May 3 and 17 days until early voting centres open across the country on April 22.

With voting in the election mandatory for all Australians aged 18 and over, early voting centres give people the option to avoid long queues to cast their ballot.

It has become increasingly popular in recent elections.

According to the Australian Electoral Commission, 8.41 million people voted early in the 2022 general election, either in person or by post, representing 47.7 per cent of the 17.6 million enrolled voters at the time.
Bengaluru, April 5 : In a shocking incident, a young woman was waylaid and sexually harassed under the Banasawadi police station limits in Bengaluru.

The incident occurred three days ago on Hennur Main Road, near the Indian Petrol Bunk in the Banasawadi locality, and has come to light only recently.

According to the police, the incident took place when the victim was riding her scooter from her friendas residence to her own at around 4.30 a.m. Taking advantage of the deserted surroundings, two miscreants chased her scooter and waylaid her.

They behaved inappropriately and sexually harassed her by touching her private parts. When the woman raised an alarm, passers-by stopped and came to her rescue. However, when the public attempted to catch the accused, they threatened them with a knife and managed to flee the scene.

The victim has filed a complaint at the Banasawadi police station. Based on her statement, the police have registered an FIR and launched a manhunt for the accused. They have also obtained CCTV footage related to the incident.

Earlier, a young woman migrant labourer from Bihar was kidnapped and raped when she was searching for food with her brother in the early hours of Thursday near a railway station in Bengaluru. The incident was reported from the Mahadevapura police station limits.

On November 11, 2024, a young woman walking in the dark was inappropriately touched by a man on a bike in Bengaluruas Ramamurthy Nagar. The act, caught on CCTV, had gone viral. The biker, identified as Arun, behaved in an obscene manner and was arrested just two hours after the woman filed a complaint at the Ramamurthy Nagar police station.

In another incident, a woman was allegedly gang raped in front of her two sons in a private bus in Karnatakaas Davanagere district. The incident came to light on April 4. The police nabbed three accused rapists in connection with the case.
Chennai, April 5 : Actor Ram Charan seems to be unable to contain his excitement after watching the first shot of his upcoming film, 'Peddi', which is being directed by Buchi Babu Sana.

The first shot of the film is to be released at a quarter to noon on Sunday.

Taking to his social media timelines, the Telugu star posted a brief video clip of music director A R Rahman working on the background music for the first shot of the film with him watching in the background and wrote, "Super pumped after watching the glimpse. Special shout out to @arrahman sir. You will love it! #PeddiFirstShot Tomorrow, 11.45 AM."

It may be recalled that only recently the makers of the film, which is being directed by Buchi Babu Sana, announced the title as 'Peddi' and released the first look of the actor in the film. The title of the film was announced on Ram Charan's birthday.

Two posters of Ram Charan were released on the occasion. While one had a close up shot of Ram Charan 's face, the other was a picture of Ram Charan holding what appeared to be a plank of wood and geared up for a fight.

The actor was seen sporting a rural, rugged look in both pictures. His hair, beard, and serious expression added layers of intensity to his character.

Produced by Venkata Satish Kilaru, the film, which is being billed as a pan-India spectacle by its makers, is being presented by the powerhouse production house Mythri Movie Makers, alongside the creative brilliance of Sukumar Writings.

Sources close to the unit of the film claim that #RC16 is being crafted on an unprecedented scale, with a colossal budget, breathtaking visuals, world-class production values, and cutting-edge technical excellence.

The movie features an ensemble of renowned actors from various film industries, creating an exciting blend of talent and star power. Kannada superstar Shiva Rajkumar plays a pivotal and powerful role in the film. The highly anticipated film will feature an ensemble cast including Ram Charan, Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, and Divyendu Sharma.

The film's music is being composed by Academy Award-winning composer AR Rahman while its visuals are being shot by ace cameraman R. Rathnavelu. Avinash Kolla is serving as the production designer of this film.

--IANS

Mkr/
Colombo, April 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reiterated India's strong commitment to the development and progress of the Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) community in Sri Lanka during his meeting with the community leaders in Colombo.

"The meeting with leaders of Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) was fruitful. The community constitutes a living bridge between the two countries for over 200 years. India will support construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred site Seetha Eliya temple and other community development projects for IOTs in cooperation with the Government of Sri Lanka,"

The PM also met the leaders of the Tamil political parties in Sri Lanka.

"It is always a pleasure to meet the leaders of the Tamil community of Sri Lanka. Conveyed my condolences on the passing of respected Tamil leaders, Thiru R. Sampanthan and Thiru Mavai Senathirajah, both of whom were personally known to me. Reiterated unwavering commitment to a life of equality, dignity and justice for the Tamil community within united Sri Lanka. Many projects and initiatives launched during my visit will contribute to their social, economic and cultural progress," he said.

Earlier in the day, while making a Joint Press Statement along with the Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, PM Modi highlighted India's longstanding support for the Indian Origin Tamil community in Sri Lanka, stating that the construction work of 10,000 houses for them will be completed soon.

PM Modi also met Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, and appreciated his valuable contribution in fostering India-Sri Lanka friendship.

"Glad to meet Sri Lanka's Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa. Appreciated his personal contribution and commitment to strengthening India-Sri Lanka friendship. Our special partnership receives support in Sri Lanka cutting across party lines. Our cooperation and robust development partnership are guided by the welfare of the people of our two countries," said PM Modi.

Premadasa acknowledged the importance of strong bilateral relations between both nations and expressed gratitude for India's consistent support during the difficult times of Sri Lanka.

"Honoured to have met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a moment that calls for more than economic cooperation, it calls for a deeper partnership between our nations. Sri Lanka and India have the chance to shape a future of Shared Ascent, where growth is not just measured in trade, but in the well-being of our people. Grateful for India's unwavering support during Sri Lankaas most difficult times," Premadasa posted on X.

Prime Minister Modi travelled to the island nation straight after attending the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit in Bangkok.

Praising Sri Lankan President Dissanayake for his "personal commitment" to India-Sri Lanka ties, PM Modi said that the two countries have added more momentum to linkages in security, trade, agriculture, housing, culture, and other sectors during the bilateral discussions held at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo on Saturday.
Patna, April 5 : With Ram Navami being celebrated on Sunday, Bihar Police and law enforcement agencies across the state are on high alert to ensure peaceful celebrations.

A major focus of the security drive has been the complete ban on DJ music during the festival. Despite clear directives, several individuals have flouted the ban.

In response, the police have launched a statewide crackdown, seizing 231 DJ consoles, including 26 in Patna alone, from areas like Jakkanpur, Kadamkuan, and Sultanganj.

An official said that action is being taken under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Loudspeaker Act.

FIRs are being registered, and DJ operators are facing legal consequences for non-compliance.

"On the instructions of the Police Headquarters, a campaign is underway against DJs playing music at high volumes. This is a preventive measure to avoid law and order issues," said a senior police official.

ADG Kundan Krishnan (Headquarters) and ADG (Law & Order) Pankaj Dar have instructed all IGs, DIGs, SSPs, and SPs across the state to enforce the ban strictly.

Prior to this, meetings had been held between police officials and DJ operators to communicate the rules, but violations have continued.

Authorities are conducting intensive vehicle checks at key intersections and maintaining a close watch on all public activities to preempt any form of disturbance.

In recent years, communal tensions and violence have marred religious processions in parts of Bihar, including incidents of stone-pelting during Ram Navami processions.

These disturbances have often been triggered by loud music and provocative displays.

"We've seen how quickly tensions can escalate during religious events. Our job is to prevent a repeat of past incidents. Hence, proactive and strict enforcement is necessary," a police official added.

The current security strategy includes increased patrolling, surveillance, coordination with local communities, and preventive detentions if necessary. The police have urged the public to cooperate and celebrate Ram Navami peacefully.
Kolkata, April 5 : A joint platform of both 'genuine' teaching and non-teaching staff losing school jobs following the recent order of the Supreme Court and the candidates who were deprived of jobs illegally to accommodate tainted ones paying money have announced that they will be organising a "march to state secretariat" agitation on April 21, unless the state government takes definite initiative in solving the problems of individuals belonging to both the categories.

Kolkata, April 5 (IANS) A joint platform of both 'genuine' teaching and non-teaching staff losing school jobs following the recent order of the Supreme Court and the candidates who were deprived of jobs illegally to accommodate tainted ones paying money have announced that they will be organising a "march to state secretariat" agitation on April 21, unless the state government takes definite initiative in solving the problems of individuals belonging to both the categories.

At a hurriedly convened press conference on Saturday afternoon, the leaders of the joint platform christened "Chakriprarthi o Chakrahara Oikya Mancha" (Joint Platform of Jobseekers and Job-losers) claimed that they want an appointment with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by April 15, which is Bengali New Year's Day at the state secretariat Nabanna to discuss the surfacing fiasco following the Supreme Court order.

In case, they added, no confirmation about that meeting with the Chief Minister at the state secretariat is foreseen they will be conducting a 'March to secretariat' rally to the state secretariat on April 21.

"We do not want empty promises anymore. So we are insisting on a meeting with the Chief Minister at the state secretariat by April 15. At that meeting we would like to discuss with the state government what can be done about the surfacing uncertainties in the matter," said a leader of the joint platform.

However, it is yet to be clear whether the said joint platform is holding any affiliation or receiving the backing of any political party or not.

Their main grievance was that the uncertainties in the lives of both "genuine jobholders" and "deprived candidates" have surfaced because of the inability of the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) to segregate the "tainted" individuals getting jobs by paying money from the "genuine" ones.

On Thursday, the apex court's division bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar upheld an earlier order by the Calcutta High Court's division bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi cancelling a total of 25,753 appointments made by WBSSC in its panel for 2016.

The apex court also accepted the observation of the Calcutta High Court that the entire panel had to be cancelled since the commission or the state government failed to segregate the genuine candidates from those ineligible ones getting jobs paying money.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 5 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, state Congress President K. Sudhakaran and others on Saturday slammed the mindset of the RSS even as it withdrew an article that appeared in their mouthpiece about the land holdings of the Catholic Church and the Waqf Board.

No sooner did the article appear than the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, said that after Muslims, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to go after Christians.

The Parliament had, this week, passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill after a heated debate. Incidentally, during the debate in both houses, the opposition MPs had stated that with this legislation, the government is targeting the Waqf properties and subsequently, they will shift the focus towards other minority communities, including Christians.

Vijayan, who is busy at the ongoing 24th Party Congress of his CPI-M in Tamil Nadu's Madurai, took to his X account to express his opinion. "The article in the RSS mouthpiece @eOrganiser about the Church's ownership of land, published soon after the Waqf Amendment Act was passed, lays bare the Sangh Parivaras deep-rooted antagonism towards minorities. Though later withdrawn, it reveals a deliberate, step-by-step attempt to target and isolate minorities and their institutions. Secular forces must unite in resistance", he wrote.

Sudhakaran, in a statement, said it is strange that the RSS mouthpiece is coming out with baseless articles and is nothing but spitting communal venom.

"The article points out that after the government, itas the Catholic church which holds the maximum land and fixed assets, and then only the Waqf assets come. This mouthpiece is one which puts out utterly baseless reports, and there was one which said that Congress MP Benny Behanan has resigned in protest over the Congress opposing the Waqf Bill. Fail to understand why such baseless reports are put out," asked Sudhakaran, who is also the Lok Sabha member from Kannur.

Congress General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal said the aarticlea in Organiser is very clear in showing that after Muslims, now itas going to be the Christians.

"It has reached a stage where avested interestsa have a game plan to see that the Hindus, Muslims, and Christians in Kerala take on one another. Just see what has happened to the Empuraan film, when nothing happened to those who were behind films like Kashmir Files and Kerala Story," said Venugopal, referring to the ED raids at the residence and office of "Empuraan" co-producer Gokulam Gopalan.

The Catholic Church, meanwhile, has preferred to remain silent on the article.
Colombo, April 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited and laid a wreath at the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, near Colombo, on Saturday evening. While paying respects, he hailed the brave soldiers of the IPKF who had laid down their lives in the service of peace, unity and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

The IPKF Memorial in Sri Lanka is perhaps the only war memorial commemorating the sacrifice of Indian soldiers, dedicated by a foreign country other than the United Kingdom.

It honours the memory of the 1169 personnel of the Indian forces who lost their lives while serving with the IPKF between 1987-1990. The memorial was constructed by the Lankan government on the outskirts of Colombo in 2008.

"Laid a wreath at the IPKF Memorial in Colombo. We remember the brave soldiers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force who laid down their lives in service of peace, unity and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. Their unwavering courage and commitment remain a source of inspiration for us all," said PM Modi.

The Prime Minister had also visited the monument during his first visit to the island nation in 2015.

Earlier in the day, several key agreements, including on defence cooperation and development of Trincomalee as an energy hub, were signed between the two countries following the bilateral discussions held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

Other MoUs signed included on Implementation of HVDC Interconnection for Import/Export of Power; on Cooperation in the Field of Sharing Successful Digital Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation; on Multi-sectoral Grant Assistance for Eastern Province; on Cooperation in the Field of Health and Medicine and on Pharmacopoeial Cooperation.

Prime Minister Modi also announced comprehensive capacity-building programme in India covering 700 Sri Lankans annually; India's grant assistance for the development of Thirukoneswaram temple in Trincomalee, Sita Eliya temple in Nuwara Eliya, and Sacred City Complex project in Anuradhapura; the Exposition of Lord Buddha relics in Sri Lanka on International Vesak Day 2025; as well as the conclusion of Bilateral Amendatory Agreements on Debt Restructuring.

Some other key projects built with Indian assistance that are being inaugurated during PM Modi's ongoing visit include inauguration of upgraded railway track of Maho-Omanthai railway line; Launch of Construction of Signalling System for Maho-Anuradhapura railway line; Ground Breaking ceremony of Sampur Solar power project; Inauguration of Temperature Controlled Agricultural Warehouse in Dambulla; and, supply of Solar Rooftop Systems for 5000 Religious Institutions across Sri Lanka.

The visit of the Indian Prime Minister, undertaken at the invitation of President Dissanayake, reaffirms the shared vision of 'Friendship of Centuries a" Commitment to a Prosperous Future' between the two nations.
Patna, April 5 : In a major show of strength and unity, the state presidents of all five constituent parties of the NDA in Bihar came together on a single stage at a joint workers' conference held at Islamia School Ground in Bihar's Sheikhpura on Saturday.

The gathering saw thousands of enthusiastic NDA workers from across the district reaffirming their commitment to ensuring NDA's return to power in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Focussing on the issues of development and good governance, senior leaders from BJP, JD-U, LJP (Ram Vilas), HAM-S, and RLM addressed a massive crowd, setting the tone for an aggressive and united poll campaign.

Declaring their collective goal, the NDA leaders vowed not just to win but to create history by securing over 225 seats in the upcoming Bihar elections.

The event was jointly inaugurated by BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal, JD-U state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha, LJP (Ram Vilas) state chief Raju Tiwari and RLM State President Madan Chaudhary.

Dilip Jaiswal highlighted the NDA's unwavering focus on development and inclusive governance.

"Whether in the Centre or the state, NDA governments have always been committed to public welfare and progress. We don't do politics of emotions or vote banks -- we are into the politics of results and development," he said.

He called upon the party workers to rise above party lines and unite under the symbol of the NDA, stressing that the goal is to make history, not just win.

Echoing his sentiments, Umesh Singh Kushwaha praised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership for bringing revolutionary changes in Bihar.

"Be it education, health, roads, electricity, women empowerment or law and orderthe foundation of Bihar's development lies in Nitish Kumar's vision," Kushwaha said.

He took a swipe at the Opposition, saying: "Those who lack mass support but claim national leadership will be answered by the people in the coming elections."

Raju Tiwari, the state president of LJP (Ram Vilas), said the NDA's developmental work is evident across Bihar and will be rewarded again at the polls.

"We call upon all our workers to strengthen their booths. The NDA is strong, united, and ready to face any challenge," he said.

Madan Chaudhary, state president of the RLM, said that Bihar has moved from being seen as a backward state to a model of governance under NDA rule.

"Nitish Kumar has given Bihar a new dimension. The people remember what the state was, and what it has now become," he added.

He also targeted the opposition, questioning the credibility of its leaders.

"The party whose leader talks big today has its own president as a convict. The people are watching," he said.
New Delhi, April 5 : The absence of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during the heated debate on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha drew criticism from the BJP, which accused them of neglecting the Muslim community that they often claim to 'advocate for'.

BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya took to X to slam them for their absence during the discussion on this crucial Bill.

He wrote, "The Muslim community must wake up to the reality that, for the Congress and the Gandhi family, they are nothing more than convenience. Despite a Congress whip, Priyanka Vadra was missing from Parliament on the day the Waqf Amendments were tabled in the Lok Sabha. And Rahul Gandhithe Leader of the Opposition and self-styled messiah of Muslimshad all the time, yet chose not to speak on the Bill. Let this be recorded for posterity: when it mattered, the Gandhis and the Congress abandoned the Muslims, people they claim to represent."

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which aims to address issues related to the management of Waqf properties, was passed by both Houses  Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabhaof Parliament this week. When it was being hotly debated, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, tweeted calling the Bill a "weapon" aimed at "marginalising Muslims." However, in a surprising move, Gandhi chose not to participate in the debate in Parliament, leading to widespread criticism.

Adding to the controversy, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress General Secretary and Member of Lok Sabha from Wayanad, was also absent from the House despite a Congress whip. The absence of the Gandhi siblings during the debate on the Waqf Bill raised eyebrows.

The episode has fuelled further political debate, with critics accusing the Congress leadership of failing to show commitment to the causes they claim to champion. The BJP has seized upon the situation, questioning the Gandhis' sincerity in their supposed representation of Muslim interests.

Amit Malviya's remarks in X post in fact seek to highlight that "the Gandhis are not genuinely invested in the welfare of the Muslim community but are instead using them as a political tool when convenient".

By referring to the Muslim community as a "convenience" for the Congress, Malviya accuses the party of exploiting their support during elections or key political moments but abandoning them when critical decisions or actions are required, explain analysts. This absence, according to Malviya, is an indication that the Congress leadership is not genuinely committed to championing the causes they claim to represent.
Chennai, April 5 : The Union government has sanctioned an additional assistance of Rs 522.34 crore to Tamil Nadu to help address the devastation caused by recent natural calamities.

The Union Territory of Puducherry has also received Rs 33.06 crore as part of the same relief effort.

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, L. Murugan, said that the Union government continues to stand firmly with state governments in times of natural calamities and disasters.

"The High-Level Committee (HLC), chaired by Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, approved a total of Rs 1,280.35 crore in additional Central assistance for the states of Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and the Union Territory of Puducherry. These regions were severely impacted by floods, flash floods, cloudbursts, landslides, and cyclonic storms during 2024," he informed.

The Union Minister added that of the total amount, Rs 1,247.29 crore will be disbursed to the three states from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), subject to an adjustment of 50 per cent of the opening balance available in their respective State Disaster Response Funds (SDRF).

"This assistance comes in addition to the regular funds already released under the SDRF and the Union Territory Disaster Response Fund (UTDRF)," he said.

He added that in the financial year 202425, the Central Government has released Rs 20,264.40 crore to 28 states under SDRF and Rs 5,160.76 crore to 19 states under NDRF.

"Furthermore, Rs 4,984.25 crore has been released from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 19 states, and Rs 719.72 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to eight states," the minister said.

He said that Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) were dispatched to the disaster-affected areas immediately after the events, even before receiving formal memoranda from the concerned state governments.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting interim relief of Rs 2,000 crore from the NDRF and further assistance based on the assessment of the central team.

He had detailed the widespread destruction caused by Cyclone Fengal, which brought torrential rain and gale-force winds across the state.

According to state government data, the cyclone led to the death of 12 people and inundated over 2.11 lakh hectares of agricultural and horticultural land.

It said that additionally, it caused extensive infrastructure damage, destroying 1,649 km of electric conductors, 23,664 electric poles, 997 transformers, 9,576 km of roads, 1,847 culverts, and 417 water tanks.

The districts of Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, and Kallakurichi recorded over 50 cm of rainfall in a single day - equivalent to an entire season's average - resulting in unprecedented flooding. The cyclone affected nearly 69 lakh families and displaced around 1.5 crore individuals.

Tamil Nadu's preliminary assessment estimates a requirement of Rs 2,475 crore for temporary restoration and rehabilitation efforts.
Patna, April 5 : Union Minister Chirag Paswan visited his ailing mother in his ancestral village in Khagaria's Shaharbanni on Saturday.

Rajkumari Devi is the first wife of the late Ram Vilas Paswan.

The meeting turned emotional as Rajkumari Devi, upon seeing Chirag, hugged him and broke down in tears.

Chirag Paswan, who arrived via helicopter, inquired about her health and the recent disturbing incident involving the locking of her bedroom and bathroom, along with her belongings being thrown out of the ancestral home.

Following the incident, Rajkumari Devi's health deteriorated, prompting the filing of an FIR at the Alauli police station.

Addressing the media, Chirag Paswan levelled serious allegations against his uncle and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party chief Pashupati Kumar Paras, accusing him of being behind the incident.

"First, he snatched the Delhi house for political ambition, then expelled me and my mother (Reena Paswan) from the party. Now, this mistreatment of my elder mother (Rajkumari Devi) for economic interests is shameful," Paswan stated.

He warned that if a formal division of property is what his uncle and aunt desire, he is ready for it  but also hinted at revealing undisclosed family assets.

"If the matter goes to partition, then all those properties which have been hidden till now will be exposed," he said.

Chirag Paswan also made serious claims against his aunt, stating: "She is a government school teacher, but according to villagers, she does not attend school and continues to draw a salary. This is something that must be looked into."

The Union Minister expressed deep concern for his elder mother, saying that she has been residing in the ancestral home for decades and that any form of harassment against her is unacceptable.

In response, former MP and cousin brother Prince Raj, who was present at the joint workers' conference of Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party and Dalit Sena in Darbhanga, dismissed Chirag's accusations.

"This is nothing but dirty politics. Similar conspiracies were spread in 2020 and are now being repeated in 2025. Who knows what will happen in 2030," he said sarcastically.

Prince Raj questioned the politicisation of a family issue, suggesting that Chirag's associates are filing police complaints and seeking media attention for personal gain.

"Why is an MP's representative filing a police case if this is just about a house? Registering a case against our mother is a political ploy. Those who never visit the village are now bringing the media," he added.
Jaipur, April 5 : The Dargah Police in Rajasthan have arrested another Bangladeshi national who had been living illegally in India after crossing the India-Bangladesh border several years ago.

With this arrest, the total number of Bangladeshi nationals detained under the ongoing crackdown has reached 20 in Rajasthan.

According to Dinesh Jeevani, Station House Officer (SHO) of Dargah police station, a District Special Task Force (STF) has been formed by Ajmer Superintendent of Police Vandita Rana to identify and take action against illegal immigrants and infiltrators residing in the region.

As part of the campaign, the task force, acting on a tip-off, detained and interrogated around 15 to 20 individuals suspected of illegal residency. During questioning, one of them confessed to being a Bangladeshi citizen.

The arrested individual has been identified as Mohammad Munir Hussain (60), son of Abdul and a resident of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He admitted to having illegally entered India and residing in the Dargah area of Ajmer for several years.

SHO Jeevani confirmed that the crackdown on illegal immigrants is ongoing and that 20 Bangladeshi nationals have been apprehended so far under the special drive.

Recently, Rajasthan Minister of Home Jawahar Singh Bedhan told IANS that the state government is dealing with the Bangladeshi infiltrators strictly.

"There are two Bangladeshis in Udaipur Jail and nine Bangladeshis in Central Jail Jaipur. Those in Udaipur jail include Swaroop Adhikari and Milan Mandal, while the others in Central Jail are Sehag Khan, Nozrul alias Nozu Fakir, Rupali, Sultan, Azaad Hussain, Mehandi Hasan, Ahasnul Kobir, Nurool and Indadul."

Meanwhile, an official of the Minister of Home's office confirmed that the BJP government is seriously acting against Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators in the state.

He said that in 2024, 521 Rohingyas were identified, while in 2025, 520 Rohingyas were identified.

Similarly, in the year 2024, at least 22 Bangladeshis were arrested, out of which 14 were deported back to Bangladesh.

In 2025, around 23 Bangladeshis were arrested and 16 were deported.
New Delhi, April 5 : All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has strongly opposed the Waqf Amendment Bill passed by Parliament. The outfit has claimed that it severely 'threatens Islamic values, Shariah, and the core principles of the Indian Constitution'. The AIMPLB has declared its intention to launch a nationwide protest campaign, asserting that these amendments undermine the rights and freedoms of Muslims in the country.

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has strongly opposed the Waqf Amendment Bill passed by Parliament. The outfit has claimed that it severely athreatens Islamic values, Shariah, and the core principles of the Indian Constitutiona. The AIMPLB has declared its intention to launch a nationwide protest campaign, asserting that these amendments undermine the rights and freedoms of Muslims in the country.

The AIMPLB released a statement condemning the amendments as a direct attack on religious, cultural, and communal harmony, and also on the structure of the Constitution. The Board accused certain political parties of backing the BJPas communal agenda, thus aexposing their false claimsa of secularism.

In a statement, the AIMPLB expressed: "These amendments violate Islamic teachings, religious freedoms, and the basic values enshrined in our Constitution. The support extended by some political parties to the BJP's divisive agenda highlights the disingenuous nature of their secular claims."

The Board revealed plans to spearhead a nationwide movement, in collaboration with various religious, community-based, and social groups, which will continue until the amendments are fully repealed.

AIMPLB reassured the Muslim community across India, urging them to remain hopeful and patient. The Board promised that its leadership would not hesitate to make any sacrifices for this cause and that a strong, constitutional movement would be initiated to oppose the changes.

It also noted that this struggle would involve all justice-seeking forces across the nation.

"The leadership will not shy away from any sacrifice in this cause and will join hands with others who seek justice, initiating a powerful movement within the constitutional framework," the statement added.

Maulana Muhammad Fazlur Raheem Mujaddidi, the General Secretary of AIMPLB, elaborated on the Board's strategy to fight the bill. He said that the Board would not only seek legal action through the Supreme Court to challenge these amendments, but also engage in peaceful protests, including demonstrations, symbolic actions like wearing black armbands, and conducting public discussions and media briefings.

The AIMPLB's statement also detailed plans for mass protests across various regions, with symbolic arrests in state capitals and demonstrations at the district level.

"Muslim leaders will engage in symbolic arrests in every state capital, and district-level protests will follow. At the conclusion of these protests, formal petitions will be presented to the President and Home Minister through local authorities."

The initial phase of the movement will focus on raising awareness about the effects of the amendments on Waqf properties and constitutional rights, under the theme

"Save Waqf, Save the Constitution".

This phase will span a week, from one Friday to the next, and will primarily include discussions aimed at dispelling the false narratives being spread by the government and other sectarian groups.

"During this period, several initiatives will be undertaken, including roundtable discussions with citizens, intended to counter the misinformation and propaganda being pushed by the government and divisive elements, providing logical facts in response," AIMPLB stated.

The protest campaign will also feature large-scale demonstrations in major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Patna, with the first major gathering scheduled to take place at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi.

"Protests will be held in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Vijayawada, Malappuram, Patna, Ranchi, Malerkotla, and Lucknow," the statement said.

The initial protests will continue until Eid al-Adha, with plans for the next phase to be determined afterward.

In his appeal to the Muslim community, especially the youth, the Board's General Secretary urged them to stay calm and determined in their opposition. He advised them to avoid acting impulsively or allowing emotions to guide their actions, as this could offer an opening for disruptive forces.

The Board also stressed the importance of keeping the campaign well-organised and peaceful, and to follow the leadership's guidance closely.
Bengaluru, April 5 : Karnataka High Court has urged the Parliament and state legislatures to enact the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), underlining that it will ensure equality for women, bring equality among castes and religions and also uphold individual dignity.

The bench headed by Justice Hanchate Sanjeevkumar made the observation on Friday while looking into the petition in connection with a property dispute among legal heirs of one Abdul Basheer Khan, who passed away without writing a legal will and leaving behind inherited immovable and self-acquired properties.

The bench further ordered, "Therefore, the Registrar General is requested to forward the copy of this judgment to the Principal Law Secretaries of both Union of India and State of Karnataka with a hope that the they will make endeavour in this regard in enacting the legislation on the Uniform Civil Code achieving the object of the Article 44 of the Constitution of India."

The court opined, "The enactment of legislation on Uniform Civil Code as enshrined under Article 44 of the Constitution of India will achieve the object and aspirations enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution of India, bring about a true secular democratic republic, unity, integrity of the nation, securing justice, liberty, equality and fraternity."

The court is of the opinion that its enforcement certainly will give justice to women, achieve equality of status and opportunity for all and accelerate the dream of equality among all women in India, irrespective of caste and religion and also assure dignity, individuality through fraternity, the bench underlined.

The bench further stated, "Therefore, the enactment of a law on Uniform Civil Code will truly achieve the objects of principles enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution of India. Therefore, the court is of the opinion that it should make every endeavour to enact a statute on Uniform Civil Code."

"Therefore, the court is of the opinion that it should make a request to the Parliament and State Legislatures to make every endeavour to enact a statute on Uniform Civil Code. It has been informed to the court that some states, Goa and Uttarakhand have already enacted laws on Uniform Civil Code," the bench stated.

Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, part of the Directive Principles of State Policy, mandates that the state should "endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India".

Regarding the petition, the court upheld the lower court order and confirmed the entitlement of Shanaz Begum's share in the three properties. The appeal petition claiming that the properties were not ancestral was not considered. The court also dismissed the cross-objection, seeking to expand the entitlement of properties by Shahnaz.

In a cross-objection plea, one of the heirs, Shanaz Begum, claimed that she was unlawfully excluded from the partition and was not granted a rightful share in the estate and sought enhancement of her share in the properties. Abdul Basheer Khan's two sons had approached the High Court questioning the order of the lower court in the case. The court was hearing both appeal and cross-objection pleas together.
Kolkata, April 5 : Arjun Singh, former BJP Lok Sabha MP from Barrackpore constituency in West Bengal, has clearly said that he will not honour the notice from the local police to submit his licensed firearm to the police, unless he gets a specific order from the court in the matter.

He said that he had received a notice from the cops to appear at the local police station with his licensed firearm and submit the same there.

"However, I will neither go to the police station nor submit my licensed firearm there. I will do that only if I am asked by the court to do so. Trinamool Congress is trying to kill me using police," Singh told media persons on Saturday.

Earlier this week, a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court granted interim protection to Singh from any coercive police action, including arrest, in connection with a shootout between two groups of miscreants on March 26.

In the shootout near his residence on March 26, one Trinamool Congress worker was injured after being hit by a bullet.

The local Trinamool Congress leadership alleged that Saddam was hit by a bullet that Singh himself fired from his pistol. The police issued notices to Singh to appear at the police station for interrogation, but the latter ignored those notices.

Thereafter, an arrest warrant was issued against him, following which he approached the Calcutta High Court for relief. The matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, and at the end of the hearing, Justice Sengupta granted him an interim relief from any coercive action.

Since the beginning, Singh has been denying the allegations against him. He claimed that as he went with his men to sort out a tension between two groups of workers of a local Meghna Jute Mill, suddenly, the ruling party supporters led by Namit Singh reached there and started quarrelling with him.

BJP's former national vice president and former Lok Sabha member Dilip Ghosh too had claimed that a definite conspiracy was going on to assassinate Singh. "We will not spare the state government if anything happens to him," Ghosh said.
Liverpool, April 5 : Arsenal were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw in their final trip to Goodison Park on Saturday, as a controversial penalty allowed Everton to steal a point from the Gunners. Despite taking a 1-0 lead into half-time through Leandro Trossard's strike, the Gunners were pegged back just after the restart when Iliman Ndiaye converted from the spot.

Liverpool, April 5 (IANS) Arsenal were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw in their final trip to Goodison Park on Saturday, as a controversial penalty allowed Everton to steal a point from the Gunners. Despite taking a 1-0 lead into half-time through Leandro Trossardas strike, the Gunners were pegged back just after the restart when Iliman Ndiaye converted from the spot.

Arsenalas first real chance came 33 minutes into the match when Raheem Sterlingas pace saw him break through the Everton defence and find Trossard, who slotted a low shot past Jordan Pickford to score in successive seasons at Goodison. It could have been 2-0 in first-half stoppage time, but Trossardas effort was denied by Pickford, and Declan Riceas rebound was blocked by a defender.

Arsenal introduced the fit-again duo Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka off the bench for the second period. Just minutes after the restart, Myles Lewis-Skelly was adjudged to have fouled Jack Harrison in the box, with the referee awarding a penalty after a lengthy delay. Ndiaye stepped up to coolly send David Raya the wrong way and level the score.

Despite some moments of promise, including a powerful free-kick from Rice and a late effort from Gabriel Martinelli that Pickford brilliantly saved, Arsenal couldnat find a winner. Martinellias shot was pushed over the bar by the Everton keeper, and a header from Mikel Merino went narrowly wide.

In the end, Arsenalas unbeaten league run stretched to 11 matches, but the result left them with mixed feelings as they now turn their attention to their upcoming clash with Real Madrid in Europe. The draw marked the 113th and final league visit to Goodison Park for the Gunners.
Kolkata, April 5 : Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhury, the BJP legislator from the English Bazar Assembly constituency in minority-dominated Malda district of West Bengal, on Saturday said that she had written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressing apprehensions of an attack on Ram Navami processions in the district on Sunday.

She has also expressed apprehension about the similar attacks on Ram Navami processions at the Malda-adjacent and minority-dominated Murshidabad district on Sunday.

"Amid recent attacks on the people of a particular community by people from another community both at Mothabari in Malda and Beldanga in Murshidabad, I am apprehending attacks on the Ram Navami procession in these two districts on Sunday. Since the state police have limited forces, they often assign duties to civic volunteers. "So I have written to the Prime Minister and Union home minister so that the central police forces personnel are kept on standby in both these districts on Sunday," she said on Saturday.

She also said that every year, Ram Navami is celebrated in a major way within her constituency of English Bazar.

"Similarly, there will be major celebrations and processions on Sunday as well. But following what had happened at Mothabari and Beldanga in the recent past, there are enough reasons for tension. Civic volunteers are not enough to keep situations under control. That is why I have written to the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister so that CAPF personnel are kept on stand-by and also combat forces are deployed in the area," Mitra Chaudhury said.

Speaking on the occasion, she also claimed that in certain pockets in the districts which are close to the international borders with Bangladesh, certain cells are active whose main task is to brainwash the underage minors.

"They are deliberately targeting underage minors for brainwashing so that even if they are arrested their punishments will be much lesser under the juvenile act. The main brains of these cells are operating from Jammu & Kashmir. But their associates are active in these districts of West Bengal," Mitra Chaudhury said.

Last month, two senior officials of the state police also cautioned that they have received specific intelligence inputs on some vested interests trying to instigate violence, especially targeting the Ram Navami celebration.
Bengaluru, April 5 : Reiterating his stance, Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was directly involved in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam.

"The Chief Minister's close relative had applied for the de-notification of 15 sites," he said, further claiming, "The signature in that application was forged."

Taking a dig at the CM's projected image, Kumaraswamy remarked: "This accused who goes around calling himself truthful, a modern-day Satya Harishchandra, and chanting 'Satyameva Jayate', is clearly referenced in the Lokayukta report. Those interested can read this grand scripture and know the truth."

He continued: "At that time, Siddaramaiah was the Deputy Chief Minister. B.N. Bache Gowda was the Urban Development Minister. Siddaramaiah's relative submitted an application to Bache Gowda seeking de-notification of 15 sites. That very relative is alleged to have forged his signature, according to the report."

"Additionally," Kumaraswamy said, quoting the Lokayukta report, "the application carries the term 'DCM' written in English. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report addressing this is included in the Lokayukta report."

"The real face of this CM, who misleads people by portraying himself as an honest man, is clearly documented in the Lokayukta report. I also know exactly what escape route he is trying to take now to wriggle out of this scam," the Union Minister said, launching a fresh offensive.

The MUDA scam involves the illegal allotment of 14 sites by the MUDA to CM Siddaramaiah's family.

The Karnataka Lokayukta has filed a closure report and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating the matter.

Sharing his plans to strengthen the party in Bengaluru, he said: "We may not have strength in all of Bengaluru's 198 wards, but we will organise and lead the party using the strength of the workers we do have. We will launch a people's movement on the calamities taking place in the city and raise public awareness."

"Organising the party is one thing, but we must tell the people how the Congress government is looting the capital. People from all parts of the country are living in this city. That's why, we'll print pamphlets in Kannada, English, and other languages to raise awareness. We will wage a continuous battle against this government," he affirmed.

Speaking on coordination with the BJP, the Union Minister said: "Our alliance with the BJP is strong. There are no coordination issues. JD (S) MLA Suresh Babu expressed his view on forming a coordination committee. Nikhil Kumaraswamy (his son) has spoken too. I am discussing the matter with all BJP leaders. There is no lack of trust. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the nation is progressing well."
Chennai, April 5 : President of the Ceylon Workers Congress and former Governor of Sri Lanka's Eastern Province, Senthil Thondaman, said on Saturday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has 'personally' intervened in the arrest of Indian fishermen issue with the Sri Lankan authorities.

"PM Modi has personally intervened in the ongoing issue of Indian fishermen being arrested by Sri Lankan authorities. PM Modi directly spoke to the President of Sri Lanka on the matter, aiming for a resolution," said Senthil Thondaman.

He further said that PM Modi has also assured full support to the Indian-Origin Tamil (IOT) community living in Sri Lanka.

Thondaman emphasised that PM Modi had consistently supported Sri Lanka, especially during its economic crisis a couple of years ago, adding that PM Modi's leadership was instrumental during that difficult period, providing much-needed assistance under India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy.

"PM Modi stood by Sri Lanka when the nation was in dire need. His support was not only financial but moral too," Thondaman told IANS after meeting PM Modi in Colombo.

He further noted that PM Modi's guidance and encouragement to young leaders had made him a role model for emerging politicians in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan Tamil leader shared a social media post of PM Modi on 'X', in which the Prime Minister wrote: "The meeting with Indian-Origin Tamils (IOT) was fruitful. The community has constituted a living bridge between the two countries for over 200 years. India will support the construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred Seetha Eliya temple, and other community development projects for IOTs, in cooperation with the government of Sri Lanka."

Thondaman said that the timely support provided by the Indian government, especially the personal involvement of PM Modi, greatly enhanced Sri Lanka's resilience during the crisis and strengthened ties between the two nations.

He also lauded the Indian government for supplying essential goods to the people of Sri Lanka, stating that the local population holds immense respect and admiration for both the Indian Prime Minister and the government of India.

Highlighting the legacy of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), Thondaman said it is the largest trade union in Sri Lanka and has played a crucial role in advocating for the rights of Indian-Origin Tamils since the British colonial period.

"Since 1965, the CWC has been fighting for the citizenship rights of Indian-Origin people, and it is because of our persistent efforts that these rights were eventually granted," he stated.

The CWC has been actively involved in improving the lives of approximately 600,000 tea estate and factory workers, most of whom live in poor housing conditions known as "line rooms."

Thondaman pointed out that the CWC initiated a housing program in 1987 to replace these inadequate accommodations.

"Since we began this effort, 39,000 homes have been constructed for tea workers across Sri Lanka," he said, adding that the CWC remains committed to improving the living standards of the tea estate community.
Chennai, April 5 : Actress Samyuktha Hornad, who is known to be an ardent animal lover, has now disclosed that being a loner when she was a child didn't weaken her and that on the contrary, it shoved her into the fierce, real love of animals, nature, and the universe.

Taking to her Instagram timeline to pen a lengthy post on her love for penguins, actress Samyuktha Hornad wrote, "I got to hang out with some legit penguins as a part of a shoot for a series with @therealkapildev. Turns out, they really are the coolest."

The actress recalled a time in school when those bullying her would call her a penguin to hurt her.

"Back in school, I was a friendless wonder, and my "cool" classmates (aka the bully brigade) called me a penguin, thinking it'd sting. Joke's on them  I took it as a compliment because penguins are basically tuxedoed VIPs of the animal kingdom and I wanted to be one of them.  also, I was a big fan of Pingu!," she wrote.

Stating that as a part of the shoot, she had a full-on chit-chat with "these cuties", the actress dwelt on how life flips the script.

She said,"Being a loner didn't weaken me; it shoved me into the fierce, real love of animals, nature, and the universe, where squawking birds and cosmic gusts always had my back."

Samyuktha further said, "Sometimes I think about little me, whose childhood friends were trees, the moon, dogs, and clouds  I wish I could zip back in time and tell lil Samyu, 'Hold tight, my girl, your social life's about to level up with some penguins, lions, cheetahs and leopards.' She'd be so happy to know that she's gonna be the coolest, the most badass person in the whole wide world."

--IANS

Mkr/
Imphal, April 5 : Fresh tension broke out between two tribal communities in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Saturday after at least 10 people, including two key village leaders, were allegedly assaulted by suspected Kuki militants over a land dispute, officials said.

Imphal, April 5 (IANS) Fresh tension broke out between two tribal communities in Manipuras Kangpokpi district on Saturday after at least 10 people, including two key village leaders, were allegedly assaulted by suspected Kuki militants over a land dispute, officials said.

The 10 injured people, including two village chiefs, belonged to the Naga community.

A police official in Imphal said that the incident took place on Saturday afternoon at Konsakhul village when a mob of approximately 200 people accompanied by armed Kuki militants came to the village and assaulted at least 10 residents, including two village chiefs. The local people told the security personnel that the militants, allegedly belonging to the Kuki community, were from neighbouring Haraothel village of the same district.

The two village chiefs -- Aimson Abonmai (65) and D. Adam (40), who sustained serious injuries along with eight other injured villagers, are now being treated in different hospitals. Doctors said that the two village chiefs were out of danger.

Meanwhile, the Rongmei Naga Council has strongly condemned the attack.

The police official said that additional security forces have been sent to the hill village to control the situation. The unprovoked violence has reignited tensions between communities in the region, particularly as it follows a previous incident that had already strained inter-ethnic relations.

On January 7, a tribal woman working on her farmland in Konsakhul was reportedly assaulted by armed Kuki militants, who also destroyed her mobile phone. The incident triggered widespread outrage among the Liangmai tribal people and led to increased unease in the surrounding areas.

Two days later, on January 9, fresh unrest broke out in Konsakhul and adjoining villages, with Liangmai tribal community members protesting against the repeated targeting of civilians and the perceived inaction of the authorities.

The latest attack has only deepened fears that the ground situation is rapidly deteriorating, despite peace-building efforts initiated by the Centre.

Saturdayas incident took place at a time when the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the representatives of Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities held a tripartite meeting in New Delhi to resolve the 23-month-long ethnic hostilities in Manipur.
New Delhi, April 5 : On the occasion of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Foundation Day, the President and Union Minister J.P. Nadda will participate in a series of significant events in New Delhi on April 6, the party's national media head Anil Baluni informed.

"The day's proceedings will commence at 11:00 AM with the party's J.P. Nadda ceremoniously hoisting the party flag at the BJP Central Office, located at Deendayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi," Baluni said.

He said that following this, he will pay floral tributes to the statues of two towering figures in the party's history - Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the visionary founder of Jan Sangh, and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, the illustrious proponent of Antyodaya and Integral Humanism.

He said that J.P. Nadda will also address the party workers gathered at the Central Office, marking this momentous occasion with his words of inspiration.

The media head further informed that at noon, he will visit the residence of Shakuntala Arya, a 98-year-old veteran BJP worker and former Mayor of Delhi (1997).

"In her honour, he will hoist the party flag at her home, paying homage to her enduring contributions to the party's legacy," he said.

Anil Baluni said that later in the day, J.P. Nadda will engage with the party's grassroots cadre by meeting booth workers at Booth Number 78, located in Lajpat Nagar Mandal, Lajpat Nagar - II, near Kotak Mahindra Bank, New Delhi.

"This interaction underscores the party's commitment to its foundational principles and its unwavering connection with its dedicated workers," he said.

The BJP, founded on April 6, 1980, under the leadership of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, celebrates its legacy alongside its predecessor, Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), which was established in 1951.

Together, they mark 74 years of dedication to their ideals.

Coinciding with Ram Navami, the Foundation Day celebrations will see party workers actively involved in twin festivities.

The party's 45 district headquarters will be adorned, and exhibitions showcasing the 74-year journey of the BJS and BJP will be organised.
Patna, April 5 : Even as Patna Police remained on high alert across the city for Ram Navami celebrations, a major robbery shocked the administration and raised questions about security arrangements.

Unidentified criminals looted valuables worth approximately Rs 1 crore from a house in Nalanda Colony, under the jurisdiction of Agamkuan Police Station, on Saturday evening.

The incident occurred at the residence of Santosh Prakash, a trader dealing in automobile parts.

According to the family, the robbers barged into the house, took every member of the family at gunpoint and robbed cash, gold, diamond jewellery, and other valuable items approximately Rs 1 crore.

K. Ramdas, City SP (East), confirmed the incident and visited the crime scene to lead the investigation.

"We have called the dog squad and officials from the Forensic Science Laboratory to collect evidence and trace the culprits," said Ramdas.

The police have also begun scanning CCTV footage from the surrounding areas to gather clues and identify the accused.

This shocking robbery comes at a time when Patna Police has significantly ramped up security measures to ensure a peaceful Ram Navami.

Flag marches, vehicle checks, and the deployment of additional police forces were being carried out across the city to prevent any communal or criminal disturbance during the festivities.

Despite these precautions, the criminals managed to strike boldly, raising concerns about security lapses in residential areas. The Agamkuan police team is actively investigating the case, and efforts are underway to track down the culprits.

Senior officers have assured that the matter is being taken very seriously, and those responsible will be brought to justice soon.

The incident has created a wave of concern among residents, who are now demanding increased police patrolling and surveillance, especially in high-value residential localities.

Recently, armed robbers struck a prominent jewellery showroom in Arrah City and looted Rs 25 crore of jewellery in daylight.

The opposition leaders keep targeting the Nitish Kumar government over the poor law and order situation of Bihar.
New Delhi, April 5 : National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Priyank Kanoongo on Saturday said that a girl hailing from West Bengal who was trafficked to the national capital has been rescued by the Delhi Police from a brothel here.

Taking to X, he wrote: "Today, on my instructions, Delhi Police conducted a rescue operation and rescued a girl from West Bengal from a brothel in GB Road red light area. Informant Mission Mukti Foundation told that the accused named Mohammad Ghazi from South 24 Parganas had trapped the victim girl in the trap of love, trafficked her to Delhi and sold her to a brothel where she was being forced into prostitution."

Human trafficking remains one of the major challenges to tackle for the law enforcement agencies despite the vigilance maintained by the security personnel to curb and check it.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has set up an Anti-Trafficking Cell to deal with matters relating to law enforcement response on trafficking, which are subject matters of the Department of Women & Child Development.

According to a note: "The Cell provides suitable guidelines to the States/UTs from time to time for strengthening law enforcement response in tackling human trafficking. It also acts as an interface with other Ministries like Ministry of Women & Child Development, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Ministry of Railways etc. to address the issues of human trafficking. The Anti Trafficking Cell also provides guidance and assistance to the State and UTs for holding State level conferences and Judicial Colloquiums with a view to sensitizing the concerned officers, including Police officers, Judicial officers and other stakeholders in the States and UTs about Human Trafficking. The Anti Trafficking cell is also responsible for signing bilateral /multilateral MoUs with various countries to address the issue of Human Trafficking and participation in national /international meetings/conferences."

Notably, Priyank Kanoongo is also the former chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) -- a statutory body that has been established by an Act of Parliament.

It functions under the aegis of Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The NCPCR is mandated "to ensure that all Laws, Policies, Programmes, and Administrative Mechanisms align with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child".
Bengaluru, April 5 : Retired judge John Michael D'Cunha, who is appointed as the Commissioner of the Inquiry Commission to investigate the alleged irregularities and scams during the Covid-19 procurement period, submitted the second interim report to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday. The report comprises a total of 1,808 pages.

Bengaluru, April 5 (IANS) Retired judge John Michael DaCunha, who is appointed as the Commissioner of the Inquiry Commission to investigate the alleged irregularities and scams during the Covid-19 procurement period, submitted the second interim report to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday. The report comprises a total of 1,808 pages.

This is the second of a total of seven interim volumes, out of which four volumes pertain to the irregularities and scams that took place within the jurisdiction of the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike).

Separate volumes detail the irregularities related to BBMPas Bommanahalli Zone, South Zone, West Zone, and Yelahanka Zone.

The remaining three volumes cover irregularities in Bengaluru Urban District, Bengaluru Rural District, and the districts of Gadag and Koppal.

The interim report was officially handed over to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Chief Secretary to the Government, Shalini Rajneesh, was also present on the occasion.

The Congress-led government in Karnataka, headed by Siddaramaiah, had also handed over the Covid 'scam' investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on February 14, two months after lodging an FIR.

The team headed by CID SP Raghavendra Hegde and three Dy SPs are investigating the "scam" which allegedly occurred during the tenure of the previous BJP government.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar, Home Minister G. Parameshwara and other prominent leaders used the Covid "scam" as the shield against the allegations of the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and sensational tribal welfare board scam.

The FIR was lodged regarding the Covid scam in Vidhana Soudha police station on December 13, 2024 against senior officers and staffers.

The Congress government hinted at action against former CM B.S. Yediyurappa, former Health Minister B. Sriramulu and BJP MP K. Sudhakar.

The government had also formed a special cabinet sub-committee headed by Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar to look into the report by the Commission headed by the High Court Justice John Michael D'Cunha formed by the Congress government and give recommendations.

Shivakumar had announced that "Officials are conducting an investigation based on the recommendations of Justice Michael Cunha's committee on Covid management-related irregularities. Those who embezzled Covid funds will not be spared."

Referring to Covid testing irregularities, he had said, "In Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits, 84 lakh RT-PCR tests were reportedly conducted, with bills amounting to Rs 502 crore, out of which Rs 400 crore has been paid. If 84 lakh tests were conducted, it would mean two tests per household."

--IANS

mka/pgh
Raipur, April 6 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah, with a voice both resolute and impassioned, once again extended an earnest appeal to the Maoists, urging them to abandon their path of violence and reintegrate into the mainstream for the greater good of society.

The Union Home Minister has shared a heart-touching picture of two fearless children holding mobile phones on his X handle to showcase the transformation of development that has taken place in the state.

Sharing the picture on his X handle, Union Home minister Amit Shah wrote, "The Bastar-Sukma region which was once the bastion of Red Terror (Naxalism), where people did not leave their houses due to fear, today the heart is filled with joy to see children using their phones without any fear in Dondra Panchayat there." "I am sharing with you this picture, which shows development and trust," he said.

His visit to Chhattisgarh was marked by a series of significant engagements on Saturday, including the grand conclusion of the 'Pandum Festival' in Bastar and a high-level meeting on the anti-Naxal campaign with Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, and senior security officials.

In a series of posts on his X handle, HM Shah said, "Today in Raipur, I convened a review meeting on Left Wing Extremism with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai ji, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Vijay Sharma ji, senior officials, police officers, and CAPF officers. Under the visionary leadership of Modi ji, the double-engine government is sparing no effort in eradicating Naxalism. By the 31st of March, Naxalism shall be consigned to the annals of history, not only in Chhattisgarh but across the nation."

He further lauded the valour of India's security forces, stating, "Guided by Modi ji's leadership, our brave forces have cornered the Naxalites. Whether traversing rugged forests or crossing turbulent rivers, enduring the biting cold or the searing heat, our valiant commanders have liberated millions from the shadow of Naxal influence. Today, I had the privilege of interacting with the operational commanders of the anti-Naxal operation in Dantewada."

In a heartfelt plea to the Maoists, Shah envisioned a transformed Bastar, declaring, "Bastar is being reimagined as a land where its children shall rise to become inspectors, barristers, doctors, and collectors. Let every individual strive fearlessly to realise the dreams of development under Modi ji's government, there is no place for fear."

Earlier on Saturday, addressing a vast gathering at the Pandum Festival, the Union Home Minister said, "By the dawn of April 2025, as many as 521 Naxalites have already surrendered, following the 881 who laid down arms in 2024. Those who choose to surrender will find a place in the mainstream, while those who persist with arms will face the resolute might of our security forces. Come what may, the Bharatiya Janata Party government is steadfast in its mission to rid the nation of this red terror by March next year. Bastar will no longer be synonymous with fear but with a promising future."
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In Lone Wolf, the journalist recounts following a wolfs winding journey from Slovenia to Italy.

You sometimes recount your trek from the perspective of Slavc the wolf. Why take that approach?

Something about the walk allowed me to get a sense of how Slavc navigated the landscape. There was one moment when he came right up to the perimeter fence of the airport around Ljubljana, and then suddenly he was next detected about 10 miles away. That was the farthest he had traveled between GPS fixes, which came every three hours, and it was very easy to feel that was because there were these terrifying airplanes that he never would have seen before taking off into the sky. We obviously cant say how an animal thinks, but it seemed clear to me that his route across Europe was guided by fear of human infrastructure.

Do you see any similarities between humans and wolves?

Were both pack animals. Were two of the very few species on the planet that hunt prey bigger than ourselves, and that requires dividing labor and complex social structures of the kind that a pack mentality involves. We can see a lot of ourselves in wolves, but not the kind of alpha wolf that certain toxic parts of the internet would like us to buy into. The alpha wolf is a fairly discredited theory, and in fact, wolves are one of the few animals where males will stick around and look after both the pups and the mother long after birth. A wolf pack is essentially a family.

On your journey, you talked with both opponents and supporters of repopulating Europes wolf packs. Whats your stance?

I believe there is a moral obligation to think about making space for wolves again because we pushed them to the point of extinction, but theres also an obligation to listen to people who live on the land and have legitimate concerns about protecting livestock. Unless those people are heard, I dont think allowing wolves back can work.

You draw connections between the return of Europes wolves and the refugee crisis in Europe. Can you elaborate on that?

Take Lessinia Regional Park, where Slavc settled in Italy and which was used to house migrants from North Africa. The language with which the local people talked about the arrival of the wolves and the migrants living in their communities was very similar. For example, they described the wolves and migrants as unwelcome. We were here first, they said, which isnt true. A lot of locals are actually descendants of German migrants who arrived in the Middle Ages, and wolves up until about 100 years ago had been there since time immemorial.
She's That Girl

Elphie by Gregory Maguire soars to #3 on our hardcover fiction list. Its the authors charming prequel, per our review, to Wicked, and his first new title since the release of the blockbuster movie. First-week print unit sales defied gravity compared with sales for books in the sequel series, Another Daynot that its a popularity contest.

Urban Legend

Alex Aster got her big break as an author with the 2022 BookTok smash Lightlark, which launched a dark YA romantasy series. This week, her adult debut, the fake-relationship rom-com Summer in the City, tops our hardcover fiction list. The main couples pretend dates take them on a whirlwind tour of famous New York sites, which will please armchair travelers, our review said. Aster proves as talented at handling contemporary settings as building fantasy worlds.

All Is Vanity

Longtime magazine journalist Graydon Carter lands at #11 on our hardcover nonfiction list with When the Going Was Good, which our review said is at once a sharp look at the art of crafting a story, a collection of fizzy anecdotes about the magazine industry, and a stirring catalog of his efforts to remake Vanity Fair in his own image. About 40% of first-week print unit sales were in the middle Atlantic regionwhere youll find Conde Nasts New York City mothership and whatever else is left of a once thriving industrysuggesting that the memoir found its fans among those who remember, or wish they remembered, what the book calls the last golden age of magazines.

Queen of the Underground

Debuting at #14 on our hardcover fiction list, Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by RuPauls Drag Race season eight winner Bob the Drag Queen is a vivacious narrative that sees Harriet Tubman magically brought back to life, according to our starred review. Revived in the present day along with a handful of other famous historical figures (Cleopatra has reinvented herself as an Instagram model), Harriet teams up with the narrator, legendary hip-hop producer Darnell Williams, to connect Black people to their ancestry through music. Darnell helps Harriet and her band (the Freemans, made up of people she freed from slavery) finish their album, and she in turn helps Darnell find self-acceptance, having fallen into obscurity after being outed as gay years before. Our review deems the novel a knockout.
The launch of Molly Sterns Zando has all gone according to planor at least to her financial plan. Announced in 2020 and releasing its first books in 2021, the independent publisher ended last year as a profitable company. We hit my financial projections right on the nose, Stern told PW. And they were ambitious.

How the company got there, however, was a bit surprising. Stern founded Zando after an eight-year stint at Crown, where she worked with Gillian Flynn and Michelle Obama, among many other prominent authors. Inspired by her work with Sarah Jessica Parker to launch Parkers SJP imprint at Crown, Stern went about setting up imprints at Zando run in concert with high-profile personalities and institutions. The publisher now hosts nine such imprints, including those topped by Flynn and Parker.

What put Zando over the top last year financially was Sterns decision to enter the adult romance market in a major way early last year through its Slowburn imprint. Stern appointed Hayley Wagreich, Zandos director of original development, and Sierra Stovall, its director of rights, to head Slowburn, which had an immediate hit with Brynne Weavers Ruinous Love series. The three titles in the seriesOctober 2023s Butcher & Blackbird, last Junes Leather & Lark, and Scythe & Sparrow, which hit shelves in Februaryhave sold 1.5 million copies across all formats to date. Stern credited Wagreich and Stovall with recognizing what was possible with the seriesits first title was previously self-published and praised Weaver for creating whole worlds that really connect with readers.

Stern was also pleasantly surprised by the depth of sales Zando has racked up through mass merchandisers serviced by ReaderLink. We have seen some big sales numbers there, she said, crediting Andrew Rein, her head of publishing and sales, for developing deep contacts within the channel while he too was at Penguin Random House. Zando also has a great relationship with Barnes & Noble, Stern said, noting that in one recent week, the publisher placed seven books among the chains top 50 bestsellers.

Zando has also benefitted from consumer interest in deluxe and special editions, particularly where trade paperbacks are concerned. In 2024, the publisher had five trade paperbacks hit PWs bestseller lists, where they stayed for a total of 79 weeksthe biggest share of slots claimed by any independent publisher last year. I love that people are loving these highly designed book covers, Stern said.

Fiction was the big sales driver for Zando in 2024, but Zando had a nonfiction bestseller with Democracy or Else, published in partnership with the political media company Crooked Media via the jointly run imprint Crooked Media Reads. Stern has high hopes for a new book coming from Crooked Media, When Were in Charge: The Next Generations Guide to Leadership by Run for Something founder Amanda Litman, as well as WNBA superstar Candace Parkers debut, The Can-Do Mindset, coming in June from the Get Lifted imprint led by John Legend, Mike Jackson, and Ty Stiklorius.

While Slowburn was fueling growth, the partners program found its rhythm. Every imprint has its own color, Stern said, which she and Zando editors explain in detail whenever agents show interest. Stern remains committed to keeping the number of titles published under the partner program relatively limited. We dont want to overpublish, she said. Each partner commits a lot of time promoting each of their titles.

The newest partner imprint at Zando is 8th Note Press, which was originally envisioned by TikTok owner ByteDance as an e-book publisher. Zando put out the imprints first print book, Caitlin Crosss Hollywood romance On Screen and Off Again, in February, followed by Syed M. Masoods The Last Man in Paradise last month. Two other books are set for release this springand despite the uncertainty surrounding the fate of TikTok in the U.S., 8th Note continues to acquire new titles.

To date, Zando has published 80 titles across all its imprints, and since Stern had assumed that the company would be frontlist-driven for at least its first few years, the success of its backlist has come as something of a pleasant surprise. That success has helped Stern build an infrastructure that she knows the publisher will need in order to become a sustainable business, including investments in marketing, sales, promotion, and distribution. To wit, beginning with its fall list, Zandos distribution will move from Ingram Publisher Services Two Rivers division to Penguin Random House Publisher Servicesmarking something of a homecoming for the Crown veteran.

It was that infrastructure that convinced Tin House founder Win McCormack to sell the literary publisher, along with its backlist of some 200 titles, to Zando in mid-March. Stern said her interest in Tin House was sparked by her admiration for its publisher and editorial director Masie Cochran. Masie is an amazing editor, Stern said. I am looking forward to working with her to build on Wins legacy.

The Tin House purchase is just one part of her growth plan. Zando produces its own audiobooks, and Stern said she will continue to invest heavily in that format. The addition of Tin House lifts Zandos staff to 33, and she said she wouldnt be surprised if the number of employees topped 40 by the end of the year. Stern is also interested in making another acquisitionthough she added that a new deal wont happen too soon, as she knows all too well how distracting integrating a company can be.

At the moment, Stern is operating out of a temporary workspace while she waits for Zandos new Manhattan offices to be finished. While a number of key employees live outside the New York City area, Stern said she believes it is important for the publisher to have a central space for team members to meet. (New Yorkbased employees are currently required to go to the office three days a week.)

Stern said Zando has grown enough that it is now able to be selective in choosing new partnersa lesson learned after suffering what she called some near misses in signing a few major deals. My ambition is for Zando to be a muscular player in a new way, Stern said. We still have some tricks up our sleeve.
Literary translator Katie Whittemore and Open Letter Books publisher Chad Post were out at a bar one night in 2019 when Whittemore told Post about the late Spanish writer Aliocha Coll, whose abstruse masterpiece, Attila, had never been brought into English.

Whittemore, who lives in Valencia, Spain, had been tipped off to Coll by Javier Serena, a young Spanish novelist who hoped Whittemore would translate his most recent booksa pair of novels each dramatizing the lives of two writers devoted to their craftinto English. The first centered on Roberto Bolano, a titan of Chilean literature who could not have become more successful, Whittemore says. But the other fictionalized Coll, who was scarcely read even in his native Spain and died in squalor by his own hand shortly after completing Attila, his magnum opus, in 1990. Serenas 2014 novel, also called Attila, imagines the last months of Colls life amid his mad drive to complete his manuscript.

At the bar, the pair googled the enigmatic Coll, learning that Spanish writerJavier Marias eulogized him as a writer with a verbal talent and sense of rhythm of the first order. Mega-agent Carmen Balcells who shepherded many Spanish-language writers to international fameconsidered Coll the one author she could never get off the ground, with work too strange, difficult, and dark for a wide audience. This thrilled both Whittemore and Post, a prominent publisher of literature in translation. This, he recalls thinking,  is catnip.

Now, six years laterand four years since the 2021 release of Last Words on Earth, Serenas novel about BolanoOpen Letter is publishing Whittmores translations of the two Attilas at once: Colls and Serenas. Both were published on April 1, with respective first print runs of 3,000 and 3,500 copies.

Post, who founded the Rochester, N.Y.based Open Letter in 2007, is the first to admit that bringing out two distinct novels with the same name on the same day is not many peoples idea of a winning commercial strategy. He recalled that his distributor, Consortium, warned him that even booksellers might be confused by the gambit, and that the books would be difficult to shelve.

Still, the publication of the novels comes at an auspicious time for Open Letter, which last month significantly grew its operational capabilities through a new partnership with a fellow nonprofit, Dallass Deep Vellum Publishing. Open Letter, which publishes 10 titles per year and has a roughly 200-book catalog, also has access to philanthropic donations and state and federal grants that offset, Post estimates, about 40% of the cost of publishing books that the market is unlikely to sustain.

Post isnt concerned about the books lack of mainstream appealthats what drew him to them in the first place. Readers who want these books deserve to have them, he says. Even if its a relatively small group of readers, they count.

Daniel Yadin is a bookseller at Book Club Bar in New York City and an associate poetry editor at Asymptote.
The worlds fastest rack-and-pinion railway has been unveiled.

The operator of the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway (MGBahn) and manufacturer Stadler have developed a new braking system known as v+ (velocity-plus, meaning higher speed).

This system has been installed on Stadlers ORION multiple-unit train, a cogwheel (or rack) train which uses a toothed rack rail and cogwheels to climb very steep slopes.

v+ enables trains to travel downhill at speeds of up to thirty kilometres per hour. This is significantly faster than the 21 km/h downhill speed limit previously applied to ORION multiple units.

The new system also applies enhanced braking force, which brings the train to a stop within the required specifications.

Orion v+ graphics // Credit: Stadler

The newly-equipped vehicle is now running on the Andermatt  Goschenen line in the Swiss Canton of Uri. The line has a gradient of 181.

As a result of the technological upgrade, passenger journeys now take four minutes less time, a major improvement on the previous journey time of fifteen minutes. This allows MGBahn to run its half-hourly service on the Andermatt  Goschenen section with just one vehicle in rotation rather than two.

The Matterhorn Gotthard Railway and Stadler say that for the time being, they will use the time savings stabilise the timetable and ensure better connections.

MGBahn and Stadler worked together to develop the new rack-and-pinion braking system, aiming to use existing technologies to enable more frequent and reliable train services. They used one of the latest multiple-unit trains supplied by Stadler to MGBahn as the prototype for the project. The federal government of Switzerland provided financial support, and the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) authorised it.

Now that the new braking system has been successfully commissioned, MGBahn will proceed to equip its existing eleven, and all twenty-five of its newly-ordered, ORION multiple-unit trains with the v+ technology.

Stadler recently secured an order for its locomotives from another Swiss firm, the Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway Company.
British Steel, the U.K.s last bastion of primary steelmaking, announced plans to shutter its two blast furnaces at Scunthorpe, effectively ending 150 years of virgin steel production in Britain. Media outlets have rushed to pin the blame on U.S. President Donald Trumps recent 25% tariffs on steel imports.

But this narrative is a convenient distraction from a far more insidious culprit: the U.K. governments relentless pursuit of self-destructive green policies that have crippled British manufacturing for nearly a decade.

During the Industrial Revolution, Britains steel industry forged the islands ascent as a global superpower. Steel was the sinew of progress, enabling the nation to outpace rivals and cement its economic and military supremacy well into the 20th century. Once the backbone of its industrial might, steel manufacturing has been suffocated by exorbitant energy costs and uncompetitive pricing  both direct consequences of a cults dogma that prioritizes reducing emissions of harmless carbon dioxide over economic survival.

Having produced over 20 million metric tons annually in the 1970s, output dwindled to a paltry 4 million tons by 2024. Meanwhile, imports have surged to 68% of domestic consumption, up from 55% in 2022, as cheaper foreign steel floods the market. The governments pledge to rebuild the sector rings hollow when its own policies paved the way for this collapse.

British Steels owner, Chinese-owned Jingye, cited highly challenging market conditions, the imposition of tariffs, and higher environmental costs as reasons for the Scunthorpe closure, which threatens up to 2,700 jobs and could commence as early as June.

This shutdown is not a sudden reaction to external trade pressures but rather the inevitable outcome of a self-inflicted death spiral. While China and India make cheaper, carbon-intensive steel with no apparent climate guilt, the U.K.s obsession with net-zero virtue turns its producers into sacrificial offerings at the green altar.

Green Policies: The Silent Assassin

Lets dispense with the pleasantries: Britains green policies are more a national suicide than a noble crusade. For nearly a decade, successive governments have chased emissions targets with a zeal that ignores the realities of industrial survival. The Climate Change Act of 2008 set the stage, committing the U.K. to slash carbon dioxide emissions by 80% by 2050  a hideous impossibility that was later tightened to the holy grail of the even more stringent net zero.

This ambition birthed a web of regulations, taxes, and subsidies that have jacked up energy costs to levels unmatched among Britains peers and made steel manufacturing impossible without incurring heavy losses.

One proposed solution was a shift to electric arc furnaces, which recycle scrap steel rather than producing it from raw materials with more carbon-intensive blast furnaces. However British Steels Chinese owner reportedly sought a $1.3 billion subsidy to fund the $2.6 billion change.

In addition, the U.K.s industrial electricity prices are approximately 40% higher than Frances and about four times more than those of the U.S. For energy-guzzling steelmakers, such price differentials  a product of green energy choices  are a death sentence.

Adding to the pain of British Steel is the U.K. Emissions Trading Scheme that adds costs to the companys emissions of carbon dioxide, a penalty largely evaded by Chinese and Indian rivals.

The worlds steel leader, China produces more than 1 billion metric tons annually  exceeding the U.K.s total output over the past 47 years. India follows closely, churning out the metal at prices Britain cant match.

The steel industries of China and India are fueled by cheap coal and minimal constraints on carbon dioxide emissions. Neither faces the punitive energy costs or emissions taxes that hobble British Steel. While the U.K. levies up to $103 on each ton of carbon dioxide emitted, China charges its manufacturers but a fraction of that. India has no national charge at all. The result? British Steel, saddled with green compliance costs, is priced out of the global market.

China and India didnt need to lift a finger as Westminster policymakers chased a utopian vision that delivered industrial ruin. The media can spin its tariff tales, but the truth is plainer: Britains steel industry was slowly bled dry by a government too enamored with green dogma to see the carnage it wrought.

The demise of British Steel serves as a stark warning to manufacturing giants in Western Europe and the U.S. Trading cost-effectiveness for climate compliance is a Faustian bargain to be resisted by corporate executives and lobbyists.
The Canada-U.S. relationship has never been so strained: American tariffs and Canadas willingness to retaliate have sparked significant anger and hardship on both sides of the border, and its putting continental security at stake.

Already, these tariffs are negatively impacting the Canadian economy, as the uncertainty they bring further alienates investment in Canada, as well as in the U.S.

Thats not just an economic problem, its a security risk. An impoverished Canada creates precarity that will endanger the United States. Instead of having a stable G7 economy on its border, steep tariffs will drive Americas northern neighbor into a deep recession. Many analysts are watching the Canadian dollar with concern.

An economically weakened Canada cannot fund the very measures that U. S. President Donald Trumps administration is asking it to support. Items like beefed up border security, increased defense spending, fentanyl crackdowns, and mining infrastructure are not affordable with a declining Canadian tax base. As our colleague Balkan Devlin has argued, an impoverished Canada wont have the cash for continued upgrades on NORADs early warning system, a crucial American demand in protecting the continent.

The recently announced Iron Dome for Americain whatever form it eventually takeswill provide the U.S. with critical defenseand deterrence against 21st Century threats. The United States will also need to ensure that its Northern Flank is secure by air, land and sea. Canada can provide assurance of this regions security, and potentially contribute to the development and implementation of the Iron Dome for North America. Americas Northern Flank will need to be defended, and Canada can better play its role if an economic partnership is supporting the defenserelationship.

Its been widely commented that Canada is not contributing enough financially and materially to continental defence or its NATO commitments. Canada has now had at least a wake-up call that the alliances it has taken for grantedcannot be neglected any longer. Maintaining these relationshipswhich secure the continentwill take work on both sides.

Trust and intelligence sharing between Canada and the United States form the bedrock for joint operations and addressing continental threats. The U.S. may have the ears but Canada has the eyes, particularly in the North. It can play a crucial on-the-ground role monitoring what activities are being carried out in the Arctic by this continents adversaries. The intelligence sharing partnership between Canada and the U.S. for NORAD defense purposes is even more important and must be maintained for the good of the continent.

Trumps trade advisor, Peter Navarro, rationalized steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada on the grounds that its important for America to have a strong defense industrial base. But this is a high-risk low-reward action: it will take yearsif not decadesfor America to develop a steel and aluminum industry with the capacity to replace external suppliers. Meanwhile, the tariffs will not work slowly., Instead, they are already disrupting Canadian steel and aluminum manufacturing that the U.S. defense industrial base depends upon. Indeed, the American Aluminum Associationwhich represents a large segment of aluminum manufacturershas asked the Trump administration to drop aluminum tariffs to ensure supply for domestic smelters.

An economic downturn in Canada may also affect the Trump administration's border security goals. Rising unemployment in Canada will lead to a flood of temporary foreign workers seeing their work permit renewals denied. At the end of 2024, Canada had 3 million non-permanent residents. Even with increased patrols, America may need to brace for additional numbers flowing southward to the U.S. in search of jobs, compounding Americas migration crisis.

Canadians are also worried about why tariffs are coming into effect. Trump has said previously that Canada should consider becoming the 51st state, which would make tariffs a moot point. While serious people do notview this as a plausible scenario, caught in a hot-mic moment, then-Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau claimed that Trump wanted to annex Canada in order to access its critical minerals.

Thirty-four critical minerals exist in Canada, as well as rare earth minerals, metals, and even gases like helium which is used to make semiconductors. The quality of the Canadian deposits is quite high. The province of Saskatchewan, for example, boasts the worlds largest deposits of high-grade uranium, while the Yukon territory has the globes biggest high-grade tungsten depositan opportunity in which the U.S. Department of Defense has invested.

China dominates the global market on many of these minerals and metals needed for building components, particularly in the defense sector. Indeed, F-35 fighter jet deliveries were halted in 2022 when it was discovered that an alloy sourced from China was used to make magnets in the engines turbomachine pumps. Investing in Canadian mining can provide the United States defense industrial base with near-shored options from an ally, rather than an overseas supply from a hostile power. The result would be a stronger continent using its vast resources to support a robust and integrated defense industry.

The president is correct that securing Greenland within the American geopolitical sphere of influence is in Americas best interest for national security. But alienating its people is not. Trump has doubled down on talk of annexing Greenland for national security reasons, leading to a pro-sovereignty but anti-American party winning Greenlands most recent election. Likewise, ensuring Canada remains a staunch American ally and lives up to its NORAD and NATO commitments is crucial to securing the continent. Unfortunately, the administrations threatening rhetoric has resulted in 27 percent of Canadians now seeing the United States as an enemy. This own-goal scoring needs to stop.

The costs of tariffing allies is too high. Trading national security for the impoverishment of Canada risks too much. The United States can either have a strong and stable North America or it can have tariffs on its closest ally. It cannot have both.

Jamie Tronnes is the executive director of the Center for North American Prosperity and Security, a project of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. She is based in Washington, D.C.

LGen (Retd) Christopher Coates is the director of national defense and foreign policy at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. He is based in Ottawa.
Spring is in the air. And so are graduation photos. Thousands of seniors across the University of Georgias campus are in the midst of taking photos to celebrate this special time in their lives. From the Arch to Sanford Stadium, these photos will last a lifetime.
'The new Waqf bill sows the seed for conflict in every town and village of India.'

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IMAGE: A protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 in Kolkata, April 4, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by Parliament this week.

But the battlelines between the National Democratic Alliance government and the Opposition over the legislation remain as active as ever.

While the government asserts that the Bill will benefit Muslims, the Opposition stated in Parliament that the legislation was one more step by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to weaken the Muslim community.

'The Waqf bill was meant to Dilute, Defame, Divide and Disenfranchise Indian Muslims,' declared Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi.

So what is the truth? Is the Waqf Bill as bad as the Opposition states it is, or as good as the government declares it is?

To find out, Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com spoke to Shahid Siddiqui, a well-known face in Indian politics and respected chief editor of Nai Dunia, an Urdu weekly newspaper.

Is the Waqf Bill passed in Parliament for the betterment and upliftment of Muslims, as the government states, or is it, as the Opposition says, a negative development?

First of all, let me explain what are Waqf properties.

Are these Waqf properties shopping malls? Are they houses or buildings? The answer is no.

So the question arises, what are these Waqf properties? The answer is, 90 percent of these Waqf properties are dargahs (shrines), graveyards and mosques.

The revenue of these properties is only around Rs 150 crore (vis a vis the size of the land bank with the Waqf, which is very huge).

(The revenue is less) because you cannot get rent income from mosques, graveyards and dargahs. In fact, you have to spend more on maintaining them.

People think that Waqf means some property holding (institution) but the fact is it is a religious institution.

When anybody donates his or her property to Waqf it means h/she gives it for ensuring the path to Allah. Now Allah becomes the owner of the property. This property can be used for building a mosque or graveyard.

Now, under the present rules the government can take over any Waqf property if they do not register it within six months. And by chance if a single paper is missing for these Waqf properties, the government can take control of that property as they will eventually fail to register it in six months because of lack of proper documentation.

This means there is a threat to every dargah and mosque in the country because Waqf property land on which mosques, dargahs and graveyards are located goes back to 200 or even 500 years ago.

Some documents might be there but then in these cases the documents are written in Persian and Arabic and that needs to be translated into English, Hindi or other regional languages.

This will be a very tedious process as a result of which the majority of Muslim dargahs and mosques (in existence) will be threatened.

The new Waqf bill sows the seed for conflict in every town and village of India.

IMAGE: Muslims wearing black armbands protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 during the alvida namaaz (last Friday namaaz during Ramzan) outside the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, March 28, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

Some maulanas say they will not accept the new Waqf bill. Do they have a choice considering that Parliament has passed the bill? What can they do by opposing it when it will soon be a law?

Forget maulanas, the new Waqf bill is against the Constitution of India. The Muslims of India and a large number of Hindus do not accept it.

The Tamil Nadu assembly has passed a resolution rejecting the new Waqf bill.

80 percent of Opposition parties who are not in power have not accepted the new Waqf bill so why talk only of maulanas?

The Bharatiya Janata Party says Muslims have been misled by the Opposition on Waqf.

This narrative is a media creation. I did not hear any maulana stating that he is accepting the new Waqf bill.

Just because some bearded chap comes on television debates and expresses his opinion on Waqf, that does not mean he is a maulana. The idea behind the new Waqf bill is vote bank politics.

The government wants to send a message to a section of their voters, 'dekho Musalmano ko sabak sikha diya (we have taught Muslims a lesson).'

Does it mean the new Waqf bill is a Hindu appeasement bill?

Don't say Hindu appeasement, but call it an appeasement policy for BJP followers.

This Waqf bill is not appeasing Hindus because if they were providing jobs to Hindus then I could believe that, but in this case they are playing with the sentiments of a section of Hindus. I repeat a section of Hindus as a majority of Hindus are not with the BJP.

The BJP is creating fear by continuously raising such issues. This is a very dangerous trend for any country's future.

Is the bill a violation of Article 14 which speaks of equality?

Yes, the new bill is in violation to Indian Constitutional values.

Hindus can maintain their own places of worship, but Muslims cannot.

Under this new Waqf bill the administration of Waqf properties will be with the Government of India.

Take, for example, the Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu, if the district magistrate of that place happens to be a Muslim, he cannot be on the board of Vaishno Devi. It is clearly written in the law.

But tomorrow you can have non-Muslims who are Bajrang Dal or Vishwa Hindu Parishad members becoming Waqf board or Waqf council members. The government has the freedom to do that and they can create havoc.

Do you seriously believe that VHP and Bajrang Dal members can be on Waqf boards in the future? Is it even possible?

Yes, it is possible. VHP and Bajrang Dal members can sit on the Waqf board in future. Nobody can stop the government from appointing anybody on the Waqf board.

What about Muslim members who will be appointed according to the new Waqf bill? Who can the government appoint?

They have to be practising Islam for five years. How many times do you pray in a day? Did you do morning namaaz or evening namaaz? This new Waqf bill is a joke which has unfortunately been passed.
Justice Yashwant Varma, who was transferred from the Delhi high court to the Allahabad high court amid cash-at-home allegations, was administered the oath in a 'clandestine' manner on Saturday, the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) in Prayagraj claimed while condemning the move.

IMAGE: Allahabad high court lawyers stage an indefinite strike over Delhi HC Justice Yashwant Varma's transfer to his parent court, in Prayagraj on March 25, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

The lawyers' body, which had opposed the repatriation of the judge, questioned why 'this oath was not notified to the Bar' and alleged that it has once again eroded the trust of people in the judicial system.

An in-house inquiry was ordered by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) after the recovery of 'four to five semi-burnt sacks' of Indian currency notes from the residence of Justice Varma following a fire incident last month.

Justice Varma has maintained that neither he nor his family was aware of the money.

In a letter dated April 5 addressed to Chief Justice of Allahabad high court Arun Bhansali, the secretary of HCBA, Allahabad, Vikrant Pandey, contended that 'legally and traditionally, the oath administered to Justice Varma is fallacious and unacceptable' and urged the Chief Justice not to assign any administrative and judicial work to the judge.

'The entire Bar Association is at pains to learn about the clandestine manner in which Justice Yashwant Varma has been administered the oath of his office at Allahabad,' the letter said.

"In due deference to our remonstration against the repatriation of Justice Yashwant Varma to Allahabad High Court, the Hon'ble CJI had met the members of the Bar and assured that appropriate steps be taken to maintain the dignity of the judicial system," Pandey said.

"We are given to understand that the system is taking every step in a fair and transparent manner, but why this oath is not notified to the Bar, is a question which again eroded the trust of people in the judicial system," he said in the letter.

"We unequivocally condemn the manner in which Justice Yashwant Varma was administered the oath behind our backs," he said.

There was no official word from the high court on the swearing-in of the judge.

The incident of cash recovery has reignited debate over the issue of judicial accountability and there have been calls from various quarters for stringent action in the matter to set a precedent and restore faith in the judiciary.

Pandey said that 'subscription to oath has traditionally and continuously been conducted in open court'.

"Keeping the lawyer fraternity uninformed may erode their confidence in this institution. We request our Hon'ble Chief Justice to protect the fundamental values and follow the traditions of this institution," he said.

"Also, we have been given to understand that the majority of the Hon'ble Judges were also not invited/informed in the aforesaid. Thus, legally and traditionally, the oath administered to Justice Varma is fallacious/unacceptable.

"We, once again condemn the aforesaid events and request the Hon'ble Chief Justice not to assign any administrative and judicial work to Justice Yashwant Varma," Pandey said in the letter.

Pandey said that the administration of oath to a judge is a quintessential event in the judicial system.

"Lawyers being equal stakeholders in the institution, cannot be kept away. The High Court Bar Association passed a resolution saying therein that this oath is against the Constitution of India and therefore, the members of the Association do not want to be associated with unconstitutional oath."

"What we resolved, we spoke openly and not only this, we also sent a copy of resolutions to everybody including your lordship. Thus, we failed to understand as to what is the 'clandestine' in this oath," Pandey said.
For the first time since ethnic violence started in Manipur nearly two years ago, the representatives of the warring Meitei and Kuki communities met face-to-face on Saturday as the Centre intensified efforts to restore peace and bring back normalcy in the northeastern state.

IMAGE: Security personnel deployed after clashes break out between Kuki protesters and security forces, in Kangpokpi, on March 8, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

The meeting, which was held here at the aegis of the Union Home Ministry, discussed various aspects of the ongoing conflict and decided to continue their dialogue to find an amicable solution acceptable to people of the state, sources privy to the meeting said.

The sources said the meeting, which lasted for about five hours, was held as part of the central government's initiatives to resolve the ongoing conflict between the two communities, which began in May 2023 and had worsened ethnic tensions.

The meeting was aimed at enhancing trust and cooperation between the Meiteis and Kukis and finding a roadmap to restore peace and normalcy in Manipur, they said. The discussions also stressed on maintaining law and order and facilitating reconciliation between the two communities, the sources said said.

A six-member Meitei delegation comprising representatives from the All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) and the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) attended the meeting. The Kuki delegation comprised about nine representatives from the Kuki-Zo Council.

The central government interlocutor, A K Mishra, a retired special director of the Intelligence Bureau, and chief secretary of Manipur Prashant Kumar Singh attended the meeting.

This was the first direct meeting between the representatives of the two communities, the sources said.

A meeting of Kuki-Zo, Meitei and the Naga MLAs organised by the Union home ministry in October 2024 did not materialise as the legislators from the warring communities refused to sit in the same room.

At that time, they met central government interlocutors separately, even though the back-to-back meetings were held at the same venue in the national capital.

During a debate on Manipur in Lok Sabha on Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Ministry of Home Affairs had held 13 meetings with the representatives of the Meitei and the Kuki communities in the past.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs will soon convene a joint meeting," Shah had said, replying to a short debate in the lower House, which adopted a Statutory Resolution confirming the imposition of President's rule in Manipur.

The home minister also said that while the government is working to find a path to end the violence, the top priority is to establish peace.

Shah said the situation in Manipur is largely under control as there has been no death in the last four months but it can't be considered satisfactory as the displaced people are still living in relief camps.

He said both the communities should understand that dialogue was the only way forward and the central government was not in favour of continuing President's Rule in the state even for a single day.

President's rule in Manipur was imposed on February 13 after the then chief minister N Biren Singh resigned on February 9.

The state assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.

About 260 people have lost their lives ever since the ethnic violence broke out between the Imphal valley-based Meitei and neighbouring hills-based Kuki communities in May 2023. Several thousand arms were looted from different police stations across Manipur during the initial phase of the conflict.

Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who took charge as governor on January 3, has been meeting a cross-section of people and taking feedback from them on how to bring back normalcy in the state.

Bhalla, a former Union home secretary who had closely worked with Shah for five years till August 2024, was hand-picked by the Union home minister and is said to have been tasked with restoring peace in the restive state.

After the imposition of the President's rule, the governor took a number of steps to restore peace and bring back normalcy, including asking those who looted arms from security forces to surrender them.

The central government also endeavoured to open the state's road for normal traffic, though it did not fructify due to opposition from Kukis.

Travelling through areas inhabited by Meiteis or Kukis is completely prohibited for the other community.

While Kukis travel mostly through Mizoram to go outside the state, the Meiteis do not go to the hills dominated by the Kukis.

The violence in Manipur began after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' organised in the hill districts to protest against an order of the Manipur High Court on the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Meanwhile, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of the Meitei civil society groups, accused the Centre of repeatedly employing symbolic gestures to create a facade of resolution, with no sincere or substantive steps to address the root causes of this crisis.
Signalling an upswing in their strategic ties nearly four decades after the Indian Peace Keeping Force episode, India and Sri Lanka on Saturday inked a defence pact to institutionalise military cooperation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that security of both the nations is interlinked and dependent on each other.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, along with the respective delegations of the two countries, at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo on Saturday. Photograph: Courtesy @MEAIndia/X

Following talks between PM Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the two sides firmed up a total of seven pacts, including one on developing Trincomalee as an energy hub under a trilateral framework, also involving the United Arab Emirates and another agreement on power grid connectivity.

While Modi reaffirmed that New Delhi will always stand with the people of the island nation, Dissanayake said Sri Lanka will not allow its territory to be used in any manner inimical to security interests of India as well as the region.

In the meeting, the prime minister pitched for resolving the vexed fishermen issue between the two countries with a 'humane approach' and hoped that Colombo will fulfil the aspirations of the Tamil people and conduct provincial council elections.

In his media statement, Modi said India converted loans worth more than $100 million into grants in the last six months alone to help Sri Lanka and announced reducing interest rates for loans given to the island nation.

Apart from the seven pacts, India also firmed up a debt restructuring agreement as part of its economic assistance for Colombo with Modi saying it will facilitate immediate assistance and relief to the people of Sri Lanka.

Modi also announced a support package of approximately 2.4 billion Sri Lankan rupees for social and economic development of the Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.

In reflection of the importance Colombo has attached to Modi's visit, the prime minister was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the historic Independence Square and was conferred Sri Lanka's highest civilian honour, the Mithra Vibhushana.

Though the Modi-Dissanayake talks produced over 10 concrete outcomes, the defence cooperation pact emerged as the centerpiece as it signalled an upward trajectory in defence relations leaving behind the bitter chapter of India pulling out the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) from the island nation around 35 years ago.

"We believe that we have shared security interests. The security of both countries is interconnected and co-dependent," Modi said.

"I am grateful to President Dissanayake for his sensitivity towards India's interests. We welcome the important agreements made in the area of defence cooperation," he said.

In his comments, the Sri Lankan leader said, "We also discussed in detail about furthering our collaboration in the already excellent defence cooperation between the two countries."

"I reaffirmed Sri Lanka's stance that it will not permit its territory to be used in any manner inimical to the security of India as well as regional stability."

Modi said India is proud to have fulfilled its duties as a 'true friendly neighbour'.

"Whether it was the terrorist attack of 2019, the COVID pandemic, or the recent economic crisis, we have stood firmly with the people of Sri Lanka during every difficulty," he said.

Modi also placed a wreath at the IPKF memorial in Colombo, paying tributes to the Indian soldiers who made supreme sacrifices during the intervention.

To a question on defence pact, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a media briefing that it is an umbrella framework that will make existing defence cooperation initiatives 'more structured' even as he talked about 'close convergence' in the narratives from both sides on 'completely interlinked' nature of the national security.

"In fact, if I recall correctly during discussions today, he said that neither Sri Lanka's land nor the oceans around it will be allowed to be used in any manner inimical to India's security," he said.

Misri said the defence pact will provide for more joint exercises, capacity building, increasing port calls by naval units of both countries, and could also facilitate defence industry cooperation between the two sides.

The other notable pacts included one on cooperation in the field of sharing digital solutions and another on India's multi-sectoral grant assistance for the Eastern province.

Modi also announced a comprehensive capacity-building programme for 700 Sri Lankans annually, India's grant assistance for the development of Thirukoneswaram temple in Trincomalee, Sita Eliya temple in Nuwara Eliya, and Sacred City Complex project in Anuradhapura.

The prime minister said relations between India and Sri Lanka are based on mutual trust and goodwill and both sides will continue to work together to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of people of the two countries.

"President Dissanayake chose India for his first foreign visit after becoming president, and I have had the privilege of becoming his first foreign guest. This is a symbol of the depth of our special relations," Modi said.

"Sri Lanka has a special place in both our 'Neighbourhood First Policy' and Vision 'MAHASAGAR'. In the last four months, since President Dissanayake's visit to India, we have made significant progress in our cooperation," he added.

Modi had last month announced India's new vision for the Global South and named it 'MAHASAGAR' or Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.

After their talks, Modi and Dissanayake also virtually inaugurated the Sampur solar power plant and a number of other India-assisted projects.

"The Sampur solar power plant will help Sri Lanka achieve energy security. The agreement reached to build a multi-product pipeline, and to develop Trincomalee as an energy hub will benefit all Sri Lankans," Modi said.

"The grid interconnectivity agreement between the two countries will create opportunities for Sri Lanka to export electricity," he added.

Modi said India will also provide support for the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity project.

In his remarks, the prime minister also referred to the fishermen issue.

"We also discussed issues related to fishermen's livelihood. We agreed that we should proceed with a humane approach in this matter," he said.

"We also emphasised on immediate release of the fishermen and their boats."

Referring to the Tamil issue, the prime minister also hoped that the Sri Lankan government will 'fully implement' the Constitution of the country.

"We also talked about reconstruction and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. President Dissanayake appraised me of his inclusive approach," Modi said.

"We hope that the Sri Lankan government will meet the aspirations of the Tamil people and fulfil its commitment towards fully implementing the Constitution of Sri Lanka, and conducting provincial council elections," he said.

Modi also met a group of Tamil leaders from Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka and reiterated India's 'unwavering commitment' to 'a life of equality, dignity and justice' for the Tamil community within an united Sri Lanka.

The Tamil community in Sri Lanka has been demanding the implementation of the 13th Amendment that provides for devolution of power to it. The 13th Amendment was brought in after the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement of 1987.

Modi also talked about India's assistance to Sri Lanka to help it come out of the economic stress.

"In the last six months alone, we have converted loans worth more than $100 million into grants. Our bilateral 'debt restructuring agreement' will provide immediate assistance and relief to the people of Sri Lanka. Today we have also decided to reduce interest rates," he said.

"It symbolises that even today, India stands with the people of Sri Lanka," he said.

The prime minister also talked about the Buddhist links between the two nations.

"I am extremely happy to announce that the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha found in 1960, in the Aravali region of my home state - Gujarat, are being sent to Sri Lanka for an exposition," he said.

"India will assist in the renovation of the Thirukoneswaram Temple in Trincomalee. India will also provide support in the construction of the sacred city in the Anuradhapura Mahabodhi temple complex, and the Sita Eliya temple in Nuwara Eliya," he added.

The Modi-Dissanayake talks were held a day after the prime minister arrived in the Sri Lankan capital after concluding his trip to Bangkok where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).
The Kerala police were the most sensitised to the rights of those arrested while that of Jharkhand and Gujarat the least.

IMAGE: Police personnel conduct a flag march in Prayagraj on the day of the tabling of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament. Photograph: ANI Photo

A study on the status of policing in India, released on March 26, 2025, has found that a significant proportion of police personnel justify the use of torture and violence in the course of their duties, and also believe that they should be allowed to use force without any fear of punishment.

The study found the Kerala police to be the most sensitised to the rights of those arrested while that of Jharkhand and Gujarat the least.

Police personnel from Gujarat (57 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (51 per cent), Maharashtra (50 per cent), Tamil Nadu (46 per cent), and Odisha (42 per cent) said mob violence against suspected perpetrators of crimes was 'justified to a great extent'.

Those from Kerala (0 per cent), Nagaland and West Bengal (2 per cent each), Punjab (3 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (4 per cent), and Delhi (10 per cent) were least likely to defend mob violence, the study found.

The Status of Policing in India Report 2025: Police Torture and (Un)Accountability, conducted by Common Cause, an advocacy group, in collaboration with the Lokniti Programme of Delhi-based think-tank Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), surveyed 8,276 police personnel of various ranks, at 82 locations across 17 states and Union Territories.

Some of the key findings of the study highlighted the significant 'disregard for the Rule of Law' among the police forces across the country.

It found that 20 per cent of the police personnel feel that it is 'very important' for them to use tough methods to create fear among the public, and another 35 per cent think it is 'somewhat important'.

It found that one in four police personnel strongly justifies mob violence in cases of sexual harassment (27 per cent) and child lifting/kidnapping (25 per cent).

'This suggests that about a fourth of India's police personnel support the idea of mobs acting as the judge, jury and executioner in matters they consider grave,' the study noted.

According to the survey, 22 per cent police personnel believe that killing 'dangerous criminals' is better than giving them a legal trial.

More experienced and upper subordinate officers are relatively less likely to agree with the statement, it said.

The Status of Policing in India, the authors said, explores the nature, causes and factors that contribute to the perpetuation of police violence and torture in India.

It is a first-of-its-kind study in seeking to understand the police's attitudes towards torture and the normalisation of its use, the authors said.

The study found that police personnel overwhelmingly believe that in order to properly fulfil their responsibilities, they should be allowed to use force without any fear of punishment.

Of those interviewed, 26 per cent 'strongly agreed' and 45 per cent 'somewhat agreed' with this, while 11 per cent 'strongly disagreed' and 13 per cent 'somewhat disagreed'.

Overall, 41 per cent police personnel said that arrest procedures are 'always' adhered to, while 24 per cent said that they are 'rarely or never' adhered to.

Kerala reported the highest compliance (94 per cent said 'always'), while Jharkhand reported the poorest compliance (8 per cent said 'always').

According to the study, 30 per cent of police personnel said that 'third-degree methods' on the accused are justified in serious criminal cases.

Nine per cent said they are justified in petty offences.

Eleven per cent felt that hitting/slapping family members of the accused was absolutely justified, and 30 per cent said that it was sometimes justified.

'Interviewees said that the victims of torture are mainly people from poor and marginalised communities,' the study said, adding that groups common targets of torture are Muslims, Dalits, tribals, people who cannot read and write, and slum-dwellers.

The study also noted that there were discrepancies in the reporting of custodial death cases across various data sources.

For instance, in the year 2020, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 76 cases, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reported 90 cases, while the National Campaign Against Torture (NCAT), a civil society initiative, documented111 cases of custodial deaths.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday conveyed to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake New Delhi's expectation from Colombo to fulfill the aspirations of the Tamil community in the island nation and conduct provincial council elections.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora and members of the Indian community as he arrives at the hotel in Colombo, where he will stay during his Sri Lanka visit, on Friday. Photograph: ANI Photo

The issue figured in the wide-ranging talks between Modi and Dissanayake.

Separately, the prime minister met a group of Tamil leaders from Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.

Following the meeting, Modi, in a social media post, said that he reiterated India's 'unwavering commitment' to a 'life of equality, dignity and justice' for the Tamil community within a united Sri Lanka.

The Tamil community in Sri Lanka has been demanding the implementation of the 13th Amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution that provides for devolution of power to it.

The 13th Amendment was brought in after the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement of 1987.

In his media statement after talks with Dissanayake, Modi hoped that Colombo will fulfil its commitment towards fully implementing the Constitution of the country.

"We also talked about reconstruction and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. President Dissanayake appraised me of his inclusive approach," the prime minister said.

"We hope that the Sri Lankan government will meet the aspirations of the Tamil people and fulfil its commitment towards fully implementing the Constitution of Sri Lanka, and conducting provincial council elections," he said.

Modi also said that the construction work of 10,000 houses for the Indian origin Tamil community in Sri Lanka will be completed soon.

In a post on X, Modi said many projects and initiatives launched during his visit to Sri Lanka will contribute to the social, economic and cultural progress of the Tamil community.

"It is always a pleasure to meet the leaders of the Tamil community of Sri Lanka. Conveyed my condolences on the passing of respected Tamil leaders, Thiru R Sampanthan and Thiru Mavai Senathirajah, both of whom were personally known to me," he said.

"Reiterated unwavering commitment to a life of equality, dignity and justice for the Tamil community within united Sri Lanka," he said.

On Modi's meeting with the Tamil leaders, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post that the prime minister 'reaffirmed India's continuous commitment to work for the well-being of the Sri Lankan Tamil community'.

Modi arrived in the Sri Lankan capital on Friday evening after concluding his trip to Bangkok where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).
The Squad seeks to counter China's power assertions in the South China Sea region.

IMAGE: Chinese coast guard vessels fire water cannons towards a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah on its way to a resupply mission at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, March 5, 2024. Photograph: Adrian Portugal/Reuters

Referring to China as 'our common enemy', General Romeo S Brawner, chief of staff, armed forces of the Philippines, on March 19, 2025 said that the island nation is keen to see India join a security grouping that is informally called the Squad.

He mentioned it during a session on securing sea lanes for trade at the Raisina Dialogue.

Although still in the making -- among the island country, the United States, Japan and Australia -- the Squad seeks to counter China's power assertions in the South China Sea region.

"We find commonality with India, because we have a common enemy. I am not afraid to say that China is our common enemy. It's important that we collaborate together, maybe exchange intelligence," General Brawner said.

While the Squad is not a formal military or defence architecture yet, it is important that "like-minded countries" work together in areas such as sharing military intelligence, and conducting joint drills and operations, he said.

The reasons for wanting India to be on board the informal security grouping are because "India plays a very important role in the security of the Indo-Pacific region" and the Philippines has growing defence cooperation with India, General Brawner said.

General Brawner met India's Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on March 19, 2025.

India has not made any public announcement, but an Indian government source confirmed the meeting took place.

India delivered the first batch of the Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines in April 2024.

The deal of $375 million, signed in January 2022, was for three batteries of shore-based, anti-ship variants of the missile.

This also made the Philippines the first export customer for the missiles that are jointly made by India and Russia.

The Philippines has also bought military gear, including helmets and vests from India, and the two countries have sent students to each other's military academies.

General Brawner said China has militarised large parts of the South China Sea by creating artificial reefs and is "creeping into our sovereign waters" and the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

China, which claims almost the entire South China Sea, has ongoing disputes with the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Vietnam.

In China's 'standard map', a U-shaped line of some 700 nautical miles starts from Hainan province in southern China and goes through the exclusive economic zones of the five other countries.

An international court in The Hague ruled in favour of the Philippines in 2016, saying that China's 'nine-dash line' has no legal basis.

China has since drawn a '10-dash line' in its maps.

"This is preparation for something bigger," General Brawner said about China "spending money on reclaiming reefs".

"What China is doing is existential for us. It is important that we not only develop our self-reliance, but also partner with like-minded nations," General Brawner said.

China is "looking at Taiwan and the control of the sea lanes and trade routes", he added.

China sees the self-ruled island of Taiwan as a breakaway province that it seeks to "reunify" with itself, with force if necessary.

India is part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, along with the US, Japan, Australia.

The grouping's summit is scheduled to be held in India later this year.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said his government is working on drafting a standard operating procedure (SOP) to prevent incidents like the one at Pune's Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital.

IMAGE: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis met family members of the deceased woman on Saturday, and said the guilty should be punished. Photograph: ANI on X

The hospital is under fire from political parties and citizens' groups over a pregnant woman's death after she was allegedly refused admission over non-payment of a Rs 10 lakh deposit.

Tanisha Bhise, wife of the personal secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party MLC Amit Gorkhe, died at another facility after giving birth to twin daughters.

Mistakes need to be corrected, the chief minister told reporters after the Bhise family and Gorkhe met him in Pune seeking strict action against the hospital administration.

"The family of the deceased met me, and I have assured them that a committee has been formed to probe the incident. I told them strict action will be taken against those found responsible. The state government is working on SOPs to avoid such incidents in the future and the Charity Commissioner Office will be given a memorandum about it," he said.

When asked about complaints against several charitable hospitals, the Chief Minister said amendments had recently been made during the Assembly session to give additional powers to the Charity Commissioner.

"Our effort is to bring the entire charity hospital system onto one platform to ensure transparency and accountability in bed allocation. To monitor this, we are also planning to link the CM's Medical Help cell to the system," Fadnavis said.

Speaking about the demand of protesters that an FIR be registered in connection with the woman's death, the CM said, "Whatever is warranted in the case will be done. A committee under the Joint Commissioner of Charity is looking into the matter. If an FIR needs to be registered, it will be done after the inquiry report is submitted."

Responding to the open letter issued by Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, in which the hospital expressed hurt over the use of the word 'insensitivity', he acknowledged the efforts that went into setting up the hospital.

"Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital was built following huge efforts by the Mangeshkar family, but mistakes need to be corrected. There are some primary findings from the committee. However, it is not appropriate to comment till complete findings are noted," the chief minister said.

"I'm not saying everything done by the hospital was wrong, but the recent incident was indeed of an insensitive nature. If they are working to correct the mistake, I welcome it," Fadnavis added.

A member of the Bhise family said the chief minister listened to their version of the incident.

"We requested him to take action on hospital officials. We hope the CM will give us justice," the family member said.

Earlier in the day, the hospital announced it would no longer ask for deposits from patients at the emergency department in view of the latest events.

"In the early years of Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, we never took a deposit. But as the number of critical cases increased and the cost of complex treatments rose, the hospital began taking deposits in certain high-cost cases," the hospital's medical director Dr Dhananjay Kelkar stated in an open letter.

"However, in light of yesterday's events, we have re-evaluated this practice and passed a resolution that the hospital will no longer take any deposit from patients entering through the Emergency Department, including emergency deliveries and paediatric emergencies. This will be implemented with immediate effect," he said.

He defended the hospital by reiterating that he had personally told the woman's kin to pay as per their ability and also offered all help, but they left with the patient without informing anyone.

While it is factually incorrect and unfair to hold the hospital directly responsible for the incident and the unfortunate death, the hospital is still investigating whether it showed adequate sensitivity towards the patient, Dr Kelkar added.

Alluding to the protests at the hospital by various political parties on Friday, Dr Kelkar termed it a 'black day'.

Speaking about the protests, Fadnavis said while public anger was justified, some individuals were now engaging in 'showbazi' (drama), which should be avoided.

He also condemned the damage to the hospital owned by the mother of Dr Sushrut Ghaisas, which was allegedly carried out by the women's wing of the BJP. Police have filed a case in this regard.

Dr Ghaisas has been accused by the kin of the deceased woman seeking the deposit ahead of admission

Protests continued outside the hospital on Saturday with activists of Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, Akhand Maratha Morcha, and Lahuji Shakti Sena demanding registration of a case against doctors of the hospital.

Some members of Lahuji Shakti Sena went to the terrace of the hospital and raised slogans against the administration. They were later brought down by police with the help of the fire brigade.

An internal inquiry report of the Mangeshkar Hospital on Friday claimed that the allegations of denial of admission for non-payment of Rs 10 lakh were 'misleading' and made 'out of frustration' by her family.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray on Saturday asked his party workers to stop the agitation to enforce use of Marathi in banks and other establishments for the time being as 'we have created enough awareness on the issue'.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray speaks during a program organised on 'Marathi Bhasha Gaurav Divas', in Mumbai on February 28, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

In a letter to party workers, Thackeray said the agitation has shown the consequences of not following Reserve Bank of India norms on use of local language.

'There is no issue in halting this agitation now because we have created enough awareness on the issue,' Thackeray said.

'Halt the agitation for the time being but do not let focus go away from it. I urge the government to see that the law is followed. Wherever the law is not followed, wherever Marathi manoos are taken for granted or face insult, the MNS will go for discussion with them,' Thackeray warned.

His instructions to party workers come a day after the United Forum of Bank Unions wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stating that people claiming to be MNS activists have been visiting bank branches and intimidating staff.

"Their demand is that all display boards be exclusively in Marathi and that all officials must speak only in Marathi," the United Forum of Bank Unions letter to Fadnavis said.

It added that bank officials have been threatened and assaulted.

Following this, Fadnavis on Friday warned of strict action against people taking law into their own hands.

Thackeray said it is the responsibility of the government to implement RBI rules.

"We will not allow anyone to take law in their hands but it's also not our desire to do so. Since you are the protector of the law, should you not implement the RBI rules on this," Thackeray said.

On Thursday, MNS members secured an assurance from the manager of a private bank in Thane to install Marathi signage at their branch, and removed an English board.

At his Gudi Padwa rally on March 30, Thackeray reiterated his party's stand of making Marathi mandatory for official purposes.

He warned that those who don't speak the language deliberately will be 'slapped'.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off Indian Ocean Ship SAGAR from the strategically-located Karwar naval base in Karnataka on Saturday under a mission that seeks to reinforce India's commitment to regional maritime security and international cooperation.

IMAGE: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flags off INS Sunayna as IOS SAGAR, at Karwar Naval Base in Uttara Kannada on Saturday. Photograph: Kind courtesy @rajnathsingh/X

During his visit to the base in the afternoon, Singh also inaugurated some newly-developed infrastructure at the key naval site, officials said.

The Navy is expanding the crucial naval base as part of Project Seabird.

'IOS SAGAR will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the Indian Ocean Region, reaffirming India's commitment to build stronger ties with its maritime neighbours and working towards a safer, more inclusive and secure maritime environment in the Indian Ocean Region. @indiannavy,' the defence minister's office said in a post on X.

Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) is an initiative towards continued cooperation with IOR nations in pursuance of India's vision of Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Regions (MAHASAGAR).

Ahead of Singh's visit, his office on Friday had posted on X: 'Strengthening India's Naval Power! On 05 April 2025, Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh will inaugurate newly developed infrastructure at the Karwar Naval Base, a key milestone under #ProjectSeabird. This expansion enhances India's maritime security with cutting-edge facilities and advanced operational capabilities. @IndianNavy.'

In March 2024, Singh had inaugurated a number of infrastructure projects at this strategically-located base, being developed considering India's long-term security interests in the Indian Ocean region.

The first phase of Project Seabird was designed to accommodate 10 ships and was successfully concluded in 2011.

The infrastructure comprised a breakwater, a pier capable of berthing 10 ships, a 10,000-ton ship lift and dry berth, a naval ship-repair yard, logistics and armament storage facilities and accommodation for 1,000 personnel.
As the Communist Party of India-Marxist is set to pick its next general secretary, speculation is rife over who would take charge of the largest Left party in the country, with the names of M A Baby and Ashok Dhawale figuring prominently.

Image used only for representational purposes. Photograph: ANI Photo

According to sources, Baby, a Politburo member since 2012, is a strong contender for the post. He has the backing of the party's Kerala unit.

A section in the party is pitching for All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) president Ashok Dhawale as agricultural issues remain in focus and the CPI-M is looking at expanding its base in rural areas.

As the party has stressed on building Left unity and a platform for secular, democratic forces to counter the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Dhawale's supporters feel that he would be a better fit for the role.

The sources said Dhawale also has the backing of the West Bengal lobby and many feel that he will be helpful for the party in the Hindi belt.

Some leaders also feel that choosing Baby for the post may limit the party to Kerala.

With the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) opposition bloc being an important political formation against the BJP at the Centre, concerns are also there over the party's role in the coalition with Baby at the helm of affairs, as the CPI-M and the Congress are at loggerheads in Kerala.

Mohammed Salim, another senior Politburo member, is also among those being considered. However, the sources said Salim has expressed his desire to continue as the secretary of the party's West Bengal unit.

The name of B V Raghavulu, a leader from Telangana and the seniormost CPI-M Politburo member, is also doing the rounds, while another section of the party feels that Brinda Karat, a firebrand leader, should be considered for the post.

While the CPI-M has imposed an age limit of 75 years for Central Committee members, relaxations can be given in some cases. However, the issue is yet to be discussed.

In the past, battle lines have been drawn several times between the party's Kerala and West Bengal lobbies.

In 1996, when Jyoti Basu was offered the prime ministerial position, the Kerala lobby had taken a stand against it and Basu had turned down the offer.

There was also a difference of opinion between the two lobbies on withdrawing support to the Manmohan Singh government in 2007.

In 2015, when Sitaram Yechury was picked as the Left party's general secretary, the Kerala leaders had backed S R Pillai, who later withdrew from the race.

On Sunday, the outgoing Central Committee will recommend the names for the election of the new members at the 24th CPI-M congress in Madurai.

Delegates can raise objections with regard to any of the names proposed. They can also recommend new names, with the prior approval of the members concerned.

The Central Committee would also elect from among its members the Politburo, including the general secretary. The number of Politburo members is decided by the Central Committee.

The general secretary's post in the CPI-M fell vacant after Yechury died last year. Prakash Karat took charge as the party's interim coordinator after Yechury's demise.

According to the CPI-M's constitution, the All-India Party Congress is the supreme organ of the organisation and is convened by the Central Committee ordinarily once every three years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Saturday, April 5, 2025 accorded a grand ceremonial welcome at the historic Independence Square in Colombo, perhaps the first such honour given to a foreign leader.

He was received at the Square by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The prime minister's visit to Sri Lanka comes at a time the island nation is showing signs of recovery from the economic stress.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a special ceremonial welcome at Independence Square in Colombo, here and below. Photographs: ANI Photo

IMAGE: Modi receives a warm welcome from members of the Indian community on his arrival in Colombo.

IMAGE: Modi interacts with members of the Indian community.

IMAGE: Modi watches a puppet show highlighting parts of the Sundar Kand during his welcome.

IMAGE: Modi reaches out to the Indian community, here and below.

Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Sri Lanka on Saturday conferred its highest civilian award, the Mithra Vibhushana, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recognition of his role in strengthening the ties between the two countries.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives the Mithra Vibhushana award from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in Colombo on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo

The award was bestowed on Modi by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at a ceremony held at the presidential secretariat.

"It is a matter of great pride for me to be awarded the 'Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana' by President Dissanayake. This award does not only honour me, but also honours 140 crore Indians," Modi said.

"It is a tribute to the historic ties and deep friendship between the people of India and Sri Lanka," he said.

The award was instituted in February 2008 by then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and its previous recipients include former Maldivian president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

At a media briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the award is a recognition of the role of the prime minister in strengthening and transforming the India-Sri Lanka partnership, especially the unprecedented assistance that New Delhi rendered to Colombo during the economic crisis a few years ago.

The recipient of the honour is awarded a citation and a silver medal to be worn around the neck, studded and adorned with nine types of Sri Lankan gems and the symbols of a lotus, globe, sun, moon and sheaves of rice.

The Dharma Chakra on the medal reflects the shared Buddhist heritage that has shaped the cultural traditions of both nations.

The Pun Kalasa or ceremonial pot adorned with sheaves of rice symbolises prosperity and renewal, according to an official.

The Navarathna or nine precious gems are depicted within a globe encircled by lotus petals.

Modi landed in Colombo last evening after concluding his trip to Bangkok where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).
A decade ago, when Uzbekistan's first president, Islam Karimov, was still alive, it would have been difficult for a Western journalist to research and write a book covering the country, its society, and its political regime.

In that sense Joanna Lillis's forthcoming book Silk Mirage: Through The Looking Glass In Uzbekistan is an achievement of the "New Uzbekistan" touted by Karimov's successor, Shavkat Mirziyoev, who surprised longtime observers of the country by rolling back some of his mentor's authoritarian excesses.

But if a chapter on freedom of speech previewed by RFE/RL is anything to go by, it is unlikely to be one Uzbek officials will boast about.

Lillis's reporting -- the product of more than two decades living and working in the region -- captures how many who recall the promise of the early Mirziyoev years following Karimov's death in 2016 now see that promise fading.

A 'Breath Of Freedom' Too Short

The chapter titled Red Lines begins with a journalist who seemingly crossed more than one red line just trying to bring information to the public.

For some time under Karimov, Anora Sodiqova headed a small newspaper that covered social issues and the everyday problems of citizens in the nation of more than 35 million.

Back then, straying into overtly political territory would have been a fast track to an Uzbek jail, and even the cautious reporting of Sodiqova and her colleagues sometimes attracted the attention of zealous state censors.

By the time of the fatal Sardoba dam burst in May 2020, the first major disaster of the Mirziyoev era, Sodiqova was putting her experience to use for a state media outlet.

When she traveled through the region most affected by the dam break, she was amazed to find locals claiming everything was fine and insisting they had not been affected.

Digging deeper, Sodiqova learned there was a good reason for this: Locals had been told by provincial officials not to complain to the press.

This was precisely the kind of behavior Mirziyoev had explicitly condemned in his public speeches, instead exhorting journalists and bloggers to "expose the shortcomings" of bureaucrats whatever they were.

But when Sodiqova wrote about the attempt to suppress information on Facebook, she was immediately sacked.

Her next journalistic endeavor, as the founding editor of a hard-hitting, often corruption-focused outlet called Rost 24, proved short-lived.

Setting up Rost in 2022, she ended up being bounced out of her own startup due to "pressure and blackmail," Sodiqova told Lillis.

That was in 2023, as officials prepared for a referendum on constitutional changes that forged a path for Mirziyoev to stay in office at least as far as 2037.

Sodiqova stands out in the chapter as an interviewee who speaks frankly and without anonymity.

Other journalists and bloggers Lillis spoke to seemed to do one or the other, with one unnamed blogger complaining in a cagey cafe meeting that media freedoms were going "back to the future" after the initial "breath of freedom" sounded by Mirziyoev.

'Paranoia' Over Islam

If releases of Karimov-era political prisoners meant the Mirziyoev era celebrated the first year in two decades without journalists behind bars in 2018, then the sentencing of blogger Otabek Sattoriy to a 6 1/2-year jail term in 2021 was the beginning of a very different trend.

After that, there was no let-up in the arrests, with a series of repressive laws -- such as one criminalizing insults to the president -- further chilling the environment.

Lillis's book will be the first tome in English covering post-Karimov Uzbekistan.

Another, titled Nowy Uzbekistan (New Uzbekistan in Polish), was published in Warsaw in 2023.

Its author, journalist Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska, was refused entry to Uzbekistan, where she had lived for several years, in 2021.

Lillis, a correspondent for The Economist, held accreditation in Uzbekistan from 2019 to 2023 but has not had it extended since then despite submitting applications for renewal.

Silk Mirage is her second book on the region after Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan is also an authoritarian country but typically enjoys some distance from Uzbekistan in the annual indexes of Western rights groups, even after the Mirziyoev "thaw."

Lillis, who has lived in the oil-rich country since 2005, argues that the differences between the two countries are partly due to the differences between their two founding presidents.

While Karimov was naturally "prickly" and hostile to outside influences, Nursultan Nazarbaev, the president of Kazakhstan until 2019, was "bolder and somewhat more worldly," she said, initially tolerating some political opposition as he sought international acceptance and acclaim.

But another important distinction between the two was the bigger role Islam played in Uzbekistan's society, with the government facing challenges from extremist groups early in independence that "fueled Karimov's paranoia about threats to his power," Lillis told RFE/RL in an interview.

Here, too, the Mirziyoev administration promised a break with the unrelenting crackdowns of the past, and among the hundreds of bloggers who came to prominence in the first years of his reign, some were religious conservatives.

They have fared variously.

While some have shot to prominence with obvious support from the state, sometimes trashing liberal views, others have faced state punishments just like their secular colleagues.

Lillis believes Uzbekistan's reversion to type in some areas is logical insofar as "fostering an environment in which genuine freedom of expression prevailed could, in the mindset of authoritarian leaders, present a threat to the regime."

At the same time, the journalist hopes her book, which she said documents both "heartening changes" in Uzbekistan after Karimov and the first president's brutal legacy, will be "a timely reminder about why commitment to reform is -- while enormously challenging -- so important" for the country.
Lycra-clad bodies sprawled on the floor of a Moscow fitness center while masked police in riot gear strode among them checking identity papers and migration status.

The March 31 raid ended with immigrants being rounded up and taken to a military recruitment office.

The raid -- one of several across Russia in recent weeks  was the latest evidence of how authorities are seeking new soldiers for Ukraine, where Russia's all-out invasion is now its fourth year.

It also coincided with the annual springtime draft of conscripts, who are by law barred from combat duties or foreign deployment.

Taken together, the moves show how Russia's military is seeking to increase the overall size of its armed forces while at the same time making sure it has the manpower to continue grinding down Ukrainian troops.

Russia has been secretive about the number of casualties it has suffered since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Western estimates say the number of Russian killed and wounded exceeds 700,000 -- more than all wars Moscow has fought combined since World War II.

Filling The Ranks

In September 2022, as Russian forces were bogged down in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization of hundreds of thousands of men -- mainly reservists -- in a bid to replenish troop strength. It was a deeply unpopular move.

Officials have since turned to other methods to keep up troop strength, including paying extraordinarily high wages and benefits to volunteers, who are known as "kontraktniki." Widows and survivors also receive coveted social benefits.

They've also targeted migrant workers in Russia in raids not only on fitness centers, but also wholesale markets and construction sites.

Some are seasonal workers who are tricked into signing contracts to fight; others are migrants who obtain Russian citizenship but fail to register with the national draft system.

The spring conscription is part of the twice-a-year conscription process under Russian law, which requires all men between 18-30 to serve in the military. The order signed on March 31 by Putin aims for 160,000 conscripts, which is well above previous recruitment targets.

Modernizing The Army

Since the February 2022 invasion, authorities have also sought to modernize the Soviet-era system for identifying men -- conscripts and reservists alike -- for recruitment or drafting.

Officials have created an electronic system of notification and registrations to cut back on draft dodging as well.

"They'll use various methods to reach this number," said Ivan Chuvilyayev, from a nongovernment organization called Go By The Forest, which helps Russians being drafted.

"They'll do everything they've done so far: raids in all sorts of places, including coming to people's home addresses and forcing entry, tracking them down, waiting for them outside their apartments," he told Current Time.

The new system also includes something called the Unified Draft Center, or EPP, which is supposed to speed up the processing of recruits -- and reduce the ability of people to file legal or administrative appeals or exemptions.

"There's a raid, they take the person to the EPP, and do the paperwork very quickly, within 5-10 minutes before sending him to a military unit," Chuvilyayev said. "It's done so that the whole time he's at the EPP he can't speak to anyone, can't call anyone, can't reach family members."

At present, there's only one EPP, in Moscow, but others across Russia may follow. The Defense Ministry says it "speeds up and simplifies" recruitment, offering "comfortable waiting rooms" and "no queues."

"They file complaints, often repeatedly, not to defend their rights, but to evade military service," Andrei Kartapolov, a former military officer who serves on the defense committee in the lower house of parliament, said during a debate in February on a bill to tighten conscription rules.

He said there were around 5,000 such complaints in each draft.

No Sick Notes Accepted

Russian recruitment offices were also not accepting medical conditions that would normally exempt people from military service, Chuvilyayev said. He said he expected new EPPs would increase this practice.

"At the EPP these diagnoses and the papers relating to them will be swept under the carpet. The commissions will ignore them. The military enlistment offices already loved losing, forgetting, and ignoring them," he said.

Though conscripts are legally barred from being sent to combat, recruiters are known to have coerced or threatened conscripts before the conclusion of their service into signing contracts to fight in Ukraine.

"Most of the time they have no access to lawyers or human rights organizations; they simply have no choice," Artyom Klyga, a lawyer with the Movement of Conscientious Objectors, told RFE/RL last month.

Russian law bars kontraktniki from resigning from service until the Kremlin declares an end to the conflict.

There are also reports of conscripts being killed in Kursk, the Russian region that Ukrainian troops invaded last August but have since been all but pushed out of.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to the United States on April 6 to meet with President Donald Trump for discussions on Iran and new US trade tariffs, the Israeli leader's office said.

"The two leaders will discuss tariffs, efforts to bring back Israeli hostages (from Gaza), Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat, and the fight against the International Criminal Court," Netanyahu's office said, referring to The Hague-based court that has accused him of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Both Trump and Netanyahu have rejected the ICC allegations as "baseless."

The White House did not immediately comment on Nethanyahu's upcoming visit.

US media had quoted four Israeli officials and a White House official earlier in the day as saying Netanyahu was expected to visit the White House on April 7.

The right-wing Israeli leader is considered a close ally to Trump. Along with the ICC accusations, Netanyahu has come under international criticism for the conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip.

Trump, other US officials, and Netanyahu have defended Israeli military actions in the territory, which came after a deadly incursion into Israel by the Hamas movement, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union.

The trip will mark the second official visit to Washington by Netanyahu since Trump took office on January 20. He held meetings with the US leader in early February, making him the first foreign visitor to the White House during Trump's second term in office.

After that visit, Trump signed an order on February 4 to restore his "maximum pressure" policy on Iran aimed at hurting its oil exports and slowing its nuclear program.

US sanctions on Iran's energy sector have been in place since 2018, when Trump during his first term withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms. Iranian oil sales plummeted as a result.

Also during Netanyahu's visit, Trump announced a controversial proposal calling for the United States to take over control of the Gaza Strip and economically develop the war-torn Palestinian coastal area. Under the plan, the Palestinian civilian population was to be relocated to other countries in the region.

Israel, like most other nations, is facing a rise in tariffs under Trump's newly announced trade policy. The tariff rate against Israeli products is 17 percent, and Netanyahu will likely seek to strike a new agreement with the US leader.

Netanyahu's visit comes following of a day of protest on April 5 against Trump's policies throughout the United States. Demonstrations were held at some 1,200 sites in all 50 states, organized by more than 150 groups. The rallies appeared to go off peacefully, with one of the main organizers saying about 600,000 people took part.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters
A Bulgarian university has been accused of operating as a front for an immigration scheme and abandoning its academic activities. The institution denies the accusation by the country's education minister and says it is under "attack." RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service visited the university to investigate.
Bulgarian Education Minister Krasimir Valchev has accused the European Polytechnical University, located near Sofia, of functioning as a "funnel for migrants" rather than a legitimate educational institution.

The university, which is in the process of renewing its accreditation, has dismissed the claims as an "attack."

According to Bulgaria's Education Ministry, an inspection found no real educational activity taking place at the institution, with discrepancies in lecture schedules, a lack of professors and students, and unusually low utility bills.

The university, owned by Italy-based EPU Consulting, enrolls students from Nigeria, Cameroon, and Russia, with visas issued based on its admissions list.

However, authorities question whether these students are actually in the country, while the university insists they are.

Education officials declined to comment further due to ongoing inspections.

RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service visited the university to investigate the accusations.
PORTSMOUTH, United Kingdom -- Crews from two Ukrainian Navy minehunting vessels are training with the Royal Navy in Britain in preparation of a future mission to clear explosives from the Black Sea.

They would likely be deployed only once a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine genuinely takes hold.

RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service correspondent Roman Pahulych visited the crews in Portsmouth as they held drills to detect and neutral floating mines.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both countries placed hundreds of mines throughout the Black Sea, mostly to deter coastal attacks. Those explosive now pose a threat to commercial shipping.

"Civilian shipping is one of the largest sectors of the Ukrainian economy," said the captain of the Cherkasy. " If there is a mine threat, civilian ships will not go to ports and there would be no influx of foreign currency."

The threat to commercial shipping was made evident last December when a Panama-flagged cargo ship headed to a Danube port to load grain hit a Russian mine in the Black Sea.

In November, Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk estimated it could take up to five years to clear approximately 400 mines in the Black Sea.

The two Ukrainian Navy minehunting vessels had belonged to Britain's Royal Navy before being transferred to Ukraine. The ships were renamed the Chernihiv and the Cherkasy in tribute to vessels Ukraine lost to Russia when it illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
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A Russian missile attack struck the Ukrainian city of Kryviy Rih on April 4, leaving at least 18 dead, including nine children. The strike hit buildings and an area with a playground in a residential neighborhood.
The significant Leaving Certificate achievements of two County Roscommon students have been acknowledged and celebrated by Maynooth University.

The now first year MU students were among over 70 Maynooth University Entrance Scholars who achieved 575 points or more in their Leaving Certificate examination.

Former Colaiste Chiarain, Athlone student Urte Tunaityte is studying the BSc Business with Sport Science degree, while former Roscommon Community College student Grace Dwyer is a taking the Bachelor of Education  Froebel Primary Teaching degree.

Former Colaiste Chiarain, Athlone student Urte Tunaityte receiving her Maynooth University Entrance Scholarships from Maynooth University President Professor Eeva Leinonen.

The 1,000 Entrance Scholarship is awarded to incoming first year students, via the CAO, who obtained 575 points or more in their Leaving Certificate.

President of Maynooth University, Professor Eeva Leinonen, presented each scholar with a bespoke piece of crystal in recognition of their achievement, during the awards ceremony held recently on the campus.

School representatives were presented with a plaque. Family members and guests were treated to an evening of music and refreshments.

*Maynooth University Open Days take place on Saturday, April 12th and June 28th, 2025.
The Castlerea traffic safety scheme not approved by Roscommon Municipal District councillors last year because of the loss of on-street parking was raised at an MD meeting last week.

The Part 8 scheme was not approved when it came before the councillors at a meeting in February of last year. They claimed the substantial loss of existing car-parking spaces in the town would have a detrimental impact on local businesses and residents.

The original traffic scheme proposals proposed the installation of two signal-controlled traffic lights at the Main Street/St. Patrick Street junction  known locally as Delaneys Corner - and the Main Street/Boyle Road (R361) junction.

The plans also involved the upgrade of existing pedestrian crossings on Main Street and St. Patrick Street, and the installation of two new pedestrian crossings on Main Street.

At the March meeting of Roscommon MD, Independent Ireland councillor Nigel Dineen asked if pedestrian crossings were still being proposed for the town. What is the future for Castlerea in terms of safety? he asked.

Pointing out to the meeting that there was a scheme pending, Fianna Fail councillor Paschal Fitzmaurice said it would be explored to see if any elements of the previous scheme could be integrated to ensure there would be no reduction in parking. He said that was the big concern of the previous scheme.

Cllr Fitzmaurice believed the pedestrian crossings proposed under the previous scheme should still have gone ahead but it was all or nothing.

The Castlerea councillor said he had met a number of people in relation to the matter and hoped it would reach a conclusion over the next few months.
This is the first time that an Indian leader is receiving this award. (PMO)

This is the first time that an Indian leader is receiving this award.

PM Modi Conferred Sri Lankas Highest Civilian Honour Mitra Vibhushana,' Latest News: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be honoured with Sri Lankas highest civilian award  the "Mitra Vibhushana" medal.

In response, Prime Minister Modi thanked President Dissanayake for the honour and dedicated the award to the 1.4 billion people of India.

It is a matter of immense pride for me to be conferred the 'Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana' by President Dissanayake today. This honour is not mine alone - it is a tribute to the 1.4 billion people of India. It symbolises the deep-rooted friendship and historic ties between the people of India and Sri Lanka. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the President, the Government and the people of Sri Lanka for this honour, wrote on X.

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The Official Spokesperson of Indias Ministry of External Affairs also shared a post on X, stating, An award dedicated to the special India-Srilanka friendship & 1.4 bn people of India. President @anuradisanayake conferred PM @narendramodi with the Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana award, Srilankas highest honour bestowed on foreign leaders.

This is the first time that an Indian leader is receiving this award, he added.

The Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana is a prestigious national honour instituted in February 2008 by then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa. It is conferred exclusively on Heads of State and Government from nations that maintain friendly relations with Sri Lanka, in recognition of their remarkable friendship and solidarity with the Sri Lankan people.



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'Mitra Vibhushana' Medal

The "Dharma Chakra" symbolizes the shared Buddhist heritage that has shaped the cultural traditions of both India and Sri Lanka.

The Purna Kalasha, a ceremonial vessel decorated with heaps of rice, stands for prosperity and renewal.

The "Navaratna" (nine precious gems) represent the priceless and enduring friendship between the two nations, depicted within a globe surrounded by the pure petals of a lotus.

Finally, the "Sun and Moon" signify the timeless bond that stretches from the ancient past to an infinite future.

Together, these elements beautifully illustrate the deep cultural and spiritual ties between India and Sri Lanka.


PM Modi Receives Special Ceremonial Guard of Honour in Colombo. (PMO)

This is the first time Sri Lanka has reportedly extended such an honour to a visiting dignitary, making it a historic gesture.

PM Modi Receives Special Ceremonial Guard of Honour in Colombo, Latest News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a ceremonial welcome at Colombos Independence Square on Saturday morning as he began his three-day state visit to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake greeted him at the venue, marking the beginning of the high-level diplomatic engagement, ANI reported.

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This is the first time Sri Lanka has reportedly extended such an honour to a visiting dignitary, making it a historic gesture that reflects the strengthening bond between the two neighbouring nations.

"A special welcome at Sri Lanka's majestic Independence Square  Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by President Anura Dissanayake with a ceremonial reception. Bilateral discussions to foster a partnership for a shared future and mutual prosperity of our people lie ahead," the Ministry of External Affairs posted on X.

A glimpse of the ceremonial welcome, PM Modi shared on his X handle.

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A glimpse of PM Modi receiving special welcome on saturday. (PMO)

According to a report by PTI, India and Sri Lanka are expected to announce 10 significant agreements during the visit, covering areas such as defence, energy security, and digitalization.

PM Modi's visit comes at a time when Sri Lanka is recovering from one of the worst economic crises in its history.

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Between 2020 and 2022, Sri Lanka faced a severe economic meltdown, caused by foreign debt, foreign exchange shortages, and the collapse of tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, massive public protests forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign and flee the country.

In 2023, Sri Lanka secured a $3 billion IMF bailout, initiating tough austerity measures to stabilize its economy. Though the situation has begun to improve, economic hardship and public frustration persist.

In 2024, Anura Kumara Dissanayake was elected President, marking a shift from the Rajapaksa era and raising hopes for political and economic reforms.

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( For More News, Apart from 'PM Modi Receives Special Ceremonial Guard of Honour in Colombo, Stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
Startup Bihar Showcases Innovation and Impact at Startup Mahakumbh 2025

With a dynamic pavilion featuring 20 high-potential startups, Bihar showcased the states rapidly growing startup ecosystem.

Startup Bihar Showcases Innovation and Impact at Startup Mahakumbh 2025, Latest News: New Delhi, April 5, 2025  Startup Bihar proudly participated in Startup Mahakumbh 2025 - Indias largest celebration of entrepreneurial excellence as Supporting State Partner, held at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from April 3-5, 2025. The event brought together leading innovators, Startups investors, ecosystem enablers, and government representatives from across the country.

With a dynamic pavilion featuring 20 high-potential startups, Bihar showcased the states rapidly growing startup ecosystem, fueled by the Bihar Startup Policy. The curated cohort represented sectors such as agri-tech, health-tech, ed-tech, waste management, Fashion and apparels, rural innovation, and women-led enterpriseshighlighting Bihars commitment to inclusive and impact-driven entrepreneurship.

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Smt. Bandana Preyashi, Secretary, Department of Industries, Government of Bihar was invited as a panelist for a Panel discussuion on Beyond Policy: How Government officials are fuelling innovation and impact.

She said "Startup Mahakumbh 2025 is an excellent platform to present Bihars transformation into a hub of grassroots innovation. Through proactive policy support and targeted interventions, we are empowering youth and entrepreneurs to lead change from the ground up." She also presented the successful case study of Muzaffarpur Bag cluster and emphasised on how entrepreneurship can be the growth engine for the marganilised and weaker sections of the society.

The Bihar pavilion drew wide attention from national investors, media, and policy makers, reaffirming the states position as an emerging hotspot for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Shri Nikhil Dhanraj Nippanikar, Director (Industries), Govt. of Bihar visited the Startup Bihar pavillion on the concluding day and interacted with the startups. He motivated the startups to create entry barrier in their business model by using tech-driven approach thus increasing their chances to scale.

Key Highlights of Startup Bihar at Startup Mahakumbh 2025:

Showcasing success stories of startups that have scaled with support from the Bihar Startup Fund and incubation programs.

3 of our startups - EYDelta, Lady fair and Bhojpatta won Startup Maharathi awards and cash prizes of INR 1 lakhs each.

Participation in panel discussions on regional innovation, rural entrepreneurship, and policy-driven startup support.

Partnership with other state startup missions, academia, incubators, center of excellence.

Live product demos and investor pitches by selected startups from Bihar

Startup Bihar remains committed to nurturing a vibrant, self-reliant, and sustainable startup ecosystem and looks forward to deeper collaborations to build the next generation of changemakers from Bihar.

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( For More News, ApStartup Bihar Showcases Innovation and Impact at Startup Mahakumbh 2025, Stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
Punjab School Holiday News: Schools to remain closed on April 14

The announcement related to the closure of schools came in honor of Dr BR Ambedkar Jayanti.

Punjab School Holiday on April 14 Dr BR Ambedkar Jayanti Latest News Today: As the Punjab Government declared earlier, the state's schools will remain closed on April 14, the occasion of Dr BR Ambedkar Jayanti.

The announcement related to the closure of schools came in honor of important cultural and historical observances.

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The announcement related to the closure of schools came in honor of Dr BR Ambedkar Jayanti.

On April 14, Punjab will be honouring Dr BR Ambedkar, who dedicated all his work and life to the upliftment of labourers, women, and the untouchables.

(For more news apart from Punjab School Holiday on April 14 Dr BR Ambedkar Jayanti Latest News Today, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW

March 31- April 4, 2025

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Corina Cristea, 05.04.2025, 13:46

The electoral campaign for the presidential elections in May has begun

The electoral campaign for the presidential elections next month has officially begun in Romania, and the candidates have 30 days to convince voters to give them their vote on May 4. Of the 11 competitors, four are independents  Nicusor Dan, Victor Ponta, Daniel Funeriu and John-Ion Banu-Muscel, while the others are supported by political parties or alliances  Elena Lasconi, Lavinia Sandru, George Simion, Crin Antonescu, Cristian Terhes, Sebastian Constantin Popescu and Silviu Predoiu. The Permanent Electoral Authority has established stricter rules and published a guide to prevent misinformation on social networks. In the event of a second round of elections, the campaign for it will begin from the date of validation of the results of the first round by the Constitutional Court, and will end on May 17, at 7:00. The May elections take place after the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election on December 6 last year, the very day that the diaspora voting for the second round of elections, scheduled for December 8, had begun.

Reactions after the introduction of import duties by Washington

The new customs duties imposed by the United States on all its trading partners will mainly affect European countries, including Romania. Even though only 2% of all products exported by Romania reach the United States, the Romanian economy could be seriously disrupted due to the close ties with other European economies that make massive exports to the United States. The government in Bucharest has sent two emissaries to Washington for talks with the Trump administration. At the opening of the government meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced that the executive branch is preparing several support measures for all industries affected by the new taxes imposed by the US, through state aid schemes that are as efficient and simple to apply as possible, so that they can produce effects in the shortest possible time. Romania is among the states with a trade surplus in its relationship with the US, last year exporting goods worth 2.2 billion euros. Both allies and trade adversaries of the United States have criticized President Donald Trumps announcement to introduce import taxes on products from all over the world. Experts say that the escalation of the trade war will lead to higher product prices and a decline in the global economy.

Romania was represented at the meeting of allied foreign ministers by the head of diplomacy, Emil Hurezeanu

Increasing defense investments was an important point on the agenda of the meeting of allied foreign ministers in Brussels, at which Romania was represented by the head of diplomacy, Emil Hurezeanu. The ministers met to prepare for the upcoming summit in The Hague, in June, and to debate urgent security issues. The United States will not abandon NATO. This is the message that the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, brought to the meeting in Brussels. He described as unjustified international hysteria the assumption that Washington would no longer be as involved in NATO, but insisted, again, that the rest of the allies must reach spending 5% of GDP on defense. The meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council also took place at the ministerial meeting in Brussels. Allies remain committed to providing all possible assistance to Kiev to strengthen its position vis-a-vis Moscow, and achieve a lasting peace. At a press conference on the eve of the two-day meeting in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the Alliances efforts to bring about a just and lasting end to the war in Ukraine. He highlighted NATOs strong support for Kiev by announcing the commitment of more than 20 billion in security assistance  pledged by Allies  since the beginning of the year.

The simple motion against the Minister of Internal Affairs, Catalin Predoiu, was rejected

In Bucharest, the simple motion, initiated in the Chamber of Deputies by the sovereignist parties AUR and POT, against the Minister of Internal Affairs, Catalin Predoiu, was rejected on Wednesday. Representatives of the other opposition parties, USR and S.O.S., also voted in favor of the document. During the debates, the signatories stated that, through his actions, the minister had transformed the institution he leads into a political police. He rejected the accusations, which he said were not supported by facts or documents. Catalin Predoiu stated that they were serious allegations against a fundamental institution of the Romanian state, and added that from one year to the next, trust in the Romanian Police has increased, and has currently reached somewhere close to 55%.

Romania towards OECD

Romania is on the verge of completing all the technical analyses for joining the OECD in the next twelve months or so. The announcement was made by the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Matthias Cormann, in a video message sent to a conference attended by the main officials of the Romanian state. In the year and a half since the official application was submitted, Bucharest has met 12 objectives, almost half of those required for joining the OECD. Romania has set itself the goal of completing the integration process into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development next year.
As artificial intelligence continues to transform everyday life, a revealing divide has emerged between how AI experts and the American public perceive its impact. A recent Pew Research Center study offers a closer look at this gap, uncovering both stark differences in optimism and shared concerns over control, regulation, and fairness.

At the heart of this divide is a stark contrast in outlook. More than half of AI professionals (56 percent) believe AI will benefit the United States in the next two decades, compared to just 17 percent of U.S. adults who share that view. For many in the public, the rise of AI sparks anxiety rather than excitementover half say they're more concerned than hopeful, a sentiment echoed by only 15 percent of the experts surveyed.

This divergence is just as apparent when it comes to personal benefit. While 76 percent of experts believe AI will improve their own lives, only 24 percent of the public feel the same. Instead, many Americans (43 percent) fear AI might harm them, with a significant portion unsure of what to expect at all.

Workplace automation is a key source of tension. Nearly two-thirds of the public anticipate job losses driven by AI, while less than 40 percent of experts agree. Still, both camps expect major disruption across sectors like manufacturing, journalism, and customer service. Interestingly, experts tend to be less concerned about AI replacing professionals in education and healthcarejobs that require emotional intelligence and human judgment.

Despite their differing levels of optimism, both the public and AI experts share similar concerns about the responsible use of AI. Over half of both groups want greater personal control over how AI is used in their lives and believe that the U.S. government is falling short in its efforts to regulate the effectively. Confidence is low in both public institutions and private corporations, with skepticism especially high among experts working in academia.

Bias and representation remain critical issues. A majority of AI experts acknowledge that the perspectives of women and minorities are not well-represented in AI development. Just 44 percent believe that women's viewpoints are adequately considered in the design of AI systems, and even fewer think this is true for Black or Hispanic communities. Experts caution that if AI is developed primarily by a homogenous group, it risks reinforcing existing social and economic inequalities.

Gender differences are notable too. Male experts tend to express more confidence and excitement about AI, whereas female experts are more concerned about its potential harms, especially related to bias, privacy, and equity.

The conversation around AI is no longer confined to labs and tech summitsit's playing out in homes, offices, and governments. While AI experts see opportunity and progress, the public remains cautious, urging transparency, fairness, and meaningful oversight. Bridging this perception gap may be essential for ensuring AI develops in ways that truly benefit all segments of society.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Major bills awaiting action

House Bill 2: Sets the state's $10.8 billion budget for fiscal year 2026.

House Bill 10: Provides the Regulation and Licensing Department with law enforcement authority to curb the illicit cannabis market.

House Bill 14: Creates an Earned Income Tax Credit, replacing the states current Working Families Tax Credit with higher income thresholds for single workers and families, and provides tax credits for foster parents and a gross receipts tax deduction for health care practitioners. After 36 hours of disagreement, both the House and Senate agreed to nix the originally proposed 0.28% oil and gas equalization surtax as well as some of the additional tax credits proposed by the Senate while increasing the state's liquor excise tax by 20%.

House Bill 63: Alters the state's per-pupil education funding formula with updated data on children living in poverty and additional dollars for students learning English.

House Bill 137: The Strategic Water Supply Act allows for the treatment and reuse of brackish water.

House Bill 140: Clarifies the states authority to take corrective action with the U.S. Department of Defense to address perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS.

House Bill 143: Requires lobbyists to file a new activity report that identifies their employer and their position on legislation, as well as a supplemental report within 48 hours if their position changes on a piece of legislation.

House Bill 156: Bumps base teacher pay by $5,000 at all three tiers of the teacher licensing system, raising pay to $55,000 a year for Level 1 teachers, $65,000 a year for Level 2 and $75,000 a year for Level 3.

House Bill 172: Officially declares August New Mexico Red and Green Chile Month.

House Bill 203: Requires CYFD employees to exclusively use department-issued devices for communication related to their assigned duties and save all electronic records.

House Bill 212: Places state regulations on PFAS and seeks to phase out certain products containing the "forever chemicals."

House Bill 281: Exempts hair braiders from the same requirements set for barbers and cosmetologists.

House Bill 586: Increases oversight of acquisitions and mergers of hospitals in New Mexico by private equity companies. The measure shifts oversight from the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance to the Health Care Authority.

Senate Bill 11: Requires each school district and charter school to adopt and implement a policy for the use of wireless communication devices  including cellphones, tablets, laptops and gaming consoles  by students during instructional time.

Senate Bill 13: Creates state and tribal education compact schools, authorizing the state Public Education Department to enter into compacts with Indian nations, tribes and pueblos to create language and culture-based institutions.

Senate Bill 16: An open primary bill to allow unaffiliated voters to choose their ballots from one of the parties holding a primary, without having to register with the party.

Senate Bill 19: Implements training requirements for boards of regents at public higher education institutions.

Senate Bill 21: Allows the state to take over administration of discharge permits to protect surface waters from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Senate Bill 23: Raises the oil and gas royalty rate on premium state lands to 25% from 20%.

Senate Bill 36: Prohibits the state from releasing certain information, particularly driver data, for federal immigration enforcement.

Senate Bill 41: Creates a Turquoise Alert advisory to alert media and the public  including, in some cases, via cellphone alerts  to a missing member of a tribe, nation or pueblo.

Senate Bill 42: Overhauls the states law governing treatment plans for children born with substances in their system and requires New Mexico to comply with federal law calling for prevention services for at-risk families, among other changes.

Senate Bill 57: Exempts some abortion-related records from release under the Inspection of Public Records Act.

Senate Bill 88: Creates a state trust fund to bolster and match federal Medicaid dollars.

Senate Bill 159: Creates a special independent theater dispensing license that would allow independent theaters to serve beer and wine to customers during movie screenings or other events.

Senate Bill 219: Creates a program for medical use of psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms.

Senate Bill 315: Declares the tortilla New Mexico's official state bread.

Senate Bill 345: Allows prospective Level 1 teachers to complete a "teacher portfolio" in lieu of assessments to receive their licenses. The bill would also allow experienced instructional support providers  social workers, educational assistants, nurses, etc.  licensed in other states to translate their qualifications into Level 2 and 3 licenses.
Compositionality, the capacity to combine meaningful elements into larger meaningful structures, is a hallmark of human language. Compositionality can be trivial (combinations meaning is the sum of the meaning of its parts) or nontrivial (one element modifies the meaning of the other element). In new research, scientists studied the vocal behavior of wild bonobos (Pan paniscus)  our closest living relatives  in the Kokolopori Community Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo and discovered robust empirical evidence for the presence of nontrivial compositionality in these primates.

A hallmark characteristic of human language is its ability to combine discrete elements to form more complex, meaningful structures.

This principle, known as compositionality, allows for the assembly of morphemes into words and words into sentences.

The meaning of the whole is determined by its constituent parts and their arrangement.

Compositionality can take two forms: trivial and nontrivial. In trivial compositionality, each word maintains its independent meaning.

Nontrivial compositionality involves a more complex, nuanced relationship where meaning is not simply a direct sum of the words involved.

Compositionality may not be unique to human language; studies in birds and primates have demonstrated that some animals are capable of combining meaningful vocalizations into trivially compositional strucutres.

However, to date, there is no direct evidence that animals use nontrivial compositionality in their communication.

In their new study, University of Zurich biologist Melissa Berthet and her colleagues discovered strong empirical evidence that wild bonobos use nontrivial compositionality in their vocal communication.

The authors analyzed 700 recordings of bonobo vocal calls and call combinations and documented over 300 contextual features associated with each utterance

Employing a method derived from distributional semantics, a linguistic framework that measures meaning similarities between words, they analyzed these contextual features to infer the meanings of individual bonobo vocalizations and quantify their relationships.

Then, to assess whether bonobo call combinations follow compositional principles, they applied a multi-step approach previously used to identify compositionality in human communication.

They discovered that bonobo call types integrate into four compositional structures, three of which exhibit non-trivial compositionality, suggesting that bonobo communication shares more structural similarities with human language than previously recognized.

With our approach, we were able to quantify how the meaning of bonobo single calls and call combinations relate to each other, said University of Zurichs Professor Simon Townsend.

Since humans and bonobos had a common ancestor approximately 7 to 13 million years ago, they share many traits by descent, and it appears that compositionality is likely one of them, added Harvard Universitys Professor Martin Surbeck.

Our study therefore suggests that our ancestors already extensively used compositionality at least 7 million years ago, if not more, Professor Townsend said.

The study was published in the journal Science.

_____

M. Berthet et al. 2025. Extensive compositionality in the vocal system of bonobos. Science 388 (6742): 104-108; doi: 10.1126/science.adv1170
The Adani Group, one of India's foremost infrastructure conglomerates, has secured four prestigious gold honours at the IAA Olive Crown Awards 2025, reaffirming its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.

The awards, presented by the International Advertising Association (IAA), celebrate excellence in green advertising and sustainable initiatives. The Adani Group was named Corporate Social Crusader of the Year and Green Advertiser of the Year, recognizing its consistent efforts toward fostering a greener future.

Notably, Adanis powerful short film Pankha won gold in two major categories TV/Cinema (Corporate) and Digital showcasing the companys creative and impactful messaging around sustainability. The film resonated with audiences for its compelling narrative and focus on clean energy solutions.

The awards ceremony, held in Mumbai, was attended by prominent dignitaries including Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. Ajay Kakar accepted the accolades on behalf of the group.

Pranav Adani expressed pride in the recognition, calling it a testament to the groups clean energy mission and its commitment to uplifting lives across India.
DEAR ABBY:

Ive been divorced for 13 years and have been dating Paul for the last five years. Paul is kind, helps with things around the house and loves my friends and family. We share many common interests and enjoy being together. We are now considering moving to the next step: marriage. We already live together.

The problem is that Paul is not financially responsible. He helps pay the bills, and we alternate picking up the tab when we go out. I earn more than he does, which is no big deal, but I do not have retirement set up or great insurance. If we were married, it would help my insurance problems. The house and assets are in my name.

Part of the reason for my divorce was my exs inability to manage money, which got us into a world of debt. I dont want to go through that again. Id love to marry Paul but do not want to take on his financial debt. Whats the right decision to make?  STUCK ON THIS IN WISCONSIN

DEAR STUCK:

The right thing for you to do would be to discuss this with an attorney who can help you figure out if you really want to be legally married to Paul. Marrying someone to get on his insurance is not the right way to go. Talking with an insurance agent about a program for which you might be eligible would be not only enlightening, but also advantageous.

** ** **

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

** ** **

For everything you need to know about wedding planning, order How to Have a Lovely Wedding. Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Wedding Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A 26-year-old mother reported to police that on Monday, around 12:47 p.m., her 12-year-old daughter was at a yard sale outside of a home in New Springville.

It was at that time the young girl was allegedly approached by Glennonsalvador Payabyab, 43, who began to question the 12-year-old about the items for sale, as explained by the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Informations Office.

The mother says that her daughter gave the defendant her phone number. As it turns out, Payabyab lives just a couple blocks away from the site of the yard sale in New Springville, police said.

A series of alleged inappropriate communications

As alleged in court documents, from Monday through Thursday, Payabyab sent over 20 texts to the girl including, but not limited to the following in sum and substance:

Lets watch Thursday night. Can you send photos of you? Any kind of photos. Whole body. We can just meet first in what house? So I can pick you up. Can you show yours? Ok with your pics also LOL and your friend LOL let me see.

In his communications, authorities allege Payabyab also sent the girl a link to Pornhub.com.

Around noon on Tuesday, the girls mother observed the texts on the phone belonging to her daughter. Those texts from the defendants phone continued to be sent to the young girls phone from Monday through Thursday, as detailed in court documents.

Police were able to confirm that the phone number belonged to the defendant as when Payabyab was confronted with the texts, he allegedly said Yes I sent those texts and Yes I know how old she is.

Authorities say that on Thursday, Payabyab made an attempt to meet with the 12-year-old in that he agreed to meet her over text.

Police found that Payabyab physically drove to the meeting location at the agreed upon time, court documents indicate. He was arrested that same day, according to the NYPD.

Payabyab faces one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor charge, as listed in a court document.

These are deeply troubling allegations, but they are mere allegations that Mr. Payabyab vehemently denies, Kyle Peters, Payabyabs attorney, said in a statement. Mr. Payabyab is a respected member of the community with no criminal history or prior accusations of wrongdoing. We are gravely concerned about the tone and nature of online rhetoric surrounding this case. We have already seen threats of violence and calls for extrajudicial punishment that have put Mr. Payabyab and his family in fear of physical danger. We understand the intense emotions the allegations have stirred in our community, but an investigation is ongoing within the proper legal channels. If found guilty in a court of law, Mr. Payabyab will face the full weight of the legal system. We urge the community to allow the legal process to proceed, and to resist the temptation to respond with threats or violence.

Developing a safety plan

On Tuesday, the day the texts were discovered, Protect Our Children, a volunteer organization committed to ensuring youth safety, made contact with the distraught mother and the 12-year-old victim.

In understanding that the underage child was receiving inappropriate messages, Peter DiMiceli, founder of Protect Our Children, met with the victims mother to help her investigate.

Protect Our Children members secured posts outside of the victims school alongside officers of the 121 Precinct.

When the alleged perpetrator devised a plan to lure the victim on Thursday, Protect Our Children and their members held posts at the meeting site, which was also monitored by detectives from the 121 Precinct.

If it wasnt for the victims mother, involvement, and perseverance, we may not have caught this perpetrator. Thanks to the teamwork the alleged subject was detained and arrested, DiMiceli said.
President Barack Obama, left, and first lady Michelle Obama, right, are introduced before performances celebrating Hispanic musical heritage on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) ASSOCIATED PRESS

Former President Barack Obama opened up about the struggles in his marriage to Michelle, making a surprisingly candid admission.

I found myself in a tough spot with my wife, the 63-year-old former president told Hamilton College President Steven Tepper during a conversation on Thursday, as reported by the Daily Beast.

Ive been trying to make up for it by occasionally doing fun things, he added.

Obama has previously mentioned that his eight years in office, from 2009 to 2017, had a significant impact on his relationship with Michelle, the former First Lady.

In February, Barack Obama, 63, dismissed rumors about his troubled marriage, amid rumors of an affair with actress Jennifer Aniston, 55.

On Valentines Day, Obama took to Instagram and wrote a heartfelt message Michelle, reaffirming that she is still the one after more than three decades of marriage.

A photo of the smiling couple was captioned: Thirty-two years together and you still take my breath away. Happy Valentines Day, @MichelleObama!"

In 2023, the former President said in an interview with CBS Mornings: Let me just say this: It sure helps to be out of the White House and to have a little more time with her.

In 2022, the former First Lady said in an interview with Revolt TV, speaking candidly about the difficulties in their marriage as Barack rose the political ranks: There were 10 years where I couldnt stand my husband.

The Obamas have daughters, Sasha and Malia. Malia, on July 4, 1998 and Sasha on June 10, 2001.

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama depart Andrews Air Force Base, Md., en route to New York where they will have a private dinner and attend a play, Saturday, May 30, 2009. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) AP

And what does Jennifer Aniston have to say about the affair rumors? Per the Economic Times, the Good Girl actress addressed the cheating allegations involving Barack Obama, to cut fuel to the speculation fire, saying they are completely false.

She clarified that the rumors are baseless gossip and that she barely knows Barack Obama.

The Obama-Aniston rumors refuse to die, despite the Morning Show actresss denials, including one on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

During the interview, Aniston was presented with a magazine cover during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel that had the headlines The Truth About Jen & Barack and Betrayed as Aniston Steals Her Husbands Attention. Another line claimed Aniston and Obama are obsessed with each other.

Aniston replied: Of all the calls you get from your publicist, where youre just like, Oh, no, whats it gonna be? or the email saying, you know, some cheesy tabloid is gonna make up a story, and then its that."

Aniston clarified the affair rumors were absolutely untrue. She added, I have met him once. I know Michelle more than him.
Target will close all of its nearly 2,000 U.S. locations later this month in observance of Easter. Staten Island Advance

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- One of the countrys largest retail chains will close all locations for a full day later this month in observance of an upcoming spring holiday.

Target, which operates nearly 2,000 stores across the country, including three here on Staten Island, has confirmed that all stores will be closed on Sunday, Apr. 20, to allow employees to spend Easter with their families, according to The U.S. Sun.

Guests can expect regular store hours on April 19 and can check Target.com or the Target app for local store information, a Target spokesperson told The U.S. Sun in an emailed statement.

In regards to other major holidays, Target will again shutter its doors on Thanksgiving and Christmas, as it has done in recent years, but is expected to remain open on other major holidays, like Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and New Years Day.

Target isnt the only large chain planning to close for Easter, with big-box retailer Costco announcing earlier this month that it too will shut down all locations for 24 hours on Apr. 20.

According to Costcos website, Easter is one of the major holidays observed by the store, which is also closed on New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The Staten Island store will be open on Good Friday, April 18, from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Holy Saturday, April 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Candy, baskets, flowers and a variety of grocery items are being marketed for the holiday in the stores One Hop Shop.
People pray in front of the body of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, in the Santa Maria Maggiore church in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) AP

ASSISI, Italy (AP)  With the upcoming canonization of its first millennial saint, the Catholic Church has turned to police in Italy to investigate the online sale of some purported relics of Carlo Acutis, who already has been drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to his shrine.

Since the early days of the faith, many Catholics have prayed for intercession to saints relics  usually small parts of their body or clothing that are authenticated by ecclesiastical authorities and preserved in churches. But their sale is strictly forbidden.

Souvenirs of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, are displayed in a shop in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) AP

Its not just despicable, but its also a sin, said the Rev. Enzo Fortunato, who leads the Vaticans World Childrens Day committee and has a tiny fragment of Acutis hair in a chapel by his office for veneration by visiting youth. Every kind of commerce over faith is a sin.

An anonymous seller had put up for online auction some supposedly authenticated locks of Acutis hair that were fetching upward of 2,000 euros ($2,200 US), according to the Diocese of Assisi, before being taken down. Last month, Bishop Domenico Sorrentino asked authorities to confiscate the items and added that if fraudulent, the sale would constitute a great offense to religious belief.

Amelia Simone, 18, a student from the United States, stands in front of the entrance of the Santa Maria Maggiore Church where the body of the 15-year-old Italian boy Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 and was beatified in 2020, is kept, in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) AP

Acutis was precocious in developing and sharing his faith

Acutis died of leukemia in 2006, when he was only 15 but had already developed a precocious faith life centered on devotion to the Eucharist  which for Catholics holds the real presence of Christ. Savvy with technology, he had created an online exhibit about eucharistic miracles through the centuries.

He will formally be declared a saint at a Mass in front of the Vaticans St. Peters Basilica on April 27. Over the past year, about 1 million pilgrims have flocked to the central Italian town of Assisi, where his body  wearing sneakers, jeans, and a sweatshirt  lies in a shrine in a church dedicated to a key moment in the life of medieval hometown saint, St. Francis.

Souvenirs of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, are displayed in a shop in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) AP

Acutis body was exhumed during the more-than-decade-long canonization process and treated so it could be preserved for public showing, including by removing certain organs. His face, which looks as if he were asleep, was reconstructed with a silicone mask, Sorrentino said.

Acutis heart has been preserved at a dedicated altar in another Assisi church; it will be taken to Rome for the canonization Mass.

The relics are little, little fragments of the body, to say that that body is blessed, and it explains to us the closeness of God, Sorrentino said.

Handling of relics is a painstaking task for the church

Photos of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, are displayed at the Santa Maria Maggiore church in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) AP

There are different classes of relics  the most important are major body parts, such as the heart. Sorrentino gave Acutis pericardium  the membrane enclosing the heart  to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2022 for the duration of its multi-year Eucharistic Revival.

The bishop in charge of the saints body works with requests from other bishops around the world to give or lend relics  always for free  to be exhibited for veneration at parishes and other churches.

We give this to communities, to parishes, to priests using the relics for the cult in their parish, Sorrentino said. Its not something magic. Its not something that works automatically, it works through faith.

A hair relic of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020 is shown to the Associated Press during an interview in Rome, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) AP

The practice of gathering relics dates to the earliest days of the church, when many faithful Christians died as martyrs in religious persecutions. Witnesses to the killings would collect blood or fragments of clothing to memorialize their sacrifice and to pray for the saints intercession, Fortunato said.

In Acutis case, the first miracle in his canonization process was the healing of a boy in Brazil after a prayer service invoking his intercession with the presence of a relic, he added.

Nuns walk past the Papal Basilica and Sacred Convent of Saint Francis in Assisi in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) AP

For clergy and pilgrims who have been visiting Acutis shrine in Assisi this week, the relics take second place to the example of faith and the power of assisting with prayer that saints provide.

I would never buy one, said Amelia Simone, an 18-year-old from Chicago who has been studying in Rome and credits Acutis for help smoothing out tricky visa paperwork. I think the intercession aspect is very cool, but I dont think Id ever want to own a first-class relic. It just would feel a bit weird to me.

Two clergy leading a Holy Year pilgrimage to Italy from the Diocese of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, said it was a great tragedy that online relic sales were happening.

We continue to pray for peoples conversion, said the Rev. Christopher Pujol.

Bishop Larry Kulick added that relics are very reverent and very solemn for us as Catholics. And they are not only inspirational for us, but they are really ... opportunities to help us to pray.

And so its unfortunate that such a thing would happen, because thats really a misuse of the relics and actually a disrespect to him and to his memory, he added.

Some mixed views on this sainthood process

Already, the uncommon devotion and attention that Acutis canonization process has generated has been met with some skepticism. In hundreds of social media comments to a recent Associated Press article about the phenomenon, some called his sainthood a marketing ploy by the church to lure more young people back into the pews.

Many others  and those making pilgrimage to Assisi  praised Acutis for his devotion and were glad hes become a role model for members of his generation.

Its a joy for me to have encountered Carlo Acutis body, and especially to ask for his intercession for the transformation and the conversion of many youth, said Juana de Dios Euceda, a missionary nun from Honduras.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With the recent imposition of steep automotive tariffs on foreign manufacturers, one of the countrys most storied car companies is offering deep discounts on nearly all vehicles in its lineup.

The Ford Motor Company launched its From America, For America campaign on Thursday, the same day President Donald Trumps 25% tariffs on all auto imports took effect.

Which automaker employs the most hourly workers in the country? Ford. Which automaker assembles the most vehicles in the country? Ford. Thats not a coincidence. Its a commitment, according to the campaign launch commercial.

With foreign manufacturers, who accounted for nearly half of all cars sales in the U.S. last year according to research firm GlobalData, expected to raise their prices, Ford is doing the exact opposite in an effort to recruit new customers.

The Michigan-based automotive giant is offering all customers its employee pricing plan on most Ford 2024 and 2025 model year vehicles through June 2.

Now at this unprecedented moment in auto history, who benefits from Fords commitment to America for more than 120 years? You, the ad concludes.

The only vehicles excluded from the promotion are the F-150 Raptors, 2025 Super Duty pickups, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator large SUVs, the company announced.

Rob Kaffl, Fords director of U.S. sales, told the Detroit Free Press that the company can afford to offer such steep discounts due to its robust inventory.

Weve got a very healthy stock, Kaffl told the Free Press. Were in a very competitive position in our stock. And the auto sector, and overall public, has seen a lot of uncertainty in the market right now especially in the automotive space. So we feel by providing this message in From America, For America, were providing some security.
Former President Barack Obama this week made a stunning statement about his relationship with wife Michelle.

While speaking to students at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., on Thursday, the 44th president acknowledged that he needs to dig out of a deep deficit with his spouse, the Daily Mail reported.

Obamas startling remark comes months after rumors surfaced that the former president had been romantically involved with Friends superstar Jennifer Aniston.

When asked by college President Steven Tepper what hed been up to, Obama said hed mostly been working on the next volume of his memoirs.

Beyond that, look, I was in a deep deficit with my wife, Obama said, so I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things.

Rumors about the state of the Obama marriage reached a fever pitch in January when the former two-term Democratic president attended the funeral for former President Jimmy Carter alone and also turned up solo at President Donald Trumps inauguration ceremony.

Speaking to the college students, Obama also said he couldnt believe what the 47th president has been able to get away with in his second term.

Imagine if I had done any of this, Obama said. Its unimaginable that the same parties that are silent now would have tolerated behavior like that from me, or a whole bunch of my predecessors.

I just want to be clear about this, Obama went on. Imagine if I had pulled Fox News credentials from the White House press corps. Youre laughing, but this is whats happening.

He said, Imagine if I had said to law firms that were representing parties that were upset with policies my administration had initiated, that you will not be allowed into government buildings.

Obama was alluding in part to how Trump had pulled the Associated Press White House credentials after the AP refused to follow Trumps lead and call what has been known as the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.

As for the new installment of his memoirs, Obama said the writing of the tome has been like 50 term papers. I mean, it just goes on forever. Im hoping to get to the finish line on that.
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Best known for her stand-up, comedian Ruby Wax is also a vocal advocate for mental health. The 71-year-old discusses her famous friends, meeting Paul McCartney and her mixed fortunes with men.

Ruby Wax: I wasnt good with men in my 20s and had a lot of bad luck with them. Credit: Wayne Taylor

My dad, Edward Wachs, escaped Vienna and the Nazis in the 1930s with my mother Berthe. I was raised as an only child in Chicago. Dad thought women were the biggest pains in the arse. He treated my mother appallingly. He tried to train me the way he trained our family dog. He also loved hysterical opera.

I had a boyfriend, Alan, when I was 15. He was a gorgeous football player who became gay. I

was his prom queen; we fought over the sash. In the end, he wanted to be a prom queen more than I did.

I ran away from home at 17, went to the University of California to study psychology, then moved to England in the 70s to become an actress, which was delusional. I met English actor Alan Rickman while studying at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He became my mentor and trained me for 30 years. He took my dad on every time Dad told me I was a loser.
It could be from Medibank, it could be from Optus, it could be from Latitude. It could be from all the other breaches that you havent heard of. They package [the data] up ... and they play it against other websites. In this case, theyve gone after superannuation companies for good reason  because theyve got money and theyre less well defended than a bank. But he said the super funds had a responsibility to protect the trillions of dollars of Australians earnings they managed, and called on the funds to increase their cybersecurity. They need to be thinking of themselves as the same as banks, MacGibbon said. Banks have put in place more security, and its time for the regulators to make sure that the superannuation companies are doing the same thing. MacGibbon said he was not aware what security measures the super funds had in place, but strong multifactor authentication may help.

The former eSafety commissioner said a common multifactor authentication method, in which a secure code is sent to an account holder via text message, would be useless if hackers could use a stolen password to access the superannuation account and change the registered mobile number. App-based multifactor authentication is regarded as less vulnerable to attack than secure codes sent via text message. Credit: Istock He said when the hackers then transferred the funds out, they would receive the multifactor authentication text message, not the account holder. Multifactor authentication through an app was more secure because it all happened within the one phone. MacGibbon said the super fund hackers, who made off with about $500,000 of four AustralianSuper customers money, would likely transfer the stolen funds into smaller banks that allowed transfers into cryptocurrency exchanges, making it almost impossible to trace. He said funds should also increase anti-fraud technologies that detect abnormal behaviour, such as if a regular contributors account suddenly changed phone number and address and requested money be paid out.

Loading MacGibbon said a lack of communication from the super funds after the breaches caused panic and confusion for members, and prioritising transparency and immediately repaying any stolen money would increase consumer confidence. A lot of people tried logging into their accounts, and obviously the organisations couldnt cope with that volume of traffic. People were either seeing zero balances or they were not able to get in, which is problematic. Theyve got to communicate. He said the attack was a sustained and large-scale fraud attempt, but it had not been a disaster. This is what I call a wake-up call, he said. But [the hackers] havent made off like bandits. They havent made off with millions of dollars  because there is some security in place.

To individuals whove had their superannuation stolen, its not a small crime, of course, but they will get their money back ... There is not a superannuation company in Australia that would run the risk of saying no, were not liable for that. They would be playing with fire, and I will be first in the queue to condemn them. An Australian Prudential Regulation Authority spokeswoman said on Friday any superannuation members concerned they had lost money should contact their fund. Broadly, all super funds hold reserve funds, including the operational risk financial reserve, that could be used to support members in such circumstances, the spokeswoman said. Funds may also rely upon other sources such as insurance cover. Jonathan Steffanoni, managing partner at Melbourne-based law firm Legal & Prudential, said the overarching context was that the superannuation funds and members were both victims of a crime.

He said it appeared there had been a data breach under the Commonwealth Privacy Act, for which members might seek compensation via the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. But there were limits on the compensation payable. That channel of redress is not designed to deal with instances of fraud, Steffanoni said. He said members whose funds had been stolen might also seek compensation by making a complaint to the trustee of their fund or the Australian Financial Complaints Authority. However, Steffanoni believed it was quite likely that the trustee and the members involved here will proactively come to some kind of settlement. This would bypass a costly courts process and potentially also AFCA. He said questions might arise about whether members had contributed to some extent to their loss by re-using passwords or not using two-factor authentication where available.

But in this case, there was still limited public information about exactly what had happened, Steffanoni said. Loading A spokesperson for Rest, one of the targeted super funds, on Saturday reassured members that no money had left their accounts. The security of our members accounts is our No.1 priority, the spokesperson said. Rest confirmed it had faced issues with its online member portal and app due to a high number of customer queries, and its call centre was also dealing with high call volumes.
Involuntary celibacy  incel  culture, toxic masculinity, knife crime and young teens on social media. Netflix series Adolescence has become a focal point for anxieties about the lost boys of the internet and, in doing so, it has attracted a record 66 million views in two weeks. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has even suggested the show is important enough to be shown in parliament.

The series is four hours of harrowing watching, following the story of 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who is accused of murdering a 14-year-old girl with a knife. One rainy weekend, my nearly 13-year-old son and I watched it in a single day. He asked me to write this.

Owen Cooper plays Jamie Miller, who is arrested for murder, in the Netflix drama Adolescence.

Its difficult, though compelling watching for a parent. The arrest with which the series begins emphasises the fragile shoulders and skinny torso of the accused young teen; a child really, taken into adult custody for a violent crime. Obviously, he should be protected by his parents. Obviously, he cant be. Its too late for that. Jamie has become part of a world the parents dont understand. As the police seek a motive for the crime, Jamies loneliness in prison is only underscored by the loneliness of the outside and online worlds he had inhabited.

One of the investigating police officers even compares his school to a prison, in which the teachers are so stretched just trying to manage unruly inmates that learning is pretty much out of the question. Yet the main interaction of the teens isnt in person but online; their bodies have become fleshy props in service of those cyber interactions. The girls send nudes to the boys. The boys share them to prove something  to themselves or others. Everyone is ranking everyone else, all the time.
Jenny Tuita can still see the girls faces, staring at her as she left the doctors room.

She was 15, held on remand at the Metropolitan Girls Shelter in Glebe, and had just endured the trauma of her life.

Volunteering for a wildlife organisation caring for ducks at Bungaree Reserve in Gosford has helped Jenny Tuita find solace. Credit: Kate Geraghty

Tuita doesnt know if she was strapped or held down. She recalls punching and screaming, then a cold feeling on the inside of her legs. She blacked out. Six or so other girls, none older than 15, could all hear her screams.

They must have been terrified, Tuita said. In two weeks, [the shelter] ruined my life. Imagine the girls who were in there for two years.
In the summer of 2011, Sydneys top private schools were welcoming students back after the holiday break into classrooms stocked with new digital devices.

Traditional textbooks were being ditched for iPads, teachers were trialling tablets in lessons and schools were starting to allow students to bring their own devices.

Private schools were expanding new technology in classrooms as the Rudd governments $2 billion digital education revolution spurred the mass rollout of laptops in high schools.

Stephanie Nunn, with son Sebby, 6, has raised concerns about schools bring your own device policy. Credit: Janie Barrett

In the years since, Australian schools have become among the worlds biggest users of technology, with the latest global surveys revealing students spend about four hours a day on devices in class.
It is a terrifying vision. A 15-year-old girl, who has decided to travel to Sydney with a friend, is reported missing by her concerned mother in Dubbo.

The result? The child is charged, held on remand, and subjected to invasive medical examinations to determine whether she had been sexually active  not to trigger a health or care response, but to determine whether her conduct warranted further charges  that traumatise her to this day.

Jenny Tuitas recollections from her time at the Metropolitan Girls Shelter in inner Sydneys Glebe, as told to Angus Thomson in todays Sun-Herald, are chilling in their recency  Tuita was held at the facility in the 1970s.

Jenny Tuita, aged 15, the same age she was when charged as uncontrollable.

She believes she is among many girls, now women, who experienced this traumatic treatment in shelters that purported to protect them. The invasive practices she experienced happened not just at Glebe, but are, as Thomson reports, widely known to have occurred at other institutions including Windsors Wilson Youth Hospital and the notorious Parramatta Girls Home.
One of the great things about following your friends parents on Instagram is that its a nostalgic throwback to a simpler time online. On ParentGram, there are no heavily curated (but purposefully chaotic) Insta-dumps, no invitations to GRWM (Get Ready With Me), and definitely no AMA (Ask Me Anything) about their recently diagnosed ADHD.

Instead, it is primarily pictures of pets, pictures of things theyve eaten, and pictures of them with their adult children, which invite comments from other parents on ParentGram (OMG, Scott is so big! I remember when he was a baby) and, of course, pictures of them on holiday.

Once the darling of social media and a powerful tool for mobilising the masses, the humble #hashtag must now be used only ironically, or preferably not at all unless youre a parent. Credit: Michael Howard

The holiday photos are my favourite. I would much rather scroll through a carousel of my friends parents trip to Machu Picchu than watch a carefully edited Reel of an influencer exploring Uluwatu.

In addition to being wholesome content and serving as a miniature history lesson (I have learnt so much about the world from their captions), ParentGram is single-handedly keeping alive a social media relic: the #hashtag.
WA Premier Roger Cook has reiterated the state governments commitment to toughen youth bail laws, including expedited trials for repeat offenders following an alleged horrific assault on a 14-year-old at a shopping centre in Perths north-east on Wednesday.

A 15-year-old schoolboy has been arrested and charged over the alleged assault that reportedly left the victim with a broken jaw requiring surgery to have metal plates inserted.

Roger Cook has promised reforms in bail applications. Credit: Trevor Collens

Witnesses claim they saw a group of boys at the Ellenbrook Central shopping centre near a cafe when an altercation ensued and the victim had his head stomped on.

Police released the schoolboy on bail with a date set for him to appear at the Midland Magistrates Court in three weeks.
Psychologists treating victims of crime are out of pocket tens of thousands of dollars, as the states new scheme makes it impossible for them to get paid unless their traumatised clients undertake an onerous, technical process.

The Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) has made three budget bids to try to implement a system to allow practitioners to bill the government scheme directly, but these have been knocked back, Department of Justice and Community Safety correspondence obtained by The Age shows.

Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Victims Anthony Carbines. Credit: Joe Armao

The state government said these budget bids had not been progressed to the treasurer and that the difficulties would be resolved, but did not say when.

The scheme replaced the former Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT) in November to expand assistance and create a more trauma-informed approach to link victims of violent crime with counselling, medical care or the ability to make up for lost earnings outside the court system.
Rents in most Sydney suburbs are higher this year than last year, with some landlords raising prices by as much as 45.5 per cent in one spot.

While rents in several areas fell, the deepest drops include the citys more premium locations, which is cold comfort for tenants looking for a better deal.

Houses and units recorded a double-digit rent surge in the year to March in areas including the northern beaches and Sutherland regions, as well as pockets of the Central Coast, Domains latest Rent Report, published on Thursday, revealed.

Sydneys median asking rents hit fresh records. House rents climbed by 3.3 per cent to $775 a week at the end of March compared with the previous year, while units jumped 3.6 per cent to $725 a week.
Sydney property prices have surged over the past decade providing a bonanza for those who got in early, with the rises split between elite areas and the booming outer suburbs.

In some areas, those home owners who bought a house 10 years ago have made annualised gains above 8 per cent, on Domain data. But even at the lowest level of growth, groups of Sydney suburbs rose by 4.1 per cent over the past decade, as at the end of February.

House prices jumped the most in the Wollondilly region, taking in suburbs such as Tahmoor and Picton, rising 8.1 per cent over the past 10 years. In eastern suburbs north, which includes blue-ribbon suburbs like Bellevue Hill, Bronte and Bondi Beach, prices rose by 7.8 per cent over the same period.

CoreLogic head of Australian research Eliza Owen said the northern pocket of Sydneys eastern suburbs was a bit of a bubble unto itself.
How can the EU respond to Trump tariffs?



Brussels, Belgium, April 4 (AFP) Apr 04, 2025



The EU has "everything on the table" as a response to President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariffs -- including possibly targeting US Big Tech and taxing more American goods -- should talks with Washington fail.

The European Commission, in charge of the EU's trade policy, refuses to give any details on what its comeback to Trump's 20 percent tariffs starting April 9 could include.

But France, Germany and Austria have suggested targeting the biggest digital companies, including Google and Facebook owner Meta.

So far, the commission has stressed that negotiations will be its priority. After talks with US counterparts on Friday, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said the EU was "committed to meaningful negotiations, but also prepared to defend our interests".

These are the options the 27-country European Union has if further talks are unsuccessful:



- Tariffs -



When Trump hit steel and aluminium imports with a 25 percent tariff in March, the EU decided on "an eye for an eye" approach.

With his extra levies affecting $28 billion of the EU's exports, Brussels opted to target US goods worth the same amount from mid-April, including Harley Davidson motorbikes and agricultural products like soybeans and meat.

Now the EU faces new tariffs of 20 percent announced by Trump this week, which has kickstarted another conversation inside the bloc about further retaliatory action.

"We will react in areas where it hurts the United States," a senior EU official said.

Officials have previously said the EU will target goods from politically important US states, including soybeans produced in Louisiana, the home of US Speaker Mike Johnson, who pushes Trump's agenda in Congress.

"We love soybeans, but we can get them from Brazil," the EU official said.

"We like Harley-Davidsons, but we also like MotoGuzzi. Or we can buy Yamaha. So, there are alternatives there and we are not hurting ourselves."



- Tech taxes? -



Although the commission has been coy about whether it has US Big Tech in its sights, France straight off the bat said the EU's targets could include American tech titans.

French government spokeswoman Sophie Primas said the EU could go after online services, "which are not taxed today but could be".

Economy Minister Robert Habeck echoed Primas, insisting "everything is on the table".

While Trump has trade in goods in his sights, the United States runs a surplus in services to the EU. In 2023, that surplus totalled 109 billion euros ($120 billion).

US companies dominate in financial services, including banks and card payment systems such as Mastercard, and tech such as Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft.

"If they're going to go after our goods surplus, then we'll look at the services surplus," an EU official said.

Financial services could also be targeted, not just big tech, the official said.

"We're currently discussing it, and in such cases, the response must be made public as soon as it's decided," French Finance Minister Eric Lombard said on Friday.

"It's a signal to our American friends. But we're working on a package of responses that could go well beyond tariffs," he told France's BFMTV/RMC broadcaster.



- Trade tools -



One EU official refused to say what weapons Brussels would deploy against the United States, but said the bloc was weighing whether to use an anti-coercion instrument.

First adopted in 2023, but never used, the weapon punishes any country using economic threats to exert pressure on the EU.

Initially created to counter any trade pressure from China, it could help the EU with the United States.

With this tool, the commission can act without the support of all EU states.

It would allow the EU to limit US companies' access to public procurement contracts in Europe, which France's Primas has already raised as a stick against Trump.

Officials believe targeting US firms with EU rules and taxation would not risk higher prices for the continent's consumers.

"We are prepared to implement firm, impactful but proportionate countermeasures," Sefcovic said on Thursday.

The EU has so far maintained a unified stance against Trump's tariffs.

"Europe has everything it needs to make it through this storm. We are in this together," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said.
Cambodia hails opening of naval base renovated by China



Ream, Cambodia, April 5 (AFP) Apr 05, 2025



Cambodia's leader Hun Manet said Saturday there was "nothing to hide" as he inaugurated a naval base renovated in recent years by China, after Washington had voiced concern over Beijing's role in the upgrades.

The United States has said the Ream Naval Base, located off Cambodia's southern coast, could give China a key strategic position in the Gulf of Thailand near the disputed South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.

Cambodian senior officials have repeatedly denied that the base is for use by any single foreign power, following US media reports in 2022 saying that the new facilities at Ream were being built for the exclusive use of the Chinese navy.

Military representatives from various nations attended a ceremony on Saturday marking the inauguration of the renovated Ream base, with Cambodia rolling out the red carpet for a delegation from China's People's Liberation Army.

Prime Minister Hun Manet hailed the opening of the upgraded port at the event, where Cambodian and Chinese flags were flown.

"We hold the live inauguration today because we want both Cambodian people, and people and all forces around the world to stop casting doubt about it," he said in a speech.

"From today Cambodia will welcome all friends to hold joint exercises in the Ream base. We have nothing to hide at all," he added.

Hun Manet promised that the new and improved facility would not be for Beijing's "exclusive" use and that ships from other countries would be allowed to dock.

The ceremony also featured remarks from Cao Qingfeng, a Chinese senior military official, who said the port symbolised the "iron-clad friendship" between the two nations and would "inject new momentum into regional security".

He added that the base would be used for joint military exercises, including the annual Golden Dragon drills in May.



- Staunch allies -



Cambodia has long been one of China's staunchest allies in Southeast Asia, and Beijing has extended its influence over Phnom Penh in recent years.

Under former leader Hun Sen -- Prime Minister Hun Manet's father -- China poured billions of dollars into infrastructure investments, while Washington's relationship with Phnom Penh has deteriorated in recent years.

Hun Manet said Saturday that Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Cambodia this month, confirming previously reported plans of such a trip.

Beijing has since 2022 been contributing to a revamp of the Ream Naval Base, which was originally built partly using US funds.

Western concerns about the base go back as far as 2019, when The Wall Street Journal reported on a secret draft deal allowing China to dock warships there.

In late 2023, Chinese warships first docked at the 363-metre (1,190-foot) pier, located on Cambodia's sole coastline in the south of the country between Thailand and Vietnam.

Cambodia is also expected to receive two warships from China to improve its defence capabilities.

In December, a US warship docked in nearby Sihanoukville in the first American military port call in eight years.

That was followed in February by the visit of a senior US army commander to Cambodia, featuring a meeting with Hun Manet in a trip intended to "expand bilateral defence ties".

Last month, Cambodia said a Japanese warship would be the first to dock at the Ream base.
Yet it isnt simply that proximity which makes it special, its the opportunity for writers and directors to experiment and flourish. Powell-Jones continues: What weve loved is going to your favourite artists and saying, What do you want to do? Then we can actually make that happen. Like gleeful theatrical alchemists, they will pair new directors with established actors, or brand new actors with playwrights who have dug out an old script from the back of a cupboard. And they frequently come up with gold. Such as last years The Lonely Londoners by Roy Williams, an adaptation of Sam Selvons novel which was the first to portray the Windrush generation in their own words. This has now moved to the Kiln Theatre.
A pekingese like Queen Victoria, the Roosevelts and the JP Morgan used to have? Very now, apparently. As is any small, handbaggable and Instagramable dog with a brachycephalic baby face. (Even though I consider them all very naff indeed.) The times from 2018 forwards, notes Hedges, have been momentous years for the British and its bulldogs. In the same year that Prince William and Kate Middleton had their third child, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married and a nappy-clad, Trump baby blimp greeted the US president as he arrived for a state visit, the French bulldog overtook the labrador as the UKs favourite breed for the first time. Lady Gaga, Martha Stewart, Hugh Jackman and Michael Phelps had French bulldogs; Carrie Fishers assistant took care of the actresss French bulldog therapy mutt Gary after she died; and the Beckhams had one called Scarlet. The country went ah.
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
The group states: These briefings are key for getting all the info you need to join us in the streets  hear the plan, get legal, support, and accessibility info, and find out how you get involved!
If you are going to the US for anything other than a standard holiday, I would write to the US embassy, tell them what visas you think you need and get them to write back to confirm yes or no, and then carry that letter with you.
Mr Zelensky said in his post: Yes, the war must end. But to end it, we must not be afraid to call things by their names. We must not be afraid to pressure the one who continues this war and ignores all the worlds proposals to end it.
For the record, as soon as The Duke of York was advised to cease all contact with Mr Yang, he fully complied. He did not receive a penny in funding or support, directly or indirectly, from any Chinese individual or entity.
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ST. LOUIS  For several hours Saturday morning, the radio frequency owned by foundering community radio station KDHX (88.1 FM) played the programming of the evangelical Christian network K-LOVE.

The K-LOVE broadcast may be an indication of what is to come if a sale to the massive evangelical network is approved by a bankruptcy court judge.

The KDHX website still streamed the usual KDHX content. Spokespeople from KDHX did not return multiple requests for information.

The noncommercial community station filed for bankruptcy on March 10. Shortly afterward, it announced plans to sell its FCC license, broadcast tower and other assets to Franklin, Tennessee-based K-LOVE, which runs at least 589 Christian-music stations throughout the country.

That sale would have to be agreed to by the bankruptcy court judge, who has not yet heard the case. Robert Eggmann, a lawyer representing the station in the bankruptcy proceedings, said he expects objections to be made to the potential sale.

Other entities might want to buy the frequency too, he told reporters last week.

If the sale to K-LOVE does go through, the price would be at least $4.35 million, with additional inducements if it can be completed in 6 months or 1 year.

On Saturday, the national feed of K-LOVE was in hard-sell fundraising mode. The announcers pressed for donations for 8-10 minutes at a time between playing 3-minute songs.

This is a chance to win another soul for Jesus. Bring them back from the brink, they said.

The station also ran a promotion specifically citing the 88.1 FM frequency, using the tagline Positive, encouraging K-LOVE.

Online, KDHX was playing the same prerecorded content that it had been presenting for several weeks. Saturday morning it was Christmas music  Nat King Coles The Christmas Song and a jazzy version of Greensleeves  followed by bluegrass.

The listener-supported KDHX has been in a financial crisis since September 2023, when it fired 10 of its 80 volunteer DJs in one day for what board of directors president Gary Pierson said was being vocal and disruptive. At other times he said some of them exhibited egregious behavior toward women and minorities, and they were not interested in bringing in more voices from underserved communities.

The DJs who were released  and at least 14 others who resigned in sympathy  strenuously disputed his account. They claim instead they were fired because they had signed a letter of no confidence in executive director Kelly Wells.

A group of former volunteer DJs is suing the stations owner, Double Helix Corp., to remove most of its board of directors. The suit claims the board acted illegally on several occasions to take power from the volunteers, which is guaranteed in the stations bylaws, and consolidate it among themselves and Wells.

Thursday, that group filed a motion in the bankruptcy case alleging the station repeatedly violated a judges temporary restraining order in that case.

Judge Joan L. Moriarty issued the order temporarily forcing the station to allow 15 former DJs to vote on station business. However, the motion charges, those former DJs were not allowed to vote to sell the station, and were not even informed about the vote.

In addition, the motion alleges, the volunteer-favored Courtney Dowdall won an election to the Board of Directors on Feb. 25, but the station did not inform her of her victory until March 26. That delay kept her from knowing about or voting on the decision to sell the station and, presumably, a vote to declare bankruptcy, the filing says.

Editors note: This story was updated Saturday afternoon after KDHX stopped playing K-LOVE content.
Judy Crowell dreamed of living in a lighthouse or a firehouse ever since she was a little girl. She and her siblings loved to climb two lighthouses on an island in Lake Michigan when they visited relatives in the summertime. She also discovered several architecturally interesting firehouses in downstate Michigan where she lived the rest of the year.

When her husband, Mike, made Judys lifelong wish came true his choice in landlocked Missouri precluded lighthouses. Instead, he bought a decommissioned firehouse that once held administrative offices, fire engines, equipment and housing for firefighters.

It was a grand gesture of love that not only houses them today, but also offers hospitality to friends as well as the community for charity affairs, special events and fundraisers.

Engine House No. 1, built in 1979, experienced two expansions, one in 1985 and again in the early 1990s. The Crowells had a vision for the building that didnt fit with the existing space, so they invited their friends to join in the total demolition of the interior space, taking the behemoth of a building down to its bearing walls. They then redesigned the interiors to suit their lifestyle. Mike and Judy framed photos of participants in the grand destruction they call Demo Day. The photos live on their wall of memorabilia in the pub they built in the building. They christened the pub Slainte, which is an Irish toast to good health.

Everythings repurposed here, Judy says. When we built the pub, I took all the wood from the firehouse, stripped it down and stained it. Now its all in the pub, including the firehouse doors, which makeup the bar.

The first thing we built in the firehouse was the bar. We put in the pool before we even moved in so we could have a cocktail or be in the pool after we were done working late at night, Mike says.

Mike bought all the signage from a Schnucks store that closed and used bits all throughout the pub. When he added the pub name above the bar, he found individual letters for Slainte and painted them in the colors of the Irish flag. He found all capital letters to spell out Firehouse underneath. I couldnt find a capital B in any of the signs, so I took an R and cut off part of it to put up P-U-b, he says.

Judy painted the firefighters lockers in green, white and orange as well with the help of a dear friend, Dan Alp. He helped make it look very professional, she says. The old Lake Saint Louis Fire District sign for Engine House No. 1 hangs above the bar.

Theres seating at the bar and a comfy black sofa for intimate chats. Mikes grandmothers hope chest plays the part of a coffee table with storage while barrels and drums take the place of more mundane end tables.

The space beyond the sofa extends to the three roll-up bay doors that stretch from floor to ceiling. Mike and Judy frosted the glass, which gives a great glow to the room. They configure the space to accommodate folks at big parties and fundraisers throughout the year.

The Crowells envisioned the space as something similar to a West Side New York City art loft with room for big gatherings, private living spaces and lots of room for creativity. Where firefighters once marched into the main entrance past a long row of administrative offices, the Crowells built a sleek 80-foot gallery wall filled with art theyve purchased locally and on trips to seek good bourbon and hear good music. Music and bourbon loom large in the Crowell house.

When they started the renovations their three children were in college, but they were sent home when COVID hit. Today, the triplets no longer live at home, but they each have a room they designed on the lower level. Brendan works as a biomedical engineer, Olivias an electrical engineer and a staunch environmentalist, and Chrissy still studies as a third-year law student. A pool table and a home theater, also on the lower level, keep things humming when friends visit.

Their parents suite rises above it all on the top floor and features a bedroom and a luxurious bathroom with a 6-foot-by-8-foot shower room. Its their private sanctuary, peaceful and calm.

Each year at Christmas time its anything but calm at the house. Mike, Judy, and all three of their children love the holiday. They decorate every room in the house, which takes about six weeks. They hold a huge party in the pub each year for a community fundraiser that honors Mikes father, a lifelong educator. He and Judy established the John Crowell Memorial Scholarship Foundation in his memory. They also hold events throughout the year for charities, but the holiday party is a highlight during the festive season. Mikes Facebook page features a raft of holiday videos and posts that show how an old Engine House sparkles during Christmas.

Mike and Judy Crowell Ages: Mike is 62; Judy is 56. Home: Lake Saint Louis Family: The Crowells are parents of 24-year-old triplets  Olivia, Chrissy and Brendan. Two months ago Mike and Judy drove four hours to adopt two-year-old litter mates Duke and Rosie from Boxer Rescue. Occupations: Mike and Judy both work at their architectural sheet metal business, St. Louis Metalworks. Theyre a proud member of Sheet Metal Workers Local 36. Mike is also chairman of the Board of Directors for the Lake Saint Louis Fire Protection District.

Photos: At Home with Mike and Judy Crowell in Lake Saint Louis
Bayer AG said its seeking a U.S. Supreme Court review of litigation over the weedkiller Roundup, its latest effort to get beyond a mountain of legal woes.

The German conglomerate asked the high court Friday to take its appeal of a 2023 verdict from a St. Louis trial in which a jury ordered Bayers Monsanto unit to pay $1.25 million in compensatory damages to cancer sufferer John Durnell, according to a statement. No punitive damages were awarded in the case.

After seven years of fighting Roundup cases in the U.S., Bayer is still facing about 67,000 claims from plaintiffs who allege Roundup caused their cancer. Bayer inherited the weedkiller in its $63 billion acquisition of Monsanto in 2018. It insists the product is safe.

Bayers filing wasnt immediately visible on the Supreme Courts public docket. Theres typically a delay between when a petition for review is submitted and it being formally docketed and made public by the U.S. high court.

The company has set aside $16 billion to deal with a wave of Roundup verdicts and settlements. Its already spent $10 billion. Last month, a state-court jury in Georgia ordered Bayer to pay more than $2 billion to a man who blamed his Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma on Roundup use. Bayer will appeal the verdict.

Bayer argues a favorable high court decision could largely curtail the litigation against it. However, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Holly Froum has estimated the remaining Roundup cases could cost Bayer as much as $8 billion more to resolve.

Conflicting decisions

In the filing provided by Bayer, the company cites conflicting decisions from U.S. appeals courts over whether federal laws regarding product safety should preempt state-based claims tied to a lack of warnings about potential safety issues with products.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said that there are no risks of concern to human health when glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is used in accordance with its current label.

Most of the lawsuits claim Monsanto either knew or should have known Roundup can cause cancer and didnt warn users. The Roundup litigation has weighed heavily on Bayers stock, which is down 27% over the past 12 months, and prevented Chief Executive Officer Bill Anderson from tackling myriad other challenges at the company, including whether its conglomerate business model still makes sense.

In Durnells case, jurors rejected Bayers arguments that federal law preempts Missouris failure-to-warn statute and a state appeals court backed up the jurys finding in February. Durnell, who began using the weed killer in 1996, later was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, a disease researchers have linked to the product. Jim Onder, one of Durnells lawyers, didnt immediately return a call Friday for comment on Bayers appeal request.
I have some sympathy  empathy is the better word  for the woman in Ohio who posted on Facebook that Haitians were eating dogs and cats. It was not true, and it falsely maligned innocent people, but the woman said she posted it in good faith.

I did something similar.

My transgression occurred on March 27. That was the day Matthew McCulloch was sentenced in St. Louis County for having disrupted a grammar school Halloween party in Kirkwood by firing a handgun into the air and screaming, Everybody is going to die.

Spectators subdued and disarmed McCulloch. Nobody was physically injured, but children and parents were traumatized. McCulloch pleaded guilty to several charges in return for other charges being dropped. He entered a blind plea, which means there was no agreement on sentencing. That would be determined by a judge.

In this case, the judge was Ellen Ribaudo. She is a former defense attorney. That boded well for the defense, but Matthew is the son of Bob McCulloch, the former St. Louis County prosecutor, and if the judge were to give his son a break, people would scream about favoritism. Ribaudo would be under pressure to sentence him to prison.

My hearing is bad, and so I arrived at the courthouse early to get a good seat. The bailiff told me I couldnt go into the courtroom. The judge is restricting the spectators to relatives of the defendant and relatives of the people who will be making victim impact statements, he said.

The press and the public were directed to a courtroom across the hall to watch the proceedings on video. The camera was located above and to the right of the judge, so the people in the secondary courtroom had a direct view of the defendant and the defense attorney, and behind them, the prosecutor at her table. We could not see the judge or the witness box.

The defense had only one witness, a psychiatrist. He had examined the defendant in the county jail and had diagnosed a bipolar disorder. I thought fondly of the late Dean Hoag, a prosecutor who would slowly approach a medical defense witness and scornfully ask, How much they paying you for this testimony, Doc?

Theatrics like that might be effective with a jury, but not so much with a judge, who does not need to be told that expert witnesses are paid for their testimony. The prosecutor, Jessica Hathaway, was professional and courteous in her cross-examination.

Perhaps my interest waned. But then I heard a question that seems sympathetic to the defense. Then two more. These questions are inappropriate, I thought. Highly inappropriate.

A short while later, the judge rendered her verdict  probation. I went into the hallway. A man from the other courtroom was yelling, This isnt justice!

I left the courthouse and drove to the local PBS station for the pre-production meeting of the weekly show Donnybrook, in which local journalists discuss local issues. I just saw something very troubling, I said.

We taped the show. I made reference to the three questions I thought were inappropriate. The prosecution rolled over, I said. I added that if County Prosecutor Melissa Price Smith wanted to roll over on a case, she should roll over herself and not ask a young prosecutor to do it. I was in full self-righteous indignation mode.

The next morning, I sent an email to Chris King, who is the spokesperson for the prosecutors office. I informed him that I would be writing about the sentencing and pretty much repeated my rant from the previous night. I made reference to the questions I thought were inappropriate. I added that the office should have recused itself. Too many people admire Bob McCulloch, I wrote. Including me, I added.

If Ms. Smith wants to refute any of this or comment on it, Ill come over and talk to her before I write anything, I wrote.

Shortly thereafter, I got a call from a longtime friend in the office. A known associate, you might say. Somebody had given him my note.

Youve made a big mistake, he told me. The prosecutor didnt ask those questions. The judge did.

Have you ever stepped off a cliff? Me neither, but now I know what it feels like.

As soon as my friend said it, it made sense. The judge can ask whatever she wants whenever she wants. I couldnt, or didnt, distinguish the judges voice from the prosecutors voice. I am not offering my limited view as an excuse. Other reporters were in the courtroom with me  I sat next to Katie Kull from this newspaper  and nobody else made the mistake I did.

I apologized to Smith and Hathaway. They were gracious. Smith reminded me that the deal had been negotiated by the Wesley Bell administration before she was appointed by the governor. She couldnt recuse the office. The deal was done. Hathaway said she wasnt a young prosecutor, but a veteran prosecutor. She said Id seen her in court a bunch of times.

So I was wrong on everything.

In addition, I missed the two real stories. First, defense attorney Brian Millikan did a masterful job of negotiating the deal. Among the charges that were dropped were several charges of armed criminal action. Those require prison time. Probation is not an option. The charges that remained all allowed probation.

Also, the judge made an unpopular decision. That took courage. She did not take the easy route.

The day after my rant on Donnybrook, I got a note from a friend in Kirkwood. He thought McCulloch should have been sentenced to prison.

Thanks for your comments last night, he wrote. Please write a column and let people know what really happened.

Consider this that.
UPDATED with more details on teen who died

BEAUFORT  A 16-year-old firefighter here was killed Friday while responding to a water rescue.

Firefighter Chevy Gall, with the Beaufort-Leslie Fire Protection District, was on his way to a water rescue call just after 4 p.m. when he was injured in a car crash, officials said.

He was taken to Mercy Washington Hospital and was pronounced dead.

"Tonight is a fire chiefs worst nightmare," said Beaufort-Leslie Fire Protection District Fire Chief Terry Feth in a post.

"We are heartbroken by the loss of one of our own," Feth said. "Chevy died while answering the call to help others. Our entire department is grieving, as we mourn with Chevys family, friends, and our fellow first responders during this incredibly difficult time.

A person in the other car was also taken to a hospital but their condition was not publicly released.

Department officials said they would not release additional information about the crash until "all appropriate notifications have been made."

Beaufort is a community in western Franklin County and is about 60 miles southwest of St. Louis.
ST. LOUIS  A Manchester man was drunk out of his mind when he brutally beat a St. Louis attorney during a road rage incident two years ago, his lawyer said on Friday.

John Jake Ehlinger told a judge at his sentencing hearing that he was struggling at the time, trying to raise a child, keep a relationship, build his business and pay back investors.

Its been hard, he said through tears.

Just after 8 a.m. on a Sunday in 2023, Ehlinger beat local attorney Brian Stokes so badly that he broke Stokes nose, jaw and other facial bones, and kicked him in the throat.

It was not the first time he was accused of violent conduct.

Stokes and prosecutors outlined on Friday some of Ehlingers history: protection orders from people claiming abuse, a probationary sentence for slashing tires, accusations of fraud, and a pending assault case in St. Louis County.

I am not alone with victims of Mr. Ehlinger, Stokes said. St. Louis is aware of this. St. Louis is concerned about this.

Stokes said he spent the morning of Oct. 22, 2023, helping stray kittens, practicing music and working on a case for a paralyzed client.

He was leaving his office downtown and headed to the gym when Ehlingers truck pulled up next to him at 10th Street and Clark Avenue near the Thomas F. Eagleton courthouse.

The truck then crossed multiple lanes of traffic to get onto the highway on-ramp.

Stokes honked. Ehlingers truck backed up off the ramp and in front of Stokes.

Ehlinger got out, pulled Stokes out of his car, and beat him. Then, he chased a Range Rover that had driven past the scene.

Ehlinger said Friday he backed off the ramp because he thought Stokes was letting him know he was going the wrong way. He was confused, he said. Hed gotten turned around.

But Stokes claimed Ehlinger had lived on Washington Avenue and knew the area.

Prosecutors and a state employee who compiled a presentence report said Ehlinger minimized the event by making similar excuses.

Prosecutors asked Judge Annette Llewellyn to sentence Ehlinger to 10 years in prison. Stokes requested 13. Ehlingers attorney, Travis Noble, asked for probation.

In front of the judge on Friday, Ehlinger said he was sorry.

Im 36 years old, he said. What am I doing? I have all these people who depend on me.

He said he has been sober since two months after the incident.

Llewellyn gave him 10 years. She said she knew no one would be happy.
ST. LOUIS  A man has pleaded guilty to stabbing and killing a man outside a bar in 2014.

Andrew Barnett, 44, will be sentenced Friday on charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action.

Barnett was first charged May 9, 2014. The day before, police said he and Kristopher Schmeiderer, who knew each other, got into an argument at the Little Bar on Alabama Avenue in south St. Louis.

Barnett was told to leave out a back door; Schmeiderer was told several minutes later to leave out of the front door.

But police said that Barnett was waiting, armed with several knives. He stabbed Schmeiderer in the neck and abdomen, they said, and left Schmeiderer so near death after the attack that homicide detectives handled the investigation.

Schmeiderers family told the Post-Dispatch at the time the five stab wounds not only left him paralyzed but also severed his spinal cord and damaged his diaphragm, pancreas and liver. He was unable to breathe without a respirator. At the time of the attack, Schmeiderer had a 9-year-old daughter, an 18-month-old daughter and a 7-year-old son.

A jury in October 2015 found Barnett guilty of first-degree assault and armed criminal action. A few weeks later he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Schmeiderer died weeks after Barnett was sentenced.

Barnett appealed his conviction, arguing that St. Louis Circuit Judge Thomas Frawley refused to allow jurors to consider self-defense after such evidence was presented at trial. The state argued that self-defense wasnt an appropriate instruction because Barnett denied stabbing Schmeiderer, precluding ones justification to use deadly force.

In July 2019, the Missouri Supreme Court overturned Barnetts conviction, finding Frawley erred by not presenting the self-defense instruction to jurors.

And then Barnett was indicted by a grand jury on charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action on Feb. 2, 2021.

His second-degree murder conviction carries a minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in prison.

Schmeiderers parents have a pending wrongful death lawsuit against Barnett, the bar and its owners.
LAKE SAINT LOUIS  Lake Saint Louis residents will head to the ballot box next week and how they vote could determine if this small St. Charles County city will continue its rapid growth  or pump the brakes on the citys building boom.

While there is no referendum directly affecting Lake Saint Louis growth on the Tuesday ballot, voters here say how their landlocked community develops is a top concern  and is a focus of mayoral candidates Tom Mispagel and Brian McKinney.

Mispagel, 58, is a sitting alderman. McKinney, 48, sits on the citys zoning board. Theyre vying to replace Mayor Jason Law, who opted to run for St. Charles County executive in 2026 instead of for reelection this year.

Thirty years ago Lake Saint Louis was a city of roughly 7,600, with a single grocery store and farmland surrounding the lake.

Now, the city has 18,000 residents and is on pace to reach nearly 21,000 residents within the next five years, according to the U.S. census. It has three large grocery stores, large homes and docks encircle the lake, and the citys west side is filled with shopping centers and new subdivisions.

Now, as the city is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary in May, residents like Brian Kimmel are looking ahead with caution.

Our zoning is way out of whack. We have way too many apartments. I would halt any future growth until we get the infrastructure caught up, Kimmel said.

Last year, Lake Saint Louis officials approved a 451-unit development of single-family lots, townhomes and apartments now under construction. A 29-home subdivision from McBride Homes is also underway. And Aventura, a 144-unit luxury apartment complex built in 2023, is open for rent.

Sentiments like Kimmels is why Mispagel said he is pushing to further reduce the number of multi-family housing units allowed per acre in the citys ordinances. The city previously allowed 14 units per acre, but city leaders  including Mispagel and McKinney  pushed to amend the ordinance in 2024.

Mispagel said wants the city to drop it from 12 units per acre to 10 units per acre.

I want us to get back to more single-family housing developments, Mispagel said. He said the city has grown too fast since he moved to Lake Saint Louis in 1998. He has been on the board of aldermen since 2021 and previously served on the citys zoning and park boards.

The city has grown so much, it is almost unrecognizable, Mispagel said. He envisions a future where Lake Saint Louis population hovers around 25,000 residents.

Were never going to be a Wentzville, OFallon or even a St. Peters, he said. Those cities are much larger than Lake Saint Louis, which has limited opportunities for annexation.

McKinney, who moved to Lake Saint Louis in 2008, is also calling for zoning changes for multi-family housing. He says Lake Saint Louis needed multi-family housing for the city to attract more commercial development, including restaurants.

The workers who are going to work at those businesses need those apartments in order to have a place to live, McKinney said. We dont have any affordable housing for those workers.

But now, McKinney said he wants developers to focus more on single-family housing. I want us to get back to where neighbors know their neighbors, he said.

Changes outside the citys control could have major consequences on the population. The widening of Interstate 70 to a six-lane road from Wentzville to Columbia could bring additional growth opportunities to the city that is sandwiched between I-70 and Interstate 64-Highway 40.

I dont know that we can handle that much growth  our schools are full, our roads are full, McKinney said. Thats going to be a big challenge for us as a city.

Another challenge that both candidates agree on is preventing contaminated water from American Food Groups new meat packing plant in Foristell. The facility, which is set to open later this month, is upstream from Lake Saint Louis.

The facility will process 2,400 head of cattle per day once fully operational. The company is using a higher-capacity sewage treatment facility in Wright City that will ultimately release 3.5 million gallons of treated water per day into a tributary of Peruque Creek, which feeds into Lake Saint Louis.

McKinney said the citys mayor needs to be proactive and advocate for more regular water testing so that we can sound the alarm if the discharge starts to pollute the water. He said the mayor also needs to work collaboratively with state and county officials.

Mispagel echoed McKinney saying that we are all worried about discharge.

If we lose the lake, then we are not Lake Saint Louis anymore, Mispagel said.

Mispagel and McKinney are Republican, though the mayors position is non-partisan.

Campaign finance reports show McKinney with a significant fundraising advantage.

McKinney has raised more than $22,000 from dozens of donors, including Lake Saint Louis zoning commissioner Glen Heiman, Good News Brewery owner Dan Tripp and JM Construction co-founder Jim Merkel.

Mispagel has received $5,900 in donations, including a donation from St. Charles County Councilman Joe Brazil.

*Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include additional details on the candidates' stance on multi-family housing units.
Opponents of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk rallied across the U.S. on Saturday to protest the administrations actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights and other issues.

More than 1,200 Hands Off! demonstrations were planned by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. The protest sites included the National Mall in Washington, D.C., state capitols and other locations in all 50 states.

Several protests were held in the St. Louis region, including Ballwin, Arnold, St. Peters and downtown St. Louis.

Protesters assailed the Trump administrations moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people and cut federal funding for health programs.

Musk, a Trump adviser who owns Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has played a key role in government downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. He says he is saving taxpayers billions of dollars.

Speaking at the Washington protest, Paul Osadebe, a lawyer for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and a labor union steward, criticized Trump, Musk and others in the administration for not valuing the work federal employees do in creating a baseline of economic security and power for working people.

Billionaires and oligarchs dont value anything other than profit and power, and they sure as hell dont value you or your life or your community, he said. And were seeing that they dont care who they have to destroy or who they have to hurt to get what they want.

In Massachusetts, thousands of people gathered on Boston Common holding signs including Hands off our democracy, Hands off our Social Security and Diversity equity inclusion makes America strong. Hands off! In Ohio, hundreds rallied in rainy conditions at the Statehouse in Columbus.

Roger Broom, 66, a retiree from Delaware County, Ohio, said at the Columbus rally that he used to be a Reagan Republican but has been turned off by Trump.

Hes tearing this country apart, Broom said. Its just an administration of grievances.

Hundreds of people also demonstrated in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, a few miles from Trumps golf course in Jupiter, where he spent the morning at the clubs Senior Club Championship. People lined both sides of PGA Drive, encouraging cars to honk and chanting slogans against Trump.

Archer Moran from Port St. Lucie, Florida, said, They need to keep their hands off of our Social Security.

The list of what they need to keep their hands off of is too long, Moran said. And its amazing how soon these protests are happening since hes taken office.

The president plans to go golfing again Sunday, according to the White House.

Asked about the protests, the White House said in a statement that President Trumps position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.

Activists have staged nationwide demonstrations against Trump or Musk multiple times since Trump returned to office. But the opposition movement has yet to produce a mass mobilization like the Womens March in 2017, which brought thousands of women to Washington, D.C., after Trumps first inauguration, or the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that erupted in multiple cities after George Floyds killing in 2020.

Associated Press writers Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, and Fatima Hussein in West Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.

Collection: Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests More than 1,200 Hands Off! demonstrations were held Saturday, April 5, 2025, to protest President Donald Trumps policies. This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors. Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators hold up signs during a 'Hands Off!' protest against President Donald Trump at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, A Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators hold up banners during a 'Hands Off!' protest against President Donald Trump at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protesters rally in Civic Center Plaza during a protest against President Donald Trump, part of "Hands Off" rallies held nationwide, in San Fr Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protesters march along Van Ness Avenue during a protest against President Donald Trump, in San Francisco, Saturday, April 5, 2025. 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(AP Photo/Andres  Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators march during a rally against President Donald Trump on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in New York, as part of the nationwide "Hands Of Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators hold banners during a 'Hands Off!' protest against President Donald Trump at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, Ap Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests From left, Penny Heffelfinger, Debra Hines and Kaye Shepard chant during a demonstration against President Trump's administration in Omaha, Ne Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Crowds gather during a demonstration against President Trump's administration in Omaha, Neb., on Saturday, April 5, 2025, as part of the natio Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protestors wave signs on a pedestrian bridge and along Dodge Street during a demonstration against President Trump's administration in Omaha,  Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests A Tesla vehicle drives past demonstrators during a rally against President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk in San Jose, Calif., on Saturd Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators rally in Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco, on Saturday, April 5, 2025, during a protest against President Donald Trump, part  Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests A driver waves to protesters as they rally in the streets of downtown Colorado Springs, Colo., Saturday, April 5, 2025, as people across the c Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators hold a rally outside City Hall in San Francisco, on Saturday, April 5, 2025, during a protest against President Donald Trump, pa Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators rally in Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco, on Saturday, April 5, 2025, during a protest against President Donald Trump, part  Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators rally in Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco, on Saturday, April 5, 2025, during a protest against President Donald Trump, part  Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators hold a rally at the Pennsylvania state capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., during the "Hands Off!" national day of protest against the T Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators hold a rally at the Pennsylvania state capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., during the "Hands Off!" national day of protest against the T Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests A demonstrator hold a U.S. flag during a "Hands Off!" protest against President Donald Trump on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Phot Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators hold a rally at the Pennsylvania state capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., during the "Hands Off!" national day of protest against the T Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protesters attend a demonstration at St. James Park in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, April 5, 2025, part of the nationwide "Hands Off!" ralli Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests A demonstrator carries a sign during a "Hands Off!" protest against President Donald Trump on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/ Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests A demonstrator carries a caricature of President Donald Trump during a "Hands Off!" protest against Trump on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in New Y Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators march during a "Hands Off!" protest against President Donald Trump on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests An aerial view of the crowd during a Hands Off! rally on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids, Mich. Hosted by Indivis Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Eight-year-old Teddy Burdick listens to speakers alongside his sister, 11-year-old Addy Burdick, during a Hands Off! rally on Saturday, April  Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Marie Conti, foreground left, and Amie Faillace, foreground right, both of Center City Philadelphia, join other protesters marching from City  Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests A demonstrator dressed as the Statue of Liberty participates in the "Hands Off!" protests against President Donald Trump at the Washington Mon Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Sandra Schwartz hoists her sign during a Hands Off! rally on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids, Mich. Hosted by Ind Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators gather during a "Hands Off!" rally against President Donald Trump on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests A demonstrator shouts slogans during a "Hands Off!" protest against President Donald Trump on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/ Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Hundreds of people gather in downtown St. Joseph, Mich., Saturday, April 5, 2025, during a "Hands Off" rally held to protest the Trump adminis Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Hundreds of people gather in downtown St. Joseph, Mich., Saturday, April 5, 2025, during a "Hands Off" rally held to protest the Trump adminis Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests A demonstrator carries a photo depicting Elon Musk in a uniform as they take to the streets and march during a protest against President Donal Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protesters form a human banner on Ocean Beach during a protest against President Donald Trump, part of the "Hands Off" rallies held nationwide Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protesters form a human banner on Ocean Beach during a protest against President Donald Trump, part of the "Hands Off" rallies held nationwide Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protestors shout slogans as they march during a "Hands Off!" protest against President Donald Trump on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in New York. ( Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators carry signs during the "Hands Off!" protests against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Washington Monument in Washingt Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators carry signs during the "Hands Off!" protests against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Washington Monument in Washingt Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protestors hold signs as they take to the streets and march during a "Hands Off!" protest against President Donald Trump on Saturday, April 5, Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators hold up signs during a "Hands Off!" protest against President Donald Trump at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, A Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators hold up signs during a "Hands Off!" protest against President Donald Trump at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, A Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Metro train riders carry signs before attending a rally to protest President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Washingto Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Pro-Palestinian protesters carrying a depiction of President Donald Trump gather at a rally before marching toward the U.S. Immigration and Cu Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Demonstrators hold up signs during a "Hands Off!" protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Washington Monument in Washingto Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Opponents of President Donald Trump protest near the Washington Monument, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Juli Tipton, left, and her daughter Chloe Smalley, carry signs in protest to the policies of President Donald Trump and Elon during a "Hands O Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protesters carry signs and chant slogans against the policies of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Miami. (AP P Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protesters hold signs as they join a "Hands Off!" demonstration against U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, at the Trafalgar Square, in Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protesters carry signs and chant slogans against the policies of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Miami. (AP P Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Beth Maddox, of Calhoun, Ga., right, participates in a civil rights demonstrators, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Rome, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests A protester holds signs as she joins a "Hands Off!" demonstration against U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, at the Trafalgar Square,  Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protesters carry signs and chant slogans against the policies of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Miami. (AP P Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Chelsea Reinhard of US, center, joins a "Hands Off!" demonstration against U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, at the Trafalgar Square, Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Activists protest President Donald Trump, who was a few miles away at his Trump National Golf Club, during a "Hands Off!" demonstration Saturd Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protesters hold signs as they join a "Hands Off!" demonstration against U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, at the Trafalgar Square, in Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protesters hold signs as they join a "Hands Off!" demonstration against U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, at the Trafalgar Square, in Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Activists protest President Donald Trump, who was a few miles away at his Trump National Golf Club, during a "Hands Off!" demonstration Saturd Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Helena Jensen, joins a "Hands Off!" demonstration against U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, at the Trafalgar Square, in London, Satur Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protesters hold signs as they join a "Hands Off!" demonstration against U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, at trafalgar Square, in Lon Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Protesters hold signs as they join a "Hands Off!" demonstration against U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, at the Trafalgar Square, in Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests British protester Hugo Brooks, holds toilet brush featuring a figure of U.S. President Donald Trump as he joins a "Hands Off!" demonstration a Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests Members of Indian Youth Congress burn an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump during a demonstration to protest against recent tariffs announ Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests A demonstrator carries a poster during a 'Hands Off!' protest by U.S. citizens against President Donald Trump in Lisbon, Portugal, joining hun Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests People stood in the rain for several hours Saturday along Manchester Road in Ballwin holding signs supporting civil rights, the Constitution a Multimedia St. Louis protesters participate in national Hands Off! demonstrations People stood in the rain for several hours Saturday along Manchester Road in Ballwin holding signs supporting civil rights, the Constitution a Multimedia Anti-Trump Hands Off! protests People stood in the rain for several hours Saturday along Manchester Road in Ballwin holding signs supporting civil rights, the Constitution a
WASHINGTON  Senate Republicans plugged away overnight and into early Saturday morning to approve their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks and spending cuts framework, hurtling past Democratic opposition toward what President Donald Trump calls the big, beautiful bill central to his agenda.

The vote, 51-48, fell along mostly party lines, but with sharp dissent from two prominent Republicans. It came after Trumps new tariffs sent stocks plummeting and as experts warn of soaring costs for consumers and threats of a potential recession.

Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky both voted against the measure.

Approval paves the way for Republicans in the months ahead to try to power a tax cut bill through both chambers of Congress over the objections of Democrats, just as they did in Trumps first term with unified party control in Washington.

Republicans swat down Democrats' proposed amendments

Republican senators used their majority to swat back more than two dozen Democratic amendments, often in rambunctious voice votes that GOP senators will have to defend before next years elections.

Among them were proposals to ban tax breaks for the super-wealthy, end Trumps tariffs, clip his efforts to shrink the federal government, and protect Medicaid, Social Security and other services. One, in response to the Trump national security teams use of Signal, sought to prohibit military officials from using any commercial messaging application to transmit war plans.

They all failed, though a GOP amendment to protect Medicare and Medicaid was accepted.

Democrats accused Republicans of laying the groundwork for cutting key safety net programs to help pay for more than $5 trillion tax cuts they say disproportionately benefit the rich.

Trumps policies are a disaster, said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, as is Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency, he added. Republicans could snuff it out tonight, if they wanted.

The Republicans framed their work as preventing a tax increase for most American families, arguing that unless Congress acts, the individual and estate tax cuts that GOP lawmakers passed in 2017 will expire at the end of this year.

The Senate package pulls in other GOP priorities, including $175 billion to bolster Trumps mass deportation effort, which is running short of cash, and an additional $175 billion for the Pentagon to build up the military, from an earlier budget effort.

The framework now goes to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., could bring it up for a vote as soon as next week as he works toward a final product by Memorial Day.

The House and Senate need to resolve their differences. The Houses version has $4.5 trillion in tax breaks over 10 years and about $2 trillion in budget cuts, and pointed at changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other programs. Some House Republicans panned the Senates approach.

Among the amendments Democratic senators offered were several to protect safety net programs. Several Republicans, including Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, joined Democrats in voting to preserve some of those programs, particularly regarding health care. Collins opposed the entire package in a warning against steep Medicaid cuts.

Collins said the potential reductions for that health program in the House bill would be very detrimental to a lot of families and disabled individuals and seniors in my state.

Paul questioned the math used by his colleagues that he said would pile on the debt load. Something's fishy, he said.

One Republican, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, expressed his own misgivings about tax breaks adding to the federal deficits and said he has assurances that Trump officials would seek the cuts elsewhere.

This vote isnt taking place in a vacuum, he said, a nod to the turmoil over Trumps tariffs.

One crucial challenge ahead will be for the House to accept the way the Senates budget plan allows for extending the tax cuts under a scoring method that treats them as not adding to future deficits, something many House Republicans reject. A new estimate from the Joint Committee on Taxation projects the tax breaks will add $5.5 trillion over the next decade when including interest, and $4.6 trillion not including interest.

On top of that, the senators added an additional $1.5 trillion that would allow some of Trumps campaign promises, such as no taxes on tips, Social Security benefits and overtime, swelling the overall the price tag to $7 trillion.

Republicans also look to increase the $10,000 deduction for state and local taxes, something lawmakers from states such as New York, California and New Jersey say is necessary for their support.

The House and Senate are also at odds over increasing the debt limit to allow more borrowing. The House boosted the debt limit by $4 trillion in its plan, but the Senate upped it to $5 trillion to push any further votes on the matter until after next years midterm elections.

The Senate calls for just $4 billion in spending cuts, but GOP leadership emphasizes that's a low floor and committees will hunt for far more.

The GOP leadership encouraged members to just get a budget plan over the finish line, saying they have time to work out the tough questions.

Extending the the 2017 breaks would cut taxes for about three-quarters of households but raise them for about 10%. In 2027, about 45% of the benefit of all the tax cuts would go to those making roughly $450,000 or more, according to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, which analyzes tax issues.
Police confiscated this 9 mm ghost gun when they arrested Rayshaun Ducos on Jan. 30, 2023, in Honolulu in connection with the death of a Marine. (U.S. Department of Justice)



A Honolulu man was sentenced to 12 years in federal court Thursday for illegal drug dealing linked to the death of a Hawaii-based Marine.

Rayshaun Ducos, 27, pleaded guilty Dec. 11 to possessing cocaine with intent to distribute and possessing firearms to further drug trafficking, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release Thursday.

He was sentenced in Honolulu by U.S. District Senior Judge J. Michael Seabright.

As part of his guilty plea, Ducos admitted he had sold cocaine to Adell Anderson Jr., 25, who fatally overdosed on Jan. 23, 2023.

Anderson, a native of Fresno County, Calif., joined the Marine Corps in 2019 and was stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii at the time of his death.

Anderson met Ducos outside his Waikiki Beach apartment on the evening of Jan. 22, 2023, where he paid $500 for cocaine, according to the plea agreement.

Anderson returned home to the windward side of Oahu, where within hours of snorting cocaine he began convulsing, struggled to breathe and became unresponsive.

He was pronounced dead at the Castle Medical Center Emergency Room in Kailua.

The Honolulu Medical Examiner concluded Anderson died of cocaine toxicity, the plea agreement states.

Ducos also admitted that, just days after the Marines death, as law enforcement attempted to execute a federal search warrant at his Waikiki residence, he flushed cocaine down the toilet in an attempt to obstruct the investigation, the news release states.

Police confiscated two homemade ghost guns at the time of Ducos arrest, according to the Justice Department release.

He admitted in the plea that he used the 9 mm and 5.56 mm pistols in connection with trafficking cocaine, according to the department. Police also found about 300 rounds of ammunition and $30,000 in cash.

In court, Seabright said he was imposing a jail term at the higher end of the sentencing guidelines because of Andersons death, the news release states.

A young man is dead because of Mr. Ducoss actions, said acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson in the news release.

Selling drugs endangers lives, he said. Doing so while armed makes an already deadly trade even more dangerous and puts the general public at significant risk from the violence that is endemic to the illegal drug trade.
Mr Kelly was stabbed multiple times during an altercation in the Grafton Street area of the city

Sean and Gary Anderson who have been jailed for the murder of Karol Kelly

Two brothers jailed for murdering a defenceless father-of-five stabbed to death in Derry have lost a legal battle to have their sentences reduced.

The Court of Appeal today rejected claims that Sean Anderson, 26, and Gary Anderson, 27, received manifestly excessive prison terms after being convicted of killing Karol Kelly back in March 2018.

Mr Kelly was stabbed multiple times during an altercation in the Grafton Street area of the city.

Earlier that night the 35-year-old had been involved in attacking the two brothers at their nearby home, the court heard.

He was then pursued from the house and caught in an entry, where witnesses reported seeing him being punched and kicked on the ground.

Mr Kelly was also stabbed repeatedly, including a fatal wound to his chest.

Two knives with the victims blood on them were subsequently discovered in the backyard of a property on Grafton Street.

DNA evidence connected Gary Anderson to one of the blades.

The brothers were also linked to the killing by blood stains found on items of clothing.

Karol Kelly

Both defendants denied the murder but were convicted following a jury trial at Derry Crown Court.

In March 2023 a judge ordered Sean Anderson to serve at least 17 years in prison while Gary Anderson was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years behind bars.

Appealing the terms imposed, defence lawyers claimed the assessment of aggravating and mitigating factors was flawed.

They also contended that the starting point for the sentencing process was incorrect.

But rejecting all grounds of challenge, judges in the Court of Appeal highlighted how Mr Kelly was killed in a group attack involving the use of two knives.

Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan ruled: We are not satisfied that the sentences imposed were wrong in principle or manifestly excessive.

The preamble to this murder cannot detract from the fact that the applicants armed themselves with knives and engaged in a sustained attack, causing multiple injuries to the deceased who was defenceless on the ground.
Les Byrne pleaded guilty to having the four explosive devices in his possession or under his control

04/04/2025 Les Byrne (49) of Shancastle Park, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having the four explosive devices in his possession or under his control. He has 24 previous convictions? Pic Collins Court

A man found with four pipe bombs in the back of his van believed to be related to an ongoing feud between organised crime groups has been jailed for six and a quarter years.

Les Byrne (49) was discovered with the devices when gardai searched his van on March 24, 2024 when they noticed an overwhelming smell of cannabis in the vicinity.

Byrne, of Shancastle Park, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having the four explosive devices in his possession or under his control. He has 24 previous convictions.

Passing sentence yesterday (FRI), Judge Martin Nolan said Byrne was acting under instructions from third parties, but said he was vital, noting someone has to carry and hold items.

Judge Nolan set a headline sentence of 10 years, noting these were potentially lethal weapons.

The judge said he must have been desperate as he was doing it for very little money but said he had decided as a mature man of the world to do this. He noted his guilty plea, co-operation and that he had family responsibilities.

Judge Nolan sentenced him to six and a quarter years imprisonment.

Garda Aaron Murphy told Breffni Gordon SC, prosecuting, that he and a colleague were on mobile patrol in the Clondalkin area and arrived into a retail park on Fonthill Road.

Gda Murphy said the area had a high volume of shops and pedestrians. In the car park Gda Murphy noted an overwhelming smell of cannabis and found it was coming from a van parked irregularly in the area. He confronted the driver, who was acting suspiciously and seemed nervous.

Byrne was compliant with the search of the van.

The garda said the van was very messy and his eye was drawn to a clean Sainsburys bag in the back of the van. He opened the bag and discovered the four pipe bombs inside.

He was unsure what they were at first but noticed the fuses and realised the extent of what had been discovered.

The area was secured and the devices made safe. They were later examined and found to be effective bombs.

The garda said the possession of the devices was believed to be related to an ongoing feud in the area between two organised crime groups (OCG) which has escalated in recent times with arson attacks, intimidation and attacks on homes.

Les Byrne. Photo: Collins Courts

Gda Murphy said the accused mans phone was analysed and it was found Byrne was being directed what to do by a person serving a lengthy prison sentence. It is accepted Byrne was on a low rung in relation to the OCGs. He was to receive 500 for his involvement.

The garda agreed with Michael Hourican SC, defending, that Byrne was being used to store the items and that his role was to be given something to hold on to until it was taken.

The garda agreed the text messages seen by gardai between Byrne and another individual outlined that at a certain point, Byrne became aware of what he had and immediately wanted to get rid of them, using expletives towards the person who gave him the items.

The garda agreed with counsel that there was a long series of messages in which Byrne said he didn't want the items. He agreed that Byrne was operating under the influence of others.

Mr Hourican said his client had been acting under the influence of people of influence who exert soft and hard power in the locality.

He asked the court to take into account the test messages showing that at some point he became aware of what he had and was deeply unhappy, subsequently making ongoing efforts to rid himself of the items.

He said Byrne was at the bottom of the food chain and was disposable and dispensable. He accepted Byrne had a previous history but had kept his head down for a long time.

Counsel said Byrne had a work history and was a carer for his mother who was very ill.
Nadyne Gusmao (28) is accused of transporting the drugs on a flight to Ireland in return for having a trip home to Brazil paid for

Nadyne Gusmao is accused of smuggling more than 16,000 pills. Photo: Paddy Cummins

A health-care supervisor was caught illegally importing nearly 10,000 worth of sedative tablets in her suitcase when she was stopped in Dublin Airport, it is alleged.

Nadyne Gusmao (28) is accused of transporting the drugs on a flight to Ireland in return for having a trip home to Brazil paid for.

Judge John King granted her bail and adjourned the case for the DPP directions.

Ms Gusmao, of Eaton Square, Terenure, Dublin is charged with unlawful importation of alprazolam, clonazepam and zolpidem and possession of the drugs with intent to sell or supply.

Gardai objected to bail at Dublin District Court.

Ms Gusmao had come to Dublin on a flight from Brazil via Paris and had more than 16,000 tablets of various brands and strengths concealed in her suitcase, a garda said.

It was alleged another party had paid for her trip to Brazil and she transported the package back to Ireland in return.

According to gardai, she was caught red-handed. She had no strong connection to Ireland and was a clear and immediate flight risk.

Applying for bail, the accuseds lawyer said Ms Gusmao had been in Ireland since 2022. She had been studying English but was now working and wished to remain in this jurisdiction.

Judge King set bail in the accuseds own bond of 3,000 with no cash lodgement required.

Under conditions, she must live at her home address, keep a night-time curfew and sign on at Terenure garda station. She must not apply for any new travel documents after surrendering her passport.

The accused has not yet entered pleas to the charges.
A judge said it was no wonder people are terrified of going to hospital because they were afraid of meeting people like Thomas Stokes, whose conduct towards gardai was also outrageous

A man who hurled despicable racial abuse at a garda and had to be removed from a hospital for his drunken behaviour there has been jailed for seven months.

A judge said it was no wonder people are terrified of going to hospital because they were afraid of meeting people like Thomas Stokes, whose conduct towards gardai was also outrageous.

Stokes (43), of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour and other charges.

At Store Street station, he said "f**k you, garda, go f**k yourself and became aggressive

Dublin District Court heard a garda was on duty on Capel Street in the city centre on July 18 last year when he came across Stokes drinking from a bottle of vodka. When he seized and disposed of the alcohol, Stokes said ching chong p***k, Chinese bastard, go back to your own f**king country. This was in earshot of members of the public.

Stokes was intoxicated, could not stand unaided and was arrested.

Gardai were called to Eccles Street on September 13 last year, after Stokes, who was intoxicated, was removed from the Mater Hospital.

He was again unable to stand unaided, repeatedly told gardai to f**k off and was arrested.

Last July 29, gardai found Stokes drinking a bottle of vodka on Henry Street and arrested him for being a danger to himself. At Store Street station, he said f**k you, garda, go f**k yourself and became aggressive. He threw a cup at a garda, hitting him on the head.

The accused had 239 previous convictions, mainly for public order offences.

His previous offending stemmed from his environment, having spent 15 years on the streets of Dublin, his lawyer said.

When he became homeless he turned to alcohol to numb the pain. Stokes was remorseful for his actions, had made a genuine effort to deal with his problems and needed support.

He was in custody on remand when he appeared in court and was doing well in prison, his lawyer said.

His behaviour to members of the gardai is outrageous, Judge John Hughes said, and his insults to one officer were despicable.

People going to hospital to look for treatment had been confronted by Stokes, he said.

Its a very poor indictment on our society that we have to have security guards at hospitals, the judge said. No wonder people are terrified of going to hospital, because theyre afraid of meeting people like Mr Stokes.
Josh Smith (21) was stopped as he tried to bring the drugs to the Cloverhill prison complex in west Dublin

A young man caught approaching a prison wall with pipes filled with more than 2,500 worth of drugs has chosen to go to jail rather than do community service.

Josh Smith (21) was stopped as he tried to bring the drugs to the Cloverhill prison complex in west Dublin.

Judge David McHugh gave him the option of 100 hours of community work or a three-month prison sentence, but Smith said he preferred jail.

Smith, of Blackditch Road, Ballyfermot, admitted trying to bring drugs into prison.

Blanchardstown District Court heard gardai were called to Cloverhill prison on October 25, 2023, where the accused was seen approaching the wall and throwing an item on the ground. This was six pipes containing benzodiazepines, cocaine and cannabis.

He would prefer the prison sentence

The accused had grown up in difficult circumstances, his solicitor said. He was working at summer festivals and wanted to go back to school to sit his Leaving Certificate.

The solicitor asked Judge McHugh for leniency. The judge said for such matters it was a binary choice between an outright sentence and community service.

He said the accused could give some assistance back to the community and that he would adjourn the case for an assessment.

He would prefer the prison sentence, the lawyer said after consulting Smith.

The accused was immediately taken into custody.
Nathan Robinson (30) of Dunard Avenue, Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of stolen property

04/04/25 Nathan Robinson (30) of Dunard Avenue, Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of stolen property, namely a Live U600 Electronic transmission device in Fairview, on January 24, 2023... Pic Collins Courts

A man who sold a valuable piece of stolen recording equipment he came into possession of for 50 has been given a suspended sentence.

Nathan Robinson (30) of Dunard Avenue, Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of stolen property, namely a Live U600 Electronic transmission device in Fairview, on January 24, 2023.

Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Martin Nolan said it seems this defendant knew where to go with the equipment, and he got 50 for it.

Judge Nolan said the shop had CCTV footage, and this defendant was identified. He noted that Robinson has a good history of offending and some of his convictions are relevant.

Judge Nolan sentenced Robinson to 20 months in prison but suspended it in full.

Garda Conor Flynn told Maddie Grant BL, prosecuting, that a piece of recording equipment was stolen from the car of an RTE camera man working at the Criminal Courts of Justice.

The equipment was valued at 25,000. The item had an Apple air tag attached and gardai were able to track it to a electronic hardware store in Dublin. The shop owner told gardai it had been brought there by two people.

Gardai viewed CCTV and identified the accused man going into the store, opening a rucksack and taking out the piece of equipment. Approximately 50 was exchanged.

Robinson, who has previous convictions for burglary, handling stolen property and possession of stolen property, admitted having possession of the stolen equipment.

Gda Flynn said a search warrant was obtained for Robinsons home, and items of clothing matching what was seen on CCTV footage were seized. He was arrested on January 27, 2023 and made some admissions during interview. There was no victim impact statement before the court.

Gda Flynn agreed with Aoife OLeary, BL, defending, that her client had no idea of the item's worth when he went into the shop. He also agreed that the items have been returned to RTE.

The garda agreed with counsel that Robinson had a drug addiction and had gone on a binge. He also agreed that he was co-operative with gardai.

Ms OLeary handed letters from family members of Robinson into the court. She also handed in a letter of apology from Robinson.

Counsel said her client has not come to garda attention in the past two years.

She asked the court to consider a suspended sentence.
Twenty years ago this week, body parts were fished from Dublins Royal Canal - arms, legs, a torso, but no head.

28/10/06 Charlotte Mulhall (22)(black Hair), and Linda Mulhall of Kilclare Gardens, Tallaght, who denies the murder of Sheilila Salim, also known as Farah Swaleh Noor, on or about March 20th at Richmond Cottages, Ballybough. The body of Mr Salim, who had been living in Ireland since 1996, was found in the canal at Ballybough Bridge, close to Croke Park, on the evening of March 30th. Picture: Garrett White/Collins

The retired garda officer who brought the Scissor Sisters to justice has described how a casual cup of tea led to Linda Mulhall confessing to the infamous murder.

Twenty years ago this week, body parts were fished from Dublins Royal Canal - arms, legs, a torso, but no head.

The shocking discovery launched one of the most bizarre and harrowing murder investigations in Irelands criminal history.

Describing the grim find, former Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan says it was one of the most grotesque murders in Irish history

Ultimately, Charlotte Mulhall was convicted of murder while her sister Linda Mulhall was given a 15-year sentence for manslaughter.

However, when the body parts were found on 30 March, gardai had no idea what they were dealing with.

My standout memory was Colin Fox (late Garda Superintendent) ringing me from the side of the canal, Mangan recalled.

He said he was with the fire brigade and looking into what he believed to be body parts. He was, unfortunately, not mistaken.

Christy Mangan has reflected on the case that gripped the nation, in an exclusive two part special with Crime Worlds Nicola Tallant.

The dismembered body had been dumped in the canal, but two vital pieces were missing: the head and the penis. That immediately threw us into the realm of a ritual killing,

Mangan explained. We spoke to priests, South African police and experts in African ritual practices, there was even a fear that a witch doctor had come in and taken the body parts for potions.

A chilling theory, but ultimately way off track.

We spent a week searching five kilometres of the canal, he said, crediting the Garda underwater unit for their relentless work.

The last thing you want is a child stumbling upon a human head weeks later. That wouldve been an unimaginable failure.

A breakthrough finally came when a CrimeStoppers tip-off led Gardai to a friend of the victim who recognised the distinctive white long-sleeved Ireland jersey found with the body.

He recalled his friend wearing it on OConnell Street with three women shortly before his disappearance.

Linda (left) and Charlotte Mulhall in 2006

When he could no longer contact him, alarm bells rang.

That was really brilliant for us, said Mangan. It gave us somewhere to go.

It was an innovative forensic test by Professor Wolfgang Morl in Belfast that narrowed down the search.

We took water samples from every Garda station in Dublin and gave him a bone fragment; the thinking was that if you live in an area for a certain amount of time, your bone composition will change because of the water you drink So he was able to tell us that the victim had lived in Ballybough for over 200 days.

"That gave us an area to focus on, he explained.

Finally, confirmation came through DNA. Investigators learned that the potential victim had fathered a child, and with the cooperation of the childs mother, a DNA sample was taken.

The results showed a 99.6% match, proving that the remains belonged to Farah Swaleh Noor. From there, we identified the three women, Kathleen Mulhall and her daughters, Charlotte and Linda. he recalled

Kathleen Mulhall, mother of Charlotte and Linda. Photo: PA

What followed was a descent into horror. Gardai tracked the group to Richmond Cottages and a luminol sweep of the apartment revealed microscopic blood traces the size of dandruff, Mangan recalled.

It was the best forensic clean-up Ive ever seen. Hardly any blood and no bone fragments. It was like an abattoir had been bleached from top to bottom.

What they lacked in forensic evidence, they made up for in persistence. Mangan and his team stayed close, built trust, and waited.

A visit to Linda Mulhalls home, framed as a casual cup of tea and a conversation, would ultimately lead to the confession that broke the case wide open.

Sometimes you just have to let people talk, he says. You sit down, have a cup of tea, and listen, he said.

Retired Garda Christy Mangan

And it worked. Linda later rang Gardai after their visit to say: I need to talk to you. What followed was a shocking four hour confession.

She told us everything, recalled Mangan, visibly moved. She described the moment her sister Charlotte plunged a Stanley blade into Farahs neck after he had made sexual advances towards Linda.she admitted to standing in a shower tray, hacking apart Noors body in a fit of panic and desperation, and finally, came the dismemberment.

The level of detail, the horror - it was enough to shake investigators whod seen it all.

She was emotional and deeply traumatised, but she was honest, Mangan said. It wasnt just about covering up the murder.

"There was real rage. Cutting off the private parts? That was a final insult. A mutilation.

Farah Swaleh Noor

The disposal of the remains was equally as gruesome.

"They dragged the body down to the canal bit by bit in the early hours of the morning, Mangan said.

"And then, believe it or not, they put the head in a bag, got on a bus, and went to Tallaght with it. Two sisters on a bus - with a mans head in a bag?

"Its absolutely fascinating. Flabbergasting, really.They buried it in a park, dug it up again when it rained, smashed it with a hammer, and left it in a hedge, Mangan explained. We never found it.

Linda Mulhall

I believe she was sorry, said Mangan. She wore her heart on her sleeve. Shed had a hard life.

"That doesnt excuse it, but investigators are human too, its crucial to understand the people behind the crime.

When asked what stayed with him most, even after two decades, Mangan didnt hesitate. Its the sheer horror of it, the dismemberment, he said.

Most people dont even remember the murder. They remember what was done to the body.

As the 20th anniversary of the Scissor Sisters case passes, Ireland remembers a killing that defied belief, a family torn apart by trauma and violence, and the dedicated detectives who refused to let it slip into the shadows.

Some cases stay with you, Mangan says quietly. This one always will.

To hear the full story in Christy Mangans own words, listen to the exclusive interview now on the Crime World podcast with Nicola Tallant.
John Patrick Smyth appeared handcuffed in the dock of Belfast Magistrates Court

A convicted sex offender has been remanded into custody accused of breaching the requirements of a police register.

John Patrick Smyth appeared handcuffed in the dock of Belfast Magistrates Court.

He was charged with failing to notify police of his address from February this year and also on foot of an arrest warrant.

Objecting to Smyth being freed on bail, a police officer said the 38-year-old had been freed from prison in February and was obliged to register an address but if he was homeless, he had to report to police every three days.

According to the police case, Smyth registered one address but when officers spoke to the householder, they confirmed the pervert had stayed there for one night but never returned.

The officer said police were objecting to bail due to fears of further offending and that Smyth, who has a previous address at Clarke Court in Antrim, will not turn up for court.

Revealing that Smyth had reconciled with his mother who was willing to provide her home as a bail address, the defence solicitor said Smyth is undergoing treatment for lung cancer which would be better treated if he was not housed in HMP Maghaberry.

He conceded that while Smyth has a litany of convictions including multiple convictions for breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order and the sex offenders register, the lawyer argued many of them were committed because Smyth was in a cycle of homelessness.

Refusing bail, however, District Judge Mark Hamill listed Smyths litany of breaching court orders, including Crown Court orders and commented that he has an appalling record.

Remanding Smyth into custody he adjourned the case to Friday.
During his trial in 2020, evidence was heard as to how Cawley was effectively been acting as niece Winnie McDonaghs parent when the abuse began

Stepfather from hell Patrick Podge Cawley is back on the streets after serving just over four and a half years in prison for the sexual abuse of an orphaned 14-year-old girl.

Predator Cawley (53) was released from Mountjoy Prison at noon on Tuesday.

During his trial in 2020, evidence was heard as to how Cawley was effectively been acting as niece Winnie McDonaghs parent when the abuse began.

The court heard that Winnies mother died when she was aged four and that she was taken in by Cawley and his wife.

In the only interview she has given about her hell at the hands at Cawley, Winnie told the Sunday World after the trial how she thought of Cawley as her daddy until, at the age of 14, he began raping her two to three times a week.

The beast branded Winnie a liar after she came forward  sparking six years of threats against her, and she was forced to flee the Republic with her children over fears her uncles supporters would attack her.

Brave Winnie McDonagh

My mum died when I was four years old and me and my two sisters were sent to live with him and his wife, Winnie said at the time.

They were looking after me, I looked up to both of them, I called them mommy and daddy.

Speaking of the nightmare she endured from the age of 14 at the Cawleys bungalow home on the Ardcath Road in Garristown, Dublin, she said: Basically, he would just carry me off in the car the whole time with him. Hed always wait until my aunt was gone and then hed bring me to fields, graveyards and all places like that. He did it in a hotel in Ashbourne when I was about 14. But it was mostly in and around Drogheda.

It happened probably two or three times every week. And it went on for years.

After fleeing the hell Cawley was putting her through in Garristown, Winnie moved in with another aunt and told her what had happened.

Speaking of her long battle to get justice, Winnie continued: It took six years to get this to court. There were lots of threats on Facebook and stuff against me, against my aunt and against my uncle.

He [Cawley] put his hand on his sons grave and swore he didnt do it. And he did that in front of everybody. By the end of it all he had all these people sticking up for him.

After I gave my evidence I think he knew he was caught  he pleaded guilty. To this day, they [his supporters] are up on their phones threatening they are going to do this and do that. They threatened everyone  threatened my uncle, threatened my auntie, called me names saying it was my own fault.

Cawley of Ardcath Road, Garristown, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to two charges of defilement of a child on dates unknown between 2011 and 2014. His guilty pleas came after Winnie had given her evidence before a jury, but before she underwent cross examination.

At his sentencing hearing, Ms Justice Tara Burns was told Winnie was not able to marry within the Traveller Community because she was no longer a virgin because of the sexual assaults by her uncle.
All the offences date back to the early hours of August 15, 2022, and were committed in a hotel room in the centre of Belfast

Two women bravely waived their right to anonymity to speak about their ordeal

Two women who were abused by a Ballymena man in a hotel room in Belfast have urged other women not to suffer in silence as they bravely waived their right to anonymity to speak about their ordeal.

Cousins Aoibhinn Scott and Orla Gordon, who are both 25 and from the north Antrim area both attended Belfast Crown Court today where their abuser was handed a 12-month sentence, which was suspended for two years.

Danny Murray (28), from Rockfield Heights in Ballymena, was also made the subject of a five-year Sexual Offences Order and will be on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault, one charge of common assault and one count of voyeurism.

All the offences date back to the early hours of August 15, 2022, and were committed in a hotel room in the centre of Belfast.

Aoibhinn  who is the mother of Murray's son  and Orla both said that what occurred in the room left them traumatised.

That morning, Aoibhinn was assaulted and called a sl*t by her then-partner, after which Murray turned his attention to Orla. He sexually assaulted her three times and recorded the abuse on a mobile phone.

Aoibhinn said: "We have nothing to hide. We have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I started going with him when I was 16 and he was 19 and I was with him until I was 22.

"Before that night he had never been physical with me and after it happened I felt like he tried to gaslight me. He made me feel like I was delusional.

"I'm scared of him. What if I bump into him at the gym or on a night out? What do I do then?"

Orla said: "This has been the worst three years of my life. I will never forget what he did to me. He robbed me of both my dignity and my trust in people.

"It traumatised me. It's with me every day. I was petrified in that hotel room, I just didn't know what to do when it was happening to me.

"I have trouble sleeping now and it has affected my relationship with my partner, with Aoibhinn, with everyone really  but I couldn't have gone through this whole court process without Aoibhinn."

The court heard that on August 14, 2022, the trio travelled from Co Antrim to Belfast to attend a concert in the city.

They booked into a hotel room, where alcohol was consumed before they attended the concert and then went to a nightclub in the city centre.

In the early hours of the following morning, they went to McDonald's to get food and as they walked through Corn Market, Murray left them.

Orla and Aoibhinn arrived back at the hotel at around 1.30am when Aoibhinn tried without success to call Murray.

As all three were sharing a room, Aoibhinn got into the double bed whilst Orla was in a bunk bed above it.

Murray arrived back at around 3am and got into bed beside Aoibhinn, who the court heard was drifting in and out of consciousness.

Sexual activity occurred between the couple, during which Murray assaulted her by slapping her and pulling her hair. He also called her a sl*t.

At some stage after this, Murray then approached Orla's bed where he groped her. She pretended to be asleep but Murray sexually assaulted her again in an incident which she believed lasted around 10 minutes.

After this, Murray got back into the double bed and fell asleep.

At this point, Orla texted her boyfriend and told him she needed help. She set her alarm for 6.30am then fell asleep.

At around 6.15am she was woken from her sleep by Murray once again groping her.

When this incident ended, she left the room and went down to the foyer to wait for her boyfriend to pick her up.

All three met in north Antrim that evening when Aoibhinn told Murray he had hurt her in the hotel room.

He claimed he couldn't remember but later sent a text message apologising for the way he treated her.

Two days later, Aoibhinn contacted Orla and told her she had found a video on her mobile of Murray abusing Orla in the bunk bed.

Over the course of the coming days, details of what happened to both women began to emerge and what followed were several confrontations with Murray.

On August 17, Murray sent a text to Orla saying the video he took 'shocked and disgusted' him. He also claimed 'I remember nothing' and 'I was in a state of not even knowing what I was doing.'

The text also said 'there isn't enough apologies I can give you to make up for what I have done. I am absolutely repulsed by my actions.'

Both Aoibhinn and Orla subsequently contacted the PSNI and Murray was arrested and interviewed.

Telling police all three of them were drunk, Murray admitted assaulting Aoibhinn and calling her a sl*t and groping Orla which he recorded.

Murray also expressed remorse to both the police and probation.

Defence barrister Gavan Duffy KC said Murray is now abstinent from both alcohol and drugs and has expressed shame for what he did.

Having split from Aoibhinn as a result of his offending, Murray has not seen his son for a considerable period of time which Mr Duffy said had had a "significant impact" on his client's "mood and outlook.

Judge Philip Gilpin said he had read the Victim Impact Statements supplied by both women who he said were "vulnerable" due to intoxication.

Addressing Murray, the Judge imposed the suspended sentence and warned him of the consequences should he re-offend within the next two years.

Speaking afterwards, both Aoibhinn and Orla thanked the PSNI for their support.

Aoibhinn said: "It's not easy to go to the police but I would say to other women, just do it. Just go and you will be believed."

Orla added: "Don't suffer in silence. If something has happened to you, report it."
Alam Zeb Khan also owned four homes in Co Down which were seized after it was determined they were bought using the proceeds of crime.

A career criminal has been jailed for possession of almost 1.8 million worth of heroin.

Alam Zeb Khan (49) is returning to prison for the fourth time after pleading guilty to the charges at Birmingham Crown Court.

Khan admitted to peddling the drug and was handed down eight years and one month behind bars.

As part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into heroin supply, officers raided a residence on October 4,2023 in the Small Heath area of Birmingham after Khan was spotted entering with a brown shopping bag.

The bag contained almost two kilos of heroin, and a further seven kilos were located inside the flat.

Police say Khan was inside the property along with two other people they described as heroin users.

The drugs had a potential street value of 1.5 million (1,764,000).

Khans first conviction for possession of heroin with intent to supply was 30 years ago.

In 2000, he was convicted of heroin smuggling and sentenced to 12 years behind bars.

Following his release, he began reoffending and was jailed for seven years in 2012 for a cocaine supply plot for which he was described as a significant player in this sophisticated and professional operation.

An eight-year NCA investigation into Khan found that his property portfolio of 59 properties, worth 17 million (19,988,000), was acquired using the proceeds of crime, including heroin trafficking and money laundering.

In 2017, Khan along with his family and associates were ordered to surrender the properties to the NCA.

Three such properties were located in Bangor, Northern Ireland and were sold off in 2020.

The investigation also found that Khan used his brother Aurang Khans restaurant, The Taj Tandoori, in Bangor, to launder cash before it was sold in 2010.

A court ruling stated that between September 2002 and August 2010, 457,901 had been deposited in the restaurant's business account by Aurang Khan.

He and his wife also paid more than 700,000 into various personal accounts over 13 years, the source of which they could not explain to the NCA.

Khans brother moved to Northern Ireland in 1989 and worked as a chef before setting up the restaurant in 1995.

In 2010, the lease of the restaurant was sold and the funds were transferred to Alam Khan, who according to the NCA, used the cash to buy properties in Birmingham.

Alam Zeb Khan is a career criminal who has dedicated his life to breaking the law. He has wrecked his own life and his heroin dealing has wrecked the lives of others, Rick Mackenzie, NCA senior investigating officer said.

The drugs trade is a scourge to society, claiming thousands of lives every year and bringing violence, exploitation and fear to our communities.

Seizing harmful drugs from the criminal supply chain and bringing offenders like Khan to justice is a key part of our mission to protect the public from serious and organised crime."
Darren O'Brien (31) is suspected of breaching a court order

A man with an Irish accent is wanted by police in the UK after he went on the run.

Darren O'Brien (31) is suspected of breaching a court order.

Described as white, around 5'6 and of a slim build, he has links to Bristol and Weston-super-Mare town centre.

He also has short black hair, green eyes and an Irish accent.

Avon and Somerset Police urged the public to call 999 if they spot O'Brien.

Sent from Outlook
I know Mike years. Everyone is shocked to think that a man who was in the shop during the morning could disappear

'Things like this dont happen around here. Its completely out of character for Mike to just disappear'- Friends of Mike Gaine baffled by his disappearance

Michael Gaine was standing in McCarthys shop in Kenmare, Co Kerry, drinking tea and enjoying his morning dose of farming banter.

He had just bought six bags of sheep nuts and, as the clock moved past 7.30am, was waiting for the day to brighten so he could give his herd their morning feed.

We were at Dan McCarthys enjoying the free tea, Flor OBrien, a friend of Mr Gaines, told the Irish Independent about the morning the farmer was last seen.

It would be a meeting place in the morning. Everything was normal, Mike was chatting away. We were taking about straw.

From Dan McCarthys animal feed and fuel supply store on Shelbourne Street, the two men travelled to the nearby farm of another friend.

Now and again we would call to that farm for the chats, said Mr OBrien. That would have been the norm. There was nothing unusual about that morning. Mike was the same as I ever saw him.

At about 8.15am, the two men left the farm and went their separate ways.

The next thing I heard was that Mike was missing, said Mr OBrien. I was as shocked as the next man. And here we are, two weeks later, still no sign of him. No clue about what has happened.

Last Wednesday morning, the atmosphere inside the canteen at Kenmare Co-op mart was sombre. Sitting at a table with Mr OBrien were brothers Dan and Edward McCarthy, who also knew Mr Gaine well.

With hopes of finding the 56-year-old fading, they were grappling with the facts of a missing person case that has captured the attention of the country.

The search began after Mr Gaines bronze Toyota Rav4 SUV was found parked outside his farmhouse, just off the N71 at Carrig East, with his wallet and phone inside.

Mike would never be without his wallet, said Edward McCarthy. Its just something he always had on him.

Mr OBrien agreed, saying: That wallet was stuck to him.

It appears nothing was taken from the wallet and the phone was intact.

Gardai at the farm of missing man Mike Gaine in Kerry. Photo: Don MacMonagle

Sources have said the Rav4 was not parked where Mr Gaine would usually leave it, and the handbrake was pulled as far up as it would go, as if someone was in a mad rush or a mad rage.

The gate to the farm was locked.

After leaving Mr OBrien earlier that morning, Mr Gaine was picked up later on CCTV in the local Centra buying phone credit at 9.48am. He then left in his Rav4, registration 152 KY 366. That had been the last known sighting.

However, two witnesses have now said they saw him between noon and 12.30pm, driving into the parking area at the mart, swinging around and driving out.

According to one witness, music was blaring from the vehicle.

Gardai checked CCTV at the mart, and Mr Gaines vehicle was not captured entering or leaving at the time both witnesses said they saw him. However, it was auction day at the mart, a time when dozens of large cattle trailers and trucks pull into the yard, and his vehicle may have been obscured.

While searches of his 1,000-acre farm have failed to find him, gardai have recovered several items, including a crossbow, from a cave in a mountainous area on the land. The items are being retained as the missing persons investigation continues.

The land itself, a sprawling area in a picturesque valley between Kenmare and Molls Gap, has taken time to search thoroughly. Fears that Mr Gaine may have fallen or become trapped somewhere are being considered.

Mike knew every inch of that land, said Mr OBrien. He would know where all the holes were, every crack. He would know how to mind himself on it. I cant make sense of it.

Local councillor Dan McCarthy has been calling for help in the search since it began.

He is a well-known figure in the farming community and has a close connection to the Gaine family.

Mick Gaine has been missing since March 20

Mike is out there somewhere and we have to do all we can to find him, he said. Things like this dont happen around here, so there is obviously a lot of concern for Mike. Its completely out of character for him to just disappear.

The mart in Kenmare is a daily gathering place of sorts for local farmers. They drop in and drop out, buying medicine in the vet supply store or picking up forms for the auction. Mr Gaine was a regular.

He would have called to the cattle and sheep sales on a regular basis to the mart, said Terence OShea, who runs a veterinary supply shop at the mart.

He would be here to say hello, meet the people, follow the trends with prices, have a chat with farmers about the weather and the various things that farmers talk about. He liked his social interaction with people, his chat and his few funny stories.

He was pleasant, he was entertaining. He had a great sense of family. He was very much about his mother and his late father

Mr OShea has known the Gaine family for decades. Mr Gaine came to him as a customer and a friend of a business that had been passed down from his parents.

You could have a million and one descriptions of Mike, but all I will say is that he is one of natures true gentlemen, he said.

He was helpful, he was pleasant, he was entertaining. He had a great sense of family. He was very much about his mother and his late father. He always spoke about his uncle John from his fathers side.

Mr Gaine and his wife Janice had recently got a new dog, a King Charles spaniel. The recent loss of his mother Sheila in February had taken its toll. However, those close to Mr Gaine say he was in good form.

The day before he went missing, he bought a new pair of wellingtons in the local Farm and Home Store. It is also understood he recently bought a new tractor.

Kenmare mart manager Dan McCarthy. Photo: Don MacMonagle

Mr Gaine had travelled all over the world and is described as a well-read man, but he had a deep-rooted sense of community. He believed in the Meitheal system, the rural tradition of neighbours coming together to save the hay, cut the turf and help each other in times of need.

Mr OShea recalled having to take time out of work and Mr Gaine stepping in to help him out.

He was incredibly helpful to all his neighbours, he said. He would always help his neighbours, and then when he needed help shearing or whatever on the farm that favour would be returned.

Mr Gaine and his wife do not live on the family farm. They have a large hilltop home overlooking Kenmare, just a short distance up the road from the farm in Lissyclearig.

Mr Gaine tended his herd of sheep and cattle mainly by himself, but in recent years had the help of a lodger who was staying in an old farmhouse on the land. The man, who had previously been homeless, is believed to be from the United States.

From the busy town of Kenmare, the short distance to the Gaine farm  a mere eight-minute drive  the landscape changes dramatically to a remote, rural expanse that is part of the spectacular Ring of Kerry.

The farm sits down from the main road, on the left-hand side of the valley on the approach to Molls Gap and is surrounded by hills.

Apart from two houses that look down on to the farm from the main road, the location is desolate, making for a hostile and treacherous environment for the search.

I know Mike years. Everyone is shocked to think that a man who was in the shop during the morning could disappear

After efforts on the farmland  including cow sheds and slurry tanks  were unsuccessful, the search moved to the wider terrain, where the land is filled with boulders and the higher ground is covered in thick brush.

Professional teams pushed hard and covered immense ground, but there has been no sign of Mr Gaine.

However, searches did uncover a number of items in cave in an area of high ground.

We searched on the Friday, said Dan McCarthy, adding that the areas now being combed would be too dangerous for the likes of us to be in.

On Thursday, farmers pulled in to the yard at the mart from early morning. As dust rose with each new sellers arrival, animal noise competed with farming chatter.

I know Mike years, said John Sullivan Green. Everyone is shocked to think that a man who was in the shop during the morning could disappear.

Shortly after noon, Dan McCarthy, who manages the mart, oversaw the sale of eight of Mr Gaines cows at the request of the family.

That was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do, Mr McCarthy said afterwards.
Bay of Plenty primary school students learning water safety skills are sending ripples of knowledge out to those around them.

And the trust providing the lessons wants to reach more children in the district, so the life-saving water safety education flows even further out into the community.

The Aquatic Survival Skill Skills Trust, which delivers a water survival programme in the Bay of Plenty via schools, was founded in 2022 by Anne McLeod.

She launched the trust after realising there were several generations of New Zealanders who lacked basic water skills and understanding.

Weve found over the last 20 to 30 years is people who drown are often adults who are trying to save kids, said McLeod.

Gaps

Theyve been taught how to swim but there are gaps in their knowledge. We want to ensure children in our own backyard know how to survive in the water.

In the last year the trust had received enough funding from the community to send educators into Year 5-6 classes at 20 schools around the Western Bay of Plenty, teaching water-safety fundamentals like what objects sink and what is hypothermia.

But relationship manager Ali Wieringa said more funding would enable the trust to extend the programme to Year 3-4 classes and into another 12 local schools.

The classroom engagement is important so the teachers can work alongside us and continue our work in the pool. It focuses on What happens if I end up in the water and I have to survive, she said.

Sponges

Kids are little sponges. It has a ripple effect so if weve taught two classrooms, and they each talk to five others, suddenly 300 people have been taught about water safety.

In fact, the team often finds that its kids advising their friends and family of potential danger when it comes to water-filled surroundings  whether in a pool, on a boat, at the beach, or by a river.

Theyll remind them to swim between the flags or to check the depth in water holes before jumping in, said Wieringa.

Influential

Trust operations manager Kent Horner said theyve noticed that Years 5-6 are at a very influential age in life. They go home and teach their parents and siblings what theyve learned about making smart decisions in and around the water.

Horner said the programme consists of five interactive sessions where students are given real life scenarios to consider  like how to put on a lifejacket and what to wear for a day fishing  then the school is left with additional teaching resources to further develop students water skills.

We definitely need more financial support, said Horner. One barrier were trying to get through is schools without pools. Were looking for help with transport to community facilities and wed love to expand the programme into classrooms with younger students.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says his United States counterparts have clarified some details around how the new tariffs regime will work.

He said he had asked his officials to engage quickly with the US administration and they had been in contact overnight (New Zealand time), mainly to clarify two things: that New Zealand does not have a 20 percent tariff against US exports, and to clarify how the 10 percent base tariff rate would be applied.

He told RNZ the flat 10 percent duty being applied to US imports would apply on top of any existing tariffs, but there were some exceptions for goods already facing high fees.

"So, the 10 percent goes on everything New Zealand exports, except for... steel and aluminium, there won't be any additional and that's because they already sit at 25 percent, which was a new tariff they put in place; and no tariff upon wood products at the moment because of a separate investigation they have underway."

He said that investigation was due back by November, and there was still "a lot more work to do there to make the case that there shouldn't be any additional cost upon New Zealand wood being sent to the US".

He had not heard of any other exemptions, however, meaning other goods being exported to the United States would face a 10 percent duty on top of any tariffs already being paid.

US President Donald Trump had pitched the tariffs as reciprocal - matching other countries' tariffs on US goods - but instead of calculating other countries' average tariffs and what has been described as non-tariff trade barriers, his administration simply divided the country's trade deficit by its exports to the US.

McClay suggested the United States' calculation of other countries' tariffs and trade barriers was not so much a misunderstanding as a mislabelling, saying the US seemed to be talking about a trade imbalance.

"So, they've said that's a tariff, that's not correct. The tariff rate is 1.9 percent, our tariff rates are lower... for US exporters into New Zealand than New Zealand's facing the other direction.

"I think it's sending a signal they want a balance in trade. They want countries of the world to buy more from the US. I would make the case... that actually our trade is already very well-balanced.

"We are selling them more than we're buying at the moment, it's about a billion dollars difference a year. That fluctuates. It's not that many years ago that we were buying a lot more from than we were selling them, and that will continue.

"So, I'll be making the case to my counterpart, both in writing and when I hope to see him early sometime next month, that actually the relationship is well balanced, it's complementary, New Zealand respects the rules, and we don't think that the 10 percent should be there - albeit that the US has signalled this is a new tariff regime they have where all countries will face at least 10 percent."

He said, however, that regardless of the calculation, the result was that New Zealand was facing a 10 percent tariff - the same as Australia and the United Kingdom - and as low as any other country. This also meant some potential advantages for New Zealand exports, both into the United States, and into other markets.

"Some of our exporters now that had a chance to work through the detail that's available, are telling me they think they'll have opportunities to perhaps increase their sales against other countries in the US market.

"Anecdotally, some of our exporters are telling me that since China put a tariff on US beef and other restrictions in place - I understand there is not US beef going into China at this time - they've been receiving calls from their customers with increased interest in getting product out of New Zealand [and into China].

"Consumers in China, as other parts of the world, still need steaks in the restaurants and on the supermarket shelves and so they will be looking to other areas of the world to buy these products. We have trading arrangements with 100 countries in the world and so, you know, our exporters are nimble, I back them to find those opportunities and where there is demand."
As heli-logging work came to an end on the Whakatane District Council forestry block on Valley Rd this week, Apanui School students got to celebrate with a visit by Kahu Helicopter Services Black Hawk.

One of the Kahu team has children at Apanui School and took the opportunity to give the students a close-up look at the helicopter and clamber around in the back before it headed out of town on its next mission.



Kahu Helicopters' Black Hawk at work heli-logging on a steep Whakatane District Council forestry block. Photo / Troy Baker

Logging work on the forestry block began on January 20. It was considered necessary as there was a risk that the trees, which had reached maturity, could fall on their own.

The work was expected to take about four weeks. However, in mid-February, the helicopter was employed to help with the last section of trees on a steep slope, as it was the safest way to manage the operation.

The sight and sound of the Black Hawk has become a regular feature above Whakatane over the past month.

Council community experience general manager Alexandra Pickles said the logging part of the Valley Rd tree harvest was almost complete, with the last truckloads of timber scheduled to be loaded by the end of this week.



Apanui School students get an up-close view of Kahu Helicopters Sikorsky UH60 Black Hawk. Photo / Troy Baker

Valley Rd has been open for the past week, except for a partial closure on Wednesday for the final helicopter work. Minor traffic management could be in place over the next two weeks, but road users would not need to detour.

Pickles said the total cost of the project would not be known until all expenses and revenue from log sales were finalised.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
A batch of Pams brand Afghan Oat Baked Bars has been urgently recalled due to possible metal contamination, New Zealand Food Safety announced Friday.

New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) is backing Foodstuffs Own Brands Limiteds recall of the oat bars after metal from manufacturing equipment may have entered the product.

Consumers are urged to check for Batch L5017 with a best before date of 16 January 2026. The bars were sold nationwide at New World, PaknSave, Four Square, Gilmours, Trents and Social Supermarket.

Metal may have got into the product during the production process, Deputy Director-General Vincent Arbuckle said.

If you have any of the affected bars, dont eat them. Return them to the store for a refund. If thats not possible, dispose of them, Arbuckle said.

The impacted products have been pulled from shelves and were not exported, according to NZFS.

No injuries linked to the product have been reported so far, but NZFS is continuing to monitor the situation.

Arbuckle said NZFS would work with Foodstuffs Own Brands Limited to understand how the contamination occurred and to stop it from happening again.

The vast majority of food sold in New Zealand is safe, but incidents like this do occasionally happen, Arbuckle said.

Consumers can visit the NZFS recall page for more details and a photo of the affected product: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/food-safety-home/food-recalls-and-complaints/recalled-food-products/pams-brand-afghan-oat-baked-bars

NZFS also encouraged the public to sign up for food recall alerts to stay informed about potential risks. Instructions on how to subscribe are available on the same page.
(ECNS)--During the Zhongguancun Forum that concluded earlier this week, Muhammad Zeeshan Shakir, Professor of Wireless Communications at University of the West of Scotland and Director of Digital Connectivity & Innovation Centre (DCIC), said during an exclusive interview with China News Network that Chinese enterprises are working cohesively with universities and research institutions. Processes can be improved and knowledge can be integrated within the businesses, which enables more enterprises and business activities and a well-functioning ecosystem.




A foreign tourist goes through customs at the Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 27, 2024. [Photo/Xnhua]

ZHENGZHOU - For Giacomo, a young Italian traveler, his first trip to China was a long-anticipated adventure.

After weeks of planning, he finally touched down in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan province, stepping off a flight from London with one goal in mind -- heading straight to the Shaolin Temple, a Kung fu shrine.

Like thousands of other foreign visitors, he found his journey was made easier by China's expanding visa-free travel policies, which are transforming the way international travelers experience the country.

"The number of travelers from countries like the Republic of Korea, Malaysia and Japan has grown significantly. In recent weeks, we've been hosting two to six tour groups daily from these countries, with over 100 foreign tour groups welcomed this year," said Zhang Yi, head of Zhengzhou's border inspection station.

Since November 2023, China's visa-free transit policies have undergone continuous adjustment and optimization. The implementation of the country's latest 240-hour visa-free transit policy at the end of last year has boosted inbound tourism significantly.

With streamlined procedures and extended permitted stay durations, international visitors are now able to experience more of China's rich culture and scenic attractions.

In the first quarter of 2025, Zhengzhou Airport recorded more than 27,000 inbound and outbound passenger trips by foreign nationals, up 115 percent from last year. Of that total, approximately 40 percent of all inbound trips were made without visas, according to the border inspection station.

Many visitors are drawn to cultural and historical sites such as Shaolin Temple, the Longmen Grottoes and Millennium City Park.

Similarly, in Shenzhen of South China's Guangdong province, a total of 1.57 million inbound and outbound trips by foreign nationals were recorded in the first quarter of 2025 across the city's ports, reflecting a 39.5 percent year-on-year increase.

Of that total, over 320,000 travelers entered China visa-free - a 112 percent increase. Arrivals from the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Malaysia saw the highest growth figures, with respective year-on-year increases of 59.3 percent, 43.9 percent and 46.7 percent.

"The visa-free policies make traveling to China much easier, and border clearance is now much faster," according to a German traveler who arrived in China at Shenzhen Bay Port.

His opinion was echoed by a Belgian bride and her wedding party, who also entered China visa-free to celebrate a traditional Chinese wedding in Guangdong. "We didn't expect the process to be so quick and easy!" the groom's mother said.

Comparable momentum has been reported in several other major Chinese cities.

During the same period, over 601,000 foreign travelers entered China visa-free via Shanghai ports. Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport in northeastern China's Liaoning province saw more than 24,000 foreign nationals enter the country without visas or through the 240-hour transit visa exemption, reflecting a year-on-year increase of over 3,100 percent.

With more international travelers coming to China, businesses are responding by enhancing their visitor services. Zhengzhou Airport has launched an international visitor payment center offering English-language support for mobile payments and foreign bank card transactions. And over 1,500 businesses across Henan province -- including hotels, tourist sites and shopping centers -- now accept foreign credit cards.

"With the expanded visa-free travel policies, travelers no longer need to rush their trips. They can now fully enjoy their experience in China," Zhang said.
Firefighters put out a car fire that spread to surrounding trees on East Taft Road on Friday, April, 4 2025. Greta Stuckey

Manlius, N.Y.  Seven cars and a recreational vehicle were lost in a fire Friday afternoon after a garage caught fire and burned down.

Firefighters were called to a garage fire with smoke and flames on East Taft Road around 1:45 p.m., according to the Minoa Fire Department Chief Don Grevelding.

When firefighters arrived, there were heavy flames and smoke coming from the garage. Several vehicles were also on fire when they arrived, Grevelding said. Firefighters put it out in about 15 minutes, he said.

The fire collapsed and destroyed the garage, he said. It also burned seven cars and the RV, which were inside the garage and on the surrounding land. A nearby house was not damaged.

All of the vehicles were not in usable condition at the time of the fire, he said.

No residents were in the garage at the time of fire and no firefighters had any injuries, Grevelding said.

The Minoa Fire Department, Bridgeport Fire Department, East Syracuse Department and the Fayetteville Fire Department were all at the scene to assist with the fire.

The Onondaga County Sheriffs Office and New York State Police closed part of East Taft Road near Fremont Road for more than two hours.

Around 3:45 p.m., there were still three fire trucks at the scene as crews finished cleanup.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Staff writer Greta Stuckey covers breaking news. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at gstuckey@syracuse.com.
More than 3,000 people gather in Forman Park on East Genesse Street for the "Hands Off!" rally to protest the Trump Administration. Anne Hayes | Ahayes@syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y.  More than 3,000 people gathered Saturday to join a nationwide protest against President Donald Trumps administration.

The Hands Off! rally, one of hundreds of similar events across the country Saturday, opposes Trump and Elon Musks illegal attacks on our government, Tom Keck, an event organizer with CNY Solidarity, said.

The rally began at 1 p.m. in Forman Park on East Genesee Street.

More than 3,000 protesters filled Forman Park in Syracuse Saturday for the national "Hands Off" rally against the Trump administration and Elon Musk. N. Scott Trimble

More than 3,000 people are gathered in the park. Among them are U.S. Rep. John Mannion, a Democrat.

A large coalition of local organizations, including Citizen Action of New York, CNY Solidarity, Indivisible Cayuga County and student groups from Syracuse University, organized the event.

Its really an effort to bring together as many different affected communities as we are able, Keck said.

The rally is scheduled to last until 2:30 p.m. and will feature speakers and music, Keck said.

At least 3,000 protesters filled Forman Park in Syracuse Saturday for the national "Hands Off" rally against the Trump administration and Elon Musk. N. Scott Trimble

Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.
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Java is a programming language and software platform. Examples of applications that use Java are numerous and widespread but include web browsers, office applications, and even games like Minecraft are based on Java.

The full version string for this update release is 21.0.7+8 (where "+" means "build"). The version number is 21.0.7. Complete release notes for Java 21.0.7 can be found here.

If you need to run Java applications, downloading and installing the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) is enough. If you're developing Java applications, you'll want to download the JDK, which also includes the JRE.

For full information and terms, refer to the OTN License Agreement for Java SE. The OTN License Agreement for Java SE for current Oracle Java SE releases allows them to be used, without cost:

(i) For personal use on a desktop or laptop computer, such as to play games or run other personal applications.

(ii) For development, testing, prototyping, and demonstrating applications, including to use by/with profilers, debuggers, and Integrated Development Environment tools.

(iii) For use with some approved products, such as Oracle SQL Developer, or as an end user of a software application created by an approved product. (referred to as "Schedule A" and "Schedule B" Products in the OTN License Agreement for Java SE)

(iv) With identified Oracle Cloud Infrastructure products.

The latest version of Java is Java 24 or JDK 24 released on March 2025. However, many versions of Java are actively maintained for compatibility purposes. Java 8, Java 11, Java 17 and Java 21 are the four long-term support versions recommended by Oracle alongside the latest release. You can download the version you need below:

Java 8 is the last free software public update for commercial use, which explains why it remains popular even though it was released back in 2014. Oracle plans to maintain it until at least 2030. Also, you should know that some applications might refer to Java 8 as version 1.8.0.

What is Java JDK?

The Java Development Kit (JDK) is the full-featured software development kit for Java developers. It has everything the JRE has, but adds the compiler (javac) and tools (like javadoc and jdb). The JDK allows you to create and compile Java programs.

Is Java free to use?

Yes, Java is free to use under the jdk.java.net license. This means anyone can download it for personal or development use at no cost. Oracle does charge for long term support, but this is optional.

Security Baselines

The security baselines for the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) at the time of the release of JDK 11.0.22 are specified in the following table:

JRE Family Version = JRE Security Baseline (Full Version String)

21 = 21.0.7+8

8 = 8u371-b11

Keeping the JDK up to Date

Oracle recommends that the JDK is updated with each Critical Patch Update. In order to determine if a release is the latest, the Security Baseline page can be used to determine which is the latest version for each release family.

Critical patch updates, which contain security vulnerability fixes, are announced one year in advance on Critical Patch Updates, Security Alerts and Bulletins. It is not recommended that this JDK (version 21.0.4) be used after the next critical patch update scheduled for October 15, 2024.

Java Management Service, available to all users, can help you find vulnerable Java versions in your systems. Java SE Subscribers and customers running in Oracle Cloud can use Java Management Service to update Java Runtimes and to do further security reviews like identifying potentially vulnerable third party libraries used by your Java programs. Existing Java Management Service user click here to log in to your dashboard. The Java Management Service Documentation provides a list of features available to everyone and those available only to customers. Learn more about using Java Management Service to monitor and secure your Java Installations.

What's New

JDK 21.0.7 contains IANA time zone data 2025a which contains the following changes:

Paraguay adopts permanent -03 starting spring 2024.

Improve pre-1991 data for the Philippines.

Etc/Unknown is now reserved.

security-libs/java.security

 New Security Category for -XshowSettings Launcher Option (JDK-8281658) bcategory: java.time Description: (tz) Update Timezone Data to 2022a

hotspot/gc

 G1: Balance Code Root Scan Phase During Garbage Collection (JDK-8315503)

The Code Root Scan Phase during garbage collection finds references to Java objects in compiled code. To speed up this process, G1 maintains a remembered set for compiled code that contains references into the Java heap. That is, every region contains a set of compiled code that contains references into it.

Assuming that such references are few, previous code used a single thread per region to iterate over a particular region's references, which poses a scalability bottleneck if the distribution of these references is very unbalanced.

G1 now distributes this code root scan work across multiple threads within regions, removing this bottleneck.

hotspot/gc

 Parallel: Precise Parallel Scanning of Large Object Arrays for Young Collection Roots (JDK-8310031)

During a young collection, ParallelGC partitions the old generation into 64kB stripes when scanning it for references into the young generation. These stripes are assigned to worker threads that do the scanning in parallel as work units.

Before this change, Parallel GC always scanned these stripes completely even if only a small part had been known to contain interesting references. Additionally, every worker thread processed the objects that start in that stripe by itself, including parts of objects that extend into other stripes. This behavior limited parallelism when processing large objects. A single large object, potentially containing thousands of references, had been scanned by a single thread only and in full. This would cause bad scaling due to memory sharing and cache misses in the subsequent long, work stealing phase.

With this change, Parallel GC workers limit work to their stripe and only process interesting parts of large object arrays. This reduces the work done by a single thread for a stripe, improves parallelism, and reduces the amount of work stealing. Parallel GC pauses are now on par with G1 in presence of large object arrays, reducing pause times by 4-5 times in some cases.

Bug Fixes

This release also contains fixes for security vulnerabilities described in the Oracle Critical Patch Update.
Rumor mill: Over a month after launching the RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti, Nvidia remains silent regarding its upcoming next generation of budget-tier graphics cards. Most of the technical specs have leaked amid rumors of delays, but pricing and release dates remain unclear. Even less is known about the competition from AMD.

A tipster on Board Channels claims that Nvidia plans to launch the RTX 5060 Ti on April 16, aligning with prior rumors indicating a mid-April debut. The 8 GB and 16 GB variants might carry the same price tags as the 4060 Ti, $400 and $500.

Additionally, new listings for pre-built desktops featuring the RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti support the claims and retail with minimal price hikes over their 4060 and 4060 Ti equivalents. The tipster stated that Nvidia is pursuing aggressive pricing, likely to get ahead of AMD's upcoming Radeon RX 9060 and 9060 XT GPUs.

The new desktop listings briefly appeared on Best Buy and remain visible on Newegg. Stormcraft's cheapest RTX 50 series model, featuring an unspecified 5060 Ti variant for $1,299, is the same price as one of the company's 4060-equipped systems and only $100-$150 more expensive than other models. It features a Core i5-14400F CPU on a B760 motherboard and 32 GB of 6,000 MHz DDR5 RAM. Best Buy's cheapest unit from CyberPowerPC, now removed, includes a standard 5060, a Ryzen 7 8700F, 16GB of memory, and a 2TB SSD for $1,149.

Prior reports indicated that the RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti will feature only a few hundred more CUDA cores than their predecessors, indicating similar or slightly better performance. The two GPUs include 28 Gbps GDDR7 VRAM on a 128-bit bus and 448 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The 5060 Ti features 4,608 cores, a 180W TGP, and clocks between 2,407 and 2,572 MHz  less than 100 MHz more than the 4060 Ti. The standard 5060 has only 8 GB of VRAM, 3,840 cores, and draws 150W, but its clock speeds remain unknown. Nvidia might launch the cheaper variant in May.

AMD has only confirmed a Q2 2025 release window for the RX 9060 and 9060 XT. They should include GDDR6 VRAM pools identical to their Nvidia equivalents, but we know little else about their specs.

Team Red's recently released mid-range RX 9070 and 9070 XT compare favorably to Nvidia's RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti, suggesting that competition in the mainstream segment could be fierce. That said, they might arrive just in time for recently announced US tariffs to throw the entire industry into uncharted waters.
In a nutshell: Chinese-owned TikTok faced a US ban on April 5 unless it could divest its American operations to a stateside buyer. The Trump administration was reportedly finalizing a deal involving several investors, but Beijing withdrew in response to new US-imposed tariffs, prompting the White House to extend the deadline.

President Trump recently signed an executive order to extend the delay on TikTok's US ban for another few months as negotiations to sell the Chinese-owned social network to American investors continue. The President claimed that the deal had seen "tremendous progress," but his recent sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs reportedly pushed the Chinese government to stop the deal.

Sources told the AP and Reuters that TikTok owner ByteDance and the White House were finalizing an investment deal with multiple US companies that would leave ByteDance with a 20 percent stake. The identities of the American buyers remain undisclosed. However, previous reports mention private equity firm Blackstone, tech giant Oracle, Amazon, mobile app platform AppLovin, OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely, and others.

On April 2, Trump introduced historic tariffs on many countries. The lengthy list, which experts have described as a "nuclear bomb" on international trade, includes new taxes on imported Chinese goods that increase total anti-China tariffs to 54 percent. In response, Beijing signaled to ByteDance that it wouldn't approve TikTok's divestment until it could renegotiate the duties.

Congress passed a law banning TikTok in the US last year for national security reasons. However, President Trump, reversing the stance from his first term, extended the deadline days after taking office to allow time for a sale.

Many fear that the social network could put the personal data of its over 170 million American users into Beijing's hands or make them vulnerable to Chinese propaganda. Still, support for a ban has subsided considerably over the past two years.

Trade groups expect the new US tariffs to disrupt the global economy, upending a trade paradigm that has lasted for decades. Virtually everything Americans buy, including computers and other electronics, could see substantial price hikes.

As markets have lost trillions of dollars over the past few days in the worst performance since the pandemic, tech companies such as AMD, Dell, and HP experienced almost 10-percent declines. Although semiconductors aren't affected yet, new incoming tariffs might also target them.
US ups Myanmar quake aid, says others should bear burden



Washington, April 4 (AFP) Apr 04, 2025



The United States said Friday it was raising its assistance to earthquake-hit Myanmar but added it was unfair to expect the nation to keep leading humanitarian relief around the world.

The State Department said it was adding $7 million on top of an earlier $2 million, channeled through groups already on the ground in the military-run country where more than 3,000 people are confirmed dead.

The assistance will help provide emergency shelter, food, medical care and water, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce wrote on X.

The United States has traditionally been at the forefront of disaster relief, but President Donald Trump has dismantled the US humanitarian aid agency, with workers receiving dismissal notices just as the 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck last week.

China -- which has jostled the United States for influence in Asia -- as well as Russia and neighboring India promptly sent rescue teams to Myanmar before the United States even announced its support.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that humanitarian aid needs to be "properly balanced" against other priorities for the United States.

"China is a very rich country; India is a rich country," Rubio told reporters earlier Friday in Brussels.

"There are a lot of other countries in the world, and everyone should pitch in," he said.

"I don't think it's fair to assume that the United States needs to continue to share the burden -- 60, 70 percent -- of humanitarian aid around the world," he said.

He took issue with critics who said that the US response could have been faster, saying: "These are people that are part of that NGO industrial complex."

"They have a military junta that doesn't like us, doesn't necessarily allow us to operate in that country the way we wanted to. That would have impeded our response no matter what," he said.
Lula admits 'still a lot to do' for Indigenous Brazilians



Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 4 (AFP) Apr 04, 2025



Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva admitted Friday that his government "still has a lot to do" for Indigenous communities battling for survival in the Amazon rainforest.

Lula, who will host this year's UN climate change conference in the Amazon city of Belem in November, made the remarks during a visit to the village of the Amazon's most famous resident and campaigner, Chief Raoni Metuktire.

Brazil's left-wing leader, who has made Amazon protection a key plank of his presidency, praised the "important role" played by Indigenous communities in the fight against climate change during his visit to the Capoto-Jarina Indigenous Territory in Mato Grosso state.

The meeting with Raoni, who has travelled the world to highlight the plight of the Amazon rainforest, comes days before thousands of Indigenous Brazilians gather in the capital Brasilia for a rally.

On returning to power in 2023, Lula resumed designating chunks of Amazon land as protected Indigenous territory, a process that had been halted by his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.

Indigenous leaders complain that the process has been too slow, however.

Official data shows that demarcated Indigenous territories, where deforestation is a crime, are far less susceptible to land clearance for agriculture and illegal mining.

Raoni also used the meeting to urge Lula to halt plans for a major offshore oil project at the mouth of the Amazon River which the left-wing president is pushing.

Lula argues that extracting the oil is key to the growth of Latin America's biggest economy.

Indigenous communities fear that that the project will cause irreversible damage to the rainforest and pollute rivers.

Climate campaigners meanwhile argue that it will push up Brazil's carbon footprint at a time of unprecedented warming, which scientists say fuelled devastating wildfires in the Amazon last year.

"I know that you are thinking of the oil that is under the sea," Raoni told Lula.

"But if things remain the same, we can protect the environment, with less pollution and warming," he said.

The project in the offshore area, known as the Equatorial Margin, is awaiting the green light from Brazil's environmental protection agency.
India navy delivers aid to quake-hit Myanmar



New Delhi, April 5 (AFP) Apr 05, 2025



India's navy on Saturday delivered hundreds of tonnes of food aid to earthquake-hit Myanmar, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met reclusive junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.

India was among the first countries to rush aid and rescue teams to its war-torn neighbour after a devastating 7.7-magnitude quake on March 28.

The death toll from the earthquake has risen to more than 3,300, Myanmar state media said Saturday.

More than one week after the disaster, desperate survivors remain without enough food and shelter.

The latest aid from India comprised 442 tonnes of food including rice, cooking oil, noodles and biscuits, the Indian embassy in Yangon said.

The consignment arrived via an Indian navy ship, INS Gharial, at Thilawa port.

Modi held a rare face-to-face meeting on Friday with Min Aung Hlaing on the sidelines of the Bangkok BIMSTEC meeting -- the grouping of the seven nations on the Bay of Bengal.

"India is doing whatever is possible to assist our sisters and brothers of Myanmar in this critical time," Modi was quoted as saying in a government statement on Friday.

India's foreign ministry said that Modi told the junta chief that there was "no military solution to the conflict", and stressed the "importance of early restoration of a democratic process through inclusive and credible elections".

Min Aung Hlaing's armed forces have ruled Myanmar since a 2021 coup, when they wrested power from the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking a multi-sided conflict.

The junta leader had issued a rare appeal for international aid following the earthquake, indicating the severity of the crisis.

Previous military regimes in the country have shunned foreign assistance even after major natural disasters.

Sri Lanka also sent a medical team and a plane loaded with supplies, many funded by donations from Buddhist temples, to Myanmar, a defence official said.

Colombo has pledged more than $1 million to help quake victims in the fellow Buddhist nation.

burs-abh/pjm/sco
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Who among us isnt guilty of being a bit too nosy when it comes to our neighbours?

Its natural when we live in close proximity to the petty dramas of each others lives. Whether its a door slamming shut after an argument or curiosity about how they funded their new extension, its human nature to want to know a little bit more, to piece together the puzzle that makes up these polite and civil side characters in our lives.

Now, new research has confirmed what we all knew: the UK is a nation of curtain-twitchers. But its not just nosiness but contempt for our neighbours thats driving our curiosity.

One in twelve (8 per cent) Brits openly admit to spying on their neighbours because they dont like them, according to research by curtains specialists Hillarys and Censuswide. That means 4.5 million people in the UK despise their neighbours so much theyre driven to snoop.

Men are worse than women when it comes to curtain twitching over feuds, with 8 per cent admitting to spying with a neighbour theyre in a dispute with, compared to just 5 per cent of women.

Grudges are most likely to brew in the North East of England with 15 per cent of the 2,000 adults surveyed admitting that theyre feuding with a neighbour. But tension is just as high in Manchester, with one in six (15 per cent) admitting to spying, with Sheffield and Newcastle close behind with 13 per cent respectively.

The age range most likely to be petty and hold a grudge against their neighbours are 25 to 35 year olds.

The UK is full of curtain-twitchers who spy because they dont like their neighbours ( BBC )

But in their defence, curtain-twitchers may have valid reasons for their activity.

For example, 10 per cent of Brits admit they spy because they dont trust their neighbours, nine per cent do so for gossip, while an interesting 6 per cent spy to keep a tab on their neighbours shopping habits.

However, more serious reasons include the one in 20 Brits who admit to spying out of fear that their partner is having an affair, and the same amount do so because of missing parcels that they suspect their nehbours are stealing. One in twenty are slightly creepy romantics, who admit to spying because they have a secret crush.
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The King and Queen will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary by spending the evening as guests of honour at a state banquet held in Rome.

Charles and Camilla will be joined by prominent figures from Italian society at the black-tie dinner hosted by Italys President Sergio Mattarella.

The event, which is part of the couples four-day state visit to Italy beginning on Monday, will mark two decades since the couple wed in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on April 9, 2005.

Charles and Camilla met in their early 20s at the Windsor Great Park polo field in 1970. Charles had just left Cambridge University and had not yet joined the Royal Navy.

open image in gallery Charles and Camilla (PA) ( PA Wire )

However, no marriage proposal came despite the apparent closeness between the pair.

Camilla wed cavalry officer Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973 and Charles later married Diana, Princess of Wales in 1981. Charles and Camilla both divorced - and Diana died in 1997.

Charles and Camillas first public appearance together was outside the Ritz hotel in London in 1999, dubbed Operation Ritz, where the mass of waiting photographers had been tipped off.

At their wedding reception, held the same day as the Grand National, Queen Elizabeth II said about their romance: "They have overcome Becher's Brook and The Chair and all kinds of other terrible obstacles. They have come through and I'm very proud and wish them well. "My son is home and dry with the woman he loves."

open image in gallery The (then)Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall during an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2017 ( Tim Rooke/PA Wire )

The King spent Friday making final preparations for the state visit to the Republic of Italy.

But because Pope Francis is recovering from a five-week, life-threatening bout of pneumonia, the state visit to the Holy See, the government of the Roman Catholic Church located in the Vatican has been postponed.

Several Vatican events have been removed from the itinerary in Rome, with the remaining engagements in the Italian capital spread over two days with extra elements added to others.

The historic overseas tour was due to be the Kings first meeting with the Pope as monarch and head of the Church of England.

As well as the King and Queens audience with the Pope, Charles was due to make history by becoming the first British monarch to visit the Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, the resting place of St Paul since the reformation.

During the state visit to Italy, he will become the first British sovereign to address both houses of the Italian parliament.
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I want advice from people that arent afraid to go out by themselves, like I want to start going places alone like cafes and bookstores and whatever but anxiety says no. Please tell me how you do it if you do.

This recent tweet clearly struck a chord, garnering more than 200,000 likes and 10,000 replies. Advice came thick and fast in the comments, written by people who had overcome their own demons when going about their business alone: Take Airpods and a book; Start by going to a movie alone; Practise what youre going to say if a stranger comes up and asks you what youre doing; and, my personal favourite, Pretend everyone around you is just a Sim in a video game. NPCs. Filler people.

A colleague shared the tweet with me with the words, OMG, people need to get a grip, and I initially had to fight a strong temptation to roll my eyes myself. But whether it provokes empathy or a snowflake generation! knee-jerk reaction in you, the virality of the original post is perhaps indicative of a fundamental truth: we are increasingly living in a world awash with social anxiety.

New research from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) reveals that social anxiety now affects over half of all Brits (54 per cent) and nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of young people aged 16 to 24. Nearly two in three people say it has impacted their personal and professional lives.

Young people are the demographic most affected by social anxiety, which typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood; 90 per cent of new cases occur before the age of 23. And rates are on the up.

Weve seen a dramatic rise in the number of children and young people experiencing anxiety and other mental illnesses in recent years, says Dr Elaine Lockhart, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Child and Adolescent Faculty. Mental health services are struggling to manage rising demand, and many children and young people are being placed on unacceptably long waiting lists. Some 500 children a day in England are being referred to NHS mental health services for anxiety, more than double the rate prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a Guardian report.

So why has anxiety rocketed among the next gen? Three major issues come up repeatedly when speaking to the experts. Perhaps unsurprisingly, devices attract a chunky proportion of the blame. A BrainWaves study on teen wellbeing, led by scientists at the University of Oxford and Swansea University and published last year, concluded that high social media use is strongly linked to anxiety and depression.

open image in gallery Anxiety has skyrocketed since the pandemic ( Alamy/PA )

Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed in autumn 2024 by 13 states and Washington DC accused TikTok specifically of harming young users mental health. The suit claimed that TikToks own research had found a correlation between compulsive usage and loss of analytical skills, memory formation, contextual thinking, conversational depth, empathy, and increased anxiety.

Cognitive behavioural therapist Federico Ferrarese agrees that the over-reliance on virtual interactions, particularly among younger generations, may be hindering the development of crucial social skills and exacerbating feelings of anxiety in real-world social situations. Its a vicious cycle: the more time we spend socialising online, the less we do it in person, and the more difficult and intimidating the idea of IRL interactions  ones where we have to react and respond on the spot rather than having time to compose a perfect sassy reply  becomes. A friend who works in a college tells me that students often message each other while sitting in the same room  because it feels safer and easier than having a conversation in person. And thats before we get to the very rational fear that any embarrassing situation in the real word has the potential to be recorded, posted on social media and catalogued on the internet for all eternity

In addition to screen time, psychologist Dr Carolyne Keenan cites a combination of external, wider world issues  economic and political uncertainty, the climate crisis, global conflicts  as being anxiety triggers, alongside UK pressures like the cost-of-living crisis, job insecurity and stretched public services.

And thirdly, as much as many adults would like to pretend it never happened, the pandemic really has had long-lasting and significant mental health impacts. Around one in three people feel more anxious in social situations since Covid, according to BACP data, rising to nearly one in two among young people. At a vital point in their social development, children and adolescents were literally told to avoid other people and stay at home. Extended periods of social isolation, uncertainty and disrupted routines during lockdowns created the perfect breeding ground for anxiety disorders.

I think as a society, maybe were not being very resilient any more Charlie Hartley, CEO BRIYM

This was certainly true for Cerys, a 25-year-old tattoo artist from Newcastle, who has been living with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)since she was 14. Covid lockdowns sent her social anxiety into overdrive: I had just moved to a new city into a houseshare where I didnt really know the people I was living with, she says, so that, combined with being cut off from my support system, I became extremely anxious and struggled to leave my bedroom most days.

Cerys describes her social anxiety as a pretty much constant feeling of dread over the smallest of interactions, like going to the Post Office or saying Hi to your neighbour. If shes going through a particularly bad period, she experiences physical symptoms like shaking, being sick and an inability to eat for long periods.

Its worth noting that feeling some anxiety around social situations is not the same as having SAD. According to the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the criteria to diagnose SAD include: persistent fear of social situations where scrutiny or judgement may occur; fear of embarrassment or humiliation in social settings; avoidance of feared social situations or enduring them with intense anxiety; symptoms persisting for at least six months; and significant distress or impairment in daily functioning.

Social anxiety is more than mere shyness, says Professor David Baldwin, clinical adviser at charity Anxiety UK. People who are shy are usually able to take part in social and performance situations when encouraged to do so: social anxiety is characterised by distressing and impairing anxiety symptoms (both psychological and physical), and by risks of subsequent depression, substance use and attempted suicide.

open image in gallery Studies have found a strong link between social media use and anxiety ( Getty Images )

There is concern in some quarters, though, that greater sensitivity around mental health  while an overwhelmingly positive thing  might mean young people dont always know how to differentiate between natural nerves and a full-blown disorder. It is a complex situation where both over-pathologising by young people and families and under-diagnosis by professionals are likely, says Andrea Danese, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Kings College London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. If adolescents believe that experiences of emotional distress are typically linked to a mental health problem, it is easy for them to misattribute feelings of anxiety in social situations to a social anxiety disorder.

But it is equally important, he stresses, to consider that many adolescents with genuine SAD never seek help from mental health services, and more work is needed to understand the barriers they face to receiving effective support.

As well as external factors increasing anxiety, a potential decline in overall resilience could be exacerbating the issue. Defined as the ability to respond to stressful or unexpected situations (aided and abetted by a range of healthy coping strategies), its a quality that, research suggests, we may have lost in recent years.

According to the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a survey conducted every three years that compares 15-year-olds around the world, UK students were above-average academically but scored incredibly poorly across a range of socio-emotional skills, including stress resistance and emotional control, plus below average for persistence.

Distress shouldnt automatically be interpreted as a sign of mental ill-health or a clinical problem Professor Andrea Danese

Im not sure our young people are resilient  and I think as a society, maybe were not being very resilient any more, says Charlie Hartley, CEO of Building Resilience In Young Minds (BRIYM), which offers mental health support to organisations, schools, parents and children. Resilience building is not, she explains, about being able to do something. Rather, its the journey to be able to do something. If we take the example of walking: when were one year old, we stand up, we probably fall down. We take one step, and then fall down. The resilient process is that bit in between  from where you started trying to walk to now, when you walk and dont even think about it. You are resilient in the fact that you didnt give up, you kept trying, you kept making small changes to improve until you could do it.

Inevitably, the process involves getting it wrong and falling over, as it were, an awful lot  which is challenging when, as Hartley puts it, were all terrified of failure. Yet theres no growth, learning or resilience-building without it.

A decline in emotional resilience arguably goes hand in hand with Gen Z being more risk-averse than previous generations. Studies have shown that the proportion of adolescents who smoke, drink, have sex or engage in other risk behaviours has declined markedly over the past 25 years, strongly linked to a decrease in face-to-face socialising. While on the surface its hardly a bad thing that todays youngsters arent hammering bottles of White Lightning in the park so regularly, it also points to a culture of fear when it comes to making mistakes; feeling out of control; getting out of comfort zones; being vulnerable.

The truth is, we likely all need to intentionally bin the pursuit of a frictionless life and become more comfortable with being uncomfortable. Distress shouldnt automatically be interpreted as a sign of mental ill-health or a clinical problem, explains Professor Danese. Its perfectly natural  and indeed necessary  for young people to encounter challenges and experience distress as part of their emotional development. Its through navigating these experiences that adolescents learn essential coping strategies.

open image in gallery Spending time in social situations can help young people build resilience ( iStock )

These experiences gradually reinforce someones confidence in their ability to handle stress or adversity. Crucially, says Danese, they need to be proportionate to the young persons ability to cope: Its not about throwing adolescents into the world and seeing what they can do; its about creating the right settings so that they can face reasonable challenges and grow strong.

Hartley stresses the need for parents to stop trying to fix everything for their kids and start pushing them into those more difficult conversations or situations so that they can understand they can do it. She also emphasises the importance of educating young people about their stress responses and identifying how that feels in the body  when danger or discomfort triggers cortisol and adrenaline to start racing around the bloodstream, for example  plus teaching emotional regulation techniques like breathing exercises and mindfulness.

The BrainWaves research showed that three elements strongly correlated with better adolescent wellbeing and mental health: getting enough sleep, regular exercise and attending religious services.

For those already struggling with SAD, therapy, particularly Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has proven effective for many. After having a nervous breakdown where she couldnt leave the house in January, Cerys is in a much better place having started weekly therapy with a BACP therapist. This has been the biggest step forward I have taken in getting control of my anxiety, she says.

Snowflake generation? The more we hear about the cumulative effect of Covid restrictions, global crises and social media brain-rot that young people have been forced to endure, the more convinced I am that Id struggle to cope with any of it myself. Telling adolescents to get a grip is hardly helpful  but perhaps we could start by encouraging them to try something new. Embarrass themselves. Do karaoke. Kiss someone. And, most importantly, make mistakes  because its not the falling down that matters in the long term, but the getting up and trying again.

If you have been affected by this article, you can contact the following organisations for support: mind.org.uk, nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth, mentalhealth.org.uk.
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Tesco has responded to customer complaints regarding the shortage of a popular food item.

Throughout March, many customers hoping to buy the supermarkets brand of kidney beans, black beans, butter beans, cannellini beans and chickpeas were left empty handed.

Why is no one talking about the fact there is a bean shortage in @Tesco? one person wrote on X/Twitter.

Another chimed in: Whats happening to your range of own brand tinned beans. Nothing is in stock and for the last few weeks?

WHERE ARE THE BEANS AT TESCO, another rather concerned shopper posted.

Weeks after axeing a popular Clubcard feature, Tesco has now apologised for the lack of beans, which have been affected by a supply issue, telling shoppers: We apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Other brands of the item are available, but Tescos own-brand beans are a cheaper version favoured by many customers. The shops own-brand baked beans in tomato sauce is in stock as normal.

The development comes after the shop announced it would give away food for free in its pursuit to end food waste and hit its net zero targets.

In March, the supermarket trialled a yellow sticker system with marked prices of 0 for food that is about to go out of date, in a change from its usual reductions which see food discounts typically limited to 90 per cent.

The company tested the change in a small number of its Express stores for shoppers who visit past 9.30pm.

open image in gallery Tescos butter beans are just one of the tinned items affected by a supply issue ( Tesco )

Tesco aims to give unsold food to charities, but some of it has been used to generate gas that can be burned for energy in a process known as anaerobic digestion, counted as waste.

As part of this new trial Tesco will still give food to charities, while staff with get priority for yellow sticker items that had been reduced earlier in the day.
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Tom Hankss daughter, E.A. Hanks, revealed her father once had to locate her after her mother took her out of school.

E.A.  which stands for Elizabeth Anne  was the daughter of the Forrest Gump actors first wife Susan Dillingham. She is the younger sister of actor Colin Hanks, 47.

Dillingham and Hanks were married from 1978 to 1987, with Dillingham receiving primary custody of both of their children. However, one day, E.A.s mother spontaneously decided to move her and her older brother Colin from Sacramento, California, to Los Angeles without informing Tom.

My dad came to pick us up from school and were not there, she said. And it turns out we haven't been there for two weeks and he has to track us down.

Hanks went on to re-marry Rita Wilson in 1988, and they welcomed two sons: Chet in 1990 and Truman in 1995.

The Cast Away actor has previously opened up about the differences between his two sets of children in a 2019 interview with The New York Times. My son [Colin] was born when I was very young. As well as my daughter [Elizabeth], he said.

Tom Hanks was given primary custody of E.A. after her mother became neglectful ( Getty Images; Instagram/eahanks )

We have this gestalt understanding because [Colin and Elizabeth] remember when their dad was just a guy trying to, you know, make the rent. My other kids, they were born after I had established a beachhead in every way. And so their lives were just different.

He explained that after being a parent as long as he has, the best thing a mother or father can say to their children is, I love you, there's nothing you can do wrong, you cannot hurt my feelings, I hope you will forgive me on occasion, and what do you need me to do?

You offer up that to them, Hanks continued. I will do anything I can possibly do in order to keep you safe. That's it. Offer that up and then just love them.

Despite her mother never receiving a formal diagnosis, E.A. assumed that her mother was bipolar with episodes of extreme paranoia and delusion.

Her upcoming memoir, titled The 10: A Memoir of Family And The Open Road, mostly revolves around her mother as E.A. took a six-month-long road trip from L.A. to Palatka, Florida, where her mothers family is from, to learn more about her before she died from lung cancer in 2002.

In an excerpt from the book shared with People, E.A. said her mother slowly started to become more neglectful, leading to a switch in the custody arrangement where she would only see her mother on weekends and during the summer.

As the years went on, the backyard became so full of dog s*** that you couldnt walk around it, the house stank of smoke. The fridge was bare or full of expired food more often than not, and my mother spent more and more time in her big four-poster bed, poring over the Bible, the excerpt read.

One night, her emotional violence became physical violence, and in the aftermath I moved to Los Angeles, right smack in the middle of the seventh grade.

The 10: A Memoir of Family And The Open Road is released on April 8.
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The best charter captain youll ever meet was arrested by police in south Florida this week after a video showing him berating and then boarding the boat of a young fisherman went viral.

The clip shows Brock Horner, 40, on a boat with others yelling at the man recording the video in Punta Gorda, Florida, just south of Fort Myers. The issue is apparently Horner speeding in the area while he accused the fisherman, Gage Towels, of not having his lights and of cussing him out. The incident occurred on April 1.

Horner is now charged with burglary with assault or battery. The video shows the verbal confrontation escalate to the point where Horner boards the other mans boat to continue threatening him. Police say that at this point, Horner grabbed Towels shirt.

The man panics, profusely apologizing and attempting to defuse the situation. The conversation ends as the other man takes Horner back to his boat.

The Punta Gorda Police Department confirmed that Horner was arrested based on the video. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating the case.

open image in gallery At this point of the video, Horner has boarded Towles' boat ( YouTube/Gage Towles )

This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our waterwaysor anywhere else in our city. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors, both on land and on the water, police chief Pam Smith said this week.

Criminal lawyer Spencer Cordell told Fox4 that despite the video's colorful language, Horner didnt break the law until he boarded Towels' boat.

Obviously, the behavior in the video is pretty egregious, it's pretty shocking, but sometimes being really rude and even saying or doing things that are really shocking dont necessarily rise to the level of criminal activity.

If they do decide to charge a trespassing charge it is a misdemeanor, which is a criminal offense. It's not as serious as a felony but it is the kind of thing he could potentially be facing jail time for, the attorney said.

Horner is the owner of Tarpon Coast Fishing Charters in Punta Gorda.

The military veteran has released a statement expressing his remorse for the altercation.

First and foremost, Brock sincerely apologizes to Gage, to Gages family, and to anyone who was frightened or upset by what they saw. He is deeply sorry. What began as a moment of frustration and concern escalated in a way it simply should not have.|

Gage handled the situation with impressive composure and class, and that level-headedness helped prevent things from becoming far worse, his lawyer Scott Weinberg said.

open image in gallery At this point of the video, Towles apologizes profusely to Horner in an attempt to escalate the situation ( YouTube/Gage Towles )

On his companys now-deleted website, Horner says that he is an experienced fisherman and saltwater fishing tournament champion. He is a native of Port Charlotte, Florida.

He was a U.S. Army Ranger and served as a paratrooper in Iraq. Weinberg addressed Horners military record in his statement.

Brock is a decorated combat veteran who was severely injured in Afghanistan. He served honorably, earned multiple medals, and suffered a traumatic brain injury in combat. He is recognized as 100% disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Thats not an excuse  but it is part of his story. He stood up when this country asked him to, and that service deserves to be respected.

Towels, 22, titled the video: Charter captain jumps on my boat and tries to fight me for no reason."

At the time of writing the clip has nearly 400,000 views on YouTube.

I never wanted to post this video in the first place because it made me feel so weak. But I was already having a horrible day and this iced the cake. I look at it now like I possibly can save another person from Brock Horner or possibly someones life by getting this captain off the water, Towles wrote in the description of the video.

Since the video spread online, The Fishermans Village in Punta Gorda has announced that it has cut ties with Horner, reports The Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

One of the other men on Horners boat has been identified as a local firefighter.

The video has spread to such a degree that a charter captain who lives 100 miles from Punta Gorda and has a similar name to Horner has now been receiving death threats.

Because we had the first name, people somehow assumed that I was the culprit It has been completely a nightmare, Capt. Brock Wagner told WFLA.
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A Georgia district attorney has announced his office will no longer pursue charges against a pregnant woman who miscarried last month.

Tifton Police Department officers arrested 24-year-old Selena Maria Chandler-Scott after discovering fetal remains in a dumpster at Brookfield Mews Apartment Complex on March 20.

Upon arriving at the scene around 6:00 a.m. officers found Chandler-Scott unconscious and bleeding. Emergency responders determined that she had suffered a miscarriage and she was immediately transported to the Tift Regional Medical Center for treatment.

A witness told police she had placed a fetus in a bag in a dumpster outside. Officials later recovered the fetal remains, which were sent for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

A day later, police announced they had charged Chandler-Scott with one count of concealing the death of another person and one count of throwing away or abandonment of a dead body prohibited.

On Friday, District Attorney Patrick Warren announced he had dismissed the charges.

A medical examiner had determined that the fetus was approximately 19 weeks. It was found to be non-viable at the time it was naturally miscarried, said Warren, citing the report. The fetus showed no signs of breathing on its own or foul play.

Warren said his decision to dismiss the charges follows a comprehensive review of the Tifton Police Departments investigative file, Georgia Bureau of Investigations Medical Examiners report, relevant Georgia statutes, case law and input from both legal and medical experts.

He added: After thorough examination of the facts and the law, my office has determined that continuing prosecution is not legally sustainable and not in the interest of justice. This case is heartbreaking and emotionally difficult for everyone involved, but our decision must be grounded in law  not emotion or speculation.

Chandler-Scott did not violate any crimes, Warren emphasized, explaining that he had cautioned police to wait for medical findings and complete witness statements before arresting her.

This case highlights the importance of careful review and thoughtful decision-making, particularly in sensitive situations like pregnancy loss, Warren said.

Charging women for having miscarriages has become an increasingly fraught issue since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022, which safeguarded womens rights to abortion.

In 2023 Ohio officers charged Brittany Watts after a miscarriage with felony abuse of a corpse.

A nurse at the hospital she visited following the miscarriage reported her to the police.

The charge was dismissed after a grand jury refused to indict her.

Between 1973 and 2022 more than 1,800 people faced criminal consequences connected to pregnancy, according to Pregnancy Justice, an organization that battles against the criminalization of pregnant people.

Two percent of the cases involved people who had been charged with tampering with a corpse or something similar, out of the cases in which researchers could analyze the charges.

The Independent has reached out to Chandler-Scott for comment.
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A notorious prisoner killed three fellow inmates, including two convicted pedophiles, during a prison brawl in Arizona on Friday, the states Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry has said.

The incident occurred at Arizona State Prison Complex Tucson.

State officials have named the three dead men as Saul Alvarez, Thorne Harnage, and Donald Lashley.

A preliminary report alleges that Wassenaar approached the men with the intent to harm them. No further details about the killing have been made public.

The only named suspect is another inmate named Ricky Wassenaar, who is already serving 16 life sentences after he was convicted of leading a prisoners revolt in 2004. That incident resulted in one of the longest prisoner standoffs in US history.

open image in gallery Saul Alvarez, left, Thorne Harnage, middle, and Donald Lashley, right, were all killed on Friday, April 4 while incarcerated at the Arizona State Prison Complex Tucson. Police believe another inmate murdered the men ( Arizona Department of Corrections )

Alvarez was sent to prison in 2004 after he was convicted in Maricopa County of first-degree murder.

Harnage arrived in prison last year after he was convicted in Pima County of engaging in sexual conduct with a minor. According to the Pima County Attorney's Office, Harnage abused his niece when she was 7 or 8 years old, and it took prosecutors more than seven years to put him away.

Lashley arrived at the facility in 2023 after he was convicted in Pima County on four counts of sexual conduct with a minor under 15 years old, two with a minor under 12 years old, three counts of molestation of a child, and two counts of sexual conduct with a minor under eighteen. He had been sentenced to two consecutive life terms.

open image in gallery Ricky Wassenaar, an inmate in Arizona who was involved in the 15 day standoff at Arizona State Prison Lewis Complex in Buckeye in 2004. Wassenaar is the only suspect in the deaths of three other inmates who were killed at the state's prison in Tucson on April 4, 2025 ( Arizona Department of Corrections )

Wassenaar was convicted in 2005 on 19 charges, including kidnapping, dangerous or deadly assault by prisoner, aggravated assault, sexual assault, and first-degree escape after he was involved in a 2004 hostage situation at a state prison in Lewis.

During that incident, Wassenaar and another man, Steven Coy, were convicted of taking a pair of prison guards hostage for 15 days. One of the guards was a woman and claimed the inmates raped her several times during the standoff.

He is currently serving 16 life sentences for his involvement in the standoff.

Investigators have not publicly shared a motive for the killings at the time of this report.

The prison canceled its visitation hours in response to the recent violence.

According to data from the Arizona Department of Corrections, the number of homicides in its prisons this year is already more than the total number of homicides in 2023 and 2024 combined.

The state counted five total homicides in its prisons during those two years. By February 2025  the most recent month we have data for  there had already been four homicides in Arizona state prisons. When you add the three deaths from Friday's killing, that will bring the total up to seven deaths.
Ron Faucheux is a nonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writer based in Louisiana. He publishes LunchtimePolitics.com, a nationwide newsletter on polls and public opinion.
When Project Sunrise starts, the A350s will carry 238 passengers across four classes  first, business, premium economy and economy. In a sign of shifting consumer demand, more than 40 per cent of the cabin will be dedicated to premium seating. A more sparsely configured cabin  to accommodate expanded premium areas  will lighten the planes weight, permitting it to fly more efficiently for longer. Fully customisable lighting sequence: The new Qantas first-class suite planned for its A350 flights. Were hearing from our customers a greater desire to go point-to-point, Hudson said at the Airbus factory in Hamburg. And doing that in a premium and a comfortable seat is also something that customers are saying that they value, and theyre prepared to pay a premium for. The premium could be 20 per cent more than existing Qantas long-haul flights, she said. The premium experience comes with features designed to attract higher-paying customers.

The coming A350s first-class cabins will have a fully customisable lighting sequence so customers can choose the time zone they want to be on for the duration of the flight  effectively easing their jet lag. The Airbus will have a more spacious layout with wider cabins and larger windows, all engineered with the experience of a 20-plus hour-long flight in mind. Loading Qantas Project Sunrise takes its name from so-called Double Sunrise flights across the Indian Ocean by Qantas pilots during World War II. They remained airborne long enough to see two sunrises while crossing the Indian Ocean. Hudson told reporters in Hamburg that the first A350 is due to arrive with Qantas in 2026. The fleet, slated to grow to 12, will need at least three planes before the Sydney to London or Sydney to New York non-stop service can begin. Once delivered to Qantas, the planes will need certification from CASA before they can fly commercially. And even then, Qantas will take a phased approach to their rollout.

Given that this aircraft is going to be flying such a long distance, well be doing lots of training with our pilots and our cabin crew, Hudson said. To do that, we will have that first aircraft, probably flying on the Tasman to New Zealand, where it gives us a little bit of time to stretch its legs, but not too far. Loading Hudson said Project Sunrise would actually start in the first half of 2027 when Qantas gets the three aircraft and then build from there. Manufacturing delays have stretched out the timeline for delivery of the A350s before. In 2022, Qantas said the A350-1000 ULR would be in service in 2025. The after-effects of the pandemic disruptions on industry, as well as design changes requested by regulators have added to the delay. University of Sydney professor Rico Merkert, who studies supply chains and transportation, said it would not be a good look for Qantas if they had to push the timeline out further for the delivery of the A350. For Airbus, its less problematic, he said, because at the moment every airline on the planet is trying to get new planes to save money on operating costs and lower emissions. The easiest way to do both was to renew fleets, he said.

Initial flights across the Tasman make sense, Merkert said, because safety is of paramount importance with the planes new technological underpinnings. Safety is also part of the Qantas brand. Loading For Qantas, the addition of the A350s was expected to have a cascading effect on Qantas international fleet, freeing up other aircraft to fly point to point into the US, Hudson said, a capability similar to the narrow-body Airbus 321XLRs entering Qantas service in June, albeit with a much longer range. Eventually, Project Sunrise flights could connect Perth and London or Melbourne and Dallas, potentially Sydney and Dallas, Hudson said. Thats going to help free up Boeing 787s, which can then fly into other markets.

Chicago would be great. Seattle would be great, seasonally into Las Vegas  would be amazing, Hudson mused. Anywhere from Perth into other points, into Europe would also be considered. When we get to that point, we will assess all of those ports, and well focus the aircraft on the ones that we think will generate the best outcome for customers and our business. Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson aboard the unfinished Airbus 321XLR which Qantas will soon take delivery of. Credit: Airbus Qantas chief financial officer Rob Marcolina said that the evolution of technology underpinning the new A350s enabled Qantas to invert what had long been Australias geographical burden of distance. The A380 put pressure on Qantas in the early 2010s, when airlines such as Singapore, Qatar and Etihad started using middle-point destinations in the Middle East and Singapore to put more seat capacity in Australia.

With Sunrise, we can fly over the top of them, Marcolina said. So our geographic disadvantage is actually our advantage in the sense that these aircraft have the ability to fly to anywhere around the world. Not only does Sunrise bank on Australian demand for premium, super-long flights, it created an opportunity to draw North American customers on a direct flight into Australia which would be massive, he said. The unique positioning of the Sunrise flights will demonstrate Qantass role as a national carrier on the global scale. Technology is enabling us to do that, he said. Chris Zappone travelled to Hamburg as a guest of Airbus and Qantas.
Hidden in the job contracts of about one in five Australians are little clauses weighing down their chances of landing a pay rise or a better-fitting role.

They might, for instance, ban you from working for any of your employers competitors for a set amount of time  even after leaving your job. Or, they can prevent you from setting up your own business in the same industry. These are called non-compete clauses, and theyve been on the rise for the past five years.

Non-compete clauses are weighing down the economy. Credit: Matt Davidson

From 2027, non-compete clauses on workers earning less than $175,000 a year could be banned by a Labor government. But why are these clauses so bad? And will banning them make much of a difference for workers or the economy?

Non-competes are mostly in place to protect business interests, but in some roles, they can be reasonable. For example, they might stop a big bank employee from sharing timely and confidential information or business secrets with a competitor or prevent them from taking client relationships theyve developed through the bank to another bank.
While she was in prison for manslaughter, Stacey Edwards found solace in an unexpected place: she joined a weekly art class and was soon painting daily.

It was a form of escapism for me, she says. I was able to go in a place where it felt like I wasnt in jail.

Stacey Edwards, former prisoner and now artist, with Kent Morris, curator of the new show Black In-Justice and creative director of the Torch program. Credit: Justin McManus

The 45-year-old Taungurong and Boonwurrung woman was able to save enough money selling her pieces while incarcerated to buy a house, thanks to The Torch program, which helps Indigenous prisoners connect with their culture through art.

Edwards work will sit alongside some of this countrys top First Nations artists in a show opening this weekend at Heide, Blak In-Justice: Incarceration and Resilience.
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 They are the gunshots heard around the world. For seven episodes, season three of The White Lotus, creator Mike Whites deliciously catty takedown of the wealthy on holiday, has kept audiences captivated with its central murder mystery. Were the gunshots linked to the body in the water or is it just a coincidence? When the final, 90-minute episode airs on Monday, all will be revealed, but in the meantime, we asked some reporters to cast their experienced eyes over the series and predict who dies and who did it. Gaitok trying (and failing) to stop a robbery at The White Lotus resort. Meg Watson, deputy TV editor: I have to state up top: I dont care who dies. I dont watch this show for the murder mystery, and the obsessive discourse over the now-obligatory death obscures the broader themes Mike White is trying to explore. But, judging by past seasons, I can also tell you the death will 100 per cent be accidental. People dont die on The White Lotus by suicide or co-ordinated execution, theyre victims of their own folly and end up doing something dumb like doinking their heads after falling off a boat. Loading So lets choose chaos. Im backing the growing theory that a member of the Ratliff family is going to cark it after accidentally ingesting the poisonous pong-pong fruit outside their room. The now gunless Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) has already been spotted fondling the fruit from the so-called suicide tree in the episode preview, but when he inevitably gets cold feet again, it will mistakenly be blended up into a big ol Saxon smoothie. And what about the gunshots? Greg/Gary (Jon Gries) coming to hunt down Belinda (Natasha Rothwell)? Unlikely. Jim Hollingers hired goons? Could be. But my money is on Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) confronting Valentin (Arnas Fedaravicius) and his Russian robbers, immediately dropping his gun because hes terrible at his job, and it gets picked up by a rogue monkey who runs wild around the resort. Its the only thing that makes sense.

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Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) and her son Zion (Nicholas Duvernay). Its Zion who finds the floating body in episode one. Michaela Whitbourn, legal affairs reporter: Observing human behaviour in court cases has made me suspicious about, well, most things. But its also taught me not to buy into theories too readily. What do we know has happened in the third season of The White Lotus? We know a human body  or something that looks like one  is found floating in a body of water in the first episode. Your honour, may I stop the tape (and I did, repeatedly). If it is a person, they appear to have dark hair, although the water may have affected its appearance. Could it be Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) or Belinda? We hear a series of pops, a pane of glass shatters, and we see people running and hiding. But do we know there has been a murder, or that the person in the water died of a gunshot wound? Not yet. If there is a killer, Greg emerges as an obvious suspect. But it is so obvious as to be suspicious. I think Mike White has crafted anything but a neat whodunnit. The jury is still out. Frank (Sam Rockwell) and Rick (Walton Goggins) could both have it coming in The White Lotus. Karl Quinn, culture reporter: In my wildest desires, its Frank (Sam Rockwell) floating in the water. But hes not just the victim, hes the killer too. Why? Because hes on a quest to be both subject and object of his actions. Recall that remarkable scene in episode five, by far the standout moment in this season, when Frank tells his old buddy Rick (Walton Goggins) hes given up booze and found religion, before flooring him with the tale of his sexual exploits. He could have shagged a million women, he tells him (and it sounds like he came pretty close), but it still wouldnt have satisfied the craving inside. Loading And then the kicker: I got it into my head that what I really wanted was to be one of these Asian girls, getting f---ed by me and to feel that. Frank seeks the annihilation of self, the embrace of the other, the merging into universal oneness. Its a debauched twist on Eastern mysticism, and thats what this season has been about: privileged Westerners dipping their toes in the pool of enlightenment, and then going back to their material comforts (since that episode Frank has, of course, fallen off the wagon).

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But as much as I want it to be Frank, in the spirit of renouncing my desires and embracing simplicity, Im going to opt for a far more prosaic scenario: Gaitok has shot one of the Russian gangsters in a bid to prove to Mook (Lisa Manobal) he does have the killer instinct and is thus a worthy match. Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) has checked into, but may not check out of, The White Lotus. Katherine Scott, Traveller reporter: Oh, Chelsea. Everyones favourite toothy Manchester native has it coming  and The White Lotus hapless security guard Gaitok, desperate to prove his killer instinct and win Mooks affections, will be the one to do it. Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) foresaw this in episode six, following two brushes with death, both weirdly involving a snake. Bad things happen in threes, she warns on a phone call with curmudgeonly boyfriend Rick, who has a knack for emerging unscathed as those in his orbit cop snake bites or relapse from role-play stress. The guy is poison. Loading Now, Gaitok knows it was Valentin and his friends behind the hotel robbery, and the stolen serpent choker that Chelsea was eyeing before the jewel thief snatched it away has reappeared in the closet of Lauries sketchy holiday squeeze, Aleksei. I dont know what theyll do with that information, but Id bet my last lorazepam the snake necklace will be Chelseas downfall. Gaitok, of course, will try to play hero and catastrophically botch it all up. Take it from a travel writer well-versed in haughty hotel guests  at The White Lotus, as in life, annoying elites rarely get their comeuppance. Oh, and did we mention that 2025 is the year of the snake in the Chinese zodiac? Nice knowing you, Chelce  Is it goodbye to Rick (Walton Goggins) in The White Lotus final episode? Thomas Mitchell, culture reporter: Remember in episode one when Pam (Morgana OReilly) tells Tim Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) about the poisonous fruit: Locals actually call it the suicide tree  so dont eat it, she warns. I believe they call that a Chekhovs gun, meaning the fruit is likely to return, perhaps in the form of a fatal smoothie. Weve been led to believe the death is the result of a gunfight, but an unfortunate accident feels much more Mike White. As for the victim, sadly, in The White Lotus, there is no such thing as a happy ending, which could spell bad news for our boy, Rick. Having something of a positive breakthrough when he decided not to murder that pathetic, frail old man who maybe killed his dad, it would just be Ricks luck to end up dead right as he was coming good. Chelsea said bad things come in threes, and I suspect Rick is about to learn that the hard way. Dont drink that smoothie!

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It looked very compelling, recalled Vissel this week. I went home, immediately saw my doctor, and got the shingles vaccine after discussing it with her. Geldsetzers study, published in Nature on Wednesday, used data from Wales shingles vaccination program. Due to limited supply and the belief the vaccine was not as effective for people over 80, the Welsh rolled out the vaccine to people aged 79 in September 2013. This created a perfect natural experiment to study the effect of vaccination on a group of people who have almost no differences except the week of their birth. Geldsetzer tracked dementia diagnoses for both groups over the next seven years, and found those who got jabbed had a 3.5 per cent lower risk of being diagnosed with the brain condition. This masthead can also reveal the same team has similar Australian data from our shingles vaccine program, uploaded online but not yet peer reviewed, that shows a 2 per cent reduction in risk. If this is an added effect, it potentially has a really profound effect on public health, said Dr Heidi Welberry, a biostatistician working on dementia prevention at the University of NSW.

But theres a deeper and potentially more important story: the data suggests viruses may actually cause dementia (and Alzheimers, the most common type of dementia)  a new culprit, working alongside or even interacting with the amyloid-beta plaques that have long been drug companies focus. Amyloid-beta, we think, is just a reaction. Its a distraction. We have to be focusing on the root cause, said Griffith Universitys Professor James St John, who published a call for more research on pathogens and Alzheimers in 2023. This story has its start in 1991 in the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory at the University of Manchester, when Ruth Itzhaki managed to painstakingly tease out DNA traces of the herpes simplex virus (the viral cousin of VZV, which causes chickenpox and shingles) from the brains of deceased Alzheimers patients, the first study to show definitively the presence of a microbe in so-called sterile brain, she told this masthead. Ruth Itzhaki, a neuropathologist visiting professor at Oxford University and emeritus professor at the University of Manchester. Her heretical work was greeted, she has written, with much hostility. The Amyloid Hypothesis, which argues Alzheimers is caused by the accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques in the brain that gum up its workings, was ascendant.

The traditional researchers have gone amyloid is causing this, said Associate Professor Catherine Butler, a microbiologist who studies the link between microbes and Alzheimers at the University of Melbourne. But there have been so many failed drug trials, so many promising interventions which have not led to anything, really. Other scientists couldnt believe a virus could lie dormant in the brain, cause no symptoms, yet somehow lead to long-term neurodegeneration. But the viruses of Herpesviridae are wily and have been co-evolving with humans for 3 million years. When we first catch VZV in childhood it causes chickenpoxs characteristic blistering rash  painful, but receding. The virus recedes too, entering into the nerves and then crawling back and up toward the spinal cord. Our nerve cells are fragile and precious and so get a hall pass from the patrolling immune system. Thus concealed, VZV can remain in the body for decades.

The virus is designed to periodically reactivate. When we are young and healthy, our immune system quickly beats it back and we are none the wiser. But as we age, and our immune system becomes less sharply honed, the virus can return with force and start killing nerve cells  provoking a dramatic immune response that can inflame an entire nerve-root. Thats what causes shingles, a condition so painful pain specialists describe it as the ultimate neuropathic pain. Mandy Hawtin got the shingles vaccine as soon as she turned 50. Id had four friends whod had shingles over a couple of years. One was still in her 30s, said Mandy Hawtin, 51, of Somerton Park. Two of them had it for months, they were in pain, they had a terrible painful rash. She got the shingles vaccine as soon as she turned 50, hoping to prevent the painful condition. Now shes hopeful that it will also reduce her chances of getting dementia.

But where does dementia fit in? Heres one theory: VZV infiltrates the brain much as it does the rest of the body. As our immune system weakens with age, it is able to regularly reactivate within the brain (indeed, shingles tends to strike in our 60s, the age when most scientists think Alzheimers pathology begins). These neural reactivations are symptomless. But inside the brain, they lead to long-term increase in immune system activation, which in turn causes inflammation. A series of new studies within the last decade have shown this inflammatory response can actually lead to a build-up of amyloid-beta plaques. What looked like a cause may actually be a symptom. If youre having infections all the time throughout your life, you can get small-level increases of beta-amyloid which gets worse and worse, said St John. By the time youre 65, youve got so much of this stuff around your brain just stops working properly. All that remains speculation  as does the reason the shingles vaccine might offer protection against dementia. Perhaps by better arming the immune system against shingles, there is less reactivation in the brain and therefore less inflammation.

Loading Or perhaps the vaccine provides a general system-wide boost to the immune system; this may explain why women, who typically get more of a boost from vaccination than men, saw better protection from dementia after the shingles jab. As always, more research needs to be done  with some scientists now looking to an ongoing American trial of antivirals against dementia with great excitement. Regardless of whether the link between herpes and dementia holds, the shingles vaccine remains a powerful defence (91 per cent efficacy in people aged over 70) against a nasty illness. And now theres the potential for a little extra protection  though before making any health decisions, be sure to speak to your doctor. I am thrilled to hear that  we lost a family member last month to dementia. Its certainly prevalent in my husbands side of the family, said Mandy Hawtin, after learning of the potential added defence. So Im going to be telling him to go get it right now.
Liberal candidate for Whitlam Benjamin Britton has been disendorsed after expressing views that are inconsistent with the partys position.

In a series of podcast interviews before his December preselection, Britton claimed the Australian Defence Force needed to remove females from combat corps to fix the military.

Britton also blamed diversity and equity quotes, Marxist ideology and woke ideologies for weakening Australias defence.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton with the former Liberal candidate for Whitlam Benjamin Britton in January. Credit: Facebook

In a statement, the Liberal administrative committee of the NSW division said it would now endorse Nathaniel Smith for the seat of Whitlam.

This follows a decision to disendorse Benjamin Britton over views expressed which were not previously disclosed and are inconsistent with the partys position, a spokesperson said.

Nathaniel is raising his two daughters with his wife Christine in the Southern Highlands. He is the chief executive of the Master Plumbers Association of NSW, providing a strong voice for the plumbing industry, and working to deliver a better deal for small and family businesses.

Starting his career as an apprentice plumber, going on to run his own plumbing business, before taking up tertiary studies in communications and joining a communication consultancy. In 2019 he was elected as the Member for Wollondilly, serving until 2023.

Nathaniel has been a passionate advocate for small businesses and investment in trades and training.

As part of Peter Duttons Liberal team, Nathaniel will help deliver the Liberal plan to strengthen our economy and reduce inflation.
Singapore: Myanmars military has been accused of launching fresh attacks against resistance groups only hours after agreeing to a ceasefire deal aimed at facilitating rescue and recovery efforts from last weeks 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

The allegations came as junta leader Min Aung Hlaing met with regional leaders in Bangkok, the first time he had been invited to a multinational summit since the 2021 military coup that brought him to power. The decision by Thailand to welcome the general to the dialogue for the Bay of Bengal nations has been widely panned as legitimising the regime and its brutal repression of citizens.

Thai protesters lay posters condemning Myanmar General Min Aung Hlaing on top of a sheet covered in fake blood in Bangkok, Thailand. Credit: Getty Images

The United Nations said it had received 14 reports of military attacks  including from aircraft, drones and artillery  since the regime belatedly announced a temporary halt to fighting on April 2.

This was on top of 53 attacks on areas affected by the March 28 earthquake, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday.
A map of Indias most remarkablewater conservation efforts







Women-led spring revival project in Nagaland





By Mervin Preethi :

WHILE there is immense pressure on available water sources due to depleting groundwater and increasing demand, India is currently facing a severe water crisis. Cities run dry, rural areas battle drought, and erratic rainfall patterns worsen the situation. However, communities, individuals, and officials across the country have taken proactive steps to conserve water and restore water bodies. By following simple yet sustainable methods like rainwater harvesting, check dams, stepwell revival, and pond restoration, India can mitigate this crisis and secure its water future. Heres a look at some of the most impactful water conservation initiatives across the country. Starting from north to down south.





Vijay and other citizens revived the stepwells while it was losing their purpose and significance. Image credits: Dr Vijay Atri.

1. Reviving stepwells in Udhampur, J&K Dr Vijay Atri and a few locals launched the Bowli Bachao Abhiyan in 2021, successfully reviving 65 stepwells in Jammu and Kashmir in just four months. Their efforts restored natural springs and ensured sustainable water sources for communities. The revival of these 20 ancient water structures has also helped in groundwater recharge.



Balbir Singh Seechewals model has been picked up by other cities. Image credits: Balbir Singh Seechewal

2. Cleaning the Kali Bein River, Punjab Eco Baba, Balbir Singh Seechewal, led the cleaning of the 160-km-long Kali Bein river in Punjab, removing domestic and industrial waste. His efforts revitalised the river, significantly improving water quality. His model of community-driven river cleaning has been replicated in other parts of India.





Rambabu has been involved in lake clean-ups since his teens. Image credits: Rambabu Tiwari

3. Restoring 75 ponds in Bundelkhand, UP Rambabu Tiwari, a PhD student, started reviving water bodies in Uttar Pradesh at just 17. He mobilised villagers to desilt and restore 75 ponds, earning national recognition for drought mitigation efforts. His work has significantly improved irrigation facilities in the region.

4. Sitamarhis soak pit initiative in Bihar Residents of Sitamarhi in Bihar built 2,168 soak pits in one day in partnership with UNICEF, preventing water wastage and improving groundwater recharge across schools, health centres, and police stations. This initiative has helped reduce waterlogging and promote better sanitation.





Aakar Charitable Trust has constructed over 200 check dams in Rajasthan. Image credits: Aakar Charitable Trust.

5. Aakar Charitable Trusts check dams in Rajasthan Amla Ruias organisation in Rajasthan constructed 200 check dams in 100 villages, ensuring water availability for over two lakh people through traditional rainwater harvesting techniques. The check dams have transformed agriculture in the region and increased crop yield.





The efforts of the IAS officer have restored the biodiversity of the pond. Image credits: Anshul Gupta

6. Reviving Yam Talaiya pond in MP Madhya Pradesh IAS officer Anshul Gupta, along with 125 volunteers, restored theYam Talaiya pond in Ujjain without government funds, increasing its water-holding capacity and improving local biodiversity.The project has also helped revive aquatic life in the pond.





Despite personal struggles, Abhay was successful in providing water for drought-prone villages. Image credits: Abhay Todkar

7. Abhay Todkars drought-relief work in Maharashtra Despite living with polio, Abhay Todkar from Maharashtra led a movement that brought sustainable water solutions to 64 drought-prone villages in Dahiwadi. His initiative has enabled year-round water access for thousands of families.



The efforts of the former IRS officer has helped increase farmers income. Image credits: Ujjwal Kumar Chavan

8. Ex-IRS officer Ujjwal Kumar Chavans project Ujjwal Kumar Chavan implemented water conservation projects in 204 drought-hit villages, providing a stable water supply and agricultural sustainability. His efforts boosted farmers incomes, rejuvenated rivers, and fostered community support, demonstrating the power of collective action.





Drop Dead Foundation has fixed pipes and saved over 4.14 lakh litres of water. Image credits: Aabid Surti.

9. Drop Dead Foundations leak-fixing drive in Mumbai Aabid Surtis NGO fixes leaky faucets across Mumbai for free, saving 4.14 lakh litres of water every year through small but impactful efforts. His awareness campaigns through his Drop Dead Foundation have encouraged many to fix leaks in their homes.





The pond cleanup and borewell constructions have increased the freshwater access. Image credits: SEED.

10. Tackling saltwater intrusion in Sundarbans A community-driven effort by SEED introduced sustainable water management techniques to combat saltwater intrusion, improving both water quality and menstrual health in the Sundarbans. Rainwater harvesting and pond cleanups have now become a widespread practice in the region.

11. Women-led spring revival project in Nagaland Khrolhiweu Tsuhah, with North East Initiative Development Agency (NEIDA), anchored a project that revived 99 springs, benefiting 12,000 water-scarce households in the hilly terrains of Nagaland.The womenled initiative has also promoted traditional water conservation practices among local communities.



Kalpanas efforts have increased groundwater levels. Image credits: Kalpana Ramesh

12. Restoring boring wells and lakes in Hyderabad Kalpana Ramesh mobilised 200 families to repair defunct bore wells and implement rainwater harvesting while also working towards lake restoration. Her efforts have contributed to improving groundwater levels in urban Hyderabad.





The water efficiency has been improved in the Moodbidri lake. Image credits: Facebook /Moodbidri



13. Dr LC Soans tank revival and drip irrigation in Karnataka Dr LC Soans saved the Kadala Kere tank in Karnataka from drying and pioneered pineapple cultivation using drip irrigation, enhancing water efficiency in Moodbidri. His work has set an example for sustainable agriculture in water-scarce areas.

14. Community efforts in lake and pond restoration in Tamil Nadu An IAS-led initiative, in collaboration with the Environmentalist Foundation of India, restored multiple water bodies, including the Thiruvaimur-Thamarai pond in Tamil Nadu, benefiting surrounding ecosystems. The restoration has also improved urban flood management.





The initiative brought 5000 locals together in Kerala. Image credits: Haritha Keralam Mission.

15. Haritha Keralam Missions river restoration in Kerala The state-run initiative undertook the revival of the Kanampuzha River, which involved 5000 locals, enhancing water conservation and ecological restoration in the region. The project has also helped in improving fisheries and aquatic biodiversity. From stepwells in the north to lake revivals in the south, these initiatives showcase the power of collective action in ensuring water security
Budget Session ends with over 100% productivity





NEW DELHI :

PARLIAMENTS nod to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill rendering it the Governments most consequential piece of legislation in its third term, and the political heat it generated inside and outside the legislature defined the second half of the Budget Session which ended on Friday. Punches and counterpunches between the ruling BJP-led NDA and Opposition INDIA bloc, which showed signs of common purpose during as the session drew to a close, ran through the sitting that saw more than 100 per cent productivity in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Debates scored over disruption in this session during which 16 Bills were approved by the two Houses and the Presidents rule in Manipur received Parliaments nod during post-mid night discussions in both chambers.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters that the productivity of Lok Sabha during the session, which began with an address by President Droupadi Murmu on January 31 and ended on Friday with a recess from February 14 to March 9, was 118 per cent and that of the Upper House 119 per cent. He said history was created and old records broken in Rajya Sabha when it sat without a break for 17:02 hrs from 11 AM on Thursday to the early hours on Friday to debate and pass the Waqf bill besides endorsing Presidents rule in Manipur. He noted that a live discussion on the bill was seen in both Houses without any disruption and occasional exchanges of sarcasm and banter. After both the ruling National Democratic Alliance and the opposition INDIA bloc voted along the party lines on the Bill, Rijiju said a similar pattern in polling was witnessed in Rajya Sabha save for conscience voting by some members, which boosted the strength of the treasury benches.

Waqf Bill: Jawed, Owaisi move SC

NEW DELHI,

Apr 4 (PTI)

CONGRESS MP Mohammad Jawed and AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday challenged the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the Supreme Court, saying it violated the constitutional provisions. Jaweds plea alleged the bill imposed arbitrary restrictions on Waqf properties and their management, undermining the religious autonomy of the Muslim community. The petition, filed through advocate Anas Tanwir, said the proposed law discriminated against the Muslim community by imposing restrictions that are not present in the governance of other religious endowments.

The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 128 members voting in favour and 95 opposing it. It was passed in the Lok Sabha early April 3 with 288 members supporting it and 232 against it. Jawed, a Lok Sabha MP from Kishanganj in Bihar, was a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the bill and has alleged in his plea that the bill introduces restrictions on the creation of Waqfs based on the duration of ones religious practice. Such a limitation is unfounded in Islamic law, custom or precedent and infringes upon the fundamental right to profess and practice religion under Article 25, it said.

Owaisi said the bill takes away from Waqfs various protections which were accorded to Waqfs and Hindu, Jain, and Sikh religious and charitable endowments alike. Owaisis plea, said, This diminishing of the protection given to Waqfs while retaining them for religious and charitable endowments of other religions constitutes hostile discrimination against Muslims and is violative of Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which prohibit discrimination on the grounds of religion. Congress to challenge Waqf bills constitutionality in Supreme Court very soon: THE Congress on Friday said it will very soon challenge in the Supreme Court the constitutionality of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 that has been passed in Parliament. The Opposition party also said it will continue to resist all assaults of the Modi Govt on the principles, provisions, and practices that are contained in the Constitution.
Cabinet approves phase 2 ofVibrant Villages Programme





NEW DELHI :

THE second phase of Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), which envisages comprehensive development of select villages located along international borders, has been approved by the Union Cabinet, the Government announced on Friday. The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Vibrant Villages Programme-II (VVP-II) as a central sector scheme with 100 per cent funding by the Centre, furthering its commitment for the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 for Safe, Secured & Vibrant land borders, an official statement said.

The programme would help in the comprehensive development of the villages located in the blocks abutting international land borders (ILBs), other than the northern border already covered under VVP-I. The objective of the programme is to create better living conditions and adequate livelihood opportunities to ensure prosperous and safe borders, control trans-border crime and assimilate the border population with the nation and inculcate them as eyes and ears of the border guarding forces, crucial for internal security.

With a total outlay of Rs 6,839 crore, the programme shall be implemented in select strategic villages in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal till 2028-29, the statement said.

The programme shall provide funds for infrastructure development within the village or a cluster of villages, value chaindevelopment through cooperatives, SHGs, etc, border specificoutreach activity, educationinfrastructure like SMART classes, development of tourism circuits and projects to creatediverse and sustainable livelihood opportunities in the border areas. The interventionswould be border-specific, stateand village specific, based on village action plans prepared in acollaborative approach. All-weather road connectivityfor these villages shall be undertaken under the alreadyapproved Rural connectivityunder PM Gram Sadak Yojana(PMGSY-IV). A high-poweredcommittee chaired by theCabinet Secretary shall consider suitable relaxations in guidelines for effective implementation of schemes in the borderareas.
Ensure safety of minorities, Hindus in Desh: Modi to Yunus





By Sagar Kulkarni

BANGKOK

IN HIS first meeting with Bangladeshs Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged Indias concerns over the safety of minorities, including Hindus, and conveyed that any rhetoric that vitiated the environment was best avoided. During the 40-minute meeting that took place on the sidelines of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral and Technical Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit here, Modi also underscored Indias support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. At the meeting, Yunus also flagged the issues of the extradition of deposed Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and border killings. This was the first meeting between Modi and Yunus since Hasinas ouster in August last year. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were also present during the meeting. The Prime Minister told Yunus that the strict enforcement of the law and prevention of illegal border crossings, especially at night, are necessary for maintaining border security and stability.

Bangladesh has made a formal request regarding Sheikh Hasina. It will not be proper for me to say anything more on this matter, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters here. Met Mr Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of the interim Government of Bangladesh. India remains committed to a constructive and people-centric relationship with Bangladesh, Modi said in a post on X. I reiterated Indias support for peace, stability, inclusivity and democracy in Bangladesh. Discussed measures to prevent illegal border crossings and expressed our serious concern for the safety and well-being of Hindus and other minorities, the Prime Minister said. Modi also enunciated Indias people-centric approach to the relationship, and said that cooperation between the two countries has brought tangible benefits to the people of both the nations.

In this spirit, he underlined to Professor Yunus Indias desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh based on a spirit of pragmatism, Misri said on Modis conversation with Yunus. On the issue of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, Modi said that he expected the Bangladeshi Government to ensure their security and thoroughly investigate cases of atrocities against them. The Prime Minister also congratulated Yunus on Bangladesh assuming the Chair of BIMSTEC and looked forward to the forum further advancing regional cooperation under its leadership. The leaders agreed to enhance consultations and cooperation to advance regional integration, including under the BIMSTEC framework, an official statement said.

Modi also expressed his conviction that all issues of mutual interest between the two countries would continue to be addressed and resolved bilaterally through constructive discussions, in the interest of their long standing and mutually beneficial bilateral relationship. Soon after the meeting, Yunus official X handle posted a photo that showed the interim Government chief presenting a photo to Prime Minister Modi. The photo is about Prime Minister Narendra Modi presenting a gold medal to Professor Yunus at the 102nd Indian Science Congress on January 3, 2015, the post on X said.
Flight Lieutenant Yadav cremated





CHANDIGARH :

FLIGHT Lieutenant Siddharth Yadav, who was killed in the Jaguar fighter jet crash in Gujarat, was cremated with full military honours at his native Majra Bhalkhi village in Haryanas Rewari district on Friday. Yadav (28) died in the aircraft crash incident near the Jamnagar IAF station on Wednesday night. Having recently got engaged, he was to get married in November this year, his family said. The pilot belonged to a family of ex-servicemen, with his father Sushil Yadav having served in the IAF and grandfather and great-grandfather also having served in the Army. His mortal remains arrived in Rewari before being taken to his native village.

A large number of people, including several ex-servicemen carrying the tricolour in their hands, stood on roads showering flower petals as the vehicle carrying the IAF officers mortal remains passed through. The IAF personnel offered a gun salute as his mortal remains were consigned to flames. Former Haryana minister Banwari Lal, BJP MLA from Bawal in Rewari district, Krishan Kumar, thousands of locals, Indian Air Force (IAF) officers, members of the armed forces, police officers, gathered to salute the IAF officer as his family members bid a tearful adieu.

The pilot is survived by his father, mother and a younger sister. Yadavs fiancee was inconsolable at the cremation. Show me his face once, she pleaded. His mother Sushila Devi told reporters that she would urge every mother to definitely send their sons to join the forces. Holding a picture of his son in her hands, she said she was proud that she had given birth to a braveheart. She said she had sent her son to join the IAF to serve his motherland.
Institutes need to focus on innovation: Dr Jayaram





An educationist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Dr M R Jayaram, whose acumen and managerial capabilities brought laurels not only to his institute but also played a pivotal role in bridging the gap between institutions, policymakers, and young aspirants by identifying the challenges and solutions within Indian education system. He has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Coventry University, UK, for his contribution to education and business. He shared insights regarding the Indian education system with The Hitavada.

By Bhavana Aparajita Shukla :

Q.1 Now it has been established that there is a need for quality education delivery and employability in our present system. Through this organisation (EPSI), which is non-profit, how are you going to achieve this? A. We have identified that our education institutes can no longer restrict themselves to being centres of knowledge transfer only. Skill development has proven to be equally important. For that reason, these centres are framing their curriculum accordingly. We are in touch with industries so that courses can be customised according to employability criteria.

Q.2- There has been a growth of around 25% in the number of institutions in the last four to five years. Students opt for graduation-level courses here, but their first choice for advanced studies is still abroad. We have manpower, knowledge centres, and infrastructure. What is lacking here? Why cant our centres provide them with that level of learning in the country? A- There is a need for more innovation in imparting the curriculum as per the need of the hour. As we are rapidly opening new institutes, in the last five years, the number of private colleges has increased from around 2000-2500 to 4000, and the number of universities has increased from 300 to 1200. However, there is a need to include innovation in our curriculum. For example, Artificial Intelligence has been introduced in other countries. Here, we are following and trying to catch up with them. Instead, we should pioneer such streams.

Q.3- You are the Chairman of Gokula Education Foundation (GEF) and son of Dr M S Ramaiah, one of the legendary philanthropists. Could you shed some light on how you are carrying forward your fathers legacy in social work? A - Whenever we get a chance to deliberate and implement new measures in our education system, we come forward. We never hesitate to communicate with institute operators, students, and the government through different forums. We also have a medical college. During the pandemic period, we offered our 1400-bed hospital to the government, and people were treated at government hospital rates. During such a tough time, money remained a secondary issue; in fact, money held no importance at all. Patients received treatment in 900 oxygenated beds at no cost. We are always ready to offer our services and infrastructure in case of such crises. Through EPSI, our team of senior educationists, educational entrepreneurs, intellectuals, and industry leaders take up issues on behalf of the academic world with the Government and industry for quality education. We always try to play a catalytic role in promoting the growth and quality of education in India. The M S Ramaiah Charities Trust has a number of well-defined social objectives. The Trust annually awards scholarships to financially backward meritorious candidates for pursuing higher education.

Q.4- Born at the time of independence, how do you see the change in our education system in the last couple of decades? A- Of course! There has been a change, and in the last 10-15 years, this change has been happening rapidly in the number of institutions, coupled with the inclusion of new curricula. However, the foundation for these new changes was laid around 30-32 years ago with globalisation, the increase in the number of industries, and the opening of new avenues, e.g., information technology. Today, we are reaping the fruits of those efforts and decisions were taken at policy level.
Leadership, Learning, and Legacy: SIBM Nagpur Celebrates a Year of Growth





India, 4th April 2025: Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) Nagpur closed the 2024-25 academic year on a grand note, marked by an exceptional placement season, a dynamic Annual Management Day and a heartfelt send-off for the graduating cohort.

Placement Results Reflect Rising Employer Confidence

The placement season this year at SIBM Nagpur delivered strong outcomes, with the highest package at 24.9 LPA- a compelling indicator of the growing employer confidence in the institutes talent pool. Students secured roles in some of the most reputed organizations across industries. Leading firms such as Lakme Lever, Volvo Eicher, OYO, HDFC AMC, Federal Bank, Scaler, HCL Tech, SBI GI, TATA AIG, and Deloitte India offered diverse roles in consulting, finance, marketing, and operations.

Annual Management Day Explores Emerging Leadership Paradigms

Amidst this success, the Annual Management Day brought together students, faculty, alumni, and corporate leaders to celebrate a day of dialogue, recognition and reflection. Keynote speakers from industry addressed emerging business trends, emphasising on leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship. Students were also felicitated for their outstanding performances across academics, leadership, and extracurricular activities, with alumni and professionals offering valuable networking and mentorship interactions.

Class of 2025 Departs with Purpose and Poise

As the celebrations continued, emotions ran high during the farewell ceremony, where faculty members, juniors, and the graduating batch gathered to reminisce about their journey at SIBM Nagpur. Cultural performances and heartfelt speeches captured the spirit of the transformative years on campus that defined the students journey. Faculty and mentors shared their best wishes and words of encouragement, urging the departing class to take on new challenges with confidence and resilience. While the farewell marked the end of a significant chapter, it also signaled the beginning of a promising future for the graduates as they step into the professional world.

This academic year has reaffirmed our belief that true leadership is cultivated through a blend of academic rigour, experiential learning, and values-driven education. As we send forth a cohort of capable professionals, we do so with the confidence that they will not just navigate the futurethey will help shape it, said Dr. Shailesh Rastogi, Director, SIBM Nagpur.

As SIBM Nagpur bids farewell to one batch of aspiring leaders, it remains steadfast in its commitment to academic excellence and career readiness. With new milestones behind it and a fresh cohort ahead, the institute is focused on strengthening industry-academia linkages and enhancing experiential learning opportunities for the incoming batch.
Lt General PS Shekhawat holds one-day inspection of Military Station Jamshedpur





Lt Gen PS Shekhawat, GOC MB Area, interacting with veterans during his visit at Military Station Jamshedpur.

Staff Reporter :

Lieutenant General PS Shekhawat, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Madhya Bharat Area, Jabalpur, conducted a one-day visit to Military Station Jamshedpur to strengthen bonds with serving personnel and the veteran community. The visit underscored the army's unwavering commitment to the welfare of its personnel from enlistment to their final days. During his visit, Lt Gen Shekhawat met with local officers and veterans from all three branches of the Armed Forces. He emphasised the army's dedication to improving facilities such as canteen supplies, Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), empanelment of medical facilities like Tata Main Hospital and Meher Bai Cancer Hospital, and the establishment of a Soldiers' Rest House in Jamshedpur.

He reassured the veterans regarding efforts to resolve individual welfare cases, such as ensuring pension entitlement for the spouse of veteran, in advocating for justice in the case of the soldiers. Their solidarity led to a favourable outcome, including bail for Havildar Rai and his cousin, and an assurance of a thorough investigation by Ranchi's Inspector General of Police, Akhilesh Jha. Lt Gen Shekhawat was welcomed by senior veterans, including Major General P.P. Sabharwal and Colonel Kishore Singh, with a heartfelt acknowledgment of the lifelong bond shared among soldiers.

He personally honoured veteran Sushil Kumar Singh with a Veteran Badge, recognizing his contributions. He reiterated the army's commitment to providing efficient and compassionate welfare systems. Additionally, the visit included discussions with senior officials of Tata Motors to explore opportunities for collaboration in welfare initiatives for army personnel and veterans. Strengthening corporate partnerships for mutual development was underscored as a priority. Headquarters Madhya Bharat Area remains dedicated to upholding the highest standards of welfare services while honouring the sacrifices and service of its soldiers and veterans.
National Conference held at IIT





Staff Reporter :

BHILAI,

The Department of Liberal Arts organised a conference on Well-being and Mental Health: Technological Advancements, Challenges and the Future held recently at IIT Bhilai. The conference was aimed at understanding the role of emerging technological innovations in enhancing wellbeing and maintaining and treating mental health such as artificial intelligence. Further, it also emphasised understanding the challenges that could be encountered in integrating such technologies into wellbeing and mental health.

The Convenors of the conference, Dr Anindita Ghosh and Dr Rajkumar Eslavath, assistant professors of psychology, welcomed the guests. Prof Rajiv Prakash, Director, IIT Bhilai inspired a discussion on the topic through an interdisciplinary perspective and felicitated the Chief guest Prof Meena Hariharan. Keynote speaker Prof Meena Hariharan, founder director of Centre for Health psychology, HCU, threw light on hypertension and its technological management, Dr Nitin Anand, associate professor, NIMHANSspoke about digital addiction and Prof Kamlesh Singh, Prof IIT Delhi enlightened delegates about harnessing technology for well-being.

rof Vijyendra Pandey, HoD, CUK, Dr Chetan Anand, associate professor, AIIMS Raipur and Dr Shikha Soni, psychologist Mind House and Doc Vita chaired various sessions and provided participants with their insights and suggestions. The conference marked an initiation into bridging the gap between understanding how to appropriately using technological innovations for human well-being while being aware of its adverse effects. The conference was partly funded by IBITF, IIT Bhilai which also works on this topic and showcased some of their current works under progress on AI for mental health.
Seven women farm labourers die as tractor-trolley plunges into well in Mah





CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR ;

SEVEN women farm labourers, two of them aged 18, died and three others were rescued after a tractor-trolley ferrying them to an agriculture field plunged into a well in Nanded district of Maharashtra on Friday morning, an official said. The accident occurred at around 7.30 am in Asegaon village which lies under jurisdiction of Limbgaon police station when the vehicle veered off the road and fell into the well filled to the brim with water, said District Information Officer (DIO) Pravin Take said. Police and local administration officials immediately launched a rescue operation and pumped out a large amount of water from the well, he said. At the end of the operation, bodies of seven women were fished out of the well, while three others were rescued, said the DIO.

The woman were on their way to harvest turmeric at a farm. All those who died hailed from Gunj village under Vasmat tehsil in Hingoli district, the official said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the accident and announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMs National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured will be given Rs 50,000 each, he said. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the death of farm labourers and separately announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the family of each deceased. Some women died in an accident in Asegaon, Nanded district, this morning when a tractor trolley carrying 11 women labourers fell into a well. I pay my heartfelt tributes to them.

These women were from Gunjgaon, Hingoli district, and were going for agricultural work, he posted on X. The families of the deceased will be given a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each from the Chief Ministers Relief Fund, he declared. Three women were rescued safely. We are in touch with both Hingoli and Nanded administrations, the CM said. Later, talking to reporters, Fadnavis said an inquiry has been ordered into the accident and steps will be taken to ensure such incidents do not recur.
State notifies UDC to preserve aesthetic values of local culture





Staff Reporter :

Committees would be formed at Municipal Corporation, Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat levels and would be tasked with formulating individual development plans that promotes integrated growth without disturbing the historic and heritage value

Taking into consideration the pace of urbanisation, Maharashtra Government has conceptualised setting up Urban Design Cell (UDC) with a view of maintaining aesthetic point of view that gels with the local culture and traditions. These cells would work at Municipal Corporation, Regional Authority and also at Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat levels. The Government issued a notification on March 28 laying out the roadmap for establishment of these UDC to monitor implementation of rules.

The notification states that there are 421 Planning Authorities in State and the Development Plans are prepared by them have implementation period spread over 20 years. At Municipal Corporation category there are 21 Authorities, 13 at A category Municipal Councils, 73 at B category Municipal Councils, 148 at C category Municipal Councils and 155 at D category. Of those, 298 Development Plans have been approved by State Government while others are in process of approval. For A, B and C category Municipal Corporations and Special Planning Authorities, the UDCs will be headed by respective Commissioner, Metropolitan Commissioner /Special Planning Officer heading the Authority. The Deputy Director, Town Planning will be In-charge of the Committee,while the Members will be City Engineer, Expert in History or Heritage, Architect or Engineer specialising in City/Urban Planning, Structural Engineer with 10+ years of experience and member of the Institution of Engineers and senior citizens or invitees having knowledge about urban planning issues.

Other than Municipal Corporation, Government has notified creation of two separate monitoring units exclusively for Municipal Councils. Their functioning will be supervised under Presidentship of Deputy Director, Town Planning Traffic and Transport Sector, Pune/Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. Deputy Director, Town Planning Traffic and Transport Sector, will function as Head of the Department, while District Level officer nominated by District Collector, a Revenue Officer or SDO, will be its Member along with Assistant Director, Town Planner, Traffic and Transport Sector and Assistant Director, Town Planning, District Branch office, and Experts in Town Planning. As to their working, these UDCs are tasked with preparation of design for the particular area under its supervision by incorporating suggestions from concerned departments within their functional area.

The policy document prepared by UDC will act as guidelines to followed while allowing development activity, be it housing, commercial or industrial in that respective region. While finalising the master plan for development of any sector or township, the Committee will ensure that places of importance and heritage are kept at it is and care should be taken for its beautification without disturbing its originality. The District level UDC will focus on development of financial centres, Transit Oriented Development (TOD), mixed usage development, water front development and site specific designs. Similarly, the UDC at Nagar Parishad should take steps to promote development that would boost tourism and business in their respective areas and prepare master plan and recommend measures to District Collector. Also, they must chalk out plan for proper utilisaton of agricultural land for industrial, housing development.

Experts question utility of UDC

While the concept of UDC is quite welcome, the same may overlap with existing system wherein each of the units has independent Town Planning Authority. The Town Planning Departments at NMC, NMRDA, Municipal Councils, are already tasked with all the aspects outlined in UDC notification by Urban Development Department (UDD). So the objective of UDC is not very clear. Many are cautious about having another authority for planning. In future, the same may delay approvals for projects that may hit hard the citizen, fear the experts.
Every year, from December to April, the Harmattan sweeps across Africa. This cool, dry and dust-laden wind gets its name from haramata, a word in the Ghanaian language Fanti.

The wind originates from high-pressure systems over the Sahara, south of Algeria and Libya, and north of Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad. It significantly alters the climatic and environmental conditions of the region it crosses.

The Harmattans effects go beyond reduced visibility and dryness. It has an impact on human health, agriculture and ecosystems.

Our research explores weather and climate hazards and their impacts on various sectors in west Africa, including dry and wet periods. In this article, we explain what the Harmattan is, its causes, when and how it occurs, and its impact on public health in affected regions.

The origins of the Harmattan

During the boreal (northern hemisphere) winter (October to March), large-scale components of atmospheric circulation shift southward.

In west Africa this causes the inter-tropical convergence zone  where moist air from the south meets dry air from the north  to migrate from the Sahel towards the Gulf of Guinea. These airflows are well known: the monsoon in the south and the Harmattan in the north. From December to late March, nearly all of west Africa falls under the influence of the Harmattan.

The formation of the Harmattan is driven by a significant difference in atmospheric pressure. To the north (around 30N), a high-pressure belt  such as the Azores High  pushes down dry air from high altitudes.

To the south, near the equator and the suns azimuth, low-pressure zones create frequent storms. Large-scale, steady winds develop between these contrasting regions, flowing close to the surface. These winds exist throughout the year across the tropical belt. Over the ocean, these winds are known as the trade winds, which sailors have long relied on for transatlantic navigation from east to west.

How the air dries out

The air masses carried by the Harmattan come from high altitudes. They dry out as they rise. As these masses move southward toward the equatorial low-pressure zones, they pass only through hot and dry regions like the Sahara and Sahel, so they remain dry. Areas affected by the Harmattan experience significant dryness, unlike the rainy season when the monsoon wind (from the south) prevails.

The air masses are affected by a strong pattern of cool nights and extremely hot days, particularly in March and April. At night, the cooler surface temperatures create a stable atmospheric layer, limiting vertical air movement. This stability reduces the vertical layer where the Harmattan blows. As a result, winds intensify, especially in the early morning.

The stronger nighttime winds, known as the low-level jet, occur over dry, erosion-prone soils, particularly in regions like the Bodele Depression in the Chadian Sahara. The combination of powerful winds and erodible soils makes this area the primary source of desert dust in west Africa. It is recognised as the worlds most productive region for generating fine dust particles.

Effects on health

The Harmattan, a dry, cool wind filled with dust, microbes and parasites, has significant health impacts. It is linked to numerous conditions affecting the skin and mucous membranes of people and animals. By degrading air quality, it can also contribute to respiratory infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma.

The Harmattan facilitates the spread of diseases, such as influenza. It also facilitates the proliferation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis, a severe illness, as well as meningococci, which cause meningitis. This disease is particularly common in Sahelian countries.

Research has quantified the Harmattans impact on air quality and public health. Studies show a 15% increase (annual average) in fine dust particle concentrations during the recent years has been linked to a 24% increase in infant mortality.

The Harmattan also affects local ecosystems, causing significant surface water evaporation and accelerating soil erosion. Its dust-laden winds can create visibility issues for aviation and reduce the efficiency of solar farms by coating photovoltaic panels with dust and haze.

Protection from the wind

Extensive research and measurement campaigns have been carried out to better understand dust plumes, including their formation, transport and impacts. These efforts have contributed to improving data on dust plumes, especially through the European Copernicus programme.

At the end of the Harmattan season, around April, air quality declines and high daytime temperatures worsen respiratory problems, particularly during heatwaves. This makes accurate predictions more crucial to inform and protect vulnerable populations.

Scientists and meteorological services in Sahelian countries are developing user-friendly indicators and simplified early warning systems.

People can then take some steps to protect themselves, such as covering the mouth and nose with a scarf, using saline solutions to moisten the airways, and getting vaccinated when possible.

Its important to strengthen impact observation networks across west Africa and enhance air quality monitoring, especially in urban areas, where local pollution can worsen the dangers of dust and Harmattan heat.

Christophe Lavaysse is a Researcher, French Research Institute for Development (IRD), France.

Cheikh Modou Noreyni Fall is a Researcher at the Laboratory of Physics of the Atmosphere and Ocean of UCAD, Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Senegal.

(Culled from The Conversation.)


Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today expressed happiness at the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), ministry of power naming Santaldih Thermal Power Plant as the best performing thermal power plant in the country.

In a post on X, Miss Banerjee wrote: The Central Electricity Authority (CFA), Ministry of Power, Government of India, has just announced the annual ranking of all the 201 thermal power plants in the country, based on operational efficiency (PLF-Plant Load Factor) parameters.

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For 2024-25, CEA has ranked Santaldih Thermal Power Plant of our WBPDCL with PLF (94.38%) as the best (ranked 1st) performing thermal power plant in the country.

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Our Bakreswar plant (PLF 93.3%) has been ranked 2nd. Sagardighi (PLF 90.86%) at 4th and Bandel (PLF89.62%) at 9th position (Nationally) by GOI.

Also WBPDCL, as a company (with an aggregate PLF of 88. 9%) has been ranked the best-performing company in the country, surpassing giants like NTPC, DVC, Adani Power, Reliance Power, Tata Pow, Torrent Power, etc.

Congratulations to our officers, engineers, and workmen for bringing out their best and making the state proud!
With an eye on the 2026 Assembly election, the BJPs top brass is strategising how to leverage upcoming religious events  Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti  to consolidate its support base.

In light of the developments, Union home minister and former BJP national president Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Bengal on 14-15, April, sources have confirmed. Although there is no official communication from the Centre yet, the state BJP has indicated his visit verbally.

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Senior BJP leaders held a crucial meeting on Friday to discuss how to mobilise public sentiments around these festivals without overt party branding, while still pushing the Hindutva narrative.

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Earlier slated to visit in March, Shahs trip was postponed. His upcoming visit now coincides with Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) on 14 April. During his two-day visit, Shah is expected to attend multiple organisational meetings, interact with state BJP leaders, and possibly offer prayers at the Dakshineswar Kali Temple. The visit comes at a time when the party is aggressively campaigning around the Supreme Courts cancellation of nearly 26,000 SSC recruitments, turning it into a major electoral issue.

The West Bengal BJP leadership, including Suvendu Adhikari, Sukanta Majumdar, and Dilip Ghosh, has intensified its Hindutva pitch in recent weeks. Political observers believe Amit Shah will use this visit to fine-tune the partys strategy and ramp up its ground-level campaigns. Speculation is also rife regarding a possible change in state leadership, with discussions about who will steer the party in Bengal going forward. The BJPs core committee had recently met in Salt Lake to deliberate on these matters, and Shahs visit is likely to cement key decisions.

Meanwhile, there is not yet announcement on district presidents in 10 organisational districts, and several mandal-level committees are yet to be formed. BJP national leaders like Sunil Bansal and Amit Malviya joined Fridays organisational meeting in Kolkata to accelerate these pending tasks. The BJPs state leadership has already announced several programmes related to the SSC recruitment issue and plans to intensify protests at district levels. Simultaneously, the party is aiming to involve as many people as possible in Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti celebrations to project a strong cultural-religious connect. Adding to the political churn, protests have also begun over the controversial Waqf Amendment Bill, with Muslim organisations and opposition parties hitting the streets. Amid this charged atmosphere, BJP is preparing for an aggressive political push in Bengal post-Poila Boishakh.
The Trinamul Congress formally urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday to suspend its recently proposed process of linking voter ID cards (EPICs) with aadhaar until the concerns surrounding it are addressed.

A memorandum  signed by Derek OBrien, TMC parliamentary party leader in Rajya Sabha, and other prominent TMC MPs, including Kalyan Banerjee, Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Sagarika Ghose  was submitted to the ECI this morning. This follows a previous meeting between a 10-member TMC delegation and the ECI on 11 March.

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We also urge the ECI to suspend the process of linking EPICs with aadhaar until the concerns raised by TMC in this memorandum are addressed comprehensively, stated the memorandum submitted to ECI by a four-member delegation.

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The TMC has raised concerns about the voluntary nature of aadhaar-EPIC linking. Despite the ECIs undertaking to the Supreme Court on 18 September, 2023, acknowledging that aadhaar submission is not mandatory, the party said that Form 6B used for the process does not clearly inform voters of this option nor does it provide voters an option to refuse to provide their aadhaar details. The party also questioned why the ECI needed the Union governments approval to make the linking voluntary and why it didnt approach the Supreme Court after the government allegedly rejected the ECIs proposal on the matter.

The TMC also cited a 2022 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) that flagged deficient data management issues with the aadhaar database, including issues of data-matching, errors in authentication, and shortfall in archiving.

Central to TMCs objections is the issue of duplicate EPICs, which party chairperson Mamata Banerjee had flagged on 27 February. The ECI subsequently acknowledged in a 7 March press note that duplicate EPICs have indeed been issued to multiple voters across India since 2000, promising to resolve the issue within three months.

Meanwhile, in parliament, party MP Ritabrata Banerjee has criticised the BJP for systematically preventing parliamentary discussion on the critical issue of fake voter IDs and duplicate EPIC cards. Despite numerous notices submitted by opposition parties, the PM Narendra Modi-led government deliberately stonewalled every attempt to address this serious electoral concern throughout the entire parliamentary session, Banerjee said.

After submitting the memorandum to the Election Commission of India, we marched all the way to the Parliament. But we witnessed a strange scene. The Treasury Bench created a ruckus and the House was adjourned. Mamata Banerjee had raised the issue of duplicate EPIC cards. Despite giving multiple notices by the Opposition, the government did not allow the discussion even once during the entire session. Linking aadhaar cards with EPIC cards is a dangerous blueprint. Both of them are government statutory bodies. One EPIC number had 60 cards! This is massive corruption. The ECI must work actively to unearth this and ensure a free & fair list. The government is scared and that is why they didnt allow any discussion on this matter, the MP said.

Earlier, on 27 February, Mamata Banerjee had raised alarm over large-scale voter ID card duplication, calling it a serious threat to electoral integrity. She had demanded urgent intervention from the Election Commission, warning that such discrepancies could compromise free and fair elections. Despite repeated appeals, the governments refusal to allow a discussion on this issue has further fuelled concerns about electoral malpractice and transparency.
Delhi Minister of Social Welfare Ravinder Indraj Singh on Saturday inaugurated the Jayanti Week celebrations of Bharat Ratna Dr B R Ambedkar at B R Ambedkar University (AUD).

Speaking at the event, Singh highlighted that under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the government is committed to fulfilling the dreams of Baba Sahab Ambedkar and announced several new welfare initiatives aimed at uplifting the marginalised sections of society.

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From the academic session 2025-26, Scheduled Caste students enrolled in Polytechnic, ITI, and Skill Development courses will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000.

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The government will also extend full support to students from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds, not only for school and college education but also for pursuing studies abroad.

The Minister emphasised that education and cooperative models would be the key drivers in making the underprivileged self-reliant. In addition to quality education, financial support will be provided to SC, ST, OBC, and Divyang (differently-abled) communities.

Singh also announced that women from disadvantaged sections would be empowered through cooperative housing society models, allowing them to sell their products via society stores and promoting self-sufficiency.

He urged the youth to follow Dr Ambedkars ideals of equality and social justice. The Minister also declared that the Delhi government will organise a series of events in schools, colleges, and across the city in the run-up to his birth anniversary on April 14.
Himachal Pradesh government has decided to regularize the services of contractual employees who have completed two years of continuous service as on March 31 this year. The decision was taken at the state cabinet, in its meeting held on Saturday, under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The Cabinet also approved the regularization of daily waged workers and contingent paid workers who have completed four years of continuous service as on the same date.

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Nod was given by the cabinet to takeover of the 382 MW Sunni, 210 MW Luhri Stage-I, and 66 MW Dhaulasidh hydroelectric projects, which were earlier allotted to SJVNL, as well as the 500 MW Dugar and 180 MW Baira Suil hydroelectric projects allotted to NHPC.

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To facilitate the takeover of the Sunni, Luhri Stage-I, Dhaulasidh, and Dugar projects, it approved the appointment of an independent evaluator to assess the actual expenditure incurred on these projects.

For the takeover of the Baira Suil project, approval was granted for the appointment of an Administrator.

The cabinet accorded sanction to establish a 50-bedded Critical Care Block (CCB) at PHC Swahan (Regional Hospital Bilaspur) along with necessary equipment and another 50-bedded CCB at Civil Hospital Rohru in Shimla district with required equipment.

It also approved setting up of District Integrated Public Health Laboratories at Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba, and at District Hospital Hamirpur, attached with Dr Radha Krishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur.

The approval was also given for the procurement of equipment for the under-construction Mother and Child Hospital wings at Kamla Nehru Hospital Shimla, Regional Hospital Una and Civil Hospital Sundernagar in Mandi district, to ensure the smooth function of these medical institutions.

It decided to enhance the monthly stipend for Senior Residents and Tutor Specialists from the existing Rs 60,00065,000 to Rs 1,00,000. Similarly, the stipend for Super Specialists and Senior Residents (Super Specialists) has been increased from Rs 60,00065,000 to Rs 1,30,000 per month.

It also approved the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee constituted for strengthening the Rogi Kalyan Samiti across the state, under the chairmanship of Health Minister Col (Dr) Dhani Ram Shandil.

The committee recommended the establishment of high-tech laboratories in all Government Medical Colleges and the provision of free diagnostic services, including all 133 lab tests and X-ray facilities, to orphans, widows and their dependent children, Ekal Nari and destitute women. With the inclusion of these three new categories, the total number of beneficiary categories eligible for free diagnostic services will increase from 11 to 14.

The Cabinet gave nod to the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Resource Mobilisation, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri. The committee has proposed various measures aimed at enhancing the revenue of the state government.

The Cabinet approved the immediate re-auctioning of the remaining about 400 retail liquor vends on individual basis.

Additionally, it gave go-ahead to enter into a management service contract with EIH Ltd for the interim operation of Hotel Wildflower Hall, Mashobra, ensuring a monthly revenue of Rs 1.77 crore for the state and safeguarding the property from deterioration until a new operator is selected through a competitive e-auction or bidding process.

To support the adoption of electric vehicles, it decided to set up 402 new EV charging stations at government premises across the state. These stations will be installed at Rest Houses, Circuit Houses, premises of the Jal Shakti and Public Works Departments, HPSEBL offices, as well as DC, SP, and BBNDA offices.

It decided to implement the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1985 in the remaining Urban Local Bodies, including seven Municipal Corporations, 17 Municipal Councils, and 23 Nagar Panchayats.

The move aims to prevent the defacement of public spaces by regulating the display of advertisements such as notices, pictures, or signs on buildings, walls, trees, and other public areas.
Recently, Rakesh Roshan announced that he is handing over the directorial reins for Krrish 4 to his son, Hrithik Roshan. The moment is special for fans because it not only marks Hrithiks directorial debut but also because Krrish is a beloved franchise. In a recent appearance, the actor confirmed going behind the camera for the film. As Hrithik gears up to take the directors chair, he requests all the support from his fans.

At a recent event in Atlanta, USA, host Sophie Choudry showed Hrithik Roshan an old picture of him behind the camera. Reminiscing, he said, This was during a film called Koyla. That was the first time I did something behind the camera. I directed the making of Koyla. And now I am going behind the camera again. Good luck to me. When probed about his directorial debut with Krrish 4, the actor said that the audience already knows it. He said, They already know it as the crowd erupted in loud cheers. Revealing first-time jitters, he said, I cant tell you all how nervous I am. Ill need all the encouragement I possibly can get.

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Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rakesh Roshan (@rakesh_roshan9)



Moreover, the actors confirmation comes after Rakesh Roshan announced handing over the directors baton to Hrithik. Taking to Instagram he shared a post, writing, Duggu 25yrs back I launched you as an actor. And today again after 25 years you are being launched as a director by two filmmakers Aditya Chopra & myself to take forward our most ambitious film #Krrish4. Wish you all the success in this new avatar with good wishes and blessings!

Meanwhile, the first title of this superhero franchise was the 2003 film Koi Mil Gaya, starring Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta. In 2006, the makers released Krrish starring Hrithik Roshan Priyanka Chopra. Subsequently, the third film, Krrish 3 starred Kangana Ranaut alongside Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra. With the fourth title in the works, fans cant wait to witness the superhero saga once again, on screens.

Also Read: Kesari Chapter 2 trailer gives Varun Dhawan and fans all the feels
In the latest in Kunal Kamra-Eknath Shinde row, online ticketing platform BookMyShow has delisted the stand-up comedian known for his topical comedy. The move follows Shiv Sena leader Rahool Kanals letter to the platform urging them to remove Kamra from their artist list.

As per reports, Kanal, who handles social media for the Shinde-led faction of the party, thanked BookMyShow CEO Ashish Hemrajani for keeping the platform clean and free from performers who allegedly promote personal agendas.

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Subsequently, Kunal Kamra took to X requesting BookMyShow for clarification after learning of the delisting. He enquired, Hello @bookmyshow can you please confirm if I have your platform to list my shows if not its fine. I understand

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Hello @bookmyshow can you please confirm if I have your platform to list my shows if not its fine. I understand https://t.co/JqjJtuWFE3  Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) April 5, 2025

Three fresh FIRs against Kunal Kamra

Meanwhile, three more FIRs have been filed in Maharashtra against the stand-up comedian. These pertain to his allegedly derogatory remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

As per reports, FIRs from different locations have been transferred to the Khar police station. One FIR was filed in Jalgaon and two were filed in Nashik under Sections 353(1)(b), 353(2) (statements conducing to public mischief), and 356(2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Mumbai Police has issued three notices to Kamra, reportedly. Moreover, they summoned Kamra to appear on April 5. This marks the third time he has failed to respond to police notices.

Also Read: Sicko Mode intensifies: Travis Scott adds extra show to India Tour

Earlier, Kamra posted an apology addressed to audience members who were reportedly contacted by the police after attending his comdey show. I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience that attending my show has caused to you. Please email me so that I can schedule your next vacation anywhere youd like in India, he said.

I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience that attending my show has caused to you. Please email me so that I can schedule your next vacation anywhere youd like in India https://t.co/rASktiolKE  Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) April 2, 2025
Kiran Raos celebrated film, Laapataa Ladies is facing plagiarism accusations. A social media user recently posted the clip of an Arabic short film, Burqa City directed by French filmmaker Fabrice Bracq. After the clip went viral, netizens noted the uncanny similarities between the films. This disappointed and enraged several fans as the film received widespread acclaim. Notably, given that the title was Indias entry to the Oscars, the possibility of plagiarism aggravated the disappointment. Now, the films writer Biplab Goswami has issued a statement rebuffing the allegations.

Taking to Instagram, Laapataa Ladies writer Biplab Goswami released his statement over the claims. He claimed that he conceived the synopsis of the film way back in 2014 and registered it with the Screenwriters Association. This was well before the Arabic film in question released. Goswami added that in 2018, he registered the feature-length script titled Two Brides with the SWA. Additionally, he reveals having won an award at the Cinestaan Storytellers Competition that same year.

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Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Biplab Goswami (@biplabgoswamicinema)



Directly addressing the similarities between the polices reaction to misplaced brides, Goswami claims to have mentioned the scene in his filing. Again, in this screenplay, I had the scene of the policeman amused by the photograph of the veiled bride. Moreover, he noted that the veil contributing to mistaken identities was a common trope in art. The concept of veils and disguises resulting in mistaken identities is a classical form of storytelling used for centuries by writers such as William Shakespeare, Alexandre Dumas and Rabindranath Tagore.

Denying plagiarism allegations, he wrote, The story, the dialogues, the characters, and the scenes  all stem from years of research and honest reflection. He further reiterated, Our story, characters, and dialogues are 100% original. Any allegations of plagiarism are completely untrue.

For context, read: Kiran Raos Laapataa Ladies accused of plagiarising Arabic film Burqa City; internet reacts

Meanwhile, Kiran Raos Laapataa Ladies followed the lives of two wives. They get separated from their husbands after an accidental swap occurs at the train station. This happens as their veils cover their faces. The story focuses on how the women navigate the circumstances and learn to depend on themselves. Subsequently, hey embark on the journey to find themselves and what they seek, be it reunion, or independence.
Umang Singhar is counted as one of the prominent politicians in Madhya Pradesh. He is the Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly and an influential tribal leader. He currently represents the Gandhwani Assembly constituency.

He had served as a Cabinet minister under the Kamal Nath-led Congress government. In an interview with Santu Das of The Statesman, Singhar talks about the organizational rebuilding of the party and its vision for Madhya Pradesh, and current political situation. He accuses the ruling BJP dispensation of not fulfilling its promises, and also pitches for holding elections through ballots instead of EVM.

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Q: The Congress has many seniors in Madhya Pradesh but after 2023, we have seen the party appointing young leaders to senior posts. You and Jitu Patwari were given the responsibility of the state. So, what is the future roadmap of Congress in Madhya Pradesh?

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A: Our priority is organizational rebuilding of the Congress. We are focusing on this. Secondly, the issues of the state. The BJP in its manifesto had promised this and that for youth, women and farmers of the state. All the promises made by the BJP, they could not fulfill within a year. The Chief Minister (Mohan Yadav) always says that BJPs manifesto is like Gita and Ramayana, but today the youth are not getting jobs in the state and farmers are worried as they do not get fertilizers on time. They had promised to give Rs 3,000 to women under Ladli Behna Yojana, but they are giving Rs 1,250 per month. The BJP could not fulfill the commitments it made to the people of the state.

Q: The state had witnessed the Vyapam scam. Do you think this case has been strictly dealt with by the state government?

A: The government has never taken Vyapam seriously. Whatever investigations take place, the government hides them. In the Assembly, the laying of the annual report of Lokayukta has been pending since 2010. The government does not want to talk about corruption. The latest are the nursing scam and transport scam. I took up the transport scam, but the government is quiet. So, the government itself is promoting corruption. Whether it is Vyapam, Nursing or Transport scams, in every matter the ministers and officers are involved in corruption. Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about zero tolerance for corruption, but the BJP government in the state does not want to take action against corruption. Where is zero tolerance ? Why doesnt the Prime Minister take action?

Q: Agriculture contributes a significant portion of the states economy. The BJP government has been stating that it is working for the development of farmers. What would you like to say ?

A: The BJP government took many awards for years in the name of farmers. But, whether it is farmers from Madhya Pradesh or from other parts of the country, everyone knows what their situation is. The government should give a minimum support price (MSP) to the farmers. Whether the Modi government at the Centre or the BJP government in the state, why dont they take decisions in this regard? Modi ji had said that he would double farmers income. But, he did not. In Madhya Pradesh, the farmers do not get fertilizers on time. They do not get the price that they should actually get. This government is antifarmer. The ruling BJP in the state has not fulfilled its commitment made to the farmers of the state.

Q: Congress including the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has been raising the unemployment issue across the country. What is your take with regard to giving employment in Madhya Pradesh by the ruling dispensation?

A: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to give two crore jobs per year and in Madhya Pradesh, two lakh jobs per year. Where are the jobs? Youth are still waiting for that. The unemployment rate is increasing. What is the benefit of Investors Summit if you fail to attract investors to the state and the problem of unemployment?

Q: The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha has always been claiming that atrocities against Tribals and Dalits have increased under the ruling BJP.

A: Yes, atrocities against Tribals, Dalits and weaker sections of the society have increased under the ruling BJP. So, Rahul Gandhi is talking about social justice.

Q: Congress has been criticising the Election Commission of India (ECI). It has also posed a volley of questions to the poll panel over the outcome of the Maharashtra Assembly polls? What is your take on that ?

A: Several issues including voters list and EVMs were raised with the ECI. Clearly, the ECI is not functioning in an unbiased manner. The ECI has become a puppet of the Central government. To save this democracy, not only Congress, everybody has to come forward. Elections should be held through ballots.

Q: After the Lok Sabha elections, if we look at the different elections held in several states excluding Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir, the parties or the INDIA block failed to form the government ? What would you like to say ?

A: Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections are totally different. I feel regional parties should also change their strategy for the greater interest of the alliance, to save democracy.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday announced a comprehensive strategy to eradicate left-wing extremism from Chhattisgarh by March 2026. Speaking during the Bastar Pandum tribal festival on Chaitra Navratri Ashtami, Shah unveiled a community-based incentive programme, deeper cultural integration, and a decisive call to Maoists to surrender and return to the mainstream.

Addressing thousands at the event in Dantewada, Shah declared that any village ensuring the surrender of all Maoist cadres would receive a 1 crore development grant, a move aimed at strengthening grassroots efforts in anti-Naxal operations. This is not just about eliminating extremismits about empowering tribal communities to take charge of their future, Shah said.

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Paying tribute to Maharaja Praveer Chandra Bhanj Deo, the Home Minister hailed him as a symbol of tribal pride and resistance. He fought for Bastars jal, jungle, and zameen. Today, as we defeat the ideology of violence, the spirit of Praveer Chandra blesses this transformation, Shah said.

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Shah announced that from 2026, Bastar Pandum will be elevated to an international tribal festival, with cultural delegations from across India and abroad. The event will showcase Bastars diverse traditionsranging from its indigenous languages and attire to its music, cuisine, and dance forms such as the Gedi.

Highlighting the governments progress, Shah shared that 881 Maoists surrendered in 2024, and 521 have surrendered in just the first three months of 2025. Where once the sounds of gunfire dominated, we now hear school bells. Where roads were a dream, highways are becoming reality, he said.

This year, over 47,000 artists have performed across 188 gram panchayats and 52 urban local bodies as part of Bastar Pandum. Shah also announced that 5 crore has been sanctioned for the preservation of tribal art, attire, folklore, and language. The festival will expand next year from seven to twelve cultural categories.

Shah appealed to the youth to aim globally while staying rooted in their culture. We want Bastars children to become engineers, doctors, and IAS officersbut never forget their heritage. Bastar Pandum is a reaffirmation of that identity, he said.

He reaffirmed the governments commitment to providing schools, dispensaries, hospitals, and nutrition for every tribal village, and urged communities to hold gram sabhas to facilitate the surrender and rehabilitation of local Maoists. Those who lay down arms will be welcomed with dignity. Those who dont will be dealt with firmly, he warned.

The path to progress lies in computers, not guns; in pens, not IEDs, Shah said, underscoring the Centres belief in development-led counterinsurgency. He pointed to landmark achievements under the Modi government4 crore homes built, 11 crore gas connections distributed, 15 crore households given tap water, and 70 crore people covered under Ayushman Bharat.

He also credited the government for restoring the legacy of tribal icons like Veer Gundadhur and Birsa Munda. Earlier regimes ignored them. Today, Birsa Mundas birth anniversary is celebrated nationally as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, Shah noted.

Asserting that Bastar now represents resilience and renewal, Shah said, This land no longer fears festivals like Ram Navami or Ashtami. It celebrates them with pride. He envisioned a future where a child from Sukma becomes a Sub-Inspector, from Bastar a barrister, from Dantewada a doctor, and from Kanker a collector.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, and senior officials joined Shah on stage, signalling strong state-Centre coordination in the final push against Maoist insurgency.
The Centre is firmly committed to the holistic development of minority communities, with a focus on artisans who represent the rich cultural and traditional legacy of the nation, Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju said on Saturday, ahead of the grand inauguration of Lok Samvardhan Parv in Srinagar.

His remarks came close on the heels of Parliament passing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

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Reflecting the vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, the Lok Samvardhan Parv will be inaugurated by the Minister at 3:00 PM tomorrow, at the Convention Centre Ground, Kashmir University, Srinagar. The event is being organised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and will run up to April 13.

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Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest, while Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying George Kurian will attend it as the Guest of Honour. Several other dignitaries, senior government officials, and stakeholders from across the country are also expected to attend.

The Lok Samvardhan Parv aims to provide a vibrant national platform for artisans and culinary experts from minority communities to showcase their crafts and traditional cuisines.

Coinciding with the Tulip Seasona major tourist attractionthe event is expected to draw significant footfall, enhancing market exposure and livelihood opportunities for the participants.

The exhibition will feature over 100 artisans from 25 States and Union Territories, presenting a diverse array of handicrafts.

To further enrich the experience, daily evening cultural performances will celebrate the music, dance, and storytelling traditions of Indias minority communities.

As a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Lok Samvardhan Parv aligns with the Vocal for Local mission, dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional arts, crafts, and cuisines.
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has decided to adopt a three-pronged strategy to prevent and control bird flu (avian influenza), said the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying on Saturday.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by DAHD Secretary Alka Upadhyaya to discuss the recent outbreaks of the bird flu in the country, here on Friday.

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The meeting brought together scientific experts, poultry industry representatives and policymakers to review the current situation of bird flu and explore strategies to contain the disease and prevent its spread.

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The three-pronged strategy encompasses stricter biosecurity measures wherein poultry farms must enhance hygiene practices, control farm access and follow stringent biosecurity protocols to minimise the risk of infection, strengthened surveillance and mandatory registration of poultry farms to enhance disease tracking and control, as per the Ministry.

All poultry farms must register with state animal husbandry departments within a month. The government has urged poultry industry stakeholders to ensure 100 per cent compliance with this directive, it said.

During the meeting, Upadhyaya said, Protecting our poultry sector is critical for food security and rural livelihoods. Strict biosecurity, scientific surveillance, and responsible industry practices are essential in our fight against bird flu.

The Secretary emphasised the need for developing a predictive modelling system for early warning and environmental surveillance which would enable proactive disease detection and response, minimising the risk of outbreaks and protecting the poultry industry.

The meeting also extensively discussed the possibility of allowing the use of a vaccine against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in India.

Representatives from the poultry industry urged the government to explore vaccination as a strategy to prevent further economic losses in the sector.

Scientific experts highlighted that currently available HPAI vaccines do not provide sterile immunity but only reduce virus shedding. Given these complexities, it was agreed that further scientific evaluation is needed before making a policy decision.

The meeting recommended conducting detailed science-based assessments to determine the feasibility of HPAI vaccination in India.

Notably, research efforts have been initiated to develop an indigenous HPAI vaccine following global best practices.

Bird flu is a highly infectious viral disease affecting birds, with occasional transmission to mammals. Since its first detection in India in 2006, outbreaks have been reported annually across multiple states.

This year, the virus has shown cross-species transmission, impacting not just poultry but also wild birds and even big cats in some areas. Currently, six active outbreak zones remain in Jharkhand, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh.
The Congress has restructured its district units, increasing the number from the existing 40 to 50 organisational districts.

The Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC), during a meeting of its extended executive committee last month, deliberated extensively on the issue and adopted a resolution to create new organisational districts.

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The aim is to streamline organisational activities and provide greater representation to party workers, particularly the youth, within the party hierarchy.

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This resolution was forwarded to the party high command for approval at the AICC level. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge approved the proposal on Friday.

Accordingly, the formation of the new District Congress Committees (DCCs) was notified, along with the full list of 50 organisational districts, on Saturday.

Among the 10 new DCCs, eight  Kotputli-Behror, Khairthal-Tijara, Deeg, Beawar, Deedwana-Kuchaman, Phalodi, Balotra, and Salumbar  have been created to cater to the needs of newly carved-out administrative districts.

Additionally, two existing DCCs  Jodhpur (North) and Jodhpur (South)  have been merged into a single unit, Jodhpur (Urban).

Similarly, Jaipur (Rural) has been split into two separate units  Jaipur Rural (East) and Jaipur Rural (West).
Hyderabad Police have imposed a series of strict conditions before granting permission to controversial BJP MLA T Raja Singh for his annual Ram Navami Shobha Yatra.

Singh, who leads the procession each year, has often been accused of making hate-filled speeches and singing provocative songs targeting Muslims.

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This year, the police have specifically instructed the organisers to ensure that no provocative speeches, slogans, or songs are used that could hurt the sentiments of any community.

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The use of DJs, sound mixers, and other high-decibel equipment has been prohibited. Firecrackers are banned, and drones can only be used with prior police permission.

The procession, which traditionally moves from the Jali Hanuman Temple at Dhoolpet to Hanuman Vyayamshala in Ram Koti, has been directed to keep strictly to the extreme left side of the road, allowing space for traffic flow. Organisers have been told to ensure the procession does not halt for speeches.

Additionally, all kinds of weapons  including sticks, swords, knives, and inflammable materials  are banned. Even flag-carrying sticks must not exceed two feet in length. Provocative banners and slogans are strictly prohibited.

Raja Singh, MLA from Goshamahal, is a repeat offender in hate speech cases, with over 100 cases filed against him. He was previously imprisoned for more than two months under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act.
The Congress on Saturday said that the unilateral imposition of high tariffs by President Donald Trump is unprecedented.

Trump on Wednesday announced the 26 per cent reciprocal tariffs on India, half the rate India imposes on imports of US goods. Additionally, the US President announced a 25 per cent tariff on all automobile imports.

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Addressing a press conference at the party office, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said, The unilateral imposition of high tariffs by US President Trump is unprecedented. Its a matter of grave concern. It has created massive disruption. It threatens to create a major upheaval in all economies, big or small; whether rich countries and developed countries or the developing and poor countries.

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He claimed that it has also turned on its head the multilateral trade system and delivered a grave blow to the worlds economic trade and World Trade Organization (WTO).

Pointing out that US remains an important trading partner of India, Sharma said, India must engage with America as an equal partner and in the proposed bilateral trade negotiations, we demand that they should be honorable, balanced and take Indias concerns and Indias interest on board, especially that of our farming community, dairy sector, poultry sector, textile sector and others, which have been adversely affected.

And to respond, it has to be a calibrated approach. The government, we hope, will put in place a strategy; its for them to do, but, what will be the strategy, there should be a national consensus. Its a grave crisis, as I have said after 75 years we are seeing that the entire global trading system has been wrecked, he added.

The senior Congress leader said all major political parties should be taken into confidence by the government on its strategy.

There should be stakeholders negotiations. The stakeholders must know what we are going to discuss, before any concessions are made, which may hurt the Indian economy, agriculture and industry in the long term, he added.
A Pakistani intruder was shot dead on Saturday on the international border (IB) by the troops of the Border Security Force (BSF) in Jammu and Kashmir.

A BSF spokesperson said that the BSF foiled an infiltration bid on the IB near the Abdulian border outpost in the R.S. Pura sector of the IB in Jammu district.

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On the intervening night of April 4 and 5, the alert BSF troops saw a suspicious movement in the Jammu border area, and an intruder was seen crossing the IB, the spokesperson said.

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The intruder was challenged by the troops, but he paid no heed and kept on moving.

The BSF troops, sensing threat, neutralised the intruder. The identity and motive of the intruder is being ascertained, the spokesperson said, adding that a strong protest is being lodged with the Pakistani counterpart.

The body of the intruder was handed over to the police for the completion of legal formalities.

Extraordinary vigil is being maintained on the IB and the line of control (LoC) in J&K after five terrorists were spotted on March 23 in Sanyal village of Kathua district barely 4 km from the IB.

Two out of these five terrorists were killed in an encounter with the police, while joint forces have brought large areas of the Kathua and Rajouri districts under the seek and destroy operation to trace the terrorists.

Four policemen were martyred in the initial operation against the terrorists in Sanyal village. Three others, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, were injured. The injured are out of danger and are undergoing treatment in the hospital.

Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha visited the families of the policemen martyred in the Sanyal encounter. He paid tribute to the martyrs and assured the families that the nation stands firmly alongside them in this hour of grief.

Yesterday, a brief exchange of gunfire took place in the Billawar area of the Kathua district between the joint forces and the terrorists.

It is not clear whether the terrorists engaged in gunfire in the Billawar area of the Kathua district are the same who escaped from Sanyal and later from Safiyan Jakhole villages of Kathua district.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) convened a press conference in Patna on Saturday as a damage-control exercise after a number of Muslim leaders resigned from the JD(U) following the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Parliament and several other leaders went against the party line during media interactions.

However, the event further damaged the partys position as prominent leaders present at the press conference were sidelined and the party spokesperson also refused to take questions from the media.

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The press conference was attended by several prominent leaders including JD(U) MLCs Ghulam Gaus, Afaque Ahmed Khan and Khalid Anwar, former members of Rajya Sabha Ahmed Ashfaq Karim and Kahkashan Parveen, former Deputy Chairman Salim Parvez, Bihar Sunni Waqf Board President Mohammad Irshadullah and Bihar Shia Waqf Board President Syed Afzal Abbas.

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But they were sidelined.

JDU Minority Cell President Ashraf Ansari and State Spokesperson Anjum Ara made the initial statements. She said that the JDU supported the Bill as the JPC had addressed all concerns raised by the JDU leaders.

The leaders refused to take questions from the mediapersons and left the press conference.

The media was invited in the name of top Muslim leaders of the party and an impression was given that they will strongly present the partys position over the Waqf Amendment Bill and counter the opposition parties over the Bill.

But the way top leaders were sidelined at the press conference and they refused to speak on the issue even after the press conference gave an impression that they were forced by the party leadership to attend the press conference just to prove their loyalty to the party.

The party leadership was also afraid that if given a chance, leaders like Ghulam Gaus, Khalid Anwar and Syed Afzal Abbas will go against the party line as they have been doing for the past few days.

These leaders have told the media that the party failed to address the concerns of Muslim community.

JDU MLC Ghulam Gaus has termed the Waqf Amendment Bill unconstitutional. He has appealed to the President to return this undemocratic bill. He has said that Muslims are being targeted under the guise of the Waqf Bill. Muslims should not be forced to take to the streets.

Another JDU MLC Khalid Anwar has said that the Muslim community is scared and their trust has been broken. The central government has failed to convince the community how it is beneficial to them.

If this Bill is for the Muslim community, then justice should be done to them. There should be a lot of reform in the Bill. He also said that the government should not spread hatred in the society. The government should try to satisfy them, he said.
Justice Yashwant Verma, transferred recently from the Delhi High Court, was sworn in as the judge of the Allahabad High Court here on Saturday. He was administered oath in the Chief Justices Chamber. However, he has not been given any responsibility yet.

Until the ongoing investigation against him is completed, he has been kept away from judicial work.

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After the oath, his name was also included in the seniority list of Allahabad High Court judges on the official website of the High Court. Justice Vermas name is number 8 on the list. While judges are usually administered the oath in a public function, Justice Verma took the oath in the Chief Justices chamber of the Allahabad High Court with the permission of the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

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On the other hand, the Bar Association of the Allahabad High Court wrote to the Chief Justice, protesting the swearing-in of Justice Yashwant Verma. In the letter written on behalf of the associations secretary, Vikrant Pandey, it was said that the Bar Association was not informed about the oath ceremony of Justice Yashwant Verma.

Even most of the judges of the High Court were not informed about the swearing-in, they said.

The Bar Association has also asked the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court not to hand over any judicial and administrative work to Justice Yashwant Verma.

A copy of the letter has also been sent to the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister, the Law Minister, the UP Chief Minister, and all the judges of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court.

On March 14, Justice Yashwant Vermas official residence caught fire in New Delhi. When the fire personnel arrived to extinguish the fire, they discovered burnt currencies amounting to crores of rupees in the storeroom of the house.

Later, video footage of the burnt currencies went viral on social media. Justice Yashwant Verma was in Bhopal on the day of the incident and reached Delhi the following day.
Additional District and Sessions Court in Ernakulam is set to decide on Monday whether to issue summons to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans daughter, Veena Thaikandiyil (also known as Veena Vijayan), and other accused individuals in the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) pay-off case.

The decision will be made after reviewing the prosecution complaint (charge sheet) filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).

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The charge sheet, submitted by the SFIO at the Principal District and Sessions Court, Ernakulam, names Veena Vijayan, her company Exalogic Solutions, CMRL Managing Director Sasidharan Kartha, and others. It was handed over to the Additional District and Sessions Court, Ernakulamdesignated as the trial court in this caseon Friday.

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The SFIO has charged Veena Vijayan, her firm Exalogic Solutions, CMRL MD Sasidharan Kartha, and others in the case related to fraudulent financial transactions involving CMRL. The charges were officially filed on Wednesday.

Veena Vijayan has been booked under Section 447 (Punishment for Fraud) of the Companies Act, 2013. The offense carries a minimum imprisonment of six months and may extend up to ten years.

The charge sheet accuses Veena of fraudulently receiving a payment of Rs 2.7 crore from CMRL to her company without rendering any services in return. On April 3, the Delhi High Court dismissed a petition by CMRL seeking a stay on the ongoing SFIO investigation.

The SFIO has also registered multiple charges under the Companies Act, 2013, against various accused persons in connection with the fraudulent transactions.

Previously, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs granted permission to initiate prosecution proceedings against Veena Vijayan in the CMRL monthly payment case, based on the SFIOs findings. Approval was also granted to prosecute CMRL MD Sasidharan Kartha and Chief General Manager (Finance) P Suresh Kumar, among others.

Meanwhile, the SFIO is preparing to file a second prosecution complaint against Veena Vijayan. It is reported that the complaint will be submitted to a Bengaluru court handling SFIO cases.

This upcoming charge sheet will reportedly name Exalogic Solutions, owned by Veena Vijayan, as the key accused. The SFIO alleges that Exalogic cheated Empower India Capital Investment Private Limited, a sister company of CMRL, by securing a loan and subsequently shutting down operations.
Aditya Jain alias Tony, a key operative of the notorious Lawrence BishnoiRohit Godara Gang, was produced in Kuchaman City court on Saturday afternoon after being brought back from Dubai.

The fugitive arrived in Jaipur on Friday following his deportation from the United Arab Emirates through coordinated efforts by Interpol, UAE Police, and the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of the Rajasthan Police. He was then presented before the trial court in Kuchaman City on Saturday.

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Tony, a native of Kuchaman City, faces multiple criminal charges in the Didwana-Kuchaman district. He was produced in court in connection with FIRs No. 401 and 403.

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In FIR No. 401, Judge Girgyanendra Singh ordered his judicial custody and sent him to Parbatsar Jail. The court also issued police production warrants for his presence in ongoing investigations and the hearing in FIR No. 403. He is expected to be produced again in Kuchaman City court on Sunday.

The AGTF team, which had been tracking the criminal, successfully coordinated with Interpol and UAE authorities to detain him in Dubai. Tony was handed over to Indian authorities on Thursday and brought to Jaipur early Friday morning.

Tony had fled to the UAE in January last year. Our continued coordination with Interpol led to his arrest by UAE police in Dubai this February, said AGTF Additional Director General Dinesh MN on Friday. Once the deportation process was completed, he was handed over to our team.

Tony was wanted in several cases, including extortion, sexual assault, and a firing incident. He was considered a trusted operative of the Bishnoi-Godara Gang and was responsible for coordinating the gangs operations across Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.

Operating under the alias Rohit & Company, his role included selecting extortion targets, arranging SIM cards with foreign numbers, and supplying weapons. AGTF had been on his trail for a long time.

The breakthrough in his case came after four gang members arrested by Sanjay Circle Police Station disclosed crucial information about Tonys whereabouts and his role in the gangs operations, according to an official spokesperson.
Meghalaya Cabinet Minister Paul Lyngdoh has said that the demand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state remains very much alive, with ongoing discussions between the state government and the Centre.

Lyngdoh said that the Centres hesitation stems from administrative and logistical concerns rather than ideological opposition.

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The Centres concern is not with the concept of ILP per se, but with how it can be implemented effectively, given the unique geographical and constitutional dynamics of Meghalaya, he added.

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The Inner Line Permit is a colonial-era mechanism designed to regulate the entry of non-residents into certain protected and tribal areas of the Northeast, with the aim of safeguarding indigenous communities.

Currently, ILP is in force in four Northeastern states  Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and most recently, Manipur. Meghalaya, despite repeated demands, has yet to be granted the system.

The Meghalaya states legislative assembly had unanimously passed a resolution in December 2019 urging the central government to implement ILP under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

However, over five years have passed without a green light from New Delhi, triggering widespread protests and persistent advocacy by civil society groups, student bodies like the Khasi Students Union (KSU).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded with Sri Lankas highest civilian honour, Mithra Vibhushana, by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday.

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Modi, who is on a three-day visit to the neighbouring country, was given the honour after a delegation-level meeting with President Dissanayake.

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Announcing the award at a joint press statement alongside Modi, the Lankan president said the Indian prime minister highly deserved the award.

I am pleased to announce that the Government of Sri Lanka has decided to confer upon him (PM Narendra Modi) the highest Sri Lankan honour to a foreign head of state/head of government  Sri Lanka Mithra Vibhushana. This prestigious honour, which was introduced in 2008, is conferred upon heads of states and government for their friendship, and honourable Prime Minister Modi highly deserves this honour, he said.

Earlier in the day, Modi was also given an unprecedented ceremonial welcome at Colombos Independence Square. This was perhaps the first instance where Sri Lanka accorded the honour to a visiting dignitary.

A special welcome at Sri Lankas majestic Independence Square. PM Narendra Modi was welcomed by President Anura Dissanayake with a ceremonial reception at the Independence Square in Colombo. Bilateral discussions to foster a partnership for a shared future & mutual prosperity of our people lie ahead, the Ministry of External Affairs wrote on X.

Earlier on Friday, Modi arrived in Sri Lanka after concluding his Thailand visit, where he participated in the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral discussions with his Thailand counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

Upon his arrival in Colombo, Modi was received by a delegation of six senior ministers of the Lankan government, who braved rain to welcome him at the airport.
Earlier, on Friday, Modi arrived in Sri Lanka after concluding his Thailand visit where he participated in the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral discussions with his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

Upon his arrival in Colombo, Modi was received by a delegation of six senior ministers of the Lankan government, who braved rain to welcome him at the airport.
In a refreshingly honest assessment, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has called out Indias startup ecosystem for its preference for grocery boys and girls in contrast to its predilection for deep tech innovations from neighbouring China. His forceful and pained articulation at the ongoing Startup Mahakumbh in Delhi has stirred a hornets nest and attracted a barrage of blasts from the start-up capital of India, Bengaluru.

A harsh picture of the Indian startup ecosystem painted by Union Minister Goyal  that Indian startups have ended up delivering food delivery apps, turning unemployed youth into cheap labour so the rich in India can get meals without leaving their homes  has hurt those engaged in the technology arena. The contrast he drew between the Indian and the Chinese start-ups, which are investing in cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and innovative mobility, hit the target as it evoked sharp responses from the IT capital of India.

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Such was the intensity of the hurt caused by Goyals critique that even Mohandas Pai  a former Infosys CFO and usually seen as pro-Modi government IT and management expert  appeared riled and questioned the Union Minister on the lack of funding support for startups. He also raised concerns over the governance mechanism and how it was proving to be a hurdle rather than help and may have even contributed to the demise of some startup entities.

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Taking to social media platform X, Mohandas Pai countered the minister and shot back, India does have many deep tech start-ups like China but he also questioned the governments support, asking, Where is the capital? He went on to add in the post tagging Goyal, There are very many small deep tech startups in chip design, IOT, Robotics, EV Charging, and BMS in India growing rapidly, but where is the capital? Mohandas Pai then drew a sharp contrast of funding in $45 billion in India, $940 billion in China, and $2.3 trillion in the US. Long-term investors like endowments and insurance funds still do not invest despite your efforts, he said.

If this was the measured and cautious criticism from Mohandas Pai, a stinging critique came from the Karnataka Minister for IT & BT and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, Priyank Kharge, who said that the Modi government had killed scientific temperament by mixing mythology with science.

The Karnataka Congress leader and state minister began his critique with the fact that now even Minister Piyush Goyal couldnt hide it. His remarks at Startup Mahakumbh are an open confession and a cruel jibe at @AshwiniVaishnav.

Asserting that central government initiatives like Skill India, Make in India, and Startup India have failed, Priyank Kharge said that after a decade of slogans, nothing much has been achieved by the Modi Sarkar on the innovation front.

Listing out the failures as he saw them, the Karnataka IT minister said that there was no real support for R&D, no push for Deep Tech, and no genuine startup ecosystem.

The BJP government has killed the scientific temperament by mixing mythology with science, Kharge said, citing recent examples from the Indian Science Congress  such as claims that the Kauravas were born through stem cell and test tube technology, the Sudarshan Chakra was a guided missile, Ravana flew 24 different aircraft, and gravitational waves were renamed as Narendra Modi Waves.

What kind of future are we even imagining when the PM @Narendramodi and his ministers proudly claim that Karna was a product of genetic engineering, Lord Ganeshas head of fixed by ancient plastic surgeon, teach IIT students about Pushpak Viman, and claim that yoga can cure cancer and cow urine can cure fever in 15 minutes?

When mythology becomes science, progress becomes a joke, Priynk Kharge said in a savage message, summing up his critique of how the BJP ecosystem functions when it comes to important issues of science and technology.

Lets not forget, we have a Prime Minister who asked citizens to bang utensils and light lamps to fight corona, added Priyank Kharge.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of turning its attention towards Christians following the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament.

I had said that the Waqf Bill attacks Muslims now but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future. It didnt take long for the RSS to turn its attention to Christians, Gandhi wrote in a post on X.

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Asserting that the Constitution is the only shield that protects people from such attacks, he said, It is our collective duty to defend it.

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Along with his post, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lower House also shared a report claiming that the RSS has shifted its focus to Catholic Church land after the passage of the Waqf Bill.

Gandhi had earlier slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre and the RSS over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, calling it a weapon aimed at marginalising Muslims and seizing their personal laws and property rights.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a weapon aimed at marginalising Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights. This attack on the Constitution by the RSS, BJP, and their allies is aimed at Muslims today but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future, he had stated.

Gandhi strongly opposed the legislation, saying it attacks the very idea of India and violates Article 25, which guarantees the Right to Freedom of Religion.

Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had also asserted that the Bill is a brazen assault on the Constitution and part of the BJPs deliberate strategy to keep society in a state of permanent polarisation.
When the octogenarian Yashwant Sinha writes on opposition politics, it is time to sit up and take note of what the highly-respected well informed former finance minister has to say: Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) was formed with a great deal of fanfare on July 18, 2023, a few months before 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Although it didnt win the election, the INDIA bloc gave Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a run for its money, he wrote in an op-ed article titled An Action Plan for the INDIA Bloc to Get Its Act Together.

He added: BJP lost as many as 63 seats and its tally came down from 303 to 240, 32 short of the majority mark in the House. A loss of another 20 seats would surely have seen Prime Minister Narendra Modi out of office. He was lucky he survived by the skin of his teeth with the support of an unprincipled Nitish Kumar and a selfish Chandra Babu Naidu. Yashwant Sinha rarely minces his words. In the elections, the Congress party won enough seats (99) for its floor leader Rahul Gandhi to be formally recognised as the Leader of Opposition.

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But since then, the BJP has won a number of state level elections and regained its mojo, he said, adding, Modi has gone back to his old ways and is doing what he is best at doing: spreading communalism, destroying institutions and stifling democracy. The INDIA bloc has been making some noises but it is nothing more than a cry in the wilderness. Given these circumstances what sho  uld the bloc do? Let me attempt an answer based on my long experience of coalition politics in India. He outlined the existential crisis which the country is facing. Forces of darkness that stood defeated in the run up to the countrys independence and had nothing to do with it have not only raised its head again but are clearly in ascendance now and if not defeated in time, will pose long-term danger to its future.

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No country can progress economically, socially and politically on the shifting sands of communalism and yet that is what the BJP is trying to do; not that it believes in Hinduism but because it has become a handy tool for misguiding people and garnering their votes. The time to defeat these forces is now. By tomorrow it may be too late. Sinha wants the INDIA bloc to act on a number of fronts without losing any more time, with ideological clarity, a clear vision of the future, organisational cohesion and an action plan to meet the challenges created by a developing situation.

He said, My suggestions are: the bloc should set up a committee of in-house and outside intellectuals to prepare a vision document for India, containing an alternative set of values and a programme of action to take on BJPs divisive politics. On the organisational side, it should set up a committee of equals (COE) consisting of heads of all alliance partiesUnder the COE, there should be an empowered steering committee consisting of one important leader each from the alliance. The ste e ring committee should take day to day decisions, form a strong secretariat headed by a secretary general with other office-bearers.

The secretariat will be the locomotive which pulls the alliance train. Along the track of modern day coalition politics, the iconic personality of Maharana Sanga emerges from the dusty battlefields of the 16th century CE. He surprisingly continues to remain in the news. The battle-scarred Maharana of Mewar, his official name was Sangram Singh I, built up a confederacy of kingdoms, big and small, to counter armies of the Delhi Sultans, and later Babur, the Timurid invader. His very name Sangram means battle or struggle in Hindi. There are many lessons that can be learnt from his struggles in pre-modern times, and several lessons resonate with Sinhas action plan.

One of the first battles he had to wage was within the Royal Family itself. Kunwar Sangram Singh was one among the 13 sons of Maharana Raimal and Rani Ratan Kanwar, daughter of Jhala Rajdhar. Brave and ambitious from an early age, he saw a bitter struggle for his fathers gaddi or throne break out betw  een the Princes Prithviraj, Jaimal and Jai Singh. Be it modern-day historians or bards centuries years ago, they find in these royal battles, shades of the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana where future Kings are compelled to find friendly shelter and learn bitter truths of realpolitik to emerge as leaders, stronger than ever.

In Ajmer, a desert-town already famous for the dargah of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chisti, the young Prince of Mewar sought refuge with Karamchand Panwar who helped him recover from the wounds and humiliation he had faced. Being with a mentor and learning from him is truly an experience that lasts a lifetime. When Professors John L Ward of Kellogg School of Management and Kavil Ramachandran of ISB Hyderabad began their study of the House of Mewar in 2008-09, they highlighted facets of leadership and management by consensus which is in sync with contemporary business and political environment.

Rana San gas taking charge of the Kingdom of Mewar in 1509 CE was itself an instance of consensus among the nobility and family-members, including royal women. Maharana Raimal wanted Prince Jai Singh to be his successor; it was decided otherwise by a council formed after the Maharana passed away. Titled Indias Mewar Dynasty: Upholding 76 generations of service and custodianship, the professors case-study underscored importance of the kingdom not being fragmented despite pulls and pressures. With Sanga at the helm of Mew ar, there were a series of defensive wars, including skirmishes with rulers of Delhi, Gujarat and Malwa. Where the Rana scored, and proved his mettle as a leader of leaders was through his ability to form a confederation of Rajput states. His bid for control of north India was based on a sound diplomatic and military strategy to first unite the Hindus and Muslims and then fight the invaders.

Demonstrating astute leadership, Rana Sanga appointed powerful nobles along the borders of Mewar. In the north-east, Karmachand Panwar was appointed Rawat and given the responsibility of Ajmer, Parbatsar, Mandal, Phulia, Banera as Jagirs with revenues of Rs 15 lakh. The Rana then allied with rulers of Sirohi in the south and Vagad in the west. He helped Raimal for his claim on the throne of Idar, winning his support. These leadership qualities, and investing in other leaders who became his support, makes Rana Sanga an admirable leader of leaders from whom modern day political personalities can learn many lessons.

The Rana was generous in grants of land and jagirs to his people. Inscriptions at Nilkanth Mahadev temple at Kumbhalgarh and Dovani copper plate, describe the Maharanas benevolence and welfare towards the people. Mewar, strategically located at the crossroads of trade and commerce, was witnessing constant movement of people, goods and ideas. These routes along the Aravalis strengthened Mewars connection with the northern and eastern parts of the sub-continent. Delhi and Ujjain seemed equidistant.

From 1517 to 1527 CE, Rana Sangas military might left its mark not just in history books but also the battlefields of Khatoli, Chittaurgarh, Kandar near Ranthambhore, Bayana, Khanwa and Panipat: these battlefields are considered sacred by historians like Kaviraj Shyamaldas, GH Ojha, GN Sharma and Harbilas Sarda who mapped every military manoeuver of the Rana and his confederation. They lauded and recorded the Ranas ability to bring Rajput royals and nobility together, showcased his skills in diplomacy, communications, and his ability to impress army commanders with muscle power.

The Rana, a veteran of many battles, carried innumerable scars and wounds on his person but firmly believed in leading from the front. Professors Ward and Ramachandran commented on Ranas singular achievement: the confederacy of armies that he formed between 1525 to 1527 CE. Many Rajput Hindu Kings and nobles fought under the banner of Rana Sanga against the Mughals. In management parlance, it is a consortium, a conglomerate formed with clearly defined goals.

Prominent in the confederacy were: Prithviraj the ruler of Amer, Rawal Udai Singh of Dungarpur, Medani Rai ruler of Chanderi, Kunwar Kalyanmal, Raimal Rathore, Rawat Bagh Singh, Bharmal the Raja of Idar, Rao Ganga, Narbad Hada, Ramdas Songara, Khetsi, Rawat Joga, Ratan Singh, Veeramdev, Gokuldas Parmar, Jhala Sajja, Jhala Ajja, Rawat Ratan Singh Chundawat, Chandra Bhan, Manak Chand Chouhan, Raja Nar Singh Dev Chauhan, Mehmood Khan Lodhi, Veer Singh Dev, Hasan Khan, Raja Brahmadev and Rai Dilipthe list seems endless.

At a glittering award function in the City Palace, Udaipur in April 2000, the late Sir V S Naipaul referred to battles which Mewar had fought. He said, Mewars kings may have lost some crucial battles but today I can see that they have won the war. With INDIA politics, it is time now for the parties to invest in each other, and set their sights on winning battles and not losing the war, quite like the clarion-call of Sinha

(The writer is a researcher writer on history and heritage issues and a former deputy curator of Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya)
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 has sparked a political debate that extends beyond its legislative framework, shaping electoral narratives and ideological positioning within the NDA alliance. While the ruling coalitions allies have backed the bill, their approach highlights a careful political calibration ~ balancing legislative alignment with the BJP while preserving their outreach to Muslim communities.

At the heart of the bill lies the management and governance of Waqf properties, which are religious endowments for charitable and religious purposes in Islam. The NDA allies, particularly the JD (U), TDP, and LJP (Ram Vilas), have sought to justify their support by framing the bill as a measure to ensure better governance, prevent misuse of Waqf properties, and empower backward Muslim communities, particularly the Pasmandas.

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Their rhetoric underscores a broader narrative within the NDA ~ positioning the bill not as an attack on Muslim institutions but as a much-needed reform to ensure transparency and accountability. However, the Opposition has seized upon the bill as a political tool, alleging that it is yet another step in an anti-minority legislative agenda. Opposition leaders argue that it undermines the autonomy of Waqf boards and diminishes Muslim representation in managing community assets.

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In response, NDA allies have countered these claims by insisting that Waqf institutions are trusts, not religious organisations, and that the amendments will primarily benefit marginalised Muslims rather than elite stakeholders. The debate over the bill also underscores the differing political compulsions within the NDA. Unlike the BJP, which enjoys a predominantly Hindu voter base, regional allies like the JD (U) and TDP must cater to a more diverse electorate, including significant Muslim populations. JD (U) leader Lalan Singh and TDPs Krishna Prasad Tenneti have taken a cautious stance ~ supporting the bill while simultaneously highlighting their contributions to Muslim welfare.

The demand by the TDP to grant state governments the authority to determine Waqf board composition reflects this balancing act, as regional parties seek to maintain their relevance among Muslim voters while aligning with the BJPs governance model. Beyond legislative intent, the bills passage holds significant electoral ramifications. With the Bihar elections approaching, the JD (U) is keen to ensure that its support for the bill does not alienate Muslim voters who play a crucial role in key constituencies.

By presenting the bill as a reformative rather than exclusionary measure, these parties aim to soften potential backlash while staying within the broader ideological framework of the NDA. Ultimately, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 is not merely about governance; it is a test of political manoeuvering within the NDA. As the debate unfolds, the challenge for its allies will be to maintain their regional appeal without straining their alliance with the BJP. Their success in walking this tight-rope could influence not just the bills reception but also their electoral fortunes in the months to come.
It had the hallmarks of a reality TV cliffhanger. Until recently, many people had never even heard of tariffs. Now, theres been rolling live international coverage of so-called Liberation Day, as US President Donald Trump laid out tariffs to be imposed on countries around the world. Trump announced all imports to the United States will be subject to a new baseline 10 per cent tariff. This is an additional tax charged by US Customs and Border Protection when products cross the border.

The baseline tariff is expected to take effect from April 5, and then higher reciprocal tariffs on individual countries from April 9. That leaves no time for businesses to adjust their supply chains. What might the next episode hold for the rest of the world? We can expect many countries to retaliate, bringing in tariffs and trade penalties of their own. That comes with risks. Vietnam will be among the hardest hit by reciprocal measures, with a 46 per cent tariff. China, South Korea and Japan will also feel the brunt of the newest announcement  all subject to new tariffs of between 24 and 34 per cent. The European Union is subject to 20 per cent.

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Many countries had already vowed to retaliate. In a recent speech, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said all instruments are on the table. She also stressed that the single market is the safe harbour for EU members. Canada was apparently spared from the baseline 10 per cent tariff. But it still has to contend with previously announced 25 per cent tariffs on the automotive and other sectors.

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Canadas new prime minister, Mark Carney, has said nothing is off the table in terms of retaliation. The 34 per cent new tariff on China will be on top of the 20 per cent tariff previously imposed, bringing the total to 54 per cent. Thats a further aggravation to already fractious relations between the worlds two largest economies. Vietnam is especially reliant on the US market, and has been trying to negotiate its way through tariff threats.

This has included unprecedented agreements to accept deported Vietnamese citizens from the US. Until this point, Vietnam had benefited from tensions between the US and China. These new enormous tariffs will have large ripple effects through not only Vietnam, but also less economically developed Cambodia (49 per cent tariff) and Myanmar (44 per cent tariff). Vulnerable countries may not have the leverage to fight back. It is hard to imagine what leverage Cambodia or Myanmar could have against the US, given the disparity in resources. Other countries consider it is not worth the fight.

For example, Australia is rightly questioning whether a titfor-tat strategy is effective, or will just ramp up the problem further. One country that has flown under the radar is Russia. Two-way trade with Russia is small, and subject to sanctions. But US media have reported Trump would like to expand the trading relationship in the future. Some of the interesting impacts of Trumps announcements relate to what trade experts call the de minimis rule: usually, if you make a small purchase online, you dont pay import taxes when the item arrives in your country.

Trump closed this loophole for goods from China in February, but then paused it days later. On April 2, Trump signed an executive order to again close the loophole, which will be effective May 2. Duties will apply to goods from China that were previously exempt, below the de minimis amount of US$800. Those sent through the international postal network will face a rate of either 30 per cent of their value or a charge of $25 per item (increasing to $50 in June). This wont just be a nightmare for online shoppers.

Some 100,000 small parcels arrive in the US every hour, many from China. These charges will now have to be collected on many more packages, in coordination with US Customs and Border Protection. We can also expect consumer backlash to increase worldwide, too. Canadas elbows up movement is one template. Consumers around the world are already choosing to redirect their spending away from US products, expressing their anger at the Trump administrations stance on trade, diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, environmental protection, gender rights and more.

Consumers should be careful about jumping on the bandwagon without doing their homework, though. Boycotting a US fast food outlet might make you feel better (and frankly may be better for your health), but thats also going to impact the local franchise owner. Hating Americans en masse is also not productive  many US citizens are themselves deeply upset at what is happening. Watch out for the impending claim of victory  one of Trumps mantras popularised in the recent movie, The Apprentice.

The US trade deficit rocketed after Trumps previous tariff announcements this year, as importers scrambled to stockpile supplies before price increases. This cannot happen this time, because the tariffs come into effect in just three days. In the short term, the monthly trade deficit will decline if imports return to normal, which will give Trump a chance to claim the policies are workingeven if its just a rebound effect. But these tariffs will harm rather than help ordinary Americans.

Everyday purchases like clothes (made in places like Vietnam, Cambodia and China) could soon cost a lot more than they used to  with a $20 t-shirt going up to nearly $30, not including US sales taxes. As this reality TV-style trade drama continues to unfold, the world should prepare for more episodes, more cliffhangers, and more uncertainty.

(The writer is Professor of Law, UNSW Sydney. This article was published on www.theconversation.com)
India must be one of the very few countries in the world where movies are still censored and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is still very active. Sometimes, a movie is chopped beyond recognition, taking away its very soul! Sometimes, it is banned outright. For years, there has been a demand for and much writing on the need to do away with this kind of censorship, replacing it with a system that will grade films according to their suitability for different age groups. Unfortunately, this is yet to happen, and this is in a country where ancient temples have some of the most erotic sculptures  and which are freely available for viewing.

The latest movie to face this kind of censorship is Sandhya Suris Santosh, which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival last May to huge applause and acclaim. Britains offering to the Oscars race, the movie has been blocked in India by the CBFC. Penned and helmed by British-Indian filmmaker Suri, the work unfolds in a fictional northern Indian town and follows the life of a policewoman, a young widow, who is determined to probe the murder of a young Dalit girl. The subject is really nothing new: we have seen this in movies like Article 15. So why this hullabaloo over Santosh? I wish I had an answer to this. The CBFC sometimes makes decisions like this without any justification. In a very strong way, the film is a scathing indictment of the ills facing the police force. But I have seen far more gruesome versions of this in, for example, Drishyam  which was made in multiple languages. The first was in Malayalam with a brilliant performance by Mohanlal  a DVD shopkeeper. He and his family are brutalised by the police.

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Getting back to Santosh, what is it all about? The movie follows the journey of a recently widowed policewoman, Santosh (a fine performance by Shahana Goswami), who, following the death of her policeman husband, is given a job in the force. Heckled by in-laws and blamed for her husbands death, she is really happy to taste independence and a sense of self-respect for the first time in her life. And when a Dalit girl is killed, Santoshs boss, Geeta (Sunita Rajwar), ropes in the young cop, seeing her tremendous potential and passion for cracking crimes.

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Crisply written and edited with disarming simplicity, Santosh is a great example of why a film need not be embellished with songs and dances and grand locations or star actors (who have to perform for unrealistic effect) to work and work in a compelling way.

Santosh is available on MUBI.

The writer is a senior movie critic and author
In a stunning representation of Buddhist spirituality and Indian craftsmanship, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana of Thailand a unique brass statue of Sarnath Buddha in dhyan mudra along with a brocade silk shawl from Varanasi during the royal audience on Friday at the Dusit Palace in Bangkok.

The brass statue of Sarnath Buddha in dhyan mudra is a stunning representation of Buddhist spirituality and Indian craftsmanship, inspired by the Sarnath style. Originating from Bihar, the statue reflects the Gupta and Pala art traditions with its serene expression, intricately detailed robe, and iconic lotus pedestal.

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The dhyan mudra posture symbolises deep meditation and inner peace, with the Buddha seated in Padmasana, radiating wisdom and compassion. The Prabhavali (backdrop), adorned with celestial beings and floral motifs, represents divine radiance, transforming the statue into a spiritual mandala. The ornate lotus base, decorated with the Dharmachakra and auspicious symbols, signifies purity and spiritual awakening.

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Made of brass, the statue embodies resilience and the eternal nature of Dharma, making it a powerful addition to meditation spaces, monasteries, or homesserving as a symbol of enlightenment and inner tranquility.

The brocade silk shawl from Uttar Pradesh, particularly from Varanasi (Banaras), which was gifted by PM Modi to the queen of Thailand is a masterpiece of Indias rich weaving tradition.

Crafted from the finest silk, it features intricate motifs depicting village life, divine celebrations, and nature, inspired by Indian miniature and Pichwai art.

The shawls vivid color palettereds, blues, greens, and yellowssymbolizes joy and auspiciousness, while a broad ornamental border in deep pink, magenta, and gold adds a regal touch. Beyond its visual splendor, the shawl boasts a soft, warm, and luxurious drape, with skilled artisans dedicating weeks of meticulous craftsmanship to create each unique piece.

PM Modi also gifted a Dokra brass peacock boat with tribal rider  a stunning example of traditional Indian metal craft, originating from the tribal communities of Chhattisgarh  to Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

Made using the ancient lost-wax casting technique, each piece is handcrafted and unique. The sculpture features a peacock-shaped boat, symbolising grace and cultural imagination, with intricate patterns and colourful lacquer inlays. A tribal rider, calmly rowing, represents the harmony between humans and nature, a central theme in Dokra art.

Crafted in brass, the piece develops a rich patina over time, enhancing its antique charm. Beyond its decorative appeal, this artifact preserves Indias tribal heritage, embodying simplicity, creativity, and connection to nature.

During his meeting with former Thailand PM Thaksin Shinawatra on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi gifted a brass Urli with peacock and diya from Andhra Pradesh  a masterpiece of traditional brass craftsmanship, symbolising purity, positivity, and abundance  to the leader. Traditionally used for rituals and festive decorations, this urli is often filled with water, flowers, or floating candles, while the diya (oil lamp) enhances its spiritual significance.

Renowned for its intricate carvings and flawless finishing, the piece reflects Andhra Pradeshs rich metalwork heritage. Its gleaming brass polish adds a regal charm, making it a timeless addition to both traditional and modern interiors.
Triggering a full-blown trade war, China will impose additional 34 per cent tariffs on all products imported from the United States starting from April 10, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced on Friday.

The announcement follows the U.S. decision to impose reciprocal tariffs on Chinese exports to the United States, a move that the commission said does not conform to international trade rules, seriously undermines Chinas legitimate rights and interests, and represents a typical act of unilateral bullying, reports Xinhua news agency.

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Chinas Ministry of Commerce said it was adding 11 American companies to its list of unreliable entities, which bars them from doing business in China or with Chinese companies.

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The ministry also imposed stringent limits on exports of certain rare earth elements, including gadolinium and yttrium, which are mined almost exclusively in China and are used in everything from electric cars to smart bombs.

US President Donald Trump has announced 54 per cent reciprocal tariffs on China, which include previous duties already in place. That makes China one of the hardest-hit countries on the tariff list.

Global investment bank JP Morgan has said it now sees a 60 per cent chance of the global economy entering recession by 2025 end, up from 40 per cent previously.

According to analysts, the reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US will undoubtedly hit all countries but Indian exporters may emerge stronger as rivals, mainly, China faces steeper duties as high as 65 per cent and even beyond.

For India, the additional 27 per cent tariff places it in the lower half of targeted countries, creating opportunities beyond traditional export sectors like engineering goods, electronics, gems and jewellery, textiles, and apparel.

The tariffs could also shift competitiveness in Indias favour in sectors where other regional exporters are more severely impacted.

To maximise this advantage, India must not only negotiate with the US to maintain market access but also collaborate with FTA partners in Asia to restructure supply chains and seize new opportunities, according to experts.
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Friday he was sorry for not being able to meet public expectations after the Constitutional Court removed him from office over his short-lived martial law declaration in December.

Yoon issued an apology through his lawyers hours after the court unanimously ousted him from office.

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I deeply regret not being able to live up to your hopes and expectations, Yoon said in a statement.

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It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve our nation. I am sincerely grateful for your unwavering support and encouragement, even when I fell short.

Later in the day, Yoon met the ruling People Power Partys (PPP) interim leader, Kwon Young-se, and PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong at the presidential residence.

In the meeting, Yoon expressed his thanks to his supporters and wished for the country to prosper though he is leaving his post.

He also hoped the ruling party will prepare well for the upcoming presidential election and win without fail, Yonhap news agency reported.

Yoon, who dramatically rose from a top prosecutor to the presidency in about three years, became the nations second President to be formally removed from office, with his surprise martial law bid rattling the nation for months and deepening political polarisation.

With the ruling, Yoon, 64, follows in the footsteps of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who was ousted in 2017 when the Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment over a corruption scandal.

Before taking the nations highest office, Yoon began his career as a prosecutor in 1994, rising through the ranks to lead an investigation team into Parks corruption scandal that ultimately led to her ouster and subsequent imprisonment.

In 2019, he was appointed as the nations top prosecutor under then South Korean President Moon Jae-in but clashed with the administration as he oversaw investigations into family members of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk.

Amid mounting pressure from the Moon administration, Yoon stepped down from his post in 2021, only to enter politics shortly after and win the presidential election in 2022 as the candidate for the conservative People Power Party.

Yoons term was riddled with conflict with an uncooperative National Assembly dominated by the main Opposition Democratic Party (DP). Yoon exercised his presidential veto power against 25 Bills passed by the National Assembly.

Tensions with the DP appeared to reach an extreme in early December as the main Opposition introduced motions to impeach the countrys top auditor and a senior prosecutor, with Yoon declaring martial law on December 3, which ultimately led to his downfall.
Hundreds of locals and members of the Indian diaspora community braved heavy rain to give a rousing reception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Colombo late Saturday evening as he arrived from Bangkok on a State Visit at the invitation of Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

In a special welcome, top ministers from Dissanayakes cabinet, including Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, Labour Minister Anil Jayantha, Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj and Science and Technology Minister Chrishantha Abeysena welcomed PM Modi at Colombos Bandaranaike International Airport as people gathered outside the airport and at the hotel amid heavy rain in the Lankan capital.

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Prime Minister Modi travelled to the island nation straight after attending the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit in Bangkok and will return home on April 6.

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Landed in Colombo. Grateful to the ministers and dignitaries who welcomed me at the airport. Looking forward to the programmes in Sri Lanka, PM Modi posted on X after arriving in Colombo.

Colombo has maintained that the State Visit of Dissanayake to India in December last year  his first overseas visit as the President of Sri Lanka  marked a watershed moment in bilateral relations. The robust diplomatic relations between the two neighbours are expected to get a further boost as PM Modi will be the first foreign leader to be hosted by President Dissanayake in his capacity as Sri Lankas President.

The India-Sri Lanka relationship is deeply rooted in civilizational links, shared history, religion, culture, and strong people-to-people ties. In the modern era, it has evolved into a close economic, cultural, and technical partnership. Sri Lanka is an integral part of our Neighbourhood First policy, and this relationship, built on mutual trust and goodwill, has stood the test of time. India has come to the assistance of Sri Lanka at critical moments, most recently during the unprecedented economic crisis that Sri Lanka faced in 2022. India was glad to be able to play a key role in the economic stabilization and recovery of the country thereby demonstrating its commitment as a dependable neighbour and as a first responder to any crisis in the region, said Foreign Secretary Misri ahead of PM Modis visit.

India and Sri Lanka are also expected to conclude an updated agreement on defence cooperation during PM Modis visit.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold discussions with the President of Sri Lanka to review progress made on the areas of cooperation agreed upon in the Joint Vision for Fostering Partnerships for a Shared Future adopted during the Sri Lankan Presidents State Visit to India. The Prime Minister will also have meetings with senior dignitaries and political leaders.

The two leaders will also witness the exchange of multiple agreements related to energy connectivity, digitization, defence, health, and multisectoral grant assistance.

PM Modi is also scheduled to meet other political leaders of the nation before travelling to Anuradhapura with Dissanayake for the inauguration of development projects implemented with Indian financial assistance on Sunday.

In Anuradhapura, both leaders will pay respect at the historic Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple complex in Anuradhapura. PM Modi had also visited the temple, which holds a special significance in India-Sri Lanka civilizational partnership, during his visit to the country in 2015. Prime Minister Modi then visited Sri Lanka again in 2019.

During their discussions, both leaders will also be discussing all issues related to fishermen, including the early release and repatriation of Indian fishermen and fishing boats.

The Indian government maintains that it has attached the highest priority to the safety, security and welfare of Indian fishermen and has been consistently taking up these issues through bilateral mechanisms, diplomatic channels, and various official interactions, including by the Prime Minister in his recent meeting with the Sri Lankan President on December 16, 2024.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri acknowledged that it is a longstanding issue that traces its origins to arrangements made in the mid-1970s when the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) between India and Sri Lanka was agreed upon by the authorities at both the central and state levels.

India has also repeatedly requested the Sri Lankan Government to treat the fishermen issue as a humanitarian and livelihood concern without using force under any circumstances.


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In what could be termed a historic moment, India and Sri Lanka signed a defence cooperation pact for the first time, detailing a broader roadmap for deeper bilateral cooperation amid the increasing attempts by China to court the island nation.

It is a matter of immense pride for me to be conferred the 'Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana' by President Dissanayake today. This honour is not mine alone - it is a tribute to the 1.4 billion people of India. It symbolises the deep-rooted friendship and historic ties between the pic.twitter.com/UBQyTMoJ27  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2025

Media reports, quoting analysts, have said the defence deal, which comes nearly four decades after the Indian Peace Keeping Force's intervention in Sri Lanka, would be a major milestone in the relationship between the two countries.

Highlights from Colombo



The community connect and cultural vibrancy were on full display. pic.twitter.com/V1wkwTBrB4  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2025

While the two countries are already engaged in defence dialogues, joint military and naval drills, training and workshops, the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will entail the exchange of tri-service officers, training, staff talks and exchange of information between the forces, cooperation in the defence industry, and in the field of defence technology and research. The MoU will be in force for the next five years.

The defence pact is among seven key agreements signed by the two sides following wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

"We believe that our security interests are similar. The security of both countries is interlinked and dependent on each other," Modi said in his media statement during the visit, adding, "I am grateful to President Dissanayake for his sensitivity towards India's interests. We welcome the important agreements concluded in defence cooperation."

India-Sri Lanka defence partnership has been, and continues to be, an invaluable asset for Sri Lanka, Defence Secretary Sampath Thuyacontha said.

India and China have been trying to influence the island nation through strategic investments, political engagement, and economic diplomacy. In possibly what comes as an attempt to assuage India's concerns over growing Chinese presence and influence in the country, Dissanayake said he assured Modi that Sri Lanka will not allow its territory to be used in any manner inimical to India's security interests.
Indian Navy ensures that no nation suppresses another in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) on the basis of overwhelming economy and military power, claimed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after he flagged off the Indian Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel, INS Sunayna, as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR (Security & Growth for All in the Region) in Karwar of Karnataka on Saturday.

I congratulate Indian Navy for this unique concept: Rajnath Singh on IOS SAGAR mission pic.twitter.com/t6q33cUOic  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 5, 2025

He observed that India's growing presence in the IOR is not just related to the country's security and national interests, it also points towards the equality of rights and duties among India's friendly countries in the region. "We ensure that the interests of nations are protected without compromising their sovereignty, he said.

Hailing the Indian Navy for emerging as the first responder during incidents such as hijacking of ships and acts of pirates, in the region, the defence minister said the Navy ensures the security of not just Indian ships but also foreign ones. He termed free navigation, rule-based order, anti-piracy and securing peace and stability in IOR as the Indian Navy's biggest objectives.

"Equipped with state-of-the-art ships, weapons and equipment and well-trained and motivated sailors, we resolve to move ahead with other friendly nations towards developing IOR as a symbol of brotherhood and shared interest, the defence minister said.

ALSO READ: 330 Dhruv advanced light helicopters out of action for another three months. Why the ALH fleet continue to be grounded

The flagging-off of INS Sunayna, with 44 naval personnel from nine friendly nations (Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka & Tanzania), marks a significant step in reinforcing Indias commitment to regional maritime security and international cooperation, the defence ministry said.

The flag-off coincides with the 10th anniversary of the SAGAR initiative and National Maritime Day. Besides, the date, April 4, is historically significant as it was on this day that Indias first merchant ship, SS Loyalty, sailed from Mumbai to London in 1919.

Describing it as a fitting occasion to launch the IOS SAGAR mission, Singh said, "It a proud moment to see India leading the charge for regional cooperation on the same date we mark our maritime legacy.

IOS SAGAR is a pioneering effort aimed at bringing together the navies and maritime agencies of the Southwest IOR on an Indian Naval platform.

"The mission will serve as an opportunity to provide comprehensive training to sea-riders from friendly countries and marks an unprecedented collaboration in maritime security," the ministry said.

On the same day, Singh also inaugurated modern operational, repair and logistic facilities constructed under Project Seabird worth over Rs 2,000 crore. The facilities include marine infrastructure designed for berthing ships, submarines and harbour craft, an armament wharf, two piers specifically equipped for refits, marine utility complexes, residential infrastructure consisting 480 dwelling units for sailors and defence civilians, and support facilities comprising 25 km road network, 12 km storm water drainage, water reservoirs, waste management plants and security watch towers.
The Indian Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV) INS Sunayna will set sail as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR (Security & Growth for All in the Region) from Karwar, reinforcing Indias commitment to regional maritime security and international cooperation.

The ship carrying 44 naval personnel from nine Friendly Foreign Nations (FFNs) will be flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday.

IOS SAGAR is a pioneering effort aimed at bringing together the navies and maritime agencies of the Southwest Indian Ocean Region (IOR) on an Indian Naval platform. The defence ministry said it will serve as an opportunity to provide comprehensive training to sea-riders from the FFNs and marks an unprecedented collaboration in maritime security.

ALSO READ: Proxy war by Pakistan still unresolved, says Rajnath Singh as he urges Army to stay prepared

During its deployment, INS Sunayna will visit Dar-es-Salaam, Nacala, Port Louis and Port Victoria.

The international crew aboard will undertake training exercises, including firefighting, damage control, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), bridge operations, seamanship, engine room management, switchboard operations and boat handling. These exercises are expected to improve interoperability between the Indian Navy and its international partners.

IOS SAGAR will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the IOR. With this mission, India once again reaffirms its commitment to building stronger ties with its maritime neighbours and working towards a safer, more inclusive and secure maritime environment in the IOR, the defence ministry said in a release.
Long after COVID-19 first struck the world, its impact continues to be felt as we go about our everyday lives. Physically, mentally or emotionally, the scars of the pandemic keep surfacing every now and then.



As per a study conducted by Sapien Labs, titled 'Mental State of the World Report 2024' through its Global Mind Project, mental well-being of India's internet-enabled population underwent a "sharp decline" during the pandemic years and five years hence, it shows "no sign of recovery."



Tara Thiagarajan, founder and chief scientist says, "Our data  collected using the Mind Health Quotient (MHQ) which measures all aspects of mental function: emotional, social and cognitive  shows that while older adults are doing well, a near majority of younger adults are experiencing functionally debilitating struggles or distress."



This is not just about diminished happiness but about the core mental functioning that is needed to navigate lifes challenges and function productively, adds Thiagarajan.



Sapien Labs, a US-based not-for-profit that works "to understand the human mind and its rising mental health concerns," notes that in every region of the world, older adults are doing relatively well while younger generations are struggling. "The only difference between countries is how far the Mind Health of their younger generations has declined. Some may simply be further along this downward trajectory than others."



This 'Mental State of the World Report' is the annual report of the Global Mind Project and provides trends and insights on the mental health and well-being of Internet-enabled populations around the globe. Data is collected using the MHQ assessment, a comprehensive online survey of mental function that provides an overall metric (the MHQ score) which relates to the ability to navigate the normal stresses of life and function productively.



Interestingly, while in other countries, almost all, as per the report, 41 per cent young adults experience functionally debilitating distress, younger adults fare best in Sub-Saharan Africa. As per the report, young Indians, beginning from millennials, face problems in areas of planning and organisation, focus, concentration, social interaction, relationships with others, self-control, impulsivity, self-image, and emotional resilience among others, which represent capacities to navigate the social world.



India, as per the report, is no exception. The study surveyed close to 76,000 Indian adults with internet access and found that in comparison to their older counterparts, younger adults have far lower mental well-being. On the 200-point MHQ scale, where 100 represents the expected norm for a well-functioning mind, India scores an average of 57.8, slightly below the global average of 63.



The root causes of this trend, says Thiagarajan in the report, "are multivariate and interconnected. They include smartphones and an increasingly socially disconnected culture, ultra-processed foods, and environmental toxins. Altogether the decline in younger generations is present across all countries irrespective of spending levels on mental health research and access to care."



The study found that individuals who frequently consumed ultra-processed foods were three times more likely to experience poor mental health, as "these foods contain additives and toxins that may contribute to neurological imbalances." The report also noted that "a shift toward performance-driven, individualistic mindsets has weakened family bonds and friendships."
In 2015, the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital (LTMGH) at Sion in Mumbai became the first civic hospital to have introduced the bone marrow transplant facility. In these ten years, the hospital has carried out 104 bone marrow transplants among children.



A decade on, the hospital is now looking at expanding the existing BMT treatment facility, given the "long list of patients-in-waiting." The hospital staff reportedly said that given that all permissions from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation were in place, the work for the new BMT facility, with 5 BMT beds and a four-bedded step-down room similar to an ICU, is scheduled to begin soon, in the Eknath Gaikwad Health Centre building, on the second floor.



At present, the hospital has only one BMT bed and four step-down rooms, which means that at any given point the hospital can conduct BMT of just one patient and that process for a single patient can last anywhere from a month to 45 days before they are shifted to the step-down room. Children with aplastic anaemia, primary immunodeficiency that is T cell migration defect, are the ones who need bone marrow transplants, and that too, without a delay post their diagnosis.



"Given that a month's time is required for the treatment, ideally we could have treated more than 104 patients, about 120, in this past decade. However, infrastructure challenges became hurdles. Even now, we have seven to eight patients on the waiting list at any given point in time, and this does not include the emergency patients we see every week. So, once we expand we can conduct at least four to five BMTs simultaneously against just one which we do now," said Sujata Sharma, in-charge, division of paediatric haematology, department of paediatrics, Sion Hospital.



Diseases of the bone marrow cells can be treated by completely replacing the bone marrow with an entirely new set of healthy stem cells, that are HLA-matched, which means the tissues of a prospective donor and recipient are compatible because mismatched donor and recipient tissues can lead to rejection of the tissues. In many cases, bone marrow transplant is carried out by using the patient's own stem cells, especially when treating solid tumours like neuroblastoma. BMT using stem cells from a donor is done for various conditions, including blood cancer or leukemia, thalassemia, and certain metabolic disorders.



Interestingly, since the past few years, parents expecting a child opt for stem cell banking because medical research reportedly claims that the blood left over in the umbilical cord and placenta after a baby is born has special cells in it that "which can treat and even cure some serious diseases."



The baby's umbilical cord blood, say experts, is rich in life-saving stem cells that have powerful regenerative properties which can potentially cure many diseases. The blood is collected immediately upon the baby's birth and stored by a private cord blood banking company, and whenever later in life if the need arises and if the child or someone else in the family develops a life-threatening disease, those stored stem cells can come to the rescue.



This is because "the umbilical cord blood contains cells called hematopoietic stem cells which can turn into any kind of blood cell and can be used for transplants that can cure diseases such as blood disorders, immune deficiencies, metabolic diseases, and some kinds of cancers. Research is revealing more and more ways it can save lives. It is precious  almost magical  and absolutely worth keeping," writes Claire McCarthy, senior faculty editor at Harvard Health Publishing.



Another development lately has been that of the possibility of a transplant of stem cells from a half-matched donor. Haploidentical transplant has been a life-saving solution for children suffering from critical conditions that require bone marrow transplants. "This breakthrough significantly expands donor possibilities, reduces dependency on fully matched donors and helps to overcome the challenges posed by donor registry shortages and high costs," say experts.



As per a research study published in Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, a bone marrow transplant with a half-matched donor led to a 79.4 per cent survival rate one year after transplant. In India, though, this is a new area and requires to be researched further, for accurate data collection.


This World Health Day, observed on April 7, puts the spotlight on the health and well-being of mothers and newborns. With the powerful theme Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures, the World Health Organization (WHO) is launching a year-long campaign focused on improving maternal and newborn health across the globe. The initiative urges governments and healthcare systems to take stronger action to eliminate preventable maternal and infant deathsplacing long-overdue attention on one of the most critical stages of life.

Every year, close to 3,00,000 women die due to pregnancy or childbirth complications, and over 2 million newborns dont survive their first month, according to WHO. Shockingly, that adds up to roughly one preventable death every seven seconds. And the future outlook is grim: 4 out of 5 countries are currently off track to meet global maternal survival goals by 2030.

But change is possibleand it starts with action. The campaign will promote education, better access to healthcare, and support systems for healthy pregnancies, safe deliveries, and improved postnatal care. Heres how we can all help support healthier futures for mothers and babies:

1. Prioritise regular prenatal check-ups for early detection of potential complications.

2. Educate on the importance of nutrition, exercise, and avoiding harmful substances during pregnancy.

3. Support maternal mental health, which is often overlooked but crucial before and after childbirth.

4. Ensure access to skilled healthcare providers and postnatal care, so both mother and child receive the support they need.

According to the WHO, the leading causes of maternal deaths worldwide are haemorrhage and hypertensive disorders such as preeclampsia. In 2020 alone, these conditions accounted for approximately 80,000 and 50,000 deaths, respectively. Often going unnoticed or untreated until severe complications arise, these health issues significantly increase the risk and complexity of pregnancy for millions of women globally.
A fresh rift has emerged in Jammu and Kashmirs power corridors as tensions grow between the elected government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

The fresh trigger is the recent transfer of 48 JKAS officers by Sinhas office, reportedly without consulting the elected government. The ruling alliancecomprising the National Conference (NC), Congress, and independent legislatorshas accused the LG of bypassing democratic procedures.

An emergency meeting of the alliance was held in Srinagar on Friday, chaired by Omar Abdullah and attended by senior leaders, including NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah.

The meeting concluded with two key resolutionsone condemning the Waqf Bill recently passed in Parliament, and another urging the Centre to respect the peoples mandate in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lieutenant Governor Sinha, however, stood firm. I have not done anything outside the J&K Reorganisation Act. I am well within my domain and will never cross my limits, he said in an interview.

The Abdullah-led government had earlier submitted new Business Rules defining the division of powers between the elected government and the LG. The rules are intended to curb the LGs overriding authority. However, the Centre is yet to approve them.

Those who do not honour this mandate are insulting the will of the people," said Tanvir Sadiq, chief spokesperson of the NC. Congress leader Nizamudin Bhat added that the alliances cooperative approach with Delhi should not be mistaken for weakness.

We want to work with love and cooperation, but dont push us to the wall, he warned. Bhat cautioned against the forces that try to weaken democratic institutions. This legislature represents a credible, popular mandate that must be taken seriouslyeven in Parliament, he said.

LG Sinha maintained that relations with the new government would remain smooth if its agenda focused on peace, prosperity, and development.

He said the statehood would be restored in due course, as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
With the land auction issue in Telangana drawing national attention, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has stepped into handle the matter and guide the state Congress to safety. On Saturday, AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan made an unscheduled visit to Hyderabad. It is learnt that her original plan was to visit the state in the third week of April, but the ongoing developments surrounding the 400-acre land in Kancha Gachibowli have pushed the high command to act sooner. She is said to have been deputed to manage the issue effectively and contain the growing negative campaign around the party and the government.

Also read Telangana: Congress govt finds itself cornered in row over tree felling near HCU campus

It may be recalled that the Congress government in Telangana had decided to auction a 400-acre land parcel located near the University of Hyderabad. The land, once part of the university, now sits alongside a green zone surrounding the campus. Students of the university took to protest and what began as a spontaneous agitation quickly snowballed with civil society groups, environmental activists, citizens and even celebrities voicing their opposition. Cases were also booked against some students.

#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: PDSU (Progressive Democratic Students Union) staged a protest at the University of Hyderabad in Gachibowli, demanding to be allowed inside the campus to meet injured students in a recent police lathi charge. They were stopped at the gate and denied pic.twitter.com/Efeuqmnh2q  ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2025

The governmentwhich is insisting that it is the rightful owner of the landsent bulldozers at midnight to clear the area, chopping down trees in the process. This led to an instant backlash which was noticed online and also on the ground. The opposition parties, BJP and the BRS, also joined the fray and accused the government of destroying a sensitive ecological zone. According to experts, the university and its surrounding areas are home to threatened and endangered species of animals, thick vegetation, rock formations and caves. Both the High Court and Supreme Court have also heard the case related to the issue and ordered a halt to all development work at the site.

While the government has since formed a committee with three senior ministers, the controversy shows no signs of slowing down. Against this backdrop, the AICC has now decided to take a more active role. Meenakshi Natarajan is expected to meet with ministers Sridhar Babu, Bhatti Vikramarka and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddymembers of the committee tasked with resolving the issue. She is also likely to engage with NSUI members, University of Hyderabad students, activists and intellectuals leading the campaign. The matter has now reached Delhi with BJP supporters putting up posters in the capital calling on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to intervene and protect the land. The issue was also raised in Parliament this week.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav dubbed the Bharatiya Janata Party as Bhu Mafia (Land mafia) Party, alleging that no other party had grabbed as much land and common resources such as ponds, and this was evident in places like Gorakhpur  the home of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Yadav spoke against the amendments to the Waqf Act and said that it would prove to be BJPs Waterloo, thus undoing the partys position of power. He said that the BJP was adamant that important issues are not discussed. One of the examples he used from the state was Uttar Pradeshs inability to procure wheat and how it had been licensed off to private players.

#WATCH | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: SP chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav says, "The biggest land mafia party is the BJP. No one has grabbed more land than the BJP. Just check the registries of Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Kanpur, and Lucknow. Here, government land, ponds, and many other things pic.twitter.com/kPGcoLnZbP  ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2025

Another issue he highlighted was the economy and said reliable numbers were not available. He added that at least the state government, which was quick to put out numbers for everything, should be able to say with certainty what the per capita income of Uttar Pradesh was. Yet, despite its ability to churn out numbers, the government had been unable to even give a definite number of the number of people who were injured and killed in the stampedes during the Mahakumbh.

Another jibe was directed at the nodal officer for the states $1 trillion economy project, who has been suspended for corruption. Yadav alleged that all the corrupt officers were hidden inside the residence of the chief minister. He also questioned the states zero tolerance policy charging that for the first time ever, the states police was involved in kidnapping for ransom.

Yadav, who addressed the media at the party office, said that there were both good and bad chapters in history. The good should be retained, the bad left. He said that the BJP was spending crores to create narratives on social media. Such narratives were also against the INDIA bloc. This was being done because the BJP had seen the power of the alliances PDA (Pichada, Dalit, Alpsankhayk) plank in the elections.
The suicide of a BJP worker has led to a political furore in Karnataka as the deceased has reportedly left behind a death note accusing some Congress leaders of harassing him. The death note of Vinay Somaiah (40) has allegedly mentioned four names including that of two Congress MLAs  Madikeri MLA Mantar Gowda and Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna, who is also the legal advisor to the chief minister.

Vinay, an operations manager in a private firm and a BJP party worker from Kodagu, was found hanging at his office in Nagwara, Bengaluru on Friday morning after sending a death note to his friends and family on WhatsApp. In the death note, Vinay held one Thennera Mahina, a Congress functionary, responsible for his death saying Mahina had harassed and tarnished his image over a social media post shared in a common WhatsApp group. He also stated that his death should be a lesson and prevent politically motivated FIRs and urged the police to think twice before filing an FIR against innocent people. While the authenticity of the death note is being questioned by the Congress leaders, the police are trying to ascertain if the death note was indeed written by Vinay and if a WhatsApp message is permissible as evidence under the law.

Meanwhile, the BJP leaders staged a protest outside the hospital in Bengaluru on Friday demanding that the police include the names of two Congress MLAs in the FIR for abetment to suicide. They also held a protest at Kushalnagar on Saturday morning and courted arrest, while insisting that the body should not be moved unless the FIR was corrected.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | Karnataka Assembly LoP R Ashok says, "... One of our party worker committed suicide after being harassed by Congress MLAs and leaders. His only fault was that he questioned the time being taken to complete a development work... He was constantly being pic.twitter.com/Evq16ey7NS  ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2025

LOPs R. Ashok and Chalavadi Narayanswamy alleged that the Congress government was targeting BJP workers and demanded a CBI probe into the suicide.

"The police stations are functioning like Congress party offices. We demand that the Congress MLAs be named in the FIR," demanded Ashok.

State party chief B.Y. Vijayendra, Ashok, former MLA KG Bopaiah, Kodagu-Mysuru MP Yaduveer Wadiyar and former MP Pratap Simha took part in the protest at Kushalnagar.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | Karnataka Legislative Council LoP & BJP MLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy says, "... Our karyakartas are being harassed throughout the state. This is why we are fighting against the Congress..." pic.twitter.com/ZIrdg54CD9  ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2025

According to sources, Vinay, along with one Vishnu Nachappa, was the admin of a WhatsApp group meant to discuss the problems and solutions related to Kodagu. The public group had members from all political parties, local body representatives and officials. On February 2, Mahina filed a police complaint against Vinay and two others after one Rajendra uploaded a photo of a dirty public toilet in Napoklu along with the photo of Virajpet MLA Ponnanna during a discussion in the group.

An FIR was filed at the Madikeri city police station. But Vinay secured anticipatory bail and the High Court also granted a stay in the case. But the police at the behest of the Congress leaders continued to harass Vinay, who had learnt about the police planning to open a rowdy sheeter (IPC section 107) against him under political pressure, said former Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah.

In the unverified death note, Vinay had stated that he was unable to control his mind over the last two months.

I was made the admin (5 days before Rajendra's post) of the Whatsapp group - 'Kodaga problems and suggestions'. The FIR was politically motivated and Thenneera played with our lives by putting up posts calling us kidigedigalu (miscreants). He used our photos without our permission and made the posts viral across Kodagu, when we had not been proven guilty in court. You can imagine the agony caused to my family and friends. I could not face my mother from the day the FIR was filed against me. Mahina is directly responsible for my death. I am not the first person to lose my life because of Mahina. In another case, a man committed suicide on the day Mahinas wife got admitted to a hospital. Police should probe that case and punish the guilty. Even after the court granted bail, the Madikeri police called my cousin and friends, went to their houses and conducted a search to arrest me. A police constable from Madikeri told me it was all on the orders of Virajpet MLA Ponnanna, said the note.

Recalling several instances when he was targeted, Vijay wrote, During the Kodava-Gowda conflict, Ponnanna had falsely claimed that I had called him. I had only messaged him to inform him about the issue. But they have filed an FIR against me for a photo posted by someone else. In another instance, I had raised questions about Kushalnagar's GVT Hospital in the group and Madikeri MLA Mantar Gowda called and scolded me for posting the message. If you look at the call records you will know who had made the calls. Harish Poovaiah repeatedly posted our photos in the Kodava Makka group of Permera and Nanga Kodaga on March 11 and called us miscreants. The reason for all this is Tenneera Mahina, who made people share his article about us. We learnt from our sources that they were planning to open a rowdy sheet against us. All these people should be punished. Only then will justice be served for my death, said the deceased in his death note which also urged Karnataka BJP to support his family.

The Hennur police station gave us the FIR copy. But it had only one name. We requested them to include the names of all four mentioned in the death note, said Vinays brother Vivek.

Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated that the FIR had been filed and the police were investigating it. The DCP concerned will probe it. But not everything that is on social media can be trusted. We will verify and take action, he added.

Mahina, while speaking to reporters, claimed that he had not harassed Vinay as claimed in the death note. I am in a responsible position in the party. So, on February 2, I filed a complaint in Madikeri over the derogatory photo and comment posted in the WhatsApp group. The HC granted bail and stayed. It is not true that I harassed Vinay or anybody. Let them clarify who has put pressure on the police to harass them," said Mahina.

Vishnu Nachappa, the other admin of the WhatsApp group, claimed that there was harassment and Vinay being a sensitive person was disturbed by it. The photo of the MLA was posted by Rajendra in the group. Vinay being the admin deleted the post within 30 seconds after it was posted. But the Congress worker took a screenshot and posted it. The group has taluk and zilla panchayat presidents PDOs, all party workers, social workers and civil society members. Even after the court granted us bail, they took our profile picture and made posters labeling us as miscreants and called us the Accused No. 1, 2 and 3. They shared these posters everywhere. It has caused us immense pain and harmed our reputation. Vinay being a sensitive person was disturbed by all this. On March 21, cops from the Madikeri city police station called us separately to tell us that a case under IPC 107 (BNS 226) had been filed and we had to sign at Tahsildar's office. When we sought clarification, they said they would send notice on WhatsApp. We told them we would consult our lawyer and reply. They were harassing Vinay, too, said Nachappa.
Amid controversy over the alleged discovery of cash at his Delhi residence, Justice Yashwant Sharma took oath as judge of Allahabad High Court on Saturday. Justice Varma was transferred from Delhi to Allahabad High Court despite protest from the bar association.

According to reports, unlike usual oath-taking ceremonies, Justice Varma was sworn in within the chamber, in a private setting. However, Justice Varma has not been allotted any judicial work yet as per directions from Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna.

The Centre notified Justice Varmas transfer to Allahabad High Court on March 28. The Supreme Court collegium, in two meetings held in March, recommended the transfer of Justice Varma. The apex court however maintained the transfer was separate from the in-house probe underway against Justice Varma over the alleged discovery of cash from his residence. On Wednesday, a PIL was moved in the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court seeking a directive to the chief justice to refrain from administering the oath.

Justice Varma got caught in a row after huge amounts of unaccounted cash were allegedly recovered from the residence of Justice Varma in Delhi on March 14th night. Firefighters who rushed to Justice Varmas residence to douse a fire stumbled upon the huge stash of cash. Justice Varma was reportedly not available at the residence at the time of the incident.

Delhi High Court chief justice conducted an in-house inquiry and based on the report, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna formed a three-judge panel to probe the allegations. In an unprecedented move, the inquiry report and evidence, including photos and videos, were published on the apex courts website. In his statement, Justice Varma alleged the whole row was a conspiracy to malign his image.
The Enforcement Directorate has recovered Rs 1.5 crore from premises related to Gokulam Gopalan, the co-producer of blockbuster Malayalam film L2: Empuraan in searches conducted on Friday, the agency said. Further probe against Gopalans businesses is underway.

The central agency conducted searches at premises related to Gopalan, including at Gokulam Mall in Kozhikode, offices of Sree Gokulam Chit and Finance Co Ltd and other related premises in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The searches were conducted as part of alleged Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations committed by the company, the agency said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recovered Rs 1.5 crore following a multi-state search conducted on April 4 in Tamil Nadu and Kerela in a FEMA case involving Gokulam Gopalan and his company Sree Gopalan Chit and Finance Co Ltd: ED



(Source: ED) pic.twitter.com/jrLkUygp39  ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2025

The central agency on Saturday stated, The Enforcement Directorate has recovered Rs 1.5 crore following a multi-state search conducted on April 4 in Tamil Nadu and Kerela in a FEMA case involving Gokulam Gopalan and his company Sree Gopalan Chit and Finance Co Ltd, ANI reported.

The searches by the central agency came close to the heels of controversy over the recent Mohanlal film L2: Empuraan. The film faced backlash from rightwing groups including the Bharatiya Janata Party for the alleged portrayal of Godhra riots in the film. Sangh Parivar alleged the makers distorted facts regarding the riots in the film.

According to the agency, Gopalan and his firms are being probed for alleged FEMA violations to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore with certain NRIs and some related "unauthorised" transactions, PTI reported. The central agency claimed the recent searches are not related to the Empuraan controversy and they have been probing against Gopalan for FEMA violations since 2022.

Meanwhile, the Income Tax has issued a notice against actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran, seeking details regarding his income from films released in 2022. The IT department has issued notice to Sukumaran, the director of Empuraan, reportedly seeking details regarding his income from three films  Jana Gana Mana, Kaduva and Gold.
The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi has raised concern over the sale of fake and adulterated paneer (cottage cheese) in the market.

In his letter to the Union Health Minister JP Nadda, Joshi stated that the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has been receiving numerous complaints about the rampant use of fake and adulterated paneer from the consumers who are worried about its impact on their health.

Over past few days, the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has received complaints over the sale of fake/adulterated paneer in markets. In this regard, I have addressed a letter to Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Shri @JPNadda ji, urging immediate action against erring pic.twitter.com/ROQM2PrJlF  Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) April 4, 2025

Joshi has urged the health minister to take necessary steps to ensure that paneer manufacturing establishments strictly comply with the food safety standards prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

This month, out of 163 unbranded paneer samples collected by the Karnatakas Food Safety and Public Health department, only four were found to be safe for human consumption. In Bengaluru, two out of the 17 samples were found to be unsafe for consumption. The samples were contaminated with harmful bacteria (E Coli and Salmonella) and non-dairy additives, to extend its shelf life, said the officials. The adulterants like palm oil, starch, poor quality milk solids detergents and urea.

The Karnataka government, which banned the use of harmful artificial colours in Gobi Manchurian (Rhodamine-B) and cotton candy last year, has been collecting and testing food samples across the state to check adulteration.

Use of artificial colours like Tartrazine, Carmoisine, Sunset Yellow and Rhodamine-1B has been banned and any violation would attract seven years imprisonment and Rs 10 lakh as penalty.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that in January 2025 alone, 3,608 food samples were tested and 26 were found to be unsafe and 28 of poor quality. In February, 2,543 samples were collected, and eight were found to be unsafe and five were of poor quality.

Last year, the department set up food adulteration detection kiosks in 11 major malls across Bengaluru.

Where people can test the food they consume using the Magic Box and Rapid Test Kits available at the center.
The president of the All Indian Muslim Women Personal Law Board has asked the government to dispel suspicions and bridge the gap with the community so that its stated aims in bringing about the Waqf amendments can be realised.

Shaista Ambar, who is a social activist, said in Lucknow that the nature of Waqf land was such that it could neither be bought or sold, but only be used for the benefits of the most deprived. To ensure that this was done, the government should appoint well-respected people from the community who were working in the spirit of brotherhood, to ensure that the amendments were implemented in the right manner.

Ambar said that it was essential that such people who were well versed in Muslim law should be appointed as chairpersons/directors and ministers to implement the changes. Such a step would eliminate from the minds of Muslims such suspicions that the government would try to force something that was not in consonance with the spirit of Islam.

A long-time advocate of housing, health and livelihood training for the most disadvantagedamong them orphans, abandoned elderly, destitute womenAmbar reiterated that correct use of Waqf land would alleviate the suffering of those most in need. And that this would contribute to nation building. The use of Waqf land, as intended, would allow the disadvantaged to live a life of self-respect and independence.

She has said that only those people who had the interests of the nation and the community at heart could help with the governments vision of helping the needy and eliminating land grabs. These could be judges, senior bureaucrats, or social workers she said. The other criteria being that they should be widely respected by Muslims of all classes.

The government would have to take the first step to eliminate all controversies that were surrounding the amendments, she said.
A suspected Pakistani intruder was shot dead by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel along the International Border in Jammu on Saturday.



The incident happened in the Abdulian area of the R S Pura sector.

Jammu: On the intervening night of 4 April/5 April 2025, alert BSF troops observed a suspicious movement across the IB (International Border) in Jammu border area & an intruder was observed crossing IB. He was challenged by the alert BSF troops but paid no heed & kept on moving. pic.twitter.com/cPMg1TCLAU  ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2025





According to reports quoting a BSF spokesperson, alert troops noticed suspicious movement near the border and saw a person trying to cross over from the Pakistani side.



The intruder was challenged by BSF troops but ignored the warnings and kept moving forward, the spokesperson said. Sensing a threat, our troops responded swiftly and neutralised him.



The identity and motive of the intruder are still being investigated. The BSF has lodged a strong protest with its Pakistani counterpart.



Police were informed immediately, and the body was taken for autopsy and other legal procedures. The BSF spokesperson said the quick response by troops helped prevent a possible security breach in the sensitive border area.



Security forces remain on high alert across Jammu following recent militant attacks in Kathua district, where four policemen and two foreign militants were killed during an encounter in the Jathua forest. Seven security personnel, including two army soldiers, were also injured.



Forces are now searching for newly infiltrated groups of militants reportedly seen in different areas of Kathua near the border.



On Saturday morning, security forces exchanged fire with militants in the Billawar area of Kathua. Reinforcements were quickly rushed to the spot.



In recent days, security has been stepped up in neighbouring districts like Udhampur. On Friday, militants entered the house of a woman in a border village and demanded food. They took away some rotis (flatbread) and the womans mobile phone to stop her from raising an alarm. However, a young girl from the family later alerted the police, leading to a search operation in the area.
The West Bengal government is taking extensive measures to ensure that Ram Navami celebrations on Sunday remain peaceful. On Saturday, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma toured various parts of the city to oversee security preparations for the upcoming festivities.

We encourage everyone to celebrate, but it must not cause discomfort to others, CP Verma told reporters. He also noted that by Saturday afternoon, the police had received 80 requests for permission to organise processions in the city.

VIDEO | Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma inspects security arrangements ahead of Ram Navami procession.



Manoj Verma says, "Till today afternoon, we have got about 80 plus applications and we are processing that. We have held several rounds of meeting with the local pic.twitter.com/IxG4qyAccZ  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 5, 2025

Alongside the BJP and other Hindutva groups, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is also set to actively participate in Ram Navami events. Hundreds of rallies have been scheduled across the state.

For the last 10 years or so, Ram Navami in West Bengal has often been marred by communal tensions and sporadic violence. War of words between the TMC and BJP leading up to the festival on Sunday has created a similar air of unease.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has appealed for calm and urged citizens to celebrate peacefully. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has called for 1.5 crore Hindus to take to the streets on Sunday to "peacefully demonstrate Hindu strength."

To prevent any disturbances amid the charged atmosphere, the state government has deployed 29 IPS officersholding ranks such as assistant commissioners, joint commissioners, and deputy commissionerson special duty across West Bengal from Saturday through Monday.

Reportedly, Kolkata CP Manoj Verma has issued clear instructions to all police stations in the city that motorbike rallies will not be permitted during Ram Navami processions, and any violations will lead to legal consequences. The use of DJ systems has also been banned during the rallies.

As part of the preventive measures, organisers have been summoned to local police stations and briefed on the Calcutta High Court's guidelines, which must be strictly followed during all processions. Were deploying more than enough force. We have talked with all stakeholders and meetings have been held at both police station and divisional levels, CP Verma assured.
New Delhi: In a significant organizational overhaul aimed at rejuvenating the partys base ahead of the 2028 assembly elections, the Congress is planning to replace more than 50 per cent of its district presidents in Madhya Pradesh by mid-May.

The decision comes after the partys mixed performance in the 2023 assembly elections, which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party retaining power in the state. According to sources, several district presidents were appointed on the recommendation of then state unit president Kamal Nath.

The Congress wants to infuse new energy into the partys state unit and make it aligned with the state leadership, especially after receiving feedback about the lack of grassroots connectivity in several districts.

Congress spokesperson (Madhya Pradesh) Mithun Singh Ahirwar says the district presidents will be given tasks to implement it on the ground with accountability. "The party has also given them a right to recommend in ticket distribution," Mithun adds, "It has always happened in the party, we have always consulted them. But, this time the difference is that there will be monitoring."

This sweeping move is also seen as part of the broader strategy to counter the BJPs organizational prowess, which has remained robust across Madhya Pradeshs urban and rural constituencies. "We have made a department of Performance and monitoring; in one particular area, each district president will be responsible for election outcomes," says Mithun.

According to party leaders, there are around 65 district presidents in the state. In Madhya Pradesh, there are 55 districts but few are large ones, a party leader said, "which usually have two district presidents, one is urban president and another is rural."

However, much will depend on how effectively the party manages this large-scale reshuffle and whether the new appointees can galvanize support at the grassroots level.
As Ram Navami celebrations begin in West Bengal, all eyes are on BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. The BJP leader, who approached the court to celebrate the festival in Mothabari after police denied him permission to visit the region, is on a spree to attend celebrations across the state.

Adhikari is reportedly flooded with Ram Navami invitations from different parts of the state that he has decided to extend the celebration to seven days, from five. The Nandigram MLA will start his festivities by inaugurating the Ram Navami programme in Ranaghat on Saturday.

But, the question many ask is whether Adhikari will go to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's assembly constituency Bhabanipur to organise Ram Navami programmes. The BJP unit at Bhabanipur has already extended Adhikari an invitation to attend the festivities on the day of Ram Navami on Sunday.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal | Flags and posters are being made as preparations are in full swing in Howrah ahead of Ram Navami. It will be celebrated on 6th April. pic.twitter.com/Fx13yOZR3A  ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2025 #WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal | Market streets and shops are decked up with flags and posters as preparations are in full swing in Howrah ahead of Ram Navami, which will be celebrated on 6 April. pic.twitter.com/ygEW5hsnXm  ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2025

The opposition leader is yet to reveal whether he will attend the event at Bhabanipur, according to Anandabazar Patrika. However, he has reportedly instructed the BJP leadership of Bhavanipur to organise a big procession on Sunday. As per his instruction, a colourful procession of Ram Navami has been organised across wards 70 and 72 of Kolkata Municipality under the assembly constituency.

Though there is a Ram Navami programme in his constituency Nandigram on Sunday, speculations are that Adhikari may go to Purba Medinipur district. He will also participate in Ram Navami programs in Howrah and North Kolkata.

A BJP leader told Anandabazar Patrika that Adhikari's strategy to avoid Bhabanipur is to avoid police intervention in the conduct of the event.

"Police obstructing Suvendu Adhikari's programme is not a new thing. If he goes to join the Bhabanipur on Ram Navami, the event may face obstruction. Therefore, he will participate in a religious procession at Ramlila Maidan in Kolkata. He will also keep an eye on Bhabanipur," he added.

According to BJP parliamentary party sources, Adhikari has issued clear instructions to ensure that his full programme is not published in advance.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced the elimination of Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Awad, a senior commander in the Palestinian Mujahideen Brigades, a smaller militant group allied with Hamas in Gaza. Awad was killed in a targeted airstrike in northern Gaza, which was a joint operation by the IDF and Shin Bet, Israels domestic security agency.

Israel held Awad responsible for the brutal attacks on Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which has led to the ongoing war in Gaza. That day, terrorists killed approximately 1,200 people and abducted 251 hostages, including Shiri Bibas and her sons, Kfir (10 months) and Ariel (4 years). Israeli authorities say Awad personally oversaw the kidnapping.

The Nir Oz attack drew global outrage, particularly after harrowing images emerged of Shiri clutching her young sons during their capture. Israeli forensic assessments, conducted after recovering their bodies in February 2025 as part of a ceasefire and hostage deal, revealed that Shiri, Kfir and Ariel were murdered by their captors in November 2023. The investigation concluded they were killed in cold blood with bare hands, contradicting Hamas claim that they died in an Israeli airstrike.

 Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Awad, one of the terrorists that was likely involved in the abduction of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, has been eliminated.



Awad was a senior commander in the Military Intelligence Array in Gaza and affiliated with senior commanders of the Palestinian pic.twitter.com/1VvMBKKUyT  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 4, 2025

The IDF said Awad was likely involved in their murders during the wars early weeks. Shiris husband, Yarden Bibas, was abducted separately and forced by Hamas to appear in a propaganda video, where he was falsely told his family had perished in an Israeli strikea claim Israel consistently refuted.

Awads terrorist activities extended beyond the Bibas family. He orchestrated the abductions and burials of US-Israeli nationals Judi Weinstein Haggai and Gad Haggai, both killed during the Nir Oz assault, as well as several Thai nationals taken hostage. Until his death, Awad remained active in recruiting operatives across the West Bank and Israel proper, directing attacks against Israelis. The Mujahideen Brigades confirmed his death, acknowledging his role as a senior military commander and head of its intelligence division, closely tied to the groups leadership.

The airstrike occurred amid an escalating Israeli offensive in northern Gaza, following the collapse of a fragile two-month ceasefire with Hamas last month. After failed negotiations to extend the truce, Israel intensified its bombing campaign and ground operations, aiming to pressure Hamas into releasing remaining hostages.

On the same day as Awads killing, the IDF expanded its ground presence further in northern Gaza, issuing evacuation orders to Palestinians. This followed strikes on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza Citys Tuffah neighbourhood, which Gazan health authorities said resulted in dozens of deaths, including that of children. The IDF claimed the target was a Hamas command centre housing known militants, though no specific names were provided.

Hamas, meanwhile, issued a statement threatening the safety of the hostages still in its custody. The group said the captives were held in evacuation zones that endangered their lives. The latest cycle of violence has further worsened the plight of Gazas civilians, caught between the IDFs aggression and Hamass intransigence.
Discontent with President Donald Trump's administration and Elon Musk's actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights and other issues, Trump opponents are planning demonstrations across the United States on Saturday.

Around 1,200 demonstrations are planned across the US. Over 5 lakh people are expected to take to the streets to protest against Trump's 'authoritarian' agenda.

TOMORROW  the largest mass protest since Jan 20th. Join hundreds of thousands rallying in more than 950 locations nationwide to tell Trump and Musk: "Hands Off!"



We will show that the peoplethe majorityare taking action to stop the corruption and power grab. Find an event pic.twitter.com/1IKcQXlirS  Our Revolution (@OurRevolution) April 4, 2025

The 'Hands Off!' protests will be an opportunity for the protesters to express their displeasure publicly in response to Trump's sweeping makeover of the US foreign and domestic policy through executive orders.

The protests are organised by several advocacy groups, civil rights organisations and grassroots movements with the aim of bringing attention to the ongoing legal proceedings involving Trump.

This is shaping up to be the biggest single-day protest in the last several years of American history, Ezra Levin, a founder of Indivisible, one of the groups planning the event was quoted by The Guardian.

This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history, says the website for the protest. Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights  enabled by Congress every step of the way.

Over 100 activist groups have signed up to participate in the event. Key US cities like New York, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Miami will witness the demonstrations.

Demonstrations will be held in Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Mexico, and Portugal as well. One of the biggest rallies is expected on Washington's National Mall.

While responding to the planned demonstrations against Trump, White House assistant press secretary Liz Huston said that the president's stand is clear and he will always protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, the protesting groups in a statement said pro-Palestinian groups opposing US ally Israel's renewed military action in Gaza and the Trump administration's crackdown on-campus protests will also participate in Washington and plan to carry out a march.
An Indian citizen was stabbed to death in Rockland, near Ottawa, Canada, revealed the High Commission of India on Saturday.

The Indian diplomatic mission said the suspect was taken into custody. However, the details of the victim was not immediately available. The suspect is also yet to be named.

The High Commission of India took to X to condole the death of the Indian national, saying, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in Rockland near Ottawa, due to stabbing. Police has stated a suspect has been taken into custody."

We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in Rockland near Ottawa, due to stabbing. Police has stated a suspect has been taken into custody. We are in close contact through a local community association to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved  India in Canada (@HCI_Ottawa) April 5, 2025

The diplomatic mission is in touch with the relatives of the victim through a local community association to provide assistance.

In March, an Indian woman was brutally attacked by a man, Braydon Joseph James French, on a crowded train platform in Calgary as onlookers failed to help her. The attacker splashed water on her face and shook her violently before demanding her phone. Police have arrested the man but claimed the attack was not racially motivated.

On December 14, 2024, an Indian woman, Simranjit Kaur, 23, Canada was murdered by micreants at her rented home in Guildford, Surrey. The woman, who studying business management, succumbed to stabbing injuries while another Indian student was injured critically.

A Haryana student, Harshandeep Singh Anttal, was murdered in Edmonton, Alberta, on December 6, 2024. He was on duty as a security guard at an apartment complex when two people attacked him. The suspects, Evan Rain, 30, and Judith Saulteaux, 30, were charged with first-degree murder.

On December 1, 2024, Gurasis Singh, 22, from Ludhiana, was stabbed to death during a fight with his roommate, Crossley Hunter, 36. He was pursuing MBA at Lambton College, Toronto.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi signs an ambitious defence cooperation pact with Sri Lanka, Colombo has clarified that all activities undertaken under the proposed MoU will follow the domestic laws of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Sampath Thuyacontha told reporters that "any cooperation activities undertaken under the proposed MoU will be in accordance with international best practices and will not conflict with the domestic laws and national policies of either Sri Lanka or India".

This came as fringe parties, including the Front Line Socialist Party (FLSP) which is a breakaway group of the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JJVP), took out a protest march, shouting anti-Indian slogans.

FLSP Chief Secretary Kumar Gunaratnam, who once served in the politburo of JVP, questioned India's intentions in Sri Lanka, stating PM Modi's visit could create grave issues in the country. "The cabinet spokesman has said Mr Modi will visit the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi and will make a donation to Mannar Hospital. What does the Indian Prime Minister Modi expect through these activities? Probably he wants control of Sri Lankan ports and oil tank farms in Trincomalee. India has engaged in such an exercise for some time," Gunaratnam was quoted by Daily Mirror on Saturday.

He said India, the US and China are embroiled in a tussle to dominate the Indian Ocean region and Sri Lanka would be unnecessarily involved in geopolitics if it goes ahead with the proposed defence pact. Gunaratnam also called the pact a historic mistake.

However, Thuyacontha sought to allay fears, stating that the agreements were "meticulously scrutinised and reviewed".

"Relevant negotiations were conducted in terms of circular instructions issued by the Secretary to the President in January this year concerning interactions with foreign governments. The approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was duly obtained prior to signature," he added.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi at Independence Square in Colombo, accompanied by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, during his three-day visit to Sri Lanka, which began yesterday.



(Source - ANI/DD) pic.twitter.com/AQbb7vRzos  ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2025  BREAKING NEWS



PM Narendra Modi receives Ceremonial welcome in Colombo, Sri Lanka 



 India & Sri Lanka will sign DEFENCE DEAL for the FIRST time during his visit  pic.twitter.com/tJevjCyia1  Megh Updates  (@MeghUpdates) April 5, 2025

He said both parties vowed to respect the national and military laws in the countries and the relevant principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, which include the sovereign equality of States, territorial integrity and inviolability, and non-intervention in the internal affairs of the parties.

Interestingly, the defence pact comes nearly four decades after the Indian Peace Keeping Force intervened in the island nation, a move that had political implications for both countries.
New Delhi has pursued a multitude of policy options over the years to usher stability in Myanmar, arguably the most troubled neighbouring country, even ahead of Pakistan. From Nehru disavowing the plight of Indians in Burma for the sake of geopolitical prudence and thereby foregoing his much-vaunted constitutionalism, to backing Shri Shri Ravi Shankar as "a part of the peace effort" as posted by the official handle of the Indian Embassy in Yangon under the current administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, creativity is not missing in Indias foreign policy playbook.

It also indicates its intention to regain influence within Myanmar to protect its legitimate national security interests when it cannot compete with the economic might of the Chinese and their backing of instabilities in Myanmar. The humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery efforts of India in the aftermath of the unfortunate earthquake can be seen as another such endeavour in promoting its vishwamitra image. Though commendable and necessary, despite such efforts since 1947, influencing a pathway to peace in Myanmar remains elusive.

Historically, the regions of Chin, Rakhine, and Wa have been only under the notional control of the ruling regime, regardless of who it was. From the time of U Nu and Ne Win, these states of Myanmar have displayed secessionist tendencies, often fueled by Chinese support. With the coupe of 2021, these secessionist groups along with many others got a fillip. Myanmar has been in a state of civil war ever since, where not only the ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) are fighting the Junta, but even self-styled peoples defence forces (PDFs) have mushroomed all over the country. Evidence shows that apart from Chinese involvement with the EAOs, even Western nations have been engaged with these PDFs aggressively.

Clashes erupt between government forces and local militia in eastern Myanmars Kayah state. Local militia members told RFA that more than a dozen truckloads of government troops entered Daw Ngan Khar village on Friday and opened fire. pic.twitter.com/ItnushqeDd  Radio Free Asia (@RadioFreeAsia) May 21, 2021

While the National Unity Government (NUG) claims to be the legitimate government in exile of Myanmar and the central coordinating body of the EAOs and PDFs in their fight against the Junta, such claims are backed by little evidence on the ground. Most of the fighting is highly localised guerilla warfare, fought between the EAOs and/or the PDFs and the Tatmadaw. At the operational and tactical level, there seems to be some coordination between the EAOs like the Chin National Army (CNA), Kachin Independent Army (KIA), Arakan Army (AA), etc., as well as the numerous PDFs. However, strategic alliances do not exist. This is primarily because, while they have a common battlefield enemy in the Tatmadaw, their strategic goals do not always align in the long run. Here lies a key roadblock in the pathway to peace moderation, which seems to be a strategic objective of Indian foreign policy.

China on its part continues to extend tacit support to the EAOs, who in turn pass on some of the resources to the various PDFs within their sphere of influence. Beijing is also hedging its position by overtly backing the Junta diplomatically, militarily and economically. Myanmar provides another alternative to Chinas Achilles Heel, the Malacca Strait and South China Sea, through which almost 80% of its imported energy supply travels. Thus, keeping the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor project operational, irrespective of who rules Myanmar or its various regions, is in its long-term strategic interest. Also, fuelling a degree of instability serves Beijings interest by keeping New Delhi preoccupied with maintaining peace in the Northeast region (NE region).

On Indias part, the security of NE depends largely on stability in the bordering regions of Myanmar. Thus, it is only natural that India would aspire to bargain a truce among the warring parties. Reports of EAOs harbouring and supporting NE insurgents are not unusual. For the security of Indias NE, New Delhi has little choice but to deal with anyone who governs these bordering regions. However, as multiple PDFs have come to the fore post 2021, it is an overwhelming task for India to manage such relationships, especially as central command structures are absent. Reports also indicate that some of these insurgents are fighting the opposition forces at the behest of the Tatmadaw. Such reports are bound to heighten the anxieties of the Indian security apparatus. Additionally, economies of the EAOs and PDFs remain almost exclusively dependent on narcotics and to a lesser extent, weapons trafficking. These find their way to Indias NE and eventually to the rest of the country. This also leads to internal power struggles to assert control over these smuggling routes as evidenced in Manipur currently. India would want to ensure that any settlement with the EAOs includes control of their narcotics trade as well as cybercrimes.

Hence, a peaceful settlement in Myanmar will be in the larger interest of both the major players, India and China. However, as the strategic goals of both nations do not ally, a coordinated approach is lacking. Additionally, with the plethora of stakeholders involved, bringing all parties to the negotiation table for a compromised solution like a nationwide ceasefire seems unlikely at present.

One possible pathway to achieving a degree of normalcy could be regional autonomy for the EAOs, who would have to guarantee the disarming of the PDFs in their region in exchange for Tatmadaws promise of not engaging in violence. Signals from some of the major EAOs suggest that while they fight on the plank of secession, an appetite for full autonomy does exist. However, given Chinas influence on the EAOs like the United Wa State Army, CNA, and AA, both India and Thailand may not see it in their long-term interest to back such settlement.

Thus, while desirable, a ceasefire in Myanmar seems unlikely in the short to medium term. This is because of the varied interests of individual stakeholders within the country as well as regional powers. Limited engagement with all warring parties and coaxing the Junta to secede some of its power in favour of autonomous federalism seems to be a legitimate policy option for India at present. Hence, though New Delhi should explore all options, some pragmatism may be a good practice in this regard.

The author is a strategic consulting and national security expert. He is a governing body member of the Society to Harmonise Aspirations for Responsible Engagement (SHARE).
US President Donald Trump shrugged off concerns about a potential global recession, saying the retaliatory tariffs will "supercharge" the American economy.

Calling his new trade policy a "big, beautiful deal", the president said, "Big business is not worried about the Tariffs, because they know they are here to stay."

JPMorgan Chase & Co has warned that the US economy will enter a recession soon, thanks to the tariffs announced by Trump. In a note to investors, JP Morgan chief US economist Michael Feroli said the unemployment will reach 5.3 per cent and the GDP will "contract under the weight of tariffs".

In a stark warning, Feroli said the US GDP growth will be recorded at -0.3 per cent for the new financial year compared to 1.3 per cent earlier.

Trump had earlier claimed the so-called Liberation Day tariffs are necessary to stop foreign sellers from "ripping off" US industries. However, the latest move by the Trump administration has led to a crash in the Wall Street. S&P 500 saw around $5 trillion market valuation disappearing into thin air in two days after Trump tariffs were announced.

The sharp correction in Wall Street indices was reflected in the global markets, including Europe and Asia. Sensex settled at 75,364.69 after plunging 1.2 per cent while the Nifty 50 closed at 22,904.45 with a 1.5 per cent slump.

From April 5, a 10 per cent tariff will be effective on imports from all countries. And from April 9, individual tariffs will be imposed on countries based on the trade deficits specific to each of them. India is set to face a 27 per cent tariff on its exports as it is said to charges a 52 per cent duty on US goods. However, reports suggested that the Centre is in talk with the Trump administration to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement.
Azerbaijans security services revealed on Shabbos that it thwarted an Iranian attempt to assassinate Rabbi Shneur Segal, the main Chabad Rav in the country.

In the fall, an Iranian Quds Force commander met with Agil Aslanov, a drug trafficker from Georgia, the Washington Post reported.

The office showed Aslanov a photo of Rabbi Segal and gave him detailed instructions on how to kill him. Aslanov agreed to assassinate him and also attack an education center in exchange for $200,000.

Aslanov traveled to Baku and recruited a local accomplice, and they began to track Rabbi Segal.

The State Security Service said the two men worked to collect information about a member of a religious community, and sent the location of his residence and workplace to a representative of a foreign special service agency via the appropriate mobile phone application.

In January, Azerbaijani security services arrested Aslanov and his accomplice and charged them with conspiring to commit a terror act. The plot was revealed at the time but the identity of the religious figure was only revealed today.

Segal told the Post that he learned about the plot when everyone else did, from the local media. But he said that he feels safe in Azerbaijan: We live here peacefully. I walk on the streets here, and there is no fear.

(YWNs Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis haShabbos in Israel)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is making a flash visit to the US on Sunday to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., following Trumps invitation.

Netanyahu, who was in Budapest over Shabbos, will depart Hungary on Sunday afternoon and fly straight to Washington.

According to reports, Netanyahu discussed Trumps decision to impose a 17% tariff on Israeli goods with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Trump during a phone call in Hungary, and Trump invited him to Washington to discuss the issue in person.

This is an unprecedented moment economically and geopolitically, an Israeli official said, as quoted by Ynet. The worlds leading power is imposing tariffs on almost every country, including Israel. We tried to preempt this by lowering tariffs on U.S. goods as a goodwill gesture, but Trump imposed them anyway. The prime minister wants to resolve this as quickly as possible.

Netanyahu hopes to negotiate a deal with Trump to lower the tariff.

The Prime Ministers Office issued a statement on Motzei Shabbos confirming the visit: The two leaders will discuss the tariff issue, the efforts to return our hostages, Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat and the battle against the International Criminal Court.

Netanyahu appreciates the personal and warm ties with President Trump and thanks him for the invitation to be the first leader to meet with him following the imposition of global tariffs, just as he was the first leader to meet with him following his entry to the White House.

Netanyahu will also push for continued US efforts to pressure Hamas for a hostage release deal.

(YWNs Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis haShabbos in Israel)
In its latest act of psychological terror, Hamas published a propaganda video on Shabbos of hostages Bar Kupershtein and Maxim Herkin.

The families have not approved the publication of the video.

Herkin, 37, and Kupershtein, 23, were both abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7.

Herkins mother has Russian citizenship. Hamas stated in February that it was considering releasing him in the second phase of the deal out of its consideration for its friendship with Russia.

Kupershteins abduction was the second major blow in the family in recent years. His father was severely injured several years ago when he stopped to help someone on the side of the road and remains severely disabled. Bar began working full-time after his father was injured to support his parents and four younger siblings. He was working as a guard at the festival when he was abducted.

Bars mother, Julie, became frum a number of years ago and has been very active in organizing tefillos and other events related to ruchniyus for the release of the hostages.

(YWNs Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis haShabbos in Israel)
A furor arose in Israel after Kan News revealed a recording of a Shin Bet senior official saying that Jewish residents of Yehudah and Shomron are arrested even without evidence for several days.

In a recording, the Shin Bet officer, the head of the Jewish Department, is heard speaking with Cdr. Avishai Mualem, the Yamam commander, about several Jews who were arrested in Yehudah and Shomron.

Put them in cells, with the mice, says the officer, who is identified only as A.

A. adds: We always want to detain them for interrogation as much as possible. Youll see how they deal with Shin Bet investigations. We arrest these shmucks even without evidence for a few days.

Mualem warns: Theyll tear us apart for this.

A.: Its under the aegis of the Shin Bet chief and Defense Minister.

The conversation continued, during which A. referred to IDF forces as death squads.

Following the report, the Prime Ministers Office issued a statement saying: The shocking recording of the head of the Jewish Department in the Shin Bet is a real danger to democracy. In light of this serious recording, the Prime Minister will demand a thorough examination of the activities of the Jewish Department in the Shin Bet.

It is unacceptable that in a state governed by law, citizens of the country are arrested without evidence and placed in detention under illegal and cruel conditions. Only in dark regimes does the secret service operate in this dangerous way. There will be no dark shadow government within the state of Israel.

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri responded: The report published tonight about the head of the Jewish Department in the Shin Bet against settlers in Yehudah and Shomron are very serious and should concern every citizen for whom individual rights are important. It is unacceptable that in a state governed by law, citizens are placed in detention without evidence and without a legal basis. A thorough internal investigation is required in this department.

Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich responded: For years we have been crying out against the use of the Shin Bets draconian powers against the settlers in an undemocratic, unequal, and illegal manner. The recordings published tonight prove unequivocally the criminality of the Jewish Department in the Shin Bet and the hypocrisy of the Israeli judicial system that covers up its lies and approves its actions over the years.

The settlers of Yehudah and Shomron are not second-class citizens. The head of the Jewish Department must be fired tonight, taken for questioning, and brought to justice  just like Ronen Bar, who has caused and continues to cause immense damage to the organization, completely eroding public trust in it. The Shin Bet is a critical body for the security of Israel, but it needs a thorough cleansing and urgent rehabilitation.

(YWNs Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis haShabbos in Israel)
What is happening is brutal, but this is not the end of globalisation. World trade will continue, markets will recover, multinationals will go on making their products and shipping them around the world, and we will go on travelling abroad for holidays and work.

For all the hyperventilation about Donald Trump's tariffs being a catastrophe, they will correct some of the excesses of globalisation.

As a result we will end up with a more robust world economy, with shorter supply chains, and less reliance on uncertain regimes on the far side of the globe.

More about that in a moment. First we have to get from here to there, and the next few months are going to be hard. The world economy is resilient and its giant corporations and financial institutions will figure out how to cope.

But disruption is never good and what is happening is at the outer edges of their experience.

But look at how Russia has responded flexibly to severe economic sanctions. It has been damaged, but has found other markets for its exports, including oil and gas. And it has, at a price, been able to import what it wants. You can still buy a Bentley in Moscow.

Under pressure: For all the hyperventilation about Donald Trump's tariffs being a catastrophe, they will correct some of the excesses of globalisation

There will be damage now. Economists are running models to predict how big the hit will be, whether the US will go into recession, and so on. The problem is this analysis relies on past data and there is nothing helpful there.

We have not had a sudden increase in tariffs on this scale since the 1930s, when the world was both more fragile but also less interdependent than today. This uncertainty explains the chaos in the markets.

A few weeks ago the mood was positive. Equities were hitting all-time highs. Tariffs, the markets thought, would barely dint a booming world economy. Most New York investment strategists were forecasting even higher levels by the end of this year. Now hubris has flipped to nemesis.

It's tempting to blame the collapse of equities around the world on Donald Trump, but US share prices were already vulnerable.

They were at the top end of their historic valuations and were waiting for some trigger to push them back. The Donald pulled that trigger. But an equity bear market does not necessarily lead to a deep recession.

Since the economic models don't help, we have to make an intuitive guess about that. Mine is that the overall loss of output will turn out to be less than it was after the financial crisis of 2008-9, and much less than what we saw in the aftermath of the pandemic. Besides, there will be pluses. Building resilience is one.

World trade, along with technology, has been the driver of the surge in living standards over the past half century or more. But it is not sensible to have more than 60 per cent of semiconductors  and 90 per cent of the most advanced ones  made in one place, Taiwan. Or to have 90 per cent of iPhones assembled in China.

Another plus will be to alert protectionist countries to the cost of their behaviour. I hope the European Union will learn to temper its hostile attitude towards the UK in trade negotiations.

The most recent example of that was the Commission shutting out British defence companies, along with American ones, from the EU defence fund. No surprise that Europe will be harder hit than we are by Trump's tariffs.

What we will see is not the death of globalisation, but a change in its nature. Instead of shipping goods around the world, we will send money and ideas. That is already happening.

Instead of offshoring, it has been near-shoring and friend-shoring. International trade in goods has not risen as a proportion of global output for nearly 20 years, but investment flows have boomed. So too has trade in services. And since the UK is second only to the US as a services exporter, that is hugely to our benefit.

Whisper it low, because we will inevitably be caught in the crossfire. The plunge in the FTSE 100 index reflects that. But the UK may end up doing quite well out of this tariff war. Fingers crossed and tin hats on.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

Ms J.G. writes: I claimed my Civil Service pension in 2016 and have received it ever since.

Last year I discovered my husband had been having an affair, and as part of our divorce arrangements I had to provide a transfer value for my pension.

When I applied for this, I was told I had received too much because my employer at the Ministry of Defence used incorrect details. At age 67, I have been asked to hand back 7,400.

Tony Hetherington replies: Going through divorce in your 60s is traumatic. You told me you had been married for 42 years, and the split meant you had to sell the family home.

To then be told, out of the blue, that the people responsible for calculating your pension had made a mistake, and the Government wanted to reclaim 7,400, left you in emotional tatters.

Breaking up made harder: Going through divorce in your 60s is traumatic

You told me: 'I feel simply bullied and my health is suffering. It is all an unfair battle.'

Civil Service pensions are managed by the private company Equiniti. However, its staff explained that they work under directions from the Cabinet Office in Whitehall. Officials there told me they were already considering a complaint from you, so with your agreement I waited to see what that produced.

What it produced was an unpleasant response which suggested you should study Annex 4.11 of Managing Public Money, published by HM Treasury.

In a nutshell, this says that anyone who is overpaid their pension can ask to have a repayment demand scrapped, but they will have to complete a statement setting out their financial position, backed up by bank statements, receipts, utility bills and anything else to show how much money you have and how you have spent it.

I repeatedly asked the Cabinet Office for a statement from Nick Thomas-Symonds MP  the Paymaster General and the minister responsible for the Civil Service pension scheme.

How did the mistake arise? Was it the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence or some other party? And what kind of message does the Government send out when it effectively says that if you are a spendthrift with little or nothing in the bank then you might be let off the hook, but if you have behaved responsibly, and have savings, you must fork out 7,400 to foot the bill for someone else's errors?

Mr Thomas-Symonds offered no comments and no answers to any of these questions.

But a Civil Service investigation did shed some light on this mess.

Your career began in HM Revenue. You later transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions and finally to the MOD. Your pension was based on the total time spent working for the Government, and someone added the dates together incorrectly.

There was no way you could have known this when you retired. You were simply told you were entitled to a lump sum of 17,054 and an annual pension of 2,558.

By the end of 2023 your pension had risen to 3,161  only to be slashed to 2,487, which is said to be the right figure.

The Civil Service investigator says: 'It is difficult to determine who was responsible for the initial mistake, and I am satisfied no further action can be taken to do so.'

The Cabinet Office has used its discretion to award you 500 to make up for the very clear distress this episode has caused.

You have not received the 500, of course  it has simply been knocked off the 7,400 demand.

A spokesman told me the Government must ensure that taxpayers' money is accounted for and recovered if an error is made.

He added: 'We apply stringent guidelines on the recovery of overpayments and work to ensure any money is recovered with flexibility and the least burden possible.'

Which strikes me as another way of saying  as the Prime Minister did  that 'those with the broadest shoulders should bear the heavier burden'.

But how can anyone with a pension of just 2,487 fit this description? The Cabinet Office refused to say.

My BA points took flight

B.D. writes: I believe BA's computer system has been hacked. I have lost 250,000 Avios points as a result, along with others in BA's Executive Club.

Tony Hetherington replies: The value of BA Avios points varies but each point is worth roughly 1p, so you lost flights worth around 2,500. Lots of BA customers have had the same issue.

Grounded: Avios looters get into BA customers' accounts by using the customer's own email address and guess the password

BA denies its systems have been hacked. Rather, they appear to be vulnerable just as a bank would be if it tied its front door shut with a piece of string instead of using proper locks. Avios looters get into BA customers' accounts by using the customer's own email address and guess the password based on passwords the customer may have used elsewhere. Then the looter changes the email address.

A classic sign this has happened is 'spam bombing'  hundreds of spam emails bury the one from BA that accepted a change of address a looter made.

Stronger protection, such as a check to customers' phones, would help prevent looting. Meanwhile, BA has told me it has advised you how to get access to your account again, and it has restored your points.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
Levelling up the regions, one coffee shop at a time

Like many before him, Sir Keir Starmer is a vocal fan of levelling up  calling for measures to spread jobs and economic growth across the country.

While the PM talks, Foresight Group is acting.

The company works with local authority pension funds to invest in up-and-coming businesses so they can develop, generate jobs and fuel growth in regions that have been deprived for years.

Founded in 1984, Foresight floated on the stock market in 2021 at 4.20 a share. Since then profits have almost tripled, with 64 million forecast for the year to March 31, while dividends have soared from 1.7p to an expected 22.2p.

Yet Foresight shares have fallen to 3.15  a decline that seems unjust and should reverse.

Drinking to success: Foresight Group works with local authority pension funds to invest in up-and-coming businesses

Foresight is divided into three divisions, one focused on regional investments, one on listed businesses and one on infrastructure, from schools and roads to solar farms and forestry.

The regional arm works out of 15 offices across the UK and Ireland, each running funds dedicated to local businesses.

Investing on behalf of local authority pension funds, Foresight seeks firms that are profitable and well-managed but need a lift to help them expand.

Decisions are not taken lightly. The firm sees around 3,000 possible deals annually and invests in 50 to 100. Being choosy delivers results. The group has invested in hundreds of companies over the years and generally sells them for two to four times the initial price.

Nottingham-based 200 Degrees Coffee is a case in point.

The firm roasts its own beans and owned six coffee shops when Foresight came knocking in 2017.

With support and advice, the business grew to 21 shops, more than 180 jobs were created and the chain expanded across the Midlands and North West before being sold to Caffe Nero last year.

Foresight's infrastructure arm is also known for its astute approach to investment. Under chairman Bernard Fairman, it operates 20 funds that invest in projects from battery-storage plants to roads and schools to greenhouses powered by waste matter.

There is also a division offering investors exposure to listed property, income and sustainability stocks  a business that was boosted this year with the timely acquisition of rival WHEB.

Foresight funds all charge management fees, which flow straight into group profits. As the business expands, profits should grow and Fairman aims to double earnings to 120 million by 2029.

That mean increased dividends, with brokers forecasting 25.7p for next year and almost 32p for 2027.

Midas verdict: Foresight Group is well run, well regarded and offers investors an annual yield of 7 per cent. Fairman and finance director Gary Fraser recently spent almost 2 million of their own cash on shares. Follow their lead, at 3.15.

Traded on: Main market Ticker: FSG Contact: foresight.group or 020 3667 8100
Dame Amanda Blanc will anoint the next chairman of BP after Helge Lund last week caved in to investor calls to step down. The hunt for a replacement comes at a crucial time as BP pivots back to fossil fuel after a failed green energy push.

Blanc has plenty on her plate as chief executive of insurer Aviva plus her role as senior independent director on BP's board. The energy giant has been grappling with aggressive activist investor Elliott, which is pushing for change after building a 5 per cent stake in BP.

But recent market turmoil sparked by Donald Trump's tariffs has dealt a blow to BP's plan to offload assets, including Castrol, to appease the New York hedge fund.

Lund, who has overseen a 28 per cent drop in BP's share price, was on 'borrowed time', analysts said.

On a mission: Aviva boss Dame Amanda Blanc leads BP's succession search

Investors had been clamouring for him to quit amid widespread dissatisfaction with his leadership, which saw the gap between BP and London-listed rival Shell widen.

The Norwegian also hired Bernard Looney as chief executive in 2020, who then left in disgrace just three years due to inappropriate relationships with colleagues.

Lund was co-architect of Looney's green strategy, which was widely panned by shareholders.

Blanc said she would oversee a 'comprehensive search to identify candidates with the credibility and experience to lead the board'.
Contracts worth 3 billion to create digital health records have been awarded to two US tech giants despite lower offers from UK-based suppliers, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The news comes as the US starts a global trade war that could plunge Britain into recession and amid claims the NHS is wasting taxpayers' money on expensive foreign IT systems instead of buying British.

The Government last month abolished NHS England  described by Ministers as the 'biggest quango in the world'  in a bid to cut costs and curb red tape as it tries to mend the public finances. It has also introduced laws to make people's medical records available online across all NHS hospitals, GP surgeries and ambulance services in England to deliver better care for patients.

One of the US giants involved in the expansion of electronic patient records (EPRs) is Oracle, whose founder Larry Ellison is the world's fourth-richest man.

An analysis of EPR contracts awarded by healthcare trusts, many of which are in deficit, shows Oracle has won deals totalling more than 1.5 billion through its Cerner healthcare unit.

They include an 85 million deal with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and a similar-sized contract with Oxford Health. Like many EPR projects, they have been dogged by delays with go-live dates deferred until bugs in the new IT system are sorted.

Beneficiary: Larry Ellison, Oracle's tech chief, has a $182 billion fortune

Some of the biggest contracts have been given to Epic, another US tech company, which has won about 1.6 billion of deals in total.

The largest is a 450 million deal with Guy's and St Thomas' and King's College Hospitals to roll out EPR software across their London hospitals. One trust chief dismissed this as 'chicken feed' compared with the NHS total spend.

Epic also has 181 million and 200 million deals with Manchester University and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS foundation trusts respectively.

Epic and Oracle-Cerner are the most expensive EPR providers, with trusts spending an average 4.3 million and 2.9 million a month on each respectively, according to Paul Brown, who runs a healthcare IT consultancy.

'I appreciate Epic and Cerner are huge and they do a lot, but is it really worth paying two or three times more than for another solution? Are patient outcomes two or three times better?' Brown asked.

Two years ago the NHS sparked controversy by handing the US spy tech company Palantir a 330 million contract to create a huge data platform, leading to privacy concerns around patients' medical details.

Former health secretary Steve Barclay has said NHS bosses could save money, cut waiting lists and improve clinical outcomes by hiring local suppliers.

Singling out the huge expenditure on EPR, he said last month that the Government needed 'to stop spending money on overseas companies that are not committed to the NHS, and prioritise British business'.

Cutting waste 'needs to ensure value for money for the taxpayer', added Barclay, who was health secretary under Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak.

A report by the Tony Blair Institute think-tank, which was set up by the former prime minister and which is funded by Larry Ellison's charitable foundation, said creating a single record that would contain all of a patient's health and care data would 'drive improvements to health and care, and ensure that the NHS is ready for the artificial intelligence era'.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said it would 'ensure every penny of taxpayers' money was maximised'.

Epic said it was for NHS trusts to say why they had chosen a particular IT provider. Oracle was contacted for comment.
The arrival of an Openreach van is met with fear of days  or even weeks  of traffic disruption on streets across Britain. But its boss wants to do even more digging as part of an ambitious plan to boost the UK's internet speeds for tens of millions of households.

Openreach's chief executive Clive Selley, 63, has called for the Government to make it even easier to dig up streets to lay fibre optic cables, saying the current process is inefficient and costly for both his company and the taxpayer.

He says the introduction of so-called 'flexi-permits' would allow the company, which is part of FTSE 100 giant BT, to get planning permission for several streets at a time rather than asking councils for approval on each individual road.

'We work in the streets, we work in the pavements and we work in the roads. So we ask for permission a third of a million times a year,' Selley says from firm's HQ overlooking the City. 'Councils are under cost and staffing pressures, so this generates huge amounts of work.

He adds that the use of flexi-permits would allow Openreach to group neighbouring streets into 'clusters' that could be approved as one block, rather than having to secure permission on an individual basis. He says: 'Pushing that through at pace wouldn't just reduce workload, it would increase the pace at which we could build, and take the cost away from the councils. It's a win-win with no taxpayer money involved.'

Others disagree, including Tory MP Mark Francois, who is campaigning in Parliament for tighter regulation of roadworks.

Digging for victory: Clive Selley says that easing rules on road works would relieve pressure on short-staffed, cash-strapped councils

He told The Mail on Sunday: 'Openreach have a bloomin' cheek. They have already had years to install fibre networks and should really have finished the job by now. Why should long-suffering motorists have to endure more frustrating delays because Openreach can't get the job done efficiently in the first place?'

Undeterred, Selley also calls on ministers to make it easier for Openreach to access apartment blocks. This currently requires permission from landlords, some of whom are based overseas.

'In many of the apartment blocks in London, the owner's address is a PO Box in the British Virgin Islands. So you write them a letter and will not hear back,' he says.

Instead, Selley argues the Government should include the right to fibre broadband in the Renters' Rights Bill working its way through Parliament, a package of measures that includes a ban on no-fault evictions and the right for a tenant to own a pet. He says: 'The bill gives you the right to own a budgie but not to fibre broadband.'

His comments come as Openreach ramps up plans for its fibre network to reach 25 million homes and businesses by the end of next year, up from 18 million.

It will mark the completion of what Selley calls 'milestone one' of Openreach's fibre broadband expansion, with the next goal to reach 30 million homes and businesses by the end of the decade. The expansion has been Selley's sole objective since he took over Openreach in 2016 after a stint as head of BT's technology arm.

The next stage will focus on harder-to-reach rural properties, which he acknowledges will be a 'slow burner' and 'more complex'. It includes bringing fibre internet to the far-flung northern islands of Scotland, with Openreach deploying drones to carry spare parts from the mainland.

Selley argues that bringing fibre broadband to remote areas could help resolve the UK's productivity crisis as well as revive efforts to 'level up' regions outside London.

'If rural areas can get access to fibre broadband, all of a sudden people there can work, run a business, get a remote education, along with all the news and information services,' he says. 'That can be life-changing.'

The expansion comes as the number of customers signed up to a BT contract to access Openreach's fibre network hit a record high of 6 million in the final three months of last year as demand surged. Fibre networks are also provided by competitors including Virgin Media O2 and CityFibre.

But it is an expensive endeavour, with the first 25 million connections costing 15 billion, an investment that hung like a noose over BT's share price.

Future-proof: Clive Selley estimates the firm makes as much as 20 million a year from selling off copper cables

This is offset in small ways such as the sale of the old copper cables that Openreach digs up to replace with much faster fibre broadband.

Selley estimates the firm makes as much as 20 million a year from selling off copper cables, although compared with the billions being poured into the network he admits this is 'not big money'.

The broadband business plans to keep pushing on, despite a wider backdrop of cost-cutting at BT, with group boss Allison Kirkby moving forward with plans to axe as many as 90,000 jobs by 2030.

Selley's optimism remains undimmed by the cuts, which have seen Openreach's workforce fall to 28,000 from a peak of 38,000.

'The fibre expansion teams are becoming more efficient. So I can build with fewer people now than I could even a year ago, and particularly two years ago,' he says.

While all his energy is focused on reaching the 25 million milestone, Selley pauses when asked if he himself will continue in the job for the second phase of the expansion.

'I'm determined we get to this important milestone. Then it'll be for the Openreach board to decide what happens next. I want what's best for Openreach and will work with the board to figure that out.'

Virgin Media O2 has reported that its network had reached more than 18.3 million premises at the end of last year, while Cityfibre's has risen to more than 4.1 million.

This is because many households have a choice of fibre network, with one criticism being that they build on top of each other, which some say is a waste of resources... and causes more roadworks.
The 'bromance' between President Trump and America's tech giants has ended, an expert has told the Mail on Sunday.

Silicon Valley chief executives turned to Trump in the run up to his election victory, buoyed by his promises to cut regulation and taxes.

Amazon chairman Jeff Bezos, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, Apple boss Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, all attended Trump's inauguration in January.

Meta and Amazon both gave $1million to the inauguration fund, while Cook personally donated another million.

End of the 'bromance': Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs have wiped billions from the tech giants' share prices

But their love-in has come to an end after Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs last week, wiping billions from the tech giants' share prices.

Russ Shaw, of Tech London Advocates, said: 'It was always an odd bromance to begin with, I think it was opportunism on both sides. Biden never reached out to the tech giants so Trump took advantage.

'A sobering reality has kicked in now.'

Apple was particularly badly hit as Trump imposed crushing tariffs on China, where most iPhones are made. And Vietnam, where Apple now makes AirPods, iPads and Apple Watches, has been hit with a tariff rate of 46 per cent.

The tariffs could lead to the price of an iPhone rising by up to 43 per cent, meaning the most expensive iPhone would cost $2,300 (1,785), up from $1,599 (1,240) today.
BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MUC  Get Free Report) declared a monthly dividend on Wednesday, June 4th, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 13th will be paid a dividend of 0.0535 per share on Tuesday, July 1st. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 13th.

BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund Stock Down 0.4%

NYSE:MUC opened at $10.31 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $10.42 and a 200-day moving average price of $10.72. BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund has a 12 month low of $9.97 and a 12 month high of $11.64.

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Today two more homicides were recorded this evening bringing the local total to over 40 and marking a 40% uptick in local killing so far this year . . .

However . . .

Today law enforcement leaders touted the progress of an anti-violence collaboration . . . Check-it:



Friday, (Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson) and Chief Stacey Graves talked about how non-fatal shootings are actually down nearly 60% this year compared to this same time last year.



Chief Graves also said that gang violence is actually down.



"I can't help but to think that's from a lot of the work that's going on here in Kansas City," Chief Graves said about gang violence numbers dropping.



"The collaboration, the close working relationship, all of us coming together for one goal to make Kansas City safer and reduce gun violence."



Check TKC news gathering regarding Save KC and so many other instances of violence, ongoing court cases, ALLEGED misdeeds and, of course, community outreach . . .

Prosecutors, KC police say drop in nonfatal shootings attributed to preventive efforts of SAVE KC Kansas City police and officials with crime prevention initiative SAVE KC say a drop in what they call group-related violence is largely attributed to the group's efforts.

SAVE KC initiative is working even though homicide rate is up, officials say "The vast majority or the lion's share of our homicides that we've seen in our community this year have been domestic violence related," Johnson said when asked how she sell...

Police investigate after south KC mother gunned down in the street near her home Police said family members of the woman who was killed saw a vehicle that drove through the neighborhood and shots rang out.

Man charged with murder of Kansas priest has bond set at $1 million Father Arul Carasala had served as a priest at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca since 2011.

Raytown shooting leaves one in hospital, one in custody, police say Raytown shooting April 4, 2025 leaves one in custody, one person in the hospital, according to Raytown Police Department

KCKPD: 1 victim of March 26 triple shooting dies in hospital from injuries One of the victims from a triple shooting in Kansas City, Kansas, that took place on March 26 died Wednesday at a local hospital due to his injuries.

Jackson, Mo. woman accused of damaging Tesla A Jackson, Mo. woman is accused of damaging a Tesla.

Kansas City, Kansas, doctor admits to accepting close to $675K in kickbacks to commit fraud A Kansas City, Kansas, doctor on Friday admitted to accepting over $670,000 in kickbacks to order medically unnecessary health care for thousands of patients.

Clay County 2024 report shows rise in DWI crashes, thefts, child abuse & domestic violence KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Clay County Sheriff's Office on Friday released its 2024 annual report, which shows significant increases in impaired-driving crashes, thefts, child abuse and domestic incide...

$1 million scheme to defraud elderly victim leads to federal charges for 1 woman An Independence woman has been charged after an alleged scheme to defraud an elderly victim who thought she was helping a young family in need out of more than $1 million.

Metro man arrested on multiple charges for child porn, obscene material A man from Lee's Summit was arrested today, April 3, in an indictment for receiving and possessing child pornography and transferring obscene material to a minor, the US Department of Justice...

Prosecutors charge man with murder in a deadly stabbing in Kansas City, Missouri A man who told police he witnessed a deadly stabbing, but did not kill the victim, is charged in the man's death on a Kansas City, Missouri, street.

Kansas City man charged with murdering woman in potential drug deal gone wrong 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

Mexican national living in KC pleads guilty in federal case involving guns and meth Kansas City man Roberto Rosales Gonzales pleads guilty to federal drug and firearm charges after meth and weapons seized in March 2024 raid.

High-speed chase leads to discovery of 3 children inside intoxicated driver's car A high-speed chase while significantly intoxicated with three children in the back seat of her car has left a Kansas City woman behind bars.

Colorado man arrested in Platte County after pursuit, drug and cash seizure A Colorado man was arrested in Platte County, Missouri, following a high-speed pursuit on I-29. Deputies seized over $126,000 in cash, ketamine, cocaine, gold bars, and a diamond.

Man who threatened witness at scene of fatal stabbing charged with murder The man who came back to the scene of a fatal stabbing in Kansas City and threatened a witness could spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Dump truck driver identified in deadly hit-and-run crash Tuesday in Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, Kansas, police said Wednesday they found the driver of a dump truck involved in a deadly hit-and-run crash.

Man robs woman at gunpoint after she rejects his romantic advances, Missouri cops say The accused robber held the woman's purse in front of his gun and fired a shot her way, police said.

Investigation opens as natural causes believed to be behind inmate's death A death investigation has opened after an inmate at the Clay County, Missouri, Detention Center passed away from what are believed to be natural causes.

Liberty Police Department urging voters to pass 1-cent public safety sales tax In less than two weeks, Liberty voters will decide whether to approve a 1-cent increase in the city's general sales tax to support first responders.

Man charged after fight outside Kansas City bar leads to possible brain injury Police were called after a fight outside a bar in Kansas City's Rivermarket led to a man's brain injury after allegedly being pistol-whipped.

Inmate death investigation underway at Wyandotte County Detention Center The Wyandotte County Detention Center is investigating the death of an inmate Thursday night.

Cass County warns residents of Medicare scam KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Cass County Health Department is warning residents about a scam targeting Medicare recipients. Scammers posing as health department employees are attempting to steal personal...

Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department seeks to recruit more women into law enforcement The 30x30 Initiative is a program designed to increase the representation of women in law enforcement.

Developing . . .
$12.75M MPower Grant to Spur Biomedical Advances at 4MLK

A new five-year, $12.75 million grant from the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State (MPower) aims to accelerate breakthroughs in biomedical technology and innovations through a collaboration between the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).

The grant supports research and education as well as new offices, labs, and faculty at the Edward & Jennifer St. John Center for Translational Engineering and Medicine (CTEM), announced in January. The MPower funding builds upon a $10 million joint gift from Edward and Jennifer St. John and the Edward St. John Foundation to establish CTEM. The center brings together clinicians from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) at UMB and engineers from the A. James Clark School of Engineering at UMCP to tackle health challenges and drive medical innovations, improving treatments for patients and empowering them to live healthier lives. CTEMs initial work will draw from Fischell Department of Bioengineering faculty but its goal is to involve all engineering disciplines in addressing human health.

Heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension are among the leading causes of death and disability in our state, according to UMSOM. Those diseases cause personal impacts on many families, and treatments are significant drivers of health care costs, but engineering and health care, working hand-in-hand, can address these challenges and improve peoples lives, said Samuel Graham, PhD, dean of the A. James Clark School of Engineering. Thank you to our MPower partners for their great support in bringing the Edward and Jennifer St. John Center for Translational Engineering and Medicine to the 4MLK Building, and in expanding our ability to serve the people of Maryland.

The MPower funding supports the custom design and construction of state-of-the-art shared space at the 4MLK Laboratory and Office building at the University of Maryland BioPark in Baltimore, opening up new opportunities for cooperative educational programming and research. Already, UMB-UMCP partnerships in health care are propelling medical device development, improving cancer detection and care, and improving ophthalmology diagnostics and the fight against glaucoma, among other breakthroughs.

As Maryland continues to rise as a national leader in biomedical technology, we can see the dynamic impact that MPower can have in accelerating disruptive innovation, said Mark T. Gladwin, MD, who is the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and dean of UMSOM. With this tremendous investment, we are breaking down traditional academic silos and creating a dynamic ecosystem where engineers and medical professionals work hand-in-hand to address the most critical health challenges of our time. In addition, we want to give our students every opportunity to combine medical and technology education. As a result, we are launching a new eight-year BS-MD program in collaboration with UMCP to enroll eligible students in engineering for direct acceptance into our medical school.

The MPower investment also supports the recruitment, seed funding, and co-location of eight UMCP bioengineering faculty alongside a similar number of UMSOM clinical faculty. Together, they will be able to provide rich opportunities for student education and experiential learning, including the new BS-to-MD degree, undergraduate clinical experiences, co-advising, and support for capstone design projects and graduate fellowships.

MPower is a collaborative resource, connecting people, ideas, and programs to drive innovation to serve the people of Maryland and beyond, said MPower Executive Director Adrianne M. Arthur. Collaborations like this one strategically link our complementary strengths to spark powerful and transformative change, multiplying the impact that each institution could have independently.

Visit the MPower website to learn more about UMCP and UMBs bioengineering and medical collaboration.
School of Pharmacy Launches Masters in AI for Drug Development

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy has launched a new Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Drug Development (MS in AIDD). The programs goal is to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of AIs applications and opportunities in pharmaceuticals.

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in drug development is transformative, enhancing the capabilities of the pharmaceutical industry and researchers, says Joga Gobburu, PhD, MBA, professor of practice, sciences, and health outcomes research and director of the School of Pharmacys Center for Translational Medicine, who will oversee the new academic program. Our exploration of AIs growing influence inspired us to develop this program to equip students with the skills to leverage AIs potential, driving innovation in drug development.

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy is very excited to offer the MS in AIDD degree, says Sarah L.J. Michel, PhD, dean of the School of Pharmacy and professor of pharmaceutical sciences. The features of the new program distinctly emphasize interdisciplinary research and interprofessional education, a strategic focus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The program uniquely integrates cutting-edge AI technologies with pharmaceutical sciences.

Gobburu adds that the degree is designed to prepare graduates for diverse career paths in the pharmaceutical industry, academia, regulatory agencies, and AI-driven health care startups.

The key focus of the program, which is recruiting students for fall 2025, will be on AI-enabled predictive analytics. Gobburu explains, The question is no longer whether AI will transform health care, but how we can harness its immense potential to elevate what matters most  saving lives. Weve flipped the narrative by focusing on producing health care professionals with hands-on expertise in Applied AI, equipping them to solve real-world challenges. Instead of teaching AI as a standalone technique, we are building a future workforce that seamlessly integrates AI into health care, driving innovation and impact where its needed most.

Coursework will develop students practical skills through hands-on experiences with AI tools, programming, and methodologies. Students will complete application-oriented exercises in natural language processing, data analytics, and machine learning geared toward predictive analytics, which are crucial to the future of innovative drug development, says Gobburu.

Throughout the program, students will also explore ethical and societal implications of AI in drug development, including privacy, bias, and transparency.

The programs eight graduate-level required courses cover the principles of drug development, AI and machine learning (ML) methodology, and applications to drug development strategy, pharmacovigilance, precision medicine, and clinical trial optimization. Additional coursework will allow students to discover the applications of AI/ML to other areas of drug development, regulatory policies, and ethics.

The MS in AIDD program is 100 percent online and follows case-based teaching. Instruction includes lectures, active learning discussion boards, and individual and group assignments.

Students from a variety of disciplines will be able to join us from wherever they are in the world via an internet connection, says Gobburu. The MS in AIDD was designed for professionals who want to transition into decision-making data scientists in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or government institutions, he adds.

The application deadline for the MS in AIDD is July 15, for classes beginning in fall 2025.

For more information and to apply, visit the MS in AIDD website or contact ai4dd@rx.umaryland.edu.
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Microsoft 50th Anniversary event marred by pro-Palestine protests

Microsoft employees Friday April 04, 2025 disrupted the companys event organized to commemorate its 50th anniversary

Saturday April 5, 2025 11:43 AM , ummid.com News Network

Redmond (Washington): Microsoft employees Friday April 04, 2025 disrupted the companys event organized to commemorate its 50th anniversary.

The tech giants employees were protesting Microsofts technology support extended to Israel during its ongoing genocidal war against the Palestinians in Gaza.

The Israeli occupation forces have killed over 61,000  majority of them women and children, with thousands others under rubble and presumed dead, since October 07, 2023 in response to 1,139 killed during Hamas Operation al Aqsa Flood.

In the latest military offensive started after March 18, 2025 , the Israeli occupation forces are killing or injuring 100 children every day, according to the United Nations.

At least 27 Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli air strike on a school in northern Gaza that was serving as a shelter for displaced families on Thursday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

You have blood on your hand

Mustafa, shame on you, a Microsoft employee, identified as Ibtihal Aboussad, was seen shouting in videos that surfaced on social media. She walked toward the stage and Suleyman paused his speech.

You claim that you care about using AI for good but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty-thousand people have died and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region, she stridently said.

Stop using AI for genocide, she said.

Watch Video

A pro-Palestinian protest by two Microsoft employees, Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal interrupted the companys 50th anniversary celebration that included Bill Gates. Aboussad shouted: Shame on you. You claim that you care about using AI for good but Microsoft sells AI pic.twitter.com/pgB47z4l1J  Rakesh Krishnan Simha (@ByRakeshSimha) April 5, 2025

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former CEO Steve Ballmer were in the audience when the protest began.

"Thank you for your protest, I hear you, Mustafa Suleyman , Microsofts AI Chief, said as Aboussad continued shouting, he and all of Microsoft had blood on their hands.

Before being escorted out of the event, she threw a keffiyeh scarf onto the stage, which has become a symbol of support for Palestinians.

Another Protest

Another protesting Microsoft employee, identified as Vaniya Agrawal, interrupted another part of the company's 50th anniversary celebration during which Bill Gates, Ballmer and current CEO Satya Nadella were on stage, the first public gathering since 2014 of the three men who have been Microsoft's CEO.

Agrawal also mentioned the No Azure for Apartheid group, started among Microsoft employees to call on the company to end "direct and indirect complicity in Israeli apartheid and genocide."

At least one person in the room booed her, and videos taken from inside the event show Gates chuckling following the interruption, saying, "alright" before returning to the discussion that was underway.

Apart from the protests inside the event, a larger rally organised by the same No Azure for Apartheid group was being staged outside.

Protest letter: 'Ive decided to leave Microsoft'.

An investigation by The Associated Press earlier this year revealed that AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI were used as part of an Israeli military programme to select bombing targets during the recent conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

The report cited an incident in 2023, when an Israeli airstrike mistakenly targeted a vehicle carrying a Lebanese family, killing three young girls and their grandmother.

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PRE RACE INFORMATION

Qualifying for the 2025 F1 Japanese Grand Prix has been and gone, and the Kansai region is ready for another action-packed race. There will be 53 laps of the 5.8km circuit, with a total race distance of 307.4km.

Yuki Tsunoda of Japan driving the (22) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 on track during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on April 05, 2025 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

The Pirelli C1 tyre, which is the hardest compound of the 2025 Pirelli F1 tyre range makes its season debut. Along with the C2 and C3 tyres and that is because Suzuka is one of the toughest tracks on the calendar.

Fans of Oracle Red Bull Racing with custom hats during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on April 05, 2025 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

The FIA weather forecast suggests, there is a slight chance of showers for the race. With possible showers in the morning, but then becoming cloudy with a decreasing chance of showers from midday.

Second placed qualifier Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Third placed qualifier Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren looks on during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on April 05, 2025 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

QUICK QUALLY RECAP

The Red Bull of Max Verstappen is starting on pole. While the favorites going into this weekend and the fastest car on track so far the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are starting P2 and P3 respectively.

Isack Hadjar of France driving the (6) Visa Cash App Racing Bulls VCARB 02 in the Pitlane during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on April 05, 2025 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Zak Mauger/LAT Images)

Verstappen's Red Bull has lagged behind during practice, and the four-time world champion admitted to not having enough faith in his vehicle before qualifying. However, the Dutchman's performance was crucial as he edged Norris by a mere 0.012 seconds.

McLaren has already won two races this season, one for Piastri and one for Norris. This weekend, they set the pace by dominating all three practice sessions.

Joining Piastri on his birthday, is the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in fourth. While it is a Mercedes lockout on the third row with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli starting fifth and sixth.

Isack Hadjar, the Racing Bulls rookie has continued to impress in the early stages of this season, and he will be relishing starting from seventh because he is lined up alongside his idol the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton who begins in eighth.

And seeing out the top 10 is the Williams of Alex Albon and British rookie Oliver Bearman in the Haas.

The rest of the field is as follows: Gasly 11th, Alonso 12th, Lawson 13th, Tsunoda 14th, Sainz 15th (after a three-place grid penalty), Hulkenberg 16th, Bortoleto 17th, Ocon 18th, Doohan 19th and Lance Stroll will start at the back of the grid.

JAPAN FEELING THE HEAT

Meanwhile, elsewhere practice and qualifying sessions were interrupted three times on Saturday due to three separate fires that broke out, further causing chaos at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The dramatic events followed four red flags during Friday's practice session, two of which were triggered by trackside fires that appeared to be started by sparks from the vehicles' skid blocks hitting the parched grass. Over the two days, race marshals put out all five fires in a timely manner.

This is the second Formula One event in the past year where trackside fires have started. During the only practice session of the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai in April 2024, a minor trackside fire forced the session to be stopped.

With rain predicted for Suzuka on Sunday morning, officials are hoping that the race itself won't be affected.
In 2005, the French and Dutch rejected the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in referendums. But in 2007, the French and Dutch parliamentary assemblies adopted the same text, barely amended, under the name of the Lisbon Treaty. For the first time since the end of World War II, the French and Dutch ruling classes showed their sovereign contempt for their peoples.

Nineteen years later, much water has passed under the bridge, but practices have hardened, notably during the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020. The ruling classes developed a discourse that bore no relation to reality, presenting this disease as devastating, on a par with the Great Plague; imposing a single medication with mRNA, falsely presenting it as a vaccine; and finally decreeing, with the political support of the medical profession, the compulsory confinement of healthy people.

In 2022, all the member states of the European Union, including France of course, banned the Russian RT TV channel, both on air and via the Internet, three days after the start of the Russian military operation against the Ukrainian integral nationalists; a decision that violates the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Then, in France, comes the banning of the C8 channel, guilty of not saying the same thing as everyone else.

Today, three French judges decided to ban the presidential election favorite [Marine Le Pen] from running. Admittedly, their magistrates union had called on them to "block the far right". Admittedly, the Constitutional Council had validated the principle of a provisional ban on civil rights in the first instance, again in defiance of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Admittedly, the acts for which Le Pen was on trial were identically committed by all the political parties of the time, without exception. The fact remains, however, that while claiming to deliver justice "in the name of the French people", these judges showed their sovereign contempt for the vote of the French people.

Feeling the noose tightening around their necks, Frances leaders protest against the danger threatening them all, but do nothing.

Abroad, the Kremlin denounces a "violation of democratic norms", while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban posts on his social network: "Je suis Marine!". Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini posts: "Lets not be intimidated, lets not stop: full speed ahead, my friend!". Head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk deplores an "abuse of the judicial system", Donald Trump declares: its "a very big deal. Its reminiscent of our country, its very much like in our country."
The current situation, with the rapprochement between the United States and Russia, is shaking up the global political landscape. As a result, all intergovernmental institutions are being disrupted. It appears that some of them were pursuing an unofficial objective, which no one was quick to state publicly, but which has not withstood the test of time. Others were pursuing actions contrary to their official objectives, which was hardly a problem when all their members were in agreement, but now seems unbearable. Ultimately, multilateralism, as it was practiced, was anything but multilateral.

The G7 and NATO are already no long working

Political coordination of the "West" was ensured by the G7, a series of meetings at all levels, which developed a common narrative. However, during the virtual meeting of heads of state and government on February 24, 2025, US President Donald Trump refused to sign the final communique and threatened his partners with leaving the G7 if they published it without his consent [1].

For the past month, G7 meetings have been held without the United States. For example, during the virtual meeting of national security advisers on March 28, in which Ukraine was involved, the US rep, Michael Waltz, did not participate [2]..

It is clear that there is no longer any political coordination of the "West." Consequently, there is no longer any military coordination either.

The French and the British, initially in competition, then by mutual agreement and consultation, have launched a series of meetings of allied heads of state and government. They seek to ensure the continents security under the French and British nuclear umbrellas. But, as it stands, this idea cannot work because the problem has been poorly framed.

Indeed, for the moment, they interpret events as a shift of the United States armies from Europe to the Far East, while President Trump seeks to put an end to the "American Empire," both out of ideologyhe is a Jacksonian [3]and out of necessityhe is managing the debt crisis [4].

In the allied scenario, it would be enough to increase military spending on both sides to compensate for the US withdrawal. However, if its the end of "American imperialism," as I maintain, its not so much the budget of the Atlantic Alliance as its organizational structure thats at issue. Washington no longer wants to assume command of the whole, but simply to lead the way.

However, while European states and their Canadian, Australian, Korean, and Japanese allies all obeyed the United States, they did not get along with each other. The history of the European continent is an endless series of rivalries, conflicts, and wars, with the sole exception of the Roman Empire. At that time, populations submitted to Rome to protect themselves from invasion. After its fall, the Vikings and Mongols pillaged the continent. The empires of Charlemagne, Charles V, Napoleon, and Hitler never knew peace. Today, no imminent danger is forcing Europeans to unite. Hence the invention of a supposed Russian threat, as if the "Red Army" were preparing to parade down the Champs-Elysees.

Two weeks ago, on March 19, the RAND Corporation, the US military-industrial lobby, suggested creating a "European Deterrence Council" with France, the United Kingdom, and other key European states such as Germany and Poland [5]. Of course, strategic nuclear weapons cannot be a means of deterrence in the absence of robust conventional armies. Yet none of the Europeans have any; the current French and British armies are not intended to defend their territories, but to deploy in neo-colonial operations, primarily in Africa.

NATOs enormous resources are compromised. All it takes is for the United States to stop sharing its own resources for nothing to work. Their battlefield intelligence is essential to the operation of the weapons they have purchased. Moreover, if they do not want to be involved in a conflict, they will have to block the use of the heavy weapons they have sold, from armored vehicles to aircraft. What was designed to contain the adventures of some allies is now stifling them all.

Moreover, the same problem will arise with the heavy weapons sold by France and the United Kingdom, which have also been equipped with inhibitors. Paris and London will also have to block them when, after the defeat in Ukraine, Poland attempts to reclaim Eastern Galicia and Hungary recovers Transcarpathia. And what will become of NATO when Romania attempts to reclaim Moldova?

National and intergovernmental institutions reveal their true faces

As head of the Department of Economic Efficiency, Elon Musk is trimming the fat of the US bureaucracy. Public opinion is listening as he reveals the Biden administrations mismanagement. As a libertarian, Musk is content to shrink the federal government. But behind this fight, President Trump is destroying, piece by piece, all the budgets of "American imperialism." He revoked most of USAID, the so-called humanitarian aid agency that served as a front for the CIA. He similarly attacked the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the two agencies that legally provided grants to extend the CIA as part of the "Five Eyes" (i.e., cooperation between Anglo-Saxon secret services). Every day, new agencies are discovered, operating in shadowy ways, extending "American imperialism" around the world. The latest, the small U.S. African Development Foundation, located near the White House, barred DOGE agents from entering its premises, which it had its own police officers guard. Its employees holed up like madmen so that no one could discover their purpose.

All the NGOs and political parties that the US federal government subsidized around the world will have to find new sources of funding or close.

I cant resist telling you how, among all its allies, this system is crumbling to its foundations. For example, the French NGO Reporters Without Borders, which claims to defend "the right of every human being to have access to free and reliable information," is in reality a CIA agency. It refused to defend me when I was threatened and had to leave France. However, President Trump has just shut down propaganda radio and television stations. Without hesitation, Reporters Without Borders joined forces with Voice of America employees to sue the US administration and demand the reinstatement of the stations so-called "journalists."

And again, the Jean-Jaures Foundation, linked to the French Socialist Party, has gradually allied itself with CIA pseudopods. Today, for example, it employs Rudy Reichstadt, founder of Conspiracy Watch, already heavily subsidized by France. While claiming to uphold the Munich Charter, which specifies the rights and responsibilities of journalists, this individual has described us, in nearly 300 articles, as "forgers," without ever indicating how we have falsified reality.

The collapse of these NGOs and political parties subsidized by Washington corresponds to the awareness of the reproduction of this system by the European Union. This includes agencies comparable to USAID, USIP, and the NED. While all experts have long known that the EU subsidizes NGOs to speak well of it and others to denigrate its opponents, the extent of its propaganda is only now being discovered. The Hungarian Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) has just published a study by Thomas Fazi on EU propaganda subsidies [6].

We learn, for example, that the EU has launched programs to "combat the Eurosceptic discourse already spread by autocratic elites" (RevivEU) or to "denationalize European engagement" (EU TURN 2025); programs that complement the funding of cronies, such as the Robert Schuman Foundation to combat "Eurosceptic and national-populist mythology" or the European Policy Centre to speak well of international migration and ill of Russia.

We already knew, from studies by the European Centre for Law & Justice (ECLJ) [7], that the European Court of Human Rights, far from being an impartial tribunal, was the preserve of employees of speculator George Soros. We now know that the European Union, far from being an administration respectful of the diversity of its members, manipulates its budget against its "citizens."

We have not yet reached the stage of slimming down the European Union and the Council of Europe, but there is growing awareness of the corruption of the Brussels bureaucracy and the Strasbourg justice system.

Conclusion

The multilateralism we have experienced within the institutions of the "West," the G7 and NATO, persists, but is paralyzed. These organizations will quickly disappear in their current form. To survive, they will have to radically change their form.

Similarly, the so-called "civil society," far from being the product of citizens complementing democratic institutions, now appears to be riddled with hybrid organizations working behind the scenes for states, without the knowledge of their citizens and against them.
Gala event will coincide with royals' 20th wedding anniversary.

Italian president Sergio Mattarella will host a banquet in honour of Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Wednesday as part of the royals' four-day state visit to Italy.

The black-tie event at the Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome will coincide with the 20th wedding anniversary of Charles and Camilla who got married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on 9 April 2005.

The gala dinner on Wednesday evening will see the royals joined by leading figures from Italian society and will take place the same day as King Charles is scheduled to make a historic address to the Italian parliament.

The royals' state visit to Italy, which begins when they arrive in Rome on Monday, was briefly thrown into doubt last week after Charles, 76, experienced temporary side effects during his cancer treatment.

However the monarch subsequently resumed his official duties following the health setback, and the state visit to Italy will continue as planned from 7-10 April.

The royal tour was originally to have included a visit to the Vatican however this was postponed as Pope Francis recovers from his recent five-week hospitalisation for double pneumonia.

The cancellation of the Vatican element of the state visit has led to alterations to the royals' programme which includes engagements in Rome and Ravenna.

The Colosseum archaeological park announced on Friday that there will be restricted public access to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill on Tuesday 8 April as part of security measures to facilitate a visit by the king and queen.

Photo credit: Pete Hancock / Shutterstock.com.
In 1967 Bryan Magee, a British philosopher and author, noted that 40-year-old songs by the likes of George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Jerome Kern still had wide currency. Given an indifference to melody in favour of rhythm and intriguing new sound mixtures, he doubted that the songs of the 1960s would fare so well. Does anyone seriously believe that Beatles music will be an unthinkingly accepted part of daily life all over the world in the 2000s? he dared to ask.

Fab Four: (from left) Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison in 1968. Credit: AP

The question now seems daft. Today, Eleanor Rigby, Norwegian Wood and Yesterday are widely judged to hold their own in the company of American songbook classics. But there is more to the Beatles continuing currency than the songs, and more, too, than the performances and recordings (those intriguing new sound mixtures) that made them known. In a way, it would be unreasonable to blame Magee for missing that the invention of teenagers as a market and television as a medium changed what it was to be famous. And they did so through the Beatles, making them the very model of a sort of fame that is still around 60 years on.

McCartney and Lennon: Friends and rivals in a partnership that changed the world. Credit: AP

The combination of songs and story means the Beatles remain fascinating; the fact that they are still fascinating means there is a market for fresh stories about them. And, happily, in recent years, those works have been good enough to add to the fascination rather than tapping it out.
In case you missed it or were distracted by Teslas ongoing problems, Elon Musk is currently embroiled in his second highly publicised argument over child support payments, with the mother of one of his many children alleging the tech billionaire isnt doing the right thing.

If youre wondering why Im talking about a man largely considered to be a moron by millions of people and what, at first glance, seems like a pretty tawdry affair, please stick with me.

Elon Musk in Wisconsin, where he paid $32 million for a failed judicial election. Credit: AP

Musk has long been an advocate for having many children and believes that the declining birth rates in developed countries  including Australia  is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. While the issue may be a real one, a pretty basic element in becoming a parent is agreeing to care for your children. That includes financially.

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of why the new unofficial president of the United States is behaving like Ebenezer Scrooge, a quick refresher: Musk has 14 children with four women.
Amid a series of magnificent backdrops, we watch Light retracing her earliest memories, from the cloud forest in the Andes where she was born  including the small, stone and mud house where her family once lived  and the life-giving Amazon rainforest to the seaside city of Bahia de Caraquez and a visit to her fathers nature reserve, Cerro Seco, home to giant ceibo trees.

The surf documentary Ceibo follows Australian world-class surfer and environmental activist Pacha Light on a personal journey of exploration and discovery as she reconnects with the country of her birth, Ecuador, following the sudden death of her father, Marcelo Luque, in 2021. His loss left her with many unanswered questions about his role in her life as she grew up, far away from him, in northern NSW and Queensland with her Australian mother, Anja.

In a new documentary, Australian world-class surfer and environmental activist Pacha Light reconnects with Ecuador, the country of her birth. Credit: Erick Ramos

Lights journey of self-discovery includes a broader exploration of womens rights, environmental activism and surfing by way of interviews with indigenous activists Muyu Flores and Elizabeth Swanson Andi, both fighting the destruction of the Amazon by mining companies, and Dominic Mimi Barona, Ecuadors only Olympic surfer, who is blazing a trail for female surfers. Their inspiring stories give me hope  in activism, relationships, Indigenous wisdom and the strength of community, says Light.

In connecting with a country her father never left, Light finds a new sense of self and feels her own love of competitive surfing reviving (she walked away from the sport in 2020). Shes joined on her journey by fellow Australian surfer Lucy Small and British filmmaker Maddie Meddings. In cinemas nationally from April 8. Pilar Paredes

READ / The collectors

A new book offers a rare glimpse into the homes of 26 of Australias most interesting art collectors.

When COVID-19 locked down theatres and art galleries, Kym Elphinstone needed a project. She had spent the previous decade building her arts communications agency, Articulate, but suddenly, there were no shows to promote. Rather than twiddle her thumbs, she decided to write a book. The result is Collecting: Living with Art ($80), a glossy, coffee-table book in which 26 collectors discuss and showcase the art they simply had to have. The book features a roll-call of high-profile collectors, from Penelope Seidler, Gene Sherman and Amanda Love to art dealers Andrew Jensen and Emma Fox and artists Lottie Consalvo, James Drinkwater and Jonny Niesche.
This was a fantasy. And now its happened. Key to the design of Yeast 2.0 is a system called SCRaMbLE (Synthetic Chromosome Rearrangement and Modification by LoxP-mediated Evolution). Its an evolution button, said Goold; when triggered by a certain chemical, the yeast rapidly reshuffles its DNA. That produces millions of genetically tweaked yeast cells, like evolution at warp-speed, to produce a flurry of variants that mightnt arise naturally for millions of years. Most of the mutations result in death. But some are valuable; perhaps producing a more heat-tolerant yeast or one that could make higher yields of ethanol or medicine. Yeast is also used for making HPV and hepatitis B vaccines.

If were using yeast for bio-manufacturing, like the next COVID vaccine, this is a really important step to being able to do that in Australia, in NSW, Goold said. Hes most excited by Yeast 2.0s potential to accelerate research into the secrets of plant life. Synthetic chromosomes can be neatly organised into sections, unlike in nature, where genes are splooshed randomly across the genome like files across a chaotic computer desktop. Sydneys skyline depicted in fluorescent bacteria designed by Goold in the lab, using methods adapted from yeast art techniques developed in Boekes lab. Credit: Dr Hugh Goold That modular design of Yeast 2.0 will allow scientists to swap in genes from other organisms and study which exact strands of DNA are key to a crops heat tolerance or the deadly effect of a fungal pathogen, for example. This visionary project found an Australian home in a serendipitous meeting of microbial minds.

In 2013, Professor Ian Paulsen introduced himself to Macquarie Universitys new deputy vice-chancellor of research, Professor Sakkie Pretorius, a fellow microbiologist with connections in the yeast world. Loading The talk turned to synthetic biology, a field going gangbusters overseas that had little presence in Australia. The pair resolved to change that. We didnt want to dip our toes in the pond. We wanted to do something big, Paulsen said. Pretorius reached out to Boeke, who told him a team tasked with building one of the chromosomes for Yeast 2.0 had folded due to funding woes. The Australians picked up the torch.

Their first question: how the hell do you build a synthetic chromosome? Paulsen sat with the projects first employee, Natalie Curach, and pored over the single paper available at the time that described how to do it. The paper was incomprehensible, so Curach was dispatched to labs in New York and London to study the process first-hand. She returned with a million-dollar equipment wishlist. Dr Hugh Goold at his lab within the ARC Centre of Excellent for Synthetic Biology at Macquarie University. Credit: Janie Barrett NSWs inaugural chief scientist, Mary OKane, and the NSW Department of Primary Industries came aboard with funding, recognising the potential of the tech to enhance agriculture. The department hired Goold and the project began in earnest. The synthetic DNA strands were designed digitally and then made by a company that chemically crafts custom DNA.

Then, one chunk at a time, Goold replaced the genome of normal lab yeast with the artificial DNA by culturing a concoction of yeast, lithium acetate, polyethylene glycol and herring sperm. The sperm protects the yeasts genetic matter from agents that break down DNA, said Paulsen, who is a co-author of the paper. By putting in a lot of other DNA, it protects the DNA were trying to get into the cell, like the chaff you fire out of planes to protect them from anti-aircraft missiles, Paulsen said. Once the yeast accepted a synthetic section of DNA it was tested for viability. Many of the changes interfered with the organisms mitochondria or caused cellular proteins to go astray. Goold then hunted the wayward DNA behind the faults, a gruelling process called debugging. Two plates of yeast, one with fluorescent proteins which help researchers confirm cells have incorporated synthetic DNA. Credit: Dr Hugh Goold We had no clue it would take 10 years, Paulsen said. Hughs been heroic, hes been in there since the start. At times its been soul-destroying to keep going.

As the chromosome took shape, Australias capabilities in synthetic biology grew around it; the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, which Paulsen leads, was established partly off the back of the project. Loading Now weve spun out nine start-up companies that raised $200 million in venture capital. From $21 million investments from the government weve got a tenfold return, Paulsen said. While microorganisms and agriculture are the immediate focus for these researchers, the underlying science could  in future decades  allow for the complete redesign of plants and animals. Youll get to a point where, literally, people sit at a computer, design an organism, order the DNA, put it in their organism of choice, and then theyve got a new, designer organism, Paulsen said.
A man accused of murdering an Indigenous teenager has denied stuffing weapons down his pants and muddling up his alleged victims, as his version of events was dismantled while giving evidence in his defence.

Jack Steven James Brearley, 24, told a jury that prosecutors had it wrong and he did not strike Cassius Turvey in the head with a metal pole in Perths eastern suburbs on October 13, 2022.

Four people are on trial in the Supreme Court of WA over the murder of Perth schoolboy Cassius Turvey. Credit: Fairfax

After taking the stand on Thursday, he said his co-accused, Brodie Lee Palmer, 29, swung the blows that led to the 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boys death in hospital 10 days later.

He also denied being in an alleyway next near where he lived when shopping trolleys were allegedly pulled apart to create makeshift weapons.
Star Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian was named in a $650,000 settlement former political staffer Rachelle Miller reached with the Commonwealth over discrimination and harassment claims.

Miller worked for then-cabinet ministers Alan Tudge and Michaelia Cash from 2016 to 2018 but disclosed in 2020 that she had an affair with Tudge and complained that the two, along with Cashs one-time staffer Kapterian, had discriminated against her and failed to provide a safe work environment.

Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian defeated high profile Indigenous businessman Nyunggai Warren Mundine to run for the party in Bradfield. Credit: Rhett Wyman

In July 2022, the Commonwealth, which manages complaints against ministers and staffers, settled Millers claims for $650,000 without admission of liability from anyone she had accused of wrongdoing.

The emergence of the claims against Kapterian, an experienced former lawyer and political staffer, come as she faces a difficult fight for the northern Sydney seat of Bradfield against teal independent candidate Nicolette Boele, who has faced her own issues in recent weeks.
Labor has rebounded from months of political pain to harness a big shift in its favour from male voters, including younger men who were leaning towards the Liberals before the election campaign began in earnest.

Men have backed Labor in force over the past four weeks and helped the government recover some of the ground it has lost since the last election, to the point where their support for Labor in two-party terms has climbed to 50 per cent, up from 42 per cent over the first two months of the year.

Voters aged 35 to 54 have also shifted strongly behind Labor and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over the past four weeks, lifting their support in two-party terms to 52 per cent, much higher than their support of 45 per cent during January and February.

The exclusive findings, in the Resolve Political Monitor conducted for this masthead, also counter a recent theory that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has benefited from young men becoming more conservative.
Washington: US President Donald Trumps new reciprocal tariffs are set to hit some of the worlds poorest nations the hardest, putting their labour-intensive export industries at risk and diminishing one of the USs biggest economic advantages over rival China.

Cambodia was slapped with Asias highest tariff rate of 49 per cent in Trumps levies announced on Wednesday. Garment manufacturing giant Bangladesh was hit with a 37 per cent rate, while in Myanmar, where a devastating earthquake last week left more than 3000 dead, the US imposed a 45 per cent duty. The southern African nation of Lesotho received a 50 per cent tariff, the highest of any country.

Even Timor-Leste made the list with a 10 per cent tariff. According to the US State Department, Timor-Leste remains one of the least developed countries in Asia and has little direct trade with the United States. The departments analysis says the tiny nations third-largest export is coffee, which generates between $US15 million ($24 million) and $US30 million a year for its economy. The United States, via USAID, helped establish the coffee industry in Timor-Leste in the 1990s, and today, Starbucks Coffee Company is a major purchaser of Timorese coffee, it says.

A market at the village of Lospalos in the east of Timor-Leste. Credit: iStock

Oh, look at Cambodia, 97 per cent, Trump said at the White House, drawing laughter as he pointed to the levy he claimed the US was subjected to from the South-East Asian nation. They made a fortune with the United States of America. Cambodia levies duties on US goods at an average applied rate of 11.7 per cent, according to US data. The average Cambodian earns about $US6.65 ($10.50) a day, according to World Bank data, less than a fifth of the global average.
In certain rural parishes, a new phenomenon has appeared: the community cafe. Usually arising in the aftermath of local shop and pub closures, these hubs present communities with a place to meet, socialise and, of course, enjoy a warm cuppa.

Four such community cafes exist in south Sligo alone and all of them are overlooked by the Ox Mountains. They are: The Mill Cafe in Cloonacool, Three Hills Cafe at Knocknashee, Cafe Fia in Coolaney and another at the Ox Mountain Development Centre near Aclare.

Cafe Society

A community cafe is typically a space run by volunteers, providing simple food at an affordable price to those in the local community. The concept has grown in response to rural decline. Shops and pubs that once served as social hubs have faded from the landscape and as a result, a vital social service was lost to certain people. Those living alone, those without transport or those who simply needed to see another face each day to maintain their mental wellbeing, were left isolated.

Thankfully, it was often the case that such communities had at their disposal community centres or development spaces of some sort. It was in these spaces that community cafes were born. No major investment was required, the provisions being offered were easily created and managed and all that was needed after that was a cosy room and a kettle.

The concept of community cafes first came to prominence over twenty years ago in rural County Wicklow. Isolation and a need to connect encouraged local communities there to deal with the issues head-on. The simplest and quickest way to solve the problem was to create a convenient and accessible place for local people to meet, eat and maybe buy a few provisions.

The Mill Cafe is a wonderful community-run facility that has proven to be a huge success. Picture: Pat McCarrick

The Mill Cafe

In late 2018, such a need was identified in the south Sligo village of Cloonacool. After a community think-tank session, it was decided to create a community cafe in the parish. A space was available in the local community centre, the facility already had an excellent kitchen and a host of weekend volunteers completed the requirements. The Mill Community Cafe opened its doors for the first time in March 2019.

Apart from a break enforced by the Covid crisis, the cafe has been in continuous operation ever since. The cafe is managed by four key volunteers, who outlined in a recent Sligo Champion article how their project came about.

The process was surprisingly straightforward due to strong community support and soon the meeting room of the local community centre became home to The Mill Community Cafe. The vision was to create a new meeting space that would be friendly and welcoming and add more vibrancy to the village. The cafe was named in memory of the last working mill in the village, Doyles Mill, which closed around 1900 and would have been a traditional meeting place.

Initially, a table quiz raised enough to buy essentials like tablecloths, teapots, coffee pots and crockery. Willing local bakers were signed up and a call for volunteer workers got a very good response. Early on, opening times were Saturday and Sunday, from 10am to 2pm, but within a couple of months, volunteers suggested that Friday opening should be explored. The group's information piece explains how word spread.

Friday turned out to be very popular with mothers and babies, the cafe being family-friendly and buggy-friendly with plenty of parking space. The word spread among cyclists about the fresh scones, great cakes and good coffee and soon the cafe became a regular pit-stop for groups of Sunday morning cyclists. They even began to time their cycles so their visit didnt clash with the after-Mass rush hour!

Like all such community cafes, the Mill Community Cafe has become a meeting place for friends, a place for families to have an affordable treat, a new space for local teenagers to meet and a bonus stop for passing tourists. Local people, both customers and volunteers, got to know each other because their paths crossed in a way that they hadnt previously. If you live in a rural community and youre not part of the school, the church or the GAA, it can still be difficult enough to meet people.

Three Hills Cafe

Knocknashee Community Hub is an exciting community project that began in 2020 when a property that had previously been a thriving Bar and Restaurant came onto the market. Whilst the building had been disused for several years, the local community believed it could be brought back to its former glory.

A volunteer committee was established and enough money was raised to enable the purchase of the facility with the aim of making it into a civic space for the community. The property was secured in September 2020 and with a large group of willing volunteers, the new project was soon ready to start!

One of the first parts of the Knocknashee project to be realised was the creation of a community cafe. Today, their Three Hills Cafe is open to the public and is a major focal point in the community. This cafe now also hosts a monthly music session on the first Friday of every month. The group is justifiably proud of their progress to date.

We are open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 2pm, serving a selection of delicious cakes and treats. The cafe is run by volunteers from our local community. It is a lovely place for the community to gather and a welcoming place to visitors enjoying the beautiful scenery and walking trails in the area.

Fia and Ox

Situated in a central location within County Sligo, the village of Coolaney and its surroundings have witnessed a major population boom over the last 20 years. Coolaney's growth has been complemented by a terrific community spirit, and its progress in recent years is the envy of many similar-sized areas in the region.

Operating since 2016 under the name Cafe Fia (named after the red deer who roam the nearby mountains), the community initiative has been a major success, leading to the creation of a permanent, state-of-the-art facility. Cafe Fia is open most weekends, and times are advertised in their social media outlets.

The Ox Mountain Heritage and Outdoor Pursuits Centre near Aclare also hosts a community cafe which is currently open daily. Their facility, situated at Drummartin, close to the shores of Lough Talt, is also available to hire for meetings, events and parties. It is an ideal base for those who might like to take on the very rewarding, local trekking routes in that region.

In recent weeks a community cafe governing body has been inaugurated to bring all such cafes under a national umbrella. This group hopes to position themselves where they can lobby government for financial support and additional concessions.

It seems the concept of the community cafe is well and truly established in rural Ireland. The whole process has been a lesson in empowerment; people maintaining what is essential to living in a rural community.
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.
The highly contagious measles virus was declared eradicated in the United States in 2000 after a full year passed without any infections.

Now, Texas is experiencing the largest measles outbreak in nearly three decades, and the virus is spreading across the country.

The good news is that most people are protected against measles, as two doses of the MMR  measles, mumps, rubella  vaccine are standard practice in the U.S. for children. A single dose of this vaccine is 93% effective against measles, while two doses are 97% effective, according to the CDC.

Where is measles spreading?

As of March 13, the CDC reported 301 measles cases in 15 states: Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Washington. Of those sickened, 17% were hospitalized.

Even if your state is not listed, there may be active measles cases in your area. For example, Maryland recently reported that an individual with measles traveled through Dulles International Airport, potentially spreading the virus beyond the state.

One death from measles was confirmed, and another is under investigation, according to the CDC.

Who should get the shot?

While modern measles vaccines are highly effective, older versions of the vaccine may provide inadequate protection.

Some people who received the old, inactivated measles vaccine between 1963 and 1967 may benefit from a booster with the live MMR vaccine, advised Dr. Elizabeth Hammershaimb, an infectious-disease pediatrician with the University of Maryland Childrens Hospital and an assistant professor at the university's School of Medicine.

Anyone vaccinated during that period should check their vaccine records to confirm which version of the shot they received.

Note that some institutions also recommend people immunized in 1968 get the booster, as the rollout of the improved vaccine may not have started on the first day of that year.

People with a history of immune-compromising conditions, and nonpregnant women of childbearing potential without evidence of immunity, may also benefit from a booster on a case-by-case basis, Dr. Hammershaimb said.

Johns Hopkins also explains that older adults born before 1957 are presumed to have natural immunity, as they were likely exposed to measles before vaccines became available. However, Yale Medicine recommends that high-risk individuals, including health care workers born before that time, consider a booster if they do not have proof of immunity.

Proof of immunity?

There are steps you can take to find out if you have the necessary protection against measles.

MMR titer tests are simple blood tests that confirm whether you are immune to measles because of vaccination or prior infection. These tests are quick and affordable and can be obtained through your health care provider or third-party labs like Labcorp.

A measles titer test, which checks for immunity to measles, can typically cost around $83 to $129, advised Peter Zimmerman, Ph.D., professor of pathology at Case Western Reserve University. Unfortunately, he said health insurance typically does not cover these tests.

Dr. Hammershaimb also explained that antibodies may not represent the full picture of a persons immunity against measles. Low titers may be a clue to low immunity to measles, but there are other pieces of the immune system that are more difficult to measure and that may provide some protection even if antibody levels are low.

Dr. Amy Edwards, FAAP, an associate professor of pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, believes titer testing is more hassle than just getting the shot, especially as data showed that people who (for various reasons) get more than 2 doses of the MMR arent at increased risk of adverse reactions to the vaccine so it appears to be safe, though those studies are small.

How much does it cost?

If you are concerned about your immunity levels and want to get an MMR booster, the good news is that most private insurance policies cover the vaccine with no out-of-pocket costs, even if you have not met your deductible. Medicare Part D also will pay for the vaccine for those covered.

For the uninsured, vaccines are widely available at walk-in clinics, including at drugstores like CVS and Walgreens. These vaccines are relatively affordable, as Bettercare reports the average cost per dose is about $90 to $125, making the cost for the complete series of two shots $180 to $250.

Don't wait

If you doubt your immunity to measles, do not wait to act. Before the vaccine, an estimated 48,000 people were hospitalized annually, with 400 to 500 measles-related deaths each year. Theres no reason to take that chance when you can virtually eliminate your risk with a shot.
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.
Americas craft brewers already have enough problems. Hard seltzers and cocktails are muscling into beer sales. Millennials and Gen Z dont drink as much as their elders. Brewpubs still havent fully recovered from the shock of COVID-19 five years ago.

Now theres a new threat: President Donald Trumps tariffs, including levies of 25% on imported steel and aluminum and on goods from Canada and Mexico.

Its going to cost the industry a substantial amount of money, said Matt Cole, brewmaster at Ohio-based Fat Heads Brewery. Trump trade war will be crippling for our industry if this carries out into months and years.

The tariffs could impact brewers in ways big and small, said Bart Watson, president and CEO of the Brewers Association, the trade group for craft beer. Aluminum cans are in Trumps crosshairs. And nearly all the steel kegs used by U.S. brewers are made in Germany, so a tariff on finished steel products raises the cost of kegs. Tariffs on Canadian products like barley and malt would also increase costs. And some brewers depend on raspberries and other fruit from Mexico, Watson said.

At Port City Brewing in Alexandria, Virginia, founder Bill Butcher worries that hell have to raise the price of a six-pack of his best-selling Optimal Wit and other brews to $18.99 from around $12.99, and to charge more for a pint at his tasting room.

Are people still going to come here and pay $12 a pint instead of $8? he said. Our business will slow down.

For Port City, the biggest threat comes from the looming tariff on Canadian imports. Every three weeks, the brewery receives a 40,000-pound truckload of pilsner malt from Canada, which goes into a 55,000-pound silo on the brewerys grounds. Butcher said he cant find malt of comparable quality anywhere else.

Trumps tariffs also hit Port City in a round-about way: The levy on aluminum, which went into effect March 12, is causing big brewers to switch from aluminum cans to bottles. Port City, which bottles 70% of its beer, found itself unable to get bottles.

Our bottle supplier is cutting us off at the end of the month, Butcher said. That caught us by surprise.

Fat Heads Brewery gets its barley from Canada. Cole said it could shift to sources in Idaho and Montana, but the shipping logistics are more complicated. And Trumps tariffs, by putting Canadian barley at a competitive disadvantage, would allow U.S. producers to raise domestic prices.

Fat Heads is trying to mitigate the impact of the tariffs. Anticipating higher aluminum prices, for instance, the brewery stockpiled beer cans  which it gets from a U.S. supplier  and now has 3 million cans in its warehouse, 30% of what it needs annually. It has also shifted production to painted cans, which are cheaper than those with shrink-wrapped film sleeves.

In Arizona, some brewers are already eliminating or reducing the beers they offer in aluminum cans to cut costs, said Cale Aylsworth, the director of sales and relations at O.H.S.O. Brewery and Distillery and president of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild.

This is a blow to Arizona craft. I hate to see less local options on the shelf, Aylsworth said.

Some brewers have also lost access to store shelves from one big customer: Canada, which is the top foreign market for U.S. craft beer, accounting for almost 38% of exports. But Canadians are furious that Trump targeted their products, and Canadian importers have been cancelling orders and pulling U.S. beer off store shelves.

The tariffs come at an already difficult time for brewers.

After years of steady growth  the number of U.S. breweries more than doubled to 9,736 between 2014 and 2024  the industry is struggling to compete with seltzers and other beverages and to win over younger customers. In 2024, brewery closings outnumbered openings for the first time since the mid-2000s, Watson of the Brewers Association said. He estimates that U.S. craft beer production dipped 2% to 3% last year.

Craft brewing had a period of phenomenal growth, but we are not in that era anymore, he said. Were in a more mature market.

Port Citys production peaked in 2019 at 16,000 barrels of beer  equivalent to 220,000 cases. Then COVID hit and hammered the companys draft beer business in bars and restaurants. The comeback has been slow. Butcher expects Port City to produce 13,000 barrels this year.

The brewery seeks to set itself apart by emphasizing its award-winning brews. In 2015, Port City was named small brewery of the year at the Great American Beer Festival. But it isnt easy with import taxes threatening to raise the cost of ingredients and packaging.

Its hard enough to run a small business when your supply chain is in intact, he said. And the erratic way that Trump has rolled out the taxes  announcing them, then suspending them, then threatening new ones  has made it even more difficult to plan.

The unpredictability just injects an element of chaos, Butcher said.

Aylsworth, in Arizona, said big brewers have whole teams of people to calculate the impact of tariffs, but smaller brewers must stretch their resources to navigate them. That's on top of the other complexities of running a brewery, from zoning laws to licensing permits to labor shortages.

But for many brewers, the heaviest burden right now is lower sales as customers cut back on beer, Aylsworth said. That's why many brewers are trying hard not to raise prices.

In todays world, with the economy and the high level of uncertainty, people are spending less, Cole said. Beer is an affordable luxury, and we want to make sure we dont lose that.

___
Flooding on South 10 Street in Mayfield on the evening of Thursday, April 3, has since receded.
The Starmer Labour government is using unemployment and cuts to welfare to drive young people into the armed forces as cannon fodder.

The Times newspapers Political Editor Steven Swinford told its readers Labour is urging young unemployed people on benefits to join the armed forces for good jobs paying good wages amid a military recruitment crisis.

Screenshot of one of the advertisements in the "You Belong Here" campaign to be used to recruit young people into the Armed Forces [Photo: https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/you-belong-here]

He cited Chancellor Rachel Reeves speaking to ITV: In the changed world we face today, there are opportunities for good jobs in our armed forces And of course, as this government increases the amount of money spent on defence, its going to be more good jobs paying decent wages in that sector.

Liz Kendall, Labours work and pensions secretary, told Parliament of the plan to encourage unemployed people to join the armed forces, Before I was appointed to this position, as a constituency MP in opposition I discussed with my local jobcentre and the armed forces recruitment team precisely these issues I will certainly have more conversations with colleagues in the Ministry of Defence to make sure we put this plan into action.

The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) denounces these bloodthirsty schemes.

Labour weaponises poverty

Talk of opportunities to join the military is rubbish. Young people will be practically forced to enlist. Labour has slashed welfare payments by billions of pounds, plunging an additional 400,000 people into poverty overnight, with more cuts to come. It has targeted young people, entirely excluding under-22s from incapacity benefit.

The ruling class has always relied on social hardship to fuel military recruitment. A 2019 report from the Child Rights International Network found that, between 2013-18 in England, army recruitment of 16-17 year olds was 57 percent higher in the poorest fifth of constituencies than the richest fifth. Roughly 40 percent surveyed in 1998-2000 said they were joining as a last resort.

The poorer their background, the more likely recruits are to serve in the frontline infantry where casualties are highest.

Army recruitment drives specifically target the most deprived sections of the working class. A brief for the 2017 recruitment campaign identified the target audience as young people in families with an average income of 10,000 a year. Cities with high unemployment, often with a history of brutal deindustrialisation, are a priority.

Labour has nearly doubled the money to be spent on army recruitment campaigns this year to 17.2 million. It is spending 1.3 billion on a new Armed Forces Recruitment Service, run by private sector conglomerate Serco, set to launch in 2027.

The governments militarist agenda is inseparable from its attacks on social spending, freeing up resources for the armed forces. On the same day Reeves announced sweeping welfare cuts, she made another 2.2 billion available for the militarypart of plans to lift defence spending to 2.7 percent of GDP by 2027, and far more beyond.

Using an increased defence budget to recruit the young people thrown into crisis by the loss of welfare support completes the circle. How long before refusing a job in the military becomes a basis for withdrawing unemployment payments?

Solving the cannon fodder problem

The Labour government is leading British imperialism into a new struggle for the redivision of the world and its sources of profit. Starmer is spearheading efforts to form a coalition of the willing against Russia involving NATO boots on the ground, and planes in the air in Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and Russians have already lost their lives in three years of grinding conflict.

Throughout these years, British military chiefs have been speaking about the need prepare the army to engage in warfare at its most violent. Last weeks Times article reported, British defence chiefs are considering bolstering reserve forces to prepare the military for a bigger, longer war. They want to increase the armys resilience so it can generate mass quickly and sustain it, a senior government source said.

But they have had huge problems signing up the necessary recruits. Recruitment targets have been missed every year since 2010. In the year to June 2024, more than 15,000 full-time personnel quit the armed forces, while just over 11,000 signed up.

Anti-war sentiment and opposition to British imperialism is rising among young people. A YouGov-Public First survey released in February, commissioned by the Times, found that only 11 percent said they would go to war for their country and 41 percent said there were no circumstances in which they would take up arms for the UK. Less than half described themselves as proud to be British.

The ruling class must therefore resort to coercion. Last years general election was used as an opportunity to flag proposals for conscription. The Tories pledged a mandatory national service policy for 18-year-olds. These plans ran into obstacles, including concern among senior military figures about whether they had the structures to cope. Labours policy is to get the ball rolling with a forced influx of working-class youth.

Fight for the future, not British capitalism!

Capitalism is showing its true, bloodstained face. Young people around the world are watching their future go up in the flames of war, economic and climate crisis. Their communities are gutted and the work on offer is poorly paid, dead-end and soul-destroying.

Labour hopes to use this misery to fuel its plans for an explosion of British militarism, in competition with all the other imperialist powers. As the Socialist Equality Party (UK) wrote in a recent statement:

Donald Trumps presidency marks a watershed in world politics. His efforts to overturn the constitution and establish a dictatorship in the worlds leading imperialist country have upended all the old relations between the imperialist powers established following the Second World War Europes governments have responded to this America First economic and military policy with an eruption of militarism and nationalism. The naked assertion of colonial domination by Trumpfrom Gaza to Yemen and Ukraineis pushing all imperialist leaders to prepare their own campaign of military and neo-colonial aggression

Starmers government will be aided in these efforts by the trade union bureaucracy. Unite and the GMB are fully signed up to the governments plans for increased spending on the military, and hostile to protests against British imperialism. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union, put forward as a left-wing union, has quietly settled disputes among its members in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The National Education Union and University and College Union are silent on recruitment efforts among school pupils, college and university students.

Resisting Labours combined war and austerity drive and fighting for our future means building a new, socialist anti-war movement, based on new organisations of the working class: rank-and-file committees of class struggle independent of the rotten trade union apparatus. Marxism, the politics which put an end to the First World War through the Russian Revolution of 1917 and German Revolution of 1918-1919, must be taken up again by workers and young people.

This is the tradition represented by the International Youth and Students for Social Equality. Write in with your thoughts about Labours plans. Get in touch about joining the IYSSE today.
In this photo taken from video, New York mayor Eric Adams speaks after a federal judge dismissed his corruption case, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in New York. [AP Photo/New York City Mayor's Office]

As widely expected, New York City mayor Eric Adams announced on Thursday that he would pass up the Democratic Party primary in June and instead file petitions to run as an independent in November as he pursues a second term.

The incumbent released a video announcing his decision. Though I am still a Democrat, I am announcing that I will forgo the Democratic primary for mayor and appeal directly to all New Yorkers as an Independent candidate in the general election, Adams said in his announcement. He told Politico he would mount a real independent campaign, focusing on the boroughs outside of Manhattan, and running an uninhibited campaign now that corruption charges have been dropped.

Adams decision came only one day after US District Judge Dale Ho reluctantly agreed to drop the federal charges Adams faced, including bribery, wire fraud and violation of campaign finance laws, which were announced last fall.

In recent months, the mayors approval rating has dropped to 20 percent. He responded, even before Donald Trumps election victory last November, by cozying up to the fascist would-be dictator.

Adams was not subtle. He first paid court to Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate, and then made a last-minute dash to attend Trumps inauguration. He was interviewed by the fascist television commentator Tucker Carlson, and also met with Trump border czar Tom Homan. Adams announced that he would not criticize the president and would cooperate with the administration in deporting immigrants.

Trump obliged by announcing in February that he would drop the federal charges against Adams. In an obvious quid pro quo, however, the administration proposed to drop the charges without prejudice, meaning they could be brought again. This was an evident attempt to hold Adams on a short leash, ensuring his cooperation with the White House in exchange for his freedom.

Dismissal of the charges had to be formally accepted in federal court. This was the subject of Judge Hos 78-page opinion issued last Wednesday. Ho said he had little choice but to accept the proposal, in light of the refusal of federal attorneys to proceed with the case. He ruled that the charges must be dismissed with prejudice, however, meaning they cannot be brought again. The judge sharply criticized the Justice Department, which in the Trump administration is synonymous with Trump himself.

Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions, Ho wrote. He added that the actions of the Justice Department implied that elected officials could receive special consideration if they played along with those in power. That suggestion is fundamentally incompatible with the basic promise of equal justice under the law, the judge wrote.

Within the narrow framework of capitalist electoral arithmetic, Adams may see a limited but plausible chance of success as an independent candidate later this year. He obviously calculated that his chances in the Democratic primary on June 24 were slim to none. But Trump received 30 percent of the citywide vote, up from 23 percent in 2020 and 18 percent running against Hillary Clinton in 2016. Adams may think that an appeal to those voters, together with a dwindling base of his own supporters, can put him within striking distance of an electoral upset.

In this regard, Adams continued appeals to the extreme right are significant. On the day before he announced his independent candidacy, he went on a podcast to hold up Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy, the book by Trumps newly installed director of the FBI, Kash Patel. Adams claimed the fascist screed by Patel had helped him understand the rationale behind the corruption charges he faced. Referring to Patels book, he added, I am going to encourage every New Yorker to read it. Read it and understand how we are never going to allow this to happen to another innocent American.

Adams may even seek, as he has done in the past, to use the fact that he is the citys second black mayor to portray all or many of the criticisms he has faced as racially motivated. The idea of trying to combine a black nationalist appeal with the votes of Trump supporters calls to mind the demagogy of Trump himself, who appeals to racists, antisemites and white supremacists, while simultaneously utilizing blatant lies and demagogy to win the votes of angry and confused sections of minority workers. All of this has only been possible because the Democratic Party and all of its factions are completely incapable of offering anything to the working class.

The field for the Democratic primary at this point consists of nine candidates. Most prominent is Andrew Cuomo, the former three-term New York governor, previously state attorney general and the head of the federal department of Housing and Urban Development under Bill Clinton. Cuomo enjoys a comfortable lead in the polls, but the outcome is less predictable because of the use of ranked-choice voting in New York primaries, which enables voters to list three candidates in order of preference. Cuomo will also inevitably face attacks based on the #MeToo-style charges of sexual harassment that forced his resignation as governor in 2021.

Among the other candidates, who mostly call themselves progressives, are City Council President Adrienne Adams (no relation of the mayor), City Comptroller Brad Lander and, most significantly, State Assemblyman and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member Zoran Mamdani.

Mamdani is the most ambitious of the candidates. He has put forward a platform that highlights free child care, fare-free buses and a rent freeze for many tenants. His role is to advance radical-sounding phrases in order to spread the illusion that the needs of the working class can be met without breaking with the Democratic Party and fighting the capitalist system. His promises are just words. He says nothing about how they can be achieved, and is simply following in the reactionary and bankrupt footsteps of Bill de Blasio and other left fakers.

Mamdani is currently running second in the primary polls, behind Cuomo. There are significant sections of the ruling elite that see him as a sound insurance policy, especially if Cuomo, a known quantity and a reactionary pro-war mouthpiece of Wall Street, should falter in the coming months.

Adams political trajectory illustrates the character of the Democratic Party. While the Republicans have been taken over by Trump and his fascist cabal, the Democrats have no fundamental differences. This will not prevent such outfits as the DSA and the Working Families Party (WFP) from attempting to drag workers back into the deadly embrace of this imperialist party.

The Working Families Party, formed about 25 years ago on the basis that it was possible to push the Democrats to the left, has endorsed four of the Democratic aspirants so far, including Mamdani, Adrienne Adams and Lander. It plans to announce a single endorsement as the date of the primary draws closer.

The current election circus in New York reflects the steadily deepening social and political crisis in this capital of Wall Street. This is much bigger than Eric Adams or Donald Trump.

Even before the savage and sadistic attacks of the Trump administration, New York was plagued by deepening poverty and social decay. Many jobs lost at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic have not returned; the transit, health, and education systems are crisis-ridden and unable to meet the needs of the working class; homelessness was at record levels even before the addition of thousands of migrants bused to the city by the governors of Texas and Florida.

Alongside these conditions, the citys 110 billionaires have continued to amass untold wealth. The social polarization of New York, at record levels even before the 2020 crisis and before the 2008 financial crash, has continued to grow. None of the Democrats, reading from right to left, have any answers at all to this objective crisis of capitalism.

None of the issues facing workers in New York over the next few months can be tackled in isolation. They are all bound up with fighting and defeating the government of, by and for the oligarchy that is attempting to establish a dictatorship under Trump.

They arise in the context of an approaching economic catastrophe and the expansion of a global war that has already begun. As the city heads to the polls to pick its next mayor later this year, not a single issue can find a progressive solution apart from a final break with the Democratic Party and the mobilization of the working class behind a socialist program.
Strike rally at Frankfurt's Romerberg, March 11, 2025

Millions of workers in Germany are expected to pay with their jobs and wages for the 1 trillion agreed by the government for new spending on armaments and war. Nowhere is this more evident than in the countrys public sector. The United Services Union (Verdi) wants to codify this policy for almost 3 million federal and municipal employees on April 5.

On Saturday, the contract bargaining parties will meet to approve the arbitration commissions recommendation. The arbitration process was called by the federal governments negotiator, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (Social Democratic Party, SPD).

Faeser named the notoriously right-wing Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politician Roland Koch, a long-time friend of incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz (also CDU), as mediator. Koch was prime minister of the state of Hesse for 11 years until 2010, before moving into the private sector, like Merz formerly. Koch then received millions from the construction company Bilfinger Berger and he is also a protege of national-conservative CDU leaders Alfred Dregger and Manfred Kanther.

Together with Hans-Henning Luhr, a former SPD state secretary from Bremen nominated by Verdi as a mediator, Koch has proposed a settlement that would severely reduce workers real wages over a period of 27 months.

There is no wage increase for the first three months of this year; then on April 1, an increase of just 3 percent or at least 110 more per month. Wages and salaries are not scheduled to rise again until May of next year and then by only 2.8 percent. Shift and alternating shift allowances are to be increased to 100 and 200, respectively, as of July 1, 2026; and from 2027 there is to be an additional day off. The contract runs until March 31, 2027.

Not a shred remains of the unions original demand for an 8 percent wage increase over a period of 12 months plus three additional vacation days. On the contrary, Verdi and the Bundestag (German parliament) parties, which are responsible for the arbitration recommendation, have introduced mechanisms that will further reduce wages and increase working hours. The existing special annual payment is to be increased from 2026, but can be converted into a total of three days off. This back-handed job cut does not apply to employees in hospitals and nursing homes.

After years of financial pressure due to real wage cuts, employees are expected to increase their weekly working hours to up to 42 hours on a temporary basis from 2026.

The contract deal in the public sector confirms once again that public sector employees confront not only their employersin this case, politicians at a federal and municipal levelbut the Verdi union as well.

Verdis top brass never intended to fight for an 8 percent wage increase and a reduction in working hours. This demand was only raised to maintain peace and quiet during the recent federal election campaign. This in turn ensured a government majority to impose massive attacks on workers in order to retrieve the billions allocated for rearmament and war.

The German parliamentary parties and the trade unions closely linked to them did everything to prevent strikes and protests during the election campaign, fearing a mass movement against the entire political establishment and against war and social cuts.

Opposition to the official war policy and anger over the continuing decline in living standards is widespread. That is why the trade unions reluctantly organized limited protests and strikes, making sure to isolate them one from the other before ultimately selling them out.

This was already the case at Deutsche Bahn (German Rail), Volkswagen, Deutsche Post (German Post) and the confectionery industry, as well as the transport and logistics sector and paper, cardboard and plastics processing industry. In addition, numerous contract negotiations are ongoing and have been conducted at a regional and local level, particularly in privatized former public companies and businesses.

For example, an important labor conflict is currently taking place at the Berlin Transport Company (BVG). Verdi is trying to end this dispute, as well as the contract bargaining for postal and public sector workers with arbitration negotiations. Verdi has gone to great lengths to ensure that all these labor conflicts do not overlap.

This is because the Verdi leadership unreservedly supports the war policy of the incoming federal government. Verdi leaders Frank Werneke and Christine Behle are both long-standing SPD members. Their party colleague Faeser is a member of the SPD delegation conducting the current coalition negotiations with the CDU/CSU. Also taking part in the coalition negotiations is SPD chairperson and Verdi member Saskia Esken, while SPD leader Lars Klingbeil is a former member of Verdi.

The gigantic 1 trillion war program adopted by the SPD, CDU/CSU and Greens in the Bundestag (the Left Party also voted in favor in the second chamber, the Bundesrat) will inevitably result in massive cuts in other spheres of government spending.

The Verdi leaders know this and are seeking to carry out these cuts. Werneke justifies the largest armaments package since the Nazi era with the words: The Bundeswehr must be operational. The special fund for infrastructure, amounting to 500 billion, which in fact also serves to prepare for war, is played down by Werneke, who like all trade union leaders, describes it as a real opportunity to resolve the investment backlog in our country.

The SPD and the CDU, however, have no plans to use the 500 billion infrastructure fund for dilapidated schools, hospitals and day care centers, or for the reopening and expanding libraries, swimming pools, youth centers and nursing homes, or the repair and build-up of public transportation. When they talk about strengthening infrastructure, they have in mind the capacity of highways, bridges and railways to transport weapons, military equipment and troops, and the expansion of communication and surveillance systems for war purposes.

The leaked coalition text states, for example:

As part of the infrastructure special fund, we are creating a program for co-financing the defence-related infrastructure projects of third parties, particularly in the areas of logistics, mobility and transport routes, to strengthen Germany as a hub of energy, public services and critical infrastructure.

Just as the economy is being converted to a war economy, society as a whole is to be made fit for war:

Overall defence and in particular the implementation of OPLAN Germany will be jointly managed and coordinated as a military and civilian task at federal government level. We are expanding cooperation between security and civil defense authorities and the German army (Bundeswehr).

The Bundeswehrs more than 1,000-page secret Operationsplan Deutschland (OPLAN DEU) defines the close cooperation between the military and civilian authorities in the event of war.

So while a trillion euros are available for rearmament, war and the development of a war-ready infrastructure, not a single additional cent is to be provided for adequate wages and salaries. This situation must be prevented. Verdi is dividing the millions of employees who are currently involved in contract bargaining disputes in order to lead them to the slaughterhouse one at a time.

A few days ago, after arbitration, Verdi pushed through a miserable deal at the Post Office against the will of the majority of its members. Now public sector workers are to be fleeced in a similar way. And next week, with the help of arbitration, BVG employees are to be deterred from going on strike, which almost all BVG employees want to do.

Public sector, postal and transit workers must therefore withdraw the bargaining mandate from Verdi. They must organize themselves independently into action committees to organize an all-out unlimited strike to fight the wage cuts and armaments policy they are being asked to pay for.

These struggles must be linked internationally because workers in every country face the same problems. In the US, a fascist is already in the highest political office, working to smash everything the labor movement has fought for over the last 150 years and eliminating basic democratic rights. The gigantic military buildup here sets the same dynamic in motion.

The social devastation and unceasing attacks on jobs and wages, the suppression of opposition to war and the dismantling of social programs and democracy require fascist methods. This is the reason for the growth of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is being systematically promoted by the state and its parties.

Only the independent intervention of the working class can stop these dangers. Therefore, the urgent appeal:

Get in touch with the independent action committee in Germany, register via WhatsApp to the mobile number +49 163-3378 340 and register using the form below!
Sri Lankas ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna/National Peoples Power (JVP/NPP) is campaigning for the May 6 local government elections on the basis of lies, hypocrisy and false promises.

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake [Photo: Lankatruth/JVP website ]

The election is being held seven months after JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake won the presidency and five months after his JVP/NPP swept to power with a two-thirds parliamentary majority in November. Dissanayake and his JVP/NPP were able to exploit the deep-seated mass opposition to the traditional ruling partiesformer President Ranil Wickremesinghes United National Party and its offshoot, Samagi Jana Balawegaya, and the Rajapakse familys Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.

From day one, Dissanayake began implementing the vicious International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity measures begun under the Wickremesinghe government, completely reversing election promises that he would renegotiate the terms of the IMF bailout loan and provide economic relief to the masses.

The JVP/NPPs pro-IMF measures have led to rising anger among workers, farmers, students and the poor. While the trade union bureaucracies are desperately attempting to contain and halt this opposition, protests have erupted among university students, health and postal workers and School Development officers.

Dissanayake and the JVP/NPP are hoping to take advantage of the political disarray of the opposition parties, which were humiliated in the last elections and also support the IMF demands.

Although results of this election will not affect the ruling JVP/NPPs parliamentary majority, it wants to be able to claim a renewed mandate in order to accelerate the imposition of IMF-dictated austerity.

Winning the local elections is very important to successfully advancing the countrys efforts to change the political culture, JVP general secretary Tilvin Silva told a March 21 press conference. If the power of the LGs [local governments] goes to another group, opponents would sabotage the governments work, he said.

Having fully embraced the IMFs agenda, however, there are no political opponents in the establishment parties that would sabotage the governments work. Demagogic criticism of the government from the parliamentary opposition and their allies is utterly bogus and designed to hoodwink the masses.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has taken charge of the JVP/NPP election campaign, speaking at election rallies in different areas.

Significantly, however, neither Dissanayake, Silva nor other JVP/NPP speakers utter the word IMF at public rallies, but at big business forums, they repeat the constant refrainthe IMF program is the only alternative to ensure the countrys economic recovery.

Addressing a March 30 event in Deiyandara, in the southern Matara district, Dissanayake declared that the people had moved the country towards a new path by creating the strongest parliament in its history.

His governments big change, he declared, was to assert the freedom of citizens by creating an environment in which the government worker, the investor and businessmancan all work freely.

What cynicism! Dissanayakes regime has dumped its pre-election promises to reduce the value added tax (VAT) and maintains the 18 percent VAT on fuel, goods and services as well as a special commodity levy on 64 essentials, including basic food items. While many families cannot afford three meals a day, the government maintains a low-tax regime for corporations and investors.

The JVP/NPP budget proposed the establishment of a State Holding Company to carry through the massive restructuring of more than 400 state-owned enterprises (SOEs). This will pave the way for closures, increased public-private ownership and full-scale privatisations, destroying half a million jobs and providing further lucrative opportunities for international investors to exploit the islands workers and resources.

Following his election, Dissanayake promised big business that he would not grant any reckless salary increases for state employees. He has kept his word! His budget included a minor increase of 8,250 rupeesover a three-year periodfor the lowest grade of state employees, with small variations to higher grades. At the same time, Dissanayake has slashed overtime payments and other allowances, provoking widespread anger among workers.

Dissanayake told the Deiyandara rally that his government had attracted international investors, after a five-year decline, and that this was a sign of economic stability. In other words, the government has created favourable conditions for foreign investors and a tiny layer of rapacious local capitalists at the expense of working people.

Dissanayake told the meetingmostly local farmersthat the government had allocated 3 billion rupees to resume the cultivation of abandoned paddy fields in the Matara district, and then promoted the latest meagre budget increase in social welfare.

These limited allocations, however, will not alleviate the harsh poverty facing the rural poor, who are mired in debt, exploited by middlemen, and struggling with the increased cost of agricultural inputs. The poverty-stricken layers of the populationconservatively estimated at 5.5 million peoplemostly live in the islands rural areas and plantations.

Ours is a government, which doesnt waste a cent from the wealth of the masses which gives every cent coming to the treasury back to the people doing every project thinking about the welfare of the people, Dissanayake said.

Dissanayake declared in the same breadth: We have to resume repayment of [foreign] loans from 2028 and must generate the necessary dollars for that. We will create an economy so that we will be able to repay these loans properly.

This is the real agenda behind Dissanayakes election bluster and lies.

The JVP/NPP government will wage class war against the working class to ensure the resumption of international loan repaymentshalted by the previous Rajapakse government in April 2022 amid a foreign exchange crisis and economic collapseand greater profits for capitalist investors.

Acutely conscious of the growing mass discontent over their repudiation of election promises, Dissanayake and the JVP/NPP leaders claim they are fighting corruption. During last years elections, the JVP/NPP blamed the countrys economic crisis on fraud, corruption and waste.

In recent weeks, the government has initiated arrest warrants and filed cases against former ministers, MPs and state bureaucrats. It has also cut some allowances and perks of ex-presidents, ministers and MPs. The JVP/NPPs claim to be creating a corruption free country is a cruel joke since it defends to the hilt the capitalist system, the root cause of fraud and corruption.

In its October 12 election statement last year, the Socialist Equality Party stated: The SEP issues an emphatic warning to all workers and rural toilers: Dont allow yourselves to be duped twice! Dissanayake will prove no different than [President Gotabhaya] Rajapakse and [President Ranil] Wickremesinghe. This warning has been conclusively proven over the past six months.

Working people must reject Dissanayakes phony rhetoric and seriously prepare to fight the governments austerity agenda. Amid the worsening global economic turmoil, intensified by fascist US President Trump and his aggressive trade war, this task is even more urgent. The US and other imperialist powers are plunging the world towards a catastrophic Third World War.

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP), the Sri Lankan section of the International Committee of the Fourth International, is intervening in the local government elections to campaign for a socialist and international perspective and is calling for the independent mobilisation of the working class, students and youth to fight for this program.

We are contesting the Karainagar Divisional Council in Jaffna district and the Kolonnawa Urban Council in the suburbs of Colombo to fight for the broadest possible discussion of our program. Attend our upcoming public meeting and apply to join and build the SEP as the mass party to lead the revolutionary struggles that lie ahead.
In a March 27 Executive Order (EO), Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, Donald Trump targeted major federally funded museums and cultural institutionsthe Smithsonian Institution in particularfor their concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nations history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.

The EO refers to the various strands of identity politics that influence many, if not most cultural institutions in the US, both private and public. The EO asserts that our Nations unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness is reconstructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.

There is a left-wing and a right-wing critique of identity politics. For Trump and company, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and associated trends amount to low-hanging fruit. In the name of an attack on the upper middle class race and gender obsession, which is widely hated, the Trump plan is to glorify the American profit system, deny its social contradictions and conceal the bloody history of slavery, racism and genocidal attacks on indigenous people.

As we have argued,

Trump is campaigning for a patriotic, national art, one that pays tribute to the greatness of American capitalism and its supposed achievements. Such an art is dishonest and insincere by definition, and, in fact, no art at all.

It is intended to help create an American version of the Nazi Volksgemeinschaft, or peoples or national community, a mythological creation designed to cover over the class struggle and misdirect the population into chauvinist and nationalist channels. Art is to be oriented toward the triumphant, monumental and militaristic, toward the exclusion of other peoples and toward national insularity.

There is no question but that the Smithsonian museums have been influenced by ideology that seeks to degrade or downplay the role of the class struggle in history and instead elevate issues of personal identity. This is a false and backward conception that has done real damage to the understanding of American history in particular. The New York Times discredited 1619 Project is a prime example.

But such notions are not the real target of Trumps Executive Order, which is part of a far-reaching effort to change the entire intellectual climate to enable the oligarchy to impose a fascist-police state dictatorship.

The March 27 executive order declares that it is the policy of the Trump administration to remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage, consistent progress toward becoming a more perfect Union, and unmatched record of advancing liberty, prosperity, and human flourishing. There is no such consistent progress. On the contrary, the era of social reformism in America came to end, coinciding with the unraveling of its postwar economic position, more than half a century ago. The presence of the fascistic billionaire Trump in the White House, an ignorant gangster and pathological liar, is one of the strongest refutations of the claims of an unmatched record of advancing liberty, prosperity, and human flourishing.

The EO promises to restore the Smithsonian Institution to its rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and American greatnessigniting the imagination of young minds, honoring the richness of American history and innovation, and instilling pride in the hearts of all Americans. This is claptrap. Everything progressive in US history speaks vehemently against its present political and economic set-up. Far from being a source of pride, the capitalist two-party system, for example, is a national disgrace and perpetual degradation.

The EO instructs Vice President JD Vance and others to effectuate the policies of this order through his role on the Smithsonian Board of Regents with respect to the Smithsonian Institution and its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo, including by seeking to remove improper ideology from such properties, and [to] recommend to the President any additional actions necessary to fully effectuate such policies.

The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, home of the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, is seen on Friday, March 28, 2025, in Washington. [AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein]

Such an agenda in the hands of the thug Vance amounts to a threat and a provocation. The EO serves two essential purposes:

To lyingly identify the Trump administration with the goals of the American Revolution, particularly the struggle for democracy and equality.



To smear the major state-funded museums and arts institutions as nothing but hotbeds of racialist and revisionist conceptions about American history in order to all the better destroy the genuine historical and scientific contributions they make.

In the first case, the Trump administration needs do little more to demonstrate its deep hostility to the democratic principles of the American Revolution than by its present policy of hunting down and incarcerating student protesters exercising their right to free speech. Every thinking person in the US and around the world can see through the Trump administrations supposed defense of the egalitarian principles of the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal as a shabby and desperate lie.

The arrest and disappearance of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil in New York and of Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk in Somerville, Massachusetts (only a few miles from the site of the first major battles of the American Revolutionary War in 1775), the forcing of Cornell graduate student Momodou Taal out of the country and the persecution that caused Columbia undergraduate Yunseo Chung to go into hiding from the ICE-Gestapoall for exercising their democratic right to free speechhave demonstrated that the Trump White House is seeking to establish a dictatorship without constitutional protections for anyone on the territory of the US.

The Smithsonian Institution, which is, in effect, the national museum of the United States, according to Wikipedia, has historical holdings of over 157 million items, 21 museums, 21 libraries, 14 education and research centers, a zoo, and historical and architectural landmarks, mostly located in Washington, D.C. Additional facilities are located in Maryland, New York, and Virginia. More than 200 institutions and museums in 47 states, Puerto Rico, and Panama are Smithsonian Affiliates. Institution publications include Smithsonian and Air & Space magazines.

The Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History in Washington D. C. alone has collections contain over 146 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts, the largest natural history collection in the world. (Wikipedia)

The Smithsonian includes the National Portrait Gallery whose current exhibitions include This Morning, This Evening, So Soon: James Baldwin and the Voices of Queer Resistance. We do not know the merit of this exhibition, but there is always something to be learned from novelist and essayist Baldwin, a central cultural figure in the 1960s and a man who towers intellectually and morally over anyone in the Trump-Musk cesspool. Alongside this the Gallery is also exhibiting daguerreotypes from its collection, as well as portraits of Abraham Lincoln.

There is much more to destroy. The American Art Museum also holds permanent collections of contemporary art, exhibits of crafts and American folk and self-taught art, as well as the important exhibition Lessons of the Hour (2019) by artist and filmmaker Sir Isaac Julien. This image installation, which interweaves period reenactments across five screens to create a vivid picture of 19th-century activist, writer, orator and philosopher Frederick Douglass, speaks to the role of one of the leaders of Americas second revolution, the Civil War of 1861-65.

In other words, the Smithsonian is a vast scientific, historical and cultural enterprise and it is the Trump administrations goal not to cleanse it of identity politics, but to eviscerate the creative contributions of art and science and, especially, the democratic-revolutionary content in American history.

Trump is using the campaign against race and gender politics as a club with which to assault the scientific and cultural progress since the Enlightenment in every corner of American society. It is a process that the WSWS has termed Gleichschaltungsynchronization or falling into line after the Nazis attempts to stultify thought and culture in the aftermath of Hitlers seizure of power in 1933.

Gleichschaltung includes the repression of dissent, particularly opposition to war and genocide, on the university campuses, the mass layoffs and crippling of scientific research in the Health and Human Services Department, the destruction of the Department of Education and attempts to impose the reactionary 1776 Commission curriculum on K-12 public schools.

The attack on the Smithsonian also clarifies the motivation for the defunding of the Institute for Museum and Library Service by executive order March 14, a lifeline in grants and other funding to libraries and museums across the United States. These are different fronts in the cultural counter-revolution currently under way.
Palestinians sift through the rubble, collecting body parts and placing them in plastic bags, from a building hit by an Israeli airstrike that killed at least 17 people, including some from the same family, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, April 4, 2025. [AP Photo/Mariam Dagga]

For the second time in the less than four months, the US Senate has resoundingly voted in support of continuing the genocide in Gaza by rejecting two resolutions aimed at blocking some $9 billion in weapons to the Israeli government.

S.J Resolution 33, which failed 15-82, sought to block $2 billion worth of arms, including 35,000 MK 84 2,000-pound bombs and 4,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads. The I-2000 Penetrator warhead is used in the AGM-130 (Air to Ground) missile system, intended to destroy bunkers, deeply buried structures and other reinforced targets.

S.J. Resolution 26 sought to block nearly $7 billion in arms, including thousands of smaller 500-pound bombs and JDAM kits used to turn unguided dummy bombs into precision munitions. This resolution also garnered only 15 votes in favor, with 83 opposed.

Under conditions where President Donald Trump has promised to take over the Gaza Strip and, with the Israeli government, oversee the forced displacement of the remaining 2.1 million residents, a majority of Democratic senators voted against putting minimal restrictions on US arms transfers to Israel. No Republicans voted in favor of either resolution.

New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker, recently hailed in the corporate press for talking for 25 hours straight on the Senate floorwithout blocking a vote on legislation or a Trump judicial nominationvoted against both resolutions. A day before the vote, following his self-serving monologue, Booker wrote on X/Twitter, This is a moral moment. It is not left or right, it is right or wrong.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 21, 2024. [AP Photo/Susan Walsh]

Since October 7, 2023, US-supplied weapons and intelligence have facilitated the Israeli governments ethnic cleansing campaign in Gaza and the West Bank, which has killed or injured some 175,000 people. For the past 33 days, the Israeli military has blocked food, medicine and electricity from entering Gaza, one of innumerable war crimes committed by Americas attack dog.

Following Israels resumption of hostilities last month after unilaterally ending the ceasefire, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed, including over 300 children in the last week. On Thursday, the same day the Senate rejected the resolutions, Israel launched multiple strikes targeting schools sheltering displaced families in Gaza City. According to the Gaza Government Media Office, the strikes killed at least 33 children and injured over 100 additional people.

The Israeli military has resumed the forced displacement of the population within Gaza. In the last week, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that the Israeli military has declared nearly two-thirds of Gaza off-limits to civilians as part of its resumption of military operations throughout the enclave.

Thursdays resolutions, led by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, had no chance of passing in either the Republican-controlled Senate or House. Even if they did pass, Trump, like Joe Biden before him, would veto them. Like the previous resolutions introduced by Sanders last November, these resolutions were not aimed at actually stopping the slaughter, but at covering up the strong bipartisan support for genocide in Washington.

Neither of Thursdays resolutions garnered more than 15 votes, four less than when similar resolutions were put forward by Sanders in November under the Biden administration. Last year, Georgia Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) and Independent Maine Senator Angus King voted in favor of blocking the arms. On Thursday, all four flipped their votes. Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, a self-proclaimed progressive, voted present on the resolutions, as she did last November.

Speaking prior to the Senate vote, Sanders made clear that he supported Israels right to defend itself, and that the resolutions targeted only so-called offensive weapons.

I trust that every Americanand certainly every member of the Senateunderstands that Hamas, a terrorist organization, began this terrible war with its barbaric October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 innocent people and took 250 hostages, Sanders bellowed.

This narrative, advanced by Israel and the US for the last 17 months, is a lie that has long since been debunked. Sanders is well aware that the Israeli government knew about the attack beforehand and stood down its forces on the Gaza border in order to use the incursion as a pretext for launching the plan for genocide and ethnic cleansing worked out long before by Israel and its US sponsor. The Israel Defense Forces moreover invoked the Hannibal Directive during Hamas incursion, knowingly increasing the number of Israeli civilian casualties.

In his speech, Sanders, an agent of US imperialism, observed that the US ruling class open support for war crimes in Gaza undercuts attempts by Washington to advance human rights arguments to justify US interventions and military actions around the world.

President Joe Biden with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York and Sen. Bernie Sanders, April 22, 2024. [AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta]

If we condone the barbarism that is taking place in Gaza today, we will have no standing in the world to condemn the horrors and war crimes that other countries may commit, Sanders said, adding, Youre not going to be able to look at China or Russia or Saudi Arabia or any other country and say, Look, how terrible, look what they are doing to the children, to the women, innocent people.



We will have no credibility, he continued, Because they will come back and say, Really? You are really concerned with what China, Russia and Saudi Arabia might be doing? Hey, take a look at what you supported in Gaza and the billions of dollars in aid you gave to Netanyahus government.

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), one of the 14 Democrats to back Sanders resolutions, likewise framed his support as a defense of Israel and US interests in the region. This is not about whether someone is pro-Israel, said Van Hollen.

Like Sanders, he affirmed that Israel has the right to defend itself. He added, In fact, I would argue the duty to defend itself in the aftermath of the brutal Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 that murdered over 1,200 individuals and took over 250 hostages. Hamas is a despicable terrorist organization and there must be no more October 7s.

A similar shabby maneuver is being undertaken in the House, led by Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan). On Monday, the two Democrats introduced four separate resolutions aimed at blocking offensive weapons to Israel. As is the case in the Senate, the Republicans control the House and they, along with a large majority of Democrats, will not vote for the measures.

These diversions are aimed at blocking the development of an independent socialist movement in the working class and sowing illusions in the Democratic Party, which, no less than the Republicans, has supported the Zionist state for over three-quarters of century.

The fight against genocide and war requires a fight against the capitalist system and all those who uphold and defend it.
A Palestinian youth who was injured in an Israeli airstrike, is lying on a stretcher at the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. [AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi]

Over the past 30 days, no food, water or electricity has entered Gaza. Israel is deliberately starving everyone who remains in the enclave, as part of a plan to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian population and, as US President Donald Trump threatened on March 12, annex their land.

Israels renewed onslaught on Gaza, in which 400 people were killed in a single day last month, has been accompanied by unspeakable war crimes. This week, the Guardian reported that Israeli troops bound and summarily executed 15 aid workers, including one employee of the United Nations.

In the face of this horrific new phase of the Gaza genocide, the US media has launched a two-pronged effort to cover up these US-Israeli war crimes. The first is silence: The daily killings have largely dropped from the front pages of the major newspapers and go unreported on the evening news.

This silence has been accompanied by a systematic campaign in every major US publication to promote small, politically heterogeneous demonstrations that took place over the past week in Gaza, whose slogans allegedly included opposition to Hamas.

In one example of many, the New York Times published a column by neoconservative warmonger Bret Stephens titled, Here Is the Real Route to Freeing Palestinians. Stephens hailed the protests in Gaza last week to demand an end to 18 years of Hamass violent misrule in the territory. Demonstrators could be heard shouting, Out, out, Hamas, get out and Hamas are terrorists, while displaying banners saying, Hamas does not represent us.

In his column, Stephens claimed that if Palestinians would cease resisting the Israeli occupation, Israel would allow them to have their own state. Stephens clarified, however, that he is condemning not only armed struggle but also the very thought of resistance, including the internationally recognized right of families displaced during the 1948 Nakba to return to their homelands.

As Stephens explains, For Palestinians, that will mean not only abandoning terrorism and guerrilla warfare but also the more insidious forms of seeking Israels destruction, such as the spurious call for a right of return for the descendants of Palestinian refugees.

The same day that the New York Times published Stephens column, Jacobin magazine, affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, published an article by Bashir Abu-Manneh with an effectively indistinguishable position, structure, and talking points to that of Stephens.

Jacobin wrote, Demonstrators in some of the most decimated areas of North Gaza chanted The people want to overthrow Hamas and Hamas get out. One protester summarized popular feelings well when he said, We demonstrated today to declare that we do not want to die. Eventually, it is Israel that attacks and bombs, but Hamas also bears direct responsibility.

Abu-Manneh wrote that Protesters were also particularly critical of Hamas and its costly form of resisting the Israeli occupation. The protesters condemned, according to Jacobin, Hamass systematic failure to protect Palestinian civilians during this war.

While the article includes an extensive section criticizing the genocidal actions of Israel, it makes these points within the context of the assertions that these actions were triggered by the resistance of the Palestinians themselves. Jacobin writes, Genocide is the intended consequence of Israels war. It is Israels vengeance for October 7.

In other words, had there been no armed resistance to the illegal Israeli occupation on October 7, there would be no Israeli war in Gaza. In making this statement, Jacobin is echoing the official position of the Netanyahu government, the Biden administration and the Trump administration, all of whom have claimed that Israels current war is a response to October 7.

This lying claim serves to scapegoat resistance by the Palestinian people to their subjugation and displacement for the criminal actions of Israel. It is, moreover, a complete and total fabrication.

The Netanyahu government has for years been seeking, and actively planning, the full ethnic cleansing of Palestine and its annexation. Just two weeks before the October 7 attackswhich were facilitated by a deliberate stand-down by Israeli forcesNetanyahu traveled to the United Nations to show a map of Israel having fully annexed the West Bank and Gaza as part of what he called the New Middle East.

Responding to the medias promotion of the demonstrations, Mustafa Barghouti, the head of the Palestinian National Initiative and a political opponent of Hamas, refuted the absurd claim that Israel would cease its ethnic cleansing if Hamas laid down its arms.

Barghouti asked, Does Hamas rule the West Bank? Isnt what is happening now ethnic cleansing in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nablus? Right now, in the West Bank, we are under attack... Social and economic life is being destroyed.

He continued,

So, what did Netanyahu say? He said, No to Hamas, no to Fatah, no to the PLO, and no to any unified Palestinian national entity. Therefore, the issue is not about Hamas. The issue is the Palestinians right to remain in their homeland, their right to resist aggression, and their right to struggle for their freedom.

Barghouti added,

We have been living 77 years since the Nakba, with no hope of changing the situation, and 57 years under occupation in the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem, where settlement expansion is taking place everywhere.

The purpose of the Jacobin article is to delegitimize the opposition by the Palestinian people to their illegal occupation, oppression, and extermination, and thereby to justify the Gaza genocide.

Jacobin is an instrument of the Democratic Party, and hence of the American state. Its purpose is to posture as an opponent of US foreign policy while in reality promoting pro-imperialist politics in the guise of left-wing opposition. Its declaration that the Palestinians are responsible for the genocide, shocking though it is, is completely in keeping with its role.
A woman is carried away by police officers during a pro-Palestinian demonstration by Student Coalition Berlin in the theater courtyard of Freie Universitat Berlin in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. [AP Photo/Markus Schreiber]

The Berlin state government is planning to deport four activists because of their involvement in pro-Palestinian protests. All four have been ordered to leave Germany by April 21 or else face compulsory deportation. This action is unprecedented in recent German history and shows that those in power are in no way in second place after the fascist US President Donald Trump and are using dictatorial methods to enforce the brutal pro-war policy here too.

Of the four to be deported, three are EU citizens who would normally enjoy freedom of movement between EU states. Shane OBrien, 29, and Roberta Murray, 31, are Irish citizens. My life is here, Im not making any plans for Ireland, Murray told The Intercept. Kasia Wlaszczyk, a 35-year-old cultural worker and Polish citizen, has not lived in Poland since he was 10 years old. If this goes through, it would tear me out of the community Ive built up here, he said.

The deportation would hit US citizen Cooper Longbottom, 27, particularly hard. Longbottom would not be allowed to enter any of the 29 Schengen countries for at least the next two years. As a transgender person, Longbottom would also be exposed to direct danger to life and limb in the US. Longbottom is studying at the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences in Berlin and only needs six months to complete his Masters degree, but the threat of deportation makes it unclear whether Longbottom will be able to graduate.

In the deportation notice, a separate list of accusations is made against each of the four. All the accusations come from police files and relate to pro-Palestinian protests. The allegations include the following: Two of the four are purported to have called police officers fascists, while three are alleged to have taken part in demonstrations where slogans such as From the river to the sea were shouted. All four are accused of chanting antisemitic or anti-Israeli sloganswithout any particulars being provided. In addition, all four are accused of supporting Hamasagain without any evidence.

The only accusation that was brought before a criminal court concerned OBrien, who was accused of calling a police officer a fascisthowever, he was acquitted. There were no convictions in any of the other cases.

The four are also accused of being involved in the occupation of the Presidium of Berlins Free University in October 2024, which resulted in property damage. None of them is charged with the damage to property itself, but only with the suspicion that they took part in a coordinated group action during which the damage allegedly occurred.

Revoking the freedom of movement of EU citizens is normally subject to very high hurdles in Germany. According to the Federal Interior Ministry, there must be a serious threat that affects a fundamental interest of society and is based on the actions of the person concerned. As a rule, this requires serious criminal offencessuch as large-scale trafficking in hard drugs or the sexual abuse of children.

However, the allegations against the four are based on such a weak legal foundation that even within the Berlin bureaucracy doubts arose as to whether the deportations could be enforced at all. The Intercept reports that it has internal emails showing that after Berlins Interior Senator (state minister) requested a signed deportation order, Silke Buhlmannhead of the Immigration Departments Crime Prevention and Repatriation Divisionwarned that the legal basis was insufficient and that deportation would be illegal.

Although the underlying police reports suggested a potential danger, there were no legally binding criminal convictions that constitute a sufficiently serious and concrete threat. However, these concerns were quickly dismissedand the deportation order was issued.

Alexander Gorski, the lawyer for two of the four protesters, told The Intercept: What we are seeing here are the harshest measures availablebased on allegations that are extremely vague and, in some cases, completely unfounded.

He also warned that these cases were merely a test run for broader repression against immigrants and activists in Germany, saying, They are being used as guinea pigs... What were seeing here is straight out of the extreme rights playbook ... From a legal perspective, we were shocked by the reasoningit reminded us of the Mahmoud Khalil case.

Gorskis warnings are correcta precedent is being set to pave the way for a crackdown on all forms of political opposition in Germany. If these four activists can be deported on political grounds alonewithout ever having been convicted of a crimethen the wave of state repression will know no bounds.

In the US, a comprehensive system of state repression is already being established to criminalise dissent and create the legal framework for a dictatorship. While peacefully demonstrating students such as Mahmoud Khalil or Rumeysa Ozturk are abducted by masked police units, others such as Momodou Taal are forced to leave the country to escape a similar fate. These scenes, which are now commonplace in the US, are reminiscent of the dictatorships in Chile and Argentinaright up to the methods of Nazi rule.

The ruling class in Germany may have differences with Donald Trump over tariff policy or the division of raw materials in Ukraine and Russiabut they are united on this point: protest at home should be suppressed by any means necessary.

The persecution of Taal and Khalil in the US and of Longbottom, Wlaszczyk, OBrien and Murray in Germany is directed against the entire working class. The measures that are being tested on students and immigrants today will be used tomorrow against striking workers and all those who oppose social cuts and the arms race.

This shows that democratic rights can only be defended by building a mass political movement within the working class. The struggle against deportations and the suppression of freedom of expression is inextricably linked to the struggle against warand its root cause, capitalism.
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney talks during a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in 10 Downing Street, London, England, Monday March 17, 2025 [AP Photo/Jordan Pettitt]

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Thursday that his Liberal government is retaliating against the implementation of 25 percent tariffs on automobiles manufactured in Canada by the Trump administration with a reciprocal tariff on US-made cars that do not comply with the United StatesMexicoCanada Agreement (USMCA).

Canada and Mexico both escaped the reciprocal tariffs that Trump imposed on most of the world on Wednesday. However, the president announced that potentially crippling 25 percent tariffs on foreign-built cars would go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, with the same tariff to be applied to non-US auto parts in May. Other economic warfare measures that Trump has already put in place against Canada include a 25 percent levy on all non-USMCA-compliant exports, a 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy exports and a 25 percent global tariff on steel and aluminum.

Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada can avoid tariffs by becoming the 51st state, declaring the border between the two countries to be an artificially drawn line and deriding former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Governor Trudeau.

Carney, the former central banker who took over as prime minister on March 14 after being elected Liberal leader and who is running for election to Parliament on April 28, declared in his remarks that the old relationship with the United States is over and that the push for greater economic integration had been scuttled by Trumps latest actions.

Carney declared:

The global economy is fundamentally different today than it was yesterday. We must do extraordinary things for ourselves; we must do things previously thought impossible at speeds we havent seen in generations.

Carney noted:

We are living in a new world now. It will be hard on Canadians, but I have no doubt we will rise to the challenge.

Despite his rhetoric, Carney is eager to hold comprehensive negotiations about a new economic and security relationship with Trump in the aftermath of this months election, as was made clear in the readout of his discussion with the US president on March 28. Despite the bluster, the Canadian bourgeoisie is determined to maintain its critical relationship with American imperialism, demanding only that it retain its privileges as Americas junior partner and be respected as North Americas second imperialist power.

Ottawas 25 percent auto tariff will impact C$35 billion ($24.6 billion) worth of US-assembled vehicles sold in Canada, with Carney projecting that it will raise C$8 billion. The prime minister declared that the money raised from the new tariffswhich are ultimately a tax on Canadian consumerswill be used to support the thousands of workers who are expected to lose their jobs as a result of Trumps tariffs.

The Canadian economy is deeply integrated with the US, feeding nearly 90 percent of its auto, steel and aluminum products into the American economy. This means that Trumps new tariff regime will have a far-reaching and immediate impact on workers across Canada and in the provinces that produce these goods, primarily Ontario (auto and steel) and Quebec (aluminum).

On both sides of the border, the trade union bureaucracies have cheered on their respective ruling classes to implement tariffs and counter-tariffs. In the US, the United Auto Workers has openly embraced Trumps tariffs, falsely presenting them as a boon to American workers. North of the border, Unifor, which represents autoworkers and is also Canadas largest private-sector union, has championed reactionary Canadian nationalism and helped shape the ruling elites response in corporatist consultations with government representatives and corporate executives.

As they have been doing for decades, the unions are ensuring that American, Canadian and Mexican workers, many of whom work for the same company or on the same supply chain, are pitted against each other in the interests of corporate profits.

On Wednesday, global automaker Stellantis announced that it would be idling its Windsor Assembly Plant for two weeks starting April 7, impacting 4,500 workers, along with 900 layoffs at feeder plants in the US and a month-long shutdown of its Toluca Assembly Plant in Mexico, affecting another 2,600 workers. Figures from Statistics Canada released Friday showed that 33,000 jobs were lost in March, the largest decline since January 2022, driving unemployment up to 6.7 percent under the initial pressure of the tariffs and uncertainty over their impact.

The Brookings Institution projected in February that tit-for-tat tariffs between the US and Canada could result in the loss of more than 510,000 jobsor approximately 2.5 percent of all employment in the country. The auto industry in Canada directly employs 125,000 workers, with another 380,000 working in distribution and sales. Meanwhile, the steel industry employs 23,000 and supports another 100,000 indirect jobs. While considerably smaller, with 9,500 directly employed and another 20,000 support jobs, the aluminum industry produces more than C$12 billion in exports every year. The impact of cuts in these three key industries from sustained tariffs will ripple across Canada, affecting every community.

Canadas first ministers have backed Carneys retaliation on auto tariffs, with Ontario Tory Premier Doug Ford telling reporters Thursday:

To be fair to the Prime Minister, I think its a fair response. I appreciate all the support across the country. And its every premier. There are no exclusions. Im glad to see the support of premiers out in the West as well, because I think its a measured response.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, the leader of the far-right United Conservative Party, has used Trumps trade war to press for greater privileges for her province, which is dominated by Big Oil. A supporter of Trump who has travelled to the fascist Presidents Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Smith initially welcomed Trumps Liberation Day exclusion of Canada from his reciprocal tariffs as a sign that the worst was over for Alberta and Canada. However, no doubt fearing the potential adverse impact of her comments on her federal Conservative allys election campaign, she later told business leaders, Its hard for me to celebrate, given the impact of the tariffs on the auto, steel and aluminum industries.

Smiths mentor and the former leader of the Reform Party, Preston Manning, penned an op-ed in The Globe and Mail this week threatening Western secession from the Canadian federation if a Liberal government under Carney is elected at the end of this month and does not accede to the demands of the energy conglomerates that operate primarily in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Manning called for the establishment of a Canada West Constitutional Conference that would consider ways to leave Canada peacefully.

At the same time, Smith has been cozying up to Quebecs Quebec First Premier Francois Legault in a push for provincial autonomy. Behind this phrase, whether it is advanced by Western separatists or Quebec nationalists, lies the desire of regional factions of the Canadian bourgeoisie to cut their own deals with Washington at the expense of the working class across the country.

Far-right Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, whose Tories are running on a Canada First platform and are currently second to the Liberals in polling, has also declared that he is ready to hold negotiations with the Trump administration. He said that he would ask the President to pause all tariffs until a new economic deal to replace the USMCA could be reached. Like Carney, he has also stated that he is prepared to increase military spending to at least meet the 2 percent NATO target demanded by Trump.

Poilievre, who came to lead the official opposition as a Trumpian figure and was the most forthright supporter of the so-called Freedom Convoy that menaced Ottawa for a month in 2022, has sought to distance himself from any association with Trump amid the trade war. In addition to unfair and counterproductive tariffs on our aluminum and steel, President Trump is now going after our autoworkers, Poilievre declared Thursday, while announcing a promise to eliminate the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on new Canadian-made vehicles.

At the same time, Poilievre made clear that he is ready to make major concessions to Trump. Packaged as a nationalist threat, Poilievre told the Globe:

I will be making clear to President Trump that any commitments we make that America wants to happen on defence, border co-operation and market access can and will be instantaneously withdrawn if he violates any part of the agreement.

The elimination of the GST on Canadian-made vehicles was previously proposed by New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh. The NDP has also put forward a proposal for the sale of Victory Bonds, last issued during the First and Second World Wars, supposedly to fund jobs for Canadians affected by the trade war.

The NDP said in a statement:

Money from Victory Bonds will be dedicated entirely to getting Canadians to work building public infrastructure like: roads, rail, housing, waterworks, ports, that we will own for generations. ... We are in a trade war, and just like other wars, we will use Victory Bonds to support the trade war effort.

The social-democratic NDP, which has propped up the big business Liberal government in one form or another for nearly a decade, is playingalong with the union bureaucracythe most bellicose role in pumping up Canadian nationalism and boosting militarism in response to Trumps tariffs. They have committed to spending 2 percent of GDP on the military, with the proviso that it be Made in Canada, including a new fleet of fighter jets.

Already, the Business Council of Canada has declared 2 percent to be insufficient, calling instead for the Canadian government to commit 3 percent of GDP to military spendinga move that would come at the expense of tens of billions of dollars in social spending. On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a meeting of NATO foreign ministers that all member states should target for military spending equivalent to 5 percent of GDP.

As for the NDPs union sponsors, top bureaucrats have taken key positions on the Liberal governments trade war advisory council. The Canadian Labour Congress and Unifor have been proposing various economic nationalist plans for Canadian capitalism, including in the defence and aerospace industries, and advocating for the most aggressive response to Trumps tariffs with counter-tariffs that will hit workers on both sides of the border. As Unifor, Lana Payne put it in early March, Canada needs an economic call to arms.

The development of the trade war is bound up with the drive to world war. American imperialism, in its deepening economic crisis, is seeking to bring all of North Americafrom the Panama Canal to Greenlandunder its direct control in preparation for war against all its major rivals, above all, China but also Russia and potentially the European imperialist powers. It is urgent that workers across Canada oppose all the various camps of the bourgeoisie as they scramble to respond to and strike a new deal with American imperialism.

The working class must develop an independent counteroffensive, on the basis of an internationalist socialist program, in the closest unity with workers in the US, Mexico and beyond. This requires the building of rank-and-file committees in every plant, workplace and neighbourhood to develop a strategy for united action. Only in this way can workers fight back against the assault on their jobs, living standards, and the drive to world war.

This is the perspective being fought for by the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) and the Socialist Equality Party (Canada) in the closest collaboration with its co-thinkers in the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI).
South Koreas Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday in a unanimous 8-0 decision. The ruling took effect immediately, removing Yoon from office and triggering a special presidential election likely to take place on June 3.

Yoon Suk-yeol speaking during a news conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, March 10, 2022. [AP Photo/Kim Hong-ji]

Acting chief justice Mun Hyeong-bae read the verdict at 11 am, declaring, The negative effects on the constitutional order and the repercussions from the defendants violations of the law are grave, making the benefits of protecting the constitution by dismissing the defendant larger than the national losses from dismissing the president by an overwhelming degree.

Yoon was impeached on December 14, less than two weeks after he attempted to impose martial law on December 3 in an attempted military-backed coup. The court rejected Yoons claims that a national emergency existed that required such a measure. The court also declared that Yoon violated the law by sending troops into the National Assembly, in an attempt to arrest leading lawmakers and block the vote that took place to lift Yoons martial law declaration.

Yoon, who did not attend Fridays court session, and his legal team had falsely claimed that the main opposition Democratic Partys (DP) control of the National Assembly had paralyzed the constitutional order and that the DP was working in league with pro-North Korean leftist forces.

After the ruling, Yoon issued a statement, saying that he apologizes and deeply regrets not living up to expectations. His party, the ruling People Power Party (PPP), also stated that it humbly accepts the courts decision. As Yoon was president, the PPP enjoys ruling-party status, despite having fewer numbers in parliament. The Democrats claimed the impeachment verdict was a peoples victory.

Yoon departs office as a massively unpopular figure, with opinion polls showing that two-thirds of the population supports his removal from office. In addition to the impeachment trial, he also faces criminal charges for insurrection after he was arrested and detained in January. He was released on a technicality on March 8.

The government mobilized a huge number of police, including riot units and SWAT teams, in preparation for the courts verdict. A total of 20,000 officers were on hand nationwide with 14,000 placed in Seoul near key government offices, including around the Constitutional Court building, near Yoons presidential residence in Yongsan, and in Gwanghwamun, where protests typically take place.

Anti-Yoon protesters gathered outside the Constitutional Court Thursday and Friday, where organizers estimated 150,000 people took part. Pro-Yoon demonstrators, who have included far-right and fascistic elements, were much fewer in number, reaching at most about 30,000.

In the face of this massive mobilization of police, it is important to note that mass protests broke out in 2016 and 2017 to denounce the corruption of then-president Park Geun-hye, who was subsequently impeached and removed from office. At the conclusion of her trial, the military developed plans to impose martial law if the mass protests against the government did not subside. Similar plans could be in the works now.

Publicly, the ruling class will now turn its attention to the upcoming presidential election, which will likely be a contest between the Democrats leader Lee Jae-myung, the established frontrunner, and a candidate selected by the PPP. Lee narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon.

Yoons removal from office is not a sign that democracy is alive and well in South Korea or that the political crisis in the country has been resolved. Rather, the Constitutional Courts unanimous verdict, without even a token dissenting voice in support of Yoon, was a calculated political decision following weeks of delay after the final hearing on February 25.

It was aimed at defusing the growth of broad social anger that found expression in anti-Yoon protests. At their height, as many as two million people gathered at the National Assembly on December 14 to demand the presidents ouster.

The South Korean ruling class feared that Yoons return to office would provoke a renewal of mass demonstrations that would grow far beyond the control of the political establishment, in particular that of the Democrats and their allies in the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).

In part popular anger towards Yoon was fueled by memories of South Koreas past brutal dictatorships. There is also growing anger in the working class, including a developing strike movement, amid persistent declining real wages and stalled economic growth. This year, the Bank of Korea expects the GDP to grow by only 1.5 percent. It grew just 2 percent in 2024 and 1.4 percent in 2023.

The election of Trump as US president further complicated matters for the South Korean bourgeoisie, which is concerned that Trumps trade war measures will worsen conditions for the export-oriented economy and deepen social discontent. Just this week, Washington imposed 25 percent tariffs on all exports from South Korea.

Fearing a social explosion, the Democrats did everything in their power to demobilize the mass protests that broke out in December and to block strikes by workers with the aid of the KCTU. Their primary concern was to prevent the development of any significant social movement that put forward demands that went beyond the removal of Yoon and targeted the capitalist system itself.

Instead, the Democrats worked to present Yoons removal from office as a done deal following his initial impeachment. They could not have foreseen the outcome of the impeachment trial, setting up a situation in which Yoon could have returned to office and potentially declared martial law again.

In doing so, the Democrats provided Yoon, the PPP, and their fascistic supporters with breathing room, and facilitated the development of the far-right pro-Yoon protests. While dwarfed by the anti-Yoon movement and lacking any broad support, these fascistic elements were given the space to stage rallies and threaten their political opponents with violence.

The threat of dictatorship has not passed. At present, South Korean ruling class may not yet be ready to dispense with bourgeois democracy, believing it to be preferable to martial law for imposing its agenda of austerity measures and forcing the working class to foot the bill for the crisis of capitalism.

However, as the economic and political crisis worsens, it is to these fascistic elements that the political establishment will turn if it decides imposing martial law or another form of dictatorship is necessary. This is already taking place around the world as the ruling classes in other countries shift further and further to the right, exemplified most clearly by the fascist Trump regime in the US.

The Democrats and their allies in the KCTU and other trade union organizations will continue to downplay this danger in order to protect the capitalist system in an attempt to prevent workers from drawing the conclusion that the capitalist system is the root cause of the escalating attacks on their democratic and social rights.
Lucas Bravo thinks season five of 'Emily in Paris' will be "the best" yet.

Lucas Bravo stars on the hit Netflix show

The 37-year-old actor has played Gabriel, Emily's on-screen love interest, on the Netflix show since 2020, and Lucas is convinced that fans will love with the new season of 'Emily in Paris'.

Lucas - who stars on the show alongside the likes of Lily Collins, Ashley Park, Camille Razat, and Lucien Laviscount - told Parade: "Were starting filming in May. I think its the best season so far."

Lucas was recently given an insight into season five by Darren Star, the show's creator.

The actor shared: "I had lunch with Darren a few days back, and he told me a bit without telling me too much. I think fans are going to lose it. Its the craziest one so far."

Lucas has been romantically linked to Hollywood star Shailene Woodley in recent weeks. However, he refused to confirm or deny whether she'll make a cameo appearance on 'Emily in Paris'.

Asked about the possibility of Shailene making a cameo appearance, Lucas replied: "Who? I dont know what youre talking about."

By contrast, Lucas previously hit out at the show's writers, admitting that he'd never been "so far away" from his on-screen character.

The actor told IndieWire in 2024: "The sexy chef was very much part of me in season one and we grew apart season after season because of the choices he makes and because of the direction they make him take. Ive never been so far away from him."

Lucas observed that Gabriel was being "slowly turned into guacamole" and that the show had stopped being fun to film.

He explained: "In season one, there was a lot of me in him. But as they made him kind of unaware of his surroundings, of the dynamic, always victimising and always being completely lost in translation and oblivious to anything that is happening around him and being manipulated by everyone, it kind of became not fun for me to shoot or to see a character I love so much and brought me so much, being slowly turned into guacamole. I really grew apart from him."
After a yearlong search, Boulder, Colorado, landed the winning bid to host the Sundance Film Festival starting in 2027, with the official announcement dropping on March 27. Festival veterans are already waxing poetic about their favorite Park City haunts, but it should be noted there are many parallels to Sundances new home, likely a big reason it was chosen in the first place.

The walkable Pearl Street at the heart of Boulder will be the new Main Street. It is filled with shops, restaurants and other storefronts that can easily be flipped into the Chase Sapphire Lounge, where you still can avoid eye contact with whomever you are trying to avoid by staring into your watered-down tequila soda. Like Park City, Boulder is surrounded by the Rockies, but festivalgoers will stare at the Flatirons as opposed to Utahs Wasatch Mountains as they wait to get into the Chase Sapphire Lounge for the most watered-down tequila soda of their lives. The charming Boulder Theater will remind people of Park Citys Egyptian, in that you will take photos of the marque for Instagram and likely never step foot inside. And it will still take you an hour to get from the airport to your hotel.

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Of course, there are notable differences between Park City and Boulder.

While Park City was a vacation town filled with second or third homes of the affluent from Hollywood, tech and business, Boulder is a through-and-through college town. (The median listing price for a home in Park City in February 2025 was $2.2 million as compared to Boulders $800,000, according to Realtor.com.) This means a change to the non-industry audience, with a shift from bored rich people asking in loud whispers, Is this a metaphor for something? to bored 21-year-olds getting extra credit for a gen-ed requirement.

Below is an (extremely) early lay of the land for the 2027 festival.

Hardest Reservations for You (Your Assistant) to Get

So long, Riverhorse and Grappa. With a Michelin star and some James Beard Awards to boot, it seems that the Italian offering Frasca Food and Wine will no doubt be a coveted table. Other likely to book up far in advance are farm-to-table spot Bramble & Hare, Tomahawk-slinging Steakhouse No. 316, elevated Mexican outpost Cozobi Fonda Fina and tapas restaurant Corrida, notable for its view of the surrounding Flatirons and an equally breathtaking Queso Asado.

Where Youll Be Doing Back-to-Back Screenings

Sundance hasnt announced the official theaters for the 2027 fest, but a major priority for its new home was a space with over 1,300 seats for splashy premieres. With this in mind, meet the Macky. Its the auditorium on CU Boulders campus, which has space for over 2,000 and, like almost any building on a college campus, is within walking distance of a Chipotle and a Panda Express.

A view of Macky Auditorium in Boulder, Colorado.

Where to Ski When You Say Youre Taking Meetings

The ski lift at the bottom of Main Street acted as a quick getaway in between screenings, while Deer Valley is where you could reliably find whatever agent wasnt returning your calls. In Boulder, your new hill is likely to be Eldora, roughly a 35-minute drive from downtown Boulder and, for those of us without sedans driven by support staff, there is a bus direct from Boulder to the mountain. Currently, its $99 for a day pass (Deer Valley is $289 as of April 2025). Eldora has only 53 trails, but the better-known and bigger Colorado peaks like Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge and Keystone are going to net you a three-hour drive time round trip, while Vail is a two-hour drive, one way.

Hotels Youll Be Booking for Your Client

Likely one of the biggest changes for the Sundance regular will be accommodations. While Boulder mercifully over-indexes on affordable housing options (think chain hotel options with suites or inn suffixes), the lack of five-star options akin to Park Citys St. Regis and Montage will no doubt cause a run on reservations. The locally owned boutique St. Julien Hotel will be the most in-demand, with only 201 guest rooms, along with the Victorian-inspired Boulderado. For the faint of heart, never fear, there is the Four Seasons in Denver.

Your New Night Cap(s)

Boulder being a college town means, if nothing else, that there are a plethora of dive bars. Taking the place of No Name Saloon and High West on your nightly circuit could be Sundown Saloon (pool and pitchers in a basement), Jungle (Mai Tais in the Rockies) or Bohemian Biergarten (European beer hall). You may just have to battle your way through some co-eds to get to the bar. And with Colorado having legalized recreational weed in 2012, there are plenty of dispensaries to patronize. Vertically integrated and locally operated, 14er has been breeding and cultivating cannabis flower and extracts since 2010, it sells edibles, vapes and most anything else out of its flagship store in Boulder.

Pearl Street during a snowstorm on March 14, 2024, in Boulder, Colorado.

Where to Get a Legitimately Quick Bite

Next to dehydration and missing texts from your boss, malnourishment is the biggest threat to any Sundance festivalgoer. And its looking like Boulder will be far more accommodating than Park City to the masses in need of a 30-minute meal in between screenings. The Sink is a staple serving burgers and beers (not to mention a five-minute walk from the Macky), while Avanti on Pearl Street offers everything from pizza to ramen in a food hall venue. Hot dog outpost Mustards Last Stand and sub shop Cheba Hut can be your new answer to El Chubasco.

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As luck would have it, I recently had the chance to connect East Coast surfer Simon Hetrick and film maker and photographer Elina Naboka. We talked about their journeys, notably their month-long Morocco adventure where they scored perfect surf and, allegedly, the world's best coffee all documented in Camel Milk.

SURFER: How did this trip come about and how long did you stay over there?

Elina: I was planning to go to Morocco, and I didnt have much of a plan except for surfing, taking pictures, and filming. I knew waves were going to be firing. When I told Simon about my idea, he decided to tag along. Just like that, we ended up going together, and I filmed the entire trip. Initially, we were aiming to stay in Morocco for two weeks, but by the end of it, the forecast showed a good swell coming, so we didnt have to think twice and decided to stay longer. In the end, we built quite a team, were occupied with discovering unseen places between swells, and spent a month there.

Morocco on 35mm Elina Naboka

SURFER: What kind of cameras were you using Elina? And what kind of boards did you bring Simon?

Elina: I had with me my Sony a6500 for filming, Traveler Handy cam for some B-roll and two analog cameras for taking pictures - Minolta x-700, and Canon Prima super 120.

Simon: I was riding a couple Chilli surfboards, mainly a bladed pretty thin 510 shorty and a 60 faded on the bigger days.

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SURFER:Looks like you scored some proper swell, was it hard to know where to go surf? Did you two just wing it or did you have some local friends help tune you into the right spots?

Most of the days a short drive along the coast made it clear to us where we should paddle out, a couple of our local friends Mohamed and Salah clued us in on when to be in certain places but we also found a couple waves we ended up surfin by just pulling off along the cliff side and looking around the corner. You can imagine the excitement when we stumbled upon one of the waves we surfed almost the whole trip.

SURFER:The coffee truck looked like quite the come up, where can we find Mohammed?

Elina: Mohamed is a legend, he would show up in the middle of nowhere where I would be filming and just hang with me and sometimes he would bring me a snack and a shot of espresso. You can find him at Tamri beach, probably wherever the waves are pumping!

Mohamed's famed coffee truck Elina Naboka

SURFER:From a cultural perspective, what about Morocco left the biggest impact?

For us the trip felt like a true adventure from start to finish, it was humbling to be welcomed by local people who shared food, tea, and customs. Even with the somewhat overwhelming amount of surf tourism in Morocco many people there maintain their hospitality and acceptance of outsiders who come with respect and wish to tread lightly. We enjoyed some of our favorite meals in some time, a lot of them eaten on the street, and tried our best to go to the most local places we could find to see and appreciate how Moroccans live.

Related: A Surf Journey To Sri Lanka with Drifter Surf
With 20 percent tariffs imposed on European Union countries by U.S. President Donald Trumps new policy, brands like Hermes, Fendi, Chanel, Gucci and Dior may be forced to increase the prices of some of their bestselling products, including luxury bags made in Italy and France.

Companies can share tariffs with retailers depending on their supply and demand. However, when it comes to the luxury market, it is likely that most, and perhaps all, of the tariff with be passed on to the buyer in the form of a higher price, Randall Holcombe, professor of economics at Florida State University, told WWD.

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Purchasers of luxury goods are probably not very price sensitive, so sellers will be able to pass the tariff on to buyers in the form of higher prices. This is more true for luxury goods than for goods that have price-sensitive buyers, he explained.

If the brands pass all 20 percent of the tariffs on to the consumer, heres how the existing prices of some of the luxury bags could look.

Chanel flap bag (small, grained calfskin and gold-tone metal, black), currently priced at $10,400 at the brands website, could cost $12,480 after tariffs.

Hermes Birkin typically starts at $12,000, according to Sothebys, but it could start at $14,400 after tariffs.

Fendi Baguette (blue denim-effect FF jacquard bag), currently priced at $3,490 at the brands website, could cost $4,188.

Gucci Jackie bag (medium size), currently priced at $4,800 at the brands website, could cost $5,760.

Dior Saddle bag (medium soft with strap black goatskin), currently priced at $4,400 at the brands website, could cost $5,280.

Dior Lady Dior bag (medium size, black cannage lambskin), currently priced at $6,500 at the brands website, could cost $7,800.

Fendi Baguette

On Thursday, Citi identified publicly traded companies with the highest revenue exposure to the U.S. market, listing LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Dior, Fendi, Givenchy and others) with 25 percent and Kering (Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen and others) with 24 percent. Meanwhile, the luxury companies with lower U.S. exposure were Moncler (13 percent), Swatch Group (15 percent), Prada Group (16 percent), Hermes International (17 percent) and Burberry (19 percent).

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For Holcombe, the tariffs should have a minimal impact on their sales. If luxury brand buyers are less price-sensitive, there will be little need to shift their business models in response to the tariffs, he said.

In case of retaliatory tariffs  the European Union is preparing tariffs, regulatory measures and restrictions on U.S. firms, expected after Monday  the luxury market should still be the least affected, according to Holcombe. The issue would be if international consumers decide to boycott Made in USA products.

There are not many American brands that produce for those markets. The bigger impact is likely to be from consumers in other countries who decide not to buy American goods as a protest against U.S. tariff policy. We have already seen this in Canada, for example, where consumers are boycotting U.S. goods, Holcombe said.

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Launch Gallery: Inside the Factory That Makes $10,000 Chanel Handbags

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Apr. 5GRAND FORKS  The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council has announced its "Of the Year" award-winners. The three recipients will be honored at a special event April 27 at the University of Minnesota Crookston.

The awards program is set for 3 p.m. in the Sargeant Student Center's Bede Ballroom. A reception with light refreshments and music will begin at 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The awards recognize outstanding artists and arts advocates in the council's seven-county service area who stand out for their artistry or volunteerism in the arts, according to an announcement. The council's service area covers Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake and Roseau counties.

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The recipients were nominated by area residents.

Loreen Hanson, Thief River Falls, will be receiving the Northwest Artist of the Year for Visual Art Award.

The Northwest Artist of the Year Award is presented to an established or emerging artist in any discipline, including visual, performing and creative writing who is active in their artistic endeavors. The award includes a $500 cash prize.

With more than 76 years of experience in drawing and painting, Hanson has produced a large amount of artwork that captures the beauty of her surroundings, including images of wildlife, flora and fauna, still-life arrangements, portraits and people engaged in everyday activities.

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She has participated in more than 30 art exhibits.

Rena Zapata Bouchard, Crookston, will be presented with the Northwest Arts Advocate of the Year Award for Media Art, which comes with a $500 cash prize. Artists working in all disciplines are eligible for this award.

A makeup artist and portrait photographer, Bouchard is "passionate about empowering others and using the arts as a tool for social change," according to the council's announcement.

In 2019, she spearheaded the creation of Studio 110, a permanent space dedicated to digital storytelling for youth and adults in Crookston and the surrounding area. The studio has become an environment for media arts creativity with a focus on acceptance and breaking stereotypes; it is "a welcoming home base" for persons of color, the arts council said.

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Bouchard coordinates media arts workshops, inviting professional artists from across the nation to teach and empower those who frequent Studio 110 in downtown Crookston.

Darcy Reese, Thief River Falls, will receive the Northwest Star Award for Creative Choir Directing.

A former choir teacher who served for 37 years in Thief River Falls, Reese has received national recognition and awards for choir direction. In 2024, she was inducted into the Minnesota Music Educators Hall of Fame.

The Northwest Star Award, which comes with a $5,000 cash prize, is considered a lifetime achievement award, the council said. To qualify for the award, an individual must be a professional artist and have earned a substantial portion of their income through artistic endeavors.

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Also on April 27 at the University of Minnesota Crookston, the Northwest Art Exhibit, featuring more than 120 works of art by local adult and high school-age artists, will be open at noon for viewing in the Sargeant Student Center's International Room.

The council has been celebrating regional artists with this "Of the Year" program since 2002. Funding for the Northwest Star and Northwest Artist of the Year comes from The McKnight Foundation. Funding for the Northwest Arts Advocate of the Year is from the Minnesota State Legislature.

For more information on these awards, go to

http://www.northwestminnesotaartscouncil.org

and click on "Artists" and then "Nominations for Of the Year Awards," or contact the council at (218) 745-8666 or

director@nwartscouncil.org

.
Apr. 4AUSTIN  As paddlers take to Texas' lakes, rivers and coastal waters, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) reminds everyone to prioritize safety while kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding. With warmer weather drawing more outdoor enthusiasts to the water, following essential safety practices can prevent accidents and save lives.

"Paddling is a great way to enjoy Texas' natural beauty, but preparation is key to staying safe," Erika Brooks, TPWD boating education training specialist, said in a news release. "Wearing a properly fitted life jacket, knowing the water conditions and planning ahead can make all the difference."

Texas law requires all paddlers to have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket on board, and children under 13 must wear one at all times while paddling. Paddlers should also check weather forecasts, understand water currents and carry a whistle or other sound-producing device to signal for help if needed.

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"Many paddling accidents involve unexpected hazards like strong currents, submerged obstacles, or sudden weather changes," said Cody Jones, Texas Game Warden assistant commander for marine enforcement. "Being aware of your surroundings and wearing your life jacket can mean the difference between a close call and a tragedy."

Several recent tragedies serve as a stark reminder that preparation, awareness and proper safety equipment are essential for a day out on the water.

"Over the past few weeks, we've seen a concerning rise in paddling-related fatalities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area," said Joseph Quintero, Texas Game Warden captain. "These unfortunate incidents highlight the importance of being prepared as conditions on the water can change quickly. No matter your experience level, it's important to not overestimate your abilities and take the proper precautions."

Paddlers should also avoid alcohol while on the water, paddle in groups when possible and let someone know their float plan, including their expected return time and location and carry a white light if paddling between sunset and sunrise. As temperatures continue to rise, staying hydrated and using sun protection is also advised.

Additional paddling safety tips can be found at https://tpwd.texas.gov/boating/paddling-trails/safety/.
If canines had accents, a lot of Rhode Island dogs would bark with Southern drawls.

For years, a persistent parade of beaten, hurting and unwanted hounds from Arkansas have rolled into the Ocean State, where the dogs found salvation with welcoming families and loving homes.

Call it a puppy pipeline.

One of the Rhode Island rescues that finds homes for a lot of dogs from Arkansas operates on this motto: "At Rhode Home, we fully believe that adopting a rescue not only saves them but saves you, too!"

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Rhode Home Rescue has placed 2,304 dogs from Arkansas in homes here since it started in 2016. Every other week, a truck travels the 1,400 miles from Arkansas to deliver dogs of all ages, shapes and sizes. After the cross-country trek, they are placed with Rhode Home's large group of foster families until they find forever homes, or as dog lovers like to say, their "fur ever homes."

Rhode Home Rescue has found homes for 5,141 dogs since Nadine McCaffrey founded the organization nine years ago. Many of the dogs come from Arkansas, including McCaffrey's Abby.

Big group of volunteers helps out at Rhode Home Rescue

Based in Warwick, Rhode Home Rescue takes dogs from all over, including right down the road in Providence, and has placed 5,141 dogs since 2016, but "we primarily work with Arkansas now, because there is a need, and we have a dedicated transport that comes from Arkansas to Rhode Island every other Friday," said Nadine McCaffrey, founder and president.

The transport, by Just Us Beagles and Friends, also stops in Connecticut and Massachusetts as it drops off dogs in need of families. Last Friday night, it pulled up to Rhode Home Rescue and delivered nine cute and oftentimes anxious pups that were greeted by excited foster families.

McCaffrey started rescuing dogs as a hobby, but placing all of those dogs required more of her time than she initially expected, not to mention coordinating the big network of dog-loving volunteers in Rhode Island. About 750 people give their time to Rhode Home Rescue, helping with tasks such as transportation and screening potential adopters.

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They also staff the frequent adoption events Rhode Home Rescue holds at a variety of sites. Some 125 homes foster the dogs while they await their forever homes.

McCaffrey said, "It's like one big family."

In Arkansas, several dedicated people pull dogs out of awful circumstances, get them healthy and send them north. "They're the boots-on-the-ground people," McCaffrey said. "They're the heroes."

They save dogs that have been abandoned, abused, left in dumpsters or found living in filthy conditions with dozens of other animals. They pull from the jaws of death dogs that were scheduled to be put down.

A dog rescued in Arkansas arrives in Rhode Island, where a foster family will provide care until it can find a permanent home.

Attitudes toward pets are different in much of the South, according to McCaffrey. "A lot of people down South treat dogs as property," she said. "We treat them as part of the family."

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McCaffrey herself adopted a dog, a chocolate Labrador retriever, from Arkansas that was "tied to a tree for two years."

"When she got here, she was afraid of everything," McCaffrey said. "Now she's living her best life."

McCaffrey brings her dog, Abby, to visit residents of nursing homes, where Abby "has to get pets from everybody, because she's sure everybody is there to see her," McCaffrey joked.

"She has become the love of our lives," McCaffrey said.

Abby was "afraid of everything" when Nadine McCaffrey adopted her. Now she's a popular visitor to nursing homes.

Arkansas couple rescued nearly 500 dogs last year

McCaffrey regularly works with four rescues in Arkansas, including Sweet Paws Rescue in Searcy. Founder Sabrina Henson and her husband, Sam, rescued nearly 500 dogs last year, according to Sabrina. But the work doesn't end in the South; Sam also drove to Rhode Island last Friday to deliver pups.

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They've rescued dogs in all types of circumstances, none of them good.

"We've picked them up off the side of the road covered in blood," said Sabrina, who sometimes goes beyond the state borders for rescues. Veterinarians will ask Sweet Paws to take dogs that would otherwise be put down. "They don't want to euthanize those good dogs," Sabrina said.

While she talked to a reporter last week, Sabrina was driving a dog to a veterinarian. The dog had been hit by a car and needed to have a leg amputated. The owner couldn't afford the treatment.

Sabrina Henson holds three dogs she has rescued. She and her husband, Sam, operate a rescue in Arkansas that often sends dogs to Rhode Island.

Sabrina has gone into houses with police officers to pull out dogs. She's taken dogs that were so hungry they took to eating whatever they could find, their bellies full of rocks. She and her husband have rescued dogs anywhere from 3 to 150 pounds. "No matter the breed, if there's a need, we help," Sabrina said.

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Sabrina and Sam bring the rescued dogs to their home, which sits on several acres, and clean, groom and nurse them back to health. They get them shots and get them spayed or neutered.

They rely on donations and dip into their own funds. Sabrina noted that her husband has a full-time job. Her full-time job is rescuing dogs, but it doesn't come with pay. Last year, they had veterinary bills of $78,000, even though veterinarians often give them breaks, and Sabrina "gloves up" to help with the medical treatments.

Some of the dogs they rescue appear vicious, "ready to bite my face off," but Sabrina says they all come around when they're shown care, kindness and patience. When the dogs are ready, Sabrina looks for a permanent home. Often, that means sending them north.

Bamboo was living in filth with more than 100 other dogs when she was rescued in Arkansas, and Donna Ferrucci of East Greenwich later adopted her.

Retired teacher found her 'spirit animal'

Donna Ferrucci, a retired teacher who lives in East Greenwich, has owned several dogs, but her first rescue came from Sweet Paws Rescue via Rhode Home Rescue.

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Ferrucci fell for a 10-month-old shih tzu in June 2023 after happening across a Rhode Home Rescue adoption event.

"I'm telling you, I had to have him," Ferrucci said of the pet she named Bamboo. "He's my spirit animal."

Bamboo was rescued from a hoarding situation where he lived with more than 100 other dogs, as well as rats, Ferrucci said.

Ferrucci has three other dogs, including two other shih tzus. Bamboo fits in well, and the little rescue dog has become great pals with Ferrucci's big black Labrador retriever named Scout. They even have their own Facebook page, Scout and Bamboo's Ruff Life Chronicles.

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Since adopting Bamboo, Ferrucci has become an advocate for rescue dogs. While working as a substitute teacher, she met another retired teacher, also substituting, who told her she wanted to get a beagle for company. Ferrucci knew whom to call. Sabrina told her she had a "sweet" beagle that was already on its way to Rhode Island.

Another match, and two more lives were saved.

Ferrucci loves all of her pets, but she feels a special bond with Bamboo. She said, "There's something about taking a dog who didn't have the best start in life and making them feel loved, supported and safe."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Many RI dogs have a strong Southern connection, thanks to local rescue
Finn Wolfhard had a "blind optimism" at the start of his career.

Finn Wolfhard was blindly optimistic earlier in his career

The 22-year-old actor actually spent years trying to establish himself as a director, before he received the financial backing to make 'Hell of a Summer', his comedy-horror film.

Finn - who is best known for playing Mike Wheeler on the hit Netflix series 'Stranger Things' - told People: "It was a long process. I started writing this movie at 16 ... and I don't know how we got through it.

"That was the entire process, but we were lucky enough to have amazing people behind us and producers that really believed in us as filmmakers."

Finn confessed to being blindly optimistic earlier in his career, when he assumed that he'd easily find support for all of his projects.

The actor-turned-director said: "Being a teenager - and just having a door shut in your face over and over and over again - you just had this blind optimism, or blind confidence, because you don't really see what the worst thing that can happen is by sending a script to this person or sending a script to that person and trying to get your foot in the door.

"I think, in a lot of ways, being young really helped."

Finn's outlook has changed over recent years, with the actor insisting that he's now "at peace" with the situation.

The 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' star said: "I'm only 22, that's still very young, and even though I made a film, I'm expecting to still be treated like I'm a younger person that doesn't really know what they're doing. But I'm at peace with proving it to people however many times.

"I think it's something that gets easier over time, because it just becomes a part of the process, and then, slowly, it goes away, I guess, as you get older."

Finn has also released music with The Aubreys in recent years, and he previously described his music as a "personal journey".

Speaking about his music ambitions, Finn told Kerrang! magazine: "I just like writing songs, putting them out, and making music accessible. As long as someone can hear it and relate to it, thats really all that I care about.

"I definitely dont feel like Im trying to take over the world! Its my own personal journey and relationship with music, so its less about cultural impact."
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Credit: @elizagracehuber

"The space had a grand[ness to it], but at the same time, had that contrast of feeling unfinished and raw," COS design director Karin Gustafsson tells me on the day after the Stockholm-based brand's S/S 25 show. The collection's debut took place inside Dionyssomarble Quarry, a cavernous marble structure in Dionysos, Greece, a short drive from Athens, and was attended by tastemakers such as Tamu McPherson and Lucy Williams, as well as A-list talent including Adrien Brody and Jodie Turner-Smith.

According to Gustafsson, the collection was initially inspired by Renaissance paintings and the way they are both grandiose and muted in color. As COS is a brand rooted in minimalism and wearability, Gustafsson challenged herself to maintain its codes while also playing with the extravagance of the Renaissance era. "We really liked the idea of extreme masculinity and extreme femininity, skin, and the draping of materials," she says. "And then, of course, we married that with COS, which is more refined and considered and understated." Finding a venue that mirrored this vision was no easy feat, but Gustafsson's team persevered, landing on Dionyssomarble Quarry, the sole producer of the same marble stone used by ancient Athenians to sculpt the Parthenon and the Erechtheion on the Acropolis. "When it came up, it felt quite natural," Gustafsson says. Awe-inspiring and lavish while also stark and undone, the quarry was a perfect fit for the clothes presented inside it.

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To see and shop COS's S/S 25 collection, keep scrolling. Below, you'll find its buzziest buys and more on the memorable show.

What a Venue

Runway show venues that truly shock, awe, and surprise don't come around as often as you might think. Though a small handful brandsthink Jacquemus and Saint Laurenthave a tendency to go above and beyond when it comes to location scouting, many prefer to stick to routine spaces, using props to make them feel special season after season. With that in mind, you can imagine just how impressive COS's Grecian show venue was. Photos don't do it justicetrust me. The space, carved inside a sea of white marble, was truly otherworldly, causing every attendee to look around in wonder and amazement. That is, until the sound of heels on marble emanated from somewhere in the distance and models dressed in pastel pink, slate gray, and white emerged from behind a high-up wall of stone. At that point, everyone's attention turned to the S/S 25 collection, which was just as all-consuming as the space it debuted in.

Guests in Greece

In addition to plenty of influential online personalities, COS hosted some of Hollywood's biggest stars in Athens for its S/S 25 show. The Brutalist's Adrien Brody likely felt at home in the venue after shooting in an Italian quarry for the Golden Globewinning film. Brody was the star of COS's S/S 25 campaign, making his attendance at the show even more impactful. Also in attendance were Sharon Stone, Gemma Chan, and Jodie Turner-Smith, who arrived wearing one of the collection's most talked-about looks featuring a pair of slate-gray bloomers and a funnel-neck suede anorak.

Credit: Courtesy of COS

The New Renaissance

"Our starting point was looking toward Renaissance paintings," says Gustafsson about the S/S 25 collection. "We gave ourselves a working title of The New Renaissance." According to her, COS doesn't usually look this far back for inspiration, but her team was very intrigued by artwork from the era and decided to try to combine the feelings that pieces from the time evoke with COS's more pared-back aesthetic. "The colors were really important," she tells me. "If you look at these old paintings, there's so much color there, but nothing is shouting. There's almost a filter on top of it." She also looked at objects and silhouettes from the Renaissance era, using them to determine the shapes the collection's garments would take on. According to Gustafsson, who's been with the brand since its inception in 2006, the key to innovating season after season is "being on top of inspiration" whilst always holding on to COS's identity.

Credit: Courtesy of COS

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Credit: Courtesy of COS

Credit: Courtesy of COS

Buzzy Buys

The best part about COS's showapart from the star-studded front row and location, of coursewas the fact that practically every piece from the collection is already available to purchase, including some of its buzziest buys. Sporty jackets, bloomers, and sock boots were among the items attendees couldn't stop talking about post-show, with many using up their international data to draft COS orders before their favorite items sold out. (The bloomers already did. Though, I'm personally crossing my fingers that they'll be restocked.) Plus, as we venture further into spring, more pieces will be added to COS's website, including the sought-after jelly fisherman sandals and ballet flats that debuted in the quarry earlier this week.

Half-Zip Blouson Shirt



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Ribbed Sock Boots

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Gathered Micro Skirt



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Deconstructed Open-Back Wool Top



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Suede Drawstring Tote Bag



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Attached Layered Fine Cashmere Cardigan

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Pointed Suede Mules



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Silk Scarf-Detail Shirt



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The first week of jury selection in the Karen Read trial just wrapped up, with 68 potentially new juror candidates screened in Dedham on Friday.

Nearly 300 people from across Norfolk County have been questioned since Tuesday in Judge Beverly Cannones courtroom.

So far, one juror has been added to the seats for the upcoming retrial, and another juror has been lost, leaving the total jurors still at 10 out of 16.

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Despite a net gain of zero new jurors on Friday, attorney and legal analyst Peter Elikann says the process is going faster than he expected

Its almost impossible to find a juror who hasnt at least heard of this case... So what were looking for is jurors who will still, even though theyve heard of the case, will say that they can be unbiased.

Read was asked about her thoughts on the selected jurors and said that, I trust they will do the right thing and be objective.

Reads father also chimed in, saying that Read is encouraged and hopeful.

She believes if people look at things objectively with an open mind she will walk out free. Bill Read said.

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While potential jurors were screened, a group of Karen Read supporters had a hearing in federal court in Boston.

They are suing Judge Cannone and others over the buffer zone that keeps them from gathering outside the courthouse; however, no decision has been made as of yet, and both sides have until Thursday to provide more information to the judge.

Reads team has taken her bid to get two of her charges dropped to the United States Supreme Court, but with the Supreme Court receiving thousands of petitions every day, its considered a long shot.

Jury selection is expected to resume on Monday, April 7.

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HONOLULU (KHON2)  Today, Saturday, April 5, is host to a nationwide protest called Hands Off. It is taking place in all 50 states and aims to defend democracy, personal freedoms and climate justice.

This movement is being organized by progressive groups like Third Act and Reproductive Freedom for All, with support from leaders like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders.

Organizers indicated that the marches are a direct response to POTUS and his sidekick who are seen as undermining democratic values and personal freedoms.

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The protests are focused on opposing political and corporate efforts that limit rights. Those include healthcare, wages and safety. Activists are pushing back against policies that benefit the wealthy while stripping away protections for everyday people.

More than 1,000 events are scheduled across the United States from rallies and marches to teach-ins and digital actions.

The protests will span major cities from Washington, D.C.to Honolulu and is including smaller towns and college campuses across the country.

What to know about Honolulus gathering

The rally is taking place at the Hawaii State Capitol at 415 S. Beretania Street. The rally begins at 12 p.m. and goes to 2 p.m. Bring your signs and be ready to network. Its a mass mobilization with the expectation of millions participating. The message is resistance not violence.

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Information to guide your day

Some local attorneys are cautioning to keep the march civil since POTUS does have the power to declare martial law nationwide and send National Guard troops into cities.

1. Know your rights and use them

You have the right to remain silent; simply say, I am exercising my right to remain silent and want a lawyer.. Ask, Am I being detained or am I free to go? If you are not detained, then you can leave. Write a legal support hotline on your arm in permanent marker.

2. What to bring (and not to bring)

Pack essentials like water, snacks, phone with passcode, external battery, mask, emergency contacts and cash. Avoid weapons, illegal items or anything you dont want police to see or confiscate.

3. Stay calm, stay safe

Stay with your group, remain peaceful and avoid engaging with agitators or counter-protesters. You have the right to film police but must not interfere. If arrested, dont resist. Only provide your name and birthdate; then, wait for a lawyer.

4. Protect your phone and data

Disable Face ID and fingerprint unlock and use a strong passcode. Use encrypted apps like Signal for messaging. During tense moments, consider airplane mode and back up or live stream important footage.

5. Use local and national resources

Familiarize yourself with local legal hotlines and mutual aid networks by searching Honolulu Mutual Aid. National organizations like National Lawyers Guild (NLG) and ACLU provide legal support and know-your-rights guides. Plan ahead for transportation or accessibility needs.

6. Be mentally prepared for police presence

Even peaceful protests can lead to police in riot gear, surveillance and unexpected aggression. Stay calm. Your body language and tone are important. Dont argue or run; keep your hands visible. Filming is legal but prioritize your safety while doing so.

7. Have a protest buddy

Attend the march with a trusted companion and have a plan in case youre separated. Share your locations, set meet-up spots if the crowd shifts and check in with each other before and after the event.

8. Know what to do if tear gas or pepper spray is used

Avoid rubbing your eyes. Blink rapidly and rinse with water or saline. If possible, wear glasses instead of contacts. Bring a bandana or cloth to cover your face if necessary.

9. Your clothing matters

Wear neutral colors without logos or slogans and cover any identifying tattoos or features to protect your identity in photos and footage. Avoid flashy items or jewelry, and dress in layers to adapt to temperature changes or alter your appearance if needed.

10. Social media can be a double-edged sword

While posting raises awareness, it can also reveal identities or locations. Blur faces in protest photos, avoid sharing your location in real-time and use private stories or encrypted channels for sharing sensitive content to maintain privacy.

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This information came from the NLG. You can click here to read more.

You can click here to read more about the nationwide protests, including information on the protest in Honolulu.

The following information was provided to KHON2.com by Salmah Y. Rizvi who is the Executive Director for ACLU of Hawaii (ACLU-HI).

Your rights

Unfortunately, due to current staffing limitations, ACLU-HI is unable to serve as Legal Observers at this march.

However, ACLU-HI empowers citizens to serve as legal observers and their Board of Directors provides training to become a Legal Observer. Click here to find out more. There is even training specifically for the Hands-Off marches. Click here to learn more.

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Under the First Amendment, your free speech and protest rights are strongest in what are known as traditional public forums, such as streets, sidewalks and parks.

Counterprotesters also have free speech rights. Police must treat protesters and counterprotesters equally. Police are permitted to keep antagonistic groups separated but should allow them to be within sight and sound of one another.

When you are lawfully present in any public space, you have the right to photograph anything in plain view, including federal buildings and the police.

If you are stopped by police while protesting, stay calm. Make sure to keep your hands visible. Dont argue, resist or obstruct the police, even if you believe they are violating your rights. Point out that you are not disrupting anyone elses activity and that the First Amendment protects your actions.

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Ask the police officer if you are free to leave. If the officer says yes, calmly walk away.

If you are under arrest, you have a right to ask why. Otherwise, say you wish to remain silent and ask for a lawyer immediately. Dont say anything or sign anything without a lawyer.

You have the right to make a local phone call, and if youre calling your lawyer, police are not allowed to listen.

You never have to consent to a search of yourself or your belongings. If you do explicitly consent, it can affect you later in court.

Police may pat down your clothing if they suspect you have a weapon and may search you after an arrest.

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Police officers may not confiscate or demand to view your photographs or video without a warrant, nor may they delete data under any circumstances. However, they may order citizens to cease activities that are truly interfering with legitimate law enforcement operations.

What to do if you believe your rights have been violated

When you can, write down everything you remember, including the officers badge and patrol car numbers and the agency they work for.

Get contact information for witnesses.

Take photographs of any injuries.

Once you have all of this information, you can file a written complaint.

What happens if the police issue an order to disperse the protest?

Shutting down a protest through a dispersal order must be law enforcements last resort. Police may not break up a gathering unless there is a clear and present danger of riot, disorder, interference with traffic or other immediate threat to public safety.

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If officers issue a dispersal order, they must provide a reasonable opportunity to comply, including sufficient time and a clear, unobstructed exit path.

Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHONs morning podcast, every morning at 8

Individuals must receive clear and detailed notice of a dispersal order, including how much time they have to disperse, the consequences of failing to disperse and what clear exit route they can follow, before they may be arrested or charged with any crime.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
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: David Jack Walker. Image courtesy Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum.

We want to remember David Jack Walker, 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.
BEDFORD, Pa.  Nine dogs and nine cats were seized Thursday from an unspecified property in West Providence Township when troopers arrived Wednesday to investigate citizen complaints that the animals were being neglected at an abandoned farmhouse property, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

A search warrant executed at the Bedford County property Thursday led to seizing of the domestic animals that have since been placed in local humane society locations.

Upon arrival Wednesday afternoon, troopers found dogs tied up outside the structure with dilapidated dog houses and additional dogs inside a camper on the property. Three of the dogs were found to be living in abhorrent conditions, police said.

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The property owner reportedly told officers that none of the dogs had ever received care from a veterinarian. It was not specified if the seized cats had received medical care.

Police said charges are pending after further investigation.

No further details were provided by state police.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Three men were arrested over the weekend in connection with a March shooting during which they allegedly opened fire on a couple outside of a South Nashville apartment complex.

According to Metro Police, 22-year-old Coreonta Olawumi, 21-year-old Ronald Short and 21-year-old Robert Short Jr. were charged Friday, April 4, following an investigation into the incident.

Gunshot detection tech leads to 3 arrests following separate Murfreesboro shooting incidents

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On March 14, officials said a woman and man were in a vehicle outside of an apartment complex in the 200 block of Tanglewood Court when another woman  believed to be the mans ex-girlfriend  approached the car and an argument ensued. Shortly after the argument began, three armed men got out of a silver Hummer parked nearby and opened fire on the pair in the car.

The man in the vehicle was critically injured after he was shot in the head and torso, but he survived. Investigators said the vehicle was struck by gunfire at least 15 times.

At the location where the three suspects were arrested Friday, investigators found marijuana, firearm accessories and two firearms, which were reportedly independently manufactured and did not have serial numbers.

CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee

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Olawumi was charged with three counts of felony attempted criminal homicide, felony reckless endangerment/assault with a deadly weapon, a felony charge for employing a firearm with intent and two misdemeanor failure to appear charges. His bond is set at $1,554,000.

Ronald Short and Robert Short Jr. were each charged with three counts of felony attempted criminal homicide, felony reckless endangerment/assault with a deadly weapon and a felony charge for employing a firearm with intent. Their bonds are set at $1,550,000.

 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.

 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.

 Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee.

This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  Three people, including two juveniles, were shot in Xenia on Friday evening.

A Xenia Police Division release said the shooting happened in the 100 block of Hivling Street at approximately 6:15 p.m.

When officers reached the home, they found three people, including two teens and one younger. Officers provided first aid until the arrival of the paramedics, who took all three to nearby hospitals.

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Officials said the 911 caller stated a person had shot at her, her son and two juveniles.

Xenia PD doesnt believe there is a threat to the public at this time.

The initial investigation shows that the people involved knew each other. However, detectives are still interviewing those injured and determining what happened.

Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call the Xenia Police Division Criminal Investigation Section at (937) 376-7206. You can leave a voicemail on the Xenia Police Tip Line at (937) 347-1623.

To reach the lead investigator, Detective Reed, email creed@cityofxenia.org.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com.
UPDATE: The second person who was killed in a double rollover crash last week in Northeast El Paso has been identified as 20-year-old Mia Elle Faison, police said.

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Two people were killed and three others hurt in a double rollover crash early Thursday morning, April 3, in Northeast El Paso, El Paso Police said.

The crash happened just before 2:30 a.m. on Thursday along the 8300 block of Gateway North.

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3 injured in rollover crash in Northeast El Paso

Police said two vehicles  a Dodge Ram pickup and a Toyota Avalon  were traveling north along Gateway North at a high rate of speed when both vehicles lost control for unknown reasons, police said.

Photos by Sofia Lopez/KTSM

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The Dodge Ram hit a curb, went off the road and rolled, police said.

At about the same time, the Toyota Avalon hit a curb, collided with an electrical pole, rolled over and hit a large tree, police said.

Two people in the Avalon died at the scene  22-year-old Ricardo Acosta and an unidentified woman in her early 20s. Police are still working to identify the second person who died, they said.

The driver of the Avalon and both occupants of the Dodge Ram were hurt and transported to a local hospital for treatment.

None of the people in the Toyota Avalon were wearing seat belts, police said.

Police said that speed and alcohol may have been contributing factors in the crash.

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These are the 18th and 19th traffic fatalities in the City limits this year, compared to 14 at the same time last year.



Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
Two people were injured in a crash on the Parkway West in Green Tree.

Allegheny County dispatchers said emergency crews were called to the 66-mile marker of I-376 westbound at 11:30 p.m. on Friday.

PennDOT said a lane restriction is in place between Exit 67 (Green Tree) and Exit 65 (Carnegie/Heidelberg).

Channel 11 has reached out to Pennsylvania State Police for more details and is waiting to hear back.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

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Patrick Schwarzenegger's fitness is key to his mental health.

Patrick Schwarzenegger stars on the HBO show

The 31-year-old actor worked out regularly while shooting the third season of 'The White Lotus' in Thailand, and Patrick has likened his workout plan to a form of "therapy".

The Hollywood star - who played Saxon Ratliff in season three of the hit HBO show - told E! News: "For me, running and working out is like my therapy - its my alone time, my reset. It represents freedom - just being in my own space, my own zone.

"I dont necessarily have extremely specific goals unless theyre tied to a character and how I want to look. For me, fitness is just as much about mental health as it is physical health."

Patrick enjoyed going on long runs in Thailand when he wasn't shooting scenes for the show.

He shared: "The shoot had that work-hard, play-hard vibe, and there were a lot of days where we werent working at all. Sometimes, it was just other groups filming - groups that I didnt necessarily interact with in the storyline. So, it was like, what do we do on these off days?

"At first, you want to go to the beach and hang by the pool, but after a while, you want to explore. I would go on long walks - multiple-hour-long walks."

Patrick enjoyed running on Ko Samui and Phuket, two of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations.

He said: "Working out has always been a huge part of my life, and it was a huge part of this characters life too. It was something I did all the time.

"Id go on long runs - we were on an island for a lot of the time, in Ko Samui and Phuket."

Patrick also found working out to be a great way of bonding with his 'White Lotus' co-stars.

The actor - who starred alongside the likes of Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, and Aimee Lou Wood on the show - said: "I did a lot of beach runs.

"It was also a great way to bond with some of the other castmates - going to the gym, working out, or going on walks and runs."
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Two teens face felony charges after allegedly drag racing down Bell Road in Antioch overnight.

According to court documents, officers were conducting a traffic stop near Bell Road and Old Hickory Boulevard when they saw multiple vehicles driving at high speeds  more than 80 mph in a 45 mph zone  on Bell Road.

2 taxicab passengers killed in high-speed crash in The Gulch

Officers performed a traffic stop on two vehicles, a black Toyota pickup truck and a dark Infiniti sedan, near Bell Road and Blue Hole Road.

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Police asked the driver of the Toyota, 18-year-old Karar Al-Hamzawi, why he was driving at such a high speed and he said he didnt think he was going that fast, per the affidavit. He was charged with felony drag racing and booked into Metro Jail on a $5,000 bond, which has since been posted.

The Infiniti, driven by 19-year-old George Girgis, was identified as the vehicle racing with Al-Hamzawi. According to reports, officers found a half-consumed alcoholic beverage and nicotine vapes in the vehicle.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Girgis was arrested and charged with felony drag racing, misdemeanor underage nicotine vape possession, misdemeanor underage alcohol possession and a misdemeanor charge for an open container. Girgis was also released Saturday morning after posting bond.

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 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.

 Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee.

This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG)  A Prichard man accused of a 2023 standoff in midtown Mobile has been sentenced, according to the United States Department of Justice.

UPDATE: Mobile police identify Long Meadow Road homicide victim

U.S. District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade sentenced Clarence White, 45, to 151 months in prison, which will be followed by a supervised release term of three years for the illegal possession of a firearm.

Clarence White. (Mobile County Sheriffs Office Jail Management System)

According to a USDOJ news release, Mobile police responded to a local residence on Oct. 23, 2023, to arrest White for multiple outstanding warrants.

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Court documents said White began shooting out a window of the home after speaking with Mobile police officers. He nearly hit one of the officers, according to the USDOJ.

White already had several prior felony convictions including attempted murder, possession of a controlled substance and assault. These convictions prohibit him from possessing a firearm.

According to the USDOJ, White was indicted for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He pled guilty.

Mobile County deputy on desk duty pending investigation into car crash: MCSO

The investigation included the Mobile Police Department and the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill prosecuted the case.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
A 23-year-old driver was arrested after police say he fired shots at another driver in a road rage incident Friday.

Milwaukee police said the incident happened at about 11:20 a.m. on the 700 block of South Layton Boulevard, by Mitchell Park.

A 38-year-old was struck by the gunfire and arrived at Police District Three to summon assistance, police said. The victim sustained a minor injury and was not transported to a hospital.

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The 23-year-old man was found with a gun and criminal charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, police said.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee driver arrested for shooting other driver in road rage
Gila River police arrested three people in connection with a deadly assault on a Sacaton woman.

The agency on April 4 said one adult and two juveniles were arrested in connection with the March 22 assault. There were no immediate details on the names of the three, nor any information on how they were connected to each other or if they had any relationship with the victim. Police did say all three were members of the Gila River Indian Community.

Police did not release information on the victim of the March 22 assault, which they described as a "brutal attack." The investigation is ongoing.

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Chief Jesse Crabtree of the Gila River Police Department thanked the community members who provided information that led to the arrests.

We must continue to stand united in our efforts to end violence in our community," Crabtree said in a statement on the agency's website. "Silence enables these acts to persisttogether, we must speak out and protect one another.

A 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew remains in place for all Gila River youth under the age of 18. The curfew is set to expire May 1.

Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on social media @maryjpitzl.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gila River police arrest 3 for brutal and deadly assault
The items in this weeks recall roundup may be in your pantry. Read on to learn why giant chocolate bars, a fan-favorite Trader Joe's dressing, and beloved tortilla chips are in the hot seat.

Simply Recipes / FDA

Tony's Chocolonely Chocolate Recalled For Containing Small Rocks

On April 1, Tonys Chocolonely Inc., a New York, New York Corporation, voluntarily recalled many of its chocolate bars out of concern that the product may contain tiny stones. These bars were distributed nationwide and sold online. Distribution of the treats in question began February 7, 2025, and ended March 24, 2025.

The recall came after 12 consumer complaints (outside of the U.S. and Canada) were submitted to the company. The company suspects the stones hadnt been filtered out during third-party almond harvesting and processing. No one consumed the rocks or was injured.

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Product: Tonys Chocolonely Everything Bar (6.35oz)

Lot numbers: 4327, 4330, 4331, M4331

UPC: 850011828564, 850011828564, 850011828564, 850032676441

Best by dates: November 22, 2025, November 25, 2025, November 26, 2025

Distribution: Nationwide

Product: Tonys Chocolonely Dark Almond Sea Salt Bar (6.35oz)

Lot numbers: 163094, 162634, M162634

UPC: 858010005641, 858010005641, 850011828908

Best by dates: February 28, 2026, and April 2, 2026

Distribution: Nationwide

If you bought one of the affected items, return the product to the store you purchased it from for a full refund or a replacement. If you have any other questions, contact Tonys Chocolonely USA directly at +1 (503)-388-5990.

Simply Recipes / Trader Joes

Trader Joes Dressing Pulled From Shelves for Undisclosed Allergens

On March 29, Trader Joes removed its Hot Honey Mustard Dressing from its storefront for not declaring key allergenspeanut, sesame, soy, and wheaton all of the product labels. If someone with severe allergies to one or more of these ingredients consumed them, the result could be life-threatening.

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Product: Trader Joes Hot Honey Mustard Dressing

SKU: 80152

Best-by date: 5/27/25

Distribution: Arkansas, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia

As of April 4, no one has had an allergic reaction to this product. If you purchased the now-recalled dressing, you can return it to the store for a refund. If you have any other concerns, contact Trader Joes Customer Relations at (626) 599-3817 or send the company an email.

Simply Recipes / Tostitos

1,000 Bags of Tostitos Tortilla Chips Recalled for Potential Packaging Mishap

On March 26, Frito-Lay recalled over 1,000 bags of Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips because the bags may contain Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips, which contain milk. Those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the recalled product, the United States Food & Drug Administration wrote in an announcement.

These potentially mixed chip bags were available for purchase as early as March 7, 2025.

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Product: Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chip, 13 oz. bags

UPC: 28400 or 52848

Guaranteed Fresh by date: May 20, 2025

Manufacturing codes: Affected products contain one of the following manufacturing codes (where XX is any number from 30 up to 55):

471106504; 18 13:XX

471106505; 85 13:XX

471106506; 85 13:XX

471106507; 85 13:XX

Distribution: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

If you have an allergy or sensitivity to milk, toss the product. Its unclear if Frito-Lay is offering a refund at this time. Contact the company at 1-800-352-4477 (9 a.m.  4:30 p.m. CST, Monday-Friday), or visit Frito-Lay's Contact Us page for other contact methods.

Read the original article on SIMPLYRECIPES
There are 38 people in hospitals who were injured in a Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih on 4 April. Among them are six children.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia; Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipro Oblast Military Administration

Details: Most of the young patients are in a critical condition, and many adults have been hospitalised with serious injuries, Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipro Oblast Military Administration, said on his Telegram channel.

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In a commentary to Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, Dr Serhii said that people injured in the attack mostly had gunshot, blast, shrapnel and fragmentation injuries. People were hospitalised with injuries to bones, torso, and internal organs.

Quote from the doctor: "As of this hour, we have 15 people with serious injuries in hospital. A total of 38 people have been hospitalised. Sadly, two children died, and we could not save their lives. And one man died immediately in the operating room. He had a severe head injury."

More details: Four other children who arrived at the medical facility after receiving medical aid were sent to children's hospitals. Their condition was very serious.

"[They were] hit by debris. Those children who died had a combined trauma, a severe craniocerebral injury with internal organ injuries," said Serhii.

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The portal Svoi. Kryvyi Rih reports that 8-year-old Matvii Holovko is also in hospital. The boy was seriously injured. Doctors assess his condition as critical but stable.

Two women and a man remain in life-threatening condition. The latter is in a coma.

Background:

On the evening of 4 April, the Russians launched a ballistic missile attack on Kryvyi Rih. The Prosecutor General's Office reported that 18 people had been killed, including nine children. In total, 61 people were injured in the attack, including 12 children.

In particular, 3-year-old Tymofii died. People tried to resuscitate the boy, but he did not make it. At the time of the explosion, Tymofii and his grandmother were returning home from the playground.

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  Nearly 100 Kern County residents attended the third annual expungement pre-clinic Friday.

Organizers looked at more than 350 cases and said many with a criminal records were deserving of a fresh start.

This is the first step to the formal expungement process, which is set for May 9.

17 News spoke to attendees about their stories and why theyre looking for that second chance.

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I cant hold a passport, obviously I cant have a gun, Ive been turned down from many different job opportunities because of it, said Floyd Reading, whos hoping for expungement.

Thats the difficult day-to-day for those with criminal records like Reading.

He said 25 years ago while driving down Highway 99, he was involved in an accident.

I had been drinking earlier in the day, Reading recalled. Someone had rolled their car in front of me and had an accident. I was involved in their accident and someone had perished, and I went to court and went to jury trial and was found guilty for manslaughter without gross negligence.

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Reading spent two years in prison. On Friday, he spent two hours working to expunge that DUI record.

Expungement works for people who have a conviction on their record, noted Alekxia Torres-Stallings, managing partner at Torres-Torres-Stalling Law Corporation. They generally qualify once fines have been paid, or any other probation terms have been completed.

Attorney Torres-Stallings detailed that the clinic  which is 100% free  offers two avenues.

Expungement  meaning charges still show up on ones public record  or seal and destroy  meaning ones record is cleared, period.

If a case has been dismissed or an arrest never manifested itself into a case and then therefore a conviction, we can seal and destroy those arrests and or cases, said Torres-Stallings.

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Edible Schoolyard to host plant sale April 5

Alejandro Arreola was another attendee, who said hes living proof of the benefits of expungement.

Through last years clinic, he had several charges expunged.

He returned this year to expunge more, though he declined to specify the charges.

There was an employee here for a resource center, they guided me through it, helped me get a job, said Arreola. A year later, here I am now, and Ive been working. Ive been a success and the clinic helps you out a lot.

So, why do folks deserve that clean slate?

Primarily what were seeing are really old cases, said Torres-Stallings.

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That includes felony charges that now, under new state law, would be misdemeanors instead.

Theyre not that person anymore, added Dr. Jeanine Kraybill of California State University, Bakersfield, and co-founder of the clinic. People are always trying to better themselves and be active members of the community.

Kraybill further noted, Kern County is in a legal desert, which means we dont have enough attorneys to represent the population that we have.

Kraybill did emphasize, however, that even for those who have their records cleared, You would still want to, in good faith, always disclose that to your employer.

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So, organizers and advocates, including criminal defense attorney H.A. Sala, the Torres-Torres-Stallings law firm and the CSUB Pre-Law Society, are stepping up.

The clinic only covers misdemeanor or felony cases here in Kern County and does not handle juvenile or federal matters.

Floyd Reading said as a man with a record himself, hes paying it forward.

What I do at work and in business, were a second-chance company, Reading, a safety manager for a local employment agency, said. Ive always put the guys, the people that have been in prison, have been incarcerated, Ill always give them a chance to work, go back to work and rebuild their lives.

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Reading said if his charges are expunged, he hopes to, Get a passport and travel abroad, and that Australia is top of 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 KGET 17 News.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  Birmingham Fire and Rescue Services responded to an apartment fire Friday evening.

BFRS Southside crews were dispatched to the 1100 block of Cullom Street on a reported structure fire at around 6:21 p.m. Crews discovered a two-structure apartment complex with fire showing from the second floor.

BFRS personnel rescued four total occupants from the fire. Two occupants were treated on scene and released, and two were taken to area hospitals for treatment, according to Battalion Chief Clay Hendon.

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Hendon says that four apartments were damaged in the fire, and as a result, four families are currently displaced. The Red Cross will assist these families.

BFRS crews will remain on scene performing overhaul operations on the building. Hendon says this is a developing situation, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42.
(KRON)  Four Stanford University students and two recent graduates student visas were recently revoked, according to the university.

The prestigious university learned of the revocations from its Student and Exchange Visitor Program database on Friday during a routine check.

The students were informed of the revocations. The university said it is assisting with external legal help.

Protesters tee off against Trump and Musk in Hands Off! rallies across the U.S.

Stanford deeply values its international community of scholars and remains committed to supporting the well-being of all members of our community. We understand that these developments may be deeply unsettling for members of our community. Resources for those seeking assistance are available through the Bechtel International Center and on this website. Stanford Univeristy

On Stanfords website, the university said it is not currently aware of the details of the revocations or the reasons for them. The university also said they were not aware of any immigration authorities on the day of learning about the revocations.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
A Boston-area hospital is investigating after five nurses who have worked on the same floor have developed brain tumors.

Mass General Brigham Newton-Wellesley Hospital said that in total, 11 employees from the fifth-floor maternity unit identified health concerns. Five had brain tumors, all of which are benign. Two of those have the most common, benign type  meningioma, according to the hospital in Newton, Massachusetts, which is about 10 miles west of Boston.

The investigation found no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor, the hospitals Jonathan Sonis, associate chief medical officer, and Sandy Muse, chief nursing officer, said in a statement.

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The hospital said its investigation was completed in collaboration with government health and safety officials and it considered multiple possible sources. It ruled out disposable masks, the water supply, nearby x-rays, and chemotherapy treatment on the floor below, the hospital said.

Based on these results, we can confidently reassure our dedicated team ... and all our patients that there is no environmental risk at our facility," the administrators said.

An exterior of Mass General Brigham Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Mass.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association, the union that bargains for nurses' compensation at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, said it will continue to investigate.

"Right now, the best way we can help is to complete an independent, scientific investigation," MNA spokesperson Joe Markman said in a statement Friday. "That effort is underway and may take additional weeks."

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The union indicated that nurses came forward with workplace health concerns, which led to the discovery of those with tumors.

The hospital only spoke to a small number of nurses, and their environmental testing was not comprehensive, he said in his statement. The hospital cannot make this issue go away by attempting to provide a predetermined conclusion.

A spokesperson for a state agency was unable to provide conclusive information on the matter by deadline. Federal occupational health and safety officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The American Cancer Society says that in order to meet the definition of a cancer cluster, occurrences must be the same type, in the same area, with the same cause, and affecting a number of people that's "greater than expected" when a baseline for occurrences is established.

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Nearly 4 out of 10 people in the United States will develop cancer during their lifetimes," the society said on its cancer clusters webpage. "So, its not uncommon for several people in a relatively small area to develop cancer around the same time."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Apr. 4SUPERIOR  An investigation into reports that voters at Zion Lutheran Church received the wrong ballot revealed that four people cast their votes in the wrong election for Superior City Council. Another error was found among absentee ballots.

The discrepancies were not enough to potentially impact the outcome of any race.

Zion Lutheran Church is the election site for the council's 2nd and 4th districts. Four residents of the 2nd District cast votes in the uncontested race for the 4th District council seat, according to a review of the pollbooks and ballots cast in each district.

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In the 2nd District, 700 voters logged into the pollbooks, but only 696 ballots were tabulated. Conversely, 729 voters logged into the pollbook for the 4th District, but 733 ballots were tabulated.

Documentation was also reviewed from the Central Count location where absentee ballots are tabulated on Election Day. One of the 508 absentee ballots for the 2nd and 4th districts was issued incorrectly.

It's not clear whether the ballot was issued to a voter in the 2nd or 4th district. This issue will be among the items the municipal board of canvassers will review when reconciling the election, said City Clerk Heidi Blunt.

Due to the anonymous nature of ballot tabulation, Blunt said determining which voters were affected is not possible.

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The City Clerk's Office was notified at about 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, that three voters had received incorrect ballots when voting at Zion Lutheran Church, Blunt said.

"I immediately went to this poll site to investigate and offer support to the election inspectors to review practices, retrain as needed and offer additional measures to ensure ballots would be distributed correctly," Blunt said.

Blunt said she found election inspectors were following procedures set by the Wisconsin Elections Commission Election Day manual.

Ballot distribution is completed by two election inspectors working in tandem.

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Working with the chief election inspector, additional measures were implemented, including verbal recitation of voter's ward number and visual inspection to assure the correct ballots were issued, Blunt said.

Information about the ballot distribution errors will be reported to the municipal board of canvassers when they meet to certify the election Monday, April 7.

Blunt said she consulted with the Douglas County Clerk and Wisconsin Elections Commission on how to handle the election reconciliation with the discrepancies.

It will be up to the board to determine how it affects the 4th District's final tally, Blunt said.

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Councilor Jack Sweeney was uncontested in the 4th District and received 762 votes Tuesday. Sixteen write-in votes were also cast in the 4th District, according to unofficial election results.

In the 2nd District, Councilor Jenny Van Sickle lost her seat to challenger Sarah Anderson by 57 votes.

Mistakes were made, Van Sickle said, adding that she never disputed the results and "immediately and genuinely" congratulated Anderson when the votes were tallied Tuesday.

County Clerk Kaci Lundgren said Tuesday's election was unprecedented in terms of voter turnout in a spring election.

The April election typically draws fewer than 40% of registered voters to the polls, according to Douglas County election data. The only exception was the 2020 presidential preference election, which drew 44.3% of voters to the polls.

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Tuesday, 55.9% of registered voters cast ballots countywide; 55.6% cast ballots in the precinct where voters decide the 2nd and 4th district council races.

Blunt encouraged voters with questions about their ballots to contact her office at 715-395-7200 or

cityclerk@superiorwi.gov.
On the day of what would have been a celebration of Daquell Collins' 7th birthday, family, friends and community members instead remembered him in tragedy.

Through song, prayer and memories, speakers took turns Friday evening speaking about the boy known lovingly as King, who died in a shooting earlier in the week. Some described him as a "dancing machine" while another spoke of the way the child made him strive to be a better man. Others who attended wore shirts that wished the boy a happy birthday and said, "forever 6."

"I know King is feeling the love," his father, Rashadd Vinson-Turney, said while speaking quietly to those in attendance.

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The crowd of about 100 people gathered near where the child was killed on Tuesday in what family members said they believed to be an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound. Family and those close with them spoke, sharing how much they loved King. His father reminisced on picking him up after school, in an interview with the Journal Sentinel.

King loved McDonald's and, without fail, the 6-year-old boy would ask his dad to buy him the restaurant's $5 meal deal  a combo of a McChicken with a four-pack of chicken nuggets, along with a drink.

The family of 6-year-old Daquell "King" Collins release balloons during a vigil on Friday April 4, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis.

Vinson-Turney said his son loved his family, including his three siblings, and being around them.

"He just was a good kid," King's father said.

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Attendees like Ashley Johnson knew the family and wanted to support them. She lost a child as well and related to the parents' grief.

"This is not something anyone should have to go through ever," she said.

The vigil followed the arrest of three people this week, the Milwaukee Police Department told the Journal Sentinel. Police arrested a 21-year-old man, a 40-year-old woman and a 26-year-old woman in connection to the Tuesday night shooting and among those arrested was the child's mother, Daquela Collins.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Jail roster showed Collins was in custody as of Thursday, but charges had not yet been filed. Milwaukee police have declined to confirm the relationship between King and those arrested.

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Collins' stepfather, Aundayous Burks, said he co-parents with Daquela and told the Journal Sentinel it was his understanding she was not home when the shooting occurred and was arrested once she arrived.

If ultimately charged with a felony, that would follow longstanding practice by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office. The prosecutor's office routinely files criminal felony charges against the parents whose children harm themselves in accidental shootings. In other counties, similar incidents are usually charged as misdemeanors, a Journal Sentinel investigation found.

Rashadd Vinson-Turney, father of Daquell King Collins, makes remarks at a vigil for 6-year-old Daquell Collins on Friday April 4, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis.

Milwaukee prosecutors utilize the state's felony child neglect law to do so, while other counties follow a 1991 law that says when children are hurt or killed accidentally in a shooting, the caregiver who was supposed to keep the gun out of reach should be charged with a misdemeanor.

Earlier this year, 4-year-old JaiNadia Little was shot and killed and appeared to be the result of an accidental shooting, according to court documents in that case. The mother was charged with felony child neglect in the incident.

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For some who know Daquela, they said her arrest didn't sit well with them. They said the mother loved her son and it hurt her not to be at the vigil for him.

One speaker at the vigil read out a heartfelt message the mother had written for her son.

Burks, advocated for the mother, while saying King, whom he first met when the child was 2 years old and shared a secret handshake with, "made him a better man."

"His mama loved him with all her heart. She was there for him since day one," Burks said. "His mama would go broke for him."

The shooting of King drew a call from Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson for adults to protect young people by using safe gun practices and for the "appropriate people" to be held accountable.

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I am enormously saddened by the death of the 6-year-old last evening," Johnson said in a statement. "Lets be clear, guns must never be used or left unattended around children."

Throughout the vigil, speakers like local activist Tory Lowe called for people to do better. Burks echoed that call for Milwaukee's residents to do better  but turned his attention to King.

"All I can say is he's good now," Burks said. "We need to do better for him."

A GoFundMe for King's family had raised more than $1,000 as of Friday night.

David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Family holds vigil for Milwaukee boy, who died in shooting, on birthday
Apr. 4Howard County police arrested a Laurel school bus aide Thursday for allegedly hitting two nonverbal 13-year-old girls and inappropriately touching one.

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Originally Published:April 3, 2025 at 8:56 PM EDT
IndyStar reported this week that two taxpayer-funded luxury SUVs purchased by the offices of Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and Secretary of State Diego Morales were raising eyebrows at the Indiana statehouse.

Those purchases would have been more heavily scrutinized if a recently passed, bipartisan bill heading to Gov. Mike Braun's desk had already been in effect.

House Bill 1518 makes it harder for most state officials to use taxpayer money to buy cars from luxury or semi-luxury brands. It also requires car purchases to be a base, standard or government model of a car unless granted an exemption by the state. It was spurred in part by Morales' purchase.

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Here's everything you need to know.

Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith has a new SUV, an $87,672 Chevy Tahoe High Country, the top trim level for the brand, paid for by taxpayers. Meanwhile, newly passed legislation targets luxury car purchases. Photo taken outside the Indiana Statehouse, Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

IndyStar report draws attention, Beckwith responds

Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith drives to the Indiana statehouse in a 2025 Chevy Tahoe High Country SUV, which cost taxpayers just less than $88,000 when the state bought it in February, IndyStar's Hayleigh Colombo reported. The High Country is the top trim level of the SUV.

Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales drives a taxpayer-funded $90,000 GMC Yukon Denali purchased last summer.

Beckwith responded to the IndyStar report to defend the purchase, saying his office has already saved the state money and that his team of large men needs the large vehicle. Read both of those stories below, along with an opinion piece on the response by Opinion Editor James Briggs.

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IndyStar's original report: New $90K taxpayer-funded SUVs for Diego Morales, Micah Beckwith raise eyebrows at the Statehouse

Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith responds: Beckwith says he's cutting spending in his office after facing criticism over $88K SUV

Briggs: Micah Beckwith and his Indiana DOGE bros are livin' large | Opinion

Dealership is GOP donor, gave Morales $65K in campaign donations

The choice of Kelley Automotive Group, which has donated nearly $375,000 to Indiana Republican-aligned committees and candidates since 2017, raised questions for some people who were already scrutinizing Morales' use of tax dollars to purchase a $90,000 premium SUV last year.

A Black Yukon Denali sits in the Statehouse parking lot. The Secretary of States Office spent more than $90,000 on the premium SUV which is driven by Diego Morales.

Already this fiscal year, the state has spent nearly $15 million with Kelley Automotive Group, according to the Indiana Transparency Portal. The state spent nearly $10 million at Kelley Automotive Group during the previous year, and $6.4 million in the 2023 fiscal year.

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Read the full report below, along with James Briggs' column calling for the impeachment of Morales.

Dealership ties: Diego Morales' $90K SUV came from dealership that gave him $65K in campaign donations

Briggs: Diego Morales is rubbing our faces in his corruption. Impeach him now. | Opinion

This story may be updated with additional reporting.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana politicians' $90K taxpayer-funded SUVs raise questions
The Black Arrow, also known as the Small Cruise Missile, has completed a guided flight test from an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship, the weapons manufacturer, Leidos, confirmed. The Black Arrow, which is intended to carry a range of different payloads and not just a kinetic warhead, arrives at a time when the Pentagon is looking at harnessing the potential of lower-cost weapons that can be readily produced at scale to meet the likely demands of future conflicts.

Leidos only recently announced the flight test, even though it occurred last November. The company also published a video of the test, showing Black Arrow being launched from a pair of Ramp Launch Tubes (RLT) mounted on the rear ramp of the AC-130J. The Black Arrow is released tail-first from the RLT, after which its single-piece pop-out wing deploys. The motor can then be seen starting. The weapons subsequent impact into the ground is not shown in the video.

A pair of Ramp Launch Tubes (RLT) loaded with Black Arrow SCMs on the rear ramp of an AC-130J. Leidos screencap

Cruciform tailfins deploy as the Black Arrow SCM is ejected from the RLT. Leidos screencap

As well as using the RLT, Leidos says that Black Arrow can be launched from a palletized system or conventionally released from a stores pylon on a fixed-wing aircraft.

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The test demonstrated aircraft compatibility, system performance, waypoint uplinks, guidance accuracy as well as integration with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Battle Management System (BMS), the company said in a media release.

The test was conducted as part of a Collaborative Research and Development (CRADA) agreement between Leidos, the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), and the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).

Weighing around 200 pounds, the Black Arrow is intended to be a low-cost mission-adaptable delivery platform, rather than a traditional munition. This means it can be configured for both kinetic and non-kinetic missions. At the same time, its designed to facilitate spiral upgrades.

The CRADA program for the SCM, now known as Black Arrow, began in 2022, since when the interest in so-called affordable mass has only grown. Leidos says it has used model-based system engineering practices as well as open system architecture to ensure that Black Arrow is affordable and can be built rapidly at scale, if required.

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SCM is a key capability, rapidly advancing AFSOCs ability to close long-range kill chains, Col. Justin Bronder, SOCOM PEO Fixed Wing, said at the Special Air Warfare Symposium held at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, last month.

Previously, we had gotten our first glimpse of what was then only known as the Small Cruise Missile when SOCOM included a picture of it in a briefing at the annual SOF Week conference in May of last year.

A picture of a briefing slide containing the image from the Small Cruise Missile test that was shown at the SOF Week conference in May of 2024. Jamie Hunter

At the time, SOCOM said the SCM was one of its top priorities and could be launched from the MC-130J Commando II special operations tanker/transport aircraft, as well as the AC-130J, and potentially other platforms.

Adding standoff strike capabilities to aircraft like these is seen as a critical way to ensure their continued relevance, especially in future high-end conflicts, including a potential one in the Pacific against China. For the AC-130J, in particular, being able to address targets relatively quickly far from the current station it is on would allow it to support strikes across a much larger geographical area.

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Right now the aircraft can drop Small Diameter Bombs at a range of dozens of miles. That would be enhanced massively with a small cruise missile. A missile with a 200 mile range would allow the AC-130 to strike targets anywhere within a 125,664 square mile circle around it. An SDB, with say a range of say 30 miles when dropped from the AC-130s launch altitude and speed, allows the aircraft to strike anywhere within a 2,827 square mile circle. So we are talking about a massive difference here in capability.

Then there is using the aircraft as a standoff weapons delivery platform in a high-end fight where its direct fire capabilities will be of less value due to the range of modern enemy air defenses. You can learn all about the future of AC-130 in our video below:

Before that, in 2021, SOCOM issued a contracting notice regarding a Stand-Off Precision Guided Weapon Program Cruise Missile outlining interest in a weapon of this type. The specifications included a range of between 200 and 400 nautical miles (around 230 and 460 miles) while the weapon was required to fit inside a standardized cylindrical Common Launch Tube (CLT).

A Common Launch Tube. Systima

The size and weight of the SCM/Black Arrow rules out its carriage in a CLT, which can accommodate payloads up to 42 inches in length and 5.95 inches in diameter, and has a 100-pound weight limit, according to SOCOM.

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The Stand-Off Precision Guided Weapon Program Cruise Missile notice also outlined a requirement for an electro-optical/infrared seeker, with plans to incorporate a multi-mode seeker package able to acquire and/or reacquire targets in flight. Other key attributes specified in the notice were a long-range, datalink connection to Situational Awareness Data Link (SADL) (threshold) and SADL/Link-16 (objective), resilient GPS/INS to work in a denied GPS environment, a sensor capable of identifying targets once over the target area, and a payload to effect the target, the notice added.

Leidos says its under contract with SOCOM to continue Black Arrow test and evaluation activities throughout 2025.

At this stage, however, its unclear what additional platforms it might be tested on, or what kinds of payloads might be involved.

The size and weight of Black Arrow would render it suitable for carriage by a wide range of platforms, including drones.

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Black Arrow also arrives at a time when the U.S. military, more generally, is looking at low-cost air vehicles that could be turned into cruise missiles, as well as electronic attackers.

Central to these concerns is the ability to expand the available industrial base to help stock up on more affordable weapons ahead of a future high-end conflict, such as one against China, and sustaining those inventories in a protracted fight.

The Air Force is now running the Enterprise Test Vehicle (ETV) program, with a view to addressing some of these supply chain issues, and particularly as a stepping stone to a new lower-cost cruise missile.

Leidos subsidiary Dynetics  alongside Anduril Industries, Integrated Solutions for Systems, Inc., and Zone 5 Technologies  was selected in July of last year to design, build, and flight test an ETV concept.

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Interestingly, the Dynetics offering for the Air Forces ETV program looks to be very similar to the SCM/Black Arrow.

An image of the Dynetics ETV design concept. Leidos Dynetics via DIU

With testing of the SCM/Black Arrow continuing under the SOCOM contract, and with the same design apparently also being offered for the Air Forces ETV initiative, it will certainly be interesting to see whats next in store for the Leidos product.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
A Colorado man has admitted to raping three women in Southern California, including a homeless woman hed offered a ride to, and two women he met on a dating app.

Charles Edward Gaines III, 32, of Aurora, Colorado, pleaded guilty in Ventura County court Friday on charges that included rape and attempted rape, with a special allegation that one of his victims was a minor.

He had previously been found guilty of forcible sodomy and attempted rape during a February trial, but the jury deadlocked on the additional charges, a spokesperson for the Ventura County District Attorneys Office said. He admitted to the outstanding charges Friday.

Charles Edward Gaines III, 32, of Aurora, Colorado, is shown in this undated mugshot provided by the Ventura County District Attorneys Office.

Gaines crimes spanned from Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The first known attack happened in February 2019 in Northridge, officials said.

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Gaines used a fake name on a dating app and picked up his victim to take her to the movies. But instead of taking her to the theater, he took away her phone and demanded she perform sexual acts. When she refused, he violently raped her, officials said.

After the attack, he drove her to a fast food restaurant, gave her back her phone and left her there. The victim called 911 and underwent a sexual assault examination and DNA evidence was collected.

But Gaines did not leave this woman alone. He continued to contact her, sending her messages in which he blamed her for what happened, telling her he wanted to meet up again and then threatening her when she declined.

Cellmate suspected in killing of convicted child molester at California prison

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Months later, in December, Gaines found a homeless woman in Encino, offered her the opportunity to warm up in his car, and then attacked and raped her when she got inside. She was eventually able to get free of him, grabbing his cell phone and running toward a nearby grocery store.

An employee let her in, but Gaines followed, wrestling with her for his cell phone back. He was able to pry his phone back and fled the area.

The following March, Gaines met a 16-year-old girl on a dating app and picked her up from her home in Simi Valley. The two drove a few blocks away and entered the backseat together.

What started out as consensual quickly turned into Gaines forcing himself on the victim, the D.A.s Office said. As she yelled stop, Gaines raped her.

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The 16-year-old victim struggled and escaped from the back seat, at which point Gaines returned to the drivers seat and took off. Shortly after, Gaines texted his victim and threatened to kill her if she told anyone what happened, officials said.

In May 2020, Gaines threatened another woman in Canoga Park whom hed previous had consensual sex with. When she refused to have sex with him again, he began sending her violent messages, including threatening to send nude pictures of her to her family and friends unless she agreed to have sex with him.

Gaines also told the victim he was outside her residence and if she didnt come outside and have sex with him, he would ruin her life, the D.A.s Office wrote.

Gaines was eventually brought down by his victims, officials said, after all three of his rape victims underwent sexual assault examinations that helped investigators collect DNA that eventually pointed them in his direction.

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The DNA obtained in those examinations were later confirmed to belong to the same suspect, and in August 2022, Gaines was arrested in Colorado for an unrelated crime. His DNA was sampled at the time and uploaded into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which linked him to the three previous rapes.

Authorities in Southern California arranged to have him arrested in connection with the attacks and extradite him to Ventura County where he has remained in custody since.

Gaines is due in court again on May 6, at which point he is expected to be sentenced to 19 years in prison.

Dads last-minute Christmas gift becomes $7M lotto winner

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The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Brent Nibecker, who handles cold case sexual assaults in Ventura County. Nibecker described Gaines as a predator who targeted women who were vulnerable.

What he didnt count on was their bravery, Nibecker said. The courage these women showed by assisting in this investigation and then coming to court and sharing what he did to them was exceptional. Their actions served to protect others from being victimized by Gaines.

Nibeckers salary, the D.A.s Office said, is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice as part of the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, which aims to test all outstanding rape kits for DNA and investigate unsolved sexual assaults.

For more information about the Ventura County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, click here.

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Victims of past sexual assaults can also use the website to find supportive services or get help to find out if their sexual assault kits have been tested.

The case was investigated by the Simi Valley Police Department with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department and the D.A.s Office Bureau of Investigation.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
New York City Mayor Eric Adamss decision to run for reelection as an independent is injecting fresh uncertainty into a race that has been shaping up into a likely comeback for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).

Adams announced his decision Thursday after much speculation that he would forgo the Democratic primary amid long odds of winning the nomination, citing the effect that the length of time the criminal case against him dragged on had on his chances. His decision will ensure his political relevancy at least through November.

But while his chances of pulling off a successful independent run seem slim, his decision could still have wide-ranging consequences for the other candidates in the race.

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What I think you have is an opportunity for a strong progressive candidate to emerge to counter, to actually be able to go up against [Cuomos] more moderate policies, said Democratic strategist Basil Smikle, a former executive director of the state party.

Cuomo, the former governor of New York for more than a decade, has been the front-runner for the nomination since he launched his campaign at the start of last month and even before that. His potential return to electoral politics had been long anticipated and was expected to be a juggernaut in the race, particularly with the incumbent mayor under indictment and having almost rock-bottom favorability ratings.

Cuomo has held a steady lead in polling, with his initial support in the hypothetical ranked-choice voting system that the city uses in the 30s. The closest any other candidate has come has often been 20 points back or more.

But even as Adams struggled, he still had a relatively steady base of supporters who stood by him, allowing him to regularly place somewhere between second and fourth place in polling of the crowded field. Some polling suggested that was fueled by slightly higher support among Black voters and more moderate voters.

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Analysts said Adamss move now presents an opening for another candidate but were split on who may be the biggest beneficiary.

Pollster Bradley Honan, who leads the polling firm Honan Strategy Group, said the firms polling has shown Cuomo benefits the most when Adams is eliminated in the hypothetical ranked-choice match-up. In ranked-choice voting, the candidate with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated, and their votes are reallocated according to their supporters next choice, and the process continues until one candidate wins a majority.

We already have data that shows what the impact of Adams not being in the race is, and thats ranked-choice voting, he said.

The most recent Honan poll showed almost all of Adamss supporters switch to Cuomo in a hypothetical primary after the incumbent is eliminated.

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Democrats said politically that would make sense as Cuomo and Adams generally both appeal to more moderate voters and most of the other candidates in the race are running as progressives.

Cuomos strategy has focused on his leadership abilities in a time of supposed chaos in the city, as well as supplanting Adams as the main moderate candidate in the race with the mayor bogged down in controversy.

But some said Adamss departure from the primary could present an opportunity for another candidate who hasnt yet been able to break through and seriously challenge Cuomo for the nomination.

State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani currently appears to have the best case to become that candidate as he has surged in the polls lately and has already reached the maximum fundraising limit allowed for the primary.

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In the most recent polls, Mamdani has been the only candidate other than Adams often reaching double digits, and data shows he has been particularly energizing younger and more progressive voters. He has the backing of Democratic Socialists of America.

Smikle said Cuomos win isnt inevitable and a lane could open for a progressive alternative to him. He said Cuomo will be the main target of attacks from his opponents as the leading candidate.

On the one hand, that might spell some difficulty for [Cuomo], but it may open the door for Mamdani to start landing some shots in ways that he didnt land before, he said.

Danielle Deiseroth, the executive director of the progressive polling firm Data for Progress, said the mayors decision may be helpful to New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, particularly in the boroughs of Queens, which she represents, and Brooklyn, where the mayor had previously been borough president.

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She said the other candidates have until now been waging war on two fronts attacking Cuomo and Eric Adams.

This takes away one of the fronts that they can unite against a common enemy of Andrew Cuomo, Deiseroth said.

Eric Adams, meanwhile, has repeatedly said he expects to win reelection despite the daunting task ahead of him.

Smikle said the mayor may have at least somewhat better of a chance making some inroads in the general electorate than with Democratic primary voters. He said the decision gives Adams some time to try to change the narrative and raise money.

If Adams were to be successful, a win by an independent as mayor of New York City would be rare but not unprecedented. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg initially was a Republican when he was first elected, but he left the party and won reelection as an independent in 2009.

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In his video announcing his decision, Adams referenced former Mayor John Lindsay, who was first elected in 1965 as a Republican before winning reelection on a third-party ticket with the Liberal Party against a Democratic and Republican opponent.

Smikle said Lindsay was a moderate Republican and a strong retail politician willing to reach out to communities of color at a time when many politicians, particularly other Republicans, ignored them. He also pointed to Bloombergs extensive financial resources allowing him to get his message out.

While moving to an independent candidacy gives [Adams] time to rewrite his narrative, he still needs the resources to communicate that to larger numbers, he said.

Although Adams has for months said hes running, he has not shown much outward appearance of doing so, raising little money and not holding campaign events.

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Early polling also shows Adams may not be too impactful in a three-way general election. One poll taken before Adamss decision showed him with just 11 percent to Cuomos 43 percent and 13 percent for Republican Curtis Sliwa, who was the 2021 GOP nominee and is running again.

The Hill has reached out to a spokesperson for Adamss campaign about his vision for his path to victory.

Honan said Adamss decision may be about a larger goal than trying to win reelection, calling him politically toast.

I see this ploy that hes pursuing right now, its not an electoral play that hes running as an independent, he said. Its a ploy to stay relevant in [President] Trumps world. Trump doesnt like losers.

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Adams moved closer to Trumps circle as the president was set to take office, meeting with him, attending his inauguration and refusing to criticize him as most other Democrats have.

Were he to run in the Democratic primary, he would almost certainly lose, and then his currency goes way, way down. He becomes a lame duck, Honan said. And so, this is an opportunity for him to extend his relevance into November.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  Rhode Islands only nonprofit full-service veterinary clinic, offering affordable medical services for pets, will close permanently at the end of the month.

Pets In Need Veterinary Clinic, located off Amaral Street in Riverside, will cease operations on April 25, the Potter League for Animals announced Friday.

A spokesperson said the decision was made by the Potter League Board of Directors due to financial constraints that have made it impossible to sustain the clinics services.

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Since taking over the clinic in 2020, we have worked tirelessly to provide low-cost, high-quality veterinary care to families and pets in need, Brad Shear, CEO of Potter League for Animals, said. Unfortunately, with rising costs and the current economic climate, maintaining operations has become unsustainable. This is not the outcome we had hoped for, and we are heartbroken to have to say goodbye.

ALSO READ: RIs Anchor Medical to close in June; roughly 25,000 patients need new doctors

Despite the closure, the Potter Leagues Spay & Neuter Clinic in Warwick and Animal Care & Adoption Center in Middletown will remain open, ensuring continued access to essential sterilization services.

We are deeply grateful to our clients, supporters, and the entire community for trusting us with the care of their beloved pets, Shear added. While this chapter is coming to a close, our mission to help animals in need remains as strong as ever.

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The organization is exploring alternative ways to continue supporting pet guardians in need. For additional resources, individuals seeking alternative veterinary care options can visit the R.I. Veterinary Access to Care Coalitions website.

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In a drastic move to curb increasing bear attacks, Slovakia has approved a plan to cull 350 brown bears following the latest fatal mauling of a man in the country's central region.

Authorities discovered the body of a 59-year-old man on Sunday, with evidence suggesting he had been killed by a bear. The attack underscores a growing concern, as Environment Minister Tomas Taraba reported that bear-related incidents reached 1,900 last year.

With Slovakia's brown bear population exceeding 1,000, Prime Minister Robert Fico defended the decision, stating, "We can't live in a country where people are afraid of going to forests."

The government has also declared a state of emergency in 55 out of 72 counties, allowing the environment ministry to directly authorize the cull without additional bureaucratic hurdles.

However, the move has sparked outrage from environmental organizations, which argue that the mass killing violates Slovakia's international conservation commitments. Critics suggest that the government should instead focus on preventive measures, such as better waste management and public awareness campaigns.

This is not the first time Slovakia has resorted to bear culling. In 2024, the environment ministry sanctioned the killing of 144 bears. A similar measure was also implemented in Romania last year.

As the cull moves forward, conservationists and government officials remain at odds over the best approach to managing Slovakia's growing brown bear population while ensuring public safety.
It took only seconds for the judges on a New York appeals court to realize that the man addressing them from a video screen  a person about to present an argument in a lawsuit  not only had no law degree, but didnt exist at all.

The latest bizarre chapter in the awkward arrival of artificial intelligence in the legal world unfolded March 26 under the stained-glass dome of New York State Supreme Court Appellate Divisions First Judicial Department, where a panel of judges was set to hear from Jerome Dewald, a plaintiff in an employment dispute.

The appellant has submitted a video for his argument, said Justice Sallie Manzanet-Daniels. Ok. We will hear that video now.

The New York State Supreme Court First Judicial Department Appeals Division listens to an AI-generated avatar address the court. Appellate Division, First Department/YouTube

On the video screen appeared a smiling, youthful-looking man with a sculpted hairdo, button-down shirt and sweater.

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May it please the court, the man began. I come here today a humble pro se before a panel of five distinguished justices.

Ok, hold on, Manzanet-Daniels said. Is that counsel for the case?

I generated that. Thats not a real person, Dewald answered.

It was, in fact, an avatar generated by artificial intelligence. The judge was not pleased.

It would have been nice to know that when you made your application. You did not tell me that sir, Manzanet-Daniels said before yelling across the room for the video to be shut off.

I dont appreciate being misled, she said before letting Dewald continue with his argument.

A smiling, youthful-looking man with a sculpted hairdo, button-down shirt and sweater appeared on the screen. Appellate Division, First Department/YouTube

Dewald later penned an apology to the court, saying he hadnt intended any harm.

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He didnt have a lawyer representing him in the lawsuit, so he had to present his legal arguments himself.

And he felt the avatar would be able to deliver the presentation without his own usual mumbling, stumbling and tripping over words.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Dewald said he applied to the court for permission to play a prerecorded video, then used a product created by a San Francisco tech company to create the avatar.

Originally, he tried to generate a digital replica that looked like him, but he was unable to accomplish that before the hearing.

The court was really upset about it, Dewald conceded. They chewed me up pretty good.

Dewald said he applied to the court for permission to play a prerecorded video, then used a product created by a San Francisco tech company to create the avatar. Appellate Division, First Department/YouTube

Even real lawyers have gotten into trouble when their use of artificial intelligence went awry.

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In June 2023, two attorneys and a law firm were each fined $5,000 by a federal judge in New York after they used an AI tool to do legal research, and as a result wound up citing fictitious legal cases made up by the chatbot.

The firm involved said it had made a good faith mistake in failing to understand that artificial intelligence might make things up.

Later that year, more fictious court rulings invented by AI were cited in legal papers filed by lawyers for Michael Cohen, a former personal lawyer for President Donald Trump.

Cohen took the blame, saying he didnt realize that the Google tool he was using for legal research was also capable of so-called AI hallucinations.

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Those were errors, but Arizonas Supreme Court last month intentionally began using two AI-generated avatars, similar to the one that Dewald used in New York, to summarize court rulings for the public.

On the courts website, the avatars  who go by Daniel and Victoria  say they are there to share its news.

Daniel Shin, an adjunct professor and assistant director of research at the Center for Legal and Court Technology at William & Mary Law School, said he wasnt surprised to learn of Dewalds introduction of a fake person to argue an appeals case in a New York court.

The firm involved said it had made a good faith mistake in failing to understand that artificial intelligence might make things up. Appellate Division, First Department/YouTube

From my perspective, it was inevitable, he said.

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He said it was unlikely that a lawyer would do such a thing because of tradition and court rules and because they could be disbarred.

But he said individuals who appear without a lawyer and request permission to address the court are usually not given instructions about the risks of using a synthetically produced video to present their case.

Dewald said he tries to keep up with technology, having recently listened to a webinar sponsored by the American Bar Association that discussed the use of AI in the legal world.

As for Dewalds case, it was still pending before the appeals court as of Thursday.
Updated at 10:19 a.m. ET on April 7, 2025

After a few months of shivering through Severances blank white corridors and icy exterior shots, Ive appreciated the sultry visual texture of The White Lotuss third season: the vivid prints of high-end resort wear; the ominous blue of the ocean; the verdant setting (as wild and seething as anything manicured into luxury-hotel perfection can be). The show is thrilling as a sensory experience, humming with sinister percussive beats and the occasional muffled animal squawk in the distance. Against this backdrop, it feels only natural that wed fall in love with the characters who seem the most real, the most alive.

Im talking, of course, about Chelsea, played by Aimee Lou Wood, and Chloe, played by Charlotte Le Bontwo gorgeous women who meet at a bar after Chelsea says, I love your outfit, and Chloe replies, Thank you! I love your teeth. This quick moment set off a good-natured riot of online debatelabeled the smile discourse by Allureabout what it means to see not just imperfect teeth on-screen, but also imperfect teeth on women who are undeniable knockouts. Ill defer to others regarding the particulars of dental trends, but I can tell you how it made me feel to see such gloriously irregular beauty amid all the identical Instagram faces with the same Tic-Tac veneers, stenciled eyebrows, and contoured cheekbones: relieved.

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Lately, Ive been finding myself more and more unsettled by digital faces tweaked and pixelated into odd perfection and real bodies buffed and whittled down into obscene angularitywomen who look less like flesh-and-blood beings than porcelain ornaments. At the Oscars last month, Rachel Tashjian wrote in The Washington Post, the eerie flawlessness of so many red-carpet looks seemed to encapsulate how weight loss drugs and technology, including photo editing and AI-generated imagery, have ushered in an outrageous drive for perfection that has overtaken Hollywood. If you compare the poreless, rose-toned face of the superstar Ariana Grande with the sculpted cheekbones and button nose of the Spanish influencer Aitana Lopez, its hard to discern even infinitesimally minute flaws in either. Unlike Grande, though, Lopez is computer-generatedone of a new breed of models with hundreds of thousands of followers and horny men continually sliding into her DMs, despite the fact that shes wholly nonexistent.

Much has been written over the past few months about the propagandist tendencies of artificially generated artthe way its been gleefully adopted by right-wing trolls to create photorealistic but recognizably fake images of Elon Musk giving out wads of cash, or the surreal 30-second clip that Donald Trump recently posted imagining Gaza as a gilded beachside temple to wealth and potentates. These kinds of pictures are intended to provoketo catch the eye with their mawkish absurdity and uncanny-valley optics. But to me at least, the beautified AI faces are no less offensive. They reflect back at us toxic values that were in thrall to, and capture none of the qualities we should truly appreciate. The writer Daphne Merkin once observed that in reality, we find imperfection enchanting because we recognize that behind the visceral image lies an internal life. Which, Id wager, is why the wonky smiles of Wood and Le Bon are so compelling in this moment: They assert the intangible beauty of having a soul.

We have never, as mere human bags of flesh and bone, been so perfectible. Weve never had as many tools in our arsenal with which to maximize our superficial value: weight-loss drugs that can make slim bodies even smaller, Botox and fillers that smooth out wrinkles, contouring pens that define features. This is even before we get into the realm of augmented reality. On TikTok, I can broadcast myself using a filter that makes me look exactly as I did at 23: lifted, smoothed, softer, and also somehow lighter and less harried. Ninety percent of British women and nonbinary people polled in 2020 confessed to sometimes using filters before posting selfies, and 85 percent to using external editing software such as FaceTune to tweak pictures of themselves. Every single woman surveyed said they had been served videos promoting plastic surgery in their feeds: before-and-after reels selling lip fillers, teeth-whitening treatments, butt enhancers. A few months ago, I too was suddenly inundated with clips of scrub-wearing surgeons analyzing Lindsay Lohans face, after new images of the actor suddenly began to circulate revealing catlike eyes, a heart-shaped face, and the skin of a well-rested teenager.

What struck me about the Lohan images was less what work she had or hadnt done, and more the way in which, virtually overnight, a battalion of influencer-doctors jumped onto social media, selling us on the idea of our own transformation. To some extent, each generation has lived through its own freakout regarding what technological advances might be doing to beauty standards, and to our fragile sense of self. In 2006, The Guardian noted that Photoshop was making even supermodels outraged, and that tabloids were reacting to the prevalence of perfected images by seeking out unflattering candid shots for balance: stars with straggly hair, or visible cellulite, or slight paunches. In 2019, the cultural critic Jia Tolentino coined the term Instagram Face for the single, cyborgian look being popularized on social media by models and influencers. And in her new book, Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age, the journalist Vauhini Vara writes about how technology has managed to change the way human beings look by altering our ideals, giving us a funhouse-mirror reflection of how we think we should look. To live like this, endlessly comparing our imperfect fleshy selves with the sanitized digital simulacra of selfhood that appears online and finding ourselves wanting, Vara notes, exerts such a subtle psychic violence that we might not even be aware of it as its happening.

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[Read: How to have a realistic conversation about beauty with your kids]

In some ways, though, technology also primed us for what was to come. The more fault were compelled to find with our own unsymmetrical, lined, irredeemably lived-in faces, the more were set up to be swayed by the unreal smoothness of AI imagery. In 2023, when the AI image generator Stable Diffusion XL was launched, the company behind it boasted that the product created the most photorealistic images yet available. (It offered, by way of emphasis, a picture of a panda in a spacesuit sitting at a bar.) What was clear early on, though, was that Stable Diffusion XL had the same biases and prejudices humans do, amplified to an absurd extent. Prompts for a person at social services generated pictures of predominantly Black women; prompts for a productive person generated largely white men in suits. AI image generators also had, as my former colleague Caroline Mimbs Nyce reported, a hotness problem, generating pictures of people who were all improbably attractive. Possibly this is because they were built by scanning edited and airbrushed photosnot just of professionally attractive people, but of us. (Every time you FaceTune a selfie, the theory goes, a neural network further distorts its sense of what humans actually look like.)

Recently, I asked Microsofts Image Creator for a picture of a normal woman. It gave me four extraordinarily beautiful women with curly hair, sculpted jawlines, and plump lips. (All four were wearing glasses, a supposed de-beautifying trick that didnt work in Shes All That and doesnt work now.) Then I asked for a picture of an average woman, for which I received four images of radiantly smiling women in baggy sweaters with slightly frizzy hair. Finally, prompted to give me a picture of an average 42-year-old woman (my birthday is this month), the program gave me the eeriest images of all: four Anne Hathaway look-alikes with monstrously oversize grins and visible clavicles, betraying only slight lines around their eyes, and inexplicably surrounded by other grinning hot people, as if advertising a cult.

Whats so unsettling about these images, I think, is how they reflect what were allowing technology to do to us, what its already done. Given the ability to amend our own faces, weve helped normalize and propagate a horribly restrictive vision of beauty and humankind, and the more we distort ourselves in turn, the more confining the ideal becomes. Recently, the art historians Sonja Drimmer and Christopher J. Nygren argued that artificial intelligence was essentially useless for the purpose of studying history, because historians look for untold stories and elements of the history of mankind that are novel and unexpected. Programs such as ChatGPT, by contrast, can only skim and interpret texts and images that already exist, extrapolating them into likely outcomes. If youre looking for nuance, or uncertainty, or subtext, it cant help you.

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With regards to beauty, Id bargain that everyone knows someone who shouldnt, by all superficial accounts, be attractive, and yet they are. Because: Were better than computers at reading between the lines and can see other peoples faces not just as structural compositions of bone and skin, but also as reflections of personality, of humanity, of depth. And the more we can defend beauty as nonconformist, as the essence of something internal and unmeasurable, the more we protect ourselves from the narrowing grip of techno-homogenization. In The White Lotus, and in reality, Woods face isnt just beautiful. Its guileless, openhearted, kind, tender. Youre never going to look like what you think perfect is, the actor told Glamour. And the more I see perfect, the less I can bear it.

When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic .

Article originally published at The Atlantic
Rev. Al Sharpton called out PepsiCo in a letter to PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta over the companys decision to back away from its previous commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. He indicated that he was giving the company three weeks to meet with him, or a boycott would target the soft drink company in response to its changed position regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion.

According to The Associated Press, Sharptons letter sets forth his belief that the company has betrayed guiding principles because of political pressure. You have walked away from equity, Sharpton wrote before emphasizing that the companys choice to remove DEI hiring and retention goals and to dismantle community partnerships with minority organizations are clear signals that political pressure has outweighed principle.

Sharpton also alluded to PepsiCos history. In the 1940s and 1950s, the company was among the first to hire Black sales and marketing executives in corporate America, resulting in Black Americans support for the company. You did this not because it was easy  but because it was right, Sharpton wrote. That legacy is now in jeopardy.

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According to the New Pittsburgh Courier, due to their different approaches, Pepsi and Coca-Cola were largely seen in Americans imaginations of Black and White drinks, respectively, in the days before inclusive marketing strategies.

These days, however, the roles have flipped; once described as a product marketed exclusively to white people, Coca-Cola reaffirmed its support for diversity, equity, and inclusion in February, while PepsiCo appeared to backtrack on its support of those initiatives.

Coca-Cola indicated in its annual report that it believed eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion would ultimately harm its bottom line.

Failure to maintain a corporate culture that fosters innovation, collaboration and inclusion  could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business and our future success, Coca-Cola said.

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PepsiCo appears to be taking the approach favored by Walmart and Target, who have also faced backlash and boycotts over abandoning their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives while continuing to use Black models in their advertising campaigns.

NEW YORK, NY (April 4, 2025)  Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), tomorrow will announce what company NAN will boycott during his Presidents Address on the final day of the organizations annual convention in New York City. The pic.twitter.com/glnLKQxVwA  Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) April 5, 2025

According to a press release, Sharpton and his National Action Network are set to announce on April 5 the first company to be boycotted in accordance with his vow to review and identify companies that have abandoned commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

As Donald Trump returned to office on King Day, vowing to attack the very things Dr. King fought for, NAN made a promise across Washington to use our buying power to fight back, said Sharpton, founder and president of NAN. On Saturday, we will send a message to those who abandoned us that we will abandon them. As we make this stand against those who abandoned DEI, NAN will continue to support the companies that stand by the policy.

Trumps war on DEI has had the effect of making companies, government agencies, and universities reevaluate or end various policies or programs aimed at increasing diversity and decreasing discrimination against women, LGBTQ+ individuals, Black people, and other protected groups.

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In addition to Trumps pressure, some companies, like PepsiCo, have appeared to buckle after attacks from conservative activists like Robby Starbuck, who Forbes reports alleged on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he had contacted the soft drink company about doing a story about their woke policies.

Although it is unknown if Starbucks inquiry is related to Pepsis changed policy, most likely, it is due to the soft drink companys status as a government contractor, which has not stopped him from taking credit.

Al Sharpton is very upset that I got Pepsi to drop DEI and wokeness so hes now threatening to do a boycott. That got me to thinking



I have an offer for him to prove me wrong.@TheRevAl,



If you think youre sharp enough to debate this, then lets debate DEI publicly without pic.twitter.com/qtVqON0YYl  Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) April 5, 2025

Starbuck also taunted Sharpton on the social media platform and called for the activist to debate him on DEI.

If you think youre sharp enough to debate this, then lets debate DEI publicly without edits. Surely youll make incredible arguments and defeat my ideas for all to see. Or maybe youll cower and avoid the debate because you know that Ill mop the floor with you and the horrific, partisan and racist policies known as DEI, Starbuck wrote.

RELATED CONTENT: Rev. Al Sharpton Puts The Call Out To Boycott Companies Eliminating DEI Initiatives In Honor Of Dr. Kings Legacy
Apr. 4The Alaska Department of Health is cutting 30 positions and shuttering a program meant to improve public health access across the state after the Trump administration cut more than $50 million in previously awarded federal funding.

A dozen federal grants to the Alaska Department of Health were terminated effective March 24 amid broad funding cuts, department spokesperson Shirley Sakaye confirmed Thursday, including funds awarded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that were set to expire by 2027.

"Funds were utilized for time-limited projects that increased public health infrastructure and capacity," Sakaye said by email.

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As a result of the cuts, the department is dissolving the Healthy and Equitable Communities unit, which was launched in 2021 in response to health access and outcome disparities across the state that came into sharp relief during the pandemic.

The unit focused on "creating partnerships across Alaska to ensure that the conditions in which Alaskans live, work and play support opportunities to lead healthy lives," according to a department webpage that was removed earlier this week. The program had staff in Anchorage, the Mat-Su region, Fairbanks, Bethel, Nome, Homer, Kodiak, Juneau and Ketchikan.

Now, partnerships established by the department are set to be abruptly discontinued, leading to what could be significant impacts, including in rural communities where access to health services is limited.

The 12 canceled grants originally amounted to more than $185 million, of which $135 million had already been expended, according to a list of canceled grants maintained by the federal Department of Health and Human Services. The state lost out on $50 million in future funding, but because of the sudden cancellation of the grants, the state may also lose out on improvements it was planning to make through previous expenditures because projects will be abandoned midway.

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Among the terminated grants was a $96 million award toward improving epidemiology and laboratory capacity for preventing and controlling emerging infectious diseases. More than $24 million from that grant had yet to be spent and was canceled.

The cancellation also impacted a $40 million award for immunization and vaccines for children, of which $16 million had not yet been spent when the grants were canceled.

Alaska has seen a drop in vaccination rates among children in recent years. For example, a decade ago, about 94% of kindergartners were vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella. As of last year, that rate had dropped to 84%, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The grant cancellations also impacted more than $7 million for a "national initiative to address COVID-19 health disparities among populations at high-risk and underserved, including racial and ethnic minority populations and rural communities," administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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More than $1 million out of a $4.7 million grant to address substance use was canceled. Roughly $700,000 in mental health grant funding was canceled.

Julie Cleaton, policy committee chair for the Alaska Public Health Association, said the association opposes the cuts to public health funding.

"We've always been underfunded, and this will not help. The state is already feeling the impact of these federal cuts," Cleaton said in an interview Thursday.

Cleaton works for the state Department of Health as a data analyst for the Alaska Cancer Registry but was not speaking on behalf of the state, she said.

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"The COVID-19 pandemic made it clear to a lot of people in government that we weren't well-prepared. We're not working off of a healthy baseline population, and there are a lot of improvements to be made there. So there was some funding that went out because of COVID-19, but a lot of it was to prevent future outbreaks, to improve our systems and to get everyone healthier, not just specifically for COVID-19, but for everything," Cleaton said.

Cleaton said that the Healthy and Equitable Communities unit  now disbanded  had been "positioned in several communities across the state to try and get to more rural locations that don't usually see enough public services."

"We've been trying to work to help everyone get on a more even footing, health-wise, and this will just be a setback to that," she said.

Ingrid Stevens, former president of the Alaska Public Health Association, said that Alaska will also be impacted by other cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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"A primary concern is the supply of data," she said.

Stevens, who works in the Alaska tribal health system, said that Alaska could lose critical data that the federal government collects and shares with states through surveys, including ones pertaining to mental health and substance abuse.

"Those national bodies are the ones that give us guidance. They do all the research and they relay that down to the states so states can implement that research to help improve public health," said Cleaton. "If we don't have that national guidance, who's going to do that research?"

Cleaton said that impacts of the loss of public health programming may not be felt immediately, but their long-term effects could be significant.

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"We've been seeing declining vaccination rates for several years  and now we're getting measles outbreaks. So it may take time to really feel the impact, but it will hurt what we do," Cleaton said.

A federal judge on Thursday temporarily barred the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from terminating certain funding streams, after a coalition of Democrat-led states sued to restore the grants they had been awarded.

Asked why Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor had not signed on to the case, state Department of Law spokesperson Patty Sullivan said that the federal funding  much of it not set to expire until 2027  "was always only temporary in nature."

"The ultimate outcome of the case is uncertain, and Alaska, like other states around the country, does not have state funds to fill the gap caused by the federal cuts," Sullivan wrote.

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'A general sense of anxiety'

Broad cuts to federal spending  led by tech billionaire Elon Musk  are set to have a disproportionate impact on Alaska, which receives a large share of federal funding per capita, economists, union leaders and nonprofit leaders have said.

Already, 230 Alaskans in the federal workforce had filed for unemployment insurance since February, when mass firings began, according to Alaska's Director of Employment and Training Services Paloma Harbour.

But this is likely the first time that Alaska state employees have lost their jobs due to federal funding cuts under the current Trump administration, according to Heidi Drygas, director of the Alaska State Employees Association, a union representing most state employees, who said the terminations impacted both permanent and non-permanent positions.

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Department of Health staff were laid off in communities including Anchorage, Juneau, Wasilla, Fairbanks, Homer, Valdez and Petersburg, she said.

Drygas said the Department of Health was proactive in involving the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development to help impacted employees find other jobs with the state, which has a high vacancy rate across departments.

The Department of Health  which has around 1,300 employees  had a 12.5% vacancy rate as of last month, a spokesperson said.

But Drygas said that state employees are anxious  not just about layoffs that occurred this week but about potential imminent impacts of federal funding cuts, including future layoffs.

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"There is a general sense of anxiety," said Drygas. "Especially with employees that work under federal grants or they have federal counterparts that they work with on a daily basis."

"What we're worried about is what comes next," she added. "It's just a really difficult time for state employees."

Drygas said she anticipates future impacts, and hopes Alaska's congressional delegation will do "whatever they can to protect our federal funding."

Alaska's two Republican U.S. senators said earlier this week that they were in touch with the Trump administration over the funding cuts to the Department of Health.

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan has been "working with state health officials to gather more information about how these reorganization efforts impact Alaska," spokesperson Amanda Coyne said Wednesday.

Coyne said that Sullivan had "an extended phone call" with Trump's Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which "focused on extending some of the grants at issue, and on larger solutions as part of HHS's reorganization efforts that would address Alaska's unique health care needs and challenges."

None of the canceled grants have since been reinstated, the Alaska Department of Health confirmed late Thursday.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is "tracking the grant funding cuts, and her office is engaging with the administration," spokesperson Joe Plesha said. "The sudden loss of funding and the loss of these positions will make a real impact in Alaska, and the Senator is focused on finding solutions to continue the progress that has been made with these funds."

The office of U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III "is monitoring these funding cuts and the direct impacts on Alaskans," spokesperson Silver Prout said in a written statement.
Lyndsey Brollini and Meghan Sullivan

High Country News

Alaska Native youth are living through a pivotal time, bearing witness to the dramatic impacts of climate change that have occurred during their lifetimes: rapidly melting permafrost, warming oceans and declining salmon runs. Subsistence living, which is critical to Alaska Native culture and rural food security, has suffered in turn, whether it involves Inupiaq whale hunts, Gwichin caribou harvest or Tlingit salmon fishing. The threat to a shared way of life is uniting many Indigenous people across the state, calling them to protect Alaska Native homelands and cultural continuity.

In light of this, many Alaska Native youth are dedicating their careers to protecting the environment and bringing Indigenous knowledge into mainstream spaces, including environmental science, policy work, increased tribal co-management and conservation initiatives. High Country News talked to four young Alaska Native women from different parts of the state who are working in climate advocacy, from community organizing to fishery sciences.

JAZMYN LEE VENT

Siqiniq Jazmyn Lee Vent, Koyukon Athabascan and Inupiaq, has attended Ambler Road meetings for half her life. Vent, who is 24, went to her first meeting at 12 years old. At that time, the Ambler Road project  which would build a 211-mile-long highway to a mining project through sensitive habitat  was in the beginning stages, and different road maps were still being considered.

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I remember that, in our hall, a bunch of our elders [were] sitting in the meeting, and even though they might have not known exactly what was going on in those early stages of the proposed development, they knew that it was really important to show up and speak out against it, Vent said. So I really try to carry that with me.

Vent co-founded No Ambler Road in 2023 to amplify the voices that oppose the proposed road, which could harm caribou migration patterns and habitat along with salmon spawning streams. For Vent and many others working on No Ambler Road, the project is much too risky, given that caribou populations are declining in Alaska and across the Arctic, and people cant fish in the Yukon River.

I really envision a future where Alaska Native people have title to our land and are able to engage in these decision-making processes that directly impact our livelihoods.

Projects like these are often at the whims of the current administration. Last year, the Biden administration rejected the Ambler Road project, citing the harmful impacts it could have on the environment. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers never fully revoked the projects permit, and Alaskas congressional delegation and Gov. Michael Dunleavy support building the road, while President Donald Trump has long been enthusiastic about resource extraction in Alaska.

Vent wants the federal government to uphold the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and its obligation to sustain subsistence hunting and fishing. Most of all, though, Vent wants Alaska Native people to be centered in these decisions and for companies, politicians and governments to leave their homeland alone.

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People might think this is crazy, Vent said, but I really envision a future where Alaska Native people have title to our land and are able to engage in these decision-

making processes that directly impact our livelihoods.

SOPHIE SWOPE

Anaanarar Sophie Swope (Yupik) founded the Mother Kuskokwim nonprofit three years ago at 24 in her hometown of Bethel, Alaska.

Previously, she was the self-governance director for Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council, which was in consultation with federal agencies about the Donlin Gold Mine project. If built, it would be one of the largest open-pit gold mines in the world  and it would be located dangerously close to salmon spawning tributaries in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (Y-K Delta).

I noticed the energy was low, Swope said. I kind of stood up and was like, Hey guys, this stuff is really important, and we have to really fight to take care of all of our natural resources. Because its all that we have, and it creates who we are.

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It was a key experience that inspired her to found Mother Kuskokwim. Swope now works full-time on fighting the Donlin Gold Mine, a project that is supported by her own Native corporation, Calista Corporation, despite its potential impact on salmon populations.

She helped organize a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, arguing that its environmental impact statement was insufficient  a lawsuit the group recently won.

This stuff is really important, and we have to really fight to take care of all of our natural resources. Because its all that we have, and it creates who we are.

If chemicals from the mine get into rivers and food, it would be devastating for people in the Y-K Delta, who already suffer from extremely low salmon runs. And Swope doesnt want future generations to have to worry about toxicity in their food or having a large tailings dam nearby.

One day, I will have children, and hopefully Ill have grandchildren, too, Swope said. I want them to have the same access to these resources that our DNA was literally created to thrive off of.

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Her elders taught her how to find her own voice. Now she wants younger generations to realize that they can and should use their voices when their way of life is threatened  and that they, too, have an obligation to take care of this place for future generations.

Our time here on this Earth is very short, Swope said. We were gifted all of the things that we have by our ancestors, and were only borrowing this space on earth from the future generations.

MALIA TOWNE

Malia Towne, who is Haida and Tlingit, grew up subsistence fishing every summer on her familys traditional lands near Ketchikan, Alaska. As the years went by, they watched as the salmon population that their community had relied on for centuries began to fluctuate and decline. It made me realize that something needed to be done, said Towne.

Townes Tlingit values drove her to work in fishing sustainability.

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Everything is circular within traditional values, she said. What I do today affects tomorrow. Its the whole reason I got into this work, because I want to be able to continue practicing what my ancestors practiced and want future generations to be able to do the same.

Now a senior at Northern Arizona University, Towne, who is 20, studies environmental science, hoping to help ensure healthy fishing populations within Alaska. Last summer, she worked at the Alaska Longline Fishermens Association, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable fishing practices and flourishing coastal communities. Her goal is to protect subsistence salmon harvesting and create more access for subsistence fishers, many of whom are Alaska Native.

Everything is circular within traditional values. What I do today affects tomorrow.

My mom says its genetic, joked Towne. Her grandfather worked in fishing sustainability, and her sister does as well. Its in our blood.

Towne aims to create policies that prevent environmental damage from happening in the first place, as opposed to laws that merely slap Band-Aids on serious injuries that have already occurred. These policies would incorporate an Indigenous approach to conservation, protecting the environment while still allowing for sustainable harvesting and resource use.

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Towne cited the recent movement to list the king salmon as endangered. Its something that needs to be protected, but you shouldnt cut off all access, because that hurts more people, she said. Its incredibly detrimental to subsistence fishers.

After graduating, Towne plans to return to Alaska and continue working on fishing sustainability, ideally in tribal co-management. She hopes that the policies she works on today will help salmon populations thrive for generations to come.

What we do now is important, whether or not its recognized or appreciated today, she said. It will be appreciated eventually. Eventually, well be thankful for it.

MACKENZIE ENGLISHOE

Mackenzie Englishoes great-grandparents taught her to live off the land, using Gwichya Gwichin knowledge that had been passed down for centuries. Englishoes great-grandparents, who experienced the dramatic changes caused by colonization, dedicated their lives to ensuring that her generation would be able to continue living the Gwichin way of life.

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Our relationship to the land, its physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, said Englishoe, who was raised between the remote Chandalar Lake in the Brooks Range, and Gwichyaa Zhee (Fort Yukon), a village of roughly 500 people on the Yukon River. When I think about the future, I cannot  I will not  live in a future that does not have that, or where Im not able to provide that for my family.

Englishoe, 21, is living during another time of change. Using the traditional knowledge her great-grandparents taught her, she works on climate crisis issues that impact villages in Interior Alaska: fostering healthy caribou and moose populations, protecting Indigenous land rights and water and improving wildfire management. Shes been particularly involved in efforts to combat king salmons decline in the Yukon River, advocating for closing salmon fishing in Area M near the Aleutian Islands and ending bottom trawling.

When I think about the future, I cannot  I will not  live in a future that does not have that, or where Im not able to provide that for my family.

Seeing the king salmon decline over time has really broken me, she said. And then seeing people who do not have this connection to the salmon, people who are not from these lands, making decisions about it, and a lack of action from them.  Its just broken me.

Last March, Englishoe was elected the emerging leaders chair for the Tanana Chiefs Conference, representing 42 Alaska Native communities in the Interior Region through her role as youth advisor. She wants young Alaska Natives to know that theyre capable of making change and that they deserve to have a seat at the table.

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Indigenous people, we do this work out of a place of love. For our community, for future generations, but also for people who are not Native, she said. Everything is connected, she explained, from the salmon to the bears to entire food systems beyond Alaska. So were trying to protect everybody, out of love.

We welcome reader letters. Email High Country News at editor@hcn.org or submit a letter to the editor. See our letters to the editor policy.

This article appeared in the April 2025 print edition of the magazine with the headline Young with heart.
Apr. 4LIMA  Schools are reviewing immunization records and warning parents whose children are not fully vaccinated against measles that their child may be excused from school for three weeks if a measles case is confirmed in their school.

Allen County Public Health reported the county's first confirmed measles case in at least 25 years last Friday in an unvaccinated resident under the age of 18.

Health Commissioner Brandon Fischer did not disclose whether the individual is enrolled in school, but administrators say they are reviewing their records and encouraging vaccinations to prevent a potential outbreak in their schools.

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At Bath, teachers and staff are trained to watch for unusual signs or symptoms of illness, so they can promptly send students to the school nurse if illness is suspected, Superintendent Mike Estes said.

Administrators at Spencerville schools are urging frequent hand washing and proper cleaning, and directing parents to talk with their child's doctor about immunizations.

Other districts like Allen East, where two dozen students are not fully vaccinated against measles, are in communication with Allen County Public Health so they can organize immunization clinics if a case is confirmed in their school.

A Lima News analysis of Ohio Department of Health immunization survey data for Allen, Auglaize, Hardin, Putnam and Van Wert counties found at least 355 children who entered kindergarten last fall either claimed an exemption or did not complete paperwork verifying their measles vaccination status at the start of the school year.

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Those students may be excused from school for 21 days in an outbreak unless they are vaccinated within 72 hours of exposure to measles, in accordance with state law and Ohio Department of Health recommendations.

Survey data show immunization rates have been declining since the coronavirus pandemic, which popularized concerns about vaccine safety and disrupted access to routine childhood immunizations.

Ohio law requires children to be vaccinated against measles and other preventative diseases before entering kindergarten, but provides exceptions for children who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reactions or whose parents claim conscience or religious objections to the vaccine.

Only 84% of Allen County children who started kindergarten this school year met all immunization requirements. That figure is even lower in Auglaize (83%) and Van Wert (78%) counties.

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Few students are claiming medical exemptions from the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, which is recommended for children at 12 months and 4-6 years old.

Instead, survey data show parents are either requesting conscience exemptions or failing to submit paperwork verifying their child's vaccination status.

Seven students at the Van Wert Early Childhood Center claimed religious or conscience objections, while 41 didn't finish their paperwork verifying they've finished their measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, according to survey data.

Four students claimed religious or conscience objections at Holy Rosary. Thirteen students at Upper Scioto missed their MMR paperwork.

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Students who missed their vaccines at Heir Force Community School had incomplete paperwork, rather than conscience or medical exemptions, according to survey data.

Allen East started the school year with nine incoming kindergarteners whose parents claimed conscience objections for the measles vaccine, while another 21 did not have MMR records on file, according to Ohio Department of Health data.

The school re-audited its immunization records when Allen County's first measles case was reported and found the number of students who hadn't met MMR requirements had declined to 23 students in preschool through fourth grade, Allen East Superintendent Mel Rentschler said.

Nine out of 10 unvaccinated children who are exposed to the virus will become infected, who may be contagious for three weeks before symptoms develop.

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One in five children who contract measles will be hospitalized with complications like pneumonia, dehydration, brain swelling or death, Fischer said.

Two doses of the measles vaccine provide 97% protection from the virus.

The vaccine can be administered within 72 hours of exposure to prevent illness or complications, and is available for adults born after 1957 who are unvaccinated or do not know their vaccination status.

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Three students from upstate New York have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, one of them as young as a third grader. The move sent shock waves and alarms to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and advocacy groups, who called the incident "horrifying."

The New York Immigration Coalition, a nonprofit that campaigns for immigrant rights, confirmed that the unidentified family which included a third grader was detained by ICE at a dairy farm in Sackets Harbor, New York. The family was then taken to the Karnes County Detention Facility in Texas, some 1,800 miles away, NBC News reports.

ICE agents were in Sackets Harbor looking for Marcell Meyer, who was charged with possession of child pornography. In addition to his arrest, seven other people were taken to a nearby border patrol and identified as "illegal aliens."

The superintendent of the Sackets Harbor Central School District, Jennifer Gaffney, said three of the people who were detained were students from her district. She called the incident "distressing."

"These are kids," Gaffney said. "They're classmates, they're good friends, they are wonderful students, and they are part of the fabric of our school community."

"At Sackets Harbor Central School District, we view ourselves as a family, and right now, some of our family members are hurting. We are hurting because three students were taken away from our school community," she said, adding that the school board would "leave no stone unturned in our efforts to ensure their return back home."

The New York Immigration Coalition defended the family on Wednesday, saying that they were complying with their court orders and immigration proceedings.

"It is horrifying that these children and their mother were snatched from their home and disappeared," Murad Awawdeh, the group's president and CEO, said in a statement. He added that the family was "correctly navigating the immigration system and attending their immigration court hearings," arguing that Trump and border czar Tom Homan were, "acting fully outside the law."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also denounced the detentions in a statement Tuesday, stating that she has worked with successive administrations on immigration, but she "cannot think of any public safety justification for ICE agents to rip an innocent family, including a child in the third grade, from their Sackets Harbor home."

"That is not the immigration enforcement promised to the American people. It's just plain cruel. I want this family returned to New York State and believe ICE needs to immediately answer for these actions," she said.

Sackets Harbor is in Jefferson County on the shores of Lake Ontario, 10 miles west of Watertown. On Saturday, the town will hold a rally, organized by the Democratic Committee of Jefferson County to call for the family's release. The Facebook event post said that the rally is not an anti-Trump event, but "about protecting our kids and standing up for families in our communities."

Originally published on Latin Times
The midtown Manhattan building where Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, and Truman Capote once dined, then the legendary French restaurant La Grenouille, is now a nondescript renovation site with wood, metal, and industrial-size garbage bins strewn about. The 60-year home of La Grenouille will soon be turned into the new American home of Quanjude, the most famous Peking duck restaurant brand in China. Quanjude, a publicly listed company controlled by a state-owned entity, bought the 6,800-square-foot building on 52nd Street for $14.3 million in October in an attempt to bring Chinese fine dining to America.

The 161-year-old brand's first branch in the US is going all out. The wallpaper will replicate a 12th-century Chinese handscroll painting. The private dining room will be decorated with traditional fans and chopsticks. But it is the quality of the food that Yan Zhang, the head of Quanjude America, wants diners to obsess about. "Chinese cuisine is exquisite and profound. But in this part of the world, people think it's just spring rolls and chow mein," Zhang said. "We want to revamp their cognition."

Quanjude is one of at least 10 major Chinese food and beverage brands planning to hit US shores this year. Driven by an oversaturated market, a troubled economy back home, and the potential to be listed on the US stock market, companies serving everything from high-end dinners to dumplings and milk tea  several of them with thousands of locations in China  are now poised to break into the US food market. And dozens more are planning to study the landscape to possibly jump in themselves.

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But with the relationship between the US and China at one of its rockiest points since the two countries resumed their diplomatic relationship in 1979, the Chinese newcomers' path to success is extremely precarious. Sure, they aren't working on critical technology or launching major social media platforms, but Chinese restaurants have still faced backlash in the past few years, with some Americans blaming the country for the COVID pandemic or because of a general antipathy toward the Chinese Communist Party. Is America really ready for what some local Chinese restaurant insiders are calling a Chinese food "tsunami"?

Since the first Chinese restaurant in the US opened in 1849 in San Francisco during the gold rush, generations of blue-collar immigrants have taken advantage of the relatively low-cost entry point in the restaurant industry to make ends meet. They created dishes that are nonexistent in China, such as chop suey or General Tso's chicken, to cater to Western palettes, forming an expectation among Americans that Chinese cuisine is convenient and cheap. Chinese immigrants, meanwhile, have had to watch their cuisine sink to the bottom of their adopted country's food chain.

When Zhang started traveling around North America for his import and export business 18 years ago, he couldn't bear the Chinese food he came across. "Nothing is authentic other than the beef noodle," he said. A foodie himself, Zhang vowed to make a difference. In 2017, he reached out to Quanjude, proposing to bring the iconic restaurant to North America. He opened the first branch in Vancouver, Canada, in early 2020, right before the pandemic ravaged indoor dining. In 2022, it won a Michelin star, which it has held onto since  and Zhang expects the New York branch to get even greater plaudits.

"Chinese immigrants are better educated and wealthier now. We crave for a better presentation of our own culture," said Zhang. "It is the best time for food brands in China to expand overseas."

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While there are some Chinese fine-dining restaurants in the US run by Chinese Americans, the new wave brings some of the best-known restaurant brands in China.

The timing is made more urgent by China's recent economic troubles. The Chinese government says the revenue of the food and beverage industry in the country increased just 5.3% in 2024, a nosedive from the 20.4% increase in 2023, and the smallest growth in a decade excluding the pandemic years. An industry report on 22 publicly listed Chinese food and beverage companies found that 68% saw their profits decline in the first half of last year. Close to 3 million restaurants and cafes in China shut down for good last year.

To have a store in Manhattan is like erecting a flag on the moon. It's worth it even if you don't make money.

Chinese food brands' moves to open overseas  which had been increasing modestly since the 1980s  have rapidly accelerated. Hongcan Industry Research Institute, a Chinese group that studies the restaurant industry, released a report in September that found more than 100 Chinese food and beverage brands have moved into more than 180 countries, now running 700,000 locations outside China  a 200,000 increase since 2016. The Chinese government has spurred on the expansion, issuing two directives last year for Chinese food and beverage brands to "go overseas" to help "improve the international influence of Chinese cuisine culture."

"Almost all the major food and beverage brands you see in China are considering coming to the US," said Beichen Hu, a restaurant investor and the director of the North America Asian Food Industry Association. "A popular catchphrase circulating broadly in the food industry in China is 'to go overseas or to die.'"

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The US market certainly looks appealing. The food service industry reached over $1 trillion in sales last year, with $1.5 trillion projected in 2025. A survey by the National Restaurant Association found that 80% of restaurant operators in the US expect their sales this year to be the same or higher than last year's. An analysis by IBISWorld predicted a promising market for Chinese restaurants in the US through 2030 as the demand for Chinese food among households with annual income above $100,000 is expected to increase.

For as much of a setback as it was, the pandemic also offered a rare opportunity. "Many prime locations in coveted places like Manhattan are vacant after the pandemic, and that opens the market for brands from China," said Tom Chen, the founder of Kepler Mission Design Group, a design and branding company that's helped food and beverage chains from China open in the US. Leading Chinese brands have snatched up space in competitive areas like Fifth Avenue and Times Square in New York and Beverly Hills in Los Angeles.

"These brands don't want to be just another Chinese restaurant in the US; they want the esteem," said Chao Wang, the owner of the rice-noodle shop Hunan Slurp in New York's East Village. He's helping restaurants from Hunan province, where he's from, to open in the US. "To have a store in Manhattan is like erecting a flag on the moon. It's worth it even if you don't make money."

Still, the cuisine push from China may seem counterintuitive. The tension between the US and China, especially Washington's restrictions on Chinese tech companies in recent years, has created a palpable chilling effect. Figures on foreign investment from China vary significantly, but they all show a steep drop in Chinese investment into the US in the last several years. The most recent annual survey by the China General Chamber of Commerce  USA found that in 2023, more than 60% of Chinese companies in the US complained about the deteriorating business environment and 22% had reduced investment here.

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But geopolitical risks are not top of mind for most eateries. "The US is still a pro-business country. And we sell consumer products, not computer chips," said Amanda Wang, the owner of Ningji, the leading Chinese chain of lemon-based teas, with more than 3,000 stores in China. Its first overseas outlet is opening in mid-April in Los Angeles with a product line customized for American consumers called bobobaba. And the company is already looking for more locations.

This is an industry that is safe until Chinese companies start to win, and then they're not safe.

Wang said the biggest cultural shock for her is the time it takes to open a store in the US. Ningji decided to take over the fully functioning venue of a shuttered beverage store in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale last November, but as of early February, Wang was still waiting for the license to be approved to start the renovation. "I am speechless," said Wang. "We open a new store on average in 20 days in China."

Wang was also confused by a recent street encounter. Two days before the new year, on her way to the supermarket, a stranger yelled at her to "go back to China," and blamed her for stealing jobs in the US. "I don't understand why he thought I stole his job," said Wang. "We are here to create jobs."

This kind of hostility isn't exactly rare. A Pew Research Center survey from May found that eight in 10 Americans have negative views about China, and a study by researchers from Boston College, the University of Michigan, and Microsoft found that Asian restaurants in the US lost $7.4 billion in revenue in 2020 because of anti-Chinese sentiment, which President Donald Trump helped stoke by calling COVID-19 the "China virus."

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"Trump likes to stir racial antagonism," Chao Wang of Hunan Slurp said. The window of a noodle shop Wang owned in Long Island City, New York, was smashed during the pandemic, and he attributed it to anti-Asian hate.

Yong Zhao, the cofounder and chief executive of the American food chains Junzi Kitchen and Nice Day, had a disturbing moment a few months ago with a customer at his store in Long Island. "I told him we are going to bring organic mushrooms from a local farm into our recipes, and he said, 'Oh, is the farm owned by the CCP?'" said Zhao. The customer was referring to the rising concern that the Chinese Communist Party is spying on the US from farmlands purchased by Chinese entities. "If I were white, I don't think he'd have asked."

Before the pandemic, Zhao, a Yale-educated environmental scientist turned restaurateur, had formed a network of young Chinese restaurant operators in the US with a mission to "tell the stories of Chinese cuisine." But he said since the trade war began in 2018, American media has much less coverage of Chinese culture and lifestyle, and Americans seem less interested in Chinese culture. "Say, you want to highlight the history of a traditional dish from Chengdu, but many people here don't know where Chengdu is," said Zhao, referring to the southwestern Chinese city that is known for mapo tofu and kung pao chicken.

To some industry people I spoke with, Chinese food companies are less likely to be caught up in geopolitical wrangling than, say, the tech industry, but their biggest risk factor may be their own growth. "This is an industry that is safe until Chinese companies start to win, and then they're not safe," said Chris Pereira, the founder and CEO of iMpact, a New York-based consulting firm that has helped hundreds of Chinese enterprises enter the US.

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Before he founded iMpact in 2020, Pereira worked as an executive at Huawei, the Chinese tech conglomerate that was driven out of the US market over national security concerns. Having watched that play out, Pereira suggests big Chinese food chains find ways to share profits with American partners as a form of self-protection. For instance, he said, if Luckin Coffee, the Chinese coffeehouse behemoth with more than 22,000 locations in China that plans to come to the US this year, starts to steal market share from Starbucks, "you can bet the US government will find a way to talk about national security for coffee."

In a crowded back office at Quanjude's Manhattan site, Zhang has a more urgent challenge. The visa applications for the five chefs he plans to bring in from China are still pending. Since US-China relations started deteriorating, it's been harder to obtain visas for Chinese nationals, but Zhang says the Chinese-trained chefs are essential for the restaurant. "We won't allow the quality of the food to suffer under untrained hands," he said. If nothing else works out, he plans to bring Quanjude chefs from Canada.

Zhang thinks his ducks could serve an important mission. "I believe food is the best bridge for divisions and it may help pull the US and China closer again," he said.

After a pause, he continued. "Except if there is a hot war," he said, "everything Chinese in the US would be doomed."

Rong Xiaoqing is a New York-based award-winning journalist who has been writing about the Chinese community in the US since 2002.

Read the original article on Business Insider
DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN)  Community members gathered in Dothan Friday to raise money for a veterans organization looking for a permanent home.

American Legion Post 12 held the Wiregrass Vet Walk at the airport in Dothan. The participants walked from the airport to their prospective location, one mile away on Denton Road.

The American Legion is a group that helps needy veterans in the area and provides them with a place to fellowship.

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For the past 10-plus years, they have been without a permanent home, but through this walk and a Boston butt sale, they are looking to change that.

Dozens of schools participate in Wiregrass Special Olympics

This time its actually going to happen and we are going to make it. We cant do it without community help. The community is going to have to show out here, said Lehman Irby, Commander of American Legion Post 12.

American Legion is looking to raise between $150-175,000, which will go towards purchasing and renovating the building.

To help out you can visit their website to donate or purchase a Boston butt ticket. They are also receiving help from former Dothan Mayor Mike Schmitz

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Apr. 4The American Red Cross Permian Basin Chapter is calling on community members to step up as volunteers and make a difference in times of crisis. Join the Red Cross Shelter Academy training on Thursday, April 10, and Saturday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to receive essential training on supporting shelter operations and providing comfort to those affected by disasters.

This hands-on training session will equip participants with the skills needed to assist in emergency shelters and provide compassionate care to disaster survivors. No prior experience is required  just a willingness to help. Additionally, city employees and first responders are invited to attend basic training from 1 to 3 p.m.

What Participants Will Learn:

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 How to set up and operate shelters for those displaced by disasters.

 Providing food, comfort, and emotional support to individuals and families in need.

 Ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for all shelter residents.

 Increasing community resilience through emergency preparedness.

Event Details

 Date: Thursday, April 10 and Saturday, April 12.

 Time: 9 a.m.  3 p.m.

 Location: American Red Cross Office at the Connection Center, 4241 Tanglewood Lane, Odessa.

Attendees are encouraged to complete a volunteer application before the training by visiting here.
Editors Note: This essay is adapted from Coming Clean: The Rise of Critical Theory and the Future of the Left by Eric Heinze (The MIT Press, 2025) with permission of the publisher.

Today we find critical theoristsor crits, as they are often calledaround the world hatching many of the ideas that propel the left. Crits write in fields as varied as economics, law, politics, war, media, education, art, and climate change, and it can be hard to find much unity among them. Yet many crits accept some version of the following point: It is crucial to educate the public about patterns of oppression waged by and within Western societies over hundreds of years.

Some people, especially conservatives, dismiss this trend as grievance studies, inviting people to hate Western democracies. But it can also be described in more neutral terms as memory politicsa belief that we can remedy current social ills only by grasping their historical roots.

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Invariably, controversies about race, colonialism, gender, sex, war, and economic exploitation prompt questions about history, so there is no such thing as no memory politics. State-orchestrated amnesia itself is a form of memory politicsoften of the most sinister kind. It is the history taught in Putins Russia and Xis China. It is the history favored by school boards in the United States that want to replace the words slave trade in childrens textbooks with euphemisms like involuntary relocation or to describe 19th-century plantation slavery as an opportunity for slaves to learn skills that could be applied for their personal benefit.

Memory politics unfold in two steps. Memory forms the first step, where we gather evidence about past injustices. But, for crits, politics forms the second and decisive step. We must bring critical understandings of history out of the lecture hall and into public consciousness through street protests, films, television, radio, and other channels. The harms caused by racism, colonialism, militarism, sexism, or heteronormativity will never be overcome until the widest possible public understands them.

Recall William Faulkners immortal quip: The past is never dead. Its not even past. This approach to history demands that we must connect the dots from past wrongs to present crises. We will end cycles of injustice only by publicly and proactively communicating the Wests bleak histories to future generations.

Memory politics can be called the lefts most powerful contribution to todays world, as a quick comparison makes clear. A few centuries ago, our disputes about justice commonly involved questions about who held the rightful claim to a throne, or how powers should divide between the church and the state, or what kind of authority a monarch could rightfully wield over other members of the aristocracy. But nowadays, when you find yourself locked into a war of words around the dinner table, I doubt you are debating those types of questions. More likely, you are arguing about issues such as race, class, sex, or gender. Typical social problems today involve topics as different as earning power, street crime, illegal immigration, health care, environmental protection, child protection, abortion rights, weapons possession, substance abuse, criminal justice, or access to education. At first glance, these issues seem to have little in common, yet in all of them, discussions about unfair impacts based on race, class, sex, or gender often end up playing a crucial role.

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Progressive stances do not always triumph in debates on these issues, yet the lefts single greatest achievement consists in having defined the very terms we use to discuss justice, regardless of the positions each of us may end up taking on any given controversy. People like Donald Trump and Elon Musk may holler right-wing stances in debates about race, class, sex, or gender, but what leftists pioneered long ago was a culture in which these are the issues that define the arguments we are all having and the ways in which we are all thinking about justice. Leftists often claim to speak from an underdog position, yet when it comes to the single most powerful idea in ethics, law, and politicsthe idea of justiceit is the left that has defined todays conversations. To shape culture in such a pervasive way is to wield power indeed.

Battles about historical memory rage around the world. In 2020, more than 250,000 people signed a petition to the British Parliament entitled Teach Britains Colonial Past as Part of the UKs Compulsory Curriculum. The document insisted that by educating children about the events of the past, we can forge a better future. How would this education work? The petition stated: Colonial powers must own up to their pasts by raising awareness of the forced labour of Black people, past and present mistreatment of BAME [Black, Asian, and Middle Eastern] people, and most importantly, how this contributes to the unfair systems of power at the foundation of our modern society. At that time, Britains government was headed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the Conservative Party, whose minister for education dismissed the campaign, announcing that he did not want to pile on more topics in schools. Yet the petition authors fired back: Vital information has been withheld from the people by institutions meant to educate them. One of them recalled that she had read Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre and Jane Austens Sense and Sensibility in school but never got to read a book with a person of colour in it.

But this leads to my main question: How have crits taught the public about the lefts own histories? A defining feature of critical theory is collective self-examination, sometimes called autocritique. What this means is that many leftists feel entitled to insist that we must all take a critical view of Western historybecause they themselves have always reflected on the lefts own histories, openly and candidly confessing leftist failures. Admittedly, todays leftists do usually acknowledge atrocities committed in Stalins Soviet Union, Maos China, Pol Pots Cambodia, and the North Korea of the Kim dynasty; these histories can be widely found in university curricula. In other words, when it comes to a memory politics of the left, most leftists today do take step one: to admit wrongdoing in the first place. The problem is that leftists never take step two: They never carry knowledge of leftist atrocities out of the seminar room to promote greater public awareness.

For example, progressives across the globe have long organized events and protests calling for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions of Israel. They have written Israeli conduct into histories of Western racism dating back centuries, before the state was even conceived, frequently including comparisons to European colonialism, Nazism, apartheid, and Jim Crow. But this reading of history does not just take place in sleepy seminar rooms; it has formed a vital pillar of public awareness campaigns and grassroots activism, as we witness on college campuses today.

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In response, defenders of Israel virulently reject these analogies to fascism, settler colonialism, and racial discrimination. What then unfolds are full-blown culture wars. Polar extremes fire their polemics back and forth for years without end. These entrenched positions make it impossible for any serious conversation to move forward.

I propose a new approach. Questions about Israeli treatment of Palestinians are legitimate and must be discussed. After all, histories of ethnic discrimination have long plagued societies across the globe, so it would be odd for this evil not to be found in Israel. The problem is that, for more than a century, crits have done little more than replace one set of untold stories with another. If they believe that all stories of oppression must be told, then they must broaden their histories to include decades in which leftists lent legitimacy, if not zealous support, to oppressive dictatorships. At various times these included, for example, Soviet involvement with Egypt, Syria, Iraq, South Yemen, Algeria, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. The Soviets also promoted the spread of antisemitism in Arab and other Muslim nations. If leftists believe in self-scrutiny, then why dont they tell those stories? What, exactly, do they think collective autocritique should look like on the left?

If the left is to maintain credibility, it must start to do what it has taught the rest of us to do. It is time for the lefts memory politics of the left to advance from step one to step twoto advance from merely acknowledging leftist injustices to actively teaching the widest possible public about them. If leftists do not think that mass education about leftist injustices is vital, then it becomes a mystery why they would think that education about Western injustices should merit any attention at all.

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updates

7:25 AM PT -- Joseph McBride, lawyer for the Tate brothers, is blasting the investigation ... telling TMZ it's a "pathetic delay tactics by a group of weak lawyers running from a fight in the Florida Defamation Case, because they know the evidence is overwhelmingly on our side."

He adds ... "The SDNY is subject to Washington. Washington is not involved. We are not worried. Nothing changes. Our march to victory continues."

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Continue reading original story below.

The Tate brothers' legal issues in the U.S. are piling up -- federal prosecutors are now investigating them ... according to an attorney involved in a civil suit with them.

Here's the deal ... Andrew and his brother Tristan filed a $5 million defamation lawsuit against an unidentified woman and 3 other people last year in Palm Beach County, FL -- claiming the defandants' allegations prompted the Romanian officials to criminally charge the Tate bros.

Well, an attorney representing one of the defendants filed legal docs requesting certain information in that defamation case be kept confidential due to an ongoing U.S. Attorney's Office investigation.

Getty

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Danielle Pinter says the document should not be released publicly until the "United States federal investigation and/or prosecution by the Department of Justice for the Southern District of New York of Andrew and Tristan Tate has concluded."

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We've reached out to the SDNY for any info on the alleged probe. Ditto for the Tate brothers' rep.

Kanye's Tate Bros. Ties at Issue as He Calls Kim Kardashian a Sex Trafficker I TMZ TV

As we reported ... Andrew is dealing with 2 other investigations in the U.S. -- one in Florida and another in Beverly Hills. Tristan is also being looked at in the Florida probe in which Governor DeSantis announced the brothers were not welcome in the state.

TMZ broke the story ... Andrew's ex-girlfriend, Bri Stern, filed a report with police, accusing him of sexually assaulting her last month in the Beverly Hills Hotel. She has also filed a lawsuit against him.

TMZ Presents | The Menendez Brothers: The Prison Interview

The Tate brothers are also facing human trafficking charges in Romania, and recently returned to that country for a court date in that case. They have not yet been convicted, or found liable, in any of the legal matters they're facing.

Andrew and Tristan are well known for their podcast, "Tate Speech," in which they proudly preach misogynistic rhetoric.
Fifty-seven years after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., dozens of people gathered in the pews of a Durham church he once visited to oppose a proposed rezoning in a historic Black neighborhood.

On Friday evening, more than 100 people rallied at St. Mark AME Zion Church, 531 S. Roxboro St., to protest a redevelopment plan that would replace Heritage Square, an aging commercial center in Durhams Hayti neighborhood, with a new mixed-use project.

Sterling Bay, a Chicago-based developer, purchased the now-vacant and fenced 10-acre site for $62.5 million three years ago. The company plans to invest $500 million over the next decade to build the project in phases, which would include lab space, offices, housing, retail and public open areas.

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According to documents submitted to the Durham Planning Commission, phase one of the project includes:

A 13-story residential tower with 325 units

An 11-story building with 290,000 square feet of lab and office space

Over 17,000 square feet of retail space

A gathering plaza

The proposed development at 401 E. Lakewood Avenue sits just steps from St. Mark AME Zion Church and the Durham Freeway, which cuts through the heart of the historic Hayti neighborhood. As part of the project, Sterling Bay is also seeking to rename Heritage Square to Carolina Research Square.

To acknowledge the legacy of the once-thriving Hayti community  known for its concentration of Black-owned homes and businesses  Sterling Bay has proposed installing a marker.

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That word, heritage, means something, said Henry McKoy, the director for the Hayti Reborn advocacy group, at the rally. The word heritage has weight. Heritage Square was the embodiment of collective dreams.

Opponents of the rezoning say the project reflects a familiar pattern of development in Durham, one that, in the 1960s, led to the destruction of thousands of Black homes and businesses to make way for the Durham Freeway. Heritage Square was built in 1985 with funding from private real estate firms, loans, investors, Black churches and community groups. Despite its promising start, the project struggled financially and eventually fell into disrepair.

For years, promises have been made to revitalize Hayti, but those commitments have been largely abandoned.

To be clear, the community is not against development, McKoy said. (Sterling Bay) legally purchased the site, so they have a legal right to develop on it. The communitys against being erased, overshadowed, and given a check thats going to bounce.

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A public hearing is scheduled for the Planning Commissions meeting at 5:30 p.m., April 8. The commission may recommend approval of the rezoning, which will later head to the Durham City Council.

A need for generational wealth and protection

If the rezoning is approved and construction begins for the future development, more residents could be displaced, according to McKoy. In a document, Hayti Reborn summarizes their opposition to the rezoning:

The development would drive up property values and taxes, pricing out existing residents and Black-owned businesses.

Sterling Bay has not committed to including affordable housing.

The proposed development has no wealth-building tactics for the Hayti community.

Taller, denser buildings would serve high-income residents and businesses rather than the community.

Just because the community grows doesnt mean that folks who have called this community home have to be displaced or they have to leave, McKoy said in a phone interview. Theres a need and desire to create economic opportunity, jobs and generational wealth.

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Julian Pridgen, the pastor of St. Mark, said there is concern that the church will be impacted by the construction and stormwater runoff.

The structure is old and its fragile. We already have some flooding in the basement from rainwater runoff because we sit at the bottom of a hill, Pridgen said in a phone interview. Old pipes under the church have also been problematic, leading to soil erosion and a sink hole in the parking lot one year.

In early conversations with Sterling Bay, Pridgen said, the developers werent interested in any community needs or efforts to restore what Hayti lost.

Were hoping to welcome a neighbor whos interested in this local community, Pridgen said.

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In a statement from Sterling Bay, a spokesperson said the company welcomes further conversation and has been incorporating specific feedback from the Hayti community, including references to historic Hayti, publicly accessible gathering spaces, food and beverage offerings, job opportunities and affordable retail space.

Our commitment to a mixed-use life sciences research hub with residential and retail opportunities remains, as does our goal of creating economic opportunity for Durham area residents, the statement read.

The preservation of Hayti

At the rally, seven people, including former state Rep. Mickey Michaux and former state Sen. Floyd McKissick Jr., spoke to inform residents about the rezoning and what they could do to share their concerns.

McKissick, a Durham native, said part of Haytis history has been forgotten.

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The community was built in 1869 by formerly enslaved people and named after the country Haiti, the first independent Black republic. The district was formed around Pettigrew and Fayetteville streets. The Hayti Heritage Center, formed in 1975 in the original St. Josephs AME Church, has worked to preserve the heritage of the community through events, activities and programs. Much of Hayti, the Fayetteville Street corridor and surrounding areas are still mostly occupied by Black residents.

Its up to us to protect that legacy, McKissick said. Its up to us to pass on to the next generation to motivate them to mobilize; to (let them know) whats going on with redevelopment efforts right in this very community that can impact their lives.

Terrence White, the vice chair for the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, said residents must protect our neighborhoods from the aggressive takeover of land and development.

(Were) ensuring that no rezoning efforts move forward if they are detrimental to the needs of the community, he said.

The demands

According to Hayti Reborn, opponents want several key outcomes from Sterling Bay for Heritage Square:

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Respect current zoning height restrictions.

Mitigate traffic congestion.

Include commercial and retail spaces that support Black-owned businesses, include affordable housing, allow 50% equity for the community, and allow Hayti stakeholders to serve as co-developers.

Sterling Bay must withdraw its rezoning request before April 8 to further work with the community.

People want to hold up the history of Hayti in a proud way, McKoy said.

Heritage Square Rezoning Demands by Kristen Johnson on Scribd
Landlords for the Genghis Cohen, a landmark Chinese eatery on Fairfax that inspired "The Chinese Restaurant" episode of Seinfeld will shut the doors of its red-hued eatery at 740 N. Fairfax on May 31.



"After over a three year long lease negotiation, the original location of the restaurant...will close," according to a statement released by the restaurant's owners Marc Rose and Med Abrous. They added that they were "unable to secure a long term lease solution at a reasonable rate as the property is being redeveloped by the landlords."



The landlords N. Fairfax Holdings LLC filed an eviction order against Genghis Cohen in November, according to property records. It's unclear what the classic Chinese restaurant will be replaced with.

Genghis Cohen, long considered a New York Style Chinatown eatery for Angelenos, will be moved to a temporary space a few blocks south on Fairfax once occupied by Sweet Chick this June until they are able to find a more permanent home. But the last service will be held on May 31. The closing marks the loss of yet another iconic L.A. eatery. Original Pantry, a DTLA staple for a century, closed last month. A slew of Sunset Boulevard restaurants are also preparing to serve last suppers in the coming months, among them Hudson House and the Den.



"With so many iconic restaurants closing (from the past year alone Original Pantry Cafe, Le Petit Four, Patrick's Roadhouse, The Rose...the list goes on) Marc and Med were hellbent on protecting this piece of LA restaurant history that they have stewarded over the last decade and tirelessly worked on finding a temporary location for the restaurant," the owners said in the statement.



Genghis Cohen opened in 1983 by New York City native, music producer Allan Rinde who was working for Cherokee Studios at the time. He bought a pizza joint across the street and created Genghis Cohen, which served as a bit of home and a practice space for the bands he worked with. In 1997, Allan sold Genghis Cohen to long-time maitre d, Raymond Kiu, whose family ran the restaurant until they sold it a couple of regulars, the current owners.

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Israel killed a commander of Palestinian militant group Hamas on Friday in a pre-dawn strike in the Lebanese port city of Sidon that also killed his adult son and daughter.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the strike as a "flagrant attack on Lebanese sovereignty" and a breach of the November 27 ceasefire with Israel.

"Overnight, the (army and the domestic security agency Shin Bet) conducted a targeted strike in the Sidon area, eliminating the terrorist Hassan Farhat, commander of Hamas's western arena in Lebanon," the Israeli military said in a statement.

It said that Farhat had orchestrated multiple attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians during the hostilities that followed the outbreak of war in Gaza in October 2023.

They included rocket fire on the Israeli town of Safed on February 14, 2024 that killed an Israeli soldier, the military added.

Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed in a statement released in Gaza that Farhat had been killed in the strike along with his son Hamza, who was also a member, and his adult daughter Jenan.

An AFP correspondent saw the fourth-floor flat still on fire after the strike, which caused heavy damage to the apartment block and neighbouring buildings and sparked panic in the densely populated neighbourhood.

Lebanese state media had reported the 3:45 am (0045 GMT) strike on Sidon, saying at least three people were killed.

"A hostile drone raided a residential apartment... causing two successive explosions that led to a fire and extensive damage," the state-run National News Agency reported.

Emergency workers rushed to the scene where they recovered "the bodies of three martyrs," NNA said.

The Lebanese prime minister called for "maximum pressure on Israel to force it to halt these continual attacks which target various districts, many of them residential areas".

Israel struck south Beirut earlier this week, killing a Hezbollah Palestinian liaison officer in only the the second raid on the capital since the November ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group.

The Lebanese health ministry reported four dead in that strike, including a woman.

Lebanese leaders condemned the attack but Israel said it was in response to recent unclaimed rocket fire that Hezbollah insists it had no hand in.

Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah spiralled into all-out conflict last September, and the group remains a target of Israeli air strikes despite the November ceasefire.

Under the truce, Hezbollah is supposed to redeploy its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.

Israel is supposed to withdraw its forces across the UN-demarcated Blue Line, the de facto border, but has missed two deadlines to do so and continues to hold five positions it deems "strategic".
A crowd of over 2,000, according to organizers, braved the rain to attend the aniti-DOGE Hands Off protest at Washington Park in Cincinnati, Ohio,
A pro-Palestinian protester interrupted the keynote event of Microsofts 50th anniversary celebration Friday, the latest backlash over the tech industrys work to supply artificial intelligence technology to the Israeli military.

The protest happened as Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman was presenting product updates and a long-term vision for the companys AI assistant product, Copilot, to an audience that included Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former CEO Steve Ballmer.

Mustafa, shame on you, shouted a woman in the audience. You claim that you care about using AI for good but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military.

Mustafa, shame on you, shouted a woman in the audience. You claim that you care about using AI for good but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. AP

She claimed 50,000 people have died and described it as a genocide.

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Thank you for your protest, I hear you, Suleyman said. The protester continued, shouting that he and all of Microsoft had blood on their hands.

An investigation by The Associated Press revealed earlier this year that AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI had been used as part of an Israeli military program to select bombing targets during the recent wars in Gaza and Lebanon. The story also contained details of an errant Israeli airstrike in 2023 that struck a vehicle carrying members of a Lebanese family, killing three young girls and their grandmother.

The protest happened as Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman was presenting product updates and a long-term vision for the companys AI assistant product, Copilot. AP

In February, five Microsoft employees were ejected from a meeting with CEO Satya Nadella for protesting the contracts. While the February event was an internal meeting, Fridays protest was far more public  a livestreamed showcase of the companys past and future.

We provide many avenues for all voices to be heard, said a statement from the company Friday. Importantly, we ask that this be done in a way that does not cause a business disruption. If that happens, we ask participants to relocate. We are committed to ensuring our business practices uphold the highest standards.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, left, and former CEO Steve Ballmer and current CEO Satya Nadella were in attendance at Fridays celebration. REUTERS

Microsoft declined to say whether it would take further action.
Massive protests across the country, including in downtown Los Angeles, are planned for Saturday after President Donald Trumps sweeping tariff policy rolled out earlier in the week.

Southern Californians will congregate at DTLAs Pershing Square starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday for the Hands Off! Los Angeles Fights Back rally  part of a nationwide series of protests against Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, who has taken a large role at the White House.

Theyre taking everything they can get their hands onour health care, our data, our jobs, our servicesand daring the world to stop them, the protests webpage reads. This is a crisis, and the time to act is now.

President Trump talks with Elon Musk as he arrives to watch SpaceXs mega rocket Starship lift off for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Nov. 19, 2024.

As part of the new tariff rollout, the U.S. will now charge international trade partners a tax on goods imported into the States, including a 34% tax on imports from China, a 20% tax on imports from the European Union, 25% on South Korea, 24% on Japan and 32% on Taiwan.

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Canadian and Mexican imports are still taxed at a rate of 25% as of a Trump order last month.

Newsom distances California from Trumps tariffs, asks trade partners to exclude state from retaliation

The stock market plunged at a historic rate on Thursday and Friday in response to the new policy, which critics say will impact working and middle class Americans more than anyone else. The S&P 500 had its worst week since March 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic shut down much of the countrys consumerism.

On Thursday, JP Morgan upped its prediction of a recession occurring in the near future from 40% to 60%.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Federal authorities issued a statement following a news conference held by the family of the alleged victim in the fight between two Ardrey Kell High School students.

The two teenagers  a Muslim female and a Black male  got into a fight on March 7, each accusing the other of starting the dispute and using racial and religious slurs.

In an April 4 news conference, the girls family said no one from the FBI had contacted them. Family and friends of the girl also called on Charlotte-Mecklenburg School leaders to take action.

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In a joint statement between the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys Office on April 4, federal officials said the incident does not appear to be a hate crime despite allegations made by the girls family.

We are aware of the situation involving two Charlotte-Mecklenburg High School students. While we understand the concern surrounding such incidents, federal authorities initiate investigations and begin to take investigative steps, including conducting interviews, after an initial assessment of the available information indicates a potential federal violation. At this time, there is no indication that the conduct implicates any federal laws, and in particular federal hate crimes laws. We remain in contact with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and if new information becomes available suggesting a federal crime, the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys Office are prepared to review it and proceed accordingly. Because this alleged incident involves juveniles, privacy protections constrain federal authorities from making any further comments.

The full new conference is attached below.

QCNEWS.COM

ARDREY KELL HS FIGHT

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
JOHNSTOWN, Pa.  The number of fatal drug overdoses in Cambria County plummeted in 2024 to the lowest level in 21 years, officials said.

Twenty-four people died by accidental overdose in 2024 in Cambria County, down from 62 in 2023, according to the Cambria County Coroners Office.

The 61% drop marks the third straight year of declining overdose numbers for a county whose per-capita overdose death rate once ranked among Pennsylvanias highest.

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For local partners in a multi-pronged, decade-long push to combat drug use through education, prevention, treatment and enforcement, its a sign that at least some of those efforts are taking hold.

We cant leave our guard down, but this is a very positive sign, Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees said.

It wasnt just the number of fatal overdoses that dropped last year. Overdose calls, including emergency aid requests, also fell sharply, Cambria County 911 officials said this week.

Just 41 reports were received in 2024, Department of Emergency Services Director Tom Davis said. By comparison, the county received 93 calls in 2023.

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Split votes in Pa. Senate advance stern approaches to fentanyl, safe injection sites

A proposed ban on safe injection sites and a mandatory 10-year prison sentence for selling drugs ingested in a fatal overdose separately advanced by split votes this week in the state Senate.

Somerset Countys fatal overdose numbers also fell in 2024. Thirteen people died of accidental overdoses, down from 17 the year before, Somerset County Coroner Cullen Swank said. That was the countys lowest annual figure since 2019.

Its definitely good to see the numbers coming down, said Swank.

Somerset Countys 23% decline mirrored national trends.

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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennsylvanias fatal overdose totals for the 12-month period ending in September 2024 showed a 28% decline. The nationwide decline over the same span was estimated at 24%.

So how did Cambria County, with its 61% decline, outpace all of them?

While its too soon to assume that fewer people are using drugs, local leaders in the fight against addiction see evidence that more are embracing the opioid overdose-reversing medication Narcan; seeking treatment; or avoiding xylazine, a killer sedative thats immune to overdose-reversal meds.

Decade of efforts

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The Cambria County Drug Coalition formed in 2016 at a point when Cambria Countys per-capita overdose rate ranked second among Pennsylvanias 67 counties.

Partners in law enforcement, education, health, treatment and faith communities have since worked together to break the cycle through evidence-based prevention, education and support measures.

New programs were introduced in the regions schools to help students make better decisions and avoid falling into the trap of addiction, while Narcan spray was distributed to frontline responders across the county.

The Cambria County Drug and Alcohol Program works to connect struggling residents with treatment programs and counseling, with funding in place to take cost out of the equation.

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Weve changed the way we approach treatment, said Cambria County Drug and Alcohol Program Administrator Fred Oliveros, and weve gotten the life-saving measures such as Narcan out there, to give people a second chance and to get them into treatment that we now know works.

Some of those efforts have been constantly evolving, Oliveros said.

A decade ago, stigma surrounded medication-assisted treatment options such as buprenorphine  not just among the public, but also among some in the treatment communities, he said. But time and studies have shown its a vital path to recovery for many people working to quit illegal drugs, he added.

He pointed to a Journal of the American Medical Association study of nearly 41,000 people over a two-year period. It showed that people who got medication-assisted treatment, specifically buprenorphine and methadone, were 59% less likely to overdose over the year that followed compared to people who sought detoxification, behavioral health, the addiction-treatment drug Vivitrol or no treatment.

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The Cambria County Drug and Alcohol Programs Single County Authority funds served 556 clients in fiscal year 2023-24, up from 366 the year prior.

Much of that increase involved people receiving medication assistance through Alliance Medical Services and similar programs, or receiving no-cost buprenorphine or methadone through a Physicians and Pharmacy partnership with Martellas Pharmacy, data provided by Oliveros office show.

Just 75 people combined were referred to medication-assisted treatment through the Cambria County Drug and Alcohol Program during the 2022-23 fiscal year. Through early March, just nine months of the current fiscal year, the total was at 157 people and counting, figures show.

Inpatient treatment programs, by comparison, are on pace to be lower or steady with 2023 figures.

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Oliveros stressed that the county continues giving struggling substance users access to a menu of options, whichever the recipients feel will work best  whether its medication, detox or other resources. But its clearer than ever today that medication-assisted treatment, with support services, is saving lives, he said.

Were hearing stories all of the time at community events, primarily from parents saying it has changed their son or daughters life. They are holding a job again. Their lives are stabilizing, he said.

What has made that easier is that more people in the workplace and at home recognize the benefit, he said.

I think one of the biggest things is that more people are accepting medication-assisted treatment now, Oliveros said.

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Heroin, xylazine decline

A change in drug-use habits may also be a key part of the regions overdose decline.

In both Somerset and Cambria counties, a mix of uppers  such as methamphetamine or cocaine  and fentanyl was once again a leading cause of fatal overdoses in 2024.

But 2024 marked the first year in nearly 20 years in which nobody died of an overdose involving heroin in Cambria County, statistics show.

And just eight cases involved people testing positive for drugs mixed with xylazine, a dangerous tranquilizer historically used on larger animals such as horses. By comparison, Cambria County had 20 xylazine-related deaths in 2023.

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Just two people have died with the drug in their system since late May, according to Lees office.

Xylazines emergence in 2022 raised concerns and death counts. While it operates as a respiratory system depressant, like heroin, sprays such as Narcan dont reverse its effects because it isnt an opioid. Xylazine also can cause deadly open wounds, even for people who dont inject it.

Cambria County Detective Bill Hines, part of the task force of law enforcement officials who coordinate drug-buy investigations to get dealers off the street, said local users seem to be trying to avoid the drug.

Over the past year, county detectives have noticed more people shifting toward prescription pills and uppers such as cocaine and methamphetamine  much of which likely comes from Mexico, as compared to the do-it-yourself drug popularized 15 years ago in the AMC drama Breaking Bad.

It seems like people saw what (xylazine) does. Theyre getting more picky about what they buy, Hines said.

But Hines stressed that different drugs dont mean safe ones. Across the nation, counterfeit pills continue flooding the market. Much like drugs such as cocaine and meth, theyre typically cut with cheap fentanyl by profit-hungry distributors.

Its like Russian roulette, because people who think they are getting one thing are actually getting xylazine or fentanyl. One dose might be the right amount for them, Hines said. The next day might be their last day, because the next pill could be 99% fentanyl.

Preventable deaths

Local law enforcement officials have used Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, for nearly a decade to revive people feared to have suffered overdoses. Narcan use was also down in 2024, Cambria County Drug and Alcohol Program officials said.

Reports to the agency show 78 doses of the opioid overdose reversal spray were administered, saving 49 lives, staff said. There were 87 lives saved in 2023 by comparison.

To Cambria County Drug Coalition Interim Director Nichole Roussell, those are all positive signs, particularly when its keeping people out of the obituaries. But it may not tell the whole story.

For years, people struggling with substance use disorder needed a prescription, or a first responder to arrive with Narcan, to keep them safe.

A recent state law change altered that. The Cambria County Drug Coalition and its partners, including Alliance Medical Services, now distribute the medication countywide in Compassionate Outreach for Recovery bags.

Each bag contains Narcan, fentanyl test strips and safety supplies  as well as informational brochures alerting people about where to get help and the dangers of counterfeit pills.

Roussell said the coalition has handed out 12,000 bags over the past two years through local outreach.

For a lot of people in active addition, they dont want to go somewhere and say, I need Narcan, but they want to use it, Roussell said. With the COR bags, were getting it into their hands.

Narcan buys people a second chance  and even if it doesnt stop someone from using drugs right away, Roussell said she hopes the experience, and the resources the COR bags contain, will get people thinking. If nothing else, they may use less of their drug of choice when they reach for their next hit.

For groups such as the Drug Coalition, its about educating the community that the substances cut into most drugs these days just happen to be the cheapest, strongest and most dangerous thing, Roussell said.

We cant forget that drugs on the street are changing yearly, Lees added, stressing that local efforts to educate the public remain vital.

We have to keep working, keep supporting each other, because drugs arent going away, he said.

And friends, siblings, sons and daughters lives are at risk.

These are preventable deaths, Lees said. This affects everybody.
ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA)  Florida deputies are searching for the person accused of robbing Publix employees with a gun.

According to NBC affiliate WESH, the armed robbery took place at the Publix located off Lake Underhill Road and Chickasaw Trail in Orlando on Thursday.

Police to address viral confrontation between Florida charter captain, fisherman

The Orange County Sheriffs Office said the person entered the grocery store around 9:20 p.m. holding a gun and demanded money from the employees. The suspect reportedly managed to escape before authorities arrived.

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WESH said no description has been provided for the suspect, including their gender. It is unknown how much was stolen from Publix.

No one was reportedly injured during the incident. This remains an ongoing investigation.

WFLA.com has reached out to the sheriffs office for additional details.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
One Western Washington grocery store finds itself more susceptible to the broad-based tariffs announced this week by President Donald Trump. Closing in on 100 years in business, the grocery store Uwajimaya has imported culinary goods from Japan and other Asian nations for generations of Washingtonians. CEO & President of the grocer, Denise Moriguchi, says she had been planning for tariffs but was surprised by how high and how broad the actual proposal from the Trump Administration has been.

Were sharpening our pencils and trying to figure out what this means for the partners that we work with and for our customers, Moriguchi said.

Moriguchi, who now runs the company started by her father in Tacoma in 1928, says their company began by bringing Japanese staples into the U.S, namely for the Japanese people who lived in the area at the time. The grocer has grown to five stores across the Pacific Northwest, bringing in shoppers of all backgrounds.

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Food is not just something you eat, right? It brings people together. Moriguchi said, We connect people to maybe their home country or their roots. We also bring that discovery of new cultures.

Countries like Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand were some of the nations she didnt expect to see subjected to tariffs. Now, shes crunching the numbers to see what increases she can absorb.

It doesnt leave a lot of tools when its on everything. If its select items, you can lower some margins, and then maybe you could absorb some of it. But, when it is on everything, its just really hard to figure out how to not pass on a lot of it to the customer, which is not something we want to do at all. Moriguchi said, Prices have already been increasing a lot over these past few years. We know that its going to be tough for everybody.

White House Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posted on social media, pointing to the reasoning behind the Presidents tariff decision.

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The trade status quo has allowed countries to leverage tariffs and unfair trade practices to get ahead at the expense of hardworking Americans. The Presidents historic actions will level the playing field for American workers and usher in a new age of economic strength. Bessent posted.

White House officials have also pointed to restarting the production of more goods in the United States as a reason for the tariffs.

A lot of our items, we dont have an easy alternative that we could just source domestically. So, it will be a challenge for us as we look at our assortment and bring in products.




Athens, Ala. (WHNT)  Neighbors in an Athens community are pleading with Limestone County leaders to force a property owner to clean up his mess.

Here recently it seems our neighborhood is falling apart, Cedric McNeill said, a homeowner on Pine Street.

Input prices high, commodity prices low: Farmers facing challenges

McNeill said he has owned his property since 2011, but he said he has witnessed how the property directly next door and another just a yard away have become an unhealthy and uncontrollable mess.

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Over the last year or so its gotten really bad, McNeill explained. It has turned into some kind of camp or haven.

McNeill, a minister at the Lucas Street Church of Christ in Athens, told News 19 that he and his neighbors have complained to the county commission numerous times in the past few days about the trash, old tires that are littered throughout the abandoned properties and mobile homes.

McNeill said hes finding it hard to believe that no one has answered his cries for help.

Moulton Cotton farmer talks Trump tariffs

It bothers my wife, and we do ministry, and we dont want to tell anybody to come to your house especially when they have to turn onto Pine Street and see whats at the beginning of the street, McNeill said.

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Many of the property owners said that their plea for a cleanup for years seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

News 19 did speak by phone to Daryl Sammet, the District 1 commissioner, who said he was unaware of the issue but will do what he can to help.

Ill be more than glad to pursue it, you know, because thats what Im here for, Sammet said. There are some areas that need it around the county, but I will be more than willing to do what I can.

Efforts to reach the property owner were unsuccessful.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT)  The City of Athens announced Friday afternoon that a beloved park would partially open over the weekend.

The City of Athens announced that the previously closed All Kids Dugout/Park at the Sportsplex would partially open on Saturday and Sunday.

Below are some photos posted by the City of crews working to restore the equipment to get the park back open to the public.

(Photo: City of Athens)

(Photo: City of Athens)

(Photo: City of Athens)

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The Parks and Rec Director Bert Bradford said the park would reopen in a limited capacity.

Everyone who uses All Kids Park really does enjoy it, so it was a priority for us to get as much of the park back open as quickly as we could, Bradford said. From the time our water department got the line fixed, our maintenance crews have worked tirelessly to get it back open for the community to enjoy. They have really done a fantastic job.

On Facebook, Bradford said certain portions of the park would remain closed off to the public, but he said he hopes that they can fully reopen the park next weekend.

On March 27, the City announced the park was closed indefinitely after a water line burst and caused flooding in the area and damaged parts of playground equipment.

(Photo: City of Athens)

(Photo: City of Athens)

(Photo: City of Athens)

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
In a case of medical fraud, a man posing as a British heart specialist allegedly performed surgeries on patients at a Christian missionary hospital in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh  resulting in at least seven deaths.

The accused, whose true identity has been revealed as Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, reportedly falsified credentials and adopted the name "Dr. N John Kem," claiming to be a cardiologist from the UK, according to news agency ANI.

After securing a position at the private missionary hospital, Yadav began performing heart surgeries. Tragically, multiple patients died following these procedures, prompting outrage and urgent calls for accountability.

Advocate and district president of the child welfare committee, Deepak Tiwari, was one of the first to raise alarm bells about the fake doctor.

"Some patients who did not die came to us and told us about the incident that they had taken their father to the hospital. The guy was ready to operate, but they were apprehensive, so they took their father to Jabalpur. We then learned that this fake doctor was working at the hospital. The real guy is in Britain, and this guy's name is Narendra Yadav," said Tiwari, who filed an official complaint with the Damoh district magistrate.

Tiwari further alleged that Yadav has a criminal record and had a case registered against him in Hyderabad, a city in southern India, and yet failed to provide any real identification documents during his employment.

The scandal has drawn national attention not just for the loss of lives, but for the hospital's reported involvement with Ayushman Bharat, a central government scheme that funds healthcare for underprivileged citizens.

Priyanka Kanoongo, a member of the National Human Rights Commission, confirmed that the hospital was receiving government funds and that the allegations are being seriously investigated.

"We got a complaint that a fake doctor has performed surgery on patients in the missionary hospital. We were also told that the missionary hospital is also involved with the Ayushman Bharat scheme and taking money from the government for it. This is a serious complaint; we have taken cognisance of the matter, and an investigation is currently going on."

Shockingly, this isn't the first time Yadav posed as "Dr. Kem." In July 2023, he posted on X, appealing to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to be sent to France to stop riots, bizarrely identifying himself then, too, as Dr. N John Kem.

With a widening investigation and mounting pressure on both hospital officials and local authorities, the Damoh tragedy is raising serious questions about medical oversight, background checks, and the misuse of public health funds.
NEW YORK  New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert to customers of 23andMe, a direct-to-consumer genetic testing company, urging them to take action to protect their data.

23andMe collects and analyzes peoples genetic code and uses DNA samples to help people trace their ancestry or detect personal health risks, among other factors. The company filed for bankruptcy and announced plans to sell its assets.

Due to the trove of sensitive consumer data 23andMe has amassed, James would like to remind New Yorkers that they are able to request that 23andMe delete their personal data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company.

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New Yorkers genetic data is sensitive information that must be protected at all costs, she said.

23andMes bankruptcy announcement is concerning and I am urging New Yorkers to take action to safeguard their data. New Yorkers can follow instructions offered by my office to delete their data or destroy any DNA samples held by 23andMe. Anyone experiencing issues deleting their information stored with 23andMe should contact my office.

AJames is offering New Yorkers tips on how to delete their data that is stored with 23andMe or destroy test samples. Consumers can delete their account and personal information by taking the following steps:

 Log into your 23andMe account on their website.

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 Go to the Settings section of your profile.

 Scroll to a section labeled 23andMe Data at the bottom of the page.

 Click View next to 23andMe Data.

 Download your data: If you want a copy of your genetic data for personal storage, choose the option to download it to your device before proceeding.

 Scroll to the Delete Data section.

 Click Permanently Delete Data.

 Confirm your request: Youll receive an email from 23andMe; follow the link in the email to confirm your deletion request.

If you previously opted to have your saliva sample and DNA stored by 23andMe, but want to change that preference, you can do so from your account settings page, under Preferences.

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If you previously consented to 23andMe and third-party researchers to use your genetic data and sample for research, you may withdraw consent from the account settings page, under Research and Product Consents.

James encourages New Yorkers who experience issues deleting their data with 23andMe to contact her office by filing a complaint online: https://formsnym.ag.ny.gov/OAGOnlineSubmissionForm/faces/OAGBITHome
A Travis County district court judge on Friday awarded $6.6 million to four former senior aides to Attorney General Ken Paxton who said they were improperly fired after reporting Paxton to the FBI.

Judge Catherine Mauzy stated in her judgment that the plaintiffs  Blake Brickman, Mark Penley, David Maxwell and Ryan Vassar  had proven by a preponderance of the evidence that Paxtons office had violated the Texas Whistleblower Act. Each of the four were awarded between $1.1 and $2.1 million for wages lost, compensation for emotional pain, attorneys fees and various other costs as a result of the trial.

The judgment also said Paxtons office did not dispute any issue of fact in the case, which stopped the Attorney Generals office from further contesting their liability. Tom Nesbitt, the attorney for Brickman and Maxwell, said in a statement that Paxton admitted to breaking the law to avoid being questioned under oath.

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"It should shock all Texans that their chief law enforcement officer, Ken Paxton, admitted to violating the law, but that is exactly what happened in this case, Nesbitt said in the statement.

In a statement to the Tribune from his office, Paxton called the ruling a ridiculous judgment that is not based on the facts or the law and pointed blame at former Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, who led the Texas House effort to impeach him in 2023. We will appeal this bogus ruling as we continue to clean up Dade Phelans mess," Paxton said in the statement.

The judgment also ordered that the plaintiffs are entitled to additional attorneys fees if they successfully defend or prosecute appeals, including up to $20,000 per plaintiff for various stages of review at the Supreme Court of Texas.

Late Friday, Brickman criticized Paxtons intent to appeal the judgment in a post on X, calling the attorney general  lawless and shameless and claiming the judgment came because Paxton was avoiding a deposition.

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Paxton now wants to appeal? He literally already admitted he broke the law to @SupremeCourt_TX and the Travis County District Court  all to stop his own deposition, Brickman wrote.

The case was sparked when eight former aides, including the four plaintiffs, reported Paxton to federal authorities in September 2020 over his relations with Nate Paul, a friend and Austin real estate investor. The whistleblowers accused Paxton of abusing his office to do favors for Paul, including by hiring an outside lawyer to investigate claims made by Paul and providing him confidential law enforcement documents.

In the days and weeks after the whistleblowers met with federal agents  a development they reported to Paxton  the attorney general fired them. Four of them sued Paxton in November 2020, alleging their dismissals were illegal under state law.

Paxton disagreed but offered to settle the suit and pay the whistleblowers $3.3 million. But when Paxton asked the Texas House for the money in 2023, lawmakers wanted him to publicly answer questions about why Texas taxpayers should foot the bill. The Houses ethics committee began investigating Paxton, and in May that year, the chamber impeached him on corruption and bribery charges based heavily on the whistleblowers testimony.

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House investigators claimed that, in return for favors from Paxton, Paul paid for renovations at an Austin home owned by Paxton and his wife and also employed a woman with whom Paxton was having an extramarital affair.

After a two-week, high-profile trial, the Texas Senate acquitted Paxton of 16 charges and dismissed the remaining four. That trial cost the state roughly $5.1 million, according to a State Auditors Office report released in March that was requested by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Months later, in the still-pending whistleblower case in state court, Paxton said he would no longer contest the facts of the case  despite the fact that the allegations by the whistleblowers were similar to the ones his lawyers had vigorously disputed during the impeachment trial.

In November 2024, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that Paxton and three of his top deputies did not have to sit for depositions under oath, because Paxtons agreement not to contest the lawsuit made the sworn testimony unnecessary.

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Paxton also dodged a federal lawsuit, the Associated Press reported Thursday, when the Department of Justice declined to prosecute him in the final days of former President Joe Bidens administration. Still, Paxton levied culpability on Biden in his statement to the Tribune on Friday night, claiming the Houses impeachment efforts were in collusion with Joe Bidens corrupt DOJ.

Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 1315 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  The second attorney implicated in the DWI scheme will not argue against the suspension of his law license next week. The New Mexico Supreme Court issued an order Friday stating Rudolph Rudy Chavezs law license will remain suspended until further order of the court.

The 44-year-old Albuquerque attorney requested the court cancel next weeks hearing, where he could have argued against the suspension. Last month, the states Disciplinary Board moved to revoke Chavezs law license, naming him as a co-conspirator in the DWI scheme where officers worked with attorneys to get DWI cases dismissed in exchange for cash.

Chavez has not been criminally charged and has denied involvement in the scheme. However, he can no longer practice law, and his website has been taken down.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
Apr. 4WAPAKONETA  Auglaize County Prosecuting Attorney Edwin Pierce has announced his retirement, effective April 8, concluding a 41-year career in the prosecutor's office.

Pierce, a Republican, was first elected prosecuting attorney in the November 1996 election. He worked as an assistant prosecutor for 13 years before taking over the office's top spot. He is the longest-serving prosecutor in Auglaize County history, winning re-election seven times.

"Serving the people of Auglaize County has been the honor of a lifetime. It has been full of challenges, accomplishments, and even the occasional frustration," Pierce said in a prepared statement. "Forty-one years passes more quickly than you'd imagine possible when spent working with the remarkable staff of the prosecutor's office across five decades. It has been a wonderful career."

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Pierce said one of the best parts of his job has been the people of Auglaize County he has been able to work with, including other local government officials and employees, law enforcement officers, and local attorneys.

Pierce was active in the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, serving on the executive committee and other various committees for a number of years. In 2014 he served as the association's president.

Pierce said he is leaving the office in "great hands" as he anticipates Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Ben Elder will be appointed as his successor.

"Ben is a true professional and career prosecutor," Pierce said. "He has served Auglaize County as an assistant prosecuting attorney since 2012, handling the most serious and difficult felony cases to come before the courts. In particular, Ben was instrumental in the prosecution of a 1981 'cold case' homicide occurring in Auglaize County. This prosecution resulted in the convictions in 2014 and 2015 of three individuals responsible for the homicide of an elderly St. Marys man. Ben is particularly qualified, extremely competent and dedicated to carry on the important work of the Prosecutor's Office."

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Contacted on Friday, Elder said "it has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with Ed for the last 13 years. I'm sorry to see him go but wish him well in his future endeavors."

The Auglaize County Commissioners will make an appointment on April 8 to fill the vacancy left by Pierce's retirement. The Auglaize County Republican Party's Central Committee will meet within 45 days of the effective date of the resignation to name its recommendation for an individual to fill position.

A special election will be held in 2026 to fill the unexpired term.

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A tick found on a bird dog in Montana could forewarn of Lyme disease spreading into the state.

What's happening?

A Bozeman-based hunter recently alerted local health officials in the state to a tick that he found on his French Brittany dog after a pheasant-hunting excursion. The Spokesman-Review reported the news, explaining that the tick was plucked from the dog and shipped to a National Institutes of Health facility, which confirmed it was a deer tick, a Lyme disease-carrying species that has traditionally been found on the East Coast and in the Midwest.

In addition, the lab found that the tick may have actually been carrying Lyme disease and relapsing fever, another tick-borne disease.

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Health officials said that the evidence isn't enough to prove that Lyme disease has moved into the state, however.

"What it does say is, 'Well, guess what? We should be on the lookout for these Ixodes scapularis ticks in Eastern Montana,' which is where this tick was from, as well as other parts of the state," Marshall Bloom, a scientist with Rocky Mountain Laboratories, the Montana-based lab that first received the tick and sent it to the NIH, told the Spokesman-Review.

Why is this tick important?

Deer ticks have long made themselves at home in the East and Midwest, but they are expanding their range westward, largely due to rising global temperatures that allow them to remain active and survive for longer as the number of days with warm enough temperatures increases slightly, scientists say.

In people, Stage 1 Lyme disease can cause symptoms including fever, headache, extreme tiredness, joint stiffness, muscle aches and pains, and swollen lymph nodes, according to the Mayo Clinic. Without treatment, the disease can progress to Stage 2, with more serious symptoms like immune-system activity in heart tissue that causes irregular heartbeats.

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Stage 3 leads to more severe consequences that can last for months and in some cases years, potentially causing permanent joint, heart, or neurological damage.

In dogs, the disease can cause lameness, fever, swollen lymph nodes and joints, and a kidney disease called Lyme nephritis that can lead to edema, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes death, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Montana isn't the only place on the alert as deer ticks continue to expand their range outside of their normal territory. For instance, Lyme disease risk has doubled in the Canadian province of Quebec and tripled in Manitoba between 2000 and 2015, according to one study.

What can I do to prevent Lyme disease in myself and my pet?

The best way to avoid Lyme disease is to avoid ticks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages people to walk in the middle of trails to avoid these tiny external parasites and keep legs covered. Another preventative action is spraying footwear, clothing, and camping gear with insecticide that includes 0.5% permethrin  though as always, avoid resorting to chemicals when possible and look to this option more for times when engaging in serious tick risks.

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There are already a number of medicines on the market that kill ticks that have bitten dogs before they can spread Lyme disease. Make sure to invest in one of these medications to protect your dog. Meanwhile, scientists are working on a new tick-repelling drug for humans that works similar to the chewable tablets we give our dogs.

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A child waiting for the bus was bit by a wild coyote, according to The News Tribune.

What's happening?

On March 6, a woman sitting on her back porch in the Norwood Village neighborhood of Bellevue, Washington, was bitten by a coyote, but she managed to escape inside. The next day, a coyote took a child's backpack outside of Tyee Middle School in the same area. A few days later, a coyote attacked children waiting for a school bus nearby, ripping clothing and attempting to take a backpack. Later, authorities received a report of another attack that resulted in an injured child.

Why are coyote attacks important?

Incidents like these go to show the direct, physical danger to society's most vulnerable that results from irresponsible wildlife management.

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As natural habitats are destroyed for human use and climate shifts force new migration and survival patterns, animals are funnelled into more contact with people. Coyotes are particularly adaptable and aggressive. They have clearly learned that backpacks can contain food and are willing to fight to get it.

Increasing human settlement near wilderness areas will also increase the likelihood of these kinds of unfortunate encounters, but they are also on the rise in urban areas.

What's being done about coyote attacks?

Police went to the scene of the bite, found two coyotes, and killed one. The other ran to the bushes. These two coyotes were presumed to be the same ones involved in all of these incidents.

The killed animal tested negative for rabies. The bitten child was treated for mild injuries at the hospital and released. "Officers are increasing patrols in the area to locate the second animal," said the report from the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.

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Above all else, experts suggest avoiding feeding wildlife of all kinds. It increases their comfort level around humans and builds an expectation of a food source that can have them coming back again. This includes leaving garbage insecure, which coyotes will happily feed on.

If confronted, Washington Fish & Wildlife advises against running and instead suggests making yourself appear large and making loud noises to scare off any aggressive coyotes.

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While the new trade sanctions are expected to add thousands to the cost of the typical new vehicle, even those assembled in the U.S., some manufacturers promise to hold the line on prices  for now.

On Friday, Hyundai launched a new Customer Assurance program that aims to soothe consumer fears about the potential impact of the new Trump tariffs on the price of its vehicles.

The Korean carmaker is just one of many automakers scrambling to find ways to minimize the impact of the tariffs announced by President Donald Trump on Wednesday. Industry analysts are forecasting significant price hikes  in some cases, topping $20,000  on new vehicles sold in the U.S. as the tariffs take hold.

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The auto industry could be particularly hard hit, observers warn, with most observers now downgrading forecasts for sales and earnings this year.

While Trump has promised his Liberation Day strategy will bring manufacturing back to the U.S., declining sales could actually result in lost American jobs, especially in the near term. Stellantis announced 900 tariff-related cuts in both Michigan and Indiana on Thursday.

Trump Warns Automakers

During his Liberation Day comments on Wednesday, Trump sounded upbeat on the impact of the automotive tariffs, declaring, Youre going to see prices going down, but going to go down specifically because theyre going to buy what were doing, incentivizing companies to  and even countries  companies to come into America.

But he was less upbeat when meeting last month with CEOs from a number of auto manufacturers, notably including General Motors Mary Barra and Fords Jim Farley. At the time, the Wall Street Journal later reported, he warned the executives not to pass on the cost of tariffs to their buyers.

Consumers Could Get Slammed

Edgar Faler, an industry analyst from the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., noted that even a few days after the new tariffs were announced, the exact impact and, indeed, the final details had yet to become clear. He told me that the cost should be substantial.

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The complicated plan announced by the President varies by country, and further increases could even be seen based on whether trade partners try to retaliate. But theres a broad consensus that new vehicle prices will, on average, rise by thousands of dollars. Michigan-based Anderson Economic Group anticipates the typical SUV will go up $4,000 on average and that higher-end vehicles could see increases above $12,000.

Import vehicles wont be the only ones impacted, however. Stephanie Brinley, principal auto analyst at S&P Global Mobility, stressed to me that even U.S.-made models will be impacted because they all use at least some imported parts.

Automakers Try to Ease the Impact

U.S. consumers bought around 16 million vehicles in 2024, said Faler, noting that this would result in tariffs in the tens of billions of dollars if sales were to hold steady in 2025. However, theres a broad consensus that many consumers would drop out of the market. The analyst said he could not see how it would be possible for automakers to simply absorb the tariffs despite Trumps threats.

Not long-term, anyway, but some may try to forestall price hikes for now. Hyundai on Friday announced its Customer Assurance program. It ensures that American motorists who purchase one of its products between now and June 2, 2025, wont have to pay more, no matter what happens with tariffs.

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At Hyundai, we have a long history of providing value and doing whats right for our customers and communities, said Jose Munoz, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor Company.

We know consumers are uncertain about the potential for rising prices, and we want to provide them with some stability in the coming months. Our MSRP commitment is just one part of our multifaceted effort to provide great vehicles to American consumers, while also supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and investing billions of dollars in the most important market for our company.

Ford announced its own program, dubbed From America, For America, earlier in the week. It will offer all customers the same pricing as its own employees. That may cut some costs, but even Ford employees will have to pay tariff markups.

VW Wants You to Know Why Prices Go Up

Volkswagen is taking a very different approach to the tariffs. It wants buyers to know why prices are going up and will have a separate line item on its Munroney label  the price sticker on the window of all new vehicles  breaking out the import fee. We want to be very transparent about navigating through this time of uncertainty, it told the Wall Street Journal.

Layoffs Begin

Analyst Faler and others said that the promise of new American manufacturing jobs has yet to be validated and would likely play out over the long term. It takes time to move even basic parts production back to the U.S. from abroad, and launching a new assembly plant could take years.

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But they have warned that the country actually could experience a hit to automotive employment in the near term, and thats already playing out.

In a letter sent to employees on Thursday, Stellantis said it will lay off 900 workers temporarily at five plants in Michigan and Indiana. Those facilities are being impacted because they produce parts and components used on one assembly line in Mexico and another in Canada, reported the Reuters news service.

In the letter, Antonio Filosa, Stellantis chief operating officer for the Americas, said the automaker is continuing to assess the medium- and long-term effects of these tariffs on our operations, but also have decided to take some immediate actions.

Other manufacturers I contacted declined to discuss their own plans, but several, speaking on background, indicated layoffs could be in their plans as they assess what tariffs might mean for future sales. A senior executive at a major importer noted that it may begin passing onto consumer tariff costs within weeks.
Barbara Rivera Holmes, middle, is joined family, Gov. Brian Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp after her April 4 swearing-in ceremony as state labor commissioner. Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder

Former Albany Herald business reporter Barbara Rivera Holmes became the first Hispanic woman to hold a statewide executive office position when she was sworn in Friday as state labor commissioner.

During Fridays swearing-in ceremony, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp trumpeted Holmes groundbreaking accomplishment becoming Georgias first Hispanic woman to become a constitutional officer. The former news reporter resigned as president and CEO of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce after being selected by Kemp to fill the remaining term of former Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson, who died in November following an eight-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

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Like I said last month when we announced the appointment of Barbara Rivera Holmes to this position, I said that she was smart, accomplished and dedicated to growing opportunities for hard working Georgians, Kemp said. She also brings unique experience in economic development, especially in rural parts of our state, and education at the highest levels in our state will benefit all those who are looking for work.

Holmes will begin leading the Georgia Department of Labor amid rising fears of a recession as President Donald Trumps administration levies historic tariffs that critics argue could raise the price of U.S. goods while disrupting the global economy.

Her predecessor, Thompson, spent a decade in the Senate prior to becoming labor commissioner in 2023, taking over a state agency that had struggled to process a surge of unemployment claims since the start of the pandemic.

On Friday, Holmes credited her familys sacrifices that included her grandparents in 1961 seeking political refuge from Cuba in America as the driving force in her becoming the states 11th labor commissioner.

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Holmes said Friday that she plans to run for a four-year term as labor commissioner when her current term ends in the 2026 election year.

The Department of Labor is vital to our states economy for supporting workforce development, job attainment, safe working conditions and the prosperity of our communities, she said.

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Judges showed some frustration this week with how the Trump administration has been defending itself in court, with one saying it appeared to have used "bad faith" tactics, another accusing it of using "disingenuous" arguments and a third saying it was making "inaccurate" claims.

One of the judges, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, suggested he might hold contempt proceedings to hold the government to account for failing to comply with his orders.

In a separate but related case, a federal judge in Maryland on Friday ordered the government to return a deportee it acknowledged was accidentally sent to a notorious megajail in El Salvador.

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The week ended with a major win for the administration, when the Supreme Court allowed it to terminate Education Department grants that a lower court had restored. It was the first time during President Donald Trump's second administration that the Supreme Court sided with him.

Here's a look at some of the biggest legal developments of the week:

'The government acted in bad faith'

At a hearing Thursday, Boasberg demanded detailed answers about the administration's failure to comply with his order halting deportations under Trump's invocation of the rarely used Alien Enemies Act.

He didn't get them.

After Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Immigration Drew Ensign told him "it is our position that the actions of the government complied" with his two restraining orders barring alleged Venezuelan gang members from being flown out of the country on March 15, the judge let his frustration show.

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"OK. So it seems to me that there is a fair likelihood that that is not correct, and in fact, that the government acted in bad faith throughout that day," Boasberg said.

"If you really believed everything you did that day was legal and could survive a court challenge, I can't believe you ever would have operated in the way you did," he added.

He also referenced the deportation of a Maryland man who the administration acknowledged was mistakenly sent to El Salvador.

"So what you were willing to do by trying to do this as quickly as possible and avoid being enjoined by the court was to risk putting people on those planes who shouldnt have been on the planes in the first place," Boasberg said later in the hearing.

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The judge noted that Trump had signed the AEA on Friday, March 14, but didn't make it public until Saturday afternoon, when preparations to ship the deportees to a prison in El Salvador were already underway.

He suggested the timing was intentional, so the deportees could be "removed from the country before it was possible to challenge it legally."

Ensign said, "I don't have any information on that."

The lawyers for the plaintiffs, who all deny that they're members of the gang, got wind of the executive order on March 14 and filed suit overnight to block the deportations. Boasberg ordered an emergency hearing for that Saturday afternoon.

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During that hearing, the judge ordered any deportations under the AEA to be temporarily halted, and directed that any flights that were underway be returned to the U.S. Ensign said at the time he was not aware of any, a position he reiterated Thursday.

I had no knowledge from my client that was the case, Ensign said, and I made diligent efforts to obtain that information from the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.

It was later revealed that two such flights were in the air at the time. The government has refused to release details on the exact timing, labeling it a "state secret." The Justice Department lawyers claimed the flights were out of U.S. airspace at the time, and therefore didn't have to return.

Boasberg pressed Ensign on who made the decision not to turn the planes around. "I don't know that," Ensign replied.

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"I'm certainly interested in finding that out because as we proceed with potential contempt proceedings, that may become relevant," the judge said.

He said he'll likely issue an order on whether there's probable cause to find the government in contempt next week.

At an unrelated news conference Friday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi was asked if she "was involved in the decision to defy" Boasberg's order.

"I dont think anyone defied an order by a judge. Thats pending in court right now," she said.

On Tuesday, the parties will be back before Boasberg for arguments on the heart of the issue in the case  whether the Trump administration should be enjoined indefinitely from deporting alleged Tren de Aragua members under the AEA.

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The administration has already appealed his current restraining order to the U.S. Supreme Court, alleging it infringes on the president's powers.

Judge rules in favor of Maryland man deported to El Salvador

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis on Friday ordered Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who is a legal resident of Maryland, to be returned to the U.S. by Monday after a Justice Department lawyer acknowledged he should not have been sent to El Salvador.

An immigration judge had specifically barred Garcia, who the government alleges is an MS-13 gang member, from being sent to El Salvador back in 2019, finding it "more likely than not that he would be persecuted" there.

Xinis asked Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni why the administration couldn't ask El Salvador to return Garcia. Reuveni said he'd asked his client the same thing, and, I have not yet received an answer that I find satisfactory.

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Reuveni also said he did not know why Garcia had been arrested, how it was determined he would be sent to El Salvador or any details about the administration's deal with the prison there.

The government made a choice here to produce no evidence, he said.

'Disingenuous' arguments in a California case

A federal judge in California on Monday issued an order temporarily blocking the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for over 350,000 Venezuelan nationals.

U.S. District Judge Edward Chen said the plaintiffs in the case are likely to succeed with their claims that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's "unprecedented" decision to bring an early end to their TPS protections  which allow them to live and work in the U.S.  is "unauthorized by law, arbitrary and capricious, and motivated by unconstitutional animus."

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Noem had directed the TPS protections, which had been scheduled to expire late next year, to be terminated on April 7.

The administration is appealing Chen's decision and separately asked him to stay his own ruling, arguing in part that ending the protections doesn't mean they'll be deported.

"[T]hat is a disingenuous argument," Chen wrote Friday, rejecting the administration's request for a stay.

He noted that during an interview where she announced the decision, Noem said the people of this country want these dirtbags out.

He said the "entire point" of Noem's early termination decision "was to enable the removal of Venezuelan TPS holders on a schedule well in advance of the schedule set" by her predecessor, Alejandro Mayorkas.

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"Nor has the government stated that, if the Court were to stay its postponement order, it will not immediately move forward with the removal of any Venezuelan TPS holder," Chen added.

He pointed to the administration's acknowledgement in the AEA case that one of the deportees shouldn't have been removed as another reason not to pause his ruling.

The "government mistakenly deported an individual, who has legal status to be in the United States, to El Salvador but has essentially taken the position that it cannot do anything to address that mistake," the judge wrote, showing any removal in his case "likely could not be 'undone' should Plaintiffs ultimately prevail."

'Inaccurate' claims

The Justice Department also sought a stay from a federal judge in Washington, D.C., asking her to pause her preliminary injunction barring the administration from shuttering the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson's March 28 decision granting the injunction included some harsh words for the administration, finding its claims it wasn't trying to close the agency "unreliable."

The government's "eleventh hour attempt to suggest immediately before the hearing that the stop work order was not really a stop work order at all was so disingenuous that the Court is left with little confidence that the defense can be trusted to tell the truth about anything," Jackson wrote then.

She was similarly unimpressed Thursday with its arguments for a stay of her order.

"[T]heir description of the Order is at odds with the terms of the Order, and their description of the ruling that prompted it is inaccurate as well," she wrote, denying the request.

That same day, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the government a partial temporary stay of the order.

"The purpose of this administrative stay is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the emergency motion for stay pending appeal and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of that motion," the ruling said.

Supreme victory

The Supreme Court gave the administration some relief late Friday by allowing it to terminate education grants for teacher training that administration officials view as violating Trump's policy opposing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

The 5-4 decision blocked a Massachusetts-based judges ruling that found the administration hadn't followed the correct legal process in terminating the grants.

The appeal was one of three the administration submitted to the high court with last week, including the Alien Enemies Act case.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The BBC has been accused of parroting Islamist propaganda after describing Muslim converts as reverts.

The controversial term was used throughout an article about Eid  the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan  published by BBC News on Friday.

The term revert is used by some to back claims that Muslim converts are merely returning to the faith all humans are born into before being corrupted by Christianity, other religions or atheism.

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But it is not used by all Muslims and is especially associated with Islamist fundamentalism.

Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative MP and former security minister, said the use of the term was sectarianism that had no place on the BBC.

Calling converts reverts is ideology, not fact, he said. Its claiming were all originally Muslim and those who convert are rediscovering their faith. Thats Islamist propaganda and has no place on the BBC.

Mr Tugendhat, who has a masters degree in Islamic studies from the University of Cambridge, added: Mainstream Islam is clear on conversion as a route to salvation in keeping with other faiths. This is not the same.

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I dont object to theological language, I object to the BBC claiming it is the appropriate term.

Tom Tugendhat called the use of the term reverts Islamic propaganda - Getty Images/Rasid Necati Aslim

The article was edited on Saturday to remove all uses of the term revert apart from in quotes and the headline.

It was then edited for a second time later that day to change reverts to converts in the headline and to add an explanation of the term after an interviewee was quoted using it.

The explanation reads: Some Muslims refer to revert when talking about people who have converted to the Muslim faith. This is based on the belief that everyone is born as a Muslim and those who embrace Islam are returning to their natural state.

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The piece reported that converts to Islam can feel isolated and lonely during Ramadan and Eid, when Muslims often gather together with their relatives.

It highlighted the work of the New Muslim Circle charity, based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, which teaches reverts how to pray and organises get-togethers.

Divisive term most Muslims would not use

Dr Taj Hargey, of the Oxford Institute for British Islam, said the term should never be used.

It is used by Islamic fundamentalists in their propaganda that everyone is born Muslim, he said. It is utter tosh and the correct term to use is convert.

It is concerning that the BBC has chosen to use this divisive term that most Muslims would not use, only extremists and supremacists.

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Dr Paul Stott, head of security and extremism at the Policy Exchange think tank, said: Why is the national broadcaster using such a loaded term without quote, qualification or detailed explanation?

The position that Islam is the natural state of all humans, and that converts to the faith are reverting to it, may be something some or even most Muslims accept. But believers in other faiths do not think that. Nor do atheists. So why is the BBC giving it currency?

Steve Baker, the former Conservative MP, said: This kind of excess does Muslims a grave disservice and surely is among the reasons a worrying anti-Muslim hatred is rising. Moderation is the key. This from the BBC is not it.

A spokesman for the BBC said: This piece has been edited, and the headline changed, to make it clearer for readers.

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It is understood that BBC bosses believe the term revert should have been attributed to the interviewees and explained fully to readers in the original version of the article.

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The BBC has accused Apple of putting the licence fee at risk by destroying the value of its content, escalating tensions between the broadcaster and Americas biggest tech giant.

In the latest spat between the two parties, the BBC has attacked Apple and its smartphone rival Google for presenting its news and podcasts on iPhones in a diminished way that erodes quality.

It said this was weakening its relationship with the public and harming its unique licence fee model, potentially piling further strain on the corporations stretched finances.

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The BBC said the aggregation of content across smartphone apps, such as Apple News and Apple Podcasts, meant that users were less likely to appreciate where it had been produced.

The intervention comes after the iPhone maker recently withdrew an artificial intelligence feature that falsely summarised the broadcasters headlines.

The BBC has written to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is investigating Apple and Googles power in the smartphone industry, urging the regulator to intervene.

The broadcaster said Apples actions make it harder for us to serve our audiences and fulfil our public service goals.

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These concerns are believed to relate particularly to the way the BBCs content is bundled with other providers in services such as Apples news and podcasts apps, as well as how the Siri and Google voice assistants access BBC radio.

The corporation is calling for the regulator to give app makers a say over how their content is presented across these apps. Putting more prominent logos on their content is seen as one potential solution.

If audiences derive value from our content and services but attribute that value to gatekeepers instead of the BBC, then that undermines the perceived value of the BBC and weakens the relationship between us and the public who pay for us, it wrote in a CMA submission.

Over time, this undermines our ability to invest in content and services that deliver against our public service mission, which ultimately harms audiences and society more broadly.

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Brand attribution and credit is particularly critical to the BBC given our unique funding model, which relies on a willingness to pay for a television licence; which in turn depends on our audience having full visibility and appreciation of the value of what we deliver.

In January, Apple dropped an AI tool that summarised push notifications after it incorrectly summarised a series of BBC headlines, stating that Rafael Nadal had come out as gay and that the New York gunman Luigi Mangione had shot himself.

An Apple AI notification falsely told users BBC News was reporting that Rafael Nadal was gay - BBC

This has serious implications for society as it undermines trust in news and damages the BBC brand, which may affect public attitudes towards BBC funding and/or individual willingness to pay the licence fee, the broadcaster said.

A BBC source said: Anything that stops our content being easily available to audiences is concerning. We want stuff available clearly and simply, but any intermediary like Apple just doesnt do that.

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It comes as BBC executives are locked in discussions with ministers about the future of the corporations licence fee funding model ahead of the end of its current Charter period in 2027.

The broadcaster has said its budget has dropped by 1bn over the last 15 years in real terms, while it is also grappling with a decline in audience numbers as streaming rivals such as Netflix continue to grow in popularity.

The number of households paying the licence fee, which increased to 174.50 this month, dropped by half a million last year.

Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, has described the licence fee as deeply regressive, but has ruled out funding the BBC from general taxes owing to concerns about political interference.

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Samir Shah, the BBC chairman, has suggested charging wealthier households more to access the broadcasters services. Other options under consideration include abolishing the levy completely and adopting a subscription model.

In its annual report published last week, the BBC said it will post a deficit of 33m in 2025 after revealing a black hole in its finances of almost 500m last year.

The BBC has made sweeping job cuts in recent years in an effort to balance its books, while director general Tim Davie has looked to expand the broadcasters commercial operations.

Apple was contacted for comment.

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It has told the regulator that the company continuously strives to strike the right balance, but that restricting Apples choices in the design of its mobile devices and services unduly would adversely affect Apples and third parties incentives to innovate in the UK.

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An Isle of Palms property owner who was fined $289,000 over construction of a seawall on the beach is fighting plans to make the acting director of the agency that penalized him the departments permanent chief.

But Rom Reddy says his recommendation that the Senate not confirm Myra Reece as director of the Department of Environmental Services is on behalf of property owners who cant afford to defend themselves against heavy-handed state enforcement efforts. Reddy, a wealthy owner of small newspapers, said he has the resources to challenge the Department of Environmental Services in court.

The nomination of Myra Reece, a 30-year career bureaucrat, is a disgrace in a red state, Reddy said in a text to The State newspaper. I have personally experienced the police powers she and her agency have used. By the grace of God, I can afford to stand up to their bullying. They prey on the 80 percent of small businesses and citizens who cannot afford to stand up to their police powers.

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Reddy, who has started a political action committee, has run afoul of coastal regulators over construction of a seawall along the beach at the Isle of Palms. He now is involved in a legal fight with Reeces agency over the $289,000 fine last year. He disputes the states position that the seawall was built illegally. State law restricts seawall construction because they can worsen beach erosion.

Reddy said South Carolina needs fresh leadership in its environmental protection department. He maintains that peoples rights often have been infringed upon by overzealous government agencies. Reece declined comment Friday.

An enthusiastic supporter of Republican President Donald Trump, Reddy put $2.5 million into the political action committee and has launched a web site that supports a state version of Trumps Department of Government Efficiency, which is making deep cuts in the federal workforce and regulations.

Last fall, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster chose Reece to be the permanent director at the environmental services department, saying no one is more qualified or better positioned to lead this agency. He said her professionalism and commitment had earned his respect and the respect of others.

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Reece, 66, is a North Augusta resident widely known in state government for her easygoing manner, her understanding of politics and her knowledge of environmental rules. She has a reputation as a consensus builder and is now steering efforts to come up with a comprehensive state water plan. Some of those who know her say she is not heavy-handed with enforcement.

Senators, who must confirm McMasters appointment, have not met yet to discuss Reece, although they have confirmed some of McMasters other picks, including Department of Natural Resources Director Tom Mullikin. A hearing on Reece would likely need to be held this month because the Legislative session ends in May.

One McMaster choice not confirmed by the Senate is Edward Simmer, who worked with Reece at the state Department of Health and Environmental Control before it was dissolved last July as part of government restructuring. A Senate committee this week did not deem Simmer qualified to be named permanent director of the new state Department of Public Health after an outcry from COVID vaccine opponents. The Medical Affairs committee voted 12-5 against Simmer.

Myra Reece is a career environmental official in South Carolina who was named director of the new Department of Environmental Services. She had not been confirmed by the S.C. Senate as of April 4, 2025.

York County Republican Wes Climer, who chairs the Senate agriculture committee that would vet Reece, declined to share any concerns committee members might have about Reece.

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Among those on the committee is Sen. Stephen Goldinch, a Georgetown County lawmaker who has been highly critical of state coastal enforcement efforts. Goldfinch, a Republican from Murrells Inlet, has introduced legislation that would call for examination of whether certain state regulations are necessary. He was not available for comment Friday. He has led efforts to change development rules to help seaside property owners. A key question is how far back state jurisdiction extends from the ocean.

Many interest groups familiar with Reeces work at DHEC are backing her to become permanent director of the new environmental services department.

Environmental organizations, including Audubon SC, the S.C. Wildlife Federation, Upstate Forever and the Congaree Riverkeeper, as well as business associations, such as the Home Builders Association of South Carolina, have written letters of support for Reece becoming director at the environmental services agency. The Palmetto Agribusiness Council and the state Forestry Association, two major agricultural organizations, also have written letters of support, as has state Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers.

She enforces our states environmental laws, protecting our states natural resources and our economy, while maintaining a level of respect for farming and the people who make up the industry, Weathers wrote.

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One coastal association, S.C. Beach Advocates, backs her, as well. The beach groups members include city officials who deal with oceanfront development issues.

Her leadership style, which emphasizes balanced problem-solving, has garnered respect from a diverse array of stakeholders, wrote Isle of Palms Mayor Phillip Pounds, who chairs the beach advocates group.

Former DHEC employee Rebecca Haynes, who now heads Audubon SC, and one-time agency board member Rick Lee said they never found Reece to be overzealous in directing enforcement. Both said she is easy to work with and reasonable. Haynes and Lee said Reece has backed up staff members who were trying to uphold state environmental rules.

She needs to be confirmed, Lee said.

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Still, Reddy said South Carolina needs a new way of thinking about environmental issues, akin to that of Lee Zeldin, Trumps U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator. Zeldin has led efforts to rollback a plethora of regulations businesses say are burdensome and he has cut funding for an array of environmental programs.

Reddy called McMasters choice of Reece to run the Department of Environmental Services a lazy one. He said Reece kowtows to environmental organizations who pressure the agency with lawsuits.

You need a strong person who stands up for the citizens, Reddy said.
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD)  Shelters for survivors of domestic violence usually receive donations of clothes but there are some other helpful items that people may not consider.

Our shelter goes off donations. So, a lot of times people arent thinking about all the survivors we provide service to, said Rachel Sizemore, program manager for the Countering Domestic Violence Program from Mid-Central Community Action.

The Neville House is a shelter for those escaping domestic violence. Its part of the countering domestic violence program which is an umbrella to Mid-Central Community Action.

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Our agency, all our services through the countering domestic violence program are free and confidential, Sizemore said. So, thats specific to survivors in McLean County that have experienced domestic violence.

The Neville House provides services for clients from different demographics. But the donations the shelter receives may not always match the need of the clientele.

A lot of times our African-American clients, they are forgotten about when it comes to shelter and hair care needs, said Sizemore. It wasnt too long ago that we had somebody in shelter that they didnt realize during an incident part of their hair got ripped out. So, we were searching for braids and hair care and treatment to try to assist them with masking those bald spots. And it was very limited.

The Bloomington-Normal Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated has worked with the shelter to provide Christmas boxes for survivors. But when the chapter learned of the need for beauty supplies it was decided to host a drive beginning in March just in time for Womens History Month.

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As a sorority, one of our strategic priorities is to promote the economic empowerment of women and girls, said Meta Mickens-Baker, President of the Bloomington-Normal Alumnae Chapter. So, supporting Neville House as women try to reestablish their safety and their independence after domestic violence really falls as a program thats close to us in our ability to support the community.

This is the second year the organization has hosted the drive. In addition to supporting the economic empowerment of domestic violence survivors, the drive empowers a local black woman small business owner. The service organization teamed up with C&N Beauty Supply to collect items.



It helps your self-esteem. You know what Im saying. Make you feel a little better. If you look good you feel good, said co-owner Nate Caldwell.

Being that theyre going into these shelters with nothing, so being able to supply those personal needs and beauty needs to them I think it most definitely makes a difference to those in the shelter, said co-owner Chiquita Caldwell.

You can shop at the store and leave products in a donation box. C&N Beauty Supply is located at 1305 Morrissey Drive.

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Illustration by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan.

Wine and beer will be available for delivery on Jan. 1, 2026 following the passage and signing of House Bill 211 on Thursday.

The legislation, brought by Rep. Katie Zolnikov, R-Billings, creates a new third-party license which allows off-premises licensees the ability to utilize a delivery licensee and its drivers to deliver beer and table wine.

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During a Senate hearing on Feb. 18, Zolnikov said the bill was three years in the making.

Im pretty confident that we have thought of every situation imaginable for alcohol delivery, Zolnikov said during the hearing.

There are very specific stipulations for delivery in the bill and drivers will be asked to use, identification scanning software technology or an alternative approved by the department to verify a recipients age. Delivery drivers will have to go through a responsible server program, be at least 21 years of age and are not allowed to deliver to obviously intoxicated people.

Drivers cannot deliver to campuses and cannot have a felony, unless they have had their driving rights restored. They also cannot have a DUI charge in the last seven years.

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Alcohol must be in a cargo area of the vehicle and out of the reach of the driver. Theres even a stipulation for bicycle delivery.

I dont know if therell be many deliveries by bicycle, Zolnikov said in the Senate hearing, But I like to know that all of our bases are covered, just in case. Maybe in Missoula.

The delivery industry celebrated the legislation.

By signing this bill, Governor Gianforte is putting local business, delivery workers, and customers first, said Anna Powell, a senior manager for DoorDash in a statement. We are pleased to see that beer and wine delivery will soon be available via Montana grocery stores, and we look forward to offering safe and responsible delivery throughout the state.

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In statistics provided by DoorDash, the number of U.S. merchants selling alcohol on the app increased by 37% over the course of 2023. Drivers earned, on average, nearly 20% more on deliveries with alcohol compared with deliveries without, according to the company.

Across America, weve seen that safe alcohol delivery opens opportunities for businesses and delivery drivers to thrive, and consumers to have more choices at their fingertips, Powell said in a statement. This new law will make life easier for consumers and offer merchants and drivers a greater opportunity to thrive.
A Bellefonte Area School District board member has resigned just two days after police arrested him for allegedly assaulting a woman in College Township.

Jack Bechdel, 58, tendered his resignation from the board Friday evening. He was charged this week with one misdemeanor account of simple assault and one summary count of physical harassment.

My actions has [sic] drawn a spotlight on the board that is not warranted, Bechdel wrote in an emailed statement. As long as I am on the board during this period, the public will question every detail of every decision made. I am proud of my work on the board and the relationships that developed over the years. For the board to continue its course unfettered, I must step down as director.

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This decision was not taken lightly, and I dread that things had to end this way, Bechdel continued. I wish the board the best and hope that they continue to have civil discussion in the future.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, the woman told State College police Bechdel began arguing with her about her drinking habits after he drove her to the Sheetz along Shiloh Road in College Township. She said Bechdel reached across the car, opened the passenger door while the vehicle was still moving and shoved her out along the road.

After Bechdel drove the woman home, he struck her on the left side of her face with a backhanded, closed-fist swing because she would not get out of the car, she told police. Bechdel then shoved her out of the car into her driveway and drove away, she said.

The woman reported injuries to her nose and foot and said she was run over by Bechdels vehicle. According to the affidavit, the officer saw noticeable bruising and swelling under her left eye and blood on her hands.

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Police, who located Bechdel at the Lowes in Patton Township, said he admitted to striking the woman in the face and described the strike exactly as she did. According to the affidavit, Bechdel claimed he struck the woman only because she struck him first on the right side of his face and mouth while driving.

The officer did not observe visible injuries to the face of Bechdel, who said the woman knocked his front tooth loose. The officer observed a loose tooth at the front of Bechdels mouth but wrote most of his teeth were already rotted or missing.

Bechdel declined to comment on the arrest Thursday when reached by the CDT via email.

He was arraigned Thursday morning by District Judge Allen Sinclair and later released on $10,000 unsecured bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 9.

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Bechdel won election to the Bellefonte school board in 2021 and was in the final year of his term before his resignation. He was one of five candidates who filed to run for election to the board this year.

Jon Guizar, the Bellefonte school board president, said Thursday that Bechdel informed the board of a personal matter involving law enforcement and planned to take time to reflect on the matter.

While the allegations against Mr. Bechdel are of great concern to the Board, I can report that he has submitted his resignation to the Board of Directors, Guizar wrote in an email Friday evening.

Bechdels name will remain on the May primary ballot, as the deadline to withdraw (March 26) has passed. He told the Centre Daily Times he highly doubts he would win in the primary but would have until August to decide whether to withdraw from Novembers ballot.
NEW BERN, N.C. (WNCT) Members of the New Bern Police Department, Craven County Sheriffs Office, and District Attorneys Office spoke at a joint press conference Friday morning, Apr. 4, 2025, to address the recent gang-related shootings across New Bern.

At the conference, Chief Patrick Gallagher with the NBPD announced three new arrests. Nasir Robbins and Taquandre Cherry were arrested Thursday afternoon. Saillen Hatter was arrested early Friday morning. The current state of these investigations is as follows:

March 15th  Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert at South Front Street and Walt Bellamy Drive. 23-year-old Takahri Evans injured with a gunshot wound to his hand, he is currently recovering. No suspects have been arrested.

March 26th  A shooting along the 600 block of Third Avenue. 18-year-old Sannarious Morris injured with a gunshot wound to his back, his condition is currently improving. 20-year-old Saillen Hatter arrested Friday morning as a suspect in this shooting.

March 28th  Officers responded to a shooting on Hillmont Road. 23-year-old Silas Wallace found dead at the scene from a gunshot wound. 21-year-old Nasir Robbins and 21-year-old Taquandre Cherry arrested Thursday afternoon as suspects in this shooting.

March 29th  A juvenile was shot in the leg on Bloomfield Street and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. No suspects have been arrested.

April 1st Officers respond to Wyndsor Park Drive for reports of a man shot in the shoulder. 28-year-old Tyriq Scott and 24-year-old Jonquez Green were both arrested and charged with: Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm by a felon, and discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling.

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Let me be clear. These acts of violence are gang-related, and each victim was targeted, Chief Gallagher said. Poverty, lack of opportunity, fractured families and neglect continued to create environments where young people are attracted to gang life.

Members of the community attended the press conference Friday morning, filling up the Stanley A. White Recreation Center multi-purpose room.

I think it was, Frederick Douglass who said, its easier to change a young person than to fix a broken man. So, we have to catch them at a younger age. Thats why my mind is going back to not giving an intervention but moving back to more proactive prevention measures, Billy Moore, a community at risk professional, said.

Police emphasized how this gang violence is impacting the youth by tying in two additional gang-related murders. One was from 2023, and an incident from 2024, where prosecutors said a 14-year-old killed another 14-year-old.

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My message to these criminals and gangbangers, this is not the place to do it. Dont bring it here. You need to stop it immediately, Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes said. The killing of these young children is unacceptable. Were sick and tired of it, and were going to be handling business.

New Bern Police Department is utilizing its Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) task force, with the help of the Craven County Special Investigations Bureau (SIB).

We have been doing very proactive enforcement efforts in this area over the past few days. We have multiple operations going on right now within a square mile of this place, Sheriff Hughes said.

In 2021, the New Bern Police Department established its violent crime unit to specifically target gang activity, drug distribution, and gun violence. Officers in this unit are dually sworn into the Craven County SIB to give them jurisdiction throughout Craven County.

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These local specialized task forces are working together with the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals, State Highway Patrol, and the Department of Homeland Security to bring these arrests as quickly as possible, according to Chief Gallagher.

Law enforcement has embraced us, and they are doing all they can in a professional manner from their perspective, and Im pleased with what I hear, Moore said.

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U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, is coming to Idaho as part of his Fighting Oligarchy tour.

Sanders will speak at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa on Monday, April 14. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m., and the speaking program is set to begin at 6 p.m.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Ill be hitting the road to have real discussions across America on how we move forward to take on the Oligarchs and corporate interests who have so much power and influence in this country, Sanders said in a statement on his website.

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The tour has already made stops in Las Vegas, Colorado and Arizona as it heads to the West. Sanders is set to speak in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 12, before making his way to Utah and then the Gem State.

The event in Nampa is free and open to the public. Parking will be free on a first-come, first-served basis, and participants are asked not to bring bags, signs or firearms.

More than 30,000 people attended Sanders event in Denver last month, according to NPR.

Sanders, 83, made presidential runs in 2016 and 2020. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has appeared on the Fighting Oligarchy tour with Sanders at some places.

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This is like presidential campaign rallies, isnt it? But Im not running for President, and this is not a campaign, Sanders told The Associated Press. You gotta do what you gotta do. The countrys in trouble and I want to play my role.
The USAID logo on a machine that processes recycled plastic into construction blocks at the Pasig Eco Hub, a project impacted by the Trump Administration's freeze on foreign aid, on March 10, 2025 in Manila, Philippines. Credit - Ezra AcayanGetty Images

Time for it to die. That verdict on USAID, by Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk, set off shockwaves in the aid industry and beyond. Whether motivated by revenge (95% of campaign contributions by USAID personnel went to Democrats) or other impulses, the Trump Administration is terminating close to nine out of ten USAID programs. The wrecking-ball is aimed at everything from civil society to education, health, infrastructure, reproductive rights, and more. Cuts to humanitarian relief and public health are particularly worrying; for example, the U.S. reportedly plans to de-fund the global vaccine alliance Gavi that has saved millions of lives and is freezing or terminating support for a range of vital U.N. bodies.

Yet it is aid under the banner of development that has shown mixed and often disappointing results, and correctly deserves scrutiny. Outcomes of decades of aid to poorer countries include enfeebled public services, lackluster investment, rising inequality, and growing poverty. Such setbacks have often stemmed from conditionalitieswhich demand austerity, privatization, and trade liberalizationthat the World Bank and IMF set from atop the aid system in Washington, D.C.

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There is also a common misunderstanding about how much is spent on aid and where it goes. Aid accounts for about a modest 1% of the U.S. federal budget. And rather than disappearing down ratholes overseas, most is paid out within the U.S. itself, mainly to American contractors that account for the majority of USAID spending. Such tying of aid is one among multiple ways donor countries help themselves.

It is against this backdrop that U.S. foreign aid is losing its monopolies. In the 21 years up to 2022, China paid out roughly $68 billion per year (mainly in loans) in aid-like investments, outspending the U.S. in roughly that period by about 75%. Even after adjusting for the fact that the U.S. has considerable influence (including de facto veto power) in the World Bank and IMF, and thereby has sway over all other Western donors, there are reasons to see China as a source of serious aid competition. Chinese aid is often driven by commercial ends (as in the case of Western donors, whose aid is tending to resemble that of China) and doesnt come with conditions on political change or market liberalization. New donors such as India, Turkey, and Brazil are also offering South-to-South aid on non-patronizing terms like those of China.

Adding to recipient resentments are concerns about spillovers. The U.N. has begun monitoring themthat is, how the activities of some countries can hinder progress toward achieving the U.N.s landmark Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to ensure that all people enjoy health, justice, and prosperity. The U.S. generates many negative spillovers and its aid does not redress them. Unsurprisingly, the Trump Administration rejects and denounces the SDGs.

One of the main Western spillovers is wealth drain from poorer to richer places. One 2021 study put the figure at $62 trillion since 1960, and noted that it has been 14 times larger than Western aid in recent years. Some of these flows are fairly earned as a result of square dealing in trade, technologies, and investments. But a lot of them consist of rentsvalue extracted through unfair political-juridical advantage.

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The rentier is at the heart of todays perverse system. The U.S. economist Lawrence Summers, a longtime cheerleader of free trade and globalization, recently acknowledged the monies draining from poorer places. Millions in, billions out, he and co-author N.K. Singh wrote.

Such losses cant be directly put at the aid systems doorstep. But doctrines to shrink-the-state and cut taxes have limited revenue collection, thus hindering self-reliance. Further, the IMFs approach has pushed poor countries to divert capital available for domestic investment and public services into international currency reserves; these effectively become low-interest loans, mainly to the U.S.

A few exceptional donors, such as Norway, recognize spillovers such as tax evasion and illicit financial flows, which harm all countries but hit poor ones disproportionately. Those donors and policy activists call for policy changes to stop them, and to help poorer countries exit from aid, chiefly by mobilizing domestic revenues.

Angus Deacon, a professor at Princeton and winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, sees too many downsides in conventional aid. In his book, Economics in America, he urges us instead to agitate for our own governments to stop doing the things that make it harder for poor countries to stop being poor.

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In my view, this means: stop those spillovers and harmful aid conditionalities. And rather than kill off aid agencies, like the Trump Administration seems intent on, we could, as the renowned economist John Maynard Keynes advocated in 1936, start with the euthanasia of the rentier.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)  There is a link between truancy and crime. District attorneys offices across the state are partnering with school districts and family service providers to find solutions to root causes.

In his monthly newsletter, Caddo District Attorney James E. Stewart, Sr., noted that a recent analysis of men 18-29 in East Baton Rouge Parish convicted of murder during 15 years showed a direct correlation between poor school attendance and crime. Stewart noted that in each sampling of the age group, chronic absenteeism during at least one school year was a common thread.

He said if similar analysis were done for Caddo, I have no doubt these results would be similar in our parish. Truants are often the children of parents who did not find success in their own school or value education.

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19-year-old awaits life sentence after guilty verdict in slaying of BTW student

During a January 10, 2025, meeting of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), a motion was approved for BESE to work with the Louisiana Supreme Court and the Governors office to convene a statewide summit addressing the issue of truancy and chronic absenteeism in Louisiana K-12 schools, which was 41.8 percent statewide in 2023-2024, with an average student number of days absent at 11.6.

Louisiana Chief Justice Weimer was in attendance and explained how the states FINS or Families in Need of Service program has worked to mitigate extreme issues of absenteeism and truancy without punishing families that may just need guidance.

Judges throughout Louisiana have been dedicated to improving their communities for decades in ways that most people dont even realize, said Chief Justice Weimer. The Louisiana Supreme Court has managed the Families In Need of Services Assistance Program (FINS-AP) for decades, and the Court Appointed Special Advocates Assistance Program (CASA AP) for decades, and the Judges in the Classroom program has reached out to students throughout the state. If we do not improve childrens school attendance, unfortunately, we will have to address in our court system problems caused by truancy. We would prefer not to do that but instead support collaborative efforts to address root causes.

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Caddo Parish Schools Superintendent Keith Burton said the district has given particular attention to truancy during the 2024-2025 school year.

The concept of chronic absenteeism and chronic tardiness is something that we, as a school district, must grapple with, Burton said. He said partnering with the community, DA, and others in law enforcement is critical, but understands that addressing the root causes is where the solution lies.

Addressing the plague of juvenile crime: A Beyond the Headlines special

What are all of the cause relationships that are leading that family to have a truant child or a child who is chronically tardy? Burton said that is the districts focus.

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He said the district and school staff can identify which students will have excessive missed days or late entrances early into the school year, so they are working toward a proactive solution before police and Caddo Juvenile Services are called to intervene, neither of which contributes to successful classroom outcomes.

Before a child reaches the point of having extreme absenteeism, lets work with them, lets find out why. Lets be able to provide partnerships and mentorships and work with the families on what are the barriers that are getting in the way of that child being successful at school, Burton explained.

He says contributing factors, such as uniforms or transportation, are often reasons students miss school, but larger issues, like bullying or academic struggles, can also cause a disconnect between school and families.

Were working proactively with VYJ, with the DAs Office, with law enforcement, and all of our community partners to address this dynamic issue, Burton said.

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Superintendent on possible Caddo Parish school closures

The Louisiana Department of Education Success Through Attendance Recovery (STAR) Program delivered recommended actions for consideration by policymakers and legislators that the BESE board said will be part of the ongoing student attendance conversation. Those recommendations include.

Requiring schools to utilize an existing team to monitor and analyze attendance data.

Keep the existing definition of truancy in statute, but create a discretionary referral process to utilize the justice systems resources most efficiently.

Adopt a formal definition of chronic absenteeism as students who are enrolled for at least 10 days and are absent 10% or more of days enrolled, students re counted once at each level.

Identify ways to make past attendance history available to the receiving school system.

Create a model program for guidance on reducing truancy in conjunction with juvenile court judges.

Limit the number of days that a parent note can excuse to five per year.

Create a standardized paper and digital form for parent notes.

Require and improve the delivery of career exploration and extracurricular activities in elementary and middle schools.

BESE will announce the date and more information about the statewide summit to address truancy and absenteeism later in the year.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com.
The bill, if passed, would give a state appropriation to the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority for the first time

Rep. Denise Baum was ecstatic following a 63-35 House vote on Saturday morning to move HB 848, creating the Big Sky Rail account, over to the Senate.

The Billings Democrat is carrying a bill that would, if passed, give a state appropriation to the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority for the first time. The authority would receive $2 million annually until a sunset date on June 30, 2031.

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Im extremely excited, Baum said Saturday morning. This is such a truly momentous piece of legislation, building out infrastructure and just having people understand that the infrastructure is already there.

If passed, the bill would support planning, outreach and organizational work. It would also help local governments apply for larger grants and help the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority decide which places passenger rail would stop at.

The money is not going toward large capital projects or building new railroads.

The bill got support in the Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee hearing from the Montana Economic Developers Association, the Missoula Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO and various local elected officials from across the state.

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It also had some bipartisan support on the House floor. Rep. Ed Byrne, R-Bigfork, and Rep. Katie Zolnikov, R-Billings both urged a pass on the legislation on the floor.

When you have issues such as this that are so extremely impactful to Montanans across the state  political party lines blur, Baum said.

The fiscal impact led to some opposition. Rep. Neil Duram, R-Eureka, and Rep. Tom Millett, R-Marion, both spoke against the legislation, with Millett bemoaning the Legislature for spending money like a drunken sailor.

Two routes through Montana were selected as preferred routes in the Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study. It was a federal nod from the Federal Railroad Administration that the routes were viable.

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Much of the rail lines are already in use for freight cargo, and proponents of the bill have said repeatedly passenger rail and freight can coexist.

The money comes from a railroad tax fund, which has been looked at as a funding source for several bills this session. House Bill 103, brought by Rep. Zolnikov, would have created funding for railroad inspections and was looking to use funding from the railroad tax fund. The bill was tabled in committee and Baum said it unfortunately went down.

The Legislative Services Division released a letter on that bill, which included an estimate of railroad tax revenue  about $4 million per year. The money previously went to the general fund.

An amendment to House Bill 2 added some money for train inspections back into the budget.
Bike lanes on Holly Street appear likely to remain through downtown Bellingham, even as city officials consider design changes in an attempt to make the ride safer for cyclists.

Bellingham added a bike lane on a trial basis through the downtown core nearly a year ago, and its changed the way both cyclists and drivers get through the city. There are more cyclists riding on the street, and cars are going an average 8 mph slower, according to data that Public Works Department officials shared with the City Council on Jan. 27.

We see Holly Street as an important piece of our transportation network downtown, transportation engineer Shane Sullivan told the councils Public Works and Natural Resources Committee. We want a downtown thats safe and welcoming, that has active spaces that are thriving for arts and culture, and that requires people being out of their cars and moving and walking and biking.

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Confused by Holly Street changes? All the changes the city made when bike lane was added

But theres a hidden danger in the new bike lanes, which were installed May 1, 2024, on Holly Street for the half-mile downhill stretch from the Ellis-Lakeway intersection to Bay Street.

Jamin Agosti of the advocacy group Walk and Roll Bellingham said the hazard is called a right-hook turn, which happens at an intersection when a bike is going straight and a driver turns right without yielding to the cyclist, who has the right of way.

Theyre dangerous, theyre relatively high-speed and theyre the result of someone taking a right turn without looking. Theres definitely more that needs to be done to reduce that conflict, Agosti told The Bellingham Herald in an interview.

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Jacob Stewart of Bellingham knows firsthand how treacherous it can be when drivers arent paying attention.

In a phone interview, Stewart described a near collision in early March, after he had just picked up his 5-year-old son from preschool and was heading down Holly in the bike lane, towing the boy in a trailer near Cornwall Avenue.

I saw a car up ahead and it did not have its turn signal on and I thought Here we go. I put my arm out to avoid a collision. The car didnt stop, it just continued on maybe not even knowing that I was there, Steward told The Herald.

Stewart described himself as a confident cyclist who commutes on two wheels to his job downtown from his home in the Columbia neighborhood. But now hes more wary around cars.

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I almost come to a crawl when entering intersections now, particularly with my kid, he said.

Downtown crash data

Public Works spokeswoman Riley Grant told The Herald that there were three vehicle-bicycle collisions  including a serious one at the corner of Holly and Forest streets  reported from May 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, and all were the right-hook kind.

Its important to note that the collision at Forest Street, which resulted in a serious injury, occurred on May 8, less than a week after the bike lanes were constructed, Grant said in an email. Also, this section of Holly Street features a standard buffered bike lane, not parking-protected. Additionally, two of the three collisions specifically indicated obstructed visibility as a contributing factor.

Washington State Department of Transportation statistics show that there were four crashes involving bicycles on Holly Street in all of 2024, and two of them had serious injuries. No Holly Street crashes have been reported this year, according to WSDOT data.

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At 7:30 a.m. Sept. 12, 2024, Bellingham Police officers investigated a report of a road rage incident between motorist and bicyclist, at Holly and Railroad, according to the departments daily activity log.

Right-hook dangers

Agosti said that right-hook turns arent unique to Holly Street. A helmet-cam video posted to the YouTube account @CurtisPNW in early March shows the cyclist get hit by a car turning right onto Broadway from Dupont Street. The driver doesnt accept responsibility and leaves the scene of the crash, which resulted in no injuries and minor damage to the bike.

I also drive my car frequently in Bellingham and Im aware of this exact scenario from a drivers perspective, @CurtisPNW wrote in a comment with the video he took. Its easy to forget to look before turning. Regardless, its still the drivers obligation to yield to bicyclists on their right when making a right-hand turn. This is the law. Just the same, these intersections can be very dicey.

How to fix it?

The danger of a right-hook collision is inherent in any bike lane design where vehicles turning are allowed to do so at the same time as cyclists going straight  it happens on State Street, Magnolia, Champion, Cornwall, DuPont, etc., Agosti said in an email.

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Chestnut approaching State is a pretty good attempt at designing out the conflict. Tucson (Ariz.) has installed bike signals and red turn arrows for cars to eliminate the issue on one of their major bike lanes. Cars get a red light when cyclists have a green light and vice versa. Agosti said.

In his Jan. 27 presentation to the City Council, Sullivan said that city officials are working on a solution to the right-hook threat. Such turns create the highest number of car-bike conflicts that officials saw using cameras at Holly and Cornwall.

While we are not seeing a lot of high-severity conflicts, we are seeing a lot of them, more than 60 such incidents in the study period from March-August 2024. This is something we need to pay close attention to and incorporate into the design to address, Sullivan said.

Grant told The Herald that we are currently in the process of developing interim design treatments for the Holly Street bike lanes to address these safety concerns. We recently received survey data, which will inform these short-term improvements.

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She said that interim improvements are planned for summer.

In parallel, the final long-term capital project for the Holly Street bike lanes is currently in the design phase, with construction expected no sooner than 2027. This future capital project will involve a more comprehensive redesign of the corridor all the way to Broadway and is funding dependent, Grant said.
Sen. Paul Thomas, R-Velva, speaks on the Senate floor on April 4, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

A bill prohibiting cellphone use by North Dakota students during the school day failed Friday in the Senate on a 26-19 vote.

House Bill 1160, sponsored by Rep. Jim Jonas. R-West Fargo, would have prohibited student cellphone use from bell-to-bell, including class time and unstructured time in between classes for the entire school day. It would cover cellphones, bluetooth-enabled devices, smart watches and other wearable devices capable of voice, text and other data transfers between students.

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Students would also have been required to store their devices in a locked box or pouch so they would remain inaccessible in between classes.

Gov. Kelly Armstrong advocated for the elimination of student cellphone use during the school day during the committee hearing. He argued getting rid of the devices would improve students mental health and academic performance.

Sen. Mike Wobbema, R-Valley City, supported the bill on the floor. He said school districts that have implemented a school day ban on phone use reported increased social interaction, more participation in club activities, improvement in academic performance and the return of conversational noise in the hallways.

It is past time that we throw our young students a lifeline and put in place the tools to rescue them from the addiction of social media and other screen applications, Wobbema said.

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Sen. Paul Thomas, R-Velva, who voted against the bill, said school districts can already implement bans on phone use during the school day.

We have communities that dont allow cellphones in their schools and its working quite well, Thomas said. My concern here is, if I was a school board member, I would vote for this. As a legislator, I dont think its our role to tell the school boards what to do.

Senate Bill 2354 included the same language as the bill that failed in the Senate. But Rep. Dori Hauck, R-Hebron, a member of the House Education Committee, said the committee amended that version to include more flexibility for school boards.

The amended Senate bill would allow students to use their phones on field trips and only require them to be stowed away during instructional time, not stored in a lock box or pouch during the school day. She said the bill would also give school boards the power to limit or allow student phone use outside of instructional time, such as in between classes or over lunch.

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It gives the school districts a little bit more flexibility on what they can and cant do and they get to make the choice, rather than us making the choice for them, Hauck said.

The House is expected to vote on that bill on Monday.

One of the younger members of the Legislature, 26-year-old Sen. Claire Cory, R-Grand Forks, said she was able to use a cellphone with no restrictions while she was in high school. She voted against the measure because she believes the issue was best left up to local school boards.

Its not up to the state to control the local policies so Id hope the school boards would come in with their individual policies on what works best for their schools, Cory said.

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GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD)Nearly 5 months after operations shut down at Georgetowns former International Paper Mill, we now know what could soon be coming to the site. One state lawmaker told Nexstars News 13 it could be a Biomass plant, which has some residents concerned.

The International Paper Mill was built in 1936, and for nearly a century, it pumped out heavy smoke and a strong odor that lingered in the community.

On Friday, SC Senator Stephen Goldfinch said that a biomass plant is slated to be the sites next primary occupant, prompting additional concerns from residents. Biomass is organic matter that can be used as a source of energy or other materials. Still, theres little detail about what exactly the material produced at the potential plant would be used for.

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I first thought it was a bio plant. Do you know what that means? You know, so in other words, I was skeptical because people say things just so we, the residents, can say yes, said Brenda Dozier, a resident in Georgetown.

International paper has a lot of forestry, and biomass is built around forestry. Take it there, take it out where we are not being impacted, said Lafaye Moultrie, a resident in Georgetown.

News 2 spoke with Representative Lee Hewitt, who told us he was unaware of any agreement with the International Paper Mill and buyers. News 2 also reached out to Senator Stephen Goldfinch for more information. Were still 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 WCBD News 2.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  The Birmingham Police Department has arrested a man in connection to the murder of a man who was shot and killed on Tuesday.

At around 7 p.m. Tuesday, West Precinct officers were dispatched to the 1100 block of Avenue F on a report of a person shot. Officers discovered Stephen Kemp, 42, of Birmingham, suffering from a gunshot wound inside a vehicle. Kemp was transported to UAB Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Detectives with the BPD identified Demetrius Henry, 22, of Birmingham, as a suspect. BPDs Crime Reduction Team and Tactical Unit arrested Henry at an apartment complex on Beacon Parkway.

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BPD Homicide detectives presented case information to the Jefferson County Magistrates Office, and Henry was issued with a warrant for Capital Murder (Robbery).

Henry will be in custody of the Jefferson County Jail. He has no 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.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  The Birmingham Police Department has arrested a suspect in connection to a homicide that occurred on Wednesday.

At around 10:40 a.m. Wednesday, West Precinct officers were dispatched to a report of a person shot at a house in the 3200 block of Avenue S. An adult male victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Alabama couple in their 70s charged with 38 counts each of animal cruelty

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BPD says they received a tip from the community stating the possible shooter was in a nearby residence. Officers conducted a follow-up investigation and took the suspect into custody. The suspect has been identified as Qwaron Wilson, 37, of Birmingham.

BPD Homicide detectives presented case information to the Jefferson County Magistrates Office, and Wilson was issued with a murder warrant.

Wilson is in custody at the Jefferson County Jail. She has no 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.
This article was originally published in Stateline.

The nations historically Black colleges and universities, known as HBCUs, are wondering how to survive in an uncertain and contentious educational climate as the Trump administration downsizes the scope and purpose of the U.S. Department of Education  while cutting away at federal funding for higher education.

In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing federal grants and loans, alarming HBCUs, where most students rely on Pell Grants or federal aid. The order was later rescinded, but ongoing cuts leave key support systems in political limbo, said Denise Smith, deputy director of higher education policy and a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, a left-leaning think tank.

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Leaders worry about Trumps rollback of the Justice40 Initiative, a climate change program that relied on HBCUs to tackle environmental justice issues, she said. And theres uncertainty around programs such as federal work-study and TRIO, which provides college access services to disadvantaged students.

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People are being mum because were starting to see a chilling effect, Smith said. Theres real fear that resources could be lost at any moment  even the ones schools already know they need to survive.

Most students at HBCUs rely on Pell Grants or other federal aid, and a fifth of Black college graduates matriculate from HBCUs. Other minority-serving institutions, known as MSIs, that focus on Hispanic and American Indian populations also heavily depend on federal aid.

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Its still unclear what these cuts will mean for HBCUs and MSIs, even though theyre supposedly protected, Smith said.

States may be unlikely to make up any potential federal funding cuts to their public HBCUs. And the schools already have been underfunded by states compared with predominantly white schools.

Congress created public, land-grant universities under the Morrill Act of 1862 to serve the countrys agricultural and industrial industries, providing 10 million acres taken from tribes and offering it for public universities such as Auburn and the University of Georgia. But Black students were excluded.

The 1890 Morrill Act required states to either integrate or establish separate land-grant institutions for Black students  leading to the creation of many HBCUs. These schools have since faced chronic underfunding compared with their majority-white counterparts.

None of them are equitable

In 2020, the average endowment of white land-grant universities was $1.9 billion, compared with just $34 million for HBCUs, according to Forbes.

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There are other HBCUs that dont stem from the 1890 law, including well-known private schools such as Fisk University, Howard University, Morehouse College and Spelman College. But more than three-fourths of HBCU students attend public universities, meaning state lawmakers play a significant role in their funding and oversight.

Marybeth Gasman, an endowed chair in education and a distinguished professor at Rutgers University, isnt impressed by what states have done for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions so far. She said she isnt sure there is a state model that can bridge the massive funding inequities for these institutions, even in states better known for their support.

I dont think North Carolina or Maryland have done a particularly good job at the state level. Nor have any of the other states. Students at HBCUs are funded at roughly 50-60% of what students at [predominately white institutions] are funded. Thats not right, said Gasman.

Most of the bipartisan support has come from the U.S. Congress and is the result of important work by HBCUs and affiliated organizations. I dont know of a state model that works well, as none of them are equitable.

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Under federal law, states that accept federal land-grant funding are required to match every dollar with state funds.

But in 2023, the Biden administration sent letters to 16 governors warning them that their public Black land-grant institutions had been underfunded by more than $12 billion over three decades.

Tennessee State University alone had a $2.1 billion gap with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

At a February meeting hosted by the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators, Tennessee State interim President Dwayne Tucker said the school is focused on asking lawmakers this year for money to keep the school running.

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Otherwise, Tucker said at the time, the institution could run out of cash around April or May.

Thats real money. Thats the money we should work on, Tucker said, according to a video of the forum.

In some states, lawsuits to recoup long-standing underfunding have been one course of action.

In Maryland, a landmark $577 million legal settlement was reached in 2021 to address decades of underfunding at four public HBCUs.

In Georgia, three HBCU students sued the state in 2023 for underfunding of three HBCUs.

In Tennessee, a recent state report found Tennessee State University has been shortchanged roughly $150 million to $544 million over the past 100 years.

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But Tucker said he thinks filing a lawsuit doesnt make much sense for Tennessee State.

Theres no account payable set up with the state of Tennessee to pay us $2.1 billion, Tucker said at the February forum. And if we want to make a conclusion about whether [that money] is real or not  youre going to have to sue the state of Tennessee, and I dont think that makes a whole lot of sense.

Economic anchors

There are 102 HBCUs across 19 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, though a large number of HBCUs are concentrated in the South.

Alabama has the most, with 14, and Pennsylvania has the farthest north HBCU.

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Beyond education, HBCUs contribute roughly $15 billion annually to their local economies, generate more than 134,000 jobs and create $46.8 billion in career earnings, proving themselves to be economic anchors in under-resourced regions.

Homecoming events at HBCUs significantly bolster local economies, local studies show. North Carolina Central Universitys homecoming contributes approximately $2.5 million to Durhams economy annually.

Similarly, Hampton Universitys 2024 homecoming was projected to inject around $3 million into the City of Hampton and the coastal Virginia region, spurred by increased visitor spending and retail sales. In Tallahassee, Florida A&M Universitys 2024 homecoming week in October generated about $5.1 million from Sunday to Thursday.

Their significance is especially pronounced in Southern states  such as North Carolina, where HBCUs account for just 16% of four-year schools but serve 45% of the states Black undergraduate population.

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Smith has been encouraged by what shes seen in states such as Maryland, North Carolina and Tennessee, which have a combined 20 HBCUs among them. Lawmakers have taken piecemeal steps to expand support for HBCUs through policy and funding, she noted.

Tennessee became the first state in 2018 to appoint a full-time statewide higher education official dedicated to HBCU success for institutions such as Fisk and Tennessee State. Meanwhile, North Carolina launched a bipartisan, bicameral HBCU Caucus in 2023 to advocate for its 10 HBCUs, known as the NC10, and spotlight their $1.7 billion annual economic impact.

We created a bipartisan HBCU caucus because we needed people in both parties to understand these institutions importance. If you represent a district with an HBCU, you should be connected to it, said North Carolina Democratic Sen. Gladys Robinson, an alum of private HBCU Bennett College and state HBCU North Carolina A&T State University.

It took constant education  getting folks to come and see, talk about what was going on, she recalled. Its like beating the drum constantly until you finally hear the beat.

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For Robinson, advocacy for HBCUs can be a tough task, especially when fellow lawmakers arent aware of the stories of these institutions. North Carolina A&T was among the 1890 land-grant universities historically undermatched in federal agricultural and extension funding.

The NC Promise Tuition Plan, launched in 2018, reduced in-state tuition to $500 per semester and out-of-state tuition to $2,500 per semester at a handful of schools that now include HBCUs Elizabeth City State University and Fayetteville State University; Western Carolina University, a Hispanic-serving institution; and UNC at Pembroke, founded in 1887 to serve American Indians.

Through conversations on the floor of the General Assembly, and with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, Robinson advocated to ensure Elizabeth City State  a struggling HBCU  was included, which helped revive enrollment and public investment.

Im hopeful because weve been here before, Robinson said in an interview.

These institutions were built out of churches and land by people who had nothing, just so we could be educated, Robinson said. We have people in powerful positions across the country. We have to use our strength and our voices. Alumni must step up.

Its tough, but not undoable.

Meanwhile, other states are working to recognize certain colleges that offer significant support to Black college students. California last year passed a law creating a Black-serving Institution designation, the first such title in the country. Schools must have programs focused on Black achievement, retention and graduation rates, along with a five-year plan to improve them. Sacramento State is among the first receiving the designation.

And this session, California state Assemblymember Mike Gipson, a Democrat, introduced legislation that proposes a $75 million grant program to support Black and underserved students over five years through the Designation of California Black-Serving Institutions Grant Program. The bill was most recently referred to the Assemblys appropriations committee.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.
Oprah Winfrey and Glenda Glover attend the 2023 Tennessee State University Commencement ceremony at Hale Stadium at Tennessee State University on May 6, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

The nations historically Black colleges and universities, known as HBCUs, are wondering how to survive in an uncertain and contentious educational climate as the Trump administration downsizes the scope and purpose of the U.S. Department of Education  while cutting away at federal funding for higher education.

In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing federal grants and loans, alarming HBCUs, where most students rely on Pell Grants or federal aid. The order was later rescinded, but ongoing cuts leave key support systems in political limbo, said Denise Smith, deputy director of higher education policy and a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, a left-leaning think tank.

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Leaders worry about Trumps rollback of the Justice40 Initiative, a climate change program that relied on HBCUs to tackle environmental justice issues, she said. And theres uncertainty around programs such as federal work-study and TRIO, which provides college access services to disadvantaged students.

People are being mum because were starting to see a chilling effect, Smith said. Theres real fear that resources could be lost at any moment  even the ones schools already know they need to survive.

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Most students at HBCUs rely on Pell Grants or other federal aid, and a fifth of Black college graduates matriculate from HBCUs. Other minority-serving institutions, known as MSIs, that focus on Hispanic and American Indian populations also heavily depend on federal aid.

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Its still unclear what these cuts will mean for HBCUs and MSIs, even though theyre supposedly protected, Smith said.

States may be unlikely to make up any potential federal funding cuts to their public HBCUs. And the schools already have been underfunded by states compared with predominantly white schools.

Theres real fear that resources could be lost at any moment  even the ones schools already know they need to survive.

 Denise Smith, The Century Foundation

Congress created public, land-grant universities under the Morrill Act of 1862 to serve the countrys agricultural and industrial industries, providing 10 million acres taken from tribes and offering it for public universities such as Auburn and the University of Georgia. But Black students were excluded.

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The 1890 Morrill Act required states to either integrate or establish separate land-grant institutions for Black students  leading to the creation of many HBCUs. These schools have since faced chronic underfunding compared with their majority-white counterparts.

None of them are equitable

In 2020, the average endowment of white land-grant universities was $1.9 billion, compared with just $34 million for HBCUs, according to Forbes.

There are other HBCUs that dont stem from the 1890 law, including well-known private schools such as Fisk University, Howard University, Morehouse College and Spelman College. But more than three-fourths of HBCU students attend public universities, meaning state lawmakers play a significant role in their funding and oversight.

Marybeth Gasman, an endowed chair in education and a distinguished professor at Rutgers University, isnt impressed by what states have done for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions so far. She said she isnt sure there is a state model that can bridge the massive funding inequities for these institutions, even in states better known for their support.

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I dont think North Carolina or Maryland have done a particularly good job at the state level. Nor have any of the other states. Students at HBCUs are funded at roughly 50-60% of what students at [predominately white institutions] are funded. Thats not right, said Gasman.

Most of the bipartisan support has come from the U.S. Congress and is the result of important work by HBCUs and affiliated organizations. I dont know of a state model that works well, as none of them are equitable.

Under federal law, states that accept federal land-grant funding are required to match every dollar with state funds.

But in 2023, the Biden administration sent letters to 16 governors warning them that their public Black land-grant institutions had been underfunded by more than $12 billion over three decades.

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Tennessee State University alone had a $2.1 billion gap with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

At a February meeting hosted by the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators, Tennessee State interim President Dwayne Tucker said the school is focused on asking lawmakers this year for money to keep the school running.

Otherwise, Tucker said at the time, the institution could run out of cash around April or May.

Thats real money. Thats the money we should work on, Tucker said, according to a video of the forum.

In some states, lawsuits to recoup long-standing underfunding have been one course of action.

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In Maryland, a landmark $577 million legal settlement was reached in 2021 to address decades of underfunding at four public HBCUs.

In Georgia, three HBCU students sued the state in 2023 for underfunding of three HBCUs.

In Tennessee, a recent state report found Tennessee State University has been shortchanged roughly $150 million to $544 million over the past 100 years.

But Tucker said he thinks filing a lawsuit doesnt make much sense for Tennessee State.

Theres no account payable set up with the state of Tennessee to pay us $2.1 billion, Tucker said at the February forum. And if we want to make a conclusion about whether [that money] is real or not  youre going to have to sue the state of Tennessee, and I dont think that makes a whole lot of sense.

Economic anchors

There are 102 HBCUs across 19 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, though a large number of HBCUs are concentrated in the South.

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Alabama has the most, with 14, and Pennsylvania has the farthest north HBCU.

Beyond education, HBCUs contribute roughly $15 billion annually to their local economies, generate more than 134,000 jobs and create $46.8 billion in career earnings, proving themselves to be economic anchors in under-resourced regions.

Homecoming events at HBCUs significantly bolster local economies, local studies show. North Carolina Central Universitys homecoming contributes approximately $2.5 million to Durhams economy annually.

Similarly, Hampton Universitys 2024 homecoming was projected to inject around $3 million into the City of Hampton and the coastal Virginia region, spurred by increased visitor spending and retail sales. In Tallahassee, Florida A&M Universitys 2024 homecoming week in October generated about $5.1 million from Sunday to Thursday.

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Their significance is especially pronounced in Southern states  such as North Carolina, where HBCUs account for just 16% of four-year schools but serve 45% of the states Black undergraduate population.

Smith has been encouraged by what shes seen in states such as Maryland, North Carolina and Tennessee, which have a combined 20 HBCUs among them. Lawmakers have taken piecemeal steps to expand support for HBCUs through policy and funding, she noted.

Tennessee became the first state in 2018 to appoint a full-time statewide higher education official dedicated to HBCU success for institutions such as Fisk and Tennessee State. Meanwhile, North Carolina launched a bipartisan, bicameral HBCU Caucus in 2023 to advocate for its 10 HBCUs, known as the NC10, and spotlight their $1.7 billion annual economic impact.

We created a bipartisan HBCU caucus because we needed people in both parties to understand these institutions importance. If you represent a district with an HBCU, you should be connected to it, said North Carolina Democratic Sen. Gladys Robinson, an alum of private HBCU Bennett College and state HBCU North Carolina A&T State University.

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It took constant education  getting folks to come and see, talk about what was going on, she recalled. Its like beating the drum constantly until you finally hear the beat.

For Robinson, advocacy for HBCUs can be a tough task, especially when fellow lawmakers arent aware of the stories of these institutions. North Carolina A&T was among the 1890 land-grant universities historically undermatched in federal agricultural and extension funding.

The NC Promise Tuition Plan, launched in 2018, reduced in-state tuition to $500 per semester and out-of-state tuition to $2,500 per semester at a handful of schools that now include HBCUs Elizabeth City State University and Fayetteville State University; Western Carolina University, a Hispanic-serving institution; and UNC at Pembroke, founded in 1887 to serve American Indians.

Through conversations on the floor of the General Assembly, and with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, Robinson advocated to ensure Elizabeth City State  a struggling HBCU  was included, which helped revive enrollment and public investment.

Im hopeful because weve been here before, Robinson said in an interview.

These institutions were built out of churches and land by people who had nothing, just so we could be educated, Robinson said. We have people in powerful positions across the country. We have to use our strength and our voices. Alumni must step up.

Its tough, but not undoable.

Meanwhile, other states are working to recognize certain colleges that offer significant support to Black college students. California last year passed a law creating a Black-serving Institution designation, the first such title in the country. Schools must have programs focused on Black achievement, retention and graduation rates, along with a five-year plan to improve them. Sacramento State is among the first receiving the designation.

And this session, California state Assemblymember Mike Gipson, a Democrat, introduced legislation that proposes a $75 million grant program to support Black and underserved students over five years through the Designation of California Black-Serving Institutions Grant Program. The bill was most recently referred to the Assemblys appropriations committee.

Stateline reporter Robbie Sequeira can be reached at rsequeira@stateline.org.

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This report was first published by Stateline, part of the States Newsroom nonprofit news network. Its supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.
It was a frigid spring day shortly before polls closed in Wisconsin. Chanita Edwards and her daughter, Chamari, left their polling place in Milwaukees North Side with two concerns: Elon Musk and reproductive rights.

I voted because Im a woman and those rights are very important to me, especially abortion rights, and Im a student, said Chamari Edwards, 20. With Elon, I dont need them to mess with my tuition and my school stuff, so I voted against them.

Chanita and Chamari were among the Black voters across the state who participated in Wisconsins April election, where a state Supreme Court race between Susan Crawford and Musk-backed candidate Brad Schimel garnered headlines for its potential national implications. For those who spoke to Capital B on Election Day, their vote was intended to be a direct rebuke of President Donald Trump and Musk. Still, it remains to be seen whether this momentum will be carried over into the 2026 midterm elections and beyond.

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Musk, the Tesla CEO whom Trump assigned to run a newly created Department of Government Efficiency, has initiated cuts to government services and personnel, including the Department of Education. Education advocates and other critics of the moves say the cuts will adversely impact student loans and other social programs, and it has the potential to disproportionately harm Black students.

Musk poured at least $20 million into Schimels campaign, perhaps in no small part because the Wisconsin Supreme Court will rule on a lawsuit Musk filed involving Tesla sales in the state. Trump wrote on social media about the importance of the election, pushing for Wisconsin residents to swamp the vote for Schimel.

Instead, in Milwaukee, a predominantly Black city that is also the most populous in the state, the voter turnout rivaled that of presidential primaries. Crawford defeated Schimel by a ratio of 4 to 1 in Milwaukee County, as she captured nearly 75% of the vote.

Although Trump wasnt on the ballot, his association with the race generated interest among some Black voters.

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One Milwaukee resident, a 59-year-old by the name of Jesse (who didnt share his last name), spoke primarily about defeating Trump. They let Trump get in, so we gotta stop what he got going on. He told you what he was going to do. Nobody believed him. It can get worse, he said.

They let Trump get in, so we gotta stop what he got going on, said Jesse, a 59-year-old Milwaukee resident, after voting for Susan Crawford outside of Rufus King International High School. (Malaika Jabali)

Some Milwaukeeans said that supporting abortion rights was a central motivation when they cast their ballots. Throughout her campaign, Crawford criticized Schimels advocacy for a state law from the 1800s that bans abortion except when it protects a mothers life.

It was important for me to not only tell my daughter that she needs to do her civic duty, but to do my civic duty as well [regarding] abortion rights and womens health in general, said Chanita Edwards. I feel like white men shouldnt have a say so in what we do with our bodies.

Huel Sanders, 40, didnt intend to vote on Tuesday. But he changed his mind on Election Day after a female friend encouraged him and spoke of the importance of reproductive rights.

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Typically, Ive just taken a back seat, Sanders said after casting his ballot at the George Washington Carver Academy in Milwaukees center city.

Someone reached out to me and said, You should vote, because its important in relation to womens rights. So it came down to me supporting a friend. Its very interesting that in this day and age, that something like [reproductive rights] could change. Its had huge impacts on peoples lives, not being able to make that decision by themselves.

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, the first Black man to win a statewide election in Wisconsin, wants fellow Democrats to embrace the victory with caution. A day after the election, he said he was very relieved that Crawford won, but he was still urging Democrats to formulate a platform that could capitalize on Crawfords success.

I dont want Democrats to think were doing everything right, Barnes said in an interview. The terms of any judicial election set themselves. Its pretty cut and dry what youre voting for. [For legislative or executive races], people demand more. Theres a lot left to be desired. I dont believe this absolves us of anything.

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Ryeshia Farmer, also known as DJ RYOT, is among the constituents demanding more. Farmer was a part of the DJs at the Polls initiative, which assigned DJs to designated polling places to help get out the vote on Tuesday. However, Farmer did not cast a ballot on Tuesday herself.

Ryeshia Farmer is an organizer and DJ who abstained from voting in Tuesdays election after being an active voters for years. (Malaika Jabali)

I struggled because I have a solid voting history. This was the first election in a while in which I didnt vote, she said, while spinning outside the Hillside Terrace Family Resource Center in the citys historically Black Bronzeville neighborhood.

Ive been thinking about how U.S. electoral politics have put us in a bind in terms of voting for the greater of two evils, Farmer said. At what point are we going to acknowledge that neither of them are supportive of my economic needs and my racial identity and all the things that flow from that  my health disparities, my economic disparities, my homeownership disparities? And when I say me, I mean little Black kids and just everybody that I know.

Mike Wagner, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, warned against drawing too much from the election. In the last three state Supreme Court races, a qualified woman running from the left defeated their male opponent, Wagner noted.

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However, Musks involvement might have been the point where the race turned, said Wagner, who serves as director of the universitys Center for Communication and Civic Renewal. A lot of Wisconsin voters who might like Donald Trump did not like the way that Elon Musk campaigned in Wisconsin. Figuratively speaking, Musk came in and said I want to use my wealth to buy you, and it didnt seem to sit very well with voters.

Whatever the election means for Democrats in future races, the increased turnout could be informative.

Barnes, who lost a 2022 U.S. Senate race to Republican incumbent Ron Johnson by just 1 percentage point, is now president of Power to the Polls WI, a community-based organization that focuses on increasing turnout among voters of color.

Barnes saw the potential of organizing to motivate voters in this election. Power to the Polls was incredibly active, he said. In the wards that we were present in, we saw no less than a 40% increase in turnout compared to 2023.

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But organizing is one part of a winning formula if candidates want to build from Crawfords win. I think being bold, being authentic is something weve got to be better at, Barnes said.

Correction: Ryeshia Farmer was misidentified in an earlier version of this story.

The post Black Milwaukee Voters Say No to Musk, Yes to Reproductive Rights appeared first on Capital B News.
Black veterans are warning that the Trump administrations effort to purge the Defense Department of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) content is sending a negative message that could impact recruitment efforts.

The Pentagon has faced backlash in recent weeks after efforts to comply with President Trumps executive order banning DEI in the military resulted in the removal of webpages dedicated to Jackie Robinson; Colin Powell; Army Maj. Gen. Charles C. Rogers, a Black recipient of the Medal of Honor; the Navajo Code Talkers and Japanese Americans.

Though the military later restored the pages and said the removals were a mistake, veterans like Kyle Bibby said there is a message being sent.

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Theres executive orders that actually do things, and then theres executive orders that are made to send a message, and that message was very clear. Their intent is to try and resegregate as much of this society as possible that they think they can get away with. If they cant do it through legal means, theyre going to try and do it by making Black people feel that we are unwelcome or unsafe in these spaces, Bibby, co-CEO and co-founder of the Black Veterans Project, told The Hill.

The President does not put forward an executive order like that, and then also have his Secretary of Defense strip all of this Black history from these websites without this being an aligned effort. These are not isolated things that are occurring in a vacuum.

Bibby added that the idea of DEI is not new to the military, but it wasnt always known as DEI. Rather, it was equal opportunity. Learning about other service members history and culture was also a natural occurrence.

We come from a massive, diverse country and because of that, we need to make sure that were creating a unit where people from all different walks of life can thrive, work together and accomplish the mission, he said. They have to take people from all walks of life and create a cohesive unit, and that means understanding how people are diverse and how to create an inclusive environment.

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A 2023 survey by Syracuse University found that there are more than 350,000 active duty Black Americans and more than 2.4 million Black veterans. The majority of the surveys respondents reported having a good experience in the military, and more than half said that they considered encountering racial discrimination in making their decision to enlist.

Trump has made it a top goal of his second term to eliminate DEI across all federal agencies and institutions that receive federal funding.

In his January executive order, Trump said he is committed to meritocracy and to the elimination of race-based and sex-based discrimination within the Armed Forces of the United States. No individual or group within our Armed Forces should be preferred or disadvantaged on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, color, or creed.

The order also instructed the military to refrain from teaching that Americas founding documents are racist or sexist and about gender ideology.

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Trump defended his military DEI purge as a way to ensure unit cohesion. But some have expressed concerns over the use of this phrase, which has historically been used to justify segregation as well as deterring LGBTQ and women from enlisting.

The Defense Department buckled down on its goals to continue purging DEI material even after the webpages were removed.

As Secretary Hegseth has said, DEI is dead at the Defense Department, Pentagon Press Secretary John Ullyot said in a statement. Discriminatory Equity Ideology is a form of Woke cultural Marxism that has no place in our military. It Divides the force, Erodes unit cohesion and Interferes with the services core warfighting mission. We are pleased by the rapid compliance across the Department with the directive removing DEI content from all platforms.

Just this week, the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., removed nearly 400 books that allegedly promote DEI.

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When reached for comment, the Pentagon referred The Hill to chief spokesman Sean Parnells March video.

In the video, he states that the Pentagon has taken action to identify and archive DEI content from websites and social media platforms.

The previous administrations zealous and destructive commitment to DEI not only divided our nation and weakened our force, but it also reduced our countrys finest to their immutable characteristics, Parnell said.

Without question, this task was an arduous but incredibly important undertaking. We enforced an aggressive timeline for our DOD services and agencies to comb through a vast array of content while ensuring that our force remains ready and lethal.

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He acknowledged that some content was incorrectly pulled offline and added that history is not DEI.

We are so proud of our nations heroes and our heritage. We honor the accomplishments of our war fighters and the content of their character. Americans past and present are the greatest people the world has ever known, and we live in the greatest country the world has ever known, and our strength now and has always been our unity and shared purpose.

But Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) told The Hill he found it difficult to accept the administrations explanation.

Sorry is meaningful when you dont have the intention of it happening again, said Moore, a veteran. And the problem is, this keeps on happening. Its much more difficult to give people grace when you understand that there is an intentionality thats happening around all of this.

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For Moore, highlighting the contributions of Black veterans is a critical recruitment tool.

Moore, who was deployed to Afghanistan, enlisted after being inspired by former Secretary of State Colin Powell. If Powell, a chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, could succeed in the military, then so could he.

He said he worries now that erasing the history of those like Powell  even accidentally  could deter others from seeing the military as a viable option.

I saw this son of Jamaica immigrants, who went to school in the Bronx, who now led our coalition forces into an overwhelming wind and Operation Desert Storm, and was a national hero, four-star general, national security adviser. And I looked at Colin Powell, and I saw myself, Moore told The Hill.

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Im a very proud combat veteran. I dont know if that part of my history would have been real had it not been for understanding the history of Colin Powell. And so I do think there is a danger of wiping away the relevancy of people who for many young men and women who are looking to find their own personal way, that they should be able to look up and say, I see myself in a way that I looked up and saw Colin Powell and I saw a vision for what my life could be.

For Moore, it seems the administration is erasing histories in an effort to minimize the sacrifices Black and brown veterans made.

Were talking about banning the history of people like Jackie Robinson and the Tuskegee Airmen, people who were fighting for a country because they loved their country in many ways more than their country loved them back, Moore said. I dont think their history should be minimized. I think one of the most empowering things that we can do is actually celebrate not just what they sacrificed, but why they were willing to sacrifice in that moment.

Bibby said such efforts to limit information around non-white veterans are particularly concerning because many Americans are unaware of the sacrifices Black and brown soldiers have made in the military.

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For Black people, we have a very keen understanding of what our history is in the military, he said. So stripping that history from the websites is not for us, the stripping of the websites, I believe, is  to ensure that people who dont know the history of Black veterans dont get to know the history. They dont get to know the sort of contributions that Black people have made to this country.

Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-Ga.) told The Hill that the stories of Black veterans speak to the American spirit  love of country, overcoming adversity, and even discrimination.

Our history, even its blemishes which are like scars from battle, make us who we are, Bishop, who served in the army between 1969 and 1971, said.

Hiding our history does not change it but recognizing it is the foundation for overcoming our differences so that we can come together even stronger. We know that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, but hiding this history also means missing out on stories that inspire future generations to take the oath, wear the uniform, serve and even sacrifice themselves for all Americans.

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Erik Prince, founder of the controversial security contractor formerly known as Blackwater, joined in law enforcement operations on Saturday in Guayaquil, one of Ecuadors most violent cities, according to local officials.

The operations saw 10 houses raided and 40 people detained, Ecuadors Interior Minister John Reimberg said.

Since early this morning, the security block together with the American Erik Prince, a security expert, and the Ministers of Defense, Gian Carlo Loffredo and the Minister of the Interior, John Reimberg, were deployed in territory in Guayaquil, especially in the suburbs, attacking criminals and outlining strategies to strengthen the great actions of our law enforcement forces in the field of operations, Ecuadors Defense Ministry posted on X Saturday morning.

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Prince also said in a video posted by Ecuadors Defense Ministry that he was in the country providing the law enforcement and the military the tools and the tactics to effectively combat the narco-gangs.

The aim, Prince continued, is to put the narcos on their back heels and make them truly afraid of being caught.

CNN has reached out to Prince for comment.

His visit to the South American nation comes weeks after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced a strategic alliance with Prince to fight organized crime.

A historic chapter for security in Ecuador

Ecuadors Defense Ministry called Princes participation on Saturday a historic chapter for security for the nation.

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The countrys Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo said Prince and his team are currently providing training and advice to Ecuadors security forces  but added that their scope of action could be expanded. They may not be limited to just those actions, Loffredo said.

Prince has been in the country for a few days, and work is ongoing to develop a new plan to combat Ecuadors gangs, he also said.

CNN has reached out to Ecuadors Defense Ministry for more information on Princes visit.

In recent years, Ecuador  which is sandwiched between Colombia and Peru, top producers of cocaine  has become caught up in the drug trade and the violence that always follows it. Its efficient transport and export system has been used by cartels to move and ship their goods overseas  the bricks of cocaine hidden in boxes of bananas and other goods that then head to the United States, Europe and the rest of the world.

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Noboa has increasingly called for foreign help to combat the criminal groups and has even asked US President Donald Trump to designate local gangs as foreign terrorist organizations. Ecuadors government is currently laying groundwork for US forces to arrive, according to plans obtained by CNN.

Noboas efforts however will be heavily dependent on next weeks presidential runoff vote. Hes set off to face leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez, who has positioned herself as equally tough on crime but opposes the presence of any foreign force in the country.

In the same video posted by the defense ministry, Prince called on Ecuadorians to vote for Noboa, warning that otherwise Ecuador risked looking just like Venezuela, a narco-state with massive drug processing with all the criminality and socialism and despair that comes with that.

I hope Ecuador chooses law and order and we are here to help to combat the gangs and to provide the tools for the government to restore law and order, peace and prosperity, he added.

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After days of uncertainty, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas policyholders can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the insurer has finally reached an agreement on a new contract with Southwestern Health Resources.

The companies announced the deal in statements made late in the evening on Friday, April 4.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas has agreed to terms with Southwestern Health Resources that protect our members access to quality care offered by (Southwestern Health Resources) providers at fair prices, Texas largest health insurer said in a statement sent to the Star-Telegram.

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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas insures over 10.4 million people in the state.

All members who lost access to more than two dozen major hospitals in the Metroplex on Tuesday once again have in-network access to Southwesterns medical facilities, and the coverage is retroactive, Blue Cross Blue Shield said.

Any claims processed as out-of-network on or after April 1 will be reprocessed at the in-network benefit level, a Blue Cross spokesperson said in the statement.

The agreement will last for three years, according to a spokesperson for Southwestern Health Resources.

This means all Texas Health and UT Southwestern hospitals, facilities and employed and affiliated providers are in network, the spokesperson said. Patients can keep their scheduled appointment or schedule a new one and be assured that in-network rates will apply. We are honored to continue caring for (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas) members as an in-network provider.

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The contract restores coverage to the following Blue Cross Blue Shield plans:

ParPlan

Blue Choice PPO

Blue Essentials

Medicaid

Blue Cross Medicare Advantage PPO

Blue Cross Medicare Advantage HMO

Blue Advantage HMO and MyBlue Health

Over a dozen Blue Cross Blue Shield policyholders reached out to the Star-Telegram this week to express frustration over interruptions to treatment. Several were dealing with recent diagnoses or ongoing treatment for life-threatening illnesses such as breast and thyroid cancer.

This should not happen to people who get insurance, so they can stay healthy, said Melanie Perry, who has monthly oncologist appointments as part of her treatment after surgery for breast cancer. The greed on both sides greatly affects peoples lives  I feel very helpless and scared.

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Speaking with the Star-Telegram on Wednesday about the fallout of the contract expiration, Jonathan Gruber, a healthcare economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the situation serves as an example of why the government should regulate prices in the healthcare industry.

If we regulated prices, there wouldnt be this problem, Gruber said.
Editors note: This story was updated at 11:19 p.m. April 4 to include comment from the governors office on how the law could apply to day cares.

For children at Le Soleil French School for Children, a Boise-based day care with four local programs, vaccines are the rule  no exceptions.

When we first opened, we did accept medical exemptions, Le Soleil founder and director Justin Snyder told the Idaho Statesman in an interview. But we noticed that there are medical providers in Idaho that will sign off on a medical exemption that is not actually needed for a child.

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We were getting some pretty suspect medical exemption papers from folks, and so we decided to just not accept any.

But Snyder said hes unsure if the private day care will still be allowed to require immunizations now that Idaho Gov. Brad Little has signed a new medical freedom bill that lawmakers sent to his desk on the last day of the session.

The bill appears to bar private businesses like Snyders from requiring employees, patrons or attendees to have any medical intervention  including a treatment, medication, injection or anything else that can alter the health or biological function of a person.

Just last week, Little vetoed an extremely similar version of the bill that he said would limit families abilities to keep their children safe and healthy at school. According to a tracking sheet of the governors daily bill actions, he signed the new legislation 15 minutes after it arrived on his desk Friday afternoon.

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Republican legislators asserted that the new bill addresses Littles concerns, with new references to existing school attendance codes and other guidelines. But opponents, like Sen. Todd Achilles, D-Boise, said it was overbroad and would cause confusion for business owners, similar to the uncertainty Snyder is facing.

Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, introduced the vetoed bill and the alternative, which initially included an exemption that meant day cares, unlike other businesses, could still mandate medical interventions. Lawmakers in the House amended the bill to remove that language Friday.

In debate on the Senate floor Thursday, Foreman told fellow lawmakers that the bill doesnt defeat, delete or detract from a parents ability to opt their kids out of vaccination programs, either in a public school or in a day care facility.

However, Little spokesperson Emily Callihan told the Idaho Statesman that day cares will still be able to require vaccines under the new law.

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Idaho parents have long had the option to waive immunization standards for medical, religious or other reasons. Idaho had more kindergarten students with at least one vaccine exemption than any other state in the country in the 2023-24 school year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The distinction was by a wide margin  14.3% of Idahos kindergartners had at least one exemption, and the next closest state was Alaska, with 9.5%.

Day cares are considered private businesses under Idaho law, but they still have immunization standards. According to a 2024 Child Care Provider Manual published on Idaho Department of Health and Welfare websites, child care providers are not required by law to accept children who are not immunized.

Snyder said being able to require vaccinations in a day care setting is crucial.

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For us especially, its important because we have children of many different ages, Snyder said. An infant is not yet able to get certain vaccines, or hasnt yet received all of the doses of a given vaccine. So its extra important that the older children that are around them  who are probably exposed to more children  are protected, so that they have the sort of herd immunity to keep the younger children safe that havent yet been fully vaccinated.

Snyder said many of Le Soleils families come to the school specifically because they want an environment where their child is around vaccinated children and staff. Snyder and several families whose children come to Le Soleil reached out to the governor to ask him to veto the initial legislation, putting him among the roughly 500 people who contacted Little in opposition, according to Littles spokesperson.

Around 1,500 people encouraged the governor to sign the bill.

Littles veto of the original bill was a relief for Snyder and his families, the day care director said. The governor wrote in the transmittal letter with his veto that the legislation jeopardizes the ability of schools to send home sick students with highly contagious conditions.

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Lawmakers edited the bill to include references to existing Idaho code that allows school officials to turn away contagious students.

Snyder isnt sure where his business might stand.

If a child has pink eye, we dont want every other child and every teacher to also have pink eye, so they go home until theyve started treatment and are no longer going to be spreading pink eye, Snyder said. The same thing should be applicable to any nasty, highly contagious disease.

For a state that talks a lot about being business friendly, I just dont see at all how this would be a business-friendly move when it would make it so hard for us to keep our staff healthy.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  A new book on Lorne Michaels, creator and producer of the long-running variety show Saturday Night Live, touches on one of the shows biggest stars going to Alabama in an attempt to get clean.

In Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live, author Susan Morrison writes about the television producers life and his connection to the show he has, with the exception of a few years in the 80s, run since 1975 on NBC.

Morrison, an articles editor at The New Yorker magazine, goes through many of the big stars who started on the show, from John Belushi to Bill Murray and Adam Sandler, but several pages are dedicated to Chris Farley, who appeared on the show for five seasons from 1990 to 1995, becoming one of its breakout stars.

Chris Farley as Lennie, Lorne Michaels during Of Mice and Men skit on October 23, 1993 (Photo by Al Levine/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

In one passage, Morrison discussed the first and only time he hosted the show on October 25, 1997, less than two months before he died from a heroin overdose at his apartment in Chicago. This would be the last time Michaels would see Farley alive.

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When Chris Farley went to the place in Alabama to get sober

He was in terrible shape then, too drinking, taking drugs, even bringing a couple of of prostitutes up to the office, Morrison wrote.

Morrison used this episode to discuss how several years prior in 1992, Michaels had put Farley on leave from the show after discovering his drug use.

Farley had struggled with heroin while he we on the show; after getting clean once and relapsing, hed been suspended by Michaels, who sent him to a tough-love rehab facility in Alabama.

Although Morrison doesnt specifically mention the facility by name, it was later revealed to be the Mary Lee Zawadski Clinic, which operated in the basement of the Randolph County Hospital in Roanoke.

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He was a very kind, kind man and caring, very sweet, founder Mary Lee Zawadski said in an interview with CBS 42 on the 25th anniversary of Farleys death. But Chris had little self-control. He was very impulsive. He could get in trouble.

Chris Farley, Lorne Michaels, Charles Barkley, Mike Myers on October 4, 1993  (Photo by: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

Morrison said Michaels wanted to send Farley to rehab not only as a way to scare him straight, but to avoid past mistakes he had made with other cast mates who had died, such as Farleys comedic hero, John Belushi, who also died from a heroin overdose in 1980.

Michaels knew that the show was what Farley liked best, so taking it away from him, he hoped, would make an impression, she wrote. Since Belushis squalid death, Michaels had rethought his approach to employees drug problems. His former value system, he said, was As long as people showed up on time and did their job, it was nobodys business what they did in their bedroom or in their house. That value system turned out to be wrong. Hed tried much harder with Farley, but it wasnt enough.

Zawadski said the first time Farley went through her program, he and dedicated himself to staying sober.

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He followed directions, he did all his assignments, and he was very serious, Zawadski said. He was a very serious recovering person at that time.

However, sobriety would not be a road Farley would stay on long, relapsing in 1997 and going back a second time. However, this time it didnt take.

The second time he came back, he was totally different, she said. He was an ass. He was arrogant, Zawadski said.

Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels holds his head down as he walks past the hearse of former cast member Chris Farley following the funeral Tuesday, Dec. 23, 1997, in Madison, Wis. Farley, 33, the big, boisterous comic who was a cast member on NBCs Saturday Night Live from 1990-95, was found dead Thursday at his apartment in Chicago. The cause of death has not yet been released. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

In her book, Morrison said Michaels and his children were on vacation in Aspen, Colorado when he received the news that Farley had died. Within a few days, he and many other SNL counterparts made their way to Madison, WisconsinFarleys hometownfor the funeral.

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In the the jammed pews, Chris Rock and and Adam Sandler were sobbing, she wrote.

For her part, Zawadski said Hollywood and fame proved to be too much for Farley to handle.

Chris is someone, in my opinion, who shouldve worked at a bank or with people he could have fun with, she said. Instead, he worked in a place that had no reality. LA is a place with no reality. He didnt know how to handle it. It was too much for him.

The book is available now.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Choctaw, Oklahoma  Eleven-year-old Samuel Henderson of Choctaw, Oklahoma, is a born entertainer with a unique talent: he can perfectly imitate about 50 birds.

"Some people say that I swallowed birds," Henderson, who is autistic and has Tourette syndrome, told CBS News.

He says the most difficult bird to emulate is the barn swallow, but he can imitate anything from a blue jay and a tufted titmouse to a robin.

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Since Henderson mostly practiced his calls alone on the playground along the back fence, many kids at his school had not ever heard his incredible skills.

That is, until the annual 2024 Nicoma Park Intermediate School talent show.

Henderson really wanted to compete, but no student from special education had ever participated. The talent show would mostly consist of singing, dancing and band instruments.

His mother, Lori Henderson, was nervous.

"Because some kids can be mean," Lori said. "It would just break my heart if that were to have happened."

But Lori says his teacher convinced her that Samuel needed to spread his wings, so to speak. So, he took the stage. At first, the other children didn't know what to think.

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"It really sounded like there was a bird in the building," a fellow student said.

But as he continued and laid his passion bare, jaws dropped. The crowd came alive. And Samuel was not only accepted, he was admired.

"He's brave, he's really brave. It takes a lot of courage to get yourself up there," another student added.

"The kids were roaring," Lori said. "I was so happy to see him living his dreams. My heart just exploded."

It's now been almost a year since that talent show, and Samuel now rocks the playground, teaching his classmates how to crow.

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Trump reacts to China's retaliatory tariffs as U.S. stocks continue to slide

Kentucky whiskey producers react to Trump tariffs

From viral floor routine to national champion, first HBCU gymnast breaks barriers
In the hours before he died, 9-year-old Gabriel Andrews woke up before dawn Friday to catch his school bus on the last day of class before spring break.

Torrential rainfall had pummeled Kentucky so badly, the National Weather Service had issued a flash flood warning until late Friday morning for 13 counties, including all of Franklin County  home to the states capital, Frankfort, and Gabriels family.

The weather bulletin  issued at 12:29 a.m.  warned of flash flooding in small creeks, streams, urban areas, highways, streets, underpasses, low-lying areas and places with poor drainage. The flash flood warning was scheduled to end at 8:30 a.m.

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Around 6:35 a.m., Gabriel ventured out of his home. But he never made it to the school bus, Frankfort Police said.

It had been reported that he had been caught in floodwaters in the area of Hickory Hills while walking to the school bus stop, Assistant Chief of Police Scott Tracy said.

First responders rushed to the scene and conducted an extensive search-and-rescue operation, Tracy said.

Volunteers joined in the search. Then, at 8:47 a.m., Gabriel was found about half a mile from where he reportedly was swept away, Franklin County Coroner William C. Harrod said.

Gabriel was among at least 19 people killed across several states after a rash of deadly storms ripped through the central US, spawning dozens of tornadoes, dumping more than a foot of rain and leaving catastrophic flooding.

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At the time of Gabriels death, Kentucky was under a days-long state of emergency due to severe weather. Frankfort is particularly vulnerable to flooding due to the swollen Kentucky River that runs through it.

While some residents say Gabriels death was a tragic accident with no one at fault, some parents blame the school district for not delaying or canceling classes Friday  despite the widespread flash flood warning and the fact that the district had already canceled two school bus routes earlier that morning.

CNN has reached out to the Franklin County Schools superintendent, the superintendents assistant and the school districts spokesperson for comment.

In a written statement, Superintendent Mark Kopp offered condolences to the boys family but did not say why the district didnt postpone or cancel school Friday.

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We are deeply saddened that this horrific tragedy has claimed the life of one of our students. The entire Franklin County School System is praying for the family and friends of those directly affected by the events this morning, Kopps statement read in part.

At this time, we are working with support staff at our schools and offering services to our students, faculty, and staff.

School district canceled a few bus routes, but not others in the flash flood warning zone

Around 5 a.m. Friday, Franklin County Schools posted notices on its website and on its Facebook page with an urgent message: We need to cancel two bus routes this morning.

The alerts listed which neighborhoods were affected and acknowledged it might be challenging for some students to get to school.

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If your child rides one of these buses and is unable to attend school, please contact your childs school, the notice read. Thank you and stay safe, everyone!

Franklin County Schools posted this message around 5 a.m. Friday saying two school bus routes were canceled. - From Franklin County Schools

A few hours later, the school district of about 6,000 students posted an update dismissing rumors that schools were on lockdown and confirming no schools were closed Friday:

All schools are operating normally and there are no lockdowns in the district, the notice said.

The school district confirmed all schools were "operating normally" Friday. - From Franklin County Schools

The mother of one of Gabriels classmates questioned why Franklin County Schools didnt cancel classes Friday.

The rain was coming down hard. They had already called off certain bus routes in the area due to flooded roadways, Caitlin Green told CNN affiliate WLKY.

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Gabriels neighbors described the complicated route children must take to reach the bus stop. Kids who live in the same apartment complex as Gabriels family must hop a drain  which had rushing water Friday  to get to the bus, the neighbors told WLKY.

Franklin County Schools has not responded to CNNs questions about why only two school bus routes were canceled while the entire county was under a flash flood warning.

The school district also did not explain why those two bus routes were canceled, yet the school district still expected children to travel to school some other way.

Lets dont go around blaming people

While the community unites in grief, opinions vary as to whether anyone is to blame.

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Makala Reed, the mother of one of Gabriels schoolmates, lambasted the school district on social media hours after Gabriels death.

Franklin County Schools SHAME ON YOU for having school today!!! How do you send a notice out to families letting them know 2 busses cant go on route due to flood waters and those students will have an excused absence but make everyone else go?? Were under a flood warning, you should have called school off for the whole county! Reed posted on Facebook.

Reed told CNN she was also disappointed the school day continued despite the state of emergency and after Gabriels death.

Im just in total shock at how bad this flooding has been and the fact that we (were) under a state emergency.  Yet they still had school even after a child lost their life, Reed told CNN. Schools should have been closed down immediately following that incident.

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But others said Gabriels death was a horrible accident that nobody anticipated.

This is a tragic event with lots of pain so lets dont go around blaming peoplelets show love and support for the community, one resident wrote. Its not the time or place to be pointing fingers.

Someones child just passed, another resident wrote. Let the family grieve instead of fighting over who to blame. It was an accident that nobody couldve predicted.

The young boys death is under investigation

The county coroner has not released Gabriels cause of death. The results from his autopsy are expected in about 16 to 20 weeks, Harrod said.

This is an ongoing investigation by the Frankfort Police Department and Franklin County Coroners Office, Harrod said.

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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear offered his condolences to Gabriels family and emphasized the dangers of torrential rain and floodwater.

My heart breaks for this family. Please join Britainy and me in praying for them following this unimaginable loss, Beshear posted on X. We need everyone to understand that all water poses a risk right now. Lets do everything possible to keep our loved ones safe.

CNNs Angela Fritz, Mike Madrigal and Mary Gilbert contributed to this report.

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BOYNTON BEACH  Police shot and killed a machete-wielding man in a park Saturday morning following reports of a domestic dispute nearby, officials said.

Police said they were called to investigate the domestic dispute at about 10:45 a.m. today near the 600 block of Northeast 20th Lane. Officers arriving at the scene encountered a man involved in the dispute wielding a machete in Intracoastal Park next to the street, Boynton Beach Police said.

In their encounter with the man, police shot him, then performed lifesaving measures. Boynton Beach Fire Rescue workers took the man to a nearby hospital, where he died.

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Police did not release any further information about the shooting, but said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating.

Northbound U.S. 1 from Oyer Park to Gateway Boulevard was closed during the incident.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boynton Beach police shoot, kill man wielding machete in city park
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  A 9-year-old Kentucky boy who died in floodwaters while walking to catch his school bus was remembered by his classroom teacher as the sweetest, kindest boy."

The death of Gabriel Andrews stunned residents in the Bluegrass State's capital city. The boy was caught in floodwaters early Friday while walking to the bus stop, police said. After an extensive search, his body was found about two hours after police were notified.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, in a social media post, said my heart breaks for this family.

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Gabriels teacher, Kasey Swails, said an important part of her classroom family was taken from us. She called him the sweetest, kindest boy who was impossible not to love.

In her social media post Friday, she said Gabriel loved basketball and anything to do with a police car, who tried his best at any task given him. Who was a friend to all.

Being a teacher means you pour into and love on someone elses kid like they are your own, she wrote. And today has been the most heartbreaking day in my teaching career.

Gabriel's death sparked questions from some who wondered why the Franklin County school district chose not to cancel in-person classes Friday when strong storms produced flash flooding.

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Caitlin Green, a Franklin County parent, was among those baffled by the decision.

Youre taking the chance on, you know, putting these kids on a bus through this weather, not knowing, you know, if theyre going to run into flooded waters, she told Lexington TV station WDKY.

Several other school districts in the area canceled classes Friday.

Franklin County schools Superintendent Mark Kopp said the boy's death was a horrific tragedy.

We are more than a school system, we are a family at Franklin County Schools, and we share this loss together, the superintendent said.

The school district did not respond to social media comments from parents who raised concerns that classes were held despite flooding in the region.
Federal prosecutors are urging a judge to sentence disgraced gay former New York Congressman George Santos to more than seven years in prison, calling him a pathological liar and fraudster who made a mockery of our election system.

In a sentencing memo filed Friday, the Justice Department recommended a seven-year and three-month sentence for Santos, who pleaded guilty last year to felony wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He is set to be sentenced on April 25 in the Eastern District of New York.

The government laid out in sweeping detail Santoss assortment of fraudulent schemes, from stealing the identities of elderly donors to submitting falsified campaign finance documents and fabricating most of his biography. Prosecutors said Santos exploited the very system by which we select our representatives, using lies to enrich himself and capture one of the highest offices in the government of the United States.

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Santos was expelled from Congress in December 2023 following a blistering House Ethics Committee report that found he used campaign funds for personal luxuries and repeatedly lied to the public. Among the many fabrications, Santos falsely claimed degrees from Baruch College and New York University and jobs at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.

In justifying the lengthy sentence, prosecutors said Santos preyed on vulnerable victims and repeatedly escalated his behavior, even after being confronted. When others confronted him with suspicions of deceit Santos, without fail, has doubled down, disclaiming any wrongdoing and creating new deceptions, prosecutors wrote.

The filing revealed that Santos charged thousands of dollars to the credit cards of elderly donors, some with dementia or cognitive impairments. He also stole $100,000 from a supporter by funneling it through a fake nonprofit, then spent the money on luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

In a separate sentencing memorandum submitted Friday, Santoss legal team asked the court to impose a sentence of just 24 months in prison, followed by probation. They said Santos has accepted full responsibility for his actions and argued that his conduct, though involving dishonesty and abuse of trust, stemmed largely from a misguided desperation related to his political campaign, rather than inherent malice.

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His attorneys called the recommended sentence excessive and claimed it would create an unwarranted disparity compared to sentences imposed on similarly situated defendants convicted of comparable white-collar and political fraud offenses. They also said Santos has suffered significant collateral consequences, including the loss of his congressional seat and public humiliation, and claimed he poses a low risk of reoffending.

Santoss team added that he has provided significant financial and emotional support to his sister and her young daughter with severe disabilities and noted that his incarceration would cause severe hardship for his family.

The memo also highlighted Santoss cooperation in a separate federal investigation in which he helped prosecutors pursue a man accused of attempting to bribe him. Mr. Santoss proactive assistance in bringing another offender to justice underscores a fundamental respect for the law, his lawyers wrote.

"Given his public disgrace and removal from Congress, he is unlikely to commit similar offenses in the future in the unlikely event he finds himself in the position to do so," they added.

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Despite claims of remorse, the government said Santos has forfeited nothing and has not repaid one cent to any of the victims. Instead, he has attempted to profit from his notoriety by launching a podcast and earning over $350,000 from Cameo videos.

Calling Santos a significant future danger to the community, prosecutors urged the court to impose a sentence that reflects the breadth, scope, and predatory nature of his crimes.

The Advocate contacted Santos for comment. He did not immediately respond.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.


An 84-year-old British woman made famous in Con Mum, a Netflix documentary, has been charged with fraud in Singapore.

Dionne Marie Hanna faces five counts of fraud involving three people, and appeared in court via videolink on Saturday.

The documentary, released on March 25, told how Ms Hanna upended the life of her son Graham Hornigold, a successful pastry chef, by contacting him in 2020 to tell him she was his long-lost mother.

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Her claim was proved by a DNA test, but Mr Hornigold says after their reunion, she conned him out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Ms Hanna, who told her son that she was a successful international entrepreneur, appeared in court from a hospital bed in Singapores Tan Tock Seng, according to local media reports. It is not clear why she is in the hospital.

Victims told to transfer money

According to court documents in Singapore, one of the charges involved Ms Hanna allegedly telling a man in Singapore, identified as Paiman Bin Supangat, that she was from the Brunei royal family.

Police in Singapore said they had received several complaints from alleged victims after the documentary was released on Netflix.

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They added that preliminary investigations showed Ms Hanna was alleged to be involved in at least five cases of fraud with losses amounting to more than 115,000.

As part of the arrangement to receive monies for the investment and inheritance, the victims were asked to transfer money for legal fees and opening of overseas bank accounts, police said.

The victims believed her investment and release of inheritance to be genuine and made several transfers to her.

If found guilty of fraud, Ms Hanna could face up to 20 years in prison.

Her next court hearing is on April 11.

Claims of terminal cancer

The documentary told how Mr Hornigold, 50, who was born on a British Army base in Germany, was raised in St. Albans by his violently abusive father, who would only say of his mother that she had left.

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He said Ms Hanna told him when they were first reunited that she was dying from cancer, and spoiled him and his partner, buying each of them cars and lavishing them with gifts.

With her health apparently declining, she told her son that she wanted him to have her money but said they would need to travel to Switzerland and set up a bank account in his name.

Mr Hornigolds partner, Heather Kaniuk, was sceptical, especially after discovering he had transferred 100,000 into his mothers accounts.

I started becoming very afraid of who this woman was. I realised I was on a train heading for a wreck and I needed to save Graham, Ms Kaniuk, who subsequently split up from Mr Hornigold, said in the film.

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The chef, who has made television appearances including as a judge on Junior Bake-Off, finally realised that his mother had been lying, including about her cancer diagnosis.

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BUCKHANNON, W.Va. (WBOY)  Several residents on Camden Avenue in Buckhannon, West Virginia, say their homes have been flooded by recent rainfalland its only getting worse as time goes on.

Melissa Moore, a resident on Camden, told 12 News that her basement has already been flooded three times in the two months shes lived there, and that shes been without hot water for nearly a week.

Flooding in the basement of Camden Ave. resident Melissa Moore (WBOY image)

Living across the street from Moore, JW Haden said that what used to amount to a couple of inches of water in his basement has grown to a foot of water or more, causing damage to his walls that is worsening over time.

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We said when we bought [the house], we knew it was a wet basement, and we would get inches of water down here, Haden said. And now well get [] 18 inches of water in the basement.

Helen Summers, a Camden property owner who grew up in Buckhannon and has lived there for the last 24 years, said that recent flooding is the worst she can remember since moving there.

Its gotten worse. We have not ever had it this bad before. And the basement has not ever been this bad before, Summers said.

Flooding on Camden Avenue in Buckhannon West Virginia (Courtesy Joshua Hinchman)

Two residents, Moore and her neighbor Joshua Pinchman, reached out to 12 News on Thursday, saying that the flooding they experience is chronic, and help from the city has not been what they hoped for.

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Officials have helped in the past and were actively pumping water away from the area when 12 News arrived. However, Camden residents said that any help they receive only amounts to a stop-gap solution and the area continues to flood time and time again.

Id like to see people do their jobs and get this problem fixed so peoples properties and livelihoods quit being ruined, Moore said.

For years, my family and I have contacted the city; they know the problem, they know the sinkholes, the damaged storm water system. Unfortunately, they say its not in the budget, Pinchman said in an interview with 12 News. Every time we have a substantial rain that lasts more than a half a day, it will start to back up and flood. If we get several days of rain, thats when it gets this deep and it starts getting into all the houses.

Proposed pedestrian bridge would connect rail trail to Morgantown neighborhood

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Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner III did provide a statement to 12 News on the Camden flooding, saying that remedying the situation will be a prolonged process due to the size and complexity of the storm water system in that area, but the city is doing what it can. Unfortunately for residents, more rain is forecasted in the coming days and could add additional time and effort to finding a long-term solution to this problem.

You can read Mayor Skinners full response at the bottom of this story.

Buckhannon was one of many cities in West Virginia that fell victim to flooding earlier this year due to heavy rain and melting snow. In Upshur County specifically, the Buckhannon River officially crested at 25.16 feet, the highest its been since 2016.

Buckhannon Statement on Camden Avenue floodDownload

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Warren Buffett shot down a wild claim boosted by Donald Trump that he had praised the president for purposely crashing the stock market.

Trump on Friday posted a TikTok video to Truth Social arguing that he had an ulterior motive for driving the stock market downward with his universal tariffs.

Trump is crashing the stock market by 20 percent this month, but hes doing it on purpose, the videos narrator says. And this is why Warren Buffett just said that Trump is making the best economic moves hes seen in over 50 years.

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The video goes on to hypothesize that Trump is intentionally tanking the market as a long-term strategic play to lower interest and mortgage rates.

Trump is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers. pic.twitter.com/fvThLx82Ev  AmericanPapaBear (@AmericaPapaBear) April 4, 2025

Now, Buffet, 94, has broken his silence to make it very clear that he said nothing of the sort.

The legendary investors company, Berkshire Hathaway, issued a statement on Friday saying, There are reports currently circulating on social media (including Twitter, Facebook and Tik Tok) regarding comments allegedly made by Warren E. Buffett. All such reports are false.

Later on Friday, the legendary investor told CNBC personally that the statement was intended to repudiate the misinformation quickly before it could spread even further. He said that he wont be commenting publicly on the markets or economy until Berkshires annual meeting on May 3.

President Donald Trump holds up a chart of

While Buffett has not given a take on the sweeping tariffs Trump announced this week, which have sent the stock market plummeting, he described the presidents earlier tariffs on Canada and Mexico as an act of war in early March.

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Over time, theyre a tax on goods, he said. I mean, the tooth fairy doesnt pay them. And then what? You always have to ask that question in economics. And then what?

The video Trump shared appears to use an audio track from a clip posted by Brian Decker, a social media financial commentator, in mid-March, well before the presidents universal tariffs.

Trumps tariffs, which set a baseline 10 percent import tax on all goods and higher rates for many trading partners, have sent the market careening downward. The S&P 500, an indicator for the markets overall performance, has plunged more than 10 percent over the two days since the tariffs were announced.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In Palm Beach County, 69 Burmese pythons have been captured since 2006, according to the Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System, or EDDMapS. In addition, four have been found dead, and 24 sightings have been reported. Countless more of the invasive snakes likely have lurked undetected or unreported.

Just to the north of Palm Beach County, on the Treasure Coast, there have been at least 25 documented sightings of Burmese pythons since 2004..

Where did the Burmese pythons come from? The conventional wisdom is they were pets that escaped or were released. But theres mounting evidence that Everglades pythons have the ability to migrate north and west from South Florida because theyre crossbreeding, evolving and adapting to other areas of Florida and the U.S.

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The question is: Have they crossed the boundaries of their established breeding range, which extends from Lake Okeechobee south to Key Largo and from western Broward County west to Collier County?

The Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Geological Survey would not speculate, and several other biologists, scientists and snake wranglers told TCPalm they just dont know.

However, a 2008 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Biological Invasions says pythons are now well established in southern Florida and spreading northward.

They are good at finding ways of sheltering, said Ken Gioeli, a Natural Resources and Environment agent at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in Fort Pierce. Unfortunately, they are adapting.

Florida Burmese python habitat range

This map shows the Burmese python's established breeding ground and how the invasive snake spread from 1979 to 2021, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.

Pythons have been established in the Everglades since the 1980s, but studies and sightings show the cold-blooded snakes have adapted to cooler temperatures and different habitats.

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The USGS has confirmed their presence north of the Everglades through DNA identification of their saliva, excrement, shed skin and sloughed scales, said research geneticist Margaret Hunter.

Those areas are north of Lake Okeechobee in the Kissimmee River area from Orlando to Okeechobee and southwest of Lake Okeechobee in the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Palm Beach County, Hunter said.

One reason theyve adapted to higher ground is theyve been crossbred with Indian rock pythons that prefer that habitat  likely before they were introduced into the Everglades, according to the USGS. Genetic evidence shows at least 13 out of 400 pythons studied were crossbred.

For evidence of how theyve adapted to the cold, look no further than a 2010 Arctic blast that blew unusually and prolonged cold weather into South Florida from January to March. Scientists found the pythons that survived have a different gene than the ones that died, Hunter said.

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A substantial portion of the mainland U.S. is potentially vulnerable to this ostensibly tropical invader, says the 2008 study in Biological Invasions.

Climate change could expand their range even more by 2100 to include New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Colorado and parts of Washington state.

Coastal and Southern states with python-conducive climates similar to the snakes native range in Asia  from India to China to Pakistan  include all of Florida and most of California as well as the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana Oklahoma and Texas.

"They are going to continue to evolve and adapt," Hunter said.

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For now, the FWC staff evaluates reports of pythons outside their established breeding range and release information regarding new locations of establishment and range changes.

Removing Burmese pythons from Florida with: Python Challenge, Python Elimination Program, Python Action Team Removing Invasive Constrictors (PATRIC)

The SFWMD's Python Elimination Program and the FWC's Florida Python Challenge and Python Action Team Removing Invasive Constrictors are among the statewide efforts to remove pythons from the environment, which is essential because they alter food webs.

Pythons have killed 85-100% of the Everglades foxes, bobcats, rabbits, raccoons, possums and white-tailed deer  species that live on the Treasure Coast too.

The FWC and SFWMD contract with 100 hunters who track and remove pythons from the Everglades year-round, and the Python Challenge that FWC launched in 2013 became an annual 10-day hunting competition in 2020.

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Through all the state's efforts, over 23,000 pythons have been removed since 2000, including 917 from the hunt alone, according to FWC. Yet trappers have caught less than 1% of Floridas python population, Hunter said, which is estimated to be in the tens of thousands and growing.

State law allows people to kill an unlimited number of pythons using humane and legal methods on 32 FWC-managed lands year-round, and on private land with the owners permission.

Every python removed from the Florida landscape is one less invasive snake impacting our native wildlife and ecosystems, FWC spokesperson Lisa Thompson said. "FWC staff encourages residents to report sightings."

Thats not happening enough, Gioeli said.

How to report Burmese python sightings in Florida

Every once in a while, there will be a news report of a police officer or animal control officer capturing one, but those reports never make it to the reporting sites, he said. Ive tried to bridge that gap to get them to report it. I will work to let people know that the reporting system is out there. I think a lot of people are not aware that there is a reporting system.

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Call 911 or Animal Control in your city or county for an immediate threat, then report the exact location to the FWCs Invasive Species Hotline at 888-Ive-Got1 (483-4681). Sending a photo is important because Burmese pythons can be easily confused with ball pythons.

There is always going to be a constant need for outreach and education about reporting pythons, Gioeli said, because there are so many new people coming to the area.

More on Burmese pythons in Florida

Tim O'Hara is TCPalm's environment reporter. Contact him at tim.ohara@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Map: Florida Burmese pythons habitats grow beyond Everglades
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB)  If you want to buy a vehicle without having to worry about tariffs, we have a suggestion for you.

The Florida Auction Network is hosting its latest Government Surplus Auction at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The auction will take place at the networks East Business-98 location, right across the street from the Old Paper Mill property.

Bay County candidates discuss citys future at First Friday

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Besides vehicles, theyll be liquidating LSVs, trailers, boats, lawnmowers, heavy equipment, and more.

The surplus items are coming from the Franklin and Walton County Sheriffs offices, Bay County, Panama City, Panama City Beach, Parker municipal governments, Talquin Electric Co-op, and others.

Florida Auction Network is also holding an online auction next Tuesday, April 8, at 6 p.m., with more than 1700 items for sale.

For the auction catalogs, click here.

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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?
SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (AP)  Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Saturday presided over the opening of an expansion of his countrys main naval base, which analysts and the U.S. government suspect will be used as a strategic outpost by China.

Construction of a new pier to accommodate much larger ships, a dry dock for repairs and other features was completed in recent weeks at the Ream Naval Base in southern Cambodia, on the Gulf of Thailand.

The project has drawn great attention mainly because Washington  noting that China is Cambodias closest ally and main source of investment and aid  believes that Beijing has been secretly granted special and exclusive privileges to use the base, a claim repeatedly denied by Cambodian officials.

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Hun Manet at the inauguration noted that the ceremony was taking place two weeks ahead of a visit to Cambodia by Chinese President Xi Jinping. He praised Xis government for help in building the expansion and other projects, describing bilateral relations as good and strong.

At the same time, he declared that the Ream base expansion was not hidden from other countries, and said warships from all friendly countries can visit the base and hold joint military exercises, except for very big warships that cannot be physically accommodated.

I would like to take this opportunity to make it clear that the Cambodian government led by the Cambodian Peoples Party has no intention, in the past or today or in the future, of violating its Constitution by allowing any countrys troops to establish exclusive bases on Cambodian territory, he said.

Chinas Defense Ministry, in a statement issued in Beijing, said the China-Cambodia Ream Naval Base Joint Support and Training Center  part of the facility that was officially opened Saturday  will support a wide range of joint operations.

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Areas of cooperation will include counterterrorism, disaster prevention and relief, humanitarian assistance and joint training, the ministry said in a news release.

Necessary personnel from both countries will be stationed at the site to ensure smooth operation of the center. The centers establishment and operation are based on mutual respect and equal consultation between China and Cambodia, the statement said.

Cao Qingfeng, a visiting senior member of China's Central Military Commission, said in a speech that the base will surely become a new starting point to continuously promote the relationship between the two armies and consolidate the development. A contingent of at least 100 Chinese sailors who have been on temporary duty at the base also took part, marching and singing.

The senior U.S. diplomat in Cambodia, Charge dAffaires Bridgette Walker, attended the ceremony but declined to comment on it.

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The base is slated to host a Japanese vessel in the near future as the first foreign warship to make a port call at the base. The Cambodian government described giving priority to Japanese warships as a tribute to the high level of openness in cooperation, relations, and mutual trust.

The announcement of Japans planned port call showed that Cambodia is likely trying to project that its open to countries other than China, said Euan Graham, a senior defense analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

This would appear to be a conscious demonstration by Cambodia" that Ream is not exclusively for Chinas military, he said.

Japans Maritime Self-Defense Force has confirmed Cambodias invitation to Japanese ships, but refused to give any specifics, citing regular operational security regulations.

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Fears over Chinas activity at the Ream base arose in 2019 when The Wall Street Journal reported that an early draft of an agreement seen by U.S. officials would allow China 30-year use of the base, where it would be able to post military personnel, store weapons and berth warships.

China and Cambodia broke ground on the port project in 2022, in an expression of the close political, military and economic ties between the two authoritarian states. That involved demolishing naval structures previously built at the base by the U.S., with little explanation.

In September, Cambodias Defense Ministry said that China would give Cambodias navy two warships of the type docked there while the expansion project was still underway.



Associated Press correspondent Christopher Bodeen in Taipei contributed to this report.
Its over.

After a century and a half of building an economic and military partnership that survived two world wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War and the 9/11 attacks, the United States and Canada are breaking up.

So said Prime Minister Mark Carney in a national television address to 41 million Canadian citizens from Parliament Hill last week. And it is almost all because of President Donald Trumps tariffs.

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The old relationship we had with the United States, based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation, is over, Carney declared on March 27. We must fundamentally reimagine our economy. We will need to ensure that Canada can succeed in a drastically different world.

The striking messaging, some of which Carney's Conservative opponent Pierre Poilievre has also begun to adopt, underlines the degree to which anger at the U.S. has taken over the current Canadian federal election campaign. In the wake of repeated threats from Trump to make Canada the "51st state," followed by the wholesale implosion of the countries' economic ties, there seems to be very little appetite among voters for gentle reassurance.

Carney deliberately repeated the O word again several times on Thursday as he gave Canadas response to Trumps so-called Liberation Day tariff announcement from the previous afternoon. That included 25 percent counter tariffs on U.S. auto imports to Canada to counter Trumps imposition of levies on Canadian automobiles, steel and aluminum to punish what Trump sees as a lack of progress in stopping a minuscule amount of fentanyl from illegally crossing America's northern border.

The auto industry was the cornerstone of modern Canada-U.S. cooperation, dating back to 1965  the year Carney was born  when they signed the Auto Pact. It created tariff-free automobile trade and helped establish the industry in Ontario, Canadas most populous province.

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Carney said the pact marked the beginning of a 60-year period of close cooperation, partnership, job growth and prosperity. That era has now ended, unless the United States and Canada can agree on a new comprehensive approach.

Some U.S. politicians echoed Carneys words. [Trump] ended the several hundred year friendship between the US and Canada  our neighbor and closest ally, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said on X last week.

The tariffs on Canada are going to hurt my state. Its going to hurt our neighbors there, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).

Trumps tariffs would also cause broader harm, Carney said, predicting a rupture of the global economy, ending an era of U.S. dominance dating back to World War II.

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The 80-year period when the United States embraced the mantle of global economic leadership, when it forged alliances rooted in trust and mutual respect and championed the free and open exchange of goods and services, is over.

Now what?

Carney said it was a tragedy, but that the new reality would force Canada to do two things: renegotiate the terms of its relationship with the U.S., and lead the creation of a like-minded new world order of countries that excluded the U.S.

First, Canada will renegotiate a new economic and security partnership with Trump after the April 28 election. Carney reiterated that he and Trump agreed on a March 28 phone call that whoever is elected prime minister would begin the negotiation.

Carney and Poilievre also agree on that fundamental point, even though they disagree on just about everything else, as they regularly trade insults on the campaign trail.

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Poilievres pivot to attacking Trump has been the exception rather than the rule for his campaign. While he has denounced the president and the tariffs, his major campaign focus has been attacking the lost Liberal decade in power and trying to attach Carney to that legacy, even though he has never held office.

On my first day on the job as prime minister, I will call the president and demand that we rapidly renegotiate the CUSMA agreement on a very tight timeline that will allow us to find certainty, Poilievre said Thursday, using the Canadian acronym for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

But a new report this week, authored by a group that includes a former Canadian Forces vice-chief, an ex-defense minister from the Brian Mulroney era and a former national security adviser, is warning the next government to be careful about entering a renegotiation with Trump "until there is greater clarity in the current political mayhem in Washington."

Its title reflects the mood of Canada: Broken Trust: Managing an Unreliable Ally.

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The second thing Canada must do, Carney said, is find new best friends and build new alliances.

Canada must be looking elsewhere to expand our trade, to build our economy and to protect our sovereignty. Canada is ready to take a leadership role in building a coalition of like-minded countries who share our values. We believe in international cooperation, he said Thursday.

Carneys first international trip after being sworn in as prime minister last month was to France, and then to Britain, to affirm Canadas bonds with its two founding colonial powers. In recent days, Carney has also spoken to the leaders of Germany and Mexico, and Canada recently signed an agreement with Australia to supply a new radar surveillance system for the Arctic.

On Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly was in Brussels telling every European within earshot that the relationship with the U.S. was, without using Carneys word, over.

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We know that the relationship will never be the same again, she said at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. Thats my message to Europeans: The relationship with the U.S. will never be the same.

Echoing Carney, Joly also told her European audience that Trump was attempting a global reset on trade that had begun with Canada.

We buy more from the U.S. than the U.K., France, China and Japan combined, Joly said. When you treat your best client the way weve been treated  it means that you want, fundamentally, to change the way youre operating.

Joly issued a similar warning last month when she hosted G7 foreign ministers in Charlevoix, Quebec.

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If the U.S. can do this to us, their closest friend, then nobody is safe, she said ahead of the meeting, which included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Canada is the canary in the coal mine.

In March, and in again in Brussels on Friday, Joly reiterated that Canada was prepared to exert maximum pressure on the U.S. to try to end the tariffs. She said Friday that Canadas tariff retaliation had now reached C$60 billion.

Joly said the situation was a nightmare but the only people on Earth that will be able to really have President Trump change course are the Americans themselves.

The future

Canadas legendary bard Leonard Cohen once sang that theres a crack in everything. Thats how the light gets in.

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For Canada, that sliver of hope may have come in last weeks phone call between Carney and Trump. The president referred to Carney as Mark and the prime minister after months of trolling former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as governor of the 51st state.

Since then, Trump has paused his social media and Oval Office ribbing of Canada. It may be that hes too preoccupied with the rest of the world, as the fallout from his new tariff regime reverberates around the globe.

But when it comes to the United States, Canadians are done taking anything for granted.

On Friday, Carney was back on the campaign trail, after spending two days in the prime ministers Ottawa office. He went to Montreal, the business center of Canadas francophone province, Quebec, to pledge more funding for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation if elected.

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French culture and language are at the center of Canada's identity, and today that identity is being openly threatened by the president of the United States, Carney said in French.

President Trump wants to assimilate our culture, this culture that defines Quebec and all of Canada. But we will never let that happen. We will protect our culture.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)A convicted felon was arrested for stealing a Spanish-American War Cannon from Riverside Park in Wichita on Thursday.

A representative with the City of Wichita said the cannon was recovered and chopped into pieces, but the citys park and recreation department has yet to lay eyes on the cannon.

The Wichita Police Department is withholding the pieces of the cannon as evidence until the case is presented to the district attorney.

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KSNs Derek Lytle spoke to a local historian, who said the cannon is irreplaceable.

A piece of world history, a hidden gem in Wichitas backyard.

Its almost unbelievable Wichita had it. Thats the kind of thing you cant replace, said Friends University History Professor Ken Spurgeon.

Non-scripted soldiers in the 71st New York regiment advance to take San Juan, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War, July 1, 1898. Photograph engraving published 1898-99. Original edition is from my own archives. Copyright has expired and is in Public Domain.

Digitally restored vector artwork of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders at the top of the hill which they captured, Battle of San Juan. Circa 1898.

A Rough Rider, Theodore Roosevelt riding a horse, 26th U.S. President. Photograph published 1899. Original edition is in my archives. Copyright expired and in Public Domain.

Spurgeon, a historian and filmmaker for 30 years, said a veteran from Wichita may have served with President Theodore Roosevelt when the cannon was apprehended.

He believes thats why it could have been awarded to the city.

Antique image from British magazine: Spanish American War, Battle of San Juan, Santiago de Cuba

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Antique image from British magazine: Spanish American War, Battle of San Juan, Santiago de Cuba

It wouldve been captured by the first U.S. volunteer cavalry under the command of Theodore Roosevelt, on July 1st, 1898, at the battle of San Juan Hill. So this is captured cannon, made in Spain, makes it extremely rare, said Spurgeon.

The county historical museum said the cannons rarity is the reason it was hidden in park buildings in 1942, so it was not sent with the citys three others to be turned into modern guns to aid the WWII effort.

Its one of a kind in many ways, its priceless, its also become a part of our community, said Spurgeon.

Spurgeon, taken aback by the news of its damage, knows the city may lose a gem.

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Speaks to the rarity of it, Derek, between you and me, that may be the only one surviving today, or maybe theres 20, but if we find out, thats the only one, and it got destroyed in the last 24 hours, thats sickening, said Spurgeon.

Spurgeon shares that this story has sparked his interest to drive deeper into this cannons history.

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Chris Owens is used to fighting.

As a poet, he fights for attention, giving everyday people a voice for the struggles and obstacles that make their lives more difficult than they should be.

As an activist, he fights for equality, organizing voting drives and panel discussions to make sure people know whats going on and what they can do to change it.

And as an entrepreneur, he fights for opportunity, using his 14-month-old co-working space CultureHUB as a place to connect small business owners with the resources and contacts to make their dreams come true.

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Now, hes fighting for his life, but hes not complaining.

Repeat after me, he wrote in a lengthy Facebook post. Today and every day, I choose JOY.

Owens learned of the tumor by accident

He told me in a phone interview that he feels driven by a sense of purpose. He wants to be around for his partner, Lauren Malone, and their 3-year-old son. And hes still got work to do in trying to help more minorities in Arizona get themselves into the middle class.

Ive never really invested in the defeatist mentality, he said. We all have things that happen to us. That doesnt mean we ignore it  I grew up in a Baptist church and was always instilled with stories of overcoming.

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Owens has a tumor at the base of his brain, and it looks like surgeons are going to need to remove it.

If it goes untreated, it would definitely be a problem, he said.

Hes lucky to even know its there.

Owens was rear-ended by a hit-and-run driver in Phoenix last November. Owens said his vehicle was struck so hard that he was pushed from behind a crosswalk into the middle of an intersection on Van Buren Street.

The accident left me with a cracked shoulder, torn labrum, whiplash, migraines, and debilitating pain that prevented me from walking (even WITH medication) until Christmas Eve, missing many opportunities including celebrating CultureHUBs one-year anniversary, Owens wrote on Facebook. Im still in physical therapy and will be for some time  and thats been the easy part.

Months of appointments and therapy followed

He was put through a CT scan after the accident, and thats where doctors found the tumor.

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(My endocrinologist told me), Dont forget, Owens wrote, at any point, if youre sitting or laying down at home, and it suddenly feels like an anvil hit you on your head, that means your brain is bleeding and you need to go to the ER immediately.

His life has been a blur of doctors appointments and physical therapy sessions, along with running a business and trying to be a good partner and father.

Theres no way he could have gotten through the last five months without his lady.

Lauren has been incredible, Owens said.

The accident came as Malone was stepping full-time into entrepreneurship, leaving a 9-to-5 job as a law clerk to devote herself to the Law Offices of Lauren A. Malone, a trademark and copyright firm.

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Theres been a lot of adjusting, Malone said. Adjusting to his limitations, doctors appointments  Its adjusted my schedule as well, since were going through this together.

Now, his co-working space could shut down

Malone has had to help out in a million ways, since Owens has a fraction of the energy hes known for, at best. Some days, he struggles to get out of bed.

I want to help with CultureHUB however I can, Malone said. Just to try to lighten the load.

Oddly, the experience is drawing them together.

Yes, I feel like it has brought us closer, Malone said. She explained that Owens has been able to advise her, leaning on his entrepreneurial experience.

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Its brought us closer in the sense of really, truly being there to support one another, Malone said.

Opinion: Help! I'm a single dad trying to survive spring break

Theyre now focused on keeping CultureHUB in business. Its at risk of shutting down.

So, here I am. My entire life Ive worked on and with causes and events that give back to many communities, and now I am asking those communities for help while I battle and recover, Owens wrote.

I am working to raise $75,000 to cover past and future rent plus expenses  This goal may seem daunting to some, but I am blessed to have a big, diverse community filled with people who routinely make the impossible inevitable.

How you and others can help

So far, hes raised about $1,000 from a dozen small donations.

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Im certain, however, that of all the pastors, politicians and business leaders whove toured his space, gladhanding and promising support, Owens should be able to raise what he needs.

And if they cant do it, maybe a few prominent athletes or celebrities can find a way to chip in.

However, it works, this space, and the couple who run it, are too important to abandon during a time of need.

Owens and Malone are optimistic, choosing joy over everything else.

If everything goes well, Malone said, I think on the other side things are going to be great  he can get back to business of making CultureHUB thrive.

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To donate, visit: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/culturehub-fundraiser#/

Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @SayingMoore.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Brain tumor changed his life. In some ways, for the better | Opinion
Democratic strategist James Carville on Friday compared law firms that signed a deal with President Trump to Nazi regime collaborators in Europe.

Several firms tied to past investigations of the president have agreed to forgo diversity, equity and inclusion hiring practices in line with Trumps executive order and donate millions to causes of his choice through legal aid.

Maybe you need to go in history and see what happened in August of 1944, after Paris was liberated. They didnt take very kindly to the collaborators, Carville said in a Friday recording of his Politicon podcast.

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No, it was not a very pretty sight in the streets of Paris. Im not saying that these people should be placed in pajamas and have their heads shaved, marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, and spit on. Im not saying that. But Im saying that, that did happen, he added.

Carville said law firms found to willingly enter a signed agreement with Trump have betrayed the United States.

These people are a disgrace to the law firms they represent, to the companies that they represent and are supposed to be in self-interest, and theyre a disgrace to the United States and etch their names in the tablet of history for being some of the greatest traitors, appeasers that weve seen in the history of our great country, the longtime Democrat said.

On Wednesday, Milbank law firm said it entered an agreement similar to the Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom deal with the Trump administration to resolve concerns.

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As a large law firm that does a majority of its work on transactional matters, we are dependent on our ability to navigate client issues in all parts of the Executive Branch. We believed that it was in the best interests of the Firm and its clients to resolve the Trump Administrations concerns in a way that would foster our working relationship and avoid what could have been an unnecessary confrontation, Chair Scott Edelman wrote to employees in a letter obtained by The Hill.

Milbank was among 20 firms contacted by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission asking about diversity in its hiring practices.

Carville said Trumps actions are creating moral issues that the country will have to reckon with after he leaves office.

When this is over, there has to be, at a minimum, an intellectual reckoning with this class of appeasers that are here, he said.

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CASEY COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56)  Several businesses in Casey County have been impacted by flooding from several strong storms moving through the area.

Emergency Management Director Rick Wesley said it has been a nightmare to deal with.

Were watching this water come up again, which is making us very nervous for 80% of Libertys businesses, which are on the bypass, Wesley explained.

Missing Frankfort 9-year-old found dead after being caught in floodwaters near bus stop

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On Friday, crews had to close part of US-127 due to the water rising again.

The Village Restaurant is closed for the foreseeable future due to floodwaters getting inside.

Neighbors, Casey County Variety Store owner Ann Rohght said the flooding got up to their steps, putting them on high alert.

Its been a real mess and a lot of water damage, a lot of flooding, she said.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

Liberty Mayor Dr. Sam Haddad said with more rain on the way, they are worried about what more damage that could bring.

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And our threshold here is when, when we worry about floods, usually above four inches, four inches above. Then we start becoming very concerned about floods.

Dr. Haddad said they are ready to step in whenever needed.

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Individuals must not be made to feel burdened with solving climate change alone, Cate Blanchett has said, as she praises the Prince of Waless Earthshot Prize.

The Oscar-winning actress said the overwhelming nature of the climate challenge can lead to despair, but we dont have time for apathy and inaction.

Noting that it is really important to recognise that many people are struggling themselves, she told The Telegraph: Climate can feel like yet another burden to take on  that no one individual can make the changes needed to turn things around.

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But, she added, (and its a big but!) collectively, we do have power.

Small actions do add up. The way we consume does add up.

The Earthshot Prize, founded by Prince William and now in its fifth year, awards 1 million annually to five inventors who have come up with new solutions to help save the planet.

Blanchett, who attended the 2023 awards in Singapore, praised the awards for recognising innovations that are not only game changing but rapidly scalable.

The Prize, I feel, is a real injection of energised hope, she said.

Prince William announced that the 2025 Earthshot Prize ceremony will be held in Brazil in a video posted to X

Blanchetts words echo those of the Prince, who said last year that he wants to celebrate talent and solutions, rather than telling people dont do this or dont do that.

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Youve got to be so careful, because theres been a lot of that, he said. I dont want to preach, I want to find solutions.

The next Earthshot awards will be held in Brazil in November, with a host of celebrities including David Beckham, Heidi Klum, Billy Porter, Hannah Waddingham and Robert Irwin, alongside Brazilian stars Cafu, Maju Coutinho, Marcos Palmeira and Mauro Silva.

It has not yet been confirmed who will join the ceremony in Rio De Janeiro, but Prince William is all-but guaranteed to travel, while the Princess of Wales is likely to remain at home with their children.

The event is being held ahead of COP30, the UN environmental summit, which the Prince also hopes to attend.

Everything is connected

In an interview with the Telegraph while she was in the UK starring in The Seagull at the Barbican, Blanchett spoke of the mess of climate change, and the importance of working together across the globe to find solutions.

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To pit the economy and environment and our humanity against each other is a retreat to the kind of outdated, failed ideological thinking that got us into this mess in the first place, not whats needed to get us out of it, she said.

The first lesson that a disaster, a crisis, teaches us is that everything is connected.

The Earthshot Prize, she said, recognises the interwoven nature of the problem  that advances in one corner of the world have ripple effects in others.

The interconnected nature of the Prize is part of its power.

Announcing this years location, Prince William, the founder and president of the Earthshot Prize, said: We need urgent optimism now more than ever, and I think Brazil epitomises that.

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He added: We are seeing fresh momentum for new ideas to create healthier and safer ways to live our lives.

It is an honour to profile the people making our world a better place for us and for our children.

Blanchett was one of many celebrities to feature in the Prince of Waless launch video for the 2025 Earthshot Prize

Speaking in a launch video, Blanchett said: Were at our best as a species when were faced with a crisis. Thats when our true, positive, community-building character comes through.

The stated purpose of Earthshot is to find, support and celebrate those who turn bold ideas into real solutions to repair our planet.

In explaining its mission, the Prince uses the equation urgency + optimism = action.

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Blanchett added: Re-engaging and reconnecting with our shared environment gives more than it takes and helps build positive new networks.

And the Earthshot Prize highlights that change is already happening. Reminds us that we are a mindful, humane and creative species.

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(COLORADO SPRINGS)  A business owner is asking the community for help after thieves were caught on security camera breaking into their jewelry store using a sledgehammer and a pickaxe and costing the business close to a quarter of a million dollars.

According to the business owner, shortly after 3 a.m. on March 23, two thieves broke into the front door of the Citadel Mall and then through a large glass wall of a jewelry store using a sledgehammer and a pickaxe. The thieves broke the front glass doors of the store as well as several showcases, and stole gold necklaces, bracelets, and diamond rings worth approximately $220,000.

Security camera footage shows jewelry store break-in at the Citadel Mall Security camera footage shows jewelry store break-in at the Citadel Mall Security camera footage shows jewelry store break-in at the Citadel Mall Security camera footage shows jewelry store break-in at the Citadel Mall Security camera footage shows jewelry store break-in at the Citadel Mall Security camera footage shows jewelry store break-in at the Citadel Mall Security camera footage shows jewelry store break-in at the Citadel Mall Security camera footage shows jewelry store break-in at the Citadel Mall Security camera footage shows jewelry store break-in at the Citadel Mall Security camera footage shows jewelry store break-in at the Citadel Mall

One suspect can be seen wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt with the word blessed across the shoulders and black Nike shoes. The second suspect can be seen in what appears to be a greyscale camouflage ski jacket. Both were wearing masks to cover their faces.

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The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) said investigators believe the suspects fled the mall on foot and then got into a car somewhere else. Police are investigating, and asked anyone who recognizes the two suspects or who has information on the crime to call the CSPD non-emergency number at (719) 444-7000.

Watch security footage below that shows the two suspects smashing showcases:

The jewelry store, which wished to remain anonymous, is offering a reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

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PLATTSBURGH  The Clinton County Historical Association Board of Trustees is the recipient of two awards totaling $48,000 from the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership.

One award is for a 2025 Internship Grant in the amount of $8,000 to hire and train an intern to process the large collection of historical documents donated to the Historical Association by the Plattsburgh Public Library. Work under this grant began in December of 2024.

The second grant is for Clinton Countys Pathway to America250, a Special Program Grant totaling $40,000. The purpose of this grant is to cover collective projects by the Clinton County America250 Commemoration Committee in preparation for the America250 Semiquincentennial. This grant will cover the creation of educational materials for area schools, a summer camp, a museum exhibit on the Revolutionary War telling the stories of women, Native and Indigenous Americans and other ordinary heroes and the Battle of Valcour Island. It also includes funding for upgrading the Battles of Valcour and Plattsburgh diorama created by Arto Monaco in 1976, eight bilingual wayside interpretive panels, workshops by skilled artisans to teach the skills of that time period, promotional materials for each municipality and four free events with speakers and re-enactors.

This project will prepare for the areas focus on the recognition and commemoration of the first and most significant naval battle of the American Revolution which determined the future of the fledgling republic of the United States. The Lake Champlain Battle of Valcour Island, also known as the Battle of Valcour Bay, fought on October 11, 1776, in what is now the Town of Peru, was led by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. His small inexperienced American Navy, fighting its first naval battle after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, prevented the British fleet from sailing south to Fort Ticonderoga before the winter of 1776. The battle caused the British to withdraw to Canada giving the Americans almost a year to prepare for the eventual Battle of Saratoga and the victory which prevented Britain from separating New England from the other colonies. This extraordinary historical event will be commemorated by the Clinton County America250 Committee under the Clinton County Historical Association. For more information about Clinton Countys America250 program planning, contact: gerifavreau@gmail.com.
New data from the Homeless Services Network shows Central Floridas homeless population increased again this year, but it was a much smaller margin than previous years.

In all, 2,781 people were found sleeping in their cars, on the street, or in shelters on a single night in January as part an annual Point-in-Time Count, a census that takes place in communities across the country.

This year, the report, released by the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, documented only a slight rise in overall homelessness for Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, but the nonprofit partially attributed that to fear spawned by a new state law that makes it illegal for local governments to allow public camping.

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We are grateful that this is the smallest percent increase in several years, said Martha Are, the Homeless Services Networks CEO. However, we also experienced more difficulty in locating people this year, and increased reluctance to engage with staff and volunteers who were participating in the count process. People are hiding.

The count found the total number of people experiencing homelessness on Jan. 27 had increased by only five since 2024.

Orange Countys total of 1,972 people experiencing homelessness had dropped by 2.1 percent. Seminole Countys 436 total was a 3.8 percent increase over 2024, and Osceola Countys 373 total was up by 8.7 percent over last year.

The number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness dropped by four people since 2024.

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In previous years, this population had been rising steeply, and the 2025 total was still 156% higher than 2022.

Are, said the data continues to reiterate the need for more shelter beds in the community, after plans for a controversial Sodo shelter were dropped by the city of Orlando in March.

We know that we need at least 1,090 beds. And we know, that thats probably an undercount, said Are.

Channel 9 reached out to the City of Orlando on Friday, for an update on their shelter efforts.

While we are not currently pursuing a standalone, brick and mortar building, the City of Orlando is committed to addressing homelessness and continues to work to create lasting solutions. Tackling this complex challenge requires regional collaboration and bold strategies, and the city remains dedicated to improving the lives of our most vulnerable residents, said a City of Orlando Spokesperson.

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According to Are, this year, non-profits across the region helped move 5,000 people experiencing homelessness off the streets and into housing.

She also noted there was a 29% drop in young adults, ages 18 to 24, who were sleeping on the streets or in the woods.

Are credited the decrease to renewed focus on homeless youth. She specifically highlighted an $8.4 million investment by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, into the Brighter Days Initiative, which connects young adults experiencing homelessness to caseworkers, job training, host home and rental assistance.

What were seeing as effective with both the Brighter Days Initiative with our youth and with the other populations, is that housing focused strategies make a difference, said Are.

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A press conference held Friday also revealed new data from local school districts which showed a troubling number of students experiencing homelessness.

The districts overall homelessness counts include children whose families live in hotel rooms or are doubled up with relatives and other families  but this year the districts reported a rising number living in cars, parks, campgrounds, abandoned buildings or other places labeled as inadequate housing.

As of April 2, Orange County had 574 unsheltered/inadequately housed students (8,167 total homeless students)

As of Feb. 7*, Seminole County had 358 unsheltered/inadequately housed students (3,175 total homeless students)

As of April 4, Osceola had 127 unsheltered/inadequately housed students (3,281 total homeless students)

Christine Cleveland, a senior administrator for Orange County Public Schools, said the vast majority of those families have at least one working parent.

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Cleveland said OCPS offers free meals to students and has a team focused on serving homeless students and families.

We are the eighth largest district in the nation, and we really reflect that diversity. But in that we have this hidden struggle that is happening with our homeless population, said Cleveland.

On Friday, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings sent the following statement in response to the Point In Time count to Channel 9.

I am encouraged to learn that the recent point-in-time count shows a slight decrease in Orange Countys homeless population, but I remain deeply concerned for those who are still unsheltered. Orange County Government continues to be the largest single funder of public services for the homeless in Central Florida.

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In our 2024-2025 budget, we have dedicated over $56 million to support the needs of the homeless population, including mental health, health care services, and housing. Our goal is to work hand in hand with our regional partners to reduce the number of individuals experiencing homelessness and provide support to those most at risk.

Meanwhile the Homeless Services Network shared the links below and asked for the publics help:

https://www.yes2shelterandhousing.com/ -- sign up to support additional affordable housing and shelters

https://www.ocps.net/departments/homeless_education -- support homeless students in Orange County

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https://www.foundationscps.org/donate/ -- support homeless students in Seminole County

https://www.osceolaschools.net/Page/10861 -- support homeless students in Osceola County

https://www.hsncfl.org/ -- support the Homeless Services Network

https://www.serviceandlovetogether.org/ -- support SALT Outreach









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LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) The Office of the President for Central Michigan University has issued a statement following the unexpected termination of exchange student records.

The office reports that the United States Department of Homeland Security has terminated records of some current and former students from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

The office says neither the university nor the impacted students received any notification of the status changes.

Statement from the Office of the President at CMU:

Dear students, faculty and staff, This week, during routine reviews of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), CMU staff learned that several current and former international student SEVIS records had been terminated by the United States Department of Homeland Security. Neither the university nor the impacted students had received any notification of the status changes. Based on reports from Inside Higher Education, the Chronicle of Higher Education and numerous news media outlets, we know this revocation is happening to hundreds of international students at colleges and universities nationwide. This news is alarming and may be especially difficult for our international students, faculty and staff, who are valuable, important members of our community. CMU does not have the ability to reverse the governments decision to terminate a students visa status, nor can the universitys Office of General Counsel provide legal guidance or services to individual students, faculty, and staff. This situation is evolving quickly, and we are committed to doing all we can to support our university community. Heres what we are able to share at this time  we will update the community as we learn more. Neil MacKinnon, Ph.D., president and Paula Lancaster, Ph.D., provost, CMU news release

CMU is encouraging international students and staff affected by this termination to seek legal counsel.

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Although CMU cannot recommend specific immigration attorneys, they have shared resources to help those affected do so. The American Immigration Lawyers Association has a list of immigration lawyers on its website. It can be found under the resources tab.

CMU students can also contact Legal Services of Eastern Michigan at 1-800-322-9142 or on its website.

Staff have been asked to direct international students seeking help to legal and emotional resources.

The university says there have been no reports of Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection officers on the schools campus.

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To our international students, faculty, and staff: You are welcome here, and we are glad to have you as members of our community. In uncertain times, we rely on our friends, colleagues, and neighbors to help us weather challenges. Thank you in advance for offering compassion and kindness to our students and to each other as we navigate these changes, said CMU President Neil MacKinnon and CMU Provost Paula Lancaster in a news release sent to 6 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 WLNS 6 News.
For nearly 100 years, the United States has maintained one of the worlds more successful models of social insurance, protecting Americans from the death of a spouse or parent, disability, and old age  essentially the risk of outliving ones savings.

These are things most of us fear regardless of our means, and  despite the rhetoric  these are not welfare programs. Americans pay into them, and without Social Security, we all will bear more risks that will directly impact our wallets, and potentially the high quality of life we have become accustomed to since its creation.

This is why touching Social Security has been viewed as a third rail for decades, and remains a primary point of contention at the charged town halls across the nation recently.

Social Security keeps thousands out of poverty in Wisconsin

You may not think of it when you look at a paystub, but the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) line is doing some serious heavy lifting when it comes to many Americans financial security. It is a premium that offers coverage from the risks that come from not being able to work. When we outlive our ability to work, lose a spouse, become disabled, or have a dependent with a disability, Social Security programs provide benefits.

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Opinion: What is a Ponzi scheme? Here's why DOGE is coming for popular federal program.

In Wisconsin, the old age and survivors insurance programs reduce the poverty rate by 30 percentage points, meaning without Social Security, 322,000 Wisconsinites would have to survive on incomes below the poverty line (about $16,000 for a single person in 2025). Given the decline of defined benefit pensions, most workers today will have to rely on personal savings. With no guarantee of benefits for life, workers face greater risks of outliving their savings, or a major downturn in the market. Social Security mitigates these risks.

What would the average Wisconsinite need to do to make up for large changes to OASDI? We offer some estimates below, but the answer is straightforward: save a whole lot more and spend a whole lot more for private insurance coverage. We also must prepare for the state to bear more of the costs of having more people in deeper poverty in our communities.

Here's how Wisconsinites would fare without Social Security

This is how the impact breaks down in specific areas:

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Retirement. Without any legislative action by the US Congress, Social Security will have insufficient funds to provide for retirees by 2033. Based on actuarial projections, benefits will have to be cut by 21% immediately. The program will not be broke, or have nothing for future retirees. But benefit amounts will be reduced for current and future retirees. The average retired worker in Wisconsin receives around $2,000 per month. This implies a need for current and future retirees to come up with $4,900 per year to maintain the earning power of todays Social Security benefits. Seniors will have to cut expenses, use up more savings, and rely more on financial support from family members.

Disability. Wisconsins 3 million workers face roughly 1 in 5 odds of having a work-limiting disability. For a 40-year-old male, replacing Social Security disability insurance with private coverage would cost roughly $1,500 per year. An estimated 40% of workers have limited disability insurance through an employer, but this coverage offers less protection than Social Security. Moreover, private disability insurers screen applicants, charging some workers more, or even denying coverage altogether. Coverage is likely to cost much more than $1,500 per year for some workers  if it is available at all. Social Security provides with the same benefit levels and rules for all workers.

Survivors. As of December 2023, there were more than 97,000 Wisconsinites (more than enough to fill Camp Randall Stadium) receiving Social Security benefits due to a deceased spouse, child, or parent. For a 40-year-old male to purchase similar life insurance coverage privately, premiums would be over $500 per year. Of course, this private coverage is subject to medical exams and policy renewals come with premium increases. While some private industry workers have limited access to life insurance benefits at work, Social Security survivors benefits are especially important for lower-income workers with children who depend on their earnings.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI). More than 100,000 Wisconsinites receive more than $900 million in annual payments from SSI. These payments average just over $700 per month for the poorest Wisconsinites, including people with disabilities, elderly individuals who had low-paying jobs, and children. If proposals to shift SSI from Social Security to the state occur, the average Wisconsinite would need to contribute $260 per person per year to make up the gap.

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In the end, if Social Security retirement benefits are reduced due to legislative inaction, Social Security survivors and disability benefits are removed, and SSIs support for the poorest seniors and people with lifelong disabilities is terminated or handed off to the state, it will cost the average Wisconsinite more than $7,000 per year in added insurance premiums, increased need for savings, and state tax increases.

This likely far exceeds any reasonable reductions in our payroll taxes, and ignores the costs that family members and communities may take on to support the most economically vulnerable. The insurance protection that Social Security programs provide has tangible economic benefits; without these programs, we will all need to reassess our financial plans.

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J. Michael Collins is a Professor in the School of Human Ecology and the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also an Associate Director at the Institute for Research on Poverty and a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance. Tyler Q. Welch is a PhD candidate in the Wisconsin School of Business Risk and Insurance department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also a Graduate Research Fellow at the Institute for Research on Poverty and an associate member of the National Academy of Social Insurance.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Social Security not welfare. Ending it would cost plenty. | Opinion
A Minnesota correctional officer is accused of attempting to sneak cocaine and a cell phone into a prison facility.

Kristi Lettie Tyler, 35, of Mora, is charged with one count of introducing contraband into a state correctional facility and one count of unauthorized communication with prisoners.

Tyler allegedly discussed her plans on the phone at Minnesota Correctional Facility-Rush City, where she works as a correctional officer, a criminal complaint states.

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Authorities launched an investigation on or around Sept. 24, 2024 based on inmate's phone call, in which they said an unidentified individual "is going to holler at you," and that the inmate was going to give the number to "her," adding "they" could work out the details of dropping off a phone and other substances.

Further investigation revealed the unidentified individual referred to was Tyler, according to the complaint.



Investigators found through another monitored phone call that an inmate requested Tyler's personal phone number. Tyler was then contacted by an inmate on the evening of Sept. 26, 2024, and allegedly told the inmate that she was en route to meet someone. In a later call, Tyler said she received the item and that she intended to bring it into the facility the next day.

On Sept. 27, investigators met with Tyler in a conference room at the Rush City facility, where she admitted to bringing a cell phone and bags of white powdery substances. According to the charges, Tyler claimed she didn't know what the substances were.

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Four plastic baggies were found inside a rubber glove in Tyler's backpack. Each of the bags' substances tested positive for cocaine and weighed a total of eight grams.

Charges were officially filed in Chisago County District Court on Monday. Tyler is scheduled to make her first court appearance on April 23.

If convicted, Tyler faces up to 10 years in prison.

Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell provided the following statement to Bring Me The News:

Department of Corrections staff provide a critical public safety service in our state. The actions of this former employee are contrary to the committed efforts of the more than 4,000 agency staff who perform their work with integrity and honor. The charges against this individual reflect the serious nature of the offenses, which endangered the orderly operation of the facility, and the safety of staff and those incarcerated."
A teacher at Harding University High School in Charlotte was charged with a child sex crime Friday after police accused him of sending lurid messages to a student.

Adrian Roy Lewis, 34, was arrested Friday on a felony charge of indecent liberties against a student, according to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department news release.

Lewis was released from the Mecklenburg County jail Saturday morning after posting a $25,000 secured bond, jail records showed..

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Officers with the CMPD Sexual Assault Unit arrested Lewis after a school resource officer on Friday reported inappropriate messages sent to a Harding student, according to the CMPD news release.

Lewis didnt respond to an email from The Charlotte Observer.

Police urged anyone with information about Lewis to call CMPD at 704-432-8477 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tips line at 704-334-1600.
Police arrested a teacher at Harding University High School on Friday afternoon after receiving reports of alleged inappropriate messages sent to a student.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police arrested and charged Adrian Lewis with one count of indecent liberties with a student.

A school resource officer reported allegations of inappropriate messages to a student. The CMPD Sexual Assault Unit was notified, and detectives responded the same day to conduct an investigation.

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Lewis is now in the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has employed Lewis since August 2023, a spokesperson said.

READ | Unsettled: Residents on high alert after Union County home burglarized

Harding University High School principal Carissa Johnson-Scott sent a message to the schools families on Friday to make them aware of the arrest, a CMS spokesperson said.

The safety and learning of our students are of the utmost importance to us all. We take this matter seriously and encourage all students to report any concerns to their parents and/or school administration. Reports can also be made anonymously through the Say Something App. Harding University HS administration will ensure that daily learning is not impacted, Johnson-Scott said in the message.

No additional details have been made available.

This is a developing story. Check back with wsoctv.com for updates.

WATCH | Unsettled: Residents on high alert after Union County home burglarized
Two leading chemical industry groups have asked the Trump administration for blanket exemptions to certain Biden-era regulations for all polluters.

The American Chemistry Council and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers requested that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exempt all polluters from Biden-era rules that limit their emissions of toxic chemicals.

Just because the trade and lobbying groups are requesting these exemptions, it does not necessarily mean President Trump will grant them.

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However, their letter comes after the EPA administrator already indicated that he plans to overhaul a large slate of Biden-era regulations, including those in the chemical groups request.

It also comes after the EPA set up an email address that created a simple portal for polluters to request presidential exemptions under the Clean Air Act late last month.

In the Friday letter, which was first reported by Politico Pro, the groups say their industry needs an exemption because without one, they will have to act as if the Biden rules are in place  even as the Trump administration is poised to curtail them.

Absent a Presidential exemption, sources will be required to make irrevocable investment decisions now and into the coming months to minimize the amount of time facilities may need to be taken offline, they wrote. If implemented as written and in accordance with the current compliance schedule, domestic manufacturing production will be negatively impacted, threatening critical supply chains of chemicals that are vital to our nations security.

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Environmental groups criticized the EPAs creation of the email address and the groups request.

Administrator Zeldin has opened a back door for companies to avoid complying with reasonable limits on the most toxic forms of air pollution, and theyre rushing through it with no regard for the communities around them, said Vickie Patton, general counsel of the Environmental Defense Fund.

This is a huge blow to American families who now must worry about their loved ones breathing dirtier air, their kids missing more school days because of asthma attacks and suffering a lifetime of illness, and more cancer in their families, she said.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
CHICAGO  Chicago police are searching for a suspect responsible for multiple burglaries on the South and Southwest Sides.

Police said the burglaries happened at the following times and locations:

1000 block of W. 103rd St on 03/19/2025 at 4:52AM (Washington Heights)

3100 block of W. 71st St on 03/20/2025 at 5:29AM (Marquette Park)

200 block of E. 75th St on 03/23/2025 at 5:00AM (Park Manor)

1700 block of W. 87th St on 03/25/2025 at 3:28AM (Gresham)

2100 block of W. 95th St on 03/26/2025 at 3:45AM (Beverly)

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In each incident, the suspect rode up to the business on a dark colored BMX type bicycle and threw an object to break the windows on the doors of the business. The suspect then went inside and made his way to the cash register before riding off on the same bicycle, according to police.

2 men indicted for robbing USPS mail carrier in Chicago

Surveillance video can be found here.

Authorities described the suspect as a male who stands about 58 to 6 feet tall and weighs 200-240 pounds. During the burglaries, he was wearing a black mask, gloves and dark clothing with a distinctive reflective yellow striped vest.

(Photo: Chicago Police Department)

Anyone with information is asked to call Area Two Detectives at 312-747-8273 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com and use reference # 25-CWP-016.

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Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

Additional tips from CPD:

Be aware of your surroundings.

Watch for suspicious activity.

Remember any unique characteristics of the offender (clothing, scars, tattoos, etc).

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Related video: Meet the cats fighting Chicagos rat problem

CHICAGO (WGN)  A Chicago ward is enlisting birth control to help with the citys war on rodents.

The Office of Chicago Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd Ward) announced on Friday a partnership with the Chicago Bird Alliance, the Lincoln Park Zoo, and others on a pilot program that aims to reduce the areas rat population through rat birth control.

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According to Knudsen, scientists will monitor the contraceptive pellets placed on various blocks throughout the district. The pellets are safe for all creatures other than rats.

Chicago named rattiest city for 10th straight year

The alderman said he plans to introduce an ordinance that could see the pilot program implemented in all 50 legislative districts should the use of rat contraceptives succeed.

The 43rd Ward encompasses parts of Lincoln Park, Old Town, and the Gold Coast.

Conventional rat poison can harm birds, dogs, cats, and other animals.

Earlier in the week, WGN-TV reported the City of Chicago announced a partnership with an Arizona company to bring rat birth control to select neighborhoods.

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On Tuesday, April 1, city crews began distributing the contraceptive in bait boxes set up in Wicker Park and Bucktown alleyways.

Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

Chicago has been named Orkins rattiest city for the 10th straight year. Orkin said the citys abundance of alleys and underground train tracks provides rodents with hidden havens, offering rats plenty of space to hide while feasting on trash.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
During their visit to Kyiv, the chiefs of staff of the French and UK armed forces discussed the Ukrainian army's needs and tasks with the Ukrainian side to provide it with long-term support for its recovery and development.

Source: press service for the General Staff of the French Armed Forces, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The chiefs of staff of the French and UK armies visited Kyiv to meet with Ukraine's top leadership on Friday 4 April.

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The General Staff of the French Armed Forces wrote that the purpose of the visit was to discuss the needs and challenges of the Ukrainian army in order to provide long-term support for the reconstruction and development of its military model.

"Strengthening the Ukrainian army is essential and is the first guarantee of the country's security to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine," they said.

The statement also stressed that France and the United Kingdom would work closely together to identify and develop, as part of an international coalition, deterrence operations to keep Russia from mounting a new large-scale invasion once peace is restored.

"The momentum of Franco-British cooperation will be carried forward in future discussions, making an active contribution to the security of the European continent," the statement added.

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Background:

Commenting on the visit, General Thierry Burkhard, Chief of the General Staff of the French Armed Forces, said that the purpose of the meetings was to provide strong support to the Ukrainian army so that it could continue fighting.

On 27 March in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that a Franco-British mission would be sent to Ukraine to strengthen the Ukrainian army. He added that work was ongoing on the potential deployment of a so-called "deterrent force" to Ukraine.

On 28 March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a meeting at the general staff representative level in Ukraine to discuss the future deployment of military contingents.

Zelenskyy stated that it would be "the first in-depth meeting" with "some clarifications and some details".

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Authorities are investigating a California inmate in the death of his cellmate, a convicted child molester, whose body was found at Mule Creek State Prison on Friday.

Officers at the Amador County prison found Robert E. Cole unresponsive in his cell at about 6:30 a.m., according to a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. They attempted to resuscitate him, but he was declared dead minutes later.

Cole, 48, was sent to Mule Creek from Placer County. He was serving a life sentence without parole for multiple violent sex crimes, including having sex with a child under 10, oral copulation with force with a child under 14 and oral copulation with an unconscious victim, according to CDCR officials.

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Cole's cellmate, Justin P. Welsh, has been placed in restricted housing while authorities with the prison and the Amador County district attorney's office investigate the suspected homicide. The Amador County Coroner's Office will determine Cole's official cause of death.

Read more: 'Surge' of violence prompts crackdown in California prison system, officials say

Sex offenders, especially those convicted of crimes against children, are common targets of prison violence. According to a 2015 analysis by the Associated Press, male sex offenders made up about 15% of California's prison population, but accounted for around 30% of homicide victims in prison.

Welsh, 36, was sent to Mule Creek from San Bernardino County after being sentenced to 18 years for assault with a firearm and inflicting corporal injury, both second strike offenses. He faced sentencing enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury involving domestic violence and being previously convicted of a serious felony offense, according to CDCR officials.

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Mule Creek State Prison opened in 1987 and houses more than 3,800 inmates. It is the same prison where David Brinson  a convicted murderer serving a life sentence for four L.A.-area slayings  killed his wife during a conjugal visit in November, according to the Amador County Sheriff's Office.

Read more: Convicted murderer kills wife during conjugal visit in Northern California prison, officials say

Cole's death, if determined to be a homicide, would be the latest in a spate of violent deaths at California prisons.

An incarcerated man died Sunday after a suspected assault at a Monterey County jail, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.

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Last month, inmate Joshua L. Peppers, 39, was fatally injured after allegedly being attacked by a fellow inmate at a prison in Lancaster, authorities said. Also in March, inmate Jake Kennedy, 32, died from multiple stab wounds at a Sacramento prison.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
VALLEY CENTER, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI)  The citrus quarantine in place in parts of northern San Diego County has been expanded by the state agriculture department.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) declared a citrus quarantine expansion in Valley Center, including parts of Pala and Pauma Valley, on March 26 after the fatal citrus tree disease Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening, was detected in two citrus trees in residential neighborhoods in Valley Center during regular inspections.

The quarantine expansion adds to the existing HLB quarantines in Fallbrook, Oceanside, Rancho Bernardo and Valley Center.

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HLB is one of the most destructive citrus diseases known worldwide and is caused by bacteria, according to the CDFA and USDA. It threatens San Diegos $144 million annual citrus crop and can impact residential citrus tree owners.

State declares citrus quarantine in Fallbrook: Heres what that means

The disease causes citrus trees to grow misshapen, bitter fruit and kills infected trees within a few years. The citrus disease is fatal to trees but is not harmful to humans or animals.

In San Diego County, there are over 350 businesses that could be impacted by the quarantine expansion, including over 100 growers with 1,700 acres of commercial citrus, and three commercial nurseries, the county reports.

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Unfortunately, Huanglongbing is fatal to citrus, said San Diego Agricultural Commissioner Ha Dang, Our goal is to prevent this disease from spreading. By working together, we can all protect our food supply, local agriculture, and environment from this devastating disease. Partnering with state and federal regulatory partners, we are working closely with residents and agricultural operators and ask for everyones cooperation with the ongoing regulatory activities.

The county says CDFA will work with residents in those areas to arrange for treatment of citrus trees as a protective measure. County officials are also notifying local citrus growers, plant nurseries and other related businesses of the quarantine expansion.

Citrus tree-killing bacteria found on insects for 1st time in county

The CDFA and San Diego Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures (AWM) will be holding public meetings on April 10 and 11 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the North Coast Church Pauma Valley.

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The county offered tips for residents that live in the quarantine area:

Do not move citrus plants, leaves or foliage into or out of the quarantine area

Remove all leaves and stems and wash backyard citrus before transporting

Dry or double-bag plant clippings before disposing

Allow agricultural officials to inspect and treat trees and take samples

Residents that dont want to care for a citrus tree should consider removal

Only buy citrus trees from reputable local nurseries

View an interactive map of current citrus quarantines online here.

San Diegans with questions on moving commercial citrus and HLB quarantine regulations can contact the San Diego Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures (AWM) at 858-614-7770, email cqp.AWM@sdcounty.ca.gov, or visit www.sdcawm.org.

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Californians can report sick or dying citrus trees at CDFAs toll-free Pest Hotline at 800-491-1899 or at cdfa.ca.gov/plant/acp.

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ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  The City of Abilene has issued a news release reassuring residents that the Abilene Public Water Supply is safe to drink.

The statement clarifies that the recent water samples being discussed were taken from the wastewater treatment plant, not from the citys drinking water supply or distribution system.

We understand concerns may arise during illness outbreaks, the release states, but there is no evidence linking Abilenes drinking water to any recent gastrointestinal illnesses.

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The City emphasized maintaining proper disinfection levels throughout the drinking water system and conducting rigorous routine testing to ensure water quality and safety. Officials confirmed no violations or signs of contamination in the drinking water.

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BRADENTON, Fla. (WFLA)  A civilian pilot for the Manatee County Sheriffs Office was arrested this week after authorities said he punched two people during a fight over their speed while driving through his neighborhood.

Brian Weathers, 50, began working for the Manatee County Sheriffs Office in September 2024 and was assigned to the Aviation Unit before being terminated for the April 2 incident, the sheriffs office said. In addition, he is facing two counts of battery.

See full viral video of encounter between Florida charter captain, fisherman

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Officials said Weathers is believed to have confronted the two victims over their speed after they pulled into their driveway. One of the victims was removing items from her vehicle when deputies said Weathers took a soda cup off the roof of her car and threw it inside.

Seeing this, a man got out of the car to intervene.

Authorities said the man tried to push Weathers off his property, but Weathers swatted the mans hands away and struck him in the face. Weathers also struck the woman in her head and mouth as she tried to separate the two men, deputies reported.

Both victims were taken to a nearby walk-in emergency room for treatment.

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The sheriffs office said Weathers was terminated from his civilian position following a criminal investigation and internal review.

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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Clarksville officials have geared up for more possible flooding this weekend.

With the severe weather threat coming this weekend, first responders will work around the clock to monitor conditions and assess possible damage. The Montgomery County Sheriffs Office was out on Old Clarksville Springfield Road off Port Royal Road and closed the roadway due to floodwaters Friday.

Red River nears historic levels, causing concern for some Clarksville residents

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With first responders monitoring conditions and cleaning the debris, director of the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency, Ed Baggett, has prepared for the worst, but hopes for the best. With more rain approaching, Baggett has anticipated an increased risk of lightning striking homes.

(Courtesy: Montgomery County Sheriffs Office)

More than likely, well be here through the last of it until it quits raining, Baggett said. Of course then, it depends on what kind of damage we had, if any. Hopefully, we wont have much damage at all, but well have to see.

Across Clarksville and Montgomery County, there have been several downed trees and power lines. Governor Bill Lee declared a Level 3 state of emergency; heavy rain from Wednesdays storm caused rivers across Middle Tennessee  including the Red River in Clarksville  to rise.

READ MORE | Latest headlines from Clarksville and Montgomery County

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I think we had two or three homes that had been struck by lightning on Wednesday, so those are concerning and were keeping our eye out on that, Baggett added.

While flooding was Baggetts greatest concern, the Clarksville Street Department has filled hundreds of sandbags over the past 24 hours and distributed them to residents who need them. Nevertheless, Baggett wants the community to be prepared in every possible way.

If you live close to a waterway, keep your eyes open, Baggett said. Be aware of whats around you and whats coming.

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.

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HEFLIN  The Cleburne County Sheriffs Office has launched the My Care Initiative, a program aimed at improving mental health support and crisis intervention services in the county.

The initiative, which began April 1, is a partnership with Highland Health Systems, and is among the first of its kind in Alabama.

Mental health matters, and together, we are taking a proactive step toward a stronger, healthier county, Sheriff Jon Daniel said. Now we have the capabilities available around the clock to ensure a person who may be having a mental health crisis can get the help they need through this initiative.

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The program will equip four deputies with specialized training and technology to respond to mental health emergencies. Daniel and Chief Deputy Patrick Nolen have also undergone training to step in when necessary.

Cleburne County is one of only three agencies in the state to implement this initiative. The goal is to provide immediate and compassionate assistance to individuals and families struggling with mental health challenges.

This collaboration will improve access to care and provide crisis intervention when its needed most, Daniel said.

March 2025 sheriffs office report

In addition to launching the My Care Initiative, the Cleburne County Sheriffs Office reported a busy month of law enforcement activities in March.

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Jail Operations:

 Current inmate population: 61

 Releases due to bond, sentence completion, or court order: 57

 Inmate work detail hours: 768

 Trash bags collected from roadways: 211

 Tires collected: 649

 Large furniture and other bulky items collected: 26

 Assisted Cleburne County Commission Maintenance with multiple projects

Courthouse Activity:

 Walkthrough counter: 4,906 people

Patrol & Investigations:

 Warrants served: 10 felony, 13 misdemeanor/violations

 Civil papers served: 57

 On-view arrests: 18 felony, 19 misdemeanor/violations

 Incident/offense reports completed: 132

 Patrol mileage logged: 20,099 miles

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 Business checks: 2,249

 Logging permit compliance checks: 13

 Seized various amounts of narcotics and recovered stolen property

 Assisted multiple agencies

Department news and community engagement

The sheriffs office welcomed a new deputy, Micaiah Ross, and announced an open position for a corrections officer.

Daniel, Nolen and Jail Administrator Clay Smith participated in several community events, including hosting Leadership Cleburne and Youth Leadership Cleburne at the jail, attending the Careers for Cleburne event and conducting a tire-changing class at Ranburne High School and Cleburne County High School.

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Additionally, the sheriff participated in the county Chamber of Commerces Biscuits and Business event for Coffee with the Sheriff.

Meanwhile, corrections officers Cadon Strain and Howard Crumpton attended jail training, ensuring continued professional development within the department.
In New York City, the vision of free, high-speed and community-owned internet was once more than just a dream. The People's Choice Communications, a worker- and community-owned internet cooperative, launched in 2020 -- and thanks to subsidies from the Affordable Connectivity Program, it successfully offered fast, cheap internet in the Bronx while the ACP was still active.

"No one believed that we could actually build out the system," said Troy Walcott, president of People's Choice, "and then we built it."

The city's decision to exclude the co-op from the Big Apple Connect program has led to significant staff reductions at People's Choice and put the organization at risk of shuttering. Still, the story of the co-op is an unlikely and rare tale of broadband connectivity in the US, one that begins with Spectrum workers going on strike in 2017.

Building from the ground up

In 2017, 1,800 Spectrum workers walked out because of unmet demands regarding health care and retirement benefits, after Charter Communications' acquisition of Time Warner Cable the previous year (which led to the creation of the Spectrum brand). Forty of those striking workers decided to take matters into their own hands by creating their own internet network, intending to prioritize equity over profits.

Spectrum workers during the 2017 strike.

"Instead of giving a lot of profits to, like, CEOs, etcetera," said Walcott, "we take those profits and reinvest back into the system to also help provide service to those areas that normally wouldn't be served by a strictly profit-motive driven ISP."

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The model is simple: Workers and subscribers mutually own the network. People's Choice employees build and maintain the network, and residents pay monthly fees and participate in governance.

Wiring the community, one building at a time

People's Choice used a mesh network to get buildings online, installing millimeter-wave antennas on rooftops to receive signals. The initial setup was similar to that of NYC Mesh, another provider of free internet service in the city. Since then, the co-op has expanded to fiber internet service for added reliability.

The New York City Internet Master Plan, former Mayor Bill de Blasio's initiative to make internet more affordable and accessible, tapped People's Choice and other small ISPs to wire buildings overseen by the New York City Housing Authority, the city's government-run public housing agency, which was a significant source of funding for the newly formed co-op.

"During the pandemic, we built out a network that served over 1,000 households in public housing and affordable housing and provided them with free, high-speed internet," said Erik Forman, People's Choice co-founder and a labor activist who also helped develop a worker-owned ride-hailing cooperative in the city.

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People's Choice currently offers 200 megabits per second of symmetrical download and upload speed for just $30 a month, with plans to expand to a 500Mbps tier for $45 monthly and a 1,000Mbps tier for $60 monthly. For context, Spectrum offers a 500Mbps tier for $50 monthly and a 1,000Mbps tier for $70 monthly, making People's Choice a viable competitor.

The fight for accessible internet is an ongoing battle

Since launching the service, People's Choice has faced several roadblocks, the biggest of which was the city's decision to cut the co-op out of the Big Apple Connect program.

After a change in city administration, the Big Apple Connect program effectively replaced the Internet Master Plan. The initiative, launched in 2022 by Mayor Eric Adams and the NYC Office of Technology and Innovation, intended to bridge the city's broadband divide by offering free internet to 150,000 households in 220 NYCHA developments for three years. According to a spokesperson from New York City's Office of Technology and Innovation, the program serves approximately 330,000 New Yorkers.

Which internet companies did the city choose to helm the Big Apple Connect program, instead of People's Choice? Spectrum and Optimum Internet.

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According to Walcott, the co-op's largest customer group was located in Melrose Houses, a New York City Housing Authority development with a People's Choice internet build-out that was 90% complete. Combined with progress in other NYCHA developments, the co-op was close to surpassing more than 5,000 units served. The city denied People's Choice a license to continue services in the Melrose Houses development, and the co-op was required to remove all equipment from the buildings.

New York City's Office of Technology and Innovation "telling NYCHA to both remove us from the buildings we were in and not let us expand to any other buildings totally destroyed every area we had worked on to that point," Walcott said.

Though People's Choice is still operational, Walcott told CNET that the workforce has been significantly reduced and that the co-op's focus now is on expanding fiber internet services.

Echoes across the country

Public-owned internet networks are an increasingly popular alternative to private incumbent internet service providers, and the nonprofit Institute for Local Self-Reliance records as many as 450 public-owned internet networks across the country, a number that excludes internet co-ops.

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Though internet co-ops are public internet networks, they're typically created by existing telephone and electric utilities, often in rural areas. They're relics of utility cooperatives formed during the New Deal. Some examples include the RS Fiber Cooperative in Minnesota and the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative's Firefly Fiber Broadband.

"Pure play broadband cooperatives are quite rare," said Christopher Ali, a telecommunications expert and professor at Penn State. "There's only a handful of them."

Starting an internet co-op from scratch is no cheap or easy feat. According to Ali, telephone and electric co-ops are much easier to create because they already have a business model and resources to draw from.

"Having employees be at the table, having labor be at the table, and the origins of the company, will go a long way to ensuring that the customers are satisfied with high-quality, low-cost broadband, but that employees are also able to make a meaningful, dignified, living wage," said Ali.

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Initially, People's Choice considered a municipally owned network they could help maintain and presented a plan to the city, but it never came to fruition.

Instead, a combination of grants, private funding and subsidized funds from the Affordable Connectivity Program allowed the co-op to start in the Bronx, which, according to a report from the NY State Comptroller, is one of the worst-connected boroughs in the city.

"I think folks really saw that we were solving an important social problem. In fact, multiple important social problems," said Forman. "Our goal was not just to bring folks affordable or free internet service, but also to create jobs for the strikers and to get to a different level of scale."

Employees of People's Choice at a community event for one of the co-op's serviced buildings.

"When we were up and running at the highest, and we had installed in the Bronx and NYCHA developments," said Walcott, "we were able to hire digital stewards that were working with the company to help sign up their friends and neighbors for a service, as well as some basic digital literacy training."

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People's Choice also offered members discounted laptops for $11 -- another perk from the ACP -- and Walcott said that eventually the plan would introduce participatory budgeting to the co-op.

What happens next?

"So while programs like Big Apple Connect provide [internet] temporarily for free to NYCHA, what happens when it stops?" said Walcott. "And also, what happens to all the surrounding buildings and the community that are in the same position ... but are still unable to access service at those low rates?"

OTI has not announced an extension option for the Big Apple Connect Program. Shortly after being cut from the initiative, People's Choice submitted a request to OTI, under New York's Freedom of Information Law, for information about the Big Apple Connect contract. According to Foman, the city has requested multiple extensions in the years since that initial request. The co-op has since filed an official complaint regarding the FOIL request with the city.

"We reached all NYCHA developments within a year of the program being publicly announced," a spokesperson from OTI said to CNET in a statement, "a major win for our students, older adults, families and jobseekers who suffered the negative impacts of our city's digital divide during the pandemic."

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Despite the massive loss in subscribers and revenue afforded by the Big Apple Connect decision, Walcott and Forman remain optimistic about the future of People's Choice.

"These are David and Goliath struggles," Forman said. "So if you don't have as much money or power, you've got to be smart and strategic. But the key is to just don't stop."
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY)  Following layoffs at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Morgantown this week, a former high-ranking employee has raised concerns about the future of a program that monitors the ongoing health of coal miners.

NIOSHs Coal Workers Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP) is the only program of its kind in the United States, with other countries like Australia, Italy, and Zambia modeling their systems after it.

Anita Wolfe spent 40 years at NIOSH, with her last 20 as the CWHSPs coordinator and project manager. This program is responsible for several components, including X-rays, spirometry, a B Reader program, Part 90 transfers and the mobile unit clinics that travelled to mine sites.

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This program is not only dear to Anitas heart, but she told 12 News during an interview that it is essential to the health and well-being of West Virginias coal miners.

These are men and women who are out there doing a very dangerous job for us so that we can have lights and that we can have plastic suitcases. So that we can have all these things that come from coal, and they dont get appreciated as well as I think they should, said Wolfe.

CWHSP supports more than 50 health clinics in 15 different states for spirometry and 152 clinics in 25 states for X-rays. Since 1970, the program has provided free screenings to more than 300,000 coal miners and 530,000 X-rays.

NIOSH layoffs to have direct effects on coal miners

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Through its research, NIOSH has found that Appalachian miners are more likely to contract lung disease, as one in five miners who have spent at least 25 years in the mines have lung disease. West Virginia currently leads the nation in coal miners with 14,648 people.

My daddy was a coal miner, so Im allowed to say this: coal miners are stubborn, and I love them, but they dont go to the doctor. They just dont take the time to go to the doctor. I mean, how can you go to the doctor when youre working 12 and 14 hours? If it were me, Id want to go home and go to bed, too. This mobile that we took to the mine sites and the clinics that we had certified to do X-rays and spirometry, and testing for us, sometimes is the only doctors these miners see, and now theyre not even going to have that, said Wolfe.

CWHSP is mandated by Congress, which recently agreed to continue funding for the program three weeks ago. However, Anita and many others are still scrambling to understand if congressional approval will be enough.

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LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now)  Officials in Virginia were searching for a cockpit door that fell off a small aircraft flying in Loudoun County on Saturday morning.

The Virginia State Police (VSP) and Loudoun County Sheriffs Office (LCSO) responded to an incident involving a small, two-seater plane at around 9 a.m. on April 5.

VSP said the cockpit door ripped off the plane while it was flying near the Round Hill area in Loudoun County.

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Hands Off rally set for Saturday at the National Mall

(Virginia State Police) (Virginia State Police) (Virginia State Police) (Virginia State Police)

The pilot, 63-year-old Daniel OBrien, was able to land safely at the Leesburg Airport.

Police were searching for the cockpit door, which was described as white with maroon markings and about 3.5 feet long and 2.5 feet wide.

In an update, VSP said the door was found Saturday evening in a farm field in Purcellville, and no one was injured.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were told about the incident, authorities noted.

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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Departments Cold Case unit announced Friday night that it had identified a 1996 murder victim using forensic genetic genealogy.

Human skeletal remains were found in a wooded area next to the Bank of America Stadium in July 1996, police said. The Mecklenburg County Medical Examiners Office identified the remains as belonging to a female and ruled the death a homicide.

Any further attempts at identification through conventional means were unsuccessful, according to detectives.

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The victims remains were sent to Raleigh in 2022 for an osteological examination by a forensic anthropologist, CMPD said. Then, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation funded further examination at the Othram Labs in Texas.

READ: Search underway in Lincoln County connected to Asha Degree case, deputies say

The initial attempt to obtain DNA was unsuccessful, CMPD said. But in 2024, the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiners Office sent additional bones to the lab for DNA extraction.

The labs were successful in the DNA extraction, CMPD said, and the victims profile was uploaded to two genealogy databases.

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The CMPD Cold Case Unit said it partnered with Ramapo College of New Jerseys Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center, and the team identified the victim as Betty Jean Benton. Family confirmed the victims identification.

READ: Man accused of shooting neighbor following argument in Rowan County, deputies say

Detectives learned, after contacting Bentons next of kin, that Benton had been missing since the early 1990s, according to CMPD. She was born in Louisiana in 1954 and spent most of her life in Chicago, Illinois.

Bentons family had not heard from her since February 1991, when she told them she was in North Carolina. The family reported her missing in 1992. Detectives said they could not find a record of Benton living in North Carolina.

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The CMPD Cold Case Unit has asked that anyone who may have had contact with Benton in North Carolina or who has information on her murder call 704-432-TIPS to speak directly with a detective. Bentons case is still considered to be under investigation, CMPD said.

WATCH: Man accused of shooting neighbor following argument in Rowan County, deputies say
Two people fly a rainbow LGBTQ pride flag and a transgender pride flag in front of the Colorado Capitol building during a celebration on Nov. 7, 2020. (Moe Clark/Colorado Newsline)

Two bills that would strengthen protections for transgender people and gender-affirming care won preliminary approval in the Colorado House on Friday.

They come as transgender rights and protections are put on shaky ground at the federal level under the Trump administration, which has issued orders to recognize only two unchangeable genders, stop offering non-binary passport gender markers, and attempts to stop funding care for transgender minors.

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Whats happening at the federal level is casting a long shadow and we dont know what the future holds. There is a real possibility that gender-affirming care could be at risk, said Rep. Brianna Titone, an Arvada Democrat and the Legislatures only transgender member. Passing this bill is about telling Coloradans that no, we are not going to let that happen. Its about taking control of what we can do to ensure that our friends and neighbors and family members continue to get the care they need regardless of what might happen in the future.

As more states enact policy to restrict care, especially for minors, Colorado could further become an island of access and absorb more out-of-state patients.

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House Bill 25-1309, sponsored by Titone, would codify into state law existing state public health rules about gender-affirming health care coverage. It would make it illegal for health insurers to deny or limit care deemed medically necessary by a doctor, which could include hormone therapy and procedures like facial surgery, breast augmentations and genital reconstruction.

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What can be created by rules can also be undone, said bill sponsor Rep. Kyle Brown, a Louisville Democrat. This bill codifies existing standards into statute to provide long-term stability and clarity for patients.

The bill would also exempt prescriptions for testosterone from the states Prescription Drug Use Monitoring Program, which shares data across pharmacies and providers to mitigate abuse of controlled substances.

Republicans offered a failed amendment during the chambers two-hour debate on the bill to limit covered care to adults only, arguing that minors are not mentally developed enough to make such medical decisions. They pointed to Colorado laws that place age restrictions on other behavior like buying firearms and getting a tattoo.

You cant even buy a betta fish until youre 18. But were going to allow (doctors) to perform lifelong sterility based with no (Food and Drug Administration) approval and no systematic review, said Rep. Brandi Bradley, a Littleton Republican.

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If youre an adult, make your own decision. But for the love of humanity, protect the children who dont understand that these things are not FDA approved or havent been reviewed by any research. Let these children go through puberty, she said.

The FDA has approved puberty blockers for precocious puberty. The medications use is considered off-label for youth gender-affirming care, but it has been standard care for decades.

Democrats responded that decisions about gender-affirming health care for transgender children are made between the patient, their families and their doctor. Leading medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend that gender-diverse children have access to developmentally-appropriate care.

I think we should consult everyone in the equation, especially the person the care is being directed to, Titone said.

Schools and courts

The other bill, House Bill 25-1312, aims to add protections for transgender people in schools and courts. It would require courts to consider as a form of coercive control actions like deadnaming  using a transgender persons previous name before transitioning in order to reject their identity  and misgendering in child custody decisions. It would also shield parents who help their child obtain gender-affirming care from court orders in other states that outlaw the practice.

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Supporting a childs gender identity is indeed in the best interest of the child, and that support cannot be used against a loving and supportive parent in a dispute, said bill sponsor Rep. Rebekah Stewart, a Lakewood Democrat.

But Republicans argued the bills provisions for custody decisions would be an erosion on parental rights.

The idea that misgendering your own child is considered coercive control, which is another word for child abuse, because you want to get your child help instead of affirming their delusions  this is the most disgusting bill Ive seen so far, said Rep. Jarvis Caldwell, a Colorado Springs Republican.

The bill would also label deadnaming and misgendering as discriminatory acts under the states anti-discrimination law.

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Schools could not adopt a gender-based dress code under the bill. If a school has an adopted policy related to chosen names, that policy would have to be inclusive of all reasons that a student might adopt a chosen name that differs from the students legal name. The Legislature approved a law last year that concerns students chosen names in public schools.

This bill is truly the least that we can do. Frankly, I wish that we didnt have to bring this bill, but the reality of navigating the world today as a transgender human necessitates it, Stewart said.

Both bills still need a final recorded vote in the House before heading to the Senate. Democrats hold majorities in both chambers and do not need any Republican votes to pass legislation.

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COLUMBIANA, Ohio (WKBN)  A pair of Columbiana High School standout student-athletes made their college choices official.

A signing ceremony was held at Columbiana High School on Friday afternoon.

Courtesy: Columbiana Athletics

Nina Nappo has signed her letter of intent to continue her academic and swimming career at Westminster College.

Meanwhile, Elena Mackall has signed her letter of intent to continue her career at the University of Mount Union.

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It is a family affair for Mackall, who is the 6th generation to attend Mount Union.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  A 42-year-old man from Columbus and a 24-year-old woman from Chillicothe have pleaded guilty to assisting two brothers in drug trafficking.

Todd Fulkerson and Lazae Lett each pleaded guilty to charges related to drug and money laundering Wednesday in U.S. District Court, according to Kelly Norris, the acting attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.

The charges stem from alleged incidents in February 2024 when Fulkerson went to Arizona to help provide security for 30-year-old Caleb Barillaro, who was acquiring a huge amount of drugs to resell in Chillicothe. Fulkerson was recruited by Barillaro because of his military experience.

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Barillaro bought two kilograms of fentanyl and five kilograms of cocaine for $94,000 before he and Fulkerson drove back to Ohio, which law enforcement surveilled. Fulkerson admitted in court to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute drugs and could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

Lett said in court Wednesday she laundered money from drug sales to Mexico, with court documents saying she sent around $2,000 in money orders via Western Union from a Walmart and two Krogers in Chillicothe.

Court documents said Lett was assisting Calebs brother Dillon, 31, who allegedly provided the drug proceeds to Lett and drove her to the stores to conduct the transactions. Lett faces up to 20 years in prison while the Barillaro brothers pleaded guilty earlier to federal narcotics charges.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Columbus Public Health has terminated some employees early due to funding pause, a spokesperson confirmed to NBC4.

CPH terminated 11 full-time employees who worked in the infectious disease investigations area after CDC funding to the COVID-19 Enhanced Operations was cut, the spokesperson said.

The employees who were terminated were originally supposed to remain through the rest of the year, when funding was set to expire, but had to be let go early.

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This reduction in staff is particularly concerning during a national measles outbreak, including cases in Ohio, the spokesperson said in a statement. Additionally, we are concerned about more potential cuts in federal funding and the impact they may have on our ability to protect the health and safety of our residents.

Columbus Public Health expressed its commitment to improving the communitys health.

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DENVER (KDVR)  A man is facing charges after pulling a knife during a road rage incident, according to a social media post from the Commerce City Police Department.

Police said on Friday a driver got out of his vehicle and approached another driver with a knife, threatening to slit his throat.

The incident occurred at East 72nd Avenue and Quebec Parkway.

Man, dog walking on sidewalk hit, killed in crash in Aurora

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Police pulled surveillance footage from the area and were able to identify the suspects license plate.

The man lived outside of the jurisdiction of Commerce City police, who turned the footage over to Colorado State Patrol.

CSP went to the suspects residence, where the man admitted to the crime and gave the knife to the deputies.

The man faces an Aggravated Felony Menacing charge.

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HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP)  Community leaders and advocates got the chance to raise funds Friday evening for access to healthcare.

Tapestry Health held An Evening Under the Stars, a gala that took place at the Log Cabin in Holyoke.

At the event, people were recognized for making a difference in the health-equity space. Tapestry Health provides healthcare regardless of someones ability to pay. President of Tapestry Health, Jeremy Melton, told 22News, We provide counseling, breastfeeding counseling, connect folks with services. We Make sure their families are eating healthy and then we have the harm reduction program.

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Tapestry Health offers services across western Massachusetts. That includes testing, annual appointments, and cancer screening.

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.

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  El Paso Fires Combined Search and Rescue (ComSAR) team deployed and assisted an injured hiker on Saturday afternoon, April 5 in the Tom Mays Unit located inside the Franklin Mountains State Park.

Rescue crews made contact with the hiker and helped them down off the mountain, a Fire Department spokesperson said.

The hiker appeared to have an broken ankle and was transported Code 1 (minor, non-life-threatening), the spokesperson said.

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The call came in at about 12:30 p.m. and nine people went out on the rescue mission, the spokesperson said.

This is a developing story and will update once we learn more.

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DOHA (Reuters) - Congo's government and M23 rebels last week held private talks in Qatar for the first time since the rebels conducted a lightning offensive in the country's east, a source briefed on the discussions told Reuters.

The talks, which will continue next week in Doha, offer the greatest hope of a halt to hostilities since M23 seized eastern Congo's two largest cities, a rapid advance that since January has resulted in thousands of deaths and forced hundreds of thousands more from their homes.

The fighting has raised fears of a wider regional war, as Congo's neighbours Uganda and Burundi also have troops in the region.

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Reuters reported last week that Kinshasa and M23 planned to hold their first direct talks in Doha on April 9. But the source with knowledge of the situation said private talks were also held last week.

They were positive, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity, and prompted the rebels to withdraw from the strategic town of Walikale, in an area rich in minerals including tin, as a goodwill gesture.

M23 and Congo's government did not immediately comment on Saturday.

The April 9 talks are still expected to go ahead in Doha.

M23 pledged to withdraw from Walikale last month, but initially failed to do so, accusing the Congolese army of going back on its commitments and not withdrawing attack drones. Two residents, a local official and the army confirmed to Reuters last week that M23 had left.

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The United Nations and Western governments say Rwanda has provided arms and troops to the ethnic Tutsi-led M23.

Rwanda has denied backing M23 and says its military has acted in self-defence against Congo's army and a militia founded by perpetrators of the 1994 genocide.

(Reporting by Andrew Mills; writing by Edward McAllister; editing by Barbara Lewis)
HIGGANUM, Conn. (WTNH)  The states only pick-your-own daffodil farm is celebrating their 30 year anniversary.

Where to see cherry blossom trees in Connecticut this April

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz visited Halfinger Farms to check out the beautiful blooms. The flower business is still growing  they are now one of the first producers of Connecticut grown daffodil bulbs.

Peak bloom will be around the middle of this month and there will be plenty to go around.

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Our newest planting is over 50,000 and weve been planting for five years so we definitely have over 120,000, Jen Halfinger, co-owner of Halfinger Farms Dancing Daffodils, said.

The farm is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They ask that they give you a call at 860-345-4609.



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LEWISBURG, WV (WVNS)  A new daily flight will be added between the Greenbrier Valley Airport (LWB) and Chicago OHare International Airport (ORD).

According to a press release, the new flight between the Greenbrier Valley Airport (LWB) and Chicago OHare International Airport (ORD) will be added by Contour Airlines.

Greenbrier Valley Airport employees undergo live fire training

The Chicago one in the past was very, very popular. People, our locals and our visitors, really loved that flight. And we are excited to bring it back. There will be an additional flight to Charlotte on Saturdays and Sundays as well. For a small airport, were really trying to grow our airport and offer our community and our visitors what they want. Its very important to us to do a good job at this airport and thats what were striving to do. So, this enables us to do that and were very, very pleased to have it back. Martha Livesay | Director of Greenbrier Valley Airport

The round trip flight will be offered by Contour Airlines from June 1, 2025 through October 31, 2025 once each day, as part of a temporary seasonal modification of Essential Air Service (EAS) at Greenbrier Valley Airport.

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The flights will have fares starting at $79 one way, and will be on an an Embraer Regional Jet aircraft. In addition, the flights will also give travelers non-stop air service from two major hubs into Greenbrier Valley Airport each day, and the ability to connect The Greenbrier to other parts of the world.

Mountain State Destinations: The Greenbrier Resort

Non-stop flights to almost 250 destinations in North America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the North Atlantic region are offered at Chicago OHare according to the press release. The flight will add to nine round trip flights per week between Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and Greenbrier Valley Regional Airport that are offered by Contour Airlines.

The press release also stated that Greenbrier shuttle is available to transport passengers on a 13-mile scenic ride from Greenbrier Valley Airport to The Greenbrier.

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Flights can be booked at the Contour Airlines website, and information about The Greenbrier can be found here.

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Costa Rica's security minister toured El Salvador's maximum-security gang prison on Friday as part of his review to reduce violence by powerful street gangs.
A defamation lawsuit between a former Mississippi governor and Deep South Today, owner of Mississippi Today, an online news outlet, could be heading to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

On Friday, Madison County Circuit Court Judge Bradley Mills dismissed a lawsuit in which Republican Gov. Phil Bryant claimed that Mississippi Today defamed him when some of its personnel made public statements characterizing his alleged role in a $100 million welfare scandal.

Those remarks were given based on a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative series, "The Backchannel" by Anna Wolfe, which detailed the misuse and allocation of millions of dollars in federal funds via the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

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Mills in his order dismissing the lawsuit, said the court agreed with a motion to dismiss put forth by Mississippi Today's attorneys in June 2024. That motion, among other things, stated that Bryant had failed to plead any legally viable claims.

"We are pleased the Court dismissed former Governor Phil Bryants baseless defamation lawsuit against Mississippi Today," the news outlet's attorney Lee Crain told the Clarion Ledger via a written statement. "Mississippi Todays Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting on the former Governors role in the States recent welfare scandal is exactly the type of reporting the First Amendment was intended to protect, and it exemplifies why the Mississippi Constitution calls the right to a free press sacred. The Courts decision honors those constitutional rights and ends once and for all Governor Bryants unconstitutional crusade against Mississippis free press.

Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant introduces Speaker of the House Mike Johnson during the event hosted by the National Apostolic Christian Leadership Conference at Jackson Preparatory School in Flowood, Miss., on Thursday, April 25, 2024.

Mississippi Today lawsuit: Lawsuit between Phil Bryant and Mississippi Today could send shockwaves throughout journalism

Bryant, also in a written statement to the Clarion Ledger, said he intends to appeal the decision to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

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"This matter is far from over," Bryant said. "We plan to appeal. Justice can be found in our court systems when all of facts are finally presented. We will appeal this decision to the Mississippi Supreme Court in continued pursuit of the truth and for others who have been and will be wrongly accused and defamed.

The lawsuit was initially filed by Bryant in 2023 in the Madison County Circuit Court over comments made by Mississippi Today CEO Mary Margaret White during a speaking engagement.

What White was referring to was Mississippi Today's news series The Backchannel which delved into how at least $77 million in Temporary Assistance to Needy Family funds was funneled through MDHS and into the hands of those who misspent the money, meant for the states poorest residents, on private projects.

Feds want money back: Mississippi welfare scandal: US wants state to repay $101 million. What to know

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Bryant has neither been charged nor formally implicated by prosecutors in the welfare scandal case. Several of the people implicated in the reporting and through Mississippi State Auditor investigations have been criminally convicted in relation to the welfare scandal.

In May, the Madison County Circuit Court ordered Mississippi Today to hand over confidential sources and other documents related to their coverage as discovery. Mississippi Today argued that violated its constitutional rights. Mississippi Today appealed that decision to the state Supreme Court, but the panel of judges chose not to hear the appeal.

The dismissal of the case comes weeks after the federal government issued a letter to the Mississippi Department of Human Services demanding $101 million be paid back that were wrongfully spent during the welfare scandal.

"For the past 22 months, weve vigorously defended our Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting and our characterizations of Bryants role in the Mississippi welfare scandal," Mississippi Today said in a post to its website on Friday. "We are grateful today that the court, after careful deliberation, dismissed the case."

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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: Phil Bryant to appeal defamation lawsuit dismissal
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  Youngstown City Councilwoman Amber White is concerned about a statement made by Mayor Tito Brown during Candidates Night on Monday.

Brown made the statement regarding his hiring practices at City Hall.

I will continue to use this seat as mayor to make sure that when were hiring individuals, when Im bringing individuals in, I make sure they look like us, Brown said.

White said that the statement was very inappropriate.

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Our administration should be a reflection of our city, and our city is very culturally diverse. We are not one sole race in this city. We are not all white, we are not all Black, we are not all Hispanic, so on and so forth. So to make that statement, to me, was very inappropriate, especially in a time like this, White said.

Mayor Brown said in using the word us  he meant the people of Youngstown. He said city residents always have the advantage when hes hiring.

Two qualified candidates ones from the city, ones not. You can bet that, my staff will tell you, that the city residents getting it. So under my administration, its been the most diverse, gender as well as race, and Im proud of that. And were going to continue to make sure Youngstowns first, Brown said.

In response, Councilwoman Samantha Turner  whos challenging Brown in the Democrat Primary  said, Its important to hire people who look like us, yes, but its more important to hire competency.

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The Reverend Ken Simon moderated the Candidates Night and said afterwards,He does not hire people who look like him. Check the record. Hirings in our city should reflect our diversity. He just makes sure that people who look like him are included in his hirings.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Governor Bill Lees Education Freedom Scholarship program, which created taxpayer-funded school vouchers in the state, was described as universal school choice, but so far, private schools in just 36% of Tennessee counties have expressed interest, partly because numerous counties dont have eligible private schools at all.

According to a new webpage on the Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship program, 192 private schools have submitted an interest form so far, which is more than half of all eligible schools. However, those private schools are located in just 35 out of Tennessees 95 counties. Twenty of the 35 counties have just one or two private schools listed.

Social media safety could be taught in Tennessee schools

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The Education Freedom Scholarship Act passed during a special legislative session this Jan. Democrats and some Republicans opposed to the measure were concerned students from rural counties wouldnt benefit from the program due to the lack of private schools in those areas. The measures fiscal note estimated 12 of the states counties would receive the majority of the 20,000 vouchers.

I have one little private school that started up this year. I think it has eight students. Its a K-3 school and it has eight students, and I think next year theyre hoping to get to about 30 students, Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill), who voted against the measure, said. Its not good for my district. Thats the only private school we have.

However, pro-voucher Republicans argued counties that dont have a private school likely border one that does, so those students could still take advantage of the vouchers.

While private schools still have time to express their interest in the program, numerous counties in Tennessee dont have a private school at all.

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Read the latest from the TN State Capitol Newsroom

In addition, Dr. Kevin Cline, headmaster of an East Tennessee private school currently on the voucher program interest list, previously told News 2 that the measure still increases options for many parents, even if it doesnt for all.

Everything the state does does not impact every resident, Cline said. The Titans stadium is doing great, right? Theyre building it; its huge. Its big time. My tax dollars have helped support that, but Im four hours away, so thats not really going to help me much. Im not going to get to utilize the stadium. Thats part of pouring into a system as a state.

Families can begin to apply for the Education Freedom Scholarships this spring on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the states website. For more information, follow this link.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
CUMBERLAND  Allegany County officials said they want to help some area residents who are charged remarkably high water and sewer rates.

In a public work session Thursday, Allegany County Administrator Jason Bennett held a thick stack of papers that contained a letter and petition with more than 1,200 signatures from folks who live in Bel Air, Pinto, Glen Oaks and Highland Estates.

The residents, customers of the private company Maryland Water Service, want to meet with the commissioners and other government leaders to discuss monthly water and sewer bills that average about $350 and have reached $650 to $900 for some customers.

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Maryland Water Service, a Texas-based Nexus Water Group company, earlier this week refused to discuss the matter with the Cumberland Times-News.

Were trying to figure out what all options we have, Bennett said.

On the surface, you commissioners cant necessarily affect this, but in cooperation with the feds and the state, were gonna try to figure out what we can do.

Bennett said the countys state delegates agreed to discuss the matter with county officials after the current legislative session ends.

People are getting hammered out there ... no doubt about it, Commissioner Creade Brodie said of the water customers who have gone to extreme conservation measures.

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He recalled meeting with the water companys representatives several times in the past to ask about the high bills.

You could never talk to the same people, Brodie said. It was like trying to nail Jell-O down.

County officials said one of many unknowns is whether aging infrastructure contributes to the high water bills.

Theres a lot of questions, board President Dave Caporale said, adding that he wants to know how and why the Maryland Public Service Commission weighed in on this, and whether the states attorney general is investigating the situation.

Allegany County Director of Public Works Adam Patterson said Maryland Water Service buys its water from the county, which purchases the water from Cumberland.

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The cost that we purchase from Cumberland ... we mark up and then that (pays the countys) transmission cost, he said. What Im seeing is (the water company officials) then mark it up again.

The commissioners agreed to arrange the meeting the residents requested.

Getting everybody together to start that dialogue ... would help those folks out there at least know that everybodys trying to look into it, trying to see what we can do, Commissioner Bill Atkinson said.
ANDERSON  The Madison County Council met in executive session to gather information on a proposal to create a regional utility district to resolve a pollution issue in Monroe Township.

Last month the council tabled a resolution in support of creating a regional utility district to resolve an issue in the Scotts Addition in Monroe Township.

The Madison County commissioners have already approved the resolution; the council is expected to consider it again at its Tuesday meeting.

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In 2023, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management fined Madison County $1,700 over raw sewage flowing into Pipe Creek.

The county entered into an agreement order with the state agency to remedy the problem in the Scotts Addition.

The agreed order states that IDEM did an inspection on Sept. 21, 2022, and staff observed a broken concrete storm sewer pipe.

The water flowing in the pipe was black and septic with an odor of raw sewage, according to an inspection report. The pipe was traced to an unnamed tributary where it discharged from a concrete outfall.

Madison County Engineer Jessica Bastin said the commissioners and council have already approved $3.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds to resolve the issue.

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She said American Rescue Plan funds were used to develop an infrastructure master plan for the county, with water and wastewater high on the list.

Bastin said residents in the subdivision are unable to replace existing septic systems, which were installed in the 1950s.

Alexandria Mayor Todd Naselroad said the city is willing to allow the connection of a sewer line to the citys wastewater treatment plant and has the capacity to treat the water.

Bastin said Commonwealth Engineering has completed a draft of the study, which was discussed with council members during the executive session.

She said work was already started to resolve the pollution problem in the subdivision to the east of Ind. 9 several years ago.

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Bastin said if the letter of support is approved by the county council, it will be submitted to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

She said IDEM will conduct a public hearing and notices will be sent to property owners and advertised 30 days before the hearing takes place.

Bastin said county officials will also conduct a public hearing to share information with property owners, and a review of the plan will be submitted to IDEM.

That will trigger a 180-day period for public comment, and a second public hearing will take place in Madison County.

IDEM would have to approve any project, Bastin said.

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Councilwoman Bethany Keller raised concerns about the process at the March council meeting, asking if property owners would be required to tap into a sewer line and inquiring about the makeup of the proposed board.

The board will consist of five members, with the commissioners, Madison County Council, Alexandria mayor, the county health department and Monroe Township trustee each making appointments.
Two people in Cranbrook, British Columbia, were charged in February with a whopping collective $6,000 for illegally poaching a deer and then lugging it away, My East Kootenay Now reported.

The laws in place in Cranbrook  as well as most areas that allow hunting  set hunting parameters using deer antlers, with each tine (or antler branch) being counted in a point system. The rules in place often limit lower-point deer hunting, as this often signifies immature age. The mule deer these individuals killed was three points, while the law required four points to hunt them legally.

After a complaint call to the Report All Poachers and Polluters hotline from a witness, the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service went to investigate the couple. According to My East Kootenay Now, COS reported that the woman told them "she had killed a four-point mule deer but forgot to cancel her species license, and a bear had come and taken the mule deer's head along with the antlers."

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Despite what she reported, the couple had actually tried to hide their actions from authorities by sawing the antlers from the deer and ditching the carcass nearby. After lying to the officials, the conservation officers, along with COS K9 Major, discovered the implicating remains in a nearby garbage dump.

According to a post on the British Columbia Conservation Office Service Facebook page, the woman who had killed the deer pleaded guilty to "two counts under the Wildlife Act; for killing wildlife not within an open season and resisting or obstructing an officer in their duty." She is expected to pay a $4,000 fine and has been banned for three years from hunting.

The post also said the man she was with pleaded guilty to "one count under the Wildlife Act, for the unlawful possession of dead wildlife." He received a $2,000 fine and an 18-month hunting ban.

While laws about poaching have become more strict throughout the world to protect animals and their ecosystems, the witness who reported this couple's act is a testament to the role of the nature-loving public. Though law and environmentalist enforcement do their best to hold people accountable, it is vital for onlookers to report any unlawful-seeming hunting.

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By preventing poaching, we can avoid unsafe wildlife scenarios and keep the earth a clean, natural, and plentiful space for all.

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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.
MIDTOWN, Manhattan (PIX11)  A construction accident sent two small cranes crashing down onto a sidewalk shed in Midtown Friday.

The incident is raising new concerns about safety at the site located at 501 9th Avenue.

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Jerry was in the area at the time of the incident and recalled the moment he heard the impact.

It was just one big boom, he said. It was just like boom boom boom boom boom.

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The FDNY tells PIX11 News it happened just after 3 pm as crews were working on a 12-story building that is currently under construction. Fire Chief Mike Meyers said its fortunate that no one was injured in what could have been a far more serious incident.

Its an incredibly lucky day, said Meyers. Were two blocks from Times Square where hundreds of people walk by every minute or so, and were lucky that nobody was caught underneath that debris pile.

According to the New York City Department of Buildings, a mini crane on the roof was attempting to hoist another mini crane from the 9th floor to the 10th floor when it dislodged. Both cranes fell, slamming into the sidewalk shed below and causing it to collapse.

Its a scary thing, said Bill Yago, who reacted to the incident. You would think that there was better inspections or something going on that somebodys paying attention to it.

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This is not the first safety concern at the construction site. The DOBs database shows 28 complaints on the building since last May. Last week, the DOB issued a complaint on the building for failing to follow proper safety measures. A partial stop work order was issued at the site on March 27th, but the property owner resolved the issue, and that order was rescinded on Thursday.

Another complaint, filed Friday in the wake of the collapse, notes that the hoisting operation appeared to be unsafe. The developer behind the project has not yet responded to PIX11s request for comment.

Meanwhile, the collapse has left some New Yorkers on edge.

It certainly makes me think twice about walking underneath a construction area, thats for sure.

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City officials say the investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

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HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP)  Fire crews were at the Holyoke Mall working to put out a cardboard compactor fire Saturday morning.

Pittsfield crews put out heavy fire on Dalton Ave.

The Holyoke Fire Department said that at approximately 11:08 a.m. on Saturday, crews received a report of a dumpster fire underneath the Target Bridge in the Blue Lot at the Holyoke Mall. When firefighters arrived at the mall, they found a large cardboard compactor emitting smoke and flames.

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Customers were evacuated from all stores in the portion of the mall that was affected. The compactors sprinkler head activated, preventing the flames from spreading into the mall.

(Holyoke Fire Department) (Holyoke Fire Department) (Holyoke Fire Department)

Holyoke Fire said that the fire was put out and crews dispersed at approximately 1:08 p.m. No injuries were reported.

The Holyoke Fire Investigation Unit determined that the cause of the fire was accidental, due to torch lighters being disposed of in the compactor.

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.

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Apr. 4AUSTIN  The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announces another fugitive from Texas'10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List has been captured in Austin. Anderson Ronaldo Reyes Giron was arrested on Tuesday, April 2. A Crime Stoppers reward will not be paid in his arrest.

According to a DPS news release, Anderson Ronaldo Reyes Giron, 25, a criminal illegal immigrant from Honduras, was taken into custody outside of a game room in north central Austin by DPS Special Agents and Texas Highway Patrol Troopers, along with Austin Police Department North Metro Tactical Unit Officers. Reyes Giron had been wanted out of Travis Co. since February 2025 for deadly conduct (discharging a firearm). He was also wanted out of Williamson Co. since March 2025 for theft of property.

In January 2017, Reyes Giron was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Texas for alien removal. In August 2024, he was arrested by the Austin Police Department for deadly conduct (discharging a firearm) and subsequently bonded out of jail. More information on Reyes Giron's capture can be found here.

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Funded by the Governor's Public Safety Office, Texas Crime Stoppers presents cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of Texas' 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders or Criminal Illegal Immigrants. So far in 2025, DPS and other agencies have arrested 19 Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Criminal Illegal Immigrants, including five sex offenders and six criminal illegal immigrants  with $22,000 in rewards being paid for tips that yielded arrests.

To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of the following three methods:

 Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).

 Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about then clicking on the link under their picture.

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 Submit a Facebook tip by clicking the "SUBMIT A TIP" link (under the "About" section).

All tips are anonymous  regardless of how they are submitted  and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name.

DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Criminal Illegal Immigrants Lists. You can find the current lists  with photos  on the DPS website.

Do not attempt to apprehend these fugitives; they are considered armed and dangerous.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A Tampa attorney is weighing in after a video of a Florida charter captain and a young fisherman getting into a heated argument under the Barron Collier Bridge went viral.

The video showcases an argument before the charter captain climbs aboard the fishermans boat. Eventually, the charter captain climbed back onto his own boat as the fisherman continued to apologize.

See full viral video of encounter between Florida charter captain, fisherman

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The video has prompted an investigation by the Punta Gorda Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

With several investigations surrounding the incident, at what point did the charter captain potentially cross the line of the law?

News Channel 8 went to Tampa Attorney Bryant Camareno, who is unaffiliated with this case, to find out.

At best, maybe misdemeanor assault, he said. Under the statue, misdemeanor assault is when you threaten somebody and have the apparent ability to carry out that threat.

Florida charter captain getting death threats after being mistaken for Brock Horner

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It wouldnt be a felony assault, more like a misdemeanor assault, Camareno continued. That would be my guess, if anything at all, but nothing more than that.



News Channel 8 reporter Nicole Rogers asked, Where do you think he crossed the line into a potential charge?



When he got on board, Camareno responded. When he trespassed.

They may even get him for trespassing now that I mentioned that, he continued. When he got on board the boat and inadvertently assaulted him, I think thats where he crossed the line.

The minute he set foot on that private property, that boat, thats when he crossed the line, Camareno clarified.

The viral video sparked debate over whether the fisherman would have had the right to stand his ground.

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Camareno doesnt think that would play well in court.

I dont think that actions of him jumping on the boat wouldve justified deadly force, he explained. If he wouldve punched the gentleman or pushed him off the boat, then that wouldve been justified.

If he had used deadly force, meaning the kid had used deadly force, I dont know if a jury would look at these facts and say that man deserved to be shot, Camareno concluded.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
DANBURY, Conn. (WTNH)  A man was found guilty on Thursday for an assault that took place on April 13, 2024 at a bar in Danbury, according to the Division of Criminal Justice.

31-year-old Kevin Patricio Pereira was found guilty after testimony revealed that he slashed and stabbed a victim with a knife during a fight at Boemia Cafe in Danbury.

Five men arrested at suspected brothel in Danbury, police say

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The victim was hospitalized with serious injuries to his neck and arm.

Pereira was found guilty of first-degree assault by use of a dangerous weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree threatening and second-degree breach of peace.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 7 in Danbury Superior Court.

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LOCKPORT  A weary-looking Nicholas DAngelo walked into the Niagara County courthouse just before 2 p.m. Friday and glanced at the reporter entering with him.

How are you, the reporter asked.

Im just glad to get this over with, DAngelo replied.

The former Niagara Falls attorney was about to be sentenced for his guilty plea in an attempted election fraud case that was tied to an earlier rape and sex abuse case.

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DAngelo had pleaded guilty to an E felony charge of first-degree attempted tampering with public records.

While the charge carried a possible prison term of 1 1/2 to 4 years behind bars, Erie County-based State Supreme Court Justice Debra Givens, who presided over both of DAngelos cases, said she was limited in her sentencing options.

DAngelo, 32, is currently serving a 10-year sex offender probation sentence as a result of his previous guilty plea, in April 2023, to four counts of first-degree sexual abuse, two counts of third-degree criminal sexual act and two counts of third-degree rape in a plea deal with special prosecutors from the Erie County District Attorneys Office.

Before starting his sex offender probation, DAngelo had served a six-month term of incarceration at the Niagara County jail for his guilty pleas.

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But as a result of the sex offense conviction sentence, state law barred Givens from handing down a significant prison term in the election fraud case.

I would have liked to push for a more serious prison term, but to do so, in this case, would have satisfied the probation sentence in his sex offense case by operation of (state) law, District Attorney Brian Seaman said in explaining the judges dilemma. Even a short prison sentence would have had the effect of relieving the defendant of sex offender probation.

To maintain her probation sentence, Givens ordered DAngelo to serve six months of weekends in jail for the election fraud conviction. He began his weekend jail stays at 5 p.m. Friday.

Givens said if DAngelo serves the sentence with no problems, she will terminate it at four months.

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DAngelo had faced an indictment that charged him with multiple felony and misdemeanor counts following a New York State Police Special Investigations Unit (SIU) probe that determined DAngelo forged records and used a victims identity to make a false campaign contribution.

The Gazette has confirmed that the identity theft victim was the husband of DAngelos sex crimes case special prosecutor, Erie County Assistant District Attorney Lynette Reda. The alleged fraud was uncovered by campaign officials working on the 2021 election of City Court Judge Janelle Faso, who said they discovered what appeared to be a mailed election contribution from Sam Reda.

Assistant Niagara County District Attorney Robert Zucco, who prosecuted the election fraud case, said DAngelo used his legal experience to devise a scheme to embarrass (the special prosecutor) to have (her) removed from the (sex crimes) case.

He has no qualms about friendship or loyalty when his own self-interest is concerned, Zucco said.

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DAngelos defense attorney, Eric Soehnlein, told Givens that his client was not disputing what he did.

Mr. DAngelo has well-documented mental and emotional health issues, Soehnlein said. Particularly impulse control issues with he is under stress.

Soehnlein said DAngelo is currently being successfully treated for those issues and is a very different person today than when this started. Hes remorseful for what hes done.

Givens also noted that a pre-sentence report on DAngelo, complied by Niagara County probation officers, finally provides an explanation for what he did. But the judge never revealed what the explanation was.

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In his first comments in court, beyond yes and no answers or guilty pleas, DAngelo told the judge he had previously stayed mostly silent out of anger and admittedly, my narcissism. He said his sentences were an opportunity to put in the work to become a better person, a moral person, who does not cause the same pain and suffering I have caused my victims.

In addition to DAngelos intermittent jail term and sex offender probation sentences, Givens has also designated him as a Level 3 sex offender, with a special designation as a violent sexual offender. The risk level 3 designation means an offender is at a high risk to re-offend and a threat to public safety.

DAngelo had a previous sex offense conviction in 2009 while he was a student at Niagara Falls High School. However, he was given youthful offender status in that case and the record of those proceedings has been sealed.

He served a term of probation for his conviction in that case.

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Givens has warned DAngelo that if he violates the terms of his sex offender probation, she will re-sentence him to up to 44 years in prison.

DAngelo was charged in November 2020 in a 12-count indictment that accused him of multiple rapes and sex crimes, one of which involved an underage girl. He pleaded guilty to a superseding 8-count indictment.
April 5 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1614, Pocahontas, daughter of a chief, married English tobacco planter John Rolfe in Jamestown, Va. It was a marriage that ensured peace between the settlers and the Powhatan Indians for several years.

In 1768, the first U.S. Chamber of Commerce was founded in New York City.

In 1792, President George Washington exercised veto power, the first time it was done in the United States.

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In 1933, Executive Order 6101 establishing the Civilian Conservation Corps was issued by President Franklin Roosevelt. The public work relief program would run from 1933 to 1942 and provide employment for unemployed and unmarried men as part of the New Deal.

A Stratocaster once owned by Kurt Cobain is on display at a press preview for "Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on April 1. On April 5, 1994, Cobain killed himself at his home in Seattle. He was 27. It would be three days before his body was discovered. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

In 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death in New York for stealing atomic secrets for the Soviet Union. They were executed on June 20, 1953.

File Photo by Library of Congress/UPI

On April 5, 1992, Sam Moore Walton, founder of Walmart, died of cancer at 74. UPI File Photo

In 1955, following rumors of failing health, Winston Churchill resigned as prime minister of the United Kingdom.

In 1976, reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes died of kidney failure during a flight from Acapulco, Mexico, to Houston. He was 71.

Sen. John Tower, R-Texas, leaves the White House on May 7, 1982, after meeting with President Ronald Reagan on the 1983 military budget. On April 5, 1991, Tower and 22 others were killed in a commuter plane crash in Brunswick, Ga. File Photo by Ron Bennett/UPI

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In 1991, former Sen. John Tower, R-Texas, and 22 others were killed in a commuter plane crash in Brunswick, Ga.

In 1992, Sam Moore Walton, founder of Walmart, died of cancer at 74.

On April 5, 1955, following rumors of failing health, Winston Churchill resigned as prime minister of the United Kingdom. File Photo courtesy Cecil Beaton/Imperial War Museums

In 1994, Nirvana's Kurt Cobain killed himself at his home in Seattle. He was 27. It would be three days before his body was discovered.

File Photo by Julie Kramer/Wikimedia

In 1999, Russell Henderson, one of two men charged in the October 1998 beating death of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, pleaded guilty and was given two life prison sentences. The second man, Aaron McKinney, who delivered the fatal blows, also received two life terms.

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In 2000, Lee Petty, the winner of the first Daytona 500 and a pioneer of a NASCAR racing family, died at a North Carolina hospital from complications of an abdominal aneurysm. He was 86.

In 2010, an explosion in a coal mine near Montcoal, in West Virginia's Raleigh County, killed 29 workers.

In 2016, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to mandate six weeks of fully paid leave for new parents.

In 2024, a dam burst in Russia's Ural mountains, prompting authorities to order the evacuation of the city of Orsk.
Days after he was injured in a triple shooting in Kansas City, Kansas, an 18-year-old has died of his wounds in an area hospital, according to police.

Anderson Murcia-Cartagena was shot along with two other people in the Riverview neighborhood of KCK on March 26.

Police responded to the 1600 block of Ridge Avenue near South 16th Street around 9 p.m. on March 26, according to Nancy Chartrand, a Kansas City, Kansas Police Department spokesperson. They discovered Murcia-Cartagena and two others with gunshot wounds, with two of the victims lying in the street and one inside a nearby car.

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The two other shooting victims were still recovering in the hospital as of Thursday, according to Chartrand.

KCKPD is still investigating the shooting, according to Chartrand, and has not taken anyone into custody. Chartrand previously said that officers believe the alleged shooter or shooters fled the scene before the police arrived.

Murcia-Cartagenas death is the fourth homicide reported in Kansas City, Kansas, this year, according to data collected by The Star. At this time last year, five homicides had been reported in the city, according to Star data.

Previous reporting by Kendrick Calfee contributed to this coverage.
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  Dayton Public Schools has released a statement about the killing of an 18-year-old student killed downtown on Friday.

Alfred Hale was shot while waiting for the bus near the an RTA transit hub on Friday.

The Dayton Public Schools District is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a 12th-grade student at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. Alfred Hale was a valued member of both the Dunbar family and the broader Dayton Public Schools community. He will be greatly missed by students, staff, and all who knew him, said Superintendent Dr. David Lawrence.

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The school had an on-site crisis support team on Friday, and it will continue to support students throughout this difficult time.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the students family and friends during this incredibly difficult time, said Dr. Lawrence. I will be visiting the family of the student on Saturday. This situation is truly disheartening to Dayton Public Schools and the entire Dayton community. We will continue to work closely with the City of Dayton and community partners to address and prevent the needless violence that continues to impact our youth.

Any student seeking support outside of school hours is encouraged to contact the Montgomery County 24/7 Crisis Support Line at 833-580-2255.

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WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  A large group of local college students rallied outside of the U.S. Department of Education Friday afternoon. Their message to the Trump administration is to take their hands off their schools.

They say the White House continues to attack every corner of education, from funding to free speech.

Hands off! Our schools! the crowd chanted.

Students from Georgetown, Howard, George Mason, American and Temple universities are rallying together.

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It really shows that we are not siloed in our own campuses, that we across D.C. and across our country are coming together to protect our education, to protect our civil liberties and our democracy, said Kaden Ouimet, American University student and board president of Taskforce for Democracy.

The US must return a Maryland man mistakenly deported to an El Salvador prison, a judge says

The mass firings at the U.S. Department of Education have students concerned.

Were here to protest the Trump administrations attacks on our education from school funding, scholarships, research access, to diversity in our classrooms. And even more than that, attacks on our international community, said Emily Han, rally organizer and Georgetown University student.

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Parents of D.C. Public School kids are also worried.

We are here for our childrens future. And this starts now. If he cuts it, what are we going to do? Were already stressed mentally, said Dawn Smith, citywide board member for PAVE.

Tiny hands cant take our speech. Take them off our DOE, the crowd chanted.

While the Trump administrations ultimate goal is to shut down the Department of Education, only Congress can do that. So leaders made a list of demands to preserve the Department of Education and protect students.

You have your power. And theres theres nothing we can do without lawmakers who, in the face of this tyranny, dont take the easy path, but take the right one, Oimet said.

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Students are worried about content that could be restricted on campuses.

School funding should not and must not be tied to whether their courses align with the views of the government, said Reily Souther, Georgetown University student and policy director of the Georgetown University Student Association.

Theyre also worried about funding that keeps them in class.

Without the Department of Education behind us I would not have been able to access the Pell Grant, the federal loans that helped make my education possible, said Ethan Henshaw, student body president at Georgetown University.

President Trump said last month federal Pell grants and student loans will continue under the purview of the Small Business Administration.

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After months of negotiations, a deal to turn over TikToks United States operations to a new company with a majority American ownership was finalized on Wednesday, according to senior administration officials.

The investors -- which included Oracle, Blackstone, Andreeson Horowitz and several others -- ByteDance and the Trump administration negotiated and agreed to the terms.

The plan was for President Donald Trump to sign an executive order to approve the deal this week, triggering a 120-day closing period to finalize the paperwork and financing.

PHOTO: TikTok app logo, Aug. 22, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters, FILE)

ByteDance would have maintained a minority ownership in the new company, under the 20% threshold required by Congress.

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All that remained was for the Chinese government to approve the deal  something all sides of the negotiations expected would happen.

However, on Wednesday afternoon, Trump announced his tariffs.

Thursday morning, representatives for ByteDance called the White House to say the Chinese government would not approve the deal until negotiations could be held on Trumps tariffs.

The deal remains in limbo, hostage to the emerging trade war between the U.S. and China.

On Friday, Trump said he is extending the deadline for TikTok to be banned or sold off by its Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance.

The previous April 5 deadline will be pushed 75 days, Trump said in a post to his social media platform. It's the second time he has pushed the deadline since taking office.

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The TikTok negotiations were led by Vice President JD Vance, sources told ABC News. The deal is currently not being renegotiated with investors and the White House both standing by.

The revival appears to depend on what happens with U.S. and China negotiations on trade.

A deal for TikTok seemingly falls hostage to the US-China trade war originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
A 74-year-old woman died early Saturday when her vehicle got caught in floodwaters in Nelson County.

Officials were alerted around 3:40 a.m. Saturday that a woman was trapped in a vehicle in the 2800 block of Nelsonville Road.

The vehicle was submerged when first responders arrived, according to a news release from the Nelson County Sheriffs Department. The woman was dead inside the vehicle when rescuers got to him.

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The woman has not yet been identified.

The death is the second attributed to widespread flooding in Kentucky. A 9-year-old Frankfort boy died Friday after he was swept into floodwaters while walking to his bus stop on Friday.

The Nelson County Sheriffs Department urged residents not to cross high waters.

Please do not try to cross flooded roadways. The end result does not outweigh the risk. Turn around ,dont drown is more than a saying. Its the difference between life and death.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Ohio State students will need to find a new late-night bite after a campus staple closed abruptly this week.

The familiar blue awning of Apollos Greek Kitchen has greeted late-night diners for years, serving up gyros, hummus and fries. Established in 1975, the restaurant moved across from the Ohio Union from its original spot at the corner of 11th Avenue and High Street in 2000. The 50-year-old staple closed with little notice, but the storefront wont be empty for long.

Real estate company Sokol & Associates announced on Facebook that John Watson and Michael Will are moving their Burger Royale company into the spot. It will be their first storefront, as Burger Royale began as a Columbus food truck before expanding into a stall at Budd Dairy in September 2024.

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Burger Royale works with a Pulp Fiction theme, featuring 1950s throwback foods like hand-pressed burgers and fries cooked in duck fat. It left Budd Dairy Hall in early 2025 but still operates its food truck around the city.

Burger Royale has big shoes to fill at 1758 N. High St. With no announcement and its state operating license still active, its unclear why Apollos closed, or why so suddenly.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT)  The Decatur Police Department says a man is facing charges for raping a juvenile.

According to authorities, DPDs Family Services Unit reopened and began investigating a previously reported sexual assault case involving a juvenile. The original report was made to the Department of Human Resources in 2021.

Throughout the investigation, 38-year-old Pascual Francisco Jimenez was identified as the suspect. Investigators found him, confirmed his identity, and based on the evidence obtained, he was charged with first-degree rape.

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Jimenez was taken to the Morgan County Jail, where he is being held without bond under Aniahs Law.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
The Trump administration has not distributed funding approved by Congress for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, even after a judge ordered that officials keep the network in operation, court filings reveal.

The network was initially established to set the record straight on propaganda emanating from the Soviet Union. It hasnt received almost $12 million in funding for April from the federal agency overseeing the network, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, according to The New York Times.

The delay in financing has forced the news organization to furlough some staff and cut some programs.

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The groups general counsel, Benjamin Herman, said in a statement to The Times: We hope that USAGM sends our April funds immediately.

Our journalists across Europe and Asia, who assume enormous risk to work for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), rely on the timely disbursement of these congressionally appropriated funds, he added.

The U.S. Agency for Global Media also ended RFE/RL satellite contracts on Thursday, possibly impeding the broadcasting of Russian-language programs, two RFE/RL officials told The Times. Around 40 stations in Europe that broadcast RFEs live Russian programs use satellites.

Last month, a Washington federal judge paused President Donald Trumps shutdown efforts, in a ruling stating that the administration cant close a news organization established by Congress.

This photo, taken on March 18, 2025, shows the logo on the facade of the headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL) in Prague, Czech Republic. The Trump administration has been withholding funding from the news organization (AFP via Getty Images)

The continued operation of RFE/RL is in the public interest, Judge Royce Lamberth wrote.

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An attorney for the news organization said in a Monday court filing that the Trump administration has refused to commit to disbursing RFE/RLs congressionally appropriated funds for April 2025.

Two days after the court order, the federal global media agency sent a letter to the news organization, backtracking on its previous order ending the funding.

Special adviser to the media agency and failed Arizona gubernatorial and Senate candidate Kari Lake said in a statement that the administration had not distributed the funding in an attempt to boost oversight and accountability. Lake is a former TV news anchor who attacked journalists during her campaigns.

RFE/RL is one of many grantees funded by the U.S. Agency for Global Media through congressional appropriations, she was quoted byThe Times.

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Like other agencies, USAGM has uncovered notable waste, fraud, and abuse among its grantees, she claimed, without sharing any evidence to back up her assertion.

She added: The agency is diligently enhancing oversight while legally confronting those demanding unrestricted taxpayer money without accountability.

Founded in the 1950s, RFE/RL was a U.S. intelligence operation secretly funded by the CIA, seeking to promote anti-communist discord in Russia and Eastern Europe. However, it has been funded by Congress since the early 1970s, and it has since had editorial independence.

RFE/RL reports in almost 30 languages and reaches about 47 million people weekly in 23 countries, such as Russia, Hungary, and Afghanistan.

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The networks president, Stephen Capus, said in a statement Tuesday: For more than seven decades, RFE/RL has been a vital U.S. national security asset, fighting censorship to bring news to millions of people in the worlds most repressive societies.

He added that the organization would remain in court until the Trump officials distribute the funding allocated by Congress, as the court has ruled.
Apr. 4VAN WERT  A Delphos man will be sentenced next month following his conviction this week by a Van Wert County jury on charges of endangering children.

Ryan Acosta, 31, was found guilty of the second-degree felony charge, along with a similar misdemeanor count, for incidents that are alleged to have taken place Feb. 2 and Feb. 3 in Van Wert County. The victim in the case was under the age of 18, according to the grand jury indictment.

Judge Martin Burchfield ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set sentencing for May 8.

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Democrats are getting ready to push deeper into Republican-held turf next November.

Emboldened by the special elections last Tuesday, the GOPs adversaries are sensing opportunity. Three buzzy Senate candidates announced bids this week  the same week that Democratic turnout powered them to a decisive win in the swing state of Wisconsin and two long-shot Democrats overperformed in a pair of deep-red Florida districts. Now, party recruiters are reporting an uptick in interest from candidates in tough-to-win territory.

This puts a lot more on the field. That puts Democrats on offense. That is us saying  if youre in a Trump plus-15 district, were playing there, said Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.), a co-chair tasked with recruitment for the party campaign arm. Were seeing right now a lot of interest from people all over the country in stepping up for their country to run for office.

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In Iowa, two state lawmakers are considering runs against Rep. Zach Nunn in a district sure to be impacted by tariffs. Two prospective candidates in Pennsylvania and Michigan lost or left jobs thanks to the Trump administration, giving them a powerful story on the campaign trail. A pair of former representatives are considering comeback bids for battleground districts in the Rust Belt.

And Democrats think at least two districts in Virginia, held by GOP Reps. Rob Wittman and Jen Kiggans, are increasingly in play thanks to backlash to Elon Musks government cost-cutting frenzy  both have significant military populations. A possible top recruit is emerging: Pamela Northam, the former first lady of Virginia, has been approached to run for Kiggans' seat in the Hampton Roads area, according to two people familiar with those efforts, granted anonymity to discuss private conversations.

All this comes amid a punishing week for Republicans that saw the stock market crater after President Donald Trump rolled out tariffs and as his officials continue to face tough questions on the Signalgate debacle. Democrats are sensing an opening, and hoping to extend the momentum by recruiting candidates who might be newly energized to run.

People are upset. If you can channel that, use it for the right energy, run a strong campaign, get out there to the people  I think you can win here in Iowa, said J.D. Scholten, a Democrat who had been leaning against challenging Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) until Tuesdays elections. Now, he said, hes 50-50 on another run in a state where a Democrat hasnt held a Senate seat since 2015.

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House Democratic operatives have also reported an increasing openness from prospective Midwest candidates in Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin over the past few weeks. And the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee notes that based on Tuesdays margins in Florida there are roughly 40 additional offensive targets that House Democrats could go after in the midterms.

House Majority PAC, Democrats top outside group focused on congressional races, reported a tremendous amount of interest and enthusiasm from potential candidates across the country in the days leading up to and after Tuesday.

People have been receptive in the last 48 hours, said one House Democratic recruiter, who has spoken to candidates in seats as red as R+7 since the special elections.

Meanwhile, previously dejected Democrats are starting to think seriously about mounting campaigns to win the handful of seats required to recapture the House majority.

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Among them are former Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.), who is weighing a bid for elected office, possibly for the seat currently held by Republican Rep. John James, and Matt Cartwright, another former Democratic House member who is deciding whether to run again for his swing district in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Cartwright called Wisconsin's election results "very heartening" and said House Republicans made a grave political error when they voted for a budget blueprint that Democrats argue laid the groundwork for cuts to Medicaid. His former opponent, Rep. Rob Bresnahan, was one of them. Cartwright said 200,000 people in his old district depend on the program.

At least two possible candidates have first-hand experience with the upheaval caused by the Trump administration.

Ryan Crosswell, a former federal prosecutor who stepped down after the Department of Justice moved to drop charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, is considering running against freshman Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in Pennsylvania, according to a person familiar with his thinking. Crosswell declined to comment.

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Andrew Lennox, a veteran who briefly lost his job at Veterans Affairs hospital in Ann Arbor, thanks to Musks Department of Government Efficiency, is mulling a run for GOP Rep. Tom Barrett's seat in Michigan. Lennox, a guest of Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) at Trump's address to Congress, said the elections on Tuesday and Sen. Cory Bookers record-breaking speech left him inspired.

People actually beat billionaires, he said. Seeing that happen, that was a breath of fresh air. And maybe there is some hope out there that this isn't over."

State Sen. Sarah Anthony is another potential candidate to take on Barrett. And in Des Moines, state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, an ordained minister, and state Rep. Jennifer Konfrst are both considering runs against Nunn, according to two people familiar with their thinking.

Bob Harvie, a county commissioner in the Philadelphia suburbs, launched a bid against Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) this week after having conversations with the DCCC, according to a person familiar with the communications.

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And while Susan Wild, a former Democratic House member who represented a swing district in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, told POLITICO she is not running in 2026, she is working hard "to make sure we have a really solid Democratic nominee" for her old seat.

"It's got to make people more interested," she said of this week's election results, adding that Trump's tariffs and other factors are also making the political environment more favorable to Democrats. People who are contemplating running are saying, You know, I think even these tough districts we could flip.

However, she cautioned Democrats not to overreach. She said Republican-plus-10 districts are difficult, and the party shouldn't pursue them except in special cases.

"If they get ahead of themselves, if they get cocky about this, then the frontliners are gonna be really hurting," she said, referring to the partys vulnerable House incumbents.

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In New Jersey, for example, Democrats would love to oust Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a former Democrat who switched his affiliation in 2019, but not at the expense of easier targets.

Michael Suleiman, chair of the Atlantic County Democrats, acknowledged that the district "could be in play if we had a strong candidate." But he cautioned that the top two priorities for New Jersey Democrats in 2026 are to protect freshman Democratic Rep. Nellie Pou and oust GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr., both sitting in districts that Trump won by a little more than 1 percentage point. By contrast, he carried Van Drews district by nearly 13 percentage points.

And Democrats are still sizing up the impact of a shift among minority voters toward Trump in the 2024 election. Latino-heavy districts in particular moved to the right at the presidential level even as their voters picked Democratic congressional candidates last fall. Democrats are betting that shift was Trump-centric, but the GOP believes they will make even more inroads with Latinos down-ballot.

Democrats are flailing with no vision, no leader, no message. This is just the latest Hail Mary from a party in freefall, said Mike Marinella, a spokesperson for the House GOP campaign arm. While they chase fantasies, well keep exposing them for being out of touch and crush them again in 2026.

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But Democrats involved in flipping the House in the 2018 wave recalled that strong candidates in tough-to-win seats were a crucial part of their recipe for success. Formidable Democratic nominees like Kendra Horn in Oklahoma, Joe Cunningham in South Carolina and Ben McAdams in Utah were able to parlay a favorable political environment into wins in deep-red districts.

Veterans of that cycle said it pays dividends to recruit in longshot seats.

"I'd go as deep as R-plus-10, at least, said Meredith Kelly, the top spokesperson for the DCCC during the 2018 cycle. Put the surfboards in the water, you never know what's going to come."

Madison Fernandez and Elena Schneider contributed to this report.
A trio of election results this week have Republicans confronting a new reality: not only are they facing political headwinds as the party in power but simultaneously grappling with a dramatic reversal in the partisan preferences of the countrys most reliable voters.

For years, Republicans were seen as the party that dominated lower profile elections outside presidential years, while Democratic voters were less consistent. But under President Donald Trump, Republicans worry their base has shifted to include low propensity voters who turn out for him but are not as motivated as Democrats to show up when hes not on the ballot.

Democrats have overperformed the top of the 2024 ticket in nearly every special election this year, flipped control of two state Senate seats in Iowa and Pennsylvania, halved the margins for two open US House seats in Florida and won a high-profile Wisconsin state Supreme Court race by a resounding 10 points. While Democrats have said those results are a sign that voters are rejecting the Trump administrations agenda, some top Republicans have raised alarms about turning out the base.

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The political problem on the Republican side of the aisle is how to get our base to vote in off-cycle elections, Vice President JD Vance wrote on X, adding that it was time for the GOP establishment to learn from Trumps political success.

Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, argued that Republicans must acknowledge that they are the party of low propensity voters, or people who dont consistently show up to vote.

Special elections and off-cycle elections will continue to be a problem without a change of strategy, he wrote on X.

Kirk, whose organization worked to engage low propensity voters in swing states during the 2024 election cycle, said politics is an afterthought for many of their voters and Republicans needed to begin to fully fund the infrastructure to match the Democrat machine ahead of the 2026 midterms.

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Turning out Trump loyalists who vote infrequently could be key to Republicans electoral fortunes, especially as the presidents agenda risks pushing away independent and moderate swing voters.

Republicans are also hoping to maintain control of the Virginia governors seat, despite the states Democratic lean and potentially build on their narrow House and Senate majorities.

The party that wins the White House historically loses seats in midterm cycle that follows, and voters have become increasingly willing to back split government  Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden all lost the House two years after first being elected.

One GOP political operative familiar with House campaigns said the party is still on offense and pointed to the 13 US House districts Trump won in 2024 that are held by Democrats. Republicans have also noted its too early to say what the political climate, the economy or Trumps approval ratings will look like next year.

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A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week found that Trump had a 43% approval rating, with 52% of Americans saying they agree tariffs on imported goods would do more harm than good and 57% viewing the presidents moves to shake up the economy as too erratic.

The party of low propensity voters

Throughout the Trump era, Democrats have pointed to special and off-year election victories and closer-than-expected losses as evidence of a momentum advantage. During Trumps first term, Democrats won a GOP-held Pittsburgh-area US House seat and an Alabama US Senate seat in special elections ahead of winning back the House in 2018. The party also significantly cut into GOP margins in a handful of special elections for deep-red US House seats in states such as Kansas and South Carolina.

Mike DuHaime, a former political director of the Republican National Committee, said Republicans would have to learn the same lesson Democrats did under Obama. Despite his 2008 and 2012 wins, Democrats suffered substantial downballot losses in the 2010 and 2014 midterms.

When it comes down to turning out Republicans, it takes money, it takes a message, and it takes an exciting candidate, DuHaime said.

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He pointed to Wisconsin, where Brad Schimel, a conservative state Supreme Court candidate endorsed by Trump, lost to liberal Susan Crawford. Though Schimel won 63% of the number of votes Trump received in November  exceeding the 60% mark Republicans estimated they needed to win  Crawford won 78% of the number of votes Vice President Kamala Harris received. Schimel lost despite Trump hosting a tele-rally to back him and Tesla CEO Elon Muskcombining with allied groups to spend more than $20 million to boost him.

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel makes his concession speech to a crowd at his election night party on Tuesday in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. - Andy Manis/AP

In Wisconsin, the money was certainly there, DuHaime. Whether or not the message and the candidate were there, thats where the question lies.

Sean Noble, an Arizona-based Republican strategist, said Republicans have failed over the years to build up a long-lasting get-out-the-vote infrastructure to compete with Democrats.

Democrats have an advantage over Republicans on what I would call a permanent infrastructure of turnout that Republicans have never taken the time or effort or money to really build and sustain over the long term, he said.

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In 2024, the Trump campaign and its allies made the risky decision to focus on turning out infrequent voters for the president. That bet paid off for the president, but Republicans in other races struggled to harness that support for themselves, even when they shared the ballot with Trump.

While Trump won in Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin last year, the Republican Senate candidates he endorsed in those states lost after receiving several thousand fewer votes than the president. The Democratic Senate candidates were able to hold onto most of Vice President Kamala Harris support or, in the case of Ruben Gallego in Arizona, surpass it.

Republican pollster Whit Ayres dismissed the idea that the Republican Party as a whole had become the party most likely to benefit from turning out infrequent voters.

Donald Trump is president in no small part because of low propensity voters who turn out to vote for him, he told CNN. That doesnt mean theyre going to turn out to vote for other Republicans.

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Ayres said Democrats performance in recent special and off-year elections was reminiscent of the 2018 midterm elections, when Democrats made huge gains in the House of Representatives. To avoid a similar fate next year, he said Republicans would need to avoid unpopular agenda items.

You might want to not tank the entire world economy with massive tariffs, he said. That might be a good start.

A 2018 repeat?

Democrats have argued that the issue for Republicans isnt with infrequent voters, but with swing voters who elected Trump to lower prices and improve the economy.

Their problem is not that they plan for low propensity voters to vote in these special elections and theyre not showing up, said Heather Williams, the president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. What theyre losing is Republicans, either to inaction or questioning their policies.

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Jennifer Konfrst, Iowas Democratic House Minority Leader, said Democrats in her state wereable to flip a Republican-held state Senate seat thanks to solid candidate recruitment  Democrat Mike Zimmer was an elected school board leader and longtime high school principal in district  and connecting with Democrats who are ready to re-engage in politics after their defeat in November.

There are some folks who have just been kind of unplugging for a while, she said. They are plugged back in now, and they are ready to fight.

In Wisconsin, Democrats pointed to high turnout and Crawfords success in red areas as evidence that shed won over Trump voters. Crawford won ten counties that backed Trump in November, including Green Bays Brown County, where Musk gave out two $1 million checks to voters at an event the weekend before the election.

Elon Musk gives a check to an audience member during a rally in support of a conservative state Supreme Court candidate in Green Bay, Wisconsin. - Vincent Alban/Reuters

There were clearly MAGA voters that were voting for Brad Schimel, but there were a lot of Republican voters that were voting for Susan Crawford, Patrick Guarasci, a senior advisor to Crawfords campaign, told CNN.

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National Democrats have become increasingly bullish on their chances of winning back the House after Tuesdays races.

Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin said recent special elections showed voters moving en masse towards the Democratic Party, during a press call this week.

State party leaders are echoing that optimism. Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried said this weeks special election results should scare any Republican who won by less than 15 pointslast November, while in Wisconsin, chair Ben Wikler said voters in his state sent a clear message: Democrats are back.

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Thousands of people across the United States part in a day of protests Saturday against President Donald Trump's policies.

In the US capital Washington alone, thousands of demonstrators gathered at the Washington Monument near the White House.

On placards they were carrying, demonstrators demanded that officials uphold the constitution and that Trump be removed from office.

Other signs read: "Hands off democracy" or "Stop the coup."

Various organisations had jointly called for more than 1,000 gatherings  both large and small  in all 50 US states.

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They had estimated in advance that there could be more than 250,000 participants nationwide. Initially, the large number of events meant that there was no reliable data on the total number of participants.

In New York, thousands demonstrated against Trump and his close adviser Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire and head of the electric car company Tesla.

In Bryant Park, they held up signs with messages such as "Unplug Elon" or "I can only write this because there used to be a Department of Education."

There were also major protests in other cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Miami and Charlotte.

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Since taking office, Trump has begun to radically restructure the state apparatus with Musk's help, firing federal employees on a large scale and completely dismantling several agencies, including the Department of Education.

He has caused a stir and outrage with many highly controversial decisions and initiatives, both domestically and internationally. Democrats and experts view his course as a great danger to democracy.

Protesters gather in front of the Federal Courthouse in the city center as part of the nationwide "Hands Off" protests against US President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. Mark Hertzberg/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Snohomish County Sheriffs deputies are looking for an 11-year-old who tried to stab a student at his former middle school in Lynnwood before running off.

According to deputies, the child arrived on the campus of Alderwood Middle School around 1:30 p.m. on Friday. When he got there, he tried to stab another student.

A teacher witnessed this and intervened.

The targeted child was not injured.

In an email to parents, Principal Christy Frary acknowledged the staff members actions saying:

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Thanks to the quick and courageous actions of a staff member who witnessed the incident and immediately intervened, no students were injured.

Deputies say the child ran off and is on the run.

This is so tragic you know its like I could never fathom an 11-year-old boy doing that to another student, said Lynnwood resident Levi Maritz.

The attempted stabbing came as a shock to people in the community.

Being such a young age how could the school let that happen, you know? I just feel like the students are at a risk when theres no one protecting them, Maritz added.

He was identified as a former student of the school, so its unclear at this time if he was expelled or was pulled out of school. The Edmonds School District said he attends another school in the district.

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Its also unclear when the 11-year-old was last enrolled at that school.

There is no active threat to the students, staff, or school.

We understand that incidents like this are deeply concerning, and we are grateful for the swift response by our staff and local law enforcement. The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority, the Edmonds School District said in a statement.

This is a developing story.

KIRO 7 will have updates as they become available.




Home > 2025 > Neoliberal Peak: Endogenous Privatization and Bureaucratic Overreach in (...)

In recent years, public higher education in Telangana has witnessed a troubling shift toward market-driven practices and centralized bureaucratic control, driven by endogenous privatizationthe adoption of private-sector logics and practices within public institutions. This shift has blurred the lines between public and private interests, fundamentally altering the role and functioning of public colleges

The tenure of the former Commissioner of Collegiate Education in Telangana during 2018-2024 serves as a stark example of how neoliberal policies infiltrate public institutions, resulting in privatization from within. Faculty transfers, the closure of regional language courses, and extensive funding for private mentoring organizations were some of the key features of this era, which directly contradict the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020s vision for equity, access, and multilingual education.

What is Endogenous Privatization?

Privatization in education can take two forms: exogenous and endogenous.

Exogenous Privatization refers to the direct involvement of private actors in public education through mechanisms like private schools, public-private partnerships (PPPs), or outsourcing services (Ball, 2007). It is visible and external, often presented as a solution to the states perceived inefficiencies.

Endogenous Privatization, on the other hand, occurs within public institutions when they begin to adopt private sector practices, such as performance metrics, competition, branding, and profit-oriented strategies (Ball, 2012). Instead of focusing on academic growth and equity, these institutions shift their priorities toward market-like behaviours treating education as a commodity rather than a public good.

The current trends in Telanganas higher education system illustrate how endogenous privatization is reshaping public institutions into entities that prioritize visibility, rankings, and branding over their core academic and social missions.

Endogenous Privatization in Action

1. Public Funds Diverted to Private Mentoring Organizations

One of the clearest examples of endogenous privatization was the extensive funding of private mentoring organizations, such as the Institute of Academic Excellence (IAE), which conducted online orientation programs for faculty to prepare for NAAC accreditation and NIRF rankings. These programs were offered at exorbitant fees, despite the fact that public authorities could have easily provided them for free, if planned properly.

During this period, public institutions were systematically encouraged to participate in these paid programs, diverting substantial amounts of public money to private entities. This practice contradicted NEP 2020s focus on building internal capacity and ensuring affordable faculty development (NEP 2020, Section 17.8).

2. Centralized Procurement at Inflated Costs

Another hallmark of endogenous privatization was the centralization of procurement through the Commissionerate office. While centralization is often justified as a cost-saving measure, in reality, procured items were priced at nearly double the market rate, with contracts awarded to specific vendors. Colleges lost their financial autonomy, and public funds were systematically drained through inflated purchases, benefiting select contractors rather than institutions.

3. Arbitrary Faculty Transfers and Disruption of Academic Activity

Faculty transfers and course reorganizations during this period were chaotic and lacked transparency, violating UGC workload regulations and disturbing academic schedules.

Deployment in Multiple Colleges: Faculty were often assigned to two or more colleges, spending three days at one and another three days at a different college. This fractured their responsibilities and compromised teaching quality.

Downsizing of Faculty Positions: Under the guise of course reorganization, faculty positions were downsized without regard for academic needs, creating severe shortages in key subjects.

Leadership Vacancies: Nearly three-fourths of colleges lacked permanent principals. Instead of filling these vacancies, the Commissioner appointed additional in-charge principals from the faculty, often against their will. Faculty who refused were penalized, further demoralizing the teaching community.

Closure of Telugu-Medium Courses: The most concerning decision was the winding up of Telugu-medium programs, contradicting the NEP 2020s advocacy for multilingual education (NEP 2020, Section 4.11). This disproportionately affected rural and marginalized students, who often rely on Telugu as their primary language of instruction. By phasing out regional language programs, the administration reduced access to education and eroded local linguistic heritage, forcing students to either shift to English-medium programs or drop out.

4. Undermining Academic Cells and Depriving Teachers of Teaching Experience

Another significant consequence of neoliberal reforms was the restructuring of the Academic Cell in the Commissionerate of Collegiate Education. Once a vital wing of the State Council of Educational Research and Training, its core mission was to address challenges in higher education and provide meaningful teacher training programs. However, over time, it has been reduced to a mere administrative unit responsible for collecting data from colleges, scheduling programs, and handling routine communications.

Young faculty members, many of whom were new to the profession, were deputed to this cell for extended periods, keeping them away from classroom teaching for years. This early-career detachment from teaching led to a loss of professional commitment, as these teachers became accustomed to bureaucratic tasks rather than pedagogical responsibilities.

Moreover, since these deputed teachers came from various disciplines, their absence significantly disrupted academic programs in their respective colleges, aggravating faculty shortages and affecting student learning outcomes. Instead of recruiting additional ministerial staff for administrative tasks, faculty were misallocated, leading to a long-term deterioration of teaching standards in public colleges.

Symbolic Compliance and Performance Culture

Another striking feature of endogenous privatization is the rise of symbolic acts aimed at boosting institutional visibility rather than improving academic quality.

Calendar and Diary Unveiling Events: These events, conducted with great pomp and publicity, became routine occurrences in educational institutions. In many cases, the unveiled calendars contained nothing but dates and months, resembling marketing practices used by commercial enterprises. The question arises: What educational value do such events serve, other than enhancing the visibility of those at the helm of affairs?

Staged Co-Curricular Activities: Activities like NSS camps, field trips, seminars, and workshops were increasingly organized for documentation purposes to impress accreditation bodies like NAAC. These events existed primarily on paper, with photographs taken for records, often with minimal educational impact.

Enrollment Campaigns: Enrollment drives in feeder institutes were turned into marketing campaigns, focusing on increasing student numbers rather than providing meaningful engagement or academic support.

Such practices reflect what Shore and Wright (2015) describe as an "audit culture", where institutions prioritize documentation and rankings over actual educational outcomes.

Financial Mismanagement and Bureaucratic Overreach

Financial mismanagement and centralization were defining features of the period. Internal college funds were diverted indiscriminately, affecting essential infrastructure projects. College bank accounts were shifted from public sector banks to private banks, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.

The Commissioners tenure also saw a rise in court cases related to arbitrary suspensions of employees without procedural norms. Instead of fostering institutional growth, these actions demoralized faculty and eroded public trust in higher education governance.

Implications for Public Higher Education

Erosion of Institutional Autonomy: Centralized control and private sector involvement weakened the ability of public colleges to make independent decisions based on their academic needs.

Marginalization of Regional Languages: The closure of Telugu-medium courses and the emphasis on English-medium programs disproportionately affected rural students, exacerbating educational inequalities.

Commodification of Education: The increasing focus on visibility, rankings, and documentation has shifted public institutions toward a market-oriented framework.

Faculty Demoralization: Arbitrary transfers, forced additional responsibilities, and lack of transparency have left faculty members disillusioned and disengaged.

Conclusion:

The period of bureaucratic overreach and market-driven reforms in Telanganas higher education sector is a cautionary tale of the dangers of endogenous privatization. These practices have undermined the core mission of public education, prioritizing performance metrics and visibility over genuine academic development.

To align with the true spirit of NEP 2020, there is an urgent need to restore autonomy, promote regional languages, and ensure equitable access. Public education must reclaim its core mission of critical inquiry, inclusivity, and social responsibility, resisting the corporatization of academic spaces before it is too late.

(Author: Adama Srinivas Reddy (sreevare13[at]gmail.com) teaches at the Kakatiya Government College (Autonomous), Hanumakonda, Kakatiya University, and is a Founding member of the Society for Change in Education, Telangana)

References

Apple, M. W. (2006). Educating the "Right" Way: Markets, Standards, God, and Inequality. Routledge.

Ball, S. J. (2007). Education plc: Understanding Private Sector Participation in Public Sector Education. Routledge.

Ball, S. J. (2012). Global Education Inc.: New Policy Networks and the Neoliberal Imaginary. Routledge.

Giroux, H. A. (2014). Neoliberalisms War on Higher Education. Haymarket Books.

Ministry of Education (2020). The National Education Policy 2020, Government of India.

Shore, C., & Wright, S. (2015). Audit Culture and the Changing Role of the State. Social Anthropology.
PRAIRIE DU ROCHER, Ill.  A man was shot by deputies following a three-hour standoff Friday early morning.

The Monroe County Sheriffs Department were called just after 3 a.m. to a report of a man with a gun who allegedly threatened a woman in the 1900 block of Bluff Road in Prairie du Rocher, Illinois.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they made contact with the man and requested help from neighboring law enforcement.

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According to deputies, they made attempts to de-escalate the situation with the man who was armed. The negotiations lasted for about three hours, with Emergency Medical Services also present.

Deputies tased the man, but their attempts at subduing him were unsuccessful. According to Monroe County Sheriffs Department, the man raised his gun toward a deputy.

The department says the deputy discharged their gun, shooting the armed man in the process.

The man was then taken to a hospital.

Monroe County Sheriffs Department said an investigation into the incident is underway.

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FOX 2 is learning more information regarding the officer-involved shooting, but the Monroe County Sheriffs Department said an investigation into the incident is underway.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
In its sweeping deportation campaign against Venezuelan immigrants, the Trump administration has repeatedly relied on tattoos to determine whether someone is a member of the feared criminal syndicate Tren de Aragua.

But The Independent has found that the U.S. governments examples of TDA tattoos, created under the Biden administration, include art by artists in the UK and India, who say the tattoos they etched had innocent meanings. One honored the birth of a child, while another appears to commemorate the Aussie rock band AC/DC.

It is mind-blowing that this is being used as an example of gang tattoos. It makes no sense at all, the British artist whose clock tattoo appears in a 2024 Department of Homeland Security briefing on detecting and identifying TDA members told The Independent. I have no relationship to Venezuelan gangs, and my art has nothing to do with them.

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Other examples used by DHS can be found in online posts dating back up to 11 years, suggesting that they were acquired simply by searching the internet for tattoos of various topics, including crowns, trains, stars, clocks, and the words "Hijos de Dios" (meaning "sons of God"), or HJ for short.

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)

"Yes, this tattoo was done by me," said Vipul Chaudhary, a tattooist in Gujarat, India whose image posted on Pinterest in 2021 appears to be the original version of DHSs HJ example.

"The person who got this tattoo is my friend, and he lives in Gujarat."

The briefing is one of eight U.S. government documents, obtained by the transparency group Property of the People via public records requests and shared with The Independent, which reference tattoos as a way for law enforcement officers to spot potential members or affiliates of TDA.

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Largely compiled under Biden, these documents have now taken on new weight thanks to Trumps use of 18th-century wartime powers to deport hundreds of alleged TDA members with little to no due process  following a deal with El Salvadors president to hold them in a notoriously harsh mega-prison.

Among those deported so far are Andry Jose Hernandez Romero, a gay makeup artist who has repeatedly denied any association with TDA, and Neri Alvarado Borges, who has an autism awareness tattoo in honor of his brother.

Well, youre here because of your tattoos, an ICE agent allegedly told Borges. Were finding and questioning everyone who has tattoos.

Alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government are being imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) (Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS)

Court papers shared by the ACLU suggest that DHS is using an "Alien Enemies Act Validation Guide" to decide who can be deported, assigning different point values to various characteristics including tattoos.

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Its unclear whether these documents played any role in the current deportations. But they are some of the only public evidence available of what kind of tattoos DHS considers indicative of someone possibly being a member or associate of TDA.

I can't say whether these particular documents were in the hands of particular agents at particular moments. What I can say is these documents have been circulated widely among law enforcement, and that the clear, intended purpose of these documents is to be instructional for law enforcement in identifying supposed TDA members, said Ryan Shapiro, executive director of Property of the People.

Experts say that TDA, like most Venezuelan gangs, doesnt use tattoos to signal membership, and several documents seen by The Independent clearly warn officers not to rely solely on tattoos.

Three of the four train tattoos from the government documents first appeared on a lifestyle blog offering train tattoo ideas for men (DHS)

Its an idea that has been taken from Central America and has been incorrectly applied to Tren de Aragua, Rebecca Hanson, a University of Florida professor who studies violence and policing in Venezuela, told The Independent.

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And while some of the example photographs of tattoos feature actual Venezuelan nationals detained at the U.S. border, others have more obscure origins.

It looks like theyve just pulled random images off Google

Take the elaborately detailed arm tattoo of a pocket watch and dove, which comes from the Instagram page of a tattoo artist in Nottingham, England. In DHSs version, someone has manually removed the artists watermark.

The tattoo was done in England on someone that is of caucasian ethnicity, said the artist, who asked to remain anonymous. It was to represent the birth of his child and love.

In the DHS documents, a screenshot of a clock matches a tattoo posted on Instagram by a British tattoo artist (DHS)

In DHSs briefing the tattoo is blurred, but on the artists Instagram page it clearly includes a date across the clock face.

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The artist called the DHS document linking it to TDA membership as a total misrepresentation of the tattoos meaning, saying: To me it honestly looks like they have just pulled random images off Google or Pinterest Im not happy that its been used within some document about this issue.

The Independent has confirmed that the man who got the tattoo lives in the UK, but is withholding his identity out of respect for his privacy.

Or take the HJ tattoo inked in India by Vipul Chaudhary, which appears cropped and stretched in the DHS briefing.

The 'HJ' tattoo that Vipul Chaudhary says he inked for his friend in Gujarat, India (Vipul Chaudhary via Pinterest)

Chaudhary said he has known the tattoos owner for about two or three years, and that rather than meaning Hijos de Dios, the letters are simply family initials. "My friend's name's first letter and his wife's names' first letter. That's all, he told The Independent.

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Meanwhile, one of the examples of a train tattoo DHS provides was actually inked in 2019 by Revival Tattoos in the historic English seaside resort of Blackpool, according to a post on Pinterest.

Revival did not respond to requests for comment, but the photo offers a clear clue to the tattoos true meaning: the logo of Australian rock band AC/DC, who performed in front of a giant model train during their 2008-10 world tour.

Upon closer inspector, the logo for the band AC/DC is clearly visibly across the side of the train (DHS)

Three of the other four train examples included in the documents were all featured in a 2015 article on the mens lifestyle site Next Luxury, entitled 70 Train Tattoo Ideas for Men.

DHSs example of a crown tattoo appears to have come from a Spanish-language tattoo ideas blog, while one of its Real hasta la muerta examples came from the TikTok page of a Colombian tattoo artist  who indicated that it was actually quoting the debut album of widely popular Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Anuel AA.

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The photos' provenance was first spotted by Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council, a pro-immigrant non-profit, UK-based political consultant Arieh Kovler, and Bluesky user @itsTyGrey. The documents themselves were f irst reported by USA Today.

A spokesperson for DHS did not respond to questions from The Independent.

Real hasta la muerte is also the name of a popular Reggaeton album (DHS)

Hundreds deported with minimal due process

The documents seen by The Independent predate Trumps recent declaration of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, spanning July 2023 to January 2025. They bear the marks of various government agencies such as DHS, the FBI, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Although some documents are based purely on photos and details of named Venezuelan nationals whom agents suspected of TDA links, several incorporate internet material with no apparent connection to the gang.

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In one briefing from the Homeland Security Investigations's Chicago Field Division, whose serial number suggests it was created in 2024, eight out of the nine reference photos appear to have come from innocuous online posts.

Open source material has depicted TDA members with a combination of the below tattoos, it reads (see Exhibit 2 here), under the heading DETECTING AND IDENTIFYING.

Most of the documents offer little detail about how agents decided certain designs were linked to TDA. The exception is a DHS summary of an interview with Venezuelan asylum seeker who claimed to have been a high-ranking police officer in his home country, and who described tattoos as the easiest but least effective way to spot TDA members.

The documents make plain what should have already been obvious: The use of tattoos to justify these deportations is a ploy to disguise nativism and cruelty as a national security imperative, said Shapiro from Property of the People.

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On DHSs Alien Enemies scorecard, tattoos linked to gang membership is worth four points, while clothing such as high-end streetwear or Michael Jordan gear counts for another four. That is despite some of the documents explicitly warning that these alone are not proof of TDA membership.

ICE only needs eight points, according to the guide, to determine whether a suspect is a validated member of Tren de Aragua and can be summarily deported.

The ACLU has accused DHS of wrongly deporting people with no opportunity to challenge the claims against them, and multiple judges have ordered such deportations be halted. Officials have admitted that at least one of the prisoners was deported in error.

That they are placing so much weight on common tattoos and hand gestures is inconsistent with what experts say are reliable methods of determining TDA membership, ACLUs lead counsel on the case Lee Gelernt told The Independent.

When The Independent questioned White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt about these criteria on Monday, she did not dispute the document but said DHS considers a litany of criteria that they use to ensure that these individuals qualify as foreign terrorists.

Then she turned her fire on our reporter. "Shame on you and shame on the mainstream media for trying to cover [for] these individuals," she said.

Additional reporting by Alex Woodward.

This story was updated on April 7, 2025 to correct that three out of five train tattoo examples appeared in the same 2015 article, not three out of four.
A contentious mayoral race in Belleville brought about 400 more voters to the polls on Tuesday than in the last consolidated election, but some people were surprised that turnout wasnt higher.

The race had pitted incumbent Mayor Patty Gregory against City Clerk Jenny Gain Meyer. It also represented a split between two powerful Democrats in the metro-east. St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern supported Gregory, and Illinois Rep. Jay Hoffman supported Meyer, who won handily.

Some 5,388 people voted for mayor, representing 18.5% of the citys 29,075 registered voters, according to unofficial election results released Tuesday evening by St. Clair County Clerk Tom Holbrooks office.

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That doesnt include about 700 mail-in ballots for races all over the county that are still being counted, said Elections Supervisor Laura Kaemmerer. So the turnout percentage for Bellevilles mayoral race could increase slightly.

The unofficial results included 3,399 votes (about 63%) for Meyer, 1,972 (36%) for Gregory and 17 (less than 1%) for write-ins, with at least eight for declared write-in candidate Ryan Musick.

At a recent candidate forum, Meyer brought up the issue of low voter turnout in the 2021 city election.

We have to do better at getting people involved, she said.

So what is normal turnout in Belleville mayoral elections, and how has it changed over the years? Answers can be found in online records maintained by Holbrooks office and the BNDs election coverage. Here are the basics on six other races this century:

26% turnout in 2001

The campaign leading up to the April 3, 2001, mayoral election got confusing with two candidates named Mark A. Kern. Mark Alan Kern, a local businessman, challenged incumbent Mayor Mark Andrew Kern, a distant relative.

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Some 6,799 people voted for mayor, representing 26% of the citys 26,093 registered voters. The incumbent Kern won with 4,340 votes (about 64%), compared to 2,459 votes (36%) for challenger Kern.

18% turnout in 2005

Candidates in the April 5, 2005, mayoral election included incumbent Mayor Mark Eckert, who had been appointed four months earlier, when former Mayor Kern became county chairman. Eckert ran as part of a Good Government Party slate. He was challenged by local businessman Robert ORear.

Some 4,972 people voted for mayor, representing about 18% of the citys 27,712 registered voters. Eckert won in a landslide with 3,750 votes (about 75%), compared to 1,222 votes (25%) for ORear.

10% turnout in 2009

Eckert ran unopposed in the April 7, 2009, election, leading to the phenomenon that many people who cast ballots didnt even bother to vote for mayor, focusing on other races instead.

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Some 3,769 Belleville residents voted in the consolidated election, representing nearly 13% of the citys 29,286 registered voters. But only 2,895 voted for mayor (less than 10%). Eckert received 2,699 votes. Some 196 people submitted names of write-in candidates.

24% turnout in 2013

Eckert faced two challengers in the April 9, 2013, election. The heated campaign featured strong criticism by candidates Joe Hayden and Phil Elmore, both insurance agents and aldermen.

Some 6,506 people voted for mayor, representing nearly 24% of the citys 27,278 registered voters. Eckert won with 2,732 votes (about 42%), compared to 2,261 (35%) for Hayden and 1,513 (23%) for Elmore.

21% turnout in 2017

Belleville City Clerk Dallas Cook challenged Eckert in the April 4, 2017, election. He was trying to follow in the footsteps of his father, Rodger Cook, who served as mayor in the 1990s.

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Some 6,527 people voted for mayor, representing about 21% of the citys 30,421 registered voters. Eckert won easily with 4,342 votes (66.5%), compared to 2,185 votes (33.5%) for Cook.

15% turnout in 2021

Eckert was challenged in the April 6, 2021, election by Gregory, a retired schoolteacher and founding director of Art on the Square, as well as write-in candidate J.D. Dixon.

Some 4,987 people voted for mayor, representing about 15% of the citys 32,389 registered voters. Gregory unseated the incumbent, who had served more than 16 years, with 2,806 votes (about 56%), compared to 2,145 for Eckert (43%) and 36 (less than 1%) for Dixon.
A divided Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration by allowing officials to block $65 million in teacher development grants frozen over concerns they were promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices.

The 5-4 emergency ruling, for now, lifts a lower order that forced the Education Department to resume the grants in eight Democratic-led states that are suing.

Five of the courts six conservatives sided with the administration to grant the request. Chief Justice John Roberts and the courts three liberal justices dissented.

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The decision is not a final ruling in the case, and the dispute could ultimately return to the Supreme Court. Fridays order enables the administration to keep the grants blocked until any appeals are resolved.

Respondents have represented in this litigation that they have the financial wherewithal to keep their programs running. So, if respondents ultimately prevail, they can recover any wrongfully withheld funds through suit in an appropriate forum, the majority said it its unsigned ruling.

In February, the administration began canceling disbursements under two federal education grants aimed at developing educators and combatting teacher shortages: the Teacher Quality Partnership Program and the Supporting Effective Educator Development Program.

Officials have cast the freezes as part of the administrations broader crackdown on DEI, and it also comes as Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon look to effectively gut the department.

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U.S. District Judge Myong Joun, an appointee of former President Obama who serves in Boston, issued a March 10 temporary restraining order mandating the administration immediately resume the grant programs in the eight states.

The Trump administrations Supreme Court emergency appeal comes after a three-judge panel on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to lift Jouns ruling.

The chief justice did not explain his dissent, but the courts three liberals chastised the majority for getting involved at the early stage of the case.

The risk of error increases when this Court decides casesas herewith barebones briefing, no argument, and scarce time for reflection, Justice Elena Kagan wrote in a two-paragraph solo dissent.

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Sometimes, the Court must act in that way despite the risk. And there will of course be good-faith disagreements about when that is called for, she continued. But in my view, nothing about this case demanded our immediate intervention. Rather than make new law on our emergency docket, we should have allowed the dispute to proceed in the ordinary way.

In a much lengthier dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, said it was beyond puzzling that the majority viewed the dispute as an emergency.

This Courts eagerness to insert itself into this early stage of ongoing litigation over the lawfulness of the Departments actionseven when doing so facilitates the infliction of significant harms on the Plaintiff States, and even though the Government has not bothered to press any argument that the Departments harmcausing conduct is lawfulis equal parts unprincipled and unfortunate. It is also entirely unwarranted, Jackson wrote.

The administration has filed a series of such emergency applications urging the justices to rein in lower courts that have blocked Trumps policies.

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Beyond the systemic, irreparable constitutional harm to the Executive Branch from judicial arrogation of executive functions as to how and when agencies will disburse or cancel grants, even the court of appeals acknowledged that the government may incur some irreparable harm if it cannot recoup this money, the Justice Department wrote in court filings.

The states, whose lawsuit alleges applicable regulations dont permit the administration to stop the grant programs, noted the lower ruling is temporary and normally not appealable.

The district court acted appropriately in granting a narrow and time-limited restraining order while it proceeds to a prompt ruling on the motion for a preliminary injunction. There is no sound basis for this Court to stay or vacate that order, the states wrote.

Led by California, the coalition also comprises Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, New York and Wisconsin.

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Their lawsuit now returns to the trial court, where Joun is mulling whether to grant a longer injunction after holding a hearing last Friday. But the five justices in the majority cast doubt on the future of the lawsuit, saying Joun lacks jurisdiction.

And it is just one of two lawsuits challenging the frozen teacher grants. A similar case filed by private education groups remains at a midlevel appeals court.

The new ruling marks the Supreme Courts second emergency decision implicating the second Trump administrations sweeping efforts to cut aspects of federal spending.

In March, the court in a 5-4 decision rejected the administrations request to freeze $2 billion in foreign aid payments.

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Updated 5:04 p.m. EDT

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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A week after an earthquake flattened central Myanmar, the countrys shunned dictator swapped his green army uniform for a neat black suit and headed to Bangkok.

It was a diplomatic triumph for General Min Aung Hlaing. Since seizing power four years ago and plunging his country into a civil war he has been treated as pariah on the international stage, with overseas trips only to China and Russia, his key backers.

But on Thursday he was welcomed into Thailand for the first time since 2021, where he rubbed shoulders with leaders from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal at a summit of countries from the Bay of Bengal. Disaster management was on the agenda.

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The trip exploits a window opened by the earthquake to ramp up diplomacy, and is a major moment for a man who has long desired legitimacy on the international stage.

Yet at home, his position is weaker than ever.

On Thursday, Min Aung Hlaing was welcomed into Thailand for the first time since 2021 - THAI MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

This is a time of jeopardy for him, said Richard Horsey, a Myanmar researcher at the Crisis Group think tank.

Im sure hell be relieved to leave the chaos and destruction behind and spend a day with other leaders, and imagine that he is gradually being accepted on the world stage [but] the grim reality will reassert itself as soon as he returns.

He added: There is significant elite discontent that will only grow if the regime response remains chaotic and ineffective.

Min Aung Hlaing met Narendra Modi, Indias prime minister, in Thailand - PIB/AFP/Getty Images

It is now a week since Myanmar was hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake, flattening thousands of buildings, toppling bridges and buckling roads.

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At least 3,100 people have been confirmed dead  a figure that is almost certain to rise as more bodies are pulled from mounds of rubble and mangled metal.

The south-east Asian country, a former British colony, has largely been run by kleptocratic and corrupt military dictatorships since the 1960s. But the quake has compounded an existing humanitarian crisis: the civil war has killed thousands, displaced three million people, and left 20 million people in need of aid.

Now, already stretched hospitals are overwhelmed with earthquake victims, with doctors forced to treat patients outside in 40C temperatures amid fears buildings could collapse. Clean water, food, medicines and shelter are in short supply, and rain forecast for the coming week will only make things worse.

Credit: Myanmar Fire Services Department

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Our entire family has to sleep by the roadside, May Thaw Lwin, who lives in the hard-hit city of Mandalay, told the Telegraph. There are constant aftershocks, and even if we wanted to stay at a friends house, were afraid it might collapse too.

Sleeping outside means getting bitten by a lot of mosquitoes, she added. Were also struggling with water and food shortages and the smell of decomposition is getting stronger. Living in this country, its not just about having bad luck anymore. It feels like were the unluckiest people in the world.

Although as much as 60 per cent of Myanmar is now held by opposition groups, the disaster has disproportionately affected junta-held territory  including the capital Naypyidaw, their seat of power.

But although Min Aung Hlaing has been photographed visiting hospitals and inspecting rescue efforts, most view the militarys response as slow. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has also accused the junta of restricting aid supplies to areas where local communities do not back its rule.

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Mr Horsey said Min Aung Hlaing has failed to even arrange search and rescue or emergency shelter for civil servants in the capital.

This disaster plays to all his weaknesses, he said. He has been criticised within regime circles for being indecisive, micro-managing and unstrategic. Those traits have all been in evidence since the quake. His detractors will have new ammunition.

At least 3,100 people have been confirmed dead following the earthquake - SAI AUNG MAIN/AFP via Getty Images

Morgan Michaels, a research fellow for South East Asian security and defence at the Institute for Strategic Studies, said: The military is in a weaker position now. Their administrative capacity has been hit hard and its communications lines may have been severed by the earthquake. Min Aung Hlaing will be blamed  this is bad for him.

There is also mounting anger that the military has continued to drop bombs since the earthquake struck.

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While opposition groups  including the exiled National Unity Government, and the powerful Three Brotherhood Alliance  rapidly announced ceasefires, the junta held off. On April 2 they were pushed to do so, but the UN said it is investigating 16 reports of airstrikes since then.

David Eubank, head of the Free Burma Rangers, which operates inside Myanmar, also sent The Telegraph unpublishable photographs of people and buildings hit in airstrikes in Shan and Karenni state since Wednesday. In one, a body is burned beyond recognition, another image appears to show a person decapitated.

Commentators said the militarys drive to maintain airstrikes is itself a sign of weakness, not power, especially as it comes after a stretch of time where the junta has struggled to recruit new soldiers and lost several key battles.

The earthquake has shaken more than just buildings, its rattled the juntas already fragile grip on power, said Nang San Htwe, a 27-year-old in central Myanmar.

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As they seek legitimacy abroad, the crisis at home exposes their vulnerability. Natural disasters dont discriminate, but their impact does. With resources stretched and legitimacy crumbling, the earthquake may prove to be another fault line in the juntas rule. Its not just about survival, its about control.

But its not yet clear how the overall civil war will be affected by the earthquake.

Mr Michaels said it would be a good time for opposition groups to strike a vulnerable junta, but the optics of that could be bad and any new offensive may backfire.

No straight path to a peaceful future

Mr Horsey added: As regards the conflict, there is no straight path from here to a more peaceful future. The regime and the resistance groups born after the coup are locked in an existential battle to eliminate the other.

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Yet for those struggling to pick up their lives inside the deeply superstitious country, the earthquake  which followed the militarys show of might at an armed forces day parade on Thursday  has been taken as an omen that Min Aung Hlaings days are numbered.

Traditional Myanmar culture has always seen natural disasters as cosmic commentary on the leaders of the day, [that] bad things happen when there are bad rulers, said Mr Horsey.

As a deeply superstitious person himself, he knows that many people around him, and across the country, will interpret this earthquake as a consequence of the coup and the subsequent violence his regime has unleashed.

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Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency is expected to take aim at the Department of Homeland Security in the coming days, seeking potentially major cuts to personnel across its agencies, including the US Secret Service, multiple sources tell CNN.

DHS is bracing for what could amount to significant layoffs, four sources familiar with the matter who were granted anonymity to speak freely told CNN, though no final decisions have been made, and the ultimate scale and scope has not been set.

This week, two of the sources said, there was back-and-forth negotiation and lobbying between DOGE, the White House, and Homeland Security leadership, with each of the departments components expected to be impacted differently. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, is expected to be decimated, one of the sources said.

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Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are also facing potential cuts, two of the sources said.

A senior DHS official told CNN the department is determined to eliminate government waste that has been happening for decades at the expense of the American taxpayer. Across DHS, we will be eliminating non-mission critical positions and bureaucratic hurdles that undermine our mission to secure the homeland. Secretary Noem is determined to return DHS to its core mission of keeping America safe.

CNN has reached out to DHS and DOGE for comment. The Secret Service declined to comment.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is expected to send an email to her departments personnel in the coming days laying out the expected cuts, with a separate email in the works detailing potential options for employees to include voluntary separations and early retirements. One of the sources made clear that Noems name may be on that email  but it is top Trump aide Stephen Miller, DOGE and other White House staff making the key decisions.

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Cuts to the Secret Service would come at a particularly challenging time for the agency, which has been strained by what top officials have cast as an unprecedented and dynamic threat environment, including two assassination attempts on President Donald Trump last summer. The agency has been wracked with low morale, burnout, low staffing, and retention issues.

The agency spent an unprecedented $2 million last February on a television recruiting advertisement, tapping blockbuster movie director Michael Bay for the ad.

Officials have repeatedly argued in testimony on Capitol Hill following the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, that the agency is underfunded and under-resourced.

Any cuts at the agency, one of the sources said, are likely to impact administrative and technical staff, but could also impact new hires and those who are within their probationary period, positions that are more easily cut. It is not expected, that source said, to immediately impact the agencys core missions and readiness  though it could in time, particularly if those in law enforcement roles need to backfill vacant support positions.

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There is tremendous anxiety about what could ultimately take place at the USSS among rank-and-file staff, the sources said, and hesitancy to speak to reporters due to the threat of polygraph tests.

Its hard for the Service to execute on a strategy, which is to bolster their resources and funding  especially in the wake of the attack on President Trump in Butler. How do they build that strategy now having to reduce a workforce? questioned Jonathan Wackrow, a CNN contributor and former USSS agent.

Wackrow continued, The mission is not directly impacted with what is being proposed at this moment  but it will over time. You start creating these intrinsic vulnerabilities in your workforce that could lead to another Butler.

News of the potential cuts sent shockwaves across DHS component agencies Saturday, multiples sources said, with personnel desperately seeking clarity from their managers regarding whether they might be impacted.

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At the Secret Service, senior managers told personnel Saturday that DHS was conducting a downsizing assessment for each of its component agencies, sources said, but any possible cuts remained unclear. Senior Secret Service officials also told the rank-and-file they were awaiting further clarity from DHS leadership, which they hoped to have in the coming days.

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Federal prosecutors in New York are seeking more than seven years in prison for disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), arguing that he has used criminal scandal as a springboard to wealth and fame.

Santos, elected in 2022, ran his campaign on lies about his background and fraudulent moneymaking schemes, according to a 26-page sentencing memo by the Department of Justice. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft last year.

The DOJ called him a pathological liar and fraudster, saying his depiction of himself as a highly educated, independently wealthy, successful businessman tricked victims into donating to his campaign.

Former U.S. Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft last year. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Santos planned and executed an assortment of fraudulent schemes and leveraged them and a fictitious life story to enrich himself and capture one of the highest offices in the government of the United States, the memo said.

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A number of claims Santos made on the campaign trail and while in office have been debunked.

His assertions of working at top Wall Street firms and having a college degree were not true. He also made a slew of wilder falsehoods, including, but not limited to, claiming to The New York Times that Chinese communists kidnapped his niece and telling donors he had produced the Spider-Man musical.

Santos also pleaded guilty to stealing the identities of nearly a dozen people, including his own family, to keep the money flowing to his campaign.

From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santoss unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives, the DOJ wrote.

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According to a scathing report by a House Ethics committee in 2023, Santos allegedly used his campaign funds to treat himself to a number of expenses, including OnlyFans, Hermes and Botox.

When Santos pleaded guilty last year, he told reporters outside the court, Its not only a recognition of my misrepresentation to others, but more profoundly, it is my own recognition of the lies I told myself over these past years.

As part of his deal with prosecutors, he agreed to pay $580,000 in fines.

Despite being ousted by Congress in 2023, Santos continued to make public appearances through interviews, Cameo, OnlyFans, and his podcast, Pants on Fire. Prosecutors called the podcast a perfect crystallization of his lack of genuine contrition and his tone-deaf efforts to continue turning lies into dollars.

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The memo went on to say that Santos leveraged his lawbreaking as a springboard to celebrity and riches. According to prosecutors, Santos has earned more than $350,000 from his Cameo commissions alone, and was paid at least $200,000 after contracting with a documentary filmmaker.

The DOJ justified its sentencing request by stating it was necessary to protect the public, provide a deterrence, and promote respect for the law, all while calling Santoss history and characteristic extremely troubling.

Santos attorney, Andrew Mancilla, slammed the sentencing request in a statement sent to HuffPost.

The government is pushing for a draconian 7+ year sentence, cherry-picking facts and ignoring its own evidence, he said. Comparable political finance cases resulted in dramatically lighter sentences - theyre clearly overreaching for headlines, not justice.

Related...
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Its important to keep your personal information safe and avoid scams  heres what you need to know.

ABC4s Jonathan May met with FBI Supervisory Special Agent Michael Montoya and Utah Attorney Generals Office Chief of Investigations Nathan Mutter to go over ways you can stop scammers from stealing your money.

Here in Utah, folks are more trusting. Everybodys kindhearted here. We will see that in those cases that they are using maybe a charity or some other thing that seems legitimate and defrauding through those means, Montoya said.

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If out of nowhere you get a suspicious email, call, or text dont respond, Mutter said.

Follow that up in person or call the entity individually to verify what it is theyre actually looking for, Mutter said.

Montoya says to look out for law enforcement impersonators and be skeptical. Montoya said usually, agents will ask people to come to the FBI office in person, rather than call like scammers may.

The most recent numbers from the FBI internet crime complaint center paint the picture. In 2023, 944 Utahns over 60 years old got scammed, losing a total of over $27 million. Losses for everyone under 60 nearly hit $55 million.

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Thats how they get a lot of the information they want, is sending unsolicited types of things that look legitimate. If you dont do your homework on it and you just respond without thinking about it, thats when theyll get you, Mutter said.

Mutter said that the state will look into it if youre scammed.

Those specific crimes at times are hard to investigate, especially when the suspects are outside of the jurisdiction of law enforcement, i.e., in another country, but at the same time, we want to be able to understand what the problem is if were going to be able to address it, Mutter said.

Montoya said that FBI agents will likely be the ones to investigate when scammers are working across state lines.

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High dollar amounts, things that are more complicated and likely difficult for local law enforcement to pursue information or criminals in other states, those are opportunities where we kind of fit in to try to leverage those more high dollar cases that are a little bit more complicated, Montoya said.

Agents say signs to watch out for are if the message claims to be urgent, has misspelling and bad grammar, and if the email asks you to click a linkdont!

ABC4 will be hosting Shred Day next weekend to help protect people from identity theft. The event will be on Saturday, April 12 from 9 a.m.  noon, where you can bring your personal documents and shred them safely. Well also be accepting e-waste, such as computers and phones, that you may need to get rid of without compromising your personal data.

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Over a million Canadian snowbirds go south when it gets cold every year, and many of them choose to spend winters in Florida.

Don't miss

But the current political climate is changing that.

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Gulf Coast News recently reported on a mass exodus of Canadians from Southwest Florida as new travel regulations are imposed and the trade war escalates.

CNN also recently reported on snowbirds considering alternative destinations or selling their properties. Some of the clients I have been dealing with want to sell at any cost, even at a loss, said Share Ross, a realtor based in southeast Florida.

More home purchases in the U.S. are done by Canadians than any other country  13% from April 2023 to March 2024, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) says, reported CBC News. Half of all Canadian purchases were vacation homes, and roughly 41% of sales were in Florida.

This will likely have a ripple effect on the tourism industry and local businesses.

If we travel at all, it wont be here

Many Canadians are rethinking their plans to return to Florida, with some even considering putting their properties on the market.

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"Ive lived here six months. This is my home, but Im leaving April 2," said Susan, a Canadian speaking with Gulf Coast News. She was not comfortable sharing her last name for fear of becoming a target amid the growing political divide between the U.S. and Canada.

For the Presement family, regular winter residents in Fort Myers, the political landscape has left them regretting their decision to visit Florida. The truth of the matter is if I hadn't prepaid everything and wasn't here and your weather wasnt so damn nice. I'd go home now, said Barry Presement to Gulf Coast News. He and his wife Ruth have no plans to return next winter. "If we travel at all, it wont be here," Ruth said. "For sure, it wont be here. Well go elsewhere."

Their son Brian had even considered retiring in Southwest Florida, but now says Mexico is looking like a better option. "We thought about buying a home in Florida, but now we might reconsider that," he said.

Local businesses are probably going to feel the strain of Canadians avoiding the U.S.

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It's not only having a negative impact on the tourism market, but business as a whole,said Cole Peacock, owner of cannabis cafe & CBD marketplace Seed and Bean to Gulf Coast News. You need those extra visits to kick that profit margins to another level.

"Not only have Canadians been electing to divest from their vacation homes and investment properties in Florida, they have also been canceling their trips to the area which is having a negative impact on our vacation rental market," Robert Washington of Savvy Buyers Realty told Realtor.com. "We have heard from several of our vacation rental property owners that they have experienced multiple cancellations from Canadian guests due to the tariff battle. Hopefully the tariff situation is resolved soon, or it could have a lasting impact on our tourism industry."

Read more: Trump warns his tariffs will spark a disturbance in America  use this 1 dead-simple move to help shockproof your retirement plans ASAP

What Americans can expect with tariffs

The U.S. Travel Association has said Florida is among the top five most visited states by Canadians and it could see declines in retail and hospitality revenue, as shopping is the top leisure activity for Canadian visitors.

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In addition to losing business from a lack of Canadian visitors, Florida businesses and consumers are also facing another blow, the implementation of tariffs on imports from Canada and the rest of the world.

These tariffs are set to raise the costs of imported goods, raw materials, and even locally produced items that rely on imported components.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta found that an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports, 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, and 10% tariffs on other countries could raise consumer prices on everyday retail purchases such as food and beverage items and general merchandise, covering about a quarter of the total consumption basket, by 0.81% to 1.63%, assuming the costs are fully passed to the consumer.

So what can consumers do to protect their budgets?

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A good place to start is to review spending habits, since cutting costs could provide some relief. Consider buying essentials in bulk before the tariffs drive prices higher. That way, you can lock in current prices and shield yourself from immediate price increases.

For those willing to shop around, you can consider products from countries not affected by tariffs, or choose items that are produced locally to avoid the extra costs.

Above all, staying informed is critical. As tariffs and related policies continue to evolve, consumers who stay up-to-date should be better equipped to make smarter financial decisions.

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Researchers at a controversial research center in Washington County rallied together in support of the work they do at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at the Oregon Health and Science University West campus. The center has been a hub of controversy among animal rights activists and some medical experts for years.

OHSU officials say this all began after a series of advertisements bashing the ONPRC, which they say led to Governor Tina Kotek asking them to figure out a way to close it.

Man fired, waved gun, used racial slurs, police say

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Thats why close to 70 people gathered along 185th and Northeast Holly in Beaverton, hoping to change peoples minds when it comes to how the nearly 5,000 monkeys are treated behind closed doors at the research center.

ONRPC veterinarian Drew Martin told KOIN 6 News that the governor has not responded to the universitys request to visit the center.

I would love for the governor and her staff to get out here and see us and its really just the people. I think a lot of the stuff thats in the news that talks about the facts, about OHSU, it doesnt humanize it, she said. And there are over 500 individuals that work here and care about the animals and care about the science. And were really a community out here where, you know, weve worked together to do the best we can for the animals and for the research.

(Courtesy of the Oregon National Primate Center.)

Oregon Health and Science Universitys Peter Barr-Gillespie, Ph.D., Chief Research Officer and Executive Vice President, released a statement to KOIN 6. In part, it reads:

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There is an active media campaign suggesting that the State of Oregon should not approve the Legacy Health integration unless the Oregon National Primate Research Center, or ONPRC, is closed. We learned today that constituents who have written to Gov. Kotek suggesting the ONPRC be closed are now receiving a response from her office that says in part: OHSU should figure out how to close its primate research center. Along with other members of OHSUs leadership team, I have been and will continue to meet with the governor and her staff to discuss the important research underway at the West Campus, as well as to inform them of the impacts that closing the ONPRC would have.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine or PCRM claims on its website that the research center could easily do at least some studies on humans or through other avenues rather than using primates.

Portland police prepare for anti-Trump protests

PCRM is asking Oregonians to reach out to Governor Tina Kotek and the Oregon Health Authority to voice any concerns they might have.

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KOIN 6 News reached out to Governor Koteks office for comment. We will update this story when we hear back.

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DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  The Dayton Police Department responded to a reported shooting on Saturday morning.

Montgomery County Regional Dispatch confirmed there was a call for a possible shooting at 4 a.m. in the 1900 block of North Main Street.

Dispatch could not confirm anything else about the incident.

This is a developing situation; 2 NEWS will update this article as more information becomes available.

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Sweeping job cuts and reorganizations taking place at the US Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leave the United States weaker as a nation, Dr. Peter Marks told CNN on Friday.

Marks, the former director of the US Food and Drug Administrations Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, had been instrumental in carrying out Operation Warp Speed, the federal governments Covid-19 vaccine program. He also oversaw the regulation of innovative biologic products like gene therapies.

Given the choice to resign or be fired, Marks stepped down and wrote in his resignation letter last week that 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.

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An HHS official told CNN at the time, If Peter Marks does not want to get behind restoring science to its golden standard and promoting radical transparency, then he has no place at FDA under the strong leadership of Secretary Kennedy.

Marks told CNNs Erin Burnett on Friday that he doesnt fully understand his ouster, but I suspect it has to do with a devotion to science and to the public health of this nation, the people.

He noted that he leaves behind a group, now gutted, that was ready to respond to natural and manmade threats. At any given time, there are many, many viruses that could come, things like Ebola and others, that could be very dangerous to our country.  I cant go into all the details, but there are manmade threats that we were prepared to deal with.

The dramatic changes to that office at HHS means that today, I believe we are weaker as a nation, and I believe our adversaries know that we are weaker as a nation, because we dont have that capacity, he said.

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Marks declined to address Kennedy about false claims he has made about vaccines, such as saying they can increase a persons risk of illness or death.

Im not going to directly confront Mr. Kennedy. Hell have to confront his maker for those lies, Marks told Burnett. I just need to say to you, as if I was under oath, the vaccines that make it through the vaccine approval process in the United States are  Not every vaccine is safe, but those that make it through the approval process are safe, effective and are high-quality. No one at FDA would ever let a vaccine out that they would not give to their own children.

As a measles outbreak continues to spread in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, Marks also urged parents to consider vaccinating their children if they havent done so. Its easy to ignore measles because we havent seen it, he noted. It is not just an innocent disease, a benign disease. It kills 1 in 1,000 children in a developed country like the United States.

Among 100,000 children who get the measles vaccine, there are very few adverse events, he said. Unfortunately, if 100,000 children in the United States get measles, we will end up with at least about 100 dead up front. And then theres a complication whereby measles infection persists in the brain, and about 10 or 20 will then die in the next several years.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Police are looking for the driver who slammed into a house in the Vollintine-Evergreen neighborhood in the middle of the night and just missed a bed where a man was sleeping.

A homeowner in the 800 block of Hawthorne Street, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he usually doesnt sleep in the front bedroom of the house. However, since his wife was sick, he decided to sleep in that room.

Around 2 a.m. Friday, he heard a large crash, a blaring car radio, and realized there was a vehicle just inches from where he was sleeping. He said the driver was able to back up and fled the scene.

Vehicle slams into home in the Vollintine-Evergreen neighborhood early Friday morning.

The house sits at the corner of Hawthorne and Jackson Avenue. Based on the skid marks, police believe the unknown vehicle was traveling westbound on Jackson before it crashed.

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The man sleeping in the bedroom was not hurt, but the bedside table was damaged and there was shattered glass all over the floor.

Damage to home on Hawthorne Street Friday Damage to home on Hawthorne Street Friday Damage to home on Hawthorne Street Friday Damage to home on Hawthorne Street Friday Damage to home on Hawthorne Street Friday Damage to home on Hawthorne Street Friday

Police are looking for a video of the car in the neighborhood. The victim said it was a medium-sized white vehicle that now has front damage.

If you have any information that can help police, call CrimeStoppers at (901)528-CASH.





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A UAV allegedly belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked an industrial facility in Russias Samara Oblast on the night of 4-5 April, causing a fire.

Source: Samara Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev; Telegram channels

Details: A fire broke out in the town of Chapaevsk as a result of the attack, but it is unclear which business premises were targeted.

Telegram posts suggest that the target was the Promsintez plant, which produces explosives, which had already come under attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on 22 March.

The Astra Telegram channel notes that Promsintez is currently one of the main manufacturers of industrial explosives in Russia and the CIS.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A man was arrested on Thursday afternoon in Clackamas County for DUII after causing a fatal crash on Hwy 224, Oregon State Police said.

Authorities responded to the crash at 1:30 p.m. Investigators say that Luis Lopez, 64, was driving west in a Ford F150 when he struck the rear of a Toyota Celica, being driven by Timothy Woodward.

The collision pushed the Toyota into the eastbound lane where it was struck head-on by an eastbound Subaru Forrester, OSP said.

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Woodward was declared dead at the scene. The passenger in the Toyota and the driver of the Subaru were seriously injured in the crash.

Lopez was evaluated for injury and then arrested,

Impaired driving is considered a primary cause of the crash. The crash remains under investigation, OSP said.

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STRUTHERS, Ohio (WKBN)  On Sunday, April 13, Dylans House will hold its annual fundraiser to raise money to build houses for autistic individuals.

Theyve been so successful, plans are in place for the first house in Struthers.

Its going to be a blue house. Thats our brand, said Amy Less Shope.

Kevin and Amy Less Shope showed the plot of land on Judith Lane in Struthers where the first Dylans house will soon be built.

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For an adult with autism to live independently with some around-the-clock care just like you or I would live, Amy Shope said.

This is something that our family lived personally with, our son Dylan whos now 24 years old, said Kevin Shope.



In a seven-minute video, the Shopes tell Dylans story  how caring for him became so difficult, they bought Dylan his own blue house in Cornersburg with around-the-clock care. Amy called the housing of autistic individuals around Youngstown a crisis.

I receive probably 10 phone calls a week from parents and grandparents almost begging me to please help them, their adult individual somewhere. Amy Less Shope said.

But we know were going to be breaking ground, lets say within the next couple months, she said.



A second Dylans House is planned for Boardman. Theyre not group homes. There will be one or two autistic individuals living in them with 24/7 care.

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I can speak for our sons neighbors where he lives. They love him as a neighbor. Its great. Hes in bed at 8:00 every night. He never has any wild parties. Hes the perfect neighbor, Kevin Shope said.

We want them to be a part of the neighborhood and not be excluded but part of the community, he said.

April 13, Dylans House will be holding its major fundraiser of the year at Penguin City. All the money raised will go to building more houses.

Its $30 to get in and it runs from 2 to 7 p.m.



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Home > 2025 > Letter to the Readers, Mainstream, April 5, 2025

On April 1, 2025, the Supreme Court of India blasted the Prayagraj Development Authority for the illegal demolition of the homes of citizens and for not following due process. This time, the court ordered compensation for each home that was demolished. Over zealous officials who carried out these actions are looking for reward & recognition from a strongman who has promoted the idea, supposedly to check encroachments; The hardline Chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Swami Adityanath, is out to project a reputation as the man who can bulldoze his way and test the limits of the system. We may be headed towards a constitutional crisis if open defiance of court rulings is not restricted. All manner of directives from courts are being defied and ignored. The Apex court should consider punitive action against high officials, administrators and also the UP government for contempt of court and for non-implementation of court rulings.

April 5, 2025HK
A former Eagan massage therapist is now charged in a fourth sexual assault case after the latest was filed this past.

Johnny Le, 32, of Richfield, is now charged in Dakota County District Court with three counts of 4th-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of 5th-degree criminal sexual conduct.

The most recent charges were filed after a woman came forward after seeing the other three cases filed against Le, according to the complaint.

Johnny Le.Dakota County Jail

The incidents allegedly occurred in November 2023, May 2024, December 2024 and February 2025. Le turned himself in after being charged a third time in early March, court records show.

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Here's a look at each complaint filed against Le as of Tuesday.

Complaint No. 1

On May 6, 2024, officers with the Eagan Police Department received a report from a woman claiming a massage therapist had touched her inappropriately during an appointment at JLe Massage Therapy at 4651 Nicols Road.

The victim claimed the massage therapist, identified as Le, had touched her groin area inappropriately during a full body massage, and said at no point did she ask Le to massage anywhere on the front side of her body.

After the incident, the victim texted Le and told him it was inappropriate. Le allegedly responded admitting "it was very unprofessional" and apologized. The victim said she was given a refund for the appointment.

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Le was officially charged on June 11, 2024 with 5th-degree criminal sexual conduct and 4th-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to court records.

Complaint No. 2

According to the second complaint filed on Feb. 14, 2025, a woman claimed she was sexually assaulted on Feb. 11 at the same business.

The woman told police she used a Groupon for a 90-minute massage and the masseur was identified as Le.

The woman alleged she told Le she wanted work done on her pecs as she is a powerlifter. She claimed that while the appointment seemed to start out normal, Le spent a long time rubbing her breasts and "breathing really hard" while doing so, which made the victim "uncomfortable and scared."

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Le is also accused of placing his hand under the front of her underwear and also guided her hand to touch his groin area, the complaint states. The woman pulled her hand back and told him to stop and he did. He then told the woman he was sorry and explained how to request a refund through Groupon before she left.

Le is charged with 4th-degree criminal sexual conduct in this case.

Complaint No. 3

Le was accused of another similar incident in a complaint filed on March 3, though the alleged incident happened on Dec. 20, 2024.

Police spoke with a woman who said she was receiving a massage from Le while only in her underwear, but about 30 minutes into it, she turned over on her back and claims Le used his arms to push her legs up as if he was stretching her hamstrings.

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"He made a comment along the lines of 'damn' as if he was admiring her physical appearance," the complaint reads.

Le is then accused of proceeding to sexually assault the victim with penetration, without any consent being granted. She said she left and immediately called her boyfriend, "crying and upset," and then 911, saying at the time of the incident she "froze" and that if felt like "an out of body experience."

Le is charged with 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct in this case.

Complaint No. 4

The latest complaint, filed on March 28, accuses Le of sexual assault in an incident that allegedly happened on Nov. 29, 2023.

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A woman came forward after she learned of the other reports made against Le, with whom she booked a massage via Groupon.

She claimed that Le was giving her a massage when he touched the inside of her bottom and the front left area of her vaginal area without consent. Le also allegedly offered at-home massages for $400 once the massage was over, with the victim saying she felt uncomfortable and left.

She provided text message evidence she had sent to a friend to police, in which she said "he was massaging my groin area and started touching me." It was confirmed that she redeemed the Groupon on the November date, with her appointment found on a business calendar handled by Le's brother.

Le is charged with one count of 4th-degree criminal sexual conduct.

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Bring Me The News reached out to the City of Eagan to inquire about Le's massage therapist license but has not received a response.

According to the Minnesota Secretary of State website, the business  J. Le Massage Therapy LLC  was registered from Oct. 23, 2023 to Jan. 17, 2025. The business is still listed as open as of Tuesday.

Bring Me The News reached out to Le's attorney for comment but hasn't received a response.
At the East Moline Early Learning Center, excitement to learn is clear.

Its our opportunity to really begin that journey as their educational first stop, said Melissa McCullough, East Moline Early Learning Centers principal. We really just take the childs lead, and then we tie that to our research-based curriculum and then go from there. It really is student-led, so we just facilitate through that curriculum.

The goal of the early learning center is to help guide its young students, three to five years old, as they prepare for kindergarten.

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I just love to see the learning, and I love to see the progression, McCullough said.

Currently the early learning center has 187 students, but that will increase next school year.

Were very fortunate to be able to provide that opportunity for an expanded day, McCullough said. (It means) 60 more children can come.

The early learning center received a grant from the state of Illinois that will allow them to add three new full-day classrooms to meet the growing needs in the community.

We are fortunate to have a state that supports early childhood, and that they offer these grant opportunities, said Jaylee Swanson, East Moline School Districts special education director. However, to get a rich and high quality program we need to get creative with local and district funds to make happen the dream of what we really want to happen.

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The early learning center is in a preschool desert, which the state of Illinois defines as an area with a shortage of early childhood education opportunities.

It has been such a valuable experience getting to see the growth that happens here to prepare them for kindergarten, which prepares them for life, Swanson said.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  Providence officials announced on Saturday that the citys Eat, Play, Learn program will be back this summer.

The program offers free meals and recreational opportunities for children, as well as summer jobs.

Mayor Brett Smiley will join Rhode Island Department of Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green and Providence Public Schools Superintendent Javier Montanez, among others, for the event.

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The Summer Opportunities Fair provides the chance for families to connect with the Recreation Department and community organizations that support our students year-round, said Smiley.

We are committed to ensuring every child in our city has access to enriching programs that keep them engaged beyond the classroom, not just in the summer but throughout the school year as well.

Families can sign up starting Saturday, April 12, and camps start at $5 per week.

There will also be the opportunity to learn more about Providences Summer Learning Program that will run Monday through Friday from July 7 to August 15. This program is free to families and breakfast and lunch will be served daily, Monday through Saturday.

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Additionally, there are summer employment opportunities available at the Providence Recreation and Parks Departments. Families can learn more about One Providence for Youth summer employment opportunities at this years Summer Opportunities Fair.

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Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app.

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PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)  The cost of everyday goods, from clothes to coffee, is about to go up for American citizens.

The Trump administration plans to impose a 10% tariff on all countries outside of Mexico and Canada starting at 12:01 a.m. on April 5, followed by individualized reciprocal tariffs on countries with which the United States has the largest trade deficits at 12:01 a.m. on April 9.

The goal is to rebuild the countrys manufacturing base and strengthen the American economy. There hasnt been a declared end time for the tariffs, but the White House has said they will last until the situation has been resolved.

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But others say itll come at a price for Americans.

Colin Corbett is an assistant professor of economics at Bradley University, and said the tariffs could lead to more American manufacturing, but at a heavy cost to ordinary people.

If you believe that the United States needs more domestic manufacturing, then you might believe that tariffs are a way to do that. But itll come at the expense of American consumers, he said.

Tariffs are taxes paid on imports, and they are usually implemented to stimulate manufacturing in the country imposing the tariff.

For example, a 34% tariff on $1,000 worth of Chinese goods would add an additional $340 to the cost. While not all of the extra cost would be passed on to consumers at the store, a significant chunk would be.

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Locally, Corbett said this could have a significant impact, specifically when it comes to retaliatory tariffs from other countries.

Central Illinois has an economy that relies on a bunch of exports, so it is going to hurt us especially, he said.

The stock market has also seen a downturn, which Corbett attributed to investors anticipating a recession.

Banking firms such as JPMorgan have estimated that a recession could be a possibility in the near future, which Corbett somewhat agrees with.

If these tariffs are implemented and remain as high as they are, then I would estimate a very high likelihood of a recession coming up. But some people believe that they are actually just a negotiating tactic, and they will ultimately be lowered, he said.

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If the latter turns out to be true, then Corbett said the risk of a recession would be much lower.

A recession is a prolonged negative period in economic activity, which tends to happen when citizens dont have as much spending power, which could be sped up by policies like tariffs.

Corbett added that it might be a good idea for people to stock up on products that they know are imported from other countries. He said that could present another issue, as a large number of people stocking up on supplies and reducing their spending all at once could generate a recession itself.

On the business side of things, these tariffs could also make it more difficult for American companies to export their products to big trading partners like China.

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Apr. 5In the past 10 weeks, least 50,000 federal government employees have lost their jobs. Many of them had little to no warning.

We have those workers and their families in mind as we consider an announcement by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz last week. Effective June 1, 15,000 state employees who currently work from home will be required to work in-office for 50% of their workdays each month.

Walz and his team cited several rationales for this new policy, including increased collaboration, the need for "strong organizational cultures" in state agencies, and providing St. Paul with a much-needed economic boost through increased foot traffic downtown.

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How surprising was this announcement? Well, it drew instant praise from Minnesota GOP leadership and loud opposition from at least two dozen DFL legislators. About 500 state workers protested outside the governor's residence on March 29, and union leaders representing state employees haven't pulled their verbal punches, saying they are "appalled and disgusted," calling Walz "a bad boss" and declaring the new directive "an act of blatant disrespect."

Child care seems to be the biggest concern for many remote-working employees. Day care costs have soared in recent years, and in some areas, openings at centers can be tough to find at any price. Remote workers accustomed to "lightly supervising" one child during the workday might soon be paying $800 or more per month to a day care center  a figure that has some workers talking about quitting.

We sympathize. Like a lot of working Minnesotans, members of the PB editorial board have had to make difficult choices to balance work and family. Some have crunched the numbers and left the workforce temporarily to stay home with kids.

Still, we side with Gov. Walz. It's time for state workers to return to the office.

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In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, just 5.7% of employed Americans worked from home. Most people had never seriously considered remote working. Getting up and "going to work" was entrenched in American culture.

Two years into the pandemic, nearly 19 million more people had joined the ranks of remote workers. This wasn't by choice, and the transition wasn't always easy. But over time, people adapted. They got comfortable with new routines, new technologies and new work environments.

And they discovered that they liked walking the dog during their morning and afternoon breaks. They liked having the radio on as background noise. They didn't miss shoveling out the driveway to get the car out on a bitter January morning, and they didn't miss the scramble to find child care when school was canceled. They learned to keep one ear tuned to their kids' activities.

While we can understand workers' reluctance to abandon what they see as the "new normal," we must point out that a majority of American workers didn't have the option of working from home even as the pandemic raged. Instead, they put on masks, followed social-distancing rules and kept grinding. Some of them got sick. Some of them lost jobs when their employers shut down. Some had to quit because child care was unavailable.

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For those fortunate enough to work from home during the pandemic, there was no implicit promise that this change was permanent. Currently, 60% of Minnesota's 40,000 state employees are working in-person, and private companies and corporations across the nation are bringing their former work-from-home workforce back to the office for at least one or two days each week, if not every day.

In that context  and with the knowledge that of thousands of now-unemployed federal workers would jump at any state job  we can't echo the outrage being unleashed on Walz in the wake of his return-to-office mandate

This policy change isn't a punishment. The governor didn't cite any supposed decline in productivity due to remote work, and we are unaware of any evidence that remote workers are skating by. And let's be honest  even in an office setting, people don't work hard every minute. They check personal email. They text with friends and family. A 30-minute lunch with co-workers occasionally stretches to 45.

That's not necessarily a bad thing.

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The pandemic taught us (and continues to teach us) a lot about the health impacts of social isolation and the benefits of direct, face-to-face interaction. Human beings are social creatures, and the concept of "teamwork" doesn't apply just to sports. There is value in occasionally getting everyone in the same room, in seeing the expressions on co-workers faces, in the brief conversations that happen over a cubicle wall, and in having mid-afternoon birthday cake on a Tuesday.

We don't doubt that some affected workers will experience financial and logistical hardships  but we hope (and expect) that this policy will be loosely enforced, at least initially. Workers who make a good-faith effort to comply should get the benefit of the doubt. A parent who is on the wait list at multiple child care centers shouldn't be at risk of losing his or her job because they can't get to the office every other day.

But that flexibility and patience shouldn't last forever. Full-time state employees in Minnesota have good job security, competitive pay and a solid benefits package. It's not too much to ask that they adapt to the post-pandemic "new normal."
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  El Paso was one of hundreds of locations across the nation that took part in the Hands Off protest against the Trump Administration and a whole host of its policies on Saturday, April 5.

Today, communities nationwide will gather for the Hands Off Protest, uniting voices in an urgent call to President Trump to get his Hands Off, our government,' the El Paso County Democratic Party said in a news release.

Edith Montero/KTSM

Edith Montero/KTSM

Protesters gathered, starting around noon, at the busy intersection of Sunland Park Drive and Mesa Hills in West El Paso.

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An estimated 300 people participated, spread across the four corners of the intersection, according to an estimate from our crew on the scene.

The protest ended at around 2:30 p.m.

Participants in El Paso aim to highlight the detrimental effects of President Trumps recent decisions, including the implementation of tariffs that are contributing to rising costs for goods and services, as evidenced by the recent downturn in the stock market. This protest is more than just a local concern; it is part of a more significant, nationwide movement advocating for accountability and transparency in leadership, the local Democratic Party said.

A website, handsoff2025.com, that was set up for Saturdays nationwide protests, read: Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. Theyre taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them. On Saturday, April 5th, were taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: Hands off!

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The website said a core principle of the nationwide protest was a commitment to nonviolent action.

Michael Aboud, chairman of the El Paso Republican Party, called the protest ridiculous.

Goverment is bloated and is overtaxing us, Aboud said. El Paso City is following the typical Democrat tax and spend and so is the County. That is where they should be protesting. This is protest is a waste of time.

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A 79-year-old British man imprisoned by the Taliban alongside rapists and murderers has described his situation as the nearest thing to hell.

Peter Reynolds, and his wife, Barbie, 75, were captured by the Taliban in February while returning to their home in central Afghanistan.

In a voice note provided to The Telegraph by his family, Mr Reynolds, speaking from the notorious Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul, described his situation as the nearest thing to hell.

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He said: I am learning a lot about the belly, the underbelly of Afghanistan. The prison guards shout all the time and beat people. We just witnessed a guy being beaten just now by one of the wardens outside in the exercise yard.

Its a horrible atmosphere, the nearest thing to hell I can imagine.

The Reynolds, who have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and have joint UK-Afghan citizenship, are being held separately in the Afghan capital.

The Reynolds have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years - CHP

The couple were married in Kabul in 1970, before war ravaged the capital, and later set up Rebuild, a company that provides education and training programmes for government and non-government organisations.

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Mr Reynolds said: The other thing is, Ive been joined up with rapists - by my ankles, ankle-cuffs, handcuffs - murderers and just even before this call, there is a guy here who killed his wife and three children, shouting away, a demon-possessed man.

These things are an utter disgrace and shame so Im appalled.

Their family urged David Lammy last week to publicly condemn the Taliban and demand the couples release.

Their relationship began at Bath University in 1968, when Mrs Reynolds, who grew up in India and spent summers in Afghanistan, first set foot in England.

Since the couples arrest, their home has been ransacked and their house staff interrogated.

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The Telegraph has 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.

Their home has been ransacked and their house staff interrogated since their arrests - CHP

The arrests have triggered intense disagreements between Taliban factions in Kabul and Kandahar, with heated phone calls between the two power centres.

The couple decided to remain in the country when the Taliban took power in 2021. Their companys workshops focus on project-based learning and cover communication skills, emotional and social intelligence and conflict resolution.

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Sarah Entwistle, the couples daughter, told The Telegraph that the hardest part for her parents is being separated from each other - the longest theyve gone without speaking since becoming sweethearts in the 1960s.

She said: We are able to talk to Dad several times a week, and he keeps insisting that his (locked and barred cell) is the VIP suite - because he only has to share a toilet with his interpreter, and they have a bunk bed.

He says they are given one meal a day, but hes given extra food from the commanders table. Hes lost weight, and has had some health scares, but Dad can find light in the darkest of places.

The couple met in the 1960s - CHP

She explained that her father and his interpreter are allowed to make family calls when the rapists, murderers and out of control prisoners are back in their cells.

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She said: While the guards scream at the other prisoners, they dont ever shout at Dad. This is because hes earned respect in a system that is terrifying and unpredictable.

As for her mother, Ms Entwistle said: Mum too has found a way to help those around her. Shes creating an informal programme for the women in prison to help them with spoken English. While they can read and write, they dont know how to speak it. Shes showing a group how to instruct others when shes not around any more.

This is who our parents are, Ms Entwistle added. Mum and Dad are still true to themselves in the middle of thisloving people, keeping peace, and creating solutions in one of the very darkest, violent and most hopeless places in the world.

They understand the power of the Taliban, and the shocking stories around them. But they are literally prepared to sacrifice their lives for the welfare of these people.

The couple remain in prison in Kabul - CHP

Faye Hall, an American citizen who was detained alongside them, was released last week in a deal cut with senior US officials.

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Ms Entwistle told The Telegraph that if American officials were able to free Ms Hall, the Government should be able to free her parents.

She said: We will continue to wait in hope that the Taliban will not only release them, but choose to work with them for the good of the country.

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Elon Musk on Saturday defended the work of the White House DOGE Office.

Musk spoke remotely to a meeting of Italy's League Party, saying DOGE is "attacked like crazy."

"We're only cutting the most obvious terrible expenses that make no sense," he argued.

Elon Musk on Saturday defended the White House DOGE Office, arguing that the task force is "extremely transparent." Musk has faced a growing backlash over his work to reshape the federal government.

"We're very transparent with the Department of Government Efficiency," Musk told Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini virtually at a meeting of Italy's League Party.

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"Any action that we make, we post on the doge.gov website, and we post on our X account, so it's extreme transparency," he said.

Musk described the challenges he's faced while implementing President Donald Trump's vision of a leaner government.

"It's very difficult to reduce the size of the bureaucracy and government spending," he said. "It comes with immense opposition, even when the things that we are cutting make no sense at all."

"We're only cutting the most obvious terrible expenses that make no sense," he said. "Nonetheless, we get attacked like crazy."

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Since its formation in January, DOGE staffers have upended myriad departments and agencies, from the Departments of Treasury and State to the Social Security Administration, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and USAID.

A new report from the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas found that DOGE's actions have led to over 216,000 firings throughout the federal workforce.

Pushback against Musk and DOGE, meanwhile, has swelled among the general public. Nationwide protests  called the "Tesla Takedown"  targeted the company he leads last week. At the nationwide anti-Trump demonstrations this weekend, Musk was again the focus of many protesters.

Musk's influence may be waning amid the growing backlash. On Tuesday, he suffered a major political loss as Susan Crawford, the Democratic-backed candidate in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, easily defeated conservative judge Brad Schimel. Musk's America PAC poured millions into the race to support Schimel.

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This week was also a highly consequential one for Trump, as the president on Wednesday rolled out his "reciprocal" tariffs on dozens of trading partners  which has drawn broad criticism and caused one of the worst market sell-offs in recent memory.

Notably, while speaking with Salvini on Saturday, Musk said he wanted to see a "zero-tariff" system between the United States and Europe, a surprising break from the rhetoric coming from the Trump White House.

"I hope it's agreed that both Europe and the United States should move ideally, in my view, to a zero-tariff situation, effectively creating a free trade zone between Europe and North America," Musk said. "That's what I hope occurs."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris, shown here in a photo from 2024, has said that his agency would be working in tandem with federal authorities immigration enforcement. (Photo by Kathy Plonka/The Spokesman-Review)

In late January, federal immigration officials got a lead on three people in Idaho they thought, based on information shared by Kootenai County Deputy Harvey Ballman, may be illegal.

Not only that, but Ballman was more than willing to send us more information in the future, wrote one Border Patrol agent in an email, passing along the addresses from Ballman of the three targets of immigration enforcement weeks into President Donald Trumps second term.

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Two of the three people were ordered to be deported, according to Matt Phelps with the Border Patrols Targeting and Intelligence Division.

None had been actively committing a crime, and itd been two years since one of the three had been arrested.

I want to thank you for providing the information, Phelps wrote to Ballman. If you or any of your LEO partners have information on individuals you have encountered or encounter in the future that you suspect may be illegally present in the US, feel free to send me that information and I will research them to determine if they are valid targets for enforcement.

Ballman responded: good to hear. Ill pass on your info to the rest of our patrol division. We have lots of work for you guys.

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The emails, among a trove obtained by InvestigateWest in a public records request, provide a window into the level of coordination between federal immigration authorities and the Kootenai County Sheriffs Office in North Idaho. As the federal push to deport undocumented immigrants proceeds  and as state and local agencies take different paths on how, or whether, to assist  Kootenai County has been particularly willing to join in the deportation effort.

Sheriff Bob Norris, who represents one of the more conservative counties in a state where two-thirds of voters cast ballots for Trump, has announced that he would use all of his departments resources to help with deportations. The county jail has taken in 72 people on immigration holds, including many arrested by the Border Patrol across in neighboring Washington, where state law prohibits using jails for immigration offenses.

Since taking office, Trump has encouraged local and state law enforcement agencies to collaborate with federal immigration agents to help with deportation efforts, and several states now have agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to assist in immigration enforcement. Norris has been eager to help, regardless of whether an undocumented person has committed a state crime.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that immigration enforcement is the sole duty of the federal government and local police may assist under federal direction. Immigration lawyers and immigrant advocates warn that close collaboration between local police and federal immigration agents could undermine the main goal of state and local law enforcement, which is to deter and solve crimes.

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If somebody is undocumented and theyve experienced a very serious crime, or seen a very serious crime, they may not be willing to come forward about that if the reality is that they would be then reported to ICE for immigration enforcement, said Geoffrey Heeren, law professor and director of the Immigration Litigation and Appellate Clinic at the University of Idaho.

When asked if the fear of deportation could deter victims and witnesses of crimes from reporting them and impede law enforcement, Kootenai County Lt. Jeff Howard said it can and didnt elaborate.

Were not going to hide people who are accused of a crime one way or another, Howard told InvestigateWest.

The crime he referred to was being present in the U.S. without authorization, a federal civil offense not typically enforced by local authorities.

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If youre in the country illegally, Howard said, were going to notify Border Patrol.

Idaho encourages cooperation

InvestigateWest reviewed a month of emails between Kootenai County deputies and federal immigration agents to understand how communication and immigration enforcement may have changed since the election. There were 393 emails between the two agencies from Jan. 1, 2025, to Feb. 4, 2025, that show a close level of coordination between the two agencies.

The Kootenai County jail has accepted 73 immigration holds from the U.S. Border Patrol this year, including some from across the border in Washington, where state law prohibits jails being used for immigration offenses. (Photo by InvestigateWest)

In one message, Border Patrol agents asked deputies about a man from Zimbabwe with an Idaho drivers license in the jail. In another, a Border Patrol agent offered deputies informal training to look for signs of the presence of criminal aliens and to provide real time feedback and record checks for possible  suspects without having to go through a lengthy process from another federal agency.

Edward Dean, a spokesperson for the U.S. Border Patrols Spokane Sector, first told InvestigateWest that the agency doesnt typically do informal or formal training with law enforcement. After he was shown the email, he shifted his stance and said the Spokane Sector encourages ad hoc, informal training and intelligence sharing in ride-alongs and informal meetings.

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Not surprised this is happening, Alycia Moss, a Coeur dAlene immigration attorney, said in an email after reviewing some of the correspondence. Idaho is a state that encourages cooperation with ICE and (Border Patrol) and likely will continue to.

The emails mostly include Border Patrol agents notifying the Kootenai County jail when theyve arrested someone and planned to place them in the jail with an immigration hold.

Border Patrol agents have placed 72 immigration holds on individuals in the jail since the beginning of the year. This is an increase since before Trump took office, Moss said.

Once Trump became president, there was a significant uptick in Border Patrol holds in the Kootenai County jail, Moss said. So before, youd see maybe a couple, and now youre seeing more like a couple handfuls.

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Norris has focused heavily on immigration since he became Kootenai County sheriff in 2020, after retiring from the Los Angeles Police Department. In public statements, he has associated Spanish-speakers with being illegal, said deputies would assist in deporting any noncitizens who are in the country illegally even without criminal backgrounds and suggested they all self-deport.

Criminals and illegal aliens be aware Kootenai County is a Sanctuary County for all Law-Abiding citizens of the United States who are here legally, Norris said in a news release in February.

In the same statement, he said deputies and Border Patrol agents would be working in tandem and in the same vehicle at times.

Norris also made headlines in 2023 for removing library books from a public library and refusing to return them because he thought they were disturbing. Most recently, he threatened to arrest a woman who was protesting inside a legislative town hall and stood by while private security dragged her out of the venue.

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The sheriffs stance on immigrants has trickled down to his deputies, the emails show. A deputy also reached out to ICE to ask about participating in the federal 287(g) program, which is a program with ICE where local police can engage in some immigration enforcement.

We already cooperate with you by housing inmates, but want to become a more involved partner, wrote Kootenai County sheriffs Capt. Jeremy Hyle.

Kootenai County doesnt have any formal agreements with ICE or Border Patrol, but the sheriffs office follows the informal guidance of the National Sheriffs Association. In an email to sheriffs across the country, obtained by InvestigateWest, the association wrote at the end of February that ICE had logged around 700,000 civil arrest warrants for illegal entry.

As a result, during everyday policing activities, your personnel may encounter someone who has an ICE administrative warrant now entered into this system, Jonathan Thompson, executive director of the National Sheriffs Association, wrote in the email.

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He explained in the email that agencies without a 287(g) agreement could not arrest people on the ICE warrants themselves, but said they can detain them if they are arrested on suspicion of a state crime. If no crime is suspected, Thompson wrote that police should contact ICE and request that federal agents come arrest the person. If ICE agents cant make it, he wrote, your only real option is to collect as much information from the person as you can and release the person and ICE will have to try to find them through their fugitive operations.

Just three Idaho counties have 287(g) agreements with ICE: Gooding, Power and Owyhee counties. Only Owyhee County has an agreement under the task force model where officers can perform immigration enforcement.

The Trump administration in January issued an executive order to encourage widespread 287(g) agreements between local law enforcement and ICE. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered all law enforcement agencies to enter the agreements.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued an executive order in February that ordered all law enforcement agencies to consider entering 287(g) agreements with ICE. He also said to the maximum extent possible permitted by law, state agencies shall continue collaborating with ICE to focus on deporting undocumented people with criminal records who pose a threat to public safety.

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In states like Idaho that encourage information sharing with federal immigration agents, it isnt illegal to share the immigration status of a person if it comes out during investigation of a state crime, but without a 287(g) agreement, it is illegal to serve federal immigration warrants and investigate peoples immigration statuses as local law enforcement.

Typically, state and local officers are not supposed to be enforcing immigration law, because thats an exclusively federal arena, with some exceptions, so if they are going out and enforcing immigration law and investigating immigration violations without a formal agreement with the federal government to do so, that would be problematic, said Heeren, the Idaho law professor.

Howard said typically when deputies are investigating a crime, they will ask for a persons passport or other citizenship documentation. If deputies find out they are not U.S. citizens, they will contact Border Patrol agents.

To see if (Border Patrol has) them in their system, and if they do, and it is somebody who crossed the border and theyre not supposed to be there, then they usually come out (and arrest them), Howard said.

Not the worst of the worst

Ballman did not appear to be investigating a state crime before giving federal officials the names of the three individuals who he thought were in the country illegally. No incident report was taken, records show. Yet legal experts say that by law, there would have had to be suspicion of a state crime having been committed, since the department doesnt have the authority to carry out immigration enforcement without a 287(g) program.

Based on the correspondence with the deputy, it appears he saw the potential for the need for Border Patrol to get involved, Howard said. He said he didnt know how the individuals were contacted by Ballman and didnt respond to questions about the legality of turning them over to the Border Patrol.

But if there was no crime being investigated, it is unclear why Ballman suspected the three people were in the country illegally. Two lawyers who reviewed the correspondence with Ballman and federal agents said it could be illegal and at least questionable based on how he came under the suspicion that the individuals were in the country illegally.

Moss said if he knew about the peoples immigration status through a law enforcement investigation, he can share that information with federal agents, but it would be improper to obtain and share their immigration status without an investigation for a state crime.

Heeren agreed. He said police should not be suspecting people or monitoring people based on their perceived national origin. Officers are not allowed to target people for crimes based on their race or ethnicity.

There are also problems with police officers engaging in warrantless surveillance of people if they dont have reasonable suspicion or probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed, Heeren said.

Across the Idaho border with Washington, unauthorized immigrants are protected by state law from being subjected to questions about their immigration statuses by local law enforcement. Washington state law prohibits state and local law officers from enforcing federal immigration law and from sharing non-publicly available personal information with federal immigration authorities in any noncriminal matter. Idaho has no such law. All local jails accept immigration detainees for ICE and Border Patrol.

Little signed a bill March 27 that would make illegal immigration a state crime and would allow law enforcement to ask about someones immigration status if they were arrested for a separate crime. The law was immediately blocked by an Idaho district court judge after the ACLU of Idaho filed a lawsuit against it.

The cross-border clash in approaches stands as an example of the local impact of an expanded network of deportation efforts encouraged and created under the Trump administration.

Were seeing the administration rapidly laying the groundwork to expand mass deportation into many branches of government that had previously been detached from immigration functions, said Jennyfer Mesa, executive director of Latinos en Spokane, a nonprofit dedicated to immigrant rights in Spokane. Were now seeing state and local authorities that are conducting immigration enforcement, and theres more federal agents within Washington.

On March 25, ICE arrested a longtime farmworker and union activist, Alfredo Lelo Juarez, in Sedro-Woolley. The Seattle Times wrote that ICE hadnt responded to questions about why he was arrested, but is a Mexican citizen and was ordered to return there. His peers told the newspaper they worried he was arrested for his activism.

We are seeing this time and time again, Mesa said. Its not the worst of the worst getting arrested. Its workers.

This article was first published by InvestigateWest (investigatewest.org), an independent news nonprofit dedicated to investigative journalism in the Pacific Northwest. A Report for America corps member, reporter Rachel Spacek can be reached at rachel@investigatewest.org.
A man who pleaded guilty nearly a decade ago in the 2009 triple murders of an emergency room nurse and two teenagers in Miramar is returning to prison just a few years after he was released  now for nearly 70 years.

Kevin Pratt, 47, pleaded guilty in 2017 to second-degree murder and attempted murder charges in the robbery-turned-shooting deaths of Faith Bisasor, her 15-year-old son Davion Bishop and his friend 15-year-old Nekitta Hamilton at Bisasors home on Encino Street. Nekittas mother, Camile Hamilton, was shot in the head during the home invasion but survived.

Facing a possible death sentence, Pratt was offered a plea agreement and received 10 years in prison, followed by 15 years of probation. He had already served five years in custody by the time he was sentenced and was released from prison in 2021.

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The sentence handed down this week comes after Pratt violated the terms of his probation twice since his release in 2021, once in 2022 and most recently in December.

Felonious Florida: The Encino Murders

Listen to the three-part podcast series that investigates the Kevin Pratt case and the murders he was convicted of.

At the hearing in mental health court on Wednesday, Pratts probation was revoked and he was sentenced after an extensive review process and witness testimony, State Attorneys Office spokesperson Paula McMahon said in an email to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Hamilton, the lone survivor, always believed that Pratt would someday end up back in prison. She was proven right.

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Hes gonna mess up again, and hes gonna go back, she in an interview with the Sun Sentinel on Friday recalled believing. And it happened. Hes going away. Hes not gonna come back.

First violation

Pratt first violated his probation in July 2022 when he was arrested in Miami-Dade County on a charge of resisting an officer without violence, court records show.

Pratt, who was homeless at the time, was accused of trespassing, his attorney Joseph Dewey told the Sun Sentinel on Friday.

McMahon said Pratt absconded upon his release from the Miami-Dade County jail on bond, and he was booked into the Broward County jail in January 2023, where he remained until August 2024.

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The judge modified Pratts probation to mental health probation in order for him to receive treatment after hearing from his defense attorney, McMahon said, and his case was transferred to mental health court.

Shortly after that, Broward Circuit Judge Ari Porth issued an order that required Pratt be released to Camillus House, a homeless service in Miami-Dade County, and live there until further notice. Pratt was ordered to have random drug tests, participate in medical and mental health treatment at the facility and follow other strict requirements.

But Pratt was back in jail not long afterward.

Second violation

Pratt was accused of smoking marijuana and making threats, violating the courts order and the facilitys rules, McMahon said. He was evicted from Camillus House in September. He was found a month later living on the streets, when the Salvation Army located him and took him into a shelter.

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Dewey said Pratt was doing well while staying at the Salvation Army shelter but did not get permission from the court to change addresses.

Pratt was arrested this January on a warrant, court records show, and has remained in the Broward County jail since.

Dewey said that a witness from Camillus House testified at Wednesdays hearing alleging Pratt had threatened him. The judge determined that met the threshold for being a danger to the community, leading to the 69-year sentence.

Were disappointed in the outcome. I spoke with Mr. Pratt today, we do plan to appeal, his attorney said. The appeal will be filed shortly, but hes just waiting at the Broward County jail to head down to South Florida Reception for the Department of Corrections, he said.

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Hamilton said since Pratts release from prison in 2021, shes always feeling as if she is reliving the trauma from the day her daughter, her friend and her friends son were murdered.

She has undergone numerous surgeries and still has one remaining, she said. She has lost most of her ability to see out of her left eye and will never hear out of her left ear.

This man leave me in pain. This is something that I never will forget. Every day I get up, I think about Nikki. Its my only child, she said. Sometimes I talk to her like shes not gone. But nobody knows my pain.

Plea agreement

Pratt initially was charged with first-degree murder, but prosecutors faced mounting issues with evidence in the case. The Sun Sentinel reported at the time of the plea agreement that Broward Circuit Judge Bernard Bober was expected to soon rule, against the states favor, to suppress key pieces of evidence.

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The judge put on the record that it would behoove the state to try and resolve the case, prosecutor Shari Tate told the Sun Sentinel in 2017. Based on the anticipated rulings of the court, we met with the families and with the police and all agreed that it was best to get something rather than risk a loss that would see this defendant go free.

The police investigation that led to Pratts arrest two years after the murders was questionable in some ways, the Sun Sentinel previously reported, including that detectives administered a photo lineup to Hamilton that contained only photos of Pratt. After that photo lineup, Hamilton identified Pratt in a live lineup.

Hamilton on Friday said she will never forget the day she identified Pratt in the live lineup and has no doubt he was the intruder who took three lives and tried to take hers. She takes issue with questions about the veracity of her memory after suffering severe injuries.

As soon as I came out, I never forgot the number he was wearing, number 4. I have brain injury so Im not gonna remember? How can I forget something like this? A homicide triple murder, and Im the only survivor, she said.

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She remembers the moment the man wearing a black hoodie approached them outside of Bisasors home and demanded money, then led them all inside, she said. His sweat. His smell. How things quickly escalated. Where each of them were in the room where the nightmare unfolded. How she woke up feeling wet from the blood and managed to get to a phone to call for help.

I remember everything that happened that night, she said.

The states strongest piece of evidence against Pratt was his DNA found on a roll of duct tape that was used to restrain the victims. Tate told the Sun Sentinel previously that prosecutors were confident the evidence they had showed Pratt was responsible.

One of Pratts former defense attorneys, Robert Wills, told the Sun Sentinel in 2017 he believed there was a good chance they would have won on reasonable doubt issues had they gone to trial.

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After Pratt was identified as a suspect, he told police he was not the killer and maintained that he was innocent even after pleading guilty.

Hamilton never doubted it was him. She still doesnt.

It was Kevin Pratt, she said.

Information from the Sun Sentinel archives was used in this report.
Girls in England are the sickest and unhappiest in Europe, according to a major study.

Almost two-thirds of 11-year-old English girls report having multiple health issues at least twice a week  more than any other country on the continent.

This rises to 71 per cent by the age of 13 and 77 per cent by age 15, when it is only more common to have multiple ailments in Italy and Greece.

At the same time, English girls had the worst mental wellbeing of the 44 countries assessed across all three ages.

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Experts have blamed a combination of tough lockdown measures, a surge in access to harmful social media content, and growing levels of inactivity and obesity.

Claire Murdoch, NHS Englands national mental health director, said girls were facing new and emerging pressures and that the report was hugely worrying.

This generation of young girls has been under increasing pressures on competing fronts  from social media and cyber bullying to growing up through the once-in-a-century pandemic, there are new and emerging pressures that we havent always had to manage in the past, she said.

But its hugely worrying that girls in the UK are faring worse than their peers across Europe.

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Ms Murdoch said the NHS had increased the workforce of its childrens mental health services by 70 per cent and were supporting more children in school.

The report into the state of health across Europe by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) revealed children in England were more likely to complain of multiple illnesses than almost all other countries while also suffering from the worst outlook on life.

Girls were more likely to have multiple health complaints on a weekly basis and be unhappier than boys  and this gender gap only increased with age.

The proportion of sick and unhappy children has risen more sharply in England than other European countries since the pandemic.

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Among boys, England ranked fifth out of the 44 countries the report looked into, with 40 per cent of 11-year-olds and 43 per cent of 13-year-olds having multiple health complaints respectively. Among 15-year-olds it rose to 45 per cent.

The most-common health issues for both girls and boys were frequently associated with psychological distress, the authors said, which includes nervousness, irritability and difficulty getting to sleep.

It was also common for the children to describe feeling low and experience headaches, stomach aches and back aches.

The OECD said there were many factors behind the declining mental wellbeing and increasing health issues.

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These include declining physical activity in older age groups, especially for girls, potentially lower social interactions, higher rate of problematic internet and social media use, and exposure to cyberbullying, which has increased significantly in recent years, the organisation said.

In addition, the average age of onset for many mental disorders is in early adolescence, around 14 years of age.

It also recognised that the Covid-19 pandemic meant young peoples mental health deteriorated markedly.

Dr Elaine Lockhart, chairman of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Child and Adolescent Faculty, said the report made clear young people are increasingly reporting that their mental health and wellbeing is worse now than it was prior to the pandemic.

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She said this puts them at greater risk of developing a mental illness and was being driven by everyday issues such as increases in poverty, housing and food insecurity, as well as loneliness and isolation.

Dr Lockhart added that receiving mental health support quickly was key to preventing long-term conditions that negatively impact their education, social development and health in later life.

Demand for childrens mental health services has risen drastically since the pandemic, with 812,185 children under 18 in contact with an NHS mental health service in 2024  up by more than 50 per cent in three years.

At the same time, childrens physical health has also been deteriorating. A 2024 report from the Academy of Medical Sciences said there had been an appalling decline in child health.

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In England, more than one in four 11 to 15-year-old girls are overweight or obese, and they are more likely to be overweight than boys of the same age, according to NHS data.

At the same time, they are also more likely to be underweight, want to change weight, or have or be at risk of developing an eating disorder, further fuelling body image and mental health issues that are exacerbated by social media.

Other research points to the start children are getting in life, with rising rates of avoidable infant mortality, falling vaccination rates, and almost a quarter of children suffering from entirely preventable tooth decay before their fifth birthday.

The data in the OECD report was taken from the 2023 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study with representative samples of children from each country.

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Olly Parker, head of external affairs and research at charity, YoungMinds, said: Growing up today is incredibly tough. Many young people are experiencing multiple pressures which impact their mental health, including poverty, inequality, intense academic pressure and the online world, so its no wonder so many are struggling.

He said girls were more likely to struggle with their mental health because they are more likely to experience harmful contact online and to have concerns about their body image.

The world is a hostile place for young women, with misogyny in popular culture and daily media reports about male violence against women the norm, Mr Parker said. All these factors will be impacting girls and young womens mental health.

Rosie Weatherley, information content manager at charity Mind, said that the stigma and discrimination around mental health is getting worse in England and Wales and services are under-resourced.

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A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: It is deeply alarming that the mental health outcomes of our young girls lag significantly behind those of our European neighbours. Poor mental health hampers life chances for children and robs them of their potential.

Every child should have access to support, which is why we are working to ensure children receive high quality mental health support close to home.

We are recruiting 8,500 additional mental health workers, launching Young Futures hubs across our communities and putting a specialist mental health professional in every school in England.

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 the entire state, including Frederick County, is in a severe drought with conditions expected to persist in Western Maryland and parts of Central Maryland over the next month, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The Maryland Department of the Environment also issued a drought warning  the third level of the departments drought status key  on Thursday for almost the whole state.

The Drought Monitor has five drought and dryness categories: abnormally dry, moderate drought, severe drought, extreme drought and exceptional drought.

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Frederick County has been in drought since Nov. 12, according to emails from the Drought Monitor. Conditions in Frederick County worsened from moderate drought to severe drought at the end of March.

The current stream flow for multiple streams in the county is also much below normal levels.

The Department of the Environments drought status key has four levels: normal, watch, warning and emergency.

No mandatory water-use restrictions have been issued statewide, but local water systems can choose to implement their own restrictions, according to a Maryland Department of the Environment news release.

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The only parts of Maryland not under a drought warning are the area served by the city of Baltimore, which gets its water from reservoirs, and the area served by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, which includes parts of Montgomery and Prince Georges counties.

The department said that since October, the state has received about a third less precipitation than normal.

While heavy rain earlier this week and snow in the winter helped, the groundwater levels in the state  especially in parts of Frederick and Carroll counties  is below normal.

Residents and businesses who use public water systems should consult their local water suppliers to learn about any restrictions. For example, Middletown has prohibited watering lawns since the start of this year.

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People with private wells are encouraged to voluntarily conserve their water to sustain their water supply.

The Department of the Environment is urging customers to use their water wisely and conserve now to mitigate potential future challenges as summer comes around.

Some ways to conserve water include watering lawns less frequently, using water-efficient appliances and fixing any leaks.
Ervianna Baydee Johnson, a 25-year-old Black transgender woman, was found dead near a pond not far from her home in Tabor City, North Carolina, February 19, and police are investigating her death as a homicide, according to multiple media outlets.

She left her home about 3 a.m. February 13, and her family reported her missing three days later. She went out without any belongings, as if meeting someone briefly, the Columbus County Sheriffs Office said in a missing persons notice, according to local paper The News Reporter. Johnson's mother was the last person to see or speak to Johnson before leaving. All personal items, including a phone, ID card, and bank cards, were left behind.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is assisting the sheriffs office in the case. The cause of Johnsons death has not been determined, but preliminary autopsy reports indicate homicide, says a press release from the SBI. The investigators are seeking a 21-year-old Black man who they say is a possible offender/suspect in Johnsons death.

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Johnson has been widely misgendered by media and police, and even some family members, Blaque/Out Magazine notes. Transformation NC, a local trans group, is urging media outlets to correct their coverage.

Johnson worked as a digital content creator and at LaQuinta Inn & Suites, Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents reports. Her social media content suggests she liked to dance, she was creative, brave, and bold. She was a fan of GloRilla, RuPauls Drag Race, and hip-hop majorette contests, and she was close to her family, particularly her nieces and nephews, according to the site.

Anyone with information that may help find Johnsons killer is asked to call the SBI at (910) 939-6200 or the sheriffs office at (910) 642-6551.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna believes that Europe should confiscate Russian assets frozen on its territory, as there is a risk that they could be used against European countries.

Source: Margus Tsahkna in an interview with the Rheinische Post, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Tsahkna says that according to various estimates, Russian assets worth 240 billion are frozen in Europe.

"Every six months, we have to decide whether to extend the sanctions [on Russian assets - ed.]. And every time, we need Hungary's consent. If they block it in June, the sanctions will not only end but we will also be forced to give 240 billion euros to Putin," he explained.

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"How will the heads of state and government explain to the citizens of Europe that they are giving Putin money that he intends to use not only against Ukraine but also against us? Therefore, we must confiscate these assets," the Estonian Foreign Minister added.

Tsahkna stressed that there is a legal way to confiscate Russian assets, but it is necessary to provide support to Belgium, where most of these assets are located.

"We also have to ensure that even if there is no unanimous decision [in the EU - ed.], the money is not transferred [to Russia - ed.]. We cannot ask for money from our taxpayers to support Ukraine, but not from Russia, which is the aggressor," the Estonian minister said.

Background:

In March, Hungary threatened to block the EU Council's decision to freeze Russian assets in the EU.

In the end, the EU sanctions were extended, and at Budapest's insistence, several Russian oligarchs were removed from the sanctions list.

Earlier, the Financial Times wrote that the EU is losing patience with Hungary, which constantly blocks key EU decisions and wants to deprive it of its voting rights.

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The international community has condemned the Russian missile attack on a residential area of Kryvyi Rih.

Source: European Pravda with reference posts by politicians and diplomats on X (Twitter)

Details: Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans expressed his condolences to the families of those who were killed and emphasised: "The whole of Europe is preparing for the weekend, but Ukrainians live in a different reality. Another Russian attack, but you never get used to it. That is why we must accelerate our support for Ukraine."

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The Swiss Embassy in Ukraine also expressed their condolences and stressed that "civilians should never become a target".

Our condolences to the families of the victims and injured in the Ukrianian city of Kryvyi Rih, as a result of today's Russian strike. At least 16 people, including 6 children were killed, many more are injured. Civilians should never become a target.  Swiss Embassy Kyiv (@SwissUA) April 4, 2025

Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, condemned the attack, saying "another reckless Russian attack struck a crowded residential area".

"Russia continues to destroy Ukraine, no interest in peace," she wrote.

Tragic and inhumane images coming out from Kryvyi Rih.



Another reckless Russian attack struck a crowded residential area, reportedly killing at least 14, including 6 children.



Russia continues to destroy Ukraine, no interest in peace.  Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) April 4, 2025

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that "Russia seeks war, not peace, and the attacks against civilians, including children are brutal proof of it".

Today Russia struck a residential area in Kryvyi Rih, killing at least 14 people, incl six children, injuring more than 50 others.



Russia seeks war, not peace & the attacks against civilians, incl children are brutal proof of it.



My condolences to the loved ones of the victims.  Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) April 4, 2025

Background:

The Czech and Lithuanian foreign ministers, Jan Lipavsky and Kestutis Budrys, also reacted to the attack. In her condemnation, US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink did not indicate that the missile or strike was Russian.

On the evening of 4 April, the Russians launched a ballistic missile attack on a residential area in Kryvyi Rih: 18 people were killed, including nine children, and more than 60 were wounded.

On the late evening of 4 April, the Russians attacked Kryvyi Rih again. A fire broke out in a residential area, and later it was reported that one person was killed and others were injured.

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Several European officials condemned Russia's attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on April 4, which killed 19 people and injured 68.

Russian forces reportedly launched a combined missile and drone attack on the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast city in the evening setting buildings ablaze in residential districts.

Among those killed in the attack are nine children. Forty people have been hospitalized, according to local authorities.

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"All of Europe is heading into the weekend, but Ukrainians are living in a different reality," Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans wrote on X.

"Yet another Russian attack... This is why we must accelerate support for Ukraine!"

European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas also condemned the attack, calling it "tragic and inhumane."

"Another reckless Russian attack struck a crowded residential area... Russia continues to destroy Ukraine, no interest in peace," Kallas wrote on X.

In response to the attack, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said "Russia seeks war, not peace and the attacks against civilians, incl(uding) children are brutal proof of it."

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"Firing a missile at a children's playground  this is not war, this is barbarism," Czech Foreign Affairs Minister Jan Lipavsky wrote on X. "Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and with those defending their country against Russian terror."

Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister Kestutis Budrys posted photos of the attack on X, with the caption "Ceasefire by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin."

Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky's hometown, remains a frequent target of Russian attacks. The city, home to about 660,000 people, is the second-largest in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and lies roughly 70 kilometers (40 miles) from the front line.

Read also: Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih kills 19 people, including 9 children, injures 68

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A North Texas deputy fire chief is accused of using a hook-up app to hire a man to sexually assault a woman who he claimed agreed to the attack as part of a rape role play fantasy, according to arrest warrant affidavits.

The victim told Fort Worth police that she did not know about the plan or consent to the assault, the court documents state.

Both men  Everman Deputy Fire Chief Joel Jones and Tobasia Griffiths  were arrested by Fort Worth police last week. Griffiths, 30, is charged with aggravated sexual assault in the case. Jones, 53, is charged with aggravated sexual assault and criminal solicitation of aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping, according to Tarrant County court records.

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The victim told investigators that she was in bed at her Fort Worth home on Feb. 21 when Griffiths came into her room and raped her, according to the affidavits. The woman said she was able to escape and run out of the house after she told Griffiths she needed to use the bathroom.

Griffiths later found the woman on the street and threatened to kill her if she reported the assault, the affidavits state.

The woman went to a hospital, where she filed a report with police. Detectives said they were able to identify Griffiths through security video that showed his car in the victims driveway and a partial license plate number that she saw.

Jones is accused of paying Griffiths $100 via Zelle to commit the assault, according to the court documents.

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Griffiths told sex crimes detectives that he met Jones through an app called Sniffies, where they exchanged messages to plan the assault, and that Jones told him the woman would consent, the affidavits state. The Sniffies website describes it as a map-based cruising app for the curious.

After the first assault, messages between the two suspects show they conspired to commit a second sexual assault involving a kidnapping, but that attack was not carried out, according to the affidavits.

Jones was arrested on March 26 and is being held in the Tarrant County Jail on $300,000 bond. Griffiths was released from jail on $25,000 bond.

Jones neighbors told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV that just days before his arrest, the deputy fire chief went door to door in his neighborhood and warned residents that there was a sexual predator in the area.

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In a statement, Everman Fire Department Chief Landon Whatley said that Jones arrest is not related to his work with the department and that the deputy chief has been placed on administrative leave.

The nature of the allegations and charges are deeply concerning, Whatley said. Department command staff is fully cooperating with the Fort Worth Police Department as they investigate this incident. ... We want to assure the public that we take matters such as this extremely seriously.
Thousands of people took to the streets across Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties Saturday to join nationwide protests against the Trump administration.

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Some wore masks and marched down Hollywood Boulevard with a casket, inside of which lay Lady Liberty. Others donned The Handmaids Tale bonnets and red robes. They carried American flags and signs reading Deport Elon Immediately, Putin Envy, and We need to wake up from this nightmare. One woman painted Trump as a pig riding in a Cyber Truck.

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The majority of protestors couldnt pinpoint which issue worried them most; their concerns varied from democracy to immigration, education, Social Security, LGBT rights, healthcare, climate change, research funding, and national parks. Multiple people carried lists of all of the issues they were worried about attached to their signs.

Donna Greene, 62, was among them. She stood at Young Circle in downtown Hollywood dressed as Marie Antoinette, carrying a bright blue parasol in one hand and a sign in the other reading Musk & Trump say let them eat cake. The last time she wore the costume was 15 years ago at a march in Tallahassee over education funding.

Its much more relevant now, said Greene, a substitute teacher and active Broward school district volunteer, as people stopped to take pictures of her. Which is a very sad commentary.

Greenes list of over a dozen concerns, taped to the back of her sign, included education  which is the foundation of everything, she said  national parks, cancer research, Social Security, and womens bodies.

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Everything is being destroyed in front of our eyes, she said. I dont know where we even begin looking anymore.

Separate Hands Off! protests unfolded Saturday in Hollywood, Miami, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, joining demonstrations across the country. Turnout far exceeded expectations, with organizers estimating a couple thousand at each of the Hollywood, Miami and Boca Raton protests and about 500 in West Palm Beach.

By late morning in Hollywood, about 2,000 people had gathered in the sun, double the number protestors were anticipating.

Its really hard to follow all the bad stuff thats going on in Washington, said Tom Tighe, 67. Next to him, his wife, Joeleah Tighe, 60, got choked up as she explained that her 92-year-old mother just ran out of money and had to go on Medicaid.

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We knew shed be okay because we can help her, she said. So many people in her position cant fight for themselves.

For Heather Loggins, who came with her two sisters, Jessica Loftus and Chas Loftus, Saturdays protest was really emotional.

Asked what issues she was protesting on Saturday, Loggins said, everything, really.

Im speechless by whats going on, Chas Loftus said.

Though Hollywoods crowd leaned older, many young people and children were also in attendance.

Saturday was the first protest Valeria Cano, 16, and Nisa Yilmaz, 14, had ever attended. The two joined their friends carrying a giant red banner reading TRAITOR TRUMP. They chose to come out because they live close by and because theyre worried about immigration, womens rights and the economy.

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I dont like his economic views, said Yilmaz. He makes the poor poorer.

Cano added, I should be able to do what I want with my body.

Yilmaz, an immigrant from Turkey, and Cano, whose mother immigrated from Venezuela, also worried about the immigration crackdown. Both teens said their mothers were Trump supporters, though Yilmaz said her mother regrets voting for him and gets annoyed when her daughter talks to her about what hes doing.

Shes like, I get it,' Yilmaz said.

Around noon, the group began marching down Hollywood Boulevard toward the office of Todd Delmay, a Democratic candidate for the Florida House, chanting Hey hey, ho ho, Trump and Musk have got to go, passing brunch-goers and workers at nearby businesses and holding up traffic.

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Once they reached the parking lot outside Delmays office, the crowd heard from speakers including Delmay, Broward School Board Member Sarah Leonardi, Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen and Hollywood Commissioner Caryl Shuham.

Delmay is challenging Hillary Cassel, who switched from Democrat to Republican in December, in the 2026 election.

Who does that in this environment? he said.

Representatives Jared Moskowitz and Debbie Wasserman Schultz were also invited to Saturdays protest but did not attend, organizers said. Laurie Flink, who works with Wasserman Schultz, did attend on her behalf.

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The Hollywood, Miami and West Palm Beach protests were organized by the South Florida chapter of the 50501 movement, in conjunction with the Broward chapter of Indivisible, whose Palm Beach County chapters also organized the Boca Raton protest.

Holly Litt, one of the 50501 organizers, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel she was pleasantly surprised by the turnout Saturday.

I hope it sends a message to the representatives of our state that speak for us that we want the administration to listen to the American people, she said.

In Boca Raton, organizer Elin Shusterman said people arrived early, lining Palmetto Park Road and Boca Raton Boulevard near City Hall. The police told organizers there were about 2,500 people, one of the biggest protests Shusterman had attended since she became an activist at 15 years old.

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They just kept coming, Shusterman said.

A few counter-protestors joined the crowds Saturday, but they carried on peacefully. At Young Circle, one man stood in the crowd with a MAGA hat and a Trump flag, talking to protestors about education and the Jan. 6 insurrection. One protestor, Sam Houle, 26, said he asked the man if he wanted the Department of Education to be defunded and he said no, but that he wanted to make sure that the funding was being used correctly.

It looked like healthy discourse, said Litt.

Later, as the crowd marched along Hollywood Boulevard, a few Trump supporters heckled them, yelling, this is not gonna end well for you people, but the protesters kept marching and did not engage, Litt said.

In Boca Raton, meanwhile, some Trump supporters drove by in a car a few times, Shusterman said, but I think it was just too overwhelming for them.
A federal appeals court has cleared the way for a defamation lawsuit filed against former top state financial regulator Ronald Rubin by an attorney who sought a job at his agency.

A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld a district judges 2023 decision denying Rubins request for summary judgment in the lawsuit filed by Kimberly Grippa. The ruling effectively allows the case to move toward trial.

The defamation lawsuit is part of broader disputes related to the 2019 firing of Rubin as commissioner of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation after a controversy that included sexual-harassment allegations.

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Grippa sought to become general counsel of the agency but Rubin declined to hire her. After he was later suspended and fired, Rubin accused then-state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and his inner circle of wrongdoing, according to court documents.

The disputes included Rubin filing a lawsuit against Tallahassee lobbyist R. Paul Mitchell, who had ties to Patronis. In a Leon County circuit-court document, Rubin contended that Mitchell, Patronis and other people conspired to get Rubin appointed as commissioner because they believed they could control him.

The document alleged, in part, that Mitchell and others wanted Grippa, whose ex-husband, Tony Grippa, was a Patronis supporter, to be appointed general counsel of the Office of Financial Regulation.

Rubin disputed the sexual-harassment accusations, which he contended were used to help fire him. He alleged that the firing was linked, in part, to his refusal to hire Kimberly Grippa.

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After filing the lawsuit against Mitchell, Rubins then-attorney, Michael Tein, sent letters to Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel asking for an investigation of Patronis and his inner circle.

Kimberly Grippa alleges in the federal lawsuit that she was defamed by the letters, which included attached documents from the lawsuit Rubin filed against Mitchell. The Mitchell lawsuit named Kimberly Grippa as part of an alleged criminal enterprise, according to the 2023 decision by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker denying Rubins motion for summary judgment in the defamation case.

In seeking summary judgment, Rubin argued, in part, that the statements in the letters were shielded by what is known as absolute litigation privilege. That privilege applies to statements made in the course of lawsuits, according to Thursdays ruling.

But the appeals court ruled the privilege did not shield statements in the letters sent to DeSantis and Miguel, saying it applies only when the statement was made during a judicial proceeding and only if the statement was related to those proceedings.

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Rubins lawyer took his allegations outside of his judicial proceeding by sending his complaint to uninvolved third parties with the hopes of launching a new investigation and stifling an ongoing one, said the 21-page ruling, written by Judge Andrew Brasher and joined by Judges Ed Carnes and Charles Wilson. In doing so, he acted outside the scope of the privilege.

The ruling said the letters did not simply provide public records from the proceedings. They instead alleged improper, unethical and perhaps unlawful conduct on the part of  (an) enterprise. The attached documents amplified that allegation and connected it to Grippa. By adding this additional commentary, Rubins lawyer went beyond the scope of the ongoing proceedings.

Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper in 2022 rejected Rubins allegations of wrongdoing by Mitchell.

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HONOLULU (KHON2)  Our roads are not a racetrack. Thats the message from Honolulu police as they say theyre catching more drivers going well above the speed limit. Lawmakers are pushing a bill thatll try to help the problem.

Police say theyve heard every excuse in the book when they stop people for speeding.

Former Rep. Gene Ward passes away at 82

Ive heard everything from, I really had to use the bathroom to I was late, I know some of the interesting ones where I just tuned my car and I was trying it out, said Maj. James Slayter of the Honolulu Police Deptartment Traffic Division. You know, they come up with some interesting ones, but ultimately there is no excuse.

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Last weekend, Honolulu police arrested several drivers going over 100 miles per hour. The fastest was 152.

So as a community, we got to come together and try to figure out how to stop this, Slayter said.

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They might be getting some help soon. A bill is moving through the legislature that would make mandatory jail time and possible forfeiture of the vehicle if caught for excessive speeding three times in five years.

And hopefully, that sends a message to these folks who are violating the law, that, hey, this is not acceptable, this is unsafe and this is very dangerous, said Sen. Brandon Elefante, the Public Safety Committee chair.

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Excessive speeding is anything 30 miles over the posted speed limit or going faster than 80 miles per hour anywhere.

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I think we constantly are feeling it throughout Oahu specifically, that one persons actions has consequences upon everyone, said Rep. Darius Kila, the Transportation Committee chair. You look at the incident that occurred in Nanakuli just a couple days ago that one vehicular traffic accident, you stalled Farrington Highway for four hours.

The bill originally called for the third excessive speeding offense to be a Class C felony, which has been kept a misdemeanor for now.

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Honolulu Police say theyve actually doubled the amount of solo bike officers on their nighttime enforcement patrols to help catch excessive speeders. They say they will continue to do so to help stop this problem.

Police say last weekends arrests came thanks to a tip from the public. They ask if you see anyone racing, call 911.

Getting a citation, getting arrested, that might be the best thing that could have happened to you for that night, Slayter said. Because the alternative, you could get seriously injured. You could die. You could kill somebody else and spend the rest of your life in jail.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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As royal visits go, it has somewhat hung in the balance. Since Buckingham Palace announced in February that King Charles and Queen Camilla would make State Visits to the Holy See and Italy, the Popes health has meant that part of the program has been postponed. And just last week, King Charless health was brought to the fore once again as the Palace shared that he would be unable to attend a planned day of UK engagements due to his cancer treatment.

All eyes will be on the King this week as he touches down in Italy Monday for his first State Visit of 2025. A Palace aide was quick to quell concerns recently when the 76-year-old monarch was briefly hospitalized following side effects from his ongoing treatment, describing the situation as the most minor bump in the road. However, nothing sends that message more powerfully than a busy State Visit program packed with travel, speeches and multiple people to greet.

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As with all State Visits, it is taking place at the request of the British government to enhance bilateral relationships. This trip follows the couples visits to Germany in March 2023 and France in September the same year. Both countries saw the King receive standing ovations for his speeches to parliamentarians. Another such moment surely awaits in this next European nation as he prepares to become the first British monarch to address a joint session of the Italian parliament.

Charless status as a reliable diplomat will be in evidence as he is welcomed by Italys long-standing President Sergio Mattarella as well as the countrys far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was elected in 2022. There will also be an important ceremonial moment laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The visit to Italy will underscore the depth and breadth of the bilateral relationship: our defence relationship including in the current international context; our shared values, history and culture; our work together on the clean energy transition; and the links between our peoples and communities, Buckingham Palace said last month.

With the program no longer including a visit to the Holy See, planned engagements in Rome have now been spread across two days, allowing the previously extremely busy itinerary a little more space for spending longer at each event. In total, across three full days there are multiple stops in Rome and Ravenna.

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A centerpiece of the trip will be the glittering State Banquet at the Palazzo Quirinale. In Ravenna, the couple will attend a reception in the Town Hall, marking the 80th anniversary of the provinces liberation from Nazi occupation by Allied Forces. They will also celebrate traditional Emilia-Romagna cuisine and meet farmers, whose land and crops have been severely affected by floods.

This is the longest overseas trip the King has made since last October when he spent nine days traveling to Australia and Samoa. In January this year, he went to Poland to observe Holocaust Memorial Day on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in a short trip that was not a State Visit.

Despite his ongoing weekly treatment for cancer, the Kings domestic program has remained full. After a restful weekend, he was back to work this week conducting investitures and meetings and preparing for the trip to Italy. It is well-documented that Queen Camilla wants him to slow down. "The problem is, trying to stop him doing so much, she said during filming for an ITV documentary. He wont slow down and wont do what hes told, she said on another occasion.

The Kings cancer diagnosis was announced in February 2024 following treatment for a benign enlarged prostate. Buckingham Palace has not said what type of cancer he is being treated for, other than to clarify it is not prostate cancer.

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Europe's most endangered ducks are back on track.

According to the European Commission, the Spanish Marbled ducks' population has more than quadrupled since 2009, going from a mere 20 breeding pairs to 131.

It wouldn't have been possible without the European Union's LIFE Program. Founded in 1992, LIFE supports and funds environmental projects. LIFE Cerceta Pardilla, a program dedicated to reviving the Marbled duck, bought and used three protected plots of land to boost their population.

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The lands had over 140 hectares (346 acres) of wetlands, where Marbled ducks breed. Because of this project, "nearly 3 000 captive-bred Marbled ducks have been released into the wild and 13 Land Stewardship agreements have been signed with local land owners," per the Commission.

Land stewardship agreements are a vital part of Spanish conservation efforts. They involve collaboration between the government and landowners, who agree to help conserve endangered species. It is this strategy that has "proven to be very effective in species and habitat conservation projects," the Commission reported.

With how much conservation impacts human life, it's no wonder that landowners want to play their part. You see, conservation preserves biodiversity, which the World Wildlife Fund defines as "all the different kinds of life you'll find in one area  that make up our natural world."

Each creature has its part to play. The Marbled duck, for example, disperses seeds, keeping aquatic plants alive and thriving. If one species becomes endangered or goes extinct, it can throw the whole ecosystem off-balance. When that happens, precious natural resources like water, medicine, and shelter can become scarce.

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So, increasing the number of Marbled ducks can be helpful for humans in the long run.

The same method was employed in Massachusetts, where landowners willingly allowed hundreds of acres to be protected for conservation purposes. A Canadian couple also donated 54 acres to a conservancy trust, ensuring the survival of over 10,000 native trees.

As for Spain, LIFE Cerceta Pardilla aimed to reach 15 land agreements by the end of 2025. In January, it had already reached 11.

"LIFE Cerceta Pardilla will conserve not only one of the most emblematic ducks in Spain," project coordinator Yolanda Cortes told the Commission, "but also wetlands, which are one of the most important ecosystems in the fight against climate change."

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On social media, people had nothing but praise for the program's efforts. A Facebook commenter said, "A very worthwhile project and good early results!"

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.
Claim:

During a March 2025 congressional hearing, U.S. Rep. Keith Self, a Republican from Texas, quoted Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels as saying, "It is the absolute right of the state to supervise the formation of public opinion."

Rating:

Rating: True

Context:

Prior to quoting Goebbels, Self was questioning Nina Jankowicz, a disinformation expert who wrote the 2020 book "How to Lose the Information War" and led the Disinformation Governance Board (DGB) during its brief existence in Joe Biden's administration. He asked Jankowicz about her personal beliefs regarding "the role of government in [forming] public opinion" in an attempt to compare her answers to Goebbels' statement.

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On April 1, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs held a congressional hearing titled, "Censorship-Industrial Complex: The Need for First Amendment Safeguards at the State Department."

During the hearing, Rep. Keith Self, a Republican from Texas, allegedly quoted Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda minister of Nazi Germany, as saying, "It is the absolute right of the state to supervise the formation of public opinion."

The claim was shared in a video on X by the account of Rep. Julie Johnson, a Democrat from Texas, and quickly went viral on multiple platforms because, well, it purported to show an American politician quoting a Nazi propagandist.

Joseph Goebbels was a literal Nazi and one of Hitler's closest allies.



To my Republican colleagues, it is probably best not to quote him during a congressional hearing. pic.twitter.com/qCTXbMEEUJ  Congresswoman Julie Johnson (@RepJulieJohnson) April 1, 2025

Based on a video of the full hearing uploaded to the House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans YouTube channel, the claim is true  Self did quote Goebbels at the hearing. However, Johnson's post was misleading in that it omitted the context of Self's remark and the reason he quoted Goebbels in the first place.

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Self replied to Johnson's post the next day:

.@RepJulieJohnson, your framing is completely misleading.



I was referring to the philosophy of Nina Jankowicz, the former head of Bidens Disinformation Governance Board.



Probably best not to throw stones when your party supported funneling millions of dollars through Bidens https://t.co/nrWgse2S8L  Rep. Keith Self (@RepKeithSelf) April 2, 2025

Nina Jankowicz

Self's Goebbels quote came at the end of his questioning, which focused on Nina Jankowicz, the CEO of the American Sunlight Project, a nonprofit that describes its mission as "increasing the cost of lies that undermine democracy."

Jankowicz is a disinformation researcher who wrote the 2020 book "How to Lose the Information War," and according to The New York Times, once served as an adviser to Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She founded the American Sunlight Project in 2024 in response to a large, ongoing campaign by conservative Republicans "to silence think tanks and universities that expose the sources of disinformation" by arguing that measures to fight disinformation unfairly target conservative speech.

The Disinformation Governance Board

However, Self didn't want to discuss Jankowicz's personal record as a disinformation researcher  he wanted to discuss her 11 weeks leading the Disinformation Governance Board (DGB) during former President Joe Biden's administration.

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In early 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established the advisory-only DGB, led by Jankowicz, with a goal of combating "disinformation coming from Russia and rebutting misleading information aimed at migrants hoping to travel to the U.S.-Mexico border," according to Politico.

It did not go particularly well for the board. Republicans immediately began making comparisons to George Orwell's "1984," and the Biden administration floundered in response. Even then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on CNN that officials "probably could have done a better job of communicating what [the DGB] does and does not do."

According to CNN, DHS paused the board's activities in May 2022 in response to the backlash and Jankowicz resigned after the pause was announced. The board was fully shut down that August.

Self's questioning

A video of the hearing is available on YouTube, uploaded by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Self's questioning begins at 1:01:33.

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Self opened his questioning by asking Jankowicz her personal opinion, having worked in the government ("for 11 weeks," Jankowicz noted), on the government's role in "enforcing free speech."

Jankowicz responded that the First Amendment, which grants the right to free speech, is "sacrosanct," and that she thought the government should not be "arresting people for exercising their speech."

Self then read a supposed quote from Jankowicz during her time leading DGB saying that "law enforcement and our legislatures [needed] to do more," implying that she was advocating that the government using law enforcement to restrict free speech.

Jankowicz said the quote omitted necessary context, namely that she was "talking about online harms and threats against people online for exercising their speech," not free speech itself.

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Self's final question, which he asked in four different ways (Jankowicz gave a similar answer the first three times and did not engage with that part of the question on the fourth), was the following: "What is the mission of the state, the right of the state, to form public opinion?" Self's choice of wording clearly alluded to the Goebbels quote.

Here is the transcript of the exchange from Self's final question through to the Goebbels quote [the annotations are ours, to add as much context to the exchange as possible]. The transcription begins at the 1:04:07 mark of the video:

Self: What is the mission of the state, the right of the state, to form public opinion? Because we're talking about  our government has been involved in doing that for the last few years. Jankowicz: In my opinion, the government has a First Amendment right to free speech as well, and SCOTUS [Supreme Court of the United States] has just affirmed with a case last June, we just heard a case that came in federal court in New York, that, actually showed that NewsGuard was not acting as an envoy of the state. Self: So what is the role of the government? Jankowicz: The role of the government can express its free speech, right? And citizens have a right to their free speech as well. I don't really understand your question, sir, I'm not sure the point. Self: I'm asking you what is the role of government in public opinion? Because we're talking about actions here that have tried to form public opinion. On the Hunter [Biden] laptop, on the Russia disinformation, all of that. I'm asking you what is the role of government in that matter? Jankowicz: Absolutely, congressman. So the government is allowed to express its own opinions, its viewpoints, as we're seeing this administration do, as we saw the previous administration do Self: Well, what is their role when it is absolutely wrong? The Hunter laptop is probably the best example we could roll out here. [This is a reference to social media companies trying to slow the spread of the original New York Post article about Hunter Biden's laptop published just before the 2020 presidential election. Jankowicz was not an employee of the government at the time.] Jankowicz: I actually disagree with that, because when Twitter decided to add friction [slow the spread] to the Hunter Biden laptop case, it actually got more views. You've also heard Mr. Taibbi talk about 22 million tweets, millions of things censored through the GEC [Global Engagement Center] to the Election Integrity Partnership [EIP]? [Journalist Matt Taibbi, another witness at the hearing, was the lead author of the "Twitter Files," a report comprising internal Twitter documents Elon Musk gave journalists shortly after buying and taking over the social media platform. The Global Engagement Center was an agency in the State Department founded in 2016 to combat "foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the policies, security, or stability of the United States." It folded in 2024 after the Republican-controlled Congress refused to fund it. The EIP was a partnership of misinformation researchers between Stanford University and the University of Washington that helped track false and misleading information during the 2020 and 2022 elections. According to NPR, it faced massive conservative backlash and was the focus of claims that it was a front used by the Biden administration to suppress speech. It also folded in 2024.] Jankowicz: You know how many emails went between the GEC and the EIP? 15. You can look it up in Chairman Jordan's documents that he released at the end of last year. Fifteen emails. I've sent more text messages to my husband about our toddler's potty training in the last week than emails went from the GEC to the EIP, and those were all about overt Russian propaganda  RT and Sputnik  except for one, when the GEC analyst said to the folks there, "I can't comment on this one because I'm a government employee, but I think you should check it out." That's all that happened, sir. Self: So I'm gonna leave you, and I'll yield back a little bit of my time, a direct quote from Joseph Goebbels. "It is the absolute right of the state to supervise the formation of public opinion," and I think that may be what we're discussing here.

So it's true that Self quoted Goebbels, but as the context clearly shows, he was attempting to liken Jankowicz's views to the Nazi propaganda minister's.

Sources:

About Us - Global Engagement Center - United States Department of State. 5 Oct. 2023, https://web.archive.org/web/20231005025458/https://www.state.gov/about-us-global-engagement-center-2/.

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AFP. "US Agency Focused on Foreign Disinformation Shuts Down." France24, 24 Dec. 2024, https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20241224-us-agency-focused-on-foreign-disinformation-shuts-down.

Bertrand, Sean Lyngaas, Priscilla Alvarez,Natasha. "Expert Hired to Run DHS' Newly Created Disinformation Board Resigns | CNN Politics." CNN, 18 May 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/18/politics/dhs-disinformation-board-paused/index.html.

Bond, Shannon. "A Major Disinformation Research Team's Future Is Uncertain after Political Attacks." NPR, 14 June 2024. NPR, https://www.npr.org/2024/06/14/g-s1-4570/a-major-disinformation-research-teams-future-is-uncertain-after-political-attacks.

"Censorship-Industrial Complex: The Need for First Amendment Safeguards at the State Department." House Foreign Affairs Committee, 1 Apr. 2025, https://democrats-foreignaffairs.house.gov/2025/4/censorship-industrial-complex-the-need-for-first-amendment-safeguards-at-the-state-department.

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"GOP Rep Quotes Infamous Nazi During Censorship Hearing." The Daily Beast, 2 Apr. 2025, https://www.thedailybeast.com/gop-rep-quotes-infamous-nazi-joseph-goebbels-during-censorship-hearing/.

Hooper, Kelly. "Mayorkas Cites Misinformation about Homeland Security's Disinformation Board." Politico, 1 May 2022, https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/01/mayorkas-defends-dhs-disinformation-board-00029182.

Lorenz, Taylor. "How the Biden Administration Let Right-Wing Attacks Derail Its Disinformation Efforts." The Washington Post, 18 May 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/05/18/disinformation-board-dhs-nina-jankowicz/.

Myers, Steven Lee, and Sheera Frenkel. "G.O.P. Targets Researchers Who Study Disinformation Ahead of 2024 Election." The New York Times, 19 June 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/19/technology/gop-disinformation-researchers-2024-election.html.

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Myers, Steven Lee, and Jim Rutenberg. "New Group Joins the Political Fight Over Disinformation Online." The New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/business/media/american-sunlight-project-fight-disinformation.html.

"North Texas Congress Members Clash over Use of Nazi Propagandist Joseph Goebbels Quote at Hearing." Wfaa.Com, 3 Apr. 2025, https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/north-texas-congressman-quotes-nazi-propaganda-minister-joseph-goebbels/287-fe3d60ad-e239-40c6-a98e-67ee909cd278.

"Programs." The American Sunlight Project, https://www.americansunlight.org/programs. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

Rutenberg , Jim, and Steven Lee Myers. "How Trump's Allies Are Winning the War Over Disinformation." The New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/17/us/politics/trump-disinformation-2024-social-media.html.

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Sands, Geneva. "DHS Shuts down Disinformation Board Months after Its Efforts Were Paused | CNN Politics." CNN, 25 Aug. 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/24/politics/dhs-disinformation-board-shut-down/index.html.

Tait, Robert. "Capitol Hill Hearing on 'Censorship Industrial Complex' under Biden Based on 'Fiction', Says Expert." The Guardian, 1 Apr. 2025. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/01/capitol-hill-hearing-biden-censorship-trump.

"Team." The American Sunlight Project, https://www.americansunlight.org/team. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.


Denise S. Brown. MD has built an estimable career as a Stanford-trained physician, CEO, strategic adviser, and widely sought-after speaker. Shes also a board member of seven companies drawing profits in the eight-figure range, a dedicated wife and the mother of two grown sons. Shes presumptively done it all. But Browns success came on the heels of struggle, sadness and heartache. After losing my mother at 25 and experiencing eight miscarriages while building my medical practice, I learned that success without satisfaction is meaningless, says Brown. To that end, Brown is publishing her debut memoir The Fairy God Doctorss Guide to a Good Life: A Prescription for the Working Woman (Legacy Launch Pad Publishing). A blend of personal and professional observations of women in the workforce and the collective burnout often experienced, The Fairy God Doctor, drops today, April 5.

The book, as much as it charts Browns career trajectory and lessons learned along the way, functions as a de facto manual for women carving out their places in the world while attempting to discover what gives them joy, meaning and purpose. Browns book is also, at its core, a tribute to her mother, who died young at the age of 53 but left a remarkable legacy not only as a loving parent, but a renowned chemist who worked on top-secret projects at the Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico, where Brown was partially raised. My publisher said Saturday is not the greatest day to launch a book, says Brown. But I was like, I dont care. Its my moms birthdayand thats what were doing. denisesbrownmd.com/book

Your memoir captivated me in a way that I think it will many readers. Maybe its that were all so drawn to doctors, because medicine affects us all. Its why TV series and movies about doctors do so well. In college, even those of us who werent pre-med would all gather around to watch every show there was about doctors.

Oh, Ive got a great story. The first season of ER, my wrist and hand were in the opening credits. Theres a close-up shot of me carrying a cooler [with an organ] on the roof, because they shot that first reason at the University of Chicago. I was a third-year med student, just like the character Carter [Noah Wyle].

Youre like Kevin Coster who played the corpse in The Big Chill. The rest of his scenes wound up on the cutting room floor.

Yes! It was my Big Chill moment.

Your childhood was an extraordinary one. It makes absolute sense that you grew up to become a doctor. Your parents were top-secret scientists who held prestigious positions at the Los Alamos National Lab. Their security clearances were so air-tight, they couldnt discuss what they did. My grandfather worked on the atomic bomb, so this part of your childhood is especially fascinating to me.

Its fascinating to me, too. It must have been after my first year if med school at University of Chicago, that summer, and I had a job at the lab. And I was hanging out with all these old guys and learning about what they did during the [Manhattan] Project and its immediate aftermath. And I was coming at it from the lens of medicine. And these men were the first ones to figure out, you know, nuclear medicine and iodine treatment for the thyroidthey were just shooting themselves up with all this stuff. They were a different breed.

It's a confusing welter of emotions I think, being related to scientists who worked on a bomb that could destroy the earth tenfold. And yetthese were genius people. And they didnt even understand the ways in which their work would forever change the course of the planet.

Exactly. I feel the same way. My dad was this poor Oregon farm buy who joined the Navy, and so he was very interested in nuclear power. And so, he went to Columbia University, which was where you went to study that, and he met my mom. And then he went to work for Con Edison. That was his thing. He was going to bring clean power to America. And then Three Mile Island happened and now this poor guy who wanted to do nothing but good by harnessing the power of the atom wound up doing something completely different. He wasnt a bomb designerhe did all the computer simulations for the Wargames at Los Alamos. But it was never what he wanted to do.

Brown's memoir drops April 5.

Like your parents, you are a high achiever. From going to UC Berkeley to U. of Chicago Medical School, becoming a prominent physician and a CEO, youve accomplished so much. And yet you say this memoir The Fairy God Doctors Guide to a Good Life: A Prescription for the Working Woman is your legacy. What do you mean by that?

I sold a company in fall of 2023, and I got interviewed for a magazine, and the interviewer asked me, whats your legacy? And I remember saying, I dont understand the question. And she said, Well, youve sold this company, youve changed the way healthcare gets delivered. Whats your legacy? And that was the genesis of it. And I said, My two boys. Thats my legacy. And then we just started talking and she started asking me more questionsshe was young, about 30. And so, I told her all about my philosophy and how, as a woman, you have to do so many things simultaneously, but you cant do them alland you have to ask for help. And she was like, Holy shit. You have to write this down.

What I found most compelling and relatable about your memoir is that with all your accomplishments, it still didnt feel like enough. You felt like that you needed to do more.

I did grow up in this very academic, high-powered family. And I was the oldest daughter, so I put a lot on pressure on myself, and, you know, I hit all the bells and whistlesthe grades, I was the valedictorian. And then when my mom died unexpectedly at sadly, young age, it was kind of like, wdll this is all pretty meaningless. Like, who cares, really? It was a big kind of wake-up call. I realized what mattered was not all the external accolades, but how do I feel about myself today? It became about doing stuff thats deep in your heart and not focusing so much on whats on your resume.

You discovered your moms autoimmune disease, from which she ultimately died. And while that diagnosis likely prolonged her lifeyou write in your book about how great a weight that was, how heavy a responsibility.

I never had time to properly grieve my motherbecause I was so in the middle of it all. I would always say to everyone that when my sweet baby, my Jack Russell dog, Otis, dies, reserve me a room. I had a feeling that all the cumulative grief Ive dealt with would come flooding over me. My mom died in 1996, but I had never really thought about it or spent any time with that grief, and then right after Otis died, I think it kind of gave me permission to unmask it all. I was 23 when my mother died. I was the one who turned all the drips off, who turned off the monitors. Because someone in the family has to do that. I bore the brunt of that. This is not something the average 23-year-old is thinking about. That was not fun, and it completely changed my entire life. Instead of me feeling like, oh, arent I the bright shiny young thing, I was just like, wow, Im just so lucky to be here. To be alive.

All we have is today.

Its true.

If I wanted to gift someone The Fairy God Doctors Guide to a Good Life, who should I give it to? Who is the ideal audience for this book?

I would give it to your little fairy goddaughter or your friend's daughter who graduated from college last yearor maybe this year. Or maybe shes someone who is just finishing her MBA and shes thinking, now what? I think ideally, this is a book that is most helpful for someone who is maybe between 25 and 35 years old. Someone trying to make really big decisions and overwhelmed. The way our culture has evolved, we have too much information. There are too many options, and youve got to whittle it down. One of the things that being a doctor makes you really good at is making hard decisions, gathering all the information, and then thinking and then acting on that. I always tell my boys, youre not making the decisionyoure making a decision. And thats a very important difference in your brain.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo all but got away with murder this week when a federal judge tossed a lawsuit blaming his administration for thousands of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, disgusted relatives told The Post.

Patricia Biondi, one of eight plaintiffs in the $10 million wrongful-death suit, called Manhattan federal Judge Katherine Polk Faillas Monday decision to dismiss the case over lack of evidence a bad joke, adding Cuomo  the frontrunner in NYCs mayoral race  mismanaged the whole COVID crisis as governor.

Hes just walking away scot free, and he has the nerve to run for office again? said Biondi, 72, of Wappingers Falls, NY, whose husband of over 30 years, Michael, 77, died of the bug in November 2020  just a month after checking into a Mohegan Lake nursing home for physical therapy.

A Manhattan federal court judges decision this week to dismiss a lawsuit blaming former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his administration for thousands of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes has plaintiffs fuming. G.N.Miller/NYPost

Cuomo should be in prison  not running for office, she said. I think what he did was horrendous.

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Hes a real piece of work, added Biondi, who said neither she nor her two daughters and four granddaughters got to say goodbye to Michael because of strict pandemic restrictions.

Cuomo wound up striking a $5.1 million book deal to write a memoir about leading the state during the pandemic.

Stacie Druckman, 52, said she holds Cuomo and his administration responsible for the April 2020 death of her 73-year-old father, Arthur Druckman, at a Bronx nursing home.

Cuomo, she said, shouldnt be allowed to run for mayor.

Patricia Biondi, 72, of Wappingers Falls, NY, joined the class-action federal suit after her husband Michael, 77, died of COVID in November 2020, a month after checking into a Mohegan Lake nursing home for physical therapy. Courtesy Patricia Biondi

People are forgetting what happened, but some people like me arent, she said.

Both Biondi and Druckman said they want to appeal the judges decision, but Biondi conceded it would be a longshot to find a judge in New York whod rule against Cuomo.

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Their lawyer, Joseph Ciaccio, did not return messages but previously told Law 360, We will continue to explore all options.

The Cuomo administration issued a controversial directive on March 25, 2020, forcing New York nursing homes to take in COVID-19 patients who were discharged from hospitals, which some experts have said contributed to thousands of deaths. The directive was issued in response to many hospitals statewide  especially in NYC  being overwhelmed with patients and lacking enough beds.

The late Michael Biondi left behind his wife, two daughters, and four granddaughters. Patricia Biondi/Facebook

The plaintiffs in the 2023 suit contend their loved ones deaths were a result of the directive, accusing Cuomo, his top aide Melissa DeRosa and ex-state of Health Department Commissioner Howard Zucker of depriving nursing home residents to fundamental rights to life, bodily integrity, and the right to personal security as required under the 14th Amendment.

The judge in a 44-page order Monday dismissing the suit said the plaintiffs claims failed to pass legal muster because the state didnt create the virus or imprison the residents.

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The courts sympathy for plaintiffs and their loved ones simply cannot supplant governing law, the judge wrote.

Brooklyn federal Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall in September dismissed a similar 2022 suit filed by borough resident Daniel Arbeeny, whose father contracted the virus in a Brooklyn nursing home and died.

Bodies are being moved to a refrigeration truck serving as a temporary morgue at Wyckoff Hospital in Brooklyn in 2020, at the height of the pandemic. AFP via Getty Images

Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi hailed the latest ruling, proclaiming, once again, justice has prevailed.

As we pass the fifth anniversary of COVID, the pain of those who have lost loved ones continues to be weaponized for political purposes and electoral gain at the highest levels, he said. However, anytime this issue gets taken out of the press or the political arena and into the courts, the truth wins.

We are very sorry for her loss, but Mr. Biondi passed seven months after the [state Department of Health] guidance was no longer in place  showing once again how much peoples pain was weaponized and politicized to the point where there is no relationship to the facts, added Azzopardi.
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)  In the weeks before last Novembers second anniversary of the mass shooting at the Battlefield Boulevard Walmart, judges in Norfolk approved a series of wrongful death settlements that saw the company commit to paying out millions to three victims families, according to court documents obtained this week by 10 On Your Side.

Previously: Impact of Chesapeake Walmart mass shooting still felt two years later

The last one was finalized last November, just three days before a Chesapeake Circuit Court judge signed off on an order dismissing the final remaining negligence suit against the company in that jurisdiction  all were dismissed before going to trial.

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Six people were killed in the Nov. 22, 2022 shooting and several others were injured.

Chesapeake Walmart Mass Shooting

[Walmart], while denying any liability for this alleged incident or injuries, have nevertheless expressed a willingness to compromise any causes of action which may have accrued to respondent, pursuant to [state law], a filing in one of the cases reads.

The family of Tyneka Johnson received $1.725 million, of which $700,000 was paid to their attorneys, according to court documents. The family of Lorenzo Gamble Sr. received $80,000 alongside a sizeable workers compensation payment. The family of Fernando Chavez-Barron received $2.675 million, of which $841,000 went to attorney fees.

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Appalled and horrified by [the shooters] actions and the resulting tragedies, Walmart stands firmly committed to its deceased and injured employees and grieves with their families, attorneys for the retail giant write in a filing in the Gamble case.

The settlements release the company from all liabilities and future lawsuits. They also include a confidentiality clause prohibiting the beneficiaries from discussing the terms.

All amounts paid under this settlement are in the settlement of the underlying claims of the parties and not as compensation for the confidentiality agreement, the final order in the Johnson case reads.

The Chesapeake negligence cases, in contrast, put the blame for the shooting on Walmart. Those suits argued that the shooter had a history of disturbing statements and actions that should have blocked his continued employment.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH)  We are seeing dramatic police body cam video of an officer involved shooting this week in Bridgeport for the first time.

Dyshan Best was killed, and now his family is asking for more answers on exactly what happened.

Person shot and killed by Bridgeport police officer

But Bridgeport Chief of Police Roderick Porter is asking the community not to pass judgement.

Police say Best took off and ran after they approached a car in which he was a passenger. The video shows he had a bottle of alcohol in his hand when he took off. The Inspector Generals preliminary report said there was a gun in his right hand.

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The open question at the center of the investigation is if use of force was justified. The family says there were other options for the police.

I wish he was still here, you would see he was a gentle person, said the sister of the victim, Cecilia Jessie. Hes not a troublemaker.

The family met Friday with their family attorney and Chief Porter. The family attorney said all the video released Friday needs to be studied.

Ok the guy that ran from us was Dyshan, lets go find him and see whats going on and most you are going to get is a gun charge, Darnell D. Crosland said. Well at least wed still have him here, and hed be alive.

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Chief Porter said its early in the investigation and hes asking the community to breathe and be patient.

I know use of force, I know training and it appears to be in the line training and what they use, Porter said. But the Inspector Generals office will determine that.

The family said it is planning peaceful protests while the investigation continues and a final determination is made.

Watch the full story including the police body cam video above.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Family and friends gathered for a vigil Friday to honor 3-year-old Journei Ross a week after she was stabbed and killed.

Full of laughter, Phalan Whitson said. She was always a happy baby.

Whitson, Journeis mother, told 8 News Now she will always remember her daughter as a beautiful soul.

Whitson, Journeis father Jeremy Ross, and other family members held a vigil Friday outside the apartment complex where she was found dead on March 26, near Flamingo Road and Eastern Avenue.

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This is all for Journei, Ross said. You know, the journey continues.

Loved ones lit candles, shed tears, and released balloons while reciting We love you Journei, all to grieve a life taken before it could truly start.

Family and friends gathered for a vigil Friday to honor 3-year-old Journei Ross a week after she was stabbed and killed. (KLAS) Family and friends gathered for a vigil Friday to honor 3-year-old Journei Ross a week after she was stabbed and killed. (KLAS) Family and friends gathered for a vigil Friday to honor 3-year-old Journei Ross a week after she was stabbed and killed. (KLAS) Family and friends gathered for a vigil Friday to honor 3-year-old Journei Ross a week after she was stabbed and killed. (KLAS) Family and friends gathered for a vigil Friday to honor 3-year-old Journei Ross a week after she was stabbed and killed. (KLAS) Family and friends gathered for a vigil Friday to honor 3-year-old Journei Ross a week after she was stabbed and killed. (KLAS) Family and friends gathered for a vigil Friday to honor 3-year-old Journei Ross a week after she was stabbed and killed. (KLAS)

It was amazing seeing her grow, Whitson said. And I wont be able to see that anymore.

Marketta Phillips, 41, faces an open murder charge. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said she stabbed the child multiple times in the torso, legs, and neck, according to police documents.

Phillips, who lived with Ross for about a year, according to documents, was allegedly watching Journei while her father was at work.

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Phillips told detectives she snapped and wanted to get back at him, an arrest report said.

That lady needs to be prosecuted, Whitson said Friday, speaking on her hope for justice. She needs to be prosecuted for what she did.

Ross and several family friends also spoke on the importance of mental health.

Family and friends gathered for a vigil Friday to honor 3-year-old Journei Ross a week after she was stabbed and killed. (KLAS)

Talk with your loved ones, talk with your family, talk with your friends, Ross said to the crowd. Because you never know what they might be going through.

There was more pain, shock and sadness than many could imagine, but the people who knew Journei best believe she will always be with them.

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She really impacted my life, Whitson said. She made me strive to do better, she made me want to do that.

Whitson told 8 News Now she also plans to start a non-profit organization in honor of Journei.

Phillips is being held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 13.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
In some communities around metro Atlanta, finding good, fresh, locally produced food is a huge challenge. For residents in one section of Mableton, a new farmers market is meeting one of their biggest needs, food insecurity.

For people who live in the area, the nearest grocery store is in a neighboring county.

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We have families that want and need to have healthier options and its a challenge. Bringing a farmers market here to Mableton is paramount, it is going to offer fresh food options for families, said Mableton Mayor Michael Owens.

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Its a vision Dr. Christopher Boyd told Channel 2 Cobb Count Bureau Chief Michele Newell he and his team have had for quite some time, and seeing it come to fruition is a sign of impactful progress.

The Riverside EpiCenter is hosting the EPIC Farmers Market through a partnership with Event Helperz.

We sold out of all of our produce in one day, Dr. Boyd said We saw somewhere between 700 to 1200 people here.

TRENDING STORIES:

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50 pounds of fresh produce sold out before midday, on the first day the EPIC Farmers Market opened.

Fresh food is what people want, Dr. Boyd said.

The access to fresh produce and other healthy food options is accessible and in a prime location with ample parking. The EpiCenter which is located near Six Flags Over Georgia, has more than 400 parking spaces. Families who use public transportation can also access the EPIC Famers Market.

Were able to attract because of the need a lot of farmers who want to exhibit their goods, Boyd said. Bell peppers and the watermelons and the corn, also smoothies and other things like that. Were excited that were able to bring that right to this community. Were excited about becoming the largest in Georgia.

With nearly 40 vendors to start, chefs who are cooking up hot meals and so much more, the EPIC Famers Market will be a game changer for a community that needs it the most.

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Because they are selling it at such reasonable prices people are really coming out for it. One of the vendors actually is able to receive EBT payments as part of the process, which is just again a great option, Boyd said.

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If you go simply by the lack of having a grocery store, it is approximately a little less than half of our city. As vibrant as Mableton is with lots of different shopping options, we do have a part of the city that is a food desert, Owens said.

The Mayor told Newell its a problem that has been around for decades, one that he is looking forward to addressing in the new city in southern Cobb County.

What we are doing here in Mableton and in partnership with the EpiCenter is really providing healthier options for families, said Owens.

In addition to fresh food options, the Market offers artisan foods & baked goods, handmade crafts & home decor, along with wellness and lifestyle products.

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The EPIC Farmers Market is open Saturdays from 10 AM-6 PM and Sundays from 9 AM-4 PM. The market will be closed on April 6 because of the threat of severe weather.

You can learn more information about the EPIC Farmers Market at https://riversideepicenter.com/farmersmarket
In the last few months, five Western Pennsylvanians fell victim to the Grandparents Scam, and were defrauded out of $50,000.

The FBI Pittsburgh office held a press conference Friday to tell people that there are likely more victims out there.

Investigators arrested a Dominican Republic man, who was living in Cleveland on an expired Visa. They say Luis Alfonso Bisono Rodriguez was using ride shares like Uber to get the money delivered from his victims to him.

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Investigators say they were able to spot a high number of rideshares that may be part of this scam.

Because of this horrible fraud, we are urging anyone who received a suspicious call from someone claiming to be a child or a grandchild, or an attorney offering to assist a relative, please come forward and submit a complaint, said Kevin Rojek, Special Agent at FBI Pittsburgh.

At a press conference on Friday, FBI agents urged people to speak to their older loved ones about this scam.

They also advised resisting the pressure from scammers to act quickly. Criminals will create a sense of urgency to produce fear and push victims into acting immediately.

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Call the police immediately if you feel there is a danger to yourself or a loved one.

Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls and emails.

If someone randomly calls claiming to be a loved one needing help, and it sounds suspicious, hang up immediately. Contact that loved one to determine whether or not the call is legitimate.

Never hand over cash, checks, money, gold, jewelry, precious metals, or wire money or information to people you dont know.

Have recurring conversations with your family and friends about scams, protecting your financial information, and how to stay safe.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

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TOPEKA (KSNT)  FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is calling for a major cleanup of outdated regulations that could be holding back local businesses, including broadcasters like 27 KSNT and FOX 43.

The initiative, called Delete, Delete, Delete, is focused on cutting red tape, removing outdated rules and modernizing policies for todays broadcast and digital world. As stations serving Northeast Kansas, these changes could reduce regulatory hurdles and strengthen our ability to bring you the local news, weather, and information you rely on every day.

Chairman Carr announced the campaign in a news release and on social media, urging the public to get involved:

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For too long, administrative agencies have added new regulatory requirements in excess of their authority or kept lawful regulations in place long after their shelf life had expired. The FCC is committed to ending all of the rules and regulations that are no longer necessary. And we welcome the publics participation and feedback throughout this process.

The FCC regulates media and telecommunications companiesincluding local TV stations like oursand this is your chance to help shape the future of broadcasting.

We are asking for your support. If you value local news and want to protect it, we encourage you to tell the FCC to eliminate regulations holding back growth and innovation at stations like 27 KSNT and FOX 43.

The deadline to submit your comments is April 11. Make your voice heard by visiting: https://yourvoice.nxst.io.

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Your feedback matters. Please help us continue to deliver the high-quality, local journalism our community deserves.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)  Our weekend weather might have you checking the calendar to see if weve gone back a couple of months.

Thanks to an ill-timed cold front, Saturday will be the coldest day of the next seven days, with temperatures in the mid and upper 40s all day.

Unfortunately, strong north winds will make it feel cold. Saturday will also be cloudy, with showers from time to time.

Our final chance of rain comes Saturday night with scattered showers, perhaps mixed with snow. Parts of West Texas will get a few inches of snow, which could cause some travel issues.

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Please check road conditions if you plan to travel west of Lubbock or Amarillo on Saturday afternoon and evening. Sunshine finally returns to Texoma on Sunday afternoon.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Texomashomepage.com.
Yvonne Renee Evans, a retired Department of Veterans Affairs nurse rallies alongside fellow members of the American Federation of Government Employees in Detroit on April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson

As President Donald Trump and his administration work to implement sweeping job and budget cuts across several government departments, members from several local chapters of the American Federation of Government Employees rallied outside the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building in Detroit on Friday in defense of government employees, Social Security and the right to collective bargaining.

Joined by U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor), Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit), AFGE members stressed the importance of preserving the Social Security Administration, while warning how cuts to their agencies could impact seniors, veterans and other vulnerable Americans.

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Federal employees are facing a threat from two entities, one entity is destroying our federal unions, and the second entity is trying to destroy our legal right to collective bargaining.We are here to tell you what that entity is doing to the federal workforce is directly harming services that we provide to our public, said Monique Buchanan, president of AFGE Local 3239.

Monique Buchanan, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3239 lead a rally against cuts to several government agencies in Detroit on Friday, April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson

Following an executive order last week instructing several government agencies to end collective bargaining with federal labor unions, citing concerns of national security, the AFGE and several other unions have filed suit against the Trump administration, arguing the order violates the Constitution.

Collective bargaining agreements are built on agreements the union and the agency made together as a mutually agreed policy document that both union and management are to abide by. The CBA [collective bargaining agreements] allows for us to ensure all employees are treated fairly in all aspects of work. Stripping the contract or CBA will potentially cause major disruptions within our agencies, and it could affect our ability to provide services to this country, Buchanan said.

Additionally, efforts to cut significant amounts of staff and resources from multiple federal agencies are intended to collapse them, putting them on the path to privatization, Buchanan said.

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Privatizing means the top 2% of this country can obtain federal contracts to take over the work of our federal agencies. Privatization will replace skilled, knowledgeable, educated, hard working employees who have been through extensive training, potentially with AI and or a replacement staff who cannot touch the world class service we provide, she said.

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Dingell spoke out against the demonization of government workers, pointing to the work they do to keep people across the nation safe.

The federal and government employees takes care of the veterans at all the [Department of Veterans Affairs] hospitals and make sure they get the health care they need. When Im flying, its air traffic controllers that keep us safe and they arent recognized. They dont have enough of them, and we need to support them, not demonize them, Dingell said.

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She also pointed to recent mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services, calling them terrifying.

Dingell also detailed the history of Social Security, noting that her father in law, the late John Dingell Sr., co-sponsored the bill to create the Social Security Administration.

Why? Because more than half the seniors, children of people who had died and people with disabilities,were living in poverty and did not know how they were going to eat, or where they were going to live. And this country recognized that if youve worked hard your entire life, that you should be able to live your senior years with dignity and respect, and they created Social Security to address that problem, she said.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell slams proposed cuts to the U.S. Social Security Administration while rallying alongside members of the American Federation of Government Employees on April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson

While Trump pledged not to touch Social Security in proposed cuts to government spending, the president, alongside billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, have cut several thousand employees with the administration seeking to reduce its workforce by 7,000 employees.

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Although the Social Security Administration was previously planning to eliminate phone services for Americans filing for benefits, The Washington Post reported the administration has since scrapped that plan, but will require individuals filing for retirement or survivor benefits or requesting direct deposit for their checks to verify their identity online or in person beginning April 14.

We have a moral responsibility to protect our seniors, people with disabilities and the children of those that have died and need that help. And if America cannot honor their promise to their seniors, then we need to look ourselves in the mirror and ask who we are, Dingell said.

With the Department of Veterans Affairs aiming to cut 80,000 employees by August, Yvonne Renee Evans, a recently retired nurse at the John D. Dingell Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, called the Trump Administrations job cuts an attack on servicemembers, noting that 27% of VA employees and 30% of all federal employees are veterans.

Tricia Paff, president of AFGE local 3907 who is based at the Environmental Protection Agencys National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, spoke out on proposed cuts to the EPA, noting its role is ensuring there is clean water, clean air and protecting human health and addressing climate change.

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The Trump administration can fire scientists. They can try to remove the words climate change from EPA websites, policies, contracts, but these actions will not protect Americans from intensifying climate extremes, Paff said, pointing to the damage from Hurricane Helene as one example.

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) speaks up in support of government workers during a rally outside the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building on April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson

As cuts to Social Security employees generate uncertainty for those relying on benefits, Tlaib, who is serving her fourth term in the U.S. House, said she has never seen as many people breaking down at her town halls or calling her office as she has in recent months.

They break your heart because they feel helpless. Theyre like always on edge because they think tomorrow that check is not going to come. I even had a veteran tell me they canceled his appointments, and now he cant get in for another three months. Why? Because when they cut federal workforce, theyre cutting federal programs and services. People are going to wait longer. People are already feeling like they dont matter, she said.

Stevens shared a story of a similar call from a disabled veteran who was unsure if he would be able to continue receiving his medical benefits.

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How is that even a question? That shouldnt be a question for us. she said.

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) speaks out against proposed cuts at the Social Security Administration during a rally in Detroit on April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson

While closing out the rally, AFGE National President Everett Kelley said people often dont recognize who federal employees are.

Let me tell you who they are. These are the people that work at the VA that make sure that veterans are cared for every single day, and they do that job so well that nobody pays them attention. These are the people that work at the EPA that do that job so well that nobody pays them attention. Because nobody pays their attention as long as the air that we breathe is good, as long as the water that we drink is good water, Kelley said.

Nobody pays any attention when they fly through the sky, because theres a federal employee at the TSA that makes sure that we fly safely, Kelley said.

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However, the Trump administration came for them, Kelley said, pointing to Project 2025, the conservative Heritage Foundations nearly 900 page blueprint for reshaping the federal government, as the warning that the Trump administration would aim to eliminate a number of federal employees.

He also took aim at Musks Department of Government Efficiency.

I say its the Department of Government Evil, because its downright evil to take American people and just destroy their well being, Kelley said.

As the administration continues to attack government workers, Kelley told AFGE members they need to call it like it is, pointing to comments from U.S. Judge William Alsup in his order requiring federal agencies to rehire tens of thousands of probationary federal employees that were fired by the United States Office of Personnel Management earlier this year where he called the mass firings a sham strategy to sidestep requirements for reducing the federal workforce.

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Im not afraid. I learned that I gotta speak truth to power. If its the last thing I do, Im going to speak truth to power, and Im here to tell this administration that we are going nowhere, Kelley said.

Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, rallied alongside fellow union members in Detroit, on April 4, 2025, speaking out against proposed cuts at several federal agencies. | Kyle Davidson

Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, rallied alongside fellow union members in Detroit, on April 4, 2025, speaking out against proposed cuts at several federal agencies. | Kyle Davidson

Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, slammed the Trump Administration's attacks on federal employees during a rally in Detroit, on April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson

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U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) speaks out against proposed cuts at the Social Security Administration during a rally in Detroit on April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson

Outside the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building on Friday, April 4, 2025, individuals rallied in support of government employees under attack from an executive order aimed at ending collective bargaining with workers at several government agencies. | Kyle Davidson

During a rally held in support of federal employees in Detroit on Friday, April 4, 2025, several individuals carried signs criticizing billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. | Kyle Davidson

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) discussed the concerns her office had seen from constituents amid proposed cuts to the U.S. Social Security Administration while attending a rally on April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) speaks up in support of government workers during a rally outside the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building on April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson

During a rally hosted by the American Federation of Government Employees in Detroit on Friday April 4, 2025 several individuals carried signs criticizing Elon musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. | Kyle Davidson

Tricia Paff, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3907, speaks out against cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency during a rally in Detroit on April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson

Attendees of the American Federation of Government Employees rally against proposed federal job cuts, held in Detroit on April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson

Monique Buchanan, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3239, speaks out against cuts at the Social Security Administration and several other government agencies during a rally in Detroit on Friday, April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson

Monique Buchanan, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3239, speaks out against cuts at the Social Security Administration and several other government agencies during a rally in Detroit on Friday, April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson

During a rally hosted by the American Federation of Government Employees in Detroit on Friday April 4, 2025 several individuals carried signs criticizing Elon musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. | Kyle Davidson

Members of the American Federation of Government Employees march outside the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building on April 4, 2025, in opposition to efforts to cut employees and services at the Social Security Administration. | Kyle Davidson

Members of the American Federation of Government Employees march outside the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building on April 4, 2025, in opposition to cuts at the Social Security Administration. | Kyle Davidson

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) marches alongside members of the American Federation of Government Employees in Detroit on April 4, 2025. | Kyle Davidson
Over 400 unaccompanied migrant children in the Southeastern U.S. have had their legal aid cut by the federal government.

On Friday, March 21, President Donald Trump's administration canceled a $200 million contract with the Acacia Center for Justice, which worked with the Office of Refugee Resettlement to represent the 26,000 children who entered the country illegally.

Now, the Tallahassee nonprofit that works as a subcontractor with Acacia Center for Justice that represents these children in parts of Florida, Alabama and Georgia is unfunded, understaffed and overwhelmed.

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But the work doesn't stop just because the money has.

"On Friday, I was extremely upset, and on Saturday, I woke up and I got to work, and that's it," said immigration lawyer Ashley Hamill.

Even though a judge granted a temporary restraining order against the federal government from terminating the contract this week, Hamill said there is still no guidance on how to continue the work.

So for now, Hamill and Cassandra DeCoste, co-founders and co-directors of the Family Immigration and Rights Center, plan on still representing children, who range in age from 1 to 17, for free.

In the Leon and Gadsden Counties, there are over 60 children who need legal help and are in the middle of their cases.

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"The children are not going anywhere. They're still in their proceedings. They still have to pursue this. But there's nowhere else for them to go," Hamill said.

Welcome backjust kidding. Floridas got a new policy thanks to @GovRonDeSantis: illegal reentry gets you a one-way ticket to jail. Excellent work by @FLHSMV for keeping our state safe from criminal aliens like these human smugglers. https://t.co/FUMq3vOBeK  Office of Executive Director Larry Keefe (@FLSBIE) April 3, 2025

In his second term as president, Trump has issued several executive orders as part of his program of "mass deportation" to clamp down illegal immigration. His administration has repealed the Temporary Protected Status of Venezuelans in the United States, halted the refugee resettlement program and ramped up U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's deportation efforts.

Law enforcement officials and Republican leaders close to the administration have insisted the arrests are only targeting criminals, but others, like unaccompanied minors represented by the Family Immigration and Rights Center, are now at risk, according to Shaina Aber, executive director of the Acacia Center for Justice, in a statement.

Particularly at a time when the administration is expediting removal proceedings that force people through our nations deportation system at an alarming rate, legal services for vulnerable children are more crucial than ever," Aber said.

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"The administrations decision to end these services undermines due process, disproportionately impacts vulnerable children, and puts children who have already experienced severe trauma at risk for further irreparable harm or exploitation."

The government contract was set to expire March 29 with an option of renewal for one more year, but the feds paused the contract in February before it was abruptly terminated on March 21, Hamill said.

The latest court order, issued by U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin of San Francisco, lasts until April 16, when the judge will hear a petition for a preliminary injunction, which usually comes after a temporary restraining order, or TRO.

Before the termination of the contract, there were 90 lawyers who represented unaccompanied immigrant children across the United States, and the Family Immigration and Rights Center employed 19 of them. Now the nonprofit has nine, after half of its staff was let go due to lack of funding.

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The children the Family Immigration and Rights Center represents are from Nicaragua, Honduras, Cuba, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Ukraine, among others. The nonprofit is currently taking donations to help fund the 400-plus cases it already has.

Guatemalan migrants with children are taken to a migrant shelter after arriving on a deportation flight from the U.S. on Feb. 19, 2025.

One client, a teen girl, was trafficked into the U.S. by a stranger who provided fake documents to the Office of Refugee Resettlement to have them release him to her, DeCoste said. By the time DeCoste got her case, the teen already had a child with her trafficker.

"We have to stay strong and positive, because kids are relying on us to be strong and positive in the face of adversity, in the same way that they've had to be," DeCoste said.

Ana Goni-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network  Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Trump halts contract, leaving migrant children without legal aid
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Four international students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas had their visas revoked by federal immigration authorities, the university announced Friday evening.

Officer in Charge Chris Heavey made the announcement in an email to the campus community stating, We have learned that four of our international students have had their visas revoked by federal immigration authorities. We will not identify the students in accordance with federal privacy laws.

Heavey acknowledged that the news may be difficult for some on campus and that similar instances have affected several universities and colleges across the country. Heavey went on to say that the university was prepared for this possibility.

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The university has offered support and guidance to students including helping those in need to fulfill the requirements necessary to complete their spring semester.

Heaveys statement read in full:

We have learned that four of our international students have had their visas revoked by federal immigration authorities. We will not identify the students in accordance with federal privacy laws. We recognize that this news may be difficult for some. Unfortunately, similar circumstances are affecting many universities and colleges across the country, and so we were prepared for this possibility. We are offering support and guidance to the students during this difficult time, including helping those in need to fulfill requirements necessary to complete their spring semester. UNLV remains steadfast in our commitment to helping all of our students achieve their academic goals, and we will approach any similar future situations with the same mindset and support. Finally, we are grateful the university has immigration resources for those in need. For example, the UNLV Immigration Clinics University Legal Services program, part of the Boyd School of Law, offers free immigration legal services, including DACA assistance, to current students, faculty and staff, and their families. The clinic also helps students and others navigate immigration laws and processes. The University Police Department has created a Q and A document as a helpful resource to understand rights and responsibilities related to federal immigration.



If anyone is in need of support services following this news, we urge you to please utilize our mental health and wellness resources, or talk to a friend or colleague. We are here for one another. Officer in Charge Chris Heavey

In March the the Education Department announced it is investigating more than 50 colleges  including UNLV  over what it called racial preferences in academics or scholarships, a move that comes amid the Trump administrations wider crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

The department said 45 schools were under investigation for partnering with the Ph.D Project, which it says is an organization that purports to provide doctoral students with insights into obtaining a Ph.D. and networking opportunities, but limits eligibility based on the race of participants.

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Three former UNLV professors  including one who died in the fatal on-campus shooting on Dec. 6, 2023  participated in the program. UNLV, in a statement, acknowledged its professors involvement in the Ph.D project.

Slain UNLV professor part of program under federal DEI probe

UNLV is aware of the federal investigation, the statement said. Three former UNLV professors were participants in the mentoring program known as the PHD Project.

Navarro Velez, one of the professors cited in UNLVs statement about the federal investigation, died in the December 2023 shooting on UNLVs campus in which three faculty members died.

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Known as Pat, Navarro Velez was a beloved member of the UNLV accounting and Lee Business School community and family, Dr. Jason Smith, Department of Accounting chair and professor at Lee Business School said.

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A federal judge this week dismissed a lawsuit alleging the state failed to provide adequate oversight of Medicaid managed-care plans that care for people in their homes, but he gave plaintiffs three weeks to file an amended complaint.

The lawsuit, filed in September on behalf of five adults with disabilities such as quadriplegia, Alzheimers disease and debilitating genetic disorders, contends managed-care plans have not provided adequate information about decisions to reduce or deny services. Also, it contends a Florida Agency for Health Care Administration hearing process for appeals does not hold the plans accountable.

But, siding with the state agency, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkles ruling said the plaintiffs lacked legal standing because none of them alleged they are not receiving services they need or are facing a reduction or denial of services.

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Hinkle gave the plaintiffs until April 24 to file an amended lawsuit and instructed them to address head-on the lack of a concrete, imminent injury to the plaintiffs themselves that is traceable to the state health-care agency.

The lawsuit alleged that notices sent to plaintiffs about benefits did not include enough information, failed to include policies or were received late. But none of the plaintiffs are currently facing a reduction in benefits.

It is speculative that any plaintiff will face a reduction or denial of benefits in the future. It is even more speculative that the various issues they experienced in the past related to the notices will recur.

Moreover, even in the past instances where the notices were allegedly insufficient, the plaintiffs for the most part ultimately succeeded in challenging the reduction or denial either before the plan or before AHCA, Hinkle wrote in the 18-page ruling Wednesday.

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In addition, the judge said the issues with the notices are not traceable to the state agency, which has contracts with the managed-care providers requiring that their plans comply with federal law.

The plaintiffs also alleged that benefits were reduced while the review process was ongoing, which the secretary of the agency acknowledged is not supposed to happen, Hinkle wrote. There apparently is no nonspeculative basis to believe it will happen again, the judge wrote, adding there is also no reason to believe the issue was traceable to the agency.

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New York, US (PANA) - Amid reports of escalating settler violence in the West Bank, the UN rights office, OHCHR, briefed the Palestinian rights committee at UN Headquarters in New York, which also featured a screening of the Oscar winning documentary No Other Land
A federal judge issued a Friday order transferring the case involving Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University graduate student detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to a jurisdiction in Vermont in the interest of justice.

The government asserts that this Court lacks jurisdiction over the Petition as Ozturk, unknown to anyone but the government, was in Vermont, not Massachusetts at the time the Petition was filed and, as of 2:35 p.m. on March 26, 2025, was in Louisiana, where she remains, U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper for Massachusetts wrote in her order.

Casper, a former President Obama appointee, ultimately denied the Justice Departments petition to have the case heard in the Western District of Louisiana and said that her order blocking Ozturk from being deported should be upheld unless the transferee court objects to her ruling.

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The judge said the Vermont jurisdiction would hear Ozturks argument alleging that she was detained in violation of her Fifth Amendment right to due process and the Administrative Procedure Act while being targeted for removal in response to speaking out in support of Palestine.

Democratic lawmakers have drawn attention to the Turkish national who was detained by officers in plain clothes as shown in a viral recording that captured the Fulbright scholar screaming while being removed. The incident comes as multiple other foreign students have been federally detained in Louisiana.

The rationale for this arrest appears to be this students expression of her political views, a group of 30 Democrats wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE acting Director Todd Lyons.

We are calling for full due process in this case and are seeking answers about this case and about ICEs policy that has led to the identification and arrest of university students with valid legal status, they added.

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The Service Employees International Union has also launched a campaign against her detainment.

Ozturk has requested to be released from custody pending adjudication.

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A federal judge in San Francisco rebuffed the Trump administration again in a major immigration case on Friday, saying he is sticking to his decision to stop the governments revocation of deportation protections this month for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans in Florida and other states.

U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen cited several factors for rejecting the governments request to lift his stay of the revocation order issued by the Department of Homeland Security, concluding that Venezuelan nationals with Temporary Protected Status in the United States could be irreparably injured if he did not put a hold on their deportations.

Any removal likely could not be undone should Plaintiffs [Venezuelan migrants] ultimately prevail, Chen wrote in a five-page order. In fact, just recently, the government mistakenly deported an individual, who has legal status to be in the United States, to El Salvador but has essentially taken the position that it cannot do anything to address that mistake.

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This week, lawyers for the Trump administration acknowledged in a separate case involving a challenge to the 1798 Alien Enemies Act that immigration authorities mistakenly deported a Maryland man to a mega prison in El Salvador along with members of the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Despite the admission of an administrative error, the lawyers said the government lacks the authority to return him to the United States.

That admission not only raises questions about others who may have been mistakenly ensnared in deportation roundups, but also underscores Judge Chens main point about the potential irreparable harm to Venezuelans protected by TPS should he lift his stay.

On Tuesday, the administration lawyers asked Chen to put his stay ruling on hold by Friday, so that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco can consider the order revoking a TPS extension issued by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in February. It is likely that the administration will appeal Chens decision to keep his stay in place.

The administrations goal, though not stated in its motion, would be to have Noems revocation order reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court, which is dominated by conservative justices, three of whom were appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term. If the secretarys order is ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court, the Venezuelans with TPS in the United States would not be allowed to pursue their lawsuit in San Francisco that challenges Noems assertion that their protected status is contrary to the national interest.

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Lawyers for the Trump administration argued that Noem has the exclusive power to revoke the Biden administrations TPS order for Venezuelan nationals in the United States and that the plaintiffs dont have rights under their equal protection argument to challenge her authority.

In their 14-page motion, the government lawyers said Noems determinations are immigration policies rationally related to legitimate governmental interests and were not motivated by racially discriminatory intent, despite what Chen found in his initial ruling on Monday. They said the judges postponement of her order, which was to take effect next Monday, imposes irreparable injury to the executive branch and the public, asserting that Tren de Aragua gang members were covered along with other Venezuelan nationals by the Biden administrations TPS order in 2023.

Chen found that Noem had acted on broad generalizations and stereotypes when she revoked the work permits and deportation protections of about 350,000 Venezuelans benefiting from TPS.

It is evident that the Secretary made sweeping negative generalizations about Venezuelan TPS beneficiaries, the judge said in a 78-page order. Acting on the basis of a negative group stereotype and generalizing such stereotype to the entire group is the classic example of racism.

The judge also pointed out evidence that suggests discriminatory intent by Noem in her decision-making, with a direct connection to Trumps actions and statements.

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President Trump made several discriminatory remarks, not only targeting Venezuelan immigrants or TPS holders but also non-white immigrants in general. His statements included derogatory comments about Haitian immigrants, TPS holders, and other non-white immigrants, such as claiming that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating the dogs and making disparaging remarks about Venezuelans and other immigrants being responsible for increasing crime, the judge noted in the ruling.

Venezuelans who sued have provided significant evidence that TPS holders and their families would suffer irreparable harm if the revocation was allowed to go forward, the judge said.

In contrast, the governments contention that the public interest weighs in its favor is not convincing because the government lacks any evidence of national security harms, Chen added.

His ruling, stopping the TPS revocation while the lawsuit plays out in his court, was a blow to the Trump administration. It has targeted Venezuelans as part of mass deportation efforts through several policies and argued that allowing people from Venezuela, which is plunged into humanitarian and political crises, into the U.S. goes against American interests.

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In the ruling, Chen emphasized the social and economic contributions of Venezuelans, noting their low criminal rates, high education and labor levels, and the hundreds of millions of dollars they inject into the U.S. economy.

The decision was also a relief for the hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans living in the United States who were grappling with the uncertainty of returning to a country where many of them could face political persecution and repression from Nicolas Maduros government.

Days before he left office, President Joe Biden had extended TPS for Venezuela for an additional 18 months, valid until October 2026. But weeks into office, Noem revoked the TPS extension for a large group of Venezuelans, effective April 7. The decision would have meant that as of Wednesday, as many as 350,000 Venezuelans, many of them living in South Florida, would have lost the ability to legally work in the U.S, and a few days later would have been vulnerable to detention and deportation.

A group of seven Venezuelans facing deportation, along with an advocacy group named the National TPS Alliance, sued the Trump administration in the San Francisco federal court on Feb. 19, arguing that its decision to end deportation protections for Venezuelans is unlawful, politically motivated, racially discriminatory, and part of a broader pattern of bias against non-European, non-white immigrants.

The plaintiffs are represented by the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law, the ACLU Foundation of Southern California and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  The largest hunger-relief organization in South Dakota says its bracing for federal funding cuts to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This comes as Feeding South Dakota also says its seeing about a 15% to 20% overall increase in services each year.

At the same time, we have had a decrease in the amount of food thats donated to Feeding South Dakota, whether it be through organizations or businesses or food drives and dollar donations to Feeding South Dakota. So we are working to balance what we have available to us with the need that South Dakotans have right now, Feeding South Dakotas vice president of public relations, Stacey Andernacht said.

Cocaine ring busted in Rapid City

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Andernacht says the organization is preparing for how the federal budget cuts to the USDA will impact the programs it offers as the budget reconciliation process is underway in Washington D.C.

Were monitoring it. Were keeping an eye on what the impact would be, should those recommendations be put into place, so that we can build contingency plans and try to be as prepared as possible if changes come down, Andernacht said.

In the non-profits 2024 fiscal year it distributed 14 million pounds of food. With 30% of the food coming from the USDA.

Andernacht says even if its main two federally funded programs like the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Senior Box Program are not cut, it could still put a strain on resources if food assistance programs like SNAP or WIC take a hit.

That would be a significant budget burden for Feeding South Dakota. Those are really difficult decisions to make. So there would be a ripple impact to the programs and the partners were supporting and the people that are needing these vital programs, Andernacht said.

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Feeding South Dakota anticipates the House and Senate Agriculture Committees will decide on the reconciled budget for the USDA next week.

In March the USDA announced the deletion of two programs that provided schools and food banks with funding to purchase food from local farms and ranchers.

The two programs are the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS) and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA).

In South Dakota, the Department of Ag and Natural Resources (DANR) was the recipient of LFPA funding, which was disbursed through Feeding South Dakota.

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KELOLAND News spoke on the phone with Feeding South Dakota CEO Lori Dykstra on March 11 who said in 2025, $1.2 million was allocated through Feeding South Dakota. That grant will end in June and will now not be renewed.

While the cut will have an impact, Dykstra said it will not be felt most acutely by Feeding South Dakota, noting that only around 1% of its food is sourced through the LFPA.

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While Feedmore WNY has lost access to roughly $3.5 million in food products, a spokesman for the organization said Friday, We still have some time to figure some things out.

Following the cut this week of the Commodity Credit Corporation program of the US Department of Agriculture, Collin Bishop, chief communications officer for FeedMore WNY, said the first orders placed that Feedmore wont receive will happen the week of May 19.

In particular, 12 pending Commodity Credit Corporation orders consisting of truckloads of food including chicken, turkey, pork, cheese, and eggs, for delivery between May and August were canceled. Based on past funding, FeedMore WNY estimates the value of those truckloads to be worth $3.5 million in products.

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That is when we start missing orders that we hoped to receive, he said. After that, its possible that some of those items that (partners) are used to seeing on that shopping list wont be there. We might need to get some other items to replace it. Were working through that.

In particular, items such as chicken, turkey, pork, cheese and eggs, have been canceled.

Catherine Shick, Feedmore WNYs public relations manager told Channel 4 News the poultry and dairy items are considered high value.

Its a little tricky to make up those type of food items to go out to our agencies because that is something that is difficult for the general public to donate, Shick said. It is much more difficult for us to accept donations of items like poultry and dairy products unless its coming from a food industry partner.

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The Commodity Credit Corporation program funds were a main federal funding source for FeedMore WNY, allowing the organization to order food supplies designated for distribution to income qualified recipients.

Feedmore WNY serves 19,939 Niagara County residents by distributing food to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, group homes, schools, and home-delivered meal programs. Among the county hunger relief organizations that receive food inventory impacted by the federal cut include All Saints Food Pantry, St. Vincent DePaul Society, Niagara Community Action Programs Lockport pantry, Raymond Community Church, The Salvation Army Lockport, and Newfane Community Food Pantry, according to Feedmore WNY. Lockport City School District used the food inventory for its elementary back pack program and junior and senior high school pantries.

The federal funding cut comes at a time when FeedMore WNY and its partner agencies across Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties are experiencing increased demand for services. Last year, FeedMore WNY assisted 165,722 individuals  including approximately 53,400 children and 41,200 older adults  across its four-county service area. A 46% increase compared to people served in 2021. In Niagara County, Feedmore WNY has seen a 15% increase in demand since last year, and a 47% increase since 2021.

Bishop acknowledged the seriousness of the cuts at a time when grocery prices and the cost of living remain incredibly high for hard-working families but reiterated the organizations mission.

Despite the challenges wrought by these funding cuts, FeedMore WNY remains committed to fulfilling our mission of providing nutritious food and support to hungry community members of all ages, he said. We will continue to serve our hunger-relief agencies and work with our community partners to offer dignity, hope and brighter futures to our Western New York neighbors in need.
POTTSVILLE  At 2 a.m. on June 15, 1926, several cars stopped in front of the rectory at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Mahanoy Plane.

Exiting the cars, several men placed containers on the rectory porch. Then, someone hurled a burning ball of cotton onto the porch, triggering an explosion.

The beautiful three-story Victorian rectory was a massive ball of fire, Michael R. Glore and Michael J. Kitsock report in their new book, The Great Memorial Day Fire of 1945 and Other Schuylkill County Disasters.

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The backstory of what led to the firebombing is why the authors chose the incident as the books first chapter, Divinity and Justice.

At the height of the Prohibition era, Rev. Patrick J. Fleming railed from the pulpit against the Tilly Billy roadhouse, an infamous speakeasy and brothel. He led a protest in front of it the day before the bombing.

Father Fleming escaped the rectory inferno in what appeared to be an assassination attempt, and the brothel owner and co-conspirators were eventually arrested due to what might be termed divine intervention.

Their car stalled after the firebombing, and they escaped on foot. Clues in the car, including a revolver and business cards from Frank Fottes Restaurant in Shenandoah, led to their eventual arrest and conviction.

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At a recent book signing in the Schuylkill County Historical Society, the authors recounted some of the devastating fires in the county over a century or so.

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Fire originating in the Oppenheimer Building threatens the entire block on South Main Street in the Borough. Fire apparatus from Pottsville, including the Good Intent Fire Company Oren pumper and the West End Hose Company Seagrave aerial ladder truck, operate on scene that December day. Note the Bangor Ladder with the tell-tale tormentor poles raised to the exposure building in the photo. (GLORE COLLECTION)

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The Liberty Fire Company of Schuylkill Haven operates the companys 1927 Hahn pumper at a fire hydrant on Berne Street during the fire. (SCHUYLKILL COUNTY HISTORICAL FIRE SOCIETY COLLECTION)

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Fire originating in the Oppenheimer Building threatens the entire block on South Main Street in the Borough. Fire apparatus from Pottsville, including the Good Intent Fire Company Oren pumper and the West End Hose Company Seagrave aerial ladder truck, operate on scene that December day. Note the Bangor Ladder with the tell-tale tormentor poles raised to the exposure building in the photo. (GLORE COLLECTION)

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Aside from documenting the tragic loss of life and property, the book documents the danger faced by firefighters responding to fires, explosions and airline crashes.

We need to be proud of the rich heritage of volunteer firefighters in the county, insisted Kitsock, instructor emeritus of the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy and president of the Schuylkill Historic Fire Society. Many lives and much property have been saved due to their dedication.

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Glore, a Pottsville resident whos Readings first deputy fire chief, said Schuylkill County is no stranger to disaster.

One of the most spectacular, an inferno that consumed 67 buildings in Mahanoy City on Memorial Day 1945, is reflected in the books title.

With many young men in the armed services, World War II was a challenging time for volunteer fire companies. When fire erupted on May 31, 1945, it couldnt have happened at a worse time.

Quickly spreading in the downtown business district, the fire consumed homes and businesses, including the landmark Guinan Department Store. When the smoke cleared, 67 structures had burned, 38 families had lost their homes and 200 residents were left homeless. An arsonist confessed and was convicted, sentenced to Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, where he died in 1973.

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Firefighters faced a lack of water while battling a fire at the Lyric Theater in New Philadelphia on Dec. 15, 1949.

Firemen desperately wait for water as flames roar from the Lyric Theater in New Philadelphia. Note the hose line stretched over the porch roof of the property to the right as well as the utility wires burning in front of the theater. (SCHUYLKILL COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY)

With no water available, the fire quickly turned into a raging inferno, the authors wrote. High-voltage power lines severed by the fire dropped onto the Reading Railroad tracks, electrifying them and raising peril.

When a Reading Railroad locomotive T-boned a truck carrying 4,000 gallons of highly volatile gasoline near her home in Port Carbon on Sept. 20, 1940, Mrs. G. Paul Starr nearby grabbed a telephone and shouted, My God, get me the fire department.

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The truck driver died, the engineer and three trainmen were injured. Three persons in the trains mailcar got out alive.

Aside from $300,000 of damage inflicted by the fire, it was feared that cash in a safe on the mailcar headed for banks in Girardville and Trevorton would be lost. When railroad officials opened the safe, they found the cash intact, though singed by the intense heat.

June 2, 1959, was, the authors say, a Day of Infamy in the annals of Schuylkill County firefighting.

When a tractor-trailer skidded into a tanker loaded with 7,000 gallons of propane, 12 died and 11 were injured in the ensuing conflagration near Deer Lake.

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Known today as a BLEVE, or boiling liquid escaping vapor explosion, the blast tore the tank off its frame and launched it, like a rocket, off the stone wall near the Red Church, the authors wrote. Windows were shattered a mile away in Orwigsburg, and utility poles were snapped like toothpicks.

Dr. Wagner, an Orwigsburg physician, described the aftermath as a wartime battlefield.

Previous books by Kitsock and Glore include Pottsville Firefighting, Reading Firefighting and Schuylkill County Firefighting.

Published by The History Press, The Great Memorial Day Fire of 1945 and Other Schuylkill County Disasters is available for $24.99 at the Schuylkill County Historical Society and online at arcadiapublishing.com.

Book signings are scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. April 28 in the Schuylkill Historical Fire Society Museum, 105 Jardin St., Shenandoah; and 1 to 4 p.m. May 31 in the Pottsville Free Public Library.
SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa (KCAU)  Firefighters were able to swiftly put out a fire at a funeral home in Sergeant Bluff on Friday night.

Sergeant Bluff Fire & Rescue said around 8:45 p.m., firefighters responded to a call for a structure fire at Waterbury Funeral Service, located at 400 4th Street. The 185th Air Refueling Wing was called to assist in battling the fire.

Chief Anthony Gaul of Sergeant Bluff Fire & Rescue said crews arrived at the funeral home at about 8:55 p.m. to find an active fire. Firefighters entered the building and quickly knocked down the flames.

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Fire officials said the structure is not a total loss and only one medium-sized room suffered damage from the fire. Chief Gaul said the main part of the funeral home was not impacted by the flames.

And we do want to ensure everyone that no cremains and no loved ones were affected by this (fire). All all staff from Waterbury Funeral Home quickly responded as well and all loved ones remains are well taken care of, said Chief Gaul with Sergeant Bluff Fire & Rescue.

Chief Gaul said some fire units will be in and out of the area throughout the night, along with Sergeant Bluff Police Department occasionally check on the funeral home.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Sergeant Bluff Fire & Rescue said they called in the Iowa State Fire Marshal Division for some help with the investigation.

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A surprise public records bill was immediately met with opposition from First Amendment advocates who warned the changes would weaken transparency laws. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

A proposed last-minute attempt to limit the publics access to police reports and communications with state lawmakers was abandoned Friday as quickly as it emerged.

The proposed changes to the states open records law had popped up unexpectedly Wednesday in the gatekeeping House Rules Committee, bypassing the usual legislative committee process.

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Rep. Rob Leverett, an Elberton Republican, said he had seen the proposed changes as just extensions of existing law and were not really reflecting any new policy.

But the proposal, Senate Bill 12, was immediately met with opposition from First Amendment advocates who warned the changes would weaken transparency laws.

Under the proposal, police departments would be able to shield almost all information about officers stops, arrests and incident responses. And it would have created broad new exemptions to prevent public disclosure of the General Assemblys activities, including communication with other parts of state government

The change narrowing what police records are available for public inspection appeared to be in response to a lawsuit filed by the Appen Media Group against Sandy Springs that accused the city of withholding public police reports. The state Court of Appeals had recently ruled in Appens favor.

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Gov. Brian Kemp also seemed cool to the proposal Friday.

I havent seen what the Legislature has done other than just reading a blip in the paper about it, Kemp told reporters. But well look at the legislation today. Well see what ends up passing or not passing. But I think the General Assembly knows that Im a pretty transparent person, as you can see being out here answering your questions today.

The House ultimately retreated from the changes Friday and passed a version that was more in line with the original proposal  to the relief of the bills sponsor, Danielsville Republican Sen. Frank Ginn.

You dont want to get into an argument with people that buy ink by the train car load, Ginn said, referring to concerns from newspapers and others.

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Ginn said he was trying to pass a pro-business bill. His proposal came in response to a Georgia Supreme Court ruling last year that unanimously found that a private contractor working for a public entity is still subject to the law and can be sent requests for public records they may possess.

Senate Bill 12 said that requests for those public records should go through the local governmental agencies that contracted with those third parties. This version is what now sits on the governors desk.

Georgia Recorder freelancer Maya Homan contributed to this report.

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The first known lawsuit against President Donald Trumps tariffs has been filed by the New Liberties Civil Alliance on behalf of a Florida stationery business entrepreneur who is arguing that the president unlawfully overstepped his authority to impose the levies.

Lifestyle influencer and Simplified stationery business founder Emily Ley filed the federal lawsuit in Pensacola, Florida against Trump and his administration on Thursday.

These unlawfully implemented tariffs cause harm to American businesses, American jobs, and American consumers, and will be the end of many American dreams, Ley said in a post on social media the day after Trump announced a series of steep tariffs on nations around the word that sent global stock markets plunging.

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The suit specifically targets Trumps 20 percent tariff on goods from China he imposed early last month. Leys Florida-based small business purchases products from China to sell, including planners.

The lawsuit is challenging Trumps use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA), which requires extensive investigations before sanctions can be imposed. Trump has used opioid trafficking from China as a reason for the emergency tariffs against the country.

The lawsuit contends that Trump has not shown that his actions are necessary or tailored to address a drug trafficking emergency. In fact, lawyers note, Trump has said the actual reason for the tariffs is to reduce a trade deficit.

In any case, the IEEPA allows for asset freezes, trade embargos and similar sanctions, but not tariffs, the suit argues.

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The law authorizes presidents to order sanctions as a rapid response to international emergencies. It does not allow a president to impose tariffs on the American people ... Presidents can impose tariffs only when Congress grants permission, the suit states.

Congress passed the IEEPA to counter external emergencies, not to grant presidents a blank check to write domestic economic policy, it states.

In the IEEPAs almost 50-year history, no previous president has used it to impose tariffs. Which is not surprising, since the statute does not even mention tariffs, nor does it say anything else suggesting it authorizes presidents to tax American citizens, the lawsuit notes.

The suit is asking a judge to declare Trumps Chinese tariffs unlawful and block their implementation.

The first lawsuit against Trumps new widespread tariffs has been filed in a Florida federal court (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Allies of the president have argued that small and local companies should use American manufacturing for their products, which Ley has argued her company has already tried.

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We pursued domestic manufacturing from the outset, the entrepreneur said in an Instagram post. Our first planners were made in the U.S. in 2012. Each unit cost $38 to make. The US did not/does not yet have the infrastructure to support what we make.

The lawsuit notes that paying the tariffs will take away funds that could be used to pay salaries, fund growth, and pour into communities. Those funds will now instead force small businesses such as Simplified to raise prices or draw down on staff, the legal filing states.

Trump initially imposed a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods in a Feb. 1 executive order, then doubled it in another order March 3.

He boosted that to a total tariff of 54 percent on Wednesday.

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Beijing on Friday attacked bullying Trump and imposed an across-the-board tariff of 34 percent on all American products sold to China.

The White House could not immediately be reached for comment on the lawsuit.
Latter-day Saints in Jacksonville are officially getting their own temple, with its first permit for construction officially issued in March.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints first announced the location in October 2022, along with 17 others.

I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can, said President Russell M. Nelson at the time.

The Churchs website shows two fully-operational temples currently in Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale.

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One in Orlando is under renovation, while another is planned for Tampa, totaling five locations in the state.

The temple, located on Loretto Road in Mandarin, is expected to be around 28,000 square feet.

A groundbreaking date for the project has not yet been announced.

In December, the Church said there were nearly 173,000 Latter-day Saints in over 270 congregations in Florida. Its missionaries first arrived in Florida in 1845, before the states first congregation was created in 1897 in the Big Bend.

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AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP)  President Trumps immigration plan is affecting students at UMass Amherst.



In an email Friday evening, Chancellor Javier Reyes shared that five international students had their visas revoked and their student status terminated by the federal government.

Hands Off! protests oppose actions of President Trump, Elon Musk

I was shocked to just kind of randomly get kicked out in the middle of the semester, shared Irwin Mburu, a Senior at UMass Amherst.



Nobody likes living in an atmosphere of fear, you know, your friends, coworkers, family members, students, said Tyler Lovell, Graduate Student at UMass Amherst.



UMass Amherst is home to over 5,000 international students. Chancellor Reyes said the university was never notified by the federal government. Its also not clear why the students visas were taken away.



Theyre very afraid because if they get arrested, if they get caught up in that, they could also get kicked out of the country as well, said Irwin Mburu, a Senior at UMass Amherst.



Chancellor Reyes was also part of the student visa program during his college years.



On Friday evening, he shared his support in a statement, saying, I want to stress how important our international community is to the vitality of our campus and assure every international student and scholar at UMass has our unwavering support as we confront this new reality.

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In addition, UMass Amherst stated to clarify that the University did not play any role in the federal administrations unilateral action in terminating the status of their students.

In each of the cases in which the federal government revoked the visas and terminated the non-immigrant statuses of UMass Amherst students, UMass Amherst was not asked for information in advance by the federal government, did not provide information concerning the revocations to the federal government, and was not notified by the federal government of these status terminations, UMass Amherst said in a statement on Sunday.

UMass is working closely with Governor Healey, Attorney General Campbell, and both state and local legislators.

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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.

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Relentless rounds of heavy rain have inundated parts of the central United States, triggering rapidly rising waterways and prompting multiple flash flood emergencies across several states.

Dry weather finally returned to the region following a stormy, rain-filled weekend, which featured more tornado warnings and flash flood emergencies. While the rain has stopped falling, flooding will continue as it slowly drains into rivers and progresses downstream in the coming days and weeks.

At least 24 people have died in connection to the severe weather and flooding since the middle of last week, according to The Associated Press.

In an aerial view, a flooded neighborhood is seen on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)

AccuWeather experts estimate that the major flooding and severe weather outbreak have caused an estimated $80 billion to $90 billion in total damage and economic loss.

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"It will take years for some of the hardest-hit communities to recover," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. "Houses and businesses were destroyed by tornadoes. Homes and vehicles were swept away by fast-moving floodwaters. Bridges and roadways were washed out or destroyed in some areas. Travel, commerce and business operations were significantly disrupted."

Water rescues continued throughout the weekend, with Sharp County Sheriff Shane Russell telling CNN he personally saved three dogs. Hardy Mayor Ethan Barnes said more than half of the city's residents are expected to be affected by high water levels this weekend.

"We've been significantly impacted over the past few days," A.J. Gary, director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, told CNN Saturday afternoon.

As of Sunday morning, some locations in Tennessee and Kentucky have already reported double-digit rainfall totals from the event. Some locations in the mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys received another round of heavy rain Saturday night.

The flooding comes as communities are still recovering from a deadly outbreak of severe weather earlier in the week, including powerful tornadoes that devastated neighborhoods. At least 23 weather-related deaths have been reported since the start of the storms, including at least 10 in Tennessee and several others across Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky and Arkansas, according to CNN.

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In Little Rock, Arkansas, a 5-year-old was killed in a home battered by severe weather. A Kentucky man was found dead in a submerged vehicle early Saturday, about 30 miles south of Louisville, according to the Nelson County Sheriff's Office.

"A person was trapped in their vehicle in the 2800 block of Nelsonville Road. Responders arrived on the scene to find a vehicle fully submerged. When responders were able to get to the vehicle, the 74-year-old occupant was deceased inside, the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post, adding "Please do not try to cross flooded roadways. The result does not outweigh the risk. Turn around, don't drown is more than a saying, it's the difference between life and death."

Carole Smith walks through her flooded home on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)

Floodwaters swept a 9-year-old boy away in Frankfurt, Kentucky, while he was walking to a school bus stop Friday morning, bringing the death toll after four grueling days of severe weather to at least seven people. Gabriel Andrews' body was found about a half-mile from where he went missing, authorities say.

"My heart breaks for this family," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said. "We need everyone to understand that all water poses a risk right now. Let's do everything possible to keep our loved ones safe."

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All of Kentucky has been impacted by the heavy rain, Beshear posted on X Friday evening, declaring a state of emergency for the western parts of the state. There were hundreds of road closures across the state due to flooding, mudslides and rockslides.

All of Kentucky has been impacted by the heavy rain, which will continue through Saturday. Much of the state is experiencing dangerous flooding, mudslides and road closures. Please avoid travel, and never drive through water.  Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) April 4, 2025

"Crews are working hard to get these roadways clear and safe," Beshear said. "As rain continues to impact Kentucky, please avoid travel if possible and never drive through water."

"As long as I've been alive - and I'm 52 - this is the worst I've ever seen it," Wendy Quire told The Associated Press. Quire, the general manager at the Brown Barrel restaurant in downtown Frankfort, Kentucky added, "It's been nonstop for days and days."

Around 200 miles southwest, officials in Hopkinsville, Tennessee, reported that more than half of the downtown area is underwater, swamping homes and cars. "The main arteries through Hopkinsville are probably 2 feet under water," Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam told The AP. "Our office is actually in the middle of it, and we were here before the water rose. So there's only one way we could get out."

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Tony Kirves tried sandbags and a vacuum to keep destructive floodwaters from flooding his photography business in Hopkinsville. Downtown was "like a lake," he told The AP. "We're holding ground. We're trying to maintain and keep it out the best we can."

Flash flood emergencies were issued Friday night in at least seven cities in Texas, Arkansas and Missouri, according to the National Weather Service.

In East St. Louis, floodwaters covered street after street.

"It happened so fast," resident Laqweashia Moore told local news. "Before I started talking to you all, it wasn't like this, but all that water came out of nowhere and then we saw flash flooding."



About 200 miles southwest of St. Louis, the West Plains Fire Department responded to several reports of flooding and trapped motorists on Friday evening.

About 60 miles east of West Plains, the city of Van Buren was also dealing with intense flash flooding.

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"Please keep southeastern Missouri in your thoughts tonight as historic and devastating flooding has wreaked havoc over the areas of West Plains, Mountain View and Van Buren which have parts of their towns under water," the town's Central Dispatcher Facebook account said and posted a map of dozens of road closures due to flooding.

Farther south, major flooding is hammering Texarkana, Texas, with multiple flood rescues being reported.

"Ok, folks. It's bad out there. We've got flooded streets everywhere - and lots more rain on the way," the Texarkana Police Department posted on Facebook. "Several people have already had to be rescued from their vehicles across the city tonight. We're just gonna lay it out there.... If you don't have a darn good reason for being out (like one that involves a visit to the emergency room), please stay home and off the roads!! This is not just another Friday night in Texarkana."

On Saturday, 521 flights were canceled and more than 6,400 were delayed within the United States or on routes arriving at or departing from the country, according to FlightAware.com. By early Sunday, the site reported 74 cancellations and 478 delays involving U.S. flights.

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Some areas could remain underwater even as dry weather returns. In the next few weeks, runoff from the extreme rainfall will result in moderate to major flooding on the secondary and largest rivers in the region.
(NewsNation)  Military veterans may soon pay less for medical marijuana if a Florida bill becomes law.

HB 555 in the state legislature would exempt honorably discharged veterans from having to pay the $75 registration fee for medical marijuana cards.

In Florida, the medical marijuana program requires a patient, who must be a resident, to receive a diagnosis from a physician, apply for an identification card and pay the registration fee.

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Wealthy Americans have similar death rate to poor Europeans: Study

The bill would also require cardholders to renew their registration every two years, an extension from the previous annual requirement.

Renewals also cost $75, so the bill would alleviate veterans of this fee.

Because marijuana is illegal on a federal level, medical marijuana is not covered by Medicare, and any doctors visits to obtain a qualifying diagnosis would be out of pocket.

Medical marijuana was legalized in Florida in 2016.

The Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee has advanced the bill but has yet to reach the House floor. If passed, it would take effect July 1.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA)  A parental rights bill moving through the state legislature is sparking heated debate over access to reproductive healthcare for minors and whether or not parents should have a say.

If passed, the bill would require written parental consent for all medical procedures on minors, except in emergencies or when authorized by a court.

Supporters of the bill say this move will help children make critical decisions when it comes to their health care, with parents by their side. While opponents argue that not every child has the ideal parental guidance  and worry this will only restrict children from seeking care.



After passing out of its first committee stop, Senate Bill 1288 continues to make its way through the legislature, moving closer to the Senate floor for a final vote.



The bill seeks to change current law that allows minors under the age of 18 to access certain health care services without parental consent.

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After hearing hours of public comments, the bill sponsor made changes to the language and is open to working on the bill further as it continues to advance.

I work closely with many children. My visitors are often young and often victims of incest, so their parents are not trusted adults, they are perpetrator, said Chloe Bareswit, speaking against the bill.



On the other side of the argument, parents and Republicans in support of the legislation say we cant have the mindset that all parents are bad actors, and its about finding a balance between the two.



To just base everything were doing, that all parents are bad and that all parents are bad actors is just fundamentally not true, said State Senator Clay Yarborough (R-Jacksonville).



I dont want to continue to trade individual liberties because of one-offs, and that doesnt mean we dont have empathy for those one-offs. My heart breaks, and I can promise you that many on this committee would be there for you, each and every day to protect from those horrors, State Senator Jay Collins (R-Tampa) said.

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PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WFLA)  A Florida charter captain at the center of a viral video has been arrested and booked into jail on a burglary charge, the Punta Gorda Police Department said Friday night.

Police said they interviewed several people who were involved or present at the time of the April 1 incident and were able to establish probable cause to criminally charge 40-year-old Brock Horner.

Florida charter captain getting death threats after being mistaken for Brock Horner

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In the video, which has been widely shared across the internet, Horner can be seen yelling and cursing at fisherman Gage Towles before climbing onto his boat.

Investigators said Horner escalated the situation into a criminal offense when he threatened Towles and unlawfully boarded his boat.

The charge against Horner falls under Florida Statute 810.02(2)(A)  Burglary with Assault or Battery (non-forced entry).

He was placed under arrest and, as of Friday night, remained in custody at the Charlotte County Jail.

This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our waterways  or anywhere else in our city, said Punta Gorda Police Chief Pam Smith. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors, both on land and on the water.

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Chief Smith plans to hold a press conference at 8 a.m. on April 5 to further discuss the incident.

In addition to the police departments investigation, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the United States Coast Guard are conducting separate investigations due to the location and nature of the incident.

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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 ...


A Florida law that has pushed public schools to remove thousands of books, including literary classics, from their shelves could get even more restrictive soon, as Republican lawmakers move to close a loophole they say still allows volumes depicting nudity or sexual conduct to remain on campuses.

New bills backed by GOP legislators would mean school districts could no longer consider a books artistic, literary, political or scientific value when deciding whether to keep it. Instead, any book that describes sexual conduct could face removal.

Already, critics argue the 2023 law is unconstitutional  a pending federal lawsuit says it violates the First Amendment  and overly broad and vague. Some worried educators have removed childrens picture books, such as No David! by David Shannon, showing cartoonish bare bottoms out of fear they depict the prohibited sexual conduct. Classics such as Leo Tolstoys Anna Karenina and Ernest Hemingways For Whom the Bell Tolls also have been pulled.

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But Republicans say there are still inappropriate and pornographic books in school libraries and classrooms, and they argue the law needs to be strengthened.

If I took a picture with my phone of what is in some of these books, and I transmitted it via text to a fourth grader sitting across the hall from the library in Mrs. McGillicuddys math class, I would go to federal prison, said Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville.

The current law gives districts some room to evaluate books for their merits, even if they are challenged as inappropriate.

Orange County Public Schools, for example, reviewed Trevor Noahs book Born a Crime after someone filed a complaint, charging it was too sexually explicit. A district committee determined that the comedian and TV hosts memoir about growing up under apartheid in South Africa was a worthwhile read for interested high school students and that it did not violate the law.

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Staff members who analyzed the Senate bill (SB 1692) suggested the new legislation, while making it harder to keep some books on school shelves, could lead to further legal troubles, with the state facing additional challenges under the First Amendment. But both House and Senate bills have gotten favorable committee votes by their GOP majorities.

I thought we were done with the culture wars. I thought we were done with all of the excessive book banning, but here we are, said Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, at a recent committee meeting, where he voted against the bill. Im not sure how this helps anyone.

Florida led the nation in school book bans last school year with 4,561 instances reported in its public schools, according to PEN America, a free-speech group. Floridas book bans accounted for about 45% of all school book bans reported nationwide, the group said.

Rep. Dean Black, R-Jacksonville, said he didnt think his fellow House committee members had seen the questionable books for themselves.

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They shouldnt be anywhere near our children. This bill fixes that, he said as a committee approved the House bill (HB 1539).

Both bills would alter the states criminal code that defines material harmful to minors, so that schools could not use the argument that a book that describes sexual conduct should remain because it has serious artistic, literary, political or scientific merit  part of a standard set by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 known as the Miller Test.

Rep. Doug Bankson, R-Apopka, sponsor of the House bill, said the changes makes sense. He said some school districts were using the Miller Test as the loophole, and his bill would mean part of it could no longer be applied to public schools.

Former President Jimmy Carters 1976 interview with Playboy magazine might be of political value, Bankson said, but public schools shouldnt have a copy of the magazine on their shelves.

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But there have been no reports of Playboy magazines in Florida public schools. Instead, award-winning books such as John Steinbecks East of Eden and Toni Morrisons Beloved as well as many popular novels have been taken off library shelves.

Judy Blume, an award-winning author, spoke against the bills at a virtual press conference Friday, saying book bans hurt students. Adults are afraid, she added, that books will prompt too many questions or make children change.

Books dont make kids become anybody else. Books make kids think, Blume said.

Blumes 1975 novel Forever, about teenage romance and sexuality, has been challenged by a parent in Orange who objected to a copy found at Timber Creek High School, district documents show. The parent said the book was pornographic and violated the 2023 law. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, the documents say.

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Aaron Terr, the director of public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said removing educators ability to judge the artistic, literary, political and scientific value of books would violate the First Amendment.

Courts have consistently recognized the serious value prong as essential to distinguishing constitutionally protected material from obscenity, including in the context of minors, Terr wrote in a memo to Florida lawmakers, urging them to vote down the bills.

The group of authors, parents and book publishers that sued Florida in federal court last year argued the states existing law  which required the removal of materials alleged to contain pornography or obscene depictions of sexual conduct  already violates the First Amendment and fails to conform the Supreme Courts ruling.

The lawsuit also says the 2023 law is so broad that some schools have removed books that did nothing more than mention the phrase made love and that it had effectively stripped teachers and school librarians of their ability to conduct an holistic evaluation of books.

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The state disagreed and asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, but a federal judge in Orlando rejected the states motion in February so the lawsuit is proceeding.

The new legislation, if adopted, would leave no doubt that the value of book could not be considered if it contained sexual conduct.

Stephana Ferrell, an Orange County mother and founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, said the new bills are incredibly frustrating and widen the goal posts to make it easier to remove more books from public school libraries.

A single resident bothered by a book could get it removed from a school, said Ferrell, whose group fights book bans.

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Now, as OCPS did with Born a Crime, some districts have relied on the Supreme Courts test in deciding to keep books that faced challenges, arguing they have serious value despite some sexual content, Ferrell added.

In January, the Hillsborough County school district, for example, decided to keep in a school library the book Identical by Ellen Hopkins. Several other districts had removed or placed age restrictions on the book, which contains depictions of a daughter being sexually abused by her father.

During a House committee meeting, Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, D-Orlando, called the bill unconstitutional and said it would increase book bans.

This bill screams mistrust of educators in Florida public school system, Bracy Davis said.
Building on a years-long effort to make it harder to change the state Constitution, the Florida House on Thursday approved a controversial measure that would impose new requirements on the ballot-initiative process and increase penalties for wrongdoing.

One of the most-contentious parts of the bill (HB 1205) would shorten from 30 days to 10 days the length of time signature gatherers would have to submit petitions to supervisors of elections and would increase penalties for late-filed petitions. The proposal also would require voters to provide identifying information, such as their drivers license numbers, when signing petitions.

Democrats and voting-rights groups argue the proposed changes would place virtually impermeable roadblocks in the states initiative process.

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The proposal would prohibit felons who have not had their voting rights restored and people who are not U.S. citizens or Florida residents from collecting or handling signatures. Groups would need to conduct background checks on potential workers, who couldnt be paid until they are successfully screened and registered with the state.

Groups that violate the prohibitions would face $50,000 fines. Critics maintain the part of the bill about collecting or handling signatures is vague and could expose initiative backers to huge fines. The collecting and handling terminology also has been the subject of litigation about recent laws affecting voter-registration groups.

Bill sponsor Jenna Persons-Mulicka, R-Fort Myers, said the states ballot-initiative system is broken, and the proposed changes aim to fix what she called a quality control problem.

She said the measure addresses a report by the state Office of Election Crimes and Security that found instances of alleged fraud and identity theft involving two 2024 initiatives.

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Weve seen widespread and rampant fraud in this state in this process. We have evidence that we cant turn a blind eye to. We must take further action, Persons-Mulicka said.

But in opposing the bill, Democrats pointed to a number of initiatives that have received voter approval, including raising the minimum wage, ensuring free pre-kindergarten for children and restoring voting rights to felons whove completed their sentences. Advocates for those constitutional amendments turned to the initiative process because lawmakers refused to enact the changes, Democrats repeatedly argued Thursday.

The process is working. It is not broken. The bad actors are being caught. Stop putting up these hurdles and protect the people, Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, said.

The legislation equates to a death knell for our citizen-led ballot initiatives in Florida, Rep. Lindsay Cross, D-St. Petersburg, said.

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This process is already timely, expensive and a very heavy lift. Well, this bill will take the bar from very high to all but impossible, she added.

The plan, in part, is rooted in intense ballot fights last year about proposals that would have put abortion rights in the state Constitution and allowed recreational marijuana use for adults. Backers of the proposals spent more than $100 million on each of the initiatives, which fell short of garnering the 60 percent voter approval needed to pass.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has made a crackdown on the initiative process, which is included in the Florida Constitution, one of his main priorities for the 2025 legislative session. The governor unleashed the power of his executive agencies to help defeat the abortion and marijuana proposals.

Rep. Griff Griffitts, R-Panama City Beach, urged House members to support the bill.

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The Constitution shouldnt be easy to change, Griffitts argued. The integrity is gone. Corporate interests have driven this debate. The money has driven this debate.

But Democrats argued that Florida already has one of the countrys strictest ballot-initiative processes. In addition to the 60 percent threshold, past changes in state laws, for example, have banned groups from paying workers by the signature, an industry standard widely used in other states. The bill would make it a felony for groups to pay employees per signature.

They are trying to make it impossible for everyday Floridians to put citizen-led amendments on the ballot. They dont want us to be able to directly pass policies that we know our communities need, Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida, told reporters before Thursdays House floor session.

The House approved the bill along party lines in a 76-31 vote. A similar Senate bill (SB 7016) is expected to go before the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee on Tuesday.

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The House bill also would require the Office of Elections Crimes and Security to investigate if more than 10 percent of submitted petitions during any reporting period are deemed invalid. Supporters of proposed constitutional amendments often submit more signatures than are needed to get on the ballot, with the expectation that some will be rejected. The proposed 90 percent validation rate poses a virtually insurmountable hurdle, critics argue.

The measure would allow any voter to challenge the certification of ballot placement in circuit court and give the Legislature more power to carry out constitutional amendments that pass.

If the text of a constitutional amendment proposed by initiative does not define the terms of art used throughout the amendment or describe any newly created rights, requirements, prohibitions, or authorizations, the Legislature is presumed to have the authority to define such terms and describe such rights, requirements, prohibitions, or authorizations, the bill says.

The bill also would require supervisors of elections to notify voters who signed validated petitions and inform them of their right to revoke their signatures, a provision critics say is meant to encourage voters to withdraw their signatures and would drive up costs.

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The proposal also would require sponsors of initiatives to post a $1 million bond after they have collected 25 percent of the necessary signatures to get on the ballot, to cover any potential fines. In addition, the bill would make it a felony for people to fill out missing information on petitions. Persons-Mulicka said the restriction is aimed at preventing groups from using pre-filled petitions.

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Pointing to the federal governments power to regulate immigration, a U.S. district judge Friday temporarily blocked a new Florida law aimed at cracking down on undocumented immigrants.

Miami-based Judge Kathleen Williams issued a 14-page decision granting a request for a temporary restraining order against the law, which the Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved in February.

More: Immigrant advocates sue Florida over new immigration crackdown law

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The law created state crimes for undocumented immigrants who enter or re-enter Florida. Williams issued the temporary restraining order two days after the Florida Immigrant Coalition, the Farmworker Association of Florida and two individual plaintiffs filed the lawsuit alleging, in part, that the law violates what is known as the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution because immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility.

Williams wrote that the plaintiffs persuasively posit that SB 4-C (the law) unlawfully encroaches on federal power to control immigration. She also cited details of the law, such as its requirements that people convicted of illegally entering the state face nine-month prison terms and longer sentences for subsequent convictions.

First, it gives state officials authority to prosecute illegal entry or reentry in cases where federal actors may choose not to, the judge wrote. Even when federal officials choose to commence dual prosecutions under both laws, (SB 4-Cs) mandatory detention provision limits federal law enforcement discretion to recommend pre-trial release and obstructs federal courts ability to conduct proceedings requiring defendants presence. Additionally, SB 4-C requires mandatory prison sentences for state law violations where the INA (the federal Immigration and Nationality Act) allows for a fine or probation for the equivalent federal crime.

How will the temporary restraining order halt the new Florida immigration law?

A temporary restraining order is generally limited to 14 days, and Williams scheduled an April 18 hearing on the plaintiffs request for a preliminary injunction, which could block the law while the case continues to play out.

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The lawsuit also alleges a violation of the Constitutions Commerce Clause because it impermissibly regulates peoples entry into Florida, and it imposes unacceptable burdens on interstate and foreign commerce.

While Williams based her decision on the Supremacy Clause issue, she wrote that the plaintiffs Commerce Clause analysis also supports their request for a temporary restraining order.

Lawmakers passed the measure during a February special session, saying they were trying to help carry out President Donald Trumps immigration policies. SB 4-C was one of two immigration bills passed during the special session.

More: ACLU sues Florida over immigration law that is model for Jacksonville's new law

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The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the plaintiffs by lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Immigrant Justice, did not target the other new law. The state has not filed arguments in the case.

The courts order halts a dangerous and discriminatory law that sought to criminalize people for simply moving within the United States, Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida, said in a statement late Friday. Floridas leaders may want to score political points by targeting immigrants, but the Constitution doesnt allow it. Well continue fighting until SB 4-C is struck down permanently.

Read more from the lawsuit against the Florida immigration law

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Judge temporarily blocks new Florida immigration law
Over the last few weeks, President Donald Trump has begun to reshape the government according to his vision, eliminating wasteful spending, cutting down on unnecessary bureaucracy and using tariffs to gain global leverage.

As a Florida Republican lawmaker, I believe Trump is taking the kind of action his supporters hoped he would take when they voted for him in historic numbers.

However, theres a little-known government agency with outsize power over the American economy that has gone rogue, and its still flying under the radar: the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), an independent, nonpartisan agency, plays a crucial role in U.S. international trade, investigating unfair trade practices, adjudicating intellectual property disputes and maintaining the Harmonized Tariff. Miami-Dade, which I represent, is a significant hub for international trade.

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Unfortunately, unelected bureaucrats at the ITC could undermine much of Trumps trade and economic agenda. The agency has vast authority to protect or destroy domestic industry. Recent internal squabbles over policy between individual commission members and these bureaucrats have made headlines, exposing a split in agency ideology.

We urge the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to take a hard look at the ITC, originally intended to protect American industries, has recently favored foreign companies, harming American workers and innovation. As President Trump and his aides review harmful, bloated government agencies and rein them in, the ITC should be high on their list.

The ITC has significantly harmed one of Trumps deepest loves: American steel. Recently, the ITC failed to enforce anti-dumping trade laws, which protect American steel from illegally subsidized foreign imports.

Making news recently is the case of Cleveland-Cliffs, an American steel giant, found itself facing an ITC decision that would decide the fate of their West Virginia steel mill employing over 900 Americans. The ITC decided to allow Chinese steel companies to dump cheap steel into U.S. markets, forcing Cleveland Cliffs to close their facility and lay off all 900 workers.

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The Cleveland-Cliffs case is not an isolated incident. The ITCs bias against domestic producers has become evident in numerous anti-dumping cases.

Congress originally delegated power to the ITC to force foreign competitors to play by the rules. Now, the ITCs decisions have often let them off scot-free, leaving domestic industry to struggle under the weight of unfair competition.

The U.S. cannot afford to allow foreign producers to unfairly dominate industries crucial to national security, like steel, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals.

The ITC not only favors foreign entities in anti-dumping cases, but in intellectual property cases as well. The agency can rule on patent infringement cases to protect U.S. intellectual property rights.

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Under Section 337, they can ban the import of any products that they decide violate patent law. Instead of wielding that immense power to protect U.S. patents, the agency has allowed foreign patent trolls, or non-practicing entities (NPEs) that buy up old patents and sue for legal settlements, to hold American companies hostage.

A prime example of this occurred a few years ago in a patent dispute between the U.S. and foreign chip manufacturers.

The ITC almost sided with foreign companies who leveraged obsolete patents against U.S. businesses, undermining U.S. patent holders and discouraging tech innovation. The examples of the ITC undermining U.S. intellectual property abound.

That is why we urge DOGE) to take a hard look at the ITC, especially at its practices when it comes to making decisions over patent infringement claims. Federal courts can resolve these claims more easily and appropriately by instituting monetary damages that patent trolls are less likely to exploit.

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President Trump continues to crush wasteful spending and unnecessary bureaucracy, and it is imperative that relatively unknown agencies like the ITC dont slip through the cracks.

We should limit the ITCs overreach and ensure any decisions they make are truly in the best interests of domestic companies and industries.

Juan Carlos Porras is a Republican Florida state representative. He serves as vice chair of the Industries & Professional Activities subcommittee.
Most summers, Old Orchard Beach, Maine, welcomes a lot of Canadian visitors, who typically make up about 40 percent of the coastal towns tourists. But this year will be different. Since taking office, President Donald Trump and his administration have mocked Canadas leaders, imposed steep tariffs on its goods, subjected its citizens to more stringent visitor-registration requirements, and threatened its very independence in juvenile ways. All of these moves have, entirely unsurprisingly, made their targets less likely to spend money in the United States. Canadians are hurt. Canadians are angry, thenPrime Minister Justin Trudeau said last month. Were going to choose not to go on vacation in Florida or Old Orchard Beach or wherever.

Sure enough, in Old Orchard Beach, an inn owner with a substantial French Canadian clientele recently told CNN that most of his bookings have evaporated since Trumps inauguration. Meanwhile, demand for flights from Canada to South Florida has fallen 20 percent compared with a year ago, the Miami Herald reported. Hotel owners in South Florida told the newspaper that business is down; Fort Lauderdales tourism-marketing agency said it is deeply concerned about the effects of potential travel restrictions.

Trumps insistence on disrupting trade relationships withand asserting dominance overeven Americas closest international partners is putting the economy at risk, and not just in tourist areas in South Florida and coastal Maine. The president sees other countries as moochers and takers, and he appears to believe that the United States is so powerful and its economy so strong that the rest of the world will simply bow to American demands. But sovereign nations and their citizens can make their own choices, and Canadians arent the only ones who bristle at threats and obvious signs of disrespect from the United States.

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[Read: The angry Canadian]

People around the world are getting the message that the U.S. resents foreigners who are trying to cross into its territory. Amid Trumps immigration crackdown, the United Nations recently urged staffers at the organizations New York headquarters to carry their work ID and copies of their passports and visas. Stories circulate about what the administration calls enhanced vetting. News outlets in the U.S. and abroad are reporting anecdotes about foreign nationals who are held for weeks when they try to enter the country.

After some of its citizens were detained at the border recently, Germany updated its travel advisory to warn that a U.S. visa or entry waiver does not guarantee admittance. In other words: Buyer beware. Last month, other European democracies similarly revised their guidance to travelers who lawfully visit the U.S. The United Kingdom warns that U.S. officials set and enforce entry rules strictly and that travelers could be subject to arrest and detention. Some advisories warn members of the LGBTQ community about increasing hostility in the United States and potential pitfalls awaiting people whose passports record a gender identity different from their birth sex.

These advisories are vague. They do not instruct anyone not to visit the United States, as they might Iran or North Korea. But they are acknowledging that Trumps border-enforcement efforts are unpredictable enough to have introduced a new variable in tourism decisions. The Trump administration may claim to be fighting illegal immigration, but in its aggressive roundups it is also making grievous errors. As The Atlantics Nick Miroff recently reported, it admitted to deporting one man to a megaprison in El Salvador because of an administrative error and insisted that he had no recourse in American courts.

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[Ryan Crow: Ive seen how America First ends]

Other democratic nations have an obligation to protect their citizens. We didnt particularly worry about traveling to the United States before, these countries are warning, but now we do. And we think you should too.

Over the years, the United States has benefited immensely from being a reliable global presence and a welcoming destination with predictable rules and regulations for visitors. That reputation is now in danger, purely because of Trumps strategy of dumping on other countries. A new study by the research company Tourism Economics is anticipating a 5 percent decline in foreign visits to the United States due to tariff wars and polarizing Trump Administration rhetoric and policies. (This study was done before Liberation Day, when the president imposed tariffs against almost all countries in the world.)

For every action the administration takes, other countries will respond according to their own values and the demands of their own domestic politics. The old relationship we had with the United States based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation is over, Canadas new prime minister, Mark Carney, recently warned.

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Thats become all too clear in Old Orchard Beach, where business owners brace for the consequences of Trumps picking a fight with Canada. Chambers of commerce in tourist towns are scrambling to attract more U.S. visitors. But the tourism season in Maine is short, and the numbers this year are bad.

Article originally published at The Atlantic
Last Saturday, I paid a visit to a little slice of the resistance in its current, attenuated form. Since Donald Trumps second inauguration, there have been many street protests, but they have been small and diffuse: a few hundred people angered by the defunding of USAID, or a couple thousand in support of national parks. The most organized effort so far, the 50501 movement (for 50 states. 50 protests. 1 movement.), is a coalition of activists whose name telegraphs breadth much more than depth.

At an intersection outside a Tesla showroom in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn, about 200 people were gathered on the sidewalk. They banged tambourines and clanged cymbals, trying to get passing trucks and cars to honk against Elon Musk, Trumps most important adviser and a purveyor of electric cars. Of all the responses to the new administration, the anti-Tesla protests have left a bruiseas of this writing, the companys stock has declined by about half since December. There were signs demanding Musks deportation, and one that asked drivers to Honk If You Think Elon Is a Dork. Someone in a gorilla suit held up a placard that read He Kills Monkeys, Too.

For all the energy on the streetand it was energeticthere was a preponderance of gray hair, and not many young people or strollers in evidence. Those who showed up seemed to have a highly developed muscle memory for activism, going back perhaps to the antiIraq War demonstrations in 2003, or even Vietnam. This appeared to be a protest by and for a committed core. Maybe the most revealing poster was one that declared The Protests Will Get Bigger Until the Constitution is Respected. This was a threat, of course, but also an acknowledgment that there was plenty of room to grow.

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Nevertheless, for those in the exhausted anti-Trump coalition, these bursts of opposition are giving hope. Today, a coalition of liberal groups under the banner Hands Off! is planning hundreds of such actions around the country. This is the kind of activity that has led members of Harvards Crowd Counting Consortium, which tracks acts of civil dissent, to conclude recently that the resistance is alive and well, with protests far more numerous and frequent than skeptics might suggest. They have what at first glance seems like an unexpected finding: In February 2025, twice as many protests took place as in February 2017, during the tumultuous beginning of Trumps first term: 2,085 versus 937. The major caveat is that what they count as a protest event could be a couple of people handing out flyers on campus. Altogether, the number of actual protesters is far, far below what it was eight years ago.

[Why Canadians are better than Americans at protesting Trump right now]

The best estimate for this past February was somewhere from 125,000 to 184,000 participants, according to Jeremy Pressman, one of the consortiums co-directors and a professor at the University of Connecticut. This would put the average protest size anywhere from 60 to 88 people. In March, Pressman said, those numbers increased significantly, but the per-protest average stayed roughly the same.

What this suggests, at best, is a different model of protest movement: highly decentralized, moving at a snails pace, more a slog than a resistance. Something is happening, the journalist Ali Velshi wrote on MSNBC last week, a different kind of movement building right now, one that has had steady and sustained momentum. In The Bulwark, Jonathan V. Last emphasized the strategic advantage of a movement that makes its way from the hinterlands toward Washington.

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It is different, but is it better? Is a single protest of 100,000 people equal to 1,000 actions with 100 people at each? I posed this zen koan of a question to Erica Chenoweth, a Harvard professor and Consortium co-director who coined the idea that if any protest movement drew 3.5 percent of a countrys population, it could achieve its goals. (That would equal nearly 12 million people in the United States today.) Does it matter how you get to this figure, all at once or bit by bit? We dont really know, Chenoweth told me, and conceivably either path produces momentum.

So far into Trump 2.0, though, the path of decentralized slowness has had a paradoxical effect: Its giving activists lots to do but is leaving a much larger population of dissenters without an expressive outlet. What makes a disaffected Gen Zer or a busy Millennial parent drop what they are doing and head into the streets is very different from what motivates hard-core protesters to pick up their cymbals. That much larger group needs to feel both the safety and the collective impact that comes with a mass march. Power springs up between men when they act together and vanishes the moment they disperse, the philosopher Hannah Arendt wrote in The Human Condition. Most people join protests to express that power, not to emphasize their marginality. And it is precisely this type of action that, in the face of one barrier after another, feels more difficult than it ever did.

Trumps first term was punctuated by a series of monster gatherings: the Womens March that greeted his inauguration (estimated at as many as 4.6 million people all over the country), the March for Our Lives following the 2018 Parkland shooting (1.2 million), anddwarfing all previous American protest movementsthe Black Lives Matter demonstrations after the killing of George Floyd (anywhere from 15 million to 26 million people, according to polls taken at the time). The Womens March was highly organized and concentrated, while the protests in June 2020 were largely spontaneous and spread out. But what made all of these significant was the measure by which protest has long been judged: the overwhelming numbers of people who took part.

On its face, the slackening of interest in demonstrating against Trump in his second termdespite the preponderance of issues that trigger his opposition every daycan be understood simply as a change in the political atmosphere. Trumps 2017 win was a shock for liberals expecting to inaugurate the first female president. His failure to win the popular vote made his election feel contestable, even illegitimate. And powerful people, even a number of Republicans, were ready to stand up to Trumps overreach. All of this created a sense that there was a door that protest could push open. None of these factors operates in 2025: Trump is not a surprise, he won the popular vote, and both his party and the business elite are fully on his side. Pressman wondered if this has created a different kind of shock, one that is more destabilizing than motivating: Maybe people were just kind of pushed on their back feet. And it takes a while, or ever, to be involved in it.

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[There is no resistance]

After the University of Glasgow lecturer Michael T. Heaney surveyed participants from both the Womens March and Januarys much shrunken Peoples March, he emerged with a clear contrast. There was a 12 percent drop in enthusiasm about politics, he told me; hope as a motivator for protesting fell by 10 percent, and pride by 9 percent. What rose from 2017 to 2025? Frustration, by 3 percent, and anger, by 8 percent.

Alongside demoralization runs justifiable caution; the act of protest itself has become more dangerous. Not only has the president said that he would have little compunction about using the military to deal with the enemy from within, but the tactics of surveillanceincluding facial recognition, geolocation tracking, and AI-enhanced identificationhave gotten more pervasive and sophisticated. The police and the FBI have long used and abused tools for monitoring protestthis sordid history goes back to COINTELPRO in the 1960s. But the average protester at a peaceful 20th-century gathering could at least assume that they would melt into a sea of indistinguishable people. Technology has made that impossible. There is no safety in numbers. You cannot disappear.

Simply being present at a protest makes you vulnerable, as Chris Gilliard, a Just Tech fellow at the Social Science Research Council, told me: All the devices that people carry and wear are constantly extruding data, from the car they might have used to get there to the cameras in subway stations to their watches and their phones and everything else you can imagine. Among the safety instructions provided by an organizer of todays nonviolent demonstrations was the bolded sentence Do not assume you are safe. Also: MASK. UP  disable location, biometrics and data on your phone, at the very least. Have your emergency contacts written on your body. This is not a welcoming message for an infrequent protester or a citizen looking to voice her concern for the first time. No wonder that a smaller, local protest is more of a draw at the moment. Its easier to control; its just easier to call it off suddenly if you need to; its easier to get away, Chenoweth told me. Theres lots of reasons why smaller, more nimble groups would feel more safe.

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There are also an increasing number of laws targeting protest. The volume of federal and state legislation has spiked in the past few years, and particularly since January; 41 anti-protest bills have been introduced in 21 states and in Congress in 2025. This crop includes bills by Congress against protesters deliberately delaying traffic, disrupting in any way the construction of a pipeline, or wearing a mask that oppresses another person. Among the Trump administrations demands on Columbia University in return for restoring $400 million in funding was a ban on masks, which many peaceful protesters wear not to menace others but to avoid being identified by facial recognition.

Most of the movements we now consider heroic were originally perceived as lawless nuisances, but Trump has reframed and stigmatized protest in novel ways, conflating nonviolent gatherings with destructive mobs. The reactions to the killing of George Floyd, which did include acts of vandalism and looting, were overwhelmingly peaceful, according to a study by the group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data. But the Black Lives Matter protests of that summer are now remembered by Trump and his supporters as nothing more than a series of riots. The pro-Palestinian activism of the past year and a half has been characterized at times by intimidation, which may have undermined the reputation of protest. But Trump has gone further by painting all legitimate expressions of distress over mass death in Gaza as pro-Hamas and moving to deport noncitizens who had anything to do with it. Mahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia graduate student whose deportation is now pending, became an obvious target for the government precisely because he openly protested, unmasked.

[Christopher L Eisgruber: The cost of the governments attack on Columbia]

As recently as two years ago, the act of picking up a sign and walking out your door to join a march could feel affirming, even joyous. Now it comes with the fear of surveillance and recrimination, the possibility of felony arrest, and, as a result, a deep sense of resignation.

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Why does size matter when it comes to protest? Chenoweths magic number notwithstanding, the reasons are less tangible than a simple equation. Large demonstrations are a performance of plurality, with individuals transcending their own individuality to express a larger will. This can happen only when the public around you is more than just the person in the gorilla suit who usually shows up to these things. The experience can be bolstering. It can reassure you not just that you arent alone, but that you are a citizen among citizens. The sociologist Emile Durkheim had a wonderful phrase for this: collective effervescence.

And for those watching from on highsenators, judges, CEOsmass protests are physical manifestations of public opinion. They might make a singular person in the throng invisible, but they make their opinion super-visible. Whatever one feels in retrospect about the 2020 BLM protests, every sector of society had to contend with their enormityit was a moment when even the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, seemed to feel compelled to take a knee. Trumps crusade to root out DEI is, in many ways, a backlash to the changes these protests spawned. Outside the U.S., consider a recent textbook example of mass mobilization leading to a successful outcome: the 2023 marches in Israel in response to Benjamin Netanyahus judicial reforms. These protests effectively shut down the country and forced Netanyahu to relent.

The most optimistic story activists tell about what is happening now is one of incubation: You cant get to big unless you go through small. Groups are forming coalitions, developing organizational structures, testing the waters locally. This is crucial work for any movement that wants to be long-lasting. One of the major critiques of the protests that blazed so brightly in Trumps first term is that they largely flamed out very quickly. So this time could be different. Hunter Dunn, a student at Pepperdine University who is also a national press liaison for the 50501 movement, told me that he is a rarity at these protests because he isnt a Gen Xer or a Boomer. But as a young person fighting what he described as the hopelessness of his fellow young people, he too has visions of the movement culminating in a classic 1963-style march on Washington. I dont think we can just get millions of people there tomorrow if we announce that, he said. We have to build towards it over weeks, months, even maybe over a year, because it takes that long to build a movement that is strong enough to go to Washington, go there peacefully, but go there unafraid of the government.

Yet there is also a pessimistic version, one the activists are not telling: that this is a slog without end. Not a slow gathering with a grand finale, but a defanged alternative to mass mobilization; not the prelude to an eruption, but a reliably timed release valve.

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There is no reason yet to think that this will be the story of protest in Trumps second term. Last week, Senator Chris Murphy said that Democratic Party resistance might require mass-scale mobilization. This weekends protests may well be an early inflection point in that directionor they may just continue the scattered pattern seen so far. A few activists also pointed me to the large rallies that have greeted Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on their ongoing Fighting Oligarchy tour. What was remarked upon was the size of the crowdsmore than 30,000 in Denverthe kind of surprising number, as Chenoweth put it, that matters for creating momentum.

On a Reddit post drumming up support for the country-wide April 5 protestsmore than 1,000 are plannedone user had their own unequivocal answer to the question of how best to build momentum. We ask you to make it to the largest planned protest you are able to, protectresist wrote. 200 people each at 100 protests will not make the news. 20,000 people at one protest will.

Article originally published at The Atlantic
ANDERSON  Formal charges have been filed against an Illinois teenager who was arrested Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio, in connection with a shooting in Anderson.

Rejon Shamaud Smith, 17, was charged Friday with murder, attempted murder, reckless homicide, conspiracy to commit murder and a misdemeanor charge of child in possession of a firearm.

He is the fourth teenager charged in the Feb. 2 shooting death of Dayla Swain in the 1500 block of South Madison Avenue.

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The Madison County Prosecutors office previously filed murder charges against Rashawn Darrius Samuels, 18, 1200 block of West Ninth Street; Kyree M. Craver, 17, 2600 block of Meridian Street; and JoMaijze Larry, 14, 800 block of Sun Valley Drive.

Swain was shot in killed early on the morning of Feb. 2 while talking to a witness in a murder trial outside of Sonny Rays.

Court documents state that Swain was speaking to a man in a Ford F150 pickup truck when gunfire struck the vehicle. The man told police that as the gunfire started, he fled the scene.

The court documents allege that Samuels is affiliated with the Mickey Cobra Nation, a criminal organization with ties originating in Chicago. The documents state that Samuels family are founding members of the organization.

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According to the documents, there was a known dispute between the Mickey Cobra Nation and the man who was reportedly driving the Ford F150.

Instead of killing the driver of the F150, crossfire struck and killed Swain.

The F150 driver is a witness in the case and is not named in this story, in keeping with Herald Bulletin policy.

The formal charge of aiding or causing murder states that Smith intentionally attempted to kill a witness in a pending murder case against Donavan Harris.

The conspiracy charge indicates that Smith was involved in planning to kill the witness between July 1, 2023 and the time of Swains death.

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Smith is shown in a video recording with a handgun at the time of the incident.

A witness said after the shooting, several of the suspects arrived at his residence and appeared nervous, panicked and out of breath, mentioning someone was shot.

According to a probable cause affidavit, it was believed that Samuels and several others were attempting to kill a witness in the murder trial of Harris.

Harris is charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of Jullian Craig, 15, on Nov. 24 during a drug deal.

Harris is charged with murder, dealing in narcotic, armed robbery and criminal confinement with a deadly weapon.

He is scheduled to go on trial in Madison Circuit Court Division 1 on May 6.
BEACHWOOD, Ohio (WJW)  A former Northeast Ohio nanny has been charged with sexually exploiting young children, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday.

According to a criminal complaint, 25-year-old Molly Duncan, of Beachwood, allegedly created sexual abuse materials of toddler-aged victims in their Northeast Ohio homes while she worked as a nanny in 2024.

Duncan then allegedly distributed child pornography to other people in 2024 and 2025, the criminal complaint said.

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Legionella bacteria found at Cuyahoga County Justice Center: I-Team

Law enforcement officers confiscated multiple electronic devices while conducting a search at the suspects Beachwood home. According to the complaint, investigators found child pornography on the devices.

Per the complaint, Duncan is charged with sexual exploitation of children and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Man identified in Elyria standoff

If convicted, Duncan could face up to 30 years in prison for the sexual exploitation charge, and up to 20 years in prison for the distribution charge, the Department of Justice said.

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This case remains under investigation at this time. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 216-698-3151.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  An area once a haven for criminal activity is being transformed in Wahiawa. The land, just off Kamehameha Highway near Whitmore Village, was overgrown for years.

It was a hub for crimeseveral acres of it was an illegal chop shop littered with hundreds of abandoned cars. There were brush fires and squatters living there.

Longtime GOP lawmaker Gene Ward dead at 82, leaving legacy of principle and political resilience

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The last straw came in 2020 after 30-year-old Malia Soma-Valmoja was shot and killed there.

Shortly after her murder, dozens of law enforcement officials swept the area, and the states Agribusiness Development Corp., tasked with managing the land, ramped up efforts to regain control of it.

I think weve made amazing progress in the last five years, ADC Executive Director Wendy Gady said.

According to Gady, they were determined to revitalize it, but it wasnt easy. Clearing it was a process.

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We took it very seriously, she said. All of the vehicles are gone. The people are gone and were in active production.

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Mark Takemoto from the ADC explained that the ground zero was once a mass dumping ground, filled with hundreds of cars.

We want to make sure that this place is farmed, Takemoto said. And we have a tenant. And now that the Department of Health has cleared the way, we hope to have this place actively farmed.

Small pink and orange flags mark spots where the environmental contractor took soil samples for testing.

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The ADC needed to ensure the soil wasnt contaminated before giving the green light, while other portions of the land are already in production with several different crops.

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Gady said the future looks bright, and they are eager to be creating more food security.

Were in the process of building a food hub out in Wahiawa, she explained. The DAGS organization is working with us and putting in a lot of infrastructure to, basically honor of the community and the communitys history. This is very rich in AG and to revitalize AG.

The ADC is taking action to prevent illegal activity and squatters from moving back in.

We have security that is hired in roving around, but we also have very active property managers that are out there, Gady said.

They are able to deal with trespassers quickly and she said having workers actively farming the land regularly is one of the best deterrents.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The former German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel has proposed offering Canada partial membership in the European Union.

"Maybe not fully integrated like everyone else, but maybe partially," the Social Democrat told the Bremen-based newspaper Weser-Kurier in comments published on Saturday.

Europe must resist US President Donald Trump's push to make Canada part of the United States, said Gabriel, who was foreign minister from 2017-18 and vice chancellor from 2013-18 under then chancellor Angela Merkel.

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"In any case, Canada is more European than some members of the European Union," he added.

Trump has repeatedly belittled Canada as "the 51st state" of the United States and referred to former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau as governor, the title for the chief executive of a US state.

The US president has exerted pressure on his northern neighbour through tariffs, prompting Canada to impose retaliatory levies on some vehicle imports from the US.
HOUSTON COUNTY, Ala. (WDHN)  A former Houston County deputy was found dead on a southern Houston County highway on Friday night.

Houston County Coroner Robert Byrd identified him as Scott Spivey, 52, of Dothan.

Coroner Byrd says someone was driving on County Road 33 near the railroad tracks between Hodgesville Baptist Church and Hodgesville Road when they spotted Spiveys body in the road.

At this time, investigators havent released any information in the case, but sources say they are investigating the death to see if this was possibly a hit-and-run or a case of foul play.

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Spiveys body has been sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for an autopsy to confirm the cause of death.

ALEA is in charge of the investigation.

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MADISON, Wis. (WFRV)  A former middle school teacher in Wisconsin was sentenced on Thursday to 14 years in prison for child pornography possession stemming from an October 2022 complaint.

Timothy M. OShea, the United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that 37-year-old Matthew Quaglieri, formerly of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, pled guilty to the charges on January 13, and will follow his 14-year prison term with 25 years of supervised release.

Wisconsin man charged with 20 counts of child porn possession with $50,000 cash bond, shared 60+ images online

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The sentence stems from a complaint in October 2022, when police responded to a Sun Prairie middle school on a report alleging that Quaglieri recorded students while using bathroom urinals. Agents found videos of at least 39 minors on Quaglieris iPad, using the urinals.

He admitted to officials that he was recording boys in the bathroom for about four to five years, conduct that U.S. District Judge William M. Conley called predatory, abhorrent and an extreme violation of his position at the school.

Police: Recovered body from Wisconsin River identified as 75-year-old Chicagoan, search for second boater continues

Judge Conley also said at sentencing that Quaglieri seemed to have no understanding of the actions he was convicted of.

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No additional details were provided.

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A former Trump administration official and ex-CIA agent has revealed why he believes current Cabinet members used the publicly available app Signal to discuss Yemen attack plans, rather than a more secure system.

Kevin Carroll, who previously served under President Donald Trump in his first term and as a CIA officer, wrote an op-ed for The Guardian arguing National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other administration officials use Signal to ensure their communication isnt discoverable in legal battles or subject to information requests.

I believe the reason these officials risk interacting in this way is to prevent their communications from being preserved as required by the Presidential Records Act, and avoid them being discoverable in litigation, or subject to a subpoena or Freedom of Information Act request, Carroll writes.

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Waltz mistakenly added The Atlantics editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a group chat on Signal last month that was used to discuss White House plans to strike Houthi targets in Yemen.

Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and several other administration officials were also in the chat. Hegseth sent detailed information about planned U.S. strikes using the non-secure app, including the times of expected attacks.

National Security Advisor Mike Waltz mistakenly added a reporter to a group chat discussing U.S. attack plans against Houthi targets in Yemen (Getty Images)

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has claimed Signal is an approved app for government use, while Trump has said the incident is not a big deal.

This case has been closed here at the White House as far as we are concerned, she said this week.

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But Carroll argues the administrations use of Signal to discuss these plans has put lives at risk.

Loose talk on insecure phones about a coming operation jeopardizes the lives of US sailors and marines standing watch on warships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, naval aviators flying over the beach towards the target, and likely special operators, intelligence officers and human sources working in the shadows on the ground, he wrote.

The Pentagons acting inspector general said Thursday hes reviewing Hegseths use of the Signal messaging app. He will also look at other defense officials' use of the app, which isnt able to handle classified information and isnt part of the Department of Defenses secure communications network.
A school board trustee with the Fort Worth Independent School District, who is running for reelection, has accused her opponent of illegal campaign practices. No investigations have been opened as of Friday, April 4.

District 1 Trustee Camille Rodriguez took to Facebook recently to share claims that campaign workers for her opponent, Amanda Inay, are currently in our community attempting to gather mail-in ballots from some of our most vulnerable community members, our seniors. Inay denies the claims.

This practice is ILLEGAL and know that I will be naming names and reporting these individuals to the Tarrant County Elections Office, Rodriguez wrote. If you cant win by your own merit, you dont need to be running for office. To tell a 90 plus year old that she can vote today and you will fill out her ballot is WRONG. This shameful practice has gone on for far too long in our communities.

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Inay told the Star-Telegram, We should be running campaigns on our own merit, not trying to sabotage the character, the integrity of the other person. For me, its important to stay focused on what is important. And whats important right now is the fact that our kids cannot read, and if they can read, its not on level. Our teachers are leaving in droves. Of course, with (Superintendent) Dr. Molinar here now, its helping some of that, right? But we have so much work to do.

Voters will decide on May 3 whether to keep Rodriguez for a new four-year term or replace her with Inay to represent the districts north side community. Rodriguez is a podiatrist and former substitute teacher who was elected to the seat in 2022 following the resignation of her predecessor. She also served on the board from 2004 to 2008.

Inay is a former Fort Worth ISD teacher who was awarded district teacher of the year in 2022-23. She now works at Rocketship Dennis Dunkins Elementary, a public charter school in east Fort Worth, teaching fourth- and fifth-grade humanities.

Tarrant County spokesperson Regina Calderon said the Elections Office is unaware of any complaints regarding Rodriguezs claims. Rodriguez told the Star-Telegram she filled out a complaint form on the Elections Office website.

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The Tarrant County District Attorneys Office confirmed it had received an email about the issue but has provided no further information. Fort Worth ISD officials said the district does not oversee voter or campaign-related complaints.

Depending on the nature of the complaint, the Texas Secretary of States Office, the Texas Ethics Commission, and/or the Tarrant County District Attorneys Office would be the appropriate entities to file a complaint, district officials said in a statement.

Inay said she has received no calls or inquiries from officials regarding Rodriguezs claims.

Rodriguez said she received a text message from a constituent that said Inays team told her she could vote for Inay that same day. Rodriguez declined to share a screenshot of the text message with the Star-Telegram or connect a reporter with the unnamed constituent.

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Thats the thing thats hitting me. You cant do that, Rodriguez said in reference to telling a constituent they can vote for a candidate immediately. Im very supportive of mail-in ballots because its a way for elderly people to still continue to be in the voting process but theres something wrong with somebody knocking on your door and saying, You can vote today.

Inay said the only person whos been knocking on doors besides herself and her family is a professional canvasser that her consulting group hired. He wasnt in the north side area at the time Rodriguez alleges the incident happened, which was March 28, Inay said.

The only thing I can conclude as to why she would have done this is because my consulting group sent out a very nicely-put-together mailer to every senior citizen in District 1, basically introducing me to them. It just gave them instructions on how they can vote by mail, should they choose to  basically, how to apply, Inay said.

Registered voters in Tarrant County can request a mail-in ballot if they face obstacles that prevent them from voting in-person. This includes, for example, voters who are at least 65 years old, voters with a disability and voters with an expected absence from the county during the early voting period and Election Day. Applications for mail-in ballots must be submitted at least 11 business days prior to Election Day.

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Texas Election Code states a person can help a voter complete their early voting ballot application but must fill out the assistant portion of the application unless the person is related to the voter or is registered at the same address. The person can help the voter complete the form, but the voter must be able to sign their own name.

There is no limit to the number of applicants that a person may assist or possess for mailing to the Elections Department, according to guidance from the Tarrant County Elections Office.

Election Code also states that a witness, or someone who signs an application for a voter who is unable to sign it due to a physical disability or illiteracy, is limited to helping one voter in the same election or one voter in a calendar year who applies for annual ballots. The witness must sign it and provide their name and address unless they are related by blood or marriage to the voter.

Those who are assistants or witnesses for voters and dont follow election code can face varying levels of misdemeanors.

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Similar rules apply to those helping a voter with marking or reading their ballot.

An assistant must sign the written oath that is part of the certificate on the official carrier envelope and must include the assistants printed name and residence address. There is no limit to the number of voters that a person may assist, however it is a criminal offense for a person to be compensated for assisting a voter in marking a ballot if the compensation is in any way based upon the number of votes assisted, Tarrant County election guidance states.

The Fort Worth ISD District 1 race is one of four district positions on the ballot on May 3. District 8 Trustee and incumbent Anael Luebanos is running uncontested. Early voting runs from April 22-29.
A new Fort Worth political action committee seeks to make sure candidates for elected office have literacy at the top of their priorities lists, whether theyre running for school positions or not.

A group of education advocates and city, county and business leaders announced the launch of Fort Worth Students First at a news conference Friday afternoon.

Historically, political action committees have been formed to support or oppose candidates for office, ballot measures or legislation. But Robert Rogers, the committees chairman, told the Star-Telegram that the organization doesnt have any immediate plans to support or oppose specific candidates, though he didnt rule it out in the future. The committees primary goal will be informing elected officials and candidates for office about the importance of literacy, and the role they can play in the issue, he said.

Robert Rogers, the chairman of Fort Worth Students First, speaks to the attendees gathered for the launch event of Fort Worth Students First at Ashton Depot in Fort Worth on Friday, April 4. Rogers also serves as president of the nonprofit Reading League of Texas.

A graphic showing the reading and literacy levels at Clifford Davis Elementary last year was displayed at the launch event of Fort Worth Students First at Ashton Depot in Fort Worth on Friday, April 4.

Rogers, who also serves as president of the nonprofit Reading League of Texas, said momentum is growing among school and community leaders around the issue of literacy, but there still isnt broad city-wide awareness about how far behind Fort Worth has fallen, or why thats such a problem. That lack of awareness means the city isnt as invested in the search for solutions as it needs to be, he said.

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Across Fort Worth, only 35% of public school students scored on grade level in reading on last years STAAR exam  a one-point decline from the previous year, according to a report released in August by the Fort Worth Education Partnership. The report includes all public schools in the Fort Worth city limits, spanning all or parts of 12 school districts, as well as nine public charter school networks.

In the Fort Worth Independent School District, where nearly half of the citys public school students are enrolled, 33% of students scored on grade level in reading on last years STAAR  a number that has barely budged for at least a decade. Rogers said its critical that all public officials understand the gravity of the problem and why its their responsibility to help solve it, whether they have a formal role in the school system or not.

In Texas, city officials have no direct control over schools. But that doesnt mean that city council members and other officials have no role to play, Rogers said. As an example, he pointed to the public library system. The Fort Worth Public Library is a city department, but it can coordinate its efforts with local school districts to better support literacy programs, he said.

Mayor Parker: Political fights dont help students

During Fridays news conference, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker noted that lawmakers both in Washington and in Austin are engaged in partisan battles over education. But Parker said those arguments rarely include any mention of learning or student achievement. But she pointed out that there were leaders from across the political spectrum and all parts of the city involved in the effort to improve literacy in Fort Worth.

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That level of cooperation is critical to solving the problem, Parker said, because partisan fights have done nothing to help kids read. Leaders in Fort Worth, including those involved in the political action committee, need to be the adults in the room, putting students at the center of every conversation about education, she said.

Right now, our kids are suffering, she said. They are in failing schools all across our city, and weve ignored it for decades.

Parker, who was involved in founding the committee, said funding has come from a number of smaller philanthropic donations. No single organization is bankrolling the initiative, she said.

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker speaks to the attendees gathered for the launch event of Fort Worth Students First at Ashton Depot in Fort Worth on Friday, April 4. Fort Worth Students First is an education advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring literacy is the top priority in Fort Worth and Tarrant County public schools.

Momentum grows around literacy in Fort Worth

Fridays announcement comes amid growing calls from Tarrant Countys civic and business leaders for schools in the Fort Worth area to improve their reading scores. Last fall, Parker spoke at a Fort Worth ISD board meeting, calling for a broad, city-wide effort to make sure students can read on grade level. Parker noted that the percentage of students reading on grade level in Fort Worth ISD had remained essentially flat over the past decade, while other big urban districts like Dallas and Houston ISDs saw steady gains.

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In February, Tarrant County commissioners passed a resolution calling on school districts in the county to make literacy their highest priority. During a news conference announcing the resolution, Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells and Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said theres a strong link between literacy and public safety. Sorrells said illiteracy can be a major driver of crime, because students who cant read well are more likely to drop out of school, which in turn makes them more likely to resort to crime because they dont have the skills to get a job.

Former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price shares a laugh with Congressman Craig Goldman at the launch event of Fort Worth Students First at Ashton Depot in Fort Worth on Friday, April 4, 2025.

Noakes agreed, saying that police are all too aware of the connection between a lack of education and crime. Communities that focus on reading and making sure students have the opportunity to succeed can head off crime before it happens, he said.

The commissioners courts resolution came about a month after the school board in Fort Worth ISD, the countys largest district, approved a resolution naming literacy as its highest priority. During a news conference ahead of the board meeting, Superintendent Karen Molinar acknowledged that literacy represented a crisis in Fort Worth. Molinar, who was serving as interim superintendent at the time, said the issue of literacy is a city-wide problem that demands a city-wide solution  one that goes beyond Fort Worth ISD itself.

Mia Hall, a Crowley Independent School District board member and candidate for Fort Worth City Council, shares a laugh with guests gathered for the launch event of Fort Worth Students First at Ashton Depot in Fort Worth on Friday, April 4.

Parker said she thinks the momentum around the issue of literacy comes in part from having officials, both elected and otherwise, who are willing to talk about the problem. She pointed to Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez, who introduced the commissioners courts literacy resolution, as well as Molinar, the Fort Worth ISD superintendent. Since taking over as interim superintendent, Molinar has spoken frankly about the problem and developed a strategy to redirect more of the districts budget toward literacy.

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While she acknowledged the complexities of the political situation in Texas and across the country, Parker said shes optimistic about where the citys schools are headed. If community leaders are willing to put aside political differences and focus on solving the problem, theres no reason Fort Worth cant be the top-performing urban school system in the state, if not the nation, she said.

Were the city built on so much promise  a city that builds the F-35, she said. I think we can figure out how to help kids read.
UPDATE: MONDAY 4/7/2025 5:22 p.m.

(SECURITY-WIDEFIELD, Colo.)  The fifth suspect in a deadly shooting in Security-Widefield in January has turned himself in, according to the El Paso County Sheriffs Office (EPSO).

20-year-old Zion Alexander Tilmon was sought after the arrests of two adults and two minors in connection to the shooting death of 19-year-old Jonah Thirkill on Jan. 16. EPSO said he turned himself in on Monday, April 7.

Zion Tilmon. Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office

Tilmon was booked into the El Paso County Jail on numerous charges:

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Second degree murder

Aggravated robbery (five counts)

Attempted second degree murder (two counts)

First degree assault (two counts)

Menacing (five counts)

Prohibited use of weapons

Theft

He is being held on $500,000 bond.

ORIGINAL STORY: Four arrested in Security-Widefield homicide, one still wanted

FRIDAY 4/4/2025 8:59 p.m.

Two adults and two minors have been arrested in connection to a shooting in Security-Widefield in January, in which three people were injured and one killed. A fifth suspect is still sought in connection to the case.

According to the El Paso County Sheriffs Office (EPSO), 18-year-old Ami Gallegos and 20-year-old Noah Watkins were arrested on Friday, April 4, along with two minors by the Violent Offender Fugitive Task Force and the EPSO SWAT Team. The arrests came after new information was received regarding the shooting death of 19-year-old Jonah Thirkill at a home in Security-Widefield in January.

Shooting at Dove Creek Circle. Courtesy: FOX21 Photojournalist Sean Scott Shooting at Dove Creek Circle. Courtesy: FOX21 Photojournalist Sean Scott Shooting at Dove Creek Circle. Courtesy: FOX21 Photojournalist Sean Scott Ami Gallegos. Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office. Ami Gallegos. Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office. Noah Watkins. Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office. Noah Watkins. Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office.

EPSO deputies originally responded on Jan. 16 to a reported shooting at a home on Dove Creek Circle, near South Powers Boulevard and Fontaine Boulevard. When they arrived, they found three people with apparent gunshot wounds.

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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Security-Widefield shooting leaves one dead

Two of the shooting victims were taken to the hospital and subsequently released, but one died on scene. That victim was later identified as Thirkill. A fourth victim involved in the Dove Creek shooting arrived at the hospital a short time later with a gunshot wound.

EPSO said recent new information led to arrest warrants being issued for five people; Gallegos, Watkins, the two arrested minors, and 20-year-old Zion Alexander Tilmon, who remains at large.

Gallegos, Watkins, and the two minors have each been charged with:

Second degree murder

Aggravated robbery (five counts)

Second degree attempted murder (two counts)

First degree assault (two counts)

Menacing (five counts)

Prohibited use of weapons

Theft

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EPSO continues to search for Tilmon, who is wanted on numerous charges including second degree murder.

Zion Tilmon. Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office.

Tilmon is approximately 506 tall, 190 lbs., and can be described as a black male with black hair and black eyes. EPSO said he is likely in the Colorado Springs or Denver area, and should be considered armed and dangerous. Members of the public should not approach Tilmon if seen, and should instead contact the EPSO non-emergency line at 719-390-5555.

I am extremely proud of the dedication my Investigations Division has demonstrated, said El Paso County Sheriff Roybal, providing justice for Mr. Thirkill and the other victims. My Office will continue our efforts to find Zion Tilmon, ensuring all five of these dangerous criminals are held accountable for their actions.

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FALL RIVER, Mass. (WPRI)  The Fall River Police Department said one of their own was arrested by the Boston Police Departments Human Trafficking Unit.

According to a post on the departments social media page, officer Mitchell Walsh, 28, was taken into custody as part of a sting operation related to an ongoing investigation.

At the time of his arrest, Walsh was on leave from the department due to unrelated personnel matters.

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Prior to this incident, the Department was preparing to initiate formal proceedings under the civil service disciplinary process. His employment status is now under further review in light of these serious new developments, the post read.

According to a report from Boston police, an officer posing as a 15-year-old child, was contacted by someone, later identified Walsh, after an undercover ad was placed on a website that is commonly used by individuals who are trafficked and by individuals who want to purchase sex from these victims.

During the conversation, Walsh discussed bringing cocaine, a bottle of Titos vodka and nips.

Officers then approached Walshs vehicle and placed him under arrest. Inside his vehicle, they found one bag that contained what was believed to be cocaine and two smaller bags inside his wallet that also contained what was believed to be cocaine. They also found a bottle of vodka and a package of small alcohol bottles.

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Walsh is being charged with enticement of a child under 16, sexual conduct for a fee with a child, attempted to commit a crime to wit attempted rape of a child, possession with intent to distribute a Class B drug to wit: cocaine.

Fall River Police Chief Kelly Furtado released the following statement:

The conduct alleged is reprehensible and stands in direct opposition to the values we expect from members of this Department. We take these matters extremely seriously and are fully cooperating with the Boston Police Department. There is no place in law enforcement for anyone who violates the publics trust.

The investigation is active and no further details have been released at this time.

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GALLOWAY, Ohio (WCMH)  A Franklin County man has been arrested after it was reported he expressed a desire to groom a 4-year-old girl.

According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cyber tip from the electronic service provider Kik. The tip was in reference to conversations flagged and alleged child sexual abuse material being shared by a user named huarmy9.

The online user reportedly discussed a desire to groom a 4-year-old girl when she is older. The user then sent material that the Franklin County Sheriffs Office said involved a toddler-aged child being sodomized by an adult male.

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Olentangy high schoolers discover new way to promote mental health

Investigators secured an IP address, which was located at a Galloway home on Kellybrook Place, north of U.S. 40. A search warrant on the Kik account further confirmed the user to be 26-year-old Jordan Wheeler, whose identity was also revealed via selfie photos and in chats where he provided additional information such as his personal cell phone number.

Wheeler also allegedly spoke of having a Mega account with over 400 files of child sexual abuse material.

The Franklin County Sheriffs Office conducted an interview on April 2 with Wheeler based on an unrelated incident. After his phone was seized, he was placed under arrest and charged with one count each of second-degree and fourth-degree felony pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor.

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A Franklin County Municipal Court judge issued Wheeler a $1 million bond and ordered him to next appear in court on April 11 for a preliminary hearing.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The agency tasked with preserving one of the Pacific Northwests most famed scenic areas was left out of Washingtons upcoming budget.

The Columbia River Gorge Commission was nowhere to be found in the funding proposal for the states 2025-2027 biennium, which was presented by Washingtons House Appropriations Committee on March 27. Conservation advocates sounded the alarm on the potential defunding on Thursday.

Oregon lawmakers unveil $1.9B transportation package amid crumbling infrastructure

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The Columbia River Gorge is one of the most unique, stunning, and ecologically significant landscapes in the country, supporting 13 vibrant communities, Friends of the Columbia Gorge Conservation Director Renee Tkach said in a statement. Defunding the Commission would leave these communities and vital conservation efforts without the coordination and oversight that have protected the Gorge for nearly four decades.

According to the organization, the Gorge Commission has requested a total of $4.4 million from Oregon and Washington  $2.2 million each  for the next biennium. Both parties signed an interstate compact to equally contribute to the preservation of the natural area in 1987.

Friends of the Columbia Gorge claimed that both state budgets were once closely matched, but Washington is now violating the agreement. The group also alleged that the potential defunding in Washington could impact Oregons allocations for the scenic area as well.

Washingtons House and Senate have until Apr. 27, the end of the legislative session, to finalize the budget. Conservationists are encouraging residents to email their state representatives to push for additional funding for the site.

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Kayakers find dead body along Columbia River shoreline in Skamania County

The U.S. Forest Service estimates that the area sees about two million visitors each year, and holds more than 800 species of wildflowers, 44 species of fish and 200 species of birds.

Friends of the Columbia Gorge said the requested funding would be an essential investment in managing the largest and most complex National Scenic Area in the country.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has directed the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) to investigate the leak of the latest US proposal for profiting from Ukrainian assets, with the inquiry including the use of a polygraph.

Source: Financial Times (FT), citing Ukrainian government officials

Details: The investigation follows growing tensions between Kyiv and the Donald Trump administration over the terms of a proposed deal concerning Ukraine's critical minerals and energy assets.

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According to the Financial Times, Ukrainian officials have been taken aback by the extent of the latest US demands and view certain aspects of the proposal to profit from Ukraine's infrastructure as politically unacceptable.

Quote: "The Ukrainian officials said that lie detector tests had been administered on staff across several ministries, but declined to give further details or specify how many individuals had been questioned.

The office of Ukraine's president declined to comment. The security service said in a statement that it works within the law to protect Ukraine's security and keeps certain details about its activities confidential."

Details: The Financial Times stressed that polygraphs are a controversial tool, with their scientific effectiveness often questioned. However, law enforcement agencies frequently use them in criminal investigations and to screen foreign nationals seeking to join the military.

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The investigation reportedly began after opposition MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak made public details of the draft agreement on 26 March, claiming to have received a copy.

Background: In March, Zelenskyy expressed outrage when the clauses of the potential new agreement were circulated in the media, even though he had not yet read the document.

"I wonder who is transmitting this information," the Ukrainian leader said at the time.

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DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  The Miami Conservancy District (MCD) has fully activated its flood protection system because of heavy rainfall across the Miami Valley on Saturday.

Over the last three days, there have been 3 to 5 inches of rain, with 1.50 to 2.50 inches falling in just the last 24 hours.

Now, all five MCD flood protection dams  Germantown, Englewood, Lockington, Taylorsville, and Huffman  are storing water to reduce the risk of downstream flooding.

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The MCD has closed the floodgates in Piqua, Troy, West Carrollton, Miamisburg, Middletown, and Hamilton to protect populated areas and critical infrastructure.

MCD technicians are measuring river flows at the streamgage locations around the Miami Valley to ensure accurate, real-time monitoring and response.

We are in full flood response mode, said MaryLynn Lodor, General Manager of Miami Conservancy District. Our team is working around the clock to monitor the conditions of dams, levees, and river and groundwater levels. The system provides protection across the region, and it is performing as designed. We are taking necessary measures to keep communities safe. If you see something of concern near any of our flood protection structures, please report it to us immediately.

For updates, visit here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com.
Gabriella Caro, a mother of two small children, sits in the Childrens Service Society of Utahs office as her 18-month-old son Theo looks at a book about fire trucks.

Caro is an immigrant from Chile and has been living in Utah for five years. Along with Theo, she and her husband have a newborn baby named Luca. As she adjusts to being a mother and works to help her kids the best she can, she and her family have been working with CSS Home Visitation Program.

The Home Visitation program, which has recently experienced federal funding cuts, provides in-home early childhood education and family support services to low-income and at-risk families with children ages zero to 5.

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So we come into the parents homes, and we focus on a curriculum, and we help them pinpoint areas of the childs development that they want to focus on, said Sammy Holder, the home visitation director at CSS.

Their home educators teach activities that focus on development, such as developing fine motor skills or associating colors. The program also focuses on the familys well-being as a whole, helping the parents, who are often immigrants or refugees, navigate the system.

They helped us to build a strong relationship with the kids, Caro said.

What is the Childrens Service Society of Utah?

CSS has been around since 1884 and is the oldest child welfare agency in Utah. While its programs have changed over the years, the goal of the agency has always been to provide services that are not otherwise provided in the community.

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Our focus still the same, is to make sure the children and family are doing OK and the children are in safe spaces in general, that whoever the adult is taking care of the child, they have the tools necessary to ensure that the childs in a safe environment, said Encarni Gallardo, the organizations executive director.

Childrens Service Society of Utah parent educator Kat Lora packs up the age-appropriate toys that she brought with her at the Williams Caro home in West Valley on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Lora was visiting Gabriela Caro and her two young sons as part of the home visitation program of CCS. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

CSS has five different programs, home visitation, adoption and clinical, building blocks, GRANDfamilies and care about childcare.

Most of CSS programs receive some sort of grant, whether it is funding from a federal, state or county level, and some things receive private funding.

I believe personally that all of our programs are equally important to the community and to our mission of keeping families safe, Gallardo added.

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Holder emphasized that the employees at CSS are deeply involved in the lives of the families they serve, and everyone working there is doing it because they want to make a difference.

We are in our families homes, or were doing these workshops with them. Were crying with them. Were growing with them, and we see the impacts that our programs can make, Holder said.

Childrens Service Society of Utah parent educator Kat Lora provides parenting information to Gabriela Caro at the Williams Caro home in West Valley on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Lora was visiting the Williams Caro family as part of the home visitation program of CCS. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

Funding cuts to the home visitation program

Two federal grants that provide a major chunk of the budget for the home visitation program were recently cut without any warning.

These grants were through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and came with contracts that lasted into next year. The two grants made up $125,000 of the programs $225,000 budget. One of the grants was revoked on March 24, but CSS was not informed until March 26.

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Gallardo shared that when they receive government funding it is always done through contracts, and typically they know ahead of time whether or not they will have funding. But these funding cuts came without any warning, causing problems for the agency because they were not able to plan what they would do without those grants.

Gallardo said that funding cuts like this create a lot of distrust between the organization and the government.

Tara Romney Barber, the adoption and clinical program director said that the other programs are preparing the best they can in case their funding also gets cut. She added that if they arent able to provide their services, the families they serve will end up costing the state money because more children will be entering the foster care system.

So funding wise, we dont know what its going to look like, but we do know that its going to end up costing the state and the government money either way, Romney Barber said.

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These cuts make it so the agency isnt able to staff as many people and arent able to provide all of the services that they provide to families in need.

Childrens Service Society of Utah parent educator Kat Lora plays with Theo as Theos mother, Gabriela Caro, feeds Luca at the Williams Caro home in West Valley on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Lora was visiting the Williams Caro family as part of the home visitation program of CCS. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

If you believe in the work we do, please consider donating, advocating or spreading the word, Gallardo said. Every bit of support helps ensure that we can continue making a difference where it matters most.

CSS is not the only organization in the state that is going through such funding cuts. Holder said that some of the community providers they refer their clients to are also losing funding and resources.

As a result, not only are their primary resources impacted, but so are their secondary and tertiary supports. This ripple effect will significantly disrupt every essential resource these families rely on to navigate their daily lives, Holder said.

How the Home Visitation program helps parents and children

Caro and her family are visited by their home educator, Kat Lora, once or twice a month depending on need, but Caro and Lora are consistently in contact with one another. Lora has been with CSS for two years and has been working with Caro since she started the program 15 months ago.

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We learn a lot about the age appropriate milestone so they teach us activities and how develop the activities and How to include that activities in our routines, Caro said.

Childrens Service Society of Utah parent educator Kat Lora plays with Theo Williams Caro at the Williams Caro home in West Valley on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Lora was visiting the Williams Caro family as part of the home visitation program of CCS. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

She added that along with the developmental and educational services, the program helps her find parenting groups, as well as medical care and mental health support.

We form bonds with the families as a whole. So its a very fulfilling role, not only like for the family, but for myself as well. I get to learn a lot and whatever challenge were facing, we figure it out together, Lora said.

Caro shared that through CSS guidance she was able to help Theo learn how to crawl and walk, the program has also helped with his language development as Caro and her husband are raising him to be bilingual.

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The educators tailor the program to each familys individual needs and also follow the Parents as Educators curriculum.

Last year the home visitation program served 56 families.

Holder said that when they are able to get into these homes and work with families they are able to help set both the children and the parents up for success.

I like to think of our services as preventative services, she added. It makes the family better able to contribute to society and spread that awareness and just prevent child abuse, prevent depression in the house, or mental health disorders, Holder said.
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  A street in South Abilene has been closed off as the Abilene Fire Department and Atmos Energy address a gas leak resulting from an accident on Friday evening.

Memorial Drive to Fairway Oaks Boulevard is closed until crews can repair the leak. The initial estimate was one hour, but the current estimate is approximately seven hours.

The Abilene Police Department reported the accident occurred at 4:20 p.m. on April 4, but no information about the wreck has been released.

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No further information is available at the moment.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
STAR-ADVERTISER / MARCH 6, 2018 Rep. Gene Ward addresses the state House of Representatives in 2018. Ward, the longtime Republican representative from East Oahu, died today at age 82.

1 /2 STAR-ADVERTISER / MARCH 6, 2018 Rep. Gene Ward addresses the state House of Representatives in 2018. Ward, the longtime Republican representative from East Oahu, died today at age 82.

COURTESY PHOTO State Rep. Gene Ward 2 /2 COURTESY PHOTO State Rep. Gene Ward STAR-ADVERTISER / MARCH 6, 2018 Rep. Gene Ward addresses the state House of Representatives in 2018. Ward, the longtime Republican representative from East Oahu, died today at age 82.

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COURTESY PHOTO State Rep. Gene Ward Veteran Hawaii lawmaker Gene Ward died this morning after a prolonged illness that led him to retire on Monday.

Ward was 82 and had served as a Republican in the state House of Representatives for nearly 30 years serving constituents in an east Honolulu district that included Hawaii Kai and Kalama Valley.

Rep. Diamond Garcia, who once worked as Wards office manager, said on Facebook that Ward died peacefully early this morning.

Gene Ward was more than just a legislator,  said Garcia (R, Ewa-Kapolei ). He was a true statesman. He devoted his life to serving others, and though we mourn his loss, we celebrate a life well-lived in the service of God, country, and community.

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Gov. Josh Green ordered that the United States flag and state flag be flown at half-staff at the state Capitol and other state facilities from today to sunset on Monday in recognition of what Green described as unwavering service of Ward.

The passing of Gene Ward is a profound loss for Hawaii,  Green said in a statement. Gene dedicated his life to public service with passion, integrity and an unwavering commitment to the people he represented. From his service in the Peace Corps and the Vietnam War to his decades in the State House, he brought a global perspective and deep love for Hawaii to everything he did. His leadership in supporting small businesses, strengthening international relations and advocating for local communities has left a lasting impact on our state.

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U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said in a statement, Gene Ward was a statesman and a genuinely effective member of the loyal opposition. He never wavered in his Republican values, but more important to him was his attachment to the country, the Constitution, and his district. He was always kind and respectful, and every interaction I ever had with him was totally professional. The people of Hawaii Kai and the people of Hawaii have lost a very good and decent public servant. May he rest in aloha, and may his memory be a blessing.

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Disgraced ex-Congressman George Santos should be sentenced to more than seven years in prison for fraud and identity theft, federal prosecutors said in Brooklyn late Friday.

The former representative from Long Island  who told numerous outrageous lies about his education, work history and background during his campaign, including that his grandparents had fled the Nazis during World War II  pleaded guilty in August to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft before U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert.

In copping to two of the 23 criminal counts against him, he admitted to inflating his fundraising numbers and creating fake donor names to qualify for financial support from the Republican Party while he was running for election in 2022.

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Federal prosecutors recommended Santos be sentenced to 87 months in prison in a court filing Friday, stating that the length of time was necessary due to the severity of the crimes.

In May 2023 Santos was hit with federal charges for charging donors credit cards without their consent and laundering campaign funds to pay for his personal expenses, including Botox injections, OnlyFans subscriptions and luxury items.

Meanwhile, Santos lawyers have requested the mandatory minimum of 24 months.

During his campaign, Santos falsely claimed he attended New York University and had previously worked for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.

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Following his indictment and an investigation by the House Ethics Committee, his fellow lawmakers expelled Santos from the House of Representatives in December 2023, after he had served 11 months in Congress.

In their sentencing memo Santos lawyers said that fallen pol had taken responsibility for his crimes, which they linked to a history of mental illness, including depression and suicidal ideation.

His sentencing is scheduled for April 25.
By Jack Queen

(Reuters) -Former U.S. Representative George Santos, who was expelled from Congress after a brief and scandal-plagued tenure, should be sentenced to more than seven years in prison for fraud and identity theft, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said Friday.

Santos pleaded guilty in August to two of the 23 criminal counts he faced for inflating fundraising numbers and faking donor names to qualify for financial support from the Republican Party during the 2022 election cycle, when the political newcomer was elected to represent a slice of New York City and its eastern suburbs.

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Santos' legal team asked for a two-year sentence in a Friday court filing. His lawyer Andrew Mancilla said prosecutors were selling a false narrative to the court.

Prosecutors recommended an 87-month sentence in a court filing Friday, saying the top end of Santos guideline sentence range was appropriate to reflect the seriousness of his unparalleled crimes.

Santos planned and executed an assortment of fraudulent schemes and leveraged them and a fictitious life story to enrich himself and capture one of the highest offices in the government of the United States, prosecutors said.

"The government wants headlines, not justice. This vindictive 87-month demand ignores sentencing norms for similar cases," Mancilla said.

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During his campaign, Santos claimed that he attended New York University, that he had worked at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and that his grandparents had fled the Nazis during World War Two. None of those claims were true.

Santos pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft before U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert at a hearing in August.

He apologized to his constituents in remarks outside the courthouse in Central Islip, New York after the hearing.

"I deeply regret my conduct and the harm it has caused and accept full responsibility for my actions," Santos said.

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Santos was hit with federal charges in May 2023 for laundering campaign funds to pay for his personal expenses, charging donors' credit cards without their consent, and receiving unemployment benefits while he was employed.

As part of his plea deal, Santos admitted to all of the wrongdoing described in the indictment, even though he only pleaded guilty to two of the 23 counts.

Santos spent much of his 11 months in office engulfed in scandal, marginalized by his fellow lawmakers and mocked by late-night TV comedians following revelations that he had lied about much of his past.

A bipartisan investigation by the House Ethics Committee found he spent campaign money on Botox, luxury brands such as Hermes, and OnlyFans, an online platform known for sexual content.

His indictment prompted lawmakers to expel Santos from the House of Representatives in December.

(Reporting by Jack Queen in New York; editing by Diane Craft and Stephen Coates)
ATLANTA (AP)  A revived attempt to fix Georgia's inefficient system for compensating people wrongfully convicted of crimes almost died. Then it got tacked onto a bill that could compensate former President Donald Trump and more than a dozen codefendants for attorneys' fees after they were indicted for attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia.

The combined bill, Senate Bill 244, won final approval Friday, the last day of Georgia's legislative session.

If Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signs the bill, it would let criminal defendants recoup attorneys fees and related costs in cases where a prosecutor gets disqualified and the case is dismissed. It would also establish a state law requiring an administrative law judge to award $75,000 per year of incarceration to people who have been found wrongfully convicted if they prove they are innocent of the crime or any lesser offense.

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Georgia is one of 12 states without a law compensating people wrongfully convicted of crimes, according to an analysis by the Georgia Innocence Project. Instead, a lawmaker must sponsor a measure to compensate people and get legislative approval  a process plagued by politics that often leaves people without money, including five who tried this year.

The original half of the bill has a different backstory. Trump and 18 codefendants were indicted in Fulton County in August 2023. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was disqualified from the case by a state appeals court based on a romantic relationship she had with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom Willis hired to lead the case.

This is what led state Sen. Brandon Beach, an Alpharetta Republican, to bring forward the measure. He was recently named treasurer of the United States by Trump after years of vociferous support for the president and argued that the indictment was politically motivated.

Punitive politics

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The measure passed the Senate 35-18 with all Republicans voting yes. The three highest-ranking Democrats crossed over to vote yes -- House Minority Leader Harold Jones II of Augusta House Democratic Caucus Chair Sen. Elena Parent of Atlanta and House Democratic Whip Kim Jackson of Stone Mountain.

But many Democrats were not on board.

I understand some people have allegiance to the president and some people voted for him, and thats their right. But do not force my constituents to pay his legal fees," Atlanta Democrat state Sen. RaShaun Kemp said.

Atlanta Democrat state Rep. Shea Roberts on Wednesday called the bill a disgusting display of punitive politics. The bill passed 103-61 in the House.

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It puts legislators and voters in a moral straitjacket, Roberts said. If you want to support justice for the wrongfully convicted, you also have to support protecting powerful politicians from accountability. That's not leadership, that's hostage-taking.

A longstanding push

The bill's passage came the day after Republican Senate Majority Whip Randy Robertson held a four hour committee meeting at 6 a.m. on a measure to compensate five people whose convictions were overturned after years of incarceration. By then, it was too late for that proposal to get a vote.

Robertson, a former sheriff's deputy, has been the lead opponent against past measures to compensate people and to establish a law to let legal experts make that decision instead of legislators.

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People seeking compensation this year have had convictions overturned based on findings such as DNA evidence, legal and police errors and the discovery of new evidence indicating they did not commit the crime they were incarcerated for.

But Robertson said people found wrongfully convicted arent necessarily innocent because convictions may be overturned due to technical errors. He also had doubts about whether some of the people seeking compensation this year were innocent. Still, he said the current method is flawed, and he decided to support this year's bill to take the compensation process out of the legislature's hand.

Republican sponsor state Rep. Katie Dempsey of Rome said the bill will let the wrongfully convicted "have a true chance, that is not a retrial from legislators.

Democratic Rep. Scott Holcomb, who has championed the wrongful compensation bill for years, begged Democrats in both chambers to vote for a measure he called one of the few incredibly consequential bills he worked on.

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There isnt a person alive who would trade the money that these individuals are receiving for what happened to them in terms of being locked up in our states prisons, for usually decades of their lives, for something they didnt do," he said Friday.

___

Associated Press writer Jeff Amy contributed.

___

Charlotte Kramon 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. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis announced indictments against former President Donald Trump and his allies at a press conference with Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade standing to her left. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

The Georgia Senate approved a bill Friday that allows criminal defendants to recoup their legal costs if the prosecuting attorney in their case is disqualified for personal or professional misconduct, a description that recalls the Fulton County prosecutor who brought felony charges against President Donald Trump.

Next stop is Gov. Brian Kemps desk for a signature.

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Senate Bill 244, originally inspired by Trumps election interference case in Georgia, was later amended to revive the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act, a stalled House bill that was aimed at providing reparations to people wrongfully incarcerated.

House lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have faced an uphill battle in their efforts to properly compensate those who have been wrongfully incarcerated. The process is currently done on a case-by-case basis through individual compensation resolutions that must pass through the full legislative process like any other bill. Legislation to standardize the process was initially introduced by Atlanta Democratic Rep. Scott Holcomb in 2022, and re-introduced in 2023, but his efforts have repeatedly been stalled in the Senate by Republican opposition.

The version that ultimately emerged as the clock ran out on the 2025 legislative session Friday, sponsored by Alpharetta Republican Sen. Brandon Beach, secured a 35-18 vote in its second pass through the Senate, with all Republicans and the three highest-ranking Senate Democrats voting in support of the legislation. Its passage also marked a final sine die gavel for Beach, a staunch Trump ally who was recently appointed by the president to serve as U.S. Treasurer.

If Gov. Brian Kemp signs the bill into law, it will allow criminal defendants to recoup their legal costs from county prosecuting attorneys budgets in cases where the prosecutor is disqualified for personal or professional misconduct. (During Trumps election interference case in Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was disqualified after an appeals court judge found that her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade created a significant appearance of impropriety.)

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Separately, it will establish a new process under Georgia state law for people who have been convicted for crimes they did not commit and later exonerated, allowing administrative law judges to rule on wrongful conviction compensation cases and awarding a standardized rate of $75,000 for each year of incarceration to each exoneree, with an additional $25,000 added for each year spent on death row.

This is the third consecutive biennium that legislators in the House have attempted to reform the system for compensating those who have been wrongfully incarcerated. However, Republican opposition in the Senate  particularly from Sen. Randy Robertson, a Cataula Republican and former law enforcement officer  has repeatedly stalled those efforts. Under current Georgia law, those who have been wrongfully convicted must find a state representative who is willing to sponsor an individual compensation resolution for them and file a claim with Georgias Claims Advisory Board. Those resolutions then go through the full legislative process and must pass committees and floor votes in both the House and Senate before they can take effect, but those efforts too have routinely died in the Senate in recent years.

Though Robertson emphasized that he was still not fully on board with the legislation aimed at compensating the wrongfully convicted, he conceded that the current system was in need of reform in a speech on the final day of the 2025 legislative session.

What I realized is the process is not a good process, Robertson said, but vowed to continue workshopping the wrongful conviction component of the bill after the 2025 legislative session concludes.

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Im going to ask you today to support the senator from the 21st and vote for this legislation, and in the off-season, well tackle the other thing thats attached to it and well come up with a process that works, he continued, addressing his Senate colleagues. Support this bill, get it across, and I promise you the fights not over.

Democrats also condemned the original language of the bill, arguing that it could have a disproportionate impact on smaller counties with more limited budgets, and discourage prosecutors from tackling complex or high-profile cases.

But Holcomb celebrated its passage.

This will give hope to real people whose lives were devastated and destroyed by a wrongful conviction, and it gives them a path to get some measure of compensation so they can restart their lives, he said. Im very grateful for that. This is a major legislative achievement that comes out of this session.

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Though he acknowledged that there is no way to fully undo a wrongful conviction, he hopes that the new system will bring equality and efficiency to the process.

There isnt a person alive who would trade the money that these individuals are receiving for what happened to them in terms of being locked up in our states prisons, for usually for decades of their lives for something that they didnt do, he said. This is a path to provide some remedy. Its an inadequate remedy in terms of nothing can bring back those years, but its an adequate remedy in terms of dollars that will really help them through the remaining years of their lives.

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ATLANTA (AP)  Heres how a Georgia legislative session is supposed to end:

After a last-minute rush of negotiations, lawmakers jam through final agreements on a few more bills as the clock ticks past midnight.

Legislative staffers crowd into chambers as leaders thank employees against a soundtrack of paper being ripped into pieces.

Finally, the presiding officer recognizes the climactic motion to adjourn sine die, a Latin phrase that means to leave without a day to return.

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Then everyone tosses shredded paper into the air and cheers.

Friday, though, Georgias state Senate just left.

The motion to adjourn by Republican Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch of Dahlonega came shortly after 9 p.m. with none of the usual buildup. There was no thanks to the staff. Senators hadnt even torn up much paper.

Maybe next year

Georgia lawmakers can pick up bills in 2026 where they left off Friday, the second year of a two-year session, but they left plenty on the table.

Among items that didnt pass were proposals to force Georgia to leave a multistate election group, a push by Jones to establish more legislative control over rules enacted by state agencies, an effort to ban diversity programs in public schools and colleges and a bill to let people sue local governments for not cooperating with federal immigration officials.

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The sudden departure came after it became increasingly clear some Senate measures were languishing in the House and that Senate leaders had lost their appetite to bargain. It was possible to leave early because lawmakers had already agreed on a budget and other highest-priority legislation including tax cuts, a school safety bill, new limits on lawsuits and banning transgender girls and women from participating in womens sports.

The collision was reminiscent of the 2023 legislative session, the first year Burns and Jones led their chambers. Many big issues didnt pass after the chambers got into a standoff over the budget and licensing rules for hospitals. Then, it appeared Jones was trying to force his will on the House, a reversal of the traditional dynamic in Georgia, where the House has often had its way.

Ultimately, many issues derailed in 2023 ended up passing in 2024, including loosening hospital permitting requirements, imposing basic protections for renters and creating a voucher program to pay for private school and home-schooling.

House members bewildered by exit

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As senators cheered their departure Friday, veteran state Rep. Alan Powell was at the microphone in the House proposing changes to a hotly debated bill to regulate automated speed detection cameras in school zones.

Suddenly, there was no reason for the Hartwell Republican to continue, as there were no senators left to agree to amendments.

Republican House Speaker Jon Burns of Newington and his staff exchanged bewildered glances as House lawmakers murmured.

It appears that the Senate has checked all their priorities, all their political priorities, and decided to end their night early instead of finishing their work on behalf of the people we represent, Burns told the House. Of course, theyre free to do as they please, but this chamber puts policy over politics."

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Many longtime lawmakers were baffled. House Rules Committee Chairman Butch Parrish, a Swainsboro Republican who has served since the 1980s, said senators broke new ground.

Representatives approved a few more bills that didn't need further Senate action, and then also went home early.

Conflict may not cause lasting damage

Jones downplayed any conflict.

What do you mean what happened? Jones said afterward. We ended session.

Jones said senators had achieved their goals and he had been bucking for an early adjournment all day.

We got a lot of things done, he said. And so there was no need to stay here until midnight.

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Some minority Democrats were ecstatic because bills they opposed didn't become law. Victory! shouted Atlanta Democrat Shea Roberts as she left the Capitol.

The reality is that a lot of this session was spent on political messaging bills and on politics instead of focusing on Georgian families, said state Sen. Jason Esteves, an Atlanta Democrat considering a run for governor in 2026.

Both Jones and Burns said there are no hard feelings over how things ended Friday, although Burns said he would have liked to clinch an agreement on school zone speed cameras.

House Majority Whip James Burchett, a Waycross Republican, said that while House members may have held off on passing Senate proposals to fully vet them, the chambers have no choice but to work together.

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The Senate needs the House and the House needs the Senate, Burchett said. "It would do no good if anyone were to hold some sort of grudge for this."

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This story corrects that James Burchett is from Waycross, not Valdosta.
Credo quia absurdum: "I believe because it is absurd." This is the common paraphrase of an argument by Tertullian, an early church father. It has been repeated through the centuries in various forms by religious apologists, and exemplifies a thought-terminating cliche: an idea that is ridiculous on its face, but stated in such a boldly counterintuitive and in-your-face manner that arguing against the proposition is futile.

It may be an exaggeration, but hardly an extreme one, to say that virtually all religions, ideologies, worldviews and self-help philosophies are by definition absurd, containing every kind of unprovable axiom, self-contradictory tenet, illogicality and appeal to blind faith. They only gain a semblance of self-evident truth through age and familiarity, as the legend of John Frum illustrates.

About a century ago on the Pacific island of Vanuatu, a messiah cult centered on a mythical figure named John Frum, who would bring riches and happiness, rooted itself among the local population. It gained strength in World War II, when Allied air forces established landing fields on the island. The air crews brought desirable goods or cargo, much of which was exchanged to the islanders for their labor in building the airfields. In 1945, the seemingly heaven-sent outsiders departed, along with their novel goods.

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After the war, the cargo cult became a tradition, with adherents even building mock airstrips to induce John Frum to return from the skies with cargo. According to one anecdote, an anthropologist questioned a local chief on the implausibility of Frums return. He replied that he and his people had been waiting only 50 years; you Christians, on the other hand, had been waiting in vain for thousands.

And why, indeed, is the idea of a miraculous arrival of World War II-era C-47 transport aircraft loaded with military rations, Spam and cartons of Lucky Strike Greens any less believable than virgin births or resurrections from the dead? Or, for that matter, Karl Marxs utopian communism or Friedrich Hayeks perfectly self-equilibrating free market?

A belief system that may have the highest proportion of logical inconsistencies, irrational dogma, failed prophecies and broken promises of all major worldviews is one now on the upswing in the Western world. Why it should do so now, in a manner similar to the witch delusions that periodically swept medieval Europe or the Dutch tulip mania, has been much debated. Why it should infect nations that are prosperous, ostensibly well educated, and with civil societies that have supposedly developed beyond tribal superstition is a mystery that has never been explained.

I am referring to extreme right-wing or fascist ideology, which for all its local varieties has a common core of beliefs or, more accurately, attitudes and poses. In the multiparty systems of Europe, it is usually represented by recently created parties to the right of traditional conservative parties. In the U.S. two-party system, it has swallowed one of the two existing parties, usurping the role of conservatism and exploiting traditional party loyalties.

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Thus it is, in the United States at least, whether through merger or hostile takeover, that there is now no meaningful distinction between conservative, far-right and fascist; they are also identified with the Republican Party. I shall use all these terms interchangeably, because they have become synonymous.

Some former followers of the movement (often in organizations like the Lincoln Project) claim that that the current dogmas of the GOP are a betrayal of true conservatism. This is a fundamental error: Ideologies are not platonic essences, existing unchanged beyond time and space. Like the biological process of life, they evolve according to need, opportunity and contingency. Conservatism coevolved with the opportunism of its leaders and the character of the American people who voted for its politicians.

Nevertheless, American conservatism would not have become what it is now (authoritarianism or fascism or Trumpism, or however political scientists choose to describe it) unless it was capable of developing in that direction, unless it already contained the seed of its present form in its ideological DNA. And unless it had a receptive audience.

What are the properties of conservative ideology under Trump, and how is it that their logical inconsistencies and self-contradictions make them not less, but more attractive to American conservatisms followers? The following are a few of the movements more prominent ideological features:

Exaggerated but brittle nationalism

If there is one thing Republicans want you to know, its how much they bleed red, white and blue for America. None of their gatherings is complete without dozens if not hundreds of American flags, attendees sporting kitschy flag-themed costumes (some veering close to flag desecration), Uncle Sam suits or Lady Liberty getups. It has been thus since the McCarthy era of the 1950s and even before; the Republican business coalition opposing Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal wrapped itself in the flag.

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Republicans have for some time claimed an exclusive franchise on love of country; those not in their club they consider as not real Americans, or as un-American. Constructive critiques of major disasters like Vietnam and Iraq they will excoriate as aid and comfort to the enemy. Media exposes of incompetent and dishonest military commanders like Gen. William Westmoreland became, for conservatives, a kind of Dreyfus affair: a patriotic officer persecuted by the liberal establishment intent on glorifying the communists while dragging an honorable soldiers reputation through the mud.

How does this history of hyper-patriotism coexist with the Republicans revered, practically deified leader, Donald Trump, calling America "a garbage can for the world," a global "laughing stock" or a "third world country"? How does it square with a Republican president playing the sycophantic beta-sidekick to Vladimir Putin, whose hostility to the United States requires no underlining? If a Democratic president talked or acted like that, the cries of treason and relentless media and congressional scrutiny would sweep him out of office.

The answer is that Republicans endless harping on patriotism has been a performative camouflage and effective inoculation against un-American acts. Richard Nixons presidency was the first I recall in which wearing an enameled American flag lapel pin became the way to demonstrate you were a real American; yet candidate Nixon, by colluding with foreign interests to torpedo the 1968 Paris peace talks, almost certainly committed treason.

The America First Movement of 1939-41, largely (though not exclusively) a conservative movement ostensibly designed to keep America out of World War II, was to a considerable extent steered by Nazi interests, using prominent conservative figures like Charles Lindbergh as stalking horses.

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The most national political elements being the first to scuttle their own countrys interests on behalf of foreign powers has numerous foreign analogs. Once the German Army broke through the French defenses in 1940, much of the officer corps, business elite and conservative political class became more interested in seeking a quick armistice with the Germans, and making common cause to suppress an (imagined) uprising by the left in Paris, than in resisting the Wehrmacht invaders. One sees similar behavior in Trump, JD Vance and congressional Republicans: They perceive themselves as having more in common with Putin and other anti-woke caudillos like Viktor Orban than with the majority of their own citizens.

This behavior is almost endemic in ultra-nationalist groups. Norwegian right-extremist Vidkun Quislings own name became a synonym for traitor during the Nazi occupation of his country; Anton Mussert held the same position in the Netherlands during World War II, as did Leon Degrelle in Belgium. Even today, several of the current far-right parties in Europe receive covert or overt assistance from Moscow.

The peculiar relationship to their country that right-wing extremists claim to love so fervently is analogous to the love an abusive spouse has for his partner: a jealous and insecure sense of exclusive ownership rather than real affection. Should the partner entertain ideas other than what the abusive spouse mandates, the latter will seek to hurt or destroy what he claims to love.

Surprisingly, the commentariat has seldom acknowledged, let alone analyzed, the neurosis of showy patriotism concealing hidden hostility to ones country, despite a popular film, The Manchurian Candidate, that described its essentials more than 60 years ago.

Populism: Instrument of rule by billionaires

Populism is one of the most misunderstood, misused and question-begging political descriptors in use today. Nominally left-of-center commentators like Thomas Frank see it as a progressive phenomenon of the common people rebelling against elite, oligarchic rule, a grassroots movement that only through the greed and moral blindness of the liberal establishment is hijacked by demagogues like Donald Trump. Ralph Nader has even claimed populism as the vehicle for the right and the left to transcend partisan politics and throw the moneychangers from the temple.

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At its beginnings in the 1880s and 90s, populism was a movement by farmers, mainly in the Great Plains and the South, to overturn the virtual debt peonage they were kept in by the banks, railroads and grain wholesalers. Progressives have celebrated what they see as the beginnings of an alliance between white and Black farmers and sharecroppers to transcend the barriers of race and work for a common goal.

This did happen on occasion, but most populist organizations in Southern states remained strictly segregated. The case of Tom Watson of Georgia, perhaps the most famous populist of the era, is instructive in foreshadowing the movements later course. Originally, his views on forging a biracial political organization were liberal for a Southern politician. But after losing several elections, he changed course, becoming an arch-segregationist and, eventually, anti-Catholic and antisemitic. Even his economic stand became more conservative, jettisoning prime populist issues like government grain storage and currency reform while warning against socialist infiltration of the populist movement.

From its beginnings, populism demonstrated a fatal tendency to degenerate from progressive and inclusive positions to reactionary and exclusionary ones. Even setting aside the bigotry, its worldview embraced a futile, nostalgic Jeffersonian agrarian myth that was long obsolete even by the late 19th century. Industrialism was an established fact; it could potentially be reformed by progressive legislation such as that championed by contemporary figures like Robert La Follette, but it could not be shouted out of existence by populist demagoguery.

Perhaps the last great American populist movement with left-of-center policy content was that of Huey Long and his share our wealth crusade in the early 1930s. His positions on education, infrastructure and taxation were clearly progressive and redistributive, but his dictatorial style, contempt for the rule of law and cult of personality were of a piece with the European fascist movements of that decade.

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Possibly because the New Deal and the early post-World War II economic consensus mitigated the worst economic disparities, left-wing populism has ceased to be a political force in the last 75 years. Instead, populism has become a movement driven by the extreme right, whereby social division and scapegoating are camouflaged as something else.

In the early 1950s, Joseph McCarthy dressed up demagogic witch hunts against literally anyone he chose (even Gen. George C. Marshall) as legitimate national security. Later, George Wallaces common-man routine was thinly disguised race-baiting. Ross Perots and Pat Buchanans presidential bids in the 1990s centered on the foreign trade imbalance, but what they offered was more xenophobia than a rational plan to fix the trade deficit.

By the 2010s, with the rise of the Tea Party (a grassroots movement astroturfed by Koch brothers money), populism as a campaign strategy had captured the Republican Party. With or without Trump, the GOP will always showcase populist themes, because it is the perfect vehicle to put a regressive, pro-billionaire agenda over on the chumps.

Every historical trait of American populism  its anti-intellectualism, xenophobia, distrust of expertise, hatred of so-called elites, rural and small-town mythologizing, suspicion of institutions, paranoid-conspiratorial world view, unfocused anger and faith in panaceas  fits the psychology of the current Republican base like a glove, at least when its characteristics are adapted to the schizophrenic quality of contemporary American culture.

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Elites remains a snarl word in America, but it no longer means a wealthy oligarch exploiting the common people. It can now represent a librarian, adjunct professor or social worker, all of whom make little more than McDonalds wages, but are the cultural villains of the great Republican morality play. Conversely, a manager making well into six figures and living in a wealthy suburb can demonstrate his credentials as a real American by growing a JD Vance-style beard and tooling around in a $70,000 pickup.

Whatever the wishful thinking of the Franks and Naders about a left-right peoples coalition, in living memory populism has been a stratagem of the wealthy, using cultural dog whistles to keep large numbers of non-wealthy people from thinking about who makes the big money, and who pays, while distracting them with chimeras like the existential threat of the dozen or so transgender athletes in the country.

It had to be thus, because populism is liberal democracys sinister cousin, bearing just enough resemblance to legitimate self-government to be deceptively dangerous. It proclaims that the confused desires of a supposed majority constitute Rousseaus general will, and must not be weakened by intermediary institutions like legislatures or independent courts. But given the logistical difficulty of direct rule by millions of citizens, it is nearly inevitable that some charismatic demagogue will claim to embody the crowds general will.

And so, in places like Turkey, Hungary and the United States, an ambitious demagogue can establish and strengthen dictatorial rule by deceiving the people that he, as their champion, is exercising their will, not his own.

Competence and the reality principle

In the 1960s, the waning days of Americas liberal reform movement, Republicans presented themselves as the flinty-eyed bearers of realism. Medicare, then a brand-new program, was simply unaffordable. Urban violence was presented as proof that antipoverty programs didnt work. Erstwhile liberals like Daniel Patrick Moynihan began flirting with conservatism, in his case proclaiming that the best antipoverty project for Black urban residents would be the governments benign neglect.

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And on it went. Irving Kristol, the newly-converted conservative, defined a neoconservative as a liberal who has been mugged by reality. Republicans duly fashioned themselves as the Daddy Party, in contrast to the Democrats unrealistic and emotional sentimentalism. When the Gary Hart and Paul Tsongas presidential campaigns road-tested Democratic Leadership Council thematics, it was said that their supporters believed in heart left, wallet right, one of those clever-sounding but nonsensical memes that pollute American discourse.

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Over time, the constant repetition of these themes (embraced even by Democrats like Hart, Tsongas and Bill Clinton) achieved a kind of cultural hegemony affecting popular thinking. For decades, Americans have consistently believed that Republicans are better on the economy than Democrats.

Republican performance in office is a different matter. Multiple sources make clear that economic growth has been substantially better under Democratic presidents than their Republican counterparts. The New York Times estimated in 2021 that since 1933, average yearly GDP growth was 4.6 percent under Democratic administrations and 2.4 percent under Republicans. Are the American people blind to these facts? Apparently so.

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Far from operating according to the reality principle, Republican economics, like so many of their positions, is based on magical thinking. Their stridently held belief that tax cuts produce more revenue, a notion dating from the late 1970s, should have been a tipoff: By that reasoning, reducing taxes to zero should produce infinite revenue. But teaching math never was the strong suit of the American educational system. Nor, apparently, was elementary logic: How many people voted for Trump believing that foreign companies, rather than they themselves, would pay the tariffs on imports?

Perhaps its because the public so readily gives a pass to Republicans that we have endured scandals like Iran/Contra and the invasion of Iraq, affairs in which dishonesty and illegality have been conjoined with epic incompetence. These episodes can cause brief public discomfiture with the GOP, but never lasting damage. Americans will forgive criminal incompetence as long as you virtue-signal your values.

With the advent of Donald Trump, the reality principle, along with competent officials capable of apprehending reality, are in such short supply that one could swear appointees are selected for being the worst possible choices. What better person to put in charge of the armed forces and its 4,000 nuclear weapons than a loutish drunk? Who better to supervise public health services than a paranoid, conspiracy-mongering anti-vaxxer who is, by his own admission, brain-damaged by a parasitic worm? Every single Cabinet officer appears fanatically dedicated to crippling the function of the agency he or she oversees.

The tragicomic hallucination that you see unfolding every day, wherein ostensible adults discuss secret war plans in hackable social media texts replete with emojis, exclamation points and lols, is what the American people freely chose. Decades of anti-Washington bombast, denunciations of expertise in favor of common-sense solutions, anti-intellectualism and faith in tough-guy bromides, a la Dirty Harry, have brought us to a disaster that causes intelligent foreigners to blink with astonishment.

This sad spectacle is the culmination of inexorable logic: Dictatorship thrives on incompetence. Hannah Arendt outlined this logic 75 years ago:

Total domination does not allow for free initiative in any field of life, for any activity that is not entirely predictable. Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty.

Freedom and the Fuhrerprinzip

The other thing Republicans want you to know, besides their uberpatriotism, is how much they would crawl over broken glass for freedom. Republican politicians work assiduously to shoehorn the word freedom into the titles of their legislative proposals, such as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, means the freedom of employers to impose religious tests on employees.

As a former House of Representatives staff member, I recall with some bemusement the 2003 edict by the chairman of the House Administration Committee, Bob Ney, that in the House cafeterias, French fries would henceforth be labeled freedom fries in light of French President Jacques Chirac bailing on George W. Bushs Middle East crusade. I did feel some sense of cosmic justice after Neys resignation in 2006, when he pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and making false statements in relation to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

For Republicans, freedom does not mean, as Epictetus said, that No man is free who is not master of himself  in other words, that true freedom comes from within, through self-control and a sense of limits and propriety. Rather, it denotes licentiousness and lack of control, the actions of a toddler gorging himself on chocolate until he is sick.

In the Republican world, freedom means going unvaccinated in a pandemic in order to give the finger to the nanny state. Who cares if you infect some physically vulnerable person who might die? It means contesting every conceivable issue, such as energy-efficient lightbulbs, in the name of freedom  freedom to squander energy, apparently.

This frenzied devotion to freedom in its most perverted form, a kind of Promethean exultation in unbridled will and desire, sits in weird juxtaposition with a cultish, masochistic worship of leader figures. What has arisen in the GOP is an uncanny analog to the Fuhrerprinzip in Nazi Germany, the principle that all authority flows from a single leader, and that absolute obedience is owed to him alone rather than to the state itself or a constitution.

The humiliating self-abasement before Donald Trump of everyone in the Republican cosmos, from the souvenir-bedecked MAGA supporter at a Trump rally to Megyn Kelly thanking Trump for insulting her to pathetic sycophants like Lindsey Graham groveling in the Senate chamber  in comparison to whom Caligulas horse would be a senatorial improvement  is often remarked upon but too little understood.

This strange dichotomy between licentious freedom and slavish obedience is an implicit bargain between Trump and his followers. In surrendering their dignity and self-respect by kowtowing to Trump, he gives them something in return: a permission slip to break the moral code of civilized society.

Formerly, if one behaved monstrously, one was judged accordingly. Now, one can act as crassly as one likes without feeling shame and social opprobrium, because everything is done in a higher political cause. It is a pantomime of the unpleasant behavior of religious fanatics who believe their boorishness is sanctified by an all-powerful deity, and one more example of the strange combination of psychological opposites roiling within todays conservative follower.

They are goose-steppers in the name of their own absolute freedom.

The "culture of life"  and the death instinct

Since the 1970s, obsessive opposition to abortion has been a catechism among conservatives. This, they insist you should know, is integral to the conservative culture of life, and their ideological justification for the claim that everything they do is good for families.

Beneath the surface, all is not as it seems. The Republican Party has fought tooth-and-nail against neonatal care, subsidized child care and guaranteed maternity leave, policies embedded in law in most developed countries. The results are indisputable: The U.S. has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the developed world, and it is worse in states with entrenched Republican majorities.

This applies at the other end of the demographic scale as well: Americans have a pathetically low life expectancy for a developed country. Partly this is a result of atrocious elder care policies (you must divest your assets and become a pauper before receiving Medicaid assistance in a nursing home), but also from deaths of despair, the early deaths, mainly of middle-aged white men, from suicide, drug overdose and risky behavior, a phenomenon more prevalent in red states. Some culture of life.

One cannot demonstrate this like a mathematical proof, but this carelessness, or callousness, about human life seems linked to fatalistic, even nihilistic attitudes. Take as an example the Trump voter in 2016 who told an interviewer he chose that candidate not out of any expectation of improvement; he voted with his middle finger. Pollsters have noted the frequency with which respondents claim they just want to "burn it all down," not troubling themselves with what will happen to the social infrastructure that supports their very existence.

More convincing evidence of this mindset came with the COVID pandemic, which saw countless people endangering their own lives and those of others by engaging in deliberately risky behavior. One pathetic example whom I knew (if only slightly) spent all his energies decrying COVID as a hoax while refusing vaccination; even breathing his last, on a ventilator, he denied the reality of the virus.

This kind of self-destructive lunacy received theological sanction in the pages of First Things, a right-wing religious publication that fancies itself a bearer of the thought of Thomas Aquinas, but comes off more like Torquemada. In 2020, its editor, R.R. Reno, wrote "Say No to Death's Dominion"; contrary to the title, he argues that death should be embraced, and that those who save lives through medical science are in league with Satan. He never quite gets around to addressing the grief that people might feel if a family member dies to prove some asinine theological point; he considers that to be "disastrous sentimentalism."

Reno is a moral nihilist, as are the millions of religious fundamentalists (a large part of Trumps base) who believe in the Apocalypse. If the end is at hand, why worry too scrupulously over a life or two, or, for that matter, over the functioning of society?

While the mainstream media coyly continues to describe the Trump regimes actions in traditionally anodyne terms (a CNN headline misleadingly states that the administration is overhauling an agency, not dismantling it), intelligent Americans should take its behavior at face value and apply the simplest explanation, consistent with the nihilism of conservative philosophy.

Thus, gutting the Department of Health and Human Services infectious disease research and forcing out the FDAs chief vaccine expert is exactly what it looks like: an effort to see that more Americans die. A similar result will certainly come from cutting $12 billion from state health service grants.

Why did the regime eliminate the terrorist database at the Department of Homeland Security? Given that most domestic terrorism cases have a right-wing motivation, they must want to see more terrorism: It is useful in cowing the rest of the population. As for any other terrorist incident, it can serve as an excuse for martial law. We can similarly conclude that wiped-out towns and lives ruined by natural disasters are the intended results of slashing FEMA.

We are barely into the third month of Trumps gangster regime. Where we will be after four years of this destructive revolution of nihilism I will leave to the readers imagination.

The sleep of reason breeds monsters

Diehard patriots who betray their country; anti-elitists who worship billionaires; cold-eyed realists living in a fantasy world; rugged individualists fawning over their divine emperor; affirmers of life who embrace death. American conservatism is such a muddle of contradictions that one barely knows where to begin. How did it become so popular?

Umberto Eco, in his essay Ur-Fascism, said that fascism (now basically synonymous with current American conservatism) was syncretic: It incorporated disparate and even contradictory themes, and that was part of its appeal. It offered something to everyone, and a person attracted to one position would simply ignore the position that he didnt care for.

There is much truth in that; people are notoriously sloppy and unsystematic thinkers. But there is a deeper reason. Humans are not just inattentive; they are irrational in a profoundly emotional sense. They desire contradictory things at different times  and even simultaneously. Furthermore, seemingly opposed values may not be opposites at all, but merely two sides of the same coin.

Foreign journalists remarked that the German people would greet Hitlers motorcade with wild, almost hysterical enthusiasm; their beaming faces showed something like real love for their leader. That love, though, was the obverse side of their hatred for Jews; one could not be without the other, because one enabled the other. A conservatives professed adoration of the unborn is precisely what compensates for and excuses his fetish for automatic weapons and advocacy of vigilante violence.

Very well, people are irrational. But what will happen when Trumps policies really begin to bite? I have discussed this with several political pundits who say that when Grandmas Social Security check fails to arrive, or when the Iraq vet finds the VA clinic closed, or when Bubba in Pascagoula is sitting in the wreckage of his house with no FEMA on site, a time of reckoning will arrive.

Possibly, but I wouldnt bet on it. A Trump voter whose newly-married wife was detained as an undocumented immigrant says he still doesnt regret his vote. Farmers were hammered by retaliatory tariffs during Trumps first term as badly as the rest of us will be damaged in his second; farm bankruptcies soared, as did Farm Belt suicides. That did not prevent farmers from voting overwhelmingly for Trump in 2020 and 2024.

Facts are stubborn things, but so are faith and illusion. By the end of World War II, Germany had lost 5 million to 6 million military and civilian dead, 20 percent of its housing stock was destroyed, and many large cities were almost completely wiped out. The population subsisted on an average of 1,200 calories a day. But in 11 surveys between November 1945 and December 1946, an average of 47 percent agreed with the statement that National Socialism was a good idea badly carried out. In an August 1946 German attitude scale survey, 37 percent agreed that the extermination of the Jews and Poles and other non-Aryan races was necessary for the security of Germany.

People, or too many of them, will still believe in the very illusions that caused their world to collapse in ruins about them. They believe because it is absurd.
Fissures are emerging within the Republican party following this weeks tariff-driven economic meltdown, with some lawmakers even pushing to wrest control away from the White House when it comes to sanctioning international trade.

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the upper chambers longest-serving GOP member, is pioneering the Trade Review Act of 2025, which would limit the presidents authority to impose new tariffs by introducing new oversight requirements.

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Introduced alongside Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the bill would mandate that the Commander in Chief notify Congress within 48 hours of imposing new duties or increasing existing ones and provide an explanation or reasoning for the trade action. The president would also be required to provide an assessment of the potential impact that new duties could have on U.S. businesses and consumers.

Within 60 days, Congress must pass a joint resolution of approval on the new tariff or it will be allowed to expire. The legislative branch would also have the ability to end tariffs at any time by passing a resolution of disapproval.

A bipartisan group of Senators including Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Ark.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have signed onto the bill.

For too long, Congress has delegated its clear authority to regulate interstate and foreign commerce to the executive branch, Grassley said. He was compelled to introduce the legislation this week to reassert Congress constitutional role and ensure Congress has a voice in trade policy.

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The bills introduction follows a movement by mostly Democratic lawmakers to terminate the executive powers invoked by the president under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) against Canada, which Trump threatened with 25-percent duties. Republican Senators like Susan Collins (R-Maine), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Rand Paul (R-Ken.) signed onto that legislative effort, led by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).

Ultimately, Trump opted to (mostly) honor the terms of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), keeping goods covered by the agreement duty free.

While such efforts are unlikely to move forward in a bitterly divided Congress, Tillis told reporters Thursday that other Republican colleagues could end up signing onto Grassleys bill. I think theres something to be said for having congressional review, he said, according to Politico.

The news outlet also reported that Congressman Don Bacon (R-Ne.) plans to introduce a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

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And while he hasnt signed onto the effort yet, Trump may be losing one of his staunchest supporters in Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.).

On Friday, the lawmaker took to his podcast to criticize Trumps tariff rollout, saying that the administrations trade policies could usher in a Republican bloodbath in the 2026 midterm elections.

Im seeing a lot of Republican cheerleaders that are kind of reflexively defending what the White House is doing But heres one thing to understand: a tariff is a tax, and it is a tax, principally on American consumers, he said. I am not a fan of tax increases on American consumers. Im not a fan of tariffs. And so if this is leverage to lower tariffs, great, but if the outcome is tariffs stay in place forever, that is going to do a lot of harm in the American economy.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) is less than pleased about President Donald Trump firing Gen. Timothy Haugh, who headed both the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command until Thursday  when he was let go without a single reason divulged to voters.

The White House fired one of our best generals and the smartest on cyber operations, and with no explanation, Bacon told Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram on Friday. Russia and China are laughing at us.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement Friday to CBS News that the Defense Department thanks General Timothy Haugh for his decades of service and that the DoD wishes him and his family well  providing no further detail about his exit.

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Several senior members of the National Security Council were also fired.

Haugh and NSA deputy Wendy Noble were both ousted after Trump met with far-right activist Laura Loomer on Wednesday, The Washington Post reported. Loomer, who has frequently shared QAnon conspiracy theories and is one of Trumps staunchest social media supporters, told the Post she had advocated for the firings.

Loomer elaborated on the matter Friday on X, formerly Twitter, arguing that Haugh and Noble have been disloyal to President Trump and that is why they have been fired.

She also slammed retired Gen. Mark Milley, who called Trump a total fascist in October.

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As a Biden appointee, General Haugh had no place serving in the Trump admin given the fact that he was HAND PICKED by General Milley, who was accused of committing treason by President Trump, she wrote.

Given the fact that the NSA is arguably the most powerful intel agency in the world, we cannot allow for a Biden nominee to hold that position, she added. Thus, Haugh was fired today, along with his Obama loving protege, Wendy Noble. This is called VETTING.

Bacon previously criticized Trump's foreign policy position on Russia as "too conciliatory." Left: Alex Brandon/Associated Press; Right: Associated Press

Loomer gave Trump a list of supposedly disloyal officials during their closed-door meeting Wednesday, and successfully called for them to be fired despite national security adviser Michael Waltz reportedly pushing back, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The report was based on interviews with eight people with knowledge of the events.

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Bacon, who previously criticized Trump for berating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their televised meeting in February and called Trumps stance on Russia too conciliatory, shared an additional statement on Haughs exit Friday on X.

General Tim Haugh is an outstanding leader and was doing a superb job at Cyber Command and National Security Agency, he wrote. He was fired with no public explanation. This action sets back our Cyber and Signals Intelligence operations.

Related...
Senate Republicans adopted a fiscal blueprint Saturday for President Donald Trumps one big, beautiful bill. What comes next is anyones guess.

The Senate voted 51-48 on a budget resolution that unlocks their ability to pass a party-line bill later this year that will combine an overhaul of the tax code with border, energy and defense policies. GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky joined all Democrats and independent in opposing the resolution  though other Republicans still have concerns that will need to be addressed before passing the final bill.

Now the budget plan needs approval in the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson can only afford to lose three Republicans without having the entire effort unravel. House fiscal hawks are displeased with the Senates framework and are threatening revolt.

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Were not going to do this for a third time, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said with a deep breath after he was asked about the House threatening to change the budget plan. I assume it will pass.

Asked what he would say to House Republicans, Majority Leader John Thune added: The more this drags on  the sooner we get to reconciliation the better.

Saturdays vote is a win for Senate Republicans after weeks of internal wrangling since their first budget resolution failed to win over their House counterparts. Both chambers must adopt the same blueprint to get onto the work of drafting and passing legislation to enact Trumps ambitious domestic agenda.

Thune also had to navigate last-minute, lingering anxieties among a handful of GOP senators. They were uneasy that a plan to sidestep getting the parliamentarians blessing for now on the heart of their tax plan could come back to haunt them down the road.

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Democrats, meanwhile, warned amid a market free-fall sparked by Trump's tariffs that proceeding with his agenda would quickly blow back on the GOP. Republicans obeisance to Donald Trumps increasingly unpopular agenda will cost them dearly in the future, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said from the floor shortly after the resolution was adopted.

Republicans still had to run a gauntlet ahead of Saturdays final vote, too. Democrats said their strategy was to put Trumps agenda on trial and spent hours of floor time forcing votes on a slew of amendments designed to box Republicans in on issues like Medicaid cuts, Trumps tariffs and Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency.

GOP senators also rejected a proposal from Paul to shrink the size of the debt ceiling hike prescribed by the budget resolution from $5 trillion to $500 billion.

Despite the hours of voting, getting the budget through the Senate was also the easiest part of what Thune has described as a long and arduous process. And Republicans are fully aware that the hard work is still to come.

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The next one is where the battle will be, said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.).

The first hurdle will come when Johnson tries to get the budget resolution through his chamber without making any changes, expediting lawmakers ability to begin writing a reconciliation bill and avoiding a scenario where the Senate has to hold a third vote-a-rama in as many months.

Members of Senate GOP leadership told their members this week that their understanding is the House would adopt the budget resolution without changes  though Johnson is facing pushback from a coalition of hard-liners, deficit hawks and tax writers who have issues with the Senates budget resolution and dont want to vote for it as-is.

There is significant opposition to the Senate budget and it will not pass next week, said one House Republican who was granted anonymity to speak freely.

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Asked if Trumps endorsement of the Senate plan would make any difference, the House Republican replied: Did his endorsement change the text of the resolution?

Even if the House manages to adopt the budget resolution next week, the two chambers face a chasm between their competing visions. In an effort to adopt a budget resolution now and get the process moving, Republican leaders punted many of their biggest, and hardest, policy decisions to later on.

This will only delay the pain of resolving the different visions between the House and Senate for how much to find in savings to offset the final reconciliation bill. The Senate budget plan only requires a minimum of a few billion in deficit reduction, compared to the House GOPs promise to its members to hit $2 trillion.

The Houses instructions to its own committees have also sparked heartburn in the Senate over fears among some Republicans that it would require cuts to Medicaid. An amendment from Hawley and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to strip out the House Energy and Commerce $880 billion instruction failed, though Collins and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Hawley to support it.

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Several GOP senators have said they wont cut Medicaid benefits or reduce the federal payment for Medicaid expansion enrollees  even as the latter is being discussed by House Republicans as a potential way to pay for the bill. And Hawley said Trump personally reassured him Medicaid benefits would not get slashed, giving him the confidence to vote in favor of the budget resolution.

At the same time, Thune still needs to wrangle his own deficit hawks, who agreed to vote for the budget resolution after some in-person soothing from Trump but still want steeper cuts in the reconciliation bill itself. Some Senate conservatives want to go as high as $6.5 trillion in deficit reduction  though GOP leaders are hoping they can dangle the promise of codifying other federal funding freezes and the clawbacks by DOGE as a mathematical sweetener.

And then theres that controversial tactic to sidestep the parliamentarian on using "current policy baseline"  an accounting maneuver that makes it look like extending the Trump tax cuts costs nothing, which some Republicans worry could later be deemed incompatible with Senate rules. Republicans could technically overrule the parliamentarian but several vowed this week they would not, indicating the controversial maneuver wouldnt have the votes.

The Senate gave its tax writers a $1.5 trillion cap, compared to a $4.5 trillion cap for the House. But the Senate committees are factoring in using the current policy baseline for extending Trumps 2017 tax cuts, letting roughly $3.8 trillion count as having no price tag.

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Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), in a speech shortly before the Senate started voting, warned that using a current policy baseline set a dangerous precedent, and indicated that while he would vote for the budget resolution his support for the reconciliation bill was in no way guaranteed.

As a conservative, I know sometimes that even if you can open a Pandoras Box, its better not to, Cassidy said.

Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report
Just as climate scientists have warned, new dirty fuel projects continue to move forward despite urgent calls to cut pollution.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently indicated that his government will not block the Rosebank oil and gas project, one of the U.K.'s largest oil fields.

The decision comes after a court ruling sent the project's fate back to the government, sparking backlash from climate activists.

What's happening?

Starmer confirmed that his government will not interfere with existing oil and gas licences, including Rosebank, despite previously pledging to stop issuing new ones, as Reuters reported.

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The project, led by energy companies Equinor and Ithaca Energy, had faced legal challenges from environmental groups, but the court's decision now puts the final call in the government's hands.

In an interview with Sky News, Starmer defended the move, saying, "I'll be open with you, oil and gas is part of the future mix for decades to come."

His statement signals continued reliance on dirty energy, even as the U.K. aims for net-zero emissions by 2050.

Why does this matter?

Burning Rosebank's oil reserves could release over 200 million metric tons of carbon dioxide  further heating the planet and intensifying extreme weather events.

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Environmental groups argue that instead of investing in renewable energy, the government is doubling down on an outdated energy model that will worsen the climate crisis.

The move also raises concerns about a just transition for workers. By not prioritizing the expansion of clean energy jobs, the government risks leaving workers vulnerable as industries shift toward renewables. Additionally, expanding dirty energy projects exacerbates health risks from pollution, economic displacement, and social inequality in affected communities.

What's being done about it?

Despite the government's decision, climate organizations and activists continue to push for a cleaner energy future. Groups like Greenpeace U.K. and Friends of the Earth are calling for greater investment in wind, solar, and tidal energy to reduce reliance on dirty energy.

Other countries and regions are already making moves to phase out dirty energy production. Denmark has pledged to end new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, and California is setting ambitious targets to transition away from polluting gases.

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Individuals can also take action by advocating for stronger climate policies, reducing personal reliance on dirty energy  such as switching to electric vehicles and using public transport  and supporting clean energy initiatives. Every step toward a more sustainable future helps push governments toward responsible energy choices.

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.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Amid Oregons homelessness crisis, Governor Tina Kotek revealed a new pilot project on Thursday, aiming to bring housing stability for unsheltered Oregonians facing mental illness.

Under the Housing 360 pilot, the Oregon Housing and Community Services state agency is awarding $3.4 million in grants to community partners.

In a press release, Kotek said the pilot will help the state take an informed and data-driven approach to helping Oregonians facing mental illness transition from unsheltered homelessness into housing stability.

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Oregon is doling out $11M in unclaimed funds. Heres how to find out if youre owed money

To help every Oregonian go from living on the street into stable housing, we need to meet them where they are, Kotek said. We know that mental health challenges can stand in the way of people getting the care and housing they need. These projects will help us save lives now and make sure we get the details right into the future.

The funding includes a $900,000 grant to Benton County to match people in need of housing with available homes while connecting them with behavioral health services.

We are building capacity among our housing and support service partners for people experiencing homelessness, with the goal of creating a system that is ready to house. Our strategy includes housing focused outreach and case management that meets people where they are at and follows them throughout their entire journey towards long-term housing stability, Rebecca Taylor with Benton County said.

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An $800,000 grant to Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action in Marion County will help people exiting institutional or carceral facilities, who were homeless before entering the facilities, by providing case management, medical and mental health care along with help finding stable housing.

Washington County will receive a $700,000 grant to connect people to housing services by embedding housing system navigators in behavioral health programs, while the Mid-Columbia Community Action Council in Wasco County will receive $1 million to help tribal communities disparately impacted by homelessness in the region.

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No matter who you are, what you have, or where you live, everyone deserves access to the housing and services they need, OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell said. We also cant ignore the serious health consequences of homelessness. This partnership puts people first. Housing 360 is rooted in community and commitment, helping local partners deliver life-saving interventions and better outcomes.

The pilot program comes after Kotek signed Senate Bill 5701 in 2024, which gave $39 million to OHCS for the Oregon Rehousing Initiative to move people from homelessness to permanent and stable housing, the governors office noted, adding, Housing 360 is funded through the Oregon Rehousing Initiative.

Since Gov. Kotek declared a homelessness state of emergency in March 2023, the state estimates that 3,300 unsheltered households will be rehoused by July.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Apr. 5GRAND FORKS  For the last couple of years, Gloria Gebur had been waiting for an organ transplant donor, as her health deteriorated and she battled a disease that causes chronic liver failure.

She finally found one  an unexpected one.

Last fall, her niece, Michaela Hill, 35, secretly sought testing as a possible donor at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She learned she qualified as a match for the woman who "was always a second mother to me," she said, and "taught me so much about how to live my life."

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When Hill called to tell her she was a match, Gebur recalled, "she said something like, 'Auntie, Auntie, I'm going to give you part of my liver; it's all set up. ... '

"I burst into tears," said Gebur. "Pretty exciting for me. And a big commitment on her part."

About her niece becoming her donor, Gebur said, "It's pretty special. I was not expecting it at all. ... We were just really thrilled that she was willing to give of herself like this ... "

Hill is the daughter of Steven and Deb Hill of Grand Forks; Deb and Gloria are sisters.

Gloria and Jim Gebur moved here in 2023 after more than 40 years in Drayton, North Dakota. She served as administrative director of health services at the Life Skills Transition Center in Grafton, for 41 years, and he was a math teacher for 45 years with Drayton Public Schools.

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Gloria Gebur, 70, suffered from chronic liver failure due to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD. She estimates that she had the disease for "probably 15 years," she said. "Liver disease just kind of progresses  it just gets worse and worse. It takes time."

Fatigue and other symptoms progressed; she had "a lot of episodes" with bleeding in her esophagus, she said, "and it was very scary."

Symptoms became severe in August 2022.

Gebur underwent a procedure locally that "stabilized things for me temporarily, so, for about a year, I was feeling much better than I had been previously," she said, "and I was in pretty good shape when I actually had the transplant, which was a big blessing."

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But a liver transplant was her only hope for long-term survival.

Seeking medical care at Mayo Clinic, Gebur was placed on the transplant list about two years ago, she said, and doctors there worked with her for more than a year as she prepared for the surgery.

About 9,500 people are on a waiting list for a liver transplant, according to OrganDonor.gov. About 20% either die or become too sick while waiting.

Donors must be between the ages of 18 and 60, be in excellent health and have a compatible blood type.

According to a Mayo Clinic patient-education booklet, the donated part of the liver grows in the recipient until it reaches the size the recipient needs.

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The donor's liver usually grows back to full size within a few months.

"It's really interesting how livers are  they regrow quickly," Gebur said. "It's a big miracle."

Because of Gebur's condition, a liver transplant "was the most sustainable treatment option for her," Hill said. "The number of people waiting for a liver transplant greatly exceeds the number of available deceased-donor livers."

Although a deceased-donor transplant is also an option, Gebur did not place high enough on the triage list for that kind of transplant, so a living-donor transplant was her best option, Hill said.

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Mayo Clinic has one of the largest living-donor and liver transplant programs in the country. Its surgeons perform more than 500 liver transplants each year, including many from living liver donors.

Gebur receives continuing care locally, including weekly blood draws with results sent to Mayo and medications that are supervised by Mayo physicians. She'll undergo periodic check-ups at Mayo Clinic. Because her immune system is weakened, she takes meds that prevent rejection of the new liver, wears a mask in public and avoids crowds and people who are ill.

About a year ago, Hill became aware of her aunt's need for a transplant, she said, and in the summer she and her cousins talked about being tested as potential donors.

A liver transplant was "a last, sort of end treatment," said Hill, who lives with her husband and their children, ages 4 and 2, in Spain.

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The donation process "takes a lot of time  six weeks minimum," she said. "You have to be able to take time off from work," in addition to making other lifestyle accommodations.

More than 60% of people who undergo testing to determine eligibility as donors do not match for lots of reasons, she said, among them, anatomical incompatibility  physical features of the liver are not a fit for the recipient  and certain serious health conditions.

Hill wanted to explore the possibility because of what Gebur meant to her as a positive role model.

"Throughout her life, my aunt has always been an incredible example of love and sacrifice for her family," Hill said. "Her love language is definitely 'acts of service to others'  constantly taking care of those around her through her career as a nurse, loving mother, aunt and wife.

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She taught me a lot about how to live a life full of love and dedication to family."

"When the time came for someone to step up to help her, I was immediately intrigued at the possibility," she said. But becoming a donor is far from a simple process, she found out.

"It's actually quite difficult to be approved," she said.

In determining her eligibility, Hill first completed an in-person evaluation and two rounds of phone interviews with a nurse and a donor advocate in September.

"At that time, I didn't know if I would be a match or not, so I hadn't made a final decision yet," she said. "I wanted to know if I would even be a match before I went through the process of deciding it was something that I would be willing and able to do."

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Unbeknownst to her aunt, she began to explore the possibility of becoming a donor with members of Mayo's transplant team. She did not tell her aunt, she said, because "I didn't want to get her hopes up. It can be disappointing if she knew and then I wasn't a match."

The testing involved an online evaluation, in-person interviews and, after that, in-person extensive psychological and physical examinations  a process that lasted more than four days. She met with nurses, doctors, social workers, donor advocates and surgeons.

She underwent numerous tests, including anatomical scans, blood work, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), CT (computed tomography) scans and echocardiogram, and was informed about the possible complications and percentages of catastrophic outcomes.

The decision to become a donor was not a simple one, said Hill, who is not only a wife and mother of very young children but also holds down a full-time job.

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"As a young, relatively healthy, active donor, my chances of devastating complications were low, however nevertheless possible, as with any major open-abdominal surgery," Hill said.

She is grateful to her parents  both medical professionals  who put those risks "into perspective to help me make an informed decision."

When Hill learned she was a match, she worried that Mayo might not have an available date for the surgery in December, the month that would work best for her work schedule. Setting the date required the availability of five doctors  two for the recipient, two for the donor and one "floating" doctor.

When Hill finally received the email, "'We have a December date for you!,' I was overjoyed and simultaneously very nervous. Then it became very real," she said. It was time to make the final decision and tell her aunt.

Making the decision to donate a portion of her liver was "tough," requiring thoughtful consideration, especially as a mom of young children, she said. "I had to trust my faith and intuition that this was something I was meant to do.

"Once I fully accepted the chance to live out this incredible opportunity to give a gift of life to my aunt, and with the unending support of my family, it became an easy 'yes'."

From her home in Spain, she connected with her aunt via FaceTime in October and told her the good news.

"I think she was shocked. She had not given up hope, but she was not expecting it," Hill said. "She was excited and thrilled. I could see the relief of finding a match. ... It was fun because I was able to tell her not only that I was a match, but also that we had an approved surgery date in about two months."

The surgery was scheduled for Dec. 17.

"It was quite a Christmas present," Gebur told the Herald in a recent interview.

During the surgery, doctors removed almost 70% of Hill's liver, which  after Gebur's defective liver was removed  was immediately placed in her aunt's body where the bile ducts and blood vessels were reconnected.

The surgery took about four hours, Hill said.

Both came through it "very well" and without any significant complications, said Dr. Steven Hill of Grand Forks, Michaela Hill's father. He and his wife "are so proud of Michaela for this selfless and wonderful gift to Gloria ..."

After the transplant surgery, Hill's recovery went "really smoothly," she recalled. She was up and walking the day of the surgery and, after six days in the hospital, she was discharged.

She and Gebur spent time recovering in the Gift of Life Transplant House in Rochester. Hill returned to Grand Forks after about two weeks and, in early January, flew home to Spain.

Gebur, who returned to Grand Forks on Jan. 10, describes the Gift of Life house as "a really beautiful place," where people who've undergone various transplants  lung, hearts, kidney, liver and STEM cell  support each other.

For Hill, "by about six weeks, almost all incisional pain was gone and I started feeling almost back to normal," she said.

Her restrictions included not lifting anything over 10 pounds and not drinking alcohol for six months. The only medication she needed was for pain management, she said, and for about three months, aspirin to prevent blood clots.

Looking back, Hill said, "I'm grateful that I was able to make the journey of my aunt's liver treatment a little easier and I hope that my actions may inspire others to do the same for someone in their life. It certainly doesn't need to be a major surgery, but even a small act of intentional kindness can go a long way."

About the liver donation, Hill said, "I knew she needed it, and I could do it. ... I'm thankful for the experience and what it's taught me."

These days, Gebur feels "real good," she said. "I'm up and around, and walking and doing pretty much everything I did before."

She has relied on her Christian faith to carry her through the trying times.

The liver transplant "is definitely a real blessing for me  it's a gift from God," Gebur said. "I do have a strong faith, and I really do feel like, you know, God has been watching out for me all the while I've been going through this."

In the Bible, "Philippians 4:6-7 is a verse I really do believe in," she said. "It says, 'Don't worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.' ...

"It's a real special verse for me, because God really did give me peace during these two years."
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  A historic building that houses several antique shops in Grand Rapids has been listed for sale.

The Sligh Furniture Building at 226 Logan St., which houses businesses like Century Antiques and Lost & Found Treasures of Old and New, has been listed by the Jonna Group Exclusive Real Estate Collection.

Crains Grand Rapids Business reports the building was listed for sale as a lender tries to put the property in receivership, a request that a judge has rejected. The lender, Red Oak Income Opportunity Fund LLC, has filed a lawsuit against property owner JV SBAM SB LLC, claiming it has defaulted on its loans, Crains reports.

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Inside WOODTV.com: Building West Michigan

While the project has experienced delays due to macroeconomic headwinds and property specific challenges, it remains one of the most interesting downtown development sites in the city for which we continue to evaluate a best path forward, developer John Gibbs said in a statement to Crains.

The developer previously wanted to turn the building into an apartment complex with 753 units, a move that upset its antique store tenants.

The Sligh Building, which has been around since the 1880s, is on the National Register of Historic Places, according to the property listing. The propertys sale price is listed as subject to offer.

The property presents an exceptional canvas for creating a dynamic residential community within a desirable location in the heart of Grand Rapids, that is ready to fulfill the needs of modern urban living, making it an enticing prospect for investors looking for an opportunity to invest in multifamily asset at a growing urban location, the listing says of the 584,854-square-foot building.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
The Great Dismal Swamp is home to one of Virginias highest concentrations of black bears, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (Photo courtesy of Rob Wood and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

The National Park Service is asking members of the public to share their thoughts about a potential National Heritage Area designation in the region of the Great Dismal Swamp, a massive swath of ancient, forested wetlands stretching from Southeastern Virginia to the uppermost parts of North Carolina.

National Heritage Areas are lived-in landscapes that are representative of the national experience through the physical features that remain and the traditions that have evolved in them, as defined by the Park Service.

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The Great Dismal Swamp is an environmental and cultural treasure, home to dozens of species of animals and, at one time, groups of Native Americans and formerly enslaved people who used it as a pathway to freedom.

The important details of where the conceptual boundary of the Great Dismal Swamps National Heritage Area would lie and who would manage any conservation, recreation and education opportunities remain unanswered questions at the moment.

Sometime in 2026, the Park Service plans to submit a feasibility study to Congress that will answer those questions. Congress will have the final say on whether the region is suited for the federal designation.

There are currently 62 designated National Heritage Areas in 36 states and territories. The unique federal designation does not result in any land transfers, local zoning changes or easements.

A canal running through the Great Dismal Swamp (Photo courtesy of the Camden County Tourism Development Authority, Byrds Eye Photography and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

The entire state of Tennessee is a designated National Heritage Area, and the rights of landowners are not affected by the designation.

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A lot of people fear government overreach said John Warren, Communications Specialist at the National Park Service Northeast Region.

Theres no such federal footprint in a National Heritage Area. It is entirely something that the local community takes on and runs itself.

Any federal funding for the proposed National Heritage Area would come by way of congressional appropriation.

A lot of those National Heritage Areas may receive up to $1 million annually, but others get a lot less, said Warren. National Heritage Areas must receive matching funds from non-federal sources as well.

The role of the National Park Service is to be a partner and advisor to the actual manager of the Heritage Area, called the local coordinating entity, an organization within the community chosen to interpret the history and traditions of the area and manage the conservation, recreation and education goals laid out by the project.

Creating a National Heritage Area

During virtual meetings held last week, members of the public shared their ideas on the Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Areas potential location, its coordinating entity, and the natural, cultural and historic resources the region has to offer.

The current study area for creating a Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

The public was also asked if opportunities exist for improving the quality of those resources through conservation, recreation and education. Comments are encouraged to be submitted in writing online, by mail or over the phone until May 19.

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The public comments are not meant to be a vote, said Warren, but a way to collect information.

The study has 10 criteria, and the answer to all of these has got to be yes for us to be able to give a favorable conclusion that, yes, this qualifies as a National Heritage Area, said Warren. So its a high bar.

Warren said that anecdotally, over the last ten years only about half of the National Heritage Areas that were applied for ended up receiving the designation from Congress.

As part of the study, the National Park Service staff has also spoken with potential state and local partners as well as possible coordinating entities. Chesapeake City Council has voiced interest in assuming the managing role, said Julie Bell, cultural resource project manager for the Park Service.

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Nonprofits, universities, and state and local governments are some examples of coordinating entities that were chosen to manage other Heritage Areas around the nation. Any entity outside of the federal government is allowed to assume the role, including Indigenous tribes, said Bell.

The Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area will involve coordination across state lines since the Virginia-North Carolina border slices directly through the swamp.

In 2003, the Northern Neck National Heritage Area was established along with six others around the nation. The designation was Virginias third National Heritage Area to date.

Two other possible National Heritage Areas have completed their feasibility studies and are currently awaiting a decision from Congress: the Finger Lakes Region in New York and the Kentucky Wildlands.

The story of the swamp

An 1862 painting of the Great Dismal Swamp titled Slaves Escaping Through the Swamp by Thomas Moran (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

The National Park Service is developing themes that are present in the Great Dismal Swamp region to tell a nationally distinctive heritage story. One theme is a place of refuge and another is a field of conflict.

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Based on artifacts found in the Great Dismal Swamp dating back over 5,000 years, the Nansemond, Meherrin, Yeopim and Lumbee people were likely stewards of the swamp long before European colonists arrived, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

After colonization, the role of the swamp for local communities changed. About 50,000 self-emancipated African Americans, called maroons, along with free Blacks, Indigenous people and Europeans lived in the swamp in search of refuge.

Some used it as a pause point on their journeys north, making the swamp an official water-based rest stop on the Underground Railroad, but others settled permanent communities there up until the end of the Civil War.

Today, the Great Dismal Swamp is protected by a 113,000 acre National Wildlife Refuge managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service. What is now a vast, uninhabited landscape is actually just a remnant of its former self.

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The once enormous swamp covered over 1 million acres, roughly the size of Delaware, but was drained over the years, first by a young George Washington in 1763.

Washington and other investors initially aimed to create land in the swamp that could be sold for profit, then to dig a canal to transport goods across the swamp. Enslaved people were forced to provide the labor for these early economic ventures.

One of the most successful business opportunities in the swamp turned out to be logging. The now globally rare Atlantic white cedar was in high demand, and gaining access to the trees required digging ditches to drain the swamp. By the 1950s, the last of the virgin timber in the Great Dismal Swamp was gone, according to a National Park Service story map.

The future of the swamp

On George Washingtons birthday in 1973, about 50,000 acres of swamp land was donated to the Nature Conservancy and then handed over to the Fish & Wildlife Service, thus creating the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

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We have discovered that swamps actually play a vital role in our environment and that they are necessary, said Warren. You know, theyre not just places that we want to avoid because they have a lot of mosquitos or something like that. Theyre places that are useful to the environment.

The Fish and Wildlife Service says the swamp serves as a permanent and migratory home for roughly 50 species of mammals, 200 types of birds and 100 species of butterflies. The diverse ecosystem ranges from bald cypress to red maple and Virginias last historic refuge of native Atlantic white cedar.

In addition to the habitat the swamp provides to wildlife, it also prevents floods and improves water quality in nearby communities with a combined population of nearly 1 million people, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

A 2017 project to re-moisten the peat soils of the swamp served to benefit the surrounding population, including in Suffolk, by restoring a more natural water regime in the area. The Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners installed adjustable dams in key places to regulate the amount of water leaving the swamp, improving the environments ability to provide its once inherent benefits.

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The re-moistened peat is now able to absorb stormwater more efficiently, acting like a sponge to reduce flooding during severe weather such as the storms and hurricanes that are common in the region. Healthy peat also stores more carbon, a valuable tool in combating global climate change.

This is a region that has already changed a lot, said Warren. Creating a National Heritage Area may have some influence on that, or it may not. Those decisions would be left to the local community and the chosen coordinating entity.

This report was first published by the Virginia Mercury, which like NC Newsline, is part of the national States Newsroom network.
Groton  Parking fines are slated to soon double as the town seeks to curb parking issues, particularly in downtown Mystic.

The Town Council, which has been discussing the issue over several months, unanimously voted Tuesday to raise parking fines from $25 to $50 and violations for parking in fire lanes from $50 to $100. The fines will double if paid late.

The bulk of parking complaints the town receives are from downtown Mystic, which continues to grow in popularity but has a limited number of parking spots, Police Chief Louis J. Fusaro Jr. said Thursday.

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The Town of Groton's move to increase parking fines mirrors neighboring Stonington, which shares Mystic with Groton, and has raised its parking fines to $50, said Fusaro.

Parking is no longer mainly a summertime problem, but has become a year-round issue in Mystic as people flock to restaurants, shops, bars and attractions, said Fusaro.

Mystic has free two-hour marked parking, and Fusaro said it's important for drivers to stick to that limit and turn over those parking spaces, so other drivers don't have to circle the area looking for a spot.

Other issues include vehicles blocking driveways, which may mean not only a ticket, but the vehicle could be towed, Fusaro said.

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In addition to moving to increase fines, the town implemented a new parking enforcement system last fall.

Fusaro said police officers and community service officers started using new handheld devices to log where a vehicle is parked and issue a ticket to vehicles parked for more than two hours. People can pay the ticket online through a QR code, and also contest a ticket through the vendor, a process which ultimately goes to a hearing officer in Groton.

Fusaro said the new system is more efficient. The town issued 193 tickets under the old system from Jan. 1, 2024, through Oct. 17, 2024. The town then issued 305 tickets from Oct. 18, 2024, when the new system started, through Dec. 31, 2024.

Last December, the town issued 84 tickets. According to police department statistics, 41% of the tickets were issued on West Main Street, 25% on Water Street, 11% on Pearl Street, 11% on Bank Street and 12% on surrounding streets, such as Gravel and Library Streets.

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Violations for parking over time represented 47% of tickets, no parking zone violations represented 36% and other violations represented 17%.

Since January of 2025, the town issued 272 parking tickets, and 168 have been paid.

The town also recently changed some 15-minute parking areas on West Main Street to two-hour parking, Fusaro said.

Fusaro said the new fines will go into effect 45 days from Tuesday, unless there is a two-thirds vote by the Representative Town Meeting to veto it. Town Manager John Burt said the RTM likely will review the revised ordinance on April 9.

During Tuesday's Town Council meeting, Town Councilor Portia Bordelon said she has heard a lot of concerns about Mystic, so she thinks this is a step in the right direction and the town will see how it goes.

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Town Mayor Rachael Franco said the fines give police another tool in their toolbelt that could potentially dissuade people from staying parked very long in Mystic and other areas of Groton.

She added the community has been crying out for some kind of help with the parking problems.

k.drelich@theday.com
CHICAGO (WGN)  The Chicago Police Department has used gun buybacks to get thousands of firearms off the street, but at least two of them have resurfaced at crime scenes, a joint investigation between the Illinois Answers Project and the Chicago Sun-Times found.

One high profile case involved a Glock that was turned in at a St. Sabina Church event in 2023.

When that gun was on the desk, and it was surrounded by police officers, police officers were looking at it, and talking about good this Glock looked, and then the Glock disappeared. And then one year later it turned up in the hands of a teenaged boy, and that is the center of the story we wrote that takes a longer look at buybacks in Chicago, reporter Casey Toner with the Illinois Answers Project said Friday on the WGN Evening News.

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A second instance involved a gun that was turned over in 2007 but appeared five years later at a deadly police shooting in Cicero.

Toner said the Chicago Police Department has acknowledged the problem but did not say how they planned to improve the process.

Watch Toners full conversation with WGNs Patrick Elwood and Lourdes Duarte in the video attached to this article.

The investigation is published on the websites of the Illinois Answers Project and the Chicago Sun-Times.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Human-rights groups are pushing back against a proposal by Haiti authorities to enlist members of a rogue force into the fight against a powerful gang alliance carrying out a deadly siege in three of the countrys 10 regional departments.

Its scandalous, said Samuel Madistin, an attorney and president of the Fondasyon Je Klere/ Eyes Wide Open Foundation. If they want to expand the ranks of the security forces they need to recruit for the army and the police, not from an armed gang.

The plan to enlist members of the Brigade for the Security of Protected Areas was made public on Thursday in a national address by the head of Haitis ruling Transitional Presidential Council, Fritz Alphonse Jean.

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The brigade, which is part of the Ministry of Environment, is supposed to be in charge of protecting Haitis natural resources. But since its founding in 2017, it has been a controversial force implicated in criminal activities, human rights abuses and last year in an attempt to topple the government of then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

Its grave, its dangerous, Pierre Esperance of the National Human Rights Defense Network said. The brigade, he added, is not a structured corps and the environmental ministry has never had control over them.

A lot of them are in gangs, he said. If they want to expand the security forces then the government needs to accelerate recruitment and training.

The move to tap the brigade comes as gangs continue to force people to flee their homes, set fire to houses and businesses and burn armored troop carriers from Haitian police and the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission. As they continue to tighten their grip on Port-au-Prince, the gangs have also moved north to capture more territories.

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On Friday, members of a self-defense group joined police and the Kenya-led mission in the central Haitian city of Mirebalais in an effort to stop it from falling into gang hands. Its estimated that as much as 80% of the town is under the control of gangs after they stormed the community on Monday, freed over 500 prison inmates and killed two nuns. Haitian police spokesman Lionel Lazarre said he could not yet confirm whether Mirebalais had fallen.

However, he said police had arrested a former lawmaker, Alfredo Antoine, who was the polices wanted list. Antoine represented Kenscoff in the hills above the capital and had taken to the radio earlier this year to denounce the attacks while asking for more police. He is accused of plotting to undermine national security, financing criminal organizations and participating in murder plots. He is among three high-profile individuals who have been arrested in recent months by Haitian police, whose failure to provide specifics on how the individuals are tied to the current gang insurgency have raised questions about the detentions legality.

Gangs continued inroads outside of the capital are raising fears that more cities could fall to the powerful gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm, Living Together.

Madistin and Esperance said any attempt to recruit brigade members demonstrates a lack of political will on the part of the authorities to tackle the crisis.

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The police is already full of people affiliated with gangs, Madistin said. When you take [the brigade] you are reinforcing the gangs already inside.

Hours after Jean announced the decision, Haitian authorities in the northeast region announced that they had seized 20 fake badges and uniforms carrying the brigades name. The seizures were promoted as part of an effort to clean up the institution. Madistin said they underscore the lack of control over the force.

Esperance said tapping private security firms to help would be a better solution. He said there are too many conflicts within the police and a lack of leadership. Another problem is lack of equipment and the slow distribution of gear by the U.S. State Departments Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, which funds both the police and the Kenya-led security mission. The two forces have to work together, Esperance added.

Last week, during Secretary of State Marco Rubios visit to the region, Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness called for more resources to Haitis police force.

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Earlier this week as France assumed the presidency of the United Nations Security Council, its U.N. ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, said his country will pay particular attention to the situation in Haiti.

Kenya President William Ruto said Thursday that he had a telephone conversation with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in which the two discussed the agencys continued support for the security mission in Haiti. Ruto faces pressure at home to bring his troops back after a second officer was recently killed by gangs.

The Kenya president supports the transformation of the mission into a traditional U.N. peacekeeping mission, which Guterres has declined to endorse
Yale police officer arrested on child porn charges

HAMDEN, Conn. (WTNH)  A Yale University police officer was arrested Friday after allegedly uploading child sexual abuse material to a server, according to officials with the Department of Justice.

Otilio Green, 43, of Hamden was arrested after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided a tip regarding the material being uploaded.

Danbury man found guilty of assault, other charges after April 2024 bar fight

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A warrant for Greens arrest was issued following an investigation by the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes Unit, in collaboration with the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Task Force.

Department of Justice officials said court documents showed between January and March of this year, a cloud storage provider for Verizon Wireless called Synchronoss submitted eight CyberTipline reports.

They allegedly documented 43 images and five videos of suspected child pornography uploaded to an account associated with Green.

A court-authorized search of his cloud storage account later found two images and 55 videos of suspected child sex abuse materials, according to the Department of Justice.

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Wallingford man dies after multi-car crash on I-91

Green was arrested on April 4 and transported to the New Haven Federal Courthouse, where he was processed and charged with first degree possession of child sexual abuse material and receipt of child pornography.

The offenses carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years each. The second charge has a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years.

On Friday, state police said Green was released from their custody on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear at Meriden Superior Court on April 16.

Immediately after his release, he was taken into federal custody by Homeland Security Investigations on related federal charges of CSAM possession.

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According to the Department of Justice, Green remains detained as of Monday, and is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing at 11 a.m. Tuesday, in Bridgeport.

News 8 has reached out to Yale police for comment.

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ANDERSON  A New Hampshire man has been extradited to Madison County on charges related to the promotion of child sexual trafficking after he solicited nude photos from a juvenile in exchange for money.

Dominic William Mudgett, 21, of Boscawen, New Hampshire, was arrested by officers with the Merrimack County Sheriffs Department last week with assistance from Indiana State Police detectives.

He is charged with two felony counts of promotion of child sexual trafficking and dissemination of matter harmful to minors.

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If convicted, he faces a possible prison sentence of three to 16 years.

Mudgett was returned to Madison County following an investigation initiated by the Indiana State Police that led to his arrest.

Mudgett allegedly contacted a juvenile through social media applications, offering payment in return for the explicit images.

Indiana State Police were notified of an incident on October 23, 2024. After a five-month investigation, detectives identified Mudgett, and the Merrimack County Prosecutors office issued search warrants for his vehicle and residence based on information received from the Indiana State Polices investigation.

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We will continue to work with law enforcement to ensure that justice is served for victims of sex crimes, no matter where the perpetrator is located, Andrew Hanna, chief deputy Madison County prosecutor, said in a press release.

The Indiana State Police urge parents to monitor their childrens online activity and educate them on the dangers of online predators.

Any suspicious or inappropriate online behavior, should be reported immediately to authorities or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline.
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Protesters across the country, including in Shreveport, rallied to demand that President Trump and Elon Musk leave essential policies, such as healthcare, important data, jobs, and vital services, alone.

On Saturday, April 5th, Shreveport, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles joined the movement to Demand: Hands Off! with a direct response to what organizers call an ongoing power grab by President Trump and billionaire Musk.

Trumps mass deportation costs US billions

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We are for the people, and Im here with the people. And Im ready to stand against the commander in chief, DOGE, and anybody else who wants to take our rights away because its not right, and we as people of the United States of America have to come together collectively to defend ourselves. To fight for not only my rights, my kids rights, fellow veterans rights, and American rights, says Veteran and AFGE 2525 President, Chantelle Jones.

(KTAL/KMSS ND, Marcus Stroud) (KTAL/KMSS ND, Marcus Stroud) (KTAL/KMSS ND, Marcus Stroud) (KTAL/KMSS ND, Marcus Stroud) (KTAL/KMSS ND, Marcus Stroud) (KTAL/KMSS ND, Marcus Stroud) (KTAL/KMSS ND, Marcus Stroud) (KTAL/KMSS ND, Marcus Stroud) (KTAL/KMSS ND, Marcus Stroud)

Amongst the peaceful protesters, lining the Caddo Parish Courthouse, was Shreveport Attorney, Pat Gilley.

Im trying to keep our Constitution alive, our democracy alive, and Im so terrified that its going to be gone before Im dead. So Im gonna be out here, and I dont care what kind of weather. Im gonna be out here. Im gonna remind people if you want that democracy, you gotta fight for that democracy, says the 2023 Caddo Sheriff candidate, Gilley.

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Trump administration plans to cut 80,000 employees from Veterans Affairs

The organizers of Hands Off 2025 say, They want to strip America for partsshuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections, and gutting Medicaidall to bankroll their billionaire tax scam.

In Baton Rouge, hundreds of protesters marched at the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol, chanting, This is what democracy looks like. Speakers included former Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu, Representative Cleo Fields, Co-Founder of 10,000 Women Louisiana, Melissa Flournoy, and many others.

Hands Off 2025 says they are fighting for their communities, including veterans, kids, seniors, farmers, immigrants, transgender people, and they are not stopping with todays movement.

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President Trump executive order to cut 280M acres of national forests

According to the organizers, committing nonviolent action is a core principle behind all Hands Off! events. They say, This is just the beginning, with plans to continue pushing back against what they call the destruction of our democracy.

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  A national protest against Donald Trump and Elon Musk had a group protesting outside the courthouse in Downtown Sioux Falls.

Protesters took to the streets of Sioux Falls Saturday in Hands Off! national day of action. The protesters protested Donald Trumps presidency and Elon Musks involvement in politics.

Milstead: penitentiary reminds him of an above-ground dungeon

Hands Off! is a nationally organized day of action. Other South Dakota locations reported to have protesters active are Pierre, Rapid City, Watertown and Brookings.

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Pierre protesters, courtesy Randall Royer.

Brookings protest courtesy Justin McLaughlin Brookings protest courtesy Justin McLaughlin Brookings protest courtesy Justin McLaughlin Brookings protest courtesy Justin McLaughlin

For more information on what the Hands Off! movement is doing to lead protesting efforts around the country, click here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
(This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.)

Scores of protestors gathered on the lawn of the Indiana Statehouse Saturday to protest President Donald Trump and his close political ally, Elon Musk.

Speakers at the event included State Democratic state Reps. Ed Delaney and Andre Carson, and several artists performed songs and poems to the crowd. Organizers said nearly 5,000 were in attendance throughout the event.

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Passing cars blared their horns. Some passengers leaned out to film or throw peace signs.

Indianapolis' rally was one of more than a thousand "Hands Off!" demonstrations held across the country Saturday, co-sponsored by activist groups including 50501, Third Act and Indivisible.

"Nonviolent does not mean not angry," 50501 organizer Scott Johnson told the gathered crowd. "... And we're Americans. We get angry!" The audience cheered.

Marion County was one of only four Indiana counties where Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris garnered more votes than Trump. Trump has won Indiana's presidential vote for the last three consecutive elections, and 2024 saw his most decisive win yet.

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Saturday's statehouse crowd waved homemade signs decrying cuts to Social Security and the Veterans Administration, criticizing Trump's rhetoric, and voicing support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Some covered their signs in cling wrap in anticipation of the day's rainy weather. One woman wrote a different protest message on each section of her umbrella.

'I don't want to leave this kind of a world to my children'

Gwyn Skrobul and Guy Skrobul attend the Hands Off protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk on April 5, 2025, in Indianapolis.

Gwyn Skrobul, 62, worries that cuts to Social Security and Medicare will harm her 95-year-old mother.

The retired history teacher said she's worried that the past could be repeating itself.

"The whole targeting minorities and polarizing the community  it's looking very Nazi-esque to me, which is frightening. I don't want to leave this kind of a world to my children, grandchildren," Skrobul said.

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Her husband, Guy Skrobul, 62, spent his career as a special education teacher.

"The minute that he mocked a reporter with a physical handicap  that was it. The hateful rhetoric. The injustice. Relishing in cruelty toward other people is wrong."

Boone County railroad retiree stands to lose housing

Ed Ufkes attends the Hands Off! protest with canine companions Beaglejuice and Conan on April 5, 2025, in Indianapolis.

Ed Ufkes, 65, traveled to the protest from Boone County with his two dogs, Beaglejuice and Conan.

"I worked my whole life. I'm on disability, and now I'm gonna lose my place where I live because Trump's making cuts," he said.

Ufkes spent his career with Amtrak after leaving the Army, and he's particularly concerned by Trump's repeated attempts to cut the train carrier's funding. In March, Elon Musk said Amtrak should be privatized, USA Today reported.

'We didn't serve our country for this'

Juanita Withrow and Jeffrey Withrow hold signs in protest of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Hands Off protest on April 5, 2025, in Indianapolis.

Cuts to social programs and the struggling economy were key concerns for Juanita and Jeffrey Withrow, both Air Force veterans and retired federal employees.

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"Parks are important. Social Security is important. Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, anything  the VA. We're veterans," Juanita Withrow said. "We didn't serve our country for this."

Jeffrey Withrow said he'll lose his retirement savings if the stock market's tailspin continues.

"I'd have to go back to work  if there's a job. If there's a job available," he said.

He said he's been unable to get in touch with a representative from the offices of GOP Sens. Todd Young or Jim Banks to express his concerns.

"If it's politically expedient for them (Congress) to change, they will. And so, the bigger these crowds get, I think the more likely they are to change," Jeffrey Withrow said.

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Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@indystar.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Crowd gathers in front of Indiana Statehouse to protest Trump, Musk
Thousands of people in Michigan, like many more across the nation, rallied Saturday to protest the policies of President Donald Trump.

The groups that spearheaded the effort  dubbed the "Hands Off! Day of Action"  accuse Trump and his adviser Elon Musk of "taking everything they can get their hands on  our health care, our data, our jobs, our services."

Protesters gathered in Detroit, Novi, Troy, Ferndale and Lansing  among 55 planned demonstrations in Michigan.

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Detroits rally drew enough people to blanket the sidewalks on both sides of Woodward Avenue from the Detroit Institute of Arts in Midtown to Little Caesars Arena in Foxtown. In Lansing, thousands more filled the lawn surrounding the state Capitol, where former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel spoke.

The groups included activists for reproductive rights, immigrant rights, government workers and foreign policy issues like the Gaza War and support for Ukraine.

Thousands rally in Detroit despite rain

Light rain didnt dampen the enthusiasm in Detroit, where protesters boarded the QLINE and made their way to the Detroit Institute of Arts amid a relentless blast of car horns from traffic on Woodward.

For Kathy Cassar, 65, it was a family affair. She, her sister and her brother-in-law walked up to the DIA to find hundreds of people, signs in tow, covering the front steps.

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Congress do your job, one sign read.

Another: Hands off free speech.

Cassar drove more than an hour from Hartland to Detroit to express her outrage over the Trump administration, which she described as reprehensible.

I have never been so afraid for my country in my entire lifetime," she said. "What is happening now is terrifying."

The firing of federal workers and changes to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would affect everyone, she said.

More: Live updates: Anti-Trump protesters set to gather at hundreds of locations nationwide

We need federal workers. These are Americans. These are our neighbors, Cassar, who identifies as an independent but voted for Kamala Harris last November, said.

Some of the thousands who rallied along Woodward Avenue as part of the nationwide Hands Off protests in Detroit on Saturday, April 5, 2025.

Wynonia McGee, a Black woman who lived through the Jim Crow era, said she feels as though the country is slipping back to that time. She showed up Saturday to do her part to make sure the country doesn't go backward.

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I am determined to make sure I do my part, to make sure that doesnt happen. I have grandchildren, great grandchildren to fight for, the 75-year-old retired business owner and casino worker said. My parents and ancestors, they fought for me, and we're not going back. Its very personal to me. Thats why Im out here, and I continue to be out here. Weve got to get rid of this administration, from the top to the bottom.

There's so much division in the country, across race, religion and ethnicity, said McGee, who lives in Canton, but grew up in Detroit.

As she walked with her cane, carrying her sign alongside other demonstrators, she protested to send a message, not to Trump, but to the lawmakers backing him who "don't have a spine," she said.

"We mean business," she said. "We're not sitting still."

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Mary-Kate Deneau protested, in part, for her daughter's future.

"I don't want her to grow up in a world where she has less rights than me," the 35-year-old said as her 3-year-old daughter, Carson, sat in her wagon with her snacks and sign in hand.

Deneau worries about her children's education and the environment they may grow up in.

"I think about the curriculum, the things that maybe aren't allowed to be taught and then I think about, as they get older, are they going to be able to visit the national parks, are they going to be told who they can love, or their friends are less than because they look a certain way, or they can't live a certain lifestyle? I worry that she won't have choices if something would ever happen to her, that it's up to the government to decide," she said.

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Despite the rain, joining Saturday's protest with her parents and child was a "no-brainer," she said.

"This is our history, this is her future," Deneau said.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Detroit Institute of Arts to march as part of a Hands Off day of protests targeting the Trump administration, Saturday April 5, 2025.

Wayne State University students Cameron Smith and Keegan Kopp learned about the protest that same morning and felt compelled to join to make their voices heard and stand up for others.

"I don't want to live my life in a closet. I had enough years of that," Smith, a 19-year-old freshman who is gay, said.

His partner, Kopp, who is also a freshman, said he feels as though the country is a lot more politically divided than ever before and the current administration is moving the nation backward instead of forward. The pair worried about threats to gay marriage but felt as though there's still a fight to be fought.

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And so joining the demonstration was an opportunity to speak out. It was a moment of gratitude, reflection and joy.

"I'm just so happy to see that this is beyond people on their phones and on TikTok, like we're actually here," Smith said.

Ferndale protesters 'fed up' with Trump, Musk

Over at a protest in Ferndale, Ron Smith and Maureen Moons said they have so many issues with Trump and his policies its hard to pick just one to rally around.

Were all getting flooded, Smith, 75, of Rochester, said. We got it up to our waist. It started at our ankles, and it's up to our waist.

Smith said as an Air Force veteran, he took an oath to support and defend the Constitution.

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Its beyond my comprehension how anyone who is a veteran could support Trump, he said.

Ferndale resident Emily Mandziara said she opposes Trumps actions and the hate she feels the administration is spreading.

We the people are fed up with every single one of his policies, Mandziara said. Someone that claims to be a man of faith, a Christian, goes directly against everything that Jesus taught. I'm a Catholic myself. Anybody that is truly of faith would be against them (Trump and his administration).

Kile Telas, of Ferndale, is a union steward for United Commercial and Food Workers Local 876. He said he is concerned about workers benefits, Medicare and Medicaid.

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Im here protesting against oligarchs going to Washington that are trying to take over the government and basically circumvent democracy in Washington, Telas said. And to fight against fascism that seems to be creeping up in the U.S. government and the fight for democracy and freedom. Nobody elected Elon Musk.

Protesters gather at Nine Mile and Woodward in Ferndale to participate in a national day of protest titled Hands Off on Saturday, April 5, 2025.

Thousands protest at state Capitol

In Lansing, participants filled the state Capitol lawn, waving handmade signs opposing Trump and Musk and urging Congress to act.

Kim Winchell, 70, of Freeland, and Denise Lennon, of Bay City, traveled to the protest together after meeting each other online through the group Women of Michigan Action Network.

"We're feisty grandmas," Winchell said. "We care about our grandchildren's future. This is not how government is supposed to work. Trump is just ruining the government, the country. It's ridiculous."

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Too many people are suffering because of Trump's actions and democracy is at stake, Lennon said.

"It's a 250-year-old democracy that could be over," she said. "We've never had a president who has said not only did he not need votes but that people wouldn't have to vote again."

Parker Perez, 16, came with his grandmother Sherri Bible, of Oakland County. Potential cuts to public education worry him, he said. "It's going to have a large impact on everyone."

Gilchrist II, who announced his intention to run for governor last month, stood on the Capitol steps and urged people to take action.

"I want the whole country to hear us from Lansing, from the Capitol, because you have the power to make this country exactly what it can be," he said. "When we fight, when we work, when we vote, when we organize and when we say not just no, but hell no, to the people who hurt people, who broke the system."

Meanwhile, Stabenow said citizens need to stand up for themselves, their families and their country.

"I may not be in an elected office but I have not lost my voice and neither have you," she said. "We are here to say hands off our democratic freedoms and hands off our American way of life."

Protests will continue, rally organizer says

Back in Detroit, as the protest wound down, Audrey Bourriaud, who helped plan the march, was pleased with the turnout. She said the movement wouldnt stop with Saturdays demonstration.

Bourriauds organization, We The People Dissent, and other local activist groups  The Indivisible Project, Macomb Defenders Rising and the Michigan Resistance Coalition  plan to continue rallying and protesting into the summer.

Once you trigger a movement, you may know where it starts, but you do not know where it ends, Bourriaud, 41, of Bloomfield Hills, said. And this is unstoppable.'

The Lansing State Journal contributed to this report.

Contact John Wisely: jwisely@freepress.com. On X: @jwisely

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Thousands protest Trump, Musk across Michigan
On Saturday, protests broke out in various counties throughout Central Florida to protest the administrations actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights, and more.

More than 1,200 Hands Off! demonstrations were planned by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists.

Greg McCollum, of Rome, Ga., participates in a civil rights demonstrators, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Rome, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

The local demonstrations have attracted hundreds of people. Roads have been blocked to help maintain the flow of traffic throughout various parts of Central Florida.

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Protesters are making their voices heard and joining together to counter the Trump administrations moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people and cut federal funding for health programs.

Elon Musk, a Trump adviser who owns Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has played a key role in government downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.

Activists have staged nationwide demonstrations against Trump or Musk multiple times since the new administration took power. Organizers say they hope Saturdays demonstrations will be the largest since Trump returned to office since the start of his 2025 tenure.

Civil rights demonstrators hold signs and speak to passing vehicles, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Rome, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

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NEW YORK (PIX11)  Thousands of New Yorkers will take to the streets as part of nationwide rallies, protesting federal cuts and layoffs led by the Trump administration.

Rallies and events are planned for 1 p.m. on Saturday at Bryant Park in Manhattan, 31 Oak Street in Patchogue, Long Island and the All Saints Episcopal Church on Staten Island.

More Local News

As many as 250,000 people are expected to join over 1,000 similar events in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C.

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Everyday New Yorkers are sending a clear message: Take your hands off our healthcare, our Social Security, our civil rights, our freedom, and our education, read the notice for the Bryant Park rally.

More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State

Protesters in Manhattan will march from Bryant Park to Madison Square Park, while Long Island marchers plan to rally near the office of Congressman Andrew Garbarino.

On Staten Island, residents will host a town hall event in solidarity with the nationwide protests and share stories on how the cuts are impacting their communities.

Thousands of federal workers have been fired or left since President Donald Trump took office, with more cuts on the way. Much of the downsizing has been carried out by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE.

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Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.

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Protesters will gather at Seattle Center on Saturday, April 5, for a mass mobilization dubbed the Hands Off rally, aimed at pushing back against what organizers call the growing influence of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. Its being organized, in part, by Seattle Indivisible.

The event, which kicks off at 12 p.m., is expected to draw hundreds of demonstrators, with a lineup of speakers including former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and Port Commissioner Hamdi Mohammed. Its part of an organized, nationwide movement of over 1,100 rallies across all 50 states.

Theyre taking everything they can get their hands onour healthcare, our data, our jobs, and our serviceswhile daring the world to stop them. This is a crisis, and the time to act is now, the event description says.

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Organizers say the rally will feature live music, art, and opportunities to connect with community organizations focused on mutual aid and activism.

On Wednesday, Axios reported that movement hosted a virtual safety and deescalation training, which offer general information about the protests and how to deal with infiltrators or instigators.

Its the latest activism against Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Tesla

The demonstration comes amid a rise in anti-Musk and anti-Tesla actions across the Seattle area.

In recent weeks, there have been multiple protests targeting Tesla showrooms, with some direct action escalating into vandalism and confrontations.

Organizers describe the rally as a response to what they call the looting of American resources by the wealthy elite, accusing Trump and Musk of undermining public healthcare, labor protections, and data privacy for profit.

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This mass mobilization is our chance to tell the world that we will not stand by while our government and economy are ravaged for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies. Alongside Americans across the country, we are rallying to demand an end to the chaos and the looting of our nation, the event description reads.

Seattle is fighting back, the promotional statement adds.reported
Illustration: HuffPost; Image: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

In his first 2 1/2 months in office, President Donald Trump has embraced sweeping arbitrary executive power in a manner not previously seen in American history. He is circumventing Congress, ignoring the courts and using the power of the state to crush any opposition to his agenda. This is a turn away from liberal democracy and toward autocracy.

This is exactly what Trump promised during his bid for a second term. After surviving impeachment and criminal indictments for fomenting an insurrection aimed at overturning a lawful election, he ran on a promise to be a dictator on day one so that he could wage a domestic war of retribution against what he termed the enemy within.

I am your warrior, I am your justice, Trump said at a campaign rally in 2023. For those who have been wronged and betrayed  I am your retribution.

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This turn toward autocracy is not coming from the point of a gun, as the rise of 20th century dictators would have us believe, but instead through assertions of law.

A dictatorship [today] doesnt come with tanks in the streets, it comes with phalanxes of lawyers and compliant courts, said Kim Lane Scheppele, a Princeton University sociologist who has long studied the rise of autocracies around the world. Its all done legally, and its all done bloodlessly.

Trumps exertions of executive power masquerade as law through edicts aimed at crushing his political opposition, eliminating opposition in civil society, removing sources of knowledge and learning that contest his power, sidelining Congress and the courts, and centralizing power in his own hands.

Illustration: HuffPost; Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

What we are seeing at the outset of the second Trump administration is a full-scale attack on democracy, liberal principles, and the rule of law that have been enshrined in legal precedents and the Constitution in order to establish autocratic rule. While there have been significant antidemocratic and authoritarian movements in U.S. history from the Slave Power to Jim Crow to wartime repressions to McCarthyism, a peacetime assault of this scale and national scope directed from the White House has no historical analogue in this country.

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I dont think there are exact comparisons in the U.S. past, said Aziz Huq, a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago Law School and the co-author of a book on the failure of constitutional democracies. I cant think of a moment when theres been an effort to set aside the authority of statutes, the authority of Congress, the authority of courts in quite the way that there is now.

To put it plainly: It is happening here.

The Playbook

What is happening in America today is the same scene that has played out in various countries across the globe in the 21st century.

From Hungary to Turkey to Poland to Russia to India, democracies collapse into autocracy not after a strongman seizes control of the military or through violent coups but through legal machinations that cement their control and neuter their opposition. They dont necessarily end elections or entirely eliminate their opponents. Instead, they put their thumb on the scale to ensure elections go their way and that their opponents are weak.

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Scheppele named this process of seizing power autocratic legalism in a 2018 paper of the same name. Steven Levitsky, the Harvard University political scientist and co-author of How Democracies Die, refers to the outcome of this process, which maintains the veneer of democracy, as competitive authoritarianism.

The government would not descend into fascism or single party dictatorship, but rather weaponize state institutions and deploy them pretty systematically to punish rivals and to protect allies, and to bully and harass much of civil society into silence or onto the political sidelines, Levitsky said.

Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban has inspired Trump in his bid for autocratic consolidation in the U.S. Pablo Blazquez Dominguez via Getty Images

This 21st century autocracy uses constitutions and the law against themselves and each other, seeking to eliminate existing liberalism  meaning the enshrining of individual rights in law and protections from arbitrary or unitary rule  in culture and law, and replace it with the illiberal ideas of autocratic governance and mass obedience.

The most commonly cited analogue to Trumps efforts to subvert democracy in the U.S. is that of Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

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Orban and his team are all lawyers and their whole democracy into dictatorship plan happened through excruciating legality, Schepple, who lived in Hungary for years working at the constitutional court and watched Orbans rise, said.

Orban won power with a resounding electoral victory in 2010 and quickly moved to use the law to keep himself there forever. He gutted the civil service to remove anyone perceived as disloyal, cut funding for newspapers, universities and nonprofits; packed the judiciary with loyalists; gerrymandered legislative districts; seized control of the prosecutors office and amended the constitution to centralize all power in his hands. While opposition still exists, his party has not come close to losing power since.

Once securely in power, Orban took his vision and his autocracy playbook international with a bid to build ideological allies  including to the United States.

In 2023, he teamed up with the Heritage Foundation, the conservative nonprofit that led the Project 2025 plan for Trumps second term, which entered into a working agreement with The Danube Institute, Orbans chief vehicle to export his illiberal ideology, according to a report by The New Republic. When Orban visited the U.S. in 2024, he spoke to a closed-door group at the Heritage Foundation. The Conservative Political Action Conference has twice hosted its events in Hungary with Orbans blessing.

Whether or not this partnership directly involved Hungarian input on the Heritage Foundations Project 2025 plan, Orbans influence is all over it.

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Project 2025, which has since been put into practice, echoed Orbans governance style by calling for removing disloyal civil servants, using state funds to bully and defund civil society actors like universities and nonprofits, and centralizing power in the executive at the expense of other branches of government or sources of power.

This relationship likely helped Trump accomplish something Orban and the worlds other autocrats could not: assert this agenda with lightning speed.

It took Orban three years to seize control of the judiciary. Turkish President Recep Erdogan spent years in power before fully consolidating control after the enactment of 2017 constitutional changes by popular referendum. Barely two months into his second term, however, Trump is acting as though he has already secured these protections.

This is a much more rapid and thoroughgoing weaponization of the state and deployment against critics, rivals and civil society than we see in most other cases of 21st century elected authoritarianism, Levitsky said.

The Weaponization Of The State

The turn to autocracy can be seen across the board, as Trump has centralized power in the White House and claimed control over independent agencies.

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Trump has asserted direct control over the Department of Justice and all agencies that engage in investigations: In an executive order, he declared that only the president and attorney general may define matters of law within the administration, and that all agencies, including independent agencies, must take orders from the White House.

Meanwhile, an executive order establishing a new form of civil service employment called Schedule Policy/Career (formerly known as Schedule F) would allow Trump to fire vast swathes of the federal civil service and replace them with loyalists. Trump has further asserted the power to fire any official he wants, even when Congress has put restrictions on that power and Supreme Court precedent has upheld those restrictions.

By centralizing power over the agencies and individual employees, Trump can use the government to enact his will. That will is to extort civil society to bend to his designs, and to eliminate opposition from Democrats, law firms, universities or any other institutions inclined to challenge him. To do so, Trump creates legal pretexts  DEI, illegal immigration, antisemitism  that can be used as cudgels against his targets by the agencies he controls.

Trump is using executive orders to punish critics, extort civil society institutions, centralize power and create pretexts for investigations. MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images

Civil society has already shown signs of folding as law firms and universities have bent the knee to protect themselves, leaving open the possibility of a snowball effect of collapsing opposition.

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Three law firms so far have struck deals with the administration to either make an executive order punishing them go away, or to protect themselves ahead of time. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, the first firm to reach such a deal, set the precedent when it entered into an agreement to provide $40 million in pro bono services to the administration in exchange for Trump rescinding an order punishing it.

Once Paul, Weiss folded, now theres a model for action that can be built upon because every other firm has a signal that if youre targeted by the administration here are the things you need in order to get out of the crosshairs, said Scott Cummings, a professor of legal ethics at UCLA School of Law.

Trump also directed the Department of Justice to seek sanctions and disciplinary action against lawyers who bring frivolous litigation, in this case meaning lawsuits against his administration. Most concerning is what that order labels as frivolous: It specifically calls out the immigration bar, and powerful Big Law pro bono practices as engaged in fraud, opening up any lawyer or law firm practicing immigration law to legal threats, blackmail and sanctions at the same time that the administration takes a harshly anti-immigrant stance.

To me thats the real central lever that that order is using, Cummings said. Its targeting the firms by disabling them from doing work based on the fact that Trump doesnt want people to represent immigrants to make legally authorized claims to remain in the United States. Thats overruling the rule of law.

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Universities have also acquiesced. Columbia University agreed to essentially hand over control to Trump, particularly on matters of protest policies and oversight of its Middle Eastern studies department, in exchange for him releasing $400 million in federal research grants. Harvard University signaled on Tuesday that it is also looking to make good with the administration over pretextual complaints of antisemitism on campus. The administration has already launched investigations into 60 universities on pretextual claims of antisemitism.

These acts of taking critical resources hostage and demanding behavior that amounts to a degree of self-silencing and political sidelining, thats textbook authoritarian behavior, Levitsky said.

Trumps efforts to subvert civil society also extends to the political arena, where Democratic Party-affiliated groups, particularly those that might fund or organize his opposition, like the campaign contribution processor ActBlue and donor networks like Arabella Advisors, have come in the crosshairs.

People hold signs as they protest outside of the offices of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP after the firm acquiesced to Trump's threats against it. Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images

What we are seeing is an emboldened administration that is launching a coordinated attack going after all of the mechanisms slowing down Trump in his first administration, said Cole Leiter, executive director of Americans Against Government Censorship, a liberal group organizing against Trumps targeting of civil society and his political opposition.

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Trump has worked to undermine institutions, questioning the nonprofit status of the liberal watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which played a major role suing his first administration and exposing his self-dealing, while many of the law firms targeted by his executive orders have historically provided the legal muscle in fights for liberal causes.

Its calculated and targeted at the pillars of progressive power, Leiter said.

On the same front, Trump has sought to consolidate control of elections in his hands. He has fired one FEC commissioner and asserted the power to dictate decisions made by the body overseeing campaign financing. He also issued an executive order that purports to change state election laws in manners that would favor the Republican Party, although he has no such power.

And while all of this operates through the law, there is also the threat of extrajudicial power, aimed at individuals.

Last week, Tufts University PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk was surrounded by plainclothes immigration officers while walking to her home in Somerville, Massachusetts, and whisked off to a detention center in Louisiana for deportation all in under 24 hours, allegedly because she was a threat to U.S. foreign policy. Her apparent crime? She was one of four authors on an op-ed in her student paper calling on the university to back a student resolution to divest from companies with ties to Israel.

Ten days earlier, the administration violated a court order to halt three flights of Venezuelan and Salvadoran immigrants who were sent directly into a brutal prison known for human rights violations in El Salvador.

The administration claimed these were all gang members, but they were denied due process and officials provided no evidence to back up their allegations. Since then, numerous cases have emerged of likely innocent people and confirmed legal residents being sent to a foreign gulag where no detainee has ever left. The administration claims it has no responsibility to have any of these people released.

Immigrants alleged to be gang members rendered by the Trump administration into a Salvadoran prison were denied due process and included numerous cases of innocent people with no gang ties. Handout via Getty Images

While these episodes have so far targeted immigrants through the use and abuse of the legal system, they harbor a warning of violence that barely lurks under all of Trumps other threats.

We are a stones throw away from the jailing of citizens, including the jailing of attorneys, said Nora Ahmed, legal director of ACLU-Louisiana.

The Muscles That Havent Been Flexed Yet

Despite Trumps fast-moving effort to convert the U.S. into an illiberal autocracy, the outcome has not been decided  yet. There still exists, at least theoretically, a strong and powerful opposition that could stop and reverse this before it takes hold.

The U.S. differs in that we have a much more muscular opposition than any of the countries that have faced this challenge, Levitsky said. We have a well organized, united, well-financed, electorally viable opposition. We have a very big, very wealthy, very diverse private sector. We have a big civil society. We have all of the muscle to resist Trump. That muscle hasnt been flexed yet. The startling thing is how passive the resistance has been.

What would be needed is collective action across civil society institutions and the opposition Democrats.

The acquiescence of law firms and universities, and the refusal of Democrats to deploy hardball tactics to slow Trumps march has fueled the sense that the autocratic turn is inevitable. But resistance has emerged in some pockets, and its growing.

If you look at people who have resisted these autocratic legal developments, there has been a combination of strong collective action  with strong action by the legal profession and by the judiciary, Cummings said, pointing to Brazil as an example where an effort to impose autocracy was defeated.

Three law firms targeted by Trump  Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, and Jenner & Block  challenged his orders in court and won temporary restraining orders on all of them. Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber signaled that the university will stand up for itself in an interview with Bloomberg, while the school also readied itself financially by selling $320 million in taxable bonds, which could help it absorb any loss in federal grant funding. Numerous law school deans and professors have put out letters denouncing the administrations efforts to cow the legal profession. And some congressional Democrats, including Sens. Adam Schiff (Calif.) and Ruben Gallego (Ariz.) have begun to put holds on Trump nominees to block or slow their confirmation.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) speak to the media outside the Capitol on April 1 in Washington, D.C. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) spoke on the Senate floor for more than 25 hours protesting President Trumps agenda, breaking a record set by Sen. Strom Thurmond's 24-hour, 18-minute filibuster against the Civil Rights Act in 1957. Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images

Trumps popularity, or lack thereof, also presents a weakness for his efforts at autocratic consolidation. Other recent autocrats had huge parliamentary majorities when they first won election, allowing them to consolidate power by passing laws, and amending or rewriting constitutions.

While 2024 was Trumps strongest showing in three elections, he still only eked out a win through tight margins in crucial states, and his party did not obtain large legislative majorities. It puts his efforts at consolidation in a precarious state: Without the ability to easily push his agenda through the legislature, all of his biggest actions so far have been through executive orders or actions, and they are often clearly illegal.

That has left the administration at the whim of the courts. So far, this has gone extremely poorly for Trump as his orders have been repeatedly struck down in district and appellate courts. These court rulings have pushed Republicans to attack the courts and propose impeachments of judges and laws to curtail judicial power, and the Trump administration to either defy orders or threaten to do so.

But Trump and his team seem to be operating on an assumption that, unlike their foreign counterparts, theyve already seized control of the Supreme Court. They appear to believe the Supreme Courts decision in the presidential immunity case that saved Trump from prosecution in 2024 contains a theory of unburdened executive power that would bless all of their actions. But thats not guaranteed.

We will soon see if the Supreme Court is totally on board with a Trump dictatorship or whether it still thinks it has a role to play in separation of powers, Scheppele said.

And internal contradictions within Trumps policy regime may still crater his popularity or split his MAGA coalition.

The first of these is one unique element of Trumps autocratic efforts: Elon Musk. There isnt a real analogue, in any of the other countries that slid into autocracy, to the way the richest man in the world and owner of a massive media platform has gone into government to tear it apart.

Theres a real contradiction between what Musk is doing and what MAGA purports to do, Levitsky said. If youre going to build a populist coalition among the working class, breaking the state is probably not the way to do that.

Trump holds a chart as he delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs during an event in the Rose Garden entitled "Make America Wealthy Again" at the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 2. Trump geared up to unveil sweeping new "Liberation Day" tariffs in a move that threatens to ignite a devastating global trade war. Key U.S. trading partners including the European Union and Britain said they were preparing their responses to Trump's escalation, as nervous markets fell in Europe and America. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images

While Musk may ultimately make peace with the nationalist MAGA faction, Trumps macroeconomic policies pose perhaps a greater contradiction for the party of Make America Wealthy Again. On Wednesday, Trump announced sweeping tariffs on almost every country in the world. The move is part of a massive macroeconomic restructuring that has left the entire U.S. economy in a paralyzed state of uncertainty, and its not clear if it jibes with an effort at autocratic consolidation.

We havent seen anyone try to do both of those at the same time, Huq said. Its not clear how these two projects interact with each other. Its too early to tell, but if the economic project goes belly up, that has implications for the political project.

But all that is in the future. The more immediate thing that those whove watched and studied the rise of 21st century autocrats want the public to recognize, is simply what is actually happening here.

Leaders dont do this and then walk away and say, Now were going to have a normal election, Cummings said.

Scheppele asks her students what would make them think that Trump had crossed the line into autocracy or dictator behavior. They gave a variety of answers like disobeying the Supreme Court or running for a third term, she says. But those would be too late.

People are looking for this crossing the Rubicon moment, Scheppele said. When all this stuff happens under legal language, theres all kinds of ways to disguise what youre doing. So that leaves people wondering, When would this cross the line from what scholars call constitutional hardball into the oh, my God dictator-for-life world? And I think were already there.
There is an irony at the heart of the row that has engulfed Sentebale, Prince Harrys African charity.

Sophie Chandauka, who was appointed chairman of Sentebale in mid-2023, has accused the charitys board of bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir  a form of prejudice directed at black women  in an official complaint sent to the Charity Commission.

A source close to the trustees, who resigned en masse this month alongside the Duke of Sussex and his co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, claimed Ms Chandauka, a Zimbabwe-born lawyer, alleged racism when she realised things were not going her way.

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Shes definitely playing the race card and openly, the source said.

This is her plan. As soon as anyone turns against her, she brings the race card in and she comes for you.

Sound familiar? Didnt Harry and Meghan use exactly the same tactic when faced with criticism?

Not only did the couple allege that the royals themselves were racist but that headlines that didnt cast the Duchess, particularly, in an overwhelmingly positive light, must have been fuelled by unconscious bias?

This false narrative was given rocket fuel by social media trolls, known as the Sussex Squad, who accused journalists like me of being racist, white supremacist and a Nazi simply for questioning Meghans truth. There was no evidence whatsoever to back up allegations of racism  but they were cast around like confetti, anyway.

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Even former Commons speaker John Bercow jumped on the bandwagon, insisting in 2020: I want to say that I believe unequivocally that Meghan has been the victim of explicit and obnoxious racism. I am crystal clear about that. She has been subjected to racism, sexism and misogyny.

Neither Ms Chandauka nor the Sussexes are the victims here. The real victims of this unseemly war of words are the AIDS and HIV afflicted children of Lesotho who rely on Sentebales support. Harry and Meghan are in no position to decry the fact that we now live in a world where, if a woman of colour is called out she is automatically a victim of misogynoir and anyone who disagrees is a racist.

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Editors note: Dr. Josh Green is the governor of Hawaii. Before being elected governor in 2022, he worked as an emergency room doctor and family physician in Hawaii for over 20 years. While serving as lieutenant governor, he led an emergency medical mission to help stop the measles epidemic in Samoa and led Hawaiis vaccination campaign during the Covid-19 pandemic, ranked as one of the most effective in the nation.

Americas children are in danger. Measles outbreaks are spreading in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and beyond, threatening lives, overwhelming health-care resources and exposing vulnerable communities. Texas alone has confirmed more than 400 measles cases and the death of the first child from measles in our country in more than a decade: the heartbreaking loss of a school-age child in Gaines County. The outbreaks continue to spread, gaining momentum and posing a threat to children across our country  with one public health official in Texas fearing that the outbreak there could last an entire year.

But this tragic outcome we can see coming doesnt have to happen. We can prevent it if we act now.

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Measles is an extremely contagious virus that hospitalizes as many as 1 in 5 of those it infects and kills 1 in every 1,000. Before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, the United States saw hundreds of thousands of cases every year, many resulting in complications like pneumonia, encephalitis and death.

Twenty-five years ago, nationwide vaccination efforts had virtually eliminated the disease in the United States by achieving vaccination rates of 95% across the country, establishing herd immunity and preventing the disease from spreading. Today, vaccination rates have been allowed to fall in many states. Experts fear that the elimination of the disease is at risk and that measles may again become a threat.

Vaccination campaigns save lives during outbreaks of deadly viruses. I have witnessed the lifesaving power of vaccines firsthand. During the Covid-19 pandemic  when I was serving as lieutenant governor  we vaccinated over a million people in Hawaii, saving thousands of lives and achieving the lowest infection and mortality rates in the country.

In 2019, a measles outbreak swept through the island nation of Samoa. The spread of antivaccine misinformation in the previous year had caused fear and uncertainty, which kept many families from vaccinating their children against measles. The result was a devastating outbreak that infected more than 5,000 people and killed 83, mostly children. In December of 2019, I led an emergency medical mission from Hawaii to vaccinate 37,000 people in Samoa over 36 hours, rapidly raising the vaccination rate and helping to end the deadly outbreak.

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According to a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report from October, there are 14 states in the US where measles vaccination rates among kindergartners have fallen to dangerously low levels under 90%.

Communities with vaccination rates below the 95% threshold necessary to maintain herd immunity become fertile ground for measles outbreaks. In Gaines County, Texas, almost 1 in 5 kindergartners entering the school system is unvaccinated against measles.

Declining vaccination rates are fueled by the troubling spread of antivaccine misinformation, skepticism and complacency. The top public health official in America, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has suggested that the MMR vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella is not safe. This is false. The measles vaccine has saved an estimated 94 million lives worldwide over the past 50 years, and the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the MMR vaccine as safe and effective since 1971.

Kennedy also continues to cloud these facts by describing vaccination as a personal choice and promoting vitamin A supplementation as a primary response to the measles outbreak. Let me be clear: Vitamin A may lessen measles complications once infection has occurred, but it does not prevent the disease. To suggest otherwise, even implicitly, distracts from the proven, lifesaving effect of vaccines and puts children at risk.

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As to vaccination being a personal choice, I strongly disagree with Kennedy, and I regard this equivocation as dangerous and irresponsible. Its much more than a personal choice; its a choice to protect not only ourselves but our entire community. As a physician, a governor and a father, I believe it is our moral responsibility to protect vulnerable people by contributing to herd immunity against viral infections through safe and effective vaccination.

Raynard Covarrubio, left, gives an MMR vaccine to 1-year-old River Jacobs , held by his mother, Caitlin Fuller, at a vaccine clinic held by the Lubbock Public Health Department in March. - Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images

In the face of the current outbreaks, I urge the US Department of Health and Human Services, under Kennedys leadership, to act swiftly and decisively. The department must mount an extensive, science-based vaccination campaign to halt the spread of measles and prevent future tragedies. This campaign must focus on four essential pillars: education, community engagement, accessibility and responsible public policy.

First, education is paramount. We must aggressively counter misinformation by providing clear, factual and scientifically grounded information. This approach involves transparent communication regarding vaccine safety and effectiveness and should engage trusted local voices such as health-care providers, educators, faith leaders and community advocates.

Second, we must emphasize genuine community engagement. Communities should be active participants in this public health effort, not merely passive recipients. When we engage respectfully, listening to local concerns and responding thoughtfully, we build trust and improve public health outcomes. Community-based approaches have repeatedly proved effective at increasing vaccination rates, and they should guide our current response.

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Third, accessibility to vaccines must be prioritized. In regions with limited health-care infrastructure, innovative solutions  such as mobile vaccination units, community health fairs and partnerships with local organizations  can bridge gaps and ensure vaccines reach everyone. No one should face barriers of affordability or convenience when it comes to vaccination.

Finally, we need strong, responsible public policy that balances individual liberties with our collective responsibility. Policies that require vaccination for school entry, excepting legitimate medical exemptions, have historically maintained high immunization rates and protected community health. These regulations must be enforced firmly yet compassionately, recognizing that public safety is paramount.

Now is not the time for equivocation or delay. We must take urgent action to protect our families and communities. It is our collective moral responsibility to prevent more infection, more suffering and more deaths of American children through our commitment to safe and effective vaccines and public health education.

We can stop the deadly spread of measles in our country by launching a sustained emergency vaccination campaign, starting in the states and communities with the lowest vaccination rates and the greatest vulnerability. We have the data. We have the resources. Now we must find the compassion, the strength and the will to do what we know is right and protect Americas children.

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HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD / JULY 27, 2023 Hawaii island police Detective William Brown was found guilty Wednesday of perjury for knowingly making a false statement during a grand jury proceeding in 3rd Circuit Court. Brown is shown here in a Hilo courtroom in 2023.

HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD / JULY 27, 2023 Hawaii island police Detective William Brown was found guilty Wednesday of perjury for knowingly making a false statement during a grand jury proceeding in 3rd Circuit Court. Brown is shown here in a Hilo courtroom in 2023.

A Hawaii County police detective was found guilty Wednesday of perjury following a jury-waived trial, the state Department of the Attorney General announced today.

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Hawaii County Circuit Judge Peter Kubota found William Brown guilty of knowingly making a false statement as a detective during a grand jury proceeding in 3rd Circuit Court.

Brown testified falsely before a grand jury that the suspect, in a case where drugs were found in a vehicle, stated she brought a pink stuffed animal pencil-type case and her cellphone into the vehicle.

But the woman actually told Brown multiple times during an interview that she only brought her cellphone into the vehicle, according to the Attorney Generals Office.

Most of the drugs were found in the pink stuffed animal pencil-type case.

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Our legal system is designed to find the truth,  Deputy Attorney General Albert Cook, who handled the prosecution of the case, said. When witnesses lie, it undermines our legal system and perverts the integrity of the criminal justice system and will prosecute those who commit perjury.

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Brown faces a maximum term of five years in prison when he is sentenced May 23.

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A state inspector says he found a moldy facility with inadequately equipped for proper handwashing and dishwashing when he went to a Hialeah wholesale bakery on Wednesday.

Thats in the inspection report from Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Inspector Fausto Ferrer after his Wednesday visit to Hialeahs Don Gollo Bakery, 133 W. 22nd St.

Don Gollos isnt a pastelitos-empanadas-cafe retail bakery, but a wholesale bakery that says it makes Cuban baked goods for restaurants and retail brands, claiming clients such as Tio Paco, Grandia, Riko Nao and Roma Food Group.

READ MORE: Lottery hits from a Hialeah Publix ($1 million) and West Miami-Dade Presidente ($118,000)

Heres some of what Ferrer found.

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 Handwash sinks throughout the facility are missing paper towels and hand sanitizers.

 Handwash sinks inside of both mens and womens rest rooms are missing soap and paper towels.

 The handwash sink in the oven area had a heavy accumulation of black mold-like substance.

 The packing area handwash sink, where ready-to-eat bakery goods are being packed, does not have water.

READ MORE: Dangerous pork and pastries among a Kendall bakerys inspection problems

 The water temperature of the warewash sink only reaches 97 degrees, which is not sufficient to properly wash equipment.

 Staying with inadequate warewashing, Ferrer spotted, heavy dried up batter on the outside and back side of the two Hobart mixers.

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 Behind the warewash sink, there was a heavy black mold accumulation on the wall.

 Two brushes used for production had rusted metal rings. Those brushes wound up in the trash.

 There were holes on the wall next to the sugar cookie extruder and in the back wall, near raw material storage.

 The food facility registration with FDA appears to be canceled.

 Also, Ferrer noted, the food establishment permit is expired. An email was sent to the business center to correct the email address for the firm as the email on file was not active.

State records say Don Gollo Bakerys registered agent is Lyft All Corp., which is run by company president Nadia Ocampo Bueso and vice president Ana Estrada.
Hallie Johnson used to watch crime shows with her husband, where theyd debate whether the accused killer should face the death penalty. Her husband argued for a life sentence, saying they should have to stew. Prison was the punishment, he would tell her, while she favored execution.

Then her brother was killed.

Milo Warnock was incarcerated at the Idaho State Correctional Center, a minimum and medium security prison for driving under the influence, but was moved to restrictive housing for hiding medication, his family previously told the Idaho Statesman; the Warnocks said he was saving it for the morning because it was keeping him awake. There, he roomed with 33-year-old James Johnson, who beat him to death in December 2023.

A photograph of Milo Warnock is displayed at a memorial held for him in Meridian, Jan. 13, 2024. Warnock was killed by a fellow prisoner in the Idaho State Correctional Center in December 2023.

Faced with the reality of losing a loved one, Hallie Johnson said she didnt want to see Johnson killed.

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Ive surprised myself by not wanting terrible things for this person who murdered my brother heinously, Hallie said in an interview Friday at the Ada County Courthouse

You have to put aside all of your desire for retribution and spite, and think about whats the best thing for the community as a whole, Hallie told the Statesman. That might be, in a lot of cases, treatment, and love, and kindness, and the things that make people better.

Fourth Judicial District Judge Nancy Baskin sentenced James Johnson to life in prison Friday, with the possibility of parole after 35 years. Thats if hes able to stay out of trouble and seek the rehabilitation advised by not only Baskin but his own attorney.

James Johnsons public defender, Amy Smith, argued during the sentencing that her clients childhood trauma and untreated mental illness led him to snap and kill Warnock. She asked that he receive a minimum of 15 years in prison, with an additional 25 years he could spend in prison, on parole or both.

Public defender Amy Smith speaks with her client James Johnson during his sentencing at the Ada County Courthouse, for the 2023 murder of Milo Warnock. Johnson and Warnock were cellmates at the Idaho State Correctional Center.

That is the only thing that can explain why they were friends up until a moment that happened, and then all of a sudden, at the next count, Milo was killed in a brutal and senseless way, Smith said. This is not the work of a cognizant individual who planned a murder.

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James Johnson disputed that. In an over 15-minute-long rambling statement, which was at times incomprehensible, he denied any claim that he was mentally ill or that his abusive childhood factored into his mindset.

All Im saying is, you cant paint a picture and say call it a mental illness, he said. Im telling right now. The facts are, I killed Milo, and I regret it.

James Johnson was serving a five-year sentence for fraud and grand theft and was scheduled to be released in February. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in January, and as a part of the plea deal, the prosecution agreed to dismiss an additional felony against him for destruction of evidence.

Hallie Johnson, sister of Milo Warnock, gives her victim impact statement at the sentencing of James Johnson at the Ada County Courthouse.

Hallie Johnson told the Statesman she hoped James Johnson found his purpose in life. The decades Johnson would spend in prison wont be the punishment for the goodness hes stolen, she said, but she hoped he found the strength and maturity to tame his demons and give kindness to others.

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This is how he will repay me for what he had no right to take, she said in court.

Warnocks family filed tort against IDOC

Warnocks family remembered him as a talented working man who had a good heart.

His parents also spoke during the sentencing and in their statements expressed the pain of losing their son and anger with the Idaho Department of Correction for housing their him with James Johnson. His family has filed a nearly $500,000 tort claim against the Idaho Department of Correction, its private medical provider and several employees. They have until December 2025 to file a lawsuit.

Kathy Warnock, his mother, said he didnt stand a chance. Milo spent his last hours in anguish as James threatened him, and died in the presence of evil, in that evil place, Kathy said, referring to the prison.

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No one in that hell on Earth had enough humanity to help him, she said in court. James committed the ultimate act of violence, but as bad as he is, hes just the tip of the iceberg.

Milos father, Mike Warnock, said his son ended up being James cellmate because of incompetent prison management.

Kathy Warnock and Mike Warnock, parents of Milo Warnock, attend the sentencing of James Johnson at the Ada County Courthouse.

Hallie Johnson said James Johnson robbed her and her siblings of a brother, her parents of a son, her nephew of a father, and her son of an uncle. She told the Statesman that it really hurts to lose a loved one, and she couldnt reconcile seeking the death penalty against someone who also has family that loves him.

James had family here today, she said. He has people who care about him and love him. I cant reconcile how I could say, You killed my brother. Murder is wrong. You should die.
'Green books' like this one offered Black travelers welcoming places to eat and stay when away from home. (Courtesy of Nebraska State Historical Society)

LINCOLN  Stories from the public are being sought to complete research into the states history during the Jim Crow-era, when African-Americans used a green book to find food and lodging where they were welcomed.

The stories from Nebraskans are needed to complete a two-year research project about this lesser-known chapter of state history.

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The goal is to increase awareness about Nebraskas Green Book sites, Black history throughout the state, and reasons to preserve and celebrate it, said Jade Mendoza, survey coordinator in the State Historic Preservation Office, a division of the Nebraska State Historical Society.

The Historical Society is collaborating with the Durham Museum, Great Plains Black History Museum and the Making Invisible Histories Visible program developed by Omaha Public Schools to seek Nebraskans stories associated with Black American travel during the 1950s and 1960s.

The Green Book was published during the Jim Crow segregationist era by Victor Hugo Green, a New York City mailman, to help Black American and international travelers find safe lodging, restaurants, gas stations and other businesses throughout North America.

Publication of the Green Book lasted until 1967, and since then, many Green Book sites have been lost.

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We need Nebraskans memories and stories about Black American travel in the state to help us tell this lesser-known Nebraska history, Mendoza said.

Those with memories of visiting Green Book sites in Nebraska or those who recall stories told by older relatives, can email information to jade.mendoza@nebraska.gov or call 402-429-7465.

Stories also can be submitted using the State Historical Society website at https://history.nebraska.gov/historic-preservation/nebraska-green-book/share-to-nebraska-green-book-project.

Mendoza said that once research and site visits are completed, two Green Book sites will be nominated in Nebraska to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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The Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office uses historic survey work like this to recognize historic places, understand potential impacts to historic places and to unlock access to preservation-based economic development programs.

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HOBOKEN, N.J. (PIX11)  On any given day, Church Square Park in Hoboken is packed with people  and now, its also packed with cameras.

Thirty new sets of eyes were installed at the park after people living nearby called for change.

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Its an improvement. We had cameras before they werent working, said First Ward Councilman Paul Presinzano.

The park has recently raised concerns, especially after police said a nanny was attacked and knocked unconscious in the park in October.

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That kind of sparked some outrage in the community, because it happened during the day, kids were around, Presinzano said.

After that, Presinzano said close to 200 people attended this city council meeting to share their safety concerns.

There were other gripes in town, it came to a head, he said.

And it seems the police department was listening.

We heard that, we responded with it, said Lt. Jonathan Mecka with Hoboken Police.

The department recently installed 30 AI-driven cameras across the park.

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Theyre easy to spot, and police hope that alone helps deter troublemakers. But if that doesnt help, maybe the AI can.

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If we have a situation with a blue visor or blue vest, we can type in blue vest, and the cameras will automatically pick our people within the park that have that, he said

It could be a game changer for police work, Mecka said.

The ability to be able to search for a camera and put that search field in I know from personal experience just with an iPhone its amazing, he said.

The $135,000 camera system was funded by grant money, helping residents like Trisha Brown feel safe when shes out walking her dog.

Just just like any place you have to be smart about it. I feel safe it seems like people are kind of watching out for each other, Brown said.

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Police also added more lighting to the park and keep an officer stationed there at all times.

Mecka says the next step in their safety plan is to add more police officers to the force.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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HOLLYWOOD, Ala. (WHNT)  A Hollywood police officer was attacked during a traffic stop Friday afternoon, according to authorities.

The Hollywood Police Department said around 6 p.m., officer Dhruvil Patel was involved in a physical altercation during a traffic stop.

Jackson County Sheriff Rockey Harnen identified the man who attacked Patel as 30-year-old Steven Kyle Cornelison, of Scottsboro.

HPD said Patel was taken to Highlands ER to be treated for his injuries and was later released.

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The department said multiple charges are pending against Cornelison.

Stay with News 19 as we provide updates on this story.

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The 44th Annual Quad Cities Holocaust Remembrance, known as Yom HaShoah, will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 27, at Wallenberg Hall in Augustana Colleges Denkmann Building, 3520 7th Ave., Rock Island, according to a news release.

The speaker for this years community-wide commemoration will be Marion Blumenthal, Holocaust survivor and author of the book Four Perfect Pebbles, which tells the story of her familys persecution by Nazi Germany and its allies.

Marion Blumenthal (Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities)

Marion Blumenthas story of survival

After Hitlers rise to power, the Blumenthal family  father, mother, Marion, and her brother, Albert  were trapped in Nazi Germany. They managed eventually to get to Holland only shortly before it was occupied by the Nazis.

She will address this years remembrance remotely.

For the next six and a half years, the Blumenthals were forced to live in refugee, transit, and prison camps. These included the Westerbork transit camp in Holland, from which Anne Frank was sent to her death at Auschwitz, and the notorious Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany. Atlhough they all somehow survived the camps, Walter Blumenthal, Marions father, succumbed to typhus just after the camps liberation on April 15, 1945.

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It took three more years of struggle and waiting before Marion, Albert, and their mother at last obtained the necessary papers and boarded ship for the United States. Their story is one of horror and hardship, but it is also a story of courage, hope, and the will to survive.

Today Marion Blumenthal Lazan lives in New York with her husband, Nathaniel. They have three married children, nine grandchildren and two great-granddaughters.

As part of the annual observance, memorial candles are lit for the six million Jews  and millions of others  who were murdered by Nazi Germany and its allies before and during World War II.

The Yom HaShoah Committee is comprised of community leaders and representatives from the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities, Augustana College and St. Ambrose University. In addition to the live event at Wallenberg Hall, it can be streamed using a link youll find here.

About the Holocaust

Before World War II, about 8.7 million Jews lived in Europe. By wars end, some six million of them had been systematically murdered by Nazi Germany and its allies.

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A crime of such horrendous proportions could not have been perpetrated in a vacuum. Centuries of anti-Jewish teachings  either promulgated or countenanced by churches and states  created fertile ground for the seed of Nazi hatred to flourish. The people of Europe had been conditioned to despise Jews and see them as something less than human. Thus, they could rationalize the elimination of the Jews not as murder, but as the removal of an unwelcome element of their society.

Millions of people from many ethnic backgrounds were killed in Nazi extermination camps, but Adolf Hitler ordered ferocious intensity be brought to bear in reaching his goal of destroying the Jewish people. In his terminology, it was the final solution to the Jewish problem. The murder of six million Jews, including one and a half million children, has indelibly etched the names of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Bergen-Belsen, Dachau, Treblinka and many more camps into the memories of the generation that witnessed the Holocaust and those who have learned of it since.

About Yom HaShoah

Yom HaShoah, or Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust, occurs every year in communities around the world. While it is primarily observed by Jews, it is by no means an exclusive commemoration  as witnessed by the community-wide event held in the Quad Cities.

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In the Quad Cities as elsewhere, the Holocaust is remember not simply because it is a Jewish tragedy. Twelve million innocent human beings, six million of them Jews, were murdered by the Nazis. Yom HaShoah seeks to ensure that a crime of such proportions will never be allowed to happen again.

In the Quad Cities, Yom HaShoah has been observed annually since 1982. In addition to the memorial service, the planning committee works with the Quad Cities Holocaust Education Committee to present awards to local students for research and creative work exploring or responding to the Holocaust.

For more information, call the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities at 309-793-1300, or email aross@jfqc.org.

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The Home Office has issued a direct appeal to asylum hotels not to evict migrants amid a cash-flow crisis that arose after it ditched one of its major contractors.

Some companies have already started withdrawing services such as hotel security and housekeeping after the sacked contractor, Stay Belvedere Hotels Ltd (SBHL), failed to make scheduled payments.

Industry sources told The Telegraph that other hotel companies were considering similar moves as SBHL sought to renegotiate how it makes its payments to providers of the accommodation for thousands of asylum seekers.

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The crisis stems from the Home Offices decision to strip SBHL of its contract to run more than 50 migrant hotels over its alleged behaviour and poor performance.

SBHL is responsible for accommodating as many as 15,000 asylum seekers, largely in London and south east England. There are currently some 38,000 migrants in hotels at a cost of 5.5 million a day to the Home Office.

Home Office sources said it made its scheduled payment last week to cover the cost of accommodation for March. Under its agreement, SBHL, however, pays the hotels a month in advance. Its failure so far to make these payments for April has precipitated the current crisis, according to senior hotel sources.

SBHL is now understood to be seeking to renegotiate this agreement from April 8 so that it makes its payments weekly in arrears after the hotels have carried the costs for the previous seven days.

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Some hotel businesses have, however, warned that they cannot sustain this, raising the risk that they will be forced to withdraw their services and potentially evict asylum seekers.

Some have withdrawn services. This is the start of many people doing the same. Some will withdraw this or that service, said a hotel source.

In an emergency alert on Friday, Joanna Rowland, the Home Offices director general for customer services, urged hotels not to pull out of their contracts despite the cash-flow crisis.

I can confirm that all required payments have now been made by the Home Office and that these will now flow through the supply chain imminently, if not already. In the interim, please be reassured that you will be recompensed for the usual costs incurred with provision of service, she wrote.

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As ever, the Home Office remains grateful for your support during this transition period. I would reiterate my request that you take no action to cease your services and seek to positively engage with the alternative supplier as we move forward.

The Home Office is seeking to transfer the responsibility for running the hotels to its established contractors Serco, Mears and CTM, the latter of which was brought in by the Tories to run the Bibby Stockholm barge for asylum seekers in Portland, Dorset.

SBHL was subcontracted to run the hotels by Clearsprings Ready Homes, one of three overarching providers that have ten-year contracts with the Home Office to provide accommodation for asylum seekers awaiting claims decisions.

Clearsprings has tripled its profits in just two years to 91 million in 2024. The new Labour ministers and officials are understood to be closely scrutinising the agreements with Clearsprings and SBHL amid concerns that they inherited badly drawn contracts that have left the taxpayer exposed.

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A Government source said it was up to SBHL and Clearsprings to fulfil their contracts and pay the money owed. We are progressing with the transition away from SBHL and Clearsprings. They are co-operating but if they breach their terms at any time and stop co-operating, we will act accordingly, said the source.

SBHL declined to comment but is understood to believe it is doing everything to resolve the problems. Clearsprings declined to comment and referred queries to the Home Office.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala (WIAT)  A Homeland Security Special Agent provided insight into ICE and HSI arrest protocols. This comes following the release of surveillance video CBS 42 obtained on Thursday that shows Alireza Doroudi being escorted by federal agents.

Alireza Doroudi was a doctoral student and the University of Alabama studying chemical engineering. Doroudi is an international student from Iran, who is now sitting in an ICE detention center in Louisiana.

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 25, a fleet of unmarked vehicles drove down Reed Street, parked around Doroudis apartment, and multiple officers in what appears to be street clothes under bullet proof vest approached the doctoral students apartment.

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We have special response teams within HSI and ICE EROs, Homeland Security investigation special agent Steven Schrank said. They are tactical SRTs that are much like swats teams that handle our highest risk operations.

Those swat-like teams are the ones who go in when the individual being arrested has violent criminal history or is deemed a national security risk, Schrank said.

WATCH: Video shows Alireza Doroudi being detained by ICE officers at his apartment near the University of Alabama

In the video CBS 42 obtained Tuesday, it appears the officers who detained Doroudi would fall under the special response teams category. However, CBS 42 has not found any violent criminal history record for the Iran national. But, ICE has deemed the PhD student a national security concern.

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Honestly, Im reminded of the type of stuff we report on happening on the inside of Iran, Jamal Addi said.

Addi is the National Iranian American Council President. On Friday, he watched the surveillance video CBS 42 obtained for the first time.

This whole situation is just scary and bizarre, Addi said.

Doroudi remained unrestrained as he walked alongside federal agents down Reed Street.

Being called a national security threat but then walking out freely on his own with them and getting into an unmarked vehicle with them  it just raises so many questions, Addi said.

While the number of officers, vehicles, and force is dependent on the level of threat  HIS and ICE are not required to use handcuffs during the arrest process.

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It may be the case that agents and officers did not feel it was necessary or prudent, Schrank said.

Not wanting to cause disruptions, embarrassment or unsightliness out in public are other reasons Schrank cited as to why officers chose not to handcuff Doroudi. Doroudis attorney and ICE have yet to provide why the student was deemed a national security concern.

It may be a limited disclosure through a FOIA request, Schrank said. Part of that is because we need to respect the privacy of individuals and we cant just share with the general public the nature of information that may lead to decisions to take certain enforcement actions.

However, the NIACs president believes the relationship between the United States and Iran played a larger role in Doroudis detainment.

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Because of the U.S. government and Iranian government conflict with one another, and because of the nefarious activities of the Iranian government  we would expect if there are crackdowns like this, then Iranians could be among the first that are targeted, Addi said.

During President Donald Trumps first term in office  Iran was on the travel ban list and Iranians are already heavily scrutinized in the U.S. Addi said.

I think one of our fears though is, were starting with students who are legally here, who are uploading the law but does this expand? Addi questioned.

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JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV)  Jacksonians will return to the polls on April 22 to vote in a runoff election for some races, including the Democratic candidate for mayor.

None of the mayoral Democratic candidates received more than 50% of the vote during the municipal primary on April 1.

State Senator John Horhn received more than 10,000 votes, while incumbent Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba received less than 5,000.

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Horhn said the city is ready for new leadership, while Lumumba said hes continuing to serve the people of the capital city.

Runoff set for Ward 6 Jackson City Council seat

Weve been in South Jackson, helping families that because of the windstorms that weve been having have been without power. So, we were trying to provide them meals and help them out. So, were just doing what we know best. And thats serving people, thats communicating what our objectives are, and that isnt going to stop. It will never stop, Lumumba said.

We need to restore trust and accountability in the city, to our taxpayers, our citizens, to our county, our state, our federal government. We need to put together an assurance that you can get basic services to the city and the City of Jackson, if youre a resident here. You dont have to roll the dice to see if you got to go get somebody to answer your phone call down to City Hall, said Horhn.

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Other city runoffs include the race for the City Council. No candidate in Ward 6 or Ward 7 received more than 50% of the vote.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  Thousands of Oklahomans rely on feeding programs for nutritious meals, but with recent funding cuts, theres a risk of them going hungry.

The Trump Administration has slashed the Administration for Community Living workforce by 40%.

That department funds programs across the nation that feed seniors.

The Areawide Aging Agency in Oklahoma City receives about $5 million a year from the program, allowing them to feed seniors across the metro five days a week.

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Oklahoma Humanities Council fears future after letter from DOGE

For a lot of the seniors that we deal with, this may be darn near their only meal of the day, said Blair Schoeb, CEO, Areawide Aging Agency.

The agency has about 25 different locations where it serves congregate meals.

On any given day, 1,500 to 2,000 seniors will be there getting a nice, nutritious meal, said Schoeb.

They also deliver meals to those who cant get out.

Schoeb says they havent lost funding yet, but he believes its a possibility.

The notion of these meals going away is horrifying in terms of if you care about seniors and whether or not theyre hungry, this could be a dramatic impact on those people, said Schoeb.

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This isnt the only cut impacting the elderly.

Food banks recently lost funding from the USDA.

Also, a state meal program through Oklahoma Human Services called ADvantage Waiver was reduced to one meal a day, after federal pandemic funds ran out.

This program costs six dollars a day to provide a second meal to the most vulnerable senior adults, said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R-Bristow).

Hilbert suggests using state funds to keep the meals going.

25% of them are going to go to a nursing home, which means worse health outcomes for them because theyre no longer living independently, getting to be on their own and also substantially greater cost to the state of Oklahoma than the 6 dollars a day were currently paying for that meal program, said Hilbert.

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There is still a lot of uncertainty with all of these cuts, and the Areawide Aging agency says the circumstances change nearly every day.



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Apr. 4WATERVILLE  While no one knows the exact impact the closing of Waterville's only inpatient hospital will mean for the city's fire and rescue department, one thing is certain  firefighters won't be able to rely on neighboring departments to handle the extra ambulance calls because they will be in the same boat.

Waterville fire Chief Jason Frost spelled that out Thursday at a special Waterville City Council meeting where councilors reviewed proposed budgets for various departments.

Frost said the fire department doesn't have mutual aid agreements with other towns for EMS as it does for the fire part of the department.

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His department made 902 ambulance transports to Northern Light Inland Hospital last year and that doesn't include the hundreds of other transports to Inland by Delta Ambulance and other fire department ambulances, including Winslow and Clinton's  and the people who got there by private vehicles. Frost has been in continuing discussions with MaineGeneral Health officials, local ambulance services and others about how to handle the expected increase of transports to hospitals, including MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta and Redington-Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan. Patients also will likely have to be taken to hospitals farther away because of lack of capacity.

"We have delved into this and delved into this and delved into this," Frost said. "We are not the only service that knows that this is going to affect us immensely."

Frost said the crisis will affect Waterville more than other area municipalities because his department is the seventh busiest in Maine right now, running the same call volume as South Portland and others. He said he couldn't stress enough that Waterville firefighters and EMS personnel do their jobs very well with a staff half the size of other departments, and they can do it because there are two hospitals in the city now. His staff is able to respond to ambulance calls 65% of the time in less than five minutes, he said.

"If one hospital didn't exist anymore, it completely changes our operational model," he said.

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Thayer Center for Health is affiliated with MaineGeneral Health, but it is an outpatient-only facility.

With Inland's plan to cease caring for patients on May 27 and closing the hospital June 11, fire and EMS workers won't be able to maintain that quick response and provide the level of service they do now, Frost said. They will struggle to handle call volumes, and when they do get to hospitals, there may be long wait times because emergency departments will be so busy because of the loss of Inland.

"Eighteen thousand people are not going to Thayer," Frost said. "There's just no way. So, where are they going?"

Because of the announcement that Inland will close, changes had to be made to the proposed fire-EMS budget. The city has four ambulances, two of which are used full time. Mayor Mike Morris said a proposal is to bring on a third ambulance to full-time status.

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Morris, Frost and city councilors discussed a proposal to hire eight more firefighter-paramedics at the top of the pay scale. Frost said getting that many would be difficult and he would hope to get at least four.

"Are we going to get eight firefighter-paramedics?" he said. "No, not unless I steal them from somebody else."

The city's finance director, Christine Therrien, said she realized it was a lot of information to take in but it was important that they had the conversation Thursday, and more discussions would be held.

Frost said if councilors have any questions, he is always available by phone or they may visit him at the fire station.

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Morris assured councilors there will be more talks, as it is such a fluid situation.

"We are going to bring him (Frost) back on the 17th," he said. "We'll probably have more information at that point."

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  New details released by law enforcement officials recap the incident that left a man dead after being shot by an officer in Bullhead City on Thursday.

The incident started just before 2 p.m. in Fort Mohave, where a mail truck was stolen. An hour later, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers located the vehicle in Laughlin and identified the two people who had driven the stolen mail truck. One of those individuals was identified as Erick Tom Watkins, 48, of Bullhead City.

When an officer found Watkins, police say he pointed a gun at the officer and ran away. Police said Watkins then stole a boat and took it to the Arizona side of the Colorado River before running it aground and fleeing to a nearby apartment complex.

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Just before 4 p.m., Bullhead City Police located Watkins, who officials said immediately fired at officers. Police fired back, striking Watkins. He died at the scene.

Law enforcement officials noted that Watkins has multiple active felony warrants. The abandoned mail truck was later located, but according to police, mail and personal items had been removed. The officers involved in the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.

Officers are still searching for the second unidentified suspect involved in the incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Mohave County Sheriffs Office at 928-753-0753.

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TEXARKANA, Texas (KTAL/KMSS)Hours of overnight rain caused significant flooding, and the Texarkana Police Department warns residents that many roads are flooded and unsafe to drive on.

A Facebook post said officers responded to calls for assistance as people found themselves trapped in vehicles and buildings. According to TTPD, the city accumulated about 7 inches of rain within 24 hours.

Flooding in Texarkana (Source: Texarkana Texas Police) Traffic backup in Texarkana due to flooded roadway (Source: Texarkana, Texas Police) Source: Kristen Harmen Texarkana, Texas Vehicle driving through Texarkana flood waters April 5 (Source: Texarkana, Texas Police Department) Early morning photo of street flooding in Texarkana (Source: Texarkana Texas Police Department) Texarkana Texas flooding April 5 2025 (Source: Texarkana Texas Police Department)

TTPD credited employees with the Street Department with placing barricades along flooded streets. They also stressed to drivers that they should stay off the roads unless traveling is an extreme emergency. If you see water covering the roadway, turn around. Dont try to drive through it, TTPD wrote in the post.

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More heavy rains are expected to move through the area throughout Saturday, so the flooding in Texarkana is not likely to recede soon.

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Apr. 4MORGANTOWN  The House of Delegates on Friday adopted an amendment to the Senate's bill to align municipal election dates with state dates  an amendment that will likely be rejected when the bill returns to the Senate.

The bill is SB 50, to require municipalities to align their local elections with state primary and general elections by 2032.

Delegate Geno Chiarelli, R-Monongalia, offered the amendment to change the year to 2028.

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Several delegates spoke in opposition. Delegate Larry Kump, R-Berkeley, said that when he moved from Maryland to West Virginia in 1999, he asked people, "Why do we have these goofy election dates that aren't on regular election dates ?"

They told him that came from the good-old-boy system to minimize turnout and get the good old boys elected, he said.

Kump said he supports the bill but not the amendment. "Let's not mess with it any further. It'll be done and we won't have any more of these goofy elections."

Judiciary chair JB Akers, R-Kanawha, said he hadn't talked with the Senate about the reason for the late date.

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But Delegate Andy Shamblin, also R-Kanawha, said it had to do with municipal charters: Many municipalities will have to put a charter amendment to comply with the law on their 2028 ballot. So the amendment would harm the intent of the bill.

And Delegate Daniel Linville, R-Cabell, added that the 2030 census also likely plays a role in the 2032 date  because districts will get redrawn and municipal ward and precinct boundaries will change.

Shamblin and Linville were right. In Senate discussion, it was said that cities will need time to pass a charter amendment, and counties will need to redraw precincts that cross city boundaries.

That led to the date changing from July 1, 2026 in the introduced bill to July 1, 2030 in committee. Then on the Senate floor on Feb. 28, Sen. Ryan Weld offered an amendment to further extend the date to July 1, 2032, to account for post-census redistricting.

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Not knowing any of that Senate background, Chiarelli's amendment found supporters. Delegate Jarred Cannon, R-Putnam, stated his belief that state law would preempt any city charter.

And Chiarelli pointed out his hometown's reluctance to put election dates in the hand of the voters. Last October, Morgantown City Council voted against giving the choice of election dates to city voters. An ordinance to place that proposed charter change on the city's April 29 ballot failed on first reading.

Chiarelli noted the low turnout percentage in Morgantown's previous three city elections, and said 2028 allows plenty of time for municipalities to make the needed changes.

"I have full faith in them, " he said. "I think they'll be able to make the jump with very little issue."

His amendment was adopted on a divided voice vote  no one demanded a roll call vote  and will be on third reading for passage on Monday. Then it will return to the Senate where the amendment will undergo scrutiny.
House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) on Saturday blasted the Senates budget resolution, passed by the upper chamber only hours before, as unserious and disappointing.

Arrington criticized the budget plan for creating $5.8 trillion in new costs and a mere $4 billion in enforceable cuts or less than one days worth of borrowing by the federal government.

The Texas lawmaker also took a shot at Senate Budget Committee Lindsey Grahams (R-S.C.) plan to score the cost of extending Trumps 2017 tax cuts as not adding future federal deficits, something Graham would achieve by judging an extension of those cuts on a current policy baseline.

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He said the blueprint sets a dangerous precedent by direct scoring tax policy without including enforceable offsets.

We are at a fiscal inflection point and failure to rein in our runaway deficit spending and unsustainable debt could prove catastrophic for our economy, security and global leadership, Arrington added in his statement.

The House GOP chairs shot-across-the-bow response to the passage of the Senate budget marks the start of a difficult negotiation on a budget reconciliation package that would enact President Trumps legislative agenda.

Senate Republicans passed their budget resolution shortly after 2:30 a.m. Saturday by a 51-48 vote.

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Moderate Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who stated her concerns about potential cuts to Medicaid benefits, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who balked at a provision raising the federal debt limit, both voted against it.

Graham has defended his plan to use a current-policy baseline to score an extension of tax cuts as not adding to the deficit by arguing that would allow Senate Republicans to make those tax rates permanent.

The Senates Byrd Rule prohibits legislation passed under the budget reconciliation process from adding to the deficit in the years beyond the 10-year budget window.

The House must adopt the budget resolution passed by the Senate Saturday morning to unlock the budget reconciliation process, which would allow Republicans to pass Trumps legislative agenda through the Senate with a simple-majority vote and avoid a Democratic filibuster.

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If the House makes any changes to the Senate-passed budget before approving it, the measure would have to go back to the upper chamber for another debate and late-night series of amendment votes.

The budget resolution has drawn sharp criticism from other House conservatives.

Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said he would oppose passage of the Senate budget resolution in the House.

If the Senate can deliver real deficit reduction in line with or greater than the House goals, I can support the Senate budget resolution, Harris said in a post on social platform X. However, by the Senate setting committee instructions so low at $4 billion compared to the Houses $1.5-2 trillion, I am unconvinced that will happen.

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The Senate is free to put pen to paper to draft its reconciliation bill, but I cant support House passage of the Senate changes to our budget resolution until I see the actual spending and deficit reduction plans to enact President Trumps America First agenda, he added.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), another prominent fiscal hawk and member of the Freedom Caucus, also vowed to oppose the bill.

If the Senates Jekyll and Hyde budget is put on the House floor, I will vote no, he wrote on X.

He added that the Senates budget presents a fantastic top-line message  that we should return spending back to the pre-COVID trajectory it proposes ZERO enforcement to achieve it, and plenty of signals that it is designed purposefully NOT to achieve it.

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Roy also argued that while the House budget meanwhile lays out a floor of $200 billion in spending reductions.

That floor establishes important guardrails to force Congress to pump the brakes on runaway spending and to achieve critical reforms to badly broken Medicaid, food stamp and welfare programs currently being abused to subsidize illegals, the able-bodied and blue states.

Roy declared the Senates budget is a path to failure.

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Madeline Cantrell

Gaylord News

The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources has requested an investigation of reports alleging abuse at Bureau of Indian Education schools.

This request, in the form of a letter to the Comptroller General, Gene L. Dorado, alleged that schools dispensed medications to students without parental consent, did not take proper steps to prevent bullying, did not properly respond to suicidal behavior, and failed to follow proper background check protocol for staff and volunteers.

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The BIE Funded-School system includes 183 elementary and secondary schools that serve approximately 41,000 native american students across 23 states. Many students live on campus and heavily rely on their adult staff to provide a safe space for learning. Those were among the more than 526 Indian schools, often boarding schools, that were operated in the U.S, in the 19th and 20th century.

In Oklahoma, there are four currently active BIE schools across four tribal nations. All four schools are tribally operated but receive federal funding. At one time there were more than 80 Indian schools operated in Oklahoma by the government and religious groups.

The letter comes on the heels of an investigation into Haskell Indian Nations University that the 118th Congress conducted, which revealed misconduct at the university.

There is reason to further examine whether BIE schools are properly reporting and responding to risks to students safety, the letter signed by House Committee on Education and Workforce Chairman Tim Walberg, Republican from Michigan, states.

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The failure of BIE to consistently monitor and investigate such risks can have serious consequences for students, their families, and their communities including prolonged harm and long-term trauma to victims as well as erosion of trust in the staff responsible for safeguarding the well-being of students, they went on to say in their letter.

Lucas introduces bill to keep air traffic control school open in event of government shutdown

Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas, Republican, has introduced legislation to keep the air traffic control training center in Oklahoma City operating in the event of a government shutdown.

The legislation, H.R. 2563, would ensure the training center which is racing to train additional air traffic controllers at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center would keep operating even if funding for the government expired.

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The Academy serves a fundamental role in the overall safety of the aviation industry. We must protect it at all costs, Lucas said in a statement. The legislation is supported by the aviation industry trade group Airlines for America.

That didnt last long

Oklahoma Republican Congressman Tom Cole, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, led the effort in eliminating earmarks to secure passage of the stopgap spending bill last month.

But Cole is keeping in place the ban on non-profits receiving funding through the Community Project Funding. He imposed the ban on non-profit funding last year. Billions of dollars in projects were cut as the House and Senate worked to secure passage of the spending bill, which now expires on Sept. 30.

Cole told members that projects that were cut from the 2025 funding cycle are eligible to be resubmitted for 2026. Each Congressman is limited to 15 requests.

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Earmarks are now known as community project funding in the House and Congressionally directed spending in the Senate. But Cole has lowered the amount that can be spent to one-half of one percent of discretionary spending from the previous one percent.

Still, billions of dollars will be doled out for projects favored by Congress.
Several House conservatives blasted the latest GOP budget plan just hours after the Senate Republicans approved it early Saturday morning, with at least three saying they will oppose it on the House floor next week.

With Speaker Mike Johnson able to lose no more than three Republicans on a party-line vote with his 220-213 majority, the opposition throws further progress on President Donald Trump's domestic policy agenda into doubt. Johnson has said he wants the fiscal blueprint for the megabill done next week.

If the Senates Jekyll and Hyde budget is put on the House floor, I will vote no, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas said on X on Saturday, citing the lack of measures in the Senate plan for spending cuts. Failure is not an option. And the Senates budget is a path to failure.

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Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland posted soon after saying he "cant support House passage of the Senate changes to our budget resolution until I see the actual spending and deficit reduction plans to enact President Trumps America First agenda."

They joined Rep. Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania, who said he "certainly cant support it as written" on X Thursday evening.

Several other deficit hawks in the House criticized the plan, including House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), who called it "unserious and disappointing" Saturday morning but did not explicitly say he would oppose it should it be brought up for a vote as planned next week. Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) reposted Arrington's statement and said the Senate plan offered only "measly" spending cuts.

Other House Republicans have previously characterized the Senate plan as fiscally irresponsible and have been adamant that any budget plan aspire to deficit neutrality and closely tie tax cuts to spending cuts. However, the Senate plan would essentially kick the can down the road on those difficult decisions by providing different targets to critical committees in the House and Senate.

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For instance, while the Senate plan sets a modest $4 billion floor for spending reductions, the budget blueprint that House Republicans passed in February calls for $2 trillion in spending cuts.

There are also significant differences in the tax portion of the plan. The House budget provides its tax writing committee $4.5 trillion for spending on tax cuts. Meanwhile, the Senate budget uses an accounting tactic that zeroes out the cost of extending trillions in expiring tax cuts. It allows for potentially up to $800 billion more in tax cuts than the House plan.

In a letter to their members Saturday, Johnson and the other top three House GOP leaders said approval of the Senate blueprint would "allow us to finally begin the most important phase of this process: drafting the reconciliation bill that will deliver on President Trumps agenda and our promises to the American people."

"With the debt limit X-date approaching, border security resources diminishing, markets unsettled, and the largest tax increase on working families looming, time is of the essence," they wrote.

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But at least one Republican is suggesting the budget plan could be put on ice while lawmakers draft the big, beautiful bill Trump has called for. Harris suggested that approval of the budget resolution  a key prerequisite to launch the party-line reconciliation process in the Senate  could wait until that happens so fiscal hawks can evaluate the bill's fiscal parameters.

"If the Senate can deliver real deficit reduction in line with or greater than the House goals, I can support the Senate budget resolution," Harris said, adding that the "Senate is free to put pen to paper to draft its reconciliation bill" in the meantime.

However, it remains to be seen whether the GOP rebellion will be able to stand up to Trump, who previously leaned on key holdouts to muscle through an earlier House budget vote. Trump this week demanded that "[e]very Republican, House and Senate, must UNIFY" behind the Senate plan, and he is now facing even greater pressure to show progress given the dramatic backlash in the financial markets to his new global tariffs.

"Big business is not worried about the Tariffs, because they know they are here to stay, but they are focused on the BIG, BEAUTIFUL DEAL, which will SUPERCHARGE our Economy," he wrote Friday in an apparent reference to the planned megabill. "Very important."
Apr. 4After a school bus aide was charged with assaulting non-verbal teens, Howard County Public School System officials say they are investigating.

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Originally Published:April 4, 2025 at 1:13 PM EDT
Hundreds of people protested against US billionaire Elon Musk in front of a Tesla showroom in Berlin on Saturday.

Police said there were about 250 participants, while the organizers said there were several hundred. The rally in Berlin was called by an umbrella protest group including Campact, Fridays for Future and the Turn Off the Tap on Tesla alliance.

The organizers said the aim of the demonstration was to amplify the movement against US government adviser Musk and his company Tesla in Germany.

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"Elon Musk must no longer be allowed to undermine democratic structures unhindered," said Caro Weber from Turn Off the Tap on Tesla.

Berlin police said they had taken action against one protester who was holding a banner with photos of Musk performing a gesture similar to the Nazi salute.

A spokesman said the police were investigating whether the display of the image constituted a criminal offence.

Criticism of the Tesla boss has increased significantly since he began working as an adviser to US President Donald Trump.

Musk has been tasked by Trump with reducing government spending and has made drastic cuts without holding a political mandate.

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Protests against Musk have been held in several countries under the hashtag #TeslaTakedown, with calls for boycotts and repeated actions at Tesla locations.

The protesters in Berlin spoke of an attack by Musk on democracy.
Over 1,000 protests took place across the nation Saturday, as part of the Hands Off National Day of Action rallies.

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Hundreds gathered outside the Duval County Courthouse Saturday morning as part of the nationwide movement, voicing their concerns about the second Trump administration.

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Among the issues the protestors spoke about were the recent state of the economy. These concerns come as many economists warn of a possible recession after President Trump announced widespread reciprocal tariffs on foreign nations. President Trump has claimed those tariffs will make the economy far stronger, bigger, better, and more resilient.

They put a 10% tariff on a little island that only has penguins, protestor Marry Libby complained at Saturdays gathering. I am concerned about the economy, the market.

On top of economic concerns: worries about DOGE governmental cuts on the federal level, as well as anger aimed at Elon Musk.

Musks efforts to trim the size of government are also now being duplicated locally in Duval County, with city councilmember Ron Salem establishing a local department of governmental efficiency.

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Musk was not elected, this was a situation that did not exist until Trump came in, pointed out protestor Jess Boaz. And the fact Jacksonville now sees this as something they can follow suit with just proves how widespread this, Ill call it a pandemic, actually goes.

While Saturday served as an organized day of protest to raise awareness about those concerns, organizers said they feel its important to continue getting their message out to the general public.

Action News Jax also found a counter-protester in the crowd at Saturdays protest and asked if theyd be willing to interview on their views, but they werent willing to go on camera.

Below is a statement from Florida House Representative Dean Black (R-Jacksonville) regarding the protests:

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For too long, international trade has been unfairly stacked against the American worker. Under President Trump that is going to stop. Its common sense. For too long, the federal government has wasted untold billions of dollars. Under President Trump, that is going to stop. Thats common sense too. Todays protests are nothing but the noise of people representing a Democrat Party that cares nothing about common sense or the average working American.

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Hundreds of law firms and former judges have signed onto friend-of-the-court briefs in support of Perkins Coie as the law firm challenges President Trumps executive order targeting it.

More than 500 law firms and 300 retired judges asked for leave to file two amicus briefs condemning Trumps order stripping security clearances from and severing government ties with the major law firm, which previously did work for Democrats.

Although we do not take this step lightly, our abiding commitment to preserving the integrity of the American legal system leaves us no choice but to join together to oppose the (executive order) that is at issue in this litigation, wrote Donald Verrilli, a former solicitor general under former President Obama, in the law firms brief.

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The brief asks U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, who is overseeing the Perkins Coie challenge, to decide the case in the law firms favor and indefinitely block Trumps order.

Few Big Law firms signed the brief, though Covington & Burling, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block  others targeted by Trump in executive orders  did. The firms Arnold & Porter and Freshfields LLP also signed the brief.

Gupta Wessler LLP, whose founding principal, Deepak Gupta, is leading numerous challenges to Trumps executive actions, signed the brief as well.

The amicus brief signed by the judges, whose views on political and social issues vary, argued that zealous legal representation is an indispensable element of the rule of law.

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Amici share an interest in ensuring both the substance and the appearance of justice in the adjudication of disputes, their brief reads. This requires  always  preserving the freedom of lawyers to advocate for their clients with candor and with zeal, thus providing judges with the complete legal and factual record needed for fair adjudication.

Trumps crackdown on major law firms has raised alarm across the legal industry, but Big Law has split on how to respond.

While Perkins Coie, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, have each sued over Trumps executive orders against them, the law firms Paul, Weiss; Skadden Arps; Willkie Farr & Gallagher; and Milbank have struck deals with Trump. The settlements commit to pro bono work for causes championed by the administration and other agreements.

In the Perkins Coie challenge, a federal judge has temporarily blocked parts of Trumps executive order from being enforced. The administration may not prevent Perkins Coie personnel from entering federal government buildings nor require government contractors to disclose if they do business with the firm.

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Howell, who issued the temporary restraining order, said at the time that Trumps executive order against Perkins Coie likely violates the First Amendment for retaliating against protected speech and likely runs afoul of due process protections.

The judiciary should act with resolve  now  to ensure that this abuse of executive power ceases, Verrilli wrote on behalf of the law firms.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Protestors gather at the steps of the Alabama Capitol on Saturday, April 5, 2025 for a "Hands Off" protest against the actions of policies of President Donald Trump. The gathering drew more than 500 people. (Ralph Chapoco/Alabama Reflector)

More than 500 people descended on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol Saturday to protest the actions and policies of President Donald Trump.

The Hands Off protest Saturday in Montgomery was one of six others planned in the state and more than 500 throughout the country in opposition to the administrations wide-ranging attacks on federal agencies and departments, attempts to deport immigrants and efforts to roll back LGBTQ+ rights, particularly for transgender Americans.

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Freedom is at stake, our constitution and our rights, the right to just exist, said Annie Pearl Avery, a civil rights activist, in an interview following the event. And we have a criminal and a crooked man in the White House. And his intention is to turn us back 150 years.

Attendees sitting and standing on the steps of the Capitol held signs disparaging Trump and billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, which has thrown thousands of federal employees out of work. Others hoisted Hands Off posters that pertained to Social Security, education and the economy in keeping with the theme of the event.

Today, we are standing because we have issues of every kind, said civil rights advocate Wanda Battle to the crowd. Look around this place, we have every set of issues that can be imagined. Today, we are telling the Trump administrationhands off.

Since taking office in January, Trump has issued several executive orders to dramatically reshape the operations of the federal agencies and alter public policy. Speakers focused on the administrations attempted deportations of immigrants. Trump is attempting to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport immigrants from Venezuela to a prison in El Salvador, claiming they were a threat to public safety because they belonged to a gang.

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The story is that these were undocumented Venezuelan men who were part of a criminal gang, said Lynn Hopkins, a minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Montgomery, in a speech to the crowd. It didnt take long to find out, and it surprised none of us, that they were not all gang members, they were not all undocumented, they were not all Venezuelan and, for Gods sake, they were not even all men.

The crowd also criticized Trumps efforts to abolish the U.S. Department of Education. In early March, the agency announced that it was reducing its workforce by about 1,300, going from 4,100 to almost 2,200 employees.

We have a lot of rural communities who are impacted, said Mary Gannon, who attended the protest in Montgomery while visiting from New Hampshire. We have a lot of kids who are living in poverty, a lot of kids who are dealing with food insecurity. For me, right now, defunding the Department of Education is really a concern, but it is all connected.

Trump and Musk also drew the ire of the crowd with their attempts to downsize the federal labor force in what they claim are attempts to streamline government. They expressed concerns about funding reductions to meet their basic needs, from Medicaid to Social Security.

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Attendees also criticized attacks on marginalized populations.

I have transgender kids and adults in my church who are terrified right now, who feel they are being made scapegoats, and are worried about getting the health care they need, and are looking to move because they find their government attacking them day after day with new ways to make them a target, said Shane Isner, a senior minister at First Christian Church in Montgomery.

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The Quad Cities Builders and Remodelers Association will present the first Build My Future/Care for My Future event in the Quad Cities from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, at the QCCA Expo Center in Rock Island.

Build My Future (Quad City Builders & Remodelers Association)

Build My Future is a one day, interactive, construction career day that connects schools with the construction industry. There will also be an entire area dedicated to the medical field sponsored by the Quad Cities Healthcare Sector Board. Build My Future began in 2017 in Springfield, Missouri, and has since expanded nationally to 11 states.

All Quad Cities and surrounding area 8th-12th grade students were invited from both Iowa and Illinois schools, with more than 1,300 students registered.

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Build My Future is an opportunity for students to get their hands dirty and explore a wide variety of career opportunities in the construction industry and medical field.

Students will have the opportunity to work with tools, operate machinery, understand how drones are used on construction sites, experience electrical, plumbing, welding, HVAC, masonry, framing, roofing, architecture, flooring, and other professions such as nursing and various medical pathways.

Some students have also signed up with teams to participate in competitions in general contracting, HVAC/plumbing, and electrical.

These hands-on experiences can help 8th-grade students decide on future high school classes and help freshmen, sophomores, and juniors gain more knowledge on possible career paths. This event is especially beneficial to high school seniors, so they can make better decisions about what their future may look like and possibly connect with businesses that are hiring.

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Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna believes that the European Union is nearing the point of depriving Hungary of its voting rights in the EU Council due to its obstruction of decisions related to Russia.

Source: Tsahkna in an interview with German newspaper Rheinische Post, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Tsahkna noted the growing recognition across Europe of Russia as a threat and the urgent need to "arm ourselves now", rejecting claims of a supposed division on the continent.

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"Let's be honest: to be divided, you need two big parties. With Hungary, we have a very weak country that is part of Putin's team, not part of our European team," he emphasised.

The Estonian foreign minister also pointed out that Hungary currently has the ability to block unanimous decisions, including those on European foreign and security policy.

"However, Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union allows a member state to be deprived of its voting rights if its membership endangers the security of Europe and other members. This is exactly what [Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor] Orban is doing," Tsahkna explained.

In his opinion, the possibility of invoking Article 7 "is getting closer and closer".

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For reference: Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union allows for the suspension of certain rights of a member state if it is found to be in serious and persistent breach of the EU's fundamental values.

Background: On 14 March, the Financial Times reported that Hungary's refusal to extend a series of EU sanctions against Russia has sparked increased discussions among member states regarding the potential need to strip Hungary of its voting rights in key EU decisions.

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The Milwaukee County Courthouse. (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner)

Two people have been arrested at the Milwaukee County Courthouse by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, the sheriffs office said Friday. Although the Milwaukee County Sheriffs Office (MCSO) was aware of the first arrest, the office states that it was not given advance notice of the second arrest. MCSO stressed in a statement that it did not participate in either arrest, and that its not uncommon for local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to search available databases for upcoming court hearings of individuals they are seeking.

MCSO has not responded to a request for more details. A spokesperson for ICE said the agency was unable to confirm the arrests without additional information about the specific targets. Fears of immigration operations have been heightened since President Donald Trump announced that the government would pursue mass deportations. ICE has made hundreds of arrests in recent months, including of people who were not convicted of any crime and activists who participated in protests on college campuses.

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Local groups and officials are condemning the arrests at the courthouse. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said that the courthouse stands as a cornerstone of justice where residents come to seek information, resources and fair participation in the legal process. Crowley said that an attack on this safe, community-serving space undermines public trust, breeds fear among citizens and staff and disrupts the due process essential to our courts. Crowley called on local leaders to protect Milwaukees institutions, as well as due process for people in the judicial process.

The Wisconsin Examiners Criminal Justice Reporting Project shines a light on incarceration, law enforcement and criminal justice issues with support from the Public Welfare Foundation.

Tim Muth, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin, said in a statement that such actions create fear among immigrant members of our community coming to the courthouse to seek justice as crime victims or witnesses. Muth added, Research by the ACLU has shown that when ICE is known to be active in courthouses, members of the immigrant community are less likely to report crimes, less likely to cooperate with police and prosecutors, and less likely to make their court appearances. Our communities become less safe as a consequence.

In 2017, according to the ACLUs Freezing Out Justice report, a survey sample of police officers reported that immigrants appeared less likely to report crimes after immigration operations conducted during Trumps first term. Crime victims and witnesses were reluctant to assist police due to the fear of being deported. Legal service providers who worked with immigrant communities also reported encountering that victims chose to stay in abusive or dangerous situations rather than expose themselves to ICE operations.

Muth and the ACLU call on the Milwaukee County court system and sheriffs office to prevent similar actions in the future. The last thing we want is to interfere with the legal process or sow doubt in those summoned to the courthouse about whether or not they will receive fair, impartial justice, said Crowley. I will continue working with our partners across the county and state to maintain safety and justice for all.

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The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression also condemned the arrests. We take this to be a sign of heightened racist and political repression against immigrants, the Alliance said in a statement. Furthermore, we are concerned by the Milwaukee County Sheriffs Office acceptance of these arrests, stating that its not uncommon practice for agencies to access databases of people scheduled to appear before court. There is already very little trust with the MCSO, and now people have to fear for their safety inside the courthouse?

The activist group, which has called for civilian oversight of law enforcement in Milwaukee County, stressed that people use the courthouse for all sorts of reasons, most of which are not related to criminal activity. With todays arrests, there is a further stigma placed on immigrants who enter the courthouse, making them feel even more criminalized, the Alliance said in a statement. We need city and county officials like the Sheriff to take a clear stance against ICE operating in Milwaukee. Sheriff [Denita] Ball has the authority to not collaborate with ICE, but this is a sign that she may very well choose to do so.

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Allison Herrera

MPR News

Two Martin County foster parents are getting another audience in front of the Minnesota Supreme Court Tuesday, after arguing last fall that a nearly 50-year-old law that prevented them from adopting two Native children is unconstitutional.

If the couple succeeds in their challenge, it could drastically alter the constitutionality of the law, which is meant to preserve tribal sovereignty and address decades of Native children being severed from their cultures.

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The twins at the center of this case were initially placed with foster parents until a lower court ruled they should be placed with a relative. The white foster couple, Kellie and Nathan Reyelts of Fairmont, wanted to adopt the children and claim theyve been prevented from doing so because of the Indian Child Welfare Act, or ICWA, and a state companion law known as the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act, or MIFPA. They say the law is unfair.

The couple says the placement preferences required under the two laws  that the children be placed with an immediate family member or a foster home approved by the tribe  violate their 5th and 14th Amendment rights.

The twins were removed from the Reyelts home after the Red Lake Nation, the tribal nation their mother is from and which they are eligible to become citizens of, said they should be placed with an aunt. The twins are now living with their grandmother and have been since September of 2023. An older sibling also resides with them.

Two lower courts already ruled against the Reyelts claims that the two laws discriminate against them in the adoption process because of their race.

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Last fall, they took their case to the Minnesota Supreme Court. Before the court ruled, they asked for a second hearing  Tuesdays  to make the same constitutional claims and add two more issues: Did the district court err in denying their motion for permissive intervention, and did the district court err in dismissing their third party custody petition?

The constitutional issue being considered again: Are the placement preferences of ICWA and MIFPA unconstitutional? The placement preference is with an immediate family member or a placement preference chosen by the Red Lake Nation.

Joseph Plumer, the attorney for the Red Lake Nation, said the reason the plaintiffs attorneys are bringing this case is simple  they want to bring this case before the United States Supreme Court.

During last falls oral arguments, Associate Justice Anne McKeig, herself a descendant of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, directly asked Plumer if he thought it was their intention.

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Counsel, can I ask you a question thats probably going to be controversial, but Im going to ask it anyway. Does there seem to be some  gamesmanship may not be the right word  but do you see this court as an avenue to try to get the issue of constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act before the United States Supreme Court? McKeig asked.

Yes, Plumer responded. Thats exactly what the appellants are trying to do in this case.

Shannon Smith, the executive director of the ICWA Law Center, which provides legal services and advocacy to Native families impacted by the child protection system, agrees.

They are looking, I think, for something that somehow can be distinguishable from the decision in Haaland v. Brackeen, Smith said.

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She is referring to the case involving a white Texas couple who had successfully adopted a Navajo child. Their attorneys, including Mark Fiddler, a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe and the attorney representing the Reyelts, argued the laws were race-based and unconstitutional. Even though they lost the case, the court found that the petitioners claims of equal protection lacked standing, which is why the Reyelts can challenge the placement and claim discrimination.

Fiddler declined to comment to MPR News.

Smith says foster parents are an important part of the system of keeping children safe and providing stability. But, their role is temporary.

Youre temporarily stepping in to care for a child where the intent is for the child to be reunified with a parent or place the relative, she said.
Day after day inside Idahos Capitol, a group of hardline conservative lawmakers calling themselves the Gang of 8 rejected dozens of proposed budgets this legislative session.

They told fellow lawmakers that they wanted no new government employees, no federal money and limited spending. Meanwhile, the Legislature approved $450 million worth of new tax cuts, which will come out of the states general fund every year.

In interviews with the Idaho Statesman, several said their approach was at least partly inspired by President Donald Trumps cost-cutting actions.

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The DOGE phenomenon is sweeping across the nation, said Sen. Joshua Kohl, R-Twin Falls, referring to the Trump administrations Department of Government Efficiency. We want to be part of that in Idaho. We want to truly be a leader in the conservative movement, really slashing the growth of government.

During the debate on H449 (an appropriations bill that was ultimately defeated), the term "pledge" came up a few times. Representative Heather Scott (R - District 2) asked a question many are wondering about: What is this pledge, and who is the pledge to?



Representative Faye pic.twitter.com/DqbsOeZcVY  Stop Idaho RINOs (@stopidahorinos) March 27, 2025

But the groups approach clashed with other lawmakers desire to ensure government agencies had the funding they said they needed to perform their duties.

I like to give the agencies what they need, within reason, and it doesnt feel to me like we were giving them their asks, Rep. Marco Erickson, R-Idaho Falls, told the Statesman.

These diverging philosophies were a key source of disagreement this legislative session, sparking fierce debate and contributing to the extension of the legislative session past its target end date.

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In a whirlwind of last-minute budget approvals, Idaho lawmakers Friday wrapped up this years regular legislative session, three months marked by fierce debate over how to fund state agencies and departments. The adjournment date was two weeks past their goal of ending by March 21.

Our job is to run the government and our state. So we have to pass budgets, said Rep. Lori McCann, R-Lewiston. This session probably killed more budgets than I can ever remember. She said she wished lawmakers would use a pocket knife instead of a chainsaw to balance the budget, she told the Statesman.

Idaho lawmakers have long sought to keep budgets trim, but many this year invoked the idea of DOGE when rejecting budgets they deemed excessive, Sen. Carrie Semmelroth, D-Boise, told the Statesman. McCann attributed that in part to a growing number of far-right legislators joining the body.

Those who wanted to cut agencies budgets expressed distrust of the funds those agencies requested through the Legislatures powerful budget-setting group, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. The committee approves budget proposals before they move to the House and Senate floors.

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Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, who co-chairs the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, has said that lawmakers on JFAC have done their job of holding agencies accountable for the money. Horman on Thursday touted the work they accomplished on budgets.

We have work that we can all be proud of, Horman said on the floor. We have been able to fund essential government services while returning as much money to the taxpayer as possible.

Idaho laws on school choice, Medicaid, medical freedom

In the last few days of the session, lawmakers also sped through approving a controversial measure that banned businesses and schools from requiring medical interventions, including vaccines and any action taken to prevent the spread of diseases. The first version of the proposal was the only bill Little vetoed so far this year.

The bill would have converted the states Coronavirus Stop Act into a broader Medical Freedom Act, a law that prohibits businesses from requiring COVID-19 vaccines, and bans requiring medical interventions and action taken to prevent the spread of disease. Little said the bill would have forbid schools and day cares from sending contagious children home.

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To override a veto, lawmakers must vote on the bill again and secure two-thirds majority support in both chambers. An attempt to do so for the medical freedom bill failed in the Senate. Lawmakers then passed a new version of the bill that allows some exceptions for schools.

When asked about a potential veto of the latest bill, Assistant Majority Leader Josh Tanner, R-Eagle, told reporters in a news conference that I think everyones in agreement and the issues are resolved. Little signed the bill into law 15 minutes after it arrived on his desk.

Idaho Republicans ultimately accomplished passing several of their longstanding proposals, including the use of public funds for private school tuition, also known as school vouchers; cuts to the states voter-approved Medicaid expansion; and the creation of a state crime for illegal entry, directing local police to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The ACLU of Idaho immediately sued the state and temporarily blocked the immigration law from taking place.

They continued on the bodys streak of tax cuts, which Little has called historic, with a measure on property tax relief, a reduction on income tax and an increase of the states grocery tax credit.

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We did a really good job this year, House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, told reporters Friday. It was a good year for Idaho.

Lawmakers also said they tried to address Idahos doctor shortage. After years of the state operating under one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country, prompting an exodus of OB-GYNs, the Legislature passed a bill that would allow judges to dismiss frivolous lawsuits against medical professionals being sued for an illegal procedure. Susie Keller, CEO of the Idaho Medical Association, told the Statesman that the bill doesnt address doctors concerns about liability.

The law, which threatens doctors with up to five years in prison and loss of their medical license, allows abortions only in cases of reported rape or incest, ectopic pregnancies, or when saving the life of the pregnant patient. The narrow exemptions have created uncertainty and anxiety among doctors about what treatment is legally allowed, and when, Keller said.

Thats a high bar, Keller previously told the Statesman. What I hear our doctors say is, How close to death does she have to be? Has she lost 10% of her blood? Has she lost (more)?

Budgeting approach extended session, some lawmakers say

Last year, Idaho lawmakers decided to shake up their budgeting approach. Going forward, budget committee members decided they would separate out maintenance budgets to keep agency operations intact, then consider any funding above last years in a separate supplemental budget bill.

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That approach, some told the Statesman, has created the impression that keeping budgets flat year over year is enough to keep agencies operating. For example, the members of the Gang of 8 have promised to reject any budget that exceeds 1% growth over baseline funding in an effort to keep government spending flat and save money.

But the additional enhancement funds that agencies request are often critical, lawmakers said  such as money requested in Senate Bill 1160 to replace 60 aging vehicles in the Department of Health and Welfare.

Those cars are eventually going to have to be replaced, and theyre just going to cost more money in the future as costs rise, said Rep. Ben Fuhriman, R-Shelley, who expressed disapproval of this and other examples of deferred maintenance to keep budgets flat.

A supplemental budget for the states Liquor Division, similarly, faced repeated pushback in part over its inclusion of shrink wrap  which the division uses to streamline packaging and prevent theft.

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Items like these are mandatory to keep things going smoothly, said Senate Minority Caucus Chair Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise.

There was an internal battle in the Legislature when it weighed this approach to budgeting last year, Erickson said, because of concerns that it would slow the process and block funding for important government functions.

There were several of us who said this is going to happen, he said. And thats what weve seen play out.

Idaho Democrats in a news conference said their party leaders are the ones who have stood up for Idaho values, in the face of irresponsible governing by the Republican Party. They touted standing up for health care and public schools, and in a news release criticized GOP infighting that brought chaos to the budget-setting process.

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Republicans siphoned money needed for public education to subsidize private school tuition for the wealthy, they eliminated affordable housing funds, and actually managed to make our physician shortage worse, all while leaving us facing future revenue shortfalls, Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, said in the release. They have abandoned the values they once claimed to stand for: fiscal responsibility, local control and limited government. It is Idaho Democrats who champion these values.
MAYODAN N.C. (WGHP)  Rockingham County Schools has revealed the identity of the two staff members who are under investigation.

The two people under investigation are Gloria L Holloway, a custodian and bus driver, and Andrew J Mercer, a JROTC teacher. Holloway was dismissed on March 27 and Mercer has been suspended with pay since March 25.

North Carolina nurse anesthetist accused of forcible rape now charged with child sex crime

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The Rockingham County Sheriffs Office released the following statement on Friday:

The allegations reported to the school board of 2 separate incidents is still being investigated at this time. No other information can be shared by the sheriffs dept at this time. However, we do anticipate criminal charges will be obtained in the next few days. Rockingham County Sheriffs Office

Background

On Wednesday afternoon, Dalton McMichael High School parents like Angel Puckett received a phone call regarding two teachers.

Basically, we got a phone call that they were on leave of absence because of inappropriate behavior, Puckett said.

Its an accusation Puckett says her grandson had known for more than a week.

According to a statement released by Rockingham County Schools on March 21, the district was made aware of accusations involving two staff members at DMHS.

Upon learning the accusations, RCS immediately removed the employees from the school and placed them on administrative leave pending a full investigation.

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Due to the nature of the accusations, the Rockingham County Sheriffs Office is now assisting.

The school district has not revealed what the two employees are accused of, but Puckett says one of them was well-liked.

Its actually a teacher thats been there for years. All of us thought so highly of them, Puckett said.

Though Puckett is glad the two staff members are suspended as the investigation continues,

shes demanding transparency from the school system for parents like herself and students like her grandson.

I think all the kids today are floored, Puckett said.

RCS says the investigation is ongoing. A spokesperson says any employee who violates RCS policy regarding contact with students will be immediately referred to law enforcement.

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The full RCS statement is provided below:

On March 21, RCS was made aware of allegations involving two staff members of Dalton McMichael High School. Upon learning of the allegations, RCS immediately removed the employees from the school and placed them on administrative leave pending a full investigation. Due to the nature of the allegations, RCS promptly contacted the Rockingham County Sheriffs Office and provided all known information to assist with their investigation. As a district, we have high expectations for all employees, particularly regarding student safety, said John O. Stover, III, Superintendent of Rockingham County Schools. We want our students, parents, and community to know that we take these matters seriously. Any employee who is found to have violated RCS policy regarding conduct towards students will be immediately referred to law enforcement and held to the highest standard allowed by law. At this time, no further details can be provided due to the ongoing investigation. RCS appreciates the cooperation and understanding of the community as the situation is thoroughly reviewed. RCS

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA)  State Senator Doris Turners two measures in response to the murder of Sonya Massey advanced on Thursday.

Both measures passed through the Senate Executive Committee on April 3. Senate Bill 1953 would require law enforcement to conduct a more comprehensive review of a prospective officers past employment to ensure their physical and psychological fitness for duty as a police officer before making any offer of employment.

IL DCFS attorney fired after report claims she worked at bank on State time

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To guarantee the highest level of integrity and professionalism in the hiring process of sheriffs deputies and other personnel, the legislation would expand the creation of sheriffs merit boards as well as sheriffs merit commissions for counties with a minimum population of 75,000.

Sonyas tragic murder brought to light the unjust hiring practices within the Sangamon County Sheriffs Office, Turner (D-Springfield) said. The legislative measures come from conversations with state and county officials, law enforcement and community members. We have to take the necessary steps to ensure this never happens again.

On top of this, Turner is leading Senate Bill 1954 which would allow a county board to place a referendum creating a recall process on the ballot for the 2026 General Election. If a majority of votes approve the referendum, the county will adopt a recall process for countywide elected officials.

Crime Stoppers offering more money for Wyndham hotel vandalism tips

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In order to recall a countywide elected official, electors of the county would be required to submit petitions containing signatures equal to at least 15% of the total votes cast for governor in the preceding election.

Both Senate Bill 1953 and Senate Bill 1954 passed the Senate Executive Committee and are now headed to the full Senate.

Our community needs to have trust in those who are elected to serve, Turner said. My hope is that these measures will honor Sonyas life by showing our commitment to enhancing that trust.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
There are now big, bold and bronze OKC letters greeting residents and visitors as they enter Sixth Street from Interstate 235, but its much more than a road sign.

The new installation is part of a revitalization effort on Sixth Street to signify a gateway to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. Under the railroad bridge, Be the Light is illuminated and the goal is to honor the past while also inspiring the future.

For Blayne Arthur, daughter of Dr. Margaret L. Peggy Clark, who died in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing on April 19, 1995, the new project is a culmination of the work many good people have done since that day, she said.

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I think we have had so many positive things happen in the last 30 years, she told The Oklahoman. The community, the Oklahoma Standard, how weve all come together to say we want this to be the place where people want to live, where they want to raise their kids, where they want to have their businesses, and I think we've seen tremendous success, she said.

A sign is revealed Friday during an event hosted by the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum to celebrate the Illumination of Sixth Street downtown gateway in Oklahoma City.

Arthur said people could have responded negatively to what happened, but said she loves the focus on being the light and working collaboratively.

I think in the next 10 years, we'll just see increased growth of the city, increased opportunity to be inclusive of all people and what they want to have happen and make this one of the best places that you can live, she said. Arthur serves as Gov. Kevin Stitts secretary of agriculture and chief adviser.

Kari Watkins, president and CEO of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, told The Oklahoman the new installation is more than just artwork. The installation opened on Friday, April 4.

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The art and placemaking really have the power to shape emotions and turn a street into a story, Watkins said. Its about creating this powerful experience. One that honors the past while inspiring the future.

'This is our message to people as they come in and out every day'

When residents and visitors exit from I-235, they see the OKC sign and can take Sixth Street to Harvey Avenue, straight to the Oklahoma City National Memorial. That stretch of road is also being renovated, and improvements include re-surfaced streets, Oklahoma City signage and lighting. In 2023, more than 503,000 visitors were directed to use the Sixth Street exit if approaching from the north, or the Harrison Avenue exit if coming from the south, east or west, Watkins wrote in a letter to the city.

As people travel under the railroad bridge, Be the Light signage can now be seen.

That is our message to people as they come in and out every day. Go do something good. Go be kind, Watkins said.

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She said the upcoming 30th anniversary is a big milestone, adding the city is putting downtown back together piece by piece, and one of the key pieces is the gateway. Watkins said shes excited about the new installation and reflected on how far the city has come since the bombing. Some of the economic recovery can be seen in Automobile Alley and other areas.

A sign is lit Friday during an event hosted by the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum to celebrate the Illumination of Sixth Street downtown gateway.

How the OKC memorial gateway was built

The gateway is the result of a partnership between The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum and Downtown OKC Partnership, The Oklahoman reported in January.

Were pleased to be able to do our part and so many people have given to us and been so kind to us that we want to give back to others, Watkins said.

The significance of the bombing is still relevant today, she added. Were living in a world of divisiveness and anti-government, so the memorial and its mission is very relevant.

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When people see it, Watkins said she wants them to think of a city that has seen the very best of humanity when it was faced with the worst of times.

We have to figure out how to find common ground and work together, she said. In the word community is the word unity. Its up to us to work together.

The gateway installation and Sixth Street renovation were revealed shortly after the memorial and museum announced a new expansion called Foreword, which will feature a new orientation theater, exhibit enhancements, upgraded security features, additional elevators, a state-of-the-art civics lab, a new film studio and a redesigned store, The Oklahoman reported in January.

Crews work March 25 on the repaving of Sixth Street near Harvey Avenue in Oklahoma City.

Dr. Susan Chambers, chair of the memorial board, said places of remembrance deserve more than a road sign. They deserve a gateway that tells their story, she said, adding its also a call to action for the present.

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Its about how we show up for each other in our city, in our community, in our world, she said. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, you have the power to be the light.

Public Works Director Debbie Miller said she remembers the day of the bombing and how devastating it was, but Oklahoma City has grown to be vibrant and resilient. She said its a testament to the city itself.

Downtown OKC Partnership President Jennifer Nakayama thanked those involved with the project and said the work is also a result of municipal government sharing resources with nonprofit organizations that move the community along.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma City's Sixth Street sees improvements, new art installation
By Uditha Jayasinghe and Shivam Patel

COLOMBO/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India and the United Arab Emirates agreed to develop an energy hub in Sri Lanka, India's foreign ministry said on Saturday, as New Delhi's competition with China grows in the Indian Ocean island nation.

The three nations signed the pact for the hub during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Sri Lanka, the first by a global leader since Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake took office in September.

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New Delhi and Colombo have worked to deepen ties as India's southern neighbour recovers from a severe financial crisis triggered in 2022, during which India provided $4 billion in financial assistance.

Saturday's agreement boosts New Delhi's competition with China, whose state energy firm Sinopec (600028.SS) has signed a deal to build a $3.2-billion oil refinery in Sri Lanka's southern port city of Hambantota.

The energy hub in the strategically important city of Trincomalee, a natural harbour in the Sri Lanka's east, will involve construction of a multi-product pipeline and may include using a World War Two tank farm partly held by the Sri Lankan subsidiary of Indian Oil Corp, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters in Colombo.

"The UAE is a strategic partner for India in the energy space and therefore was an ideal partner for this exercise that is being done for the first time in the region," Misri said. "The exact contours of UAE's role will be elaborated once the business to business discussions kick off."

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The three nations will next choose business entities that will consider the financing and feasibility of projects for the hub, he said.

Modi also inaugurated a $100 million solar power project, a joint venture between Ceylon Electricity Board and India's National Thermal Power Corp.

India and Sri Lanka also concluded their debt restructuring process, Foreign Secretary Misri said. Sri Lanka owes about $1.36 billion in loans to EXIM Bank of India and State Bank of India, according to Sri Lanka Finance Ministry data.

Colombo kicked off debt restructuring talks after it defaulted on its debt in May 2022, signing a preliminary deal with bilateral creditors Japan, India and China last June.

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India and Sri Lanka also signed pacts on power grid connectivity, digitalisation, security and healthcare.

(Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe in Colombo and Shivam Patel in New Delhi; Editing by William Mallard)
One of New York Citys most notorious cop killers  the gangbanger who murdered Police Officer Edward Byrne as he sat in his patrol car in Queens in 1988  could become the 44th convicted cop killer sprung from prison in the last eight years when he faces the parole board later this month, The Post has learned.

The ruthless assassination of the rookie cop by David McClary on the orders of a drug kingpin stunned a city in the throes of the crack epidemic in the 1980s  and became a national symbol of the eras lawlessness.

Byrne was just 22 and on the force for just a month when he was ambushed by McClary and three accomplices on Feb. 26, 1988. He was guarding the South Jamaica home of a witness who was planning to testify against druglord Howard Pappy Mason.

NYPD officer Eddie Byrne was killed on the orders of a drug kingpin in 1988 in the midst of NYCs crack epidemic.

McClary snuck up on Byrne as he sat alone in a marked patrol car and shot him five times in the head.

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Byrnes killing struck such a chord that then-President Ronald Reagan called his family to offer condolences. President George H.W. Bush later brought the officers badge with him to the Oval Office, where he kept it on his desk.

Mason, 65, who ordered the cops murder from jail, was sentenced to life in prison for drug-racketeering charges that included Byrnes murder. He is currently being held at Devens, a federal prison in Ayers, Mass., records show. The three accomplices were all convicted of murder.

President George H.W. Bush later brought the officers badge with him to the Oval Office and kept it on his desk. AP

The getaway driver, Scott Cobb, was paroled in 2023. Two other men, Todd Scott and Phillip Copeland, remain behind bars  for now.

McClary, now 59 and at the Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo, has served 36 years of a maximum life sentence. He comes up for parole on an unknown date later this month  his eighth hearing so far.

David McClary was convicted of the police officers murder and is in prison.

The Byrne family, speaking out for the first time in decades, is outraged he is even being allowed to sniff freedom.

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This was someone who was clearly the most culpable and dangerous out of the group, but to this day he still denies any knowledge of what was going to happen that night  even though it was very clear that they all sat around the table and planned this and drew straws on who was going to execute my brother, Kenneth Byrne told The Post.

Byrne was guarding the home of a witness who was planning to testify against drug kingpin Howard Pappy Mason. New York Post

This was an absolutely shocking crime, executing a uniformed police officer in a marked car protecting a witness who was being tortured by this drug gang, said Byrne, 56 and a lawyer, adding that the witness home was firebombed.

He should not be released. I dont care what alleged accomplishments he has in prison, said Byrne, who is preparing a victim impact statement he will send to the parole board.

The scene where Police Officer Edward Byrne was shot and killed while sitting in his NYPD patrol car. New York Post

The NYPD holds a vigil every year at the scene where Byrne was killed just after midnight. Seth Gottfried

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed 12 of the state parole boards current 16 members.

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The board has released 43 cop-killers since 2017, after Cuomo reshaped how the board decides whether to grant parole.

The new guidelines, which were backed by liberal activists, require the board to consider an inmates progress behind bars, as well as their risk to society, with such factors outweighing the egregiousness of the original crime, sources told The Post. The board also considers age  and many paroled inmates have been 60 or older.

Andrew Cuomo stacked the parole board with radicals and changed the rules to favor criminals over cops  and now 43 cop killers have walked free because of it, Republican mayoral hopeful Curtis Sliwa said. No one who murders a police officer should ever see the light of day again.

Cuomo through a spokesperson declined to address the criticism, except point out all of his appointments to the independent board  were confirmed by the state Senate under both Republican and Democratic control.

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Todd Shapiro, a spokesman for Mayor Adams, said that as a former NYPD officer who has personally experienced the profound loss of colleagues in the line of duty . . . Adams urges the parole board to deny David McClarys release.

We must uphold the principle that the murder of a police officer is an intolerable offense, warranting the full measure of justice. Our commitment to the safety and respect of our law enforcement community necessitates unwavering support and the assurance that such sacrifices are forgotten.

Byrnes brother said he gets the transcripts of cop-killers parole hearings.

Since the standard for parole changed under Gov. Cuomo, Ive read I dont know how many transcripts . . . because I get a copy of what each defendant says before I submit my statement, and they all focus on the progress theyve made in jail, whether its programs or classes or maybe they didnt get in a fight, he said.

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And it completely disregards that my brother never got the opportunity to develop his life. . . . He planned to get engaged and to get married and have a family and he never got to go any further, and so his development ended.

Kenneth Byrne, brother of police officer Edward Byrne, at an annual vigil for him the corner of 107th Avenue and Inwood Street in 2021. Sipa USA via AP

Byrne added angrily, Thats great theyre completing programs, but it completely disregards any victim of a homicide, how their future was taken from them, and the impact it has on their families and their lives and their futures.

Quite frankly, I think the systems upside down.

I mean, you have a legislature sitting in Albany who are aware of this, have the ability to pass legislation and change it, and to this day . . . no one has done anything and theyre just accelerating releases of dangerous people, especially cop killers, he said.

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The night Eddie Byrne left for his last shift on Feb. 26, 1988, his retired police officer father told him the same thing to him he always said: Have a safe tour, his brother said.

David McClary was one of four men who went to trial in connection with the death of Police Officer Edward Byrne. New York Post file photo

That was the last his family would see of the young cop.

The next morning, Im answering a door at 5 a.m. and theres a police chaplin standing there and you know thats bad news, recalled Byrne, who lived in North Massapequa at the time. I watched my parents collapse and then go to trial every day for months . . . They were just drained and devastated.

Byrne has since lost his father and his brother, Larry Byrne, who was the NYPDs top lawyer until his death in 2020. His mother, Ann, is 88 and lives in an assisted living home.

Police Officer Edward Byrne poses next to his familys Christmas tree in their North Massapequa home two months before he was killed. Courtesy The Byrne Family

Shes got pictures of Eddie all over the apartment, Byrne said, describing a shelf that contains one of her favorite photos of a smiling, uniformed Eddie standing next to their Christmas tree shortly before he was killed.

The Posts front page as cops searched for the killers. New York Post

Im hoping Im not sitting down having another conversation with her before it hits the news telling her that the man who put five bullets in her sons head is getting out of jail, he said, because I dont know if she would survive this one.

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Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry is asking New Yorkers to go to the unions website and sign a petition to keep this cop killer behind bars.

NYPD officers carry the casket of the felled police officer on Feb. 29, 1988, at St. Charles Cemetary. Mary McLoughlin/ NY Post

After Eddie was assassinated, cops and New Yorkers banded together to send a message that vicious drug dealers do not rule our streets, he said. We cannot let the parole board erase that message.
Thousands of students streamed past robotic dogs, drones and all manner of advanced equipment Friday at a STEM and career fair in southwest Bakersfield, where more than 100 vendors tried to entice young people into future careers.

Now in its fourth year, the Kern County Career and STEM Expo is a joint effort among the Kern High School District, Kern Economic Development Foundation, Chevron and other local partners to highlight Kern County as a destination for STEM jobs.

"The goal is to have this cross-pollination, (to make) these students aware of potential pathways," said Richard Chapman, executive director of the Kern Economic Development Corp., one of the groups that helps host the expo.

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"This is about talent retention," Chapman said. "And for the employers to kind of be wowed about the students that could be their future employees."

Roughly 3,400 Kern High School District students walked past 140 exhibitors at the expo, a combination of colleges, local government agencies and a range of private companies looking to interest students in potential careers.

"It's really cool to see all the tech, even a robot dog and they had a Corvette," said Sawyer Orrel, a freshman at Independence High School. "It's really cool to see all the technology and things that other people are interested in as well."

Orrel said he is interested in biology or possibly some kind of design engineering. "Fighter jets and stuff," he said.

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Another Independence freshman, Matthew Temple, said he wanted to go into aerospace engineering and hopes to attend the California Institute of Technology.

"There have definitely been a lot of things I have liked. I have been here before and I thoroughly enjoyed it," Temple said. "All of the innovation and all the science that goes on, it's very interesting."

The expo was held at KHSD's Career Technical Education Center on Old River Road in southwest Bakersfield. Between the CTEC and the Regional Occupational Center, the district offers 38 courses to about 2,700 students a year, according to Principal Brian Miller.

Miller said various health care programs are in the highest demand, followed by the skilled trades such as welding, automotive and construction.

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"We do a follow-up study on those students six months after they graduate," Miller said. "So our 2024 grads, about 70% of them are in post-secondary education, and of those, about two-thirds are continuing the pathway that they started at CTEC."

The two centers receive about 6,500 applications for 2,700 spots that go mostly to KHSD students, along with a small number of charter school students, Miller said. Educators at the center come from industry background, and the center tries to be flexible in its curriculum to respond to local labor demands.

The expo also brings employers to the CTEC campus, a roughly $60 million project completed in 2020, where they can see what's offered.

"We're always trying to adapt to make sure that what we're teaching is relevant for the industry," Miller said. "Things like electronics and automation, those are new skills that have come up the last few years where we really implemented that in a lot of our skilled trades programs."
I recently took the 16-hour overnight train from Warsaw to Kyiv for a reporting trip.

The 'Kyiv Express' was loud and bumpy but surprisingly cozy.

This is what the long journey was like.

WARSAW, Poland  When I boarded the big blue train that took me on a 16-hour journey into Ukraine, I was certain I wasn't going to be getting any sleep.

The makeshift beds rattled throughout the night as we barreled across the Polish and, eventually, Ukrainian countryside. The train stopped frequently, and passport checks interrupted hopes of grabbing some proper shut-eye.

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Last month, I spent about a week in Kyiv reporting on Russia's ongoing invasion. I felt that as a journalist covering the war, I needed to be there, to see things myself, and to learn what the people of Ukraine are facing. It was eye-opening.

I experienced the uncertainty of waiting out a Russian barrage in an air-raid shelter in the middle of the night. Many Ukrainians in the capital are desensitized to the near-daily one-way attack drones and won't even get out of bed for those, but the missiles still cause alarm. I met air defenders shooting threats with a machine gun out of a pickup truck. And I saw firsthand the efforts to produce new types of drones for front-line combat.

Getting to Ukraine, though, from neighboring Poland meant an overnight train ride, one unlike anything I had experienced before in the US or in Europe. At the busy train station in Warsaw, a platform sign identified my ride as the "Kyiv Express."

Waiting in warsaw

Waiting for my train at Warsaw Wschodnia station. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

I arrived at the Warsaw Wschodnia station an hour before my scheduled departure, giving me time to relax and grab a bite to eat. After hanging out and watching people flood in and out of the station, I devoured a small sandwich from Caffe Nero.

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It was evening, just a bit before 6 p.m. I got to the platform a few minutes early and walked to my assigned train car, showing my ticket to an employee of Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine's state-owned rail company.

Boarding the "Kyiv Express"

My train from the platform. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

I boarded the train and walked to my sleeper cabin at the end of the car, right next to one of the two bathrooms.

The blue train was dimly lit, dated, and had a stale odor. My room was the size of a large closet, but I had it all to myself, and it felt surprisingly cozy. I hung my coat and took a few minutes to get settled and organize my things.

The room had a three-bed bunk, with the middle bed swung down to act as a backrest for the bottom bed, where one would sit (eventually, I raised the middle bed to sleep on).

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Besides the only window, there were some hangers, a small fold-down chair, a ladder, a storage rack, and a small desk with a mirror that opened and hosted an electrical outlet.

It was a spartan space, certainly not the luxury train Western leaders have used to travel into Ukraine in the past, but it was sufficient for what I needed it to do.

Sleeper cars

My cabin for the next 16 hours. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

My train cabin

The other view of my cabin. There was a desk in the corner, so I could do a little work. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

The cabin was equipped with three plastic packets containing sheets, a pillowcase, and a towel. What looked like sleeping pads and pillows were on the top bunk, and blankets were on a storage rack. (I didn't end up using any of them.)

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The cabin also came stocked with two bottles of water, but I'd packed my own, along with some Pringles, biscuits, and Mentos to hold me over until I got to Kyiv. I figured there was a good chance I'd be up all night and get hungry.

Just me and my bags

I had my backpack, camera bag, suitcase, and two duffle bags with gear and other supplies. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

Everything I needed

The top bunk had some extra stuff for sleeping. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

The train pulled away from the station shortly after its scheduled departure time. By this point, it was dark outside. Around 15 minutes later, someone came by to check my tickets.

I used Google Translate to communicate with him, and he tried to speak English at one point. The only word I could really make out from the exchange was "Trump."

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My reporting trip came right after a contentious White House meeting between the US president and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and as the Trump administration was pressuring Ukraine to make unfavorable deals.

The train felt like it was traveling fast, though I had no idea what our speed was. They may have said something, but I don't speak Ukrainian.

The journey across Poland was bumpy and loud. During the first three hours of my ride, I prepped for interviews in Kyiv, caught up on the news, ate some snacks, and watched a little TV on my phone. The cell coverage was surprisingly good at this point (it got worse).

Bathroom controls

This control panel allowed me to adjust the lighting, and I could see when either of the two bathrooms in my train car was occupied. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

Bigger than an airplane bathroom

The bathroom. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

It was dark outside, so I couldn't see much of Poland beyond some scattered homes, buildings, and streetlights. Every so often, the train stopped briefly at a station as we inched closer to Ukraine.

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Polish customs began a little after 9:30 p.m., nearly four hours into the journey. A customs officer walked down the hall to check passports and clock us out of the European Union. The train didn't move for over an hour, but eventually, it started rolling again.

Ten minutes later, I received a knock from an employee saying that we had reached Ukrainian customs.

The couch functions as a bed

I put a sheet on the bottom bunk so I could lie down for a bit. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

More than one place to sleep

Eventually, I hoisted up the middle bunk and tried to sleep there. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

Narrow hallways

The narrow hallway in my train car. It had several sleeping cabins like mine. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

I handed over my passport to a Ukrainian soldier and got it back 30 minutes later with my long-awaited Ukrainian stamp.

By this point, with the time change (Ukraine is one hour ahead of Poland), it was nearly 1 a.m., and I was super tired.

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Twenty minutes later, we entered a massive warehouse, where the train underwent preparation to switch from European tracks to the wider Ukrainian tracks built during the Soviet Union. Though Russia's army has struck train tracks and rail centers, Ukraine's rail lines have been surprisingly well maintained, with most trains running on schedule.

The next hour was filled with the unenjoyable, piercing sounds of machinery and the coughing and snoring that penetrated the thin walls separating my room and the one next door.

Closing in on Kyiv

My view out the window as we got closer to Kyiv. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

First sights of the Ukrainian capital city

The first views of Kyiv. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

Stepping off at my stop

Stepping off the train at Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi station. Jake Epstein/Business Insider

For the next few hours after we finally got on our way again, our train zipped across the Ukrainian countryside. I was in and out of sleep, but when the sun rose, I gave up entirely and took my first view of the eastern European country out the window.

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As we approached the Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi station, the landscape slowly shifted from rural to urban, and we arrived in the Ukrainian capital just before 11 a.m. It was chilly and busy outside as I waited for a ride to my hotel.

Stepping out onto the ordinary-looking concrete station, I reveled in the fresh air before it dawned on me that I still had the same 16-hour journey back to Warsaw to look forward to.

Read the original article on Business Insider
In late March 2025, a claim (archived) circulated online that Elon Musk, tech mogul and adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, was shutting down Meals on Wheels, a public-private partnership that provides health and nutrition services to older Americans, including home-delivered meals.

One X user, whose post had amassed more than 750,000 views at the time of publication, wrote: "Elon Musk is shutting down Meals on Wheels. YesMeals on Wheels. What sort of person would trust Musk at this point, or vote the way he demands you vote?"

Elon Musk is shutting down Meals on Wheels.



YesMeals on Wheels.



What sort of person would trust Musk at this point, or vote the way he demands you vote?



Billionaires aren't your friends. They lie like they breathe.



Don't be a sucker. https://t.co/04JhFBkARw  Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) March 31, 2025

The rumor appeared elsewhere on X (archived) and on Facebook (archived), Threads (archived), Bluesky (archived) and Reddit (archived). Snopes readers also emailed us about the claim.

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It was not clear whether Musk or anyone else ordered a shutdown of Meals on Wheels. The claims likely originated from an announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on March 27, 2025, that it would restructure and "streamline" several bodies including the Administration for Community Living (ACL)  the body that historically administered federal funding to Meals on Wheels.

Snopes has reached out to the HHS to clarify its plans for federal funding for Meals on Wheels following the March 27 announcement and we await a reply. We also reached out to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), of which Musk is the public face, to ask whether the billionaire or the department ordered a shutdown of the program. We will update this article if we receive a response.

We also reached out to the bodies that the HHS said would "integrate" the functions of the ACL  the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)  for any information they could provide about the future of Meals on Wheels' federal funding and await their reply.

No indication of how HHS restructure affects Meals on Wheels

The Musk connection made by social media users likely came from the first line of the HHS news release announcing a departmental restructuring in line with a Trump executive order, titled, "Implementing The President's 'Department of Government Efficiency' Workforce Optimization Initiative."

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DOGE, which has been spearheaded by Musk, has actively promoted its role in cutting government waste and is therefore often held responsible for programs like Meals on Wheels being cut. However, without comment from Musk or DOGE, it was not possible to say whether either of them ordered any such policy. Neither had posted anything about Meals on Wheels on their X accounts as of this writing.

Regardless, the future of federal funding for the Meals on Wheels public-private partnership was uncertain at the time of this writing. Federal funding for Meals on Wheels historically came from an HHS body called the Administration for Community Living (ACL), according to a Meals on Wheels spokesperson cited below.

The aforementioned HHS restructure included the integration of "critical programs that support older adults and people with disabilities" under the ACL into other existing HHS bodies, essentially dissolving the ACL.

Meanwhile, numerous news media outlets have reported on the uncertainty surrounding the future of programs like Meals on Wheels following HHS layoffs.

Meals on Wheels' concern for community-level funding

It was unclear from the HHS release whether "critical programs" included Meals on Wheels or what exactly would happen to the program post-restructuring.

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Jenny Young, Meals on Wheels America's chief of staff, said via email on April 2, 2025, that federal funding reached community-level Meals on Wheels organizations as follows:

The federal funding has traditionally flowed from the Administration for Community Living's Administration on Aging (all within the Department of Health & Human Services) to State Units on Aging. From there, states distribute the funding to Area Agencies on Aging before it reaches roughly 5,000 community-based senior nutrition providers in the form of reimbursements for services delivered.

Community-level Meals on Wheels organizations, rather than Meals on Wheels America, actually deliver meals. Meals on Wheels America is the national leadership organization.

The funding that flowed through the ACL prior to the HHS restructure was appropriated by Congress through the Older Americans Act (OAA), the "primary federal statute for the delivery of social and nutrition services for older persons." On March 14, 2025, Congress passed a continuing resolution to extend authorities and funding for aging services programs in the act for a full year.

Barring an act of Congress to repeal the continuing resolution, appropriated funding  $1.058 billion in fiscal year 2024 for the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program and, following the resolution, the same in 2025  must be paid out. The OAA Nutrition Program includes funding for senior congregate and home-delivered meal programs as well as the Nutrition Service Incentive Program that helps to cover food purchases. Young confirmed that community-level Meals on Wheels organizations do receive OAA funding.

Funding from the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program  the network's primary source of federal funding  covers 37% of what it takes to collectively serve more than 2 million seniors annually. The exact percentage that a local provider receives varies, as does its sources of federal funding and each state administers a unique funding formula.

Young's 37% estimate is a slight increase from figures published in 2017 that showed that local Meals on Wheels organizations relied on about 35% federal funding.

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Therefore, while Meals on Wheels had received no indication of what the HHS restructure might mean for federal funding at the time of this writing, Young said it was vital that OAA funds are allowed to flow for the program to continue:

We don't yet know where the Administration for Aging (which used to live in ACL) or the administration of the Older Americans Act will land. The significant reduction in workforce is alarming though as we know the regional offices and individuals tasked with administering funds no longer exist. Our biggest priority is that the Older Americans Act stays intact, and that there are no disruptions to the administration or flow of funding. Local Meals on Wheels providers are already operating on razer [sic] thin margins and 1 in 3 already has a waitlist for services. They cannot absorb the blow of not receiving their expected OAA reimbursements on time and in full.

Meals on Wheels said its local community partners serve 251 million meals annually to 2 million seniors across the U.S.

Sources:

Cole, Tom. H.R.1968 - Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025. H.R.1968, 15 Mar. 2025, https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1968.

Colello, Kirsten J., and Angela Napili. Older Americans Act: Overview and Funding. Library of Congress, 6 May 2024, https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R43414.

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Hall, J. "Agency for older adults and people with disabilities to be shuttered under HHS cuts." MarketWatch. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/agency-for-older-adults-and-people-with-disabilities-to-be-shuttered-under-hhs-cuts-d0ff3bc2.

"Implementing The President's 'Department of Government Efficiency' Workforce Optimization Initiative." The White House, 11 Feb. 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/implementing-the-presidents-department-of-government-efficiency-workforce-optimization-initiative/.

MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NUTRITION AND AGING SERVICES PROGRAMS RAISE ALARMS ABOUT SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF KNOWLEDGE AND POTENTIAL DISRUPTION OF SERVICES AND SUPPORT FOR OLDER AMERICANS DUE TO HHS WORKFORCE REDUCTION. https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/learn-more/national/press-room/news/2025/04/02/meals-on-wheels-america-and-the-national-association-of-nutrition-and-aging-services-programs-raise-alarms-about-significant-loss-of-knowledge-and-potential-disruption-of-services-and-support-for-older-americans-due-to-hhs-workforce-reduction. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

Miller, Heather. 'HHS Layoffs Spark Concerns for Meals on Wheels, LIHEAP: What to Know'. FOX TV Stations, 2 Apr. 2025, https://www.livenowfox.com/news/hhs-layoffs-workers-meals-on-wheels.

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Shapiro, Joseph. 'HHS Layoffs Hit Meals on Wheels and Other Services for Seniors and Disabled'. NPR, 1 Apr. 2025. NPR, https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/01/g-s1-57716/hhs-layoffs-seniors-disabled-liheap-acl.

STATEMENT CLARIFYING FEDERAL FUNDING TO MEALS ON WHEELS. https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/learn-more/national/press-room/news/2017/03/16/statement-clarifying-federal-funding-to-meals-on-wheels. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). "HHS Announces Transformation to Make America Healthy Again." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 27 Mar. 2025, https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/hhs-restructuring-doge.html.

What Meals on Wheels Delivers. https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/learn-more/what-we-deliver. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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Wrona, Aleksandra. 'What Is DOGE? Exploring the Initiative's Creation, Legality and Purpose'. Snopes, 28 Mar. 2025, https://www.snopes.com//news/2025/03/28/doge-explainer-created-legal/.

Updates:

April 9, 2025: This report was updated to include appropriated amounts for the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program in the place of amounts for home-delivered meals to better represent funding accessed by Meals on Wheels.
GAFFNEY, S.C. (WSPA)  The Gaffney Police Department is on scene responding to a shooting.

At approximately 2:24 p.m., officers were called to the 100 block of N Granard Street following reports. Authorities said that this appears to be an isolated incident, and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.

The Gaffney Police Department urges anyone with information about the incident to contact the Cherokee County Emergency Emergency Communications Center at 864-487-2747.

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7NEWS will continue to follow this story as more information is revealed.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS.
SPENCER, Iowa (KCAU)  The winners have been announced for an entrepreneurial competition in northwest Iowa.

The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation said Cody Fuller with Fuller Radiance, LLC from Storm Lake received the first place prize of $5,000 in The Big Idea Entrepreneurial Challenge. Fuller Radiance, LLC makes customized gift items, such as centerpieces, fidget toys, and lamps.

Cayden Fischer of Storm Lake won the second place prize of $2,000. His company, Outlaw Kicks, designs and sells custom painted shoes for athletes and other people who want to express themselves through apparel.

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The third place prize of $1,000 went to Jack Bauermeister with Glacier Made in Arnolds Park. Glacier Made designs durable and sustainable lake wear, including swimwear, shirts, sunglasses, and sweatshirts. The company is set to open a physical storefront sometime in 2025.

There were two honorable mentions in the inaugural entrepreneurial challenge. Vanessa More with the Spencer Create Catalyst and Jeff Krage with Boji Bites each received a $500 prize.

Spencer Create Catalyst is a program that helps connect rural small businesses that need marketing and social media support with students to give experience to young designers and give marketing opportunities.

Boji Bites is a business idea to deliver food directly to boaters on the lake in the Okoboji area by partnering with local restaurants.

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Every one of these entrepreneurs was deserving of recognition for their ideas. Each of them shared their passion for their business as well as the Corridor region, and we are excited to support them in their endeavors to expand their Corridor businesses, said Corridor

President and CEO Curt Strouth.

The prizes were handed out after the five entrepreneurs made their business pitches to a panel of judges and local investors took place on April 1.

The Big IDEA Entrepreneurial Challenge is a program that is designed to support the innovative development of businesses through empowering entrepreneurs and accelerating small business growth.

Cody Fuller with Fuller Radiance, LLC received 1st place in the inaugural Big IDEA entrepreneurial challenge. Courtesy: Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

Cayden Fischer with Outlaw Kicks received 2nd place in the inaugural Big IDEA entrepreneurial challenge. Courtesy: Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

Jack Bauermeister with Glacier Made received 3rd place in the inaugural Big IDEA entrepreneurial challenge. Courtesy: Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

Vanessa Moore with Spencer Create Catalyst received an honorable mention in the inaugural Big IDEA entrepreneurial challenge. Courtesy: Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

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Jeff Krage with Boji Bites received an honorable mention in the inaugural Big IDEA entrepreneurial challenge. Courtesy: Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

Courtesy: Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

Courtesy: Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

Courtesy: Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

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Courtesy: Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

Courtesy: Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

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LE MARS, Iowa (KCAU)  In advance of deploying troops, the Iowa National Guard is holding a series of informational town halls.

The purpose of the town halls is to keep family members and community members involved in the process, and that means everything from how to stay in touch with a deployed family member to clearing up possible misinformation involving the deployment. A timeline for the deployment is also being shared, as well as what resources are available to families and employers of the deployed soldier.

Car seat safety checks available for Siouxland families

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We want to keep the community members informed and involved in whats going on, said Captain Ivan Naranjo with the 113th Cavalry. Oftentimes when there is a mobilization happening, there is a lot of uncertainty. Humans being humans, we tend to insert the blanks with worst-case scenarios. Hopefully were clearing up any misconceptions that people have.

1,800 Iowa National Guard troops are expected to be deployed overseas.

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In the barren deserts in north-eastern Syria, a female Kurdish soldier and three of her comrades found themselves wounded, surrounded, and almost out of bullets.

Tasked with holding the line, Mizgin Rojda and her sniper-trained unit stood firm as a dozen Turkish-backed militia fighters ambushed them, shooting wildly.

We had promised each other that we would fight to the end, no matter what, the 29-year-old tells The Telegraph. It was a fierce fight, we were injured, but we didnt give up. We held out until reinforcements came.

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Mizgin is a senior field commander in Womens Protection Units (YPJ), an all-female Kurdish brigade that helps lead the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF has been locked in Syrias 14-year civil war, fighting the Islamic State on one front and Turkish-backed rebel groups known as the Syrian National Army (SNA) on another.

Her war has always been centred in the dusty hillsides close to the Turkish border, where miles of bunker outposts and tunnels stretch across scarred land that sits outside of Damascuss control.

But when Islamist rebels toppled Bashar al-Assads regime and seized power in early December, the partially-frozen conflict between the SDF and SNA reignited. Supported by Turkish air power and drones, the predominantly Arab militia groups of the SNA launched a fresh offensive, shattering frontlines quiet since 2019.

The SDF has since agreed to integrate into the new Syrian state, raising hopes that the years of clashes and conflict will come to an end.

We are holding our ground

Mizgin, however, feels her fight against those she calls the occupiers is far from over. Despite the demands of Syrias new rulers in Damascus, she is not yet ready to put down her gun.

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The Turkish state and its proxy factions are attacking us in every way, but we are holding our ground, says Mizgin, who joined the Womens Protection Units in 2015 when the occupiers were plundering and destroying the land I was born in.

A YPJ fighter about to send a message via radio inside the tunnels on the Manbij frontline

Alongside her male counterparts in the Peoples Defence Units (YPG), she says, we fight a war of honour to protect the lands that Kurdish forces have ruled since 2012 as a self-declared autonomous region. They call it Rojava.

In recent months, the YPJ experienced a surge of new recruits as women took up arms to defend themselves against what some perceive as a dual threat from Turkey in the north and Syrias new administration led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), to the south.

Turkey views the armed Kurds on its doorstep as a threat, accusing them of being an extension of the PKK, a Kurdish separatist movement  defined as a terror group by Ankara  that waged a 40-year insurgency against Turkey until giving up that fight this month.

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Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkeys president, has no intention of allowing the Syrian Democratic Forces to stay on its border. In December, he warned them to bid farewell to their weapons, or they will be buried with them.

On March 10, the SDF signed the deal to merge with Damascus, integrating all civil and military institutions into the new Syrian state by the end of the year. However, the agreement is shaky and its implementation still unclear.

I think the deal can be understood as confirming that we will not go to war with each other  that both sides want peace with the other, says Samantha Teal, a researcher from the Syria-based Rojava Information Centre.

The situation on the frontline has not changed since the deal. Attacks are ongoing, she tells The Telegraph.

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The YPJs fight against Turkish-backed factions has been brutal.

The war that is being waged is more aerial than ground, says Aysel Sham, another veteran YPJ commander.

Turkish warplanes pound them from above, while drones buzz overhead.

Modest resources

But the womens unit do what they are good at: target enemy bases from the ground, relying on guerrilla warfare tactics they learnt fighting IS. The YPJ also has full sniper units.

Earlier this year, Aysel says her unit  armed with our modest resources  helped secure the Tishrin Dam after a weeks-long battle. Now, they are focused on stopping the SNA forces crossing the Euphrates river, which acts as a natural buffer zone between both sides.

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Despite the Kurdish forces deal with Damascus, there has been no advancement or retreat from the SDF or SNA. Syrias new government stays largely silent on the continuing clashes.

The SDF has been holding its ground, says Dr Renand Mansour, a Middle East analyst at Chatham House. The situation remains fluid and the fighting has been intense.

Hundreds have been killed so far in the fighting.

YPJ fighters stationed in a tunnel near Qereqozak Bridge

There is also mounting uncertainty about Washingtons role in the region.

The SDF has been the main US partner in the fight against IS in Syria and is reliant on Washingtons financing. The US spent $186 million on the group in 2024, yet Donald Trump has not yet committed to keep funding it.

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There are also fears he intends to withdraw the last remaining 2,000 US troops from north-eastern Syria at the request of Ankara, paving the way for a Turkish invasion of Kurdish-held territory.

The question people are asking is how far will Turkey go? asks Dr Mansour. Turkey has made it clear, it will not allow any type of SDF-led Kurdish autonomy in Syria.

The brutality profoundly affected me

The next big question, he says, is how long will the SDF be able to hold out if the US troops which act as a deterrence are withdrawn? The biggest challenge for the SDF is they do not have a single, durable, external partner to support it from the threat of Turkey or elsewhere.

Aysel, 30, joined the Womens Protection Units a decade ago after IS began attacking the city of Kobane and she watched in horror as women were abducted and sold in markets. The brutality profoundly affected me.

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Kurdish forces, led by the YPJ and YPG and supported by US airstrikes, liberated the city from IS in early 2015 after a four-month siege  later referred to as the Kurdish Stalingrad.

A YPJ fighter stationed on the Manbij frontline

It marked a major turning point in the war against the terror group, but came at a high cost for the womens unit, whose bravery came to be well-known on the path to toppling the IS caliphate in 2019.

Now the SDF guards the prisons filled with over 9,000 hardened IS terrorists and manage the sprawling camps that contain 40,000 of their families with receding US support and meagre resources.

But with its fighters occupied battling the Turkish-backed factions, US and Syrian officials have warned for months that a resurging IS is trying to exploit the security vacuum.

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IS cells are present in many areas and are taking advantage of any opportunity to attack, Aysel says. There is no doubt that their operations will increase  not only in our region but also at the regional and global level.

Beyond the threat of terror, a lot is currently at stake for the YPJ and other Kurdish forces who position themselves as the protectors of Syrian Kurds, that make up 10 per cent of the countrys population.

Syrias new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is trying to unify the countrys armed religious and ethnic groups, pressuring them to disarm and become absorbed into a new, centralised Syrian army.

A life that is actually free, for all women

But the SDF and al-Sharaa are both digging their heels in, says Dr Burcu Ozcelik, senior research fellow for Middle East security at RUSI. The principal challenge is whether the SDF and its armed wing will agree to join the central Syrian armed forces as a block, or as individual fighters.

A YPJ team commander waits to receive information via radio

The situation remains highly volatile, Dr Ozcelik notes, adding that if Turkey continues to perceive the Kurds as a threat on its border, the violent clashes in the north-east are very likely to escalate.

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For the YPJ in particular, they are fearful of Hayat Tahrir al-Shams former jihadist roots and of women being excluded from public life; their hard-fought rights quietly eroded.

After so much sacrifice and years of struggle, the new Syrian regime reminds you of the old regime, because it is one narrow vision being imposed on all of Syria and Syrias diverse peoples, says Mizgin. Syria should be a homeland for all its people...[HTS] makes no reference to basic things like democracy and equality between men and women.

The YPJ has a role to play in bringing Syrias women together and overcoming divisions, hatred and fear.

Coming under Damascuss control, Mizgin fears all this could be lost. From its inception, the YPJ has shattered the mindset that sees women as powerless and inferior. It is the beacon of hope for a life that is actually free, for all women. she says.

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TEL AVIV, Israel (AP)  Israeli troops deployed to a newly established security corridor across southern Gaza, the military announced Saturday, as pressure on the Hamas militant group increased weeks into the renewed war.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday announced the new Morag Corridor and suggested it would cut off the southern city of Rafah, which Israel had ordered evacuated, from the rest of Gaza.

A military statement said troops with the 36th Division had been deployed. It was not immediately clear how many, or where exactly the new corridor was located. Morag is the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, and Netanyahu had suggested it would run between the cities.

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Maps published by Israeli media showed the corridor running the width of the narrow coastal strip from east to west.

Netanyahu had said it would be a second Philadelphi corridor, referring to the Gaza side of the border with Egypt farther south, which has been under Israeli control since last May.

Last month, Israel shattered a ceasefire in Gaza with a surprise bombardment after trying to pressure Hamas to accept proposed new terms for the truce that had taken hold in January. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed.

Israel quickly reasserted control over the Netzarim corridor that cuts off the northern third of Gaza, including Gaza City, from the rest of the strip. The Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors run from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean Sea.

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We are cutting up the strip, and we are increasing the pressure step by step, so that they will give us our hostages, Netanyahu said Wednesday. His defense minister has said Israel would seize large areas of Gaza and add them to its so-called security zones.

Saturday's announcement came shortly after a White House official confirmed that Netanyahu on Monday would again meet with President Donald Trump, their second meeting at the White House since Trump took office in January. The U.S. has been a mediator in ceasefire talks, along with Egypt and Qatar, but also supported Israel's resumption of fighting.

Following his previous meeting with Netanyahu, Trump made the surprise proposal that displaced Palestinians in Gaza be permanently resettled outside the territory and he suggested that the United States take ownership in redeveloping the area. Palestinians, Arab nations and rights groups sharply criticized the idea.

Israel has pledged to escalate the fighting with Hamas until the militant group returns the remaining hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war, disarms and leaves the territory.

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Israel last month again halted all supplies of food, fuel and humanitarian aid to Gaza in another application of pressure on the militant group and the territory's over 2 million Palestinians. Rights groups say the tactic is a war crime. Gaza relies largely on humanitarian aid, and its residents cannot easily leave.

Hamas says it will only release the remaining 59 hostages  24 believed to be alive  in exchange for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The group has rejected demands that it lay down its arms or leave the territory.

The Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Some 251 hostages were taken, most of them released in ceasefire agreements and other deals.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during Israels offensive, according to Gazas Health Ministry. It doesnt say whether they are civilians or combatants but says the majority have been women and children. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.

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Among Gaza's dead are 15 Palestinian medics killed last month by Israeli forces, who then bulldozed over the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave.

The war is the deadliest and most destructive fighting ever between Israel and Hamas. It has left much of Gaza devastated and most of its residents displaced, often multiple times.

Families of hostages at their weekly rally again pleaded for a ceasefire deal to bring everyone home from Gaza, alive or dead.

Netanyahu is working hard to ensure our hostages die, rather than working hard to save their lives, said Efrat Machikawa, niece of hostage Gadi Moses.

___

Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein in West Palm Beach, Florida, contributed.

___

Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
A journalist who appears prominently on the BBCs Arabic channel to report on Gaza has been accused of describing Israelis as less than human and Jews as devils.

Ahmed Alagha has appeared on BBC Arabic reporting from the conflict numerous times since January last year.

He appeared last Sunday reporting from close to the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, moments after Israeli forces assassinated Ismail Barhoum, a senior Hamas leader, in an air strike on the medical facility.

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The bombing was caught on camera and Mr Alaghas dispatch also featured on BBC News.

It has now emerged that Mr Alagha, who is billed on air as a Palestinian journalist, appears to have singled out Jews for condemnation and described Israelis as worse than beasts on his social media accounts.

Responding to footage of Gaza tower blocks being bombed by Israel following Hamass attacks on Oct 7 2023, Mr Alagha posted on X a few days later: This is not a Hollywood film; this is what was done to these towers in Gaza City at the hands of the Israeli occupation, and its happening to us in Gaza.

It [the Israeli occupation] is the embodiment of filth, the unrivalled swamp of wickedness. As for the Jews, they are the devils of the hypocrites.

A Tweet of Mr Alaghas describing Jews as the devils of the hypocrites

The following day he posted: And as we know, the Israelis are not human beings to begin with, rather they are not even beasts. Perhaps they belong to a race for which no description can capture the extent of their lust and sadism.

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Thats just one snapshot. What if we were to compile all their crimes across that entire dark/black history, from the moment of occupation up until now? It is the entity of filth, and the unrivalled swamp of wickedness.

Another of Mr Alaghas tweets, this one saying Israelis are not human beings

On the evening of the October 7 attacks, which led to the deaths of more than 1,200 Jews, Mr Alagha had written on X, in apparent reference to Hamass victims: Rip your sympathy out, no matter what ugly condition you see them in. They are the corrupt side of this story, my friend. No spilled blood of theirs is honorable.

Critics say that some of Mr Alaghas offensive posts predate the Oct 7 attacks.

Responding to a shooting near a Jerusalem synagogue which claimed the lives of seven civilians on Holocaust Memorial Day in January 2023, he posted a photograph of the attacker, adding the message: This martyr stole my heart, he alone killed eight Zionists.

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In March last year, Mr Alagha appeared to suggest that a Palestinian state would take in the entire area now covered by Israel, implying the destruction of the Jewish state. He posted on X: We often hear the phrase: Palestine is Arab from the sea to the river. But do we know what it means? In short, Palestine is entirely Arab, east and west.

In the past Mr Alagha has appeared to suggest that a Palestinian state would take in the entire area now covered by Israel

Several of Mr Alaghas posts were deleted from X after he was approached by The Telegraph for comment.



Sources emphasised that Mr Alagha is not a member of staff at the BBC.

But the broadcasters use of Mr Alagha as a freelance contributor has been condemned by media watchers, who accuse BBC Arabic, part of the BBCs World Service, of anti-Israel bias.

The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (Camera) says it is indicative of BBC Arabics willingness to use contributors who cannot be trusted to deliver objective and balanced broadcasting.

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A Camera UK spokesman said: The BBC has long failed to deal adequately with employees who have posted and liked comments which support targeting Israeli civilians.

Alaghas social media history adds to the body of evidence showing that many individuals whom the BBC deems journalists delivering reliable information from Gaza do not withstand basic scrutiny and cannot be distinguished from propagandists.

Last month, Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, called for wholesale reform of BBC Arabic after a report by Camera accused it of appalling anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias.

In a letter to Tim Davie, the BBCs director-general, Ms Badenoch said: BBC Arabic is intended to provide high-quality, trusted news for the hundreds of millions of people who speak Arabic. It should uphold the highest standards of public-service broadcasting. Instead, it seems that the World Service may be fomenting extremism and misleading audiences  while funded by the taxpayer and licence fees. This is simply unacceptable and must stop.

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The BBC investigated a number of BBC Arabic presenters and reporters who liked or shared social media posts which appeared to celebrate the Oct 7 atrocities, but took no further action against them.

A BBC spokesman said: International journalists including the BBC are not allowed access into Gaza so we hear from a range of contributors in the region. Ahmed Alagha was a contributor, he is not a BBC member of staff or part of the BBCs reporting team. In this instance, we were unaware of the contributors social media activity prior to hearing from him.

His views were not expressed on a BBC platform, his posts do not reflect the BBCs view and we are absolutely clear that there is no place for anti-Semitism on our services.

Mr Alagha did not respond to requests for comment.

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NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD)  The Illinois State University United Faculty Union reached a tentative agreement with the university on Friday.

According to the unions website, they have a full tentative agreement for their contract.

Thank you to our faculty, student, and community supporters! Through our collective strength, we have accomplished a monumental victory that will transform faculty lives and strengthen OUR University, the union stated on its website. We will send UFISU members more information about the tentative agreement and next steps this weekend.

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Illinois State University students voice opinions amid strike nearing

This comes after the union was preparing to go on strike after filing an intent to strike last month. Friday was the deadline for them to reach a deal before they would have gone on strike.

The exact terms of the agreement are not currently known. According to the university, the agreement still needs to be ratified by union members, after which details will be released.

The University and the Union appreciate the collaboration and commitment of the negotiating teams to reach an agreement that serves the University and our students. We look forward to continuing to work together to achieve our shared goals, ISU spokesman Chris Coplan said.

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The agreement is expected to be ratified by April 18.

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TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)  Deciding what to do after high school can be difficult, but a new initiative by the Indiana Department of Education has Indiana State providing new opportunities for high school students.

Indiana Governor Mike Braun has recently announced new partnerships with higher education, businesses, and military, hoping to form a more direct path for high school students to their future goals.

Indiana State is following that initiative, offering high school students a chance to earn automatic admission and a scholarship from their high school diploma.

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Indiana State President Mike Godard said the diploma is called the Enrollment Honors Plus Seal.

Any student who completes this, during their high school career, would have automatic admission into Indiana State University, Godard said. In addition to that, we will offer all of those students a $3,000 a year, renewable, scholarship, up to those four years of earning their undergraduate degree here.

Along with the Enrollment Honors Plus Seal, students who complete the Employment or Enlistment Honors Plus Seal, with a 2.5 or above GPA, will also receive automatic admission.

Vice President of Enrollment Management at ISU, Maribeth Stevens, said the latter two diplomas focus on out of the classroom experience.

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We believe, here at Indiana State, that those experiences will provide students with an opportunity to excel here in a higher education setting in the future as well, Stevens said. Those opportunities certainty instill discipline and leadership skills that will translate to higher education in the students future.

President Godard believes these changes will allow more students to attend Indiana State that otherwise couldnt.

We do think these more distinct pathways really will allow students that opportunity to focus in on whats in front of them and hopefully see, very early on, that college is their trajectory and where they want to go, Godard said.

Per statute, Indianas current graduation requirements will end October 1st of 2028, making the new diploma requirements effective for all students beginning with the class of 2029.

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AMES, Iowa Iowa State University is hosting its first-ever philanthropic design-a-thon on Saturday to benefit different nonprofits.

Around 110 students are gathering in the College of Designs atrium to create things like logos and websites for 18 different nonprofits.

The event was organized by Patrick Finley, an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design.

My passion is working with nonprofits and really providing those creative services, and the fact that we have over 110 students sharing that same passion and giving up a Saturday is tremendous, he said.

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While this is the first time Finley has organized this event at Iowa State University, he has previously worked to create graphic designs for nonprofits outside of Iowa. In his experience, graphic designs have helped nonprofits increase their attendance by 300%.

According to Finley, the reach of the nonprofits represented at this event is massive. They cover groups like first responders, veterans, children, shelters, and more.

A lot of these nonprofits might not have the resources to amplify their mission, said Finley. Having students be a part of this, they can see the impact that their logo or website can have.

The event is also a great learning opportunity, according to students who are participating.

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Its really amazing to get to have real-world experience that also makes an impact, said senior, Paige Panosh. These are amazing nonprofits that we get to work with and this is something that a lot of students, especially I as a senior, can take away, can show out in the field.

The event started at 9 a.m. and will go up until 4 p.m.

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The Russian Federation is strengthening its strategic ties with the juntas of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), increasing its influence in Africa, and opening up access to the region's mineral resources, including potentially huge reserves of gold, uranium and other valuable natural resources.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: Analysts pointed out that Russia is strengthening its strategic ties with the juntas of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), joining forces to increase Russian influence in Africa.

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On 3 April, at the AES summit in Moscow, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso agreed to establish a strategic partnership and strengthen the newly created joint AES military force, making Russia the first country to recognise the trilateral joint force established on 6 July 2024.

Quote: "Russia and AES member states expressed a willingness to jointly combat regional instability and enhance ongoing counterterrorism efforts, with Russia agreeing to provide modern weapons and military training for a planned 5,000-strong joint force that will deploy to the central Sahel region."

Details: On 3 April, Bloomberg reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia would use military instructors already in the area to conduct such training  likely referring to the Russian Defence Ministry's African Corps, which transported large convoys of equipment to Mali via Guinea in 2025.

Russia and AES also agreed to cooperate in the areas of infrastructure, trade, economy, investment and banking.

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Quote: "Russia's support for the AES is a long-term strategic endeavour aimed at advancing the Kremlin's geopolitical goals of undermining Western influence in Africa and threatening NATO's southern flank, as the Critical Threats Project's Africa File has routinely assessed.

Russias leading role in AESs military training and weapons procurement may yield additional lucrative benefits in the form of either plausibly deniable illicit or legitimate resource concession agreements that would grant the Kremlin access to the energy- and mineral-rich region with potentially vast amounts of gold, uranium, and other valuable natural resources."

To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 4 April:

CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev gave several interviews with American news outlets on 3 April and presented views that contradict the current Kremlin line on Ukraine.

The Kremlin remains unwilling to commit to a general ceasefire in Ukraine, continuing to reject the ground ceasefire that US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have offered.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on 4 April that the US is closely monitoring Russia's actions in Ukraine and hopes that Russia is "serious" about resolving the war rather than simply dragging out negotiations.

A Russian ballistic missile struck a residential area in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on 4 April, killing at least 18 people, including children.

Russia continues to employ strike packages predominantly comprised of drones amid reports that it is growing its missile stockpile.

Ukrainian railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia signed two contracts with Chinese rail producers in January 2025 as part of efforts to support the development and repair of Ukrainian rail infrastructure.

Russia is reinforcing its strategic ties with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) juntas in a concerted effort to enhance Russian influence in Africa.

Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar and Pokrovsk. Russian forces recently advanced near Kupiansk, Toretsk and Pokrovsk.

The Russian military reportedly continues to expand its conventional force end-strength.

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Rambo, Jacksonville Police Departments trained police dog, has a new handler  Officer Steve Rodgers. Rodgers first day on the job with Rambo was Monday.

The duo was certified as a K-9 team through the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association following a month of training at Hill Country Dog Center in Bandera. Rambo, a Dutch Shepherd, specializes in narcotics and apprehension.

Rambos previous partner Michael Torres was promoted to sergeant, creating a need for a new K-9 officer. Rodgers was chosen from a handful of candidates through a competitive process that involved physical running and personal interviews.

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Everybody likes dogs, Rodgers said regarding his interest in the position. But, I really, really like them. Ive always had one. Theyve always been a part of my life.

Rodgers, who joined the department in October 2023, said he was familiar with Rambo because Torres, Rambos previous handler, was one of his field training officers.

The only thing I had to do was clean up his commands, Rodgers said. He knows how to find dope. He knows how to find drugs. He knows how to chase people down. He listens well. We just worked on obedience and making everything sharp.

Rodgers added that Rambo is smart enough to know when he can and cant be lazy.

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Despite being bite-trained for apprehensions, Rambo has been used as an ambassador for the department, making visits to local schools. He is uncharacteristically calm and laid back, according to Corporal Amanda Bragg.

Hes just chill, Bragg said. He did excellent in the schools before, under Torres. Im hopeful he will do just as well with Officer Rodgers.

Rambo, along with Torres, also appeared at community-wide events such as National Night Out.

Rodgers provided instances in which Rambo is utilized on the job. He said if there are suspicions but no probable cause to search a vehicle, Rambo can be deployed. If he alerts to the presence of drugs, the police then have probable cause to conduct a search.

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For apprehension of a fugitive, as long as Graham v. Connor is met, we can send him after somebody, Rodgers said.

Graham v. Connor is the 1989 U.S. Supreme Court case that established an objective reasonableness standard for evaluating claims of excessive force by police during arrests, investigatory stops or other seizures. Factors used in determining whether a reasonable use of force is the severity of the crime, whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to others and whether the suspect is fleeing or resisting arrest.

Most of the time your backup is there before you need it, Rodgers said. But, there are occasions where somebody else is tied up and you wind up in a bad position. As soon as you hit the ejector-seat button and he pops out of the car, hes going to help a whole lot. It takes a situation thats rough and scary and makes it manageable.

Rodgers said Rambo is in the back of the police car for approximately 80% of their shift.

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According to Bragg, K-9 officers are extremely dedicated because they not only work a specific shift, but are on call all the time. While members of the Jacksonville Police Department, Rambo and Rodgers may also be called upon to assist other law enforcement agencies.

After being deployed, Rambo is rewarded with his favorite toy  a black Kong, a snowman-shaped, rubber toy.

He really likes coming here, Rodgers said about Rambos work environment. When we pull in the parking lot, hes stoked about it.

At the end of the work day, Rambo goes home with Rodgers, where he has already become part of the family.

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He initially missed his last dad, you could tell, but I did everything I could to make him feel comfortable and immediately integrated him into my family, Rodgers said.

Rodgers is married with two children, ages 10 and 5, has a fox red Labrador and a cat, which he says Rambo fears.

Police dogs usually work from 10 to 12 years. When Rambo, who has been on the job for five years, is ready to retire, Rodgers said hell be allowed to adopt the dog.
LONDON (AP)  The maker of Jaguar and Land Rover cars is pausing shipments to the U.S. as Britain's struggling auto industry begins to respond to the 25% tax on vehicle imports imposed by President Donald Trump.

Jaguar Land Rover Automotive, one of Britains biggest carmakers, said Saturday that the pause would take place this month.

The USA is an important market for JLRs luxury brands, the company said in a statement. As we work to address the new trading terms with out business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans.

Analysts said they expect other British carmakers to follow suit as the increased tariffs heap more pressure on an industry that is already struggling with declining demand at home and the need to retool their plants for the transition to electric vehicles.

I expect similar stoppages from other producers as firms take stock of what is unfolding, said David Bailey, an automotive industry expert and professor of business economics at the University of Birmingham.

The number of cars made in the U.K. dropped 13.9% to 779,584 vehicles last year, according to the SMMT. More than 77% of those vehicles were destined for the export market. U.K. factories export cars such as Nissan's Qashqai and Juke, BMW Mini, and Toyota Corolla, as well as Land Rover and Jaguar models.

The industry is already facing multiple headwinds and this announcement comes at the worst possible time, Mike Hawes, chief executive of the U.K.s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said last week. SMMT is in constant contact with government and will be looking for trade discussions to accelerate as we need to secure a way forward that supports jobs and economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic.

U.K. carmakers have already taken steps to lessen the immediate impact of the tariffs by building stockpiles in the U.S. before the increase took effect. SMMT figures show that exports to the U.S. jumped 38.5% from a year earlier in December, 12.4% in January and 34.6% in February.

"This was manufacturers like JLR trying to get ahead of the game in terms of getting inventory to the U.S. before the tariffs were implemented,'' Bailey said.

British carmakers shipped 8.3 billion pounds ($10.7 billion) worth of vehicles to the U.S. in the 12 months through September, making cars the single biggest goods export to the U.S., according to government statistics.

But cars make up a relatively small part of overall trade between Britain and the U.S., which is heavily weighted toward services.

Britain exported 179.4 billion pounds ($231.2 billion) of goods and services to the U.S. in the year through September, with services making up 68.2% of that figure.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is pausing all shipments to the US, as the carmaker grapples with the impact of Donald Trumps 25pc tariff on foreign cars.

The move is the clearest example yet of the direct impact on British workers and companies in the wake of a global trade war that has wiped more than $5 trillion (3.9 trillion) off US stocks in only two days.

JLR, one of Britains biggest carmakers and which employs 38,000 people, will pause car shipments from Monday.

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The Telegraph understands that the pause will last for two weeks.

A spokesman for JLR said: Weve decided to take short-term action to assess market reaction and customer reaction in the US. Shipments will be reinstated in due course.

They reiterated that it is a temporary pause and that the USA is an important market for JLRs luxury brands.

The Coventry-based firm sold 430,000 cars in the year to March, with nearly a quarter of its sales generated in the US, where Range Rovers have proved popular with American celebrities.

It reported 29bn in revenue for the fiscal year ending March 2024. JLR sold 6.5bn worth of cars to the US over that period, the largest of any market.

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It follows warnings that tens of thousands of jobs in the UK car industry are at risk from Mr Trumps tariffs. The US president is so far refusing to walk back, insisting instead that only the weak will fall.

But the worlds largest economy is at risk of recession, JP Morgan has warned.

The investment bank has torn up its growth forecasts for the US, revising them down sharply by 1.6 percentage points and predicting much higher unemployment

It comes after China retaliated with tariffs of 34pc on all US imports on Friday, taking the world closer to a full-blown global trade war.

Jaguar Land Rover generated revenue of 5bn in Britain in the year ending March 2024.

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It has led to fears for workers at the 300-acre Jaguar Land Rover car plant in Solihull, which employs 9,000 people.

The IPPR think tank has warned that 25,000 jobs are at risk, The Times reported, even before the plants in the West Midlands are taken into account.

Andrew Griffith, the shadow trade secretary, said: This auto tariff announcement is concerning. The sector is under pressure and British jobs are clearly now at real risk.

Im afraid Labour have dropped the ball here. This Government has never laid out a plan, took too long to get round the table with Trump and, as of now, they have nothing to show for it.

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The UK automotive industrys main trade body described the tariffs as disappointing and said it seems likely that they will be applied to UK-made vehicles.

Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to rush through changes that water down electric vehicle (EV) targets in light of the tariffs.

On Friday, Whitehall sources confirmed that the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate would be amended as soon as next week.

The new rules, first reported by The Times, will give manufacturers extra flexibilities.

But it is understood that they do not currently include reforms of the mandates headline targets and are unlikely to go further than what was set out in a consultation that closed in February.

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Senior car industry sources have warned that those measures do not go far enough.

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Billionaire and civilian astronaut Jared Isaacman. | Credit: Polaris Program

Billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, the Trump administration's pick to lead NASA, will appear before a Senate committee on April 9 for a confirmation hearing on whether he will be the next leader of the U.S. space program.

Jared Isaacman, who made his billions as CEO of the Shift4 payment processing firm and has flown to space twice on SpaceX missions he financed himself, was tapped by President Donald Trump to lead NASA in December.

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But his confirmation path has been slow at a time when NASA is facing substantial challenges, including potential budget cuts to high-profile missions like the James Webb Space Telescope, as well as workforce reductions from ongoing cost-cutting measures by the Department of Government Efficiency led by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

Isaacman will appear before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during his confirmation hearing. The hearing will also consider Trump's nomination of Olivia Trusty to serve as a member of the Federal Communications Commission.

Isaacman is an accomplished businessman and private pilot (he co-founded Draken International, which trains pilots for the U.S. military). In 2021, he financed and flew on the Inspiration4 orbital spaceflight on a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft.

He then bought three more SpaceX missions under his Polaris Program, the first of which (called Polaris Dawn) launched in September and included the world's first private spacewalk. The others, the last of which was to be the first crewed flight of SpaceX's Starship, have yet to be scheduled, though Isaacman would likely hold off on them if confirmed as NASA Administrator.

Last month, a group of 28 former NASA astronauts announced their support for Isaacman as NASA chief in an open letter to the Senate. "Jared has a genuine passion for space exploration and will bring a renewed energy and sense of purpose to NASA," they wrote in the letter.
A senior at an elite NYC high school already plagued by antisemitic incidents received so much hate this week over her decision to attend Tel Aviv University that the schools college-decision Instagram page had to be taken down, the teen and her parents told The Post.

The despicable deluge came immediately after Brooklyn Technical HS Class of 2025 student-run account announced on Monday that the student committed to a dual degree program between Tel Aviv and Columbia universities.

One hater replied that she had nothing to be proud of. Another said they looked forward to her thesis on ethnic cleansing.

Brooklyn Tech students and outsiders piled into a comment section attacking a girl for committing to a Tel Aviv University program. Obtained by the New York Post

Others made outrageous comments about her cheating her way into genocide university, and going to a college built on children corpses, parroting Hamas talking points.

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The girls plans for a political science and Middle Eastern studies dual major was also ridiculed: lol middle eastern studies this has to b a joke, someone said.

Another student  who is in a class with the girl  even shared the post to his own Instagram story but added a massive Palestinian flag to cover her college announcement.

But the senior, whose name is being withheld by The Post, said the worst comment of all was, Man with mustache was right, referring to Adolf Hitler.

Hateful, anti-Israel comments on the college announcement post included one that evoked Adolf Hitler. Obtained by the New York Post

Comments mocked the girls choice to pursue Middle Eastern studies at an Israeli university. Obtained by the New York Post

Hundreds of dark comments continued into Tuesday, turning the celebratory post into a political firestorm so nasty that the entire @bths25decisions account was taken down by the school on Wednesday.

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Its not only really affecting me, but the whole Jewish community at school, the 17-year-old told The Post.

But the high-achieving scholar, a Jewish student union leader from Manhattan, said she was not shocked by the vitriol, which she has experienced since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks killed 1,200 innocent Israelis.

Some comments came from anonymous accounts supposedly created just to target the student. Obtained by the New York Post

I was caught off guard but Im not totally surprised because this has happened with my school before, she told The Post. After October 7th, I would voice my opinions and people knew where I stood, especially being Jewish and Israeli, and people would harass me online.

The Post has reported on antisemitic incidents plaguing the elite Fort Greene school long before Hamas 2023 massacre. Students met with faculty including Principal David Newman last spring to discuss hate they were experiencing but were forbidden from using the words Israel or Zionism, which could be triggering.

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When horrible remarks began this week, student moderators turned off the comments, some of which were from anonymous accounts that appeared to be created only to spew hate. Others even acknowledged that they werent students at the school.

One student shared the post to his Instagram story obscured with a Palestinian flag. Obtained by the New York Post

Caused a Brooklyn tech civil war with this post, one commenter said, with a crying emoji.

Moderators tried to smooth the incident over with clumsy statements.

We do not condone any degree of antisemitism or Zionism, they said in one Instagram story on Tuesday, seemingly condemning support for Israel. We will do our best to refrain from taking any political stances, and any deviation from this policy can be attributed to human error.

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Then, a second statement was made: WE ARE SORRY, it read. NO POLITICS. NO ANTI-SEMITISM. NO NOTHING.

Moderators of the student-run page tried to address the issue but the account ultimately got shut down. Obtained by the New York Post

Shortly after, the account was shut down by the school, according to sources.

Students said the outcome was disappointing because the page was simply to share news about college plans.

Every senior deserves to be able to celebrate their college accomplishment without it being political, another Brooklyn Tech senior told The Post.

A display at the school originally included print-outs of the posts and a QR code for the Instagram page  but was later removed. Obtained by the New York Post

The girl, her parents and her friends have urged the specialized high school to take action.

I expect them to take action against the student that we know initiated some of this and we have requested that he be removed from her class, that he get suspended, her dad told The Post. We requested that they write an official statement to the school community . . . all of which they were receptive to, but non-committal.

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The city Department of Education said the school immediately intervened after learning about the incident, launched an investigation and is taking the necessary steps to respond.

Parents and students from the Brooklyn Tech community are calling on the school to take action. Gregory P. Mango

Any form of antisemitism, bullying, or hatred has absolutely no place in our schools, communities, or online, a spokesperson told The Post.

Sources say Brooklyn Tech is working to create a school-sanctioned account for college announcements that would have an administrator assigned to it.

Linda Quarles, a Brooklyn Tech parent and vice president of the Citywide Council on High Schools, a volunteer advisory board, said she trusts the kids who participated in this ugliness are going to face severe consequences.

Students seen during an evacuation at Brooklyn Technical High School in 2019. Paul Martinka

When you see a host of anonymous accounts and those unrelated to the school jumping in, its obvious that these are coordinated campaigns designed to intimidate and harass Jews, she added. The school stepped in to swiftly close down the account but that doesnt solve the problem of Jew-hatred in our city.

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The Israel-bound senior said shes not letting that hate at home put a damper on her plans for the fall.

Im excited to experience both Tel Aviv and Columbia, she said. Im not really scared because I feel like Ive gone through enough  I know how to handle it.
LENEXA, Kan.  Johnson County residents braved the rain on Friday to rally outside the Social Security office in Lenexa.

People that spoke with FOX4 said that theyre worried that ongoing federal cuts will result in the program being jeopardized.

Im still working, but Im going to count on Social Security being part of my retirement, and I want to make sure its there for me, said organizer John Segale.

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Segale says that he feels left in the dark about plans to change the organization.

We dont know whats going on with Social Security. Im concerned that we dont know, he said.

But Im also concerned that we have people in the administration who say, Grandma is not going to miss her check if it doesnt arrive for a month. Hes going to say that hes maybe a billionaire or a multimillionaire, but thats not the majority of us.

SAVE KC initiative is working even though homicide rate is up, officials say

A White House release from March said that President Donald Trump will not cut Social Security. Instead, the release says that they plan to address waste and fraud within the organization, estimating that the Social Security Administration made $72 billion in improper payments between 2015 and 2022.

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We do not have a king in this country. And whats happening today is like we have a king, Segale said.

Another participant says that shes tried to contact her senators about their plan for Social Security.

Im really disappointed in our leaders here, said Suzanne Johnson.

Senator Moran and Senator Marshall have not said much at all. Its something that hardworking citizens have worked for. And I dont want to see that go away. And I want to see, you know, down the line that I have social security too.

Both Johnson and Segale would like to see their senators step in with a plan for Social Security.

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[President Trump] has a right to enact his policies, but we have a legislative branch that hasnt said anything, and they need to stand up and do their job, Segale said.

As constituents were entitled to have some transparency in what theyre thinking, what their plan of action is, or if they even have a plan, Johnson added.

We reached out to the offices of Senator Marshall and Senator Moran, but neither was able to respond in time for the deadline for this story.

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JOHNSTOWN, Pa.  A natural landmark along Menoher Boulevard  an oak tree in which two bald eagles nested  was toppled by strong winds this week.

But signs in the skies indicate both birds survived the storm, Pennsylvania Game Commission officials said.

Game Warden April Whitsell said she spent several hours at the Southmont Borough site after the tree fell, searching the area for signs of life.

She found the nest and a few adult feathers, but there were no initial signs of eggs, remains or injured eaglets nearby, she added.

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The Southmont treetop nest became a popular draw, particularly among birding enthusiasts and photographers, ever since the eagles were first spotted nesting up high in 2022 or 2023.

Theyre such an amazing bird, said Phyllis Terchanik, a Johnstown Camera Club member who has been photographing bald eagles for a decade across Cambria County.

Terchanik was pleased to hear the adult eagles were still being spotted in the area  and said its possible that they have multiple nests.

From her years taking photographs of bald eagles at Prince Gallitzin State Park near Patton, she said, its likely they wont go far to build a new nest. She recalled one pair that lost their nest two years in a row, but rebuilt in the same old tree before it broke in half.

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Why they choose one tree over a similar (and healthier tree) nearby, who knows? she said. But they are beautiful to watch.

Whitsell also said its quite possible the bald eagles will nest nearby, given the fact the habitat has shown to support them. Theyre opportunists, she said.

The nest the pair often occupied near Menoher Boulevard was once a hawk nest that they modified, Whitsell added. They settled there because the regions improved waterways are filled with fish and other aquatic life they need to thrive.

There are also several other nests across the Greater Johnstown area, although typically less visible or on private property.

Its a great sign for our area, she said.
OMAHA, Neb. (KCAU)  Josh Dix will be moving from the Big Ten to the Big East, announcing his commitment to the Creighton Bluejays.

The Council Bluffs native played in 97 games at Iowa over three seasons, averaging over 51 percent shooting from the field and 41.9% from beyond the three-point arc.

Dix averaged a career-high 14.4 points per game this season and will join another former Hawkeye in Omaha, reuniting with Owen Freeman.

Image Courtesy: AP

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A district judge denied a temporary restraining order in Mahmoud Khalils case against Columbia University attempting to block the transfer of student records to the GOP-led House Education and the Workforce Committee.

Khalil, the former lead negotiator for Columbias pro-Palestinian encampment who has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sued the school alongside multiple other students to stop it from giving disciplinary records to the lawmakers. The suit also aimed to end the governments pause of $400 million in federal funding to Columbia and to stop the university from implementing any reforms it had agreed to in an attempt to get the federal money back.

District Judge Arun Subramanian denied the request for a temporary restraining order, citing issues in the plaintiffs motion such as not addressing their standing to sue or their risk of irreparable harm from these actions.

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But as plaintiffs all but conceded at last weeks hearing, the current complaint and motion papers fail to address some threshold requirements they need to satisfy to obtain this wide-ranging relief, Subramanian wrote.

The judge notes some records have already been sent to the lawmakers and cannot be undone, but the university did scrub any identifying student information before sending the files over.

As to any further production of records, Columbia says it doesnt intend to produce any at the present time. And for their part, the Congressional defendants arent currently asking for any further records, Subramanian said.

The judge is allowing the plaintiffs to amend their complaint.

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In their original complaint, the students alleged privacy laws and First Amendment rights were in jeopardy due to Columbias actions.

The records demanded by the Committee are not substantially related to antisemitism. Rather, the Committee has instrumentalized accusations of antisemitism to attack ideas it ideologically opposes. It traffics in anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic dog whistles to justify unjustifiable intrusions on First Amendment rights, one part of the suit said.

The lawsuit came after Khalil, a green-card holder, was already arrested by ICE, kicking off an ongoing battle between foreign students and the Trump administration.

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(KRON)  A 31-year-old Napa mother, Yesica Barajas, is accused of killing her own children in a DUI crash. During Barajas court appearance on Friday, a Napa County Superior Court judge denied the mothers request to be briefly released from jail so that she could attend a funeral for her 9-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son.

Aaliyah Montanez, 9, and her brother, Damian Montanez, suffered fatal injuries when their mothers car crashed along Highway 29 on Sunday, March 16, at 7:30 a.m. The siblings died in the backseat of Barajas mangled vehicle.

California Highway Patrol officers said when they arrived on scene, the mother was trapped inside her car.

Aaliyah Montanez (Family photo)

One CHP officer said he smelled a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the mothers breath and she was confused, court documents obtained by KRON4 state. Barajas was seated in the drivers seat and she was the only person alive inside the car.

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When the officer later questioned the mother in a hospital, she admitted to drinking alcohol at home before driving on the morning of March 16, court documents state. Barajas also admitted to using marijuana daily to calm her nerves, the CHP officer wrote.

Investigators found a vape pen with marijuana cartridges inside the car, according to court documents.

Damian Montanez and his sister, 9-year-old Aaliyah Montanez, are seen during a trip to Lake Tahoe. (Image via GoFundMe)

Barajas spent days in a hospital before she was booked into jail. Prosecutors charged the mother two felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated  one count for each of her deceased children. Prosecutors also charged Barajas with child abuse, and driving under the influence of alcohol and a drug.

On Friday, Judge Scott Young denied the defendants motion to be released from jail to attend the funeral service, a Napa County District Attorneys spokesperson told KRON4.

Crash victim Damian Montanez (Photo via GoFundMe)

A family friend created a GoFundMe page to raise donations for Aaliyah and Damians funeral. The siblings went to school in the Napa Valley Unified School District.

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The children loved camping with their grandparents in Lake Tahoe. Photographs from one of their camping trips show the siblings smiling and playing in Lake Tahoes blue waters. Damian and Aaliyah always had a smile on their faces, the family friend said.

Damian Montanez and Aaliyah Montanez are seen in a family photo.

Leading up to the tragedy, Barajas had full legal custody of her two children. Damian and Aaliyahs mother and father were previously involved in a lengthy child custody battle through family courts.

After thousands of dollars poured into the GoFundMe page, the family friend wrote, The Montanez-Rincon family is overwhelmed and grateful for the love and support they have received. These donations will be used for Damian and Aaliyahs funeral expenses and to honor and maintain their memory.

Yesica Barajas is seen in a mugshot after a crash that killed her two children.

The mother remains behind bars with bail set at $500,000. She has not entered a plea. Barajas next court appearance is scheduled for April 22.

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A Justice Department attorney who publicly expressed misgivings about the governments response to the erroneous deportation of a Maryland man to a high-security prison in El Salvador has been put on administrative leave, a DOJ official said Saturday.

Erez Reuveni represented the Trump administration Friday at a federal court hearing where lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia successfully obtained an order requiring the government to secure his return to the U.S. after he was deported last month in what immigration officials described as a clerical error.

Reuveni was noticeably unenthusiastic about the governments position in the case, telling U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis that he had urged his clients to take steps to bring Abrego Garcia back. The lawyer also said hed been rebuffed in his attempts to get more information to offer the court about why officials deemed him to be a member of MS-13.

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Abrego Garcia entered the United States illegally in 2012, authorities say. An immigration judge ordered in 2019 that Abrego Garcia could not be deported to El Salvador, his home country, because he faced a legitimate risk of persecution there. That judges order remained in effect when the Trump administration sent him there last month.

Toward the end of Fridays hearing, Reuveni pleaded with Xinis to hold off her ruling for 24 hours so he could beseech the government to change its position. The White House has argued that the judge lacks the authority to order Abrego Garcias return.

I would ask the court to give us, the defendants, one more chance to do this, Reuveni said. Thats my recommendation to my client, but so far that hasnt happened.

After a short recess, Xinis opted against any delay and ordered the federal government to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S. by midnight Monday.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement Saturday suggesting that Reuveni, whos been a career DOJ attorney for nearly 15 years and was recently promoted to acting deputy director of the departments Office of Immigration Litigation, had not been forceful enough in defending the governments stance.

At my direction, every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States. Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences, Bondi said.

Reuveni did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment Saturday. The decision to place him on paid leave was first reported by The New York Times, which said it obtained a letter Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche sent Reuveni suspending him for failing to follow follow a directive from your superiors and engaging in conduct prejudicial to your client.

The Justice Department immediately appealed Xinis decision requiring the return of Abrego Garcia, who is a citizen of El Salvador. On Saturday, DOJ filed a motion with the judge asking her to put her ruling on hold. It also filed a similar motion with the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Reuvenis name was on the appeal Friday, but absent from the court filings Saturday.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking a 7 year sentence for former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) according to a Friday filing.

Prosecutors said the length of the requested sentence  87 months  reflects the serious nature of Santoss unparalleled crimes.

Santos planned and executed an assortment of fraudulent schemes and leveraged them and a fictious life story to enrich himself and capture one of the highest offices in the government of the United States, DOJ attorneys wrote, according to court documents.

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., leaves the Capitol after being expelled from the House of Representatives, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, in Washington. The House has voted to expel Santos following a critical ethics report on his conduct that included converting campaign donations for his own use, making him just the sixth member in the chambers history to be ousted by his colleagues. Expulsion requires support from two-third of the House. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

They added that the former congressmans continued lies made a mockery of the U.S. election system. Santos originally denied allegations of wrongdoing when confronted by lawmakers after a scathing report from the House ethics committee but eventually pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft last year.

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From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santoss unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives, prosecutors wrote.

In response, Santoss legal team recommended he receive 24 months imprisonment, the minimum sentence for his crimes.

The attorneys justified their request on Friday, citing Santoss personal history, his cooperation in a separate federal investigation, the non-violent nature of his offenses, his lack of any criminal history, the need to avoid unwarranted sentencing disparitiessupport a variance.

The legislator was ousted from his post in 2023, the same year he pleaded guilty to overarching crimes. He was ordered to pay $205,000 in forfeiture, in addition to $375,000 in restitution but still hasnt submitted payments for either fine.

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Against that backdrop, moreover, Santoss post-plea claims of remorse ring hollow. As of this writing, despite years of actively courting media attention and capitalizing on his infamy, Santos has forfeited nothing of his ill-gotten gains and has not repaid one cent to any of the victims of his financial crimes, prosecutors wrote.

The Court can and should find that this fact demonstrate[s] a strong risk of recidivism and a lack of remorse for his conduct.

A judge is expected to make a ruling regarding Santoss sentencing on April 25.

Updated at 9:47 p.m. EDT

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KANSAS CITY, Kan.  The Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas is sharing the shock and grief of his flock after the tragic shooting death of Northeast Kansas priest, Father Arul Carasala.

He was very beloved by people, and its a loss to our brother priest, Archbishop Joseph Naumann said, reflecting on the devastating loss.

SAVE KC initiative is working even though homicide rate is up: Officials

Carasala was gunned down outside his home in Seneca, Kansas on Thursday afternoon.

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Prosecutors have charged 66-year-old Gary Hermesch of Tulsa, Oklahoma with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Carasala.

Hermesch, a former parishioner at this parish, is believed to have had a history with the church, though Naumann clarified that Carasala was not the priest when Hermesch attended the parish.

In an emotional tribute, Naumann described Carasala as a gentle person who was not only intelligent but also motivational.

He was a strong leader, he was able to motivate people to do beautiful things, Naumann shared, highlighting Carasalas impact.

Carasala was deeply respected by both his parishioners and fellow clergy.

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Naumann emphasized that Carasala was the kind of priest everyone would want, someone dedicated to his community and faith.

In fact, just before his tragic death, Carasala had launched a new projecta thrift store in Seneca to serve the local poor.

Its very devastating, particularly to the people of his parish. He was pastor there for more than 10 years, Naumann said.

The shooting took place outside of Carasalas residence in Seneca, where Hermesch is suspected of opening fire.

The archbishop revealed that Hermesch had attended the same parish, adding a personal history to the case.

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While its clear that Hermesch had anger towards the church, Naumann said, Im told he had anger against the church, but Im not sure what the source of that anger was.

In the midst of this heartbreak, Naumann is offering reassurance to the grieving community.

We live in a sin-fractured world, and so we know Jesus tells us he does not promise easy. He doesnt say, Follow me, and youll never have any trouble or problems. Its part of life in this world, but what Jesus does promise is well never be alone, Naumann said.

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This weekend, the archbishop will travel to Seneca, to lead all four services at the church where Carasala served.

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The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is leading the ongoing investigation. FOX4 has reached out for further details and will continue to stay on top of this story as it develops.

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Katt Williams is bringing his "Heaven on Earth" tour to Minneapolis with an Oct. 24 stop at the Target Center, the comedian announced on Friday.

While Williams appeared in dozens of movies  Friday After Next, First Sunday, and, most recently, One of Them Days  he's primarily carved out a powerful place in the comedy world through his acerbic stand-up.

Williams made headlines in 2024 during a podcast appearance where he alleged Cedric the Entertainer stole one of his jokes and that Kevin Hart had taken movie roles from him.

Katt WilliamsCourtesy of Target Center

He also leveled criticism at Chris Tucker and Steve Harvey during his appearance on Shannon Sharpe's Club Shay Shay podcast, which prompted months of rebuttals and discussion.

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That controversy preceded the release of his third Netflix comedy special, Woke Foke, which was released in May 2024. That special arrived just weeks after Williams' last performance in Minnesota, which also took place at the Target Center.

Tickets for the comedian's Target Center gig go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 11.

Related: 10 movies you should see during the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival
The future of our planet is clearly top of mind for the Prince and Princess of Wales. Over the past six days, Kensington Palace released videos featuring each of them, both sharing a similar message of preservation and appreciation. But it's Kate Middleton's video, posted first, that really resonatesand sets the stage for William's big announcement.

Cinematically arresting, Middleton's video features an ASMR-ish take on nature. Waves lap the shore, a ladybug trundles along a stem, rain patters on a grassy fieldit's a post in honor of Mother's Day in the U.K., and rather than honor her role, Middleton chooses to pay homage to the ultimate nurturer, Mother Nature.

And while the imagery itself is slickly produced, the message is heartfelt, underscored by the "C" at the end of the caption. It denotes that the princess wrote the message herself, making it all the more significant. It also tees up the latest video, starring Prince William, adding an extra layer of sincerity behind their mission to care for the planet.

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William's post is star-studded, featuring Billy Porter, Heidi Klum, Nomzamo Mbatha, Cate Blanchett and David Beckhamjust to name a few facesas he announces the location of the 2025 Earthshot Awards: Brazil. It's a fitting location, considering the country will also be hosting the 2025 Climate Change Conference this November.

"We need urgent optimism more than ever, and I think Brazil epitomizes that," the prince says.

Founded by Prince William and the Royal Foundation, the Earthshot Awards provides 1 million each to five innovators, so that they can pursue a project designed to combat climate change. Each winner is chosen to focus on a specific "Earthshot," or area of need: protecting and restoring nature, purifying the water, reducing waste, cleaning the oceans and, more broadly, "fix our climate."

While the big news and celebrity cameos may garner more attention, I'd argue that Kate's video is crucial for showing the heart behind their mission, albeit indirectly. It highlights the couple's genuine passion for preserving our planet, all underscored by Kate's decision to dedicate the holiday to itand her taking the time to write a personal message to go with it.

Dan Mullan/RFU/Getty Images

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"Over the past year, nature has been our sanctuary," she wrote. "This Mothers Day, let us celebrate Mother Nature and recognize 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."

Well said, Kate. Well said.

Kate Middleton Just Threw Royal Tradition Out the Window with Her Striking (and Surprising) New Video
Kent police arrested a man they say assaulted his ex and their child, and threatened to kill said ex in front of their child.

On April 3, officers were called to an apartment for a domestic violence assault. The caller said she was being assaulted by her ex and the 911 dispatcher could hear sounds of a struggle and threats to kill the woman in the background.

Before police arrived, the man ran off, knowing that 911 had been called.

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The victim said that her ex had broken items and assaulted her while he was visiting their child. He stormed off at one point and she locked him out, but he got back into the apartment by breaking a large front window.

Police say he tried to take the child with him after assaulting his ex. The child was not injured.

Officers were quickly able to spot him and tried to pull him over, but he refused to stop.

His car stalled at the S 212nd Street hill and officers were able to pin his vehicle with theirs to prevent him from leaving.

When he couldnt escape, he ran out of the car and jumped into a steep blackberry-covered ravine.

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Officers gave chase with a K9. He still refused to come out of the bushes, police said.

Finally, police were able to come at him from several directions, preventing his escape. While they were trying to take him into custody, he fought back and tried to spit in officers faces.

He was taken into custody, and police said he had 44 fentanyl pills in his pocket.

He has been booked for domestic violence assault, malicious mischief, obstructing justice, eluding, interfering with reporting domestic violence and residential burglary. Drug charges are pending, police say.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  A Kern County jury acquitted a man of two charges and deadlocked on a third in connection with an alleged assault with a knife that occurred outside the Spirit Halloween store on White Lane.

Jurors on April 1 found Brett OLeary not guilty of making criminal threats and resisting a peace officer, and hung 6-6 on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, according to a release from the Kern County Public Defenders Office.

He faced a potential life sentence if convicted on all counts.

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On the morning of Oct. 29, OLeary was outside the Spirit Halloween store when told to leave by the alleged victim, who said hed noticed OLeary pacing in front of the store, according to the release.

The alleged victim said OLeary pulled a knife and chased him several feet, telling him, Im gonna get your a, the release says.

Man convicted of child sexual abuse faces life in prison without possibility of parole: DA

At trial, Deputy Public Defender Jennifer Melgar argued OLeary acted in self-defense. She presented video footage showing the alleged victim confront OLeary, telling him to identify himself and escalating the encounter, according to the release.

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Her argument was that the alleged victim questioned OLeary because of how he looks. The release says OLeary appeared to be homeless.

Mr. OLeary was judged the moment he was seen, not by his actions, but by how he looked, Melgar said. The evidence made clear he was not the aggressor, and the jury rightly saw that. Looking homeless is not a crime, and it certainly doesnt justify being confronted or mischaracterized.

A retrial on the assault charge is scheduled May 19.

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Kim Jong-un has donned a black leather jacket and test-fired a newly developed sniper rifle during an inspection of special forces troops.

Images released by state media show the North Korean leader peering through the scope of a sniper rifle that the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said was going to be newly supplied to special operation units.

Such units are among the thousands of troops that South Koreas spy agency has said Pyongyang is deploying to Russia to support Moscows war against Ukraine.

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During the special operations unit visit, Kim said the actual war capability for guaranteeing victory in the war field is bolstered up through intensive training, the KCNA reported.

He added that their training is the most vivid expression of patriotism and loyalty to the country, according to the agency.

Kim Jong-un is pictured pointing at a bullseye during his visit to the special forces unit - KCNA/via Reuters

Other images showed the North Korean leader pointing to the bullseye of a target, crouching alongside heavily camouflaged soldiers and waving to troops while smiling.

Kim supervised automatic rifle firing drills and sniper rifle firing drills and, after personally test-firing the weapon, expressed great satisfaction over the performance and power of the sniper rifle developed in our own way, KCNA said.

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Last month, North Korea unveiled a swarm of intelligence-controlled suicide drones in its race to modernise the armed forces through AI technology.

Pyongyang released photos of the drones striking ground targets, including a tank, and revealed its first early-warning aircraft.

Overseeing the event, Kim told state media: The field of unmanned equipment and artificial intelligence should be top-prioritised and developed in modernising the armed forces.

Kim Jong-un crouches next to a heavily camouflaged soldier (on his left) - STR/AFP

Kims special forces visit came on the same day that South Koreas constitutional court upheld the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, the president, over his disastrous martial law declaration, removing him from office and triggering fresh elections.

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Mr Yoon had defended his Dec 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule as necessary to root out anti-state forces and what he claimed were threats from North Korea.

KCNA reported Mr Yoons dismissal for the first time on Saturday, citing foreign media.

Lee Jae-myung, South Koreas opposition leader, is a frontrunner in the next election, according to experts, with his party taking a more conciliatory approach towards North Korea.

Donald Trump, the US president, who met Kim three times during his first administration, said this week he is in communication with the North Korean leader and intends to do something at some point, according to Seouls Yonhap news agency.

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King Charlesand Queen Camilla have a major milestone anniversary coming up, and they are reportedly planning to celebrate in a big way.

According to a new report from Hello! Magazine, the royal couple will mark their 20th wedding anniversary with a celebration during their visit to Italy scheduled for next week.

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Charles, 76, and Camilla 77, will commemorate the special anniversary occasion with a black tie State Banquet hosted by the president of Italy, Sergio Mattarella at Quirinal Palace in Rome.

The longtime royal couple tied the knot on April 9, 2005, marking each of their second marriages. Charles had previously been married to Princess Diana, the mother of his children: Prince William, 42, and Prince Harry, 40.

The queen consort was previously married to Andrew Parker Bowlesfrom 1973 to 1995. The former spouses share two children: Laura Lopes, 47, and Tom Parker-Bowles, 50.

In addition to celebrating the anniversary of their nuptials in Italy, Charles and Camilla were supposed to have an audience with Pope Francis during their visit, though the event has been called off as a result of the pope's recent health struggles.

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Buckingham Palace released a statement last month to confirm the visit has been postponed "by mutual agreement, as medical advice has now suggested that Pope Francis would benefit from an extended period of rest and recuperation."

Update:

The King and Queens State Visit to The Holy See has been postponed by mutual agreement, as medical advice has now suggested that Pope Francis would benefit from an extended period of rest and recuperation.



Their Majesties send The Pope their best wishes for his  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 25, 2025

"Their Majesties send The Pope their best wishes for his convalescence and look forward to visiting him in The Holy See, once he has recovered," the statement concluded.
A retired New York City correction officer was shot and killed by Suffolk County cops in a gory scene in front of his Long Island home Friday after he allegedly charged at officers with a knife, according to police and law enforcement sources.

Brentwood resident Bruce Boyd, 54, was bleeding from self-inflicted stab wounds and allegedly threatening his wife before police entered the house around 12:30 p.m. in response to a welfare check, authorities and sources said.

Boyd was shot and killed by Suffolk County cops outside of his home Friday. NYCD Hispanic Society

Officers quickly pulled back when they saw he was armed, but Boyd allegedly rushed at the cops and ignored their commands to drop the weapon, police said.

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At least one officer shot Boyd, who was then rushed to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, where he was pronounced dead, the department said.

Boyd was holding a knife drenched in blood from what appears to be at least two self-inflicted stab wounds, Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said during a news conference, according to Newsday.

Officers responded to the scene on Wurz Street after a family member called for help, and Boyds wife let them inside, according to police.

Boyd allegedly rushed at the cops and ignored their commands to drop the weapon, police said.

At least one officer shot Boyd, who was then rushed to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, where he was pronounced dead. Wayne Carrington

Boyd worked as a training officer for the Department of Corrections emergency service unit, sources told The Post.

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He retired from the job about five years ago.

A source who worked with him told The Post people who knew Boyd are in shock.

Boyd worked as a training officer for the Department of Corrections emergency service unit. Wayne Carrington

Boyd allegedly charged at police with a knife. Wayne Carrington

He was a great guy. A great correction officer, the source said. A lot of the younger officers looked up to him.

While police had previously responded to emotionally disturbed calls tied to Boyd, he did not have a criminal history, Catalina said, per Newsday.

Boyd served the Big Apple agency with pride and honor, the NYC DOC Hispanic Society said in a social media post.

As member of the departments Emergency Service Unit as a trainer Officer Boyd supported and guided our uniformed staff in some crucial training and knowledge, the organization wrote.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.
Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev has been visiting not only the United States but several other countries in an effort to unlock frozen Russian assets, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a briefing on April 4.

Since 2022, G7 nations have frozen roughly 300 billion euro ($310 billion) in Russian central bank assets, with the majorityaround 190 billion euro ($200 billion) held in Belgiums Euroclear.

He (Dmitriev) was not only in the U.S.we are monitoring the movements of our adversaries, Zelensky said during the briefing.

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Dmitriev, who heads the state-controlled Russian Direct Investment Fund, met with U.S. officials in Washington on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 2 and 3.

He played a role in backchannel diplomacy between Moscow and Trump when he was first elected in 2016.

According to Zelensky, Moscow is pressuring foreign governments to help release the funds by offering deals involving high-tech goods such as aircraft construction.

Zelensky also noted that Russia is actively trying to have sanctions lifted, but as of now both Europe and the U.S. remain firm in their stance of continuing to impose them.

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The EU has already begun leveraging proceeds from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. In January, Ukraine received 3 billion euros ($3.09 billion) as part of the EU's Ukraine Facility, funded through interest earned on the frozen reserves.

Read also: Who is Kirill Dmitriev, Putins Trump-whisperer

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TOPEKA (KSNT)  Federal cuts to education are now taking a jab at Kansas schools. The education stabilization fund giving Kansas $22 million in COVID recovery has ended.

During COVID, states were given funding for education. The goal was to catch students up on things they didnt have the chance to learn during the pandemic. Last year, the Kansas education department secured an extension through March 2026. But now the trump administration is scaling back. Its now asking states to give them a clear answer on how they plan to use the money.

Kansas plans to use the funds to go towards further educating students and teachers.

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We are accelerating any negative impact from covid, Kansas Department of Education, Jake Steel said. So, every single one of these programs would be great even without covid. But with covid being the place, it is to help speed up the return and help students along the way.

Oklahoma man charged in killing of Kansas priest

KSDE has reapplied for the funding and believes is confident it will be reinstated. To date, Kansas has spent nearly $2 billion in Education Stabilization Fund (ESF) funding.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

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Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer defended President Trumps decision to slap new tariffs on global trading partners, suggesting in a new interview that the additional import taxes will protect American workers.

I can tell you this, the president is focused on protecting the American worker through these tariffs. Fair trade practices are important to the American worker as well, DeRemer told NewsNations CUOMO on Friday.

We want to make sure, as I mentioned earlier, onshoring, repatriating these companies to build in America, and were going to need those workers to do so if the economy is growing, she added.

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Her comments come after Trump on Wednesday announced a 10 percent base tariff on imports from most foreign nations  as well as reciprocal tariffs that vary by country. The president, who defended the action on Saturday, has argued the tariffs will increase domestic manufacturing in the U.S. and create more jobs to boost the economy.

We want to erase the losses of the last administration, Chavez-DeRemer told host Chris Cuomo. We want to make sure that were building up Americans economy. People are frustrated by whats been happening, and now they feel like theyre on the right track, that they can invest.

The Labor secretary pointed to representatives from several unions  including the Teamsters, United Auto Workers (UAW) and Communication Workers of America  who were at the White House when Trump unveiled the new tariffs as an example.

Still, the Liberation Day tariffs have been scrutinized by both sides of the aisle amid stock market dips and questions around how the taxes will impact consumer prices.

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Chavez-DeRemer, a former Republican lawmaker, lauded the latest jobs report as proof that things are looking up.

In March, the U.S. economy added roughly 228,000 jobs and held a steady 4.2 percent unemployment rate, according to the data released Friday. The Oregon Republican, who was confirmed by the Senate to lead the Labor Department last month, said the positive economic report shows the Trump administration knocked it out of the park.

Everybody was betting that the jobs numbers would be low, Chavez-DeRemer said earlier in the interview Friday. I can tell you, people are believing what the president is saying. He is the president of the American worker, and hes proving that over and over again.

Were focused on building back in America, repatriating these jobs, having businesses invest hundreds of billions of dollars in order to be the exporter that we need to be for American dominance, she added.

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One way to do that, she said, is by talking to the U.S. public face-to-face. The Labor secretary is set to visit all 50 dates during an upcoming listening tour, which will kick off over the weekend in Pennsylvania.

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Eluned Morgan has broken ranks and called for the return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece.

Waless First Minister is the first senior Labour figure to call for the repatriation of the ancient relics since the election.

In the clearest indication yet that the Government may be willing to hand the Marbles back, Ms Morgan told the Greek newspaper Ta Nea: The Parthenon Sculptures should be returned to Greece.

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I think theres a lot of discussion going on. I hope they continue with those discussions.

I know this is a really sensitive issue. Its a matter for the UK Government, but I think Ive been on record in the past to say that actually they should be returned to Greece.

The Elgin Marbles currently reside in the British Museum, but the Greek government has long called for them to be returned.

Talks between Greece and the museum have been ongoing since 2021.

Last year, Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, seemed to open the door to some form of repatriation.

She said in October: Were very keen to talk to our counterparts in Greece and to work with you to find a resolution to what has been a very long-running dispute.

Ongoing and constructive talks

In December, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said the future of the Marbles was a matter for the trustees of the British Museum, which is operationally independent of the government.

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The Museum has said there are ongoing and constructive talks about some form of temporary loan scheme.

The Marbles were sculpted in the 5th century BC to adorn the frieze of the Parthenon temple of the Acropolis in Athens.

They were removed from the Acropolis by workmen under Lord Elgin in the early 19th century.

The British Museum acquired them from Lord Elgin in 1816 by an Act of Parliament and they have been displayed in Bloomsbury ever since.

The collection, sometimes known as the Parthenon Marbles, comprises a 75-metre long stretch of the original 160-metre Parthenon frieze, 17 pedimental statues and 15 of the original 92 metopes, carved rectangular plaques which sat above the columns of the temple.

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Many of the leftover relics are displayed at the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

The fate of the Marbles has been a long-running diplomatic sore in Britains otherwise friendly relationship with Greece.

In 2023 it triggered a row between Rishi Sunak, the then prime minister, and his Greek counterpart.

On a visit to the UK, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greeces prime minister, called for their return. Mr Sunak responded by pulling out of a planned bilateral meeting.

The circumstances of the Marbles removal from Greece is a longstanding controversy.

Advocates of repatriation say they were stolen from the Parthenon by bandits using saws and hammers, with the Greek government describing their removal as serial theft.

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But the British Museum continues to claim that many of the relics were removed from the rubble around the Parthenon.

Meanwhile, Lord Elgins claim that he obtained permission from the Ottoman government, then in control over the majority of present-day Greece, to remove the relics has been hotly contested for centuries.

When he was Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn promised to return the Marbles to Greece if he became prime minister.

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Earl Spencer has been accused by his estranged wife of seeking publicity for his new relationship.

Countess Spencer has claimed the Earl and his new partner, Cat Jarman, have attempted to garner publicity for their relationship in the press.

Prof Jarman is suing Lady Spencer for misuse of private information over claims she told friends and employees of her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis.

Lady Spencer has accused the Earl of having an affair with the Norwegian archaeologist.

Prof Jarman is 18 years younger than Earl Spencer, who she first met when she came to Althorp House for an archaeological investigation

In newly released court documents, Lady Spencer said Prof Jarmans decision to give an interview to MailOnline in which she revealed she had MS was hopelessly inconsistent with her legal case.

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It is admitted and averred that the claimant chose to give an interview to the MailOnline (the biggest English-language media website in the world), the countesss defence reads.

This was not the first interview or attempt to garner publicity for their relationship (or this claim) by the Claimant and Earl Spencer. They have repeatedly done so since they first revealed their relationship to the public...

Speculation caused significant distress

The document also argues that the interview was the most sensational method of disclosing the diagnosis.

Deliberately disclosing the fact that she has MS to the world in a manner calculated to give it maximum publicity is not only entirely inconsistent with any claim to privacy, but it also nullifies the ostensible purpose of these proceedings, the defence reads.

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In her claim, Prof Jarman said she felt compelled to speak out as the case had generated a huge amount of public speculation which has caused her and her children significant distress.

In these circumstances, the claimant wished to regain some of the autonomy and control over her medical information, and bring an end to the harmful speculation and gossip which had been percolating online, the claim says.

The Countess, who was married to the Earl for 13 years and shares a daughter with him, has robustly defended herself against the allegations.

She and the Earl are in the midst of divorce proceedings.

The Countess was Charles Spencers third wife and shares a daughter with him - Max Mumby/Getty

She alleged that the Earl informed her by text message last March that their marriage was over, completely refusing to discuss it in person, or even to provide an explanation, behaviour that she says she found both cruel and inexplicable.

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Lady Spencer said the affair became clear after she compared notes with Prof Jarmans husband, Tom, who then told her that his wife had multiple sclerosis.

The Countess states that this information was volunteered by Mr Jarman because he plainly believed that it was relevant to his wifes behaviour and the fact she had embarked on an affair. It was considered a relevant and integral part of the picture.

At no point was it suggested to her that the diagnosis was a secret or that she should not mention it to anyone else, she said.

The Earl first confirmed his divorce in a statement to the Mail on Sunday in June last year, describing it as immensely sad.

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He then confirmed he was in a relationship with Prof Jarman live on ITVs Good Morning Britain in October.

The Earl and Prof Jarman later gave an interview about their relationship to MailOnline in November, during which he said she brings out the best in me.

Earl Spencer has insisted that his ex-wife ended their marriage, adding: The notion that I would end my marriage by text is an absurd attempt to blacken my name.

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LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA)  Its very dangerous, said Joanne Toomey.

Toomey said she sees phones out and cars crashed often, even on major highways.

Were passing people. We see them texting, and it upsets us. It upsets us because theyre not paying attention. Theyre veering into our lanes, said Toomey.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,308 people died in crashes involving distracted driving in 2022, with cell phone use being the most common distraction.

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April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

Were seeing increases in traffic crashes as we go along where we can definitely clearly indicate that they were using a mobile device or were distracted in some ways, said Sgt. Doug Mills with the Lakeland Police Department.

Videos shared by the Lakeland Police Department show close calls on city streets with cars speeding through intersections, seemingly unaware the light was red.

Most of those are clearly red for a significant amount of time. I believe some of those also had cars stopped, which you should be paying attention, be able to see that cars are already stopped there, said Sgt. Mills.

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Sgt. Mills said he has ticketed drivers for watching social media videos behind the wheel.

Looking right in their drivers side and theyre just sitting here doing this for several seconds at a time. You understand, when youre doing speeds of anywhere from 30  50 miles an hour, every second youre eating up a lot of distance, said Sgt. Mills.

Sgt. Mills said that, on average, there are 770 crashes involving distracted driving in Lakeland every year.

Distracted driving is a focus of Lakelands Vision Zero, the citys effort to eliminate fatal or serious bodily injury crashes.

One big thing that the general public can do is just take the extra time, realize what theyre doing, set the phone down and get to their point of destination safely, said Sgt. Mills.

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Sgt. Mills said that in most areas, cell phone use by hand is only allowed if calling 911 in distress or inputting navigational information.

Inside of a school zone or a construction area when theres workers present, youre not even allowed to have your mobile device in your hand. Youre not even allowed to manipulate it. It has to be hands free, said Sgt. Mills.

Sgt. Mills said officers would be focusing on distracted driving this month for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

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Unauthorized land clearing on a property in Nantucket, Massachusetts, has landed the perpetrators with a hefty fine.

In Wauwinet, half an acre of mature vegetation was chopped down without the necessary permit, leaving local residents and the local Conservation Commission furious.

"This type of behavior, which is blatantly in disregard for the Wetlands Protection Act and our local regulations, will not be tolerated," Seth Engelbourg, chair of the Conservation Committee, told the Nantucket Current.

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Engelbourg went on to describe the destruction of trees as one of the most "egregious violations" he had ever encountered, per the Current. The organization voted to fine the property owner $300 a day until a suitable restoration plan is presented.

With the fine being backdated to the date an enforcement order was issued on February 6, the bill started racking up. By early March, it had reached tens of thousands of dollars.

"[The fine is] still going to be a small amount of money," Engelbourg said. "It might only end up being in the thousands [of dollars] compared to the value of the land that was destroyed is, but we still need to do it."

Unfortunately, it's often the case that those who sign off on such destruction aren't concerned by financial penalties as long as the work gets done. In fact, this might be easier than having to go through the necessary bureaucracy associated with making these plans happen.

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But the area has now lost a historic natural habitat that would have been essential for biodiversity, which makes for a healthy ecosystem and helps to secure human food supply.

What's more, the trees would have improved the health of residents by absorbing and trapping harmful airborne toxins while also providing natural shade and cooling. This can reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses when temperatures creep up.

Letters were sent by locals to the Conservation Commission, outlining the anger the clearing had caused.

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"I have seen the extent of the damage, and I am frankly appalled that such an action would be undertaken in a designated conservation area," one person said.

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"The Wauwinet neighborhood and individuals island-wide and beyond are distraught over this extreme environmental degradation," another letter read.

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White House staffers, it seems, had better hope that they stay in Laura Loomers good graces. This week, Loomera far-right provocateur who has described herself as prowhite nationalism and Islam as a cancer on humanitymet with Donald Trump in the Oval Office. After she reportedly railed against National Security Council officials she believed were disloyal to the president, the White House fired six NSC staff members the next day. More firings could be on their way: Yesterday, a person close to the administration told my colleague Michael Scherer that Loomer has been asked to put together a list of people at State who are not MAGA loyalists.

Loomer doesnt have an official job in the Trump administration, and the president has denied that she had anything to do with the NSC firings. But she is one of the presidents confidantes, and she has come to exercise a significant amount of influence over the White House. Lots of people in Trumps inner circle have unlikely backgrounds (defense secretaries are not usually hired straight from Fox News), but Loomers is probably the least likely of them all. Over the past decade, she has earned a reputation as an unapologetically racist troll. In 2018, after she was banned from Twitter for criticizing then-incoming Representative Ilhan Omar and her Muslim faith, she famously handcuffed herself to the door of Twitters New York City headquarters. She was reinstated after Elon Musk bought the platform, and has continued to post racist things on X: In September, she suggested that a Kamala Harris election win would mean that the White House will smell like curry. (Loomer did not respond to a request for comment.)

Loomers power marks how little Trump now seems to care about being around people who have expressed racist and extremist ideas and kept racist and extremist company. She is a bit like the Forrest Gump of Trumpworldan unlikely but persistent character who just keeps popping up during some of the rights biggest moments. When Trump got off his private plane on his way to the presidential debate in September, Loomer appeared with him. The next day, when Trump traveled to New York for a 9/11-anniversary memorial, Loomer was again there with him. (She has called 9/11 an inside job.) As I wrote at the time, prominent Republicans did not like that their presidential candidate was associating himself with Loomer, and publicly challenged Trump over it. He seemingly has not listened.

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[Read: Laura Loomer is where Republicans draw the line]

Loomer has also played a role in directing discourse on the right. She was integral to drumming up the hoax that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating peoples pets, which became one of the most prominent right-wing causes du jour during the presidential campaign. In December, she instigated a war on the right over high-skilled immigration after she criticized the administrations hiring of Sriram Krishnan as an AI-policy adviser and called attention to his past comments advocating for expanding H-1B visas. Most workers on H-1B visas are from India, and Loomer posted that Indian immigrants are third world invaders.

There is perhaps no one with direct access to the president who has been as outwardly and vociferously racist and bigoted. For all of the arguments that critics of Musk make about how he has boosted white supremacy on X, he has maintained a level of plausible deniability by never disparaging minority groups in a manner as direct as Loomer has. Someone like Loomer likely would not have had access to Trump in his first term. Richard Spencer never made it into Trumps administration, and the president went out of his way to disavow the white nationalist. In 2018, when CNN reported that Darren Beattie, then a White House speechwriter, had spoken at an event that also featured a white nationalist, he was fired. But now Beattie has been hired to a senior role in this administration.

The president has already clearly established that his second term will be more extreme. Instead of the limited Muslim travel ban, he is pushing for mass deportations and has effectively shut down USAID, an agency largely devoted to helping poorer countries. But by welcoming Loomer into his inner circle, Trump is offering an even starker glimpse into how this administration is different. She is a testament to how much further to the right Trump has moved since his first term, and how much further he may be open to going.

Article originally published at The Atlantic
Laurel: University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown students came together Wednesday to share senior projects, creative works and independent study findings at UPJs annual Symposium for the Promotion of Academic and Creative Enquiry. Its like the Super Bowl of research for UPJ, undergraduate research coordinator Matthew Tracey said. Topics examined by the students included food waste solutions, an auto cable wrapper, ways to increase polio vaccinations, tick repellent, the boundaries of free speech and Pitt-Johnstowns watershed.

Laurel: Laurel View Villages Impact Awards gala Thursday will honor four people who exemplify the organizations core values of community, integrity, excellence, financial sustainability and forward thinking, organizers said. This years honorees are Wes Yoder, community; Threse Baywood, resident; David E. Mishler, retired employee; and Joe Shetler, employee. We have an all-star line-up this year, said Laurel View Villages Angela Rizzo.

Barb: Police are looking for a man who allegedly held up two Amish buggies at gunpoint in Mercer County last week. One victim said a black car approached his buggy and stopped, and a man with a gun got out, approached the buggy, pointed a gun at him and demanded his wallet, police said. The victim gave up his wallet, and the man got back in the car and drove away. A second victim said that while he was in his buggy, a small black car drove beside him, and a man holding a gun in the passenger seat told him to stop and demanded his wallet. The victim did not give up his wallet, and the car drove away.

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Laurel: Students at Bishop McCort Catholic and Westmont Hilltop high schools said they raised tens of thousands of dollars through Mini-THON events this year to benefit Four Diamonds, which helps families with children who are battling childhood cancer. Westmont Hilltop raised $42,088, surpassing its goal of $40,000. Mini-THON empowers students to make a real difference, proving that every hour, every dance, every dollar raised brings us closer to a cure, said senior Morgan Kmetz. Bishop McCort celebrated its 10th anniversary of Mini-THON and raised $37,762. To date, Bishop McCort has raised more than $305,000 for Four Diamonds.

Barb: Struggles persist for health care administrators seeking to hire providers in hospitals and nursing facilities across Pennsylvania, according to a newly released industry survey, leading to greater difficulties for patients and their loved ones seeking immediate and long-term care. Wait times at hospital emergency departments are growing, as are backlogs for scheduling appointments and procedures, about seven in 10 respondents said in the latest workforce survey from the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, or HAP. Nearly three in 10 hospitals eliminated or scaled back services, and two in 10 regularly restricted bed availability.

Laurel: A local military veteran will soon own a brand-new, free, 1,000- square-foot, three-bedroom house with a deck overlooking the Stonycreek River on Somerset Street in Johnstown. It will be gifted through the Polacek Veteran Home Initiative, a Vision Together 2025 capture team. The plan calls for starting with one home, but JWF Industries CEO and Chairman Bill Polacek hopes that as many as eight or so could be built in the area as part of a veterans row. Details about the application and selection processes are available at 1stsummitarena.com/polacek-veteran-family- home.
The Lincoln Walks at Midnight Statue sits in front of the West Virginia state Capitol building in Charleston, W.Va. (Lexi Browning | West Virginia Watch)

Lawmakers are considering dismantling the states Office of Equal Opportunity for the sake of government efficiency. But the office, which works to protect West Virginians from discrimination, appears to already be gone.

The Senate approved a three-sentence bill March 29 that would repeal a section of state code mandating the states Office of Equal Opportunity. The work  including complying with federal disability rights and anti-discrimination laws  is already being carried out by the states Division of Personnel, according to bill sponsor, Sen. Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson.

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It wasnt until the members of the House Committee on Government Organization vetted the bill Thursday that it was revealed the office was already likely disbanded, possibly violating state code by not having lawmakers required approval.

A website for the office is now offline. State code requires that the Office of Equal Opportunity have a coordinator; the offices two employees have been moved elsewhere in state government.

Del. Jonathan Kyle, R-Randolph

Sheryl Webb, director of the Division of Personnel, declined to tell House committee members who had directed the division to begin dismantling the office, saying she was fulfilling what had been requested. When Del. Jonathan Kyle, R-Randolph, pressed for an answer, Webb didnt respond.

Kyle responded, You dont throw anybody under the bus, I understand. But this is where we are in state government, with people doing whatever they want to do, and thats, frankly, unacceptable.

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A spokesperson for Gov. Patrick Morrisey did not respond to a question about whether the governor had directed the change.

Del. Tristan Leavitt, R-Kanahwa

On Friday, Del. Tristan Leavitt, R-Kanahwa, who serves on the House Government Organization Committee, said that further research led him to believe that nothing was done in violation of state code.

This office continues to be in place, the duties continue to be performed within the Division of Personnel, Leavitt said.

The substantive work that that office does, which is really important work, all of that is still moving forward in a way thats in compliance. So, for me, thats very reassuring to know, Leavitt said.

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Kyle said on Friday that he believed that the situation in committee was a misunderstanding and concurred with Leavitts comments.

Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha

Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, who is also on the committee, said she still thinks that administrators moved those functionalities around illegally.

They cant just dismantle an office that requires the Legislature, she said. During the presentation, they mentioned that, They told us to go ahead and move everything. We couldnt get a clear cut answer, whether that was the secretary of administration, or whether that was the governors office themselves.

Robert Paulson, general counsel for the Department of Administration, maintained that the Office of Equal Opportunity is not eliminated with others performing those duties. He told lawmakers that the department is in the process of naming a coordinator. He wasnt sure who made the call to make the changes.

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Rucker said she wasnt aware of the changes to the Office of Equal Opportunity.

Morrisey targets government efficiency

Webb said the change was partially spurred by Morriseys executive order mandating that government agencies find efficiencies and eliminate waste. Eliminating the Office of Equal Opportunity would save $125,000 in salaries plus $41,250 in benefits, she said.

We were reviewing how to create efficiencies, this was one of the things that was looked at because of the duplicative nature and the additional cost to it, Webb said.

Young said it was also likely a result of Morriseys ban on diversity, equity and inclusion practices and policies in state government.

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Lawmakers created the Office of Equal Opportunity in 2022.

A report from the states Office of the Legislative Auditor earlier this year said that the office was needed to facilitate compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws and to minimize liability costs to the state from violations of such laws.

However, further progress is needed in developing a statewide and uniform program, the report said.

Despite questions about how the office was eliminated, both Young and Leavitt believed that the state could carry out its functions of complying with federal laws and protecting West Virginians from discrimination. The Division of Personnel already offers equal rights education courses and training to state agencies, according to Webb.

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Theyre important laws, and I think both the testimony we heard in committee and everything Ive learned since indicates that they are prioritizing those and doing everything they can to encourage the entire state government to be aware of the law and to comply with it as fully as possible, Leavitt said.

Young emphasized that state code mandates that West Virginia have this office until lawmakers approve changes.

It is very concerning and definitely does not follow state code, she said. I do believe it will probably be debated on the floor, because we still have a lot of questions.

The legislative session adjourns April 12.

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A California lawmaker introduced legislation last month designed to strengthen and expand the state's existing community solar and storage program.

Assemblymember Chris Ward from San Diego introduced AB 1260, which would lower costs, provide more clean energy access, and enhance grid reliability.

"California needs affordable, clean energy solutions today, not years down the road," Ward told Solar Power World. "This bill will guarantee that families, renters and businesses  especially those unable to install rooftop solar  can benefit from local solar power, all while keeping energy costs low for every Californian."

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The bill requires community solar projects to deliver guaranteed savings to subscribers and have at least 51% capacity dedicated to low-income consumers. Also, in accordance with the state's mandate to put solar on new homes, allowing community solar as a compliance option will save billions in construction costs and expand clean energy access.

Community solar programs work by allowing you to sign up for a subscription to a local solar farm, which provides energy while giving you a discount on your bills. It's a great option if you can't install rooftop panels because of the cost or the amount of sun your location gets or if you're a renter.

EnergySage, a clean energy marketplace, estimates you can save anywhere from 5% to 20% on your annual electricity costs by opting for community solar.

Even businesses are getting in on the savings provided by community solar. Last year, it was reported that 130 new Wendy's restaurants were using community solar for between 30% and 100% of their energy needs.

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Community solar has also helped people survive extreme weather events. For example, residents in communities in North Carolina were able to keep their lights on thanks to backup solar options from community programs during Hurricane Helene and its aftermath.

Clean energy such as solar not only benefits your wallet; it also helps lower your reliance on dirty energy, which emits pollution contributing to the warming of the planet. This creates a domino effect of increased extreme weather events and other environmental issues.

"By recognizing the full value that community solar + storage provides to the grid and local communities, we can finally create a workable, cost-saving program that expands access to millions of Californians," Derek Chernow, western regional director at the Coalition for Community Solar Access, told Solar Power World.

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.
Apr. 5Lawmakers are considering a proposed "impact tax" on luxury megayachts that dock in Maine.

The proceeds would be used to support harbor infrastructure and public transportation.

Supporters of the proposal say it could address climate change effects from the large vessels while also helping to pay for the public facilities and services used by megayachts, which are defined as privately owned pleasure craft measuring at least 150 feet in length.

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"Given the level of necessity we have with maintaining our coastal infrastructure, I think this is a very reasonable revenue source in which to capture some of the value that is being received by these visitors and their megayachts and put it into coastal uses," Sen. Rick Bennett, R-Oxford, the bill's sponsor, said during a public hearing Friday.

Critics of the bill, LD 115, said it would negatively affect the tourism industry and deter visitors from spending their money in shops and restaurants. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection also opposed the bill, saying it would be administratively burdensome.

And lawmakers on the Transportation Committee, which heard the proposal Friday, raised questions about a lack of data on how many megayachts are coming to Maine, leading some to ask if the legislation is needed.

The bill would require municipalities that charge slip fees, which are fees for docking, mooring or using piers or other marine infrastructure, to also assess the tax. The charge would be $10 per foot of length over 150 feet and would be charged per day, up to 30 consecutive days.

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The charge would not apply to commercial fishing vessels, cruise ships or freight carriers.

Municipalities that collect the fees could keep 10% of them, while the rest would be transferred to a state Megayacht Fund. The money from the fund would be dispersed on a quarterly basis, with half going back to municipalities for harbor infrastructure and sea level rise mitigation and half being used for public transportation, including ferries.

A similar bill sponsored by Rep. Grayson Lookner, D-Portland, passed in both the House and Senate in the last Legislature, but was among several last-minute bills that died when Gov. Janet Mills refused to sign them for procedural reasons. The bills were enacted and sent to Mills on a day usually reserved for taking up vetoed bills, and Mills raised doubts about the legal authority to advance them.

Lookner said Friday that the need for a tax on megayachts has only grown in the time since he introduced his bill in 2023. In the last two years, Maine's coast has been ravaged by climate change-driven storms that have resulted in millions of dollars in infrastructure damage at the same time as communities have struggled to raise revenues on their own.

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"Just as tourists staying in hotels pay a lodging tax, it is only right that those visiting in megayachts  floating palaces that can cost hundreds of millions of dollars  contribute their fair share," Lookner said.

Bennett said megayachts have high energy needs, which cause them to contribute heavily to pollution, and said they are only owned by the extremely wealthy. He said fees on megayachts are not widespread in the United States, but they are more common in Europe, where some communities have also banned yachts over a certain size.

There is no state-level tracking of how many megayachts come into Maine each year, and it's hard to know for sure how many do, Bennett said. "But I do know they are visiting Maine waters and visiting Maine ports," he said. "I saw three of them last year myself. But we just don't have the reporting to know exactly how many are coming."

Lookner also said there is no hard data on how many megayachts are visiting Maine. But he said he had estimated two years ago that his bill, which had slightly different parameters for who would be charged, would have generated between $500,000 and $1.5 million per year based on anecdotal information.

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Critics of the bill said it would hurt Maine's tourism economy.

"Our marinas and waterfront businesses already know that the crew and guests on these vessels spend generously on dining, provisions, including Maine seafood, artwork and services at businesses," said Stacey Keefer, who spoke in opposition to the bill on behalf of the Maine Marine Trade Association.

"Respectfully, we do not believe the bill sponsors understand these yachts are often run as a business ... It's possible a captain might still spend (on these fees), but they might opt for a private marina instead or, more likely, just anchor out or skip going to that harbor completely."

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is also opposing the bill. In written testimony, the agency said it would be burdensome for them to oversee the collection of the fees by municipalities and the creation of a new program to distribute them.

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A fiscal note has not been published for the bill, but Bennett said he supports minimizing administrative costs. "I wouldn't want to create a system that requires additional staffing at DEP," he said. "I don't think that's necessary."

Bennett said statements that the fees would discourage tourism are not credible.

"People who can pay tens of millions of dollars in maintenance per year will not be put off by paying an extra $500 or so per day," he said. "And if they can spend thousands of dollars to moor in European destinations, they can certainly pay to dock at Maine ports."

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A lawsuit alleges Frederick Health Hospital intentionally omitted that its data systems were vulnerable to attacks, failed to protect patient data from cyber criminals and didnt properly notify those impacted by a ransomware attack on the hospital in January.

The lawsuit was filed on March 4 on behalf of two current patients, Ernest Farkas and Joseph Klingman, as well as any other patients affected by the ransomware attack.

Klingman declined to comment for this story. Farkas could not be reached for comment.

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Raina Borrelli of Strauss Borrelli PLLC of Chicago, Illinois, an attorney representing the patients, declined to comment Wednesday on the lawsuit.

On Jan. 27, an unauthorized person accessed patients personal data  which may have included names, Social Security numbers, birthdays, health insurance information and drivers license numbers.

FHH on Feb. 6 began notifying people affected by the attack, according to the lawsuit.

The two patients named in the complaint have both experienced anxiety, sleep disruption, stress, fear, and frustration due to a substantially increased risk of fraud, misuse, and identity theft, the lawsuit says.

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Although the total number of people impacted isnt known, the lawsuit alleges that over 100 people  potentially hundreds  were affected.

The complaint alleges that FHH failed to implement industry-standard cybersecurity measures and intentionally hid from patients that its data systems could be attacked and personal information could be accessed.

Due to FHHs unfair and deceptive acts and practices, the lawsuit said, the patients affected will continue to suffer injury, ascertainable losses of money or property, and monetary and non-monetary damages, including from fraud and identity theft; time and expenses related to monitoring their financial accounts for fraudulent activity; an increased, imminent risk of fraud and identity theft; and loss of value of their personal information.

FHH spokesperson Josh Faust said in a statement on March 28 that the hospital confirms it is the subject of a lawsuit related to the ransomware attack in January, but FHH cant comment on the specifics of ongoing legal proceedings.

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FHH wants to assure our patients and the community that we take this matter seriously, and we are fully committed to resolving this issue responsibly and with integrity, he said.

On March 28, FHH sent out letters to patients and staff who have been or may be impacted by the ransomware attack.

These letters include instructions of what people should do if they were affected by the attack. Tom Kleinhanzl, FHHs president and CEO, said FHH is offering people free identity theft protection and credit monitoring.

At the time the lawsuit was filed, it alleged, the hospital wasnt offering those services.

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The complaint calls for a jury trial and asks for an unspecified monetary amount over $100,000 to be paid to the people affected.

FHH has until May 9 to respond.

Inadequate security measures, notices

Kleinhanzl said in an interview on March 27 that during the data breach, an unauthorized person accessed documents in a shared drive, which he described as an electronic storage closet for historical documents.

FHHs electronic medical records system, patient portal and emails were not accessed in the attack, but the company took its systems offline proactively.

The lawsuit said it is not known how long the unauthorized person had access to FHHs data network before the ransomware attack happened.

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It also alleges that there are log-in credentials for Frederick Health employees on the Dark Web, which cyber criminals may have used to access the companys systems if those credentials werent reset.

The complaint alleges that FHH didnt adequately train its employees on cybersecurity and didnt have proper safeguards and security protocols in place to protect patients personal and protected health data.

It also claims that because FHH waited to begin notifying people about the data breach, it deprived patients the earliest possible opportunity to start mitigating any suspicious activity or injuries from their data being compromised.

Some of the damages the lawsuit claims people impacted by the attack may experience include:

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* Compromise and continuing publication of their personal information

* Out-of-pocket costs to try to prevent identify theft and fraud

* Delay in receiving tax refunds

People with access to the stolen information could use it to access patients bank accounts, hack online accounts and commit identify fraud to open bank accounts without the patients knowing.

With a recent increase in the number of cyber attacks and data breaches  which hospitals are a popular target for  FHH shouldve known of the risk of a data breach and been prepared to stop one, the lawsuit said.

The suit also assumes that the compromised data has been or will soon be published to the Dark Web.

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The lawsuit also claims that FHH violated federal laws restricting the release of medical information, as well as intentionally deceived patients by suppressing the fact its data systems were vulnerable to attacks and that the company didnt comply with consumer protection regulations.

If FHH had told patients its data systems werent secure, the company would have been unable to continue in business and it would have been forced to adopt reasonable data security measures and comply with the law, the complaint said.

The suit alleges FHH acted intentionally, knowingly, maliciously, and recklessly disregarded patients rights.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its 195th annual general conference in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5.

Here is a breakdown of some of the biggest announcements from each session. This article will be updated as the sessions progress.

How general conference has evolved over the past two centuries

Saturday morning session

Before talks from Church leaders began Saturday morning, members in attendance and Church officials voted on new General Authorities, Area Seventies, and General Auditors to be sustained by members of the Church. That announcement included the sustaining of a new Young Men General Presidency, effective Aug. 1, 2025.

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The new Young Men General Presidency will be as follows: David J. Wanderly, Timothy L. Farnes, and Sean R. Dixon.

The first speaker of the Saturday morning session was acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Jeffrey R. Holland. President Holland spoke about the story of a young member of the Church who suffers from muscular dystrophy.

It was the young mans goal to pass the sacrament (similar to many churchs sacrament of communion) after he was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood. He especially wanted to pass it to his father, the leader of his congregation. After the young boy climbed to the top of the rostrum, he passed a piece of broken bread to his dad, the bishop, completing his goal to pass the sacrament to his dad unaided.

Relief Society General President Camille Johnson then spoke to those in attendance and those listening around the world. She spoke about being spiritually whole in Jesus Christ. She also spoke of the parable of the 10 virgins, five of whom were foolish and the other five being wise. The statue of the five wise virgins was unveiled earlier this week outside of Temple Square.

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It is a location befitting application of the parable. Because when we make and keep covenants, particularly those available in the House of the Lord, we fill our lamps with the oil of conversion, she said of the statue and location of it, which is outside the relief society building on Temple Square. Johnson says that people should rejoice and that one can be made whole while they wait to be physically healed.

Johnson was followed by Elder Ronald A. Rasband, who spoke about the progress of the Church. He told those watching and those in attendance that 308,000 people became members of the church in the last year. He invited members to give the Lord equal time and pay attention to the positive spiritual momentum.

Rasbands address was followed by Elder Quentin L. Cooks talk, which focused on the challenges of the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies. He told the story of one family who had a family member about to pass while trying to cross the plains to the Salt Lake Valley.

I shall not live to reach Salt Lake, the family member said, but you and the boys will, and I do not regret all we have gone through if our boys can grow up and raise their families in Zion. Cook also said that people pass through the refiners fire while on earth.

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President Henry B. Eyring spoke last during the session and invited members to remember Christ and to seek Christ in what they do.

Two more sessions of general conference will be held on Saturday, followed by two more on Sunday.

Saturday afternoon session

The afternoon session carried a theme of speaking to younger members and those not part of the Church.

Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles started off by speaking on the healing power of God. He remarked that God can answer prayers, life is precious, and spoke of the Family Proclamation. He also remarked that young adults and youth are todays truth seekers. Andersen invited members to share love with others.

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Andersen was followed by President Steven J. Lund of the Young Men General Presidency. Lund spoke of the power of the Aaronic Priesthood or preparatory priesthood.

Knowing Gods power for what it truly is, we were witnesses to the disruption of the very patterns of this world by Godly authority flooding the earth, Lund said during his talk.

He spoke of youth in the Church who went to help an elderly man who was not a member and told the story of how his heart softened over time and of his intent to get baptized. The man passed before he could do it on earth, but one the boys who helped with tasks at his home did it for him in the temple.

S. Mark Palmer followed Lunds remarks by giving an allegory of a fallen willow tree that was holding on by a single root. A neighbor had convinced him to prune the tree and stand it up and let it try to take root again. Eventually, the tree did just that. He used the story to invite those who strayed from the Church back.

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The session closed with Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf speaking to those in attendance.

Uchtdorf spoke about being a heartfelt spirit. He told the story of taking a friend to a branch in a part of his native Germany. The congregation met on the upper levels of a grocery store because of its small size, and Uchtdorf had envisioned things going well.

Things, however, did not turn out as Uchtdorf had originally planned. When going home from the meeting, the friend Uchtdorf remarked on the service, calling it beautiful.

Saturday evening session

Elder Gary E. Stevenson started off the evening session of general conference by speaking on how the Savior, Jesus Christ, can connect two otherwise unconnected people through just a singular moment.

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With a tender smile, she gently stamped Lesas passport and handed the documents back to her. My wife smiled in return, accepted the documents and exchanged warm parting words, Stevenson said.

After asking his wife what happened, she showed Stevenson what the agent had seen. A small card with the image of the Savior.

Stevenson used to talk about positive changes that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made in recent years. One such example is the retiring of the term Mormon Church from the Churchs name. He spoke about how he has been trying to make Easter a more Christ-centered holiday with his family.

Sister Amy A. Wright taught that members of the Church should to Jesus Christ and strive to belong to him, since members have a responsibility to gather people and bring them to Christ.

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Elder James R. Rasband told members about his study of the Kirtland Temples dedicatory prayer and what that led to for him.

There are so many ways in which we can each find mercy in the house of the Lord. This has been true since the Lord first commanded Israel to build a tabernacle and to place at its center the mercy seat, he said. In the temple, we find mercy in the covenants we make. Those covenants, in addition to the baptismal covenant, bind us to the Father and the Son and give us increased access to what President Nelson has taught is a special kind of love and mercy called hesed in Hebrew.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson closed the session and the day by speaking about worship.

True worship is transformative, he said, speaking about Elder Patrick Kearons talk and article, Welcome to the Church of Joy.

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Two more sessions of general conference will be held on Sunday, with the first beginning at 10 a.m. Mountain time, and the second beginning at 2 p.m.

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(WKBN)  The Ohio Division of Wildlife is asking people to leave baby deer alone this spring.

The division says that when you come across a fawn lying in the grass, human intervention is not necessary.

According to a post on the divisions Facebook page, female deer leave their babies around homes, backyards or flower beds to keep them safe. They often do this intentionally around humans.

Surprisingly, the mother will spend little time with the fawn so as to not attract predators to the fawns location. Baby deer are born scentless, and if well-hidden, will not easily attract predators by smell. Their spots also serve as camouflage.

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Mother deer will leave their babies in these hiding places, returning to nurse them several times a day. At four weeks old, fawns will start following their mothers and by two months, they are completely weaned.

Leaving the baby deer in place is the best way to help 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 WKBN.com.
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton declared a state of emergency Friday amid severe weather across the commonwealth.

The declaration allows Fayette County officials to provide and coordinate aid with other counties throughout the state and apply for federal aid if needed.

Kentucky began receiving heavy rain Wednesday evening, and it has rarely let up since then. And more is on the way  Fayette County could see an additional 6 inches before the end of the weekend.

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The inclement weather began Wednesday night, as storms moved into Western Kentucky and swept across the state. At least two tornadoes were confirmed  one in McCracken County late Wednesday and one in Louisville early Thursday.

Fayette County had a tornado warning early Thursday, but no tornadoes touched down.

Heavy rain has buffeted much of the state since then, and its expected to resume Friday night. A 9-year-old Frankfort boy died Friday morning after being swept away by floodwaters while walking to a school bus stop.

Western Kentucky is expected to be hit especially hard by rain and flooding this weekend.

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Lexingtons state of emergency will last through 8 a.m. Monday.

The Lexington Fire Department has already dispatched, sending seven swift water rescue certified firefighters and two boats to Bowling Green, and a mobile ambulance bus with three specialized firefighter-paramedics to Butler to help evacuate a nursing home.
LIBERTY, Mo.  A local family is leading a push for lifesaving technology outside several fire stations across the Kansas City area.

The goal is to save the lives of newborn babies who might otherwise be abandoned.

A Liberty family said they want to see nearly a dozen Safe Haven Baby Boxes installed at fire stations across the Kansas City area.

The nonprofit Safe Haven Baby Boxes said its climate controlled and designed to ensure the safe and anonymous surrender of infants when a parent is in crisis.

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When a newborn is put inside, the exterior door locks automatically and an alarm will sound  which notifies emergency responders so they can get the baby to safety.

Its terrifying, as a woman [and] as a mother, that there are children that are not being safely surrendered, Kayleigh Wasmer said. Theyre being left in woods and possibly killed and being discarded.

Wasmer said her 1-year-old son Abbott was safely surrendered at the hospitalbut that almost wasnt the case.

Its super emotional for us because his biological mother is a homeless woman in Kansas City who lives in an encampment, Wasmer said. And she had expressed several times about not knowing what she would do with himwhether she was going to leave him in the woods or where she was going to place him.

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She said there are no Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Kansas City. Her husband said the closest one is in Savannah, Missouri, which is more than an hour away.

There are six baby boxes located in Missouri, according to the nonprofit.

Kansas City would like to look into joining that list, Councilman Nathan Willett said. If this is obviously a crisis is when something like this happens and if that is a decision that is made, we want to protect life.

Kansas has two, one in Hutchinson and another in Salina.

Since taking in and adopting Abbott, theyve been pushing for change.

I would love to have up to 10, just kind of spread out all over in Kansas City and the Northland central area and south Kansas City, Wasmer said, Then, eventually branching out to the smaller cities.

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Last week, she posted a call to action on social media, reaching out to city leaders like Councilman Willett.

We want to make sure that someone is there to make sure that life has hope and make sure that life is supported, Willett said.

On Thursday, Willett introduced a resolution to research Safe Haven Baby Boxes, identifying possible cost and locations for boxes throughout the city.

He said experts are looking into the feasibility of several KC fire stations as locations.

KCFD said the departments been on board with installing Safe Haven Baby Boxes since the beginning.

I think so far, theyve looked at identifying 9-to-10 as potential candidates, Willett said. That doesnt mean that all of them will be a station thats going to actually get one. I could see the number being anywhere from three-to-five.

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Willett also said state money could be up for grabs in funding the boxes.

In the proposed house budget, theres $250,000 available, and I want Kansas City to be able to go after that money so we can utilize this here, he said.

Wasmer and a spokesperson with the fire department are set to speak at a committee meeting on Tuesday, April 15. The committee could then refer the resolution to full council for a vote that on April 17.

If you are a parent in crisis, you can text or call the 24/7 Safe Haven crisis line at 1-866-992-2291.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Severe thunderstorms and relentless rain are triggering catastrophic flooding across the middle of the US this weekend, as areas already hit hard by a recent string of storms and tornadoes remain in the path of this current system.

The storms have killed at least 16 people across Tennessee, Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas and Kentucky since Wednesday. In Franklin County, Kentucky, a 9-year-old boy was swept away by floodwaters while walking to his school bus stop, police said. And in Little Rock, Arkansas, a 5year-old was killed at a home battered by severe weather.

There are 41 million people at risk for severe storms Saturday from the Ohio River Valley southwestward to southeast Texas, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

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Saturday is the third consecutive day of level 4 of 4 risk of flooding rain across the Mississippi Valley, including parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi. Residents in these areas will likely see the peak of life-threatening flash floods on Saturday afternoon to evening, when rainfall will be at its heaviest. The three-day stretch of the highest possible flooding threat is almost unheard-of outside hurricane season.

Very heavy showers and thunderstorms will continue to move repeatedly over portions of central and eastern Arkansas and western Tennessee over the next few hours. The high rainfall rates from these storms will lead to life-threatening and locally catastrophic flash flooding.

The storms have already prompted tens of thousands of power outages across the region and delays for more than 6,000 flights within, into or out of the US on Saturday.

As of Saturday, 36 million people were under flood watches and ongoing rain prompted over two dozen flash flood warnings from northeast Texas to southern Illinois. In some areas of Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas, flash flood emergencies  the highest level of flood warning  have been issued through Saturday evening.

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The possibility of generational flooding that the National Weather Service warned about this week stems from a stagnation in the current weather pattern thats caused the string of storms to repeatedly hit the same areas in the central and southern US. By Sunday, the stuck pattern will finally start to break, and the storms will begin to push eastward.

Storm threats will remain in effect for Florida Panhandle, Alabama and Georgia on Sunday, while the flood threat for Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky should lessen by Sunday afternoon.

A state road crew clears drains in Paducah, Kentucky, on Friday. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued a state of emergency ahead of the storms. - Michael Swensen/Getty Images

Flooding overwhelms homes and roads, leading to multiple water rescues

Authorities in West Plains in southern Missouri carried out as many as a half a dozen water rescues as of late Friday, according to CNN affiliate KY3. At least half a dozen different fire departments were assisting in the rescues as part of a task force to help the inundated city.

A woman in West Plains was taken to the hospital after being struck by lightning, KY3 reported, citing the citys emergency manager. CNN has reached out to officials about the womans condition.

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The Missouri State Highway Patrol urged residents to stay off the roads as night fell Friday, warning that darkness hides dangers like water-covered paths, leading to fatal situations. The highway patrol statement noted troopers were already busy rescuing stranded motorists who underestimate the risks.

Videos obtained by CNN show rushing water covering part of a state highway in Howell County, Missouri, west of West Plains. The highway patrol told CNN it was just one example of many other low water crossing areas.

Earlier Friday, authorities carried out 15 water rescues in Van Buren, Missouri, about 65 miles east of West Plains. Van Buren was hit with 3 inches of rain over a short period.

The Black River near Poplar Bluff is projected to approach a level of major flooding category this weekend. On Friday, the Army Corps of Engineers said it had filled roughly 1,500 sandbags to bolster the nearby levee.

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Areas from far northeastern Texas to Kentucky are expected to feel the greatest impact from the floods  locations left vulnerable by the recent tornadoes.

More than a foot of rain falling in a matter of days on areas in Arkansas to Kentucky could bring historic, once-in-a-generation flooding, forecasters warn.

In northern Arkansas, the city of Hardy experienced significant flooding overnight, as the Spring River reaches historic water levels.

Water rescues were ongoing overnight Friday into Saturday, with Sharp County Sheriff Shane Russell personally rescuing three dogs, he told CNN. Hardy Mayor Ethan Barnes said more than half of the citys residents will be impacted by high waters this weekend.

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Weve been heavily impacted over the last few days, A.J. Gary, the director of Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, told CNN Saturday afternoon.

So far, at least 12 people have been injured across the state, the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management said.

In Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, a train was stopped on a bridge due to multiple active weather warnings in the area early Saturday morning, when heavy flood waters washed out the bridge and derailed multiple cars, according to BNSF Railway. BNSF personnel were on site coordinating with Mammoth Spring State Park to clear the incident and repair the bridge Saturday afternoon.

Some of the train cars were fully underwater, with nonstop rain from the early hours of the morning complicating recovery efforts.

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Meanwhile, more than 83,000 homes and businesses throughout the state were left without power as of Saturday night, according to poweroutage.us.

Flash flood emergencies are in effect for two different parts of Arkansas due to torrential rains, according to the weather service office in Little Rock.

A flash flood emergency is the highest level of flood warning, only issued when extremely heavy rain is leading to a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage from a flash flood is happening or will happen soon.

President Donald Trump on Saturday approved Arkansas request for an Emergency Declaration for Direct Federal Assistance to assist the state with its response to storms, tornadoes, and flooding, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

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In Kentucky, there were 390 road closures across the state on Saturday morning due to flooding, mudslides and rockslides, Gov. Andy Beshear said.

Beshear declared a state of emergency for the western part of the state, citing potentially record rainfall in areas unaccustomed to flooding.

Residents of Jessamine County, Kentucky, traveled through floodwaters in boats as water encircled buildings along the Kentucky River and houses were partially submerged, videos show.

Louisville, Kentucky has already seen impacts on daily life as the Ohio River has risen over five feet over the last 24 hours  and its expected to rise significantly higher over the next two to three days, Mayor Craig Greenberg said Saturday afternoon.

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Drone video released from downtown Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on Friday showed the scale of the widespread destruction left behind in the city after the area was pounded by rain this week. In the video, buildings, cars and roads were partially submerged by water.

Right now were kind of going under a flood, which I had been through once before in 1997. The water had come up and came into the business, said Tony Kirves, a Hopkinsville resident whose photography studio flooded from the storm.

Around him, cars were submerged in water. Numerous front doors of businesses also appear flooded.

Weve been trying to maintain this water by sandbagging and using shop vacs and some pumps, but its just too massive of an amount to kind of control, Kirves said.

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According to the National Weather Service, between 5 and 8 inches of rain fell in Hopkinsville from Thursday night to Friday.

In Van Lear, Kentucky, on Friday, swift water technicians rescued six people from their homes, which the W.R. Castle Fire-Rescue described to be surrounded by water, according to a post on Facebook.

The fire department said first responders went door to door in the Silk Stocking Loop, now inundated with stormwater, to check on residents safety.

Kentucky is one of the handful of states in the region to have sustained repeated damage from a string of deadly storms. In February, a deadly winter storm claimed several lives, and in 2021, the state faced another large-scale flash-flooding disaster.

Drew's on the River Sports Bar and Grill manager Carrie Haines, left, and Dave Schmidt, son of owner Ron Schmidt, right, load chairs onto a trailer in the rain for moving them to higher ground as the Ohio River rises behind them, in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Friday. - Carolyn Kaster/AP

Fresh threat of tornadoes

Dozens of tornadoes have been reported across the central US this week, with some stronger ones possible in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and the Lower Mississippi Valley throughout the weekend. Tornadoes forming Saturday mark the 10th day in a row with tornadoes somewhere in the country. In each of the last seven days, tornadoes have occurred east of the Mississippi River.

The highest risk zone, level 3 out of 5, impacts more than 10 million people from just west of Nashville southward to just north of Houston and includes those cities, along with Memphis, Tennessee; Jackson, Mississippi; Shreveport and Alexandria in Lousiana; and Lufkin, Texas. These are places where strong tornadoes reaching EF 2 intensity (winds over 111 mph) are likely to form.

Additionally, large hail about golf-ball sized or larger is possible along with damaging wind gusts. Some of these areas, especially in western Tennessee and eastern Arkansas, have endured tornadoes for the past several days.

Selmer, Tennessee, a town about 90 miles east of Memphis, was hit hard by a tornado that broke out on Wednesday, with residents of a newly built apartment complex scrambling for shelter as the storm struck.

Most people took shelter in their laundry rooms inside of the apartments, said resident Justin West, whose unit survived while the front of the complex was almost gone.

West witnessed cars destroyed in the parking lot, piles of debris and sections of the roof torn away. The complex opened less than a year ago, he pointed out.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee urged residents to stay alert, warning that despite widespread damage and destruction, this storm is going to continue.

Tornado sirens in Nashville were sounding so frequently its loudspeakers ran out of battery on Thursday, remaining inoperable until power was restored, city emergency officials said.

On Friday, there were 80 nationwide reports of severe weather, which included 13 tornado reports, 42 hail reports and 25 wind reports. Tennessee has so far been the state with the highest storm-related death toll, with at least ten deaths reported by Saturday.

As of Saturday night, more than 56,000 homes and businesses in the state were without power.

In Missouri, a tornado swept through the small city of Pilot Grove on Wednesday, leaving a trail of scattered debris, CNN affiliate KOMU reported. Among those affected was Justin Gerke, who rushed home after receiving an alert.

I got a tornado warning alert on my phone and came home as soon as I could from work, Gerke told KOMU. When he arrived, he found the roof of his childhood home ripped off, the garage obliterated, and several destroyed cars.

In Nevada, Missouri, the storm left widespread damage to a former motel now serving as student housing for the Missouri Welding Institute, a trade school specializing in welding and metal fabrication. The family-owned property, which houses approximately 50 students, sustained significant damage, residents told CNN affiliate KSHB.

This is our heart and soul, Shari Snyder, who operates Nevada Oaks, told KSHB. We love this place, my dad put everything into this place, and the students loved it here. While no students were injured in the storm, the tornado shattered windows and destroyed several cars in the parking lot, the affiliate reported.

Damage was reported in northeast Texas Friday following a series of reported tornadoes. In Wood County, one person was injured and at least one house was damaged by toppled trees, according to county emergency officials.

Damage survey teams from the National Weather Service have given preliminary ratings to at least 31 tornadoes in eight states since the outbreak began Wednesday. So far, they have found three tornadoes of at least EF3 out of EF5 strength in Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas.

Additional surveys could take days to complete and some have been held up by the continuing hazardous weather.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN Meteorologists Brandon Miller, Mary Gilbert and CNNs Sarah Dewberry, Sara Smart, Taylor Romine, Jillian Sykes, Hanna Park, Chris Youd, and Holly Yan contributed to this report. CNNs Michael Yoshida contributed from Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.

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Apr. 4LIMA  The Lima school board is inviting the public to meet superintendent candidates next week, as the board prepares to hire a candidate during a special April 16 board meeting.

Finalists for the position are Lima Senior High School Principal Darnell Collins, Reynoldsburg Assistant Superintendent Andre Rudolph and Tom Domzalski, director of curriculum and instruction for East Cleveland schools.

The board interviewed six of the 13 applicants for the position this week, which will be vacated by Jill Ackerman when she retires July 31.

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Other candidates interviewed for the position include Perry Jr.-Sr. High School Principal Tyler Turner, who previously worked as a teacher and principal for Lima schools; Adam Baumgartner, assistant principal for Lima Senior; and Douglas Fries, Greenville schools superintendent.

The public can meet with the candidates from 5 to 7:30 p.m. next Thursday, April 10, at South Science and Technology Magnet School, 755 St. Johns Ave.

5:10 to 5:50 p.m.: Tom Domzalski, director of curriculum and instruction for East Cleveland schools

6 to 6:40 p.m.: Darnell Collins, principal at Lima Senior High School

6:45-7:25 p.m.: Andre Rudolph, assistant superintendent of Reynoldsburg schools

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A estimated 3000 people packed Congress Street on Saturday, April 5, 2025 as part of a national day of action against the Trump administration. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Ingwersen)

The power of the people is more important and stronger than the people in power.

That was what U.S. Sen. Angus King told the thousands of people who gathered on Congress Street in Portland on Saturday to protest the administration of President Donald Trump.

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According to organizers, 4,500 people attended the Portland rally, which was just one of more than 20 events held across Maine as part of national Hands Off! actions to demonstrate widespread opposition to the gutting of the federal government spearheaded by billionaire advisor Elon Musk.

The town mall in Brunswick, where over 1,200 people rallied, was a sea of homemade signs. Maine Senate President Mattie Daughtry, who represents the district, was among the crowd and noted it was one of the few times in her life shes seen this many people gathered for something like this.

The message, she said, is to listen to the people.

A lot of the signs that I saw were about Hands off our Social Security, Hands off our libraries, Hands off our health care, I think what were saying is, you cant completely unravel the fabric of our society without people noticing.

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Angela was among the demonstrators who rallied outside the State House as part of the national day of action against the Trump administration. (Photo: Nathan Bernard/ Maine Morning Star)

An estimated 3000 people rallied in Portland, Maine on April 5, 2025 as part of a national Hands Off! day of action protesting the Trump administration. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Ingwersen)

An estimated 3000 people rallied in Portland, Maine on April 5, 2025 as part of a national Hands Off! day of action protesting the Trump administration. (Photo courtesy of Brooke Boardman)

More than 1000 people rallied in Augusta, Maine on April 5, 2025 as part of a national Hands Off! day of action protesting the Trump administration. (Photo: Nathan Bernard/ Maine Morning Star)

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More than 1000 people rallied in Augusta, Maine on April 5, 2025 as part of a national Hands Off! day of action protesting the Trump administration. (Photo: Nathan Bernard/ Maine Morning Star)

More than 1000 people rallied in Augusta, Maine on April 5, 2025 as part of a national Hands Off! day of action protesting the Trump administration. (Photo: Nathan Bernard/ Maine Morning Star)

More than 1000 people rallied in Augusta, Maine on April 5, 2025 as part of a national Hands Off! day of action protesting the Trump administration. (Photo: Nathan Bernard/ Maine Morning Star)

More than 500 rallied in Brunswick, Maine on April 5, 2025 as part of a national Hands Off! day of action protesting the Trump administration. (Photo courtesy of Mattie Daughtry)

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More than 500 rallied in Brunswick, Maine on April 5, 2025 as part of a national Hands Off! day of action protesting the Trump administration. (Photo courtesy of Mattie Daughtry)

More than 500 rallied in Brunswick, Maine on April 5, 2025 as part of a national Hands Off! day of action protesting the Trump administration. (Photo courtesy of Mattie Daughtry)

More than 500 rallied in Brunswick, Maine on April 5, 2025 as part of a national Hands Off! day of action protesting the Trump administration. (Photo courtesy of Mattie Daughtry)

Outside the Maine State House, another four thousand people gathered.

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One attendee, Angela, who only shared her first name, said shed never been to a protest before but felt compelled to join because shes concerned for her kids future.

This really impacts me a lot, she said of the Trump administration. This changed the narrative for me, for their future.

Angela, who made a sign featuring Dr. Seuss Lorax, said she grew up visiting state and national parks. I want to bring my kids to the parks, but the parks are going to close if there is no one there to staff it.

She continued, We dont have enough trees as it is. They give us clean air, thats how we get our clean air. And they want to take them all away.

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Augusta resident Molly White, who founded the grassroots group Maine Resists and helped organize the Augusta rally, said, Now is the time to stand up for what you believe in. Stand up for your immigrant neighbors who are afraid to seek medical care because of the barbarous ICE raids. Stand up for diversity, equity, and inclusion which is being stripped away from every corner of the country. Stand up for LGBTQIA+ rights. Stand up for veterans. Stand up for Medicaid. Now is the time to be loud.

The demonstrations in Maine were organized by local grassroots groups and individuals, though the national day of action was spearheaded by a large coalition of unions and progressive organizations including 50501, AFL-CIO, Americans for Tax Fairness, Color of Change, Common Cause, Indivisible, League of Conservation Voters, League of Women Voters, MoveOn, Our Revolution, Patriotic Millionaires, SEIU, Third Act, Womens March, and others.

Nathan Bernard contributed to this story.

This story was updated to include the latest attendance counts and information about Molly White.

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This article will be updated.

Flooding caused by heavy rainfall hit several counties across south-central Indiana Saturday morning. Follow along for live updates.

Morgan County is under a travel warning; residents are asked not to travel. Owen County is under a travel watch; residents are asked to travel only for essential purposes.

More rain is expected Saturday and Sunday, per NWS Indianapolis.

More: How to check which Monroe County, Indiana, roads are closed for flooding

Travel status upgraded for Owen County

Owen County is now under a red travel status, meaning travel is restricted to emergency management personnel. This is the highest travel advisory.

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Morgan County remains under a red travel status as well.

Brown County is under a yellow advisory, meaning some routine travel may be restricted because of hazardous conditions in certain areas.

Indianapolis NWS says flash flooding may continue Saturday and Sunday, prolonged flooding near rivers to last several days

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Indianapolis said rain will continue on Saturday and Sunday, with the bulk of rainfall happening Saturday afternoon and evening.

There will likely be an inch, three quarters of an inch across south-central Indiana, Earl Breon of NWS said.

Breon said continued rainfall will cause flash flooding in streets throughout the weekend. NWS advises people to avoid roads covered with water, even if the water appears shallow.

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Even after rainfall stops, Breon said areas near rivers and waterways will see continuous, prolonged flooding for several days. NWS advises people to stay away from rivers and streams both due to the risk of rapid speeds and the risk of potential toxic runoff in the water.

Sandbags available free of charge in most cases in at-risk counties

Sandbags are being distributed across the state for counties at risk of flooding. Residents can call their local city/town offices or their county Emergency Management offices to inquire about where to pick up sandbags. They are available on a first come, first-serve basis.

Lake Lemon cut off by flooding Saturday morning

Low Gap Road just before Malhalasville Road in the Lake Lemon area is flooded. A local resident reports the flood gates are closed meaning those with boats won't be able to get out to assist with rescues.

Lake Lemon resident Ryan Greb planned to drive into work in Indianapolis Saturday morning but quickly realized even with his four-wheel drive pickup truck, with rims that are raised 12 inches, he wouldnt be making it out of the area.

There is no way in or out, he said Saturday morning.

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All roads in the Lake Lemon area, including North Shore Drive, are impassable, he said.

Greb warned people not to try to leave the area. He tried, he said, and water swapped over the hood of his truck.

Roads in and out of the Lake Lemon area in Monroe County are impassable with a resident estimating around 9 a.m. the water on roadways was 3-4 feet deep in low lying areas.

He also cautioned that even fairly shallow water is carrying a lot of debris, and people who try to drive through shallow water may run into felled trees or large stumps.

Greb said he saw flood water rushing around a house that made it look as though it was sitting in the middle of the lake.

For now, residents are on their own, he said, because even large vehicles, such as fire trucks, will have a tough time getting through.

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Theres no way for them to get in, he said.

Owen County distributing sandbags, said culverts burst in flooding

Owen Countys EMA director Jack White said Owen County residents can pick up sandbags from the county highway department, 2032 N. US Hwy 231, in anticipation of continued rain. Owen County remains under an orange travel warning; residents are asked to only travel for essential purposes.

White said the rain picked up between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. last night, causing culverts to blow out and several roads to be washed out. White said the county EMA has already assisted in six water rescues. White was told by NWS Indianapolis that the county received 4 inches of rain overnight.

Ellettsville flooding and water rescue

Downtown Ellettsville was flooded about 1:20 a.m. Saturday, April 5, 2025. Some residents of apartments at Sale and Main streets were evacuated by the Ellettsville Fire Department.

Firefighters with the Ellettsville Fire Department helped two people escape their flooded homes during the night to Saturday, Ellettsville Town Manager Mike Farmer said.

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We had a massive rain last night, he said.

He estimated the rainfall exceeded 5 inches, and the deluge forced officials to close westbound Ind. 46 for a couple of hours  though all roads in Ellettsville were passable again by 7:30 a.m.

Some side roads remained closed, however.

Farmer said he believes the town experienced a flash flood, as the water rose very quickly, and lots of water rushed down Jacks Defeat Creek.

The intersection at East Main and North Sale streets was under water, and the old town hall, on the western side of the intersection, flooded. Across the street, water partially submerged a couple of vehicles that had been parked at Thurmans Body Shop.

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Farmer said some water also entered the street department and utility building, causing minimal damage.

The last rainfall of this magnitude, in 2019, caused a lot more damage than this one, he said.

It could have been a lot worse, he said.

Ellettsville woman's apartment floods with two feet of water. She's trying to stay upbeat.

Amanda Chambers has lived in her apartment on Sale Steet two years. Before she moved in, a neighbor assured her it had been a decade since flooding impacted the building thats in the heart of downtown Ellettsvilles flood zone.

Overnight Friday, that 10-year reprieve ended when heavy rains flooded Jacks Defeat Creek, which spilled into downtown Ellettsville.

Amanda Chambers is trying to make the best of the situation after her downtown Ellettsville apartment was flooded overnight Friday, April 4.

Chambers was able to move her car to higher ground in time, then watched helplessly as nearly two feet of water the color of coffee with cream filled her ground-level apartment.

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It had just been remodeled and painted, she sighed, as a friend used an industrial mop and bucket borrowed from nearby Kennys Tavern to sop up filthy water and mud.

Mopping up water and mud after flooding at Amanda Chambers' apartment in Ellettsville.

I wasnt super concerned about flooding. Until it happened. Chambers hopes to salvage some of her furniture. Late Saturday morning, she was waiting for a call back from her landlord.

Downtown Ellettsville salon owner expects more flooding is headed her way

Swirling waist-high floodwater in the back of Samantha Farmers downtown Ellettsville hair salon moved her Samsung washing machine 10 feet across the room. She found it lying on its side submerged.

Farmer had expected her business to flood when she saw Friday evening how quickly nearby Jacks Defeat Creek was rising toward its bank as the flow got stronger and faster. I went to bed knowing it would happen, she said.

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And woke up to a 6 a.m. phone call confirming her prediction.

Samantha Farmer is cleaning up after floodwaters rose several feet inside her Ellettsville hair salon. Sandbags piled outside kept the doors in place.

Farmer had moved much of the furniture and equipment in her salon up high and away from the expected deluge. Its something shes done frequently during the eight years shes owned the Sale Street building.

Because of the creeks trajectory, when it floods the water comes directly her way.

Its why she has a painted cement floor, three big shop vacuums and a long industrial hose.

Since shes in a flood plain, insurance options are limited and cost prohibitive, she said, for a small business like hers that employs a barber, two stylists and an eyelash technician.

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So instead of calling flood clean-up professionals and turning in a claim, she and friends were at work Saturday getting the mud out and restoring the business.

Josh Moriarty helping on April 5 to clean up the mess flooding left behind at The Craft salon in downtown Ellettsville.

Saturday is usually the busiest day at The Craft Hair and Skin salon, but not this week. Farmer said it will take her awhile to clean, disinfect and dry out the building.

Sandbags at the doors keep the raging water from tearing them down, but water enters the building from all sides.

But not like it did overnight Friday. Two feet of water stood in the front and had overflowed onto the elevated platform that usually keep the salon chairs safe. The building foundation slopes to the back, which accounted for the deeper water there.

Owner Samantha Farmer points out the floodwater line in the front room at The Craft hair salon in Ellettsville.

She acknowledged her salon is the most low-lying Sale Street structure, and consistent flooding is hard. And she figures more flooding is to come over the next few days as water siphons into the creek from further north and rain continues.

Farmer cried when she arrived at the salon Saturday and saw the damage, then got to work. Im at a really low point, in more ways than one, she said, laughing at the word play.

Morgan County under travel warning, nearly 80 roads cut off by fast-moving water

Abby Worth of Morgan Countys Emergency Management Agency (EMA) said nearly 80 roads remain closed throughout the county due to fast-moving water. Worth said EMA has already conducted multiple water rescues at homes where the basement or first floor flooded. She said the county EMA is actively distributing sandbags to residents as more rain is expected Saturday and Sunday.

Morgan County is under a red travel warning; residents are asked to refrain from travel and comply with all emergency measures. Worth said residents can call 211 or visit in211.org to report damage caused by flooding/storms.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Flooding from storm live updates Morgan, Owen, Brown, Monroe counties
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators are hitting the streets across the country on Saturday in protest of President Trump and his administration.

The Hands Off! rallies are taking place in more than 1,000 cities across all 50 states, and nearly 400,000 people have signed up to attend the protests, according to the progressive organization Indivisible, which is one of the almost 200 groups partnering to organize the event.

Protesters are demanding an end to billionaire influence and rampant corruption in the administration, a stop to Social Security and Medicare cuts, and an end to attacks on trans people, immigrants and other marginalized communities.

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Early Saturday morning, on Capitol Hill, the Senate voted to adopt a budget resolution that will kickstart the implementation of Trumps domestic agenda. The measure passed with a 51-48 vote after the upper chamber worked through the night.

The deal, which still needs to pass the House, has drawn the ire of some House Republicans, with one lawmaker even calling the resolution unserious and disappointing.

This all comes as the economy reels from Trumps sweeping tariffs on U.S. trading partners after brutal few days for the stock market.

Follow along for the latest 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 The Hill.
Thousands of people demonstrated Saturday at the Oregon State Capitol as part of a nationwide protest against the Trump administration.

The protest was the latest in a series organized by the national grassroots organization The 50501 Movement  50 states, 50 protests, one day  which planned protests in Washington, D.C., and in every state.

People held signs with slogans like 'Hands off our democracy,' ''Humpty Trumpty had a great fall,' and 'Are we great yet? Im just embarrassed.'

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Others brought instruments and waved American, Ukrainian and Pride flags. A youth group offered free hotdogs against fascism.

Thousands of people gather at the Oregon State Capitol on Saturday afternoon to protest against the Trump administration.

More than 1,200 protests were planned across the country Saturday. Organizers said they wanted to have protests that are not only accessible for people wherever they are in the country, but also highly visible to show that opposition exists in every part of the country.

Thousands of people also gathered Saturday in Berlin, Paris and London to protest against Trump and Musk.

Hosting organizations in the U.S. include longstanding groups such as Indivisible, Womens March, MoveOn, Working Families Power, and Public Citizen and grassroots groups like 50501 that have formed since Election Day.

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Related "Hands off" protests, which are against actions taken by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, were planned around Oregon on Saturday.

Other recent protests in Salem include one last weekend at the Tesla dealership against Musk's involvement in cutting federal spending, a protest at the state Capitol for actions taken by Trump against veterans programs, and a "Stand up for Science" rally against federal funding cuts.

Follow along for live updates, videos and photos from Saturday's protest.

'Ive never been a protester, but boy I am now'

Clyde Clevenger, 75, said he has attended every protest in Salem this year.

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Clevenger is a Vietnam War veteran, but he said veterans rights are only one reason hes been protesting.

Im also a father and I have four daughters, and I hate to see whats happening for my daughters and my grandchildren, he said.

Clevenger said he and several of his friends, who called themselves 'The Usual Suspects,' brought instruments and played bluegrass and folk songs with a protest message.

Clevenger said he didnt support the Vietnam War and considered going to live with family in Canada so he wouldnt have to serve, but he didnt.

Until this came up, Ive never been a protester, but boy I am now, he said.

Salem resident Cal Morrison was one of thousands of people protesting President Donald Trump's policies on Saturday at Oregon State Capitol.

Salem protester says Trump administration actions are affecting everybody, and its gonna get nasty

Cal Morrison, 28, of Salem, said they attended Saturdays protest because they feel like the United States has never been closer to losing its democratic freedoms.

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Morrison said this is the second protest theyve attended this year.

Our country is currently being run by someone who is taking a lot from Vladimir Putins playbook and its getting to the point where its very concerning, Morrison said.

Morrison said as an autistic person its concerning to see Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, promoting anti-vaccine rhetoric and cutting funding for vaccine programs.

Thats concerning because vaccines are very important, Morrison said.

Morrison wore a non-binary flag tied around their neck and waved a trans flag at the protest. They said people seemed passionate, energetic and positive.

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I really hope that people start making decent decisions for themselves because its not just gonna affect Democrats or the left, its affecting everybody, and its gonna get nasty, Morrison said.

Chelsea Alionar marches with fellow protesters Saturday at Oregon State Capitol.

Salem protestors encouraged to rise and resist

Chelsea Alionar, the founder of Rise and Resist  a non-profit group that opposes "government acts that threatens democracy, equality, and our civil liberties"  attended the protest dressed as the Statue of Liberty.

The Keizer resident told those gathered near the Oregon State Capitol that she had been protesting in Washington, D.C., earlier in the week.They do not want an educated nation, they want a controlled one, Alionar said. A well-educated people demand better, right?She said the Trump administration wants to chip away at fundamental rights, and Americans must rise and resist.

Salem streets around the Oregon State Capitol reopen

Streets have reopened near the Oregon State Capitol as the protest that started at noon wraps up.

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The protest that drew thousands of participants started at noon. There were an estimated 200 people still gathered at 3:15 p.m.

Demonstrators hold signs during a protest Saturday at the Oregon State Capitol.

Demonstrators begin march from the Oregon State Capitol to downtown Salem

Some protesters began marching at about 2 p.m., chanting, The people united will never be divided.

They marched down Center Street NE toward downtown, turning south on Liberty Street NE and then east on First Court Street NE as they made a loop.

Salem city councilor Vanessa Nordyke encourages protesters to register to vote in the May elections.

Salem City Councilor Nordyke encourages protesters to vote in May

Salem City Councilor Vanessa Nordyke, dressed in rainbow leggings, amped up the crowd and encouraged protesters to register to vote in the May elections.We need Democrats at every level of government, so will you be voting in May?Nordyke said Salem residents need to vote for a progressive candidate to fill the Ward 6 City Councilor vacancy.Nordyke also said Republicans are the party of fear.They got a lot of things they seem to run scared of, like people of color, like immigrants, like women expressing exercising control over their own bodies, and they cannot stand the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent, the incomparable beauty of our drag queens, she said.

Thousands of people gathered at the Oregon State Capitol on Saturday to protest the Trump administration.

Members of Oregon's congressional delegation share messages of 'hands off'

Staff for several members of Oregon's congressional delegation read statements.Fritz Graham, district director for U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, read a statement from her that said:Today, I am proud to join you in saying, hands off: hands off are past, enough of your ridiculous attempts to erase history, both the good and the bad, he said. Hands off our present: Stop stealing from working families to give tax cuts to billionaires.Gustavo Guerrero, a field representative for U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, shared this statement from Merkley, also for hands off:This isn't about fiscal responsibility. This is about cruelly shifting resources from those who need them (the) most and to the very richest among us, he said. We cannot afford to sit back while our democracy is under attack.Carina Perez Europa, a field representative for U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, shared this statement from the senator:There are plenty of tough fights ahead to undo the damage that's been done and to get our democracy back, but this week showed the cracks are starting to form."

Protesters at the Oregon State Capitol hold signs calling for 'hands off.'

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Streets closed near the Oregon State Capitol due to protest

The southbound lane of Winter Street was closed between Marion Street and Center Street.Summer Street also was closed between Marion Street and Center Street.

What is the 50501 Movement and why is it protesting President Donald Trump?

The movement was born on the website Reddit and spread via social media and word of mouth. It held its first protest on Feb. 5, when hundreds of people protested at the Oregon State Capitol and around the country.

The group opposes the policies promoted by Trump, Project 2025 and what it describes as anti-democratic actions of Trump and his allies.

"Our movement shows the world that the American working class will not sit idly by as plutocrats rip apart their democratic institutions and civil liberties while undermining the rule of law," the 50501 website said.

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USA TODAY contributed to this story.

Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at ifunk@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @isabeldfunk

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: People protest President Donald Trump at Oregon State Capitol
Apr. 5On Saturday, more than a dozen rallies were held throughout Maine as part of a national day of action to protest the policies of President Donald Trump.

The "Hands Off" rallies were scheduled from Wells to as far north as Lubec.

In Portland, thousands of people gathered in Monument Square late Saturday morning. Around lunchtime, another crowd  estimated by organizers at about 3,000  gathered outside the Maine State House in Augusta. And in other towns and cities across the state, smaller gatherings were held, including protests of a few hundred people in Auburn, South Paris and South Portland.

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Saturday's protests were focused on President Donald Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk's efforts to cut the federal workforce through mass firings, rumored threats to safety-net programs like Social Security and Medicaid, and heightened action by immigration officers as part of a massive deportation effort.

Though Saturday's demonstrations were relatively large, Mainers have been taking to the streets for weeks. In addition to those protesting the federal government's policies, hundreds have also called for Maine Gov. Janet Mills to relent following her high-profile clash with Trump.

------

3:30 p.m.: Watch Sen. Angus King speak at Portland protest

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PORTLAND  Earlier Saturday afternoon, Sen. Angus King briefly spoke to the crowd in Portland's Monument Square from base of the monument.

"The power of the people is more important and stronger than the people in power," King said, to cheers of "Angus! Angus! Angus!"

King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, described Trump and DOGE's slashing of federal departments and programs as "tyranny."

"The dangerous part is, this is the most serious assault on our constitution in the history of our country," King said.

2:30 p.m.: Large demonstrations wrap up, though a few protesters linger

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AUGUSTA  By about 2:20 p.m., the protest in Augusta had effectively ended, but for a smaller group, the march continued, with some making their third and fourth laps around the block.

Organizers had intended the march to take place on the sidewalk, but the width of Capitol Street was filled with a throng of protesters shortly before 2 p.m.

Vivian Myers-Jones, a protester from New Brunswick, Canada, said an organizer estimated 3,000 people were at the protest during its peak.

Several students from Bates College in Lewiston said they came to Augusta to protest in support of Palestine. One student, Dylan, said action on the Israel-Hamas war is overdue.

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"We've been seeing a genocide unfolding before our eyes for years now, and it's overdue that people are doing something," he said. "We've been trying to make change, and I think some people are being shocked into action now, which is good to see."

Another student, Robert, said it's important to exercise the right to protest.

"We're fighting to continue fighting  about Palestine, about everything that's going on in this country," he said. "It's important that we come together now."

AUBURN  The roughly 500 people gathered on Longley Bridge between Lewiston and Auburn had largely dissipated by 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

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Though there wasn't a lot of chanting or singing, many protesters felt it was a productive and safe show of resistance against changes happening to the federal government led by President Donald Trump.

"I think it was peaceful," Lewiston resident Charles Coes said. "I think a lot of people showed up and said that they don't approve of what's going on. I think that a demonstration like that will hopefully make a difference to a lot of people who are undecided."

Debbie Bourassa has felt like the world has fallen apart as Trump has downsized federal agencies and taken several other measures to reform the government, she said.

She was glad to stand in protest with Auburn, representing just one group of people protesting in municipalities across the state and nation, she said. She called people who drove by "very respectful" and said she only noticed one person in a vehicle giving the middle finger.

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Holly and Peter Lasagna were aware of the protests across the state and wanted to come out too, they said. They feel like "we're losing the country," Holly Lasagna said.

Holly Lasagna hoped Saturday's protests are just the start: Next, she hopes to see sit-ins and national strikes, she said. She felt joyful to be at the protest and said the majority of people driving by honked in support of the protest.

"A lot of this is about organizing, getting people to realize that they can do this, that it's friendly, that it's a great group," she said.

For Peter Lasagna, protesting lets those impacted by what is happening at the federal level know they have support, he said.

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"There are a lot of us," he said. "It's important, and it's important for people see other people want to stand with them.

"It's vital because we have learned we can't wait for our elected officials to try to stop this. It's up to us, and quite honestly that's really energizing."

1:35 p.m.: Officer says motorist was warned for revving engine at protesters

SOUTH PARIS  Sgt. Tim Holland of the Oxford County Sheriff's Department said a motorist received a warning for revving his truck engine and spraying diesel fumes at protesters in South Paris on Saturday morning.

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Holland said the motorist had been "flagrant and disrespectful" when he loudly revved the engine near the crowd of about 300 protesters, emitting a dark cloud of exhaust.

1:30 p.m.: Augusta protesters march near State House

AUGUSTA  After some speeches, protesters assembled outside the Maine State House began a march nearby.

Protest organizers told marchers to stay on the sidewalk and instructed them not to engage with any possible counterprotesters.

As the crowd filed onto the sidewalk of Capitol Street, a person with megaphone led a call-and-response chant: "Tell me what democracy looks like," they said. And marchers replied: "This is what democracy looks like!"

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Father and daughter Greg and Ruby Beane, of Orono, marched together.

Greg Beane said it could take him an hour to explain what led him to protest.

"Where to start?" Beane said. "I just felt compelled to stand and be counted. I'm not in favor of a lot of these policies of this administration."

Meanwhile, passing cars honked their support while people nearby offered encouragement to marchers.

The protest's first speaker, who gave her name as Emily, started off the lineup with a speech about grassroots organizing and supporting everyone  just not the 1%.

"The day will come where the poor have nothing left to eat but the rich," she said. "They can cut Maine funding, but they will never eradicate Maine's resistance."

1:15 p.m.: 'Kill them with kindness'

AUBURN  By early Saturday afternoon, hundreds of protesters had gathered around Longley Bridge between Lewiston and Auburn.

Wearing puffy jackets, flannels and camouflage sweaters, they gathered at one of the busiest bridges in the Twin Cities. Organizer Pat Fogg said that was intentional.

Fogg  who in 2017 founded Central Maine Resist, which helped organize Saturday's protest  thinks people are becoming increasingly discontent about President Donald Trump's decisions.

"They come together because they have to have a voice, because other than that, there is depression," she said. "And the scrutiny in the administration is chaotic. They have removed anyone who is competent and have been replaced everyone with incompetency."

Fogg had expected about 300 people to attend the Auburn protest. She also organizes protests every Tuesday on Lisbon Street in Lewiston; about 80 people attended last week.

Eileen Fair attends those weekly protests and has seen the attendance grow over time  evidence that she, too, thinks points to a growing discomfort with Trump over the last several weeks.

Fair said she has a long history of active protest going back to the 1960s, when she protested for things like women's rights, she said. She was back at it Saturday, fighting against Trump's policies.

"Well, how the Constitution is not being followed and rights are being, you know, squashed. ... You know, things that we always have taken for granted are now, all of a sudden, off the table," she said.

Though many drivers honked in support, Fair chose to ignore the negative comments yelled at protesters by other drivers and passengers, she said.

Auburn resident Tracey Libby took a slightly different approach: "Kill them with kindness," she said.

She came out to the protest with her teenage son to show that people shouldn't get away with bullying, which is what she feels Trump does.

"You know, we raise our kids to be respectful and kind and teach them that bullies shouldn't get ahead in the world, right? But when we have the president of the United States, who is a bully, it is just not right," Libby said. "It's not a good message to send to our kids, our next generation."

AUGUSTA  A tightly packed crowd of more than 1,000 protesters  organizers later estimated about 3,000  covered the Maine State House lawn and steps early Saturday afternoon.

Susanne Ashland, of Farmingdale, turned 80 on Saturday and said she chose to spend her birthday at the protest to fight for people's rights.

"At 80 years old, I thought we'd have already gotten the rights for the Blacks, and the rights for immigrants, and the rights for women and trans  and I guess (I was) wrong," Ashland said. "Because for some reason, some people think that's not important."

At the entrance to the demonstration, a Capitol Police officer was asking protesters to remove any wooden posts from their signs. That didn't stop 57-year-old Bridget Mullen from brandishing her poster high.

Mullen said she took a 7 a.m. ferry from Vinalhaven to be at the protest. She's been looking after her sick mother  but her mother wanted her to go to the protest.

"I was like, 'I'll stay with you,'" Mullen said. "She's like, 'No, you need to go.'"

SOUTH PORTLAND  A few hundred anti-Trump demonstrators gathered around lunchtime at Erskine Park in South Portland and walked up and down Broadway, cheering as passing cars beeped in support.

Organizer Barbara Dee estimated that about 350 people attended the demonstration, which wrapped up just before 1 p.m.

Protester Eve Abreu, of South Portland, said she attended because she's concerned about the Trump administration cutting government offices and potentially Social Security, as well as "seeing our rights disappear."

"I've been going to rallies since Vietnam," Abreu said.

Demonstrators said they didn't see any counterprotesters in South Portland  though they did get a few middle fingers from drivers passing by.

"I'm feeling like the majority out here," said Angela Crabtree, of South Portland. "There's a lot of support here."

12:45 p.m.: Portland protest starts to wrap up  slowly

PORTLAND  Nearly two hours after it began, the protest in Monument Square came to its official end and the large crowds began to slowly disperse. But hundreds of people remained in the area.

Police began asking people to stay off Congress Street so it could reopen to vehicular traffic.

12:15 p.m.: Part of Congress Street closes due to protest

PORTLAND  Congress Street between Center and Temple streets was shut down by police as protesters flooded the streets around Monument Square. Some climbed the base of the monument in the square and chanted "hands off!" and "Donald Trump has got to go!"

Amanda Avallone, of Cape Elizabeth, said that the influence that Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency are having were at the top of her mind when deciding to protest Saturday.

"Nobody, not even the people that voted for Trump, voted for DOGE," said Avallone, holding a sign that read "Deranged Oligarchs Gutting Economy."

"This is about helping people recognize that we, the nonbillionaires of America, all have more in common than we think, and that we need to resist," she added.

Avallone said it's "absurd" to cut programs that the government deems "inefficient," even if they help people: "If DOGE came into your family, they would say, 'Put your kids on the street and get rid of your pets, because they're not efficient.'"

Noon: Crowd lines both sides of Auburn bridge

AUBURN  What started out as a few dozen "Hands Off" protesters gathering at the Longley Bridge between Lewiston and Auburn on Saturday morning turned had grown to about 500 by the early afternoon.

Some came from the Lewiston side and walked across the bridge, while others parked in Auburn.

The protesters were met with both honks of support and negative comments such as "get a job" during the Saturday afternoon protest.

Auburn resident Fred Brodeur was not deterred by those comments. He is a Christian who responded to such remarks with, "Blessed are those who persecute me, so I am blessed."

Brodeur feels President Donald Trump's policies and decisions do not align with his Christian faith.

"He's harming people throughout the world," he said. "His policies are basically anti-Christ policies. He's had to destroy the economy, the planet, the relationship with our friends, with people, and divide the U.S., hurting the most vulnerable in our society."

Susan Murphy traveled from Bridgton to join the protest on what normally would have been a quiet day for her. But when she thinks about the changes she has seen in the federal government, she fears for the future of the generations to come.

"It's going to take well over a generation to rectify," she said, "and I can't let that go by and just be sitting at home and be complacent about it."

AUGUSTA  As the crowd outside the Maine State House grew from a handful to several dozen around noon Saturday, the Huddled Masses Orchestra performed brass music to warm up the assembled protesters.

Around noon, no counterprotesters were assembled at the nearby intersection of Capitol and Chamberlain streets  a popular location for such counterdemonstrations.

11:30 a.m.: 'I've never seen a crowd like this'

PORTLAND  Cheryl Wentworth, of Kennebunk, held a papier-mache sign depicting President Donald Trump in a "golden toilet" at the Monument Square protest Saturday.

Wentworth said the Trump administration is "destroying all of our assets, destroying all of the things that we took for granted and didn't even know we had, and destroying democracy, basically."

She said she regularly attends rallies in Kennebunk and Portland, but this one was the largest she's seen in Monument Square.

By a reporter's count, at least 1,000 protesters  potentially closer to 2,000  had gathered in the square by 11:30 a.m., and the crowd continued to grow as the event continued.

"I think it's brilliant; I've never seen a crowd like this," Wentworth said.

PORTLAND  Andy and Mary Wright, of Falmouth, and Lisa Miller, of Cumberland, all attended their first protest in Monument Square on Saturday.

"I'm appalled at what's going on, and I've never participated in a protest, and I can't just sit on the couch," Andy Wright said. "I've got to do something."

They held a sign that read, "Hands off Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare."

"I'm 65; I was planning on Social Security checks  not so sure anymore," Andy Wright said.

The trio also said they were concerned about the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, as well as Trump's actions regarding Ukraine.

"The only way we're going to reverse the course we're on is to have a groundswell of everyday people," Lisa Miller said.

PORTLAND  Monument Square was packed on both sides of Congress Street as people assembled in the minutes leading up to the demonstration's official start at 11 a.m. Saturday.

A band played as passing cars honked their horns and demonstrators held signs, some of which read "keep your fascist hands off my social security" and "with liberty and justice for all means ALL."

FREEPORT  As of 10 a.m., Main Street in Freeport was still dotted with protesters, some wearing pink hats dating back to protests against the first Trump administration.

A large group of kids and parents had arrived at around 9:30 a.m. One of them, Melissa, who declined to share her last name, said she was thrilled to have found a way to take action against the administration.

"I saw it posted online, and I immediately texted all my friends. I just wanted to spread the word," said Melissa, 40.

She, like many protesters there, said she was concerned about a litany of actions by the Trump administration and was grateful for a place to protest everything from cuts to the federal workforce and tariffs to the rollback of protections for transgender people.

"I just don't feel our current administration is representing the American spirit, and I wanted to stand up and show what America is really about," she said.

Her 5-year-old daughter stood beside her, holding her own homemade sign, which was small enough to balance on the palms of her two hands. "Believe in yourself," read the silver marker etched on cardboard.

"This is fun," her daughter said of attending the protest.

"I like all the cars honking at us and the people," she added, "and I wrote this because some people put pressure on their selves and I want them to just believe."

By 10:15 a.m., the crowd began to dissipate as people walked down side streets and cars hummed to life. By 10:30 a.m., the street was clear.

AUGUSTA  Handfuls of people started to arrive near the Maine State House a little more than an hour before a protest scheduled to begin at noon.

As protesters trickled in, the Huddled Masses Orchestra, a brass band from Waldo County, began to set up.

SOUTH PARIS  By midmorning, more than 300 protesters had gathered in South Paris near Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School.

Shannon Korhonen Brown and her mother, Linda Korhonen, both of West Paris, were among the crowd.

"This was not on my bingo card for 2025, making protest signs and protesting with my mom, but here we are," Korhonen Brown said.

"I am 73 years old next year, and this is my first protest," her mother added.

South Portland rally organizer Barbara Dee explained that the message of the day Saturday was that the government keep its "hands off" protections and programs people rely on  hence the name of the rallies.

"I think it's an assault on the history of the philosophical origins of the United States of America," Dee said Friday. "I think it's an assault on democracy, and that's what's foremost in people's minds."

Dee said she is encouraging people to keep the momentum going after Saturday by calling their members of Congress and continuing to demonstrate.

"My sign says, 'hands off public education,' because my career was in public education, but I saw a lot of other signs at the poster party  hands off the environment, hands off veterans, off Social Security, everything," Dee said. "But this is a huge fault on the foundations of America."

FREEPORT  Saturday morning wasn't the first time a crowd gathered along the stretch of Main Street between the Bakeshop and Post Office.

Jerry, 74, who declined to to share his last name because he was afraid of retaliation, says he has been involved in organizing protests in Freeport against the Trump administration since early March. He said a smaller group has been coming out to protest in the same spot every Tuesday morning since March 11.

"I got tired of sitting on my couch and getting my anger out on Facebook. It was time for somebody to take action. It started with just two of us, and it's grown to this," he said, gesturing toward the 100-some people gathered Saturday.

The group opted to organize a protest for Saturday to align with the other protests against the administration taking place all over the country, Jerry said.

"I hope that we can eventually get Congress to take some actions to get Trump out of office," he said.

Long before March 11, though, this block of Main Street was home to demonstrations: For 18 years, the Freeport Flag Ladies gathered along the same stretch of road to show support for American troops and remember 9/11.

So the location for the new protests in Freeport isn't a coincidence.

"That was their patriotism. Well, this is our patriotism," explained David Suchoff, 67. "If you live in Freeport, you know how significant this is  we're on their corner."

Suchoff said he has been attending the protests at the corner for nearly a month. The first week he came, he said, there were about eight people. The next week, there were 16, he estimated, then about 40 a week after that.

He hopes it will send a message, not just to the Trump administration but also to Maine's congressional delegation.

On Saturday, he held a sign that read, "Susan Collins loves Measles"  a reference to the senator's recent vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been criticized for spreading false information about vaccines, as head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"I never thought I'd see the day that Sen. Collins from Maine confirms somebody who doesn't believe in vaccinating kids for measles," Suchoff said. "It's a shame to our state."

SOUTH PARIS  Dozens of anti-Trump protesters gathered Saturday morning near Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, bundled up against the cold while carrying signs and waving at passing cars.

FREEPORT  By 9:30 a.m., the crowd at the protest along Main Street in Freeport was beginning to stretch farther down the block.

Liz Gardner and her 16-year-old daughter, Ava, said they planned to spend the entire day protesting. They live in Freeport and so started their day on Main Street but planned to head to Augusta for the afternoon gathering there.

Liz Gardner, 50, said she felt it was time to act when the Trump administration began defying the orders of federal judges.

"Regardless of who you are, you shouldn't be defying federal authority," she said.

She added that she's concerned about climate change, education, transgender rights, veterans and national security.

"I'm not going to have my kids see us do nothing. I have two children who are going to live in this world, and this is a bridge too far," she said.

Ava, 16, said she was glad to be taking action too.

"It feels kind of necessary. I think a lot of people don't come (to protests) because there's some embarrassment. Teenagers can be aggressive," she said. "It's easy to not do anything when you're upset, but it will just become harder if nobody does anything."

Ava added that she is worried most about the Trump administration's rolling back of climate protections and attacks on immigrants and transgender people.

"I'm terrified. I'm have to grow up in this world," she said.

As protesters continued to gather, some gripped coffee mugs as they arrived with signs, while others were handed premade signs by organizers as they arrived.

Two kids embraced as they stood at the roadside. "Thanks Trump you turned me into an activist," read one sign held by a child.

AUGUSTA  By Saturday morning, green wooden sawhorses had been set up to block driveways leading to the parking lot and plaza between Cross State Office Building and Maine State House, where a protest was scheduled to start at noon.

Several small parking areas near the State House had also been blocked off, and a white Capitol Police cruiser was parked nearby.

FREEPORT  On Saturday morning, about a hundred people gathered along Main Street in Freeport to protest the Trump administration.

They held signs that read things like "Hands off America, Trump," "Stop the Coup" and "Democracy not Monarchy." Many cars honked, their drivers waving in support, as they drove past the protest.

Some protesters had dogs with them; others had children. The mood was jovial and upbeat: People hugged, laughed and grinned when cars honked.

One man waved a Ukrainian flag, while another held an American flag upside-down  historically a symbol of distress.

------

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Maine cultural organizations reeling from canceled grants, threats to funding

In photos: Mainers rally across the state to protest Trump policies
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  Many of the United States most popular adult beverages are imported from other countries. With President Donald Trumps tariffs affecting all imported goods, how does that trickle down to Wichitas bars and liquor stores?

Many storeowners in ICT are confident distributors will absorb most of the costs before increases trickle down to their customers. However, some are still concerned. If the tariffs hold, they want to do everything they can to keep the customers from feeling the impact for as long as possible.

When you look at the Wall of Whiskeys at RJ Discount Liquor, most of the bottles on the shelf are imports. Their price tags are already in the thousands and likely wont be affected by tariffs. But these luxury drinks arent the only thing in the store from overseas and across borders.

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Its your everyday stuff, Dustin Herman, general manager for RJ Discount Liquor, said. There are some very significant brands imported. Crown Royal, Modelo, Corona, a lot of your Canadian whiskey and Scotch whiskeys as well.

Tariffs will make sneakers, jeans and almost everything Americans wear cost more, trade groups warn

Liquor stores like his arent feeling the impact yet, but if President Trumps Tariffs hold, products with the highest turnover could see an increase.

Its a similar story in Wichitas bars.

I dont want to raise my prices, I dont think anybody wants to raise their prices, Shauna Claycomb, owner of The Rusty Nail, said. We get hit pretty hard from everything going up right now, so we dont need another reason.

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According to liquor sales representative Shaun Davis, it isnt just the bottles that are threatened by tariffs.

If Im making an old-fashioned, Im not thinking, Im going to get a tariff on bourbon, it might be other ingredients, he said. If that means that in certain cases, were going to have to rethink a cocktail or rethink the ingredients in a cocktail to make it as affordable as its been, then thats what well have to do.

Stores and bars alike remain dedicated to offering alternatives to customers to reduce the impact.

If theyre looking for a particular flavor, if theyre looking for a particular experience with a product, we will do our best to find a product that fits that mold regardless of its country of origin, Herman said.

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He says they hope to use the experience they garnered from COVID-19s supply chain shortages to mitigate costs.

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BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN)  A local Christmas-themed cafe has officially closed and announced its new out-of-state location.

The Christmas Cafe in Boardman announced online it will be relocating to Nashville, Tennessee.

It was in a plaza along California Avenue across from the Southern Park Mall.

On their website, they thanked the community for their support.

There was no word on when they will open this new location.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP)  On April 4th, Gary Rome Auto Group wrapped its annual Stuff the Trunk business clothing drive.

Throughout the month of March, there were drop-off bins at Gary Rome Hyundai in Holyoke, MA, and Gary Rome Kia of Enfield, CT.

The community donated a lot of new and gently used business attires and accessories.

The donations were picked up on Friday by two local non-profits called Suit up Springfield and Dress for Success Western Massachusetts.

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Suit Up Springfield provides men with professional attire and mentorship.

Dress for Success Western Massachusetts provides women with free professional clothing and career development tools.

People want to be a part of the lives that we take care of, we love the people, we want to make sure they are ok, Diane Jacobs, Community Engagement Manager at Dress for Success Western Massachusetts.

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.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
CENTER TWP., Ohio (WKBN)  Its been a busy week for the Columbiana County Sheriffs Office, as Drug Task Force Agents conducted four raids this week.

Friday, the Columbiana County Sheriffs Office posted on Facebook about a traffic stop that took place Wednesday involving detectives, a deputy and K-9.

The raid resulted in a Youngstown mans arrest after fentanyl, meth, crack and suboxone were found.

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Over $13,518 in cash was also taken. According to the Sheriff, it happened in Center Township along County Home Road.

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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  300 Sisters in Red celebrated 20 years in the Mahoning Valley on Saturday.

The initiative promotes education and awareness of health disparities in the local communities, especially womens heart health.

Each year, the Youngstown Chapter of the Links hosts an event to talk about the initiative and provide resources to women who may not otherwise have access. Dozens gathered for the event Saturday at Kilcawley Center at Youngstown State University.

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Its very cool when we get together and see other folks that are trying to do the same things that were doing and that we advocate for, and thats living healthy and taking care of ourselves, said event Chair Dr. Vicki Haywood Doe.

Doe has her own podcasts where she discusses topics like these. You can find them anywhere you listen to your podcasts.

Tino DiCenso contributed to this report.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  An iconic civil rights and union leader made a special appearance at a ceremony to honor a local nonprofit that helps immigrants. Dolores Huerta spoke at the 2nd Annual Tree of Life Honor Luncheon Friday afternoon.

Civil rights groups say push to dismantle Education Department will undo hard-won gains

Encurentro hosted the event. They offer help to immigrant families with work, education, and community issues. When you think of farm workers, undocumented farm workers who put food on our table, they take care of our children, they take care of our elderly in nursing homes. Everything that they contribute, and yet we treat them like they were some type of undesirable people, said Huerta. I think its really sad what were seeing today.

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Todays event honored five community members advocating for immigrant rights.

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The local musician fatally shot in a West End shooting this February was held at gunpoint in a daytime robbery, according to newly obtained police records by The Enquirer.

Police reports and 911 calls indicate the 17-year-old accused of killing Allen Scott, 50, had tried to rob him at the door of his West McMicken Avenue apartment just before noon on Feb. 6.

Scott's landlord, who called 911 to report the shooting, was on the first floor of the building getting ready to do some repair work that morning. He saw Scott being held up by the teen, pointing a pistol at him on the second floor.

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"Then he turned around, pointed it at me and he said, 'I'm gonna shoot you. Give me your money,'" the landlord told a 911 dispatcher. "And I said, 'what money?'"

Allen Scott, a well-known artist in the Cincinnati area's underground metal music scene, was fatally shot during a robbery on the border the West End and Over-the-Rhine on Feb. 6, 2025.

The teen went back and turned around toward Scott, who began to shut the door. The teen fired through the door, striking Scott.

Scott's landlord said the teen took off between buildings toward Central Parkway. When police and Cincinnati firefighters arrived shortly thereafter, Scott was pronounced dead at the scene.

More: 'Grandpa Doom': Man killed in West End shooting was talented musician, noble friend

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Scott was a decade-long Cincinnati resident and Northern Kentucky native. He gained a following in the area through his heavy metal band Opium Doom Cult.

Police arrested the 17-year-old they believe killed Scott a week and a half later on Feb. 17. He faces charges of murder and aggravated robbery, according to a police report.

Who is the 17-year-old accused of shooting Scott?

The teen has had no prior contact with the juvenile court system and no prior charges in Hamilton County. Court documents show that in 2024, the teen no disciplinary issues in school.

The teen's father has been at every court hearing for his son. They don't have much time to talk, but they've told each other "I love you" each time.

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In Ohio's juvenile courts, juveniles that commit certain serious offenses are required to be tried in adult court. However, the juvenile court judge must determine whether there is probable cause, or enough evidence the minor committed the crime. It's a lower standard than what is needed for a conviction.

In this case, the teen is charged with murder and aggravated robbery charges.

The teen is scheduled to appear in court again on April 16, but the hearing to determine probable cause has not yet been scheduled.

This story was updated to add a video.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Local musician Allen Scott, 50, killed in West End daytime robbery
BARTONVILLE, Ill. (WMBD)  The Bartonville Police Department and the Alpha Park Library joined forces to introduce local senior citizens to community resources and how to protect themselves from scams.

The Safety of Seniors event has been held annually for more than two decades. This year, older adults visited Limestone Community High School to attend informational speeches, speak to various vendors and enjoy fun activities and raffle prizes.

The event hosted 40 vendors from various types of professions, from healthcare to pet adoptions. Those who attended the event could also make appointments with the DMV for drivers license renewals and other services.

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One thing the police department stressed during the informational sessions was how to avoid scams. The Chief of the Bartonville Police Department, Anthony Segree, said, With the technology that we have today, its so easy for these people to get scammed. We basically give them information.

He added, If you dont recognize the number, or you dont recognize the email, and so forth, dont even bother opening it.

Heidi Rhea, an outreach librarian with the Alpha Park Library, said partnering with the Bartonville Police helped get information to the aging population.

We have a lot of vendors set up that can give information, and its great to have them all in one spot so that seniors can just go around, and talk to them, and learn about different things, and ask questions, and get all the information they can in one spot, Rhea said.

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The Alpha Park Library offers plenty of resources for senior citizens who may feel lost. This includes technology support, information, senior coffee events, summer concerts, a program guide, and even more events geared towards elderly folks.

The Bartonville Police Department can also help refer those who are elderly to various resources. Segree encourages people to reach out to the police department, as it is often the first point of contact for senior citizens.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.
The Dearborn Area Nature Alliance and the Friends of Dearborn Park successfully completed a big cleanup operation with the help of some unlikely allies.

According to the alliance's Facebook group, the event was the group's fifth annual Great Ivy Pull, which called on community members to come in, roll up their sleeves, and get rid of some invasive species.

Children had a play area to engage in arts and crafts, where they painted rocks to look like snakes. Participants across the board enjoyed snacks, good company, and high spirits throughout the event. Participants also planted native species like blue-eyed grass and even brought some goats along to eat up the excess vegetation.

The 5th Great Ivy Pull was a roaring success! Thank you, thank you to the many volunteers who came out to show our park some love! Posted by Dearborn Area Nature Alliance on Monday 17 March 2025

The Dearborn Area Nature Alliance's use of goats to help deal with overgrowth is fun but not unheard of. Goats have been deployed elsewhere to keep invasive species down, produce local fertilizer without damaging the landscape, and reduce wildfire hazards. The event was clearly a big hit, thanks in no small part to these furry friends.

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Dearborn Park is in Decatur, Georgia. It follows along Shoal Creek, which is host to a wide range of aquatic animal life. Both the county and city have some jurisdiction over the area, but both offered support for the cleanup. This kind of community-driven effort has loads of benefits.

Invasive plants can cause serious damage to ecosystems. They're typically brought into new environments by human transportation.

Without the usual checks and balances those invasives evolved with, they can quickly outcompete other local species in their new environs. By choking out resources like food and space to reproduce, biodiversity suffers, along with all the services a healthy ecosystem provides, such as pollination.

"What a huge difference!" said one community member looking at the before-and-after photos of last year's Great Ivy Pull. Those photos also show bamboo growing in the area, which is notoriously hard to get rid of.

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.
Apr. 5WASHINGTON  Rep. Josh Harder, D-Tracy, on Thursday announced four new tariff relief programs to assist Central Valley farmers and agriculture communities amid the escalating global trade war.

These U.S. Department of Agriculture programs provide as much as $251 million to reduce foreign market costs, especially for specialty crops such as almonds, grapes and olives.

The deadline to apply is June 6, 2025.

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Central Valley farmers produce 25% of the nation's food, Harder said.

In response to President Donald Trump's tariffs, China has imposed a 35% tariff on U.S. almonds, all of which are grown in California. The European Union is also considering new retaliatory tariffs at the end of the month.

"Our valley farmers should not be punished with rising costs and shrinking foreign markets," Harder said. "These are some of the hardest working people out there and we have to support them during this economic uncertainty. These proactive programs will make it easier to sell our world-class crops abroad and reduce the burden of retaliatory tariffs on local growers."

The trade relief programs include $200 million from the Market Access Program to promote U.S. fruits, nuts, and more to global consumers; $34.5 million from the Foreign Market Development program to identify trade barriers and new markets for U.S. crops; $9 million from the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program to specifically address specialty crop trade barriers; and $8 million from the Emerging Markets Program for developing export opportunities in emerging foreign markets.

Farmers can determine if they are eligible for the program at grants.gov.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  The Department of Veterans Affairs could be seeing cuts, including thousands of jobs for the agency that provides health care and other services to millions of veterans.

Friday, protestors gathered outside the VA in Youngstown, expressing their concern for the potential slash.

We actually have critical VA shortages now nationwide, said Steve Campisi, AFGE employee.

These vibrant voices for American veterans have plenty of those too.

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The work that we do at the VA is not going to be done in the private sector. Its just not, Campisi said.

Friday morning, dozens of protestors lined the sidewalk along Belmont Avenue outside the local Veterans Affairs clinic in Youngstown, chanting for change to proposed cuts to government services, including Veterans Affairs.

With these cuts, were going to see higher veteran homelessness and higher veteran suicide rates, Campisi said.

Veterans have already been speaking out against the cuts at the VA that so far have included a few thousand employees and hundreds of contracts. Many VA employees are veterans themselves.

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A lot of us lose our sense of purpose. For them to get a job with the government brings back that sense of purpose that theyre going to continue to be able to honor their oath, said Tim Hauser with the Veterans Assurance Network.

In a statement, the VA said:

VA has set up a structure to begin the process of reforming the department but hasnt made any personnel decisions yet. VA will run through a deliberative process and find ways to improve care and benefits for Veterans without cutting care and benefits for Veterans.

The cuts could slash as many as 80,000 jobs, and like theyve done in their military service, these folks are prepared to fight it.

My dads a disabled veteran. Im a disabled veteran. I get all of my care at the VA. Ive got so-called good insurance, I can go anywhere I want. Theres no better care than the VA, said Campisi.

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Apr. 5The city's top administrator could be looking for a new job next week.

The Lodi City Council will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, April 9 at 2 p.m. to conduct a review of City Manager Scott Carney's performance during closed session. The council will also consider removing him from the position.

The meeting comes a week after a special meeting to review Lodi's mid-year budget, where Carney read a prepared statement alleging that city attorney Katie Lucchessi and city clerk Olivia Nashed edited staff reports without his knowledge or approval.

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Carney claimed the pair redacted parts of his approved reports to protect some employees, and that internal reviews of purchasing activity revealed evidence of widespread misuse of public funds and city credit cards to purchase personal items.

He said that there was resistance to his investigation among staff and that there was evidence the city had been failing as a steward of public trust.

Mayor Cameron Bregman ordered Carney to stop speaking before he could finish his statement.

On Friday, Bregman said he stopped Carney from continuing because he began speaking about ongoing personnel investigations and a non-agendized item.

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"The current city manager, without any attorney/client privilege may have released confidential information directly to the public at our April 1 meeting," Bregman said. "The City of Lodi wants transparency through this process, but never at the expense of breaking the law. No one is above the law, and we're exploring options related to this release of information."

In speaking about personnel matters publicly, Bregman said Carney opened the city up to litigation that could cost "millions of taxpayer money."

The Brown Act forbids city staff and elected officials from discussing personnel matters that are not placed on an agenda.

An email to Carney seeking comment was not returned to the News-Sentinel Friday.

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Vice Mayor Ramon Yepez said he was saddened that Lodi residents had to witness what he called the "unprofessional conduct" Carney displayed on Tuesday, and stood behind the mayor's decision to stop his statement.

Yepez added the council is committed to investigating all claims made in order to ensure Lodians have no reason to fear widespread fraud or cover-ups at city hall.

"The city council is committed to investigating all claims to ensure Lodians have no reason to fear widespread fraud or any cover-up at city hall," he said. "The people of Lodi deserve a city manager who leads a healthy organization, not someone who creates disruption by intentionally disclosing confidential information and inserting accusations into an agenda item introduction. I'm confident that Carney's allegations will amount to nothing."

Public works director Charles Swimley said Carney's statement was a "reckless and unprofessional" attempt to dishonor not only the staff positions he mentioned, but all of the city's employees.

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Swimley said he always had confidence in the ethical conduct of the former city manager and assistant city manager, and that he stands behind the current city attorney and city clerk.

However, he said he had grown less confident in the conduct of the city's current administration.

"This past Tuesday during the current interim assistant city manager's finance update to the council, I had to interject and question a slide that was presented as truth regarding solid waste billing deficiencies," he said. "The slide alleged the city was not in compliance with the solid waste contract and contained numbers that were grossly overestimated. If the administration is going to allege non-compliance, they should at least do their homework by actually reading the contract, or better yet, ask the department that is responsible to avoid the spread of inaccurate information. The public and our employees deserve better."

Councilwoman Lisa Craig-Hensley told the News-Sentinel Tuesday night that she was relieved problems within the city had come out and supported Carney's efforts.

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Craig-Hensley said she also didn't agree with how Carney was shut down before he could complete his comments, stating a community member has a right to spend five minutes at the podium under public comment.

The council hired Carney last May to replace former city manager Steve Schwabauer, who retired in 2023.

Prior to coming to Lodi, Carney served as the deputy director of administration for the California Department of Health Care Services for three years. He also served at Stockton City Hall from 2014 to 2020 before taking a sabbatical.

Wednesday's meeting begins at 2 p.m. at Carnegie Forum, 315 W. Pine St. It will also be livestreamed at www.facebook.com/CityofLodi.
New London  A municipal sewer treatment plant is a finely tuned biological system filled with microscopic bugs that eat and break down wastewater components.

But that system can get overwhelmed when outflow lines and street mains are inundated by rainwater and basement water diverted from illegal sump pumps.

In an effort to stem the flow of sump pump discharge, the citys Water & Water Pollution Control Authority is poised to roll out a new public education initiative aimed at prompting homeowners to unhook the pumping devices from their sanitary pipes.

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Im convinced people with these pumps just dont understand the impact they have, and when they do, theyll make what is really a simple fix to the issue, WWPCA Chairman Barry Weiner said Friday.

The education proposal comes a year after a WPCA subcommittee was formed to examine the sump pump issue. The subcommittee was formed after an overwhelmed bypass line broke, causing sewage backups in the south part of the city.

In late 2023, a temporary bypass was placed not far from Ocean Beach Park to allow for the replacement of a ruptured main sewer line that ferried wastewater from the area to pump stations.

The bypass became overwhelmed by heavy rains and caused sewage to back up into 10 residences. Officials said the bypass failure was partially attributed to illegally installed home sump pumps, which act like a residential version of a ships bilge pump.

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Those pumps are supposed to discharge into a yard or a homes stormwater line, but are instead connected to a sanitary line, like the ones that remove water from a washing machine, Director of Utilities Joe Lanzafame said on Friday. One problem is, the average homeowner isnt likely to know the difference between a sanitary and storm line.

Lanzafame said the sewer system typically handles about nine million gallons of flow daily, but heavy rains and sump pump discharge can cause that amount to double. The extra discharge can put an increased strain on the treatment system by washing out or starving the helpful microbes.

Neither Lanzafame nor Weiner knew how many illegal sump pumps were operating in the city, but said they seem to be more prevalent in the southern part of the city.

We monitor flow data and can see spikes in that area when it rains, Lanzafame said.

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Embracing a carrot approach

In a Feb. 17 letter, WPCA member Chris Baker, who headed the sump pump committee, noted other Connecticut municipalities have taken aggressive investigation techniques to find and address their sump pump problems.

He noted Greenwich, under orders from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, had building officials test neighborhoods. Cheshire officials launched an in-person investigation of properties.

These techniques are legal but entailed a significant cost in the case of Greenwich and significant pushback from the community in Cheshire, Baker wrote, noting a lack of sewer capacity in both towns led to the costly and heavy-handed compliance methods.

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Two decades ago, New London used $20,000 in grant money to convince 99 residents to reverse their illegal sump pump connections in an attempt to stop line backups and flooding. Homeowners alerted to their incorrect installations paid plumbers to fix the issues and were reimbursed.

Weiner said the authority at some point will explore securing similar grants, though added its a relatively simple process to unhook an incorrect connection and redirect the flow out onto a residences lawn.

Moneys tight now, but we have no intention of adding another burden on homeowners, he said. We will not take a nasty or punitive approach.

Instead, consultants over the next several months will host seminars, open house forums and other informational meetings aimed at persuading residents to unhook their pumps.

Were taking the carrot approach and are hoping for voluntary cooperation, Weiner said.

j.penney@theday.com
DENVER (KDVR)  A man from Lone Tree admitted guilt to the possession and distribution of over 200,000 sexual images of children and babies, the 23rd Judicial District Attorneys Office announced Friday.

Daryl Henry Joe, 29, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children and possession and distribution of child pornography, according to a press release from the 23rd Judicial District Attorneys Office.

Police: Fentanyl found after teen driving with stolen tags pulled over in Aurora

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The investigation began last month when the Lone Tree Police Department got a tip about child pornography from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The images were traced to a computer at Joes address, according to the release.

Hundreds of thousands of images of children, toddlers and babies, including images of them being sexually assaulted, were found in the investigation.

Though Joe admitted guilt, he still has the possibility of probation. He faces up to 24 years in prison, the DAs office said.

DA George Brauchler and Deputy District Attorney Abby Hegarty criticized the law that allows people possessing child pornography to be eligible for probation.

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Each time an image of child sexual abuse material is viewed, the child in that image is victimized, Hegarty said in the release. A person in this state can possess any amount of child pornography  whether its just one image, or hundreds of thousands of images of the rape of infants  and still be eligible for probation. This case shows how broken our states laws are.

Joe is set to be sentenced on June 20th.

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HONOLULU (KHON2)  Hawaii has lost one of its longest serving and most influential Republican voices. Representative Gene Ward died early on the morning of April 4, according to his family. For 27 years, Ward was the voice of Hawaii Kai at the State Capitol.

Ward was fondly remembered today on the House floor for his commitment to public service and his legacy as an outspoken advocate for his district.

Excessive speeding bill gives mandatory jail time, possible forfeiture of vehicle for repeat offenders

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As a Republican, Ward carved out his own style of politics, championing his constituents and was never afraid to speak up.

He embodied what it means to be the opposition. He would never back down from a fight. He would stand firm on his principles, even if he was the only one standing, said Minority Floor Leader Diamond Garcia.

Wards life was one of service: in the Vietnam war and in the Peace Corps, a stint with USAID under the Bush Administration and over two decades in the state House.

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The governor ordered the flag to be lowered in his honor, calling him a fighter in every sense and a dedicated leader. Fearless is also a word many are using to describe Ward.

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I would say, fearless when it came to wanting to get his point across as to how he represented his community. So Im just deeply saddened, said Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi.

His passing leaves the Hawaii Republican Party working to compile a list of nominees to replace him. While his seat will be filled, his shoes may not be.

I was at an event when I got the news and the amount of text messages and calls, just showed how many lives that he touched. So again, the legislature wont be the same without Representative Gene Ward, said House Minority Leader Rep. Lauren Matsumoto.

Hawaii Republican Party members say a state funeral will likely be held at the Capitol.

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Gene Ward was 82.

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Loved ones are searching for a Southern California man who has been missing for a week.

Dennis Scott Fedrizzi, 40, of Whittier, was reported missing on March 28, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

Fedrizzi was last seen on the 11000 block of Groveside Avenue in Whittier at around 5 p.m.

Dennis Scott Fedrizzi, 40, of Whittier, was reported missing on March 28, 2025. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department) Dennis Scott Fedrizzis vehicle is described as a white, four-door 2024 Ford F-250 pickup truck with California license plate number 50780A4. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department)

Fedrizzi may be traveling in a 2024 Ford F-250 pickup truck with California license plate number 50780A4. He may have been headed to San Diego at the time of his disappearance.

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He is described as a white man who is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs around 180 pounds. He has brown hair, blue eyes and a goatee. He wears glasses and has a scar on his chest, a star tattoo on his left shoulder and a scale tattoo on his right forearm.

He was last seen wearing a black henley shirt, blue jeans, cowboy boots, a cross necklace, and a cross ring.

Fedrizzis family has not heard from him since his disappearance and is concerned for his well-being.

Anyone who may know Fedrizzis whereabouts or has information on the case is encouraged to call the LASDs Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500.

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Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.

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April 5, 2025: The United States has had military bases overseas since World War II ended in 1945. These included over 300 installations dispersed throughout 49 countries in Europe and Japan. There were 225 in Germany, but between 1994 and 2014 most of these bases were shut down or transferred to the German Bundeswehr. This gradually changed, especially during the 1948-1991 Cold War. After 1991 American military facilities overseas increased outside Western Europe and by 2024 there were some 800 bases in seventy countries.

By 2009 the dwindling U.S. forces in Europe were turning into museums, literally. There since World War II, American military units casually preserved many historical artifacts. For example, the first U.S. M-4 tank to break into Bastogne during the December 1944 Battle of the Bulge, was found, by checking vehicle serial numbers, to have been sitting in a U.S. base, as a nameless World War II monument, for over fifty years. Many similar discoveries have been made, and military historians, and the army leadership, wondered what to do about it.

The U.S. Army 1st Armored Division established a museum. Although the 1st Armored left Europe in 1946, and only returned in 1971, it was able to collect nearly 3,000 items including 140 tanks, artillery and other vehicles for a museum. Many other units that were there between World War II and today, collected historical artifacts and used them to decorate their bases or just hang on a wall in a base club or headquarters. All of the 1st Armored returned to the United States in the next few years, and officials in Europe were trying to do right by the museum. Established in 1963 in Europe, it has moved around a bit, and now the division is trying to scrounge up the funds to get it back to the United States, and preserve the collection.

But the 1st Armored collection is only a fraction of the artifacts found throughout U.S. military bases in Europe. Many of these bases have already been closed. Some artifacts were sold, some were given away or lost. It's an enormous chunk of U.S. military history, and most of it was in danger of being lost forever.

After spending over half a century years in Europe, the U.S. Army force went from two corps and over six divisions with 18 combat brigades during the Cold War, to the current four brigades. These units are sometimes transferred to combat zones in Iraq or Afghanistan. During the Cold War, there were over 300,000 U.S. troops in Western Europe. That gradually shrank to about 40,000, and by 2025 there were 84,000 U.S. military personnel in Europe.

Worldwide the United States had, by 2021, 642 bases in 76 foreign nations and 159 in overseas American territories. There are American military personnel in 170 nations worldwide. Some of these are embassy military attaches. There are now 100,000 troops in Germany, Italy and Britain with another 56,000 in Japan, 24,000 in South Korea, about a thousand in the nine Philippines bases and 15,000 in the Middle East. There are 123 bases in Germany, 113 in Japan and 79 in South Korea. These include the modest Al Udeid airbase in Qatar and the massive Aviano military base complex in Italy, which hosts a total of 49 American bases.

Broken down by service there are 220 army bases in 29 overseas locations. The U.S. Marine Corps maintains 31 bases, the U.S. Navy 97 and the Air Force has 170 in nine foreign regions including Japan with 52,852 personnel, the Philippines with about a thousand, Germany 34,894, South Korea 23,732, Italy 12,319, Papua New Guinea a hundred or so, Britain 10,180, Bahrain 3,424, Spain 3,253, Poland a few dozen, Turkey 1,683, Kuwait a few hundred, Belgium 1,119, Australia about a hundred and Cuba 572. There are also many temporary sites for special operations.
The Lowell Fire Department responded to a residence on Appleton Street to reports of a large fire in a residential building.

Witnesses told Boston 25 that they had heard a collapse sound. Initially, they thought they had heard a car crash when they rushed outside and saw a man jump out from a window and land on some bins.

The man was half-dressed when he told witnesses that his friend was in the building.

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The witness said that she had run back into her house to grab pants, and when she came back, the man was gone.

Boston 25 has reached out to Lowell Fire for more info but has yet to hear from them.

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.

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French President Emmanual Macron is readying to become Europe's point person in negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, per the Telegraph.

France and the United Kingdom are the main players within the "coalition of the willing" that is toying with the creation of some form of peacekeeping force in a post-ceasefire Ukraine.

Citing sources within French government, the Telegraph compared Macron's ascent to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's relative reticence.

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France is one of the few countries in NATO that conducts military operations independent of the U.S., primarily in missions in former colonies in West Africa. It likewise maintains an intelligence network separate from the U.S.-led Five Eyes, which came in handy for Ukraine when the U.S. cut off intel sharing for a week at the start of March.

Macron has been one of the more vocal proponents of a European rearmament. But results remain uncertain.

The unnamed official apparently said that it was "apparently, not yet" the time for Macron to lead the coalition.

Similarly, the details of any peacekeeping commitment from the coalition, whether French or otherwise, remain vague, with Ukraine awaiting tangible help.

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Read also: As Macron talks about building up Europes defenses, Ukraine awaits actual results

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French President Emmanuel Macron could become Europe's point man for talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin regarding peace in Ukraine.

Source: The Telegraph

Details: Some members from the "coalition of the willing" are insisting that Macron should lead the process of engaging with Russia as part of efforts to support Kyiv.

Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who lead the group of countries aiming to secure a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine, have been named as the most likely interlocutors with Moscow.

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According to The Telegraph, Starmer does not plan to engage in talks with Putin as part of the UK's efforts to support Ukraine's defence. However, a source from the Elysee Palace told The Telegraph that Macron could take on this role "when the time is right".

Previously: On 4 April, meetings between representatives from France, the UK and Ukraine to discuss the deployment of a military contingent took place in Kyiv.

Background: Bloomberg reported that the United States would wait for a report from Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev to Russian leader Vladimir Putin following his visit to the US before taking further steps towards ending the war in Ukraine.

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Apr. 4Maine lawmakers are asking the Trump administration to reconsider its decision to eliminate the staff of a federal heating assistance program that serves thousands of households in the state  a move that has created uncertainty about how the program will operate going forward.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced layoffs earlier this week as part of an effort to reduce the federal workforce, including the entire staff of about 20 people in the Low-Income Heating Assistance Program office.

Ninety-two Maine lawmakers wrote to DHHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday to express disappointment with the decision and to ask the department to reconsider and provide an explanation of how the program will run without its federal staff.

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"We are deeply concerned that decimating the staff that administers the program not only usurps the constitutional authority of Congress, but that it will have devastating impacts on Mainers and make it harder for those who rely on LIHEAP to afford to heat their homes during the long, cold winter months that our state experiences," the letter said.

It was spearheaded by Rep. Tavis Hasenfus, D-Readfield, according to a news release from the House Democratic Office.

The lawmakers who signed are all Democrats with the exception of Sen. Rick Bennett, R-Oxford, and independent Reps. Bill Pluecker of Warren and Sharon Frost of Belgrade.

LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered through MaineHousing. The program serves about 51,000 households in Maine, according to U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree's office.

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Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, said earlier this week that the federal staff typically act as liaisons between the federal government and individual states and mostly work on oversight, auditing and ensuring payments are made.

MaineHousing has said that, in the short term, all current applications for this program year will continue to be processed, and it still expects to receive the remaining 2025 grant funding it is due. However, the agency also expressed concerns about long-term plans and said it will be working with Maine's congressional delegation to get answers.

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A subsidiary of Toyota has pleaded guilty to skirting pollution laws and conspiracy to defraud consumers in the United States. The Department of Justice announced that it slapped Hino Motors with a hefty fine, but questions remain about its long-term impact.

What's happening?

On March 19, the DOJ announced it had ordered Hino Motors to serve five years' probation  banning it from importing its diesel engines  as part of a guilty plea after charging the Japanese truck and engine manufacturer with one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S., to violate the Clean Air Act, to engage in wire fraud, and to smuggle goods into the country.

Hino will also pay more than $1.6 billion in penalties. According to the government, the company submitted false applications for engine certification approvals between 2010 and 2019, conducting improper emissions tests, altering and fabricating data, and failing to disclose software that could impact pollution-control systems.

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The company "imported and sold over 105,000 non-conforming engines between 2010 and 2022," per the DOJ. However, Reuters reported Hino falsified emissions data for some of its products as far back as 2003, according to a panel commissioned by the company itself.

"By pleading guilty, Hino Motors, Ltd. has admitted to orchestrating a deliberate and years-long fraud scheme that put profit over principle," James C. Barnacle Jr., acting assistant director of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, said in a statement.

Why is this important?

Hino's business practices not only gave it an unfair advantage over businesses that adhered to U.S. regulations to limit pollution, as explained in the announcement by Adam Gustafson, acting assistant attorney general of the DOJ Environment and Natural Resources Division.

The company's actions also meant buyers likely had skewed perceptions about how much pollution was associated with their purchasing decisions. The misinformation might have set back their sustainability goals without warning, raising questions about the potential long-term impact of the deception on community and environmental health.

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Electric vehicles are more eco-friendly than gas-powered vehicles, as they don't spew any tailpipe pollution. However, as the Environmental Protection Agency notes, modern regulations ensure diesel engines are cleaner than they were in years past.

This is particularly important because diesel engines produce ground-level ozone, which can damage crops, and acid rain that can contaminate our waterways and thus enter our food chain. The exhaust is also connected to respiratory problems and heart disease.

What can be done to prevent this from happening again?

According to Reuters, Hino President Satoshi Ogiso said in January that the company reviewed and improved its compliance and oversight practices.

The fact that Hino lost around $1.5 billion in the second quarter to cover litigation costs, along with the hefty fine and lost business in the U.S. during the five-year probationary period, may prove to be a deterrent and push Hino to live up to those promises of improvement.

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"Today's plea and sentencing demonstrates that companies who intentionally evade our nation's environmental laws, including by fabricating data to feign compliance with those laws, deserve punishment and will be held criminally accountable," Jeffrey Hall, acting assistant administrator for the EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said in the DOJ release.

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Inditex, Zara's parent company, was found to have charted an increase in carbon pollution last year despite its self-professed commitment to sustainability.

What's happening?

Inditex says it's committed to halving its carbon dioxide pollution by 2030, but the numbers show otherwise. Devdiscourse reported a 10% increase in carbon emissions from 2023 to 2024.

The company cited global conflicts as the main reason. Regular transportation routes had to be changed, leading to longer travel and higher pollution.

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It's not like Inditex's pollution rates were low prior to 2024, though. In 2023, Inditex released about 2.4 million tons of CO2. This is part of an ongoing trend for the company, which has seen increasing air pollution rates each year.

It seems like air freight is to blame. Though Inditex's representatives told Bloomberg that they primarily used sea and land to ship their products, about 75% of the Zaragoza airport is reserved for Inditex shipments.

This isn't the only fast fashion company polluting the planet with its irresponsible policies. Companies like Shein and Temu, competing for ultra-fast shipping times, release up to 5,000 tons of CO2 in a single day.

Until Inditex can get its pollution rates down, its sustainability policies seem closer to greenwashing than sincere commitments to invest in reducing its pollution.

Why are air freight emissions important?

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, air freight was typically used for time-sensitive deliveries like perishable food items, a Stand.earth report detailed.

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However, during the pandemic and beyond, air freight was used to ship other items, clothing being one of them.

This heavy reliance on air travel can lead to potential health risks. Stand.earth's report highlighted that those in close proximity to airports are exposed to more "toxic pollutants," leading to a higher likelihood of breathing complications.

Air freight also greatly contributes to the planet's overheating. The vast majority of aviation fuel comes from dirty energy sources, which warm the planet's atmosphere when burned. Air freight has been cited as being as much as 60 times more polluting for heat-trapping gases than ocean freight per mile at the same weight of cargo, as well as 10 times more than ground transport  though some estimates put the air-to-sea ratio a bit lower, at 25 times.

What's being done about it?

People around the world are breaking up with fast fashion. Thrifting is on the rise, with companies like eBay putting on runway shows proudly displaying pre-loved pieces.

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If you want to combat this issue, commit to secondhand shopping. With a lower demand for fast fashion and a higher need for sustainable practices, companies like Inditex might actually curb their pollution.

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SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)  A Terre Haute man is accused of stealing roughly $297,000 from a Sullivan car dealership over a three year period.

Indiana State Police say Joe Mascari, 57, was part owner of Sullivan Automotive Group at the time.

Large fire at Terre Haute business

According to investigators, between April 2020 and April 2023, Mascari allegedly devised several schemes to commit numerous thefts from the dealership, including inflating invoices. He faces a variety of charges.

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Corrupt Business Influence, Class 5 Felony

Theft Value of Property Greater Than $50,000, Class 5 Felony

Theft Where Value of Property is between $750 & $50,000, Class 6 Felony (5 counts)

Forgery With Intent to Defraud, Class 6 Felony (5 counts)

State Police say he was arrested Friday and taken to the Sullivan County Jail. His bond was set at $117,000 with 10% allowed.

Indiana State Police patrol vehicle sent into ditch

This case was investigated by the ISPs Special Investigations, Organized Crime and Corruption division.

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A man has been charged with capital murder in the death of an Atlanta woman who was killed in Alabama.

On Thursday, March 27, deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office in Alabama were called to the scene of a shooting on Highway 80 East in the Waugh community.

They found the victim, Gennia Grimes, 21, suffering from a gunshot wound.

She was treated by medics and airlifted to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

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She later died from her injuries.

Grimes was from Atlanta and was a student at Alabama State University.

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On Friday, April 4, deputies arrested Rogers McCloud Jr., 20, for capital murder.

He is being held without bond at the Montgomery County Detention Facility.

Montgomery County Sheriffs Office Assistant Chief Wesley Richerson said in a statement: To protect the integrity of the case, we have not publicly discussed the details of this investigation. However, please do not confuse our silence with inaction. We have been meticulously working to gather evidence and to determine the facts surrounding Gennias death. Sheriffs Office Investigators, Crime Scene Technicians, and Criminal Analyst have worked diligently over the past week to ensure the truth was exposed, and the suspect was arrested for this terrible crime.

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A GoFundMe campaign has been organized to benefit Grimes family.

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GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA)  The man accused of killing four people while under the influence in a crash on New Years Eve was denied bond for a second time.

Nicholas Meeks was charged on January 1st, 2025, with four counts of Felony DUI. When he was booked into the Greenville County Detention Center at the time, he was denied bond. At a bond hearing Friday morning it was denied again.

Keep Meeks off the streets, said community activist Aaron Kahn.

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Meeks attorneys argued that if a bond was set, he had family members who would make sure he obeyed the law.

They werent there the day he got in the car, said Andrea Leroux. Which he had no license, so somebody knew he got in that car.

Andrea Leroux is the mother of one of the victims. Four people were inside the car Meeks was accused of hitting. The car caught on fire, burning three of the victims Audrey Ross, Joshua Ward, and Jade Bruton. Lerouxs daughter, Amanda, was ejected from the car.

Amanda leaves behind three children, one of them whose name is Lilly.

She was the most important part of her life, said Leroux. Prom, learning how to drive, her wedding, her mom will be there in spirit, but she wont be there to help her put her wedding dress on.

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Lilly said her world changed with the passing of her mom, and she hopes Meeks stays behind bars.

I just hope that he stays in prison for forever, said Lilly Leroux.

Community activist Aaron Kahn showed up Friday at the courthouse in support of the four victims who lost their lives.

For a repeat DUI offender to be let out back on the streets, especially after he has just killed four people, I dont feel safe in the community if he is let out on the streets, said Kahn.

Leroux says as everyday passes she will continue to fight for justice.

Until you lose a child, you cant even imagine how a mother feels, Leroux said. I lost part of who I was and who I am. To make sure he doesnt get out and that is going to be our whole goal even when it comes to the criminal trial; that he never sees light of day.

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Meeks is expected to have a trial. A date has not yet been set.

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In a stunning turn of events, OnlyFans creator Tim Stokely has made a last-ditch offer to buy TikTok's US business from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

Stokely, along with his social media startup Zoop and blockchain company The Hbar Foundation, aims to acquire the popular video-sharing app before the impending April 5 deadline.

A Creator-First Approach to Social Media

Zoop, which was founded by Stokely and influencer marketing strategist RJ Phillips, is framing this bid as a "David vs. Goliath" opportunity. In a statement provided to WIRED, the collective is looking to upend social media by putting creators first with more equitable revenue-sharing models. The move could disrupt the sector, toppling entrenched tech titans such as Meta and Google.

Why ByteDance Needs to Sell Quickly

The reason for the urgency in the deal is a new American law that requires TikTok to be sold to an American company on the grounds of national security. If ByteDance fails to seal a deal by April 5, the app might be banned nationwide.

With this, many companies wage a bidding war with several buyers, with Zoop entering as an unexpected bidder.

White House Takes Control of the Sale

Unlike a typical business transaction, this deal is being orchestrated by the White House rather than ByteDance itself. RJ Phillips revealed that their legal team directly engaged with government officials to initiate negotiations.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump was set to review multiple offers in a private Oval Office meeting alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Variety reports.

Other Tech Giants Enter the TikTok Bidding War

Zoop is not the only firm interested in TikTok. Amazon also tabled a surprise last-minute bid, although reports indicate it is not being considered seriously. Other possible suitors are a group of US investors led by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and private equity behemoth Blackstone.

Even Perplexity AI and YouTube content creator MrBeast expressed their desire to buy TikTok, per Tech Times' report earlier this year.
SENECA (KSNT)  Gary Hermesch, the man charged for allegedly shooting and killing a Catholic priest in Seneca had previously shared his opinions in a local newspaper.

From January 2021 to March 2024, Hermesch submitted entries to The Courier-Tribune, a newspaper covering Seneca and Nemaha County. The Courier-Tribune shared copies of six issues with 27 News, where Hermesch shared his thoughts on religion and a wide range of other topics in the Letter to the Editor column.

Lets not sweat the small stuff, though, maybe if we just follow Donald Trumps example well make the Church great again. So why are things headed south like a runaway freight train? Simple. The faith is not being taught. Now is that equality and tolerance of other religions, or what? Statement excerpt by Gary Hermesch from Aug. 4, 2021 Letter to the Editor, The Courier-Tribune

Topeka council to consider $587M 5-year capital improvement plan

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While Hermesch writes about Catholicism and the Vatican in some letters, he does not mention Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Father Arul Carasala or the town of Seneca.

Excerpt from Jan. 20, 2021 Courtesy: The Courier-Tribune Excerpt from Aug. 4, 2021 Courtesy: The Courier-Tribune Excerpt from Feb. 16, 2022 Courtesy: The Courier-Tribune Excerpt from Dec. 14, 2022 Courtesy: The Courier-Tribune Excerpt from April 5, 2023 Courtesy: The Courier-Tribune Excerpt from March 24, 2024 Courtesy: The Courier-Tribune

On Friday, April 4, Hermesch, 66, appeared before a judge in court after being charged with first-degree murder by the Nemaha County District Attorney. He is accused of shooting and killing Father Carasala, 57, of Seneca on April 3.

Man charged as adult in 2023 homicide in Topeka

Law enforcement was called at 2:50 p.m. on Thursday, April 3 to the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church rectory located at 411 Pioneer Street in Seneca on reports of gunshots, according to a report from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). Deputies with the Nemaha County Sheriffs Office and officers with the Seneca Police Department found Father Carasala outside the rectory suffering from gunshot wounds.

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First responders took Father Carasala to a nearby hospital for treatment of his injuries. However, he later died at the hospital despite attempts to save his life. Law enforcement later arrested Hermesch in connection to the shooting. He was taken to the Nemaha County Jail on a charge of first-degree murder.

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New London  Police have arrested one of the three suspects in a downtown shootout last summer.

Tremaine Dowdell, 31, a city man on supervised release from a federal New London-related firearms conviction, was apprehended Thursday by a team of local, state and federal law enforcement officials on Boswell Avenue in Norwich. He was arraigned in New London Superior Court on Thursday and remains held on a $250,000 bond.

Dowdell is charged in connection with a June 8, 2024 shootout between three men at the citys municipal parking lot off Golden Street, where onlookers ducked for cover or ran when as many as two dozen shots were fired from three different guns, reports show.

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The incident occurred at 1:55 a.m. and police in the area responded to the parking lot to find the shooters had fled. Police found 29 shell casings, from 9mm and .22 caliber handguns, in the municipal parking lot, according to an arrest warrant application by Detective Justin Lawrie.

Video surveillance from the area of the shooting revealed Dowdell and two other men were hanging out among a crowd in the area of 12 Bank St. The three men later converged at the municipal parking lot, where Tremaine ducks for cover behind a Hyundai Sonata as one man fires shots from a handgun at him and another man nearby. Tremaine and another man return fire, police said.

Several citizens in the parking lot in the crossfire began to run away and lay down behind cars, the police report states.

Police said video shows Dowdell calmly walk away from the scene and toss what appears to be handgun on the ground.

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Police later impounded a rented Hyundai Sonata, which was in the parking lot at the time of the shooting and peppered with bullet holes. Police spoke to the driver, 35-year-old Cabernet Queenan.

Queenan initially claimed to be an innocent bystander who was at the wrong place at the wrong time, police reports show. Police said surveillance video, however, shows Queenan, while giving a statement to police, appears to sit directly on top of where one of the guns was tossed. Based on video footage, police said it appears that Queenan discreetly removed the suspected firearm from the crime scene.

Queenan denied taking any firearms or helping the suspects get away but a search of her phone revealed Snapchat conversations between her and Dowdell, identified in Snapchat as Dowdell Mekhi, police said. The June 8, 2024 Snapchat conversation begins with Dowdell asking if she is alright. After Queenan tells Dowdell that the police are seizing her car, he responds they going to be on me now, police said.

Queenan was arrested Feb. 26 and charged with tampering with evidence in connection with the case. Her case is pending.

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Dowdell was charged with attempted first-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit. He is additionally charged with a violation of supervised release.

Dowdell is due to appear in New London Superior Court on April 28. If he posts bond, a judge has ordered he be monitored by GPS and remain in 24/7 lockdown. Dowdells last known address is on Union Street.

Dowdell was arrested in 2019 in connection with a Sept. 14, 2019 shooting at the H&T Mart on Ocean Avenue. In 2021, he was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. Federal court records show Dowdell was released from federal prison on Dec. 18, 2023, but arrested again on May 25, 2024, by police in Providence, R.I., for possession of a ghost gun.

It is unclear if police have identified or charged the two other men in connection with the shootout. New London police did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

g.smith@theday.com
DENVER (KDVR)  A man who walked into a Denver area church with a backpack in 2023 was convicted for crimes targeting Christian churches, in which he would use a backpack with the intent to convey a hoax bomb threat.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that 45-year-old Zimnako Salah of Phoenix was found guilty by a federal jury after an 11-day trial.

According to a press release, Salah was convicted for strapping a backpack around a toilet in a Christian church in Roseville, California, with the intent to convey a hoax bomb threat and to obstruct the free exercise of religion of the congregants who worshipped there.

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A special finding in the verdict determined that Salah targeted the church because of the religion of the people who worshipped there, making the offense a hate crime.

Salah traveled to four Christian churches in Arizona, California and Colorado from September to November of 2023. At the churches, the DOJ said he wore black backpacks, which he used to make congregants fear that there was a bomb. He planted the bags inside two churches and was confronted by security before he planted them at two others.

In November 2023, the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office said Salah was seen wearing a black backpack and walking into a church near S. Dayton St. and E. Belleview Ave. on the morning of Nov. 19.

The sheriffs office said he was greeted by a uniformed deputy who was working off-duty and continued to walk toward the restrooms and left wearing the backpack shortly after.

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The DOJ said that while he had been using the backpacks to make threats, he was building a bomb that could fit in a backpack. A Federal Bureau of Investigation Bomb Technician searched his storage unit and seized items that an FBI Bomb Expert testified were parts of an improvised explosive device.

Additionally, a search of his social media records found that he searched for extremist propaganda using terms like infidels dying and watched videos depicting ISIS murders, the DOJ said.

Salah is set to be sentenced on July 18 and faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Multiple agencies assisted with the investigation, including the FBI, Roseville Police Department, San Diego Police Department, San Diego Harbor Police Department and the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office.

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An armed standoff with a suspect who allegedly fled out of Snohomish County and damaged several cars in a parking lot rattled the commercial center of the Key Peninsula Friday afternoon, according to a nearby store employee.

Nicholas Bosch, a lead supervisor for grocery store Key IGA, said he didnt witness the incident but heard about it from other employees. When his shift started at 2 p.m., employees were still out in the parking lot sweeping up bits of glass, he told a reporter who visited the store around 6:30 p.m. Friday.

It happened very fast, Bosch said: A Ford F-150 pulled into the Key IGA parking lot and crashed into several vehicles, followed by several U.S. Marshals in unmarked vehicles.

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He pulls in and starts hitting cars, and everyones going, whats going on, he told The News Tribune. And then all of a sudden, several unmarked Marshal vehicles behind him get out with the rifles telling him commands, and he just keeps spinning those tires.

Bosch wasnt sure how many law enforcement officers were outside but there were a lot of them. They were in full gear, with ballistic helmets, plate carriers and AR-15 rifles pointed at the suspect, who wasnt complying with their orders. No shots were fired because there were too many people in the vicinity, he said.

Skid marks in the Key IGA parking lot in Key Center, Wash., on Friday, April 4, 2025, after a pickup truck sped into the lot and engaged in a brief armed standoff with U.S. Marshals.

We had a lot of panicked customers, Bosch said.

Four cars were damaged as the suspect drove through the lot. Two belonged to customers and two belonged to employees, according to Bosch. One cars bumper was basically just barely hanging on, he said.

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The suspect then drove out of the parking lot, took a right and fled down Cramer Road Northwest, toward Glen Cove and YMCA Camp Seymour, where he crashed on the side of the road and was apprehended by law enforcement, Bosch said he learned afterward.

The Key Peninsula Fire Department posted at 12:22 p.m. Friday about police activity and a possible chase out of Key Center, around the same time that residents began posting on Facebook about an incident at the Key Center IGA.

Key Peninsula Fire Department spokesperson Anne Nesbit referred The News Tribune to other agencies for more information. The News Tribune reached out to the Snohomish County Sheriffs Office Friday afternoon but did not immediately hear back. Pierce County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Carly Cappetto was not immediately aware of the incident when a reporter called at 3:40 p.m. and said she would see what she could find out.
GROESBECK, Texas (FOX 44)  A man previously found guilty of Sexual Abuse of a Child by a Limestone County grand jury has been sentenced to life in prison.

A Limestone County grand jury previously found Joshua Weibye guilty in February of Sexual Abuse of Child Continuous: Victim Under 14, a first-degree felony; four counts of Indecency with Child Sexual Contact, second-degree felonies; and Sexual Assault Prohibited/Purport Spouse, a first-degree felony. The Groesbeck Police Department said Weibye elected to have punishment assessed by 77th District Judge Amy Ward. He was in the Limestone County Jail until his sentencing.

According to Groesbeck Police, the sentencing was held on Friday, April 4. After a review of the case, testimony by witnesses, and closing arguments by the defense counsel and the Limestone County District Attorneys Office, Judge Amy Ward assessed the following punishments:

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PREVIOUS STORY: Man found guilty of sexual abuse of a child

Count 1 (Continuous Sexual Assault of a Child): Life

Counts 3,7,9, and 10 (Indecency with a Child by Sexual Content): 80 years to begin upon the expiration of the sentence in Count 1.

Count 11 (Sexual Assault of a Prohibited Person): 20 years to begin upon the expiration of the sentences in Counts 1,3,7,9, and 10.

For more information, you can view our previous story here.

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Apr. 4LIMA  A Lima man with an admitted alcohol addiction problem was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for assaulting a woman with whom he had been in a relationship.

Larece Kelly, 39, of Lima, pleaded guilty last month to a count of burglary, a felony of the second degree. In exchange for that plea, prosecutors dismissed a charge of strangulation, a third-degree felony.

According to court documents, officers from the Lima Police Department responded to the report of an assault Nov. 22 of last year. The female caller said the incident occurred at her residence and identified Kelly, who she said was a friend, as her attacker.

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The victim told police Kelly had been drinking and asked her about an ex-boyfriend when the altercation started. Kelly allegedly became angry and grabbed the woman by her throat, causing her to lose consciousness. The woman said she woke up on the floor with Kelly punching her in the head and face.

Investigating officers observed numerous bruises and abrasions on the neck of the alleged victim, court documents show.

Assistant Allen County Public Defender Megan McLean said Kelly has exhibited "a pattern of alcohol use that is related to the offense" and asked the court to impose a sentence of community control with mandatory alcohol and anger management treatment.

Kelly apologized to the victim in the case and told Judge Terri Kohlrieser that alcohol "makes me make poor decisions."

The judge said a prison sentenced was warranted due to prior criminal convictions and "a lengthy history of violence" by Kelly in the past.

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DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  A man has been indicted in the murder of a woman on Troy Street last month.

The Montgomery County Grand Jury indicted William Pointer, 46, on seven counts:

Two counts of Murder

Two counts of Felonious Assault

One count of Tampering with Evidence

One count of Having Weapons While Under Disability [prior drug conviction]

One count of Having Weapons While Under Disability [prior offense of violence]

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On March 25, Dayton Police found Jamie Guadagno, 26, on the sidewalk in the 600 block of Troy Street. She was taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds to the throat and upper chest but died.

Police used witness statements and surveillance video to identify a suspect.

Pointers 1997 conviction for involuntary manslaughter adds a 3-year firearm and Repeat Violent Offender specifications to the murder and felonious assault counts

Pointers arraignment is currently set for Thursday, April 17, at 8:30 a.m. He is currently in custody in a hospital after being injured in an unrelated traffic crash.

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The man charged in the 2013 overdose death of a TCU student has been sentenced to four years in federal prison on firearm charges, officials with the U.S. Attorneys Office in North Texas said.

33-year-old Brennan Trainor Rodriguez was indicted on a charge of illegal possession of a machine gun in October 2024, officials said.

In August 2024, police responded to a domestic disturbance call from Rodriguezs ex-girlfriend, who said that Rodriguez had been stalking and harassing her since the end of their relationship, according to a statement.

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The woman also told police that Rodriguez frequently shot guns, including one that fired fully automatic, according to the statement.

Rodriguez was arrested the following week on stalking charges, officials said. During a search of his home, police found nine firearms, including a rifle equipped with a conversion device commonly known as a switch or auto sear.

At the time of the charges, Rodriguez was on probation in the 2013 overdose death of 21-year-old TCU student Thomas Boone Pickens IV, the grandson of oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty in November 2014 to a charge of delivery of a controlled substance, the Star-Telegram reported at the time.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating after a man was shot and killed in Northwest D.C. overnight.

Just after 10:40 p.m. on April 4, MPD said officers responded to a shooting in the 700 block of Otis Place NW. There, they found 22-year-old Kalyl Young of Northwest D.C. had been shot.

He was taken to the hospital, where he passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning.

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Police: Multiple people struck by car on U Street, 7 hospitalized

Anyone with information is asked to contact MPD at (202) 727-9099 or text the departments tip line at 50411.

A reward of up to $25,000 is offered to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

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WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  A 21-year-old man will spend the next 15 years in federal prison for fatally shooting a man in Northeast D.C., the United States Attorneys Office (USAO) for the District of Columbia announced Friday.

Shannon Updike, of Washington D.C., pled guilty in December 2024 to one count of second-degree murder while armed.

Maryland man sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for killing woman

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The USAO stated that on May 27, 2024, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to reports of an incident around 2:30 p.m. in the 4000 block of Minnesota Ave.

Police say a man, later identified as Chidzie Njoku, 23, was found unconscious and not breathing. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

According to the USAO, Updike used a homemade purple assault rifle to shoot Njoku twice at close range before running away from the scene.

After a brief chase with MPD, Updike was arrested and his firearm was seized by officers.

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CHEROKEE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA)  A man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for trying to rob a gas station with a gun in Cherokee County.

33-year-old Roderick Shundale Dover was tried and found guilty of armed robbery and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

On November 11, 2022, Dover entered the Center Express 3 gas station on Old Georgia Highway in Cherokee County with a handgun. After waiting for other customers to leave, Dover approached the store clerk and demanded cash from the register. After the money was given, Dover put the gun to the clerks neck and pulled the trigger. The gun did not discharge, and Dover fled the scene.

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The next day, Dover returned to the gas station and was identified by the store clerk. Police were called and Dover was apprehended.

Dover was sentenced to 30 years in prison for armed robbery and five years in prison for possession of a weapon during a violent crime. The sentences shall run concurrently.

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A Rancho Cordova man was still at large Friday afternoon after fleeing the scene of a domestic violence call during which he held a gun to his girlfriends head, a spokesperson for the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office said.

The man held deputies at bay at an apartment on West La Loma Drive for several hours after the call came in at 4 a.m., spokesperson Amar Ghandi said.

The sheriffs department warned residents to stay away from the area in posts on social platforms X and Facebook at around 9 a.m., saying that SWAT officers and a critical incident negotiation team were on site.

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The post said that the man, who was not named, was believed to be inside the apartment. He had held a gun to his girlfriends head, the post said, but she and her young child were ultimately able to escape.

Shortly after 10 a.m., KCRA TV reported on its website that the man had eluded police and fled, citing Ghandi.

Ghandi told The Sacramento Bee via text message at around 2 pm that he was still at large.
Man in stable condition after shooting in Hartford

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH)  Hartford Police are investigating a non-fatal shooting that occurred in the area of 1046 Capitol Avenue on Friday afternoon.

According to police, at approximately 3:22 p.m., officers responded to an area hospital for reports of a gunshot victim arriving for treatment.

Man injured in Hartford shooting, police investigating

The victim, a man in his 20s, received treatment and is listed in stable condition.

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The Hartford Police Major Crimes and Crime Scene Divisions are investigating the incident. Police ask anyone with information regarding the case to call the HPD Tip Line at 860-722-TIPS (8477).

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Screenshot: GoFundMe

The power of social media is strong. Even though a Black Georgia college student received a solid amount of money in a scholarship from Chick-fil-A, many people noticed it was less than other recipients. Instead of complaining, folks got proactive and came to her support. - Noah A. McGee Read More

Darrine Timpson and picture of his late-dog Jada - Photo: WMAR-2

Darrine Timpsons 2-year-old dog died while giving birth to her puppies on March 27. Timpson contacted Loving Care Pet Funeral Services in Catonsville, Maryland, to arrange the cremation of his beloved dog Jada. The following day, Timpson received what he thought were Jadas ashes, but about 30 minutes after he left, I received a call from animal control of Baltimore City with devastating news. - Angela Wilson Read More

Photo: Senate Television (AP), Instagram

While New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker was causing good trouble on the Senate floor, one of his staffers was getting in some real trouble outside the room. Capitol Police led him away in handcuffs over what he tried to bring in the building. - Kalyn Womack Read More

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A video of a Black mans confrontation with employees at a Los Angeles-area Whole Foods has gone viral after thousands who have viewed the video accused the store manager of racial profiling. In the video, the man who was shopping at the Culver City store can be heard in a heated exchange with a Latino employee. The employee, who identified himself as the store manager, approached the shopper, accused him of stealing his groceries and asked for his receipt. - Angela Johnson Read More

Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images for BMI (Getty Images)

The viral video of Marvin Sapp infamously telling the church ushers to close the doors until $40,000 was raised is still being shared across the internet. However, not everyone is joking about the clip. - Noah A. McGee Read More

Screenshot: TikTok/kierraking616

A Black woman in California who was expecting to get a simple test from a local medical clinic experienced something much worse, causing outrage on social media. - Noah A. McGee Read More

Dana Jenkins and Daryn Cox - Photo: Facebook

Daron Donta Jenkins was released from prison on Tuesday, March 25. Just six days later, hes accused of the unthinkable. Wilson, North Carolina, police responded to a home in the 1700 block of Snowden Drive around 5:23 p.m on March 31 after receiving an unknown type call. Upon their arrival, officers found 50-year-old Dana Vanessa Jenkins and her 15-year-old son Daryn Cox dead at the scene. The victims were identified as Darons mother and brother. - Angela Wilson Read More

Photo: GoFundMe

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You may have seen flyers of this boy, 5-year-old Indi Bullock, on your social media pages last week. Local Georgia police posted his picture, desperately asking for the publics help in locating him after he vanished. However, the cops finally came back with a development on the search and its a heartbreaking one. - Kalyn Womack Read More

A Georgia man is looking at some serious legal trouble after a now-viral story of why he left his three children behind in a local McDonalds seems to have some holes in it. The internet rallied behind 24-year-old Chris Louis, who was arrested on March 22 at an Augusta McDonalds after police found hed left his three children alone in the restaurant for over an hour and a half. - Angela Johnson Read More

Miriam Yarimi - Photo: Instagram/@iitsanellie

A woman is being charged with three counts of manslaughter, negligent homicide, and assault after a harrowing crash left a mother and her two young children dead. But the reason behind the incident may send chills down your spine. - Angela Wilson Read More

For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
On Friday morning, the Trump administration extended the deadline for China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok. For another 75 days, the video-sharing app will remain as is for its 170 million United States users  unless the extension is challenged.

President Donald Trump announced the extension on social media, reasoning that more time is needed to make a deal between Bytedance and an American buyer. My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress, he said. We do not want TikTok to go dark. We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the Deal.

This is the second time Trump has postponed the apps sale or ban in the U.S. Last year, Congress signed a law that said ByteDance has to sell TikTok, or the app would be shut down. The Supreme Court upheld the law in December, making Trumps executive orders to keep TikTok running legally questionable.

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Several American investors and businesses have put forward bids to buy the app, including the billionaire former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, founder of the nonprofit Project Liberty.

In a sit-down interview on Friday with Deseret News, McCourt and Tomicah Tillemann, Project Libertys president, said despite the news, they continue to believe their bid is the only one that will comply with the law.

McCourt was in Salt Lake City to attend the signing of several bills that aim to protect children online, including one that gives users the right to own, control and manage their data, ensuring that they can permanently delete their own information. This right, which McCourt called a human right, is the focus of Project Liberty, a nonprofit that aims to create a new information superhighway that is healthier and safer for its users.

McCourt thinks his bid is best

The bipartisan effort to pry TikTok from ByteDance stemmed from national security concerns over the app potentially sharing user-collected data with the Chinese government.

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McCourt has put together a bid to buy TikTok through Project Liberty, which theyre calling the Peoples Bid. Under their ownership, TikTok would give users more freedom to choose what content they see and what they do with their personal data.

McCourt said Project Libertys mission is to empower its users rather than exploit them. Founded in 2019, the initiative aims to challenge the power currently held by Big Tech.

This isnt a tech issue; this is actually a human rights issue, McCourt told the Deseret News. This is an issue about choice. This is an issue about autonomy.

The internet should be a place for users to create and innovate and have a chance to build things of value, as opposed to the world that exists now, which is that there are a few companies that own it all  and worse, they own us, he said.

Frank McCourt, founder of Project Liberty, right, and Tomicah Tillemann, president of Project Liberty, pose for a portrait at the Deseret News office at the Triad Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 4, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

In the U.S., adults use TikTok more than any other social media app, averaging a little over 53 minutes daily, and more than half of users are between the ages of 18 and 34. The platform made $10 billion in revenue in just the U.S. last year.

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Tillemann related the worlds acceptance of algorithmic instant gratification addiction to the 20th-century obsession with cigarettes.

Back then, Everyone had gotten accustomed to that reality, even though it was really, really bad for people, but within a relatively short period of time, that changed, and you saw greater awareness, he said, adding that the change was prompted by growing public awareness, policymaking and regulation.

Tomicah Tillemann, president of Project Liberty, talks with a reporter at the Deseret News office at the Triad Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 4, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

People were able to move beyond addictions and decide they wanted a much better, healthier ecosystem in which they were going to raise their kids and live a life, he said. And I think there are some interesting analogs there to the dynamics that we see about social media.

McCourt believes the cultural shift on attitudes about social media has already begun, but like cigarettes, the current status quo will eventually become a full-fledged taboo. Apps like TikTok that are surveilling us and grabbing our attention are going to be viewed not just as unlawful through public policy but culturally unacceptable, he said.

Utah law is protecting users digital DNA

Before McCourt and Tillemann sat down with the Deseret News, they spent Friday morning at the state Capitol attending Gov. Spencer Coxs ceremonial signing of online safety bills, which Project Liberty aided Utah lawmakers in creating.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox shakes hands with Rep. Doug Fiefia, R-Herriman, after signing a ceremonial copy of HB418, the Digital Choice Act, which Fiefia sponsored, during a press conference to address online safety, student focus and digital choice held in the gold room of the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 4, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

McCourt celebrated Utah as the first state to hold big tech accountable through legislative action, including the Digital Choice Act, which will allow Utah app users the right to own, control and manage what he calls our Digital DNA.

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Both McCourt and Tillemann emphasized that all eyes are on Utah to see how tech companies will react to the new laws: comply or litigate.

In the last few weeks, since this law passed the Senate, weve had conversations not only with lawmakers all over the United States, but with policymakers all over the world, Tillemann said.

They are very, very focused on whats happened in Utah. They recognize that this is a big deal, and they are looking for models that will help them solve a challenge thats facing every open society on the planet.
President Russell M. Nelson spoke for just under 15 minutes at the October 2024 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He referred to Jesus Christ 86 times.

Maybe that should not surprise anyone, given that President Nelson is considered by members to be not only the churchs president but a living prophet, apostle and special witness of Christ.

For decades, however, some outsiders and critics have accused church leaders of referring more to the churchs founding prophet, Joseph Smith, and his successors in general conference talks than to Jesus Christ.

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Other Christians think, in their perspective, that we pay more attention to or more often speak about the Brethren rather than the Brother, said Darius Gray, an independent Latter-day Saint historian and former journalist.

President Russell M. Nelson, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaks during the afternoon session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. | The Church of Jesus Christ of La

The Deseret News reviewed the 34 talks given at the churchs October 2024 general conference to count the number of times speakers referred to Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith and President Nelson.

My guess is that they referred to Jesus dozens of times, Joseph Smith half a dozen times and President Nelson somewhere in between, said Nathan Oman, a church member and historian and professor of law at William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia.

The actual totals surprised even longtime Latter-day Saint historians and writers.

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Total references to Jesus Christ  1,604 (an average of 47.2 times per talk)

Total references to Joseph Smith  104 (3.1 times per talk)

Total references to President Russell M. Nelson  92 (2.7 times per talk)

Thats a wonderful, heartening statistic, said Terryl Givens, senior research fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute of Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. It has been subject to conversation that one hears in many quarters that one hears more references to President Nelson than Jesus Christ.

This puts the lie to that claim and suggests that there has been a conspicuous recentering of Christ in leadership talks, and thats something that I think the church needs to hear.

Credit: Willie Holdman, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Gray laughed in wonder at the count.

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Im somewhat surprised and very, very edified, he said. Its been a complaint among some members and an accusation among others in the Christian family, so Im just thrilled to hear that.

Oman said that while he underestimated the magnitude of references to Jesus Christ, he was not caught off guard.

Ive been listening to general conference for 49 years and thats my experience, he said. The language is Jesus-soaked, so the fact that its more than 10 times the number of references doesnt surprise me at all.

Another Latter-day Saint scholar said he could imagine April conferences delivering even more references to Jesus Christ because they regularly fall on or around Easter. In fact, this spring, President Nelson and his counselors in the First Presidency have encouraged an increase in Easter celebrations among church members.

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We are in the spring Easter season, right when we celebrate in more detail the life and especially the Atonement of Jesus, said John W. Jack Welch, a founding director of Scripture Central.

Theres no other church that is blessed with the commandment to gather in general conference twice a year, and we come together and we hear the most important things talked about. For us to have an Easter celebration every year is, I think, very rich, and it indicates what we really hold most sacred.

Speakers mentioned Jesus Christ an average of 47 times per talk in the October conference.

President Nelson referred to Christ four times in one memorable portion of his talk.

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Here is my promise to you, he said. Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find him in the temple. You will feel his mercy. You will find answers to your most vexing questions. You will better comprehend the joy of his gospel.

The only speaker who mentioned Christ more often than President Nelson was President Jeffery R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who referred to Christ 108 times.

President Holland used the names Jesus Christ, Jesus or Christ a total of 19 times. He referred to Christ as this Refuge from the Storm, the Headmaster and our Messenger of Salvation.

President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaks during the Sunday morning session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Many references were utilitarian. For example, in addition to calling Christ our Perfect Role Model twice, 30 of the 74 references by President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, were to he, him or his, necessary and common references throughout the conference.

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Many speakers referred to Christ as they quoted scripture or other church leaders.

A reference by President Holland to Jesus Christ as the great Jehovah of the Old Testament and Good Shepherd of the New is an example of why the Deseret News did not use AI or a computer database to review the conference talks.

Latter-day Saint theology holds that God the Father and Jesus Christ are separate and distinct beings. The words God and Lord often are used regularly by leaders and members to refer to either Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ.

October conference speakers referred to God the Father 700 times, the Deseret News found. The analysis may not be perfect. If anything, however, it likely undercounts references to the Savior when making determinations between God and Lord. Context was critical to understanding the references to deity.

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For example, one of the 70 references to Christ by Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles noted, as President Holland did, that Latter-day Saints believe Jesus Christ is the Jehovah of the Old Testament.

The Pharisees reaction to Jesus was clear evidence that their presumptuous attitude left no place in their hearts for the Saviors words and Gods way, Elder Soares said. In response, Jesus wisely and courageously declared that if they were true covenant children of Abraham, they would do the works of Abraham, especially considering that the God of Abraham was standing before them (italics added) and teaching them the truth at that very moment.

Statues of Christ and the Apostles are displayed in the Rome Temple Visitors' Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Rome, Italy, on Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019. | Ravell Call, Deseret News

Oman said listening for context is part of Latter-day Saint culture.

One of the weird things about Latter-day Saints is we do almost all of our theology in sermons, Oman said. Russell M. Nelson is not writing theological treatises. Latter-day Saints have written theological treatises in the past, but I dont think theres any general authority thats tried to write a theological treatise since (Elder) Bruce R. McConkie.

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So when general authorities talk theology, the genre, the medium that they use to talk theology is almost always a sermon, but in sermons youre oftentimes sort of theologically imprecise. Sometimes the purpose of the sermon is to clearly explain doctrine. Someone like President Oaks is trying to be precise and clear about doctrine, but I think there are other folks for whom thats not really their main goal.

What theyre trying to do is motivate people to feel the spirit and connect to God, or warn people about this particular danger or temptation or something like that. They have rhetorical tasks in their sermons where an enormous amount of theological precision just isnt particularly important.

Where speakers used they and their to refer to both the Father and the Son, the Deseret News counted a reference for both. The same was done for a handful of instances when speakers referred to the Trinity and the Godhead.

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appear to Joseph Smith in the new First Vision sculpture placed on Temple Square in November 2024. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

President Nelsons emphasis on using the correct, full name of the church led to a couple dozen references to Jesus Christ.

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The Deseret News found that many of the references to Joseph Smith and President Nelson were to their teachings about Jesus Christ. Church leaders and members generally quote the current church president because he is set apart to receive revelation for the church and act as Christs spokesman on earth.

In some ways, criticism has been abating, said Welch, author of Charting the Book of Mormon, which includes charts about names for Christ used by Book of Mormon authors, including First-Fruits and the Very God of Israel.

Those making those criticisms (about references to Christ) havent been listening to conference for the past 10 years. This is an old criticism, he said. It goes back to the days when the less-friendly people wanted to brand us as not Christian, even though the name of the church is the Church of Jesus Christ.

In the past, some critics tried to exclude Latter-day Saints from some interfaith groups. Today, Latter-day Saints work broadly with other faiths around the world on efforts ranging from religious freedom legislation to humanitarian aid and more.

Other names for Christ used by church leaders in October included God of Hope, Rescuer and Master Potter.

One other reference stood out in the Deseret News review of the talks on the churchs website. Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who is from England, maintained the British spelling of Saviour in the written version of his talk.

Regardless of the names used for Jesus Christ, Gray said he was thrilled to learn that he had been spoken of so often.

I am happy to hear that, Gray said. I am more than happy to hear that.
Russia is running low on time to take action on the peace talks with Ukraine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Friday.

Following two days of meetings with NATO ministers in Brussels, Rubio said the U.S. had had enough of talks about talks, and urged the Russians to stop trying to delay the negotiations. He also indicated that the Russians may face further American sanctions.

We will know soon enough, in a matter of weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace or not, Rubio told reporters, according to The New York Times.

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Rubio said that Members of Congress are putting together fresh sanctions that the administration wont be able to stop without signs that the process is moving forward.

President Donald Trump vowed while he was campaigning for the White House that he would end the war in Ukraine in his first day in office.

Rubios comments indicate that the Trump administration may finally be growing suspicious that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been negotiating in good faith. Observers note that Putin is likely trying to buy time to push ahead on the battlefield.

But there are also significant differences between Europe and the U.S. on Ukraine, Trumps trade war, and Greenland.

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Rubio also pushed NATO members to increase military spending to 5 percent of their Gross Domestic Product, which would surpass what the U.S. spends on its own armed forces.

However, when speaking to reporters, the secretary softened his remarks on military spending, saying that NATO members have to be on a path of getting up to 5 percent at some point.

In another hot-button issue, Rubio defended Trumps startling, wide-ranging tariffs even as they threaten Europes economy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives for talks at NATO's headquarters in Brussels on Friday. Rubio warned Russia that the U.S. is running low on patience when it comes to peace negotiations with Ukraine (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

After a meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the State Department said in a summary that the meeting was a reaffirmation of the relationship between the two countries. The summary didnt mention Greenland, which Trump has publicly stated should become part of the U.S. Greenland is a semiautonomous Arctic territory of Denmark.

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Rasmusson took to X to say that he had an honest and direct meeting with Rubio.

I made it crystal clear that claims and statements about annexing Greenland are not only unacceptable and disrespectful. They amount to a violation of international law, said Rasmussen.

Rubio responded to those remarks on Friday, noting that a significant portion of Greenlanders want to achieve independence from Denmark.

We didnt give them that idea, said Rubio. Theyve been talking about that for a long time.

Theres nothing to suggest, however, that any considerable part of Greenlanders want to become part of the U.S.

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Meanwhile, Trump has suggested that a peace deal in Ukraine could lead to a refreshed relationship between the U.S. and Russia. However, the Russians have only agreed to a partial ceasefire, such as a pause in attacks on energy infrastructure that neither Russia nor Ukraine has adhered to.

European leaders are concerned that Trump may put Putins demands first in any peace negotiation, and theyre pushing for Ukraine to be protected.

Military leaders from France and Britain visited Kyiv on Friday to discuss a possible deployment of troops to ensure that any ceasefire is followed, such as air defenses and a presence on land and at sea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters.

He didnt name other countries also in talks to provide peacekeepers. The Russians, however, have been clear that they wouldnt accept any NATO troops in Ukraine.
New marine tool helps distressed kayakers on St. Pete Beach

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA)  A new marine tool used by the St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue personnel helped three kayakers in distress off the southern tip of Pass-a-Grille.

On Friday afternoon, the extensive training ahead of the Spring Break season paid off when a trio became exhausted during their kayak trip.

Florida charter captain arrested after viral confrontation with fisherman, police say

A resident from Point Pass-a-Grille Condominiums saw them struggling against the strong tide and called the fire department for help. Among the three was a first-time kayaker who didnt know how to swim. The trio had been struggling in the water for well over an hour.

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Crews arrived and launched the Lite Marine 22, a specialized Jet ski with a custom rescue float ramp, from the beach near 4th Avenue.

St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue

Operator Lt. Jason Wing and Rescue Swimmer Lauren Garceau met with the kayakers and brought them all to safety.

The Kayakers were so appreciative and even visibly emotional with relief that they thanked Lauren Garceau and Lt. Wing over and over, St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue said.

Crews said this powerful new tool extends the reach of their fire personnel, and applauded the training and preparation that resulted in a happy family reunion.

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WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  A Maryland man was sentenced Friday for the August 2021 murder of a 20-year-old woman, according to the United States Attorneys Office (USAO) for the District of Columbia.

The USAO states Amard Jefferson, 26, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison with three years of supervised release after being found guilty by a jury in December 2024.

Jefferson was charged with second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license and obstructing justice.

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Hands Off rally: Hundreds of thousands of people gather at National Mall to protest Trump administration

The USAO states that at 4:28 p.m. on Aug. 7, 2021, Kendall Brown and two others went to Jeffersons girlfriends apartment to retrieve items one of them had left after moving out.

There, an argument began and Jefferson, who was initially not involved, began to threaten the women with a firearm, stating he was going to call his men.

Court documents say Jefferson then shot Brown and locked her in the apartment before running away from the scene with his girlfriend. Jefferson then hid the black 9mm ghost gun used to kill Brown in a drainpipe a few blocks away from the apartment.

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The USAO adds that Jefferson was charged with obstruction of justice for attempting to persuade his girlfriend by texting and calling her, asking her to falsely confess to killing the woman while he was in custody.

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Marysville nonprofits held a spaghetti feed with proceeds going to Back-the-Badge Yuba and Sutter County to support the family of fallen Police Officer Osmar Rodarte.

Those in attendance told Fox40 that there was no question that the community would do all they could to help.

We need this as a people, a society, to come together to support those that are defending us and protecting us, and thats what being a community is all about, Rigo Diaz, General Manager of Recology, Yuba-Sutter County, said. And the community of Yuba-Sutter, this is what we do.

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I love this community, and I respect the police department and what they do for the community, and this was unexpected, Joginder Sekhon, a Marysville resident, tells Fox40. It has affected the whole community, everybodys upset about it. I feel like crying right now.

Man nearly escapes garbage truck after being thrown in while sleeping

Marysville Chief of Police Christian Sachs says he wasnt at all surprised at the colossal support the agency has received.

Here, the Yuba-Sutter community is just second to none, Chief Sachs tells Fox40. I mean, besides the fundraisers like every other day, to them stopping in to sit and check on us, walking down the street, stopping to give everybody a hug, it just warms your heart.

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Some residents were so eager to support this cause that some showed up hours early, others, right on time.

I really respect that everybody that lends a helping hand, Roleane Helder, a Marysville resident, tells Fox40 while waiting for her spaghetti.

We just are heartbroken about this wonderful young man, Jean Younggren, another Marysville resident waiting for her Spaghetti, says. His family is without his income now, and he cant possibly have had a pension. So, you know, we just need to come together and help them out. So, yeah, its just what small towns do.

The organizers hope that the proceeds can take some of the financial pressure off Officer Rodartes family.

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Theres nothing worse for these children that already lost their dad than to watch their mom have to go through this, and if we can relieve just a little bit of stress off her, just a little bit, you know, then weve done our job, Angie Gates, Co-Founder of SoYouCan, who helped organize the event tells us.

If you werent able to make it to Fridays event, you can check out Back The Badge Yuba-Sutter County to offer any support you can.

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RENFRO VALLEY, Ky. (FOX 56)  Mason Ramsey yodelled his way from Walmart into the spotlight.

It all started with Lovesick Blues, when he was only 11 years old.

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When the video was going viral, I never knew it was going viral because I wasnt raised around the internet, Ramsey said. We didnt find out until a week and a half after it started going viral.

Thats when he landed on Ellen DeGeneres radar.

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Well, The Ellen Show actually called my cousin, and thats how I got into the industrythrough Ellen, he explained.

Ramseys career skyrocketed, entering stardom at a young age, singing beside Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus at the 62nd Grammy Awards in 2020.

Mason Ramsey attends the 2018 Radio Disney Music Awards (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)

: Mason Ramsey and Lil Nas X perform during the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK  DECEMBER 13: Musician Mason Ramsey performs at Irving Plaza on December 13, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA  JANUARY 26: (L-R) Diplo, Lil Nas X and Mason Ramsey during the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

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Ive put out a lot of music since then, and last year I had a song go pretty viral called Blue Over You, which is funny because a lot of people who were listening to Blue Over You knew me as Mason Ramsey. They didnt know I was the same person who actually sang in that Walmart when I was 11. So, people were a little blown away or surprised, Ramsey joked.

And for a good reason. Ramsey, now 18 and living in Dallas, Texas, has grown up, and so have his talent and capabilities as an artist.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

Of course, his roots are in classic country. But as Ramsey aged and grew as an artist, his palate expanded.

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I started listening to like Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and Chuck Berry, he explained. I was just trying to get an idea of what I wanted to do and what type of music I wanted to do that I can relate to. Because I hadnt really done anything like that. And I ended up writing Blue Over You. We put it out, and the people loved it and so we just started going in that direction.

BERLIN, GERMANY  MARCH 3: American singer Mason Ramsey performs live on stage during at C2C Festival Day 02 at Verti Music Hall on March 3, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Gina Wetzler/Redferns)

LONDON, ENGLAND  MARCH 09: Mason Ramsey performs on Day 2 of C2C Country To Country 2024 at The O2 Arena on March 09, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)

2024 PEOPLES CHOICE COUNTRY AWARDS  Portrait Studio  Pictured: Mason Ramsey  (Photo by: Catherine Powell/NBC via Getty Images)

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE  JUNE 08: Mason Ramsey performs onstage at Spotify House at CMA Fest 2024  Day 3 at Ole Red on June 08, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Spotify)

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Ramsey is hitting the road and is heading to the historic Renfro Valley on April 6 on the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour. He told FOX 56 hes no stranger to the Bluegrass region and cant wait to show Kentuckians what hes been working on.

Our shows are, like, so energetic. Theres a lot of energy around the room, Ramsey said. So it tends to get really loud. So I just want to let or try and get this out for everyone to bring their earplugs because I dont want anyone losing their hearing. But bring anyone you think wants to have a good time because you are 100% guaranteed to have a good time at a Mason Ramsey concert.

He said he loves what he does, and he wouldnt have it any other way.

Read more of the latest Kentucky news

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To any other young artist out there, Ramsey left us with a few words of encouragement.

Just always remember where you came from. Always remember your roots, he said. I mean, to take it from someone who has had literally everything thrown at him from the kitchen sink. And Ive never given up, and Ive always kept going, and thats why I am where I am. And I just give that advice to anyone who tries to do music or to get into the industry. Its very hard, but just never give up, and youll be fine.

Tickets are still available for Ramseys stop in Renfro Valley. Click here for more information.

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WORCESTER, Mass. (WWLP)  A Leominster man has been indicted for involuntary manslaughter after a man he allegedly supplied drugs to died of an overdose.

The Worcester County District Attorneys Office announced on Thursday that 39-year-old Eric Stone of Leominster was indicted last week by a Worcester County Grand Jury following an investigation beginning in 2024.

Springfield police officer charged with sexually assaulting Somers high school student

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Charging documents stated that on June 20, 2024, State Police detectives assigned to the DAs Office received a report of an unattended death of a 44-year-old man in Fitchburg. Through further investigation, it was revealed that Stone had allegedly supplied the man with cocaine and fentanyl earlier that day, just before his death.

Stone was arrested by State Police on January 24 and was arraigned in Fitchburg District Court. He has been in custody since his arrest.

Stone was indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter, distribution of a class A substance (fentanyl), and distribution of cocaine. The case has now been moved to Worcester Superior Court, and Stone is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.

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.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  Books on the Holocaust, histories of feminism, civil rights and racism, and Maya Angelou's famous autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, were among the nearly 400 volumes removed from the U.S. Naval Academy's library this week after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths office ordered the school to get rid of ones that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Navy late Friday provided the list of 381 books that have been taken out of its library. The move marks another step in the Trump administrations far-reaching effort to purge so-called DEI content from federal agencies, including policies, programs, online and social media postings and curriculum at schools.

In addition to Angelou's award-winning tome, the list includes Memorializing the Holocaust, which deals with Holocaust memorials; Half American, about African Americans in World War II; A Respectable Woman," about the public roles of African American women in 19th century New York; and Pursuing Trayvon Martin, about the 2012 shooting of the Black 17-year-old in Florida that raised questions about racial profiling.

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Other books clearly deal with subjects that have been stridently targeted by the Trump administration, including gender identity, sexuality and transgender issues. A wide array of books on race and gender were targeted, dealing with such topics as African American women poets, entertainers who wore blackface and the treatment of women in Islamic countries.

Also on the list were historical books on racism, the Ku Klux Klan and the treatment of women, gender and race in art and literature.

In a statement, the Navy said officials went through the Nimitz Library catalog, using keyword searches, to identify books that required further review. About 900 books were identified in the search.

Departmental officials then closely examined the preliminary list to determine which books required removal, said Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, Navy spokesman. Nearly 400 books were removed from Nimitz Library to comply with directives outlined in Executive Orders issued by the President.

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The books were removed shortly before Hegseth arrived Tuesday for a visit to the academy, which had already been planned and was not connected to the library purge, officials said.

The Pentagon has said the academies are "fully committed to executing and implementing President Trumps Executive Orders.

The Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, the Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, had not been included in President Donald Trumps executive order in January that banned DEI instruction, programs or curriculum in kindergarten through 12th grade schools that receive federal funding. That is because the academies are colleges.

Pentagon leaders, however, turned their attention to the Naval Academy last week when a media report noted that the school had not removed books promoting DEI.

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A U.S. official said the academy was told late last week to conduct the review and removal. It isnt clear if the order was directed by Hegseth or someone else on his staff.

A West Point official confirmed earlier this week that the school had completed a review of its curriculum and was prepared to review library content if directed by the Army. The Air Force and Naval academies had also done curriculum reviews as had been required.

An Air Force Academy official said the school continually reviews its curriculum, coursework and other materials to ensure it all complies with executive orders and Defense Department policies.

Last week, Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, the Air Force Academy superintendent, told Congress that the school was in the middle of its course review, but there was no mention of books.

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The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss academy policies.

Hegseth has aggressively pushed the department to erase DEI programs and online content, but the campaign has been met with questions from angry lawmakers, local leaders and citizens over the removal of military heroes and historic mentions from Defense Department websites and social media pages.
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)  Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux shared the highs and lows of city governance on Friday in his 2024 State of the City report.

The mayor said the city ended in good fiscal condition despite many challenges. He credits cooperation among his administration and the Shreveport City Council for ending 2024 with a $29 million operating reserve.

Tax collection was mentioned, and Arceneaux said that while the last three months of 2024 showed improvement in sales tax revenue, it remained the same as the previous year, resulting in a revenue shortfall.

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2024 ended with a higher unemployment rate than the mayor would have liked, closing December at 4.1% saying, The current rate is good but not entirely satisfactory. The unemployment rate does not account for underemployment, which we believe is still significant. We must all continue our efforts to increase local business and add well-paying jobs to the economy.

100 Days of Querbes celebration underway

Arceneaux highlights accomplishments such as the passage of three capital bond propositions, managing Mardi Gras through police staffing shortages and scheduling issues, steady reduction in violent crime, solidifying an agreement to improve SPD headquarters at 1234 Texas Street and negotiate temporary substations for police personnel, ongoing water issues, and working through property standards issues. He also mentioned Humor and Harmonys success in the short time it was coordinated and executed.

The mayor ended the high notes with his acceptance into the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, where he received in-person and virtual training to become a more effective mayor and leader at no cost to the city. He said the city is receiving additional assistance in developing a plan to address blight and redevelopment.

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Read Mayor Arceneauxs State of the City report below:

State-of-the-City-2024Download

Areas of Concern listed in Mayor Arceneauxs State of the City

Blight fightThe mayor noted that blight is still too prevalent in Shreveport, even though property standards demolished 229, primarily residential structures, in 2024. This is still an increase from 2023 and 2022, and with the help of Bloomberg HCLI, a local team will develop a long-range plan to attack blight and encourage neighborhood development.

Crime  More POST-Certified officers joined the Shreveport Police Department in 2024 than in 2023, We hope to make that a trend, resulting in more officers available for crime fighting and the apprehension of perpetrators of crime. The mayor also noted that the more than 1600 Real Time Crime Center camera feeds, which are anticipated to exceed 2000 feeds in 2025, are a helpful resource in solving crimes, particularly homicides and attempted homicides.

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Shreveport mayor unveils 2025 summer internship for college students

Bond projects  a dashboard for capital projects that will allow residents to track the progress of specific projects- is coming in 2025.

Economic Development  Mayor Arceneaux lists the long-term lease of Stageworks to G-Unit Film and Television Louisiana, LLC., as a first-quarter benchmark for 2025. The Administration continues to feel confident that G-Unit will bring new life to the television and film industry, and other significant economic benefits to Shreveport.

Mayor Arceneaux also restated his confidence in Economic Development Director Bill Sabo, whom he believes will provide strong, sound leadership and bring more activity to build the local business climate and economic activity.

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BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First)  Mayor-President Sid Edwards took to the streets in downtown Baton Rouge, as he starts his process of cleaning up the city.

Community Outreach Coordinator Matthew Edwards motivated his crew from the Mayor-Presidents office as they began picking up trash on North 10th Street.

Mayor-President Sid Edwards said this is just the beginning of his plan to make major improvements as part of his Revive EBR master plan.

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We ran on this, mentioned Matthew. We want to help beautify and clean up our city.



He said about 100 employees from his office are working to beautify the city.



We have a couple of groups out  one at Scenic and Harding, and we have groups on Plank Road, Matthew said. Were trying to chip in and clean up. We dont want a dirty city. Baton Rouge deserves better.

One of the things we ran on in our campaign was public safety, and theres not a day in our office were not working and planning, Mayor-President Edwards said. Stay tuned real soon, well have some initiatives roll out.



Mayor Edwards said the plan will be introduced at the next metro council meeting and the council will vote on it in about a month. After that, he said his plans would be put in motion.



Edwards says, Weve got plans in place, Mayor Edwards said. We need to push it through. One plan is to light Plank Road from the interstate to around South 22nd Street all the way to Airline.



The elected official said his plan will focus on crime prevention, blight cleanup, infrastructure and drainage improvements and better access to mental health resources.

The Mayor-Presidents office said the cleanup day is also kicking off Love the Boot week, which runs April 5-13, 2025.

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Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is questioning President Trumps decisions to pick amateur isolationists for senior policy jobs at the Pentagon and to fire Gen. Timothy Haugh, the head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, without explanation.

If decades of experience in uniform isnt enough to lead the N.S.A. but amateur isolationists can hold senior policy jobs at the Pentagon, then what exactly are the criteria for working on this administrations national security staff, McConnell said in comments to The New York Times.

I cant figure it out, he said.

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McConnell and other Senate Republican defense hawks have signaled their concern about the Trump administrations decisions to hire Michael DiMino to serve as deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East and Andrew Byers to serve as deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia.

DiMino has come under scrutiny by pro-Israel advocates because of his past statements that the U.S. doesnt face vital or existential threats in the Middle East.

And Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said at a recent hearing that Byers believes thinking about communist China through the lens of deterrence is wrong and thinks maybe we should give up what he calls belligerent policies toward China.

McConnell made his comments to The Times after President Trump abruptly fired Haugh, a four-star Air Force general with 33 years of experience in intelligence and cyber operations, without providing any explanation.

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Trump this past week also fired six National Security Council officials after meeting with conservative activist and social media influencer Laura Loomer in the Oval Office. Loomer presented a list of officials to Trump that she argued were not loyal to the president.

Loomer in a social media post criticized Haugh, the N.S.A. director, for being picked for his job by Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who reportedly called Trump fascist to the core and the most dangerous person to this country, according to a book by Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward.

Loomer called Milley a traitor and in a social media post on Saturday declared that there are a lot of bad actors embedded all over the FBI, DOJ, NSZC, NSA, DOD, and State Department.

Its going to take time to hunt these people down, publicly expose them and have them fired and removed from their positions, she posted on the social media platform X.

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  There was more than burgers and fries on the menu at a Sioux Falls McDonalds Friday.

There was also a reason to cheer.

Three McDonalds employees, wearing caps and gowns, celebrated their college graduation with a ceremony at the restaurant.

Task force members respond after 2 days of prison talk

Today Im just so grateful that I got the opportunity to be able to go to college and get a degree, McDonalds Area Supervisor Godliva Niyubuntu said.

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Niyubuntu is a supervisor of four McDonalds locations.

She started 11 years ago and worked her way up the ladder.

At the time, I just needed a job after high school and I said, Well, let me give McDonalds a shot. It might not be something I do long term, but let me try it out,' Niyubuntu said.

Now Niyubuntu can add college graduate to her resume after taking part in a tuition assistance program for McDonalds employees.

Hart2Hart, the franchise organization for 15 McDonalds locations, Archways to Opportunity, and Colorado Technical College partnered to provide the financial help.

We know that if we make our people stronger, it makes the business and the community stronger. Its a big principal of our organization to support people whether thats supporting them through growing with us or continuing their education so they can go and do a different field of work, its just our mission to make our people the best they can be, Hart2Hart Owner/Operator Jordan Hartshorn said.

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The assistance covered all of Niyubuntus tuition cost.

She now has an associate degree in accounting from TCU.

Right now, I want to continue what Im doing, but eventually in the future, I want this degree to be more than what I am now, so thats one of the reasons I decided to go back to school, Niyubuntu said.

Hartshorn says nearly 50 employees have taken part in the tuition program over the past seven years.

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  A one time popular bar and restaurant in Sioux Falls is reopening.



McNallys, which has been closed since late last year, has new owners and they are familiar faces in the bar and restaurant industry.

John and Melissa Dougan signed the papers Friday afternoon. They plan to have it open some time in May.

Task force members respond after 2 days of prison talk

The Dougans owned the Shipwreck Bar and Grill on Brant Lake for five years before selling it in 2023.

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They say they are keeping the name McNallys, but the menu will be changing. They say they want to make it more family friendly.

KELOLAND News will have more next week on the reopening of McNallys.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Leadership with Meals on Wheels is sounding the alarm after another wave of Health and Human Services cuts, concerned their funding could be impacted.

This week Meals on Wheels learned that 40% of the Administration for Community Living staff had been cut. CEO Suzanne Washington said that department deals directly with the funding that Meals on Wheels uses to serve people across the Portland metro area. Without those workers, there are concerns Meals on Wheels will not be able to get the money it relies on.

VIDEO: Homeowner says man punched, threatened him

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All the people who understand the program, serve the program, have the expertise to deal with the issues that we deal with every day and make sure the funding gets to the people theyre gone, Washington said. So thats the worry. If all the people getting those dollars out and managing the program are gone, whos going to do it now?

Federal funds make up around 35% of the Meals on Wheels budget, which Washington said comes out to a lot of food.

If that funding goes away, 400,000 meals go away, she said. And so thats the impact, right? If we also lost Medicaid dollars, which is also in the conversation, theres another right, 200,000 meals.

She said they have talked with the National Nutrition Provider organization and the counties they contract with, but nobody seems to know what will happen next. Washington said she has been hearing from a lot of people who are afraid.

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Are they still going to get meals, she said. Are they going to get fed? How are they going to live if these funds go away? And thats the hardest part, that people with disabilities and seniors that are living just on the margins anyway, without our assistance, they then have nothing to eat.

Man used Instagram to threaten kids for explicit photos

Even in this uncertain time, Washington said they are staying the course.

Were going to make sure we continue to feed people, she said. We will pull from emergency funding as needed. I dont want all those we serve to worry any time soon. We have to make sure we find other ways to raise dollars. We have to find ways to make sure nobody goes on a waitlist. Weve never had a waitlist.

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Washington said if you want to help, they could always use more volunteers, and they rely heavily on donations. Meals on Wheels has more information on how to help.

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Originally appeared on E! Online

President Donald Trumps Cabinet is full.

All 15 of his nominationssome more controversial than othershave been confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the only one who received unanimous support from both sides of the aisle, including from 10 Democratic senators who didnt vote in favor of any of Trump's other picks. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced the rockiest road, ultimately needing Vice President J.D. Vance to cast a tie-breaking vote to confirm him after the former Fox & Friends Weekend host received zero Democratic support and three Republicans voted nay.

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But Trump got his desired group all the same.

As established in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, the U.S. Cabinet is the principal official advisory body to the president. Nowadays it encompasses the vice president and the heads of 15 departmentswho are all known as secretaries except for the attorney general, who oversees the Department of Justice. (And no, Elon Musk is not a Cabinet member.)

There are also 10 Cabinet-level posts, some of which require Senate confirmation (CIA director, ambassador to the United Nations) while others (White House chief of staff) do not.

Adding those officials to the bunch, Trumps Cabinet is almost full, the commander-in-chief having withdrawn New York Rep. Elise Stefaniks nomination to be U.N. Ambassador so as not to subject her vacated seat in Congress to a special election that could be won by a Democrat. Her replacement is TBD.

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There are also 10 Cabinet-level posts, some of which require Senate confirmation (CIA director, ambassador to the United Nations) while others (White House chief of staff) do not.

Adding those officials to the bunch, Trumps Cabinet is almost full, the commander-in-chief having withdrawn New York Rep. Elise Stefaniks nomination to be U.N. Ambassador so as not to subject her vacated seat in Congress to a special election.

Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images

While Trump has broken the mold in a variety of ways with his approach to governing, the Cabinet has been around since the beginning, in one form or another. (For instance, in 1790 Thomas Jefferson became the first Secretary of State, under President George Washington, but there was no Department of Energy until President Jimmy Carter signed it into law in 1977.)

During Trump's first term, only two of his Cabinet picksTreasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and HUD Secretary Ben Carsonserved the entire four years, not leaving their posts until President Joe Biden was sworn in on Jan. 20, 2021. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao almost stayed the whole time but both resigned on Jan. 7, 2021.

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So, before there's any movement on that front, here are the members of Trump's second Cabinet, in order of succession to the presidency (minus Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and President Pro Tempore of the Senate Chuck Grassley, who come after the vice president and before Secretary of State):

Vice President JD Vance

Ohio native JD Vance worked in venture capitalism before penning the best-selling 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy and pivoting to politics. The Yale-educated lawyer and former Marine was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022 and, after less than two years in office, was picked to be Donald Trump's 2024 running mate. As vice president, in addition to being first in line to the presidency, Vance is on hand to be a deciding vote should Senate Republicans need a tie-breaker to pass legislation. He has been married to law school sweetheart Usha Vance since 2014 and they share three children.





Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Former Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was a fierce critic of Trump when they both ran for president in 2016 but has since become a supporter of his former antagonist's agenda. The Miami native, born to Cuban immigrant parents, was the first and only nominee for Trump's second cabinet to be confirmed by the Senate with unanimous bipartisan support, 99 to 0. (Now former Ohio Sen. Vance is the one-seat vacancy. Rubio was technically still in the Senate then and so was able to vote for himself.) Rubio (shown here with Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly) has been married to former Miami Dolphins cheerleader Jeanette Dousdebes since 1998 and they share two daughters and two sons.





Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent

Scott Bessent's four decades of experience in global investment management include his time as CEO of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management and Chief Investment Officer of Soros Fund Management (as in prominent Democratic donor George Soros). He also taught economic history at his alma mater Yale and, with his family, established the McLeod Rehabilitation Center at the Shriners Childrens Hospital in his home state of South Carolina. According to his government bio, he and his husband and two children split their time between Washington, D.C., and Charleston, S.C. "In a certain geographic region at a certain economic level, being gay is not an issue," he told the Yale Alumni Magazine in 2015 ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. "Whats fantastic is now, people in the rest of America, whether blue collar or white collar, have access to everything. If you had told me in 1984, when we graduated, and people were dying of AIDS, that 30 years later Id be legally married and we would have two children via surrogacy, I wouldnt have believed you."





Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

Army National Guard veteran Pete Hegseth had been serving as cohost of Fox News' Fox & Friends Weekend since 2017 when Trump tapped him to be Defense Secretary. Past controversial statements about diversity and women in the military, a 2017 sexual assault allegation (which Hegseth has vehemently denied), reports of drinking on the job (also denied) and a 2018 email from his mother (that she later disavowed) calling him "an abuser of women" threatened to derail his nomination. But he was narrowly confirmed by the Senate with no Democratic votes and three Republicans dissenting. Hegseth shares three kids with second ex-wife Samatha Deering and has a daughter with third wife Jennifer Rauchet Hegseth, a former producer on Fox & Friends. They tied the knot at Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck, N.J., in 2019.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi

After Trump's original pick, scandal-plagued former Rep. Matt Gaetz, withdrew himself from consideration, the then-president-elect went with former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondia member of his defense team during his first impeachment trialto lead the U.S. Department of Justice. She spent 18 years as a prosecutor with the Hillsborough County State Attorneys Office before becoming Florida's first female attorney general in 2011. Toward the end of her tenure she cohosted Fox News' The Five for three days in 2018, sparking questions about the ethics of doing so while still an elected official. "She is often on national news," a spokesperson told the Tampa Bay Times, noting that she wasn't paid for her hosting gig. "The attorney general is always working. She is available 24/7 and works even when out of the state." Twice-divorced, Bondi has been romantically linked to Varner Wakefield Equity Partners founding principal John Wakefield since 2017. He has three children from a previous relationship.





Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum

Another 2024 presidential hopeful turned Trump supporter, billionaire software entrepreneur and venture capitalist Doug Burgum served as governor of North Dakota from 2017 until he was picked to head up the Department of Interior, which is responsible for the management of roughly 480 million acres of federal land, balancing resource development and conservation. After growing up in tiny Arthur, N.D., population 325, Burgum attended North Dakota State and started a chimney sweeping business that he credits for helping him get into Stanford's business school. "The [college] newspaper wrote a story about me as a chimney sweep and ran a photo of me sitting on top of an icy chimney in below-freezing weather in Fargo," he told Forbes in 2017. "The story made the AP wire service. I was later told it caused quite a stir in the Stanford admissions office." Burgum shares three children with ex-wife Karen Stoker and has been married to Kathryn Helgaas since 2016.





Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins

Glen Rose, Texas, native Brooke Rollins has a degree in agricultural development from Texas A&M and got her JD from University of Texas School of Law. During the first Trump administration she was director of the Domestic Policy Council and Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives in the White House. Before being picked to lead the Department of Agriculture, Rollins was CEO and president of the America First Policy Institute, a think tank she founded in 2021 to promote Trump's public policy agenda. According to her government bio, she and husband Mark Rollins spend most of their free time at home in Fort Worth "taxiing their four very active children to baseball games, cattle shows, piano lessons, and Aggie football games."





Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick

Before joining Trump's cabinet, Howard Lutnick was CEO and president of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, where he rose through the ranks after being hired as a young broker in 1983. The New York-headquartered company infamously lost 658 employees in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks when one of four hijacked planes hit the World Trade Center's North Tower. "I went to 20 funerals a day for 35 days," Lutnick, whose brother Gary was among those killed, told BBC News in 2006. "So there were times I couldn't even go to my great friends' funerals. One day, my best friend's brother was being buried at the same exact time as my roommate from college's brother. So my wife went to one and I went to one." Asked how he was able to move forward, he said, "I would describe it like being on a surf board on a giant wave, and that if you ever looked back, the wave would get you and maybe I wouldn't be able to function." Lutnick has four children with wife Allison Lambert.

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Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer

Lori Chavez-DeRemer served as mayor of Happy Valley, Ore., from 2011 to 2019 and then became the first Republican woman to be elected to Congress from her state in 2022. She lost her bid for re-election, however, leaving the California nativeand pro-union daughter of a Mexican-American Teamster dadopen to serving in Trump's second cabinet. Chavez-DeRemer is a mom of twin daughters with her high school sweetheart husband Dr. Shawn DeRemer. Marking their 33rd wedding anniversary in 2024, she wrote on Instagram, "The years fly by because we are willing to be committed to a 'great love' thats always worth fighting for." Less than two weeks after she was confirmed as Labor Secretary on March 11, 2025, the DeRemers became grandparents.





Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Lifelong Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr. threw his support behind Trump after his own 2024 candidacy fizzled. The third of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy's 11 children, the environmental lawyer who's now overseeing the so-called "MAHA" (make America healthy again) movement, has been known more in recent years for questioning the safety of vaccines and psychotropic drugs and prompting the ire of his own family. While sister Kerry Kennedy slammed his "inexplicable effort" to "desecrate" their father's memory by endorsing Trump, cousin Caroline Kennedy called him a "predator" in a January 2025 open letter urging the Senate to not confirm him as HHS secretary. On the personal front, Kennedy is a father of six: Two kids from his first marriage, to Emily Black, and four children with late second wife Mary Richardson, who died by suicide in 2012. He has been married to Curb Your Enthusiasm alum Cheryl Hines since 2014.





Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner

Former NFL player Scott Turner represented Texas' 33rd district in Congress from 2013 to 2017 before Trump appointed him director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council in 2019. My mom and dad and my godparents always taught me to serve others, he said in a 2016 NFL Player Engagement interview. They always instilled in me to look out for other people and to work hard and to have a tremendous faith...Its not easy; you just have to make up in your mind thats what youre going to do. Also an entrepreneur and Baptist pastor, he has been married to wife and fellow University of Illinois alum Robin Turner since 1995. In 2009 the couple adopted Scott's nephew Solomon, who played football at Baylor and Hawaii before walking on at Illinois. Had it not been for my uncle and my aunt, I dont know where I would be, Solomon told Big Ten news site Saturday Tradition in 2022. Personally, it just means the world to me, not only for him to be my father figure, but to come here and do this part, its almost like Im giving back to him like a thank you."





Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy

Sean Duffy first made a name for himself in 1997 as a housemate on The Real World: Boston. He shares nine children with The Real World: San Francisco alum Rachel Campos-Duffy, whom he met competing on Road Rules: All Stars in 1998 and married the following year. Duffy spent eight years as Ashland County District Attorney in his home state of Wisconsin before serving in Congress from 2011 to 2019. He resigned from office that August, citing his yet-to-be-born ninth child's health issues. "After shes born, whether its two to six months after life, shes going to need open-heart surgery," he explained on Fox & Friends. "They gotta crack her open and fix the heart." Duffy added, "I love politics, but I love my family, and I think its always a balance. The schedules are grueling. Im out in D.C. four days a week, and then Im back with Rachel." Traveling around his district meeting people, he said, "we get beat up a little bit as members of Congress. Were a favorite punching bag." On The Real World, "I was forced to live with people who were so different than me," he told NCTA in May 2019. "When I first got there, I saw the stark differences I had with my roommates. But when I left, I realized I had way more in common with them than I ever imagined." He compared the experience to crossing the aisle in Congress: "It's amazing the kind of legislation you can work on together and how many points of agreement you actually have."

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Secretary of Energy Chris Wright

Self-described "energy nerd" Chris Wright is the founder of Pinnacle Technologies, which, according to his Energy Department bio, "created the hydraulic fracture [a.k.a. fracking] mapping industry." Before his cabinet nomination, he served as CEO of Liberty Energy, the United States' second-largest fracking company. Wright"a passionate father, grandfather, skier, cyclist, climber, and outdoor enthusiast," per his bioand wife Liz Wright lived in Colorado before relocating to D.C.





Secretary of Education Linda McMahon

Linda McMahon (nee Edwards) was 17 when she married 21-year-old husband Vince McMahon in 1966, after she finished high school. She studied to be a French teacher but ended up co-running the family business, World Wrestling Entertainment, from 1980 until 2009. McMahon served as Administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019 during Trump's first term. After he was elected again in 2024, the grandmother of six co-chaired his transition team and was picked to head up the U.S. Department of Educationwhich Trump wants to dismantle. "I'm really all for the presidents mission, which is to return education to the states, McMahon told the New York Times. I believe, as he does, that the best education is closest to the child." While they're still married, McMahon's attorney confirmed in November 2024 that the former WWE executive and her husband are separated, according to the Washington Post. Their son Shane McMahon and daughter Stephanie McMahon are both former professional wrestlers and son-in-law Paul "Triple H" Levesque is chief content officer of WWE.





Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins

U.S. Air Force Reserve Col. Doug Collins is a lawyer and former Georgia State House representative, congressman and military chaplain. But, according to his VA bio, he's "foremost a husband to Lisa and father to daughter Jordan and sons Copelan and Cameron."





Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem

Governor of South Dakota since 2019, Kristi Noem was rumored to be on the short list of possible running mates for Trump in 2024, until she wrote about shooting her family's unruly dog in her memoir No Going Back. Unfazed by controversy, Trump picked Noem, who also served in Congress from 2011 to 2019 and sat on the House Armed Services Committee, to head up the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for protecting the United States from internal and external threats. The onetime South Dakota Snow Queen married husband Bryon Noem in 1992 and they share three children.

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[Attached video: President Trump threatens university funding over illegal protests]

KENT, Ohio (WJW/AP)  One Kent State University international student and three recent graduates with Optional Practical Training (OPT) post-graduate work permits have recently had their visas revoked by federal authorities, the schools president said.

Ohio State University students face visa revocation with no explanation

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In an email to the campus community, KSU President Todd Diacon noted that the school was not given advanced notice nor specific reasons for these decisions and is working with each of the individuals to ensure they are aware of the change in their status.

Several other Ohio universities are reporting similar occurrences including Ohio State where the visas of five international students were revoked with no indication of why, our sister station in Columbus reported.

The incidents in Ohio and across the country come as the Trump administration is using new tactics and vague justifications to push some students out of the country, the Associated Press reports. College officials worry the new approach will keep foreigners from wanting to study in the U.S.

Kent State values its international students. They are a part of our community. They are Golden Flashes. We celebrate them at events throughout the academic year, and especially at Commencement. We are deeply committed to working with our current student to devise degree completion options, and with our recent graduates to assist with their situations. Our dedicated professors and academic leaders are devoted to this work, and we thank them for making the best of unprecedented circumstances, the email to the KSU community said.

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International students studying at Kent State are being reminded to keep a copy of any appropriate documents with them, and if theyre contacted in person or otherwise by a local, state, or federal law enforcement officials, it is recommended that they:

Remain calm and professional at all times.

Inform the law enforcement official that youve been directed to contact Kent State Police Services and Kent States Office of General Counsel, who can assist you.

Immediately contact Kent State Police Services at 330-672-2212 if on the Kent Campus or the Campus Security Office if on a Regional Campus.

Then immediately contact Kent States Office of General Counsel at 330-672-2982, which will provide you with guidance and advice and answer your questions.

I-TEAM: Police monitor will not be removed after casino incident

There are many factors here beyond our control, but we will continue to engage with law enforcement and our campus partners to make sure our university community is informed with the latest guidance, the email said.

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Officials from colleges around the country  including Arizona State, Cornell, North Carolina State, the University of Oregon, the University of Texas and the University of Colorado  have discovered international students have had their entry visas revoked and, in many cases, their legal residency status terminated by authorities without notice, according to the Associated Press.

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY)  A FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Team based out of Virginia is heading to Tennessee after severe weather swept through the Midwest.

45 members of Virginia Task Force 2 (VATF-2) were activated Friday, April 4, to support disaster response following severe weather in the region. The team will depart from Virginia Beach Friday night and are expected to arrive in Tennessee on Saturday, April 5.

Eight members of the East IST Cache Team were activated at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2, in response to the severe weather in Kentucky. They will rendezvous with FEMA IST in Tennessee and are assisting local agencies with request for assistance as needed.

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VATF-2 is one of 28 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Teams positioned across the country. The Virginia Beach Fire Department is the sponsoring agency for the team.

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The Elon Musk effect is being hotly debated in Republican circles this weekend, even as the reverberations from President Trumps tariff policies dominate the headlines.

Put simply, the question is whether Musk is an asset or liability to Trump.

Speculation is rife once again that Musk could leave his role at the quasi-official Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) soon.

And questions are sharper than ever about the pluses and minuses of the billionaires broader political role after conservative candidate Brad Schimel was comfortably defeated by his liberal opponent Susan Crawford in Tuesdays Wisconsin Supreme Court election.

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Musk and his affiliated groups had spent about $20 million on the race, hoping to lift Schimels candidacy. His political action committee offered $100 per person to signers of a petition opposing activist judges. It also awarded two $1 million checks to individuals who had done so  one of whom was the chair of the Wisconsin College Republicans. Musk presented the checks himself amid meandering remarks at a public event in Green Bay last Sunday.

But Musks involvement in Wisconsin also became a rallying point for liberals and Democrats who accused him of trying to buy an election.

Musks political assets and liabilities in that case appeared to cancel each other out, with Crawfords 10-point margin of victory almost identical to the last election to the court, in 2023, when another liberal candidate prevailed by 11 points.

But Musks fate, of course, will ultimately hinge on Trump himself.

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The businessman has taken every opportunity to ingratiate himself with the president whose election chances he boosted with almost $300 million in spending. Musk often says that the sweeping cuts to government he is planning via DOGE would only be possible with Trump in the Oval Office.

Trump in turn has so far poured cold water on the idea of any rift or falling-out between the two men, at least of the sort their detractors have often predicted. But he has been conspicuously vague about what exactly is next for Musk.

I want Elon to stay as long as possible, Trump told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One Thursday. Theres going to be a point where hes going to have to leave.

Politico reported earlier this week that Trump had told Cabinet members and others close to him that Musk would step back in the coming weeks.

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The most likely exit point would seem to come 130 days into the Trump administration. Thats the total number of days that someone with Musks status  a Special Government Employee, subject to fewer disclosure requirements than a fully-fledged member of the administration  is supposed to serve. This timetable would have him departing in late May.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, meanwhile, wrote on the social media platform X that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.

The key question remains whether he is net plus or minus for Trump.

Look, I think anyone worth as much money as he is can obviously be helpful. His willingness to spend hundreds of millions of dollars is a real asset for Republicans, said GOP strategist Alex Conant.

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But, Conant added, The DOGE work is controversial, and I think he knows it. After shunning the media for the first two months, he has been on a bit of a media blitz. I think he knows he has to sell what he is doing with DOGE to the American people.

One problem, however, is that Musk has a tendency to land himself in deeper trouble with his public comments, as when he recently called Social Security a Ponzi scheme in an interview with Joe Rogan.

The divisive nature of DOGEs work has led to embarrassing episodes like the firing and rehiring of federal workers dealing with nuclear safety, and has also been marked by a number of instances where the quasi-official agency has misstated the savings it has made.

Public polling consistently shows Musk to be more unpopular than Trump, and his low approval ratings from women are particularly striking.,

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A Quinnipiac University poll last month showed him to be seen unfavorably by 57 percent of Americana and favorably by 36 percent. Among women, a mere 26 percent viewed him favorably, while more than twice as many, 66 percent, viewed him unfavorably.

I think people, from the White House to the small Wisconsin farmer, are just getting sick of Elon Musk, said John Mac Stipanovich, a longtime GOP operative in Florida and a Trump critic.

If he were a little more humble, a little less aggressive, maybe he would have gotten farther with this, he added.

Musk also has his business interests to consider. Teslas sales have eroded badly as he has become a more polarizing figure. The electric car-makers deliveries fell by 13 percent, year-on-year, in the first quarter.

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One inherently unanswerable question is whether Musk serves as a heat shield of a kind for Trump, drawing criticism to himself and away from the president  or whether the unpopularity of Musk rubs off on the president.

He has become a big target for Democrats and he has given Democrats some fodder, Conant said. But I also think Trump doesnt mind someone else taking the arrows.

Democrats are going to keep aiming barbs at Musk, clearly.

The question is whether Trump is coming to see him as a vulnerability too.

The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage.

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ASHTABULA  A group of area mental health professionals, social service workers, judges and others gathered Friday morning to support a .6 mill renewal levy for the Ashtabula County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board, on the May ballot.

MHRS Executive Director Kaitie Hart detailed the programs the levy helps fund throughout Ashtabula County. She said the levy has passed every five years for the last 50 years.

This levy was first passed in 1974, Park said. She said the levy is essential to provide a wide array of services to the public.

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Ashtabula County Public Defenders Office Director Megan Brunarski started off the event, which was attended by about 30 people. She serves as the president of the board.

As a public defender, a lot of these services are important to my clients, she said.

Ashtabula County Commissioner Kathryn Whittington said the the services provided are very important to the county.

Get the word out, she said of the importance of voting.

Whittington said the election is May 6, but early voting starts Tuesday at the Ashtabula County Board of Elections office in Jefferson.

Park said the levy is still based on 2015 property values, so it will not cause an increase in peoples taxes. She said the ballot states the cost to be $21 per every $100,000 of property value per year, but is actually closer to $14 because of the older property evaluation.

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She said the total money collected annually is a bit more than $1.1 million.

Park said the services are provided to the most vulnerable people in the county through relationships with Community Counseling, Signature Health and others.

She said the organization helps fund a local crisis intervention hotline for people who may need to talk.

Programs to assist those recovering from addiction are also an important part of the organizations work, Hart said. She said the finding housing for those coming out of treatment is an important part of the groups work.

Park said the board assists in finding guardians for those not capable of handling their own affairs.

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Another important connection to the criminal justice system is providing resources for those who need help while incarcerated.

Park said the board has approved up to $10,000 to pay for the levy campaign, but hopes that will not be necessary.

The board also has a training and education component, as well as an emphasis on prevention.

The board contracts with 10 different agencies to provide a variety of services through Cadence Care Network, Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County, Coleman Professional Services, Community Counseling Center, Family Pride, Forensic Psychiatric Center for NE Ohio, Glenbeigh Hospital, Help Network for Northeast Ohio, Lake Area Recovery Center and Signature Health, Inc.
Taste of Little India, a staple of the Merced dining scene for more than 20 years, has lost its lease and will be closing its doors at its location on Main Street on April 11.

That gives patrons less than a week to go to the restaurant. Parm Samra, 55, opened with the goal of having Indian food go mainstream and be talked about in the same why Chinese, Mexican and Thai food are discussed. He feels he has achieved that in a sense and that Indian food has become main stream in Merced.

After having been in business for a total of about 29 years, Samra said his customers have seen a change in him and he has seen a change in them. Prior to opening the location on Main Street in Merced, Samra opened a location in Atwater in 1996. The current location opened in December 2001 and has been there ever since.

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Samra said that when he opened his first restaurant in 1996, his was the first Indian restaurant to open in the area between Modesto and Fresno. He said his cuisine was foreign to people in the area.

People didnt know what our food smelled like, what our food tasted like, what our food looked like, he said.

Tate of Little India owner Parm Samra stands behind the register while speaking about his restaurant located at 1052 W. Main Street in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Samra said he was informed that the building has changed ownership and his lease has been terminated. The restaurant will close on April 11.

Samra said he would educate his customers on Indian food and after people began trying it, the started telling their friends and family. More people frequented the restaurant and word spread by mouth before the age of social media.

We literally made our customer base from the ground up, said Samra.

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Getting to know his customers and developing relationships with them, Samra said he believes he was able to resonate with the community.

Food is such an intimate thing, you put it in your mouth. Having Indian food, people accepted Indians in a sense because they came in and they tried my food and they accepted Indians in part of the community, he said.

Samra said the reason behind the closing is that the landlord sold the building and he was informed by the property manager that they were terminating his lease. Samra said he was devastated when he received the news.

I was too afraid to tell anybody, said Samra. It was like a shock for the first week. I just didnt know what to do.

Taste of Little India located at 1052 W. Main Street in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Restaurant owner Parm Samra said he was informed that the building has changed ownership and his lease has been terminated. The restaurant will close on April 11.

Samra said he had difficulty sleeping and after contacting an attorney, he learned there wasnt much he could do. He then began informing people of the restaurants impending closure. Samra said he is determined to find a new location and to re-open his restaurant.

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I dont want to go out by someone telling me to get out. I want to get out on my own terms, he said. Im more determined now to find a spot and to open up again.

When people in the community learned of the April 11 closing and began reaching out to him and showing their support, Samra said it was then that he found out the kind of impact he and his restaurant have had on the community over the years. He said that was something he didnt really notice while working.

Jaswinder Samra, mother of Taste of Little India owner Parm Samra, prepares food for the buffet at the restaurants 1052 W. Main Street location in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Parm Samra said he was informed that the building has changed ownership and his lease has been terminated. The restaurant will close on April 11.

Jaswinder Samra, mother of Taste of Little India owner Parm Samra, prepares food for the buffet at the restaurants 1052 W. Main Street location in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Parm Samra said he was informed that the building has changed ownership and his lease has been terminated. The restaurant will close on April 11.

You dont see whats happening outside, like, the impact you have on the community and people coming in, and its like being, all sad and mad for me, he said. Ive been blown away by the response by the community, like how they took me under their wing.

Samra said hes looking for a new location in North Merced, and that the support he has received from the community really means a lot to him at this time.

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Those customers are really invested in me, Samra said. Theyve seen me grow. I am who I am because of my customer base, they raised me in a sense.

And he wants to continue in the business.

Theres still a lot of fight in me left  theres still a lot of curry in me, Samra said while chuckling. I would love to have the opportunity to serve my customer base, because they are everything to me.

Parm Samra, 55, owner of Taste of Little India, explains how he uses a clay oven to cook food at the restaurants 1052 W. Main Street location in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Samra said he was informed that the building has changed ownership and his lease has been terminated. The restaurant will close on April 11.
On a balmy spring Saturday afternoon outside Teslas Arlington, Virginia, showroom, a chorus of car horns and chanting filled the air.

A throng of around 250 people dressed in shorts and T-shirts lined the busy intersection waving hand-painted cardboard signs saying Muzzle musk, neuter Elon and hands off our democracy.

The mood was jubilant as the ageing crowd swayed back and forth to the tones of Stevie Wonders Superstition blaring from a speaker.

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One woman marched past with a makeshift plastic drum which she beat with a broken stick, shouting: We are not a bro-narchy, we are a democracy.

Its a far cry from the scenes of destruction seen in Las Vegas, Nevada, last month, where a man reportedly hurled a molotov cocktail and opened fire at a fleet of Teslas that were left smouldering on the asphalt outside one of the companys service centres.

In Oregon, authorities say a man threw several explosives at a Tesla store in Salem before returning another day to shoot out the shops windows. Meanwhile, a 70-year-old man from Idaho was arrested for allegedly driving his car into a Trump supporter outside one of the electric vehicle firms dealerships.

The Trump administration has pledged to crack down on those targeting Tesla vehicles, with the president threatening to deport the domestic terrorists causing mayhem.

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Yet in the leafy, tree-lined neighbourhood of Glebe in Arlington, those on the front lines of the resistance against Elon Musk are mostly grey-haired pensioners wearing floppy sun hats to protect from the afternoon suns rays.

Its a false narrative, said Lawrence MacDonald, 70, a coordinator for Third Act Virginia  an environmental group helping to organise the protests.

He claimed demonstrators were far from a professional outfit pushing a brand of aggressive domestic terrorism, and instead just ordinary folks.

Lawrence MacDonald at the protest last week

Every single one of these signs is handmade, said the rugged, bearded climate activist, who has helped to arrange seven protests against the car company and Mr Musk.

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What were seeing is masses of ordinary people who have not previously been political, turning out joyfully and peacefully to demand protection of American institutions.

Protesters took to the street outside more than 200 Tesla sites across the US and Europe on March 29 as part of a global day of action.

The day of action was an attempt to dent the fortune of the worlds richest man.

Mr Musks personal fortune has dropped by more than $100 billion as Teslas stock has halved in value since December, amid a wave of protests and calls to boycott the electric vehicle company.

The demonstrators in Arlington were met with a mixed reception from passers by

According to the groups website, the protests are designed to target Mr Musk for destroying our democracy and orchestrating an illegal coup in his mission to cut federal spending as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).

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On what was dubbed by some as Tesla takedown day, another protest  this time outside of a Tesla showroom in Seattle  saw dozens of woolly hat-wearing women line-dancing to the Electric Slide (the lyrics had been tweaked unelected slide) while security guards monitored them from the buildings roof.

Meanwhile, a Tesla takedown dance party in the affluent neighbourhood of Georgetown in Washington DC drew a crowd of more than 100 people who grooved to Staying Alive by the Bee Gees, adorned in golden tinsel, sporting sailors hats and wielding anti-Musk signs, many of which called the X owner a Nazi.

Despite the general mood of positivity, the demonstrators in Arlington were met with a mixed reception from passers by.

At one point, a fire engine drove by and flicked on its sirens in solidarity, prompting coos of approval from the amiable protesters. Shortly afterwards, a pick-up truck driver swore as he tore past, a red Maga flag streaming from his window.

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Porter McGan, 64, a military veteran in a green high-vis vest, armed with a black loudspeaker which he used to marshal the crowds, said he was concerned about how the administrations testing of the US constitution would impact on the lives of his five children.

I felt desperate to do something because I feel like their birthright has been robbed from them, he said.

Asked why protesters were targeting Tesla rather than the administration itself, he said that if congress and the courts arent able to hold [Mr Musk] accountable trying to affect the reputation of his business is perfectly legitimate.

The growing wave of protests has clearly got under the skin of Mr Musk, who sounded almost tearful when addressing the impact of his government work on his car company in a recent Fox interview.

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Allison Porter, 65, and her husband, Michael Zucker, 66, said she decided to head down to the Arlington demonstration  her first anti-Tesla protest  after she saw the movement was cutting through.

It made me think, we should get out here too, she said with a grin on her face.

Allison Porter and her husband Michael Zucker attend the protest holding a sign saying Musk must go

Asked if she condoned the acts of vandalism against the car company, she said it didnt apply to those attending that particular demonstration.

Youve got a bunch of grey-haired federal workers here, she said, gesturing to her fellow protesters.

Despite the generally cordial atmosphere, the message of non-aggression was not heeded by all in attendance, with several liberal protesters mobbing a Trump-supporter in a Maga hat who launched a lone counter-protest in support of Mr Musk.

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Debbie, 53, arrived carrying a we love Elon sign and a box of doughnuts for Tesla staff, and said she had decided to protest because she was tired of the false narrative being spread about the president and his adviser.

I dont understand, its a great American company and these people are trying to destroy it, said the healthcare worker.

People have been calling him a Nazi, she added. The same rhetoric led to Trumps assassination attempt.

Pointing out the irony of progressives targeting an electric vehicle company, she said: Theyre probably torching Democrats cars.

Thomas, 55, who arrived waving a Mexican flag in support of Americas beleaguered southern neighbour, admitted he has shares in Tesla and is watching my 401(k) go down as the protest movement gathers momentum.

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Im taking the hit now, but whats more important? he said.

Located a few miles from Washington DC, over a tenth of Arlington Countys 234,000 residents are federal workers, with many affected by recent government job cuts.

Kathy Conrad, 66, a retired civil servant who was at her third anti-Tesla protest alongside her husband, said it was heartbreaking to see the way workers are being treated.

Asked how she was pushing back, she said: Now, my hobby is fighting the Maga world.

Thomas, centre, waves a Mexican flag

Ginge, 79, said she has been campaigning for civil liberties since the 1960s and now has nothing else to do but save democracy for my grandsons.

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For all her years of demonstrating, the retired defence contractor said she believes the US is currently facing the greatest danger I have ever seen.

I hated George Bush, but Id love to have him back right now, said her friend, Bob, a federal retiree and military veteran, who said he would be rolling in his grave if he didnt do something to support the rights of his children.

Asked if she is wary of recrimination for taking part in protests against the current administration, Ginge said: I see these things happen, but that doesnt mean Im going to stay home and watch television.

As the anti-Tesla movement continues to gather momentum, the Trump administration has vowed to crackdown on violent demonstrators. But one group with plenty of time on their hands who they may have overlooked are disgruntled pensioners.

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Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will officially end its fact-checking program Monday, a top company official said.

By Monday afternoon, our fact-checking program in the US will be officially over, Joel Kaplan, Metas chief global affairs officer, said in a post on social platform X. That means no new fact checks and no fact checkers.

In place of fact checks, the first Community Notes will start appearing gradually across Facebook, Threads & Instagram, with no penalties attached, he added.

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Meta announced broad changes to the companys content moderation policies in January, including the elimination of its third-party fact-checking program in favor of a community-based program like Xs Community Notes.

Were going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at the time.

The announcement came just weeks before President Trump took office. Zuckerberg appeared keen to repair his relationship with the incoming president, after incurring Trumps ire for banning him from Meta platforms in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, riots.

Following the election, Zuckerberg visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and donated $1 million to the presidents inauguration fund. He later joined other prominent tech leaders, including Teslas Elon Musk, Amazons Jeff Bezos and Googles Sundar Pichai, in attending Trumps swearing-in ceremony.

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Meta began testing its new Community Notes feature last month, initially using Xs open-source algorithm for the rating system that will ultimately determine whether notes get published.

Once Notes begin to appear publicly, no new fact check labels from third party fact checkers will appear in the United States, though fact checkers are free to become Community Notes contributors alongside other users of our platform, Meta said in mid-March.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Quality control expert inspecting milk in the laboratory. (Getty Images)

Veterinary experts nationwide have a variety of hypotheses for new and puzzling test results from cow milk being analyzed for avian influenza  including in New Mexico.

March marked one year since officials first reported Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza  H5N1  among dairy cattle. Since then, bird flu has infected 996 herds across the country, including 19 cases in the last month in California and Idaho.

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New Mexico reported nine dairy herds in Curry County tested positive last April, and began milk testing its cattle in February following the rollout of a federal program.

The most recent results from milk-testing programs revealed that while more than 95% of the 93 cow herds in the state tested negative, a small set of inconsistent positives  all from three Curry County herds infected last year  remain, according to New Mexico State Veterinarian Samantha Holeck.

Enter the mystery: The cows themselves do not test positive, nor do they demonstrate the symptoms documented in the earlier avian flu outbreak, she said, such as huge drops in milk production.

Its been a real challenge to try to understand how it continues to circulate in some of these herds, Holeck said.

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New Mexico is partnering up with veterinarians in the U.S. Department of Agriculture to research the viral fragments found in the milk and sent samples to the federal National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.

I know were a year into this situation now, Holeck said, but it seems like theres still just so much to try to understand.

New Mexico isnt alone in experiencing the viral fragments, said Michael Payne, a food animal veterinarian at University of California, Davis, who noted there have been reports of similar persistent positives in quarantined herds there.

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I wouldnt diminish the importance of it being small, Payne said. Yes, were talking about low levels of virus and yes, were talking about cows not getting sick, but its important that were not exactly sure where its coming from, and that in and of itself merits examination.

He said more than $2 million dollars of research is being conducted in California on avian flu transmission across a dozen projects; including examining if its transmitted by flies; blowing in from dust storms; or carried by birds outside of waterfowl.

It will be critical that we figure out how the disease is moving and how its changing, Payne said.

Science is still very much in its infancy

While scientists need to perform more research, Payne posited some possibilities for the detection of viral fragments: they could signify a different and less potent version of the virus; cooler weather might allow more viral fragments to survive in the bulk tanks, compared to the triple-digit temperatures in the fall; cows may have developed herd immunity against the virus.

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It could be that much smaller numbers of cattle are being exposed and are becoming infected, which has resulted in a much, much lower level of virus thats being detected inside the bulk tanks, Payne said. Its an area of active research.

Veterinarian Andrew Bowman, a molecular epidemiologist at Ohio State University, said laboratory tests sensitivity could also be a factor: They may be picking up positives from environmental contamination in the tanks or on the farms.

It doesnt take much; were talking a few copies of the viral genome to be present in a sample to send it positive, Bowman said. We can pick up a positive thats likely not a viable virus.

Since the development of HPAI in cows is so new, as is the method of transmission  where the virus replicates in the mammary glands that produce milk  he said the basic questions of the interactions between the virus, the host and the environment still need answers.

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Science is still very much in the infancy of what we know about avian influenza in cattle, Bowman said.

Offering reassurances

While scientists say its important to unravel the mystery of the viral fragments to better understand how the virus might change or spread in dairy cows, they also emphasize that risk to the public from avian influenza remains low.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports transmission of avian flu can occur from contact with milk from infected cows; eating, drinking or inhaling droplets contaminated with live virus; touching the live or dead bodies of infected animals. Thus far, the CDC has no documented human-to-human transmission. As of April 1, 70 people had contracted H5N1, mostly California farmworkers.

Most milk sold in the U.S. is heated to a temperature to kill bacteria and viruses, called pasteurization. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration tested milk products in 17 states and, finding no live viruses, reported that pasteurization is effective at inactivating H5N1, and that the commercial, pasteurized milk supply is safe.

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Federal officials, however, warn that unpasteurized milk, also called raw milk, is unsafe to drink. Research from the National Institutes of Health in June using infected raw milk from New Mexico found that the H5N1 virus had survived for at least five weeks in refrigerated conditions. Further, mice that consumed the raw milk showed signs of illness, which researchers suggest indicates drinking raw milk can transmit the virus to other organisms.

Holeck emphasized that New Mexico milk is safe.

For dairies, its standard routine if they have sick cows for any reason, not just [avian flu], that milk is always diverted out from the milk supply, it doesnt enter commerce, she said.

Source New Mexico is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Julia Goldberg for questions: info@sourcenm.com.

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Lt. Matthew Furman (left) faces allegations of excessive force after the April 2024 arrest of Alica Cook (right). - Screenshot: WXYZ

After a routine traffic stop took a shocking turn, one Michigan police officer has been exposed for alleged use of excessive force on multiple occasions. Lt. Matthew Furman is now facing a civil lawsuit over a July incident, but this isnt the first time his policing has been called into question. - Phenix S Halley Read More

Screenshot: Fox 32 News

Not so fast! When a trio of dine-and-dashers thought theyd simply pull a fast one on this Chicago soul food restaurant, they were met with the slick and savvy owner who tracked down the three suspects in true detective fashion. What was first a birthday celebration turned into an alleged heist, and now police are involved. - Phenix S Halley Read More

Screenshot: Phoenix Police Department

Months after multiple Phoenix police officers assaulted a Black man during his arrest, theyre facing disciplinary actions. But although the brutal attack on Tyron McAlpin was caught on video, their punishment as a result is more than shocking. - Phenix S Halley Read More

Jay-Z, left; Beyonce, Sean Diddy Combs, and LeBrone James. - Photo: Gareth Cattermole for Disney; Astrid Stawiarz for Room To Read; Michael Reaves (Getty Images)

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As if Sean Diddy Combs needed another lawsuit thrown his way, thats exactly what he got on Thursday (April 3). But unlike previous suits, this one appears to involve some of the most high-profile names yet. - Shanelle Genai Read More

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The Michigan Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Heres a look at April 4, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Daily 3 numbers from April 4 drawing

Midday: 5-8-8

Evening: 6-7-5

Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily 4 numbers from April 4 drawing

Midday: 4-4-9-0

Evening: 6-5-8-7

Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from April 4 drawing

01-04-11-22-32, Lucky Ball: 06

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Poker Lotto numbers from April 4 drawing

KD-4C-7D-8D-7S

Check Poker Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from April 4 drawing

05-07-13-14-16

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01-05-21-22-34

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily Keno numbers from April 4 drawing

03-05-09-13-17-18-21-25-26-29-30-35-37-48-49-54-58-59-63-64-65-74

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:

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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:

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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 April 4, 2025
By Kanishka Singh

(Reuters) - Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman's remarks were interrupted by a pro-Palestinian protesting employee during the technology company's 50th anniversary celebration on Friday over the firm's ties with Israel.

"You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide," Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad said at the event in Redmond, Washington, while interrupting Suleyman who was talking about the company's artificial intelligence assistant product.

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Suleyman responded by saying: "I hear your protest, thank you." The protesting employee was then escorted away.

An investigation by The Associated Press revealed earlier this year that AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI were used as part of an Israeli military program to select bombing targets during its wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

Various other firms and educational institutions have also faced protests over their ties with Israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from Israel's military assault has mounted.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023, when Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

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Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan health officials, while also triggering accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies. The assault has internally displaced nearly Gaza's entire 2.3 million population and caused a hunger crisis.

The Verge tech news website quoted an email that Aboussad, the protesting employee, sent to other Microsoft employees justifying her protest.

Microsoft said it provided many avenues for all voices to be heard in a way that does not cause business interruption.

Aboussad was cited by AP to be saying that she and another protesting employee lost access to their work accounts after the protest.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington and Jeffrey Dastin in Redmond; Editing by Stephen Coates)
What on earth has got into our ruling class these past two weeks? Weve had the Prime Minister ordering every secondary school in the land to show its pupils Adolescence. Weve had Newsnight asking teenage boys when they last cried. And weve had anti-terror police telling the nations parents to report their sons to Prevent if they catch them watching misogynist videos online. Listening to these peoples ever more hysterical raving, youd think that the single greatest threat facing our country was toxic masculinity.

It isnt, of course. But then, thats the very reason why middle-class liberals are so eagerly stoking this moral panic. They want us to talk about fashionable Netflix dramas, incels and Andrew Tate in order to stop us talking about certain problems that are far worse.

For all their ostensible anxiety about toxic masculinity, middle-class liberals are rarely happier than when theyre lecturing us about it  because its slap-bang in the middle of their comfort zone. Here is an issue where the villains almost invariably seem to be white and male, their crime is old-fashioned sexism, and the proposed solution is a crackdown on social media. All perennial favourite themes of middle-class liberals.

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If they were really worried about misogyny, youd think theyd have had quite a lot more to say about grooming gangs  both when the scandal first emerged, and in January this year, when it briefly returned to the spotlight. Surely nothing could be more misogynistic than the mass rape of underage girls. Curiously, though, middle-class liberals appear to have forgotten about that particular subject. And so swiftly, too.

If Sir Keir Starmer wished, he could order every secondary school to show Three Girls, a TV drama from 2017 about grooming gangs in Rochdale. Or, to highlight another form of misogyny, he could order them to show Adult Human Female, a documentary about how transgender ideology threatens womens rights.

Mind you, that would be tricky. Almost every time a womens group has tried to screen Adult Human Female at a university, the event has had to be cancelled, after furious protests from trans activists.

Still, good of them to help prove the producers point.

What do toddlers think of Trump?

This week in Parliament, a Labour MP named Tom Hayes told a story that deeply impressed me. While he was visiting a school in his Bournemouth East constituency, he said, numerous pupils told him that they were concerned about foreign donations into our countrys political system. And one girl asked what he described as an absolutely pitch-perfect question about the pernicious influence of Elon Musk.

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According to Mr Hayes, her question was: Why is a South African-born person, who lives in the United States, has funded a presidential election there, and is now part of the US government, threatening to get involved in UK politics?

On the face of it, this question may not seem especially scintillating. The reason Im so impressed is that the school that this Labour MP visited was Queens Park Infant Academy  which describes itself, on its website, as a caring and happy school for children aged four to seven years.

The youth of today come in for a lot of criticism. But if children aged between four and seven are capable of asking their MP such preternaturally articulate and well-informed questions about global politics, this countrys future is clearly very bright indeed.

Then again, can we be sure that other members of this little girls generation are as astonishingly eloquent and knowledgeable as she is? To find out, I paid a visit to my local creche.

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I must say, I for one find Mr Hayess account to be highly improbable, said a boy aged two, glancing up from his Play-Doh. Not only because the unnamed infant sounds so unfeasibly precocious, but also because her alleged views on Elon Musk so conveniently reflect this Labour MPs own.

I hate to sound cynical, but I must confess that I share your scepticism, chimed in a girl aged nine months, between mouthfuls of rusk. Sadly, the standard of parliamentary discourse has declined markedly in my lifetime.

Im just relieved that other MPs didnt accuse the honourable gentleman of having made the whole thing up, added an unborn child inside the womb of a pregnant nursery assistant. As we all know, accusing a fellow MP of lying is profoundly unparliamentary.

Law of the jungle

I was fascinated to read our story this week about defendants bringing emotional support animals into court, to help them cope with the stresses of the trial. The animals tend to be dogs, although, in 2017, a pensioner accused of stalking brought in his cat.

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Ive no doubt the companionship of these beloved pets brings the defendants great comfort. Frankly, though, I feel theyre missing a trick.

If I ever find myself in the dock, I intend to bring in an emotional support lion, trained to growl at the jury whenever the evidence against me sounds particularly incriminating. With the support of this dear, fiercely loyal creature, I have every faith that I will walk free.

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Each month, the Middletown Lions welcome guest speakers on the fourth Wednesday of each month. The Lions business meeting is held at the Middletown Amvets Post #9.

On Jan. 22, the Lions welcomed their own member Amy-Fisher Kiefert.

Kiefert, who grew up in Middletown, has been recovering from alcohol abuse for 17 years. This led to a career in the field of addressing substance use disorders.

Kiefert began working for the Frederick County Health Department more than two years ago. She obtained certification as a peer recovery specialist.

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Kiefert is also the primary overdose response trainer under the Harm Reduction Program in the Behavioral Health Division.

During Kieferts talk she shared several stories about people overdosing, including children and senior citizens.

As a service to our members, Kiefert offered to train the group in Narcan Nasal Emergent administration, an Overdose Response Program through the Maryland Department of Health. Each member received nasal Narcan in case they need to administer it. Kiefert explained that today we should keep it close in case you come across someone who has overdosed.

The Frederick County Health Department will provide nasal Narcan at no charge to walk in citizens.

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At their meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 22, the Lions welcomed Randy Robinson, education and outreach coordinator from National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Robinson provided an overview of the mission and purpose of NCTC within the U.S. Department of the Interior. Robinson spoke about the bald eagles in our area and shared the live cameras of the eagles nest webcam, which showed a female and male eagles nest.

Robinson showed videos that show the eggs in the nest, hatching and the stages of the growth of the eagles.

Robinson enjoys speaking to groups in school and the community about the bald eagle and what he has learned. He provided the Lions with a web page to observe the eagles in their nest.
The Trump administration is using US troops and military assets in its costly immigration crackdown.

Navy warships, military aircraft, and combat vehicles have been deployed to the US-Mexico border.

The Pentagon has spent $376 million on militarizing the southern US border since January 20.

US Navy destroyers are cruising coastal waters, spy planes are flying overhead, and troops are out patrolling desert trails in armored fighting vehicles.

America's southern border is starting to resemble a military front line as the Trump administration ramps up its crackdown on illegal immigration at the divide between the US and Mexico.

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President Donald Trump swiftly put his mass deportation plan into motion after taking office, using US military personnel and assets to execute it by formally declaring illegal immigration a federal emergency.

About 10,000 active-duty troops have been deployed to support the Pentagon's southern border operation, as have two warships, a handful of military aircraft, and over 100 combat vehicles.

Costly crackdown on immigration

US Army soldiers talk with the driver of a Border Patrol car near the fence at the southern US border. US Army by Pfc. Malik Waddy-Fiffee

On April 1, Defense Department officials said the militarization at the US-Mexico border had cost roughly $376 million since Trump returned to the White House on January 20, or about $5.3 million per day.

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After making illegal immigration a major campaign issue, with Trump criticizing Biden's border policies, the Trump White House has touted plummeting numbers of illicit border crossings. US Customs and Border Patrol reported that March saw the lowest number of attempted crossings in decades.

Illegal immigration was already on the decline prior to the start of Trump's second term, but the president is taking things further. He's got numerous military assets at the border. Here's what the administration has deployed.

Thousands of troops

US Army soldiers stand near the fence at the southern US border with Mexico. David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images

During a House Armed Services Committee hearing on April 1, Pentagon officials said 6,700 active-duty troops had been deployed to the US-Mexico border, in addition to about 2,500 National Guardsmen that were already stationed there.

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Only Border Patrol agents or civilian law enforcement can actually apprehend migrants, leaving a large majority of the troops tasked with "detection and monitoring," Gen. Gregory Guillot, the commander of the US Northern Command, said.

Active-duty forces are limited in their actions on US soil.

The general said that deployed military personnel "operating in close proximity to the border" are armed with rifles or pistols, and military officials are seeking authorization for troops to shoot down suspected cartel drones surveilling the border.

USS Gravely

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely is moored at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ryan Williams

Two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers  USS Gravely and USS Spruance  have also been deployed to help "restore territorial integrity at the US southern border," officials said in two statements in March.

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"Gravely's sea-going capacity improves our ability to protect the United States' territorial integrity, sovereignty, and security," Guillot said. The destroyer departed Yorktown, Virginia, in mid-March to waters off the Texas coast to support the border mission and counter maritime weapons and drug crime in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Gravely played a key role in Red Sea combat prior to this deployment. In December 2023, USS Gravely shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles and was involved in sinking three Houthi small boats, marking the first time the US Navy killed Houthi fighters since the Red Sea conflict began.

USS Spruance

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance sails through the Pacific Ocean. US Navy photo by Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 2nd class Diego Aiello

A second Navy destroyer, USS Spruance, which also saw combat in the Red Sea, left its homeport in San Diego last month to patrol waters off the West Coast as part of the border operation.

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Guillot said that the warship "brings additional capability and expands the geography of unique military capabilities working with the Department of Homeland Security."

"With Spruance off the West Coast and USS Gravely in the Gulf of America, our maritime presence contributes to the all-domain, coordinated DOD response to the Presidential Executive Order and demonstrates our resolve to achieve operational control of the border," the general added.

The warships have been conducting operations alongside the Coast Guard.

Airlifters flying deportation flights

A line of men board a C-17 Globemaster Air Force plane sitting on a tarmac with a blue sky in the background. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

Migrant deportations are typically carried out using civilian charter flights operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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The Trump administration supplemented the deportation effort by using military cargo aircraft, like the C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules, to transport migrants to Guatemala, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and even India.

Military vs civilian flight costs

US Transportation Command personnel are seen in the cargo bay of a C-17 Globemaster tasked with deporting migrants. US Army photo by Pfc. Kelvineisha Buck

But the military aircraft, which are designed to transport both troops and cargo, come with a steep operational price tag. It costs about $28,000 per flight for one deportation on a C-17, whereas civilian flights cost an estimated $8,500.

Following backlash from Democratic lawmakers, the Trump administration halted military deportation flights in early March.

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Though there are no further flights scheduled, Air Force Gen. Randall Reed told the Senate Armed Services Committee in March that his command is prepared to carry them out should the order be reversed.

"If I get the task, I'll absolutely fly it," Reed said.

Surveillance aircraft and drones

A drone rolls on the tarmac at Fort Huachuca at the southern US border with Mexico. David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images

The big cargo planes aren't the only military aircraft being used at the southern US border. Spy planes and drones have been conducting regular intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance flights.

Reconnaissance aircraft like the U-2 "Dragon Lady" and Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint have been used for ISR missions above Mexico. The Navy has also reportedly used Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft to conduct maritime patrol and surveillance along the US-Mexico border.

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Additionally, there have been reports of MQ-9 Reaper drones conducting flights as well. The Reaper is an uncrewed surveillance and combat asset.

The Trump administration also directed Pentagon intelligence agencies to direct satellite surveillance to the southern border region, Reuters reported last month.

Armored vehicles

US Army soldiers walk near an Infantry Carrier Vehicle stationed near the southern US border. Ross D. Franklin/AP

Border patrol agents typically drive SUVs, sedans, and pick-up trucks donning a green-and-white paint scheme to traverse the rugged terrain at the border.

But as more active-duty troops are deployed to the region, armored tactical vehicles have become a regular sight in an apparent intimidation tactic.

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"This sends a clear and unequivocal message to the criminal organizations operating on either side of the border that we will not tolerate illegal incursions or illicit activities along our border," Border Patrol spokesman Claudio Herrera-Baeza said.

He added that "these vehicles have incredible detection technology that the Border Patrol will incorporate into its mission of safeguarding our borders."

'More military assets'

A US Army sergeant rides in a Stryker armored vehicle next to a Border Patrol vehicle. US Army photo by Sgt. Griffin Payne

The US Army sent over 100 Stryker armored fighting vehicles, along with hundreds of soldiers, to an installation near the border between Yuma, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas. Black Hawk helicopters and Chinooks for support aviation were also deployed.

Typically deployed to warzones, the 20-ton eight-wheeled Stryker combat vehicles can be armed with a machine gun or grenade launcher and carry up to 11 troops. They can also reach speeds of up to 60 mph and have a range of 300 miles.

"That's really what we're doing with the Stryker out here," Lt. Col. Travis Stellfox told Scripps News. "It provides us great mobility to get soldiers where they need to be to observe on the border."

There is always the possibility more military assets could be deployed. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said previously that "whatever is needed at the border will be provided."

Read the original article on Business Insider
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO)  Throughout the week, weve been reporting on the meetings held by Governor Larry Rhodens Project Prison Reset Task Force. And now, were hearing from some of the members about their tour of the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls.

Wednesdays tour came as the task force explores more options about building a new mens prison, after funding for a Lincoln County facility failed to find support in the legislature.

Descriptions of what they saw behind prison walls ranged from difficult, to a dungeon.

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Task force members respond after 2 days of prison talk

Sheriff Mike Milstead has been inside the South Dakota Penitentiary multiple times during his decades in law enforcement. But Wednesdays four-hour tour of the pen was still eye-opening to him.

In particular, the living conditions and the working conditions in the the old hill, or the old cells that you see when youre on North Drive. Almost reminded me like an above-ground dungeon, Milstead said

State Rep. Greg Jamison says checking out the conditions of the penitentiary almost became secondary to being in the presence of the inmates.

I saw sadness, I saw humans depleted, I saw angry people. The building was one thing, I had seen parts of it before, but it was honestly, the human side of it that was the most striking of all, Jamison said.

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State Rep. Erin Healy was one of just a handful of women on the tour, giving her a different perspective of life behind bars inside a mens prison.

And seeing their bathroom and the places where they shower, I dont want to say uncomfortable, but just different, Healy said.

Both Healy and Jamison say the highlight of the tour was seeing the job training underway at the prisons Pheasantland Industries.

And we saw some inmates working there. You can tell that theyre so proud of the work that they do and theyre happy to be there, theyre learning skills that are going to be incredibly useful for them when they enter back into society, Healy said.

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The task force members say seeing first-hand the stark conditions inside the penitentiary further underscores the need for a new mens prison.

I dont really care where this new penitentiary is. Lets find the best space that will gather the most support, Healy said.

Its pretty hard to go through a building like that and think, okay, we can do better, we can have a safer place, Jamison said.

Seeing the living environment and the work environment there, was somewhat embarrassing as a South Dakotan, that we havent done more earlier. So, I think this is the chance we have to change that, Milstead said.

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Milstead says hes also given members of the task force tours of the Minnehaha County Jail that opened in 2003 and expanded in 2019. He says the goal is to give task force members an idea of what a state-of-the-art housing facility should look like.

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CHICAGO  Chicago police are searching for an endangered missing man last seen early Saturday afternoon in Irving Park.

Police said 41-year-old Patrick Carrier was last seen at around 12:20 p.m. Saturday in the 3800 block of West Irving Park Road.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

He was last seen wearing a navy blue hoodie with white lettering, dark jeans and gray sandals, according to investigators.

(Photo: Chicago Police Department)

Police said Carrier is 511 and weighs 220 pounds. He also has hazel eyes and gray hair.

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Anyone with information is asked to call Area Five Detectives at 312-746-6554 or 911.

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DES Moines, Iowa  The Des Moines Police Department has located the missing endangered woman and she is now receiving care.

According to the DMPD, just after 10 a.m. a caller reported seeing Stacy in downtown Des Moines to the DMPD Communications Center. A 2nd watch patrol officer was able to locate Stacy shortly after.

The DMPD thanks all those who stayed vigilant during Stacys absence.

***ORIGINAL***

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DES MOINES, Iowa  The Des Moines Police Department is requesting assistance locating a missing endangered woman who is in need of essential medical care.

According to the DMPD, 49-year-old Stacy McVicker was reported missing at 9:15 a.m. McVicker left Mercy Hospital voluntarily around 7 a.m. prior to receiving essential medical care.

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Police and family efforts to locate Stacy have not produced results.

McVicker was last seen walking westbound on 6th Avenue. Stacy is 54 tall and around 200 pounds and was last seen wearing a green hoodie and black pants.

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If you see, or believe that you have seen Stacy, please call 911.

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MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG)  A Mobile civil rights activist group is calling for an end to gun violence in the Port City and in surrounding areas.

At Figures Park, activists held the event on the 57th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Activists at the end hope the tragic loss of a prominent civil rights leader can serve as a reminder to keep the peace.

Mural dedicated to fallen Walton County deputy on Pensacolas Graffiti Bridge

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People United to Advance the Dream led an event Friday to discuss different methods to target the issue.

We must start right where we are in the community, Reverend David Edwards with PUAD said. Healthy communities brings about safe communities.

Speakers like Shalela Dowdy with Stand Up Mobile believe one way to combat that issue is at the polls.

Voting can be the solution to helping us get past this gun violence issue, Dowdy said to the crowd. So right now, it is not a major election year, but it is an important year. We have municipal elections. Well, well be electing our next city council members in the City of Mobile and the City of Prichard, along with our mayors. And we want to make sure that we are electing people who will prioritize our community, marginalized communities.

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Attorney Lasheryl Dotch believes the issue stems from poor conflict-resolution skills.

Whats really lacking is the ability to effectively resolve conflict in a positive way, Dotch explained. Unfortunately, these days we just have people when theres a conflict and theyre immediately pulling guns.

The event falling on the 57th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination serves as a haunting reminder that the man who championed nonviolence was killed by the very thing he opposed.

Time to shine at Washington Countys first legal moonshine distillery

If we went back to a lot of his teachings, a lot of his talks, a lot of the speeches and a lot of theories, it was more about a people uniting together to push for, you know, for a common good, Joshua Jones with USA Health Hospital said.

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You dont need a gun to settle a disagreement, Reverend Edwards said. You dont need a weapon to say, Hey, I disagree with you. You simply can disagree and agree to disagree.

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(Fox40.com)  The Modesto Fire Department has responded to several fires that required coordinated efforts from multiple units and resulted in the death of two dogs.

Thursday morning, Modesto firefighters were dispatched to a house fire on the 100 block of College Ave. Both the inside and outside of the house were engulfed in flames. Multiple hose lines were used to put it out and prevent the spread.

In the afternoon, firefighters, along with the Oakdale Police Department and Oak Valley Ambulance, assisted a person who crashed through a field and into a block wall. This happened around West J and Crane Road in Oakdale.

Video above shows Plane Crashes Into House, Causes Fire in Minnesotas Brooklyn Park

The Turlock Fire Department had units working a structure fire in the 1300 block of Estrella Way with assistance from Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District and Modesto crews around 7:25 p.m. that same day. There was a large fire in the back of the home, which spread to the second story and attic. MFD said that two dogs died in the fire.

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An exhaust fan fire broke out at 8 a.m. the following morning. It resulted in an attic fire of a two-story home in Ceres. Damage was limited to the structure.

Later Friday morning, crews responded to Slick Fork BBQ in Hughson. A fire had started on the exterior and was contained to just the outside of the building.

Modesto and Stanislaus firefighters were sent to a house near Trask Lane and Glendale Avenue in Modesto around 3 p.m. They were able to prevent the spread of a detached garage fire to nearby homes.

Lastly, a vegetation fire broke out near John Thurman Field on Neece Drive in Modesto. The fire was contained to just one acre.

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Senator-elect Josh Kassmier, a former House representative from Fort Benton, at a Senate Republican caucus meeting on Nov. 12, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

The Montana Republican Party has censured nine state senators and will no longer consider them to be Republicans  but the senators say they hold firm to the conservative mantle and the party should not insert itself into legislative business.

In a press release sent April 4, the partys executive committee announced it had censured the nine senators for their repeated alignment with Senate Democrats this legislative session and for undermining Republican priorities and leadership.

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The censure calls out the nines unprecedented alliance with Senate Democrats as a coordinated scheme to undermine the GOP leadership, including alleging ethical violations by Senate President Matt Regier, found to be unsubstantiated by the Legislative Auditor.

The committee unanimously voted for the censure on March 27 to the surprise Friday of at least four of the nine.

Im dumbfounded, said Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester. Ive been a Republican longer than ( state GOP Executive Director Tyler) Newcombes been alive.

In an extensive letter to the head of the state GOP, obtained by the Daily Montanan, Sen. Josh Kassmier, R-Fort Benton, said his responsibility is to the people of Montana, not party bosses like you.

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The letter was an attempt to argue against the potential censure, and Kassmier emailed it to GOP Chairman Don Kaltschmidt on March 27.

However, Kassmier said he learned Friday that Kaltschmidt did not receive the letter; Newcombe also said neither he nor Kaltschmidt have seen the letter, but they made attempts to meet with the nine.

None of the nine showed up to the executive committee meeting on March 27; several cited conflicts while others said they had never received invitations.

In the letter, Kassmier said he is a conservative who supports the agenda of Republican President Donald Trump. Kassmier also accuses Senate President Regier, R-Kalispell, of playing political games to undermine Gov. Greg Gianfortes agenda and of working with Democrats.

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I support the conservative tax plans endorsed by Gov. Gianforte. I oppose the liberal tax plans pushed by President Regier, the letter said.   The governors tax plans are consistent with the Montana Republican Party Platform. The tax plans pushed by President Regier are not.

Regier said Friday he had not seen the letter. However he responded to the censure of the senators by saying it was basically an acknowledgement of the status quo in the Senate.

Its been a very frustrating session for Republicans from the first day, Regier said.

The division between Senate Republicans began at the start of the 69th Legislature, when the nine  Kassmier, Tempel, Jason Ellsworth, Wendy McKamey, Gayle Lammers, Butch Gillespie, Gregg Hunter, Denley Loge, and Shelley Vance  joined all Democrats to change the chambers rules, going against GOP leadership.

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That coalition, in essence a working majority, has repeatedly flexed its muscles over the last three months to pass big pieces of legislation, change committees and at times effectively run the Senate floor, as well as block attempts to expel one of their members, Ellsworth, for ethics violations. Ellsworth has since been censured by the Senate.

Previously, the state GOP executive committee issued a statement strongly rebuking the senators, saying additional steps would follow if the group did not stop its actions against the party.

Montana GOP Headquarters in Helena, MT. Credit: Keith Schubert

Despite multiple calls for unity and adherence to Republican principles, the senators have chosen to align with Democrats, undermining Republican priorities and leadership, the statement about the censure said. These Senators have undermined the Republican majority leadership and disregarded the will of Montana Republican voters.

The executive board also voted to withhold any political funding for the nine in future elections and said the nine shouldnt be considered to speak for the party.

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Sen. Hunter, however, said his duty is to his constituents.

The GOP central committee didnt elect me, Hunter said. I dont know what theyre using as a litmus test or not, but if you look at the Montana conservative scorecard, Im more conservative than most Republicans.

Sen. Wendy McKamey, R-Great Falls, said shes as Republican as they come, and the state GOP was mischaracterizing the senators actions.

We arent voting with the Democrats. The Democrats are voting with us to support the governor  not doing what other Republicans are doing to fight the governor, McKamey said. Were doing the kinds of things good Republicans do.

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McKamey also said she was recently notified that she is receiving an award from the Republican National Committee for her conservatism.

In his letter, Kassmier wrote that his strong conservative values helped him defeat state GOP Vice Chairperson Lola Sheldon-Galloway in the 2024 primary for his Senate seat.

Kassmier also presents himself as a fiscal conservative and alleges Regier is working with Democrats in the House and is a true liberal spending taxpayer money on things like lawyers and new office furniture.

A real conservative would never dream of spending money like President Regier, Kassmier said in the letter. When it comes to spending taxpayer money, President Regier is not a leader I follow.

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From the start of the session, however, Regier has repeatedly expressed frustration with the size of the governors budget and an interest in taking a closer look at spending in the state.

The censure Friday and allegations in the letter from Kassmier bring the split among Senate Republicans to the fore again as the legislature closes in on its last few weeks of work.

However, Senate Majority Leader Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, said he will continue to work with all 32 Republicans and talk with them daily given the limited time left in the session.

Id like us to see us come together and get as much good legislation as we can out of here. So Im not disowning anybody, McGillvray said.  I cannot look at a group of Republicans and say, You dont belong to us anymore.

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Thats exactly a way to destroy what we need to accomplish for the good of Montana people.

Kassmier said he echoed the sentiment toward unity. We got a lot of work to do.

MT GOP Resolution re Censure
About 125 people gathered at the intersection of U.S. Highways 26 and 97 in Madras to protest the Trump administration on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Photo by Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

MADRAS At least 125 people flocked to the busy intersection of U.S. routes 26 and 97 in Madras on Saturday afternoon to protest President Donald Trumps cuts to federal programs and other policies.

The protest, the largest demonstration many attendees can recall in Madras, was part of a nationwide day of Hands Off demonstrations, which organizers described as peaceful protests meant to get Trump and billionaire Elon Musk to stop firing federal workers, slashing funding for government grants and programs and sharing Americans personal data with Musks employees at the Department of Government Efficiency. In Oregon, more than a dozen protests were planned in big cities and small towns alike, from Portland to Pendleton, Astoria to Coos Bay.

Culver resident Cheyenne Dobkins attended her first political protest on Saturday, April 5, 2025, saying she didnt want to stay quiet. (Photo by Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Madras, the Jefferson County seat with a population just less than 8,000, is far from a hotbed of liberal activism: Trump won the county by 30 points in 2024. Its also one of more than a dozen counties east of the Cascades that passed a largely symbolic ordinance in support of moving the Oregon-Idaho borders, arguing that eastern and central Oregon residents have more in common politically and culturally with Idaho than with Portland or the Willamette Valley.

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The Madras demonstration attracted Jefferson County residents with years of experience protesting and speaking out politically and newcomers like Cheyenne Dobkins, a Culver resident who scrawled my tummy hurts and Im mad at the government on a poster board she bought from Dollar General.

Im tired of being quiet, Dobkins said. And I dont want anyone after all this to ask Why didnt you say anything?

Dobkins said protesting was a little scary, especially given her citys conservative politics, but she wanted her neighbors to recognize that people who live and work there are being hurt by administration policies including plans to cut tens of thousands of workers who help veterans with their benefits, deportations of migrant workers and tariffs that caused the stock market and peoples retirement accounts to plummet.

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Some hecklers drove by, including a man who yelled Elon rules and one who used a megaphone to shout make America great again. A few others used their diesel trucks modified engines to blow clouds of black exhaust and cause protesters to back away coughing.

And about four Trump supporters gathered on one corner, waving signs and flags of their own. Some protesters stood near them but avoided interacting, as protest organizers emphasized that the demonstration needed to stay peaceful.

Madras resident Teresa Fuentes, 32, has needed around-the-clock care since she was injured in a car accident as a 3-year-old. She attended a protest in Madras on Saturday to urge the federal government to avoid cuts to Medicaid, which pays for her caregivers. (Photo by Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Former Madras Mayor Royce Embanks, a 30-year veteran who served in the Air Force and Army, said Trumps rise to power made Madras a less friendly place than it was when he moved to town in 1998.

The friendliness is gone from a lot of people, Embanks said. Theyve drawn a line between all of us because of Trump.

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Organizer Laura Fuentes, a Madras resident and retired Warm Springs elementary school teacher, learned about the Hands Off day of protests from MSNBC and decided Madras should host its own instead of traveling to a larger event in Bend.

Fuentes, who is active in the Jefferson County Democratic Party, has Republican friends who support Trump  if she didnt, she said, she wouldnt have many friends at all living in Madras.

She said they should care when impacts of Trumps policies affect their little town, such as his decision last week to fire all employees of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program that helps low-income families in Madras and communities around the country pay their electricity and gas bills.

I dont know how long its going to take, but people are going to start seeing this, she said. It can be too late after. They dont get this is the time to time to make noise.

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Lauras daughter, Teresa Fuentes, 32, had a sign proclaiming Hands Off Medicaid stuck in the back of her wheelchair. Teresa has needed around-the-clock care since a 1996 car accident when she was only 3 years old. Medicaid pays for her caregivers, and she fears what would happen if Congress cuts the federal program to pay for tax cuts.

Instead of cutting taxes for the millionaires and billionaires, they should either cut taxes for the middle class and low-income or they should leave taxes as they are and support Medicare, Social Security, all the social services that people with disabilities depend on, she said.

U.S. Forest Service fish biologist Scott Turo attended a Madras protest on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Hes trying to save his job protecting Oregons watersheds. (Photo by Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Madras resident Scott Turo wrote I am getting fired Tuesday on a repurposed shipping box. He has worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a fish biologist since 2022 after more than two decades of working on natural resources with tribal governments.

Turo has worked for the federal government long enough that he wasnt subject to the mass firings of probationary workers earlier this year, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture is trying to get rid of thousands of additional employees. He took a break from writing a letter hell send next week trying to convince anyone in power at the Forest Service of the value of his job to participate in the protest.

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From what I can tell, most levels of the Forest Service are blindfolded sheep being led to the slaughterhouse, he said.

Lucy Suppah, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, attends a protest in Madras on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Photo by Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Lucy Suppah, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs who participated in the protest, said tribal members were already struggling to access the benefits theyre entitled to before Trump took office, and things are getting worse.

For instance, the clinic on Warm Springs hasnt had a permanent doctor, sharing rotating doctors with other clinics under the federal Indian Health Service. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy verbally rescinded some layoffs at the Indian Health Service last month, but tribes still fear cuts to federal funding.

From what little I understand, we have to do a lot more than just write a letter, Suppah said. I think its always been that way for Native Americans to have to fight for what were entitled to.

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Weve all heard the warnings, turn around, dont drown, but when it comes to flooding in Missouri, knowing what to do when you approached rising and rushing water can determine your survival.

The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) reports more than half of all flash flooding fatalities involve a vehicle.

SEMA says from 2015 through 2018, 34 of Missouris 39 flooding deaths, 87 percent, were people who had been in vehicles.

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In 2015, alone, flooding killed 27 people in Missouri, more than the previous seven years combined and the highest total since 1993. Twenty-three of the 27 people who died had been in motor vehicles.

Flash flooding is the leading cause of flooding deaths and historically more than half of the people killed by flooding were in motor vehicles, according to Missouri SEMA.

What to know:

If you come upon a flowing stream where the water is above your ankles, stop! Turn around and go another way.

Up to six inches of water on a roadway is enough to knock you off your feet.

Rushing water on roadways that is two feet or less can carry vehicles downstream.

Roads may be weakened by the water and potholes could pop up, so be aware of hazards.

Never assume there will be barriers to block off flooded low-water crossings or bridges because floodwaters often rise so quickly authorities cannot close a road in time.

Think about everything you could lose before trying to save a few minutes by not turning around.

If you do run into water while driving, the advice is to abandon your vehicle and get to higher ground.

Children should never play around high water, storm drains, or viaducts.

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EXCLUSIVE: There were many things that we knew would happen, many things  Im not going to say I told you so, Kamala Harris declared this week in her strongest swipe at Donald Trump since leaving office.

I swore I wasnt going to say that, the former Vice President added to applause and cries of say it! on Thursday at a conference in Orange County.

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About damn time, I would say, one very political Hollywood heavyweight said after 2024 candidate Harris surprise April 3 appearance at the Leading Women Defined Summit. Harris, Obama, theyve all been sitting this out too long.

In that context, a producer who has written many a check for Democrats local and national over the years wasnt won over by Harris latest public stance. Too little, too late, he wearily said. No one wants to hear from her, just go away. Going away might not be on potential 2026 or even 2028 candidate Harris agenda, as she told the LWD crowd Ill see you out there, Im not going anywhere.

More of that! a reliable Hollywood donor exclaimed of the more punchy and perhaps personal than usual speech the risk-adverse ex-Veep delivered. Like many well-heeled L.A. Democrats, the donor had been feeling disillusioned with the party and its candidate after giving so much last year only to see Trump sweep all swing states. Now Trumps grievance-fueled authoritarian and Project 2025 measures have hit Americans hard and relentlessly the past 70-odd days, the tide may be turning.

A lot more of that, more Cory Booker, more Harris, more Bernie, more everyone, the donor went on to say, namechecking the New Jersey senator who took to the upper chambers floor for a record breaking 24 hours-plus speech this week. Finally, someones fighting back!

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There is a sense of fear that has been taking hold in our country, Harris told the crowd of around 100 on Thursday, including just-announced Georgia gubernatorial candidate and former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

As she has in her rare past appearances the past two months at the likes of the NAACP Image Awards in February, Harris never said Trumps name, but she didnt need to. Correspondingly, as you can see in the video of her full remarks below, Harris never said the names of ring-kissers like Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Disney, Columbia University, and laws firms Paul Weiss and Wilkie, Farr and Gallagher  again she didnt need to.

And I understand it, but were seeing people stay quiet. We are seeing organizations stay quiet. We are seeing those who are capitulating to clearly unconstitutional threats. And these are the things that we are witnessing each day in these last few months in our country, and it understandably creates a great sense of fear.

Ill say this fear has a way of being contagious, the Democrat, who lost to Trump in November, said. But I say this also: courage is also contagious, Harris said, telling the applauding audience.

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The White House did not respond to a request Friday for comment from Deadline on the former VPs remarks.

The ex-VP said nothing about widely discussed speculation that she is going to throw her hat in the ring to replace termed-limited (and ambitious in his own right) Gavin Newsom as California governor. In what is becoming an increasingly full field of ex-L.A. mayors, ex-Biden cabinet members, current Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and more who will be visiting the Hollywood ATM, Harris is anticipated to make her decision to run or not run known by August, I hear.

One insider views Harris remarks of Thursday and comments critiquing Trumps tariffs and bullying of law firms by former president Barack Obama as a strategic shift towards a larger response.

This is why you see Harris and Obama speaking now, thoughtfully and deliberately with concern after analyzing the current situation, James Costos tells Deadline. While it may sometimes seem like Democrats are not acting quickly enough or overthinking things, its where the best outcomes always arise, the ex-HBO exec and Obama era Ambassador of Spain added. We prioritize avoiding chaos and preventing decisions that ultimately cause more harm than good for America, not just serving the interests of the few in power and those who are pulling strings around the fringe.

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In terms of capitulation and string pulling, Harris may have been speaking on something that has come close to home for the former VP in recent days.

Trump scored a win over prestigious law firm Paul Weiss after promising to yank away its security clearances and federal contracts in a targeted executive order. Bending profoundly, the widely lamented Brad Karp-run firm promised to contribute $40 million in pro-bono services to support the administrations MAGA goals. As other firms were put in the crosshairs, some kissed the ring in record time, while a few others took Trump to court.

Doug Emhoff

One firm in particular threw one of its most high-profile and recent partners under the Trump train.

Joining Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a partner, Doug Emhoff resurrected his legal career upon the Second Gentlemans return to civilian life with the VP on January 20.

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The honeymoon didnt last long.

Under threat, unconstitutional or not, by Trump personally, Willkie Farr & Gallagher wasted little time making a $100 million deal that POTUS bragged about on April Fools Day. Willkie affirms its commitment to Merit-Based Hiring, Promotion, and Retention, Trump wrote on his Truth Social feed on April 1. Accordingly, the Firm will not engage in illegal DEI discrimination and preferences.

As the New York Times reported and Deadline has confirmed, Emhoff was far from onboard with the deal and wanted the firm to fight back against the threat, which was clearly aimed at him.

With an eye on whether Harris is running for governor next year and something else in 2028, Emhoff told Georgetown Law students on Tuesday before Trump revealed the Willkie agreement that the rule of law is under attack. He added: Democracy is under attack. And so, all of us lawyers need to do what we can to push back on that. Us lawyers have always been on the frontlines, fighting for civil rights, for justice.I love being a lawyer, this is what we do: We fight for people. We fight for whats right.

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Sounds like a stump speech in the making.

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Effingham Public Works Director Jeremy Heuerman presented a preliminary study agreement during Tuesdays city council meeting for securing right-of-way easements, a profile and cost estimates to add a bridge over Slate Creek, along with sidewalks and bike paths along Veterans Drive and Jaycee Avenue.

The 5-foot wide sidewalk would start at Banker Street and go east on Jaycee Avenue. One of the 10-foot wide bike paths would start at Banker Street and go east on Jaycee Avenue, and the other would run along the west side of Veterans Drive from Jaycee Avenue to Blohm Avenue.

The estimated cost is $75,000, which would come from the citys Motor Fuel Tax fund. But Heuerman is planning to apply for a $3 million Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant in 2026 in hopes it will cover the cost. By having this preliminary study complete when applying for the grant, the city will be more likely to receive the full amount.

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If the city has leftover grant money, they plan to add additional sidewalks on Jaycee Avenue from Banker Street to 4th Street.

Pedestrian access is always a big deal out there, too. Right now, its just old country roads, and sight distance isnt very good, said Heuerman. So this would take the pedestrians completely off the road to a safe path that they can go from the north side of town to the south side of town.

This is an important first step, said City Commissioner Larry Micenheimer.

In other news, Heuerman also presented a resolution authorizing a $52,000 reconstruction project for North First Street from Temple Avenue to Roadway Avenue. The proposal was from Civil Design, Inc., and Heuerman hopes to start the project in May when school is dismissed for the summer.

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City Administrator Steve Miller presented an ordinance to renew the downtown and southtown business tax increment financing districts. There are no changes, but the city will budget $200,000 for the Downtown/Southtown Business Area Redevelopment Program policy.

Heuerman presented another resolution to authorize an agreement with Ameren Illinois to relocate one of its high-pressure gas mains on Evergreen Avenue for about $307,000. Ameren will do the work to relocate and reinstall it so the city can continue working on Evergreen Avenue.

Mayor Mike Schutzbach appointed and reappointed several people to the library and different boards and committees:

* Steve Miller and Lisa Koerner as members of the Effingham Public Library Board of Directors

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* Jake Buhnerkempe as a member of the Enterprise Zone Commission

* Dave Storm as a member of the Board of Fire and Police Commission

* Clara Koester as a member of the Human Relations Commission

* Ken Wohltman and Andrew Grunloh as members of the Plan Commission

* John Richards to the Police Pension Board of Trustees

* Michael McHugh and Betsy Yager as members of the Tourism Advisory Board

* Mark Thies, Brandon Weber and Andrew Grunloh as members of the Zoning Board of Appeals

Sexual Assault and Family Emergencies (SAFE) advocate Donna Rouleau asked the council if she could hang up teal bows and signs to represent Sexual Assault Awareness Month. There were no objections, and they are hanging up on a few different blocks and in front of the sheriffs department, city hall and the police department.

The next Effingham City Council meeting is scheduled for April 15 at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.
Apr. 4BEMIDJI  There will soon be a new look at the Third Street entrance to downtown Bemidji.

The Morell's Chippewa Trading Post business has been sold and relocated, Morell's owner Roxi Mann is retiring, and Kevin Johnson plans to move his myBemidji store into the Morell's building at 301 Bemidji Ave. N.

The initial

stages of the transition began on Monday,

when the popular Native American statue that had been stationed outside of Morell's since 1963 was taken down and began the journey to its new home at the American Giants Museum along historic Route 66 in Illinois.

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Morell's, in business for nearly 79 years,

is now owned by Marissa Annette and John Lambert. They have relocated the store to 1500 Bemidji Ave. N. and renamed it Morell's Anishinaabe Trading Post. The store sells Native American merchandise, including Minnetonka Moccasins, but no longer carries some of the gift items that were sold at the old store.

"One of the reasons we wanted to keep the name, especially since we were moving, is we wanted people to be able to find us," Annette said.

Mann, whose family has owned Morell's since 1990, said she will sell some of the remaining gift items at vendor shows in the coming months as she eases into retirement.

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"I've been selling merchandise to other stores," Mann said. "But I still do have quite a few things and they're not things that other stores would probably want. I'll get rid of the stuff one way or another."

Meanwhile, Johnson was not planning to move his retail and graphic design business for the second time since 2023. But when the Morell's building became available, that all changed.

"It's the prime location in Bemidji," Johnson said. "It's the spot everybody wants. I think I would be a fool not to take it."

Annette and Lambert have been working at Morell's for about two years with the hopes of purchasing the business. They learned of the opportunity through Annette's father, whose handcrafted wooden feathers have been sold at Morell's.

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"I bought from Marissa's dad for many years," Mann said. "Once when he was here, I was telling him that the business was for sale, and he said, 'I may know someone.' I'm just really happy that the kids are going to have the store. They've got their own views, they're young, and they've got energy."

Annette said they decided to name the store Morell's Anishinaabe Trading Post to reflect her family's heritage. A White Earth Band member, she grew up in Callaway, Minn., and attended Detroit Lakes High School and the Perpich Center for Arts Education.

"I prefer being referred to as Anishinaabe, and most of my family is the same way," she said.

Annette and Lambert met while both were working at a Fresh Thyme Market natural foods store in the Twin Cities. But the potential to have their own business brought them to Bemidji and Morell's.

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"I'm just excited to finally have it after two years in the making," Annette said.

Mann is just as excited about the changeover.

"I am feeling so liberated," Mann said. "I might shed a tear the last day as I walk out the door, but really I'm just feeling good. There's an end in sight. I've loved it, but now it's time to have some more adventures."

Maurice and Ella Ross started the business in a converted school bus parked on the south shore of Lake Bemidji in 1946, combining parts of their first names and calling it Morell's Trading Post.

Two years later, they moved it to the former Lake Shore Hotel at Second Street and Bemidji Avenue. Lyle and Phyllis Wolter bought the store from the Rosses in 1973. The building was torn down in the 1980s, forcing Morell's to move one block north to its current location. Roxi Mann's parents, Ade and Evelyn, bought Morell's in 1990, becoming the third family to own the business.

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Kevin Johnson ran his Great River Design business for 20 years, mostly out of his home. The self-taught web designer created myBemidji in 2015 as a venture into the social media world.

Johnson operated from a LaunchPad site on the lower level of the Mayflower Building but eventually

relocated to his first storefront

at 318 Beltrami Ave. NW and began selling souvenirs and clothing.

"I didn't have an intention of becoming a store," Johnson told the Pioneer in a 2023 interview. "But then I had a really cool logo that people wanted to see on merchandise, so I made a few hats. Those just flew out the door, and it kind of took off from there."

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In the summer of 2023,

he moved across the street to 317 Beltrami. He plans to transition all of his merchandise and equipment to the new location in the next month.

"When I tell people that I'm going to move again, their eyes get real big and they say, 'Are you insane? You just moved in here,'" Johnson said. "Then I tell them where it is and they get it."

He said the public can expect his new location to have an updated look both inside and out.

"The opportunities are endless," said Johnson, who is also president of the Bemidji Downtown Alliance. "I keep thinking of new stuff I can come up with. I'm excited; it's going to be a whirlwind of activity."
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Memphis Police are on the lookout for two suspects accused of pistol-whipping a man at a Raleigh gas station.

On April 1 at 12:04 a.m., officers responded to an aggravated assault at Victory Fuels, located in the 4000 block of New Allen Road.

Officers were told that a victim was inside the gas station when two men walked into the store and accused the victim of stealing from them.

Man critically injured in downtown shooting

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One of the suspects displayed a small handgun and struck the victim on his forehead and tried to drag him out of the store.

Fortunately, the victim resisted and the suspects fled the scene.

Memphis Police have released the following photos of the alleged suspects:

MPD released images of suspects accused of pistol whipping a man. MPD released images of suspects accused of pistol whipping a man. MPD released images of suspects accused of pistol whipping a man.

Police said that at this time, no arrests have been made, but this is still an ongoing investigation.

If you have any information about this incident, you are encouraged to call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH or submit your tip at https://crimestopmem.org/.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
The space company of entrepreneur and White House adviser Elon Musk has received a multibillion-dollar contract from the US government.

Musk's company SpaceX is to use its rockets to launch military satellites into space. The contract is worth around $5.9 billion, the US military's Space Force announced on Saturday evening.

United Launch Services also received a contract worth $5.4 billion and Blue Origin, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was awarded a contract worth $2.4 billion.

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In total, 54 missions are scheduled between now and 2029, and 28 of these are to be carried out by SpaceX.

"The result is assured access to space for our national security missions, which increases the military's readiness," the Space Force statement said.

SpaceX dominates commercial space travel in the United States, with Musk's company regularly carrying out missions for NASA and other clients.

At the same time, Musk plays a central role in US President Donald Trump's team. He has been tasked with cutting government spending and scrutinizing agencies for potential savings, including the military.

Trump has said Musk is not gaining financial advantage from this connection.
Elon Musks social media platform X may face fines exceeding $1 billion for allegedly violating the EUs Digital Services Act (DSA), the New York Times (NYT) reported on April 4, citing four people familiar with the matter.

The DSA, enacted in 2022, aims to reduce illegal and harmful content on major online platforms. The European Commission began formal proceedings against X in 2023 and has since warned that selling verified check marks could be misleading to users and in breach of the DSA.

According to the NYT, this would be the EUs first enforcement action under the DSA, with possible penalties expected this summer. In addition to fines, X may be required to change key platform features to comply with the law.

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The EU is also investigating whether Xs limited content moderation has allowed hate speech and disinformation to flourish. Penalties under the DSA can reach up to 6% of a companys global revenue, and officials are reportedly considering calculating Xs fine based on the combined revenue of all Elon Musk-owned companies, including SpaceX.

X could avoid the fines by implementing the changes demanded by the European Commission, the NYT noted.

The Global Government Affairs team at X responded and said that if the EUs plans are true, it would represent an unprecedented act of political censorship and an attack on free speech.

X has gone above and beyond to comply with the EUs Digital Services Act, and we will use every option at our disposal to defend our business, keep our users safe, and protect freedom of speech in Europe, the team said.

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Following billionaire Elon Musk's 2022 acquisition of X, formerly known as Twitter, the social media company has faced criticism for increased levels of disinformation, and lack of effective moderation of the content shared there.

Musk has himself promoted Russia-backed narratives about the war in Ukraine, including mocking Zelensky with memes portraying him as begging for financial aid, and echoing Kremlin propaganda that blames Ukrainenot Russiafor obstructing peace efforts.

Read also: It would be foolish not to admire Putin  Elon Musks father Errol swoons over Russian President

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
BANGKOK (Reuters) -The United Nations called for the world to rally behind quake-hit Myanmar on Saturday as the death toll rose to 3,354, while a former USAID official said a U.S. aid team had received notice they were losing their jobs after arriving in the disaster zone.

In addition to those killed by the March 28 earthquake, 4,850 people were injured and another 220 are missing, state media said.

During a visit to Myanmar's second-biggest city, Mandalay, which was near the epicentre of the 7.7 magnitude quake, United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher appealed for international support.

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"The destruction is staggering. Lives lost. Homes destroyed. Livelihoods shattered. But the resilience is incredible," he said in a post on X. "The world must rally behind the people of Myanmar."

Myanmar's neighbours, such as China, India and Southeast Asian nations, are among those that dispatched relief supplies and rescuers to aid the recovery effort in quake-hit areas that are home to about 28 million people over the past week.

The United States, which was until recently the world's top humanitarian donor, had pledged at least $9 million to Myanmar to support earthquake-affected communities, but current and former U.S. officials say the dismantling of its foreign aid program has affected its response.

Three U.S. Agency for International Development workers who had travelled to Myanmar after the quake were told they were being let go, Marcia Wong, a former senior USAID official, told Reuters.

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"This team is working incredibly hard, focussed on getting humanitarian aid to those in need. To get news of your imminent termination - how can that not be demoralising?" said Wong.

The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday the junta was restricting aid supplies to quake-hit areas where communities did not back its rule. The U.N. office also said it was investigating 53 reported attacks by the junta against opponents, including air strikes, of which 16 were after the ceasefire was declared on Wednesday.

A junta spokesman did not respond to calls seeking comment.

Free Burma Rangers, a relief group, told Reuters on Saturday that the military had dropped bombs in Karenni and southern Shan states on Thursday and Friday despite the ceasefire announcement, killing at least five people.

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The victims included civilians, according to the group's founder, David Eubank, who said there had been at least seven such military attacks since the ceasefire.

ELECTION PLANS

The leader of the military government, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, reaffirmed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the junta's plans to hold "free and fair" elections in December when the two met in Bangkok, Myanmar state media said on Saturday.

Min Aung Hlaing made the rare trip to attend a summit of South and Southeast Asian nations on Friday, where he also met separately with the leaders of Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

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Modi called for the post-quake ceasefire in Myanmar's civil war to be made permanent, and said the elections needed to be "inclusive and credible", an Indian foreign affairs spokesperson said on Friday.

Critics have derided the planned election as a sham to keep the generals in power through proxies.

Since overthrowing the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run Myanmar, leaving the economy and basic services, including healthcare, in tatters, a situation exacerbated by the earthquake.

The civil war that followed the coup has displaced more than 3 million people, with widespread food insecurity and more than a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, the U.N. says.

(Reporting by Poppy McPerson and Shoong Naing; Writing by John Mair; Editing by William Mallard, Aidan Lewis)
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Credit: AWESOME Mission

Two NASA rockets launched into auroras over Alaska last week to study the impact that these geomagnetic light shows have on Earth's upper atmosphere, and the results were gorgeous.

The experiment, called Auroral Waves Excited by Substorm Onset Magnetic Events, or AWESOME, is led by researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Two of three planned sounding rockets launched from the Poker Flat Research Range north of Fairbanks, Alaska, in the early morning hours on March 25.

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As the two rockets flew high into auroras , they released puffs of gas known as vapor tracers that created colorful light shows visible across much of northern Alaska. The movements of these vapor tracers can be recorded and studied from the ground used to measure atmospheric winds and flows of charged particles in the upper atmosphere and ionosphere, according to NASA .

"I'm extremely pleased that we were able to get the conditions to line up to allow us to launch and to conduct the experiment," Mark Conde, lead researcher from the Geophysical Institute and UAF space physics professor, said in a statement . "I am absolutely delighted."

Related: 32 stunning photos of auroras seen from space

The first sounding rocket to launch for the experiment was a 42-foot Terrier-Improved Malemute rocket.

A NASA sounding rocket releases vapor tracers into auroras glowing above Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska on on March 25, 2025. | Credit: UAF photo by Bryan Whitt

Shortly after, a 70-foot, four-stage Black Brant XII rocket launched. The sounding rockets released vapor tracers and pressure sensors at different heights across central and northern Alaska during a sudden auroral substorm, which is a sudden, brief, and explosive intensification, or brightening, of an aurora. The Malemute rocket also measured magnetic perturbations caused by the aurora.

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The small free-flying instruments released during the experiment will help gauge how the energy and momentum injected into Earth's middle and lower thermosphere by auroral substorms may disrupt its stability. Understanding the interaction between Earth's upper atmosphere and auroras  which are caused by charged particles from the sun interacting with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere  can, in turn, help improve space weather forecasting.

The second NASA rocket, the four-stage Black Brant XII, launches early on March 25, 2025, from Poker Flat Research Range on the second night of the AWESOME sounding rocket mission. | Credit: UAF photo by Bryan Whitt

During the launch, UAF student and staff researchers were located at ground stations in Utqiagvik, Kaktovik, Toolik Lake, Eagle, Venetie, and Poker Flat in Alaska, allowing project scientists to get many different views of the experiment.

"Because we had the two-stage rockets deploying over central Alaska and the four-stage rocket deploying off the north coast of Alaska, we essentially were conducting two independent tracer experiments at the same time," Conde said in the statement. "And because the camera locations we needed were completely different for each of those rockets, we needed many camera sites to be clear at the same time."

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The launch of the third rocket  a two-stage Terrier-Improved Malemute  was delayed due to an issue with the motor that needed to be assessed for repair. The team is investigating a minor anomaly in a wiring harness for one of the motor stages and hopes to launch the third rocket before April 6, when the experiment's launch window closes, according to the statement.

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The third rocket is expected to launch additional tracers, which must be released during dawn hours so that sunlight shining in the upper altitudes can activate the vapor tracers while it is still dark enough on the ground for cameras to photograph their response to air movement.
While it may look like progress to shut down a large homeless encampment, these closures fail to address the underlying causes of Nashvilles housing crisis.

On March 31, dozens of residents at Old Tent City were handed 60-day eviction notices, signed by the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) and Mayor Freddie OConnell, stoking fear and anxiety.

Without places like Old Tent City, people without housing dont just disappear. They end up in costly emergency rooms and jails, and they spread out in residential and commercial areas that are difficult for outreach workers to reach.

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Connecting a camps current residents with resources and moving them into what will largely be transitional housing provides relief and life-changing opportunities for those experiencing homelessness today, but it does nothing for the people who will need a place to land tomorrow. "We'll never end homelessness until we stop the flow of people entering into it," says Dr. Beth Shinn, researcher at Vanderbilt.

Old Tent City's history began because of Reagan era policies

In February of 2025, 1,106 evictions were filed in Nashville. Across Tennessee, we lack over 3,500 year-round shelter beds for those who need them and 121,000 units of housing for extremely low income renters.

H.G. Stovall, Launch Pad, and April Calvin, Office of Homeless Services read around 180 names of those in the Nashville unhoused community who died this year during the annual Homeless Memorial event at Riverfront Park in Nashville , Tenn., Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023.

Closing this camp is a temporary Band-Aid theyre thinking is gonna solve things but it aint, says Mama V, a resident of Old Tent City. Where are people gonna go?

If we take a closer look at homelessness, the real problem isnt the tents. Its the housing crisis. Its the dire lack of low income housing, abysmal tenant protections, low wages, and the failure to address decades of federal disinvestment in housing and safety nets.

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I was first introduced to Old Tent City in 2008 when the number of residents had ballooned to over 100 during the Great Recession. The camp itself, however, has existed since the early 1980s.

The 1980s marked the beginning of mass homelessness in America  a direct result of the Reagan administrations decision to gut funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by 78%, cut food stamps and Medicaid, and dismantle social safety nets and programs.

Opinion: We four diverse Tennesseans unite behind the goal of ending divisive politics

We are standing on the precipice of the second wave of mass homelessness in America. Trumps administration has proposed 50% cuts to HUD which would devastate already underfunded housing programs and homeless services across the nation. Vital programs are already being slashed and Medicaid and Social Security are at risk.

Instead of building multimillion-dollar parks, invest in people

It is irresponsible to close Old Tent City without opening other low-barrier sites. While this camp is far from perfect, it plays a role in downtown and the broader community that we must recognize. Nashvilles shelters are over capacity and it takes an average of over 150 days to obtain housing through the Coordinated Entry System.

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We see all the new people coming through, says Mama V. Campsites are being bulldozed everywhere. Where are people going? They come here!

Instead of using taxpayer dollars to clearcut and fence off public spaces, we need leaders like Mayor OConnell, OHS Director April Calvin, and City Council members to bolster the resources that already exist and ensure that everyone in our city has a place to get back on their feet.

Nashville doesnt need a new $70 million park where Old Tent City currently stands. We need housing and wrap around services. We need to invest in systems and supports that reduce the number of people who are hitting the streets.

When we address the underlying issues that cause homelessness in the first place, everyone benefits. And when we have enough housing and resources for all, encampments will shrink and close on their own.

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Rev. Lindsey Krinks is co-founder of Open Table Nashville, a homeless outreach and advocacy nonprofit, and Housing for All Tennessee, a statewide coalition on housing, homelessness, and tenants' rights. She is the author of "Praying with Our Feet: Pursuing Justice and Healing on the Streets."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Homeless encampments provide shelter during a housing crisis | Opinion
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, spoke to a crowd at Nashville's Pearl Cohn High School on April 5. (Photo: John Partpilo)

(This story has been updated with additional details.)

In Nashville on Saturday U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren criticized President Donald Trumps and ally Elon Musks economic policies, saying they are handing the country over to billionaires at the expense of Americans personal finances.

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Seventy three million Americans get Social Security checks. It is not charity, said Warren. Elon Musks plan is to fire the people who get those Social Security checks out so that fewer people are able to get their Social Security checks.

Does firing half the people at the Social Security agency put money in your pockets? Warren asked.

Nearly 1,500 people attended the event, billed as The Peoples Town Hall, held at Pearl Cohn Magnet School. The event was part of a national Democratic initiative to make incursions into Republican-dominated states in which federal lawmakers are holding few, if any, public meetings.

Warren specifically addressed cuts to veterans programs and public education.

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Public schools are the investment in our future, Warren said. They give millions of kids in America  all of our kids  an opportunity to grow, to learn, to live independently, an opportunity to support themselves, an opportunity to contribute to this country.

Nashville Mayor Freddie OConnell spoke to the crowd before Warren took the stage, as did state Sen. Charlane Oliver, a Nashville Democrat who represents the district in which the event was held.

Photographs by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout  2025

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaking in Nashville as part of a nationwide day of rallies to push back on President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's policies. (Photo: John Partipilo)

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Photographs by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout  2025

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, photographed on April 5 at Nashville's Pearl-Cohn High School.(Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

Oliver referenced anti-immigrant bills moving through the Tennessee legislature, including one that would challenge Plyler v. Doe, the 1982 Supreme Court ruling that states cannot deny public education to children without permanent legal status.

We are fighting for a nation of the future that includes all of us, Oliver said.

State Democratic lawmakers attending the Nashville event included, in addition to Oliver, Sen. Jeff Yarbro, Reps. Shaundelle Brooks, Yusuf Hakeem, Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, Bo Mitchell and Gabby Salinas.

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Its rare to have a leader with a mind like mine here in Tennessee, said Sharon Dean of Nashville, of her attendance at the Warren event.

Thousands of Tennesseans turned across the state  including in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga  to protest Trumps and Musks sweeping cuts to federal agencies through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE.)

Threat of severe weather didnt deter the approximately 1,500 rallygoers at Nashvilles Centennial Park, despite confusion after event organizers cancelled the protest Saturday morning because of weather concerns.

The Hands Off! rallies like the ones in Tennessee were held nationwide Saturday. Indivisible, a nonprofit group founded after Trumps first election in 2016, was one of the primary organizers of the event.

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The Tennessee Republican Party wants to send our prayers to all the Tennessee families that have experienced loss of both life and property since this significant weather event that has impacted most of our State over the last four days. Yet, while most Tennesseans were dealing with the aftermath of the storms and flooding, the Democrat Party chose today to continue their election complaints against President Trump which the American people rejected at the ballot box a little over 4 months ago, said Tennessee Republican Party Chair Scott Golden in a statement.

Political dissent, without violence, is enshrined in the 1st amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Tennessee Democrats are welcomed to continue to rehash the issues of 2024 which led to the landslide victories for President Trump and the Republican Party. Anytime Senator Warren and her brand of liberalism comes to Tennessee it improves our chances for victory in 2026, Goldens statement said.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Staff members at the Nashville Zoo are mourning the loss of a clouded leopard cub, who died from intestinal bleeding Friday, just over a month after she was born.

This cub represented a proud achievement for us and a hopeful future for her species, said Nashville Zoo President and CEO Rick Schwartz. She captured the hearts of millions of people, and we are absolutely devastated.

According to the zoo, the cub was born on Feb. 25. She was the third litter for the mated pair of Niran and Ron but the fourth female cub to be born to Niran.

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ORIGINAL STORY: Nashville Zoo welcomes new clouded leopard cub

Since she was the first and only clouded leopard cub born in a zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums this year, officials described the cubs survivability as critical and chose to hand-rear the cub.

The cub gained attention across the country over the past few weeks as the zoo posted pictures and videos of her on social media.

(Courtesy: Nashville Zoo) (Courtesy: Nashville Zoo) (Courtesy: Nashville Zoo) (Courtesy: Nashville Zoo) (Courtesy: Nashville Zoo) (Courtesy: Nashville Zoo) (Courtesy: Nashville Zoo) (Courtesy: Nashville Zoo) (Courtesy: Nashville Zoo) (Courtesy: Nashville Zoo) (Courtesy: Nashville Zoo) (Courtesy: Nashville Zoo)

Then, on Thursday, April 3, the cub developed acute hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE), a bleeding into the GI tract, so the Nashville Zoo said its veterinary team reacted immediately and tried to alleviate the issue. However, their efforts were unsuccessful. Officials have yet to determine the cause of the HGE.

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Rest in peace, little one. You will be deeply missed, but your impact on clouded leopard conservation will live on, the zoo posted on Facebook.

This news comes just one week before voting was set to close in the naming contest for the cub. For the past few weeks, people have been asked to pick between three names  Lara, Mi, and Tashi  and donate $1 per vote, with all proceeds going to support Save Vietnams Wildlife. The winning name was going to be announced on Sunday, April 13.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa) are native to the tropical lowlands of Southeast Asia in countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh. They are considered vulnerable to extinction according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to deforestation, poaching and pet trade. Precise data on clouded leopard population numbers is not known, but researchers estimate there are around 10,000 clouded leopards in the wild, the Nashville Zoo said in a statement on Saturday, April 5. Specific populations can be difficult to track, as the clouded leopard is among the rarest of the worlds cat species and one of the most elusive. The reduced number of pelts encountered at illegal markets and reduced sightings of clouded leopards by people within its range suggest the species is in decline.

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The Nashville Zoo said its part of the Clouded Leopard Species Survival Plan, working to protect the species through collaborative breeding programs, assisted reproduction, advanced veterinary care, and captive husbandry techniques.

To learn more about the zoos conservation efforts, click here.

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Hundreds of rallies are set to take place all across the country on Saturday to protest job cuts and policy changes they believe are harming the country.

Protestors attending these Hands Off! National Day of Action rallies are condemning the polices of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who has directed actions through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

One of these rallies will be taking place at the Duval County Courthouse on Saturday, so its important to plan your travel accordingly.

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According to the event page, it is scheduled from 11 A.M. to 2 P.M.

The purpose of this rally is to bring awareness to the things in the government that are happening that DOGE and President Trump are doing that arent making our lives better, said protester Rod Sharp.

Roughly 1100 rallies are set to take place as part of the nationwide mobilization movement. 45 are expected in various Florida cities, including at the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, which Sharp plans to attend.

Were expecting over 600 people signed up, said Sharp. We will also stand on San Marco... right there at the fort and we will be carrying signs.

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The event page shows it is scheduled from 10 A.M. to noon.

As for what this means in terms of security for the area, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office sent us the following statement:

We are aware of the planned event and will be on-site to assist if necessary. Our primary role will be to keep the peace and ensure the safety of those involved and/or in the area. Demonstrators are free to exercise their rights providing they do so within the confines of applicable laws.

For more information about the protests, click here.

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Editor's Note: This interview is part of an ongoing Star series highlighting Kansas Citians from historically under-represented communities and their impact on our region. The series builds on The Star's efforts to improve coverage of local communities. Do you know someone we should interview? Share ideas with our reporter J.M. Banks.

Cindy Hohl, a member of the Santee Sioux Nation, grew up in Nebraska. Her cultural upbringing instilled in her a strong sense of belonging and a deep commitment to helping others.

When Hohl and her family moved from the reservation to Sioux City, Iowa, she encountered a public library for the first time. While she didnt initially consider a career as a librarian, she soon became a passionate advocate for libraries.

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Hohl has been dedicated to ensuring that citizens have access to information throughout her career. She has seamlessly combined her passion for education with her cultural responsibility to serve others.

In addition to her role as a librarian at the Kansas City Public Library, Hohl also serves as president of the American Library Association, representing libraries and librarians nationwide.

Hohl sat down with Kansas City Star culture and identity reporter J.M. Banks to talk about discovering her love of libraries, using her culture to find purpose, and the recent attacks on libraries by federal legislation.

How has your upbringing in a Native American community influenced the work you do now?

I am from Siouxland. So up in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota  that area. Im a member of the Santee Sioux Nation and our tribe is in Nebraska. Growing up in Siouxland surrounded by my big family, our community and our tribe, I was raised as a traditional Dakota person. We have a lot of values that we hold on to thats rooted in the respect protocols and so I was raised from a very young age to understand my place in this world and how I am to be in service to the community around me.

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Family is very important to us as Indigenous peoples. We know that the Creator put us here with that purpose and for a reason and so everything that we do, were very intentional in our approach. Were raised to think about the impact of our decisions, especially as leaders because we need to always protect our most vulnerable. So we look at how our decisions impact our youth and our elders and also animals and anything else thats living that needs protection. So growing up in a community where those values are commonplace youre very cautious and youre more conservative when youre talking about natural resources and what is readily available.

We are always centering our humanity, and I was raised to understand that as humans we are all equal and its important that we always show respect to one another. Oftentimes when youre navigating, working and living in mainstream America, the values are more ingrained into how individuals can succeed and certain communities receive more access to resources than others.

When youre brought up Indigenous, you have your ways of knowing and that knowledge is shared through generations from our elders. Were raised to understand our place in the world and how we will support one another for a sustainable way of how to take care of the land, how to take care of each other and those ways you dont always see that in the mainstream.

Can you give me a bit of background information on the Sioux Nation?

Our peoples are originally from Canada, First Nations, and as we migrated and came down through the border, we were in Minnesota. We ended up being exiled from our lands there by President Abraham Lincoln. When that happened, that was very harmful to our people, because it displaced us once again and a lot of people arent aware of this story because its not always taught in American history.

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That is something that our children are all raised to understand, and thats knowing our place in this world. And again, the Creator put us here for a reason and with a purpose. So its important that we teach our youth our history, so that they know and that they teach our language, our history, our heritage, our ways, our culture to our future generations because that is our responsibility.

Did you always imagine yourself having a career working with the library?

No, I did not. When we left the reservation when I was little (age 5), we moved to Sioux City. Thats the first time that I went to a library. My mom took us every Saturday and we go to story time and she let us borrow three books and take those home. I remember what a magical experience that was. I really loved going to the library. It was such a fun and welcoming place. So colorful and really interesting, because I had never seen one before and I didnt know about programs and story times and checking out books.

So Ive always had a love of learning and reading. And when I first started working, I worked in casino marketing and that was my first career. When I met my spouse, he was going to library school and he knew what he wanted to do. And he was actually the one who recruited me to work in libraries and that was 10 years after we had met.

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Ive really enjoyed librarianship. I love the work that we do  being in service to the public  and theres 125,000 libraries in this country. Sometimes people dont know the true volume and so theres more libraries than McDonalds restaurants. And I tell people that because I want them to be aware of how prevalent libraries are and how important libraries are, because sometimes libraries can be taken for granted.

People think that libraries are only there for certain people like youth, attending story times with their families, or maybe students who are researching. But libraries are so much more than that. And so, thats what I love so much about working in libraries is helping people access accurate information from credible sources. Unfortunately, right now libraries are under attack in this country as we continue to push back against the federal legislation and the executive order that went out two weeks ago targeting the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This is the time for information warriors to rise up together and to stand strong for our libraries.

When you have federal funding thats being threatened and removed and that state funding is being withdrawn from some states, its a challenging time to work in libraries.

Can you tell me about what brought you to Kansas City and the work you do with the Kansas City Public Library?

Ive lived here for 22 years. I moved down for school and ended up staying here. I have an MBA (Master of Business Administration) from Baker (University), and I attended Friends (University) for an organizational management and leadership bachelors degree. I also have a library degree, but I received a masters of library and information science degree from Wayne State University out of Detroit, Michigan.

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Libraries, of course, have a lot of data that we go through, and were always looking at different ways that people use the library. We partner with many community service agencies. We always want to make sure that everyone knows the role of the library in the community. Were very intentional in our approach. We want to make sure that everyone understands what resources are available to them. And so, as we are looking at our policies, we always want to make sure that we have sound language that supports positive patron interactions and experiences at the library.

We believe that the role of the library is a community equalizer. And were here to make sure that everyone has access to their local library, both in person and online.

Can you tell me about your role as president of the American Library Association?

As president of the American Library Association, I represent all of our libraries around the country. So that started July 1st of 2024 and it is a three-year term. Im only the second president from Missouri. The first one was 90 years ago.

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Im always representing libraries and library workers and helping everyone access information. We always do reports on trends, and we have data that shows what activities are happening in libraries. As the official spokesperson, Im in the media a lot. Im doing a lot of interviews right now because of the IMS (Information Management System) activity and whats happening. Ive been to 30 states and three countries so far. You know, just really trying to do what I can to support the profession and my colleagues.

What are the main challenges facing libraries today?

Federal legislation and state and local legislation. There has been quite a bit of negative activity around libraries, specifically around organized groups, introducing legislation to limit peoples access to materials in library collections. Thats been problematic for a few years now, and anytime theres attempts at censorship in America we really need to make sure that everyone understands whats happening, so that we can continue to defend our First Amendment rights and our equal access to information.

Were seeing primarily that the storylines, the characters, or even the authors themselves that people are targeting Black, Indigenous people of color or those from the LGBTQIA+ community. And so, thats really challenging here because again, as an Indigenous person, we know that all people are sacred and all human beings have a right to be respected. And so, to me, its a nonstarter.

Are there any programs or initiatives you have been able to develop to help tell the Native American story?

Absolutely. I am the past president of the American Indian Library Association, and I was able to work with Sen. (Ben Ray) Lujan on changing the definition of tribal libraries, so that tribal libraries could receive funding from the state. There was a time in this country when analyst funding was allocated to the state library and it was optional whether or not to share that funding with the tribal library community, because some states said, Well, a tribal library doesnt meet the definition of a public library.

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That needed to be updated, because thats not true. A tribe is a public community. A tribe is a group of people like any other neighborhood. And so, we worked to get that language updated, so that we could have equity and be able to receive that funding so that we could also have internet.

I am always doing what I can to help elevate the needs of our tribal communities, and Im always the first to say and remind people that sovereignty is not negotiable. For those who arent familiar with that, there is a federal trust responsibility between the government and our sovereign nations. We will uphold our rights as American citizens to receive access to funding for our community members to be able to thrive. I want to say, we started that in 2019.

What is the role of the librarian today and where do you see the institution headed in the future?

There has never been a better time to be a librarian. We are trusted professionals here to serve everyone and help them find accurate information from credible sources. This is what we are trained to do and we welcome everyone to get a library card, visit their library often and share their love of libraries online.

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Americans love their libraries, and we will continue to serve Kansas City for the next 150 years and beyond. There will always be a need for people to access information, and libraries are the hubs of the community. Libraries will continue to support the community by providing literacy-based services and programs. A strong community has a strong library, and we are here to support the public good. Librarians are the helpers of society and we serve everyone in a good way.

For more stories about culture and identity, sign up for our free On The Vine newsletter at http://KansasCity.com/newsletters.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE)  New Mexicos leaders are sounding the alarm about President Donald Trumps sweeping tariffs, saying it will impact businesses across the state. New Mexico is and depends on international trade, particularly with Mexico, said New Mexico State Treasurer Laura Montoya.

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They are speaking out, concerned about the states future after President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on imports coming into the United States. Trump said the sweeping move is to bolster the United States economic position internationally and to protect American workers. But Montoya disagreed, arguing it will affect major industries like agriculture, housing, construction, and more. We get a lot of our equipment from Mexico, so this could impact our oil and gas industry, which makes up approximately 35 percent of the state budget, said Montoya.

She also said President Trumps imposed 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and automotive parts will result in skyrocketing car prices. Cars are going to be a little more expensive now, theyre estimating approximately $10,000 more per car, said Montoya.

The state mainly trades agricultural goods with Mexico and Canada. New Mexicos Department of Agriculture said it hasnt been affected because of the current USMCA, a trade agreement protecting those goods from tariffs.

But there are other countries the state trades with. We export our agricultural products to over 50 countries around the world, and so were going to be watching that quite closely as well, said Jeff Witte, Secretary for New Mexicos Agriculture Department.

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With that, Secretary Jeff Witte said the main concern is retaliatory tariffs. Now that weve got the tariffs in place, we need to analyze where were at and then look for the administration to really move forward in creating some trade agreements with a lot of the countries across the globe, said Witte.

The New Mexico Automotive Dealers Association declined to comment at this time, saying theyre awaiting decisions from manufacturers before making any public statements.

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Roughly 65,000 votes are just a step away from being thrown out after the North Carolina Court of Appeals sided with Jefferson Griffin in his lawsuit seeking to overturn the state Supreme Court race he lost by 734 votes out of more than 5 million cast.

In a stunning decision that changes the rules of an election after that election has occurred, the court ruled that the vast majority of the votes in question must be recounted and verified, and voters will be given 15 days to cure their ballots by providing documentation to verify their identities.

The ruling creates a dangerous precedent for overturning an election result that the loser simply doesnt like.

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The decision by a three-judge panel broke along party lines, with two Republicans in support of Griffins appeal and Democrat Judge Toby Hampson issuing a lengthy dissent, rejects rulings by the State Board of Elections and a Wake Superior Court judge who found the board ruled correctly.

The case is now almost certain to go to the Republican-controlled state Supreme Court, where Griffins opponent in the race, Justice Allison Riggs, will recuse herself. If the state Supreme Court upholds the appeals courts ruling, it will be a new extreme in judicial partisanship and a national embarrassment for North Carolina.

The ruling also places an extraordinary burden on voters who must now defend their legitimacy despite the fact that they did nothing wrong. In most cases, those voters simply did not have a drivers license number or Social Security number attached to their voter registration. That could be because the directions on their registration form were unclear, or because there was a typo or other clerical error in the database. Republicans argue that means their identities cannot be verified, even though those voters were required to show ID in order to cast their vote.

Giving the affected voters the opportunity to cure their ballots does not make this decision any less an act of disenfranchisement. Its fantastical to think that any meaningful share of those voters will provide the missing information in such a tight window, especially those living overseas who may not even receive notice until the 15 days are nearly over.

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Its worth noting that Griffin has not been able to prove that any of the voters he is challenging were actually ineligible to vote. Yet he  and the court  are fervent in their assertion that those votes may well be illegal.

As Hampson wrote in his dissent: Petitioner has not established that any one of the ballots he challenges was cast by an unlawfully registered voter. Therefore, Petitioner has not met his burden of establishing probable cause to believe a violation of election law has occurred.

Even more ridiculous is the fact that the new standard is not being evenly applied  the votes Griffin chose to challenge disproportionately belong to demographics or counties that lean Democratic. Only these specific ballots, in this specific race, are at risk of being thrown out. It undermines the publics faith in our elections and in the judges that are apparently willing to overturn them.

Fridays ruling sends the unwelcome message that the right to vote in North Carolina may be more fragile than ever. Even if you follow the rules, that right can still be taken away from you months later by judges who believe themselves more bound to partisanship than to the law. Its a shame for democracy, and a shame for North Carolina.
NELSON COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56)  Please do not try to cross flooded roadways is a request many Kentuckians have become familiar with over the past week, but the Nelson County Sheriffs Office said it carries a serious meaning and could be the difference between life and death after emergency personnel found a person dead inside a fully submerged vehicle in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Deputies posted on Facebook that around 3:40 a.m. on Saturday, Nelson County Dispatch told authorities about a water rescue taking place involving a person trapped in their vehicle on the 2800 block of Nelsonville Road.

When emergency responders got to the vehicle, a 74-year-old was found dead inside, Nelson County deputies wrote.

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The name of the person found dead in the vehicle is being withheld until the family has been notified.

The sheriffs office wrote that the result of driving through flooded waters doesnt outweigh the risk.

Mandatory evacuation issued for northern Kentucky city: Now is the time to leave

Turn around dont drown is more than a saying, deputies said; its the difference between life and death.

A map of state roads, including those closed due to weather hazards, can be found at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet website.

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NEOGA, Ill. (WCIA)  As school is back in session for the Neoga Community Unit School District, the superintendent has announced updates on its tornado recovery efforts, as well as a look into the future.

In the first part of a statement from Superintendent of Neoga Schools Kevin Haarman, he thanks the staff and students for assisting in recovery efforts. He also thanked the surrounding community for their ongoing support.

Cherry blossoms bloom at U of Is Japan House

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In the cleanup and reconstruction updates, Haarman said that their insurance companies, McLarens and IPMG, are now managing the repairs to the damaged facilities. Once a team of experts is done evaluating the scene, theyll present plans to reconstruct the buildings to the insurance company and school district.

They are unlikely to have any details on the full scope of the rebuild for several weeks, and the district will provide a more specific timeline when it becomes available.

Haarman also said that it has become clear that they wont be able to start next school year in the Jr/Sr High School building. Since classes resumed, the Neoga Community Center and Elementary School have worked as temporary solutions, but they will soon need even more space for the students.

The districts insurance policy does cover relocation expenses, so Haarman has been working with a number of classroom modular companies to explore more options for the upcoming school year.

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For now, were focused on making the most of our current setup for the next nine weeks, Haarman said. Administrators, teachers, aides, secretaries, cooks, bus drivers, custodians, and maintenance staff are doing an amazing job keeping education on track. We ask for your patience as more details about future transitions will come as plans take shape.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
Happy Saturday! Heres another edition of my weekend column for WPRI.com  as always, send your takes, tips and trial balloons to tnesi@wpri.com and follow me on Twitter, Bluesky and Facebook.

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Nesi's Notes

1. Reporters always need to guard against an overfocus on bad news  negativity bias is a real thing. With that said, Rhode Island faces a striking number of serious and thorny challenges right now. The economic outlook is highly uncertain, with President Trumps new tariffs triggering a massive market selloff and raising the odds of a recession. URIs Len Lardaro, whos been tracking the Rhode Island economy for decades, is already flagging signs that the states growth could be slowing enough to push up unemployment. Or look at the states health care system, which appears ever more fragile. Rhode Islands two biggest hospital systems are pleading for cash, while others are losing money or trying Hail Mary transactions. Primary care remains a major pain point, with a serious shortage of doctors and now a sizable practice going out of business. All that is without the cuts to Medicaid that Congress is currently considering. And how about the meds and eds economic development strategy that state leaders have been prioritizing for years? Brown University is key to that strategy, yet the Trump administration is freezing $510 million in grants and contracts for the school, and is separately fighting in court to reduce NIH support for higher education. Governor McKee warned Friday afternoon that the Brown cuts could be devastating to the university, harm our economy, and hamper our efforts to achieve the strategic goals of the RI 2030 plan. There are other issues you could add to the list: a broken housing market, high energy costs, mediocre K-12 test scores, a persistent wealth gap versus Massachusetts and Connecticut. With the legislative session about to kick into high gear, how will state lawmakers navigate these headwinds?

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2. Amid the carnage in the stock market, there is at least one silver lining for Rhode Island: shares of the states biggest company, CVS Health, were down less than 5% this week. Compare that with Hasbro, down 11%, or Citizens, down 14%. And it reflects a bigger trend: CVS was the top-performing stock in the S&P 500 during the first quarter, jumping 51% since the start of the year. That suggests investors are optimistic about the turnaround efforts of David Joyner, who replaced Karen Lynch as CEO last fall in a big C-suite shakeup. Writing on Monday, Barrons reporter Mackenzie Tatananni said CVS is also benefiting from its diverse set of health care interests  drugstores, a PBM, insurance  as well as its high dividend.

3. Rhode Islands state government hasnt always covered itself in glory when it comes to big IT projects, from the UHIP debacle to the DMV computer system. So its worth keeping an eye on the under-the-radar rollout of the Enterprise Resource Planning system, which is supposed to integrate the states aging systems for finances, HR and payroll. The projects cost is now estimated at $84.5 million, up from $68.7 million in 2021 (though other documents have put the price tag as high as $91.3 million). Whatever the final amount, the system is set to be rolled out this year. And its coming online as key state officials  including Auditor General David Bergantino and House Fiscal Adviser Sharon Reynolds Ferland  have been increasingly vocal about sloppy financial reporting in state accounts. My colleague Eli Sherman has more on those concerns here.

4. If you want an upbeat story about Rhode Island right now, look to the University of Rhode Island. School leaders were at the State House this week to lobby lawmakers at their annual URI Day, and had two recent achievements to tout  a new designation as a Carnegie R1 research university, and a No. 1 ranking among New Englands public universities from The Wall Street Journal. URI President Marc Parlange is our guest on this weeks Newsmakers, where he discusses the significance of both those designations, as well as his optimism about the schools future and its contribution to the state. as a whole I always tell students from out of state that they are the new Rhode Islanders, Parlange said.

5. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is spreading the credit widely when it comes to how the $221 million in federal funding for the Washington Bridge got unlocked. On Monday, Duffys office released a statement chastising his predecessor Pete Buttigieg (though not by name) for leaving him roughly 3,200 unobligated grants that had been promoted by the previous administration but never fulfilled. He also distributed a joint statement from Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz and House Minority Leader Mike Chippendale that thanked Duffy for being so responsive to our recent communications with the administration about the Washington Bridge. Two days later, Duffy struck a much more bipartisan tone before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where Senator Whitehouse is the new top Democrat and West Virginia Republican Shelley Moore Capito is the chair. I think that Senator Capito has talked probably more about your projects than her own projects in West Virginia, as evidence that you all work together in a bipartisan fashion, Duffy told Whitehouse. And I appreciate that, because I think infrastructure is bipartisan. He added: By the way, the first bridge  the first project  that we actually got through and done was Senator Whitehouses. Whitehouse extended a caveated olive branch to Duffy, whose nomination he supported on the Senate floor. Describing himself as eager to advance bipartisan bills on permitting reform, water resources, and highway funding, Whitehouse said, These three, big bills could be transformational. But, he continued, I cant do any of that while the Trump administration blockades authorized and appropriated funds for approved projects, particularly if it blockades selectively. I cant do that if the Trump administration violates its duty to see that bipartisan laws we pass are executed faithfully, not with favoritism.

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6. The growing alarm among voters who oppose President Trumps policies is going to shape the political weather as we head toward the 2026 midterms, even in blue states. One bit of evidence came at the town halls held Thursday evening by Congressmen Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner, with Amo drawing over 500 voters to Riverside Middle School in East Providence and Magaziner seeing around 250 at East Greenwichs Swift Community Center. Another test will happen today, as organizers seek to draw big crowds to a nationwide set of anti-Trump Hands Off! protests, including a noontime march from Hope High School to Kennedy Plaza thats planned in Providence. Local protests are also scheduled in Tiverton and Dartmouth. UNH pegged Trumps disapproval rating at 59% in Rhode Island as of last month, and it was notable that more than half of voters  53%  said they strongly disapproved. That signals significant discontent among a majority of the electorate.

7. Mayor Smiley is making another attempt to reuse the old Lauro Elementary School.

8. Heres a dispatch from my colleague Tim White: On Friday, I had the privilege of attending the official portrait unveiling of Rhode Island U.S. District Senior Judge William Smith at federal court in Providence. After more than 22 years on the bench, Smith entered senior status in January. There was a throng of dignitaries in attendance, including a relatively rare public appearance by former Gov. Lincoln Chafee, who as a Republican U.S. senator recommended Smith to President George W. Bush in 2002. Smith joked that while many in attendance probably didnt like the Bush v. Gore ruling, in our house that is a very popular decision. He referenced how turbulent the last few months have been for the judiciary, saying he has never been so proud to be affiliated with anything in my life, and adding, You cant overstate the difficulty of whats going on in the federal courts right now and how critical the work is that were doing. The portrait was painted by Rhode Island artist Harley Bartlett  paid for by donations from Smiths former law clerks  and depicts the judge smiling. It stands in contrast to the stoic oil-on-canvas works that otherwise line the courtrooms and halls of the historic building, and Smith said it was important for him to be captured that way. Its more my default state in life to be smiling, he said, and I think it symbolizes and reflects the real joy of doing this work here at the court for all of these years.

9. Former Fall River Police Chief Paul Gauvin was fired Monday after an outside investigation determined he left threatening items in his desk and unregistered firearms in his locker. Eli Sherman and Tim White have the details.

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10. People in the news  Senate President Dominick Ruggerio says he will be away from the State House for the time being so he can be healthy and in attendance for the end of the legislative session  Janet Coit, the former DEM director and senior NOAA official, has signed on to advise Speaker Shekarchi about environmental issues for the rest of the session  Governor McKee has named retired R.I. National Guard Major Gen. Christopher Callahan to the R.I. Ethics Commission and Jill Hume Harrison, a RIC sociology professor, to the R.I. Parole Board  CVS has hired former U.S. Attorney Robert Corrente as part of its legal team in the DOJ opioid lawsuit (h/t Tim White)  Brown student Alex Shieh got support from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression in his conflict with school administrators  Foxboro state Sen. Paul Feeney will co-chair a hearing at Attleboro High School on Monday about Governor Healeys budget bill.

11. Putting together our 70th anniversary coverage really highlighted to me the value and importance of preserving not just our own archives here at WPRI 12, but the archives of all the TV and radio outlets in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts (not to mention elsewhere). One person who shares that belief  and has been indispensable to me over the years on a variety of projects  is local archivist Becca Bender. In a new Globe RI op-ed this week, Becca makes the case for local foundations to support creation of a Rhode Island Audiovisual Local News Archive. As an archivist, she writes, the great power of the audiovisual, coupled with the strong public trust in local television news, emphasizes the vital role broadcast media plays in documenting our local history. Hear, hear!

12. Set your DVRs: This week on Newsmakers  URI President Marc Parlange. Watch Sunday at 5:30 a.m. on WPRI 12 and 10 a.m. on Fox Providence, or listen on the radio Sunday at 6 p.m. on WPRO. You can also subscribe to Newsmakers as a podcast via Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you back here next Saturday.

Ted Nesi (tnesi@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter and 12 News politics/business editor. He co-hosts Newsmakers and writes Nesis Notes on Saturdays. Connect with him on Twitter, Bluesky and Facebook.

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The Office of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is asking for a special prosecutor to take over her investigation into alleged voter fraud in Hamtramck among several city councilmen, saying that perceptions she is biased against the councilmen, Arabs and Muslims could affect her prosecution.

Her office said Friday that Nessel and her department don't have any ethnic, religious or political prejudices, but are asking for an outside prosecutor to avoid any appearance of bias into the probe of a conspiracy by elected officials to illegally cast ballots they collected from voters and paid money for.

Nessel's office revealed new details about its probe into ballot fraud in 2023 elections in Hamtramck, saying Friday it had asked the FBI to take up the case, but it was rebuffed in December by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Michigan, which declined to handle the investigation and prosecution.

From left to right: Hamtramck city councilmen Abu Musa, Mohammed Alsomiri and Mohammed Hassan (in short-sleeve shirt) and Mayor Amer Ghalib listen to public comment before a vote about banning the LGBTQ+ pride flag on government buildings and city property, as well as other flags representing racial and political issues, during a city council meeting at Hamtramck City Hall on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. The three councilmen and others are listed in a March 2025 letter as under investigation by the Michigan Attorney General.

The Department of Attorney General was concerned about perceptions that Nessel was biased against Arab Americans and Muslims over her prosecution of pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Michigan and her outspoken criticism of Muslim city councilmen in Hamtramck who voted to ban LGBTQ+ Pride flags on city property.

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An assistant to Nessel sent a letter known as a "petition for appointment of special prosecutor" last month to the Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council, an autonomous state agency that heads an office with the Attorney General's Office that handles outside prosecutors. A spokesman for the council, John Perry, confirmed to the Free Press it has received the March 10 letter from Assistant Attorney General and Criminal Bureau Chief Danielle Hagaman-Clark requesting a special prosecutor.

"The case still has not been assigned as of this morning," Perry said.

The investigation targets six people, four of them city councilmen and a former city councilman, according to the petition that Nessel's office forwarded Friday to the Free Press. Wayne County records reviewed previously by the Free Press showed only two city councilmen were under investigation. It was unclear until Friday why the investigation was at a standstill.

Hamtramck City Clerk Rana Faraj sent Nessel a letter on March 12 urging her to take action, accusing City Councilman Mohammed Hassan of ballot fraud and acting as if he was untouchable. Faraj expressed concern that more ballot fraud could occur this year, with other council seats up for grabs, along with the mayor's seat.

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More: Hamtramck clerk asks AG Dana Nessel to take action on election fraud allegations

Nessel's press secretary, Danny Wimmer, told the Free Press on Friday that no charges have been filed yet, and explained why they are requesting a special prosecutor.

"This department investigated these allegations for months and, at the conclusion of our initial investigation, determined another agency should make the charging decisions and manage the potential ensuing prosecutions in order to avoid any perception that personal or institutional biases would impact prosecutorial conduct in these cases," Wimmer said. "While our investigation and prosecutorial review were free from personal or institutional biases, there had occurred a confluence of events around the time the initial investigation concluded that could create the perception of bias. It was a concern of the Attorney Generals that wrongful perceptions of bias were heightened following the criminal charges issued against defendants connected to the pro-Palestinian encampment at (University of Michigan), and in light of the fact that Attorney General Nessel had personally appeared at public protests against anti-LGBTQ policies of the Hamtramck City Council in 2023."

In June 2023, Nessel spoke in a Hamtramck park at a rally organized by LGBTQ+ advocates protesting the city council banning Pride flags and other types of political and religious flags from city buildings. The resolution to ban the Pride flags was introduced by Hassan, one of the city councilmen under investigation.

Hamtramck City Council candidate Muhtasin Rahman Sadman standing outside Hamtramck High School, a polling site, on Election Day, Nov. 7, 2023.

Calling Hamtramck "a national embarrassment" at the 2023 rally, Nessel criticized city leaders.

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"Take down the wall you have now built that has made this proud city into a national embarrassment and raise the flag of equality," Nessel said at the Hamtramck park in 2023. "I will continue to fight for you in Lansing, but I ask that you treat all your residents with dignity, value, support and equal protection."

Nessel, the first LGBTQ+ person to be Michigan's attorney general, also pleaded in her 2023 remarks for Muslims and LGBTQ+ people to work together instead of fighting.

Some Muslims in Michigan have criticized Nessel and other Democratic leaders such as Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan for criticizing Hamtramck over its flag ban while not attacking cities such as Livonia that passed similar bans. Livonia is a majority white Christian city, while Hamtramck has the highest percentage of immigrants among cities in Michigan, many of them Muslims and minorities. It has the only all-Muslim city council in the U.S. Some Muslims were also upset over her prosecution of pro-Palestinian protesters in Ann Arbor. There's also concern among Arab Americans and Bangladeshi Americans they are being targeted because of a fear over them acquiring political power.

In the March 10 petition, Hagaman-Clark said they are "investigating a conspiracy to unlawfully obtain access to absentee ballots with the intent to illegally vote the ballots."

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Hagaman-Clark alleges that six suspects, named at the top of her letter, "conspired to receive unvoted absentee ballots that had been signed by recently naturalized citizens, and to then fill in the candidates of their choosing. In some instances, it is alleged that they paid for votes, as well as had citizens claim addresses they did not live at, in order to gain an advantage in local elections."

Hassan was reelected in 2023 and another candidate he supported, Muhtasin Sadman, also won.

The six people listed as under investigation in the petition are Hassan, Sadman, Councilman Abu Musa, Councilman Mohammed Alsomiri, former councilman Nayeem Choudhury, who lost his reelection bid in 2023, and another man who is not a politician.

Hassan has not returned emails and voicemails left in recent weeks. Musa did not return an email Friday. Sadman told the Free Press earlier this year that the claims against him are "all fake."

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"I haven't been charged," Sadman told the Free Press. There are some "allegations and ... investigating, but I don't know who's behind it."

Alsomiri told the Free Press on Friday that he was not involved with any voter fraud.

"I don't have anything to do" with this case, Alsomiri said by phone. "I am pretty clear. ... I am good with my community. I am very good. I don't have any ... problems."

"I didn't do anything wrong ... never," he added.

Alsomiri said he has been working as a volunteer for the community for years.

"Why (would) I go to do something wrong?" he said.

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Choudhury told the Free Press by phone: "I don't have any comment at this moment." Choudhury's business was raided by Michigan State Police in 2017 and his father was stopped and questioned by state troopers on suspicion of voter fraud, but no charges were filed.

In 2013, several Hamtramck men were charged by then-Attorney General Bill Schuette with improper possession or return of absentee ballots. Schuette said the investigation was launched after the city clerk said some authorized people were returning multiple ballots. Armani Asad, Salim Ahmed, Mohammed Rahmon and Russell Mohammed, some of them council candidates, all pleaded guilty to one felony count of unlawful possession of an absentee ballot. None received jail time, but faced fines, costs and one of them received probation, according to Schuette's office.

Local elections in Hamtramck are nonpartisan. The city drew national attention last year as Donald Trump actively engaged the Muslim community in Hamtramck, holding a rally in the city with Mayor Amer Ghalib and other officials and Muslim leaders. Ghalib, Musa and Sadman endorsed Trump while Hassan and Alsomiri endorsed Kamala Harris.

In her petition requesting a special prosecutor, Hagaman-Clark wrote about Nessel and the politics of Hamtramck. The letter mistakenly says the five politicians are of Arab descent. Four of them are immigrants from Bangladesh, which is not an Arab country. Only Alsomiri is of Arab descent.

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"It is undisputed that Attorney General Nessel has been critical of policy positions taken by the Hamtramck City Council (positions that were supported by Suspects 1-5)  even speaking at a rally in June 2023 outside of City Hall during the run-up to the 2023 election," Hagaman-Clark wrote. "Attorney General Nessel has also been criticized for her prosecutions of pro-Palestinian protestors at the University of Michigan. Critics have alleged, albeit without justification, that these prosecutions were brought due to bias against Muslims and/or people of Arab descent. It is likely similar criticisms would be raised if prosecutions were brought here as suspects 1-5 are of Arab descent."

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or X @nwarikoo

Below is the fully copy of the petition letter sent by an assistant to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel requesting a special prosecutor in the investigation of voter fraud allegations in Hamtramck:

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dana Nessel asks for special prosecutor in Hamtramck voter fraud case
BUDAPEST/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Washington and discuss U.S. tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump among other issues, the Israeli leader's office said on Saturday.

Four Israeli officials and a White House official said previously that Netanyahu was due to meet with Trump on Monday. The impromptu in-person visit could be the first effort by a foreign leader to negotiate a deal with Trump to remove tariffs.

Netanyahu's office said in a statement the prime minister, who is visiting Hungary, would depart for Washington on Sunday.

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The Trump meeting will also cover Israel-Turkey relations, Iran, Israel's efforts to free hostages in Gaza and Israel's battle against the International Criminal Court, the statement said.

The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu alleging responsibility for war crimes in Gaza.

Netanyahu's visit to Washington was first reported by Axios.

Trump extended the surprise invitation in a phone call on Thursday with Netanyahu when the Israeli leader raised the tariff issue, according to the Israeli officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

As part of a sweeping new tariff policy announced by Trump, Israeli goods face a 17% U.S. tariff. The U.S. is Israel's closest ally and largest single trading partner.

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An Israeli finance ministry official said on Thursday that Trump's latest tariff announcement could impact Israel's exports of machinery and medical equipment.

Israel had already moved to cancel its remaining tariffs on U.S. imports on Tuesday. The two countries signed a free trade agreement 40 years ago and about 98% of goods from the U.S. are now tax-free.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward, Maayan Lubell and Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Hatem Maher; Editing by William Maclean, Diane Craft, Toby Chopra and Cynthia Osterman)
President Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, a White House official confirmed.

This marks the second visit for Netanyahu this year after he had previously visited in February, a few weeks after Trump first took office. Trump told reporters on Thursday that he had spoken with the prime minister and that he would be visiting in the not too distant future.

The visit was first reported by Axios.

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The trip comes as Israel has been slapped with a 17 percent retaliatory tariff from the United States as part of the presidents global tariffs.

Israel also resumed its air and ground operation in Gaza after a breakdown in talks over the cease fire deal. Trump signaled Thursday that Gaza is a big problem that hell be speaking with Netanyahu about.

Well be speaking about whats going on, thats another thing wed like to get solved, Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Thursday.
NEVADA, Mo. - A family in Nevada is showing Ozarks First the damage to their home and business, which is considered unsalvageable after being hit by an EF-1 tornado on April 2.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY)  The suspect in the robbery of a Newport News credit union was arrested on Saturday.

Officers responded to the BayPort Credit Union in the 3700 block of Huntington Avenue at 2:35 p.m. on Friday in reference to a report of a robbery.

Marrio Ashlock (Courtesy: Newport News Police Department)

A preliminary investigation determined that the man handed a note to a teller suggesting that he had a weapon and demanding cash.

The suspect left the bank on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. He was last seen walking southbound on Huntington Avenue.

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Ashlock stands at approximately 5-feet-8 and around 190 pounds. His hair is described as short and curly with sideburns and a goatee. During the robbery, he wore a black shirt with pink writing and blue jeans.

His charges have not been released yet.

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When Zvika Klein was asked to attend the offices of the Lahav 433 international crime investigations unit this week, he assumed he had nothing to fear.

One of the best-connected editors in the Jerusalem Posts recent history, and personally responsible for numerous scoops, the 42-year-old is a widely respected figure both in Israel and, thanks to his assiduous bridge-building, the international Jewish diaspora.

Yet, in his own words, shortly after arriving at police headquarters, everything turned upside down.

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Placed under arrest, Klein says he was then subjected to 12 hours of harsh interrogation, his trailblazing scoops presented against him as evidence of possible crimes.

The investigation? So-called Qatargate, a scandal that reached fever pitch this week with the arrest of two of Benjamin Netanyahus close aides.

In an extraordinary spectacle, even for a country already roiled by legal drama at the top of government, the prime minister was forced to cut short giving evidence in his corruption trial on Monday to assist police with their inquiries into his staff.

Investigators believe that Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein used their position in the prime ministers office to promote Qatars image within Israeli and international media via off-the-record briefings in return for money.

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In post-Oct 7 Israel, that is an acutely controversial claim.

Zvika Klein praised Qatari officials for understanding Israel probably better than Western diplomats - Noam Galai

This is because, first, the Gulf state is seen as having an uncomfortably close relationship with Hamas, both in the sense that it paid  with Israels blessing  hundreds of millions of dollars into Gaza, which analysts now believe helped equip the terror group for the 2023 massacre; also the fact that Hamas was headquartered in Doha until last November.

Second, since the atrocity, Qatar has assumed a leading role in hosting and mediating the hostage negotiations.

These are talks which, for many Israelis, repeatedly failed to find achievable common ground, condemning the abductees to months of unnecessary incarceration. Thirty-four living hostages are still believed to be captive.

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Critics in Israel, and internationally, accuse the oil-rich monarchy of seeking to present itself as a progressive force for regional and world cohesion, while at the same time quietly cleaving to the radical Islamism of the Muslim Brotherhood and funding terrorist groups.

If it is proved that Mr Netanyahu employed paid agents of, technically, a non-friendly Arab state in his office during a time of war, that could be too embarrassing even for him to survive.

On Tuesday, Judge Menahem Mizrahi issued a brief summary of investigators lines of inquiry, saying there was reasonable suspicion that the accusations he outlined were well-founded.

Among them was a claim that Mr Ulrich formed a direct connection with Jay Footlik, a pro-Qatar US lobbyist, with the aim not only of promoting Dohas status as the lead mediator for hostage negotiations but also criticising the role of Egypt.

Protesters hold placards as they demonstrate against Mr Netanyahus attempt to sack his spy chief - Kobi Wolf

Since diplomatic relations were established in the 1980s, leaving behind the wars of the previous decades, Egypt has developed into Israels most important regional partner.

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However, a bitter rivalry  described in one Israeli newspaper this week as a bottomless hatred  has grown between Cairo and Doha, with the Egyptian military-rooted authoritarian regime contemptuous of Qatars tolerance of the Muslim Brotherhood, who briefly won control of Egypt in 2012.

Israeli commentators have noted that since Oct 7, off-the-record briefings emanating from Mr Netanyahus office have repeatedly talked down Cairos ability to yield results in the hostage negotiations.

There were even a number of factually dubious suggestions that Egypt was preparing for war with Israel.

Commentators have suggested that this was part of a deliberate effort by Qatar to seize control of the hostage negotiations, potentially with the aim of finding a favourable outcome for Hamas. Some believe this directly harmed the prospects of a deal.

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Qatar has angrily rejected any such notion.

Things arent black and white

Correspondence on Mr Feldsteins phone led police to Klein, who was promoted to editor in chief of the Jerusalem Post shortly before the start of the current war.

In the months since, arguably his most eye-catching personal journalism has been on the subject of Qatar, facilitated by high-level access to Qatari ministers and officials.

Following a visit in 2024, during which he joined senior dignitaries at a luxury campsite and held meetings in the government headquarters, he published a long article seeking to interrogate the validity of criticisms against Qatar, which he described as a gorgeous country.

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The piece was nuanced, clearly outlining the concerns about Qatar.

However, Klein gave significant space to Qatari explanations for the Hamas funding issue, namely that they were simply facilitating an Israeli-US initiative. Similarly, on the question of why they were hosting Hamas in their capital.

Praising Qatari officials for understanding Israel probably better than Western diplomats, he concluded that the country sat in a complicated and sensitive region where things arent black and white.

It has now emerged that Klein was offered the opportunity to visit Qatar by Yisrael Einhorn, a former Netanyahu aide, described by some Israeli press as Mr Urichs partner.

Yisrael Einhorn (left) seen with Jonatan Urich and Mr Netanyahu in 2019

He is currently in Serbia, and Israeli police have spoken of attempting to force his return via Interpol in connection with Qatargate.

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Additionally, it is now known that the pro-Qatar lobbyist Mr Footlik accompanied Klein to some of his meetings in Qatar.

When he returned to Israel, Mr Einhorn offered to engage a PR professional to help promote Kleins article describing his visit to Qatar in the Israeli press.

He reportedly said that the American  Mr Footlik  would pay.

There was also a trip to Germany, where Mr Einhorn offered an exclusive interview with the Qatari ambassador Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammad Al Thani, who is now ambassador to Britain.

On Thursday, the editor issued an impassioned defence of his journalism and a denunciation of the polices conduct.

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In an instant, I went from a public servant to a suspect. Not even in my worst nightmares could I have imagined this, he wrote.

He described his coverage of Qatar as a rare journalistic opportunity for which he received nothing in return. No benefits, no payment, no promises.

This case will not intimidate me, he said.

Klein pointed out that he had even decided to publish a column in the Jerusalem Post that was personally critical of his decision to travel to Qatar.

Klein is now free and faces no charges.

However, Mr Feldstein and Mr Ulrich reportedly gave contradictory versions of events under questioning this week and have now been released on house arrest. Both men, as well as Mr Einhorn, deny any wrongdoing.

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Meanwhile, a scandal that has already embroiled the highest political offices of the state now grips an independent institution  the Jerusalem Post  which is older than the state itself.

For an Israeli public already nervous about threats to their countrys democratic safeguards, given the alleged attempts to politicise the military and security service, the arrest of a prominent editor has caused inevitable alarm.

The irony that the arrest was part of an investigation in which Mr Netanyahu has been accused of subverting democracy to avoid, just illustrates the complexity of the turmoil gripping Israeli politics.

It is likely the Qatar scandal has some distance yet to run.

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NEWTON, Iowa  When Bev Klingensmith of Newton first got an email about this, she didnt take it seriously. Someone wanted her to bring her Great Dane named Bing to New York to film a movie.

She deleted the email.

Later, she reconsidered and thought she could somehow help the movie project find the right dog and she contacted the production. Then, she re-considered and sent some photos of her dog Bing to the movie company.

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The producers got back to her, they were interested in having Bing be in this movie. Its called The Friend. Its about a man who dies, and leaves his Great Dane to his friend.

The project sounded really cool so I would go ahead, and really have no clue what I was getting at this point, but I went ahead and submitted these photos for consideration, said Klingensmith. Then the two directors flew out to meet us in like mid-January maybe 2020, as soon as they met him, they knew they found the right dog.

WHO 13+ streaming app now available on Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV

Things sort of drug out, but eventually the movie was filmed in New York City.

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I worked with this team of people as well as American Humane Association, said Klingensmith. Theyre the ones that give you that seal of approval no animals were harmed in the making of this production and they had everyone around to ensure Bings well-being and safety and that was one of the priorities.

Bev said shes had the chance to view the movie, first last October at a film festival.

Ive seen them multiple times, the first time I watched that I had a hard time you know youre thinking of where you were and what the next scene might be and what they used what they didnt use and what the dog was doing, said Klingensmith. But the second time I watched it I step back and try to enjoy it as a film and I thought it was beautiful.

Before the movie premiere Klingensmith went to New York to be on the Tonight Show and The View. This week she has been in Los Angeles doing interviews.

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It was so cool to see everybody differently behind the scene, like the dressing by the little room they have for you, said Bev. They had a sweet gift for us and the Fallon dressing room, they had a little stuffed toy for Bing and a little cute dog bowl that has the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on it.

The movie opened in theaters around the country, including Newton. Klingensmith will actually bring Bing to the Capitol II Theater in Newton for a Q&A session April 13th and the 16th.

The things that he has experienced through all of this has been absolutely crazy and he has been so unfazed by nearly all of it and its just, it makes me incredibly proud, said Klingensmith.

Iowa News:

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An elderly British woman has received an undisclosed compensation payout from the NHS after she discovered she was accidentally swapped at birth more than 70 years ago.

It is the second case of a bureaucratic bungle by the NHS revealed in the past 12 months.

Last year, the NHS admitted it had accidentally swapped two babies in the West Midlands almost 60 years ago.

In the latest case of baby swapping, the woman known as Susan (not her real name), from southern England, used a home DNA testing kit, which revealed some genealogy she did not know that she had.

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I did notice there was a lot of Irish heritage, which as far as I knew was wrong, she told the BBC.

But I just pushed it aside and didnt think any more of it. I stopped paying for my subscription and that was it.

Suspected she was secretly adopted

But six years later, Susan, who is in her 70s, was contacted by a man who shared her genetic information, raising the prospect she had a genetic sibling.

She said her first response to the shock news  which came after the man also shared his genetic information with the genealogy companys vast family tree database  was just panic.

It was every emotion I could think of, my brain was all over the place, she said.

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Susan then suspected she might have been secretly adopted. She asked her older brother, since her parents had died some years before.

He was certain the new revelation was a scam because his sister had always been in his life and he was absolutely certain one of his first memories was his mother being pregnant.

But Susan still had her suspicions because she was taller than her brother and, with her long, blonde hair, had never looked like the rest of her family.

Unable to bond with biological family

Susans eldest daughter did some amateur sleuth work and found a copy of all the births registered in the local area on the day her mother was born.

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The next baby girl on the list, registered at the same NHS hospital, had the exact surname as the man who contacted her through the genealogy website.

Susan met her genetic sibling and laughed at how similar they looked.

If youd put a wig on him and a bit of make-up, it could honestly have been me, she told the BBC.

She has also seen photographs of the woman who she was swapped with at birth and her sons.

But Susan admitted it has been difficult to establish a relationship with the rest of her broader genetic family who closed ranks around their sister.

Like Susans genetic parents, her own parents  whom she described as loving and supportive  died some years ago. She said she is glad they did not find out the truth.

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In a way, Im so glad they are not here anymore to see this, Susan said. If they are up there watching me, I really hope they dont know whats gone on.

Newborns often separated from their mothers

Jason Tang, from the London law firm Russell Cooke, which is representing Susan, said the NHS maternity care system was far less sophisticated in the 1950s.

Babies were often separated from their mothers in large nursery rooms and cared for by midwives.

It is standard practice in the NHS today to place two bands around a babys ankles immediately after birth and keep the mother and child together through their hospital stay.

It may be that staff didnt attach a card or tag immediately, or that it simply fell off and was put back on the wrong baby or the wrong crib, Mr Tang said.

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Susan is one of the first cases of swapped babies to receive compensation, but the amount was not disclosed.

She was required to take a second DNA test before the NHS trust involved accepted its historic mistake and apologised.

For her, the settlement was never about the money but the recognition a mistake had been made all those years ago.

I suppose you always want someone to blame, dont you, she told the BBC. But I know this will be with me for the rest of my life. I just wanted a conclusion.

A spokesman for the NHS declined to comment.

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In Australia, feral pigs occupy enormous parts of the continent, wreaking havoc on our wildlife, crops and fragile ecosystems.

Before and after photos of a farm dam in Yetman, in the Northern Tablelands, show a vast improvement in vegetation growth. Source: NSW Local Land Services.

Feral pigs are one of Australia's worst introduced threats, unleashing an estimated $100 million economic burden on Australia's agricultural sector every year.

Causing serious crop damage, feral pigs also kill livestock and compete with numerous native species. Their impact is felt by both farmers and conservationists, and the species also contributes to the spread of disease. In NSW, where it's estimated feral pigs occupy 60 percent of the state, the issue is particularly dire.

While it's generally accepted that feral pigs will never be completely eradicated in Australia  from the mainland at least  pockets of the country have managed to drastically shrink their numbers. In Yetman, on the NSW Northern Tablelands, 1,243 were culled last year across two properties occupying 1,900 hectares, through a combination of aerial shooting, trapping and baiting programs.

Incredible before and after pictures show a vast improvement in vegetation growth along a dam after the pigs' removal. A spokesperson for the Local Land Services (LLS), the Department of Primary Industries division that manages feral pigs, said the pictures show efforts are working.

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"These pictures highlight the results of ongoing, coordinated feral pig control and a reduction in the number of pigs in the area," they told Yahoo News Australia. "The pictures themselves are a before and after shot of a farm dam. The after shows a lot less damage from feral pigs and increased vegetation growth in the area."

Feral pigs cost Australia an estimated $100 million per year. Source: PIRSA

Farmers didn't realise how many pigs infested their properties

Primary producers Jack Pearlman and Rowan Wood joined forces with LLS from February to September last year to manage populations in the area, which included 98 trapping days.

Jack said he'd never have suspected he had so many feral pigs on his property, until he consistently caught pigs in traps every day. "Its labour-intensive work but ... [it] showed me the impact you can achieve through longer control programs," he said.

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"Whats scary is that theyre still around, and if we didnt do these control programs or receive the support from LLS, we wouldnt have known how large the problem was until it was too late."

Last month an additional 2,431 pigs were culled as part of a large-scale aerial operation that targeted 78,711 hectares across 41 private properties in Yetman and Wallangra. A land of steep gorges and open croplands, the region has seen a rise in feral pig activity in recent years.

Landholders had previously reported issues such as tracks, digging, wallows, and damage to fences, as well as harm to crops, hay and stored grain caused by the pigs. But Rowan observed fewer pigs and less visible damage this harvest compared to previous years. He said the damage they can do to crops "is massive" when they group.

"They can wreck it in a week," he said. "If you turn your back for just six months, thats all it takes for their numbers to spiral out of control."

Authorities now believe they have effectively eliminated pigs from Kangaroo Island in South Australia  a rare win in the country. Source: PIRSA

Pockets of Australia have success in feral pig eradication

Conservations say the impact of feral pigs in Australia can't be understated, but in certain areas extermination efforts are having real successes. In a huge win, authorities now believe they have effectively eliminated pigs from Kangaroo Island, where they previously ran amok in plague proportions.

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Once over 5,000 of the introduced pests roamed Kangaroo Island in South Australia, but there are now thought to be virtually none left. During the horror 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires, which tore across more than half of the island, it's believed feral population pig numbers were also reduced by an astonishing 90 per cent  an unexpected but welcomed outcome.

Feral pigs destroy natural landscapes, prey on native wildlife, and breed extremely quickly. Source: South Australian Government

The president of the Australian Pig Doggers and Hunters Association (APDHA), Ned Makin told Yahoo last year how the country's hunters, farmers and regional landowners are desperately calling for a more nationalised approach. He believes pig population numbers have surged to as high as 40 or 50 million.

Makin said that in 2024, hunters had eradicated over four million feral pigs. He said the figure alone debunks official government statistics which suggest there are 3.5 million of the pests nationally.

Largely, the onus has fallen on locals and landowners in affected areas to eliminate the non-native species, which Makin likened to rodents, in that they are extremely prolific breeders, clever, adaptable, and eat virtually everything. He suggested the country could benefit from a subsidised hunter's scheme, which may in turn entice others to join the cause.

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Washington (DC News Now)  New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker (D) broke a record dating back to 1957 this week on the longest floor speech protesting President Donald Trump and his administration.

The Hills Sarakshi Rai, director of audience development and head of social media, talks about the impact this could have for the Democratic Party.

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Hands off the Constitution, personal data, Canada, the Department of Education, Social Security, Medicaid, the Department of Veteran Affairs, the economy, universities, science, reproductive care and national parks.

These were some of the demands chanted over the hum of rain by a crowd that organizers estimated to be over 2,000 that stretched across Washington Park on Saturday.

From the steps of Music Hall to the sidewalks on Race Street, the sea of people equipped with water-proofed signage, rain boots and raincoats was organized as part of the "Hands Off" campaign. The national movement, consisting of over 1,000 protests scattered across all 50 states on Saturday, is aimed at challenging the Trump administration's mass layoffs and shuttering of federal agencies through the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla.

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The Hands Off protests are expected to be the largest and most numerous protests since Trump's second term began, with more than 500,000 people having RSVP'd to attend nationwide. The demonstrations, the largest of which is happening in Washington D.C., are being livestreamed here.

Protesters in Cincinnati gathered for a rally at 11 a.m., with tabling from local organizations like Bold New Democracy, Indivisible Southwest Ohio and the Ohio Poor Peoples Campaign. Several speakers took the stage, including local leaders from Cincinnati-area American Federation of Government Employees unions.

Micah Niemeier-Walsh, vice president of AFGE's Local 3840 union, which represents Cincinnati employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, set the stakes for the crowd, exclaiming that hundreds of local workers at NIOSH are at risk of losing their jobs amid mass layoffs.

"We want to show the important work NIOSH does to protect workers  firefighters, teachers, nurses. We make sure they can make it home safely at the end of the day," Niemeier-Walsh told The Enquirer, adding that the group is demanding full reinstatement of NIOSH employees.

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Around 1 p.m., following a "No kings in the Queen City" chant led by organizer and Mount Healthy resident Jesse Cupp, the protesters marched from the Over-the-Rhine park to Cincinnati City Hall. A flurry of chants boomed in different pockets of the crowd, with some exclaiming "Not going back," "Dump Trump," and "F*** JD Vance."

Protest organizer: 'Anybody ... is welcome to join us, regardless of their political ideology'

The protest in Cincinnati was organized by a coalition of three local groups: 50501  a newer national entity that champions holding 50 protests against the Trump administration across all 50 states on one day  Indivisible Southwest Ohio and Bold New Democracy.

Saturday's lead organizer Valerie Barrett, a 50501 volunteer, said both the Hands Off and 50501 missions involve fighting on behalf of the everyday people that rely on government programs being targeted by DOGE.

"50501's mission is to defend the constitution, defend democracy and fight against executive overreach. We seek to do that in a very inclusive way, meaning that anybody who supports the cause of fighting for America's democracy is welcome to join us, regardless of their political ideology," Barrett said.

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Cincinnati joins nearby Middletown  hometown of Vice President JD Vance  Wilmington and Oxford in the more than three dozen protests hosted across the Buckeye State. Indivisible NKY, a progressive grassroots group, planned a Hands Off protest in Florence, but postponed it due to weather.

The Enquirer reached out to Russell Mock, Hamilton County Republican Party chairman, for comment on the Over-the-Rhine demonstration but did not hear back as of Saturday afternoon.

Veterans, former Republicans, first-time protesters among crowd in Washington Park

Mark Askew, 67, a Cincinnati resident, says the workforce cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs and Trump's firing of Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are what motivated him to attend Saturday's event. It marks his first time at a protest.

Askew, a U.S. Navy veteran, described Trump's removal of Gen. Brown as "basically racist."

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"I don't like the fact that he feels that all veterans are suckers," Askew continued. "He's cutting VA benefits and reducing government workers who are veterans ... I just think that somebody needs to do something, that's why I'm here."

He added that he's loved the experience of his first protest.

"The rain is probably going to have me sneezing tomorrow, but I enjoy it," Askew said before adjusting the grip on his sign, which read "Trump hates veterans because they are brave and he is a coward."

Leslie Nettling, 73, a retired teacher, travelled from Warren County to join the thousands of people in Washington Park. She's voted Democrat and Republican at different times in her life, she says, but she champions key issues like protecting the Constitution that should be important to both parties.

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"We all have different topics that are hot to us," Nettling said. "But when it comes down to it, we live in a nation that's run by law, not by kings."

Jeremy Tyler, a 39-year-old Walnut Hills resident, came out to Saturday's protest as a representative of the several Cincinnati-area groups of which he's a part, including the Workers United union, Cincinnati Pride and Cincinnati Black Pride.

He's attended several protests over the years, but the crowd that gathered in Washington Park astounded him.

"I've been out here for FC (Cincinnati) games, FC rallies, I've been out here for summer series, and I've never seen this park this full," Tyler said.

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"To see people out here like this in the rain, this is amazing. This shows you how bothered people are. We need to see changes, we need to feel protected, we need to do whatever it takes."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Over 2,000 anti-Trump protesters gather in OTR for 'Hands Off!' rally
A North Dakota mayor has resigned after he sent an explicit video to the city attorney.

Tom Ross, the mayor of Minot, North Dakota, announced his resignation Tuesday. The announcement came after an investigation into an explicit video he had sent to City Attorney Stefanie Stalheim was made public.

According to the investigation, Ross sent a nude video of himself to Stalheim on the afternoon of Jan. 14 shortly after speaking with her on the phone. Ross then called Stalheim and asked her not to view the video, stating that it was intended for his girlfriend.

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Stalheim eventually reported the incident to the city.

City of Minot

Ross told investigators that he had recorded the video during a lunch break at his home. He said he had intended to send the video to a romantic partner.

Ross claimed he had sent the video to Stalheim by mistake. He explained the contact for his partner started with a "C" in his phone, causing him to mistake it for the contact labeled "City Attorney."

He went on to suggest the incident shows why the city needs to provide separate phones for work purposes.

In her complaint, Stalheim requested that Ross consider resigning from his position.

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The investigation report was released Tuesday. Following the news, Ross announced his immediate resignation in a letter to city officials.

While Ive done my best to be a good leader, its clear that time What I have attempted to strive for and represent is, Ive always wanted to put the City of Minot first. Today is no different. Im proud of the work Ive got to help on with our Great City. But I have realized, I need to step down from the position of Mayor," he wrote.

"The standard I set for myself was too high to sustain."
There are more food-insecure families in Texas than any state in the nation. The problem is acute in Dallas-Fort Worth, where one in seven  a third of them children  face hunger.

"In North Texas, things have been tight, Anne Readhimer, Chief Impact Officer for North Texas Food Bank, told CBS News. Everyone is just needing a little bit more help these days.

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Thats why the axing of the USDAs Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) hits hard.

Readhimer said the food bank and schools in North Texas relied on these programs to get fresh produce to those in need.

"Were still waiting to get a better understanding of how were going to make up for it. she said.

The impact on families, food banks and farmers

In 2020, Readhimers food bank [received] $9.2 million through the LFPA program to buy fresh produce and meat from Texas farmers.

That money isnt there anymore. Readhimer said without it, the cuts impact local farmers, too.

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Read more: Trump warns his tariffs will spark a disturbance in America  use this 1 dead-simple move to help shockproof your retirement plans ASAP

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller defended the USDA's budget cuts in a press release,

"These changes also provide an opportunity for states to assume greater responsibility in shaping their own programs," he said.

Miller said Texas would continue to run its Farm to School and Farm to Food Bank initiatives, with less reliance on federal funding.

Local leaders and food advocates note that the loss of USDA funding will definitely make it harder for schools to provide meals to the 250,000 children who rely on them for their daily nutrition.

Improve food security in your community and at home

The Trump administrations cuts to federal food assistance programs highlight the challenge families across the U.S. face in eating nutritious meals on a budget.

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Here are some strategies to keep your food budget on track at home.

Meal planning is key. Streamline your grocery list and avoid impulse buys by creating a weekly menu based on affordable, healthy recipes.

Keep stock of what you have at home. Knowing whats in your pantry and fridge and using it will cut down on food waste and unnecessary purchases.

Be smart at the grocery store. Compare prices, buy in bulk, and choose store brands over name brands.

Meanwhile, you can support your neighbors with their own food security by contributing to local food banks, whether by donating money, non-perishables or time as a volunteer.

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Business owners can partner with local farmers and suppliers and donate excess food.

Companies that give employees access to nutritious food contribute to a healthier, more productive workforce overall.

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
A food bank in Northeast Florida told Action News Jax Friday its feeling the pressure after recent federal funding cuts went into effect.

We know that there are 272,000 food-insecure people in our service area, said Susan King, President and CEO of FNEFL. That translates to one in eight adults and one in five children. So the numbers are significant.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

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The recent federal funding cuts by the USDA are affecting food banks like FNEFL, which relies on federal food assistance programs for roughly 20% of its food supply. Now, the food pantry is dealing with empty shelves and more people to feed.

Weve been able to quantify since we received notification that it was approximately eight tractor-trailer loads that would have come to us, said King. We approximate the value of those eight loads at about $850,000.

Another issue King said theyve been dealing with are delays in food loads from some of their providers.

Read: From the experts: How you should handle your 401(k) while the stock market tumbles

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Unfortunately, people are hungry every day, said King. You cant necessarily ask somebody to wait a few weeks until that load comes in. So those are additional pressures on our agency.

However, King tells me, despite the uncertainty in whats to come, the food bank isnt going anywhere.

We made it through COVID. Weve made it through hurricanes, said King. The support of the community I know is going to get us through this challenge.

You can donate to Feeding Northeast Florida by clicking here.

Read: City of Jacksonville looking for more lifeguards this summer

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WEST OKOBOJI, Iowa (KCAU)  A northwest Iowa craft brewery is expanding its taproom to include an outdoor space.

West O Beer in West Okoboji announced plans to build a 2,500-square-foot outdoor space called The Terrace, which will located east of the brewerys main entrance.

We love inviting people into our taproom and brewery to experience everything we have to offer, including craft beer and brick-oven pizzas. We also know that families and friends come to Okoboji to enjoy the outdoors, and children especially need more space and things to do. This is why were so excited to offer that added opportunity with The Terrace, named for our location near Terrace Park Beach on the south shore of West Lake Okoboji, said Matt Matthiesen, owner of West O Beer.

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The new outdoor space will feature seating, an area for musicians and other entertainers to perform, a play space for children, outdoor games, paved accessible parking and more.

Matthiesen said construction on The Terrace is set to begin shortly and the outdoor space is expected to open in May to the public.

All of our plans are in place. Right now, were just waiting for the contractors to begin. Once construction is underway, were hopeful to have the space open in May. We also have a few fun things in the works to coincide with the grand opening, so be on the lookout for that announcement, said Matthiesen.

Courtesy: West O Beer

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Dona Ana Countys Assessors Office will be mailing property notices of value on May 1 this year due to pending state legislation that affects veterans and their property tax, the County said in a news release.

According to the County, the legislation that affects property tax exemptions for veterans has caused the notices to be mailed a month later to all property owners.

Throughout the state, county assessors are generally required to mail the notices out around April 1, Dona Ana County said.

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The deadline to protest is June 2, and protests and other types of reporting will not be accepted after the date, according to Dona Ana County.

The New Mexico property tax code enables residents to dispute their valuation notice or update their status to qualify for head of household, veterans, charitable or educational exemptions, the County said.

According to the County, property owners with questions about the protest or status change process can contact the County Assessors Office during regular business hours at the Government Center, located at 845 N. Motel Blvd. in Las Cruces.

Residents outside of the Las Cruces area can visit the following off-site locations to speak to staff members:

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Anthony Anthony Senior Center, 875 N. Main Monday, April 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Chaparral Betty McKnight Senior Center, 190 County Line Rd. Tuesday, April 8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hatch Trustee Chambers, 133 N. Franklin St. Wednesday, April 9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunland Park City Hall Council Chambers, 1000 McNutt, Suite A Thursday, April 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.



Property owners can receive a notice of value online through eNoticesOnline and by creating a new account.

For help or more information, you can visit eNoticesOnline or to contact the Dona Ana County Assessors Office, you can call at (575) 647-7400.

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Novant Health is investing $2.5 million in a behavioral health hospital for teenagers and children in Charlotte.

The Winston-Salem based health care company is making plans to join the Katie Blessing Center, a $62 million project from Starmount Healthcare, Novant announced in a news release. Thursday. It will provide services for people ages 5 to 18 with a goal to have quick access for interventions.

Novant is opening a behavioral health urgent care space for adolescents at the hospital.

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It will have intervention services for young people with mental, emotional and behavioral disorders, according to Dr. Sid Fletcher, Novant senior vice president and president of the Charlotte region. Nearly 1 in 4 children and adolescents experience these disorders, Fletcher added.

The Katie Blessing Center is scheduled to open next year at 5516 Central Ave. Starmount bought the 5-acre site from the city of Charlotte for $2.7 million in 2023.

Its namesake comes from Starmount founder Michael Estramontes mother.

Novants urgent care facility at the center is set to launch during the first phase of the facilitys opening. It will be for children ages 4 and older. Some of the services will be related to mental health, autism, substance use, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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Patients will receive an assessment from a licensed clinician within 30 minutes after arriving. Novant said it will be a one-stop shop for stabilization, crisis intervention and referral to care on the campus or a discharge.

Before leaving, each patient will receive personal plans, therapy, medication and referrals to a specialist.

The first phase for the Katie Blessing Center, a 70,000-square-foot facility, is scheduled to open in 2026. The project from the Starmount Healthcare Management will provide youth behavioral services.

Progress continues for new Charlotte center

Some of the features for the 70,000-square-foot facility with 72 beds will include therapy rooms, group activity areas, a gym, tutoring center, salon, barbershop, animal therapy and outdoor spaces, The Charlotte Observer reported last year.

The Katie Blessing Center is raising money through public donations, capital investment, and naming opportunities for amenities within the center.

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Since announcing the facility, weve been profoundly grateful for the support weve received, but our work is far from over, Estramonte said in a news release. He said itsalso important for other to join the effort to help children receive mental health services.

Along with Novant, the Katie Blessing Center has received help from the city of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and Alliance Health. Collectively, they have contributed $10 million. This has allowed for demolition to start on phase one of the project, which includes 48 inpatient beds and the urgent care unit.

The non-profit is looking to raise another $17.7 million to construct the three-story addition, which includes another 24 beds and additional recreational space.

Starmount has committed $20 million in funding to the project and received $17.5 million in state funding, the Observer reported last year.

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A groundbreaking ceremony will be held this year, according to a representative for Starmount.

More on Novant and Starmount

Novant is the second largest health care provider in the region, behind Charlotte-based Atrium Health. Its network has more than 900 locations, including 19 hospitals, 750 physician clinics, urgent care centers, outpatient facilities and imaging services.

Starmount was founded in 2014 and operates several affiliated services such as StarMed Healthcare.

StarMed opened in 2018 as a 24/7 walk-in clinic and immediate care center for underserved communities. During the COVID pandemic, it managed thousands in 40 counties in North Carolina. More than 2 million vaccines, tests and antibody treatments were distributed during the pandemic.
Glow in the dark paint has already been trialled on roads in two Aussie states, and one business would love to see it 'everywhere'.

Australia has an extensive road network that reaches some of the most isolated places in the world. But if you're one of the many 4WD or caravan adventurers or have been on a long road trip, you'll know first-hand that some of our most important roads aren't as well lit as they should be.

This fact prompted Transport for NSW to trial a new technology on a notoriously dangerous highway in a bid to increase driver safety and help motorists "better see line markings" in areas with low visibility.

Now, pioneers in the road industry believe that the glow-in-the-dark technology could be used on roads, footpaths, bike paths, helicopter landing pads and air strips in a bid to improve visibility and safety.

Clive Todd, founder of Lihten, told Yahoo News that after having a serious car accident, he was compelled to work to improve safety on roads across the world. He'd like to see innovative glow paint used "anywhere and everywhere" it could improve safety.

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"I want it to be in the key places which would help save lives," he told Yahoo. But it's "not about wanting to sell a lot of glow paint", he said. "It needs to be in the right places and for the right objective."

NSW is trialling glow-in-the-dark road lines along a notoriously dangerous stretch of highway south of Sydney. Source: Supplied/TfNSW

Most dangerous time to drive on roads is at night

Research conducted by the Federal Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) showed that 1,300 people died on Australian roads in 2024  up from 1,258 in 2023. The most dangerous time to be driving is, at night. Between the hours of 7:00pm  10:00pm as 34 per cent of deaths occur during this time.

With authorities hoping to achieve the ambitious goal of achieving zero deaths and serious injuries by 2050, drastic action needs to be taken.

Todd believes the luminescent paint could be the answer. "It's environmentally friendly, it saves electricity and it could save people's lives," he said.

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He was inspired to develop the idea after being asked to work on a footpath project in Saudi Arabia. After extensive research, he found a supplier in France, and has already implemented the paint, known as LuminoKrom, on a footpath and bike path in Blacktown, Sydney.

A chemical in the paint makes it glow after being activated by sunlight. Todd likens it to the chemicals inside fireflies or glow worms that make them glow in the dark.

One drawback, however, is that it is costly to implement. "Some people say its expensive, I say its high value," said Todd. He believes there would be "significant advantages" to the paint being used not only on roads and footpaths but also on helicopter landing pads, on the tops of emergency vehicles, as well as on outback airstrips used by the RFDS.

Where in Australia are there glow-in-the-dark roads?

It comes after Victoria conducted a similar trial in 2022, with the line markings added to a 1km section of Metong Road in the state's southeast in May by Tarmac Linemarking, in collaboration with OmniGrip and Vic Roads. But back in July of this year, a VicRoads spokesperson told Yahoo the experiment was discontinued.

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They said an independent evaluation conducted once the trial had concluded determined there was insufficient road safety benefits to justify adding more of the fluro lines to the state's roads, effectively axing any hope of the $4 million scheme being rolled out further.

In New South Wales, the Bulli Pass trial uses the glow-in-the-dark thermoplastic feature on a small stretch of road, with insiders 'excited' to see its benefits.

"Being able to see the shape of the road ahead is critical to safe driving and thats what Glow Roads do," NSW's Minister for Roads John Graham said. "Data shows around a third of fatal crashes in NSW happen at night. If this trial is deemed a success, we will look at its application on other locations with a history of crashes or near-misses where better visibility is needed. The trial is nearly over  with many waiting with bated breath to see the results.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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Ask anybody how many Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and the number will be at their fingertips. It now stands at more than 50,000; they heard as much on the BBC.

Ask them how many of those sorry souls happened to be fighting Israel at the time, however, and youll find that they soon draw a blank.

Three weeks after October 7, 2023, I wrote a column in this paper under the headline The gullible West is falling for Hamass fictitious death figures. It is a theme to which I and others have returned on many occasions.

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A year ago, for instance, I wrote about the devastating proof that Hamas is faking its death figures, when the American data scientist Professor Abraham Wyner became the first of several analysts to comprehensively debunk them.

By rights, I argued, if the central pillar of the anti-Israel edifice has been discredited, the whole structure should come tumbling down. Fat lot of good that did.

This week, it emerged that Hamas had quietly dropped 3,400 fully identified deaths from its casualty figures, including 1,080 children. These deaths never happened, wrote Salo Aizenberg, a board member at Honest Reporting, the NGO which made the discovery. The numbers were falsified. Again. But not before they had been verified by the United Nations and parroted by a gullible  or ideologically blinkered  media.

Further analysis of the data showed that among those old enough to be fighting for Hamas, 72 per cent of the dead were male, a testament to the care and precision of the IDF on a battlefield often crowded with human shields. By contrast, in the most tragic statistic of all, the balance of child casualties was 50-50 between boys and girls. This builds up a picture of the way Israel is fighting this war, confirming that they are targeting belligerents, the very opposite of a genocide.

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Moreover, Honest Reporting found that Hamas had unscrupulously included natural deaths in the list of supposed victims of the IDF, including infant mortality rates of around 780 each year. This amounted to about 8,300 fatalities that any reporter acting in good faith would remove from the total. But the media has shown a singular lack of curiosity about that.

If we take into account Israels figures, which state that about 20,000 of the dead were combatants, that means that about one civilian is killed for every fighter. This is a humanitarian feat that has never been equalled by any other army, in spite of the fact that Hamas herds its own people into the firing line to produce the footage we see on the BBC.

That is the true story of this war. But according to research by the Henry Jackson Society, extenuating Israeli data is cited in just 5 per cent of news reports (which is why most people are unaware of it), whereas 98 per cent repeat numbers provided by Hamas.

Soberingly, while thousands of despairing Palestinians are rising up against their jihadi overlords in Gaza, the West continues to do all it can to foist their propaganda agenda upon the public.

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Every human life is sacred and it is macabre to talk in such terms about the grim arithmetic of death. But those on my side of the argument have no choice but to respond in such terms to the obsession with casualty numbers that has characterised coverage of this war since the start.

Put it this way: do you have any idea how many civilians were killed when we destroyed Islamic State, or waged war in Afghanistan and Iraq? No? That tells you something.

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The Trump administration named Lt. Gen. William J. Hartman as acting director of the National Security Agency (NSA) late Thursday, just hours after dismissing top officials, an agency spokesperson told The Hill.

Hartman will also serve as acting commander for the U.S. Cyber Command and acting chief for the Central Security Service. Sheila Thomas was designated as acting deputy director, according to the official.

The lieutenant is a distinguished military graduate of the University of South Alabama, where he received his commission through the Reserve Officers Training Corps as an Infantry Officer according to his profile on the NSA website.

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Throughout his career, Hartman has worked in infantry, military intelligence and as a Cyberspace Operations Officer with assignments in the U.S., Italy, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan and Turkey.

The latest designation became effective after President Trump ousted NSA Director Gen. Timothy Haugh, and several other high-ranking security officials, over disputes about their loyalty prompted by far-right activist Laura Loomer.

Brian Walsh, senior director of intelligence; Thomas Boodry, senior director of legislative affairs; and David Feith, senior director of technology and national security were also fired amid the fallout.

Laura Loomer is a great patriot. Shes a very strong person, Trump told reporters on Air Force One earlier this week. She makes recommendations on things and people, and sometimes I listen to those recommendations, like I do with everybody. I listen to everybody, and then I make a decision.

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Were always going to let go of people, the president added. People we dont like or people that take advantage of or people that may have loyalties to someone else.

Their removal comes weeks after a journalist was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat that included national security adviser Mike Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top Trump administration officials, where they discussed launching strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Despite critics calling for Waltz and Hegseth to resign over the controversy, the White House aid it remains full confidence in both leaders. The administration conducted a speedy investigation into the perceived breach, and on Monday declared the issue closed.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have criticized the administration over the ordeal and signaled earlier this week that their probe into the incident will continue.

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Experts have also suggested the breach likely violated the Espionage Act.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  Two EF1 tornadoes caused damage in Branch County Wednesday night, the National Weather Service has confirmed.

Walk your property: High winds, falling trees pose risk

The first tornado touched down at 8:46 p.m. near Orland, Indiana, the NWS reported. In that area, it destroyed a small barn, uprooted trees and damaged the roof of an apartment building, according to the NWS. The tornado reached its maximum path width of 600 yards at the Indiana-Michigan border, causing significant tree damage.

The tornado then crossed into Branch County. With wind speeds reaching 105 mph, the NWS reported that the tornado hit a farm on E. Pearl Road, tearing roofs off silos and destroying part of a barn. It lifted off at 8:54 p.m. in the area of E. Pearl and S. Angola Road in Ovid Township, having tracked nearly 11 miles.

A secondary tornado occurred in Branch County Wednesday night, touching down at 8:49 p.m. in the area of W. Southern Road and Bowers Road in Gilead Township, according to the NWS. It headed northeast, then north, damaging several Amish properties, the NWS reported.

With estimated wind speeds of up to 100 mph, a path length of nearly 4 miles and a maximum path width of 125 yards, the tornado snapped and uprooted several healthy trees, according to the NWS. It lifted off at 8:52 p.m. in the area of W. Pearl Road and Clearwater Road in Bethel Township.

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No injuries were reported in either tornado.

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The National Weather Service in Indianapolis released its official tornado tracking report on most of the tornadoes that touched down in Indiana on Wednesday night.

The report confirmed that at least seven tornadoes touched down across the state; however, notable information regarding the tornado that tore through Carmel was not readily available in the report.

When asked about its absence, NWS Indianapolis explained that the information would be released either later Friday or Saturday morning. NWS tornado surveyors were not able to finish assessing damage in Carmel and needed to return to the city Friday to complete their report.

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The National Weather Service released an interactive map of the tornado that formed in Indiana Wednesday night at www.weather.gov/ind/april_02_2025_severe.

Here's what we know about six of the seven tornadoes that hit Indiana Wednesday night.

Brownsburg Tornado

A screenshot of the National Weather Service website showing the tornado path that hit the city of Brownsburg, Wednesday night on April 2, 2025.

NWS surveyors determined that an EF2 tornado formed and touched down in a rural area southwest of Brownsburg at 9:09 p.m. before traveling into the southern portion of the downtown area, causing sporadic tree and roof damage across southern portions of the town.

The tornado continued traveling northeast until it hit Eagle Creek Park, where it ultimately lifted at 9:21 p.m.

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Surveyors determined the most significant damage occurred along Northfield Drive as the tornado tore through several warehouses, leading to a person being injured after a wall caved in at a warehouse.

More than 20 homes in the Branches neighborhood sustained roof and minor structural damage. Trees were damaged in Eagle Creek Park.

The tornado's peak wind speed was 120 mph and traveled 9.6 miles.

Vigo County Tornado

A screenshot of the National Weather Service website showing the tornado path that hit Vigo County, Wednesday night on April 2, 2025.

NWS surveyors determined that an EF0 tornado formed and touched down near the Illinois and Indiana state line at 8:14 p.m. before moving northeast toward West New Goshen, producing EF0 damage.

The tornado then made a westward turn and traveled along West New Goshen Avenue, before producing a high-end EF1 tornado and hitting New Goshen, ultimately damaging a few structures and homes. The tornado ended at 8:22 p.m.

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The tornado's peak wind speed was 110 mph, with a max width of 100 yards and traveled 4.4 miles.

Parke County Tornado

A screenshot of the National Weather Service website showing the tornado path that hit Parke County , Wednesday night on April 2, 2025.

NWS surveyors determined that an EF0 tornado formed and touched down on the right bank of the Wabash River at 8:22 p.m. before impacting a river cabin along the Wabash.

The tornado continued moving northeast into Numa, before turning right at West County Road 900 South, where it produced an EF1 tornado and damaged a home and two other buildings.

The tornado continued traveling northeast through Coxville and then passed just south of Catlin.

NWS surveyors determined that the only observable damage was to trees in the rural area. Surveyors believed that a funnel likely formed and skipped the last few miles before the tornado ended at 8:31 p.m.

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The tornado's peak wind speed was 105 mph, with a max width of 120 yards and traveled 10.8 miles.

Monroe Tornado 1

A screenshot of the National Weather Service website showing the tornado path that hit Adam County, Wednesday night on April 2, 2025.

NWS surveyors determined that two tornadoes formed simultaneously near Monroe and traveled east across Adams County.

The first tornado appeared near Blue Creek, producing an EF1 tornado at 10:47 p.m. traveling east along East 300 South County Road near Monroe.

The tornado reportedly damaged several Amish properties and destroyed "well-built pole barns" while it moved through the area, ultimately dissipating before it reached the Mercer County line.

The tornado's peak wind speed was 105 mph, with a max width of 75 yards and traveled 2.3 miles.

Monroe Tornado 2

NWS surveyors determined the second tornado formed along East 400 South County Road near Monroe, producing an EF1 tornado at 10:48 p.m.

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The tornado damaged several pole barns and poultry farms as it traveled slightly northeast. It impacted another pole barn, tossing a grain silo about half-a-mile away, before ultimately dissipating before it reached the Mercer County line.

The tornado's peak wind speed was 95 mph, with a max width of 100 yards and traveled 1.5 miles.

Bourbon Tornado

A screenshot of the National Weather Service website showing the tornado path that hit the town of Bourbon, Wednesday night on April 2, 2025.

NWS surveyors determined an EF1 tornado formed and touched down southeast of Rutland at 7:52 p.m. and quickly traveled northeast along State Road 10.

The tornado traveled through several empty fields before it entered Bourbon on the northeast side of town and reached peak intensity.

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It damaged several houses along Crocus Court and Rose Lane.

The tornado continued out of town, damaging several trees and power poles until reaching the north end of Etna Green in Kosciusko County, before the tornado ultimately dissipated.

The tornado's peak wind speed was 105 mph, with a max width of 175 yards and traveled 17.9 miles.

Contact IndyStar reporter Noe Padilla at npadilla@indystar.com, follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Brownsburg Indiana tornado traveled 9.6 miles, was among seven
New York state officials have told the Trump administration that they will not comply with its demands to end diversity, equity and inclusion practices in public schools, despite the administration's threats to terminate federal education funding.

Daniel Morton-Bentley, counsel and deputy commissioner of the state Department of Education, said in a letter dated Friday to the federal Education Department that state officials do not believe the federal agency has the authority to make such demands.

We understand that the current administration seeks to censor anything it deems diversity, equity & inclusion, he wrote. But there are no federal or State laws prohibiting the principles of DEI.

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Morton-Bentley also wrote state officials were unaware of any authority the federal Department of Education has to demand that states agree with its interpretation of court decisions or to terminate funding without a formal administrative process.

The U.S. Department of Education did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

The Trump administration on Thursday ordered K-12 schools nationwide to certify within 10 days that they are following federal civil rights laws and ending any discriminatory DEI practices, as a condition for receiving federal money. Federal funding comprises about 6% of the total funding for New York K-12 schools.

Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right, Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement when the demand was made. He said many schools have flouted their legal obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another.

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The certification demand asked state and school leaders to sign a reminder of legal obligations acknowledging their federal money is conditioned on compliance with federal civil rights laws. It also demands compliance with several pages of legal analysis written by the administration.

The demand specifically threatens Title I funding, which sends billions of dollars a year to Americas schools and targets low-income areas.

Morton-Bentley wrote that the state Education Department has already certified to the federal government on multiple occasions that it is complying with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, most recently in January. He said the federal department is basing its demands to end DEI programs on a faulty legal interpretation.

Given the fact that you are already in possession of guarantees by NYSED that it has and will comply with Title VI, no further certification will be forthcoming, he wrote.

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He also said the administration's stance is an abrupt shift from the one taken by the first Trump administration, citing comments in 2020 made by then-U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos that diversity and inclusion were cornerstones of high organizational performance." He wrote the administration has provided no explanation of why it changed positions.

Critics of the certification demand said it conflicted with Trump's promise to return education to schools and states.

The threat of financial sanctions is similar to ones the Trump administration has been leveraging against colleges in its effort to crack down on protests against Israel that it deems antisemitic.

New York state has similarly refused to comply with a demand by the Trump administration to shut down a program to fund mass transit in New York City with high tolls on cars that drive into Manhattan.
NEW YORK  The New York State Education Department announced Friday it will not sign a certification against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices as directed by the Trump administration  at the risk of losing federal funding.

A letter sent the day before by the U.S. Department of Education gave state commissioners 10 days to sign and return the formal affirmation. Insisting New York has attested to following federal law, a spokesman for state Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said, No further certification will be forthcoming.

The New York State Education Department has consistently certified, on multiple occasions, that it does and will comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, spokesman J.P. OHare said in a statement.

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Given the fact that USDOE is already in possession of the guarantees by NYSED, no further certification will be forthcoming. The Board of Regents and State Education Department continue to work with New Yorks schools to increase equity, access and opportunities in education for all New York State students.

The federal governments directive on Thursday was the latest escalation against DEI programming in schools. Over the last couple of months, the U.S. Education Department has set deadlines, launched investigations and threatened to cancel funds. During President Trumps first month in office, the U.S. Education Department opened a probe into the Ithaca City School District over an annual student conference from which white children were reportedly excluded.

Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right, Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Education Department, said in the announcement. He accused schools of using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another.

Previous federal action to ban DEI is currently being challenged in court. State Attorney General Letitia James has also advised New York school districts and higher education institutions not to back away from their commitments to diversity.

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New York City public schools receive about $2 billion in federal funding that could be on the line if they are found to be out of compliance.

Diversity is a superpower here in New York City, New York City Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said after an unrelated press conference Thursday in East Harlem. We are always going to honor that. We are always going to make sure that we are serving every single child and family in New York City.

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Chinatown residents want to put the brakes on the return of open street parties to Canal Street this spring, saying the citys move to close off part of the street turned their peaceful neighborhood into spring break in Miami for seven months of the year.

Last year, two blocks of Canal  between Orchard and Essex  were closed off to traffic from 3 to 11pm daily from April to October, allowing bars and restaurants to add hundreds of seats on the street, creating what residents described as a free-for-all.

They said adding 300 diners  with no extra toilets  was psychotic.

Residents said the restaurants allowed smoking at their tables in violation of city laws. Obtained by the New York Post

The public urination is out of control. Ive said to people, Hey would you mind not peeing here? and theyve said to me, Why dont I punch you in your fing mouth. Its awful, said neighbor Elizabeth Zalman.

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Another neighbor said someone urinated in his buildings flowerpot. Its chaos, said Bruce Torrey. Its a combat zone.

Residents said partiers peeing on the street was a daily occurrence, with one here caught in the act on security camera. Obtained by the New York Post

A group of residents and business owners launched a stomach-churning campaign  using photos of public urination, puking and raucous behavior  to capture City Halls attention and deep-six a wine bars sidewalk-dining application.

It worked. In a rare move, City Hall rejected Le Dives request for 18 sidewalk seats.

But for neighbors, thats just a symbolic victory. They expect Le Dive to get approval to put 87 seats on the street, along with half a dozen other bars and restaurants.

Le Dive put up a dining shed last week ahead of the season. The wine bar found itself at the center of a battle with Chinatown residents. Matthew McDermott

Jon Neidich, owner of Le Dive, told The Post the restaurants are being unfairly targeted.

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The block parties and stuff like that  that didnt come from any of the restaurants. Our business is having people seated and serving them, he said.

The residents focus now is trying to get the city to put limits on the Canal Open Streets program

Elizabeth Zalman said it feels like the community is policing the restaurants. Helayne Seidman

They say partiers inevitably end up spilling out onto side streets, leaving behind broken glass, cigarette butts and various bodily fluids.

You see these little grandmas the next morning sweeping up the streets because theyre going to get a fine from the Sanitation Department saying this is a stshow, said Zalman, who lives on Orchard Street.

Frank Farooq says many of his customers come by car to pick up heavy equipment. Helayne Seidman

Shop owners say they are losing customers.

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It screwed up my business, vented Frank Farooq, who has owned Hi-Tech Electronic Service Center on Canal for 32 years. They block my entrance and my customers cannot come.

The low point came on Oct. 4, when a 26-year-old man was slashed in the face after a dispute.

Residents shared this photo of puke in front of a Canal St funeral home as part of their campaign. Obtained by the New York Post

Residents and business owners were left to clean up the blood while diners looked on, drinking their Pet Nat, one resident told The Post.

The communitys main ask to the DOT is to reduce the number of seats restaurants are allowed to add on Canal by half. They also want the party to end an hour earlier, and to have no seating on the south side of Canal to make way for an emergency lane.

So far, restaurants have agreed to limit the party to four days a week instead of seven. The DOT confirmed Canal Open Streets was approved to operate from Thursdays to Sundays for the 2025 season.
The federal Head Start outpost in New York City has been shuttered and staff laid off as part of the Trump administrations recent health department cuts  worrying preschool leaders about the future of child care for families in poverty.

On Tuesday, providers learned that half of the agencys regional offices were closed effective immediately, including the headquarters in New York. Staff based in lower Manhattan were responsible for oversight and guidance for programs statewide and in New Jersey.

Federal health officials insisted that consolidating the offices will not impact services while saving taxpayers money. But operators fear the loss of support could have a very tangible impact on their programs.

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Angela Terry, executive director of the Bedford Stuyvesant Early Childhood Development Center, which enrolls 247 children through Head Start, was scheduled to connect with a regional office staffer on the day of the layoffs  only to find she was unable to join the Zoom meeting. The specialist told her she was affected by the federal governments reduction in force.

It was not the first time Head Start programs have been caught in the crossfires of federal changes under President Trump. In January, his administration announced a blanket freeze on federal funding. The White House quickly clarified that Head Start was exempt, but programs reported being unable to access funds and the consequences of much uncertainty.

Its not easy. It really isnt, Terry said. We all continue to move forward day to day, but we know we have this all looming, we have to talk about it. We have to say, What do we do next? And, how do we continue to serve?'

Head Start launched six decades ago as a federal anti-poverty program, supporting childrens early development while allowing their parents to go to work. A family of four may qualify for Head Start if they have a joint income under $41,795 or are receiving cash assistance or SNAP. Bedford Stuyvesant Early Childhood Development Center is the oldest Head Start provider in the northeast, Terry said.

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Regional staffers serve a variety of functions. Some visit preschools in person to offer curriculum support and professional development. Others hold regular meetings to go over enrollment and waitlists. Another position is geared toward helping operators apply for or renew Head Start grants, and manage program budgets.

This move threatens access to child care and undermines programs essential to young childrens development, said Susan Stamler, executive director of the United Neighborhood Houses, a membership organization that includes Head Start grant recipients.

After days of confusion, a top health official in early childhood development, Laurie Todd-Smith, wrote in a letter Thursday that 10 regional offices would be restructured into five  a move they said would not impact services. The office based in New York was closed alongside others in Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle.

Providers interviewed by the Daily News confirmed they have connected in recent days with specialists who replaced their regional staffers.

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In a statement to The News, the federal agency stood firm that the layoffs were limited only to redundant or unnecessary administrative positions, and involved moving out of the highest-cost cities.

All statutorily required programs will remain intact, and as a result of the reorganization, will be better positioned to execute on Congresss statutory intent, said Vianca Rodriguez Feliciano, press secretary for the U.S. Health Department. We remain committed to providing continued support to Head Start programs as they work to meet the needs of their communities.

Less than 1% of Head Starts annual funding is spent on federal staff, including regional office staff, according to the National Head Start Association. The conservative blueprint known as Project 2025 called for the elimination of Head Start altogether.

Head Start operators are emphatic  their programs are worth the investment.

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These are complicated programs to run, and the work that we do we think is super meaningful and impactful, said Ken Jockers, the executive director of Hudson Guild, a social services organization with multiple sites across the west side of Manhattan that operates Head Start programs.

A big part of what makes that possible is the skilled, smart support that we get that understands our region and our challenges.
NEW YORK (PIX11)  Young people across New York City can go behind the scenes at one of their dream companies.

NYC students are on a learning experience of a lifetime.

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Many are spending the day at Amazon, learning robotics and meeting one-on-one with those working there.

Its called Career Discovery Week. Thanks to the partnership between New York City and NYC public schools,

More than 3,700 high school students from 140 New York City public high schools will explore potential careers by spending the day at New York Citys biggest and most exciting companies.

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Here is some good news for nycha developments across the city.

This month, a new group of future hear heroes graduated from the NYCHA Heating Plant Technician (HPT) Trainee Program. Fifteen graduates making sure you have your heat and hot water. Its a collaboration between CUNY New York City College of Technology, ConEd, NYCHA, and the Public Housing Community Fund.

Congratulations graduates!

Monica Morales hosted Union Settlements Rejuvenate, Refine, Revitalize gala.

Union Settlement has been serving the East Harlem community for 130 years.

PIX11s general manager, news director, and community affairs director attended the event.

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Its an organization that has been doing amazing things for East Harlem for 130 years.

Morales received the distinguished journalism award.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Corrupt Lebanese banks stole $17.6 million from an Upper West Side widow and her three kids  and New York courts have refused to help them get their fortune back, she told The Post.

Patricia Raad said her husband, Michel, immigrated to the US when he was 18 from their native Lebanon, and spent a lifetime working his way up as a businessman in the cosmetics and perfume industry.

For 30 years until his death of cancer in 2009 at age 69, he sent the fruits of his labor  millions of dollars put in a trust for his kids  to Lebanon-based Bank Audi.

Michel Raad worked for years in the cosmetics and perfume industry to provide a substantial trust for the three kids he shared with Patricia, she said. Helayne Seidman

Nine years after his death, when the trusts matured and were ready to be accessed, Patricia told Bank Audi she planned to transfer the millions to New York.

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But a Bank Audi manager allegedly begged her not to move the dough and then ignored agreements to deliver the funds, she said in a Manhattan Federal Court lawsuit.

The bank manager started begging and pleading, saying, Please dont do that, it will look bad on me,' Raad, 70, recalled. They betrayed me.

Raad claims she signed agreements with Bank Audi managers in Lebanon to transfer the money in separate installments of about $2 to $3 million to herself, son and daughter  and paid taxes in America on the full amount while waiting.

But Bank Audi never transferred a dime, she said in court papers.

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Lebanon spiraled into a crippling 2019 financial meltdown the World Bank later described as a Ponzi scheme, which encouraged money to flow in while failing to pay for public services or safeguarding depositers such as Raad.

Raad is fighting for $17.6 million her husband Michel put into accounts with Bank Audi in Lebanon. Helayne Seidman

In 2022 it was reported that more than $100 billion in deposits were stuck in Lebanons banking system, with that nations financial institutions refusing to give people like Raad their cash.

There can be no genuine debate that $17,623,674 of [Raads] money on deposit with Bank Audi is immediately due, she said in the lawsuit, which accused the bank of misappropriating the money.

But Raad has had little luck getting New York courts to hear her story.

Raad attended a hearing in her case Thursday before the US Court of Appeals in Manhattan. Helayne Seidman

In March 2024, a Manhattan judge rejected her December 2020 lawsuit, contending New York had no jurisdiction over Bank Audi and that the dispute must play out in Lebanese courts.

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Raad has appealed, and appeared before judges in the US Court of Appeals Second Circuit in Manhattan this week to plead her case.

If Raad lived in certain parts of Europe, she would likely be having an easier time fighting for her money, said her attorney, Douglas Kellner.

Michel Raad, who died in 2009, established the trusts three years before his death. Helayne Seidman

England and France do allow their citizens to sue the Lebanese banks  but not the courts in New York, he said.

Raad and her attorneys have argued New York has jurisdiction because Bank Audi had business relationships with Big Apple financial institutions such as Bank of New York Mellon, Citibank, JP Morgan Chase and Standard Chartered. The connection, known as correspondent banks, allows one financial institution to provide services on behalf of another.

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Being unable to get the money her husband secured for their family has been devastating, she said.

The trust was to protect his children and protect the money, she said, adding that being deprived of the funds was like killing Michel a second time by taking his legacy.
NEW YORK (PIX11)  Students at NYU are horrified after an interfaith prayer room was vandalized.

Muslim students say the offense is particularly hurtful because the holy month of Ramadan just wrapped up. Eid was earlier this week.

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The students want to know who is behind the vandalism, and they want the person responsible to be punished immediately.

The vandalism took place inside one of NYUs multifaith prayer rooms.

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Faiyaz Jaffer is the associate chaplain and senior research scholar at the Islamic Center at NYU.

Someone had urinated in the space as well as drew a lewd image, essentially desecrating a sacred space, which unfortunately is microcosm of Islamophobia in this country that were used to experiencing, Jaffer said.

Jaffer said a student reported the vandalism to him on Thursday, and the center then reported it to police.

Theres a lot of shock, a lot of stress, anxiety with all of the challenges happening and targeting Muslim communities over the last however many weeks and months. Our international students here at NYU, theyre feeling a sense of anxiety around everything thats happening in the sort of sociopolitical reality, Jaffer said.

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More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State

NYU Muslim student leader Safi Diagana agrees.

The fact that this happened on campus, its just very eye-opening and frankly just fearful, Diagana said. As Muslim students, we deserve to be here just like anybody else, and we have to show up for ourselves and NYU has to show up for us too.

NYU said in a statement, This desecration of a religious space is vile, reprehensible, and utterly unacceptable. It contravenes every principle of our community, and we condemn it.

The school added that it has started an investigation, and anyone found responsible will be subject to disciplinary sanctions.

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Some students want the school to do more.

I want them to make us feel more safe, so that means that any safety protocols they think are right for us to do and for them to do that theyve seen in the past. We want them to advocate for students and also to make sure that they spread this across and let people know that this is happening because we need to have more awareness and also how we can prevent it, Diagana said.

The Islamic Center said more needs to be done overall.

Its not about like a sort of one-stop  a statement or letter  but its something that we need to work on doing as a community to eradicate violence and rhetoric in our community.

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Many of the students said they want this to be looked at as a hate crime.

The NYPD said it is investigating, and the Hate Crime Task Force has been notified.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Former President Barack Obama has spoken out in support of Ivy League schools after the Trump administration threatened to pull federal funding if the schools do not address antisemitism.

A guest panel joins NewsNations The Hill 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.
Video above: This Nexstar Media video explains what ghost guns are.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  The San Diego County Sheriffs Office recently announced that the department, under the leadership of Sheriff Kelly Martinez, has been working to improve the efficiency and accessibility of its Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) permit application process. In doing so, authorities said significant changes have been implemented to reduce wait times and enhance service for applicants while maintaining the integrity of the process.

Sheriff Martinez is responsible for issuing CCW permits across the entire county, not just in areas under the sheriffs jurisdiction. According to her office, she has prioritized making the application process faster and more user-friendly. Through a series of innovative changes, the time it takes to process a CCW permit application has been reduced from 18 months to approximately eight months.

Changes and efforts to improve process

Streamlined application process

As explained by the sheriffs office, the CCW application process has been streamlined to increase efficiency. Applicants now complete their application online, select an appointment date, and pay the initial fee upfront.

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After the appointment, the information is sent to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to check the applicants criminal history, date of violation, and if complete details regarding a final disposition have been given to the DOJ. The sheriffs office said applicants will receive a determination on their CCW application within approximately 90 days.

SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft splashes down off the Oceanside coast

If approved, applicants will be instructed to complete a required training course, which ranges from eight to 16 hours depending on whether they are new applicants or renewing their permits.

Staffing and technology efforts

The sheriffs office explained that though there is progress with the process, staffing limitations remain a challenge. Currently, the Licensing and Criminal Registration Division employs 15 permanent staff members and four part-time retired employees. To address this, Sheriff Martinez has supplemented staffing with detectives who assist in the permitting process. Additionally, the office is looking into increasing automation and technology solutions to further expedite the process.

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A new program, CCW Pro, is also being developed by the sheriffs Data Services Division to streamline the permit process, with features like automated status updates and notifications. These technological advancements are expected to reduce wait times further in the future.

Legislative Support

Sheriff Martinez has also been a vocal supporter of legislation that could help improve the CCW permitting process. She backed Assembly Bill 1092, which sought to extend the CCW permit renewal period from two years to three or four years. Such an extension would allow the Sheriffs office to better allocate resources, reducing costs for applicants and further streamlining the overall process.

$10M Scratchers ticket sold at market in East County

Current requirements for CCW permits

To be eligible for a CCW permit in San Diego County, the sheriffs office explained that residents must meet several criteria, as listed below:

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They are a San Diego County resident and can provide two valid proofs of residency (Penal Code 26150).

They are not a disqualified person. (Penal Code 26202).

They are not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing, receiving, owning or purchasing a firearm (Penal Code 26185).

They complete the required CCW training course, as described in Penal Code 26165.

Recent court rulings make out-of-state residents visiting San Diego (or other counties) eligible to obtain a CCW permit in California. The sheriffs License and Criminal Registration Division is working out the process to accommodate those applicants.

Commitment to public safety

The sheriffs office said its committed to maintaining the safety and well-being of the community while ensuring efficient customer service for those applying for CCW permits. Sheriff Martinez and her team expressed dedication to refining the process, balancing public safety, the rights of law-abiding citizens, and operational efficiency.

For more information on how to apply for a CCW permit in San Diego County, visit the sheriffs office website or contact the License and Criminal Registration Division.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Norwich  Within a few months, the arm of a large excavator is expected to strike the first blow in the demolition of the blighted, decaying Marina Towers building at 74-78 W. Main St.

Mel Weise, president of Weise Construction, which is in charge of the project, said Friday he expects the demolition to be completed before July 4.

Weise, whose firm has received demolition permits, was among the state and local officials, construction personnel, consultants and owners of Marina at American Wharf properties who met in the parking lot of the Marina Towers Friday morning to mark the beginning of the demolition and the installation of a fuel tank for boaters. A large crowd watched.

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As speakers took turns at a podium, behind them lurked the faded-pink building considered by many to be an eyesore, and which blocks the view of the waterfront.

Norwich Community Development Corp. President and Executive Director Kevin Brown said in a few weeks, Weise will begin to demolish the building and create a temporary gravel parking lot. Meanwhile, SLR Consulting of Cheshire will begin a study to determine the best use of the 0.76-acre lot.

Last year, NCDC had placed a large poster on the side of the building with a link to a city survey asking whether the building, which the city purchased last year, should be torn down or renovated. Three hundred people were surveyed and 75% said tear it down.

Brown recalled in his remarks Friday that even Gov. Ned Lamont, at a visit to the waterfront last year, motioned to the building and asked, What are your plans for that?"

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City officials were ready with the answer as they were applying for a $4.5 million state grant to continue improving the waterfront, which included about $1 million to study the building, and demolish it. The grant was approved last year.

Despite overwhelming public support for demolition, Brown said the city had to follow up with an engineering study to confirm whether it should remain. The study found it was not worth saving.

Interior demolition is expected to begin in a couple of weeks, Brown said.

The public is not going to see a lot of outside activity right away," Brown said.

The demolition of the exterior will be done in stages, beginning on the south side facing the water and moving toward the street.

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Brown said the demolition will have "little to no impact" on traffic along on West Main Street but there may need to be a lane closure for few days near the end of the work.

Meanwhile, Amy Maguire, a construction and project manager for Service Station Equipment of North Franklin, said Friday the company hopes to finish the installation of the new fuel tanks, which will go beneath the marina lot, and repair of existing fuel lines, by June. She said it is in the process of pressure testing the existing fuel lines. Brown said most of the lines have passed the testing and are in good shape.

A vision of the waterfront

On Friday speakers not only celebrated the building demolition and fuel tanks, but the recent waterfront improvements made possible in large part by $6.5 million in state grants. With other grants on the horizon, they expect substantial investments will continue to be made in the waterfront.

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Patrick and Brittany Dwyer purchased the Marina at American Wharf in 2023 and since have partnered with the city and continued work to revitalize it, adding new docks and electrical equipment, and soon, the new tanks. At the marina two weeks ago, These Guys Brewing, which moved there last year, finished an extension to its building that allows more seating, lunch service and ability to operate year-round. On the other side of the water, at Howard T. Brown Park, Encanto Scoop at the Docks opened in 2023.

There are also plans, using state grants, to further improve Howard T. Brown Park and connect it to a Heritage Riverfront Park and Walkway along the Thames River. Just hours after Friday's groundbreaking, state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, said she received word that two more grants for the waterfront, totaling $672,000, have made it onto next week's state Bond Commission agenda.

With the towers building coming down and the other improvements, Brown said SLR Consulting will now work with the city and NCDC to create one overarching vision for the waterfront. These plans could include a permanent performance stage at the park and possibly a splashpad.

H. Tucker Braddock Jr., the chairman of the Harbor Management Commission, said he is happy to see the harbor is finally developing into a place "where people can come and enjoy sitting beside the docks, and enjoying a cocktail and a wonderful dinner.

d.drainville@theday.com
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB)  Panama City Beach and Bay County officials are doubling down on preventative safety measures following two recent shootings.

Dont bring these problems here. Dont invite these problems here. The families who live here, the families who visit here wont stand for this, and neither will we, Panama City Beach Mayor Stuart Tettemer said.

One shooting occurred at Pier Park late last Saturday night. Three people were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and then released from the hospital.

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Police determined the shooting was a result of rival gang violence in Dothan, Alabama. They coordinated with Dothan police to arrest three people.

Three suspects charged in Panama City Beach Pier Park shooting

18-year-old Kevin Moore and 15-year-old Jamarion Baker, who goes by the name Lil Poop were charged with attempted homicide. Theyre awaiting extradition back to Bay County.

17-year-old Avaughn Brown was charged with possession of a firearm by a minor, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Brown voluntarily surrendered to authorities in Troy, Alabama.

Officials issued a stern warning to like-minded spring breakers.

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If youre an adult in the Alabama area and are thinking about coming back to Panama City Beach this weekend, well, you might be doing us a favor because we have arrest warrants generated for you. Well be more than happy to go up there and pick you up. But be aware that anybody else that was involved in this investigation, were going to complete our investigation, were going to come and get you, Panama City Beach Police Chief J.R. Talamantez said.

Officials also made an arrest in connection with a shooting Thursday night outside of Longboards and Hammerhead Freds off Thomas Drive.

18-year-old Isaiah McKenzie of Alabama is charged with discharging a firearm in public in front of a vehicle, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, improper exhibition of a firearm, carrying a concealed firearm, and tampering with evidence.

The only explanation he could provide is I dont, I just dont know why I did it. I just maybe wanted to scare the crowd a little bit more. Thats how stupid. Thats the people we are dealing with, Talamantez said

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Florida Highway Patrol troopers also arrested in the same parking lot for a different gun incident. Eighteen-year-old Keoni Hollins of La Grange, Georgia, was charged with grand theft of a firearm.

Officials not only warned the spring breakers, but they also warned local establishments that promote spring break parties.

Im going to call out the businesses directly that have an effect on us. Here at spring break. Weve got Hammerhead friends, weve got Harpoon Harry, and weve got Longboards, among some others. Yes, Im calling you out directly to stop doing this and stop putting our community through this. Were not going to put up with it anymore. If you got a problem with that, call me, Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said.

Police: No injuries after shooting at PCB restaurant

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Officials say there are ongoing conversations to prevent establishments from catering to spring breakers next year.

Officials also warned parents to stop allowing their underage children to come to Bay County for spring break.

News 13 will continue updating this story as more information becomes available.

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OGDEN, Utah (ABC4)  Ogden City has officially purchased the historic U.S. Forest Service Building from the federal government after it deemed the structure surplus property.

The city approved the $3.6 million purchase of the downtown building last December and announced the completed acquisition on Friday, April 4, in a press release. While city officials are still unsure about the timeline and details regarding the buildings future, they have given us a sneak peek.

A historic downtown building

The Art Deco-styled building was constructed in 1934 and served as the district headquarters for the U.S. Forest Service, according to the U.S. General Services Administration.

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It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s as part of a group of Art Deco buildings in Ogden, and then again individually in 2006. The city said the building was used by the forest service up until a few years ago.

The historic U.S. Forest Service Building in downtown Ogden. (Credit: Ogden City)

The executive director for Preservation Utah, Brandy Strand, called the citys purchase of the landmark a major achievement.

This ensures that the buildings defining Art Deco elements and its connection to Ogdens past remain intact while allowing for thoughtful adaptation that meets the needs of the Nine Rails Creative District, Strand said.

Sara Meess, the citys economic development division director, said the building was designed by the same architecture firm that designed Ogden High and the Ogden Municipal Building, all of which were done in a similar style. She said the three buildings are an important part of the communitys history and great architectural legacy.

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It really is one of the best examples we have here in Utah of Art Deco architecture, Meess said.

The future of the building

The buildings location in the Nine Rails Creative District in Ogden  located between Grant and Madison Avenue from 24th to 26th Street  gave the city direction on what it could use the structure for.

The district was established a few years ago and aims to encourage creatives to live and work in Ogden through programs that support art, according to the city.

Its really focused on using arts and culture to activate the area, engage with the community and help revitalize the area, Meess said. So given that the Forest Service building is in a key location for the nine rails district, we were definitely interested in seeing if it could be reused in a way that would support that.

The historic U.S. Forest Service Building in downtown Ogden. (Credit: Kade Garner/ABC4) The historic U.S. Forest Service Building in downtown Ogden. (Credit: Kade Garner/ABC4) The historic U.S. Forest Service Building in downtown Ogden. (Credit: Kade Garner/ABC4) The historic U.S. Forest Service Building in downtown Ogden. (Credit: Kade Garner/ABC4) The historic U.S. Forest Service Building in downtown Ogden. (Credit: Kade Garner/ABC4) The historic U.S. Forest Service Building in downtown Ogden. (Credit: Kade Garner/ABC4)

City officials said they are planning to turn the building into a community hub with a creative live/work environment. Meess said this will include housing that aims to be affordable and accessible for creatives, as well as collaborative spaces, such as studios or performing arts areas.

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Its exciting to bring this space back to life and transform its purpose as a place to foster creativity. As we build out the Nine Rails Creative District, the entire community will benefit from a thriving center for art, culture, and innovation, Ogden Mayor Ben Nadolski said.

The city partnered with housing developer Giv Group to convert the government building into a downtown community space, meaning Ogdens redevelopment agency would likely not be the long-term owner of the property.

The city said it will continue to work with Preservation Utah to ensure the building maintains its historic integrity throughout the process. In the coming months, Ogden officials will meet with Giv Group and Preservation Utah to create more concrete plans and decide on their next steps.

Preservation Utah  has done a ton of work to document the building and its historic features, and theyll actually be holding an easement on the building that ensures that those historic features and the character of the building are protected for a long time to come, Meess said.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Some Ohio Republicans want to ban fluoride in public drinking water, because they say its a matter of personal choice.

I think its important for an individual to be able to choose what sort of supplements theyre taking, what sort of medical care theyre doing, things like that, Representative Levi Dean (R-Xenia) said.

Dean, the freshman lawmaker, is behind House Bill 182. The legislation is short and to the point: No public water system shall add fluoride to the water supplied by the system.

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Right now, there is a certain fluoride level that public water must be at. Some plants need to dampen it, some need to hike it up. Dean says those systems should not have that say.

Columbus Public Health terminates some employees early due to federal funding cuts

Your neighbor or the government shouldnt be able to tell you what you have to ingest into your body, he said. If you want to apply fluoride, this bill still allows you to do that. Its just saying you cant force someone to swallow and ingest fluoride by putting it into the water stream.

Dean said this bill came about after he heard from some local elected officials who were interested in removing fluoride from the water, but were not allowed to under Ohio law. Then, he said he heard the same from his constituents.

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They didnt want to have fluoride, he said. They wanted to have personal choice.

What about the health benefits of fluoride? Dr. Matthew Messina, DDS and Associate Professor an The Ohio State College of Dentistry said in short, it helps stop tooth decay.

Fluoride helps because it makes tooth enamel harder or stronger, more resistant to the acid, which reduces the risk of decay, he said.

Messina said controlled amounts of fluoride in drinking water helps build strong teeth for a lifetime.

He said one of the big benefits of having it in public water is that it reaches everyone.

Former Ohio governor speaks about current political climate

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Dean argues, for the people who want it, it is in many toothpastes and mouth washes.

I dont know why they wouldnt just brush their teeth with fluoride, which most of them probably already do, Dean said. Thats a better application in general.

Weve been trying to tell people for generations to brush their teeth. But theres a sizable percentage of the people that still dont brush their teeth every day. So, this is a way that helps them get the benefits of fluoride in the water, Messina said.

But he said he thinks back to when fluoride was taken out of public water in Calgary, Alberta, Canada back in 2011 and where they are now, nearly a decade and a half later.

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They have discovered an increase in the prevalence of [tooth] decay in the community, he said. There are more cavities which leads to unfortunately more dentistry being done. And so, theyre seeing the cost of dental care going up.

Messina said fluoride in public water was hailed as one of the best and one of the most successful public health efforts in the 20th century, and said going would mean that everybody would have to step up their game, when it comes to oral hygiene.

A huge achievement like that is something that we just dont ever want to risk going back from, he said.

Dean said under this bill, those who wanted to add fluoride to water themselves would not be stopped and said he already has an idea for a tweak to the legislation too.

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We could in the bill have an amendment to say, hey, your leftover reserve can be distributed to individuals who want to come and pick it up and then add it to their own water stream and drink it if theyd like, Dean said.

Fluoride was added to water because it produced a tremendous effect in reducing decay in some of our most vulnerable populations, Messina said.

As far as leadership goes, Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said he does not know whether he thinks fluoride should stay in water.

Lots of people have been talked about that over the last few years and they were dismissed. And now there appears to be some science that says too much fluoride, including adding fluoride, is bad for folks. So, I mean, I not a scientist, Im not a chemist, Huffman said. Were going to sort of litigate that question, not in the courtroom, in the legislature here, over the next couple of months. So, I dont know the answer to your question.

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On the other side of the aisle, Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said as someone who has a background in public health, she thinks the bill is misguided.

I see this as a basic human right in the United States of America, she said. I think the expectation of every household in this country is that you have access to clean tap water in your household. And anything that threatens that, Im going to be opposed to.

The bill is assigned to the Ohio House Natural Resources Committee and awaits its first hearing.

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An Ohio man was in custody Saturday after Davenport Police say he shot at another person on West 2nd Street in Davenport, Scott County Court documents show.

Christopher James (Scott County Jail)

Christopher James, of Pataskala, Ohio, was arrested Friday on a warrant and faces a felony charge of attempted murder, according to Scott County Court documents.

Arrest affidavits show that on March 16, Davenport Police responded to the 800 block of West 2nd Street for a report of shots fired.

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A witness identified James, saying James was wearing a red sweatshirt with black pants and white shoes, and that James produced a black handgun (and) pulled the slide to the rear to cycle a round to the chamber before firing three shots. Two 9mm shell casings and two live 9mm rounds were located outside of a door, according to affidavits.

Video shows James in front of an address on the 800 block of West 2nd Street wearing a red sweatshirt with black pants and white shoes, show affidavits, which say On the video, (James) produces a black handgun from his left pocket and fires three times at the victim. The victim ran from the defendant due to the fear of being shot.

Witnesses who spoke to James after the shooting said James stated that he intentionally shot at the victim, police say in affidavits.

The address was occupied at the time of the shooting. The structure was struck twice by projectiles causing damage, according to police statements in affidavits.

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James, who was being held Saturday on a total $35,000 cash-only bond in Scott County Jail, is scheduled to April 15 for a preliminary hearing in Scott County Court.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  The international visas of five students attending Ohio State University have been revoked with no indication of why.

According to a spokesperson for Ohio State, the university was made aware of at least five students whose visas were revoked.

At this time, we do not have any indication why this action was taken, said the University in a statement.

The spokesperson also said that the five students currently remain in the United States. The students, their attorneys, and the university are considering the next steps.

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Opening date announced for cafe owned by influencer couple

An entry visa allows people to enter the United States as a full-time student at an accredited college or university. Students using the entry visa have to be enrolled in a program or course of study that will result in a degree.

The crackdown on foreign students is allegedly due to the Trump administration using new tactics and vague justifications to push some students out of the country.

Ohio State is not the only college impacted. Students across the country whose visas were taken away received orders from the Department of Homeland Security to leave the country immediately. These orders are different from previous practices that would allow students to stay and complete their schooling.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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More than 40 species of snakes can be found in Oklahoma, but only a handful have a bite that's dangerous to humans.

Even though their bites require immediate medical attention, these snakes are more dangerous to small domestic animals like cats and dogs. Most often, bites occur by accident when a person or pet stumbles upon one as it waits for its next meal.

Humans pose a greater threat to these snakes than the snakes do to humans, so it's best to leave them alone if found outdoors.

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As the weather improves and Oklahomans head back outside, here is a guide on how to identify venomous snakes like the copperhead, cottonmouth and rattlesnake.

Story continues below gallery

Copperhead: The king of eastern Oklahoma

Eastern copperheads are stocky snakes with a coppery-colored head and keeled scales boldly marked by hourglass-shaped brown crossbands on the upper surfaces. Heat-sensing organs are located in facial pits on each side of the head between the eye and nostril.

The copperhead name comes from the distinctive copper tone found throughout its body, but especially on its wide head. As a pit viper, its head is large and triangular-shaped compared to the rest of its body. This is caused by venom glands inside the skull.

Juvenile copperheads have a bright yellow-green tail.

Copperheads have a wide range in the Eastern United States. They can be found in central Oklahoma but the snake prefers woodlands and rocky outcroppings more common in the eastern part of the state.

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In Oklahoma last year, copperhead bites accounted for nearly half of all snake-related calls, according to the Oklahoma Poison Center. There were 160 calls to the center for copperhead bites in 2024.

Cottonmouth: Say 'ahhhh'

The cottonmouth, also informally known as the water moccasin, will bare its distinctive white mouth to discourage threats.

The cottonmouth is a mottled, dark-colored snake that can appear black, until it opens its mouth.

Known for its bright shade of white inside its mouth, the cottonmouth uses this as a flashy way of deterring threats. They're also known as water moccasins due to their frequent swimming, but they're the only Oklahoma snake that's commonly found in water.

"They are particularly common in large swamps associated with rivers, but can be common along small streams, in ponds, and even in lakes," writes the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife. "During summer, individuals often wander away from water and can be found on the forest floor."

Rattlesnakes: The snake that warns with sound

Rattlesnakes are named for their tail rattle, which is shaken as a defense mechanism. There are five different types of rattlesnakes found in Oklahoma:

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Timber rattlesnake

Western diamondback rattlesnake

Western pygmy rattlesnake

Prairie rattlesnake

Western massasauga rattlesnake

All rattlesnakes found in Oklahoma produce a powerful and dangerous venom that destroys tissue and disrupts blood clotting. Although copperheads are responsible for the most snakebites in the United States, rattlesnakes pose a greater risk of injury to humans because of their venom.

What do you do if you get bit by a venomous snake?

If you get bit by a venomous snake, immediately call 911 and head to the nearest emergency room. Most hospitals have antivenom drugs and can advise you on how to proceed.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, do not use a tourniquet, cut the wound or try to suck out the venom  these methods can make the situation worse.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma venomous snakes: How to spot them, what to do if you get bit
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  Last month, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services contacted at least 23 service providers to tell them about upcoming cuts.

News 4 first told you about panic that hit some portions of the medical community in our state.

Its being caused by a notification that was sent to numerous addiction recovery centers.

The folks who work at those centers said the state is getting ready to cut their funding to the point they may have to close their doors to desperate Oklahomans.

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When we first asked state officials about the cuts, we were told no payments have been canceled and the notification that was sent only discussed potential changes in payments.

After our story aired, we heard from those affected who said the state is not telling the truth.

On Thursday, News 4 obtained documents that appear to show cuts are coming.

We spoke with a woman who is a director at a treatment center and her facility relies on funds sent out by the state. We are protecting her identity because she fears retaliation for speaking out.

We got this email on the 18th informing us that our value-based payment system was going away, said the director.

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Proposed mental health funding cuts could force several facilities to close

The director said she wouldnt just be losing future funds, the state also said they were taking back funds from last year

Were a very small facility. For us, that means we are losing out on $41,000 and some change, said the director.

When the director saw our initial story, she said she couldnt believe state officials were denying there would be upcoming cuts.

To take it back to the press and act like its nothings been decided I mean, thats not what they told us, said the director.

The documents sent out by the state say, at this time we cannot guarantee any number of pending services will be paid.

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The email also says starting in the second quarter, the department will be ending one particular type of funding.

The email goes on to state that the funds were instituted when federal dollars were available to pay them, however those dollars are no longer available.

The department also acknowledged that these changes are disappointing.

The director pointed out that Oklahoma is consistently top 10 in the nation for substance use and mental health problems.

The cuts will not only hurt her center, but also the people who desperately need their services.

Horrifying: Recent federal cuts could impact feeding Oklahomas elderly

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Best case scenario, honestly, we shut down our outpatient services, she said. We may be able to keep our residential center open, but you know, this is going to leave a gigantic hole in coverage for substance abuse treatment in the state of Oklahoma.

State leaders said they were not aware the department would be making cuts.

This week alone weve heard of retroactive cuts for services already rendered, from the Department of Mental Health, again, we found out after the fact that they were revising contracts retroactively dating back to October 1st, said Kyle Hilbert, Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. These are services that the provider has already rendered, they have done a service in a contractual relationship with the state and the state is later, 6 months later saying, yes you performed that work but were not going to pay you for it.

State leaders called the cuts bad for everyone.

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Its not good business for the state of Oklahoma, particularly the people these providers serve, said Hilbert.

We reached out to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. We asked them about the disparity between what they told us earlier this week, and what we can now see in the emails they actually sent to the service providers.

They didnt directly address the clear differences, but they sent us the following statement.

SUD providers receiving value-based payments were notified in advance of the planned termination of incentive payments, in accordance with contractual language stating that these payments are contingent on available funds. However, core fixed-rate service contracts remain intact and are not affected by this adjustment. ODMHSAS is actively working with the legislature and executive branch to determine next steps. All branches are aligned in our priority to serve Oklahomans, and we remain focused on sustaining services through strategic resource allocation, collaboration with key stakeholders, and ongoing evaluation of service needs. The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

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LAKE CITY, S.C. (WBTW)  A workplace death has occurred at the Nan Ya plastics production plant in Lake City, Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken told News13.

No further information was immediately provided, and the incident remains under investigation.

Count on News13 for updates on-air and online.

* * *

Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

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Apr. 5---- A Boyd man was injured in a two-car collision Thursday evening at the intersection of Minnesota Highways 7 and 23 in Clara City.

According to a

from the

a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan was traveling westbound on Highway 7 as a 2016 Hyundai Elantra was traveling southbound on Highway 23 when the vehicles collided at the intersection in

The driver of the Dodge, Charles Douglas Border, 74, of Boyd, suffered non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the crash.

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The Hyundai was driven by a 17-year-old juvenile from Willmar, a 16-year-old juvenile from Granite Falls was a passenger. Neither of the juveniles was reported to have any injuries. The Minnesota State Patrol did not name the juveniles in the crash report.

Border was taken to Avera Granite Falls Health Center in Granite Falls by Clara City Ambulance for treatment of his injuries. Also responding to the incident was the Chippewa County Sheriffs Office.

According to the report, road conditions were dry at the time of the crash reported at 8:34 p.m. Thursday, and no alcohol was involved. Neither vehicle's airbags deployed as a result of the crash. All three people were wearing seat belts.
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  One man on his way to Hollywood stardom is giving thanks to a local theater here in the Miami Valley.

Douglas E. Hughes is a playwright and actor with a substantial resume in the industry, spanning from local theater plays to major Hollywood studio productions.

He got his first break doing beer commercials in the 1980s, and as an actor was featured in several films. He began playwriting alongside his writing partner Marcia Kash after publishing his first farce play, Whose Underwear, in the 90s.

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The play started Hughes on a creative journey which lead him to create his next passion project: Deadline.

Before the pandemic, Hughes was in conversation with several theater companies looking to host the play.

After COVID hit, everything dried up.

With no one willing to produce his play, things started to look bleak. Thats when a light  a local one  appeared at the end of the tunnel.

The Human Race Theatre company in Dayton on North Main Street reached out to Hughes team about the play, and soon the ball started rolling on production.

Deadline premiered at HRT in 2022, garnering big success.

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The play is about two playwrights hired to ghostwrite the rest of a play set to open on Broadway. They were left with only the first 25 pages of the script to work with, which were saved from a fire. Once the playwrights begin writing, they eventually find themselves trapped in the script itself and have to find a way to write themselves out.

Douglas said he appreciates the opportunity HRT gave him and his writing partner. He said since the show premiered in 2022, they were able to get the show published, which wouldnt have been possible without help from the theatre.

I would just like to say that Marcia and I were thrilled to see Deadline finally get an opportunity to be seen by the public, he said, so a great kudos to the Human Rights Theater Company for choosing to do it in the first place. That was a huge benefit to us.

One of the things that resulted from that is that we were able to get it published because until you get to have a professional production, publishing houses wont look at your play, you know?

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So that was a great boost to us. Now the next big hump to get over is getting that second production, which is often harder than the first one.

Hughes has recently found new success as an actor after landing a major role on MGMs hit sci-fi series From. As show antagonist the man in yellow, his characters haunting aura has been making big waves among fans online.

Hughes said his approach to acting is generally similar to his approach to writing characters.

The approach to the work isnt really any different, you know? he said. And thats the thing that people who are in the industry sometimes have trouble understanding. But, you know, whatever role youre playing, whether its the hero or the villain or anyone on that spectrum in between, the approach is essentially the same. Your job is to identify with that character to the greatest extent possible.

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So if, for example, youre playing a villain, you never see yourself as the villain. You see yourself as the hero of the story, you know, and you make your choices accordingly.

Hughes big break in Hollywood came in the form of a sudden knock  Hughes had never seen the show From before he was cast three years after auditioning on Zoom for the role and only had four days to prepare before filming.

I was cast in that role four days before we shot it. I hadnt seen an episode of From. I had a crash course. I got to watch a grand total of four episodes before we shot that scene. The tops and tails of seasons one and two. Thats all I knew of the series when we shot that scene.

To learn more about Douglas E. Hughes and his other work, you can go to his website.

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For more information about his play Deadline can be found here on PlayScripts.com, the Broadway licensing website.

You can actually read the first 32 pages of the script online without having to buy the script, says Hughes.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  One person is dead after a northeast Columbus shooting on Friday night.

Authorities responded to the 2800 block of Linview Avenue at 8:43 p.m. on Friday after report of shooting, according to the Columbus Division of Police. After arriving, officers found the victim unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound.

Officials urge drivers to avoid flooded roadways

Fire medics arrived at the scene shortly after and pronounced the victim dead at 8:51 p.m. While the incident is being investigated as a homicide, theres no suspect information available at this time. The victims identity has yet to be released.

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Apr. 5JAMESTOWN  One person was sentenced recently on a felony charge in Southeast District Court in Jamestown.

Samuel Paxton Mittleider, 27, Jamestown, pleaded guilty to failure to register as a sexual offender, a Class C felony.

Mittleider was accused of having a change in computer online identity and failing to register the change with the local law enforcement agency having local jurisdiction over his residence within three days of the change from Oct. 1 to Nov. 17.

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Judge Troy LeFevre sentenced Mittleider to 90 days in the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation with credit for 37 days served. LeFevre ordered Mittleider to not possess or own firearms and ordered him to pay a $400 criminal administration fee, $100 defense/facility administration fee, $35 indigent defense application fee, $300 indigent recoupment and a $25 victim-witness fee.

A Class C felony is punishable by five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  The Open Door Network of Kern County hosted their third annual fundraiser on Thursday evening.

17 News Tami Mlcoch served as the emcee for the event, which raised nearly $180,000 in 2024.

Thursdays event was in celebration of the resilience of clients, staff and community members, all with the goal of breaking the homelessness cycle in Kern County.

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At the age of 31, Georgia Meloni was the youngest minister in the Italian government under former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. She was a young woman working in an alpha-maledominated government led by Berlusconis conservative Forza Italia party.

The late Berlusconi was known for his unpredictable behavior, rhetorical arrogance and willingness to take on the Italian judiciary and other left-wing public institutions in Italy. He was the closest personality and politician to Donald Trump that we have seen in modern Europe, and Meloni had a front-row seat to the never-ending political chaos of the Berlusconi era in Italian politics.

Meloni incrementally moved away from the traditional conservatism of Forza Italia, elevating her populist Brothers of Italy Party to 30 percent support after only two and a half years in government. She has managed to dramatically increase that support with her common-sense no-nonsense governing style wed to an anti-immigration populism that is assertively committed to defending traditional marriage, the Catholic Church and Italys fundamental right to remain Italian.

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Meloni was attracted to right-wing political activism at an early age, having joined the Youth Front, the youth branch of Movimento Sociale Italiano, when she was only 15 years old. The movement was founded by former fascists after World War II in response to an increasingly violent left-wing counterculture youth movement sweeping across Italy at the time.

Meloni seemed determined, even at a young age, to establish legitimacy for right-wing populist politics that had always eluded other European right-wing populist movements.

With this background, Prime Minister Meloni has increasingly acted as a bridge between President Trump and Americas European allies. Having learned under the mentorship of Berlusconi, Meloni understands how to deal with strong and unpredictable leaders.

While other European leaders such as Emmanuel Macron of France and newly elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are strong supporters of the EU, free trade and international public institutions, Meloni is skeptical of all three. She and often pushes back against European economic and multicultural integration.

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She is determined to protect Italian industry, culture and, most importantly, Italys shores from an influx of illegal migrants from North Africa and the Middle East. These positions closely align Meloni with Trumps populist policy agenda. Theres a reason Trump has called Meloni one of his favorite European leaders.

Trump also likes Melonis pragmatism toward Russia, Ukraine and Gaza. Although she has supported sanctions against Russia and has publicly criticized Vladimir Putin, she has also called for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. She has been skeptical of Europes plan to use European ground troops as a peacekeeping force after a cease-fire has been reached in that conflict.

Melonis support for Ukraine, which has surprised many of her governing coalition partners, is based on her strong belief in national sovereignty, a recurring theme for Meloni when she defends Italian interests from intrusive EU bureaucrats and regulators.

Trump has also never forgotten how Meloni maintained a close relationship with him and the Republican Party during the campaign and the Biden presidency, even as other European leaders refused to meet with candidate Trump. Meloni has always intuitively understood that loyalty and flattery are the best way to win Trump over and keep him engaged on issues important to Italy and Europe. She learned this lesson from her relationship with Berlusconi.

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Although Meloni is close to Trump, her relationship with European leaders and Brussels are often contentious. For example, Meloni voted against the reelection of Ursula von der Leyen, a popular and powerful politician in Europe, when she ran for a second term as president of the European Commission.

If Meloni decides to be Trumps champion in Europe, she could lose influence with the European Commission to Frances Macron and Germanys Merz, both of whom want a stronger and more integrated Europe, along with a more independent economic and security relationship with the U.S.

Merzs anger with Trump was fueled by Vice President JD Vances address at the Munich Security Conference, which criticized Germany and the rest of Europe on defense spending, immigration, freedom of speech and the refusal to work with right-wing populist parties such as the Alternative for Germany or AfD Party.

However, Vances speech was popular in Italy with Melonis party and her partner, the Northern Italian Lega party of Matteo Salvini. Meloni refused to criticize the speech and embraced many of Vances talking points, especially on immigration and free speech. She thus further aligned herself and Italys right wing-populist movement with Trump and the U.S.

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Meloni is also using her personal relationship with Trump ally Elon Musk to cultivate a closer business and economic relationship with the U.S., which she believes will strengthen her leadership position in Europe. Italys growing economic ties to Musk will work in her favor with Trump, but it could also hurt Melonis standing with European leaders if the unpredictable Musk continues to support right-wing opposition parties in Europe such as the AfD. His business empire has also become the focus of EU regulators and lawyers in Brussels.

Meloni will have to skillfully navigate contentious policy obstacles if she wants to be the European leader who can build a bridge between the Trump administration and European governments. On immigration, foreign policy, tariffs, free speech and the protection of traditional institutions, Meloni and Trump are mostly on the same page. Her innate pragmatism and personality have also allowed her to be accepted, if not fully embraced, by center-left European leaders who often exclude right-wing politicians from their club.

Trumps demand that NATO countries spend 2 percent of their GDP on defense spending, something Meloni has said Italy cant do, could fracture the cozy transatlantic relationship between Meloni and Trump. However, for now, Meloni is the only elected European leader capable of bridging the widening security, economic and cultural gap between Trumps America and its longtime friends and allies in Europe.

Frank DiFulvio is a writer based in Northern Virginia and Rome.

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Oh yes, my brothers and sisters, it is a golden age, just as promised.

But it is not exactly the kind of golden age we were hoping for.

It is a golden age for bad presidenting. It is a golden age for crappy leaders making crappy decisions. It is a golden age for corruption and destruction. It is a golden age for billionaires f---ing over America and the world.

And as it happens, it is also a golden age for gold, because thats what the world buys when were all heading to Hell in a handbasket.

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In the vernacular of over-educated, latte-drinking Bluesky users, it is a golden age for kakistocracy. It is a golden age for polycrises. It is a golden age for stochastic terrorism. (I beg you, friends, please never use such language. It only irritates ordinary people, like those of us from New Jersey who prefer to express our anger in more colorful bursts. For us it is a golden age of getting screwed 10 different ways by our government; a golden age for Americas assholeocracy to crush us under their bootheels.)

What it is not a golden age for, as it happens, is the term golden age. Thats dead. President Trump has killed it. No one will ever be able to use it again without making people think of the era of redolent deep brown s--t through which we are all now living.

President Donald Trump gestures as he disembarks Air Force at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on April 3, 2025. / Kent Nishimura / REUTERS

And dont think Im just talking about the arrogance and idiocy that produced this weeks market cataclysm. Or the recklessness that produced Signalgate. Nor the abandonment of our allies and the sordid betrayals that have led to the support of our enemies. Nor the gutting of our health-care system, education, culture and science that are part of an unprecedented war on truth and knowledge. Nor our governments police state tactics. Nor the contempt shown by our leaders for the Constitution they have sworn to uphold.

Each of these things is egregious and horrible in its own right, of course. Take the current economic disaster that is unfolding on the world stage. Our golden leader deserves immense credit for a historical financial firsthe has taken a robustly health economy and put it on the critical list, in record time. Trump alone is responsible for crushing the U.S. economy like it was a bug or, worse, like it was one of the many businesses he ran into the ground during his benighted career.

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But see heres the thing: Its not just the stupid guy doing stupid things to the economy, stupid. Heck, even Mussolini made the trains run on time. (Or so they say.)

What were witnessing now is something so different that we can barely comprehend or communicate it. In every major area of policy, the Trump administration is embracing actions and promulgating policies that are not just bad, but rather contenders for being the worst in the nearly 250-year history of the nation.

For many of us, the problem is that with so many simultaneous disasters unfolding at onceeach of them infused with ugly ideologies and bent characters, and almost all of them promising to get worseits impossible to direct our outrage constructively.

A protester during a Tesla Takedown demo in Clermont, Florida, on March 29, 2025. / MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO / AFP via Getty Images

Should it be at what my friend Ed Luce of the Financial Times calls the recession of choice that is being triggered by the Trump tariffs? The mass layoffs at RFK Jr.s HHS that will cause death, disease and suffering? The threats to our national security revealed by Signalgate? The MAGA budget plans that will increase the deficit by $5 trillion to $9 trillion over the next decade just to accommodate more tax cuts for the very rich, costs that will be borne by the rest of us as they cut away at Social Security and Medicaid?

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We know that some of the defective characters responsible for this debasement of American values should be firedideally far into the heavens, perhaps on one of Elon Musks Space X boosters. But where do we start? Obviously, the simple answer is Trump. But we also know that is not going to happen. Ever. The problem is, he knows it too. There are no more elections for Trump. There is no one who will ever hold him accountable again. For anything.

Thanks, Chief Justice Roberts. Nice job.

And so this is where we are, in a period unlike any other in our history, a golden age of WTF and SMH, and exploding head emojis, and not being able to sleep at night for worrying about the ones we love, and groceries that are too expensive, and racism, and lies, and an ever larger tsunami of s--t heading our way. Thats the golden age were in.

And as golden ages go, well, I think we can all agree, this one sucks.
Brief thoughts: Like in every other crisis, lots of us are rightly scared.

Yes, this one is man-made  so was the 2008 financial crisis, COVID and a few other crises. The American economy adapted and roared back  but a lot of people got hurt along the way.

America is not going out of business. At the start of COVID, we hoarded toilet paper  if people take Mark Cubans advice, lord knows what Costco will look like tomorrow. Its not a bad idea to go to the local Walmart or big box retailer and buy lots of consumables now. From toothpaste to soap, anything you can find storage space for, buy before they have to replenish inventory. Even if its made in the USA, they will jack up the price and blame it on tariffs, Cuban posted on Bluesky.

We are two days into President Trumps new tariffs  whatever happens will take time to work itself out. The press and stock markets make a business out of overreacting. Dont forget: There are a lot of American workers, businesses, industries and towns that will significantly benefit as a result of the tariffs.



NewsNation Chief Washington Anchor and On Balance host Leland Vittert was a foreign correspondent for four years in Jerusalem. He gives you an early look at tonights 9 pm ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here.

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Fun watch: As a reminder of the upside-down world we live in:

Democratic messaging: Democrats agree they need a new message  but does that mean they need a new messenger(s)?

Yes, says New York Democrats, who give Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a double-digit lead over Sen. Chuck Schumer in a new poll of the 2028 N.Y. Senate primary. History rhymes: AOC won her seat in Congress in an upset primary over longtime Democratic stalwart Joseph Crowley back in 2018.



Conventional Coverage

Most of the media keeps harping on how long Trump will keep doubling down  after all, he put the tariffs on  he can take them off.

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According to The Washington Post, that could be a while: Hes at the peak of just not giving a f anymore, said a White House official with knowledge of Trumps thinking. Bad news stories? Doesnt give a f. Hes going to do what hes going to do. Hes going to do what he promised to do on the campaign trail.

Trump himself keeps doubling down while saying he might negotiate.

Zoom out: Trump can take the tariffs off  but so can Congress and maybe the Supreme Court as well.

Rule book: Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution:

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States. Note: That doesnt say the executive branch  it says Congress. In 1977, Congress  in its usually feckless way  gave the executive branch powers to put on unlimited tariffs in the name of national security in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Think of massive tariffs against China if they invade Taiwan. Clearly, Congress never intended the president to be able to unilaterally change the American economy overnight. Must read: Rich Lowry explains this better than I can in the National Review. Lowry also lays out the danger of a Democratic president using the same national security rules in his piece: And, a future progressive president will surely pick up where Trump left off. Whats to stop President Ocasio-Cortez from declaring a climate emergency? Lowry writes.

Conservatives are making this case  Ben Shapiro went after Trump in his podcast: There are real-world implications for this sort of stuff. Trade wars are in fact not good and not easy to win, particularly if you dont actually have a plan. It is predicated on a bad idea of how international trade works. A fundamental misunderstanding of trade deficits. Trade deficits are an accounting procedure. Trade deficits have pretty much nothing to do with the health of an economy. I can name you a period in American history where there was a fairly large surplus in Americas balance of trade. The entire Great Depression, Shapiro said.



Escape hatch: Pressure on Trump to change course normally backfires, but pressure on Republicans in Congress is different.

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Every member of the House and a third of the Senate are up for reelection in 2026, and then another round of senators are up in 2028.

Conceivably, Congress could revoke Trumps emergency national security powers by passing a new law and then overriding a near-certain veto on the bill from Trump.

Lawsuits could also challenge the executive branchs incredibly broad use of said statute. I am not a lawyer, but Congress has a lot of options.



Leverage: Worried Republicans in Congress could tell President Trump that they wont vote for his one, big beautiful bill  the latest budget proposal  unless he reverses course on some tariffs.

Political rule: All politics is local. Members of the House and Senate are a lot closer to their constituents than Trump is  they will feel the pressure first. First cracks: If Trump is going to bend or make deals, it will come from pressure inside the Republican Party. Is this already happening? Rand Paul Rages Against Trump Tariffs Electoral Disasters! headlines Mediaite. House Republican moves to rein in tariff powers, writes Politico. Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon said he plans to introduce a companion bill to the bipartisan Senate legislation aimed at reclaiming Congress authority over tariffs, becoming the first House Republican to openly challenge the powers President Donald Trump is using to launch a massive global trade war.

Watch tonight: Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma and Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware join us for their takes on the new tariffs.

Tune into On Balance with Leland Vittert weeknights at 9/8 CT on NewsNation. Find your channel here.

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The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.

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We should replace our piece of crap Constitution.

Those words from author Elie Mystal, a regular commentator on MSNBC, are hardly surprising from someone who previously called the Constitution trash and urged not just the abolition of the U.S. Senate but also of all voter registration laws.

But Mystals radical rhetoric is becoming mainstream on the left, as shown by his best-selling books and popular media appearances.

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There is a counter-constitutional movement building in law schools and across the country. And although Mystal has not advocated violence, some on the left are turning to political violence and criminal acts. It is part of the righteous rage that many of them see as absolving them from the basic demands not only of civility but of legality.

They are part of a rising class of American Jacobins  bourgeois revolutionaries increasingly prepared to trash everything, from cars to the Constitution.

The Jacobins were a radical group in France that propelled that country into the worst excesses of the French Revolution. They were largely affluent citizens, including journalists, professors, lawyers, and others who shredded existing laws and destroyed property. It would ultimately lead not only to the blood-soaked Reign of Terror but also to the demise of the Jacobins themselves as more radical groups turned against them.

Of course, it is not revolution on the minds of most of these individuals. It is rage.

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Rage is the ultimate drug. It offers a release from longstanding social norms  a license to do those things long repressed by individuals who viewed themselves as decent, law-abiding citizens.

Across the country, liberals are destroying Tesla cars, torching dealerships and charging stations, and even allegedly hitting political dissenters with their cars.

Last week, affluent liberal shoppers admitted that they are shoplifting from Whole Foods to strike back at Jeff Bezos for working with the Trump administration and moving the Washington Post back to the political center. They are also enraged at Mark Zuckerberg for restoring free speech protections at Meta.

One 20-something communications professional in Washington explained If a billionaire can steal from me, I can scrape a little off the top, too. These affluent shoplifters portrayed themselves as Robin Hoods.

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Of course, that is assuming Robin Hood was stealing organic fruit from the rich and giving it to himself.

On college campuses, affluent students and even professors are engaging in political violence.

Just this week, University of Wisconsin Professor Jose Felipe Alvergue, head of the English Department, turned over the table of College Republicans supporting a conservative for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He reportedly declared, The time for this is over!

Likewise, a mob this week attacked a conservative display and tent on the campus of the University of California-Davis as campus police passively watched. The Antifa protesters, carrying a large banner with the slogan ACAB or all cops are bastards, trashed the tent and carried it off.

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Antifa is a violent and vehemently anti-free speech group that thrives on U.S. college campuses. In his book Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook, Mark Bray explains that most Americans in Antifa have been anarchists or antiauthoritarian communists.  From that standpoint, free speech as such is merely a bourgeois fantasy unworthy of consideration.

Of course, many of the American Jacobins are themselves bourgeois or even affluent figures. And they are finding a host of enablers telling them that the Constitution itself is a threat and that the legal system has been corrupted by oligarchs, white supremacists, or reactionaries.

This includes leading academics and commentators who are denouncing the Constitution and core American values. Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley Law School, is the author of No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States.

In a New York Times op-ed, The Constitution Is Broken and Should Not Be Reclaimed, law professors Ryan D. Doerfler of Harvard and Samuel Moyn of Yale called for the nation to reclaim America from constitutionalism.

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Commentator Jennifer Szalai has scoffed at what she called Constitution worship. Americans have long assumed that the Constitution could save us, she wrote. A growing chorus now wonders whether we need to be saved from it.

As intellectuals knock down our laws and Constitution, radicals are pouring into the breach. Political violence and rage rhetoric are becoming more common. Some liberals embraced groups like Antifa, while others shrugged off property damage and violent threats against political opponents. It is the very type of incitement or rage rhetoric that Democrats once accused Trump of fostering in groups like the Proud Boys.

Members of Congress such as Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) have called for Tesla CEO Elon Musk to be taken down and said that Democrats have to be OK with punching.

Some take such words as a justification to violently attack a system supposedly advancing the white supremacy or fascism. Fortunately, such violence has been confined so far to a minority of radicalized individuals, but there is an undeniable increase in such violent, threatening speech and in actual violence.

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The one thing the American Jacobins will not admit is that they like the rage and the release that it brings them. From shoplifting to arson to attempted assassination, the rejection of our legal system brings them freedom to act outside of morality and to take whatever they want.

Democratic leaders see these protests as needed popularism to combat Trump  to make followers strike ready and to stand up and fight back.

For a politician, a mob can become irresistible if you can steer it against your opponents. The problem is controlling the mob once it has broken free of the bounds of legal and personal accountability.

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University and the author of The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.

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I was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare neuromuscular disease that weakens muscles over time, making everyday tasks like walking, lifting and even breathing more difficult or even impossible.

Until a few years ago, this disease was considered a death sentence for many, as the number one genetic cause of infant mortality in the U.S. There was no treatment, no hope  just the knowledge that my muscles would continue to deteriorate while researchers searched desperately for answers.

That changed when the first FDA-approved treatment for it, Spinraza, became available. This life-changing therapy is a product of university research, made possible by federal funds  supported by the National Institutes of Health. Without NIH investment, Spinraza wouldnt have been developed, and I wouldnt have the opportunity to share my story today.

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Now, a new policy proposal threatens to undermine the very system that made breakthroughs like this possible. The NIH is considering a catastrophic cut to indirect cost reimbursements for public universities, including the University of California system, a major hub for life-saving medical research. University of Californias research funded by the federal government has resulted in the development of a host of breakthrough interventions, including Non-Hodgkins lymphoma Immunotherapy and Prostate cancer treatments.

Indirect costs  sometimes dismissed as overhead are what keep the nations research enterprise running. They fund lab space, equipment, research compliance, and, critically, the salaries of scientists and graduate students who dedicate their lives to discovery.

I understand that research funding can seem abstract or bureaucratic. But let me put it plainly: If these cuts move forward, they will hurt the economy and real people across the country. In 2024, NIH funding generated more than $94 billion in economic activity. It also supported more than 400,000 jobs in red and blue states alike. In North Carolina, NIH funded research supports over $4.8 billion in economic activity and nearly 22,000 jobs.

Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are the lifeblood of university research. They conduct experiments, analyze data and drive innovation. If public universities lose crucial indirect cost funding, they will have fewer resources to support the next generation of scientists. That means fewer opportunities for students to pursue research careers and fewer minds working toward the next breakthrough.

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Many of the scientists who helped develop treatments for spinal muscular atrophy, cancer and Alzheimers began their work as graduate students in NIH-funded labs. If we cut funding now, were not just jeopardizing the present  were shutting doors on the future.

When I took my first dose of Spinraza, I knew I was one of the lucky ones. But millions of people with rare diseases, cancer, Alzheimers and countless other conditions are still waiting for their miracle. These discoveries dont happen overnight. They require years  even decades  of investment in research infrastructure, talented scientists and rigorous clinical trials. They also span presidential administrations. For example, during President Trumps first administration, the NIH made major advances in the prevention of opioid overdoses, stroke recovery and early detection of blood cancers.

If the NIH slashes indirect cost support, universities may have to cut back on research programs, limit the number of grants they accept, or divert resources from promising but long-term projects. That means fewer new treatments, longer waits for clinical breakthroughs, and lives lost to diseases we might have cured  if only we had funded the science.

I am living proof that NIH-funded research saves lives. And I am terrified of what will happen if we dont fight for it. The proposed cuts to indirect costs are not just a bureaucratic adjustment  they are an attack on the future of medical innovation. Consider this: Of the 356 new drugs approved by the FDA from 2010 to 2019, a staggering 354 or 99.4 percent were developed with NIH funding.

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I urge policymakers to protect NIH research funding and to recognize that an investment in science is an investment in people. Patients like me are depending on it.

Ryan Manriquez is a second-year Master of Public Policy student at UC Berkeley and serves as the President of UCGPC, a non-profit organization that advocates for graduate and professional students at University of California.

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The path of least resistance, opined Henry David Thoreau, leads to crooked rivers and crooked men. As our nation takes a cold, hard look at our failing public education system, can we honestly say that we have heeded Thoreaus warning?

If the widespread acceptance of artificial intelligence in the classroom is any indication, the answer is a resounding No.

Our North Star is to create educational experiences that excite and empower learners everywhere with AI literacy, Charlotte Dungan, COO of the AI Education Project, told Harvards ED Magazine. I think the possibilities for ChatGPT to remove rote work from the classroom and empower deep learning experiences are exciting.

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But what is the rote work of which Dungan speaks? Researching a topic by seeking out multiple (human) viewpoints. Strengthening literacy skills by scouring resources for new information. Formulating conclusions by using logic to decipher the resources. Using rhetoric to create persuasive arguments to advance said conclusion.

To those genuflecting to the AI golden calf, that is now considered rote work.

Nobody likes doing grunt work. It is hard, tedious and time-consuming. But it is also a process that builds character and knowledge. It is the process by which students become critical thinkers who have built a strong foundation on which they can tackle the problems that, most assuredly, will come before them.

Public education, however, has become a go-with-the-flow enterprise  and in an age where students see a social media platform where you can obtain fame without hard work, why shouldnt they be able to receive the A without doing the study? That is exactly what AI provides: a short cut.

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Should we be surprised that public education policy advocates for the path of least resistance? In the late 1980s, schools of education began training teachers in the gold star theory  every student gets a gold star for trying. The reward was the attempt, not the achievement.

The gold star soon gave way to the participation trophy. In classrooms where the outcome is guaranteed, there are no winners or losers. And if there are no winners, there is no need to keep score.

Enter standards-based grading: a philosophy in which the A through F grading scale is set aside in favor of a subjective yardstick that allows retakes and repetition over consequences and commitment.

Artificial intelligence could now become the final nail in the coffin of educational excellence, by removing the rote work from learning and creating an educational environment in which critical thinking is replaced with automation.

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The usual retort us that we need to teach students how to use AI. But this is a cop-out. When school districts rushed laptops and iPads into classrooms, they said they would teach students how to use them. Fifteen years later, can we say students use these devices for academic pursuits? Or do they use them to play games in class without detection?

There is a reason that the men who created this tech send their kids to schools that dont use it; it is addictive, not academic. Just look at the Waldorf School.

If we give AI to students lacking content knowledge, we will have left the toddler unattended in the candy store. More damning, we will have allowed students to use a never-ending source of easy, artificial knowledge that is potentially biased if not outright false.

Will students think to double-check the AI? Why should they? We already gave them a green light to coast through their classes.

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Winston Churchill noted that kites rise highest against the wind, not with it. But if we are being honest with ourselves, modern education policy, with its emphasis on outcomes and not opportunities, has sailed students straight into the doldrums. Just ask yourself how a study found that 47 percent of high school students had A averages, at a time when more than 60 percent were not proficient in reading and math?

If we continue to provide our students with excuses and shortcuts, their abilities will be just as artificial as the intelligence they are using to obtain them. Is that the future we want?

Joseph R. Murray is an award-winning teacher residing in West Tennessee and contributor to KFAX AM San Francisco. He is a former civil rights attorney and speech writer for Patrick J. Buchanan. He can be reached at jrm@joemurraylaw.com.

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U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has introduced a sharp reversal of American energy policy, promising a 180-degree pivot away from efforts to combat climate change and advocating for an expansion of oil and gas production.



Although the secretarys stance is a far cry from the renewable energy-growth policies of the last administration, it is not necessarily opposed to low-carbon energy. Earlier this month, Wright touted the promise of geothermal energy, noting that while it hasnt achieved liftoff yet, it should and it can.

As geothermal heating specialists and researchers, we see great promise in the administrations support for geothermal, an emerging industry that relies on the skills of fossil fuel workers. Thats because, with the right investments, this country has the potential to unlock one of the most powerful and reliable sources of energy at our disposal: heat from the Earth itself.

Beneath much of the U.S., including the Northeast, where oil and gas extraction once dominated, layers of hot rock sit thousands of feet below the surface, holding vast stores of geothermal energy. Enhanced geothermal systems offer a way to tap into this heat by injecting fluid into artificially created fractures deep underground, allowing it to absorb heat from the hot rock and then be pumped back to the surface for direct-use heating.

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The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that geothermal district heating alone could serve 45 million American homes. The applications extend far beyond that to greenhouses and aquaculture, food processing and industrial uses where process heat is essential.

Perhaps most importantly, deep direct-use projects can take an enormous load off the electric grid, improving energy reliability and expanding options for a rapidly changing digital economy.

Scaling this technology requires the kind of expertise that mostly exists in the oil and gas industry. Drilling, coring and interpreting the subsurface environment, core competencies of the fossil fuel industry, are precisely the skills needed to advance geothermal energy.

The challenge is not one of feasibility, but of investment. We need to refine geothermal reservoir management techniques, improve our ability to image and map the subsurface and deploy better modeling tools to optimize system performance.

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With the right support, the transition to geothermal could create thousands of high-quality jobs. Investing in geothermal will diversify the energy sector, expand a skilled workforce and protect the environment.

Cornell University is demonstrating whats possible. Its Earth Source Heat project is showing how deep, direct-use geothermal energy can work in the Northeast. In summer 2022, the university drilled a nearly two-mile deep borehole with the expertise of SLB, a company that had built its legacy in fossil fuels.

The borehole is providing invaluable data on temperature, permeability, and rock characteristics deep beneath Cornells campus  insights that will determine the feasibility of warming university buildings with geothermal heat. If a full-scale enhanced geothermal system is successful, it could serve as a model for broader adoption across the region.

But workforce transition will not happen automatically. In New York and Pennsylvania alone, more than 37,000 skilled fossil fuel workers possess much of the knowledge and skills needed to develop geothermal energy. With targeted support, they could drive the shift to an always-on, emissions-free heat source.

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Policymakers must act. The technology is ready, but the economic incentives are not.

A federal tax credit specifically for geothermal district heating projects, combined with workforce transition funding, could unleash more private investment. Streamlining permitting processes would reduce risk for companies willing to take the plunge.

Full-scale demonstration projects with substantial federal support are essential in the eastern U.S. to mitigate risks, raise public awareness, attract private sector investment and actively engage communities in energy infrastructure development.

Critics argue that geothermal is too expensive or too slow to scale. But that thinking is short-sighted. This is not just about building clean energy infrastructure, its about building broad-based support for a stronger, more resilient energy future.

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The heat beneath our feet could power our future, but only if we invest in the skills, expertise and workforce needed to reach it.

Chloe Arson is a professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and a Principal Investigator for multiple enhanced geothermal research proposals at Cornell University. Wayne Bezner-Kerr is the Earth Source Heat program manager at Cornell University. Jefferson Tester is the Croll Professor of Sustainable Energy Systems and principal scientist for Earth Source Heat, Cornell University.

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Now known as Golden Dome, President Trumps original call for a version of Israels Iron Dome to defend Americas homeland and its overseas bases remains on point.

Israels military bases, infrastructure, cities, borders and other vital targets face every aerial danger imaginable, from increasingly integrated mortar, rocket and attack drone swarms to Iranian cruise and ballistic missiles that could eventually carry nuclear warheads. Working closely with the U.S., Israel has developed, produced and battle-tested the worlds most sophisticated air defense network against these threats.

The results speak for themselves. Since 2011, Iron Dome has saved countless lives by intercepting more than 90 percent of short-range projectiles fired at built-up areas. Last year, the higher layers of Israels air defenses that America helps fund  Davids Sling and Arrow  blunted two massive barrages of longer-range missiles from Iran, including by using hypersonic kill vehicles in the upper atmosphere and beyond.

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Though Americas enemies are much farther away than Israels, the basic imperative is similar. Unlike the Cold War, we now face two hostile superpowers, each of whom is improving its ability to attack strategic sites in our homeland with integrated strikes of nuclear and non-nuclear weapons, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and highly maneuverable hypersonic glide vehicles. North Korea and Iran have smaller but advancing intercontinental ballistic missile programs.

Americas defense establishment has focused on these evolving threats, but recently everyone from great powers to terrorists and Mexican drug cartels has proven capable of launching drones, spy balloons and other, ever more ubiquitous, aerial systems over the U.S. and our overseas bases. Beijing, Moscow and Tehran show continued interest in setting up shop in our backyard; for instance, Iran potentially building attack drone facilities in Venezuela.

Due to Americas continental size, our defensive needs are unlike Israels. Its not automatic that our ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California could defeat North Koreas intercontinental ballistic missile salvos, let alone larger and more complex attacks.

Many of our forces abroad are vulnerable to mass precision attacks using cruise missiles and other projectiles, necessitating certain forward-deployed defenses at sea and ashore. And while combat aircraft can defeat unarmed Chinese spy balloons, detecting even these rudimentary, slow-moving craft is difficult.

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Though credible deterrence does not require eliminating every single threat, gaps in our defenses lead our adversaries to believe they can execute costly strikes on the U.S. and our forces. The urgency and scale of this challenge require a broad approach to build more resilient, capable and integrated missile defenses for the U.S. and our allies.

Accordingly, as airborne threats proliferate at the high and low ends, deterrence and homeland security entail a layered air defense architecture that can track and defeat both the archer and his arrows before they hit home.

Building a Golden Dome should leverage our partners hard work, as the presidents executive order recognizes. The U.S. played a key role in Israels multilayered defenses, including more than $9 billion in total funding over two decades for research, development and production of existing and future systems.

For starters, the Pentagon can harness proven technologies that the U.S. has already paid to develop. Israel could help with the joint output of existing short-range systems to counter drones and other immediate threats like those facing our borders.

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Such defenses already show promise for U.S. forces, as the Marine Corps prepares to field modified Iron Dome batteries, but both the U.S. and Israel could benefit greatly from producing these systems at a larger scale.

Likewise for Israels ongoing development of directed-energy defenses like microwaves and lasers. Currently, somewhere between science fiction and fieldable weapons, these offer real potential to counter swarms of drones and other threats much more sustainably than current systems.

Bending this cost curve is no small consideration: The cheap, replenishable projectiles fired by the Iran-backed Houthis force the U.S. to expend scarce, multimillion-dollar interceptors designed to counter intercontinental ballistic missiles and other strategic threats.

Parallel to producing more proven and shorter-range systems, therefore, the two countries also should accelerate efforts to field Iron Beam and other cutting-edge technologies, and to enhance co-production of systems, already fielded by Israel against Iranian missiles, to address Americas vulnerabilities to intercontinental ballistic missiles and other higher-level threats.

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Defenses must be bolstered throughout the kill chain, since they can only intercept what they can first identify, track, and fix. Israels defense sector could boost existing U.S. efforts here, too. Its development of satellites with small payloads and appreciable intelligence-collection capabilities could support a multi-layered sensor network extending from the seabed to space.

This matters in an operational environment requiring multitudes of space-based sensors to detect incoming threats, and to pick out the highest priority targets in large swarms that may also include decoys.

These are just some of the steps required to address our vulnerabilities, but fortunately, they build on joint U.S.-Israel efforts that have already defied long odds to achieve real results.

Jonathan Ruhe is director of foreign policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.

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As I have written before with regard to President Trump, very few people in life possess that all elusive It factor. You either have it or you dont. Trump has it in spades.

You cant buy it, manufacture it, or copy it. Its either part of your DNA or its not. But if it is, the cachet can prove priceless. One of its powers is the ability to open eyes, shape minds, shift policy and create a following.

That said, the many benefits of having that It factor can be wasted if it is not backed up with intelligence, real-world experience, original thinking, certitude and the ability to recognize opportunity. Again, Trump is lacking in none of those areas, which is why he is getting more accomplished in his first two months in office than any other president in American history.

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One of his accomplishments is the strength and diversity of his Cabinet. While many in the media (and all on the left) would deny it, Trump has assembled a very impressive America First Cabinet. But, when it comes to that It factor, there may be two who stand out: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Both are game-changers on multiple levels, but it is Gabbard I want to focus on here. She is the eighth Senate-confirmed and first female combat veteran to be the director of national intelligence. If one takes even a cursory look at Gabbards background, one will quickly discover that it contains a great deal of firsts.

At the age of 21, Gabbard became the youngest woman ever elected as a U.S. state representative and of course the youngest in the history of Hawaii. When elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012, she became the first Samoan American and first Hindu elected to Congress. Come 2019, when Gabbard chose to run for president, she became the first female combat veteran to run for the office.

Back in 2003, Gabbard felt it was her patriotic duty to join the Army National Guard. In 2004, she was deployed to Iraq. And speaking of that real world experience, it should be noted that Gabbard still serves in the National Guard to this day  hence her revulsion at useless wars and the elites anxious to send our young men and women to fight and die in them.

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Back when the Democratic Party was sane and spoke out for the rights of the disenfranchised, the poor and women, Gabbards real-life experiences and accomplishments would have been heralded by the Democratic leadership. And for one brief moment in time, they were. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) selected Gabbard to speak at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, where she was introduced as an emerging star.

But then, for the Democratic leadership, the unthinkable happened. That young, impressive Democratic woman began to think for herself. Cue the panic and smears of Gabbard by the Democrats.

As Gabbard quickly learned, the Democratic leadership truly only cared about women and their rights if those women bent to the accepted narrative and got in line. As Gabbard has proven her entire career, she has never been one to get in line. She is an original thinker who rightfully questions the narratives put forth by the elites, be they about COVID, the Middle East, Ukraine or the blatant bias in the mainstream media favoring the left.

When she was a Democrat and proved herself a pesky original thinker, the party and the media were content with dismissing her or even smearing her character. But since she became a Republican, endorsed Trump, and now leads the Office of National Intelligence, many on the left truly fear her. Why?

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It comes back to Gabbards It Factor, combined with her current position. For decades, the minority, poor and disenfranchised communities have been ignored or taken for granted by the entrenched elites. Those elites condescendingly dismiss the reality that those communities are just as interested in the national security of our nation as anyone else is. More so, in many cases  as a woman of color and combat veteran like Gabbard knows  because it is often young men and women from those communities serving on the front lines of our armed forces.

The Democratic leadership and the left realize that those often ignored communities represent the largest voting bloc in the nation. More than that, they know that millions within those communities see themselves reflected in Gabbard, her struggles, her decisions, her successes and the rhetorical attacks launched against her because she dared to be an original thinker.

Because of Gabbards current platform, the left fears that she will reach out to those communities to not only explain why the national security of our nation is so critically important to them and their families, but why they should be part of the mission.

Gabbards life story is beyond inspirational. She thought and fought every inch of the way. No one gave her a thing. Because of that, she knows that for the Trump administration to get respect from those communities, they have to give respect to those communities.

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Gabbard may prove to be the most historic and transformational director of National Intelligence ever. She has been given a blank canvas, and her life experiences have taught her how to speak for the voiceless. The left fears her future.

Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The states of Oregon and Washington filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Friday, challenging a late-March executive order that would reshape elections across the United States.

The executive order has several provisions, including requirements for voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship before they can register for federal elections and would only accept mail-in ballots that are received by Election Day  while 18 states including Oregon and Washington accept ballots as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

In their lawsuit  filed in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington at Seattle  Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown argue that the order attacks election integrity and say Trump overstepped his presidential authority.

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DONT MISS: Trump executive order will make Oregon elections less safe, Secretary of State says

President Trumps executive order is nothing more than a blatant attempt to rig the system and suppress votes, Attorney General Rayfield said. Hes trying to make it harder for people to vote. Its a direct assault on the Constitution and a brazen attempt to act like a king, dictating how states should run their elections. No president, no matter how hungry, gets to strip away our right to run our own voting system in Oregon or any other state.

The attorneys general argue that Trumps executive order will make it more difficult for eligible voters to cast their ballot, citing a 2023 Brennan Center report finding 9% of eligible voters in the U.S. do not have easy access to documents proving their citizenship.

Rayfield and Brown added that the order will erode public trust in elections and will make it more expensive for states to administer electionsnoting the orders confusing language about the requirements to prove citizenship make it so any state voting system could be de-certified by the federal government.

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Backing their case, Rayfield and Brown point to the Constitutions Elections clause, which allows states to run their own elections  with exceptions for actions by Congress  and argue Trumps order also violates the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act by unfairly making it harder to vote.

Oregon citizens have the right to hold their politicians accountable at the ballot box. It is our responsibility as a state to defend that right and run secure, fair elections, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said. The Trump Administration does not have the power to take away Oregonians rights to vote and the funding we need to run secure elections. This Executive Order is nonsense. Its illegal. And, it will not stand.

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In court, the attorneys general are seeking a declaration that some provisions in the order are unconstitutional and hope to prevent the federal government from implementing it.

VIDEO: Homeowner records man threatening to deport roof workers, gets punched

American democracy has given agency to the oppressed, hope to the weary, and belief that our society can work for everyone, Washington Attorney General Brown said. These truths appeal to most people, but not to a bully and an authoritarian. Donald Trump fears what he cant control. He only feels safe when he has our rights under his thumb.

In a statement on Friday, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said, As our states chief elections officer, I will not support measures that suppress Washingtons voters under the guise of security, especially when other measures being taken by this administration leave our systems more vulnerable to real threats from foreign adversaries. This executive order is the latest in a troubling pattern of federal actions that conflict with state authority, create confusion around how elections are run, and make it harder for eligible Americans to vote  all while doing nothing meaningful to strengthen the security of our elections.

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In Washington, we know what works. Requiring all ballots to be received by Election Day for federal races would have rejected more than 300,000 ballots in 2024 alone, disproportionately impacting rural and underserved communities. Similarly, mandating documentary proof of citizenship in order to register to vote would disenfranchise eligible voters  especially seniors, low-income individuals, and naturalized citizens  who may not have easy access to passports or other acceptable, but potentially costly, documents, Hobbs furthered.

Oregon Department of Education ends math, literacy programs after federal funding cuts

While signing the executive order, Trump  who falsely blames his 2020 election loss on widespread voter fraud  said, There are other steps that we will be taking in the coming weeks, and we think well be able to end up getting fair elections, as reported by The New York Times.

Trump further claimed, This country is so sick because of the election, the fake elections and the bad elections, and were going to straighten it out one way or the other.

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Amid these claims of widespread voter fraud, the attorneys general point to an analysis by The Associated Press of the six battleground states that former President Biden won during the 2020 election.

AP found a total of 475 potentially fraudulent votes, which would not have swayed the outcome of the election as Biden won those stated by a combined 311,257 votes.

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Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine official who resigned last week amid pressure from the Trump administration, urged families to continue vaccinating their children.

Marks, who previously led the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, pointed to concerns around Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his anti-vaccine rhetoric in his decision to ultimately leave the post.

I dont know what hes going to do, and I cant make him do anything, but I can tell you, as a viewer, please consider getting your child vaccinated, Marks said Friday evening in an interview with CNN, specifically calling out the deadly measles outbreak.

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If theyre not vaccinated, its easy to ignore measles because we havent seen it, he added.

Marks told the public to take heed of medical standards.

It is not just an innocent disease, benign disease. It kills one in 1,000 children in a developed country like the United States, he told OutFront host Erin Burnett.

Weve already had two deaths in the United States, one in a child from this and these are needless deaths, because the vaccine is 98 percent effective against preventing measles, but close to 100 percent effective in preventing death, the vaccine expert added.

The state of Texas has reported 481 cases of the viral disease, followed by New Mexico with 51 cases and Oklahoma with at least 10. A child also reportedly died from measles recently in the Lone Star State.

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Kennedy, who was sworn in to lead the agency in February, has in recent weeks labeled the measles outbreak a call to action and encouraged parents to vaccinate their children against the disease. During confirmation hearings, he was questioned heavily on his controversial views around immunization.

The former independent presidential candidate has also previously raised concerns over the safety of childhood vaccines and suggested HHS could overhaul their immunization schedule.

Marks on Friday said the FDA has high standards for vaccine approval which shouldnt be undermined by ranking officials. He added that Kennedy would have to confront his maker for lies about the safety of immunizations.

No one at the FDA would ever let a vaccine out that they would not give to their own children, he told Burnett. And it is just breathtaking that anyone would try to dissuade parents from giving them their children vaccines, such as the measles vaccine, which is among the safest and most effective vaccines that we have.

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In a separate interview earlier this week with the Wall Street Journal, Marks argued that Kennedys leadership has been very scary thus far.

I can never give allegiance to anyone else other than to follow the science as we see it, Marks told the Journal. That does not mean that I can just roll over and take conspiracy theories and justify them.

He added that data shows around 50 million lives had been saved in the last 50 years alone by the vaccine.

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Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official pressured to resign over his disagreements with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., warned in an interview published Friday that Kennedys tenure at the HHS has been very scary so far.

Marks announced his resignation toward the end of March, reportedly having been given the choice to be fired or resign. In his resignation letter, Marks said he had been willing to work to address Kennedys concerns about vaccine transparency and safety but determined Kennedy only wanted subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Marks said he could not follow someone who would not follow the science.

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I can never give allegiance to anyone else other than to follow the science as we see it, Marks told the Journal. That does not mean that I can just roll over and take conspiracy theories and justify them.

At the FDA, Marks led the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research for nearly 10 years. This role tasked Marks with ensuring the safety and efficacy of biological products such as vaccines, and he was a key part of Operation Warp Speed, the project to fast-track a COVID-19 vaccine.

Marks recounted that Kennedys team requested data on cases of brain swelling and deaths caused by the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines. But Marks said he did not turn over this data as no confirmed cases exist in the U.S. Based on this exchange, Marks told the Journal he concluded that Kennedys HHS did not appreciate someone who was rigorously science-driven.

He also alleged that Kennedys team wanted to weaken regulation of unproven stem-cell treatments, calling these endeavors potentially dangerous as the stem cells could harm people.

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Speaking to the Journal, Marks expressed dismay over what he perceives to be actions that will result in the U.S. losing its global lead in developing new treatments for diseases.

They broke something without real plans to fix it, because the people who were doing the breaking didnt have any idea, Marks said. They took the place apart without having an instruction manual of how to put it back together.

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HONOLULU (KHON2)  A pandemic-era initiative that some restaurants said saved their business is here to stay.

The city is making its outdoor dining program permanent and easier to access for businesses that would like to take part.

Kindergarten students receive donation of 24 bicycles

Fete, a restaurant in Chinatown, added several tables to the sidewalk that fronts Hotel Street in 2022 after the outdoor dining program was launched.

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We have maybe about seated extra of 50, 60 people a day, which means about 3 to 4 jobs extra full time for this restaurant, said Fete owner Chuck Bussler.

We always thought like, why is there not outdoor seating in Hawaii? Because we have good weather all the time. So now were super, super excited and very grateful to city council, Mayor Blangiardi, said Busslers wife, Robynne Maii. The reality is that since the pandemic there will always be guests who would opt to eat outside only, like thats their preference. And so the fact that its here to stay is so awesome.

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A total of 15 restaurants have implemented sidewalk dining since 2022, such as Shore Fyre Grill in Waikiki. Mayor Rick Blangiardi has streamlined the process for others to do the same by singing the bill into law.

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We want to be outside. So this just is more appealing to our guests, said Shore Fyre owner Allen Farnias. Everybody wants to eat outside. I mean, how about you personally? just outside, watch the cars, watch the birds and stuff. So we feel it is more appealing, it does help our business. And I think its better for the tourism industry.

HDOT advises Hawaii travelers to be wary of wait time

The program does not work for everyone, there has to be at least three feet of sidewalk space in between the outdoor table and the curb for restaurants to qualify, but it has been a big boost for those who have made the change.

Hundreds per night because you can imagine a tab, times six or seven turns, right? So thats including lunch and dinner, said Hawaii Restaurant Association Executive Director Sheryl Matsuoka. Normally dinner, you can maybe get three turns, right?

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For us, this was a no-brainer. This is something we should be doing. Were a great city. We have great restaurants. We want to be able to showcase them in every way we can, Blangiardi said.

A simplified portal is now available for other restaurants to apply, click here for more information.

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According to the April 5 evening report by the General Staff, 152 military encounters were recorded since the start of the day.

The most intense situation is in Pokrovsk, Lyman, Toretsk and Kursk directions, the General Staff wrote.

Sixty-five clashes were reported near Pokrovsk alone.

According to Ukraines Armed Forces, Russia carried out 73 air strikes, dropping 106 guided bombs and using 844 kamikaze drones.

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Besides clashes on the front lines, Russia has actively attacked Ukrainian civilian sites.

Russia attacked the city of Mykolaiv with Shahed-type drones, Governor Vitalii Kim said late on April 5.

A day prior, a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih killed 19 people, including nine children, according to local authorities. Seventy-four were reportedly injured.

Zelensky said in his evening address that Russia must be held accountable for everything it has done.

The U.S. and Ukraine agreed to a full ceasefire on March 11 but Russia rejected it. Instead, Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. agreed on March 25 to a partial truce covering energy infrastructure and the Black Sea.

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However, the Kremlin has blocked the partial ceasefire as well, saying that the Black Sea truce would take effect only after some sanctions against Russia are lifted.

Read also: Inside Ukraines desperate race to train more soldiers

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Apr. 5POTSDAM  Over 500 peaceful, spirited demonstrators gathered in downtown Potsdam on Saturday to protest the current Republican administration's efforts to dismantle large portions of the federal government and shift unprecedented power to the executive branch.

The rally was part of "Hands Off!" protests that occurred around the United States on Saturday. Other local demonstrations happened in communities including Watertown, Massena, Akwesasne, Ogdensburg and Saranac Lake. It is a separate protest from the rally in Sackets Harbor where over 1,000 people gathered in support of a family, a mother and three school-aged children, who ICE agents recently arrested and sent to a Texas detention center, despite their participation in the legal process to become American citizens. The Sackets Harbor incident was forefront in the minds of many who gathered in Potsdam on Saturday.

The Potsdam crowd was along Main Street, with most of the protesters gathered along the south side of the street about from the Clarkson Inn to the Methodist church. There were others in front of the Roxy Theater. A nearby sorority house also had supportive banners displayed. Many cars who passed by the demonstration honked their horns in support.

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There was a moderate police presence, with marked state police and county sheriff vehicles driving up and down Main Street. Three state police cars were sitting in the nearby Potsdam Civic Center parking lot. At one point, two state police cars drove by the demonstration eastbound with their engines revving, lights and sirens on, for what appeared to be no reason.

The Times spoke with people who attended the rally. None said they were there because of one single issue or event. Common concerns are what they see as the erosion of democracy and civil rights and a slide toward fascism, the rights of transgender people, and aggressive presidential rhetoric toward Canada and Greenland. Many people held signs specifically criticizing President Donald Trump and billionaire South African immigrant Elon Musk, who Trump appointed to run the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has played a big role in firing thousands of federal workers across the government.

Karen King of Potsdam organized Saturday's protest just a couple of days ago. She said she noticed there are "Hands Off!" rallies around the north country, but there initially wasn't one planned for Potsdam.

"There's no one moment when it comes to the rise of fascism. It's the frog in a pot of water," she said. "We have to fight back when it's happening, before we can't anymore."

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"Find your community. Band together. If one person stands up, that will cause more to," King said.

Eli Moreno of Potsdam said she's concerned about tariffs the federal government is placing on imports from many countries around the world.

"A lot of people don't have a good understanding of it on the individual consumer," Moreno said.

She said she believes protests like Saturday's shouldn't be seen as antagonistic, but rather as a means to educate people on their positions and open up dialogue.

"We should be able to have debates," she said.

Potsdam Mayor Alexandra Jacobs-Wilke was among the protesters. She said she was not there in any official capacity and attended "as a mom, as a taxpayer, as the daughter of a veteran."

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"I need connection with people like me who feel there's enough love to go around for everyone," she said.

This was the largest protest in St. Lawrence County since June 1, 2020 when over 1,000 people in Potsdam marched for social justice and civil rights following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer just days prior to that event.
Police made several arrests and seized over 500 pounds of cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms at a warehouse suspected of being a hub for illegal drug sales in Costa Mesa.

The Laguna Beach Police Department announced Friday that this operation, which took place on April 1, was connected to a previous search warrant executed at Cinder Box Smoke Shop at the end of January.

According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, the January search warrant resulted in law enforcement making multiple arrests at the local smoke shop and seizing about 3.8 pounds of the same kinds of drugs.

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It was through that operation that investigators were able to locate the Costa Mesa warehouse and confirm it was used as a hub for the illegal distribution of cannabis and psychedelic drugs.

Months later, authorities from multiple agencies teamed up to execute a search warrant of the hub.

Upon executing the warrant, officers detained and identified the several suspects connected to the illegal sales of controlled substances, police said in a release.

Officials did not publically identify any suspects or specify how many were arrested in their initial report.

The department said it recovered about 451 pounds of cannabis products in total, which included loose marijuana buds, THC concentrates and edibles.

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In addition, authorities seized about 54 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, otherwise known as magic mushrooms or shrooms. These products included chocolate bars, microdose candies and full mushrooms.

Over 500 pounds of cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms are seen after authorities seized the drugs from a warehouse in Costa Mesa. April 2025. (Costa Mesa Police Department)

The investigation remains ongoing, and charges related to the unlawful sale of controlled substances are pending, said the department.

The Laguna Beach Police Department encourages residents to report any suspicious activity or illegal drug sales.

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By Nidal al-Mughrabi

CAIRO (Reuters) - A Palestinian paramedic who was present at an incident in which 15 of his colleagues were killed in southern Gaza last month said he saw Israeli troops firing at emergency vehicles that he later saw stained with blood.

After several days of uncertainty about the whereabouts of the paramedics, Red Crescent and U.N. officials found the bodies of the 15 emergency and aid workers buried in a mass grave in southern Gaza, accusing Israeli forces of killing them. Another worker is still missing.

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Munther Abed, a volunteer for the Palestinian Red Crescent, said he was responding to a call with two colleagues near Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip on March 23 when he was detained by the Israeli soldiers shortly before they opened fire on other emergency vehicles.

He said he had not been able to see exactly what happened when the soldiers opened fire. But his account corresponds with assertions by officials from the Palestinian Red Crescent and the United Nations that the emergency workers from the Red Cross, Red Crescent, U.N. and Palestinian Civil Emergency service were targeted by Israeli troops.

The Israeli military has opened an investigation into the incident, which by its account occurred when unmarked vehicles approached an Israeli position in the dark without lights or special markings and without previous coordination, factors it said had made the vehicles' advance appear suspicious.

The military said the soldiers who opened fire had killed a number of Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants who were travelling in vehicles marked with the Palestinian Red Crescent signs.

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The Palestinian Red Crescent describes Abed as "the lone survivor" of the incident, with the fate of the missing paramedic still unclear.

Abed said he and colleagues had received a call to go out to help wounded people at around dawn following an air strike in the Al-Hashasheen area in Rafah, close to the border with Egypt.

"We moved right away, it was me and two other colleagues. As soon as we arrived there, we came under fire and they detained us," he told Reuters by phone from his house in Khan Younis, referring to shooting by Israeli soldiers.

After he was detained, he said he lost sight of his two colleagues.

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As he was standing near the soldiers, he said he saw other emergency vehicles approaching the Israeli soldiers' position.

"I could see the vehicle of the Civil Emergency. The soldiers began shooting at the vehicles, they fired heavily," he said. "It was dark and I couldn't see what happened to the people there, but they (the soldiers) fired heavily. They asked me to duck down and they were firing heavily. I felt as if the bullets were hitting me personally."

On Saturday, the Red Crescent issued published a video obtained from the cellphone of a paramedic found buried in the mass grave.

Filmed from inside a moving vehicle, it appears to show a clearly marked convoy of ambulances and a fire truck driving at dawn with their red lights flashing. After they stop by a vehicle that had veered off the road, two rescue workers and another man can be seen before a volley of gunshots is heard.

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Reuters was able to verify the location of the video near the Tal al-Sultan area west of Rafah city in Rafah governate.

The Israeli military said in response to a request for comment about the video that the event on March 23, 2025, was under thorough examination.

"All claims, including the documentation circulating about the incident, will be thoroughly and deeply examined to understand the sequence of events and the handling of the situation," it said.

'BLOOD ON THE VEHICLES'

It was only after daybreak that Abed, who remained held at the location where he was initially detained, was able to get a clearer picture of what had happened.

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"With the first light of the day, things become clearer, I saw the vehicles of the Civil Emergency and the Red Crescent, the doors of all the vehicles were open and there was blood on the vehicles," he said.

He said he saw a bulldozer dig four holes in the sandy ground before crushing the wrecked vehicles and burying them.

"At that time I had no clue about the fate of my colleagues," he said.

Abed said he was held in detention by Israeli forces for about 15 hours during which time he was interrogated and beaten. He said he saw the aid worker who is still missing, detained by Israeli soldiers.

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"They asked me where I had been on October 7, they were saying Palestinians are terrorists, and that we are all terrorists. They asked many personal questions too about me and my family," he said. "I felt I was about to die."

Eventually he said the soldiers made some checks on him before they decided to release him.

Nebal Farsakh, spokesperson of the Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed that Abed was working for the organization as a volunteer and was in Rafah that day with the mission.

"He is the lone survivor, the two colleagues who were with him were killed. There is another colleague who is still missing," Farsakh told Reuters.

"He had no clue at that moment whether his colleagues were martyred or were wounded and saved."

(Writing by James Mackenzie, Editing by William Maclean)
STORY: :: Protesters in the occupied West Bank demand a stop to Israel's bombardment of Gaza

:: April 5, 2025

:: Ramallah, West Bank

:: Mustafa Barghouti, Palestinian politician and activist

"We are here demanding the end of this terrible massacre. Every day the Israeli airstrikes kill or mutilate 100 more Palestinian children. Thousands of people have been killed or injured since the activation of this genocide war. We demand immediate stop of this terrible war. "

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:: Sabri Saidam, Senior Fatah official

"Instead of putting an end to the madness, the international community turns its back to the continuation of this madness, to the targeting of Palestinians, to the killing, the maiming of Palestinians, and above all, is the persistent policy of displacing Palestinians from their own territory. So we have come here today to express anger and also make our voice heard that this ought to be ended and ended soon."

Israel resumed its operation in Gaza with a heavy series of air strikes on March 18 and sent troops back in after a two-month pause, during which 38 hostages were returned in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

Over the past two weeks, more than 280,000 people have been displaced in Gaza, according to the U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA, adding to the misery of families repeatedly displaced over the past 18 months.

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Israeli troops have also been engaged in an extended operation in the occupied West Bank, where two Palestinians were killed on Friday.

Mustafa Barghouti, the co-founder of the Palestinian National Initiative who heads the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees, was also at the demonstration, alongside senior Fatah official Sabri Saidam.
A lieutenant at the Palmdale station announced this week that he will challenge Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna in the primary election, becoming the first opposition candidate in a race more than a year away.

At a campaign kick-off event Wednesday in Santa Clarita, Lt. Oscar Martinez promised to bring strong leadership to the largest sheriffs department in country, along with a focus on modernizing the agency and supporting deputies.

Today, I am putting my career and everything that Ive worked for on the line, not for personal gain but for my partners in law enforcement as well as for the future of public safety in our communities, he told attendees. Radical agendas have taken [over] our schools, many of our city governments, our county board, our state leadership and sadly they are now dismantling law enforcement from within.

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A U.S. Marine combat veteran whos been with the department for 16 years, Martinez is a registered Republican  though he told The Times he didnt think that would matter, even in a deeply blue place such as Los Angeles.

This is a nonpartisan race, and Im running to protect the citizens of this county, he said in an interview. No politics, just public safety.

Born in the Dominican Republic, Martinez immigrated to the East Coast in his youth and spent eight years in the U.S. Marines, serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. He settled in the Los Angeles area in 2006 and joined the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department two years later. Since then, he said, hes worked in the jails, been a chiefs executive aide, served as spokesman under the last administration and currently is watch commander at the Palmdale sheriff's station.

Read more: L.A. County sheriff's deputy caught on camera throwing woman to the ground faces 10 years in prison

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He said he decided to run for office after other deputies and community members encouraged him to, particularly in the wake of a controversial incident that ended with the federal conviction this year of a Lancaster sheriffs deputy who was found guilty of using excessive force.

Deputies had just had enough  they dont feel supported, he said. You have deputies out there worried theyre going to get fired for putting handcuffs a little too tight on a suspect.

Key issues he wants to tackle include defending the 2nd Amendment, finding more resources to support veterans in the department and preventing the release of violent criminals, according to his campaign website.

On social media and in his interview with The Times, Martinez stressed his interest in pushing the state to change its immigration enforcement approach, saying he would lobby for tweaks to a law that prevents local law enforcement agencies from holding people in jail for extra time solely for immigration agents to pick them up.

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After they do their time as of now, we have to release them into the general population, and I believe that is wrong, he said. We need to have a working relationship with ICE.

Martinez talked about the need to modernize the departments out-of-date systems  such as its failing dispatch system and inoperable buses  but he also stressed the need for fiscal responsibility, particularly when it comes to resource allocation.

Given the years-long staffing shortage, he said, deputies should not be diverted away from contract cities to staff specialized teams such as the Mental Evaluation Team. He advocated scaling back that team, which is trained to respond to calls involving people having mental health crises, until the departments staffing levels improve.

One topic that has haunted L.A. County sheriffs for the decades is the stream of allegations about tattooed internal gangs running amok at certain stations. Some sheriffs have denied their existence, but Martinez acknowledged that exclusionary groups exist in the department. He said he does not have tattoos.

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Every institution the size of our agency has cliques, he said. "I belong to the Marine Corps. Theres cliques there. I guarantee if I go to IBM there theres cliques there.

He said the problem stemmed from a lack of leadership and that by providing strong leadership and vision he would eliminate the need for deputies to joint the controversial groups.

Challenging an elected sheriff can be a difficult task. According to Jessica Pishko, author of "The Highest Law in the Land," incumbents win reelection roughly 90% of the time.

In Los Angeles County, only two sheriffs have been voted out of office in the last century: In 2018, Villanueva ousted Jim McDonnell, who is now the Los Angeles police chief. In 2022, Luna  a former Long Beach police chief  came out of retirement to best Villanueva. During the campaign, Luna positioned himself as the calm antidote to what he described as the dysfunction and chaos of his opponent.

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Read more: In historic upset, Alex Villanueva beats incumbent Jim McDonnell in race for Los Angeles County sheriff

Since taking office, hes faced many of the problems that bedeviled prior sheriffs: poor jail conditions, sprawling consent decrees, allegations about deputy gangs and persistent staffing woes. But hes also made good on promises to provide more even-keeled leadership and repair fractured relationships with other county leaders.

Last year, amid speculation to the contrary, he told The Times that he would absolutely run for reelection. As of Friday morning, the county registrars site listed him and Martinez as the only candidates in the race.

In a statement Friday, Luna touted his record of keeping communities safe and bringing stability to the department.

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"Since becoming Sheriff, violent crime has fallen every year in the areas patrolled by LASD, and 2024 saw the fewest number of homicides in the past five years," he said. "In addition, uses of force have decreased, and our reforms, including our Office of Constitutional Policing and policy banning law enforcement gangs, have increased public trust in the Department."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB)  The City of Panama City announced they are hosting a special Earth Day celebration on April 19th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Oaks by the Bay Park.

This event is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our planet and engage with the community in fun and educational ways. Itll feature an exciting lineup of performances, including the Parvana Dance Troop and Gulf Tones Chorus, adding a festive vibe to the day.

Department of Health hosts 3rd annual April Fest to promote health and resources

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City officials say there will be an Earth Day Proclamation reading at 1130 a.m., emphasizing the importance of sustainability and environmental awareness.

There will also be family-friendly excitement for all ages, such as a tree giveaway by the Florida Forest Service, free kids crafts, food, and educational opportunities with local environmental organizations.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com.
GOODLAND, Kan. (KSNW)  A new partnership between Fort Hays Tech Northwest and the Goodland Police Department may help speed up investigations for the department.

The school and the police department have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, creating a new partnership between Fort Hays Tech, the schools Crime Scene Investigation program, and Goodland Police. The school says the agreement will establish a fully functioning fingerprint lab at the Goodland Police Department.

Sheriff: Kansas highway detour being ignored; drivers stuck

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Currently, the department has to send evidence to the KBI Forensic Laboratory in Topeka for processing. The creation of a local fingerprint lab will allow the department to process evidence faster, while also allowing students to get hands-on experience on proper techniques for recovering fingerprints from various pieces of evidence.

Theres no word on how quickly the new lab will begin operation.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
DADE CITY, Fla. (WFLA)  A man died in a vehicle crash on Friday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Around 6:46 p.m., a 42-year-old Dade City man driving a Toyota Tacoma was traveling north on the Interstate 275 entrance ramp to Interstate 75 when, FHP said, he lost control of the vehicle due to unknown reasons.

The Toyota then crossed the gore and overturned before coming to a stop in the travel lanes of I-75.

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According to FHP, the driver, who was unrestrained, was ejected from the vehicle and sustained serious injuries.

FHP said he was taken to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A patient at the Mendoza Clinic at Fort Bliss exhibited symptoms associated with the measles on Friday, April 4, according to a news release sent out William Beaumont Army Medical Center, which oversees all the health clinics on post.

This is not a confirmed case of measles and doctors are still awaiting test results for confirmation, officials said.

If you were a patient or visitor at the clinic from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, officials recommend you take the following steps:

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If you are unvaccinated and 6 months and older, you should get the MMR vaccine within 72 hours.

If fully vaccinated with two doses of the MMR vaccine, you do not need the vaccine, but should monitor yourself for 21 days starting Saturday, April 5.

To get the vaccine, you should go to the closest network pharmacy like an Albertsons or Walgreens or a primary care clinic by Monday, April 7.

Measles is highly contagious because it can survive in the air for up to two hours. Measles spreads easily through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. A person can contract measles by being in the same room as someone with measles, even up to two hours after that person has left, William Beaumont said in a news release.

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The incubation period is 10 days but can extend for up to 21 days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms of measles are fever of 101 degrees or greater, cough, runny nose, sneezing, congestion, red eyes, and rash that starts in the face and spreads to the rest of the body.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, call your primary care doctor and ask for a virtual visit or if you feel you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms, go to the nearest emergency room for evaluation, the news release said.

While many people recover, measles can cause serious complications, especially in young children. This is why prevention is so important. The measles vaccine is highly effective. Two doses provide about 97% protection against the disease, making it one of our best tools for prevention, Beaumont Army Medical Center said.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  Shortly before midnight on Thursday, April 3, Paul and Christy Akeo of Spring Arbor returned to Michigan after spending weeks in a maximum-security prison in Mexico, and 6 News was there when it happened.

Paul and Christy Akeo of Spring Arbor returned to Michigan. (WLNS)

The Akeos spoke to the media late Thursday night about their experiences, and U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte), who flew to Mexico personally to advocate for their release, sat down with 6 News Friday to provide some insight into what happened behind the scenes.

The Akeo parents were initially arrested on March 4 at a Cancun airport, accused of defrauding resort chain Palace Elite out of more than $116,000 by cancelling membership charges on a credit card. The family and their lawyer disputes these allegations, saying the resort breached the timeshare contract they had with the Akeos and were actually at fault in the conflict.

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Paul told 6 News what happened to them after they were arrested, saying days went by before they could talk to their family or even each other.

We were whisked off to another facility, and then we were sent directly to prison. We werent able to talk to anybody, didnt have any contact with lawyers, didnt have our phones, so we were just sitting there, said Paul.

The language barrier also made the couples stay in prison more difficult, with Lemke previously saying things are not being translated for them and that various odd situations complicated their experiences.

The Akeo children previously told 6 News that their parents stay in prison was impacting their healthespecially Christys, whose allergies led her to avoid most meals.

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The problem is theres been several times where theyve served her food that shes allergic to or cannot eat because of that, the Akeos son, Michael Lemke, told 6 News. Shes been having this rash that keeps breaking out on her just after some food, so shes only able to eat certain things.

In a now-viral Facebook post, the Akeos daughter Lindsey Hull, began asking for help on March 24. That same day, Barrett became aware of the Akeos situation and began working to get them released. But for him, everything really began moving on Tuesday.

There wasnt a feeling of urgency involved, says Barrett. And so on Tuesday afternoon, I got a briefing from the State Department back here in the United States, in my office in Washington, D.C.

He expressed his dissatisfaction with the way the Akeos situation was being handled.

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I felt like this had not progressed in the way we needed. And so, I made the decision to fly down as quickly as I could to just bring about a resolution to this, says Barrett. We went directly to the prison, met with Paul and Christy at the prison immediately upon our arrival.

He spoke with the Akeos for an hour and called the conditions they were facing in the prison horrific, with rubbled walls, overcrowded cells, toilets that dont flush, and disgusting food. He says that from there, he met with the president of the Quintana Roo Supreme Court and others to negotiate their release.

MORE: Where in Mexico are the Spring Arbor parents being held?

From there, we left the prison and went and met with the president of the Supreme Court of Mexico, begin that process of negotiating some of the court proceedings side of it, says Barrett. That can be very bureaucratic in Mexico.

Barrett visits the Akeos.

Barrett visits the Akeos.

6 News previously spoke with Lemke, who said that his parents could have been held for more than six months, as that was how long a judge gave Palace Elite to gather evidence. However, Barrett says it would have been longer than that.

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You might you know, their trial was not supposed to be for about a year from now, Barrett told 6 News.

The congressman says the negotiations for the Akeos release were tricky, involving both legal talks and separate discussions with the company. However, after he met with Mexican officials, they arranged a hearing for Thursday, where the charges against Paul and Christy were dropped.

So for us to be able to get them into a courtroom meant that we had to move a lot of channels to be able to do that, says Barrett. And then in the background, on a parallel track, we had to negotiate with the company around the terms of what we could agree to, to ultimately get them released and how that was going to work.

As a result, the Akeos are no longer facing any charges in Mexicobut they still have obligations to take care of regarding the conditions of their release.

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Barrett says the Akeos and the company made a public statement where neither of them assigned blame or responsibility to the other and that both parties will be donating money equalling the amount of the disputed chargesaround $116,000to a charity that operates a Mexican orphanage.

The Akeos. (Lindsey Hull)

The Akeos. (Lindsey Hull)

So, the two parties are investing the money into that charitable nonprofit, so a good resolution. Everyone seems to be happy, and theyre home safe, and thats ultimately what I was trying to bring about with the parties, says Barrett.

The congressman gave 6 News an idea of his thought process throughout the dispute.

I looked at it from the standpoint of, number one, if you have a financial contract dispute in the United States, you handle that through civil litigation, Barrett told 6 News. You dont have a party in the desperate conditions that they were in down in Mexico as leverage for a settlement in a dispute of that kind. 

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He says that in the end, he wasnt focused on who was at fault.

For me, it wasnt so much Whos responsible for which part of this? and Whos to blame for this? and the other thing, I wasnt really interested in negotiating that part of it, said Barrett. I was interested in what can we do that will expedite their return, their safe release, and return home as quickly as possible.

6 News was at the Capital Region International Airport late Thursday night when the parents reunited with their loved ones.

6 News was at the Capital Region International Airport late Thursday night when the parents reunited with their loved ones. (WLNS) 6 News was at the Capital Region International Airport late Thursday night when the parents reunited with their loved ones. (WLNS) 6 News was at the Capital Region International Airport late Thursday night when the parents reunited with their loved ones. (WLNS)

I never thought we would be coming home for months, Christy said. We are so happy that its over.

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The couple expressed their gratitude toward all the people who made their return home possible.

I dont even know how were gonna repay or thank people. Theres so many people that have just supported us, but we still dont know all of them. Weve just been glimpsing, said Christy. I mean, how do you repay or thank people?

The Akeo parents were especially thankful for the work their children put into getting them home.

Our kids, I cant say how proud I am for what our kids have done, the people they contacted, the using social media to let people be aware of whats going on, because we didnt know what we were going to do, said Christy. How do you repay your kids for doing what they did?

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Paul echoed Christys words, telling all the people who watched their story unfold to be thankful for what America has given us. Just be thankful for the little things.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Paul Schrader at Cannes, May 2024 - Credit: Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Paul Schrader has been accused of sexual harassment and sexual assault by a former assistant who also alleges that the screenwriter-director reneged on a settlement that was agreed upon by both parties.

In a legal filing for the Jane Doe accuser first obtained by Variety, the plaintiff claims Schrader sexually assaulted her in May 2024 when the defendants film Oh, Canada premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

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In May of 2024, at the film festival, Defendant Schrader demanded Ms. Doe go to his hotel room, trapped her inside, grabbed her arms, and thrust his face into hers to kiss her against her will, and then further restrained her in an effort to keep her in the room before she managed to free herself and flee the hotel room, the legal filing states.

Three days later, Schrader summoned his assistant to his hotel room to pack his bags, claiming he was dying. When Doe arrived, Schrader allegedly opened the door to his hotel room wearing nothing but an open bathrobe with his penis fully exposed. As Ms. Doe attempted to pack Mr. Schraders bags in terrified silence, he repeatedly commented, I am so sweaty. I sweated through the bedsheets. Feel how wet they are. Ms. Doe packed his bags as quickly as she could, and left, the filing says.

The assistant was employed by Schrader  the screenwriter on Taxi Driver and Raging Bull in addition to directing films like American Gigolo and First Reformed  from May 2021 to September 2024.

After Ms. Doe refused to acquiesce to Defendant Schraders sexual advances, on September 23, 2024, he retaliated against her and terminated her employment, the filing claims. Two days later, in full acknowledgment of his unlawful and predatory behavior, he wrote in an email to her, So I fucked up. Big time . If I have become a Harvey Weinstein in your mind then of course you have no choice but to put me in the rear view mirror.

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According to the filing, lawyers for Doe and Schrader worked out a settlement agreement in exchange for a confidential amount to be paid over a period of seven months. However, while Doe signed the agreement, after some soul searching, Schrader refused to, saying he could not live with himself if he performed his obligations under the Settlement Agreement.

To date, Plaintiff has performed all her obligations under the Settlement Agreement and Settlement Document, namely by not pursuing, via civil action, her myriad legal claims against Defendants, the filing  which seeks to reinstate the binding agreement  said.

Schraders lawyer Philip Kessler told Variety that the legal filing was loaded with inaccuracies. We regard this breach of contract claim as desperate, opportunistic and frivolous, Kessler said, adding that since Schrader never signed the agreement, it cannot be enforced by the court.

Kessler also cited since-deleted social media postings by Doe praising Schrader, and added that she frequently joined him for dinners and film festivals. In none of those instances did the plaintiff indicate anything other than enthusiasm about appearing with Mr. Schrader, Kessler added.

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Paul Schrader, the screenwriter of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, has been accused in a legal filing of sexually harassing his former assistant, and of backing out of an agreement to pay her a settlement.

The 26-year-old woman, identified only as Jane Doe, alleges that Schrader grabbed her and kissed her against her will while they were at the Cannes Film Festival last year for the premiere of his latest film, Oh, Canada. She protested and was able to free herself and flee the room, she alleges.

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Three days later, she alleges that Schrader, 78, summoned her to his hotel room, claiming that he was dying, and then exposed his penis to her.

The womans attorneys allege that Schraders lawyers agreed to a monetary settlement, but that after some soul searching he backed out of the deal. They filed a motion in state court in New York to enforce the terms of the agreement, and to recover attorneys fees and costs.

Schraders lawyer, Philip Kessler, told Variety on Friday that since Schrader never signed the settlement, it cannot be enforced.

We regard this breach of contract claim as desperate, opportunistic and frivolous, he said.

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Kessler also alleged that the account of the underlying harassment allegations is loaded with inaccuracies and materially misleading. He said that over the course of a three-and-a-half year working relationship, the assistant went to numerous dinners and festivals with Schrader.

In none of those instances did the plaintiff indicate anything other than enthusiasm about appearing with Mr. Schrader, Kessler said.

He also said that the woman had spoken favorably about Schrader on social media, and that the posts had been removed around the time her lawyers sent their initial demand letter.

In the filing, the woman alleges that Schrader repeatedly professed his love for her and his desire to touch her, both verbally and in writing. The motion quotes from emails he allegedly sent to her.

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I sense you are uncomfortable with my affection for you, he wrote in May 2023, according to the court filing. Sometimes I get the feeling (not today) that you are afraid I might touch you I cringe at the thought you fear I might touch you.

During her employment, the woman alleges she had to put up with near-constant inappropriate sexual questions and lewd and misogynistic commentary.

Her attorneys allege that she was fired in September because she refused to acquiesce to Schraders advances. In the subsequent months, her attorneys worked out an arrangement for Schrader to pay a confidential sum to resolve her allegations.

However, they allege that Schrader put off signing the agreement. After a delay of several weeks, her attorneys claim, Schrader said he had gone through an illness and had decided that he could not live with himself if he accepted the agreement.

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The womans attorneys allege that the agreement was nevertheless binding.

The First Reformed director was awarded a Venice Golden Lion for career achievement in 2022.

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Paul Schrader, the screenwriter behind Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, American Gigolo and Affliction, has been accused of sexually harassing his former assistant and backing out of making settlement payments.

In a lawsuit filed in New York on Thursday, the 26-year-old woman, identified as Jane Doe, claims Schrader sexually assaulted her during the Cannes Film Festival last year by luring her into a hotel room and forcibly grabbing her and kissing her, despite her verbal protests. Schrader was at Cannes for the premiere of his latest film, Oh, Canada.

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The woman  who worked for Schrader from May 2021 to September 2024  managed to free herself and flee the hotel room, the suit states.

Three days later, the woman went back to the screenwriters hotel room after receiving numerous calls and angry text messages, in which Defendant Schrader claimed that he was dying and could not pack his own bags, according to the lawsuit. When he opened the door, Schrader allegedly was wearing nothing but an open bathrobe, with his penis fully exposed.

The woman states that she packed his bags in terrified silence as quickly as possible before leaving his hotel room.

The lawsuit claims Schrader repeatedly demonstrated in writing that he understood his conduct was unwelcome and offensive to his former assistant, yet he knowingly proceeded to harass and forcibly touch her. The complaint includes emails the screenwriter allegedly sent to Jane Doe, such as writing to her on May 22, 2023, I sense you are uncomfortable with my affection for you.

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After allegedly refusing Schraders sexual advances, the woman claims he retaliated against her and terminated her employment in September 2024.

Two days later, the suit alleges Schrader sent his former assistant an email in full acknowledgment of his unlawful and predatory behavior, writing, So I fucked up. Big time.  If I have become a Harvey Weinstein in your mind then of course you have no choice but to put me in the rearview mirror.

After, the lawsuit states the woman retained legal counsel and that their attorneys agreed on a settlement for Schrader to pay a confidential amount to resolve her allegations. However, Schrader allegedly put off signing the agreement. After several weeks, the womans attorney claims Schrader decided that he could not live with himself if he accepted the settlement and repudiated the binding agreement.

Schraders attorney, Philip Kessler, told The Hollywood Reporter on Friday that the legal filing is a desperate, opportunistic and frivolous lawsuit to enforce a settlement that was never signed by Schrader.

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Kessler said that the accusations mentioned in the suit are in many respects inaccurate, in other respects materially misleading and exaggerated. Mr. Schrader never had sex with his former assistant. He never tried to have sex with his former assistant. The circumstances here will be shown to have been blown very wildly out of proportion to reality. He added, We intend to vigorously defend the case.

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Taxi Driver and Mean Streets screenwriter Paul Schrader has been accused by his former assistant of sexually harassing her and then reneging on an agreed-upon confidential settlement. She is now demanding a court force him to honor that agreement.

In a motion filed Thursday in the Supreme Court of New York in New York County, the 26-year-old former assistant, identified as an anonymous Jane Doe, accused 78=year-old Schrader of groping her and attempting to force her to kiss him while they were at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

She then says that three days later, he called her over to his hotel room where he exposed his penis to her.

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Doe alleges Schrader acknowledged repeatedly that he behaved inappropriately, but continued to make advances on her. She then accuses Schrader or firing her in retaliation for refusing them. She then hired an attorney and eventually a Schrader offered a confidential settlement, with the stipulation it be paid out over the course of 7 months.

According to Doe, he then repudiated the binding agreement, informing her attorney a few weeks later that he would no longer pay it; Schrader subsequently refused to sign the agreement.

Schraders attorney told Variety their argument is that because he never signed the agreement, it is unenforceable. The attorney also said the complaint was loaded with inaccuracies and materially misleading, and asserted that during the three years Doe worked for Schrader, they attended multiple events and, in none of those instances did the plaintiff indicate anything other than enthusiasm about appearing with Mr. Schrader. The attorney did not explain how that would rebut the accusations of sexual harassment and breach of contract contained in the complaints.

Schraders attorney told Indiewire that Schrader and Doe kissed twice after a night of drinking but that he backed down after she said no.

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The lawsuit seeks a summary judgment ordering Schrader to pay the agreed upon settlement, as well as court costs and disbursements, additional damages, attorneys fees, and pre-judgment and postjudgment interest.

The post Paul Schrader Accused of Sexually Harassing Former Assistant, Refusing to Honor Settlement appeared first on TheWrap.
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA)  One person was killed while trying to cross a highway in Spartanburg County.

According to the state highway patrol and Spartanburg County Coroners Office, at around 10:05 p.m. Friday, Rose Marie Stewart, 63, was attempting to cross S.C. Highway 176 when she struck by a Honda sedan. Stewart was pronounced dead at the scene.

The wreck remains under investigation by the highway patrol.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY)  Pending home sales are down in the Virginia Beach metro area, according to new data released by Realtor.com.

Experts believe part of the reason for the drop in pending home sales in the Hampton Roads area is because of federal workforce layoffs.

Pending sales for the Virginia Beach metro were down pretty considerably, said Realtor.com senior economist Joel Berner. I see 14.2% in March.

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The Hampton Roads region has seen the second-biggest decline in pending home sales in the country behind only Jacksonville, Florida.

Berner explained that the number of sales marked as pending on the Realtor website can give insight about whats in store for the home-buying industry.

I think thats just the  first indicator were seeing of a housing market slowdown in some of these metros that are more affected by federal employment, Berner said.

Since Hampton Roads is home to a large presence of federal workers, experts believe its one of the reasons the region saw a decrease in pending home sales.

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With our proximity to Washington, D.C., and the amount of federal workers that we have here in Hampton Roads themselves, theres a lot of uncertainty about whether these federal workers, people working on federal contracts, will have jobs at any moment over the next few months, said Jeremy Caleb Johnson, an associate broker with Long and Foster Real Estate.

Johnson explained some of the impact he has seen firsthand.

Ive had a number of clients just within the last month or two who have pulled back on their plans to purchase or they have reduced their budget, Johnson said, and some have even canceled their plans to relocate because of the return to office orders for federal workers, as well as their uncertainty of if theyll have a job.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
(WHTM)  Pennsylvanians have hours left to register to vote for the May primary election.

May 5 is the last day to vote if you are not already registered in Pennsylvania for the May 20 election. To vote in the next election, your application must be submitted online, by mail to your county voter registration office, or in person to the voter registration office by May 5.

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This Week in Pennsylvania

Residents can check their eligibility and registration status on the PA Voter Services website.

Pennsylvanians also have until May 13 to apply for a mail ballot, which must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day, May 20. Ballots can be returned through the mail or, if available, in person to your County Board of Election Office or drop box.

The polls on Election Day will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with local municipal races on the ballot.

Pennsylvania is reminding voters to be aware of these dates as deadlines approach.

Educating Pennsylvanias voters about upcoming elections is part of Governor Shapiros commitment to strengthening our democracy and ensuring safe and secure elections, Secretary of State Al Schmidt said. No voter should miss out on the opportunity to have their voice heard, so the Department provides clear, nonpartisan information about how Pennsylvanians can cast their ballot and have it counted.

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Philly Zoos 100-year-old tortoise gives birth to critically endangered hatchlings

For more information on voting in Pennsylvania, including mail ballots, call the Department of States year-round voter hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA or visit vote.pa.gov.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
For decades, artificial food dyes have made snack foods pop with eye-catching reds, electric blues, and vivid yellows  but at what cost? Concerns over synthetic dyes, from potential health risks to consumer demand for more natural ingredients, have major food companies rethinking their formulas.

Now, PepsiCo is joining the shift with its new Simply Ruffles Hot & Spicy, reported Bloomberg. The chips bring the heat without the signature bright red dust of Flamin' Hot snacks. Instead of using artificial colors like Red No. 40, they get their spice-speckled look from real ingredients like tomato powder and red chile pepper.

This launch is part of a bigger shift at PepsiCo to phase out synthetic dyes across its snack lineup.

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"You could make it redder if you wanted to," said Ian Puddephat, PepsiCo's vice president of research and development for food ingredients, according to Bloomberg. But the company decided against it, betting that a lighter color signals to consumers that the chip isn't just spicy  it's made with real ingredients, too.

The Simply brand, which has been around since 2013, is now getting more attention as PepsiCo leans into utilizing natural ingredients. CEO Ramon Laguarta recently called it a key part of the company's push to meet changing consumer expectations. "There's a higher level of awareness in general of American consumers toward health and wellness," Laguarta said.

Food companies across the industry are under increasing pressure to eliminate artificial dyes, especially as regulators crack down. The Food and Drug Administration recently banned Red No. 3 for food products, effective January 2027, and health advocates continue pushing for broader changes. Critics argue that artificial dyes contribute nothing to taste or nutrition while potentially posing health risks.

PepsiCo is working to remove them from eight additional brands over the next year, though Puddephat acknowledges it's a challenge. "It's really, really hard to reformulate existing products. Consumers are very good at noticing very small changes," he said.

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Despite the difficulty, some companies have successfully swapped out artificial dyes without backlash.

Kraft Heinz quietly removed them from its mac and cheese years ago, and Conagra Brands Inc., which owns Slim Jim, says that 92% of its products are now synthetic-dye free, according to Bloomberg.

Dye manufacturers are also adapting to the growing demand for natural alternatives. "Certainly in the last few months, the slope has accelerated significantly," said Paul Manning, CEO of Sensient Technologies, a major supplier of both synthetic and natural food colors.

This shift gives consumers more natural choices without losing out on flavor while also cutting back on synthetic additives. By making the switch, companies are responding to the demand for cleaner labels and more transparency  proving that snack foods can be both bold and better for you.

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.
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazilian state-run oil company Petrobras has completed work on a veterinary center in the Amazon region that is required for it to obtain an environmental permit for an offshore drilling project, the company said on Saturday.

The animal care center in the town of Oiapoque, Amapa state, is designed to assist animals in the event of an oil spill.

It was one of Brazilian environmental agency Ibama's main demands in response to Petrobras' proposal to drill offshore in the environmentally sensitive Foz do Amazonas region.

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Amapa has granted the veterinary center an operating license but it still requires Ibama's clearance. Petrobras said in a statement it informed the agency the center will be available for inspection starting Monday.

The center is designed to care for birds, marine mammals, turtles, dolphins and manatees, said Petrobras, which aims to conduct exploratory drilling in a block 540 kilometers (325 miles) off Amapa's coast.

Foz do Amazonas in the so-called Equatorial Margin is Brazil's most promising oil frontier. It shares geology with nearby Guyana, where Exxon Mobil is developing huge fields.

Ibama blocked Petrobras from drilling there in 2023, but the company filed a new request, which the agency is assessing. There is no deadline for a final answer.

(Reporting by Marta Nogueira; Writing by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines expressed alarm on Saturday over the arrest of three Filipinos in China on suspicion of espionage, saying they were ordinary citizens and the arrests could be retaliation for Manila's crackdown against alleged Chinese spies.

Chinese authorities arrested the Filipinos and accused them of working for the Philippine intelligence agency to gather classified information on its military, the state-run China Daily reported earlier this week, citing state security officials. It said the three had confessed to the crime.

The Philippines' National Security Council disputed Beijing's accusations, saying the three were former recipients of a government scholarship programme created under an agreement between the southern Chinese province of Hainan and the western Philippine province of Palawan.

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"They are ordinary Filipino citizens with no military training who merely went to China at the invitation of the Chinese government to study," National Security Council spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said in a statement.

"They are law-abiding citizens with no criminal records and were vetted and screened by the Chinese government prior to their arrival there," he added.

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside office hours.

Hainan and Palawan both face the South China Sea, a strategic waterway where the two countries have staked out overlapping claims and have clashed frequently over the past two years.

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"The arrests can be seen as a retaliation for the series of legitimate arrests of Chinese agents and accomplices by Philippine law enforcement," Malaya said.

Philippine authorities have arrested at least a dozen Chinese nationals in the last three months on suspicion of espionage, accusing them of illegally obtaining sensitive information on military camps and critical infrastructure that could undermine Manila's national security and defence.

China has expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea that overlap with the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal ruled China's claims have no basis under international law, although Beijing does not recognise that ruling.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
An Arizona man was found guilty by a federal jury on charges related to fake bomb threats made in 2024.

Following an 11-day trial, 45-year-old Zimanko Salah of Phoenix was convicted on April 3 for placing a backpack around a toilet inside a Christian church in Roseville, California, intending to create the appearance of a bomb threat and to obstruct the congregations ability to freely practice their religion, according to a Department of Justice press release.

The jury determined that Salah specifically targeted the churches because of the religious beliefs of the congregants, classifying the offense as a hate crime, the DOJ added.

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During the trial, evidence revealed that from September to November 2024, Salah had planted fake bombs in four Christian churches located in California, Colorado, and Arizona. It was also disclosed that while Salah had been planting fake bombs, he was building a real bomb in his storage unit, one capable of fitting into a backpack.

Federal Bureau of Investigation bomb technicians seized the items in the storage unit, and an FBI bomb expert testified that the materials found in Salah's storage unit "served as component parts of an improvised explosive device," confirmed by the DOJ press release.

A search of Salah's social media records showed he had engaged with extremist propaganda. Specifically, Salah had searched for videos of "infidels dying" and depictions of the ISIS terrorist organization murdering people.

According to the DOJ, Salah faces a maximum sentence of 6 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Salah was scheduled to be sentenced on July 18 by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins.

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Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California said, "planting a fake bomb at the Roseville church was not an isolated incident or a prank for this defendant." Beckwith stated, "his actions were designed to threaten and intimidate the congregation because he disagreed with their beliefs." She added, "People of all religions should be able to worship freely and exercise their First Amendment rights in this country without fear of violence."

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Roseville, California Police Department, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego Harbor Police Department, and the Arapahoe County, Colorado Sheriff's Office.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona man behind hoax bomb threats at multiple churches convicted
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The Israeli military backtracked on its account of the killing of 15 Palestinian medics by its forces last month after phone video appeared to contradict its claims that their vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire on them in the Gaza Strip.

The military initially said it opened fire because the vehicles were advancing suspiciously on nearby troops without headlights or emergency signals. An Israeli military official, speaking late Saturday on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said that account was mistaken.

The footage shows the Red Crescent and Civil Defense teams driving slowly with their emergency vehicles lights flashing, logos visible, as they pulled up to help an ambulance that had come under fire earlier. The teams do not appear to be acting unusually or in a threatening manner as three medics emerge and head toward the stricken ambulance.

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Their vehicles immediately come under a barrage of gunfire, which goes on for more than five minutes with brief pauses. The owner of the phone can be heard praying.

Forgive me, mother. This is the path I chose, mother, to help people, he cries, his voice weak.

Eight Red Crescent personnel, six Civil Defense workers and a U.N. staffer were killed in the shooting before dawn on March 23 by Israeli troops conducting operations in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Troops then bulldozed over the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave. U.N. and rescue workers were only able to reach the site a week later to dig out the bodies.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society's vice president, Marwan Jilani, said the phone with the footage was found in the pocket of one of its slain staffers. The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations distributed the video to the U.N. Security Council. The Associated Press obtained the video from a U.N. diplomat on condition of anonymity because it has not been made public.

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One paramedic who survived, Munzer Abed, confirmed the veracity of the video to the AP. Two block-shaped concrete structures visible in the video are also seen in a U.N. video released Sunday showing the recovery of the bodies from the site  a sign they are in the same location.

Asked about the video, the Israeli military said Saturday that the incident was under thorough examination.

One medic remains missing

The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Younes Al-Khatib, called for an independent investigation. "We dont trust any of the army investigations, he told a briefing at the U.N. on Friday.

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One medic, Assaad al-Nassasra, is still missing, the Red Crescent says. Abed said he saw al-Nassasra being led away blindfolded by Israeli troops. Al-Khatib said the organization has asked the military where it is holding the staffer.

Al-Khatib said the slain men had been targeted at close range and that a forensic autopsy report would be released soon.

Israel has accused Hamas of moving and hiding its fighters inside ambulances and emergency vehicles, as well as in hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, arguing that justifies strikes on them. Medical personnel largely deny the accusations.

Israeli strikes have killed more than 150 emergency responders from the Red Crescent and Civil Defense, most of them while on duty, as well as over 1,000 health workers, according to the U.N. The Israeli military rarely investigates such incidents.

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Ambulances under a barrage of Israeli fire

Ambulances started heading to Tel al-Sultan at around 3:50 a.m. on March 23, responding to reports of wounded, Jilani said. The first ambulance returned safely with at least one casualty, he said. But, he said, subsequent ambulances came under fire.

His hands trembling, Abed told the AP on Saturday that as his ambulance entered the area, its siren lights were on. All of a sudden, I am telling you, there was direct shooting at us, so intense that the vehicle ground to a stop, he said.

A 10-year veteran of the Red Crescent, Abed said he was sitting in the back seat and ducked to the floor. He said he could hear nothing from his two colleagues in the front seat  the only others in the vehicle. They appear to have been killed instantly.

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Israeli troops, some with night goggles, dragged Abed out of the ambulance and onto the ground, he said. They made him strip to his underwear, beat him all over his body with their rifle butts, then tied his hands behind his back, he said.

They interrogated him, asking him about his paramedic training and how many people were in the ambulance with him, he said. One soldier pressed the muzzle of his automatic rifle into his neck. Another pressed his knife blade into Abeds palm, almost cutting it, until a third soldier pulled them away and warned Abed, Theyre crazy.

Abed said he witnessed them opening fire on the next vehicles to arrive. Soldiers forced him onto his stomach and pressed a gun into his back, he said, and amid the shooting in the darkness, so he could only see two Civil Defense vehicles.

Video shows medics terror

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The phone video shows a rescue convoy of Red Crescent and Civil Defense vehicles that was sent out after contact was lost with the stricken ambulance. Taken from the dashboard of one vehicle, it shows several ambulances and a fire truck moving down a road through a barren area in the darkness. The emergency lights on their roofs are flashing the entire way.

They arrive at an ambulance on the side of the road and stop next to it, their lights still flashing. No Israeli troops are visible.

Lord, let them be OK, a man in the car says. Then he cries out, Theyre tossed around on the ground!  apparently referring to bodies. Three men in orange Civil Defense clothing can be seen getting out of the vehicles and walking toward the stopped ambulance.

A shot rings out and one of the men appears to fall. Gunfire erupts.

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The man holding the phone appears to scramble out of the car and onto the ground, but the screen goes black, though the audio continues. The gunfire goes on for nearly five and a half minutes, with long, heavy barrages followed by silences punctuated by individual shots and shouts and screams.

Throughout, the man with the phone says over and over, There is no God but God and Muhammad is Gods prophet  the profession of faith that Muslims say when they fear they are about to die. Near the end of the six-minute, 40-second video, voices can be heard shouting in Hebrew. The Jews are coming, the man said, referring to Israeli soldiers, before the video cuts off.

The Israeli military official asserted there was no mistreatment, and said he didnt know why the vehicles had been buried. He had no information about the medic who remained missing.

Israel claims they found militants afterward

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The Israeli military says that after the shooting, troops determined they had killed a Hamas figure named Mohammed Amin Shobaki and eight other militants. However, none of the 15 slain medics has that name, and no other bodies are known to have been found at the site.

The military has not said what happened to Shobaki's body or released the names of the other alleged militants. The Israeli military official said Israel was working to bring evidence that Hamas operatives were killed.

Jonathan Whittall, interim head in Gaza of the U.N. humanitarian office OCHA, dismissed allegations that the slain medics were Hamas militants, saying staff had worked with the same medics previously in evacuating patients from hospitals and other tasks.

These are paramedic crews that I personally have met before," he said. They were buried in their uniforms with their gloves on. They were ready to save lives.

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___

Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip; Keath from Cairo. Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations, Sarah El Deeb in Cairo, Natalie Melzer in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Areej Hazboun contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
On February 4, the first group of detained migrants were flown to Guantanamo Bay after President Donald Trump ordered the expansion of immigrant detention at the base for up to 30,000 people. This isn't new. President George H.W. Bush held thousands of Haitians there after they fled a violent coup, and under President Bill Clinton, tens of thousands of Haitians and Cubans were detained without adequate provisions. Guantanamo has long been where the U.S. government sidesteps constitutional protections for detaineesa key reason human rights groups and civil libertarians have consistently called for its closure.

The post Photo: Migrants Sent to Guantanamo appeared first on Reason.com.
LINDALE, Texas (KETK)  Lorraine Lake in Lindale has been washed out by flooding that hit the East Texas community on Friday night.

PHOTOS: East Texas hit by storms, tornados causes damage

A KETK photographer was at at Lorraine Lake on Saturday and took the following photos of the now empty lakebed:

Lorraine Lake Lorraine Lake Lorraine Lake Lorraine Lake

Witnesses at the scene told KETK that the water in the lake had risen above the lake line, spilling over a dam on the edge of the lake.

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The lake is connected to North Prairie Creek and is surrounded by many private properties with docks and piers on the lake off of Spring Drive and Hillside Lane.

The City of Lindale hasnt commented on the lake washing out but on Friday Lindale Mayor Gavin Rasco thanked first responders for serving the community during the flooding.

Thank you to all the first responders for the afternoon we had. We are grateful for your service. We experienced unprecedented amounts of rain in a short time frame that led to flooding around the city. We are working diligently with state and county services to restore access to all parts of our community. Thank you for your cooperation and patience while we assess what is safe for travel. With another band of rain coming, were hoping to get enough respite so we can handle the next wave. Please obey traffic warnings and signalsthere are a number of roads still flooded. Thanks again for your understanding, and stay dry out there. Gavin Rasco, Mayor of Lindale

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DENVER (KDVR)  Large crowds of people gathered for demonstrations across Colorado on Saturday.

The Hands Off! rallies are happening across the U.S. on Saturday. The Associated Press reports that over 1,200 demonstrations were planned by over 150 activist groups.

Protesters tee off against Trump and Musk in Hands Off! rallies across the U.S.

Demonstrations were reported in several areas of Colorado, including Denver, Boulder, Genessee, Fort Collins, Greeley and more. Demonstrations are taking place in all 50 states.

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The Denver Police Department said Lincoln Street was closed from 14th Avenue to Colfax Avenue, right in front of the Colorado Capitol, around 1 p.m. due to the demonstrations.

SkyFOX flew over the scene where the road was flooded with people.

Demonstrators march through Denver on April 5, 2025 as seen from SkyFOX. Lincoln Street is closed from 14th Avenue to Colfax Avenue due to demonstrations on April 5, 2025. Lincoln Street is closed from 14th Avenue to Colfax Avenue due to demonstrations on April 5, 2025. Lincoln Street is closed from 14th Avenue to Colfax Avenue due to demonstrations on April 5, 2025. Lincoln Street is closed from 14th Avenue to Colfax Avenue due to demonstrations on April 5, 2025. Lincoln Street is closed from 14th Avenue to Colfax Avenue due to demonstrations on April 5, 2025. Lincoln Street is closed from 14th Avenue to Colfax Avenue due to demonstrations on April 5, 2025. Lincoln Street is closed from 14th Avenue to Colfax Avenue due to demonstrations on April 5, 2025. Lincoln Street is closed from 14th Avenue to Colfax Avenue due to demonstrations on April 5, 2025.

A group of demonstrators began marching. Many were bundled up and carrying signs.

Demonstrators march through Denver on April 5, 2025 as seen from SkyFOX. Demonstrators march through Denver on April 5, 2025 as seen from SkyFOX. Demonstrators march through Denver on April 5, 2025 as seen from SkyFOX. Demonstrators march through Denver on April 5, 2025 as seen from SkyFOX. Demonstrators march through Denver on April 5, 2025 as seen from SkyFOX.

Police advised drivers to seek alternate routes.

SkyFOX flew over demonstrators in Boulder on Saturday as well.

Demonstrators gather in Boulder on April 5, 2025 as seen from SkyFOX. Demonstrators gather in Boulder on April 5, 2025 as seen from SkyFOX. Demonstrators gather in Boulder on April 5, 2025 as seen from SkyFOX.

SkyFOX also spotted a few demonstrators on bridges over Interstate 70 near Genessee.

Demonstrators hold signs above Interstate 70 near Genesee Park amid Hands Off! protests across the U.S. on April 5, 2025. Demonstrators hold signs above Interstate 70 near Genesee Park amid Hands Off! protests across the U.S. on April 5, 2025. Demonstrators hold signs above Interstate 70 near Genesee Park amid Hands Off! protests across the U.S. on April 5, 2025.

There has not been any count of how many people attended the protests.

FOX31 is gathering more information about the demonstrations.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Proposed changes for how some of North Dakota's Legacy Fund can be invested in-state could bring a huge influx of cash to large energy infrastructure projects, while limiting diverse investment portfolio requirements on a part of the fund.

The Legacy Fund is a $12 billion sovereign wealth fund for the state of North Dakota approved by a ballot measure in 2010 around the time that the state's oil boom began. The fund is mostly built off taxes on oil production in the state and has some inflow from the coal industry.

The changes in code, which were proposed by the Retirement and Investment Office (RIO), would affect a section on Legacy Fund earmarked specifically for in-state investments created in 2021. RIO coordinates the activities of the State Investment Board which invests the Legacy Fund.

Generally, the State Investment Board is tasked with prudently diversifying Legacy Fund investments. The proposed language would allow for the State Investment Board to invest in large-scale infrastructure projects and determine that because of "special circumstances, the purposes of the state are better served with a more concentrated strategy for the in-state infrastructure funds."

As much as $1.3 billion from the Legacy Fund is set aside for in-state investments, though only around $200 million would be available for one or multiple large-scale infrastructure investments, said Jodi Smith, RIO's interim executive director. She said the proposed language is similar to state law around managing trusts.

The State Investment Board's policy right now caps investments for any one particular company at $25 million, she said.

"No one company necessarily would get all $200 million (with the changes)," said Smith.

Policy for the fund is set up to insulate decisions from political pressures, Smith said. The fund would be required to run recommendations through a third-party investment manager to ensure it is a good investment that would yield a return.

"It's not that the State Investment Board or the Legacy Fund Advisory Board, single-handedly, could say, 'Yep, this is a good investment,'" she said. "We would need to run it through some checks and balances in the background."

The new language does come with some added risk. The Legacy Fund is mostly built off taxes on oil. If the fund then reinvests these dollars into that industry, it doubles the fund's financial exposure to market downturns.

"(If) we have essentially doubled our risk, we will double our losses. And so that's why we want to just be very thoughtful about the project we would invest in," Smith said.

Why are the changes being proposed?

Multiple huge projects have been floated or announced that could help extend the life and economic viability of North Dakota's oil and coal industries.

With existing technology and infrastructure, Bakken oil production is set to go into "terminal decline" in the late 2030s, officials say. The industry also needs a solution to deal with the rising ratio of gas compared to oil coming out of the Bakken -- a phenomenon that occurs as an oil reservoir ages.

Meanwhile, North Dakota has significant coal reserves, but economic and regulatory pressures have brought challenges for the industry's decades-old power plants.

Both industries are expecting that data centers for artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and cloud computing will significantly up the demand for electricity, prompting further use of gas- and coal-fired power plants.

Expensive efforts to capture, move and use climate-warming carbon dioxide could help both industries meet pollution concerns while providing a potential extension for the oil industry by pumping CO2 underground to loosen up at least part of the 85% of oil that is otherwise unrecoverable right now. Other major projects being explored that could be boons for the oil and coal industries include potential huge, proposed pipelines transporting excess natural gas from the state's oilfields to market, as well as efforts to extract and process critical minerals from coal.

No specific projects are being targeted through the change in language, Smith said.

"There may or may not be an opportunity here," she said. "And if it comes up before the next legislative session, are we in the best position possible in order to make that in-state commitment?"

Legislative movement

The language allowing for the changes has been introduced as amendments in the North Dakota Senate for two separate bills that already passed in the state House -- House Bill 1330 and House Bill 1579.

HB 1330 would require a divestment of funds from Chinese companies. That got a 3-2 recommendation to pass from the Senate Industry and Business Committee.

RIO recently asked for a similar amendment to be added to HB 1579 at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. That is a bill to study the impact that large data centers could have on the power grid.

The mixed committee reaction to HB 1330 from lawmakers was what prompted the amendment being added to HB 1579, Smith said.

"I don't want them to pass something that they don't believe is in a good position, is in the best interest of state, just because there's been (this) amendment placed on it. And so, if that was their concern, then let me go find a different vehicle to meet our needs," she said.

If either of the bills pass with the amendment added, the language will become part of state law.
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WATE)  Pigeon Forge is a busy place no matter the time of year. As we get closer to the warm summer months, events like Rod Run and other festivals and parades become more common place.

Places like the Valley Forge Inn on the Parkway benefit from the increased volume of people this time of year.

Repairs to historic Old Mill Bridge in Pigeon Forge facing delays

This is probably the best time of year for us because we just came off our break time, our slower time, said Valley Forge Inn employee Daniel. Like I said, its one of the best times for us. Money wise, its great.

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Thousands have already descended on Pigeon Forge and with Rod Run less than a week away its expected to get even busier. Daniel has been with Valley Forge Inn for nine years. He said in his time at the hotel he has seen changes.

Theres been a few changes especially with some of the parking guidelines and selling and stuff like that, he said. Thats definitely impacted it a lot.

Adria Boyd from Kingsport said she and her family come down every year and they have also seen immense changes in the area.

Definitely a lot more busy. Theres a lot more to do obviously, way more attractions, obviously The Island was a big thing and that changed over time, Boyd said. Definitely a lot busier.

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122-mile pipeline expansion through East Tennessee approved

Visitors we spoke with ranged from the Tri-Cities to Alabama as they take in everything Pigeon Forge has to offer.

Its my sons birthday next week. The beach was over crowded and we just wanted to try something new. Alabama native Hallie said. We enjoy it, this is their second time coming and theyre able to do mostly everything. I feel safer coming up here than I do at the beach. Weve walked almost all the way down that way and all the way up this way today and hadnt been scared or nothing.

The Valley Forge Inn is one of the last few family owned hotels in the area. Daniel told 6 News its always great to see the people who make return trips year in and year out.

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We definitely have a lot of people come stay with us just because of our location, he explained. The Island is right behind us and were dead in the center of town. So I think a lot of people choose us for that reason. We definitely have a lot of returning guests and theyve become like family to us really.

 See more top stories on WATE.com

With the spring Rod Run coming to Pigeon Forge next week, hotels are beginning to fill up. It just shows how popular and busy this area gets when the temperatures start to warm up.

According to the My Pigeon Forge website, there is something going on every weekend from now through at least the end of the summer.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  Pittsfield mayor Pete Marchetti recognized a woman on Friday for turning 100 years old.

Alberta Phillips celebrated another year around the sun with family and friends at the Wingate residences.

Mayor Marchetti even stopped by to enjoy the festivities. Alberta has been married to her husband for more than 60 years. Shes also an avid square dancer.

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.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
When Korean skin care arrived in the United States several years ago, it became the stuff of legend among beauty enthusiasts. They raved about the sunscreen from the Korean brand Beauty of Joseon, which used advanced UV filters and left no white film behind; currently, it costs $18its closest American counterpart would be about $40 and gloopier. Korean snail mucin promised to hydrate skin and improve fine lines, and prompted a buying frenzy, during which I did drop my own American dollars on a facial essence made from the secretions of snails. It has made my skin softer and only grossed me out twice.

Now my snail mucin is caught in a trade war. On Wednesday, President Donald Trumps announcement of nearly global tariffs included a 25 percent hike on goods imported to the U.S. from South Korea; his administration has also repealed a customs loophole used by certain K-beauty exporters based in Hong Kong. Some skin-care enthusiasts had been preparing for possible trade disruptionsspent my paycheck on korean skincare because those tariffs are about to go crazy, one person posted in December. But now, theyre springing into action. If you love your glow, get it now, one skin-care influencer said on TikTok. This is your last chance before it becomes unaffordable.

Americans love affair with K-beauty was fostered by many years of free trade with South Korea, when our mucin came free of additional fees. The new tariffs will be a good test to see how powerful the K brand is in America, Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who studies U.S.South Korea relations, told mehow much soft power Korea has accumulated here. If people have been buying K-beauty products because they love K-beauty (or K-pop or K-dramas), a price hike might not matter. But if they decide Korean products havent done that much for their skin, maybe theyll switch to Neutrogena.

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Beauty enthusiasts have, at times, gone to great lengths to import Korean serums, face masks, moisturizers, sunscreens, and the like from exporters usually based in Korea or Hong Kong. When Joshua Dupaya, a beauty influencer, first got into Korean products in 2016, for instance, he sourced them mostly from trusted eBay sellers, he told me. Cosmetics have become a fairly significant part of Koreas exports$10 billion globally last year, nearly $2 billion of which went to the United States. And certain K-beauty brands are more beloved here than in their home country. A co-founder of Beauty of Joseon said on a podcast in December, Were not really popular in Korea, I have to admit. (Their Korean brand name means beautiful woman in Joseon, referring to the former, long-reigning Korean Joseon dynasty. She said Koreans think the name is so tacky.)

Part of K-beautys appeal is its price point$15 for a high-quality moisturizing cream compares favorably with a $20 bottle of CeraVe, and extremely favorably with the $390 La Mer creme touted by the upper echelon of skin-care influencers and celebrities. Korean beauty products also contain ingredients that are uncommon in U.S. skin care, but that some American consumers swear byCentella asiatica (Asiatic pennywort), rice water, ginseng extract, and of course, snail mucin. Their sunscreen is also just objectively better. The FDA is notoriously slow to approve new UV filters, which has meant that sunscreen in America is generally worse than it is in Europe and Asia. Formulations here feel chalkier and oilier, and they can leave white residue behind, because American chemists have a smaller palette of UV technology to draw from. For $12, someone could buy American sunscreen in uninspiring packaging that makes them look like a ghost. For the same $12, they could buy a K-beauty sunscreen in expensive-looking packaging that will not make them look like a ghost. When my friend returned from South Korea with an entire carry-on full of Korean skin care, we applied gobs of sunscreen, feeling like royalty with our advanced UV protection. For skin-care aficionados, K-beauty was an ideal trifecta: a product that feels luxurious, seems effective, and is relatively affordable.

[Read: Youre not allowed to have the best sunscreens in the world]

The tariffs will test whether a higher price outweighs those other benefits. Yesterday, the founder of the Korean company KraveBeauty announced on TikTok that the tariff will hit their next shipment to the U.S. and will have to be passed on to customers. Were still calculating what the implications of this new trade policy would be to our business, but this will change pretty much everything, she saidfor her company and others. She said the tariffs could upend her brands long-standing policy of keeping all their products under $28; those responding in the comments already spoke of K-beauty in the past tense; many included crying-face emoji.

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Trumps tariffs, of course, apply only to imported K-beauty. In the past several years, a handful of major K-beauty manufacturers have opened factories in the United States and will be able to avoid the tariffs, Yeo told me. But he expects that other Korea-based companies will wait about a year to see if these tariffs last and how U.S. consumers respond to the price hike before they consider relocating to America. I dont know if Koreans want to invest that much, he said. It depends how bullish you think the U.S. market is. American demand for K-beauty has grown a lot, but brands will have to decide if they think itll keep growing. The U.S. isnt their only market, and companies may choose to focus on countries such as China instead.

But if the tariff succeeds and more K-beauty is soon made in America, the industry could lose its major selling point: it is not made in America. These non-U.S. formulations are the whole allure of using Korean beauty, Dupaya told me. Beauty of Joseon recently began making versions of its beloved sunscreen specifically for the U.S. market, which meant it could use only UV technology approved by the FDA. Fairly or not, American users seem to think they have the same problems as U.S. sunblock. Garbage, a skin-care influencer said about one of the American formulations. Absolute garbage.

Article originally published at The Atlantic
PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WFLA)  The Punta Gorda Police Department addressed the viral confrontation Saturday morning, between a Florida charter captain and a fisherman that led to an arrest earlier this week.

Around 7:30 p.m. on April 1, 40-year-old Brock Horner pulled his boat alongside the victims boat and boarded it without permission.

Previous coverage: Florida charter captain arrested after viral confrontation with fisherman, police say

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In the video, which has since gone viral, the fisherman, Gage Towles, tells Horner he cant go flying underneath the 41 bridge in Punta Gorda, roughly 10 feet from the other boat. Horner was upset about an incident on March 30 around 5:30 a.m., regarding Towles and others fishing in the dark without their lights on in the same area.

The charter captain is heard screaming, cursing and becoming aggressive toward Towles before he jumps aboard the victims boat. Horner threatened Towles and grabbed him by the shirt, demanding him to apologize for the prior incident.

After police conducted several interviews with the victim and witnesses, they established probable cause to arrest Horner in connection with the unlawful boarding and threats under Florida Statue 810.02(2)(A)  Burglary with Assault or Battery (non-forced entry).

Charlotte County Sheriffs Office

As of Friday night, Horner remains in the Charlotte County Jail.

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Previous coverage: North Port firefighter was with charter captain caught on camera berating boater, chief says

This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our waterwaysor anywhere else in our city, Punta Gorda Police Chief Pam Smith said. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors, both on land and on the water.

To watch the entirety of the viral video, click here.

Along with the police departments investigation, the Florida and Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Coast Guard are conducting separate investigations given the nature and location of the incident.

Punta Gorda police said further details will be released as the investigation continues.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
NORTH HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH)  A New York man was arrested after he allegedly fled the scene of a crash and led police to suspected bags of cocaine on Friday, according to the North Haven Police Department.

43-year-old Elixavier Gonzalez was allegedly involved in a crash around 370 State St. around 2:30 p.m. that resulted in an injury. He fled the scene on foot into the woods, according to police.

A K-9 unit was used to find Gonzalez and he was taken into custody.

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Woman with multiple warrants arrested for shoplifting in North Haven: Police

Police say a secondary search of Gonzalezs path revealed a bag filled with multiple small bags of suspected cocaine totaling approximately 48 grams.

Elixavier Gonzalez, 43

Gonzalez has a criminal history in New York for gun and drug charges and is a convicted felon, police say.

He was charged with evading with injury, interfering with an officer, possession of narcotics and possession of narcotics with intent to sell.

He was initially imposed a $350,000 bond before it was reduced by the state bail commissioner to $175,000.

He will be arraigned on Monday.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (PIX11)  Police shot and killed a man armed with a knife on Long Island Friday, officials said.

The incident happened outside a home at 303 Wurz St. in Brentwood around 12:30 p.m., according to the Suffolk County Police Department.

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Bruce Boyd, 54, was fatally shot after he allegedly charged at officers with a knife, officials said.

Officers initially responded to the home after a family member of Boyd contacted police for a welfare check, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.

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When officers arrived, Boyds wife met them in front of the home and then let the officers inside, police said.

More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State

Boyd was inside the home with a knife and had multiple self-inflicted wounds, officials said.

The officers retreated from the home, but Boyd allegedly went after them while holding a knife and ignored orders to drop it, according to police.

Police then shot Boyd, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital, officials said.

Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than six years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
DENVER (KDVR)  Aurora police said they found thousands of fentanyl pills when they impounded a vehicle with stolen temporary tags from a teen driver who had no license or proof of insurance.

The Aurora Police Department said officers saw a vehicle with suspicious plates and pulled the driver over on Feb. 27 around 11:30 a.m. Police determined that the temporary tags on the vehicle were registered to another vehicle and had been stolen.

111 lbs. of cocaine seized during traffic stop on I-70: Sheriffs office

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The department said the driver, a 17-year-old, was driving without a license and did not have proof of insurance.

The city has a three-strike rule that requires police officers to impound a vehicle if the driver cannot produce a valid drivers license, proof of insurance and registration. The teen was detained and the vehicle was impounded.

The police department posted a video of the traffic stop in which an officer can be heard saying that the driver claimed the vehicle belonged to his brother and he did not have the keys. The officer also said he claimed that he had an ID but did not have it on him.

The department said officers are also required to take inventory of vehicles before they are towed. In searching the vehicle, police found over a kilogram of fentanyl pills hidden under the drivers seat.

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At roughly 10 pills to the gram, that equates to approximately 10,000 pills, the department wrote in a post on Facebook.

Aurora police said they found thousands of fentanyl pills and multiple bullets when they impounded a vehicle with stolen temporary tags from a teen driver who had no license or proof of insurance. Aurora police said they found thousands of fentanyl pills and multiple bullets when they impounded a vehicle with stolen temporary tags from a teen driver who had no license or proof of insurance.

A spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department told FOX31 that the driver is charged with:

Possession of a controlled substance, fentanyl, of 50 grams or more with intent to distribute, Class 1 drug felony

False reporting to police, Class 2 misdemeanor

Driving on a fictitious plate, Class 2 traffic offense

Failure to provide proof of insurance, Class 1 traffic offense

Driving without a license, Class A traffic infraction

Police video also showed cash and bullets found in the vehicle.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
WARNING: The contents of this article relates to domestic violence. If you or someone you know is a victim of such, call the San Diego Domestic Violence Hotline at 888-385-4657.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  Authorities are investigating a fatal stabbing that occurred early Saturday morning in the Grant Hill neighborhood.

According to the San Diego Police Department, a call came in at 12:42 a.m. with an individual reporting a disturbance at her residence in the 200 block of 28th Street. The caller told authorities that her friends boyfriend was attempting to force entry into her home. She expressed concern that the boyfriend was allegedly attempting to assault her friend.

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Woman struck by vehicle in Chula Vista

Officers from the Central Division arrived at the scene and found a 23-year-old Hispanic man in medical distress. The man, whose name is being withheld at this time, was given immediate aid by officers before paramedics arrived. He was then transported to a local hospital but was later pronounced dead from at least one stab wound to his torso, police said.

The suspect in the case, according to authorities, is a 23-year-old Hispanic woman. She was detained at the scene; however, she has since been released pending further investigation, SDPD explained. Her identity has also not been disclosed at this time.

Based on preliminary reports, police said the stabbing victim, who did not reside at the home, allegedly forced entry into the residence by kicking down the door. Once inside, police said an altercation purportedly occurred and the victim was fatally stabbed.

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SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft splashes down off the Oceanside coast

San Diego Police Homicide Detectives have taken over the investigation and are working to piece together the events leading up to the violent incident. Detectives are gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and reviewing video footage to better understand the exact circumstances surrounding the alleged altercation.

The investigation is ongoing and authorities are urging anyone with information related to the case to come forward. Those with information are encouraged to contact the Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

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 FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said one person is in custody following a collision on U Street that left seven people hospitalized overnight.

At around 1:15 a.m., the driver of an Audi A5 was driving recklessly and lost control of his vehicle on U Street, striking a pedestrian, a utility pole and a metal trash can, investigators said.

The vehicles impact with the trash can hurt additional people who were on the sidewalk.

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Hands Off rally set for Saturday at the National Mall

MPD said the man who was struck by the car was taken to the hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

Four other men were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, while two others were treated at the scene.

The driver, 31-year-old Eric Lyons of Northwest D.C., was arrested at the scene. He was charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and Reckless Driving.

Major Crash detectives are investigating further.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live.
*An update to this story was published on Sunday, April 6, and can be read here.*

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (WFRV)  Police in Wisconsin have provided an update on the search for missing boaters, identifying the body found on Friday afternoon and the boater still currently missing.

The Wisconsin Dells Police Department said that the body found on Friday was identified as Luis F. Di Filippo, a 75-year-old man from Chicago, Illinois. The boater still missing has been identified as 20-year-old Francesco L. Di Filippo of Chicago.

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Wisconsin man out on bond for fleeing leads Fond du Lac deputies on 3.5 mile pursuit

The two went missing after a boat capsized on the Wisconsin River on Thursday afternoon, with a third occupant escaping to shore and being treated for injuries. The search for Francesco is ongoing amidst volatile water conditions.

Underwater searches were suspended yesterday as the Kilbourn Dams discharge rate was up to 20,000 cubic feet per second (CFS). According to the release, the average is roughly 9,000 CFS.

The Kilbourn Dam is reportedly up to about 25,000 CFS today, thus causing underwater searches to be unfavorable today.

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is reportedly continuing shoreline searches with boats, reaching spaces down the river. Once conditions improve, police will continue to search areas of interest with divers and/or drones. Aerial drones are helping foot searches along the river.

Police urge caution as nicer weather arrives with more boaters likely on the river, especially as conditions remain volatile.

14-year-old driver flees from Wisconsin authorities 3 times in one night, arrested after 4th try

Anybody who may spot something in the area is urged to contact the Wisconsin Dells Police Department (608) 253-1611 and press 2 to be in touch with County Dispatch.

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No additional details are available.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  Police are searching for two men accused of injuring two other people at a University of New Mexico apartment complex in late January. Albuquerque police officers are searching for 19-year-old Percy Dabney and 20-year-old Adrian Leal. Police said there was a party, and the host kicked out the group after they started to brandish their guns. When the group left, one of them started shooting into the door, injuring the host and another guest. Both survived.

Disgraced Albuquerque lawyer let off the hook in construction zone speeding case

Police said one of the suspects is described as a white male with brown hair and spiked blonde tips. They also say there were other suspects. If you have any information on their whereabouts, youre asked to call police.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
ST. LOUIS  St. Louis Metropolitan Police are actively searching for two men involved in a shooting at the Preservation Place Apartments in north St. Louis, which occurred in March.

Surveillance cameras captured photos of the suspects, which are now being used in the investigation.

The incident resulted in ballistic damage to several apartment units and cars.

Authorities are urging anyone with information about the suspects or the incident to contact Crime Stoppers immediately at 1-866-371-TIPS.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D.  A 45 year old man was stabbed to death early Friday morning on the west side of Sioux Falls.

Police believe a fight between the victim and another man led to the homicide. Police rushed to the Meadowland Apartments near 41st and Marion at 4:30 Friday morning. They found a man with stab wounds in the hallway of one of the buildings.

He was given medical treatment, but was pronounced deceased on scene. We believe there was some type of fight or altercation between the two guys, the deceased and then one other person, weve located that other person, said Sioux Falls Police spokesman Sam Clemens.

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Managing student loans amongst federal confusion

Detectives are gathering evidence and are asking anyone with information on the stabbing to reach out to them. Billy Joe Pettibone was at the apartment complex picking up his son Friday morning.

This area right here, its bad. For Sioux Falls its bad, Ive even seen when I pick my kids up the cops come here, walking and going in and stuff this is a bad area right here bad, said Pettibone. But why it takes so long for the cops not to show up, they might be understaffed but come on man show up at least show up.

Clemens says response to a call depends various issues from what else is going on at the time to the type of complain

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If there is an immediate danger to people, life or injury to people there is going to be a higher response. If there is some type of argument, neighbor dispute, even a property crime thats going to a lower response time, it really just kind of depends and there are a lot of variables and factors that play into that, said Clemens.

This was a priority call because it came in as a stabbing.

An autopsy was to be conducted Friday to determine the number of stab wounds and exactly how the victim died.

This is the third homicide investigation in Sioux Falls this year. Detectives are talking with the other man involved, but as of the time this story is published they have not made an arrest.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
After police pulled over an Ohio man for a stolen license plate, he shot at them, prompting them to return fire.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

An officer with the Wooster Police Department initiated a traffic stop on Geyers Chapel Road just South of Back Orrville Rd for a vehicle with a stolen license plate, CBS affiliate WOIO-TV reported.

TRENDING STORIES:

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The suspect got out of his vehicle and fired several found at the officer, according to police.

The officer returned fire, and the suspect got back into his vehicle and fled from the scene.

Wooster police did not pursue the suspect due to their cruiser being damaged by gunfire, WOIO-TV reported.

Later, the Wayne County Sheriffs Department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) located the vehicle and initiated a pursuit.

During the pursuit, the suspect fired several rounds at the officers from his vehicle, according to police.

Police told WOIO-TV that officers did not fire any rounds during the pursuit.

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OSHP, along with the Dalton Police Department, collided with the suspect vehicle on Cleveland Road in the city of Wooster.

The suspect was then taken into custody was transported to Wooster Community Hospital before being flown to Akron General Hospital, WOIO-TV reported.

He sustained life-threatening injuries from an apparent gunshot wound. No officers were injured during the shooting or the pursuit.

The shooting is under investigation by Ohios Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo.  A Pagedale Police corporal has been searching non-stop for his K9, Raider, after it went missing on Wednesday night.

Raiders handler, Corporal Justin Cole, was on his way to work this morning when he got a call from Hazelwood Animal Control.

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He said someone had spotted Raider in a neighborhood near the St. Stanislaus Conservation area.

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Cpl. Cole urgently searched the area all day Friday.

I spend more time with Raider than my 4-year-old daughter. Hes on a swat team with me. Its a lot. He means a lot, Cole said.

It is the second day of searching after Raider got spooked during a Wednesday night storm and escaped his outdoor kennel by jumping on top of his doghouse and jumping over a fence.

A bunch of grid searches. Ive walked probably total yesterday and today, pushing 30 miles of trails, he said.

Pagedale, Florissant, Hazelwood and St. Charles all had crews out in cars, on foot and in the air.

St. Charles Police drones did not find a heat signature. But a doorbell video showed Raider in good health for now.

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Woman arrested for hit-and-run crash that killed bicyclist

Were approaching two days very fast and I doubt hes eaten in that time frame, Cole said.

He says if anyone sees anything and has a tip of where Raider might be, do not hesitate to call.

He says Raider is friendly and people can approach him.

He suggests leaving out some food maybe to draw him in since he has not had a meal in almost two days.

Anyone with information on K-9 Raiders location is urged to contact the Pagedale Police Department at (314) 726-1112.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  A Polish national has been extradited from Germany to stand trial in Michigan, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.

Dominik Rydz, 24, faces two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of unlawful imprisonment.

These charges stem from accusations that on the night of Sept. 3, he lured a woman away from her friends at a social gathering and sexually assaulted her while refusing to let her leave.

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His extradition was initially sought from Poland, where he resided. While on release from legal proceedings in Poland, he travelled to Germany and was arrested there on an INTERPOL Red Notice.

Rydz was one of ten people whose extradition to the U.S. was announced Friday. Other extraditions include:

Roberto Avina-Casillas , 30, of Mexico, was extradited to stand trial in Ohio for murder, assault, and endangering children. He evaded arrest for more than 11 years after being accused of the 2013 death of his former girlfriends 3-year-old son.

Justin David Lanoue , 44, of Canada, was extradited to stand trial in WAshington County, Utah on charges related to sexual abuse and rape of a minor.

Olof Kyros Gustafsson , also known as El Silencio, 31, of Sweden, was extradited to California to stand trial for conspiracy, wire and mail fraud, and money laundering. He is accused of using the name and persona of Pablo Escobar to defraud investors by selling products that did not exist.

Ardit and Jetmir Kutleshi , 26 and 28, respectively, of Kosovo, were extradited to Pennsylvania to face charges of identity theft, access device fraud, and money laundering. They are accused of administering the Rydox cybercrime market.

Rene Javier Santos Alfaro , 53, of Honduras, was extradited to Florida for drug trafficking. He is accused of importing large amounts of cocaine into Miami via aircraft.

Cristian Eduardo Garcia Jerez , 36, of Colombia, was extradited to Georgia on drug trafficking charges. He is accused of owning two cocaine processing laboratories and smuggling cocaine into the United States.

Jose Guillermo Granja Rojas , 36, of Mexico, was extradited from Colombia to face money laundering charges in Georgia. He is accused of laundering money for a Mexico-based rug trafficking organization.

Tien Vy Tai Truong, 46, was extradited from Thailand to California to face charges stemming from accusations he led a transnational drug trafficking organization.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Demonstrators are preparing for another showout in Portland as cities across the nation coordinate protests against the Trump Administration.

Portland Police Bureau said they expect to see thousands of protesters in the downtown area as groups are expected to show up Saturday for peaceful demonstrations.

VIDEO: Homeowner records man threatening to deport roof workers, gets punched

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Portlands 50501 Movement  50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement  and Rose City Indivisible are just a couple of the groups expected to join forces for a two mile march.

Portland Police Bureau Chief Bob Day said their incident command center is prepared, but based on risk assessments and talks with organizers, he believes the demonstrations will be a peaceful example of people exercising their First Amendment rights.

We are continuing to use our dialog officers to reach out to planners, and we anticipate having resources available if there is a situation that arises, Day said. But Im cautiously optimistic.

PPB also brought in international crowd behavior expert Professor Clifford Stott, who teaches social psychology at Keele University. The partnership brings on dialog-led policing as part of a deescalation grant funded by the Department of Justice.

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We must bare in mind that high risk does not mean violence is going to occur, he said.

However, he warned that Saturdays events may be the first of many.

I think we are going to see lots of protests, and we need to make sure that some of the mistakes that were made in 2020 are not made again, Stott said.

2 dead, 4-year-old girl hospitalized after crash in no-passing zone

Meanwhile, there arent many businesses boarding up ahead of the protests, even near the meetup point at the Battleship Oregon Memorial. Police and businesses told KOIN 6 News they are ready for anything, but remain cautiously optimistic.

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Whether it involves us having to board up our windows or not, Im sure that Portland will do what they need to do, said Gabriel Scannell, a bartender with Xing Ding Dumpling House.

But given Portlands checked history with protests, it can be an uncertain time for local businesses.

With protests, its always kind of a scary thing, especially for local businesses, depending on the scale and the severity of everything thats happening  especially given the severity of everything thats going on right now, Scannell said. I think that well be able to handle it. We might be able to bring some more people to help bolster security.

Stay with KOIN 6 News as we continue to follow this story.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is implementing changes nationwide this April that will impact millions of customers, including those in Georgia.

These changes aim to boost efficiency and reduce costs, but some residents may experience a slower delivery.

This "Delivering for America" plan, already partially underway, will fully roll out in two phases. The second phase is scheduled for later this year.

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According to USPS, these adjustments will generate $36 billion in savings over the next decade.

Here's what you need to know about confirmed changes to USPS services and mail delivery in Georgia.

What changes are the USPS making?

According to USPS, the organization relies on the sales of stamps and postage, its products and services to fund operations and usually does not get tax dollars for operating expenses. It's independent, meant to be self-financing.

The agency has seen a sharp decline in first-class mail since electronic communication became more popular. It's dropped 80% since 1997, and volumes are the lowest since 1968, according to Reuters reporting.

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It lost $9.5 billion in 2024. USPS is expected to lose another $6.9 billion in 2025, according to reporting from Government Executive.

President Donald Trump is critical of the service, which delivers to 163 million addresses nationwide and employs 530,000 workers.

Trump aims to see it make a profit and has floated the idea of merging it with the Commerce Department. That would halt the USPS's independent status and put it under his administration.

"It'll be a form of a merger, but it'll remain the Postal Service," Trump said. "And I think it'll operate a lot better than it has been over the years. It's been just a tremendous loser for this country."

Postmaster strikes deal with DOGE, 10K jobs to be cut

In March, then-U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he signed a deal with the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Elon Musk.

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The department had been exempt from DOGE cuts, but DeJoy reportedly told Congress in a letter that USPS would cut 10,000 jobs over the next month through a voluntary early retirement program.

The reduction plan was announced in January and is different than the federal employee buyout offer announced for most civilian federal employees. According to a news release from the American Postal Workers Union, workers who opt to retire early can get a one-time $15,000 incentive paid in two parts.

DeJoy said the deal with DOGE and the General Services Administration will help with "identifying and achieving further efficiencies."

Will Trump merge USPS? What if he does?

Musk has said he wants to see it privatized.

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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has suggested that postal workers could carry out the U.S. census and handle tasks performed by Social Security employees as cost-cutting measures.

Newsweek reporting said the merger, if it goes through could close offices, slow delivery, increase costs and lead to layoffs. It also could hit rural areas hardest.

How will the new changes affect mail in Georgia?

The first round of changes start on April 1.

Some areas could get "2-3-day turnaround service within regions and specific local areas," according to the postal service.

Some post offices could have delivery extended by a day. The information provided didn't say which ones could expect delayed mail delivery caused by changes to regional transportation schedules.

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"Under the new approach, while most mail will retain the same service standard, some mail will have a faster standard, and some will have a slightly slower standard. For First-Class Mail, the current service standard day range of 1-5 days is staying the same, while the day ranges for end-to-end Marketing Mail, Periodicals, and Package Services are being shortened. All Mail will benefit from more reliable service," a USPS news release reads.

The postal service said, "all packages will benefit from more reliable service." The 2-5 day range for USPS Ground Advantage will stay the same. However, some shipping product will have a slower delivery range going forward.

Five-digit zip code add-ons are meant to streamline sorting and delivery as compared the current three-digit pairs.

USPS already has a map online that will let customers see how long it will take to deliver mail from one zip code to another. Customers also can look up service standards at usps.com.

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Service standards will be "refined" for:

First-Class Mail.

Periodicals.

Marketing Mail.

Package Services (Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail, and Library Mail).

USPS Ground Advantage.

Priority Mail.

Priority Mail Express.

When will the next changes to the postal service happen?

The next changes are set to take effect on July 1. More information will be released closer to that date.

How many post offices are there in Georgia?

The United States Postal Service lists 881 offices in Georgia. However, more than 280 of those are discontinued offices.

Could Trump privatize the postal service?

That would require congressional approval.

The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 made the postal service an independent agency under the executive branch. USPS is directed by a Board of Governors appointed by the president and approved by Congress.

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The president can make nominations but doesn't have direct oversight.

What to know about Louis DeJoy

U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testifies during a House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations and Federal Workforce hearing on Capitol Hill May 17, 2023 in Washington, DC.

DeJoy stepped down as postmaster general on Tuesday, March 24. He informed the board of governors in February of his plan to resign. Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino will lead USPS until the role is filled.

"I believe strongly that the organization is well positioned and capable of carrying forward and fully implementing the many strategies and initiatives that comprise our transformation and modernization, and I have been working closely with the Deputy Postmaster General to prepare for this transition. While our management team and the men and women of the Postal Service have established the path toward financial sustainability and high operating performance  and we have instituted enormous beneficial change to what had been an adrift and moribund organization  much work remains that is necessary to sustain our positive trajectory."  Louis DeJoy

He has worked over the last five years to cut forecasted losses from $160 billion to $80 billion over 10 years, including cancelling and renegotiating contracts. USPS has cut 30,000 jobs since 2021.

DeJoy has claimed that the Postal Regulatory Commission "inflicted over $50 billion in damage to the Postal Service by administering defective pricing models and decades-old bureaucratic processes."

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The Commission, however, said USPS had wasted $100 billion and lost more money, "making USPS less efficient, and collapsing service, especially for rural Americans."

When will the new postmaster general be named?

The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors announced that executive search firm Egon Zehnder has been hired to carry out the search for the new postmaster general.

The Postal Service plays an essential role in American life and, as we navigate a critical period of transformation and modernization, the Governors of the Postal Service are committed to ensuring strong and visionary leadership for the organization, Amber McReynolds, chairwoman of the USPS Board of Governors, said in a news release.

No timeline has been set for the announcement, according to the board of governors.

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Bonnie Bolden of The Mississippi Clarion Ledger contributed to this article.

Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: USPS changes to affect mail delivery in GA. See why, when it starts
President Street between Truman Parkway and Pennsylvania Avenue will be closed in both directions early Saturday afternoon after a tanker turned over, according to a post on X by Chatham County Police Department.

At about 1 p.m., CCPD said it was beginning to close the road, according to the post. The road is expected to be closed for at least 90 minutes before the accident is cleared.

TRAFFIC ALERT

We are in the process of closing down President Street in both directions between Pennsylvania Avenue and the Truman Parkway due to an overturned tanker truck. No injuries, but road will be closed at least 90 minutes for the accident scene to be cleared.  Chatham County Police Department (@ChathamCountyPD) April 5, 2025

CCPD reported no injuries but said in the post motorists should expect delays.

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"Detours are being put into place, but expect significant delays," says a follow-up post by CCPD.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah's President Street closed Monday afternoon due to accident
From Homeland to Heartland: A Long Journey to Believe in God



From Homeland to Heartland: A Long Journey to Believe in God by Ying Li is a deeply moving memoir chronicling the author's transformative 40-year journey from atheism in China to embracing Christianity in the United States. Through poignant encounters and personal struggles, Ying Li shares the pivotal moments and relationships that guided her toward faith.

The book is divided into two parts. In the first, Ying Li recounts her early life in China, where religion was largely absent, and her understanding of God was minimal. Her journey takes her through Hong Kong, Singapore, and Canada, where she meets Christians whose faith and kindness leave a lasting impression. These encounters, along with her personal challenges and triumphs, gradually lead her to a profound spiritual awakening.

In the second part, she reflects on life as a Christian expatriate, exploring how faith shapes her daily experiences. She shares stories of friendship, community, and the acts of kindness that deepened her belief in God.

From Homeland to Heartland is both a testament to the power of human connection and a story of resilience, hope, and spiritual transformation. Ying Lis journey reminds us that faith unfolds graduallya process of learning to trust, to hope, and ultimately, to believe.

The link of this book at: https://a.co/d/fqbwEWV Or https://a.co/d/byeTExr
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  A Prince Georges County man was arrested in connection with a fatal shooting that happened last month in Silver Spring, officials said Friday.

The Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) responded to a parking lot in the 2700 block of Fairdale Terrace on March 8. There, they found 23-year-old Jonah Kimindo Mutua suffering from gunshot wounds.

Despite life-saving efforts, he died at the scene.

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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man fatally shot in Silver Spring parking lot; police search for suspect

MCPD announced that Douglas David Lace, 23, was arrested on Friday, April 4, just under a month after the shooting.

He was charged with first-degree murder.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
A pro-life activist in New York City was sucker-punched in the face while doing a street interview about abortion, leaving her bloodied and requiring stitches, viral video shows.

Savannah Craven Antao, a 23-year-old reporter for advocacy group Live Action, was conducting a man-on-the-street interview in Harlem on Thursday, discussing the topic of Planned Parenthood with an unidentified pro-abortion New Yorker.

You dont understand the magnitude of having a child, the woman emphatically stated a few minutes into the discussion, video shows.

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Im not the one who admitted they would be OK with killing babies in foster care and killing children that have been abused, Craven Antao fired back, referencing claims made by the woman earlier in the conversation.

Thats not the point. What Im saying is , the interviewee began before unleashing a combo of punches directly to Craven Antaos face and quickly stalking away.

The clip captured Anato getting hit in the face by her interview subject. Live Action, /YouTube

Suck my dk, she yelled over her shoulder, the footage shows.

The journalist was left with a cut on her forehead and brow, that left a trail of blood down her face and chest, according to images she shared on her social media.

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Craven Antao also revealed that she required medical attention at a local hospital and received stitches for the gash.

Antao shared images and footage of her face following the attack in an Instagram post. Live Action, /YouTube

I was just assaulted in Harlem interviewing people on the street. In cop car. Heading to hospital. Updates soon. ABORTION SUPPORTERS ARE VIOLENT! she captioned the post, which also included video of her in the back of a police cruiser.

My wife was assaulted by a pro-abortion woman we were interviewing, her husband, Henry Antao, said in a statement to Live Action. The women became aggressive and violent upon learning Savannahs pro-life stance.

He said he called 911 and provided the NYPD with photos and a description of the assailant, who remains at large.

The images revealed that she had been cut somewhere near her eyebrow, leading to blood covering her face. Live Action, /YouTube

A video clip showed her riding in the back of a police vehicle attempting to describe her attacker to the officers. Live Action, /YouTube

At earlier points during the street interview, the alleged attacker said fk the police and stated that killing a child is better than a youngster being sent to foster care.

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In the wake of the violent assault, Craven Antao blasted her assailants face on social media and gave an update to concerned fans.

Bruised, but blessed, she wrote on her Instagram Story Friday.

I AM OKAY! I love you all thank you for the support, Craven Altao wrote in another post.

The NYPD had no update on the investigation into the attack.
(WHTM)  A new bill proposed by State Senator Doug Mastriano (R) would require state employees to return to their designated in-person workplaces.

According to its memo, the State Employees Return to Work Act aims to improve the delivery of public services, enhance employee efficiency, elevate workplace coordination, and revitalize the local economy by bringing workers back to in-person workspaces.

In-person work fosters team building, spontaneous problem-solving, and stronger relationships among colleagues, the bills memo said. As we rebuild our workforce culture, it is essential that employees are given the opportunity to interact directly, share knowledge, and support one another in their work.

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This Week in Pennsylvania

The memo says employees would be given sufficient notice, and clear guidelines would be established via a structured and phased approach to returning employees to their workplaces, starting with departments where in-person presence is most essential.

Flexible working hours and hybrid work options would be available where applicable and feasible, the memo added.

The bill has not yet been submitted for introduction to the state legislature.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  In October of 2023, a couple was convicted of charges related to torture and attempted murder of their six-week-old child after the child was found with more fractures in his newborn body than days he had been alive, according to a prosecutor in the case.

Jorge Millan, the father of the child who had squeezed the child and caused the fractures, was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. The mother, Elizabeth Jara, was sentenced to nine years in prison for not doing anything to protect the boy, 17 News previously reported.

By the time Millan becomes eligible for parole in 15 years, the six-week-old boy and his sister, who was one year old at the time, will both still be minors.

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A newly proposed legislation in California hopes to prevent similar situations like this.

Wasco parents sentenced for horrific abuse of baby

The Assembly Public Safety Committee unanimously approved legislation that would triple the penalty against people convicted of child torture, according to a release by Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains.

According to the release, Bains pushed Assembly Bill 1094, legislation that would increase ones minimum sentence to 25 years with the possibility of life in prison, if convicted of child torture. The bill says the person convicted of torture would not be eligible for parole until they have served 25 years in prison if the victim was younger than 14 at the time of the crime.

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The current law in California allows those convicted of child torture to become eligible for parole after just seven years, the release said.

Bains said some victims have to prepare for their torturers parole hearing while they are still kids.

The trauma they have to endure is lifelong, and the penalties must reflect the gravity of the crime, Bains said in the release.

Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage

In a letter showing support for the legislation, the California District Attorneys Association said the increased penalty for child torture would better align the punishment with the severity of the crime and the moral gravity of targeting the most defenseless members of society.

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Bains said in the release she has firsthand experience treating the physical and psychological abuse as well as torture that children in Kern County suffered. The existing law is failing the victims of child torture, according to Bains.

Torture can take decades to recover from, and in some cases, victims never fully recover, Bains said in the release. It is appalling that our current law punishes what is considered a war crime so lightly.

Assembly Bill 1094 will now move forward to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for consideration in the coming weeks.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Some Las Vegas barbers oppose a bill lawmakers argue is intended to make it easier for people to work in salons and barbershops.

A hearing was held Friday before the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor for Democratic Assem. Duy Nguyens bill.

In order for us to just pull education out of this trade, I think were at a strong disadvantage moving forward with the integrity of our industry, Carl Littles said of the bill.

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Littles was standing outside of a state building Friday with students from his barber school to testify in opposition of AB 225.

We need proper training from a proper instructor. Now, all of our licensed instructors in the state of Nevada did 600 hours of instruction, and we made sure we knew everybodys different type of learning style, Littles said.

Littles runs three barbershops in the Las Vegas valley called the Original Barbershop and a barber school.

I truly believe there trying to solve a problem that does not exist, Littles said.

Nevada requires barbers to complete 1500 hours of schooling and then 18 months of an apprenticeship to get their license. Assem. Nguyens bill would give barbers a choice between the two.

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Nguyen, D-Clark County, said this would make it easier to people to break into the industry.

We want to make sure we make this work for everyone and give folks an ability to participate in this industry without sacrificing safety, without sacrificing licensing, Nguyen said.

Jennifer McDonald of the Institute for Justice testified alongside the assemblyman in support of AB 225, which also seeks to change other requirements.

Currently, to shampoo in Nevada, you need to have a shampooing license, and that requires 50 hours of training and so we would eliminate that license, McDonald said.

But not all lawmakers are on board with the bill, especially the portion that gives people the option of either attending barbershop school or being an apprentice at a shop.

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Someone may not be taught the correct way, so to me it puts the public at harm, Assem. Elaine Marzola, D-Clark County, said.

The proposal also eliminates hair braiders from taking exams and makeup artists from having to register with the state.

Under current Nevada law, barbers and cosmetologists cannot work together in the same salon or shop. The new proposal aims to scrap that.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
NEW YORK (AP)  Prosecutors are seeking more than seven years in prison for disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos after he pleaded guilty to federal fraud and identity theft charges.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York argued in a court filing Friday that a significant sentence was warranted because the New York Republicans unparalleled crimes had made a mockery of the countrys election system.

From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santoss unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives," the office wrote.

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Prosecutors also argued that Santos had been unrepentant and defiant for years, dismissing the prosecution as a witch hunt and refusing to resign from Congress as his web of lies was debunked.

They said his claims of remorse after pleading guilty ring hollow" and suggested he has a high likelihood of reoffending" given he has not forfeited any of his ill-gotten gains or repaid any of his victims.

Santos lawyers, in an email to The Associated Press, dismissed the seven-year proposal as absurd and unfounded, saying it appears designed to beat up on a man that already took full responsibility for his actions.

In their own sentencing memo Friday, they rejected the notion that Santos will fall back into criminal behavior, noting he has no prior criminal record and also provides crucial support to his sister and her young daughter.

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They argued for a two-year prison term, which is the mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft.

The lawyers maintain such a sentence is in line with those handed to former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and other political figures facing similar financial crimes.

They also touted Santos' cooperation in a separate federal investigation into a Texas man who tried to dupe Santos out of nearly $1 million by posing as a political fixer offering to destroy evidence in his cases.

This sentence, coupled with the significant collateral consequences Mr. Santos has already sufferedincluding the loss of his congressional seat and public humiliation  would send a clear message that such conduct will not be tolerated, the lawyers wrote.

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A federal judge on Long Island is scheduled to decide Santos sentence during a court hearing April 25.

The once-rising Republican, who represented parts of Queens and Long Island, served barely a year in office before he was ousted by his House colleagues in 2023, just the sixth congressperson ever expelled in the chambers history.

Santos political demise came after it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his life story, leading to questions about how the political unknown had funded his winning campaign.

The now-36-year-old cast himself as a wealthy businessman who had graduated from top colleges, worked at prestigious Wall Street firms and held a valuable real estate portfolio. In truth, he was struggling financially and faced eviction.

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Santos admitted in August that he duped voters, deceived donors and stole the identities of nearly a dozen people, including his own family members, to make donations to his congressional campaign.

He was initially due to be sentenced in February, but a judge granted him a three-month reprieve to come up with more than half a million dollars in court fines.

As part of his plea deal, Santos agreed to pay nearly $375,000 in restitution and $205,000 in forfeiture.

Santos lawyers said at the time that he had little more than $1,000 in liquid assets and needed more time to build his newly launched podcast Pants on Fire in order to begin paying off the debt.

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Prosecutors maintain Santos profited handsomely from his infamy, arguing he has earned more than $800,000 from appearances on the video-sharing website Cameo and from a new documentary since his expulsion from Congress.

Two of Santos campaign staffers have also pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection to the campaign financing scheme.

Sam Miele, his former campaign fundraiser, was sentenced in March to one year and one day in federal prison. He admitted to impersonating a high-ranking congressional aide and charging donors credit cards without authorization while raising campaign cash for Santos.

Nancy Marks, Santos former campaign treasurer, admitted to filing bogus campaign finance reports filled with fake donors and a fake $500,000 personal loan from Santos himself.

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The embellishments helped the campaign hit fundraising thresholds needed to qualify for financial backing from the national Republican Party. Marks is due to be sentenced in May.

___

Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.
Federal prosecutors are urging a judge to sentence disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos to seven years and three months in prison, calling his conduct a "brazen web of deceit" that defrauded donors, misled voters, and fueled his political rise through lies, theft, and identity fraud.

The government outlined the extent of Santos's fraudulent activity across the 2020 and 2022 election cycles in a detailed sentencing memo filed on Friday.

Prosecutors allege Santos, 35, with the help of former Campaign Treasurer Nancy Marks, falsified Federal Election Commission filings, fabricating donor contributions and inflating fundraising totals to meet the $250,000 threshold required to join the National Republican Congressional Committee's (NRCC) coveted "Young Guns" program. Marks pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing in June.

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When informed he hadn't reached the NRCC benchmark, Santos texted an associate, "We are going to do this a little differently. I got it."

That "different" approach included submitting fake donations attributed to family members, fictitious individuals and even identities stolen from elderly supporters, according to the filing.

PHOTO: Rep. George Santos walks into the House Republican cloakroom at the Capitol, Nov. 28, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

In tandem, Santos was running a fraudulent political consulting firm, Redstone Strategies LLC, falsely presenting it as a registered Super PAC or 501(c)(4) nonprofit. It was neither, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors say Santos used Redstone to launder donor money, keep commissions and fund personal expenses. In one scheme, he used an elderly woman's credit card -- originally provided for a one-time donation -- to charge $12,000 through Redstone's merchant account, netting himself $11,580 after fees. He wired the money directly into his personal bank account.

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MORE: George Santos made $400K from Cameo appearances, prosecutors say

When questioned by his business partner, Santos lied, claiming the woman -- who suffers from a brain injury -- was a consulting client, according to the filing. Between February and August 2022, prosecutors say Santos used her credit card repeatedly, attributing donations to her, her daughter, or fictitious names.

Another victim, referred to as "Individual 2" in the filing, had their credit card charged at least five times in March 2022, totaling more than $30,000 in fake campaign contributions, including some attributed to Santos's uncle and to people who didn't exist. These donations were strategically routed to other campaigns that were clients of Redstone, ensuring Santos earned a financial kickback while boosting his political visibility.

In July 2020, he used another victim's credit card to contribute $28,400 to his own campaign, some under the name of a personal friend who neither donated nor gave consent, according to the filing.

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In April 2022, prosecutors say Santos falsely reported a $500,000 personal loan to his campaign, enabling him to boast an $800,000 Q1 fundraising haul. He approved a press release promoting the lie and pitched the narrative in conversations with Republican leaders, including a sitting congresswoman. According to the prosecution, the loan never existed.

That lie, combined with his doctored FEC filings and a fabricated resume claiming degrees from NYU and jobs at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, helped Santos secure Young Guns status from the NRCC in June 2022. The designation brought significant support: $103,000 in advertising, $33,000 in polling, and direct contributions from joint fundraising efforts.

However, by fall 2022, campaign staffers discovered the truth. When confronted about the nonexistent loan, Santos admitted it wasn't real and scrambled to fill the gap by soliciting a $450,000 loan from a donor referred to as "Individual 1" in the filing. Santos wired $400,000 of it to his campaign, never reported it to the FEC, and never repaid the donor. He covered the remaining $100,000 by misappropriating more funds from the same donor via Redstone.

Santos was expelled from Congress in December 2023 and has pleaded guilty wire fraud and aggravated identity fraud.

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Defense attorneys said in their own memo Santos deserves no more than two years in prison, arguing he "accepted full responsibility for his actions."

"This plea is not just an admission of guilt," Santos told reporters in August. "It's an acknowledgment that I need to be held accountable like any other American that breaks the law."

The former congressman's sentencing is on April 30.

Prosecutors seek more than 7 years for George Santos in 'brazen web of deceit' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Thousands gathered at Civic Center Park in downtown Fort Collins on Saturday in protest of policies directed by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk as part of the nationwide "Hands Off!" rallies.

"This is what democracy looks like," Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse shouted during his speech. "The question we have to ask ourselves as a community is, 'Will we stand up?' "

Neguse's message, along with the messages of many other speakers, was met with raucous cheers. Crowd members toted signs saying, "Resist Fascism," "Choose Love Resist Hate," "Is this what you voted for?", "Make America smart again," and more.

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Other signs and a speech delivered by Colorado State University microbiology student Jonas Anderson were laced with expletives. Anderson passionately advocated for funding of scientific research at the university level, among other topics.

Other speakers spoke about immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ support, voting rights and more.

After the speakers finished, the crowd marched south on Howes Street to Mulberry Street then east to College Avenue and north, interrupting traffic on downtown College Avenue for around 45 minutes.

Protesters join thousands of others across the country

Hundreds of "Hands Off!" rallies were planned across the U.S., including the two in Fort Collins and Loveland and those in 30 other cities and towns in Colorado.

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Read more: USA TODAY's best coverage from the other "Hands Off!" rallies across the country on Saturday

IndivisibleNOCO and 50501 in Northern Colorado organized the "Hands Off!" rallies in Fort Collins and Loveland, calling Saturday "a day of mass activation in defiance of the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and the Republican assault on our freedoms and our communities," in a news release.

Unrest nothing new in Fort Collins

The protest in Fort Collins is just the latest local demonstration of anger over national politics and international policy reflective of opinions among groups.

More: What is Donald Trump's approval rating? It recently climbed slightly higher in Colorado

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Rallies in recent months include:

While rallies have remained peaceful, there have also been notable demonstrations and actions resulting in criminal charges as well.

In March 2024, when President Joe Biden was in office, three individuals glued their hands to a wall during a Fort Collins City Council meeting to protest council's decision not to pass a resolution supporting a cease-fire in Gaza. Two of the three recently took plea deals in their cases.

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And this year, repeated vandalism at a Loveland Tesla dealership, including attempted arson using an incendiary device that prosecutor's referred to as a "Molotov cocktail," has led to federal charges against two individuals. It's one of many cases of vandalism of Tesla products nationally following Musk's political ascendance (Musk is the CEO of Tesla).

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Thousands protest Trump policies at 'Hands Off!' rally
Protesters across the U.S. came together on Saturday, April 5, for the nationwide Hands Off! protests, demonstrating resistance against the actions of President Donald Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) lead, Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

The Trump Administration and Musk have notably spent the first few weeks of Trumps presidency working to reduce waste through mass government layoffs and the termination of contracts. There has even been an attempt to dismantle the Department of Education. A child attending a protest in Atlanta was pictured holding a banner that read "Hands off my education."

Cities across the globe mobilized for their own Hands Off! protests, with various grassroots advocacy groups prioritizing concerns such as LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant rights, and climate activism.

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One woman at the Washington D.C. rally on the National Mall was pictured holding a sign that read Stop Destroying America. On the West Coast, demonstrators in Los Angeles marched from Pershing Square to City Hall.

Demonstrators gather on the National Mall for the nationwide "Hands Off!" protest in Washington, D.C., on April 5, 2025. Amid FarahiGetty Images

The demands of the protest, according to instructions from Hands Off!, called for an end to the billionaire takeover at the Trump Administration and an end to the attacks on immigrants, trans people, and other communities.

On the day, protesters also referenced Trumps moves to dismantle climate action and the cutting of federal funding for certain health programs.

Addressing the subject of the mass April 5 protests, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was quoted as telling USA TODAY in a statement: Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits, and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock for the past several years. President Trump will not be deterred from delivering on the promises he made to make our federal government more efficient and more accountable to the hardworking American taxpayers across the country who overwhelmingly re-elected him.

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Meanwhile, in a statement issued to the Associated Press, the White House said: President Trumps position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.

Trump spent part of his Saturday golfing in Florida, and has yet to publicly address the protests himself.

TIME has reached out to the White House for comment.

Read More: Is the U.S. Heading Into a Recession Amid Trumps Tariffs? Liberation Day Fallout Sparks Fresh Fears

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Kamala Harris, the former Vice President and Trump's Democratic opponent in the 2024 presidential election, addressed the vast protests on Saturday. In a statement shared via X (formerly Twitter), she said: "Today in every state across our nation, Americans are standing up to the administration as they implement Project 2025 at full speed."

Her message continued: "Thank you for using your voices and the power of protest to stand for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; for the Department of Education and programs like Head Start; for clean air and water; for the right to make decisions about your own body without government interference. The voices of working people will always be louder than the unelected billionaires."

Trump has always maintained he has no involvement with Project 2025.

Protesters gather in front of the U.S. embassy in Berlin, Germany, on April 5, 2025. Halil SagirkayaGetty Images

According to a toolkit put together for those who wished to host their own version of the march, the purpose was to present a massive, visible, national rejection of this crisis. The protests came at a precarious time, as the U.S. stock market plummeted following Trumps latest tariffs which he announced on April 2, a day he called Liberation Day.

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Read More: Is Your 401(k) Affected by Trumps Tariffs? Heres What to Know and What You Should Do

Whether you are mobilized by the attacks on our democracy, the slashing of jobs, the invasion of privacy, or the assault on our servicesthis moment is for you, the toolkit read. Our goal is to show that the peoplethe majorityare taking action to stop the corruption and power grab.

International protests occurred in cities including London, Paris, and Stockholm. In Berlin, protesters gathered outside the U.S. embassy, with one woman pictured holding up a sign that read: Hands off our Social Security. This was in reference to the ongoing concerns as to what might happen to Social Security under the Trump Administration.

In London, one person held up a sign that read Hands off Europe. Another banner said Greenland is not for sale, in reference to Trumps interest in buying Greenland from Denmark.

Write to Olivia-Anne Cleary at olivia-anne.cleary@time.com.
Bill Zalman joins a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Cindy Fetzer joins a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Protesters join a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Patrick Pearson joins a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Protesters march down Hollywood Blvd. as they join a National Day of Protest on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Protesters join a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Protesters join a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Protesters join a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Protesters join a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Betty Schilling joins a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) A handful of Trump supporters showed up to resist a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Protesters join a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Protesters join a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Protesters join a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Protesters march down Hollywood Blvd. as they join a National Day of Protest on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Show Caption1 of 16Protesters carry a coffin representing Lady Liberty as they join a National Day of Protest at the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The organizers said they gathered to protest the Trump administrations illegal and dangerous attacks on our communities and the rule of law, and will not stand idly by while the Trump administration and their allies disrupt democracy.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)Expand
innipeg, Manitoba, March 3, 2021  Pulse Canada announced today that its President, Greg Cherewyk, will officially take the leadership position for the organization on April 1, 2021. Mr. Cherewyks appointment comes on the announcement of the retirement of long-time CEO and first staff member of Pulse Canada Gordon Bacon.

Greg Cherewyk is a respected leader and is well known to Canadian pulse growers, traders and processors. He will, without a doubt, continue the longstanding tradition of strong leadership at our organization, said Corey Loessin, Chair of Pulse Canada and a Saskatchewan pulse grower. Over the course of his career at Pulse Canada, Greg has led and overseen work in market development, market access, trade policy, and transportation. He knows the challenges our industry faces inside and out, and will no doubt continue to put his skillset and expertise to work to grow Canadas pulse industry.

Greg Cherewyk has been with Pulse Canada for 17 years, most recently serving as President. In his role as President, Greg will also provide management services to the Canadian Special Crops Association (CSCA), which represents processors and exporters of pulses and special crops.

Greg has assembled a leadership team with a combined 30 plus years in the pulse industry, and the staff who work for the organization are truly leaders in their respective fields, said Quinton Stewart, President of the CSCA. His experience leading responses to market access issues, managing the transportation file, and overseeing the Associations work on trade rules and arbitration means that he knows well the issues that pulse and special crops processors and exporters confront on a daily basis. Were confident that Greg and his team will continue to deliver results for CSCA Members and we look forward to working closely with them.

Canadas pulse industry is focused on diversifying revenue streams to drive value back throughout the supply chain. The current 25 By 2025 strategy aims to move 25%, or 2 million tonnes, of Canadian pulses into new uses and new markets by 2025. While new market opportunities are a priority, the organization is equally focused on maintaining Canada's position in its traditional markets. That means keeping markets open and dealing with barriers as they arise, as well as ensuring that the supply chains that service those markets are always reliable and fluid.

Pulse Canada has always been driven to deliver results that make our members more profitable, said Cherewyk. It is an exciting time for the Canadian pulse industry, and the team and I are up to the challenge of making Canadian pulses the preferred protein ingredient in new products while strengthening Canada's position as a global leader in the traditional pulse trade.

The Pulse Canada Board also thanked outgoing CEO Gordon Bacon for his 25 years of service to Canadas pulse industry and congratulated him on his retirement.

Gordons passion, dedication and commitment have been critical to the growth and long-term success of Canadas pulse industry, said Loessin. For nearly twenty-five years, Gordon has lived and breathed Canadian pulses and has the track record to show for it. The Canadian pulse industry would not be where it is today without his hard work. On behalf of the Board and members of Pulse Canada, I want to thank him for his dedication and service. And while hes stepping back from the role of CEO, Im quite certain well be tapping into his passion and energy for pulses in the future  theres a lot of wisdom there thats of great value to the industry.

The world is increasingly looking for nutritious and sustainable solutions to address societal challenges while meeting growing and changing consumer demand. Canadian pulses, thanks to their sustainability and nutrition benefits, are well positioned to be the preferred protein ingredient as this trend evolves.

Weve got a bold new strategy and a lot of exciting work ahead of us that builds on the success that Gordon helped create. Were going to maintain that momentum and continue to forge a new path for pulses as the future of food, added Cherewyk.
Protesters gathered outside the Indiana Capitol in Indianapolis Saturday, April 5, 2025, to protest federal cuts made under President Donald Trump.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Oregon and Washington Saturday as part of a nationwide Hands Off! protest against President Trumps policies.

This is the biggest day of demonstrations  in Portland and around the country  since Trump took office again in January.

Its so uplifting to have all of these people come out and all be working together to try and restore democracy, Garth Upshaw said.

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Sonya Miller, who is retired, said this rally is just a show of force to say this is not sustainable.

Crowds filled the streets in all corners of Portland plus Beaverton, Hillsboro, Milwaukie, Tigard, Salem and Hood River along with smaller coastal towns Yachats and Waldport.

Protesters also came out in force in Vancouver and other parts of Washington.

Oregon, Washington sue Trump administration for nonsense election executive order

Portlands 50501 Movement  50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement  and Rose City Indivisible are among the groups that joined forces for a two-mile march.

The Portland-area protests began at the Japanese American Historical Plaza on the downtown waterfront, St. Johns Plaza in North Portland and Westmoreland Park in Southeast Portland.

Protesters gather at the Japanese American Historical Plaza on Apr. 5, 2025. (KOIN) Protesters gather at the Japanese American Historical Plaza on Apr. 5, 2025. (KOIN) Protesters gather at the Japanese American Historical Plaza on Apr. 5, 2025. (KOIN) Protesters gather at the Japanese American Historical Plaza on Apr. 5, 2025. (KOIN) Protesters gather at the Japanese American Historical Plaza on Apr. 5, 2025. (KOIN) Protesters gather at St. Johns Plaza on Apr. 5, 2025. (KOIN) Protesters gather at St. Johns Plaza on Apr. 5, 2025. (KOIN) Protesters gather at St. Johns Plaza on Apr. 5, 2025. (KOIN) Protesters gather at St. Johns Plaza on Apr. 5, 2025. (KOIN) Protesters in Clackamas on Apr. 5, 2025. (Holden LeCroy) Protesters in Clackamas on Apr. 5, 2025. (Holden LeCroy) Protesters in Clackamas on Apr. 5, 2025. (Holden LeCroy) Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), center, at the Oregon Nurses Associations Hands Off rally in Hillsboro, Apr. 5, 2025. (Scott Palmer) Oregon Nurses Associations Hands Off rally in Hillsboro, Apr. 5, 2025. (Scott Palmer) Oregon Nurses Associations Hands Off rally in Hillsboro, Apr. 5, 2025. (Scott Palmer) Oregon Nurses Associations Hands Off rally in Hillsboro, Apr. 5, 2025. (Scott Palmer) Oregon Nurses Associations Hands Off rally in Hillsboro, Apr. 5, 2025. (Scott Palmer) Oregon Nurses Associations Hands Off rally in Hillsboro, Apr. 5, 2025. (Scott Palmer) Senior citizens rally in Lake Oswego on Apr. 5, 2025. (Lisa Fuselier) Protesters gather at St. Johns Plaza on Apr. 5, 2025. (KOIN) Protesters gather at St. Johns Plaza on Apr. 5, 2025. (KOIN) Protesters gather at St. Johns Plaza on Apr. 5, 2025. (KOIN) Anti-Trump protesters filled the streets in Hood River, Oregon as part of the nationwide Hands Off! protest against President Trumps policies, April 5, 2025 (KOIN) Anti-Trump protesters filled the streets in Hood River, Oregon as part of the nationwide Hands Off! protest against President Trumps policies, April 5, 2025 (KOIN) Anti-Trump protesters filled the streets in Hood River, Oregon as part of the nationwide Hands Off! protest against President Trumps policies, April 5, 2025 (KOIN)

Many at the protest told KOIN 6 News they have been feeling scared and saddened by how the country is being run. But this rally gave them hope.

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People are fed up, said Lauren, a PSU student.

Seniors at the rally shared their fears about what might happen if Social Security is affected in any way.

I am lucky that I am still able to work if I need to, said Stephanie Barrow. But there are a lot of people that arent able to, and theyll lose their place in a retirement home or just be out on the streets if they dont have Social Security.

There were so many people marching through the streets Portland police shut down Naito Parkway just before 12:30 p.m., then later closed the I-5 off-ramp to the Morrison Bridge as protesters marched across.

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Protester Leo Sunshine said he saw people at bus stops with signs. I people saw people waiting at the MAX with signs, people cheering folks on, people honking their horns. And a friend messaged me and said, Theres more people than there is place.'

Elected officials joined in

In Washington County, US Rep. Suzanne Bonamici joining the protesters, along with Beaverton Mayor Lacey Beatty.

Theres a place for tariffs and theres a place for doing things to incentivize U.S. manufacturing, Bonamici said. But its a blanket tariff on countries, not products. Its going to be a disaster and raise costs across the country.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who has been a vocal opponent of the recent cuts, sent out a letter in support of the demonstrators:

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I wish I could be with all of you instead of here in Washington, DC because of the Senate schedule. But I can feel and hear your people power at this rally and others just like it today across Oregon and our entire country.

And more importantly, Donald Trump, Elon Musk and their Republican accomplices all too willing to do their bidding are feeling and hearing the people power fighting back against their unprecedented, authoritarian and unconstitutional assault on American democracy.

Im under no illusions. There are plenty of tough fights ahead to undo the damage thats been done, and to get our democracy back.

But this week showed the cracks are starting to form in this attack by Trump, Musk and their MAGA marionettes on America.

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Look at the election results in Wisconsin where people power prevailed.

Look at the Senate where people power got through to enough Republicans for a majority to reject Trumps tariffs on Canada.

And look at Trumps falling approval ratings to know large majorities of Americans arent on board with Trumps insane trade war, his illegal theft of congressional investments in American infrastructure, health care, education and more.

Keep speaking out just like this. Keep the pressure up on all elected officials. And keep your eye on the prize by picking your passion, drilling down, and fighting back against the authoritarian takeover of American democracy by Trump, Musk and their DOGE thugs.

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Ill say this again  This isnt going to be easy. But with all of us doing everything we can  blowing the whistle on this administrations lawbreaking and cruelty  we can battle back. And we will win.

History shows the pendulum can swing back toward justice even when challenges look bleakest. So huge thanks to all of you for coming out today and pushing that pendulum back to a better America.

Sincerely, Ron Wyden

One arrest made

A 47-year-old woman was arrested Saturday afternoon after allegedly using a key to scratch a Portland Fire & Rescue brush unit at SW 1st and Ash. The paint was scratched on the rear quarterpanel, police said Saturday evening.

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The woman, identified as Amber Reid, tried to walk away but was followed by a firefighter. She was arrested at NW 3rd and Couch and was booked into the Multnomah County Jail on a felony criminal mischief charge. Reid also had an outstanding warrant.

Amber Reid, 47, was arrested for allegedly keying a Portland Fire & Rescue brush unit during the Hands Off protest in Portland, April 5, 2025 (PPB)

Amber Reid, 47, was arrested for allegedly keying a Portland Fire & Rescue brush unit during the Hands Off protest in Portland, April 5, 2025 (PPB)

Portland Police Bureau said on Friday they expected to see thousands of protesters turn out. Chief Bob Day said their incident command center is prepared for whatever may happen. But based on risk assessments and talks with organizers, he believes the demonstrations will be a peaceful example of people exercising their First Amendment rights.

We are continuing to use our dialog officers to reach out to planners, and we anticipate having resources available if there is a situation that arises, Day said. But Im cautiously optimistic.

Nationwide action

Opponents of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk rallied across the U.S. to protest the administrations actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights and other issues.

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Protesters tee off against Trump and Musk in Hands Off! rallies across the US

More than 1,200 Hands Off! demonstrations are planned by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists.

Protesters are assailing the Trump administrations moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people and cut federal funding for health programs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KCAU)  Pryce Sandfort will stay in the Big Ten Conference, announcing his move to transfer to the Nebraska Huskers from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Sandfort appeared in 33 games for Iowa this season, averaging a career-high 8.8 points per game on 40% shooting from three.

The Waukee native scored in double figures for the Hawkeyes in 15 games this season, most notable a 22-point outing in Iowas win against Southern in November.

Image Courtesy: AP

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(PUEBLO, Colo.)  A Pueblo health clinic took nine days to report that a patient had been tested for measles last month, instead of the four-hour window required by the state.

On Monday, March 31, the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment (PDPHE) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) confirmed the first measles case in Colorado in a joint press release. The person who contracted measles had reportedly recently traveled to an area of Mexico that is currently experiencing an ongoing outbreak. The unvaccinated adult went to the Southern Colorado Clinic on March 22.

What is measles, the virus with a positive case in Pueblo

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The PDPHE is taking the lead on case investigation and contact tracing, said Randy Evetts, Public Health Director, PDPHE. Weve also been working with childcare providers, local healthcare providers, and others to assure that they are aware.

The Southern Colorado Clinic in Pueblo West, where the case originated, did not respond to requests for comment.

While its unclear why the clinic waited to report the case, health officials are wasting no time educating the public.

CDPHE adds third location of possible measles exposure

The good news, of course, is that measles is highly preventable, said Rachel Herlihy, State Epidemiologist, CDPHE. We have a highly effective vaccine, the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine, that with two doses is 97% effective at preventing measles infection and provides lifelong protection against the disease.

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Symptoms to watch for include a runny nose, watery or red eyes, and a high fever. Typically, three to five days later, the hallmark sign of measles appearsa rash that starts on the face and spreads down the body.

Its important to note that the infectious period or the time that you can spread measles to other people when you are sick starts four days before that rash develops and lasts about four days after the rash develops, Herlihy said.

Measles is highly infectious, so health officials want to ensure people receive the necessary care as early as possible. However, its also important to take steps to protect others from being exposed.

If you have concerns that you or a family member may have the measles call ahead before going to your emergency department, your clinic, or your doctors office so that your health care providers can make preparations to bring you safely into their clinic and not expose other people to this highly infectious illness, said Ned Calonge, Chief Medical Officer, CDPHE.

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As for why the test was not reported for nine days, PDPHE said it is working with the clinic.

Measles is an immediately reportable disease and should be reported to public health within four hours of administering a test for a suspected case, said PDPHE. We will continue to work with the clinic, and all our healthcare partners, to ensure theyre aware of the importance and need for timely reporting.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Crowley Maritime, an American shipping company, recently announced that it raised the U.S. flag on a 31-year-old French-built LNG carrier to comply with the Jones Acta 100-year-old lawfinally allowing for U.S. LNG to be shipped from the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico through a loophole in the protectionist law.

A Major Problem With Minor Relief

Over 100 years ago, Congress passed the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, better known as the Jones Act, requiring all goods transported between U.S. ports to be carried on ships that are built in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, crewed by Americans, and flagged under the United States. While support for the Jones Act was built on maintaining a strong U.S. maritime industry and protecting national security, it has failed to live up to these promises.

Due to absurdly strict requirements, the Jones Act increases the cost of shipping and ship manufacturing by limiting competition in domestic markets and even inspiring collusion. These inflated costs have historically made it impossible for Puerto Rico to import LNG from the United States. Unlike the mainland, Puerto Rico can't import LNG via trucking or rail and must instead import LNG using Jones Act carriers (which, until recently, didn't exist).

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There is, however, a minor workaround. The U.S. Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1996 grants coastwise authorization (which is required for transportation of U.S. LNG to Puerto Rico) to foreign ships built before October 19, 1996, so long as they meet the remaining Jones Act requirements. This technical exception allowed Crowley Maritime's recently purchased American Energy, an LNG carrier built in France in 1994, to finally start supplying LNG to Puerto Rico.

This technicality offers a raindrop of relief to Puerto Rico, but it does little to address the financial costs of the Jones Act.

Shipping to Foreigners is Still Cheaper

While Puerto Rico's economy is strangled by inflated costs because of the Jones Act, the Dominican Republic is free from its restrictions, and it imports U.S. LNG at a fraction of the cost. Global markets are much more competitive and have access to modern, efficient LNG carriers. As a result, shipping prices are dramatically cheaper.

In the most recent Maritime Administration operating cost report, it was revealed that "U.S.-flag crewing costs were roughly 5.3 times higher than foreign-flag vessels in 2010" and a recent post on X by Sen. Mark Kelly (DAriz.) shows that the cost of operating a U.S. flagged vessel is 4.3 times higher than foreign ships$8.5 million more.

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The Dominican Republic is able to use more efficient and cheaper foreign LNG carriers that have had transportation prices as low as $3,500 per day in 2025. Even their most recent estimated operating costs of $15,000 per day pale in comparison to the estimated $64,500 per day in operating costs alone for the U.S.-flagged LNG carrier.

Puerto Rico is also forced to pay more for the product itself as a result of the Jones Act. A 2020 contract between the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and Naturgy (a major energy company in Puerto Rico) includes a provision that states, "If the Jones Act is repealed, or amended such that it does not apply to shipping LNG from the US mainland to Puerto Rico, or a waiver of the Jones Act is granted that permits shipping from the US mainland to Puerto Rico without complying with the Jones Act," would result in an 8 percent unit price reduction.

"American Energy" Isn't the Answer

Crowley's new ship is not a long-term solution. The vessel is old, has a smaller than average shipping capacity, and is only Jones Act-approved because of a loophole. This is not innovation; it's desperation and it shows to what extent Puerto Rico has to go to receive relatively cheap American energy.

Rather than modernizing our maritime fleet to be competitive on a global scale, we're instead buying unwanted vessels from other countries and celebrating them as innovative solutions. In truth, American Energy is a reminder that the United States citizens in Puerto Rico are being exploited because of a century-old law that has done nothing good for us.

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The problem is the Jones Act, and the answer is repealing it.

It's time to stop patching holes in a sinking ship. The Jones Act is a policy failure that has harmed the people of Puerto Rico for over a century. The truth is that Puerto Rico should not have to rely on legal loopholes to access American goods. Foreign nations should not have cheaper access to American products just because they aren't bound by U.S. laws. Repealing the Jones Act isn't radicalit's necessary, and it provides immediate benefit to the Americans in Puerto Rico.

The post Puerto Rico Pays More For American Energy Than Its Neighbor appeared first on Reason.com.
The ICT Newscast for Friday, April 4, 2025, features an interview with Abigail Echo-Hawk about Health and Human Services cuts and its impact on Indian Country. Plus, Montana legislature considers an Indigenous Peoples Day bill. Check out the ICT Newscast on YouTube for this episode and more.

The Puyallup Tribe, based in Tacoma, Washington, is investing in a seaport.

Lushootseed is a language group of the Northwest Coast Tribes. Chris Briden is a language teacher and student from the Puyallup Tribe.

Jerrick Olson from The University Of Montana Journalism School looks at legislation that would make Indigenous Peoples Day official for the state.

Marcie Rendon releases another book in the Cash Blackbear murder series, based in the Red River Valley.

Shandee Dixon talks about her career as a microbiologist in a video from We Are Healers.

View previous ICT broadcasts here every week for the latest news from around Indian Country.

ICT is owned by IndiJ Public Media, a nonprofit news organization. Will you support our work? All of our content is free. There are no subscriptions or costs. And we have hired more Native journalists in the past year than any news organization  and with your help we will continue to grow and create career paths for our people. Support ICT for as little as $10. Sign up for ICTs free newsletter.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Day after day, Chinese rescue teams haul children and elderly people from collapsed buildings as cameras beam the thanks of grateful survivors around the world. Russian medical teams show off field hospitals erected in a flash to tend the wounded.

Notably absent from the aftermath of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in the poor Southeast Asian nation Myanmar: the uniquely skilled, well-equipped and swift search-and-rescue teams and disaster-response crews from the United States.

At least 15 Asian and Western government rescue teams have landed crews reaching hundreds of workers in size, alongside initial pledges of financial aid reaching tens of millions of dollars, as the death toll of the March 28 quake tops 3,000, Myanmar's government says. Cameras showed Vietnam's team on arrival, marching square-shouldered to the rescue behind their country's flag.

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While Myanmars military junta and civil war have posed challenges, the U.S. government has worked with local partners there previously to successfully provide aid for decades, including after deadly storms in 2008 and 2023, aid officials say.

The American government dwarfs other nations' rescue capacity in experience, capacity and heavy machinery able to pull people alive from rubble. But in Myanmar after the most recent quake, the U.S. has distinguished itself for having no known presence on the ground beyond a three-member assessment team sent days after the quake.

We all worried what would be the human impact of President Donald Trumps dismantling of the six-decade-old U.S. Agency for International Development, said Lia Lindsey, a senior humanitarian policy adviser for Oxfam, which scrambled to provide tents, blankets and other aid to quake survivors.

Now, Lindsey said, "we're seeing it in real time. Were seeing it in increased suffering and increased death.'

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A retreat from decades of American policy may be fueling the absence

The United States, the worlds largest economy, long saw its strategic interests and alliances served by its standing as the worlds top humanitarian donor. Myanmar's quake is as close to a no-show as the nation has had in recent memory at a major, accessible natural disaster.

Current and former senior private and government officials say the Myanmar disaster points to some of the results  for people in need on the ground, and for U.S. standing in the world  of the Trump administration's retreat from decades of U.S. policy. That approach held that Washington needs both the hard power of a strong military and the soft power of a robust aid and development program to deter enemies, win and keep friends and steer events.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Europe for a NATO gathering, rejected a suggestion that the administration was ceding influence abroad by canceling thousands of its aid and development contracts, including for disasters. He told reporters that those complaining were the aid groups, which he accused of profiting off past U.S. aid.

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We will do the best we can," Rubio said Friday. But we also have other needs we have to balance that against. Were not walking away."

He pointed to a lot of other rich countries in the world. They should all be pitching in and do their part.

Leading Senate Democrats wrote Rubio this week, urging him to scale up U.S. disaster aid to Myanmar  and fast. Separately, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, a Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke of watching a news broadcast of the disaster showing Chinese government teams at work.

It hurt my heart to see where, instead of a USAID ... team leading the response, there was a team from the PRC that was being celebrated for having saved some people in the rubble, Coons said.

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The 2 1/2-month-old Trump administration, through Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency teams, has frozen USAID funding, terminated thousands of contracts and is firing all but a handful of its staff globally. It accuses the agency of waste and of advancing liberal causes. The Myanmar quake is the first major natural disaster since that work started.

The Trump administration and some Republican lawmakers say they will reassemble a reduced slate of aid and development programs under the State Department, fitting their narrower interpretation of work that serves U.S. strategic and economic interests.

The first announcement of help came days later

Days after the Myanmar quake, the U.S. made its first announcement of help: It was sending a three-member assessment team of non-specialist advisers from a regional USAID office in Bangkok, Thailand. Coincidentally, like hundreds of other USAID staffers around the world, the three had received layoff notices from the Trump administration on March 28 within hours of the quake, current and former USAID officials confirmed.

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The administration also promised $2 million in aid, and announced another $7 million Friday. But there's a much larger number at play.

That $9 million total is dwarfed by the roughly $2 billion in payments for previously rendered services and goods that the Trump administration has owed nonprofit humanitarian groups and other contractors and government and nongovernment foreign partners, aid officials say. The Trump administration abruptly shut down USAID and State foreign assistance payments  including for work already done  on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.

Combined with abruptly terminated aid contracts and the freeze on the USAID and State aid and development payments, the U.S. back debt is forcing larger aid operations and businesses to scale back their services to people in need and to slash staff. Some smaller organizations were driven out of business. That was even before the Myanmar quake.

Under court order, the administration is slowly making good on those back payments.

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In the meantime, nonprofit groups are having to draw on reserve funds they would normally use for sudden unplanned disasters like the Myanmar quake to pay the bills that the U.S. should have paid, said Lindsey, the Oxfam official.

Asked about the burden that the non-government organizations  another name for aid groups  say USAID's unpaid back bills are placing on their work, the State Department said in an email, The U.S. government cannot comment on how NGOs manage their financing."

Typically, the United States itself would have provided $10 million to $20 million in the initial phase of response to a disaster like the Myanmar quake, with more later for long-term aid and rebuilding, said Sarah Charles, who ran disaster response and overall humanitarian affairs at USAID in the Biden administration.

We have a long history in Burma, Charles said, adding, Its an environment that the U.S. government has been operating in over the last many decades."

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Normally, the United States also would have had 20 to 25 specialized disaster workers on the ground in as few as 24 hours, Charles said. That number would have jumped to 200 or more if USAID had flown in urban rescue teams from California and Virginia. They deploy as self-contained units, with dog handlers and the capacity to feed and provide clean water to the teams, Charles said.

The Trump administration preserved contracts for the California and Virginia rescue teams under pressure from lawmakers. But the contracts for their transport are believed among the thousands of USAID contracts that the administration canceled. That left the U.S. no quick way to move search-and-rescue crews when disaster struck, Charles said.

Britain has pledged $13 million in aid and said it will match up to $5 million in private donations, and China and others have promised financial aid. At least 15 countries sent in dozens or hundreds of rescuers or aid workers, including Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, according to Myanmar officials.

China shares a border and close ties with Myanmar. Chinese rescuers had their first success Sunday, fewer than 48 hours after the quake, when they joined hands with local people to pull an elderly man from a badly damaged hospital in the capital city of Naypyitaw.

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By Wednesday, Chinese rescuers had pulled out nine survivors, including a pregnant woman and a child. In Mandalay, Chinese rescuers saved a 52-year-old man who trapped for nearly 125 hours.

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Rising reported from Bangkok. Matthew Lee and Didi Tang contributed from Washington and Jill Lawless from London.

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To say the origins of Trumps sweeping international tariffs are dubious is an understatement, Rachel Maddow said on her MSNBC show on Friday night as she outlined exactly how we got here. Trump came up with the idea after the circulation of a fake memo from a fake person with a fake email address, she explained.

The memo in question was the brainchild of author and economist Peter Navarro  also the senior counselor for trade and manufacturing for the administration  who entered the Trump sphere after Jared Kushner found his book Death by China and asked him to join Trumps 2016 presidential campaign as an economic adviser.

In his books, Maddow continued, Navarro often cited the work of a so-called economics expert named Ron Vara. V-A-R-A, Ron Vara, Maddow said. Vara shared a memo in Washington D.C. circles after Trump won the presidency

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At one point, Ron Vara wrote in the memo that Trump could, quote, Ride the tariffs to victory,' Maddow said. The problem is, Ron Vara doesnt exist. He never has. The economics expert that Peter Navarro has long cited to explain why hes so gung-ho on tariffs, this person, Ron Vara, is a made-up person.

He is a fictional person. Peter Navarro invented Ron Vara as his expert source, so he could quote this expert source over and over and over again in his crackpot books, she continued. Who is Ron Vara? Ron Vara is an anagram of Navarro, which is his last name.

I mean, my name anagrams to Macho Wattler, but I dont see myself trying to talk you into doing what Macho Wattler wants, right? Maddow said.

At the beginning of the segment Maddow pointed to two previous peaks in the VIX index, which measures stock market volatility. The two most recent were in 2008, during the global recession, and in March 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Theres a third peak, she continued, that represents the US economy now, and that peak was not caused by the biggest financial catastrophe since the Great Depression or a global pandemic thats killing millions of people.

That one [was] caused simply by Donald Trump being president again with his great ideas. And the scale of what hes doing, the scale of the destruction that he has wrought is a little bit hard to get your head around, Maddow added.

It is hard to get your head around how much damage this one man can cause. I think its even harder to get your head around simultaneously the fact that he can do damage of this magnitude with such a teeny, tiny, teeny, teeny, tiny amount of thought, she said. You think it would take like a grand plan and some big brains to figure out how to destroy the economy of the richest nation on earth, but thats not how its working out. Turns out it doesnt take a big idea or a lot of big brains working together.

Watch the clip from The Rachel Maddow Show in the video above.

The post Rachel Maddow Explains the Ridiculous True Story That Inspired Trumps Tariffs Plan | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Video above: This Nexstar Media video explains the different schedules of drugs.

RAMONA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI)  According to the San Diego County Sheriffs Office, a Ramona man is facing multiple charges after authorities found illicit drugs and firearms during a traffic stop on Thursday.

The incident began just before noon when deputies from the Ramona Sheriffs Substation pulled over a gray Acura TSX for reckless driving on State Route 67.

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The driver, identified by authorities as 31-year-old Matthew Pitonyak, was found to have a suspended drivers license and expired vehicle registration. Further investigation revealed Pitonyak was in possession of four Xanax pills, 25 grams of fentanyl and 1.43 grams of methamphetamine.

How to obtain a Concealed Carry Weapons permit in San Diego County

A California Highway Patrol Drug Recognition Expert conducted an evaluation of Pitonyak, suspecting he was under the influence of narcotics. Due to the drugs found in his vehicle, the sheriffs detectives then obtained a search warrant for his residence.

During the search, authorities found more narcotics, including a bag of Xanax pills and two containers with suspected fentanyl. Authorities also found evidence suggesting narcotic sales, along with several firearms, including a handgun, two shotguns and numerous boxes of ammunition.

(Courtesy of the San Diego County Sheriffs Office)

Pitonyak was arrested and booked into the San Diego Central Jail, facing suspected charges related to drug possession, firearms and driving under the influence of a controlled substance. The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to assess the full scope of the incident.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
I read Cp.6-10 of the book The Good Earth.

A) (1) Cp.6 This piece of land which Wang Lung now owned was a thing which greatly changed his life. He set out in the second month of the New Year to look at it. He paced the land, three hundred paces lengthwise and a hundred and twenty across , he thought to himself,  To those at the great house it means nothing, but for me it means how much!

Spring came Wang Lung were long days of desperate labor over his land. The woman worked with the man from dawn until sunset. Wang Lung perceived one day that again she was with child, the second child from the time he noticed its growth swelling her body, until the day came in autumn when she laid down her hoe one morning and crept into the house. Later before the sun set she was back beside him, her body flattened, he only asked,  Is it male or female? She answered calmly, It is another male. They said nothing and working on until the moon rose, and went home. He shouted to his father,  Another grandson!

And again the harvests were good, the rice he reaped from the land of the Hwangs brought him twice as much as that from his own land. And everyone knew now Wang Lung owned this land.

(2) Cp. 7 Wang Lungs uncle was the younger brother of his father, and by relationship he might depend upon Wang Lung if he had not enough.

It was a disgrace that the girls grew older they still run about the village street. Wang Lung, meeting his oldest girl cousin thus one day, was so angered that he dared to go to his uncles wife and say, Now, who will marry a girl like my cousin!

The next day his uncle came to the field where he was working. O-lan was not there, for a third birth was close upon her. His uncle began to speak.  The person in my house has told me, of your interest in my worthless oldest slave creature. It is wholly true what you say. If it had been my good destiny, I, too, might have been rich now as you are. Then might I have, shared my riches with you . You are rich! You have bought the land from the great house!

Wang Lung shouted suddenly, If I have a handful of silver it is because I work and my wife works, and we do not sit idling over a gambling table.

His uncle rushed at his nephew and slapped him on both cheeks, cried, you are so lacking in filial conduct? A man is never to correct an elder. I will tell it to the village... until at Wang Lung said unwillingly,  What do you want me to do? His uncle changed immediately.  Ah, Your uncle knows you. Son, a little silver in this poor old palm. Come to the house, Wang Lung said shortly.

He went into the room, the smell of warm blood filled his nostrils and he cried out,  Has your time come? The voice of his wife answered,  It is only a slave this time not worth mentioning. He went without reply then to the wall which was the hiding place, he fumbled among the little heap of silver and counted out nine pieces. Then going out into the threshold he thrust the money at his uncle and he walked quickly back to the field. He thought for the silver, the silver he had to turn it for more earth for his own.

It was evening he thought of the new mouth, daughters who do not belong to their parents, but are born and reared for other families. Across the sky, a flock of crows flew. He groaned aloud. It was an evil omen.

(3) Cp.8 The rain which should have come in early summer, and day after day sky shone with brilliance. The field dried and cracked, and the young wheat stalks ceased their growing and at last dwindled and yellowed into a barren harvest. No rain come. Only the piece of land by the moat bore harvest. Wang Lung sold his grain as soon as it was harvested, he would do that which he had determined. He hurried to the House of Hwang, Wang Lung had heard that for the House of Hwang it had been a year verging upon poverty. The Old Mistress with her opium, the Old Lord with his lusts. Neither had Heaven sent rain upon the fields of the House of Hwang.

Wang Lung had now a vast field of good land, for the new field was twice as large as the first. Month passed into month and still no rain fell. From his field Wang Lung reaped scanty harvest of hardy beans, and from his corn field he plucked short stubby ears with the grains. When he would have put the cobs away for fuel, his wife spoke out,  No, I remember when I was a child when years like this came, even the cobs we ate. O-lan was again with child, and her milk dried up, and the house was filled with the sound of a child crying for food.

There came a day when there was no rice left and no wheat left, the old man said, We will eat the ox, next. Then Wang Lung cried out,  How can we eat the ox? The children cried out for food, he saw at last that the thing was to be done. Then O-lan severed its life. And she took a bowl and caught its blood to cook for them to eat.

And as family after family finished its store in the small village. The men took up poles and went one night to the house of Wang Lung and beat the door. They fell upon every corner to find where he had hidden his food. Then when they found a few dried beans, the men were ashamed and went out one by one. Ching, a small silent man, looked at Wang Lung with haggard eyes.

Wang Lung stood there in his doorway. He said in his heart,  I have the land still, and it is mine.

(4) Cp.9 Wang Lung said to himself that now surely something must be done. They could not remain here and die.

They scarcely rose at all now, any of them. The cobs of corn they had eaten and they stripped the bark from the trees and all over the countryside people were eating what grass they could find. There was not an animal anywhere.

There was a day when his neighbor Ching came to the door of Wang Lungs house and he whispered,  Here we have eaten the beasts. What now remains for food? In the village they are eating human fresh.  We will leave this place, Wang Lung said loudly.  We will go south. And then it seemed to him suddenly that what he said was very right, and he called aloud to O-lan.  Come, woman, we will go south! O-lan said,  It is a good thing to do. Only wait until tomorrow, I shall have given birth by then.

 How shall you walk, he muttered, and he said to his neighbor Ching,  If you have any food left, for a good hearts sake give me a handful to save the life of the mother of my sons. and I will forget you in my room like a robber . Ching answered humbly,  I have never thought of you with peace since that hour. It was your uncle saying that you had good harvests stored up. I have only a little handful of red beans. Wang Lung took the food in to his wife and she ate a little of it, if she had no any food she would die. Only a few of the beans he put into his own mouth and he chewed them into a soft pulp and then putting his lips to the lips of his daughter.

That night O-lan gave birth alone. He heard the feebly cry! There was no second cry. Wang Lung was afraid. You are safe? he called to the woman. She answered Come! He went in.  Where is the child? he asked. Died, she whispered. He said nothing, but he took the dead child into the other room. He found a bit of broken mat and this he wrapped about it. Then he took the roll of matting, he laid the burden against the hollowed side of an old grave.

The next morning. How could they drag their bodies over a hundred miles? He had no money. And then, as he sat there in the doorway, giving up his hope, he saw that one was his uncle and with him were three men. His uncle:  l borrowed from these good men in the town a little food on the promise that I would help them to buy some of the land about our village. They have come to buy your land and to give you money- food-life! Wang Lung looked up at them sullenly,  I will not sell my land, he said. At this instant the younger of Wang Lungs two sons came creeping to the doorway. And they all looked at the child and suddenly began to weep silently,  What is your price? he whispered at last. And one of the men spoke, unctuously he said,  My poor man, we will give you a string of hundred pence for an acre! I shall never sell the land! Wang Lung shrieked at them.

And then suddenly O-lan came to the door and spoke to them.  We will sell the table and the two beds and even the cauldron. The man said,  They are poor things.Two silver bits for a lot. O-lan answered tranquilly, If you have the silver give it to me quickly and take the things.

When all was finished and the house was wholly empty, O-lan said to her husband,  Let us go white we have the two bits of silver. Wang Lung muttered,  At least I have the land.

(5) Cp.10 They started across the field. They went on in complete silence past the little temple. The two boys cried of its cold. But Wang Lung coaxed them saying, You are travelers to the south. There is food every day. They reached the gate of the wall. They were close to the gate of the great house now, but it was locked fast. One cried out in a crack voice,  The hearts of these rich are hard.

They went on towards the south. When they had passed through the town and had come out on the southern side, they found a multitude of people going toward the south. He asked of one, Where is all this multitude going? And the man said, We are going to catch the fire wagon and ride to the south. And there are wagons for such as we for the price of less than a small silver piece. Fire wagons! One had heard of them. Wang Lung turned doubtfully to the woman and said,  Shall we also then go on this fire wagon?

O-lan carried the girl child still, but the childs head with such a look of death. Wang Lung cried out, Is the little slave already dead? O-lan shook her head.  Not yet.But she will die this night and all of us unless. Wang Lung thought that another day of walking like this one and they would all be dead by night, he said,  Up. We will go on the fire wagon.

Pressing forward in the confusion they were pushed into a small open door, and then with roaring the thing forth, bearing them in its vitals.

B) I think: (1) At that time, we relied on the weather to make a livingDrought causes famineThat occurred in China, which is very sad. China experienced famine from 1959 to 1960, which was caused by political reasons and resulted in many people deaths. I was lucky to have food every day, I was in Beijing that time. In China, food and land are very precious. And I feel that Americans waste a lot of food and land.

(2) Famine is tragic. But what has the government done? The government should transport the grain from the south. This kind of government is not good. The train station helped refugees escape to the south with low-price tickets, it was good. People also have good and bad. There is excess food in the big house, but they lock the door tightly. His uncle colluded with businessmen and took advantage of the opportunity to purchase land at a low price. They are bad, and neighbor Ching gave his last bit of beans to Wang Long. He is good.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Happy Saturday, Utah! Weve gotten the spring showers over the last few days, but now its time for spring temperatures!

High pressure has built in pushing out the slow-moving storm system, bringing wide blue skies and a warming trend. Todays daytime highs will be in the mid to upper 50s for valleys, 40s for high terrain, and 60s for low-lying areas in southern Utah.

Sunday will be even warmer with temperatures finally climbing back to seasonal norms. Upper 50s to low 60s are on deck to close out the weekend with low 70s in St. George and other typically warm spots. The Wasatch Front will join the 70s club this week as well with upper 60s to low 70s in the forecast by Monday. On Tuesday, northern Utah could see a slight dip in temperatures and a slight chance of a shower, but it looks like the moisture will stay north of the state line.

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Fraudulent tax collection letter circulating in Utah, officials say

After that, we rebound right back into the 70s for Wednesday while warm spots soar into the mid to upper 80s. If thats still not warm enough then dont worry because by the close of the workweek we could be flirting with 80s, and 90s in St. George.

If youre planning on heading to General Conference in Salt Lake City this weekend, a light jacket is the most youll need for both Saturday and Sunday sessions. As you make your way to the morning session temperatures will be in the low 40s with mostly sunny skies. When you go out to lunch temperatures will climb into the 50s with clear skies. Finally, when you head back home after Conference, temperatures will be in the mid to upper 50s, and low 60s on Sunday. We love when weather cooperates!

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Well keep you posted on the latest updates in our 4Warn Weather forecast both on-air and online, we are Good4Utah!

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  The Rochester City School District held its annual Family and Community Engagement Forum where families were able to take part in engaging workshops, enjoy interactive activities, community vendors, and explore the resources the RCSD has to offer.

The forum was held at Loretta Johnson Middle School in Rochester on Genesee Street.

Those who attended got the opportunity to meet Dr. Eric Jay Rosser, RCSDs incoming Superintendent, who will begin his role in July 2025. For students ages 12-17, a Teen Summit hosted by the Student Leadership Congress will provide a safe space to share, learn, and lead.

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The forum also gave attendees the opportunity to review new ELA curricula for the 2025 2026 school year, meet vendors, and register for informational sessions on April 8 and April 10.

RCSD staff were there to show what mental health resources and strategies for well-being the school district offers.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Why we should protest the proposed Yukon amphitheater

I am writing in opposition to the building of the Sunset Amphitheater at Frisco Road and Route 66, less than one mile away from my home. Although this site is in the city limits of Yukon, Oklahoma, many OKC/Yukon residents living just south of Interstate 40 will also be negatively impacted by the approval of this venue. This company has only built one amphitheater thus far, in Colorado Springs, and residents there tell me that they can hear concerts and audibly understand the songs words from as far away as 2.8 miles from their much smaller Ford Amphitheater. Please review the independent noise pollution study commissioned and paid for by Colorado Springs City Council at Venus Ford Amphitheater in response to hundreds of ongoing complaints from local citizens. Venus executives are quick to say, we will be great neighbors, but their actions speak louder than their words. For reference, the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency Noise Pollution Standards recommend a daily sound level limit of 55dB to promote health and welfare. The NIH also recommends a maximum limit of 70dB to prevent hearing loss.This independent study concluded that the Colorado Springs Ford Amphitheater (which is much smaller than what is planned for inside Yukon city limits) produces sound levels of up to an incredible 128dB! My home is my refuge of peace, as I am sure yours is. After long days and nights of working at the Paycom (Center) and the (Chickasaw) Bricktown Ballpark, I cannot imagine coming home to 70 concerts a year that will rattle my windows, shake my walls, and dictate when I may and may not be allowed to sleep. Three miles of sound travel, as the complaints from Colorado Springs' Ford Amphitheater show, would affect the majority of Yukon and parts of OKC, not just the nearby neighborhoods like mine. Many residents homes and businesses, including our local hospital, many of our city parks, and most of our visitors staying in local hotels are going to be negatively affected by each and every event held, 70 times a year, more than once a week. This is not a problem for only the neighborhoods near the proposed site. This is a city-wide Yukon and OKC problem. Please join me in protesting this project.  Scott Downs, Yukon

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New overdraft rule will hurt those in need

Visualize your mother at the tender age of 67 who has been blessed to work until retirement and the time to collect Social Security has come. However, the income isnt enough to pay rent, utilities, and/or groceries. This is a commonality amongst the customers that I serve at First Security Bank & Trust Co. in northeast Oklahoma City. The customers job title, age, gender and income source might vary, but the important takeaway remains consistent. There is not enough money to make it through the month. However, with our banks overdraft privilege program, it can be enough.

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First Security Bank & Trust Co. is the only Black-owned minority depository institution in Oklahoma. With our single branch location, we reach and proudly serve a predominantly Black demographic. For many customers, overdraft protection provides a vital lifeline to ensure essential expenses are paid. Overdraft privilege for our customer base is often times their only option to make ends meet.

Small dollar loans are not an option at our institution and, in any event, some of our customer base might not qualify for a loan. Therefore, we offer an overdraft privilege as an option so that our customers think of their bank as their first option for small dollar liquidity. Instilling trust in the banking industry will always be a top priority of our institution. Additionally, customers do not want  or need  a $1,000 loan that comes with repayment obligations that the customer must manage  or risk a hit to their credit score.

But in his final days in office, a government regulator in Washington, D.C.  Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra  issued a regulation that could end our customers access to overdraft. Chopras regulation declared overdraft protection services to be credit regulated by a statute designed to regulate credit cards and other consumer loans unless the overdraft fee is below a $5 price cap or below the institutions breakeven costs to operate its overdraft program. Chopras rule applies directly to banks and credit unions with more than $10 billion in assets. But dont be fooled; First Security is a community bank, but we compete for the same customers as larger banks that also serve Oklahoma City.

If the large bank down the street reduces its overdraft fee to Chopras $5 price cap, we will need to respond or risk losing many of our customers. If we determine that we cannot offer overdraft services at $5 per overdraft, we will be compelled to limit or end this valuable service. Our customers may then turn to higher-risk products such as payday and vehicle title loans offered by less regulated non-bank lenders. That result benefits no one. Consumers  not a government official  should make decisions about the financial products and services they want to use.

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 Haylie Calicott, Oklahoma City

How did the Bible make it past the screeners?

We live in a state where our state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters wants to put Bibles in every classroom at a cost of $3 million. As the Oklahoma Supreme Court decides if this is even legal and the state Legislature decides if they want to fund this, I would like to give my opinion. I am a parent of three children. I live in Edmond, and I am a United Methodist minister, serving Crown Heights United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. The initiative to have a Bible in every classroom is galling to me as a parent, pastor and citizen of this country.

First, having only the Bible in classrooms shows a bias toward Christianity. Every Muslim, Hindu and atheist student should question if we are pushing our faith on them. In a country where we have the freedom to practice any or no religion and we say we adhere to a separation of church and state, Bibles in classrooms have no place.

Second, I am highly biblically literate. I studied Christianity for seven years of higher education. I cannot imagine why every classroom needs a Bible. Kindergarteners? Elementary classrooms? Middle school band? High school math? Why would we pay money for a book that is not on grade level or not even remotely close to the subject material being taught? Fine, if a high school literature class wants to read a historic portion of the Bible, I don't mind that. That is one classroom in every high school! Not every classroom in every school.

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More: I'm a Christian. Dont force educators to teach the Bible. | Opinion

Third, I do not want public school teachers talking to my children about Christianity, faith or God. I am very careful about what my kids learn about religion and who teaches them. Teaching from the Bible is begging for teachers to cross the line into teaching matters of faith. Let parents religiously educate their own children.

Fourth, if we are banning books for having inappropriate content, I am very curious how the Bible made it past the screeners. The rape scenes in Judges 19 or 2 Samuel 13, the laws on sexual intercourse and menstruation, the dated understandings of women and slavery  gosh, if John Steinbeck or Alice Walker wrote this stuff, Ryan Walters would have banned it.

I am trying to say that I am one of many in this state who do not support this initiative. I so want our state to focus on what it takes to educate every child. Teach reading and math. Stop wasting time on this senseless topic.

 The Rev. Trina Bose North, Edmond

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Readers urge halt to new banking rule and Yukon amphitheater | Letters
PASTO, Colombia (AP)  A rebel group called the Commoners of the South has begun handing its weapons over to Colombias government, the Defense Ministry said Saturday, as part of peace talks expected to lead to the groups disarmament in the coming months.

The group of about 250 fighters operates in Colombias Southwestern Narino province and has been in negotiations with the government since last year.

This is a historic moment, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a ceremony in the town of Pasto, where several accords with the group were outlined by officials.

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Sanchez said that over the past two days, the Commoners of the South have handed over land mines, grenades and rockets to an army unit that is destroying them.

Farmers will be able to walk without the fear of coming across a minefield, Sanchez said.

Until recently, the Commoners of the South was part of the National Liberation Army, or ELN, a group of about 6,000 fighters that is still fighting Colombias government.

In May last year, the Commoners broke away from the ELN and began peace talks with the administration of President Gustavo Petro. That angered the ELNs leadership and stymied its negotiations with Colombias government.

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Petro, who was part of a rebel group in his youth, has been staging peace talks with nine separate rebel groups and drug trafficking gangs in Colombia under a strategy known as total peace.

Most of these negotiations have failed to reduce violence and so far only the Commoners of the South have agreed to begin a transition toward civilian life.

The Commoners of the South are only one of nine problems faced by the Petro administration, said Gerson Arias, an analyst at the Ideas for Peace Foundation, a think tank in Bogota.

And they are only a small and marginal segment of Colombias armed groups, he said.

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Arias said the government has been trying to reach regional agreements with smaller factions of rebel groups that can take some pressure off the population, instead of larger, national accords.

The talks with the Commoners of the South, are the only ones that may end up succeeding in the Petro administration, Arias said. But he added that some issues still need to be resolved, such as the legal mechanisms through which victims of the group will be able to seek justice and truth.

In 2016, Colombia signed a peace deal with the nations largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in which more than 13,000 fighters laid down their weapons.

But the FARCs withdrawal from some rural areas created a power vacuum that smaller groups have tried to fill.

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Colombias government is now struggling to provide security in remote rural areas, where various groups are fighting over drug trafficking routes and natural resources, while they forcibly recruit minors and tax local businesses to raise funds.

Earlier this year, more than 50,000 people were displaced from their homes in Catatumbo, a region along Colombias border with Venezuela, after the ELN attacked villages where it accused farmers of supporting a rival group.

The Colombian government suspended peace talks with the ELN following those attacks, with Petro accusing its leaders of becoming greedy drug traffickers who have betrayed their revolutionary ideals.

In Narino, which is located along Colombias border with Ecuador, local officials are hoping that Colombias government keeps rebel groups away from the area, by providing greater security and economic development projects.

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If a peace deal is reached between the Commoners of the South and the government, we would like to know more about the strategy to protect this territory said Giovanny Cardenas, a human rights official in the town of Samaniego.

It would be tragic if this group demobilizes and another group comes here to continue the same war.

___

Rueda reported from Bogota, Colombia.
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)  This month, the American Red Cross is urging the community to donate blood.

All through April, they are offering incentives to encourage donors to roll up their sleeves. Executive Director of the American Red Cross of Southwest Georgia, Johnny Williams, says this time of year can be especially challenging for the blood supply.

To help boost donations, the Red Cross is offering several incentives throughout the month. Anyone who donates in April will be automatically entered to win a $5,000 gift cardthree winners will be selected. Those who give between April 1st and 13th will receive a $15 Amazon gift card by email.

Exclusive American Red Cross T-shirt (Photo by the American Red Cross)

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Later in the month, from April 14th through the 30th, donors will get an exclusive American Red Cross T-shirt while supplies last.

But Williams says the true reward is knowing your donation helps save lives.

Its a constant need because, you know, the Red Cross puts out about 13,000 units nationwide to our hospitals and transfusion centers. Williams continued, That and blood has a shelf life of 42 days. So, its got to be coming in every single day to keep that supply healthy.

Every donation supports life-saving medical treatmentsfrom surgeries and cancer care to accident recovery and emergency response. Williams says for many patients, a blood transfusion is the difference between life and death.

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He added, Never underestimate the fact that youre saving someones life. People that are recipients of donated blood realize for the first time in their life just how important it is to donate, because all of a sudden, they know that their life has been saved because of it.

A single donation could help save more than one life.

To find a blood drive near you, visit the Red Cross website.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL.
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A 1996 murder victim has been identified thanks to forensic genetic genealogy, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

On July 18, 1996, human skeletal remains were found in a wooded area near Bank of America Stadium. The medical examiners office determined the victim was female, and her death was ruled a homicide. Detecitves were unsuccessful in identifying the victim through conventional means, officials said.

In 2022, the remains were sent to Raleigh for an osteological examination by a forensic anthropologist. With funding from CMPD, the bones were sent to Othram Labs in Texas for advanced DNA testing. Police said it was unsuccessful due to the condition of the remains.

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In 2024, more bones were sent to Othram Labs for another DNA extraction, which turned out successful in obtaining a genetic profile.

Search for Asha Degree: New search on property formerly owned by Roy Dedmon, records show

The CMPD Cold Case Unit partnered with Ramapo College of New Jerseys Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center (IGG). The team quickly identified the victim as Betty Benton. Her next of kin was contacted, and they said they had not heard from her since the early 1990s. A DNA profile from a family member confirmed that the victim was indeed Betty Benton.

CMPD said Benton was born in Louisiana on Feb. 27, 1954, and spent most of her life in Chicago. She last contacted family members in February 1991, telling them she was in North Carolina. However, detectives have been unable to find any record of her in the state. She was reported missing in 1992.

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Authorities are asking for the publics help in the case. Anyone who may have had contact with Benton in NC is urged to contact detectives at 704-432-TIPS. Her murder is still under investigation.

CMPD says that as of April 4, 2025, the cold case unit is working to identify at least nine other victims whose remains were found as far back as 1932.

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COOK COUNTY, Ill. (WGN)  A closed high school in Park Forest could get a new life as a facility to provide career and technical training to high school and post-secondary students.

Plans to turn the former Rich East High School at 300 Sauk Trail into the Southland Career and Technical Education Center were unveiled Friday.

The center would offer pathways in aviation, construction trades, manufacturing and urban architecture, among others.

Education leaders said theyre working with lawmakers at the federal and state levels in hopes of raising the estimated $100 million to cover the project, the Daily Southtown reported.

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The collaborative said they hope to have the center open in 2028.

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Rep. Blake Moore, vice chair of the Republican Conference, was appointed to chair the House Budget Committees Health Care Task Force, in addition to serving as co-chair of the DOGE caucus.

If we are to get our fiscal house in order, we have to tackle health care spending, which has ballooned to nearly 30% of our over $6 trillion budget, said Moore, who represents Utahs 1st Congressional District.

This task force will be instrumental in addressing our health care cost inefficiencies to ensure we can take care of patients needs and lower this massive budgetary line item, the GOP representative said. Aside from the Budget Committee, he also sits on the influential House Ways and Means Committee.

What will Moore do as chair of Health Care Task Force?

Moore said he looked forward to leading the task force with Budget Committee chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas.

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Arrington in his statement noted that federal spending on health care is set to rise to 40% of the overall budget within the next decade.

Physical health is fiscal health, he said. The Texas representative also thanked Moore for taking on the responsibility for a policy incubator that finds ways to improve health outcomes while reducing federal spending.

Dr. Michael Burgess, a retired congressman from Texas, previously chaired this task force during the 118th Congress. He led an examination into the budgetary effects from emerging health care issues, including cell and gene therapies, and called for an investigation into the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation for costing the federal taxpayers instead of creating savings.

Burgess name is reportedly being floated in the White House to run the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to Reuters. If appointed, he would report to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Rep. Moores message for World Autism Day

Even as he takes on additional responsibilities, Moore took time this week to show his kids around Capitol Hill.

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Nothing like following Dad around the Capitol for spring break! he said. Ive been grateful to have 2 of my boys in town this week & to introduce them to colleagues and constituents.

Moore is the father of four boys. Max is good-natured and dutiful; George is charming (admittedly too charming); Winston is incredibly lovable; and Franklin is the busiest toddler weve ever seen, according to his campaign website.

On Wednesday, World Autism Day, he wrote a special message for one of his sons. Ive been proud watching Winnie light up every room he walks into with his jokes & smile, he said, adding, Those who navigate autism overcome daily challenges & inspire those around them, & my family & I are thankful to be part of this community. He posted several pictures of his day spent with Winston and Franklin, including one of them standing with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
WASHINGTON  Before taking office on Jan. 20, President Donald Trump vowed that the first 100 days of his second administration would be stacked with executive orders and major legislative action fulfilling his agenda.

While Trump himself has lived up to that promise, congressional Republicans are falling behind.

A few months into the GOP trifecta, Congress has passed only four bills that have been signed into law. Republican leaders in both the House and Senate have scrambled to advance their massive reconciliation package that would implement most of Trumps agenda in one fell swoop  but that process has been drawn out over disagreements on what to include and how to offset the costs.

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Meanwhile, internal strife between rank-and-file members has caused divisions on minor issues that have caused major delays in Trumps plans.

Micro battles will always affect a Republican majority. We are not a Fall-In-Line-Just-Because-Leadership-Says-So type of conference. That is an amazingly positive thing for our republic, Utah Rep. Blake Moore, who serves as vice chairman of the House GOP Conference, told the Deseret News. That said, Im not going to gaslight. That internal strife will always be a hindrance to accomplishing big objectives.

Micro issues threaten big-picture priorities

To get a glimpse into how small disagreements have big consequences, look no further than this past week in the House.

A months-long fight over whether to allow new parents in Congress to vote remotely finally came to a head on Tuesday when nine Republicans joined all Democrats in defeating a bid by GOP leadership to nix the proposal.

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The failed effort dealt a major blow to Republican leaders, who strategized for days on how to block the bill from reaching the floor. The unsuccessful bid then prompted GOP leadership to cancel votes for the rest of the week, leaving the House in temporary paralysis.

Let me just make this clear: That rule being brought down means that we cant have any further action on the floor this week, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters on Tuesday.

That meant delayed action on two major cornerstones of Trumps agenda: the SAVE Act, which would ban noncitizens from voting, and the No Rogue Rulings Act, which would restrict judges from blocking his presidential executive orders.

The vote also pushed back two Senate resolutions seeking to overturn Biden-era rules related to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

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All that was just wiped off the table, Johnson said. Its very unfortunate.

But Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, the Republican co-sponsor behind the parent voting bill, accused Johnson of misassigning the blame  arguing GOP leadership had the opportunity to bring the legislation to the floor without tying them to her proxy voting petition.

Here are the facts a lot of people are not sharing for a reason, Luna said in a post on X. The fact is (House Majority Leader Steve Scalise) controls the floor and sent Congress home. They also held POTUS legislation for literally MONTHS. Until this vote.

Here are the facts a lot of people are not sharing for a reason. Read below. The fact is @SteveScalise controls the floor and sent congress home. They also held POTUS legislation for literally MONTHS. Until this vote. Read note below. Most of republican body most vocal about pic.twitter.com/CgRIIM8Oh0  Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) April 2, 2025

The issue took on more prominence this week after Trump endorsed Lunas proposal, telling reporters he doesnt know why its controversial.

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Hours later, Luna announced she had spoken with Johnson and is in talks to tinker with the proxy voting resolution. However, Johnson came out on Friday to say Trump is on his side of the argument  and warning that Congress cannot open that Pandoras box again.

Thank you, @realDonaldTrump for your leadership:



Mike, you have my proxy on proxy voting.



America is grateful to have a President who appreciates and understands the complexity of legislative branch issues and governing with a razor-thin House majority.



Democrats tried  Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) April 4, 2025

Even if Luna does move forward with some form of her proxy voting bill, some Republicans say they will adamantly oppose any changes to House rules that state members must be physically present to cast their votes.

As one of just 435 members entrusted to represent 750,000 Americans, we have a duty to show up to work and vote in person, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said in a statement. The people elected us to advance President Trumps agenda to secure the border and cut spending, not to waste time to change the House rules for our own convenience. Americans across the country clock in every dayCongress should too.

Moore brushed off what he called a micro issue working itself out in the lower chamber, telling the Deseret News that Republicans have had similar disagreements before  but they are always able to overcome them, he noted.

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This is something we have to address but its not derailing our overall strategy, Moore said. I dont see it having lasting vibrations against what we ultimately want to accomplish.

Meanwhile, House and Senate volley on tax legislation

But even as GOP leaders try to focus their attention on Trumps massive tax reconciliation bill, that has hit some roadblocks along the way due to disagreements between House and Senate Republicans.

The Senate is moving forward with its budget blueprint this weekend, detailing plans to raise the debt ceiling while advancing a number of Trumps priorities on the border, national defense, and energy. Despite already passing its own blueprint, the House will need to approve the latest version before lawmakers can begin drafting the full package.

That could be easier said than done as Johnson must contend with a razor-thin margin, total Democratic opposition, and a handful of Republicans who are not yet sold on some of the components.

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The Senate-based resolution closely mirrors the one from the House, but it contains some key differences.

Most notably, the Senate iteration would make the tax cuts in Trumps Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 permanent  something the House resolution did not do but became a redline for several Senate Republicans. The resolution does so by utilizing an accounting maneuver known as a current policy baseline to make the cost of such extensions amount to $0.

The Senate resolution also includes a $5 trillion increase in the debt ceiling, which comes in above the $4 trillion increase in the House blueprint. That could be tricky to sell to some fiscal hawks in the House, but Senate leaders justify the number by saying it helps to punt the issue until well past the 2026 midterm elections and doesnt require negotiations with Democrats.

But that could be tough to swallow for some House Republicans, who typically oppose raising the debt ceiling anyway.

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I had trouble with $4 trillion, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said on Monday. I went along with it, but I had trouble with it.

Once both chambers can pass an identical resolution, committees will get to work on drafting the full package. However, the House and Senate have approved different sets of spending cut targets  which could lead to testy negotiations down the road.
Very recently, America's move toward more sustainable energy and less pollution has stalled thanks to shifts in the political landscape. However, Europe and Asia are still on course to clean up their industries and may even see economic benefits, per a Sustainable Investment article translated from German and shared by Springer Professional.

Sustainable Investment reported that America has made a sharp turn in its energy policy. Where the previous administration held back on liquefied natural gas out of concern for the environment, President Donald Trump is moving forward with LNG terminals, as well as doubling down on domestic oil.

The Federal Reserve has left the Network for the Greening of the Financial System, and investors are withdrawing from other climate alliances.

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Graham Steele, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions with the U.S. Treasury, said the Federal Reserve's withdrawal was a "response to short-term political considerations," Sustainable Investment reported.

By contrast, investors and governments in Europe and Asia are still heavily interested in reducing heat-trapping air pollution and other forms of environmental damage.

Sustainable Investment cited fund manager Fidelity International's study, the "Professional Investor DNA Survey," which revealed that out of over 120 institutional investors, 63% listed the environment as their top priority  specifically the reduction of heat-trapping carbon pollution, energy system transformation, and the conservation of natural resources.

"Our study shows that ESG is still on the minds of investors," said Jenn-Hui Tan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Fidelity International, per Sustainable Investment. "Even though ESG investments are now integrated into asset allocation, further progress is needed to reduce implementation barriers."

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Further research by the German Institute for Economic Research in Berlin identified America's retreat on this issue as an opportunity for the German clean energy sector to step up and strengthen the domestic market, Sustainable Investment revealed. Other European and Asian countries could do the same, benefitting their economies and the world.

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Homeowners in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales in Australia are increasingly under-insured at a time when extreme flooding is impacting the region.

What's happening?

Hundreds of thousands of residents in eastern Australia were impacted by Cyclone Alfred, which caused flash floods and heavy winds in early March.

As Australian authorities continue to assess the full extent of the damage, The Conversation reported that many homeowners, including those most affected by the storm, have been opting out of crucial flood insurance in recent years because the premiums are too high.

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Insurance premiums quadrupled between 2004 and 2022, with costs rising even higher in at-risk flooding areas, according to the report. Yet, those who have coverage have previously waited up to two years for repair claims to be addressed. Others did not receive enough money to rebuild properly.

As a result, residents are being left vulnerable to extreme weather events and struggling to rebuild their homes.

Why are flood repairs important?

Proper flood repairs are crucial to mitigating future damage and supporting economic development. If residents can't afford to rebuild their homes, the long-term impacts of these storms could be more severe.

Heat-trapping gases caused by human activities (mostly the burning of dirty fuels) have been building up in our atmosphere and warming our planet, supercharging our weather.

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Consequently, Australia's weather bureau reported that the average temperature has risen 1.51 degrees Celsius (around 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since it began keeping national records in 1910. This has contributed to worsening storms and flooding in recent years.

What's being done about flood repairs?

As supercharged weather continues to be the norm, Australian authorities have prioritized "building back better" so that the country's infrastructure can better withstand natural disasters.

The government set up a Betterment Fund in 2022 following devastating floods that year. The fund allocated $170 million to building more resilient public infrastructure.

The Australian government also set up a cyclone reinsurance pool after the 2022 floods to help lower the costs of flood insurance for vulnerable residents impacted by cyclones.

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However, The Conversation wrote that the pool "cannot possibly tackle the insurance crisis facing households as climate risks rise." It suggested adjustments to how insurers handle climate mitigation and adaptation measures could be one solution.

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Russias secret services have been involved in a number of cases of exploding parcels in European countries, with Ukrainian nationals among those involved.

Source: European Pravda; Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter

Details: This case concerns an incident last summer in which three parcels were detonated at delivery company warehouses in the UK, Germany and Poland. Another parcel containing explosives that failed to detonate was also found in a warehouse in Warsaw.

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A person familiar with the case said that pillows packed in parcels of cosmetics and sex toys contained hidden improvised explosive devices made from a cocktail of chemicals, including highly reactive magnesium.

According to the source, the chemicals were ignited using pre-installed detonators adapted from cheap Chinese electronic gadgets used to track things like lost keys. The effect was enhanced by tubes of cosmetics that looked like beauty products but contained a gel made of flammable compounds, including nitromethane.

"The proceedings in this case concern criminal activities inspired by Russia's GRU [Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate  ed.]," the source said.

According to the source, the Polish prosecution is based on the testimony of at least five suspected members of the alleged sabotage group and classified findings of the security services.

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The investigators have reportedly identified at least five suspected members of the alleged sabotage group who carried out the bombings.

The source told Reuters that one of them is a Ukrainian national, Vladyslav Derkavets. When questioned, Derkavets said he had received instructions via Telegram from a man nicknamed Warrior, to whom he had been introduced by a friend. In the summer of 2024 he travelled to Lithuania, where he packed four parcels, each with a stuffed insert and a few tubes of cosmetics and sex toys. Before packing the parcels, he pressed the time-delayed detonation buttons.

After that, the source said, Derkavets handed the packages to another man in a park in Vilnius who gave him the code word "Mary".

He was arrested on suspicion of committing terrorist acts on the orders of Russian intelligence in August 2024. He denies the charges.

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Another suspect is Alexander Bezrukavy, a 44-year-old Russian national whose task was to prepare for an attack on cargo planes flying to North America.

To this end, he was to arrange for parcels of sneakers and clothes to be sent from Warsaw to Washington and Ottawa. Bezrukavy also denies the charges against him.

Background:

In autumn, Poland reported that the Russians were planning terrorist attacks on DHL flights to the United States and the United Kingdom. Moreover, at that time, Polish prosecutors announced the detention of four people in connection with the case.

Details of the charges were published in November by the Wall Street Journal. The article, based on sources and conversations with Western officials, claims that Russia was planning operations to start fires on transatlantic flights, both passenger and cargo aircraft, bound for the United States and Canada.

The journalists' source claimed that the fires set by Russia in July at DHL logistics centres in Leipzig, Germany, and Birmingham, UK, were part of these operations.

At the time of the incidents in Germany and the UK, neither the company nor the authorities specified what had caused the fires. However, the WSJ reported that devices with a flammable magnesium-based mixture had been built into electric massagers.

It was stated that this clearly bore signs of having been a Russian attack.

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Ruby Mountains. (Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest photo)

Federal land managers have canceled their proposal to withdraw about 264,000 acres of public land in Nevadas Ruby Mountain from oil, gas and geothermal development.

The U.S. Forest Service said the decision to allow oil and gas leasing to continue in Elko Countys Ruby Mountains was brought on by a presidential executive order titled Unleashing American Energy, and calling on federal land managers to remove regulatory barriers to energy production and expand access to federal lands and waters for energy exploration.

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In a statement Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service, said the agency was removing the burdensome Biden-era regulations that have stifled energy and mineral development to revitalize rural communities and reaffirm Americas role as a global energy powerhouse.

In December, the Forest Service first announced their intention to ban oil,gas, and geothermal leasing on about 264,000 acres of public land in the Ruby Mountains for up to 20 years. That directive has now been reversed by Trump appointed USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins.

As part of the directive, the agency also canceled plans to withdraw about 165,000 acres of public land in New Mexicos Upper Pecos River Watershed from mining and geothermal leasing, according to the USDA.

Signs that the proposed ban was in trouble started on Feb. 14, when federal land managers in Nevada canceled a public meeting for the proposed oil and gas leasing ban on the same day thousands of federal workers were indiscriminately fired, including more than a dozen National Park Service employees in Nevada.

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Nevadas Ruby Mountains have been targeted by Trump in the past. During Trumps first term, his administration proposed auctioning off more than 500,000 acres of land in Nevada for oil and gas drilling leases, including about 54,000 acres in the Ruby Mountains.

In response, Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto has pushed several versions of a bill that would withdraw about 450,000 acres of land adjacent to the Ruby Mountain from oil and gas leasing, but not mining.

Sometimes called Nevadas Swiss Alps the Ruby Mountains in Elko County are the ancestral homelands of the Te-Moak Tribe of the Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada. The Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge also includes a wetland oasis for migratory waterfowl in the Pacific Flyway and fisheries that include trout and largemouth bass, attracting hunters, anglers, birdwatchers and other recreational tourists.

Nevada has seen something of an oil and gas leasing boom in recent years, with the Interior Department putting hundreds of thousands of acres on the block for lease. However, oil and gas production in Nevada has always been negligible, and both industry and environmentalists remain skeptical that significant production in Nevada will make economic sense any time soon.

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Over 90 percent of public lands managed by the Interior Department in Nevada are available to be leased for oil and gas drilling. Once leased, public lands are locked up from being managed for multiple uses such as outdoor recreation and conservation for the life of the lease, which could be 10, 20 or even 30 years.

Forestry land open to timber production

The Ruby Mountains reversal comes as the Forest Service announced Friday that the agency plans to open nearly 43 million acres of National Forest System land to timber production.

The Forest Service said another 112 million acres of National Forest System land would be listed for culling to reduce wildfire risk, or 59% of all National Forest System land. The Ruby Mountains are included in the 112 million acres of National Forestry System slated for wildfire fuel reduction, according to a USDA map.

The secretarial memo comes on the heels of Trumps executive order to expand American timber production by 25%. The memo directs federal employees to increase timber outputs, simplify permitting, and remove National Environmental Policy Act processes.

I am proud to follow the bold leadership of President Trump by empowering forest managers to reduce constraints and minimize the risks of fire, insects, and disease so that we can strengthen the American timber industry and further enrich our forests with the resources they need to thrive, Rollins said in a statement Friday.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is coming to Utah on Monday, according to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy will be holding a news conference with Lee Zeldin  administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  in Salt Lake City on Monday. They are expected to discuss MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) legislation passed by the Utah Legislature this year.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will embark on a multi-state tour to celebrate MAHA initiatives in the Southwest, a press release from HHS states. He will meet with elected officials, tribal leaders, nutrition experts, and charter school visionaries as he works to fulfill President Trumps promise to Make America Healthy Again.

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READ: Gov. Cox signs fluoridation ban into law  a nationwide first

Kennedy and Zeldin will be discussing new state laws that ban ultra-processed foods and dyes in public schools (H.B. 402), restrict SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) purchases of candy and soda (H.B. 403), and ban adding fluoride to public drinking water (H.B. 81)  a bill that made Utah the first state to do so in history.

On March 28, Governor Spencer Cox signed a bill banning water fluoridation in public water systems  a nationwide first.

H.B. 81  or Fluoride Amendments  is a law that prohibits fluoridation in public water systems. It also allows pharmacists to prescribed fluoride tablets to those wishing to take fluoride.

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Currently, there are two counties and several municipalities across the state that fluoridate their water systems, which serve around 1.6 million people. With the bill being signed by the governor, public water managers have until May 7 to cease fluoridation operations.

Fluoridation is the process of adding the mineral fluoride to public water supplies in order to raise levels of fluoride to recommended levels that are beneficial to oral health. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that levels of fluoride should be at 0.7 milligrams per liter, which is the equivalent of three drops in a 55-gallon barrel of water, in order to give the maximum benefit without negative health effects.

Unlike other bills this session, the debate around fluoridation saw support and resistance from bi-partisan lawmakers as Utahs Republicans and Democrats either voiced support or opposition to the bill in the final vote in the legislature. The bill also garnered nationwide attention, as the Beehive State is the first in the nation to mandate a statewide ban on public water fluoridation.

Although water providers will be removing their fluoridation systems, dont expect your water bill to be affected much. In previous statements to ABC4.com, water providers dont expect prices to change at all for customers. Water Pro INC said residents might see less than 90 cents per month in savings as a result of the ban. Other providers said that bills might go up as they get rid of standing supplies and equipment.

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Dentists have issued warnings about what the ban could mean for Utahns, saying that without fluoride, cavities will go up, especially among the less fortunate.

It really only hurts the children whose families are not aware of the benefits of the program, or cannot afford to go to their dentist or physician to get fluoride supplements, Mark Fullner, local dentist in Utah County, told ABC4.com. It also puts the burden of compliance on adults in those families who care enough to follow the guidelines to administer proper doses. Chances of a mistake in those circumstances seems to be much higher than the associated risks with well-monitored addition of fluoride to the water source.

In a statement to ABC4.com, the Utah Dental Association expressed disappointment in the signing, saying that the governor had failed to put children and the vulnerable first.

The Utah Dental Association (UDA) is disappointed in the Utah Legislature and Governor for failing to put Utahs children, vulnerable, and at-risk populations first by signing HB 81, the statement reads. This decision disregards decades of scientific research demonstrating that community water fluoridation at optimal levels is a safe, effective, and cost-efficient way to prevent tooth decay.

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ABC4.com reached out to the governor for further comment on this, which his office declined.

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Its a Beast of a time in Washington, D.C.

Donald Trumps reality show is full of new characters, plot twists, and cliffhangers, and the Daily Beast will navigate you through it. The 47th president wont need to drain The Swamp. Its all leaking here 

Sign up here for the next unmissable installment of The Swamp.

And in an exclusive extract from this weeks edition, read about RFK Jrs eye-popping measles flub.

It had been a long working weekend at Mar-a-Lago and, to be fair, its hard to spend time with the president only to be abandoned to make your own way home.

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All RFK Jr. could do was watch from the terminal window at West Palm Beach Airport as Air Force One took flight at 5:40 p.m. on Sunday as storm clouds gathered overhead.

It had been exactly 12 minutes between the time Donald Trumps motorcade arrived and wheels up.

The Health and Human Services secretary, wearing a pink flamingo tie, would have to wait a lot longer.

He had flown with the president from Washington on Friday afternoon along with Howard Lutnick, Scott Bessent, and John Arrigo, Trumps nominee to be ambassador to Portugal. Now he was left to fly commercial back to D.C.on one of the airlines notorious for flight delays (and dead stowaways).

The HHS secretary waited in the airport after being booted from Air Force One to find his own way home. / The Swamp.

But the brief weather window was taken by Air Force One and Kennedys 6:34 p.m. JetBlue Flight 2534 was delayed over four hours. That left plenty of time to read The Let Them Theory while standing at the bookstore and gulp down some ultraprocessed airport snacks. Sure, RFK Jr. thinks that food is poison, but eventually you break down and eat the french fries.

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By chance, a friendly face was waiting at the gate for the same plane. Theater producer Victoria Leacock Hoffman had been at Miami and Palm Beach launch events for her husband Cals (nephew of Dustin Hoffman) new book, Easy to Slip. (The book is about a young man whose uncle is a famous actor which affects the entire family.)

Victoria and Bobby Jr. used to run in the same New York City circles. Back in the day, her filmmaker father, Richard Leacock, made two movies with RFK Primary in Crisis and Hickory Hill.

A very large man running security on the Kennedy scion let her approach. After reconnecting with her old acquaintance, Victoria decided a word of warning might be useful for her fellow stranded passenger at Gate 8.

Be careful handling the measles outbreak, she cautioned.

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Probably tired of batting away the chicken goujons at Mar-a-Lago, Americas health chief forgot all the glossy spin that got him through the confirmation process and shrugged. A Kennedy shrug..

When I was a kid, he told Victoria, two million people got [measles] every yearand only 300 died.

Only!

And then he was off, finally, to his emergency exit row seat on the late, late flight to make his choice between Popchips, Classic Grahams or a Chewy Chocolate Granola Bar. No prizes for guessing his choice.

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EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio (WKBN)  Heads up for those driving through East Liverpool this weekend  expect some temporary traffic changes Saturday morning.

East Liverpool City Hospital is hosting a 5K Run/Walk from 8:45 to 10 a.m. To keep runners safe, one lane of 4th, 5th, 6th, and Monroe Streets will be blocked off during the event.

Drivers are encouraged to use caution and consider alternate routes.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
ROCK HILL, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Sneaker resellers may see the brunt of higher prices after President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on several countries like Vietnam, a major manufacturer of Nikes. So Jordans and other brands may cost more at the register.

However, the owner of Refresh Sneakers and Streetwear doesnt believe it will affect his bottom line.

This year is the first year where we saw a lot of the Saturday releases go above retail.. So it actually being profitable as opposed to last year where it was right at retail if not $20- $30 under, and its the hottest Jordan on the block, said owner March Boungnarith.

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Its been five years since he opened his Rock Hill sneaker shop, and in that time, hes seen the sneaker market fluctuate. With proposed retaliatory tariffs hitting countries like Vietnam and Indonesia, where 99% of shoes are made, Boungnarith remains confident that his customers will keep coming back to spend money.

Lets say the 17s, for example, right? The resale on those was $300, but those sold out quicker than shoes that go for $180 retail. Why is that? Its because of demand for the specific shoe. It comes down to the colorway, the release. It doesnt really come down to like the time period that were in, Boungnarith said.

The Trump administrations retaliatory tariffs are part of the Presidents push to boost American manufacturing. But experts say lower pay and looser labor regulations overseas are what keep shoe prices from jumping at retail registers.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association says the top five importers to the U.S. account for nearly 62 percent of all shoe imports coming from China. Vietnam comes in second with 21 percent. Indonesia, Cambodia, and India have under seven percent of those imports.

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Youtube sneaker reviewer Kari Daniels is worried about families on a budget.

Those sneakers that maybe cost $80 to $90 for that parent or for that family that needs to keep it under 100 bucks that they could see the threshold go over that hundred-dollar threshold. This could really impact the spending decisions for them, Daniels said.

In addition to casual buyers, sneaker enthusiasts like Daniels will have to tighten their budgets on purchases.

Were going to have to really show our work out here to make sure that we are still worth doing business with because the company could potentially start cutting off some of those independent contractors, which is really all that reviewers like myself are.

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Daniels says the other thing consumers have to worry about is apparel.

A lot of these brands also manufacture in-house apparel. A lot of times, that is also manufactured overseas. So what we could also see from their personal brand perspective, a lot of these places right now  they manufacture overseas as well; theyre also going to be feeling the pinch because this is also going to affect apparel. So honestly, for those guys, I feel for them because it may hit them both ways in apparel and in their footwear, Daniels said.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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As Easter approaches, Christians around the world begin to focus on two of the central tenets of their faith: the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

Other charismatic Jewish teachers or miracle workers were active in Judea around the same time, approximately 2,000 years ago. What set Jesus apart was his followers belief in his resurrection. For believers, this was not only a miracle, but a sign that Jesus was the long-awaited Jewish messiah, sent to save the people of Israel from their oppressors.

But was the idea of a resurrection itself a unique belief in first-century Israel?

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I am a scholar of ancient Judaism and its connection to the early Christian movement. The Christian concept of Jesus rising from the dead helped shape many of the faiths key teachings and, ultimately, the new religions split from Judaism. Yet religious teachings about resurrection go back many centuries before Jesus walked the earth.

There are stories that likely predate early Jewish beliefs by many centuries, such as the Egyptian story of the god Osiris being resurrected by his wife, Isis. Most relevant for Christianity, though, are Judaisms own ideas about resurrection.

Your dead shall live

One of the earliest written Jewish references to resurrection in the Bible is found in the Book of Isaiah, which discusses a future era, perhaps a time of final judgment, in which the dead would rise and be subject to Gods ultimate justice. Your dead shall live; their corpses shall rise, Isaiah prophesies. Those who dwell in the dust will awake and shout for joy.

The Great Isaiah Scroll: the best preserved of the biblical scrolls found at Qumran, by the Dead Sea, which was probably written around the second century B.C.E. Ardon Bar Hama/The Israel Museum, Jerusalem/Wikimedia Commons

Later Jewish biblical texts such as the Book of Daniel also referenced resurrection.

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There were several competing Jewish sects at the time of Jesus life. The most prominent and influential, the Pharisees, further integrated the concept of resurrection into Jewish thought. According to the first-century historian Josephus, the Pharisees believed that the soul was immortal and could be reunited with a resurrected body  ideas that would likely have made the idea of Jesus rising from the dead more acceptable to the Jews of his time.

Within a few centuries, the rabbis began to fuse together the earlier biblical references to bodily resurrection with the later ideas of the Pharisees. In particular, the rabbis began to discuss the concept of bodily resurrection and its connection to the messianic era.

CC BY The Jewish Cemetery on Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Graves face the Temple Mount, where some believe that the resurrection of the dead will culminate. xiquinhosilva/Wikimedia Commons

Jews believed that the legitimate Messiah would be a descendant of the biblical King David who would vanquish their enemies and restore Israel to its previous glory. In the centuries following Jesus death, the rabbis taught that the souls of the dead would be resurrected after the Messiah appeared on earth.

By the 500s C.E. or so, the rabbis further elaborated upon the concept. The Talmud, the most important collection of authoritative writings on Jewish law apart from the Bible itself, notes that one who does not believe in resurrection has no share in the Olam Haba, the World to Come. The Olam Haba is the realm where these sages believed ones soul eventually dwells after death. Interestingly, the concept of hell itself never became ingrained within mainstream Jewish thought.

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Even now, the concept of God giving life to the dead is affirmed every day in the Amidah, a Jewish prayer recited as part of the daily morning, afternoon and evening services.

Old ideas, new beliefs

The fact that the first followers of Jesus were Jews likely contributed to the concept of resurrection becoming ingrained into Christian thought. Yet the Christian understanding of resurrection was taken to an unprecedented degree in the decades following Jesus death.

According to Matthews Gospel, Jesus, a Jew from Galilee, entered Jerusalem in the days before Passover. He was accused of sedition against the Roman authorities  and likely other charges, such as blasphemy  largely because he was causing a disturbance among the Jews getting ready to celebrate the holiday. At the time, Passover was a pilgrimage festival in which tens of thousands of Jews would travel to Jerusalem.

After being betrayed by one of his followers, Judas, Jesus was arrested, hastily put on trial and sentenced to be crucified. The Roman authorities wished to uphold the pax Romana, or Roman peace. They feared that unrest amid a major festival could lead to a rebellion, especially given the accusation that at least some of Jesus followers believed him to be the King of the Jews, as was recorded later in Matthews and Marks Gospels.

CC BY-SA Crucifixes often display the Latin abbreviation INRI, short for Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. This statue in Germanys Ellwangen Abbey shows the abbreviation in three languages. Andreas Praefcke/Wikimedia Commons

According to the Gospels, Jesus was put to death on what is now Good Friday, and rose again on the third day  which today is celebrated as Easter Sunday.

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Jesus early followers believed not only that he had been resurrected, but that he was the long-awaited Jewish messiah, who had fulfilled earlier Jewish prophecies. Eventually, they also embraced the idea that he was the divine Son of God, although scholars still debate exactly how and when this occurred.

In addition, the nature of Jesus resurrection remains a source of debate among theologians and scholars  such as whether followers believed his resurrected body was made of flesh and blood, or pure spirit.

Yet the grander meaning of the resurrection, which is recorded in all four canonical Gospels, remains clear for many of the approximately 2 billion Christians around the world: They believe that Jesus triumphed over death, which serves as a cornerstone foundation of the Christian faith.

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: Aaron Gale, West Virginia University

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Aaron Gale does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Embattled comedian Russell Brand has finally spoken out after being charged with rape and multiple counts of sexual assault.

In a video shared on social media, the actor admitted that he was once a "drug addict" and "sex addict" but insisted that he was "never a rapist," while implying that the British government was weaponizing the law against him.

The rape and assault charges against Russell Brand come almost two years after a bombshell investigation against him was carried out in an attempt to shed light on his past actions.

Russell Brand Says He Was A 'Sex Addict' But 'Never A Rapist'

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In an over one-minute long clip posted on X (formerly Twitter), Brand denied the rape and sexual assault allegations made against him in response to his recent charges.

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The comedian, while facing the camera, referenced his younger years in Hollywood riddled with "drug" and "sex" addiction."

However, Brand insisted that he never raped anyone while pointing fingers at the British government and its alleged use of the law as a "weapon."

He said, "I've always told you guys that when I was young and single before I had my wife and family ... I was a fool, man. I was a fool before I lived in the light of the lord."

"I was a drug addict, a sex addict, and an imbecile. But what I never was was a rapist," Brand claimed. "I've never engaged in nonconsensual activities. I pray you can tell that by looking in my eyes."

The Comedian's Video Was Met With Mixed Reactions

In the Brand's short clip, he thanked his supporters while noting that he is "grateful" for the "opportunity" to defend himself in court.

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The comedian concluded: "In the meantime, you lot, stay free. And we will be continuing to discuss this matter. Praise the lord."

Brand's video was met with mixed reactions from netizens, with many calling him out for his remarks.

One person commented on his post, saying, "Man, you got a lot of sexual misconduct claims against you. For YEARS. Like, decades. Perhaps you should, you know, try being a better person and not such a loathsome piece of sh-t?"

Another noted, "Face your charges. Stop hiding behind all these irrelevancies. And stop hiding behind Jesus. Blasphemer."

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However, Brand also received some support, with a fan writing, "God will be your character witness, Russell. Hang tough, my friend."

Russell Brand Was Accused Of Rape, Sexual Assault And Indecent Assault

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On Friday, April 4, Brand was charged after an investigation was launched against him for his alleged assault of four women.

The Metropolitan Police released a statement, noting that the actor has been charged with one count of rape, one count of oral rape, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault.

Brand will appear at the Westminster Magistrate Court to face his charges on May 2.

Superintendent Andy Furphy, the lead detective in the case, spoke about the latest development: "The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers."

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"The Met's investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police," Furphy added.

An Investigation Was Conducted Against The Comedian

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After a lengthy investigation into the allegations against Brand, the Met police announced they had recommended that he should be charged with historic sex offenses based on accusations from multiple women he was involved with at the peak of his Hollywood career.

During the inquiry, the authorities interviewed the actor on different occasions to ascertain details about his involvement with his four accusers.

According to the Daily Mail, the first meet-up was said to have been done under caution on November 16, 2023, with Brand being questioned over three sex offense claims.

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Brand also came in voluntarily for the interview after the negative traction he had received from the accusations.

The comedian was invited a second time on December 14, 2023, about six other historic sex offenses. He was then asked to partake in another interview session in January 2024.

Russell Brand Called The Rape Allegations' Painful'

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Last January, the comedian appeared on Tucker Carlson's X show, vehemently denying the allegations, describing them as "hurtful attacks" on his character.

"Of course, I deny any allegations... that have been advanced," he told Carlson, adding, "I reject the allegations in the strongest possible terms."

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Brand claimed that accusations against him were a "deliberate, profound attempt to shut down any dissent in an astonishingly aggressive way."

The "Get Him To The Greek" star also referenced his past lifestyle during the interview with Carlson. Brand admitted that his "promiscuous" lifestyle seemingly has a part to play in all of the allegations.

"I put myself in a vulnerable position by being very promiscuous," Brand said. "Attacks like this, being accused of what I consider to be the most appalling crimes, is very painful and hurtful. But there are consequences to the foolish way I lived in the past."
Russia attacked the city of Mykolaiv with Shahed-type drones, Governor Vitalii Kim said late on April 5.

As a result of the attack using Shaheds on Mykolaiv, a fire broke out in two residential buildings, Kim said.

The attack occurred around 10 p.m. local time. A number of Russian kamikaze drones were detected flying over several Ukrainian regions, including Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, and Chernihiv oblasts.

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No reports on the number of casualties were available at the time of writing.

The attack on Mykolaiv comes a day after a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih killed 19 people, including nine children, according to local authorities. Seventy-four were reportedly injured.

Russian forces reportedly launched a combined missile and drone attack on the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast city in the evening, setting buildings ablaze in residential districts.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address that Russia must be held accountable for everything it has done.

Russian ballistics down a street in an ordinary city, into a residential area, and after that strike, an additional strike with drones. And another person died, and more were injured, Zelensky said.

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We need to put pressure on them there  really put pressure, don't waste time on empty talk  to end this war.

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After convening in Brussels on April 3 and 4, NATO's representatives are demanding an immediate response from Russian President Vladimir Putin to a ceasefire deal that the U.S. and Ukraine have already agreed to.

Today, Russia owes an answer to the U.S., said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, per Bloomberg. It has to be yes, it has to be no  it has to be a quick answer.

The ball clearly is in the court of the Russians, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told CBS' Face the Nation. They are not moving fast enough, is my impression, including the impression Im getting from my American interlocutors, that Russia really has to do more to bring this war to an end. The Ukrainians are really close to the American position.

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after the NATO convention, "the message is, the United States needs to know whether youre serious or not about peace. Ultimately, Putin will have to make that decision."

The Kremlin's lead negotiator, Kirill Dmitriev, recently teased "significant progress" on the ceasefire deal. Delegations from the U.S. and Ukraine originally hashed out a general ceasefire agreement early in March, but the Kremlin has dug its heels in.

Putin's lack of cooperation and continued attacks, both aerial and political, on Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, have increasingly angered U.S. President Donald Trump in the past two weeks.

Read also: Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih kills 19 people, including 9 children, injures 68

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The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has called the Russian Defence Ministry's claims that the strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast targeted "a meeting of Ukrainian Armed Forces unit commanders with Western instructors" a lie.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Details: The General Staff stated that on 4 April, Russian troops struck Kryvyi Rih with an Iskander-M ballistic missile equipped with a cluster warhead designed to hit a larger area and a greater number of people.

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Quote: "Now the defence ministry of the aggressor state is trying to cover up its cynical crime with a 'high-precision' lie about hitting 'the venue of a meeting of Ukrainian Armed Forces unit commanders with Western instructors'."

"We declare that Russia is once again spreading false information. The missile struck a residential area and a children's playground."

"With yet another violation of international humanitarian law, the insidious enemy demonstrates that it is not seeking peace but instead aiming to continue its war of conquest to destroy Ukraine and all Ukrainians."

Background:

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Russian troops launched a ballistic missile strike on a residential area in the city of Kryvyi Rih on the evening of 4 April, killing 18 people, including nine children, and injuring over 60.

Late in the evening on 4 April, the Russians attacked Kryvyi Rih again, causing a fire in a residential area. It was later reported that one person had been killed and others injured.

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Russian forces launched a ballistic missile on the city of Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on the evening of 4 April, killing 18 people, including nine children. A total of 61 people were injured in the strike, among them 12 children. Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, has reported that the youngest wounded child is just three months old.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia (Life)

Details: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has noted that nine children had been killed in the missile attack.

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Among the children killed was three-year-old Tymofii. Efforts were made to save him, but he died in hospital on 5 April. At the time of the explosion, he had been walking home from the playground with his grandmother. His mother, Valeriia, described him as full of energy and fascinated by space.





Three-year-old Tymofii.



Photo: Svoi. Kryvyi Rih, a local Telegram channel

Seven-year-old Radyslav was also killed in the Russian attack. According to Svoi. Kryvyi Rih, a local Telegram channel, the boy and his family were in a car on their way home when the missile struck. Radyslav had been sitting behind his father, Rodion, and the entire force of the blast hit the child. The boy died.

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Radyslav's father is currently in hospital with a concussion, multiple injuries and eye damage. His mother, Anna, and his eight-month-old sister, Adelina, were also wounded. The baby was cut by debris. Both will receive treatment at home. Their grandmother, who was also in the car, was taken to hospital.

Seven-year-old Radyslav

Photo: NA ChASI: Kryvyi Rih, a local Telegram channel

The Russian attack also took the lives of several other children:

Seven-year-old second-grader Arina was outside with her grandfather when the missile struck. He was also killed;

Nine-year-old Herman;

Fifteen-year-old Danylo, a ninth-grade student;

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Fifteen-year-old Mykyta;

Fifteen-year-old Alina, also in the ninth grade;

Sixteen-year-old Kostiantyn;

Seventeen-year-old Nikita.

Alina Kutsenko

Photo: NA ChASI: Kryvyi Rih

Arina Samodina

Photo: NA ChASI: Kryvyi Rih

Danylo Nikitskyi

Photo: NA ChASI: Kryvyi Rih

"These children were killed by a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kryvyi Rih. It was only a few minutes after the launch from the Taganrog area in enemy territory. Sadly, nine adults were also killed. My condolences to all the families and friends," Zelenskyy wrote on Instagram.

Daria Onina was also killed in the attack. The young lady would have turned 23 years old in three weeks.

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Daria Onina

Photo: NA ChASI: Kryvyi Rih

The Russian missile also took the life of 50-year-old Vita Holovko. Her 8-year-old son Matvii is currently in intensive care. Doctors assess his condition as serious but stable. The boy has a sister, Anastasiia.

Vita Holovko was killed in the attack, her son is in hospital

Photo: Svoi. Kryvyi Rih

A four-year-old boy is also in hospital with injuries to all his abdominal organs. Doctors are preparing to operate and his condition remains critical.

Shortly after the first attack, Russian forces launched another onslaught on the city. A Shahed loitering munition struck a house where an elderly woman lived. According to Svoi. Kryvyi Rih, she had taken shelter in the basement, but her chances of survival were slim as a massive fire engulfed the building.

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"Updated information suggests that one of the deceased woman's sons is a soldier, currently studying abroad. Windows and glass panes were blown out of nearby houses and walls were partially destroyed," Svoi. Kryvyi Rih said.

Kryvyi Rih will observe days of mourning for the people killed in the Russian attack from Monday to Wednesday, 7 to 9 April.

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Russia's missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on April 4 killed 20 people, including nine children, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of Kryvyi Rih's military administration.

Russian forces reportedly launched a combined missile and drone attack on the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast city in the evening, setting buildings ablaze in residential districts.

The attack killed 20 people, Vilkul said on April 6. Nine children were among the victims.

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"Unfortunately, the number of victims of the Russian terrorist attack on April 4 has increased to 20 people," Vilkul said. "A 57-year-old man died in the hospital from multiple wounds. Doctors were doing everything possible and impossible around the clock, but the injuries were incompatible with life."

Another 75 people sustained injuries, with victims ranging from senior citizens to a three-month-old infant. Thirty-seven of the wounded have been hospitalized.

Two children, aged 5 and 8, are reportedly in critical condition, along with 15 other hospitalized victims.

"Doctors are fighting for their lives and providing all necessary assistance," Vilkul said.

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The attack reportedly damaged 34 apartment buildings and six educational facilities, as well as various shops, businesses, cars, and homes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the attack: ""Russian strikes every day. Every day, people are killed. There is only one reason this continues: Russia does not want a ceasefire, and we see it. The whole world sees it."

"Every Russian promise ends with missiles or drones, bombs or artillery. Diplomacy means nothing to them. And thats why pressure is needed  sufficient pressure on Russia so they feel the consequences of every lie of theirs, every strike, every single day they take lives and prolong the war," Zelensky said.

Several European leaders condemned the attack.

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"Another reckless Russian attack struck a crowded residential area... Russia continues to destroy Ukraine, no interest in peace," European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas wrote on X, calling the attack "tragic and inhumane."

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the attack on Kryvyi Rih was targeted at a military gathering, a claim the Ukrainian military dismissed as "false information."

Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky's hometown, remains a frequent target of Russian attacks. The city, home to about 660,000 people, is the second-largest in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and lies roughly 70 kilometers (40 miles) from the front line.

Read also: European leaders condemn Russias deadly attack on Kryvyi Rih

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The Russians attacked the city of Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with a ballistic missile on the evening of 4 April.

Source: Svoi.Kryvyi Rih, a local news outlet

Details: The news outlet said that one of the people killed in the Russian attack was 3-year-old Tymofii.

People tried to resuscitate Tymofii, but his mother Valeriia said that he did not make it. The child's parents were nearby at the time. Tymofiis pulse was barely audible. The boy was taken away by an ambulance.

People were trying to resuscitate Tymofii.

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Screenshot: video by Svoi.Kryvyi Rih

At the time of the explosion, Tymofii and his grandmother were returning home from the playground. His mother Valeriia was at home at the time, but after the attack, she immediately ran outside to her family.

"Tymofiiko [derivative of Tymofii - ed.] was a very energetic child, fascinated by space and space rockets. He loved to collect ladybirds and various beetles," Valeriia recalls.

Background:

On the evening of 4 April, the Russians launched a ballistic missile attack on Kryvyi Rih. The Prosecutor General's Office reported that 18 people had been killed, including nine children. In total, 61 people were injured in the attack, including 12 children.

Later, the Russians attacked the city again. A fire broke out in a residential area. The fire engulfed houses and infrastructure facilities. Five people were reported injured and one killed  a woman burned to death in a house hit by a Shahed drone.

Local authorities have declared three days of mourning from Monday to Wednesday  on 7, 8 and 9 April  to commemorate those killed in the attack.

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Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed the partners of the details of the Russian strike on Kryvyi Rih and considers the attack to be a signal from Moscow to Washington.

Source: Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a comment to European Pravda

Details: The Foreign Ministry emphasised that by killing civilians, including children, in Kryvyi Rih, "Russia is showing a complete disregard for international peace efforts led by US President Donald Trump".

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Quote: "This is Moscow's signal to Washington that Putin will continue the war and kill Ukrainians until he faces a different level of pressure and force."

Details: The ministry added that it had informed international partners and organisations about the details of the Russian strike on Kryvyi Rih.

"We call for clear public reactions, condemnation of Russian atrocities and concrete actions to increase pressure on Moscow and strengthen Ukraine, especially by boosting air defence and military assistance to protect Ukrainian lives," the Foreign Ministry stated.

Additionally, Ukraine has initiated the convening of several international organisations to address the Russian bombardment of Kryvyi Rih and the ongoing attacks on residential areas in other Ukrainian cities.

Background:

Earlier on 4 April, Russian forces launched a ballistic missile on a residential area in Kryvyi Rih, leaving 18 people dead, including nine children, and over 60 injured. In total, 19 people were killed and 72 injured in the attacks on Kryvyi Rih that evening.

Previously, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated being "unpleasantly surprised" by a reaction from the US Embassy to the missile attack, as it did not specify that Russia was responsible for the civilian deaths.

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MOSCOW (Reuters) - Alexander Pichushkin, a Russian serial killer jailed for life in 2007 for killing 48 people, has said he is ready to confess to 11 more murders, Russia's penal service said on Saturday.

Pichushkin, now 50 years old, targeted his victims, often homeless people, alcoholics and the elderly, around Bitsevsky Park, a large green place in southern Moscow. His killings lasted from 1992 to 2006.

He was nicknamed "the chessboard killer" by the Russian media because he told detectives in a confession that he had hoped to put a coin on every square of a 64-square chessboard for each of his victims.

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Pichushkin has been held at the Polar Owl prison, in Russia's remote Arctic north, since being sentenced.

In a statement published on the Telegram messenger app on Saturday, Russia's penal service said that Pichushkin had told investigators he was ready to confess to 11 more murders of men and women.

Pichushkin has long been suspected of additional murders to those for which he was convicted.

He claimed during his trial to have killed 63 people, but prosecutors only charged him with 48 murders and three attempted murders.

If convicted of the additional murders, it would make Pichushkin Russia's second most prolific serial killer on record, behind Mikhail Popkov, a former policeman convicted of 78 murders.

(Writing by Felix Light; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
The Sahara desert, once lush and green, during a time between 14,500 and 5,000 years ago, was also home to a mysterious human lineage, a new study has found.

Researchers from Germany's Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology detailed in a study published in Nature this week their findings from the DNA of two 7,000-year-old naturally mummified individuals excavated from the Takarkori rock shelter in southwestern Libya.

The humans lived during the "African Humid Period," when the Sahara desert was green and dotted with lakes and streams. Humans lived in the area, and pastoralism  or flock tending  was prevalent, researchers said.

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Aridification, when a region becomes gradually and increasingly drier, turned the once lush oasis into the Sahara desert known today.

Using genomic analysis, the researchers found that the North African lineage diverged from sub-Saharan African populations at about the same time as the modern human lineages that spread outside of Africa around 50,000 years ago.

The Takarkori mummies had their own unique and isolated lineage.

The mummies shared close genetic ties with 15,000-year-old foragers that lived during the Ice Age in Taforalt Cave, Morocco. Researchers also traced the mummies' Neandertal ancestry and found they have tenfold less Neandertal DNA than people outside Africa, but more than contemporary sub-Saharan Africans.

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"Our findings suggest that while early North African populations were largely isolated, they received traces of Neandertal DNA due to gene flow from outside Africa," senior author Johannes Krause, director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, said in a statement.

The findings also revealed that the "Green Sahara" wasn't as widely used for migration as previously thought, researchers said. That meant instead of different populations intermixing during large movements, groups more than likely interacted infrequently, and did so through cultural interchange.

"Our research challenges previous assumptions about North African population history and highlights the existence of a deeply rooted and long-isolated genetic lineage," said Nada Salem, a first author and researcher from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. "This discovery reveals how pastoralism spread across the Green Sahara, likely through cultural exchange rather than large-scale migration."

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Julius Bishop has for three years stuck to the same story: He shouldnt be in jail. His ex-girlfriend set him up. She shouldnt be a magistrate. She abused her power.

A Mecklenburg jury convicted him Friday in the 2021 domestic abuse case centered around his assault on Ashley Blackwell.

During Bishops 1,328 days in jail, he sent eight letters to courthouse officials saying Blackwell and police entrapped him by filing false charges and judges violated his constitutional right to a speedy trial. Even before he was arrested, he told a 911 operator Blackwell was going to set him up.

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Evidence presented inside Mecklenburg County Courthouse this week told a different story.

He was charged with assault on a female, assault by strangulation, stalking, communicating threats and violating a protective order.

After deliberating for almost two hours, the jury Friday found Bishop guilty of all charges except stalking. The 49-year-old was sentenced to less than three years, but because hes stayed in jail under a $100,000 bond for nearly four years, he was to be released on supervision after being processed Friday.

Bishop will appeal the case in the North Carolina Court of Appeals, defense lawyer Samuel Randall told Superior Court Judge Sally Kirby-Turner at the end of Bishops trial.

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Before his trial started, Bishop asked Kirby-Turner to dismiss his case altogether, citing North Carolina statutes he says have been violated. The judge rejected all requests to dismiss the charges.

Video shows assault on magistrate

On July 19, 2021, Bishop and Blackwell had dated and lived together more than five years. They werent sure they wanted to get married, but they wanted to have a baby. A hopeful Blackwell was taking prenatal pills between shifts at the Mecklenburg County magistrates office and ABC liquor stores.

After working 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. in the magistrates office at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center, Blackwell came home and fell asleep on their downstairs couch. She woke up from her nap to Bishop yelling. Hed found emails she sent to someone she described as her best friend of 18 years.

Blackwell, who grew up in North Carolina, opened those emails with what she called Southern phrases  the same kind of words she uses to greet people from behind the register.

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Hey baby. Hi love. Hey sweetheart.

Those words were enough to convince Bishop she was cheating. Hed accused her of it before, she said in court, and shed suspected hed cheated, too. They had each others passwords to various social media accounts to monitor messages and comments. Shed gotten mad at him for the way he talked to other women online, Blackwell said while testifying.

The former couples home security system captured footage of the assault. Bishop quickly deleted footage of it, Blackwell testified. She got it back.

In court, video showed Bishop calling Blackwell over to the computer, hitting her with a phone, throwing the phone through a wall and dragging her downstairs while ripping her shirt in the process.

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When you [expletive] with the devil, you get the devil, Bishop says in the video. If you dont shut up Im going to sock you.

He then repeatedly strangles Blackwell, at times shoving her from the couch onto the ground and once throwing an object at her. He also took a topless photo of Blackwell without her consent and sent it to one of her male coworkers.

The next day, she filed a domestic violence protective order against Bishop. When he learned that, he called 911.

On a war path

A magistrate is going to set me up, he told the operator. I didnt punch her. I didnt touch her.

During the 18-minute call, he sobs, calls himself a scorned man, and reads a message Blackwell sent to him: Im sorry it came to this. You did this, not me. You went too far. I love you, but you crossed too many lines.

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What did I do to you? Bishop said while talking to the operator. [She] cheated on me!

Bishop told WBTV the same story in a series of investigations the news station did on his case.

In court this week, Mecklenburg prosecutor Terra Varnes told jurors Bishop was on a war path. He only cared about how hurt he was, she said, and once he finished assaulting Ashleys body, he moved on to their home.

In the days and weeks that followed the assault, Bishop destroyed things he and Blackwell bought together, as well as items that were hers only. He also repeatedly posted on social media about Blackwell cheating on him and once visited her liquor store  violating the protective order  to leave a ripped photograph of them with adultery is bad character written on it.

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Photos of that note, the damage Bishop caused and the things he posted were provided by Blackwell. The screenshots she gave police and prosecutors have no date or time associated with them.

Evidence in question

CMPD should have done a better job collecting evidence, said Varnes, the prosecutor, but jurors had to use what they have. And they had video evidence of the assault and threatening statements Bishop made, as well as proof he came to Blackwells store.

Bishops attorney, Randall, suggested Blackwell cherry-picked what she needed to build a case. As a magistrate, she would know how to do that, he told jurors.

Im not here to sell you that his actions were reasonable, Randall told jurors before telling them Bishop assaulted the crap out of Blackwell.

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He urged them to question the strangulation, stalking and communicating threats charges, though. The stalking charge stems partially from Bishop emailing Blackwell about rent and returning to the home they once shared on the day he was supposed to move back in.

In the middle of deliberating, jurors passed up a note asking the judge to redefine strangulation. Randall threw up two rock on signs with his hand, joining his two middle fingers with his thumb. The jury ultimately agreed with the state on most charges.

An appellate public defender will be appointed to Bishops appeal.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, seek help by calling 911 or the Greater Charlotte Hope Line at 980-771-4673.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  A San Diego-bound Alaska Airlines aircraft sustained engine damage Thursday after blowing a tire during takeoff in Atlanta, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The flight, which had more than 170 people on board between passengers and crew, continued on to its destination despite the damage to the right tire of the left strut and adjacent engine, per an FAA preliminary incident notice.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Alaska Airlines said their flight and maintenance technicians determined it was safe to continue to San Diego, but declared an emergency landing at San Diego International Airport as a precaution to ensure additional support was available.

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The aircraft, a Boeing 737-900, landed without incident and was taken out of service by the airline shortly after for maintenance.

San Diegos airport now accepts mobile drivers licenses at TSA security

The extent of the damage to the aircraft is unknown at this time, as well as what caused the tire to pop.

While this incident is a rare occurrence, our flight crews train extensively to safely manage through many scenarios. We apologize for any concern this experience may have caused, the Alaska Airlines spokesperson added.

Aircraft tire bursts are relatively rare, but are more likely during takeoff than in landing, according to the aircraft engineering company Aeropeep. The probability of a tire burst as a plane is lifting off is about one in 10,000, as opposed to one in 100,000 in landing.

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Redundancy in landing equipment and strict maintenance of the aircraft can help with managing blowouts, but Aeropeep notes it can still pose a safety risk to its occupants as it can lead to bigger issues.

This was the case in the deadly crash of Air France Flight 4590 back in 2000, which killed 113 people. The French governments investigation into the incident concluded the crash was caused by a rupture of the fuel tank after the plane ran over debris, triggering a tire blowout.

With this safety risk in mind, pilots say flights that experience a blown tire during takeoff will either abort or return to land for an inspection once it becomes known a tire is compromised.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will visit Bakersfield April 15 as part of Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" tour.

The progressive duo will speak at Dignity Health Arena at 1 p.m. Admission is free but RSVPs are requested.

Sanders, an independent and two-time presidential candidate, has been touring the country in an effort to "have real discussions across America on how we move forward to take on the Oligarchs and corporate interests who have so much power and influence in this country."

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Bakersfield has already seen two visits from outside politicians rallying against President Trump's administration. Democratic Congressmen Jimmy Gomez of Los Angeles and Ro Khanna of Santa Clara visited last month.

Sanders visited Bakersfield as part of his presidential campaigns in both 2016 and 2020. This will be Ocasio-Cortez's first visit.

Kern County has shown itself to be solidly Republican in past elections but several demonstrations have been held against the Trump administration. But the county is also home to a large part of the 22nd Congressional District, currently held by Republican Rep. David Valadao of Hanford.

The district is seen as one of the most competitive in the nation and saw millions of donations from outside sources poured into past campaigns. Valadao has filed Federal Elections Commission paperwork to run again in 2026, as has his two-time opponent, former Democratic Assemblyman Rudy Salas.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  The San Angelo Police Department has reported that a juvenile student at Lincoln Middle School was arrested during the afternoon of Friday, April 4, after a chase resulted in a gun and multiple vapes being discovered.

According to the department, an SAPD officer serving as a school resource officer at Lincoln Middle School responded to a report of an altercation on campus at approximately 3:50 p.m.

The department stated that, upon arriving at the scene, the officer made contact with a juvenile student. The officer observed that the student was in possession of a vaping device during this period of contact.

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The SAPD said that when the officer attempted to detain the student, the student fled the scene on foot. The juvenile allegedly discarded property into a nearby field as they ran.

The officer was able to apprehend the suspect shortly thereafter, as per the SAPD. The department said that during this time the juvenile threatened to harm the officer.

Officers searching the area discovered a handgun and a bag containing multiple vaping devices, the SAPD said.

The department stated that the juvenile was arrested and booked into the Tom Green County Juvenile Justice Center on charges of evading arrest, retaliation and unlawful carrying of a weapon in a place prohibited. The student was also cited for minor in possession.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA)  It may soon be harder for teens to have social media accounts in South Carolina. If youre under 18 years old, this bill would require parental consent and age verification to access social media platforms.

The bill being debated in senate committee meetings has a variety of ways for parents to provide consent for a minor to access social media, but one way it collects information is by using your government-issued ID. Companies would have to delete that information after confirming a parents identity.

Age verification often means collecting more personal data, which might worry some families who value privacy as much as they value safety, said Tom Mann from the Computers and Communications Association.

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Mann said hes worried this bill would step on individual rights.

Recent state legislation that would implement online age verification or estimation Parental consent measures are currently facing numerous constitutional challenges, with numerous federal judges having placed laws on hold until these challenges can be fully reviewed.

But Dr. Martha Edwards with the South Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics said she supports the bill because it can help protect childrens mental health by enforcing regulations.

Protecting mental health and reducing anxiety and depression, preventing that addictive cycle of endless scrolling. That also represents loss of endless hours of physical activity and in-person engagement.

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Edwards said shes seen firsthand the negative effects social media can have on minors, pointing to a personal case involving a 12-year-old.

One day she came in with what were clearly panic attacks. After taking further history, it came out that shed been targeted by an adult male from another country. Hed been messaging her pornographic material and wouldnt stop. She needed years of therapy and medication.

The bill also targets advertisements that collect individuals personal information or activities across non-related websites.

Theres another bill in the senate that discusses social media regulation, but specifically algorithms for data collection.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Hood College is scheduled to hold a memorial service on Saturday to honor a former arts professor.

Joyce Michaud, the former director of the ceramics program and professor emerita, died on Jan. 6.

The service is scheduled to be held on Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Ceramic Studio 1 in Hoods Tatem Arts Center.

Hood College undergraduate student Mariana Poshyvailo wrote that Michaud created and directed the colleges ceramic arts program.

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Michaud retired in 2019. In her honor, her family established an endowed ceramics scholarship at Hood College to support undergraduate students in ceramic arts or studio arts, and to support graduate students in the ceramics program, according to Poshyvailo.

In November 2023, the college shut down the ceramics graduate program and the program is no longer accepting students. Graduate students that were already in the program have until the fall of this year to finish their degrees.

FCPS secondary science and engineering fair

Frederick County Public Schools on March 22 hosted the Secondary Science and Engineering Fair.

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The high school winners and runners-up can compete in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Ohio in May.

The overall high school winners, their school, and their experiments were:

 Tarun Malarvasan, Urbana High, grand prize for Bi-Stable Auxetic Stent Design for Customized Vascular Conformability

 Victor Wang, Urbana High, runner-up for Flying Hawk: Enhancing Drones Performance by Tuning PID Controllers

The overall middle school winners, their school, and their experiments were:

 Amrutha Thalla, Urbana Middle, grand prize for The Effect of DNA Concentration on the Cycle Threshold and Rate of DNA Replication Using qPCR

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 Ankita Kashyap, Urbana Middle, runner-up for FlameShield: Intelligent Gas Leakage and Heat Detection System

Golden Owl finalist

An FCPS teacher is a finalist for the 2024-25 Golden Owl Award.

Brittany Sentelle, a career and technical education teacher at Frederick High School, was chosen a finalist out of agricultural educators from across Maryland.

The Golden Owl Award recognizes agriculture teachers, and is co-sponsored by the Maryland chapter of Future Farmers of America and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company in conjunction with the Maryland Farm Bureau.

Sentelle will compete against one other finalist, Erika Edwards from Hereford High School in Baltimore County, for the award.

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The award winner will be announced on June 23 at the annual Maryland FFA Convention.

New Market Middle international night

New Market Middle School is scheduled to host an International Night on April 25.

The event will feature food trucks from different cultures, games, crafts and performances including bagpipes, dancing and Kung Fu.

Several interactive demonstrations will take place, including African hair braiding and Chinese calligraphy.

Leslie Williamson, a 6th and 7th grade math teacher and the No Place for Hate coordinator at the middle school, said the event is the schools culminating activity for the No Place for Hate initiative.

The initiative is run by the Anti-Defamation League.

Send school-related news to Esther Frances at efrances@newspost.com.
School (in)Security is our biweekly briefing on the latest school safety news, vetted by Mark Keierleber. Subscribe here.

As educators nationwide grapple with stubbornly high levels of student absences since the pandemic drove schools into disarray five years ago, Oklahoma prosecutor Erik Johnson says he has the solution.

Throw parents in jail.

This week, I offer a look at chronic absenteeisms persistence long after COVID shuttered classrooms, plunged families into poverty and led to the deaths of more than 1 million Americans. Lawmakers nationwide have proposed dozens of bills this year designed to curtail student absences  with radically different approaches.

While a proposal in Hawaii would reward kids good attendance with ice cream, new laws in Indiana, West Virginia and Iowa impose fines and jail time for parents who cant compel their children to attend class regularly. In Oklahoma, where Johnson has ushered in a new era of truancy crackdowns, state lawmakers say parents  not principals and teachers  should be held accountable for students repeat absences.

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We prosecute everything from murders to rape to financial crimes, but in my view, the ones that cause the most societal harm is when people do harm to children, either child neglect, child physical abuse, child sexual abuse, domestic violence in homes, and then you can add truancy to the list, Johnson told me this week.

Its not as bad, in my opinion, as beating a child, but its on the spectrum because youre not putting that child in a position to be successful, continued Johnson, who has dubbed 2025 the Year of the Child.

Click here to read my latest story.

In the news

Books are not a crime  yet: Under proposed Texas legislation, teachers could soon face jail sentences for teaching classic literary works with sexual content, including The Catcher in the Rye and (unironically?) Brave New World. | Mother Jones

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Mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this week could have devastating consequences for the health and well-being of low-income children. | The Associated Press

Ten days or else: The Education Department demanded Thursday that states certify in writing within the next 10 days that K-12 schools are complying with its interpretation of civil rights laws, namely eliminating any diversity, equity and inclusion programs, or else risk losing their federal funding. | The New York Times

A Texas teen was kneed in the face by a school cop: Now, with steep cuts to the Education Departments Office for Civil Rights, her case is one of thousands that have been left to languish. | The 74



Students right to privacy versus parents right to know: The Trump administration has opened an investigation into a California law designed to protect transgender students from being outed to their parents, alleging violations of the federal student privacy law. | The New York Times

A similar investigation has been opened against officials in Maine, where the feds claim district policies to protect students privacy come at the expense of parents right to information. | Maine Morning Star



Parents are the most natural protectors of their children, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement after a similar federal investigation was launched against Virginia educators. Yet many states and school districts have enacted policies that imply students need protection from their parents. | Virginia Mercury



A little context: In a recent survey, more than 92% of parents said they were supportive of their childs transgender identity. | Human Rights Campaign

Sign-up for the School (in)Security newsletter.

Get the most critical news and information about students' rights, safety and well-being delivered straight to your inbox.

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The Student Press Law Center joined a coalition of free speech and journalism organizations in denouncing the recent ICE detention of Tufts University international student Rumeysa Ozturk over opinions she expressed in an op-ed in the student newspaper.

Such a basis for her detention would represent a blatant disregard for the principles of free speech and free press within the First Amendment, the groups wrote in their letter. | Student Press Law Center



The Turkish doctoral candidate is one of several students whove been rounded up by immigration officials in recent weeks based on pro-Palestinian comments. | The New York Times

Florida lawmakers have a plan to fill the jobs of undocumented workers who are deported: Put kids on the overnight shift. | The Guardian



Minority report: Following bipartisan opposition, Georgia lawmakers have given up on efforts to create a statewide student-tracking database designed to identify youth who could commit future acts of violence. | WABE



A majority of school district programs focused on protecting student data are led by administrators with little training in privacy issues, a new report finds. | StateScoop



Washington students sensitive data was exposed. The culprit? A student surveillance tool. | The Seattle Times

ICYMI @The74

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Emotional Support

Annie, who lives with The 74 social media guru Christian Skotte, is the cutest regular at Brooklyns Prospect Park. You wont convince me otherwise.
Friederike Otto, 42, is a climate scientist at Imperial College London, where she is best known for pioneering the new field of attribution science, in which researchers calculate in real time how much climate change impacts extreme weather events like heat waves and wildfires.

Fortunately, Otto does not write like a scientist. Her new book Climate Injustice: Why We Need to Fight Global Inequity to Combat Climate Change burns with outrage over the callousness of the wealthy  that is to say, most of us who live in the Global North  toward the poor  that is to say, most of the people who live in the Global South  who suffer from the costs and consequences of our addiction to fossil fuels. One of Ottos great virtues as a writer is that shes a highly-respected scientist who is willing to go beyond data and numbers into the realms of politics and policy.

The best protection from the impacts of climate change is health care, access to social security, access to alternative income sources from agriculture, and most of all, good governance, Otto tells me. If that sounds like a stick in the eye to President Donald Trump  well, yeah.

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Otto only mentions Trump once in passing in her book. But with her unabashedly moral take on the human costs of climate change, Climate Injustice is easily read as a take-no-prisoners indictment of the Trump administrations celebration of fossil fuels and their complete disregard for the people who pay with their lives for the burning of those fuels.

In the opening pages of your book, you call out Dont Look Up, the 2021 movie which compares climate change to an asteroid hitting Earth. You say that an asteroid strike is a bad analogy for climate change. Why?

Because an asteroid affects the world from the outside and it has a very distinct moment when it hits and impacts materialize. Whereas climate change is not coming from the outside. It is a consequence of our human activities that we have created by the way we have designed our industrial society. The impacts have been materializing slowly at first and now increasingly faster over time. But there has never been a point when you could have said, OK, today is the day we see the impacts of climate change have started. I mean, we often pretend there is a threshold when were talking about 1.5 C degrees of global or 2 C degrees of warming, but thats not an actual physical limit. Thats a political compromise between how many lives we are willing to lose by continuing to burn more fossil fuels and how much time we want to give us to redesign our society.

And all this goes to the larger argument of the book, which is that climate change is not about science per se, but about justice and politics. Thats a bold thing for a scientist to say.

Climate change is only a problem for us because our societies have established themselves based on the stable climate we had for hundreds of years and now we have very limited capacity to adapt quickly. Only in a few regions is there really a physical limit  I mean if your island is gone, its gone.

Youre a pioneer in a field called attribution science. Explain what that is and why its important.

Attribution science is answering the question whether and to what extent human-induced climate change  so the burning of coal, oil and gas  has changed the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. And that is important because our societies are built around a very, very stable climate that has, from a scientific point of view, a very small range of possible weather events. By burning fossil fuels and warming the planet, we change this range. And that means that we now experience, increasingly often, events that would not have been possible or that are more intense than they wouldve been without climate change.

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And the price for this change is paid by those who always pay the price. So in heat waves, it is people who are in poor health or who live in poorly insulated homes that die. In a drought, its people who are dependent on agriculture for either their food or their basic income that lose their livelihoods. Its not the wealthy people.

When someone asks, Was this heat wave or this hurricane caused by climate change, scientists often say, Well, we cant say climate change causes any specific event, but it loads the dice and makes these events more likely. But in your work youve shown that sometimes  not always  you can point to an event and say, This was caused by climate change. For example, the 2021 heat wave in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., which killed more than 800 people. You and your team at World Weather Attribution have said that heat wave would not have been possible without climate change.

Yes, that extreme heat wave would not have happened without human-induced climate change. And for heat waves, we increasingly see events that are so hot that these temperatures would just not have been reached if it wasnt for the burning of fossil fuels.

This has big implications because it changes the chain of responsibility. Once you can say, Oh, this event was caused by higher levels of CO2, then you can begin to say, Well, where did those higher levels of CO2 come from and who put them there? And its not something simply that we as humanity have done. Its things that particular actors have done.

So the kind of attribution that Im doing is establishing one important link in a causal chain. And the causal chain starts with individual companies. They are very familiar names like Chevron, ExxonMobil, Saudi Aramco, Gazprom. These are the companies that dig up the oil, coal, and gas and sell it, and then it gets burned. And that leads to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, which leads to warming of the earth overall. And that leads to the changing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. So we have known that for a very long time. But the other end of this causal chain is the impact side, which is how those emissions translate into changes in extreme weather events and actually impact society.

Your work, and the work of many other scientists who are working on attribution, is helping to fuel a new wave of lawsuits against fossil fuel companies. Do you think companies like the ones you mentioned should be held accountable for some of these impacts? And what would that accountability look like?

Yes, I do think they should be held accountable, not only because they are profiting massively from an activity where they dont even acknowledge the damages they know it causes. But because they leave the cost and consequences of dealing with those damages to the people who experience them. I think they should be held accountable for that. And also because we have a lot of evidence that they misled people about it too. These lawsuits are important to just hold these companies accountable. Ultimately, its about getting them to change their business model because it will just not be viable anymore to sell a product that destroys our environment. These are not criminal lawsuits. Theyre not breaking the law. But they are in a business that kills people and destroys lives and livelihoods.

You wrote: The main thing Ive learned from extreme weather events is that the climate crisis is shaped largely by inequity and the still disputed dominance of patriarchal and colonial structures, which also prevents the serious pursuit of climate protection. Explain?

The inequality between the genders is very much shaping how the impact of climate change is affecting people. And look at what happened with the flooding in Pakistan in 2022, which killed nearly 1,500 people. Part of the reason they had such a dramatic impact is because the whole water infrastructure was built by the Brits, and it was not built by the Brits to provide the Pakistani population with the best available water supply. It was built as a prestigious engineering project to look cool and look impressive, but it was completely dysfunctional and completely ignored the needs of villages.

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Thats just one example. You can see it also in other proposed solutions, such as the movement to replace internal combustion engines with the same number of electric vehicles. That means theres a huge amount of mining now going on in the Global South, exploiting the populations there, using the same colonial structures that have been established during the high times of the empire, and therefore preventing solutions actually thought up by local communities.

Do you think the whole story of the climate crisis would be different if the world were run by women?

I think so, yes. It would be different because at the moment, the story that we tell  I mean, if we admit that there is a crisis at all  is that its a physical crisis that has a technical solution. But I think if the story were told from a womans perspective, it would probably be told more as a crisis of health, as a crisis of safety, and especially the safety of our children. And of course, that might sound a bit cliche, but I think it is not an accident that people who led the environmental movement in the past, such as Rachel Carson, a scientist whose work led to the phasing out of DDT as pesticides, was a woman. And she in turn inspired other women to campaign against lead in gasoline and paint. And it is because theyre much more affected by it. That doesnt mean that every single woman would do a better job than a man, of course. But on average, I think we would talk about it very differently.

Your book is a real gut punch to the Trump administration, which is doing everything it can to undermine anything to do with climate justice, from getting out of the Paris Agreement to pulling out of the Green Climate Fund. I know you wrote your book before Trump was elected, but when you look at the U.S. right now, what do you make of whats happening and the implications of this?

We have seen the first glimpses of the implications of Trumps policies last year when Hurricane Helene hit Florida and the Southern Appalachians. Florida had a relatively low death toll because that region is very used to hurricanes  they know that when theyre told to evacuate, its better to evacuate. But slightly further north in Appalachia, where theyre not quite so used to it, even though the forecasts were really good and people knew that it was dangerous, and people from FEMA tried to help people evacuate, a lot of Trump supporters actually attacked FEMA and obstructed their attempts to help. More people died because of it. So even before his inauguration, Trumps lies led to a lot of people who voted for him losing their lives and their livelihoods.

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Ending funding for USAID is another example. Trump and his people portray everything the U.S. has ever done in terms of aid is charity, but of course it is not, because the U.S. has profited dramatically from the world order that had the Global North prospering and the Global South basically building the stuff and taking the rubbish that we dont want and getting a bit of aid for that. It is a massive injustice that the U.S. has very much profited from. But dismantling it will lead to more instability globally. It will increase wars, it will mean that trading the business with lots of parts of the world will be much harder for the U.S. and it will just make the U.S. poorer.

There are a lot of right-wing parties in power in Europe that want to piggyback on Trump and dismantle policies for clean air and things like that. But I think there is definitely an alarm going off. A warning that says if this continues, it will just destroy the world as we know it. We actually need those institutions that we build. I mean, we decided on human rights for a reason. And I think that is slightly heartening in a way. A lot of people are realizing it is not just the poor  who a lot of people never really cared about anyway  who will be hurt by the rolling back of environmental protections and the dismantling of institutions. It will hurt everyone.

The central lie in the Trump administration is that our modern world and prosperity is dependent upon burning fossil fuels. And if you try to get off of fossil fuels, then everything that we kind of consider as part of modern life will kind of go away.

It is of course true that the access to cheap energy was important to start this western way of life. But first of all, we now have other sources of cheap energy than fossil fuels. But whats more important, whats completely missing in this narrative, is that it is not the access to energy per se that led to the prosperous lifestyle. The American Dream is not about fossil fuels. It is about access to high-quality education for everyone. It is about better access to Social Security, and that you can only be socially mobile if you have a network that allows you to go to school long enough to actually learn something. Or if you are stuck in a job that is not fulfilling, that you can change jobs. Or if you get sick, you have access to decent health care.

We are not exactly living in the golden age of scientific thinking. You can blame Trump for that, but there are other factors, too. In a significant part of the U.S. as well as other countries, science is increasingly seen as just another belief system, a kind of modern voodoo that maybe you happen to believe in, maybe not. As a person who has devoted her life to science, what do you think about that?

Sadly, its also not just coming from the outside, from people like Trump. There are also people who used to be scientists who talk about science being broken and not working. What that means for scientists like myself is to just hold very firmly against that. We have the scientific method, which is basically that every bit of science we do is testable. We can run experiments and see if something is true or not. And voodoo is not testable. Thats the key difference. That of course means that science can be wrong and can be overturned, but thats actually the strength of science. It shows that it is working when we learn something new. And I mean, you cannot say you dont believe in science and drive a car because without science, you would never have a car. You would never have been able to turn that fossil fuel into kinetic energy. And if you dont believe in science, well, I hope you never step into an airplane.

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Contributing Writer Jeff Goodells most recent book is The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet.

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Rising global temperatures driven by the changing climate are causing a lot of ice to melt in the Northern Hemisphere, which threatens the natural habitat of local wildlife and our environment at large.

A group of scientists recently found that atmospheric rivers can potentially slow down this melting and contribute to saving the massive Greenland Ice Sheet. Atmospheric rivers are large and narrow sections of the atmosphere that carry massive amounts of moisture from regions near the equator to the poles, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

They are responsible for 90% of the movement of moisture between the tropics and the poles, and they can produce substantial rain and snowfall. The rivers influence the formation of clouds, sea ice, air temperature, and more.

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An intense atmospheric river event in 2022 was the focus of a study by a team of researchers from Nordic countries. They found that it caused so much snowfall in Greenland that it delayed the start of the summer melt by 11 days and offset Greenland's 2022 net mass loss by 8%.

"Using high-elevation firn core sampling and isotopic analysis allowed us to pinpoint the extraordinary snowfall from this atmospheric river. It's a rare opportunity to directly link such an event to Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance and dynamics," said Hannah Bailey, a geochemist at the University of Oulu and lead author of the study.

The Arctic is warming a lot faster than the rest of the planet. This is having many adverse effects, like melting ice and rising sea levels. It is also causing heat waves and disruptions to the normal flow of ocean currents.

This impacts humans and wildlife in many ways. Higher sea levels could mean higher tides during extreme weather events, an increased spread of disease, and disruptions to our food systems.

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Atmospheric rivers have primarily been associated with accelerating ice melt in the Arctic. But after the 2022 event dropped 16 billion tons of snow on Greenland, scientists are open to the possibility that they could also help counteract the melt.

"Depending on their seasonal timing, we find that the impact of [atmospheric rivers] on ice sheet health is more nuanced than previously thought, and under their forecast intensification they could significantly recharge Greenland's mass balance," the researchers said.

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Harare Magistrate Donald Ndirowei yesterday deferred to Monday the bail ruling of Heart & Soul TV senior journalist Blessed Mhlanga, who is facing an incitement to violence charge. Mhlanga, represented by lawyer Chris Mhike, made a fresh bid for bail, citing changed circumstances following a previous bail denial by High Court Judge Justice Gibson Mandaza.Mhlanga is charged under section 164 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, accused of inciting violence. Yesterday, Mhike made an oral application for bail based on the argument that circumstances had changed since Mhlanga's last court appearance. He pointed out that the State had not yet commenced investigations into the case, and the passage of time since his detention had rendered continued incarceration unjustified.The defence strongly opposed the State's application to postpone the case until April 22, arguing that Mhlanga's extended detention was unjustified and that the State had failed to meet its own timelines for completing investigations. Mhike highlighted that during Mhlanga's initial appearance on February 25, the State had indicated it needed only 14 days to finish its investigations, but more than a month had passed without progress."It is unfair for the State to postpone after having over a month to complete investigations," Mhike said. "The State has no cogent reason for further delays."In the renewed application for bail, Mhike argued that the State's fears of Mhlanga interfering with investigations were unfounded. He emphasized that Mhlanga's colleagues had visited him in custody without any attempts to influence the case, and no junior staff worked under him, making any alleged interference unlikely.Mhike also referenced a High Court case, Hopewell Chin'ono vs The State, to support the basis of his bail application, noting that the law allows for oral bail applications. He further questioned the consistency of the charges against Mhlanga, pointing out that a similar case involving journalist Owen Madondo (DJ Ollah 7) had been dropped due to the same charge, suggesting that Mhlanga's case should be treated similarly.The defense lawyer also highlighted that the protests Mhlanga was accused of inciting had already occurred, making the argument for denying bail even less valid. Mhike stressed that Mhlanga should not remain in custody, particularly since the demonstrations and protests linked to the charges had passed.However, Prosecutor Anesu Chirenje opposed the bail application, arguing that Mhlanga remained a security risk due to the nature of the case. Chirenje pointed to the 98 individuals already in custody over the March 31 demonstrations and claimed that Mhlanga's release would worsen the situation and compromise ongoing investigations."The accused, if released, will abscond because he knows investigations are still ongoing," Chirenje stated. "Releasing him would jeopardize the integrity of the case."Chirenje did acknowledge the constitutional right of the accused to a fair and timely trial but maintained that the release of Mhlanga would hinder the prosecution's efforts to finalize the case expeditiously. The State also noted that the delay in proceedings was due to the need for expert evidence.The court will rule on Mhlanga's bail application on Monday.
In the deserts of Africa and the Middle East, scientists have discovered tiny tubes that appear to have been made by something alive.

In a press release, researchers from Germany's Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz described their surprise upon finding these bizarre tubular tunnels in marble and limestone.

"We were surprised," explained Cees Passchier, who first found the tunnels in Namibia 15 years ago, "because these tubes are clearly not the result of a geological process."

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In a new paper published in the Geomicrobiology Journal, Passchier and his colleagues described the bizarre physical properties of the weird tubes they found, first in Namibia and then in Saudi Arabia and Oman, both located thousands of miles to the east.

These micro-burrows, as they're called, are generally about an inch long and about half a millimeter wide. Cutting down into rocks that scientists like Passchier have long studied, clusters of these tiny tunnels have been exposed by erosion. When analyzed, the tubes revealed a fine calcium carbonate powder, which may have been left over from microorganisms that burrowed into the marble to access its nutrients.

While the current hypothesis suggests that something living made these weird little tubes in desert marble, researchers are baffled as to what kind of tiny organism it may have been.

"We dont currently know whether this is a life form that has become extinct," Passchier said in the press release, "or is still alive somewhere."

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Given that these mysterious structures are estimated to be about one or two million years old, it's possible that whichever microorganisms made them are not alive today.

Though traces of calcium carbonate powder were found in these microburrows, no DNA or proteins were left behind. Without more biological evidence, scientists won't be able to say definitively what type of critter carved them out  though to Passchier, that's what makes the discovery "so exciting."

"Is it a known form of life," the German scientist pondered, "or a completely unknown organism?"

"This form of life, of which we do not know whether it still exists, could be important for the global carbon cycle," he continued. "It is therefore essential that the scientific community becomes aware of it."

More on weird life: Scientists Puzzled by Giant Ancient Life Forms
The dark nooks and crannies of the lunar surface just might harbor life, according to new research.

In a preprint study presented at the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference last month, scientists propose that permanently shadowed regions of the Moon, or PSRs, have the right conditions to shelter microbial life forms  which could have profound implications for our efforts to explore the Earth's craggy satellite.

Some PSRs haven't seen sunlight in billions of years, due to the slight tilt the Moon has on its axis. That's not news, but what's surprising is that these lightless voids could also be sanctuaries from deadly UV radiation, too.

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"In space, microbes are typically killed by high heat and ultraviolet radiation," study lead author John Moores, a planetary scientist and associate professor at York University in the UK, told Universe Today. "However, the PSRs are very cold and very dark and, as a result, they are one of the most protective environments in the Solar System for the kinds of microbes that are typically present on spacecraft."

In other words, the PSRs could act as a freezer, preserving the microbes for years  "preserving" being the key word.

"To be clear, those microbes cannot metabolize, replicate or grow here, but they likely remain viable for decades until their spores are killed by the effects of vacuum," Moores added. "The organic molecules that make up their cells likely would persist far longer."

The chance of contaminating the lunar surface with Earth germs has always been a top concern for scientists. Beyond ethical and philosophical considerations, there's a practical case for ensuring that we don't ruin the data we collect in our quest to deepen our understanding of the lunar environment.

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One item on that checklist? PSRs, which have seen a surge of scientific interest in recent years. In fact, NASA's Artemis program is targeting a landing near the lunar South Pole, where the enduring shadows cloak the landscape. One PSR, the Shackleton Crater, is even being considered as a potential landing site.

If the PSRs could serve as microbial freezers, however, then any contamination that humans bring there could persist for decades and more  far longer than other regions on the Moon  setting back lunar ambitions there for generations.

Grimly, it's possible that this may already be the case.

"The chance that there is already terrestrial microbial contamination in the PSRs is low but not zero," Moores told Universe Today. "Several spacecraft have impacted within or near the PSRs. Though they all did so at high speed, past research by others has suggested that small numbers of spores can survive simulated impacts into regolith-like materials. If any microbes survived those impacts, they would have been widely dispersed."

More on the Moon: Robot Survived Failed Lunar Landing But Was Trapped Inside and Died Afterward
The impact of the changing climate is felt in many ways, including the migration patterns of birds. For the Bewick's swan, a species known for its long migratory journey, warmer temperatures have resulted in fewer swans returning to the U.K. each winter.

A recent report from the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) in Gloucestershire highlights a concerning decline of this once-thriving population. The swans' absence is not just a natural shift, it's a reflection of broader environmental changes that impact both wildlife and human communities.

What's happening?

Over the past 50 years, the population of Bewick's swans in the U.K. has dropped by a staggering 86%, with only 87 swans returning to the WWT reserve this winter, compared to the peak of 610 in the winter of 1978-79.

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"We love welcoming them back each winter so it's terribly sad to see so few of them this year and without any cygnets," WWT reserve manager Martin McGill said.

Traditionally, thousands of these swans migrate each year from their breeding grounds in northern Russia to escape the harsh Arctic winters and find ice-free wetlands in the UK. However, warmer temperatures across Europe altered their migratory route.

This winter, over 7,000 swans "short-stopped" their journey, settling for the more temperate regions of Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. As a result, the swans no longer need to travel as far, and the Slimbridge reserve is seeing fewer and fewer birds, including no cygnets, which are usually a part of the family group during migration.

Why is the swan population important?

The absence of the Bewick's swans signals how the overheating planet is impacting ecosystems that both humans and wildlife rely on. Swans are often seen as indicators of wetland health, which plays a critical role in providing clean water, supporting biodiversity, and mitigating flooding.

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The loss of swans, along with other migratory species, signals that these ecosystems are under pressure. The decline in Bewick's swan numbers also highlights dangers like toxic lead poisoning and illegal hunting, making their survival even more precarious.

Shifting migratory patterns could disrupt local economies tied to ecotourism and wildlife preservation, especially in regions like Gloucestershire.

What's being done about the swan population?

In response, the WWT is leading a coalition of charities urging the U.K. government to ban lead ammunition. Lead poisoning remains a significant threat to Bewick's swans, and eliminating this source of harm could help to protect their populations. WWT is advocating for more wetlands conservation to help mitigate the impacts of the changing climate.

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April 5 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Trump administration's request to halt a lower court's temporary restraining order requiring the federal government to continue $600 million in education grant funding.

The Trump administration halted the $600 million in grant funding due to alleged violations of a diversity, equity and inclusion ban imposed by President Donald Trump on Jan. 20.

The court ruled against the temporary restraining order, granting the Trump administration's request to allow it to halt funding of previously approved education grants until a federal appellate court rules in the matter.

Federal government is likely to succeed

"The district court's 'basis for issuing the order [is]strongly challenged' as the government is likely to succeed in showing the district court lacked jurisdiction to order the payment of money under the [Administrative Procedure Act]," the three-page, unattributed SCOTUS ruling says.

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"The district court's order also carries many of the hallmarks of a preliminary injunction," the SCOTUS ruling says.

The U.S. District Court for Massachusetts on March 10 granted a temporary restraining order to stop the Trump administration from halting funding for education-related grants and extended the order on March 24.

"The order also requires the government to pay out past-due grant obligations and to continue paying obligations as they accrue," the SCOTUS ruling says.

"But, as we have recognized, the APA's limited waiver of immunity does not extend to orders 'to enforce a contractual obligation to pay money.'"

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Such legal challenges are the jurisdiction of the Court of Federal Claims, the ruling says.

Withdrawn grant funds are unlikely to be recovered

The 5-3 SCOTUS ruling agrees with the federal government's argument that it is unlikely to recover grant funds once they are disbursed.

"No grantee 'promised to return withdrawn funds should its grant termination be re-instated,'" the SCOTUS majority decision says, adding that the district court also did not impose a bond on the grantees to ensure the potential return of withdrawn funds.

"By contrast, the government compellingly argues that respondents would not suffer irreparable harm while the temporary restraining order is stayed," the SCOTUS ruling says. "Respondents have represented ... that they have the financial wherewithal to keep their programs running."

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The ruling says that if the plaintiffs eventually prevail in their claims against the Trump administration, they can recover any wrongfully withheld funds.

"If respondents instead decline to keep the programs operating, then any ensuring irreparable harm would be of their own making," the majority opinion says.

The district court ruling said that plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed based on their claims under the APA, which grants sovereign immunity to the federal government.

"Sovereign immunity means that 'the United States cannot be sued in their courts without their consent,'" according to the Administrative Conference of the United States.

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"'Congress has an absolute discretion to specify the cases and contingencies in which the liability of the government is submitted to the. courts for judicial determination,'" the ACUS says.

Trump administration challenges district court's ruling

The Trump administration and the Department of Education on March 26 appealed the lower court's restraining order and sought to have the ruling vacated.

The appeal also sought an immediate administrative stay of the order requiring the government to pay past-due grants and other funding obligations.

The SCOTUS blocked the lower court's restraining order against the Trump administration pending the outcome of the case that now is before the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

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Justices Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett, Samuel Alito Jr., Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch ruled in favor of overturning the temporary restraining order.

Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. did not rule in the matter but said he would have joined Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson in dissenting.

Kagan's dissenting opinion said the SCOTUS' decision harms states, many of which have curtailed teacher training programs due to a lack of grant funding.

Brown Jackson likewise said the SCOTUS ruling inflicts "significant harms on plaintiff states" and the ruling is "entirely unwarranted."

"We do not ordinarily exercise jurisdiction over TROs, and this one is no different," she said.
Oleksandr Vilkul, Head of Kryvyi Rih City Defence Council, has reported the completion of search and rescue operations at all scenes of Russian strikes in the city.

Source: Vilkul on Telegram

Details: Vilkul said that search and rescue operations had been completed at all scenes of Russian strikes in Kryvyi Rih.

Vilkul added that a city headquarters for dealing with the aftermath of the attacks and municipal workers are now continuing their work at the scenes.

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Background:

Russian troops launched a ballistic missile strike on a residential area in the city of Kryvyi Rih on the evening of 4 April, killing 18 people, including nine children, and injuring over 60.

Late in the evening on 4 April, the Russians attacked Kryvyi Rih again, causing a fire in a residential area. It was later reported that one person had been killed and others injured.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Local experts are cautioning beachgoers to share the shore after a young elephant seal was found lounging on the Seaside beach Tuesday morning.

According to the Seaside Aquarium, the seal is going through its annual molt, where they shed their fur and outer layer of skin on land. As dramatic as this sounds, they aquarium assures it is a completely normal process and the animal is just resting.

Friends of the Columbia Gorge fear the scenic area wont receive funding from Washington

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It does not need to be fed and do not pour water on this animal; it can get to the water on its own, they added.

A sign cautions Seaside beachgoers to not disturb a young elephant seal in the molting process, Apr. 1, 2025. (Seaside Aquarium)

During molting, elephant seals can stay in the same place for weeks at a time. As a result, the aquarium says to stay at least 100 yards away from the seal and keep dogs on a leash.

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The animal is also being monitored by volunteers with the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

A young elephant seal rests on the Seaside beach during the molting process, Apr. 1, 2025. (Seaside Aquarium)

The northern elephant seal is the largest in the Northern Hemisphere, the Seaside Aquarium says. In particular, the adult males are known for their distinctive, inflatable noses they use to vocally threaten other males during winter breeding season.

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Additionally, they have one of the longest migrations of any mammal, with some having traveled over 13,000 miles roundtrip.

Northern elephant seals are also a conservation success story. Once thought to be extinct because of commercial sealing in the 1800s, a small population survived in Mexico and began to increase in the early 1900s.

Now, wildlife officials estimate that there are around 150,000 total elephant seals, around the size it was before hunting. The largest colonies of northern elephant seals are found off southern California in the Channel Islands.

Further, the elephant seal and all marine mammals are currently protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
A second arrest has been made in connection with the killing of a homeless man that occurred more than four years ago.

According to the Long Beach Police Department, 45-year-old Lakewood resident Jesse Galvan was identified as the second suspect involved in the 2021 murder of Samuel Villalba, who was 64.

The killing took place on Jan. 10, 2021 at a homeless encampment on the 2300 block of East 68th Street of Long Beach. According to police, Villalba was shot multiple times in the upper torso.

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At least two suspects were spotted fleeing the by witnesses, and now, two arrests have been made.

Last October, authorities arrested 47-year-old Andrew Reyna after identifying him as the suspected gunman.

Galvin, like Reyna, was arrested on suspicion of murder. His bail was set at $2 million.

No additional details were immediately made available.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Russia launched another attack on Kryvyi Rih late on April 4, using drones to target the city. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak confirmed the attack, reporting that it caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure.

The strike set a fire in a residential area, killing a woman in her home and injuring at least five civilians, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city's military administration.

The strike marked the second Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih that day, with an earlier missile strike killing 18 people and injuring 61. Nine children were among the dead, Lysak said. A playground was located near the site of the attack.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the attack, adding that Ukraine experiences "Russian strikes every day. Every day, people are killed. There is only one reason this continues: Russia does not want a ceasefire, and we see it. The whole world sees it."

Russia has continued missile and drone attacks across Ukraine despite U.S. efforts to negotiate a ceasefire. Kyiv argues that Moscow's strikes on civilian areas show it is not serious about peace.

"Every Russian promise ends with missiles or drones, bombs or artillery. Diplomacy means nothing to them. And thats why pressure is needed  sufficient pressure on Russia so they feel the consequences of every lie of theirs, every strike, every single day they take lives and prolong the war," Zelensky said.

Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky's hometown, remains a frequent target of Russian attacks. The city, home to about 660,000 people, is the second-largest in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and lies roughly 70 kilometers (40 miles) from the front line.

Read also: Inside Ukraines desperate race to train more soldiers

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Its been seven years since Beale Air Force Base, home to the secretive U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft, hosted a public airshow.

In anticipation of the event, the Yuba County airbase invited local media for a demonstration of the aircraft on Wednesday and the pressure suits pilots must use to fly it. A glimpse of Beales other aircraft, the T-38 Talon training jet, was also presented. Media visitors were asked not to photograph a number of base features.

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The opportunities to see the elusive U-2 might be dwindling, since the plane has been targeted for retirement in 2026  although extensions to the program are possible.

The Beale Air & Space Expo 2025 is scheduled for June 7-8. The show will feature many performers, including the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, which fly the F-16 fighter, and the U.S. Navys F/A-18 Rhino demo team. The U-2 will also fly.

Admission is free, but parking reservations are required. More information is available at BealeAirShow.com.

A U-2 Dragon Lady prepares to land at Beale Air Force Base earlier this month.

A T-38 Talon is prepared for a flight at Beale Air Force Base on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

Capt. Blitz is suited up for a flight in a U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft earlier this month. The pressure suit will protect him as he flies more than 60,000 feet above the ground.

An Air Force officer works on one of the suits pilots use to fly the U-2 Dragon Lady earlier this month.

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Capt. Blitz is suited up for a flight in a U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft earlier this month. The pressure suit will protect him as he flies more than 60,000 feet above the ground.

Capt. Blitz demonstrates at Beale Air Force Base earlier this month how he eats while while wearing his pressure suit as he flies the U-2.

Capt. Blitz fist bumps Staff Sgt. Brandon Gomez after being dressed in a pressure suit used for pilots of the U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft at Beale Air Force Base earlier this month.

A U-2 Dragon Lady takes off with the Sutter Buttes on the horizon at Beale Air Force Base earlier this month.

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A T-38 Talon takes off with the Sutter Buttes in the background during at Beale Air Force Base earlier this month.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Constitutional Court (ConCourt) has ruled that President Emmerson Mnangagwa acted within his constitutional mandate when he dismissed former High Court judge Justice Erica Ndewere. This decision follows a tribunal's recommendation, made four years ago, that she be removed from office due to gross incompetence.Justice Ndewere had challenged her dismissal before the ConCourt, arguing that the President had failed to fulfill his constitutional obligations when he removed her from the bench on 17 June 2021. She sought reinstatement as a judge, along with back pay and benefits, contending that the tribunal's recommendation was invalid and unlawful.Represented by prominent lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, Ndewere claimed that the tribunal had overstepped its authority and had not adhered to the procedures outlined in the Constitution and the Judicial Service (Code of Ethics). However, the Constitutional Court, consisting of Justices Paddington Garwe, Rita Makarau, Anne-Mary Gowora, Ben Hlatshwayo, Bharat Patel, Tendai Uchena, and Nicholas Mathonsi, unanimously ruled against her.Delivering the court's judgment, Justice Garwe stated that President Mnangagwa had acted in accordance with section 187 of the Constitution. The court found no legal basis for Ndewere's 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 noted that Ndewere's application failed to meet established legal principles. He emphasized that an applicant challenging a State functionary's conduct must clearly identify both the functionary and the specific impugned conduct. The court found that Ndewere had failed to do so.Ndewere had also alleged that her removal violated her right to equality before the law, arguing that she was treated differently from other judges who had faced disciplinary proceedings. She accused Chief Justice Luke Malaba of bypassing the requirement to appoint a panel of three judges to investigate the allegations against her, as mandated by the Judicial Service (Code of Ethics). Additionally, she claimed that the charges brought 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 proper procedures, rendering their recommendations unlawful. She asserted that the President should not have acted on the tribunal's advice without first ensuring that all constitutional processes had been observed.However, the court rejected these arguments, reaffirming that the President's role under section 187(8) of the Constitution is to act on the tribunal's recommendations without questioning their validity. Representing the President, Mrs. Venrandah Munyoro contended that the Constitution does not grant the President the discretion to assess the legality of the tribunal's processes. She maintained that the President had fulfilled his constitutional duty by implementing the tribunal's recommendations, as required by law.The court further cited the case of Joyce Teurai Ropa Mujuru v The President of Zimbabwe & Five Others to highlight the necessity of specificity in constitutional challenges. Justice Garwe pointed out that Ndewere's application lacked precision and did not establish a valid cause of action against the President.Despite raising serious allegations against the Chief Justice, the JSC, and the tribunal, Ndewere did not cite them as respondents in her application. Justice Garwe described this omission as significant and noted that it weakened her case.Considering the circumstances of the matter, the court ruled that no costs would be awarded.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM)  Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman (D), alongside West Virginia Senator Jim Justice (R), is proposing legislation to help prevent drug-related deaths in federal prisons.

According to Sen. Fettermans office, he and Sen. Justice introduced the Bureau of Prisons Security Check and Action against Narcotics in Mail Act (aka BOP SCAN Mail Act).

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This bipartisan legislation would require the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to develop and implement a digital scanning strategy in order to prevent the smuggling of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs into federal correctional facilities by mail.

We have a responsibility to protect our federal correctional officers, prison support staff, and inmates, and we need to stop fentanyl and other deadly drugs from putting their lives at risk, Senator Fetterman said. Im proud to work with Senator Justice to introduce the BOP SCAN Mail Act to expand on the success weve seen at USP Canaan in Pennsylvania. By bringing these protective measures to correctional facilities across the country, this bill will keep dangerous drugs out of our prisons. I hope my colleagues will join us to get this thing passed and signed into law  our prisons will be safer because of it.

Fettermans office says that federal prisons have experienced a 600% increase in overdose-induced inmate deaths over the last two decades.

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The influx of these drugs that are increasingly being smuggled through the mail also resulted in the death of one federal correctional officer and the hospitalizations for dozens of others in the last year.

If passed, the BOP SCAN Mail Act would expand a pilot program started at USP Canaan in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, and FCI Beckley in West Virginia.

Under this program, mail is scanned at an off-site location and digitally distributed to inmates in federal prison within 24 hours. Then, if the mail is determined to be free of synthetic drugs or opioids, the original copies are given to inmates within 30 days.

Fettermans office says the pilot program was 100% effective at preventing staff exposure to deadly drugs through the prison mail process.

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The BOP SCAN Mail Act is a smart, measured, and much-needed step forward in confronting a crisis that continues to evolve, Brandy Moore White, National President of the National Council of Prison Locals 33 said. We urge Congress to move swiftly to pass this legislation and to prioritize its implementation. Our members, and the communities we serve, are counting on your leadership to ensure that no correctional officer ever has to fear for their life simply by doing their job.

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) are cosponsoring the legislation.

Representatives Chris Pappas (D-NH-01) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) introduced the House companion legislation.

To date, the BOP SCAN Mail Act has been endorsed by the national board of the American Federation of Government Employees Council of Prisons Locals 33 (AFGE CPL-33), AFGE CPL-33 Locals 306, 307, 3003, and 4070, the National Association of Police Organizations, National District Attorneys Association, National Fraternal Order of Police, Mothers for Awareness and Prevention of Drug Abuse, Police Officers Defense Coalition, and Treatment Communities of America.

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To read the full bill, you can click here.

abc27 news will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
Apr. 4dbeard @dominionpost.com MORGANTOWN  The Senate Finance Committee on Friday upped the ante on both chambers' efforts to enable schools to put some form of security guards in their hallways.

The committee took up and approved a new version of HB 2164, which was already a hybrid of House and Senate approaches.

The original version allows public and charter schools, along with private and religious schools, to employ school safety officers. SSOs must be former law enforcement officers and may carry firearms. They may detain but not arrest a suspect.

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The hiring school must cover the equipment costs and provide insurance coverage. The bill prescribes training for the SSOs.

To provide two options, the House merged into its bill SB 450, the West Virginia Guardian program, to allow public schools, including charters (private and religious schools do not appear in this section), to contract with a retired law enforcement officer to provide Guardian services.

On Friday, the Finance Committee added a third option, to allow schools  public, private and religious  to contract with private security firms.

This portion doesn't require the guards to be retired law enforcement, but does require all the same training as the other two options, plus the standards for private investigative and security services described in Chapter 30 of state code  a provision that alleviated one senator's concerns that anyone off the street could walk in and get hired.

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Apart from a few clarifying questions, there was no debate and the committee approved the bill in a voice vote. It heads to the Senate floor where the new version will be formally amended in. Upon passage, it will return to the House for concurrence or further amendment.

As we've reported before, last year the competing House and Senate approaches went to conference committee on the last day of the session but went unresolved before the session adjourned and both bills died.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) blasted President Trump over what the Democrat described as a plot to plant political influence on the TikTok platform.

Trump granted the apps parent company, ByteDance, a 75 day extension from Saturdays divest or ban deadline. Several companies, such as Amazon, Oracle and Blackstone, have expressed interest in purchasing the app ahead of the deadline.

This is 100 percent illegal. Trump seems to be biding time to work out a deal where one of his political allies takes over TikTok and turns it into a MAGA propaganda machine, Murphy wrote in a Saturday post on the social platform X.

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Some have criticized the business communitys embrace of President Trump, including leaders such as Amazons Jeff Bezos and Oracles Larry Ellison, since the 2024 presidential election

Rumors are that China will stay in partial control, Murphy, an outspoken Trump critic, added in his Saturday post about the extension.

The Hill reached out to the White House for comment.

Earlier in the week Trump administration officials touted that a signed deal was expected to be announced ahead of April 5. But, Chinese discontent with Trumps widespread tariffs, which included a 34 percent levy on the country, hampered the chartered course of action.

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We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our Reciprocal Tariffs (Necessary for Fair and Balanced Trade between China and the U.S.A.!), the president added. This proves that Tariffs are the most powerful Economic tool, and very important to our National Security! We do not want TikTok to go dark.

Chinese officials have said Trumps new trade measures violate the World Trade Organizations regulations and have urged him to retract steep taxes.

We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say well approve a deal but will you do something on the tariffs. The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have. Ive used them very well in the first administration. Now were taking it to a whole new level, Trump told reporters on Air Force One Thursday.

Last week, the president teased a potential decision to grant a little reduction in tariffs or something in exchange for a signed deal regarding the video platform.

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Other companies that have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok include Perplexity AI, Microsoft and several other U.S.-based companies.

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Senate Democrats on Saturday blasted their GOP colleagues after the upper chamber advanced a budget blueprint overnight seeking to protect President Trumps legislative agenda.

The resolution passed in the upper chamber early Saturday morning by a 51-48 vote, after the upper chamber held an hours-long vote-a-rama on a series of amendments. The blueprint outlines plans to beef up border security, extend Trumps 2017 tax cuts, expand oil and gas drilling and increase defense spending.

Democrats took to social media to rail against the resolution.

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Just left the Senate after voting a hard NO on the one big, beautiful bill, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), wrote on social platform X, referring to the presidents portrayal of the blueprint.

I will never support a bill that uses Medicare, Medicaid or SNAP cuts to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, Fetterman, who notably backed Republicans continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown earlier this year, added.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) echoed the sentiment, calling the resolution a terrible budget plan.

Republicans just rammed their terrible budget plan through the Senate, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) wrote Saturday on X.

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Its never been more clear: they are hell bent on passing a giant tax giveaway for billionaires like Elon Musk at the expense of everybody else, he continued. We wont stop fighting.

The Maryland Democrat also criticized his Republican counterparts for blocking amendments that sought to protect social programs such as Social Security, Medicaid and school lunches.

Republicans time and again voted down our amendments to protect the American public, he said in a video alongside the post.

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) came to the same conclusion, condemning the GOP for going after families.

We tried to make changes to protect Medicaid, Medicare, food assistance, and even prevent higher costs for YOU  Republicans blocked them, she wrote early Saturday on X. Theyve made their priorities clear: billionaires win, families lose.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) went a step further, pegging the passage as a bended knee to Trump.

Donald Trump has betrayed the American people. And in voting for this budget bill, Senate Republicans sided with billionaires, against the middle class, in total obeisance to Donald Trump, Schumer wrote online.

In a subsequent X post, the Democratic leader pointed to the presidents latest tariff announcement and experts warnings of a potential recession in its wake in his argument against Trumps policies.

The odds of a recession are surging because of Trumps tariffs. And with the bill [the] Senate GOP just passed, its a brutal Republican pincer move against American families: Trumps tariffs raising costs on one side, and Senate GOP cutting Medicaid and pushing billionaire tax breaks on the other, he wrote.

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They are chaining themselves to the MAGA anchor and leaping into the ocean, he added in a third post  while also denouncing his colleagues votes against Democrats amendments.

Meanwhile, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) called it a great night for billionaires  a bad night for everyone else.

Despite the pushback, Republicans in the upper chamber have largely taken a victory lap.

Tonight, the Senate took one small step toward reconciliation and one giant leap toward making the tax cuts permanent, securing the border, providing much-needed help for the military and finally cutting wasteful Washington spending, Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) wrote in a post online.

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Well done, he added.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) also heralded the resolutions passage, showing his support for Trumps legislative priorities.

President Trump wants to balance the budget and decrease our debt, Cassidy said in a statement. I agree.

Still, the blueprint needs to be adopted by the House before negotiations can begin on a larger bill. If both chambers agree to a joint budget resolution, it will unlock the reconciliation process and give Republicans the ability to circumvent a potential Democratic filibuster.

Thus far, the House has not shown support.

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After about six hours of amendment votes, the Senate approved a budget blueprint Saturday morning by a vote of 51-48.

Republican Sens. Rand Paul and Susan Collins cast votes against the resolution. Every other Republican in the chamber voted for it, and every Democrat voted against it.

The resolution only needed a simple majority of votes to pass, so it now heads to the House for further consideration.

PHOTO: Committee chairman Sen. Rand Paul speaks during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on Capitol Hill, April 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

If the House also approves the proposal, it will unlock the next step in the reconciliation process and will allow committees in both the House and the Senate to begin drafting legislation aimed at accomplishing Republican wish-list items such as raising the debt ceiling, increasing border security and extending President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts.

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House Republican leaders are urging their conference to support the measure. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and top leaders said the Senate-passed resolution will come up for a vote in the House next week, according to a "Dear Colleague" letter obtained by ABC News.

However, this is contingent upon House Republicans being able to adopt a "rule" on the floor to advance legislation, which is unclear amid a standoff over parental proxy voting.

"Adopting the Senate's amendment to the House resolution will allow us to finally begin the most important phase of this process: drafting the reconciliation bill that will deliver on President Trump's agenda and our promises to the American people," the GOP leaders wrote in the letter.

If all members are voting and present, Johnson can only afford to lose three members of his caucus on the vote -- a fourth would tank the bill.

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Several Republicans have publicly expressed opposition to the Senate bill. House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, slammed the measure, calling it "unserious" and "disappointing" in a statement on Saturday.

"If the Senate's 'Jekyll and Hyde' budget is put on the House floor, I will vote no," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, posted on X, later adding, "Failure is not an option. And the Senate's budget is a path to failure."

"The Senate is free to put pen to paper to draft its reconciliation bill, but I can't support House passage of the Senate changes to our budget resolution until I see the actual spending and deficit reduction plans to enact President Trump's America First agenda," House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., posted on X.

Johnson will have his work cut out for him to try to get this bill across the finish line next week and will likely rely on help from Trump.

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MORE: Video Senate Republicans set to push Trump agenda forward with vote-a-rama

The final package, if Republicans can agree on it, will be able to be passed with a simple majority of votes in both chambers.

Democrats were powerless to stop the resolution from moving forward Saturday morning, but they put up a fight by forcing votes on a number of amendments, including amendments on protecting access to Medicare and Medicaid, modifying or eliminating some of Trump's tariffs and protecting funding for caregivers for children and the elderly.

The Senate completed its vote-a-rama just after 2:30 a.m.

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Though Republicans defeated the most eye-popping of the Democratic amendments, some that were offered got a sprinkling of across-the-aisle support from a handful of GOP defectors, signaling the challenges ahead in drafting legislation that's palatable to enough Republicans to pass muster when it comes up for a final vote.

PHOTO: In this March 14, 2025, file photo, the U.S. Capitol is seen on March 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images, FILE)

Though an amendment that would have struck the instructions governing massive spending cuts to the House Energy and Commerce Committee failed, it got the support of three GOP senators: Collins, Josh Hawley and Lisa Murkowski.

This is the budget instruction that many Democrats say presents a risk to Medicare and Medicaid funding, signaling a possible hazard on the path ahead for any package that is cobbled together. Collins has signaled that concerns about cuts in this area of the package is why she voted against the entire resolution.

Collins, Murkowski and Hawley also supported the amendment to protect funding for caregivers.

PHOTO: In this March 13, 2025, file photo, Sen. Susan Collins speaks to reporters outside of the Senate Chambers at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, FILE)

MORE: US projected to default this summer absent congressional action

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With Vice President J.D. Vance's tiebreaking vote, Senate Republicans will only be able to lose three members of its caucus when a final package is put together.

The Senate will return to Washington on Monday for one more week of work before a two-week recess.

Senate Republicans pass budget blueprint after all-night session originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The Senate on Friday night kicked off its vote-a-rama, a process that is likely to conclude with Republicans adopting the budget resolution that will serve as a blueprint for enacting President Trumps domestic agenda.

The lengthy string of amendment votes is set to run past midnight and into the wee hours of Saturday morning.

Democrats are expected to use the opportunity to put Republicans on the record on a host of issues, headlined by Trumps widespread tariffs that were rolled out earlier in the week and spawned major losses on Wall Street.

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Now, Donald Trumps agenda is on trial. Its time now for Republicans to answer, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said shortly before the vote-a-rama kicked off. Tonight, Democrats will bring amendment after amendment to the floor  one right after another, again and again and again.

Schumer added that the Democratic amendments will be focused on actions by the Department of Government Efficiency, along with cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid that Democrats say will be in the final bill.

The choice is theirs, Schumer said. Donald Trump has betrayed the American people. Will Senate Republicans join him in this betrayal?

The vote-a-rama on the Senates previous version of a budget resolution included 25 amendment votes and lasted nearly 10 hours overall.

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The budget resolution would create the parameters for Republicans in their push to extend and make permanent Trumps 2017 tax cuts, which the party has made the top priority of its agenda on Capitol Hill. It also includes a hike in the debt ceiling and spending cuts.

Republicans are aiming to enact Trumps priorities through a process called budget reconciliation, which bypasses the Senate filibuster and thus can pass with only GOP votes.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) argued on the floor prior to the numerous amendment votes that the battle was all about whether you want to vote for extending the tax policy and avoiding a $4 trillion tax increase or whether you want to vote in favor of this resolution and make sure the 2017 tax policy  is extended permanently.

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Two senators have sent a letter to multiple AI companion companies requesting information about their safety practices, including details about internal safety assessments and timelines of the implementation of guardrails, as CNN reported yesterday.

The action follows the filing of two high-profile child welfare lawsuits against the Google-tied chatbot startup Character.AI, which has been accused in court filings by three families of facilitating the sexual and emotional abuse of minor users, allegedly resulting in severe mental and emotional suffering, violence, behavioral changes, and one death. (Google and Character.AI cofounders Noam Shazeer and Daniel de Freitas are also named as defendants in the lawsuits.)

Drafted by democratic senators Alex Padilla of California and Peter Welch of Vermont, the letter cites details of the accusations against Character.AI as cause for alarm, calling specific attention to concern for minor users of AI companion apps and directly referencing Sewell Setzer III, a 14-year-old user of Character.AI who died by suicide in February 2024 after extensive and extraordinarily intimate interactions with the platform's anthropomorphic chatbots.

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"We write to express our concerns regarding the mental health and safety risks posed to young users of character- and persona-based AI chatbot and companion apps," reads the letter, "including Character.AI."

Setzer's death, first reported by The New York Times, made headlines in October after his mother, Megan Garcia, filed the first of the two ongoing child welfare suits against the chatbot startup. The second complaint was filed in Texas in December on behalf of two more families whose minor kids are said to have experienced significant mental and physical harm as a result of using the service. One of them, who was 15 when he started using the app, began physically self-harming after discussing self-injury with a Character.AI bot.

Both lawsuits, which together argue that Character.AI and its benefactor Google knowingly released a dangerous and untested product into the marketplace, have made waves amongst the public, particularly parents. And now, it looks like lawmakers on Capitol Hill are paying attention.

"In light of recent reports of self-harm associated with this emerging application category, including the tragic suicide of a 14-year-old boy," the letter continues, asking that recipients "respond in writing outlining what steps you are taking to ensure that the interactions taking place on your products  between minors and your artificial intelligence tools  are not compromising the mental health and safety of minors and their loved ones."

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Per a press release, the letter was sent to Character.AI, Chai Research Corp, and Replike maker Luka, Inc.

Replika, which has been a player in the digital companion space for many years, is currently facing a Federal Trade Commission complaint from advocacy groups alleging that it's engaged in deceptive marketing practices aimed at hooking vulnerable users. Other Replika controversies include its alleged role in encouraging a troubled young man in the UK to attempt to assassinate the late Queen Elizabeth II with a crossbow, as well as men using the app to abuse virtual girlfriends.

All three companies offer a version of a similar product: access to emotive, lifelike chatbots designed to embody specific personas. (Think characters like "goth girlfriend," ersatz AI versions of celebrities, fake therapists or other professionally-styled bots, or virtually any fictional character in existence.)

In some cases, users carry on extensive fictional roleplays with the bots; others treat the characters like trusted confidantes, with users frequently developing emotional, romantic, or sexual relationships with the characters.

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But while companion apps have proliferated amid the AI boom, experts have consistently warned that the same design features that make them so engaging  their penchant for sycophancy and flattery, always-on availability, and human-like tenor, to name a few  may put vulnerable users at a heightened risk for harm.

The senators' letter speaks to these concerns, writing that the "synthetic attention" such bots give to users "can, and has already, led to dangerous levels of attachment and unearned trust stemming from perceived social intimacy." This trust, they add, can "cause users to disclose sensitive information about their mood, interpersonal relationships, or mental health, which may involve self-harm and suicidal ideation  complex themes that the AI chatbots on your products are wholly unqualified to discuss."

The lawmakers are requesting a few different pieces of information from the AI companies. They first ask that the firms provide them with the "current and historical" safety guardrails enacted in their products  and, importantly, a timeline of their implementation. (Character.AI, for example, has historically been extremely reactive to apparent gaps in safety guardrails, repeatedly promising to add new safety features after controversies arise.)

The senators are also requesting that the companies provide them with information about the data used to train their AI models, and how that training material "influences the likelihood of users encountering age-inappropriate or other sensitive themes."

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The companies are further asked to disclose details about safety personnel, as well as a description of the services and support provided to safety-oriented staffers like content moderators and AI red-teamers, whose work often necessitates contact with sensitive or disturbing material.

Luka and Chai did not respond to CNN's request for comment. In a statement, Character.AI told CNN that the company takes the senators' concerns "very seriously."

"We welcome working with regulators and lawmakers," the company added, "and are in contact with the offices of Senators Padilla and Welch."

As it stands, like other generative AI firms, these companion companies have operated within a largely unregulated federal landscape. To that end, the senators' letter is still exploratory, and is among the first steps by Capitol Hill lawmakers to investigate the safety measures  and perhaps more tellingly, founding safety practices and principles  at industry leaders like Character.AI, Replika, and Chai.

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But it's a step nonetheless. And given that Character.AI, in particular, has repeatedly declined to provide us with information about how it's assessed the safety of its platform for minor users, we'll be paying close attention to what happens next.

Update: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Peter Welch is a representative of Massachusetts. He is a senator for Vermont.

More on Character.AI and safety: Character.AI Says It's Made Huge Changes to Protect Underage Users, But It's Emailing Them to Recommend Conversations With AI Versions of School Shooters
AKRON, Ohio (WJW)  A dispute between two men that erupted into gunfire landed one in jail and one in the hospital.

According to an Akron Police Department press release, officers responded to a shooting near the Park Lane Manor Apartments just after 9:15 Friday night.

I-TEAM: Police monitor will not be removed after casino incident

Nearby, in the 700 block of Archwood Ave., officers found a 34-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

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Officers secured the scene and located multiple shell casings and other evidence then canvassed the area.

Several blocks away, police located and detained 21-year-old James McNeil and took him to the police department for questioning, the release said.

Detectives determined there was an altercation involving the victim, who police did not name, and McNeil. During the dispute, there was an exchange of gunfire between the two.

McNeil was charged with Discharging Firearms and was taken to the Summit County Jail.

Members of Kent States international community had visas revoked by federal authorities

Officers are working to determine what role other subjects may have played in the shooting that police described as a senseless incident.



Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau

at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2Tip.

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Sentebale was Harry's passion project and, without it, his in-tray will look even emptier, while his wife's is 'overflowing'. | Credit: Brian Otieno / Getty Images for Sentebale

Prince Harry was just 20 when he visited Lesotho during his gap year, said Tessa Dunlop in The Independent. His adolescence had been turbulent and self-destructive, but in the tiny landlocked country he found "meaning" and purpose. Two years later, he and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho founded Sentebale  a charity dedicated to orphans of the Aids epidemic  in memory of their late mothers.

The cause was clearly very close to Harry's heart, and he raised millions for it; so "no one was surprised" when Sentebale (which translates as "forget me not", his mother's favourite flower) remained in the Sussexes' portfolio after they left the UK. Last week, however, Harry revealed that he had made the "devastating" decision to stand down as its patron, in solidarity with its trustees. Mainly members of his "establishment old guard", they had resigned following a power struggle with its new chair, Sophie Chandauka, a Zimbabwean lawyer and former trustee.

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In the war of words this triggered, few facts are agreed, said Roya Nikkhah in The Sunday Times. The trustees have briefed that Chandauka had wasted vast sums on consultancy fees, in a failed effort to attract US donors. She denies this, and counter-claims that the charity had been damaged by the "toxicity of its lead patron's brand"  arguing that Harry's fall out with his family had deterred commercial partners. She says the trustees refused to discuss this, and accuses them of weak management, bullying, "misogyny and misogynoir".

She also implies that Harry had used the charity to enhance the Sussex brand. She claims that he forced a fundraising polo match to be moved, so that he could bring a Netflix camera crew; and that he'd ordered her to issue a public defence of his wife Meghan, who had turned up at the event unexpectedly, and been criticised for seeming to "manage" Chandauka out of a photocall with Harry. Now, she says the duke is playing the "victim card", while "unleashing the Sussex machine" against her.

Chandauka aimed her attacks well, said Richard Kay in the Daily Mail. She has turned Harry's victim status against him, and undermined his claim to be "awake" to injustice. And she has a point about the charity's funding: these days, it doesn't look good for a charity serving Africa's poor to be mainly funded by white men playing polo. Still, you have to feel for Harry. Sentebale was his passion project and, without it, his in-tray will look even emptier, while his wife's is "overflowing". Whoever is to blame, this dispute is surely "a crushing blow" for the prince.
Seven members of Congress from Washington state  all Democrats  have co-signed a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd Lyons regarding an ICE raid at Mount Baker Roofing on Wednesday in Bellingham.

Masked ICE agents detained 37 employees during the early-morning raid at the business and loaded them onto buses.

Wednesdays raid comes just over a week after several farm workers were arrested in Ferndale by ICE agents, including political activist and union organizer Alfredo (Lelo) Juarez Zeferino, who was detained briefly at an ICE facility in Ferndale before being transferred to the privately-operated Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.

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The letter, which was sent to The Herald via email from Rep. Rick Larsens office Friday afternoon, is co-signed by Larsen (WA-02) and Reps. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Emily Randall (WA-06), Adam Smith (WA-09) and Kim Schrier (WA-08).

The full text of the letter follows:

We write to express our deep concerns over the recent actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across Washington State. We are especially alarmed at the recent ICE raid that took place in Bellingham, Washington. Raids like this have devastating consequences for our communities.

On Wednesday in Bellingham, ICE officers entered a workplace, pointed guns at employees, and took away 37 community members in unmarked vans. For months, the Trump administration has insisted that their deportation efforts are focused on the worst of the worst and true public safety threats. In reality, there is no indication that the people detained this week are anything other than dedicated parents working hard to support their families and positive contributors to their communities.

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Because of this raid and other detainments across the country, the fear of being taken away at gunpoint in unmarked vans is becoming widespread. This fear leaves students and employees scared to go to class and to go to work. It cripples our small businesses and local economies. And critically, it makes it more difficult for state and local law enforcement to build and maintain trust with the communities they serve. ICE actions like the raid that took place in Bellingham are making our communities less safe.

Every individual detained has a right to due process, including the right to speak to an attorney. We will be closely monitoring these cases to ensure that ICE is following the law.

To that end, we request that you immediately provide the following information:

Details on individuals ICE encountered during the enforcement action, including the number of people who were taken into custody, broken down by gender, age, nationality, immigration status, and rationale for targeting them in a raid. Information on how many of those arrested had previously received a stay of removal, order of supervision or other form of prosecutorial discretion pursuant to prosecutorial discretion guidelines in place prior to January 2017. Information on how many of those arrested have pending asylum claims. The manner in which ICE may or may not have collaborated with state and local law enforcement agencies.

We look forward to your response.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Suspected armed robber Thulani Munetsi's plea for bail after two years in pretrial detention has yet again been rejected by the High Court.Munetsi, accused of participating in four armed robberies in Harare alongside five accomplices, faces allegations of wielding firearms, issuing threats, and committing violent acts to steal cash, goods, and personal belongings.Justice Esther Muremba, presiding over the case, described Munetsi as unsuitable for bail, citing his dishonesty and lack of a permanent residential address."The truth is the foundation of justice," the judge said, noting that Munetsi's false statements about his residence undermined his credibility.Investigations revealed that the address he provided was fictitious, and even relatives testified that as an artisanal miner, he moved frequently and had no fixed home.The court concluded that his transient lifestyle and falsehoods posed a significant risk of absconding, a threat to the administration of justice.While rejecting bail, Justice Muremba did not shy away from criticising the State for its failings.She condemned the prolonged two-year detention without trial, calling it a violation of constitutional rights, including the presumption of innocence and the right to a timely trial."Justice delayed is justice denied," she noted, pointing to systemic inefficiencies and a weak State case riddled with conflicting accounts.The judge highlighted the State's failure to locate the docket or make meaningful progress, labelling such delays as an indictment on the justice system itself.Munetsi, representing himself, argued that the delay in his trial was evidence of the State's lack of evidence against him. He denied involvement in the robberies and pointed out that some of his co-accused had been granted bail, insisting he should be treated no differently.However, the State countered that Munetsi posed a flight risk, claiming he had gone into hiding after learning of his co-accused's arrests and had been implicated in the robberies by accomplices.The circumstances of his arrest were another point of contention. The State initially claimed Munetsi was apprehended at a hideout in Melfort following a shootout with police, but detectives later testified that he was arrested in Belvedere, Harare, after being lured to the location via a phone call.While acknowledging the prolonged detention and the frailty of the evidence, the judge held firm that granting bail in these circumstances would undermine public safety and the integrity of the justice system.
With the last day of the 2025 Maryland General Assembly session approaching on Monday, several bills with Frederick County sponsors have already passed both chambers and to the governor.

Two of the bills that made it through the state legislature are based on priority legislation Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater submitted to the state delegation last year.

One, HB442, would allow statements made by a child to a professional forensic interviewer to be read in court. Currently, the rule against hearsay prevents forensic interviewers from testifying about statements children made to them.

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The bills primary sponsor is Del. Karen Simpson, a Democrat from District 3.

Fitzwater, a Democrat, had also asked the delegation to propose a statewide version of Family Connects Frederick County. The program provides a free home visit with a nurse to families with a newborn baby delivered at Frederick Health Hospital.

But the amended legislation that advanced to Democratic Gov. Wes Moore  HB334 in the state House of Delegates and SB156 in the state Senate  stops short of expanding the program to other jurisdictions.

Instead, the cross-filed bills will establish a work group on universal nurse home visiting services in the state. The work group would be tasked with compiling data on existing services, identifying gaps in service and making recommendations to the state legislature by the end of 2025.

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Del. Ken Kerr sponsored the House version of the bill. Sen. Karen Lewis Young sponsored the Senate version. Both Kerr and Lewis Young are Democrats representing District 3.

Kerr is also the lead sponsor of a bill establishing a work group on cyber security at hospitals and other health care entities. That bill has also advanced to the governor.

Kerr previously told The Frederick News-Post that he hoped HB333 could prevent data breaches like the one that occurred this year at FHH, in which patients names, Social Security numbers, birthdays and addresses were compromised.

Also of note in the public health sphere is HB39, which would repeal a Maryland law that criminalizes knowingly transferring or attempting to transfer HIV.

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Advocates of the bill have said that the intentional transfer of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases is already covered by the states reckless endangerment statute, which has a higher penalty.

They have also argued that the existing law unnecessarily stigmatizes people with HIV and discourages people from knowing their HIV status.

The bills lead sponsor is Del. Kris Fair (D-3), who is also the director of The Frederick Center, a nonprofit organization that caters to the LGBTQ+ community.

In a press release on Thursday, Fair called the bills passage a win for public health, for racial justice, and for correcting historical wrongs.

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Three bills sponsored by the entire Frederick County delegation have also been approved by the General Assembly. They are:

* HB512

*  to increase the number of ounces of alcohol Frederick County businesses with salon liquor permits such as barbershops and hair salons can serve to customers

HB866

*  to allow the manager or other official of a theater in Frederick County to hold the establishments liquor license

HB1026

*  to update the rules for beer and wine tastings in Frederick County

* Two other pieces of legislation requested by Fitzwater were still pending the General Assembly as of press time on Friday. They are:

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SB175

*  to ban the sale, transfer or distribution of nonconductive jacketed corrugated stainless steel tubing, a common fuel gas piping material linked to the 2021 line-of-duty death of Frederick County Battalion Chief Josh Laird.

* As of press time on Friday, the bill had been amended and passed by the House. The Senate must still approve the amended version. The legislative session is scheduled to conclude at the end of the night on Monday.

HB23

*  to allow the governing body of a county or Baltimore City to set special tax rates for certain commercial or industrial property for the purpose of financing transportation improvements or public education.

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As of press time on Friday, the bill was still in the Senates Budget and Taxation Committee after passing in the House.

Moore will have until May 27 to sign or veto each bill passed by the state legislature during the 2025 session. A bill also can become law if the governor takes no action.

Most of the bills that become law will take effect on Oct. 1. Bills related to budget and taxation will take effect on July 1, the first day of fiscal year 2026.
(Adds dropped reporting credit to April 5 story)

By Anna Koper, Marek Strzelecki, Filipp Lebedev and Andrius Sytas

WARSAW (Reuters) -Fake cosmetics, massage pillows and sex toys. Crude homemade explosives. A Russian known as Warrior. A code word: Mary.

These are among the key elements of a suspected Russian-run sabotage plot that led to three parcels being detonated at courier depots in Britain, Germany and Poland last summer, a person with knowledge of the Polish investigation told Reuters.

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The pillows, packed into the parcels with the cosmetics and sex toys, contained hidden homemade incendiary devices made of a cocktail of chemicals including highly reactive magnesium, according to the person familiar with the case who provided the most granular account yet of the alleged plot.

The chemicals were ignited by pre-timed detonators adapted from cheap Chinese electronic gadgets used to track items like lost keys, with the effect enhanced by the tubes of what looked like cosmetics but in fact contained a gel made of flammable compounds including nitromethane, according to the source.

"The proceedings in this case concern criminal activities inspired by Russia's GRU," this person said, referring to Moscow's foreign military intelligence agency.

Reuters is reporting the details of the investigation for the first time, drawing on the account provided by the source close to the Polish case as well as interviews with more than a dozen European security officials. The findings provide a rare insight into how sabotage campaigns play out on the ground.

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European security chiefs made the parcel fires public in October, describing them as part of a "hybrid war" being waged by Russia to destabilize the functioning of countries that support Ukraine, involving tactics like arson and cyberattacks.

They said the parcels - which caught alight in warehouses, causing fires but not hurting anyone - were a dry run for a future Russian plot to detonate similar packages in midair on cargo flights to the United States and Canada.

"With the war in Ukraine, these attacks have intensified, they became more frequent, more assertive," said Nicu Popescu, Moldova's deputy prime minister and foreign secretary until early last year and now distinguished policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations think-tank.

"Of course, this poses a risk to people, to citizens across the European Union."

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The Kremlin rejected the accusation of Russia having a hand in the fires. "We know nothing about it," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters. "We do not rule out that this is just more fake news or a manifestation of blind Russophobia."

The Kremlin said European allegations of a Russian sabotage or hybrid campaign were wholly unsubstantiated.

The GRU didn't respond to a request for comment.

The package detonations took place on July 19, 20 and 21 in the British city Birmingham, Leipzig in Germany and near the Polish capital Warsaw.

Two EU security officials with knowledge of alleged attacks, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive information, said the Polish cell was typical of Russian intelligence's methods. Russian handlers often recruit local criminals to carry out their plans, the officials added, giving them basic instructions via Telegram and paying each operative up to a few thousand euros per job.

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The ingredients and igniters detailed in the case are widely available in stores selling products like fertiliser inputs and pyrotechnics, said Jaroslaw Stelmach, a former bomb-disposal specialist who runs the Safety Project, a consultancy that advises on the security of public buildings among other things.

While the small, crude devices might only be able to cause a small fire, they could be difficult to detect, he told Reuters. "This is an extremely cheap, very effective, highly anonymous method of producing explosive devices," he added.

WARRIOR, MARY AND A FOURTH PARCEL

The Polish prosecution case is based on testimony from at least five suspected members of the alleged sabotage cell as well as the classified findings of security services, according to the person with knowledge of the investigation.

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The national prosecutor's office told Reuters that investigators had also seized a fourth parcel that failed to explode at a Warsaw depot, allowing them to examine the contents intact.

Polish investigators allege a Ukrainian named Vladyslav D who lived in southern Poland played a key role in the European dry run, acting on instructions he received on Telegram from a GRU handler whom he knew only as "Warrior", the source said.

Polish law doesn't allow the public disclosure of the surnames of people facing criminal charges. However, the suspect's full name - Vladyslav Derkavets - was publicly disclosed in a related court case in Bosnia, where there are no identification restrictions, in which another suspected member of the alleged parcels plot faced extradition to Poland.

On July 18, Vladyslav drove an Opel Astra from his home in Katowice across the border to the Lithuanian city of Kaunas where he collected more than a dozen items from the trunk of a parked car, according to the person close to the Polish prosecution case.

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The 27-year-old drove on to Lithuania's capital Vilnius where he boxed up four packages, each with a pillow plus a few of the cosmetics tubes and sex toys. Before sealing them, he pressed two buttons to activate pre-timed detonation mechanisms, according to the source who said the gadgets were of a type that allowed users to set trigger times from a few seconds to months ahead.

On July 19, he handed the parcels over to a man in a park in Vilnius who used the code word "Mary", the person said. The packages were posted on the same day from the city, they added.

Vladyslav was arrested in Poland in early August and charged with performing terrorist acts on behalf of Russian intelligence. In January, a Warsaw court extended his detention near the capital until May while the investigation continues.

Reuters was unable to contact Vladyslav in detention and his court-appointed lawyer said he couldn't comment given his lack of knowledge of the details of the investigation, which is at a pre-trial stage.

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The national prosecutor's office told Reuters that the suspect denied both the charges levelled at him including working for a foreign intelligence agency, and provided "extensive explanations" for his actions which the office said it was unable to disclose because of investigation confidentiality.

When questioned after his arrest, Vladyslav told investigators he had been introduced to Warrior by a friend and that they only communicated over Telegram, the source familiar with the investigation said.

Polish prosecutors accuse another man, 44-year-old Alexander B, of being part of the same Polish cell as Vladyslav. His task, they say, involved preparing the way for targeting the North American-bound cargo planes by organising for packages of sneakers and clothes to be sent from Warsaw to Washington and Ottawa to gather information about parcel-processing methods and timing.

Alexander was the suspect Polish authorities sought to extradite from Bosnia, where he was publicly named in full as Alexander Bezrukavyi, a Russian national from Rostov-on-Don. He told a hearing in Bosnian capital Sarajevo in January that he had no part or knowledge of any plot to target depots or cargo planes.

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Bezrukavyi lost his extradition battle and was extradited to Poland in February. Reuters was unable to contact him in detention or reach a lawyer acting for him. He has denied the charges levelled against him including working for a foreign intelligence agency, according to the person familiar with the Polish investigation.

(Reporting by Anna Koper and Marek Strzelecki in Warsaw, Filipp Lebedev in London and Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; Additional reporting by Daria Sito-Susic in Sarajevo, Sabine Siebold in Berlin, Jan Lopatka in Prague, Mike Holden and Sam Tobin in London, Lili Bayer in Brussels, David Ljunggren in Ottawa and Erin Banco in New York; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Pravin Char)
LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT)  The family and friends of Tracie Allred gathered in a Limestone County courtroom Friday to hear the sentencing of Vernon Allred.

Vernon Allred pleaded guilty to felony murder for shooting his estranged wife, Tracie Allred, in 2022. Moments later, a judge sentenced him to life in prison.

Man accused of killing Huntsville PD officer gets new lawyers

We can just think about Tracie from now on, said Mae Hammac, a longtime friend of Tracie Allred.

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Hammac described her friend as being very caring toward everyone in her life.

Tracie was one of the best people you could ever meet, Hammac said. There was nobody that she couldnt do anything for.

She said Tracies family has been looking for justice for her death.

When Vernon Allred was arrested in 2022, he was charged with capital murder. The state amended the charge to felony murder before Allred pleaded guilty.

Hammac said the family feels better knowing he will be behind bars.

Shes at peace, Hammac said. Im telling you, shes at peace now. Shes with her son and her other relatives whove passed, and shes with her mama every day.

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Hammac joined Tracie Allreds mother, daughter, sister and stepfather in the courtroom Friday.

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She can rest in peace now, and thats what we wanted, Hammac said.

After leaving the courthouse Friday, friends and family visited Tracie Allreds gravesite, releasing balloons in her memory.

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President Trumps latest tariffs are expected to drive up prices, and some shoppers arent waiting around, rushing to make purchases they fear will soon cost more.

Initial estimates suggest that new-vehicle sales surged at the end of March, driven by consumers jumping in before new tariffs pushed prices higher, according to Cox Automotive. The research firm said March could end up being the best month for sales volume in four years.

In the short term at least, shoppers have embraced a better buy now attitude, betting on higher prices later this year, Erin Keating, an executive analyst at Cox Automotive, wrote in an analysis.

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Those fears are not entirely unfounded, with auto experts warning that Trumps tariffs, particularly the taxes levied on car parts, could cause production to plummet.

Wednesdays Liberation Day marked a major escalation in a Trump-initiated trade war that may lead to higher prices for cars but also coffee, beauty products, electronics and a range of other goods.

Trumps 10 percent baseline tariff on imports from all countries will take effect on April 5, and his reciprocal tariffs, whose rates vary by country, start April 9.

Shortly after Trumps announcement, billionaire businessman Mark Cuban told his social media followers they should consider buying lots of consumables now before prices rise.

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From toothpaste to soap, anything you can find storage space for, buy before they have to replenish inventory, Cuban wrote on the Bluesky social media platform.

Cuban added: Even if its made in the USA, they will jack up the price and blame it on tariffs.

Some shoppers appear to be heeding his advice.

Now is the time to buy, 50-year-old Noel Peguero told The Wall Street Journal as he loaded a 40-inch television from Hisense, a Chinese brand, into his car outside a Best Buy in New York City.

Melanie Moroz, who lives in West Virginia, told Business Insider shes been stocking up on makeup, skincare and hair products amid the recent economic uncertainty.

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A CreditCards.com survey in February found that 1 in 5 Americans were purchasing more items than usual, primarily due to concerns over the Trump administrations tariffs.

Others insist that now isnt the time to panic-buy.

These tariffs may not persist at anything like the amounts currently in the headlines, Ron Lieber, the Your Money columnist for The New York Times, wrote Friday.

Lieber cautioned: You also need to have real money  extra real money  to lay a bunch of things away in your residence. Many people dont, and going into debt to buy extras of everything will probably erase any savings.

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Consumers may want to be especially careful not to overextend given the economic uncertainty ahead. Top economists recently raised the odds of a recession in the next year, and millions of Americans have watched the value of their retirement portfolios drop as stocks continue to slide.

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ASSISI, Italy (AP)  With the upcoming canonization of its first millennial saint, the Catholic Church has turned to police in Italy to investigate the online sale of some purported relics of Carlo Acutis, who already has been drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to his shrine.

Since the early days of the faith, many Catholics have prayed for intercession to saints relics  usually small parts of their body or clothing that are authenticated by ecclesiastical authorities and preserved in churches. But their sale is strictly forbidden.

Its not just despicable, but its also a sin, said the Rev. Enzo Fortunato, who leads the Vaticans World Childrens Day committee and has a tiny fragment of Acutis hair in a chapel by his office for veneration by visiting youth. Every kind of commerce over faith is a sin.

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An anonymous seller had put up for online auction some supposedly authenticated locks of Acutis' hair that were fetching upward of 2,000 euros ($2,200 US), according to the Diocese of Assisi, before being taken down. Last month, Bishop Domenico Sorrentino asked authorities to confiscate the items and added that if fraudulent, the sale would constitute a great offense to religious belief.

Acutis was precocious in developing and sharing his faith

Acutis died of leukemia in 2006, when he was only 15 but had already developed a precocious faith life centered on devotion to the Eucharist  which for Catholics holds the real presence of Christ. Savvy with technology, he had created an online exhibit about eucharistic miracles through the centuries.

He will formally be declared a saint at a Mass in front of the Vaticans St. Peters Basilica on April 27. Over the past year, about 1 million pilgrims have flocked to the central Italian town of Assisi, where his body  wearing sneakers, jeans, and a sweatshirt  lies in a shrine in a church dedicated to a key moment in the life of medieval hometown saint, St. Francis.

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Acutis body was exhumed during the more-than-decade-long canonization process and treated so it could be preserved for public showing, including by removing certain organs. His face, which looks as if he were asleep, was reconstructed with a silicone mask, Sorrentino said.

Acutis heart has been preserved at a dedicated altar in another Assisi church; it will be taken to Rome for the canonization Mass.

The relics are little, little fragments of the body, to say that that body is blessed, and it explains to us the closeness of God, Sorrentino said.

Handling of relics is a painstaking task for the church

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There are different classes of relics  the most important are major body parts, such as the heart. Sorrentino gave Acutis' pericardium  the membrane enclosing the heart  to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2022 for the duration of its multi-year Eucharistic Revival.

The bishop in charge of the saints body works with requests from other bishops around the world to give or lend relics  always for free  to be exhibited for veneration at parishes and other churches.

We give this to communities, to parishes, to priests using the relics for the cult in their parish, Sorrentino said. Its not something magic. Its not something that works automatically, it works through faith.

The practice of gathering relics dates to the earliest days of the church, when many faithful Christians died as martyrs in religious persecutions. Witnesses to the killings would collect blood or fragments of clothing to memorialize their sacrifice and to pray for the saints intercession, Fortunato said.

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In Acutis case, the first miracle in his canonization process was the healing of a boy in Brazil after a prayer service invoking his intercession with the presence of a relic, he added.

For clergy and pilgrims who have been visiting Acutis shrine in Assisi this week, the relics take second place to the example of faith and the power of assisting with prayer that saints provide.

I would never buy one, said Amelia Simone, an 18-year-old from Chicago who has been studying in Rome and credits Acutis for help smoothing out tricky visa paperwork. I think the intercession aspect is very cool, but I dont think Id ever want to own a first-class relic. It just would feel a bit weird to me.

Two clergy leading a Holy Year pilgrimage to Italy from the Diocese of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, said it was a great tragedy that online relic sales were happening.

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We continue to pray for peoples conversion, said the Rev. Christopher Pujol.

Bishop Larry Kulick added that relics are very reverent and very solemn for us as Catholics. And they are not only inspirational for us, but they are really ... opportunities to help us to pray.

And so its unfortunate that such a thing would happen, because thats really a misuse of the relics and actually a disrespect to him and to his memory, he added.

Some mixed views on this sainthood process

Already, the uncommon devotion and attention that Acutis' canonization process has generated has been met with some skepticism. In hundreds of social media comments to a recent Associated Press article about the phenomenon, some called his sainthood a marketing ploy by the church to lure more young people back into the pews.

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Many others  and those making pilgrimage to Assisi  praised Acutis for his devotion and were glad hes become a role model for members of his generation.

It's a joy for me to have encountered Carlo Acutis' body, and especially to ask for his intercession for the transformation and the conversion of many youth, said Juana de Dios Euceda, a missionary nun from Honduras.

___

Dell'Orto reported from Miami.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
In Nature, nothing exists Alone  Rachel Carson

The Sierra Club hosted its annual Trail Blazers Ball, honoring notable figures such as Dr. Jane Goodall, Bill Nye, William Shatner, Quannah ChasingHorse, Jessica Sarowitz, Josh and Rebecca Tickell, and Wawa Gatheru.



The event, which took place at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, brought together artists, activists and environmentalists to recognize and honor those on the frontlines of environmental leadership and justice.



The Sierra Club is an environmental organization, which works to promote clean energy, wildlife protection, among other conservation efforts. The organization is led by Executive Director Ben Jealous, who was the former youngest president of the NAACP.



The evening featured an acoustic performance of Viva La Vida, from Coldplays Chris Martin. Martin also performed an original song, dedicated to Dr. Goodall, from the perspective of the chimpanzees, thanking her for her work. Dr. Goodall even showed Martin how a female chimpanzee greets another male. Other performances included indie duo Aly & AJ as well as the harmonica virtuoso Frederic Yonnet, whose rendition of Tears for Fears Everyone Wants to Rule the World was captivating on his harmonica.

Goodall, founder of the Goodall Institute and world-renowned activist, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her dedication to protect the wildlife habitat of chimpanzees and her work to conserve the natural world.



My hope lies in the energy and commitment of young people around the world once they understand the problems and we empower them to take action, said Goodall after receiving the award to a standing ovation.



Shatner, an award-winning actor, director, producer, writer and philanthropist, received the Visionary Award. The award honors individuals for creating a legacy of environmental activism.



Accepting the award virtually, Shatner emphasizes urgency of climate change action. We must extend all of our efforts to save the planet with the Sierra Club, said Shanter. We must take responsibility for this beautiful oasis for future generations.



Other event attendees included actress Heather Graham, Chair of the Trail Blazers Ball Committee, and Sierra Club Treasurer Cheyenne Branscum, activist and actress Kristin Bauer, actress, Amber Midthunder, and civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, among other notable guests.

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FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP)  At a vast landfill in Sierra Leone 's capital of Freetown, smoke billows over decades of decomposing waste. Zainab sits there, squinting through the soot. It is her usual spot for buying kush, a cheap synthetic drug ravaging young people in the country.

This kush is so addictive," she said. "If I dont smoke, I feel sick.

Her current home, a shack of corrugated iron, contains only a tattered mattress where she brings her clients as a sex worker. She uses her income to sustain her drug addiction.

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She is one of many women in Sierra Leone who, as a result of social factors that include living conditions and stigma, have not benefited from intervention efforts after the government a year ago declared a public health emergency over rampant kush abuse. The declaration was meant to enforce criminal, public health and prevention measures to reverse the trend in Sierra Leone, as kush spreads to other parts of West Africa. The drug has been seized in Gambia, Senegal and Guinea.

Public health emergency over kush

While officials say kush has become scarcer on the streets in Sierra Leone, critics say programs are still underfunded and inadequate.

Despite new criminal, public health and prevention measures, only about 300 people have gone through the countrys official rehab program, according to available data. Most have been men.

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Women have been less visible in the crisis. Rights groups say they are historically left out.

Only one in 18 women with drug use disorders receive treatment compared to one in seven men, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The agency said women are usually more vulnerable to gender-based violence, economic discrimination and human rights violations.

Fewer women receive help

The situation is not so different in Sierra Leone where various advocacy groups spoke about how women are not as visible as men in coming forward to receive support and often do not get adequate help. Far more men, though, use drugs compared to women, experts say.

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Zainab said five years of smoking Kush has brought shame and isolation. She said no one has helped her, and spoke about days she gets so high that I did not know what was happening around me.

But she wants to stop for her children. One night while at work, flames engulfed their home with the two infants inside. They survived, but she entrusted them to an orphanage, haunted by the fire.

I would love to hear my children call me mummy again, she said, her scarred face breaking into a smile.

Kush is a depressant. Its short, intense effect often leaves users senseless. Symptoms of addiction range from sores to psychosis. Liver, kidney and respiratory problems are common.

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Kush is difficult to combat

The drug's evolving composition, low cost and widespread availability make it difficult to combat in Sierra Leone, one of the worlds poorest countries. A recent report from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime earlier this year found that nearly half of kush samples tested contained opioids up to 25 times stronger than fentanyl. The drug's content were largely unknown before now, hindering response efforts, experts noted.

Kadiatu Koroma with the local Women for Women Foundation nonprofit said her organization has seen a rise in drug use among women and girls in recent years.

When they are very drowsy  men will just come and take advantage, she said. Left vulnerable after using the drug, the women are impregnated and they dont even know the men who did it.

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25 strains of the drug

At Sierra Leone's Kissy Psychiatric Hospital, health workers described encountering 25 different strains of the drug in the wider Freetown area.

In one of two female wards, nurse Kadiatu Dumbuya said 90% of kush addicts she has attended to during her six years in the hospital have "sold their body to feed the habit.

And yet, among the 50 people  majority of whom are kush users  who filed into one of Sierra Leones two government-run rehab centers on a recent day, only three were women.

Only 300 people have accessed the seven-week program at the Hasting Military Center since it opened in February 2024, guarded by the military and surrounded by barbed wire. Just 40 of the beneficiaries are women.

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Officials say the program is gender-sensitive, with men and women separated by a fence. However, staff said stigma and family pressure mean women often deny their addictions and refrain from seeking support.

A drop in the ocean

In most cases, we have 10% of girls that come to our attention. That doesnt mean the girls arent addicts  they feel shy in their communities, said Ansu Konneh, who works with the Sierra Leone's Ministry of Social Welfare.

It is a drop in the ocean, he says.

Due to funding challenges, an ambassador program for recovered addicts from the center has stalled, and admissions were halted for five months. When it resumed, some of the parents on the 2,000 person-long waiting list said their children had died.

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Among those desperate for help was Melda Lansana, who said she visited the ministry several times to secure a rehab spot for her 18-year-old daughter, Khadija.

When I was taking it, I couldnt wash, I couldnt take care of myself, Khadija said, recalling the relief of the days spent in the center last August.

Without money for school, she struggles to get her life on track. Due to family tensions, she has chosen to live on the streets with her boyfriend.

She vows shes clean. Her mother suspects shes still using.

Funding challenges slow progress

Progress against kush is slow, much like other parts of the world where the fight against synthetic drugs is often difficult.

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Officials acknowledge the government has struggled to provide livelihood or business support to ease reintegration, particularly for beneficiaries without formal education - a step advocates say would help women.

Last year's emergency declaration, lauded by civil society, has helped shift the approach from punishment to care but the response is only "65% of what it should be, said Habib Kamara, director of the Social Linkages For Youth Development And Child Link, a local nonprofit involved in the fight against drug use.

The organization is one of the few that have offered targeted support to female users, especially to vulnerable populations like sex workers, through community peer support, free family planning and beauty sessions to help build confidence.

We have to meet the women where they are, Kamara said.

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Marie Kamara, 19, rejected kush for another drug - Tramadol, which experts have warned is also dangerous. She saw kush as too risky and was put off by her friends' stench and oozing sores.

One night, she said, she and her friend Yabu were chased by a kush dealer. Marie escaped. Yabu didnt.

They raped her  just because of kush, Marie said.

Months later, Yabu died from the effects of the drug, Marie said  her second friend lost to kush.

Let me not die like them," Marie said. "I pray.

___

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The 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.
WARREN COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN)  The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has canceled a Silver Alert after a man who was missing out of McMinnville was found safe Saturday.

TBI previously said Gary Hillis, 68, was last seen Friday, wearing a dark-colored T-shirt and shorts.

He was believed to be driving a white 2010 Mercury Milan.

Gary Hillis (Courtesy: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) (Courtesy: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation)

The TBI said Hillis has a medical condition that may affect his ability to return safely without assistance.

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 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.

 Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee.

This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.

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The widely predicted trade war, unleashed by Trump, has started with a bang. Markets have been tumbling. $2.5trillion was wiped off share values on Wall Street in one day.

Markets in Asia have been rocky, on a sharp downward trend. President Trumps shock and awe methods have prevailed against more timid, some might say more sober, advice.

The Vice President was on the airwaves suggesting that the administration was in a good place. All indications are that they intend to tough things out. We have to assume that these tariffs, for the foreseeable future, are the new state of affairs.

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Trump has decided he wants to change the world. He has a short time to do this. Hence the alacrity and speed which he has employed to change global trading patterns with the aim of bringing back manufacturing to the United States.

The question which all Americas trading partners will ask is, how should they respond to the challenge Trump poses to decades of economic and political orthodoxy?

The natural knee-jerk impulse would be a tit-for-tat response. This is akin to an eye for an eye approach merely applied to global trade. The problem with this eye for an eye response is that, as Gandhi said, everyone soon becomes blind.

More harm will be inflicted on our population if we respond in this protectionist way, as the costs of American goods would increase in our domestic market. Our consumers will be punished in any misguided attempt at retaliation.

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A further absurdity is a product of the mismatch in the size of our economy, relative to the United States. Nothing could be more futile than a protectionist stance, on the part of the United Kingdom, against the United States.

US exports to Britain represent about 0.3 per cent of American GDP. Increasing tariffs on US imports would be purely symbolic. It would be the faintest pin prick on an elephants hide. The pain inflicted would all fall on our side. It would simply make minimal difference to Trump or the US.

By contrast, any retaliation on the part of the Trump would most likely be instantaneous. Trump could, with some justification, then increase US tariffs against the UK from 10 to 20 per cent, the level which the EU currently faces. In this way, any purported Brexit benefit would be wiped out in a stroke.

A tariff war with the US, on our part, would obviously be self-harming.

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The example of Singapore is an excellent one. To many on the Left of politics in Britain, Singapore on Thames clearly presents a nightmarish vision of low taxes, minimal social security, ruthless exploitation of workers and only a very basic welfare state.

The reality is totally different. Singapore is one of the greatest human achievements of the twentieth century. According to the World Bank, in the decades after independence in 1965, Singapore rapidly developed from a low-income economy to a high-income one.

The country, over the last 60 years, has enjoyed one of the highest GDP growth rates in the world, at an average of about 7 per cent a year. It is a travesty how this achievement has been derided, even mocked, by the Left.

Today, Singapore is one of the most admired countries in the world. It is a country of which Britain should be proud, since its founding father figure, Lee Kuan Yew, a friend of Margaret Thatcher, was educated in Britain. Sir Stamford Raffles, the original founder of the colony, was an Englishman who is far better remembered in Singapore than he is in modern Britain.

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Lee Kuan Yew would have seen the folly of our government seeking options for retaliatory action, as the Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds drearily put it a few days ago.

The fatuity of retaliatory action is obvious. It would be a futile gesture, with far greater risk of escalating a trade war which we could never, given our relative size, expect to win.

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by Staff reporter

Zimbabweans took to the streets on Monday, voicing their opposition to President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government and the proposed extension of his term in office.The demonstrations followed calls by expelled Zanu-PF Central Committee member and war veteran Blessed Geza, who has been vocal against Mnangagwa's leadership.Protesters initially gathered at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa, where they appealed to President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in Zimbabwe's political crisis, according to DW Africa.The crowd then marched to the Zimbabwean embassy, demanding the immediate resignation of Mnangagwa and his administration."Mnangagwa must go with his cabinet - we are suffering," one protester declared.Another protester echoed the sentiment, saying, "I am saying to Mnangagwa, can you please step down?"Silwangani Ncube, who led the protest, urged the President to relinquish power, stating, "Please, Mnangagwa, the honorable thing you can do now is step down."However, Zimbabwe's Ambassador to South Africa, David Hamadziripi, dismissed concerns of political turmoil in Zimbabwe, asserting in an interview with SABC News that reports of unrest were exaggerated."Everything is normal, and what is on social media is not reality; there is nothing happening in Zimbabwe, everything is normal," Hamadziripi said.Meanwhile, in Harare, a separate group of demonstrators gathered at Robert Mugabe Square, only to be swiftly dispersed by police.The protesters regrouped along Rotten Row, where they barricaded roads and chanted slogans rejecting Mnangagwa's "2030 agenda." Police responded with water cannons and teargas to disperse them again.Security forces heightened their presence in major cities, particularly in Harare and Bulawayo, setting up roadblocks to inspect vehicles for weapons and other items deemed a threat to national security.The protests come amid growing dissatisfaction over economic hardships, governance issues, and fears that Mnangagwa's allies are pushing for constitutional amendments to extend his presidency beyond the current term limits.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  The Siouxland District Health Department hosted a community-wide health fair at the Long Lines Family Recreation Center.

The event offered free health screenings, valuable prevention education, as well as other opportunities to learn about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. There were also interactive games with prizes as well as opportunities to connect with local health resources.

Food Truck Fridays kicking off 10th year in June

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There are so many services out there that a lot of people are just not aware of, and they are easily accessible to people, Anais Mares with the Siouxland District Health Department said. So we just want the community to be better informed so they can better look out for their health.

This is the third such health fair that the organization has hosted, and it has plans to get another one going next year.

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Authorities arrested six teenagers and one 23-year-old suspected in a damaging graffiti war between rival criminal street gangs in Thousand Oaks.

The Ventura County Sheriffs Office announced Friday that the arrests were made during a combined effort between various law enforcement agencies throughout March.

The sheriffs office said in a release that last month saw a rise in graffiti vandalism between rival street gangs, costing the city of Thousand Oaks thousands of dollars in damages.

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This graffiti encompassed multiple areas throughout the city, resulting in damage totaling over $5,000, stated the release.

Details are limited, and officials did not immediately provide further information regarding the type of graffiti seen or if any type of structures or locations were targeted.

Officers from the Ventura County Sheriffs Office East County Special Enforcement Unit, Thousand Oaks Directed Enforcement Unit, Moorpark Special Enforcement Unit and Thousand Oaks Patrol Services participated in this operation.

The combined personnel and resources were able to identify and arrest seven suspects on charges of graffiti vandalism and participation in a criminal street gang.

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Officials said the two adults were booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility. They were identified as Cesar Gonzalez, 18, of Moorpark, and Joselin Lopez, 23, of Thousand Oaks, according to the sheriffs office.

The other suspects were only identified as one 13-year-old, two 16-year-olds and two 17-year-olds, all male residents of Thousand Oaks.

Officials said four of the juveniles were lodged in the Ventura County Juvenile Justice Facility, and one juvenile was released to his parents with a written promise to appear in court.

The Thousand Oaks Police Department said it encourages citizens to immediately report suspicious people and vehicles by calling 911 or the non-emergency line 805-654-9511.

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If you see something, say something, urged the department. The reporting party may remain anonymous.

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A skeleton found in 1996 near Bank of America Stadium has finally been identified, and investigators say there is no record of the dead woman ever being in North Carolina.

Police identified Betty Jean Benton through forensic genetic genealogy, according to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department news release Friday. Her death was ruled a homicide, police said.

Remains found in woods near the stadium on July 18, 1996, were taken to the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiners Office, where the victim was determined to be female, police said.

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Despite efforts to identify the victim through conventional means, detectives were unsuccessful, police said Friday.

Stonewall Street, which runs through uptown to Bank of America Stadium, is one of two Charlotte streets still to be renamed out of nine tied to white supremacy and the Confederacy.

First DNA attempt failed, police say

In 2022, police sent the remains to Raleigh for an osteological examination by a forensic anthropologist. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation paid Texas-based Othram Labs to do advanced DNA testing on bones.

Because of the condition of the remains, DNA couldnt be extracted, police said.

Last year, the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiners Office sent more bones to Othram Labs, which obtained a genetic profile, CMPD said. The foundation also paid for that additional testing, according to police.

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The victims profile was loaded into two consumer genealogy databases, GEDmatch and Family Tree DNA. Both companies cooperate with police, according to CMPD.

The CMPD Cold Case Unit partnered with the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center at Ramapo College in New Jersey to conduct investigative genetic genealogy research. IGG analysts quickly identified the victim as Betty Benton, according to the CMPD statement.

Unknown: Why victim was in Charlotte, NC

Police next contacted Benton family members who said she hadnt been heard from since the early 1990s. A DNA profile from a family member confirmed the victim was Benton, CMPD said.

Benton was born in Louisiana on Feb. 27, 1954, police said, and spent most of her life in Chicago, Illinois.

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She was reported missing in 1992 and last contacted family members in February 1991, telling them she was in North Carolina, according to the CMPD statement.

Police have found no record of Benton in North Carolina and are asking the public for help.

Anyone who contacted Benton in North Carolina is asked to speak to a CMPD police detective at 704-432-8477.

As of Friday, the CMPD Cold Case Unit was still working to identify at least nine other homicide victims, whose remains were discovered as far back as 1932.
Cue the DJs, cover bands and dance moves. High school prom season has arrived in Oklahoma.

Want to archive a few memories? USA TODAY NETWORK-Oklahoma is asking students, parents and readers to submit their favorite photos of the big event here.

To submit a photo, fill out the form with caption details and your contact information - we won't publish your phone number or email. Then you can choose the photo from your laptop or mobile device and submit.

Selected photos will be included in our 2025 Oklahoma prom photo gallery.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Prom 2025 photos: Submit your photos to our statewide Oklahoma gallery
NEW MEXICO (KRQE)  A late winter storm will continue to move into New Mexico tonight. Heavy snow will be possible in northern and eastern parts of the state through Saturday evening.

A storm system brought showers, a couple thunderstorms, and mountain snow to parts of New Mexico Friday. A strong cold front is currently making it was southward through central New Mexico. This front will be the focus of heavy snow and windy weather as it moves south and west through Friday night. As it spills into the Rio Grande Valley tonight, it could cause wind gusts as high as 55 mph and 50 mph wind gusts in eastern New Mexico. Conditions will deteriorate though as this front moves south across the state. It will bring heavy snowfall across parts of northern and eastern New Mexico through Saturday morning and afternoon. This snow could get picked up by the wind and blown around as well.

Several inches of snow will be possible in eastern parts of the state and up to 18 in the northern mountains. A couple inches of snow will be possible all the way down to Roswell and far southeast New Mexico as well. Travel may be very difficult if not dangerous in east-central and northeast New Mexico starting later tonight. In Albuquerque, a gusty east canyon wind tonight may leave us mostly dry tonight, but on and off rain and snow showers will still be possible tonight through the day Saturday. Well-below average high temperatures will move in Saturday with the cold front, as a few places even break record cold high temperatures.

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This storm system will clear up Saturday night with very chilly temperatures Sunday morning. A warming trend starts quickly though on Sunday with the return of sunny and dry weather. High temperatures will be back up to around average again on Monday. The warming trend continues into the end of next week, as much warmer weather moves in. Albuquerque will likely see its first 80 day of the year by Thursday.

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BIG COUNTRY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  As we head into the weekend, residents of the Big Country may want to keep an eye on the weather. Saturdays forecast could bring some unexpected wintry weather. While temperatures have been relatively mild recently, a shift in conditions may bring rain, and possibly snow, to the region.

A Freeze Watch has already been issued for Saturday night through Sunday morning across parts of the Big Country, including Scurry and Mitchell Counties. This clearly indicates a potential cold snap on the way, which will bring freezing temperatures overnight and could lead to some frosty conditions in the early hours of Sunday.

While its easy to assume that cold temperatures will mean snow is inevitable, its important to look at the details of the forecast to understand just how likely snow will actually be.

Weather models currently show the possibility of snow developing over the weekend, with some light snowflakes appearing in the forecast for Saturday afternoon and evening. The models suggest that moisture in the atmosphere will be sufficient for snow to form, significantly as the temperature drops later in the day.

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The key feature to note here is that the precipitation will likely begin as rain during the day on Saturday before transitioning to snow as the temperatures fall closer to freezing in the evening. While this is a classic scenario for snow in the region, the timing and intensity of the transition will be critical in determining whether we see rain or snow.

Despite the appearance of snow on weather models, the temperature forecast suggests that Saturday will be a wet and chilly day instead of one with a significant snowfall.

The Big Countrys temperatures will hover close to or just above freezing throughout the day, meaning precipitation may initially fall as rain rather than snow.

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For snow to accumulate, the air needs to be cold enough, not just at the surface but several thousand feet above the ground. If the atmosphere isnt cold enough higher up, the precipitation will struggle to freeze before it hits the ground.

In conclusion, while the models indicate a chance for snow this Saturday, the temperature forecast suggests that rain will likely dominate the day, with a brief snow window possible overnight as temperatures fall. The Freeze Watch issued for Saturday night is a reminder that colder conditions will follow, and even if snow doesnt accumulate significantly, freezing temperatures could create slippery roadway conditions.

As always, check the forecast as the weekend approaches and be prepared for wintry weather. Whether rain or snow, the Big Country will likely see some chilly conditions this Saturday, and travelers should plan accordingly. Be safe!

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A 50% chance of snow Friday night in the Colorado Rockies might be the last hurrah for a winter that has fallen short this year.

Current snowpack levels in the Upper Colorado River Basin hit 90% of normal on Friday. The region includes parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, providing the runoff that collects in reservoirs along the river and eventually reaches Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

And 90% is better than where snowpack stood on Monday, when it had declined to 86%. Its been a volatile end to winter, with big swings rather than a steady increase to peak levels. Snowpack measurements  SWE, or snow water equivalent  generally peak the first week of April, when temperatures warm and more snow melts than new accumulation from snowfall.

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The black line on the graph below shows 2025 SWE measurements collected at SNOTEL stations across the basin:

Southern Nevada should expect a lean water year with less than normal streamflow predicted for the Virgin River and the Colorado River inflow to Lake Powell, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Nevada Water Supply Outlook Report, dated April 1 but distributed Friday afternoon. The Nevada report provides detail on the eastern Sierras and Northern Nevada, but none of that water reaches Las Vegas, which relies on the Colorado River for 90% of its water. The remaining 10% comes from wells.

Streamflow into Lake Powell for April through June is projected at 74% of normal. The Virgin River is projected to flow at 61% of normal at Littlefield, Arizona.

Water shortage levels based on end-of-year measurements at Lake Mead currently have Southern Nevada in a Tier 1 water shortage, unchanged from last year. In 2023, snowpack levels ended the winter at 160% of normal, providing a short-term rescue along the Colorado River in the 23rd year of a megadrought. The extra water that year built levels at Lake Mead, which had fallen to 25% of capacity. The nations largest reservoir is currently at 33% capacity.

Snowpack in the Colorado Rockies southeast of Denver on March 21, 2025, when levels were at 97% of normal. (Greg Haas / 8NewsNow)

Over the past two years, water conservation agreements have helped preserve levels at Lake Mead. That effort has helped stabilize Lake Mead and Lake Powell, but a below-average snowpack could bring problems seen over the past few years, particularly in the summer of 2022. Thats when Lake Mead hit its lowest point  1,041.71 feet above sea level  since the reservoir was initially filled in the 1930s.

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The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation  which runs Hoover Dam, Glen Canyon Dam and others that manage the water flow upstream from Lake Powell  faces a deadline at the end of 2026 to implement updated guidelines for river operations.

The path to a final decision on that plan is already seeing obstacles, with Nevada, Arizona and California challenging the choices selected by Reclamation as the Biden administration ended. Those states, known as the Lower Colorado Basin states, have asked the Trump administration to include a choice that addresses problems at Glen Canyon Dam.

There has been no public response yet.

Heres a look at SWE measurements going into the weekend:

The best snow conditions this year occurred in Wyoming, which feeds into Flaming Gorge Reservoir and down the Green River, the Colorado Rivers largest tributary. The worst conditions came in Southern Utah, including the Lower San Juan region, which reached only 15% of normal:

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Upper Green: 105%

Lower Green: 92%

White-Yampa: 95%

Colorado Headwaters: 95%

Gunnison: 82%

Dirty Devil: 73%

Lower San Juan: 15%

Dolores: 73%

Upper San Juan: 65%

(Totals as of April 4 provided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)

The USDAs report indicated much better conditions for Northern Nevada.

Snowpacks are 94-103% in the Sierra basins, 122-151% across the northern Nevada, 86% in Eastern Nevada, 88% in the Upper Colorado, and 30% in the Spring Mountains on April 1. April 1 is typically when basin snowpacks reach their highest snow water total before melt begins. This year snowmelt started early due to a week of warm temperatures between March 21-27, the report said.

Water from snowfall in the Spring Mountains (Mt. Charleston and the surrounding area) plays an important part in recharging aquifers in the region, but it is far short of normal levels this year.

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QUICK WEATHER FORECAST:

Today: Wet day with rumbles, high 69

Tonight: Rain showers, low 41

Sunday: Scattered rain, high 43 (34)

Monday: Chance of showers, high 52 (27)

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, high 42 (29)

Wednesday: Partly cloudy, high 54 (42)

Flood watches remain across all of central Ohio as additional showers move into the region. During the day there will be more chances for rumbles of thunder as well, but the chance for severe thunderstorms is low.

As this stationary frontal boundary lifts a bit to the north during the afternoon, air temperatures will eventually warm up to the upper 60s for the daytime high. This is the warmest day that central Ohio will see in the extended forecast.

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Overnight brings plenty more showers across the area. At times heavy downpours will be possible. Low temperatures are going to drop to the low 40s. This is also the warmest it will be during the daytime hours on Sunday with temperatures falling even more during the day.

Rain showers will be more scattered for the second half of the weekend. Temperatures late Sunday evening into the night will be cold enough where some if the rain is going to transition to a wintry mix. No mix or snow accumulation is expected.

Widespread sunshine is finally returning by Tuesday, but that will also be the coldest day of the week. A modest warming trend starts up again heading towards the second half of the week. More rain chances make their return by Thursday and Friday.

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A Malibu man has been convicted of fraudulently obtaining an estimated $25 million in investments in his tech company and using the funds to finance a lavish lifestyle that included a Rolls-Royce, mansion by Carbon Beach and yacht, authorities said.

After a nine-day trial, Bernhard Eugen Fritsch, 63, was found guilty of one count of wire fraud and faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The jury found him not guilty of a second wire fraud count.

Fritsch remains free on bond and is set to appear at a sentencing hearing in the coming months. An attorney for him did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

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Read more: He sold Pablo Escobar-branded flamethrowers, phones and more. But it was all a scam, authorities say

From 2014 to 2017, prosecutors say, Fritsch raised more than $20 million from investors for his Santa Monica-based tech company StarClub. He claimed the money was to build an application called StarSite that would help celebrities and influencers monetize their fame through sponsored social media advertisements.

Prosecutors say he lured investors by telling them that major media companies and a global investment banking firm had already put money into his company, which he asserted had made $15 million in revenue in 2015. He also claimed he was on the verge of closing a commercial deal with Disney.

However, none of these statements were true, prosecutors said  nor was his promise to put their money into his tech company.

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"Instead, Fritsch used much of the investor money to enrich himself and support his luxurious lifestyle, including by purchasing luxury cars such as a McLaren and a Rolls-Royce, fixing up his yacht, and renovating his Malibu mansion, located near Carbon Beach," the Justice Department said in a statement.

Read more: California anti-poverty activist accused of defrauding investors out of more than $145 million

Prosecutors estimate those caught up in the scheme lost around $25 million. One would-be investor contributed more than $20 million and introduced Fritsch to others who gave millions more, prosecutors said.

Law enforcement have seized the yacht and luxury vehicles.

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In additional to the federal trial, Fritsch has been sued in L.A. County Superior Court three times over allegations of fraudulent financial schemes.

Record industry executive Haqq Islam and his company sued StarClub and Fritsch in 2013, claiming breach of contact and fraud. Islam alleged that Fritsch owed him $750,000 for helping get celebrities such as Jessica Simpson to meet with Fritsch and consider participating in StarClub's business ventures, according to reporting by Courthouse News Service.

Read more: Southern California men indicted in alleged $22-million crypto fraud case

Then in 2017, Eugene McBurney and Bermuda-based hedge fund Harrington Global Opportunities, both of which were investors in StarClub, sued Fritsch on claims of breach of contract and fraud, court records show.

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This lawsuit alleges that employees of StarClub "obtained over $35 million in cash from investors on the basis of false representations, presenting their social media company as 'the next big thing.'" A trial setting conference for this lawsuit is scheduled for June 25.

Fritsch was sued last year by Marc Montgomery, who alleges that Fritsch  his cousin  owes him more than $593,000 in loans and interest that Fritsch used to cover his mortgage, car payments and utilities, according to the complaint. This case is still pending.

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As the British Armed Forces contemplate deploying to Ukraine, their forebears from the Northern Ireland campaign thirty years ago continue their battle in the courts. Activist lawyers appear to be gaming the judicial system in Northern Ireland for profit, whilst the terrorist factions that committed 90 per cent of all killings during the Troubles have immunity provided by the Good Friday Agreement.

The 1992 Clonoe shooting incident is an example of this activity. It involved a Special Air Service patrol despatched to arrest a heavily-armed Provisional IRA active service unit that had just machine-gunned Coalisland police station. Applying Article 2 of the Human Rights Act, retrospectively and without any new evidence, the coroner overturned a previous verdict and found that soldiers acted unlawfully, which now leaves them open to prosecution.

This absurd situation was partially corrected by the last government under the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act of 2023, which shut down all historic inquests from 1 May 2024. That Act has since been repealed by the Starmer Government, who now plan to put soldiers in harms way in Ukraine.

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Veterans of operations in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria are increasingly concerned that they could be liable to retrospective legal challenge over split-second decisions taken years ago.

Todays soldiers are watching this closely and drawing the right conclusion: the human rights legislation that might be applied, in retrospect, to any operational actions they undertake on behalf of the State is incompatible with effective military operations. It makes one wonder why anyone would deploy on operations at all, knowing that if they survive the threat of shot and shell, they will be vulnerable for the rest of their lives.

The Army is conditioned to the voracity of the human rights industry from the trumped-up and fraudulent cases British lawyers brought against British soldiers who had served in Iraq.

If soldiers cannot trust the chain of command and the government that is putting them in danger, why should they be expected to risk their lives?

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No such retrospective consideration is given to the foreign policy or military strategy decisions to deploy military force, or the ministerial responsibility for signing off rules of engagement, or the advice of government lawyers who draft them. The most junior soldiers in the chain of command, and those closest to danger, are carrying the can. We imbue our soldiers with the Armys values of courage, discipline, respect for others, integrity, loyalty and selfless commitment, and owe them no less in return. This legal treatment flies in the face of these values and breaches the essential trust between the Nation and its soldiery.

We urgently need to restore the primacy of the Law of Armed Conflict as a legal basis for UK military operations and establish statutory protection for soldiers from legal prosecution. And we must provide statutory legal protection for veterans whose lives are being ruined by the retrospective application of laws that werent even dreamt of when they were putting their lives at risk to protect our society from Irish Republican terrorism.

Those former soldiers have been betrayed by the undermining of the contract between the soldier and State through human rights activism. This is grossly unfair and the Government should act now to restore that trust.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article reported the French army has a derogation from ECHR legislation. France currently has no derogation to the European Convention on Human Rights in force. We are happy to correct the record.

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News / National

by Staff reporter

Dairibord Holdings is set to expand its operations in the region to drive export growth, with South Africa as the immediate destination for a planned toll manufacturing project. The initiative is expected to diversify revenue streams and boost foreign currency earnings.The dairy processor, which already supplies products to key regional markets such as Botswana, South Africa, Malawi, and Mozambique, believes that toll manufacturing will solidify its footprint in South Africa and strengthen its regional presence.Although Dairibord Zimbabwe officially divested from its Malawian operations in 2019, it continues to export to that market, maintaining a strong foothold.Toll manufacturing involves outsourcing all or part of the production process to a third-party company, with Dairibord providing the raw materials or semi-finished products under such arrangements. This model is viewed as a crucial step in enhancing operational flexibility and expanding market reach.Dairibord manufactures and markets a variety of milk, food, and beverage products. In a financial statement for the year ending December 31, 2024, company chairman Mr. Josphat Sachikonye acknowledged the challenges facing the group in a complex and volatile domestic environment, marked by evolving regulatory policies and currency fluctuations.He noted that high input costs, a heavy tax burden, and pricing pressures remain significant obstacles. However, he emphasized that the company is addressing these challenges by optimizing operations, investing in capacity enhancement, and leveraging technology to strengthen its product offerings.A strong emphasis is being placed on regional expansion through export growth and the toll manufacturing model in South Africa to diversify revenue streams and increase foreign currency earnings, he said.Cost reduction remains a strategic priority, with comprehensive measures underway to minimize expenditures. Furthermore, securing a stable, low-cost raw milk supply through robust out-grower support programs is essential for maintaining a competitive advantage, Sachikonye added.In the period under review, the company received 42.2 million litres of raw milk from farmers, marking a 49 percent increase over the previous year and securing a 37 percent market share. The group achieved a consolidated volume growth of 10 percent, driven by strong performance in the liquid milks and foods categories, although beverage growth was marginal at one percent.Increased raw milk supply, with notable market share gains across Chimombe, Steri, and Lacto, drove the 20 percent growth in liquid milks. Sales volume from the Foods segment rose by 47 percent, led by Yummy yoghurt and ice cream, while improved product availability bolstered Rabroy Tomato Sauce sales.Exports grew by 13 percent year-on-year, contributing eight percent to total sales revenue, up from six percent in the previous period.Mr. Sachikonye indicated that despite domestic macroeconomic challenges, the group posted a profit for the year of US$3.78 million, compared to US$103 million in the prior year. The company's operating cash flow improved due to enhanced profitability in cash terms.To improve liquidity, Dairibord is implementing measures to accelerate inventory turnover by shortening the cash operating cycle and tightening its credit risk management practices to reduce the risk of customer default. The company noted that an increase in the value of inventories by US$2.58 million and assets reclassified for sale totaling US$3.7 million left the firm in a liquid position.Effective January 1, 2024, the group designated 25 assets as held for disposal after meeting the IFRS 5 criteria. The sale was highly probable, and the group initiated an active program to locate buyers by signing a mandate for property disposals with three property agents in mid-January 2024.Dairibord's expansion into South Africa through toll manufacturing is expected to enhance its competitive edge in the region, ensuring sustainable growth and increased revenue generation.
BOSTON (SHNS)  Libraries, schools and cultural organizations around Massachusetts and the country celebrate April as National Poetry Month. In honor of that occasion, please enjoy the official state poem of the commonwealth, as designated by the Legislature in 1981, and the story behind it.

Blue Hills of Massachusetts was written by retired schoolteacher Katherine Mullen of Barre, who was 94 years old when Gov. Edward King signed the law that made her poem the official one for the entire state. She told the Worcester Evening Gazette that she wrote the original 10 verses of the poem between 1957 and 1967, during her time as a teacher at the Ruggles Lane School in Barre, as a way to teach children about the states history and significant symbols.

When she returned to visit the school in 1980, sixth-grade students sang several verses of the original poem during a ceremony around the schools flagpole, the Evening Gazette reported. Sen. Robert Wetmore read a newspaper account of the ceremony and suggested it be submitted for consideration as the official state song. But that title was already taken.

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I didnt feel to [sic] bad for myself  when you get to be 94 you have had a lot of disappointments and you can take them  so I said, How about calling it a poem, because, as far as I know, no state has a state poem, Mullen told the Gazette in 1981.

The poem and the bill to make it the states official rhyme got a hearing before the Committee on State Administration in March 1981. Among those who testified in support was Barre Selectman Stephen Brewer, who would go on to succeed Wetmore in the Senate and serve there for nearly 20 years until 2015.

Brewer in 1981 called the poem an upbeat reaffirmation of that unique spirit of Massachusetts that is positive and hard working and diligent.

Mullen had her own take on her work that remains enshrined in the Massachusetts General Laws as the official poem of the state.

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In the poem, I tried to tell what is good about Massachusetts, she told the Quincy Patriot Ledger in 1981. Some of my own relatives think Im crazy because I feel this way. They call it Taxachusetts, and I know, I have to agree with them. But I still say theres an awful lot right about it.

Almost half a century after Massachusetts adopted its official poem, Gov. Maura Healey is looking to name someone as the states first official poet laureate. The Bay State is one of only three states without a poet laureate, according to the Library of Congress. Applications are due April 10 and the chosen poet is expected to be named by early June.

Blue Hills of Massachusetts

By Katherine Mullen of Barre

Massachusetts! Massachusetts!

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Lovely Bay State by the sea,

Chosen by the Pilgrim Fathers

In their search for liberty.

Massachusetts! Massachusetts!

How we love your Indian name!

Meaning Great Blue Hill in Boston,

Named before the white men came.

High locations in the distance,

Are serene, majestic blue,

Like Mount Greylock or Wachusett,

They are fascinating, too.

But from Boston to the Berkshires,

Lesser heights are bathed in blue,

In early dawn or distance,

Like the Great Hill Indians knew.

Close to Nature lived the Red Man,

Keen to every form and hue,

Knew the paths, and streams, and wildlife,

And the hills around him, too.

On the wide base of Great Blue Hill,

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Lived the Massachuset tribe,

Kept their Great Chiefs Pilgrim Treaty

While the good man was alive.

Made in faith with Governor Carter,

Sixteen hundred twenty-one,

Kept for forty years, sincerely,

Till his death in sixty-one!

Massachusetts Seal and State Flag

Show the Chief in deerskin brown,

Proudly holding firm his strong-bow,

And one arrow, pointing down.

Coat of Arms of Massachusetts,

With our State Star just above,

Tribute to a noble Indian,

Loyal history that we love!

Gentle hillsides and green valleys,

Make our lives so pleasant here,

While the ever-changing seasons

Bring glad contrasts through the year.

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Autumn foliage is so brilliant

It is known throughout the world!

Crimson, gold, and blazing orange

In exultant praise unfurled.

But by Christmas time in winter,

Theres a wonderland of snow!

Everywhere, a lovely picture

Anywhere that we might go.

And the vigor of the climate

With the challenges we meet,

Make our lives in Massachusetts,

A delightful bitter-sweet!

Massachusetts! Massachusetts!

What a splendid history!

Like our great and glorious Nation,

In its strength for Liberty!

Massachusetts! Massachusetts!

Keep the faith true pride instills!

May our trust in you be steadfast,

As the everlasting hills!

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SOUTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Abortion is back in the spotlight in South Carolina. Earlier this week, the US Supreme Court heard a case dealing with the Palmetto States refusal to cover care provided by Planned Parenthood using Medicaid funding.

The arguments come a month after state lawmakers in Columbia held a hearing on legislation that would restrict access to abortion even further.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster was in DC for the oral arguments before the Supreme Courts nine justices. He and his allies argued that Medicaid funding should not be used to pay for any type of care at facilities that provide abortions. They contend that money for medical care could still subsidize the procedure.

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I believe that the verdict, the decision of this court will be that the people of South Carolina have the right to make this decision for themselves, for our state, said McMaster.

The opposition, specifically Planned Parenthood, argued that if pro-life advocates have their way, vulnerable patients will lose access to vital care that has nothing to do with abortion.

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MORE POLITICAL NEWS

For a lot of people, there wont be another affordable option to get primary, preventative care, said Molly Rivera with Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.

While Supreme Court justices weigh arguments, stricter abortion laws are still being considered at the state legislature. State Rep John McCravys H 3457 would put in place a near-total ban, doing away with the states current six-week law.

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This is not a total ban, we hear this over and over again, we have numerous exceptions in this bill for life or serious health of the mother, said McCravy.

While conversations around abortion in South Carolina remain ongoing, timelines are hazy. It will be months before we see a ruling come down from the Supreme Court, and that bill has yet to do go through any votes.

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Protesters supporting Yoon's ouster reacted to the verdict 'with hugs and screams'. | Credit: Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images

What happened

South Korea's Constitutional Court Friday morning unanimously upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol and removed him from office. Yoon's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law was a "grave betrayal of the people's trust" and a "serious challenge to democracy," acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae said from the bench. The National Assembly had quickly quashed the decree and impeached Yoon Dec. 14.

Who said what

When the verdict was announced, protesters supporting Yoon's ouster "reacted with hugs and screams," The New York Times said. At a rally of his supporters, "there was loud booing." The court "removed a major source of uncertainty," and "not a moment too soon," Leif-Eric Easley of Seoul's Ewha University told Reuters. The next president "must navigate North Korea's military threats, China's diplomatic pressure and Trump's trade tariffs."

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Yoon's conservative People Power Party said it "humbly" accepted the verdict. Yoon said he was "regretful and sorry that I could not live up to your expectations." Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the acting president, said he would do his "utmost to manage the next presidential election" and ensure a "smooth transition to the next administration."

What next?

"Deeply divided" South Korea "must now hold a presidential election within 60 days," The Associated Press said. Yoon, barred from office for five years, "may refuse to be ignored," as he would "strongly prefer a conservative president who could pardon him if convicted" of insurrection charges in a separate criminal trial.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP)  Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in protests held across the European country on Saturday in anger over high housing costs with no relief in sight.

Government authorities said that 15,000 marched in Madrid, while organizers said 10 times that many took to the streets of the capital. In Barcelona, the city hall said 12,000 people took part in the protest, while organizers claimed over 100,000 did.

The massive demonstration of social angst that is a major concern for Spain's left-wing government and town halls was organized by housing activists and backed by Spains main labor unions.

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The housing crisis has hit particularly hard in Spain, where there is a strong tradition of home ownership and scant public housing for rent. Rents have been driven up by increased demand. Buying a home has become unaffordable for many, with market pressures and speculation driving up prices, especially in big cities and coastal areas.

A generation of young people say they have to stay with their parents or spend big just to share an apartment, with little chance of saving enough to one day purchase a home. High housing costs mean even those with traditionally well-paying jobs are struggling to make ends meet.

Im living with four people and still, I allocate 30 or 40% of my salary to rent, said Mari Sanchez, a 26-year-old lawyer in Madrid. That doesnt allow me to save. That doesnt allow me to do anything. It doesnt even allow me to buy a car. Thats my current situation, and the one many young people are living through.

Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez said on X that I share the demand of the numerous people who have marched today: that homes are for living in and not for speculating."

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Lack of public housing

The average rent in Spain has almost doubled in the last 10 years. The price per square meter rose from 7.2 euros ($7.90) in 2014 to 13 euros last year, according to real estate website Idealista. The increase is bigger in Madrid and Barcelona.

Incomes have failed to keep up despite Spain's recent economic boom, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment.

Spain does not have the public housing that other European nations have invested in to cushion struggling renters from a market that is pricing them out.

Spain is near the bottom end of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries with public housing for rent making up under 2% of all available housing. The OECD average is 7%. In France it is is 14%, Britain 16% and the Netherlands 34%.

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Angry renters point to instances of international hedge funds buying up properties, often with the aim of renting them to foreign tourists. The question has become so politically charged that Barcelonas city government pledged last year to phase out all its 10,000 permits for short-term rentals, many of them advertised on platforms like Airbnb, by 2028.

Marchers in Madrid on Saturday chanted Get Airbnb out of our neighborhoods" and held up signs against short-term rentals. In Barcelona, someone carried a sign reading I am not leaving, vampire," apparently in a message to would-be real estate speculator seeking to drive him out of his home.

Authorities under pressure

The central government's biggest initiative for curbing the cost of housing is a rent cap mechanism it has offered to regional authorities, based on a price index established by the housing ministry. The government says the measure has slightly reduced rents in Barcelona, one of the few areas it has been applied.

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But government measures have not proven enough to stop protests over the past two years. Experts say the situation likely won't improve anytime soon.

This is not the first, nor will it be the last, (housing protest) given the severity of the housing crisis, Ignasi Marti, professor with the Esade business school and head of its Dignified Housing Observatory, said in an email.

We saw this with the financial crisis (of 2008-2012) when (a protest movement) lasted until there was a certain economic recovery and a reduction in the social tension," Marti added.
A number of international students at St. Cloud State University are the latest to have their student visas terminated by the federal government.

A spokesperson with SCSU confirmed with Bring Me The News that "fewer than 10" international students had their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records wiped as of Friday afternoon.

"Our Center for International Studies staff are collaborating with organizations and colleagues around the country to help provide the best support to our students. We have held town hall meetings to keep our international community informed and have conducted several additional meetings with various student groups to answer questions," a spokesperson for the university said.

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"The University was not made aware of the terminations ahead of time, but our student records are monitored regularly. When there are changes we offer support to impacted students, and we will continue to work directly with those affected."

The SEVIS program is an database that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security uses to maintain information regarding international students and provides proof that a non-U.S. resident is here legally.

If these records are wiped and terminated, the students become undocumented, and can be investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to ensure they have returned home.

It comes just days after five students at Minnesota State University-Mankato had their student visas canceled, and reportedly given 60 days to self-deport.

Related: Five international students at MSU-Mankato have visas revoked, university president says

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's website, the following occurs when a student's SEVIS records are terminated:
ST. LOUIS  St. Louis firefighters worked a major fire at a home in the Vandeventer Neighborhood early Saturday morning.

The St. Louis Fire Department responded to Cook Avenue between Vandeventer and Sarah Street just after 3 a.m.

They arrived to flames shooting through the roof of a two-story brick building.

People were there at the time. The fire spread dangerously close to a neighboring building prompting a defensive operation.

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News / National

by Staff reporter

Community radio stations in Zimbabwe are grappling with a sustainability crisis due to chronic under-funding, weak financial management, and infrastructural shortcomings, the Parliamentary Committee on Media and Broadcasting was told.In a presentation before the committee, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) outlined the challenges faced by community radio stations, despite their pivotal role in promoting access to information, preserving cultural heritage, and fostering community engagement.According to BAZ, community radio stations in Zimbabwe are struggling to secure long-term financial sustainability, primarily due to poor financial management systems and a reliance on unpredictable donor funding. The report highlighted that many stations lack diversified revenue streams, leaving them vulnerable to fluctuating donor support."Limited revenue streams and a heavy dependence on donor funding have created financial instability for these stations. The situation is made worse by inadequate internal controls, especially in terms of managing advertising revenue, which remains a crucial source of income," BAZ officials said.The lack of community ownership and representation within governance structures is another barrier to the long-term viability of these stations, the authority noted. Some initial sponsors, who provided financial support or facilities, continue to exert undue influence over station operations, undermining the stations' ability to develop content that genuinely reflects community needs."Some sponsors, despite their initial support, are reluctant to let go of their influence, subtly dictating programming choices. Additionally, some individuals who donated buildings are now trying to control content, which compromises the station's independence and community-driven focus," the report added.A significant hurdle is the insufficient transmission infrastructure, which hampers community radio stations from reaching their designated audiences effectively. Power outages at transmission sites continue to disrupt broadcasting, despite some stations having installed solar backups for studio facilities. These power issues at transmission sites remain a persistent challenge for uninterrupted service."Frequent power outages at transmission sites cause signal loss, disrupting broadcasts and affecting the stations' ability to maintain consistent programming. While solar backup solutions have been implemented for studio facilities, the lack of stable power at transmission sites continues to pose a major challenge," the BAZ officials said.Additionally, the high staff turnover rate at these stations remains a persistent problem, as trained personnel often leave for better opportunities elsewhere. This results in a constant need for retraining and capacity development, which strains resources and disrupts the production of content."While capacity-building workshops are ongoing to strengthen community radio operations, the high turnover of trained staff creates a cycle of retraining that depletes resources, making it difficult for stations to sustain quality content production," the report said.As community radio stations continue to struggle with these challenges, the need for sustainable funding models, improved governance, and robust infrastructure development has never been more pressing. For these stations to thrive, it is crucial that stakeholders - including the government, private sector, and local communities - work together to address the financial, technical, and managerial obstacles that are currently hindering their growth and impact.
State attorney Monique Worrell is asking the Florida Attorney General for funds to bring in 13 more prosecutors.

This is after Worrell announced Thursday shes limiting the amount of cases her prosecutors take on where law enforcement hasnt made an arrest or received an arrest warrant.

Attorney General James Uthmeier called it a blanket policy thats contrary to the essential duties of a prosecutor.

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In a letter to Uthmeier, Worrell says the amount of backlogged non-arrest cases have reached what she believes to be an all-time high, more than 13,675 cases.

She told the attorney general she needs more prosecutors and additional staff to work through this backlog.

Shes defending her policy, saying the purpose of the policy is to encourage law enforcement to obtain an arrest warrant for a suspect instead of allowing an offender to remain on the street.

My goal is not to increase work for law enforcement but to lean on our partnership for their support in building the strongest cases possible by conducting more thorough investigations and making appropriate probable cause determinations so that we may successfully prosecute the cases submitted to our office, the letter reads.

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Meanwhile, critics say her policy could lead to bad arrests or cases never being reviewed by a prosecutor at all.

WFTV reached out to state attorneys in Central Florida. The 18th Circuit, covering Brevard and Seminole counties, and the 7th Circuit, covering Volusia and Flagler counties, say they do accept nonarrest cases.

The 5th Circuit, covering Lake, Marion and Sumter counties, responded to Channel 9 after air Friday evening, saying they do accept nonarrest cases. However, this week, the office clarified it does have a policy limiting some general nonarrest cases. The office does accept homicide, sex crimes and child abuse, violent first- and second-degree felonies, and trafficking offenses. If law enforcement has a case that isnt in the category, they can contact the division supervisor, the policy states.

Im on my fifth term consecutive term as state attorney for the seventh circuit, and weve accepted non-arrest as we call them the entire time, said R.J.Larizza, state attorney of the 7th Judicial Circuit.

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Larizza says taking on these cases are crucial.

Because Ill tell you my biggest fears, Ashlyn are one, to prosecute somebody we shouldnt or not to prosecutes somebody that we should, Larizza said. I think nonarrest cases, I think if you dont look at those, if you refuse to take them, one, theyre gonna arrest more folks maybe that shouldnt be arrested. And secondly, youre not gonna be able to prosecuted cases that should be. "

Critics of Worrells new policy say it severs the relationship law enforcement has with prosecutors to decide whether a case is prosecutable. Seth Hyman, who ran for Worrells seat, says prosecutors should review all cases.

Shes effectively saying the state attorneys office shouldnt be handling these crimes, let the cops do it, let the deputies do it. And thats not acceptable, Hyman said.

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State attorney Worrells decision is brave and its what best protects the community, said former prosecutor Ryan Vescio.

Vescio says Worrell along with other state attorneys are stretched thin on funding from the state, and Worrell is ensuring violent crimes are thoroughly reviewed.

This definitely sends a wakeup call to the Legislature that if they want our communities fully protected, then they need to fund state attorneys appropriately, Vescio said.

Larriza says these nonarrest cases are often resource and time intensive but managing the case load comes down to training prosecutors.

To evaluate the ones that need the attention and the ones that dont, Larizza said.

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WFTV reached out to Worrells office for an interview regarding this letter to the attorney general, but we have not heard back.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
BOSTON (WWLP)  This week at the State House in Boston, lawmakers split their time between budget matters and federal issues and hearing from advocates from their communities.

Lawmakers came together early in the week to commemorate Transgender Day of Visibility, at a time when the presidential administration is targeting transgender people via executive orders.

We are seeing a hateful effort to erase trans people from public life. These are coordinated and deliberated attacks, said Provincetown Senator Julian Cyr.

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The state senate announced a targeted response plan to Trumps federal actions, called Response 2025, that tasks a pre-existing committee with speaking to other senators and putting forth bills.

We know how to do this, we know how to get together, get the best ideas surfaced, move as quickly as we must do to meet the acute challenges of this time, said Northampton Senator Jo Comerford.

The committee in charge of response is already meant to speak with senators and pitch bills, but the Senate president says naming Trump as a priority will allow a faster and more targeted approach.

On Thursday, youth advocates took to Beacon Hill to speak out against the influence of nicotine and tobacco on their communities.

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We all have power. No matter who we are, what we look like, or where we come from, we will always have the power of our voices, our minds, and of each other, said Hopkinton High School senior Neha Ninan.

Also this week, Governor Healey filed a $756 million supplemental budget meant to provide urgent relief to some state-sponsored services, like food access, housing, and child care.

The supplemental budget will need to pass the House and Senate before being implemented, and it is expected to cost the state about $545 million.

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.

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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. (WCIA)  A 45-year-old man from Morgan County has been arrested by Illinois State Police for first-degree murder.

On Saturday, State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 4 announced that they arrested 45-year-old Benchy Couloute of Jacksonville for first degree murder (Class M Felony). On March 24, special agents with State Police were requested by the Beardstown Police Department to help with a homicide investigation that happened in the 1200 block of State St.

IL DCFS attorney fired after report claims she worked at bank on State time

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The victim, 37-year-old Junior Kalnoji of Beardstown, was found deceased inside the residence after Beardstown officers responded to a 911 call at the address. Following a thorough investigation, the case was presented to the Cass County States Attorneys Office, and an arrest warrant was then issued for Couloute.

During the investigation, it was determined that Couloute fled to the state of Indiana. Indiana State Police then located and arrested Couloute, in conjunction with State Police special agents.

Couloute is currently being held at the Marion County, Indiana Sheriffs Office pending extradition.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
NEW JERSEY (PIX11)  New Jerseys primary day is just about two months away, and the race for governor is ramping up.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who finds himself in the middle of the Democratic pack in the mayoral race, joined PIX on Politics to discuss his campaign. Fulop said he wouldnt raise property taxes if elected.

Were going to stabilize and hopefully lower it. I like to make promises that I can commit to, Fulop said.

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Watch the video player for the full interview.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
ST. LOUIS  St. Louis Metropolitan Police investigators have released the identity of a bicyclist struck and killed near the intersection of Gravois and Bamberger Tuesday night.

Jason Lewis, 27, was a St. Peters resident.

I feel for the family, said Leland Ervin, a St. Louis resident familiar with that intersection.

St. Louis police released surveillance video of a vehicle believed to be involved in the hit-and-run crash.

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A silver-colored Ford Edge had a red dealers placard attached to the back. The SUV likely sustained significant front-end damage. Tipsters are urged to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).

Our hearts go out to this family, said Cindy Mense, Trailnet CEO.

The nonprofit released a statement about Tuesdays crash:

Gravois Avenue has consistently ranked among the most dangerous streets for pedestrians and remains one of the Citys top crash corridors, the nonprofit wrote following the fatal crash.

Gravois is a state-maintained road; a spokesperson for MoDOT told FOX 2 the crash investigation is not completed, adding its too soon to know if any maintenance issues should be addressed.

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A MoDOT Gravois Road project is tentatively slated for 2029. The agency will work with the community to identify potential issues and look at safety enhancements to reduce them, according to the MoDOT spokesperson.

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Mense said in addition to street designs and traffic-calming measures, there are other factors that can enhance safety.

Distracted driving is an issue that Trailnet has worked on for years, she said, pointing to the creation of Missouris current hands-free law that now includes penalties.

Mense added that Missouri HB 248 would make driver education a requirement in public and charter schools for students in grades nine to 12.

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  Quiet weather has returned to KELOLAND as the active weather from yesterday has moved out of our area. High pressure sinking in will dry us out for today and bring back sunshine.

Highs today will range from the 40s to the 50s. Winds from the northwest could be breezy at times, but those will begin to calm down heading into the overnight hours and turn to the southwest.

We will start to see a few clouds move into western South Dakota for the night, but skies will continue to stay mostly clear across KELOLAND. Lows will stay seasonably cool in the 20s before a slight warm up for tomorrow.

Highs will get into the 50s and 60s to start the week, with mostly clear and partly cloudy skies. Winds will start to turn back to the north and pick up as another cold front moves through for Monday.

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We will cool back down, but it wont last for long with temperatures rebounding on Tuesday. We will continue to stay mainly dry, with a slight chance for some light rain showers on Wednesday. By the end of the week, spring-like temperatures return with highs in the 60s and 70s.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
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Thousands of rubbery blue "by-the-wind sailors" are washing up on California beaches following shifting winds and ocean currents. | Credit: MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images via Getty Images

Rubbery blue sea creatures are washing up on California beaches by the thousands.

The translucent blobs, known as by-the-wind sailors (Velella velella), began piling up Sunday (March 30) along several beaches in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although the animals look like jellyfish, they're more closely related to the Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis).

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Each creature, which can grow up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) long, is actually a colony of hundreds of smaller organisms with specialized functions. The velellas' S-shaped sails crest the surface of the ocean, carrying them through the warm waters they call home, while their short tentacles hang below the water to catch their prey.

By-the-wind sailors' stings are relatively mild compared with those of their more dangerous cousins, though experts recommend that you avoid touching your face or eyes after coming into contact with one.

Related: The weirdest creatures to wash ashore

These blobs have turned up en masse on beaches around the world before, usually in the spring and early summer. The creatures typically live in the open ocean, but large storms blowing in over the coast can propel them onto shore.

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"This time of year the ocean along the west coast transitions into upwelling season," Jennifer Stock , an education specialist at Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary in California, told SFGate . Upwelling occurs when cold, nutrient-rich water rises from deep in the ocean.

"The true start/end of that season shifts every year based on a wide set of variables, but the presence of velellas indicates a shift in winds and currents, and the velellas, which are propelled by wind/current alone, get directed to the beaches," Stock said.

Each by-the-wind sailor (Velella velella) is actually a colony of hundreds of smaller organisms with specialized functions. | Credit: STRINGER via Getty Images

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Because the velellas can't steer themselves, they get stranded on the beach until either the tide carries them back out to sea or they die. Recent northward winds and storms have carried the animals to the Bay Area over the past week  and experts predict more could wash up in the coming days.

"I would say if we get a nice high pressure system, which is generally associated with nice clear skies, but also upwelling, it's going to really concentrate them just offshore," Raphael Kudela , an oceanographer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, told KQED . "And then all we need is a break in that  a low [pressure system] coming through or the high weakening  and then we would probably see a nice big raft of them come washing into the beaches."

"It's kind of cool to see," Kudela added. "They're really beautiful."
Apr. 4Editor's note: This story was updated Friday to add further comments from UAA Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Deanne Woodard.

Some University of Alaska Anchorage students are pushing back on a recently announced "reorganization" of the Native Student Services program, saying the changes will ultimately dismantle a program that's critical for Native students.

Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Deanne Woodard last month said that beginning July 1, Native Student Services would be called the Indigenous and Rural Student Center and move under one "umbrella" in the Community and Belonging Department along with the Pride Center and the Multicultural Student Services program.

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The reorganization "aims to promote fiscal health and address staff capacity," Woodard said in a video message to students.

On a sunny Thursday afternoon, a group of about 50 students  many Alaska Native  held a protest outside of the Consortium Library, where they said Chancellor Sean Parnell was scheduled to be.

They held signs and chanted phrases: "We are here, we won't back down, this is Indigenous ground," they shouted.

Student Mars Kashevarof was one of the protest's organizers. Kashevarof is worried that the change will fracture the community of students fostered by NSS, and disrupt the retention rates of Native students.

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"It's like a home away from home," Kashevarof said. "It's where I've met most of my friends. It's where I know I have a community of people who are like me. It's a place where I can go to get support no matter what  and it's like that for a lot of students. It's really like, the reason I'm still here at UAA  Native Student Services and the staff."

A petition against the restructuring had more than 1,250 signatures as of Thursday evening.

The announcement on restructuring Native Student Services comes after the University of Alaska made several changes in response to pressure from the Trump administration to abolish diversity initiatives.

In February, the University of Alaska Board of Regents moved to review programs and struck language related to diversity, equity and inclusion from websites, titles, offices and other materials. Last month, UAA removed its chief diversity officer and UAF closed a diversity center.

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In her message to students, Woodard said the process to restructure Native Student Services began last summer.

"Our goal is to be more responsive to student needs through shared resources and enhanced experiences, programming and connections. By bringing together smaller teams into larger ones, we can cross-train more effectively, offer greater assistance and build capacity through partnerships and collaborations," Woodard said.

UAA hasn't been clear on what exactly will  or won't  change when it comes to the services that NSS provides to Native students.

The petition circulated by students claims that NSS's two staff members will be cut. Kashevarof said one staff member has already been placed on administrative leave.

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In an email Friday, Woodard said that information in the petition was inaccurate and that NSS is "not being 'dismantled' or 'shut down.'" It has been renamed and will continue to operate in the same location in Rasmuson Hall, she said.

"There are no plans to reduce services currently provided in the space. The structure and the way those services are offered may change, but the services will still be available to our students, as will the physical space on campus."

She did not answer emailed questions about whether both staff members would be laid off or how many roles would be cut in the restructuring.

Woodard said the university is "unable to speak to existing HR personnel issues."

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"However, moving forward, the organizational structure includes the Director of Community and Belonging, an Associate Director of Community and Belonging who will have a focus on the (Indigenous and Rural Student Center), and an Engagement & Belonging Coordinator, also with a focus on the IRSC," Woodard said.

A UAA spokesman had previously declined to comment to Alaska Public Media on the status of NSS staff.

The overall restructure of Student Affairs is estimated to save about $500,000 in the budget, Woodard said.

Rhea Larson is one of the students protesting the restructuring. The lack of clarity from university administrators about the change is frustrating, she said.

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NSS provides critical support to first-year incoming students who are Native, she said.

NSS staff reach out to each Native student after they enroll, offering help with navigating college life, academic support and advising. Staff put on the NET Program, a weeklong orientation where Native students living on campus move in early.

"Native people are very interconnected, and everything is based on community and helping each other out," Larson said.

For those Native students who aren't from Anchorage, the transition into the city and university can be especially challenging, Larson said.

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"NSS provides the support and helps that transition, and they do everything with Native cultural values in mind, and everything they do is based off of that. And so that way people can stay grounded in their culture and they have a comfortable space to go to just to hang out, or if they're having a hard time. It's like an anchoring point," she said.

Other students at the protest voiced broader frustration and disappointment over the university's recent changes to its DEI language and programs.

Beth King said that as a Mexican-American student, it was important for her to stand with Native students.

The university's "decision to erase DEI language, and now combining multicultural services, the Pride Center and Native Student Services, is not OK. They are each individually important on their own, and combining them as one is suppression," King said.

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Student Alex Devon sees the restructuring as going "directly against the promises" university leaders made to students.

"They've sent out three or four emails at this point assuring us that Native rights and access and support is like, their biggest priority, and they're never gonna change that. And then they're turning around and removing this critical support structure  it's hypocritical and it's not acceptable," Devon said.

She said that the university's rapid response to the Trump executive orders shows that its priority is "political expediency" and not the welfare of students.

"That's just not acceptable for our board of directors who are supposed to be representing us. It's failing us," Devon said.
Exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, via drinking water before birth could lead to an increased risk of childhood cancers.

What's happening?

UC Irvine News reported on a recent study led by the Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health at the University of California, Irvine, that showed possible links between prenatal PFAS exposure and certain childhood cancers.

PFAS, commonly known as "forever chemicals," have been widely used in household products for decades and are linked to various health risks.

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UC Irvine researchers analyzed data from 29,974 healthy children up to the age of 15 and 10,220 children who were diagnosed with cancer, according to the News. To estimate maternal PFAS levels, researchers used the mother's address at birth and data collected by an EPA program monitoring PFAS contamination in drinking water.

Researchers found a possible link between higher levels of two types of PFAS and certain childhood cancers, like acute myeloid leukemia and Wilms tumors.

Why is PFAS exposure concerning?

Introduced commercially in Teflon by DuPont in 1946, PFAS are now used in hundreds of everyday products, from non-stick pans to stain-resistant fabrics. Scientists have identified more than 14,000 of these synthetic chemicals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on EPA data.

PFAS have earned the infamous "forever chemical" nickname because they are nearly indestructible and can accumulate in the human body and environment, including in drinking water.

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Experts have linked PFAS chemicals to a slew of health risks like cancers, reproductive issues, low birth weights, increased cholesterol, and weight gain. These linkages are still being researched.

A study in Sweden found that PFAS exposure may weaken children's immune systems.

What's being done about PFAS?

The EPA has instituted standards for drinking water and rolled out a national PFAS testing strategy.

The UC Irvine study proves the importance of monitoring and regulation.

"Further studies are needed to confirm and better understand these associations, but this research underscores the importance of clean drinking water and continued regulatory efforts to protect public health," said Natalie Binczewski, an author of the study, per UC Irvine News.

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Researchers are also developing methods to filter drinking water using UV light to break down PFAS.

Avoiding household products that contain PFAS can help to minimize your exposure.

You can start by replacing nonstick cookware with cast iron or stainless steel. Scratched non-stick coatings are especially dangerous, and you should not cook in scratched pans. Research has shown cooking at home can reduce PFAS exposure because takeout containers often contain these chemicals.

Consider limiting the use of stain or water-resistant clothing, upholstery, carpets, and rugs. Look for brands that are labeled PFAS-free.

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"While these results do not confirm that PFAS exposure directly causes childhood cancers, they add to a growing body of evidence highlighting potential health risks," Binczewski said further, per the News.

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A substitute teacher in the state of Ohio has been accused of offering a student $2,000 to kill her husband.

According to court records obtained by the Columbus Dispatch, 44-year-old Stephanie Demetrius has been charged with conspiracy, a first-degree felony, after she asked the student to kill her husband in exchange for the cash bounty.

Demetrius allegedly approached a student on March 26 at the Academy for Urban Scholars High School and gave the teen $250 as a "down payment" to commit the crime.

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In a recorded call between the student and Demetrius, the substitute teacher gave the student information about when her children would be out of the home so the murder could be committed, the court records state.

Franklin County Municipal Court on Thursday, Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Parker Schwartz said Demetrius and her husband are separated and that he got a protection order against her after she made homicidal threats in the past.

According to court documents obtained by The Columbus Dispatch, Demetrius had filed for divorce from her husband in 2024 and those proceedings are still ongoing.

In July of 2024, her husband filed for emergency custody of their children and included a number of details of alleged violent behavior. The filing claimed that she had stabbed her husband with a pair of scissors, set a fire in the home's basement, smashed garage doors and damaged other property, and other things.

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"She has physically assaulted two of the children and Defendant Father," the filing says. "The minor children are in danger of harm as their mother's (sic) continues to return to the Marital Residence and break windows and doors to force herself in."

"Defendant Father has made numerous attempts to resolve the situation with Mother, who appears to be escalating in her erratic and threatening behavior," the July 2024 filing says.

At Thursday's hearing, a Franklin County Public Defender representing Demetrius said that the claims were fabricated.
News / National

by Staff reporter

TWO former senior City of Harare officials were yesterday arraigned before the court to answer to a criminal abuse of office charge involving a fraudulent US$465 290 tender award for the Mbare Biogas Project.Harare regional magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa granted former chamber secretary Josephine Ncube (62) and Phillip Mabingo Pfukwa (70) council's ex-works director US$400 bail each.Ncube and Pfukwa are accused of illegally awarding a contract to Synlak Investments (Pvt) Limited in 2015, despite the company failing to meet tender requirements.The contract, which was meant to fund the construction of biogas digesters and a power generator for the city, was allegedly manipulated to benefit Synlak without the necessary approval from the city's procurement committees.According to prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti, City of Harare received a 350 500 grant from the European Union in December 2013 to support the project.However, instead of following procurement procedures, Pfukwa and Ncube allegedly bypassed key adjudication processes and misrepresented information to push through the contract award to Synlak Investments.Pfukwa, as the director of works, reportedly conducted the tender evaluation himself, contrary to the regulations that require an independent review by the town clerk and the procurement committee.He allegedly recommended Synlak despite the company lacking the necessary experience in civil works and biogas projects.Ncube allegedly worked in common purpose with Pfukwa to issue an internal memorandum, asserting that Synlak met the tender conditions.The contract was awarded on December 31, 2015, without the oversight of relevant committees, in violation of the Procurement Act and City of Harare regulations.The court heard that following the fraudulent contract award, Synlak Investments received full payment of US$465 290 from the City of Harare.However, investigations revealed that the company failed to deliver, leaving the project incomplete thereby prejudicing the city.The State further alleged that Pfukwa and Ncube knowingly acted contrary to their official duties, with the intent to give Synlak an unfair advantage.Their actions resulted in a financial loss to the city and stalled progress on the biogas project, which was expected to provide an alternative energy source for Mbare.The case will resume on April 14 this year.
CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS)  The superintendent of Caddo Parish schools addresses the proposal to close several elementary schools.

The proposal facing the school board would close Blanchard Elementary, Queenborough, and Eighty-First Street ECE. Superintendent Keith Burton said these campuses have lower enrollment with high building maintenance costs. Willis-Knighton has submitted a bid to buy the Queeborough campus, while Blanchard Elementary and Eighty-First Streets buildings would close until a buyer is found. Burton said the school district plans to work with the communities to get input on what residents would like to see the buildings become.

Petition created in hopes of preventing Blanchard Elementary School closure

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One of the things we are trying to emphasize is we value the history and the legacy of those buildings. We have to look not only to the past, but weve got to look forward. To be able to work together to think about what is the best possible environment for these students in five years, or ten years from now, Burton said.

Teachers would be transferred along with the students or fill open positions throughout the district.

Queensborough students would transfer to JS Clark Academy. Blanchard students would transfer to Donnie Bickham Middle School, which would become a K through 8th grade campus with an additional wing for K-2nd grade. Eighty-First Street students would transfer to Atkins Elementary.

School transparency tool rolled out as Louisiana prepares for school choice pivot

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The decision is up to the school board, which will vote during its meeting on April 15. The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. at the boards headquarters, 1961 Midway Avenue in Shreveport.`

You can catch more from Superintendent Burtons interview on Monday, April 7, on Fox 33 at 9 p.m. and NBC 6 at 10 p.m.

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President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff plan tests the limits of executive power.

Some GOP lawmakers have publicly split from Trump, proposing bills to rein him in on trade issues.

Four political scientists told BI the bills are symbolic objections and are all but guaranteed not to pass.

Even though new bills are being proposed to rein him in, don't hold your breath waiting for Congress to stop President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff plan.

Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington on Thursday introduced a Senate bill to limit a president's power to impose tariffs. The bill would allow Congress to vote to end any tariff at any time, require the president to provide Congress with 48 hours' notice before imposing any new duties, and require Congress to explicitly approve any new tariffs within 60 days.

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Four additional Republicans  Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Jerry Moran of Kansas  have signed on as co-sponsors to the bill. Republican Rep. Don Bacon has also said he'll introduce a companion House bill with similar provisions.

Business Insider spoke to four political scientists who each said that, while the bills proposed by the Republican lawmakers represent the first time some members of the president's party have split with him publicly since the election, the proposals are largely symbolic objections and are all but guaranteed not to pass because, even with the support of Democratic lawmakers, the bills simply won't have enough votes.

"Congress has the ability, but Congress, as it's currently constituted, does not have the will," Justin Crowe, a professor of political science at Williams College, told BI. "There's virtually no chance, at least in the near term. Were we to be in a fuller-blown trade war and we had some kind of economic downturn of a serious magnitude over the next number of months, potentially, you could see Congress trying to step in. But in the near term, that seems remarkably, vanishingly unlikely."

Justin Buchler, an associate professor of political science at Case Western Reserve University, told BI that, technically, the proposed bills shouldn't even be necessary since the Constitution grants Congress the exclusive power to levy tariffs and duties. However, in recent years, lawmakers have taken a less active role in doing so, instead allowing the executive branch to execute tariff policies within the guidelines defined by Congress.

Congress likely won't claw back its trade power

Six different statutes exist to control how the president can use tariffs. Only three carve-outs exist to allow the president to impose tariffs without a congressional investigation. Still, only one has ever been used: the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, which allows the president to declare an emergency under the National Emergency Act to regulate or prohibit imports.

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Trump cited that power on Wednesday when he announced sweeping 10% tariffs on goods imported from almost every country into the United States and even higher tariffs for 60 trading partners with a persistent trade deficit with the US.

According to the National Constitution Center, the other two presidential tariff carve-outs, which have never been used, stem from the Trade Act of 1974 and the Tariff Act of 1930. Portions of these laws allow the president to enact temporary tariffs to address balance-of-payments deficits and tariffs on goods from foreign countries that discriminate against US commerce in certain ways.

But the political scientists told Business Insider not to expect Congress to try to claw back its trade power in any real way.

"We're in this weird position where, constitutionally, no legislation should be necessary because what Donald Trump is doing is so far beyond the bounds of what the Constitution permits that nothing should be happening at all," Buchler said. "But the courts aren't going to stop him, and given that there's no way that Congress is going to reach a veto override point  and probably can't even get anything through the House, given that Mike Johnson is not likely to let anything come up for a vote  it's probably a moot point."

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Supply chain experts and economists previously told Business Insider that Trump's wide-reaching "Liberation Day" tariffs are expected to result in higher prices for everything from pantry staples like coffee and sugar to apparel and larger purchases like cars and appliances. The market has tanked in response to global trade uncertainty, with stocks suffering their worst single-day loss in five years on Thursday.

And while members of Congress are no doubt aware of the economic turmoil stemming from Trump's aggressive trade strategy, there's little incentive to risk using up their political cache on a losing battle  at least for now.

"I think they're going to wait to see whether their constituents complain," Susan McWilliams Barndt, a professor of politics at Pomona College, told BI. "I think they're really going to wait to see if their constituents tie their complaints to the tariffs, and then I think it's going to be a couple of weeks before we really see any real response from Congress."

Patricia Crouse, a professor of political science at the University of New Haven, agreed, telling BI she expects "The only real pushback may come if it costs Republicans seats in the 2026 election."

Read the original article on Business Insider
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB)  Surfside Academy in Panama City Beach is making sure all students have a prom theyll never forget.

Surfside hosted its second annual special needs prom on Friday at Captain Andersons. Dozens of students enjoyed music from a DJ, dancing, food, a photo booth, and a day filled with joy.

The academy consists of four classrooms with over 25 students, from kindergarten to age 22, with intellectual disabilities. Students from the best buddies program were also invited.

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Bay County candidates discuss citys future at First Friday

Surfsides doors have only been open for two years, but staff has already made an impact on the students lives.

To see these kids happy. They have so many hardships in life that some of them dont even recognize they have. But theres just to see that kid smile and enjoy the moment, enjoy where they are and the adults theyre around, I mean, thats priceless. You cant get that anywhere else, Surfside Middle School/Academy Principal Matt Pitts said.

The school honored its only senior at the prom by naming him prom king. The school staff hopes to continue this tradition of creating memories for the students.

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HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM)  James Malone wasnt even particularly well known locally last Tuesday morning. By Tuesday night, he made national news by flipping a reliably red state senate seat to blue.

James was as good of a candidate as you could ever have, said Jalen Nix, executive director of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Campaign Committee. He bought in, he talked to his neighbors  and really just cared.

The victory left Republicans with a 27-23 seat lead in the chamber. Because Lt. Governor Austin Davis, a Democrat, would break a 25-25 tie, that means Democrats would need a net gain of two seats to control the state senate after November 2026, when half of 50 senate seats will be on ballots.

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The prospect of flipping a chamber in a major purple state could attract national attention  and money.

If I could have a few more James Malones in 2026, I think were going to have a very successful election night next November, said Nix, who added Democrats managed slip under the radar and take Republicans somewhat by surprise in Lancaster.

Sen. Kim Ward (R), the chambers president pro tempore, agrees Republicans messed up in Lancaster, but she says thats exactly why Democrats shouldnt read too much into what that will mean going forward.

This doesnt have national implications, Ward said. There were a lot of things that were going on in that district, including a lot of infighting within the [Republican] party.

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Nix said Malones victory is inspiring others.

Weve had a wave of potential candidates reach out to us and say, Hey, I want to run in this district,' Nix said.

Ward said one challenge for Democrats will be defending none other than the seat Malone just won, where turnout will surely be higher in a general election, the element of surprise will be gone and Republicans still have the same registration advantage that made the result a surprise in the first place.

Were going to get back our Lancaster seat and then were going to go try to take out two other Democrats, Ward said, declining (as Nix did too for Democrats) to name seats the party is targeting.

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But an abc27 News analysis of competitive districts found that among the 25 senate districts that will be on November 2026 general election ballots in Pennsylvania, the narrowest 2022 victory for Republicans was by Tracy Pennycuick (R-Montgomery and Berks) over Jill Dennin by 4 points, 51.5% to 47.5%. The narrowest Democratic victory was by Nick Miller (D-Lehigh and Northampton) over Dean Browning by 6.9 points, 52.8% to 45.9%.

With stock markets and plunging and economic concerns among Americans rising, Democrats appear eager to turn the mid-term elections at all levels into a referendum on President Trump.

When [voters] pockets are being hurt by some of these reckless cuts, I think theyre going to look for an alternative, Nix said. And our responsibility is to give them that alternative by having strong candidates that are running with local messaging.

A year and a half is a long way off  a long way off, Ward said. Well see how some of [the Trump administration] programs and ideas turn out.

Get the latest Pennsylvania politics and election news with abc27 newsletters!

Regardless, its not enough to just run against Trump, Nix said, citing what he said was a good emphasis by Malone emphasis on kitchen table issues as a winning template. We have to run for something.

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  Police have arrested a suspect in a deadly stabbing on the west side of Sioux Falls.

The stabbing happened early Friday morning in the 3500 block of south Larch Avenue, near 41st Street and Marion Road. Officers found a 45-year-old man in the hallway of a Meadowland Apartment building. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sioux Falls police spokesman Sam Clemens said there were several witnesses at the scene.

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Police believe a fight between the victim and Adams led to the stabbing and are still working to answer questions about what exactly happened. Officials believe the two men were the only ones involved in the fight.

Probably the big question we have is what happened, Clemens said at Mondays police briefing.

Police arrested 35-year-old Jordan Benedict Adams.

Hes charged with Second-Degree Murder, along with First-Degree Manslaughter and Aggravated Assault.

Adams was released from the Department of Corrections custody on March 11 on other offenses.

We know that theres a lot of people that have been involved in the criminal justice system and most likely will continue to, that really doesnt change our job, Clemens said.

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Hes currently being held in the Minnehaha County Jail.

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MICHIGAN CITY, Ind.  Authorities have identified the man shot and killed by a Michigan City police officer after the man ran off during a traffic stop Friday evening, according to the Indiana State Police.

The LaPorte County Coroner identified the man as Jorge Meza, 21, of South Bend, Ind.

According to a news release late Saturday morning, ISP detectives initially notified family Friday night and then notified additional family members Saturday morning. An autopsy has been scheduled for Sunday.

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ISP said the shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. Friday when an officer with the Michigan City Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a red Dodge SUV in the 5800 block of South Franklin Street for an equipment violation. During the traffic stop, an armed man ran from the scene, prompting officers to run after him, according to investigators.

Heart was bigger than her: Family mourning tragic loss of mother shot, killed at Hammond bar

ISP said one of the officers then fired his weapon, hitting the suspect, later identified as Meza. He was taken to Franciscan Health Hospital in Michigan City, where he died.

The investigation remains ongoing, and ISP said detectives are in the process of reviewing body camera and in-car videos.

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Michigan City Police Chief Marty Corley has placed the officer(s) involved on paid administrative leave, in accordance with the police departments policies, while ISP conducts its investigation.

Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch issued the following statement on the shooting:

This is a deeply serious matter, and my thoughts are with everyone affected. This is the first officer-involved shooting to occur under my administration. To ensure a thorough and impartial investigation, the incident has been turned over to the Indiana State Police. We have full confidence in their ability to carry out a comprehensive and transparent review.

As this remains an active investigation, we are limited in the details we can share at this time. I ask for the communitys patience as the facts are gathered. We are committed to sharing verified information as it becomes available and to upholding the trust of our residents throughout this process.

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Authorities seek publics help in identifying skeletal remains found in Gary home

No other information has been released.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
On Friday, March 14, President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law giving him immense powers to deport noncitizens in a time of war.

His use of that law was aimed at Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that he has repeatedly and falsely claimed as part of an invasion of criminal immigrants. Over the next 24 hours, more than 130 Venezuelans were deported to an El Salvadoran prison even as a U.S. judge ordered the planes carrying them to turn around.

Heres what you need to know about the situation:

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An 18th-century law

Trump had long promised to invoke the Alien Enemies Act to combat illegal immigration. The law crafted during the presidency of John Adams had been used just three times: during the War of 1812 and the two world wars.

The Trump administration had begun moving closer to calling the migrant issue a war, most notably by designating eight Latin American criminal groups, including Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations.

Tattoos as gang markers

U.S. immigration authorities use a series of gang identifiers to spot members of Tren de Aragua. Some are obvious, such as trafficking drugs with known gang members.

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Some are more surprising: Chicago Bulls jerseys, high-end urban street wear, and tattoos of clocks, stars and crowns, according to government instructional material filed in court by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Ordinary tattoos were key to marking many deported men as Tren members, according to documents and lawyers.

One of those men was a makeup artist who said he fled Venezuela after his boss at a state-run news channel publicly slapped him. In a country where political repression and open homophobia are both part of life, its hard to be a gay man who does not support President Nicolas Maduro.

Hoping to find a new life in America, Andry Jose Hernandez Romero made his way north and arranged an appointment at a U.S. border crossing in San Diego.

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There, he was asked about his tattoos. Romero has a crown tattooed on each wrist. One is next to the word Mom. The other next to Dad. The crowns, his lawyer says, also pay homage to his hometowns Christmastime Three Kings festival, and to his work in beauty pageants.

Romero, who insists he has no ties to Tren, was transferred to a California detention center.

Then, around March 7, he was moved to a facility in Laredo, Texas, a three-hour bus ride from the South Texas city of Harlingen.

Gathering detained Venezuelans for deportation

Two days before the March 14 deportations, jets chartered by a branch of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement began landing in Harlingen from across the U.S., some carrying detained Venezuelans.

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Court documents later showed that for at least the previous week, Venezuelan men in many immigration detention centers were being moved by bus and plane toward ICEs El Valle Detention Facility, close to the Harlingen airport.

Then, a flight analyst for the advocacy group Witness at the Border noticed two Saturday flights scheduled from Harlingen to El Salvador. That was unusual. Deportations are fairly rare on Saturdays, as are deportation flights from Harlingen to El Salvador, said the analyst, Tom Cartwright, whose social media feeds are closely watched in immigration circles.

Immigration lawyers push back

On March 14, with the Alien Enemies Act hours from being invoked and more than a day from being announced, word was filtering out from a group of Venezuelan men held at El Valle. Around 3 a.m., roughly 100 had been awakened by guards and told they were being deported. Ten hours later, the men were back in their bunks. The flight had been canceled, they were told, and they would leave soon.

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Within hours, an informal legal network was frantically trying to stop those deportations and working with Texas lawyers who would file federal court petitions.

Meanwhile, later that Friday, with signs growing that deportations could be imminent, two legal advocacy groups, the ACLU and Democracy Forward, felt they had to file preemptively.

They spent hours drafting a petition on behalf of five detained Venezuelans who feared being falsely labeled members of Tren and deported.

Finally, early Saturday morning they filed the petition with the U.S. District Court in Washington, seeking to halt all deportations under the Alien Enemies Act.

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The judge weighs in

Later that day, Judge James E. Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order in response to the ACLU lawsuit and scheduled a 5 p.m. hearing.

In Texas, though, things began to move faster. Guards gathered prisoners at the El Valle detention center, ordering them onto buses for the airport. The flights carried a total of 261 deportees, the White House later said, including 137 Venezuelans deported under the Alien Enemies Act, 101 under other immigration regulations, and 23 El Salvadoran members of the gang MS-13.

About 4 p.m. the White House posted Trumps proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act.

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Roughly an hour later Boasberg opened his hearing over Zoom.

He asked whether the government planned to deport anyone under the proclamation in the next 24 or 48 hours. The ACLU warned that deportation planes were about to take off. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign said he was unsure of the flight details.

Eventually Boasberg issued a new order to stop deportations being conducted under the Alien Enemies Act. He said any planes in the air needed to come back.

This is something that you need to make sure is complied with immediately, he told Ensign.

By then, two ICE Air planes were heading across the Gulf of Mexico and toward Central America. Neither turned around.

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Oopsie

The next morning, El Salvadors president tweeted a New York Post headline saying Boasberg had ordered the planes turned around.

Oopsie  Too late, Nayib Bukele wrote, adding a laughing/crying emoji.

The Trump administration is now urging the Supreme Court for permission to resume deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act. Boasberg soon could rule on whether there are grounds to find anyone in contempt of court for defying his court order.

As for Romero, the makeup artist, hes somewhere in CECOT.
Tampa Bay lawmaker proposes additional Kratom regulations; advocates partially agree

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  State lawmakers are looking to add more regulations to the controversial herbal supplement known as Kratom.

Kratom is a southeast Asian leaf thats often used for its stimulating effects. Its commonly found at gas stations along with tobacco and Kava shops.

Florida bill ignites debate over parental consent for minors healthcare

Republican State Rep. Michael Owen is looking to prevent artificially elevated levels of a compound found in that tea leaf.

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Weve got to regulate it because we got to get the 7-OH off the street, Owen said.

Rep. Owen, who covers southern Hillsborough and northern Manatee counties, has filed House Bill 1489.

Theyre pulling out whats called 7-OH. Basically, its 0.5% of the Kratom leaf. So, theyre pulling kind of the worst parts of that out. Theyre mixing that with other alkaloids and other compounds and theyre creating a product that is very, very dangerous, Owen said.

Senior Fellow on Public Policy Mac Haddow is with the American Kratom Association. He and the organization advocate for the responsible usage of Kratom which can be in the form of liquid, powder, or pill.

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Any adverse event or death thats related to Kratom occurs because of an adulterated Kratom product or poly drug use, Haddow said.

He agrees with getting products that are mixed with additional substances, making the effects stronger, off the shelves.

We should be focused on eliminating those products from the marketplace and not taking a broad strike against all Kratom products and the millions of Floridians who are consuming Kratom safely and responsibly, Haddow said.

Owens current bill includes additional regulations, like if Kratom tea is brewed, the shop must test it with a lab to monitor levels of 7-OH. Owen said hes making tweaks as the bill moves through committee.

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It does overregulate to where a lot of the Kava bars, for example, are put in a difficult spot where they cant brew their teas. Im not out to get them. So, Ive already made some changes, Owen said.

Kratom is often used to boost energy, improve someones mood, or battle an opioid addiction. The FDA warns against its usage, saying its dangerous for your liver, may cause seizures, and its addictive. It has been banned in Sarasota County since 2014. Six states have also banned Kratom.

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CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP)  As the trade war unfolds, China strikes back with 34% tariffs on U.S. imports.

For the last decade, the U.S. has been trying to increase global trade, lower trade barriers, and lower tariffs, but investors told 22News that this is a step in a different direction. Some items like toys that are in the U.S. right now are not taxed, but by the end of the summer, they are expected to be.

President Trump extends TikTok deadline a second time

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Theres always a debate about who pays a tariff, is it the consumer, is it the company thats exporting it, is the country thats importing it, here in the U.S? said Matt Farkas, Senior Vice President, Head of Fixed Income at St. Germain Investment Management.

President Trump has claimed that foreign countries pay tariffs, however, some tariffs are paid by U.S. importers that pass down the cost to consumers. If the tariffs stick, Farkas said some prices on items like TVs, auto parts, and toys may increase.

Thats why PlayNow! Owner Ray Vigneault is filling up his stores now. He doesnt want to charge his customers a 50% increase now.

All the items on the shelves at PlayNow! were not made in the U.S., they were made in China, Vietnam, and Mexico. The tariffs will raise prices on items that are $5 to $7.50.

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What we expect is that the companies are going to raise prices, which they already started to announce, but then again they may hold off on ordering more products themselves, so there could be shortages coming out over the summer, Ray Vigneault, Owner of PlayNow!

This is something Vigneault and other importers are hoping isnt similar to the shipping price hikes, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now its really hard to say anything with a lot of certainty. Because some think that these tariffs are a starting point for negotiation and they may not be here at this level for very long and they may be reduced pretty quickly, said Farkas.

While this may be a one-time bump up in prices for everyday goods, investors told 22News it could also bring more jobs.

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.

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News / National

by Staff reporter

South African police have intercepted a stolen Toyota Fortuner VX that was allegedly being smuggled into Zimbabwe, following an intelligence-driven anti-smuggling operation in Limpopo.Limpopo police spokesperson, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, confirmed that the vehicle was recovered on Tuesday, April 1, during a coordinated effort by multiple law enforcement agencies."An anti-smuggling operation was conducted along the N1 North, near Peter Mokaba Stadium, following intelligence regarding a stolen Toyota Fortuner VX that was travelling from Gauteng Province towards the Beitbridge Port of Entry," said Brigadier Mashaba.The operation involved the Anti-Smuggling Unit, Polokwane Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC), and external partners from Tshimollo Security and Investigation, who monitored the suspect vehicle's movement."The vehicle was spotted travelling northbound on the N1 and was stopped for investigations," Mashaba stated.Upon verification, authorities confirmed that the Toyota Fortuner had been reported stolen over the weekend in Pretoria Central."The driver, a 43-year-old South African male, was immediately arrested," he said.The vehicle, valued at approximately R800,000, was seized as part of ongoing investigations into vehicle smuggling syndicates operating between South Africa and Zimbabwe.The suspect is set to appear before the Polokwane Magistrate's Court on Thursday, where he will face charges of possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle.Authorities have intensified anti-smuggling operations along the Beitbridge border to curb the illegal movement of stolen vehicles into Zimbabwe.
SMYRNA, Tenn. (WKRN)  President Trumps tariffs have forced Nissan to make a U-turn on plans for a local production factory.

Nissan announced their intention to cut shifts in Smyrna earlier this year. But now, the car company has changed course to avoid the tariffs on Mexico and Japan.

Trump places 25% tariff on imported autos, expecting to raise $100 billion in tax revenues

In a statement Friday, the Japanese automaker wrote:

We are reviewing our production and supply chain operations to identify optimal solutions for efficiency and sustainability. Our objective is to implement the most effective industrial strategy to offer Nissan and INFINITI customers great products and strong value. As a result, we are taking a few immediate actions: Currently, more than half of our U.S. sales volume is sourced from our plants in Tennessee and Mississippi. We will maintain two shifts of production of Nissan Rogue at our Smyrna, Tennessee plant, keeping more localized volume in the U.S. that is free of the new auto tariffs. Production of other U.S. models in Mexico and Japan continues based on market needs. The company currently has ample inventory at our U.S. retailer that is unaffected by the new tariffs. We will continue to evaluate the impact, as well as market needs, to make any additional adjustments to production. Nissan

While this is good news for auto workers in Middle Tennessee, there remains questions about how these tariffs will change the landscape in the long-term.

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This is certainly a positive development, but unfortunately, I dont think its going to be a common experience, said Dan Smith, Director for Middle Tennessee State Universitys Political Economy Research Institute.

Smyrna: Home to one of Nissans largest factories

Smith believes Nissans decision cannot be sustained, even if its encouraging in the present.

Its going to take awhile for them to actually realize the full implication of these costs, Smith explained. I suspect its going to come at the long-term costs, the cost of these vehicles are going to go up. I hope they can sort out the supply chain logistics, for the sake of our local economy. But Im not optimistic.

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Zooming out from Rutherford County, President Trumps tariffs may end up changing Nashvilles investment appeal for foreign companies, according to Smith.

The way these tariffs provide their incentives, theyre going to discourage foreign countries from investing in the United States. So not only are we going to see all those effects from the increased cost on consumers, I expect also, long-term, if they stay in place, that were going to see less investment in Middle Tennessee.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
This week, Donald Trump began a global tariff spree, imposing a tax on imported goods from over 180 countries, sparking a global trade war, plummeting stock prices, and lowering 401(k)s.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

These tariffs have already become highly controversial, with many Trump voters admitting they're feeling the negative impact and are questioning their support of Trump. Here's what MAGA voters are saying over on the r/LeopardsAteMyFace subreddit.

1.There's the MAGA couple who claims their business is at risk due to Trump's tariffs on Taiwan:

2.There's the MAGA voter who says 5% of their retirement portfolio is gone after Trump announced the global tariffs:

3.There's the Trump supporter who says they didn't vote for a "global trade war."

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4.There's the conservative that admits that Trump's tariffs aren't good policy after all:

5.There's the conservative who is fearful of losing their job after their company warned of mass layoffs thanks to Trump tariffs:

6.There's this conservative who calls the tariffs "economic suicide" if they remain in place in the coming months:

7.There's the Trump voter who admits the tariffs will wipe out their life savings:

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8.There's the MAGA voter who is disappointed with Trump over the tariffs:

9."Trump shouldn't have done anything at all. The economy was moving in the right direction."

10."I'm ashamed to have voted for this."

11."I will never forgive myself for voting for Trump three fucking times."

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12."He wasn't elected to make it worse, even if temporarily."

13.There's the contractor who claims they've lost three jobs because of Trump's tariffs so far.

14.There's the contractor who voted for Trump three times but says, "These tariffs are killing me."

15.And finally, "You are standing idly by as the market crashes...DO SOMETHING!"

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Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Tarrant County school districts and city leaders warned lawmakers of the negative effects of property reappraisals not being done annually during a recent subcommittee hearing in Austin.

The comments follow the Tarrant Appraisal Districts July 2024 vote to appraise properties every other year rather than annually. The board also approved a 5% threshold on market value increases. The lid on increases could exceed 5%  up to 10%  if the appraisal district shows clear evidence that a homes value is higher.

Rep. Chris Turner, an Grand Prairie Democrat, filed a pair of bills that would reverse the policies. An April 3 hearing drew officials from the the cities of Fort Worth, Arlington and Burleson, and the Arlington, Castleberry, Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Mansfield school districts.

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If property values are not updated consistently  annually  homeowners and businesses in rapidly declining areas may shoulder a disproportionate burden of the tax burden, while others benefit from outdated and below market valuations, Turner said. These uneven practices undermine the principle of uniform and equal taxation, a core requirement of the Texas constitution.

Turner also cautioned that school districts rely on accurate property values to receive proper state funding.

If an appraisal district undervalues a property, a district could fail the Comptrollers property value study for school funding, Turner said.

Failing the property value study  the PVS  can have severe consequences, Turner said. The district may lose critical state funding, forcing it to make up a difference through higher local tax rates or cuts to essential services like teacher salaries, classroom resources and facility maintenance.

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The legislation was left pending in the Houses subcommittee on Property Tax Appraisals and awaits approval from the full House Ways and Means committee. If advanced, it must pass through the full House and Senate.

Castleberry Superintendent Renee Smith-Faulkner and other school and district officials who attended spoke in support of House Bill 2786, which says appraisals must be done yearly in appraisal districts in counties with 75,000 or more people. North Texas school and city representatives warned of millions in possible financial losses without annual reappraisals.

Section 23.01 of the Texas tax code states that all taxable property is appraised at its market value as of January 1. Elsewhere, the code states that market value means the price the property would sell for under prevailing market conditions.

This legislation is crucial for ensuring schools do not lose funding that they already rightfully deserve and have already earned through enrollment and weighted funding, Smith-Faulkner said.

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Much of the legislative session so far has focused on education, as separate bills related to funding schools make their way through the Legislature.

Youve devoted much of this session to education generally and school finance specifically, and youre well aware of the school funding issues that districts are dealing with today, said Justin Chapa, president of the Arlington school board. It makes little sense to allow appraisal districts to pass plans that inevitably and in some cases immediately and immensely reduce any funding increases that come from this session.

Christianne Simmons, the city of Fort Worths chief transformation officer, said the city is projected to loose $30 million to $40 million in its budget without annual reappraisals.

Its really, truly difficult to balance the real needs of a growing city when the tax base does not accurately affect market conditions, Simmons said. So that revenue gap will force us to either cut core services or raise the tax rate, and those are really not ideal options for us.

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Ethan Klos with the city of Arlington said its budget could see $9 million to $15 million in cuts if the city didnt raise taxes. He also warned of the negative impact appraisals that arent done annually could have on businesses.

Tarrant Appraisal District Board Member Fred Campos was the only member of the appraisal board to speak at the hearing. He told lawmakers he supports the bill.

The other bill considered on April 3, House Bill 3235, clarifies existing law to make sure homestead appraisal caps are applied consistently across the state.

According to the bill, appraisal increases are capped at the lesser of a propertys market value as of its most recent appraisal, or at 110% of a propertys appraised value for the preceding year plus the market value of any new improvements.

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The Tarrant Appraisal Districts move to lower the homestead appraisal cap essentially to 5% is wholly inconsistent with state law and the constitution, Turner said.

Any change to an appraisal cap falls under the purview of the Texas Legislature not individual appraisal districts, Turner said.

Allowing appraisal districts to set their own caps creates a patchwork system of property tax laws where homeowners in different parts of the state are subject to different appraisal cap policies Turner said. This undermines the constitutional principle of fairness and equal taxation across the state.

Most of the North Texas officials did not testify on the second bill, with the exception of representatives from the cities of Fort Worth and Arlington and the Arlington school district. All supported the proposal.

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Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector Rick Barnes, a voting member on the appraisal board who took office after the July 2024 policy changes were made, did not immediately return a request for comment. Board member Wendy Burgess, who was tax assessor-collector in 2024, also did not immediately return emails seeking comment.

A TAD spokesperson said TAD Executive Director and Chief Appraiser Joe Don Bobbitt was not available for an interview on April 4.

In a letter shared with the committee, Barnes said he opposed Turners two bills. The legislation would not provide property tax relief and would raises taxes for property owners in Tarrant County, the letter reads.

The TAD Board has worked diligently in response to Tarrant County taxpayers and their overwhelming request for taxpayer reform, Barnes said in the note. These bills can only increase the burden on taxpayers.

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Barnes said the school funding model is effectively a state property tax and that the county will work in any manner allowable by law to offer relief to the taxpayer.

Turner countered when reading parts of the letter during the committee hearing. The Legislature has worked and is working to provide property tax relief, he said.

Its not the job of appraisal districts, appraisal boards or tax assessor collectors to influence tax rates or tax burden, Turner said.

I would just remind Mr. Barnes of that, Turner said.
Holy Week and Easter are perhaps the most important days in the Christian calendar. Many associate those celebrations with church services, processions, candles, incense, fasting and penances.

However, there is another tradition that many Christians follow  that of tattooing. Historically, Easter was an important time for tattoos among some Christian groups. Today, Christian tattooing happens in many parts of the world and all year around. Some Christians visiting Jerusalem around Easter will get a tattoo of a cross, or a lamb, usually on their forearms.

As a sociologist of religion and a Jesuit Catholic priest, I have long studied tattoos as religious practices. I have interviewed tattoo artists in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Loreto in Italy who have been continuing and recreating the tradition of Christian tattooing. Evidence is clear the practice started shortly after Jesus crucifixion and spread across Europe in later centuries.

The first Christian tattoos

The Romans, like the Greeks, tattooed slaves and prisoners, usually with letters or words on their foreheads that indicated their crime. Soon after Jesus death, around the year 30 C.E., they started enslaving and tattooing Christians with the marks AM  meaning ad metalla, or condemned to work in the mines, a punishment that often resulted in death.

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Almost at the same time, Christians who were not enslaved got tattoos of the early Christian signs such as fish or lambs in solidarity and to show that they identified with Jesus.

There were no specific words in Latin or Greek for tattooing, so the words stizo, signum and stigma were used. The word stigma also referred to the marks of nails on Jesus hands and foot, as a result of his crucifixion. Christians often got their own stigmas: a sign  usually a cross  in Jerusalem to honor Christs martyrdom.

The beginning of a tradition

There are several documented accounts of the tradition.

One from the third century mentions Christians in present-day Egypt and Syria getting tattoos of fish and crosses.

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Another tells about the commentary that Procopius of Gaza, a theologian who lived between 475 and 538 C.E., wrote on the Book of Isaiah after he found that many Christians living in the Holy Land had a cross tattooed on their wrists. Still others will write on their hand, The Lords, and will take the name Israel, he noted.

When a plague hit the Scythians, nomadic people living around the Black Sea, in 600 C.E., tattoos were believed to provide protection from the deadly disease. Theophylact Simocatta, one of the last historians of late antiquity, mentioned that missionaries among them recommended that the foreheads of the young be tattooed with this very sign  meaning that of a cross.

Many testimonies mentioned Crusaders and pilgrims returning from the Holy Land with a tattoo during the Middle Ages  a tradition that continued in early modern times, between the 16th and 18th centuries.

Christian tattoos in Great Britain

Other cultures used tattoos in different ways. When Romans came in contact with the Celts tribes that inhabited the British Isles in 400 C.E., they called them Picts because they were covered in body art.

The word Picts is derived from the name given to them by the Romans because of their painted bodies. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Pope Gregory the Great sent envoys to convert the Celts to Christianity, followed by a visit from another Vatican delegation. While missionaries were against pagan tattooing, both delegations agreed that tattoos done for the Christian god were fine. The members of the second delegation in the late 700s even said, If anyone were to undergo this injury of staining for the sake of God, he would receive a great reward for it.

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Similar was the conclusion of the Northumbria Council, a church gathering in Northern England in 787: Tattoos done for the right god were acceptable. At that time, the Anglo-Saxon elite also had tattoos; the bishop of York, Saint Wilfrid, for example, got a tattoo of a cross.

Tattoos in Italy

Around the 1300s, as the Christian kingdoms in the Holy Land were losing control with the coming of the Ottomans, there appeared in Italy shrines called Sacri Monti. These shrines were placed on holy mountains where devotees could pilgrimage safely, instead of risking their lives going to Jerusalem, which by then was under the control of the Ottomans.

These shrines were established in cities such as Naples, Varallo and Loreto. Pilgrims could get tattoos in some of these shrines. One place was Loretos sanctuary, established in the early 1300s. A relic from the Holy House, which, according to the Christian tradition, is the house where the Virgin Mary is believed to have received the news that she will bear Gods son, was brought to Loretos sanctuary.

Tattooing in Loretos sanctuary was a communal activity, done by carpenters, shoemakers and artisans, who brought their stalls and tools to the main square during the days of celebrations and tattooed whoever wanted to get a mark of their devotion. These tattoos typically used wood planks for transferring the design on the body, like a stamp. However, the city of Loreto banned tattooing for hygienic reasons in 1871, according to Caterina Pigorini Beri, an anthropologist, who was one of the first to document the practice.

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But people kept getting them. A shoemaker, Leonardo Conditti, was among those who kept doing tattoos in hiding during the 1940s.

Present but unseen

From the 1200s to the 1700s, the custom of Christian tattooing was prevalent in Europe among peasants, seafarers, soldiers and artisans as much as among nuns and monks. They were getting crosses, images of the Virgin Mary, the name of Jesus, and some sentences from the Bible.

Following the Renaissance, however, European culture came to associate tattoos with those considered uncivilized, such as peoples in the colonies, criminals and poorer Catholics. Many European intellectuals viewed Catholicism as a superstition more than a real religion.

The word tattoo came to the Western languages after the French admiral and explorer Louis de Bougainville and British explorer James Cook returned from their trips to the South Pacific at the end of the 1700s. There, they saw local people getting marks on their bodies and using the word tatau to name those drawings. However, it does not mean that tattoos came back at that time. They had never left.

The practice today

These days, some churches in the Middle East, such as some Coptic Christian churches in Egypt, incorporate the practice of getting a tattoo into the baptismal rituals.

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Indeed, Holy Land tattooing has never stopped. Wassim Razzouk, whom I interviewed in 2022, is a 27th-generation tattooist  his family has been marking pilgrims in Jerusalem since 1300. Razzouk claims to have some of the 500-year-old wood planks his family used for tattooing.

Another tattoo artist whom I interviewed, Walid Ayash, does pilgrimage tattoos for those who visit the Nativity church in Bethlehem  a beloved custom among Arab Christians. He said that tattooing happens all year around, as long as there are pilgrims visiting the Nativity church. Although this year, as a result of the war in Gaza, Israeli authorities have restricted access to Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

In Italy, artist Jonatal Carducci is working on recovering the tradition of religious tattooing in Loreto. In a 2023 interview with me, he explained how he has painstakingly replicated the designs of the wood planks, which are both in the Museum of the Holy House and the Folkloric Museum of Rome. In 2019, he opened a parlor where Leonardo Conditti used to work. Visitors to the parlor can choose among more than 60 designs for their tattoos, including the Virgin Mary of Loreto, crosses and representations of Jesus heart.

This Easter, as some Christians get tattoos, this history might serve as a reminder of tattooing as a legitimate Christian practice, one that has been in use since the beginnings of the Common Era.

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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: Gustavo Morello, Boston College

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Gustavo Morello does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Most Americans dont like doing, or paying, their income taxes. But every year, about 85% of them will voluntarily pay the full amount of the taxes they owe.

Even so, the IRS estimates that it loses over US$400 billion of revenue each year because people fail to file their taxes, underreport their income or underpay the amount of taxes they owe.

Most of these losses are the result of deliberate tax evasion schemes designed to fatten unscrupulous taxpayers own pockets. But some people take a less greedy and more principled view: They refuse to file tax returns or pay all of their tax due to moral or ethical concerns. In essence, they view a decision to not pay income taxes as a form of civil disobedience.

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While the government has not released much data about these people, in the late 1990s, it estimated that 47,000 of them owed approximately $540 million in federal income taxes.

As a tax professor and scholar of judgment and decision-making, I categorize people who do not pay taxes due to moral or ethical concerns into one of two buckets, which I call tax deniers and tax protesters. While their motives may differ, the government and courts tend to respond to them in a similarly unfavorable manner.

Tax deniers

The first group includes people who deny that the government has a right to levy income taxes. These so-called tax deniers are legally and morally opposed to filing tax returns and paying taxes due to their mistaken belief that taxes are unconstitutional or otherwise invalid.

Tax deniers make numerous arguments, none of which has been accepted by courts or the IRS. For example, some tax deniers believe that the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, which grants Congress the power to collect income taxes, was never properly ratified. They note that the text of the amendment, which was ratified in 1909, differed from the text originally proposed by Congress because it included differences in spelling, capitalization and punctuation.

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Others argue that federal income taxes are illegal because they violate the Fifth Amendment, which prohibits the government from taking private property without due process of law.

Tax deniers use a wide variety of methods to avoid paying taxes. Some simply refuse to file tax returns, while others engage in complicated schemes using offshore trusts to hide income from the government.

Tax protesters

Pins were made in 1967 to protest a federal income tax increase to help pay the cost of the Vietnam War. Stuart Lutz/Gado/Getty Images

Unlike tax deniers, tax protesters do not deny the governments right to levy taxes. Rather, they refuse to pay some or all of their taxes in order to protest government-funded policies and programs that are inconsistent with their moral and ethical beliefs.

Common examples of government spending they object to include military spending and medical research.

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Tax objectors date back to the American Revolution when Quakers refused to pay taxes to the colonial governments for military purposes. In the 1960s, public figures such as Joan Baez and Gloria Steinem withheld payment of their federal income taxes to protest the governments participation in the Vietnam War.

Many tax protesters do file accurate tax returns but refuse to pay some or all of the tax due. For example, some war tax protesters determine the percentage of income tax revenue that goes toward military spending and then hold back that percentage of their tax while paying the rest. Groups such as the War Resisters League provide protesters with information to help them decide how much to withhold. For 2025, the group expects that 45% of government spending will go to the military and suggests that people withhold that proportion of the total tax they owe.

In some cases, protesters redirect the taxes they do not pay to one or more charities. Other tax protesters adopt an approach more within the law, deliberately earning as little as possible so that their income falls below the level required to file a tax return.

The governments response

Unsurprisingly, the IRS disagrees with the arguments made by both kinds of objectors. The agency has stated repeatedly that a taxpayer does not have the right to refuse to pay taxes based on religious or moral beliefs.

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The IRS also warns that taxpayers who engage in this type of civil disobedience should expect to pay a price  including fines, penalties, interest and potential criminal prosecution. The IRS also has the authority to garnish a taxpayers wages and other property to pay off any unpaid tax liability.

Not paying your taxes might seem like a good idea  until this happens. Eduard Lysenko/iStock / Getty Images Plus

Like all citizens, tax deniers and tax protesters have the right to appeal any action taken against them by the IRS. However, even going back as far as the 1800s, courts have repeatedly held in favor of the government, taking the position that liability for taxes does not depend on whether a taxpayer agrees with government programs or policies.

For example, in the 1860s, a Massachusetts suffragette refused to pay property taxes unless women were given the right to vote. The Massachusetts Supreme Court ordered her to pay, and when she continued to refuse, authorities seized and sold her property to cover the unpaid taxes.

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. government placed liens on the property of celebrities who refused to pay taxes that would be used to help fund the war.

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Even more recently, actor Wesley Snipes went to trial in 2008 after arguing that he was not obligated to pay income taxes and saying the government extracts taxes from its citizens illegally. Snipes was convicted on misdemeanor charges of willful failure to file federal income tax returns and was sentenced to three years in prison. After an unsuccessful appeal, he served 28 months.

Objecting to income taxes is not, in and of itself, a criminal offense. But not actually paying them is a different matter. That opens people up to the risk of paying financial penalties, having their wages garnished and serving jail time.

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: Michele Frank, Miami University

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Michele Frank does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
[Attached video shows a recent I-Team story regarding the police monitor investigation]

CLEVELAND (WJW)  The FOX 8 I-Team has found a federal judge will not force the head of the Cleveland Police Monitoring team to resign despite an encounter with police at the Jack Casino.

A filing just posted shows the Court continues to support Karl Racine overseeing reform in the Cleveland Division of Police.

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Dashcam video shows suspect open fire in Wooster officer-involved shooting

An order from Judge Solomon Oliver says, the court finds that there is no information before it which would justify removal of Mr. Racine as Monitor based on the Casino incident. And, The Court is strongly convinced that Mr. Racine and his team are committed to helping the City attain full compliance as soon as possible.

Racine heads a group overseeing Cleveland Police reform with some members earning up to $750 an hour.

In January, an off-duty Cleveland Police officer working downtown at the casino asked for back-up. The officer said Karl Racine was refusing to leave the casino. Racine did ultimately leave and no charges were filed against him.

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Days ago, the FOX 8 I-team revealed a letter sent by Cleveland Councilman Brian Kazy asking Judge Oliver to force the Police Monitor to resign.

But, the new court order also says, The court recognizes, and regrets, the distraction this incident has caused. Mr. Racine and his team have served the court and the parties well in our desire to see the City reach full compliance with the Consent Decree. Much progress has been made, but there is still considerable work to be done. And, The court looks forward to working with the City, the United States, and the Monitor on an ongoing basis in an effort to meet our shared goal of full compliance.

Councilman Kazy had written to the Judge, I am taking the unusual step of contacting you directly about this case because of my urgent concerns about the fitness of the courts monitor based on recent conduct as reported in the media.

Racine has previously told us he acted appropriately and he brought up the matter with the Cleveland Police Chief, but he did not file a complaint against the officer involved at the casino.

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Kazys letter to the Judge also said, This incident  and the reported investigation by the Office of Professional Standards  creates a shadow of bias and a cloud of suspicion of impropriety that cant be undone. If OPS terminates its investigation, is that because of the fear of the Monitor? If OPS finds that there is no wrongdoing by Monitor Racine, are they worried about retaliation? If the Monitor gives a positive evaluation of OPS or the City, is that a reward? If the Monitor gives a negative evaluation of OPS or the City, is that retaliation?

I-Team: Whats next for Browns dome plans?

The Judges order also addressed that, saying, The court also indicated to the parties that it was confident Mr. Racine would not be biased in his role as Monitor as a result of the Casino incident.

The FOX 8 I-Team also has reported, U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno filed a formal complaint against Karl Racine.

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Senator Moreno sent a letter dated March 25 to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel in Washington D.C. about his concerns since Racine is a lawyer based in D.C

I write to express my profound concerns about actions taken by Karl Racine that may constitute serious professional misconduct under the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct, the letter states. I respectfully request that the Office of Disciplinary Counsel open an investigation to determine whether Mr. Racine violated applicable D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct and should be subject to disciplinary action.

The Judge has never responded to any request for comment from the I-Team during the years Cleveland Police have been under federal watch.

Racine has also said, previously, in a statement, he could not understand why he was not being allowed inside.

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Meantime, the head of the Cleveland Police union has indicated what he learned about the encounter with Racine in January.

He didnt use an ID. He said, Hey Im, here with the Department of Justice. Im a monitor, said Andrew Gasiewski, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmens Association .

Teen pleads in Cleveland street takeovers

Gasiewski added that he believes his officers acted properly.

Additionally, Senator Morenos letter also brings up questions about bills the federal monitoring team sent to the City of Cleveland. The I-Team has reported issues with the bills in the past, including a bill the group sent to the city for writing a sympathy note after an officer died.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Mo.  A teenager died Friday afternoon in a crash in Franklin County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

MSHP reports that a 16-year-old boy from Beaufort, Missouri, died in the collision.

The crash happened around 4 p.m. Friday on U.S. Route 50 near Missouri Route 185.

Former teacher in Triad School District accused of grooming student

According to an MSHP crash report, the teenager was driving a vehicle that crossed a center line and struck the front of a second vehicle. The teenager was rushed to a hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

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A 30-year-old man, driving the vehicle that was struck, suffered minor injuries and extensive damage to his vehicle, according to the crash report.

MSHP Troop C, which covers much of the St. Louis region, is investigating the crash.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE)  University of Tennessee, Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman said three current students and a former student who works at the university are at risk of being deported.

In an internal letter sent to university staff, Plowman said the legal status of the four people in the Student Exchange Visitor System has changed amid Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts to change the legal status of international students across the country.

HHS staff cuts jeopardize program that helps Knox County seniors pay utilities

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As a result of the status change, they are no longer legally eligible to be enrolled or employed and are at risk of deportation. Plowman wrote that federal records indicate the students and former student were identified in a criminal records check.

The university researched the federal database and found that one student is on judicial diversion for a property crime, and another has been charged with driving under the influence. Plowman said that they are still working to determine the reasoning behind the status change for the other two people.

 See more top stories on WATE.com

She said the universitys Office of General Counsel has posted information for the campus community in case someone is approached by federal law enforcement on campus related to students.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Tens of thousands of people took part in demonstrations across Spain on Saturday in protest against a lack of affordable housing.

Several tenants' organizations and trade unions called for the demonstrations in around 40 cities, including Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona and Madrid, under the slogan: "Lets put an end to profiteering from homes."

The organizers called for an end to property speculation, more social housing, restrictions on converting housing to holiday accommodation, rent reductions and expropriations.

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According to media reports, 150,000 protesters turned out in the capital Madrid.

For years, too little housing has been built in Spain as rents have risen sharply.

The consequences of mass and luxury tourism have caused anger, especially in holiday centres like Mallorca, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga and Madrid.

While tourist numbers continue to break records in Spain, residents on low incomes are unable to afford rents.

According to the real estate agency Fotocasa, rents on the Balearic Islands, which include Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza, have risen by 158% in the last 10 years.
News / National

by Staff reported

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra)'s digital transformation is revolutionizing the country's tax landscape, with new registrations on the recently introduced Tax and Revenue Management System (TaRMS) surging by 116 percent since its launch in December 2023.TaRMS, which replaced the previously troubled e-service system, has achieved a 100 percent uptime, significantly improving taxpayer engagement and streamlining tax processes.Zimra Commissioner-General, Ms. Regina Chinamasa, on Monday hailed the system as a game-changer that is fundamentally reshaping how businesses and individuals interact with the tax authority."Zimra remains committed to leveraging technology to enhance service delivery, and TaRMS is at the forefront of this transformation," she said. "In the past year and a half, TaRMS recorded a 116 percent increase in taxpayer registrations, demonstrating its widespread adoption and effectiveness."Ms. Chinamasa highlighted that the system's impact extends beyond registration figures. "TaRMS has ushered in a new era of convenience and efficiency. All tax returns are now submitted online, eliminating the need for cumbersome manual processes. For those without internet access, Zimra's nationwide kiosks ensure no one is left behind."TaRMS was designed to foster voluntary compliance while simplifying tax management. The system includes functions such as taxpayer registration, tax return processing, tax payments, and debt management. By addressing previous challengesincluding difficulties in filing returns, data integrity concerns, and cumbersome tax payment and refund processesit has significantly enhanced tax compliance and trade facilitation.Ms. Chinamasa noted that the system has streamlined registration through integrated validation, reducing errors and duplication. "Real-time data updates maintain the integrity of taxpayer information, ensuring accuracy and transparency. The system's self-service platforms empower taxpayers to manage accounts, update details, and view ledgers 24/7, significantly reducing the need for physical visits."A key innovation of TaRMS is the automated processing of ITF263 (Tax Clearance Certificates), eliminating delays and improving efficiency. The system has also successfully registered 637 tax agents, enhancing professional engagement within the tax ecosystem."The integrated payment systems ensure secure and accurate allocation of payments, fostering trust and transparency. TaRMS is not just a transactional tool; it's a robust digital infrastructure supporting national revenue management and taxpayer engagement," said Ms. Chinamasa.She further emphasized that TaRMS was built on a foundation of strong cybersecurity to safeguard sensitive taxpayer data. The systems 100 percent uptime demonstrates its reliability and its ability to handle peak return submissions, with 24/7 accessibility and real-time account management."TaRMS is more than just a software upgrade; it's a paradigm shift, signaling Zimra's dedication to modernizing tax administration and fostering a more efficient and transparent tax environment for all Zimbabweans," she added.Zimras continued focus on digital transformation is expected to further improve compliance, enhance service delivery, and ultimately contribute to the country's economic growth.
A district court judge on Friday awarded more than $6 million combined to four whistleblowers in their lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton who were fired shortly after they reported him to the FBI.

By a preponderance of the evidence, Travis County Judge Catherine Mauzy says in her judgment, the plaintiffs proved liability, damages and attorney's fees in their complaint against the attorney general's office.

Because the Office of the Attorney General violated the Texas Whistleblower Act by firing and otherwise retaliating against the plaintiff for in good faith reporting violations of law by Ken Paxton and OAG, the court hereby renders judgment for plaintiffs," Mauzy states.

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The court found that the four Paxton aides were fired in retaliation for reporting allegations that he was using his office to accept bribes from an Austin real estate developer who employed a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair. Paxton has denied accepting bribes or misusing his office to help Nate Paul, the real estate developer.

The judgment also stated that the employees made their reports to law enforcement in good faith and that Paxton's office did not dispute any claims or damages in the lawsuit.

It should shock all Texans that their chief law enforcement officer, Ken Paxton, admitted to violating the law, but that is exactly what happened in this case," said Tom Nesbitt, an attorney for Blake Brickman, and TJ Turner, an attorney for David Maxwell, in a joint statement Friday evening.

In a statement to the media that night, Paxton called the ruling ridiculous and not based on the facts or the law. He also said that his office intends to appeal the ruling.

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Paxton was at the center of a federal investigation after eight employees reported his office to the FBI in 2020 for bribery allegations. He agreed to settle the lawsuit for $3.3 million that would be paid by the Legislature. However, the House rejected his request and conducted its own investigation and impeached Paxton in 2023. He was later acquitted in the Senate.

In November, the Texas Supreme Court overturned a lower-court ruling that Paxton testify in the lawsuit.

The U.S. Justice Department decided not to pursue its investigation into Paxton in the final weeks of the Biden administration, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

___

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Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker contributed to this report from Washington.

___

Nadia Lathan 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.
Thousands rallied at Centennial Park in Nashville to protest President Donald Trump and his administration on Saturday as part of a national day "Hands Off!" protests.

"Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. Nashville is fighting back!" organizers wrote on the rally's event page. "They're taking everything they can get their hands on  our health care, our data, our jobs, our services  and daring the world to stop them. This is a crisis, and the time to act is now."

More than 1,000 rallies were planned nationwide Saturday, with more than 500,000 who signed up to attend. That number includes around 3,000 who signed up in Nashville, organizers said.

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The Nashville crowd came ready with protest signs, umbrellas, rain coats and rubber boots as the threat of storms lingered in Nashville. The rain largely held off as people chanted, marched and banged drums around Musician's Circle in the park. Hundreds also lined the sidewalks along West End Avenue for a few blocks nearby, drawing a near-constant chorus of honks and cheers from passing cars.

Demonstrators carried signs with a wide range of messages, including "For sale: democracy," "The government should protect we the people, not billionaires," "Hands off Medicaid," and "This isn't normal."

Some marched around the circle that formed in the park while others led chants over megaphones from the center.

For Jacob and Chris Barton, the rally was about more than making their voice heard. It was also about continuing a decades-long fight against discrimination and hate. The couple has been together for 20 years and married for the last 15. They moved to Nashville two years ago.

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Chris Barton said he's been involved in protesting since the Human Rights Campaign, an origination founded in 1980 that fight for equal rights for LGBTQ+ people.

"To see all the rights that I have worked for decades eliminated by the stroke of a pen," he said, his voice breaking with emotion. "It hurts."

People gather to rally against President Donald Trump and his administration as part of a national Hands Off! Protest at Centennial Park in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, April 5, 2025.

Jacob Barton echoed his husband's thoughts, saying he's upset by how many people are being hurt by Trump's rhetoric and actions toward LGBTQ+ people, immigrants and others.

"There's way too many people getting hurt by this," Jacob Barton said. "There's just no need for any of this. Live your life how you want to. Let me live mine the way I want to."

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Near the center of the circle, Soleil Mills stood shoulder-to-shoulder with others as they chanted. Mills, 21, is native of Nashville and currently enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University. Her mother is Bolivian and her father is Black. She said she was inspired to come out because she believes in equality and inclusion for everyone, regardless of race.

"I've experienced a lot of racism in high school and middle school, unfortunately," she said. "I don't think anyone should experience that discrimination."

The rally, which kicked off at noon, stretched into the late afternoon before ultimately dispersing.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Hands Off Nashville protest: Thousands rally against Trump, Musk, DOGE
A crowd believed to be in excess of 10,000 people joined the "Hands Off!" protest against President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk in St. Paul on Saturday.

The rally is part of a nationwide series of "Hands Off" demonstrations against the actions of Trump and Musk since the former returned to the White House in January.

There are an estimated 1,400 events taking place across all 50 states in protest of what organizers describe as a "hostile takeover" of the federal government and infringement on the rights of American residents.

Submitted to Bring Me The News

Submitted to Bring Me The News

The St. Paul rally was organized by Women's March Minnesota and Indivisible Twin Cities, while other demonstrations are being held elsewhere in the state on Saturday, including in Anoka, Cloquet, Duluth, Plymouth, Rochester, and St. Cloud.

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Here are some images from the sidewalk protest in Plymouth.

Michael Rubin

View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article

Among the speakers at the St. Paul protest were Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 4th District Rep. Betty McCollum, and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.

During her speech, Klobuchar had a message for Republicans, calling on them to show backbone and take a stand against some of the actions taken by the president, saying: "Stand up and stop acting like subjects to a king!"

I joined a huge crowd of thousands gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol on a cold, sunny Saturday to stand united against the Trump-Musk attacks on our democracy. We are ready to fight back! pic.twitter.com/odfW1pGTZy  Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) April 5, 2025

While the numbers weren't close to the estimated 100,000 who attended the Women's March in St. Paul in 2017, during the first Trump Administration, it was many times larger than another anti-Trump demonstration outside the Capitol in early February.
Hundreds of Hands Off protests kicked off in all 50 states on Saturday, April 5 where thousands of people gathered to voice their opposition to Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

The demonstrations, which have been organized by more than 150 LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, labor unions, veterans, and civil rights organizations, saw protestors fanning out to rail against a multitude of actions taken by the Trump administration in recent weeks, including the termination of thousands of federal employees, the closure of Social Security Administration offices, the deportation of immigrants, attacks on the rights of transgender people and more.

Many of those changes have been led by Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

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Photos and videos shared on social media indicate crowds are sizable. Political commentator Art Candee noted a MASSIVE crowd of protesters in Boston and also shared video from another protest in Ohio.

Thousands protesting President Trumps administration on the Boston Common.



Its one of more than 1,200 Hands Off! demonstrations planned across the country today. pic.twitter.com/vT4RAKAtJY  Rob Way (@RobWayTV) April 5, 2025

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Protesters in Columbus, Ohio are out at the Hands Off! protest!



Thank you, Ohio! pic.twitter.com/kg6fpyLkd1  Art Candee   (@ArtCandee) April 5, 2025

The people showed up by the thousands in Harrisburg to tell the admin and Elon #HandsOff



Elections are coming and the unelected billionaire co-president will continue to lose. pic.twitter.com/4tUKco8g55  Sean Crampsie (@seancrampsie) April 5, 2025

This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history, the organization Move On said in a statement. Trump, Musk and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy and our basic rights  enabled by Congress every step of the way, the organization said in a statement.

They want to strip America for parts  shuttering social security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections and gutting Medicaid  all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam. Theyre handing over our tax dollars, our public services and our democracy to the ultra-rich. If we dont fight now, there wont be anything left to save, the statement concluded.

The White House rebuffed the protests in a statement: President Trumps position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.

Demonstrators gather on the National Mall for the nationwide Hands Off! protest in Washington, DC, on April 5, 2025 (AMID FARAHI/AFP via Getty Images)

The Trump administrations sweeping actions have not gone without legal challenges. On Feb. 28, Judge William Alsup ruled that the office that has overseen many federal job cuts does not have any authority whatsoever, under any statute in the history of the universe, to hire and fire employees at another agency.

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News anchors and notable figures have also commented on the administrations actions. In March, Whoopi Goldberg noted on The View that Trumps border czar Tom Homan said last year that legal immigrants are perfectly safe from deportation, something that might not hold.

This is what he said. This is not what theyre doing, she said pointedly. And yes, this is on us. Because the next one they take could be you.

The post Thousands Gather to Protest Trump and Musk as Hands Off Demonstrations Kick Off in All 50 States appeared first on TheWrap.
Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

SIOUX FALLS  A crowd estimated in the thousands protested Saturday in downtown Sioux Falls as part of a nationwide movement to resist President Donald Trumps agenda, with attendees focusing on the protection of things such as abortion rights, Social Security and free trade.

My angst is really about the millions of people who are hurting and will hurt because of his policies, said Roni Wegner, with Indivisible 605, which helped organize the protest. I dont see how its going to help. There is no long-term plan.

DOGE in SD

For more about the impact of federal firings, funding freezes, spending cuts and grant cancellations, see Searchlights DOGE in SD page.

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Another attendee, Reed Boysen, said, This is not a left or right moment, this is a right or wrong moment.

There were also protests in Pierre and Rapid City. The South Dakota chapter of the national 50501 Movement (50 protests, 50 states, one movement) was an organizer, saying that the protests were staged to resist executive overreach, defend democracy, and oppose the harmful policies of Project 2025. Conservative political groups wrote and published the Project 2025 plan as a roadmap to remake the federal government during Trumps presidency.

The 50501 movement called on South Dakotans to remove corrupt politicians from office, reverse the damage inflicted and reclaim our rights, our government and our future. Across the country, the protests were known as Hands Off rallies, with partner organizations posting a website saying Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. Theyre taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them.

Since Trump took office, he has moved rapidly with billionaire Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency to fire hundreds of thousands of federal workers, cut or freeze billions in federal government spending, eliminate the federal Department of Education and take other actions that drew protesters into the streets Saturday.

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A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

State Rep. Erik Muckey, D-Sioux Falls, speaks during a protest in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

An attendee carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

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Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

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Etta McKinley sings during a protest in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

State Rep. Kadyn Wittman, left, and Rep. Erik Muckey, both Democrats from Sioux Falls, attend a protest in the city on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

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A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

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Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump's actions on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

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Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Craig Brown speaks during a protest in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

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Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

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A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

State Sen. Jamie Smith, D-Sioux Falls, speaks during a protest in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Attendees carry signs during a protest against President Donald Trump on April 5, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Rally attendees carry signs during a protest in Sioux Falls on Apr. 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

A person carries a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump in Sioux Falls on April 5, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)
Several thousand people turned out Saturday for a series of rallies across Hampton Roads to protest the Trump administration and Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency moves to cut federal spending and roll back protections for minority groups.

More than 2,000 people packed into Town Point Park in downtown Norfolk. Roughly 1,500 gathered at the Williamsburg-James County City Courthouse and almost 200 went to Hampton City Hall.

The rallies were among more than 1,200 events coordinated as part of a nationwide day of action called Hands Off! The Norfolk rally was put together by the COVA Coalition, Indivisible, and other local organizations. The Williamsburg-James City County gathering was organized by Williamsburg JCC Indivisible, Indivisible Essex and the Essex-Richmond County Democrats.

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Many people in the energetic crowds were toting signs with slogans such as hands off Social Security, hands off my body, no kings, current threat level: orange, downsize Musk, and we need to talk about the elephant in the womb alongside an image of a GOP elephant logo inside a womans stomach.

They were animated by a variety of issues ranging from protecting Social Security, education and veterans benefits to protecting womens rights, transgender rights, being anti-war and supporting Palestine.

First-time protestors Celeste Funkhouser, 61, and Jon Bishop, 63, said they felt they had to come out in Norfolk.

Were just watching things move so quickly in the wrong direction, said Funkhouser, who works in aviation and was wearing a hands off our money-themed bikini top stuffed with fake million dollar bills.

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Its overwhelming. You have no say in it. Congress has no say in it. Thats a big deal, Bishop added while holding a sign showing how much U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans and Secretary of State Marco Rubio make in federal salaries alongside the reported $8 million Musk makes in federal subsidies per day. The sign asks, Why pay taxes? To lose our democracy? Holdm accountable!

In James City County, the crowd quickly exceeded organizers estimates and filled the parking lots of the courthouse and the New Town development on the other side of Monticello Avenue. Some of the crowd listened to a series of speakers while most of the rest lined the four-lane road to wave at passing drivers.

Heather Meaney-Allen, a co-founder of WJCC Indivisible, one of the groups that sponsored the James City County rally, said the movement is a response to a constitutional crisis.

Today in every state in the union and abroad, we are inspiring elected officials to have the courage to stand up to Trump like we are standing up to Trump today, she said. Theres no cavalry coming to save us. We the people will be the ones to save this country.

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Speakers at the James City County rally included Jessica Anderson, who is running for the 71st District House of Delegates seat, former congressional candidate and retired Army Col. Herb Jones and retired Army Sgt. Stan Scott.

The speakers in Norfolk included former Norfolk City Councilwoman Andria McClellan, Del. Jackie Hope Glass, 25-year Air Force veteran Sean Montiero and Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney Shannon Taylor  a candidate for Virginias attorney general.

Were here today because  dammit, we love our country! McClellan said to cheers. Were here today because its being dismantled before our eyes by President Trump and President Musk.

McClellan mocked Trumps musings about making Canada the 51st state and acquiring other bodies of land, saying Hands off Canada, hands off Panama, hands off Greenland, and, in response to an audience member, hands off Gaza.

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The speakers called on those gathered to pressure their elected leaders to hold the Trump administration accountable through contacting their offices, showing up in person to rallies and other public events and gathering with their communities to support one another.

Montiero said his training in the military taught him how to react in response to a threat both foreign and domestic, putting emphasis on domestic.

(My fellow service members) didnt wait for someone else to solve the problem, we ran towards the fire  and now my friends, brothers and sisters in arms, and families who stood with us through it all, it is once again time to act, Montiero said. Not with weapons but with courage, not in the field of combat but in the public square.

While we may no longer be wearing a uniform, our duty remains, he continued. We still have a voice. We still have power.

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Among the crowd were members of the nonprofit Veterans for Peace 757. Jay Schwermer, a 20-year Navy veteran and former teacher, said hes been angered by the way the Trump administration is treating veterans, specifically the widespread cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs and not fully staffing the North Battlefield VA Outpatient Clinic in Chesapeake  as well as firing high ranking military leaders who werent considered loyal.

I dont care if he cuts the government as long as he does it in a logical, humane manner but hes not doing that, Schwermer, 61, said.

Fellow VFP members Dennis Hansen, 66, and Patrice Schwermer, 66, said they attended the rally because of their faith. Hansen said the mass deportation efforts which have in some cases gone against judges orders show a blatant disregard for the Constitution.

Were all children of God, so whether youre here legally or illegally you have certain rights according to our Constitution, Hansen said, adding that we have an obligation to take care of the lowly and the poor, and were not doing that with this administration.

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The Hampton event was organized by Hampton NAACP and featured speakers including U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, state Sen. Mamie Locke and Rev. Erica Callicutt. The speakers urged the Hampton community to push back against efforts by the Trump administration to gut healthcare, social security, environmental protections, public education and DEI programs.

Im trying to show them that they have an active role to play in this stuff, they dont have to just sit there and take it, said attendee Bill Moore, standing next to his children. I have to set the example. Its easy to complain about things, but take action. Do what you can do.

Staff writers Devlin Epding, James W. Robinson and Brian Root contributed to this report.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)  It was a warm and humid day as thousands of runners and walkers tackled the 48th annual Cooper River Bridge Run. The race began at 8 a.m.

Participants in the wheelchair category made their way over the bridge, followed by the elite runners, and each heat was released thereafter until all runners and walkers crossed the start line.

Krige Schabort, from Capetown, South Africa, was the first to cross the finish line in the wheelchair division with a time of 23:55, besting his time of 25:48 last year. This is the second year in a row Schabort won his division.

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Herman Garic, 35, holds the divisions record at 22:34, set during 2022s event.

Peter Njeru, of Kenya, earned a $10,000 prize after being the first to cross the finish line for the male elite runners. He kept a wide lead on the final stretch of the race. For the second year in a row, Sarah Naibei, also of Kenya, crossed the finish line first for the female elite runners.

There were 15 elite males, 15 elite females, and 11 in the wheelchair division competing in the 2025 race, along with thousands of runners and walkers. This years race was capped at 38,500 participants.

The starting line for the Cooper River Bridge Run is located close to Simmons Street in Mount Pleasant, and heat markers begin near the Moultrie Shopping Center.

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Runners head down Coleman Boulevard, cross the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, and head down Meeting Street onto Woolfe Street before making their way down King Street, up Wentworth Street, and back up Meeting Street to Marion Square.

Heres when roads and the Ravenel Bridge will close for the 2025 Cooper River Bridge Run

Todays bridge run is drastically different from the first held in 1978, where 766 participants crossed over the Silas Pearman Bridge. Now, tens of thousands of runners will cross the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge as they make their way to the finish line near Marion Square.

The race was rerouted from the Silas Pearman Bridge to the Grace Memorial Bridge in 1980 and later moved back to the Silas Pearman in 1995. It moved to the newly constructed Ravenel Bridge in 2006.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officer stationed at Zvishavane Prisons has been sentenced to three months imprisonment, wholly suspended on condition he pays a US$250 fine, after he was caught in possession of illegal drugs and sex-enhancing pills.Energy Chivasa (29) was convicted on his own plea before Western Commonage Magistrate Archie Wochiwunga.Chivasa was arrested on April 1 during an impromptu search at the Khami Maximum Prison Complex exit gate. He was found carrying various unregistered medicines with an estimated street value of ZWG4 100.Prosecutor Ms Audrey Kufandikamwe told the court that officers on duty conducted a routine search and recovered an assortment of drugs and medical items from Chivasa's possession."On April 1, 2025, at around 1pm, members of the ZPCS police were on duty when they searched the accused and recovered unregistered medicine. The accused was then handed over to the CID Drugs and Narcotics Section," said Ms Kufandikamwe.Among the confiscated items were unregistered tablets including ibuprofen, amoxicillin, sex-enhancing pills, as well as syringes and needles.In his defence, Chivasa claimed he had acquired the drugs with the intention of starting a business for his wife.Magistrate Wochiwunga sentenced Chivasa to three months in prison, wholly suspended on the condition that he pays a US$250 fine or the equivalent in Zimbabwe Gold (ZWG) currency by April 30, 2025.The case has raised concerns about the involvement of law enforcement personnel in the illegal distribution of pharmaceuticals and the potential risks to public health.
Millions of people around the world protested Saturday against President Donald Trumps administration and its policies.

Several of those protests happened around metro Atlanta.

Thousands of people gathered to voice their opinions and concerns in what was called the Hands Off rally.

In Atlanta, a crowd estimated in the several thousands gathered at Piedmont Park in Midtown before marching 4 miles to Liberty Plaza at the Georgia Capitol.

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For many of the people in the miles-long crowd, the march was something they felt was personal.

Trump and Musk are challenging the rule of law and violating the Constitution, said Mark OMalley. And our freedoms and so much that we counted on as Americans are at risk. My social security is at risk from these people and its an emergency. They are violating court orders, its an emergency, I have to be here.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Many were upset about the tariffs levied on goods and services. The President said on Thursday that he was doing what he felt was best to make trading with other countries fair.

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Taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years, President Trump said. But it is not going to happen anymore.

While peaceful, the rally in downtown Atlanta drew strong opinions from those in attendance. Many held signs and chanted as they made their way down Peachtree Street Saturday afternoon.

When people arrived at Liberty Plaza, the program included several speakers including a fired CDC employee, members of the NAACP, and immigration rights advocates.

Josh McKoon, the Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party told Channel 2s Eryn Rogers that he respects peoples right to free speech.

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However, he said there are no surprises in the presidents agenda.

This president has been remarkably frank and transparent about what his agenda would be if elected, and he is very systematically implementing that agenda, McKoon said. This is what the American people voted for.

The Atlanta rally was one of at least 10 that Channel 2 was made aware of in the Metro area. More than 1,400 similar rallies were scheduled on Saturday around the U.S. and even a few globally.

TRENDING STORIES:

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While peaceful, the rally in downtown Atlanta drew strong opinions from those in attendance. Many held signs and chanted as they made their way down Peachtree Street Saturday afternoon.

The rally, featuring several speakers at Liberty Plaza is set to feature several speakers.

Find out more about what happened during the rally with a full report on Channel 2 Action News at 6.

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(The Associated Press contributed information for this story)




Thousands took to the streets across the Triangle and North Carolina on Saturday as part of a nationwide protest to condemn the Trump administrations policies on health care, Social Security, education and civil rights.

Organized by Indivisible, MoveOn and other groups, organizers claim its the largest single-day protest since President Donald Trump entered office, with more than 1,100 rallies scheduled in all 50 states.

Their message: Hands off!

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Trump and Elon Musk via the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic human rights, the Hands Off! website said.

Thousands of demonstrators protest Trump administration policies in downtown Raleigh on Saturday.

The rallies spilled across Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and into outlying towns like Pittsboro, drawing more than 7,000 RSVPs, organizers said. An additional 3,000 joined the protest in Charlotte.

Starting at around 11 a.m. on a sunny morning in Raleigh, people began to gather at Bicentennial Plaza, between the North Carolina State Capitol and the North Carolina Legislative Building.

A cross-section of people turned out: people from the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, young families with strollers, Baby boomers.

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Hey, hey, ho, ho. Trump and Musk have got to go! they shouted in unison as a small woman with a bullhorn led the crowd. Others waved signs  Unite and Resist and Protect our votes.

One protester Saturday focused on President Trumps designs on Canada.

Since he took office in January, Trump has signed dozens of executive orders and through DOGE has fired thousands of federal workers and canceled contracts or grants hitting North Carolinas national parks and Triangle nonprofits.

Hes also announced sweeping tariffs that could impact industries in the state and cause even more layoffs.

Kate Brilakis, a 66-year-old teacher from Hillsborough, was among those in the crowd. She and her husband are retired Army veterans. Her daughter is currently on active duty.

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America has got to wake up, she said, while waving a two-sided poster that singled out North Carolina Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd.

Kate Brilakis, a 66-year-old teacher from Hillsborough, was among those who turned out to protest the Trump administrations policies on Saturday.

I call my senators every morning, every afternoon and every night, she added. I beg them to do something to protect the veterans. Everything that we have fought for and devoted our lives to, is just being dismissed and ridiculed by people who have no idea what service truly is.

Around the corner, Lindsay Knapp, 42, held a mini-rally for veterans in attendance.

Hold the line, she belted through a bullhorn. Defend the Constitution.

Lindsay Knapp, 42, led a crowd of anti-Trump protesters at Raleighs Bicentennial Plaza on Saturday, April 5.

Knapp runs the LGBTQ Resource Center in Sanford. Im here as an Army veteran, a parent and a queer person, she said, adding: As a veteran, I swore an oath to defend the Constitution, and that oath didnt stop when I hung up my hat.

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Linda Birnbaum, an American toxicologist and the former director of the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, appeared on the main stage as a speaker.

She said planned cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency and its scientific office could lead to the firing of as many as 1,155 chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other federal scientists. That decision alone could impact thousands of jobs in the Research Triangle Park and would have a major impact on the local economy, she said.

Closing EPAs science office would cause irreparable harm to ongoing studies underway by toxicologists, physicians, endocrinologists and other experts, she said.

Hundreds of people gathered on East Franklin Street between McCorkle Place and Peace and Justice Plaza in Chapel Hill on Saturday as part of the nationwide set of HandsOff protests.

In Chapel Hill, several hundred protesters gathered on East Franklin Street. The crowd spilled across Franklin Street onto McCorkle Place on UNCs campus.

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I am determined, like many of my ancestors, to find my joy, to sing my song, maybe not out loud, but to find it every day. I challenge you to find your joy, because thats the reservoir that youre going to have to dig deep into to keep fighting,Camille Berry, Chapel Hill Town Council member, said.

Demonstrators held LGBTQ+ Pride flags and signs with messages like, Fascists feed on fear. Starve them.

People have fewer rights than they did 20 years ago, Berry said.

In Charlotte, more than 2,000 people gathered outside the Mecklenburg County Social Services office as part of the protest.

A crowd estimated to be in the thousands gathered outside the Mecklenburg County Social Services Department office in Charlotte Saturday as part of a nationwide set of Hands Off! protests.

Dozens of advocacy groups partnered to support Saturdays protests. Among them: 50501NC, Bull City Indivisible, North Carolina Poor Peoples Campaign, Iron Front NC, Common Cause NC, Union of Southern Service Workers, Wake Women Have Mercy, The Black and Brown Coalition of North Carolina and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

N&O correspondent Emmy Martin and Charlotte Observer reporter Ryan Oehrli contributed to this story.
Apr. 5---- The

had one last hurdle to clear Thursday with a "meet and greet" followed by interviews with the Willmar City Council.

The candidates first visited informally with those in attendance within the main room at the Four-Season Shelter at

Willmar Police Sgt. Michael Holme, Willmar Police Capt. Michael Anderson, and Hennepin County Sheriff's Detective Sam Schaefbauer each sat at a table for a period of discussion and questions from the public.

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After three 15-minute sessions, to allow those in attendance time with each candidate, the special council meeting was opened by Mayor Doug Reese and Willmar City Council members interviewed each candidate. Councilors Rick Fagerlie and Tom Butterfield were absent Thursday.

During the City Council's one-on-one interviews with each candidate, the other two stepped out. All three candidates were asked the same 11 questions.

City Operations Director Kyle Box said during the meeting that each candidate has gone through "a very rigorous process to get here."

He also stated that the three finalists, in addition to having sit-down interviews with a panel, also finished leadership assessments.

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"It's been a long road and we really appreciate the candidates that we have, and I just want to say thanks to the candidates," Box said.

Holme was the first candidate to be interviewed, followed by Anderson, and then Schaefbauer, who is a former Willmar Police Department sergeant.

Holme said his initial goal as chief would be to bring the Police Department back to a full staff. The Willmar Police Department is currently four officers short.

"We need to try everything in our power to fill our ranks," he said.

Among other immediate goals he had in mind were better communication and transparency with the general public and getting himself involved in those activities.

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"Where they have a way to talk to us and tell us what's going on, because a lot of times, just by knowing people, you get told things," he said.

Holme said he would also aim to foster better mental health resources for the community and officers who work within the Police Department to find ways to improve dealing with people, "so we don't have major incidents happen."

Holme was first hired in 2007, and was promoted to sergeant in November of 2018. He has been acting as interim chief of police for the past six months after former chief of police Jim Felt retired from his position with the Police Department in October.

Anderson previously declined the interim role. While speaking with the public prior to the interviews, he said he did so for two reasons.

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He explained that he felt the compensation package offered at the time would not have been sufficient given all the other added work he would have needed to fulfill, as he was also due for a step increase shortly after Felt retired.

The second reason he gave was staffing concerns during the time it would take for a new chief to be hired, given that the department is already short-staffed. He said he didn't want to pull any other leaders within the department off of their work if he needed any additional help trying to serve a dual role.

"I would have been treading water," he said.

Anderson stated his top three goals as chief of police would be to hire additional staff, restart the School Resource Officer program  which puts officers in school buildings in partnership with the school district  and add a K-9 unit.

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Anderson has worked for the Willmar Police Department for 27 years, serving as captain for the past 11 years.

Schaefbauer was with the Willmar Police Department for nine years before resigning in 2024 to take a new position as a detective with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.

He said his first three priorities as chief would be to increase morale, build trust with the community and reduce crime rates.

Schaefbauer stated one of the first things he would do as chief is ask officers what can be done to improve morale and what issues need to be addressed. He said he would take any feedback and incorporate strategies throughout the year.

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"By increasing morale, I think there's a good chance you're gonna increase recruitment," he said.

Schaefbauer said in order to build trust with the community and within the Police Department, he would lead by example.

One way he would try to achieve that is following the example of Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara, who rides in a marked squad car.

"My wife and I, we've driven around Minneapolis at night to go to restaurants and there's the Minneapolis police chief in a (marked) squad," Schaefbauer. " ... He's at these restaurants at seven o'clock at night and just making connections, making sure community members are trusting in him."

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Schaefbauer said the way he would aim to reduce crime is better allocation of patrols and educating community members.

"It's our job to help the community out and try to protect them but it goes both ways," he said, pointing to crime prevention techniques and practices people can use to guard against becoming a victim of crime.

Schaefbauer said the structure of patrols needs to be redone if the goal is to help the public.

"We don't need six cops working at 5 a.m. on Sunday, because there's just not a lot going on. There could be, but historically there's not," he said.

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Operations Director Kyle Box advised the

that an item regarding the Willmar Police Chief position would be added to the agenda for Monday's regular City Council meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 7 at the Willmar Municipal Utilities building.
Happy Friday, newsletter readers! President Donald Trumps tariffs (and the market reaction) are the story of the week, but a key step toward more of his domestic policy agenda is underway right now in the Senate  and our Congress team breaks down how its spotlighting some divides in the GOPs narrow majorities. And ahead of this weekends Meet the Press, Kristen Welker goes through the three key questions Trump and his administration face on the tariffs. Plus, we answer a reader question about Elon Musks role in government.

Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here.

 Scott Bland

GOP concerns about tax cut strategy and Medicaid loom over Senate budget

By Julie Tsirkin, Syedah Asghar, Sahil Kapur, and Frank Thorp V

As President Donald Trumps tariffs grab headlines, Senate Republicans are moving through the procedural steps to set up Trumps tax plans and other major domestic spending priorities. But its not going to be easy for them to agree on exactly what to do.

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Senate Republicans managed Thursday to advance their massive budget plan to debate, but not before an unexpected delay caused by some of their own who have concerns about their strategy on tax cuts and potential cuts to Medicaid.

Prior to debate commencing on the measure Friday, the delay occurred as those Republicans met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to talk through their concerns.

Some more centrist senators are worried about a budget change the party is using to slap a zero-dollar price tag on extending Trumps tax cuts, which are estimated by the official scorekeeper in Congress to cost $4.6 trillion over a decade.

Republicans are delaying a reckoning over the issue after they bypassed the Senate parliamentarian on the question of whether they can use a current policy baseline to treat extending Trumps 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire this year, as costing nothing. But that means the move could be challenged later, and it could potentially blow up the bill if the parliamentarian rules against it  unless the Senate votes to overrule her, which some have likened to nuking the 60-vote filibuster rule.

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A handful of Republicans have concerns that they will be asked to do that later in the process.

Another senator, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he has a big concern about the bill slashing Medicaid  and took his concerns directly to Trump in a phone call Thursday evening before the vote.

Twenty-one percent of my state receives Medicaid  CHIP or Medicaid. So, Ive made clear Im not going to vote for Medicaid cuts. And I thought the presidents assurance to me tonight was completely unequivocal, Hawley added, saying that assurance made him comfortable voting to begin the process.

Thats easier said than done. The House-approved budget, which Trump endorsed, makes it mathematically impossible for Republicans to achieve their targets without cutting Medicare or Medicaid. Lawmakers say they want to cut waste and fraud, along with imposing a potential work requirement for Medicaid. Beyond that, they havent identified ways to reduce spending.

Three questions about Trumps tariffs

By Kristen Welker

President Donald Trumps sweeping new tariffs have rattled the markets and raised new concerns about potential price hikes. While Trump campaigned on implementing tariffs, more questions remain as they take effect.

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First, how will the Trump administration explain the tariffs to the American public?

People dont understand what the plan is, what the strategy is, former Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., told Meet the Press NOW on Thursday, later adding: There are Republicans on the Hill who are wondering: Where are we going?

Another key question: What will the economic fallout look like?

Trump warned that his trade policies would cause a little disturbance in his speech to Congress last month. And were already seeing markets rattled by the new tariffs, raising questions about the possibility of a national  or even global  recession.

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Some Republicans have indicated that the administration may need to rethink its policies if they result in an economic downturn.

If they make things better, they should want more; if it makes things worse, they should want to recalibrate, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told our Capitol Hill team on Wednesday.

And lastly: When are Americans going to reap the benefits of this trade policy?

Trump told me back in December that he cant guarantee American families will not pay more, later adding that tariffs are going to make us rich.

The president also said on Air Force One last night that it could take a year and a half to two years to ramp up American manufacturing. But the administration has yet to lay out exactly when everyday Americans will start to benefit from these tariffs.

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Well delve into these questions and more on Meet the Press this Sunday with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Sen. Jim Lankford, R-Okla., and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

I also talked to our friends over at NBCU Academy about how I prepare for a Meet the Press interview. Check out the video here!





 Todays other top stories

 TikTok (still) on the clock: Trump said he will extend the deadline for TikToks owner to find a non-Chinese buyer by 75 days, averting what could have been another disruption of the app. Read more 

 In the courts: A three-judge panel of the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled that more than 65,000 votes cast in the contested race for the state Supreme Court in 2024 must be recounted and verified  a win for the Republican candidate in the razor-thin contest that could tip the results in his favor. Read more 

 NSA exits: The director and the No. 2 official at the National Security Agency were ousted from their positions yesterday, with Laura Loomer  a far-right conspiracy theorist who met with Trump this week  taking credit for their removals. Read more 

 FDA exits: More top vaccine regulators at the Food and Drug Administration have either left or been forced out following the resignation last week of the agencys top vaccine official, which experts say could hobble its ability to approve new vaccines and other drugs. Read more 

 Mailbag: Is the government paying Musk?

Thanks to everyone who emailed us this week! Heres this weeks reader question:

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Is Elon Musk receiving a government salary?

To answer that, we turned to national political reporter Ben Kamisar. Heres his response:

Elon Musk is whats known as a special government employee, a tag given to outside experts brought into the government to provide their expertise on a part-time basis without becoming a full-time administration employee. Hes not drawing a salary but does have to abide by certain rules like conflict-of-interest guardrails and is only expected to work 130 days of a 365-day period. Heres more on the special government employee position and how the White House says its handling Elon Musk, particularly around the question of conflicts of interest.

Thats all From the Politics Desk for now. Todays newsletter was compiled by Scott Bland and Faith Wardwell.

If you have feedback  likes or dislikes  email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com

And if youre a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up here.





This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
A finalized TikTok deal was pulled Thursday after President Trump announced massive new tariffs against China, a source familiar with the negotiations told The Hill.

Trump was poised to sign an executive order approving a deal that would have seen TikToks U.S. operations spun off into a new company, allowing the popular social media app to continue operating in the U.S. in the face of a law requiring its China-based parent company ByteDance to divest from the app or face a ban.

However, ByteDance representatives told the White House after Trumps tariff announcement Wednesday that China would no longer approve the deal without negotiations on tariffs, according to the source.

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It had been expected that China would approve a proposed deal that had been in the works for months until the tariffs were announced by Trump on Thursday.

The White House has not publicly commented on the apparent backing out.

While speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Thursday, Trump used China and TikTok as an example of using tariffs to negotiate.

We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say well approve a deal but will you do something on the tariffs. The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have. Ive used them very well in the first administration. Now were taking it to a whole new level, Trump said.

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When asked if these were talks he was having with China he said, No Im just using that as an example.

Trump announced Friday he would sign an executive order giving TikTok another 75-day extension, saying they had made tremendous progress but the deal required more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed.

In his announcement on Truth Social, the president noted that China was unhappy with the new tariffs.

We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our Reciprocal Tariffs (Necessary for Fair and Balanced Trade between China and the U.S.A.!), Trump wrote.

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This proves that Tariffs are the most powerful Economic tool, and very important to our National Security! he added.

The Trump administration levied a 34 percent tariff on Beijing as part of a sweeping new slate of reciprocal tariffs. On top of earlier import taxes, Chinese goods now face more than 50 percent in tariffs when coming to the U.S.

Prior to the tariff announcement, the TikTok deal had been approved by existing investors, new investors, ByteDance and the U.S. government, the source told The Hill.

Under the agreement, TikToks U.S. operations would be owned and operated by a majority of American investors, while ByteDance would maintain a minority stake in the company.

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Both Trump and Vice President Vance appeared confident earlier this week that a deal was imminent.

When asked Sunday whether he would extend the deadline if necessary, the president said, Therell be a deal with TikTok. However, he added, We would, seemingly in response to the extension question.

The administration had until Saturday to prevent a TikTok ban from going into effect, after Trump signed an executive order on his first day office delaying enforcement of the divest-or-ban law for 75 days.

Vance, who was tasked with brokering a deal alongside national security advisor Mike Waltz, said Thursday morning that it would come out before the deadline.

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Weve got to wait a couple days to continue working on it, to finalize some things, and of course were going to let the president announce whatever we ultimately decide, Vance told Fox News.

Updated at 6:01 p.m. EDT

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
About 50 protesters joined union leaders representing federal workers and some of Michigan's Democratic members of Congress on Friday in downtown Detroit to condemn President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk's efforts to dramatically overhaul the federal government on the heels of a recent court victory for fired federal workers and a new push to strip them of their collective bargaining rights.

One demonstrator's sign labeled Musk's operation  dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency "Destroyer of Government Employees," while American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley called it the "Department of Government Evil."

Kelley blasted the Trump administration's efforts to strip federal workers of their collective bargaining rights, calling them unprecedented and "un-American."

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AFGE Local 3239 President Monique Buchanan said the Trump administration seems intent on gutting federal agencies to deteriorate the public services they provide and make the case for privatization based on poor performance.

"I am so tired of the demonization of federal employees," U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, said.

Speakers described a climate of fear and uncertainty haunting Americans worried about the future of social safety net programs. "I have never seen this many people break down in my town halls," said U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, adding that she has also never received so many calls from people concerned about Social Security.

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Birmingham, called for expanding benefits not just for Social Security but also Medicaid and Medicare. "Any talk otherwise is just dead wrong," she said.

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As Trump's opponents try to resist his policies, Tlaib said workers play a special role in mounting a successful opposition. "It is always unions that save our country," she said.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and other state attorneys general who challenged the Trump administration's firing of probationary federal employees secured a preliminary injunction Tuesday requiring federal agencies to stop the firings and reinstate the impacted workers in the states that brought the lawsuit while litigation continues.

"Illegally firing probationary employees without following lawful procedures is not only reckless but a blatant abuse of power," Nessel said in a statement Wednesday.

Justice Department lawyers have argued in the case that federal agencies have wide discretion to fire probationary employees. A White House fact sheet published in February laying out Trump's strategy for reshaping the federal workforce says there are too many federal employees. "The federal workforce contributes significantly to federal spending and debt," it reads.

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More: Planned Parenthood to close 3 Michigan clinics, citing Trump administration funding freeze

AFGE has held protests across the U.S. protesting the Trump administration's push to overhaul the federal government, including the mass firings of federal workers. In Michigan, the federal government employed just under 30,000 as of March 2024, according to the Congressional Research Service.

The protest Friday comes on the eve of planned nationwide "Hands Off!" protests against Trump.

Contact Clara Hendrickson: chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Federal labor leaders protest DOGE in Detroit
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  El Paso County Public Works is hosting two free community clean-up events on Saturday, April 5.

The events are from 8 a.m. to noon (or until capacity) Saturday at 14698 Van Lane in East Montana and at Gallegos Park, 7361 Bosque Road, in Canutillo.

These events are part of a series of community clean-ups the department will be hosting from April to August. The cleanup events allow El Paso County residents to dispose of unwanted items, while making a difference in their community, the County said.



Passenger tires, bulk trash, and electronic waste will be accepted as follows:

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Tires

o Each resident may bring up to five tires. There will be a maximum collection of 1,500

tires for the event.

o Accepted tires must measure 17 inches or smaller.

o Tires from retailers, semi-trucks, equipment trucks, or those with rims will not be

accepted.

Bulk trash and electronic waste

o Residents may bring one pick-up truck load of bulk trash, including furniture, chairs,

carpet, etc.

o Accepted electronics include computers, tablets, scanners, video games, cameras,

radios, cell phones, VCRs, and DVD players.

o CRT monitors and televisions will not be accepted.

This event is free and open to residents of El Paso County. Some items may not be accepted, so residents are encouraged to sort their bulk waste prior to arrival.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
A three-year-old child in Israel made a remarkable archaeological discovery in the form of a 3,800-year-old relic.

While out on a hike with her parents and two sisters at the archaeological site of Tel Azeka, Ziv Nitzan located a Canaanite amulet in the shape of a scarab while searching the ground for stones.

We were walking along the path, and then Ziv bent down, and out of all the stones around her, she picked up this particular stone, one of her sisters, Omer Nitzan, recalled in a statement released by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). When she rubbed it and removed the sand from it, we saw something was different about it. I called my parents to come see the beautiful stone, and we realized we had discovered an archaeological find! We immediately reported this to the Israel Antiquities Authority. (via Ancient Origins).

Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority

Scarabs, otherwise known as dung beetles, were revered as a symbol of renewal and regeneration in ancient Egypt. Scarabs were used in this period as seals and as amulets. They were found in graves, in public buildings, and in private homes. Sometimes they bear symbols and messages that reflect religious beliefs or status, said researcher Daphna Ben-Tor.

Related: Archaeologists Find 2,000-Year-Old Cache of Iron Age Artifacts

Ben-Tor later determined that the artifact came from the Canaanites, a people who had longstanding economic and cultural associations with Egypt. Tel Azeka itself had immense historical and religious significance, featuring in the Bible as the location of the battle between David and Goliath. The latest discovery provides researchers with new information about the ancient land.

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The excavation findings show that during this period, Tel Azeka was one of the most important cities in the Judean Lowlands, excavation director Oded Lipschits said. 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.

Related: Underwater Archaeologists Unearth Incredible Structure from Ancient Greek City

Young Zivs discovery can soon be seen by all at the IAA, located at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. It will be displayed alongside other relics from ancient Egypt and Canaan. 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, IAA Director Eli Escusido said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zanu-PF Mashonaland East Provincial Chairman and Local Government and Public Works Minister, Daniel Garwe, has strongly condemned what he described as attempts by "renegade" former ruling party officials to unseat the democratically elected Government of Zimbabwe, asserting that such efforts are doomed to fail.Addressing party supporters at a rally in Harare's Glen View South constituency on Wednesday, Garwe reaffirmed the ruling party's unwavering support for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, saying the President remains firmly in charge and enjoying the confidence of the electorate following his 2023 re-election."President Mnangagwa won the election. Now, in his second term, some people are already plotting, saying they can't wait for his term to end and are calling for demonstrations to remove him. What do they mean they can't wait?'" said Garwe. "There is no office without a leader. Mnangagwa is our President, whether they like it or not."The rally was held to drum up support for Tsitsi Tranquillity Tawomhera, the Zanu-PF candidate contesting the Glen View South parliamentary seat.Garwe highlighted ongoing Government programmes such as the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) and the Presidential Borehole Scheme as key examples of President Mnangagwa's developmental agenda."These programmes show that our leader is pragmatic and committed to the people. Road works are progressing under the ERRP, and the borehole scheme is being implemented across the country," he said.Turning his attention to Blessed Geza, a fugitive and former Zanu-PF member who recently called for demonstrations against the Government, Garwe dismissed his influence and likened him to "a stray dog" trying to cause unnecessary noise from afar."A stray dog always has an owner. If you want to know its master, beat the dog, and the owner will come out. If you want to find out the mother of a puppy, grab the puppy, and the mother will bark and charge at you," said Garwe.He thanked Zimbabweans for ignoring what he called "destructive calls" for mass action and challenged Geza to come out of hiding and face the consequences of his actions."I will make Geza wear an apology jersey for his rebellious utterances. Let me warn you, Geza, do not rebel against Zanu-PF again. Comrades, tell Geza the time for rebels is over," Garwe declared.He also accused Geza of aligning himself with other exiled former Zanu-PF figures such as Saviour Kasukuwere, asserting that Zimbabwe's leadership remains under President Mnangagwa's firm control."Geza, stay in South Africa with Kasukuwere if you want. Our President is Emmerson Mnangagwa," Garwe said to cheers from party supporters.The remarks come amid heightened political rhetoric and efforts by Zanu-PF to consolidate support in urban constituencies ahead of forthcoming by-elections and political contests.
The South Carolina Daily Gazette staff consists of Editor Seanna Adcox and reporters Skylar Laird, Shaun Chornobroff and Jessica Holdman, as seen on the Statehouse steps in Columbia on Thursday, March 13, 2025. (Photo by William Meacham/Special to the SC Daily Gazette)

COLUMBIA  SC Daily Gazette senior reporter Jessica Holdman took top honors for business journalism at the South Carolina Press Associations annual awards ceremony Friday.

Her awards were among five total won by the Gazette in its inaugural year. The nonprofit news outlet competed in Division A, the category for the states largest daily newspapers. That means the Gazette was competing against colleagues with The Post and Courier, The State, and the Greenville News.

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Holdman won the Ken Baldwin Award for Excellence in Business Journalism for all daily news outlets in South Carolina as well as first place in business beat reporting for Division A.

Reporter Skylar Laird received two Division A awards: second place in breaking news reporting and third place in education beat reporting.

And contributing columnist Paul Hyde won second place for column writing.

The annual contest awarded the states best in journalism  including articles, photos, columns, editorials, and page layouts  published between mid-November 2023 and mid-November 2024. For the Gazette, however, entries covered the six months since it became a press association member.

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Winners of most categories were declared weeks ahead of the event. But the Ken Baldwin Award was among contests unannounced until the presentation Friday at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

The award, sponsored by the University of South Carolinas journalism school, is named in memory of Kenneth W. Baldwin Jr., a USC graduate and benefactor of financial journalism education. The former business editor died in 2022 at age 96.

Contest judges said Holdman examined business and economic development matters broadly, including their history and possible future impact.

Her reporting covers everything from the emerging issues related to lithium battery manufacturing to the future of South Carolinas once-dominating textile industry, they wrote in explaining their choice. Her work is very well done and well-researched. But most of all her stories are interesting, appealing not only to business readers but everyone.

This slide was shown at the South Carolina Press Association awards ceremony Friday, April 4, 2025, as senior reporter Jessica Holdman accepted her first place award for business beat reporting. (Courtesy of the South Carolina Press Association.)

The Baldwin award came with a $500 prize.

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Holdmans winning entries for her first-place business beat award included reports on emergency responders preparations for lithium fires, the transformation of the states textile industry, and a real estate developers lucrative leasing arrangement with the state.

Lairds award for breaking news involved her reporting on the Medical University of South Carolinas decision to end all gender-transition treatments  which provided answers to readers that MUSC hadnt provided its own patients at the time and ahead of other outlets  and the scrambling of LGBTQ advocates to connect patients with care elsewhere.

Her award for education reporting involved students enrolled for state-paid K-12 scholarships in the programs first year, parents left in limbo after the state Supreme Court declared the private tuition payments illegal, and a surprisingly high number of 3- and 4-year-olds suspended from South Carolina preschools.

In opinion writing, Hydes winning columns advocated closing the Charleston loophole as a memorial to the nine victims gunned down in a Charleston church in 2015, examined the legacy of the 1934 Bloody Thursday massacre of striking mill workers in Honea Path, and emphasized the importance of voting in state and local elections.

The SC Daily Gazette launched on Nov. 14, 2023, as the 37th affiliate of States Newsroom, the nations largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

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It is an ad-free, online news outlet supported by grants and donations.

The four-person newsroom consists of three founding staffers  Editor Seanna Adcox, Holdman, and Laird  and reporter Shaun Chornobroff, who joined in January.

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(NBC)  Fridays Dateline is an all-new two-hour episode focused on the double homicide case of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness out of Topeka, Kansas and a three-trial odyssey to bring the killer to justice.

Here is a preview of Andrea Cannings report:

The Fourth of July exploded that year  parties everywhere. One couple had a good reason to celebrate.

LINDA BRIDEN: They were especially happy that night. They were in love.

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MICHELLE DELGADO: I thought that I heard gunshots and even though it was July, they didnt sound like firecrackers.

OPERATOR: 911, whats your emergency?

HAROLD WORSWICK: Yes.  Shes downstairs, and shes dead.

Who would want to kill Mike and Karen? And even more baffling  why?

CHAD HARKNESS: When he told me what had happened, I said, This is that crazy psychopath.

It would take years to make an arrest. It would take cunning from a victims daughter.

HAILEY SEEL: I was recording our conversations.

And it would take trial after trial.

JUDGE: The jury  is unable  to reach a unanimous verdict.

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After trial, to get justice. In the meantime, was anyone really safe?

HAILEY: I was afraid for my safety. For sure.

Watch Dateline: Deadly Obsession Friday at 9 p.m. on NBC4.

About Dateline

Dateline NBC is the longest-running series in NBC primetime history and is in its 33rd season. Dateline is anchored by Lester Holt and features correspondents Blayne Alexander, Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Keith Morrison and Dennis Murphy.

The stories range from compelling mysteries to powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. When major news breaks, they go to the scene, putting the pieces together to bring the viewer the full picture. And in every story they tell, they help the real people who lived the events share their journeys with the viewer.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Context: Above video shows President Donald Trump announcing reciprocal tariffs as part of the Liberation Day event on April 2.

TOPEKA (KSNT)  Many protesters gathered at the Kansas Statehouse grounds on Saturday and a march through downtown Topeka.

Numerous people were at the Kansas Statehouse on April 5 to protest against the administration of President Donald Trump. Protestors waved flags and held up signs associated with political organizations and sexual orientations on the east side of the Kansas Statehouse building. The protest is part of a nationwide event being held at other state capitals around the country.

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Oklahoma man charged in killing of Kansas priest

(Photo By: Grace Gaume) (Photo By: Grace Gaume) (Photo By: Grace Gaume)

27 News spoke with Christie Peterson, one of the organizers for the 50-50-1 protest, about what the rally is all about. She said the protest is part of a non-violent grassroots movement calling the Trump Administration to uphold the U.S. Constitution.

This is a grassroots movement that started with a call in early February for there to be fifty protests in fifty state capitals all on the same day, Peterson said.

WATCH: Satanic Grotto leader taken away in handcuffs at the Kansas Statehouse

Peterson said this is the fourth 50-50-1 protest that has been held in Kansas so far this year which has attracted supporters from other established groups affiliated with the Womens March and the Indivisible Project. She said there will likely be additional protests in the future.

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Unfortunately, this is not and cannot be a one-and-done, Peterson said. As long as people are being grabbed off the street, people fired without approval from Congress. As long as all those things are not the way our country is supposed to be happening well be protesting.

The Trump Administration is drawing criticism this year over large layoffs of federal employees, increased use of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to enforce the nations immigration laws and recent application of tariffs.

Kansas gov. vetoes six bills Friday, allows for two new laws

For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  Topeka Police arrested a 25-year-old Topekan following reports of a battered person in North Topeka late Friday night.

Before 11 p.m. On April 4, Officers responded to the 600 block of North Kansas Avenue on reports of a person on the ground who had been battered, according to Lt. D. Eubanks with TPD.

Upon arrival, officers located a subject with life-threatening injuries caused by blunt force trauma. The subject was taken to an area hospital.

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As a result of investigation a 25-year-old suspect from Topeka was transported to the Shawnee County Department of corrections for the following charges:

Attempted murder in the 1st degree

Kidnapping, in the flight or commission of any crime

Aggravated battery; knowingly use weapon to cause great bodily harm/disfigure/death

The Topeka Police Department asks that anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to email telltpd@topeka.org or contact the Topeka Police Criminal Investigation Bureau at 785-368-9400. Anonymous tips can be made by calling the Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007. You can also make anonymous tips online at www.p3tips.com/128.

For more crime 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.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (FOX 44)  Aggie Ring Day is one of the most highly anticipated events at Texas A&M University. Over 6,000 students will receive their Aggie rings during this two-day event, marking a momentous occasion in the schools rich tradition of academic achievement and pride.

As students and their loved ones approached the steps of the Clay W. Williams Jr. Alumni Center, you could feel the excitement spread across the room. Students eyes filled with excitement as thousands of ring boxes were spread across the building.

Families brought gifts such as flowers, cakes, posters, and more for their ring recipients to commemorate the day.

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The special ceremony, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, took place on the universitys campus, drawing students, family, and friends to witness the powerful moment when a cherished symbol of the worldwide Aggie network is earned.

It feels awesome, said one student, smiling as the iconic ring was placed on their finger.

Its a great feeling, another echoed.

For many students like John Moreland, the day was a realization that they are nearing the finish line of their academic journey. Its like a relief that I made it this far. Its an honor, Moreland said. All the great people were in this ring. I just kind of felt like I was a part of something great.

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Im so excited for him, said Morelands mother. Hes worked very hard, and Im proud of him.

The Aggie Ring, a beloved symbol of the Texas A&M experience, has been a part of the universitys tradition for over a century. However, it was in April 2000 that a special event was established to formally honor students for their academic achievements.

Its the day that they receive the most visible symbol of the worldwide Aggie network, which is the Aggie ring, said Scot Walker, Vice President of the Association of Former Students. Theyve earned it through academic achievement. Theyve coveted it since they were admitted to Texas A&M, and for many, this is a bigger celebration than their actual graduation.

The day was filled with emotion as students received their rings from loved ones, making the occasion even more significant. Audrey Middleton, whose parents are also Texas A&M graduates, expressed her excitement: Im feeling ecstatic. Both my parents are Aggies, and so I think this is just a great way to live out their legacy and tradition. Middletons voice quivered with emotion as she added, They mean everything to me, theyre my support, theyre the reason Im here.

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For many, the Aggie Ring represents more than just academic success. Its a symbol of the shared history, connection, and camaraderie that binds Aggies around the world.

As Aggies continue to uphold the universitys values and traditions, the Aggie Ring Day remains a celebration of not just academic achievement, but also the enduring legacy of Texas A&M.

This cherished tradition remains one of the many ways Aggies stay connected around the world, strengthening the bonds of a community that continues to thrive long after graduation.

To learn more about the history of Aggie Ring Day, you can click here.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Editors Note: As Lexington celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Herald-Leader and kentucky.com each day throughout 2025 will share interesting facts about our hometown. Compiled by Liz Carey, all are notable moments in the citys history - some funny, some sad, others heartbreaking or celebratory, and some just downright strange.

It was the worst aviation accident in Central Kentuckys history at the time, and it left nine people, including four University of Kentucky professors, dead.

Reports indicate that it was a clear, breezy Monday afternoon on April 3, 1967, when a twin-engine Beech 18, called 37 George crashed 1.5 miles off of the end of a runway at Blue Grass Airport.

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The plane was a chartered flight that had just returned to Lexington from Louisville. The plane had been rented as one of two planes to fly a group of people back to Louisville to catch a connecting flight to Roanoke, Virginia.

It was considered a routine flight, officials said at the time.

Around 4 p.m., eight passengers boarded 37 George and taxied out to Runway 33, facing Keeneland. The plane took off without incident.

Directly behind the plane was a small Cessna flown by Don Duckworth, a former police officer who flew the Cessna for a local radio station as a traffic watch. Duckworth said 37 George looked sluggish as it took off, like it was struggling to gain altitude.

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After it took off, he said the left wing of the plane dipped, then the plane disappeared.

According to Duckworth, the next thing he saw was a ball of fire and smoke. The fire was engulfed in flames. All eight passengers and the pilot perished.

Officials later determined that during the planes initial climb, the left engine caught fire. The pilot decided to return to the airport for an emergency landing, but when he made the turn lost control of the plane. The plane dove into the ground and crashed on the field.

According to the Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives, the plane was improperly loaded which was considered to be a contributing factor to the crash.

Have a question or story idea related to Lexingtons 250-year history? Let us know at 250LexKy@gmail.com.
Black transgender woman Kaitoria Kai Bankz, 31, was shot to death Monday night  on Transgender Day of Visibility  in what was likely an attempted carjacking in Autaugaville, Alabama.

Bankz was a staff member with the Knights and Orchids Society, a regional LGBTQ+ rights organization. Her brother, whose name has not been released, was shot in the head but survived, TV station WSFA reports.

Kelmen Merrell King, 27, of Autaugaville, turned himself in to police Tuesday morning. He has been charged with murder and attempted murder, Autauga County Sheriff Mark Harrell told WSFA.

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King and Bankz had communicated online before meeting and had apparently planned a sexual encounter, the sheriff said. It wasnt clear why Bankzs brother accompanied her or if she was targeted for being trans. But when they connected, King tried to commit a carjacking, according to Harrell, who said there will probably be more arrests in the case.

Bankz was a cherished staff member at the Knights and Orchids Society, and she was taken far too soon in a senseless act of violence said a statement from Executive Director TC Caldwell. Kai was a bright light in our organization, Caldwell continued. Her bold presence inspired everyone around her. She was making significant contributions in LGBTQ+ work through health coordination, community support, and advocacy.

Kai was the embodiment of TKOs mission to build power within our community, Caldwell added. Her drive and dedication to providing life-saving services to our clients exemplified our commitment to helping Black TLGB+ people across the South live full and healthy lives free from harm.

Kai was actively involved in fellowships and worked with various advocacy groups, constantly seeking ways to improve not only her own life but the lives of those around her. Her clients, many of whom relied on her for critical support services, will deeply feel her absence.

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My heart breaks hearing about the death of Kaitoria Bankz, said a statement from Victoria Kirby York, director of public policy and programs at the National Black Justice Collective. It is clear with Kai, like all our trans siblings taken too early, that they had plans for the future, a full life they hoped to live, and goals they wished to accomplish. It is essential that we remember the lives taken are not just statistics in the ongoing epidemic of violence, but real people with full lives, hopes, and desires. As Kai died on Trans Day of Visibility, we must make sure trans people are not only visible when they are suffering, but when they are joyful and thriving. I also want to thank Kai for all the work she did to serve the community and mourn all she would have accomplished. It is up to all of us to honor her with actions supporting and uplifting the transgender community and her lifes mission to connect mental health care to those who need it most.

Bankz, a native of Montgomery, Alabama, "liked Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, Kehlani, Ciara, Doja Cat, Big Freedia and many other musical artists," Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents reports. "Her Facebook profile is filled with her colorful hair, makeup, and nail styles."

A memorial balloon release will be held Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Monticello Apartments complex in Montgomery.
The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department is asking the public for help in locating a transgender girl who went missing in the Antelope Valley.

An LASD bulletin states that Raymond Sophia Chavez, 14, was last seen just before 10:50 a.m. Friday in the 1700 block of East Avenue J in Lancaster.

Chavez is listed as being 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighing 135 pounds. They have brown hair, brown eyes and were last seen wearing a blue sweater, light blue pants and black shoes.

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Coach questioned in 13-year-old boys death arrested on unrelated charge, family says

A missing person poster indicates Chavez may have a possible destination of the 37000 block of 20th Street East in Palmdale.

The missing juveniles family is concerned for their wellbeing, LASD said.

Anyone with information surrounding the whereabouts of Raymond Sophia Chavez should contact the Lancaster sheriffs station.

To submit an anonymous tip, call Crime Stoppers (1-800-222-8477) or visit www.lacrimestoppers.org

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Shondiin Silversmith

Arizona Mirror

Indigenous students graduating from a Maricopa County Community College will have a special convocation this year, just not one hosted by the district.

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community President Martin Harvier announced Wednesday that the tribal council will host a Native American Convocation for all Indigenous students graduating from a Maricopa County Community College this spring.

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The tribe is hosting the event in response to how the district canceled all convocations for specific student groups due to President Donald Trumps threat to defund colleges and universities that engage in DEI efforts.

Harvier said the districts actions came quickly and without consultation with local tribes or other minority organizations.

The cancellation of the convocation concerned the tribe because Scottsdale Community College is located within the boundaries of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and many tribal members have received their education from SCC.

We knew we had to do something to address this issue, Harvier said.

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The tribe met with the MCCD Governing Board, Harvier said, and the tribal council agreed to host the convocation for all 2025 Native American MCCD graduates in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Why? Because honoring all Native American students for their accomplishments is the right thing to do, Harvier said.

The tribal council will cover all costs for the event that is being planned for early May. Details on the exact date and how students can participate were not shared.

Mona Scott Figueroa, a faculty member at Mesa Community College, said she is elated that the native American convocation will continue this year, even without it being hosted by the district.

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I love that Salt River made this generous offer, Figueroa said. They are coming through for all 10 colleges.

When Figueroa heard of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community stepping up to host the convocation, she said its a move that is consistent with who we are as Indigenous people.

We do what is right for the community, she added. What matters is the students and our community members.

Figueroa said she was the name reader during the Native American convocations held at Mesa Community College, and she knows how beautiful the event is for the students and their families.

For many, this is their first official graduation, Figueroa said, adding that its an authentic experience for the students and their families because it is full of Indigenous representation.

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Im glad that it is going to happen, she added. Its a beautiful event that I knew was going to happen in some form or fashion.

With the convocation being hosted within the Salt River community, Figueroa said she hopes that Scottsdale Community College will take it as a sign to invest and support Indigenous students.

It does send a message, she said, and she hopes that it will strengthen connections between tribes and MCCD.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A serious shortage of contraceptive tablets has rocked clinics across Zaka District, triggering suspicions of smuggling operations targeting the South African black market.The revelation was made by Stella Shambira, Chairperson of the Zaka Rural District Council audit committee, during a full council meeting held at the local authority's chambers on Tuesday, April 1. Shambira presented findings from the council's latest audit report, highlighting troubling discrepancies in drug stock records at local health facilities."The audit committee noted the drug stock balances had some excesses and shortfalls beyond the generally acceptable tolerance of 10 percent," said Shambira. "Clinic drug stock issuing should be done by a particular member of staff for proper accountability."The most alarming concern raised in the report was the unusually high shortfall of family planning tablets, which significantly outnumbered discrepancies in other medication categories. According to Shambira, the committee suspects that clinic staff, including nurses, may be illegally selling the tablets, which are believed to be in high demand in South Africa."We suspect that the nurses and other members of staff could be selling the tablets which are later being smuggled to South Africa where they are sought after," she said.In addition to the suspected smuggling of contraceptives, the audit report also uncovered irregularities in fuel coupon records, where serial numbers were found to be out of sequence and different types of fuel were recorded on the same page, raising concerns about potential fuel mismanagement.The committee also noted large arrears owed by tenants leasing council properties and recommended that relevant departments begin conducting monthly written follow-ups to recover overdue payments and improve accountability.However, not all stakeholders agree with the smuggling theory. A local health practitioner, speaking on condition of anonymity, downplayed the smuggling concerns, suggesting that the contraceptive shortage is more likely a supply chain issue stemming from funding cuts."There could be an element of smuggling, but it has always been there and has never affected the supply. The real issue has to do with the cutting of funding by USAID, which affected several organizations that were supplying the products," the practitioner explained.In recent months, USAID and other international donors have reportedly reduced or redirected funding to health-related programs in Zimbabwe, which may have impacted the availability of essential supplies like contraceptives.The shortage has raised fears of a rise in unintended pregnancies and family planning disruptions in the rural district, where access to health services is already limited. Residents are calling on authorities to tighten internal controls, investigate the alleged smuggling, and restore regular contraceptive supplies as a matter of urgency.As the investigation continues, the Zaka Rural District Council has pledged to strengthen oversight mechanisms across its clinics and improve transparency in drug distribution systems.
FOLEY, Ala. (WKRG)  When Drew Holland Boyd was pregnant with her second child, doctors detected what they described as a small hole in his heart.

Specially trained nurses now caring for sexual assault victims in Baldwin County

Owen has down syndrome and we knew that before he was born, and something that is also very common with down syndrome are heart defects, said Drew.

Doctors told Owens parents the hole would likely close on its own before his second birthday, but he went into heart failure.

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His mom said, He stopped eating. He had very labored breathing. So, I called the cardiologist and asked if we could move his appointment up and they did another echo where they found a second hole in his heart and another heart defect.

Owen was eventually airlifted to Childrens Hospital in Birmingham where he underwent open heart surgery.

His father, Camden Boyd, is, Beyond grateful, I think UAB shocked me at what they were able to do in their capabilities.

Gulf Shores senior beats cancer, commits to play college football at University of North Alabama

He ended up having his surgery on Good Friday last year. He was the only surgery that day, and fortunately, he had a heart defect that was fixable, and as of now he is healthy and we do not have to have any other surgeries, said Drew.

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Heart treatments have delayed some of Owens development milestones. For now, his parents feed him through a tube connected to his stomach, which doesnt seem to bother him.

He is truly the happiest baby. He just smiles all day long, said Drew.

Like many babies, Owen idolizes his big brother, Beckham, a very active and entertaining two and a half year old who enjoys singing to Owen while he laughs.

Waking up to Owens smile is Camdens favorite part of being his daddy.

You see that smile. It changes everything. Your whole perspective and you realize, man this is truly a gift from God, he said.

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The Boyd family is being recognized at The American Heart Associations Baldwin Art for Heart Gala in Orange Beach on Saturday.

The event is sold out, but the Boyds hope their story will encourage you to team up with AHA to help further much needed research.

During Owens journey, theyve met other families with children whose heart defects dont have a cure.

3 Spanish Fort High School juniors score 36 on ACT

WKRG News 5 is proud to be the media sponsor of Art for Heart.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
After President Donald Trumps Department of Homeland Security admitted that it deported an innocent Maryland man to an El Salvadoran mega-prison known for torture and human-rights abuses, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt brushed off a judges order to bring him back.

We suggest the judge contact President Bukele because we are unaware of the judge having jurisdiction or authority over the country of El Salvador, Leavitt said in a statement on Friday, referring to El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.

Bukele responded to news posted by an X account called End Wokeness of the judges order by sharing a GIF of a confused cartoon bunny.

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia was reportedly arrested in front of his 5-year-old son, who is autistic and nonverbal, and his wife only learned where he had been sent to after seeing a propaganda video produced by Bukele that showed her husband and other detainees being manhandled by El Salvadoran law enforcement. Abrego Garcias wife and son are both citizens. He was legally granted protection from deportation after immigration officials claimed in 2019 that an informant had named Abrego Garcia as a member of the gang MS-13. His lawyer said the accusations of gang affiliation are false, and previously directed The Atlantic to records of the incident in which the police officers who initially detained him were unable to find any reliable evidence to link Abrego Garcia to MS-13. Abrego Garcias attorneys said he has no criminal record in the U.S. or any other country.

In the court filing on Monday, the Trump administration 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.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland on Friday ordered the administration arrange the return of Abrego Garcia. However, the Trump administration immediately appealed the ruling, arguing that they do not have the authority to bring back Abrego Garcia since he is in the custody El Salvador.

Noah Bullock, executive director of Cristosal, a human rights organization, told Rolling Stone earlier this week that the Trump administration deporting people without convictions to El Salvador with no chance to defend themselves amounts to a forced disappearance, a violation of international human rights law.

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In 2024, Cristosal published an in-depth report detailing alleged systemic torture within El Salvadors prison system, and the unreported deaths and disappearances of inmates.

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The Trump administration acknowledged on April 4 that it had mistakenly informed some Ukrainian refugees their legal status in the U.S. was being revoked and that they needed to leave immediately, CBS News reported.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified to the media outlet that the emails sent to the refugees were an error, following confusion around the legal protections granted to Ukrainians under the Biden administration.

Earlier this week, several Ukrainians who entered the U.S. after Russias full-scale invasion of their homeland received emails saying that their legal status would be terminated.

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The notice, dated April 3, informed recipients that DHS was "exercising its discretion to terminate your parole," a temporary legal status granted by the Biden administration to those displaced by the war. The letter warned that unless the parole expired sooner, it would end seven days from the date of the notice.

Read also: Publishing house of Harvards Ukrainian Research Institute latest target of Trumps federal budget cuts

There was no immediate information on how many Ukrainians received the notice.

The Biden administrations Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program allowed around 240,000 Ukrainians to enter the U.S. under humanitarian grounds, with more than 20,000 Ukrainians entering through Mexico after the war began. This program granted temporary work permits and deportation protections.

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The notice also indicated that work permits would be revoked once parole status was terminated and urged recipients to voluntarily leave the country using a government app called CBP Home, which the Trump administration repurposed for self-deportation. "Again, DHS is terminating your parole. Do not attempt to remain in the United States  the federal government will find you," the notice read.

DHS later confirmed to CBS News that the termination notices were sent by mistake, and reassured that the U4U program had not been terminated.

While the Trump administration has not officially ended the U4U program, it has suspended admissions and status renewals. Advocates remain concerned, however, that DHS might attempt to strip Ukrainians of their legal protections in the future, especially as the Trump administration continues its broader crackdown on both illegal and legal immigration programs.

Read also: Why Im leaving Trumps America  historian Marci Shore

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
By Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration has appointed a national security lawyer who entered the foreign service just four years ago as the top official overseeing the State Department's global workforce, according to three sources familiar with the matter and an internal email seen by Reuters.

The hiring of Lew Olowski to run the department's Global Talent Management Bureau comes as President Donald Trump shrinks the federal workforce and looks to revamp the U.S. diplomatic corps to ensure a dedicated implementation of his "America First" policies.

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Olowski served as a senior counselor at the Department of Homeland Security under the first Trump administration. He was named the Senior Bureau Official at the Department's Global Talent Management Bureau, officials said.

Olowski, who entered the foreign service in 2021, will temporarily fill a position traditionally occupied by veteran foreign service officers, including ambassadors, typically with decades of experience.

The move comes as Trump is looking to revamp the U.S. diplomatic corps to ensure a dedicated implementation of his "America First" policies.

His appointment sent shockwaves across the State Department workforce and drew an objection from the American Foreign Service Association, which represents foreign service officers, saying it was "deeply concerning" to appoint Olowski and compared the move to putting a junior military officer in charge of the Pentagons personnel system.

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"Placing an untenured, entry-level officer who has only served one complete overseas tour into this critical role, even in an acting capacity, not only disregards that tradition but also sends a clear message about the value this administration places on experience and professional progression," the Association said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear when the administration was planning to nominate a Director General for the Foreign Service, which is a Senate-confirmed position.

"MOMENT OF TRANSITION"

In an internal email to some State Department staff, Olowski's predecessor Catherine Rodriguez, who had led the Global Talent Management Bureau since the start of the Trump administration, described the past few months as a "profound moment of transition" and urged staff to welcome Olowski, who will take up his new role starting next week.

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At least one diplomat has threatened to resign over the appointment.

Kent Logsdon, a career diplomat and a former ambassador to Moldova who served as the principal deputy assistant secretary in the bureau that Olowski would be leading, said he would quit in protest in a meeting on Thursday at the State Department, two U.S. officials familiar with the conversation said.

Logsdon referred any queries to the State Department.

"We are not going to comment on internal personnel matters," a State Department spokesperson said when asked about Olowski's appointment.

The State Department's nearly 70,000 global workforce is bracing for potential job cuts and closures of U.S. overseas missions as Trump, with the help of billionaire Elon Musk, presses ahead with an effort to cut the federal workforce.

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Olowski is a Ben Franklin fellow, a network that includes many individuals who have served under Trump including the current Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

In February, Trump issued an executive order directing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to revamp the foreign service to ensure "faithful and effective implementation" of Trump's foreign policy agenda.

The order said failure to implement the president's agenda is grounds for professional discipline, which may result in the termination of personnel.

During his campaign, he had repeatedly pledged to "clean out the deep state" by firing bureaucrats that he deems disloyal.

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Trump, along with Musk, has already fired thousands of federal workers and dismantled Washington's top aid agency U.S. Agency for International Development, jeopardizing the delivery of life-saving food and medical aid and disrupting global humanitarian relief efforts.

(This April 5 story has been corrected to fix the spelling of diplomat Kent Logsdon's name in paragraphs 11 and 12)

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Don Durfee and Diane Craft)
The Trump administration has canceled dozens of international student visas at California campuses, including UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine and Stanford, university leaders, students and faculty at campuses confirmed to The Times. Education officials over the weekend struggled to assess the extent of the revocations.

At UCLA, the revocations hit at least nine international students, faculty and student groups said Saturday. It's unclear whether any students were detained by immigration authorities or why their visas were canceled. A UCLA spokesperson did not immediately confirm the number. The updated number came from student government, which has been in touch with the UCLA administration.

At UC San Diego, Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said in a campus message that five students had their visas revoked. He said the university received the notification "without warning." Khosla said a sixth student was "detained at the border, denied entry and deported to their home country.

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"The federal government has not explained the reasons behind these terminations," Khosla wrote. "The students have been notified and we are working directly with them to provide support."

Describing a "fluid situation," a UC Berkeley spokesperson on Saturday said the school had identified at least six revoked visas. The spokesperson said four were for current undergraduate and graduate students. Two others were for recent graduates.

At UC Davis, officials said visas for seven students and five recent graduates were terminated.

"This number may change. Federal agents have not entered our campus, and they have not placed any member of our community in custody," a university statement said on Saturday.

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A UC official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly confirmed that the visa actions also affected UC Irvine. Campus spokespeople did not respond to a request for more details.

At Stanford, officials said four students and two people who recently graduated had their visas revoked. A university statement did not identify the reasons the students lost their visas or whether they faced arrests.

A University of California statement said that "several" campuses had students who lost their visa status but did not offer more information.

The statement said UC is "aware that international students across several of our campuses have been impacted by recent SEVIS terminations," referring to the U.S. government's Student and Exchange Visitor Information System database. "... We continue to monitor and assess its implications for the UC community and the people affected. We are committed to doing what we can to support all members of our community as they exercise their rights under the law. In doing that, the university will continue to follow all applicable state and federal laws."

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Read more: California international students on alert as Trump ramps up arrests of pro-Palestinian activists

A spokesperson for USC, where the more than 17,000 international students make up the largest foreign student population in the state, declined to say whether students on campus were part of the visa sweep. "The university does not disclose information about the status of individual student visas," a university statement said.

The actions are part of mass visa cancellations that appear to have unfolded at campuses across the country on Friday and caught school administrators by surprise. Other campuses to announce visa revocations include the University of Kentucky, University of Oregon and Ohio State University. While many actions by the Trump administration to cancel student visas and arrest students last month targeted pro-Palestinian activists, the reasons for these changes were unclear.

Spokespeople from the State Department did not reply Saturday to questions from The Times about California student visas.

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Asked whether the visa cancellations had to do with students who protested or other matters, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in an email, "wed have to look on a case by case basis." She did not reply to a question about the number of visas revoked in California or how many of the state's campuses were affected.

Student government leaders at UCLA acknowledged campus concerns in a joint statement issued late Friday.

"We understand these are deeply uncertain times... To every international student reading this: You belong here. Your presence at UCLA makes this campus stronger, richer, and more beautiful. Our offices will continue to stand, speak, and advocate for you  loudly and unapologetically," said the statement from Undergraduate Student Assn. Council President Adam Tfayli and International Student Representative Syed Tamim Ahmad.

The visa revocations at UC San Diego involved students who were not involved in pro-Palestinian protests, said the UC official.

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Last month, the Trump administration began revoking student visas at high-profile campuses, including Columbia, Cornell, George Washington, Tufts and other universities where it alleged that the students affected were antisemitic and aligned with terrorists because of their pro-Palestinian writings or protests.

The administration accused the students of supporting Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization, and said they were threats to national security and U.S. foreign policy. The students argued their free speech rights in support of Palestinians were being trampled.

Read more: Justice Department probes major California universities over 'illegal DEI' in admissions

The cases, some of which led to immigration arrests, are being fought in federal courts. Several students are being held at immigration detention facilities.

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The administration has also started canceling visas for students who were not involved in pro-Palestinian protests but had other violations on their records. For example, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said this week that the visa of a University of Minnesota student was revoked in March because of a 2023 drunk driving incident in which he pleaded guilty.

Speaking March 27 during a visit to Guyana, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. had at that point canceled 300 visas and would continue its evaluations.

"We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa, Rubio said, referring to student protesters. "I hope at some point we run out because we have gotten rid of all of them, but were looking every day for these lunatics that are tearing things up."

Rubio said the government canceled "primarily student visas" and "some visitors visas." The group included cases "unrelated to any protests that have to do with potential criminal activity.

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At many campuses in the U.S., including at UC San Diego and Stanford, the Trump administration did not communicate the visa changes to universities. Instead, the cancellations were discovered while university officials checked SEVIS, a student database under the Department of Homeland Security that lists international student statuses.

International students typically have two certifications that allow them to come to the U.S. and study. Student visas give individuals permission to enter the U.S. while "student status" confirms that a person is enrolled in classes and abiding by other restrictions, such as limitations on employment. Visas are granted and revoked by the Department of State. Student status is maintained in SEVIS.

Under previous administrations, students who had entry visas canceled were typically allowed to legally stay in the U.S. to study. If they left the country and wanted to return, they would have to renew their visas. The current actions by the Trump administration appear to be changing both visa and student status.

Schools with large international populations usually have campus centers devoted to aiding students and professors with visas, housing and other areas, including maintaining SEVIS.

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"Campus officials (and the University of California) are committed to doing what they can to support all members of our community as they exercise their rights under the law," said a statement from UC Berkeley. "In doing so, the university will continue to follow all applicable state and federal laws."

A UC Davis statement added that "we are committed to upholding the law, and we expect local, state and federal agencies to do the same. At the same time, we will continue to advocate at every level of government for the rights and safety of all our community members."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Stewart Huntington

ICT

The U.S. Department of Education has canceled a civil rights agreement with the Rapid City, South Dakota, school district that was designed to resolve disparities in the treatment of Native students.

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The department notified the school district in a letter dated March 27 that it hereby terminates the Resolution Agreement the school district signed last year with the departments Office of Civil Rights.

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The voluntary agreement had been signed after a years-long federal probe of Rapid City Public Schools over unequal treatment of Native students in how they were disciplined and over a lack of access to advanced learning opportunities.The move by the Trump administration drew outrage from Nick Tilsen, founder and chief executive of NDN Collective, a nationwide advocacy group based in Rapid City that has been deeply involved with local equity issues.

This decision to roll back a previous mandate to ensure the district complies with the implementation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act when it comes to the treatment of Native students is flat out racist, unjust, discriminatory and deprioritizes Native children in this community, Tilsen told ICT.

In this moment, we need leaders who will stand up for all the children in this community, Tilsen said. This type of courage needs to be founded in justice, love and accountability. We must dig deep as a community and decide that racism has no place in our future.

Community leaders vowed they wont abandon efforts to improve the learning environment for Native students.

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Im hoping (the district) will continue working to develop strategies to help our children, said Amy Sazue, a parent who was named to the Stakeholders Equity Group that was formed to implement the resolution agreement. They dont need a federal mandate to do that.

Scathing report

The education department released a report last spring that raised concerns regarding the districts compliance with its nondiscrimination obligations under Title VI of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In response, on May 29, 2024, the district voluntarily granted open-ended federal oversight of the district as it implemented a 23-page plan to ensure that its policies, procedures, and practices do not discriminate against students on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

Related: Civil rights investigation finds Rapid City Area Schools discriminated' against Native students

The federal mandate for the district to comply with that agreement has now ended, apparently as it falls afoul of new guidelines issued by the Trump administration banning diversity efforts throughout the federal government.

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The education department has determined many of the terms and conditions of the Resolution Agreement conflict with the nondiscrimination requirements of Title VI, including the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion requirements that form the foundation of the Resolution Agreement, the department wrote to the school districts Acting Superintendent Cory Strasser.

The stark portrait of the school district painted by federal officials in the 2024 report affirmed what many local leaders already knew.

We've known this for quite a long time here in our community, Valeriah Big Eagle, who previously served as co-chair of the Rapid City Area Schools Indigenous Education Task Force, said at the time.

Civil rights investigation

The federal investigation was launched following a 2010 complaint filed by parents and community members with the Office of Civil Rights alleging Native students in Rapid City public schools were disciplined at higher rates than their peers and that Indigenous students encountered fewer advanced learning opportunities, such as enrollment in high school Advanced Placement classes.

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The resulting agreement, signed by then schools Superintendent Nicole Swigart, did not constitute an admission of noncompliance with federal civil rights laws by the district but spelled out steps it must take. The district agreed to:

*Examine the root causes of racial disparities in the districts discipline and advanced learning programs and implement corresponding corrective action plans.

*Employ a discipline equity supervisor to help the district implement corrective action.

*Employ an advanced learning coordinator to address the underrepresentation of Native students in advanced learning programs.

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*Provide training to staff on the revised policies and practices.

Last spring, the Resolution Agreement was accompanied by a letter to the district that included an account of interviews in 2023 with school district officials  including superintendent Swigart  about truancy rates that were higher for Native students compared to white students.

Some of the statements made by Swigert ultimately resulted in her getting fired.

The Superintendent reported that certain Native American tribes, such as the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Tribes, do not commonly value education and inform their students that they do not need to graduate, the federal investigators wrote.

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Additionally, they wrote, she said that the district struggles with what she termed Indian Time. The superintendent explained her meaning by stating that Native Americans view time differently than other community members so that for instance, arriving two hours late is common and results in being marked absent.

Related: School superintendent fired after racist comments

Swigert was placed on administrative leave in July and fired in August.

To oversee the resolution agreements implementation, the district empanelled the Stakeholder Equity Committee, which includes members of the Indigenous Education Task Force. The new body was supposed to meet last fall but did not convene until February.

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Its fate is now up in the air following the federal withdrawal from the process.

Looking ahead

The school district said on Thursday that it has invested substantial resources in complying with the terms of the resolution agreement and will continue its efforts to support all students, ensuring that discipline policies remain fair, truancy interventions are effective, and advanced learning opportunities are accessible to students.

While political priorities may shift, our core educational values remain steadfast. Our mission remains to provide a safe, positive, and nondiscriminatory learning environment where all students can achieve their full potential, said Strasser, the acting superintendent.

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As the district adjusts to the latest directive from the [education department] we ask for patience and collaboration as we navigate the next steps," Strasser said. "Our work will continue to focus on the foundational pillars of our Strategic Plan  Students, Community, Communication, Facilities, and Staff  ensuring that all stakeholders remain informed, engaged, and supported throughout this transition.

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This week, several Ukrainians who were legally in the United States under a humanitarian programme received emails informing them that their status had been rescinded and that they had seven days to leave the country.

Source: Reuters

Details: In addition to the revocation notice, it was stated that if they did not leave the US within the specified timeframe, the "federal government will find" them.

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Quote from the email: "If you do not depart the United States immediately you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal from the United States. Again, DHS is terminating your parole. Do not attempt to remain in the United States."

Details: However, on Friday, a spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that the email had been sent by mistake and that the humanitarian programme for Ukrainians, established after Russia's full-scale invasion of the country in 2022, had not been suspended.

Reuters added that it is not known how many Ukrainians received the email.

The DHS sent a second letter to the Ukrainians, informing them that the order was a mistake. "The terms of your parole as originally issued remain unchanged at this time," the letter said.

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Background:

On 25 January, it was reported that US DHS officials had ordered the suspension of a number of programmes that allowed refugees to temporarily settle in the US, including a key initiative that provides entry to the country for Ukrainians.

On 6 March, Trump confirmed that he plans to consider whether to further preserve or revoke legal status for Ukrainians in the US who fled Ukraine because of the war.

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The consequences of the Trump administrations purge of thousands of federal workers from the Department of Health and Human Services on April 1 are so enormous, they can be difficult to grasp. But the impacts wont be abstract  experts say the destruction of critical departments could put womens lives at risk.

On Tuesday morning, more than 7,000 federal employees across the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were placed on administrative leave. The cuts  part of Donald Trump and Elon Musks broader purge of the federal workforce  were widespread and erased entire departments, without regard to experience. Two of the three branches in the CDCs Division of Reproductive Health were eliminated, as was their leadership, leaving only the Maternal and Infant Health branch. We got obliterated, says Taylor, who received a reduction in force (RIF) letter on Tuesday. (They asked to use a pseudonym to avoid retribution.) The Division of Violence Prevention was similarly affected, with three of the four branches cut. Only its leadership and a surveillance branch remain.

The firings led to more confusion when Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the vaccine skeptic made head of the HHS, said on Thursday about 20 percent of the cuts could be mistakes  and that they need to be corrected. The chaos and uncertainty left many working for the department and those who rely on their life-saving research concerned about those who will be disproportionately impacted by these changes  women.

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When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, ending federal protection for abortion rights, reproductive health experts sounded the alarm on how it would be catastrophic for womens health. And now, especially in states where abortion is banned, the collection and interpretation of data around reproductive health is crucial, as is medical research on IVF, contraception, and high-risk pregnancies. With the layoffs at the Reproductive Health and Violence Prevention divisions, a lot of research and programs that focused on women have been gutted. The repercussions will be far-reaching, as violence against women and pregnancy are linked. In fact, the leading cause of death for pregnant people is homicide. And the groups that are the most vulnerable to both violence and maternal health mortalities are Black women and communities of color. This is in addition to the risks this lack of resources poses for domestic abuse and rape victims because the teams studying how to prevent this type of violence have been decimated.

The CDCs Division of Reproductive Health team that focused on emergency preparedness for pregnant and postpartum women and infants was also slashed this week. Those staffers were responsible for responding to how pandemics like Covid-19 can impact pregnant women and making sure to include them in their health response plans. The entire Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) team was laid off. That program was developed to identify women and infants at high risk of health problems, with the goal of reducing infant mortality and morbidity.

We cannot understand factors associated with poor pregnancy outcomes without surveillance like PRAMs, Taylor says. The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of all high-income countries, and experts fear that reducing research on prevention will make things even worse. If we dont understand those factors, U.S. maternal morbidity and mortality will continue to worsen. This means more women will die.

Black women in America are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, we know this in large part because of the data collected and analyzed by the CDC, says Jennifer Driver, who runs the reproductive rights council at the State Innovation Exchange, a strategy center collaborating with state lawmakers on progressive public policy.

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Dr. Nicole Freehill is an OB-GYN in Louisiana, and many of her patients have high-risk pregnancies. Shes not directly funded by these programs, but she and other doctors across the country will feel the impacts of these cuts. Anything like PRAMS thats monitoring for pregnancies with adverse outcomes, even though [the CDC] didnt cut the maternal mortality branch, these things are intertwined, she says. If youre potentially cutting services, monitoring, and research, how can we keep pregnancies healthy?

Freehill also says she was concerned about how cuts to the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) team will affect fertility research. Thats an ever-changing field, trying to find the best techniques to help patients get pregnant and stay pregnant, she says. A lot of these patients have tried for years, they want to be parents. If this administration is so pro-life, why are they cutting this?

Among the employees who were cut were researchers who studied contraception, abortion, and fertility. For example, staffers would investigate success rates of IVF across clinics nationwide. The CDC is one of the only federal agencies tracking success rates and overseeing fertility clinics. The IVF cuts were especially ironic, considering Trump recently declared himself the fertilization president at a Womens History Month event at the White House on March 26 when talking about the executive order he signed pledging to expand access to fertility treatment.

And for people who dont want to get pregnant, the CDC cuts also pose challenges. In a state like Louisiana, where Freehill practices and abortion is banned, contraception is more important than ever. But, as Rolling Stone reported this week, the team that worked on the contraception guidelines at the CDC was also shuttered.

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The guidelines, which provide recommendations for health care providers for safe use of contraception, are used as a standard of care by OB-GYNs, midwives, and primary care doctors. Freehill says she often checks them when patients who have specific medical conditions and are on medication come in and want to know which birth control option is safest and most effective for them. She is also worried about the gutting of the FDA, which releases guidelines on how many years IUDs can be effective, something that can be constantly updated with new research and data.

Trump and Kennedys attacks on science have been rolled out in stages. One of the first ways the CDC was affected was after Trumps executive order in January claiming to defend women from gender ideology extremism. CDC researchers had to change how they talked about gender, even when it was central to their work. For example, in January an agency website about violence had to scrub the term gender-based violence, and a website about racism in health was removed.

This will close a lot of doors for sexual assault survivors that relied on these programs.  a health scientist on the violence prevention team

The executive order drastically affected the way that we study, report, and all the different ways we can talk about violence against women because it is gender based, says Jordan, a CDC staffer who researches violence prevention and was sent a RIF letter on Tuesday. They also requested a pseudonym for fear of retribution. Gender is associated with a likelihood of experiencing violence.

Intimate partner violence, for example, primarily affects women, and the Intimate Partner Violence Prevention team was dismantled. The team worked with state and local domestic violence coalitions to put prevention strategies in place. All of the employees working on rape prevention education were also placed on leave. Theyd funded and evaluated programs aimed at reducing sexual violence, especially in communities with marginalized individuals. They provided funding to state coalitions which distributed the money to rape crisis centers and local organizations and educated communities on resources they had available.

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One program that was funded was a hotspot mapping app called Like a Girl. If girls and women dont feel safe in a neighborhood they can mark the spot on the map and then that data can be used to target high-impact areas and see if there are improvements that can be made to the area, like adding streetlights or using other proven ways of reducing violence.

This will close a lot of doors for sexual assault survivors that relied on these programs, says a health scientist on the violence prevention team who asked to remain anonymous.

When you experience violence, you are more likely to have mental health issues, to have physical health issues, youre more likely to live in poverty, Jordan says. All of these things are related. If we cant work on preventing violence, we cant work on preventing a whole wide range of health issues for women. You cant tease [these issues] apart and just work on one and not the other.

While the CDCs Division of Violence Preventions leadership remains, its branches were almost entirely eliminated except for the surveillance team, which looks at data available across the states to see where violence happens, and where help is needed. Many of the positions eliminated were responsible for using this data from the field to determine which methods are successful in preventing violence.

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Were not just giving money to people and walking away; we connect national partners together and create guidance and technical assistance for local communities and states to implement violence prevention activities, Jordan says. If those connections go away, and nobodys funding them, its leaving these communities out to dry, especially in rural areas. Theyre going to be left with no resources.

They added, If we cant track how and why and what to do about it, theres no point in knowing that [violence] is happening. We already know that.

As the massive layoffs have hit federal health agencies, reproductive health advocates are trying to amp up the involvement of state legislators. States rely on [CDC] information to help them understand the gaps, says advocate Driver. How can states address the racial disparities in maternal deaths if the data no longer exists? Erratic and wholesale elimination of programs has and will continue to harm people in the states.

The consequences could have reverberations far outside of the U.S., as well. Cutting funding to all of these agencies could create irreversible damage that trickles out to countries that rely on the U.S. for things like vaccine innovation, detailed guidelines on medicine, and decades-long research on issues that harm people.

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Research-cutting in any area of medicine is dangerous, Freehill says. Currently, the United States is the world leader in medical research, and if that gets significantly cut, then Im worried about whats going to happen with the overall health of our country  of the entire world.

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NEW YORK (PIX11)  President Trump is expected to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a visit on Monday, a White House official told NewsNation.

The meeting will take place just days after the president announced a 17 percent tariff on imported goods from the Middle Eastern country. Netanyahu would be the first international leader to visit the White House after the presidents Liberation Day tariffs announcement against U.S. trading partners.

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Trump requested the visit via phone on Thursday during Netanyahus trip to Hungary, according to Axios, who first reported the potential visit. Netanyahus office has not confirmed the Monday meeting.

Days before the call, the Israeli leader said he would all customs duties levied on products from the U.S., Israels largest trading partner.

More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State

Cancelling the customs duties on American goods is an additional step in the policy that my governments have led for a decade in opening up the market to competition, introducing variety to the economy and lowering the cost of living, Netanyahu wrote in a Tuesday post on the social platform X.

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In addition to the advantages to the market and to citizens of Israel, the current effort will allow us to further strengthen the alliance and ties between Israel and the U.S., he added.

A meeting with Trump to further discuss trade relations would require Netanyahu to push back planned hearings surrounding his ongoing corruption trial. The plan for a Monday meeting could still fall through if his request for postponement is denied, Axios reported.

The reported visit also comes just a few weeks after Israel resumed strikes on Gaza as the Trump administration looks to broker a ceasefire between the country and Hamas.

The White House did not immediately respond to The Hills request for comment on the matter.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zanu-PF Ward 24 Councillor Zivanai Zvada is currently in police custody after being arrested on April 1 for allegedly inciting public disorder by forwarding a politically charged message in a community WhatsApp group.Zvada appeared before a Zaka Magistrate on April 3 and was remanded in custody until April 7 for a bail hearing. He is facing charges of incitement to commit public disorder following his alleged forwarding of a post originally made on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by activist Never Masweraseyi, which read "Mnangagwa a must go."The message was reportedly shared in a WhatsApp group titled Ward 24 Development Agenda, which was initially created by Zaka Rural District Council (RDC) CEO David Majaura for development communication purposes. After Zvada's election as ward councillor, he took over administration of the group and used it for official communication with residents.Sources close to the matter revealed that the post, forwarded on March 31, stayed in the group for several hours before Zvada deleted it following warnings from other members."He posted the message early in the morning and people discussed it privately. No one immediately alerted him, but later in the day he was warned and deleted it in the evening," said a source familiar with the group's activities.Zvada was arrested later that evening after attending a full council meeting. While Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dehwa told TellZim News he had not yet received the report, sources confirmed Zvada was taken into custody by local police.The incident comes amid a backdrop of political tension within the Zaka RDC. Councillor Zvada is a known ally of Council Chairperson Fungai Maregedze, who is also the wife of Zaka South MP Clemence Chiduwa. His arrest is believed to have broader implications within the divided council, where internal factionalism and power struggles are rife.Notably, Zvada has previously clashed with CEO David Majaura, and had been instrumental in efforts to remove him from office  a detail that adds further intrigue to the arrest, given that the controversial WhatsApp group was originally Majaura's creation.Efforts to reach Majaura for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone was either unreachable or went unanswered. When briefly contacted, he stated he was in court and promised to respond later.Zvada's arrest is not an isolated case, highlighting the government's growing intolerance toward dissent on digital platforms. Recently, Milton Murairwa, a 31-year-old police officer, was arrested after posting a similar anti-government message in a WhatsApp group for police officers.In yet another case, former Chiredzi Zanu-PF councillor Tarusenga Makamba was also arrested for a voice note allegedly criticizing the government, in which he said, "Chikomo cheHwedza chatsva" (Hwedza mountain is burning)  a coded message often interpreted as calling for political change.These arrests signal an intensified crackdown on online speech critical of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF, even within the ruling party's own structures. Critics have raised concerns about the weaponization of social media monitoring to stifle internal dissent and control narratives ahead of potential political reshuffling and by-elections.With Zvada set to return to court on April 7, all eyes are on the outcome, which could further expose internal fractures within Zanu-PF and set a precedent for how digital speech is policed across Zimbabwe.
Lawmakers and national security veterans reacted with shock on Friday to President Donald Trumps decision to fire the head of one of the countrys most powerful intelligence agencies, describing it as a chilling action that would damage Americas cyber defenses and roll out the red carpet for attacks on critical networks by foreign adversaries.

Gen. Timothy Haugh, a four-star general who served as head of both the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, was largely seen as an apolitical and uncontroversial appointee. He was confirmed unanimously by the Senate in 2023 under then-President Joe Biden and had worked in signals intelligence for three decades.

Haughs firing on Thursday evening leaves two of the nations top cyber and intelligence agencies without Senate-confirmed leadership and suggests that Trump is prioritizing loyalty over experience as he continues to fill senior roles in his administration. It also follows a massive breach of U.S. telecommunications networks by China-backed hacking group Salt Typhoon that allowed hackers to spy on the phones of senior U.S. officials, including Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

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Were under attack, and the president just irresponsibly removed our most important general from the field, said Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), a member of both the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees. This is an outrageous decision.

The Washington Post first reported on Haughs firing, which was detailed on X by far-right activist Laura Loomer. According to The New York Times , she met with Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday and presented him with materials critical of several national security staff.

NSA Deputy Director Wendy Noble, who the Post reported been reassigned to a position in the Pentagon, was also fired, along with multiple members of the White House National Security Council.

Loomer, in an X post, suggested the firings were politically motivated. NSA Director Tim Haugh and his deputy Wendy Noble have been disloyal to President Trump, she said. That is why they have been fired.

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Lawmakers are furious at the firings, which they say severely undermine the nations national security efforts. Cyber Command is the nations key organization for coordinating offensive cyberattacks, while the NSA collects intelligence that helps inform targeting  essential as China and other nations continue to target U.S. critical infrastructure.

He was fired with no public explanation, Don Bacon (R-Neb.), chair of the House Armed Services Committees cyber subcommittee, posted to X on Friday, adding that Haugh was doing a superb job. This action sets back our Cyber and Signals Intelligence operations.

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) called the move astonishing in a statement Thursday night. At a time when the United States is facing unprecedented cyber threats, as the Salt Typhoon cyberattack from China has so clearly underscored, how does firing him make Americans any safer?

Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), his counterpart in the House Intelligence Committee, demanded an explanation on Friday from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegesth as to why the leaders had been removed.

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The notion that senior leadership at critical agencies protecting our nation could be dismissed based on the whims of an online influencer is chilling and demands immediate clarification, he wrote.

Those who worked closely with Haugh and Noble praised their leadership and expressed dismay at the decision.

They are non-partisan, very patriotic intelligence officers, said John Sherman, who served as Chief Information Officer at the Department of Defense until last year and worked with both Haugh and Noble. This is going to be just terrible for morale, and I think its going to send a terrible signal to our allies and others.

One former senior NSA official, granted anonymity to speak candidly about changes to agency leadership, described the move as disheartening. Its a gut punch to all of us that have worked there for decades and took pride in the fact that it was a non-partisan agency.

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The NSA has expansive surveillance and eavesdropping capabilities, which provide a majority of the information contained in the president's daily intelligence briefing. Strict guardrails are in place to prevent the agency from abusing the immense power at its disposal.

I worry that somebody comes in at the top who has no ideas about the different levels of oversight, who may want to use that system in a way that it shouldn't be, the former official said.

Its unclear why Haugh and Noble were abruptly fired and who might be in the running to fill their positions. The NSA declined to comment, and Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesperson, said Friday afternoon that the agency thanks General Timothy Haugh for his decades of service to our nation, culminating as U.S. Cyber Command Commander and National Security Agency Director. We wish him and his family well.

A spokesperson for Cyber Command confirmed that Lt. Gen. William Hartman, the former deputy director of Cyber Command, is now the acting commander of the agency, but did not comment on Haughs dismissal.

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This is not the first sudden exodus of national security leaders under Trumps second term. He purged top Pentagon leaders in February, including Joint Chiefs chair C.Q. Brown.

Military officials warn that the firings of national security leaders send a demoralizing message to military personnel hoping to move up the ranks.

This is one in a series of firings of senior generals and admirals for outwardly political reasons, said retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, who served for more than 30 years in the U.S. Navy. What Colonel or Navy Captain worth a salt wants to work his or her ass off for flag rank if the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is subject to political litmus tests?

At least one lawmaker has vowed congressional action in response to Haughs dismissal. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, called the action chilling and labeled it a distraction from the other scandals plaguing the White House.

There have still been no consequences for anyone over the leaking of classified information over Signal  the real threat, she said, referring to how several of Trumps top national security officials recently used the publicly available messaging app Signal to relay sensitive information about military strikes in Yemen. The American people deserve answers  now including why General Haugh was relieved of his duties. The case is not closed.
The first Trump administration began with a lie.

On January 21, 2017, President Donald Trumps thenpress secretary, Sean Spicer, claimed that Trump had drawn the largest audience to ever witness a presidential inauguration. Photographs clearly showed that the assertion was false; Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama, had drawn a much larger crowd at his first inauguration. But it didnt matter.

These attempts to lessen the enthusiasm of the inauguration are shameful and wrong, Spicer said.

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In one sense, Spicers lie was trivial. But in another sense, it mattered quite a lot, because it was a lie about a demonstrable fact. Kellyanne Conway, then a counselor to Trump, memorably defended Spicer by claiming that he was offering alternative facts, treating observable reality like hot wax, to be molded at will.

Fast-forward eight years. Trump is once again president. Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of The Atlantic, was mistakenly included on a private group chatvia Signal, a nongovernmental messaging appin which Trump-administration officials discussed a planned bombing campaign in Yemen. Goldberg reported on the reckless and devastating breach of national security. But rather than acknowledging the mistake and promising to address it, the Trump administration reflexively followed its standard approach: attack. Smear. Prevaricate.

[Read: The double standard at the center of the Signal debacle]

He is, as you know, is a sleazebag, but at the highest level, Trump said of Goldberg. His magazine is failing. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who shared the most sensitive information on the group chat, wrapped his attack on Goldberg in layers of lies: Youre talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist whos made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again. He added, Nobody was texting war plans. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said on social media, This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin. One high-level person after another insisted that the story was much ado about nothing. The information that had been shared, they assured us, was nothing that was dangerous to disclose.

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Except that it was.

As The Washington Post reported, The Yemen attack timeline that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted to a Signal chat group would have been so highly classified, under Pentagon guidelines, that the details should have been restricted to a special, compartmented channel with its own code word and with access tightly limited, according to former Defense Department officials. Jennifer Griffin, the chief national-security correspondent at Fox News, reported that a former senior Department of Defense official had told her that the sort of information present in the chat allows the enemy to move the target and increase lethal actions against U.S. forces.

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, whod inadvertently invited Goldberg to the chat, said, I can tell you for 100 percent: I dont know this guy, and that he wouldnt know him if I bumped into him, if I saw him in a police lineup. A photo soon surfaced of the two standing together at a 2021 event.

In response to the Trump administrations black fog, Goldbergwhod initially chosen to characterize in general terms, without providing specific details, the nature of the information shared in the Signal chatreleased the texts in order to allow people to reach their own conclusions. For its part, the Trump administration once again wants you to believe that two and two make five.

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IN THE 1944 FILM GASLIGHT, a young woman, Paula Alquist, falls in love with and marries an older man, Gregory Anton. Over the course of the film, Gregorycunning, moody, charismaticdeceives Paula into thinking that she is losing her mind. He does so by manipulating her memory, accusing her of hiding paintings and stealing things, isolating her, diminishing her self-worth and confidence, and denying reality. The films title refers to Gregorys trick of secretly dimming and brightening the indoor gas lighting while insisting that Paula is imagining the changes.

Near the end of the movie, Paula finds out that she has been deceived by Gregory, a murderer who wants her committed to a mental institution so he can gain control of an estate. The inspector who solves the case tells Paula, Youre not going out of your mind. Youre slowly and systematically being driven out of your mind.

The film gave us the term gaslighting, which describes a certain type of psychological manipulation. To succeed, it requires those who are targeted to become so disoriented that they begin to doubt themselves, to become confused, and to question their own perception of reality. Clinical psychologists say that as gaslighting plays out, not only do its victims start to deny reality; they begin to accept the false reality of the person gaslighting them.

Gaslighters are manipulative and controlling, comfortable belittling and insulting others. They are accomplished at denying, lying, and projecting. And sometimes, if theyre lucky enough and skilled enough, they make it to the White House. When they do, the horrors that are usually visited on an individual are instead visited on an entire nation.

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At that point, the enormous machinery of the federal government, supported by outside groups and media outlets, becomes part of a massive and relentless disinformation campaign. The aim is to provoke distrust, confusion, and disorientation, which corrodes peoples confidence in institutions and undermines their grasp of reality. The ultimate goal is to divide and weaken civil society, and to undermine its ability to mobilize and cohere.

When there is no objective truth, when everyone gets to make up their own reality, their own script, and their own facts, authoritarians thrive.

[Listen: Classified, or not classified?]

The point of modern propaganda isnt only to misinform or push an agenda, Garry Kasparov, a Russian pro-democracy leader, wrote in 2016. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.

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AS DISINFORMATION INCREASES, and as more and more individuals and institutions go silent, it becomes ever more important for truth tellers to speak up, if only to assure those who dont believe the propaganda that theyre not losing their mind.

They need to do for their fellow citizens what the police inspector did for Paula Alquist.

Getting through Americas epistemic crisiswhere theres no agreed-upon reality, where theres a breakdown of a societys system for deciding whats truewont be quick or easy, especially because the Trump administration still has more than 1,350 days to go. The task of reconstructing truth is a generational one, and a lot of pieces need to come together.

It starts by asking the right questions, such as the one recently posed by Kristin Du Mez, a history professor at Calvin University: How do we as citizens participate in a democracy when disinformation is so prevalent, and when so many seem so willing to believe the lies and ignore the reality that is right in front of us? When so many are willing to abandon all values to choose their side, every single time?

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People who feel more and more powerless have asked me a version of this question: What can I do practically as a citizen, apart from vote and call my representative, to help preserve American democracy against Trumps assault against our institutions and truth itself?

Ive struggled to offer an answer; so have those Ive reached out to for counsel. I have yet to receive a menu of compelling options. But I am certain that what needs to inform the answers to these questions, and what needs to precede a comprehensive plan of action, is knowledge.

That means turning to experts on the history of disinformation, such as Thomas Rid, who can talk about how societies have addressed these questions in the past; political psychologists, such as Australias Karen Stenner, who can help develop the language for how to reach people awash in distortions and deceptions; and experts in psychology and neuroscience, such as Jay Van Bavel, whose work addresses issues of group identity, social motivation, cooperation, intergroup bias, and social media. It includes turning to cognitive scientists such as Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach, who study how people reason, make decisions, and form attitudes and beliefs; philosophers of science such as Cailin OConnor and James Owen Weatherall, who argue that social forces explain the persistence of false beliefs; Peter Pomerantsev, who specializes in overcoming the challenges of digital-era disinformation and polarization; and political scientists such as Brendan Nyhan, who works on subjects including misperception and conspiracy theories.

Experts in the field of misinformation say that we know a lot about different kinds of misinformation, who is targeted and why, and the means to spread it. What we dont know, at least not yet, is how to stop it. (Interventions in which people had placed hope a few years agoincluding fact-checking, warning labels, and digital-literacy traininghave a somewhat mixed record.)

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Things that can break down trust began rapidly scaling over the past decade or so, whereas the things that can rebuild trust just do not scale, Lara Putnam, a history professor at the University of Pittsburgh who works on disinformation, told The New York Times. Figuring out how to scale up trust and truth is a central challenge of our time. It will take individuals and groups working together to insist on seeing the world as it actually is. Think of it as a dissident movement, an American Solidarity movement.

I HAVE A HUNCH, OR AT LEAST A HOPE. As Donald Trumps malevolence intertwines with his incompetence, public disenchantment will grow. Were already seeing signs of that as public fury at Elon Musk is being directed at Tesla. Weve also seen it in town halls in red districts, where Republican members of Congress are being met not just with anxiety but also with anger. Republicans are being told to stop holding in-person town halls with constituents. And we see it in the rising panic caused by the stock-market collapse, the result of Trumps carelessly destructive tariff policy, which is destabilizing the worlds trading system and shattering the American-led world order.

[Read: Here are the attack plans that Trumps advisers shared on Signal]

I imagine there will be more, much more, to follow, as the injuries Trump inflicts on Americans catalyze widespread fury and opposition.

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Trump is an agent of chaos, and chaos has a human cost.

If disenchantment with Trump and Musk and the rest of this freak show leads to mass protests, it could be an inflection point, not just against Trumps policies but also against the vertigo-inducing disinformation he promotes during almost every one of his waking hours.

Ive long wondered how long it will take Americans to stop tolerating the unrelenting conflict and antipathy, which divides not just citizens but also families, that is endemic to life in the Trump era. The answer may be that they will stop tolerating it at the point when the quality of their life is degraded, when preventable diseases spread, when car prices and egg prices skyrocket, when 401(k) accounts start losing significant value.

At that point, Trump-style nihilism may lose its appeal; his disinformation campaign may begin to blow apart, and people may be reminded that living in truth is better than living within lies.

The drama has a long way to go, but the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.

Article originally published at The Atlantic
Some Americans have been worried about President Donald Trumps tariffs and the possible effects they will have on them, while others are optimistic. Some small business owners have also expressed concerns.

Jillian Michaels, host of the Keeping it Real podcast, joins NewsNations On Balance to discuss how the tariffs could impact everyday people.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(NewsNation)  U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is set to hit the road for a nationwide listening tour with an impressive jobs report that says the economy grew by 280,000 positions last month.

Tempering that good news is the stunning two-day market downturn that followed President Trumps Wednesday announcement of global tariffs.

Chavez-DeRemer noted union leaders have backed the presidents trade move, which Trump says will strengthen the U.S. economy in the long run by creating new jobs at home.

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Federal Reserve chief says Trump tariffs likely to raise inflation and slow US economic growth

Were focused on building back in America, repatriating these jobs, having businesses invest hundreds of billions of dollars in order to be the exporter that we need to be, Chavez-DeRemer told CUOMO on Friday. And were going to need these workers to build these plants, these factories, as we move forward.

Many economists disagree with the Trump administrations tariff strategy and say it could spur a recession at home. Chavez-DeRemer said Trump used tariffs successfully in his first term.

The president is  making the best protections for the American worker. Wherever he has to make a move or pivot, its always going to be that hes protecting us, she said.

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The Labor Department said Chavez-DeRemer will meet with a broad array of stakeholders during her America at Work listening tour. Her first stop takes place this weekend in Pennsylvania.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected in Washington next week for the second time since US President Donald Trump took office.

A meeting between the two is planned for Monday at the White House, a US government official told dpa on Saturday.

Trump received Netanyahu at the beginning of February as the first foreign guest in his second term in office.

Netanyahu's fresh invitation is considered a gesture of support for the right-wing prime minister, who has come under heavy international criticism for the conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip. Trump is known to be a close ally of Netanyahu.

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During Netanyahu's visit in early February, Trump shocked observers with a proposal on the Middle East conflict. The US president unexpectedly announced that the United States would take over control of the Gaza Strip and develop the war-torn Palestinian coastal area economically.

The Palestinian civilian population was to be relocated to other countries in the region, according to Trump's proposal. Trump said the Gaza Strip could become a "Riviera of the Middle East."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected in Washington next week for the second time since US President Donald Trump took office.

A meeting between the two is planned for Monday at the White House, a US government official told dpa on Saturday.

Trump received Netanyahu at the beginning of February as the first foreign guest in his second term in office.

Netanyahu's fresh invitation is considered a gesture of support for the right-wing prime minister, who has come under heavy international criticism for the conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip. Trump is known to be a close ally of Netanyahu.

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Netanyahu's office said in a social media post that he would set off for Washington on Sunday, thanking Trump for the invitation.

Trump and Netanyahu were set to "discuss the tariff issue, the efforts to return our hostages, Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat and the battle against the International Criminal Court," the Israeli premier's office said.

During Netanyahu's visit in early February, Trump shocked observers with a proposal on the Middle East conflict. The US president unexpectedly announced that the United States would take over control of the Gaza Strip and develop the war-torn Palestinian coastal area economically.

The Palestinian civilian population was to be relocated to other countries in the region, according to Trump's proposal. Trump said the Gaza Strip could become a "Riviera of the Middle East."
The head of a federal agency was reportedly given a polygraph test after an apparent news leak  even though such "lie detection" measures are considered junk science.

As Politico reports, a lie detector test was administered to Cameron Hamilton, the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), after details of a meeting he'd had with Homeland Security director Kirsti Noem were leaked to the press.

In a private March 25 meeting alongside Donald Trump adviser and accused sex pest Corey Lewandowski, Noem told Hamilton that she wanted to shrink FEMA and give it less federal grant money, instead moving its emergency management duties to states. Notably, she'd made similar comments during a televised Cabinet meeting just a day prior, when claiming to the world that the Trump administration is going to "eliminate FEMA."

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Soon after that private tete-a-tete, details about Noem's plan were reported by Politico and CNN  and the Homeland Security head was demonstrably peeved. The department confirmed in a statement to Politico that the test had taken place  and said it had cleared the interim FEMA head.

"Under Secretary Noems leadership, DHS is unapologetic about its efforts to root out leakers that undermine national security," a HomeSec spokesperson told Politico. "We are agnostic about your standing, tenure, political appointment or status as a career civil servant  we will track down leakers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law."

Stridency notwithstanding, however, it's hard to imagine anyone being prosecuted based on the results, because polygraph results themselves are generally not admissible in court due to the bunk nature of the "science" behind them.

As Harvard's Countway Library explains, polygraph tests were not invented to detect lies. Rather, they were created by British physician James Mackenzie at the turn of the 20th century to monitor a patient's heartbeat.

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"Although the polygraph is known colloquially as a lie detector, that isn't exactly what it does," the library's explainer noted. "The machine detects changes in bodily function that indicate stress, which could be a result of lying. This includes functions like breathing, heart rate, and perspiration  all of which are also important baseline health measurements."

The American Psychological Association put it even more plainly way back in 2004: "so-called 'lie detection' involves inferring deception through analysis of physiological responses to a structured, but unstandardized, series of questions."

As the logic goes, one's heart rate increases when they're lying, leading to heavier breathing and perspiration. But those reactions can also be induced by the mere act of being questioned, which is why the state of New York ruled that polygraph tests are inadmissible court evidence in 1938 and nearly half the other states followed suit.

On the flip side, it's not that difficult  especially for people who lack a conscience or moral compass, which is otherwise known as sociopathy  to "trick" a polygraph by remaining calm when answering questions while hooked up to one, actual truthfullness of their claims notwithstanding.

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For now, FEMA and the acting director who runs it seem to be safe. But Trump and his party have long had it out for the agency  and "passing" a shoddy lie detector test won't save Hamilton when his time comes.

More on Trump and the truth: It's Interesting How Truth Social Moved to Sell Stock Right Before Trump's Tariffs Were Announced
By Jonathan Landay, Nathan Layne and Tim Reid

(Reuters) -Thousands of protesters gathered in Washington, D.C., and across the U.S. on Saturday, part of some 1,200 demonstrations that were expected to form the largest single day of protest against President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk since they launched a rapid-fire effort to overhaul government and expand presidential authority.

People streamed onto the expanse of grass surrounding the Washington Monument under gloomy skies and light rain. Organizers told Reuters that more than 20,000 people were expected to attend a rally at the National Mall.

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Some 150 activist groups had signed up to participate, according to the event's website. Protests were planned in all 50 states plus Canada and Mexico.

Terry Klein, a retired biomedical scientist from Princeton, New Jersey, was among those who gathered by the stage beneath the Washington Monument.

She said she drove down to attend the rally to protest Trumps policies on everything from immigration to the DOGE stuff to the tariffs this week, to education. I mean, our whole country is under attack, all of our institutions, all the things that make America what it is.

The crowd around the memorial continued to build throughout the day. Some carried Ukrainian flags and others wore Palestinian keffiyeh scarves and carried Free Palestine signs, while Democrats from the U.S. House of Representatives blasted Trump's policies on stage.

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Wayne Hoffman, 73, a retired money manager from West Cape May, New Jersey, said he was concerned about Trump's economic policies, including his widespread use of tariffs.

"It's going to cost the farmers in the red states. It's going to cost people their jobs - certainly their 401Ks. People have lost tens of thousands of dollars," Hoffman said.

Kyle, a 20-year-old intern from Ohio, was a lone Trump supporter, sporting a Make America Great Again hat and walking the fringe of the Washington, D.C., rally while engaging protesters in debate.

Most people arent too hostile. A few people cuss, said Kyle, who declined to give his last name.

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Trump, who shook financial markets and upset nations around the world with a raft of trade tariffs this week, spent the day in Florida, playing a round of golf at his club in Jupiter before returning to his Mar-a-Lago compound in the afternoon.

Some four miles (6 km) from Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, more than 400 demonstrators gathered on a sunny day in protest. Drivers honked their horns in support of the pastel-and khaki-clad demonstrators as they passed by.

"Markets tank, Trump golfs," read one sign.

At another protest in Stamford, Connecticut, Sue-ann Friedman, 84, brought a bright pink, handmade sign objecting to the administration's moves to cut funding for medical research.

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"I thought my marching days were over, and then we get somebody like Musk and Trump," said Friedman.

Paul Kretschmann, a 74-year-old retired attorney in Stamford, said it was the first time he had ever attended a protest.

"My concern is that Social Security is going to be gutted, that we're going to lose our benefits, and that there's going to be nobody around to administer it in the first place," he said. "I'm afraid that this is all part of a larger plan to dismantle the government and for Trump to maintain power."

DOGE UNDER FIRE

With Trump's blessing, Musk's Department of Government Efficiency team has scythed through the U.S. government, eliminating more than 200,000 jobs from the 2.3 million federal workforce. At times, the effort has been haphazard and forced the recall of needed specialists.

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On Friday, the Internal Revenue Service began laying off more than 20,000 workers, as much as 25% of its ranks.

Several hundred people gathered outside the headquarters of the Social Security Administration, a top DOGE target, near Baltimore to protest against cuts to the agency which delivers benefits to the elderly and disabled.

Linda Falcao, who turns 65 in two months, told the crowd she had been paying into the Social Security fund since the age of 16.

I'm terrified, Im angry, Im pissed, Im bewildered this could happen to the United States, she said. I do love America and Im heartbroken. I need my money. I want my money. I want my benefits! The crowd chanted, Its our money!

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White House assistant press secretary Liz Huston disputed the protesters' charge that Trump aimed to cut Social Security and Medicaid.

"President Trump's position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats' stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors," Huston said in an email.

Much of Trump's agenda has been restrained by lawsuits contending he has overstepped his authority with attempts to fire civil servants, deport immigrants and reverse transgender rights.

Trump returned to office on January 20 with a stream of executive orders and other measures critics say are aligned with an agenda outlined by Project 2025, a deeply conservative political initiative to reshape government and consolidate presidential authority. His supporters have applauded Trump's audacity as necessary to disrupt entrenched liberal interests.

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Hours before the protests were due to kick off in the United States, hundreds of anti-Trump Americans living in Europe gathered in Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris and London to voice opposition to Trump's sweeping makeover of U.S. foreign and domestic policies.

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Tim Reid in Washington and Nathan Layne in Stamford, Connecticut. Additional reporting by Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California, Trevor Hunnicutt in West Palm Beach, Florida, John Irish in Paris, Emma-Victoria Farr, Christian Mang and Frank Simon in Berlin and Frankfurt; Sarah Young in London. Writing by James Oliphant; Editing by Frank McGurty, Toby Chopra and Alistair Bell)
It is the behind-the-scenes battle for power that has the White House on tenterhooks.

The Ice Queen vs. The Hot Mess.

With Melania Trump largely absent from the presidents inner circle, Susie Wiles has been the matriarch of the West Wing, known by her admiring colleagues as the Trump whisperer for her ability to contain his worst impulses.

Susie Wiles is facing a challenge from Laura Loomer. / Win McNamee/Getty Images

As the first woman White House chiefofstaff, she has quietly reined in the warring factions within Trump 2.0 with a quiet discipline that has become her hallmark.

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But it could only hold together for so long.

Struggling to prevent leaks and blunders from overshadowing her bosss agenda, Wiles got a break earlier this week when Trump agreed to finally distance himself from Elon Musk and his around-the-clock social media posts.

Then in walked Laura Loomer.

You know how you know the NSC officials I reported to President Trump are disloyal people who have played a role in sabotaging Donald Trump?



Because the fired officials are being defended by @jrpsaki Jen Psaki & Andrew McCabe on MSNBC & CNN RIGHT NOW.



pic.twitter.com/zFnIyvTLkl  Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) April 4, 2025

Wiles had been among those suggesting the president should keep the conspiracy theorist and investigative journalist at arms length after she accompanied him on several trips in 2023.

But now shes back. If moderate Republican Wiles was the whisperer, Loomer was the MAGA wrecking ball.

With her granny demeanor and smock frocks, 67-year-old Wiles had the calm authority of her sportscaster father Pat Summerall, who announced 16 Super Bowls, more than anybody else on network television, and kept the more effusive John Madden in check. His was a voice the nation trusted. The same went for his daughter amid the mayhem of the Trump revolution.

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Wiles is old school. She paid her dues, learning her political ropes as a scheduler for President Ronald Reagan, working on the Bush-Quayle ticket in 1988, and on election campaigns for Jack Kemp, Mitt Romney, and Ron DeSantis before ascending to become Trumps 2024 election campaign co-manager.

But sources in the administration suggest that Donald Trump is tuning out Wiles voice of reason. The going is getting tough for the president, and he is looking for a little diversion. She is among the very few able to give him bad news. But right now, he doesnt want to hear it.

Perfect timing for Loomer, 31, in her Herve Leger bandage dresses and MAGA evangelism, to sweep into the limelight.

Laura Loomer is back at the White House. / The Washington Post via Getty Im

She was first introduced to Trump by his closest aide, Natalie Harp, 34, known by Trump staffers as the human printer, and she has become one of the presidents most outspoken advocates, even if she wasnt always welcome in the White House.

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Loomer has been described as a 9/11 trutheronce sharing a video on X saying, 9/11 was an Inside Job!and was even reprimanded by Marjorie Taylor Greene after she posted a message saying that if Kamala Harris won the election, the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center. Greene called the post extremely racist.

Wiles stays hidden; she doesnt join the exodus to Mar-a-Lago every weekend. Shes about as visible to the public at the White House as Melania.

Loomer is the opposite. She handcuffed herself to a Twitter office after she was banned from the platform and jumped over Nancy Pelosis fence as a protest against the then speakers immigration views.

The self-styled journalist has a history in politics, making two unsuccessful Florida congressional runs, but she is better known for her inflammatory remarks. She has called herself a proud Islamophobe and yet she still traveled on Trumps plane, and he considered her for a campaign role before being warned off because of her wilder conspiracy theories.

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Her weekly Rumble show is called Loomer Unleashed. And thats what Trumps inner circleand Wiles, in particularare scared of.

As different as the two women may be, there are some similarities in the tale of the tape.

They can both hold a grudge.

Loomer didnt see the joke when Bill Maher suggested that she was having an adulterous fling with Trump and sued him for defamation.

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 



TRUMP & LOOMER HATER BILL MAHER @billmaher TO BE DEPOSED TODAY



Leftist Political Pundit Has Already Lost Motion to Dismiss in Defamation Case @LarryEKlayman https://t.co/oTbPChkL2u pic.twitter.com/oWeNyaUUmW  Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) April 4, 2025

Wiles was furious when DeSantis got Trump to fire her before the 2020 election campaign after she ran the Florida governors successful 2018 campaign and then called it the biggest mistake of her career. When DeSantis ran against Trump in the presidential primary, she got revenge by dismantling his bid and posting on X (now deleted) a single word when he quit. Bye, bye.

They arent Elon Musks biggest fans.

Wiles was reportedly driven to distraction by Musks relentless, undisciplined tweets and his eccentric behavior while understanding his usefulness, especially during the campaign.

Loomer publicly sparred with Musk over his support for skilled migration visas she believes breach the America First MAGA philosophy, but has since praised him.

They get stuff done.

Wiles got Trump elected. Doesnt get much bigger than that.

Loomer got Trump to withdraw Hunter Bidens Secret Service protection after getting photos of him with his family. And she didnt waste any time after being allowed back into the Oval Office, persuading the president to fire six National Security Council officials after presenting him with a list of people she said were disloyal.

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With Melania absent, both women see themselves as important female support for the president, but they cant work together, said one Washington insider. At the moment, Susie is not looking so invincible, and Loomer has moved right back into the presidents orbit. But this fight is very far from over.

Wily Wiles vs. Loony Loomer.

The winner will have Trumps ear and be the most powerful woman in the country.
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump is extending the deadline for American investors to acquire a stake in TikTok, saying in a social media post Friday that he is signing an executive order allowing the Chinese-owned app to keep operating for another 75 days.

The extension gave the White House additional time to persuade the Chinese government to approve an agreement that the Trump administration hoped would allow the popular social media app to continue operating in the U.S.

The deal was derailed when the two countries clashed over tariffs this week, two White House officials indicated.

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A White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter said that as of Wednesday, a deal had been reached that would have spun TikToks operations in the United States off into a new company based in America. The new entity would have been owned and operated by a majority of American investors, the person said, with ByteDance holding a minority position.

Trump intended to sign an executive order initiating a120-day closing period to finalize the paperwork and financing of the agreement, which the official said had the approval of investors and ByteDance.

But on Wednesday morning, Trump announced a new tariff regime, and ByteDance indicated to the White House on Thursday that China would not approve the deal until trade negotiations took place.

The president said Thursday that he was very close to making a deal. But one had not been finalized as of Friday afternoon, leading Trump to authorize an extension.

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"My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. "The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed."

More: What's Trump's stance on a TikTok ban? Here's his history with the app

A second White House official who also not authorized to speak publicly said every option under consideration would have required cooperation from China, which responded to Trump's tariff hike on Friday with a steep increase of its own.

Trump in announcing the extended deadline for a TikTok sale brought up the tariffs and said his administration would continue working with China on a deal.

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TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, faced an April 5 deadline to sell its stake in the app or else be banned in the U.S. after Trump extended an earlier January deadline set by Congress last year.

TikTok briefly went dark in mid-January because of a 2024 U.S. law passed amid concerns that Chinese authorities could spy on and spread propaganda to the social media platform's 170 million American users who come from across the political spectrum.

Citing national security concerns, lawmakers passed a bipartisan bill signed by President Joe Biden that requires TikTok to have a non-Chinese owner to continue operating in the U.S.. The Supreme Court upheld the law in January.

Trump had also once criticized TikTok and tried to ban it during his first administration. But the Republican president who boasts of winning back the White House last November with the support of young voters who use TikTok has since embraced the company.

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TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew attended Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, the same day that the second term president signed an executive order halting enforcement of the TikTok ban.

'It's about livelihood'

Vice President JD Vance and senior aides have since been working to organize U.S. investors to buy a stake in the app, with Trump saying last month at least least four buyers are interested. Software company Oracle and and a partnership that includes start-up Zoop are among the bidders.

"We see the Presidents decision to extend the timeline as a positive signal  theres clearly recognition that the right deal needs to be made," Zoop CEO R.J. Phillips said in a statement. "For creators, this isnt just about policy  its about livelihood."

Oracle and ByteDance did not immediately return requests for comment.

TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022.

Vance said Wednesday that were in a good place with the TikTok negotiations and a deal would be reached before Saturdays deadline.

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Itll come out before the deadline, Vance told Fox News. We got a couple days to continue working on it to finalize some things, and of course were going to let the president announce whatever we ultimately decide.

Increasing tensions between China and the U.S. on tariffs could make it harder to finalize a TikTok deal.

Chinese President Xi Jinping must approve the sale of TikTok, and Beijing has indicated that it would be open to a deal as part of negotiations with the White House on tariffs and other issues.

"We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China," Trump wrote Friday, adding: "We do not want TikTok to go dark. We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the Deal. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

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The president told reporters on Air Force One on Thursday that he thought China could try to use the TikTok sale as a negotiating chip in the trade war between the two nations.

"Maybe they want to get something a little bit in order to get TikTok approved, who knows," Trump said.

A woman poses with her smartphone displaying the @realdonaldtrump TikTok page, in Washington, U.S. January 19, 2025.

Tensions escalated this week when Trump increased tariffs on China by 34%, bringing the total tariff rate he's put on Beijing since he took office in January to 54%.

The Chinese government said Friday that it would slap a 34% tariff on U.S.-made goods.

TikTok is hugely popular in the United States among teens and adults who occupy the political left, center and right and who use it to watch and share short videos and news.

Contributing: Joey Garrison and Kinsey Crowley

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump postpones TikTok deal deadline
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwe's Finance Act 2024, published under General Notice I 345A of 2024, has introduced an amendment to the Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act [Chapter 14:33], designating the Haulage and Logistics Industry as a reserved sector exclusively for Zimbabwean citizens. This move marks a significant shift in the country's approach to empowering local businesses in the logistics sector, which plays a crucial role in the movement of goods, cargo, fuel, mineral ores, and other consumables within Zimbabwe's road networks.The Haulage and Logistics Industry includes all services and operations related to the transportation of goods using various vehicles such as rigid trucks (up to 15 tonnes), horse-drawn trailers, tipper trucks, dump trucks, fuel tankers, and other road vehicles. With this new amendment, the sector will now be reserved for Zimbabwean nationals, with foreign investors required to apply for permission to operate within the industry.Foreign investors wishing to continue their operations in the Haulage and Logistics sector must submit applications to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. In their applications, they will need to demonstrate how their businesses meet or intend to meet the criteria set out in Section 3A of the 2021 updated Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act [Chapter 14:33]. The prescribed criteria include significant and sustainable employment creation, transfer of skills and technology to benefit Zimbabweans, the creation of sustainable value chains, and the achievement of other socially and economically desirable objectives.Additionally, foreign investors must comply with various regulatory requirements set by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF), the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Authority (ZIDA), and local authorities.The amendment aims to foster local ownership and control in the Haulage and Logistics sector, ensuring that Zimbabweans benefit directly from the growth and development of this critical industry. It also emphasizes the government's commitment to enhancing the capacity of local businesses while promoting job creation, skills transfer, and the development of value chains that will contribute to the country's long-term economic growth.Foreign investors in the sector are urged to align their operations with the government's indigenization and economic empowerment goals to continue contributing to Zimbabwe's economic transformation in a way that benefits the local population.
Editors Note: Washington Week With The Atlantic is a partnership between NewsHour Productions, WETA, and The Atlantic airing every Friday on PBS stations nationwide. Check your local listings, watch full episodes here, or listen to the weekly podcast here.



Donald Trumps tariff announcement has baffled global leaders and forced markets to reckon with the fallout from Americas dramatic shift in international trade policy. Panelists joined on Washington Week With The Atlantic to discuss what tanking financial markets could mean for the presidents administration.

Trade has not delivered the benefits that economists and politicians of both parties have been promising for decades, David Leonhardt explained last night. While the United States economy has tended to work in favor of educated professionals, blue-collar workers have not benefited in the same ways. Adjustments to trade policy could be one way to address this, but Trumps tariffs are shambolic, theyre extremely high, and no one knows whether hes going to take them back the next day, Leonhardt continued.

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Joining the editor in chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, to discuss this and more: Stephen Hayes, editor of The Dispatch; David Leonhardt, an editorial director for The New York Times editorial board; Kayla Tausche, a senior White House correspondent at CNN; Nancy Youssef, a national-security correspondent for The Wall Street Journal.

Watch the full episode here.

Article originally published at The Atlantic
The massive tariffs that President Donald Trump announced for dozens of trading partners Wednesday were pitched as reciprocal, simply aiming to match the tariffs other countries charge the United States.

But the methodology behind Trumps attempt to rebalance trade has nothing to do with the tariff rate that foreign countries impose on the US.

The Trump administration instead used a grossly oversimplified calculation that it said factored in a broad set of issues such as Chinese investment, alleged currency manipulation and other countries regulations. The administrations calculation divided a countrys trade deficit with the US by its exports into the country times 1/2. Thats it.

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The president is essentially taking a sledgehammer to address a litany of grievances, using the trade deficit that other countries have with the US as a scapegoat. And the vague calculation could have broad implications for countries America depends on for goods  and the foreign companies that supply them.

There does not appear to have been any tariffs used in the calculation of the rate, said Mike ORourke, chief marketing strategist at Jones Trading, in a note to investors Wednesday. The Trump administration is specifically targeting nations with large trade surpluses with the United States relative to their exports to the United States.

The actual figures are probably closer to the average Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) applied tariff rate, which is essentially a ceiling of import taxes that more than 160 nations of the World Trade Organization have agreed to charge each other, though they can vary by sector. And for countries with trade agreements in place, there could be lower or no tariffs at all.

Trump has frequently said his trade policy is rooted in one simple motto: They charge us, we charge them. It turns out its not that simple.

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A lot of the issues that the administration highlighted, that theyre concerned about, are not really with tariff rates, Sarah Bianchi, chief strategist of international political affairs and public policy at Evercore ISI, said Thursday during a panel discussion hosted by the Brookings Institution.

Trumps so-called answer to non-trade barriers

The MFN tariff rates were born out of negotiations among WTO members in the 1990s, when the organization was first founded.

The European Unions MFN rate is 5%, but the Trump administration said its more like 20% because US exports suffer from the uneven and inconsistent customs rules across the currency zone and because EU-level institutions do not provide transparency in decision-making, the US Trade Representatives office said.

Meanwhile, Vietnams MFN tariff rate is 9.4%, as of the latest data from 2023, but the Trump administration chalked it up to 46% because of non-trade barriers, according to a report from the USTRs office released this week. Non-trade barriers can include import quotas and anti-dumping laws that are aimed at protecting domestic industries.

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Vietnams top trade official on Thursday called Trumps new tariff on the country unfair, pointing to the MFN rate.

India and China also have some non-trade barriers, noted Sung Won Sohn, professor of finance and economics at Loyola Marymount University and chief economist at SS Economics. For example, India has sanitary measures for agricultural imports and China has state subsidies favoring domestic companies, he wrote in commentary issued earlier this year.

But Liberation Day was still not the right approach to addressing non-tariff measures from other countries, said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at markets insight firm RSM, told CNN in an interview.

If you look at the formula the White House put forward for how they established the new tariff levels, they had nothing to do with non-tariff barriers, he said, adding: It looked to me as if it was an ad hoc effort of punishing countries because they had large trade balances with the United States.

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That bilateral trade balance the US runs with other countries, he said, is simply a function of saving and spending in the United States.

Trade deficits arent an emergency

On a call with reporters Wednesday, a senior White House official referred to the deficits as a national emergency that must be addressed to retain factories and jobs in the US.

But is it a terrible thing that countries run such deficits with the US? Not necessarily.

Many countries run a trade deficit with the US, according to trade data. The United States runs $230 billion more in imports than exports to the EU, and nearly $300 billion more to China.

When I go to the store and buy groceries with cash, I run a trade deficit with my grocery store, but does that mean that Im worse off? Obviously not, John Dove, an economics professor at Troy University, told CNN. Those are goods that I want, and I dont need to provide a reciprocal good or service in return. Thats not necessarily a good or a bad thing. It just is.

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Still, the Trump administration has pointed to tariffs aimed at fixing trade deficits as a potential source of government revenue to pay down the national debt and fund tax cuts. But thats a risky gamble that could prove disastrous if countries band together to retaliate.

The more concerning issue is that these large across-the-board tariffs incentivize our trading partners to retaliate against us, Dove said.

If other countries renegotiate their own trade policies, the US could very quickly end up in a situation where you have 25% of the world economy up against the other 75%, he said, and I can tell you whos going to come out ahead there.

CNNs David Goldman contributed to this report.

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Businesses, consumers and foreign leaders are trying to assess just how set in stone President Trumps tariffs are, as the administration and its allies send mixed signals about whether the measures are being used for leverage.

Some Trump allies touted the tariffs  which have led to a massive stock market selloff and heightened fears of a recession  as the latest move from a master dealmaker. The tariffs, they argue, will force other countries to change their practices in search of leniency from the U.S.

The president himself told reporters the tariffs give us great power to negotiate, and he said Friday hed had a productive conversation with the leader of Vietnam about tariff rates.

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I wouldnt want to be the last country that tries to negotiate a trade deal with @realDonaldTrump, Eric Trump, the presidents son, posted on the social platform X. The first to negotiate will win  the last will absolutely lose.

At the same time, President Trump on Friday declared in a Truth Social post that his policies will never change.

Meanwhile, multiple top administration officials were adamant that the tariffs were not meant as a negotiating tool, but as a way to rebalance global trade and revitalize American manufacturing.

I dont think theres any chance theyre going to  that President Trumps going to back off his tariffs. This is the reordering of global trade, right? Thats whats going to happen, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Thursday on CNN.

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Peter Navarro, a vocal trade hawk, said around the rollout of the tariffs that it was not a negotiation but a national emergency related to trade deficits.

The mixed messaging is a reflection of how some in the administration are true believers in tariffs as an economic tool, but also how Trump sees nearly everything as being up for negotiation under the right circumstances.

I think for Trump it is [a negotiation], said one source close to the White House. I think for Navarro, its a hard ideological reshuffling. He has a vision. And I think Trump is practical. The reality is youre not going to significantly reshore all these jobs, manufacturing, reshuffle the economy in two, four, six years.

Trump wants to send a shock wave and bring people to the table, the source added.

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Trump on Wednesday announced a baseline 10 percent tariff on all imports. In addition, countries that were determined to be the worst offenders in terms of trade deficits were hit with a higher tariff rate, with China, the European Union, Japan, Cambodia, India, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam among those facing the highest rates.

During remarks announcing the tariffs, Trump directly addressed the foreign leaders who he predicted would be reaching out to seek exemptions and signaled they could take significant steps to appease him.

I say, terminate your own tariffs, drop your barriers, dont manipulate your currencies  and start buying tens of billions of dollars of American goods, Trump said.

But Trump and other White House officials have simultaneously suggested the tariffs are less about other countries trade practices and more about increasing the domestic manufacturing base.

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Yes, it will create jobs. Yes, it will increase revenues, said deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. But most importantly, it will restore our national security so that we will not be dependent on anyone else to survive and thrive as a nation.

Markets responded to Trumps tariff announcement with their worst day of losses since 2020 on Thursday.

World leaders also reacted swiftly. China on Friday announced it would slap its own 34 percent tariff on U.S. goods. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union was prepared to respond with countermeasures, while French President Emmanuel Macron called on European companies to pause investments in the U.S.

Trump imposed tariffs on certain goods and countries during his first term, but the ones announced this week were far more sweeping, applying to imports from more than 100 countries. He also imposed auto tariffs this week and teased additional measures on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.

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Countries are already seeing that it may be difficult to avoid tariffs from the United States altogether under Trump, even if they take steps to extend an olive branch.

Israel announced Tuesday it had canceled all the customs duties levied on U.S. products. But that gesture was not enough to stop the Trump administration from imposing a 17 percent reciprocal tariff on its ally.

Canada and Mexico were hit last month with 25 percent tariffs on many goods, which the president said was because of a lack of action on stopping fentanyl from coming into the U.S.

But while those two top U.S. trading partners could negotiate an arrangement or show progress on fentanyl issues to get those tariffs lifted, White House officials said that 25 percent tariff would be replaced by 10 percent baseline rate.

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Its also unclear what leverage some tiny or very poor nations would have to negotiate with the United States.

Trump imposed a 10 percent tariff on the territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, which is populated by many penguins and does no trade with the U.S. He also imposed a 29 percent tariff on Norfolk Island, which has a population of fewer than 3,000 people.

Economists have noted that certain items imported from other countries cannot be easily manufactured in the United States, or that it would take years for major companies to essentially shift their supply chains and production bases into the U.S. to avoid tariffs.

Trade agreements are all about establishing trust, because the exporter and the importer dont know each other. They need predictability, and they need to know they can rely on each other to do what they say theyre going to do, said Susan Aaronson, director of the Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub at George Washington University.

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They think disruption is good in some way, but disruption is really bad for trust. And I think of trade agreements as a way to provide that trust because they make trade predictable, Aaronson added. The United States doesnt benefit when it becomes an unreliable partner.

Alex Gangitano contributed

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
President Donald Trump, known for his penchant for the dramatic, recently declared a "Liberation Day" as he unveiled a 10% tariff on all imported goods and even higher tariffs on what the White House deems the worst offenders.

While Trumps MAGA base may be unwavering in its support, the reality is that this policy is already impacting Americans' wallets and could very well cost Republicans their congressional majorities.

Trump, in his typical style, framed the tariffs in grandiose terms: April 2nd, 2025, will be forever remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day Americas destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to make America wealthy again, he crowed.

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A dose of economic reality is desperately needed. Facts are stubborn things. The burden of these "Liberation Day" tariffs, like those before them, will not be borne by foreign governments, but by American consumers and businesses across the nation. Roughly $5 trillion in value vanished from the S&P 500 Index in the two days since Trumps announcement, a chilling indicator of unsettled financial markets.

More importantly, the notion that America no longer produces anything is simply false.

U.S. economy is a giant compared to most other countries

According to a 2023 U.S. Department of Commerce report, approximately 52% of what we purchase was "made in America."

When you factor in imported inputs used in domestic manufacturing, that percentage rises to 63%. America holds a formidable position in global trade: we are the second-largest exporter of goods (trailing only China), the largest importer of goods, the largest exporter of services, and the largest importer of services globally.

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We are, without hyperbole, an economic juggernaut.

The nuances of what America produces and what it doesnt matter deeply. Take coffee, a beloved staple for many Americans, as an example. Indonesia imposes trade barriers including tariffs on foreign coffee and many other imports. Like the tariffs Trump just introduced, these protectionist measures are government-imposed market manipulations supporters of free markets should oppose.

In response, the Trump administration has decided to subject coffee flowing from Indonesia to the United States to a 32% tariff. In 2023, the U.S. imported roughly 93.6 million pounds of coffee from Indonesia. The White House's stated goal is trade reciprocity, aiming for a balance where Indonesia buys as much in goods and services from America as we do from them.

This aim overlooks a key disparity: Indonesia's GDP is less than 6% of America's. Our buying power vastly outstrips Indonesia's, making a trade deficit almost inevitable.

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Moreover, consider America's coffee consumption. In 2022, the United States consumed about 3.74 billion pounds of coffee. Hawaii, the nation's top domestic coffee producer, harvested 11.5 million pounds in 2023. This amounts to less than one percent of America's domestic coffee demand. We import the vast majority of our coffee because we lack sufficient tropical farmland to meet our demand. Thus, a tariff on Indonesian coffee, while intended to pressure Indonesia, directly increases costs for American consumers while failing to truly support any domestic industry.

Opinion: Marjorie Taylor Greene often errs, but not about defunding public broadcasting

And it's not just Indonesian coffee.

Coffee from Americas largest coffee importers, Brazil and Colombia, will be 10% more expensive. Making matters worse, Hawaiian producers have a strong incentive to raise their prices to match the tariff-inflated prices of imports. They are, after all, rational capitalists who can monetize ill-conceived trade policies.

Political corruption is a consequence of tariffs

What began as a strategic tactic to address unfair trade practices has devolved into a blunt instrument that raises consumer prices and strains diplomatic ties. Trade involves intricate webs of interconnected economies and supply chains. Unilateral tariffs often trigger retaliatory measures, igniting trade wars where everyone ultimately suffers. History suggests that a more nuanced, diplomatic strategy yields superior long-term outcomes.

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The direct consequence of increased import costs is that these costs are passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. Whether it's coffee, electronics, clothing, or the components used in American-made goods, tariffs function as a concealed tax on everyday necessities.

Tariffs also breed political corruption. Senators and representatives are already lobbying the White House to exempt foreign employers in their districts and states from these tariffs. This inevitably leads to a system of government favoritism, where the politically connected thrive. Republicans have long criticized Democrats for similar practices in environmental policy; this is no different.

Domestic industries receive an artificial, government-granted advantage, while those reliant on imports face punitive tariffs. This discourages genuine competition and innovation and incentivizes political cronyism over improving market offerings to consumers. As the Hawaiian coffee example illustrates, domestic companies can simply raise prices to match tariff-burdened foreign competitors, leaving consumers with limited competitive alternatives.

To be fair, reciprocal tariffs can, under specific circumstances, be a useful negotiating tool. The threat of tariffs can sometimes compel trading partners to negotiate and reduce their own trade barriers. However, this should be a temporary measure aimed at achieving freer trade, not a long-term revenue source. Many Republicans see Trumps tariffs in that light. The Trump administration doesnt appear to agree. Instead, Trump and his staff seem to believe that tariffs will significantly fund federal government programs.

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Again, that is wishful thinking. Tariffs disrupt supply chains, invite retaliation, and ultimately impede economic growth, thereby reducing the tax base.

America is, in reality, a highly competitive manufacturing environment. We possess significant advantages in innovation, a skilled workforce, and access to capital. Our focus should be on fostering a business climate that encourages investment, creativity, and workforce development, rather than resorting to protectionist measures that distort the market.

Cameron Smith, columnist for The Tennessean and the USA TODAY Network Tennessee

President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs may sound appealing in their simplistic promise of a return to a bygone era. Dont buy it. These tariffs are a consumer tax that will result in higher consumer prices, strained international relations, and a marketplace where political influence outweighs genuine competition.

In the years to come, Americans are more likely to feel the heavy economic weight of these tariffs than celebrate a "Liberation Day," and they will certainly remember the politicians who allowed it to happen.

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USA TODAY Network Tennessee Columnist Cameron Smith is a Memphis-born, Brentwood-raised recovering political attorney raising four boys in Nolensville, Tenn., with his particularly patient wife, Justine. Direct outrage or agreement to smith.david.cameron@gmail.com or @DCameronSmith on Twitter. Agree or disagree? Send a letter to the editor to letters@tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Trump's tariffs hurt U.S. consumers and damage the economy | Opinion
US President Donald Trump's new sweeping global tariffs came into effect on Saturday.

The US government introduced universal tariffs of a minimum of 10% on imports from all countries.

Significantly higher punitive tariffs will apply for some, depending on trade deficits. Imports from Germany and other European Union countries to the United States face new tariffs of 20% starting Wednesday.

This is the most aggressive step yet in Trump's already combative trade policy. Economists have said that US consumers will experience significant price increases, but consumers in Europe and other parts of the world will also feel the pinch.

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Trump had praised his announcement of the tariffs on Wednesday as "Liberation Day," promising that the tariffs would bring back the "golden age" of the US.

However, following his announcement, stocks plummeted.

China slapped a 34% countertariff on US imports on Friday and the European Union said it would retaliate, but other countries, like India, have taken a wait-and-see approach.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Its April, which means tufted puffins are making their grand return to the Oregon Coast.

The beloved orange-billed birds come to Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach each Spring to settle into their annual nesting grounds. Puffins, who mate for life, tend to return to previously successful nesting areas  making the Oregon landmark a popular destination for bird enthusiasts.

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On Sunday April 13, the Haystack Rock Awareness Program will partner with Friends of Haystack Rock to celebrate the annual return with an on-beach celebration. The birds can be difficult to spot, so there will be a team of interpreters with binoculars available to help find the special guests between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

According to organizers, Cannon Beach is the second largest puffin colony in Oregon.

The sea birds typically arrive at Haystack Rock in early April to begin staking out their territory and cleaning up their burrow for the first few weeks of their stay. Then the female will lay a chicken-sized egg that will need to be protected as it becomes a hatchling and, eventually, a healthy young puffin.

(Courtesy: Ram Papish) (Courtesy: Ram Papish) (Courtesy: Ram Papish) (Courtesy: Ram Papish) (Courtesy: Ram Papish) (Courtesy: Ram Papish) (Courtesy: Ram Papish) (Courtesy: Ram Papish)

Experts say the birds tend to spend at least 16 weeks in the same location during breeding season and the baby birds  known as pufflings  are typically spotted by late June.

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You may not be able to see the pufflings because activity around the rock is hectic and plentiful. But its fun to watch parent puffins making multiple trips to their burrow with bills full of fish for their growing puffling, organizers said.

However, recent decades have experienced a steep decline in pufflin sightings on the Oregon Coast. While visitors could see up to 400 birds in 1978, recent years have brought the number closer to 102.

In 1988, US Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) estimated approximately 4,858 birds in Oregon; in 2021, that number was just 553, according to organizers.

Portland police, businesses cautiously optimistic for weekends anti-Trump protest

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Katherine Luscher, the tufted puffin coordinator of the National Audubon Societys Seabird Institute said experts are actively working to halt the decline.

As important as it is that we continue to take action to protect the tufted puffin in Oregon, its also important for people to better understand why protecting this amazing seabird is so important, Luscher said. Events like Welcome Puffin at Cannon Beach allow us to build more community support and engagement for protecting puffins and other seabirds. Plus, you cant not smile when you see one for the first  or fifty-first time.

More information about puffins and the annual breeding season is available on the Friends of Haystack Rock 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 KOIN.com.
Stay home if you can.

That's the word of caution from city, county and state officials as heavy rains and flooding swamped the Wabash Valley on Friday and Saturday.

And if you must drive and do encounter high water or a road washout, "Turn around  don't drown," they say.

elridgengross.jpg

Flooding on Eldrige Road north of Gross Road is shown in this Saturday photo posted to social media by the Riley Fire Department.

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In Vigo County, commissioners on Saturday extended a travel watch until 11 a.m. Sunday.

Heavy rain led to several flooded roads in the county, and more than a few were impassible. The conditions, and sometimes questionable decisions by drivers, led to multiple water rescues, officials reported.

Early Saturday afternoon, first responders in the 6300 block of South First Street had to extricate a driver from a water-filled roadway. That driver is currently under investigation for operating under the influence and will be cited for ignoring roadway closure signage, wrote Steve Meng, Vigo County Sheriff's Office chief deputy.

Wrote Vigo County Commissioner Mark Clinkenbeard, Our Highway Department is putting up larger barricades on South First Street, and it will be closed until the water recedes.

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"There have been multiple water rescues here [on First Street] today, putting drivers and emergency responders at risk. Turn around, dont drown.

"We have been out checking roads in our area. Some are still covered with water. Please do not travel across flooded roads at all," the Riley Fire Department wrote on its Facebook page.

Vigo commissioners said they'd seen washouts that will require work next week. If you come upon a road with water across it, or a washout, please turn around and find an alternate route, wrote commissioners Clinkenbeard and Mike Morris.

Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun said he'd been touch with county officials and appreciated the good communication and the team effort.

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Terre Haute Wastewater Utility crews were out, the mayor said on Facebook. Those included one at the Youngstown lift station and another assisting the county. Additional crews would likely be mobilized to assist communities bordering the city, the mayor said.

Several stoplights in Terre Haute were reset Friday night, but several others are creating persistent problems. The streets department is working on those issues.

City crews were working to clean up debris, manage high water and dispose of fallen tree limbs. Street sweeping is on hold but will resume next week. The city expects to post an update on the schedule on Monday morning.

In Clay County, commissioners elevated their travel advisory to a travel watch.

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"Our situation is becoming more dangerous as flood waters continue to rise. Many roads are impassable, and some have fast moving water flowing across them," wrote Rob Gambill, the county's emergency management director.

"Drivers should absolutely not try to drive across any flooded roadways, especially those that have water flowing across them," he said.

The Indiana Department of Transportation West Central District, which includes Terre Haute, said state crews  especially in southern Indiana  are working with state and local emergency management agencies.

Interstate 70 was closed for a period at the 41 mile marker (Cloverdale exit) due to high water on Friday night. U.S. 40 to the 59 mile marker (Monrovia exit) was used as an alternate route, reported Sgt. Matt Ames of Indiana State Police. That stretch of I-70 reopened early Saturday.

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Around electricity

Duke Energy issued tips on how to deal with situation when it comes to water and electricity:

 If rising water threatens your home or business  or if you evacuate due to flooding  consider turning off your power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box.

 Stay away from downed electrical lines. Don't drive over  and don't stand near  downed electrical lines.

 Never replace a fuse or touch a circuit breaker with wet hands, or while standing on a wet or damp surface.

 Report an outage by texting OUT to 57801 and follow outage updates in your area at duke-energy.com/outages.

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Forecast

The Terre Haute area as of Saturday afternoon was under a National Weather Service flood warning until 11 p.m. Saturday and a flood watch watch until 8 a.m. Sunday.

In a hazardous weather outlook statement, the NWS said heavy rain was expected through Saturday night.

Additionally, Sunday through Friday, significant river flooding is expected to develop and continue through the coming week.

Rain was forecast to let up at least somewhat on Sunday, with the chance of precipitation dropping from 80% to 30%.

On Sunday, scattered showers are expected after 10 a.m., with the skies then cloudy. A steady temperature around 43 is forecast. North to northeast winds around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph, are likely.

On Sunday night, expect areas of frost after 2 a.m. Otherwise, it will be cloudy during the early evening, then gradually clearing, with a low around 32.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has revealed that several of its employees have been implicated in illegal foreign currency exchange dealings, further fueling public frustration over poor service delivery and long queues at the council's Revenue Hall.The revelation was made during a full council meeting held on Wednesday, where councillors raised a series of concerns over misconduct by municipal employees and deteriorating service at council facilities.Proportional Representative Councillor Melisa Mabeza said she witnessed council staff engaging in forex deals during a visit to Revenue Hall on March 4."I noticed that senior residents were being turned away at Revenue Hall. Referring to my visit, I observed illegal foreign currency dealings by council staff members," Mabeza said. She called for strict enforcement of the council's code of conduct, urging staff to cease the illegal activities immediately.Ward 25 Councillor Aleck Ndlovu confirmed that some employees had already been disciplined following an internal audit."An audit was done and four staff members were brought before a disciplinary board. The evidence was overwhelming. One was dismissed, and three were given written warnings," he said. However, he added that the dismissed staff member had appealed and was later reinstated due to irregularities in the disciplinary process.Ward 8 Councillor Edwin Ndlovu confirmed the appeal outcome, noting that the General Purposes Committee had ruled in favour of reinstating the staff member.The meeting also heard concerns about inaccurate billing and the city's debt collection practices. Ward 17 Councillor Sikhululekile Moyo said residents had raised complaints over inconsistent billing and questioned why residents with small debts were being issued summons while those with larger debts were not.Ward 26 Councillor Mpumelelo Moyo explained that even small arrears accrue interest over time, which can justify legal action if left unpaid. He also pledged that the city would look into the complaints surrounding Revenue Hall.Mayor David Coltart voiced concern over the poor service at the Revenue Hall, citing a complaint from a resident who said they queued from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. without being attended to promptly."We must emulate cities like Johannesburg, where services are digital. This can drastically reduce queues and improve efficiency," said Coltart.Bulawayo's housing and service challenges continue to mount, with city officials under increasing pressure to improve accountability, transparency, and customer service.
(Reuters) -Two British members of parliament who were refused entry to Israel have returned to London after attempting to visit the West Bank on a fact-finding trip, they said on Sunday.

Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang from Britain's governing Labour Party were travelling as part of a parliamentary delegation, but were stopped at the border on the grounds that they intended to provoke anti-Israel activities, according to the Israeli embassy in Britain.

The blocking of their visit marks the latest in a series of attempts by Israel to restrict entry of foreign lawmakers and dignitaries who have criticised the country's policies.

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"We're astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities to refuse British MPs entry on our trip to visit the occupied West Bank," Mohamed and Yang said in a joint statement.

"It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness, firsthand the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory."

The Israeli embassy in London said the interior ministry had a duty to prevent entry to people who intended to cause the state harm.

"These individuals had accused Israel of false claims, were actively involved in promoting sanctions against Israeli ministers, and supported campaigns aimed at boycotting the State of Israel," the embassy said.

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In their statement on Sunday, Mohamed and Yang said they had spoken out in Britain's parliament about the conflict between Israel and Palestine and the importance of complying with international law.

"Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons, without fear of being targeted," they said.

In November, Mohamed asked Britain's government if it would review its relationship with Israel in light of "atrocities taking place in Gaza, the West Bank and in Lebanon".

Yang had told parliament it was important that Britain proceeded with sanctions against Israeli government officials.

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Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the detention of lawmakers Mohamed and Yang was no way to treat parliamentarians.

Israel has previously stopped members of the European Parliament and U.S. Congress from entering the country.

In October, Israel's foreign minister said he was barring U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering the country because he had not "unequivocally" condemned a missile attack by Iran on Israel.

(Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru and Andy Bruce in Manchester; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, David Gregorio, Elaine Hardcastle and Jan Harvey)
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  The Department of Homeland Security arrested two San Diego Customs and Border Protection officers for allegedly accepting bribes to allow dozens of cars with undocumented immigrants to enter the country.

DHS first became aware of the alleged corruption at the border checkpoint in September when detained human smugglers said they were directed to pass through specific lanes at certain times.

That ultimately led to the arrest of the two officers on March 24.

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Dozens of cars with undocumented immigrants apparently passed through the San Ysidro Entry point unchecked by officers Farlis Almonte and Ricardo Rodriguez.

Ricardos a guy that, obviously, has never been arrested before, never been to jail before, so were going through a lot. This is a guy whos quite shellshocked, said Michael Hawkins, Rodriguezs attorney.

Before his five-year tenure with CBP, Hawkins says Rodriguez lawfully immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic and graduated with an automotive engineering degree.

We want to exercise all of our full due process rights while maintaining who Ricardo really is, and hes a guy that really pulled himself up by his bootstraps, Hawkins said.

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Federal agents arrested Rodriguez and Almonte at the end of March, charging them on multiple counts of letting undocumented immigrants into the country in exchange for cash bribes.

Border Patrol agents stay with stranded Mexican women overnight on Otay Mountain

In this case, we dont know exactly the harm that was done, but they violated the oath that they took, said Pedro Rios, the director of the American Friends Service Committee, when asked about the lasting impact of these allegations.

Federal investigators accuse the officers of notifying co-conspirators in Mexico what lanes they were working at what times. Then, the officers would wave smugglers with multiple passengers through the entry point but only report the driver.

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This is a problem thats been endemic to Customs and Border Protection for a long time, Rios said.

This would be the fourth and fifth officers to face similar corruption charges in the last two years.

In a statement to our media partners the San Diego Union-Tribune, CBP maintains The alleged actions of these individuals are deeply troubling and do not reflect the values of CBP or the vast majority of our dedicated personnel who serve with integrity every day.

I think what is important to remind ourselves of in these early stages is the presumption of innocence, Hawkins said.

According to court documents, the officers were paid thousands for each car and claim Rodriguez deposited close to $24,000 in his account in small amounts over six months. Almonte deposited almost $22,000 in three months.

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Theres humans behind all of this, and the human that I met is an outstanding person, Hawkins said of his client.

Rodriguez will appear in court again on April 22.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW)  Two Lumberton men have been charged in connection with a deadly 2021 shooting, Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said on Friday

Zaquan McNeil, 25, and Edward Alford, 32, are both charged with the death of 34-year-old Stephen Douglas of Pembroke along with assaults and robberies of people inside the location at the time.

McNeil and Alford were charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, two counts of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree burglary, discharging a firearm within an enclosure to create fear, two counts of armed robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon and attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon.

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McNeil did not receive bond and is currently being held at the Robeson County Detention Center without bond on an unrelated homicide.

Alford will be extradited back to Robeson County following completion of a federal sentence.

Deputies responded to the 6000 block of Deep Branch Road in Pembroke at 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2021 in reference to multiple individuals shot.

* * *

Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
TYLER, Texas (KETK)  A Tyler man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for the July 4, 2024 fatal shooting of 19-year-old Rawly Sanchez, according judicial records.

Mugshot of Seferino Bautista-Renteria, courtesy of Smith County Jail.

19-year-old shot in head, suspect arrested in Smith County July 4 fatal shooting

Seferino Bautista-Renteria, owner of Bautista Auto Sales in Tyler, was found guilty of murder before 114th District Court Judge Reeve Jackson on Thursday.

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On Monday, Renteria was sentenced to 60 years in state prison and was given a 277-day jail credit, judicial records show.

Renteria was arrested after Sanchez was shot in the back of the head while riding in the backseat of a truck on the night of July 4, 2024, according to an arrest affidavit.

The truck was turning behind Bautista Auto Sales when the affidavit said the driver reported seeing a person with an AK-47-style rifle who started shooting.

Sanchez was then driven to a local hospital where he died. An affidavit for Renterias arrest said his wife and son were interviewed at the scene by law enforcement and they reported losing sight of him during the shooting.

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An arrest affidavit revealed that two AK-style rifles were later found in a vehicle at the business.

Tyler shooting victim shot with AK-47 after U-turn, affidavit says

Renteria was also charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and deadly conduct.

A 114th District Court official told KETK that Renterias other charges are still pending 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 KETK.com | FOX51.com.
A University of Idaho junior says a flag his mother sent him as a joke ended up costing him his housing.

Michael Leggett told Idaho News 6 that the Trump Train flag  a bright-blue banner featuring a cartoon train and the phrase All Aboard the Trump Train  hung inside his off-campus apartment, not visible from the outside. But when he and his roommate tried to renew their lease this spring, their landlords declined.

To see where it went from there, and how that turned into what it did later on, is a little shocking to me, Leggett said, a junior from Southern California in the U of Is College of Business and Economics.

University of Idaho student Michael Leggett, of Murrieta, California, in his apartment in Moscow.

In an email, the landlords wrote: Unfortunately, we have decided not to renew your lease. While fixing your lock over the holiday break, we noticed the Trump flag on the wall. Respectfully, we are being more selective in choosing tenants that better align with our values, and those of most of our other tenants.

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Leggett said he and his roommate had no prior issues with their housing. We love staying here You know, we had no complaintsWe never paid rent late, Leggett said.

The All Aboard the Trump Train 2024 flag hung by Leggett.

The apartment also featured other flags  including a Mexican flag belonging to his roommate and flags for their favorite beers.

Right here, its on our main mantle area, Leggett said. So its not in view of anyone.

Leggett said the rental application included unusual questions such as: How old is the Earth? Is the Earth flat or round? and What are your beliefs about stopping airborne viruses?

Part of a questionnaire that University of Idaho student Michael Leggett says his Moscow, Idaho, landlord included as part of an apartment-rental application.

It would just give you two options, Leggett said. It was very specifically directed toward a religion-type thing, in my opinion.

Part of a questionnaire that University of Idaho student Michael Leggett says his Moscow, Idaho, landlord included as part of a rental application. for an off-campus apartment.

Idaho News 6 reached out to the landlords, a husband-and-wife team, for comment. They declined.

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Caldwell lawyer Brian Festa, cofounder of We the Patriots USA, a Caldwell nonprofit, said that while the situation may feel discriminatory, political views are not protected under Idaho housing law. Festa wrote on Substack that he talked with Leggett and his mother Wednesday to explore ways the organization might help.

Currently, federal and state law do not prohibit a landlord or business from discriminating on the basis of political viewpoint, Festa told Idaho News 6. So unfortunately, theres no lawsuit here.

Caldwell, Idaho, lawyer Brian Festa in April 2025 at Indian Creek Plaza discussing a landlords decision not to renew the lease of University of Idaho student Michael Leggett, of Murrieta, California, after Leggett hung an All Aboard the Trump Train 2024 flag in his apartment in Moscow. Festa is cofounder and vice president of We the Patriots USA Inc., a nonprofit formed to provide free legal representation involving conservative causes such as health freedom and 2nd Amendment rights.

Festa continued, He wasnt doing anything aggressive. He wasnt coming into the landlords private space or trying to convince them to vote for President Trump.

The Idaho Statesman contributed.

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Internal West Ada memos reveal a district unable to find a unified voice

Meridian police investigating after Tesla dealership vandalized. FBI notified

Anti-Elon Musk protester charged, accused of hitting pro-Musk counterprotester with car

How are Trump, DOGE cuts affecting Idaho? The Statesman wants to hear from you
April 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate early Saturday approved a budget resolution, largely along party lines, that President Donald Trump has called "one big, beautiful bill" for the budget.

At 2:30 a.m., the upper chamber passed the resolution, 51-48, with all 46 Democrats voting against the bill, alongside Republicans Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine. Democrat Patty Murray of Washington didn't vote.

The resolution needed only 50 votes with Vice President Vance available to break a tie.

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The bill now goes to the GOP-controlled House, where Republicans have a 220-213 edge as a result of two vacancies because of the deaths of two Democrats.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican serving Louisiana, said he wants to bring the Senate's plan to the floor next week. If the House passes the bill, the reconciliation process begins and Republicans will have the ability to circumvent a potential Democratic filibuster.

Some House conservatives, however, already are lining up in disapproval of the Senate resolution.

Andy Harris of Maryland, who leads the House Freedom Caucus, wrote on X that he won't agree to a passage "until I see the actual spending and deficit reduction plans to enact President Trump's America First agenda."

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Chip Roy of Texas warned in a post on X: "If the Senate's 'Jekyll and Hyde' budget is put on the House floor, I will vote no."

Before the vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, said the resolution is a "first step toward a final bill to make permanent the tax relief we implemented in 2017 and deliver a transformational investment in our border, national and energy security."

Senators conducted an hours-long ritual called votearama on various amendments to the bill. Although most of these add-ons proposed by Democrats didn't pass, they forced votes on matters that likely will be used in political campaigns.

The amendments included Trump's trade war and cost-cutting moves by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

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"Our amendments will give Republicans the chance to join us in hitting the kill switch on Donald Trump's tariffs, on DOGE, on the attacks against Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Friday before voting started. "Republicans could snuff it out instantly tonight if they wanted. Will Republicans join us tonight and stand up to Donald Trump before he craters the economy?"

The Senate, along a 53-46 party-line vote, rejected an amendment by Sen. Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, to prohibit the use of "any commercial messaging application" to transmit information in impending military strikes. Last month security officials used the messaging app, Signal, to discuss a military operation.

A resolution to rescind Trump's tariffs if they increased the cost of Americans'" groceries and everyday goods" also failed 53-46.

One amendment that was adopted, 51-48, was to protect Medicare and Medicaid.

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In February, the House Republicans passed a bill that contained $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and a $2 trillion reduction in federal spending over a decade.

Senate Republicans' plan did not include taxes and spending cuts in the bill, though the budget does call for a $150 billion increase in military spending and $175 billion more for border security over 10 years.

The Senate budget has $1.5 trillion in tax cuts but it doesn't show an additional $3.8 trillion for extending the 2017 tax cuts. They say it should not show up on the federal balance sheet. Those tax breaks are scheduled to expire at the end of the year.

Democrats lambasted the bill's passage.

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"Just left the Senate after voting a hard NO on the 'one big, beautiful bill,'" Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., wrote on social platform X. "I will never support a bill that uses Medicare, Medicaid or SNAP cuts to pay for tax cuts for billionaires."

In March, Fetterman was among 10 Democrats who joined Republican in voting for a continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown.

"Republicans just rammed their terrible budget plan through the Senate," Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland wrote Saturday on X. "It's never been more clear: they are hell bent on passing a giant tax giveaway for billionaires like Elon Musk at the expense of everybody else. We won't stop fighting."

Schumer, who also approved the continuing resolution, wrote on X: "Donald Trump has betrayed the American people. And in voting for this budget bill, Senate Republicans sided with billionaires, against the middle class, in total obeisance to Donald Trump.

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Senate Republicans, on the other hand, praised passage of the bill.

"Tonight, the Senate took one small step toward reconciliation and one giant leap toward making the tax cuts permanent, securing the border, providing much-needed help for the military and finally cutting wasteful Washington spending," Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, wrote on X.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, also a Republican serving South Carolina, said in a statement. "President Trump wants to balance the budget and decrease our debt."
Top military officials from France and the United Kingdom visited Kiev on Saturday for high-level talks aimed at ramping up support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

French Chief of Staff Thierry Burkhard travelled to the Ukrainian capital alongside his British counterpart Tony Radakin.

The pair met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov to discuss further military aid for Ukraine and a long-term strategy for the restructuring of the Ukrainian armed forces, Burkhard wrote on X.

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The army chiefs also discussed the deployment of international peacekeeping forces in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, Burkhard said.

France and the UK have signalled willingness to send troops to Ukraine as part of a so-called "coalition of the willing" to monitor a potential ceasefire, but are looking for further partners.

"Together, we want to ensure a lasting and firm peace in Ukraine, which is an important prerequisite for the security of the European continent," Burkhard wrote.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with Chief of the Defence Staff of France Thierry Burkhard during a visit by UK and French military chiefs. -/Ukrainian Presidency/dpa
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the work of the coalition of the willing to deploy troops to Ukraine during a conversation on Saturday, 5 April.

Source: press service of the UK government, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The leaders of the UK and France discussed tariffs imposed by the United States and agreed that "a trade war was in nobodys interests", the statement said.

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Starmer and Macron, the UK government added, also shared concerns about the "global economic and security impact, particularly in South East Asia".

"Following discussions between military planners in Ukraine this week, they [Starmer and Macron  ed.] discussed the good progress that has been made on the Coalition of the Willing," the British UK added.

Background:

On Friday, 4 April, the chiefs of defence of the French and the UK armies visited Kyiv to meet with Ukraine's top leadership.

The purpose of the visit was to discuss the needs and challenges of the Ukrainian army with a view to providing long-term support for the reconstruction and development of its model.

The Ukrainian side then announced regular meetings of military representatives of the coalition of the willing over the next month.

As is known, the so-called coalition of the willing led by France and the UK has been working for several weeks on a plan to send thousands of troops to Ukraine to guarantee the future "ceasefire".

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The Department of Homeland Security has revoked the visas of several University of Kentucky graduate students, campus leaders said Friday evening.

The move affects a small number of international graduate students at UK, President Eli Capilouto said in a news release. The number of students affected was not specified. It comes as the Trump Administration has targeted diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at colleges and universities around the country.

We recognize the impact visa and/or status revocation has on our students, Capilouto said.

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I know, too, that this news will surface many questions. We are working to understand changing federal policies that are impacting many college campuses and are encouraging our international students to reach out to International Student and Scholar Services with immigration-related questions or concerns.

A F-1 visa grants a student the ability to travel to the United States to study at a college or university.

According to the Associated Press, students who have their visas revoked are being ordered to leave the country immediately.

The university will always comply with the law, Capilouto said. We also will make abundantly clear that our more than 1,300 international students and scholars are valued members of this special community.

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When asked if UK students who had learned their visas had been revoked would be allowed to stay enrolled and how many students were affected, UK spokesperson Jay Blanton told the Herald-Leader on Friday evening he was unable to provide additional information.

Other universities in the region reported similar instances of student visas at risk, including the University of Cincinnati and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, news outlets reported.

At Tennessee, four current students and one former student who was working on campus had their visas revoked.

During his campaign for president, Donald Trump promised to deport foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests. In March, Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil was arrested and held for deportation. It was the first publicly known arrest of Trumps crackdown on college students.

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Also in March, the U.S. Department of Education announced it would be investigating more than 50 universities for their diversity, equity and inclusion programs  including UK.

The university later announced it had cut ties with the organization it believed sparked the investigation, The Ph.D. Project, a networking organization for doctoral students.

At the time, Capilouto said there were no UK students actively engaged with the program other than attending an annual conference.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for "sufficient pressure on Russia" after a day of missile and drone strikes that killed at least 23 people and as Kirill Dmitriev -- the CEO of Russia's Direct Investment Fund and an envoy of President Vladimir Putin -- met with officials in the U.S.

Eighteen people were killed -- among them nine children -- in a Russian ballistic missile attack on the central city of Kryvyi Rih on Friday, Oleksandr Vilkul -- the head of the local defense council -- said in a post on Telegram. Another 56 people were injured in the strike, Vilkul said.

U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink wrote in a post to X, "Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih. More than 50 people injured and 16 killed, including 6 children. This is why the war must end."

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Zelenskyy said in a Saturday morning post to Telegram that the American reaction was inadequate.

"Unfortunately, the reaction of the American Embassy is unpleasantly surprising: such a strong country, such strong people -- and such a weak reaction," he said. "They are even afraid to say the word 'Russian' when talking about the missile that killed children."

PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 4, 2025. (Alina Smutko/Reuters)

Russia's Defense Ministry said the strike targeted a meeting of Ukrainian commanders and "Western instructors" at a restaurant in the city. Ukrainian officials disputed the Russian justification.

Zelenskyy said in a statement on Friday evening that the strike in Kryvyi Rih -- his home town -- hit "an area near residential buildings: hitting a playground and regular streets," describing those responsible for the attack as "inhuman."

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The president also reported a strike drone attack in the northeastern city of Kharkiv which killed five people and wounded 34 others. Another attack in the southern city of Kherson "hit an energy facility -- the Kherson thermal power plant," Zelenskyy wrote.

"Yes, the war must end," Zelenskyy wrote in his Saturday morning statement. "But in order to end it, we must not be afraid to call a spade a spade. We must not be afraid to put pressure on the only one who continues this war and ignores all the world's proposals to end it."

"We must put pressure on Russia, which chooses to kill children instead of a ceasefire. We must introduce additional sanctions against those who cannot exist without ballistic strikes on neighboring people. We must do everything possible to save lives."

Russia and Ukraine both launched more strikes overnight into Sunday morning. Ukraine's air force reported 92 drones entering the country overnight, of which 51 were shot down and 31 lost in flight without causing damage. The air force reported damage in the Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions.

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Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 49 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Artyom Zdunov -- the head of the Mordovia region, to the southeast of Moscow -- said in a Telegram post that a drone targeted an industrial site there. "Operational and emergency services are working on the territory," he wrote. "According to preliminary information, there are no casualties."

Andriy Kovalenko -- the head of the Counter-Disinformation Center operating as part of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council -- wrote on Telegram that a strike by "unknown drones" targeted a military industrial complex in Saransk, the capital of Mordovia. Kovalenko said goods produced there are used "in control, communication and data transmission systems, in particular -- in the deployment of secure communication channels for the Russian army and in the control of drones."

Both Ukraine and Russia have accused the other of continuing strikes on energy facilities despite the U.S.-brokered partial ceasefire that all parties said they agreed to last month. The agreement was intended to freeze all attacks on energy infrastructure and in the Black Sea, Kyiv, Moscow and Washington said.

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MORE: Russia launches no strike drones into Ukraine for first time since December

Zelenskyy on Friday again accused Russia of violating the terms of the deal.

"These strikes cannot be accidental," the president said. "The Russians know exactly that these are energy facilities and that such facilities should be protected from any attacks under what Russia itself promised to the American side."

"Every Russian promise ends with missiles or drones, bombs or artillery," he continued.

"Diplomacy means nothing to them. And that's why pressure is needed -- sufficient pressure on Russia so they feel the consequences of every lie of theirs, every strike, every single day they take lives and prolong the war."

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Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also accused Ukraine of violating the partial ceasefire. Moscow passed information about the alleged violations to the U.S., the foreign minister said. On Saturday, Russia's Defense Ministry alleged 14 Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure over the previous 24 hours.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that President Donald Trump's administration is waiting to see whether Moscow is serious about reaching an agreement to end its 3-year-old full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

PHOTO: This handout photograph published on the official Telegram channel of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on April 4, 2025, shows a burned car in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk, after a Russian missile strike. (-/Telegram / @V_Zelensky_official/)

Noting Dmitriev's meetings in Washington this week, Rubio said, "He'll take some messages back" to Moscow. "And the message is, the United States needs to know whether you're serious or not about peace. Ultimately, Putin will have to make that decision."

"If there's a delay tactic, the President's not interested in that," Rubio said. "If this is dragging things out, President Trump's not going to fall into the trap of endless negotiations about negotiations," he added.

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Washington's messages to the Kremlin via Dmitriev were not "threatening," Rubio said, but were instead "more of an explanation ofour timeline," which Rubio said was a matter of "weeks."

"It's pretty short. At the same time as we now have seen, members of Congress have begun to file bills to increase sanctions. So there is going to be growing pressure from Capitol Hill to impose sanctions," Rubio continued. "All these factors have been explained in the nicest way possible. Hopefully he'll take that message back to Moscow."

MORE: Zelenskyy urges 'tough' Russia measures after Trump shows frustration with Putin

As to potential violations of the partial ceasefire, Rubio suggested some incidents were to be expected. "I think there's things they're not striking that they were before," he said.

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But "if all of a sudden we wake up tomorrow and the Russians are launching a massive offensive, then I think that's a pretty clear sign they're not interested in peace," Rubio added. "That hasn't happened yet."

ABC News' Ellie Kaufman, Christopher Boccia, Tanya Stukalova and Oleksiy Pshemyskiy contributed to this report.

US response to Russian ballistic missile strike 'weak,' Zelenskyy says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has proposed a temporary suspension of mandatory electrical inspections for households and commercial buildings, citing the need for broader consultations with key stakeholders. The proposed pause comes amid growing debate around the effectiveness, cost, and implementation of the inspections, which are currently enforced by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) under Statutory Instrument 177 of 2018.In a statement released this week, ZERA emphasised that while electrical inspections are critical for public safety and preventing accidents, there is a pressing need for inclusive dialogue with stakeholders before the programme can proceed further. The Authority said the inspections had been met with concerns from various quarters, necessitating a temporary halt to allow for a comprehensive review."As an Authority, we have proposed that the inspections be shelved for now, pending extensive consultation with our various stakeholders. We recognise the importance of these inspections in safeguarding against unnecessary electrical accidents," the statement read.ZERA's announcement comes in the wake of alarming statistics that show a steady rise in electrical accidents. A joint statement by ZERA and ZETDC revealed that 23 electrical accidents have been recorded so far in 2025, with seven resulting in fatalities. Many of these incidents have been attributed to faulty wiring and outdated electrical infrastructure, prompting renewed calls for improved safety standards.Currently, inspections are mandated at varying intervals depending on property type. Domestic properties are required to undergo inspections every ten years, while commercial, educational, and hospital facilities must be inspected every five years. Industrial properties are subject to inspections every three years, and public venues such as restaurants and cinemas must be inspected annually.ZETDC had adopted a phased approach in carrying out the inspections, ensuring residents were informed beforehand. Although the inspections initially included service fees to cover administrative costs, the Ministry of Energy has suspended those charges pending further discussions. Nonetheless, inspections remain a statutory obligation.According to ZERA, properties that fail an inspection are issued with a detailed report outlining necessary corrective actions. In severe cases where safety is compromised, ZETDC reserves the right to disconnect electricity supply until the faults are rectified.A ZERA official warned that non-compliance with inspection regulations could lead to penalties, including disconnection from the national power grid. "Non-compliance is not an option," the official stated.The proposed suspension highlights the need to strike a balance between maintaining public safety and ensuring that all affected parties are adequately consulted before implementing significant regulatory measures.
Ukraine's General Staff has rejected recent Russian claims that Ukraine has "violated" ceasefire agreements regarding energy facilities, emphasising that Ukrainian defence forces target only military facilities.

Source: Ukraine's General Staff

Quote: "The Russian Ministry of Defence is once again spreading lies about Ukraine's alleged violation of the ceasefire agreements regarding energy facilities. The enemy is doing this solely to shift the world's attention away from the crimes that the Russian state is committing against Ukraine and Ukrainians.

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For example, new disinformation accusations have emerged from the Russian side about 14 'attacks' by the Ukrainian defence forces against Russian energy infrastructure during the day on 4 April. The 'attacks' are fake.

In fact, the Ukrainian defence forces have been targeting only the military targets of the Russian occupation army."

Details: The General Staff stressed that it is the Russians who disregard any agreements and carry out attacks against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and civilian towns and villages.

In particular, the Ukrainian military highlighted the Russian attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih on 4 April, which resulted in the deaths of 9 children and 9 adults, with 62 others injured, along with other attacks.

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"The defence ministry of the terrorist state is once again resorting to false accusations, trying to shift its own responsibility for the prolongation of the war and the loss of life onto Ukraine. We hope that the world will not accept Russian lies and will condemn yet another brutal Russian war crime," the General Staff stressed.

Background:

On Thursday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Ukrainian defence forces are adhering to the terms of the "energy truce", while Russian media outlets are spreading false claims about Ukraine's attacks on energy facilities in Russia and the occupied territories.

Meanwhile, numerous violations of these agreements by the Russian military have been recorded.

Pavlo Palisa, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President's Office, stated that Ukraine considers the ceasefire agreements to be in effect while also providing the United States with evidence of Russian attacks.

However, Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, who was visiting Washington, accused Ukraine of violating the energy truce during an appearance on US television.

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(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday expressed disappointment in the U.S. embassy's response to a Russian missile strike that killed 18 people, including nine children, in Zelenskiy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih.

Zelenskiy, who has been cautious about openly criticizing Washington since an uneasy White House meeting with President Donald Trump in February, wrote on social media site X that several embassies in Kyiv had condemned Friday's attack and singled out Russia for carrying it out.

He noted that the message from the U.S. embassy made no reference to Russia in condemning the attack.

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"Unfortunately, the response from the U.S. Embassy is surprisingly disappointing  such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction," Zelenskiy wrote in English.

"They are afraid to even say the word 'Russian' when speaking about the missile that murdered children."

Later, in his nightly video address, Zelenskiy praised those who "speak the truth clearly and directly" about the attack.

"Staying silent about the fact that it is Russia killing children with ballistic missiles is wrong and dangerous," he said. "It only encourages the criminals in Moscow to continue the war and ignore diplomacy. Weakness has never ended a war."

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U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink, writing on X about the strike, said: "Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih. More than 50 people injured and 16 killed, including 6 children. This is why the war must end."

Under President Trump, the United States has moved to improve relations with Russia, a shift from the approach of his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Zelenskiy has made efforts to smooth over relations with Trump since the Oval Office altercation and praised U.S. efforts to work towards a settlement of the three-year-old war with Russia.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski; editing by Diane Craft)
Ukrainian deep-strike drones hit Russian fiber-optic and explosives factories on the night of April 4.

The strikes targeted factories in Samara and Mordovia oblasts. A source with the Ukrainian State Security Service (SBU) confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that they were behind at least the strikes in Samara Oblast.

"SBU strike drones attacked 'Promsintez' in Chapayevsk, in Samara Oblast. The factory is one of the leading manufacturers of explosives in the Russian Federation and the Commonwealth of Independent States," writes a source in the SBU, who said their drones hit the factory 20 times. "As a result, the leadership of the factory have stopped their technological processes."

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Footage from local media show attacks on Saransk in Moravia Oblast the same night. One local source identified the building hit as a factory belonging to a company called "Fiber Optic Systems."

Russian investigative outlet Insider identifies Fiber Optic Systems as the main producer of optical fiber in Russia. Fiber-optic drones are resistant to electronic warfare interference. Russia's mass production of such drones has greatly enhanced the offensive power of the Russian military, most notably in their recent recapture of territory in Kursk Oblast.

Insider similarly identified Fiber Optic Systems as a remarkably effective link in the chain providing Russia with foreign-derived components for its war machine.

The governors of both oblasts announced no casualties as a result of the strikes.

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Of the Promsintez strike, the SBU source said in a statement, "the SBU is continuing to work precisely through Russian businesses, that are part of the military-industrial complex and produce weapons for the war against Ukraine. Such objects are absolutely legal military targets."

Ukraine has invested heavily in its long-range strike drone programs, as well as more traditional missiles, in an effort to reach Russian infrastructure far from the front.

Russia, meanwhile, uses its much larger arsenal of ballistic missiles to strike civilian targets throughout Ukraine. One such strike hit a playground in Kryvyi Rih earlier today, killing 19, including 9 children.

Read also: Inside Ukraines desperate race to train more soldiers

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukrainian refugees were mistakenly sent intimidating emails on Friday telling them it was time to leave the United States.

Migrant Insider reported late Friday that Ukrainian constituents reported receiving emails informing them that their parole status under the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program had been terminated.

LOTS of confusion on this one, so lets dig in



Below is a screenshot of the message from DHS to Ukrainian parolees, which the agency now says was sent by MISTAKE.



A clarification from @TriciaOhio or someone official would be helpful here. https://t.co/tyeGechzQI pic.twitter.com/mzR5go52Np  Pablo Manriquez (@PabloReports) April 4, 2025

The email, which was reportedly sent by the Department of Homeland Security, reads, It is time for you to leave the United States... the DHS is now exercising its discretion to terminate your parole. Unless it expires sooner, your parole will terminate 7 days from the date of this notice.

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The email continues, If you do not depart the United States immediately you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal from the United States."

The U4U program was established by the Biden administration in April 2022 in order to establish a streamlined process to provide Ukrainian citizens who have fled Russias unprovoked war of aggression opportunities to come to the United States.

Under the program, participants were granted parole status for up to two years, after which they could apply for work permits. Many Ukrainians have since obtained temporary protected status that is not set to expire until October 2026.

As part of his wave of Day One executive orders, President Donald Trump ordered DHS officials to terminate all categorical programs and paused admissions for Ukrainians under the U4U program. This order prevented those already in the U.S. from renewing their parole status and work permits, and stopped new admissions into the country. Last month, Trump suggested he may also revoke the temporary legal residency granted to U4U participants.

According to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, the parole program, which covers 240,000 Ukrainian refugees, has not been terminated. While the emails were sent in error, McLaughlin did not state whether a final determination had been made about Ukrainian refugees status, or when, if ever, the emails were supposed to be sent.
(KRON)  A San Francisco man accused of stealing from a beauty store fled on a scooter, according to the Colma Police Department.

At around 1:02 p.m. on March 24, Colma police responded to the report of a theft at Ulta Beauty on Colma Boulevard. Responding officers were told a suspect, later identified as Walter Reynaldo Delgado, took multiple items and then fled on a scooter.

Photo: Colma PD

Colma PD said officers located Reynaldo Delgado, 25, near Junipero Serra Boulevard and Colma Boulevard. After the police received confirmation that Reynaldo Delgado was the suspected thief, he was arrested.

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Reynaldo Delgado shoplifted approximately $1,193 worth of merchandise, police said.

He was arrested and booked into San Mateo County Jail for grand theft.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
President Donald Trump was blindsided by news that Elon Musk would be briefed on secret plans for a potential war with China at the Pentagon in March, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

The paper reported on Friday that Trump was unhappy when he found out that Musk was set to get the briefing and frustrated that he hadnt received advance notice, especially given Musks business interests in the region.

The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Beasts request for comment on the Journals report.

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News of the planned briefing broke ahead of Musks meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, sparking outcry from the presidents critics, who pointed to Musks business in China as a major conflict of interest.

The reports altered what the two men wound up actually discussing. Despite still touching on China, the conversation didnt include any classified information.

Although Trump publicly dismissed the report as fake news and claimed there was never any plan for Musk to be briefed on a China war plan, behind closed doors, he was upset that he had been caught off guard.

Elon Musk joins Donald Trump in the Oval Office. / Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Musk, who reportedly requested the briefing himself, at the time dismissed the reporting as pure propaganda, but in the same breath threatened prosecution against those leaking information to the press.

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Musk is a tech billionaire whom Trump tapped to cut waste and fraud from federal spending. However, his blunt approach to cutting thousands of federal jobs has roiled even White House insiders. Trump has reportedly told his Cabinet that Musk will be stepping down from his post atop DOGE within the next several weeks.

Maintaining an informal advisory role to the White House, the worlds richest man is expected to return much of his focus to the businesses he owns, such as Tesla, X, and SpaceX.

Amid blowback to Musks moves at DOGE, with his attention seemingly occupied by politics, Teslas stock price has plummeted, angering some of its investors.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  United We Stand, a rally and march for solidarity and change, traveled about two miles from South Sioux City to the Federal Building in Sioux City.

There were about 50 marchers holding up signs and voicing chants. Organizers said this was a nonviolent event, with multiple speakers raising concerns about the government.

Siouxland District Health Department holds health fair

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Each person had their own reason for marching on Friday. One organizer, Jessica Lopez-Walker, said she did it for immigration rights.

My kids, they go by Lopez-Walker too. So you know getting the card is a real thing, she said. Having those talks with the kids is a real thing. My little girl got up for school and she was like oh my God, I have to go save my friend, wheres my ID? And we shouldnt have to have those kinds of talks, but here we are.

The marchers stopped at three different locations: the Siouxland Veterans Memorial Bridge, the Anderson Dance Pavilion, and the Federal Building in Sioux City. At each stop, a speech and a prayer were given.

Iowa National Guard holds town halls ahead of troop deployment

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Us organizing this event, were all open to communicate on how to build these bridges, organizer Manape LaMere, a rally organizer. Thats why we made it a prayer walk. Thats why we made a prayer on the bridge, was to bridge South Sioux, the different families that all worked together and spend money in this community.

Another rally will be held on Saturday with a different organization. That one will go from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Federal Building in Sioux 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 SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
Ive known two important people in my life, and Kyung Won K.W. Lee is one of them. For over four decades, his larger-than-life presence affected me deeply. He was a mentor, an associate, a partner and a friend.

He died on March 8 at the age of 96 in Sacramento.

Lee immigrated to the United States in 1950. A student during his first five years here, he earned journalism degrees from West Virginia University and the University of Illinois.

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After two years at a Tennessee newspaper, Lee was hired by the Charleston Gazette, the paper of record in West Virginia. For 15 years, the so-called Chinaman investigative reporter made waves by tirelessly finding corruption in government, unions, businesses or anywhere else victims of race and poverty were found. His articles spawned indictments and legislative changes.

Opinion

In 1956, while out on assignment, Lee met an emergency room nurse, Peggy Flowers. Their love blossomed, and for 60 years, she was his rock. The two went on to have three children together. A dogged reporter dedicated to work needed solidity and balance at home. Peggy was the yin to his yang.

K.W. Lee, left, and Steve Chanecka sweep streets before a Korean festival.

Heat-seeking missile

As a Korean reporter in the Deep South in the 50s and 60s, Lee became a pioneer. In 1970, local Mingo County, West Virginia official Huey Perry said, The day K.W. Lee left for California, the people wept. They knew he had done what he came to do.

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Hired by The Sacramento Union in 1970, Lee immediately made a mark, making headlines that impacted nuclear power, welfare policy and legislative pensions. His landmark 51-part series in 1974, Under the Golden Dome, pierced every hidden corner of excessive spending and special privilege rampant in state government. His editor called him a heat-seeking missile. Over the years, he garnered more than 40 awards for journalism.

K.W. Lee, left, and Steve Chanecka work on an issue of Koreatown Weekly in 1979.

Chol Soo Lee

In 1973, he learned of a Korean immigrant youth who was charged in a Chinese gangland-style murder in San Francisco. For several years, he investigated and dug for facts. Through his dogged reporting, it became clear to Lee that the youth who was charged, Chol Soo Lee, was innocent. It was a they all look alike mistake enabled by sloppy police work.

In prison, Chol Soo Lee killed an inmate in self-defense. He was shipped to San Quentins Death Row. But K.W. Lee kept writing articles about his case  nearly 100 at The Union and later in Los Angeles at Koreatown Weekly  which galvanized a large and active pan-Asian group of supporters. These Asian Americans knew discrimination firsthand. And, as a result of the reporters investigations, the San Francisco murder case was overturned. Chol Soo Lee walked out of San Quentin in May of 1983.

Lee practiced Colombo style tactics. Seemingly naive and wide-eyed, in truth he knew how to pinch important details from those he interviewed. One particularly special skill was finding that unheralded, secret source  maybe an office clerk  who shared his disgust with corruption and abuse. These important but unknown common folks supplied Lee with the necessary evidence to nail wrongdoers in every corner of society.

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Lees style was his own. He was boisterous, loud and bawdy in his language and sense of humor, and he was beloved by all. He dressed the part of those he loved and worked to help  the afflicted, and the downtrodden. His work came first. Money meant little to him, and he lived near the poverty line for years.

An unknown giant

Despite 50 years churning out important stories that made a difference, Lee was an unknown giant in journalism. Those who did know him revere his memory and work. An important documentary film, Free Chol Soo Lee, debuted at Sundance in 2022 to wide acclaim. It has since aired on PBS and in more than 20 countries.

K.W. Lee at Sacramentos Tower Theatre.

His work has inspired Asian-American journalists and social activism. Supporters in 2003 created the K.W. Lee Center for Leadership in Los Angeles, which offers youth leadership training and educational programs that encourage community organizing.

I lived with Lee for two years in Los Angeles as we established Koreatown Weekly, the first English language newspaper for Koreans in America. For 40 years, I collaborated on projects with him. I knew both the public Lee and his private side.

Ill forever miss him.

Steve Chanecka, a co-founder of Koreatown Weekly, has lived in Sacramento since 1977 and has worked in journalism for 20 years in addition to some entrepreneurial ventures.
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Naturally mummified human remains found in the Takarkori rock shelter in the Sahara desert point to a previously unknown human population. | Credit:  Archaeological Mission in the Sahara, Sapienza University of Rome

Two 7,000-year-old mummies belong to a previously unknown human lineage that remained isolated in North Africa for thousands of years, a new study finds.

The mummies are the remains of women who once lived in the "Green Sahara," also known as the African Humid Period. Between 14,500 and 5,000 years ago, the now-inhospitable Sahara was a humid and verdant savanna, home to humans who hunted and eventually herded animals alongside lakes and rivers.

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DNA from the two mummies revealed that the never-before-seen North African lineage was distinct and isolated from populations living in sub-Saharan Africa around the same time. The findings, reported April 2 in the journal Nature , suggest there was little genetic exchange across the Green Sahara during this time, though some cultural practices may have spread through the region.

Between 2003 and 2006, archaeologists unearthed the remains of 15 individuals in the Takarkori rock shelter, located near the middle of the Sahara in what is now southwestern Libya. The site included evidence of human occupation and pastoralism, or herding, dating back more than 8,000 years. Of the 15 individuals, most of whom were women and children, two had naturally mummified, which helped preserve their DNA.

"We were very fortunate to have samples preserved at this level," study co-author Nada Salem , a paleogeneticist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, told Science magazine . The region's high temperatures can quickly break down the DNA in human remains, leaving few examples of ancient DNA in the region.

A 2019 study examined mitochondrial DNA from the same remains. However, mitochondrial DNA, which is only inherited from the mother, doesn't provide as much information about population dynamics as DNA from chromosomes, which is inherited from both parents. To obtain this genome-wide data, the researchers extracted preserved DNA from the mummified remains and compared it with DNA from about 800 present-day individuals from Africa, the Near East and southern Europe, along with 117 ancient genomes from the same regions.

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Related: Could the Sahara ever be green again?

The Takarkori individuals possessed genetic markers distinct from populations in sub-Saharan Africa, the team found, suggesting they were from a previously unknown and relatively isolated lineage that diverged from sub-Saharan African populations some 50,000 years ago. But the individuals did have some ancestors from the Levant, a stretch of land bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The Takarkori DNA also showed traces of Neanderthal ancestry that could only have been acquired outside of Africa, as Neanderthals lived in Eurasia. But the mummies' genomes contained 10 times less Neanderthal DNA than those of people living outside of Africa today.

Ancient human remains were found at the Takarkori rock shelter in southern Libya. | Credit: View of the Takarkori rock shelter in Southern Libya.

The findings suggest that the Green Sahara didn't act as a migration corridor between sub-Saharan Africa and northern Africa. However, archaeological evidence suggests that cultural exchange between the regions did occur.

"We know now that they were isolated in terms of genetics, but not in cultural terms," study co-author Savino di Lernia , an archaeologist at Sapienza University of Rome, told CNN . "There's a lot of networks that we know from several parts of the continent, because we have pottery coming from sub-Saharan Africa. We have pottery coming from the Nile Valley and the like."

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13 ancient Egyptian mummies found with gold tongues to help them talk in the afterlife

'The stage was now set for the birth and growth of desert dunes': How the Sahara turned from a vast forest to the arid landscape we see today

28,000-year-old Neanderthal-and-human 'Lapedo child' lived tens of thousands of years after our closest relatives went extinct

The rise of pastoralism in the Sahara also likely arose from interactions with other groups that were raising domesticated animals at the time, rather than through large-scale migrations, the researchers suspected.

This isolated lineage no longer exists in its original form today, but at some point people from this lineage mingled with outsiders, which is why some people living in North Africa today have inherited pieces of this genetic heritage, the researchers found.
Residents are expressing their concerns after police say homes in their neighborhood are being targeted. Channel 9s Almiya White spoke with neighbors who are now on high alert.

While the Highgate neighborhood does have security measures, such as Flock Safety cameras that can read license plates. However, the suspects were still able to get away even with that safety measure in place.

People just have a much-heightened sense of awareness, and theyre paying attention, said resident Bill Poston. It became the talk of the neighborhood the next day. So, I think everyone was unsettled, to say the least.

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According to the Union County Sheriffs Office, more than 20 burglaries have been reported in the area over the past three years, which is considered high.

Deputies said this recent incident, where three Colombian nationals have been arrested in connection with a residential burglary in the Highgate neighborhood of Weddington.

The suspects, identified as Joiner Jhosuet Cortes Morales, Terry Stiven Cajamarca-Grijalba, and Cristian Hernan Pirajan-Rivera, were apprehended in Columbia, South Carolina.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 3 Colombian nationals arrested in Highgate residential burglary

They make quick entry into the back of homes, usually breaking some sort of glass on a door or a window, and are in and out in less than 5-10 minutes, explained Lieutenant James Maye.

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They are believed to be part of a transnational criminal enterprise known as the South American Theft Group, which has targeted high-end residential properties across the United States in recent months. Once inside the homes, they grab jewelry, guns, cash, and other expensive items.

They were pretty well organized. They really were, and they seemed to know what they were doing and which houses to pick, said Poston.

Lieutenant James Maye said theyre still working to learn how the groups operation works.

Thats another thing that the local, state, and federal agencies involved are trying to tie in: How are they picking this home versus the other, and what are they doing with the goods? said Maye.

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In the meantime, residents told Channel 9 they are doing what they have to do to protect their homes.

We did actually change our security system a little bit. We added a couple of door locks, said resident Amanda Sturner.

The sheriffs office is encouraging residents to utilize deadbolts, security cameras, and an alarm system. They are also offering free residential checks.

VIDEO: 3 Colombian nationals arrested in Highgate residential burglary








Apr. 4SAN ANTONIO  Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 259 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 28 through April 3.

Among the new cases, Mexican national Miguel Angel Torres-Segura resided illegally in San Antonio and was arrested March 28 for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. A criminal complaint alleges that Torres-Segura participated in a human smuggling organization (HSO) that transported illegal aliens using tractor trailers, carrying out at least 19 human smuggling events and leading to the apprehension of more than 900 aliens between May 2021 and June 2022. Torres-Segura allegedly communicated with high-level leaders and organizers and assisted the HSO by transporting aliens and preparing tractor trailers for transport. Torres-Segura has multiple convictions, including two illegal entries in 2009 and 2010 and an illegal re-entry in 2011. He was convicted again for illegal re-entry on March 26 following an October 2024 arrest and has now been charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.

On March 26, 2025, in Presidio County, Texas, Miguel Andres Aguilar, a citizen and national of Mexico, was found in the United States illegally after having been preciously deported. Aguilar was removed in February 2017 through San Ysidro California. Border Patrol Agents had determined Aguilar had been deported from the US on four prior occasions.

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On March 31, 2025, at the Camino Real International Bridge II in Eagle Pass, Texas, Customs and Border Protection Officers conducting outbound operations observed a black semi-automatic pistol in the luggage being carried by Roman Lagunas-Nazario. Lagunas, a permanent resident alien, advised officers that he lives in Mexico and was in the US to visit family in Houston. He admitted being hired to transport the firearm to Mexico for $100. Lagunas was charged with smuggling goods from the United States and faces imprisonment for up to 10 years.

On March 27, 2025, Victor Alfonso Cruz-Garcia was charged with illegal reentry after deportation in Del Rio, Texas, after being arrested by US Border Patrol Agents. Cruz had been previously removed from the US on two occasions and was previously convicted of second degree murder.

Customs and Border Protection Officers at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry arrested Juan Sebastian Cortez-Calzada on March 26, 2025. Cortez was taken to Passport Control Secondary where record checks confirmed that he is a native and citizen of Mexico with no legal right to enter the United States. Record checks further revealed that Cortez was deported to Mexico on February 22, 2012, through the Port of Laredo, Texas. Additionally, Cortez has a felony conviction for a controlled substance prior to his removal.

Ronald Keith Henderson Jr. was arrested near Eagle Pass, Texas on Sunday, March 27, 2025. The driver of a gray Chevrolet Malibu, he was stopped near the Kickapoo Reservation in Eagle Pass. Three subjects in the vehicle were determined to be illegally present in the United States and freely admitted to had just crossed the Rio Grande River. Henderson admitted to conspiring with unknown subjects to transport aliens further into the United States.

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Carlos Heliberto Solares y Solares, a Guatemalan citizen, traveling in a Chevrolet Malibu with California plates entered a checkpoint in Hudspeth County Texas on March 28, 2025. Solares told agents he was traveling from Los Angeles to Houston to visit his daughter. From Statements made by Solares, it was determined he was without immigration documents allowing him to remain in the United States legally. During an interview with Border Patrol Agents, Solares was asked if he knew he had been ordered removed by a judge and needed to leave the United States in which Solares stated "yes." Solares was ordered removed by an immigration judge on December 05, 2007. Solares had been previously convicted for cruelty to the elderly and domestic violence in 2021 and 2022.

In an area known as Rusty's Canyon approximately 31 miles east of Fort Hancock Texas, Leonela Alejandra Prado-Sanchez was apprehended attempting to conceal herself in the brush. Prado was determined to be a native and citizen of Honduras without immigration documents allowing her to be in the United States legally. Prado had previously been removed from the United States to Mexico on February 5, 2025 through Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

On April 1, 2025, Mexican national Gabriel Gonzalez Carillo was arrested in Hudspeth County 31 miles from Fort Hancock Texas Point of Entry. Gonzalez told agents that he would be paid to be a foot guide and that he was obtaining routes and other information via messages from an unknown smuggler in Mexico. Gonzalez and other illegal aliens were found attempting to conceal themselves in the brush in an area known as Rusty's Canyon.

Kelvin Sauceda-Reyes, a passenger on a Greyhound Bus that entered an immigration inspection lane in Hudspeth County was placed under arrest on March 30, 2025. Sauceda, a citizen of Honduras, handed Border Patrol Agents and expired immigration document. Further search by agents revealed fraudulent Social Security Card and a fraudulent Lawfully Permanent Resident card in his wallet. After questions, Sauceda admitted he purchased the documents for $70 USD.

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Luis Alberto Escobedo-Duenas was found approximately 2.8 miles west of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry in Fort Hancock, Texas. Escobedo is a citizen and national of Mexico who had previously been removed from the US on seven prior convictions and had been previously convicted of illegal entry in El Paso, Texas in 2008, on federal drug trafficking charges in Alpine, Texas in 2012 for which he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release, on Indiana state marijuana dealing charges in 2015 for which he was sentenced to two years imprisonment in 2017, on Indiana state resisting law enforcement charges for which he was sentenced to one year imprisonment also in 2017, and was sentenced in 2018 to 13 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release after his 2012 supervised release was revoked. Escobedo was arrested and charged in federal court in El Paso with illegal reentry after deportation.

Eduardo Garcia-Gutierrez will face illegal reentry after deportation charges in El Paso, Texas, after he was arrested at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. Garcia presented himself for entry indicating he wanted to travel to California. Garcia admitted that he did not have entry documents and was a citizen of Mexico who had previously been removed from the US. Records checks revealed that Garcia had been previously removed on nine prior occasions, with the last being in 2023. Criminal records check revealed Garcia had been convicted of transportation/sale of narcotics in 1994 for which he was sentenced to three years imprisonment, possession of narcotics and use of false citizenship documents in 1996 for which he was sentenced to three years imprisonment and was sentenced on four occasions for probation violations from 2018 to 2023.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas  San Antonio, Austin and El Paso  and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

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These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The U.S. Embassy to Ukraine's response to Russia's attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on April 4, which killed 19 people and injured 68, was "unpleasantly surprising," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 5.

"Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih," U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink posted on X following a Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih on April 4. "This is why the war must end."

Zelensky took issue with Brink's refusal to denounce Russia for the strike, which included an Iskander ballistic missile with cluster munition touching down on a playground in Zelensky's hometown.

Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih. More than 50 people injured and 16 killed, including 6 children. This is why the war must end. pic.twitter.com/DOQlyw8C7u  Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) April 4, 2025

"Unfortunately, the response from the U.S. Embassy is surprisingly disappointing  such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction. They are afraid to even say the word 'Russian' when speaking about the missile that murdered children," Zelensky tweeted in response.

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"We must pressure Russia  the one choosing to kill children instead of choosing a ceasefire."

A roster of European leaders have already denounced the attack on Kryvyi Rih. Many in NATO are likewise trying to amplify pressure on the Kremlin to sign on to the ceasefire agreement that Ukraine and the U.S. agreed to earlier in March.

Read also: Inside Ukraines desperate race to train more soldiers

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
US deputy special envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, began an official visit to Lebanon with a "constructive" meeting with President Joseph Aoun on Saturday, according to a statement from the president's office.

The visit comes against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, which came into effect in November.

The talks focused on key issues, including the situation in southern Lebanon and the country's ongoing economic reforms aimed at combating corruption, the presidential statement said.

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Ortagus also held separate meetings with Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri.

According to Lebanese media, Ortagus was also scheduled to meet with the Lebanese army chief and the governor of the central bank, as well as several other officials and political figures in the financially troubled country.

A senior Lebanese official told the Al-Joumhouria newspaper that Lebanon's leaders planned to stress the need for full implementation of the ceasefire deal.

In recent weeks, several rockets have been fired from southern Lebanon towards northern Israel. The Iran-backed Hezbollah militia has denied responsibility.

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Israel retaliated to the attacks by striking Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that Ortagus' talks with Salam focused on financial and economic reforms.

The US envoy praised the government's reform agenda, which includes lifting banking secrecy, drafting a banking sector reform law, launching a new mechanism for public appointments, and administrative and institutional revamps, according to the report.

Ortagus also expressed satisfaction with recent security measures at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, NNA reported without elaborating.

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Talks also covered Lebanon's border with Syria, where Hezbollah once had a foothold under the now-toppled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, NNA said.

It reported that the discussions emphasized the importance of asserting full control to prevent unrest and smuggling across the border. Ortagus has not made any public remarks.
BEIRUT (AP)  A senior U.S. envoy visited Beirut on Saturday amid a fragile ceasefire with Israel and mounting U.S. pressure on Lebanon to rein in the militant Hezbollah group, urging the Lebanese army to assert control over all national territory and prevent arms smuggling along the Syrian border.

Deputy U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, who has been leading shuttle diplomacy between Lebanon and Israel under U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, met with Lebanons President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri.

Ortagus emphasized the need for the Lebanese Army to assert control over all Lebanese territory, not just south of the Litani River  a boundary demarcated by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 that prohibits armed Hezbollah presence south of the river following the 2006 war with Israel. The boundary was reaffirmed with the November U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended the 14-month war between Hezbollah and Israel.

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In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Aoun, a former army commander, described his meeting with Ortagus, in which they discussed regional security and economic recovery, as constructive."

Regarding Hezbollahs disarmament  a key U.S. demand  Ortagus praised the efforts of the Lebanese army but stressed that Washington expects further progress, a Lebanese official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to make public comments, told The Associated Press.

Ortagus also stressed the importance of preventing tension and smuggling along the Lebanese-Syrian border, the official said. In mid-March, clashes erupted between Syrian security forces and local Lebanese factions along the border, resulting in multiple casualties on both sides. A subsequent ceasefire was brokered to ease tensions, but the clashes have reignited fears of broader instability along the border.

During her meeting with Salam, Ortagus welcomed Lebanese officials willingness to engage in shuttle diplomacy to resolve Israels withdrawal from five strategic positions it still holds in southern Lebanon, despite a missed deadline under the ceasefire agreement to entirely withdraw, the official told the AP. Ortagus made no public remarks after she met with Lebanese officials.

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Israel maintains control over five strategic hilltops in southern Lebanon, citing their importance for security as they provide key vantage points to monitor Hezbollah movements and prevent potential threats along the border.

Ortagus commended the Lebanese governments reform plan, including steps like lifting banking secrecy, drafting a banking sector reform law, launching a new mechanism for appointments in state institutions and moving forward with administrative and institutional reform. She also underscored the urgency of finalizing an agreement with the International Monetary Fund.

She also held talks with Berri, a Hezbollah ally who helped broker the ceasefire with Israel. Berri criticized continued Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and the Beirut suburbs, accusing Israel of violating the truce and U.N. Resolution 1701, according to the state-run National News Agency.

Israel has continued airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, including two recent strikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, saying it is targeting Hezbollah and Hamas operatives and weapons depots. Rockets were also recently fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, for which Hezbollah has denied responsibility.
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - While National Security Agency chief General Timothy Haugh apparently was not told why he was abruptly fired this week, a far-right activist who urged President Donald Trump to dismiss him offered one explanation: his alleged ties to retired Army general and Trump critic Mark Milley.

In an X post on Friday, conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer denounced Haugh as "HAND PICKED by General Milley" without providing evidence. This set off a storm of speculation among current and former Pentagon officials about who might be next, given the hundreds of people Milley worked with during a four-decade military career.

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Many current and former officials said they worry any national security official could be suspected of disloyalty by Trump's inner circle because of their perceived links to officials who have fallen out of favor or just for having served in key roles during Joe Biden's presidency.

A former senior official said that every four-star general should now be concerned about their future and wondered whether Loomer would go after other officials whose promotions or nominations could somehow be linked to Milley, even if the link is tenuous.

"I will be releasing more names of individuals who should not be in the Trump administration due to their questionable loyalty & past attacks on President Trump," Loomer wrote on X.

Uniformed members of the military have long prided themselves on being non-partisan executors of U.S. government policy. But Democratic lawmakers said the firings showed Trump was willing to trade away an apolitical military for one that is loyal to him.

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"He is sending a chilling message throughout the ranks: don't give your best military advice, or you may face consequences," said Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The news of Haugh's firing, along with those of NSA Deputy Director Wendy Noble and at least 10 members of the White House national security council, marked an unpredictable and potentially deepening national security purge.

In recent weeks, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General C.Q. Brown, as well as other admirals, generals and security staff have already been dismissed.

If ties to Milley are one litmus test for loyalty for Trump's administration, a possibility first reported by Reuters, many more leaders could be vulnerable.

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Those promoted during Milley's career include General Michael Kurilla, who leads U.S. forces in the Middle East, or General Christopher Cavoli, head of U.S. troops in Europe. Both are nearing retirement.

General James Mingus, Army vice chief of staff, and Major General James Work, leader of the 82nd Airborne Division, are two more seen as potential targets, officials added.

However, Milley would only have acted as an adviser on such promotions, which are decided by the president and the defense secretary.

'WANNABE DICTATOR'

Milley was Trump's top military adviser between 2019 and early 2021 then had a dramatic falling out with his boss. At his retirement ceremony in 2023, Milley took a veiled jab at Trump, saying U.S. troops take an oath to the Constitution and not a "wannabe dictator."

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Milley called Trump "fascist to the core" in a book by journalist Bob Woodward published last year.

Within hours of Trump's inauguration on January 20, the Pentagon removed Milley's picture from a portrait display of all former top U.S. military officers. It then revoked his personal security detail and his security clearance and announced an inquiry that could lead to a demotion in rank.

Loomer met with Trump at the White House a day before Haugh's dismissal on Thursday, and multiple sources said she provided Trump with a list of national security staff whom she said were disloyal to the president.

In her X post on Friday, Loomer, who has previously promoted Islamophobic conspiracy theories, thanked Trump for "being receptive" to her recommendations about who should be fired. Trump told reporters he would let go of people "that may have loyalties to someone else."

(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Additional reporting by Erin Banco in New York; Editing by Don Durfee and Cynthia Osterman)
CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ)  The Fuel the Cause campaign is returning for another year to help firefighters fund the important work they do.

The event, hosted by Nittany MinitMart, aims to support 40 fire companies across 12 counties in Central Pennsylvania, according to a press release. It has raised over half a million dollars over the past six years since its inception. Anyone can participate by getting fuel at a Nittany MinitMart.

For every $0.02 of every gallon of fuel purchased at Nittany MinitMart, Nittany MinitMart and PA Skills is giving back to the community of that fire company, Division Manager Nicole Masullo said.

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Legislation aims to provide funding to community colleges to train first responders

Firefighter at Penfield Volunteer Fire Company Shawn Agosti says fundraisers like this are valuable because the average cost for their gear is around $4,000.

Some departments cant even afford to get their new members gear, Agosti said.

Without new gear to replace the current set, it can lead to potentially dangerous situations for firefighters.

Firefighters shouldnt have to be trying to shuffle gloves between each other, or trying to find someone elses jacket because they dont have theirs or theirs is not fire retardant anymore. And thats the reality were dealing with at some of our fire companies, Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-171) said.

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Agosti said that events like Fuel the Cause free up firefighters from having to fundraise everything themselves, which can often consume time they do not have.

Causes like this need to happen more often across the state to get people to support their volunteer fire departments, Agosti said. When you need us, were there.

Get the latest news, weather forecasts and sports stories delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters.

At the end of the presentation, MinitMart revealed that all firefighters will get a $0.07 per gallon discount if they access the MinitRewards app. Fuel the Cause lasts all of April and May.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
By David Morgan, Richard Cowan and Bo Erickson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate approved a Republican budget blueprint early on Saturday that aims to extend trillions of dollars worth of President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts and sharply reduce government spending.

The 51-48 vote, following a late-night legislative session, unlocks a maneuver called budget reconciliation that will allow Republicans to bypass the Senate's filibuster - a rule that imposes a 60-vote threshold on most legislation - and pass Trump's tax, border security and military priorities later this year without Democratic votes.

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"Tonight, the Senate took one small step toward reconciliation and one giant leap toward making the tax cuts permanent, securing the border, providing much-needed help for the military and finally cutting wasteful Washington spending," Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said.

Two Republicans - Senators Susan Collins and Rand Paul - joined Democrats in opposing the measure.

The Senate's action sent the measure on to the Republican-led House of Representatives, which is expected to take it up next week.

Non-partisan analysts say the Trump agenda, if enacted, would add about $5.7 trillion to the federal government's debt over the next decade. Senate Republicans contend the cost is $1.5 trillion, saying that the effects of extending existing tax policy that was scheduled to expire at the end of this year should not be counted in the measure's cost.

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The measure also aims to raise the federal government's debt ceiling by $5 trillion, a move Congress has to make by summer or risk defaulting on $36.6 trillion in debt. It aims to partly offset the deficit-raising costs of tax cuts by cutting spending. Democrats have warned that Republican targets would imperil the Medicaid health insurance program for low-income Americans.

Republicans warned that allowing the 2017 tax cuts to expire would hit Americans hard, imposing a 22% tax hike on the average taxpayer. The cuts, Trump's signature legislative achievement of his first term, reduced the top corporate tax rate to 21% from 35%, a move that is not set to expire.

The remainder of the cuts, for individual Americans, were set to expire, a decision made to limit the 2017 bill's deficit-raising effects.

"Donald Trump has betrayed the American people. Tonight, Senate Republicans joined him in that betrayal. In voting for this bill, Senate Republicans sided with billionaires against the middle class, in total obeisance to Donald Trump," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said after the vote.

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BRUTAL SELL-OFF

Hanging over the debate, which began late on Thursday, was a brutal stock market sell-off following Trump's sweeping new trade tariffs, which economists warned will drive up prices and could trigger a recession.

Some Republicans said economic uncertainty could slow the path forward for Trump's agenda if market weakness continues.

"My concern is, if we are having the kind of conversation today three weeks from now, then the distraction will be so great that it will slow down what we try to do," Republican Senator Thom Tillis told reporters.

During a six-hour "vote-a-rama" session to consider amendments, Senate Republicans altered the blueprint to add a deficit-neutral reserve fund to help protect Medicaid and the Medicare healthcare program for the elderly.

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Republicans also turned away dozens of Democratic amendments aimed at rescinding Trump trade tariffs and protecting Medicaid, Medicare, nutrition support for low-income women and children, the Social Security retirement system, veterans benefits and other government assistance.

Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski, Josh Hawley and Collins backed Democratic measures to safeguard social safety-net programs, but their support was not enough.

If House Republicans get their way, Congress could enact $2 trillion in spending cuts by overhauling Medicaid and food assistance programs and by eliminating popular environmental policies.

The budget blueprint would also make room for tighter security measures along the U.S. border with Mexico, fund administration efforts to significantly ramp up immigrant deportations and bolster U.S. military readiness.

(Reporting by David Morgan, Richard Cowan and Bo Erickson; Editing by Scott Malone, Rosalba O'Brien, Aidan Lewis)
By David Lawder and Trevor Hunnicutt

WASHINGTON/JUPITER, Florida (Reuters) -U.S. customs agents began collecting President Donald Trump's unilateral 10% tariff on all imports from many countries on Saturday, with higher levies on goods from 57 larger trading partners due to start next week.

The initial 10% "baseline" tariff paid by U.S. importers took effect at U.S. seaports, airports and customs warehouses at 12:01 a.m. ET (0401 GMT), ushering in Trump's full rejection of the post-World War Two system of mutually agreed tariff rates.

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"This is the single biggest trade action of our lifetime," said Kelly Ann Shaw, a trade lawyer at Hogan Lovells and former White House trade adviser during Trump's first term.

Shaw told a Brookings Institution event on Thursday that she expected the tariffs to evolve over time as countries seek to negotiate lower rates. "This is a pretty seismic and significant shift in the way that we trade with every country on earth," she added.

Trump's Wednesday tariff announcement shook global stock markets, wiping out $5 trillion in value for S&P 500 index companies by Friday's close, a record two-day decline. Driven by recession fears, prices for oil and commodities plunged, while investors fled to the safety of government bonds.

Among the countries first hit with the 10% tariff were Australia, Britain, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Saudi Arabia despite their having goods trade deficits with the U.S. last year. White House officials have said many countries would run larger deficits with the U.S. if their policies were fairer.

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A U.S. Customs and Border Protection bulletin provided a 51-day grace period for cargoes loaded or in transit to the U.S. before 12:01 a.m. ET Saturday. These cargoes need to arrive by May 27 to avoid the 10% duty.

Trump's higher "reciprocal" tariff rates of 11% to 50% are due to take effect on Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. ET. European Union imports will face a 20% tariff, while Chinese goods will be hit with a 34% tariff, bringing Trump's total new levies on China to 54%.

Beijing on Saturday said, "The market has spoken" in rejecting Trump's tariffs. China applied a slew of countermeasures, including extra levies of 34% on all U.S. goods and export curbs on some rare earth minerals.

"China has been hit much harder than the USA, not even close," Trump said on Saturday on social media. "THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it won't be easy, but the end result will be historic."

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Shortly after posting the comment, Trump was spotted arriving at his Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida, reading a New York Post article covering China's retaliation to U.S. tariffs and the stock market fall.

SHELTER FROM THE STORM

"A trade war is in no one's interest. We must stand united and resolute to protect our citizens and our businesses," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X.

Some world leaders hoped to strike a deal with Trump and avert economic fallout while others weighed countermeasures.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote in the Telegraph newspaper that he was ready to "use industrial policy to help shelter British business from the storm," noting that his government's priority was to try to secure a trade deal with the U.S. which could include tariff exemptions.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he will depart for Washington on Sunday for a meeting with Trump to discuss the new 17% tariff on Israel.

Media reported Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba of Japan, which faces a 24% levy, was seeking a telephone conversation with the U.S. president.

Vietnam, which benefited from the shift of U.S. supply chains away from China after Trump's first-term trade war with Beijing, agreed on Friday to discuss a deal with the U.S. after Trump announced a 46% tariff on Vietnamese imports.

The head of Taiwan's National Security Council was in Washington for talks that were expected to include the tariffs, a source said. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te huddled with tech executives on Saturday to discuss how to respond to the 32% duty imposed on its products.

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Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti warned on Saturday against imposing retaliatory tariffs on the United States, saying at a business forum near Milan that doing so could cause damage.

U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, a close Trump adviser, told a political event in Italy by video on Saturday that he hoped to see complete freedom of trade between the United States and Europe, which he described as "a zero tariff situation."

Canada and Mexico were exempt from Trump's latest duties but still face a 25% tariff imposed recently on goods that do not comply with rules of origin under a North American trade accord.

While Trump's order exempted 1,000 product categories from the new tariffs such as pharmaceuticals, uranium and semiconductors, the administration is considering new duties on some of them.

(Reporting by David Lawder in Washington and Trevor Hunnicutt in Jupiter, Florida; Writing by Michael Martina; editing by Diane Craft, Cynthia Osterman and David Gregorio)
A Centre County school district, food bank and food provider are among those preparing for uncertain impacts after the Trump administration announced it will cut two federal food assistance programs.

In early March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would cut more than $1 billion in funding for two programs: the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which allows states to purchase and distribute locally sourced food to feeding programs like food banks and pantries, and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program, which provides federal funding to school districts to purchase food directly from local sources such as farmers and other suppliers.

The pandemic-era programs were implemented by the USDA under the Biden administration with the goal of providing local, healthy food to those who needed it, and to build and bolster resilient local food and agricultural supply chains, according to the programs websites.

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USDA has said the programs are a legacy of the pandemic, as the Trump administration and Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency say theyre slashing federal spending to reduce waste.

The USDA gave a 60-day notification period after announcing the cuts, which would mean the programs would end May 6.

Allayn Beck, the State College Food Banks executive director, said that while the food bank doesnt directly receive funding from the USDA programs being cut, she fears the potential ripple effects in the community.

I am anticipating that when the (Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement) program ceases to exist, the current options for fresh and local produce, dairy, meats  theyre just not going to be available anymore, Beck said. And that effect is going to trickle down too. I think thats going to be the case for any pantry that is purchasing local produce, meats and dairies.

The State College Food Bank, pictured in April 2024, is preparing for impacts from the Trump administration cutting two federal food assistance programs.

A call for more community support

As a result of the cuts, Beck expects less food will be readily available to distribute at the food bank. More food and monetary donations from the public will likely be required to meet the needs in the community.

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The State College Food Bank served a record number of individuals and families in 2024, and Beck only expects that to continue.

Grocery stores are still going to be serving the same produce, dairy and meats that they always do, but as prices rise not everyone will be able to afford to get their goods there, Beck said. While we cant say for sure yet, Id ... think that well be seeing more and more people coming to the food bank for their goods.

During the pandemic, the community rallied around the food bank, Beck said, providing help when it needed it most.

Shes hoping for a similar, if not greater, level of support now.

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Because of the amazing community support we received back in 2020 we were able to keep our doors open, but Id say that what were dealing with right now is harder than back then, Beck said. Were serving more people, food is more expensive, even running electricity to our coolers is more expensive. ... Its more expensive for everybody. I think that we need more help now than ever, especially with determining whats yet to come.

She aims to secure fresh and local produce, dairy and meat products from other sources if need be, although it has yet to be determined what that would look like.

The effects of the cuts and concerns was a topic at a quarterly meeting with the directors of Centre Countys other food banks and pantries, Beck said.

Joe Arthur, the CEO of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank  an organization that purchases and distributes fresh, local food other Pennsylvania food banks  said that with the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement cut, the organization is missing out on $1.8 million through 15 months, an amount that could supply 500,000 meals.

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Weve been deeply concerned about the funding cut to the (Local Food Purchasing Assistance Cooperative Program), Arthur said. It also means fewer resources for our local farmers, who supply the fresh, nutritious food that makes this program so impactful. This isnt just about meals  its about families, communities, and our local economy.

Potential school district impacts

Much like Centre Countys food banks, State College Area School District Food Service Director Megan Schaper said that so far, the school district hasnt been directly impacted by the cuts. But when they take effect, shes unsure about the amount of fresh, local foods the district will be able to provide.

To be fair, I guess (the programs funding) was extra money. Prior to the pandemic we never had those type of funds, Schaper said. With the current reimbursement rates and what parents pay for meals, Ill still be able to buy food and have meals for students, but will I be able to have local food though? Maybe not so much. Buying from big factory farms is less expensive than buying from local  it stinks but thats how it is.

Moving forward, Schaper also anticipates the Trump administration making it significantly harder for children to get access to free and reduced-cost lunches.

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Proposed spending cuts to fund Republicans tax bill include changes to how schools provide free and reduced lunch. The Community Eligibility Provision, which provides a school districts students with free lunches based on the percentage of the schools population thats deemed eligible for free meals through participation in programs like SNAP, is currently set at 25% but a Republican proposal would raise it to 60%.

While SCASD does not currently participate in the Community Eligibility Provision, a school that does would see the cost of their students lunches reimbursed by USDA through a reimbursement formula.

Thats definitely one of the hammers that were waiting to see fall, and when it does, its going to have a big effect on a lot of schools, Schaper said. I mean, if you read Project 2025, they are not particularly interested in making school meals easily accessible to all students, which I find to be concerning and disappointing.

One of her other main concerns with the canceling of the two USDA programs is the havoc it could wreak among farmers, small businesses and other local food providers.

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I fear they might be on the worst end of these cuts, Schaper said.

Left with serious questions

The Happy Valley Meat Company, a large meat supplier to SCASD and around 150 other Pennsylvania schools, will likely be one of the businesses impacted by the cuts, although owner Dan Honig said hes not sure exactly how yet.

Honestly, my business would not be feasible if it werent for schools buying our product, primarily our ground beef, Honig said. Were left with a few serious questions: What do we do to adapt to potentially less income? How do we prepare? Id like to think that we provide an good enough service that the schools will still come to us without the additional funding, but we arent even sure of that.

To retain relationships with some of his most important customers, Honig may start readjusting the delivery deals hes made with school districts to a rate that they can afford, with weekly deliveries potentially turning into monthly, and so on.

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Regardless of possible future delivery adjustments though, Honig said that the cuts alone deserve a call to action.

If this is an issue youre truly concerned about, Id say get up, reach out to your childs school district and tell them that you believe local is important, Honig said. Tell them you want local, even if you recognize that there are cuts. Now is your chance say to your school district, this is whats important to me and my kids. They should have better food  its the fuel of their lives.

Late last month Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that his administration objects to, and would be filing a direct administrative challenge against, the unlawful decision to cancel Pennsylvanias agreement with the federal government under the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program.

Earlier this month, we received notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that the Trump administration had decided to cancel our agreement, Shapiro said in a written statement. Ive directed Secretary [Russell] Redding to immediately appeal the USDAs decision to unlawfully terminate this agreement and demand that the federal government honor their obligations under the agreement we signed just four months ago.

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According to a news release, Pennsylvanias $13 million contract for the LFPA program supports 189 Pennsylvania farms and 14 food banks across the commonwealth.

Shapiro is proposing a combined $8 million bump to crucial in-state food programs to be added to the 2025-26 state budget  $4 million to Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System and $4 million to the State Food Purchase Program.

The increases would see the total funding for the two programs sit at $34.6 million.
Shae, left, and Anna Pesek pose with calves on their Over the Moon farm in Iowa. The farm was one of thousands benefiting from a local food program recently cut by the Trump administration. (Helaina Thompson/Courtesy of Over the Moon Farm)

Anna Pesek saw a federal program supporting local food purchases as much more than a boost to her Iowa pork and poultry farm.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture grant program that allowed schools and food banks to buy fresh products from small farms helped her forge new business relationships. It allowed her to spend more with local feed mills and butchers, and was starting to build a stronger supply chain of local foods.

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But now that the Trump administration has yanked the funding, she worries that rural economic boost might end too.

With the razor-thin margins on both sides, those partnerships are just really hard, if not impossible, to sustain, she said.

The co-owner of Over the Moon Farm, Pesek said her operation was never entirely reliant on the local food programs; it represented about 10% of her business. While she knew the federal money wouldnt last forever, she was planning on the funding lasting through 2028  but then the Trump administration last month nixed more than $1 billion for local food programs.

The federally funded Local Food Purchase Assistance and the Local Food for Schools programs, both begun during the pandemic, focused on small, local farms in aims of building stronger domestic food supply chains. Grants allowed schools and food banks to buy meat, dairy and produce from small farms  including many healthy products that are often too expensive for those institutions.

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USDAs local food programs specifically aided some of the nations most disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, including newcomers, small farmers and those who have faced racial discrimination.

The local food programs were initially funded by 2021s American Rescue Plan Act but were later expanded by the Biden administration. The Trump administration, though, has cut the funding that went to thousands of small farms, saying that its instead prioritizing stable, proven solutions that deliver lasting impact.

Pesek noted that the federal government has subsidized commodity agriculture like corn and soybeans for more than a century.

Its not a novel idea, right? This is how the relationship between the federal government and farmers has looked, she said. And so all this program did was allocate some of the funds to go to different kinds of farmers versus just commodity farmers.

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Just after cutting the local food programs, USDA announced it was expediting $10 billion in direct payments to commodity farmers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, which helps farmers offset high input prices and low sale prices for crops. The White House is reportedly considering billions more in farm subsidies as President Donald Trump escalates global trade wars.

Andy Ollove, food access program director at Fresh Approach, a California nonprofit that works on building a healthier and more resilient food system, said the governments long-standing farm subsidies flow to some of the nations biggest operators. Conversely, the local food programs benefited small farmers and communities directly.

The economic multiplier to this program just seems way more impactful than the traditional subsidy model of the USDA that the administration is continuing to invest in, he said. Its just a giveaway.

Fresh Approach has helped administer the food bank program in California. While implementation delays mean farmers wont lose access to the program as quickly as in other states, he expects elimination of the program to put small farmers out of business across the country.

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Some states have launched their own local food programs, but nothing on the scale of the federal investment. Thats left advocates for small farmers, local foods and food banks pushing for reinstatement of the federal program or getting it included in the next round of farm bill negotiations, when Congress outlines a five- or six-year spending plan for the nations food policy and agriculture sector.

Ollove expects philanthropists will fund parts of Californias program after federal money is depleted. But it wont have the same reach.

I do feel confident that these types of programs will continue in California  sporadically and piecemeal, he said. But not in the way that were administering it, in a way that I think is changing a lot of things and improving the food system.

A mixed response from states

The noncompetitive USDA local food grants allowed many new farmers to break into markets. And the aid for food hubs, which link small producers to larger markets, helped farmers distribute products to schools and food banks.

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In Wisconsin, for example, more than half of the nearly 300 farmers who benefited from the food bank program were early career farmers, according to state officials.

In Illinois, the state prioritized funds toward socially disadvantaged farmers, such as those who have faced racial or ethnic prejudice.

Attacking this program was really an attack on Illinois most vulnerable, whether its a socially disadvantaged farmer or the food recipient, said Kristi Jones, deputy director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Her department administered the federal food bank program, which helped beginning farmers get their businesses off the ground.

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A lot of these farmers, theyre living their dreams, she said. They are living their goals because of this program.

Illinois had been planning on nearly $15 million from the next round of funding for the food bank program. Jones said farmers already had begun planning and spending on seeds and equipment.

A lot of these farmers, they're living their dreams.

 Kristi Jones, deputy director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture

You just dont put something on the ground and have the product the next day, she said.   So that uncertainty was incredibly challenging for farmers who already deal with enough uncertainty.

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Democratic leaders have bashed the Trump administrations decision: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, for example, called it a slap in the face to Illinois farmers and the communities they feed.

But conservative leaders in other states have downplayed the cuts.

In Texas, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller characterized USDAs decision as a reassessment.

He said the state was not dependent on the federal funds and would continue its Farm to School and Farm to Food Bank programs, which encourage the local purchase of Texas agricultural products.

Theres always room for refinement, and we may see a revised version of the policy down the road that is even better for agriculture producers, he said in a statement last month.

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Texas funds programs to help distribute excess food to schools, food banks and charities. But it does not have a grant program like USDAs to help those organizations purchase local food, said Marshall Webb, spokesperson for the state agriculture department.

Iowas agriculture department recently started its own local food program.

The Choose Iowa program has made about $300,000 available to support local food purchases  though the state lost out on about $11.3 million because of the federal cuts.

Don McDowell, spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship, said the agency would continue to ask lawmakers to expand funding for the Choose Iowa program.

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Programs designed to forge relationships between Iowa farmers, food hubs, food banks and schools are important to our farmers and communities, he said.

Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Heley Lehman said his organization, which represents family farmers and ranchers, would like to see the state step in to fill the void.

But we dont anticipate that thats going to be an easy thing for the state of Iowa to do, he said. So not only is it local farmers that are feeling like theyve had the rug pulled out from underneath them, but the state of Iowa has, too.

Creating a new food system

In Southern California, Dickinson Family Farms has worked to gather produce from dozens of small farms across the region, allowing even the smallest operators without distribution capabilities to sell to local food banks.

Andrew Dickinson, who owns the farm with his father, said the federal local food program also helped reduce food waste. Farmers were able to get fair market prices for vegetables with cosmetic damage or fruits deemed too small or large for grocery store shelves.

Dickinson said the federal program has provided a reliable marketplace for small operators that otherwise depend on more inconsistent sales streams like farmers markets.

It will create a vacuum, he said.

About 60 miles east of Los Angeles, sixth-generation farmer Anna Knight said the federal funds were much more than a handout to farmers. To her, they were about creating a new kind of food system.

She said supporting local producers creates more supply chain resilience  something many people didnt appreciate until the pandemic.

We dont want to go back to that world, she said. When we invest in our local food system, were really investing on onshoring our food production system, on making new food systems local and increasing their resiliency in moments of crisis.

Old Grove Orange, her California farm, has been supplying citrus to some local school systems for years. But she said the federal funds were the single biggest changemaker for pushing schools to buy local for the first time.

To her, thats key in promoting lifelong healthy eating: Local produce like her freshly picked oranges pack more of a nutritional punch and just taste better than produce that takes weeks to ship from abroad.

When you are giving a child a delicious piece of fruit, you are really cultivating their palate for life, she said. You are setting this expectation of what a fruit is supposed to taste like, and you are sparking this love for fruits and vegetables for the rest of their life.

Knight said the nation doesnt have to choose between big and small farms. But small farms are vanishing all around her.

This is a ticking bomb, she said. The clock is running out if we dont really find a way to help make these small, medium-sized farms sustainable.

Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at khardy@stateline.org.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  A 50-year-old man has been sentenced to 75 years to life in Utah after a jury convicted him of child rape and 34 other sex-related crimes, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorneys Office.

In Jan. 2024, the mother of several young girls reported to Taylorsville Police that a relative  a now 50-year-old man  had sexually abused three of her minor children between the dates of Jan. 1, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2021.

On March 1, 2024, the Salt Lake County DAs Office charged the man with 38 felonies, including 24 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child.

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Cedar City student hospitalized in critical condition after being struck on I-15

On Jan. 29, 2025, a Third District Court jury convicted him of four counts of rape of a child (first-degree felony), four counts of sodomy upon a child (first-degree felony), 24 counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child (first-degree felony), two counts of forcible sodomy (first-degree felony), and four counts of forcible sexual abuse (second-degree felony).

On March 4, 2025, a Third District Court judge sentenced the man to 25 years to life for three counts of rape of a child (first-degree felony)  one for each victim, according to the DAs Office.

Each sentence will reportedly run consecutively to each other. This means that the man faces 75 years to life, which will be served at the Utah State Correctional Facility.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill has released the following statement regarding the conviction:

One of the survivors bravely stood up at the sentencing and addressed the judge, saying she wanted to stand and speak not only for herself but for her sisters; she wanted to show that she was not afraid. We applaud her and her sisters also courageously taking the stand at trial to testify against the defendant. We thank our prosecutors Claye Epperson and Cara Dunkelman for their aggressive and passionate prosecution of this case, our Social Workers Heather Taylor and Melissa Foulger for their dedication to the survivors, and the vital work done by our support staff. We also thank the Taylorsville Police Department for their thorough investigation, which helped ensure justice was served for these young survivors. Sim Gill, Salt Lake County District Attorney

The defendant lived with the victims family in two homes in Salt Lake County from 2018 to 2021, officials said.

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WASHINGTON, D.C.  Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, members of the Senate Budget Committee, released a joint statement after Senate Republicans voted early Saturday morning to pass a budget resolution.

The Senate voted 51-48 to pass the measure after a holding a long series of votes on amendments, which kept senators pacing around the chamber for hours.

Senators Rand Paul (Ky.) and Susan Collins (Maine) were the only Republicans to vote against it.

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Senate passes budget, setting up showdown with House over Trump agenda

Kaine and Warner released a joint statement criticizing the resolution, saying it affects programs that Virginians rely on.

The Trump Administration has thrown our economy into needless chaos by enacting universal tariffs that will raise costs. Now, despite our strong opposition, Republicans in Congress have moved forward with an enormous tax bill that will cut programs Virginians rely on, give massive tax breaks to billionaires, and raise the deficit by unprecedented levels. We should be focused on lowering the costs of child care and housing, cutting taxes for middle class Americans, and continuing to build on our progress to boost domestic manufacturing. President Trump and Republicans budget and economic policies will be a disaster for our country, and we urge them to reverse course before they do more harm.

Warner and Kaine spoke on the Senate floor in opposition to the resolution. They also said they filed amendments that would have protected federal employees, veterans and Virginians on Medicaid, but those amendments were not incorporated into the resolution.

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COURTESY PHOTO Gene Ward 1 /4 COURTESY PHOTO Gene Ward COURTESY CATHY LEE Lei drape former Rep. Gene Wards desk as House members pay tribute to him Friday morning.

2 /4 COURTESY CATHY LEE Lei drape former Rep. Gene Wards desk as House members pay tribute to him Friday morning.

WEST HAWAII TODAY / 2017 State Rep. Gene Ward addresses the West Hawaii Republican Convention at Waikoloa Village. Ward, a longtime Republican East Oahu representative, died Friday morning at age 82.

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3 /4 WEST HAWAII TODAY / 2017 State Rep. Gene Ward addresses the West Hawaii Republican Convention at Waikoloa Village. Ward, a longtime Republican East Oahu representative, died Friday morning at age 82.

STAR-ADVERTISER / JAN. 15, 2020 Rep.Gene Ward addresses fellow representatives about the problem of the Hawaiis high cost of living with a bag of groceries at his side in 2020.

4 /4 STAR-ADVERTISER / JAN. 15, 2020 Rep.Gene Ward addresses fellow representatives about the problem of the Hawaiis high cost of living with a bag of groceries at his side in 2020.

COURTESY PHOTO Gene Ward COURTESY CATHY LEE Lei drape former Rep. Gene Wards desk as House members pay tribute to him Friday morning.

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WEST HAWAII TODAY / 2017 State Rep. Gene Ward addresses the West Hawaii Republican Convention at Waikoloa Village. Ward, a longtime Republican East Oahu representative, died Friday morning at age 82.

STAR-ADVERTISER / JAN. 15, 2020 Rep.Gene Ward addresses fellow representatives about the problem of the Hawaiis high cost of living with a bag of groceries at his side in 2020.

Former state Rep. Gene Ward was remembered Friday for nearly 30 years of service in the Legislature and other accomplishments that included helping Native Hawaiians and people in poor countries around the world.

Ward, 82, died Friday morning after prolonged health issues kept him sidelined from the state Capitol since January and led him to resign Monday after representing his East Honolulu district, which includes Hawaii Kai, for 27 years.

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During Fridays House of Representatives floor session, Wards desk was adorned with a flower arrangement and lei. After adjourning, House members gathered around the desk still bearing Wards nameplate and sang Hawai i Aloha.

Esteemed colleagues of the House, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to formally inform this body of the passing of our dear friend, my mentor and our colleague, Representative Gene Ward, who peacefully passed away early this morning,  said Rep. Diamond Garcia, a former office manager and chief of staff for Ward.

Gene Ward was more than just a legislator,  said Garcia (R, Ewa-Kapolei ). He was a true statesman. He devoted his life to serving others, from the villages of the Peace Corps to the halls of this Capitol.

Gov. Josh Green ordered U.S. and Hawaii flags to be flown at half-staff Friday through Monday at state facilities in recognition of what Green described as Wards unwavering service.

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The passing of Gene Ward is a profound loss for Hawaii,  Green said in a statement. Gene dedicated his life to public service with passion, integrity and an unwavering commitment to the people he represented. From his service in the Peace Corps and the Vietnam War to his decades in the State House, he brought a global perspective and deep love for Hawaii to everything he did. His leadership in supporting small businesses, strengthening international relations and advocating for local communities has left a lasting impact on our state.

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Ward was born in Ohio and moved to Hawaii in 1965 where he trained in Hilo for volunteer Peace Corps service before being sent to Borneo, an island largely shared by Malaysia and Indonesia.

According to old campaign advertising, Ward became an assistant land development officer for the Malaysian Department of Agriculture, and his job included clearing 10, 000 acres of jungle, establishing oil palm plantations and developing roads, bridges, villages and a school where he became principal.

My crew chief for the jungle clearance project was an ex-head-hunter who used to squat down with me and smoke cigarettes while we planned our next step,  Ward was quoted in the ad. It was a real hands-on lesson on working with people from incredibly diverse backgrounds.

In 1969, Ward, who spoke Malay, Indonesian and Vietnamese, served in the U.S. Army as a language specialist with the Military Assistance Command in Vietnam.

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Back in Hawaii, Ward earned a degree in Asian studies at the University of Hawaii and a doctorate in business sociology.

As part of his doctoral thesis, Ward studied success factors of Hawaiians in business compared with Caucasians in business, according to campaign advertisements, and that led him to co-found the nonprofit Hawaii Entrepreneurship Training and Development Institute in 1977 with George Kanahele to train unemployed people to start their own businesses.

Ward also for a time was a small-business owner with his wife, Faredah, a cousin of a past Malaysian prime minister whom Ward met in 1970 at the East-West Center. Ward and his wife imported and sold hand-painted batik fabrics from Malaysia in a store they opened in 1994 at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

Most of Wards career was spent in politics. He credited his Peace Corps service with leading him there.

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Im a product of Kennedy idealism that put me in the jungles of Borneo without electricity or running water for two years to prove that you can make a difference,  he said in a campaign statement in the 1990s. Without the Peace Corps experience, I would not be in politics.

As a local Christian conservative GOP leader, Ward in 1988 was co-chair of the Pat Robertson for President Committee, an umbrella organization for new right-wing Republicans. After Robertson lost in the primary to then-Vice President George H.W. Bush, Ward led Hawaiis delegation at the National Republican Convention in New Orleans and appeared on national TV to cast the states vote for Bush.

Ward also ran for the state House in 1988, but lost to Democrat Fred Hirayama by 250 votes for the seat then representing Hawaii Kai to Aina Haina.

Two years later Ward unseated Hirayama by nearly 300 votes4, 249 to 3, 958.

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Also in 1990, Ward was honored in a Bush White House ceremony as the U.S. Small Business Administrations National Minority Business advocate of the year.

Ward served in the House until 1998 when he tried to make a leap to Congress by running against Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep Neil Abercrombie, who later became governor.

After losing to Abercrombie, Ward became a presidential appointee under the Bush administration in a USAID office promoting democracy throughout the world from 1999 to 2004. Then Ward served as a Peace Corps country director for the Southeast Asian island nation of East Timor from 2005 to 2006 supervising humanitarian efforts with a $1 million budget.

Ward was reelected to his old House seat in 2006. Because Ward was a Republican in the Legislature heavily dominated by Democrats, its hard to cite bills introduced by the veteran House member that became law. But Ward backed many bills that were enacted, and often chastised his colleagues from the opposing party.

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Democracy is good when there are differences of opinions,  said Garcia. When debate happens, thats not a bad thing. Its a good thing and we need more debate.

Garcia recalled one instance in 2018 when Ward was trying to question officials in Gov. David Iges administration about a missile attack alert that was sent to the public by mistake and took 38 minutes to correct.

Please indulge me  Ive waited for an hour and a half,  Ward said to a House colleague running the meeting as he tried to ask more than two questions. Please dont cut me off.

Ward was cut off, and flung his microphone down in disgust as he left the meeting room.

Typical Gene,  Garcia said. He could get fiery at times, but he was always passionate. He would make sure that his thoughts were spoken loud and clear no matter what.

House Republican Leader Lauren Matsumoto said in a statement that during her 12 years in the Legislature with Ward, he would always say that Republican members might not have the votes but have the voice. And he lived up to that ideal every day he served,  Matsumoto said.

Over the years, Ward held multiple leadership roles, including House minority leader, House minority policy leader and, most recently, House minority caucus leader for the 2025 legislative session.

Ward introduced several bills this year backed by colleagues, including one to establish a general excise tax holiday on the first Saturday of each month for Hawaii small businesses, one to legalize recreational use of cannabis by adults no younger than 21, one to replace a parking lot around Iolani Palace with a pedestrian promenade, and one to limit legislative terms to 12 years.

However, since the beginning of this years legislative session on Jan. 15, Ward had not been present at the state Capitol due to health issues.

On March 21, Ward released a statement explaining that he had been experiencing anemia, sciatica, pneumonia and other health challenges that prompted him to resign from office effective March 31.

Despite the many efforts of medical professionals, my recovery has been much slower and more painful in the last few weeks,  he said.

House Speaker Nadine Nakamura on Friday extended heartfelt condolences to Wards family and community.

Representative Ward served the East Honolulu community and the State of Hawaii with unwavering dedication, determination, and spirit,  she said in a statement. His institutional knowledge, leadership, and flair were appreciated by colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Wards contributions leave a lasting impact in the Legislature and throughout our state.

Former Gov. John Waihe e III recognized Ward for his service, which included twice being on the East-West Centers Board of Governors.

Genes unwavering commitment to service was truly inspiring, and his tenacity pushed us all to aim higher,  Waihe e, the centers current board chair, said in a statement. Even in times of opposition, he approached conversations with respect and aloha. Our community will not be the same without him, and we will carry his memory forward in our service to the Centers mission that he cared about so deeply.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, called Ward a statesman and genuinely effective member of the loyal opposition.

The people of Hawaii Kai and the people of Hawaii have lost a very good and decent public servant,  Schatz said in a statement.

Funeral service and public memorial arrangements are to be announced at a later date.
Asbestos is still claiming the lives of many of our veterans nationwide, after it became of critical importance to the U.S. Armed Forces, especially during scarce wartime years. In the early 1920s, the U.S. Navy identified asbestos mineral fibers as the most cost-effective substance for insulation, mandated its use, and shipbuilding had to comply.

Asbestos use peaked during during WWII, when all military branches heavily applied the fibrous mineral, and it continued until the early 1970s when its carcinogenic nature came to light.

Asbestos minerals were preferred by all industries because of their heat resistance and durability, but they are highly hazardous to human health.

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Opinion

Asbestos is solely responsible for asbestosis, the scarring of lung tissues, and mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer attacking the lungs in the first place, and it largely contributes to lung cancer, the second most common cancer in the U.S.

Veterans who spent years in asbestos-contaminated environments now suffer the consequences of their exposure. Because asbestos lingers in the body between 20 to 50 years illnesses show any symptoms, more and more veterans have been diagnosed with asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer in the past decades. For instance, veterans comprise roughly 30 percent of Americans with mesothelioma.

Veterans are disproportionately affected in certain states

Veterans in certain states are more affected than others. Based on national data, the Environmental Working Group estimated that between 1999 and 2017, California was among the top five U.S. states with the most asbestos-related deaths, with 27,080 asbestos-caused deaths, one of the highest numbers in the country.

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Additionally, California is among the top 10 states with the most military bases, and the Navy has a long history in the coastal state.Unsurprisingly, in 2023, California had one of the largest veteran populations nationwide, counting 1,487,000 veterans living in the state.

California is also home to more than 30 major military installations, among them important wartime naval bases, such as the now-closed Mare Island Naval Shipyard, the first Navy base on the West Coast. During WWII, it was one of the busiest naval shipyards in the world. Over 500 naval vessels were constructed, and thousands were overhauled at the Mare Island yard while it operated.

Fresno hosts the 144th Fighter Wing, part of the U.S. Air National Guard.

VA compensation for asbestos-caused disability

Our veteran population is declining due to age and malignant illnesses, many of which are caused by service-related toxic exposure. Asbestos adds to the long list of hazards negatively affecting veterans well-being. However, asbestos-linked conditions, especially mesothelioma, are very difficult to detect at their earlier stage. Unfortunately, timely discovery is the only option for finding a treatment and prolonging life expectancy when it comes to such deadly conditions.

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By hiding the truth about the toxicity of asbestos, manufacturers have knowingly exposed millions of service members to the dangers of inhaling the fibers. Now, the VA encourages veterans to attend health check-ups and apply for health care. The only way to detect asbestos in the lungs and body is to go for periodical specialized screenings, such as chest X-rays or CT scans, even if veterans do not experience symptoms.

Having a disability, especially at an older age, is an enormous burden, not only mentally and physically, but financially, too. Those diagnosed with an asbestos-linked cancer can file claims with asbestos trust funds or apply for disability compensation from the VA. The disability compensation process with the VA has been more straightforward since 2022, with the passage of the PACT Act, which added asbestos-caused illnesses to the list of presumptive conditions.

More information is available at https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/.

Cristina Johnson is a Navy veteran advocate for Asbestos Ships Organization, a nonprofit whose primary mission is to raise awareness and educate veterans.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department shared new details regarding a triple shooting that occurred on March 26 in KCK.

KCKPD said one of the three victims has died from his injuries in an area hospital. Police identified that victim as 18-year-old Anderson Murcia-Cartagena, of KCK.

SAVE KC initiative is working even though homicide rate is up: Officials

Additionally, the two other victims remain hospitalized as a result of the shooting, and the incident remains under investigation, according to police.

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Initial reports revealed that officers were called to Ridge Avenue near South 16th Street in KCK just before 9 p.m. Thats where they found two shooting victims in the street and one man shot in a vehicle.

All three of those victims were taken to the hospital with what police called life-threatening injuries. It was reported that one of the victims remained in critical condition while the other two stabilized.

KCKPD says that, while the investigation is ongoing, they believe theres more to the story.

We do believe there were others that were involved in, KCKPD spokesperson Nancy Chartrand said.

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So, this was not these three people shooting at one another, but perhaps these three individuals part of a larger group that were shooting at one another.

Chartrand also shared that over 100 rounds of ammunition were exchanged in the shooting.

This is an ongoing investigation; FOX4 will provide updates as theyre made available.

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PLATTSBURGH  Now is the time for Vietnam War veterans to take the spotlight at North Country Honor Flight.

Jerika Manning, Executive Officer for North Country Honor Flight, said the organization, which flies veterans down to Washington D.C. so they can see the war memorial monuments in their honor, is making it a priority to get more Vietnam veterans to apply for a flight.

North Country Honor Flight started with just World War II veterans, and then they opened it up to Korean War veterans, and then they opened it up again to Vietnam veterans, Manning said.

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The Vietnam veteran generation  that era  are not as quick to apply, and dont think that theyre as deserving  (they) had this mentality of: let the old guys go first.

ITS THEIR TURN

Which is what Honor Flight has done.

Manning said just one World War II veteran is left on their list to fly. Now, the focus is on Vietnam veterans, although veterans of all ages and from any war are still encouraged to apply as well.

Its their (Vietnam veterans) turn, essentially, is the message that we want to put out, she said.

Their welcome home (from war), obviously, they werent well received. So a lot of them  just dont feel like they deserve it  the way they were treated when they came back was really what the mission of Honor Flight is: to give them that proper thank you that they didnt get when they came back.

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But, its just a matter of convincing them that nows the time to apply.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Those interested in applying for a flight can do so at http://www.northcountryhonorflight.org, contact 518-364-6503 or email northcountryhonorflight@gmail.com for help.

The application process is simple, and the Honor Flight team is there to assist with any questions or concerns. All expenses are covered for each veteran.

Together, let us honor our Vietnam Veterans and ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten. We look forward to welcoming our heroes aboard and celebrating their service to our nation, a news release said.

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As we continue our mission to honor and celebrate the sacrifices made by our Veterans, we invite all Vietnam Veterans in the North Country region to apply for a flight to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and more. This special trip not only serves to honor their service but also provides an opportunity for camaraderie and reflection among fellow Veterans.

Honor Flight takes four trips to D.C. each year.

Manning said those that apply now should be able to get on a flight within the next year or two as they are catching up on their wait list. However, as always, older veterans who apply would take priority first.

REAL ID

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For those planning to apply, one important change to the application this year includes the federal governments new requirement of a Real ID to fly.

Manning included this paragraph in the new applications: NEW in 2025: A valid, unexpired government-issued REAL ID photo ID is required for air travel. An Enhanced Drivers License, Military ID, DoD ID, and Passport are all Real ID compliant. Please be sure to bring your ID with you to the airport. THE NAME ON THE ID MUST MATCH THE NAME YOUVE PROVIDED ON THIS APPLICATION.

This requirement goes into effect May 7 and everyone flying must comply, veterans and their chaperones included. For many older veterans, it could be a challenge to get to the DMV and ensure theyre in compliance.

You never really need it if youre not traveling, and a lot of these veterans are not traveling, theyre not just going on vacation, she said.

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Whats nice, though, is that many of them have a military ID or a Department of Defense ID or a passport, and all those are Real ID compliance.

Honor Flights first flight of the year is May 17, and Manning said everyone should be all set for that one, so far.

Those interested in learning more about applying for a Real ID can visit/call their local DMV office or go here: https://dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/enhanced-or-real-id.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11)  Recent violent events at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station have raised serious concerns about safety in New York Citys transit system.

Community leaders, local officials, and residents are now demanding stronger measures to ensure public safety.

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A brutal attack on a 16-year-old Black teenager last week has drawn widespread condemnation.

The victim was assaulted by a group of teenagers who reportedly yelled racial slurs, threw a banana at him, and repeatedly punched and kicked him while he was on his way to school. The attack, captured on video and shared widely on social media before being removed, is being investigated as a hate crime.

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One suspect, also 16 years old, has been arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including hate crimes and robbery.

The victims mother, Monique White, expressed her anguish during a public safety town hall meeting held Friday night at Coney Island Cathedral Church. No one should be beating on you or fighting you for the color of your skin, she said, while noting that her son is recovering from the traumatic incident.

Civil rights leader Rev. Kevin McCall and Councilman Justin Brannan hosted the town hall to address the communitys concerns.

Rev. McCall emphasized the need for proactive measures ahead of the summer months, stating, We must not be silent when these things happen.

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Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry assured attendees that all individuals involved in the attack would be apprehended. Meanwhile, Councilman Brannan criticized the citys decision to cut funding for youth programs designed to ensure safe passage for students traveling to and from school.

This is not the first violent episode at the subway station.

In December, a woman was tragically set on fire while sleeping on a subway car. The suspect in that case is currently awaiting trial. Additionally, just last week, another 16-year-old was stabbed in the leg during an altercation at the same station.

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Despite an overall 22% drop in subway crime during the first ten weeks of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, felony assaults remain high.

In response to these incidents, NYPD officials have increased patrols at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station. Lieutenant Clifford Strong confirmed that additional officers are now stationed across platforms and mezzanines 24/7 to enhance security.

Community members voiced their frustrations during the town hall meeting. One attendee remarked, More than ever, Coney Island is at a divide.

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).

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RICHMOND  The General Assembly rejected the bulk of Gov. Glenn Youngkins proposed line item amendments to the budget, voting to accept just 33 of the nearly 200 proposed changes.

That means legislators substantially rejected the governors proposed plans to reallocate an additional $300 million to the states reserve fund, a move he said would help Virginia prepare for the impact of federal cuts to programs and the workforce. The governor has 30 days from Wednesdays veto session to sign or veto line items and the budget bill as a whole.

Some of the amendments the legislature accepted would have provided funding for programs or initiatives created by legislation the governor vetoed. Democrats were unable to muster the numbers to override those vetoes, so there was no point in keeping the funding in the budget.

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For example, funding for an electric vehicle charging network in rural areas, a solar grant program, and a state contract procurement enhancement program for small businesses owned by women and minorities all were struck from the budget based on the governors legislative vetoes.

Still in the budget, however, is part of a tax relief plan that offers Virginians a $200 tax rebate for those who file individually, and a $400 rebate for joint filers.

The legislature also accepted amendments increasing direct aid for public schools, including a one-time deposit of $50 million from the states Literary Fund to the School Construction fund. Youngkin also succeeded in securing $3 million to go toward EBT cards with microchips rather than the traditional magnetic stripe, which he said will enhance security and reduce fraud.

Among the amendments rejected by the legislature was a provision that would preclude localities from receiving funding if they do not comply with federal immigration enforcement. Legislators also declined to pass a budget amendment proposed by the governor that would establish Oak Hill, where President James Monroe once lived, as a state park.

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The governor also proposed reducing funding for school support staff positions to $84.8 million compared with the General Assemblys $222.9 million. The legislature voted against adopting that change as well.

Youngkin also issued eight line item vetoes to the budget. House Speaker Don Scott ruled two of those out of order, and the rest were sustained. That means all of the budget vetoes were ultimately upheld.

The governor now has the option to sign or veto individual line items or the budget amendment as a whole. Because this is the second year of the states biennium, this years budget proposals function as an amendment to the existing budget passed last year.

Kate Seltzer, (757)713-7881, kate.seltzer@virginiamedia.com
An ordinance to put restrictions on 3D-printed ghost guns in the City of Erie has been shelved after council failed to pass it with a majority vote.

One council member was absent from the meeting Wednesday morning resulting in a 3-3 stalemate vote.

Erie City Council considers implementing legal penalties against ghost gun production

Some elected officials at Erie City Hall are hoping to crack down on ghost guns which are unfinished firearms made without a serial number from components or kits bought online from someone with a 3D printer.

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The idea for supporters of the ordinance was to help reduce violence, promote proper gun ownership, and to keep guns out of the hands of youth.

It would do so by prohibiting the creation of the weapons in the city along with their unverified sales but with the absence of a council member, the ordinance fell flat.

The thing is headed towards the Supreme Court. So we were, as far as I was concerned, premature in putting anything like that as an ordinance until we knew what was going to happen. We could get sued if things fell the wrong way, said Ed Brezinski (D), an Erie City council member.

Timeline of IRGs plans for $300M Erie facility, how close did it get to happening?

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Brzezinski is referring to a legal challenge to Philadelphias ghost gun ban, which looks similar to what was proposed here in Erie.

That case will be heard by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as to how Second Amendment rights may or may not be considered impacted by the legislation.

Gun advocates believe ordinances like this one violate Pennsylvania law.

It says that no county, municipality, township or city can regulate the realm of firearms to any greater extent than the general assembly in Harrisburg has. And thats what this ordinance does, said Craig Storrs, executive director of Pennsylvania Gun Rights.

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A Commonwealth Court upheld Philadelphias ghost gun ordinance, giving supports of the ban the reassurance to vote on it here in Erie. But Storrs said not so fast.

Youre anything but fine. Thats why we have a state supreme court to weigh in on this, and this is a state supreme court that despite being 7-2 Democrat-controlled, has very consistently ruled in favor of the general assemblys gun laws, he explained.

Erie police said theyve only collected a handful of ghost guns in the past year. Thats considered a small amount compared to the number seized and related to criminal investigations across the rest of the country.

I talked to the chief on it too. He really didnt care one way or the other. He basically said its another tool in our toolbox, Brzezinski said. He didnt say to do it. If he would have, I wouldve looked even closer.

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Elderly Erie couple scammed out of over $9,000: PSP

So what happens from here?

Council has the option to reintroduce the ordinance to the agenda with a council sponsor, and a second.

But at this time, its unclear if it will return before all seven council members.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com.
LANSING, Mich.(WLNS)  A Republican-sponsored bill in Congress could potentially affect thousands of Michigan voters if passed. Supporters of the SAVE Act say it will help prevent voting by non-citizens, but opponents are worried it will reduce lawful voting.

The SAVE Act would require voters to register in-person with either their birth certificate, a U.S passport, or naturalization certificate.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says its very rare for non-citizens to vote in American elections, with just 15 non-citizens voting in the 2024 presidential election in Michigan.

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Under the SAVE Act, normal IDs like a Michigan drivers license, state ID, or military ID wouldnt meet the requirements to register to vote.

Tony Gant, an advocate with Voting Access for All Coalition, says the SAVE could disenfranchise up to 10,000 people in county jails who cannot access those records.

The next election cycle, if something like this passes, it would mean they would have to prove their citizenship in person, which is impossible, right? said Gant. You cant leave the jail to go to the clerk to prove your citizenship.

Gant served 20 years in prison in Jackson and was released in 2015. He says that currently, inmates can vote in Michigan county jails, but the SAVE Act would create a major barrier to participating in the democratic process.

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All those county jails, for the most part, hold people that are held there pre-trial, said Gant. Which means they havent been convicted of a crime, and theyre only there because they cant afford bail.

Gant says the bill could even affect inmates after theyre released from prison or jail.

Youll have to take your birth certificate, and probably a photo ID, or a license down to the clerk, said Gant. Prove youre a citizen, get registered, and go through that whole process. For a lot of folks, that are just coming home. Theyre trying to get a job.

Although the bill is meant to keep U.S. elections safe, Gant says they are already secure.

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At most, there were 15 non-citizens that voted in the last general election, said Gant. Which is a miniscule amount compared to millions amount of Michigan voters that did vote.

According to the Michigan Department of State, more than 5.7 million Michiganders voted in the November presidential election.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says, While we take all violations of election law very seriously, this tiny fraction of potential cases in Michigan and at the national level do not justify recent efforts to pass laws we know would block tens of thousands of Michigan citizens from voting in future elections.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
CANNON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD)  As severe weather season descends on West Michigan, its a good idea to check your trees for signs of decay, especially those that might pose danger to people or property.

High winds have already caused one tragedy this season. A tree fell during a storm Sunday and struck a minivan traveling on East S Avenue in Kalamazoo Countys Climax Township. Three children in the van were killed.

Sheriff: No way to prevent tree falling on minivan, killing kids

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No ones able to predict these things, said Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller at a news conference Monday. Im sure theres nothing that would go back to the property owner.  Roadsides are filled with very large trees in Kalamazoo County. Im sure if it was a dangerous tree, it would have been noticed before.

A tree in Climax Township that fell on a minivan on March 30, 2025, killing three children.

Though it was impossible to foresee the horrific accident, certified arborists told News 8 that homeowners should inspect their trees for defects.

Im always looking for a wound or a symptom in a tree, but Im also looking for what it can hit, said Vic Foerster of SavATree in Grand Rapids. If it was a tree in the middle of the woods, nobodyd care. But when you have a tree near a street or a playground, a sidewalk with a lot of use, a park, a home, thats a distinct target.

It didnt take long for Foerster to spot a troubled tree on a wooded property southeast of Rockford.

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What I see here is I see a really magnificent white pine tree set right beside a driveway within falling distance of a nice home, explained Foerster. As you look up the tree, you see where it branches into two, something we call a codominant stem, and you see the tight seam between the two.  Thats not the kind of connection that we like to see, because they are more prone to split. A potential split down the middle, which makes that tree at risk of splitting apart in a high windstorm.

Foerster noted, too, that the trees base was buried, which means the bark cant breathe and the property owner cant see potential warning signs.

Theres like a pile of mulch and pine needles and whatnot kind of up around the trunk, which could possibly mask some decay or rot at the base of the tree because you simply cant see it.

Another pine showed obvious rot.

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It has central column decay, explained Foerster. The base of tree also doesnt look very good. This would fall under the category of a high-risk tree that probably ought to go. Its near the driveway and then near to the neighbors property as well.

Not far from the high-risk tree was another pine with a half-hollow trunk.

We obviously have a large central cavity, said Foerster, knocking on the tree. I dont know if you can hear that, but its pretty punky sounding as we call it.

Vic Foerster points out troubled trees on a property southeast of Rockford. Vic Foerster points out troubled trees on a property southeast of Rockford. Vic Foerster points out troubled trees on a property southeast of Rockford.

Foerster urges homeowners to get outside.

Look up. Walk your property. Just literally got out and inspect your own trees, he suggested. Some issues will jump right out at you, could be a broken branch, a dangling limb, could be a split down the middle of the tree.  Go all the way around the tree, literally walk 360 degrees around any tree thats large enough to present a problem. Then, look at the base of the tree, and dont forget to look up. Its just normal not to. Our vision is straight ahead. But when it comes to trees, we need to look up.

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Noah Wittenbach of Wittenbach Services in Lowell encourages you to check out your trees canopies this summer.

When things are really leafing out, just be aware, if the (tips of the branches) arent leafing out, so its dying from the outside in, thats a pretty big indicator of tree health decline, said Wittenbach.

He checked out a sugar maple on his dads property for News 8.

I grew up in this house, said Wittenbach. I grew up climbing this tree.

But now its showing clear signs of decay.

It has some fungal sprouting, he said, pointing to a mushroom-like growth where the trunk splits into multiple stems. Thats an indicator of decay.  Weve got some kind of vine growing out of the trunk. So, that tells me that theres soil and water, things it needs to grow. Soil and water in your trunked trapped is going to encourage decay.

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The maples many stems are problematic too.

The trunks dont have enough space to grow together, explained Wittenbach. Theyre all pushing on each other and rubbing on each other. Those are going to be weak points, obviously.

He also pointed to a clear defect on a stem higher in the tree.

Theres a pretty good hollow in the stem on the right side, Wittenbach noted. Thats an old wound, and now its caused a weak point in the stem, and I would say that is a likely point of failure in the future.

A sugar maple on the property of Noah Wittenbachs father shows defects and signs of decay. A sugar maple on the property of Noah Wittenbachs father shows defects and signs of decay. A sugar maple on the property of Noah Wittenbachs father shows defects and signs of decay.

Wittenbach said he and his dad plan to remove the tree this summer. Its just too close to the house.

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The risk outweighs the sentimental or emotional attachment at this point, said Wittenbach.

The Kent County Road Commission will remove trees that are obvious hazards impacting the roadway, but the agency does not go out looking for troubled, tilting trees. That responsibility lies with the people who drive  and live  on the countys heavily-wooded roads.

Tree maintenance is critical, but its also pricey.

If you have a tree that poses a risk but cant afford removal, Foerster had several suggestions, including moving whatever the tree or limb would strike, barricading the area, scheduling a partial job  just enough to make it safer, asking for financial assistance or a payment plan and finding a tree removal service that will work with you.

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Tenants have other options if a landlord will not pay for the work, said Foerster. The city of G.R., for example, can condemn a tree, send notice to the landlord to remove the tree or the city will remove it for them and bill them, placing a lien on the home if they receive no payment.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Food recalls are more common than many of us might realize. While the food safety and cleanliness of products is something we normally don't think about while shopping at our local grocery store, in 2024 alone more than 296 different food and beverage products were pulled off the shelves due to contamination concerns. In addition, around 1,400 people were affected by food-related contamination incidents in 2024, with most linked to listeria, salmonella, or E. coli.

With more than 4,500 Walmart locations in the U.S., the supermarket giant has to remain particularly vigilant and proactive about food safety. Despite its best efforts, Walmart has had to deal with its fair share of food recalls over the years. From mislabeled packaging to bacterial contamination, the chain has faced plenty of challenges to keep its shelves free of potentially dangerous goods.

It's important to recognize that no safety system is foolproof. As such, no matter the preventative measures, contaminated products are bound to sneak into the supply chain. With this in mind, here is a list of some of the most significant Walmart food recalls in history.

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Read more: Peanut Butter, Ranked From Worst To Best

Oyster Crackers (2025)

Great Value Soup & Oyster Crackers - Walmart

Despite their evocative name, oyster crackers don't contain the briny shellfish. Instead, they are small, round wheat-based crackers. The petite bites are usually served with hearty soups, chowders, and stews. While they can certainly top a meal, oyster crackers weren't some people's favorite menu addition earlier this year when some brands of the product were recalled from Walmart stores. The cause of the debacle  the potential presence of "foreign material," likely stainless steel wire.

The oyster cracker recall was initiated by Shearer's Foods, LLC, an Ohio-based food manufacturer, in February before being upgraded to a Class II recall in March. For those who like detail, this recall level pertains to products that "may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote," (via FDA).

The specific products affected by the safety recall included batches of Market Pantry Soup & Oyster Crackers, Great Value Soup & Oyster Crackers, Giant Eagle Oyster Crackers, VISTA Soup & Oyster Crackers, and 20-pound Bulk Oyster Crackers. When all was said and done, over 15,800 cases of oyster crackers were pulled from the shelves due to contamination risk.

Canned Tuna (2025)

Genova canned tuna - Walmart

The canned tuna recall earlier this year was somewhat unusual in that it involved a defect with the easy-open pull tab on the cans rather than the seafood itself. The main driver behind the move was a concern that defective packaging could result in leaks or lead to the product becoming contaminated with clostridium botulinum. Notably, clostridium botulinum is a bacteria that causes botulism, a serious form of food poisoning that can lead to paralysis and even death. The Class II recall took place at Walmart, as well as chain stores like Trader Joe's, H-E-B, and Costco, across 30 states.

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Tri-Union Seafoods, the producer responsible for the fiasco, recalled all impacted labels, including HEB, Trader Joe's, Genova and Van Camp's. The FDA advised consumers to return the canned fish to the point of purchase for a full refund or discard the product even if it appears fresh and doesn't have an off-putting odor. As far as we are aware, no illnesses were ever linked to the recalled tuna products.

Chicken Broth (2025)

Great Value Chicken Broth - Walmart

Chicken broth is commonly used as a base in soups, stews, and sauces, and while it isn't an absolute kitchen essential, it's an ingredient that's certainly nice to have on hand. However, in 2025, the poultry broth hit the spotlight for all the wrong reasons when it was recalled from Walmart stores nationwide. The product in question was Great Value Chicken Broth manufactured by TreeHouse Foods.

The FDA attributed the reason for the Class II recall, which affected more than 240 Walmart stores in nine states, to the "potential for packaging failures that could compromise the sterility of the product, resulting in spoilage." While we can't be sure about the exact nature of the defect, TreeHouse Foods pointed to an "internal procedural error" during production as the cause of the packaging issues. The manufacturer also highlighted that it had corrected the error. At the end of the day, Walmart recalled over 2,000 of the product, equating to more than 12,000 cartons of chicken broth.

Broccoli Florets (2024 And 2025)

Marketside Broccoli Florets - Walmart

Most of us agree that broccoli florets are far superior to broccoli stems. The tender, top parts of the broccoli plant are a favorite in savory stir-fries and side dishes. Broccoli stems, on the other hand, can be tough and chewy, making them a much less popular choice with chefs. At the tail end of 2024, the cruciferous vegetable sold at Walmart came under scrutiny when it was recalled in a bid to stop a potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

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To halt the spread of the bacteria, Walmart recalled bags of broccoli florets in the 20 states where the product was sold. Produced by Braga Fresh and labeled as Marketside, the contamination alert for the bagged vegetable was initiated on 31 December 2024. Since the recall only applied to products with a "best by" date of 10 December 2024, it mostly affected those who still had the broccoli florets in their freezer. While this safety recall only applied to one very specific product, the FDA upgraded it to a Class I category on 27 January 2025, highlighting the seriousness of the risk posed by any potential infection.

Ready-To-Eat Meat And Poultry (2024)

Fresh Express chicken salad - Fresh Express

Ten million pounds of protein is an impressive quantity. This is precisely how much beef and poultry were recalled from Walmart, and a range of other stores, in 2024. The move followed routine testing by the Food Safety and Inspection Service at the BrucePac manufacturing plant, which found Listeria monocytogenes in the facility's ready-to-eat poultry. The bacteria can lead to serious health issues in the elderly, pregnant women, newborns, and those with weakened immune systems. Since it wasn't clear whether other ready-to-eat products were also affected by the bacteria, BrucePac's pre-cooked meat was also recalled.

The affected meat and poultry were sold under Walmart's private label, as well as the brand name Fresh Express. Furthermore, it included both refrigerated and frozen products. In fact, so many chain supermarkets and grocery stores sold the offending meat and poultry that the Food Safety and Inspection Service came up with a 409-page list of the products to avoid, from frozen dinners to ready-made salads.

Raw Ground Beef (2024)

Tray of raw ground beef - Busranur Cebi/Shutterstock

E. coli can turn a perfectly good meal into a nightmare. The pathogen can make its way from the contaminated food into your digestive system, causing symptoms like abdominal cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. To avoid a potential outbreak of the illness in 2024, FSIS had to recall more than 16,000 pounds of raw ground beef sold at Walmart stores around the country.

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Produced by the Pennsylvania-based manufacturer, Cargill Meat Solutions, the raw beef was distributed to Walmart stores nationwide. More specifically, the affected products included raw ground beef and burger patties packaged in plastic-covered trays. All the products were labeled with a USDA mark of inspection. Just some of the recalled products included Prime Rib Beef Steak Burger Patties and 80% Lean 20% Fat Natural Ground Beef Chuck.

Cargill Meat Solutions is no stranger to controversy. In 2009, the parents of an 11-year-old Minnesota girl sued the company after she got ill from eating the company's beef. The product in question was an E. coli-contaminated hamburger, which left the girl hospitalized for over a month. The case was eventually settled out of court.

Peppermint Flavored Baking Chips (2022)

Lily's Peppermint Flavor Baking Chips - Walmart

Typically used as an ingredient in cookies, brownies, and muffins, baking chips come in a range of styles and flavors. Regrettably, the popular baking ingredient sparked controversy in 2022 when Lily's Sweets issued a recall of its 7-ounce Peppermint Flavor Baking Chips sold exclusively at Walmart stores across the country.

Over 18,000 cases of the baking chips were withdrawn from the market after it was discovered that the product contained soy lecithin, an ingredient that wasn't listed on its label. Soy lecithin can cause adverse reactions in people allergic or sensitive to soy.

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The mishap came to light after a consumer discovered that Lily's Peppermint Flavor Baking Chips had been accidentally mixed with white candy pieces, which normally contain soy lecithin. These white chips also contained sugar and several other ingredients not listed on the Peppermint Flavor Baking Chips packaging. Although it's unclear how the mix-up took place, according to a recall notice issued by the FDA, "the error occurred at a co-manufacturer."

Onions (2021)

Onions of different colors - Unpict/Getty Images

While many product mishaps are handled before consumers become ill, this was not the case with the 2021 onion contamination, which is believed to have resulted in an outbreak of salmonella across 37 states. In total, the contaminated alliums have been linked to at least 800 illnesses and 150 hospitalizations.

The affected vegetables included red, white, and yellow onions, which were distributed in cartons and sacks weighing between 2 and 50 pounds, and may have been labeled colossal, jumbo, medium, summer, or sweet. Plus, they were offered under a range of brand names, including Market Pantry and Green Giant.

The onions were sold at Walmart stores in Texas and Oklahoma  two states that accounted for approximately 36% of the reported illnesses. One Walmart location in Kansas also stocked the affected produce. The bulbous vegetables had been imported into the U.S. from Chihuahua, Mexico and distributed by ProSource Produce LLC of Hailey, Idaho, and Keeler Family Farms of Deming, New Mexico.

Infant Formula (2019)

Parent's Choice Advantage Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron - Walmart

In 2019, infant formula manufacturer Perrigo recalled 23,388 containers of Parent's Choice Advantage Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron from Walmart over contamination concerns. The product was designed to provide complete nutrition for infants from birth to 12 months of age. As its name suggests, the formula was fortified with iron to support healthy growth and development.

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Parent's Choice Advantage Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron, which was sold exclusively at Walmart, was pulled from shelves due to the possible presence of "metal foreign matter," per the FDA. At the time Perrigo issued the recall notice, there were no reports of injuries, and the alert was prompted by an "abundance of caution stemming from a consumer report." No definite information about the origin of the so-called foreign matter was provided. Consumers who purchased Parent's Choice Advantage Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron with a "use by" date of February 26, 2021, were advised to return the product to a Walmart store for a refund.

Frozen Berries (2019)

Great Value Frozen Blackberries - Walmart

In 2019, Walmart's store brand frozen berries were withdrawn from the market after the Food and Drug Administration found that they may have been contaminated with norovirus. More specifically, the recall affected 16-ounce bags of Great Value Frozen Blackberries, as well as 12-ounce bags of frozen berries sold at Save-A-Lot. The berries had been processed by Alma Pak in Georgia, which initiated the recall. Walmart locations affected by the recall included Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, as well as the territory of Puerto Rico.

While no infections were reported at the time, norovirus can lead to some unpleasant gastrointestinal issues. The highly contagious virus can cause severe diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable to more severe symptoms. Although the exact source of the norovirus contamination hasn't been disclosed, it likely occurred during the harvesting, processing, or packaging of the product.

Chicken Strips (2019)

Great Value Chicken Strips - Walmart

Frozen chicken strips are a staple in many households, and for great reason. They are convenient, versatile, and delicious, often providing a quick and satisfying meal option. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case in 2019, when Walmart, along with other retail chains including Kroger and Target, was forced to remove the poultry from the shelves  or rather, from freezers  due to a concert over metal contamination. In fact, three consumers reported that they had been injured while eating the chicken strips. It's unclear how the metal pieces ended up in the product.

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The recall involved close to 12,000 pounds of Tyson fully cooked frozen chicken strips, including a range of flavors. Marketed as easy meal solutions, the compromised products included crispy chicken strips, Buffalo-style chicken strips, and BBQ flavored chicken strips. Although manufactured by Tyson, the poultry products bore the labels Tyson, Best Choice, Great Value, and Food Lion.

Frozen Vegetables (2016)

Great Value Mixed Vegetables - Walmart

Unlike fresh vegetables, which can spoil quickly, frozen veggies have a long shelf life, making them a great option for home chefs wishing to reduce food waste. In fact, vegetables can be stored in the freezer for up to 12 months. In addition, frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts, provided they have been properly handled and stored.

Unfortunately, proper handling was overlooked when Walmart had to recall its Great Value brand frozen peas and mixed veggies  including carrots, corn, and green beans  due to a potential listeria contamination. The contaminated vegetables were also sold under the Market Pantry, Bountiful Harvest, First Street, and Live Smart brands.

The problem was traced back to the National Frozen Foods Corporation, which packaged the frozen vegetables. In fact, more than 350 affected products were recalled across the U.S. due to the potential presence of the harmful bacteria. At least seven people were hospitalized after consuming contaminated products, two of whom died.

Ground Turkey (2011)

Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey - Target

Just like ground beef, ground turkey can be used in a huge range of dishes, from turkey meatballs to burgers, tacos, and burritos. Unfortunately, in 2011, rather than contributing to a delicious meal, the minced turkey purchased at Walmart sickened more than 100 consumers and resulted in at least one death.

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In August of the same year, Cargill issued a recall of 36 million pounds of its ground turkey after an inspection of its meat production facility in Springdale, Arkansas, identified it as a possible source of a strand of salmonella called Heidelberg. The ground turkey was sold under the Shady Brook Farms brand at Walmart, as well as the Fit and Active and the Honeysuckle White brands at Aldi.

By September, the recall had expanded to 185,000 pounds of ground turkey processed at the same plant. The recall affected fresh ground turkey chubs, trays, and patties. This occurred despite the fact that Cargill had closed the facility for two weeks in August to disinfect the grinding machinery. Frank Jones, a scientist and industry consultant with Performance Poultry in Springdale, told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette that tracing the exact source of the contamination proved challenging, explaining, "Locating the origin is likely harder than finding a needle in a haystack because the pathogen is microscopic in size and it's everywhere birds are."

Peanut Butter (2006/2007)

Great Value peanut butter - Walmart

Peanut butter can be a delicious treat. However, the same popular spread can become a serious threat when it infects hundreds of people with salmonella. This is what happened when Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter brands were found to be contaminated with the harmful bacteria. Both products had been manufactured at the ConAgra Foods, Inc. plant in Georgia and sold at Walmart. In fact, between August 2006 and May 2007, 628 cases of salmonella in 41 states had been linked to the contaminated products.

A class lawsuit against ConAgra was filed in February 2007 on behalf of consumers who fell ill  but weren't hospitalized  after eating the contaminated peanut butter. Individual claims were also initiated for those hospitalized with salmonella infections after eating the tainted peanut butter, as well for families whose loved ones had died after consuming the products. In addition, ConAgra was hit with a $11.2 million fine for knowingly distributing peanut butter contaminated with salmonella as early as 2004.

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SPRINGFIELD, MO  Construction has started on Walmarts first fuel centers across the city. The new facilities will be the first in the area for the retailer, which is ramping up its presence in the convenience/gas station market.

Last October, Ozarks First was the first to report on plans by the Bentonville-based retailer to build at least three gas stations in front of some of its existing store locations, including 3245 S. Campbell Ave. (at Walnut Lawn St.), 3535 Mt. Vernon St. (at West Bypass), and 1923 E. Kearney (at Glenstone Ave.)

In recent weeks, contractors have begun working on the locations on S. Campbell. Right now, preliminary work is being done behind a large construction fence surrounding the plot of land, which had been part of a parking lot. Work has yet to begin on the other two stations in town.

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Last fall, a Walmart spokesperson told Ozarks First, These will be Walmart walk-in fuel stations, about 1,440 square feet, with construction expected to begin spring 2025.

The new Walmart fuel centers will be separate from Murphy stations locations seen in front of several other Supercenters around the area. That brand is a separate company, though it has partnered with Walmart over the years to build and operate stations on the retailers properties.

Mark Rickel, Walmart spokesperson, confirms the S. Campbell Ave. and E. Mt. Vernon St.. locations will be completed in mid- to late November. A timeline for construction and opening at the E. Karney St. stores hasnt been announced yet.

Rickel stated, Walmart is always seeking ways to improve our customers experience and offer them the products they want, where they want them. These locations align with that strategy.

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Renderings of the West Bypass location submitted to the City of Springfield last fall revealed the project will include 16 gas pump spots.

Aside from gasoline, Walmart Fuel Stations typically include small retail centers selling items like beverages, snacks, and other common convenience store merchandise.

In recent years, Walmart has rolled out fuel stations in states like Texas and Oklahoma. There are also several locations in northwest Arkansas in and around Bentonville.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  Part of a warehouses roof on McCall St. collapsed on Saturday morning.

Our 2 NEWS photographer spoke with crews at the McCall Building, owned by Phoenix Investors of Dayton. Approximately 50 minutes after midnight, the roof partially caved in.

2 NEWS will update this story 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 WDTN.com.
A Georgia warehouse worker is dead after a co-worker shot him to death at work.

Several law enforcement agencies were called out the Plantation Quail on Greensboro, Georgia, around noon on Friday for a reported shooting.

The Greene County Sheriffs Office said Dimas Sanchez Ruiz, 42, shot Rod-Riez Dameyian Tripp, 30, at the lower processing warehouse.

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Tripp was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

So far, investigators have not released a motive behind the shooting.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called in to assist with the investigation into the shooting.

Plantation Quail is the largest supplier of fresh and frozen quail in America, according to its website.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  Well soon be back to warm and dry weather, Meteorologist Scot Mundt explains.

While the weekend and early next week are looking cool, much warmer air will return for later next week.

Bull ridings top tour back in Sioux Falls

Another cloudy, cool, and damp day in KELOLAND. A wintry mix moved through the area and temperatures remained well below average. Even though well have dry skies this weekend and early next week, temperatures will still remain below average but that will soon change.

Instead of a trough in the jet stream in the southwest United States, which has given us the active pattern over the past several weeks, well return to a northwest flow in the atmosphere. You may remember, this was the pattern we were in through much of the winter.

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As we change the weather pattern, well eventually warm, but it wont happen until we get into mid-week next week. Thats when you can expect widespread above-average temperatures. 60s on Wednesday with 70s for some the later we go through the week and for next weekend. Keep in mind, by the time we get into next weekend, the average highs are in the middle 50s to near 60. So well be well above average.

But, northwest flow lowers our chances for rain as were cut off from any major moisture. So expect mainly dry skies with warmer air.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB)  Florida became the 27th state in 1845, 180 years ago. Washington County beats that by 20 years.

County officials and residents are celebrating the 200th Anniversary this weekend.

The bicentennial event kicked off this evening in Vernon. The celebration kicked off with the Vernon High School JROTC presenting the colors. There was free popcorn and cotton candy for attendees, as well as a bounce house for the kids.

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While day one is primarily meant to kick off Washington Countys Bicentennial celebration, it is also serving as a way to commemorate the history of the parks namesake, an elementary school for African Americans.

Surfside Academy in Panama City Beach hosts Special Needs Prom

So we are standing on the site of the Shady Grove Elementary School. It ran from 1952 to 1968. So were celebrating their history here on this site, which is now a public park, Tourist Development Council Director Heather Lopez said.

The schoolhouse was disassembled when Washington County integrated their schools.

The celebration continues Saturday all around downtown Vernon. There will be a parade, as well as food, live music, and more. The celebration takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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All of the events are free.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com.
A violent robbery suspect is behind bars after a police chase through Buford ended with a dramatic takedown, captured from both the air and the ground.

Police say the pursuit began in late February when officers tried to stop a stolen vehicle. The driver sped off, and the departments aviation unit began tracking the car from above, relaying his location to officers on the ground.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The suspect, identified as 19-year-old Treveon Hogges, eventually crashed and bailed out near a Goodwill store on Buford Highway. Officers in the helicopter directed ground units to his exact location, describing his clothing and movements in real time.

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Hogges tried to run but was caught just outside the store, where officers deployed a Taser. Body camera video captured the moment of the arrest.

Hogges, of Buford, now faces multiple charges including aggravated assault, fleeing, obstruction and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Investigators later linked him to two armed robberies from earlier this year. On Jan. 14, police say he fired through the glass door of a check-cashing business in Duluth during a robbery attempt.

A similar crime occurred two days later in Smyrna, and detectives believe Hogges is responsible for both. Hes even accused of being involved in a shootout with Smyrna Police.

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Its highly important when someone is out here discharging firearms and shooting at police, weve got to make sure that hes apprehended safely, said Cpl. Juan Madiedo with Gwinnett County Police.

Madiedo said the arrest was the result of coordinated efforts between officers in the air and on the ground.

Its great teamwork from all around, he said. Its good police work. He was able to be apprehended and taken off the streets.

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If physicians are not trained on specific health risks that directly impact transgender patients, how can we provide adequate care?" writes Alexander Misiaszek. "If we are not taught about racial health disparities, how will we work to combat them? If we stop prioritizing inclusion, how can we ensure equal health care for all? (Getty Images)

When the government puts legal barriers in place to strip away or prevent health care access, its not just politics  its real peoples lives at stake.

During the summer of 2024, countless transgender and gender expansive patients expressed to me fears about what might happen to their access to gender affirming medical care if a conservative administration were to win the White House. This worst-case scenario became reality in the first weeks of 2025, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order redefining legal gender identity as a strict binary of male and female  effectively erasing recognition of nonbinary and transgender individuals and interrupting federal funding to institutions providing gender-affirming health care.

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As a transgender health program intern, I have seen providers try to reassure patients of their well-being and safety while they themselves fear how their job will be affected if the laws would drastically alter the way we practice medicine.

As a gay man about to enter the medical profession, I am afraid. The recent wave of anti-trans initiatives pushed by this administration is part of a much broader effort to dismantle diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging programs across the country under the guise of restoring meritocracy and leveling the playing field.

But in health care, the playing field has never been level. Minority populations continue to face disproportionate health risks and barriers to care.

DEIB is the foundation of medical education. It teaches future physicians how to address these disparities and combat the structural inequities that put vulnerable patients at risk. Studies show medical students have felt unprepared to manage transgender and gender expansive patients upon graduation. One study even claimed that only 27% of students were confident in their knowledge of the health needs of transgender patients.

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Beyond that, they could not correctly answer questions about race-related medical history despite affirming that understanding historical context is important in medicine. This lack of education was always a problem, and efforts were underway to solve it. Eliminating DEIB would not only erode this progress but set us back behind where we were even before we started.

In 2020, the American Association of Medical Colleges rolled out the Structural Competency Curriculum, which aims to train providers to recognize and respond to the impact of upstream, structural factors on patient health and health care. Since then, medical schools across the country have adopted the values of this curriculum and incorporated it throughout the course of their students training. Health equity is a core pillar of medical students professional development and should be embedded into the culture of patient-centric care.

When DEIB is dismantled, programs like these disappear, and awareness of health disparities among marginalized patient populations fades from the culture of those whose job is to provide the proper care and treatment.

If physicians are not trained on specific health risks that directly impact transgender patients, how can we provide adequate care? If we are not taught about racial health disparities, how will we work to combat them? If we stop prioritizing inclusion, how can we ensure equal health care for all?

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Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. Legislation cannot change a persons identity, but it will change their access to health care. Medical schools need to teach this, and we as students want to learn. Future doctors like me are watching everything that is happening, and we are worried. When students apply to medical school, the number one question they are asked is, Why medicine? While the answer to this question can take many different forms, the bottom line is pretty simple: We want to help people.

Medical schools can make a monumental difference in how future doctors navigate this political environment and provide care to patients. We urge medical schools to keep teaching us how to do that for all patients.

New Hampshire Bulletin, a States Newsroom affiliate, produced this column.

Alexander Misiaszek is a student at Dartmouth College and has published in Molecular Biology of the Cell. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  Nothing was found after crews were searching in the water on a rescue call off of S.R. 235 by Medway Road for hours.

Greene County Regional Dispatch confirmed multiple units were on scene throughout the day.

Greene County now said nothing was found in the water.

Crews were initially dispatched on a call of a possible stuck car.

The rescue was in Rainbow Lakes near Mad River.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com.
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)  We did it again, another warm, muggy and breezy day with high temperatures reaching the middle to upper 80s across the Chattahoochee Valley. Well stay warm and breezy for the remainder of the evening as temperatures gradually drop to the 70s.

The high pressure that has kept the forecast summer-like with above average temperatures will come to an end as a strong cold front will push out of the mid-south and into the Southeast. This front will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms to Alabama as early as Sunday morning but arriving into east Alabama and Georgia by Sunday afternoon and evening.

We are Weather Aware Sunday for strong to possibly severe storms along and ahead of the cold front. Best time will be from midday Sunday through the remainder of the afternoon and into the evening, showers and storms will linger into Monday but the severe risk should diminish by Sunday night. Primary risk will be damaging winds, small hail and a brief tornado or two.

There will also be the potential for very heavy rain and flooding, a Flood Watch is in place for all of east Alabama and from Columbus north through Monday evening. 2-4 inches of rain possible with locally higher amounts.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL.
Protesters turned out in large numbers to nationwide demonstrations against the Trump administration.

Trump has upended government agencies, fired thousands of federal workers, and shaken the economy.

Many protesters told Business Insider they were worried about their retirement savings.

Last week, nationwide protests targeted Elon Musk for his role in dismantling government agencies and firing federal workers through the White House DOGE Office.

This week, they're targeting the man who gave him that role: President Donald Trump.

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In coordinated demonstrations that organizers said took place across all 50 states, the "Hands Off!" protesters railed against Trump and his administration, accusing them of championing policies that benefit the rich while making life harder for everyone else.

Business Insider sent reporters to protests in different parts of the country to hear from them directly. Many said they were most worried about the economy and their retirement investments, which have dwindled in tandem with Trump's tariff announcements.

Trump says the tariffs will help jump-start US manufacturing, promote US goods, protect jobs and ultimately create more of them. He has urged Americans to wait out the initial market volatility and price increases.

However, that's done little to alleviate fears. Here's what protesters told us and what surprised us the most.

New York City

A large crowd in midtown Manhattan protested the Trump administration. Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Community Change Action

As I rode the train from Brooklyn to midtown Manhattan, the subway car filled with protesters, their cardboard signs bumping up against umbrellas on a rainy Saturday in New York.

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By 1 p.m., the 42nd Street station was even more crowded than usual. Older people clutched slippery canes, and young kids clutched their parents' hands. One man wore a once trendy Harris-Walz camo hat. Another waved a small American flag, an unusual display of patriotism at anti-Trump rallies.

The damp horde of protesters shuffled toward Bryant Park, and in some ways, it all felt familiar. There were chants about abortion, signs featuring the face of now-deceased Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a progressive icon, and a steady cacophony of car horns.

But some things were different this time.

For one, the crowd looked older, with middle-aged Americans seeming to outnumber the 20-somethings that dominated rallies during the pandemic. It makes sense since many Americans are watching their retirement savings dwindle in the face of crashing markets and worry that staff cuts to the Social Security Administration could threaten their benefits.

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While the anti-government protests held during Trump's first term focused on social issues  such as abortion and civil rights issues  many of the signs on Saturday targeted the economy.

A protest sign at the Manhattan demonstration. Alice Tecotzky/Business Insider

Most of the people I talked to didn't want to share their last names because they worried about their privacy in the current political environment. Yet they weren't shy about their rage and despair.

Dorothy Auer, 62, told me she wished people would get angrier.

"I've been working for over 40 years, and I looked at my investments yesterday  my retirement plan  and I literally don't think I'll ever be able to retire," she said, starting to choke up.

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Wiping her eyes with her free hand  the other held a black-and-white sign bashing Musk  Auer told me it was distressing to see a man of such wealth "turn around and crap on us."

Jian, 33, held a sign that read, "Tariffs are killing my 401(k)," but he told me he was most upset about what was happening to his retired father.

"My dad just lost about 25% of his savings in the last three days because of the tariffs," he said.

It's not just the economy, of course, that brought thousands of people out to midtown Manhattan.

Penny, 54, said the Trump administration has targeted virtually every issue she cares about. Even so, we ended up talking about Musk.

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"I'm horrified that a person who wasn't born here, wasn't elected, seems to be getting carte blanche to do whatever he wants in our government," she said. "How did he get a security clearance?"

Most of those I talked to as they slowly trudged toward Madison Square Park didn't think the protest would change Trump's mind.

A few said they hoped Congress would pay attention, but more than that, people said they felt they needed to do something.

"Even if it's sort of hopeless right now, at least it's showing people that we're here," Pyare, 49, told me. "And that we don't like it."

Novi, Michigan

Another week, another protest.

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On Saturday, I attended the "Hands Off!" rally in Novi, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit where 55% of the vote went to Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Thousands of people showed up.

The crowd was emotionally charged and united by the spirit of collective action. Many attendees said they were first-time protesters. The Tesla Takedown protests I attended last weekend seemed somber by comparison. Protesters here got loud.

This artist calls herself the "Old Lady Army Fighting for Democracy," or "OLAFFD." Lakshmi Varanasi

"Call me Old Lady Army Fighting for Democracy," one 66-year-old woman, who didn't want to give her real name, told me. She held up a sign she had made. It was a charcoal drawing of the Statue of Liberty, whose hands covered her eyes in shame.

"I just copied this off of Facebook," she said. But to her, it symbolized that "everything that our country stands for is being destroyed, and the world is looking at us."

Liana Gettel, 58, was wearing several pins at the rally in Novi, Michigan, including one that said "Keep your laws off my body." Lakshmi Varanasi

Liana Gettel, 58, said she was outraged for several reasons, including the administration's stance on abortion. She said she had an abortion 29 years ago.

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"I had lost a child. The child would not come out on its own. So I had to have a procedure. Had I not had that procedure, I wouldn't be here," she said. "And that's what they want to block, is things like that?"

Protesters were vocal about a range of issues, including abortion, trans, and minority rights. One protester holding up a sign for trans rights said, "Trans people are just the appetizer, but everyone will be on the menu now."

That echoed remarks made by the human rights advocate Channyn Lynne Parker at the Rally for Trans Visibility in Chicago last weekend.

Protesters at the "Hands Off!" were focused on a range of causes, including trans rights. Lakshmi Varanasi

But unlike protests during Trump's first term, which focused on social issues, many people at Saturday's protest were also worried about the president's economic policies.

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Matt Watts said he was protesting Musk's takeover of Social Security and Trump's tariffs on "countries that don't deserve it." After the stock market began to take a hit from all the talk of tariffs, Watts said he took his money out of his 401(k) and invested it into a more stable fund. "I'm getting ready to retire pretty soon. I've got to count on that savings," he said.

Most protesters appeared to be middle-aged or older, but they captured some younger activists with their energy.

Patricia, 53, and Yajat Verma, 18. Lakshmi Varanasi

Yajat Verma, 18, said he hadn't known about the protest but was driving by with a friend when he saw the crowd. He decided to join in and started handing out water bottles to protesters.

"Everyone should be protesting," he said.

San Francisco

Thousands of protesters gathered at Civic Center Plaza near San Francisco City Hall. Lloyd Lee

Protesters crowding together near the San Francisco City Hall had much to be angry about.

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On one end of the 150,000 square-foot Civic Center Plaza, a man's voice boomed through the microphone about the dangers of fascism and how it was time for people to go "on the offensive."

On the other end was Michelle Gutierrez Vo, the president of the California Nurses Association, warning about Trump's move to strip federal workers of their union rights.

With so many grievances against the current administration in the air, some protesters resorted to bullet-point lists of the issues on large signs.

Protesters held signs that listed their issues with the Trump administration. Lloyd Lee

That spoke to one of the concerns for Maria, a 67-year-old San Francisco resident who declined to provide her last name.

"My focus has been a lot about the environment," Maria, a 67-year-old San Francisco resident, told BI.

She added: "There's so much going on right now, but I know it's important to try and stay focused on one thing and hope other people are focused on the other things."

Maria's friend chimed in, saying she was worried about her Social Security, which she said she'd been paying into for six decades.

For Frida Ruiz, 18, a student at the University of San Francisco who held a sign that read "Billionaire Cucks," Trump's stance on immigration hits close to home as a daughter of Mexican immigrant parents.

George Chikovani, a 42-year-old San Franciso resident who came the to protest with his wife, Lisa Isola, 40, and their 3-year-old and 10-month-old children, said the war in Ukraine was personally important to him.

"My grandmother is from Ukraine, and then I grew up in Georgia so that cause has felt very personal to me. I still have family and friends there," Chikovani said.

An officer with the San Francisco Police Department said about 7,500 people were gathered near city hall on Saturday afternoon.

Some protesters were in full-body costumes. Lloyd Lee

As my colleague observed in New York, middle-aged and older people made up large swaths of the crowd. Some came out in full costumes, staying true to the city's colorful character.

Maria, who's also a member of Third Act, a left-leaning political advocacy group focused on mobilizing older voters, said she was encouraged by people who came out to protest but was "hoping to see more."

"We need more younger people to come," she said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio  "Hands Off" protesters gathered across the country Saturday, including in Vice President JD Vance's hometown.

Despite pouring rain, more than 200 people gathered at a park in Middletown, Ohio, on Saturday for speeches and chants, part of the coordinated "Hands Off" nationwide protests.

Demonstrators held signs along Verity Parkway while cars honked. Some yelled "Hands off" chants and rattled cow bells. Speakers, including a pastor and a Middletown Pride organizer, criticized President Donald Trump, cuts to the federal government and mass deportations.

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Others, while standing in a city dotted with "Hometown of JD Vance" signs, took aim at the vice president.

Story, photos, videos: 'No kings in the Queen City!' Over 2,000 anti-Trump protesters gather in Washington Park

Protesters hold up signs on the side of the road during an aniti-DOGE Hands Off protest, Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Douglas Park in Middletown.

'We're not what Vance said we are'

Around 62% of voters in Middletown, a city of approximately 51,000 people, voted for Vance in 2024. But the city's "Hands Off" protest organizer, Constance Miller, wants residents who didn't vote for Vance and Trump to not feel alone.

"We're not all like him. I want the world to see that he doesn't represent us," said the 43-year-old Miller, who lives in Middletown.

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"We're not what Vance said we are," she added, referring to Vance's memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy."

Protesters came from nearby suburbs such as Oxford, Fairfield and Loveland. Others work and live in Middletown.

John Wagner, a Middletown pastor, said immigrants in the city are afraid of mass deportations. The Butler County Sheriff's Office in Hamilton, Ohio, 20 minutes south of Middletown, is working with ICE to carry those out.

"One person was arrested right in front of me. In front of his family," the pastor said. "They had to go to Mexico to find him."

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Duane Gordon, an organizer for Middletown Pride, said falsehoods about immigrants spread by Trump and Vance, including debunked rumors about Haitian migrants, have fueled Americans' fear of immigrants. He called the vice president "Middletown's biggest embarrassment."

Protesters listen to speeches during an aniti-DOGE Hands Off protest, Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Douglas Park in Middletown.

Protesters worry about immigrants, LGBTQ+ people

Amy Keller works in health care in Middletown and said many of the people she helps rely on Medicaid. She's worried Medicaid will be cut under Trump.

"We're also a safe haven for LGBTQIA+ people, so we have some serious concerns about what's happening to them as well," she said. "The difference between now and then (during Trump's first term) was we could always count on the courts and we could always count on Congress. But these days, it doesn't seem like we can."

More than 500,000 people RSVP'd to "Hands Off" protests across the country, USA TODAY reports, making it the largest coordinated effort to protest Trump during his second term. This includes one with a crowd of over 2,000 in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine, a 45-minute drive from Middletown and just a stone's throw away from Vance's home in East Walnut Hills.

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"We've been frustrated. Especially people who are LGBTQ+, minorities ... I have a lot of friends that I really care about that are going to be stepped on by this new administration," said 21-year-old Middletown resident Jason Campbell. "Even if it's just one person (who shows up), you add to the larger line of people and help show  especially in the rain  that we mean what we're saying. We want change."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hands Off protesters rally in JD Vance's hometown Saturday
CROCKETT COUNTY, Tenn.  Law enforcement agencies across West Tennessee are urging residents to use caution and stay weather aware as severe weather moves through the Mid-South.

Were just really grateful that no one was hurt this morning. It was a very dangerous situation, said Stephen Sutton, the Crockett County Public Information Officer.

As the Mid-South prepares for another round of severe weather, officials in Crockett County spent the day providing updates via Facebook to residents on the latest storm conditions.

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Sutton said Saturday mornings storms left multiple properties damaged, mainly in Friendship, Tennessee.

LIVE: Severe storms and tornado risk

There were no injuries, and were thankful for that, Sutton said. Once again, personal property, shops, barns, a house [were damaged].

The county was under multiple tornado and flood watches and warnings throughout the day.

Severe weather outlook for April 5, 2025.

Flooding was a major concern across the country.

Officials said at one point, nearly 30 roads were flooded and that number is expected to increase through the night as storms continue to move through the region.

The weather event that sprang up this morning was very scary for our community, especially in the Friendship area, Sutton said.

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Selmer, TN community coming together after devastating tornado

Over in Lauderdale County, Sheriff Brian Kelley posted on social media that there were numerous reports of structural damage as well as downed trees.

Much of that damage could be found along Concord Road in Gates, Tennessee.

Sheriff Kelley said that there were no reported injuries.

He warned residents to avoid traveling unless it is absolutely necessary and to remain vigilant.

These warnings come after multiple EF-3 tornadoes ripped through portions of West Tennessee, leaving several people dead and many injured.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  More than $6 million total will go to four whistleblowers in a lawsuit filed against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his office, and they are granted interest until they are paid, according to the final judgment.

This comes after an entire episode that led to the impeachment trial of Paxton that ultimately ended in his acquittal in the Texas Senate in 2023.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton moves to end litigation in whistleblower lawsuit

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However, that lawsuit continued. Following that, AG Paxton opted not to contest the whistleblowers lawsuit last year.

According to the filing by Travis County district judge, Catherine A. Mauzy, Plaintiffs made their reports to law enforcement in good faith, and OAG terminated each of the Plaintiffs because of their reports to law enforcement in violation of the Texas Whistleblower Act.

Final judgementDownload

KXAN reached out to Paxtons office and received the following statement:

The sham impeachment orchestrated by the disgraced former Speaker of the Texas House Dade Phelan, in collusion with Joe Bidens corrupt DOJ, has already cost taxpayers over five million dollars. The Texas Senate rejected their witch hunt after the allegations were proven to be false with no evidence to support them. Now a liberal Austin judge wants the people of Texas to pay even more for the Phelan/Biden corrupt impeachment scheme with a ridiculous judgment that is not based on the facts or the law. We will appeal this bogus ruling as we continue to clean up Dade Phelans mess Attorney General Ken Paxtons office

KXAN also reached out to plaintiffs in this case and received the following statement:

Late Friday afternoon, after a trial in state district court, our clients were awarded a judgment confirming that the Office of the Attorney General violated the Texas Whistleblower Act. After litigating for more than four years due to OAGs many delay tactics, Ken Paxton finally admitted to breaking the law to avoid being questioned under oath, but also because he had no defense. It should shock all Texans that their chief law enforcement officer, Ken Paxton, admitted to violating the law, but that is exactly what happened in this case. Now the Texas Legislature needs to do the honorable thing and fund the judgment so these brave public servants can be compensated for the lost pay and damages they suffered when Paxton illegally terminated their employment. Tom Nesbitt, attorney for Blake Brickman and TJ Turner, attorney for David Maxwell

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
President Donald Trump arranged for far-right activist Laura Loomer to join him in the Oval Office this week for an extraordinary meeting that preceded a shake-up of his national security leadership, two sources familiar with their meeting told CNN.

Their sit-down came after Loomer reached Trump by phone, the sources told CNN. As a result of their call, Trump instructed staff to invite her to the White House, the sources added.

Within 24 hours of their meeting, the administration had fired the director and deputy director of the National Security Agency, the United States powerful cyber intelligence bureau, as well as staff members on the National Security Council. Loomer had advocated for their dismissal during her conversation with Trump, CNN previously reported.

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This is called vetting, Loomer wrote on X early Friday, adding of the NSA leaders: Their firings are a blessing for the American people.

The stunning series of events recalled Trumps first term, when informal advisers, fringe figures and longtime associates often bypassed traditional channels to gain direct access to the Oval Office. His aides have insisted the presidents second term would be marked by discipline and structure.

Loomers previous inflammatory rhetoric has drawn rebukes from Republican leaders, and her access to then-candidate Trump was limited last fall after her appearances on the campaign trail alongside him prompted internal tensions and public criticism. Now, by securing a White House visit just 72 days into Trumps second term, Loomer has once again cast a spotlight on the external sources shaping the presidents decision-making in what was supposed to be a closely guarded Oval Office.

And it appears Loomers work isnt finished. In the days since her meeting with Trump, Loomer has publicly accused the presidents advisers of failing to block Republicans whom she sees as unfaithful to Trump from top White House and administration jobs. In response to what she calls a vetting crisis, Loomer recently announced she was starting an opposition research firm to dig into the backgrounds of executive branch hires on her own.

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I literally have a binder of receipts, she said in a recent podcast appearance, and I know whos loyal and I know who is disloyal.

Loomer did not respond to multiple requests for comment. However, she told CNN earlier this week that she would decline on divulging any details about my Oval Office meeting with President Trump.

It was an honor to meet with President Trump and present him with my findings, I will continue working hard to support his agenda, and I will continue reiterating the importance of strong vetting, for the sake of protecting the President and our national security, she said in a statement Thursday.

CNN has reached out to the White House about the meeting.

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As a conservative provocateur who is fiercely loyal to Trump, Loomer has publicly positioned herself as a protector of the president against people she views as insufficiently committed to the MAGA movement and its leader. In social media posts, she shares her deep suspicions of Elon Musk and other tech billionaires who have lately cozied up to the president and is especially critical of Republicans who failed to stand by Trump after his defeat in 2020.

Until this week, she had largely operated from outside the halls of power in Washington  though not for lack of trying. Loomer, who twice ran unsuccessfully for Congress, has spent months attempting to gain access to the West Wing. On social media, she has accused the presidents inner circle of pushing aside her and others whom she considers faithful Trump followers.

While she regularly talks to Trump by phone, sources familiar with their relationship said, senior advisers had until recently largely thwarted her efforts at greater access and had limited her ability to gain an in-person audience with the president. The White House hasnt approved her attempts to secure a press credential and attend daily briefings, she has said on social media. The press office didnt respond to a CNN request for comment about the status of her application.

But the president was intrigued by Loomers latest overture during their recent phone conversation, the sources familiar with the meeting said, which included detailed critiques of many officials serving in key intelligence agencies. After Loomer presented her case to the president in person  carrying a list of roughly a dozen names she encouraged him to dismiss over their political backgrounds  the White House moved to oust the individuals.

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On Thursday, Trump acknowledged meeting with Loomer but downplayed her role in the dismissal of National Security Council staff, calling her a very strong person who recommended some people for jobs.

And sometimes I listen to those recommendations, like I do with everybody, I listen to everybody, and then I make a decision, he told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Hours later, CNN reported that Trump had dismissed two more individuals flagged by Loomer, including the NSA director, Gen. Timothy Haugh, a Senate-confirmed official who also leads US Cyber Command.

But sources familiar with Loomers Oval Office visit on Wednesday told CNN the meeting was a one-off, and they insisted her access to the president remained in check.

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The firings also came amid intense internal scrutiny of national security operations following the revelation that top administration officials discussed an attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen over a Signal chat that mistakenly included a journalist. While its unclear whether this weeks dismissals were related to that incident, Trump and other top administration officials have remained wary behind the scenes of how the intelligence community is operating, CNN previously reported. Trumps national security adviser, Michael Waltz, who was at the heart of the Signal scandal, was in the room Wednesday while Loomer condemned the staffers on his team.

Still, its the second time in recent weeks that Loomer has appeared to claim credit for a Trump decision. Loomer, in a mid-March social media post, accused the son of former President Joe Biden, Hunter, of vacationing in South Africa with the protection of US Secret Service agents. Asked about the allegations several days later, Trump said he just heard about it for the first time and would take a look at that. Shortly after, Trump wrote on Truth Social he was revoking Hunter Bidens protective service.

Loomer has long occupied a place on the outer edges of Trumps inner circle, a position that brought considerable challenges for the Republicans 2024 campaign. For a time, Loomer accompanied then-candidate Trump on his private plane or met with him at his personal resort clubs, where she would share with him her theories.

When Trump questioned Vice President Kamala Harris ethnicity during an especially tense interview at the National Association of Black Journalists convention last summer, an adviser blamed Loomer  who, leading up to Trumps appearance, baselessly accused Harris on X of hiding her Black heritage  for planting the seed. Asked by CNN last fall, Loomer did not weigh in on whether she influenced Trumps remarks.

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Loomer notably accompanied Trump on his flight to the Republican National Convention last summer, just one day after an assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania. And she was among the close allies seen deboarding his private plane ahead of his September debate against Harris.

Her proximity to Trump, though, soon became a source of friction. Democrats pounced and Republicans groaned when she appeared alongside Trump at a memorial service honoring those who died on September 11, 2001. Loomer had previously posted a video claiming that the attack on the World Trade Center towers was an inside job. (Loomer, in a phone interview with CNN last year, said, Ive never denied the fact that Islamic terrorists carried out the 9/11 terrorist attacks.)

After the controversy stirred by that appearance, advisers largely curtailed Loomers access to Trump for the remainder of the campaign. This week, though, Loomer demonstrated her staying power as she defended Trumps firing of national security officials.

Thank you President Trump for being receptive to the vetting materials provided to you, she wrote on X, and thank you for firing these Biden holdovers.

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A White House official offered an expletive-laden take to The Washington Post on Friday while describing the thinking behind President Donald Trumps recent round of tariffs.

Hes at the peak of just not giving a fuck anymore, said the official in a report detailing the lead-up to Trumps liberation day reveal.

In the days since Trump announced his so-called reciprocal tariffs on foreign countries, a move that saw him fulfilling a key campaign pledge, the president has been hit with backlash across the political spectrum while stocks tumble on Wall Street.

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His formula for imposing tariffs has caused experts to scratch their heads, as well. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a conservative economist at American Action Forum, told The Post that the Trump administration has an indefensible foundation to an indefensible policy.

But the bad news stories tied to the tariffs havent fazed the president, according to the White House official.

[Trump] doesnt give a fuck. Hes going to do what hes going to do. Hes going to do what he promised to do on the campaign trail, the official told The Post.

The White House, in contrast to Trumps first term, has reportedly seen less internal fighting on the presidents tariff plans as officials offered little pushback to his recent trade policy.

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In the first term, everyone thought they were president, a senior White House official told The Post.

Check out more of The Posts reporting on Trumps recent tariffs here.

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Sign warns of land mines near damaged electrical cables in Balakliia, Ukraine. | Credit: Scott Peterson / Getty Images

A three-decade global effort to end the use of land mines appears to be over. Finland and other European countries are leaving the Ottawa Convention, the treaty banning anti-personnel mines, as the risk of confrontation with Russia continues to rise.

The 1997 pact has "come under increasing pressure because of the Kremlin's war on Ukraine," said Politico . Finnish President Alexander Stubb  whose country has a border with Russia stretching more than 800 miles  made his announcement Tuesday, following last month's announcement by Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that they will also end their participation in the treaty. The move is a "part of Finland's contribution to Europe taking greater responsibility for our own defense," said Stubb.

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The "lofty goals" of the land mine ban "simply can't withstand the harsh realities on the ground," Jordan Embree and Steven Groves said at The Heritage Foundation . The "grinding war" in Ukraine forced Kyiv to use mines to "protect their country and safeguard their soldiers." (America, Russia and China never signed the pact.) But the treaty has had a "measurable impact on reducing civilian injuries and deaths from land mines," said The Stimson Center . Abandoning the treaty will "certainly present new risks to civilians."

What did the commentators say?

Land mines are "indiscriminate" weapons that "harm civilians, violate human rights, and have long-term societal impact," said Mary Wareham at Human Rights Watch . The newest risks do not just come from countries abandoning the treaty. For three decades, America has been the "world's largest contributor to humanitarian demining," reducing the risk to civilians from weapons left behind on old battlefields, but the Trump administration's cuts to foreign aid are "now disrupting mine clearance operations." The prices of those cuts "will be evident as casualties increase."

The land mine ban is the product of "noble intentions but limited perspective," Dan Rice said at Small Wars Journal . But when Russia invaded Ukraine, treaty commitments "delayed Ukraine's access to essential defensive weapons." Mines, along with cluster munitions, have "proven decisive in Ukraine's defense," inflicting massive casualties on the invaders. The lesson is clear to nations on the front lines of conflict: "These weapons, though imperfect, are often essential for survival."

What next?

Norway is "not about to change" its commitment to the land mine treaty, said Reuters . The country also borders Russia, but Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said it is important to keep the "global stigma" against the weapons in place. Leaving the treaty "makes it easier for warring factions around the world to use these weapons again" because it "reduces the stigma."
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT)  In her budget recommendation, Gov. Kay Ivey cut funding for some line items. This includes money for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Magic City Classic, and Jazz Hall of Fame. Some see it as an attempt to suppress conversations about race. But, others reassure funding will be restored.

The states General Fund made its way through the House of Representatives this week. Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville) said a software program determines what cuts are made. And, some have to be reinstated. He said some were one time appropriations made with COVID relief money and thats why they didnt appear in this years budget.

Sen. Bobby Singleton said hes been assured funding will be restored. We thought that was just a stomp in the face to those events thats there, thats most important to those of us in the African American community, said Singleton. Because, it seems like those were the only ones that got struck.

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New book on Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels touches on Chris Farleys time in Alabama trying to get clean

But, Reynolds said funding for the Law Enforcement Medal of Honor Awards also had to be restored. House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R) commended Reynolds for his work on the budget this year. He described in a statement that the budget process is calculated and transparent.

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is urging Alabamians to call their lawmakers. In a statement, they said in part quote, The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute will continue to be a beacon of truth, a space for courageous dialogue, and a guardian of the stories that shape our democracy.

Sen. Singleton said they will continue to keep a watchful eye on the budgets. Weve been seeing how weve been hit over at UAB, and research dollars, he said of federal cuts. And, were possibly losing doctors, and things of that nature. And, no one in our state is stepping up and talking about it. So, we gotta be the voice for those who need to understand. Because, its hurting people.

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The General Fund passed in the House yesterday without allocations for the Magic City Classic, and those other line items. Reynolds said Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore), budget chairman in the Senate, will make the changes when they get the budget sometime next week.

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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  Sedgwick County firefighters are setting fires at the Sedgwick County Zoo on Monday, April 7. The firefighters will also set fires at Sedgwick County Park.

These are prescribed fires to burn off overgrowth and weeds at 14 sites at the zoo and the park.

(Courtesy Sedgwick County Zoo) (Courtesy Sedgwick County Zoo) (Courtesy Sedgwick County Zoo)

Using prescribed fire is a secure, efficient and economical approach to native land management that reduces fuel buildup and lowers the threat of wildfires, Sedgwick County said in a news release.

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Wichita woman hasnt been seen in over 2 years

The burns started around 10 a.m. and will last until 5 p.m. unless the wind is over 15 miles an hour.

The fire department has multiple vehicles and over a dozen firefighters controlling the flames. Once the fires are out, crews will watch for hot spots until dusk to ensure nothing rekindles.

Sedgwick County Fire District 1 is coordinating with zoo and park employees. The park and zoo are open for visitors, but barricades will keep them away from the burn sites.

The county has posted signs, including electronic traffic signs at the zoo and park entrances, to notify residents.

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People with allergies or asthma who live near the zoo or the park are advised to stay indoors and shut their windows.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Youre not the only one asking this question: Why is it raining so darn much?

Some of Kentuckys foremost and longest-tenured experts on weather and flooding arent sure when they last saw a system so sustained hang over the state.

From Thursday afternoon to midday Saturday, downpours have pelted much of the commonwealth. And its expected to continue through Saturday and into Sunday, particularly in western parts of Kentucky.

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The story of high-profile flooding events over the past few years  from this Februarys statewide deluge to 2022s disastrous flood in Eastern Kentucky  has largely been one of bursts of rain over a short period of time.

So whats making the event this week so prolonged?

The biggest factor is whats called a stationary front.

Perhaps better known as the alternating red and blue squiggly line seen on the radar maps of meteorological broadcasts, a stationary front forms when cold and warm fronts meet and neither budges. It is the hallmark of a long rainy period, according to the National Weather Service.

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The stationary front in this case is marching from southwest to northeast and is draped along the length of the state. Its been even more stationary than such fronts normally are because of an intense, warm area of high pressure to the southeast thats prevented the front from moving through Kentucky.

Paducah-based National Weather Service meteorologist Sean Poulos described the high-pressure area as a ridge holding the stationary front in place.

That ridge is so strong that (the storms) just kind of keep hitting a wall and get shifted back to the north. Then youve got these waves of energy that come in from the west, from the plains, that just keep sparking, igniting additional rounds of storms, Poulos said.

Forecasters also are looking south and the moisture churning from a warm Gulf of Mexico. WKYT Chief Meteorologist Chris Bailey told the Herald-Leader its been a key ingredient of charging the rains, with repeat thunderstorms scraping over the same areas.

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The front is just hanging there, and all it needs is any bit of moisture coming from the Gulf. All this deep tropical moisture is coming northward into that, and its interacting with that front, Bailey explained.

And the amount of available moisture that is out there in the atmosphere is way above normal. So now, any normal shower thunderstorm that goes up just has the capabilities of producing inordinate amounts of rain, and its over the same areas, so youre getting repeat thunderstorms moving through one right after another.

Its just like a conveyor belt of storms and moisture coming up the Mississippi Valley and then taking a hard right across Kentucky. And (the stationary front) really just hasnt moved at all since it moved in here Wednesday night, and it wont move until we get into later Sunday and Sunday night, Bailey said.

While the extra stationary stationary front and the buckets of moisture moving in from the Gulf are the primary reasons for the sustained rains, Chris Barton, a professor and hydrologist at the University of Kentucky mentioned the possibility of climate change as a contributor.

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Barton closely studies flooding and monitors a weather station in Eastern Kentucky. He said that moisture coming from places that have been abnormally warm and unloading on Kentucky and other parts of the Midwest and Upper South has been a pattern for all the recent major flooding events.

That includes this system, the floods this February and 2022s historic flood.

A lot of the other events that weve had that have caused flooding were sort of attributed to a warming of the atmosphere. These storms that weve been having, like this one, we used to see every couple of decades. Now its practically every six months, Barton said.

Make no mistake, he said: Theres something happening with the weather.

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The result has been a massive, almost unprecedented amount of rain. Bailey said portions of Kentucky will get a whole seasons worth of rain over this four-day period.

Parts of Western Kentucky are right at 10 inches. Here in Lexington, were near 6 inches of rain already, Bailey said Friday evening. For perspectives sake, 10 to 15 inches is what you would expect in the entire summer.

Barton said Saturday will be a tipping point for parts of the commonwealth, as the soils are already saturated. He said the place to look for flooding impacts is existing streams and rivers, as opposed to headwaters or ephemeral streams, which cause more trouble during concentrated rainfall over a short time, like the Eastern Kentucky floods of 2022.

The problem were getting into right now is that the soil is completely saturated, Barton said. Theres nowhere for the water to go aside from the streams and rivers.
Thousands of Iowans gathered in downtown Des Moines as part of a nationwide protest in opposition to the Donald Trump administration.

More than 1,200 protests were organized across the country on April 5, sending a message to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk to take their hands off social security, public schools, immigration, civil rights and more.

Starting in Cowles Commons by Capitol Square outside of Rep. Zach Nunn's office, Iowans held posters that said things like "Hands Off!" "This is not what anyone voted for," "No Kings stop the coup." They also displayed banners, t-shirts and flags that shunned President Trump.

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"We know that Representative Nunn has no interest in representing us," Michaelyn Mankel, an Iowa organizer with Food and Water Watch told the crowd. "He has made that abundantly clear with his vote on the house budget resolution.

"We are here to demand he reverse his support for these disastrous cuts, that he stop scapegoating and targeting and attacking his most vulnerable constituents, and that he gets serious about what the people in his district need," Mankel said.

The demonstrators eventually took to the streets, filling more than five blocks along Locust Street, marching toward the People's Plaza on the west side of the Iowa State Capitol building. The large crowd chanted "The people united will never be defeated," and "Power to the people, no one is illegal."

"I feel very strongly that we've got to be seen by our representatives," Patty Hinsley, 67, of southwestern Iowa, told the Register as she joined the crowd in the streets.

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She said the turnout for Saturday's protest was "overwhelming."

Over 7,000 protestors gathered together Saturday, according to Mankel.

More: Live updates: Anti-Trump protesters set to gather at hundreds of locations nationwide

A march to Iowa's state capitol

Protestors continued up the Capitol stairs where they met with other rallies planned by Food and Water Watch, 50501, Bitches Get Stuff Done, and Indivisible 515.

"Have you had enough of this bulls---?" Charles Wishman, President of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, yelled to the thousands sprawled from Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol steps. "They're going to keep charging ahead. The most important thing is to keep showing up and to keep organizing.

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"The only people that are gonna save us are us," he said.

Lydia Miller, 22, of Des Moines, joined the rally with a sign that said "Resist and Persist."

"Donald Trump is currently running a fascist regime in America when it should be about democracy," Miller told the Register.

Miller said the protest was "empowering."

"It feels like we actually have a voice and we have a say and there are people who are united, not divided," she said.

More: Thousands of Iowa City residents take over downtown for nationwide 'Hands Off' anti-Trump rally

Local officials address Des Moines crowd

Union leaders, disability advocates, healthcare advocates, and Party for Socialism and Liberation members also spoke to the crowd as they chanted and cheered.

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"Are we gonna fall for the scapegoating bulls--- that divides us?" Mankel yelled to the crowd.

"No!" they responded.

Protesters hold signs as they join a nationwide "Hands Off" protest against the Trump administration on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Des Moines.

"Are we stronger together?" She asked.

"Yes!" the crowd responded.

"Our biggest call to action is to stay in the streets and show up," Mankel said.

A "call to action" press conference was also held Saturday by the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. The organization delivered a petition signed by more than 500 Iowans asking Rep. Nunn to hold a public town hall meeting. The petition and the organization were not associated with the 'hands off' protests.

Nunn responds to local protestors

Rep. Zach Nunn responded to Saturday's local protest in an email to the Des Moines Register, noting that the federal government has to be cognizant of its spending.

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"Iowans stick to a budget and the federal government should too. We must reform D.C.s spending habits while protecting critical programs Iowans rely on, like Medicare, Head Start, Social Security, USDA programs, veterans benefits, and more," Nunn said in a statement to the Register.

"My mission remains the same as it did on day one: to deliver Iowa common sense. Ill always fight for bipartisan compromise to support our community while cutting out waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government," the statement said.

What is the 'Hands Off!' mobilization movement?

Hands Off! is a "nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history," according to the movement's website.

"Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights  enabled by Congress every step of the way," the website says.

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More: What are reciprocal tariffs? How President Trump's plan could affect Iowa

"Across the country, thousands of people will march, rally, disrupt, and demand an end to this billionaire power grab," the website says. "Well show up at state capitals, federal buildings, congressional offices, and city centers  anywhere we can make sure they hear us."

According to Hands Off!, the Trump Administration and allies are dismantling Social Security and Medicare, forcing citizens to pay higher prices for essentials while "handing trillions to billionaires," gutting protections for the working class and "assaulting our communities and our rights  targeting veterans, kids, seniors, farmers, immigrants, transgender people, and political opponents."

'Hands Off' rallies spread across Iowa, nation

In Iowa, there were protests in Ames, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Decorah, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fairfield, Iowa City, Lisbon, Mason City, Maquoketa, Mount Vernon, Red Oak and Waterloo.

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Thousands of Iowa City residents marched through the downtown streets on Saturday, swallowing an entire city block.

Johnson County Supervisor and Corridor Community Action Network founder and director Mandi Remington was one of a litany of speakers who shared stories and impassioned words.

Donald Trump and his billionaire allies are not just coming for our wallets," Remington said. "They're coming for our identities, our communities and our very right to exist safely and freely in this country. They know that diversity, equity and inclusion make us stronger. That's why they're trying to dismantle it state by state and institution by institution."

More: Several hundred Ames residents flock to Bandshell for nationwide 'hands off' anti-Trump rally

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Several hundred people gathered in Bandshell Park in Ames on Saturday.

Ellen Rasmussen of the Ames Visibility Brigade was amazed by the large turnout and that people had come from across central Iowa to share the message.

Our message here in Ames is to make people aware, to motivate and energize people to take further action after today, Rasmussen said.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

Kyle Werner is a reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@dmreg.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines residents protest Trump, Musk during hands off rally
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

The sun has just popped over Thessalonikis jumbled rooftops but theres already a queue out the door at Bougatsa Bantis. Inside, baker Philippos Bantis is handling the morning rush, bantering with his customers, many of whom he greets by name. It doesnt take long to get through the orders, since theyre all for the same thing: bougatsa, the rich, crispy, buttery filo tart thats a breakfast staple in Thessaloniki. Traditionally, its filled with creamy vanilla custard and dusted with icing sugar, but purists prefer it sketa, with no filling. Some scoff their bougatsa outside the shop, accompanied by chocolate milk or nuclear-strength Greek coffee, but most eat it on their way to work.

Theres a reason for Bantiss popularity. Unlike some bakeries in the city, it still makes its filo by hand. Every morning, Philippos and his team roll, knead, stretch and throw their dough, using techniques learned from his grandfather, who founded the shop in 1969.

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Everyone has their favourite shops for bread, cheese, cakes and treats, explains food guide Nana Zygoura, when we meet later that morning near the 15th-century White Tower, a landmark feature of Thessalonikis waterfront. I still use the same ones my parents did. Traditions and relationships like that are very important here. Dressed in a silk scarf, white shirt and oversized shades, Nana has spent most of her life in Thessaloniki, and knows the citys food scene better than most.

Bars and restaurants in the side streets around the 15th-century White Tower on Thessalonikis seafront. Photograph by Oliver Berry

The sesame-crusted koulouria rings are a popular breakfast snack in the city. Photograph by Oliver Berry

For over 2,000 years, Thessaloniki has been a cultural and culinary crossroads. On the Mediterraneans northeastern edge, its a natural meeting point between Europe, Africa and Asia. Since its foundation in 315 BCE, the city has been visited  and occupied  by successive empires: first Macedonians, then Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans, before becoming Greek in 1913. Caravanserais of traders, merchants, adventurers, immigrants and refugees came, bringing spices, herbs, wines and condiments from their homelands, all adding to the citys gastronomic stew. Since 2021, Thessaloniki has been a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, partly in recognition of its long epicurean history.

One of the best places to experience its cosmopolitan cuisine is at a market, and Nana and I head for the oldest in the city: Kapani. Sheltered under a rickety glass roof, it feels closer to a North African souk than a Greek market, with dark lanes crammed with shops, illuminated by flickering strip lights. Crates of vegetables are stacked like Jenga blocks, filled with scarlet peppers, rose-purple aubergines and plump figs. Fishmongers holler prices for octopus, swordfish, skate and sardines, while butchers slice from carcasses suspended from meat hooks. Bakeries sell koulouria  chewy, sesame-encrusted bread rings, another popular Thessaloniki breakfast snack  and shopkeepers haggle with their clientele, filling bags with spices, nuts, olives and cheeses. Its messy, noisy and chaotic.

We stop at Notis, a traditional delicatessen on the edge of the market, where I meet owner Giannis Xisis under dangling sausage strings and haunches of dried ham. In his gilet and sensible glasses, he looks more like an accountant than a market trader, but hes serious when it comes to food. Were fortunate in Thessaloniki, he says, as we taste his favourite local cheeses, which range from creamy and sweet to salty and sharp. Everything is on our doorstep here: fantastic seafood, fruit, vegetables, cheese. I can find everything I need within 50 miles of the city.

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On Gianniss recommendation, I hike up to the old town, Ano Poli, for lunch. Thessaloniki was ravaged by fire in 1917; the citys blocky high-rises and grid-straight streets are largely a legacy of its hasty reconstruction. Ano Poli, spanning a ridge beside the citys Byzantine walls, was one of the few areas to escape the blaze. Narrow streets meander up the hillside between tenement blocks and crayon-coloured mansions. Cats stalk the pavements and laundry hangs between buildings like bunting.

To come to Thessaloniki means embracing Greek hospitality at local ouzerias like Tsinaris. Photograph by Oliver Berry

Lunch is at Tsinari, Ano Polis most venerable ouzeri  a neighbourhood diner serving mezedes (small plates). Its full, but owner Lefteris Papadopoulos squeezes another table onto the overcrowded terrace, bringing out a banquet of fried peppers, courgette fritters, stuffed vine leaves, souvlaki and a Greek salad. The restaurant has been in business since the 1860s, Lefteris tells me proudly, and with its checked tablecloths, black-and-white photos and old paintings, it seems little has changed since.

People come for a taste of the old days, says waiter Giannis Kofidis, balancing plates with the precision of a circus juggler. We keep things traditional. While I settle up, Lefteris pours me a shot of tsipouro, a fiery, aniseed-flavoured spirit, similar to ouzo. Dating back to the days of the Byzantine empire, it was first distilled by the monks of Mount Athos seven centuries ago. Provenance aside, its potent stuff: the walk downhill feels distinctly unsteadier than I remember.

As dusk melts over the Mediterranean, I wander back into the lanes around the White Tower. Diners are crammed onto pavement patios, enjoying mezze and cocktails. Stopping for a quick aperitif at Prigipessa, one of the most popular music bars in the old town, I find Duo Themis Papaminas and Giannis Tsipos playing old folk tunes on a guitar and mandolin, their audience singing along with gusto. Before long, theyre linking arms and circling the bar in a traditional sirtaki dance. I join in for a toast, then detour along the seafront as the setting sun turns the sea bubblegum pink and, high above the city, swifts swirl over Ano Polis Byzantine battlements.

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After dark, I join the throngs heading for Ladadika, a harbourside neighbourhood once notorious for its brothels, now the thrumming heart of Thessalonikis nightlife. Its as chaotic as a street carnival. Buskers crank out old tunes on street corners, mopeds whine up and down alleys, chatter drifts out of doorways and bassy beats whump from backstreet clubs. Theres a quieter option: a corner taverna called To Kourbeti, where I meet Lazarus Vasiliou, a private chef on luxury yachts whos recently returned to the city after years in Athens.

Thessaloniki is changing, he says, as he tucks into strips of honeyed pork and dakos (barley rusk topped by tomato and feta). The city has been in Athens shadow for too long. Many young people are returning now. Were learning to love what we have here. And for that, I say yamas! He clinks my glass and suggests a dessert: kazan dipi, a caramelised milk pudding with crispy, burnt-sugar edges and a creamy centre. This is a very old dish from Byzantine times, he says. Legend says it was invented by the chefs of the palaces in Constantinople [now Istanbul] a thousand years ago, and were still eating it here today. Like so many dishes in Thessaloniki, its the past and the present on a plate.

Published in the April 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).



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As President Donald Trump announced historically high tariffs across the world this week, I expected a number of affected governments to rapidly and collectively fight back.

Instead, with the exception of China and a few scattered reprisals from allies, were seeing mainly cautious reactions. Foreign officials are talking about calibrated responses and keeping a cool head. Some are clearly hoping diplomacy will persuade Trump to back off some or many of his tariffs.

In conversations with diplomats, economists and former U.S. officials, I asked why. Werent they concerned this muddled, cautious global reaction would be too weak to persuade Trump to change course, or even embolden him to get tougher?

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But these experts argued that there are compelling reasons many governments are not acting fast or in unison  not the least of which is that the worlds countries are not good at collective action, and many believe they have a better shot at accomplishing more, for themselves at least, if they avoid escalating the fight with Trump.

Besides, its not at all clear if any moves by other countries will deter Trumps tariff mania.

Trump has been a proponent of tariffs for many years, a product of his long-held belief that Americas trade deficits mean that other countries are ripping off the United States, even if thats not how trade deficits work. Countries had months to prepare for Trumps tariffs, including devising their own menus of retaliatory actions.

But Trump, in his second term, seems to have a much bigger goal than he did in the past: a complete restructuring of the U.S. economy.

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It appears to be a legacy issue for him, and, from what weve seen so far, he doesnt care as much as he did before about stocks sliding. Trump has even said Americans should expect short-term discomfort, indicating there could be a recession, while also saying that in the long-term he will be proven to have done the right thing.



The bottom line is that when it comes to Trump today, We dont know what the pain threshold is, said Brian Gardner, chief Washington policy strategist for investment banking firm Stifel Financial. Whatever it is, its significantly higher than people had previously estimated.

The U.S. economy also is big and diverse, with the ability to absorb significant shocks  meaning the pain could take a while to feel.

But what if the infliction of pain comes from a coalition of countries  governments banding together to strategically hit the U.S. economy? Would that make Trump think twice?

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Its a nice theory, but not very realistic, I was told. Governments simply don't easily come together to unite in action, even when they are faced with a common threat.

Each government has its own national interest and doesnt trust others wont stab them in the back, said one foreign diplomat, who likened it to the classic prisoners dilemma. Remember how little global solidarity there was during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic as countries raced to secure medical supplies?

The European Union is a long-established exception on the trade front, obviously, and it is preparing at least two sets of retaliatory tariffs, though its spacing them out, reportedly in hopes of negotiations. But other groupings have yet to emerge to take on Trumps tariffs.

There were reports that China may coordinate its tariff response with Japan and South Korea, but few people took the idea seriously given those three countries contentious histories with one another. (One economist told me they giggled at those headlines.) And on Friday, China retaliatedunilaterally against the U.S. with 34 percent across-the-board tariffs.

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Many countries are still trying to sift through the details of Trumps announced tariffs, but they have come to accept that he is going to tariff the world somehow. So theyre also looking for ways to negotiate a better deal than others.

I cant be the last one to reach a deal with Trump, because if Im the last one, then I'm the one who's going to get screwed, the foreign diplomat said. Like others, the diplomat was granted anonymity to be candid about a sensitive issue. If Im the first one to reach the deal, then it might be the most advantageous possible thing, and compared to other countries, Ill be better off. And so my trade will suffer relatively less.



One former Trump administration official told me the sense that hes getting from some foreign officials is relief that the tariffs were milder than theyd expected even though they were still crazy high. (Having covered Trump for a decade, Ive learned to accept that two contradictory things can be true at the same time.)

Affected countries think they can, basically, over the next couple months, quietly negotiate. Theyll make a couple of concessions, maybe on trade, maybe on defense, maybe on other things, and things will get adjusted, the former official said.

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Canada and Mexico are interesting  and important  cases to watch as various countries mull their options.

Trump already has placed some tariffs on Canada and Mexico, two of Americas top trading partners. But the countries dont face new duties from the sweeping regime he laid out this week, although they could at a future date. Because of the USMCA trade deal, theyve also managed to get many exceptions to the tariffs.

For Canada and Mexico to team up with others for retaliatory measures now is risky because Trump could choose to escalate further against them. Instead, the better option might be to negotiate more exemptions over time and wait Trump out.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Canada will impose carefully calibrated and targeted counter tariffs. The country already has introduced 25 percent tariffs on U.S. autos to counter a previously announced set of Trump tariffs that took effect this week. (Mexico has yet to make any major retaliatory moves.)

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The U.S. also has leverage over many countries in areas well-beyond trade, and Trump isnt afraid to blur the lines  not even with a NATO ally such as Canada. Hes not above threatening to walk away from, for instance, security cooperation over what might seem like a wholly unrelated trade dispute.

There are reasons China is acting like an exception so far. Its a major trading partner, but unlike Mexico and Canada, its also a top rival in the national security realm. Beijing knows it holds many cards, which could be why its going ahead with retaliatory tariffs.

But the Trump administration has warned other countries not to escalate, and Trumps immediate reaction to those tariffs? CHINA PLAYED IT WRONG, THEY PANICKED  THE ONE THING THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO DO! he wrote on social media.

Trump isnt easily convinced by predictions that the sky will fall if he does something wild. Thats partly because all too often, the sky hasnt fallen  at least not entirely.

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When he imposed immigration and travel restrictions during his first term, few, if any, countries carried out serious reciprocal moves against American travelers. His recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital didnt set the Middle East on fire. His decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal did not prompt Tehran to immediately build a bomb  though it sure is a lot closer than it used to be.

All of these and other decisions have had costs, of course, including a loss of trust between the U.S. and its partners. And the fallout from such moves sometimes is not clear until years later. But the lesson Trump seems to have learned is that he can get away with testing, even trashing, the system.

As countries debate how to respond, the pain threshold that might matter most is not Trumps but that of his fellow Republicans, especially those in Congress who have the ability to stop and reverse these tariffs. At what point will they feel enough pressure from their voters, with their dwindling savings, to move against the president?

Even if that day comes sooner than expected, one thing is for certain: One of the biggest costs of Trumps trade war is the trust of other countries in America as a stable, reliable pillar of global trade.
Apr. 4LIMA  The monthly luncheon for the Allen County Republican Party often features speakers who touch on various matters of policy or encourage area Republicans before elections. On Friday, those in attendance at the luncheon at the Lima Eagles heard a more personal story.

Ohio Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania Township, shared his story as the keynote speaker at Friday's Republican luncheon, relating his journey from homelessness and despair to his position today as the first Black Republican elected to the Ohio House in 50 years and the first Black Majority Whip in state history.

Growing up in Toledo, Williams, 40, was raised by a single mother after losing his father to cancer when he was 5. Despite obtaining good grades in school, Williams described himself at that time as a "knucklehead," a trait which led him into a difficult season.

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"At the end of my junior year, my mom said, 'You're out on your own if you don't want to follow the rules,'" he said. "So at 18, I was on my own as a junior and I survived for a little bit. I had my first apartment, and I couldn't afford to go to school and work at the same time, so I dropped out as a senior with a full scholarship to Ohio State, and I became homeless."

After evntually moving in with his then-girlfriend and learning she had become pregnant, Williams began working in the railroad industry to help support his family. But just before the birth of his son in 2005, Williams fell 30 feet off the side of a train and severely injured his spine, herniating seven discs.

"By the time I was 23, I was fully disabled," he said. "I woke up from a nap on the couch and I couldn't feel my legs."

After multiple back surgeries, Williams was barely able to walk, being bedridden for two years and nearly committing suicide. However, he said, his Christian faith and his children inspired him to turn his life around, eventually leading to his obtaining multiple degrees from the University of Toledo, including his Juris Doctorate. He became a practicing criminal defense attorney while also teaching at Adrian College in Michigan.

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Eventually, Williams was encouraged to become a legislator and was elected to the Ohio House in 2023. Those previous experiences, he said, has encouraged him to advocate for programs like school choice and workforce development.

"Going through all of these programs and seeing how these programs are set up to hold you in poverty to where if you make $1 more, you're not going to be able to keep your benefits, we're trying to fix that benefit cliff so we can incentivize people to actually try to dig themselves out of poverty without a penalty," he said. "So we introduced legislation like a hand up that will create a bridge program here [to opportunities] in the state of Ohio."

Williams has found this current General Assembly to be very productive, as he has already seen the introduction of more than 25 pieces of legislation over the past three months.

"We had a target goal of 40 pieces of legislation by the end of the General Assembly, but I think we're going to blow that out of the water," he said. "So as long as I can craft and get passed good pieces of legislation, I'll keep working."

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SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN)  A Nashville man who reportedly served more than a decade in federal prison was arrested once again after authorities caught with him with $100,000 worth of cocaine in Sumner County.

Members of the 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force (JDTF) told News 2 they pulled the Hyundai over because of dark window tint. When the agent spoke to 45-year-old Reginald Jones Jr., he said he was headed to the Kentucky state line to gamble at a casino. However, the agent smelled marijuana and told the suspect he had probable cause to search the car.

Jones is a convicted felon with a criminal history dating back a quarter of a century in Nashville. His prior arrests there include possession of a gambling device, drug possession, tampering with evidence, and evading arrest.

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According to the agent, Jones also served more than a decade in federal prison after an indictment involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Drug agents seize 100+ pills, cocaine, fentanyl during Sumner County traffic stop

Jones vehemently protested the agents suggestion to search his car.

On the body camera footage, you hear Jones say, Its my car and Im saying you cannot search my car.

What was that like when he became agitated? News 2s Andy Cordan inquired.

So, recognizing that this was not going good, potentially an officer safety issue, I called for my backup officer out there, the agent replied.

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After backup arrived, the agent searched Jones car and found a loaded handgun, as well as a kilo of cocaine that could reportedly be worth $100,000 if sold on the street.

Fentanyl, guns recovered during search of Cane Ridge home

This guy, is he a mule? Was this his product he was going to Kentucky with? What do you think? Cordan asked.

Authorities said they believe Jones was in the process of delivering the cocaine to someone just on the other side of the Kentucky line.

Law enforcement showed News 2 the kilo, which was wrapped by a unique label. There was a paw print in a circle surrounded by the word APOLO written three times. The circle was inside a blue field with white bones and paw prints.

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According to the agent, the symbol on the cocaine helps customers identify Jones brand

If this cocaine turns out to be a good batch of cocaine that a customer is satisfied with down the road, they can go back through their source and request more APOLOs, more APOLO kilos, so its just a way of identifying or branding certain batches of cocaine or whatever the drug of choice is, the agent explained.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

News 2 inquired about Jones history with federal law enforcement.

He had actually served close to 12 years in federal prison from being indicted by the ATF for conspiracy to distribute cocaine charges previously, the agent stated.

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When asked about the moments that led up to his arrest where Jones was protesting the search of his car, the drug agent offered this response: Im very glad that it turned out the way that it did because it could have went bad really quick, with him knowing that he had that substantial amount of cocaine in the backseat of his vehicle, along with being armed, so Im very grateful that he did not make the decision to try to fight his way out of that traffic stop that day.

Jones was charged with possession with intent to sell/deliver/manufacture a Schedule II controlled substance (cocaine), as well as possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of drug paraphernalia, and window tint.

The 45-year-old was booked into the Sumner County Jail, but he was released on bond after it was reduced from $1 million to $75,000.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE)  A late winter storm will continue to move into New Mexico. Heavy snow will be possible in northern and eastern parts of the state through Saturday.

A storm system is bringing showers, a couple thunderstorms, and mountain snow to parts of New Mexico Friday. A strong cold front is currently making it was southward across eastern New Mexico. This front will be the focus of heavy snow and windy weather as it moves south and west through Friday night. As it spills into the Rio Grande Valley later tonight, it could cause wind gusts as high as 55 mph and 50 mph wind gusts in eastern New Mexico. Conditions will deteriorate though as this front moves south across the state. It will bring heavy snowfall across parts of northern and eastern New Mexico through Saturday morning and afternoon. This snow could get picked up by the wind and blown around as well.

Several inches of snow will be possible in eastern parts of the state and up to 18 in the northern mountains. A couple inches of snow will be possible all the way down to Roswell and far southeast New Mexico as well. Travel may be very difficult if not dangerous in east-central and northeast New Mexico starting later tonight. In Albuquerque, a gusty east canyon wind tonight may leave us mostly dry tonight, but on and off rain and snow showers will still be possible tonight through the day Saturday. Well-below average high temperatures will move in Saturday with the cold front, as a few places even break record cold high temperatures.

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This storm system will clear up Saturday night with very chilly temperatures Sunday morning. A warming trend starts quickly though on Sunday with the return of sunny and dry weather. High temperatures will be back up to around average again on Monday. The warming trend continues into the end of next week, as much warmer weather moves in. Albuquerque will likely see its first 80 day of the year by Thursday.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
MADISON, Wis. (WTVO)  A judge sentenced 31-year-old Angel Flores of Portage, Wisconsin, to 12 years in federal prison for distributing cocaine all over the state.

Juan Ojeda, 31, was sentenced to a year in federal prison on the day before, April 2nd, for his involvement in the cocaine trafficking ring.

Back in 2022, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began investigating the drug trafficking organization.

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The organization had been trafficking drugs all over the state, including Madison, Portage, and La Crosse. The group of traffickers operated in the western district of the state.

The operation obtained cocaine and meth from a supplier based out of California that would deliver the drugs to them in Chicago.

Chief U.S. District Judge James Peterson called the drug enterprise some of the highest

level of dealing in this district.

Peterson had already sentenced four of Floress underlings to time in federal prison for their involvement in March.

Braulio Marinez-Salazar was sentenced to 3 years, while Luis Angel-Rios was sentenced to 9 years. David Junius was sentenced to 7 years, and Justin Purdy was sentenced to 8 years.

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MADISON - Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley said this week she plans to seek another 10-year term in 2026, setting in motion another high-pitched battle for a seat on the state's highest court.

Bradley, a member of the court's conservative minority, told Wispolitics.com she is running to ensure that there is a voice for the constitution and for the rule of law to preserve that in the state of Wisconsin.

Im concerned for what an extremely radical court is going to do over the next three years, and I will be spending the next several weeks assessing what happened on Tuesday and figuring out a path to achieving a court that is not led by and dominated by the radical left, that gets back to deciding cases under the law and respecting the constitution, Bradley told WisPolitics.

Justice Rebecca Bradley, who is up for re-election in 2026, has announced that she will seek another 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Bradley did not immediately respond to a request for an interview from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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State appeals judge Chris Taylor, a former Democratic state lawmaker, told the Journal Sentinel on Saturday she is considering running for the seat.

Bradley, appointed to the court by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker in 2015 and elected for a full 10-year term in 2016, announced just days after liberals secured control of the court until 2028.

By running for re-election, Bradley gives conservatives a candidate who already has experience on the court. Liberal candidates have won four of the last five Supreme Court elections, each by double digits.

If conservatives lose Bradley's seat, the court's liberal majority will grow to 5-2.

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Bradley also has been floated as a contender to replace retiring federal judge Diane Sykes on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which would be a lifetime appointment.

She told Wispolitics she is focused on Wisconsin at the moment.

Analysis: Wisconsin's super-charged Supreme Court election delivers sobering signs for GOP

Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley to seek another term
A woman is in critical condition after being brought to a Pittsburgh hospital with stab wounds Saturday morning.

According to the Allegheny County Police Department, around 5:15am Penn Hills Police requested assistance from ACPD for a woman stabbed in the chest. The woman was dropped off at a hospital by private means.

Hospital staff notified law enforcement that a stabbing victim was in their care.

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Police say that the time and place of the stabbing is unknown.

ACPD Detectives are investigating the incident.

Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the County Police Tip Line 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

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MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX)  A member of a religious cult that was found responsible for the death of two girls had her appeal denied Thursday.

According to court documents, Ika Eden appealed the conviction of two counts of child abuse resulting in death, saying she was not competent to stand trial. The Colorado Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction, writing Edens unusual views were not based on mental illness but rather extreme religious beliefs.

Eden was originally sentenced in June 2021 by Mesa County Judge Gretchen Larson.

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Eden was part of a small religious group that included adults and children. The two kids who were killed  Makayla Roberts, 10, and Hannah Marshall, 8  were the biological children of one of the members.

In 2017, the groups leader believed the spirits of the two kids were impure and banished the girls to a car on a property in Norwood. The leader forbade members to give the children food or water. Their bodies were later discovered after a neighbor contacted law enforcement.

A jury found Eden guilty before she was sentenced to a total of 96 years in the Department of Corrections.

But the leadup to the trial saw several twists and turns including Eden eventually representing herself in court.

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Initially, Eden was determined to not have a mental disability after defense counsel requested a competency evaluation in March 2018. The doctor also decided she was competent to proceed to trial.

But a few months later, writings discovered in her jail cell possibly said otherwise. Eden wrote she was the first of (Yahwehs) creation and she was 6,384,964 years old.

She also wrote the two girls were the two Headed dragon that in one of their reincarnation(s,)  had randomly kidnapped eight children for the sole pleasure of watching (them) die of hunger and starvation. And their death was judgement (sic) that was meted out to their consciousness.

Due to these statements, Eden was evaluated again and the doctor found she had a mental illness and that her writings are delusional. The doctor concluded Eden was incompetent to proceed to adjudication.

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Eden was committed to the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo where she underwent five competency evaluations over 14 months.

Eden was deemed incompetent to proceed and diagnosed with Rule/Out Delusion Disorder, meaning the doctor was unable to rule in or out whether her beliefs were delusional.

Another doctor was brought in for the next competency evaluation. The doctor reported that Edens psychiatrist had removed the delusional disorder diagnosis.

Eden appeared to have a factual and rational understanding of the legal proceedings against her, the doctor said. It was also found that any decision to express her religious convictions to the court was more likely volitional choices to convey her philosophies, as opposed to an inability to control her behavior.

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The doctor concluded Eden did not have a mental disability and was competent to proceed to adjudication.

However, her defense counsel requested another competency evaluation. The doctors conclusion differed from the previous evaluation, writing Because of (Edens) delusional disorder, she does not think rationally regarding the present legal matter despite her adequate factual knowledge.

The court scheduled a restoration hearing where it heard testimony from the doctors. The court also reviewed competency reports submitted by witnesses and records the Colorado Mental Health Institute.

The court concluded Edem does not suffer from a diagnosable delusional disorder, citing her psychiatrist as a reason why it came to this decision.

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(Eden) does not suffer from a diagnosable delusional disorder, but, rather, that she holds extreme religious beliefs, the court wrote.  (Her) persistence in applying her beliefs to the facts, in this case, demonstrates her unwillingness, rather than her inability, to hold a rational understanding of the proceedings.

The appeals court agreed with this decision. Although Eden says the trial court found her competent due to not having a diagnosable mental disorder, the argument misconstrues the actual findings, the appeals court determined.

The trial court weighed the differing expert views and believed Edens views were extreme religious beliefs and not a delusional disorder. The court decided Eden did not have a mental disorder based on this conclusion and not the lack of any official diagnosis.

This isnt the only issue Eden contended.

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In June 2018, Eden requested to represent herself. This came after her counsel moved to continue the trial beyond the speedy trial date because it had not yet retained a rebuttal expert.

Eden said she didnt think it was necessary to wait for an expert witness to prove (that she) is not guilty of the charges stipulated.

The trial court determined Eden was competent to waive her constitutional right to counsel and she was doing so voluntary, knowing and intelligent.

However, a second competency evaluation showed she was not competent to waive her right to an attorney Then in May 2021 when it was found she was competent to stand trial, she requested to waive her right to counsel which was approved and the trial proceeded. But as part of the stipulation Eden agreed to have advisory counsel appointed to help her.

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Since the appeals court found no error in determining Eden was competent to stand trial, the same way conclusion was made for her right to waive counsel.

The court asked Eden several questions on why shes choosing to waive her right for counsel. Eden said she felt her strategy wasnt being well-received by her counsel.

This was consistent with her initial request to proceed pro se in 2018. She said she didnt need counsel since her truth was all she needed.

Because Eden was competent to waive her right to counsel, her waiver of the right to counsel was valid so long as it was voluntary, knowing and intelligent. In light of the trial courts advisement and its subsequent findings, we agree with the court that Edens waiver satisfied these requirements, the appeals court wrote.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A woman was found guilty of criminal trespassing during the protests at Portland State University in May 2024, the Multnomah County DAs office announced Wednesday.

The woman, 30, had entered a closed parking garage that was not open to the public and blocked police vehicles by sitting in front of them while they were transporting other arrestees away from the protest, according to police.

VIDEO: Homeowner records man threatening to deport roof workers, gets punched

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Officials said she had been warned three times that she was trespassing and would be arrested if she did not move.

Her trial began on March 21 and ended on April 1 when she was found guilty of second-degree criminal trespassing.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
A woman was fatally shot by an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper on Interstate 10 in Tucson, according to authorities.

On April 4, around noon, a state trooper saw a woman walking on the right shoulder of the I-10 westbound near Park Avenue, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

DPS said after the trooper exited the vehicle to make contact with the woman, "an altercation occurred", resulting in the trooper shooting the woman.

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The state trooper attempted to provide the woman with first aid. According to DPS, the woman was transported to a hospital and declared dead.

The DPS Major Incident Division conducted an investigation.

Immediately following the shooting, westbound traffic was diverted off I-10 at Park Avenue, detoured around the scene and redirected back onto the interstate at 6th Avenue.

Several lanes of the I-10 westbound reopened at around 1:40 p.m., according to DPS.

Any additional information, including the identity of the woman, has not yet been released.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Woman shot and killed by DPS trooper in Tucson on I-10
A woman was killed when she was run over in northern Minnesota Friday evening.

According to the St. Louis County Sheriffs Office, deputies and medical crews were called to the 7800 Block of Blue Spruce Road in Meadowlands Township just before 7 p.m.

At the scene, first responders found a woman suffering injuries after being struck by a vehicle. Despite lifesaving efforts, she died at the scene.

The crash is currently under investigation but appears to be unintentional, the sheriff's office said. All parties involved in the incident have been identified, it added.

The victim's identity has not been formally released at this time.

Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcements latest version of events, and may be subject to change.
DENVER (KDVR)  A woman is dead after a shooting on Friday afternoon in Aurora, according to a media release from the Aurora Police Department.

Officers responded to a call about shots fired at 5:15 p.m. near 630 N. Peoria St.

These 2025 Forbes billionaires are the richest people in Colorado

When police arrived on the scene, they found a woman with life-threatening injuries from a gunshot wound and a male suspect with a weapon near him.

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The suspect was inside a vehicle, and the woman was outside of the vehicle, police said.

Officers told the man to exit the vehicle, and he did so without incident and is now in custody.

Police said the woman was transported to the hospital and was in critical condition. The woman died in the hospital, according to a press release on Saturday morning.

Police also said they did not know the nature of the relationship between the two people.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
An Anaheim woman recounts the terrifying moment she was trapped on the second story of her home after a kitchen appliance ignited a massive fire in her home.

Nicole Hunter said she was asleep when at around 5 a.m., she awoke to the sounds of her fire alarm ringing and the heavy smell of smoke filling her home.

I got hit with smoke in my face, Hunter recalled. I could see it coming up the stairs and into my hallways.

A kitchen appliance sparked a massive fire in Nicole Hunters Anaheim home. (KTLA) Nicole Hunter was trapped in her bedroom on the second story when a kitchen appliance sparked a fire in her Anaheim home. (KTLA) Nicole Hunter was trapped in her bedroom on the second story when a kitchen appliance sparked a fire in her Anaheim home. (KTLA) Anaheim firefighters responded quickly to rescue Nicole Hunter from her burning home. (Nicole Hunter) A kitchen appliance sparked a massive fire in Nicole Hunters Anaheim home. (KTLA)

She went downstairs and called 911. She ran back upstairs to warn her roommates and gather her things in her bedroom. When she tried to leave the room, however, she realized she was trapped.

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When you open my door, its completely covered in smoke, she urgently told the dispatcher in a voice recording obtained by KTLA.

Trapped in her room, she placed a wet towel at the base of the door to prevent any flames from entering.

I kept it in my head that Im going to be rescued and everything is going to be okay, Hunter said.

Anaheim firefighters quickly arrived at the home and were able to extinguish the growing blaze and rescue Hunter.

Putting that wet towel at the base of the door, in this scenario, her bedroom was the safest spot in this entire house because of the actions she took, said Kevin Olsen with the Anaheim Fire Department. Keeping that door shut, putting the towels down there.

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Hunter said she was thankful nobody was hurt and that shes grateful to Anaheim Fire and the dispatcher who stayed on the line with her during one of the scariest moments of her life.

The reassurance and [the dispatcher] saying everything was going to be okay and it was, she said.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
A 33-year-old woman shot her boyfriend after he threatened her and hotel management with a knife Friday night at a northeast Wichita hotel, police Capt. Aaron Moses said.

The woman is cooperating with police; the 32-year-old man will be arrested once he is released from the hospital, Moses said Saturday morning.

Police were called at 9:07 p.m. about a shooting at the Super 8 by Wyndham Wichita North near 37th North and Rock Road.

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Through investigation, we learned that this male threatened a 33-year-old female girlfriend with a knife, and took property from her around 6:30 pm and police were not called. The female sustained minor injuries, Moses said. The male later returned to the scene threatening the female and management again with the knife. At that time, the female shot the male one time in self-defense.

Moses said he believes the woman was staying at the hotel, but the man was not.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The remains of a World War II Army veteran were laid to rest Friday at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, 80 years after his initial passing.

U.S. Army Lt. Robert D. McKee died in 1944 at the age of 27, when his plane was shot down by an enemy fighter aircraft while on a bombing mission in flight to Brunswick, Germany.

According to military personnel, the lack of access in the Cold War in East Germany following the fall of the Iron Curtain resulted in McKees body being found in 2024. Through DNA testing, his remains were found in Germany.

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Nevada National Guard Captain Emmanuel Barba officiated Fridays service.

Were having the memorial here because of his family lineage which was traced down to family that lives in Las Vegas, Barba said. Its so important for the family to have some type of closure and clarity. To live a life with years of the unknown seems unimaginable.

U.S. Army Lt. Robert D. McKee was born in 1944 and died at the age of 27, when his plane was shot down by an enemy fighter aircraft while on a bombing mission in flight to Brunswick, Germany. (KLAS) U.S. Army Lt. Robert D. McKee was born in 1944 and died at the age of 27, when his plane was shot down by an enemy fighter aircraft while on a bombing mission in flight to Brunswick, Germany. (KLAS)

The Nevada Army National Guard also performed a flyover alongside a World War II era aircraft during the funeral service. Attendees like Gretchen Darbidge had family ties relating back to McKees time in the military.

My grandfather was a pilot in WWII and he flew in the same bomb group as Lt. McKee. I am here presenting a wreath on behalf of the Heritage League, Darbidge said.

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Fridays ceremony lasted over an hour with 2nd Lt. McKees family in attendance, however, they didnt speak during the service.

While McKee was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, his family ties to Nevada played a key role in choosing the Boulder City Veterans Cemetery for his funeral.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  Its not every day you get to thank a veteran with a trip to the nations capital, but thats exactly what happened after U.S. Navy veteran Will Barbeau was featured on 12 News.

Barbeau, who served in World War II, celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this year and was spotlighted for his service and musical talents on a February edition of Street Stories.

STREET STORIES: WWII veteran surprised with Honor Flight trip for 100th birthday

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12 News asked his daughter, Laura Choiniere, a life-changing question: Would her father be interested in an Honor Flight?

Navy Veteran Will Barbeau

Wow, I think he would, she responded.

Shortly after, the family received a surprise visit from Chief George Farrell, chairman of the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub.

We have a flight scheduled and we would be happy if you let us take you on your Honor Flight, Farrell told the Barrington resident during the visit.

Barbeau was surprised by the offer but quickly accepted, saying it sounded like fun.

Fast forward to Sunday, March 31, and he was ready to board a plane from Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport to Washington, D.C., along with 31 other veterans.

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The group received a heros sendoffcomplete with bagpipers and emotional goodbyesas they embarked on a journey to visit the memorials built in their honor.

All the organization it takes to pull this off  and I kept biting my tongue so that I wouldnt cry. I was so moved, Choiniere said.

Before takeoff, Barbeau and fellow veteran Rasauro Tentoco were presented with quilts representing their branches of service, handmade by Michele Krakowski.

Navy Veteran Will Barbeau with his daughter Laura Choiniere

Barbeau, who has played the clarinet since he was 12 years old, even joined in with the bagpipers, adding his own notes to the moment.

He cradles his clarinet like a baby, Choiniere said with a smile. And I wonderdid you ever cradle us like that?

Navy Veteran Will Barbeau plays clarinet during honor flight

And that was only the beginning of Honor Flight Charliethe trip included a full itinerary in D.C., with stops at various war memorials.

Navy Veteran Will Barbeau

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Among those who joined the veterans on the trip were 12 News Military Analyst Lt. General Reginald Centracchio and Rhode Island Veterans Affairs Director Kasim Yarn.

I tell you, it just makes me feel wonderful knowing youre an American and what it took from him to give us the ability to do what were doing, Centracchio said. Just a tremendous guy, and hes a musician too.

Barbeau even had a chance to reunite with an old friend, discovering that Tom Hetherington, who he had taught to fish years ago, was also on that same plane.

While the Honor Flight only lasted one day, the experience created memoriesand musicthat will last a lifetime.

Navy Veteran Will Barbeau with his daughter Laura Choiniere

Navy Veteran Will Barbeau with his daughter Laura Choiniere

NEXT | Happy to be here: WWII veteran celebrates 100th birthday

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The Yager Museum of Arts and Culture at Hartwick College will host a screening of the documentary "Lake of Betrayal," a film about the construction of the Kinzua dam, which flooded the ancestral lands of the Seneca Indigenous people in western New York.

The film will be screened 5-7 p.m. Friday, April 11, in the museum, according to a news release. After the screening, the film's creative team, which includes Paul Lamont, Scott Sackett and Caleb Abrams, will discuss the film and answer questions. This event is free and open to the public.

Released in 2017, "Lake of Betrayal" charts how the Kinzua dam, built in 1965 to mitigate flooding in Pittsburgh, created a 27-mile reservoir over the top of Seneca ancestral lands, which had been protected by U.S. treaty since 1794. The Seneca Nation's activism and resistance failed to prevent the dam's construction, but spurred a more significant movement to preserve and expand its sovereignty, which continues to this day.

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"We are thrilled to be able to show such a powerful and insightful film," museum curator Quentin Lewis said in a statement. "The Yager Museum has always been a place for contemplating Indigenous history and culture, and the experiences of the Seneca are unfortunately all-too-familiar in the broader history of Indigenous people in America. Alongside our current exhibit on Catskill reservoirs, we are excited to highlight this parallel story of displacement, memory and resilience and to hear from the filmmakers who created it."

This event was made possible through the generous support of the Richard and Gerri L. Haan Fund for Native American Studies at Hartwick College, the release stated.

The Yager Museum's galleries will be open during the events. The museum's regular hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. when the college is in session. The museum is closed on Sundays, Mondays, college holidays, and when the college is not in session. Admission is free.

More information is available on this and additional events through the museum's Facebook page and webpage or by calling 607-431-4480 or emailing Lewis at lewisq@hartwick.edu.
The Corvallis Planning Commission is recommending the City Council deem a neighborhood along and near Northwest Ninth Street on the north side of Corvallis a climate friendly area.

It's all in response to a state law that wants to encourage cities to make space for neighborhoods that discourage car use. Currently, the Ninth Street area is more businesses than homes.

The necessary amendments to the citys zoning map, comprehensive plan and land development code, then, would allow for increased residential density.

What's a climate friendly area?

In September 2020, the state launched the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities rules in response to an executive order from former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, according to a Corvallis staff report. The order directed state agencies to take specific actions related to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

As part of these rules, Corvallis and other cities with populations of 10,000 or more must establish one or more climate friendly area.

According to the Department of Land Conservation and Development, a climate friendly area is "where residents, workers and visitors can meet most of their daily needs without having to drive. They are urban mixed-use areas that contain, or are planned to contain, a greater mix and supply of housing, jobs, businesses and services.

These places are also served or intended to be served by high-quality pedestrian, bicycle and transit infrastructure.

Essentially, what they have envisioned here is kind of what youd think of as a Main Street area or a small downtown, Rian Amiton, a Corvallis senior planner, said during a Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday, April 2.

According to a highway impacts summary by the Oregon Department of Transportation, the transition of the Ninth Street corridor to a mix of shopping and residential creates the conditions for approximately 23.6% less trip generation in the long term."

Climate friendly areas must allow for a mix of residential and nonresidential uses, including townhomes, and cumulatively must have the capacity to accommodate at least 30% of the total identified number of housing units needed to meet any current and future housing needs.

In Corvallis, thats 8,174 units.

The citys climate friendly area must be at least 25 acres in size and have a minimum width of 750 feet.

A good start

Last May, the City Council directed city staff to move forward with two climate friendly area candidates, the other being downtown. But the Planning Commission waffled on where in downtown townhomes would be appropriate, and that option ended up being set aside in favor of the Ninth Street location.

According to Amiton, commercial mixed-use areas in Corvallis already meet most of the land use requirements for climate friendly areas, with a few exceptions  they dont currently allow standalone townhomes, for example.

The Ninth Street corridor, home to businesses like Trader Joes and Crumbl Cookies, was an attractive candidate, Amiton said at a Planning Commission meeting back in December 2024.

Stretching 1.8 miles from Polk Avenue to just north of Walnut Boulevard, its not currently thought of as walkable, which means theres potential for improvement. Its home to aging, relatively small commercial buildings on relatively large lots. And it features very few residential units, which means there are minimal displacement concerns, Amiton said.

At the April 2 meeting, Commissioner Roberta Smith said that given assigning a climate friendly area was a state mandate, this one seems most apropos to the size and the spacing and what we have already, she said. It seems like a good start.

Separate but along with the climate friendly area-related changes, the Planning Commission is recommending to council a process that would allow the conversion of medium- and high-density residential zones to mixed uses  buildings that combine various uses, often businesses, shops or restaurants on the bottom level and homes on top  to be approved at a staff level as long as the entire property is located in a what the city calls a "neighborhood center" circle.

According to the meeting packet, this would reduce uncertainty for certain development scenarios and strengthen Corvallis land use goals around mixed-use development in neighborhood centers.

This is conceptually related to the (climate friendly areas) because it builds on previous local efforts to encourage mixed-use development in appropriate areas, the packet reads. Other miscellaneous clean-up and minor modifications are also being brought forward.

Corvallis' city council will review the Planning Commissions recommendations at a separate public hearing in May. Thanks to an extension, the city has until June 30 to adopt the climate friendly area and necessary amendments.

Related stories:
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Bombing attacks 'have further scared' aid organizations in Yemen. | Credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images

Yemen has been suffering under a brutal civil war for over a decade, but newfound factors are exacerbating one of the Middle East's most dire humanitarian crises. The country has been trying to dig itself out of this hole, but continued pressure from Yemen's Houthis  who are engaged in conflict with U.S. forces  is making this a difficult task.

American bombs began falling on the Iran-backed Houthis, the terrorist group controlling northwest Yemen, on March 15 (followed by a highly publicized Signal leak of the operation to a journalist from The Atlantic). This bombing campaign, spearheaded by President Donald Trump, has had limited success, The New York Times found  but it could cause the country's already significant humanitarian crisis to spiral.

Recent fighting

Yemen has been dealing with a humanitarian crisis since it devolved into civil war in 2014, but the recent campaign against the Houthis has "killed civilians and brought further destruction and uncertainty to the poorest country in the Middle East," said The Guardian. As part of their pushback against the U.S., Houthi fighters are reportedly blocking off bomb sites  but towns are being "hit in the middle of the night, which is a sure-fire way to kill civilians," said Niku Jafarnia, a Yemen researcher at Human Rights Watch, to The Guardian.

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Saba, a Houthi-led news agency, has reported that the U.S. performed an "aggression targeting of al-Rasoul al-Aadham Hospital Project for Cancer Treatment in Sa'ada city." Western outlets have not verified this, but "independent groups have also suggested a high degree of civilian harm." These types of attacks "may usher in a new phase of war and instability for Yemen," said Al Jazeera.

And while Trump has claimed that the Houthis have been "decimated by the relentless strikes," that is "not what Pentagon and military officials are privately telling Congress and allied countries," said the Times. These officials have "acknowledged that there has been only limited success in destroying the Houthis' vast, largely underground arsenal of missiles, drones and launchers," while at the same time potentially bombing civilians.

'You never know which way things will go'

With the bombings ramping up, aid workers "never know which way things will go," Siddiq Khan, a Yemen director for the aid organization Islamic Relief, said to The Guardian. These attacks have "further scared the organizations here about whether this will be the right place to stay and work. So overall, there's a huge vacuum" of aid workers.

Compounding this is Trump's slashed funding for foreign aid, including the nation's primary civilian foreign aid group, USAID. The White House is attempting to shut down USAID permanently and transfer any remaining duties to State Department offices. Beyond this, the United Nations "suspended its humanitarian operations in the stronghold of Yemen's Houthi rebels" in February following a Houthi attack, said The Associated Press. This additionally affected the "global response to one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters."

To prevent additional humanitarian problems in Yemen, the U.S. needs to "avoid targeting civilian infrastructure," said Mohammed Al-Basha, an analyst who founded the Yemen consultancy Basha Report, to PBS News. It should also minimize as many civilian casualties as possible, which will "avoid giving the Houthis any means or tools to use as propaganda that the airstrikes are killing civilians." Beyond this, the "regional powers and the anti-Houthi coalition in Yemen need to sit down and figure out" a long-term policy.
Two Frederick County Board of Education members do not plan to run for reelection in 2026.

School board members Karen Yoho and Nancy Allen said they do not intend to run again for their seats.

Four members terms are up in 2026: Yoho, Allen, Rae Gallagher and Dean Rose.

Gallagher and Rose said they have not decided whether to run again.

Gallagher said she plans to decide by this summer. Rose said he probably wont decide until early fall.

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The four school board members were elected in 2022. The other three members  Colt Black, Jaime Brennan and Janie Inglis Monier  were elected in 2024, and their terms will end in 2028.

In an email on Wednesday, Allen wrote that she does not intend to run again.

Yoho also wrote in an email on Wednesday that she will not be running again.

Yoho wrote that she used to worry there would not be enough people who wanted to run for the school board.

Weve seen that this is not a concern with 16 candidates in 2022 and 17 in 2024, she wrote. Im confident that there will be qualified people to take my place.

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Yoho added that she wanted to actually try to enjoy retirement, which would include seeing her husband and grandchildren more and planning to help nonprofit organizations.

Two school board candidates have filed for the 2026 gubernatorial election: Casey Day and Jess Douglass.

In 2024, six candidates made it through the primary to the general election: Black, Brennan, Monier, Chad King Wilson Sr., Josh Bokee and Veronica Lowe. Heather Fletcher was a registered write-in candidate.

Wilson wrote in an email on Thursday that he was filling out the paperwork to run again for a school board seat.

Bokee said in an interview on Friday that he was likely to file to run again for a seat.

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He said he was immediately focused on advocating for Frederick County Public Schools proposed budget to the county government.

We all want a great school system, but what does that mean? And how do we get there? And how do we fund it? Bokee said. I think were due to bring folks and community leaders together and start to really try to figure this out.

Lowe wrote in an email on Thursday that at this time, she does not intend to file to run again for a seat.

That said, many members of the community have encouraged me to consider it, and Im truly honored by their continued support, she wrote. While I dont have plans to run at this moment, who knows what the future holds?

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Fletcher could not be reached for comment by email or by phone on Thursday and Friday.

The deadline to file for candidacy for the gubernatorial election is 9 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2026.

The primary election is on June 30.

The general election is on Nov. 3.
New York state education officials rejected the Trump administrations demand to do away with certain diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, rebuking the Department of Education amid threats of pulling funding over those efforts.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) officials said Friday, We understand that the current administration seeks to censor anything it deems diversity, equity & inclusion.

But there are no federal or state laws prohibiting the principles of D.E.I., Daniel Morton-Bentley, counsel and deputy commissioner of New Yorks Department of Education, said in a Friday letter, obtained by The Hill, to the federal department.

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Morton-Bentley wrote in the letter that state education officials are unaware of any jurisdiction the Department of Education has to ax funding with an administrative process taking place.

The Hill has reached out to the Department of Education for comment.

The three-page letter came just a day after the administration told education officials around the country to affirm that all DEI programs, which it views as discriminatory, be eliminated and that they are complying with federal civil rights laws. If not, the federal government threatened to pull funding.

Federal funds comprise about 6 percent of New Yorks K-12 school funding. Federal funding made up about $2.2 billion of the New York City Public Schools budget for fiscal 2025.

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In the demand, Education Department acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said, federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right.

He said many schools have flouted their legal obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another, according to The Associated Press. Federal officials threatened to halt Title I funding.

In the departments memo from Thursday, federal officials also referenced the Supreme Courts 2023 decision that race-conscious admissions are unlawful in higher education.

Morton-Bentley said the federal Department of Education is entitled to make whatever policy pronouncement it wants  but cannot conflate policy with law.

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Given the fact that you are already in possession of guarantees by NYSED that it has and will comply with Title VI, no further certification will be forthcoming, Morton-Bentley wrote in the letter.

Democrats on Capitol Hill told the Department of Education in late February to back off its threats of pulling funds from schools with DEI programs, The Hill reported.

Schools diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives simply aim to level the playing field and redress the ongoing harms of segregation and centuries of legal inequity, exclusion, and discrimination, the lawmakers wrote in the letter.

Updated at 4:43 p.m. EDT

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 Hill)  New York state education officials rejected President Trumps administrations demand to do away with certain diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, rebuking the Department of Education (DOE) amid threats of pulling funding over those efforts.

The New York State Education Department officials said Friday, We understand that the current administration seeks to censor anything it deems diversity, equity & inclusion.

But there are no federal or state laws prohibiting the principles of D.E.I., Daniel Morton-Bentley, counsel and deputy commissioner of New Yorks Department of Education, said in a Friday letter to the DOE that was obtained by multiple outlets.

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Morton-Bentley wrote in the letter that state education officials are unaware of any jurisdiction DEO has to ax funding with an administrative process taking place.

The Hill has reached out to the New York State Education Department and the DOE for comment.

The letter came just a day after the administration told education officials around the country to affirm that all DEI programs, that they view as discriminatory, be eliminated and that they are complying with federal civil rights laws. If not, the federal government threatened to pull funding.

Federal funds comprise around six percent of New Yorks K-12 school funding. Federal funding made up around $2.2 billion of the New York City Public Schools budget for the fiscal year 2025.

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In their demand, the DOEs acting assistant secretary for civil rights Craig Trainor said that federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right.

He said many schools have flouted their legal obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another, according to The Associated Press. Federal officials threatened to halt Title I funding.

In the DOE memo from Thursday, federal officials also referenced the Supreme Courts 2023 decision that race-conscious admissions are unlawful in higher education.

Given the fact that you are already in possession of guarantees by NYSED that it has and will comply with Title VI, no further certification will be forthcoming, Morton-Bentley wrote in the letter.

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Democrats on Capitol Hill told the DOE in late February to back off their threats of pulling funds from schools with DEI programs, The Hill reported.

Schools diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives simply aim to level the playing field and redress the ongoing harms of segregation and centuries of legal inequity, exclusion, and discrimination, the lawmakers wrote in the letter.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
British, French and Ukrainian military chiefs have made tangible progress towards how a peacekeeping mission could be deployed after the war ends, Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president met with Adml Sir Tony Radakin and Thierry Burkhard, the British and French chief of defence staffs, in Kyiv on Friday to discuss the structure, size and composition of any future reassurance force.

Following the meeting on Saturday, Mr Zelensky said: There is tangible progress and initial details regarding how a partner security contingent could be deployed.

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He stressed that the joint efforts were focussed on ensuring Ukraines security and establishing reliable long-term guarantees.

It is precisely this kind of joint work  with everyone focused on a strong result  that helps us bring a durable and lasting peace in Ukraine closer, he continued.

The Ministry of Defence said the talks addressed the structure, size and composition required of any future reassurance force, adding that 30 countries were expected to take part in the coalition of the willing.

Sir Tony said: Our meetings looked at how we can build on the formidable capabilities of the Ukrainian Army and put them in the strongest possible position to deter Russian aggression.

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Further discussions are expected to take place next week when John Healey, the Defence Secretary, will meet his European counterparts in Brussels on Thursday before co-leading the Ukraine Defence Contact Group with the German defence secretary on Friday.

Latest Russian strike was launched hours after drone strikes in Kharkiv, killing at least five people and injuring 34 others - State Emergency Service/Shutterstock

Our coalition of nations  working at pace and willing to stand with Ukraine for the long term  is a stark contrast to Russia, who stands alone with only North Korea for a friend, Mr Healey said.

As Putin prevaricates over a ceasefire, we will continue to ramp up our military planning, exploring the air, sea and land forces that could support a lasting peace in Ukraine.

Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, had urged Europe to develop concrete proposals on security arrangements for the Ukrainian people after a meeting with Nato foreign ministers in Brussels.

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But Mr Zelensky remains unhappy with the US. On Saturday, he launched a scathing attack on the US embassy for its weak response to a Russian missile strike that killed nine children the previous evening.

A combined ballistic missile and drone attack struck Kryvyi Rih, Mr Zelenskys home town, on Friday, killing at least 18 people and injuring 60 others.

Mr Zelensky said he appreciated the support of European allies  including the UK, Germany and Finland  but that he was disappointed by the reaction from the US embassy in Kyiv.

While it described the attack as horrifying, the embassy did not mention that it was carried out by Russia.

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Bridget Brink, the US ambassador to Ukraine, said: It is horrifying that a ballistic missile hit near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi tonight This is why this war must end. It was the only official US reaction.

In a statement on X, Mr Zelensky responded: Such a strong country, such a strong people and yet such a weak reaction. They are afraid to even say the word Russian when speaking about the missile that murdered children.

It marks the latest development in the Ukrainian presidents testy relationship with the Trump administration. His visit to the White House in February descended into a public shouting spree with Donald Trump and JD Vance, the vice-president.

Days later, the US announced a temporary pause on all military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

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The city of Kryvyi Rih, a frequent target of Russian missile and drone strikes, has declared three days of mourning following Fridays attack.

Jan Lipavsky, the Czech Republics foreign minister, has said this strike on a childrens playground is not war, this is barbarism - Associated Press

Russia claimed to be pursuing a meeting of military commanders at a restaurant, saying it had killed 85 military targets without providing evidence.

The attack was widely condemned by foreign ministers across Europe.

Firing a missile at a childrens playground  this is not war, this is barbarism, Jan Lipavsky, the Czech Republics foreign minister, said on X. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and with those defending their country against Russian terror.

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Kaja Kallas, the EUs chief diplomat, described it as tragic and inhumane. Another reckless Russian attack struck a crowded residential area ... Russia continues to destroy Ukraine, no interest in peace, she added.

Moscow, meanwhile, continued to accuse Ukraine of breaching a 30-day moratorium on striking energy infrastructure, saying Kyiv had hit 14 targets that included an industrial plant in the southwestern region of Samara.

But there were signs that Russias position may be shifting after a senior adviser to Vladimir Putin suggested that Moscow may accept Ukraine being given some security guarantees.

Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russias sovereign wealth fund, told Fox News: Some security guarantees in some form may be acceptable. However, he ruled out the possibility of Ukraine joining Nato.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address that Russia must be held accountable for everything it has done.

The statement comes after Russia's missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on April 4 killed 19 people, including nine children, according to local authorities. Seventy four were reportedly injured.

Russian ballistics on a street in an ordinary city, into a residential area, and after that strike, an additional strike with drones. And another person died, and more were injured, Zelensky said.

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We need to put pressure on them there  really put pressure, don't waste time on empty talk  to end this war.

The U.S. and Ukraine agreed to a full ceasefire on March 11 but Russia rejected it.

Instead, Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. agreed on March 25 to a partial truce covering energy infrastructure and the Black Sea.

However, the Kremlin has blocked the partial ceasefire as well, saying that the Black Sea truce would take effect only after some sanctions against Russia are lifted. Russia and Ukraine have also accused each other of violating the ban on energy infrastructure strikes.

The U.S., so far, had declined to put pressure on Russia to force Moscow into a ceasefire.

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"Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih," U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink posted on X following a Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih on April 4. "This is why the war must end."

Zelensky took issue with Brink's refusal to denounce Russia for the strike, which included an Iskander ballistic missile with cluster munition touching down on a playground in Zelensky's hometown.

"Unpleasantly surprising," Zelensky said.

Read also: Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih kills 19 people, including 9 children, injures 74

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy has released more details about the children killed in a Russian airstrike on his home city of Kryvyi Rih on Friday.

The 3-year-old Tymofij, 7-year-old Arina and 9-year-old Herman were among the nine children killed in the Russian strike, Zelensky wrote on X on Saturday.

Nine adults were also killed when a Russian ballistic missile hit the south-eastern city of Kryvyi Rih, followed by a drone attack, Zelensky said.

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Previous reports spoke of 16 people killed in the attacks.

Zelensky said the strike hit an ordinary street in a residential area with a playground, shops and a restaurant. He said 62 people were injured, including 12 children, and that some were still in a critical condition.

The Ukrainian president thanked foreign ministers and embassies that had offered condolences after Friday's attack. However, he said the response from the US embassy was "surprisingly disappointing."

"They are even afraid to say the word 'Russian' when talking about the missile that killed children," Zelensky wrote.

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In a post on X, the US ambassador to Kiev, Bridget Brink, expressed horror at the fact that "a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih."

Moscow has confirmed the attack, but spoke of a "high-precision strike," which it said hit Ukrainian commanders and their Western instructors. In a Telegram post, the Ukrainian General Staff in Kiev described the Russian claim as a lie.

Images of the scene of the attack published by the Ukrainian side showed no evidence of any military targets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy has warned the world not to stay silent after a Russian airstrike on his home city of Kryvyi Rih killed 18 people.

"This strike is one of the darkest chapters for Kryvyi Rih," Zelensky said in his nightly video address on Saturday.

Earlier on Saturday, the president released more details about the nine children killed in the strike. The 3-year-old Tymofij, 7-year-old Arina and 9-year-old Herman were among the dead, Zelensky wrote on X.

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Nine adults were also killed when a Russian ballistic missile hit the south-eastern city of Kryvyi Rih, followed by a drone attack, Zelensky said.

Zelensky said the strike hit an ordinary street in a residential area with a playground, shops and a restaurant. He said 62 people were injured, including 12 children, and that some were still in a critical condition.

The Ukrainian president thanked foreign ministers and embassies that had offered condolences after Friday's attack. However, he said the response from the US embassy was "surprisingly disappointing."

"They are even afraid to say the word 'Russian' when talking about the missile that killed children," Zelensky wrote.

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In a post on X, the US ambassador to Kiev, Bridget Brink, expressed horror at the fact that "a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih."

"Staying silent about the fact that it is Russia killing children with ballistic missiles is wrong and dangerous," Zelensky said in his video address. "It only emboldens the scum in Moscow to continue the war and keep ignoring diplomacy."

Moscow has confirmed the attack, but spoke of a "high-precision strike," which it said hit Ukrainian commanders and their Western instructors. In a Telegram post, the Ukrainian General Staff in Kiev described the Russian claim as a lie.

Images of the scene of the attack published by the Ukrainian side showed no evidence of any military targets.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had met on April 5 with British Admiral Antony Radakin and French General Thierry Burkhard who head the Defence Staff of their respective countries.

"There is tangible progress and initial details on how the partner security contingent might be deployed," Zelensky said.

Zelensky also thanked the "U.K. and France for their leadership" in bringing together countries that would be open to deploying troops to Ukraine to monitor a potential ceasefire.

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On March 27, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a summit in Paris where a number of European countries moved forward with plans to send soldiers to Ukraine as part of a "reassurance force" in case of a ceasefire with Russia.

In mid-March, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer presented plans to send 10,000 peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, which is significantly smaller than the 30,000 troops he reportedly pitched to U.S. President Donald Trump during their White House meeting on Feb. 20.

Though Starmer still publicly held out for a coalition deployment to be supported by a U.S. "backstop," Macron said that it could take place "with or without" Washington's involvement.

Read also: Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih kills 19 people, including 9 children, injures 68

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced "tangible progress" and shared initial details regarding the potential deployment of a security contingent by international partners to provide security guarantees for Ukraine.

Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram; Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umierov

Quote from Zelenskyy: "A meeting of our military with our partners' chiefs of defence staff: Admiral Antony Radakin from the UK and General Thierry Burkhard from France. We are making efforts to ensure security in Ukraine and reliable security guarantees.

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There is tangible progress and the first details on how the security contingent of partners can be deployed.

I am grateful to all the countries that help us and the UK and France for their leadership. It is this kind of joint work when everyone is focused on a strong result, that helps to bring a reliable and lasting peace to Ukraine."

More details: Meanwhile, Umierov reported on "in-depth consultations on security guarantees for Ukraine and the future architecture of peace in Europe" with French and UK defence staff representatives.

Quote from Umierov: "The main topic was the involvement of partners in ensuring Ukraine's security arrangements after the end of hostilities.

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We discussed preparations and the state of operational planning to be able to promptly implement and execute the plans of the Willing Coalition in case of cessation of hostilities."

Background:

On Friday 4 April, the chiefs of staff of the French and UK militaries visited Kyiv for meetings with senior Ukrainian officials.

On Saturday, the French General Staff confirmed that during their visit, the chiefs of staff discussed the Ukrainian army's needs and objectives with Kyiv, focusing on providing long-term support for its recovery and development.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he was "unpleasantly surprised" by a response from the US Embassy which refrained from using the word "Russian" in a comment on a deadly strike by Moscow on the city of Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram

Quote: "It is very important that this Russian strike on the people and the city, like every such attack, does not go unchallenged by the world. Kryvyi Rih and the whole of Ukraine have received support from many both yesterday and today. I am thankful to the foreign ministers of Czechia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Austria for their principled stance. I also appreciate the position and support of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. We value the statements made by the embassies of Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Germany in this regard.

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Unfortunately, the response from the US Embassy was an unpleasant surprise: such a strong country, such a strong people, yet such a weak reaction. They are even afraid to say the word 'Russian' when referring to a missile that killed children."

Details: Zelenskyy added that to end the war, one must "not be afraid to call a spade a spade and put pressure on the only one who continues this war and ignores all the proposals of the world to end it".

Background:

On the evening of 4 April, Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on a residential area in Kryvyi Rih, killing 18 people, including nine children, and injuring over 60.

Afterwards, US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink tweeted: "Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih," without mentioning Russia in the message.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called it dangerous to hush up Russia's guilt in the attack on Kryvyi Rih, as it incites Russia to continue the war and ignore diplomacy.

Source: Zelenskyys evening address

Quote: "Last night and today, many in the world have declared their position after this strike [on Kryvyi Rih - ed.]  a position of clear rejection of Russian terror. Not only we in Ukraine but the whole world should be grateful to everyone who sees this and does not turn a blind eye but speaks the truth clearly and unequivocally.

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It is wrong and dangerous to keep silent about the fact that it is Russia that is killing children with ballistic missiles. It only incites the scum in Moscow to continue the war and further ignore diplomacy. Weakness has never ended a war. That is why I am grateful to every country whose representatives have spoken out: leaders, foreign ministers, embassies."

Details: Zelenskyy stressed that "Russia must be held accountable for everything they have done, and we need to put pressure on them there  really put pressure, not waste time in an empty talk  to end this war".

Background:

Earlier, Zelenskyy said he was "unpleasantly surprised" by the reaction of the US Embassy, which did not use the word "Russian" when commenting on the ballistic missile strike on Kryvyi Rih.

On the evening of 4 April, Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on a residential area in Kryvyi Rih, killing 18 people, including nine children, and injuring over 70.

Afterwards, US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink tweeted: "Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih," without mentioning Russia in the message.

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CWU's Museum of Culture and Environment new exhibit Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge, Shared Science" opens Saturday and runs through May 3.
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Ram Navami is one of the most important festivals in Hinduism, celebrating the birth of Lord Ram, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm across India, especially in the northern and western parts of the country. This year, Ram Navami is being celebrated today, April 6, 2025; and it's the perfect time to send warm wishes and messages to your loved ones.

Here are 20 heartfelt Ram Navami messages, wishes, and images that you can share with family and friends to spread the joy and blessings of Lord Ram:-

Ram Navami 2025: Wishes and Messages for Your Loved Ones

1. Blessings of Lord Ram

On this auspicious day of Ram Navami, may Lord Rams blessings fill your life with peace, happiness, and prosperity. Jai Shri Ram!

2. Joyful Ram Navami

Wishing you all the joy, love, and prosperity on this divine day of Ram Navami. May the grace of Lord Ram shine on you today and always!

3. Victory of Good Over Evil

Lets celebrate the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and truth over lies. Wishing you a very Happy Ram Navami!

4. Spiritual Wishes

May Lord Rams grace and blessings guide your path, and may your heart be filled with peace and happiness. Happy Ram Navami!

5. Lord Rams Divine Blessings

On this blessed occasion, may Lord Rams divine blessings light your path, and may you always find strength in his teachings. Happy Ram Navami!

6. Ram Navami Wishes for Family

May our home be filled with the divine blessings of Lord Ram and may we always stay united with love and harmony. Jai Shri Ram!

7. A Message of Peace

On the occasion of Ram Navami, let us all come together to invoke the blessings of Lord Ram for peace, prosperity, and well-being. Happy Ram Navami!

8. Inspiring Ram Navami Wishes

May Lord Ram inspire you to walk on the path of righteousness and live a life full of love, humility, and joy. Wishing you a blessed Ram Navami!

9. Prosperity and Peace

May Lord Ram bring peace, prosperity, and joy into your life. Let his divine blessings guide you through every challenge you face. Happy Ram Navami!

10. Love and Devotion

Lets offer our prayers with love and devotion on this auspicious day of Ram Navami, seeking Lord Rams guidance and blessings for a successful life.

Ram Navami Quotes to Share with Friends

1. Power of Dharma

Lord Ram showed us that even in the face of adversity, dharma (righteousness) should never be compromised. Lets take inspiration from his life. Jai Shri Ram!

2. Light of Hope

May Lord Rams light guide you through every dark moment, filling your life with joy, peace, and eternal happiness. Happy Ram Navami!

3. Strength and Courage

On this Ram Navami, lets remember Lord Rams courage and strength to face challenges with righteousness. May you always stay strong in the face of adversity!

4. True Devotion

True devotion is seen not only in prayer but in how we live our lives. Lets celebrate Ram Navami by dedicating ourselves to the values of truth, love, and humility.

5. A Life of Virtue

Lord Rams life teaches us how to live with virtue, honor, and duty. May his blessings guide you towards a life full of righteousness and prosperity.

Ram Navami Messages for Social Media

6. Festive Greetings

Wishing everyone a joyous and prosperous Ram Navami! May Lord Rams blessings shower upon you and your family. Jai Shri Ram!

7. A New Beginning

Ram Navami signifies the birth of truth and goodness. May this day bring you a fresh start and new hope. Wishing you all the best on this special day!

8. A Prayer for Peace

On this blessed occasion of Ram Navami, may peace, love, and joy reign in your life. Jai Shri Ram!

9. Spread Love and Kindness

Lets spread Lord Rams message of love, kindness, and humility this Ram Navami and make the world a better place. Wishing everyone a blessed Ram Navami!

10. Invoking Lord Rams Blessings

May Lord Ram bless you with all that you desire, fill your home with love, and lead you to the path of righteousness. Happy Ram Navami!

Ram Navami Images to Share

Along with these heartfelt wishes and messages, you can share beautiful images of Lord Ram, his divine consort Sita, and the iconic scenes from the Ramayana to make your greetings even more impactful. Some ideas for Ram Navami images include:

Ram Navami is a time to reflect on the life and teachings of Lord Ram, a symbol of righteousness, bravery, and devotion. As you celebrate this festival with your loved ones, sharing thoughtful messages, wishes, and images can help spread the spirit of positivity and devotion. Whether through social media, messages, or in person, these Ram Navami wishes will surely add to the joy of the occasion.
CARLIN  A Carlin woman became combative with authorities after she was arrested on child endangerment charges when authorities said she was driving intoxicated with four children in the vehicle.

Jessica L. Woods, 34, was booked into the Elko County Jail on gross misdemeanor charges, including four counts of child endangerment, two counts of battery of a protected person, destroying evidence and projecting bodily fluid. She was also charged with one misdemeanor count of having an open container of alcohol in her vehicle.

According to court documents, Carlin police were dispatched to the One9 Travel Center on a report of an intoxicated female driver with four children in her blue Nissan Titan pickup.

Police arrived at the travel center and observed the woman at the entrance, who they identified as Woods.

Once Woods saw the patrol vehicle, she ran toward the officer and appeared highly intoxicated, according to the documents. An officer said she had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage as she spoke to him with thick, unclear speech and was acting belligerent.

The officer followed Woods to her vehicle and looked through an open window where he observed evidence of open containers, including wrappers from Fireball whisky and a black plastic bag in the center console that is the kind attributed the sale of alcoholic beverages, according to the documents.

Police found Woods with four minor children inside the store. The officer said they told him Woods had been consuming alcoholic beverages.

Two of the children were Woods and the other two were unrelated, but had been left in her care by their parents who had gone to Elko on a date night.

Officers began trying to contact the parents, [d]ue to the suspected level of intoxication. However, Woods continued to be belligerent and uncooperative and left the store to go to her vehicle, according to the documents.

When she returned, Woods was uncooperative and got extremely close to my person, according to the documents, and disregarded the officers order not to touch him and tried to touch his gentiles and she also chest bumped him.

Police then placed Woods into custody, but said she fought back against the officer in the store and on the way to the patrol vehicle.

After being placed in the vehicle, Woods put her legs out of the caged area, kicking me with her foot, the officer noted in reports. Once the officer retrieved the truck keys from her pockets, Woods was aggressive and attempted to damage the cage by kicking and striking it.

Woods husband and the other parents arrived to take care of the children. Police noted the truck had been cleaned out of evidence of the open containers, with the black bag spotted earlier in the trash with the containers, according to the documents.

During the ride to the Elko County Jail, Woods repeatedly and continually spat onto the cage while trying to hit the officer, and she eventually bashed her head and kicked the partition for the entirety of the transport.

Woods also was combative and uncooperative with Elko County Jail staff during the booking process, according to the records.

This is Woods second arrested within 15 months on charges related to child endangerment.

On Jan. 13, 2024, Woods was booked into the Elko County Jail on two counts of felony child neglect, one felony count of possession of methamphetamine and one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of drugs.

The arrest was the result of witnesses claiming Woods, who was allegedly intoxicated, threatened to strike children she was babysitting in the face at a restaurant, which was confirmed by the children.

It is the third case of parents being arrested after authorities discovered children in suspicious circumstances in the past week.

On March 25, three parents were arrested after Elko police discovered four children, including an infant, living in unsanitary conditions.

Two days later, a school counselor and her husband were arrested after a raid conducted by the Elko Combined Narcotics Unit that led to the discovery of methamphetamine, cocaine and other controlled substances within reach of three children, including an infant.

Woods bail was set at $40,640.
MBOSE SSLC Results 2025: The Meghalaya Board of School Education will officially release the SSLC class 10th results for 2025 today i.e. 5th April, 2025, Saturday at 11 AM. All the students who have given the Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examination (SSLC) for class 10th 2025 can check their results on the official website of Meghalaya Board of School Education- mbose.in.

The Meghalaya Board of School Education has mentioned in the notice they released on 3rd April, 2025 that The Results of the Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examination, 2025, conducted by the Meghalaya Board of School Education, Tura will be declared on 5th April, 2025 (Saturday) at 11:00 AM. . The notice also said that There will be no display of results at MBOSE Office, Tura/Shillong.

MBOSE SSLC Results 2025: Official Websites

mbose.in

mboseresults.in

megresults.nic.in

MBOSE SSLC Results 2025: Steps to Check the Result Via SMS

Sometimes websites stop working because of heavy traffic but students can also access their results through SMS applications. Here are the steps you need to follow to check your result:

Step 1: Open the SMS application on your mobile phone.

Step 2: Type the message in the given format - MBOSE10(space)roll number.

Step 3: Send that message to 56263.

Step 4: The MBOSE Board class 10th result 2025 will be appear on the screen in the form of SMS alert

Step 5: Check your results and take a screenshot for future reference.

In the previous year, the MBOSE SSLC results were announced on May 24, 2024. The overall pass percentage stood at 55.80%. Out of 54,134 students from 679 schools who appeared for the examination, 30,207 successfully cleared it. All the students are advised to keep checking the official website for all the important updates and keep their admit cards handy to avoid any delay once the result is released.
MBOSE SSLC Results 2025: Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) is set to release the SSLC (Class 10) Board Exam 2025 results today i.e. April 5, 2025, Saturday. Students who have appeared for the exams can check their scores on the official MBOSE website i.e. mbose.in once the results are published.

The Notice released on 3rd April, 2025 by the board said The Meghalaya Board of School Education, Tura will be declared on 5th April, 2025 (Saturday) at 11:00 AM. All the students who gave SSLC Class 10th examination can check their results on mbose.in, mboseresults.in, megresults.nic.in by entering their examination roll number, which is given on their admit cards.

MBOSE SSLC Results 2025: Steps to Check the Class 10th Result

Step 1- Go to the official MBOSE website- www.mbose.in.

Step 2- You will see MBOSE SSLC (Class 10) Results 2025 on the home page, click on it.

Step 3- Enter your required credentials like roll number and Date Of Birth and submit it.

Step 4- After submission your result will appear on the screen.

Step 5- Check your result and download the page.

Step 6- Take a printout for the future reference.

To qualify, students must secure a minimum of 33% marks in each subject and overall. Those who do not pass in one or two subjects may get a chance to appear for supplementary exams, the details of which will be announced later by the board. Last year, the MBOSE SSLC pass percentage was around 55.80%. This year, expectations are high as well.

All the students are advised to keep their admit cards ready so they can check their results without any delay. Additionally, students must keep checking the official website for all important updates.
Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday foiled an infiltration attempt along the International Border in Jammu shooting down a Pakistani intruder, a BSF spokesperson said on Saturday. The intruder was neutralised in the border outpost Abdulian in the R S Pura sector, official sources told news agency PTI.

"On the intervening night of April 4 and 5, the alert BSF troops saw a suspicious movement in the Jammu border area and an intruder was seen crossing the IB," the spokesperson of the BSF said, as quoted by the news agency. He said the intruder was challenged by the troops but he paid no heed and kept on moving.

"The BSF troops, sensing threat, neutralised the intruder. The identity and motive of the intruder is being ascertained," he said. The BSF spokesperson said a strong protest is being lodged with Pakistani counterpart. The BSF informed police, which shifted the body from the scene for postmortem and other legal formalities, the sources said.

(With PTI Inputs)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Govil on Friday said that strict action should be taken against those involved in a case related to the Mahadev Betting App.

"Mahadev App has been in controversy, and people from Bollywood to politicians - leaders from Chhattisgarh have been questioned in this case. The government should take strict action against those who are involved in illegal activities... Youth are the future of the country, and if they are getting involved in this, committing suicide, then the future of the country will not be bright. The government should take strict action," Govil said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Bhagel as one of the accused in the Mahadev Betting app case.

On April 1, the CBI made public its first information report (FIR) in connection with the Mahadev online betting app case.

According to the FIR a total of 21 people have been named as accused including; Ravi Uppal, Shubham Soni (Pintu), Chandra Vhushan Verma, Assem Das, Satish Chandrakar, Nitish Deewan, Saurabh Chandrakar, Anil Agarwal (Atul Agarwal) Vikas Chhapriya, Rohit Gaulati, Vishal Ahuja, Dheeraj Ahuja, Anil Kumar Dammani, Sunil Kumar Dammani, Bhim Singh Yadav, Harishankar Tibarwal, Surendra Bagi, Suraj Chokhani and two other unknown persons, including a police officer.

The CBI has charged the accused with Sections 120 (B), 420, 467, 468 under the Indian Penal Code (IPC); Sections 11, 7, 8, 4 of the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2002, and Section 4 (A) of the Public Gambling Act.

On March 26, the investigative agency also conducted a 14-hour search at the residence of former CM Bhupesh Bhagel, confiscating three phones.

"15 days ago, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had conducted a thorough raid and questioned what more the CBI could uncover now." He also revealed that the CBI had taken original documents from his residence, and despite his request, they did not provide photocopies," Baghel said.

He asserted that if action had been taken in time, submitting the required documents would have been beneficial.

The FIR, originally received on March 4, 2024, alleges that Mahadev Online Book is operating betting services illegally. The complaint also alleged that other websites are also being operated in association with the promoters of the Mahadev betting app, naming "skyexchange," which is allegedly being operated by Hari Shankar Tibrewal in association with Mahadev Online Book.

The complaint alleges that the Mahadev platform provides illegal betting services in different "live games," including poker, card games, chance games, and betting on sports. The app rose to significance five years ago, in 2019-2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown.
For the first time, India and Sri Lanka on Saturday inked an ambitious defence cooperation pact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlining a broader roadmap for deeper bilateral cooperation, asserting that the security of both nations is interlinked and dependent on each other.

The defence pact is among seven key agreements signed by the two sides following wide-ranging talks between PM Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The defence pact, being seen as a major move to bolster strategic ties, came nearly four decades after the Indian Peace Keeping Force's intervention in the island nation.

"We believe that our security interests are similar. The security of both countries is interlinked and dependent on each other," Modi said in his media statement.

"I am grateful to President Dissanayake for his sensitivity towards India's interests. We welcome the important agreements concluded in defence cooperation," he said.

In his remarks, Dissanayake said he assured PM Modi that Sri Lanka will not allow its territory to be used in any manner inimical to India's security interests.

He said he also conveyed to Modi that India's assistance to Sri Lanka in times of need and continuing solidarity are deeply cherished.

Another important agreement that the two sides inked was on developing Trincomalee as an energy hub.

PM Modi and President Dissanayake also virtually inaugurated the Sampur solar power project.

"The Sampur Solar Power Plant will help in Sri Lanka's energy security. All the people of Sri Lanka will benefit from the agreements signed for building a multi-product pipeline and developing Trincomalee as an energy hub," Modi said.

The grid inter-connectivity agreement between the two countries will open up options for Sri Lanka to export electricity, he said.

Modi said Sri Lanka has a "special place" in India's Neighbourhood First policy and Vision 'MAHASAGAR'.

"In the last four months, since President Dissanayake visited India, our cooperation has progressed significantly," he said.

The Modi-Dissanayake talks were held a day after the prime minister arrived in the Sri Lankan capital after concluding his trip to Bangkok, where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).

Ahead of the talks, Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the historic Independence Square in the heart of the Sri Lankan capital, in the first such honour given to a foreign leader.

President Dissanayake received the prime minister at the Square -- the venue for national day celebrations and takes its name from the Independence Memorial Hall built to commemorate the island nation's independence from British rule in 1948.
India and Sri Lanka are set to ink a significant defence cooperation pact during Prime Minister Narendras two-day visit to the Island nation. The pact will be aimed at enhancing the bilateral relations between the two nations. It will also aim to counter China's increasing military influence in the region.

During PM Modi's visit, India and Sri Lanka will sign eight Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), which will include sectors like health, digitalisation, energy, and defence.

IANS reported that one of the MoUs will focus on supplying Sri Lanka with more affordable energy, a much-needed support amid the countrys ongoing economic challenges.

PM's visit will also include high-level discussions on restructuring Sri Lanka's debt, enhancing bilateral connectivity, and further cooperation across several domains. PM Modis visit is expected to significantly boost diplomatic relations between the two nations.

As he reached Colombo on Friday, top ministers from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayakes Cabinet, including Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, and Labour Minister Anil Jayantha, were present at Bandaranaike International Airport to greet him.

Landed in Colombo. Grateful to the ministers and dignitaries who welcomed me at the airport. Looking forward to the programmes in Sri Lanka. pic.twitter.com/RYm5q1VhZk  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 4, 2025

He also received a warm welcome from the locals and members of the Indian diaspora, despite heavy rain.

"The rains were no deterrent for a spectacular welcome by the Indian community in Colombo. I was deeply moved by their warmth and enthusiasm," the Prime Minister wrote.

The rains were no deterrent for a spectacular welcome by the Indian community in Colombo. I was deeply moved by their warmth and enthusiasm. Grateful to them! pic.twitter.com/O8YUP6Vjxw  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 4, 2025

Ahead of PM Modi's visit to Sri Lanka, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, "The India-Sri Lanka relationship is deeply rooted in civilisational links, shared history, religion, culture, and strong people-to-people ties. In the modern era, it has evolved into a close economic, cultural, and technical partnership."

"Sri Lanka is an integral part of our 'Neighbourhood First' policy, and this relationship, built on mutual trust and goodwill, has stood the test of time," he added.

This two-day visit to Sri Lanka comes after President Disanayaka visited India last December. The two countries will also review the progress made on the joint vision of Fostering Partnerships for a Shared Future.

PM Modi is also scheduled to meet other political leaders of the nation before travelling to Anuradhapura with Dissanayake for the inauguration of development projects implemented with Indian financial assistance on Sunday.

In Anuradhapura, both leaders will pay respect at the historic Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple complex in Anuradhapura. During their discussions, both leaders will also be discussing all issues related to fishermen, including the early release and repatriation of Indian fishermen and fishing boats.

(with IANS inputs)
The Indian Embassy in Canada said on Saturday that an Indian national was stabbed to death in the Rockland area near Ottawa. The incident prompted a swift response from local authorities.

Confirming the incident, the Embassy stated that a suspect has been taken into custody in connection with it. The Indian Embassy released a statement expressing deep sorrow over the incident, offering support to the victim's family.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in Rockland near Ottawa, due to stabbing. Police have stated a suspect has been taken into custody. We are in close contact through a local community association to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved kin," the Embassy wrote in a post on X.

We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in Rockland near Ottawa, due to stabbing. Police has stated a suspect has been taken into custody. We are in close contact through a local community association to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved  India in Canada (@HCI_Ottawa) April 5, 2025

While the details of the stabbing are still unclear, local media reports indicate that the incident occurred early in the morning in the Clarence-Rockland area. Authorities have yet to confirm if this is the same case referenced by the Indian Embassy. According to CBC News, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has increased its presence in the area as part of their ongoing investigation into the killing.

The police have also issued a warning to Rockland residents, advising them to expect heightened law enforcement activity while authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crime.

The Embassy in Canada assured the public that it is providing all necessary assistance to the victims family during this difficult time. The motives behind the stabbing remain unclear, and investigations are ongoing. The Embassy has pledged continued communication with local authorities to ensure the family receives the support they need and to facilitate any further actions related to the case.
Kunal Kamra Joke Row: Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, who sparked controversy after he made controversial remarks about Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde during one of his events, has been issued a third summons by Mumbai's Khar Police, asking him to appear for questioning on Saturday.

The latest summons follows two previous attempts by the police to call the stand-up comedian in for investigation, but he failed to show up for either of the earlier summons. Kamra came under fire after his comment on Shinde was understood to be an indirect swipe at him.

The video, which aired following Kamra's performance at the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, saw the comedian using a modified version of a popular Bollywood song from 'Dil To Pagal Hai.' Meri nazar se tum dekho toh, gaddar nazar wo aaye. Haaye," Kunal Kamra said during his show, which was understood to be a jibe at Shinde.

The comments were perceived to be made in the context of the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis, which led to the fall of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, and resulted in multiple FIRs being filed against Kamra.

Following the release of Kamra's video on March 23, Shiv Sena workers, angered by his remarks, vandalized the Unicontinental Hotel in Khar, where Kamra had recorded the video. This incident led to the arrest of 12 Shinde supporters, who were later granted bail.

In response to the summons, Kamra had earlier stated he was unavailable in Mumbai due to prior commitments and offered to appear for questioning on April 2.

However, the police did not accept his request for a delayed appearance. Kamra's lawyer, V. Suresh, had expressed concerns about Kamra's safety, claiming he had received threats from certain Maharashtra Cabinet ministers.

Mumbai's Khar Police Station is investigating the matter, with two FIRs already filed against Kamra for derogatory remarks. In addition, three more FIRs filed against him in different parts of Maharashtra have been combined into the Mumbai investigation.

The police have confirmed that Kamra is not currently in contact with the Khar police station. Kamra has been granted protection from arrest until April 7 by the Madras High Court, but the latest summons indicates that the investigation is moving forward despite his earlier refusals to comply.

(With IANS Inputs)
Kerala Lottery Results Saturday 05-04-2025 LIVE: The Kerala Lottery Department, on behalf of the Keralan government, announces the "KARUNYA KR-700" Lucky Draw Result today Karunya Kr-700, April 05, 2025. The draw will be held at Gorky Bhavan near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Lottery Result 2025 for "Karunya KR-700" will feature 12 series, with changes in series possible each week. A total of 108 lakh tickets are available for purchase weekly. The ticket prices may vary. Check the Karunya KR-700 results right here to see if youre the first-place winner of 80 Lakhs. Stay tuned to this website for the live update of Kerala Lottery Karunya KR-700 results today.

Kerala Lottery Result 05-04-2025 Apr: FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR KARUNYA KR-700 Draw

LUCKY NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 80 LAKHS IS: KK 928155

LUCKY NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 5 LAKHS IS: KC 387159

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 1 Lakh ARE: KA 904032 KB 156193 KC 649794 KD 132742 KE 753428 KF 820776 KG 715886 KH 198880 KJ 222562 KK 350765 KL 337619 KM 179222

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE: KA 928155 KB 928155 KC 928155 KD 928155 KE 928155 KF 928155 KG 928155 KH 928155 KJ 928155 KL 928155 KM 928155

(For The Tickets Ending with The Following Numbers below)

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE: 0556 2160 3040 3609 3668 4696 5005 5769 6541 6888 7599 7967 8360 8429 8801 8928 9257 9390

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE OF RS 2,000 ARE: 2401 5412 6050 6495 6746 8093 8783 9066 9213 9548

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE: 7860 0076 2945 2818 3374 3275 1722 3181 3235 4023 6377 4326 6199 8656

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE: 0071 0179 0329 0506 0555 0665 0958 1095 1106 1404 1610 2096 2133 2239 2275 2298 2497 2524 2594 2604 2884 2909 2941 2968 3039 3070 3071 3168 3258 3329 3335 3464 3475 3566 3772 3800 3807 3847 4113 4156 4322 4331 4492 4599 4716 4756 5055 5062 5211 5315 5338 5789 6414 6505 6518 6573 6799 7006 7266 7319 7392 7443 7624 7703 7795 7958 8123 8203 8275 8543 8662 8701 8860 9218 9275 9520 9534 9571 9874 9948

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 8TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE: To Be Announced

KERALA LOTTERY RESULT 05-04-2025 April TODAY: KARUNYA KR-700 LOTTERY PRIZE DETAILS

1st Prize: Rs 80 Lakhs

2nd Prize: Rs. 5 lakhs

3rd Prize: Rs. 1 Lakh

4th Prize: Rs. 5,000

5th Prize: Rs. 2,000

6th Prize: Rs. 1,000

7th Prize: Rs. 500

8th Prize: Rs. 100

Consolation Prize: Rs. 8,000

(NOTE: Lottery can be addictive and should be played responsibly. The data provided on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice or encouragement. Zee News does not promote the lottery in any way.)
PM Modi Sri Lanka Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who landed in Sri Lanka on Friday evening for a two-day visit, was on Saturday accorded a grand ceremonial welcome at the historic Independence Square in the heart of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.

This was perhaps the first such honour given to a foreign leader. The Prime Minister, who reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, was received at the Square by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi received a ceremonial welcome in Colombo during his three-day visit to Sri Lanka, which began yesterday.



PM Modi received by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Independence Square.



(Source - ANI/DD) pic.twitter.com/6voTSyacf8  ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2025

PM Modi landed in Colombo last evening after concluding his trip to Bangkok where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).

"PM @narendramodi was welcomed by President @anuradisanayake with a ceremonial reception at the Independence Square in Colombo," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on 'X'.

"Bilateral discussions to foster a partnership for a shared future & mutual prosperity of our people, lie ahead," he said. It was the first time a foreign leader was accorded such a welcome at the Independence Square, official said, according to PTI.

A special welcome at majestic Independence Square!



PM @narendramodi was welcomed by President @anuradisanayake with a ceremonial reception at the Independence Square in Colombo.



Bilateral discussions to foster a partnership for a shared future & mutual prosperity of our pic.twitter.com/CmeqZwsQ3w  Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 5, 2025

Following the ceremonial welcome, PM Modi held delegation-level talks with President Dissanayake. The two sides are expected to come out with around 10 ambitious outcomes, including a defence cooperation agreement and frameworks for deeper engagement in the energy sector.

If signed, the MoU on defence cooperation is set to signal a major upward trajectory in India-Sri Lanka defence, leaving behind the bitter chapter relating to India pulling out the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) from the island nation around 35 years ago.

The Prime Ministers visit to Sri Lanka comes at a time when the island nation is showing signs of recovery from the economic stress. The Island nation was reeling under a massive economic crisis three years back and India extended financial assistance worth USD 4.5 billion. After the talks between Modi and Dissanayake, two documents facilitating India's assistance to Sri Lanka on debt restructuring and another one on currency swap are likely to be made public.

The two sides are also expected to seal a separate pact on cooperation in the digital domain. Later in the day, PM Modi is also scheduled to lay a wreath at the IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force) memorial. In an interview with PTI, Indian High Commissioner to Colombo Santosh Jha said on Friday that New Delhi's assistance to the island nation was "unprecedented" in terms of India's assistance to any country in the world.

"It was a huge bit of assistance and we are continuing to work with Sri Lanka in providing it assistance in various areas and that is much appreciated here," Jha said. In Colombo, Modi and Dissanayake will also dedicate several projects that are being built in that country with India's assistance. The two leaders will also witness the virtual groundbreaking of the Sampur solar energy project.

(With agencies Inputs)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects increased sanctions pressure on Russia from the US in the near future, which should force the Russian side to cease fire.

"If the relevant law has not yet been registered in Congress, I think that corresponding strong steps will be taken in the near future. We are very much expecting this, I do not want to say from whom, but we understand from whom. We have talked about this - this is increased sanctions pressure on the Russians for not wanting to end the war. And, of course, the first step towards ending it is a ceasefire, "Zelenskyy said during a conversation with journalists on Friday evening.

"I know that, at least, we have information that America is close to taking appropriate measures. We'll see if it will happen, this is not a prophecy, this is just information that is available... And I really believe that these steps can influence the Russians regarding a ceasefire," he added.

The president thanked the American Congress representatives, the administration, and the president for not stopping assistance and sharing intelligence.

"And we also expect such strong sanctions steps," Zelenskyy said.
The Madhya Pradesh district officials are investigating allegations of a fake doctor performing heart surgery on patients, who allegedly killed at least seven, in a private missionary hospital in Damoh city of the state.

As reports of 7 deaths within a month in the hospital raised alarms in the area, it has been alleged that a person, N John Kem, took up the job in the Christian missionary hospital, impersonating a famous British doctor by the same name, claiming to be a cardiologist. He then subsequently performed heart surgeries on patients. The patients who underwent surgery died later on, officials said.

Upon further investigation, the accused's real name was revealed to be Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav.

Earlier, Deepak Tiwari, an advocate and district president of the Child Welfare Committee, claimed that while the official death toll is 7, the actual count is much higher. The advocate had filed a complaint with the Damoh District Magistrate earlier.

"Some patients, who did not die, came to us and told us about the incident that they had taken their father to the hospital, and the guy was ready to operate, but they were a bit apprehensive, so they took their father to Jabalpur. We then got to know that there is this fake doctor working in the hospital; the real guy is in Britain, and this guy's name is Narendra Yadav. There is a case against him in Hyderabad, and he has never shown his real documents," Tiwari told ANI.

Priyank Kanoongo, a member of the National Human Rights Commission, said that the missionary hospital was also receiving money from the government under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

"We got a complaint that a fake doctor has performed surgery on patients in the missionary hospital. We were also told that the missionary hospital is involved with the Ayushman Bharat scheme and taking money from the government for it. This is a serious complaint; we have taken cognisance of the matter, and an investigation is currently going on," Kanoongo told ANI.

Following the allegations, the district investigating team seized all documents from the hospital. During the investigation, it was revealed that the impersonator had filed fake documents similar to the famous British doctor. The accused has been alleged to be involved in multiple controversies, including a criminal case registered in Hyderabad.

The Damoh district Collector, Sudhir Kochar, has said that he will give a statement after the investigation has concluded.

Abhishek Tiwari, Damoh SP, told ANI, "We are currently investigating the issue of the matter of multiple deaths in the missionary hospital."

The fake doctor has been accused of posing as the British doctor N John Kem before, where in July of 2023, he had tweeted (now known as X), asking for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to be sent to France to stop the riots which ensued then. The tweet was subsequently mocked by multiple leaders at the time. The person has also posted purportedly photoshopped pictures with UP CM Yogi Adityanath under a fake name.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the newly constructed Pamban railway bridge in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, on Sunday.

The inauguration coincides with the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, which will be celebrated across the country on April 6, marking the birth of Lord Rama.

The occasion adds a spiritual dimension to the Prime Ministers visit, as he is also expected to visit the renowned Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram.

According to sources in Southern Railway, the ceremony will be attended by a host of dignitaries, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Governor R.N. Ravi, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Members of Parliament and Legislative Assembly from Tamil Nadu, senior BJP leaders, and party workers.

R.N. Singh, General Manager of Southern Railway, confirmed that senior Railway officials have been conducting extensive inspections of the bridge and Rameswaram railway station in preparation for the event.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi is expected to address a public gathering before departing for Delhi from Madurai airport.

To ensure smooth execution of the high-profile event, authorities have already conducted three full-scale rehearsals.

On March 22, a high-level team led by Additional General Manager Kaushal Kishore conducted a comprehensive assessment of key locations in Rameswaram and Pamban, evaluating both logistical and security arrangements.

The team, which included Madurai Divisional Railway Manager Sharad Srivastava and other top officials, inspected various critical locations such as the Rameswaram temple premises, Mandapam camp helipad, Kunthukal, Mandapam railway station, and the Pamban road bridge.

The inspections were aimed at ensuring that all arrangements are in place for a seamless inauguration.

Following the site visits, Kishore chaired a high-level review meeting with senior Railway officials, law enforcement agencies, and state and central Intelligence personnel.

The meeting focused on finalising security protocols, crowd management strategies, and event logistics to ensure a safe and successful inauguration.

The new Pamban railway bridge, which is 2.1 km in length, is a remarkable feat of engineering.

Originally commissioned in February 2019, construction was completed in November 2024.

One of the key features of the bridge is its vertical lift span, which weighs 660 metric tonnes and is capable of rising vertically to allow ship passage, which has been developed indigenously.

The bridge stands as a symbol of Indias growing infrastructure prowess and will enhance connectivity to the sacred island of Rameswaram, making travel more efficient for thousands of pilgrims and tourists.
President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 on Saturday, days after both Houses of Parliament cleared it. She also gave her assent to the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025. "The following Act of Parliament received the assent of the president on April 5, 2025, and is hereby published for general information: The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025," the government said in a notification.

Earlier on Friday, Parliament cleared the contentious bill after the Rajya Sabha gave its nod to it following an over 13-hour heated marathon debate. The discussion witnessed staunch objections from opposition parties, which termed the bill "anti-Muslim" as well as "unconstitutional," while the government responded that the "historic reform" would benefit the minority community.

The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 128 members voting in favour and 95 opposing it. It was passed in the Lok Sabha early on Thursday, with 288 members supporting it and 232 against it.

Parliament also approved the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, with the Rajya Sabha giving its nod. The Lok Sabha had already given its assent to the bill. After the president gave her assent, the Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923, stands repealed.

Opposition Challenged Valadity Of Bill

Congress MP Mohammad Jawed and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday challenged the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Supreme Court, saying it violated constitutional provisions.

Jawed's plea alleged the Bill imposed "arbitrary restrictions" on Waqf properties and their management, undermining the religious autonomy of the Muslim community. The petition, filed through advocate Anas Tanwir, said it discriminated against the Muslim community by "imposing restrictions that are not present in the governance of other religious endowments".

Jawed, the Lok Sabha MP from Kishanganj in Bihar, was a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Bill and alleged in his plea that it "introduces restrictions on the creation of Waqfs based on the duration of one's religious practice". In his separate plea, Owaisi said the Bill took away from Waqfs various protections accorded to Waqfs and Hindu, Jain and Sikh religious and charitable endowments alike.

Owaisi's plea, filed by advocate Lzafeer Ahmad, said, "This diminishing of the protection given to Waqfs while retaining them for religious and charitable endowments of other religions constitutes hostile discrimination against Muslims and is violative of articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which prohibit discrimination on the grounds of religion."

AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan has also moved the Supreme Court, challenging the Bill's constitutional validity. In his plea, Khan sought that the Bill be declared "unconstitutional and being violative of articles 14, 15, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30 and 300-A of the Constitution" and direction for striking it down.

(With PTI inputs)
Kashmir is all set to host the "Shobha Yatra" on the eve of Ram Navami. The procession will be held from the old city to the historic Lal Chowk amid tight security.

Preparations are set for Srinagar's "Shobha Yatra," which is going to be held tomorrow to celebrate the Hindu festival of Ram Navami. From today, many temples are celebrating on a large scale in anticipation of Durga Ashtami. The celebrations at the Durga temple in Srinagar have been ongoing since midnight. A Hawan ceremony was organized for peace and prosperity, and the number of devotees participating in this festival has almost doubled compared to previous years. They are satisfied with the changing situation.

Makhan Lal Dhar said, "Worship has been taking place in this ancient temple on this occasion for centuries. This ancient temple is situated in the lap of Shankaracharya. Yes, the situation had deteriorated for some time, but now everything is slowly improving again."

Tomorrow, the procession will start from Srinagar's Habba Kadal area in the old city. Before militancy began, Habba Kadal was a stronghold of the Kashmiri Pandit community. The 300-year-old Kathaleshwar Mahadev temple in Habba Kadal has been decorated with lights, and all other preparations are underway for the yatra.

The temple's guru, Makhan Lal Das, said, "Like every year, this year too the yatra will take place. We have spoken to the administration for permission, and they have provided security. All preparations are complete, and the yatra will go from the old city to Lal Chowk. The Muslim community is fully supporting it."

The Shobha Yatra will be decorated in the morning and then pass through the markets of Srinagar. Starting from Habba Kadal, it will pass through Jaindar Mohalla, Barbarshah, Regal Chowk, the historic Lal Chowk Ghantaghar and then Hari Singh High Street and Jahangir Chowk, ending at the same temple in the Tankipora area of Srinagar, where it began.

The authorities have deployed Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF for tight security arrangements along the route, and special police teams will accompany the devotees throughout the yatra.

A CRPF officer said, "We are completely ready; security has been put in place everywhere. If any untoward incident occurs, it will be dealt with immediately. However, the situation has changed, and something like this is not expected to happen."

The majority community of Srinagar, which includes Muslims, decorates the tableau. Muslims expressed happiness and said that they fully support the Kashmiri Pandits in taking out the procession in Srinagar. Kashmiri Muslims stated that their religion teaches them to respect the faith of others, and things are changing. They believe a day will come when Kashmir will return to the way it was before the nineties.

Bashir Ahmed said, "A Muslim means the safety of all. We do not consider any religion wrong; we respect every religion and welcome every festival of Pandits."

Earlier, the procession was halted due to unrest in the valley, but now it is allowed, and security is provided. In recent years, during the procession, Muslims have welcomed Ram Navami and the Shobha Yatra in Kashmir.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a snatching attack on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), stating that after the passage of the Waqf Bill in Parliament, the focus has now shifted to Catholic Church land.

Congress leader shared a post on microblogging site X, stating that while the Waqf Bill targets Muslims, now, it sets a precedent to target other communities in the future.

"I had said that the Waqf Bill attacks Muslims now but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future," the post read.

Gandhi further criticised the RSS for shifting its focus to Christians after the passage of the Waqf Bill, stating, "It didnt take long for the RSS to turn its attention to Christians. The Constitution is the only shield that protects our people from such attacks - and it is our collective duty to defend it."
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday declared that the recently passed Waqf Bill would be 'thrown in the dustbin' in Bihar if his party comes to power.

Speaking at a press conference in Patna, the Leader of Opposition said his party has also approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Waqf Bill. We have also moved the Supreme Court against the Waqf Bill. We believe that today Muslims are being targeted and tomorrow it may be the turn of Sikhs and Christians, Yadav said.

Tejashwi, who previously served as Bihar's deputy chief minister, attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), saying the party was unsuccessfully trying to show that the new Waqf law would help the Muslim community.

They are trying hard, but without success, to prove that the Bill will benefit Muslims, Yadav said, adding, Just look at how the JD(U) has forced its Muslim leaders to address a press conference, which was quite a fiasco.

The JD(U) event, held just before Yadav's, featured senior Muslim leaders such as Afaque Ahmed Khan, Khalid Anwar, Ghulam Ghaus, Ashfaq Karim and Kehkashan Parveen. However, none of them answered questions. Only minority cell chairman Afzal Ansari and spokesperson Anjum Ara read out a statement supporting Nitish Kumar and criticising RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad for allegedly doing little for the Muslim community. The event ended abruptly, with leaders avoiding media questions.

Yadav, whose party office is located near the JD(U) venue, took a swipe at Nitish Kumars alliance with the BJP. It appears that photographs of Nitish Kumar at their office will soon be replaced with images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Even a child knows the fate that awaits the chief minister after elections are over, he said.

The RJD leader argued that the Waqf Bill violates Article 26 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to manage religious affairs. He said the Bill was a distraction from real issues like unemployment and a tool for the BJPs polarisation agenda. We will not allow implementation of this Bill in Bihar. If we form the next government in the state, the Bill will be consigned to the dustbin, he said.

Yadav also alleged that the BJP and RSS have always been against minorities and backward communities. While we were in power, the quotas for deprived castes were raised to 65 per cent... But the hike in quotas got quashed by Patna High Court, on petitions filed by supporters of the BJP, he said. He added that since Nitish Kumar could not defend the marginalised, the RJD has joined the legal battle in the Supreme Court against the high court's order.

Responding to the controversy, Union Minister Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) accused the opposition of misleading people. They did the same when CAA was brought, when Article 370 was abrogated and when Ram temple was built at Ayodhya. None of these moves affected our Muslim brethren adversely, Paswan said.

He claimed the Waqf Bill only aims to protect Muslim citizens in disputes with Waqf Boards and has no effect on existing properties. But the opposition is busy with its own agenda, the Hajipur MP said.

(With PTI inputs)
Patna: Ahead of Bihar Assembly elections, the poster war between the ruling Janata Dal-United and Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has intensified with the rivals now exchanging punches over the Waqf Amendment Bill's passage in Parliament. On Saturday, a poster in Hindi appeared on Patna streets questioning Lalu Prasad Yadav's alleged double standards on the Waqf issue.

The poster referred to the RJD leaders 2010 Lok Sabha speech in which he had strongly advocated for a stricter law to check Waqf properties mismanagement. Contrasting that with his current opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill, the poster asked: Who is the real Girgit (chameleon)? The term chameleon was earlier used by supporters of Lalu Prasad Yadav to target Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the latters alleged shifting political stance.

Reacting to the poster targeting Lalu Prasad Yadav, BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal told IANS: The public has now recognised how Lalu Yadav changes colours like a chameleon. Jaiswal said that in 2010 Lalu Prasad Yadav had criticised the Waqf Board for looting properties and demanded registration of cases against those misusing Waqf resources.

Now, the NDA government has only amended it (Waqf Act) through a democratic process, and Lalu Yadav is opposing it. Isnt that hypocrisy? asked Jaiswal. Continuing his attack with sarcasm, Jaiswal said: The Opposition was busy cleaning the mirror to find clean faces, but they didnt realise  the dust was on their faces, not the mirror.

Bihar Health and Law Minister Mangal Pandey also defended the Waqf legislation stating that it brings justice to the poor Pasmanda Muslims and exposes the hypocrisy of the Opposition.

When asked about the backlash from the RJD and others, Pandey recalled Lalu Prasad Yadavs Parliament speech in 2010 in which he accused Waqf Board members of allegedly occupying lands and even cited the Dakbungla Chauraha in Patna as an example.

Lalu's son (Tejashwi Yadav) should first hear his father's words in Parliament. Back then, Lalu Prasad raised this issue himself, Pandey said. The Minister claimed that those criticising the Waqf legislation were not upset about the law itself, but about losing control over Waqf matters.

The chaos is being created by those who earlier misused loopholes in traditional legal systems. They are troubled. The poor are, actually, happy. This bill brings justice, especially for Pasmanda Muslims, Pandey said.

He added that the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has only done what Lalu Prasad once demanded. This bill ensures transparency and fairness. Ask the poor minorities  they are happy. The only ones upset are those who are losing their control, Pandey emphasised. In a significant statement, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan lent support to the bill, questioning the actual use of Waqf properties.

Allahs property is for public welfare  charity, orphanages and hospitals. How many Waqf properties in Patna are running such services? he asked. He stressed that Waqf should benefit the poor, not serve as a means of personal gain. The ongoing poster war in the state comes in the backdrop of at least three Muslim leaders quitting the ruling the Janata Dal (United) in protest against the passage of the Waqf legislation.

Earlier, the RJD fired a salvo in the poster war by putting up a provocative poster targeting CM Nitish Kumar over his stance on the Waqf Bill and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The poster, which was displayed outside the residence of former CM and RJD leader Rabri Devi at 10 Circular Road, Patna, depicted CM Nitish greeting a Muslim cleric. The message on the poster read, "Tum To Dhokhebaaz Ho, Wada Karke Bhul Jate Ho," accusing Nitish of being a "cheater" who does not keep his promises.

The poster appeared to be a response to JD(U) workers releasing a poster titled 'Bhoolega Nahi Bihar,' (Bihar will not forget). The poster highlights the "atrocities of the jungle raj" and carries the message 'Bhoolega Nahi Bihar.' The poster war in Bihar is part of the build-up to the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly election for all 243 constituencies scheduled to be held on October or November 2025.
With the film Empuraan under scrutiny and facing criticism from the RSS mouthpiece, the film's director and lead actor, Prithviraj Sukumaran, has received a notice from the Income Tax Department. The notice seeks clarification regarding his remuneration and financial dealings related to films released in 2022.

Empuraan hit theatres on March 27, and the notice was issued on March 29. Prithviraj has been asked to respond to the notice on or before April 29. Confirming the development, his mother and veteran actress Mallika Sukumaran said her son has done nothing wrong and will respond appropriately.

The IT notice pertains to three films -- Jana Gana Mana, Kaduva, and Gold -- in which Prithviraj was both an actor and co-producer. Authorities have reportedly raised questions about discrepancies in the accounting of his remuneration.

Officials have clarified that this notice is a continuation of the investigations initiated following IT raids conducted in 2022. Incidentally, Empuraans co-producer Gokulam Gopalan is also under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Gopalans offices and residences in Chennai and Kozhikode have been raided by the ED. Although authorities have claimed the raids are not related to the controversy surrounding Empuraan, speculation continues.

Prithviraj,42, is the son of late actor Sukumaran, who was one of Malayalam cinema's most popular stars in the 1980s. While studying for an MBA in Australia, Prithviraj entered films by chance during a vacation and made his debut with Nandanam in 2002.

He rose to stardom with Classmates and, in 2006, won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Vaasthavam. In 2010, he ventured into production, and his career gained momentum.

His directorial debut, Lucifer, the first part in the Empuraan series, cemented his stature in the industry. Amid the ongoing controversy, Prithviraj has kept a low profile. News of the IT notice to Prithviraj Sukumaran broke on Saturday.
Mumbai: The mortal remains of legendary actor and director Manoj Kumar were brought to his residence in Mumbai for family members and close friends to pay their last respects.

The ambulance carrying the actor's body from Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai was adorned with garlands and flowers as a tribute to the superstar, who left an indelible mark on Indian cinema.

Manoj Kumar, affectionately known as "Bharat Kumar" for his portrayal of patriotic roles, passed away on April 4, 2025, at the age of 87. His passing marks the end of an era in the Indian film industry.

The actor's last rites will be performed today, April 5, 2025, at around 11:30 am at Pawan Hans in Vile Parle, Mumbai, as confirmed by his son, Kunal Goswami.

#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra | The mortal remains of actor Manoj Kumar brought to his residence



Legendary actor and film director Manoj Kumar passed away yesterday. At around 11:30 am today, Manoj Kumar's last rites will be performed at a cremation ground in Juhu. pic.twitter.com/rpslHCLJ7Q  ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2025

Born as Harikrishan Goswami on July 24, 1937, in Abbottabad (now in Pakistan), Manoj Kumar became a household name for his roles in patriotic films.

His iconic performances in movies like 'Upkar' (1967), 'Purab Aur Paschim' (1970), 'Kranti' (1981) and 'Shaheed' (1965) earned him the title of "Bharat Kumar."

His work not only entertained audiences but also instilled a sense of national pride.

Apart from acting, Kumar was also a successful director and producer. His directorial debut, 'Upkar', won the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film.

His other major successes as a director include 'Purab Aur Paschim' and 'Roti Kapda Aur Makaan' (1974), both of which were critically acclaimed and commercially successful.

Kumar also earned prestigious awards, such as the Padma Shri (1992) and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2015).

Manoj Kumar's death has shocked the nation, with tributes pouring in from political leaders and prominent figures in the film industry.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his respects, calling Kumar an "icon of Indian cinema," acknowledging his ability to inspire national pride through his films.

President Droupadi Murmu, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and several other political figures also expressed their grief, praising the actor's significant contributions to Indian cinema and his unwavering dedication to patriotic storytelling.
New Delhi: Renowned actor Manoj Kumar, immortalized as 'Bharat Kumar' for his portrayals of patriotic heroes in iconic films like Upkar and Kranti, was cremated with full state honours and a three-gun salute on Saturday. The ceremony, held at the Pawan Hans crematorium in suburban Juhu, Mumbai, marked a poignant farewell to the legendary figure who left an indelible mark on Indian cinema.

The 87-year-old Padma Shri awardee, who passed away on April 4 due to age-related complications, was given a fitting tribute that celebrated the immense legacy he leaves behind. His coffin, draped with the tricolour national flag, symbolized his lifelong dedication to patriotism through his craft.

Family, friends, and several prominent figures from the film industry gathered to pay their respects. Among the attendees were megastar Amitabh Bachchan and veteran screenwriter Salim Khan, who were joined by other luminaries such as Abhishek Bachchan, Arbaaz Khan, Subhash Ghai, Anu Malik, Zayed Khan, Prem Chopra, and Rajpal Yadav.

The final rites, which began at 11:30 AM, saw Kumars two sons, Vishal and Kunal, light the funeral pyre of their father, who had passed away at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. The ambulance carrying his body was adorned with garlands in the colours of the national flag, a tribute to his patriotic legacy on screen.

Kumars death has sent ripples of sorrow across India, with tributes pouring in from all corners of the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep respect for the actor, hailing him as an "icon of Indian cinema" whose films inspired generations with their nationalistic fervour. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and other dignitaries also paid their heartfelt condolences, acknowledging Kumars unmatched contribution to Indias cinematic and cultural heritage.

(With Agency Inputs)
The minerals deal with the US should be fair and partnership-based, Ukraine will be represented in its negotiations by a law firm, the selection of which is underway, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"We are dealing with the issue of selecting a legal company. We have chosen, in principle, three key companies that have agreed to work and want to work and help represent Ukraine. They are competent. At the beginning of next week, we will agree with one of the three companies. The conditions are currently being discussed," Zelenskyy said during a conversation with journalists on Friday evening.

He announced a meeting early next week with the Ukrainian team, where he will be presented with "all the points that satisfy us or that will reflect the fairness, justice of the agreement in our opinion."

"We see only partnership steps in this agreement and that is what the team is working on. The team will briefly present this agreement to me, the most important things at the beginning of the week and after that, in principle, the technical team will be ready for a trip to the US and for a dialogue with our American partners. For now, we are counting on the sending of our technical team," the head of state said.

Zelenskyy also said that he himself is not planning a trip to the US yet.

"I am not going to do it yet," he said.
New Delhi: As the artificial intelligence (AI) race intensifies, Elon Musk-owned Grok and Chinas DeepSeek models have emerged as frontrunners in next-gen AI capabilities  one prioritising accessibility and efficiency, the other pushing the limits of brute-force scale. This contrast comes despite a significant disparity in training resources, according to a recent report by Counterpoint Research.

Grok-3 exemplifies uncompromising scale, powered by 200,000 NVIDIA H100 GPUs in pursuit of cutting-edge advancements. In contrast, DeepSeek-R1 achieves comparable performance using a fraction of the computational resources, showcasing how architectural innovation and data curation can effectively rival sheer processing power.

Since February, DeepSeek has captured global attention by open-sourcing its flagship reasoning model, DeepSeek-R1, which has demonstrated performance on par with some of the world's leading AI systems.

What sets it apart isnt just its elite capabilities, but the fact that it was trained using only 2,000 NVIDIA H800 GPUs  a scaled-down, export-compliant alternative to the H100, making its achievement a masterclass in efficiency, said Wei Sun, principal analyst in AI at Counterpoint.

Musks xAI has unveiled Grok-3, its most advanced model to date, which slightly outperforms DeepSeek-R1, OpenAIs GPT-o1 and Googles Gemini 2. Unlike DeepSeek-R1, Grok-3 is proprietary and was trained using a staggering 200,000 H100 GPUs on xAIs supercomputer Colossus, representing a giant leap in computational scale, said Sun.

Grok-3 embodies the brute-force strategy  massive compute scale (representing billions of dollars in GPU costs) driving incremental performance gains. Its a route only the wealthiest tech giants or governments can realistically pursue.

In contrast, DeepSeek-R1 demonstrates the power of algorithmic ingenuity by leveraging techniques like Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) and reinforcement learning for reasoning, combined with curated and high-quality data, to achieve comparable results with a fraction of the compute, explained Sun.

Grok-3 proves that throwing 100x more GPUs can yield marginal performance gains rapidly. But it also highlights rapidly diminishing returns on investment (ROI), as most real-world users see minimal benefit from incremental improvements. In essence, DeepSeek-R1 is about achieving elite performance with minimal hardware overhead, while Grok-3 is about pushing boundaries by any computational means necessary, said the report. (With IANS Inputs)
In regard to remarks by the Press Secretary to Bangladesh Chief Advisor about the meeting of the Bangladesh leader Muhammad Yunus with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources have dismissed the account as mischievous and politically motivated.

Sources said on Saturday that the characterisation of PM Modi's remarks regarding the relationship between Yunus and the previous government was also inaccurate.

The sources underlined that PM Modi spoke of the progress in our bilateral relationship since 2014 and characterized it as a deep friendship between our societies and peoples.

They said PM Modi also mentioned the importance of elections as the basis of legitimacy in any democracy.

"A continued procrastination in this regard would damage the Chief Advisor's reputation. The Bangladeshi contention that attacks on minorities were a social media concoction was dismissed as being in contradiction of facts on the ground," a source said.

Regarding various specific issues raised by the Chief Advisor, PM Modi told him that this was best discussed by the Foreign Ministers.

Sources said there is no basis for the observation made by the Press Secretary on the extradition request pertaining to former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Sources, in fact, emphasized that such attempts call into question both the seriousness and the good faith of the interim government. Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to Bangladesh Chief Advisor, had posted his remarks on social media.

PM Modi met Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok on Friday.

PM Modi reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh.

Enunciating India's people-centric approach to the relationship, Prime Minister highlighted that cooperation between the two countries has brought tangible benefits to the people of both countries. He underlined India's desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh based on pragmatism.

Prime Minister urged that rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided. On the border, strict enforcement of the law and prevention of illegal border crossings, especially at night, are necessary for maintaining border security and stability. Bilateral mechanism could meet as appropriate to review and take forward bilateral ties, he said.

PM Modi underlined India's concerns related to the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, and expressed his expectation that the Government of Bangladesh would ensure their security, including by thoroughly investigating the cases of atrocities committed against them.

Prime Minister congratulated Bangladesh on assuming the Chair of BIMSTEC and looked forward to the forum further advancing regional cooperation under its leadership. The leaders agreed to enhance consultations and cooperation to advance regional integration, including under the BIMSTEC framework.

Prime Minister expressed his conviction that all issues of mutual interest between the two countries would continue to be addressed and resolved bilaterally through constructive discussions, in the interest of their long standing and mutually beneficial bilateral relationship.

PM Modi also said in a post on X that he expressed serious concern for the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.

"Met Mr. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh. India remains committed to a constructive and people-centric relationship with Bangladesh. I reiterated India's support for peace, stability, inclusivity and democracy in Bangladesh. Discussed measures to prevent illegal border crossings and expressed our serious concern for the safety and well-being of Hindus and other minorities," PM Modi said.

PM Modi met several other leaders on the sidelines of BIMSTEC Summit.
United States President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated his stance on his ambitious trade plan and said that the tariffs are here to stay and will supercharge the economy.

Posting on his social media platform Truth Social the US President remarked that the big businesses are not worried about the tariffs because they are aware that the tariffs are going to stay.

"Big business is not worried about the Tariffs, because they know they are here to stay, but they are focused on the BIG, BEAUTIFUL DEAL, which will SUPERCHARGE our Economy. Very important. Going on right now!!!" he wrote.

According to ANI, the US stock markets tanked more than 5 percent on Friday after Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs sparked fear among investors of a global economic recession.

Earlier, the US announced a 27 percent reciprocal tariff on India and stated that New Delhi imposes high import duties on American goods, as the Trump government aims to reduce the country's trade deficit and boost manufacturing. The move is expected to impact India's exports to the US.

The US President to counter higher duties on American products imposed globally, announced reciprocal tariffs on about 60 countries, PTI reported.

(with agencies' inputs)
Colombo: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi the need to further ramp up bilateral economic engagement in order to deal with the fall out of the US' reciprocal tariffs.

On his part, PM Modi assured Dissanayake that India would always "stand by" Sri Lanka to face any difficulties, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.

The issue figured in the wide-ranging talks between the two leaders at the Sri Lankan presidential secretariat.

"It is obviously something that has impacted everybody. I think Sri Lanka is also dealing with this issue. There was a reference to this... or discussions on this during the meeting between the president and the prime minister," Misri said at a media briefing.

He was responding to a question on whether Dissanayake brought up the issue of possible impact of President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariff on Sri Lanka.

"I think the President of Sri Lanka emphasised in particular the importance in this regard given these kinds of geo-economic developments that have a certain impact on Sri Lanka, especially given the economic situation now, and the economic passage that Sri Lanka is passing through at the current moment," Misri said.

The foreign secretary suggested that Dissanayake underlined the need for India and Sri Lanka to further strengthen the economic engagement in order to deal with the fallout of some of these (geo-economic) developments.

"Of course, the prime minister assured him that India would always continue to stand by Sri Lanka as it encountered and dealt with these difficulties," he said.

Sri Lanka was reeling under a massive economic crisis two years back and India extended financial assistance worth USD 4.5 billion to the country.
Colombo: The issue of fishermen was discussed in considerable detail between India and Sri Lanka, with Sri Lankan authorities informing India that they have decided to release 11 fishermen "imminently," according to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

Addressing a special briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Sri Lanka on Saturday, Misri said that during his talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, PM Modi emphasized the humanitarian aspect of the issue and suggested that some recent actions taken by Sri Lanka could be reconsidered.

On the fishermen issue, the foreign secretary said, "Yes, this was, as I said, a subject that was discussed in considerable detail between the two sides. It is something that has remained a constant feature of discussions at all levels, including the highest levels between two sides. As the Prime Minister said himself during his remarks, there was an emphasis on the need to adopt a humanitarian and constructive approach to cooperation on these issues because these are ultimately issues that impact the livelihood of fishermen on both sides of the Palk Bay."

"The Prime Minister emphasized that at the end of the day, it's a daily issue for the fishermen and that certain actions that have been taken in recent times could be reconsidered. We have been informed that the Sri Lankan authorities have taken a decision to release 11 fishermen imminently, I believe, and perhaps a few more in the coming days. There are also releases of fishermen that take place from India from time to time. Both sides also emphasized the need to intensify the institutional discussions between the two sides," Misri added.

He said that there is a joint working group on fishermen between the two sides and sixth meeting was held in October last year. He said that India and Sri Lanka are in touch with each other on the possibility of convening the next round of Fisherman's Association talks between two sides.

"As you are aware, there is a joint working group on fishermen between the two sides. Its sixth meeting was held last year in October and the representatives of the two coast guards that often engage with regard to issues such as repatriation and exchanges also took place recently in November of last year and both sides are in and touch with each other on the possibility of convening the next round of Fisherman's Association talks between Sri Lanka and India. The idea is to continue this engagement and arrive at mutually acceptable ways to avoid some of the more difficult situations that arise as a result of this issue," Misri said.

During his joint press statement with Dissanayake following the meeting, PM Modi said that he and Sri Lankan President discussed issues related to the livelihood of fishermen and agreed that a humanitarian approach should be taken on this matter.

He said, "We also discussed issues related to livelihood of fishermen. We agreed that we should proceed with a humanitarian approach in this matter. We also stressed on immediate release of fishermen and return of their boats. India and Sri Lanka's relationship is based on mutual trust and goodwill."

Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Dissanayake held a bilateral meeting and delegation-level talks in Colombo. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and other officials attended the meeting.

PM Modi was accorded a historic ceremonial welcome at Independence Square in Colombo. It is the first time that Sri Lanka has honoured a visiting leader in this manner.

PM Modi is on a State visit to Sri Lanka from April 4 to 6 at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Disanayaka. His arrival in Colombo on Friday marked his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019.

Prime Minister Modi reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, where he attended the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral talks with several world leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli and Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
US President Donald Trump on Friday spoke with To Lam, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and said that during the conversation, Lam expressed Vietnam's willingness to reduce its tariffs to zero if an agreement could be reached with the United States.

Trump conveyed his gratitude to Lam on behalf of the US and said that he looks forward to meeting with Lam.

Sharing a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Just had a very productive call with To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who told me that Vietnam wants to cut their Tariffs down to ZERO if they are able to make an agreement with the US."

He added, "I thanked him on behalf of our country, and said I look forward to a meeting in the near future."

Vietnam is among the nations set to see the highest reciprocal tariff rates of 46 per cent to be imposed from April 9, according to the new tariff regime the Trump administration unveiled Wednesday, CNN reported.

According to data from the US Commerce Department, Vietnam was the sixth-largest source of imports for the United States last year. The tariffs that Trump plans to impose could significantly increase the cost of a range of products that the US depends on from Vietnam, including electronics, clothing, and footwear.

Over the past decade, the US has become more reliant on goods from Vietnam, particularly after Trump imposed higher tariffs on China during his first term.

In 2016, Vietnam shipped USD 42 billion worth of goods to the US. Last year, the US imported USD 137 billion in goods from them, according to CNN.

On April 2, US President Trump announced a widespread imposition of tariffs on countries worldwide. In February, soon after taking charge for the second time, Trump outlined a new trade policy focused on fairness and reciprocity and said that the US would implement reciprocal tariffs, charging other countries the same tariffs they impose on American goods.

Trump emphasised that tariffs would address unfair trade practices, including non-monetary barriers, subsidies, and VAT systems, while encouraging foreign countries to either reduce or eliminate tariffs against the US.

As per the announcements, the import tariffs on other major countries are China (34 per cent), the European Union (20 per cent), Vietnam (46 per cent), Taiwan (32 per cent), Japan (24 per cent), India (26 per cent), the United Kingdom (10 per cent), Bangladesh (37 per cent), Pakistan (29 per cent), Sri Lanka (44 per cent), and Israel (17 per cent).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday confirmed that the death toll from recent Russian strikes has reached 16 in Kryvyi Rih, including six children, while five others were killed in Kharkiv following a targeted drone attack.

He further said that 34 people were also injured in the strike, which involved six "Shahed" drones.

Sharing a post on X, Zelenskyy wrote, "Rescue operations are currently underway in Kryvyi Rih following a Russian missile strike. As of now, 16 people are confirmed dead, including six children. In Kharkiv, rescue efforts continued all day after a targeted Russian drone strike. A deliberate attack by six "Shahed" drones. Sadly, five people were killed. Thirty-four were injured. My condolences to all the families and loved ones. In Kherson, another targeted strike by a Russian FPV drone hit an energy facility - the Kherson thermal power plant."

He further said, "These strikes cannot be accidental - the Russians know exactly what they're hitting. They know these are energy facilities that should be protected from attacks under what Russia itself promised to the American side. Every Russian promise ends with missiles or drones, bombs or artillery. Diplomacy means nothing to them."

President Zelenskyy said that a ceasefire could have already been reached, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly rejected it.

"That's why pressure is needed - sufficient pressure on Russia so they feel the consequences of every lie, every strike, every single day they take lives and prolong the war. A ceasefire could have already been reached - it is Putin who rejects it, it is Moscow that has refused a ceasefire since March 11. It is they, in Russia, who want this war. And it's obvious that Russia won't be forced into peace just by talks or expectations," Zelenskyy said.

Meanwhile, from March 23 to 25, the United States held expert-level discussions with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. These bilateral meetings followed high-level discussions by US President Donald Trump with Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, respectively.

The talks primarily focused on security in the Black Sea, safeguarding commercial maritime activity, energy infrastructure protection, and broader diplomatic efforts to foster a durable peace.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the first contribution of UAH 2 billion to support 200 frontline and border communities in Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Luhansk regions, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"Today, government officials have already agreed on the parameters of support. This is the first contribution - at least it will be UAH 2 billion for 200 communities in Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv regions and Luhansk regions, and communities in Dnipropetrovsk region. We will look at the results of the use of these funds and will continue this financial support," Zelenskyy said in an evening address on Friday.

According to him, these funds can be used additionally for the most urgent security needs, "things that relate primarily to the protection of people, repair and restoration, special transport, construction of shelters."

The president instructed the government to promptly allocate funds to communities.

On April 3, Zelenskyy, following the results of his meeting with community leaders in Chernihiv region, announced that next week the government should make a decision on allocating additional funds to support frontline and border communities with the Russian Federation.
Zelenskyy: We believe that US won't lift sanctions on Russia, EU will definitely not lift them

European countries will not lift sanctions on the Russian Federation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced, and expresses hope that the US will not only not weaken, but will tighten sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation.

"Europe will not lift sanctions. In my personal opinion, their economy (Russia) is very dependent on European sanctions. We believe that the US will not lift sanctions, but on the contrary will take steps to strengthen them. Both daily strikes, today's strikes, and today's ballistic strike are proof that strong sanctions against Putin are needed, this will force them to stop, stop the hot phase of this war," Zelenskyy said during a conversation with journalists on Friday evening.
The minerals deal proposed by the US to Ukraine is beneficial for both countries, said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, he hopes for its signing in the near future, but suspects resistance from those who currently receive money from these resources.

He said in an interview with Tucker Carlson on Friday they expect the Ukrainian technical team early next week, and hopes that we can sign this agreement and return to a mutually beneficial situation.

Bessent emphasized that this agreement was part of US President Donald Trump's peace plan, and it is aimed at making the US and Ukraine partners and bringing them closer.

He said that would be a symbol for the Russian leadership that the United States is not abandoning Ukraine, but importantly, it will show the American people that we have an economic interest and that we are not just providing huge grants, as was the case in the history of USAID. So, Ukraine is succeeding, we are succeeding, and this can be a long-term partnership, the US Treasury Secretary explained.

He once again expressed regret that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had thwarted the opportunity to sign this agreement during a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, but emphasized that the mood to sign it remains.

He thinks if we go back to the deal, one of the best things about the deal is that it guarantees that the money will go to the American people and the Ukrainian people. This was not one of those predatory Chinese deals... here's a loan, you can never pay it back, we'll get this. This is a real economic partnership. They invest assets, we can invest loans from our foreign banks, we invest American know-how, and we don't make money until they make money, Bessent emphasized.

He believes that people who currently receive money from these resources do not like this deal, and this is part of the problem.

At the same time, the head of the US Treasury Department expressed hope that the delay in signing the deal was a mistake, not a feature of the system, and it has been corrected.
URCS provides first aid to victims of Russian missile strike on Kryvy Rih

Photo: https://www.facebook.com/RedCrossUkraine

Volunteers of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) provided first aid to victims of the Russian ballistic missile strike on Kryvy Rih on Friday.

The team of the Kryvy Rih unit of the Dnipro regional rapid response detachment of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, together with other services of Kryvy Rih, worked at the site of the strike in the city. The volunteers made a house-to-house visit, during which they provided first aid to 12 victims, the URCS reported on Facebook on Saturday.

The victims and their relatives also turned to the volunteers for first psychological help.

A first aid station was set up at a school near the site of the missile strike, where residents of damaged homes and rescue workers had the opportunity to drink water, hot tea, and have a snack.

According to the State Emergency Service, 18 people were killed, including nine children, and 61 injured in the missile strike on Kryvy Rih on April 4.
Norwegian govt on April 4 approves increase in aid to Ukraine by 50 bln kroner, to 85 bln kroner in 2025

Norway's Minister of Finance Jens Stoltenberg and Minister of Defense Tore O. Sandvik confirmed that the increase in support for Ukraine was discussed and approved by the Norwegian Council of State, NRK reported on Friday.

Stoltenberg said that a support package worth 50 billion Norwegian kroner (approximately $4.6 billion) was approved in addition to the previous 35 billion kroner. Thus, the total amount of aid to Ukraine in 2025 is 85 billion Norwegian kroner (about $7.8 billion).

"We will triple military support," Stoltenberg said.
The Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of France and Great Britain during a visit to Kyiv discussed with the Ukrainian side the needs and tasks of the Ukrainian army with the aim of providing it with long-term support in its restoration and development, the press service of the General Staff of the French Armed Forces reports.

"The strengthening of the Ukrainian army has an important role and is the first guarantee of the country's security for a lasting peace in Ukraine. At the same time, France and Great Britain are working closely to identify and develop, within the framework of an international coalition, security operations that will deter Russia from a new large-scale invasion after peace is restored," the message on the social network X reads.

Chief of the General Staff of the French Armed Forces, General Thierry Burkhard, commenting on the visit, indicated that the purpose of the meetings was to provide resolute support to the Ukrainian army, which will allow it to continue the fight.

In addition, Burkhard wrote on the social network X, discussions were held to determine a long-term strategy for the reconstruction and transformation of the model of the Ukrainian army, the first guarantee of this country's security, as well as options for guaranteeing security after the implementation of the ceasefire.

"At the same time, we want to ensure a strong and reliable peace in Ukraine, which is the most important condition for the security of the European continent," Burkhard emphasized.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizes the importance of the Russian strike on people in Kryvy Rih not remaining without a world reaction, he is counting on the help of the United States "in finding additional Patriots."

"The missile hit right on the street - around there are ordinary houses, a playground, shops, a restaurant. Another 62 people were injured in the strike, including 12 children. There are very seriously injured, they are now in hospitals. Doctors are doing everything possible to save their lives," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Saturday.

"In addition to this ballistics, the Russians used strike drones against Kryvy Rih yesterday - just during a rescue operation, during this grief for people. As a result of the drone strike, 7 people were injured, one person died. There is simply no deeper cynicism, meanness and hatred of people than those that Russia now represents," the president emphasized.

It is very important, Zelenskyy noted, "that this Russian strike on people, on the city and every such strike do not remain without a reaction from the world."

"Many people have already supported Kryvy Rih and all of Ukraine yesterday and today. I am grateful to the foreign ministers of the Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Austria for their principled position. Thank you to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the position and support. We appreciate that the Embassies of Japan, Great Britain, Switzerland and Germany have expressed their principled position. Unfortunately, the reaction of the American Embassy is unpleasantly surprising: such a strong country, such a strong people - and such a weak reaction. They are even afraid to say the word 'Russian' when talking about the missile that killed children," the Ukrainian president emphasized.
The Yermak-McFaul Sanctions Group has developed 3 comprehensive Action Plans and 18 separate recommendations (Working Papers) in three years of its existence on key areas of sanctions policy, these proposals became the basis for specific decisions of the countries of the sanctions coalition, said Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak.

"What was achieved? A ban on the import of Russian coal, marine oil and petroleum products. Sanctions against Gazpromneft, Surgutneftegaz, Lukoil, etc. Restrictions on the shadow fleet and oil traders (Sovcomflot, Rosnefteflot, Sun Ship Management). Control over ship insurance in the Baltic Sea. A ban on the sale of Russian tankers," Yermak wrote on Telegram on Saturday.

In addition, thanks to the group's work, a number of anti-Russian sanctions were introduced in the financial sector. Thus, more than 20 large Russian banks were disconnected from SWIFT, sanctions were imposed against Gazprombank, Tinkoff, Rosbank, Moscow Exchange, and the National Depository, sovereign assets were frozen, and profits from assets began to be provided for loans to Ukraine through the ERA mechanism.

The group also achieved sanctions against Russian oligarchs, government officials, company executives, propagandists, politicians and their family members, as well as against a number of state-owned enterprises - currently under sanctions are Russian energy, industrial, transport and media structures (KAMAZ, SUKHOI, Russian Railways, RT, Rosatom, etc.).

Developments in the field of export control were also implemented: restrictions on key metals and minerals for the military-industrial complex, investigations into sanctions evasion (the Haas case) and sanctions against companies from third countries (China, Turkey, UAE, Kyrgyzstan).

In the IT sphere, the group achieved the exit of SAP, Oracle, Autodesk from the market and a ban on IT consulting and cloud services.

In the field of nuclear energy, the US has stopped uranium imports for three years. Sanctions were also imposed against Rosatom and its subsidiaries and management.

"The sanctions have yielded results: Russia has less money, less access to technology, more problems in key sectors. The Yermak-McFaul group continues its work. We were the first to start developing mechanisms for sanctions pressure after the large-scale invasion and will continue to do so. The group has already become the main platform for proposals and has united a number of world experts around the sanctions track," Yermak emphasized.
Photo: https://eurosolidarity.org/

The leader of the European Solidarity party, MP Petro Poroshenko is convinced that in order to achieve peace, Ukraine needs a coalition of national unity in parliament, a government of national unity, and a competent and professional negotiating delegation.

"If we lose allies in the war, we will pay a very high price for it. It will be radically different from the losses of our partners. They will pay with trade wars. We pay with the lives of our military," Poroshenko said, emphasizing that now the country "needs a coalition of national unity in parliament, a government of national unity, and a competent and professional negotiating delegation."

Poroshenko considers it necessary to "involve not five or six managers, but competent and experienced diplomats, government officials, statesmen, involve parliamentary diplomacy in the negotiations."

He recalled that his business trip to a conference in Florida was blocked, after which he planned "meetings in Mar-a-Lago with President Trump's team."

"The leadership of the Verkhovna Rada must return to reality and ensure the effective work of the parliament. Immediately return the personal income tax to the brigades. Vote on the Verkhovna Rada's appeal to the US Congress on a bipartisan resolution on providing military and financial assistance to Ukraine because the packages adopted under Biden are running out," the leader of European Solidarity said on the air of the Kyiv TV channel.

"We need political unity, democracy, accountability and transparency. Only in this way can we save the country and achieve peace," the politician emphasized.
Zelenskyy stresses importance of visit to Kyiv of Chiefs of Staff of France and Great Britain

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced "tangible progress" in negotiations on the deployment of a security contingent of European partners.

Zelenskyy reported on Telegram on Saturday that a meeting of the Ukrainian military with the Chiefs of Defense Staff of the partners Admiral Antony Radakin from Great Britain and General Thierry Burkhard from France took place in Kyiv.

"We are making efforts for security in Ukraine and reliable security guarantees. There is tangible progress and the first details on how the security contingent of the partners can be deployed," the president noted.

"I am grateful to all the countries that are helping us in this, and to the UK and France for their leadership. It is this kind of joint work, when everyone is focused on a strong result that helps bring a reliable and lasting peace in Ukraine," Zelenskyy added.

Earlier, the French general reported on the meeting on Saturday.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. On 4 April 2025, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Nations, in cooperation with the Center of Analysis of International Relations, held a briefing titled "Saving Lives through Humanitarian Mine Action in Azerbaijan" at the UN Headquarters in New York. The event, held on the occasion of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, brought together key stakeholders in the field of mine action to discuss the humanitarian and developmental challenges posed by landmines and explosive remnants of war in Azerbaijan, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Nations says, Trend reports.

The event commenced with opening remarks by Ambassador Tofig Musayev, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Nations. Ambassador Musayev highlighted the severe impact of landmines contamination in Azerbaijan caused by the thirty years of the Armenian occupation, and emphasized the importance of concerted efforts to eradicate the landmine threat. Following the opening remarks, a series of short videos showcasing Azerbaijans mine action initiatives were presented, shedding light on the scale of the contamination and the urgent need for international support in demining efforts.

The keynote address was delivered by Ambassador Farid Shafiyev, Chairman of the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center). Ambassador Shafiyev gave a presentation illustrating the scale of landmine contamination left after the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories, as well as the government's efforts to address the challenges and threats posed by landmines and unexploded ordnance. He provided information on the work carried out by the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA) and highlighted the government's initiatives at both national and international levels.

The discussion panel featured distinguished experts, including Rita Gunaryati Lubis, Deputy Director of the United Nations Mine Action Service, who provided insights into global mine action strategies and the UNs role in supporting affected countries, Anar Mutallimov, Head of the Department of Military and Political Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, who elaborated on Azerbaijans national mine action strategy and ongoing demining initiatives, Devanand Ramiah, Head of the Crisis Readiness, Response and Recovery Team, Crisis Bureau of the United Nations Development Programme, who discussed the humanitarian and developmental implications of mine contamination and the UNDPs role in supporting Azerbaijan in this regard, Elise Becker, Executive Director of the Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI), who highlighted the role of partnerships and innovative approaches, such as mine detection dogs, in accelerating mine clearance efforts and decades-long partnership between the MLI and Azerbaijan.

The discussion segment was followed by remarks from the floor, where Ambassadors and representatives from the permanent missions of Italy, Cambodia, Pakistan, Nicaragua, Turkiye, Lao PDR, Venezuela, Norway, Croatia and Colombia, as well as the Permanent Observer of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), shared their perspectives on the subject-matter issue.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. On April 4, the Nizami Cinema Center hosted the premiere of the feature film "Taghiyev: Tsar", dedicated to the life of the prominent philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, Trend reports.

The presentation ceremony was attended by Arzu Aliyeva  the film's director and executive producer, and President of the Baku Media Center  along with Minister of Culture Adil Karimli, members of the Milli Majlis, and prominent figures from science and culture.

The film was produced by the Baku Media Center with support from the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Ministry of Culture, and the Cinema Agency.

"Taghiyev: Tsar" is the second instalment of the four-part Taghiyev saga, which depicts the life and charitable legacy of Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev.

Set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the film captures key historical events in Baku and other regions of Azerbaijan. As the capital prepares to welcome the Tsar, Bakus power centers are mobilized. In this context, Taghiyev  already a famous millionaire and philanthropist  takes crucial steps using his sharp intellect, while also facing serious disputes with the citys administration.

The first part of the saga, "Taghiyev: Oil", was released in 2024 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Taghiyevs death. It became a major cultural event and drew over 70,000 viewers in local cinemas. It also achieved international recognition, winning the award for Best Feature Film with Color Correction at the Dehancer Colourist Awards 2024.

The film offers a journey through various stages of Taghiyevs life  from his birth into a cobblers family in Baku to becoming a wealthy industrialist and a public figure devoted to his people. The narrative explores his difficult decisions, perseverance, support for ordinary people, and efforts to improve education.

Through rich visuals, the film highlights his unmatched role in the development of society  from founding the first girls school in the East to contributing to the oil industry and urban infrastructure in Baku.

Due to its scale, the production of the film has become a landmark in Azerbaijani cinema history. Nearly 2,500 creative professionals took part in large-scale scenes filmed across 76 locations. More than 300 sets were built, and a dedicated costume workshop created period-accurate outfits, accessories, and jewelry to authentically depict Taghiyevs era.

The films executive producer is Arzu Aliyeva, with Orman Aliyev as producer. Zaur Gasimli directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay alongside Ismayil Iman and Asif Isgandarli. Other key crew members include cinematographer Vladimir Artemyev, production designer Sabuhi Atababayev, costume designer Vusal Rahim, and composer Etibar Asadli.

The film features a talented cast including People's Artists Parviz Mammadrzayev and Gurban Ismayilov, as well as Honored Artists Rasim Jafar, Elshan Rustamov, and Natavan Hajiyeva in key historical roles.

The project was also supported by Nexsol Holding, Kapital Bank, Bakcell, and Norm companies.

The presentation of the film received a standing ovation from the audience.

The trailer for the feature film "Taghiyev: Tsar" IAS can be viewed at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2DO2juNRMo
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. The Azerbaijani Parliament Chairperson (Speaker) Sahiba Gafarova has met with the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in Tashkent during her working visit to Uzbekistan, a source in the parliament told Trend.

The meeting saw a broad exchange of views on the relations between our friendly and brotherly countries and parliaments.

It was emphasized that the strategic relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan are based on the principles of friendship and brotherhood.

The mutual visits of the heads of state have stimulated the further expansion of these relations.

It was highlighted that our countries have successful cooperation both on a bilateral basis and support each other on all international platforms.

During the conversation, it was noted that the legislative bodies of both countries make significant contributions to the further development of relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

Gafarova, recalling her meeting with the Senate chairman in Baku this February, emphasized that close contacts and positive dialogue serve to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries' parliaments.

The meeting expressed satisfaction with the cooperation and mutual support in international parliamentary organizations.

The speaker informed her counterpart about the activities of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network, which was created under the initiative of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and the steps taken toward the institutional development of the organization.

It was expressed that the fourth conference of the network, which will be held in Tashkent, will lead to important discussions and successful outcomes for the future development of the organization.

Meanwhile, Gilani highly appreciated the work carried out under the leadership of Azerbaijan's Parliamentary Network.

He noted that his country attaches great importance to its relations with Azerbaijan and emphasized that Pakistan and Azerbaijan are brotherly countries that always support each other.

He also expressed the importance of people-to-people contacts.

In this regard, the significance of further expanding cooperation between parliaments was pointed out.

The meeting also involved an exchange of views on other mutually interesting issues.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. An official meeting was convened under the leadership of Azerbaijan Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov today, Trend reports via the Ministry of Defense.

The official meeting in a video teleconference format involved Deputy Ministers, Commanders of types of troops (forces), Chiefs of Main Departments, Departments and Services, Commanders of army corps and formations, as well as Heads of the National Defense University and subordinate educational institutions.

"The meeting commenced with commemorating the memory of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, and Martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Motherland.

Emphasizing that the army development is one of the priority issues, as stated by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, the Minister of Defense delivered to the meeting participants tasks regarding the enhancement of service and combat activities of the units, as well as further increasing their combat capabilities set by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

The Minister of Defense stated that the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, emphasizing that the historic victory had paved the way for peace negotiations, praised the professionalism demonstrated by the Azerbaijan Army, particularly during the 44-day Second Karabakh War and subsequent military operations, thereby setting more responsible tasks before the Army.

The meeting addressed the current operational situation along the Azerbaijani-Armenian conditional border, including the recent regular shelling of the Azerbaijan Army units by the opposing side, as well as attempts to conduct reconnaissance flights using unmanned aerial vehicles and drones over the positions. The Minister assigned specific tasks to the relevant officials to ensure that the Azerbaijan Army units remain prepared to respond swiftly to any provocation at any time, emphasizing the importance of heightened vigilance during the organization of combat duty.

Subsequently, the positive outcomes of the successful reforms undertaken within the Azerbaijan Army were reviewed, alongside the measures implemented and those planned for the current year.

Emphasizing the importance of enhancing the combat capabilities of the troops, the Minister directed that the intensity of military exercises be sustained, taking into account modern combat experiences, while continuously improving their quality through the integration of technological innovations. He also issued instructions regarding the activities aimed at ensuring the cybersecurity of modern information technology tools.

The importance of prioritizing the staffing of units with qualified personnel was emphasized, considering the new approaches and methods implemented to ensure accessibility in the military education system, comprehensiveness, and citizen satisfaction.

The minister assigned tasks to officials regarding the improvement of knowledge and skills during training sessions for reservists of various specialties, as well as the instruction on the proper use of newly adopted weapons and equipment.

The requirements for enhancing the social and living conditions of personnel, their moral and psychological preparation, and the material and technical support of units deployed particularly in challenging terrains, along with the organization of quality nutrition, as well as strengthening control over strict compliance with safety regulations, were once again addressed to the command staff.

Relevant instructions have been issued regarding the study of the personal and psychological characteristics of new soldiers newly called up for active military service, a sensitive approach to their adaptation process, and keeping their health in the spotlight.

The importance of conducting regular educational events for military personnel and ensuring that activities are carried out in compliance with regulatory requirements was emphasized.

Relevant instructions have been given regarding the provision of all types of seasonal supplies to the troops and the preparatory work for the transition of weapons and equipment to the spring-summer operating mode.

The meeting also emphasized the importance of continuing engineering measures in the liberated territories while adhering to safety regulations.

In conclusion, Hasanov expressed full confidence that the Azerbaijan Army has consistently justified the trust placed in by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and will continue to do so," the ministry said.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. The Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova held a meeting with the Speaker of the Council of Representatives of Bahrain Ahmed bin Salman Al-Musallam, a source in the parliament told Trend.

During the meeting, satisfaction was expressed with the current state of relations between Azerbaijan and Bahrain and the parliaments.

Gafarova noted that the shared religious and cultural values between peoples of the two countries contribute to the development of relations between the countries and that our countries successfully cooperate in several areas.

Further, the positive relations between the countries within international and regional organizations such as the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) were highlighted.

Gafarova emphasized Azerbaijan's successful presidency in the NAM, noting that it played an important role in the development of the organization.

They also brought up the strong potential for further deepening of the cooperation between Azerbaijani and Bahrainian legislative bodies, and emphasized that the cooperation of the parliaments has a significant and positive impact on the progress of the ties between the countries.

Effective collaboration afoot between the countries' legislative bodies was also mentioned during the meeting.

It was highlighted that strengthening the bonds uniting the parliamentary committees, MPs and parliamentary administrations as well as organizing reciprocal visits could contribute to the overall relationship.

They said with content that our legislatures also cooperate in international parliamentary organizations, such as the Parliamentary Network of the NAM, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Asian Parliamentary Assembly.

Gafarova provided detailed information on the activities of the parliamentary dimension of the NAM, established at the initiative of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, under the country's chairmanship.

The interlocutors expressed confidence that the fourth conference of the Parliamentary Network, to be held in Tashkent, will be successful for the further development of the organization.

Speaker of the Council of Representatives voiced his support for the Azerbaijani chairmanship of the Parliamentary Network.

There was also an exchange of opinions about other matters interesting both sides at the meeting.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova met on Saturday with Chung Eui-yong, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), Trend reports.

At the meeting, it was noted that ICAPP serves as an important platform for promoting peace, security, and cooperation across the Asian region. They emphasized that such meetings offer valuable opportunities to discuss issues of multilateral cooperation and highlighted the necessity of collaboration within international organizations.

Speaker Sahiba Gafarova provided Eui-yong with a detailed overview of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network, which was established at the initiative of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. She also informed the Chairman about the steps taken by Azerbaijan since the founding conference of the Network to ensure its institutional development. She emphasized that the Parliamentary Network is rapidly becoming a significant platform for international cooperation.

The two sides also noted with satisfaction the collaboration between the Parliamentary Network and ICAPP, including the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. ICAPP currently holds observer status at the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Chung Eui-yong commended the Parliamentary Network's progress under Azerbaijan's leadership and fondly recalled his previous visits to the country. He shared his positive impressions of Azerbaijan and its capital, Baku.

The meeting also highlighted the active involvement of Azerbaijan's ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) with ICAPP. Speaker Gafarova stressed the importance NAP attaches to its activities within ICAPP and reaffirmed Azerbaijans consistent support for the organization. It was also noted that ICAPP representatives had monitored elections held in Azerbaijan.
AGHDARA, Azerbaijan, April 5. Another group of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning to native lands has reached Sugovushan village in the Aghdara district of Azerbaijan, the Restoration, Construction, and Management Service in Khankendi city, Aghdara, and Khojaly districts told Trend.

According to the service, 53 households, comprising a total of 174 individuals who returned to the Sugovushan locality at this stage, have been handed the keys to their apartments.

The families who returned to Sugovushan were provided with apartments in new private residential houses. The ceremony was attended by officials from the Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in Khankendi city, Aghdara, and Khojaly districts, as well as the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in Khankendi city, Aghdara, and Khojaly districts, Sabuhi Gahramanov, wished the former internally displaced persons, who returned to their lands, a happy and prosperous life.

It was also communicated to the residents that all conditions have been created to ensure employment opportunities. Roads, electricity, communication lines, and water supply have been established in Sugovushan. The village is also provided with a gas supply. Additionally, major repairs have been carried out on the building of a secondary school with 144 student places, which was in an emergency condition. Furthermore, after reconstruction, the small hydropower plants "Sugovushan-1" and "Sugovushan-2" with a total capacity of 7.8 megawatts, were commissioned.

The first resettlement process in the village of Sugovushan involved 20 families. As part of the resettlement, a census was conducted in the village, covering 180 families (591 people). The resettlement process will continue in phases.

To recall, during the 44-day Second Karabakh War, the Azerbaijani Army, under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, successfully continued Operation "Iron Fist" and, on October 3, liberated the villages of Sugovushan and Talish, which have significant strategic importance on the Northern Front. After the liberation, large-scale construction works were carried out in the village.

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AGHDARA, Azerbaijan, April 5. Another group of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning to native lands has reached Sugovushan village in the Aghdara district of Azerbaijan, the Restoration, Construction, and Management Service in Khankendi city, Aghdara and Khojaly districts told Trend.

According to the service, 53 households, comprising a total of 174 individuals, who returned to the Sugovushan locality at this stage, have been handed the keys to their apartments.

The families who returned to Sugovushan were provided with apartments in new private residential houses. The ceremony was attended by officials from the Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in Khankendi city, Aghdara and Khojaly districts, as well as the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in Khankendi city, Aghdara and Khojaly districts, Sabuhi Gahramanov, wished the former internally displaced persons, who returned to their lands, a happy and prosperous life.

It was also communicated to the residents that all conditions have been created to ensure employment opportunities. Roads, electricity, communication lines, and water supply have been established in Sugovushan. The village is also provided with gas supply. Additionally, major repairs have been carried out on the building of a secondary school with 144 student places, which was in an emergency condition. Furthermore, after reconstruction, the small hydropower plants "Sugovushan-1" and "Sugovushan-2" with a total capacity of 7.8 megawatts were commissioned.

The first resettlement process in the village of Sugovushan involved 20 families. As part of the resettlement, a census was conducted in the village, covering 180 families (591 people). The resettlement process will continue in phases.

To recall, during the 44-day Second Karabakh War, the Azerbaijani Army, under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, successfully continued Operation "Iron Fist" and, on October 3, liberated the villages of Sugovushan and Talish, which have significant strategic importance on the Northern Front. After the liberation, large-scale construction works were carried out in the village.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. From April 7 to 9, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas will embark on her first visit to the Western Balkans, with stops in Montenegro, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Trend reports.

During her visit to Montenegro, Kallas is set to meet with President Jakov Milatovic and Prime Minister Milojko Spajic. She will also engage with civil society organizations and take part in a review of European Peace Facility-funded equipment with the Minister of Defence.

In Albania, Kallas will meet with President Bajram Begaj and Prime Minister Edi Rama. She will also meet with the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, and the Minister of Defence, Pirro Vengu. Additionally, Kallas will jointly open the first EU-Albania Security Dialogue with Ministers Hasani and Vengu. She will also attend the signing of the European Investment Bank's agreements for the Durres to Rrogozhine railway project. Furthermore, Kallas will address university students and civil society representatives.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kallas will visit EUFOR Althea troops and meet with members of the Presidency, including Council of Ministers Chairwoman Borjana Kristo and Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic.
The most extensive strawberry cultivation is found in the regions of Jalilabad (600 hectares), Lankaran (360 hectares), Masalli (300 hectares), and Shamkir (300 hectares).

The average annual yield from strawberry plantations is close to 10 tons per hectare, with the Jalilabad district setting a record last year, reaching an impressive 32 tons per hectare.

The state-supported agricultural insurance scheme covers strawberry crops against a wide range of risks, including hail, loss of quality from hail, storms, floods, third-party actions, wild animal attacks, and other unforeseen events.

Farmers can insure their crops with favorable terms and minimal payment, as the government covers 50 percent of the insurance premium. For instance, insuring strawberry crops worth 1,000 manat ($588.2) will cost farmers 14.7 manat ($8.6) in the Lankaran-Astara region, 14.2 manat ($8.3) in the Central Aran region, 30.7 manat ($18) in the Gazakh-Tovuz region, and 16 manat ($9.4) in the Quba-Khachmaz region.

For more information on agricultural insurance products, terms, and premiums, farmers can visit the official website of the Agricultural Insurance Fund (asf.gov.az) or contact the 1651 Call Center.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. The deepwater cable project across the Caspian Sea is attracting strong interest from international financial institutions, Kazakhstans Deputy Minister of Energy Sungat Yessimkhanov said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

According to Yessimkhanov, several banks have already expressed willingness to provide grants for preparatory work. "The project is moving forward, and we are actively working with consultants," he said, noting that significant progress has already been made.

"As you know, the heads of state signed the relevant agreements at COP29 in Baku last November. We are now in the organizational phasejoint ventures have been established, and system operators from both countries are working on the project. Government agreements between the three participating countries are being finalized, and technical specifications for the cable will soon be determined," he explained.

Regarding the projects potential integration with other energy initiatives in the Caspian region, Yessimkhanov said that, for now, it involves only Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan, with each holding an equal share. However, he emphasized that the project remains open to further cooperation with other Central Asian countries and major global energy players.

"We are open to discussions on expanding the project to include renewable energy sources from other countries. This initiative has significant potential for further growth," he added.

The deputy minister also highlighted ongoing energy cooperation with Azerbaijan, including efforts to increase oil and gas transportation.

"Last year, we transported 1.5 million tons of oil to Europe via Azerbaijan, and we are now discussing increasing volumes to 2.5 million tons. We are also considering new gas corridor projects to expand Kazakhstans gas exports," he said.

He reaffirmed that work on all energy initiatives is progressing steadily and that Kazakhstan is committed to strengthening its energy ties with Azerbaijan and other regional partners.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Vice President for Banking Matteo Patrone is visiting Jordan from 6 to 7 April to meet with senior government officials and representatives from the financial and business sectors, Trend reports.

During his visit to Amman, Patrone is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and EBRD Governor Zeina Toukan, and Central Bank Governor Adel al-Sharkas. He will also hold discussions with the EU Ambassador to Jordan, international financial institutions, and representatives from local banks and companies.

The visit includes the signing of new investments and discussions on future collaboration. Patrone is accompanied by Mark Davis, EBRD Managing Director for the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region, and Gretchen Biery, Director for the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Since the start of its operations in Jordan in 2012, the EBRD has invested over 2.3 billion euros in 75 projects across sectors including energy, infrastructure, banking, and small and medium-sized enterprises. Around 72 percent of the funding has supported the private sector.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. The European Investment Bank (EIB) signed four memorandums of understanding at the first EU-Central Asia Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, pledging 365 million euros in support of sustainable transport, water management, and climate resilience projects in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, Trend reports.

The agreements are expected to mobilize up to 1 billion euros in total investment.

The initiatives align with the EUs Global Gateway strategy and aim to support infrastructure development, environmental sustainability, and private sector growth across the region.

Breakdown of the agreements includes:

Kyrgyzstan: 50 million euros to support infrastructure investments through the State Development Bank.

Tajikistan: 100 million euros for sustainable transport infrastructure along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor.

Uzbekistan (Water Implementation Centre): 175 million euros for water management projects, including the Aral Sea Project, in cooperation with the French Development Agency (AFD).

Uzbekistan (Microcreditbank): 40 million euros to finance small-scale sustainable transport and logistics projects.

In addition, the EIB signed a Host Country Agreement with Uzbekistan to establish a regional representation office. The bank also announced the start of negotiations for a framework agreement with Turkmenistan, which would allow the EIB to begin operations there.

EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris, who oversees operations in Central Asia, said the agreements highlight the EUs commitment to strengthening cooperation with the region in areas of shared strategic interest.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. The price of an ounce of gold in Azerbaijan fell by 73.61 manat, or $43.3 (1.4 percent), at the end of last week. The weighted average cost of an ounce of gold rose by 193.6 manat, or $113.8 (3.8 percent), compared to the previous week's figure, amounting to 5,313 manat ($3,125), Trend reports.

Gold ounce value change March 17 5,071 manat ($2,982) March 31 - March 18 5,124 manat ($3,014) April 1 5,345 manat ($3,144) March 19 5,162 manat ($3,036) April 2 5,296 manat ($3,115) March 20 - April 3 5,338 manat ($3,140) March 21 - April 4 5,272 manat ($5,272) Average weekly rate 5,119 manat ($3,011) Average weekly rate 5,313 manat ($3,125)

The price of an ounce of silver in Azerbaijan fell by 4.5232 manat, or $2.65 (7.8 percent), last week. The weighted average cost of an ounce of silver amounted to 56.3 manat, or $33.1, which is 2.1 percent, or 1.2025 manat ($0.70), less than the previous week's figure.

Silver ounce value change March 17 57.2 manat ($33.6) March 31 - March 18 57.6 manat ($33.8) April 1 58 manat ($34.1) March 19 57.8 manat ($34) April 2 57.4 manat ($57.4) March 20 - April 3 56.5 manat ($33.2) March 21 - April 4 53.5 manat ($31.4) Average weekly rate 57.5 manat ($33.8) Average weekly rate 56.3 manat ($33.1)

The price of an ounce of platinum in Azerbaijan last week fell by 71.9 manat, or $42.2 (4.2 percent). The weighted average cost of an ounce of platinum decreased by 36.7 manat, or $21.5 (2,2 percent), to 1,663 manat ($978.2) compared to last week's figure.

Platinum ounce value change March 17 1,696 manat ($997.6) March 31 - March 18 1,711 manat ($1,006) April 1 1,695 manat ($997) March 19 1,694 manat ($996.4) April 2 1,681 manat ($988.8) March 20 - April 3 1,655 manat ($973.5) March 21 - April 4 1,623 manat ($954.7) Average weekly rate 1,700 manat ($1,000) Average weekly rate 1,663 manat ($978.2)

The price for an ounce of palladium in Azerbaijan decreased by 102.8 manat, or $60.4 (6.1 percent), during the last week. The weighted average cost of an ounce of palladium decreased by 0.1 percent, or 1.50 manat ($0.88), compared to the indicator of the previous week, amounting to 1,648 manat ($969.4).

Palladium ounce value change March 17 1,645 manat ($967.6) March 31 - March 18 1,656 manat ($974.1) April 1 1,687 manat ($992.3) March 19 1,646 manat ($968.2) April 2 1,684 manat ($990.5) March 20 - April 3 1,636 manat ($962.3) March 21 - April 4 1,584 manat ($931.7) Average weekly rate 1,649 manat ($970) Average weekly rate 1,648 manat ($969.4)

To note, since the period from March 20 through 31 coincided with non-working days, the regulatory body did not release the indicators for those days.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. The first-ever European Union-Central Asia summit was held yesterday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, marking the beginning of a new phase in interregional cooperation. The event concluded with several major agreements aimed at strengthening political, economic, and transport ties between the EU and Central Asian countries. Against the backdrop of Europes growing interest in Eurasia, Azerbaijans role as a strategic bridge between the regions came into sharper focus.

One of the summits most significant outcomes was the launch of a strategic partnership between the European Union and Central Asian states. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized at a press conference: "Today marks a new chapter in EU-Central Asia relations. We are launching a strategic partnership. It means we can rely on each other - which is especially important in todays world".

As part of this deepening partnership, the EU introduced a 12 billion euro investment package under its Global Gateway initiative. The funding targets four key areas: transport, environment and water management, energy, and the supply of critical raw materials.

A major focus of the transport component is the development of the Trans-Caspian transport corridor - also known as the Middle Corridor. The EU plans to invest 10 billion euros into the route, which is already playing a vital role in linking Europe and Asia by reducing transit times and improving logistics efficiency.

Azerbaijan is central to the success of this corridor. More than just a transit country, it has become a fully-fledged logistics hub for the region. Over the past 30 years, Azerbaijan has invested heavily in upgrading its transport infrastructuremodernizing ports, railways, and logistics centers. Today, the country operates the largest commercial fleet on the Caspian Sea, with over 50 vessels. Once current investment projects are completed, Azerbaijani shipyards will be able to produce 1015 tankers and cargo ships per year - double their current output.

These efforts have made it possible to establish reliable transit routes from Central Asia to Europe and speed up cargo movement from China to the EU via Azerbaijan. As a result, Baku has become a strategic partner in enhancing transport connectivity across the Eurasian region.

The summit also spotlighted climate cooperation. The EU continues to back projects across Central Asia in renewable energy and water sustainability, including new hydropower plants. One initiative gaining momentum is the green energy transmission line across the Caspian Sea, led by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, which aims to deliver clean energy to European markets.

Kazakhstans Deputy Minister of Energy, Sungat Yessimkhanov, told Trend that the project is moving forward: "The heads of state signed the relevant agreements at COP29 last November in Baku. We are currently in the active planning stage Technical requirements for the cable will be finalized soon".

The EU has already shown interest in this project, seeing it as a promising route for sustainable energy supplies from Central Asia.

Critical raw materials such as uranium, lithium, and rare earth elements were also high on the agenda. The summit in Samarkand resulted in a Declaration of Intent between the EU and Central Asia, along with a roadmap for cooperation in 2025-2026 focused on clean hydrogen and battery technologies.

Routes for raw materials from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to Europe run through Azerbaijan, which provides reliable logistics and strong transport security. As Europes interest in nuclear energy grows, Azerbaijans role as a transit hub for uranium becomes even more important.

The Samarkand summit reaffirmed the EUs commitment to deepening ties with Central Asia. But delivering on ambitious goals for transport integration, green transformation, and energy security will not be possible without Azerbaijans active involvement. Baku continues to strengthen its cooperation with Central Asian partners and plays a leading role in advancing joint initiatives that matter not only to the region but to Europe as a whole.

In a rapidly changing global landscape, Azerbaijan is cementing its position as a crucial bridge between East and West - at the heart of efforts to build sustainable and mutually beneficial ties between the EU, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia.
Photo: Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 5. Representatives from the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan met with Gurel Gurkan, director of programs at the Austrian Multi-Country Office of UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services), to learn about UNOPS' activities and explore opportunities for collaboration, Trend reports via the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan.

In the course of the meeting, particular attention was given to the implementation of the Caspian Sea ecosystem restoration project (Blueing the Caspian Sea), methane emissions reduction, and waste management.

"During the meeting, Gurkan presented details on UNOPS' strategic priorities, its role in managing international projects, and potential areas for joint efforts in environmental protection, climate change adaptation, and sustainable natural resource management," the ministry stated.

The Kazakh delegation also extended an invitation to UNOPS to participate in the Regional Climate Summit in 2026.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides expressed their commitment to strengthening cooperation on projects aimed at advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and supporting Kazakhstan's environmental initiatives.

UNOPS plays a key role in delivering international programs by providing technical support and managing projects across sectors like healthcare, education, environmental protection, and urban infrastructure development.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is a specialized UN agency that offers technical assistance and project management services to other UN agencies, governments, and organizations. Its mission is to support the implementation of projects in diverse fields such as healthcare, education, the environment, and urban infrastructure.

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Photo: Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 5. Kazakh Center for Housing and Utility Sector Modernization and Development held a meeting with a delegation from China (Shenzhen) Education Enterprise Holdings Co., Ltd., the successor to the "China Educational Services Center," founded in 1984, Trend reports via the Ministry of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan.

The company is strategically enhancing global synergies in the domains of vocational and engineering pedagogy.

In the course of the meeting, the parties discussed potential joint projects aimed at enhancing workforce development, implementing innovative educational programs, and fostering technological exchange between the two countries. A special focus was placed on training specialists for emerging high-tech industries and advancing engineering education.

Company representatives are ready to offer comprehensive support in developing educational initiatives and training specialists in close collaboration with leading Chinese universities and industrial partners, the Ministry of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan noted.

Following the meeting, the parties signed a cooperation protocol outlining specific areas for modernizing Kazakhstan's housing and utility sector and further strengthening the partnership between Kazakhstan and China.

China Education Enterprise Holdings (CEE) is a company focused on providing educational services in China. It specializes in the development and management of educational institutions, particularly in areas such as vocational education, private schools, and training centers.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. A meeting was held with the participation of representatives from the State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy, the Head Department of Tax Policy, the Head Department of Economic Analysis and Forecast Implementation, and automobile dealers, the State Service told Trend.

During the meeting, the Azerbaijan Automobile Dealers Association shared statistical data on the current state of the automobile market in the country. The recent uptick in electric and hybrid vehicles was brought to the forefront, all thanks to some shiny new discount mechanisms rolled out in the legislation.

The meeting also chewed the fat about the hurdles that official dealers are facing in the automobile market. Experiences from Turkiye, Kazakhstan, and other countries were shared in relation to overcoming these difficulties. Further discussions covered issues related to car financing, sales on credit, and VAT obligations related to the resale of second-hand vehicles by official dealers.

Personnel from the State Tax Service elucidated various facets of tax legislation, addressed inquiries from participants, and underscored the significance of perpetuating such symposiums moving forward.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6. The U.S. is set to see a 19% increase in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, reaching 14.2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) March 2025 Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), Trend reports.

This growth is primarily fueled by the launch of two new LNG export facilities: Plaquemines LNG Phase 2 and Golden Pass LNG, which together represent 19% of U.S. LNG export capacity growth through 2026.

These projects, along with the expansion of other facilities like Corpus Christi LNG, will significantly boost U.S. LNG export capacity by nearly 50%, propelling the U.S. to maintain its position as the worlds largest LNG exporter. However, the timing of these facility startups will influence U.S. natural gas prices and inventories. Earlier start-ups will likely push prices higher and reduce storage volumes, while delayed start-ups may have the opposite effect, leading to lower prices and higher storage levels.

As LNG exports increase, U.S. natural gas prices are expected to rise, with the Henry Hub price forecasted to nearly double from $2.20/MMBtu in 2024 to $4.20/MMBtu in 2025, and continue climbing in 2026. Higher natural gas prices could reduce demand in sectors like electricity generation, while lower prices might spur more consumption.

On the supply side, regional production may adjust to meet this new demand, particularly in natural gas-heavy regions like Haynesville, which is close to many new LNG facilities.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. Snam has successfully wrapped up the 2024/25 winter season with Italian gas storage facilities holding a filling level of around 42%, surpassing the European average of 34%, Trend reports.

Despite a national gas demand increase of 8% compared to the same period last year, the remaining stock as of March 31, 2025, stood at approximately 3 billion cubic meters. With strategic reserves included, total stock reached 7.9 billion cubic meters.

Looking ahead, Snam has launched procedures for auctioning available storage capacity for the 2025/26 thermal year following the recent publication of key decrees. The auctions will offer about 10 billion cubic meters of capacity, covering services like multi-year uniform modulation and peak services. This will be crucial as Italy aims to inject around 9.4 billion cubic meters into storage to meet the EUs minimum 90% filling target.

The auctions are set to begin on April 7, 2025, with the allocation calendar and further details available to market participants. Additionally, daily, weekly, and monthly injection products will remain available to support efficient market operations.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6. In 2023, the European Union imported services worth a total of 3.344 billion, according to newly published data from Eurostat, Trend reports.

This marks the first release of official statistics on the international trade in services (ITS) by modes of supply (MOS), providing valuable insights into how services are exchanged across countries and the geographical distribution of these services.

Breaking down the imports by modes of supply, the data reveals that the largest share of imports, 60% (1,996 billion), came from services provided through commercial presence. Following this, 31% (1,030 billion) of the EU's service imports were related to cross-border supply, which involves services being provided remotely from one country to another without the need for a physical presence.

Consumption abroad, which refers to services consumed by EU residents while abroad, accounted for 6% (215 billion) of total imports. The remaining 3% (103 million) were services linked to the presence of natural persons, where individuals travel to another country to supply services.

When examining the data by individual EU countries, certain trends emerge. Greece, Cyprus, and Ireland stood out with cross-border supply accounting for significant portions of their imports68%, 44%, and 39% respectively. For some countries, consumption abroad was more notable. Denmark, for instance, saw 22% of its imports come from this mode, followed by Croatia (13%), France (12%), and Italy (10%).

The data also highlights that commercial presence was the dominant mode for countries like Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Romania, with these nations reporting higher-than-average imports in this category79% in Hungary, 78% in Bulgaria, and 77% in Slovakia and Romania.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. Azerbaijan has become a key player not only in regional but also in European energy security in recent years, the political analyst Azer Garayev said in an interview with Trend.

"Rich in oil and gas reserves, Azerbaijan is also rapidly advancing in alternative and renewable energy sectors, playing a crucial role in reshaping the energy geography. As a reliable partner for the European Union (EU), Azerbaijan today stands as one of the leading partners in energy diversification and sustainable energy supply for the continent.

Azerbaijans main pillar in energy relations with Europe is the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC). This massive project is of significant importance for energy diversification, as it delivers Caspian Sea gas through Georgia, Turkiye, and the Balkans to Europe. Over three thousand kilometers long, this corridor carries 10 billion cubic meters of gas annually to European markets via the Trans-Anatolian (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic (TAP) pipelines. In the future, the SGC could transport up to 20 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas to Europe. Discussions and European interest in this matter have been repeatedly expressed, he said.

Garayev noted that a memorandum was signed between Azerbaijan and the EU in 2022 to increase gas exports to 20 billion cubic meters by 2027.

As President Ilham Aliyev mentioned during the 11th meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Consultative Council and the 3rd Green Energy Consultative Council, the geography of Azerbaijans gas supply is expanding: Since our last meeting here in Baku, at the 10th Advisory Council, five more countries have become recipients of our natural gas. Today, Azerbaijan supplies natural gas to 12 countries10 of them are European, and 8 of those are members of the European Union. The geography of our gas supply in Europe will definitely grow, because today we are already involved in the creation of gas distribution networks in some European countries.

Some of them do not have one, some of them need to expand it, and Azerbaijan, as an investor, is planning to do that. So, the geography of our gas supplies will definitely grow through different ways, including interconnections. Of course, we need to think about joint efforts in the expansion of the existing gas pipeline system."

The president also highlighted the importance of joint efforts in expanding the existing gas pipeline system: 'The Southern Gas Corridor is a tremendous success story for all of us. The 3,500-kilometer integrated pipeline system today is the main artery for energy security for many countries. And now it is working at full capacity. Whether its the South Caucasus Pipeline, TANAP, or TAPthree integral parts of the Southern Gas Corridor  all are fully packed. So we need to expand. And for that, we will need, of course, financing. And we come to a very important point, which we have raised on several occasions  that international financial institutions, those who decided to stop financing fossil fuel projects, will probably reconsider their policy, especially taking into account the huge geopolitical changes that we all witness. Because without that, any further investments in transportation infrastructure and even in upstream will be very problematic'."

Garayev noted that Europe's energy policy has undergone radical changes since the Russia-Ukraine war, making Azerbaijan a priority partner for European countries seeking alternatives to Russian gas.

"Azerbaijan has emerged as a top priority partner for European nations seeking alternatives to Russian gas. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted this shift, recognizing Azerbaijan as a 'reliable energy supplier' for Europe and underscoring its "strategic importance on Europe's energy map." Azerbaijani gas is set to be delivered to countries like Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, and several other Balkan states in the near future. Additionally, European countries are eager to expand the volume and routes of Azerbaijans energy resources and collaborate on joint projects with regional nations. This growing supply of energy and the broadening export network will further solidify Azerbaijan's pivotal role in strengthening Europes energy security," he noted.

Regarding green energy, Garayev emphasized that in addition to traditional energy resources, green energy has become a priority on Azerbaijans energy agenda.

Azerbaijan is actively advancing both traditional and alternative energy sources, making significant investments in the development of green energy. By increasing electricity production from renewable sources, Azerbaijan aims to redirect surplus gas volumes to European markets.

Additionally, the Black Sea Energy project is underway to export green energy from Azerbaijan to Europe. Signed on December 17, 2022, this agreement establishes an energy bridge between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary, facilitating the construction of a 1,195-kilometer, 1,000-megawatt submarine power cable. The cable will transport "green" electricity produced in Azerbaijan via Georgia and the Black Sea to Romania, Hungary, and ultimately, the rest of Europe. This project will enable the supply of up to four gigawatts of renewable energy.

As President Ilham Aliyev pointed out, contracts signed with investors for solar and wind power plants will yield 6 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030. 'As I said, that will save a lot of natural gas, which we currently use to produce electricity domestically, and all of that will be available for export.' European interest in Azerbaijani energy resources continues to grow, and Azerbaijan has already become an indispensable player in Europe's energy landscape, he added.

In his assessment, the territories liberated by Azerbaijan are abundant in renewable energy assets.

The political scientist emphasized that Azerbaijans role in Europes energy security is not only built on its natural resources but also strengthened by a well-thought-out energy policy, stability, and an openness to international cooperation.

"The territories of East Zangezur and Karabakh, liberated from Armenian occupation, hold vast hydroelectric potential. As President Ilham Aliyev highlighted, we have already established 270 megawatts of hydroelectric power plants: 'More than 30 small hydropower stations have already been inaugurated, and in the next maximum five years, this number will grow up to 500 megawatts, with an additional 30 small hydropower stations. So, that will eventually, by 2030, create an energy potential of 6.5 gigawatts. And just for your information, today Azerbaijans installed capacity is slightly more than eight. So, we will almost double our potential to produce energy from renewables within the next five years.

Alongside oil and gas, progress in green energy is positioning Azerbaijan as a key center on the future energy map. For Europe, Azerbaijan is not just an energy supplier but a strategic partner and a guarantor of regional stability," Garayev concluded.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. The volume of trade transactions between Azerbaijan and China totaled $745.4 million from January through February 2025.

The data obtained by Trend from the country's State Customs Committee shows that this is $262.1 million, or 54.2 percent more than in the same months of 2024.

In the reporting period, trade turnover with China amounted to 8.37 percent of Azerbaijan's total trade turnover. Thus, China ranked 4th among the countries with which Azerbaijan conducts the largest number of trade operations.

Moreover, Azerbaijan's exports to China in the period from January through February of the current year reached $10.9 million, which is $8.8 million or 5.3 times more than in the same period of 2024.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's import operations from China in the period from January through February 2025 amounted to $734.5 million, which is by $253.3 million or 52.6 percent more than a year earlier.

However, the volume of foreign trade turnover of Azerbaijan amounted to $8.9 billion in the period from January through February of the current year.

According to the report, this figure is $1.7 billion or 23.2 percent more than in the same period last year.

In the reporting period, $4.8 billion of the trade turnover falls on the share of exports, $4.1 billion on the share of imports, which is $13 million or 0.3 percent less and $1.7 billion or 69.2 percent more, respectively, in annual terms.

Over the reporting period, a surplus in foreign trade amounted to $628 million, which is $1.7 billion or 3.7 times less than a year earlier.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 5. Hiroshi Sasaki, the Ambassador of Japan to Turkmenistan, paid a visit to the Balkan region, Trend reports.

During his visit, the ambassador met with the governor of the Balkan region, Khodjamyrat Ashyrmyradov. The two officials discussed opportunities for further cooperation, particularly in the framework of projects aimed at building factories with the participation of Japanese companies.

The diplomat also paid a visit to the village of Gerkes, the cradle of the illustrious Turkmen poet Makhtumkuli Fragi, along with other historical gems in the region.

Overall, Japans exports to Turkmenistan in January 2025 totaled 360.78 million yen ($2.4 million). This represents a significant decrease compared to previous months. For instance, exports in December 2024 reached 437.64 million yen ($3.3 million), while in November they stood at 708.18 million yen ($5.3 million). The highest recorded export volume in 2024 was in May, reaching 770.25 million yen ($5.8 million).

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ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 5. A meeting was held at the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Russia with the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Slovenia to Russia, Alenka Suhadolnik, Trend reports, citing the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Russia.

The top brass of the diplomatic missions from both countries kicked around ideas on their bilateral ties and pressing international issues of mutual interest.

During the conversation, emphasis was placed on the importance of focusing efforts on addressing key tasks in the bilateral cooperation agenda for the near future. This includes holding bilateral inter-ministerial consultations at the level of deputy foreign ministers of both countries, as well as organizing the next session of the Turkmen-Slovenian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Significant attention was also given to the year 2025, declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Year of Peace and Trust, an initiative of the esteemed President of Turkmenistan. Additionally, the upcoming celebration of the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality status was discussed.

The significance of rolling up our sleeves and putting this initiative into action was underscored. As the year rolls on, a string of significant happenings is on the horizon, both in Turkmenistan and beyond, leading up to a grand conference in December 2025, where heads of state will gather. The President of Slovenia, Natasa Pirc Musar, has been extended an invitation as a distinguished guest for this momentous occasion.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 4. On the sidelines of the Samarkand Climate Forum, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received the co-chairman of the Uzbek-Saudi Business Council, Chairman of the Board of the ACWA Power Company Muhammad Abunayan, the press service of the President of Uzbekistan says, Trend reports.

According to the information, issues of further expansion of practical cooperation with Saudi Arabian companies were discussed.

It is reported that Mirziyoyev noted with satisfaction the dynamic development of a fruitful partnership with ACWA Power, which is a strategic investor in the green energy sector of Uzbekistan. It was noted that today the portfolio of current joint projects with the company has reached 15 billion dollars.

"In December last year, two wind power plants with a capacity of 500 megawatts each were connected to the grid in the Bukhara region, and projects were launched to build two solar power plants with a total capacity of 1 gigawatt in the Samarkand region and energy storage systems in the Tashkent region.

The importance of accelerated implementation of projects in the field of green energy, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, modernization of heat and water supply, housing and communal services and other priority areas was emphasized.

In this context, the need for careful preparation of the meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission and the business forum planned for this year in the city of Samarkand was noted," the press service said.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 5. The State Unitary Enterprise "National PR Center" of Uzbekistan and the Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau signed a memorandum of understanding to advance mutual tourism development, Trend reports.

The memorandum was signed in Uzbekistan's Samarkand city during a meeting between the Chairman of the Committee for Tourism of Uzbekistan, Umid Shadiyev, and the Deputy Chairman of the State Agency for Tourism of Azerbaijan, Azada Huseynova.

The agreement aims to foster and promote a unified tourist route along the Great Silk Road.

During the discussions, the parties addressed the current state of the tourism industry, cooperation prospects, and the development of joint tourism initiatives.

The collaboration's primary goal is to consolidate both countries' tourism resources under the Joint Silk Road Highlights Tour initiative. This project involves the joint promotion of tourist routes in Central European countries, with a focus on key historical landmarks along the Silk Road, including Baku, Shamakhi, Sheki, Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand.

As part of the memorandum, the parties also agreed to hold joint B2B events and roadshows and participate in international tourism exhibitions.

After the signing ceremony, the Azerbaijani delegation visited the Tourism Academy in Samarkand, where they explored educational programs, infrastructure, and the prospects for tourism workforce development.

Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, as leading tourist destinations along the central segment of the Silk Road, are establishing a strategic partnership to attract more tourists, raise awareness of historical sites, and strengthen their positions in the global tourism market.

The signing of this memorandum underscores the importance of strengthening tourism ties between the two countries and opens new opportunities for further industry development.

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A nine-day power reserve and chronometer-certified precision: The innovative Chopard Quattro technology celebrates its 25th anniversary with a new timepiece in a reshaped aesthetic

A quarter-century after the launch of the first L.U.C Quattro timepiece in 2000, Chopard Manufacture celebrates the 25th anniversary of its Quattro movement by presenting a brand-new edition in ethical 18-carat rose gold, featuring a 39-millimetre case reshaped in line with the latest L.U.C aesthetic. A major innovation in the field of Haute Horlogerie, the exclusive Chopard Quattro technology has earned the L.U.C collection major recognition thanks to the first calibre powered by four series-coupled barrels stacked in pairs and containing exactly 1.885 metres of springs. This configuration  the only one of its kind in the world  enables an exceptional total power reserve of 216 hours (9 days), delivered with constant force to the escapement. The regularity of operation is ensured by a balance oscillating at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour, a guarantee of impeccable precision chronometer-certified by the COSC. Recognition by the Poincon de Geneve quality hallmark confirms the refinement of this L.U.C Quattro timepiece both technically and aesthetically.

Almost two metres of springs providing an exceptional power reserve

Like its predecessors, the new L.U.C Quattro timepiece is powered by the exclusive Chopard Quattro technology: a revolutionary configuration involving two pairs of stacked barrels. Together, these four barrels represent 1.885 metres of spring. Since its exclusive world-first presentation by Chopard in the year 2000, this innovation has remained a major innovation that serves to increase the watchs power reserve to an exceptional 216 hours (nine days).

Chopards Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele says: The L.U.C Quattro model demonstrating Chopards technical prowess is the fruit of several years dedicated to the pursuit of precision, innovation and creativity in the field of Haute Horlogerie.

Chronometer-certified precision

In addition to a more generous power reserve, the Quattro movement offers greater precision because the energy transmitted by the four barrels is more evenly distributed. The energy sent to the escapement is more constant, as is the amplitude throughout the running time, enabling high levels of chronometric performance which is certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). In addition, the balance-spring is equipped with a Phillips terminal curve that precisely controls the oscillations of the regulating organ  a feat of which only authentic Haute Horlogerie Manufactures are capable. In keeping with the L.U.C collections characteristic refinement, it is also equipped with a stop-seconds function as well as a swans-neck index serving to carefully adjust the active length of the balance-spring  thus enabling finer adjustment of the oscillators frequency and hence the rate of the watch.

Exclusive Chopard Quattro technology: a key technical milestone in the history of the collection

The second movement devised by Chopard Manufacture, L.U.C Calibre 98.01-L has played a central role in the development of the Maisons watch collections. It was built on the groundwork laid by the Manufactures very first L.U.C 96.01-L movement. The aim was to extend the power reserve without compromising either the slender construction or the sophisticated architecture. Since then, this mechanism has been used in all L.U.C Quattro models, but it has also undergone evolutions relating to numerous complications, such as the L.U.C Quattro Tourbillon, L.U.C Regulator and L.U.C All-in-One models. The L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 is the most recent example, with a jumping-hour movement providing an eight-day power reserve: a record that remains unmatched in this watch category.

This brand-new L.U.C Quattro features a variant of the L.U.C 98.01-L movement: the L.U.C 98.09-L. It differs from its predecessor in that the power-reserve indicator has been shifted to a movement bridge, thereby considerably lightening up the dial layout.

The Poincon de Geneve: a guarantee of craftsmanship

The technically and aesthetically refined L.U.C Quattro testifies to the finest craftsmanship cultivated by Chopard. Several hundred made-to-measure tools are involved in reworking and hand-trimming each rough-cut component, before manually decorating it using traditional skills  even if it is destined to remain concealed beneath a bridge. Each creation is successively enhanced by chamfering, satin-brushing, polishing, circular graining and Cotes de Geneve patterns, before being individually tested and hand-assembled in the workshops. The prestigious Poincon de Geneve quality hallmark to which Chopard has been loyal for many years attests to this degree of artisanal skill and meticulous care. This certification is validated by an independent body and governed by a law instated by the Canton of Geneva. It imposes peerless criteria of excellence encompassing the case and movement, including their structure, appearance and precision.

A slimmer, reshaped case

This new timepiece also stands out from its predecessors with a slimmer case, subtly reshaped in line with the L.U.C collections latest aesthetic codes. At 39 millimetres in diameter and 10.4 millimetres thick, it fits smoothly on any wrist. Crafted in ethical 18-carat rose gold, the case features a bassine shape, meaning its base is narrower than its domed, polished bezel. Reflecting craftsmanship inspired by the pocket watches that emerged from Louis-Ulysse Chopards creative heritage in the 19th century, this distinctive profile creates an impressive sense of aesthetic refinement.

This new case with its vertical satin-brushed sides is paired with a curved, fluted crown that is not only elegant but also easy to handle. The slightly domed sapphire crystal perfectly matches the curves of the bezel, giving the watch a rounded, harmonious profile. Another sign of fine craftsmanship is that the lugs are made separately before being welded to the case to ensure a perfect aesthetic result. This reshaped design makes the L.U.C Quattro a timeless object for watch connoisseurs and paves the way for the aesthetics of future timepieces in the collection.

A pure dial concealing considerable technical sophistication

This L.U.C Quattro model features a brass dial with a frosted texture and a deep blue colour obtained by galvanic treatment. Highlighted by rose gold hour-markers and hands  including the small seconds and date hands  the dial design enhances the clarity and legibility of the indications in an exquisitely refined manner. Previously located at 12 oclock, the traditional power-reserve indicator has been moved to the movement side and is now visible through the back of the watch. This subtle adjustment accentuates the sense of purity, concealing the mechanical sophistication behind a harmonious appearance and intuitive layout.

The L.U.C collection: watchmaking excellence

In 1997, Chopard Manufacture launched the first watch to emerge from its watchmaking workshops: the L.U.C 1860, equipped with the L.U.C 96.01-L movement. Since then, through the L.U.C collection, it has accumulated mastery of all the major horological complications. Between Fleurier and Geneva, Chopard Manufacture conceives, develops, produces, assembles, decorates and certifies all its timepieces. Thanks to Karl-Friedrich Scheufele's commitment to watchmaking tradition combined with technical innovation, the Manufacture maintains a high level of finishing by preserving numerous artistic crafts and skills.


A full 75 years after being born in the United States, Dagoberto Gilb is still seen as an exotic man, while in Mexico, hes just another gringo. The latter doesnt bother him: he understands where it comes from, as he barely speaks Spanish and has lived practically his entire life north of the border. The former, on the other hand, gets on his nerves, but he accepts it with the resignation of someone who knows in advance that theyre on the losing side. The Mexican-American writer  MexAm or Chicano, he would say  is known for his stories and essays about the working class to which he has belonged his entire life, and last year he published two new books, one fiction and one non-fiction, which once again portray the everyday life without stereotypes of a community that, though comprising the majority of the population on the U.S. southern border, continues to be looked down upon by the hegemonic culture.

Gilb, whose works have appeared in magazines such as The New Yorker, Harpers, and Best American Essays, does not conceive of his work as a political exercise. Indeed, nothing explicitly political is evident in his lines, yet his stories, brought together in the collection New Testaments, published by City Lights Press, and the essays in A Passing West: Notes from the Borderlands, edited by the University of New Mexico and filled with social critique, are difficult to interpret in any other key. Especially in the current context. Together  despite not actually being a pair  the two books converse with and complement each other. The essays are like a black-and-white delineated drawing, while the fictional stories bring color to the picture.

Like someone scoring a tree trunk with a knife to leave a mark of their passage, Dagoberto Gilbs work marks a presence on behalf of Chicanos, whose complex identity he reflects with such familiarity that he takes it for granted. Its not a question of explaining anything. His is a visceral response, a bang on the table: We dont matter. For them, Chicano culture doesnt exist. We are a collection of tropes, stereotypes, and cliches. We dont think about ourselves following their rules, because their rules have us all as immigrants, he says via video call from Austin, Texas, where he lives part-time, having also resided in Mexico City for years on a kind of semi-permanent Chicano pilgrimage.

His banner is the American Southwest, a territory of Indian and cowboy legends, but, in his reading of it, of a dominant white, Anglo culture. When people think of Americas spectacular Southwest, when they see the shapes of those states in their mind, it is never about the Brown people who are there. The raw, desolate beauty of the landscape, yes. The hip Spanish adobe architecture in it, yes. The tasty food that abides, definitely yes. But the people? Americans know of them like they do a few words of Spanish in Cancun. The people who have lived there, who live there now and still? They are absent, purged, not one pretty shade in that mental map. Legacy, sure, thats very cool. A unique, thriving living community and culture? Cowboys and Indians, thats whos there and been there, he writes in the essay We Have Been Here All Along, one of two unpublished texts in the collection. In it, he expresses anger that the voice of the Southwest is that of Cormac McCarthy, a white writer born in Rhode Island and raised in Tennessee, and that the history of the region, which expands generously from California to Texas and dates back to before the United States or Mexico as we know them today even existed, is reduced to a tourist Chinatown at best.

Dagoberto Gilb at his home in Austin, Texas. Brenda Bazan

The 25 stories in A Passing West, most of which were published in various magazines in the last decade, examine borderlands and their societies with a clarity only achieved by those who are a part of them. Many of the texts contain autobiographical passages and anecdotes that reveal the authors natural habitat.

In the stories of New Testaments, that ecosystem is the same, and although Dagobert Gilb isnt the name of the characters, more than one has parts of him within them. The writer also admits that while he has mixed feelings about Jack Kerouac, he admires the fact that he lived a life; the implication is that to write credibly about something, you have to have experience. Among his recent stories, three are about elderly men, all lonely and frail, two of them with disabilities caused by car accidents. Gilb, who is still living with the ravages of a stroke, knows a lot about that.

Born in Los Angeles in the years after World War II, the son of a Mexican mother and a white father of German descent who somehow spoke Spanish, Gilb says he had a difficult upbringing, though he didnt know it at the time. His parents separated, and he doesnt have many memories of his father until he started working at the industrial laundry, where he was the manager for decades. Meanwhile, his mother, a very beautiful woman, went from boyfriend to boyfriend. Young Gilb never bothered to get to know them, and he didnt spend much time at home either; hed go away for a few days, a few weeks, and then come back as if nothing had happened. Looking back, I wish I could have talked to them. Asked them about their lives, he says.

His life changed when he graduated in the turbulent year of 1968, when the Vietnam War seemed like the inevitable future for working-class youth like himself. After hearing about his friends experiences, he decided he would do everything he could to avoid the draft, so he enrolled in community college. My life was completely turned upside down. Id never read a book. I didnt know anything, and I didnt know I didnt know anything. Every class was like a new girl I always wanted to be with, he recalls. Eventually, he majored in religion and began writing.

But reality hit him. For years, no one would buy his stories; there was no interest in the stories of working people, so he rolled up his sleeves every day and worked as a construction worker to feed his two children  they always needed shoes  and his wife. Still, for 16 years, when physical labor on construction sites alongside his union colleagues was what put food on the table, he wrote. I wrote as an object. I wrote about them [the workers] as a member. Its all I know. Ray Carver was writing about the working class at the same time, and I remember reading his stories and thinking: that isnt a story about work. Workers are not morose. Dudes that are at jobs. They maybe have too much fun. Theyre too little wild. Theyre not really moping around...

The covers of books by Dagoberto Gilb.

When he was about to give up, in the early 1990s, he sent a selection of about 25 stories to the University of New Mexico and managed to publish the book The Magic of Blood, which won him the PEN/Hemingway Award for debut writers. From then on, life was never the same. I couldnt have gotten more attention. I didnt sell as many as some others, but I did well. I got work in prestigious creative writing courses. And Id never even taken an English class. In the following decades, he published a handful more books, and his byline appeared frequently in some of the countrys most prestigious magazines.

But making ends meet never stopped being a challenge. I didnt know this business was so ridiculous, he says. Its for rich kids. And Im not a rich kid. Its really fucking hard. How do people live on that money? You cant pay rent as a writer, he says angrily. And then, in 2009, a stroke left him with a disability that he has slowly learned to master, but which severely impacted his productivity.

Until last year, when he published two books in a row, and for a moment it seemed like a new beginning. But reality struck again: Dagoberto Gilbs name is no longer as well-known, promotion has been difficult, and sales have been limited. The world  which at the time of his latest books was focused on a surreal presidential campaign with attacks and candidate changes just months before the election  has moved on and left him behind, Gilb admits.

His writing continues to give voice to a rarely explored experience of life in a natural and relatable way. That, he says with conviction, doesnt change. But when he looks at the world convulsing around him, he admits hes lost. I wish I could, I wish I could say something. I cant tell the difference between up, down, left, and right. I dont know. Were going fast, were going slow. I dont know whats going on. Im really very confused, before imagining a massive mobilization of people, like in the days of the civil rights protests.

For a moment he gets excited, then the eyes that had lit up very fleetingly go out and betray his little faith in formal politics. Then comes his analysis. What I think happened to the Democratic Party is that they dont know who they are supposed to be talking to. They dont know what its like to work for an hourly wage. None of them have had a job where they can get fired by an asshole boss like Trump. Theyve never had that job.

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The trade war launched by Donald Trump  through the widespread imposition of tariffs on the United States main trading partners in an effort to reduce the countrys large trade deficit and boost domestic economic activity  could have a negative impact on tourism in the worlds largest economy.

The U.S. was the third most-visited country in 2024, welcoming 72.3 million travelers, and ranked first in tourism-related revenue, earning some $194 billion, according to the latest data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

While theres no direct correlation, the imposition of tariffs, the retaliation by affected countries, and the broader economic fallout of this tariff war with key partners is fueling a growing backlash against the U.S.  one that could eventually translate into a tourism boycott. In February, when Trump first floated the idea of applying tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S., the number of Canadians crossing the border by car dropped by 24% compared to the same period in 2024, and U.S. carrier United Airlines also sharply reduced its flights from Canada.

This trend has yet to emerge globally, but its not far-fetched when considering the overlap between countries targeted by the new tariffs and those that send the most tourists to major U.S. destinations.

In 2024, the two largest sources of tourists to the U.S. were Canada, with 20.24 million visitors, and Mexico, with 16.98 million. Together, they accounted for more than half of all inbound travel.

Both countries are now facing new 25% tariffs on their exports to the U.S. as of April 2. The negative implications for their businesses are clear: companies will be forced to raise prices, cut profit margins, or both. In response, both governments may consider imposing similar countermeasures.

Aware of the critical role these two countries play in both trade and tourism, the U.S. government has made an exception: the new tariffs will not apply to goods covered under the USMCA trade agreement. However, this only partially softens the blow. Mexicos powerful auto industry will still be hit hard, and around 50% of the countrys exports to the U.S. will be affected.

The U.K. ranks third, with 4.03 million tourists, making up 5.6% of the total. So far, the country has ruled out any commercial retaliation against the U.S., in part because it was one of the least affected, receiving only a 10% tariff on its exports. Brazil, the sixth-largest source of U.S. tourists in 2024 with 1.91 million visitors (2.64% of the total), is in a similar situation.

The steepest tariffs target countries whose tourist numbers grew the most in 2024. China, which ranked tenth with 1.62 million visitors (2.24% of the total), saw its exports slapped with a 34% tariff. This could significantly hinder a promising and fast-growing market of high-spending tourists who tend to stay longer than average. Chinese tourism to the U.S. surged by 50% in 2024  the highest growth among the top 10 countries, according to WTTC  and had been expected to continue expanding rapidly.

India and China, both in the Asia-Pacific region, experienced similarly strong growth in U.S.-bound tourism last year  up 24.3% and 21.4%, respectively. But while outbound tourism from Europe had already rebounded to pre-Covid levels by the end of 2023 and even reached record highs in 2024, Asias recovery has been slower due to ongoing travel restrictions and a focus on promoting domestic tourism.

The final two countries in the top 10  Germany and France  rank fifth and eighth respectively, with 1.99 million and 1.7 million travelers. Like Spain, both are now subject to a 20% tariff on their exports to the U.S.

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The Thursday ritual takes place every two weeks. In a buildings meeting room, a group of people meet up to share their thoughts. Sometimes, theres a theme. Other days, the conversation is free-flowing. We talk about important things that have changed our lives. They can be ordinary things, or ones we never talk about, ventures 97-year-old Alberto Chab on a sunny afternoon in the Belgrano neighborhood of Buenos Aires.

Alberto Chab, leader of the group 'Ninety and Counting.' Amanda Cotrim

The two-hour meeting, which is attended by a dozen people, will be captured by Noventa y Contando (Ninety and Counting), a podcast and digital community created by nonagenarians. The project was inspired by Chabs video of a simple dinner attended by others from his age group that was designed for them to have a place to chat and make friends. He posted it to TikTok. What happened next was unexpected.

In just a few days, Chab received some 2,000 emails about the post. The experience led him to take an interest in media, and eventually, the gatherings became a podcast. I wasnt just surprised about what happened. Id say I was shocked. It seemed like a tsunami of messages. More than a tsunami, it was like Iguazu Falls. I couldnt keep up with all of them, so we set up a Zoom group so more people could join. I think I touched on the very important issue of longevity in a way that hadnt been done before. We talk about our stuff, what happened to us, what we eat, about rest and how we relate to everyone else, says Chab, who is a psychoanalyst and continues to see patients.

Recording of the podcast, 'Ninety and Counting'. Amanda Cotrim

The podcasts first season  which is available on YouTube and Spotify in audio and video formats  consists of 11 episodes with subjects like tango, healthy habits, the role of women, childrens games, love and sex, and motivation, among others. Now, they are recording the second seasons episodes. Along with Chab, Guadalupe Camurati, who is 26, is a co-creator and host of the podcast. We began to record with the themes that they were suggesting. The group format was impossible for a podcast, so my proposal was to record Albert with one of the groups members. I show up not so much as an interviewer, but as a moderator. It transmits being active in your 90s and the idea of changing the concept that many have of aging.

Todays meeting of Noventa y Contando focuses on important things that changed the participants lives. Someone talks about a boat trip down the Tigre Delta canals, others of getting a short class on how to use their cell phone and another person shares the exercise routine that starts their day. Perhaps because of his profession, and having originated the project, Chab leads the talk. A few times, he intervenes. I cant complain about aging because while it has its drawbacks, it also has its benefits, he tells the group, who listens attentively.

Lets talk about important things. For example, how do you get along with your family? How do you rest? How do you feed yourself? Is there anything you didnt get around to doing and that you can still do? What each person says has an impact on the others and there really is a great deal of cohesion between us. At our age, the worst thing that can happen to you is loneliness. Being alone, which can be creative, is not the same as loneliness, which really becomes an illness. The people around us die and we are left very alone. This group combats that loneliness, says Chab, who was invited to the Festival of Ideas in Puebla, Mexico as a result of the project.

The group of participants chat during the recording of the podcast. Amanda Cotrim

Mabel Roncoroni is an English professor and is about to turn 93. Shes been a member of the group that makes Noventa y Contando since its first meeting, which took place in a co-working space. The communication with the group members and getting to know about their lives seemed interesting. What each member says makes me reflect on my own life. Each one brings their individuality to the group, she says.

The podcasts Instagram account has nearly 290,000 followers. The generation that lived it all tells you about it is its slogan. Roncoroni says that younger people follow her and in a certain way, the podcast has had an impact on her work. I have been an English professor my whole life. Since we got together and started making the podcast, Ive gotten seven new students, she says.

After less than a year, the project is taking on its own life. It seems to be becoming a massive platform for older people, their family members and young people who are interested in intergenerational exchange. Chab is happy to see this outcome, but also perceives it as a responsibility.

Maria Elena Gimenez, 91, Alberto Chab, 97, and Minerva Hanna, 94, prepare to begin recording. Amanda Cotrim

I want to respond to the demand that arose after my video on TikTok went viral. I feel that I dont have the right to keep these exchanges and what is happening to myself. Last year, I was a nobody and now, I have been interviewed more than 50 times, he says, in awe.

A question hangs in the air during the conversation with the Noventa y Contando crew, one they are asked repeatedly by those searching for a recipe, a closely guarded secret. It is, quite simply; how do they manage to be doing so well in their 90s? Answers vary. Some meditate. Others are vegetarians. All talk about the importance of staying active. Some say that advice is useless, that everyone has to walk their own path and stumble over their own bumps in the road.

Roncoroni ventures a response that works for her: One might thing that at 92 years old, which is my age, we just sit around watching television. I dont do that, because I consider it tacky and boring. You have to create new things and keep evolving. Thats the idea, and I feel like thats what I do every day.

Gregorio Aidelman, 95, shows the group the physical exercises he does every day to stay active during the podcast recording. Amanda Cotrim

As dusk falls in Buenos Aires, Chab recalls an axiom of his Arabic parents. Theyd say we shouldnt worry about challenges, that everything could be worse. He ends on a lesson that he himself applies to life. Read a book that you read 70 or 80 years ago and that you liked at the time. Do something that you always wanted to do and couldnt for some reason. Write that story that you came up with. When you read it, you will have the satisfaction of having created something. Always have a little project, like the one were doing right now.

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In the border area between the Sumy and Kursk provinces, between Ukraine and Russia, the tops of many trees are covered with giant cobwebs of fine cables, similar to fishing lines. One of the bloodiest battles of the war is taking place in this area, and it is where Russia has most forcefully introduced a technology that has revolutionized military tactics in 2025: the massive use of bomb-carrying drones connected to the pilot by a fiber-optic cable.

This innovation prevents the aircrafts connection from being disrupted by what is known as electronic warfare, that is, by disruptive radio frequency signals. On both sides, many vehicles and defense barriers incorporate these antennas, which emit radio frequency signals that cut off the remote connection between the pilot and the drone. Fiber-optics are immune to this.

Its operation is ingenious and simple: the drone has a built-in reel with a cable, which can be between three and 15 miles long. If, during flight, the cable becomes entangled in an obstacle, such as trees, the vehicle continues flying because the reel keeps releasing it, and it remains connected to the pilot.

A Russian drone pilot controls an aircraft via fiber-optic connection, on February 20 in Kharkiv. Ministerio de Defensa de Rusia

Russia began deploying these drones experimentally a year ago, but it wasnt until last December that their use became widespread. Ukraine followed suit shortly afterward, but its production level remains behind that of the enemy. Their presence is detected along the entire front line, but it has been especially felt in Kursk, where they are playing a key role in nearly expelling Ukrainian troops from the Russian province.

This is what the military personnel interviewed this month by EL PAIS in the Sumy region, bordering Kursk, explained, as corroborated by numerous videos shared by Russian military accounts on social media. Most of the drones used in Russian attacks on the retreating Ukrainian forces in Kursk have fiber-optic connections, and not only on Russian soil. This newspaper was able to verify, based on debris from recent attacks, that the range of these devices reaches up to 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) inside Ukrainian territory.

The only way to stop them is to protect the logistics routes with nets, but you cant cover a highway with kilometers of nets, a high-ranking officer in the Ukrainian militarys intelligence services explained to EL PAIS in Sumy in March. This soldier, who only provided his first name, Roman, warned that the cost of these drones is much higher than that of remote-controlled vehicles because they require kilometers of fiber-optic cables and the cylinder that charges them.

An analysis by the Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform in March established that the average cost of a reel and fiber-optic cable is close to 1,000 ($1,082). Added to this is the price of the drone, which, in the case of the most commonly used models, FPV (first-person view) guided by a camera mounted on its front, ranges between 300 and 600 ($324-$649). Roman estimated that three months ago, the average cost of 15 miles of fiber-optic cable and the reel was 2,000 ($2,164).

Eighty percent of global fiber optic production is carried out in China, and Ukrinform claims that economies of scale are allowing the price per meter of cable to be reduced, but at the same time, quality is deteriorating. Roman, the Ukrainian intelligence officer, believes that hands the advantage to Russia because on the enemy side, the burden of military financing falls entirely on the state, and fiber optic drones are a priority for the Russian military. On the Ukrainian side, however, a good portion of the drones arriving at the front depend on private donation campaigns, and their cost leads to fewer units.

Shotgun shells

One of the peculiarities of Russias use of fiber-optic drones is that they are in the hands of highly trained units. This is the case in Kursk, and also at another point on the front, in the battle for Chasiv Yar, in the Donetsk region. These vehicles are piloted by highly trained teams that even reach Ukrainian artillery positions, 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the enemy: They can even fly between tree lines to determine if our howitzers are there; unfortunately, they are causing many casualties, says Andriy Horetskiy, commander of a battery of Ukraines 26th Artillery Brigade.

Since February, the presence of these vehicles in this sector of the Donetsk front has skyrocketed, according to this officer. Horetskiy adds that the most effective way Ukrainian forces have found to shoot down these drones is with something as rudimentary as shotguns that fire buckshot, because the small lead bullets disperse and have a better chance of hitting their target.

Ukraine is accelerating the use of this technology, and some experienced voices predict that its only a matter of time before fiber-optic drones become dominant across the 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) of the war front. This was reiterated last February in an interview with Lieutenant Colonel Roman Kuziv, head of the Ukrainian medical forces for the eastern provinces. Kuziv follows the details of drone bomb operations in the war and reveals that at the most intense points of fighting, almost 60% of the wounded are from attacks by unmanned vehicles.

Produccion de drones con cilindro de fibra optica para el ejercito ucranio, el 26 de marzo en la provincia de Kiev. MARIA SENOVILLA (EFE)

Kuziv points out that neither side has found an effective way to stop fiber-optic drones. But one of the laws of military theory is that as offensive technology advances, so does defensive technology. The Russian Air Force has based much of its tactics to support its infantry advances on strikes against the front lines of Ukrainian defenses with guided aerial bombs. This weapon has been another of Russias few technological victories in the war. It is a system that allows the bomb to glide and be guided. But the Ukrainian forces have developed radio frequency systems that disrupt the connection with the bomb, similar to those used with drones. The result is that by 2025, they are rapidly reducing the accuracy of Russian bombing.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of intelligence for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, warned in December 2024 that fiber-optic drones are a huge problem for them, and predicted they would be the weapon of choice by 2025. We must all work together to find a technological solution that will counter such a large number of these devices, he said. Three months later, theres still nothing stopping them.

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With the issue of mass deportations carried out by the current Donald Trump administration, it is important to mention that not all U.S. removals are carried out in the same manner. While some undocumented immigrants face expedited removals without the right to a judge, others have the opportunity to have their case reviewed in an immigration court. Here, we explain the different removal processes.

Types of deportation

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses these main repatriation methods: ordinary removal, expedited removal, returns, and voluntary departures.

Ordinary removal or deportation: These are mandatory removals of aliens based on a deportation order that may carry administrative or criminal consequences for future attempts to enter the country. Most deportations are carried out through an immigration court process, in which a judge decides whether a person must leave the United States. It applies to overstayers, undocumented immigrants and those with criminal offenses.

Expedited Removal: This is a removal without an immigration court hearing, unless the person applies for asylum. It usually applies to non-citizens who are apprehended 100 miles (160 kilometers) or less from the border, or within 14 days of arrival without valid documents. However, the current Administration has widened this margin and is applying it to people who have been in the country for up to two years without papers. This type may involve penalties equal to or more severe than an ordinary deportation, and the person may face problems re-entering the country or applying for a visa.

Returns: This is very similar to expedited removal and applies to persons who have violated immigration laws, who are returned to their country of origin without undergoing formal proceedings. Unlike removals, however, returns are generally quicker and often do not require a hearing before an immigration judge. They usually apply to persons apprehended near the border or shortly after entry who agree to leave voluntarily. However, despite being a less formal process, returns can result in sanctions that may affect future attempts to enter the United States.

Voluntary departure or self-deportation : Its an option for immigrants who want to leave the United States on their own without further deportation proceedings and their legal implications, which would allow them, in principle, to enter the country in the future. This can be requested by those facing an immigration hearing. However, not everyone is eligible and the consequences of being detained may vary. It is also an option for those facing deportation to avoid a formal order.

To qualify for voluntary departure, the requirements differ depending on whether the application is made before or after the final hearing. For pre-conclusion (before the hearing) voluntary departure, you must apply on or before the day of your final hearing, acknowledge that you are in the United States without lawful status, waive or withdraw any application to remain in the country, demonstrate both the intent and financial means to depart, and show good moral character. For post-conclusion (after the hearing) voluntary departure, additional requirements include showing that you have lived in the United States for at least one year prior to receiving your notice to appear, posting a bond of at least $500, demonstrating intent and financial ability to depart, and maintaining good moral character for at least five years.

What happens when a person is detained and deported?

A person may remain in a detention center until the date of his or her immigration court hearing or until the day of deportation. It is possible to find out how to locate a person detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Those who entered the country without going through immigration control or who did not meet the requirements for entry or stay may be deported expeditiously. In these cases, an immigration court hearing is not required, as the deportation is executed under an expedited removal order. However, in other cases, the process may be lengthy, taking place before an immigration court judge.

Administrative Deportations

In terms of removals, there are a number of factors that can lead to deportation for administrative problems, including crimes or violations of immigration laws. These are the most common:

Deportation for aggravated felonies.

In these cases, removal proceedings are conducted due to the commission of aggravated felonies, i.e., the most serious crimes under immigration law. They include the following, among others:

Homicide

Drug trafficking

Extortion

Rape or sexual abuse

Child pornography

Money laundering

Human trafficking

Deportation for violating immigration laws

Immigrants who attempt to commit visa fraud, falsify immigration documents, or lie during visa or immigration interviews (which are violations of immigration laws) may be deported. It is common for some immigrants to make human errors during their visa process, which may raise suspicions of fraud.

Deportation for violating immigration status

When a person is in the United States without papers or legal authorization or violates the conditions of their visa, they may be deported for violating their immigration status.

Deportation for illegal re-entry

Individuals who have re-entered the United States illegally after being deported face a second removal. However, such a basis for deportation can be removed through an immigration waiver, which is a waiver granted by the government, and for which a fee must be paid.

Non-citizens may appeal a deportation order by filing Form EOIR-29 with the office that issued the decision. Some may also be able to file Form 42B, Application for Cancellation of Removal and Adjustment of Status, to try to cancel the deportation and obtain permanent residence.
TOKYO - Forty-seven people, mostly foreign nationals, were injured Saturday after one tour bus rear-ended another while the two vehicles were traveling together on an expressway in western Tokyo, police said.

None of the victims have life-threatening injuries following the collision, which a bus driver reported at around 10:15 a.m. to have occurred near the mouth of the Kobotoke Tunnel on the Chuo Expressway in Hachioji.

The buses had earlier departed from JR Tokyo Station and were on their way to Lake Kawaguchi in neighboring Yamanashi Prefecture.

It is believed the buses, operated by the same company, kept starting and stopping due to traffic, and the accident occurred when the driver of the rear bus failed to notice that the one in front had braked, according to police.

The accident led to temporary closure of the outbound lanes between Hachioji junction and Sagamiko interchange, operator Central Nippon Expressway Co. said.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump's most expansive tariffs to date have already taken the world on a rollercoaster ride, with Japan no exception, yet there could be adjustments with key trading partners down the road, according to a former top aide.

Robert O'Brien, who served as Trump's national security adviser from 2019 to 2021 during his first administration, predicts the president will open negotiations at some point, particularly with close U.S. allies, to reduce the risk of escalating tensions that would harm America's interests.

"I think Japan will be at the top of the list for negotiations," O'Brien said, noting that Washington recognizes more than ever the significance of its alliance with Tokyo, in part because of China's rise and the tense situation in and around the Taiwan Strait, as evidenced by the Chinese military's recent live-fire exercises.

On Wednesday, Trump unveiled sweeping new tariffs with a baseline of 10 percent for all imports and what he called "kind reciprocal" duties on goods from countries that the White House claims are the worst offenders in trade relations with the United States.

Japan is among around 60 countries targeted with higher punitive levies, despite being the No. 1 investor in the United States.

As with many other countries, the United States has had a trade deficit for decades with Japan, now facing a 24 percent tariff rate aside from autos, which were saddled with an additional levy of 25 percent that went into effect Thursday.

"We can't have a trade war with Japan. That would be devastating for both countries," O'Brien said in an interview with Kyodo News at a Washington hotel, hours before Trump announced tariffs on virtually all U.S. imports at a "Make America Wealthy Again" event on what he called "Liberation Day."

O'Brien, who is serving on the President's Intelligence Advisory Board during Trump's second term, said the winner of a trade war between the United States and Japan or other allies would be China.

He believes the Trump administration knows its relationship with Japan is critical and that it cannot afford friction over tariffs to spread to other realms, including defense and people-to-people exchanges.

"The U.S. is always going to be open to negotiating with Japan. So I think the opportunity for compromise with Japan is going to be very high," he said. "I'm highly optimistic."

Although it is too early to tell when that process might begin, the White House has said Trump could lower the tariffs if trading partners take "significant steps" to remedy trade imbalances and cooperate with the United States on its economic and national security concerns.

A day after his latest tariff drive, which set off a wave of selling in global stock markets, Trump sounded a positive note, saying, "It's going very well."

"The markets are going to boom, the stock is going to boom, the country is going to boom, and the rest of the world wants to see is there any way they can make a deal?" he told reporters at the White House.

As for Japan, O'Brien said it is one of a few countries in a good position to reach a deal with Trump because the two allies signed a trade agreement during his first term.

The agreement, which Trump is proud of, focused on expanding U.S. agricultural access to Japan. Unlike many other countries, O'Brien expects potential U.S.-Japan negotiations to be less sectoral, given that the accord has already laid out a framework for the discussion of multiple issues together.

"I think within that framework you can bring in autos, you can bring in digital, you can bring in steel," he said.

While characterizing Trump as a "Japanophile," he said the one area that could become a major irritant is Japan's digital platform regulations.

Among other developments, Japan's antitrust watchdog announced last month that Google LLC and Apple Inc., as well as its Japanese subsidiary iTunes K.K., will be subject to the country's new law aimed at preventing tech giants from dominating smartphone services.

O'Brien criticized the law for targeting the two American companies and said it could open up business opportunities for Chinese companies, warning of increased malware, phishing and intellectual property theft.

The 58-year-old, who also leads a consulting firm, expressed disappointment that Japan had followed the European Union in regulating the power of big tech companies.

Considering that large American tech companies are the engine of U.S. economic growth, he said, "I'm convinced" Trump will take retaliatory measures if there is any attack or anything that is viewed as an attack on them.

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This photo taken on April 4, 2025 shows a scene during the first Central Asia-EU summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The first Central Asia-EU summit, chaired by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was held in the Uzbek city on Friday, according to the presidential press service. (Press Service of the Uzbek President/Handout via Xinhua)

ALMATY, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen during a side meeting of the Central Asia-EU summit on Thursday, the Kazakh presidential press service reported.

The talks focused on Kazakhstan-EU cooperation prospects in the economy, digitalization and innovation, while also welcoming the start of procedures for visa facilitation agreements.

Tokayev emphasized that the European Union-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement remains the foundation for multifaceted cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EU.

The Head of State outlined four priority areas for deepening cooperation with Europe: energy, major infrastructure and industrial projects, the expansion of the transport and logistics network, digital innovations, advanced technologies and AI.

In turn, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underscored the importance of transport and logistics projects, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, and also commended the discovery of a large rare earth metals deposit in Kazakhstan.

The two leaders agreed to continue work within the Central Asia (C5)+EU dialogue and discussed ongoing issues related to the regional and international agenda. 

This photo taken on April 4, 2025 shows a scene during the first Central Asia-EU summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The first Central Asia-EU summit, chaired by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was held in the Uzbek city on Friday, according to the presidential press service. (Press Service of the Uzbek President/Handout via Xinhua)

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon (1st L), Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (2nd L), European Council President Antonio Costa (3rd L), Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev (C), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (3rd R), Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov (2nd R), and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov (1st R) attend the first Central Asia-EU summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on April 4, 2025. The first Central Asia-EU summit, chaired by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was held in the Uzbek city on Friday, according to the presidential press service. (Press Service of the Uzbek President/Handout via Xinhua)
BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) -- As scientists are striving to develop AI products and solutions to enhance various industries and daily life, this booming technology is also serving as a "lab assistant," contributing to scientific progress in turn.

In China, AI has been increasingly integrated into diverse research fields, particularly in life sciences, drug discovery and environmental studies. It shows substantial potential to boost efficiency, transform approaches and expedite breakthroughs.

OFFERING EARLY DISEASE DETECTION

Researchers from Shanghai-based Fudan University have made a technological breakthrough in early disease detection. With the assistance of AI, this advancement enables doctors to diagnose and predict diseases simply through a blood test.

Targeted at Alzheimer's disease, the research team used big data and an AI algorithm to screen 1,500 plasma proteins and identified 11 that are capable of predicting dementia risks.

"Through blood tests, we identified that these proteins exhibited consistent changes. With the help of AI-based calculations for disease markers, we were able to detect Alzheimer's disease at least 15 years before diagnosis," lead researcher Yu Jintai said.

"These changes are not caused by genetic modifications but rather due to differences in protein expression," Yu explained. "Much like how a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly."

The study soon garnered attention within the global medical community after being featured in the journal Nature in late 2024. Rather than resting on their laurels, the research team continued their experimental efforts, endeavoring to uncover more relationships between diseases and proteins with the AI tool.

Following an analysis of over 50,000 blood samples and health data collected during a 14-year follow-up study, the team created the world's first atlas of plasma proteins in health and disease states, which can help forecast diabetes and heart disease risks a decade in advance.

Researchers are currently developing a low-cost detection kit, priced under 100 yuan (14 U.S. dollars) to make protein testing as routine as glucose checks.

SLASHING DRUG DEVELOPMENT TIMELINES

At Hangzhou-based Liangzhu Laboratory, a research team has invented an AI algorithm to reduce the development process of a drug for treating progeria, a rare pediatric disease.

The traditional large-scale screening method for small-molecule drug development takes 15 to 20 years, with a high failure rate. However, the AI algorithm can reduce the cycle to approximately 3 to 5 years, accelerating preclinical trials that previously consumed 90 percent of the research time, according to Shen Ning, a researcher in the lab and a member of the program.

Under Zhejiang University, the laboratory in 2021 established a multidisciplinary research team of experts in clinical medicine, bioscience, mathematics, computing and statistics. They have developed several advanced AI algorithms specifically designed for the precise diagnosis of genetic and rare diseases.

China's National Health Commission and other departments jointly issued the guidelines for 84 AI application scenarios in the health sector, including drug research and development.

For decades, the pharmaceutical industry has been confronted with a "double-10" challenge: it usually requires 10 years and an investment of 1 billion U.S. dollars to develop a new drug. Many people believe that AI will be the most promising solution to overcome the long-standing dilemma.

"AI has the potential to impact the entire chain of drug development," said Academician Chen Kaixian of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

While no AI-assisted drug development has reached markets yet, multiple candidates are advancing through clinical trials in China.

DECODING CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS

In March, CAS researchers and tech company Alibaba Cloud collaboratively unveiled "Luoshu," an AI model that can precisely trace water origins and predict runoff volumes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is known as the Asian Water Tower, home to headwaters of over 10 major Asian rivers.

Warming at twice the global average over the past 50 years, the plateau is experiencing an imbalance in its water systems among glaciers, lakes and rivers. This imbalance is expected to exacerbate uncertainties in water supply, energy supply and demand, as well as food production, according to Xia Cuihui, a participant and an associate researcher at the CAS's Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research.

Hydropower generation capacity in glacier regions has declined globally in recent years. Although the reasons remain unclear, it is most likely associated with climate change, the researcher told Xinhua.

The new AI model can help predict water flow for hydropower plants by tracking where the water comes from -- like rain, melting glaciers, or underground water. "If something unusual happens, such as glaciers melting too fast or a bad drought, it will automatically update the water supply predictions," Xia explained.

Compared with conventional approaches, the AI model enhances prediction accuracy by 20 percent and can monitor real-time source contributions. It can alert power grids to prepare for short-term emergencies while providing scientific support for long-term decision-making in clean energy generation.

"Luoshu" is one of the numerous AI models recently launched by the CAS. Several institutes within the country's highest natural sciences academic organization have launched AI tools based on Alibaba's reasoning model, covering applications from astronomical observation to coral species identification.

For researchers like Xia, who holds a Ph.D. in geography, AI has already become an essential tool in the lab, but it is not just about efficiency.

"It unlocks research once deemed impossible," the female scientist added, noting that many research ideas previously limited by traditional methods can now be realized with AI support, promoting greater innovation. 
LA PAZ, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Bolivia warned Friday that the United States' new tariff policy could spark a global trade war with severe economic repercussions, urging a collective response from the international community.

In a statement, Bolivia's Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. decision to impose new import tariffs, including a 10 percent duty on Bolivian goods and higher rates on several other countries.

"These measures violate WTO trade principles and commitments," the ministry said, adding that they risk triggering a global trade contraction and escalating into a full-scale tariff war, harming economies and workers worldwide.

The statement criticized the United States for contradicting its free-market rhetoric with increasingly protectionist actions and called for coordinated responses through multilateral and regional forums to challenge these protectionist policies.

The government pledged to support its exporters through all relevant channels and reaffirmed its commitment to diversifying trade beyond the region. 
by Xinhua writer Sun Nan

DHAKA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- "I am proud to participate in this project that benefits our country," said Bangladeshi youth Hasan Neaj Muhammad, adding that he aspires to "serve as a bridge of friendship between China and Bangladesh."

In Bangladesh, many young people who have studied, worked, or received training in China are now playing active roles in various fields to contribute to promoting cooperation between the two countries.

Hasan is one of them. He previously studied in Yunnan, China. After graduation, he returned to Bangladesh and joined the Dhaka Bypass Expressway project, which is invested, constructed, and operated by a Chinese enterprise.

"I wanted to join this project because it allows me to apply what I learned during my studies in China. At the same time, once completed, the project will help ease Bangladesh's traffic congestion and promote our national trade by connecting key highways," Hasan said.

Hasan said he shares many of his stories at work with his friends and family, introducing them to China's rich traditional culture, modern technology, ideas, and development progress.

"In the future, I hope to use my understanding of both countries to strengthen ties between Bangladesh and China, and promote cooperation and mutual understanding," he said.

Sheikh Sultan Ahmed, 31, is currently working at an institution that assists Bangladeshi students studying in China, people learning Chinese in Bangladesh, and individuals seeking medical tourism opportunities in China.

He said that many people in Bangladesh do not know much about China, let alone its education system.

"China is the world's second-largest economy, one of the safest countries in the world, and possesses top-tier technology and innovation resources," said Sultan, who studied in China for five years.

Sultan expressed hope to help Bangladeshi students and enterprises better understand China's development model and fully seize the opportunities offered by China's growth.

In a private hospital in Dhaka, Md Abu Kausar Shapon reflected fondly on his time studying in China, calling it one of the best periods of his life.

After returning home, he founded his own hospital. "As a doctor, I can only reach a limited number of patients. But if I can build a platform that brings together more doctors and healthcare professionals, we can help more people receive better treatment," he said.

As the joint secretary of the Association of Bangladesh-China Alumni, Shapon actively promotes cultural and academic exchanges between the two countries. He said the association plans to invite Chinese doctors and teachers to Bangladesh and send Bangladeshi medical professionals to China for training. 
BEIRUT, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun held "constructive" talks here on Saturday with U.S. Deputy Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, discussing the situation in southern Lebanon and the border with Syria, a statement said.

According to a statement from the presidential media office, the talks between Aoun and Ortagus also addressed "the ongoing coordination between the two sides, as well as financial and economic reforms and the government's anti-corruption efforts."

The statement noted that the talks were preceded by a private session, with no additional details disclosed.

During her visit to the Middle Eastern country, Ortagus also met with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

The meeting with Salam took place in a "positive atmosphere," according to a statement from the prime minister's office.

Discussions centered on "measures taken by the Lebanese army to enforce UN Resolution 1701, the security arrangements aimed at halting hostilities, in cooperation with the military monitoring committee, and the completion of Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory," the statement said.

Talks also covered developments along the Lebanese-Syrian border and the country's financial and economic reform efforts, it added.

Ortagus praised the Lebanese government's financial and administrative reform plans, as well as its anti-corruption initiatives.

In a separate meeting with Berri, Ortagus held "good and constructive" talks on the situation on the ground, including "Israeli violations and attacks on Lebanon that continue to result in daily casualties, in breach of the ceasefire agreement and UN Resolution 1701."

Despite the U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire effective since Nov. 27, 2024, Israeli forces have periodically carried out strikes inside Lebanon, ranging from machine gun fire and artillery shelling to air raids, some of which have resulted in casualties, according to official Lebanese reports.

Although the agreement stipulated the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, Israel has maintained a presence on five hilltops along the Lebanese border.

Along its border with Syria, tensions have risen following accusations by Syrian military authorities that Hezbollah was responsible for the kidnapping and killing of three Syrian soldiers in mid-March. Hezbollah, however, has denied these claims.

Ortagus, who was appointed to her current post in January, arrived in Lebanon on Friday afternoon for her second visit following an earlier trip in February. According to Lebanon's Al Jadeed TV, she is expected to meet with several ministers, members of parliament, and political groups during her stay. 
KABUL, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Afghan security forces have apprehended nine people on the charge of illegal drug smuggling and sales and uncovered a quantity of illicit drugs in three provinces, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

The suspects were arrested during routine counter-narcotic operations launched by security personnel on the outskirts of eastern Khost, Parwan and western Herat provinces, the statement added.

A quantity of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine, heroin, opium, hashish and stimulant tablets, has been discovered from the suspects during the operations, it said.

The Afghan interim government has outlawed poppy cultivation, drug production, and trafficking, committing to combat the drug issue until Afghanistan, previously known for its poppy production, is transformed into a drug-free country. 
JERUSALEM, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported on Saturday.

Citing an Israeli source, the channel stated that the two leaders are expected to discuss the 17 percent tariff the United States imposed on Israeli goods as part of Trump's so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on all trading partners.

Israeli news website Walla reported that Netanyahu plans to depart for the United States directly from Budapest on Sunday, following his current visit to Hungary.

The White House visit, however, depends on an Israeli court granting permission to postpone the upcoming hearings in his corruption trial, according to Walla.

The day before Trump's announcement, Israel had lifted all tariffs on imports from the United States, but this step did not prevent Trump from imposing tariffs on Israel.

In addition to the tariff issue, the two leaders are expected to discuss the nuclear crisis with Iran and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. 
SACRAMENTO, the United States, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Restrictive immigration policies and dramatic research funding cuts under U.S. President Donald Trump's administration are pushing talented researchers toward opportunities abroad.

More than 1,200 U.S.-based scientists, three-quarters of the total respondents in a recent Nature journal survey, indicated they're considering relocating to Europe or Canada due to the current political climate, signaling a potentially massive departure of scientific talent.

Early-career researchers appeared most likely to leave, with nearly 80 percent of postgraduate scientists considering exit plans, the survey showed, noting this trend was particularly concerning as it could eliminate a generation of American scientific talent.

The exodus stems from two converging factors: tightening immigration restrictions and unprecedented cuts to research funding across federal agencies in the United States.

"The massive cuts to funding are irrational and will greatly diminish the ability of the United States to provide world-leading research, and this will impact the health and national security of our country," Daniel Cox, distinguished emeritus professor of physics at the University of California, Davis, told Xinhua recently.

On the immigration front, the Trump administration has issued multiple executive orders targeting foreign-born scientists and engineers. These measures included curtailing humanitarian parole programs, restricting border flows, limiting legal immigration avenues, and increasing deportation efforts.

The impact on the scientific community has been immediate.

According to a report by National Public Radio (NPR), foreign-born workers account for approximately half of the doctoral-level scientists and engineers in the United States. Still, the Trump administration wanted to make it harder for them to obtain H-1B visas. Immigration experts warned that the scarcity of these visas may prompt top foreign researchers to seek opportunities in other countries.

Simultaneously, many news media outlets have reported that research funding has faced dramatic cuts. Since Trump's January inauguration, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which provides the bulk of biomedical research funding in the United States, has seen funding abruptly reduced by billions of dollars, with many grant decisions placed on hold.

The administration's actions against scientific agencies extend beyond budgets. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has already closed offices, including its Office of the Chief Scientist, and fired over 20 workers. Other agencies are preparing plans, with reports indicating the NIH will cut 1,200 people -- about 6 percent of its staff.

An open letter signed by almost 2,000 scientists, including dozens of Nobel Prize winners, warned that America's scientific lead is being "decimated."

The letter published Monday describes a "climate of fear" throughout the research community, saying it pushed researchers to remove their names from publications, abandon studies, and rewrite proposals to eliminate terms like "climate change" that agencies now flag as objectionable.

"There's a fire sale on American academics right now," Carl Bergstrom, a biology professor at the University of Washington, told STAT News. Scientists fear the current political climate undermines researchers' resolve to pursue academic careers in the United States.

According to an NPR report, countries are capitalizing on this uncertainty. France has been particularly aggressive in recruiting American scientists. Aix-Marseille University has launched the "Safe Place For Science" program to support about 15 American scientists with up to 15 million euros (about 16.2 million U.S. dollars) over three years.

The initiative has already received more than 150 applications. Another French university, the engineering school Ecole Centrale de Marseille, has allocated 3 million euros to finance research projects that can no longer continue in the United States.

Spain's Atrae initiative provides grants exceeding 1 million U.S. dollars per researcher, while Canada has streamlined immigration pathways for skilled professionals through programs like Express Entry and the Global Talent Stream.

"You come to a country where the social majority trusts its scientists," said Spain's Science Minister Diana Morant during the launch of Atrae's third edition in March 2025.

The economic implications of this scientific exodus could be severe and long-lasting. A Duke University and Harvard University study found that one-quarter of all engineering and technology-related companies founded in the United States from 1995 to 2005 had at least one immigrant founder, producing 52 billion U.S. dollars in sales and employing 450,000 workers.

The impact of innovation is equally significant, particularly in leading technology sectors. According to the Silicon Valley Competitiveness and Innovation Project, at least 57 percent of Silicon Valley workers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields with bachelor's degrees or higher were born outside the United States.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Technology Review reported last month that America risks losing its innovation engine, which has driven 85 percent of economic growth since 1945. Labs nationwide are canceling cancer trials and artificial intelligence projects, while Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania are freezing hiring. 
TEHRAN, April 5 (Xinhua) -- No Iranian personnel were killed in a recent U.S. airstrike on Yemen, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency, which is known to have close ties to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

The statement came in response to a claim made by Yemen's Minister of Information, Moammar al-Eryani, who posted on social media platform X on Friday that 70 members of the Houthi group -- including senior field commanders and Iranian experts from the IRGC -- were killed in a U.S. strike on Tuesday. The attack reportedly targeted a Houthi gathering in Al-Fazah, a coastal area in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

Tasnim dismissed the report as false, stating: "The released report about the martyrdom of Iranian forces in Yemen is not correct. Follow-ups by Tasnim's reporter indicate that the claim is false and no Iranian has been martyred in Yemen."

Tasnim added that the "false" news appeared to be in line with the anti-Iran psychological warfare aimed at escalating tensions in the West Asia region. It reiterated previous statements by Iranian officials asserting that Houthi forces are fighting the United States and Israel independently. 
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet speaks during the inauguration ceremony of a Cambodia-China Joint Support and Training Center in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on April 5, 2025. A Cambodia-China Joint Support and Training Center at Port Ream here in southwestern Cambodia was put into operation on Saturday. (Photo by Nitola/Xinhua)

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia, April 5 (Xinhua) -- A Cambodia-China Joint Support and Training Center at Port Ream here in southwestern Cambodia was put into operation on Saturday.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and a delegation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army attended the ceremony.

At the ceremony, the Chinese and Cambodian sides emphasized that the construction and operation of the center were the result of mutual respect and equal consultation between China and Cambodia, which is conducive to further strengthening the practical cooperation between the two militaries, better fulfilling international obligations and providing international public security products.

Both sides expressed willingness to continue to work together to comprehensively deepen cooperation in joint exercises and training, talent training, equipment technology and other fields, continuously consolidate and develop the relationship between the Chinese and Cambodian militaries, and jointly maintain regional security and stability.

In conjunction with the inauguration ceremony, the Chinese and Cambodian militaries organized the launch of the "Golden Dragon 2025" joint exercise at the center, and arranged for the vessels of both sides to carry out training in subjects such as formation maneuvers, maritime communications, and equipment exercises. 

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet (front) unveils the plaque of a Cambodia-China Joint Support and Training Center in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on April 5, 2025. A Cambodia-China Joint Support and Training Center at Port Ream here in southwestern Cambodia was put into operation on Saturday. (Photo by Nitola/Xinhua)

Cambodian marines attend the inauguration ceremony of a Cambodia-China Joint Support and Training Center in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on April 5, 2025. A Cambodia-China Joint Support and Training Center at Port Ream here in southwestern Cambodia was put into operation on Saturday. (Photo by Nitola/Xinhua)
JUBA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has called upon all political leaders in South Sudan to prioritize peace, stability and the well-being of the people in need of humanitarian support amid rising political tensions in the country.

The ongoing instability threatens to derail humanitarian response, making it even more difficult to deliver critical services to those in need, the UNFPA said in a statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan on Friday evening.

"Over two-thirds of the population now depends on humanitarian aid, while funding for essential services is drying up," the UN agency said.

The statement came amid rising political tensions in the country after South Sudan's First Vice-President Riek Machar was placed under house arrest and detention of his allies.

The government has accused Machar, who signed the 2018 peace agreement with President Salva Kiir that ended a five-year civil war, of planning rebellion, a claim Machar's allies have denied.

The UNFPA said it is gravely concerned about the heightened risks of gender-based violence, including sexual violence and forced early marriage; conflict-related sexual violence; and the disruption of essential sexual and reproductive health services.

"The escalating tensions further exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, where communities are grappling with limited or no access to essential health services including maternal, sexual and reproductive healthcare; as well as widespread food insecurity and mass displacement," it said.

With more than 9.3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, including 2.4 million women of reproductive age, the lives, health and dignity of women and girls hang in the balance, the UNFPA said.

It called on all actors to facilitate unhindered humanitarian access, allowing partners to provide much-needed assistance.

"The international community must also step up its support to South Sudan, reinforcing humanitarian efforts and ensuring that resources reach the most vulnerable populations," the UNFPA said. 
BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) -- China, the world's second-largest economy, saw an increased number of people travel to all corners of the country on the first day of this year's three-day Qingming Festival holiday on Friday, with all types of transport services reporting surging passenger numbers.

On April 4, the first day of the holiday, the nation's railways recorded more than 20.09 million passenger trips, up 8.4 percent year on year, according to data from the Ministry of Transport.

Passenger trips made by water hit 880,000, up 24.4 percent, and air passenger trips neared 1.79 million, up 8.6 percent.

Passenger trips made on roads accounted for the biggest share of journeys, totaling 264.72 million, up 9.7 percent year on year. More and more people in China are traveling in private vehicles, with these trips totaling 228.23 million on Friday, up 11.1 percent.

Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, fell on April 4 this year. It is a traditional Chinese festival during which people pay tribute to the dead and worship their ancestors. The holiday also provides a short break for China's residents to engage in outdoor activities or go sightseeing. 
People are seen at a school-turned shelter after an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, on April 4, 2025. At least 29 Palestinians were killed and more than 100 others injured in an Israeli attack on the Dar Al-Arqam school, east of Gaza City, the Hamas-run Gaza media office said on Thursday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A Chinese rescuer checks the condition of a child at a shelter in Mandalay, Myanmar, April 3, 2025. Chinese rescuers provide medical consultations for quake-affected people at a shelter in Mandalay on Thursday. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

Young Pioneers at Linshan Primary School take an oath in front of a monument to the railway guerrillas in Zaozhuang City, east China's Shandong Province, on April 4, 2025. People across the country attended various activities to pay tribute to martyrs during the Qingming Festival, which falls on April 4 this year. (Photo by Li Zhijun/Xinhua)

People admire crabapple blossoms at the Wudadao historical urban area in north China's Tianjin, April 3, 2025.

The third edition of a crabapple blossom festival kicked off on Thursday at Wudadao historical urban area, a popular tourist destination in the downtown area of Tianjin. The festival, which stays on until April 13, features more than 100 art and culture performances to enable "immersive" experience for the visitors. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

Passengers are seen at Harbin Railway Station in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, April 3, 2025. China's railways are gearing up for an expected surge in travel during the upcoming three-day Qingming Festival holiday, which starts on Friday this year.

China Railway, the country's railway operator, said the travel rush would actually span five days, as it started on Thursday. The operator expects 84.5 million passenger trips to be made in total from April 3 to 7, averaging 16.9 million trips daily. (Xinhua/Yuan Yong)

Photo taken on April 4, 2025 shows the NATO foreign ministers meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte clarified here on Friday that Ukraine's potential NATO membership will not be included as part of any peace agreement. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Tourists enjoy the spring view at Taohuayuan scenic spot in Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 4, 2025. Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, falls on April 4 this year. It is a traditional Chinese festival for people to pay tribute to the dead and worship their ancestors. The holiday also provides a short break for Chinese citizens as they engage in outdoor activities and sightseeing. (Photo by Qiu Hongbin/Xinhua)

A worker conducts examination at a fitness equipment manufacturer in Ningjin County, east China's Shandong Province, April 2, 2025. Ningjin County is a major commercial fitness equipment manufacturing hub in China, serving global markets in over 170 countries and regions. The county produces more than 1,000 product variants across 400-plus categories including aerobic machines, strength training systems, and rehabilitation apparatus. With 2,509 registered enterprises (20 being large-scale manufacturers), the total output value of the fitness equipment industry in Ningjin reached 13.9 billion yuan (about 1.9 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng)

Ferrari's driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain drives during the practice session of the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix 2025 at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan, April 4, 2025. (Photo by Qian Jun/Xinhua)

New vehicles are on display at a car dealership in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on April 3, 2025. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Thursday Canada will be responding by matching the U.S. approach with 25 percent tariffs on all vehicles imported from the United States that are not compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

An aerial photo shows farmers work in a field in Tancheng County of Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province, April 4, 2025. (Photo by Zhang Chunlei/Xinhua)

The undated photo shows artifacts uncovered from an ancient tomb in Luxor, Egypt. A joint Egyptian-French archeological mission uncovered tombs and buildings that reveal more history about the Ramesseum Temple in the southern city of Luxor, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement on Friday. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/Handout via Xinhua) TO GO WITH New discoveries in S. Egypt reveals history of Ramesseum Temple
Peter Burnett OBE BBS, CEO of the China-Britain Business Council, delivers a speech during the 2025 "Invest in China" UK Session in London, Britain, April 4, 2025. The event, held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, aimed to promote bilateral trade and investment between China and Britain.(Xinhua/Jia Yuchen)

LONDON, April 5 (Xinhua) -- British Chancellor Rachel Reeves' visit to China in January demonstrates a commitment to engaging constructively on difficult issues to provide certainty for businesses, said British trade experts during the 2025 "Invest in China" UK Session on Friday.

The event, held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, aimed to promote bilateral trade and investment between China and Britain.

John Edwards, director for Investment at the British Department for Business and Trade, said in his speech that the British government is working collaboratively to remove barriers to investment, such as regulations, grid connections, high-skilled migration and planning challenges, emphasizing that Britain has accepted the Chinese Ministry of Commerce's offer to be the Country of Honour at this year's China International Fair for Investment and Trade in Xiamen.

"The UK should be a natural partner for China's top-tier companies looking to go global, regardless of destination, because it is the number one investment location in Europe," said Edwards. "It presents a real opportunity for top-tier Chinese companies as an ideal platform to establish European headquarters, commercial R&D and manufacturing. Of course, China continues to present exciting investment opportunities for UK companies."

Peter Burnett OBE BBS, CEO of the China-Britain Business Council, underscored the importance of dialogue in an era where tariffs and protectionism are gaining traction, saying that such engagement is effective in spotlighting key issues and addressing differences.

"In a world which has otherwise done so well, where business is allowed to get on with what it does best -- to meet customer needs with products serving purposes at a fair and reasonable price point -- interference is not needed to control that process," Burnett said.

He also stressed the significance of conferences like this one, calling them an important part of China's outreach to international businesses, saying these events demonstrate China's commitment to reform and opening up, and attracting international investment.

"Dialogue like this is important because it inspires confidence for investors and businesses to grow their operations in China and make further investments," Burnett added.

Jack Perry, chairman of the 48 Group Club, commented on recent global developments, saying: "Recent tariffs and escalations in the United States have sent ripples throughout the global economy. Markets are nervous, supply chains are adapting, but one nation's anxiety doesn't rewrite the global script."

Perry described "high-level opening up" as a fitting phrase to capture China's forward-thinking approach, noting that British businesses are ready to match that spirit in their investments in China. "Britain and China are natural partners, and history tells us that better than anything else," he said.

On the Chinese side, Hubei Province extended a warm invitation to British businesses.

Long Xiaohong, director of Hubei's Department of Commerce, said that the province is committed to strengthening the confidence of international enterprises operating there.

"We are eager to expand investment access and guide foreign capital into key sectors such as automobile manufacturing, electronics and life sciences," Long said. 

Jack Perry, chairman of the 48 Group Club, delivers a speech during the 2025 "Invest in China" UK Session in London, Britain, April 4, 2025. The event, held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, aimed to promote bilateral trade and investment between China and Britain.(Xinhua/Jia Yuchen)

John Edwards, director for Investment at the British Department for Business and Trade, delivers a speech during the 2025 "Invest in China" UK Session in London, Britain, April 4, 2025. The event, held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, aimed to promote bilateral trade and investment between China and Britain.(Xinhua/Jia Yuchen)
TAIYUAN, April 5 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,000 people have been mobilized to battle a wildfire in Pingyao County, north China's Shanxi Province, as of 6 p.m. Saturday, local authorities said.

The blaze was first reported around noon on Friday at the border between Qinyuan County and Pingyao County. Firefighting operations remain ongoing and the total area affected by the fire is still being assessed.

Eight firefighting aircraft have been deployed and are continuously working to extinguish the blaze. Eleven fire trucks and 65 firefighters have been dispatched to ensure water supply to the fire zone and to protect nearby villages.

According to rescuers at the scene, strong winds have made the operation particularly challenging. 
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets the press during a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) foreign ministers' meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on April 3, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

BRUSSELS, April 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended his first NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, where he reaffirmed Washington's position that Europe should take more responsibility for defending the alliance.

As talks unfolded on critical issues such as the Ukraine crisis, defense spending, and NATO's strategic direction, growing questions emerged about whether Europe can afford to acquiesce to U.S. goals at the expense of its own core interests and whether the terms of the transatlantic partnership should be redefined.

CONTENTIOUS GATHERING

Calling on European allies to significantly increase their defense spending, Rubio repeated Washington's commitment to NATO at the meeting.

U.S. President Donald Trump is not against NATO but "against a NATO that does not have the capabilities it needs to fulfill the obligations that the treaty imposes upon each and every member state," Rubio argued.

Trump has called on NATO members to raise their defense spending to 5 percent of GDP -- a threshold that no member currently meets.

According to NATO estimates, 23 of the alliance's 32 members met or exceeded the current 2 percent guideline last year, while major European economies such as Italy and Spain remain below the target, spending approximately 1.5 percent and 1.3 percent of GDP, respectively.

In a February interview with Tagesspiegel newspaper, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius rejected the 5 percent target as "unrealistic and unnecessary," arguing that such a level would consume nearly half of Germany's federal budget.

The meeting's atmosphere grew tense after Trump announced a "Liberation Day" tariff plan on Wednesday, which includes a 20 percent "reciprocal" tariff on EU imports.

Rubio refrained from commenting directly, but the latest tariff announcement triggered strong reactions from U.S. allies. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly warned that the relationship with Washington would "never be the same again," while Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever remarked, "It becomes a little complicated to demand things from us ... after we are constantly humiliated and insulted all the time."

Rubio also avoided commenting on Trump's earlier remarks about acquiring Greenland. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen confirmed that he had "strongly objected" to the idea during his meeting with Rubio despite the topic not being formally on the agenda.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte similarly avoided addressing these sensitive topics, saying only, "I think we should zoom out from Greenland," and refrained from commenting on the trade dispute, noting that it falls outside the scope of alliance policy.

WIDENING TRANSATLANTIC RIFT

On Friday, Rubio canceled his planned final press conference at the close of the NATO meeting, citing a scheduling change.

The decision mirrored a similar arrangement in March when U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance's visit to Greenland was scaled back to a brief stop at a remote U.S. military base after residents reportedly declined to meet him or his wife.

Though minor, these incidents reflect a broader unease with the U.S. diplomatic presence in Europe.

Last month, Trump suspended U.S. military aid to Ukraine and initiated direct talks with Moscow and Kiev, excluding European allies. The move sparked alarm across the continent, as officials feared being sidelined in a conflict unfolding on their doorstep.

In response, France and Germany urged more decisive European leadership, while eastern states pushed for greater defense coordination. "It's not just about Ukraine," Politico quoted one EU official as saying. "It's about whether Europe still has a seat at the table."

Meanwhile, reports that the United States is planning to reallocate military resources from Europe have raised further concerns on the continent about potential security gaps, particularly over how to replace critical enablers such as surveillance, refueling and command systems -- capabilities still largely dependent on the United States.

Concurrently, the EU's 150 billion euro (164 billion U.S. dollars) security action fund to support domestic defense industries -- excluding U.S. firms -- has drawn objections from Washington.

Trust was further eroded by the recent leak of Signal messages from Trump's inner circle. The messages, which included operational chatter about U.S. strikes in Yemen, also revealed blunt disdain for European allies. Vance wrote that he "hated bailing out Europe again," while U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth replied, "I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It's PATHETIC."

European officials reacted with anger. "Despite the sometimes nice diplomatic words, trust is broken," one EU diplomat told Politico. "There is no alliance without trust."

REDEFINING TRANSATLANTIC TIES

Rubio's visit was widely viewed as part of a broader effort to manage tensions ahead of the NATO leaders' summit in The Hague, set for June 24-26. However, European diplomats are concerned that the summit, which is expected to include Trump, could become a flashpoint for confrontation.

According to the European news website Euractiv, one worst-case scenario involves Trump using the summit to pressure allies into making concessions on several issues. Analysts suggest that, despite Rubio's visit, Trump's hardline stance leaves little room for compromise.

Such developments have reinforced a growing consensus among analysts and officials that current tensions are not merely cyclical but indicative of a more lasting shift.

Max Bergmann of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S. think tank, warned that the United States and Europe are "on a collision course" that could reshape the alliance on "every issue." "Europe is now staring at the beginning of a new post-American age," he wrote.

In an article published in Modern Diplomacy, John Calabrese, international relations professor at American University, wrote: "If the current trend toward strategic retrenchment and unilateral coercion continues, the transatlantic relationship will likely be redefined along new, less interdependent lines." 

Attendees pose for a group photo during a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) foreign ministers' meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on April 3, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Mark Rutte speaks during a press conference following a NATO foreign ministers' meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on April 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

This photo taken on April 4, 2025 shows a view of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen speaks to media during a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) foreign ministers' meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on April 3, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas (R) arrives for a NATO foreign ministers' meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on April 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy (1st L), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Mark Rutte (2nd L) and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock are seen before a NATO foreign ministers' meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on April 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)
KABUL, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan interim government's Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs announced on Friday that more than 653,000 families of widows, orphans, and disabled individuals have been registered in the past three and a half years.

"A payment of 2,000 afghani (about 28 U.S. dollars) is allocated for each individual identified as a widow or an orphan. The registered number of widows and orphans with us rose to 120,000 to 130,000," Tolonews quoted Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the deputy minister of martyrs and disabled, as saying.

Efforts to establish educational and professional centres for martyrs and disabled families are ongoing.

Meanwhile, the ministry donated about 12.5 billion afghani (about 176 million U.S. dollars) to support nearly 600,000 widows, orphans, and people with disabilities during the past year. 
JAKARTA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Tourism can serve as an economic defense tool against U.S. reciprocal tariff policies, countering the risks they pose, an Indonesian minister said here.

Indonesian Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said that the tourism sector, classified as a service industry, is not subject to such tariffs and continues to generate foreign exchange.

Widiyanti made the statement in response to experts' concerns that barriers to Indonesia's exports to the United States could accelerate the weakening of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar.

"When exports of goods are subject to high tariffs, we must look to other sectors that can serve as a balance," Widiyanti said.

"Tourism is a form of service export that is not impacted by trade tariff policies," she added in a press release issued on Saturday.

The minister noted that Indonesia can optimize the enormous potential of the tourism sector as a major source of foreign exchange that is free from trade barriers. "By attracting more foreign visitors, we will be able to maintain the stability of the rupiah and foreign exchange reserve," she said.

The Ministry of Tourism is encouraging businesses across the country to prepare and take advantage of opportunities arising from shifting global dynamics to promote Indonesia as a world-class tourist destination.

Indonesia possesses significant tourism potential, but the 13.9 million foreign visitors recorded in 2024 are still very concentrated in certain destinations. The ministry urges all tourism stakeholders to focus on both increasing visitor numbers and enhancing the quality of visits, which may generate higher spending, as the opportunity is still wide and open.

With these measures, Widiyanti is optimistic that the tourism sector can support the national economy amid ongoing external pressures and help position Indonesia as a leading global destination. 
The third batch of emergency humanitarian aid supplies for earthquake disaster relief dispatched by the Chinese government arrives at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, April 5, 2025. (Photo by Haymhan Aung/Xinhua)

YANGON, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The third batch of emergency humanitarian aid supplies dispatched by the Chinese government arrived at Yangon International Airport in Myanmar on Saturday. 

The third batch of emergency humanitarian aid supplies for earthquake disaster relief dispatched by the Chinese government arrives at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, April 5, 2025. (Photo by Haymhan Aung/Xinhua)

The third batch of emergency humanitarian aid supplies for earthquake disaster relief dispatched by the Chinese government arrives at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, April 5, 2025. (Photo by Haymhan Aung/Xinhua)

The third batch of emergency humanitarian aid supplies for earthquake disaster relief dispatched by the Chinese government arrives at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, April 5, 2025. (Photo by Haymhan Aung/Xinhua)

The third batch of emergency humanitarian aid supplies for earthquake disaster relief dispatched by the Chinese government arrives at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, April 5, 2025. (Photo by Haymhan Aung/Xinhua)

The third batch of emergency humanitarian aid supplies for earthquake disaster relief dispatched by the Chinese government arrives at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, April 5, 2025. (Photo by Haymhan Aung/Xinhua)
by Elbrus Mamedov

The Trump administration has relentlessly pursued protectionist policies that have destabilized global trade. The term "tariff neocolonialism" aptly captures how the United States leverages tariffs to suppress equitable development in the Global South.

The administration's embrace of neo-mercantilism is represented by a particularly aggressive form of trade protectionism. The global fallout from this approach has been significant. It's evident that the main victim of Trump's trade policies is the Global South, given how these countries depend on exports to the U.S. market. The tariffs are likely to drive up the cost of goods, making them less competitive on the world stage.

If the Global South and other critics of U.S. tariff policies retaliate with counter-sanctions, the world could descend into a cascade of trade wars.

Let's move to Europe. The European Union (EU) has been on a mission to carve out strategic autonomy and diversify its economic relationships, especially in light of these developments. The new U.S. tariffs are likely to negatively impact European companies, particularly those in the automotive, energy and technology sectors.

In response, the EU has been increasing ties with various regions. Of particular note is the EU's growing involvement in BRICS+ as observers and investors, along with the expansion of its relations with Turkiye and the Gulf countries.

The relationship between China and the United States is one of the most significant and complex in the world, and their cooperation is imperative in addressing global challenges. Despite the relationship's uncertain future, joint efforts are needed to help avoid insurmountable global pitfalls and create win-win models of engagement.

However, the present moment is characterized by U.S. tariff hegemonism, a tool employed to pressure China despite its consistent efforts to cultivate a stable and harmonious relationship with the United States founded on mutual respect and shared interests.

The U.S. administration's protectionist policies have caused significant uncertainty. As the world's two largest economies, China and the United States share a responsibility to champion global peace and development, a sentiment echoed by numerous nations.

The vision of a community with a shared future for mankind forms the foundation of China's approach to addressing global challenges and achieving sustainable development goals. It implies a necessity for enhanced cultural and diplomatic understanding between nations, which would contribute to global stability and peace.

For Global South nations, this vision offers a powerful foundation for solidarity, one rooted in principles of sovereign equality and mutual respect. The pursuit of a more just and prosperous world order aligns with their collective aspiration for equitable international governance, where all states have a meaningful voice in shaping global decisions.

China's multilateral approach to global security, based on mediation, economic support and political dialogue, is endorsed by the Global South. It implies a partnership to solve global problems, focusing on cooperation rather than hegemony and creating a community with a shared future for mankind.

China has consistently reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to the Global South, a pledge that remains resolute amid shifting global dynamics. This dedication manifests through tangible support for regional partners, including vigorous advocacy for their interests in international forums.

Such a stance aligns with China's broader foreign policy to foster partnerships with nations historically marginalized by an inequitable world order.

Editor's note: Elbrus Mamedov is head of the Great Silk Road -- Centre of Expert Analysis, a research center in Georgia.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Xinhua News Agency.
TAIYUAN, April 5 (Xinhua) -- China's Tomb-Sweeping Day, traditionally a time for remembering the deceased, is also a perfect occasion for spring outings and sightseeing. While the country has a three-day holiday that started on Friday, Chinese tourists are leveraging visa-free policies, cost-effective flights and tech-driven tools to embark on "instant getaways" abroad, injecting new vitality into global tourism.

Wang Liuqing, a white-collar worker from Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, headed to Jeju Island in the Republic of Korea (ROK) for the holiday.

"A visa-free destination is a priority," said Wang, adding that the island's jelly-like sea and cherry blossoms have offered fantastic opportunities for photography. On the social platform rednote, numerous Chinese tourists have shared their travel tips for Jeju Island, with over 1 million related posts.

The latest booking data from the Chinese travel platform Tuniu shows the number of outbound travelers during this year's holiday is expected to reach a three-year high.

As of 2025, over 80 countries and regions offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to Chinese citizens.

Wang Liyang, the operation manager of Fliggy, a leading online travel agency, said that individual travel has become the main way for Chinese tourists to travel abroad. Consumers are keen on designing their own itineraries based on online travel guides and booking unique local attractions and activities online, such as diving, sea fishing, hot spring soaking and boat tours.

New digital tools are optimizing travel routes for Chinese tourists. Several domestic travel apps have introduced AI solutions, offering customized international travel guides, personalized itineraries and real-time ticket booking -- making short trips more convenient than ever.

Low-cost air tickets and efficient customs clearance have also contributed to the popularity of international travel. Online ticketing platforms show that direct flights from Beijing to cities like Hanoi and Bangkok, and from Shanghai to cities like Seoul and Osaka, all cost less than 1,000 yuan (about 140 U.S. dollars).

"A budget-friendly trip sparks more passion for travel," said Wang with Fliggy.

According to Skift, a U.S. travel industry news site, China's outbound tourism market is projected to surge to 200 million trips by 2028.

Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, said that more Chinese tourists are now willing to pay for a better lifestyle -- opting for good hotels, fine dining, and high-quality cultural performances during trips.

These minor but exquisite, beautiful and heartwarming experiences with deep immersion will bring warmth and vitality to international destinations, said Dai. 
MANILA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the energy ministries of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support the feasibility study for the Caspian Green Energy Corridor project on Saturday.

The initiative is part of the ADB's regional technical assistance for the project.

The MoU establishes a high-level framework for cooperation, focusing on developing a robust institutional and legal framework to facilitate cross-border electricity trade among Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

The Caspian Green Energy Corridor project aims to bolster regional energy cooperation and promote green energy trade among most Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC) member countries.

The project will involve the interconnection of energy systems and the establishment of a green corridor for renewable energy transmission and trade. It envisions the comprehensive transmission of green energy from the Caspian region to Europe via the Black Sea Cable.

The initiative aligns with ADB's mission to support sustainable development and regional cooperation, promoting energy security, sustainability, and economic development in the region.

CAREC is a partnership of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and development partners working together to promote development through cooperation, leading to accelerated economic growth and poverty reduction. 
MANDALAY, Myanmar, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The China International Search and Rescue Team continued to conduct medical outreach on Saturday in the urban area of Mandalay region, Myanmar.

Through disease screening, consultations, medication guidance, and medicine distribution, the team provided "zero-distance" medical services to the 7.9-magnitude earthquake-affected residents.

At a relief camp near the University of Medicine in Mandalay, the team's medical personnel utilized self-developed mobile diagnostic equipment such as handheld ultrasound devices, portable X-ray machines, and bedside ECG monitors to conduct free examinations for over 250 local residents. Essential medications, including anti-infectives, analgesics, and antihypertensives, were distributed on-site based on diagnoses.

Near Mandalay Palace, the medical personnel team tailored solutions for prevalent local diseases, particularly respiratory, digestive, and immune system disorders exacerbated by the high temperatures in the earthquake-affected areas, providing medication guidance and conducting health education on respiratory care and chronic disease management to enhance public health awareness and self-care capabilities.

The team comprises over 10 experts from the China International Search and Rescue Team, spanning 14 specialties, including internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics.

Since deploying to Myanmar, they have supported search-and-rescue operations and structural assessments while disinfecting over 120,000 square meters of rescue and operational zones.

Collaborating with other Chinese rescue teams, including China Search and Rescue Team, a rescue team from China's Hong Kong and Shenzhen Public Welfare Rescue Team, they have provided round-the-clock medical support, conducting over 500 medical consultations.

The China International Search and Rescue Team will continue to conduct medical outreach across Mandalay's relief camps in batches, prioritizing treatment for acute and chronic conditions such as respiratory, hepatobiliary, cardiovascular, and endocrine disorders.

Additionally, they plan to donate urgently needed medical supplies and equipment to local facilities. 
ADDIS ABABA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia has signed carbon trading agreements worth 70 million U.S. dollars with various countries and international institutions, local media reported.

Ethiopia has increased its forest cover to 23.6 percent through its Green Legacy Initiative, which has helped the country sign multiple memoranda of understanding with various bilateral and multilateral partners, including the World Bank, the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported Friday, quoting Kebede Yimam, director general of Ethiopian Forestry Development.

These agreements have enabled the country to generate 70 million dollars through carbon trading, the report said.

Launched in 2019, the Green Legacy Initiative aims to combat deforestation, restore degraded landscapes and enhance environmental resilience. The Ethiopian Forestry Development agency has recently announced plans to plant 7.5 billion seedlings during the upcoming rainy season, from June to September.

On Tuesday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the country has successfully surpassed its ambitious goal of planting more than 40 billion seedlings under the initiative.

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, carbon markets present an opportunity for African countries to leverage their abundant natural resources to unlock economic value and accelerate sustainable industrialization and economic transformation. 
This photo provided by China Railway Jianchang Engineering Company (CRJE) (East Africa) Limited shows Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan (C) inaugurating the new judiciary headquarters in Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania, April 5, 2025. (Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Saturday inaugurated the new judiciary headquarters in the capital, Dodoma, which was constructed by China Railway Jianchang Engineering Company (CRJE) (East Africa) Limited, a leading Chinese construction firm.

The headquarters houses the three highest branches of the Tanzanian judiciary: the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The landmark nine-story building, covering 63,244 square meters, features artificial intelligence services, visitor-guiding robots and a designated helipad.

Speaking after inaugurating Judiciary Square, Hassan said that the new headquarters should be used to enhance the administration of justice in the country.

This substantial investment, along with ongoing training programs for judges and judiciary officials, demonstrates the government's commitment to strengthening the judiciary's capacity and efficiency, she said.

Jiang Yuntao, chairman of CRJE (East Africa) Limited, said that since taking part in the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway in 1969, CRJE has remained deeply committed to localized development in Tanzania.

In Dodoma, the company has delivered landmark projects including the Parliament Building, the University of Dodoma, the PSSSF Tower and the Ministry of Water headquarters.

Jiang said that the company will continue to support the capital's growth and socio-economic development through quality construction and local talent development. 

This photo provided by China Railway Jianchang Engineering Company (CRJE) (East Africa) Limited shows Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan speaking during the inauguration ceremony of the new judiciary headquarters in Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania, April 5, 2025. (Xinhua)
ABUJA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 52 people were killed and others injured during the week by suspected gunmen in central Nigeria, local authorities said Friday.

The attacks since Wednesday night have caused panic across communities in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. The assailants fired indiscriminately at locals and set homes ablaze, Farmasum Fuddang, head of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council Vanguard, told reporters in the state capital of Jos.

Fuddang has been leading other volunteers in combing nearby bushes for bodies. "At least 31 people were given a mass burial on Thursday," he said.

Also on Thursday, the bodies of five young victims in the village of Hurti were found, Fuddang said, adding that 16 other bodies were found during the search across several villages in the Bokkos area.

The motive for the latest bloodshed is unknown. Bokkos is one of the most frequently attacked areas in Nigeria's Plateau State, which is in the country's central belt between the Muslim-dominated north and the Christian-majority south.

In a statement, the Plateau State government condemned the attacks, saying security agencies had already arrested some suspects concerning the "unfortunate development."

Armed attacks have been a primary security threat in Nigeria's northern and central regions, leading to deaths and kidnappings in recent months. 
TUNIS, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian authorities have been dismantling camps housing undocumented sub-Saharan African migrants in the El Amra area near the eastern port city of Sfax, private radio station Mosaique FM reported on Saturday.

The radio, citing National Guard Spokesman Houcemeddine Jbabli, said the operation, which has been ongoing for three days, involved regional officials, security forces, Red Crescent teams, and health services.

Sanitary operations were conducted immediately after the camps were cleared to mitigate health and environmental risks, Jbabli added.

The spokesman estimated that around 20,000 undocumented migrants were concentrated in the El Amra and nearby Jebniana areas of Sfax province, a region that has become a primary departure point for people attempting perilous sea crossings to Italy.

Jbabli noted that many of the migrants are victims of human trafficking networks.

Authorities are coordinating with international migration organizations to facilitate the voluntary return of migrants to their home countries, according to Jbabli.

He confirmed the dismantling operation was ongoing and that repatriation plans were proceeding under the daily supervision of President Kais Saied.

Tunisia, situated in the central Mediterranean, faces pressure as a major transit point for migrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East seeking to reach Europe, often embarking on dangerous boat journeys towards the Italian island of Lampedusa. 
KABUL, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Afghan counter-narcotics police have smashed poppy farms on 180 acres of land, and arrested three people in south Afghanistan's Helmand province, provincial police spokesman Mullah Ezatullah Haqqani said Saturday.

The counter-narcotics police made the arrests and destroyed the poppy farms in operations conducted in Kajaki district of the province over the past couple of days, the official said, adding that police will not allow anyone to cultivate illegal crops.

Police have also taken into custody three people on charges of involvement in drug trafficking, the official said.

The Afghan interim government has banned poppy cultivation, processing and drug trafficking to eliminate the drug menace. 
MANILA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- A van carrying tourists plunged into a 50-meter ravine in the northern Philippines, killing five passengers on board and injuring nine more, police said Saturday.

The police said the accident happened around 10 p.m. local time on Friday in Sadanga, a town in the Mountain Province, north of Manila.

According to the investigation, the van slid down the road and landed in the river, resulting in the death of three male and two female passengers at the scene.

Rescuers who immediately rushed to the scene used ropes to descend the ravine and lift the surviving passengers to safety.

The survivors were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The province in the Cordillera Administrative Region has narrow, steep, and slippery roads on rainy days. 
ISLAMABAD, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistan Army said on Friday that security personnel have killed two terrorists during an operation in the Kech district of the country's southwestern Balochistan province.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, said in a statement that the security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in the Buleda area of the district following reports of terrorist presence.

The ISPR said the troops effectively engaged the terrorists' location during the operation and, after an intense exchange of fire, killed the two terrorists.

"The killed terrorists had been actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area against law enforcement agencies as well as innocent civilians," the military added.

A clearance operation is currently underway in the region to eliminate any remaining terrorists, the statement said.

"The security forces of Pakistan, in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability, and progress in Balochistan," the ISPR added. 
HONG KONG, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Major economies in the Asia-Pacific region have voiced opposition to the recent U.S. tariff hike, saying the protectionist move will not only hurt their economy but could backfire and jeopardize the current global trading system at large.

Noting the U.S. tariffs imposed on Japanese goods are a "national crisis," Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Friday that the "reciprocal tariffs" decision is extremely regrettable and disappointing despite calls from Tokyo, one of the closest allies of Washington in the region.

Ishiba said Japan has been the world's largest investor in the United States since 2019, noting that Japanese carmakers have made direct investments worth about 418 million U.S. dollars and created 2.3 million jobs in the United States.

U.S. tariff hikes will have a significant impact on bilateral economic relations, the global economy and the multilateral trade system, he said, expressing serious concern over whether the tariff plan is consistent with World Trade Organization rules and the Japan-U.S. trade agreements.

Tokyo stocks closed lower Friday with the benchmark Nikkei index falling for a second straight day to a new eight-month low, amid fears of a global recession in the wake of U.S. tariff hikes.

On the same day, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in a video message that the U.S. tariff move marks "a seismic change in the global order" and poses serious threats to small and open economies like Singapore.

"We are entering a new phase -- one that is more arbitrary, protectionist, and dangerous," Wong said, adding that the United States is "abandoning the entire system it had created" and the new approach of applying "reciprocal tariffs" on a country-by-country basis represents "a complete rejection of the WTO framework."

"If other countries adopt the same approach as the U.S. -- abandoning the WTO and trading only on their own preferred terms, country by country -- it will spell trouble for all nations," he said.

Wong also warned that the higher tariffs, combined with the uncertainty over how other countries might respond, would weigh heavily on the global economy. "International trade and investments will suffer, and global growth will slow."

In the latest survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, more than two-thirds of the chamber's members view the U.S. "reciprocal tariffs" as a greater business concern. Over 70 percent of respondents anticipate a negative impact on their operations. Nearly half plan to pass increased costs on to consumers.

The Australian government also expressed its opposition to the U.S. tariff decision. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Thursday that the tariffs have "no basis in logic" and were "not the act of a friend."

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said that the United States represents about 5 percent of Australia's export market, but that the economy would not be "immune" to the global impacts of the tariffs.

"These escalating trade tensions, these tariffs announced by the Trump administration in Washington D.C., are self-defeating, they are self-sabotaging, and in a time when there's not a lot of growth in the global economy, this will slow global growth and it will push prices higher as well around the world."

In the Southeast Asian country of Indonesia, experts project that the newly announced U.S. tariffs will likely trigger an economic recession by year-end, hitting the country's exports and weakening the rupiah.

Wijayanto Samirin, an economist at Paramadina University, said the tariffs will erode Indonesia's projected 5 percent economic growth, warning that the U.S. tariffs will cause job losses in Indonesia, as labor-intensive industries dominate the country's exports to the United States.

On Friday, Indonesia said it was working closely with Malaysia, another member state and this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to respond to new U.S. tariffs

In a meeting on the day between Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Malaysia's minister of investment, trade and industry, they acknowledged that the U.S. tariff policy poses a major challenge to the dynamics of global trade and discussed ways to strengthen ASEAN's regional economy.

"It's necessary to synchronize between ASEAN countries because all 10 ASEAN countries are affected by the U.S. reciprocal tariff policy, so it is necessary to collectively build communication and engagement with the U.S. government," said the Indonesian official. 
MANDALAY, Myanmar, April 5 (Xinhua) -- On the banks of the Irrawaddy River, the ancient city of Mandalay in Myanmar is slowly waking up from the disaster.

Ko San Lwin, 52, is in a particularly good mood as his doctor on Saturday told him that he has recovered well and can be discharged from the hospital. After three days of rehabilitation treatment, he can finally share his nightmare of nearly 125 hours under earthquake debris with a little ease.

At about 17:40 local time on Wednesday, a Chinese rescue team successfully rescued Ko San Lwin, who had been trapped for more than five days under the relics of the Golden Country Hotel in Mandalay.

"When the earthquake occurred, my companion and I were chatting in the room. Suddenly, the whole building shook violently, and I quickly rolled to the side of the bed," he recalled, adding he was lucky as the fallen ceiling hit the bed and formed a narrow survival space for him and he only had a slight injury to his hand.

Called his companion right after the strong tremors, Ko San Lwin learned that his waist was severely injured. Unable to touch each other, the two could only communicate from time to time to confirm each other's situation while saving energy and waiting quietly for rescue.

It was completely dark around them. Ko San Lwin carefully explored his surroundings. Through touch, he found a can and opened it. It was chocolate drink powder brought by his companion, which gave him the confidence to survive.

There is no water. He had no choice but to drink his own urine using the lid of the can as a cup. While he persisted, he knocked around with the stick he found for help. In the small gap between debris, there was no way to tell day or night, and only the sound of passing motorcycles outside could be vaguely heard.

Gradually, his companion fell into silence, and there was no response to his knocking. Despair seemed to push out the oxygen around Ko San Lwin... Without knowing how long it had been, he stopped eating and planned to give up...

"Hey!" Bang, bang, bang... "Is there anyone? We are the rescue team!"

"Someone found me! I thought of my family and friends, and I knew I could see them again!" Ko San Lwin was excited. He finally heard the long-awaited voice and made every effort to respond to the rescuers, waiting for the moment to see the light again.

At about 14:00 on Wednesday, the outside of the hotel was cordoned off, and ambulances and generators were put into operation. The Chinese rescuers began to work. Hearing the sound of the electric saw, Ko San Lwin knew he was about to be rescued.

"The sound became clearer and clearer, and finally the ceiling broke, and I saw the people who saved me." Ko San Lwin's eyes could not bear the strong light, and he closed his eyes to communicate with the rescuers and doctors. "An interpreter was communicating with me, so I knew from the beginning that it was the Chinese rescuers who saved me."

"I really don't know how to express my gratitude to the Chinese rescuers! Without them, I would not be able to see all this again. I am finally reunited with my family, and I am so happy!" he said.

After discharge from the hospital, Ko San Lwin and his wife planned to stay in Mandalay for one night, and then go home in the countryside to reunite with their sons.

Ko San Lwin's wife told Xinhua that they plan to treat the villagers to a meal and tell them about their experiences. 
ISTANBUL, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police seized 455.2 kilograms of cocaine on Saturday in an operation at Istanbul Airport, the country's largest airport, authorities said.

In a statement posted on X, the Turkish Trade Ministry announced authorities discovered that a suspicious cargo shipment of foreign origin was set to transit through Turkiye. Acting on this intelligence, authorities launched a comprehensive inspection.

A video released by the ministry showed officers using specially trained dogs to search the cargo, ultimately revealing the hidden "cocaine-type drug" inside 40 boxes.

The ministry said an investigation into the incident is ongoing. 
LONDON, April 5 (Xinhua) -- British automaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will temporarily suspend shipments of its vehicles to the United States for one month in response to a 25 percent tariff imposed by the U.S. government, The Times reported Saturday.

The move is aimed at evaluating the financial impact of the trade measure and formulating strategies to mitigate the increased costs, the report said.

JLR is a major player in the British automotive industry, exporting nearly 100,000 vehicles annually to the U.S., approximately a quarter of its total global sales. With 38,000 employees in Britain, JLR is particularly exposed to the new tariffs, as the U.S. is its largest single market, generating 6.5 billion British pounds (8.4 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue during the last fiscal year.

The suspension will take effect on Monday. Although JLR reportedly maintains a two-month inventory in the U.S. that remains unaffected by the new tariffs, the company is actively considering measures such as price increases for American consumers, cost-cutting initiatives, and redirecting sales efforts to alternative international markets, according to the report.

Analysts from the Institute for Public Policy Research have warned that prolonged tariff exposure could jeopardize up to 25,000 jobs, particularly in the West Midlands, which is home to a dense supply chain network producing steel, plastics, fabrics, and engine parts.

The U.S. is the second-largest market for British-made cars after the European Union, accounting for nearly 20 percent of total vehicle exports, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

JLR said in a statement released on Wednesday: "Our priorities now are delivering for our clients around the world and addressing these new U.S. trading terms." (1 British pound = 1.29 U.S. dollar) 
CANBERRA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell has said he is "not scared" of U.S. President Donald Trump as the nation continues to push for an exemption from U.S. tariffs.

Farrell said on Friday that the current Labor Party government has a "track record" on free trade.

"I'm not scared of President Trump," he told Sky News Australia.

"My job as trade minister is to represent the best interests of Australia, to get these tariffs removed, to negotiate."

Farrell told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio earlier on Friday that the U.S. administration has indicated it is "prepared to talk" about an exemption from the tariffs.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday reiterated his comment from Thursday that the U.S. new baseline 10 percent tariff on imports from Australia was "not the act of a friend".

Albanese, who is seeking to win a second term in power at the general election on May 3, said he is "very confident" that there will still be a demand from the U.S. for Australian beef.

"It's just that U.S. consumers will pay more for it, which is why this is an act of economic self-harm," he told ABC radio.

Asked about opposition leader Peter Dutton's proposal to use defense as a negotiating tool to earn an exemption from the tariffs, Albanese said that doing so would be "reckless".

"Our defense is something that we look to our national interest in. It's not something that you just make a flippant remark about like that," he said.

In his immediate response to the U.S. tariffs on Thursday, Albanese announced a five-point policy response, including strengthening anti-dumping laws to protect local steel and aluminum manufacturers and establishing a strategic reserve of critical minerals.

The ABC reported on Friday night that Albanese's government is planning to turn Australia into a "major player" in the global critical minerals market if re-elected.

According to the ABC, the government has ambitions to develop local capability to process critical minerals.

Ed Husic, minister for science and industry, said on Friday that the government would release details of the critical minerals plan closer to election day. 
The FIA is reportedly set to convene with Formula 1s engine manufacturers next week in Bahrain for a discussion that could herald the return of the naturally aspirated V10 engine.

According to a report by Motorsport.com, the meeting will take place next Friday and will serve as an initial pulse check among the sports manufacturers.

With FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem publicly hinting at a possible V10 revival powered by sustainable fuels, and FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis confirming the concept is under serious consideration, the idea is no longer confined to the fringes of F1s future vision.

But as the paddock buzzes with speculation, not all stakeholders are ready to abandon the hybrid revolution theyve poured millions into perfecting.

Nostalgia Meets Modern Ambition

While F1s return to the famously loud and high-revving V10 engines that powered the grid over25 years ago may appear at odds with global automotive trends, advocates of the move believe it could offer Grand Prix racing the best of both worlds.

Under the proposal being considered, V10 engines would run exclusively on 100% sustainable fuel, positioning F1 as a leader in the push toward net-zero carbon emissions  without sacrificing the visceral, emotive element that has faded in the hybrid era.

The current generation of power units, introduced in 2014, ushered in a wave of electrification. The upcoming 2026 engine formula was expected to lean even further into hybrid technology, with increased electric deployment and simplified components.

However, recent shifts in the broader automotive industry  where confidence in full electrification has waned due to infrastructure limitations and consumer hesitancy  have prompted a reevaluation of priorities.

A naturally aspirated V10 running on sustainable fuels could slash production costs compared to the current V6 hybrid power units, which split their reliance between combustion and electric technology.

With the automotive industry increasingly betting on synthetic fuels over full electrification, the FIA sees an opportunity to align F1 with this shift while reviving a fan-favorite formula.

Imagine the scene: a grid of 20 cars howling through Eau Rouge, their V10s belching sustainable exhaust, blending cutting-edge green tech with the raw emotion of yesteryear.

Hybrid Holdouts: Audi and Honda Push Back

Not everyone is sold on this retro-futurist vision. Audi, poised to enter F1 as a works team in 2026, has staked its reputation on the next-generation hybrid regulations.

The German manufacturers commitment to the sport hinged on a power unit with a strong electric component  a nod to its road-car strategy and the broader push for electrification in the early 2020s.

For Audi, abandoning the V6 hybrid for a V10  especially so late in the day  would feel like a betrayal of the technological narrative that lured them to F1 in the first place.

Sources suggest the company will arrive in Bahrain with a clear message: theyre not here to rewind the clock.

Honda, too, has reason to resist. The Japanese giants return to F1 as a works partner to Aston Martin was catalyzed by the 2026 rules, which promised a balance of hybrid efficiency and performance.

Having walked away from the sport in 2021 only to re-enter with renewed purpose, Honda is unlikely to welcome a pivot that would undo years of R&D.

While the manufacturer has remained tight-lipped on the V10 proposal, its silence speaks volumes any shift away from the hybrid path could strain its fragile reconciliation with F1.

The Timeline Debate: 2028 or 2031?

The Bahrain meeting wont just test manufacturer appetites; itll also wrestle with the question of when this change could happen.

Initial chatter about extending the current V6 hybrid rules by two years, targeting a V10 return in 2028, has been largely dismissed as impractical. Engine manufacturers have already sunk significant resources into the 2026 power units, and a mid-cycle switch would disrupt their plans.

Instead, 2031 emerges as the more plausible horizon  a date that allows the hybrid era  including its next-generation component  to run its course while giving teams and suppliers time to adapt.

However, FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has said that shortening the 2026 hybrid cycle to three years, and introducing its V10 successor in 2028, is an option that is not off the table.

I think the right way around to go about it is: do we want three or four years later to go to a different type of power unit? That's question number one. That looks after the long term for the sport, Tombazis said.

If the answer to that is yes, then there's question number two  what we do in the intervening period. That is definitely a secondary question compared to the primary one.

As the FIA prepares to face the manufacturers in Bahrain, the stakes couldnt be higher.

A return to V10s promises a sensory spectaclelouder, simpler, and cheaper than todays complex hybridswhile aligning with the industrys sustainable fuel revolution. For fans, its a chance to reclaim the soul of a sport thats sometimes felt sanitized by its high-tech evolution.

But for Audi, Honda, and others wedded to the hybrid dream, its a potential derailment of years of planning.

Next weeks meeting wont deliver a final verdict, but it will reveal how deep the divide runs. Will Formula 1 roar back to its roots, or will the hybrid pioneers hold firm?

In the desert heat of Bahrain, the future of the sports soundtrack  and its soul  hangs in the balance.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
Numerous secular trends have shaped the economy and influenced consumer behavior in the past decade. One area that continues to show promise is at the intersection of financial services and technology. An increasingly digital world will help propel this sector for years.

Investors won't struggle to find fintech stocks to invest in. But there's one enterprise with a strong position among both merchants and consumers that deserves a closer look, especially since its shares are currently trading 79% off their peak (as of April 2).

Here's the stock to buy hand over fist in April for investors looking to gain fintech exposure in their portfolios.

Two strong ecosystems

It's not often you find a company that caters to two completely different audiences. That's exactly what Block (NYSE: XYZ) does. Its Square segment serves merchants with various commerce tools, while Cash App is a personal finance app for individuals. Both have experienced rapid adoption.

In Q4 2024, Square posted gross profit growth of 12% on a year-over-year basis. This segment handled gross payment volume of $59 billion during the period, up 10% from Q4 2023. Cash App's gross profit rose by an even better 16%. Executives are focused on increasing paycheck deposits on the platform.

However, there are concerns about competitive forces. Analysts at Morgan Stanley pointed out that Square is giving up market share to its rivals in the space. Perhaps merchants are being more discerning based on price or breadth of offerings, but the field is certainly crowded.

Cash App, on the other hand, currently has 57 million monthly active users. That's a large figure. The issue, though, is that it hasn't changed in four straight quarters. The bright spot is that penetration of Cash App Card accounts is rising.

Management remains hopeful, as you'd expect. In the company's Q4 2023 investor presentation, it was revealed that they believe Square ($130 billion gross profit total addressable market) and Cash App ($75 billion TAM) are staring at massive opportunities. These figures have expanded considerably every three years, so they could be higher in the future. This gives investors optimism over the long term.

Reasons to be bullish on Block

Regardless of what recent trends might tell us, investors won't struggle to become bullish on the business. Here are a few reasons to favor Block, besides the previously mentioned growth potential.

First, as a mission-critical financial partner for its merchant and consumer base, the company's various offerings are certainly essential in the day-to-day lives of its customers. Consequently, there are probably switching costs present.
This story was originally published on Healthcare Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Healthcare Dive newsletter.

Name: David Banks

Previous title: Group CEO for primary health and multi-state divisions, AdventHealth

New title: CEO and president, AdventHealth

David Banks headshot

Banks stepped into the role of CEO and president on Thursday, replacing Terry Shaw, who announced plans to retire in December.

Hes taking the reins at the Florida-based health system ahead of schedule. In December, Shaw said he planned to step down from his post in July. The outgoing CEO will remain on the board of directors as planned, an AdventHealth spokesperson confirmed.

Banks has been with the health system for more than three decades, according to Thursdays press release on his appointment. He has held leadership roles across the system including as CEO for the primary health division and multi-state division of AdventHealth, where he oversaw 22 campuses across eight states, as well as three regional partnerships.

The executive also served as AdventHealths chief strategy officer, where he helped develop Vision 2030, the health systems ongoing 10-year business plan.

Banks assumes the post as AdventHealth is expanding.

AdventHealth operates more than 2,000 care sites, including 55 hospitals, and employs approximately 100,000 people. The system took in $2.3 billion in operating income last year, compared with $1 billion in 2023.

Last month, the system finalized its purchase of ShorePoint Health from Community Health Systems for $260 million. The deal extends AdventHealths grip on the Florida market, where it is a dominant player.

AdventHealths Florida hospitals generated nearly 80% of the providers revenue in 2023 and the health system held approximately 43% of the Central Florida market as of May, according to the most recent financial analysis from credit rating agency Fitch Ratings.

In January, Shaw told investors at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference that AdventHealth aimed to be a $32 billion system in annual operating revenue by 2030, driven in part by growth in Florida.

The executive outlined a plan for expansion that included investing in primary care and outpatient networks, as well completing acquisitions similar to the ShorePoint deal. Shaw said AdventHealth expected to invest about $8 billion into Florida between 2025 and 2030.

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As the April 5 deadline for TikTok to secure a US buyer looms, a new and unexpected bidder has entered the raceAmazon. The e-commerce and cloud computing giant is now competing with other high-profile suitors, including a consortium led by OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely.

The sale of TikTok has been driven by concerns from US officials over its Chinese ownership, with fears that user data could be accessed by the Chinese government.

TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have repeatedly denied these claims. Nonetheless, the U.S. government has pushed for the platform to be sold to a non-Chinese entity or face an outright ban.

Amazons move raises significant questions about its strategy, the future of TikTok, and the broader implications for technology, social media, and digital competition.

Why is Amazon interested in TikTok?

Amazons interest in acquiring TikTok signals a strategic shift into the social media landscape, an area where it has previously had limited success.

While Amazon dominates e-commerce and cloud computing, it has struggled to establish a foothold in the lucrative digital advertising and social media spaces, which are currently controlled by Meta, Google, and increasingly, TikTok itself.

Owning TikTok would give Amazon instant access to a massive, highly engaged user base, particularly among younger audiences. With over a billion users worldwide,

TikTok has become a major driver of online trends, music discovery, andcriticallye-commerce. Amazon could integrate its vast shopping ecosystem directly into TikToks platform, creating a seamless social shopping experience.

This could challenge the dominance of Metas Facebook and Instagram, which have invested heavily in their own shopping features. It would also position Amazon as a major competitor to Google and TikToks own advertising business, potentially shaking up the digital marketing landscape.

What it means for TikTok users

For TikToks users, an Amazon takeover could bring both opportunities and concerns. On the positive side, deeper integration with Amazon could make shopping on TikTok more seamless, allowing users to buy products directly through videos without leaving the app.

Influencers and brands could benefit from enhanced monetisation opportunities, as Amazon could offer new tools for creators to promote and sell products.

However, there are also concerns about how Amazon would handle TikToks user experience and data policies.

Amazon has faced criticism for its handling of user data and aggressive advertising tactics. If it takes control of TikTok, users might see an increase in product promotions and targeted ads, potentially changing the nature of the platform.
By Scott Murdoch

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's plan to introduce dual-class share trading to help revive its weak listing market faces resistance from investors concerned the structure would give too much power to some shareholders, including founders.

The Australian Securities Exchange told Reuters in March it was considering allowing dual-class listings to bring it in line with most major rivals including New York and London.

Dual-class structures typically have two or more types of shares with differing voting rights. Companies might favour such a listing to reward founders or executives however some argue the structure can diminish the rights of other shareholders.

Such criticism contributed to the ASX shelving dual-class shares the last time it floated the idea in 2007. However, a two-decade low in new listings and regulatory calls for action have prompted the exchange operator to reconsider.

ASX faces an uphill battle as fund managers now, as in 2007, remain unconvinced. Dual-class shares would need to be sold at a discount in an IPO to attract local investors, they said.

"Most fund managers would be pretty hostile to dual-class shares," said Hugh Dive, chief investment officer of Atlas Funds Management which has A$200 million ($126.28 million) of funds under management.

"There are different voting interests and we have had enough founder-led problems in the past year. Dual-class shares would give a disproportionate say based on economic interests - you could see a case where founders would get, say, 10 times the amount of say. That creates a lot of governance issues."

Dual-class shares can give founders more power which fund managers said could be a deterrent to invest, especially in light of recent scandals involving founders at WiseTech and Mineral Resources.

"Retail and institutional shareholders could be disadvantaged to founders and that is not ideal to those investors and we would not be supportive of that happening," said Wilson Asset Management's lead portfolio manager Catriona Burns.

REINVIGORATE

ASX's group executive of listings, Blair Beaton, said listing candidates had told the exchange that dual-class shares were one factor taken into account when deciding where to list.

Technology companies typically have dual-class shares which has led to a lack of major listings in Australia from that sector.

"We know there are a range of perspectives and ideas on dual-class shares, however we think it is important to continue to seek feedback and input on measures that will help to continue supporting a dynamic and globally competitive listings market," Beaton said.
We recently published a list of Top 10 Stocks to Watch as Investors Brace for Potential Recession. In this article, we are going to take a look at where TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG) stands against other top stocks to watch as investors brace for potential recession.

President Donald Trumps new reciprocal tariff announcement is hammering stock markets around the world as countries face a new reality and trade dynamics. The rising volatility has increased recession risks. Goldman Sachs recently said that it sees a 35% chance of a recession in the next 12 months, up from 20% previously. The bank also cut its 2025 GDP forecast to just 1% and raised its year-end unemployment rate outlook by 0.3 percentage points to 4.5%.

China and key European countries are beginning to respond to the latest tariffs and will likely impose retaliatory tariffs on US products, causing a further downturn in consumer sentiment. Kara Reynolds, an economist at American University, told ABC News that a pullback in spending from consumers and businesses due to these uncertainties can tip the US into a recession.

READ ALSO: 7 Best Stocks to Buy For Long-Term and 8 Cheap Jim Cramer Stocks to Invest In

For this article, we picked 10 stocks currently on Wall Streets radar. With each stock, we have mentioned the number of hedge fund 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 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).

Analyst Likes TransDigm Group (TDG) Due to Rapid Growth Amid Boeing Troubles

An aerial view of an aircraft factory, showing a flurry of activity on the factory floor.

TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 71

Jed Ellerbroek from Argent Capital said in a latest program that hes bullish on TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG). Here is how he explained his bullish thesis for the aerospace company:
Artemis Resources has signed a binding agreement with GreenTech Metals to establish a 50:50 joint venture (JV), named Andover Lithium, to consolidate their lithium mineral rights in Western Australia (WA).

Andover Lithium will develop the largest lithium exploration tenement package in the Karratha area in the West Pilbara region, spanning more than 420km.

The JV brings together undrilled lithium-bearing pegmatites within the same corridor as the Azure Minerals Tier 1 lithium pegmatite project.

The consolidated tenement package covers a substantial part of the Karratha-Roebourne lithium corridor and comprises six lithium-prospective areas, four of which feature prominent outcropping spodumene-bearing pegmatites.

GreenTech will act as the manager of the JV.

The partnership aims to attract a major funding partner for Andover Lithium.

The companies will fund the JV based on the first-year exploration budget. Andover Lithium will cover 25% of the tenement holding costs.

Additional funds can be raised by proportional contributions from shareholders, company-level financing, issuing equity and alternative transactions.

The JV will allow Artemis and GreenTech to concentrate on core exploration activities in the Karratha region.

Artemis is focusing on gold, prioritising the growth of its Carlow Gold Project and the discovery of new gold deposits, while GreenTech is targeting copper/zinc resource expansion and is working to enhance the resources of high-grade copper and zinc at its wholly-owned Whundo VMS Project.

Both companies recently concluded large-scale diamond drilling campaigns and are now awaiting assay results from several targets.

In September 2024, Artemis Resources partnered with Anax Metals to jointly evaluate the potential for processing copper resources at the Whim Creek processing hub in WA.

"Artemis, GreenTech form Andover Lithium JV, consolidate lithium rights in West Pilbara" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.




By Shadia Nasralla

(Reuters) -BP Chair Helge Lund intends to step down "likely during 2026", the energy group said on Friday amid a campaign by activist hedge fund Elliott for more change at the company.

Lund had backed BP's 2020 strategy under former CEO Bernard Looney to move away from oil and gas, including an ambition to cut its hydrocarbon output by 40% this decade.

BP's shares have been underperforming rivals such as Shell and Exxon, with BP's market capitalisation of around $84 billion currently less than half of Shell's.

Following gradual steps away from that strategy - and Looney's departure in 2023 after it emerged he had not disclosed relationships with colleagues - new Chief Murray Auchincloss in February announced a renewed focus on oil and gas.

"Now is the right time to start the process to find my successor and enable an orderly and seamless handover," Lund said in a statement.

Elliott Management, which has built a near 5% stake in BP according to sources, wants even more change, including a more ambitious asset disposal programme compared with the group's $20 billion divestment target through 2027.

BP's shares were down 1.7% in early trading compared with a 2% fall for a wider index of energy companies.

Elliott has met with other shareholders to discuss issues including potential leadership changes, sources have told Reuters. Elliott Management declined to comment on Friday.

"To several investors we have spoken to, Helge was seen as the chief architect of the prior (2020) strategy, while he also appointed the previous CEO, which ultimately led to material share price underperformance over many years," said RBC analyst Biraj Borkhataria.

"Stepping down voluntarily is probably a better look than the alternative."

Some climate-focused investors have called a vote against Lund's re-election at the April 17 AGM for not allowing shareholders a say on BP's renewed focus on oil and gas.

"The need to vote against the chair in 2025 has not disappeared with his resignation in 2026," said Mark van Baal, founder of the Follow This climate shareholder group, whose resolution received support from 17% of BP shareholders in 2023.

"Investors concerned with good governance must voice their concerns."

Lund received fees and benefits for his role at BP of 882,000 pounds ($1.15 million) for last year and holds stock that was worth 2.8 million pounds as of February, according to BP's annual report.

The successful candidate will join the board and work with Lund ahead of taking on the role, at which point Lund will step down from the board, most likely in 2026, BP said.
(Reuters) -Brookfield Infrastructure Partners is buying Colonial Pipeline, the largest U.S. fuel transportation system, in a deal valued at about $9 billion, including debt, the company said on Thursday.

The deal to acquire all assets of Colonial Enterprises, including Colonial Pipeline, is expected to close in the second half of 2025.

Colonial's pipeline system stretches over 5,500 miles from Houston in Texas to New York's harbor. It moves 100 million gallons of fuel daily, including gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and heating oil, according to its website.

The flagship listed infrastructure company of Brookfield Asset Management will have an equity investment of $500 million in Colonial Enterprises at the deal's closing.

Shell said late on Thursday it was selling its interest in Colonial Enterprises to Colossus AcquireCo, a Brookfield subsidiary, for $1.45 billion.

Colonial's owners - including Canadian pension fund Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ), Shell, and investment firm KKR - had begun exploring a sale of Colonial Pipeline last year.

CDPQ bought its stake in Colonial for $850 million in 2012 from ConocoPhillips. IFM Investors and KKR acquired their respective 15.8% and 23.4% holdings in 2007 and 2010.

Shell consolidated its 16.13% into a single holding in 2019, while a subsidiary of Koch Industries has held its current 28.1% position since 2003.

Reuters reported earlier this week that Brookfield emerged as the winner of an auction process, which the five owners of the pipeline have been running over several months, to buy Colonial Pipeline for more than $9 billion including debt.

(Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Mrigank Dhaniwala)
(Reuters) - Capital One Financial Corp got the greenlight from the Justice Department for its proposed $35 billion acquisition of Discover Financial Services, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

The approval came after the DOJ told other regulators looking into the acquisition that it does not see sufficient competition concerns to block the deal, the report said. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Reserve will review the merger with input from the DOJ.

The DOJ sent a letter to the Federal Reserve and the OCC saying it had concluded its investigation and did not believe there were concerns that warranted blocking the deal, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

"Our deal with Discover Financial complies with the Bank Merger Act's legal requirements and we remain well-positioned to gain approval," a Capital One spokesperson told Reuters, but the company declined to comment further on the approval.

Unveiled in February 2024, the deal would create the biggest U.S. credit card issuer by balances, the sixth-largest bank by assets, and would also give Capital One control of Discover's card payment network  the fourth major payment network operator.

A spokesperson for the DOJ declined to comment, while Discover Financial did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The deal still faces additional antitrust scrutiny from state attorneys general in New York and California.

"We are concerned that the Capital One/Discover merger could most affect those consumers who can afford it the least. No one is above the law and were taking a close look at this proposed merger," said a spokesperson for the office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat.

(Reporting by Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Castillo Hermanos has struck a deal to buy SunnyD maker Harvest Hill Beverage Company from private-equity firm Brynwood Partners.

The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the "definitive agreement" in a statement but, Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported the deal is valued at approximately $1.5bn, including debt.

In the statement, the Guatemalan conglomerate said the deal significantly expands its footprint in the US, providing a platform to scale its operations in the country.

Castillo Hermanos CEO Roberto Lara said: "This is a key moment in our history as we set out to meaningfully expand our reach into the US.

The Central American firm has joined forces with US private-equity firm Centerview Capital, which has made an significant investment and will serve as a partner in expanding its beverage operations in the US.

Set up in 1886, Castillo Hermanos is a family-owned business operating in diverse sectors, including beer and non-carbonated beverages, with brands such as Gallo Beer and Raptor Energy Drink.

Our trusted and iconic brands, combined with Harvest Hill's, offer a compelling product assortment to cater to diverse consumer needs, Lara added.

Harvest Hill was founded in 2014 following Brynwood Partners' acquisition of the Juicy Juice brand from Nestle.

According to Harvest Hill president and CEO Robert Mortati, the two companies strategic visions are aligned.

Together, we will be able to scale our businesses, enhancing the presence of our brands across the beverage marketplace," he said.

Since its inception, Harvest Hill has grown through acquisitions, adding American Beverage Corporation from Wessanen in 2015, Sunny Delight Beverages Company from JW Childs in 2016, and Nutrament from Nestle in 2016.

Its portfolio includes Juicy Juice, SunnyD and adult beverage brands such as Daily's.

Harvest Hill runs six manufacturing facilities across the US, with its products available through all major distribution channels, Brynwood Partners said.

Additionally, Castillo Hermanos plans to introduce its drinks from its Maravilla business unit to the US, including the Del Frutal juices brand and lowering production and distribution costs by manufacturing in the country as opposed to importing.

Harvest Hill employs more than 1,000 staff, including its management team, and all are expected to retain their positions, joining Castillo Hermanos' workforce of over 20,000, the new owner said.

"Castillo Hermanos to buy SunnyD maker Harvest Hill" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand.
This story was originally published on CFO.com. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO.com newsletter.

Jonathan Baksht | Fortune Brands

Fortune Brands appointed Jonathan Baksht as the home and security products makers new chief financial officer, effective May 5. For the last three years, Baksht has been finance chief of Pactiv Evergreen, a fresh food and beverage packaging manufacturer. Before that, he worked at global offshore drilling contractor Valaris. He held several roles over eight years at Valaris, including as CFO, vice president of finance and treasurer. He earlier spent seven years in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and started his career as a management consultant with Andersen Consulting. Baksht succeeds David Barry, who will continue in his role as president of security and connected products and will be working with Baksht on the transition.

Thomas Edwards | Macys

Thomas Edwards will take over as CFO and chief operating officer of Macys on June 22. Edwards joins the retailer from fashion luxury group Capri Holdings, the parent company of Versace, Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors. Edwards has spent eight years at Capri Holdings as its CFO and COO, and before that, he was chief financial officer of restaurant chain Chilis owner Brinker International. He earlier held several finance and operations positions at Wyndham Hotel Group, Kraft Foods and Nabisco Food Service Company. Edwards succeeds Adrian Mitchell, who will leave the company. Mitchell, who has been CFO since 2020, will continue as chief financial officer and chief operating officer through June 21.

Rajal Mehta | Capri Holdings

Capri Holdings named Rajal Mehta as interim CFO to fill in for outgoing finance chief Thomas Edwards. Mehta joined its Michael Kors brand in 2008 and has been chief financial officer of the brand since December 2024. He was previously the divisional vice president of corporate financial planning and analysis at Capri. Mehta earlier held finance roles at Toys R Us and Ralph Lauren.

Rami Hasani | UWM Holdings

Rami Hasani was promoted to chief financial officer of mortgage lender UWM Holdings. Hasani joined the company in 2020 as vice president of financial reporting and compliance and was most recently senior vice president of financial reporting, analysis and compliance. Before joining UWM, he spent over 15 years at Deloitte & Touche, most recently as a senior manager in its advisory practice. Hasani replaces Andrew Hubacker, who has moved into a senior advisor role.

Robyn Liska | Sunnova

Solar energy provider Sunnova named Robyn Liska as interim chief financial officer. Liska previously worked in J.P. Morgans power and renewables investment banking division as an executive director. Before that, she was a director in Bank of Americas energy and clean power equity capital markets group and an associate director in UBSs global power and renewables group. Liska replaces Eric Williams, who has stepped down as CFO.
By Mei Mei Chu, Ethan Wang, Shi Bu and Xiuhao Chen

BEIJING (Reuters) -China on Friday struck back at the U.S tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump with a slew of countermeasures including extra levies of 34% on all U.S. goods and export curbs on some rare earths, deepening the trade war between the world's two biggest economies.

Beijing also imposed restrictions on about 30 U.S. organisations, mostly in defence-related industries, adding to the already two dozen U.S companies punished over Trump's tariffs.

Beijing's sweeping retaliation comes after Trump slapped the world's No. 2 economy with additional 34% tariffs on Chinese goods, bringing the total new levies this year to 54%. Trump also closed a trade loophole that had allowed low-value packages from China to enter the U.S duty-free.

"The U.S move is not in line with international trade rules, seriously undermines China's legitimate and lawful rights and interests, and is a typical unilateral bullying practice," China's finance ministry said.

China called the new round of U.S tariffs a "blatant" violation of World Trade Organization rules and have requested consultations at the WTO.

Trump accused China of panicking in a comment on Truth Social.

"China played it wrong, they panicked - the one thing they cannot afford to do!", he wrote on Friday.

MATCHING DUTIES

China's finance ministry matched U.S. duties with additional tariffs of 34% on all U.S. goods from April 10, on top of the 10%-15% tariffs it imposed on some U.S. agriculture goods in March and 10%-15% tariffs on some energy and farming machinery in February.

Agricultural trade took a deeper hit as Chinese customs imposed an immediate suspension on imports of U.S. sorghum from C&D (USA) INC, as well as inbound shipments of poultry and bone meal from three U.S. firms.

China's biggest imports from the U.S. are soybeans, oilseeds and grains, amounting to $13.4 billion in 2024, as well as $14.7 billion of various fuels and $15.3 billion of electrical machinery, according to U.S. trade data.

"With 34% tariff it will not be possible for U.S. agricultural products to enter China. It is an opportunity for other exporters like Brazil and Australia to increase their market share in China," said Ole Houe, director of advisory services at IKON Commodities in Sydney.

RARE-EARTH CURBS

"As the old Chinese saying goes: 'Courtesy demands reciprocity'," said Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry, in a post on Facebook after the announcement of the Chinese countermeasures.
Dave from Springfield, Illinois is only 21 years old, fresh out of college, debt-free, in a stable relationship and hustling through internships. Hes even considering proposing to his girlfriend to start a new family.

Theres just one pressing concern: his girlfriends enormous pile of debt. He estimates that her total outstanding balance is roughly $70,000.

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Everytime I try to bring it up, shes dismissive about it, said the recent grad on an episode of The Ramsey Show. I dont really want to pay off her debt.

Co-host John Delonys response was as blunt as possible: You should just break up with her, dude.

Heres why the show's mental health expert made a snap judgement that the relationship is doomed already.

Not on the same page

Daves hesitation to marry someone with debt isnt unusual. A 2024 survey by the Achieve Center for Consumer Insights found that 64% of U.S. adults wouldnt want to date someone with a lot of debt. Even an outstanding balance of $10,000 or less would be enough for 29% of people to consider ending their relationship.

Put simply, debt is a deal-breaker for many adults. For Dave, his girlfriends attitude towards the enormous balance also represents how different their outlook on life and money is.

She's a little unmotivated like she isn't really that ambitious, he said, explaining that she hasnt really looked for much work out of college while hes been busy doing internships and building a career.

"I worked so hard to be debt-free and she just kind of took the short-cut and I don't know, it just feels weird for me.

A lack of shared money values once you're in a relationship isnt so common. Roughly 84% of American couples said they were financially compatible with their partner, according to a 2024 Ipsos poll, while 87% said they were comfortable talking to their partner about personal finances.

Delony suggests that Daves lack of shared money goals with his girlfriend foreshadows more disagreements in the future.

Down the road, you're going to run into, Oh, I want to raise kids like this but this is how my dad did it or I don't want to live in this neighborhood or this house, he said. If thats your first impulse is what about me? then youre not ready to get married yet.
Roths, HSAs, 401(k)s and more  when it comes to retirement planning, working Americans have no shortage of tax-advantaged accounts in which they can tuck away money for the later years of their lives.

But with only so much money to go around, the question is: Where should advisors tell savers to put their money?

It's a relatively simple question, but not without its conflicts. Financial advisors tend to agree on fundamental priorities for clients  establishing an emergency fund and contributing to get an employer match on a 401(k)  but it's not long before even experts reach a point of disagreement.

Paying taxes now or later

In retirement planning, one of the biggest decisions an investor has to make is whether to pay income taxes on contributions now or pay taxes on withdrawals later. In practical terms, that means choosing between Roth accounts or traditional 401(k)s and IRAs.

Roth accounts, which allow investments to grow tax-free, have surged in popularity over recent years.

READ MORE: The 10 best- and worst-performing passive ETFs of the past 3 years

From 2016 to 2022, the percentage of households with positive balances in Roth IRAs has increased significantly, according to an analysis of the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances done by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College . That's especially true for younger investors. In 2016, just 6.6% of households age 20 to 29 had a Roth IRA. By 2022, that figure jumped to 19.2%, according to the Center for Retirement Research.

Advisors say that Roth accounts, whether a 401(k) or IRA, are ideal for younger, lower-income workers. But the factors that may make Roths appealing aren't always easy to nail down.

"Deciding on whether to choose traditional or Roth options becomes difficult, requiring guesses as to what future tax rates, account values and retirement income needs may look like," said C Garrett Moore, founder of Moore Financial Management in Bradenton, Florida.



Traditional 401(k)s and IRAs could be a better option for older workers who find themselves in a higher tax bracket, advisors say. Still, making that determination isn't just about an investor's current circumstances. As Moore said, it also involves comparing your current tax rate to what you imagine your future tax rate could be. That future figure is partially influenced by how much money you expect to withdraw in retirement, but it also includes broader assumptions about future tax policy.

A battle of the Roths

Choosing between traditional and Roth accounts may be the first step, but it's certainly not the last. For savers who decide to go the Roth route, there's still debate about which is better: IRAs or 401(k)s.
Kraken has officially registered as a restricted dealer in Canada, the U.S.-based crypto exchange announced on Apr. 2.

The exchange said it has secured the registration after a rigorous process of enhancing its governance, security, and compliance protocols to meet the expectations of the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC). The OSC is a regulatory body that oversees securities legislation in the Canadian province of Ontario.

Kraken has appointed Cynthia Del Pozo as the new general manager for North America, who will lead the firm's expansion across Canada.

The exchange said that the move reaffirms Krakens commitment to serving Canadian crypto investors while complying with enhanced investor protection norms.

This Restricted Dealer registration is testament to the high bar Kraken has always set for consumer protection, client service, and robust security, said Del Pozo.

Kraken will offer free Interac e-Transfer deposits, a local funds transfer service, to its Canadian users to make crypto investing more accessible, affordable and seamless, it added.

The exchange said its combined client assets have exceeded CAD 2 billion ($1.42 billion) over the past two years, offering several CAD spot trading pairs. Besides, it has doubled both its team size and monthly transacting users during the period.

Canada is at a turning point for crypto adoption, with a growing number of investors and institutions recognizing digital assets as a vital part of the financial future, Del Pozo added.

Founded in 2011, Kraken is among the worlds leading crypto exchanges and claims to offer its services to 15 million users globally.
DuPont (DD) said in a regulatory filing that it is aware of a report that the State Administration for Market Regulation of the Peoples Republic of China  SAMR  has initiated an investigation in connection with the companys Tyvek business. DuPont takes this matter very seriously and is cooperating as appropriate with authorities, the company adds, noting that DuPont Tyvek sales to China in full year 2024 were approximately $90M, less than 1% of DuPonts 2024 consolidated net sales. The Fly notes that China Dailys Cheng Yu reported that Chinas State Administration for Market Regulation has launched a probe into DuPont China for suspected monopolistic practices.

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Sen. Dick Durbin met with members of retail and restaurant associations this week, plugging his previously proposed Credit Card Competition Act, but he still hasnt introduced the bill this congressional session.

When Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, spoke at the National Restaurant Associations annual conference in Washington on Wednesday, he recounted how small business owners of gas stations and a convenience store are being hurt by the high cost of swipe fees they pay on credit card transactions. The expense of the fees is eliminating their profits in some cases, he said in a release regarding his appearance at the conference.

Durbin urged restaurateurs to explain their credit card cost plight to their congressional members. Tell your representative how swipe fees take up a huge portion of your budget, how they prevent you from lowering prices, and how you are not able to hire additional employees, the release said.

For two decades, Durbin has been spearheading efforts to reduce fees that merchants are charged by bank card issuers and their card network partners. He pushed legislation that helped cap debit card fees as part of the 2010 Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Durbin has blamed Visa and Mastercard for being a duopoly that has increased the fees.

In the past two years, Durbin teamed up with Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas to sponsor the CCCA, which would encourage competition in the network arena by forcing bank card issuers to ensure that merchants have an alternative network to Visa and Mastercard for routing their credit card transactions. Currently, merchants pay between 2% and 3% in fees every time a consumer uses a credit card to pay.

On Thursday, some members of the National Retail Federation also met with Durbin in his Washington office to speak about the card fee issue and his plan to reintroduce the CCCA bill, a spokesperson for the senator said.

It was great to get some face time with him and talk about the path forward for the Credit Card Competition Act, NRFs senior director of government relations, Dylan Jeon, said in a Friday interview.

Nonetheless, its not clear whats keeping Durbin from moving ahead with reintroducing the CCCA, given his offices stated plan to do so earlier this year. Marshalls office hasnt responded to a request for comment on the matter.
Everyone's always trying to pay less tax, hunting for as many tax deductions as possible to cut their tax bill.

Most Americans know charitable gifts, retirement contributions, student loan and mortgage interest are tax-deductible, but like kids, some taxpayers will test the limits to see what else the IRS will allow. Americans may be surprised by what the IRS has let squeak by.

Over the years, the IRS has allowed some unusual tax deductions, but the circumstances were very specific. Basically, taxpayers must prove the items were necessary or a legitimate business expense. They cant be personal expenses.

Here are examples of extraordinary deductions taxpayers have asked for and received from the IRS. Its important to note that even though these were approved, accountants recommend you consult with a professional before pursuing any offbeat deductions.

Baby oil

Most Americans can't take a tax deduction for baby oil but what if it's necessary for your work?

In 1984, the Tax Court ruled a professional bodybuilder who used body oil to make his muscles glisten in the lights during his competitions could deduct the cost of the oil as a business expense.

However, the Court declined tax deductions for buffalo meat and special vitamin supplements to enhance strength and muscle development, according to TurboTax.

Breast implants

Cosmetic surgery is usually a personal expense and isnt tax-deductible.

In 1994, however, self-employed exotic dancer Cynthia Hess (aka Chesty Love) won her tax case allowing her breast implants in 1988 to be considered a legitimate business expense and could, therefore, have the cost be deducted. She argued that they were necessary to earn a living and that she otherwise wouldnt have enlarged her breasts to such an extent that they made her appear 'freakish.'

The court decided the breast implants satisfied a two-part test: (1) required as a condition of employment and (2) unsuitable for everyday use. The breasts were analogous to a costume, necessary for her job to make money, and because of how large they were, they were unsuitable for everyday use but unable to be removed daily.

A trip to the Caribbean

Business in the sun can be tax deductible!

Conventions in many Caribbean islands as well as Mexico and Canada are deductible without having to show that there was a special reason for the meeting to be held there, TurboTax said. Caribbean islands that get special tax treatment include Bermuda, Barbados, Costa Rica, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
By Kalea Hall

DETROIT (Reuters) -General Motors plans to increase production of light-duty trucks at its Fort Wayne, Indiana, assembly plant, it said in a webcast sent to plant employees on Thursday and viewed by Reuters, after President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on auto imports.

GM CEO Mary Barra had hinted at the possibility of increasing the output of trucks in the United States during GM's January earnings call in response to tariffs. Automakers in the United States utilize a complicated supply chain integrated throughout North America, with production facilities situated in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

"From a Mexico perspective, we do build trucks in Mexico and in Canada and in the United States. And so we have the capacity in the United States to shift some of that," Barra said on the January earnings call. GM shares lost 4.3% on Thursday.

The Fort Wayne plant makes the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, which GM also manufactures at plants in Mexico and Canada. About half of GM's large pickup truckproduction is done in Mexico and Canada, according to a recent Barclays report.

Trump has said that high tariffs will induce companies to relocate manufacturing to the United States, but that process would take years and in the meantime could add thousands of dollars to the cost of a car. The Detroit automakers may use excess capacity to shift some existing production, but additional factories would take several years to build.

GM may also add overtime days to the schedule, plant director Dennys Pimenta told employees in the webcast.

In a letter seen by Reuters to United Auto Workers Local 2209 members at Fort Wayne, local shop chairman Rich LeTourneau told employees that as part of the line-speed increase at the plant, 225 to 250 jobs will be added.

"Always remember volume is our friend and protects our job security," he wrote.

GM said in a statement on Thursday that it will hire temporary workers for the Fort Wayne assembly plant, saying that will be part of "operational adjustments" at the plant "to support current manufacturing and business needs."

A company source said several hundred temporary workers will be hired to increase employment at the plant.

GM said that to implement the changes at Fort Wayne, the plant will be taken down from April 22-25, following the Easter holiday.

The company's plants in Oshawa, Canada, and Silao, Mexico, where the trucks are also made, are currently running regular production, the company source said.

(Reporting by Kalea Hall in Detroit; Additional reporting by Nora Eckert in Detroit; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Leslie Adler and Matthew Lewis)
CHABLIS, France (AP)  Frances wine producers are deeply concerned that the 20% tariff slapped by President Donald Trump will deal a severe blow to the sector that relies on the U.S. as its top market.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday warned of massive impact as he met with representatives of the most affected industries, including wine and spirits.

Vincent Dampt, owner of a wine domain in Chablis, in the Burgundy region, called the tariffs bad news."

But it could be worse, Dampt added. I was really stressed with the possibility of having this 200% tariff.

Trump had threatened last month a 200% tariff on European wine, Champagne and spirits if the EU went forward with a planned tariff on American whiskey.

A preferred negotiated outcome

Dampt suggested he preferred a negotiated outcome between the EU and the U.S., saying a full on trade war is bad for business.

Were not at school, he said. If you answer too quickly with the same violence, its not constructive.

A third generation winemaker, Dampt ships about 30% of his production to the U.S.  roughly 25,000 bottles. A drop in sales there would severely impact his business.

Chablis white wine was also the target of tariffs under the first Trump administration at the height of the spat between aviation giants Boeing and Airbus.

There's only one way for Dampt to fight back and maintain a presence in the U.S.: bring down his prices and cut his profit. But he said "it's not an easy thing to do" especially now when he had already lost about 50% of his crop last year, mostly due to hail storms and killer frost.

The wine industry will be hard hit

The Bourgogne Wine Board said in a statement it expects the industry to be heavily affected because the U.S. is the leading export market of wines from Burgundy.

While this new measure will affect exports, potentially costing Bourgogne wines up to 100 million euros, it will not bring trade to a sudden halt, as would have been the case with higher tariffs," the trade association noted.

The U.S. remained last year the largest export market for wines produced in the EU, with 4.88 billion euros ($5.36 billion), the Comite Europeen des Entreprises Vins (European Committee of Wine Businesses), or CEEV, said in a statement. Exports to the U.S. accounted for 28% of the EUs total wine export value, it said.

The new tariff would create "economic uncertainty and result in layoffs, deferred investments and price increases, said Marzia Varvaglione, CEEV president. There is no alternative wine market that could compensate the loss of the U.S. market."
U.S. companies were hammered again in the stock market Friday after China matched President Donald Trumps tariffs in what is a rapidly escalating trade war.

Few sectors were spared and the S&P 500 finished with its biggest one-day drop since COVID-19 flattened the global economy five years ago.

The Commerce Ministry in Beijing said it would respond to the 34% tariffs imposed by the U.S. on imports from China by imposing a 34% tariff on imports of all U.S. products beginning April 10.

Companies who sell their goods to China were hit hard on Friday, including those in aerospace, agriculture and heavy equipment.

Some of Thursday's biggest losers  banks, airlines and technology companies  sank again on Friday. Others, such as retailers, clothing and restaurants, were down but not nearly as bad. A handful, like Nike, even posted small gains on Friday.

The so-called Magnificent 7 stocks that have dominated the market the past few years had some of the heaviest losses. Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Tesla lost around $1.8 trillion in market value combined in the past two days.

Tariffs are effectively a business tax that gets passed on to consumers. If prices for goods and services rise, consumers could tighten their budgets and pull back on spending for non-essential goods and services.

Consumer spending makes up about 70% of economic activity in the U.S. A significant decline in demand would cause businesses to produce fewer goods, limiting growth and potentially causing a recession.

JPMorgan raised its forecast for the risk of a recession to 60% on Thursday, up from a previous 40%.

The three major U.S. stock indexes fell more than 5% on Friday.

Here's a breakdown of some of the market's worst performing sectors and companies on Friday.

Agriculture and heavy equipment

Some of the U.S.'s biggest exports to China are heavy machinery and oilseeds and grains.

Deere & Co., down 3.9% Friday after losing 5% on Thursday.

Archer-Daniels-Midland, down 8.9% Friday after losing 0.8% on Thursday.

Caterpillar, down 5.8% Friday after losing 8.6% on Thursday.

Aerospace and defense

Aerospace companies also heavily export their products to China. As part of its retaliation Friday, China imposed more export controls on rare earths, which includes materials used in high-tech products and aerospace manufacturing and the defense sector.

Boeing, down 9.5% Friday after losing 10.5% on Thursday.

General Dynamics, down 7.3% Friday after losing 2.3% on Thursday.

Airlines

Airlines had been projecting a strong year for profits. However, if Americans are faced with higher prices for essentials, economists say that could put a crimp in their travel budgets.
US-based accounting and business transformation firm Frazier & Deeter (FD) has secured a strategic growth investment from General Atlantic.

The investment also saw the participation of PSP Capital Partners and Aksia.

The investment is aimed at supporting FDs multi-year strategic plan, with particular emphasis on enhancing client service offerings, and talent development.

The investment will also be used for technological innovation and geographic expansion through mergers and acquisitions.

The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

Frazier & Deeter managing partner Seth McDaniel said: This investment positions FD to remain at the forefront of our sectors evolution as we continue to invest in the technology and tools to best support our clients.

As a Top Place to Work in the professional services industry, we remain committed to recruiting and retaining the best talent to enhance our ambitious growth plans, and were excited to partner with General Atlantic on this next phase of our journey to bring impactful solutions to market at an expanded scale.

With a history spanning more than four decades, FD supports closely held businesses, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals.

FD has a presence in the US, UK, and India, and specialises in sectors including life sciences, real estate, technology, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Their service range encompasses tax planning and compliance, audit and assurance, C-suite strategy and support, and more specialised offerings such as forensic accounting, digital transformation, and cybersecurity compliance frameworks.

In addition, FD offers outsourced payroll, bookkeeping, and accounting services.

William Blair acted as the sole financial advisers to Frazier & Deeter for the transaction. Legal advice was provided by Vedder Price and Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough.

General Atlantic managing director and Financial Services Global head Paul Stamas said: Frazier & Deeter has established itself as a preeminent accounting, tax, and advisory services firm, and we have been impressed with the firms strong operational foundation, client-centric approach, and entrepreneurial culture.

We believe Frazier & Deeter is positioned to continue its strong growth, and we look forward to supporting the firms leadership, partners, and employees to advance the firms long-term ambitions.

Meanwhile, General Atlantic received legal counsel from Paul, Weiss and Dechert, with Citizens M&A Advisory serving as financial adviser.

The latest announcement follows the recent appointment of Beth Lee Garner as a partner in FDs National Employee Benefit Plan Audit Practice in February 2025.
We recently published a list of 10 Stocks on Jim Cramers Radar Recently. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) stands against other stocks that are on Jim Cramers radar.

On Thursday, Jim Cramer, the host of Mad Money, addressed the growing concerns surrounding the current tariff policies. He questioned the effectiveness of these tariffs as he asked:

Whats the deal with these heavy-handed tariffs? Look, Ive never been a dogmatic free trader. I believe in fair trade, a pretty fierce belief just so you know and we can only get that by lowering the boom on our trading partners who rip us off as a matter of policy.

READ ALSO: Jim Cramers Take on These 10 Stocks and Jim Cramers Lightning Round: 8 Stocks in Focus.

Cramer explained that while he has always supported the idea of tariffs in principle, especially when they are part of a well-thought-out strategy, he expressed frustration over how the new trade regime is being executed. He said he was taken aback by how poorly the administration was rolling out these changes, which he felt lacked a clear and coherent plan. Cramer then pointed out what James Surowiecki, the author of The Wisdom of Crowds, said about how the White House is calculating tariffs.

The White House simply took our trade deficit with each country and then divided it by that countrys exports to America. Then they cut that number in half to determine the tariff rate wed be slapping on the country in question.

Cramer noted that just hours later, an unnamed official from the White House confirmed this and described it as the sum of all unfair trade practices, the sum of all cheating. Cramer called it ill-advised. Later in the day, President Trump made a statement suggesting that he might be open to reducing tariffs if presented with phenomenal offers. However, Cramer raised an important question: Who determines what those offers are, and what do they even mean? He admitted that he had no clear answer to that question.
From price hikes to expanded incentives and even layoffs, automakers are responding to President Trumps unprecedented and shocking tariffs.

On Wednesday, Trump made good on his tariff threat for foreign-made autos, slapping 25% tariffs across the board on foreign-made cars that began today. Tariffs on the crucial auto parts sector will begin on May 3 after the Commerce Department determines appropriate levies.

Shares of GM (GM), Ford (F), and Stellantis (STLA) were slammed along with the broader market as concerns over profits, demand destruction, and the sensitivity of the auto parts sector roiled global markets.

German automaker Volkswagen (VWAGY) is the first to add an import fee to autos affected by the 25% tariff, per a memo sent to dealers reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Volkswagens rail shipments from Mexico, where the German automaker builds its high-volume Tiguan SUV, will reportedly be suspended at this time, and tariff-affected vehicles located at ports in the US will remain there until the company determines next steps.

VWs giant plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., would see production impacted, most likely due to a potential tariff cost to auto parts coming across the border. A Volkswagen spokesperson did not immediately respond when reached for comment.

Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet

Among US automakers, the Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford will actually implement price cuts on most of its vehicles by expanding employee pricing to all US buyers starting today. A Ford spokesperson said this could mean savings of up to $4,000 on a vehicle, on top of any other deals that dealers are already offering.

Ford offering price cuts in this environment may be a good way to help everyday Americans. But others see it as a gimmick for short-term sales gains. Wolfe Research said as much, calling the move hard to understand as anything other than a marketing ploy for Trump-leaning consumers, a goodwill gesture by Ford for potential preferential treatment from Trump, or simply a "[market share] grab at the expense of price" and profit margins.

Smash it up: President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)  ASSOCIATED PRESS

Crosstown rival GM, the top US automaker by volume, told Yahoo Finance it wouldnt have a tariff response at this time and likely wouldnt until the company's Q1 earnings call on April 29.

However, GM did confirm that it will increase production at its Ft. Wayne, Ind., plant where it builds Silverado and Sierra pickups. GM said it will hire additional workers, though the plant is already running three shifts, so production gains will be "incremental." Most hiring is for backfill and workers taking vacation over the coming months.
This story was originally published on Healthcare Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Healthcare Dive newsletter.

Dive Brief:

Andrew Ferguson, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission, has decided to rejoin the agencys lawsuit against major pharmacy benefit managers, allowing the case to move forward and resuscitating a major challenge to the drug middlemen.

The FTC paused the litigation against CVS Caremark, Cignas Express Scripts and UnitedHealths Optum Rx on Tuesday, saying it didnt have enough commissioners to try the case after President Donald Trump fired two Democrats last month.

Ferguson and the other Republican commissioner, Melissa Holyoak, were both recused from the case. But I have decided to no longer recuse myself from the matter to ensure that the case can continue, Ferguson said in a post on social media site X on Thursday.

Dive Insight:

Ferguson originally recused himself from the litigation because he advised Virginia on whether to file a friend-of-the-court brief in a lawsuit against PBMs when he was solicitor general of the state, according to his post.

At the time, his recusal had no impact on whether or not the case could proceed.

That changed in March, when Trump fired FTC commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter in a move the Democrats have slammed as illegal and are contesting in court. Because there were no sitting commissioners available to try the case, the FTCs general counsel elected to pause it.

Fergusons decision to return to the case now allows it to move forward. Its a negative development for PBMs, which would have benefited from a break in the litigation, according to analysts.

The FTC filed the in-house proceeding against Caremark, Express Scripts and Optum Rx  the so-called Big Three PBMs, which jointly control around 80% of the U.S. prescription drug market  in September. It accuses the companies of artificially driving up the price of insulin through their negotiating practices with drugmakers. All three PBMs deny the accusations.

The FTC did not respond to questions on how Fergusons decision, which was made in consultation with ethics lawyers, will affect the timing of the case.

The FTCs previous stay would see an evidentiary hearing at the earliest in February 2026.

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By Junko Fujita, Ankur Banerjee, Anton Bridge and Nupur Anand

NEW YORK/TOKYO/LONDON (Reuters) -Bank stocks tanked across the globe on Friday as fears of a recession swept through markets after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the highest tariff walls in a century.

The S&P 500 banks index, which tracks U.S. lenders, fell more than 7%, extending declines after plunging on Thursday. Citigroup and Bank of America were the biggest losers in the index, both dropping more than 7.5%.

JPMorgan Chase, the largest U.S. lender, lost 6.5%, while Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley fell 7.1% and 6.8%, respectively.

The selloff accelerated after China's finance ministry said on Friday it would impose additional tariffs of 34% on all U.S. goods from April 10 in retaliation for Trump's move.

Banks, which serve as bellwethers for economic activity, saw their shares sink as the U.S. breaks with free trade policies built up over decades. Investors braced for declines in consumer spending, loan demand and dealmaking.

"Bank stock valuations tell us investors are leaning toward the bear case for banks becoming a reality," according to brokerage Raymond James, which pointed to investor expectations for a recession in 2025.

The near-term pain for banks could prompt them to scale back earnings projections given tariffs were more severe than expected, said Mike Mayo, an analyst at Wells Fargo.

"Banks will need to potentially increase reserve for future loan loss provisions," which will weigh on profits, he said.

Citigroup was among the largest decliners, falling more than 10.5% today before paring losses to about 8%. On Thursday, it lost 11%.

"Citi has been undergoing a restructuring exercise for the last two years, and the expectation was that the profitability would go up," said Octavio Marenzi, CEO of consulting firm Opimas.

"That has been disappointing so far, but the stock got a lot of headway... and now that investors are seeing some stress in the market, the inflated stocks are correcting more," he said.

The tremors were felt across regions. European banking stocks tumbled 8% and the financials sector was the biggest drag on the STOXX Europe 600.

In Asia, Japanese megabanks ended the week with the biggest losses since the 2008 financial crisis, an unsettling signal about the consequences of Trump's trade war that rattled investors.

A universal 10% tariff on U.S. imports is set to take effect on April 5, followed by further levies on dozens of countries.

Mounting fears of retaliation, which Trump officials have warned could escalate the dispute further, have led some to shorten their odds on a recession coming to pass.
By Blake Brittain

(Reuters) -British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline and rival Pfizer have agreed to end a lawsuit that alleged Pfizer's respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine Abrysvo violated GSK's patent rights in its competing RSV shot Arexvy, according to a Thursday filing in Delaware federal court.

GSK and Pfizer said in the filing that they would dismiss the case with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled. Spokespeople for the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment and more information, including whether the case was settled.

GSK, Pfizer and Moderna have developed RSV shots approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with GSK's Arexvy responsible for the majority of U.S. RSV vaccine sales. The respiratory disease typically causes cold-like symptoms, but it is also a leading cause of pneumonia in toddlers and older adults.

GSK sued Pfizer in 2023, arguing that the New York-based company's vaccine infringed GSK patents related to antigen technology. GSK said in the lawsuit that Pfizer began working on its RSV program around 2013, at least seven years after GSK began developing its shot.

Pfizer denied the allegations and argued GSK's patents were invalid. It convinced a London court to invalidate related UK patents owned by GSK in a separate case last year.

GSK has also sued Pfizer for patent infringement in the U.S. over technology in Pfizer's blockbuster COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty. That case is still ongoing.

(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; Editing by David Bario and Sandra Maler)
By Mrinalika Roy

(Reuters) - Contemplating smoking your way out of the tariff gloom? Think again.

Sweeping tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday are set to increase prices of cannabis products in the country, as many firms rely on Asia for manufacturing. The latest levies will stack up on any duties imposed earlier on countries like China, Canada, Mexico and the EU.

Items such as tins, vape hardware and specialized glass remain difficult to source domestically, and companies remain largely dependent on Asia particularly China, analysts and executives said.

"Those relying on exports from nations with tariffs, such as China, will need to take a serious look at how they might absorb the extra costs or alter partnerships," said Bryan Gerber, CEO of Hara Supply, the world's largest manufacturer of cones and combustibles.

Shares of cannabis firms such as Tilray Brands, Canopy Growth, Organigram and Terrascend were trading down between 5% and 10% on Thursday.

Most of these tariff costs will be passed to consumers. The higher costs will likely drive more consumers to the illicit market, further denting margins for legal cannabis firms.

"Most cannabis businesses don't have the margin flexibility to absorb a 10%-15% increase," said Mike Forenza, managing partner at AE Global, which makes packaging products for cannabis firms.

Higher costs have already hit demand.

"Manufacturers are passing these tariff cost down the line and it will ultimately impact our customers. We are starting to see a softening in the market and inbound order rates starting to slow," said Brad Wasserstrom, president of Wasserstrom Co, a supply chain firm working with cannabis companies.

The ongoing North America trade spat could exacerbate problems. Things used to grow cannabis crop including compost and peat are imported from Canada and tariffs will make them costlier.

"We work with a manufacturer who imports their glass from China, the wood is imported from Canada, and it's put together in Mexico all before it's distributed in U.S. How is that getting taxed?" said Wasserstrom.

"That's a challenge for everyone and ultimately it will come down to the consumer level."

(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Sayantani Ghosh and Alan Barona)
Illinois will soon drop its staking lawsuit against Coinbase, joining three other U.S. states that have recently backed down from litigation against the exchange.

A spokesperson for Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias told CoinDesk on Thursday that the office intends to drop the Coinbase lawsuit. The spokesperson did not reply when asked when the case may be dropped.

Illinois was one of 10 U.S. states that brought charges against Coinbase in 2023 for allegedly violating state securities laws through its staking program. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also charged Coinbase with violating federal securities laws for its staking product, but dropped that suit in February. Since the SECs retreat, state securities regulators in Kentucky, Vermont and South Carolina have also abandoned their own cases against the exchange.

The remaining states with staking-related suits against Coinbase include Alabama, California, Maryland, New Jersey, Washington and Wisconsin. Spokespeople for California, Maryland, and Wisconsin declined to comment on pending litigation.

A representative for the New Jersey Bureau of Securities told CoinDesk the Coinbase matter remains open, and Bill Beatty, securities administrator for the Washington Department of Financial Institutions said the states case with Coinbase remains ongoing at this time.

The Alabama Securities Commission did not return CoinDesks request for comment.
(Reuters) -U.S. equity funds saw outflows in the week ending April 2 as investors shed risky assets on growing concerns that President Donald Trump's sweeping trade tariffs could drive up costs, pressure corporate profits and heighten recession risks.

U.S. investors divested a net $10.85 billion worth of equity funds during the week although less than a half compared with $22.89 billion worth of net accumulations in the prior week.

Major Wall Street indexes dropped over 4% on Thursday as Trump introduced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on trading partners, escalating a trade war and intensifying fears of an economic slowdown.

U.S. small-cap funds saw significant outflows of $4.18 billion, reversing $3.07 billion in inflows from the prior week. Large-cap and mid-cap funds also faced net sales of $2.9 billion and $461 million, respectively.

Sectoral funds recorded their fifth consecutive week of outflows, totaling $2.45 billion. Investors pulled $1.69 billion from tech funds, $1.18 billion from consumer discretionary funds, and $860 million from healthcare funds.

Meanwhile, safe-haven demand drove inflows into money market funds, which attracted a net $22.01 billion, marking a second straight week of gains. U.S. bond funds experienced $1.73 billion in net sales, extending their streak of net outflows to a third consecutive week.

Investors divested $1.03 billion from U.S. general domestic taxable fixed-income funds and $864 million from short-to-intermediate investment-grade funds, while allocating a net $1.53 billion to short-to-intermediate government and treasury funds.

(Reporting by Gaurav Dogra and Patturaja Murugaboopathy in Bengaluru; editing by David Evans)
LONDON (Reuters) -China announced additional tariffs of 34% on U.S. goods on Friday, upping the ante in a global trade war after President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs this week.

Growing fears of a recession roiled global stocks for a second day on Friday. Banking stocks cratered as investors fretted about growth and priced in far more central bank rate cuts while benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields slid below 4%.

COMMENTS:

STEPHANE EKOLO, MARKET & EQUITY STRATEGIST, TRADITION, LONDON

"China comes out swinging with an aggressive response to Trump's tariffs. This is significant and is unlikely to be over, hence the negative market reactions. Investors are afraid of a 'tit for tat' trade war situation."

PETER ANDERSEN, FOUNDER OF ANDERSEN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, BOSTON

"The market, of course, is extremely surprised by China's aggressive retaliatory actions. I don't think many investors were anticipating such a sudden and large response in terms of the percentages of the tariffs back at the United States, so that certainly has set the market, which has already been wobbly, to be even more uncertain."

KENNETH BROUX, SENIOR STRATEGIST FX AND RATES, SOCIETE GENERALE, LONDON

"It just feeds this risk aversion and growth fears/recession in global trade."

CHRISTOPHER WONG, CURRENCY STRATEGIST, OCBC, SINGAPORE

"Tit for tat brings back memories of 2018 episode of trade war. Risk of slower global economic growth is expected to undermine cyclical FX including Aussie dollar, New Zealand dollar, and Asia-ex-Japan FX such as Korean won and CNH."

SAMY CHAAR, CHIEF ECONOMIST, LOMBARD ODIER, GENEVA

"It's still early to make a final assessment. There are two paths from here: There is the one where (Trump) shows openness to deals and even if we have a harsh start, with reciprocal tariffs and these responses by China, they show willingness to talk and bring tariffs lower in the months to come.

"The other path is he has no appetite to strike deals, wishes to maintain the tariffs for an extended period of time and that breaks the machine.

"I don't think this (Friday's Chinese retaliation) is a signal for one or the other. Everyone will flex their muscles, but it doesn't invalidate the idea that they make a deal at some point. But beside that, we need to have signs that at some point Trump is making comments that he is expecting to strike a deal."

EDDIE KENNEDY, HEAD OF BESPOKE DISCRETIONARY FUND MANAGEMENT, MARLBOROUGH, LONDON

"Others have maybe learned their lessons (from Trump's last term). They are fighting back and saying we can play the same game as you and we are more in a position of strength to negotiate."
Time has run out for some US trade partners looking to make deals ahead of President Trump's July 9 deadline for tariffs to snap back to higher levels.

Letters will start going out to countries on Friday to notify them of the tariff rates they will face on exports to the US, Trump told reporters, to go into effect on Aug. 1. The first 10 or 12 letters sent out will be followed by similar batches.

By the ninth theyll be fully covered, Trump said in reference to the deadline, per Bloomberg. Theyll range in value from maybe 60% or 70% tariffs to 10% and 20% tariffs.

The Trump team has so far been focused on hammering out trade deals, though it has succeeded in nailing only three pacts so far.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said around 100 partners would likely see a minimum "reciprocal" rate of 10% come next week, adding that he expects a "flurry" of deals to materialize before the deadline.

Here is where things stand with various partners:

China : The US has eased export restrictions on China for chip design software and ethane, a sign that trade tensions are calming between the two countries after they agreed in May to a framework to move toward a larger trade deal. Software firms like Synopsys (SNPS) and Cadence (CDNS) said they will now sell their chip design tools to Chinese customers again. The US also removed limits on ethane exports to China that it had set just weeks ago.

Vietnam: Trump on Wednesday said he had reached a trade deal with Vietnam, one that will see the country's imports face a 20% tariff  lower than the 46% he had threatened in April. He also said Vietnamese goods would face a higher 40% tariff "on any transshipping"  when goods shipped from Vietnam originate from another country, like China. Many US goods will see no duty upon import to Vietnam.

Japan: Trump earlier this week said negotiations with Japan had soured, saying he would force Japan to accept higher tariffs of "30%, 35%, or whatever the number is that we determine." Notably, that proposal is higher than the 24% "Liberation Day" level. "Theyre very tough. You have to understand, theyre very spoiled," he said.
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Shares of Lyft (LYFT) dropped Thursday as Bank of America analysts gave the ride-hailing company the dreaded double downgrade.

Lyft stock was recently down about 11% to roughly $11.50, leaving them down nearly 40% over the past 12 months. The analysts dropped their rating on the company's shares to "underperform" from "buy" and cut their price target to $10.50 from $17.50, which was a bit above the Street's consensus, according to Visible Alpha data.

While most of the analysts tracked by Visible Alpha have neutral ratings on Lyft's shares, the mean target above $16 reflects some optimism, making Bank of America's change stand out.

The bank's analysts cited concerns about Lyft's positioning in autonomous vehicles and "pricing headwinds" even as they cited a solid and growing user base as strengths. "We still see long-term potential for Lyft in [the] AV ecosystem, but given its still-nascent partnerships, we are losing confidence in near-term upside," they wrote.

Lyft reported mixed fourth-quarter results in mid-February.

Shares of Lyft fell as markets were under pressure due to trade-policy concerns. Uber (UBER), a key peer, saw its stock lose nearly 6%. You can read Investopedia's live coverage of today's trading here.



Read the original article on Investopedia
After Meta (META) disclosed that its head of AI Research is leaving, CNBC reported that the tech giant is facing multiple other challenges on the AI front.

Has Meta Lost Its AI Momentum?

Joelle Pineau, who was the head of Meta's AI Research department for eight years, is leaving the company, CNBC reporter Deirdre Bosa noted today. Bosa added that "other recent developments might or should have investors wondering if Meta has lost its AI edge."

Specifically, it has been eight months since Meta released a new version of its Llama AI model, while OpenAI and Alphabet (GOOG,GOOGL) have each unveiled multiple, new AI models already in 2025. Further, according to one source, Meta's AI chatbot had the lowest traffic in March among major players in the category.

A Number of Positive AI Catalysts Could Be on the Way for Meta

The company is slated to hold its first LlamaCon on April 29. At the conference, it plans to introduce its new AI initiatives, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has "teased upcoming Llama models," Bosa noted.

The Price Action of Meta Stock

In the last month, the shares have dropped 13%, while they have retreated 9% in the last three months.

While we acknowledge the potential of META, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than META but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this 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.
The mining industry is poised for consolidation, with joint ventures (JVs) and asset sales expected to accelerate due to a manufacturing slowdown and waning demand for industrial metals, especially from China, reported Reuters.

However, the prospect of full-scale mergers and acquisitions (M&A) among diversified miners may be curtailed by high costs and the likelihood of regulatory rejection, according to investors, ahead of the CESCO copper industry event in Santiago, Chile.

The reluctance to pursue company-level engagements is reflected in London Stock Exchange Group data, which indicates a 27% decrease in mining sector M&A value to $15bn in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2024.

Major mining companies such as BHP and Rio Tinto, despite strong balance sheets and significant shareholder returns, are facing a period of stagnant earnings growth, the report stated.

With the US-China trade wars and no other country filling the void left by China, miners are focusing on value creation and strength through scale.

Ninety One portfolio manager George Cheveley said: "We are seeing more discussions about partnering, joint ventures and asset sales.

Cheveley added that smaller deals are more likely as they are simpler from a regulatory standpoint and can enhance asset bases while reducing portfolio risks.

BHP, listed in Australia, has also recently established a JV named Vicuna with Lundin Mining, which now owns the Filo copper project in Argentina and the Josemaria project in Chile.

Facing declining ore grades, BHP plans to invest $10.8bn (A$17.4bn) in Chile over ten years, starting with the Escondida operation.

Instead of growth investments, some companies have preferred to increase shareholder returns through dividends and share buybacks.

Christel Bories, chairman of French mining group Eramet, said: Historically, merger discussions often occur either at the very top of the cycle, because mining companies have a lot of money, or at the very bottom of the cycle, because there is a need to find ways to create value.

The industry took notice of a potential restructuring when BHP made a $49bn hostile bid for Anglo American.

Similarly, Glencore's $23bn (SFr19.69bn) attempt to acquire Teck Resources was rejected, leading Glencore to purchase Teck's metallurgical coal portfolio for $7bn instead.

The idea of M&A has become more palatable to company boards due to predictions of surging copper demand driven by power grid replacements, upgrades and e-mobility, including electric vehicles, the report highlighted.
What matters in U.S. and global markets today

By Mike Dolan, Editor-At-Large, Financial Industry and Financial Markets

It's Friday, so today I'll provide a quick overview of what's happening in global markets and then offer you some weekend reading suggestions away from the headlines.

Id love to hear from you, so please reach out to me at mike.dolan@thomsonreuters.com.

Today's Market Minute

* Trump's tariffs have sown fears of trade wars, recession and a $2,300 iPhone.

* How many people does it take to slap a tariff on a penguin? One. Donald Trump's formula for calculating his tariffs mean even remote, frozen islands inhabited solely by the little birds are getting hit by those levies.

* Japanese banks are the latest casualty in the market turmoil that Trump's tariffs have unleashed, with a sector index in Tokyo staging its biggest one-day fall since last August.

* French President Emmanuel Macron has called for European companies to suspend planned investment in the US after Trump's announcement of sweeping global tariffs on American imports.

* Trump's tariffs are worrying some at home too. One US Senate Republican is pushing to require congressional approval for new tariffs.

'Magnificent' bear

The still ongoing tariff-inspired rout on Wall Street and in stock markets around the world centres heavily on the once 'Magnificent Seven' megacap U.S. tech stocks, which are now likely in the front line of the global trade war.

Thursday saw the biggest one-day losses for U.S. equity indexes since the pandemic shocks of 2020, with drops of 4-7%. Popular funds tracking the 'Mag 7' tumbled in time, losing 7% on the day and clocking a 25% drop from December's record highs. The group is now in a technical bear market for the first time since it emerged two years ago.

The 'Mag 7' epitomized the "U.S. exceptionalism" theme for investors around the world, so many suspect this rapid reversal may be emblematic of how the trade shock will unfold. Europe, for one, sees Big Tech as a legitimate target in likely tariff retaliation, as the U.S. runs a trade surplus in services and digital-related trade with the region.

French President Emmanuel Macron called on European firms to suspend U.S. investments until negotiations get underway.

With U.S. President Donald Trump claiming his trade plans are "going well", U.S. and global recession fears are mounting. In a note entitled "There will be Blood", JPMorgan on Thursday raised its chances of a worldwide economic recession this year to 60% from 40%.
(Reuters) -Nissan Motor said on Thursday it will not take new orders from the U.S. for two Mexican-built Infiniti SUVs, following auto tariffs levied by President Donald Trump, in a drastic scale-back of its operations at a joint venture plant.

The Japanese automaker said it would now maintain two shifts of production of the Rogue SUV at its Smyrna, Tennessee, plant after announcing in January it would end one of the two shifts this month.

Nissan will not accept any additional orders of the Infiniti QX50 and QX55 SUVs for the U.S. market produced at the COMPAS plant it has run together with Mercedes-Benz in Mexico. Nissan said production is expected to continue for those models sold in other markets.

It remained unclear how much of the production is sold in other markets. The two Infiniti models have only been exported from Mexico to the U.S., according to data from Mexico's national statistics agency.

A Japan-based Nissan spokesperson said on Saturday the models are produced for and exported to markets such as Mexico, Panama, the Middle East and Canada, without providing details on its production plans for the vehicles.

Trump's 25% global car and truck tariffs took effect on Thursday.

Nissan has been struggling in the U.S. due to an ageing line-up and a lack of hybrid models. It is particularly exposed to the new tariffs as it exports the biggest number of cars from Mexico to the U.S. of any Japanese automaker.

Nissan's troubles led it to slash its profit forecast three times in the financial year just ended and saw its debt downgraded to "junk" status.

Its new chief executive, 46-year-old Ivan Espinosa, a Mexican national who previously was its planning boss, has pledged to drastically cut the time the automaker needs to develop new cars.

Mercedes-Benz manufactures the GLB SUV at the COMPAS plant.

(Reporting by David Shepardson and Daniel Leussink; Editing by Chris Reese and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Eight OPEC+ countries have decided to accelerate their oil output increase, raising production by 411,000 barrels per day (bpd), equivalent to three monthly increments, in May.

This decision led to a drop in oil prices, with Brent crude falling more than 6% to below $70 per barrel, reported Reuters.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, including Russia, had initially planned to increase output by 135,000bpd in May.

However, after an online meeting, they opted for a larger increment, citing "continuing healthy market fundamentals and the positive market outlook".

"This comprises the increment originally planned for May in addition to two monthly increments," OPEC stated.

The organisation also noted that these gradual increases might be paused or reversed depending on market conditions.

The decision aims to address concerns about potential disruptions to Iranian supply amid US pressure.

The May output hike is part of a broader plan by Algeria, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to unwind a recent output cut of 2.2 million barrels per day (mbbl/d).

This cut was implemented to stabilise the market. OPEC+ continues to maintain 3.65mbbl/d of other output cuts until the end of 2026.

Kazakhstan's record output has caused tensions within the group, particularly with Saudi Arabia.

OPEC+ is urging Kazakhstan and other members to adhere to agreed targets. Recently, Kazakhstan's production has exceeded its OPEC+ targets, leading to calls for further cuts.

Production in Kazakhstan may decline this month due to Russia's order to shut some export capacity on the CPC pipeline.

This pipeline is crucial for oil exports from Kazakhstan, involving companies like Chevron and ExxonMobil.

The eight OPEC+ countries are scheduled to meet on 5 May 2025 to discuss output levels for June, as per OPEC's statement.

"OPEC+ to advance oil output hike to 411,000bpd in May" was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.




Peach Payments, an enterprise-grade payments gateway, has reached an agreement to acquire PayDunya, a Dakar-based fintech company.

This acquisition marks Peach Payments' foray into mainland Francophone Africa, after its expansion in Eswatini, Mauritius, and Kenya.

The transaction is due to close in the coming months, subject to fulfilment of standard closing conditions.

Launched in 2015 by Aziz Yerima, who developed a prototype in 2014, PayDunya operates in six West African countries: Senegal, Cote dIvoire, Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Mali.

The platform specialises in processing online payments for websites and mobile applications, and manages the collection and distribution of bulk payments.

Yerima said: We are thrilled to join forces with Peach Payments, a company that shares our vision of accelerating Africa's digital transformation through innovative financial solutions. This acquisition marks a significant milestone for PayDunya as it enables us to make our expansion dreams to reach and enhance the value we bring to businesses across Francophone and Anglophone Africa come true.

Together, we are poised to create a seamless, inclusive, and robust payment ecosystem that empowers African businesses to thrive in the digital economy.

Peach Payments CEO and co-founder Rahul Jain stated: Aziz, Youma and Christian have built a market-leading business and this acquisition represents an exciting chapter in our journey to build a truly pan-African payment ecosystem. By integrating PayDunya, we are expanding our footprint into the UEMOA and CEMAC regions, unlocking new opportunities for merchants who can now partner with us and access over 450m people across the markets we operate in.

Together, we can now offer seamless payment solutions across 12 countries and we will continue to expand this coverage rapidly.

This acquisition marks Peach Payments' third significant transaction since late 2023, following a 29m ($30m) funding round led by Apis Growth Fund II.

Earlier in February 2024, the company acquired technology from Exipay for in-store payments, and in June 2024, it purchased Operativa, a customer software development firm.

"Peach Payments agrees to acquire PayDunya " was originally created and published by Electronic Payments International, a GlobalData owned brand.




Scammers are getting bolder  and consumers are paying the price.

In 2024 alone, fraud cost Americans more than $12.5 billion, a staggering 25% increase from the previous year, according to newly released data from the Federal Trade Commission.

Don't miss

Investment scams were the most costly, accounting for $5.7 billion in losses, a 24% increase from the previous year. In comparison, imposter scams, the second most common type of fraud, cost consumers $2.95 billion.

So, what kinds of investment scams are causing consumers so much, and how can you protect yourself? Here's what you need to know.

Common investment scams

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions provides a helpful list of common investment fraud schemes, including:

Fraudulent promissory notes  Short-term notes offered by fake companies that promise high returns but fail to deliver.

Ponzi or Pyramid schemes  Existing investors are paid money from new investors, while the actual "assets" being invested in either don't exist or are worth very little.

Real estate investment fraud  Scammers convince investors to put money into "hard money loans" or "property flipping" schemes, often misleading them about the risks, potential returns or property values.

Cryptocurrency scams  Fraudsters create fake coins, heavily promote them and sell them to investors. Once the price rises, they cash out, leaving the coins worthless.

The U.S. Secret Service also warns about "pig butchering" scams, where fraudsters build trust with victims before tricking them into investing in fake cryptocurrency projects.

Read more: Trump warns his tariffs will spark a disturbance in America  use this 1 dead-simple move to help shockproof your retirement plans ASAP

How can you protect against fraud?

You don't want to fall victim to these scams, so watch for three key signs of investment fraud:
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.

Ripple, the blockchain-based payments firm behind XRP (CRYPTO: XRP), is raising fresh concerns over the UK's sluggish approach to crypto regulation, arguing that it's leaving British banks unwilling to engage with digital assets.

What Happened: At a policy summit held in London, Cassie Craddock, Ripple's Managing Director for the UK and Europe, said that the country's banking institutions remain hesitant to adopt Ripple's services due to lingering uncertainty around crypto laws.

"It's still difficult to access basic banking services because of this uncertainty," she said, adding that large banks continue to keep their distance.

Don't Miss:

Craddock recalled being dismissed by major banks during earlier attempts to introduce Ripple's solutions. "Back in 2017, financial institutions would hear us out and then never return our calls," she said.

Although conditions have since improved in the EU, where banks are increasingly embracing digital asset services under the new Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, the UK has made less progress.

While the new Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer has restarted work on a regulatory framework, Ripple says the pace remains too slow.

"We need clarity sooner rather than later if we want to benefit from the pro-crypto stance we're seeing in the U.S.," Craddock told DL News, referencing recent policy shifts under President Trump's administration.

Ripple says its expansion in Europe has accelerated thanks to clearer regulation across the bloc.

According to Craddock, banks on the continent are now facing client demand for digital asset servicesleading them to seek out platforms like Ripple.

In contrast, UK institutions are holding back due to a lack of confidence in the regulatory environment.

"They don't feel secure enough to get involved," she said.

While large banks hesitate, Ripple is finding more interest among smaller fintechs and startups in the UK looking to leverage its cross-border payment tools.

See Also: This platform is reshaping how you invest in private companies  and you can be a part of it for $0.18 per share.

Why It Matters: The firm is increasingly shifting its hiring strategy to focus on the United States.
Sheffield Resources has announced shipments of 82,000 tonnes (t) of zircon concentrate from its Thunderbird Mineral Sands Mine in Western Australia for the March 2025 quarter.

The Thunderbird Mineral Sands Mine is operated by Kimberley Mineral Sands (KMS), a 50:50 joint venture between Sheffield and Yansteel.

Located in the Kimberley region, the project is one of the world's largest high-grade, heavy-mineral sands deposits.

The mine can produce a range of high-quality mineral sands concentrate products including a zircon concentrate and an ilmenite concentrate, which are suitable for smelting into chloride slag or for the production of titanium dioxide pigment.

During the March quarter, ore mining at Thunderbird reached 2.5 million tonnes (mt), ilmenite concentrate production stood at 148,000t, while zircon concentrate production was 39,000t.

Prioritisation of zircon shipments and a closure at the port of Broome led to the deferral of a final ilmenite concentrate shipment to April.

The March 2025 quarter shipments stood at 126,000t. Additionally, 18,000t of leucoxene concentrate were shipped.

Sheffield Resources executive chair Bruce Griffin said: Record zircon shipments for the March quarter are the result of the expanded customer base developed by the KMS marketing team and the strong interest we are seeing from existing and new customers for Thunderbird zircon concentrate.

Combined with continued regular shipments of ilmenite to our joint venture partner Yansteel, these strong sales are expected to deliver the first positive quarter of operating cash flow for the Thunderbird mine; an excellent turnaround by KMS management, staff and contractors.

In a related development, Sheffield Resources executed a binding agreement with RGM in February 2023 for an option to acquire up to an initial 20% interest in the South Atlantic Mineral Sands Project in Brazil.

The South Atlantic Project in south-east Brazil comprises four main deposits  Retiro, Estreito, Capao do Meio and Bujuru.

Sheffield also holds a 10% stake in Capital Metals, which owns the Taprobane mineral sands project in Sri Lanka.

"Sheffield reports robust zircon concentrate sales from Thunderbird mine for March quarter" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.




Without real-world tests, companies can end up ill-fitting models that may, for instance, require too much memory for edge devices, have latency that's too high for real-time interactions, or have insufficient support for the on-premises deployment sometimes mandated by data governance standards.

Instead of assuming that the "best" model on a given leaderboard is the obvious choice, businesses should use metrics tailored to their specific needs to work backward and identify the right model. Start by testing models on your actual context and datareal customer queries, domain-specific documents, or whatever inputs your system will encounter in production. When real data is scarce or sensitive, companies can craft synthetic test cases that capture the same challenges.

The flashy benchmarks that model developers tout in their releases are often detached from the realities of enterprise applications. Consider some of the most popular ones: graduate-level reasoning (GPQA Diamond) and high school-level math tests, like MATH-500 and AIME2024. Each of these was cited in the releases for GPT o1 , Sonnet 3.7 , or DeepSeek's R1 . But none of these indicators is helpful in assessing common enterprise applications like knowledge management tools, design assistants, or customer-facing chatbots.

The challenge for executives, therefore, lies in designing business-specific evaluation frameworks that test potential models in the environments where theyll actually be deployed. To do that, companies will need to adopt tailored evaluation strategies to run at scale using relevant and realistic data.

Public benchmarks can be helpful to individual users by providing directional indicators of AI capabilities. And admittedly, some code-completion and software-engineering benchmarks, like SWE-Bench or Codeforces, are valuable for companies within a narrow range of coding-related, LLM-based business applications. But the most common benchmarks and public leaderboards often distract both businesses and model developers, pushing innovation toward marginal improvements in areas unhelpful for businesses or unrelated to areas of breakthrough AI innovation.

Every few months, a new large language model (LLM) is anointed AI champion, with record-breaking benchmark scores. But these celebrated metrics of LLM performancesuch as testing graduate-level reasoning and abstract mathrarely reflect real business needs or represent truly novel AI frontiers. For companies in the market for enterprise AI models, basing the decision of which models to use on these leaderboards alone can lead to costly mistakesfrom wasted budgets to misaligned capabilities and potentially harmful, domain-specific errors that benchmark scores rarely capture.

Story Continues

Salesforce has tried to bridge this gap between common benchmarks and their actual business requirements by developing its own internal benchmark for its CRM-related needs. The company created its own evaluation criteria specifically for tasks like prospecting, nurturing leads, and generating service case summariesthe actual work that marketing and sales teams need AI to perform.

Reaching beyond stylized metrics

Popular benchmarks are not only insufficient for informed business decision-making but can also be misleading. Often LLM media coverage, including all three major recent release announcements, uses benchmarks to compare models based on their average performance. Specific benchmarks are distilled into a single dot, number, or bar.

The trouble is that generative AI models are stochastic, highly input-sensitive systems, which means that slight variations of a prompt can make them behave unpredictably. A recent research paper from Anthropic rightly argues that, as a result, single dots on a performance comparison chart are insufficient because of the large error ranges of the evaluation metrics. A recent study by Microsoft found that using a statistically more accurate clustered-based evaluation in the same benchmarks can significantly change the rank ordering ofand public narratives aboutmodels on a leaderboards.

Thats why business leaders need to ensure reliable measurements of model performance across a reasonable range of variations, done at scale, even if it requires hundreds of test runs. This thoroughness becomes even more critical when multiple systems are combined through AI and data supply chains, potentially increasing variability. For industries like aviation or healthcare, the margin of error is small and far beyond what current AI benchmarks typically guarantee, such that solely relying on leaderboard metrics can obscure substantial operational risk in real-world deployments.

Businesses must also test models in adversarial scenarios to ensure the security and robustness of a modelsuch as a chatbot's resistance to manipulation by bad actors attempting to bypass guardrailsthat cannot be measured by conventional benchmarks. LLMs are notably vulnerable to being fooled by sophisticated prompting techniques. Depending on the use case, implementing strong safeguards against these vulnerabilities could determine your technology choice and deployment strategy. The resilience of a model in the face of a potential bad actor could be a more important metric than the models math or reasoning capabilities. In our view, making AI foolproof is an exciting and impactful next barrier to break for AI researchers, one that may require novel model development and testing techniques.

Putting evaluation into practice: Four keys to a scalable approach

Start with existing evaluation frameworks. Companies should start by leveraging the strengths of existing automated tools (along with human judgment and practical but repeatable measurement goals). Specialized AI evaluation toolkits, such as DeepEval, LangSmith, TruLens, Mastra, or ARTKIT, can expedite and simplify testing, allowing for consistent comparison across models and over time.

Bring human experts to the testing ground. Effective AI evaluation requires that automated testing be supplemented with human judgment wherever possible. Automated evaluation could include a comparison of LLM answers to ground truth answers, or the use of proxy metrics, such as automated ROUGE or BLEU scores, to gauge the quality of text summarization.

For nuanced assessments, however, ones where machines still struggle, human evaluation remains vital. This could include domain experts or end-users conducting a blind review of a sample of model outputs. Such actions can also flag potential biases in responses, such as LLMs giving responses about job candidates that are biased by gender or race. This human layer of review is labor-intensive, but can provide additional critical insight, like whether a response is actually useful and well-presented.

The value of this hybrid approach can be seen in a recent case study where a company evaluated an HR-support chatbot using both human and automated tests. The companys iterative internal evaluation process with human involvement showed a significant source of LLM response errors was due to flawed updates to enterprise data. The discovery highlights how human evaluation can uncover systemic issues beyond the model itself.

Focus on tradeoffs, not isolated dimensions of assessment. When evaluating models, companies must look beyond accuracy to consider the full spectrum of business requirements: speed, cost efficiency, operational feasibility, flexibility, maintainability, and regulatory compliance. A model that performs marginally better on accuracy metrics might be prohibitively expensive or too slow for real-time applications. A great example of this is how Open AIs GPT o1(a leader in many benchmarks at release time) performed when applied to the ARC-AGI prize. To the surprise of many, the o1 model performed poorly, largely due to ARC-AGIs efficiency limit on the computing power used to solve the benchmark tasks. The o1 model would often take too long, using more compute time to try to come up with a more accurate answer. Most popular benchmarks dont have a time limit even though time would be a critically important factor for many business use cases.

Tradeoffs become even more important in the growing world of (multi)-agentic applications, where simpler tasks can be handled by cheaper, quicker models (overseen by an orchestration agent), while the most complex steps (such as solving the broken-out series of problems from a customer) could need a more powerful version with reasoning to be successful.

Microsoft Research's HuggingGPT, for example, orchestrates specialized models for different tasks under a central language model. Being prepared to change models for different tasks requires building flexible tooling that isn't hard-coded to a single model or provider. This built-in flexibility allows companies to easily pivot and change models based on evaluation results. While this may sound like a lot of extra development work, there are a number of available tools, like LangChain, LlamaIndex, and Pydantic AI, that can simplify the process.

Turn model testing into a culture of continuous evaluation and monitoring. As technology evolves, ongoing assessment ensures AI solutions remain optimal while maintaining alignment with business objectives. Much like how software engineering teams implement continuous integration and regression testing to catch bugs and prevent performance degradation in traditional code, AI systems require regular evaluation against business-specific benchmarks. Similar to the practice of pharmacovigilance among users of new medicines, feedback from LLM users and affected stakeholders also needs to be continuously gathered and analyzed to ensure AI behaves as expected and doesnt drift from its intended performance targets.

This kind of bespoke evaluation framework fosters a culture of experimentation and data-driven decision-making. It also enforces the new and critical mantra: AI may be used for execution, but humans are in control and must govern AI.

Conclusion

For business leaders, the path to AI success lies not in chasing the latest benchmark champions but in developing evaluation frameworks for your specific business objectives. Think of this approach as a leaderboard for every user, as one Stanford paper suggests. The true value of AI deployment comes from three key actions: defining metrics that directly measure success in your business context; implementing statistically robust testing in realistic situations using your actual data and in your actual context; and fostering a culture of continuous monitoring, evaluation and experimentation that draws on both automated tools and human expertise to assess tradeoffs across models.

By following this approach, executives will be able to identify solutions optimized for their specific needs without paying premium prices for top-notch models. Doing this can hopefully help steer the model development industry away from chasing marginal improvements on the same metricsfalling victim to Goodharts law with capabilities of limited use for businessand instead free them up to explore new avenues of innovation and the next AI breakthrough.

Read other Fortune columns by Francois Candelon.

Francois Candelon is a partner at private equity firm Seven2 and the former global director of the BCG Henderson Institute.

Theodoros Evgeniou is a professor at INSEAD and a cofounder of the trust and safety company Tremau.

Max Struever is a principal engineer at BCG-X and an ambassador at the BCG Henderson Institute.

David Zuluaga Martinez is a partner at Boston Consulting Group and an ambassador at the BCG Henderson Institute.

Some of the companies mentioned in this column are past or present clients of the authors employers.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Supply chain visibility and diversification, and the Internet of Things topped a new survey of most relevant logistics trends, as AI, while broadly hyped, finished at the bottom of the list.

The Logistics Trend Map, developed by Maersk (OTC: AMKBY) in collaboration with Statista, leveraged expert interviews, deep data analysis and insights from over 500 industry leaders to construct a comprehensive guide to the most impactful trends shaping global trade and supply chains.

Chart: Maersk

Maersk in a preface to the study said the trends offer targeted solutions to key industry challenges including geopolitical disruptions, rising energy costs, trade barriers, regulatory complexity and increasing transportation costs. By adopting these trends, Maersk says companies can create new opportunities for cost optimization, improved customer satisfaction and accelerated decision-making.





The degree of trend adoption varies significantly across regions.

Asia-Pacific led in supply chain visibility and financial resilience initiatives but faces significant trade disruptions and tariffs.

European logistics providers are focusing on digital transformation and last-mile delivery innovation but struggling with labor shortages and geopolitical disruptions.

Latin American firms are prioritizing digital transformation and cybersecurity but grappling with infrastructure gaps and political instability.





The Middle East and Africa are taking a leading role in AI and IoT adoption while dealing with trade restrictions and inefficient transportation.

Companies in North America and Mexico are emphasizing digital solutions and last-mile innovations, the survey found, while navigating complex regulations and trade dependencies.

In an increasingly complex and challenging world, staying ahead in logistics has never been more critical, said Karsten Kildahl, chief commercial officer at Maersk, in the preface to the report. The question is no longer whether companies will face disruption in their supply chains, but how they can constantly and effectively navigate them. Identifying and analyzing trends therefore enables businesses to stay competitive in a dynamic industry.

The report provides detailed analysis for key industries including retail, fashion and lifestyle, technology, automotive, chemicals, pharmaceutical and health care, fast-moving consumer goods, and perishables. Each sector faces unique challenges and opportunities in implementing logistics trends.

To future-proof their logistics operations, the report advised companies to develop internal competencies and focus on core processes; embrace diversification and develop flexible strategies; and enhance collaboration across the supply chain.
UK business groups have warned that new import tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump could have severe consequences for British exporters, including equipment manufacturers.

The measures, which introduce a 10% tariff on all UK goods imported into the United States and a 25% rate on steel, aluminium and cars, are expected to disproportionately affect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and sectors with significant US exposure.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said the policy will be a major blow to SMEs already struggling with weak growth in the domestic market. Around 59% of UK small exporters sell goods into the US, according to FSB data.

Tina McKenzie, the FSBs policy chair, said the new tariffs will cause untold damage to small businesses trying to trade their way into profit while the domestic economy remains flat, adding that government support may be necessary to prevent business failures.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) echoed these concerns, describing the tariff package as deeply troubling. CBI chief executive Rain Newton-Smith urged the UK Government to respond calmly, warning that retaliatory measures would increase supply chain disruption and reduce investment.

Trade analysts also expect affected exporters to reassess the viability of US markets. Emma Rowland, trade policy adviser at the Institute of Directors, noted that the US remains the UKs largest single trading partner and a key destination for exports from sectors such as automotive, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and whisky.

Exporters to the US will be forced to review the viability of the US as a destination for their goods, Rowland said. Alternatively, they may well have to reduce their profit margins to remain competitive.

JCB responds with major US investment

Construction equipment manufacturer JCB has responded to the tariffs by accelerating plans to expand its production capacity in the United States. The firm confirmed it is doubling the size of its forthcoming plant in San Antonio, Texas, from 500,000 square feet to one million square feet. The $500m facility is expected to begin operations next year and employ up to 1,500 people.

The new factory will produce Loadall telescopic handlers  JCBs top-selling product in North America  as the company shifts more of its production base closer to its key export market.

JCB has been manufacturing in the US for five decades and currently operates a plant in Savannah, Georgia, which has been in use for 25 years and employs approximately 1,000 workers.

Commenting on the impact of the new tariffs, JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: In the short term, the imposition of tariffs will have a significant impact on our business. However, in the medium term, our planned factory in San Antonio will help to mitigate the impact.
When employees at customs broker Logistics Plus signed into work on Thursday, they discovered a torrent of emails from worried customers. Gretchen Blough, a manager in Erie, Pa., says half of the emails came from importers scrambling to get shipments into the country as a crush of new levies came into effect. The other half, she said, were from businesses simply trying to figure out what they had to do.

While import duties have always been part of U.S. commerce, President Donald Trumps Liberation Day announcement dramatically increased the cost of tariffs and the scope of goods to which they apply. This means that many U.S. firms must not only pay more for what they import, but must also devote time to deciphering a complex customs bureaucracy.

Paying import duties is no small matterespecially for businesses unfamiliar with them, owing to a reliance on long-standing free trade rules with countries like Mexico and Canada. For many, that will mean paying for the services of a customs broker, which can help navigate the Harmonized Tariff Schedule or HTS, an 18-pound book that sets out a classification system for the worlds goods. Blough notes that the categories are not always modern or intuitive: Computers, for instance, fall under the HTS category of automatic processing machine.

Once a category is established, an importer must turn to the U.S. governments HTS website to determine how much they must pay. In the case of recently imposed tariffs, however, the site may not be up to date, which requires would-be tariff payers to consult fact sheets from the White House or the arcane government log known as the Federal Register.

Unfortunately, in recent weeks, this information hasnt always been availableeven when new tariffs are going into effect.

In Trump 2.0, hes not taking standard regulator or statutory pathways to implement these tariffs. Keeping an eye on whats coming is a bit of an art form to piece together the information, says Jill Hurley, senior director of U.S. consulting at customs broker Livingston.

She cited Trumps recent dispute with Colombia over deportation flights, which led to on-again, off-again tariffs that required importers to haunt the White House website for specifics on his latest executive actions.

Penalties and a $50,000 bond

The tariff regime is complex but is even more so when it comes to goods assembled from components originating in multiple countries, or made from diverse materials. Consider, for instance, wood items fashioned with screws made from steela metal that is a trade fixation for Trumpor a vehicle assembled with parts from Mexico and Canada. In both cases, an importer may have to make their best guess on the appropriate duties.
By Deborah Mary Sophia

(Reuters) -U.S. chip companies, banks and oil majors fell sharply on Friday after China retaliated to Trump's tariffs with steep duties, in an intensifying trade war between the world's two largest economies that cast a shadow on global growth.

China slapped additional duties of 34% on U.S. goods, set to go into effect April 10. It also announced curbs on exports of some rare-earths and added several U.S. firms to its export control list and the "unreliable entities" list, which allows Beijing to take punitive action.

The action followed U.S. President Donald Trump's 34% duties on imports from China announced on Wednesday, which triggered a massive market meltdown on Thursday. The latest levies were on top of the 20% tariffs on China imposed earlier this year.

Investors were already fretting over potential supply chain disruptions, price hikes and demand destruction for everything from cars and smartphones to sneakers.

Shares of Tesla and Apple - among consumer tech companies with a large exposure to China - were down 8% and 4%, respectively. While both companies have local production in China, duties on U.S.-imported parts could squeeze margins and force price hikes.

"Several tech companies have established local supply chains in China. Most source components from China already, and hence, disruptions should be controllable, though we do expect price hikes on parts and components not being sourced from China," said Nishant Udupa, practice director at research firm Everest Group.

For Tesla, already in a bruising price war with local Chinese rivals, raising prices would pressure demand further.

"Apple's smartphone sales had already been declining in China for some time, faced with growing, cheaper competition. So, the prospect of steep import duties being imposed is likely to sharply erode sales even further," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown.

Shares of Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon.com were subdued as they had limited exposure to China.

GE Healthcare's stock slid nearly 13%, following China's export controls on a rare-earth metal that is used in MRI scans. The country's announcement of an anti-dumping investigation into imports of certain medical CT tubes from the U.S. and India added to the worries.

SEMICONDUCTORS

Chip companies are set to face headwinds, too, although U.S. exports a much smaller amount of electronic equipment to China. Shares of Intel, Applied Materials and Qualcomm, all of which count on China for at least 30% of revenue, were down 5% to 8%.
Demand for natural gas will surge in coming years. Catalysts like the onshoring of manufacturing, the electrification of everything, and artificial intelligence (AI) data centers will drive up power demand. That should fuel significant incremental demand for natural gas.

This outlook is driving companies to lock up additional gas supplies to fuel their energy needs. That's allowing pipeline companies to approve new projects to expand their systems to support higher gas volumes. These projects will grow their cash flows, giving them more fuel to increase their dividends.

Traversing through Texas

WPC, a joint venture (JV) between WhiteWater, MPLX (NYSE: MPLX), and Enbridge (NYSE: ENB), is partnering with another midstream company, Targa Resources (NYSE: TRGP), to build the Traverse Pipeline. The 160-mile pipeline will transport up to 1.75 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day along the Gulf Coast between Agua Dulce in South Texas and the Katy area. The pipeline will source gas from the Whistler, Blackcomb, and Matterhorn Express pipelines, all owned by one or more of the partners. It will enhance the flow of gas in the region, giving shippers greater access to premium markets, like liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals.

The companies expect the project to enter commercial service in 2027. They've secured long-term transportation agreements with investment-grade shippers for most of the project's capacity. This should supply them with very stable cash flows.

The project builds on the extensive gas infrastructure owned or under development by the WPC JV. That entity owns the Whistler Pipeline and 70% stakes in the Rio Bravo, Blackcomb, Traverse, and ADCC pipelines. It also has a 50% interest in the Waha Gas Storage facility.

These pipelines will help transport growing natural gas volumes produced in the Permian to higher-value markets along the Gulf Coast. For example, Rio Bravo will transport gas to NextDecade's LNG export facility at the Port of Brownsville in South Texas starting next year. Meanwhile, the other pipelines are increasing the flow of gas to industrial and other markets along the Gulf Coast.

Adding more fuel to their dividend growth engines

MPLX will hold the biggest stake in the Traverse pipeline among the three publicly traded pipeline companies. It has a 30.4% interest in WPC and will own an additional 12.5% direct interest in Traverse via its stake in the Blackcomb Pipeline joint venture. It adds to the master limited partnership's (MLP) growing backlog of expansion projects. The company should get a boost from the Blackcomb and Rio Bravo pipelines when they enter commercial service next year.
By Jack Queen

(Reuters) -New Civil Liberties Alliance, a conservative legal group, on Thursday filed what it said was the first lawsuit seeking to block Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports, saying the U.S. president overstepped his authority.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Florida, alleges that Trump lacked the legal authority to impose the sweeping tariffs unveiled on Wednesday as well as duties authorized on February 1 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

By invoking emergency power to impose an across-the-board tariff on imports from China that the statute does not authorize, President Trump has misused that power, usurped Congresss right to control tariffs, and upset the Constitutions separation of powers," NCLA senior litigation counsel Andrew Morris said in a statement.

White House representatives did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Crane transports steel coil at a port in Shanghai

NCLA filed the lawsuit on behalf of Simplified, a Florida-based retailer of home management products.

Trump on Wednesday announced that China would be hit with a 34% tariff, on top of the 20% he imposed earlier this year, bringing the total new levies to 54%.

The lawsuit asks a judge to block implementation and enforcement of the tariffs and undo Trump's changes to the U.S. tariff schedule.

The lawsuit says presidents can only impose tariffs with Congress' permission and under complex trade statutes spelling out how and when they can be authorized.

"Such statutes require advance investigations, detailed factual findings, and a close fit between the statutory authority and a tariffs scope," the lawsuit says.

The law Trump invoked has never been used to impose tariffs and only allows presidents to take actions that are necessary to address a specific emergency, the lawsuit said.

Trump has declared an emergency over China's alleged complicity in the U.S. opioid epidemic, framing tariffs as a negotiating tool for ending the influx of the deadly drugs.

The lawsuit says that justification is a pretext for imposing tariffs aimed at reducing U.S. trade deficits while raising tax revenue.

The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Kent Wetherell, a Trump appointee who had halted a key part of former President Joe Biden's immigration policy in 2023.

(Reporting by Jack Queen; Editing by Leslie Adler)
You may be aware that President Donald Trumps tariff war with Canada and Mexico will see Americans paying more for consumer goods, but have you considered the cost of services will also rise?

According to a February report from Insurify, the cost of full-coverage car insurance in the U.S. could increase by 8% on average this year if Trump persists on 25% import tariffs on car parts made in Mexico and Canada.

Don't miss

Plus, with Canadian steel and aluminum facing the same tariff, the price of manufacturing auto parts in America could also skyrocket.

The cost of auto parts is a major factor in the final price of your auto insurance. The car industry in the U.S. is highly reliant on our neighbors to the north and south, as the U.S. imports roughly 32% of its total auto parts from Canada and Mexico, according to data cited in the Insurify report. Imports of finished cars and trucks from Canada and Mexico also account for a fifth of all vehicles sold.

Tariffs on your transportation

Increasing insurance costs may not be the only headache, as demand for cars produced domestically will see automakers expand their workforces, and add to the final cost of the vehicles they make.

Theyll also have to absorb the higher cost of steel and aluminum imports, which will likely be reflected in car prices, too.

Whether youre buying a new car or repairing a used one, the cost of parts will make transportation more expensive for Americans. Demand for cars made domestically may also increase if imports become prohibitively expensive.

USA today reports that according to Wolfe Research, tariffs could make the average cost of a new car rise by about $3,000.

Read more: Trump warns his tariffs will spark a disturbance in America  use this 1 dead-simple move to help shockproof your retirement plans ASAP

Rising costs for insurance

In February, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association reported that approximately six in 10 auto replacement parts used in U.S. repair shops are imports from Canada, Mexico or China. With higher costs for these auto parts leading to increased costs for insurers, premiums will rise accordingly.

According to a recent report from the Kelley Blue Book, the national average cost for car repairs is $838. With tariffs, this could put the cost for repairs well over $1,000.
First on our list is Perimeter Solutions, a Missouri-based company that focuses on fire safety and prevention. Specifically, the company is a global producer of high-quality firefighting products and lubricant additives. Perimeter Solutions is proud of its reputation for quality, noting that in the firefighting industry there is no room for error  these are products that save lives, and so must work correctly the first time, every time.

Does the rest of the Street agree with the UBS view? This we can find out with some assistance from the TipRanks database . Lets give these names a closer look.

In this situation, UBS suggests that investors go bargain hunting sooner rather than later. The banks analysts are running with that idea, having noted two stocks that have been on the backfoot recently but are poised for a rebound in todays conditions.

Our economic forecasts do not call for a recession in the US, says the note. In our base case, a wide range of selective tariffs and counteractions are likely to lead to slower economic growth compared to last year, but they should not prevent the US economy from expanding by around 2%its historical trend ratethis year. In addition, we expect the Federal Reserve to continue easing policy, with its Summary of Economic Projections last week indicating 50 basis points of interest rate cuts by the end of this year We acknowledge that policy-driven uncertainty could pose further risks to the stock markets, and believe portfolio diversification and hedging strategies remain key. But we continue to expect the S&P 500 to end the year higher, and recommend phasing in and tactically buying the dip in US equities.

However, according to the investment office at UBS, its not all necessarily doom and gloom. The markets might be voting with a thumbs down to the most serious instalment to-date in Trumps tariff crusade, but a recent note by the UBS investment team lays out reasons to keep a positive stance.

After imposing a 10 percent tax on all imported goods along with additional reciprocal tariffs on certain major trading partners amid an intensifying trade war, concerns are growing over its potential economic repercussions.

The major indexes are in freefall ahead of the open on Thursday, as the markets appear to be digesting the impact of what Donald Trump has declared Liberation Day for the US.

Story Continues

Perimeter Solutions operates two main business segments, Fire Safety and Specialty Products. In the Fire Safety segment, this company is known for offering full-service solutions, including products, equipment, and personnel  and the logistic chain to support them. Perimeter Solutions markets its firefighting chemicals around the world, and its product list includes fire retardants and fire suppression foam applications. The company is well-known as an important supplier of firefighting products and services for the forestry industry, and can count such major names as the USDA Forest Service and CalFire among its customers. Brand names in the Perimeter Solutions product line include the Phos-Chek and Fire-Trol retardants, foams, and gels; the Auxquimia firefighting foams, and the fluorine-free Solberg foam products.

On the Specialty Product side, Perimeter Solutions is the only global-scale producer of phosphorus pentasulfide (P2S5) and is also known for producing the raw materials needed in anti-wear additives. The companys P2S5 product is in high demand by manufacturers of engine oil additives around the world.

All of this is big business, and Perimeter Solutions generated $561 million in full-year sales for 2024  up an impressive 74% from 2023. The Fire Safety segment, which made up $436.3 million of the total annual sales, was up 93% year-over-year. Narrowing our focus to the last reported quarter, 4Q24, we see that the company had quarterly revenue of $86.2 million, up 45% from the prior year, and an EPS figure of 90 cents, marking a strong turnaround from the 9-cent net loss reported in 4Q23.

We should note two facts here. First, Perimeter Solutions typically reports its strongest results during Q3  which makes sense, as that covers the hot late-summer months and the height of the US wildfire season. And second, the companys stock peaked in January of this year and is now down 24.5% from that high point.

Covering this stock for UBS, analyst Joshua Spector first explains why the current dip in share price is a buying opportunity, writing, PRM has shown the power of its operating model, lifting recurring EBITDA by >70% on a similar fire season (2024 vs 2020/21). Yet the stock has declined [since] mid-January. We see this dip as a buying opportunity 2025 is a reset year as we assume a normal fire season vs above avg 2024, however this 2025 base is ~$100M above prior avg years, and we model a ~7% CAGR off this higher base (w/o capital deployment). We think PRM stock is pricing in either no EBITDA growth from here or 2025 EBITDA ~25% below UBS 2025e.

Looking ahead, the analyst sees recent high-profile fire activity as a likely factor in boosting the companys profile, and he adds, PRM is a leader in fire retardants used to fight wildfires. We believe recent memory of L.A. wildfires will increase the call for more ability to fight, contain, and prevent wildfires. This should catalyse growth in PRMs volumes, absent growth in acres burned, and provide more firepower to PRMs earnings algorithm.

These comments support Spectors Buy rating on the shares, while his $14 price target implies that PRM will gain 33.5% in the next 12 months. (To watch Spectors track record, click here.)

There are only 2 recent analyst reviews on record for this stock, both are positive  making the consensus view a Moderate Buy. The stock is trading for $10.49, and its $16 average target price suggests a 52.5% gain in the year ahead. (See PRM stock forecast.)

Cryoport, Inc. (CYRX)

Next on our list is Cryoport, a global leader in the field of cold storage and transport, as applied in the world of biotech. The company is a specialist in cryogenic storage systems, biostorage and sample processing, and life science-focused courier activities. Cryoports expertise in cooling systems, cold storage, and cold transport has made it a global leader as a provider of support services for biomedical clinical trials and for commercial therapies for regenerative medicine. The company is based in Tennessee and operates from 50 facilities in strategic locations around the world. When the biotech field needs mission-critical support in bio-logistics, bio-storage, bio-processing, and cryogenic cooling, Cryoport has become a go-to name.

Cryoport operates through several business units, each with a particular focus. The companys eponymous unit, Cryoport Systems, handles a globally integrated, temperature-controlled supply chain specialized for the Life Sciences field. The CRYOPDP segment is another logistics specialist, partnering with biopharma and clinical trials companies on the global scene. The companys MVE segment is a preferred player in the global field of cryogenic storage and shipping. And finally, CRYOGENE is a US-based medical biorepository, providing secure cold storage for biological specimens and related supplies.

In all, Cryoport employs over 1,100 people in 50 facilities across 17 countries. This network serves customers in a wide range of specific applications, including biopharmaceuticals, reproductive medicine, and even animal husbandry. Other important users of Cryoports services include government agencies, research institutions, and universities.

When we turn to the financial side, we see that Cryoport generated $59.5 million in revenue during the 4Q24, for a 4% gain year-over-year and beating the forecast by $1.03 million. At the bottom line, the companys earnings came to a net loss of 42 cents per share, missing the estimates by 13 cents per share. The company saw full-year 2024 revenue of $228.4 million, which was in line with the previously published guidance figures. We should note here that CYRX shares have fallen by 66% in the past 12 months.

For UBS analyst Dan Leonard, however, this share price weakness presents a chance to buy in. He explains why he is positive on CYRX, noting that the company has long-term strengths that should outweigh nearer-term headwinds, writing,

Our Buy rating on CryoPort reflects our view that scaling cell and gene therapy service offerings provide a credible pathway to low-double-digit+ (~10%+) mid-long term sales growth and positive free cash flow. Headwinds in MVE and broader biopharma market weakness have depressed sales, but these challenges are well understood, appear to be stabilizing, and provide an attractive entry point, in our view.

Along with that noted Buy rating, Leonard gives CYRX shares a price target of $11, suggesting a handsome 78.5% upside potential on the one-year horizon. (To watch Leonards track record, click here.)

For the Street as a whole, this stock gets a Moderate Buy consensus rating, based on 8 recent reviews that include 5 to Buy and 4 to Hold. The shares are priced at $6.16, and their $10.64 average price target implies a one-year upside potential of 73%. (See CYRX stock forecast.)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue
(Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator said on Friday remedies offered by Safran, including sale of parts of its business, could resolve competition concerns relating to its acquisition of a part of aerospace business Collins.

Safran has offered to substantially sell all of its business in the design and production of Trimmable Horizontal Stabilizer Actuator systems, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said.

The CMA added it would now consider Safran's undertakings in more detail, including seeking third-party feedback, and if satisfied, will clear the deal.

Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing people with direct knowledge of the matter, that the EU antitrust regulators are set to approve Safran's $1.8 billion bid for Collins Aerospace's flight controls business.

Safran agreed to buy the supplier of critical cockpit functions from Collins Aerospace in 2023.

(Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Eileen Soreng and Rashmi Aich)
By Sumit Khanna and Rajendra Jadhav

SURAT, India (Reuters) - A wave of anxiety has gripped India's diamond polishing hub of Surat, as hefty U.S. tariffs threaten to undermine the country's gem and jewellery exports, putting at risk the livelihoods of thousands of workers.

The United States, which takes more than 30% of the South Asian nation's gem and jewellery exports, set a 27% reciprocal tariff on it on Thursday, at a time when demand is softening in other key markets such as China, the Middle East, and Europe.

"Tariffs will hit hard the demand for diamonds in the United States and job losses look inevitable, at least in the short term," said Dinesh Navadiya, chairman of the Surat-based Indian Diamond Institute.

Surat, the second-largest city in Gujarat, the western home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, processes and polishes more than 80% of the world's rough diamonds, and India accounts for nine in every 10 diamonds processed globally.

Business has ground to a halt in its teeming diamond market, where more than 10,000 traders and brokers gather each day, as the industry tries to figure out how matters will evolve in the coming months.

Conditions are worse than during the 2008 financial crisis, when the industry was plagued by fears of a prolonged recession, said Mansukh Mangukiya, a diamond trader for five decades.

A slowdown in the industry will hit all manufacturers, but smaller players will suffer most, said Sevanti Shah, chairman of Venus Jewels, adding, "Many smaller manufacturers will have no choice but to shut down."

The United States accounted for nearly $10 billion, or 30.4%, of India's annual gems and jewellery exports, totalling $32 billion in the fiscal year 2023/24.

THIRD LARGEST EXPORT TO U.S.

Gems and jewellery are India's third largest export to the United States, after engineering and electronic goods, and employ millions of workers, including artisans.

Poorer business prospects also raise questions about the future of the Surat Diamond Bourse, inaugurated by Modi in 2023 to create thousands of new jobs and serve as a trade hub.

Built over 6.6 million square feet, it was touted as the world's largest office building, surpassing the Pentagon.

The industry will seek alternative markets to compensate for the loss of U.S. demand, but no other country will be able to replace the U.S. market, diamond dealers said.

The sudden decline in U.S. demand would require short-term production adjustments within the industry and could lead to reduced rough diamond imports, said Shaunak Parikh, vice chairman of the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council.
Its hard to think of a company that is off to a worse start for the trading year than Tesla (TSLA) . Yes, there are other companies whose share prices have declined further, but the former electric vehicle (EV) leader has struggled for a unique reason.

CEO Elon Musk has been highly preoccupied with his new position at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), leaving investors to wonder about Teslas future. As share prices have fallen, experts have expressed concern and called for him to step down.

 Dont miss the move: SIGN UP for TheStreets FREE Daily newsletter 

Despite some recent momentum, Tesla stock is falling again following the U.S. governments tariff announcement on April 2. Those tariffs cast significant uncertainty over the U.S. economy, which is bad news for Tesla and most of its peers.

Consumer toward Tesla has been trending downward recently and some Wall Street analysts are concerned.TheStreet/Getty

Analysts suggest Tesla is in deep trouble

For months, Tesla has faced growing concern from investors as reports of declining European sales have gained traction. Some experts wrote this off by speculating that the European market is not as important to Tesla as the U.S. or China.

While that may be true, Tesla's problems are by no means confined to Europe. Its Q1 delivery statistics are in, and while expectations were low, the numbers are even worse than many experts feared.

Related: Tesla Q1 deliveries tumble as Elon Musk's political role hammers sales

Tesla delivered 336,681 new cars in Q1, down 13% from last year's tally of 386,810 and 32% from the record 495,570 reached over the final three months of last year, reports TheStreet. Analysts' forecasts for deliveries ranged from 340,000 to around 380,000, with Visible Alpha data pegging the March-quarter target at around 373,000.

And those estimates had already been lowered over the past few months.

When TSLA stock surged on post-election momentum from Musks close proximity to President Donald Trump, analysts forecasted that the companys Q1 deliveries would be in the range of 470,000.

Following Tesla's disappointing Q1 deliveries, Deutsche Bank (DB) released a note that attributed the major miss to concerningly low U.S. sales.

The analysts state that they already factored in the companys weak sales in Europe, suggesting the recent downside is because of the U.S. Per Sherwood News:
This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter.

A California nonprofit medical center agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over allegations of pay discrimination, and an Illinois university reduced complaints of antisemitism.

Heres a look at some of the numbers making headlines in the HR world.

By the numbers

2-1

The votes of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that ruled in favor of staying a district courts decision to reinstate Gwynne Wilcox as a member of the National Labor Relations Board.

35%

The percentage by which voluntary turnover fell among workers who were provided paid time off, according to a joint Florida Atlantic University and Cleveland State University study published in the International Journal of Manpower.

74%

The share of developers who say they struggle to find a job in tech, despite persistent demand, according to a survey by developer skills platform HackerRank.

88%

The year-over-year decrease in complaints of antisemitic discrimination or harassment at Northwestern University as of November 2024.

$195,000

The amount a nonprofit medical center in California agreed to pay to settle allegations that it paid a female physician assistant and two other women less than their male counterpart for performing a similar job, according to a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission news release.

Recommended Reading
We recently compiled a list of the Energy Stocks that Are Gaining This Week. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE:CQP) stands against the other energy stocks.

After significantly trailing behind in 2024, the energy sector now finds itself outperforming the general market so far this year. Despite the sharp market decline on Thursday, April 3, the broader energy sector has gained over 1.3% since the beginning of 2025, against declines of more than 7% by the wider market.

The energy industry has braced itself for a tidal wave of change with Donald Trump back in the Oval Office since the President has expressed a strong commitment to reviving fossil fuels, reversing climate policies, and assuring Americas energy security. One sector that is already booming is that of natural gas. The benchmark US natural gas price at Henry Hub has surged by over 147% over the last year, thanks to slowing output in 2024, booming LNG exports, and fast-depleting inventories during the coldest winter in six years. Moreover, the ongoing AI boom and the accompanying data centers are also set to significantly increase the countrys energy demand, for which natural gas is a leading contender. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects the US gas demand to reach record highs this year and next, forecasting the countrys gas output to surge to 105.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2025, up from 103.2 bcfd last year and a record 103.6 bcfd in 2023.

Why Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (CQP) is Gaining This Week?

A close-up view of a gas liquefaction plant, indicating the scale and complexity of the process.

Our Methodology

To collect data for this article, we have referred to several stock screeners to find energy stocks that have surged the most between March 26 and April 2, 2025. Following are the Energy Stocks that Gained the Most This Week. The stocks are ranked according to their share price surge during this period.

At Insider Monkey, we are obsessed with 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).

Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE:CQP)

Share Price Gains Between Mar. 26  Apr. 2: 6.75%

Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE:CQP) provides LNG to integrated energy companies, utilities, and energy trading companies around the world.
Shares of Sweetgreen (NYSE: SG) took a dive today, as it was one of several restaurant stocks to react negatively to President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcement last night.

On a day when the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) fell 4.8%, Sweetgreen finished down 12%.

Image source: Sweetgreen.

What's Sweetgreen's tariff exposure?

Though Sweetgreen sources most of its ingredients domestically, it does import some food products from outside the U.S., including Mexico, and counts on components from China for its Infinite Kitchen systems.

However, Sweetgreen and its restaurant peers may be more exposed to any weakness in consumer spending that results than from the impact of the tariffs directly. After all, consumer confidence has been rapidly falling, and the tariffs could lead to a recession, which tends to hit restaurant stocks hard, as they are dependent on discretionary spending. Consumers can choose to eat food from the grocery store instead, or bring their own lunches into work.

Can Sweetgreen recover?

Sweetgreen stock had tumbled earlier in the year, as the company gave disappointing guidance, due in part to the impact of the wildfires in Los Angeles. However, its investments in the Infinite Kitchen, an automated system it's deploying to more restaurants, could help give it an advantage over other restaurant chains by helping it save on labor.

Ultimately, the tariffs shouldn't disrupt Sweetgreen's long-term growth path. It's a unique business as the leader in the fast-casual salad space, and it has a long runway of growth ahead of it. While the tariffs and any resulting economic headwinds could present a setback, they shouldn't derail the company's growth plans.

Should you invest $1,000 in Sweetgreen right now?

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Jeremy Bowman has positions in Sweetgreen. The Motley Fool recommends Sweetgreen. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Why Sweetgreen Stock Was Wilting Today was originally published by The Motley Fool
By Arpan Chaturvedi

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The operator of Wikipedia has been ordered to remove statements deemed defamatory by an Indian court from the page of a domestic news agency it hosts, the latest such directive to the popular online encyclopedia.

The Wikimedia Foundation is the second major tech platform, following X, formerly Twitter, to become embroiled in recent years in court battles over content takedown orders in India.

Last year the agency, ANI, sued Wikimedia for defamation in the Delhi High Court, citing a Wikipedia description that it faced criticism for being a government "propaganda tool" and sought removal of such statements.

In an order on Thursday, the court said, "The impugned statements are... defamatory and tarnish the professional reputation of" ANI, and should be removed.

The foundation did not respond to a request for comment on the ruling and whether it will appeal.

Reuters, which owns a 26% stake in ANI, did not respond to a request for comment. It has previously said it is not involved in ANI's business practices or operations.

The court will continue to hear the case, in which ANI seeks damages of about 20 million rupees ($240,000) and an apology from Wikimedia.

The ruling "affirms the fundamental right to reputation", a lawyer for ANI, Sidhant Kumar, told Reuters in a statement.

As a result of the dispute, U.S.-based Wikimedia has raised questions about free speech in the world's largest democracy.

In October, the court ordered the takedown of a Wikipedia page related to the dispute, calling it "interference in court proceedings", prompting Wikimedia to go to the Supreme Court in January.

Wikimedia said in its Supreme Court filing that "the selective and permanent takedown... creates a chilling effect on free speech, and restricts access to knowledge".

X is also challenging government orders to block some posts about Indian farmers' protests in 2021.

(Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi; Editing by Aditya Kalra and Clarence Fernandez)
Colorado Democrats are pushing legislation to penalize "deadnaming" and "misgendering" as discriminatory actions and to mandate the courts to include such claims in determining the allocation of parenting time in custody cases.
Colorado's second-highest court on Thursday overturned a mans drug convictions and 36-year prison sentence because a law enforcement officer improperly testified the defendant had met the legal elements to be found guilty.
Over the last few years, the most bitter battles have been fought between House Democrats and Republicans, with the latter walking out hours before the session ended last year, rather than vote on a property tax measure.
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Denver Public Schools Board of Education vice president Auon'tai Anderson, center, flanked by local media members, listens in during a virtual Board of Education Special Board Meeting to discuss and vote on the release of a recording of a closed-door meeting the day after the March 22 shooting at East High School, on Friday, July 21, 2023, in Denver, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette)
At four rural community colleges in Colorado, 77 students are in the pipeline for teaching careers in rural Eastern Plains and southeastern Colorado school districts.
Colorado business and political leaders are bracing for the fallout following President Donald Trumps new round of tariffs, expressing worries about higher prices and possible damage to the states economy, though some offered calibrated responses and noted robust sales in some areas as customers decide to buy goods now in anticipation of higher prices later.

More specifically, the Colorado Chamber of Commerce said its members are worried about uncertainty and unpredictability.

Were concerned with any policy that disrupts predictability in the market or increases the cost of doing business  whether that comes from the state or federal government, said Colorado Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Loren Furman in a news release. Weve heard a range of feedback from our members statewide on tariffs, from uncertainty about the future to outrage over detrimental financial impacts.

Specifically for Colorado, which is already one of the most expensive states to live and do business, tariffs could seriously interfere with our work to improve competitiveness and the broader economy.

Businesses in Colorado have partly blamed excessive or duplicative regulations as already posing negative ramifications on economic growth and productivity.

In a memo, Trump defended the reciprocal tariffs as necessary to correct a trade deficit that, he said, has ultimately suppressed domestic wages and consumption.

Large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits have led to the hollowing out of our manufacturing base; inhibited our ability to scale advanced domestic manufacturing capacity; undermined critical supply chains; and rendered our defense-industrial base dependent on foreign adversaries, his memo said.

In a statement, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said the new tariffs will raise costs for all.

Unless President Trump pulls back from tariffs on products from Mexico and Canada, starting at midnight, the presidents horrible sales tax will apply to all hardworking Coloradans, Polis said. Trumps tariffs are a costly sales tax that will raise the price of groceries, clothes, homes, technology, cars, and everyday items Americans rely on and hurt North American competitiveness.

Some customers are buying goods now, instead of waiting for the tariffs to kick in. Notably, auto sales have spiked recently, a spokesperson for the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association told The Gazette.

Our member dealerships did see a spike over the last week and weekend, Margo Finer, director of external affairs and communications, said via email. There was about a 125%-150% increase, as customers rush in to buy cars before the tariffs hit.

Finer said that imports, such as Porsche or BMW, might be affected more than most car dealerships, and that most parts are assembled outside of the U.S., even if the car is assembled here.

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Domestic brands are likely to see a smaller increase in price than imported brands, but all cars will see an increase in cost, she said.

We know theres a lot of uncertainty around how the specifics of the tariffs will impact the automotive industry and each manufacturer will handle it differently, but customers remain the most important part of this equation and our dealers are focusing on them, Finer said.

While Nissan spokesman Brian Brockman said he couldnt speak to how the tariffs are affecting Colorado dealers, Nissan stores have a very good supply of vehicles in stock unaffected by tariffs.

Nissan saw strong sales in March, he added.

More than half of Nissans U.S. sales volume is sourced from plants in Tennessee and Mississippi, Brockman said.

Hyundai spokeswoman Ira Gabriel said the company is heavily focused of expanding U.S. production. Hyundai Motor Group has invested $21 billion to expand the countrys production to 1.2 million cars across Alabama and Georgia and its new Metaplant in Savannah, Gabriel said.

Mercedes-Benz of Westminster sent an email to customers Thursday, encouraging them to buy now before prices go up.

A 25% import tariff on vehicles arriving in the U.S. after April 3rd may lead to increased pricing on future Mercedes-Benz models, said KB Yazdanfar, general sales manager, in the email. However, our current inventory is not impacted, making now the best time to purchase.

In a statement to The Gazette Thursday, trade association Autos Drive America said that the tariffs would significantly affect consumers.

At a time when cost is the No. 1 concern for American car buyers, U.S. automakers are working to provide a range of affordable vehicles for consumers, the statement said. The tariffs imposed today will make it more expensive to produce and sell cars in the United States, ultimately leading to higher prices, fewer options for consumers, and fewer manufacturing jobs in the U.S.

Gazette's Kyla Pearce, Dennis Huspeni and Glenn Rabinowitz contributed to this report.
Authorities arrested four people in connection with a January shooting in Security-Widefield that left one person dead, though one suspect is still at-large, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office announced Friday.

The Violent Offender Fugitive Task Force and El Paso County Sheriffs Office SWAT Team arrested Ami Gallegos, 18, Noah Watkins, 20, and two minors on suspicion of second-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery, assault and menacing, according to a news release.

The Sheriffs Office is searching for a fifth suspect, 20-year-old Zion Alexander Tilmon, who is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighs 190 pounds and has black hair and black eyes. He is wanted on second-degree murder and other charges and should be considered armed and dangerous. Do not approach if you see him, authorities said.

I am extremely proud of the dedication my Investigations Division has demonstrated, El Paso County Sheriff Joe Roybal said in the release. My Office will continue our efforts to find Zion Tilmon, ensuring all five of these dangerous criminals are held accountable for their actions."

The Sheriff's Office said Tilmon is likely in the Colorado Springs or Denver area. If anyone sees him or has information on his whereabouts, they are advised to contact local law enforcement or call the El Paso County Sheriffs Office non-emergency line at 719-390-5555.

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On Jan. 16, The Gazette previously reported that deputies responded to a shooting at a residence in the 7000 block of Dove Creek Circle, near Fontaine and Powers boulevards.

Deputies found three people who appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds and began rendering medical aid until medical personnel arrived.

The Security Fire Department took two people to hospitals, where they were treated and released. A third person, Jonah Thirkill, 19, died at the scene, authorities said.

A fourth person arrived at a hospital with a gunshot wound and was later discharged.
A spring storm moved through the Denver area Friday, impacting flights departing from and arriving to both Denver International Airport and Colorado Springs Airport.

As of 5:30 p.m. Friday, Denver had reported nine canceled flights and more than 700 delays. A spokesperson for the airport said the delays were due to snow and patchy fog. Impacted airlines include Southwest, United, SkyWest, Frontier, Delta and American.

At Colorado Springs Airport, no flights were canceled, but 24 were delayed, including three inbound flights from DIA, and five outbound flights to DIA, according to FlightAware. The destinations arriving from and departing to include Denver, Baltimore, Dallas, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Houston and Chicago. Impacted airlines include Southwest, United, Delta and American.

Out of the delays in Colorado Springs, only five were considered significant that lasted for an hour, said Colorado Springs Airport spokesperson Aidan Ryan. None stemmed from the weather in Colorado Springs but rather from air traffic control or crew issues and the weather at the other destination airports.

The weather is not expected to cause delays in Colorado Springs tomorrow. According to meteorologists with Gazette media partner KOAA, thick clouds are forecast for Saturday morning that will gradually clear out during the day. For those travelling by road, spots that see snow Friday night will have icy spots early Saturday morning. Wind will be out of the north at 5-10 mph gusting to 15 mph. Temperatures will reach a high in the mid-40s.

Click or tap here for Colorado Springs Airport flight status updates.

Click or tap here for DIA flight status updates.
U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, a Lakewood Democrat, holding her 9-week-old son Sam, speaks on the House floor about a bipartisan resolution she's sponsoring to let new parents vote by proxy on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
The Montana Republican Party on Friday disowned The Nine GOP state senators who have allied with Democrats on key votes this session.

In a statement released to the press late Friday, the state partys executive committee said it was rescinding recognition of those nine Republican lawmakers because they have undermined the Republican majority leadership and disregarded the will of Montana Republican voters.

Its the second time the state party has rebuked the nine Senate Republicans after issuing a statement in March.

Republican legislative leadership, meanwhile, said Friday it would disregard the state partys statements and work to maintain the caucus through the final few weeks of the session.

The split between hardline and loosely moderate Republicans has been a central factor in how laws have moved through the upper chamber this session, muscling items like Medicaid expansion through the Senate and blocking bills proposed under the Republicans banner of judicial reform. The faction emerged in the Senates very first hearing on Jan. 6 to manage committee assignments and put the coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats in a better position this session.

The state GOP, which is largely removed from the functions of the state Legislature, said it would no longer offer its support to those candidates in future elections.

The MTGOP Executive Committee has determined that these Senators no longer represent the values or interests of Montana Republicans, the GOPs statement read. As a result, the MTGOP will no longer support or fund their campaigns.

Sen. Josh Kassmier, R-Fort Benton, has become one of the de facto leaders of the nine Republicans. In mid-March, the GOP executive board drafted questions for the nine senators and Kassmier wrote a letter to the party chairman, Don K Kaltschmidt.

Although I am a proud member of the Montana Republican Party, my obligation is to the people of Montana, not party bosses like you, Kassmier wrote in the letter that he provided to the Montana State News Bureau.

Tyler Newcombe, the executive director of the Montana GOP, claimed neither he nor Kaltschmidt ever received that letter.

In an interview, Kassmier brought up how many of the other Senate Republicans did not vote for Gov. Greg Gianfortes priority income tax cut bill earlier this week.

So we can argue who broke with [whom], Kassmier said.

We were sent here as conservatives  to vote for conservative things, and we have. Kassmier later added. That's what we should be focusing on.

Kassmier, after two terms in the House, beat Lola Sheldon-Galloway, vice chair of the State GOP and a member of the executive committee, to win his Senate seat last year.

The GOP senators identified in the coalition are Kassmier; Jason Ellsworth of Hamilton; Bruce Butch Gillespie of Ethridge; Gregg Hunter of Glasgow; Wendy McKamey of Great Falls; Gayle Lammers of Hardin; Denley Loge of St. Regis; Russ Tempel of Chester; and Shelley Vance of Belgrade.

Hunter and Lammers are both freshmen lawmakers this session. Lammers beat an eight-term Democrat in a purple district to gain the seat.

This might have gained me some more votes, he joked on Friday.

McKamey, who is up for re-election in 2026, said it remains to be seen what effect this may have on her campaign. She said the party found primary challengers for her in 2022 and 2018  races she won.

Im as Republican as they come, she said.

The GOPs executive committee includes three other sitting Republican lawmakers, all in the House of Representatives: Reps. Paul Fielder of Thompson Falls; Terry Nelson of Hamilton; and Tracy Sharp of Polson.

Senate Majority Leader Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, said the censure would not likely play into his role in the final, and often frantic, weeks of the Legislature. Speaking with reporters late Friday, he said, Im just going to keep treating this as if it didnt happen.

Im working with all 32 Republicans up here, he said. My job as majority leader is to keep us together and on the same track, and Im talking to these guys every day. And frankly, we have three weeks left, and Id like to see us come together and get as much good legislation as we can out of here. So Im not disowning anybody.

McGillvrays comments came less than 24 hours after The Nine GOP lawmakers once again joined Democrats in passing a contentious bill Republicans warned allowed the governors office to have spending authority over hundreds of millions of dollars, an obligation they said should remain with the Legislature. Indeed, the Senate passed that bill in the 27-23 vote thats recurred again and again this session.

Youre going to have sparks fly on the floor when you have different viewpoints on a bill like that, McGillvray said. ... I cannot look at a group of Republicans and say, You dont belong to us anymore. Thats exactly a way to destroy what we need to accomplish for the good of Montana people.
The story about the brutal end to Carlos Stoners lifeand its effects on a community divided along racial lineshad been largely buried by the sands of time.

Stoner, a 31-year-old Black man, was murdered on a sliver of pavement near one of the citys oldest parks on May 27, 1992.

He had argued with four white men while drinking, police said. Twenty-somethings Dwayne Doby, Rickey Knight, James Gilbert and Mark Smith, were arrested the very next day after a swift investigation.

Other than those basics, however, police said precious little else after prosecutors urged them to keep a lid on the case.

Rather than reassuring the public, however, the arrests and the subsequent silence only served to fuel rumor and conjecture.

And when additional details about Stoners killing leaked out  hed been beaten and stabbed, left for dead, stabbed again and castrated  official attempts to control the narrative hardened a persistent, lingering sense of mistrust.

Theres a lot of tension in the community that could explode at any time, said Walter Marshall, a longtime member of the Forsyth County NAACP who would go on to serve as a county commissioner. The Black community is just not in the mood to take a lot of things anymore.

Indeed, the killing of Carlos Stoner attracted a measure of national attention as civil-rights organizations called it a modern lynching as castration  Stoners penis was shoved in his mouth  was an intimidation tactic historically employed by the Ku Klux Klan.

But following the sensational trial of ringleader Rickey Knight, the rancor eventually subsided. Memories faded and people who had been traumatized by it all moved on with their lives. Some moved away and some died.

The details about Stoner were mostly forgotten.

But within the past week, a simple message inspired by ongoing attempts to erase painful chapters of American history appeared on the same section of greenway where Stoner died nearly 33 years ago.

Carlos Stoner was lynched here in 1992  Say his name  Dont Erase Our History.

A few simple phrases written in chalk opened old wounds and forced people to remember  and reckon with  an awful time.

I think its a valid concern about not forgetting, said Vince Rabil, a longtime Forsyth County assistant district attorney who led the prosecution of Knight. I think its really good that somebody remembered and put that chalk message out there.

Police found Stoners body early on the morning of May 27, 1992. They knew immediately how awful it was and that they had to move quickly.

Initially, Rabil said, they considered Stoners roommate a possible suspect but swiftly moved on after Doby came forward to give a statement.

Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Knight, grabbed him in a predawn raid May 28 and charged him with first-degree murder. Doby, Smith and Gilbert were picked up, too, and held with no bond allowed.

After that, though, official silence.

Then District Attorney Tom Keith defended that stance by saying he didnt want to compromise the investigation.

Eventually, youll get the whole story, Keith said in response to criticism. What good is it that everybody knows every single fact the day after it happens? This is a death penalty case, and I dont want it reversed 10 years from now.

The gruesome details about the way Stoner died, when they eventually came out in court, confirmed to many that officials purposely sat on the malignant racism underpinning it.

An autopsy painstakingly revealed that Stoner had been stabbed 27 times, any number of which could have proved fatal, including a deep wound at the base of his skull inflicted with a serrated knife.

And testimony offered in court by detectives laid bare the fact that race most certainly was a motive.

Knight told a detective that he didnt know what the big deal was because it was just another dead (N word.)

Two co-defendants testified in his 1993 trial that hed said that hed never killed a (N word before (and) I want to see what its like. Doby also told jurors that Knight had asked him if he wanted to go back and kill another one the next night.

The trial was so traumatic, Rabil said in a recent interview, that the Legislature passed a law mandating that the state would pay the cost of therapy for any jurors who expressed a need for professional help.

The jury convicted Knight of first-degree murder but when the trial moved to the sentencing phase, a lone holdout refused to sign off on the death penalty and that forced the judge to hand down the only sentence possible: life in prison.

Knight remains behind bars, but the other three co-defendants have long since been freed.

Convicted of second-degree murder, Gilbert was paroled in 2023 and went back after violating the conditions. Smith was paroled in 2002.

Doby was released in 1998 but he, too, returned to prison following a drug conviction. Hes currently in the Davie County Jail awaiting trial in connection with the 2023 shooting death of an Advance woman.

The Stoner murder, Rabil said, was the worst hate crime Ive ever seen.  In fact, I still dont know if Ive ever psychologically gotten over it.

The case had lasting effects on the wider community, too. It prompted a fierce debate among the citys Board of Aldermen over the creation of a police citizen-review board in 1992  only the second in the state.

Four Black aldermen voted in favor, the four white members voted no. I think there are a number of people who are trying their best to make trouble, Alderman Robert Northington said after walking out of a hearing on the review board. Theyre certainly not helping race relations in Winston-Salem.

Mayor Martha Wood, a white female, broke the tie by voting in favor of creating the board.

She and other elected officials knew full well the frustration felt in the community  particularly over the handling of the Darryl Hunt murder case.

Many suspected  and were proven right years later  that he had been wrongfully convicted in 1984 and again in 1990 of murdering Deborah Sykes, a white copy editor at The (Winston-Salem) Sentinel.

Its just another incident in what people in the Black community have been saying for years, she said. What people really want is the truth  unbiased, unprejudiced. Just put it out there. I think it will have a very wholesome effect.

The same thinking applies today as the Trump administration has ordered institutions including the Smithsonian and the military to scrub mentions of racial history from official accounts. And its actively punishing universities and local governments that insist on diversity and inclusion in official acts by withholding federal funds.

I think its essential that we not forget our history and to remember it especially with something as recent as 1992, said Imam Khalid Griggs who advocated for more transparency in the Stoner case. There is always a sense of urgency that we should maintain about our past especially in the current political and social environment.

We have to be vigilant because weve seen how far out of hand things can go. Even in our local community.

Thats why a simple and pointed chalk message appeared all these years later on the greenway where Carlos Stoner was slaughtered. Its why an anti-racism activist group called Hate Out of Winston amplified that message via social media  to have it heard by generations who had never heard of Carlos Stoner.

I thought people would say Thats in the past, said Miranda Jones, a high-school teacher and a Hate Out of Winston board member. Were so grateful that wasnt the case. I was a sixth-grader when this happened. This should appropriately be taught.

Rather than ignoring the message, the opposite has happened in recent days. A grassroots effort to permanently memorialize the spot has sprouted and honest conversations about a painful chapter in the local community have restarted.

History is history and the truth is the truth, said Clark Fischer, the lead defense attorney for Rickey Knight. Knowledge is important and hopefully it will improve the future by fully acknowledging the good and the bad from our past. 

I think its important and appropriate to remember Carlos Stoner. Especially now.

Rabil, who sat across from Fisher in that trial, agreed.

What really hurt my heart is that nobody was there for Carlos Stoner throughout that trial other than me and the detectives, he said. No family. His roommate didnt come. ...

Nobody came for Carlos Stoner.

Now, though, some 33 years after his death, plenty of people are.
Ask David Parsons how he does choreography and you get a surprising tongue-in-cheek answer.

You want me to commission you? Parsons asked. My studio with the dancers, they'll help you make a piece. They help me. You think this is really choreographers doing it all? No, you hire dancers who are really creative, and these guys are okay, they help you.

"These guys" are in Parsons Dance Company, the internationally-acclaimed contemporary dance company that Parsons co-founded with lighting designer Howell Binkley in 1985. It restages works from the American canon, commissions dances and draws from the 100 dances Parsons has created.

That mix will be seen Saturday when Parsons Dance returns to the Lied Center for Performing Arts presenting a program of six pieces, starting with Wolfgang, an Amadeus inspired commentary on ballet that Parsons designed for the Aspen Ballet; followed by a Parsons choreography to Earth, Wind & Fires Shining Star, and Caught, Parsons 1982 signature piece.

It is a celebrated solo that's been done by many, even Baryshnikov tried it, Parsons said. It is done with a strobe light that captures the performer in the air, in the dark, sure, in the stroke fire, so it gives this impression of someone flying.

Saturdays program will be representative of the companys repertoire with The Hunt, a commissioned work by Robert Battle whos grown to be really respected choreographer and pieces that cover 40 years from Caught, to 2022s Mr. Withers, based on the music of Bill Withers.

My performers are here to get that mix, Parsons said. They don't do a Broadway show because it's the same thing every night. I have nothing against Broadway, but these people want to make work. They want to do older work. They want to work with other choreographers. A dance career is very short. So this is where you can come and really be an artist and really work with other choreographers.

Those who join Parsons Dance have to be more than just dancers. They have to be serious athletes in order to pull off two hours of demandingly energetic, highly-physical dance.

One of our calling cards is that these guys are athletes, artists, dancers, Parsons said. My dancers actually have to cross train to be able to do these programs. They can't just do like a ballet class or a modern class. A lot of them are into Pilates and yoga and weightlifting. Whatevers weak, they work on because this is not your usual evening of dance when it comes to the amount of energy that comes out.

So, how do you do the choreography?

You go into the studio and you suffer until it starts to look good, Parsons said. You think you're going to be a failure. You go through pain. Then it starts to make it, it starts to develop. And then you get into it. You rely on your craft. You're a bricklayer, you got some things up your sleeve. And then you start going at it. Then you get excited. The dancers get excited. The set designer comes out, lighting design, hopefully it pans out.

There is one limitation that Parsons imposes on himself as he creates his pieces that he says are about the body, motion and light.

I don't use a lot of props, he said. There are no props in this program, only light and human bodies, costumes and music. Youre a better choreographer, because you're not relying on stuff. But I don't have anything against props. I just like having to pull it out with just the body.

Those energetic dances that draw on popular musical and contemporary culture have made Parsons Dance widely popular, as evidenced by a radio spot that ran during a tour of Texas.

They said this company, even a construction worker would love it, Parsons said. I just love that quote. I got dubbed as the entertaining choreographer. People didnt think I was a serious artist because who would do Earth, Wind & Fire if youre a real artist. Well, the audience has a different take on that. Earth, Wind & Fire is an American treasure I know the power of American culture and American art.
A slew of Nebraska Department of Education projects  most of which focused on improving student literacy  were suddenly put on pause last week after the U.S. Department of Education rescinded an extension for using millions of dollars in leftover pandemic relief funds.

State education officials applied for and received an extension from the federal government to continue using money awarded to Nebraska through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund created to help schools weather the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the original deadline to spend any leftover funding passed Jan. 28, Nebraska and 40 other states were awarded an additional 14 months to spend the money. But on March 28, state officials were informed the federal Department of Education would no longer honor that extension and all funding would be cut off at 5 p.m. that day.

NDE still had about $9 million to spend out of $20.2 million in leftover funding included under the extension. When state education officials received the March 28 notice, all work on projects funded with the money was immediately ceased and all contractors were asked to stop working. In total, NDE received $845 million in three rounds of emergency relief funding.

The leftover funding was being used on a variety of projects focused on six areas: literacy; family and community engagement; after-school and summer enrichment; infrastructure and technology; supports for homeless youths; and construction projects at Omaha Public Schools.

In the memo sent to state education leaders, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the department found Nebraskas extension was no longer justified.

At Friday's Nebraska State Board of Education meeting, Nebraska Education Commissioner Brian Maher said he has been in contact with Gov. Jim Pillen, Nebraskas congressional delegation and the U.S. Department of Education to seek solutions to the unexpected loss in federal dollars.

The state does have the option to reapply for the extension on an individual basis for each project covered under the funding, but theres no guarantee it will be granted. To obtain an extension, states were asked to submit an emailed statement explaining why an extension is necessary to continue mitigating the negative educational effects of COVID-19 on students.

One of the two dozen projects covered under the money was directed at developing a literacy needs assessments, while another provided educational consulting for early literacy, math, family and community engagement for Nebraska youths. Additionally, Nebraska Growing Readers, which distributes free books to children, was awarded a portion of the funding to distribute more than 1 million books to about 23,000 children and families.

The impact of the funding loss will be felt in school districts across the state, Maher said.

We're doing work in the Omaha Public Schools, and we're doing literacy work in the Scottsbluff Public Schools, so the reach is from border to border, he said.

On Friday, the Nebraska State Board of Education approved redirecting funding under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Nebraska WORDS Project, which had been funded with the emergency COVID funding. The program focuses on improving literacy skills for K-3 students.

The decision to halt the extension will also impact more than 20 contractors hired by the state to oversee the programs, Maher said.

In the past week, Maher said hes been asked several times why the state didnt spend the ESSER funding sooner instead of relying on the extension. The department decided to spend the money over a longer period of time to extend its impact in a more thoughtful way rather than spending it all at once, he said.

We were able to spend intentionally rather than what we had thought at the time would be quickly or frivolously, he said.

However, the loss in funding will not have an impact on the state education officials' goal to focus on literacy, improving state test scores and putting children first, Maher said.

Quite frankly, it's not so much about the money as it is about the work. And while this is a step back, we'll continue to make this a priority, Maher said, adding: We'll continue to do the important work, the hard work, for our students, for our staff, our clients and for our communities every day. So from that perspective, nothing's changed.
An excerpt from Dr. Koop: The Many Lives of the Surgeon General.

In spring of 1946 the young Koop was sent to Boston for several months to spend time with the giants of the nascent field of pediatric surgery, William E. Ladd (18801967), and his trainee and successor Robert Gross (19051988). In his survey of the history of the discipline, Judson Randolph baldly states: Surgery for infants and children in the United States began with Dr. William E. Ladd.

Ladd had joined the staff of the Childrens Hospital of Boston in 1910, occasionally performing surgery on children in his early days alongside his general surgical and gynecological practice.

Ladd and Gross became very good friends and almost a father/son relationship. Ladd was a doctor of the old school. He was the kind of gentleman who  wore a flower in his buttonhole when he made rounds. He was  when you got to know him  a very kindly gentleman, willing to share his knowledge with a young squirt like me. But  he was a formidable character. I would say he probably had very little flexibility in his relationships with other people.

Gross was known, like Ladd, for his meticulous preparation and procedure. His fastidiousness is the stuff of stories. On his operating room wall hung a sign: If an operation is difficult you are not doing it properly. He chided Dr. Judson Randolph in a memo: In the dining room, coats should be worn. (Randolph promptly framed it!) His 1952 surgery textbook ran to precisely 1,000 pages. Which made it all the more amusing that, when someone pointed out that there was no chapter on Sacrococcygeal Teratoma, Gross discovered to his chagrin that the typescript of that chapter had fallen off his work table and was lodged behind a radiator in his office.

Grosss approach was meticulous, but also subtle. The care of children, he wrote, requires a certain indefinable something  which might well be called the art of pediatric surgery; it cannot be quantitated or characterized any more than one can describe adequately the tints of Titian or the bold strokes of Michelangelo;  this extra something is a priceless attribute which is most sought for in members of the visiting and house staffs.

Ladd, who was no longer operating, taught Koop the philosophy of pediatric surgery; Gross taught him the practice. While he spent most of his time observing, for six weeks he was able to join Grosss surgical team as the pup (lowest on the totem pole). I learned the most from William E. Ladd, although I never saw him operate. Ladd lived out in Natick, and he had a farm, and hed get up in the morning and be the gentleman farmer. His chores took until noon, after which he went to the Harvard Club for lunch, then to the Childrens Hospital where he would sit on an empty crib, his long legs dangling, hoping a member of the house staff would come along for a chat. I tried to meet with him as often as I could.

Gross never appreciated me as a contender in the field until after I got back to Philadelphia, he recalled. The first time I returned to Boston, I even wondered whether I should go and see Gross, whom he had found abrupt and unfriendly. Koop goes on to say he could hardly blame him, when he discovered what had been going on.

There had been a serious breach between Gross and Ladd some time before, and things kept getting worse. The initial rift in the relationship had occurred back in 1938, when Gross, Ladds chief resident, was the first to ligate a patent duct arteriosus. He had been forbidden to do this by Ladd, so Gross waited until Ladd went to Europe on vacation, and got permission to proceed from the associate surgeon-in-chief. Ladd was furious, and on his return peremptorily fired Gross (though the hospital insisted on reinstating him).

Back when Ravdin and Ladd had arranged Koops visit, Ladd was still surgeon-in-chief. Gross had not yet been appointed his successor, and Koop officially reported to Franc D. Ingraham (18981965), a neurosurgeon and evidently quite a character. Koop recalled a story that he instructed his secretaries never to open envelopes that addressed him as Frank rather than Franc.

Once they got talking, Gross confided in Koop that Ladd had made a series of accusations to the Board of Overseers in an effort to prevent Gross from succeeding him. Koop lists the charges in order. First, he was incompetent; second, he was dishonest in his handling of research funds; and, third, he was Jewish. Koop adds: The Jewish charge was probably the most ignominious thing that the Ladd and Gross argument ever made Ladd do, and  Gross told me this, and so I presume it is true  he said he had to take the train and go to Baltimore and find the Lutheran church in which he had been baptized to get this great big book of the archives and take it to a photocopier and have a picture made of that page, take the book back to the church and then get back on the train and deliver the copy to the board of overseers  Note, this was never public, but eventually the board of overseers said they had chosen Robert E. Gross. On December 5, 1946, Koop sent Gross his congratulations. Word has come to Philadelphia via the grapevine that you have finally received the appointment to the chair of surgery you so richly deserve. It was of course the chair named for Ladd to which he was appointed, an irony that cannot have been lost on either of them.

After this unburdening, the next time Koop visited Boston Gross greeted him like a long-lost son and canceled his appointments for the rest of the day, telling his assistant, Chick Koop and I have got to talk about a lot of things.

Nigel Cameron is a historian and ethicist whose work has spanned the disciplines of bioethics, history, and religion over a distinguished transatlantic academic career. He currently serves as a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa and was previously a research professor of bioethics at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, where he led pioneering projects on the social and ethical impact of emerging technologies and on diabetes policy. A former Fulbright visiting research chair at the University of Ottawas Institute for Science, Society and Policy, he continues to explore the intersection of medicine, ethics, and public policy.

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Dr. Cameron was the founding editor of the journal Ethics and Medicine and has served as a hospital consulting ethicist. He has held board roles with UK think tanks 2020health.org and BioCentre, and has testified before committees of the U.S. Congress and the European Union. He has also represented the United States in diplomatic delegations to United Nations health-related agencies and was nominated by the U.S. government to serve as UN Special Rapporteur for the Right to Health.

His books include Dr. Koop: The Many Lives of the Surgeon General, Will Robots Take Your Job? A Plea for Consensus, and The New Medicine: Life and Death After Hippocrates. His current project, Ruth: The Psychiatrist Who Saved Sylvia Plath, Until She Couldnt, continues his exploration of complex figures in medicine.

For more about his work, visit drkoop.bio, or connect with him on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Guineas military junta has announced that a long-awaited constitutional referendum will take place on September 21st, marking a significant step towards a return to democratic governance more than three years after the countrys coup. The announcement was made by Gen. Amara Camara, the secretary-general of the presidency, in a televised address late on Tuesday. The referendum is intended to facilitate the adoption of a new constitution, which would help guide Guineas transition back to civilian rule.

The country has been under military rule since September 2021, when a coup ousted then-President Alpha Conde. The junta, led by Col. Mamadi Doumbouya, has governed Guinea under a military charter that suspended the constitution and delayed the return to democracy. Initially, Doumbouya set a target date of December 31 for initiating the transition but missed the deadline, leading to widespread protests and criticism from both activists and opposition groups. Following these pressures, the junta leader vowed in his New Years address that the constitutional referendum decree would be signed, with authorities now committing to hold all elections within this year.

While the announcement of the referendum date is seen as a positive development by some, activists and opposition leaders remain wary of the juntas true intentions. They accuse Doumbouya of suppressing dissent, including the arrest of journalists and critics under false charges, in a bid to extend military rule and tighten his grip on power. Rights groups have raised concerns about the ongoing crackdown on civic freedoms, casting doubt on the genuineness of the transition process.
A provisional report indicates that at least thirty people have been killed and around forty others injured during clashes in a locality in northern South Sudan, briefly invaded by a group of armed youths following a cattle raid, local officials reported on Thursday.

The incidents, which took place in the northern part of the Ruweng administrative area, began earlier this week when a group of armed youths stole lambs before being repelled by security forces, according to Simon Chol Mialith, the regions information minister.

The following day, the group returned in greater numbers and launched an attack on the town of Abiemnom. According to his statements, local youths and members of the security forces attempted to repel the attackers, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the attackers numerical superiority.

Local media reported that some of the dead were part of the group of attackers.

Clashes between herders and sedentary farming communities are common in South Sudan, but this violence occurs in the context of growing political tensions.

The recent arrest of South Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar by forces loyal to President Salva Kiir is seen by many analysts as an escalation that could lead the country toward a new conflict, following the previous civil war.
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: Yale University Press

It's 6 a.m. on a Saturday. You slept terribly and can think only of coffee. Bundled up in your baggiest sweats, hat pulled down over your hair and dark sunglasses for anonymity, you slink into the closest cafe hoping to slip back out just as quickly, hot cup in hand, without speaking to a soul.

Too late.

"Good morning! How's it going today?" inquires an overly perky barista before you've even ordered your latte. Ugh, you think to yourself. Now what?

According to recent research, you should chill outand lean in. Every interaction we have, even those we don't want, is a building block of our identities and beliefs. And collectively, they all comprise our "social biomes."

"A social biome is our ecosystem of day-to-day communication," explained Andy Merolla, a professor of communication at UC Santa Barbara. "It's the totality of our moments of communicationin-person and digitalwith loved ones, acquaintances, co-workers, neighbors, customers and complete strangers.

"These are interactions we choose to engage in, those thrust upon us, and those we just happen to bounce in and out of. Our social biomes are a complex mix of the choices we make as communicators and the constraints placed upon us by the communication environments we happen to live in."

Drawing in part from their own research, Merolla and collaborator Jeffrey A. Hall, at the University of Kansas, elucidate a new way to think about our relational life in "The Social Biome: How Everyday Communication Connects and Shapes Us" (Yale University Press, 2025). The book, which was featured this week in a New York Times interactive article, is a social science-backed exploration into the complexities of, and opportunities within, day-to-day communication.

Communication can be awkward. It can be excruciatingly hard. And it isn't always positiveespecially, the two authors noted, in this era of acute polarization and uncertainty. There are no simple recipes or magic formulas for "good" interpersonal communication, they argue, but research does provide general blueprints for working through the many barriers that exist to social connection.

The first step, Merolla said, is simply to own it.

"Normalizing the challenges of interpersonal communication can go a long way," he said. "Struggle, conflict and disappointment are not antithetical to care, love and support. They're all parts of being interdependent with others. When we endeavor to connect, we're inevitably going to fall short at times.

"Life demands a lot from us each day, and there are ever-growing external forces pulling us apart from one another. Against these headwinds, it's totally understandable that we'd prefer to sidestep the messiness and awkwardness of everyday interactionbe it with strangers, coworkers, friends or family.

"But there can be real costs to this at individual and societal levels. Turning away from others can crystallize into personal routines of disconnection. Once that kind of social inertia sets in, it can become difficult for us to endure the social stress necessary to be trusted and accountable relational partnersthe bedrock of healthy relationships."

So how do you cultivate a healthy social biome? According to the authors, it depends. Variability abounds. Some of us are already maxed out on daily communication due to work and family responsibilities and can't manage a shred more. Others have loads of alone time and fewer opportunities for interaction. Some face stigma and threats to safety that may restrict who they're comfortable interacting with. Merolla and Hall's book attempts to meet people where they're at.

And wherever you are, they note, the value of small momentsfrom office chit-chat to quick texts to a friendshouldn't be discounted. Connection and responsiveness are crucial.

"Our individual social biomes can be healthier if we can be more responsive to those around us, particularly those who are isolated or too often treated with indignity," said Merolla, who will discuss the book as a panelist at the 2025 Los Angeles Festival of Books.

"When we strive to connect with others, we do so in an inherently and increasingly complicated social world. The interdependence underlying relationships also means that any one person's ability to connect is shaped by other people's willingness and capacity to match their efforts. There's only so much we can control.

"But I continue to see genuine and realistic hope in these ideas. We can try to be more responsive to those around us, even inperhaps especially inthose awkward mundane moments of everyday life. Even small changes to our communication habits can, over time and across people, scale up and reverberate across our social ecosystems.

These moments alone, of course, won't fix all the problems we face. Nor will they always go as planned. Bit by bit, though, they can catalyze connection and build our confidence to be our best, if imperfect, selves in the higher-stakes interactions that await."
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

Polio ravaged human bodies for hundreds of years, but the misery began to wane 70 years ago when two polio vaccines developed in the U.S. halted the virus' spread.

Many Georgians who caught polio in the 1950s as children survived and led fulfilling lives despite their injuries. But in their later years, they experience a return of the pains and deficits that plagued them as children. The condition, called post-polio, can bring unrelenting aches, muscle pains and brain fog. Many have become wheelchair-bound.

"It's difficult for me to discuss polio or post-polio," said Wesley Moss of Marietta. "I've worn a long leg brace on my left leg since I was about 2 years old."

Survivors say the fact that few young Americans know about polio compounds their suffering.

Carol Crumby of Decatur, Georgia, is now in her 70s and deals with falls and shooting pain that make it hard for her to move. She is thankful for orthotics and her roll aider chair. But she says "polio is no joke. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy."

Atlanta-area people living with post-polio maladies worry that a climate of anti-vaccine skepticism could set back the United States' success in eliminating viruses like polio and measles, both of which could return if people stop getting vaccinated.

The story of polio's eradication highlights how post-War World II scientific breakthroughs allowed U.S. industry to produce vaccines at scale. It also shows how, when those processes went horribly wrong, the newly formed, Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was able to use the relatively new science of epidemiology to trace and solve outbreaks.

What is polio?

Poliomyelitiscommonly known as poliois a highly infectious viral disease that often afflicts children. It is transmitted via droplets or aerosols from the throat and by fecal contamination of hands, utensils, food and water. In many people, symptoms resemble the flu.

In some patients, however, the virus enters nerve cells in the brain or spine, where it multiplies and kills the cells that control muscle movement. When that happens, a polio sufferer experiences paralysis, usually in the arms and legs. It can also affect the muscles that move the lungs, which can be fatal.

According to the CDC, 70% of people infected with polio experience no symptoms. About 25% experience mild or flu-like symptoms and a smaller proportion of people will develop more serious symptoms that affect the brain and spinal cord, including pins and needles in the legs, meningitis (infection of the covering of the spinal cord and/or brain) and paralysis or weakness in the arms, legs or both.

When was polio most common?

Polio has been around for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian images show children walking with canes, with withered limbs characteristic of the disease. It became episodic with outbreaks during the late 19th century in rural areas of Europe and the U.S.

In 1840, a German doctor formally identified polio as a condition in its own right. Polio epidemics were common every summer in the U.S. starting in 1916. The worst occurred in the 1940s and '50s. In a 1949 epidemic, there were 42,000 cases of polio reported and nearly 3,000 deaths.

How did vaccines nearly end polio?

Two vaccines developed in the U.S. in the 1950s helped nearly end new polio infections here and abroad.

At the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Jonas Salk created the inactivated (dead) polio vaccine (IPV) in 1955. It was administered as a shot in the arm or leg. By 1957, annual cases in the U.S. dropped from 58,000 to 5,600; and by 1961, only 161 cases remained.

Six pharmaceutical companies were licensed to produce Salk's vaccine, and he did not profit from sharing the formulation or production processes. The injectable vaccine was slower to administer, but proved to be safer.

Salk's inactivated polio vaccine is the only polio vaccine now available in the United States, where 93% of children are vaccinated, according to the CDC.

At the University of Cincinnati, physician and microbiologist Dr. Albert Sabin created a live attenuated vaccine that could be administered orally. Like Salk, he tested it on himself, his family and in trials on humans and monkeys.

Both vaccines were used in the U.S., but Sabin's would eventually be used more widely, and primarily outside of the U.S., because it was cheaper and could be administered quickly in rural areas.

When Julie Andrews sang "A Spoonful of Sugar" in the Disney movie "Mary Poppins," she was referring to the common practice of adding a sugar cube to Sabin's oral polio vaccine, the song's author told NPR.

The vaccine controversy

Salk's vaccine roll out got off to a rough start in 1955, when California's Cutter Laboratories botched production and created a product that actually gave 220,000 people polio, left 164 severely paralyzed, and led to 10 deaths, according to American infectious diseases physician and vaccinologist Dr. Paul Offit.

The recently formed CDC found the outbreak, contained it and helped fix the production process. The vaccine would go on to become one of the safest and most efficacious ever produced.

The situation with Sabin's oral polio vaccine (OPV) was more complicated. In very rare cases, the weakened form of a live polio virus in Sabin's vaccine caused polio in some children. All told, the oral vaccine has been administered over 10 billion times to three billion children and has prevented over 13 million polio cases.

Sabin's vaccine was seen as the best option for poor countries because it induces strong immunity in the gut and spreads through the stool of immunized children, protecting even those who do not get the vaccine drops, according to Science magazine. The vaccine has helped bring down polio cases by more than 99.9% since the eradication program began in 1988, according to the World Health Organization.

Dr. William Foege, former CDC Director and emeritus professor at Emory University, said the World Health Organization (WHO) waited too long to add the Salk vaccine to the Sabin vaccine after the latter was found to cause polio in an extremely small number of vaccine recipients.

"I knew Salk and Sabin," Foege told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Sabin was adamant that this didn't happen, though it did."

"There have been so many mistakes with global eradication of polio," Foege continued.

"We could see what was happening. In 1992, we did a talk in New Delhi and we had determined by then that the WHO approach to the program, which was to use Sabin vaccines, was inadequate. We recommended using the Salk vaccine in addition to the Sabin vaccine. The WHO wouldn't consider this because the Salk vaccine was more expensive and more difficult to administer."

Today, the WHO uses the Salk vaccine, in addition to the Sabin vaccine, Foege said.

In Pakistan, which is still struggling to eradicate polio, one dose of IPV (Salk's vaccine) and multiple doses of OPV (Sabin's vaccine) are given to children to confer full protection against polio. Once polio is eradicated, IPV will be the only vaccine available for routine use in that country, according to a Pakistani government website.

In the U.S., where polio has been eradicated but is brought into the country by travelers, only the Salk (inactivated) vaccine is used.

Foege says the Salk vaccine was a miracle that needs to remain in popular memory.

"I lived through those dayswe couldn't go to the movies in the summertime, or the swimming pool, out of fear of catching polio," he said. "The public demanded a vaccine for polio. That's just how scary it was."

Is polio still around?

Yes. As of 2022, poliovirus remains endemic in two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and has been nearly eliminated in India and Nigeria.

Steve Stirling is CEO emeritus of Brunswick-based charity MAP International, which distributes donated medicines to needy countries. He also contracted polio as a child, and says the world community needs to come together for one final push to eradicate the virus.

"I don't think Americans know how close we are," he said. "The Rotarians do though, since they have been supporting the program for some time. They are also the heroes of polio as business leaders worldwide who work to make vaccine access available for all."

Rotary has spent more than $2.8 billion on polio eradication worldwide, Stirling said.

In Pakistan, more than 200 polio workers and guards have been assassinated by religious fanatics who wrongly believe the polio vaccine sterilizes children.

In February, unidentified gunmen shot and killed a police officer working on Pakistan's first polio vaccination drive of the year, The Associated Press reported. Health workers in the country are accompanied by thousands of police officers as they go house to house to vaccinate children.

Stirling has seen this tension firsthand in his work to bring vaccines to poor countries.

"I met a woman in India whose child had polio," he said. "She wanted to vaccinate her other child. But her husband threatened to kill her if she did so because he thought the 'sterile' label on the vaccine would make the child sterilecompletely untrue, but that is what some people believe."

Indian health workers vaccinate many children when they visit towns. In order to keep track, they mark a child's finger with ink, Stirling said.

"They do this because some parents try to get their children vaccinated many times, thinking that it would make the child safer from polio, which isn't true," he said. "The woman I met asked them to mark the child's toe so her husband wouldn't find out."

Why are there so many black-and-white photos of children in plaster casts and large metal machines?

Dr. Dale Strasser, an emeritus professor in Emory University's department of rehabilitation medicine, treated about 500 patients for polio during his career. Many were longtime members of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

He said children were put in plaster casts to slow down polio contractures, a shortening and hardening of muscles, tendons or other tissue, that often leads to deformity and rigid joints.

"The polio patients couldn't move because their neuromuscular systems weren't firing," Strasser said. "The children experienced a sort of paralysis."

Still others spent hours a day inside the iron lung machine, invented in 1927 at Harvard University. The machine pulls air into and out of the lungs by changing the pressure in an airtight metal box. A later model included a sliding tray and was called "the cookie tray."

Some polio survivors in Texas and Oklahoma still sleep in iron lungs.

2025 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
It was standing room only on the lawn outside the Missoula County Courthouse on Saturday, as more than 3,000 people gathered to protest Donald Trump's presidency and the actions of special government employee and billionaire Elon Musk.

Cheers and the beats of a drum circle echoed in between seven speakers at the rally, each of whom focused on one of the issues that have ended up in Trump and Musks crosshairs. People held aloft signs protesting Musks cuts to the government and firing of federal employees, along with the Trump administrations attacks on minority groups. The flags of America, Palestine, Ukraine and the queer community flew in the wind.

The rally, dubbed "Hands Off! Missoula Fights Back," was organized over the last 10 days by three Missoula activism groups  Indivisible Missoula, Missoula Resists and Stand Up Fight Back  in solidarity with marches under the same name across the country on Saturday. Despite the tight timeline, organizers were prepared for a crowd.

I kind of had a sense that it was going to be big, Meredith Printz with Indivisible Montana told the Missoulian. Theres a sense of joy in the air.

This is the size of a protest I would see in Denver, University of Montana student Luke Duntley said.

Thats really empowering to see, fellow student Trillium Keith added.

In addition to the crowd, passing cars on Broadway honked their support.

Missoula is one of the best places I have ever been, Stand Up Fight Back cofounder Cyrus Gertz told the crowd. We are not only going to fight against things, but fight for each other.

The speakers focused on elections, health care, retirement, freedom of speech, bodily autonomy, education and public lands, which were the top seven issues that Missoula chose to cover during the event in a Missoula Resists online survey.

Sue Kirchmyer called for the repeal of Citizens United to keep corporations out of elections.

The wealthy and corporations have been running the show since 2010, Kirchmyer said. Nothing short of a constitutional amendment is gonna change that.

She also called out recent executive orders and the federal SAVE Act, which seek to raise the barrier of entry for voter registration.

Family doctor Tim Caramore expressed worries about cuts to agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Protection and National Institutes of Health.

These agencies are being decimated by staffing cuts and funding freezes, Caramore said. And why? Because the oligarchs still dont have enough.

Joyce Westerbur demanded that Republicans keep their hands off Social Security.

Its our money, which we and our employers contributed, Westerbur said. Social Security benefits all Americans.

She also worried that the cutting of disability benefits would kill people who rely on them for survival.

Sam Forstag, whos the vice president of local U.S. Forest Service union 60, called for an end to attacks on public lands and civil servants, and for Congress to not sell public lands to pay off tax cuts.

Right now, our public lands and the people who work to protect them are under attack, Forstag said. What this all comes down to is people whove never had dirt under their fingernails.

Boos exploded from the crowd at every mention of Montana's congressmen Tim Sheehy, Ryan Zinke and Steve Daines, who speakers accused of being enablers who didnt show up for Montanans. But they erupted in cheers for Missoula Rep. Zooey Zephyr, who took the stage to introduce Bridgette Solls Whiteman with Trans Visible Montana.

If you are part of the resistance, I am your representative, Zephyr said.

Solls Whiteman lambasted the over 20 anti-queer bills introduced this Montana legislative session, and led the crowd in chanting hands off. One such bill, House Bill 121, which aims to block trans people from using restrooms aligning with their gender in public buildings, was recently blocked by a restraining order after the ACLU filed a lawsuit.

Chase Hakes, with ACLU Montana, sounded the alarm about the administrations attacks on the First Amendment on Saturday.

Across the country, we are witnessing more efforts to silence dissent, Hakes said. This is not just a legal issue. Its a direct threat to democracy. When the government decides whose voice can be heard, we all lose.

Shannon OBrien, a former Montana senator who ran for superintendent of public instruction last November, emphasized recent attacks by the federal government on schools, both K-12 and universities.

We can do better and we will do better, OBrien said.

She said that taxpayer money is being taken from schools to fund tax cuts, and expressed alarm at recent efforts to dictate what teachers teach, both at a state and federal level.

UM students Duntley, Keith, Elisha Doty and Mallory Mencas all resonated with the issues the speakers brought up  and not just education.

My mother pays for the mortgage with my fathers Social Security, Keith said. Shes at risk of losing her home.

Doty said both he and his parents only have health insurance through Medicaid.

Defunding things as a weapon is incredibly scary, Duntley said. Especially when other schools are capitulating.
In a significant escalation of trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, China has announced it will implement a comprehensive 34% tariff on all American imports beginning April 10, 2025. This move directly mirrors president Donald Trump's recent 'reciprocal' tariff package imposed on Chinese exports earlier this week.

The Chinese commerce Ministry made the announcement on Friday, describing the decision as a necessary response to what they termed the Trump administration's "typical unilateral bullying practice." The ministry further claimed the US actions "seriously violate WTO rules" and threaten "the stability of the global economic and trade order." China has also filed a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization challenging the legality of the US tariffs.

President Trump quickly dismissed China's retaliatory measures on his Truth Social platform, writing: "CHINA PLAYED IT WRONG, THEY PANICKED - THE ONE THING THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO DO!"

Beijing's response goes beyond simply matching the American tariff rate. China simultaneously announced heightened export controls on rare earth materialscritical components essential for high-tech manufacturing, including computer chips and electric vehicle batteries. The new restrictions specifically target seven categories of medium and heavy rare earth elements: samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium-related items.

These materials play a crucial role in producing high-performance permanent magnets used in defense systems, electric vehicles and clean energy technologies. While stopping short of implementing an outright ban, China can effectively control shipments by limiting the number of export licenses it issues.

Additionally, China has placed 27 firms on its trade restriction lists, with 16 companies now facing bans on the export of 'dual-use' goods. Among those targeted are High Point Aerotechnologies, a defence technology company, and Universal Logistics Holding, a publicly traded transportation and logistics firm.

The rare earth restrictions represent China's growing willingness to leverage its dominance over global mineral supply chains as a geopolitical tool. China produces approximately 90% of the world's refined rare earths, creating a critical vulnerability in US supply chains. Major American companies including Lockheed Martin, Tesla and Apple rely heavily on Chinese rare earths in their manufacturing processes.

This dependence is particularly acute for the defence and technology sectors, where these minerals are essential components in everything from precision-guided weapons systems to smartphones and electric vehicles.

The rare earths announcement continues a pattern of strategic mineral export controls Beijing has implemented since 2023:

February 2024: China imposed export licensing requirements for tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, indium, and molybdenum shortly after Trump's first 10% tariff on Chinese goods.

China imposed export licensing requirements for tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, indium, and molybdenum shortly after Trump's first 10% tariff on Chinese goods. January 2024: Beijing proposed restrictions on exporting advanced battery and mineral processing technologies, including those used to refine lithium and gallium.

Beijing proposed restrictions on exporting advanced battery and mineral processing technologies, including those used to refine lithium and gallium. December 2023: China banned exports of antimony, gallium, and germanium to the United States in response to Washington's restrictions on China's semiconductor sector.

China banned exports of antimony, gallium, and germanium to the United States in response to Washington's restrictions on China's semiconductor sector. December 2023: China expanded its technology export ban to cover the production of rare earth magnets.

China expanded its technology export ban to cover the production of rare earth magnets. October 2023: China implemented export permit requirements for some graphite products, citing national security concerns.

The latest 34% blanket tariff follows earlier Chinese measures implemented in February which imposed a 15% tariff on US coal and liquefied natural gas imports, along with a separate 10% tariff on US crude oil, agricultural machinery and large-engine vehicles.

According to the ministry of finance's state council tariff commission, the new comprehensive 34% tariff will apply universally to all products manufactured in the United States, representing China's most sweeping response yet to the Trump administration's trade policies.

As tensions continue to escalate between the two economic powers, the impact on global supply chains and international trade remains uncertain. China's strategic approach of using selective export controls rather than complete bans provides flexibility in applying pressure while maintaining some trade flowskeeping global markets in suspense as the trade war intensifies.
PNN New Delhi [India], April 5: Organised by Water Digest, the nation's leading water magazine, the ceremony was held in the presence of distinguished ministers, policymakers, industry leaders, and water warriors. The event honoured individuals, organisations and grassroots campaigners that are pioneering innovative solutions for sustainable water management. Honoured Guests The event was honoured by a video message from Shri C. R. Patil, Hon'ble Minister of Jal Shakti, Government of India, and the esteemed presence of Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Hon'ble Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Dr. Benno Boer, Programme Specialist and Chief of Sector - Natural Sciences, UNESCO, Ms. Anupama Madhok Sud, Director and Editor, Water Digest, and Mr. Umesh Sharma, Director, Water Digest. Shri C. R. Patil, Hon'ble Minister of Jal Shakti expressed his wish to have joined in person and congratulated the winners. Emphasising the government's unwavering commitment to water sustainability, he highlighted the significance of initiatives such as the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari, Jal Jeevan Mission, and Namami Gange in ensuring water security for future generations. Shri Patil acknowledged the efforts of industry leaders, researchers, and community-driven organisations, affirming that collaborative efforts between the government, private sector, and civil society are essential to achieving a water-resilient India. He commended the Water Warriors for their innovative contributions to water conservation and management, and called for collaborative efforts in ensuring a water-secure India. "Water is life and it is our collective responsibility to protect it. Today, Jal Shakti Abhiyan 2025 is being implemented across the country, under which there is an effort to make this a campaign of Jal Sanchay, Jan Bhagidaari, Jan Jagruti and to transform water conservation into a widespread public effort. I congratulate all the winners; they are beacons of excellence for all of us. The work they have done is going to become an inspiration for the entire country. I would also like to thank Water Digest, which has played an important role in transforming water conservation into a mass movement," said Shri C. R. Patil, Hon'ble Minister for Jal Shakti, Government of India. Addressing the gathering, Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Hon'ble Minister of State for Jal Shakti, highlighted the Government of India's commitment to water sustainability through various initiatives. He also commended the private sector and innovators for their significant role in strengthening India's water resilience. Congratulating the Water Warriors on their winning achievements, he appreciated them for their outstanding contributions toward sustainable water management and innovation. Winners Driving Change The Water Digest World Water Awards celebrate excellence in water conservation, sustainable initiatives, cutting-edge technologies, and community-driven efforts. This year's theme aligned with World Water Day 2025, which focuses on the preservation of glaciers, reinforcing the importance of water security in the face of climate change. The evening honoured the Water Warriors, a distinguished group of winners who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to water conservation and technological advancements. Among the recipients were leading public sector organisations, corporations, NGOs, research institutions, and individuals whose work is transforming the water landscape. A Commitment to the Future With India taking bold steps toward sustainable water management, the Water Digest World Water Awards reaffirm the collective mission to preserve, conserve, and innovate. As we celebrate excellence today, we also look forward to a future where every drop counts, every innovation matters, and every effort leads to lasting change. Driving Impact Through Partnerships The Awards were held in partnership with UNESCO and supported by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, with National Mission for Clean Ganga, WAPCOS Ltd., Signet, Vermmillion Communications, Kkerdos Creators, Net Green Foundation and PlugIn as Associate Partners, and Times Now World as the Broadcast Partner. Ms. Shruti Seth, celebrity and actress, lit up the evening as the lively and charismatic host, bringing her signature charm to the stage. Water Digest: The Voice of Water As India's premier platform for water-related information, Water Digest continues to amplify critical conversations on water sustainability. Through media coverage, expert discussions, and partnerships with global water forums, Water Digest plays a vital role in highlighting success stories and fostering collaboration in the water sector. For more information or media inquiries, please write to info@thewaterdigest.com (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)
PNN New Delhi [India], April 5: A high income gives you access to all the good things in life. But does it guarantee a home loan? Not really! While you may assume that a big paycheck means you will have a smooth loan approval process, there is a chance of rejection. Shocking, right? The fact is that banks and financial institutions don't just look at your income; they assess your entire financial profile. Planning to invest in your dream home? Make sure you understand the possible reasons for rejection of a home loan application. Let us break it down for you. Know the Key Reasons Why Home Loan Applications Get Rejected While a steady monthly income is a prerequisite to securing a home loan, a high salary is not the only thing that matters. Sometimes banks reject your home loan application because of the following reasons: * Low Credit Score: Your credit score determines your reliability, and lenders check this before sanctioning a loan. A low credit score indicates a history of late or default payments, leading to the rejection of the request for a home loan. * High Debt-to-Income Ratio: The debt-to-income ratio determines the percentage of your salary that goes towards repayment of loans and other expenses. If you already have too many financial commitments, a high salary might not benefit much. Banks reject a home loan application if they think you cannot afford it. * Frequent Job Hopping: Do you change your job frequently to grow your career and earn a better pay package? While this is a great career idea, banks prefer stability. A lack of a stable job may actually deter financial organisations from lending you a loan. * Age: You have a high-paying, stable job, a great credit score and a low debt-to-income ratio. Then why did the bank reject your home loan application? Probably, you are closer to the retirement age. Lenders assess the repayment capacity of a person as low or zero once they retire. Thus, they do not give loans to people who will retire in a few years. * Property Dispute: Did you tick all the financial boxes and still get a rejection? Check if there are any issues with the property you intend to buy. Ownership disputes and missing legal documents do not go down well with the bank. Similarly, if the property is not in line with government regulations, you might not get a home loan for it. Enhance Your Chances for Home Loan Approval High income does not guarantee you a loan, but smart financial management does. So, before applying for one, use a home loan EMI calculator to check your monthly instalments. This will help you plan your finances better and also prevent you from borrowing more than you can repay. Also, follow these tips to ensure that your home loan gets approved: * Improve Your Credit Score: A low credit score can be improved if you repay your debts and credit card bills on time. Doing this regularly will create a good track record that is essential for loan approval. * Lower Your Debt-to-Income Ratio: Banks do not give loans to individuals with a high DTI. So, start by repaying your existing loans and credit card balance to bring down this ratio. * Exhibit Job Stability: Staying in a job for a long time is a sure-shot way to create a credible image with a lender. This is an assurance of a steady income source and can repay the loan. * Pick the Right Property: Before applying for a home loan, make sure that all the documents of the property in question are in order. Also, check if it has been built in accordance with the rules set out by the regulatory bodies. Summing Up High income is undoubtedly a great asset, but sometimes, it is not enough to impress the banks to give you a home loan. Various factors like credit score, existing debts, and employment can influence their decision. So, before you apply for a loan, assess your financial profile in detail and fix any issues. This will ensure that you do not come out empty-handed. Frequently Asked Questions I am a freelancer with a high income and a good credit score, but my home loan was rejected. Why? Income that comes from freelance work is unstable and irregular, and lenders are not comfortable extending loans in such cases. They prefer a stable income or a salaried job as the chances of defaulting on payment are low. What should I do if my home loan is rejected in spite of my high income? If your home loan gets rejected despite your high income, the bank will give you the reasons for the rejection. Address these issues before you reapply for a loan. Can my home loan be rejected after being approved? Absolutely! Your home loan may get rejected even after approval if the bank finds any issues during the verification process. This could be a discrepancy in the document, a problem with the property, or a change in your financial situation. (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)
Foreign investors pulled out heavily from Indian equities in the first week of April, reacting to US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs. According to data from the National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL), foreign portfolio investors (FPI) sold equities worth Rs 10,355 crore during the week (April 2- April 4). The outflows come amid heightened global uncertainty and a sharp risk-off sentiment in financial markets. However, the pace of FPI selling had eased in March as foreign inflows picked up in the last week of the month. This helped bring down net outflows in March to Rs 3,973 crore, a significant improvement compared to net selling of Rs 34,574 crore in February. However, in April first week the global markets have entered a phase of turbulence after President Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on several countries, sparking fears of a trade war. This announcement, which came on the US Liberation Day, led to massive sell-offs across markets. US stock markets alone lost around USD 5.4 trillion in market capitalization within two days of the tariff announcement. The uncertainty has also hit the US debt and IPO markets. Not a single corporate debt issue has taken place in the US over the past two days, and planned IPOs have been postponed. With markets in turmoil, investors are choosing to hold back fresh capital and adopt a "wait and watch" approach. Market expert Ajay Bagga told ANI that sharp foreign inflows into Indian markets are unlikely in the near term. "We don't expect sharp inflows for now into the Indian markets till there is some semblance of order created out of the disorder unleashed by Trump Tariffs, Sentiment recovery could be a process that works out over a few months or it could turn fast in case major trade negotiations are concluded quickly" Bagga said. He added that the recovery in market sentiment could take months, unless trade negotiations are concluded quickly, which could lead to a faster rebound. Bagga clarified that the recent FPI selling in India is more of a liquidity-driven move, with global emerging market and India-specific funds redeeming their holdings to meet liquidation pressures. "There is no negative on India, as the USD 80 billion of Indian exports to the US are too small a number in comparison to the scale of the USD 4.2 trillion Indian economy," he added. Despite the current volatility, experts believe India remains fundamentally strong, but global uncertainties will continue to influence capital flows in the short term. (ANI)
VMPL New Delhi [India], April 5: India's direct selling industry continues its upward trajectory, achieving an all-time high turnover of Rs. 22,142 crores in FY 2023-24. This marks a 4.4% year-on-year (YOY) growth from Rs. 21,282 crores in the previous fiscal year, according to an Annual Survey Report released by the Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA). The survey, conducted by IPSOS, the knowledge partner of the IDSA, highlights the sector's sustained expansion with a CAGR of 7.15% over the past five years, growing from Rs16,800 crore in FY 2019-20 to Rs22,142 crore in FY 2023-24. The country's northern region leads with 29.8% of gross sales, followed by the East (24.2%), West (22.4%), South (15.3%), and Northeast (8.3%). Among states, Maharashtra holds the highest share at 13%, followed by West Bengal (11.3%), Uttar Pradesh (10%), Bihar (6.2%), and Karnataka (5.7%). Wellness & Nutraceuticals reign supreme, accounting for a staggering 64.15% of total sales, while Cosmetics & Personal Care contribute 23.75% and Household Goods 3.1%. Together, these three segments drive a remarkable 91% of all direct sales, according to the survey. The report also highlights a significant increase in the number of active direct sellers, rising to 88 lakh from 86 lakh in the previous year. Notably, women now constitute 44% of the total direct seller workforce, up from 37% in FY 2022-23, showcasing the growing role of women entrepreneurs in the industry. Vivek Katoch, Chairperson, IDSA, said, "The report showcases an encouraging trend for the direct selling industry in the country. The growth trajectory of the industry has been on a surge over the years. A CAGR of 7.15% is a testament to the fact that direct selling businesses in the country have made steady growth and are poised to strengthen further in the years to come on the back of a promising regulatory framework by the government for the industry." (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)
Renowned actor and director Manoj Kumar, known for his patriotic roles, passed away on April 4, 2025, at the age of 87. A local artist named Zuhaib Khan from Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, paid his respects to the late actor by creating a charcoal portrait of him. The artist, who specializes in using coal to paint wall portraits based on current events, shared his tribute with the public. Speaking to ANI, he said, "I am a painter and I make pictures on the wall with coal based on current events. I received the news that Manoj Kumar ji passed away at the age of 87. That's why I created his portrait and paid my tribute to him," Khan said, adding, "He made films that gave a good direction to society. I pray to God that his soul rests in peace." Manoj Kumar breathed his last at 4:03 am at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. His death marks the end of an era in Indian cinema. His last rites will take place today, April 5, 2025, at 11 am at Pawan Hans in Vile Parle, Mumbai, as confirmed by his son, Kunal Goswami. Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit also said, "At around 11:30 am, Manoj Kumar's last rites will be performed at a cremation ground in Juhu. I appeal to the people of the film industry to come and have the last darshan as he was a great filmmaker..." Born as Harikrishan Goswami on July 24, 1937, in Abbottabad (now in Pakistan), Kumar became a household name for his portrayal of strong, patriotic characters, earning the affectionate moniker "Bharat Kumar." His iconic films such as Upkar (1967), Purab Aur Paschim (1970), and Shaheed (1965) became benchmarks for nationalistic cinema. Apart from his acting prowess, Kumar also made significant contributions to Indian cinema as a director and producer. His directorial debut, 'Upkar', won the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film. His other successful directorial ventures include Purab Aur Paschim and Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), both of which became major successes both critically and commercially. Kumar's passing has sent shockwaves across the nation, and tributes from political leaders and celebrities have poured in. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Kumar as an "icon of Indian cinema" for his ability to instill national pride through his films. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and several other dignitaries also expressed their sorrow, recognizing Kumar's unmatched contribution to Indian cinema. (ANI)
In the quiet strains of Blue Spanish Eyes, there lies a melody that transcends borders, a tune that whispers of longing and unity, of love that knows no boundaries. This song, with its haunting notes and tender lyrics, becomes a metaphor for our collective yearning--a world where divisions dissolve and humanity stands as one. The ancient Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, translating to "The world is one family," echoes this sentiment. It calls upon us to see beyond the artificial lines drawn on maps, beyond the colors of our flags, and into the shared soul that binds us all. This principle, rooted in the Maha Upanishad, doesn't belong to one faith, one region, or one people--it belongs to all who wish to live together, not in spite of their differences but because of them. It urges us to embrace a universal brotherhood, a sisterhood of souls. And this vision, timeless and borderless, came to life for me in the most personal of moments. Just the other day, Joyce Chechi--the mother of my friends, Amrita Arora and Malaika Arora--told me something that made me pause. She said, simply and fondly, that Blue Spanish Eyes is one of her favorite songs. A small thing, a casual revelation, but it landed deep. Because it was a song I'd heard in my own home growing up. A song my parents--my mother from Delhi and my father, too--played and loved. It drifted out of radios and cassette decks during long evenings, threading its way through the lives of people who had never been to Spain, never even left India at the time, but felt something familiar in that voice, in that longing, in that melody. My mother and Joyce Chechi are from different worlds within India--north and south, Hindi-speaking and Malayalam-speaking. They never met. But they share this song, and in that shared tune lies a profound truth: they belonged to a generation that didn't allow the smallness of mind to dictate the vastness of their vision. They were from a time when India was still young, still forging its post-colonial identity, still finding its voice amid the din of a fractured world. But they didn't retreat into narrow definitions of what it meant to be Indian. They didn't limit their dreams to the borders of a nation or a map. They expanded. They absorbed. They listened. There was no internet. No streaming. No globalization in the way we understand it today. And yet they were global. Not because they traveled--many of them didn't--but because they tuned in. They exposed themselves to the world, and the world was theirs. They didn't need permission. They didn't wait for the world to come to them. They reached out with radios and records, letters and language. They dreamed bigger than the constraints handed down to them by colonial histories and patriarchal norms. And somehow, despite all they lacked materially, they had an abundance of openness. That was their superpower. Blue Spanish Eyes wasn't just a song. It was a passport. A permission slip to feel deeply, to imagine broadly, to connect across oceans. That Joyce Chechi and my mother share this affection, this quiet inheritance of melody, is not a coincidence. It's a symbol. A thread in the great loom of our shared human experience. A reminder that the world doesn't belong to those who hoard power--it belongs to those who love. This spirit of openness is the very spirit we must recover and protect. Because while people like my mother and Joyce Chechi found connection in melody, our modern world seems to be fraying at the seams. The rise of authoritarian figures, the clamor of extreme ideologies, and the widening chasms of inequality threaten to drown out the harmonious chords of unity. In the Middle East, Africa, and across the Global South, nations rich in culture and history find themselves at crossroads, their paths often obstructed by the remnants of colonial shadows and the weight of modern-day exploitation. But the essence of Blue Spanish Eyes is not just in its melancholy; it's in its hope. The promise to return, to reunite, mirrors our own potential to come together, to mend the fractures that separate us. Emerging nations like India, Brazil, and South Africa stand poised to lead not through domination but through collaboration. Their ascent offers an opportunity to redefine leadership--not as a hierarchy of power but as a symphony of voices, each contributing its unique note to the global chorus. In this rise, we must remember the lessons of the past. The colonizers of yesteryears extracted wealth, silenced cultures, and imposed their will, leaving scars that have yet to heal. As we forge ahead, let us not mirror those missteps. Instead, let our progress be measured by how we uplift others, how we ensure that no nation, no community, is left in the shadows. And in this endeavor, we must also extend our hands to those from the colonizing nations, not with retribution, but with an invitation to join in building a world where dignity is universal, and humanity is our shared identity. Blue Spanish Eyes speaks of a gaze that lingers, that holds within it the depth of emotion and the weight of unspoken words. Let that gaze be our reflection--a mirror to our collective conscience. Let it remind us that beyond politics, beyond policies, it's the human connection that endures. In the face of leaders who wield power without compassion, who prioritize greed over grace, let us be the counterpoint. Let our actions compose a ballad of empathy, our policies a sonnet of inclusion. The song's melody, timeless and borderless, calls us to a dance of unity. As the notes rise and fall, so do our hopes and challenges. But together, in step with one another, we can create a rhythm that celebrates our shared humanity. Let Blue Spanish Eyes be more than a song; let it be an allegory for our time--a reminder that even in moments of separation, the promise of reunion, of coming together, remains. In embracing the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, we acknowledge that our destinies are intertwined, that the joys and sorrows of one ripple across the ocean of humanity. Let this understanding guide our ascent, ensuring that as we rise, we do so together, leaving no one behind, and welcoming all to the family that is humanity. Let this be our return. To tenderness. To wisdom. To the gaze of a song that connects strangers across time and space. Let us carry forward the gifts our mothers gave us--not in wealth, but in the wideness of their hearts. And may history remember us not for what we took, but for how deeply we cared. (ANI/Suvir Saran) Disclaimer: Suvir Saran is a Masterchef, Author, Hospitality Consultant And Educator. The views expressed in this article are his own.
The mortal remains of actor and director Manoj Kumar, known for his patriotic roles, were taken for his final rites today, April 5, 2025, with full state honours. The legendary Padma Shri awardee was given a grand tribute to celebrate the legacy he leaves behind in Indian cinema. His coffin, draped with the tricolour national flag, marked a fitting farewell to the "Bharat Kumar" of Indian cinema. Family members and close friends gathered at his residence in Mumbai to bid their final goodbyes. The ambulance carrying his body was also adorned with garlands and flowers in the tricolour, symbolizing his patriotic journey in cinema. Manoj Kumar's wife was also among the family members who attended the state honours of the late legendary actor. Dr. Jitender Singh Shunty, a Padma Shri awardee and President of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal, also attended the last rites. Speaking to ANI, Dr. Shunty praised Kumar's unwavering patriotism and the powerful messages conveyed through his films. "The message he gave through his movies, whether it was Jai Jawan Jai Kisan, Shaheed-e-Azam, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, or Shor, no one in this world can forget his movies. Such people don't die. They are immortal because their songs and their thoughts will live on. I have been a fan of him since childhood," Dr. Shunty said. He also reflected on the personal relationship he shared with the actor, adding, "It was a father-son relationship with him, and also a friend's relationship. In Covid, he gave me a lot of courage, that Shanti, don't be afraid, don't be scared, serve bravely, and like Bhagat Singh, do something for the country, the world will remember. Manoj Kumar ji's patriotism, his feelings, he loved the country with all his heart." Manoj Kumar, born Harikrishan Goswami on July 24, 1937, in Abbottabad (now in Pakistan), became one of the most iconic actors in the history of Indian cinema. His portrayal of strong, patriotic characters earned him the affectionate title of "Bharat Kumar." His films, such as Upkar (1967), Purab Aur Paschim (1970), and Shaheed (1965), became landmark productions that defined nationalistic cinema in India. Kumar's impact was not limited to acting. As a director and producer, he made significant contributions to the Indian film industry. His directorial debut, 'Upkar,' won the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film, and his other films, such as 'Purab Aur Paschim' and 'Roti Kapda Aur Makaan' (1974), were both critically and commercially successful. He earned prestigious awards, such as the Padma Shri (1992) and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2015). Kumar's death on April 4, 2025, at the age of 87, has sent shockwaves across India, with tributes pouring in from political leaders, film industry stalwarts, and fans alike. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Kumar as an "icon of Indian cinema" for his ability to inspire national pride through his films. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and other dignitaries also expressed their heartfelt condolences, recognizing Kumar's unparalleled contribution to the country's cinematic and cultural heritage. (ANI)
India said a final goodbye to one of its most beloved cinematic icons, Manoj Kumar, as his last rites were performed on Saturday, April 5, with full state honours. The legendary actor and director, known for his portrayal of strong patriotic characters, was laid to rest at the Vile Parle crematorium, where he was accorded a Guard of Honour, marking the end of an era in Indian cinema. Born Harikrishan Goswami on July 24, 1937, in Abbottabad (now in Pakistan), Kumar's portrayal of nationalistic characters earned him the affectionate title of "Bharat Kumar." His films, such as Upkar (1967), Purab Aur Paschim (1970), and Shaheed (1965), are considered landmarks in Indian cinema, shaping the nation's cinematic landscape with their patriotic fervour. The actor's funeral procession was a solemn yet celebratory event, with his coffin draped in the Indian tricolour as a tribute to his enduring legacy of patriotism. The ambulance carrying his mortal remains was adorned with flowers in the tricolour, symbolizing his deep connection to the spirit of India. Family, friends, celebrities and admirers gathered at the cremation ground in Juhu for the star's final darshan. Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik also paid his respects at the cremation ground, where he spoke to ANI, recalling Kumar's immense influence on Indian cinema. "Artists like Manoj Kumar will not be found in the industry anymore. I have been his fan since childhood... Today, I may have become a state minister, but I have come here as a friend. He was an artist who had Hindustan in his heart. I pay my heartfelt tribute to him on behalf of my family and the Maharashtra government," Sarnaik said. Manoj Kumar's death on April 4, 2025, at the age of 87, marks the passing of a film industry stalwart whose patriotism was central to his cinematic persona. His films resonated deeply with the Indian public, often embodying the themes of national pride, sacrifice, and unity. In addition to his acting career, Kumar made significant contributions as a director and producer. His directorial debut 'Upkar' won the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film, while other films like 'Purab Aur Paschim' and 'Roti Kapda Aur Makaan' (1974) achieved both critical and commercial success. Throughout his illustrious career, Kumar received several prestigious awards, including the Padma Shri in 1992 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2015, acknowledging his contributions to Indian cinema. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Kumar as an "icon of Indian cinema," recognizing his role in instilling national pride through his work. President Droupadi Murmu, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and several other political figures and cinema personalities expressed their condolences, acknowledging the unparalleled contribution of the actor to Indian culture and cinema. (ANI)
The Indian film industry bid an emotional farewell to one of its most iconic figures, Manoj Kumar, as his funeral was held on April 5, 2025, at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Mumbai. The actor and director, known for his portrayal of strong patriotic characters, was laid to rest with full state honours, marking the end of an era in Indian cinema. The funeral was attended by a host of prominent Bollywood figures, including Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Salim Khan, Arbaaz Khan, and Prem Chopra, among others. The father-son duo of Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, along with other close friends and family members, gathered to pay their respects to the legendary "Bharat Kumar." The actor's body, draped in the Indian tricolour, was escorted to the crematorium, while the ambulance carrying his mortal remains was adorned with garlands and flowers in the national colours, symbolizing his lifelong association with patriotism in cinema. Veteran actor Vindu Dara, speaking to ANI, shared his admiration for Kumar and acknowledged the challenges the country faced during Kumar's era. "There were many problems during Manoj uncle's time... now films on unity should be made. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians are one... He (Manoj Kumar) is immortal and will always remain alive," said Vindu. Actor Rajpal Yadav, deeply moved by the loss, described Kumar as "the Vishwa Kala Ratna of India" and expressed that "he is Bharat Ratna," emphasizing his invaluable contribution to Indian cinema. "He is the Vishwa Kala Ratna of India, he is Bharat Ratna. I salute him and he is a gem of our Bollywood and will always remain a gem," he said. The final rites, which took place at the Vile Parle crematorium, were attended by many more celebrities and admirers who wished to offer their final respects. A solemn ceremony unfolded, with a guard of honour being presented to the departed icon by the police, acknowledging his significant contributions to both cinema and the nation. Manoj Kumar, born Harikrishan Goswami in Abbottabad (now in Pakistan) on July 24, 1937, earned his place as a cinematic legend through his powerful portrayals of nationalistic characters. His memorable roles in films like 'Upkar' (1967), 'Purab Aur Paschim' (1970), and 'Shaheed' (1965) helped define the genre of patriotic cinema in India. In addition to his acting, Kumar made an indelible mark as a director and producer. His directorial debut 'Upkar' won the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film, and he continued to contribute to the industry with films that captured the spirit of India. His death at the age of 87 on April 4, 2025, following age-related health complications, has left the film industry and the nation in mourning. Tributes from political leaders and celebrities have also flooded in, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praising Kumar for his ability to inspire national pride through his work. As the final rituals were performed, a photo of a young Manoj Kumar was displayed at the entrance of his residence for fans to pay their respects. (ANI)
Actor Hrithik Roshan recently shared that he dreams of working with the popular British-American director Christopher Nolan. The actor, who is celebrating 25 years in the Indian film industry, expressed this desire at an event in Atlanta in the US, which was attended by around 5,000 people to celebrate his journey. While talking about his dream directors, Hrithik first mentioned his father, Rakesh Roshan, who launched him in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai in 2000, saying that working with his father was a dream that came true early in his career. The actor then spoke about how much he admires Nolan, calling him one of his "favourite directors," and admitted that he hopes to work with him someday. As per a press note shared by his team, Hrithik said, "Rakesh Roshan - that dream happened right in the beginning," alluding to his debut film Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. "Now, I'd actually like to work with Christopher Nolan. He is one of my favourite directors." Meanwhile, on the work front, Hrithik is all set to mark his directorial debut with Krrish 4. The news was shared by his father, veteran filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, earlier in March. Sharing a picture with Hrithik, whom he fondly calls 'Duggu,' Rakesh Roshan wrote on Instagram, "Duggu, 25 years back I launched you as an actor, and today again, after 25 years, you are being launched as a director by two filmmakers, Aditya Chopra and myself, to take forward our most ambitious film #Krrish4. Wish you all the success in this new avatar with good wishes and blessings." The actor will also be seen in War 2, which is part of Yash Raj Films' spy universe. The movie also stars NTR Jr. and Kiara Advani and will hit theaters on August 14 later this year. (ANI)
Director Paul Schrader, who is the screenwriter for 'Taxi Driver', 'Raging Bull', 'American Gigolo' and 'Affliction', has been accused of sexually harassing his former assistant and backing out of making settlement payments, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In a lawsuit filed in New York on Thursday, the 26-year-old woman, named as Jane Doe, claimed Schrader sexually assaulted her at the Cannes Film Festival last year "by luring her into a hotel room and forcibly grabbing her and kissing her, despite her verbal protests." Schrader was at Cannes for the premiere of his film, 'Oh, Canada'. The woman, who worked for Schrader from May 2021 to September 2024 managed to free herself and flee the hotel room, the suit states, according to The Hollywood Reporter. According to lawsuit, three days later, the woman went back to the screenwriter's hotel room after "receiving numerous calls and angry text messages, in which Defendant Schrader claimed that he was 'dying' and could not pack his own bags." The lawsuit claimed Schrader "repeatedly demonstrated in writing that he understood his conduct was unwelcome and offensive" to his former assistant, "yet he knowingly proceeded to harass and forcibly touch her," as per the outlet. The complaint included emails the screenwriter allegedly sent to Jane Doe, such as writing to her on May 22, 2023, "I sense you are uncomfortable with my affection for you." The suit alleged, Schrader sent his former assistant an email in "full acknowledgment of his unlawful and predatory behavior," writing, "So I fucked up. Big time. ... If I have become a Harvey Weinstein in your mind then of course you have no choice but to put me in the rearview mirror," as per the outlet. Schrader's attorney, Philip Kessler, said earlier that the legal filing is a "desperate, opportunistic and frivolous lawsuit to enforce a settlement that was never signed by Schrader." Kessler noted that the accusations in the suit are "in many respects inaccurate, in other respects materially misleading and exaggerated. Mr. Schrader never had sex with his former assistant. He never tried to have sex with his former assistant. The circumstances here will be shown to have been blown very wildly out of proportion to reality." He added, "We intend to vigorously defend the case," as per The Hollywood Reporter. (ANI)
On Saturday, producer Ramesh Taurani, Tips Films, issued a statement, confirming that only actors Saif Ali Khan and Sidharth Malhotra have been considered for Race 4 as of now.

"We would like to clarify that we are currently in discussions only with Saif Ali Khan and Sidharth Malhotra for the next installment of the Race franchise (Race 4), which is currently in its scripting phase. No other male or female actors have been approached at this stage. We sincerely request the media and social media pages to avoid engaging with false news and to wait for an official confirmation from our PR team," the statement read.

Helmed by the director duo Abbas-Mastan, Race was released in 2008.

It also starred Akshaye Khanna, Katrina Kaif, Bipasha Basu, Anil Kapoor and Sameera Reddy in pivotal roles.

The film was followed by a sequel 'Race 2' which also starred John Abraham, Deepika Padukone and Jacqueline Fernandez and a spiritual successor 'Race 3' starring Salman Khan in the lead role.

Meanwhile, Saif is gearing up for the release of his Netflix film 'Jewel Thief'.

The film boasts an ensemble cast, including Jaideep Ahlawat, Kunal Kapoor, and Nikita Dutta, alongside Saif Ali Khan. The teaser, released in February, offered a glimpse into the movie's plot, showcasing Saif and Jaideep's characters joining forces to steal the coveted African Red Sun diamond.

In the coming months, Sidharth will be seen sharing screen space with Janhvi Kapoor in Param Sundari. (ANI)
Actor Urvashi Rautela talked about her upcoming film 'Jaat', starring Sunny Deol. In a conversation with ANI, she spoke on the track 'Sorry Bol' from the movie and said that it is a "mass film". "The trailer is really good. The song 'Sorry Bol' has been highlighted in the trailer. It is a mass film. Viewers from across the country are going to enjoy the film...," she said. Urvashi expressed gratitude towards the audience, saying, "I would like to thank people for appreciating the songs of our film...I am really thankful to the directors and choreographers for presenting me so well in my songs..." Bollywood star Sunny Deol is all set to entertain his fans with an action avatar in his latest film 'Jaat', which also stars Randeep Hooda, Viineet Kumar Siingh, Saiyami Kher, Jagapathi Babu and Ramya Krishna. The makers of the film organised a trailer launch event in Jaipur in March, which was attended by Sunny Deol, Randeep Hooda and others at the Raj Mandir Cinema hall. The trailer shows Sunny Deol 'JAAT' locking horns with antagonist Randeep Hooda (Ranatunga). With the film, Sunny promises to bring the magic of his 'dhaai kilo ka haath' to impress the South Indian audience after impressing the North. "Ye dhai kilo ke haath ki taakat pura north dekh chuka hain. Ab south dekhega. (The north has already seen the power of this two-and-half-kilo arm. Now, the south will see it)," Sunny said at the end of the trailer, leaving fans nostalgic as the iconic dialogue was first used in Damini, for which Sunny won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1993. The high-octane film is directed by Gopichand Malineni and produced by Mythri Movie Makers and People Media Factory. It is set to hit theatres on April 10 and will be available in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil. (ANI)
The Madhavpur Ghed Fair, which embodies Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat,' is being held from April 6 to April 10, 2025. This traditional festival commences annually on the auspicious day of Ram Navami and continues for five days. Northeastern artists dazzled Ahmedabad with their cultural showcase and stunning performances. Northeastern performers showcase their rich musical heritage using instruments like the dhol, pepa, and flute, while Gujarati artists captivate audiences with traditional folk dances such as Garba, Dandiya, and Raas. The Madhavpur Ghed Fair beautifully embodies Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat' initiative, serving as a cultural bridge that unites the rich traditions of Northeast and Western India, an official statement said on Thursday. Significantly, the Madhavpur Ghed Fair commemorates the divine wedding of Shri Krishna and Rukshmani, believed to have taken place in Madhavpur village. This vibrant festival offers visitors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Gujarat's rich cultural heritage and deep-rooted religious traditions. The Madhavpur Fair shares a profound bond with Arunachal Pradesh's Mishmi tribe. As per legend, the Mishmi people trace their ancestry to the revered King Bhishmak, the father of Rukshmani ji and father-in-law of Shri Krishna. This grand festival beautifully celebrates the sacred union of Rukshmani ji and Shri Krishna. The Madhavpur Mela, celebrating the sacred marriage of Rukshmani ji (from Arunachal Pradesh) and Dwarkadhish Shri Krishna (of coastal western India) serves as a vibrant confluence of Northeastern and Western Indian cultures. The festivities feature an array of musical, dance, and theatrical performances by artists from both regions. Adding to the cultural grandeur, the fair also highlights exquisite handicrafts and authentic cuisines from both regions, transforming the five-day celebration into a true fusion of traditions. This fair celebrates the divine union of Shri Krishna and Rukshmani while also nurturing a spirit of unity and brotherhood, uniting people from various regions of India. The Madhavpur Ghed Fair is held annually during the Chaitra month (March- April), featuring a spectacular theatrical reenactment of Shri Krishna and Rukshmani ji's divine wedding, brought to life by skilled artists through mesmerizing performances. Dignitaries such as Union Ministers from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Governor and Chief Minister of Gujarat, ministers from the Gujarat Tourism Department, and other senior officials of the state government attend the event. Governors and Chief Ministers from northeastern states also participate in the celebrations. Built in the 15th century, the Madhavrai Temple in Madhavpur holds profound historical and cultural significance as it is linked to the sacred wedding of Shri Krishna and Rukshmani ji. According to folklore, Shri Krishna brought Rukshmani ji to Madhavpur village, where their divine marriage took place. To honour this event, the Madhavrayji Temple was built, and to this day, a grand five-day cultural fair is held annually to commemorate their union. The Madhavpur Fair welcomes visitors of all ages to immerse themselves in Gujarat's vibrant cultural tapestry. With its captivating traditions, sacred rituals, and diverse activities, this fair offers a unique opportunity to experience the state's rich heritage, making it a must-visit destination for tourists. (ANI)
Actor and film producer Michael B Jordan is playing twin brothers Smoke and Stack in the Ryan Coogler-helmed project. "Somebody told me something about another guy walking around here looking like me, it's crazy," he said at the New York premiere of the movie, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Jordan shared the biggest challenge of playing twins "was the technicality of how we shot both characters. I did every scene like four times, fives times, so I think the balance between going back and forth was difficult at times but you find a rhythm and after a while it was second nature. I had a lot of fun." The film also deals with the supernatural and involves vampires, with Jordan pointing to Vampire in Brooklyn and Lost Boys as two of his favorite films in the bloodsucker genre, as per outlet. "Those are two ones that were pretty dope for me and I loved the cast and the storyline," he added. "Eddie [Murphy] was so smooth in Vampire in Brooklyn; seeing yourself as a vampire was pretty cool," as per the outlet. Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo co-star in the film. "It's central to the foundation of this narrative, it's central to the history of this culture and central to the history of this country," said Lindo. O'Connell shared that he was "living my best Beyonce life on this one" when it is about the musical scenes, and assured the audience, "whatever you think it is, think again. But guaranteed it's a good night out or day, whenever you're going to see it," according to The Hollywood Reporter. 'Sinners' hits theaters on April 18. Meanwhile, Michael B Jordan hinted at new 'The Thomas Crown Affair' movie. The star, who is directing an updated version of the film assured the CinemaCon audience that it "isn't just another remake." "This isn't just another remake," Jordan said. He also added, "It's a kind of movie that demands the big screen." Jordan directs and stars opposite Taylor Russell in the heist feature, according to The Hollywood Reporter. (ANI)
'Laapataa Ladies' writer Biplab Goswami on Saturday issued a statement, denying claims that the movie's plot has been plagiarised. Lately, a section of social media users pointed out that the hit Hindi film, produced by Aamir Khan and directed by Kiran Rao, had similarities to an Arabic-language short film titled Burqa City. Reacting to plagiarism allegations, Biplab, who co-authored the film with Sneha Desai, mentioned that first detailed synopsis for the movie was submitted in 2014 with the working title 'Two Brides'. He also provided the 'relevant documents' to support his stance. "The screenplay for Laapataa Ladies was developed extensively over many years," he wrote in his note. Biplab added, "I first registered the film's detailed synopsis, outlining the entire story with the working title 'Two Brides', with the Screenwriters Association on July 3, 2014. Even within this registered synopsis, there is a scene that clearly describes the groom bringing home the wrong bride and being shocked and stricken upon realising his mistake because of the veil, along with the rest of his family. This is where the story takes off. I had also clearly written about the scene of the worried groom going to the police station and showing the only photograph he had of his missing bride to the police officer, but the bride's face was covered with a veil, resulting in a comedic moment. On June 30, 2018, I registered the feature-length script 'Two Brides' with the SWA. This script won the runner-up award at the Cinestaan Storytellers Competition in 2018. Again, in this screenplay, I had the scene of the policeman amused by the photograph of the veiled bride." "Our story, characters, and dialogues are 100% original. Any allegations of plagiarism are completely untrue. These allegations not just undermine my efforts as a writer, but also the tireless efforts of the entire filmmaking team," he said. Have a look at his post https://www.instagram.com/p/DID_i46zUrs/?img_index=2 The film, which was released in March 2024, also Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, and Ravi Kishan in key roles. (ANI)
The Telangana Government has decided to approach the Supreme Court against two major river interlinking projects proposed by the Andhra Pradesh Government - the Godavari-Banakacherla Link Scheme and the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS), state Minister for Irrigation, Food and Civil Supplies, Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Friday. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced the decision during a high-level review meeting held at Jala Soudha. The Minister said both schemes violate established water-sharing agreements and pose a serious threat to Telangana's irrigation projects and drinking water requirements. He stated that the projects were being taken up unilaterally by Andhra Pradesh without approval from the appropriate regulatory authorities. As part of the legal preparation, a special meeting will be convened shortly with legal experts, Standing Counsels of the Irrigation Department, and the Advocate General to chalk out the strategy to file a petition in the Supreme Court. The Minister said Telangana will firmly contest the schemes in court to safeguard its rightful share in Godavari and Krishna river waters. The Godavari-Banakacherla Link Scheme is a massive project proposed by the Andhra Pradesh Government at an estimated cost of Rs 80,112 crore. The plan involves diverting 200 TMC of water from the Godavari river at Polavaram to Rayalaseema through the Bollapalli reservoir and Banakacherla head regulator. The proposal seeks to interlink the Godavari, Krishna, and Penna rivers. Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said that this project directly violates the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award of 1980 and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (APRA) of 2014. He pointed out that Andhra Pradesh has not secured mandatory clearances from the Central Water Commission (CWC), the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), or the Apex Council. He said Andhra Pradesh is trying to use Sections 46(2) and 46(3) of APRA, which allow for the development of backward regions, to secure Central funds. However, he warned that such provisions cannot override the requirement for statutory approvals and environmental safeguards. Telangana had earlier raised strong objections to the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS), which is aimed at drawing water from the Krishna river basin. As a result of continuous efforts, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) ruled in February that Andhra Pradesh must restore the RLIS site to its pre-construction stage. The committee stated that Andhra Pradesh had violated environmental norms and must provide photographic evidence, details of restoration, and timelines before reapplying for environmental clearance. The EAC's decision followed multiple representations by Telangana at the National Green Tribunal, Supreme Court, MoEF&CC, and other platforms. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that Andhra Pradesh was continuing to pursue the project through other means. "The Telangana Government would not remain a silent spectator and would raise the issue in the Supreme Court to prevent any illegal construction or diversion of water," he said. The Minister also raised concern about the safety of Bhadrachalam, a major town located along the Godavari river. He said the large-scale diversion of floodwaters from Polavaram to Rayalaseema could affect the natural flood pattern downstream and put the temple town at risk. "The Telangana Government would seek Central assistance for the construction of a protection wall around Bhadrachalam to safeguard the town from future flood threats. We are taking proactive measures to ensure that Bhadrachalam is protected from any adverse impact due to changes in the Godavari's flow," he added. During the review meeting, Uttam Kumar Reddy instructed senior officials to act without delay. He said decision-making in the Irrigation Department should be fast and efficient. "Works must not be held up due to unnecessary delays. Officers should take prompt decisions," he said. He also said tenders for desiltation works across the state would be called soon. The Minister stressed the importance of desilting to enhance water storage in tanks and reservoirs and improve irrigation efficiency. "We must ensure that every drop of water is used effectively. There should be maximum and scientific utilisation of irrigation resources. Telangana cannot afford to waste water while fighting for its rightful share," he said. Uttam Kumar Reddy also criticised the previous BRS government for its failure to protect Telangana's interests by allowing the Andhra Pradesh to expand its water withdrawal capacity unchecked. He pointed out that the capacity of the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator was increased from 44,000 to 92,600 cusecs between 2005 and 2023, with little resistance from Telangana. He said the delay in holding the Apex Council meeting in August 2020 gave Andhra Pradesh a free hand to proceed with RLIS tenders. Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Congress Government is committed to correcting past mistakes and defending the state's water rights through legal and institutional mechanisms. "We will not allow Andhra Pradesh to divert our rightful share of Godavari and Krishna waters. We are preparing for a strong legal battle. Our case in the Supreme Court will be based on facts, law, and the fundamental rights of the people of Telangana," he said. He assured that the Congress government in Telangana would leave no stone unturned in protecting Telangana's water, farmers, and future generations. (ANI)
Amid the call for a "war against drugs", the Punjab police has managed to constitute 1,228 village defence committees, and 162 defence committees in urban areas of the Roper range, an official said. Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ropar Range Harcharan Singh Bhullar said that 435 panchayats and wards have passed a resolution disallowing anyone from selling drugs, which the police consider a "big achievement." "The Punjab government has launched a war against drugs. From January 1 to April 3, the police formed 1,228 defence committees in villages and 162 defence committees in urban areas. We have achieved success in the Ropar range. A resolution was passed in 435 panchayats and wards, and it was decided that no one can sell drugs here. This is a big achievement for the police, DIG Bhullar told ANI. "If anyone in Punjab police is found to be associated with drug smugglers (dealers), they will be booked, jailed and lose their job," he added. Earlier, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria flagged off a six-day foot march from Shri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor to Dera Baba Nanak, covering the districts of Gurdaspur and Amritsar on Thursday. Kataria said on Friday that the government alone cannot fight against any social evil without the support of the people and requested them to motivate people to quit drug abuse. "Due to this social evil of drug abuse, our youth is weakened, families are destroyed...The government is doing whatever it can. We cannot fight against any social evil without the support of the people. I request you all to motivate people near you to quit drug abuse," Kataria said. Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Headquarters Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill said a woman constable, Amandeep Kaur, has been dismissed from the service for her involvement in a drugs case. The development came a day after teams from Sadar Bathinda Police led by Station House Officer (SHO) Sadar Bathinda Anubhav Jain arrested the accused Amandeep Kaur after recovering 17.71 grams of heroin from a black car, Mahindra Thar, which the latter was driving. Police teams have also impounded her vehicle. The accused woman constable was temporarily posted at Police Lines Bathinda. (ANI)
As a precautionary measure ahead of the scheduled Shobha Yatra for Ram Navami, the Hyderabad police is gearing up to set up special surveillance at places where the main and smaller processions are expected to intersect. The Hyderabad police remain insistent on maintaining continuous surveillance while suggesting the deployment of special additional forces, especially in "problematic areas around religious places". Director General of Police (DGP) and Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand held a video conference with the police officers recently, suggesting all officers and staff in the city remain alert until the festivities for Ram Navami conclude. "Special surveillance be set up at the intersection where the main procession and smaller processions connect. Special additional forces be deployed in problematic areas around religious places and that continuous surveillance be maintained," police officials decided in the meeting. "As a precautionary measure, all officers and staff, all Zonal Control Room officers, and Special Branch officers in the city should be alert from now on. Special attention must also be paid to pickpockets and chain snatchers," the Hyderabad police said. Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Raja Singh wrote a letter to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy requesting the unhindered conduct of the Shri Ram Navami Shobha Yatra scheduled for April 6, 2025. The yatra will start from Akashpuri Hanuman Mandir in Dhoolpet and will conclude at HVS Public School in Sultan Bazar, within Singh's Goshamahal Constituency. In his letter, Raja Singh emphasised that the yatra, which he has been leading since 2010, has always been peaceful, with no incidents disrupting the harmony of Hyderabad. The statement reads, "I have been leading this Shobha Yatra since 2010, and in all these 15 years, not a single incident has disturbed the peace of Hyderabad. Every year, lakhs of Ram Bhakts participate in the yatra with devotion and discipline." However, Singh expressed concerns over the Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand's recent actions, which involve imposing restrictions on the use of sound systems during the event, citing Supreme Court rules on sound pollution. The statement reads, "However, this year, I am being pressured by the Hyderabad Police Commissioner, CV Anand, through ACP and DCPs, citing Supreme Court rulings on sound pollution to restrict the use of sound systems during the yatra." He also questioned, "If so, why is noise pollution heard five times a day, 12 months a year across the city without any restrictions?" Singh also pointed out the "selective enforcement" of these rules. (ANI)
The Border Security Force on the intervening night of April 4 and April 5 foiled an infiltration attempt by an intruder crossing the International Border (IB) in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, an official release stated. According to the release, the BSF troops stationed along the IB in the region observed suspicious movement in the border area where an individual was seen crossing the IB, prompting the BSF personnel to issue a challenge. The intruder, however, did not respond and continued moving towards the Indian side and in response to the perceived threat, BSF troops neutralised the intruder. The identity and motive of the individual are currently under investigation and a strong protest has been lodged with the counterpart authorities in relation to the incident, the release added. Earlier on Monday, the BSF troops stationed in Amritsar district detected suspicious movement near the international border, where an individual was seen crossing into Indian territory and approaching the border security fence. In a swift response, the troops challenged him to stop and subsequently apprehended him. Upon preliminary questioning, the intruder revealed his identity as a Pakistani national. This apprehension took place in an area adjacent to the village of Bharopal in the district of Amritsar, the BSF said. After initial questioning by the BSF and sister agencies, the Pakistani intruder has been handed over to local Police for further investigation and to know about his motive for crossing the IB, the BSF said. Meanwhile, in another incident, the BSF handed over a Pakistani woman named Humra to the Pakistan Rangers at the Anupgarh border area in Rajasthan on humanitarian grounds, as confirmed by officials. According to the release, the woman had illegally crossed the India-Pakistan International Border near the Anupgarh area of the Sriganganagar sector on March 17, 2025, and entered Indian territory. She was apprehended by the BSF and subsequently handed over to the local police before being repatriated. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Eatala Rajendar on Saturday claimed that the "poor people are welcoming the Waqf Bill," as the properties under the religious board "only benefit the influential," as there have been multiple encroachments by the Waqf Board in Hyderabad, and surrounding areas. "Waqf properties have been disputed here in Hyderabad for many years. Waqf properties are used by influential people and do not benefit poor." There is a constituency having four Muslim villages, 40-50 years ago, in the Boduppal area (in Hyderabad), the real estate land which was for businessman, they had taken a bank loan, and permission, but Waqf Board came in and claimed for itself. Where will the people go? There are many areas like that," the BJP MP told ANI. Rajendar also highlighted another instance of the Waqf board allegedly claiming agricultural land in the Zahirabad constituency in the state. "There is another constituency name Zahirabad; in it, there are 4 muslim villages; it has been there for over 100 years. They do farming there 4-5 years ago, Waqf claimed the land, where will the people go? There are many instances like that which need enforcement for poor people. The court cases which have been going on, now slowly hopefully it will get resolved," he said. Earlier on Friday (April 4), AIMIM chief Asaddudin Owaisi and Congress leader Mohammad Jawed separately challenged the bill after Parliament passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, also called the 'UMEED Bill', making it an act. In his plea, Owaisi stated that the amended Bill "irreversibly dilutes" the statutory protections afforded to Waqfs and their regulatory framework while conferring undue advantage upon other stakeholders and interest groups, undermining years of progress, and setting back Waqf management by several decades. "Amendment Bill also takes away from Waqfs various protections which were accorded to Waqfs and Hindu, Jain, and Sikh religious and charitable endowments alike. This diminishing of the protection given to Waqfs while retaining them for religious and charitable endowments of other religions constitutes hostile discrimination against Muslims and violates Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which prohibit discrimination on the grounds of religion," the plea stated. "The amendments are also repugnant to the doctrine of non-retrogression of rights, which is firmly entrenched in our constitutional jurisprudence," it added. (ANI)
Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain criticised the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, passed by Parliament, calling it a "targeted" legislation. Terming the bill as "unconstitutional" and "unfair," Hussaid said that despite knowing its issues, the government was "adamant" about passing it. "We believe that it is a constitutional problem and that this bill is unconstitutional and unfair. It is targeted legislation. The debate in both houses was very good. We disagreed with the government. Despite knowing that there would be many issues with the bill in the coming days, the government was adamant about passing it... The opposition fought unitedly." Meanwhile, BJP leader Mohsin Raza criticised the opposition, saying they are showing the bill negatively. Speaking to ANI, Raza said, "When you read this Act, everything will become clear. They just know how to mislead. A few Muslim leaders and clerics are responsible for spoiling the atmosphere. They always mislead and never work for the welfare or upliftment of Muslims." He said the bill is for the welfare of poor Muslims, but the opposition is portraying it negatively. "This bill is for the welfare of the backward and poor Muslims. The opposition parties are showing it negatively. No change has been made to any existing law. Extensive powers were given to the Waqf Board by the Congress in 2013, and it has now been amended," Raza said. The Parliament passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 after two days of heated debate in both houses of Parliament. The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. The Bill aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing Waqf records. (ANI)
In a display of coordination and prompt action, Assam Rifles successfully rescued an abducted individual on 03 April 2025 from Tollen Village in the Tamenlong district, Manipur. According to a statement, "The individual named Sunil Kumar, an employee of Ganpati Company, NHIDCL, was kidnapped by miscreants from a stone quarry near the Barak River bed in the proximity of Maokot village." The statement said, "Assam Rifles, along with Manipur Police, investigated the facts and brought the CSOs together to work for the quick and safe release of the individual. Assam Rifles carried out multiple raids throughout the night in the adjoining jungles. CSOs were also engaged to get real-time information, which eventually forced the kidnappers to release the individual in an unharmed state within 24 hours." The statement noted, "The successful rescue of the individual by Assam Rifles displays the force's unwavering commitment to the safety of the local people and swift actions against the miscreants. The security forces are investigating the incident." In another operation, search and area domination were conducted by security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts. During the operation, the following items were recovered. One SLR Rifle with one empty Magazine, one Carbine Machine Gun with one empty Magazine, one .303 Rifle with one empty Magazine, one Double Barrel Gun, eight 5.56 mm live round, four 70 mm live round, one BP Helmet, five soft nose Tear Gas shells, one Tear Smoke Grenade, two No. 80 Grenadea, two BP Platea, two BP jacketa, two Baofeng Seta with one Charger, one Camouflage Pant, one Camouflage Cap and two plastic sacks, one gunny bag and one polythene bag used in concealing the articles from Laisoi hill areas under Keibul Lamjao-PS, Bishnupur District. On April 4, on receipt of information about the abduction of one Laitonjam Dilip Singh of Patsoi Part-4, Imphal West District, from his residence by some unknown persons using one white Bolero, Manipur Police conducted a cordon and search operation at Nambol Phoijing area under Nambol-PS, Bishnupur District. During the operation, two UNLF(P) cadres, namely, Khundrakpam Rakesh Singh @ Thomba and Khundrakpam Charles, both residents of Nambol Phoijing Awang Leikai, who were involved in the abduction of the said person were arrested from the house of one Khundrakpam Inaoton Singh of Nambol Phoijing Awang Leikai under Nambol-PS, Bishnupur District. The abductee was also rescued. The following articles were recovered from their possession: One white Bolero, which was used in the abduction activity, three mobile handsets, one wallet containing Rs.4,500/ and one Voter ID Card. Manipur Police said that search operations and area domination were conducted by security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts. During the operation, the movement of vehicles carrying essential items along NH-2 and NH-37, respectively, has been ensured. Strict security measures are taken up in all vulnerable locations, and a security convoy is provided in sensitive stretches in order to ensure free and safe movement of the vehicles. (ANI)
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has accused the Congress party of indulging in appeasement politics, citing the introduction of the Waqf Act in 2013. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said, "Congress played appeasement politics and introduced the Waqf Act in 2013. The Waqf board, the (Muslim) community, and the country also suffered losses because of this. Whatever wrong Congress did, PM Narendra Modi's government is correcting it." On April 14, on the occasion of Dr BR Ambedkar Jayanti, Prime Minister Modi will visit Haryana to inaugurate various development projects and air travel services from Hisar Airport. Speaking on the visit, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said, "PM Modi has taken the responsibility to make India a developed nation. It is a matter of pride for Haryana, especially Hisar, that Haryana is going to get its first airport..." Earlier, the Haryana Chief Minister offered prayers at Prachin Shree Kali Mata Mandir, Kalka, on Friday and said that he prayed for the well-being of the people of the state and nation "I offered prayers at the Prachin Shree Kali Mata Mandir on the occasion of Navaratri. I prayed for the well-being of the people of the state and nation. May Haryana touch new heights of development...On the occasion of Dr BR Ambedkar Jayanti on 14th April, PM Modi will be coming to Haryana to inaugurate various development projects," CM Saini said. On March 29, Nayab Singh Saini said that the state government has decided to give reservations to the backward classes in Panchayats and urban local bodies in Haryana. CM Nayab Singh Saini attended the civic felicitation and Holi Milan function organized by the Saini community. Speaking to reporters, Nayab Singh Saini said, "I am happy that we recently made a reservation for the backward classes in Haryana. For a long time, there was a demand here that the limit should be increased, and in Haryana. As soon as I took responsibility for this, I decided to increase it. I am also happy that our government has decided to give reservations for the backward classes in Panchayats and urban local bodies in Haryana." (ANI)
Officials said that the wife of the deceased mill worker found the body of her husband naked with injury marks on his head, shoulder and ear. The wife, Neelaveni, had lodged a complaint that her husband had gone out of the house a few days ago and had not returned

"On April 4, 2025, the wife (Neelaveni) of the deceased had lodged a written complaint....today (April 5) she received formation about her husband''s body being found. Based on the information, along with relatives, she reached the spot. She found the body naked, and there were injury marks on his head, shoulder and ear," Ballari Superintendent of Police Shobha Rani told ANI on Friday.

"Based on her complaint, we have registered an FIR under BNS Section 103 (murder)," the SP added.

Further investigation into the case is underway.

Earlier, in a separate incident, five people died, and 10 others were injured after a van rammed into a parked truck near Nelogi Cross in the Kalaburagi district of Karnataka at around 3:30 AM.

According to Kalaburagi police, the deceased have been identified as residents of the Bagalkote district. The injured have been admitted to Kalaburagi Hospital. Kalaburagi SP A Srinivasulu visited the spot and carried out an investigation.

The police have registered a case at Nelogi police station. (ANI)
A self-styled pastor in Gurdaspur city of Punjab, Jashan Gill is accused of raping a 22-year-old woman, with the family alleging that Gill forced their daughter to undergo an abortion. Speaking to ANI, the father of the daughter alleged that his daughter, A BCA student at the time, was "misled" by the pastor. "We used to go to a church in the Abul Khair village of the Gurdaspur district with our family. A pastor named Jashan Gill misled my daughter and raped her repeatedly. My daughter was 22 years old and was a BCA student. He made her pregnant and later made her undergo an abortion by a nurse in Khokhar village," the father told ANI while remaining anonymous. Accusing the nurse of medical negligence, the father added, "The abortion was performed carelessly, after which she got an infection...My daughter complained of stomach pain and was admitted to the hospital...Later, after an ultrasound, we came to know that my daughter had an abortion, and then she was taken to Amritsar, where she died during treatment." The father has also alleged police corruption, claiming that the pastor has bribed the officials, which is why he has not been arrested. "The police have not arrested him (pastor Jashan Gill). He roams freely, and the police take money from him. This incident happened in 2023," he said. The father says he has received multiple threats and fears for his safety. The father said that he has approached the Punjab High Court, demanding a CBI inquiry into the case. "I got a lot of threats, so I left my village...I want justice for my daughter...Punjab Police did nothing. I demand a CBI inquiry into the incident ...I have also approached the High Court demanding a CBI inquiry," he said. Earlier, in another case, the Mohali Court in Punjab convicted self-styled Christian Pastor Bajinder Singh to life imprisonment in a 2018 sexual harassment case on April 1. 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. (ANI)
More than 70 per cent of the maternal deaths observed between April 2024 and December 2024 could have been prevented in Karnataka, an audit report stated on Friday. A technical committee, headed by the Director of Health and Family Welfare Services of the state government, released a report examining maternal deaths recorded between April 1 and December 31, 2024, prompted by the tragic loss of five pregnant women in Ballari in November 2024. The committee's report reviewed maternal deaths across the state, including those in government and private hospitals. According to the report, it was identified that 18 maternal deaths were linked to complications arising from Ringer's lactate solution. The audit noted negligence by service providers as a contributing factor in several cases, and disciplinary action has been recommended for 10 individuals. The report further revealed that half (50 per cent) of the maternal deaths occurred among women aged 19 to 25 years, while six per cent involved women over 35 years of age. A significant number of deaths--72 per cent--occurred during first-time or second-time pregnancies. In addition, the report highlighted that 68.5 per cent of maternal deaths involved women with pre-existing conditions such as hypertension, cardiac disorders, diabetes, and infections. When it comes to the locations of these deaths, 65 per cent occurred in government hospitals, 22 per cent in private hospitals, 10 per cent en route to a healthcare facility, and 2 per cent at home. Hypertension, haemorrhage, and sepsis were identified as the leading causes of maternal mortality in the state. The audit report was released during a press conference by Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who emphasised the transparency of the report, assuring the public that the government was committed to ensuring that no details were concealed. He further stated that a thorough investigation was ongoing to address the causes of these maternal deaths. "Five pregnant women died in Ballari in November. There was a suspicion about the cause of death. It was found that the ringer lactate solution was the cause of death. We got their death audits done and an investigation was done to find out what other cause of death there was. A committee of 15 people was formed. Now, that committee has given its report. We are showing this transparently so that people know. There is no cover-up in this; we are putting all this before the people," Rao stated. Meanwhile, according to a notice, the state has achieved the Sustainable Development Goal with respect to the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), wherein the MMR should be less than 70 by 2030. The state MMR is 57 during 2024-25. This is also the lowest MMR in the last five years. (ANI)
Taking to X, Rahul Gandhi said that Jagjivan Ram, popularly known as Babuji, dedicated his entire life to the rights of the deprived.

"On the birth anniversary of Babu Jagjivan Ram Ji, I offer my respectful salutations to him. Babuji dedicated his entire life to the rights of the deprived, the exploited, and the Dalits. He strengthened their rights and participation, thereby reinforcing the democratic and constitutional values of the country. His thoughts and struggles will always continue to inspire us," Rahul Gandhi wrote on X.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also paid tribute to Jagjivan Ram calling him a "great freedom fighter" and "pioneer of social justice."

"On Samta Diwas, a heartfelt tribute to the great freedom fighter, pioneer of social justice, and former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram Ji on his birth anniversary. The great champion of equality, Babu Ji selflessly struggled for the upliftment and justice of the weak, exploited, and backward sections of society and made an unforgettable contribution to strengthening parliamentary democracy," Kharge wrote on X.

Earlier, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy hailed Jagjivan Ram for his inspiring unparalleled services to the country.

"Babuji was born in a poor family and rose to the highest position with his unwavering dedication," he said.

The CM said that the former Deputy PM participated actively in the freedom struggle and strove for the welfare of the workers as a minister in the cabinet of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Popularly known as Babuji, Jagjivan Ram was one of India's greatest Dalit icons who fought for the rights of the underprivileged.

He was the Defence Minister during the India-Pakistan War in 1971. Babu Jagjivan Ram was also the Deputy Prime Minister between 1977 and 1979. (ANI)
The security has been heightened in Jammu's Ranbir Singh Pura sector following a recent intervention by the Border Security Force (BSF) to foil an infiltration attempt by an intruder crossing the International Border (IB) in the region. According to PRO BSF Jammu, the security forces neutralised the intruder, who kept moving to cross the border. "On the intervening night of April 4 and 5, 2025, BSF troops observed a suspicious movement across the IB (International Border) in the Jammu border area and an intruder was observed crossing the IB. He was challenged by the BSF troops but paid no heed and kept on moving. BSF troops, sensing the threat, neutralised the intruder. The identity and motive of the intruder are being ascertained," PRO BSF Jammu said. A flag meeting has been called for, where the BSF will state its protest against the infiltration bid. According to PRO BSF, the BSF troops stationed along the IB in the region observed suspicious movement in the border area where an individual was seen crossing the IB, prompting the BSF personnel to issue a challenge. The intruder, however, did not respond and continued moving towards the Indian side and in response to the perceived threat, BSF troops neutralised the intruder. The release added that the individual's identity and motive are currently under investigation, and a strong protest has been lodged with the counterpart authorities regarding the incident. Earlier on Monday, the BSF troops stationed in Amritsar district detected suspicious movement near the international border, where an individual was seen crossing into Indian territory and approaching the border security fence. In a swift response, the troops challenged him to stop and subsequently apprehended him. Upon preliminary questioning, the intruder revealed his identity as a Pakistani national. This apprehension took place in an area adjacent to the village of Bharopal in the district of Amritsar, the BSF said. (ANI)
The regional centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Chennai on Saturday issued warnings for rain, light thunderstorms, and lightning in a few districts of Tamil Nadu. It predicted that light to moderate rain would likely fall at one or two places today over the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, and Nagapattinam districts of Tamil Nadu and the Karaikal area. According to the regional meteorological centre, the weather conditions will likely cause waterlogging and slippery roads in some areas, and rains may also affect traffic. As of 1:00 PM today, the IMD has predicted light to moderate rain, which is likely to affect several districts of Tamil Nadu, including Theni, Tenksasi, Ramanathapuram and Kanyakumari. The Chennai Meteorological Department has said there was a possibility of heavy rain in some places in seven districts of Tamil Nadu today. The heavy rains in the Tiruppur district on Friday night caused water to enter houses. The Municipal corporation employees are engaged in the task of draining the water. According to a report issued by the regional centre, the Tiruppur north witnessed 11 centimetres of rainfall, while the Kozhiporvilai station in Kanyakumari recorded 19 cm. The Nambiyur weather station in the Erode district, Coimbatore AP, and Sulur stations in the Coimbatore district recorded eight centimetres of rainfall each. Kavundapadi station in the Erode district, Kil Kotagiri Estate station in the Nilgiris district, and Sothuparai in the Theni district receive nine cm of rainfall each. In the Ramanathapuram district, the Rameswaram station recorded seven cm of rainfall, followed by Kadaladi, which recorded five cm; Mudukulatur and Mandapam, which recorded two cm; and Tondi and Pamban, which recorded one cm of rainfall each. Earlier on Friday, rainfall occurred at many places in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, the Karaikal area, Kerala, the Lakshadweep area, Interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema, and Telangana, and at a few places in Coastal Karnataka and Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Dry weather prevailed over Mahe and Yanam, according to IMD. Meanwhile, the maximum temperatures were below normal by 2 to 5 degrees Celsius at a few places over Tamilnadu. In Kerala, the maximum temperatures were below normal by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius at a few places, followed by 2 to 6 degrees Celsius at many places over Telangana, by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius at a few places over Rayalaseema, and by 3 to 6 degrees Celsius at many places over Interior Karnataka. Maximum temperatures were generally near normal elsewhere in the region. (ANI)
After Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) supported the Waqf Amendment Bill, his party has come under fire, with some Muslim leaders choosing to part ways with the party. RJD MP Manoj Jha on Saturday said that if this decision was taken after Kumar's consideration, then it's a concerning matter. Calling the Waqf Amendment Bill "unconstitutional," the RJD MP stated that the All Indian Personal Muslim Law Board and opposition parties, including RJD, are looking for different options, including moving to the court to get this bill dismissed. "It was a historical opportunity for the government...You are destroying it (Waqf Board) with your dog whistle politics. You have taken another big step toward eliminating Muslims. Many political parties, which are generally not in support of the opposition, supported the opposition in this matter...If all the positioning in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has been done on the decision of Nitish Kumar, then it's a concerning matter. And if it was not his decision, then it is more concerning... AIMPLB, other parties, and RJD are looking for different options, including moving to the highest court of land, which is that this bill is unconstitutional and should be dismissed," Jha told ANI. Earlier, Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain criticised the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, passed by Parliament, calling it a "targeted" legislation. Terming the bill as "unconstitutional" and "unfair," Hussain said that despite knowing its issues, the government was "adamant" about passing it. "We believe that it is a constitutional problem and that this bill is unconstitutional and unfair. It is targeted legislation. The debate in both houses was very good. We disagreed with the government. Despite knowing that there would be many issues with the bill in the coming days, the government was adamant about passing it... The opposition fought unitedly," he said. On Friday, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi approached the Supreme Court challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Bill passed in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha now awaits President Droupadi Murmu's assent to become an Act. The Parliament passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 after two days of heated debate in both houses of Parliament. The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India. The Bill aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing Waqf records. (ANI)
Smart meters are being installed in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir to enhance power distribution and cut losses. Electrical Engineer Vinod Dabur informed on Saturday that the drive to install smart meters has been underway in Poonch for the past 2.5 months. "The installation of smart meters has started in Poonch. This drive has been going on for the past 2.5 months. There are 7000 domestic consumers in Poonch City. So we have started the implementation with domestic consumers. The installation is also being done in a commercial establishment," Vinod Dabur told ANI. Vinod Babur also clarified the misconception that people are being charged more with smart meters. He said the units depend on electricity usage. "We wanna tell people that it is beneficial. There's a misconception that more units have been reported. We wanna clear that it depends on your usage; the charges depend on the units we consume. You can download the app and can see how many units are being consumed hourly and based on per day," he said. He also added that cabling will start once the meters are installed. "I want to tell people that the installation of cabling will begin where the meter has been installed. This will be done to minimise the losses. This is the flagship program of the Government of India and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. Most people will benefit from them," he said. Vinod Dabur also informed that the government has sent 1000 meters to be installed in Poonch city in this cycle and is constantly sending more. "The government has sent 1000 meters out of which 900 have been implemented. The government is constantly sending the meters. The process will take four to six months with cabling," he said. Noting the benefits of Smart Meters, he said it will reduce the load on transformers, reduce conductor snapping. The installation of smart meters has been progressing all over India, with around 2.0 crore meters installed by January 2025, according to a report by Care Edge Ratings last week. However, the report anticipates that smart meter installations will reach only 25 per cent of the target of 25 core meters by March 2026, falling short of the government's set goal. "The ambitious target of installing 25 crore smart meters requires a significant investment of Rs 1.25 lakh crore, with Rs 95,000 crore in debt and a 25 per cent equity contribution," said the report. India is making significant strides with its ambitious plan to install 25 crore smart meters over five years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26, presenting a USD 20-25 billion opportunity for the energy sector under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), which was launched in 2017. (ANI)
Congress leader and former Speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar on Saturday paid tribute to former Deputy Prime Minister Jagjivan Ram on his birth anniversary, praising his unifying legacy. Speaking on the occasion, the former LS Speaker and the daughter of the former Deputy PM said that Jagjivan Ram had the ability to unite the country's "flourishing" cultures, and this quality was necessary for politicians. "Babuji had a great personality and was dedicated to the country. The most important thing is that he had the ability to unite the many cultures flourishing in this country. This is an amazing ability, and it is necessary for politicians and all those who take society forward to have this quality," Kumar said. Earlier, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also paid tribute to the former Deputy Prime Minister on his birth anniversary. Taking to X, Rahul Gandhi said that Jagjivan Ram, popularly known as Babuji, dedicated his entire life to the rights of the deprived. "On the birth anniversary of Babu Jagjivan Ram Ji, I offer my respectful salutations to him. Babuji dedicated his entire life to the rights of the deprived, the exploited, and the Dalits. He strengthened their rights and participation, thereby reinforcing the democratic and constitutional values of the country. His thoughts and struggles will always continue to inspire us," Rahul Gandhi wrote on X. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also paid tribute to Jagjivan Ram, calling him a "great freedom fighter" and "pioneer of social justice". "On Samta Diwas, a heartfelt tribute to the great freedom fighter, pioneer of social justice, and former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram Ji on his birth anniversary. The great champion of equality, Babu Ji, selflessly struggled for the upliftment and justice of the weak, exploited, and backward sections of society and made an unforgettable contribution to strengthening parliamentary democracy," Kharge wrote on X. Popularly known as Babuji, Jagjivan Ram was one of India's greatest Dalit icons who fought for the rights of the underprivileged. He was the Defence Minister during the India-Pakistan War in 1971. Babu Jagjivan Ram was also the Deputy Prime Minister between 1977 and 1979. (ANI)
The Madhya Pradesh district officials are investigating allegations of a fake doctor performing heart surgery on patients, who allegedly killed atleast 7, in a private missionary hospital in Damoh city of the state. As reports of 7 deaths within a month in the hospital raised alarms in the area, it has been alleged that a person, N John Kem, took up the job in the Christian missionary hospital, impersonating a famous British doctor by the same name, claiming to be a cardiologist. He then subsequently performed heart surgeries on patients. The patients who underwent surgery died later on, officials said. Upon further investigation, the accused's real name was revealed to be Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav. Earlier, Deepak Tiwari, an advocate and district president of the Child Welfare Committee, claimed that while the official death toll is 7, the actual count is much higher. The advocate had filed a complaint with the Damoh District Magistrate earlier. "Some patients, who did not die, they came to us and told us about the incident that they had taken their father to the hospital, and the guy was ready to operate, but they were a bit apprehensive, so they took their father to Jabalpur. We then got to know that there is this fake doctor working the hospital; the real guy is in Britain, and this guy's name is Narendra Yadav. There is a case against him in Hyderabad, and he has never shown his real documents," Tiwari told ANI. Priyank Kanoongo, a member of the National Human Rights Commission, said that the missionary hospital was also receiving money from the government under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. "We got a complaint that a fake doctor has performed surgery on patients in the missionary hospital. We were also told that the missionary hospital is also involved with the Ayushman Bharat scheme and taking money from the government for it. This is a serious complaint; we have taken cognisance of the matter, and an investigation is currently going on," Kanoongo told ANI. Following the allegations, the district investigating team seized all documents from the hospital. During the investigation, it was revealed that the impersonator had filed fake documents similar to the famous British doctor. The accused has been alleged to be involved in multiple controversies, including a criminal case registered in Hyderabad. The Damoh district Collector, Sudhir Kochar, has said that he will give a statement after the investigation has concluded. Abhishek Tiwari, Damoh SP, told ANI, "We are currently investigating the issue of the matter of multiple deaths in the missionary hospital." The fake doctor has been accused of posing as the British doctor N John Kem before, where in July of 2023, he had tweeted (now known as X), asking for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to be sent to France to stop the riots which ensued then. The tweet was subsequently mocked by multiple leaders at the time. The person has also posted purportedly photoshopped pictures with UP CM Yogi Adityanath under a fake name. (ANI)
In a major move to combat terrorism, the Ramban Police have attached two properties in the Gool area under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). This action is part of an ongoing investigation into unlawful activities in the region. The properties attached include agricultural land measuring 10.18 Kanals, which is now officially recorded in the revenue records. One of the attached plots is 7 Kanals and 3 Marlas of land, registered in the name of Mohd Sharief, a resident of Dalwah Tehsil, Gool. The other plot, measuring 3 Kanals and 15 Marlas, is registered in the name of Mohd Younis, a resident of Hara Tehsil, Gool. Both properties are located in different villages within the Gool area and are now prohibited from being sold or transferred under the UAPA. The attachment was carried out following the investigation of a case registered under FIR No. 04/2024, with sections related to criminal conspiracy and terrorism under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the UAPA. The action was executed in the presence of a police team and an Executive Magistrate, ensuring full legal compliance. Earlier in February 2025, the police had already attached land measuring 23.13 Kanals in connection with the same case. With the addition of the 10.18 Kanals attached today, the total land seized in this case has now reached 34.11 Kanals. This action marks a significant milestone in the ongoing investigation into unlawful and subversive activities in the region. It highlights the Ramban Police's dedication to neutralizing the threats to National security and maintaining peace and order. According to Ramban Police, the force, in collaboration with other agencies, remains resolute in its mission to take stringent measures against individuals and entities involved in activities threatening the nation's sovereignty and integrity. Meanwhile, on March 24, Awantipora Police conducted raids at multiple locations linked to members of the banned organisations, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP), and Jammu and Kashmir People's League.The raids were carried out in connection with their alleged involvement in terror-related cases. According to the police, the raids were conducted in the presence of concerned executive magistrates. (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh Police have detained a habitual drug offender under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PIT NDPS Act) for a period of three months to curb his involvement in drug trafficking activities, police said in a statement on Saturday. The drug offender, identified as Rinku, is a resident of Jatehar Bihal village in the Kullu district. Accused has six NDPS Act cases registered against him, all involving the recovery of heroin (chitta). Despite repeated arrests, he continued to engage in the illegal drug trade, police said. Acting on a proposal sent by the District Police Kullu, the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Government of Himachal Pradesh, issued an order for his preventive detention. The accused was then taken into custody and lodged in the District Jail Kullu. This is the fourth such preventive detention carried out under the PIT NDPS Act in the district so far. On March 31, following the directions of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Himachal Police intensified their action against drug trafficking and detained eight people under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act. According to the Police Department, the detainees, who are from Nurpur, Sirmaur, Chamba, Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (Solan district) and Kangra, have repeatedly been found involved in drug trafficking. The stringent action under the PIT NDPS Act aims to curb the activities of repeat offenders and dismantle drug networks operating in the state. Himachal CM Sukhwinder Sukhu has adopted a firm stance on drug-related offenses and instructed the Police Department to implement decisive measures against individuals engaged in such activities, irrespective of their status. The spokesperson said he has conducted several high-level meetings with law enforcement and other pertinent departments to ensure the rigorous enforcement of anti-drug legislation. The present state government has been actively implementing the PIT-NDPS Act, reinforcing preventive detention measures. On April 23, 2023, an advisory board, chaired by a Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, was established to oversee the legal aspects of detentions. The Act was first enforced in the year 2024, leading to the detention of four individuals. With the recent detentions, the total number of individuals detained under its provisions has risen to twelve. Further financial investigations into the assets of those detained are ongoing, and necessary legal action will be taken based on the findings. (ANI)
Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Saturday, while lauding the passing of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, questioned whether previously the properties under the Waqf Board were being utilised for the benefit of the poor or not. He claimed that while Bihar has its own multiple Waqf boards, there is not an instance of it running an orphanage or hospital in the state. "There are many Waqf properties in Patna, but name any one hospital or orphanage under Waqf in Patna. Is a big orphanage being made by Waqf? But only cases are being made there (Patna). It is said the Waqf property is Allah's, but the benefits are being reaped by their relatives; this is "gair islami" (non-Islamic). It needed a lot of improvement, and this Waqf Amendment Bill is a step in this direction," he told reporters in Patna, Bihar. Bihar has two state Waqf Boards, separate for the Shia and Sunni Muslim communities, named 'Shia Waqf Board' and 'Bihar State Sunni Wakf Board', respectively. He further recounted his experience as Uttar Pradesh minister and overseer of the UP Waqf Board, saying that during his time there, he heard many cases of property and land disputes. "When I served as a minister in UP, I handled the Waqf department for some time. All the time, I had to meet people who had property cases going on because it is a property case. What is Waqf? One says that it is not their property but Allah's property. Waqf properties were there for the welfare of the people," the governor said. Earlier, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha took on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, criticising the latter's support for the Waqf Amendment Bill. The RJD MP called the Bill "unconstitutional," and said that along with his party, All India Personal Muslim Law Board and opposition parties, are looking for different options, including moving to the court to get this bill dismissed. The RJD MP told ANI, "It was a historical opportunity for the government...You are destroying it (Waqf Board) with your dog whistle politics. You have taken another big step toward eliminating Muslims. Many political parties, which are generally not in support of the opposition, supported the opposition in this matter...If all the positioning in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has been done on the decision of Nitish Kumar, then it's a concerning matter." (ANI)
Uzbekistans state unitary enterprise National PR Center has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Azerbaijans Tourism Bureau, Azernews reports.

The memorandum was signed during a meeting in the city of Samarkand between the Chairman of Uzbekistans Tourism Committee, Umid Shadiev, and the Deputy Chairperson of Azerbaijans State Tourism Agency, Azada Huseynova.

The document aims to develop a unified tourism route along the Great Silk Road.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state of the tourism sector, prospects for cooperation, and the development of joint tourism initiatives.

The main goal of the cooperation is to merge the tourism resources of the two countries within the framework of the Joint Silk Road Highlights Tour initiative. The project envisions promoting joint tourism routes in Central European countries and at key historical locations along the Silk Road, including Baku, Shamakhi, Sheki, Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand.

As part of the memorandum, the parties also agreed to hold joint B2B events, roadshows, and participate together in international tourism exhibitions.

Following the signing ceremony, the Azerbaijani delegation visited the Samarkand Tourism Academy, where guests were introduced to educational programs, infrastructure, and prospects for professional training in the tourism sector.

Positioned in the heart of the Silk Road, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are establishing a strategic partnership to attract more tourists, raise awareness about historical landmarks, and strengthen their presence in the global tourism market.

The signing of the memorandum emphasizes the importance of enhancing tourism relations between the two countries and opens new opportunities for future development in the sector.
BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan on Saturday said that the people of Tamil Nadu are aware of the "deplorable politics of opportunism" by the DMK regarding the Kachchatheevu Island issue. He pointed out that while the DMK has raised the matter now, they did nothing about it when they were in power both in Tamil Nadu and at the center. Speaking to ANI, BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan said, "As far as the DMK is concerned the people of Tamil Nadu are well aware of the deplorable politics of opportunism of the DMK and the hypocritical drama of the DMK." He further questioned and said, "Did DMK pass any assembly resolution regarding taking back Kachchatheevu Island when it was in power between 2006 and 2011? DMK was also part of the central government from 2004 to 2013. Did they take any action to take back Kachchatheevu Island? Their hypocrisy has been completely exposed before the people of Tamil Nadu." The Tamil Nadu assembly passed a resolution on April 2 regarding the retrieval of Katchatheevu island to protect the traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen in the Palk Bay area. The letter dated April 3, reads, "I am writing this letter to bring to your immediate attention to the Resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on 02.04.2025 regarding the retrieval of Katchatheevu island, to protect the traditional fishing rights of the Indian fishermen in the Palk Bay area. I would like to point out that the origin of the problem is the Indo-Sri Lankan Treaty (Katchatheevu Agreement) made between the two Countries in the year 1974." The Chief Minister further stated that the Tamil Nadu government has always opposed the Katchatheevu agreement by the Union government in 1974 and had passed resolutions earlier to condemn this. The letter reads, "The Government of Tamil Nadu has been steadfast in opposing the Katchatheevu agreement right from the beginning. The Members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu had strongly opposed the ceding of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka in Parliament in 1974. After the signing of the Katchatheevu Agreement by the Union Government on 28.06.1974 without the consent of the State Government, the then Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi immediately convened an all-party meeting at the Secretariat on the very next day on 29.06.1974 and passed a resolution condemning it and wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister on the same day." "Subsequently, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on 21.08.1974 strongly opposing the decision of the Union Government on the issue of Katchatheevu. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has passed similar resolutions on 03.10.1991, 03.05.2013 and 05.12.2014 reiterating the consistent demand of retrieving the Katchatheevu Island to protect the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen," it added. Citing numbers, CM Stalin said in the letter, "In the year 2024, 530 Indian fishermen have been arrested, and in the first three months of the year 2025, 147 fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. Our fishermen are being sentenced to maximum imprisonment and are being levied hefty fines. Besides this, their boats are confiscated and put to auction. All these aggressive measures of Sri Lanka have pushed our fishermen to the brink of extreme poverty and reaffirms our repeated demand for retrieval of Katchatheevu, which is the only way to find a permanent solution to this problem." CM Stalin has urged the Centre to immediately review the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement and take steps to retrieve Katchatheevu Island. The letter reads, "In this regard, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution on 02.04.2025, urging the Union Government to immediately review the IndoSri Lankan Agreement and take all steps to retrieve Katchatheevu Island and also to urge the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India to hold talks with the Sri Lankan Government to get all our imprisoned fishermen released along with their boats on a goodwill basis, during the upcoming official visit to Sri Lanka. A copy of the same is enclosed. I request your good office to take immediate steps to review the Indo-Sri Lankan Agreement as soon as possible so that the Katchatheevu Island is retrieved and the traditional." (ANI)
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday slammed the BJP protest over the issue of the protests against the price hike while calling them the "pitamah" of price rise. "They (BJP) are the 'pitamah' of price rise. We hiked the price of milk, and it will benefit the farmers," Shivakumar told reporters. Speaking about his Delhi visit, the Deputy CM said that he met the irrigation and civil aviation minister, and they have agreed to call a meeting of Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka over the Krishna river water issue He said, "In Delhi, we met the irrigation and civil aviation minister, and they have agreed to call a meeting in Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka over the Krishna river water issue. We know that Tamil Nadu will not cooperate regarding the Kaveri water issue, and only the Court is a way now." Karnataka BJP had been protesting against the Congress government over recent price hikes in milk, diesel, petrol, garbage cess, etc. Earlier, on April 3, Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka fiercely criticized the Congress government for its policies, particularly the recent price hikes and taxes imposed on the public. Karnataka BJP leaders, including CT Ravi, staged protests against state government policies in Bengaluru. "BJP is fighting against the government's price hike policies and will take it to a logical conclusion," Ashoka stated, making it clear that the party would not back down in opposing what he described as the government's exploitative financial strategies. He turned his focus to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accusing him of corruption. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is stealing through taxes, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is stealing through commissions," Ashoka said, pointing to both as the central figures in the state's alleged mismanagement. Ashoka used a metaphor to criticize the government's financial tactics, saying, "There is a tradition of placing money on a corpse after death. The Congress government has increased fees even for death certificates to collect money." (ANI)
Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria's anti-drugs six-day foot march from Shri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor to Dera Baba Nanak entered its third day on Saturday. Leading by example, Punjab governor Kataria emphasised the unity of people to make Punjab a drug-free state. Speaking with ANI, Kataria said, "Today is the third day of the padyatra, and the public is also very enthusiastic and supportive. Everyone is joining it, and it seems that with everyone's blessings, we will definitely succeed in making this mass movement. Together we will make a drug-free Punjab, Rangla Punjab." "The government is also making its efforts. We are also making our efforts. The public is also supporting us," he added. The Amritsar leg of the padayatra was started on the third day of the yatra from Guru Harkrishan Public School, village Nawan Pind, and will make a halt for the day at Guru Ramdas College of Nursing and Medical Sciences, Village Pandher. The governor has launched a six-day anti-drug padyatra from April 3 to April 8, covering the Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts, to raise awareness and mobilise public participation in the cause According to a statement released by Raj Bhavan, the foot march commenced on April 3 from Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, Dera Baba Nanak, in Gurdaspur and will culminate for the day at St. Francis Convent School, Dera Baba Nanak. On Friday, Kataria said that the government alone cannot fight against any social evil without the support of the people and requested them to motivate people to quit drug abuse. "Due to this social evil of drug abuse, our youth is weakened, families are destroyed...The government is doing whatever it can. We cannot fight against any social evil without the support of the people. I request you all to motivate people near you to quit drug abuse," Kataria said. Meanwhile, speaking to ANI, the Punjab Governor said that this movement will become successful when it becomes a "people's movement." "Today is the second day of my six-day foot march. This is a people's journey, not my journey. I request everyone to join this journey. It will become successful when it becomes a people's movement," he said. Speaking on the drug and drone menace in Punjab, the Governor stated that both the central and state governments has taken measures and allocated funds to fight this menace. Kataria stated, "The government is doing all it can. It has given anti-drones, too. The central government has given anti-drones...the state government has also allocated Rs 10 crore to this issue. We will be able to restrain the entry of drugs through drones if more help is provided..." (ANI)
The accused, identified as Pradeepan TP (49), Bhikesh (39), Manoj M (30)--all from Trikaripur in Kannur--and T Naveen (35) and K Chandrasekharan (37) from Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh, were apprehended following a tip-off.

A team led by Taliparamba Forest Range Officer Sanoop Krishnan conducted the operation, seizing a car and a scooter used by the group.

The non-venomous snakes were reportedly brought from Andhra's Chittoor for sale in Kannur. The forest authorities confirmed that a case has been registered following the incident. Further investigation is in progress.

Earlier in March, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) apprehended two individuals, the agency said in a press release, in possession of 65 Indian-roofed turtles and spotted pond turtles.

In a letter dated March 24, the CBI stated, "A team of CBI along with Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) officials, on the basis of information, apprehended two accused who were in possession of 65 Indian Roofed Turtles and Spotted Pond Turtles. A case was registered by CBI against two accused u/s 51 r/w Sec 39, 44 and 48A, 49, 49B of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 for the possession, transport and trade of these species covered under Schedule-l of the Act."

The CBI, in its statement, confirmed that a total of 50 Indian Roofed Turtles (Pangshura tecta) and 15 Spotted Pond Turtles (Geoclemys hamiltonii) were recovered from the accused.

"A total of 50 Indian Roofed Turtles (Pangshuratecta) and 15 Spotted Pond Turtles (Geoclemysamiltonii) were found in the possession of the accused. Both animals belong to Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Since it was a seizure of live animals, they were handed to the Delhi Zoo for their safe upkeep," CBI further added. (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, stating that India is reaching new heights of development in every sector. Addressing a rally in Maharajganj, the Chief Minister highlighted the benefits of various government schemes, emphasizing that they are being implemented without discrimination, reaching farmers, women, underprivileged individuals, youth, and children. "Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the whole country is witnessing a new India where everyone gets the benefits of schemes without any discrimination, whether its farmers, women, underprivileged, youth, children... Before coming here, I got the opportunity to meet children. I had the privilege to provide school bags to children. In the last 10 years, PM Modi has rejuvenated the whole country. India is reaching new heights of development in every sector," CM Adityanath said. Projecting that India's economy will become third largest in the next two years, the Chief Minister said, "10 years back India was 11th largest economy. Between 1947 to 2014, in last 70-72 years, India could only become 11th economy but in just 10 years, under the leadership of PM Modi, India become fifth largest economy and in next two years it would become third. Work is being done in every sector..." Praising PM Modi, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that PM Modi has shown how to combine development with heritage while citing the example of Maha Kumbh, adding that 66 crore people visited Maha Kumbh. "After 'Har Ghar Bijli', 'Har Ghar Nal' is about to be achieved in every area... Could anyone even imagine that 80 crore people in the country would be getting free ration?... PM Modi has shown how to combine development with heritage... The whole world was stunned to see that 66 crore people visited Maha Kumbh. Only India could have achieved something like this," CM Adityanath stated. (ANI)
Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Saturday lashed out at the INDIA alliance for their criticism of Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and said that the opposition has always "misled" people about the government. "Whenever the NDA government has brought any law, bill or amendment which has helped weaker sections to join the mainstream, the opposition has always misled people about it. The opposition has always tried to set a false narrative," Paswan said. Referring to the CAA, abrogation of Article 370 and the construction of the Ram Temple, Paswan said that the opposition has misguided the people and is now doing the same with the Waqf Amendment Bill. "For instance, when CAA was implemented, the opposition tried to mislead people...During the abrogation of Article 370 and the construction of the Shri Ram Temple, the same thing was done. In Lok Sabha 2024 also, they misguided people...Today, they are doing the same thing with the Waqf Amendment Bill by saying that it is against the welfare of the Muslim community," Paswan said. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of Friday, with 128 votes in favour and 95 against. Earlier in the Lok Sabha, the bill was passed with 288 votes in favour. Multiple Opposition Parties, including the Congress and AIMIM, have opposed the bill in the Supreme Court. Moreover, multiple Janata Dal (United) leaders have protested against the party's support for the bill, resigning from the party too. The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India. The Bill aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing Waqf records. (ANI)
A Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party, who died by suicide has accused Congress leaders and the state police for his death after an FIR was filed against him. The Karnataka BJP worker from Madekeri, Vinay Somayya allegedly died by suicide on Friday. In his suicide note, he blamed Congress leaders Tenneera Maheena and MLA AS Ponnanna and also accused the police of harassment. Karnataka's Home minister, replying to the allegations against Congress party workers, said that the "law is the same for everyone" and that the police would probe the incident. "The law is the same for everyone. It is the same for AS Ponnanna and Mantar Gowda. The police department will take whatever action is required by law. The incident took place in February. The department has investigated. Let's see what information we get. The police department will check everything and take action," Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said.Earlier today, Kodagu police detained some protesters who staged a protest over their worker's suicide. Visuals from the Kushalnagar area showed protesters shouting slogans and resisting being taken in the police van. Meanwhile, BJP MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar has demanded an "unbiased" probe into the matter, demanding that the names of the Congress MLAs be mentioned in the FIR. "Our BJP karyakarta died by suicide yesterday. Vinay Somayya was an ardent follower of the BJP. Being a responsible person in the opposing party in the Karnataka state, he was bringing up the issues that Kodagu was facing and the many failings of the sitting MLAs here. He was constantly looking towards ensuring the welfare of people. He got a stay on the FIR and received bail," the BJP MP told reporters. Saying that they are considering demanding a CBI inquiry into the matter, the BJP MP continued, "Despite that, the Congress party continued to misuse the police personnel...we will continue to fight this. We have asked that all the names mentioned (of Congress leaders) be registered in the FIR as well and the process of law be followed. Once the FIR is registered, we will certainly be considering options. We will consider the CBI, which is unbiased and free." (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while lauding the passing of the Waqf Amendment Bill on Saturday said that now "no one can rob lands in the name of Waqf Board," with public property being used to build schools, colleges, hospitals, or housing for the poor. "Now, no one can rob lands in the name of the Waqf Board... Public property and revenue lands will now be used to build schools, colleges, hospitals, or housing for the poor," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said. CM Adityanath thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for ensuring the passage of the bill, saying how in Uttar Pradesh Waqf board had become a means to "illegaly occupy land." "I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for this because, in Uttar Pradesh, too, lakhs of acres of land had been illegally occupied in the name of the Waqf Board. It had become a means of loot for some people. Now, this looting will be curbed." Following the passing of the Bill by the Lok Sabha (288 in favour) and the Rajya Sabha (128 in favour), multiple Opposition parties have launched their protests and objections to it, with Congress and AIMIM challenging it in the Supreme Court. Earlier, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan highlighted his experience of overseeing land disputes regarding Waqf. "When I served as a minister in UP, I handled the Waqf department for some time. All the time, I had to meet people who had property cases going on because it is a property case. What is Waqf? One says that it is not their property but Allah's property. Waqf properties were there for the welfare of the people," the Bihar Governor said. The Bill passed in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha now awaits President Droupadi Murmu's assent to become an Act. After two days of heated debate in both houses of Parliament, the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 was passed. The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India. The Bill aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing Waqf records. (ANI)
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Saturday expressed his optimism over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's commitment to eradicating Naxalism in the country, stating that he was fortunate to have a double-engine government in the state. Addressing the closing ceremony of the Bastar Pandum programme in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada, Sai said that the youth of Bastar are walking on the path of development following the success of events like the Bastar Pandum and the Bastar Olympics. He noted that earlier, the sound of bullets were heard, but now the sounds of school bells come from the region. "Today is the 8th day of Navratri; we have visited Danteshwari Mata. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reiterated the resolution to end Naxalism in the country by March 31, 2026. We are fortunate to have a double-engine government in Chhattisgarh. Amit Shah ji has pledged to end Naxalism in the country by March 31, 2026. In Chhattisgarh, the soldiers are fighting with strength, and we are getting success," the Chhattisgarh CM said. "There are forests like Abujhmad in Chhattisgarh; a time will come when people will come and visit there. Artists from six states participated in Bastar Pandum; this event lasted for 45 days, and about 27,000 artists participated in this programme. Some time ago, we organised the Bastar Olympics; more than 1 lakh people participated in it. This proves that the youth of Bastar want to walk on the path of development. Where earlier the sound of bullets was heard, today the sound of school bells is coming from there," he added. Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma also addressed the gathering, highlighting the recognition of the event in the Golden Book of World Records due to its diversity and large-scale participation. "Today's programme has been recorded in the Golden Book of World Records. It is a significant achievement for Bastar and Chhattisgarh," Sharma said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also attended the closing ceremony of the Bastar Pandum programme. Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao, Cabinet Minister Kedar Kashyap, Cabinet Minister Ramvichar Netam and BJP State President Kiran Singh Dev were present during the occasion. (ANI)
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday called the Pamban Bridge one of the most significant bridges in the history of the Indian railways. Speaking to the media, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "The Pamban Bridge is one of the most significant bridges in the history of the railways. It will be the first vertical lift bridge built in seawater, and it is one of the greatest architectural marvels for Tamil history, culture, ancient Tamil civilization, and the Tamil language...It will be inaugurated tomorrow by Prime Minister Modi." He emphasised the bridge's unique design as India's first vertical lift bridge built in seawater, highlighting its importance to Tamil heritage and engineering excellence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the newly constructed Pamban Railway Bridge on April 6. On Sunday, PM Modi will also offer prayers at the Ramanathswamy Temple in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, to mark the occasion of Ram Navmi. The bridge, built at an estimated cost of Rs 535 crore, replaces the old structure, which was damaged by corrosion. Located in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district, the bridge connects the Indian mainland with Rameswaram Island, one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites. It will be India's first vertical lift railway sea bridge, marking a significant milestone in the country's railway infrastructure. The old bridge, originally built for Metre Gauge trains, was strengthened for Broad Gauge traffic and reopened in 2007. In February 2019, the Ministry of Railways sanctioned the construction of a new bridge to replace the ageing structure. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw posted on X in November 2024 about "India's first vertical lift railway sea bridge." "Built in 1914, the old Pamban Rail Bridge connected the mainland to Rameswaram for 105 years. Decommissioned in Dec 2022 due to corrosion, it paved the way for the modern New Pamban Bridge, marking a new era of connectivity!" he said. The bridge spans over 2.5 km and was built by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL)."It's designed to handle faster trains and increased traffic. The New Pamban Bridge is not just functional, it's a symbol of progress, connecting people and places with modern engineering," Vaishnaw posted on X. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav met with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta at her residence on Saturday. Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa was also present during the meeting. CM Yadav shared a post on his official 'X' handle, providing details of the meeting. "Today, during my visit to New Delhi, I had a courtesy meeting with the Chief Minister of Delhi, Rekha Gupta, at the Secretariat. On this occasion, I extended my best wishes to her for the development works and innovations being carried out in Delhi", the post read. Earlier in the day, the Madhya Pradesh CM attended a seminar on the "Social Implications of Artificial Intelligence" at the Deendayal Research Institute in Delhi on Saturday. Speaking to reporters after the event, he said, "Today, the Deendayal Research Institute organised a seminar on 'Social Implications of Artificial Intelligence' in Delhi. Union Minister Jitin Prasada and other officials addressed the topic and presented their views. This is a contemporary issue. I am glad that a detailed discussion was held on this topic." On Friday, CM Yadav visited the Maa Pitambara Peeth temple in the Datia district on the occasion of Saptami of Chaitra Navratri. He also took part in a civic gratitude program organised in the district following the implementation of a liquor ban in 19 religious cities across Madhya Pradesh. "After the liquor ban in Datia today, I have been invited for a civic felicitation here. I also offered prayers at the Maa Pitambara Peeth temple and sought the blessing of the deity. Being a religious and holy place, a proposal was made for a liquor ban in 2022, and now the big decision (liquor ban) has been implemented. I extend my congratulations to every citizen of Datia," CM Yadav said. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that Naxalism will be completely eradicated from the country by next year. He said that Naxalism is on the verge of ending in Bastar and that the BJP government is committed to freeing India from the grip of "Laal Aatank" by March 2026. "In the last three months, 521 Naxals have surrendered. A total of 881 Naxals surrendered in 2024. I assure you that those who surrender will be inducted into the mainstream. But those who continue to bear arms will be dealt with by security forces. Bastar is no longer a symbol of fear but of a future," Shah said while addressing a gathering at the Bastar Pandum programme. "Agle March tak, hum poore desh ko is laal atank se mukt karne ka kaam Bharatiya Janata Party ki sarkar karegi (By next March, the BJP government will work to free the entire country from Naxalism)," he added. Shah also recalled how political leaders were earlier discouraged from visiting the region. "Leaders used to be stopped from giving speeches here. The Chief Minister would say, 'Don't go.' But now, we are celebrating Ram Navami and Ashtami with 50,000 Adivasi brothers and sisters," he added. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy CM Vijay Sharma shared the stage with Shah. Cabinet Ministers Kedar Kashyap and Ramvichar Netam and BJP State President Kiran Singh Dev were also present at the event. During the Bastar Pandum celebration, Shah honoured local artists and praised their contributions to preserving tribal culture. Earlier in the day, Shah offered prayers at the Maa Danteshwari Temple in Dantewada. Meanwhile, surrendered Naxalites and people affected by Naxal violence in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district are receiving benefits under a special project of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) for the first time. Chief Executive Officer of District Panchayat Balrampur, Nayantara Singh Tomar, said on Friday that under the special scheme, PMAY benefits are being extended to those affected by Naxal incidents or those who have surrendered. "A list of 77 people was received, out of which 30 were found eligible, and 23 have already been approved for housing. After addressing technical issues, the remaining 7 will also be approved," Tomar said. (ANI)
Justice Yashwant Varma was sworn in as a judge of the Allahabad High Court on Saturday under unusual and contentious circumstances. Departing from the tradition of public ceremonies, Justice Varma took his oath in a private event, a decision that has drawn significant attention. This development comes amidst an ongoing investigation into allegations of semi-burnt sacks of cash being recovered from his residence just weeks ago. Despite his formal induction, Justice Varma has not been assigned any judicial or administrative responsibilities, according to sources within the court. His recent transfer from the Delhi High Court to Allahabad has faced criticism, especially after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court. The PIL urged that his swearing-in be postponed until the ongoing inquiry into the cash seizure was completed. The controversy has sparked outrage within the legal community. The Allahabad High Court Bar Association has openly criticized the Collegium's decision, expressing their discontent in a strongly worded letter to the Chief Justice and other judges. The association condemned the appointment, stating, "We aren't a trash bin," and called for greater transparency and accountability in judicial appointments. As the inquiry progresses, Justice Varma's future role in the Allahabad High Court remains uncertain. Legal experts and observers are closely monitoring the situation, which has raised broader questions about judicial integrity and the processes governing appointments in India's judiciary. According to the official website of the Allahabad High Court, the judge graduated in Law from Rewa University in 1992 and enrolled as an Advocate on August 8 of the same year. Over the years, he primarily practiced on the Civil side, handling a diverse range of cases related to Constitutional law, Industrial Disputes, Corporate matters, Taxation, Environmental issues, and allied branches of law. He served as the special counsel for the Allahabad High Court from 2006 until his elevation. (ANI)
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday asked his party workers to halt the agitation demanding mandatory use of the Marathi language in banks and other establishments across the state, as per an official statement from MNS. In a letter to the party worker, Thackeray said, "It's time to halt the agitation as we've raised sufficient awareness about the issue. It's up to the Marathi community to insist on their rights. If our community doesn't take action, then what's the point of these agitations?" He expressed hope that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's lead Maharashtra government will follow the law regarding the use of the Marathi language in all establishments across the state. "I have seen a statement of the Chief Minister in which he has said that no one will be allowed to take the law in their hands. We are also not interested in taking the law into our hands but it is the responsibility of the government to follow the law. I expect the government to follow the law regarding the use of Marathi language in all establishments across Maharashtra," Thackeray said in the letter. Thackeray urged his workers to pause the agitation but remain focused on the issue. "Maharashtra soldiers, it's time to pause this agitation, but don't lose focus on this issue. To the government, I say that if rules aren't followed and Marathi people are underestimated or disrespected, our soldiers will engage in discussions with them," the letter read. His remarks came a day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis issued a warning against individuals trying to enforce the use of Marathi through unlawful means. MNS workers have been confronting managers at nationalized banks in Maharashtra, demanding the use of Marathi in all communications with customers. On March 30, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, while addressing a public rally, reiterated his party's stance on making Marathi mandatory for official use. (ANI)
Delhi became the 35th State and Union Territory to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) after the National Health Authority (NHA) of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) ) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Delhi government on Saturday. The agreement was signed between L.S Changsan, additional Secretary, MoHFW and Chief Executive Officer, National Health Authority (NHA), and Dr S.B. Deepak Kumar, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare), Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of NCT Delhi, today. The signing ceremony was presided over by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel and Delhi Minister Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh. BJP MPs Bansuri Swaraj, Praveen Khandelwal, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and Yogendra Chandolia were also present at the occasion. Addressing the gathering, Nadda stated, "It is a moment of pride that the world's largest health coverage scheme which has been in place across 34 states and UTs in the country is finally getting implemented in the national capital as well." He stated that this scheme is built on trust, hence it is termed as an 'assurance' scheme, not an insurance scheme. Nadda noted that on the basis of economic caste census, 50 crore people were brought under this scheme, making it the first such scheme to do so. He also informed that 36 lakh frontline health workers, including ASHAs and Angadwadi workers were brought under this scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Bima Yojna to cover both health and life insurance. This, he stated, was done to bring these frontline workers under the ambit of comprehensive social security coverage. The Union Health Minister stated that with the implementation of AB PM-JAY in Delhi, all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status, will be covered under Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana which provides Rs 5 lakh free health cover to all senior citizens of the age 70 years and above irrespective of their socio-economic status. This will provide health cover to all eligible senior citizens where all pre-existing diseases will be covered from day one. "It is estimated that more than 6 lakh senior citizens in Delhi belonging to ~4.5 lakh families will be benefited", he stated. "With around 30 lakh people belonging to over 6.5 lakh families and an estimated 6 lakh senior citizens, about 36 lakh people in Delhi will be benefitted by the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme", he further stated. Nadda also highlighted that through the AB PM-JAY scheme, more than 55 crore beneficiaries were targeted, comprising 12 crore families, which covered 40 per cent of the vulnerable population of India. He said that the implementation of AB PM-JAY will help create a healthy, empowered and prosperous Delhi. He also highlighted that out-of-pocket expenditure has declined from 62 per cent in 2014 to 38 per cent today owing to this scheme. Citing a recent LANCET study, Nadda underlined that timely cancer treatment initiation has improved significantly because of the Ayushman Bharat Jan Aarogya Yojna. "Patients enrolled under AB-PMJAY saw 90% rise in access to cancer treatment within 30 days", he stated. Speaking on the occasion, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta said, "Citizens in Delhi will now be able to reap benefits from AB PM-JAY which provides free health cover of Rs. 5 Lakh to each beneficiary family per year. In addition, Delhi government would be giving an additional top-up of 5 lakhs over and above the cover provided by Central Government. Around 6.54 lakh families in Delhi will be benefitted under the scheme." She also highlighted that beneficiaries will now gain access to 1,961 health benefit packages from 27 medical specialties, featuring updated procedures and better rates for hospitals. She also informed that card distribution for the scheme will be initiated from 10th April 2025 onwards. Union Mos Health Anupriya Patel, addressing the event, said, "Today is a historic day for the people of Delhi as this MoU reflects a common commitment of the Union and Delhi government to provide quality and affordable healthcare to residents of Delhi." Highlighting that AB PM-JAY is the largest health assurance scheme in the world, she stated that Rs. 1.75 crore out-of-pocket expenditure has been saved so far because of the scheme. She also noted that around 6.54 lakh families in Delhi will be benefited from timely and quality healthcare, including all senior citizens, aged 70 years and above. Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, launched on 23rd September 2018, has been a game-changer in healthcare, mainly for the millions of poor and vulnerable families across the country. In just five years, it enabled them with timely access and quality healthcare without burdening them with catastrophic health expenditure during medical emergencies. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ranbir Singh Pathania on Saturday said that the long-standing dream of connecting Kashmir with the Indian railway network will be fulfilled when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the first Vande Bharat Express to the Valley from Katra. Speaking to ANI, Pathania said that the inauguration will be a landmark moment for Jammu and Kashmir, particularly for its political, social, and economic development. "History will be written in the political, social, and economic landscape of Kashmir. Kashmir is ours, and it was a dream to connect Kashmir with rail lines. We will warmly welcome PM Modi on April 19. All the people of Jammu and Kashmir thank PM Modi," said the BJP MLA from Udhampur East. Earlier, Union Minister Jitendra Singh confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first Vande Bharat Express to Kashmir from Katra on April 19. He 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. 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. Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer, Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, said earlier 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. (ANI)
BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain on Saturday strongly criticized Congress for its stance on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025, accusing the party of engaging in vote bank politics and neglecting the issues of the Muslim community. Hussain remarked, "No one is serious. Rahul Gandhi was sleeping in the Parliament and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra did not come to the Parliament. When Priyanka Gandhi did not come to vote, you can understand how serious the Congress party is." He alleged that Congress views the Muslim community merely as a vote bank. "These people only consider the Muslim community as their vote bank. They are doing vote bank politics and this vote bank politics will stop now," he added. The BJP leader also defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's approach, asserting that his vision focuses on inclusive development for all communities. "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, PM Modi works on this path," Hussain said, emphasizing that the Modi government is committed to the welfare of all sections of society, including Muslims. Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Saturday accused opposition leaders, including the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), of "dreaming" and insisted that citizens of the state are now focused on development under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership. Speaking to ANI, Choudhary also targeted RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, accusing him of mismanagement and corruption. He particularly criticised his contradictory statements both inside and outside the legislative assembly. "The Congress party and RJD are dreaming, but the people's blessings are with Prime Minister Modi. The way Nitish Kumar has consistently worked, it is clear that the people of Bihar will now only look at development. People have seen what Lalu Yadav said inside the House and what he said outside the House. You (Lalu Yadav) did nothing; you looted the money of the poor," the Bihar DyCM said. Recently, five JD(U) leaders resigned from the party after it supported the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Parliament. Party leaders, including Nadeem Akhtar, Raju Nayyar, Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik and Kasim Ansari, resigned from the JD(U). The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had urged all secular political parties, including BJP allies and MPs, to oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill. The resignations come at a critical time for JDU, as Bihar gears up for the assembly elections. (ANI)
The Bar Council of India (BCI) has expressed strong appreciation for the Waqf Amendment Bill, highlighting its role in addressing long-standing deficiencies in previous legislation. The BCI emphasised that the Bill will ensure Waqf properties are managed efficiently, serving their intended purpose of community welfare while fostering communal harmony, sustainable socio-economic development, and justice for historically disadvantaged groups. In what is being hailed as a historic legislative milestone, the Rajya Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on March 4, 2025, marking a transformative shift towards transparent and effective governance of Waqf assets. The Bill was strongly supported by Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman of the Bar Council of India, Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court, and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha). He emphasized its necessity in correcting inefficiencies, eliminating corruption, and ensuring greater accountability in Waqf property management. Renaming the Waqf Act of 1995 as the "Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act," the Bill embodies a forward- thinking legislative intent, significantly enhancing administrative efficiency, accountability, and transparency. Mishra emphasized that the previous act had significant gaps that facilitated extensive mismanagement and corruption, harming the interests of marginalized sections of the Muslim community. By introducing stringent safeguards, the Bill ensures adequate protection and better utilisation of Waqf assets, aligning closely with contemporary needs and constitutional principles. Some pertinent and beneficial aspects of Waqf (Amendment) Bill, are as follows - renaming of the act (Section 1)- the new title clearly communicates an evolved legislative purpose aimed at empowerment, efficiency, and comprehensive development. This reform directly addresses historical inefficiencies, creating a robust legal and administrative framework to enhance community welfare and asset management. Amendment to Definitions (Section 3)- Introducing specific sect-based waqf categories like Aghakhani and Bohra ensures the inclusivity and recognition of diverse community practices. This amendment effectively addresses earlier shortcomings where a lack of specificity led to disputes and mismanagement. Conditions of Waqf and Lawful Ownership (Section 3A) - Establishing lawful ownership as a mandatory condition for dedicating property as Waqf prevents fraudulent claims and reinforces the credibility and integrity of Waqf institutions. Filing of Waqf Details (Section 3B)- Mandating a centralized digital registry significantly enhances transparency and accountability. It effectively addresses chronic mismanagement and administrative neglect, facilitating real-time Ioversight and public access to critical information about Waqf assets, stated the press statement issued by BCI. Wrongful Declaration (Section 3C) - Clearly distinguishing government properties from Waqf assets, this provision reduces disputes and litigation, protecting both government and Waqf assets from unauthorised claims and misuse. Transfer of Survey Powers to Collectors (Section 5)- Assigning survey responsibilities to Collectors leverages their extensive administrative capabilities, streamlining the survey process, improving accuracy, and ensuring timely protection against encroachments and mismanagement. Publication of Waqf Lists (Section 6)- Requiring the timely publication of property lists on a centralized digital platform significantly mitigates administrative delays, reduces encroachments, and enhances public oversight, addressing historical challenges of transparency and property management. Power of Tribunals and Judicial Oversight (Section 7)- Allowing High Court appeals against tribunal decisions safeguards against potential miscarriages of justice, enhancing fairness, judicial scrutiny, and accountability within Waqf dispute resolution mechanisms. Classification Disputes (Section 8): Providing a formal legal mechanism for resolving disputes related to sect-specific classification ensures impartial decision-making, reducing sectarian tensions, and reinforcing social cohesion and legalclarity. Expanded Representation on Central and State Waqf Councils (Sections 9 & 14)-Inclusion of women, non-Muslims, and sect-specific representatives ensures diverse expertise and comprehensive oversight, directly improving governance,transparency, and accountability of Waqf properties. This aligns closely with mandates of equality, non-discrimination, and effective administration. Establishment of Separate Boards for Sect-Specific Management (Section 10)- The creation of distinct boards for Bohras and Aghakhanis addresses unique sectarian needs, ensures better resource management, and mitigates internal community disputes, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and satisfaction. Removal of Section 40 (Old Act)-The removal of the previously existing Section 40, which vested unchallengeable power in the Waqf Board, is a crucial reform that significantly increases transparency, accountability, and openness to scrutiny, correcting a substantial oversight in earlier legislation. Mishra further clarified that Article 26 of the Constitution, while guaranteeing the right to manage religious affairs, is not absolute and is subject to state regulation in the interests of public order, morality, and health. He emphasized that provisions in the Limitation Act are crucial to curbing endless litigation, thus creating certainty and facilitating quicker administration of justice. He highlighted that new legislative enactments rightfully render obsolete outdated court interpretations, including the contentious "waqf by user" provision. Additionally, addressing historical injustices, he stressed that the previous Acts facilitated significant misappropriation of waqf properties, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities like the Pasmanda Muslims. The appellate jurisdiction provided to High Courts is a substantial step toward remedying these injustices. The clarification regarding Sections 51, 52, and53 of the old Act, which allowed conditional alienation, settlement, lease, and sale of waqf properties, further supports the necessity of comprehensive reform. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill emerges as legislation, capable of transforming the governance landscape of Waqf properties, protecting community interests, and significantly enhancing the efficacy and transparency of Waqf management, stated official statement issued by BCI. (ANI)
The students at Jadavpur University in Kolkata were allegedly denied permission to celebrate Ram Navami on the university campus. According to the students, the reason behind the denial of permission was the vice chancellor's absence. Somsurya Banerjee, a student at Jadavpur University, told ANI that a group of students submitted a formal request on March 28 seeking permission to organise Ram Navami celebrations. He claimed they received a written response from the university denying the request, stating that it could not be approved in the absence of the Vice Chancellor. "On 28th March, we submitted a letter to the university on behalf of General students of JU seeking permission (for Ram Navami Celebrations); today, we received a signed copy from the university stating that they cannot grant the permission as the VC is absent", he said. Banerjee further alleged inconsistency in the university's approach, pointing out that a political programme by the Students' Federation of India (SFI) was permitted on April 3 and 4, also during the VC's absence. "Similarly, on April 3 and 4 - SFI held a political programme, and that too in the absence of the VC, but they had permission. Every religious activity like 'iftaar' was organised here on the university campus, but none of us objected to it. We have given intimation to the university and also written an e-mail to the police that we will celebrate Ram Navami peacefully... We expect that all the student unions and the administration will respect and cooperate in our celebrations...", he added. Earlier, West Bengal legislative assembly leader of opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari slammed the Mamata Government and alleged that under her rule, people are being prevented from celebrating Ram Navami. "It is our constitutional right to celebrate our religious festivals, but the Mamata Banerjee's police are stopping us. We are forced to go to the High Court and Supreme Court regarding every issue," he said. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday highlighted a new initiative incentive announced by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. Under this incentive, villages that achieve complete surrender of all Naxalites will be declared "Naxal-free" and rewarded with a Rs 1 crore development fund. "Vishnu Deo Sai and Vijay Sharma have made an announcement that the village which makes every Naxalite surrender, that village will be declared Naxal-free and one crore rupees will be given as development fund, "said Amit Shah while addressing a public meeting in Dantewada on Saturday. Shah reaffirmed the government's commitment to rehabilitating those who surrender, stating, "If you join the mainstream, the Government of India and the Chhattisgarh Government will ensure your full protection." "Now the time has gone when bullets were fired and bombs exploded here. I have come to request all those people who have weapons in their hands, all the Naxalite brothers, to give up their weapons. No one is happy when a Naxalite is killed, but this area needs development...," said Shah while making an appeal to leave violence and return to the mainstream. Shah had further said that Naxalism is on the verge of ending in Bastar and that the BJP government is committed to freeing India from the grip of "Laal Aatank" by March 2026. "In the last three months, 521 Naxals have surrendered. A total of 881 Naxals surrendered in 2024. I assure you that those who surrender will be inducted into the mainstream. But those who continue to bear arms will be dealt with by security forces. Bastar is no longer a symbol of fear but of a future," Shah said. "Agle March tak, hum poore desh ko is laal atank se mukt karne ka kaam Bharatiya Janata Party ki sarkar karegi (By next March, the BJP government will work to free the entire country from Naxalism)," he added. Shah also recalled how political leaders were earlier discouraged from visiting the region. "Leaders used to be stopped from giving speeches here. The Chief Minister would say, 'Don't go.' But now, we are celebrating Ram Navami and Ashtami with 50,000 Adivasi brothers and sisters," he said. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy CM Vijay Sharma shared the stage with Shah. Cabinet Ministers Kedar Kashyap and Ramvichar Netam and BJP State President Kiran Singh Dev were also present at the event. (ANI)
Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL), Nagpur, has developed and manufactured the propulsion system along with its Igniter and realized third stage Rocket Motor for VIKRAM-1 Satellite Launch Vehicle. This rocket motor has a propellant mass of 2400 kg and a maximum thrust of 75000 N. The Rocket motor has undergone all the required Non-Destructive Testing at the SDAL facility to ascertain its quality before the static test. The Rocket Motor has been successfully tested at the Static test bed at SDAL, Nagpur. During the test, the nozzle of this Rocket Motor was vectored to establish thrust vectoring performance. The Rocket motor was fully instrumented, and live test data was displayed and recorded at the Data Acquisition Centre. It may be noted that SDAL has established this unique test facility for carrying out the static tests of small to large rocket motors within its premises for satellite launch vehicles, rockets, and missiles that have higher propellant weight and thrust. This facility is equipped with a Data acquisition system for recording various types of live test data for performance analysis. Earlier on April 3, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jitendra Singh said that a Third Launch Pad (TLP) will be established at Satish Dhawan Space Centre of ISRO in Sriharikota. As per a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Jitendra Singh said that the project has been approved by the Union Cabinet, and financial sanction has been obtained for a total budget outlay of Rs 3984.86 Crore. He also said that the establishment of the pad is envisaged to be completed within a four-year timeframe. "ISRO's Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), which is under development is about 90 m tall with a maximum lift-off mass of approximately 1000 tonne. Existing launch pads at Sriharikota cannot launch this class of vehicles. The propellant servicing facilities and the Umbilical Tower of the existing launch pads are not designed to meet the requirements of the new propulsion system based on Liquid Methane," Singh said in his reply." "In view of very large height & size, the next generation of launch vehicles are planned with horizontal integration and transport, which are then tilted onto the launch pad along with a Tiltable Umbilical Tower (TUT). Also, TLP incorporates necessary features in terms of foundation support & servicing requirements for future augmentation towards supporting the launches of India's Crewed Lunar mission," the Union MoS added. Jitendra Singh, further emphasized that the first stage of NGLV is configured with a cluster of nine engines. "The hot testing of this stage is planned at the Launch Pad, thereby eliminating the need for establishing a huge separate facility for stage testing," Singh said in his reply in Rajya Sabha. In another reply in the Upper House, Union MoS Jitendra Singh asserted that the Space Applications Centre (SAC), a premier research and development hub of ISRO, has been at the forefront of pioneering space technology innovations since its inception in 1966. (ANI)
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday strongly opposed the recently passed Waqf Amendment Bill, Waqf (Amendment) Bill, declaring that if his party returns to power in Bihar, the Bill would be "thrown in the dustbin." Addressing reporters in Patna, Yadav condemned the bill and said, "We will form the government and throw this (Waqf Amendment Bill) in the dustbin." Yadav also claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would continue its alliance with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar only until the upcoming state assembly elections scheduled for October 2025. "BJP will keep Nitish Kumar with them until the elections. After that, both we and the people of Bihar know very well what will happen to him," he added. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed after extended proceedings in Parliament, with Rajya Sabha approving it past midnight on Thursday. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced the results: 128 votes in favour and 95 against. The Lok Sabha passed the bill the previous night after a lengthy debate, with 288 members voting in favour and 232 opposing it. The bill, first introduced in August last year, was revised following recommendations by a Joint Parliamentary Committee. It amends the original Waqf Act of 1995, aiming to streamline the administration of Waqf properties across India. Key features include improving the registration process and incorporating technology to enhance the efficiency of Waqf board operations. After the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill sparked a rift within the Janata Dal (United), party MLC Khalid Anwar said that the JD(U) is a secular and liberal party, asserting that all leaders continue to stand firmly behind Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Speaking to ANI, Anwar dismissed concerns of any mass exit of Muslim leaders from the party. "We sent our concerns, and all our concerns were duly answered, and we gave a transparent stand to the public. JDU is a secular, liberal and democratic party, and all its leaders stand firmly with Nitish Kumar. No Muslim leader will leave the party," Khalid Anwar said. This comes after five JD(U) leaders resigned from the party after it supported the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Parliament. Party leaders, including Nadeem Akhtar, Raju Nayyar, Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik and Kasim Ansari, resigned from the JD(U). (ANI)
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is leading a Parliamentary Delegation to the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), being held in Tashkent from 5 to 9 April 2025. He will address the Assembly during the General Debate on "Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice". He will also meet his counterparts from other participating Parliaments and address members of the Indian community and students there. The Delegation comprises Harivansh, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha; Bhartruhari Mahtab, MP; Anurag Singh Thakur, MP; Vishnu Dayal Ram, MP; Aparajita Sarangi, MP; Sasmit Patra, MP; Ashok Kumar Mittal, MP; Kiran Choudhry, MP; Lata Wankhede, MP; Bijuli Kalita Medhi, MP; Utpal Kumar Singh, Secretary - General, Lok Sabha and P.C Mody, Secretary - General, Rajya Sabha. Birla will address the Assembly during the High-Level Segment of General Debate on the theme "Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice". Members of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation will also participate in the meetings of various IPU bodies, including the Governing Council, Executive Committee, Standing Committees, and various thematic panel discussions which will be held during the Assembly. On the sidelines of the Assembly, Birla will share his perspectives on issues of common interest with his counterparts from other Parliaments. During his visit to Tashkent, Birla will also interact with members of the Indian Community and Indian students in Uzbekistan. Earlier on Friday, the Lok Sabha Speaker interacted with a group of 28 foreign participants from 13 countries attending the 36th International Legislative Drafting Training Programme being organized by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) of Lok Sabha Secretariat in Parliament House. Om Birla observed that Legislative Drafting is the soul of any law and stressed the clarity and simplicity in legislation. He highlighted that laws impact society and people for a long time; they must be clear and simple for the common people to understand. "This will lead to less litigations in courts and in turn save the resources. In the context of the dynamic socio-economic transformation of the world," he stated that it is very important for Legislators and officials to be well versed with Legislative Drafting in order to ensure that the needs of the public are fulfilled. He further said that this also results in meaningful debate and discussion on draft bills in the Parliament. (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Saturday celebrated the Durga Ashtami festival by distributing fruits and interacting with the public at Raj Bhavan. The event saw a large turnout, where people from different walks of life gathered to mark the auspicious occasion and receive prasad (fruit and feast offerings) from the Governor. Today is the Ashtami of Chaitra Navratri. According to Hindu mythology, the eighth day is dedicated to Mahagauri, who attained "Gaur Varna" by rigorous penance. The name 'Mahagauri' means extremely bright. She mounts the ox. The nine-day festival, also known as Ram Navratri, concludes on Ram Navami, Lord Ram's birthday. Throughout the festival, all nine days are devoted to honoring the nine incarnations of the goddess Shakti. Speaking to the media during the celebrations, Governor Shukla said he is happy that people have come in large numbers to celebrate the Ashtmi festival. "When I arrived in Himachal, I felt that such a tradition should be started with the people of this state. I am happy that even today, such a large number of people have come to receive the fruit offerings. I will ask the Goddess to make efforts to make Himachal a divine place because this is the abode of the Goddess," he said. The Raj Bhavan premises were decorated for the Ashtami festivities, which aimed to strengthen community ties while honouring traditional Indian customs. Shukla's gesture was warmly welcomed by the attendees, many of whom lauded the Governor for initiating a people-oriented celebration within the premises of high office. Welcoming the passage of the Waqf amendment bill in Parliament, Governor Shukla said that it will benefit the poor people of the Muslim community. "I believe that the rules made by the government will benefit the poor people of that section as well. Rights that were locked away with influential people and denied to common citizens will now be returned. The previous rules were wrong. This has now been amended and passed by both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. Certainly, it will be effective and beneficial to the people of that community," he said. Meanwhile, Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla also organized a 'Falahar Grahan' program at Raj Bhavan today on the occasion of Durga Ashtami. Senior officers of the State Government and other prominent people were present. Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said that he has been organizing the Falahar Grahan program during Navratri for the last 34 years. Earlier, he used to organize this program in Uttar Pradesh, and for the past three years, he has been continuing this tradition in Himachal Pradesh as the Governor of the State. He said, "Himachal Pradesh is known as Dev Bhoomi and is also associated with Goddess Parvati. Therefore, the significance of Navratri increases manifold here." "The Falahar Grahan program at Raj Bhavan reflected the spiritual and cultural traditions associated with Navratri and provided an opportunity for all to come together in devotion and harmony", said the Governor. Before this, the Governor visited the famous Kalibari Temple in the morning, offered prayers, and distributed Falahar to the devotees. Lady Governor, Janki Shukla, and Secretary to the Governor, CP Verma, were also present on the occasion. (ANI)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday flagged off the Indian Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessel INS Sunayna from the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka as the Indian Ocean Ship SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) marking a key milestone in India's maritime outreach initiative, and reinforcing India's role as a regional maritime partner committed to peace, prosperity, and collective security. The event was attended by 44 naval personnel representing nine friendly nations from the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), underlining the spirit of regional cooperation that IOS SAGAR embodies. In a post on X, Singh said, "Visited Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka and flagged-off INS Sunayna as Indian Ocean Ship SAGAR from Karwar with 44 personnel of nine friendly nations of Indian Ocean Region. IOS SAGAR is a reflection of India's commitment to peace, prosperity & collective security in the maritime domain. Also inaugurated modern operational, repair & logistic facilities constructed under Project Seabird." During his visit, the Defence Minister also inaugurated several critical components of Project Seabird, India's largest naval infrastructure project, worth over Rs2,000 crore. Project Director of Project Seabird, Commander Daniel Tauro, said that the Defence Minister inaugurated three major parts, including marine infrastructure and residential accommodations. He said that the base will be the largest base post-completion. "...Today, the Defence Minister inaugurated three major parts of our project. The first was the marine infrastructure, which has around six piers. Second are the residential accommodations, and third are some trunk facilities like the roads and bridges, which will connect this entire place. When this base is completed, it will be the largest base in Asia," he said. Project Director of Project Seabird, Commander Amit Turan, said, "Project Seabird is the largest naval base in Asia. It's spread over almost 11,000 acres of land. The Defence Minister inaugurated seven piers, 400 accommodations, and certain trunk facilities here today... Ships are not only about steel and machinery. It is also about men supporting them. So facilities like accommodations and a hospital are being constructed here by Project Seabird." Singh said that India is committed to protecting the interests of all nations in the Indian Ocean while maintaining their sovereignty. "India is committed to safeguarding the interests of all in the Indian Ocean while upholding the sovereignty of every nation," said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Karwar on Saturday. Singh also attended the Naval Commanders' Conference and inaugurated the newly developed infrastructure at the naval base under Project Seabird. "Our Navy ensures that in the Indian Ocean Region, no nation can suppress another on the basis of its overwhelming economy or military power. India ensures that everyone's interests are protected without compromising anyone's sovereignty," he said. Singh highlighted that India's growing presence in the Indian Ocean Region serves not only its national interests but also enhances the security of friendly nations, ensuring safety for all. "On this historic occasion, I feel both proud and happy to be present on the 10th anniversary of the SAGAR initiative. IOS SAGAR is now embarking on its journey to the Indian Ocean. This naval deployment is the result of collaborative efforts not only by India but also by all our friendly nations in the region," he said. He said the Indian Ocean Region is important for India not only from a security perspective but also in terms of trade, economy, tourism, culture, and overall national interest. (ANI)
Intensifying its crackdown on terror networks, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday attached two properties in the Gool area of Ramban district under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), with senior police officials reiterating that individuals aiding terrorism will not be spared. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ramban, Kulbir Singh, confirmed the action and stated that the police remain firm in their resolve to target those connected to terror outfits, whether operating from India or abroad. Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "We seized 5 properties last month and two properties from the Gool area yesterday. We are continuing this campaign. Those who spread terrorism from inside or outside the country will not be spared." SSP Singh revealed that the individuals associated with the attached properties are linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba. "They are part of Lashkar-e-Taiba. We are constantly monitoring social media. We urge people not to engage in such activities and parents should tell their children to stay away from doing so," SSP Singh said. The properties attached include agricultural land measuring 10.18 Kanals, which is now officially recorded in the revenue records. One of the attached plots is 7 Kanals and 3 Marlas of land, registered in the name of Mohd Sharief, a resident of Dalwah Tehsil, Gool. The other plot, measuring 3 Kanals and 15 Marlas, is registered in the name of Mohd Younis, a resident of Hara Tehsil, Gool. Both properties are located in different villages within the Gool area and are now prohibited from being sold or transferred under the UAPA. In February 2025, the police attached land measuring 23.13 Kanals in connection with the same case. With the addition of the 10.18 Kanals attached today, the total land seized in this case has now reached 34.11 Kanals. On March 24, Awantipora Police conducted raids at multiple locations linked to members of the banned organisations, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP), and Jammu and Kashmir People's League. The raids were carried out in connection with their alleged involvement in terror-related cases. According to the police, the raids were conducted in the presence of concerned executive magistrates. (ANI)
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday hailed the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in Delhi as a "historic step", marking the national capital's formal inclusion as the 35th state and Union Territory under the Centre's flagship healthcare programme. Speaking to the media, Delhi CM Gupta said the move would finally extend the benefits of the scheme to Delhi's residents. "Hearty congratulations to the people of Delhi. Today, the Ayushman scheme has been implemented in Delhi, and the people of Delhi are finally getting what they are entitled to. I thank the central government and PM Narendra Modi for this," she said. Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh alleged that the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of delaying the scheme's rollout. He announced that the registration process for beneficiaries in Delhi would begin on April 10. "The last government didn't allow this scheme to be implemented in Delhi... From 10 April, the registration process will start for this scheme," he told persons. "An MoU for PM ABHIM will happen soon... The infrastructure that was ruined in the last 10 years needs to be corrected, and that's what we are doing... Maholla Clinics are in shambles. We are enquiring about all of them," the Delhi Minister added. Delhi became the 35th State and Union Territory to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) after the National Health Authority (NHA) of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Delhi government on Saturday. The agreement was signed today between L.S. Changsan, additional Secretary, MoHFW and Chief Executive Officer, National Health Authority (NHA), and Dr S.B. Deepak Kumar, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare), Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of NCT Delhi. Addressing the gathering, Nadda stated, "It is a moment of pride that the world's largest health coverage scheme, which has been in place across 34 states and UTs in the country, is finally getting implemented in the national capital as well." He stated that this scheme is built on trust; hence, it is termed as an 'assurance' scheme, not an insurance scheme. Nadda noted that on the basis of the economic caste census, 50 crore people were brought under this scheme, making it the first such scheme to do so. He also informed that 36 lakh frontline health workers, including ASHAs and Anganwadi workers, were brought under this scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Bima Yojna to cover both health and life insurance. This, he stated, was done to bring these frontline workers under the ambit of comprehensive social security coverage. (ANI)
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, a press release by Ministry Science and Technology said. While addressing the Natural and Organic Farmers Summit 2025 at Shankarpalli, Jitendra Singh said "Agri StartUps are fast emerging as lucrative avenue of livelihood by intelligently blending traditional organic farming practices with cutting-edge scientific technologies." The Minister lauded the efforts of grassroots innovators and farmer-entrepreneurs who are embracing science to scale up agriculture, enhance productivity, and ensure sustainable incomes. "Startups in agriculture are not just about farming anymore. They are applying science, using innovations developed by institutions like CSIR, and adopting tools like drones and soil health cards to make farming more productive and cost-effective. With this, they are cultivating more in less time while safeguarding health and the environment", Jitendra Singh said. Jitendra Singh emphasized that organic agriculture, once considered difficult and niche, is now poised to become mainstream--driven by increasing health concerns and awareness about the harmful effects of chemical pesticides. Highlighting the growing relevance of organic food in the context of rising lifestyle diseases, the Minister said, "Every third person today is either diabetic or has fatty liver. Cancer cases are rising. The possible role of chemically laden produce cannot be ignored. Organic farming is not just a healthier choice, but a necessary one." (ANI) Jitendra Singh also pointed to the broader impact of agri-startups on employment generation and rural development, citing the success of initiatives like the Purple Revolution and the Aroma Mission. Lavender cultivation, once confined to Jammu and Kashmir, has spread across the country thanks to scientific inputs from CSIR's Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine and IICT Hyderabad. "You don't need a PhD to be part of this movement. Many successful startups have been founded by those who haven't even completed graduation," he said, adding that agriculture, long neglected in the startup space, is finally getting its due. The Minister shared how innovations like floriculture--especially tulip cultivation in Himachal Pradesh--are creating new sources of income. "The tulips offered at the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya were grown at our Palampur institute," he said, underlining the symbolic and economic potential of such initiatives. Jitendra Singh also spotlighted emerging technologies like the Pheromone Application Device (PAD) being developed by IIT Hyderabad to reduce pesticide usage through eco-friendly pest control methods. The Minister urged the scientific community and agri-preneurs to participate in the upcoming National Startup Expo in Hyderabad on April 22 and 23. "Let this be a platform to showcase your innovations to the nation. The Government is fully supportive, whether it is financial aid, technical help, or marketing support," he said. He acknowledged the work of the Eklavya Grameen Foundation, whose initiatives in organic farming have made it simpler, economical, and more widely adopted in rural India. The Minister concluded by reinforcing that India's march to become a developed nation by 2047 would be incomplete without uplifting the rural economy and tapping into the vast, underexplored potential of agriculture. "The farmer of today is an agri-entrepreneur. And the field is no longer a place of hardship but a hub of opportunity," he said. (ANI)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday reviewed the maritime security situation, operational readiness of the Indian Navy, and the future outlook during the inaugural phase of the first Naval Commanders' Conference of 2025 in Karwar. In the conference, he interacted with the Naval Commanders, with deliberations focusing on addressing contemporary security paradigms, formulating the way ahead to further the combat capability of the Navy, and addressing strategic, operational & administrative aspects. He was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh and other senior officials. Addressing the Commanders, Singh commended the Navy's contribution in strengthening India's maritime security, surpassing the expectations of the people in every situation, and displaying continued commitment towards serving the nation with new energy & innovation. He asserted that it is a necessity to reorient the future roles of the Armed Forces amidst the present unpredictable geopolitical landscape. He referred to the acceptance of global experts that 21st century is Asia's century and India will have a crucial role to play, stating, "It is our responsibility to ensure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific as the region has become a focal point for the world." Singh reiterated that India stands for a free, open and rule-based order in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), urging the Commanders to assess the changing circumstances and ensure planning, resourcing & exercising accordingly, while remaining alert and prepared. "Security is an ongoing adaptation process wherein there is a need to keep assessing, planning, and coming up with new ideas. We need to analyse how India can make its role more effective," he said. Emphasising that national security is of paramount importance to the Government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he stated that it has always been ensured that the requirements of the Armed Forces are fulfilled. "The speed at which the work of naval modernisation has been carried out for the last 10-11 years is unprecedented. Induction of new platforms and state-of-the-art equipment has significantly enhanced our Naval prowess and the morale of our brave sailors. It is a testimony to the fact that we are always standing with you in your preparations," he said. On 2025 being declared as the 'Year of Reforms' in the Ministry of Defence, Singh called for concerted efforts of all stakeholders to fulfil their commitment to reforms. "There are two types of reforms. One is policy reforms which are carried out at the level of the Ministries. Many officers look into policy-related issues, obtain feedback from everyone and formulate policies accordingly. The second type is ground-level reform. Whether it is related to training, R&D, financial or manpower reforms, your role is most important in all these. Till the time there is no convergence of the top-down approach and the bottom-up approach, we will not be able to achieve our reforms' goal in the right manner," he told the Commanders. The conference is the apex-level, biannual event facilitating deliberations on significant strategic, operational, and administrative issues among the top Naval Commanders. It plays a pivotal role in emphasising India's role as a 'Preferred Security Partner' in the Indian Ocean Region, bolstering the Navy's contribution to regional peace, security, and stability. The second phase of the conference will be held in New Delhi from April 07 to 10, 2025, witnessing a comprehensive review of major operational, materiel, logistics, HR development, training, and administrative aspects. (ANI)
As per an official release, the purpose of the meeting was to assess and enhance security measures in preparation for the upcoming VVIP visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

IGP Birdi was joined by senior officials from various security forces, including the Police, Army, BSF, CRPF, ITBP, and intelligence agencies.

According to the release, during the meeting, officers presented detailed security strategies for the VVIP visit. IGP Kashmir emphasized the need for heightened alertness, to counter potential terrorist threats. He stressed the importance of improving intelligence gathering, reinforcing security at vulnerable locations, and ensuring effective area and night domination. Focus was laid on securing critical infrastructure and vulnerable areas, with specific measures to protect vital assets and ensure safety. The deployment of CI QRTs was discussed to ensure rapid responses to emerging threats.

The release noted that IGP Birdi issued directives to strengthen security in both urban and rural areas of the valley, with round-the-clock patrolling and increased presence at key entry and exit points.

He also emphasized the importance of "briefing personnel on standard operating procedures (SOPs) and closely monitoring vulnerable areas to take swift action against suspicious activities."

According to the release, at the end of the meeting, all the participating officers reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the outlined security measures with precision and coordination. IGP Kashmir concluded by reiterating the collective responsibility of the forces to maintain a secure environment, ensuring the safety of the VVIP, residents, and visitors alike.

The release said, "The meeting was attended in person by the IG BSF, IG CRPF (KOS), IG CRPF Srinagar, DIG CKR Srinagar, DIG ITBP, SSP PCR Kashmir, SSP Srinagar, SSP Budgam, Col GS (IS) 15 Corps, SSP Traffic Rural, SSP Traffic City Srinagar, SSP Security Kashmir, SP CIK CID, SP APCR Kashmir, SP PC Srinagar, SP Telecommunication, and other officials. Additionally, the DIG NKR, DIG SKR, all other SSsP of the Kashmir Zone, and other senior officers participated virtually." (ANI)
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has inaugurated the country's first geared electric motorbike plant, set up by MATTER Company at Changodar, Ahmedabad. The Chief Minister stated that the state government is dedicated to establishing Gujarat as the nation's hub for green energy. "On this occasion, Chief Minister Patel extended his greetings on Chaitri Navratri-Durgashtami and highlighted that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has emerged as the world's fifth-largest economy, achieving 12 per cent growth in the automobile sector," as per a Gujarat Chief Minister's office release. CM Patel emphasized that the country's automotive industry is now fully geared to compete on the global stage. To accelerate green growth, the Prime Minister has championed the visionary mantra of 'Innovate in India.' In line with this vision, MATTER Company has inaugurated the nation's first geared electric motorbike plant. Chief Minister Patel further stated that recognizing the need to adapt to evolving times, the Prime Minister launched the International Solar Alliance, placing a strong emphasis on renewable energy. Under his leadership, India has achieved remarkable progress in the green energy sector. Over the past 10 years, the country's green energy production capacity has surged from 2.8 gigawatts to 102.5 gigawatts, while wind energy generation has doubled. "Chief Minister Patel stated that to promote domestic solar-based electricity generation, over 11 lakh houses in the country have installed solar panels under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana launched by the Prime Minister. As a result, the country's solar-based electricity generation capacity has increased from 9 gigawatts to 98 gigawatts," the release read. CM Patel stated that Rs 2,240 crores have been allocated in the current Union Budget for the production of 4.5 lakh tons of green hydrogen. He said that India is moving toward becoming the world's third-largest producer of renewable energy. Chief Minister Patel said that over the last 10 years, electric vehicle sales have surged 640-fold, with approximately 17 lakh EVs sold in the last year alone. "CM Patel emphasized that to position Gujarat as the nation's hub for green energy, the state government has introduced the EV Policy-2021. Alongside this, significant efforts are being made to develop the necessary infrastructure. As part of the initiative, the government is actively promoting the production of lithium-ion batteries essential for electric vehicles," the release read. CM Patel affirmed the state government's strong commitment to adopting green energy, noting that around 800 electric buses are currently operating in public transportation across Gujarat. "CM Patel further shared that 2.64 lakh electric vehicles were registered in the state over the past year. Emphasizing the importance of zero carbon emissions, he urged citizens to actively support the creation of a clean and green environment in order to help achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 set forth by the Prime Minister," the release read. On this occasion, Govindbhai Dholakia, Rajya Sabha MP, stated that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state government is effectively bringing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat to life. He further remarked that Gujarat has taken the 'Make in India' initiative a step ahead through 'Make in Gujarat,' where world-class products are now being developed--MATTER's Era Bike serving as a prime example. On this occasion, Mohal Lalbhai, the founder and Group CEO of MATTER Company, thanked the Chief Minister Patel and said that this achievement was made possible due to Gujarat's progressive industrial policies. He called this a transformational moment for the company and the wider EV ecosystem. "It is noteworthy that the Chief Minister also gained in-depth knowledge about the bike on this occasion. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel handed over zero carbon emission bikes to the State Police Force and Gir Rangers, which were presented by Matter Company. Through its Make in India and Innovative India-based next-generation plant, the company will produce around 1.20 lakh units annually," the release read. On this occasion, Kanubhai Patel, MLA; Arun Pratap Singh, Founder and Group Chief Operating Officer of the company; Professor Arvind Sahay; along with other dignitaries, industry partners, and employees of MATTER Company, were present. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday emphasised the Modi government's commitment to giving Bastar international recognition through its vibrant traditions, art, and culture. Addressing the Bastar Pandum programme in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada, Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, starting next year, artists from every tribal district of the country will be included in the Bastar Pandum. He mentioned that to give international recognition to Bastar Pandum, the Modi government is working to showcase the traditions, culture, and art of Bastar by taking ambassadors from all countries on a tour of Bastar and spreading it worldwide, as per a release from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma were also present. Shah said that Maharaja Praveer Chandra Bhajdev gave his life for the water, forest, land, and culture of the tribal people. He noted that Maharaja Praveer Chandra's popularity as a people's king was unbearable for the then government, leading to his murder through a conspiracy. He further emphasized that today, as Bastar stands on the brink of freedom from Naxalism and has embarked on the path of development, the soul of Praveer Chandra Ji, wherever it may be, is undoubtedly blessing the people of Bastar. As per the release, Shah also mentioned that 47,000 artists from 188 Gram Panchayats, 12 Nagar Panchayats, 8 Nagar Parishads, one Municipality, and 32 Janpads have participated in this festival. The district administration and the culture department have allocated 5 crore rupees for Bastar Pandum. He emphasized that this Pandum will work to preserve and promote local and traditional art, culture, craftsmanship, festivals, food, languages, customs, attire, jewelry, traditional songs, music, and cuisines in their original form. Shah said that we want the youth of Bastar to receive the most modern education, compete on every platform with the youth of the world, and attain global prosperity, but they should never forget their culture, language, and traditions. He further noted that the culture, dialects, musical instruments and food of Bastar are the jewels of the culture of not just Chhattisgarh but the entire India and we have to preserve it. Shah mentioned that the Bastar Pandum festival, which is being celebrated in seven categories this year, will be celebrated in twelve categories next year, and tribal people from across the country will participate. The Home Minister also said that India's strength lies in its unity in diversity, the fusion of various cultures, arts, traditions, languages, dialects, and cuisines. He emphasized that we will stand strong in every competition with the world, but we will also preserve our culture and other heritage, and Bastar Pandum is the beginning of this effort. Shah said that the time has passed when bullets were fired and bomb blasts occurred here. He appealed to all Naxalites, urging them to lay down their weapons and join the mainstream because Bastar wants development. He stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to give everything to Bastar, but this is only possible when there is peace in Bastar. He emphasized that children should go to school, mothers' health should be taken care of, tribals and youth should not suffer from malnutrition, arrangements should be made for children's education, every village should have a dispensary, and there should be a hospital in every tehsil--only then can development happen. He further mentioned that this can only be achieved if the people of Bastar decide to make every village Naxal-free. Shah also mentioned that the Chhattisgarh government has announced that any village that gets all Naxalites to surrender will be declared Naxal-free and will be given a development fund of one crore rupees. He added that no one wants to harm anyone, and therefore, Naxalites should abandon violence and come into the mainstream, as both the Government of India and the Government of Chhattisgarh will provide protection. Union Home Minister said that Naxalites, with their weapons, cannot stop the development of the entire Bastar. Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the slogan "Vocal for Local" and has facilitated the marketing of a unique product from each district by associating it with the GI tag, promoting it in markets across the country. He mentioned that Prime Minister Modi has emphasized that history is not limited to books; our tribal freedom fighters should receive respect and recognition across the country. Prime Minister Modi has taken steps to honor tribal heroes like Veer Gundadhur of Bastar, who fought for independence. He also highlighted that Prime Minister Modi has dedicated the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda as "Janjatiya GauravDiwas" and has declared the 150thanniversary year as "Janjatiya Gaurav Varsha". Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation stated that previous governments gave the slogan of "Garibi Hatao", but for 75 years did nothing for the development of the poor. Prime Minister Modi, over the past 10 years, has built over 4 crore houses for the country's millions of poor, provided 11 crore gas connections, constructed 12 crore toilets, delivered tap water to 15 crore homes, distributed free rations to 80 crore people, and provided free medical treatment up to 5 lakh rupees for 70 crore people. Amit Shah said that those who have understood that for development, one needs a computer, not a gun in hand, and a pen, not IEDs and grenades, have all surrendered. He mentioned that in the direction of ending Naxalism, 521 Naxalites have surrendered so far this year, while 881 Naxalites surrendered in 2024. Shah expressed confidence that those Naxalites who lay down their arms will be able to join the mainstream and progress, but those who choose the path of violence by picking up weapons will be dealt with strictly by the security forces. He added that the Modi government is committed to making the entire country free from Naxalism by March 2026. Union Home Minister said that Bastar has now become a symbol of the future, not fear. Earlier, due to the terror of Naxalites, politicians were stopped from holding rallies and gatherings, but times have changed. Today, they are celebrating Ram Navami, Ashtami, and the Bastar Pandum Festival in front of 50,000 tribal brothers and sisters. He mentioned that where once the sound of bullets echoed, now the sound of machines is heard; where villages were once desolate, now school bells ring; where roads were once a dream, highways are being built; and where children once feared going to school, today they are connecting with the world through computers. He added that Bastar's development is happening because no one is associating with Naxalism anymore. Amit Shah said that Bastar is now moving forward with the light of development, trust, and victory. He emphasized that village assemblies should be convened to encourage Naxalites to surrender and help open the development path. Shah further stated that when someone from Sukma becomes a Sub-Inspector, from Bastar becomes a Barrister, from Dantewada becomes a Doctor, and from Kanker becomes a Collector, then development will take place. This is the kind of development and progress we need to create in Bastar. He urged everyone to work with dedication and fearlessness to make the dreams of development a reality, as under PM Modi's leadership, no one needs to be afraid, the ministry added in its release. (ANI)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met the family of the pregnant woman who died due to alleged denial of treatment by a Pune hospital, and said strict action will be taken against the guilty based on the findings of probe committee and that the state government will prepare SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) to prevent such incidents in the future. "I met the victim's family. I have assured them that we have formed a committee. The committee has arrived today. We will take strict action against the guilty, and the state government will also prepare an SOP to prevent such incidents in the future...We will make sure that all necessary steps are taken regarding this incident," Fadnavis told reporters. A probe has been launched by the Pune district administration over the death of a woman, Tanisha Bhise, after she was allegedly refused admission by Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune over a demand of advance payment. A relative of Tanisha Bhise had alleged that the hospital authorities demanded a large sum of money from the victim's family as advance payment. An internal inquiry by Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital into the alleged refusal "to admit a pregnant woman over a Rs 10 lakh advance" termed the family's complaint as "misleading". The Pune District Collector formed a three-member committee to investigate the matter and submit its report in the next two days.The incident ignited protests and several women workers of the Pune BJP unit vandalised the private clinic of a doctor of the Mangeshkar hospital. The deceased woman's husband is the close associate of BJP MLC Amit Gorkhe.Maharashtra minister and state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that it was an "unfortunate accident". "It is an unfortunate incident... The doctors had a wrong conduct and the treatment was denied due to which the death happened. The Chief Minister has intervened in the matter. Strict action will be taken against those responsible and such incidents will not be tolerated...", Chandrashekhar Bawankule told reporters on Friday According to victim's relatives, she was not admitted to the hospital despite being in a serious condition. Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi said on Friday that he received the information about the incident on Thursday and a three-member committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the civil surgeon to investigate the matter, and submit the report in the next two days. "I received the information yesterday that some misconduct might have happened in the hospital, so I have established a three-member committee under the Chairmanship of the civil surgeon. He will submit the report within the next two days and take statements from the guardians and family members as well as hospital authorities... On the basis of this, we will decide the further actions to be taken in terms of the SOPs...", he told ANI. BJP MLC Amit Gorkhe said that the the victim's husband went with his pregnant wife for admission. He said the hospital was started with good intentions, but "is getting defamed due to some people". (ANI)
"The Narcotics Squad of North East District apprehended two interstate drug suppliers and seized 9.350 kilograms of ganja valued at approximately Rs 4.5 lakhs. The arrests were made during a special anti-drug drive conducted in the jurisdiction of PS Harsh Vihar," as per an official release.

During the patrol, officers spotted two suspicious individuals carrying a plastic bag on motorcycles. On being stopped for questioning, the suspects tried to mislead the team. However, a thorough search of their belongings led to the recovery of 9.350 kg of ganja.

"A case under Sections 20/25 of the NDPS Act was promptly registered at PS Harsh Vihar, and both suspects were taken into custody. They were later identified as Rakesh (46), Nitesh Nanda (34)," the release read.

During sustained interrogation, Rakesh was revealed to be the primary supplier of the contraband to Nitesh Nanda. Further background checks uncovered that Rakesh is a repeat offender with a criminal record, including four previous cases, two of which were registered under the NDPS Act.

Police also seized two motorcycles used in the commission of the crime. Authorities are continuing their investigation to uncover further links, identify the origin of the drug supply, and determine the extent of the accused individuals' involvement in other cases.

Further investigation is currently underway. (ANI)
The Saket District Court has directed Delhi Police to register an FIR against a man on whose instance his daughter filed a false POCSO case against his wife, in-laws and other relatives. This matter pertains to the area under Jaitpur police station in the South East District. "It is high time that such litigants such as the father of the complainant, who misuse the provision of law to their own personal advantage, should be dealt with strictly and strict action is warranted against them," the court said. It is because of such litigants that even genuine cases are looked upon with suspicious eyes by the general public, the court further said. Special Judge (POCSO) Anu Agarwal directed the SHO Jaitpur to register the FIR and file a compliance report on April 9. The court passed the direction while accepting a closure report filed by Delhi Police in a POCSO case. While directing Delhi Police, the court referred to relevant provisions. The court said that Section 22(1) of the POCSO Act provides the punishment for false complaints or false information. It provides that any person who makes a false complaint or provides false information against any person in respect of an offence under Section 3, 5, 7 and Section 9, solely with the intention to humiliate, extort, threaten or defame him, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine or with both. Section 22(2) of the POCSO Act provides that where a false complaint has been made by a child, no punishment shall be imposed upon such child, the court clarified. "In view of the above observations, SHO PS Jaitpur is directed to register FIR under Section 22(1) of the POCSO Act against the father of the complainant. The compliance report shall be sent to this court forthwith," the Special Judge ordered on April 3. The court said that it is clear from the records that the complainant has filed a false complaint against all the respondents at the instance of her father. "The complainant went to the extent of dragging all her maternal uncles, maternal grandmother, maternal aunt and advocate in this case," the judge expressed her concern. It is also clear from the record that the sole purpose of filing the false complaint before the police was the ongoing disputes between both sides, the court added. The court, while giving directions to the police, said, "In the present case, the father of the complainant went ahead in filing a false complaint through the complainant against his in-laws. He did not spare even the advocate, who was representing his wife and in-laws in the cases against him." "He pressurised the complainant to file a false complaint against her own relatives. At the time of filing of the complaint, the complainant was a minor. She was residing with her father and had no place to go. Even though she was a student of law and she understood the consequences of her acts, in order to save her father, she succumbed to his demand and filed a false complaint," Special Judge Anu Agarwal noted. The court pointed out that this case is also a classic example that shows how the father of the complainant misused the provision of law not only to settle his personal scores with his relatives but also to deter the advocate, whose only fault was that he was giving his professional services to those relatives. The court said that advocates are considered to be Officers of the Court. It is crucial that advocates should be able to represent their clients fearlessly, upholding their interests without any fear of harassment, intimidation or implication in false cases. (ANI)
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday paid a surprise visit to IGM Hospital and Agartala Government Dental College and directed all staff and doctors to ensure that there is no gap in the treatment of patients. During the visit, he spoke to the doctors and health staff and emphasized the importance of addressing shortcomings in the service. "Even under huge loads, the doctors and health workers here are providing very good services. However, there are some problems. In this case, due to the excessive load on the hospital, there are some problems with cleanliness. There is also a lack of awareness among the relatives of the patients in this regard. So they have to be overcome. And we have to learn a lot from the corporate sector. However, the government hospitals spend more than the corporate sector. Necessary initiatives will be taken to overcome the shortcomings, and necessary guidelines will be given. This is the main purpose of coming here today," said CM Saha. He said that IGM Hospital has demonstrated significant improvement in its services and overall quality compared to previous standards. "I also spoke to the Medical Superintendent of IGM. He is very active in his work. I also checked the infrastructure of the seating area here. The services of the hospital are endless. I also visited the dental college today. I have checked the condition of the hospital and whether everyone is coming on time. Along with this, I have also checked what kind of patients are coming. I have come here today without any prior intimation. This also shows what problems there are in some places. Basically, if we can identify the shortcomings and solve them, it will be possible to provide 100 per cent service. There will be problems, and they will have to be solved," he added. (ANI)
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said that Home Minister Amit Shah provided guidance on the necessary steps to eliminate Naxals from the state during the meeting held on Saturday. Speaking to ANI, Sharma said, "A follow-up report of the directives given in the December meeting was presented to him. Along with this, the steps forward and the campaigns to be taken ahead were discussed in detail. Along with this, the steps forward and the campaigns to be taken ahead were discussed in detail... The result will come out with more perfection..," he said. On Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed confidence in eradicating Naxalism from the country by next year during his visit to Chhattisgarh. He noted that Naxalism is nearing its conclusion in the Bastar region and reaffirmed the commitment of the BJP government to eliminate the threat of "Laal Aatank" by March 2026. "In the last three months, 521 Naxals have surrendered. A total of 881 Naxals surrendered in 2024. I assure you that those who surrender will be inducted into the mainstream. But those who continue to bear arms will be dealt with by security forces. Bastar is no longer a symbol of fear but of a future," Shah said while addressing a gathering at the Bastar Pandum programme. "Agle March tak, hum poore desh ko is laal atank se mukt karne ka kaam Bharatiya Janata Party ki sarkar karegi (By next March, the BJP government will work to free the entire country from Naxalism)," he added. Shah also recalled how political leaders were earlier discouraged from visiting the region. "Leaders used to be stopped from giving speeches here. The Chief Minister would say, 'Don't go.' But now, we are celebrating Ram Navami and Ashtami with 50,000 Adivasi brothers and sisters," he added. (ANI)
A High Court in Nepal has ordered former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane to be sent to jail in a cooperative scam case. The Butwal bench of Tulsipur High Court, late on Friday evening, ordered Lamichhane to be sent to jail, overturning the decision of the District Court of Rupandehi. Earlier on Friday evening, a Joint bench of judges, Ramesh Dhakal and Swikriti Parajuli, ordered Lamichhane to be remanded in custody. Likewise, the bench upheld the decision of the district court to send former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and ex-director of Gorkha Media Network, Chhabilal Joshi, to judicial custody. "The order was given by the bench of Ramesh Dhakal and Swikriti Parajuli annulling the verdic of the District Court Rupandehi to release him in bail" confirmed deputy registrar Harigopal Gyawali to ANI over phone. On January 26, the district court released Lamichhane on bail of NRs 10 million on the condition that he appear on the scheduled dates. Lamichhane later moved the high court, challenging the lower court's order. At the time, the court had stated, "Given that there is no reasonable basis to believe the defendant did not commit the alleged crime based on the immediately available evidence, the matter will be further examined during the trial." Later, the District Government Attorney's Office appealed to the high court, seeking to overturn this order. It argued that Lamichhane should remain in custody due to the seriousness of the charges and the evidence against him. On Friday, all three cases were heard together. The former Home Minister and the founder of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has been facing cases involving cooperative scams in Kathmandu, Kaski, Butwal, and Chitwan. Cases have been lodged against Lamichhane in Butwal (Supreme Cooperative), Chitwan (Sahara Cooperative), Kathmandu (Swarnalaxmi Cooperative), Kaski (Suryadarshan Cooperative) and Parsa (Sano Paila Cooperative). In all the districts, Lamichhane has been accused of diverting deposits to Gorkha Media Network, which ran the now defunct Galaxy 4K Television. Lamichhane was arrested from his party office in Kathmandu on 18 October 2024 by a team from the Central Investigation Bureau on charges of organized crime and misappropriation of cooperative funds. The former Home Minister and founder of RSP, the fourth largest party in the parliament, has denied the charges of charges of money laundering, cooperative fraud, and organized crime. In 2024, a special inquiry by a parliamentary committee formed to investigate the cooperative scam, which prepared and tabled a report in the parliament on September 16, 2024, indicted Lamichhane for embezzling millions of rupees as part of the cooperative scam. The seven-member committee formed on May 28 last year was tabled in the parliament and was formally endorsed by the house session. The report concludes that millions of rupees injected into Gorkha Media came from cooperatives that traded on the basis of forged documents. Former Home Minister Lamichhane worked as managing director in Gorkha Media, the parent company of now-defunct Galaxy 4K Television, when cooperatives' savings were invested, violating cooperative legislation. The incumbent parliamentarian also clarified that he was engaged in Gorkha Media, taking a sweat share. Later in 2022, Lamichhane entered politics, announcing the formation of Rastriya Swatantra Party, and entered the federal parliament as a parliamentarian contesting the election the same year. The television station, which failed to pay its staff, shut down its formal operations last year. The committee's report also recommended that the government take legal action against everyone involved in the transfer of money to Gorkha Media from various cooperatives. Millions of rupees were inducted into Gorkha Media from various cooperatives: Suryadarshan from Pokhara, Supreme from Butwal, Swarnalaxmi from Kathmandu, Sahara Chitwan from Chitwan, and Sanopaila from Birgunj. The report claimed that the embezzlement was completed with the active involvement of GB Rai, Kumar Ramtel, Rabi Lamichhane (then managing director), and Chhabi Lal Joshi. Rai and Lamichhane operated a joint account in the bank and issued cheques amounting to millions, which shows his involvement, the committee report includes. "Every company has its own objective and spirit. Promoters and shareholders are the main responsibilities of such institutions. Those in the role and responsibility as share-holders, promoters and managing director cannot be allowed not to be responsible and accountable for the money received by the company," the report stressed. During the investigation, the committee also held an inquiry session with former Home Minister and incumbent Chairperson of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Lamichhane for over 10 hours. Throughout the session, he claimed to be unaware that the transfers that were made to the Gorkha Media originated from cooperatives, that too, savings of about 50,000 people. Further arguing over the case, Lamichhane also claimed that Rabi Lamichhane, who had borrowed money from Suryadarshan and Supreme Cooperatives, was also someone he did not know. The committee had asked him a set of 50 questions about his alleged involvement in the scam. Following the tabling and endorsement of the report, House Speaker Devraj Ghimire directed the government to implement the report of the parliamentary special inquiry committee formed to investigate the misappropriation of savings of cooperatives. Speaker Ghimire then directed the Parliament Secretariat to send the report to the government for implementation. The House of Representatives (HoR) formed the committee headed by CPN-UML lawmaker Thapa on May 28, 2024, after the Nepali Congress demanded the formation of a parliamentary investigation committee, saying Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane, who was then deputy prime minister and home minister, was involved in the misappropriation of cooperative savings. The HoR had initially given the committee three months and later extended its tenure by 15 days. Dilendra Badu of Nepali Congress, Ishwari Neupane, Sabitra Bhusal of UML, Lekhnath Dahal of CPN (Maoist Center), Shishir Khanal of RSP, and Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan of Rastriya Prajatantra Party were members of the parliamentary committee. (ANI)
Infighting within the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) escalated on Friday, as senior leaders Asad Qaiser and Shahram Khan Tarakai called for an inquiry into remarks made by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, who had branded them "conspirators" in a recent podcast, Dawn reported. The party's internal discord has grown increasingly public, with multiple rifts emerging across its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter. Among the most visible are the ongoing row between KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and MNA Azam Khan Swati -- both from Mansehra -- and a separate dispute involving former provincial minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra and PTI's internal accountability committee. Tensions intensified after Gandapur, while responding to a question about not awarding provincial tickets to certain leaders, claimed that PTI founder Imran Khan had directed him to withhold tickets from Asad Qaiser, Shahram Khan Tarakai, and Muhammad Atif Khan on the grounds that they were "conspirators," reported Dawn. Reacting to this, both Qaiser and Tarakai -- who hail from Swabi -- took to social media to demand that the party leadership investigate the chief minister's claim. "I demand from the central leadership of the party to conduct a thorough investigation into the recent statement of KP chief minister and the statement of chairman Imran Khan in this regard should be brought before the nation," Qaiser wrote. He added: "We reserve the right to respond to the CM's statement, but in the current complicated situation, it is necessary for the country and PTI founder chairman Imran Khan to avoid such things." He stressed the need to focus on larger goals, saying: "At this time, all our attention should be focused on the release of Imran Khan and other innocent prisoners. They do not want to weaken the struggle for the release of Imran Khan by inflaming the internal affairs of the party through unnecessary statements," Dawn reported. Qaiser further said: "The chief minister should concentrate all his energies on the restoration of good governance and law and order in the province and the struggle for the release of Imran Khan and other innocent prisoners." Echoing this stance, Shahram Tarakai in a social media post also called for an inquiry, while expressing restraint. "He said he reserved the right to respond to the chief minister's statement; however, he added, such a course of action would damage the party in the current situation." "All efforts to weaken Khan Sahib and the party will fail. A leader keeps people together, does not divide them for personal ego or desire," he added. "He maintained that their first goal was Khan's release." Muhammad Atif Khan, president of the party's Peshawar region chapter, struck a neutral tone. "Fake news is circulating regarding a statement associated to me, I haven't given any response till now to Ali Amin," he said in a post on X. PTI KP president and MNA Junaid Akbar also denied any statement against Speaker Babar Saleem Swati or CM Gandapur. "Reports circulating in this regard on social media were fabricated," he said. (ANI)
The meeting marks a key moment in PM Modi's ongoing three-day visit, which aims to strengthen bilateral ties under the shared vision of "Fostering Partnerships for a Shared Future."

The ceremonial welcome earlier in the day, led by President Dissanayake, reflected the significance Colombo places on the India-Sri Lanka relationship. PM Modi's arrival on Friday marked his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019 and comes amid a renewed regional focus on development partnerships and cultural exchange.

Prime Minister Modi reached Colombo following a stop in Thailand, where he attended the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral talks with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

In Sri Lanka, PM Modi was warmly received at the airport by six senior ministers, despite rainy weather: Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, Labour Minister Anil Jayantha, Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, and Science and Technology Minister Chrishantha Abeysena.

"Landed in Colombo. Grateful to the ministers and dignitaries who welcomed me at the airport. Looking forward to the programs in Sri Lanka," PM Modi posted on X.

After arriving at his hotel, the Prime Minister interacted with members of the Indian diaspora and witnessed a traditional puppet performance, underscoring the cultural connections between the two nations. As part of his itinerary, PM Modi will travel to Anuradhapura to inaugurate development projects funded by India.

Meanwhile, Vyasa Kalyanasundaram, head of the Yoga department at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, praised PM Modi's efforts in elevating Yoga to global recognition. He highlighted how PM Modi's advocacy helped transform Yoga from a niche spiritual pursuit into a widely respected therapeutic practice embraced across Sri Lanka. (ANI)
India and other Quad nations stand with the people of Myanmar and Thailand in the wake of the earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28. The Quad nations - India, the US, Australia, and Japan - have joined hands to contribute more than 20 million in humanitarian aid and are coordinating with other partners, including ASEAN, to provide life-saving assistance. These efforts of India come in addition to the bilateral aid sent by New Delhi to Naypyidaw. In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "India, along with Quad partners, stands with the people of Myanmar & Thailand in the wake of the March 28 earthquake. For Myanmar, alongside our bilateral aid, we've joined hands with our Quad partners to contribute over USD 20M in humanitarian aid & are coordinating with other partners, including ASEAN, to deliver life-saving assistance." https://x.com/meaindia/status/1908398478885339292?s=46 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. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Myanmar's Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok on Friday and conveyed India's support to Myanmar in its hour of need following a devastating earthquake that killed thousands, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Friday. Addressing a special briefing on PM Modi's visit to Thailand, Misri stated, "The PM conveyed to the Senior General that as the first responder, India stands with Myanmar in the hour of need and is ready to deploy more material assistance as needed." "The PM also underlined the importance of early restoration of the democratic process in Myanmar through credible elections," he said. Myanmar is currently recovering from the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the nation on March 28, following which India, being the first responder in times of crisis in the neighbourhood, had been providing vital assistance to the country. India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is actively leading the efforts as part of Operation Bharma, with rescue and relief operations underway in Myanmar.NDRF Deputy Commander Kunal Tiwari, who is overseeing the search and rescue operations, shared insights into the ongoing efforts on Wednesday. Tiwari mentioned that the NDRF team consists of 80 personnel, supported by four specially trained canines and advanced equipment for rigging, lifting, cutting, and bridging. As part of Operation Brahma, India has already delivered 625 metric tons of humanitarian aid and disaster relief materials to Myanmar as of Tuesday. (ANI)
The two leaders shook hands and warmly greeted each other before proceeding to the delegation-level talks. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other officials were present in the meeting.

PM Modi is on a State visit to Sri Lanka from April 4 to 6 at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Disanayaka. During his State visit, PM Modi will discuss progress made on the areas of cooperation agreed upon in the Joint Vision for "Fostering Partnerships for a Shared Future" adopted during the Sri Lankan President's State Visit to India, according to the Ministry of External Affairs press release.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi was accorded a historic ceremonial welcome at Independence Square. It is the first time that Sri Lanka has honoured a visiting leader in this manner.

PM Modi's arrival in Sri Lanka on Friday marked his first visit to the island nation since 2019 and comes amid a renewed regional focus on development partnerships and cultural exchange.

Prime Minister Modi reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, where he attended the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral talks with several world leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli and Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

In Sri Lanka, PM Modi was warmly received at the airport by six senior ministers, despite rains: Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, Labour Minister Anil Jayantha, Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, and Science and Technology Minister Chrishantha Abeysena.

"Landed in Colombo. Grateful to the ministers and dignitaries who welcomed me at the airport. Looking forward to the programs in Sri Lanka," PM Modi posted on X.

After arriving at his hotel, the Prime Minister interacted with members of the Indian diaspora and witnessed a traditional puppet performance, underscoring the cultural connections between the two nations. During his visit, PM Modi will travel to Anuradhapura to inaugurate development projects funded by India. (ANI)
In a gesture of solidarity, India delivered 442 tonnes of food aid to Myanmar on Friday, as part of its ongoing humanitarian response following the devastating earthquake that struck the country last month. The consignment, comprising rice, cooking oil, noodles and biscuits, was transported aboard the Indian Navy's landing ship tank INS Gharial and handed over at Thilawa Port by Ambassador Abhay Thakur to Yangon Chief Minister U Soe Thein and his team. The official page for the Indian Embassy in Myanmar posted on X (formerly Twitter): "Meeting needs of affected people. A large 442 T consignment of food aid (rice, cooking oil, noodles & biscuits) carried by the Indian Navy landing ship tank INS Gharial arrived today at Thilawa Port & was handed over by Ambassador Abhay Thakur to CM Yangon U Soe Thein & team." https://x.com/IndiainMyanmar/status/1908396746725822913 The aid is part of Operation Brahma -- India's comprehensive relief mission launched after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake on March 28, which left thousands dead and widespread damage across Myanmar. The country continues to grapple with the aftermath, and India, acting swiftly as the first responder, has taken a lead role in supporting rescue, relief, and recovery efforts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met Myanmar's Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday. During the meeting, PM Modi expressed India's continued support and readiness to provide further material assistance if needed. He also emphasised the need for early restoration of democracy through credible elections, according to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. As part of Operation Brahma, India has so far delivered a total of 625 metric tonnes of humanitarian relief materials, including the latest consignment. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), with 80 personnel and four specially trained canines, has been deployed on the ground, equipped for rescue operations. Additionally, the Indian Army has set up a field hospital to provide essential medical care to the injured and displaced. (ANI)
Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake honoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the highest award to a foreign head of state, Mitra Vibhushana. Dissanayake said that PM Modi highly deserves this honour. In a joint press statement alongside PM Modi, Dissanayake said, "I am pleased to announce that the Government of Sri Lanka has decided to confer upon him (PM Narendra Modi) the highest Sri Lankan honour to a foreign head of state/head of government- Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana. This prestigious honour, which was introduced in 2008, is conferred upon heads of states and government for their friendship, and honourable Prime Minister Modi highly deserves this honour; that is what we firmly believe." The "Dharma Chakra" demonstrates the shared Buddhist heritage that has shaped the cultural traditions of both nations. The "Pun Kalasa" (a ceremonial pot) adorned with sheaves of rice symbolizes prosperity and renewal. The "Navarathna" (nine precious gems) represents the priceless and enduring friendship between the two countries, depicted within a globe encircled by pure lotus petals. The "Sun and Moon" signify the timeless bond, stretching from the ancient past into the infinite future. Together, these elements beautifully capture the deep cultural and spiritual connection between the two nations. Sri Lankan President made the announcement after the two leaders held a bilateral meeting and delegation-level talks in Colombo on Saturday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and other officials attended the meeting. Earlier in the day, PM Modi was accorded a historic ceremonial welcome at Independence Square in Colombo. It is the first time that Sri Lanka has honoured a visiting leader in this manner. PM Modi is on a State visit to Sri Lanka from April 4 to 6 at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Disanayaka. His arrival in Colombo on Friday marked his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019. Prime Minister Modi reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, where he attended the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral talks with several world leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli and Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. In Sri Lanka, PM Modi was warmly received at the airport by six senior ministers, despite rains: Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, Labour Minister Anil Jayantha, Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, and Science and Technology Minister Chrishantha Abeysena. "Landed in Colombo. Grateful to the ministers and dignitaries who welcomed me at the airport. Looking forward to the programs in Sri Lanka," PM Modi posted on X. After arriving at his hotel, PM Modi interacted with members of the Indian diaspora and witnessed a traditional puppet performance. (ANI)
Anila Gulzar, a prominent human rights activist from Pakistan, has condemned gender discrimination and atrocities against women in Pakistan. Anila, who belongs to the Christian minority group in Pakistan, stated, "Pakistan has long struggled with gender inequality and systemic violence against women. Despite legal frameworks designed to protect women's rights, the reality remains grim, with women facing widespread discrimination, harassment, honour killings, forced marriages, and restricted access to education and employment. The plight of Pakistani women has drawn international attention, yet meaningful change remains elusive due to entrenched societal norms, weak law enforcement, and a lack of political will." She highlighted that in Pakistan, discrimination against women starts at birth and persists throughout their lives. A strong preference for male children results in unequal access to healthcare, nutrition, and education for girls. In numerous households, girls are viewed as an economic burden, which perpetuates cycles of early marriage and restricts their career prospects. She stated that Pakistan lags behind many developing countries in terms of education. "According to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, Pakistan ranks among the lowest in gender equality, particularly in access to education and economic participation. Rural areas, where patriarchal customs dominate, see a much higher rate of female school dropouts due to family restrictions, early marriages, or financial constraints," expressed Anila. She further condemned the situation of Pakistani women in the workplace. She lamented, "Women make up only 22 per cent of the workforce in Pakistan, with many facing harassment, wage gaps, and fewer opportunities for leadership positions. The corporate sector remains largely male-dominated, and women in industries such as media, politics, and law enforcement often experience systemic bias, sexual and threats to their safety." One of the most severe forms of violence against women in Pakistan is honour killing, where women are killed by their own family members for supposedly bringing "shame" to the family, as cited by the human rights activist. These killings are frequently connected to actions such as marrying for love, rejecting arranged marriages, or even small accusations of misconduct. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has reported that approximately 1,000 women are killed annually in honour-based crimes, although the real number is likely higher due to under-reporting. A significant case of violence against women in Pakistan was the 2016 murder of social media personality Qandeel Baloch, who was strangled by her brother for defying societal norms and living an independent life. Although her case gained international attention, many other victims remain unnoticed and unpunished due to legal loopholes that allow family members to "forgive" the perpetrators, granting them impunity, Anila Gulzar cited. She further cited that rape cases in Pakistan have risen sharply, with many victims receiving little to no justice due to victim-blaming and societal stigma. A particularly shocking case in 2020 involved a woman being gang-raped on a highway in Lahore in front of her children, which sparked national outrage. However, the response from law enforcement was appalling, as a senior police officer blamed the victim for traveling alone at night. Marital rape is still largely unrecognised as a crime, leaving many women vulnerable within their own homes. Victims of sexual violence often face enormous pressure to remain silent due to fear of retaliation, honour-based violence, or a lack of support from authorities. Anila focused that despite Pakistan having laws meant to protect women, their enforcement remains weak. Laws such as the Anti-Rape Ordinance and the Protection of Women Act exist, but are ineffective in practice due to corruption, police negligence, and deeply rooted misogyny within the judicial system. In many instances, rapists and honour killers are able to escape justice through out-of-court settlements or "blood money" agreements, further deterring victims from seeking justice. Women who report violence often face harassment, threats, or pressure to withdraw charges. She condemned the issue of early marriage and lamented that early and forced marriages continue to be a serious issue in Pakistan, particularly in rural areas. Although the legal minimum marriage age for girls is set at 16 (and 18 in some provinces), many underage girls are forced into marriage due to economic difficulties, cultural practices, or tribal customs. The practice of Vani, where girls are given in marriage to settle family disputes, persists despite being banned. Victims of forced marriages often suffer from domestic violence, lack of education, and complete dependence on their husbands. Misinterpretations of religious teachings are often used to justify discriminatory practices against women. Women advocating for their rights frequently face backlash from conservative groups, who accuse them of promoting "Western values" or challenging religious norms. Despite these challenges, Pakistani women continue to fight for their rights. Movements like Aurat March have gained momentum, with women across the country demanding justice, equality, and an end to gender-based violence. Social media has provided a platform for survivors to share their stories and expose injustices. Pakistani female activists, journalists, and lawyers are playing a vital role in challenging discriminatory laws and practices. The situation of women in Pakistan remains a critical human rights issue. While there have been advancements in legal reforms and awareness, systemic gender discrimination and violence continue to hold women back. (ANI)
Former World Uyghur Congress(WUC) Chief Dolkun Isa has joined the protest in front of the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo to mark the 35th anniversary of the Baren Massacre. In a post on X, Dolkun Isa stated," 35 years ago today, the Chinese government killed thousands of Uyghurs--men, women, and children--who were demanding freedom. This marked the beginning of a genocide that continues to this day. We urge humanity and the world not to remain silent in the face of this ongoing atrocity." https://x.com/Dolkun_Isa/status/1908163061128589576 The Baren Uprising, which occurred on April 5, 1990, marks a pivotal moment in the Uyghur resistance against China's oppressive policies. Around 200 Uyghurs protested at the local government office in Baren, demanding an end to Beijing's increasing political, religious, and cultural repression. Tensions were fueled by reports of forced abortions and sterilizations aimed at reducing the Uyghur population under the guise of family planning, as highlighted by the World Uyghur Congress(WUC). In response, China deployed over 18,000 troops to suppress the protests in a town of only 19,000 residents. Over five days, more than 3,000 Uyghurs were reportedly killed. No independent investigation has been conducted into the massacre, leaving the victims without justice, according to the WUC. Recently, the WUC held a protest outside the Chinese Consulate in Munich from 3 pm to 4 pm (local time), with demonstrators calling for justice not just for the victims of the Baren Uprising but for all Uyghurs suffering under persecution by the Chinese government, as cited by a press release from WUC. Since 1990, Chinese repression in East Turkistan has intensified, with the international community now acknowledging it as genocide. Uyghurs face ongoing mass arbitrary detentions, forced sterilizations, systemic forced labor, religious restrictions, and extensive transnational repression. These brutal policies continue to violate basic human rights, leaving the Uyghur population subjected to severe persecution and oppression. (ANI)
Amid protests against the proposed construction of six new canals on the Indus River in Sindh, the Jeay Sindh Mahaz (JSM) blocked the Indus and National highways at three different locations on Friday, The Express Tribune reported. The JSM Chairman Riaz Ali Chandio, who led a protest rally on the National Highway in Moro, Naushehro Feroze district, said they carefully selected April 4 to hold a protest to neutralise the propaganda being spread by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He said, "Unless the government issues the notification of cancelling all these controversial projects, the protests would continue." Riaz Ali Chandio said that the Green Pakistan Initiative, new canals and corporate farming are aimed to rob Sindh of its water and land. He called it "economic murder of the entire population of Sindh which is dependent on agriculture. He accused the PPP of organising cosmetic protests in the province, although it has given its approval for the construction of new canals. Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) leader Niaz Kalani condemned the enforced disappearances and nominations of people in flimsy FIRs who participated in peaceful protests. He asserted that the protests are becoming stronger with each passing day despite all the pressure tactics being used by the government. Meanwhile, Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party Chairman Qadir Magsi said that his party will begin sit-in protests on the highways in the province on April 10. He said that sit-ins would be organised in different locations each day on the highways, The Express Tribune reported. Magsi said, "The ongoing protests against the canals and the corporate farming have turned into a movement which won't stop." Meanwhile, on Friday, a bride made it mandatory for the groom to affix banners rejecting canals at their wedding function in a village in the Shahpur Jahania area of the Noushehro Feroze district. The couple who got married on Friday belong to the Unar community, The Express Tribune reported. The couple not only put banners on walls of the wedding hall, but the place also reverberated with songs and slogans of nationalists and disapproval for the canals. Rallies and demonstrations were held in dozens of other places in many districts of the province. (ANI)
The issue of fishermen was discussed in considerable detail between India and Sri Lanka, with Sri Lankan authorities informing India that they have decided to release 11 fishermen "imminently," according to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Addressing a special briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Sri Lanka on Saturday, Misri said that during his talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, PM Modi emphasized the humanitarian aspect of the issue and suggested that some recent actions taken by Sri Lanka could be reconsidered. On the fishermen issue, the foreign secretary said, "Yes, this was, as I said, a subject that was discussed in considerable detail between the two sides. It is something that has remained a constant feature of discussions at all levels, including the highest levels between two sides. As the Prime Minister said himself during his remarks, there was an emphasis on the need to adopt a humanitarian and constructive approach to cooperation on these issues because these are ultimately issues that impact the livelihood of fishermen on both sides of the Palk Bay." "The Prime Minister emphasized that at the end of the day, it's a daily issue for the fishermen and that certain actions that have been taken in recent times could be reconsidered. We have been informed that the Sri Lankan authorities have taken a decision to release 11 fishermen imminently, I believe, and perhaps a few more in the coming days. There are also releases of fishermen that take place from India from time to time. Both sides also emphasized the need to intensify the institutional discussions between the two sides," Misri added. He said that there is a joint working group on fishermen between the two sides and sixth meeting was held in October last year. He said that India and Sri Lanka are in touch with each other on the possibility of convening the next round of Fisherman's Association talks between two sides. "As you are aware, there is a joint working group on fishermen between the two sides. Its sixth meeting was held last year in October and the representatives of the two coast guards that often engage with regard to issues such as repatriation and exchanges also took place recently in November of last year and both sides are in and touch with each other on the possibility of convening the next round of Fisherman's Association talks between Sri Lanka and India. The idea is to continue this engagement and arrive at mutually acceptable ways to avoid some of the more difficult situations that arise as a result of this issue," Misri said. During his joint press statement with Dissanayake following the meeting, PM Modi said that he and Sri Lankan President discussed issues related to the livelihood of fishermen and agreed that a humanitarian approach should be taken on this matter. He said, "We also discussed issues related to livelihood of fishermen. We agreed that we should proceed with a humanitarian approach in this matter. We also stressed on immediate release of fishermen and return of their boats. India and Sri Lanka's relationship is based on mutual trust and goodwill." Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Dissanayake held a bilateral meeting and delegation-level talks in Colombo. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and other officials attended the meeting. PM Modi was accorded a historic ceremonial welcome at Independence Square in Colombo. It is the first time that Sri Lanka has honoured a visiting leader in this manner. PM Modi is on a State visit to Sri Lanka from April 4 to 6 at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Disanayaka. His arrival in Colombo on Friday marked his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019. Prime Minister Modi reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, where he attended the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral talks with several world leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli and Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. (ANI)
Abdul Malik Baloch, a victim of enforced disappearance, was found dead in a "staged encounter" in the Zehri area of the Khuzdar district, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) said. In a post on X, the BYC stated," The authorities claimed that four people have been killed in an encounter with forces in Zehri area of district Khuzdar. However, one of them was identified as Abdul Malik Baloch son of Muhammad Yousaf, a resident of Kohing, Kalat. Malik was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces on 11 October, 2024, from Turbat." BYC further highlighted that the Malik Baloch family has been relentlessly seeking justice, participating in every sit-in and rally advocating for the forcibly disappeared Baloch individuals. They were also present at the March sit-ins in Kalat, where the district administration promised, among other things, to reveal the whereabouts of the missing within 15 days. However, instead of being reunited with him, they received his bullet-riddled body, marked with the label of a "terrorist," claiming he was killed in an encounter with security forces. BYC expressed rage and stated that the colonial state is using every means at its disposal to oppress the Baloch people. BYC urged the people of Balochistan to stand united and resist this fascist state. "His family has been seeking justice and raising voice during every sit-in and rally for enforcedly disappeared Baloch. They also were present in the March sit-ins in Kalat where the district administration assured them among others to bring to surface the missing within 15 days. However, his bullet-riddled body came, along with the brand of a terrorist by the State killed in an encounter with security forces," the BYC said. "The colonial State is suppressing the Baloch using all its might. By ruthless killing, abductions, torture, arrests of national leaders, and spreading chaos. It is terrorizing an entire nation native to the land to prolong its control and exploitation. We urge the Baloch nation to stand united and resist this fascist state. Every voice is important in a time when State is trying to silence us. We must speak for Abdul Malik who liked thousands, was martyred in the name of the Baloch," it said. "Balochistan is grappling with numerous issues, including state oppression, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings of activists, scholars, and civilians. The region faces significant economic neglect, marked by inadequate infrastructure and limited political autonomy. Despite being rich in natural resources, local communities see little benefit, while forced displacements are common," it added. https://x.com/BalochYakjehtiC/status/1908409269898416269 Human rights abuses, such as killings and disappearances, are widespread. Dissent is brutally suppressed, with strict limitations on freedom of speech, assembly, and movement. Additionally, frequent internet shutdowns further isolate communities, hindering their access to information, organization, and communication, which deepens the ongoing human rights crisis. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Sri Lanka's Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa and appreciated his personal contribution and commitment to strengthening the friendship between the two nations. PM Modi said that cooperation and robust development partnerships between India and Sri Lanka are guided by the welfare of the people of the two nations. External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and other officials were present during the meeting. In a post on X, PM Modi stated, "Glad to meet Sri Lanka's Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Sajith Premadasa. Appreciated his personal contribution and commitment to strengthening India-Sri Lanka friendship. Our special partnership receives support in Sri Lanka cutting across party lines. Our cooperation and robust development partnership are guided by the welfare of the people of our two countries." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1908470974384611703 Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the two leaders exchanged views on ways to further advance cooperation between the two nations. "PM @narendramodi met Leader of Opposition @sajithpremadasa in Colombo. Exchanged views on ways to further advance India - Sri Lanka cooperation. Our ever-expanding ties enjoy bipartisan support in both our countries," Jaiswal posted on X. https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1908471817335140559 Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Dissanayake held a bilateral meeting and delegation-level talks in Colombo. PM Modi calls his talks with Dissanayake "productive and extensive." "Held extensive and productive talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo. A few months ago, President Dissanayake chose India as the place for his first overseas visit after becoming President. Now, I have the honour of being the first foreign leader he is hosting in his Presidency. This indicates his personal commitment to India-Sri Lanka ties and the unbreakable bond that exists between our nations," PM Modi posted on X. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1908442862875799862 The two leaders reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and explored avenues to deepen cooperation in several sectors, including energy, power, and digital technology, as the Prime Minister's Office announced in a statement on X. "PM @narendramodi held fruitful talks with President @anuradisanayake in Colombo. The two leaders reviewed the full spectrum of India-Sri Lanka bilateral relations and explored avenues to deepen cooperation in sectors like energy, solar power, digital technology, trade, agriculture, housing, culture and more," Prime Minister's Office posted on X. https://x.com/PMOIndia/status/1908453196453785726 PM Modi is on a State visit to Sri Lanka from April 4 to 6 at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Disanayaka. His arrival in Colombo on Friday marked his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019. PM Modi was accorded a historic ceremonial welcome at Independence Square in Colombo on Saturday. It is the first time that Sri Lanka has honoured a visiting leader in this manner. Prime Minister Modi reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, where he attended the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral talks with several world leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli and Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. In Sri Lanka, PM Modi was warmly received at the airport by six senior ministers, despite rains: Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, Labour Minister Anil Jayantha, Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, and Science and Technology Minister Chrishantha Abeysena. (ANI)
A young man has reportedly gone missing after being detained by Pakistani military forces in the Dera Bugti district of Pakistan's Balochistan, as reported by The Balochistan Post. The young man named Qadeer, son of Noor Hassan Bugti, was taken into custody by military personnel on Friday morning and subsequently moved to an undisclosed location. His current whereabouts remain unknown. As of now, there has been no official comment from the district administration or other relevant authorities regarding the incident. The disappearance of Qadeer has raised alarm among human rights groups, which have consistently highlighted the ongoing issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, as reported by The Balochistan Post. This incident adds to the growing number of such cases, sparking further concerns among the families of the missing and activists campaigning for the safe return of those who disappeared, as reported by The Balochistan Post. Human rights organizations and international bodies have repeatedly accused Pakistani military forces and intelligence agencies of being involved in these disappearances, though these allegations are often met with either silence or denial from the Pakistani government, the report said. The incident has intensified calls for greater transparency and accountability in addressing the serious and long-standing issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Balochistan faces numerous challenges, including state repression, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings of activists, scholars, and civilians. The region suffers from economic neglect, poor infrastructure and limited political autonomy. Despite its vast natural resources, local communities see few benefits, while forced disappearances remain common. Human rights violations, such as killings and disappearances, are widespread. Dissent is harshly suppressed, with severe restrictions on freedom of speech, assembly, and movement. The region also frequently experiences internet shutdowns, further isolating communities and limiting their ability to access information, organize, or communicate, exacerbating the human rights crisis. (ANI)
India and Sri Lanka on Saturday signed an MoU on Defence Cooperation with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stating that there is a recognition at the leadership level that the security interests of India and Sri Lanka are interlinked. The two countries signed seven agreements and MoUs during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ongoing visit to Sri Lanka. Addressing the media here, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the MoU on defence cooperation will provide further impetus to the existing defence partnership. "There is also a recognition at the leadership level that the security interests of India and Sri Lanka are interlinked... The two sides concluded an MoU on defence cooperation, providing further impetus to the existing defence partnership and signifying their shared commitment to regional security and stability," he said. Misri said Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated very clearly that Sri Lankan territory will not be used or be allowed to be used in any manner that is inimical or detrimental to India's interests. "During discussions today, he said that neither Sri Lanka's land nor the oceans around it will be allowed to be used in any manner inimical to India's security. This is the background of the signature of the Defence MoU between the two countries for the first time, and the MoU is in itself an umbrella framework document that will make existing defence cooperation initiatives more structured," Misri said. "The leaders oversaw the exchange of as many as seven agreements and MoUs, and they virtually inaugurated the construction of the Solar power project. They also inaugurated the recently completed temperature-controlled warehousing facility at Dambulla, which is possibly the first facility of its kind on the island, and a project for supply of solar rooftop systems to nearly 5,000 religious institutions across Sri Lanka," he added. Misri said demonstrating continued commitment to assist Sri Lanka in its economic recovery, India has concluded the debt restructuring process with Sri Lanka with the exchange of the bilateral amendatory agreements on debt restructuring. "We have been pursuing an investment-led strategy with Sri Lanka together with a grant assistance-oriented approach to ensure that Sri Lanka is firmly on the path to sustainable and long-term economic recovery," he said. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi held delegation-level talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The two leaders exchanged warm greetings before beginning the official discussions. PM Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Independence Square--the first time Sri Lanka has honoured a visiting foreign leader in this way. His last visit to Sri Lanka was in 2019. Despite rain, six senior Sri Lankan ministers received the Prime Minister at the airport on Friday. Later, he interacted with members of the Indian diaspora at his hotel and attended a traditional puppet performance. (ANI)
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said the meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand's Bangkok was "fruitful and progressive." Addressing a press conference after landing back in Kathmandu on Saturday afternoon,the Nepali Prime Minister said that a commitment has been established between thetwo counterparts to take the relationship to newer heights. "We (both the Prime Ministers) have made the commitment that the Nepal-India relation will be taken to new heights, further deepening it, covering wider aspects and solve the problems that arise over the time. It is common that neighbours will encounter problems and it is resolved through dialogue, we both are convinced about it. The meeting went very well and I am very happy and consider it as fruitful for both the countries. While talking about him (Indian Prime Minister), I also understand that he is happy with the meeting, which I decode from the talks with him," Oli said in the press briefing at the VVIP lounge of Tribhuvan International Airport. The meeting in Bangkok marked the second meeting between the two leaders since PM Oli took charge last year. KP Sharma Oli also rejected reports about strained ties with the Southern neighbours, labelling it as rumors. He further clarified that it is just a matter of time before he will be visiting India. PM Oli's comments came following a question about whether he would visit India before the upcoming Sagarmatha Sambaad. "Talks about mutual issues, the investment sector, trade as well as Pancheshwor Project, in Dodhara Chadani- the feasibility about using the water of Mahakali for irrigation and other topics were discussed. Topics of mutual bilateral topics were discussed which included a wide range of topics," Oli said. Oli focused on the meeting with PM Modi, where they discussed subjects of mutual interest and importance. He said that Nepal and India have a mutual understanding to address minor disputes through dialogue and communication."Meeting was cordial, it was good and mellifluous. This time for the Sagarmatha Sambad Summit (Narendra) Modi Ji will not be attending because his visit to Europe has already been planned and confirmed. As all the plans has been made, he cannot push back his visit because of which he will not be attending in person but there will be presence of Indian delegation," the Nepal PM announced. Oli also mentioned that the sideline meeting with PM Modi was more extensive and cordialthan their interaction last September. Previously, the two leaders had met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last year. (ANI)
The suspect, identified as "Crazyhunter," paralyzed the hospital's computer systems on February 6, demanding payment in exchange for restoring access, Focus Taiwan cited.

After the attack, MacKay Memorial Hospital reported the incident to the police, who then involved the CIB and set up a joint investigation with Taipei prosecutors. The investigation revealed that after the hospital refused to pay the ransom, stolen patient data was posted for sale on a hacker forum on February 28.

The CIB found that "Crazyhunter" was responsible for 11 similar cyberattacks in Taiwan during February and March, targeting hospitals, schools, and listed companies. By examining IP addresses, hacking methods, and the ransomware used, investigators traced the attack to Lo, a 20-year-old employee of a cybersecurity firm in Zhejiang, China. They also uncovered digital evidence of his illicit financial transactions, Focus Taiwan reported.

Lo reportedly created a dark web site showcasing his hacking victims and extorted amounts, likely to instill fear and disrupt social stability in Taiwan. Due to his actions violating multiple laws, including extortion and computer security offenses, Lo was referred to Taipei prosecutors, who have requested an arrest warrant. The prosecutors are also working with appropriate cross-strait channels to share evidence of Lo's crimes with China's Ministry of Public Security.

Cyber ransomware attacks by China have surged, with hackers targeting critical sectors like healthcare, education, and business. These attacks disrupt operations, steal sensitive data, and extort large sums. Increasingly sophisticated tactics, such as using dark web platforms for extortion, highlight the growing threat and global security concerns.

China-Taiwan relations are tense, with China seeking reunification and Taiwan maintaining independence, leading to political, economic, and military friction. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that the agreement reached to build a multi-product pipeline and to develop Trincomalee as an energy hub will benefit the people of Sri Lanka. While addressing a joint press statement alongside Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, PM Modi said that the grid inter-connectivity agreement between India and Sri Lanka will create opportunities for Sri Lanka to export electricity. PM Modi said, "The Sampur Solar Power Plant will help Sri Lanka achieve energy security. The agreement reached to build a multi-product pipeline and to develop Trincomalee as an energy hub will benefit all Sri Lankans. The Grid Inter-Connectivity Agreement between the two countries will create opportunities for Sri Lanka to export electricity." "I am pleased that today a 5,000 Solar Rooftop System will be inaugurated for religious places in Sri Lanka. India will also provide support for the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity project," he added. The governments of India, Sri Lanka and the UAE have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the development of Trincomalee as an energy hub. He announced a support package of approximately 2.4 billion Lankan Rupees for the social and economic development of the Eastern provinces. He further said, "Today, we also inaugurated Sri Lanka's largest warehouse for the welfare of farmers." PM Modi said, "Tomorrow, we will inaugurate the 'Maho-Omanthai' railway line, and lay the foundation stone for the signalling system on the 'Maho-Anuradhapura' section. Work for the modernisation of the Kankesanthurai Port will begin soon." Stressing that India and Sri Lanka have shared security interests, he said, "We believe that we have shared security interests. The security of both countries is interconnected and interdependent. I am grateful to President Disanayaka for his sensitivity towards India's interests. We welcome the important agreements made in the area of Defence Cooperation. We have also agreed to work together on the Colombo Security Conclave and Security Cooperation in the Indian Ocean." He also announced that India would send the holy relics of Lord Buddha from Gujarat's Aravali region to Sri Lanka for an exposition. He announced that India will provide support in the construction of the sacred city in the Anuradhapura Mahabodhi temple complex and the Sita Eliya temple in Nuwara Eliya. Highlighting spiritual ties between two nations, he said, "There is centuries old spiritual ties between India and Sri Lanka. I am extremely happy to announce that the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha found in 1960, in the Aravali region of my home state - Gujarat, are being sent to Sri Lanka for an exposition. "India will assist in the renovation of the Thirukoneswaram Temple in Trincomalee. India will also provide support in the construction of the sacred city in the Anuradhapura Mahabodhi temple complex, and the Sita Eliya Temple in Nuwara Eliya," he added. PM Narendra Modi said that he and Dissanayake discussed issues related to fishermen's livelihood. He stated that they also discussed the reconstruction and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. He said, "We also discussed issues related to fishermen's livelihood. We agreed that we should proceed with a humane approach in this matter. We also emphasised on immediate release of the fishermen and their boats." "We also talked about reconstruction and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. President Disanayaka appraised me of his inclusive approach. We hope that the Sri Lankan Government will meet the aspirations of the Tamil people and fulfil its commitment towards fully implementing the Constitution of Sri Lanka, and conducting Provincial Council Elections," he added. He said that Sri Lanka holds a special place in India's Neighbourhood First Policy and Vision Mahasagar. He noted that two nations have made significant progress in our cooperation in the past four months since Dissanayake's visit to India last year. PM Modi said, "President Disanayaka chose India for his first foreign visit after becoming President, and I have had the privilege of becoming his first foreign guest. This is a symbol of the depth of our special relations." He noted that it is his fourth visit to Sri Lanka as Prime Minister, and his last visit in 2019 came at a very sensitive time.In his remarks, he also quoted Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar. "I applaud the courage and patience of the Sri Lankan people, and today, I am happy to see Sri Lanka back on the path of progress. India is proud to have fulfilled its duties as a true friendly neighbour. Whether it was the terrorist attack of 2019, the COVID pandemic, or the recent economic crisis, we have stood firmly with the people of Sri Lanka during every difficulty," he said. "I am reminded of the words of the great Tamil saint Thiruvalluvar. He said: Seyar Kariya Yaavul Natt Pinn Aadu Pul Vinnaikkariya Yaavul Kaapu. Which means, in the face of challenges and enemies, there is no stronger assurance than a true friend and the shield of his friendship," he added. Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Dissanayake held a bilateral meeting and delegation-level talks in Colombo. PM Modi calls his talks with Dissanayake "productive and extensive." "Held extensive and productive talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo. A few months ago, President Dissanayake chose India as the place for his first overseas visit after becoming President. Now, I have the honour of being the first foreign leader he is hosting in his Presidency. This indicates his personal commitment to India-Sri Lanka ties and the unbreakable bond that exists between our nations," PM Modi posted on X. PM Modi is on a State visit to Sri Lanka from April 4 to 6 at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Disanayaka. His arrival in Colombo on Friday marked his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019. PM Modi was accorded a historic ceremonial welcome at Independence Square in Colombo on Saturday. It is the first time that Sri Lanka has honoured a visiting leader in this manner. Prime Minister Modi reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, where he attended the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral talks with several world leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli and Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with leaders of the Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) community in Sri Lanka's Colombo on Saturday and stressed that the community "constitutes a living bridge" between two nations for more than 200 years. During the meeting, PM Modi reiterated India's "strong commitment" to the development and progress of the Indian-origin Tamil community. He said that India will support the construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred site Seetha Eliya temple, and other community development projects for the Indian-origin Tamil community in cooperation with the Sri Lankan government. "The meeting with leaders of Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) was fruitful. The community constitutes a living bridge between the two countries for over 200 years. India will support construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred site Seetha Eliya temple and other community development projects for IOTs in cooperation with the Government of Sri Lanka," PM Modi posted on X. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1908496252146237748 Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal took to X to share details regarding PM Modi's interaction with the Indian-Origin Tamil community. In a post on X, Jaiswal stated, "PM @narendramodi interacted with the leaders of Indian Origin Tamil community in Colombo. Underlining the special bond India shares with the IOT community, PM reiterated India's strong commitment to the development & progress of the IOTs." https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1908501051793125416 Earlier in the day, PM Modi held a meeting with Sri Lanka's Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa and appreciated his personal contribution and commitment to strengthening the friendship between the two nations. PM Modi said that cooperation and robust development partnerships between India and Sri Lanka are guided by the welfare of the people of the two nations. In a post on X, PM Modi stated, "Glad to meet Sri Lanka's Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Sajith Premadasa. Appreciated his personal contribution and commitment to strengthening India-Sri Lanka friendship. Our special partnership receives support in Sri Lanka cutting across party lines. Our cooperation and robust development partnership are guided by the welfare of the people of our two countries." PM Modi held a bilateral meeting and delegation-level talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo. PM Modi called his talks with Dissanayake "productive and extensive. "Held extensive and productive talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo. A few months ago, President Dissanayake chose India as the place for his first overseas visit after becoming President. Now, I have the honour of being the first foreign leader he is hosting in his Presidency. This indicates his personal commitment to India-Sri Lanka ties and the unbreakable bond that exists between our nations," PM Modi posted on X. PM Modi is on a State visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Disanayaka. His arrival in Colombo on Friday marked his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019. PM Modi was accorded a historic ceremonial welcome at Independence Square in Colombo on Saturday. It is the first time that Sri Lanka has honoured a visiting leader in this manner. Prime Minister Modi reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, where he attended the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral talks with several world leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited and laid a wreath at the 'Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial' in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, near Colombo on Saturday. He hailed the brave soldiers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force who laid down their lives in service of peace, unity and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, according to an official statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1908518910678151598 In a post on X, he stated "Laid a wreath at the IPKF Memorial in Colombo. We remember the brave soldiers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force who laid down their lives in service of peace, unity and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. Their unwavering courage and commitment remain a source of inspiration for us all." The IPKF Memorial commemorates the soldiers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force, who made the supreme sacrifice in defending the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, as per MEA. Earlier, PM Modi held a meeting with leaders of the Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) community in Sri Lanka's Colombo on Saturday and stressed that the community "constitutes a living bridge" between two nations for more than 200 years. During the meeting, PM Modi reiterated India's "strong commitment" to the development and progress of the Indian-origin Tamil community. He said that India will support the construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred site Seetha Eliya temple, and other community development projects for the Indian-origin Tamil community in cooperation with the Sri Lankan government. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1908496252146237748 "The meeting with leaders of Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) was fruitful. The community constitutes a living bridge between the two countries for over 200 years. India will support construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred site Seetha Eliya temple and other community development projects for IOTs in cooperation with the Government of Sri Lanka," PM Modi posted on X. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal took to X to share details regarding PM Modi's interaction with the Indian-Origin Tamil community. https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1908501051793125416 In a post on X, Jaiswal stated, "PM @narendramodi interacted with the leaders of Indian Origin Tamil community in Colombo. Underlining the special bond India shares with the IOT community, PM reiterated India's strong commitment to the development & progress of the IOTs." PM Modi also met with Sri Lanka's Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa and appreciated his personal contribution and commitment to strengthening the friendship between the two nations. PM Modi said that cooperation and robust development partnerships between India and Sri Lanka are guided by the welfare of the people of the two nations. In a post on X, PM Modi stated, "Glad to meet Sri Lanka's Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Sajith Premadasa. Appreciated his personal contribution and commitment to strengthening India-Sri Lanka friendship. Our special partnership receives support in Sri Lanka cutting across party lines. Our cooperation and robust development partnership are guided by the welfare of the people of our two countries." Notably, PM Modi is on a State visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Disanayaka. His arrival in Colombo on Friday marked his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019. PM Modi was accorded a historic ceremonial welcome at Independence Square in Colombo on Saturday. It is the first time that Sri Lanka has honoured a visiting leader in this manner. Prime Minister Modi reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, where he attended the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral talks with several world leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay. (ANI)
Tel Aviv [Israel], April 5 (ANI/TPS): Israeli leaders are scrambling to negotiate with the US administration to lower a newly imposed 17 per cent tariff on Israeli exports, which caught officials in Jerusalem by surprise. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are expected to press for a reduction to 10 per cent, the minimum rate applied to some other nations. Neither the Prime Minister's Office nor the Finance and Economy Ministries were informed in advance of the tariff hike. Smotrich convened an emergency meeting overnight with Ron Tomer, president of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, to assess the potential economic impact. "We were aware of the tariff decision like everyone else, but the specific rates were not known in advance," the Finance Ministry said in a statement Thursday. According to the ministry, the tariffs apply only to goods, not services. US officials based the 17 per cent rate on Israel's USD 7 billion annual trade deficit with the United States. Israel exports USD 20 billion in goods to the US while importing USD 13 billion. The deficit, calculated as 35 per cent of total Israeli exports, was then halved to determine the tariff percentage. The Manufacturers Association called the tariff hike "worrying" and vowed to work with government agencies to challenge the move. In a bid to mitigate the impact, Smotrich signed an order on Wednesday eliminating the last remaining Israeli tariffs on US imports, valued at USD 11.3 million annually, mostly on agricultural products. The order requires approval from the Knesset Finance Committee before taking effect. President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on 93 countries on Wednesday, imposing a 10 per cent baseline tax on imports from all countries. The tariffs were then adjusted based on each country's trade barriers and trade surplus with the US The Trump administration says the tariffs will restore key US manufacturing, but economists warn they could slow the global economy, raise recession risks, and increase living costs. (ANI/TPS)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a productive meeting with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday with the two countries fostering their partnership in a range of areas including defence and energy. Ahead of the talks, Prime Minister was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Independence Square. The Prime Minister is the first foreign leader to pay a State visit to Sri Lanka since President Disanayaka took office in September 2024. Apart from MoU on Defence Cooperation, an MoU was signed between India, Sri Lanka, and Arab Emirates for Cooperation in Development of Trincomalee as an energy hub. A multi-product pipeline is among the initiatives that will be discussed under this MoU. PM Modi and the Sri Lankan President held detailed discussions in restricted and delegation-level format on further deepening the special and close bilateral ties that are rooted in shared history and driven by strong people-to-people linkages. They reviewed cooperation in the fields of connectivity, development cooperation, economic ties, defence relations, reconciliation and fishermen issues. Prime Minister reiterated Sri Lanka's importance in India's Neighbourhood First Policy and Vision MAHASAGAR. He conveyed India's continued commitment to assist in Sri Lanka's economic recovery and stabilization. Following the talks, the two leaders virtually inaugurated several projects. These include 5000 solar rooftop units installed at religious places across Sri Lanka and a temperature-controlled warehousing facility at Dambulla. They also virtually participated in the ground-breaking ceremony for the launch of the 120 MW Sampur Solar power project. The two leaders witnessed the exchange of seven MoUs in the fields of energy, digitization, defence, health and multi-sectoral assistance in the Eastern Province. Prime Minister announced support for the development of the Thirukoneswaram temple in Trincomalee, the Sacred City project in Anuradhapura and the Sita Eliya temple complex in Nuwara Eliya. In the areas of capacity building and economic support, a comprehensive package for training an additional 700 Sri Lankan citizens annually, and the conclusion of Bilateral Amendatory Agreements on Debt Restructuring were also announced. In keeping with the shared Buddhist heritage of the two countries, PM Modi announced that Holy Relics of Lord Buddha from Gujarat would be traveling to Sri Lanka for the International Vesak Day celebrations. PM Modi arrived in Sri Lanka on a three-day visit on Friday from Thailand where he also attended the BIMSTEC summit. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who briefed reporters about PM Modi's Sri Lanka visit, later said that MoU on Defence Cooperation is an umbrella framework document that will make existing defense cooperation initiatives more structured. "There will be activities related to, of course, the continuing and even intensifying the tradition of high-level visits between the two countries, more joint exercises, capacity building in various areas, exchanges in HADR related operations, increasing port calls by naval units of both countries, and also to explore defense industry cooperation between the two sides," he said. Misri said President of Sri Lanka has both during his visit to Delhi and on this occasion and on several other occasions mentioned and stated clearly that Sri Lankan territory will not be used or be allowed to be used in any manner that is inimical or detrimental to India's interests. "In fact, if I recall correctly during discussions today, he said that neither Sri Lanka's land nor the oceans around it will be allowed to be used in any manner inimical to India's security". Answering queries related to the MoU on the development of Trincomalee as an energy hub which involves India, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates, Misri said the actual projects that will be carried out will be discussed by the designated business entities of the three sides. "At the present moment, the way this is structured, it is a government-to-government MoU in order to provide the enabling framework, and to set out some of the broad terms of reference for this cooperation," he said. Misri said the immediate next step that will be enabled by this framework MoU is the identification and nomination of specific agencies and entities that could be government entities or private sector entities or could be entities related to the governments themselves that will try and realize the business-to-business part of this agreement. "So, the actual projects that will be carried out will be discussed in detail by the designated business entities of the three sides, and that is the next step that will ensue. The UAE is a major energy partner for India. It is a strategic partner for India in the energy space, and it was therefore an ideal partner for this particular exercise that is being done for the first time in this region," he said. "And what the exact contours of the UAE role will be is something that is going to be elaborated once the B2B discussions kick off under this MoU," he said. Misri said insofar as the components of the activities are concerned, a multi-product pipeline is one of the things that will be discussed under this particular MoU. "It is something that has been under discussion bilaterally also between India and Sri Lanka, but this is one of the projects which will be covered under this trilateral MoU," he said. "You are aware that in Trincomalee we have the tank farms. Some of them are already being developed and utilized by Lanka IOC, but there are many more that are lying unused, and have not been put to use as yet. And there is a possibility that they will also be developed and utilized under this particular MoU," he added. He said in the business space there are a number of initiatives possible for discussion under an MoU such as this. "I imagine that once the entities get together, they will look at all issues related obviously to financing, to feasibility, to viability, etc., and come up with the projects that can be taken forward on the ground," he said. (ANI)
A group of 300 Pakistani citizens of Indian origin, residing in Pakistan's Sindh, visited the Dwarkadhish Temple, Devbhumi Dwarka in Gujarat and offered prayers. One of the devotees expressed his profound happiness and stated, "We are from Sindh, Pakistan. A total of 300 devotees have come here at Dwarkadhish Temple to offer prayers...we are very happy to be here..." The second devotee stated, "We are very happy to be here, and we have offered prayers at Dwarkadhish Temple. There is brotherhood on both sides, and we feel obliged to be here." Notably, the Pakistanis are currently in India on a 60-day visa, facilitated by a religious organization in Raipur. The group, comprising businessmen and professionals from Karachi and surrounding areas, was welcomed at the temple and offered prayers by the temple priest, Paresh Bhai. The priest expressed his privilege in facilitating their visit and stated that it was a proud moment for him to see the devotees take back memories of their visit to the Dwarkadhish Temple to Pakistan. Some members of the group mentioned that after taking a dip in the Ganges River, they plan to take some of its water back to Pakistan as a sacred souvenir. The group has been touring various places in India, including Dwarkadhish Temple, and plans to visit Bet Dwarka, Mount Abu, and other religious sites. They shared their positive experiences of living in Pakistan, stating that they face no difficulties and coexist harmoniously with others. During their visit, some members of the group sang devotional songs, including "Radhe-Radhe," and expressed their deep connection to the land, stating that they felt like staying in India rather than returning to Pakistan. The delegation plans to visit Bet Dwarka, a significant pilgrimage site associated with Lord Krishna, on the following day. (ANI)
In a significant demonstration of India-US military cooperation, troops from both nations conducted an intensive joint training phase at the Duvvada Firing Range, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh from April 2 - 4 as part of Exercise Tiger Triumph 2025. The exercise reaffirmed the growing synergy between the two militaries, enhancing interoperability, tactical coordination and operational preparedness in combat and humanitarian assistance scenarios. The training began with a joint opening address by the commanding officers of both contingents, setting the tone for a collaborative and high-impact engagement. This was followed by an introduction from the Commanding Officer of the 8 Gorkha Rifles Infantry Battalion Group, which represented the Amphibious Brigade of the Bison Division under the Sudarshan Chakra Corps. The US Army contingent, comprising personnel from the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment ("Bobcats") and the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 11th Infantry Division ("Arctic Wolves"), received insights into Indian Army training methodologies and the objectives of this joint exercise. A key highlight of the training was the participation of Rear Admiral Greg Newkirk, US Navy, who, along with the Commanding Officer of the 8 Gorkha Rifles Infantry Battalion Group, took part in live-firing drills and Jungle Lane Shooting exercises. Their direct involvement underscored the emphasis on hands-on leadership and practical engagement in operational training. The event also saw participation from senior officers from HQ Eastern Naval Command and HQ Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), further strengthening the high-level commitment to bilateral defense cooperation. The training phase covered small arms marksmanship and jungle warfare tactics, with Indian and US soldiers paired as buddy teams for live-firing drills from 100 meters, close-quarters combat shooting at 50 metres and Jungle Lane Shooting exercises designed to simulate engagements in dense terrain. Additionally, troops underwent Integrated Field Craft (IFC) training, focusing on obstacle navigation, tactical movement and terrain-based combat techniques--essential skills for real-world operations. The Combat Medical Aid module provided crucial training in battlefield first aid and casualty evacuation procedures, ensuring rapid and efficient medical response in crisis situations. Meanwhile, in a statement posted on X, the Indian Army's Southern Command stated, "Landing forces of the Gorkha Infantry Battalion Group from the Amphibious Brigade of Bison Division Indian Army and USMC conducted joint training onboard USS Comstock, US Navy on high-impact combat drills. This interaction at EasternNavalCommand sets the tone for seamless beaching ops at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh by INS Jalashwa and USS Comstock." https://x.com/IN_HQENC/status/1908515534712234101 The joint training at Duvvada Firing Range solidified India-US military ties, fostering mutual respect, trust and camaraderie between troops. Tiger Triumph 2025 continued to reinforce the India-US strategic partnership, enhancing their combined ability to respond to regional security challenges and humanitarian crises in the Indian Ocean Region. (ANI)
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Saturday held a meeting with representatives from the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, which is set to face significant tariffs on exports to the United States, according to a report by Focus Taiwan. As per a statement from Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo, the meeting took place at the presidential residence, where President Lai listened to the concerns and needs of the ICT industry. During the meeting, the government outlined its plans for a response package worth NT$88 billion, aimed at offering support to businesses and helping to mitigate the impact of the new tariffs on Taiwan's exports. Kuo further mentioned that Lai is scheduled to meet with representatives from traditional industries and small to medium-sized enterprises on Sunday. The Cabinet has estimated that electronics and information technology industries will be hit hardest, as ICT products accounted for 52 per cent of total Taiwanese exports to the US in 2024, followed by electronic components (13.4 per cent) and automobile parts (1.8 per cent), Focus Taiwan reported. Earlier on Friday, Taiwan's Premier Cho Jung-tai announced that USD 2.66 billion (NT$88 billion) would be allocated to support the industrial and agricultural sectors in response to the latest US tariff policy. Speaking at a news conference in Taipei on Friday, Cho outlined government initiatives to assist export supply chains following US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 32 per cent reciprocal tariff on Taiwanese imports, the Taipei Times reported. The government revealed a series of 20 measures aimed at supporting affected industries. Of the NT$88 billion, NT$70 billion will be directed towards the industrial sector to help cover administrative costs, enhance competitiveness, diversify markets, offer tax incentives, and stabilise employment. Meanwhile, NT$18 billion will be allocated to assist the agricultural sector, Cho stated. On April 2, Trump announced a widespread imposition of tariffs on countries worldwide. As per the announcements, the import tariffs on other major countries are China (34 per cent), the European Union (20 per cent), Vietnam (46 per cent), Taiwan (32 per cent), Japan (24 per cent), India (26 per cent), the United Kingdom (10 per cent), Bangladesh (37 per cent), Pakistan (29 per cent), Sri Lanka (44 per cent), and Israel (17 per cent). (ANI)
Sri Lanka Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arun Hemachandra, on Saturday expressed confidence that relations between New Delhi and Colombo will continue to strengthen in the near future. Speaking to ANI, Hemachandra emphasised Sri Lanka's commitment to deepening cooperation with India. "We are committed to working closely with India. There were a number of doubts and issues in the past, but we have clarified that we share a very strong and fruitful relationship. The support we are receiving from India is truly enormous. We are confident that this relationship will become stronger in the days to come," he said. Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Secretary of Sri Lanka's Ministry of Digital Economy, hailed the decision to confer the country's highest civilian honour, 'Mitra Vibhushana', on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We have a very close relationship with the Government of India. India is offering training programme to Sri Lanka. I think it is good that our new government has recognised and honoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi with our highest civilian award," Dhanapala said. The 'Mitra Vibhushana' honour is conferred by the Sri Lankan government on foreign nationals for their exceptional contribution to strengthening friendly relations with the country. PM Modi is on a State visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Disanayaka. His arrival in Colombo on Friday marked his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019. Earlier, Sri Lanka President Dissanayake honoured PM Modi with the highest award to a foreign head of state, the Mitra Vibhushana. Dissanayake said that PM Modi highly deserves this honour. PM Modi was accorded a historic ceremonial welcome at Independence Square in Colombo on Saturday. It is the first time that Sri Lanka has honoured a visiting leader in this manner. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited and laid a wreath at the 'Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial' in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, near Colombo, earlier today. He hailed the brave soldiers of the Indian Peacekeeping Force who laid down their lives in service of peace, unity and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, according to an official statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). In a post on X, he stated, "Laid a wreath at the IPKF Memorial in Colombo. We remember the brave soldiers of the Indian Peacekeeping Force who laid down their lives in service of peace, unity and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. Their unwavering courage and commitment remain a source of inspiration for us all." PM Modi also held a meeting with leaders of the Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) community in Sri Lanka's Colombo on Saturday and stressed that the community "constitutes a living bridge" between two nations for more than 200 years. Prime Minister Modi reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, where he attended the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral talks with several world leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay. (ANI)
M Senthil Thondaman, President, Ceylon Workers' Congress, Sri Lanka's politcial party, expressed his satisfaction with Prime Minister Modi's fourth visit to Sri Lanka and stated PM Modi's always been an "inspiring figure" to all of us, especially politicians. Speaking to ANI, he praised PM Modi and said, "PM Modi has fulfilled whatever he has committed to Sri Lanka in the previous time." "We were glad to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He's always been an inspiring figure to all of us, especially politicians. This is his fourth visit to Sri Lanka. During all his visits, he's made the relationship between India and Sri Lanka much more stronger than the previous time," he said. "Today also was a strong visit like the previous time. During his visit, he ensured that the Indian government and the people of India always supported Sri Lanka, not only at the time of the crisis but also at the time of the development and especially the Indian Origin Tamils (IOT) community in Sri Lanka. Prime Minister Modi has fulfilled whatever he has committed to Sri Lanka in the previous time," he added. Senthil Thondaman, the current President of the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC), has been actively involved in Sri Lankan politics. He served as the Governor of the Eastern Province from May 2023 to September 2024 and has been leading the CWC since March 2022. The Ceylon Workers' Congress is a political party in Sri Lanka that has traditionally represented Sri Lankan Tamils of Indian origin. Earlier, PM Modi held a meeting with leaders of the Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) community in Sri Lanka's Colombo and stressed that the community "constitutes a living bridge" between two nations for more than 200 years. During the meeting, PM Modi reiterated India's "strong commitment" to the development and progress of the Indian-origin Tamil community. He said that India will support the construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred site Seetha Eliya temple, and other community development projects for the Indian-origin Tamil community in cooperation with the Sri Lankan government. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1908496252146237748 "The meeting with leaders of Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) was fruitful. The community constitutes a living bridge between the two countries for over 200 years. India will support construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred site Seetha Eliya temple and other community development projects for IOTs in cooperation with the Government of Sri Lanka," PM Modi posted on X. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal took to X to share details regarding PM Modi's interaction with the Indian-Origin Tamil community. https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1908501051793125416 In a post on X, Jaiswal stated, "PM @narendramodi interacted with the leaders of Indian Origin Tamil community in Colombo. Underlining the special bond India shares with the IOT community, PM reiterated India's strong commitment to the development & progress of the IOTs." Notably, PM Modi is on a State visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Disanayaka. His arrival in Colombo on Friday marked his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019. PM Modi was accorded a historic ceremonial welcome at Independence Square in Colombo on Saturday. It is the first time that Sri Lanka has honoured a visiting leader in this manner. Prime Minister Modi reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, where he attended the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral talks with several world leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay. (ANI)
House Republicans for a second year in a row put the brakes on a Senate-passed bill to limit Iowans ability to sue pesticide companies when their products are linked to serious health problems.

While Senate Republicans, for the first time in four years, advanced legislation to limit the use of eminent domain to claim farmland for hazardous liquid pipeline use  but only after being heavily amended, with few of its original provisions from a House bill remaining.

Meanwhile, GOP lawmakers advanced legislation to further curtail diversity, equity and inclusion programming across the state, but disagree as to how far they should go. Senate Republicans pushed back on a provision that would extend banning of DEI offices and officers to private colleges and universities that receive funding from the Iowa Tuition Grant program.

The issues illustrate the legislative divide between Republican leaders in the House and Senate, which was apparent Thursday as legislation neared the second funnel deadline of the 2025 session.

I don't try to tell the House how to do their job. I suppose the House can be entitled to their wrong opinion, Senate President Amy Sinclair, a Republican from Allerton, told reporters Thursday of House Republicans not advancing the Senate pesticide bill.

House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said there were not enough votes to advance the bill out of that chamber.

In order to remain eligible moving forward this session, non-tax policy or nonbudget or spending bills passed by the House need to be approved by Senate committees, and vice versa for Senate-passed bills. The deadline is intended to narrow lawmakers workload heading into the final weeks of the 2025 session and allow them to begin the work on tax and budget policy.

Iowa Republicans hold agenda-setting super majorities in the House and Senate. While the bills did not pass the funnel deadline, House and Senate leaders have multiple legislative tools at their disposal if they choose to still resurrect a bill.

House and Senate Democrats argue Republican lawmakers have done little to lower costs for Iowans, and have ignored their proposals to help Iowans access affordable housing and child care.

Republicans have done nothing to help Iowa's economy this session, House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, told reporters Thursday. ... We have introduced legislation on child care, to lower costs on housing, to give property tax rebates, to reduce eliminate tax on tips and overtime, and to restore unemployment benefits to 26 weeks. These are tangible, real options that Iowans could see the benefit from immediately.

Pesticide shield bill fails to advance

For the second year in a row, House lawmakers did not take up a Senate bill that would shield pesticide companies from lawsuits over warning labeling to inform consumers of health risks.

Senate File 394 passed out of the Senate 25-21 with six Republicans joining all Democrats to vote against it.

The bill would shield pesticide companies like Bayer, the company that owns glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, which is used by farmers across the state, from liability over failure to warn about the products health risks like cancer.

Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cleared glyphosate of posing cancer risks, a federal district court requested the agency review that decision in 2022, according to Reuters. The International Agency for Research on Cancer determined it is "probably carcinogenic to humans."

Iowa has the fastest-growing rate of new cancers and ranks second highest in cancer rates nationally, the Iowa Cancer Registry found.

Bayer purchased Monsanto, the company that created Roundup, in 2018. Roundup is primarily produced in Muscatine and Bayer has multiple crop science plants across Iowa.

The legislation has received pushback from environmental organizers and Iowans who say glyphosate has caused them or their loved ones to develop cancer. Backers of the legislation argue pesticide companies are being unfairly targeted with lawsuits.

Bayer has faced about 167,000 lawsuits from individuals claiming the company failed to warn them about the health risks of their products, costing the company billions in litigation expenses.

I believe wholeheartedly that the bill we passed doesn't prevent anybody from seeking justice if they're damaged by a company, Sinclair told reporters. But I also believe that to have a proper system of justice, we have to make sure that individuals or companies can't be sued for following the law.

Senate Democratic Leader Janice Weiner, of Iowa City, said the Iowa Legislature should not be "taking away Iowans' right to sue in the event that they believe they have been harmed."

"From our read of it on the Senate side, it's really an immunity bill, and once you give one set of companies immunity, others are going to line up for it," Weiner said at a news conference Thursday.

Grassley said House Republicans see both sides of this issue and had concerns with the public perception of the bill.

This product has been following all of the EPA approved labeling  but I think some of the narrative that's been out there maybe distracts from that, he said. And I think the caucus just is in a position where they're not sure that they can support it at this point in time.

Senate advances CO2 pipeline restrictions

The Senate has taken the most action on pipeline and eminent domain legislation over the past four years, but Senate Republicans significantly altered the House bill, House File 639.

The bill included requirements for hazardous liquid pipeline companies to carry certain amounts of insurance and restore damaged farmland, defined public good for eminent domain use, required Iowa Utilities Commission members to attend hearings on pipeline projects, prohibited renewal of carbon dioxide capture pipeline projects after 25 years, and placed constraints on when and how pipeline companies can file lawsuits against landowners.

After being amended by the Senate Commerce Committee, only the requirements for land restoration, state commissioners hearing attendance and pipeline companys insurance remained.

Sen. Michael Bousselot, a Republican from Ankeny, introduced the new version, which now contains provisions that allow pipeline companies to alter a project to go outside the original planned route to obtain a voluntary easement; expand protections for crop loss, soil degradation and drainage tile; require the Iowa Utilities Commission to rule on a proposed project within one year of eminent domain power being requested; and apply all provisions to any projects seeking eminent domain from the states utility regulators, including transmission lines.

Landowners and property rights activists who have pushed for the restrictions view the amendment as a poison pill, potentially drawing in opposition from natural gas and electric transmission line companies previously excluded from the bill.

Bousselot said the goal of the changes was to create landowner protections for all utility projects, not just CO2 pipelines.

The Ankeny Republican previously worked for Summit Agricultural Group, which owns Summit Carbon Solutions. That company has proposed a 2,500-mile pipeline through five states including Iowa to capture CO2 from ethanol plants and bury it in North Dakota.

We're at a point where we have some language that we can all agree on, Sinclair said of Senate Republicans. So we've gotten to a point where we have 26 people willing to step up and advance some property rights legislation. I can't speak to the Houses opinion of anything. I don't typically ask their opinion when I'm working on legislation with my team.

Grassley said he sees the Senates actions as a positive step.

From my perspective, I would say we want to continue this conversation, he told reporters.   But I think whatever we're going to ultimately agree to and want to work on needs to have significant property rights protections in that.

Bill further banning DEI offices advances

Legislation prohibiting state entities, local governments and community colleges from establishing and maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion offices advanced Thursday out of the Senate Education Committee along party lines.

House File 856 is an expansion of a 2024 law that barred Iowa public universities from funding DEI efforts.

Democratic Sens. Herman Quirmbach, of Ames, and Mike Zimmer, of DeWitt, said the bill would set back progress made in uplifting and representing marginalized and underrepresented groups.

"This bill, more than anything else, I think, suppresses free speech," Quirmbach said. "It says we have to erase people of color, people of different genders, people of different orientations, can't address any of those things, you gotta put it all back in the closet."

Republican Sen. Ken Rozenboom, of Pella, said the legislation is consistent with the legislation passed last session.

It is not the proper place of the state entity to promote ideologies and opinions as their official role, he said. State and entities are established to help provide services to Iowa set on the statute, and it's outside of that role to use their funds to tout political issues.

The committee struck a section of the bill, which was passed out of the House in March, that wouldve prohibited private colleges and universities that participate in the Iowa Tuition Grant Program from funding DEI offices and officers.

Rozenboom, during a subcommittee on the bill earlier this week, said the Legislature has never added conditions to the Iowa Tuition Grant in its more than 50-year history, and feared if it starts now more conditions will be added later.

Im very uncomfortable, personally  with dipping our toe into conditioning the Iowa Tuition Grant, Rozenboom said.

Sinclair echoed Rozenboom in expressing concern about diving into those private colleges and universities, into their governance.

Republicans in general believe it's important that the local government, state government (and) that our government-funded colleges and universities are doing hiring based on merit  are advancing their policies based on merit, not on other qualities that don't necessarily provide for the best product for citizens of state of Iowa, she said.   We don't look at it as eliminating diversity, equity or inclusion. We look at it as advancing merit.

Grassley said House Republicans continue to push for a broader approach to curbing DEI practices across the state.

Hopefully, something we can work through and find some level of agreement on, he said.
Hillary Carson, a registered nurse at Faith Regional, and Dr. Afua Ntem-Mensah, who specializes in infectious disease, wear masks during the pandemic. You did everything for that patient while you were in there and then, ultimately, we were their (the patients) family because they had no contact with their family other than through an iPad, Carson said.
Moroccos air carrier, Royal Air Maroc, and Mauritania Airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a free flow codeshare agreement for the direct Casablanca-Nouakchott air route.

This strategic agreement, initialled in Casablanca on Friday, is part of both airlines ongoing efforts to enhance their customers experience, as it will allow passengers to benefit from several advantages that make their travel journey smoother, simpler, and more comfortable, according to a joint press release.

This strategic partnership is the first of its kind between Royal Air Maroc and Mauritania Airlines. It will provide customers of both airlines with an improved customer experience and a quality product. It will also give them access to a wide range of destinations across our respective networks, said the CEO of Royal Air Maroc, Hamid Addou.

This agreement also reflects our shared commitment to strengthening exchanges between Morocco and Mauritania and reinforcing our African presence. It marks an important step in our ambition to consolidate our position in Africa, while offering an exceptional experience to our passengers, he added.

For his part, Mauritania Airlines CEO, Ahmed Salem Mohamed Vall Ammi, expressed pride in announcing a major advancement in cooperation with Royal Air Maroc through the establishment of a codeshare agreement.

This strategic agreement not only strengthens travel opportunities between Mauritania and Morocco, but also allows the two carriers to offer passengers easier access to a broader network of destinations, with more flexibility and a harmonized travel experience, he said.

He further noted that, thanks to this partnership, Mauritania Airlines and Royal Air Maroc reaffirm their mutual commitment to enhancing connectivity between their markets and offering ever more efficient travel solutions.

He also emphasized that this collaboration opens new horizons for Mauritania Airlines in developing its network and meeting customers expectations by providing optimized service and smooth connections between the two airlines.

The agreement will strengthen links between the two countries, create connections to other routes, and expand destinations, while offering greater comfort to passengers.

The strategic Casablanca-Nouakchott route will thus be reinforced by both airlines. RAM, which currently operates seven direct flights per week on this route, will increase them to nine weekly flights. On its part, Mauritania Airlines will increase the direct Nouakchott-Casablanca flights from six to nine weekly connections.

Furthermore, both airlines will include four additional routes in the codeshare partnership to expand connectivity options. Mauritania Airlines customers will have access to continuation flights through Royal Air Marocs Casablanca hub to four major cities: Madrid, Dubai, Paris, and Luanda.
Air Arabia Maroc continues to expand its international network with the resumption of Madrid-Marrakech flights as of Sunday April 6, and the launch of a new direct route between Nador and Murcia, Spain, next May 3.

From April 6 until the end of October, Air Europa will operate two weekly flights between Madrid-Barajas and Marrakech, with over 20,000 seats planned on this route, the airline said in a press release.

The routes will be operated by the airlines fleet of Boeing 737s, suitable for short-and medium-haul services and offering high comfort and capacity on board, the airline added.

As part of the resumption of its summer schedule for 2025, Air Europa intends to allocate over 40,000 seats to North Africa, including 20,000 for the Madrid-Marrakech route.

This new Nador-Murcia connection will be operational starting May 3, with three round-trip flights per week (every Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday), Air Arabia Maroc said in another press release.

This connection aims to facilitate travel as well as cultural and commercial exchanges between two regions with deep historical ties.

Located on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, Nador is emerging as a growing hub, particularly in the port, tourism, and trade sectors, actively contributing to the economic dynamism of the Oriental region. Meanwhile, Murcia, the capital of an autonomous Spanish community, attracts visitors with its architectural heritage, vibrant tourism, and agricultural activity, the airline said.

With this new route, Air Arabia Maroc reaffirms its ambition to make air travel even more accessible and meet the growing expectations of Moroccan expatriates, the press release adds, noting that the airline is strengthening its offer in the Spanish market, which is particularly popular during the summer season.
While lithium has a starring role in the global clean energy transition thanks to its fundamental importance in batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage, the white gold may be as much of an environmental threat as it is a savior. Extraction processes for the metal are associated with significant negative environmental externalities and public health risks, and now scientists are questioning whether the world can spare the vast amount of fresh water lithium production consumes.

Lithium production is booming around the globe as demand projections continue to rise and prices recover after a period of decline due to overproduction. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has said that that lithium demand for battery-making alone will likely increase by a factor of ten in the decade between 2020 and 2030, and a 2023 report from Popular Mechanics calculated that an electrified economy in 2030 will likely need anywhere from 250,000 to 450,000 tonnes of lithium. This represents a massive boom in production and refining capacities worldwide. For reference, In 2021, the world produced only 105not 105,000tonnes.

As lithium production ramps up, the trade-offs associated with production are becoming harder to ignore. Lithium is generally produced by pumping salty brine out of the earth in places where lithium is naturally occurring, and allowing it to dry out in evaporation pools, leaving the lithium readily available to harvest. The whole process is effective and has relatively low overhead, but it requires a staggering amount of water  around 500,000 gallons per tonne of lithium. And, in a cruel twist of irony, often takes place in some of the driest places on earth. The so-called Lithium Triangle of South America lies in the Atacama Desert  the worlds highest and driest. In the Chilean portion of the Atacama, a staggering 65% of the regions water is consumed by lithium mining activities.

Making matters worse, a new study from scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) shows that the Lithium Triangle has far less freshwater available for lithium mining than previously thought  about ten times less. And these results suggest that the same miscalculation has been made in global lithium extraction operations. Our results reveal that commonly used global hydrologic models overestimate streamflow and freshwater availability substantially, leading to inaccurate water scarcity classifications, states the paper, published last month in the scientific journal Communications Earth & Environment.

Its not all bad news  the paper also points out that there is potential for the lithium industry to significantly reduce its water footprint. Water is the most important resource in these systems, and its the part of the system that is most sensitive to change, says David Boutt, one of the paper authors and a professor of geosciences at the UMass. Im optimistic that, through research and development, companies can be more water efficient, especially when driven by the market.

However, lithium extraction doesnt only threaten to suck freshwater reserves dry, it also risks contaminating the local water resources it doesnt consume. Lithium is not the only element left behind when the brine pools evaporate. Other toxic chemicals  such as hydrochloric acid  also abound in these briny pools thanks to the lithium refining process, and have been known to leak into local water supplies. The release of such chemicals through leeching [sic], spills or air emissions can harm communities, ecosystems and food production," read a 2024 report from international environment activism group Friends of the Earth. "Moreover, lithium extraction inevitably harms the soil and also causes air contamination." Already, there have been prominent cases of environmental and public health emergencies of this nature, such as the poisoning of the Liqi River in Tibet in 2016.

Like any mining process, it is invasive, it scars the landscape, it destroys the water table and it pollutes the earth and the local wells, said Guillermo Gonzalez, a lithium battery expert from the University of Chile, in a 2009 interview. This isnt a green solution  its not a solution at all.

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

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Delays and financial losses in major projects, such as Intel's postponed factory in Germany, have highlighted the challenges and the need for a more targeted approach in European chip industry support.

The demand for microchips is rapidly increasing across various sectors, and geopolitical factors are influencing Europe's need for strategic autonomy in semiconductor production.

European lawmakers and industry leaders are calling for a second Chips Act to address the shortcomings of the initial legislation and to further boost Europe's semiconductor industry.

The European Union (EU) introduced its first Chips Act in September 2023 to establish a framework for strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem in the region. Member states have increasingly been calling on the EU to strengthen the regulation to advance the regions semiconductor production. The European Chips Act was established to bolster Europes competitiveness and resilience in semiconductor technologies and applications and help achieve both the digital and green transition. Approximately one trillion microchips were manufactured worldwide in 2020, of which the EU contributed a 10 percent share.

There is a rapidly growing global demand for microchips, which are needed for a variety of industries, including automated cars, cloud, Internet of Things, connectivity, space, defence, and supercomputers, and are key to a digital transformation. The European Commissions (EC) Chips Survey revealed that industry experts expect the demand for chips to double by the end of the decade. However, the world has experienced a shortage of semiconductors, as demand is outpacing the expansion of the advanced semiconductor manufacturing sector.

During her 2021 State of the Union speech, EC President Ursula von der Leyen presented the European Chips strategy, which included production as well as advancing EU research, design, and testing capacities. The first Act mobilized $46.4 billion in public and private funding for the microchip industry.

In March this year, nine EU member states launched a Semiconductor Coalition. Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands, together, issued a statement agreeing to reinforce their cooperation to strengthen Europes competitiveness and strategic autonomy in the semiconductor sector. The coalition will support research, expand production capacity, and foster a highly skilled workforce. Later in March, members of the European Parliament called on the EC to establish new legislation to advance the EUs semiconductor industry and to expand the regulation to cover advanced technologies, such as AI chips.

A letter written by representatives of three major factions in parliament and signed by 54 lawmakers stated, Recent geopolitical developments have shown that Europe cannot take continued access to advanced technologies for granted. It added, "We must take active steps to make the EU attractive as an R&D, production and investment location. The letter criticised the existing Chips Act for being too slow. It also referenced the growing tensions between the U.S. and China and the importance of strengthening the EUs chips industry.

Lawmakers were encouraged to write the letter after European semiconductor firms called on the EC to produce a European Chips 2.0 Act, with a focus on chip design, materials, and equipment, in addition to manufacturing. The call came from a meeting between major industry representatives, including those from NXP, STMicroelectronics, Infineon, and Bosch, and European lawmakers in Brussels. The industry group ESIA  representing chipmakers, and SEMI Europe  representing the broader industry, promised to call on the EC digital chief Henna Virkkunen to develop new legislation. SEMI said in a statement that any new initiative should decisively support semiconductor design and manufacturing, R&D, materials and equipment. Industry members also called on the EC to provide subsidies to suppliers to establish Europe as a more competitive market.

The Economy Minister for the Netherlands, Dirk Beljaarts, stressed the need for a more targeted approach in any new legislation. We need to allocate funds, Beljaarts said. Both private and public funds to push the sector, also to make sure that the trickle-down effect takes place, and that (small and medium-sized) companies also benefit, he added.

Progress from the first Chips Act has been slow. Although it did encourage greater investment in the sector, it failed to attract advanced chipmakers to the market. In addition, while most financing was provided by member states, projects required EU approval to move forward.

In September last year, the U.S. microchip producer Intel announced plans to postpone the construction of a factory in Germany for at least two years, which was a huge blow to the industry. Intel was reportedly planning to construct two chip factories in Saxony-Anhalt, near Berlin, with an investment of around $33 billion, which would create roughly 3,000 jobs. The German government had promised public financing of $10.7 billion for the project.

Intel is recovering from losses, which have forced the company to cut spending in recent months. The firm also announced plans to cancel its next big AI chip and keep it as an internal test chip only without bringing it to market. Intel co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus recently said that the plan is to simplify our roadmap and concentrate our resources.

The EC has not yet provided detailed plans for the next steps for the semiconductor industry, but it said it intends to launch five packages this year to boost European investment, including in AI. Meanwhile, Europes microchip companies will be expecting big changes that respond to recent advances in technology, as well as the current geopolitical environment, to make Europe more competitive.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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Taiwan may have thought that it had bought its way out of hefty U.S. tariffs with last months announcement of a $100-billion investment in chip factories in the United States.

Oh, was Taiwan wrong. As President Donald Trumps tariff plan dropped on Wednesday, Taiwan  and the world and markets  realized the actual tariffs are higher than feared.

Taiwan was slapped with a 32% tariff, which the government described as highly unreasonable, unfair, and deeply regrettable.

Taiwan had just made some big commitments to invest in the U.S. and in U.S. energy projects.

Last month, Taiwans state-held oil and gas company CPC Corporation signed a letter of intent to invest in the $44-billion Alaska LNG export project and buy LNG from it as part of a move to bolster its gas supply and energy security.

Taiwan is so far the only Asian country to have committed investments and backing to the Alaska LNG project despite the state of Alaska and the Trump Administrations weeks-long courting of investors from north Asia, such as Japan and South Korea.

Taiwans semiconductor maker TSMC also announced in March its intention to expand its investment in advanced semiconductor manufacturing in the United States by an additional $100 billion. Building on the companys ongoing $65 billion investment in its advanced semiconductor manufacturing operations in Phoenix, Arizona, TSMCs total investment in the U.S. is expected to reach $165 billion. The expansion includes plans for three new fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a major R&D team center, solidifying this project as the largest single foreign direct investment in U.S. history.

TSMCs major customers include Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, Broadcom, and Qualcomm.

Ironically, also thanks to its semiconductor exports to the U.S., Taiwan has a large trade surplus with the United States. This means a large trade deficit for America, which President Trump doesnt want to see anymore. Hence, the tariffs.

Taiwan got one of the highest tariffs, at 32%. Notably, semiconductors are exempted from all U.S. tariffs on imports from any country.

Taiwan said that the U.S. tariff was unfair to Taiwan, as it does not accurately reflect the trade and economic situation between the two sides.

Taiwans cabinet will seek clarification and continue negotiations with the U.S. over the tariffs.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said Taiwan values its strong economic partnership with the US. Our trade surplus with the US is a result of policy shifts, not unfair trade practices. We look forward to working closely with the US to ensure a fair, mutually beneficial approach that strengthens our shared prosperity.

The president also noted in a Facebook post We feel that these measures are unreasonable, and we are also worried about the possible impact on the global economy.

Concerns about the global economy exploded on all markets on Thursday. The main indexes on Wall Street tanked and registered the worst one-day drop since 2020. The S&P 500 index slipped into correction, falling by more than 10% from its February all-time high, as the prospect of a global trade war terrified many investors that a recession could be in the cards.

Oil prices were not spared, either. Oil took a one-two punch from the recession fears fueled by the U.S. tariffs and the OPEC+ decision to add in May triple the expected oil supply volumes.

Oil prices tanked 7% on Thursday, and Brent Crude prices fell below $70 per barrel. The U.S. benchmark, WTI Crude, dipped to $66 a barreldangerously close to the average $65 per barrel price U.S. producers need to profitably drill a new well, as they indicated in the Dallas Fed Energy Survey for the first quarter.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The Department of the Interior just announced that its revving the engine on another offshore lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico, which was recently renamed by the Trump Administration to the Gulf of America, slated for 2025.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum made it crystal clear: the era of locking up domestic energy is over. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is dusting off its charts, pointing to an estimated 29.6 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and nearly 55 trillion cubic feet of gas lurking beneath the waves. Thats a lot of hydrocarbons just waiting to fund highways, schools, and more.

BOEM plans to issue the proposed notice of sale in June. These Outer Continental Shelf sales dont just boost U.S. energy independencethey shovel billions into the Treasury, with a side of revenue-sharing to keep coastal states happy and well-funded.

This move is a not-so-subtle jab at the Biden administrations approach to leasing. Burgum isnt shy about blaming the previous administration for high costs, or about promising that Trump-era Energy Dominance is back on the menu. Translation: get ready for more rigs, more jobs, and a big push to reassert Americas dominance in global energy markets.

Meanwhile, oil prices have tanked well below the Permians average breakeven, as a result of President Trumps Liberation Day tariffs and OPEC+s decision to increase production quotas for May by three times as much as expected. At 4:45 pm ET, WTI crude was trading down 6.62% at $62.52 per barrel, with Brent trading at $66.15 (-5.69%).

For the current US administration, the lease sale isnt just about oil and gasits about wresting back control of energy policy with a sledgehammermaybe with a little offshore drilling flair while theyre at it.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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By Lars Larson

NW and national radio host,

Ask yourself thisif you went to a public park and a stranger started reading porn out loud to your child, what would you do?

I expect youd run away.

Well, in Oregon public schools are stocking their libraries and curriculum with pornography.

Your local school district SHOULD BE able to keep that stuff off the shelves and out of classrooms.

Except the Oregon Senate just approved a bill that takes away your school districts authority to control the books your kids see.

I can tell you some of the stuff in these books is so sexually graphic I cant run sound bites of parents reading it out loud at school board meetings without the FCC slapping a big fine on me.

If you think this is mostly the nefarious Democrat Party, youre right.

But they have 60 percent margins in both houses so it will likely pass.

Governor Kotek got elected on illegal campaign donations, so Im sure shell sign it.

They even got Lincoln City Republican Senator Dick Anderson to vote yes on the pro-pornography bill. Im curious what it cost to buy Andersons vote.

I guess the only saving grace in Oregon public schools is that the majority of kids cant read. So that might protect the kiddosif state lawmakers wont.

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: CC0 Public Domain

The erosion of democracy in the U.S. has been a topic of concern in recent years, especially after protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to block the certification of Joe Biden's election as president. Most of the academic studies on democratic backsliding, however, have focused on public opinion within the U.S. and have not looked at global public opinion.

How favorably others view the U.S. is part of the country's "soft power"a term coined by Joseph Nye at Harvard University in the 1980s. It refers to a country's ability to influence other countries' policy decisions toward them through attraction rather than coercion. According to Nye, one of a country's soft power resources is democracy, so how others view U.S. democracy may affect how willing they are to cooperate with the U.S. on foreign policy.

A team of researchers from Dartmouth, the Australian National University, and Florida State University set out to examine how democratic backsliding in the U.S. may affect people's views toward the U.S. Through a series of survey experiments conducted in 2023 and 2024all before Donald Trump won a second term in officethey obtained data from more than 11,800 participants in 12 other democracies throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. The findings are published in PNAS Nexus.

In the spring of 2023, participants in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom evaluated how unfavorably or favorably they viewed the U.S. on a four-point scale. Half of the respondents received an overview of a hypothetical report on how democracy is declining in the U.S. before they were asked to rate how favorably they viewed the U.S. while the other half received no information beforehand. While the summary of the report mentioned the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol without mentioning Trump by name, the report also included other concerns about U.S. democratic backsliding, such as new laws that could make it harder for some groups of people to vote.

The researchers intentionally designed this hypothetical report to evaluate how information about democratic backsliding affects people's attitudes, independent of who the president is. In other words, their goal was to understand how people respond to negative views of U.S. democracy, not those of a particular president.

The second and third surveys were administered in New Zealand in July 2023 and in Japan, India, and South Korea in February 2024. The research team selected the four countries because they are key U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific. In these studies, respondents in the "treatment" group received either the democratic backsliding information, the same as the report used in the first study, or a summary of a hypothetical report on how the U.S. economy is declining. Respondents in the control group received neither. All participants were then asked to evaluate their favorability toward the U.S. In addition, they also answered questions about their policy preferences toward the U.S.

Across all three surveys, the results showed that respondents who received the information about the democratic backsliding report had a less favorable view of the U.S.

Yet, contrary to the research team's expectations, democratic backsliding did not reduce public support for cooperation policies with the U.S., a stark contradiction to Nye's theory of soft power.

"Our findings demonstrate that when it comes to international public opinion, a country's attractiveness does not necessarily change people's policy preferences," says co-author Yusaku Horiuchi, a professor of government and the Mitsui Professor of Japanese Studies at Dartmouth. "If the study, however, were to be repeated now under President Trump's second term, it would be interesting to see if the results may be any different."

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However, the co-authors add that in the current context, it would be especially difficult to distinguish between how global public opinion has changed due to U.S. democratic backsliding or the Trump administration's policies. "Our study is unique because we show the effects of changes in American democracy before the leadership change," says Horiuchi.

The results also showed that participants' favorability toward the U.S. was not reduced when they received hypothetical information reporting on the U.S. economy's declining performance. This finding demonstrates that an economic downturn does not influence global public opinion while U.S. democratic decline does.

"Understanding how citizens of democracies view each otheror in this case view the U.S.holds relevance for the future of U.S. foreign policy," says co-author Kathleen Powers, an associate professor of government and faculty coordinator for the War & Peace Fellows Program at the Dickey Center for International Understanding. "We did not find evidence that democratic backsliding reduced support for international cooperation, but the declining image of the U.S. could be an early indicator of whether there will be sustained support."

Horiuchi's long-time collaborators Benjamin Goldsmith at the Australian National University and Kelly Matush, a former post-doctoral fellow at the Dickey Center now at Florida State University, also contributed equally to the study.

The researchers have other studies underway examining democratic solidaritywhether democracies support another democracy in conflictand how foreign policy opinion shifts when major political change occurs within a country.

More information: Benjamin E Goldsmith et al, Democratic backsliding damages favorable U.S. image among the global public, PNAS Nexus (2025). DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf104 Journal information: PNAS Nexus
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

Mathematics anxiety is a feeling of tension and fear when dealing with numbers or performing calculations. It is a common form of academic anxiety: according to an OECD report, around 40% of students feel nervous, helpless or anxious in everyday situations involving mathematics, such as solving problems or doing math homework.

We know that mathematics anxiety is present from the first years of primary school, and it interferes with both mathematics performance and mathematics learning. However, the origins of mathematics anxiety are less clear.

Our new research, conducted in collaboration between the universities of Bologna, Trieste and Macerata in Italy and Loughborough University in the UK, addressed the question of whether parents may play a role in the development of children's math anxiety.

We wanted to find out if having a parent who struggled with math anxiety would make it more likely that their child also felt anxious when doing math.

The influenceor notof anxiety

We followed 126 children from Italy from the age of three until eight, assessing their math skills and level of math anxiety several times along the way. We also measured their parents' mathematics anxiety at the start of the study.

We found that, actually, having a parent with higher levels of math anxiety did not make it more likely that their children would also have math anxiety. This is different to what research has shown about general anxiety: growing up with a parent who suffers from anxiety is linked with a higher chance of developing anxiety.

What we did find was that the children of parents with math anxiety did less well in math.

Throughout the preschool years, children's early numeracy skills were lower if their parents were more anxious about math. And children with lower math skills in their early years still had lower math attainment when they were eight.

These findings are surprising, as one may expect the strong influence of school education on children's math skills to override any parental influence.

We also found that the relationship between parental math anxiety and children's mathematics development was still present when parents' level of education was taken into account. This means that children's lower math achievement couldn't be explained by their parents having a lower level of educational achievement themselves.

These findings add more nuance to the broader question of how beneficial parents taking a role in their children's math development is.

For literacylearning to read and writethe evidence is unanimous: parents getting involved in shared literacy activities with their children is beneficial. If parents spend more time engaging in reading books together, telling stories or talking with their children, this has a direct positive impact on children's outcomes.

When it comes to math, though, the picture is more mixed. Research does show that the more parents and children engage in shared math activities, such as counting, playing board games or measuring ingredients for cooking, the more children progress in their early numeracy. But the effect is small, and individual studies may show contradictory results.

And sometimes, parents helping their children with math may actually be linked with their children doing worse in math. Previous research, conducted in the United States, found that when parents were anxious about math, their children learned less math, and had higher math anxiety by the end of the school year if parents were helping them with their homework.

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Learning to overcome negative feelings

Our new study adds another piece to this puzzle by further showing that parents may sometimes have a negative influence on their child's math development, even before children go to school.

It is important to keep in mind that parental influence is just one of several factors that relate to children's early mathematics development. Even within the same family, siblings may show big differences in their mathematics skills and confidence. Issues with mathematics may also arise due to other factors, such as dyscalculia, a mathematical learning disability.

Nevertheless, our results suggest that, all other things being equal, parents' feelings about mathematics play a role in children's mathematics development.

For parents concerned about their math anxiety, it is never too late to increase your confidence in math and to learn functional numeracy skills. You can explore adult numeracy classes or take advantage of free online resources to help boost your confidence.

You can also embraceand help your child adopta growth mindset, where you recognize that making mistakes in math is not only okay, but an important part of the learning process.

Even just speaking more positively about math is a good start. Parents who show interest, enthusiasm and encouragement when their children engage with math can make a big difference.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Mike Lamont, director for accelerators and technology, center left, and Fabiola Gianotti, center right, director general of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), speak with members of the U.S. House of Representatives in the Large Magnet Facility during a visit to CERN facilities in Meyrin, near Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, March 21, 2025. Credit: Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP

Top minds at the world's largest atom smasher have released a blueprint for a much bigger successor that could vastly improve research into the remaining enigmas of physics.

The plans for the Future Circular Collidera nearly 91-kilometer (56.5-mile) loop along the French-Swiss border and below Lake Genevapublished late Monday put the finishing details on a project roughly a decade in the making at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

The FCC would carry out high-precision experiments in the mid-2040s to study "known physics" in greater detail, then enter a second phaseplanned for 2070that would conduct high-energy collisions of protons and heavy ions that would "open the door to the unknown," said Giorgio Chiarelli, a research director at Italy's National Institute of Nuclear Physics.

"History of physics tells that when there is more data, the human ingenuity is able to extract more information than originally expected," Chiarelli, who was not involved in the plans, said in an e-mail.

For roughly a decade, top minds at CERN have been making plans for a successor to the Large Hadron Collider, a network of magnets that accelerate particles through a 27-kilometer (17-mile) underground tunnel and slam them together at velocities approaching the speed of light.

The blueprint lays out the proposed path, environmental impact, scientific ambitions and project cost. Independent experts will take a look before CERN's two dozen member countriesall European except for Israeldecide in 2028 whether to go forward, starting in the mid-2040s at a cost of some 14 billion Swiss francs (about $16 billion).

CERN officials tout the promise of scientific discoveries that could drive innovation in fields like cryogenics, superconducting magnets and vacuum technologies that could benefit humankind.

Outside experts point to the promise of learning more about the Higgs boson, the elusive particle that has been controversially dubbed "the God particle," which helped explain how matter formed after the Big Bang.

Work at the Large Hadron 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.

CERN Director-General Fabiola Gianotti said the future collider "could become the most extraordinary instrument ever built by humanity to study the constituents and the laws of nature at the most fundamental levels in two ways," by improving study of the Higgs boson and paving the way to "explore the energy frontier," and by looking for new physics that explain the structure and evolution of the universe.

One unknown is whether the Trump administration, which has been cutting foreign aid and spending in academia and research, will continue to support CERN a year after the Biden administration pledged U.S. support for the study and collaboration on the FCC's construction and "physics exploitation" if it's approved.

The United States is home to 2,000 users of CERN, making them the single largest national contingent among the 17,000 people working there, including outside experts abroad and staff on site, Gianotti said.

While an observer state and not a member, the U.S. doesn't pay into the CERN regular budget but has contributed to specific projects. Most of the CERN regular budget comes from Europe.

Costas Fountas, the CERN Council president, said he had spoken with some U.S. National Science Foundation and Department of Energy staff who relayed the message that so far "they're 'under the radar of the cuts of the Trump administration'. That's their words."

CERN scientists, engineers and partners behind the plans considered at least 100 scenarios for the new collider before coming up with the proposed 91-kilometer circumference at an average depth of 200 meters (656 feet). The tunnel would be about 5 meters (16 feet) in diameter, CERN said.

 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
CAPE MAY  Last week, a blown valve at the citys desalination plant flooded the building.

It was not enough to interrupt water service, Mayor Zack Mullock said Friday, and the damage has been repaired.

But it underscored two points, he said. The current plant needs replacing, and time is not on the citys side.

City officials hope significant outside investment will help build a new plant in the coming years. There are federal commitments to fund the project, but with significant cuts to federal spending underway, Mullock has concerns.

Its kind of hard to feel confident in much right now. Theres so much volatility, he said. He indicated hes concerned, but not panicky.

A proposed desalination plant needed to keep Cape May hydrated was set to receive $1.5 million in fiscal year 2025, but that money has been cut as part of the budget process, officials with U.S. Sen. Cory Bookers office confirmed this week.

Its part of $200 million earmarked for hundreds of New Jersey projects dropped in legislation approved last month to avoid a government shutdown.

A rundown of lost earmarks prepared by NJ Spotlight News shows federal funding losses throughout the state, including projects in South Jersey earmarked by U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd.

Law approves funds for new Cape May desalination plant, but what about the money? A federal law signed in January approves a proposed desalination plant for Cape May, with an estimated $40 million price tag. The funding has yet to get approval.

Those include $4 million for Wildwood Crest for flood mitigation work earmarked through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and $3 million for Atlantic Cape Community College through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Cape May officials say the decades-old desal plant is operating over capacity and in need of replacement. Set between the ocean and Delaware Bay, Cape Mays water became increasingly salty as the city drew more fresh water from underground.

The $1.5 million was nowhere near the total amount needed to fund a new desal plant, estimated to cost at least $30 million. In January, the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 included $40 million for the Cape May project.

But while that law authorized the spending, it does not appropriate the funds.

Paxton Antonucci, spokesperson for Van Drew, said earlier this year the congressional office will continue to push for funding for the project, citing a $2 million allocation through the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Antonucci said Friday the $1.5 million cited from Bookers office does not really count as a cut.

It was never finalized in law, he said. That $1.5 million was potential funding through the FY25 government funding bill, but Congress did not reach an agreement to designate it, so it is not an actual reduction.

Van Drew and Booker have both sought to secure federal dollars for the Cape May project. Booker is a Democrat and a critic of President Donald J. Trump, a position he made clear in a record-breaking 25-hour speech on the Senate floor this week.

Cape May needs multiple sources to fund new desalination plant Cape May hears about plans for a new desalination plant, and efforts to fund it.

Van Drews political rise came as a Democrat in the strongly Republican Cape May County, changing parties in his first term in Congress and cementing ties to Trump. Van Drew made the announcement seated next to Trump in the Oval Office during Trumps fist term.

Mullock said Van Drew has been working closely with Cape May on securing funding for a new plant. Antonucci said that continues.

Congressman Van Drew successfully secured $2 million in the FY24 government funding bill through the EPA, which has already been appropriated and is in place, Antonucci said. In addition, the $40 million authorization for the desal plant remains intact. The Army Corps has been actively engaging with Cape May and its consultants to assess the best way forward for securing funding under that authorization. While the funding has not been appropriated yet, the authorization is a critical step in making it possible.

Both houses of Congress backed the Water Resources Development Act, what Mullock described as a now-rare bipartisan effort that he says bodes well for the desal plant funding ultimately being appropriated.

Cape May officials have said for years the city could not afford to replace the plant without state and federal help. The city has a separate water utility, funded by ratepayers. Trying to fund the entire project would require an astronomical increase in water rates, Mullock said Friday.

The current plant was constructed in the 1990s, also with significant help from federal grants. Much of the funding came from the Department of Agriculture. That plant is housed in a century-old building at the end of Canning House Lane.

Reverse osmosis is used to remove the salt from the water. The remaining water is processed and heads to the pipes, where it is used in Cape May, Lower Township and other communities, as well as at the U.S. Coast Guard training facility.

The current proposal calls for the construction of another building, designed to resemble the existing building. As proposed, it could provide 3.2 million gallons of water a day.

Cape May looks to federal dollars to build new desal plant A new water treatment plant may provide millions of gallons of water a day to thirsty Cape May residents, visitors and Coast Guard recruits, if the city can find the money.

Mullock described Cape May as a fairly small community but one that needs the infrastructure to handle huge crowds on a summer weekend, including providing enough water.

We are still working through these processes, and we remain engaged in this process to keep it moving forward, Antonucci said Friday.
A jury on Friday found Johnell Smith III guilty of first-degree murder in relation to the 2023 death of Danny Taylor.

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.

Smith, now 17, address unavailable, faced two counts of first-degree murder and a count of home invasion as an adult in relation to the shooting, court records state.

Smiths trial started Monday with Rock Island County Judge Frank Fuhr presiding. The jury began its deliberations Thursday afternoon but paused for the day just before 6 p.m.

Deliberations resumed Friday and the panel reached its verdict about 3 p.m., records state. The jurors convicted Smith on one of the murder charges and on the home invasion charge.

The jury could not reach a decision on the other murder charge, Rock Island County Assistant States Attorney Steve Cichon and Smiths attorney, Eric Reyes, said after the hearing.

A sentencing date had not yet been set Friday afternoon, but a status hearing had been set for April 10, court records state.

More on the states allegations

Authorities think the two people who broke into the home early that morning were Smith and Napoleon Jackson, according to court documents. Once inside, the intruders became embroiled in a fight with Danny Taylor and his father, David.

During the fight, both Danny Taylor and Smith were shot by Jackson, authorities allege. They think Jackson turned the gun on David Taylor during the fight but shot Smith instead.

After they left the home, Jackson and Smith ran to a nearby waiting vehicle, authorities allege. The occupants then drove Smith to an area hospital. Smith, shot in the chest, eventually required treatment in Peoria.

The trial and closing arguments

At trial, the prosecutions presentation included testimony from Danny Taylors parents, both of whom were in the house when their son was killed, and Rock Island County Sheriffs Office Sgt. Jesse Doty, the lead investigator on the case.

Smith testified in his own defense on Thursday. He was the only defense witness. He contended he went to the Taylor residence with Jackson and two others to buy marijuana from Danny Taylor.

It was Jackson who turned the trip into a fatal robbery, Smith alleged from the stand. Jackson coerced Smith into participating at gunpoint.

It was Jackson who accosted Danny Taylor and also deliberately shot Smith during the encounter, Smith testified.

Both Cichon, who had the burden to prove his case, and Reyes made their closing arguments on Thursday before deliberations began. During closing arguments, attorneys make final statements to the jury about what they think the evidence has shown.

Cichons close included skepticism of Smiths account of events.

His testimony was unbelievable in light of the facts, Cichon said.

He described Smiths statements as self-serving.

There was time during the hours before the shooting where the two teens would have had time to talk by themselves, Cichon said.

Cichon argued they were both armed and had masks when they went to Danny Taylors house.

Cichon told the panel the states case proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Smith is accountable for first-degree murder and home invasion.

Reyes arguments included that the only reason Smith was facing charges was because of Jacksons actions.

His client was compelled to be there and forced to do an illegal action, Reyes contended.

There was no discussion of committing a robbery in the hours before the shooting, Reyes said.

He was betrayed by someone he thought was his friend," Smiths attorney said.

Reyes argued there was no evidence Smith was accountable for what happened.

The other defendants

Jackson, now 18, faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count each of home invasion and aggravated battery, records state. His case remained pending as of Friday afternoon.

Authorities also charged Tationna Taylor, 21, Milan, with home invasion in relation to the incident, records state.

Tationna Taylor is not related to Danny Taylor, records state.

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.

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.

Evidence implicating Smith

On the kicked-in door, there was a mark from a shoe that appeared similar to shoes connected to Smith, pretrial records state. 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.
U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson told a group of high school students Friday the country needs them.

At his annual Level Up youth conference on the Western Dakota Tech campus, South Dakota's sole congressman said American politics needs people who are willing to tackle tough topics, get engaged in politics and public policy, and do so without falling into the rabid tribalism that's the norm today.

"The reality is we need you, and we need you more now than any other point in my life, because politics is so ugly, because it is so polarizing. If you're someone in this audience who feels like you can disagree with someone and not view them as your enemy, but view them as a fellow American who happens to have different opinions, then we need you involved," Johnson told the crowd of a reporter-estimated 100 students. "There are too many people who want to fight us. There are too many people who take some sort of perverse joy out of (the divide) in America, the city folk and the country folk, the young and the old, the brown and the white, the rich and the poor, all fighting one another."

The conference, aimed to get students involved and focus on civics and civility, offered students a chance to learn about government, meet other students and ask questions of Johnson. But first, he talked about his background and a few lessons learned in his time in politics. Johnson served on the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission and was chief of staff to former Gov. Dennis Daugaard before being first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018.

The Washington, D.C. Johnson works in is hyper-partisan. He told students their generation must be among those who work to improve politics.

"One thing that I know for sure ... when America is unified, when we're together, there hasn't been anything that has beaten us. But when we're fighting with one another, we're doing the work of (Russian President) Vladimir Putin or (Chinese President) Xi Jinping for them. And so I think this is the clarion call for all of you," Johnson said. "I think the central point of today is that we need you, and even when it's not convenient, we need you. And if you are frustrated, if you are irritated about the state of American politics, good for you. I am too. And so what are we going to do about it? We have two choices. We can ignore the problems and it will get worse, or we can get engaged, and we got a pretty good chance of making things better."

How do students get involved? Johnson fielded the question during a question-and-answer session with students. He said voting is important, of course. But for those who can and those who aren't voting age yet, getting involved has an outsized impact. Specifically, Johnson mentioned making phone calls for candidates, knocking on doors and said though "I don't place as much stock in protests for changing public opinion, but that would be an option too."

"Regardless of what your political views are, if you really want to get involved and make a difference, find a candidate or a cause that is a pretty good fit with your views. No candidates (are) perfect but just find somebody that you believe in and go to their website, give them your email address and tell them that you want to help. And when you volunteer at that next parade, they're going to get to know you, and you're going to get to know them, and you're going to influence their decision, and at some point, they're going to have a conversation with you about, well, 'OK, so how is lunch in school? What do you think about what's going on in technical education?'" he said. "That's how officials learn, by having conversations with people who know more than they do about those issues."

Teacher Heidi Tahir, who brought a throng of students from St. Francis Indian School on the Rosebud Reservation, said she wanted to help them learn how to deal with the government and with governance, and how to build upon their leadership skills.

"So I think hearing Congressman Johnson will really inspire them to work hard, to be motivated to keep up, because they will be the future leaders of tomorrow, because they are the youth," she said. "By exposing them and having to mingle or be with other youth will really equip them with essential skills and competencies to really work harder and perform at their best, because they're really brilliant kids."

Questions and answers

One student at the conference asked Johnson if he'll run for governor.

The congressman didn't announce a run, but said he expects there to be a large field vying for the spot during the 2026 election.

"(I'm) spending my time focused on my day job. That being said, I do think this is a really special part of the world. I think there are some opportunities that we're not taking. And it would not surprise me at all if I do," he said. "There will be lots of good people. South Dakotans are going to have choices."

Asked about the Trump Administration's plan to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, Johnson said however that shakes out, he wants the federal government to continue funding Title programs and special education, saying it'd be a mistake not to.

"The federal government doesn't decide what the standards you are supposed to learn are. They don't decide the pedagogy or the techniques your teachers are supposed to use. They don't choose the textbooks. They're mostly just a check writer," he said. "Title programs and then special education, we can move those, but we need to make sure that they're still there."

On the topic of his failures in public service, Johnson said his "tough on crime" perspective has changed over the years. "Traditionally my party felt like harsher sentences would reduce crime, so if somebody makes a mistake, you lock them up and throw away the key. And that was really my worldview, too."

But in his time as Daugaard's chief of staff, Johnson studied the data and found the overwhelming majority of prisoners in South Dakota were nonviolent offenders. Talking about drug addicts specifically, Johnson said there are "no free passes" but "putting nonviolent offenders in prison has actually proven to make them more likely become violent offenders when they come out."

"Being forced to confront the actual data of what works was a real eye opener. It's hard to admit when you're wrong," he said.

In between conference sessions, which included games for students that spurred interaction, breakout sessions, and a speech by blogger and former Congressional and White House staffer Brittany Richman of Rapid City, Johnson said the conference is a chance to engage with students.

"We've done these in a number of communities across the state for the last few years. We're just committed to the idea that if we're going to make America and South Dakota stronger, we need a higher level of engagement from the next generation," Johnson told media at the event. "Every once in a while, some older person will tell me that the world is going to hell in a hand basket because of the youth. I suppose we've been telling ourselves that forever. That's not my observation. My observation is that these students care as much about their country and state as anybody ever has, that they understand the importance of the role they play and that they're ready to go make a difference."
A new convoy has been dispatched to relocate families to the Suqovushan village in Aghdara district. In this phase, 53 familiestotaling 174 peoplewill be moved to the village.

In line with President Ilham Aliyev's directive, the Great Return to the areas liberated from occupation continues. The families moving to the rebuilt Suqovushan village in Aghdara district are those who were temporarily housed in places like dormitories, sanatoriums, and administrative buildings in various parts of the Republic.

The returning residents expressed their gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, as they are surrounded by comprehensive state support. They also thanked the brave Azerbaijani Army for liberating their lands, and sent their respects to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in this struggle.

It is important to note that currently, in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, about 40,000 people live in the region. This includes former internally displaced persons who have been resettled, as well as those working on projects in the area, employees of various state institutions, and workers in newly reactivated sectors such as healthcare, education, culture, tourism, industry, and energy.
Since the U.S. Department of Education for Civil Rights released a lengthy report last May, showing Rapid City Area Schools had, in many ways, treated Native American students worse than white students, the district followed a resolution agreement to solve the discrepancies.

Then came news on Thursday the Office for Civil Rights terminated the agreement. The decision came as a result of an executive order from President Donald Trump, in what critics have called a DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) purge.

RCAS had no say in the termination. School board members described feeling blindsided, upset and said they are currently navigating the abrupt change. In a statement Thursday, acting Superintendent Cory Strasser said the the district "has completed a significant portion of the work outlined in the agreement. These efforts have positively impacted all students" and "the district's steadfast commitment to providing a safe, positive and high-quality educational experience for all students remains unchanged." District officials also said Thursday they'll say notify the community of information as it becomes available.

As the question of what happens next looms, Sarah White, an Indigenous education advocate and founder and executive director of South Dakota Education Equity Coalition, said RCAS is at "a very critical juncture right now."

White said that continuing to make changes shows progress, a commitment to improving Native students lives and willingness to solve issues highlighted in the report. Among them: Native American students received 5.5 times more law enforcement referrals and were arrested 5.84 times more than white students during the 2021-2022 school year.

Responses to the agreement have included taking the 2024-25 school year to investigate, compile data and learn why Native American students were disciplined harsher, received less opportunities for advanced placement courses and had higher rates of chronic absenteeism. These were key findings in the OCR report.

It lends us an opportunity to identify where we need as a district to provide the most support, and in the attendance realm, it shows us where we need to provide the most resources and time. And certainly we've noticed early on, certain classes at certain schools, certain grades at certain schools, need a lot of attention, Ira Taken Alive, RCAS Title VI manager, told the Rapid City Journal in December.

Another one of the changes was hiring Kit Viet, a director of positive school climate and culture, in January.

Viets hiring signaled that RCAS has an ongoing commitment to every single student in their district, and their leadership is committed to ensuring that everyone has a quality educational experience, White said.

But if Viet isnt retained, and other changes are rolled back, White, whos Oglala Lakota, said it demonstrates regression, that we don't matter, and obligations were made to check a box  not provide long-term solutions. What's more, White said it would exacerbate frustrations held among the Native American community.

"It's not a thing to check off on your to do list. Rather, it's an ongoing relationship that needs to be nurtured and prioritized," White said.

In a release, RCAS said, This directive from the OCR follows President Trumps Executive Order on Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, which directs federal agencies to eliminate race-based policies in education, employment, and government programs.

The news comes at a time when DEI initiatives, big and small, and Native American education have been among President Donald Trumps targets since he returned to the Oval Office. In mid-February, 81 Bureau of Indian Education employees were laid off as part of a federal government-wide layoff of probationary employees ordered by the Trump administration. Indian Country Times recently reported that the employees were reinstated, but frustrations that it occurred in the first place remain.

While proponents of Trumps DEI executive order consider it an apt way to eliminate hand outs that wastes federal funding, opponents consider Trump's decision a way to prevent disadvantaged communities from competing with students who're born into better opportunities.

RCAS school board member Walt Swan noted Central Principal Terry Lundeen as one of the many educators within RCAS who understands the challenges Native American students face and why there needs to be more time and resources to help.

"'If I don't make this section of my community better, then my community isn't going to rise, Swan said of their mindset.

While in Rapid City on Friday for his annual Level Up youth conference, Rep. Dusty Johnson said he trusts Rapid City Area Schools to continue on a path toward education equity.

"The members of the Rapid City school district are acutely aware of some of the points made in the report. I know the school district well enough to know that if there have been problems, they're going to try to fix it," the Republican congressman said. "Most people get into education because they love kids and they want them to learn and succeed. That's certainly not going away because of anything done by the administration."

After the OCR report was released last May, Taken Alive said the Native American community felt positive because it publicized many of their long held frustrations. The investigation was 10 years long. It was sparked after a complaint was filed in 2010.

This upswing in momentum continued in August after the school board ousted former Superintendent Nicole Swigart. When it came time to find Swigarts replacement, the school board told the search firm in charge of the hiring process that they wanted someone who could help close Native American students succeed.

The school district recently hired Jami Jo Thompson who has an understanding of the OCR report and experience working with Native American students, according to Tyresha Grey Horse, a member involved in the superintendent interview process.

Obviously what is really important to myself, as just an Indigenous parent of students here, was how informed she was about the OCR (report), and I was impressed, said Grey Horse, a Title VI representative. I specifically asked What do you know about the OCR (report)? And she came back with answers about it. She was up to date. And to me, that's really important in starting a relationship.

The difficult part for the district moving forward is wanting to continue these efforts, build better relationships with the Native American community, but also needing to comply with the law and federal orders. Such orders that are out of their control  and may force them to pull back or slow down their ambitions.

"I don't want to acquiesce to the idea that we're getting rid of something. Now is the time to be active. Now is the time to stand, because otherwise everything can easily go back to the way it was, or even worse, Swan said.
On Tyranny, a book by Yale University history professor Timothy Snyder, vividly uses the past as a primer for our current fascist moment.

The first chapter of this book, beautifully illustrated by Nora Krug, is titled Do not obey in advance. In times like these, individuals freely offer power to authoritarians in anticipation of what they might want. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do, Snyder writes.

We are watching this play out from the highest court in the land to corporate boardrooms to college leaders. At the latter, blind obedience should be antithetical to the missions of their institutions. But what Snyder warned against in his 2021 bestseller is unfolding.

Anticipatory obedience, he writes, is a political tragedy.

Or as Virginia Commonwealth University student Sereen Haddad said Thursday: Fascism is not something we learned in our fourth-grade textbooks. It is not history. It is here and it is now. And if we do not stop it, it will consume everything.

Haddad, flanked by fellow students Cristina Sayegh and Kenza Zitouni, held a news conference Thursday at VCUs Compass as part of a global Gaza Unbreakable Week of Rage. On behalf of Students for Justice in Palestine at VCU, they issued five demands to universitys administration, including a call to resist fascist attacks and establish VCU as a Sanctuary Campus.

Behind them was the lawn of the Cabell Library, where police in riot gear broke up an encampment of Pro-Palestinian supporters last April  an event followed by new restrictions on protest. Nowadays, pro-Palestinian student demonstrators elsewhere are being snatched away for possible deportation, without due process, as universities that should be protecting them instead surrender them to federal agents.

It takes remarkable courage for college students to place themselves before TV cameras and speak out at a moment when the Trump administration aggressively tries to intimidate them and muzzle their speech. For Haddad, a Maryland native of Palestinian descent, this issue is not abstract: She has lost relatives during Israels relentless assault on Gaza following Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

You may not agree with the position of the demonstrators. But whether you realize it or not, these students are fighting for your rights.

Trump was outspoken during his campaign about his plan to deport undocumented immigrants. When a legal U.S. resident in Maryland got swept up in this heedless dragnet and was deposited in a notorious prison in El Salvador, the Trump administration  incredulously  said it was powerless to secure the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

But the Trump administration also seems focused on using deportation to punish political speech, regardless of ones legal resident status. Those who thought this campaign would end with the abduction of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil or ICEs pursuit of another Columbia student and permanent resident, Yunseo Chung, were mistaken.

Ranjani Srinivasan of India, a doctoral student at Columbia, fled to Canada after Department of Homeland Security agents pounded on the door of her Columbia University apartment. As it turns out, her student visa had been revoked and Homeland Security branded her as a terrorist sympathizer, according to The New York Times. Srinivasan told that paper that she is not an activist and was not a member of any group that organized demonstrations on campus.

A disturbing subplot has emerged of private pro-Israel groups compiling lists of pro-Palestinian protesters for submittal to the Trump administration for possible deportation. Accusations of antisemitism have been weaponized to chill free speech in opposition to an ongoing campaign of death, destruction and starvation in Gaza that  given the shared objectives of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu to permanently remove Palestinians in a redeveloped Gaza  has all the features of an ethnic cleansing.

In this context, weaponizing antisemitism can be viewed as yet another divide-and-conquer tactic to distract us from the oligarch project to deconstruct government by and for the people.

SJPVCU also demands that VCU reject anti-Palestinian conditions for continued federal funding, disclose and divest from Zionist companies, push war profiteers off campus, and democratize university decision-making, investment and policy.

Friday, a university spokesman said VCU had no response regarding the students and the news conference. The students, for their part, expressed frustration Thursday at their inability to gain an audience with VCU administrators.

Students, protected by the First Amendment, should be able to express Palestinian solidarity without being branded as terrorist sympathizers or subjected to possible deportation. Universities should not be forced to choose between protecting student speech and safety or forgoing federal funding.

But here we are.

VCU parades itself as a progressive institution and as a university that stands against oppression, uplifts diversity, and prides itself on being uncommon, Haddad said. But when the moment came to prove it, when the rise of fascism became undeniable and when Trumps racist authoritarian agenda demanded compliance or resistance, VCU did not resist it. It fell in line.

Instead of rejecting authoritarianism, VCU became a tool of it. Instead of standing for academic freedom, they dismantled DEI. Instead of defending free speech, they criminalized student protests. And instead of resisting Trumps fascist vision, they preemptively complied, Haddad said. VCU is not just complicit; it is actively laying the groundwork for a future where universities are factories for oppression.

To side with an oppressive government in this instance is to play a dangerous game. What Snyder called anticipatory obedience  the willingness of a citizenry to compromise its values and principles  did not end well in Nazi Germany and Austria.

It wont end well here.

It is turning this campus into an authoritarian testing ground, where repression is normalized and resistance is punished, Haddad said. And make no mistake: This is bigger than VCU and it is bigger than Palestine. If you think it does not affect you, I swear to you it does. Fascism does not stop at one group of people. The policies being enforced on us today will define the world we all inherit tomorrow.

The students will not be silenced, Haddad said. She encouraged community members to stand with them because our fight is your fight, and our struggle is in fact your struggle.

Silence will not protect you, she said. The cost of silence is far greater.

Authoritarians love silence. Its time to get loud.
Conapesca seize 6,000 meters of illegally placed gillnets set to capture totoabas for international trafficking

Baja California, Mexico  The National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (Conapesca) removed 6,000 meters of illegally placed gillnets. They also released trapped fish and sea turtles found entangled in the nets.

Personnel from the Comision Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca (Conapesca) removed 6,000 meters of illegal gillnets and released 10 totoabas and two turtles in the Upper Gulf of California.

A total of 35 totoabas were caught in the nets, however, 10 were found still alive and released. The net removal and marine life release was an operation carried out by the Ministry of the Navy (Semar), the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) and Conapesca.

Three gillnets used for illegal totoaba fishing were seized. The discovery occurred 37 kilometers north of the port of San Felipe, in the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve.

Twenty-five totoabas were found trapped in the nets, weighing a total of 875 kilograms. To prevent illegal harvesting, the fish carcasses were rendered useless. Ten totoabas and two sea turtles were released alive, Conapesca reported.

The seized nets had a total length of 6,000 meters. Two of them measured 3,000 meters together and contained the 35 caught specimens, while the third net, approximately 3,000 meters long, contained no fish.

The capture of totoaba is prohibited as it is a species of endangered wildlife. Its capture also threatens the vaquita marina, a mammal endemic to the Gulf of California and in danger of extinction. Illegal totoaba capture is due to the international trafficking of its swim bladder, they reported.

This operation is part of the Mexican governments Compliance Action Plan to prevent illegal fishing and trade of totoaba. This plan is implemented through the Upper Gulf of California Intergovernmental Sustainability Group (GIS), whose primary objective is to protect the vaquita marina.
One of six criminal gang members captured in Playa del Carmen fatal kidnapping found dead in prison cell

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  One of the six people captured Friday in a fatal kidnapping has died. Police say Jose Guadalupe N, one of the criminal gang members arrested Friday in the deadly PDC kidnapping, died while in a prison cell.

Police say they are investigating his death which happened inside the FGE jail in Playa del Carmen sometime Friday. In a statement released late Friday night, police did not say when he was found or under what circumstances, however, they did say that during the arrests of the group of six Friday afternoon, some of those involved were injured.

The Quintana Roo Attorney Generals Office (FGE) reports that it has opened an investigation into the death of a man identified as Jose Guadalupe N. This death occurred in the prison cells of this Social Representation Office in Playa del Carmen.

This person is one of six people arrested Friday afternoon following a police chase in which some of those involved were injured and received prompt medical attention.

In compliance with its legal powers and in strict adherence to human rights, the State Attorney Generals Office will perform an autopsy and conduct an investigation, independent of the one being conducted against the detainees, with the goal of clarifying the facts and determining responsibility.

On Friday, Jose Guadalupe N was captured by police along with four other men and one woman. The group of criminal gang members were arrested after a highway pursuit.

Their vehicle was being sought after they shot and kidnapped a man reported by police as being a rival gang member. When their car was intercepted on the federal 307 north of Playa del Carmen, police located the dead body of their kidnapped victim.
Six arrests made after PDC criminal gang clash in Xcalacoco leaves one dead

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  Six people are currently in police custody for the murder of a Playa del Carmen kidnapping victim. Police were made aware of a shooting on a backroad into the Xcalacoco area of north PDC late Friday morning.

At the scene police located a yellow car left behind by the driver during a pursuit by his alleged kidnappers. When the driver of the car crashed-stopped into a tree, his pursuers shot him, removed him from his vehicle and forced him into theirs.

The getaway vehicle was last seen heading up the federal 307 highway toward Cancun. Police intercepted two vehicles described used in the kidnapping, one of which was transporting the victim.

The victim, an adult male, was found dead inside the getaway car. A second vehicle, a van painted as a laundry service vehicle, was also intercepted. According to available information, the van acted as a pilot vehicle for the getaway car transporting the kidnapped man.

Early Friday afternoon, police reported on the arrests of five men and one woman involved in the kidnapping and subsequent death of the man. According to the State Attorney General (FGE), the kidnapping was a clash between rival criminal groups.

Police have identified those captured as Jose Guadalupe N, Luis Alfonso N, Angel N, Cristopher N, Angel Eduardo N and Consuelo N. The were captured after a chase with police. Several of those arrested were reported injured.

In a statement, the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC) and the Attorney Generals Office (FGE) of the State of Quintana Roo reported a confrontation between two groups of armed individuals occurred on Federal Highway 307 near Xcalacoco.

Upon arriving at the scene, municipal police officers, with support from the Peacebuilding Coordination Group, seized a vehicle, which inside a deceased person was found. As a result of the intervention, six people allegedly involved in these incidents were arrested and three firearms were seized, they said.

In a separate statement, the FGE reported on the initiation of an investigation stemming from the arrest of six people, five men and one woman, by the Municipal Police of this district, for their probable involvement in the crime of aggravated homicide against a man whose identity is reserved.

The detainees are Jose Guadalupe N, Luis Alfonso N, Angel N, Cristopher N, Angel Eduardo N and Consuelo N. At the time of their capture, the suspects were seized with three handguns and three vehicles.

Initial investigations link the detainees to being members of a violent criminal group dedicated to the sale and distribution of drugs in the municipality. They are also being investigated for their alleged involvement in a homicide that occurred on April 2 of this year inside a bar in the city.

Following their arrest, the five men and the woman, along with the seized evidence, were handed over to the Public Prosecutors Office. Authorities from all levels of government are working in a coordinated manner to bring lawbreakers to justice.
This week, Roanoke College installed a sculpture on campus to memorialize the hundreds of enslaved people who played a part in the institutions history.

Titled Authors and Architects, the cube-shaped sculpture is made of hundreds of bronze books, many of which have their spines embossed with the names of enslaved laborers with ties to the college.

The piece was designed by Sandy Williams IV, a Richmond-based artist and assistant professor of art at the University of Richmond. During Roanoke Colleges dedication ceremony for the memorial sculpture on Friday, Williams, who uses the pronoun they, shared that they feel lucky to have been a part of the project.

I commend the school again for doing this work, for supporting your students and for doing your part to honor the legacy of these people who were previously denied humanity in our records, they said.

More than 800 names are included in the sculpture, each representing a real person who either was an enslaved laborer or was enslaved by a member of the colleges faculty, board of trustees or other affiliate. The books were cast from 3D scanned replicas of the original library and record books from the college. Some books in the sculpture dont have names or sit with their pages facing out, representing the enslaved people whose names were never recorded. The books serve as a metaphor for their missing stories, Williams said.

While these books are innate and beautiful, the books on this memorial are closed to represent the stories that we may never have access to, they said.

A group of 16 Roanoke College students found the names through hours of research as a part of the Genealogy of Slavery project, which began in 2019. The next year, the college established the Center for Studying Structures of Race.

Information found through the student research was used to create the Genealogy of Slavery Database, an online collection of details about people who were enslaved in Roanoke County. Currently, the database includes information on more than 4,000 people. A page on the Genealogy of Slavery website lists all the enslaved people whose names are included on Authors and Architects, along with any information the researchers know about them.

In recent years, schools across the South have taken similar action to recognize the previously overlooked role enslaved people had in their history. In Virginia, Washington and Lee University, the University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary have all made efforts to memorialize these individuals on their own campuses.

I am enormously proud that Roanoke College is a place where we take this responsibility seriously, Roanoke College President Frank Shushok Jr. said. By choosing to tell our full story out loud, we join only a handful of colleges and universities across the country to install a public memorial for enslaved individuals.

The sculpture was installed at 226 Maxey Way in Salem, across from Roanoke Colleges admissions building. It sits right by Bittle Memorial Hall, named after the colleges first president, David F. Bittle, who led the school from 1853 to 1876. Research by the Center for Studying the Structures of Race has found that Bittle, as well as several key figures for whom buildings on campus are now named after, held enslaved people.

Jesse Bucher, college historian, professor and director of the Center for Studying Structures of Race at Roanoke College, addressed this in the History of Enslavement Report, which he wrote to summarize the work of the Genealogy of Slavery project. The college directly benefited and grew from the widespread practice of enslavement, the report reads.

Enslaved artisans, skilled craftspeople, and laborers built the colleges original buildings, Bucher wrote in the report. Founders of the college, especially members of the Board of Trustees and faculty, owned and enslaved human beings.

Enslaved laborers helped build structures like Bittle Memorial Hall, which originally served as a library, but were not allowed access to those structures or the resources within them, Williams said. The sculptures title, Authors and Architects, references the fact that Roanoke College was built by enslaved laborers who didnt have access to the opportunities that the college created for others.

This memorial honors their memory, acknowledges the freedom and education denied to them in their own time, and underscores the significant roles that Black people played in the establishment and success of the broader Roanoke and Salem communities, Williams said.
One thing that could rupture Russias friendship with China

As he looks to solidify his territorial gains in Ukraine in a potential ceasefire deal, Russian President Vladimir Putin has one eye trained on Russias southern border  and boosting Russian influence in Central Asia.

Following his 2024 re-election, Putin made Uzbekistan his third foreign visit after China and Belarus. The visit signalled the regions continued importance to Moscow.

In response to Western sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine war, trade and investment between Russia and Central Asian countries have grown significantly.

Russias Lukoil and Gazprom are now the dominant foreign players in Uzbekistans energy fields. In Kazakhstan, Moscow controls a quarter of the countrys uranium production.

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But as Russia tries to reaffirm its role in the region, China has also been quietly expanding its influence.

Could this growing competition over Central Asia affect Beijing and Moscows broader relationship?

Central Asia drifting apart from Moscow

The Central Asian region is home to approximately 79 million people spread across five nations. It was part of the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991. Its strategic location between Russia and China, on the doorstep of the Middle East, has long made it a grand chessboard for great power politics.

While Russia has traditionally dominated the region, Central Asian leaders have made efforts to somewhat distance themselves from Moscow recently.

At the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit in October 2022, for example, Tajikistans president publicly challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin. He demanded respect for smaller states like his.

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Similarly, during Putins 2023 visit to Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made a symbolic statement at the press conference by delivering his speech in Kazakh rather than Russian. This was a rare move that seemed to catch Putins delegation off guard.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in 2023 (Sputnik)

In another striking moment, Tokayev declared at an economic forum in Russia in 2022 that Kazakhstan does not recognise Russias quasi-states, referring to its occupied territories of Ukraine.

Yet, all Central Asian states remain part of at least one Russia-led organisation, such as the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, or the Eurasian Economic Union.

Three states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) rely on Russian security guarantees through the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

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And the regions economic dependency on Russia remains significant. Of the 6.1 million migrants in Russia, the largest groups come from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. These countries depend heavily on remittances from these migrant workers.

Chinas growing influence

With Russia preoccupied with Ukraine and constrained by Western sanctions, China has seized the opportunity to deepen its engagement in the region.

Beijings involvement in Central Asia has long been economic. In 2013, for instance, China unveiled its ambitious, global Belt and Road Initiative in Kazakhstan. And by 2024, it was China, not Russia, that was the largest trading partner of every Central Asian country except Tajikistan.

But in recent years, China has expanded its influence beyond economic ties, establishing itself as a key player in regional politics.

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At the inaugural China-Central Asia Summit in 2023, for example, Chinese leader Xi Jinping pledged support for the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of the region. This is traditionally a role played by Russia.

China's President Xi Jinping (AFP/Getty)

Xi has also been making high-profile visits to Central Asian states, signalling Beijings growing strategic interests here.

Local populations, however, remain wary. Public opinion surveys indicate China is viewed more negatively than Russia.

Many Chinese-funded projects bring their own workers, limiting job opportunities for locals and fuelling resentment. There is also anxiety about potential debt trap diplomacy. Civil society groups have called for economic diversification to avoid over-reliance on Beijing.

Further complicating matters is Beijings treatment of the Muslim minority Uyghur population in the Xinjiang region of western China. This has reinforced suspicions in Muslim-majority Central Asia about Chinas long-term intentions in the region.

Growing competition

The increasing competition raises questions about the potential impact on the broader, no limits relationship between Moscow and Beijing.

At a recent forum, Putin acknowledged Beijings growing economic role in the region. However, he insisted Russia still has special ties with Central Asian states, rooted in history. And he notably dismissed concerns about Chinas expansionist aims, saying: There is nothing about domination in the Chinese philosophy. They do not strive for domination.

On the ground, however, things arent so simple.

So far, China and Russia have managed to avoid stepping on each others toes. How long that balance remains, however, is an open question.

Central Asian countries, meanwhile, are courting both sides  and diversifying their ties beyond the two powers.

Many of the regions educated elite are increasingly looking toward Turkey  and pan-Turkic solidarity  as an alternative to both Russian and Chinese dominance.

Russias historical influence in the region remains strong. But the days of its unquestioned dominance appear to be over.

Russia may try to reassert its preeminent position, but Chinas deepening economic presence is not going anywhere.

With both countries pushing their own regional agendas, its hard to ignore the overlap  and the potential for a future clash over competing interests.

Dilnoza Ubaydullaeva is a Lecturer in Government at Flinders University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
How to Do It is Slates sex advice column. Have a question? Send it to Jessica and Rich here. Its anonymous!

Dear How to Do It,

My husband suffers from serious migraines, but cant take the medications available to treat them due to his sensitivity to the side effects. Recently he was incapacitated with one, and I asked him if there was anything I could do to help. He responded How about a blow job? I laughed about it, but when he said he was serious, I decided to give it a go and see if it made a difference. Thats when things started to get weird.

Amazingly, he felt well enough after about 10 minutes to get back to work (he works from home due to his migraine issue). The thing is, now he wants a blow job every time a migraine strikes. Based on his reaction it actually does seem to alleviate his symptoms! The trouble is that hes been having migraines and requiring my help at least three times a day lately. Is there any medical basis for this, or could he be taking advantage of the situation?

An Unlikely Cure

Dear An Unlikely Cure,

To truly test whether blow jobs are the panacea that he is claiming, youll want to have some kind of comparison between how orgasming through other means (like masturbation) does or doesnt affect his migraines. To put it more bluntly: Why cant this guy jerk off to relieve his pain? Has he given you an answer for this? Have you asked?

To be clear, there is data suggesting that sexual activity may actually alleviate his migraines and/or the pain associated with them. A 2013 study in the journal Cephalalgia found that 60 percent of survey responders who had experienced sexual activity during a migraine reported that their migraines improved in seeming response. Here sexual activity referred to any sexual intercourse or masturbation with the aim of reaching an orgasm or an orgasm-like feeling. The study is clear: the kind of sexual activity did not seem to have any influence on the particular reaction and the primary headache associated with sexual activity appears to be independent of the specific sexual methods, e.g. while masturbating.

This is why I wonder whether he has even tested whether masturbating would serve the same function as your blow jobs. Something tells me no, and that hes effectively gilding the lily here. Perhaps he has been honest about the pain relief and less so about the necessary means. Incidentally, the study uncovered that men respond to this kind of relief particularly well (73.3 reported sexual activity marking improvement or stopping the migraine attack altogether versus 58 percent of women responders). The study authors postulated that the analgesic effect of sex on migraines may have something to do with the release of endorphins or mere distraction from pain.

If you dont mind giving him three blow jobs a day, great, go for it. Otherwise, show him the study/this answer and tell him that hell do just as well on his own.

Rich

More Advice from Slate

When I got back together with my now-wife after we broke up, I was surprised to discover that shed picked up a lot of new skills in the bedroom. When we were together, the sex was good, but now, since shes been with other people, its much, much better. I cant help but be jealous about thisit drives me crazy to think about her being with other people. How can I handle these feelings?

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The final sunset of Ramadan last week found me below a mosque in the Bronx, in a basement cafeteria, elbow to elbow with hungry Muslims awaiting that last fast-breaking meal of the year. It was the first stop on Zohran Mamdanis nightlong mayoral campaign blitz into the robust Muslim constituency that dots New York City.

At 33, Mamdani looks less like a politician than like someones cool older cousin. He held the mic loosely, like a tall can of Arizona Iced Tea. He had, in his typical beaming fashion, been charming and catching voters off guard all night. But here he turned serious. In this city and in this country, many people feel like they can say whatever they want about a Muslim in public life, that they can call any of us a terrorist, he said. On this June 24th, we have an opportunity to say that Muslims dont just belong in New York City. We belong in City Hall.

This is what Mamdani does, in a nutshell: He disarms his audience with easy charm and infectious energy, and just as easily dives into the most vexing issues facing them with both force and a smile.

It seems to be working. Mamdani is suddenly everywhere. A recent surge of glowing profiles and features have underlined the New York state assemblymans unlikely No. 2 position in polls for mayor, behind only Andrew Cuomo, the disgraced former governor who leads the race. They tend to point to his acumen online, especially on TikTokthis kind of video is a prime exampleand his ambidextrous appeal to different voters despite his unapologetic democratic socialist politics. His fundraising, driven by small donors, has topped $8 million. He is the rare Democrat who is meeting the most stark and uncertain moment in the partys recent history with a message thats both urgent and, against all odds, upbeat.

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Post-meal, we hopped in a carthough Im told that Zohran prefers the subwayand hurried to Parkchester for our first stop for Chaand Raat, the massive South Asian Eid street festival. Light-up toys flashed in every kids hands and fireworks exploded overhead while henna artists inked swirling patterns onto excited patrons.

I stopped to take in the atmospherean enormous display of Muslim pride, from the extra-large neon Eid Mubarak sign to a troop of young girls reciting Quran verses on a huge stage in the intersection. When I looked up again, Mamdani had already melted into the carnival ahead of me, going row by row, shaking every hand he could. A teenager screamed, Oh my God! Its the guy from TikTok! Suddenly, Mamdani was posing for endless selfies like a celebrity.

Im excited. And caffeinated, he told me, smiling. The previous weeks of campaigning through Ramadan fasting had left him depleted, he said; hed passed out asleep on his couch in his suit a few nights ago. But tonight, he was fully alive. He recited his core campaign promises effortlessly: Freeze the rent. Make buses fast and free. Deliver universal child care. I say it so much that voters can finish the sentence, he said.

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Soon, he ended up on the large stage yelling Eid Mubarak! to a cheering crowd, where he proudly proclaimed himself to be the first elected Muslim official to run for mayor. A host took the mic afterward, improvising an endorsement to loud applause: If we just stick together, all the rights we always complain aboutwe have to fight for our rights. Inshallah, we will support him.

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None of this was planned. From there, the night only ramped up.

Our next stop, Jamaica, Queens, was louder, wilder, and much more packed. Music blared from huge speakers where older men belted out Bollywood karaoke. Mamdani jumped right in, clapping wildly, mouthing the words, and then grabbed the mic: Remember to vote June 24th! The crowd roared.

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Mamdani thrives here, in this joyful chaos. Ive been coming to Chaand Raat for years, he said, sweating slightly. Our dream has always been to break out of the world of New York City politics and into the world of New York City. We may be the first mayoral campaign that has ever campaigned at Chaand Raat! And that is the dreamto watch uncles sing songs and then take a moment to give the mic over where we can talk about Election Day and then go back to the songs, because thats what life in New York City is. Life is busy. Life is so many things all at the same time.

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I continued to struggle to keep up as he ducked into random storefronts to introduce himself. Wherever there was a microphone, Mamdani grabbed it and urged people to vote. He kept disappearing into the street party as he danced his way up and down the block.

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Along the way, Mamdani listened intently as a frustrated uncle vented about the city denying their permit to close the street. Look around, its crazy out here, the man gestured, pointing at a city bus inching its way carefully through the bustling, jam-packed street. Mamdani nodded emphatically, echoing, Unacceptable. He leaned toward me and added, Muslim voters want the same thing every community wantsrespect and equality.

In that moment, Mamdani zagged the way he often does, turning serious and channeling righteous anger. He knows intimately the origins of Muslim New Yorkers distrust of the government: After 9/11, the New York Police Department rolled out a sprawling surveillance operation targeting mosques, college campuses, students, halal spots, and even neighborhood barbershops. Hundreds of Muslims were hauled to jail without charges, some put in solitary confinement for months. The crackdown never turned up any terrorism leads, but it permanently soured relationships between Muslims and law enforcement just as hate crimes surged. Ive seen firsthand the impacts, Mamdani said. I went to high school with New Yorkers who were entrapped.

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Mamdani sees dark echoes in whats happening now with Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian former Columbia University student and activist who is currently imprisoned awaiting trial despite never being accused of crime. Mamdani protested the arrest by shouting down Tom Homan, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director, at the New York Capitol in Albany. I would never have sent the NYPD onto Columbias campus, Mamdani said. That led to a police officer discharging their weapon. It was the least safe that those students have been.

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Mamdanis unwavering stance might make an easy target for his rivals when the race heats up. While his solidarity with protesters has drawn cheers from many progressive voters, it has also earned bitter accusations of antisemitism. In a political landscape where that kind of controversy usually spells trouble, Mamdanis willingness to stand his ground might be his riskiest gamble. Indeed, as his profile continued to rise, the New York Post ran a cover story on Wednesday titled DANGEROUS MAM: NYers must stop the anti-Israel forces trying to elect radical Zohran Mamdani as mayor.

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Unbothered, Mamdani insisted this stance carries a potential for unifying Democratic voters. We talk about freedom, justice, safety for everyone, but suddenly we draw lines about who everyone is, he said. I asked if he is ready to accept that this stance might end up splashed across attack ads. He shrugged it off. Im proud Ive always stood for consistency and universal human rights. And plenty of New Yorkers feel the same.

By the time we got to Jackson Heights, the energy was dizzying. More fireworks popped overhead and music blasted from every alley. College kids draped in keffiyehs recognized Mamdani and yelled, Say Free Palestine!  He cheerfully obliged. One state or two? shouted another. Equal rights for all, he answered. The teens burst into laughter, gently ribbing him for his diplomatic answer, and Mamdani smiled back warmly, completely unphased.

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At one point, he discovered a travel agency storefront blasting live music, slipped inside, and grabbed yet another microphone: Vote June 24th! Before leaving, he spotted a paan vendor selling betel leaves loaded with sweet and spicy fillings. Thisll get us through the night, he said, handing them out to his laughing staff. Standing in a circle, they ate in sync. One of them nearly gagged. Tastes like incense, the staffer said. Mamdani laughed uncontrollably.

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By 11 p.m., I was spent. Fasting had taken a lot out of me, too. But Mamdani looked ready to go until dawn. I asked him the question that inevitably comes up in any profile, no matter how glowing: Can you really win?

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Were nowhere near our ceiling, he said. Im very excited to keep building this campaign until we win this race, and to show New Yorkers they dont have to choose between the past of a disgraced former governor or the present of a disgraced current mayor. They can choose the future, and thats what our campaign represents.

Mamdanis position in the polls has been impressive. But after the rolling disaster of Eric Adams mayoralty and Donald Trumps bruising attacks on the city, voters seem drawn to a familiar executive like Andrew Cuomo, despite the sexual harassment and COVID nursing home scandals that drove him from the states top office. All night, New Yorkers seemed curious about Mamdani but some, particularly ones whove never voted before, remain skeptical about veering into politics at all.

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One man stopped me as Mamdani bounced ahead into another crowd. Hes the only one out here meeting people like this, he said. Would he vote for Zohran? The man shrugged. If the right candidate comes along, Ill consider it, he said with a hint of sarcasm. Who would that be? He smiled. Ill know when I feel it.

By then, Mamdani was already gone, clapping, laughing, dancing deeper into the Queens Eid night, fueled with joy and the belief that politics could, at least tonight, be genuinely fun. He seemed sure that voters would follow him.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20250405/china-reportedly-turned-down-tiktok-deal-in-the-us-because-of-tariffs-1121743657.html

China Delays Approval of TikTok's US Asset Spin-Off Due to New US Tariffs

China Delays Approval of TikTok's US Asset Spin-Off Due to New US Tariffs

Sputnik International

Chinese authorities have not approved a deal to spin off TikTok's US assets due to recently announced US tariffs on Chinese goods, Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

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The report said the deal was largely finalized by April 2, and would have involved spinning off the social media's US operations into a new US-based company with a majority stake in it held by US investors. ByteDance's stake in the deal would have been 20%. The report said the deal has already been approved by TikTok's existing and new investors, ByteDance and the US authorities. On Friday, US President Donald Trump revealed that he would sign an executive order allowing TikTok to continue operating in the United States for another 75 days as negotiations regarding its acquisition progress. Later in the day, ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, said that it has been in discussions with the US government on a potential way forward to resolve the ongoing issue concerning the video app company operation in the United States. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a 10% base tariff on all imports to the United States starting April 5, while higher, reciprocal tariffs on countries and territories with which the US has the largest trade deficits will take effect on April 9. NBC News reported on Friday, citing a person familiar with the talks, that Trump's announcement of reciprocal tariffs disrupted a deal for TikTok's US division that had already been approved by the Chinese government.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250403/china-slams-us-tariffs-as-trade-protectionism-1121736131.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20250405/exposing-the-shadowy-link-between-polands-cannabis-king-and-ukraines-arms-scandal-1121743982.html

Exposing the Shadowy Link Between Polands Cannabis King and Ukraines Arms Scandal

Exposing the Shadowy Link Between Polands Cannabis King and Ukraines Arms Scandal

Sputnik International

Andrzej Pekalas, the key stakeholder in a shady Polish intermediary that is at the heart of the recent arms procurement scandal in Ukraine, appears to be linked to obscure ventures in Polands emerging cannabis market as Ukraine legalized weed last year, according to a Sputnik's analysis of public corporate records.

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world

ukrainian crisis

ukraine

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The arms procurement scandal centers on the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) and its dealings with Polish firm PHU Lechmar, which sparked power struggles and a public outcry in Ukraine. In late 2024, the Ukrainian government was found to have redirected 23 billion Ukrainian hryvnias (UAH) ($552 million) from the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) to the SBGS to purchase ammunition through Lechmar, a decision criticized for bypassing standard procedures and favoring a company with a history of unfulfilled contracts. In his latest post published on Telegram last week, Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a Ukrainian lawmaker from the opposition Holos party, accused the SBGS of expanding contracts with Lechmar from 23 billion UAH to 52 billion UAH by the end of 2024, with an additional 78 billion UAH ($1.87 billion) allocated in early 2025. Zhelezniak claimed that an astonishing 87% of the SBGS's military procurement went through this single Polish intermediary in the past year alone. Cannabis Distribution Beyond Lechmar, Andrzej Pekalas has a diverse business portfolio, notably as the president of the management board of Cannabis Distribution, a company he has led since September 2018. This venture focuses on the wholesale and retail of cannabis-related pharmaceutical and medical products, reflecting Polands growing legal cannabis market, which has expanded since medical cannabis was legalized in 2017. Following Ukraines move to legalize cannabis for medical, industrial and scientific use last year, the European Union has offered Ukraine to supply it with legal weed, Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister Maryna Slobodnichenko told Ukrainian News agency in November. She notably said that EU countries had warehouses full of medical cannabis waiting for delivery. This link is likely to add to controversy surrounding Pekalas and Lechmar, which he runs alongside Sebastian Pekalas, who appears to be his son and a board member since 2017. In response to mounting corruption allegations, Lechmar established a subsidiary in Kiev in December 2024, a move seen as an effort to localize operations and possibly deflect scrutiny over its defense contracts with the SBGS. Ukrainian corporate records list Andrzej Pekala and Marta Kowalczyk as ultimate beneficial owners, underscoring their central roles in the company. Unreliable SupplierThe latest corruption allegations involving Lechmar came to light in late 2024, when the Ukrainian Defense Ministry redirected 23 billion UAH from the DPA to the SBGS to purchase ammunition through the Polish firm, bypassing standard competitive tendering. This decision coincided with reports of significant issues with 120mm mortar shells, as the defense ministry admitted in December 2024 that 24,000 locally produced shells were malfunctioning, prompting the withdrawal of the defective rounds. The ministry acknowledged the problem, stating that the manufacturer was responsible for fixing the issue under existing agreements, but the revelation fueled public and parliamentary outrage, with critics like Ukrainian lawmaker Zhelezniak and anti-corruption watchdogs accusing the ministry of sabotaging reforms by favoring intermediaries like Lechmar, amid a broader crisis of transparency and reliability in Ukraines wartime defense supply chain. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry admitted in February 2025 that it had paid for but not received weapons worth 51.4 billion UAH ($1.2 billion). Zhelezniak said 26.5 billion UAH was owed under contracts with Lechmar. The Anti-Corruption Action Center, a Ukrainian watchdog, said in December that the ministry had overpaid 90 million euros to Lechmar and demanded that the Security Service of Ukraine investigate the matter along with the supply of poor-quality mines to the troops. These explosive claims build upon existing concerns about Lechmar's reliability, as detailed in a letter from the former head of the DPA, Maryna Bezrukova. The letter, published by Zhelezniak last December, revealed that the DPA's interactions with Lechmar were limited and ultimately unsuccessful. Specifically, the DPA had received commercial proposals from Lechmar, including one for 155mm shells with M107 projectiles and M4A2 propelling charges, valued at 70.6 million euros ($76 million). However, this contract, dated December 29, 2023, was never executed, and no advance payment was made. The DPA also received commercial proposals from Lechmar for RPG-7 anti-tank grenade launchers and 122mm self-propelled artillery systems in 2023 and 2024. However, the DPA did not conduct any technical inspections of the goods Lechmar claimed to have in stock, nor did they assess the production capabilities of the manufacturers Lechmar cited as potential suppliers. Furthermore, a request sent to Lechmar for a clarified commercial proposal regarding the 1-Hawk (MIM-23B) SAM system went unanswered.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20241204/top-5-corruption-scandals-shaking-the-world-1121090556.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250115/captured-ukrainian-border-guard-exposes-corruption-and-low-morale-in-military-1121431036.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20250405/hungarys-veto-could-force-eu-to-return-frozen-russian-assets-1121745870.html

Hungarys Veto Could Force EU to Return Frozen Russian Assets

Hungarys Veto Could Force EU to Return Frozen Russian Assets

Sputnik International

The European Union will be forced to return frozen assets to Russia if Hungary blocks the decision to extend their freeze in June, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.

2025-04-05T18:38+0000

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"We have frozen, immobile assets in Europe worth over 240 billion, most of which are held in Belgium. Every six months, we must decide on the extension of sanctions, and Hungarys approval is needed. If they block it in June, not only will the sanctions expire, but we would have to hand over the 240 billion to Putin," he told Rheinische Post.Following Russia's military operation in Ukraine, the EU and G7 froze nearly half of Russias foreign currency reserves, totaling around 300 billion, with more than 200 billion held in the EU, mainly in Belgiums Euroclear system.The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly called the asset freeze theft, accusing the EU of targeting not just private funds, but Russias state assets. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that Moscow will retaliate against the confiscation of frozen assets, reminding that Russia also has the option not to return Western funds held in Russia.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20241211/seizure-of-frozen-russian-assets-is-eu-setting-a-legal-trap-for-euroclear-1121149600.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20250405/macrons-plans-to-send-french-troops-to-ukraine-are-recipe-for-disaster-1121745710.html

Macron's Plans to Send French Troops to Ukraine Are Recipe for Disaster

Macron's Plans to Send French Troops to Ukraine Are Recipe for Disaster

Sputnik International

France would suffer the most from the Ukrainian conflicts consequences if it were to become fully involved in it, Emmanuel Leroy, head of the Institut 1717 and former adviser to Marine Le Pen, tells Sputnik.

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Nightmarish logistics of such undertaking aside, Paris simply lacks the necessary military, financial and technical means, and the fact of wanting to engage France in this conflict is a true folly on both political and military levels.All Western troops that enter the Ukrainian conflict zone risk becoming victim of surgical Russian strikes, Leroy notes, which can only lead to an escalation, the most dramatic of all.His remarks were echoed by international relations and Russian affairs analyst Gilbert Doctorow who tells Sputnik that, if the French do send troops to Ukraine they will be slaughtered.Both Macron and UK PM Keir Starmer, in their efforts to deploy their respective countries troops to Ukraine, seemingly ignore the fact that Russia made it clear that it would not tolerate NATO troops on Ukrainian soil, Leroy laments.So it is really a declaration of war that Mr. Macron is seeking, and we can think that this desire is completely suicidal, since France does not have the concrete means to be able to ensure such an action, and especially its consequences, he explains.An unbalanced situation is the harbinger of a military conflict whose first sacrificial victims are the countries of Central Eastern Europe: a historical responsibility that evidently neither the European Union nor NATO take into consideration," adds Tiberio Graziani, chairman of Rome-based think tank Vision and Global Trends.

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The Blue Chip Matchmaker Series continued on Friday, April 4 at MGM Yonkers Raceway featuring a pair of Canadian-owned pacing mares, Lit De Rose, the defending series champion, and Aardie B Miki N, a repeat winner in this year's opening legs.

The second leg of the series started with a pair of 1-9 favourites taken down in the two fastest $71,429 divisions.

High Flyin Filly and driver Yannick Gingras popped out of the pocket before the three-quarters to challenge 1-9 favourite Rocket Deo and then surged to the front in the homestretch to take the first division in 1:53.

Trained by Ron Burke, High Flyin Filly blasted to the front into the first turn and forced Cheryls Shadow (Brent Holland) into a two-hole. Bartlett quarter-moved the heavy favourite, Rocket Deo (Jason Bartlett), to the front off the opening bend and they were in control through a :27.1 opening fraction.

Rocket Deo hit the half in :56.2 but found company from the eventual winner before the 1:24.4 three-quarters had been hit. Off the final turn, High Flyin Filly surged to the front, with Cheryls Shadow coming along the pylons late for the second spot less than a length back. Rocket Deo faded to third.

Owned by Pennsylvania's Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, High Flyin Filly, who was fifth in the opening leg of the series last Friday, earned her second win in eight starts this year.

The five-year-old by Domethatagain out of Live The Extreme returned $17.60 to win and keyed a $140.50 exacta and $338.50 trifecta payout.

Beautiful Seaside and driver Tim Tetrick put an end to the four-race win streak of Walkin On Sunshine in dramatic fashion, winning at 10-1 in the second division, completing her mile in 1:53 at the expense of the heavy favourite.

Tetrick got away from post two and allowed three of the seven mares to duke it out in the early stages. Silk Cloud A (Jordan Stratton) was first to the front on the opening bend and Lloyds Loves (Brent Holland) pursued before taking over shortly before the :27.2 first quarter was reached.

Jason Bartlett made a bullet move with Walkin On Sunshine into the second turn and managed to back down the second quarter, reaching the halfway marker in :56.4. Bartlett had the favourite in gear down the backstretch, but Tetrick pulled the Scott DiDomenco-trained Beautiful Sunshine and got instant response, moving towards the leader with three-quarters clocked in 1:24.4.

Tetrick sensed the favourite was vulnerable and kept the attack heavy through the final turn with Beautiful Sunshine, a five-year-old daughter of Downbytheseaside out of Your Beautiful, gutting it out and passing the favourite in the shadow of the wire. Walkin On Sunshine settled for second, beaten just a neck, with Silk Cloud A coming on late for the show spot.

Beautiful Sunshine has now won back-to-back in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series, both times at decent odds, with her victory on Friday coming at a $22.40 win mutuel. The exacta with the favourite second paid $48.60 and triple returned $91.

Owned and bred by Matt Rowe of Urbana, Ohio, Beautiful Sunshine now has three wins overall this year from 11 starts.

The upsets continued in the third division as last year's champion Lit De Rose rallied in the homestretch for trainer/driver Pat Lachance to overtake the leaders in a 1:54 mile. The 10-year-old Leader Bayama-Intense mare was sent off as the 5-2 third choice in the field of seven.

The action was fast and furious in the early stages in this division as 2-1 favourite Turn The Page N (Ron Cushing) and Seaside Diva (Yannick Gingras) left hard from the inside and Talk Curdy To Me (Todd McCarthy) blasted from the outside of the starting car. Seaside Diva took control off the first bend but yielded to Talk Curdy To Me before the opening quarter, which was clocked in :27.4. Cushing had Turn The Page N making a second move shortly after the quarter and the pair held control through a :56.4 half-mile.

Lit De Rose and Lachance fished cover from Seaside Diva late on the third turn, but when Talk Curdy To Me vacated the pocket, Seaside Diva returned to the pylons, and Lit De Rose closed the gap behind Talk Curdy To Me in second-over position. With the leaders duelling through a 1:25.2 three-quarters, Lachance was poised and called on the soon-to-be 55-time career winner for her best in the stretch, and Lit De Rose finished in style, securing the victory late by a neck. Turn The Page N fought bravely with horses on both sides for the place spot, with Millwood Bliss N on the scene late for third.

Guy Corbeil of Mirabel, Que. owns and bred Lit De Rose, who went over the $1.5 million mark in career earnings with the win -- her first of the year following a fifth-place finish in her season's debut last week in the series.

Lit De Rose paid $7.70 to win and keyed the $26.60 exacta and $98 trifecta payoff.

A favourite finally had her moment as Aardie B Miki N and driver Jason Bartlett made a power move past Grace Hill off the final turn and rolled off to an easy score in a 1:53.2 clocking in the fourth and final Matchmaker division.

Grace Hill (David Miller) took control off the first turn from Uptown Hanover (Todd McCarthy) and set a reasonable pace to the quarter of :28.2. Miller was in no hurry, slowing the second quarter to a half in :57.3 with Bartlett sitting chilly in fourth with the prohibitive favourite, Aardie B Miki N.

Bartlett got instant acceleration from Aardie B Miki N down the backstretch and she reached Grace Hill nearing the 1:25.3 three-quarters. Once on even terms, Aardie B Miki N had too much power and made quick work of the leader, posting a :27.4 final quarter. Grace Hill held gamely for second ahead of Intothemysticmoon (Yannick Gingras) more than three lengths behind.

Aardie B Miki N earned her second straight Matchmaker victory for trainer Per Engblom and owner/breeder Mike Tanev's M T Stables Ontario Inc. of Scarborough, Ont. Aardie B Miki N's two series scores give her a perfect two-for-two record this year since arriving in North America.

The five-year-old Always B Miki-Tatijana Bromac mare returned $2.30 to win while heading a $5.60 exacta and $31.20 trifecta payoff.

The win was Bartlett's fourth on the 11-race card.

The preliminary rounds of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series will continue through Friday, April 25, with the leading point earners advancing to the $200,000 USD final on Friday, May 9.

The MGM Borgata Pacing Series will have its second preliminary round on Monday, April 7 with five $50,000 USD divisions. The featured event is race nine where round one winners Verdun (post one), Mossdale Ben N (post six) and Aardies Flash N (post seven) square off. Also looking to improve to two-for-two in the Borgata will be For Once Inmy Life (post one, race seven) and Binge On Yankee (post four, race eight).

The John Brennan Trotting Series then picks back up on Wednesday, April 9 with a trio of $30,000 USD splits of the second leg. The series will have a third round on April 16 before a $100,000 USD guaranteed final and $50,000 USD guaranteed consolation on April 23.

Continuing for every Monday and Friday card during the legs of the Borgata and Matchmaker, Yonkers, in conjunction with the Standardbred Owners Association of New York, will offer a $20,000 guaranteed Pick 5 pool in race five. The guaranteed Pick 5 pool on Mondays is also a part of the United States Trotting Association's Strategic Wagering Program.

Yonkers is currently operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 6:45 p.m. (EDT).

(With files from Yonkers Raceway; photo of Lit De Rose winning the 2024 Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final)
In this week's Rewind Robert Smith offers his monthly edition of 'Years Ago' in which he chooses stories from a particular decade. This time he goes back to the 1950s and recalls some happenings and the people who were then involved. As usual a few old photos help to tell the story.

1950 - Delvin Miller Wins Both Three-Year-Old Classics



A smiling Delvin Miller appears in the Goshen. N.Y. winner's circle following his Hambletonian winning drive behind Lusty Song to capture the 1950 classic for three-year-old trotters. (Photo courtesy of Hambletonian Society)

In 1950, a then 37-year-old Delvin Miller became the first driver in history to record a victory in both the Hambletonian and the Little Brown Jug. His achievement was extra special because he accomplished it in the same season. A number of drivers have won both classics but not too often do they win both in the same year.

In August Delvin drove Lusty Song to victory in the Hambo at Goshen. The following month he won the Jug with Dudley Hanover at Delaware, Ohio. Both horses were owned by the Hayes Family of DuQuoin, Illinois who later hosted the Hambletonian from 1957 to 1980. While Delvin was associated with other winners as a trainer, these were the only two he accomplished in the driver's seat.



The 1950 field shows a huge crowd in front of the old rail fence with the traditional jugs visible in the judge's stand. The eventual winner was Dudley Hanover, driven by Delvin Miller for The Hayes Fair Acres stable of DuQuoin, Ill. This was one of the first mobile starting gates to be used at Delaware, operated by Riley Couch.

SEE TRIVIA QUESTION BELOW

1950 - Thorncliffe Park Opens In Toronto



An aerial view of Thorncliffe Park in the Leaside district of Toronto introduced major league harness racing to the Province

In 1950 the province of Ontario was experiencing a rise in interest in the sport of harness racing by its residents. At the time, no major tracks were in existence beyond Dufferin Park in Toronto and their annual program consisted mainly of wintertime racing. In response to the growing demand a group headed by Mr. Herb Hatch of Maple, Ont. decided to start a new racing venture during the summer months.

An old racing venue dating back to 1910 known as Thorncliffe Park was chosen as the site and it soon became the scene of some major renovations. A new half-mile track was installed, the grandstand was refurbished and several new stables were built. It was designed to meet the future needs of a growing market in Ontario. Mr. Hatch was said to have invested about $500,000 in the venture.

When the track opened on July 3, 1950 several major stables were on the premises. Such well known names as Clifford Chapman Sr., Keith Waples, Cecil Champion, Wm. and Jack Herbert, Harold Wellwood, Honorat Larochelle, Eph L'Heireux, Marshall Moore and Wilbert Hopkins were among the first year participants. A very lucrative stakes program provided races for all classes of horses. Topping the list was The Canada Cup for pacers and The Maple Leaf Cup for trotters.

While this location held racing for just four years (1950 - 1953), it formed the start of the Ontario racing program that continues to thrive to this day, 75 years later. In a lengthy article in the Harness Horse magazine just prior to opening day, the following statement was made: "It will be the biggest gathering of the trotting clans on this side of the line that the harness sport has ever seen."



Thorncliffe program from 1950. The price of $1.00 was probably a bit ahead of its time

1953 - Canadian Trotter Has Outstanding Season

In 1953 a then six-year-old trotting gelding named Vanduzen may very well have been termed Canada's Best Trotter. This could be perhaps based on his win in that year's Maple Leaf Trot, then held at Thorncliffe Park in Toronto. Owned, trained and driven by Jack Mehelenbacher of Nelles Corners, Ont., he had a great season.

Vanduzen won that year's MLT in 2:07, a new record time for the annual classic and one that would stand until 1958 when Mr. Baldridge and driver Phil Dussault came to town and trotted over the Old Woodbine track in 2:02 1/5. That record would stand until 1966 when Lively Kid and Roger White won the race in 2:02 even.

Later in the 1953 season Vanduzen finished out the year racing at Batavia Downs and is pictured below.



Vanduzen, held by assistant racing secretary John O. Marra, after winning the Peter Provenzano Memorial Trot. Owner-driver Jack Mehlenbacher accepts the trophy from Donna Lu and Barbara Ann Provenzano, daughters of Downs President Pat Provenzano, along with Elliot Cushing, Assistant to the President. The race, an annual Batavia fixture, was named in memory of the late Peter Provenzano, Rochester sportsman and brother of the Downs' president. Young Miss Barbara Ann (Provenzano Samberg) in later years headed up the Batavia management team. (Harness Horse Photo)

1955 - The End Of An Era

In March of 1955 the fabled Dufferin Park in Toronto closed its doors forever. Generations of horse fans, both Standardbred and Thoroughbred followers, had enjoyed racing at this suburban location for parts of two centuries. Wintertime racing was held for a very long time and attracted a rather large following.

The following quote appeared in a Rewind about Dufferin Park published ten years ago on March 21, 2015.

"Dufferin Park was truly a beloved place, a track with its own unique clientele who considered it their track. Lunchpails and working clothes were a common sight whenever races were held at 'Little Saratoga' as it was often called. It was a track that admitted people for free after a few races and it was not uncommon for folks to stop, watch a few races, place a bet or two and go on about their day. At the time of its closing, then-Track superintendent Tommy Anderson said in an interview, "We liked to think this was a track for ordinary people." For some reason people were just naturally drawn to Dufferin."



Belmont Lady trots home a winner at Dufferin Park in this 1955 photo finish. The owner and driver was Alex McDonnell of Hamilton. This was the final year of racing at Dufferin.



Alex McDonnell is shown with The Lee Express, a winner during the 1946 summer meeting at Dufferin Park. Descendants of Mr. McDonnell have been active in Ontario racing for many years including his sons George and Terry and grandson Gord. His nephew, the late Wm. "Bill", was long associated with various branches and served in several capacities during a long career.

Quote For The Week: "Ask me to show you poetry in motion and I will show you a horse."  Author Unknown

TRIVIA QUESTION RE: 1950 ITEM

What important connection to Canadian harness racing history is related to the 1950 Little Brown Jug winner Dudley Hanover? Let us know what you think it is.

Who Is It #1?

Can you identify the two gents in this old picture? The fellow on the right was on the receiving end of a plaque for "meritorious service" in this 1981 photo.

Who Is It #2?

This 1950's photo was taken at Roosevelt Raceway back when they wore silk hats. How many of the five can you identify? There is just one Canadian horseman in the group among some pretty well known U.S. drivers. Let us know who you think they are.

Where Is It?

Can you identify the location of this racing scene? To narrow it down I will offer a clue that it was taken in Ontario and east of Toronto.

The correct answers will be posted here by Robert as a comment in a few days.
United Way of Western Nebraska reported $361,056 in funds will go back into the community at a press conference on Friday, April 4.

The funds were raised as part of the United Ways 2024-25 fundraising efforts.

Thats what were able to give to our partner agencies and help support United Way over the next fiscal year, Executive Director Karen Benzel said.

Total economic impact among including community investments and community impact initiatives came to a total of $945,000, also impacting over 26,000 community members throughout their service area.

I think that is just amazing, and thats in collaboration with our partner agencies, as well, Benzel said.

United Way of Western Nebraska is supporting 23 agencies this year and will start the funds distribution process in about July.

Were actually already in our funds-distribution process for those funds that were raised, Benzel said.

The first step for those funds is the financial review committee.

We have six professional financial individuals who live throughout our service area, Benzel said. Theyre looking at the audits, theyre looking at the bank statements, and theyre comparing those to the application data, and then theyre asking questions. And so were in that phase right now, and that will go through mid-April.

There are three funds-distribution committees for United Way of Western Nebraska: Alliance, Chadron and Scottsbluff.

They have guidelines that they use that are set forth through United Way, through our policies and through approval from our board to really guide that process, Benzel said. But it truly is a community-based mission on who receives United Way funding, and at what level they receive that funding.

Benzel added that the in-depth process ensures that when people give to United Way, you know that your dollars are being used as they say they are.

Outgoing board president Becca Pierce said United Way ensures that the money that is raised in each of their service areas is given back to the agencies that apply in those areas.

So if you live in Alliance, the money that you give for payroll deduction is given to the places in Alliance, Pierce said. If you live in Sidney, the agencies that apply in Sidney, that money is given: and were very dedicated to that.

While special events raised over $72,000 of that total $361,056, its obviously not the only way money is raised.

There always is those unexpected donations that we receive, Benzel said. We started off our year last year by every single one of our raffle-for-cash donors giving all those funds back, so that was a good start to our campaign last year.

She added that even small donations, even in the amounts of just a few dollars can sometimes be the most effective.

The exciting part is maybe when those individuals that maybe dont feel like they have a lot to give, Benzel said, are willing to give just a few dollars, and its those donors that really, I think, make that biggest impact.

Its a lot of $2 and $3 and $5 donations that add up to whole lot of money. And so we really rely mostly on a lot of payroll-deduct smaller donations, just a few dollars out of a paycheck each month. And so to me, thats the exciting part, and what we normally see, and what we did see again this year.

Incoming board president Melissa Price has some goals for the upcoming year.

As far as a financial goal, I really think our hope is, in our current economic time, really to hold the line, Price said.

Some more goals have to do with fundraisers, while others include upping other programs.

One thing thats important to me is I want to kind of refresh and reinvigorate that list of Pacesetter businesses, Price said. I think there are opportunities for other Pacesetter businesses to get involved with us.

United Way of Nebraska is currently raising funds through the sale of filled Easter baskets. These are available through next week and can be purchased at uwwwn.org/easter and picked up at the Scottsbluff office or the Alliance office.
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 Switch 2 retains its detachable 'Joy-Con' controllers.

Gaming specialists who have handled Nintendo's new Switch 2 say the console is a clear upgrade on its predecessor, but it lacks must-have new features and the progress comes at a steep price.

Dozens of European journalists, including a reporter from AFP, were invited to the Grand Palais exhibition space in Paris on Wednesday for a preview in one of two events held globally.

They were allowed in shortly after the Kyoto-based company announced the hotly awaited launch of its latest iteration of the Switch for June 5 in a YouTube presentation watched by millions around the world.

"The console feels very good in your hands, very light," said Nicolas Dixmier from the French specialist gaming website jeuxvideo.com after handling the much-hyped successor.

The Switch 2 retains the core features of the original that made it such a hit: detachable "Joy-Con" controllers and hybrid functionality that means it can be portable or plugged into a screen or projector.

But it comes with a bigger, higher resolution screen, larger joysticks, improved buttons, faster processing time, and a battery that the company says will last between two to six-and-a-half hours.

Must-buy?

The two major design changes are a new "C" button that activates a GameChat function, enabling players to talk with their friends while playing.

And the controllers, now attached with magnets rather than sliding on, can be used like a computer mouse.

They were demonstrated with shooting games such as "Metroid Prime 4" or strategy challenges such as "Civilization VII."

"We have made adjustments so you can control the mouse on the pants (trousers)," Kouichi Kawamoto, one of the creators at Nintendo, told journalists during a roundtable.

But this was not enough to impress some critics, given that the price of the console is set to be about 30% higher than the original at $449.99 in the United States.

It has gone on pre-sale for 395.99 in Britain and 469.99 euros in France.

Gamers were given a chance to test out the new console in Paris.

Shares in Nintendo dropped more than 3% on the Tokyo stock exchange on Thursday due to disappointment among fans who are used to Nintendo being more accessible than its Sony and Microsoft competitors.

"Impressed is not a word I would use. It's a logical evolution," Alexander Bohn-Elias from the website Eurogamer Germany told AFP after playing with the Switch 2 in Paris.

Paul Hinrich Aeils, from German media Gamestar, agreed.

"The new features are cool but I don't know if it is a must-buy day one for Switch 1 users," he said.

He was also left underwhelmed by the number of games exclusively available for the Switch 2 at launch which include "Mario Kart World."

Games will also cost around 30% more than for the original Switch.

Succession

Analysts had predicted beforehand that Nintendo would likely go for an upgrade, rather than trying to rewrite the Switch script.

The original version launched to relative indifference in 2017 before going on to be the third best-selling console of all time, with 150 million units bought globally.

But the creator of Mario Bros has had trouble with successors in the past: after its phenomenally popular Wii device, its Wii U flopped commercially.

Kawamoto and his colleagues from Nintendo revealed that they started working on the new Switch in 2019.

They had many discussions about the name, he revealed, saying one idea had been to call it the "Super Nintendo Switch"a reference to its star console from the 1990s.

On Friday, fans who entered a lottery to handle the Switch 2 are set to get their hands on it at events in Paris and New York as part of promotional efforts ahead of the launch.

 2025 AFP
State Attorney General Alan Wilson is warning parents and schools about a rise in the number of children and teens being exploited online through appeals for gore material, where minors create videos harming themselves or animals.

In a series of news releases this week, Wilson alerted parents and schools about an increasing threat of online groups targeting children and teens  particularly those struggling with mental health  across South Carolina. The groups, such as the 764 movement, look for minors to create online gore material by coercing them to cut themselves, produce child sexual abuse material, torture or kill animals and even commit suicide, a release said. The groups also use sextortion and bestiality to victimize juveniles.

The 764 movement is a collection of online groups that promote violence among minors by forcing them to create child sexual abuse material, which it then leverages against kids to coerce them to produce violent content online. This is also known as a form of sextortion.

The State asked four local law enforcement agencies and a childrens doctor about Wilsons warning. While some recognize that online schemes to exploit vulnerable children are a problem, fewer than five specific instances have been reported or investigated in recent months.

All of those cases stem from investigations conducted by the FBI Columbia office.

Local agencies, including the Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriffs Department, Lexington County Sheriffs Department and Lexington Police Department, all say they havent investigated any cases involving any degree of online child exploitation.

In a release, Wilson said the FBI briefed his office on the disturbing rise of online groups that prey on vulnerable youth.

In 2022, the FBI and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, among other agencies, investigated an online sextortion case that resulted in a death by suicide. The victim, Gavin Guffey  the son of state Rep. Brandon Guffey, R-York  was contacted online in 2022 by a man pretending to be a young woman.

The man solicited illicit photos of Gavin before threatening to expose them if Gavin and his family failed to pay a certain amount of money. As a result, Gavin ended his life in summer 2022.

A Nigerian man, Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal, 24, of the countrys Osun State, was ultimately extradited from Nigeria to face charges in South Carolina.

Dr. Deborah Greenhouse, a veteran pediatrician in Columbia, says detecting cases of online child exploitation by a physician is difficult because of the timing associated in discovering the abuse.

Im not aware of any cases (of online child exploitation), but the problem with this is that you may not be aware of these cases until its too late, Greenhouse told The State. And most kids are not going to be willing to divulge this type of information, so its really hard to figure it out, adding that just because shes not currently aware of any cases doesnt mean she doesnt have any.

In another case investigated by the FBI, Leon-Bobby Jones-Hubbard, 31, of Columbia was indicted in January on 22 counts, including sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; two counts of sex trafficking of a minor; nine counts of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse materials; nine counts of coercion and enticement of a minor into illegal sexual conduct; and one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material, according to a news release.

The indictment alleges that from at least June 2023 to present, Jones-Hubbard used social media to target and exploit 10 minor victims who ranged from 5 to 16 years old, the release said. Jones-Hubbard paid the victims money using Cash App, PayPal and Meta Pay to induce and entice the children into illegal sexual conduct, according to the release.

Another man, Jack Keegan Davis, 21, of Columbus, Ohio, was indicted in November on six counts, including coercion and enticement of minors, production, distribution, and possession of child pornography, and cyberstalking, a news release said.

Davis used at least four social media platforms and 130 social media display names to pose as a minor and interact with minors on social media across several states, including South Carolina, according to a news release.

While posing as a minor, Davis used social media to coerce victims to engage in online sexual conduct for the purpose of creating child sexual abuse material. He also purportedly used the material to harass and threaten death to at least one minor victim and their family, the release said.

Greenhouse said threats of online child exploitation have been around for a long time, but have become more egregious in recent years.

I think what were seeing now is different because its far more organized, Greenhouse said. Its not something that is just coming from a bully at school. Its coming from folks who are doing this intentionally. Theyre choosing their targets intentionally. And its really, really scary, honestly.

Sending out this type of information as a cautionary message ... was a very good idea on the attorney generals part, and I appreciate that he did that, Greenhouse said.

Wilson, in a release, highlighted signals that may identify a child at risk for participating or becoming a victim of online extortion. They include:

Teens and pre-teens aged 11-17 who experience mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, or are part of the LGBT community.

Spend an unusual amount of time online in a private space such as a bedroom (these activities usually take place on a desktop, laptop, or gaming computer).

Refer to friends by screen names only.

Have any signs of cutting themselves (this can be done anywhere on the body). The cuts are used to make a blood-sign, which is the writing of a message in blood, usually written in the bathroom/shower, then photographed.

The harming of pets and animals (most specifically cats).

Receive gifts, money, food deliveries, etc. from online or unknown relationships.

If a parent suspects that their child is a victim of online exploitation, they are encouraged to immediately report it to local law enforcement or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, a release said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected training activities of special operations units earlier this week, stressing strengthening their capabilities is the key to building a strong army, Pyongyang's state media reported Saturday, Azernews reports, citing Yonhap.

Kim visited a training base of the special operation units on Friday -- the day when South Korea's Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, removing him from office.

Kim oversaw the general tactical training and small-arms shooting contest conducted by the units' combatants, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"The actual war capability for guaranteeing victory in the war field is bolstered up through intensive training and it is the most vivid expression of patriotism and loyalty to the country," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA.

The North's leader noted that the "strengthening of the special operation forces constitutes a major component of the army building strategy at present," the report said.

The KCNA said Kim also laid out "crucial" tasks to put the special operation units' capability on "a highly-developed" basis, but it did not disclose details.

Without referring to his name, the KCNA reported the first vice defense minister was among top military officials who greeted Kim at the base. KCNA photos showed former Defense Minister Kang Sun-nam carrying the name tag of the first vice defense minister.
(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.
Former prime minister Stuart Young is leading the legal team representing former Central Bank Governor Dr Alvin Hilaire in his wrongful dismissal battle against the State.

On Wednesday, Hilaire told the Express that his attorneys issued a pre-action protocol letter to the Attorney General and the Cabinet Secretariat.

When asked by the Express to provide a copy of the pre-action letter and the names of his attorneys, Hilaire responded yesterday, declining to share the letter but confirming that Young is leading his legal team.
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.
Two of the pleasures I receive from writing these columns are the fascinating people I meet, and the business and life lessons I learn.

Dr. Eric Cornidez of The Pain Institute of Southern Arizona checks both categories.

When we first met, Cornidez was clear about one fundamental principle: Relationships are the cornerstone of his business.

He believes that employee and patient connections are not just important  they are everything.

This philosophy is simple yet powerful.

Employees are the heartbeat of any business because they control every critical interaction  or touch point  with patients. These moments ultimately determine an organizations success or failure.

The institutes mission statement captures this ethos perfectly: Through compassion and innovation, we will make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and in communities.

A touching anecdote illustrates this principle. When his 8-year-old daughter asked who owns his workplace, Cornidez turned the question back to her  Who do you thinks owns it? Her response? The nice lady who says hi when we come in  she always makes me feel good.

This interaction reveals why relationships matter: Every employee becomes an owner of the companys mission. And the success of the company reflects the power of this approach.

Cornidez is Tucson-born and raised. He graduated from Sunnyside High School on Tucsons south side. He excelled and earned a scholarship to Stanford Medical School.

Upon graduation in 2012, Cornidez had many offers to consider. However, he had a strong need to come back and serve the Tucson community.

He joined a small pain practice of 12 employees founded and owned by Reid Bullock and Ken Gossler in 2000.

Cornidez bought into the practice, and over 13 years, has transformed the business dramatically. Among the changes: expanded to 10 locations across Southern Arizona; the number of employees grew from 12 to 165; increased the number of providers to 22; and added two surgery centers and an in-house laboratory.

I was curious how Cornidez is able to have the institute stand out in the medical industry, where so many medical practices feel like factories to the patients.

His response was simple  focus on the patient.

The providers understand every patients medical history before they meet. The intent is for the patient to feel as if the provider gets me, and knows why I am here. The approach by the office helps the patient feel they are working with the provider, instead of feeling they have to convince the provider about their pain and why they are there.

Organizationally, the success of the operation stems from four foundational principles:

1  Practice great medicine

2  Recruit well-trained professionals

3  Deliver great patient service

4  Hire relationship-focused individuals who embrace patient care

Cornidez also imbues into the company culture three lessons he learned in medical school:

1  Treat the patient, not just a diagnostic study

2  Listen to the patient

3  Treat the patient as if they are a member of your family

Again, foundational principles that translate into growth.

Further evidence of the success of this approach is that several pain clinics in Phoenix have approached Cornidez about merging. The Phoenix entities appreciate the environment of selflessness in the institutes culture, and the collegial atmosphere among the employees and with the patients.

The business is successful financially, growing and expanding the economic health of Tucson and Southern Arizona.

The company is a meaningful business in our community. They never say no to sponsorship requests. It sponsors numerous scholarships, and Cornidez frequently speaks to students and teachers, especially on the citys south side.

They achieve all of this sustainable success by focusing on strong relationships with both their people and their patients.

The ultimate lesson? When you put people first, success inevitably follows.
The University of Arizonas chief safety officer says UA officials are not aware of any federal law enforcement activity involving students, faculty or staff on campus, as rumors of ICE visits swirl in the community.

Anyone with concerns about suspicious or criminal activity should contact the University of Arizona Police Department, while students experiencing stress or facing difficult circumstances are encouraged to reach out to the Dean of Students Office for support, Steve Patterson, a UA vice president and chief safety officer with the universitys Office of Public Safety, said Friday. We care deeply about the safety and wellbeing of our campus community.

Pattersons statement was in response to the Arizona Daily Star asking about a surge of rumors at the UA Thursday and Friday about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE agents being on campus.

The rumors come a day after Arizona State University said at least eight international students there had their student visas revoked; a Tucson immigration attorney said he had heard of 12 at ASU. The students also had their status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System database removed, making them vulnerable to deportation, detention and arrest by federal immigration authorities.

Michael Kintscher, the president of United Campus Workers Arizona, told the Star Thursday that while the organization had heard nothing about student visa revocations at the UA or Northern Arizona University, they couldn't confirm that none had happened.

While ASU confirmed the number of student visa revocations, as did the University of Colorado and Colorado State University about their campuses, UA spokesperson Zak and Vice President of Communications Steve Voeller said the UA leadership team has made a university decision to not disclose this information. Voeller was responding to an email sent Thursday by the Star to UA President Suresh Garimella.

Voeller said the decision was based on "privacy issues" of the students, even though the Star was asking only for a number of any student visa revokations and not any personal identifiers of the students themselves.

Zak also didnt say yes when asked if UA international students would internally be told a number of student visa revocations if they asked International Student Services. "University staff would handle that appropriately," Zak said, without explaining how.

UA officials put out a communication to international students, faculty and scholars Monday asking them to keep their passports; I-94s, which are issued to non-immigrant visitors entering the U.S.; and proof of statuses on them at all times. It also advised them to be aware that it is legal for immigration officials to inspect their devices and social media.

According to Mo Goldman, a Tucson immigration attorney, the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys rapid termination in national examples of foreign-student status is unprecedented. As international students increasingly come under attack, in Goldman's words, universities whose budgets rely on those populations are in a tough spot, he said.

The latest annual numbers show the UA received $68 million in net tuition revenue from international students, Zak said, quoting UAs Chief Financial Officer John Arnold.

According to an analysis from NAFSA: Association of International Educators, 1.1 million international students contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2023-2024 academic year and supported more than 378,000 jobs.

Kintscher said the atmosphere at ASU among international students is one of fear, and that students who were quietly trying to complete their studies and contribute to the university's research were waking up unsure if they had a future on campus at the end of the day.

"I have seen students change their travel plans, cancel trips to academic conferences abroad for fear of being detained upon attempting to reenter the US despite having a legal and valid visa. I have friends and colleagues who have recounted waking up from nightmares in which they were detained and held indefinitely," said Kintscher.

"We can confirm that at least some students have been detained by CBP (Customs and Border Protection) but were then later released. We have also confirmed at least one student has been detained by ICE," he said. "The majority of the students, however, have simply received a letter from the US Consulate of their respective home countries. To be clear, there have been no ICE raids or anything of that nature on campus to the best of our knowledge."

Kintscher shared a website of the workers organization, which he said would be kept regularly updated. ASU "has offered free legal consultation to students whose visas have been revoked, but beyond that has not offered any additional support for the mental health and wellbeing of the broader community this situation has impacted," he said.
The University of Arizona has received termination notices for eight National Endowment for the Humanities projects, spokesperson Mitch Zak said Friday.

We are assessing the impact on the university and will work with our researchers as they navigate these changes, he said in a written statement to the Arizona Daily Star. We are proud of the scholars, staff, and students whose work drives innovation and discovery, and we will continue to champion their work to help address global challenges.

Zak didnt disclose the names of the eight grants or projects or any further information on how much funding the UA is losing; how this affects researchers, faculty, students or staff positions; and what kind of humanities research is affected by the cancellation.

Nationally, NEH under the Trump administration has canceled most of its grant programs and started putting staff on administrative leave, the New York Times reported Thursday. Starting late Wednesday night, state humanities councils and other grant recipients began receiving emails telling them their funding was ended immediately as the agency will be repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the presidents agenda, the Times wrote.

The UA lists 19 NEH grants or projects for applications on its Office of Research, Innovation and Impact website. Earlier this year, the UA announced its Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research and its College of Information Science were awarded a $349,357 grant by NEH for training of the next generation of museum professionals through American Southwest cultural heritage collections. It isnt known if this was one of the grants cancelled.

NPR reported that acting NEH Chair Michael McDonald told senior staff that the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE wants to claw back $175 million in grant money that has not yet been disbursed.

Inside Higher Ed reported this week that humanities advocates do not know exactly how large the cuts will be to the NEH staff, which employs about 180 people and has a $78.25 million grant budget.

This comes in the midst of the Trump administrations efforts to dismantle the Department of Education by cutting nearly half of its staff in mid-March, as reported by the Associated Press; efforts to cut the National Institutes of Healths overhead cost rates for grants; as well as the cutting of foreign aid research programs funded by the U.S. Department for International Development or USAID.
The legally and politically charged issue of differential water rates is back in Tucson, with City Manager Tim Thomure recommending the City Council boost rates by a range of 16% to 23% for its customers in unincorporated Pima County.

A proposed new rate structure would increase the water bill for the average homeowner in the unincorporated areas of Pima County by $5 to $7 a month starting in July, according to an analysis prepared by Tucson Water. At the same time, the average homeowner living in Tucson, Marana and other incorporated cities who are Tucson Water customers would see their bills drop an average of about $2 a month starting in July compared to what they would be paying under the current rate structure.

Depending on which of three possible differential rate structures the City Council approves, an unincorporated area household would pay on average from $6.41 to $8.88 per month more than a typical household living in an incorporated area, Tucson Water told the Star.

On Tuesday, the City Council will consider approving a notice of intent to create these differential rates for Tucson Water customers living in unincorporated areas compared to those charged to utility customers living in incorporated areas, which also include parts of Oro Valley and all of South Tucson. Thomure is asking the council to hold a public hearing on the proposal on June 17 before approving a differential rate plan.

The proposal also calls for much smaller increases in city water rates to support existing water conservation programs and creation of green stormwater infrastructure. Such projects encourage rainwater harvesting and other methods of making use of storm runoff to enhance residential neighborhood landscaping. These increases would be charged to all customers, inside and outside of incorporated cities.

The impact of a differential water rate structure would be broad and sweeping. Many other Arizona cities, including Phoenix, charge their suburban customers more than they charge their city customers. But in most of those cities, the utilities unincorporated customer base represents a small fraction of their total customer base.

For Tucson Water, unincorporated area customers represent about one-third of its customers. That is one reason the idea of differential rates has proven controversial in the past, having been approved in a different version in 2021 only to be tossed out in court in 2023.

And controversy is already dogging this proposal, with the chairman of the Pima County Board of Supervisors opposing it and calling it highly aggravating.

But theres a big difference between the 2021 plan and the one going before the council on Tuesday. The earlier plan boosted water rates to unincorporated customers by 10%. The new plan would charge unincorporated customers 16%, 19% or 23% higher than what incorporated area residents are paying.

Rex Scott, chair of the Board of Supervisors, says the new city proposal still fails to meet the prime objection handed down in 2021 by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge when he halted the citys differential rates in response to a Pima County lawsuit.

Another part of the new city proposal thats drawing opposition is its plan to have the extra money raised by the differential rates to be returned to customers living in incorporated areas, including Tucson.

Councilman Kevin Dahl wants to see some of that money spent on climate resiliency efforts, including the citys Storm to Shade program that uses stormwater captured through natural means to nourish trees, shrubs and cacti in residential neighborhoods. He would also like to use some of the revenue to give financial help to low-income customers.

A lingering issue from the last differential rate fight was finally settled for good on Wednesday. The Arizona Supreme Court issued an order denying Pima Countys request that the city of Tucson be required to return to its unincorporated customers the $10 million it collected when the differential rates were in place from 2021 to 2023. The new ruling upholds the positions previously taken in the case by the Superior Court and the Arizona Court of Appeals.

It costs more to serve outlying areas

The city lost the lawsuit back in September 2023 when Judge Randall Warner ruled the citys differential rate structure wasnt properly justified by an analysis of the costs of serving water to both incorporated and unincorporated areas. The City Council had approved it in June 2021, over the outspoken opposition of Pima County officials and some suburban residents.

This time, however, Tucson Water is basing its higher proposed rates on costs  but not just the raw costs of serving its customers living in cities versus the costs of serving customers outside cities, the utility said.

Instead, its basing its proposed charges on what Assistant City Attorney Chris Avery calls the cost of capital assets owned by city residents, compared to comparable asset costs for unincorporated area customers. The assets are Tucson Waters infrastructure, including wells, pipelines, booster stations, and other equipment needed to deliver water to customers, he said.

Its not based on the cost of expenses or programs  such as a conservation program or a pipeline maintenance program. Instead, it is just based on the cost of assets owned by the city, Avery said in an email to Councilman Dahl.

Since the 2023 ruling, this office has consistently advised the city that any new rate study should be simple. It is my opinion that using the cost of capital, as recommended by the experts here, is that approach, and it also has the benefits of using a methodology that is consistently used to set rates in the private sector, under Arizona Corporation Commission jurisdiction, which also requires rates to be reasonable, and allows the city to use settled case law to defend this approach, Avery wrote to Dahl.

The city hired four outside experts to help with this proposal, he said. Three worked directly on using the cost of capital assets to determine the cost of service, while a fourth produced a method to determine the rate of return the city should get in the process from its capital investments. The experts recommended whats known as a utility basis approach, the city said.

Scott, however, said, What (the city) is doing here is no cost of service study of their entire system. Theyre only looking at unincorporated ratepayers. And theyre only looking at the debt service ratio for people who live in the unincorporated county. If you are gong to do a real cost of service analysis, you need to look at all your ratepayers.

I believe they began with an end in mind  they came up with a methodology that justifies raising unincorporated county rates. Thats what they wanted all along and they want to lower rates for people who can vote for them, Scott said.

Overall, Scott said he found Tucson Waters proposal highly discouraging and extremely aggravating.

I read the Mayor and Council memo from City Manager Thomure, and they may be covering all their basis legally this time, with an accent on legally, Scott said. But theyre still treating one set of their ratepayers unfairly. Theyre doing this purely to generate revenue for Tucson Waters capital costs.

Tucson Water declined to respond to Scotts comments. But Assistant City Attorney Avery said the city also looked at the direct cost of serving customers in the city and unincorporated areas. The conclusion was that if Tucson Water gets the same return on investment on its rate base from all customers living in both incorporated and unincorporated areas, it costs 5.9% less to serve incorporated areas than it does to serve unincorporated areas, Thomures memo said.

It costs more to serve unincorporated areas because they need more pipes and other infrastructure per unit of water sold, Tucson Water told the Star. Thats partly because the unincorporated areas have lower population densities and partly because they use more water per person than incorporated areas, the utility said.

Might give money back to city residents

In 2021, the City Council voted to use the extra revenue from its earlier differential rate plan to pay for infrastructure upgrades, climate resilience and expansion of the utilitys low-income program that helps defray some of their water costs.

Now, the utility seeks to have the increased revenue returned to incorporated area customers, as a way of making the new rate structure revenue neutral.

The judge's 2023 ruling didn't require that a differential rate structure be "revenue neutral."

But in his email to Dahl, Avery wrote, It is my opinion that the most straightforward way to develop a cost of service study based on ownership of the capital is to return the cost savings to the owners of that capital  namely City of Tucson customers. Strictly speaking, I suppose, a cost-of-service study could be developed that would build in other pathways for the revenue arising from the cost-of-service study, but such an approach could leave the City open to more legal issues than the current approach.

In the 2021-23 litigation, for example, Pima County provided expert opinion on all sorts of issues, ranging from conservation, soil moisture, annexation, etc. Basically, any reason for developing the rate or use of the revenue was attacked by Pima Countys lawyers, who hired experts on any issue, and took endless depositions and made countless discovery requests of all parties, he wrote.

He added to the Star, We were attacked on every front in the last rate case, including disagreements in ways the money would be spent. The utility basis approach recommended to us avoids all those issues. Theres no increased revenue to the city... .

Dahl, however, told the Star he supports having some of the new revenue going to the Storm to Shade program because the unincorporated residents, besides using more infrastructure and water, also (in general) have much cooler temperatures than their urban counterparts in large part due to more tree canopy and vegetation.

I also support a portion of the revenues going to expand our low income program and that goes for BOTH City and County residents, Dahl said in an email.

Councilman Paul Cunningham, however, told the Star hes inclined to support the city proposal because it returns value to city residents who own the Tucson Water system.

Because the proposal also includes small rate increases to improve existing city water conservation programs, it will also provide sustainable, long-term funding for water conservation and green infrastructure projects along with better water use monitoring and better programs for low-income residents and homeowners associations, he said.

The proposal will allow us to avoid some regular rate increases for city residents while providing sustainable, long-term funding for the other projects, he said.

Dont hit people all at once

Val Little, a longtime water activist and member of the Tucson Citizens Water Advisory Committee, opposed the 2021 proposed differential rates because she didnt agree with the process the city used to institute them.

Now, shes supporting the proposal, although she and other advisory committee members are asking the City Council to delay the time the new rates take effect from a now-scheduled July 1 until Aug. 1. The latter day is when the citys separately scheduled 5.5% annual water rate increase will take effect and it would be good to have both new rates kick in at the same time to avoid customer confusion, Little said.

Ill admit a lot of it is pretty fuzzy, Little said of the economic reasoning the city used to support its proposals, but I feel they have covered their bases with the use of subject matter experts and consultants.

They have come up with a way to calculate cost of service inside and outside the city that will satisfy any court, any judge, Little said. It may not make everybody happy or satisfy everyone, but there is a case to be made.

On the other side, County Supervisor Matt Heinz said that if the city does adopt a differential rate program, it should phase it in up to 18 months or two years from the time of adoption so it wont hit people all at once.

I know when they planned this discussion (the city) had no knowledge of the president going crazy on this global trade war crap, said Heinz, a Democrat, referring to Republican President Donald Trumps new, sweeping tariff plan. Thats going to cost anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000 per family per year for the average family, probably forever until Trump is out of office.

Maybe thats not the best time to be contemplating raising any (water) rates, Heinz told the Star.

Other Tucson Water rate proposals The Tucson City Council on Tuesday will also consider two other water rate increases that, unlike the differential rates proposed for unincorporated area customers, would be charged to all utility customers. The utility proposes to:  Raise the utility's water conservation fee by two cents for every 748 gallons a customer uses to pay for various water conservation programs. They include increased conservation incentives for low-income customers, including free toilet replacements, emergency plumbing repairs, rainwater harvesting grants and loans, and subsidized high-efficiency washing machines. Other incentives would include rebates to benefit commercial customers and homeowners' associations for water conservation actions.  Another three cents per 748 gallons used would be charged to support installation of a customer portal that would be connected to the smart meters that are gradually being installed at peoples' homes. The portal would allow customers to track and manage their water use remotely.  Another two cents per 748 gallons used would be charged to support the city's Green Stormwater Infrastructure program. It builds public landscaping systems in neighborhoods to grow more trees and shrubs to increase outdoor cooling. But construction costs for the program have risen 50% since 2020, reducing the number of projects the utility can do. Between them, the rate increases would raise a little more than $2 million.
Chris ODells wild ride through the glory days of rock n roll always seemed like something out of a movie.

Now it is.

The new feature-length documentary called Miss ODell chronicles the Tucson womans career in the music industry, from her early days working for the Beatles to her later role as a tour manager for the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Queen and Linda Ronstadt, to name a few.

The film will make its world premiere in Tucson on April 11, when The Loft Cinema hosts an already sold-out screening in its 370-seat main theater.

Its kind of amazing, because Tucson has been such a big part of my life, ODell said. I grew up here. I left. I came back a long time ago, and now Im watching a documentary come out in Tucson. Its so hard to explain the feeling, but its almost unbelievable.

The Palo Verde High School graduate left the Old Pueblo for Los Angeles in 1966 at the age of 19. After menial work at the periphery of the recording industry, she lucked into a job as a personal assistant at the Beatles Apple Records in London in 1968.

She would spend the next two decades working with some of the biggest names in rock music, blazing a trail as one of the only female tour managers in a male-dominated business.

Her voice is part of the chorus at the end of the Beatles Hey Jude. Her face shows up in the cover-art collage for the Rolling Stones album Exile on Main St. Her family snapshots have Ringo Starr in them.

The documentary borrows its name from a song George Harrison wrote about ODell and later released as the B-side to his 1973 solo hit Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth).

Miss ODell is also the title of her 2009 memoir about her charmed, exhausting and sometimes painful rock music odyssey.

Liverpool West Productions, which made the film, describes it as a backstage VIP pass to the life of a woman who saw it all.

Lofty debut

The movie premiere in Tucson will feature a live concert by an all-star band of local musicians performing songs by some of the legendary acts ODell worked with.

After the screening, ODell will take part in a question-and-answer session and sign copies of her memoir.

A number of celebrities recorded video messages that will be played to introduce the documentary, including Ronstadt, Bobby Whitlock from Derek and the Dominos, and May Pang, a long-time friend of ODells whose affair with John Lennon was chronicled in the documentary The Lost Weekend: A Love Story.

ODell appears briefly in that film, and she helped introduce it when it debuted at The Loft in 2023.

Jeff Yanc, program director for The Loft, said world premieres are rare at the historic, nonprofit arthouse theater on East Speedway, but this one makes total sense.

It was kind of a no-brainer to me, he said. Tucsonans love movies about Tucsonans.

The Loft has scheduled daily screenings of Miss ODell through April 17. The movie is slated to debut on streaming platforms on May 13.

Since there are no more tickets available for opening night, ODell plans to return to The Loft for the evening show on April 12 and the matinee on April 13 to sign some more books and answer questions from audience members.

London calling

She said she was first approached about making a documentary in 2022, when movie producer Doug Schwab tracked her down while she was signing copies of her memoir at the annual Fest For Beatles Fans in New Jersey.

He bought a book and left his card and said, Id like to maybe talk to you about a project, she recalled. Im like, Yeah, right, sure.

Then, on the last day of the convention, she was met in her hotel lobby by British director Simon Weitzman, who doubled down on Schwabs pitch. And when someone tells you something in an English accent, you believe it, ODell said with a laugh.

The documentary was shot in London and Los Angeles in 2023. Among those interviewed were influential BBC music show host Whispering Bob Harris and English musician, manager and record producer Peter Asher, who was ODells boss at Apple Records.

The majority of it is really Beatle-focused, she said of the documentary.

As part of the filming in London, she strolled across Abbey Road and returned to the site of the Fab Fours iconic 1969 concert on the rooftop at Apple, which turned out to be their final live performance before they broke up. In photos from that famous, frigid day, ODell is the young woman with the blond bob, sitting against the chimney three seats down from Yoko Ono.

ODell also appeared on camera in Miss ODell with her friend Pattie Boyd, the British model who famously divorced George Harrison and later married Eric Clapton  in Tucson, coincidentally enough  after he declared his love for her in the song Layla.

The women laughed and swapped stories about the old days, including the time ODell spent a few months living with Boyd and Harrison at Friar Park, the famous Victorian estate outside of London that served as the musicians primary home and recording studio.

Boyd later recorded an introductory message for the movie premiere.

Taste of fame

Now ODell said she and her friend are in the early stages of completing a project that the two of them started working on together in the 1980s: Interviews and portraits of some of rock musics most famous wives and exes.

ODell said they profiled about a dozen women, including Linda McCartney (Pauls wife and a former Arizona Wildcat); Shirley Watts (wife of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts); Maureen Starkey (Ringos first wife); Jill Collins (Phil Collins second wife); and Nicole Winwood (then married to Steve Winwood).

Boyd took the photographs while ODell conducted the interviews. They are literally conversations on a really old tape recorder, she said.

They hope to use modern technology to clean up the recordings for eventual use in a documentary and a companion book about what it was like for these women to live inside the whirlwind of rock n roll fame.

And ODell is about to get her own small taste of that, as her story makes its way to the big screen.

Though the run-up to the premiere has been hectic, she said the experience of making the film was actually kind of fun, thanks in no small part to her director.

We worked on a pretty small budget, and Simon did an amazing job with what he had to work with, she said.

ODell is glad she said yes to the guys who approached her at that Beatles convention three years ago, and shes flattered that they wanted to make a movie about her life in the first place.

Its really nice that someone wanted to do that, the 78-year-old said. You know, for many years, I was referred to as a groupie, or I was not referred to at all. I was back in the background. To be brought out of the background is validating.
Amid a surge in vandalism of Humane Borders life-saving water barrels in Arizonas borderlands, volunteers with the humanitarian group said they encountered a new situation on Tuesday: an apparent vigilante disguised as a wounded migrant from the Middle East. Witnesses say the man later tried to empty the groups water barrel and aggressively filmed volunteers and visiting high schoolers, blocking their vehicle as they tried to leave the water station.

Kirk Astroth, a long-time volunteer with Humane Borders, called the incident the weirdest experience I have ever had volunteering with the group.

Astroth was checking Tuesday on Humane Borders water station near Highway 286, one of 45 water sites the nonprofit has set up in Southern Arizona to aid anyone in need, including migrants.

Astroth, accompanied by a group of 15 high school students visiting from Colorado, noticed a man crouched in the bushes, dressed in camouflage, with a hoodie covering his head and a black mask on, Astroth said.

The man was also wearing carpet shoes, which migrants seeking to evade detection often use to avoid leaving footprints. The man waved at the group and indicated he didnt speak Spanish, but Kazak, the language of Kazakhstan, Astroth said.

The volunteers offered him food and water, which he drank as if he were extremely thirsty, and he was walking with a limp, Astroth said. The man seemed to want the group to transport him, which in retrospect Astroth said could have been an attempt to record volunteers committing a crime.

As the group attempted to leave, the man blocked the mini-school bus transporting the students, and began filming on his phone. He then returned to the water barrel and opened the spigot to drain it.

Astroth, in a separate vehicle, told the school bus to return to Tucson, and returned to check out a nearby vehicle he suspected belonged to the man. Astroth was snapping photos of the gray camper van, and its Massachusetts license plate, when the man, no longer in disguise, emerged from the bushes with his camera phone in hand. He started yelling and ran at Astroth, who said he quickly drove away.

Humane Borders reported the incident to the Pima County Sheriffs Department, sharing the license plate number and photos of the man at the water barrel. The dispatcher searched the plates and told Astroth the vehicle owner had a criminal record, he said.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said deputies are investigating the incident and seeking to locate the vehicles registered owner.

Im saddened that someone sees the need to vandalize equipment or property that really is there just to help keep somebody alive, Nanos said. We dont tolerate vigilantes. Its that simple.

Since the November presidential election, amid the anti-immigrant rhetoric thats characterized the Trump administration, Humane Borders has seen a surge in such incidents, which tend to come in waves, Astroth said.

Ever since the election, theres more vigilantes and militia out in the desert than there are migrants, he said. The number of water stations being vandalized is extreme now. Its the worst Ive ever seen in 11 years.

Humane Borders and the Pima County Medical Examiners Office have recorded more than 4,300 migrant deaths in the Southern Arizona borderlands, which are logged in an interactive map and database.

The group works to reduce deaths from dehydration by establishing and monitoring a series of water stations, which draw the ire of anti-immigrant vandals.

Out-of-state vandals and vigilantes represent the real invasion of our southern border, said Laurie Cantillo, board chair and water truck driver for Humane Borders.

Its people who dont live here, who dont understand the culture of the border and who want to break laws and cause trouble. Many of them have criminal records themselves, she said.

Vandals have drained, shot and stabbed the groups water barrels, or removed the spigots to prevent access to water. Some have also written poisonous in Spanish on the barrels  which volunteers regularly clean and replace  or knocked over the tall blue flags marking the water stations.

Vigilantes have also harassed, filmed and detained migrants in the borderlands, including children, volunteers say.

But migrant arrival numbers have plummeted since reaching all-time highs in late 2023, giving live-streamers little to show their followers on social media.

Theres very few people crossing, so the usual opportunities to make mischief arent there, Cantillo said. Frankly, Id rather them go after a barrel than harass and injure a migrant.

Humane Borders has now installed game cameras around each of its water stations to help identify vandals, volunteers say.

Were going to catch these guys, Cantillo said. Now were getting more strategic about camera placement. The Pima County Sheriffs Office has been fantastic. ... Theyre taking it seriously.

Law enforcement has told Cantillo that repeat offenders who vandalize Humane Borders property can be charged with a felony.

Nanos has met numerous times with border-region humanitarian volunteers to discuss their concerns about rising harassment, threats and vandalism from vigilantes, who are sometimes heavily armed when confronting the volunteers.

Right-wing vigilantes, militia members and social-media personalities have also targeted volunteers with humanitarian groups such as the Tucson Samaritans, falsely accusing them of being smugglers in league with the cartel.

On March 9, conservative activist and live-streamer Anthony Aguero  an El Paso native and son of Mexican immigrants, according to The Atlantic  filmed himself draining a Humane Borders water barrel, posting the video to his account on X, formerly Twitter.

Aguero did not respond to the Stars requests for comment, sent to his Telegram and Instagram accounts, which both showed Aguero had viewed the Stars messages.

Humane Borders water stations are for the benefit of all, Cantillo emphasized, including hikers, hunters and wildlife, as well as vigilantes who find themselves in a difficult situation.

Its even for people who disagree with our mission, because if you break down out there, that water could mean the difference between life or death for you, she said. Take what you need, but leave the rest for everyone else.
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Tax reform likely makes more sense than tax cuts, especially in view of looming challenges, the Oklahoma Senates Appropriations and Finance committee chairmen said Friday.

Speaking to the Tulsa Regional Chamber at the Doubletree Hotel at Warren Place, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, and Appropriations Committee Chairman Chuck Hall, R-Perry, sounded leery of the sort of income tax rate cuts advocated by Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Income taxes are the states leading revenue source, and the state is even more dependent on them with last years elimination of the states 4.5% sales tax on groceries.

But some very influential people, including Stitt, want the income tax eliminated.

The governor talks about a path to zero, said Rader. Weve been on a path to zero for 100 years. Weve been doing it by giving credits, deduction exemptions to certain people  certain peoples and certain companies.

Hall said that while Oklahoma currently has healthy reserves, tax receipts are on a downward trend.

I tell people all the time that we are cash rich and revenue poor in the state of Oklahoma right now, he said.

We do not have the revenues (for fiscal year 2026) that we had in (FY 2025). We are short $38 million.  We are $1.1 billion less in total recurring revenue than we were the year before.

And that, said Hall, is before considering $700 million to $1 billion in state agencies new appropriations requests or the potential impact of deep reductions in federal funds.

Even state Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, who was invited to discuss his proposal for gradual reductions of state income tax rates triggered by revenue growth, sounded more interested in overall tax reform than a focus on income taxes alone.

Id like to look at tax reform creating an environment thatll help us grow the economy and take care of a lot of our challenges, he said.

Lepak would like the state to look more closely at expanding its sales tax base to services, including such things as streaming audio and video, while lowering income tax rates.

Not too long ago, you were paying sales tax when you bought a CD or tape or record album, Lapak said. Today you stream that, and you dont pay any tax.

Lepak said he sees tax policy as a matter of competitiveness with other states, especially since all surrounding states except New Mexico will soon have lower top income tax rates.

And, as everyone at the Capitol hears constantly, Texas is zero.

After years of study, though, Rader suggested that that might be misleading. He said he tracks comparisons for 10 revenue sources and concluded that the overall tax burden is lower for Oklahoma than Texas. But the one that always has light on it is income tax.

These other taxes are a little bit confusing, and when it becomes confusing, then we buzz out and we get bleary-eyed and we cant see.

We think that over the years, weve done a really good job of leveling (taxes) out, Rader said. If you understand property taxes, you know ours are really light. You can have a 2,500-square-foot home here that you couldnt have in Los Angeles  and probably couldnt have in Texas.

Rader said that while Oklahomas top tax rate is nominally 4.5%, nobody in Oklahoma pays that.

The effective rate, he said, is 3.1%.

In his view, lowering nominal tax rates will mean eliminating many of the deductions, credits and exemptions  known as tax preferences  that in some cases, Rader said, seem to favor the few at the expense of the many.

As Appropriations Committee chairman, Halls focus is on the expense side of the ledger. He said his predecessor and mentor, former Sen. Roger Thompson of Okemah, told him, Behind every dollar  that we spend, theres a person.

We need to be thinking about every person in the state of Oklahoma as we look forward to balancing this budget, Hall said.

But he expects that it wont be easy and that it wont take long for the $4 billion or so in reserves to begin looking not so large.

For instance, the state could be looking at hundreds of millions of dollars in additional Medicaid costs if the federal match is reduced, as many expect. Because Oklahomas Medicaid expansion provision is in the state constitution, those obligations must be met until we can do some sort of constitutional adjustment. And youve got to ask yourself, Whats the success ratio of taking away benefit from Oklahomans? said Hall.

Similar dilemmas face lawmakers in just about every area of state government, Hall said, because the level of federal funding is almost certain to decline under the weight of growing deficits and policy decisions.

I talk with our federal delegation regularly, Hall said. All of them will tell you that the level of federal dollars coming back down to the states (is) not sustainable.

Were going to have to  make a decision, he said. Are we going to allow those benefits that weve been receiving from the federal government to just go away and start cutting benefits to Oklahomans? Or is Oklahoma going to make up that gap?
Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Reporter Follow Randy Krehbiel 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

Tariffic: U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin urged Americans to buy American after President Donald Trump announced higher tariffs on just about all goods coming into the U.S., while Sen. James Lankford was more circumspect.

I think therell be some products that theres going to be benefit for, and some will be a detriment on it, and weve got to be able to work this out, Lankford told CNN.

Asked where the new taxes will be felt most, Lankford replied, Things like clothing, electronics, some of those things that are only made overseas now.

In a Newsmax interview, Lankford called Trumps tariff policy interesting.

(Trump) laid it out and said, Im going to do a 10% tariff on everybody across the entire world, Lankford said. If its higher than 10%, its higher than 10% for a reason, because you put high tariffs on us.

But it turns out the Trump tariffs are based not on the import taxes impose on U.S. goods but on the United States trade deficits with each targeted trading partner. The bigger the trade deficit, the higher the tariff regardless of that countrys import duties.

I think hes putting the 10% tariff on everybody across the world, saying weve got a major trade deficit, said Lankford. Weve got an obviously enormous federal deficit, so hes laying a marker out there.

Initially, Mullin posted on X: Want to avoid Trumps America First tariffs? Its easy. Buy, Build, and Hire American.

Later in the week, after Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley and others filed legislation that would give Congress more say in the matter, Mullin told Fox Business, I think its something we ought to look at.

The problem we have is that markets move fast. The economy moves fast. Congress moves slow, Mullin said.

Im OK with some kind of happy medium, because I think there should always be checks and balances.  I dont always trust Congress ability to move quick enough with todays economy.

Threepeat: Mullin, one of Trumps most loyal supporters, continues to dismiss the notion that the president will seek a third term in 2028.

Its all tongue and cheek.  You guys are blowing it way out of proportion, he said in USA Today. Last time I checked, the 22nd amendment still applies. You guys make such a big deal about everything, I think the presidents having fun with you.

Adopted after Franklin Roosevelt was elected to four terms from 1932 through 1944, the 22nd amendment says no one may be elected to more than two terms as president.

Some complicated scenarios for getting around that prohibition have been floated, including Trumps being elected vice president to a straw presidential candidate who then resigns.

T-Town: No, not Tulsa. Washington  where tariffs, taxes and trillions (as in dollars) seem to be in every discussion.

And while most of the attention last week was on tariffs, the Republican-led Senate moved forward with a concurrent budget resolution.

By using something called a current policy baseline, the resolution would allow Congress essentially to ignore the $4 trillion in revenue lost from extending the 2017 tax cuts that expire at the end of 2025.

Extending the tax cuts is a high priority for congressional Republicans, since not doing so would raise most Americans taxes while the GOP controls the White House and Congress.

Mullin and 1st District Congressman Kevin Hern have been particularly vocal about extending the tax cuts. Lankford also is generally supportive.

The Senate resolution is a response to a House proposal that many say would cut too much too fast.

But the Committee on a Responsible Federal Budget, co-founded in 1981 by former Oklahoma Gov. and U.S. Sen. Henry Bellmon, says the Senate resolution abandons all semblance of fiscal responsibility.

The CRFBs Executive Director, Maya MacGuineas, said the resolution would allow up to $5.8 trillion in additional borrowing, which is more than all of the COVID-era programs combined.

Elephant: Republicans say they pare down Medicaid, except for the proverbial waste, fraud and abuse, but 4th District Congressman and Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole said (again) that seriously addressing federal deficits and debt is impossible without taking on Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.

If you dont get to entitlement spending and you dont talk about Medicaid, then youre not talking about the real problem, Cole told The Hill.

Political preachers: Lankford is the principal Senate sponsor of legislation to lift the theoretical ban on political activity by churches.

While tax law says churches risk losing their tax exempt status by endorsing candidates, in practice the provision is almost never enforced.

Fundamental American values must extend to everyone, including pastors, social workers, or non-profit employees and volunteers, Lankford said in a press release. Everyone should have their constitutional rights to assembly, free speech, freedom of religion and free press protected.

Sunday shows: Lankford is booked for NBCs Meet the Press. Mullin is on Fox News Sunday.

Dots n dashes: Mullin told Fox News that congressional Democrats have completely fallen apart since former Speaker Nancy Pelosi retired from leadership.  Third District Congressman Frank Lucas introduced legislation to keep Oklahoma Citys flight controller school open in the event of a government shutdown.  The Senate passed and sent to Trump 5th District Congresswoman Stephanie Bices bill repealing Biden-era walk-in refrigerator and freezer energy standards.
Production company Northern Pictures is making a documentary series for a major Australian broadcaster, looking at how we perceive the world around us.

In the hands of experts, and using ground-breaking social science experiments, it will explore how we analyse, respond to and interpret our ever-changing, challenging modern world.

Producers are looking for everyday people of differing ages, genders and backgrounds.

Eligibility:

Be over 18 years old;

Sydney based;

Agree to undertake a police check;

Understand there is no payment for participating in documentaries;

Understand this is not an acting role;

Not have appeared on a reality or documentary series in the past two years;

Be available for up to 4 days filming in the first week of June 2025; and

Be available for a possible extra half day filming and/or interviews within your community or home.

You can apply here.
WA based Prospero Productions continues its pipeline of factual series from the west with

Hunting Outback Gold set to screen later this year on Nine.

The series tracks an intrepid team on their search to find a fortune, taking inspiration from the tragic death of gold prospector Harrold Lasseter in the 1930s and his quest to rediscover a vast reef of gold.

A second season of Outback Crystal Hunters (pictured) is now in post-production for Seven.

After Season 1 saw the hunters unearth Australias largest amethyst cluster weighing 21 tonnes, Season 2 follows seven teams of treasure hunters as they journey across the Australian landscape in the hope of discovering the worlds most rare and beautiful crystals.

Meanwhile West Coast Cops, narrated by Lisa McCune, is now screening on Nine. It shows how former UK officers navigate life in the remote community of Halls Creek, undergo rigorous training at the WA Police Academy in Joondalup and metropolitan policing across Perth.

All three shows are supported by Screenwest and Lotterywest.

Prospero has a real talent for turning real-life events into engaging, entertaining and deeply human stories, said Melissa Hayward, Screenwest Documentary Executive.

Production credit: West Coast Cops is produced by Prospero Productions for Channel 9 and UKTVs channel U&W with principal production funding from Screenwest and Lotterywest. International sales are handled by DCD Rights.

Production credit: Outback Crystal Hunters Season 2 is produced by Prospero Productions for Channel 7 and Warner Bros. Discovery with principal production funding from Screenwest and Lotterywest. International sales are being handled by Sphere Abacus.

Production credit: Hunting Outback Gold is produced by Prospero Productions for Channel 9 and UKTVs channel U&Yesterday with principal production funding from Screenwest and Lotterywest. International sales by Bossa Nova Media.
TCN News Desk

Patna (Bihar): The recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, has sparked intense political debate and internal rifts within the states ruling Janata Dal (United) or JD(U). The bill, which  the government claims  aims to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India, has led to the resignation of several JD(U) leaders who voiced their opposition to the legislation.

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However, the party has firmly defended its position, reiterating its commitment to secularism and to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

In a bid to quell concerns and unity within the party, JD(U) MLC Khalid Anwar emphasised that no Muslim leader would leave the party due to the bill. Speaking to ANI, Anwar stated, We sent our concerns, and all our concerns were duly answered. JD(U) is a secular, liberal and democratic party, and all its leaders stand firmly with Nitish Kumar. No Muslim leader will leave the party.

He dismissed the resignations of five JD(U) leaders, including Nadeem Akhtar, Raju Nayyar, Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik and Kasim Ansari, as non-threatening to the partys core ideology. These leaders had expressed their dismay over the bill, with some accusing the party of betraying the Muslim community.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had urged all secular political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allies, to oppose the bill. In their resignation letters, several JD(U) leaders criticised the party for supporting the bill.

For instance, Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik stated, Millions of Indian Muslims like us had the firm belief that you are the flag bearer of purely secular ideology. But now this belief has been broken.

The passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament has caused a ripple effect in the political landscape, especially as Bihar gears up for the assembly elections. The proposed legislation, which was approved in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, seeks to amend the Waqf Act of 1995 to enhance the efficiency of waqf boards, improve the registration process and introduce technological advancements in managing waqf records.

On the opposite side of the political spectrum, BJP national spokesperson and former Union Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain has come out strongly in defence of the Waqf Bill, calling it a pro-Muslim and pro-poor legislation.

Hussain told IANS that the bill will empower underprivileged Muslims and help them improve their livelihoods. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is in the interest of Muslims. It will benefit the poor among them and give them a chance to develop themselves anew, he said, addressing concerns that the bill might harm the Muslim community.

Despite the growing backlash from sections of the Muslim community, he dismissed the political impact of JD(U) leaders resignations and called them non-influential faces. No such big face is leaving the JD(U). It will not affect the party or the NDA. In fact, this bill will help us gain more votes, he added with confidence.

He also refuted claims that the bill was biased against Muslims. The waqf committees will still be headed by Muslims and no religious or community bias is involved. The Opposition is misleading people, just like they did during the Citizenship Amendment Act, he clarified.

Hussain urged the Muslim community to remain calm and stay informed, asking them not to fall for propaganda and reassuring them of Prime Minister Narendra Modis commitment to Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (Together with All, Development for All).

Seemingly attempting to quell the political and social tensions surrounding the bill, Union Minister Chirag Paswan acknowledged the dissatisfaction expressed by some members of the Muslim community but emphasised that such dissatisfaction is a natural part of the democratic process.

I want to tell every person of the Muslim community that I am grateful for your displeasure, but the reality is that my father also always fought for social justice with dedication, he said, referring to his late father, Ram Vilas Paswan, who was known for his commitment to social justice.

Paswan reiterated that his political values are rooted in the principles his father stood for and assured the community that his actions would be guided by those values. I will also work to carry forward his thinking with the same honesty, he said, adding that only time would reveal whether his decisions would favour the Muslim community.

As the debate over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill intensifies, the political rift within JD(U) and the strong defence of the bill by BJP leaders show how deeply this legislation has divided political opinions. While JD(U) remains resolute in its secular stance, claiming that no Muslim leader will abandon the party, the BJP continues to champion the bill as a step toward empowering Muslims, particularly the poor and marginalised.

As the political drama unfolds, all eyes are on the upcoming assembly elections in the state, where the impact of the Waqf Bill and its aftermath will likely play a crucial role in shaping voter sentiments.
TCN News Desk

Patna: The political battle over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has intensified in Bihar, with the ruling Janata Dal-United or JD(U) and Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) exchanging sharp barbs in a poster campaign ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.

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A new poster appeared on the streets of Patna on April 5, questioning RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadavs alleged flip-flopping on the waqf issue. The poster referenced Yadavs 2010 speech in the Lok Sabha, where he had demanded a stricter law to curb mismanagement of waqf properties. It contrasted this with his current opposition to the recently-passed Waqf Bill, asking, Who is the real Girgit (chameleon)?

The term chameleon was once used by Lalus supporters to target Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accusing him of shifting political allegiances. Now, the JD(U) has turned the tables, using the same term to highlight what they see as Lalus hypocritical stance on the waqf issue.

Reacting to the poster, BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal told IANS, The public has now recognised how Lalu Yadav changes colours like a chameleon.

He pointed out that in 2010, Lalu had criticised the Waqf Board for alleged mismanagement, accusing it of looting properties and calling for action against those exploiting waqf resources. Now, he said, Lalu was opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, passed through a democratic process. Isnt that hypocrisy? Jaiswal asked.

He took a sarcastic swipe at the Opposition, adding, The Opposition was busy cleaning the mirror to find clean faces, but they did not realize  the dust was on their faces, not the mirror.

Meanwhile, Bihar Health and Law Minister Mangal Pandey defended the Waqf Bill, asserting that it would bring justice to the poor Pasmanda (marginalised) Muslims and exposed the Oppositions hypocrisy. He recalled Lalu Prasad Yadavs 2010 speech in Parliament, in which he had accused the Waqf Board members of misusing lands, citing Patnas Dakbungla Chauraha as an example.

Lalus son (Tejashwi Yadav) should first hear his fathers words in Parliament, Pandey said, highlighting the irony of Lalus current Opposition.

He further claimed that the Oppositions objections were not about the bill itself but about losing control over waqf matters. The poor are actually happy. This bill brings justice, especially for Pasmanda Muslims, he said. The chaos is being created by those who earlier misused the system. The NDA government has only done what Lalu Prasad once demanded.

Supporting the bill, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan emphasised that waqf properties should serve public welfare, such as charity, orphanages and hospitals. Allahs property is for public welfare. How many waqf properties in Patna are running such services? he questioned, underlining the need for greater transparency and fairness in managing waqf properties.

The poster war in Bihar is heating up as the state gears up for the 2025 Legislative Assembly elections. At least five Muslim leaders from the JD(U) have already resigned in protest over the passage of the Waqf Bill, further fuelling the political debate. The Opposition, particularly the RJD, has already fired back with posters attacking Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over his stance on the Waqf Bill and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

One such provocative poster, displayed outside the residence of former CM Rabri Devi, depicts Nitish Kumar greeting a Muslim cleric, with the message: Tum To Dhokhebaaz Ho, Wada Karke Bhul Jate Ho  accusing the CM of being a cheater who fails to honour his promises.

This ongoing poster war is set against the backdrop of Bihars political landscape, where the JD(U) and the RJD are locked in a battle for dominance ahead of the crucial 2025 election.
TCN News Desk

New Delhi: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has announced to launch a nationwide campaign against the recent amendments to waqf laws passed by Parliament. The board had called them a direct assault on Islamic values, shariah and the constitutional principles of religious freedom and communal harmony. Declaring the move as part of a broader communal agenda, it has demanded that the proposed law be repealed.

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The AIMPLB, in a strongly worded official statement, said, The recent waqf amendments passed by Parliament are an assault on Islamic values, religion and shariah, religious and cultural freedom, communal harmony and the foundational structure of the Indian Constitution.

The board stated that the support extended by certain political parties to the BJPs communal agenda has exposed their so-called secular facade.

The AIMPLB plans to roll out its agitation in multiple phases, beginning with a week-long campaign stretching from one Friday to the next. This initial phase will focus on spreading awareness, countering misinformation and promoting peaceful and democratic methods of dissent.

AIMPLB will lead a nationwide movement against these amendments in coordination with all religious, community-based and social organisations and the campaign will continue until the amendments are fully repealed, the statement said.

The board reassured the Muslim community of its firm commitment to this cause, emphasising that the leadership would take all necessary steps  within the bounds of the Constitution  to resist what it sees as unjust legislation.

The Board reassure the Muslim community of India that there is no need for despair or disappointment. The leadership will not shy away from any sacrifice in this cause and, along with all justice-seeking forces in the country, will initiate a strong movement within constitutional framework against these oppressive amendments. These sentiments and views were expressed today in a meeting of the Boards officials and special invitees.

AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Muhammad Fazlur Raheem Mujaddidi stated that the organisation would challenge the law both legally and through civil protest.

The Board will not only take the legal route to challenge these discriminatory and unjust amendments in Supreme Court but will also employ all democratic and peaceful means of protest, including demonstrations, symbolic protests such as wearing black armbands, roundtable meetings with fellow citizens and press conferences, he said.

According to the boards detailed plan, protests will be organised in district and state capitals across India. Symbolic arrests will be offered by Muslim leaders in each state, while district-level protests will culminate in submitting memorandums to the President of India and the Home Minister via respective district magistrates and collectors.

Under the banner of Save Waqf, Save the Constitution, the campaign will highlight the impact of the amendments on waqf properties and fundamental rights. The first phase will include a series of roundtable discussions aimed at dispelling myths and misinformation promoted by the government and sectarian elements.

The Board explained, As part of the first phase of the movement, an entire week from one Friday to the next will be observed under the theme Save Waqf, Save the Constitution. During this period, several initiatives will be undertaken, with a major focus on organising roundtable discussions with fellow citizens. These meetings aim to counter the misinformation and false narratives being spread by the government and sectarian elements with facts and logical arguments. Similarly, a meeting will be held in Delhi with leaders of other religions and representatives of their waqf institutions.

Major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Vijayawada, Malappuram, Patna, Ranchi, Malerkotla and Lucknow will host large-scale protests. The campaign will be formally launched from Delhis Talkatora Stadium, and all events in the first phase are scheduled to continue through Eid al-Adha. Further steps will be determined afterward.

In a final appeal to the Muslim community  particularly the youth  Maulana Mujaddidi urged restraint and discipline.

The Board appeals to all Muslims, especially the youth, to remain patient, composed and firm in their stance. Do not take any action driven by emotions that might provide opportunities for sectarian and disruptive forces.

The board further appealed for the campaign to be conducted in an organised, planned and peaceful manner, requesting individuals not to act independently but to cooperate strictly in line with the Boards guidance.
On Tuesday, April 8, Grassroots America will host a presentation titled How a $50 Billion Increase in State Spending Tells Us the Texas DOGE is Nothing Like Elons.

Jeramy Kitchen, President of Texas Policy Research (TPR), will join JoAnn Fleming of Grassroots America for an in-depth discussion on the 89th Texas Legislative Session, which concludes on June 2. Fleming will address concerns related to border security legislation and the efforts to challenge President Donald Trumps policies.







The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, located on 5701 S. Broadway Ave. in Tyler. There is a $12 fee for a buffet dinner and opens at 5:15 p.m. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will conclude at 8:30 p.m.

There is no fee needed to attend, and registration and membership are not required. The group encourages dining to help support local business and jobs.
HA NOI  Viet Nams construction sector is pushing to deliver more mega, world-class projects, boosting its global reputation and ushering the nation into a new era  the era of the nation's rise.

According to the Ministry of Construction more than 120 large-scale projects of national significance have been completed over the past four decades. Many of them feature innovative structural designs, new construction techniques, and cutting-edge technologies, some introduced in Viet Nam for the first time or holding regional importance.

Iconic projects include the Hoa Binh, Yaly, Son La, and Lai Chau hydropower plants; Can Tho Bridge, Dung Quat Refinery, Bai Chay Bridge, Cai Lan Port, Ha Noi-Hai Phong Expressway, Vung Tau 4 thermal power plant, HCM City-Trung Luong Expressway, Nhat Tan Bridge, Hai Van and eo Ca tunnels, and Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat international airports. More recently, the North-South expressway, and Nhon-Ha Noi station and Cat Linh-Ha ong urban railway lines have stood out.

Speaking at a recent meeting on accelerating infrastructure development, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh commended Vietnamese contractors for their pivotal role in these achievements.

Nguyen Quoc Hiep, chairman of the Vietnam Association of Construction Contractors (VACC), said that over the past two decades, Viet Nams construction market had been dominated by companies from Europe, the US, Japan, and South Korea, which had been involved in major projects, either directly or indirectly.

However, domestic companies had gained valuable expertise and project management skills from top international contractors through joint ventures as partners or subcontractors. Vietnamese firms had over recent years taken the lead in major domestic projects like the North-South Expressway, the Landmark 81 skyscraper in HCM City, the Lego Groups manufacturing plant in Binh Duong Province, and Long Thanh International Airport.

These tangible results serve as the foundation for the Governments strong confidence in the growth of domestic contractors, especially when it comes to entrusting Vietnamese enterprises with major projects, Hiep said.

If provided with supportive mechanisms, domestic firms are fully capable of delivering large-scale, internationally benchmarked projects such as the North-South high-speed railway".

At present, Viet Nams construction market is considered a lucrative opportunity for international contractors. Therefore, promoting construction localisation is a long-term vision to pool domestic resources and enhance Viet Nams economic competitiveness.

To empower domestic enterprises to lead infrastructure projects and compete internationally, the sector and construction firms must fulfil six key tasks outlined by the Prime Minister in October 2024:

First, there must be a deeper recognition of the importance of key national projects to creating new development spaces, which help establish industrial zones, urban areas, and service hubs, increase land value, improve mobility for citizens, and reduce logistics and production costs, ultimately enhancing the competitiveness of goods and the overall economy.

The second task is pooling and diversifying resources from the State, individuals, businesses, direct and indirect investors, and public-private partnerships to develop strategic infrastructure in a way that harmonises their benefits.

Third, it is necessary to advance and transfer cutting-edge technology, train quality human resources, and improve smart-oriented governance capacity in business operations and project implementation.

Another task is revising and fine-tuning institutions related to site clearance, construction materials, technical standards, processes, bidding, and project contracting to ensure streamlined, favourable conditions and address institutional bottlenecks.

The fifth lies with upholding the spirit of self-reliance and internal strength, leveraging state support and international partnerships to foster growth.

Sixth, it is a must to promptly resolve institutional, resource, and workforce challenges to accelerate rapid and sustainable development of domestic construction firms and contribute to national progress.

Experts predict that the next decade will offer ample growth opportunities to the domestic construction industry. In recent years, the countrys GDP has consistently exceeded expectations, maintaining a robust growth rate between 6 per cent and over 7 per cent. The construction sector has played a key role, contributing 11-12 per cent of GDP, an indication that Viet Nam still has substantial room for development in housing and urban infrastructure compared to other emerging economies in the region.

With vast potential and numerous challenges ahead, Vietnamese contractors are well-positioned to rise to new heights. This momentum is driving the construction industry forward.

According to Chairman of Hoa Binh Construction Group Le Viet Hai, Vietnamese contractors have not only excelled in residential and high-rise construction but have also outperformed regional firms in general contracting and project management.

Even globally renowned Japanese and South Korean contractors have acknowledged the remarkable progress of Vietnamese firms.

Hai said that 30 per cent of his groups projects fully embraced Building Information Modeling (BIM), an international standard for managing construction assets throughout their lifecycle, compared to just five per cent for South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction.

The Vietnamese Government is ramping up investments in transportation infrastructure, allocating around VN470 trillion (US$19 billion) from 2020-2025 and nearly VN900 trillion by 2030.

This plan aims to expand urban spaces, develop compatible and modern technical and socio-economic infrastructure, and presents an opportunity for domestic enterprises to accelerate their growth.

To capitalise on these opportunities, especially with the coming high-speed railway project, Vietnamese contractors must adopt a forward-thinking approach.

Now is the time for them to invest in equipment, train engineers and workers, and master construction technologies, paving the way to become primary contractors for major national transport projects.  VNS
By Mai Huong

The revival of the Ninh Thuan nuclear power projects, with Petrovietnam and Vietnam Electricity (EVN) as the lead investors, marks a turning point in Viet Nam's energy strategy, ensuring security and meeting rising electricity demand.

At COP28 in Dubai in December 2023, over 20 countries committed to tripling nuclear power capacity by 2050, driven by the urgency of the climate crisis and the renewed focus on energy security.

Viet Nam's journey with nuclear energy dates back to when President Ho Chi Minh visited the Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant in the Soviet Union in 1955. Since then, nuclear power has been considered a potential solution for the country's long-term energy needs.

The initial plan for nuclear power plants in Ninh Thuan was approved in 2009, but the project was suspended in 2016 due to concerns over financial feasibility and safety.

The revival of the project signals Viet Nam's shift towards energy diversification to meet rising electricity demand, while honouring its carbon reduction commitments.

Nuclear power offers the lowest emissions among renewables and provides high-capacity, stable electricity essential for the country to meet its net zero goals. However, experts caution that restarting nuclear power development requires thorough preparation, significant investment and careful risk management.

The President of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute, Tran Chi Thanh, said the nuclear power project in Ninh Thuan had already planned suitable sites, established a regulatory framework and trained nuclear personnel.

It is crucial to urgently build on the groundwork laid before 2016, as nuclear power development requires a long-term commitment.

Among these efforts, human resources are key to success, while completing infrastructure  especially strengthening the nuclear regulatory system through amendments to the Atomic Energy Law  is an essential task, Thanh said in a recent seminar on developing nuclear power in Viet Nam held by Petrovietnam.

Nuclear power plant construction must comply with intergovernmental agreements, international treaties, national laws and meet technical standards.

Among the five major challenges of nuclear energy  safety, economic viability, spent fuel management, non-proliferation and public acceptance  safety remains the most critical. This includes controlling chain reactions, managing decay heat and handling radioactive waste.

According to experts, Viet Nam must strictly adhere to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) guidelines and collaborate with experienced countries like Russia, France and Japan for technology transfer and safety training.

The IAEA's nuclear safety standards ensure proper operation, prevent accidents, and mitigate impacts to protect workers, the public and the environment from excessive radiation risks.

Additionally, one of the biggest challenges is financing.

Over its nearly century-long lifespan, a nuclear power plant remains cost-competitive and affordable. However, securing upfront financing can be challenging, particularly in market-driven economies and developing nations.

According to IAEA, small modular reactor (SMR) plants cost US$2.13.6 billion for 300MW, with a 23 year build time, while standard plants cost $69 billion and take at least five years.

Hoang Anh Tuan, former director of the Department of Atomic Energy under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said that despite higher upfront cost, nuclear power would remain competitive, except in areas with cheap fossil fuels. They would benefit from low fuel expenses and significantly lower system costs than intermittent renewables.

Nuclear power plant construction is a typical large-scale infrastructure project worldwide, involving high costs and significant challenges. Therefore, it is essential to consider providing substantial long-term financial incentives to ensure a diverse and reliable power supply system, Tuan said.

International cooperation also plays a vital role in this process.

Russia has expressed interest in assisting Viet Nam's nuclear ambitions, particularly in training personnel and providing technological expertise. Other countries with advanced nuclear industries, such as the United States and South Korea, could also contribute through knowledge sharing and investment opportunities.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in early February assigned EVN to invest in Ninh Thuan 1, and Petrovietnam to oversee Ninh Thuan 2. Each plant will have two reactor units, located in Phuoc Dinh and Vinh Hai communes, respectively, in Ninh Thuan Province.

Petrovietnam Chairman Le Manh Hung emphasised the urgent need for nuclear power to support Viet Nams economic goals, with the Ninh Thuan plant set to become operational by 2030-31 as per Prime Ministers direction.

Petrovietnam aims to become a National Industrial - Energy Group, gradually transitioning to renewables and emerging energy technologies.

Hung has urged the company to focus on five key areas  optimising capital costs, selecting safe nuclear technologies, developing skilled human resources, securing financing and establishing a risk management framework for nuclear projects.

Viet Nam has set a target of over 8 per cent growth this year and double digits ahead, which will require an annual increase of between 12-14 per cent in power supplies. Nuclear energy will diversify supply, ensure energy security and support the net zero goal set for 2050. BIZHUB/VNS
HA NOI  On April 4, the American Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam (AmCham) issued a statement outlining the wide-ranging impact of the United States new tariff policy on Vietnamese exports.

AmCham reaffirmed its mission to promote trade and investment between the US and Viet Nam, grounded in free and fair economic and trade policies, with the goal of ensuring a stable and predictable business environment.

However, the scale and abruptness of the 46 per cent reciprocal tariffs announced by the US government on April 2 were described as wholly inconsistent with these objectives.

The sudden imposition and significant magnitude of the tariffs have created considerable uncertainty and the potential for serious disruption to businesses operating in Viet Nam, AmCham noted.

While acknowledging the need to address the growing trade deficit between the two countries, AmCham strongly urged the US administration to consider a grace period before the tariffs take effect.

Such a period, the organisation stated, would provide businesses on both sides with time to adjust to the new regulations, thereby reducing unnecessary disruption and financial loss.

At present, the immediate implementation of the tariffs leaves no opportunity for businesses to adapt, as many commercial decisions have already been made under the assumptions of previous trade agreements.

AmCham noted that both the US and Vietnamese governments recognise that the current trajectory of the trade deficit is unsustainable. It added that one of the US administrations stated aims in introducing reciprocal tariffs is to establish greater parity in tariff rates between the two countries.

In this context, AmCham expressed support for the reduction of tariffs on US goods entering Viet Nam as a means of addressing the imbalance and easing reciprocal duties.

The chamber stated that tariffs on US goods should, at a minimum, be aligned with those applied to Viet Nams other trading partners, as well as those imposed on Vietnamese exports entering the US.

We are hopeful that both countries can agree on reducing tariffs to mutually acceptable levels, allowing us to maintain a trade relationship that has brought benefits to all parties involved, said Mark Gillin, Chairman of AmCham Viet Nam.

He emphasised that AmCham members require certainty and stability to operate effectively.

We urge both governments to accelerate negotiations aimed at reducing these duties to the lowest possible levels, he said. AmCham stands ready to provide constructive input and facilitate dialogue between the US and Vietnamese governments to strengthen the trade relationship.  BIZHUB/VNS
HA NOI  A ceremony was held at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Ha Noi on April 3 to receive valuable artefacts and documents related to President Ho Chi Minh from the family of late Pham Van Cong, a former resident in New Caledonia, France.

Congs family presented two sets of original artefacts to the mausoleum - a set of chairs and a tea set used to welcome President Ho Chi Minh during the leaders visit to the family on the Lunar New Year's Eve in 1963, and two rare photographs capturing the moment the President visited their home.

They also donated 20 archival photographs documenting the patriotic activities of the Vietnamese community in New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France, supporting Ho Chi Minh and the struggle for national independence. These artefacts and documents had been preserved by the family for over 60 years.

According to the family's account, on the Quy Mao Lunar New Year's Eve (January 24, 1963), while the family was busy preparing for the celebration, President Ho Chi Minh unexpectedly arrived at the small house at 97 ai La Street in Ha Noi, where Pham Van Cong and his wife, Nguyen Thi Quyen, were living. The couple had recently returned from New Caledonia.

At that time, only Pham Van Cong and Nguyen Thi Quyen were at home. In the warm light of the spring night, the President inquired about their Tet preparations, education of their children, and the situation of the overseas Vietnamese community after returning home. The leader gently pulled up a small wooden chair and sat by the children's study desk, engaging in a heartfelt conversation like a close family member. This moment vividly reflected the deep affection that the President always had for the people, particularly overseas Vietnamese.

Along with these artefacts, Pham Van uc and Pham Van Minh, two sons of Pham Van Cong, are also living witnesses to a proud journey of repatriation. Pham Van uc was one of the young people who returned to Viet Nam on the final repatriation ship in 1964 from New Caledonia. The Vietnamese community there had raised funds to purchase ten Peugeot 404 cars as gifts for the government and President Ho Chi Minh, one of which was used to serve the President and is now displayed at the mausoleum, having been designated a national treasure in December 2024.

Speaking at the reception ceremony, Le Thi Phuong, Director of the Ho Chi Minh Relic Site at the Presidential Palace, expressed deep gratitude to the family, underlining that the stories embedded in these artefacts will enrich the collection at the mausoleum, enhancing the value of the items on display. This will support education on national traditions, especially for younger generations, and serve as a fitting tribute to the individuals and organisations who contributed, while also helping to raise public awareness about preserving and promoting Viet Nams cultural heritage.

She pledged that the artefacts will be preserved, protected, and displayed with the utmost respect, in keeping with their historical and spiritual significance. - VNA/VNS
The Viet Nam Communist Party in December last year issued a resolution on making breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation development in the country. It calls for an open approach, creative thinking, and pilot programmes for emerging real-life issues; accepting risks, venture investment, and time lags in scientific research, technological development, and innovation.

To explore these themes, the Vietnam News Agency spoke with Nguyen uc Dung, independent expert and chief editor of 17 books on digital transformation.

What do you consider the challenges that Viet Nam faces in implementing regulatory sandboxes?

With the rapid advancement of science and technology and increasingly shorter technology life cycles, innovation and the application of new ideas occur continuously. In this context, the regulatory sandbox model has become an essential tool to encourage the adoption of new technologies in a flexible manner, while mitigating risks, with existing regulations failing to match the pace of innovation.

Viet Nam, however, still faces several challenges in implementing this model.

First, there is an incomplete legal framework. Current regulations on the sandbox mechanism have not been uniformly issued across all sectors, leading to significant implementation difficulties. The approval and licensing processes for pilot programmes remain complex, delaying the practical application of new technologies.

Second, there is limited coordination among ministries and agencies. There are yet to be effective coordination mechanisms between ministries and agencies to propose, test, and evaluate new technologies. This results in overlapping management responsibilities, reducing the flexibility of the sandbox model and causing delays in many pilot projects.

Third, there are funding bottlenecks. Raising capital for pilot projects remains difficult due to inconsistent regulations. Investors are still apprehensive of legal risks and the commercial viability of new technological products in the sandbox. Furthermore, existing investment incentives for tech startups and innovative enterprises are not really attractive.

In general, to maximise the effectiveness of the regulatory sandbox in Viet Nam, a more flexible legal framework, enhanced inter-agency coordination, and financial support from both the public and private sectors are necessary. This will enable businesses and startups to test and apply technology in real-world settings.

Where should the regulatory sandbox be implemented?

The regulatory sandbox should be deployed simultaneously in universities and businesses to create a full-fledged comprehensive innovation ecosystem.

First, in universities: The sandbox can function as an open laboratory or small business model where scientific research, innovations, and startup ideas are tested in real-world conditions. The small businesses can produce tangible products and introduce them to larger enterprises (who can either invest in further research or buy out the small businesses) or to the market. Universities should encourage students and faculties to engage in applied research projects while collaborating with businesses to identify practical problems that need solutions. This approach ensures that research moves beyond theoretical discussions to tangible products and services.

Second, it could be used in businesses. The sandbox can act as a technology testing centre or startup incubator where companies pose real-world challenges for university research teams or startups to solve together. If an idea proves promising, businesses can directly invest in or collaborate with universities to develop the product. However, not all companies have the financial resources for long-term research and development.

Third, websites should be developed to invite new business ideas, allowing large enterprises to directly purchase innovative ideas from individuals (peer-to-peer) or small-scale innovators while assessing their investment potential.

For example, in the Netherlands, small businesses that face similar challenges have banded together and established angel investment funds and venture capital funds to financially support high-potential innovative ideas. Experts from these funds evaluate products, assist in testing, and facilitate the commercialisation of research in real-world environments.

So, for the sandbox model to be effective, a well-connected ecosystem between universities, businesses, and investment funds is needed, ensuring a flexible testing environment where ideas can be nurtured, validated, and transformed into practical products.

What solutions are needed for the effective implementation of the sandbox model in Viet Nam?

To ensure the successful implementation of the sandbox model in Viet Nam, several key solutions must be adopted.

A comprehensive and flexible legal framework should be developed to facilitate experimental models while maintaining transparency and safeguarding economic, national security, and defence interests. Regulations should be designed to allow creative space for businesses, but of course there will still be stringent oversight to minimise risks.

Implementing the sandbox cannot be done in isolation; it requires close coordination between ministries, agencies, and regulatory bodies. A unified set of regulations and pilot implementation processes must be established to ensure consistency and avoid overlapping management. Additionally, government agencies should provide really timely feedback and support to adjust policies according to real-world challenges.

And then, the government should introduce policies to support businesses participating in the sandbox, such as reducing capital barriers, simplifying legal procedures, and creating favourable conditions for startups and innovative enterprises to test new models. Public-private partnerships should also be created to engage venture capital funds and financial institutions willing to invest in high-potential sandbox projects.

For the sandbox model to truly drive innovation and digital economic growth in Viet Nam, a coordinated effort from the government, businesses and financial institutions is required to create an open yet legally sound and secure experimental environment. VNS
The Viet Nam Communist Party in December last year issued a resolution on making breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation development in the country (or Resolution 57 for short).

The resolution lays a roadmap to dismantle institutional constraints, modernise digital infrastructure, elevate human capital, strengthen enterprise-led innovation, and transform public governance through technology. Across five key pillars, the country is laying the foundation for sustainable and inclusive digital growth.

Removing institutional bottlenecks

Viet Nam has long regarded science and technology as vital drivers of national development. The resolution on science and technology development adopted by the Party Central Committee in 2012, and the Law on Science and Technology passed by the National Assembly in 2013 were important foundations for modernising the legal framework. However, administrative hurdles and regulatory fragmentation have continued to hinder the practical application of scientific breakthroughs.

Associate Professor Chu Hoang Ha, vice president of the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology, pointed out a paradox: despite holding more than 300 intellectual property rights, including many international patents, the academys research often fails to reach the market due to legal inconsistencies. Conflicting regulations across multiple lawsgoverning science, public officials, public assets, the state budget, and investmentcreate a maze for researchers and institutions.

He cited the example of a genetically edited soybean variety capable of producing oil with similar properties to olive oil. Although Vietnamese researchers achieved results comparable to those in the US and China, licensing was blocked due to the absence of a supporting legal framework.

We need legislative reform that gives priority to applying domestic technologies. This would not only recognise the value of Vietnamese research but also drive development, said Ha.

Professor Nguyen Anh Tri, former director of the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, echoed these concerns. His team developed a red blood cell panel tailored to Vietnamese physiologysuperior to imported versions and more cost-effectiveyet commercialisation remains out of reach due to licensing issues. The innovation is currently used only within the institute, despite its broader potential.

Tran Thi Nhi Ha, deputy head of the National Assemblys Committee for Peoples Aspirations, emphasised the fragmented and slow-moving legal system governing technological products. Scientific innovations across various sectorsfrom healthcare to renewable energymust often be approved by multiple ministries, causing delays or dead ends. In one case, a single AI-powered medical product had to be registered with both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information and Communications.

To address this, she proposed a unified and streamlined licensing regime. She also suggested capping patent approval timelines at three years, with a 12-month limit for substantive examinationensuring research can move more quickly from lab to life.

The NA passed a resolution in February 2025 on piloting several policies to create in national digital transformation. It introduces a pilot mechanism to implement Resolution 57, featuring bold provisions such as lump-sum budgeting for research, granting researchers rights to manage their outputs and equipment, supporting commercialisation, and central funding for digital infrastructure. The NA resolution aims to cut red tape and allow scientists to focus on innovation.

An amended Law on Science, Technology and Innovation is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly in May 2025. At the same time, a 20262030 Science and Technology Strategy is being developed to guide long-term planning.

Investing in digital infrastructure

If institutions form the skeleton of reform, then digital infrastructure is its nervous system. Fast, reliable, and inclusive connectivity is essential to both digital transformation and the application of scientific progress.

In Huu Lien Commune, Lang Son Province, remote hamlets like Na Nooc and Lan at were once beyond the reach of mobile networks and electricity. Local residents often trekked through the forest for half a day just to receive official announcements. By 2023, Na Nooc had been connected to the national grid and gained limited mobile signal, replacing paper trails with phone calls and emails.

In Lan at, where signal remains weak, even a single mobile phone hung from a rooftopdubbed the rooftop phonehas revolutionised local communication. Meanwhile, in more central hamlets, digital tools have gone further. With 4G and fibre-optic internet in place, a Youth Union-led digital task force was formed in 2021 to promote awareness and usage.

The campaign gained momentum in 2022. Through social media platforms like Facebook, Zalo and TikTok, Huu Liens scenic beauty was widely shared, attracting tourists to the ong Lam grasslands.

Hoang Vu, Youth Union secretary of Huu Lien Commune, who also runs a homestay, took advantage of online booking, e-payments and digital marketing to grow his business to 120 guests per month, earning nearly VN50 million in monthly revenue.

Inspired by this success, the commune set up digital teams in each village, focusing on e-commerce, public services, and community engagement via apps like Xu Lang Digital Citizen. These are not isolated gainsthey show how digital infrastructure can transform rural communities.

Nationally, Viet Nam has reached 99.8 per cent 4G coverage since rollout began in 2017. The next target is 5G. To speed up deployment, the Government will subsidise 15 per cent of telecom companies investment costs if they install at least 20,000 5G stations in 2025. The aim is to bring 5G access to all cities and provinces.

According to Rita Mokbel, chairwoman of Ericsson Viet Nam, 5G is vital for industrial automation, smart cities, and achieving a digital economy contributing 20 per cent of GDP by 2025.

Currently, internet bandwidth relies on just six undersea cable systems. The NA February resolution aims to address this by allowing domestic companies to invest in new infrastructure through direct appointments or international partnerships.

To support this vision, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on March 1 signed a directive, prioritising 5G and high-speed broadband as key to economic modernisation.

Developing human resources

Digital transformation also depends on human capital. Viet Nams long-term development strategy hinges on cultivating a high-quality, innovative and adaptable workforce.

The country has over 240 universities, with 160 offering science and engineering degrees. STEM students make up about a third of all undergraduatessome 560,000 to 600,000.

Deputy Education and Training Minister Hoang Minh Son highlighted the importance of integrating research and education. When universities combine training with applied research, they not only enhance teaching quality but also produce meaningful scientific results, he said.

Curricula are being updated, and talent development programmes are in place across undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels. A 20252035 national human resources training plan is currently under review by the Prime Minister.

Major universities are aligning their strategies with Resolution 57. Professor Le Anh Tuan, council chairman at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said: Talent is at the core of our growth strategy. Our thematic resolution and action plan focus on attracting and retaining top-tier researchers.

Viet Nam National University in HCM City is also working to attract young scientists. Associate Professor Vu Hai Quan, director of the university, said their VNU350 programme had recruited 27 young PhDs so far, including seven from top 100 global universities.

The university was also building a digital governance system to enhance transparency in approving and reporting research.

Professor Chu uc Trinh, rector of the University of Engineering and Technology under Ha Noi National University, said full autonomy over the past three years allowed them to implement stronger support for research groups. Department heads were now empowered to set scientific goals and manage research funding, creating a strong research culture from undergraduate to doctoral levels.

Enterprises at the forefront

The commercialisation of science and technology relies heavily on enterprises, especially large firms that adopt new technologies and lead in digital transformation.

The Rang ong Light Source and Vacuum Flask JSC, for example, has embraced automation and digital systems since 2020, transforming into a modern and eco-friendly manufacturer.

ao Van Phu, deputy head of Systems and IT of Rang ong, said robotic integration had raised productivity by 30 per cent to 7.5 million units per month.

Deputy General Director Nguyen oan Ket said: In the digital age, standing still means falling behind. Digital transformation has helped us maintain 1520 per cent annual growth.

Rang ong aims to complete its transformation by 2025, with a vision of becoming a billion-dollar enterprise by 2030.

CMC Corporation is also pushing ahead with artificial intelligence. Nguyen Trung Chinh, chairman of the corporation, said: Since 2016, weve focused on AI. Our Enable Your AI-X strategy targets a workforce where 40 per cent are AI specialists, with projected revenue surpassing US$1 billion by 2030.

The 2025 Viet Nam National Forum on Digital Enterprises underlined the Governments ambitionunder Resolution 57to establish major digital technology firms by 2025.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung said: For Viet Nam to make real strides in science, technology and innovation, large enterprises must take the leadsupported by clear policy missions.

Enhancing public policy and administration

Technology is not only reshaping businessit is also transforming public administration. Digital services improve efficiency, reduce costs, and make government more accessible to citizens.

Nguyen Van, a resident at Song Phuong Commune in Ha Noi's suburban district of an Phuong recently applied for a replacement marriage certificate online and received it by post, saving significant time and effort. In Song Phuong Commune, local officials are encouraging online services through QR codes and community outreach, although many residents still prefer in-person visits.

To boost adoption, Ha Noi has launched digital support desks at post offices and telecom outlets to help older citizens and those less familiar with online systems. These initiatives aim to achieve the 3 NOs: no boundaries, no intermediaries, and no paperwork.

At present, only 46 per cent of public service applications are fully online. While ministries average 64 per cent, local levels trail at just 18 per cent. Some provinces are offering fee waivers or faster processing to encourage digital use.

Enterprises, too, are calling for administrative reform. CMC Chairman Chinh said construction approval for one of their complexes had been delayed by three yearsan example of the need to streamline processes.

Recent breakthroughs are encouraging. From July 2024, citizens can now complete procedures such as birth registration and death certification through an integrated online portalformerly a six-agency process.

Looking ahead, the Governments 2025 Administrative Procedure Reform Plan aims to reduce costs and processing times by 30 per cent, eliminate outdated business conditions, and shift all enterprise-related services online.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham uc Long confirmed that enhancing digital governance would be a top priority. The Viet Nam Internet Association also sees it as key to creating a smaller, more efficient state apparatus.

Resolution 57 is not just a policyit is a comprehensive vision for Viet Nams digital future. By removing institutional barriers, investing in infrastructure, developing talent, empowering businesses, and modernising governance, the country is positioning itself to lead in global innovation.

The road ahead requires bold reforms and cross-sector cooperation. But the momentum is strongand so is the opportunity. With Resolution 57 as a guide, Viet Nam is accelerating into a future shaped by science, powered by technology, and driven by its people. VNS
YEREVAN  National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, his spouse Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga and a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese NA wrapped up their official visit to Armenia and left Yerevan on April 5 morning (local time) for Uzbekistan where they will attend the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-150) and pay an official visit to the country.

The delegation was seen off at Zvartnots International Airport by Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Sargis Khandanyan; Ambassador of Armenia to Viet Nam Suren Baghdasaryan; and leaders of the Department for Foreign Affairs and Protocol Department of the Armenian NA.

NA Chairman Man is the first high-ranking Vietnamese leader to visit Armenia since the two countries established diplomatic relations. During the visit, he met with President Vahagn Khachaturyan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and held talks with President of the NA Alen Simonyan.

During the talks and meetings, in a sincere and open atmosphere, the leaders of the two countries expressed their delight at the positive development in Viet Nam-Armenia relations in many fields, and highly appreciated the positive growth momentum of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, especially in recent years after the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Viet Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) took effect in 2016.

Believing that the potential for cooperation is still very huge, the leaders of the two countries agreed to further promote economic and trade cooperation, creating favourable conditions for their businesses to learn about each other's markets, especially for Vietnamese agricultural, aquatic and seafood products entering the Armenian market, while paying attention to Armenian export products such as wine, processed foods and metals. The two sides consented to promote cooperation in new areas such as science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) and green transformation.

Regarding cooperation between the two legislatures, Man and Simonyan agreed to increase the exchange of high-level delegations of NA leaders and cooperation activities between NA agencies, the Friendship Parliamentarians' Group, Young Parliamentarians' Group, Women Parliamentarians' Group, and NA deputies of the two countries.

The two sides concurred to strengthen cooperation, information exchange and experience sharing between specialised committees and legislators in parliamentary activities, especially in the fields of legislation and supervision; strengthening supervision and urging the effective implementation of bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements that the two governments have signed or participated in, especially agreements that help promote economic and trade cooperation.

During the trip, the two top legislators signed the first-ever Cooperation Agreement between the Vietnamese and Armenian parliaments, creating a legal framework for enhancing cooperation between the two legislative bodies in the coming time.

In the capital of Yerevan, NA Chairman Man received the Chairman of the Armenia-Viet Nam Friendship Parliamentary Group; attended a Viet Nam-Armenia business forum; and visited a number of educational, cultural, and technological establishments.

With practical activities, the NA Chairmans official visit to Armenia was a great success, contributing to opening a new page for parliamentary cooperation and creating momentum to expand bilateral cooperation in various fields, for the benefit of the people of the two countries.  VNS
HAVANA  A delegation of the ong Nai provincial Party Committee, led by Permanent Deputy Secretary Ho Thanh Son, concluded a five-day working visit to Cuba on April 5.

The five-day visit aimed to realise a cooperative agreement with Pinar del Rio province and further promote collaboration between Vietnamese and Cuban localities.

At the meetings with Yamile Ramos Cordero, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) in Pinar del Rio, and Governor Eumelin Gonzalez Sanchez, the two sides exchanged views on potential areas of cooperation and investment, leveraging the strengths of both provinces. Vietnamese experiences in the renewal of economic models were also shared, highlighting the key role of local initiatives.

Both sides agreed to promote business exchanges to explore trade opportunities and establish cooperation agreements in sectors of mutual interest.

On this occasion, ong Nai province donated 100,000 USD to support a project on urban risk reduction and resilience management in Pinar del Rio. Given its geographical location, Pinar del Rio is frequently affected by hurricanes and tornadoes. The project will help improve the resilience of local houses, as well as enhance food production and basic service capabilities in the city of Pinar del Rio and the districts of La Palma and Vinales.

Earlier, at a reception for the ong Nai delegation, Head of the Department for Foreign Affairs of the CPC Central Committee Emilio Lozada Garcia expressed his hope that the locality-to-locality cooperation would further deepen the traditional bilateral friendship. He emphasised the importance of devising concrete action plans, especially in youth exchanges, interactions between socio-political organisations and promotion of trade and investment for mutual benefit.

For his part, Son reaffirmed ong Nai's commitment to expanding economic, trade, and investment cooperation with Cuban localities, in line with the directives of the Vietnamese Party and State.

During their visit, the delegation also met with Fernando Gonzalez Llort, President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), to discuss people-to-people exchange initiatives. Both sides underscore the importance of educating younger generations about the special fraternal relationship between Viet Nam and Cuba.

While there, the delegation visited socio-economic and medical facilities in Pinar del Rio, the Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba, and laid a wreath at the monument of President Ho Chi Minh in the park named after the late leader in Havana.  VNS
TASHKENT  National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, his spouse Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga and a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese NA arrived in Tashkent on April 5 afternoon, beginning their attendance at the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-150) and official visit to Uzbekistan.

The delegation was welcomed at the I.Karimov Tashkent International Airport by First Deputy Chairman of the Senate Sodiq Safoyev; Chairwoman of the Political Council of the Adolat Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan Makhmudova Robakhon Anvarovna; leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan; and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, which is concurrently in charge of Uzbekistan.

Mans attendance at IPU-150 continues to affirm Viet Nam's role as a proactive, active and responsible member of the IPU and multilateral forums. By doing so, it contributes to strengthening multilateralism, international cooperation and solidarity, promoting Viet Nam's role and position in regional and international parliamentary cooperation mechanisms; at the same time, continuing to maintain and promote relations with IPU member countries and parliaments.

At IPU-150, the Vietnamese top legislator is expected to deliver a keynote speech at the general debate on "Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice. He will also hold bilateral meetings with representatives of the IPU Secretariat, as well as leaders from other countries parliaments and international organisations to discuss ways to boost cooperation with the IPU, deepen ties with partners, and enhance Viet Nams engagement in the IPU and multilateral forums.

Viet Nam and Uzbekistan established diplomatic relations in 1992 and the traditional friendship between the two countries has been maintained and developed well over the past time. In terms of politics and diplomacy, the two countries have actively implemented delegation exchanges and bilateral contacts after a period of interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The two sides have maintained coordination at international and regional forums, including the United Nations, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Forum on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures (CICA).

The two countries parliaments have maintained contact activities within the framework of multilateral forums and conferences. The Uzbekistan parliament has established a Friendship Parliamentarians Group with Viet Nam (2023).

The NA Chairmans official visit to Uzbekistan is of profound political significance, demonstrating Viet Nams respect for its traditional friendship and its desire to strengthen political trust with Uzbekistan, creating a foundation to promote cooperation in many fields.  VNS
HA NOI  Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will pay an official visit to Viet Nam from April 8-10, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The visit will be made at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.  VNS
VIENTIANE  A delegation comprising representatives from the Embassy of Viet Nam, affiliated agencies, and the Vietnamese community in Laos, led by Ambassador Nguyen Minh Tam, on April 5 paid tribute to Khamtay Siphandone, former President of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and former President of the Laos.

After the tribute-paying ceremony, Tam wrote in the condolence book, expressing his profound sorrow and describing Khamtay Siphandone as an outstanding leader of the Lao people and a steadfast revolutionary who devoted his whole life to the cause of national independence, the happiness of the people, and the countrys prosperity.

He emphasised that General Khamtay Siphandones passing is not only a tremendous loss to the Party, State, armed forces, and multi-ethnic people of Laos, but also to the Vietnamese Party, State, armed forces, and people. He stressed that Viet Nam has lost a great friend and a cherished comrade who played a crucial role in fostering and strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Viet Nam and Laos.

The same day, a delegation from the Office of the Vietnamese Defence Attache in Laos also paid their respects to the former Lao leader and signed in the condolence book, reaffirming the close bonds between the armed forces of both countries and the enduring legacy of the Viet NamLaos combat alliance.  VNS
TASHKENT  National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man held talks with President of the Senate of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva in Tashkent on April 5 afternoon (local time) following an official welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese leader.

Narbaeva warmly welcomed Man on his official visit to Uzbekistan, emphasising the importance of the first visit by a NA Chairman since the two countries established diplomatic relations. She expressed her belief that the visit will open up promising cooperation opportunities for the two countries, making positive contributions to the development and construction of each country.

The Senate President assessed Viet Nam as the most dynamically developing country in Asia, a close friend of Uzbekistan with a traditional friendship that has been tested by time, affirming that geographical distance cannot be a barrier for the two countries to develop relations in all fields. Narbaeva recalled memories of her youth when she met many Vietnamese students studying in Tashkent.

Man expressed his delight, on behalf of Party and State leaders, to lead a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese NA to officially visit beautiful and hospitable Uzbekistan and attend the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-150). He thanked Narbaeva and the Uzbekistan side for the warm welcome given to the delegation as well as the profound memories with Viet Nam.

On this occasion, the NA Chairman congratulated Uzbekistan on its impressive development results and increasingly strengthened role in the region and the world as well as on hosting the IPU-150 Assembly, helping to affirm the prestige and high appreciation that the international community has reserved for Uzbekistan.

Recalling the visits to Uzbekistan by President Ho Chi Minh in 1959 and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in 2011, Man expressed his appreciation for the long-standing traditional friendship and wished to promote cooperation with Uzbekistan in all fields to contribute to the development of each country. The NA Chairman affirmed that Viet Nam always remembers the assistance that the people of Uzbekistan gave Viet Nam in the struggle for national liberation and in the current cause of national construction and development.

Sharing Viet Nam's great achievements in nearly 40 years of renewal in ensuring socio-political stability and strong economic recovery, Man said that Viet Nam is currently "accelerating, breaking through, and reaching the finish line" to successfully complete the development goals for the 2021-25 period, towards a new era -- an era of national development, prosperity, civilisation, and prosperity, successfully achieving the goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2045 when the country celebrates its 100th founding anniversary.

The Senate President expressed her impression of and admiration for the remarkable development steps that Viet Nam has achieved after nearly 40 years of renewal under the wise leadership of generations of Vietnamese leaders, and highly appreciated the goals that the leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State have set to develop the country and improve the income and living standards of the people.

Narbaeva affirmed that Uzbekistan highly values the traditional friendship and good multi-faceted cooperation with Viet Nam, considering Viet Nam as a key important partner of Uzbekistan in the Southeast Asian region. She also shared Uzbekistan's major guidelines and policies in institutional reform and socio-economic development, towards the people, similar to Viet Nam.

In an atmosphere of trust, openness and joy at the establishment of the Viet Nam-Uzbekistan and Uzbekistan-Viet Nam Friendship Parliamentary Groups by the two parliaments, the two leaders emphasised the need to promote the good values of the history of bilateral relations, continue to deepen Viet Nam-Uzbekistan cooperation comprehensively in all fields and channels, including the Party, State, National Assembly and people-to-people exchanges.

The two sides should increase the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially high-level delegations of the Party, State, Government and parliament, exchange cooperation and experience between specialised committees, Friendship Parliamentary Groups, Young Parliamentarians Groups, and Women Parliamentarians Groups; promote the role of supervising and urging the implementation of cooperation agreements signed by the two Governments, especially agreements to promote economic and trade cooperation; and continue to support each other in expanding cooperation with parliaments of countries in the region.

Recognising that there remains significant potential and untapped advantages in bilateral economic and trade cooperation, the two leaders agreed on the need to focus on several key directions in the coming time to promote mutually beneficial collaboration.

Attention will be paid to increasing the exchange of information on policies and markets, creating conditions for businesses from both countries to participate in investment and trade promotion activities, and boosting cooperation in the energy, and oil and gas sectors which both sides have potential and demand, especially in the context of diversifying investment partners, they stressed.

The two sides also emphasised the importance of cooperation in agriculture, textiles, health care, culture, tourism, education and training, and transport, local collaboration, and people-to-people exchanges in advancing the bilateral relations. They called on relevant agencies to strengthen educational cooperation and student exchanges, while welcoming the launch of direct flights between Khanh Hoa and Tashkent by the two countries airlines starting in June 2024.

The two leaders also agreed on the necessity to further strengthen coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, including within the framework of the United Nations and other international organisations to which both countries are members.

As an active member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), Viet Nam is ready to serve as a bridge to help Uzbekistan expand cooperation with ASEAN, AIPA, and other member parliaments, Man affirmed, calling on Uzbekistan to support ASEANs and Viet Nams stances on peacefully addressing disputes in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) based on international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Senate President agreed with the Vietnamese top legislators proposal to pay attention to, and support the Vietnamese community living, studying, and doing business in the country to stabilise their lives and contribute more to its development, as well as the friendship between the two nations.

Man took the occasion to invite Narbaeva to visit Viet Nam. The latter thanked Man for his invitation and confirmed that a delegation comprising representatives from both the Senate and the Legislative Chamber will soon visit and work in Viet Nam.

Following the talks, the two countries' parliament leaders signed a Cooperation Agreement between the parliaments of Viet Nam and Uzbekistan.  VNS
The Politburos Resolution 57-NQ/TW, which aims to create breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation, reflects the Governments strong commitment to making technology a key driver of economic growth, said Professor Nguyen Xuan Huan, an expert in digital communications at Middlesex University (UK) and President of the Viet Nam Intellectual Society in the UK and Ireland, in a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency in London.

Professor Huan, who also serves as Director of the London Digital Twin Research Centreone of the UKs pioneering institutions in this emerging fieldpraised Resolution 57s forward-thinking approach, particularly its stance on risk acceptance in scientific research. He noted the resolutions provision exempting scientists from liability for economic losses incurred during scientific trials, saying it would help ease psychological pressure and allow researchers to focus more fully on innovation.

He also welcomed reforms aimed at cutting red tape, improving financial management mechanisms, and granting greater autonomy in the use of research and development funds, calling these steps vital to accelerating innovation.

Assessing the resolutions objectives, Huan acknowledged that Viet Nams ambition to become a regional leader in AI and digital technology within five years is bold. However, he underlined the importance of setting high targets, embracing risk, and ensuring unity in implementation.

Highlighting potential growth areas, he pointed to Viet Nams strengths in fundamental science and informatics. Beyond AI and semiconductors, he suggested the country could make notable progress in emerging fields such as quantum computing, where its research capacity is well aligned. He also identified medicine and renewable energy as sectors with high potential, provided they receive targeted strategic investment.

Sharing lessons from the UK, Huan said the British Government allocated substantial funding to scientific research each year, with a strong focus on commercial applications. To bridge academia and industry, UK policies directed funding to collaborative research projects that include business partners, allowing enterprises to co-finance studies and apply research outcomes in practice.

For Viet Nam, he recommended introducing clear policies to incentivise university-business collaboration for the commercialisation of research, along with mechanisms to encourage capable private enterprises to participate in scientific projects. These enterprises, he said, could play a key role in advancing technology, innovation and digital transformation. In the UK, all qualified enterprisespublic or privatecould access research funding, he added.

On human capital development, developed countries often have lower enrolment in technical fields compared to Viet Nam. He suggested leveraging this advantage by investing in a high-tech workforce to enhance the countrys global competitiveness over the next 10 to 20 years.

Regarding the involvement of overseas Vietnamese experts, Huan said the diaspora remained eager to contribute to national development, but emphasised the need for clear incentives and streamlined procedures to enable their participation.

To maximise contributions, he proposed appointing expatriate scholars as visiting professors, involving them in advisory roles on key projects, and mobilising global Vietnamese intellectual networks to support international collaboration in science, technology and digital transformation.  VNS
KUALA LUMPUR  In Malaysias capacity as ASEAN Chair for 2025, under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) pillar, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz will chair a Special ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting on April 10 to discuss the USs new reciprocal tariff imposition.

In its latest statement, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) said that the meeting will discuss the broader implications of the US tariff measures on regional trade and investment flows, macro-economic stability, and ASEANs coordinated response to uphold the regions economic interests and long-standing commitment to an open, fair, and rules-based trading system.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders will also meet to discuss the member states solutions to address and mitigate potential disruptions to regional trade, supply chain networks, and cross-border investments, the MITI said.

This is to ensure that ASEAN continues to be a stable, competitive, and attractive hub for global trade and investment.

The blocs Indochinese member states were the hardest hit by the tariffs, with Cambodia slapped with baseline and retaliatory tariffs totalling 49 per cent, followed by Laos (48 per cent), Viet Nam (46 per cent), and Myanmar (44 per cent).

Meanwhile, Thailand was hit with tariffs of 36 per cent, Indonesia 32 per cent, Brunei and Malaysia both at 24 per cent, the Philippines 17 per cent, and Singapore, a baseline tariff of 10 per cent.  VNS
WASHINGTON  The defense secretary's decision to review military standards on combat and physical fitness and appearance opens a Pandoras box of widely differing rules among the services.

It also raises a crucial question: Should there be a cookie-cutter approach, or should service differences, evolving social norms and recruiting realities play a role in policy decisions?

Pete Hegseth has been very public about his opposition to women in combat jobs and his belief that standards were lowered to accommodate women, and he warned there would be reviews to address the issues. He is a staunch proponent of making all standards the same, regardless of gender, and military officials are braced for changes as reviews continue.

In a March 12 memo, Hegseth 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.

We must remain vigilant in maintaining the standards that enable the men and women of our military to protect the American people and our homeland as the worlds most lethal and effective fighting force, he wrote.

The effort is seen as a broadside against women serving on the front lines  which they've done successfully for years. Hegseth's memo calls for a review of how standards changed and the effects of those shifts since Jan. 1, 2015  the year the Defense Department opened all combat jobs to women.

It raises questions about whether he wants to make all fitness tests the same for the services and make them all gender- and age-neutral or whether he will set minimum standards and allow the services to require more stringent requirements as desired.

Eliminating the current policy of scoring annual fitness tests based on age and gender could hurt retention and recruitment if troops are suddenly told to meet a new, dramatically harder requirement. Such changes generally are phased in over time.

Here's a look at the current standards.

Physical fitness tests

The military has long had what is largely a two-part system for physical fitness standards:

Routine annual fitness tests with different requirements based on gender and age.

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.

Right now, the fitness tests are a hodgepodge.

Each service has basic tests that all service members must pass once or twice a year. For every service, the tests vary. Scoring is adjusted for gender and age. For example: A 20-year-old man must complete a run in a faster time than a woman or a 30-year-old man in order to receive the maximum score.

Fitness tests used to be simpler: a run, push-ups and sit-ups. They evolved over time and now can include options. For example, Air Force service members can do either a 1-mile run or a sprint. Other services will, at times, allow biking or rowing as a cardio substitute for the run; planks are now more widely used than sit-ups.

The Army and Marines have more extensive fitness tests.

The Army, in a major overhaul several years ago, expanded its fitness test to six events, including a dead lift, run, planks, push-ups, standing power throw and a combination sprint/drag/carry. The events were meant to mimic real-world military circumstances. An early plan to make that test gender- and age-neutral was scrapped after studies showed problems.

The Marine Corps has two tests a year. In the first half, Marines take a physical fitness test that includes a 3-mile run, pull-ups and planks. In the second half of the year, they take a combat fitness test that includes an 880-meter run in combat boots, an ammo-can lift and an exercise that mimics troops maneuvers under fire.

The maneuver portion includes an obstacle course with a low crawl, high crawl and sprint, as well as dragging a person and using the firemans carry.

Job-specific courses and standards

Specific military jobs like special operations, infantry, armor and pararescue jumping require different, higher-level physical  and often mental and psychological  tests, requirements and qualification courses.

Those standards require everyone to meet the same gender- and age-neutral requirements. For example, an Army soldier who wants to be a Green Beret or a sailor who wants to be a SEAL must pass those grueling monthslong qualification courses.

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 sex or age. 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.

Other standards

Over the years, a wide array of standards and requirements were adjusted for reasons ranging from religious tolerance to recruiting and evolving societal trends.

In large part, they were driven by recruiting struggles and the need to woo those from a changing universe of American young people, including those with less academic schooling or people from states where marijuana is legal.

The Navy, for example, began in 2022 to enlist more recruits who score very low on the Armed Services Qualification Test. That was to help meet recruiting goals. A year later, it started bringing in people who didnt graduate from high school or get a GED. Both were shifts that the other services largely avoided. The Navy argued it needed those lower-scoring recruits to fill jobs that involve intense manual labor.

Hegseth said little about that type of standard and focused on physical rather than mental fitness.

In addition, several services changed policies on hair and beards. They now allow different buns and ponytails for women, and beards in certain circumstances for either medical or religious reasons. Most of the services relaxed policies on marijuana in recent years.

Similarly, they all loosened restrictions on the size and placement of tattoos, opening the door to full-sleeve tattoos. Most now allow small ones on the neck or finger.
The new cliche is that the Russians are dragging their heels, (variation of the Russia Did It! bull-crap). You are to believe that Russia is delaying the point at which they then will have to agree to a complete ceasefire. A cease fire that the USA is trying to force upon Russia by force. That message being given to all whom listen is that Russians are much like stubborn kids and must be disciplined and or at the same time rewarded with trinkets and candies to get the desired results. This of course assumes that Russia is in dire straits and they are not. Not anywhere near that at all and the truth is the West is in dire straits

You know what Assume means?

Assume is simple, an Ass out of you and me.

It is a strange cliche from the American side, which is thee main combatant and the main instigator and the main reason why the SMO happened. The USA is the only reason that the world has been and still is on the edge of WW3. The USA is the conflict and by attempting to mediate the conflict by using enough rewards and penalties to discipline and coerce the Russians into giving up their weapons, in defeat, is childish at the very best. All the while even as the USA have, has and is already weaponizing Ukraine as a weapon of mass destruction against Russia

Stupidity, evil intentions and hate for all else is preponderant with the USA GOV

Sad really!

WtR
Trade through Holyhead port down almost half a billion pounds, Senedd committee finds

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Apr 5th, 2025

A Senedd committee has hit out at the Welsh Governments response to the Holyhead Port closure last year after it was revealed that the value of trade dropped by almost half a billion pounds.

The port was closed for more than a month between December and January after being damaged by Storm Darragh.

It forced ferry operators between Wales and Ireland to redirect their services to alternative ports.

A report released this week by the Senedds Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee found that the value of trade going though Holyhead last December was almost half a billion less than the year before.

The committee believes that the port closure was a main factor in the loss of trade.

Following an inquiry and evidence gathering from key organisations involved with the port, the committees report is calling for a lessons learned review for Holyhead to be prepared and resilient in the future.

Committee findings

The report found a lack of urgency in responding to requests to support affected businesses, and limited understanding of how the closure is impacting the local workforce.

Now the committee is calling on the Welsh Government for a clearer picture of the effects of job losses and lost working hours on households.

For this, and similar incidents, the Welsh Government should better understand the impact on workers and businesses and urgently decide what financial and other support is available for those affected by any port closures, the committee has argued.

It is unclear to the committee, and key organisations involved in the response and recovery efforts, which Minister is responsible for the Welsh Governments response  this confusion may have exacerbated problems with the response to this emergency.

The committee is recommending that in any future incidents of this scale or complexity, the Welsh Government should agree a Ministerial lead who will oversee and be held accountable for management of the response.

The future for Holyhead

The committee said that it believes that the Welsh Government has shown a lack of attention to both ports and freight over recent years and is concerned about trade being diverted elsewhere. The Welsh Government must ensure Holyhead remains an attractive choice for trade.

In 2022, the Committee launched a report, A new direction for HGV Drivers, which provided recommendations for the Welsh Government on freight issues, in particular how to address HGV driver shortages and related supply chain issues.

The Committee believes that the Welsh Government should accelerate its work to implement the recommendations in that report and bring forward a maritime and ports strategy and freight plan as a matter of urgency.

Taskforce for Holyhead

On 7 January the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales announced the establishment of a Welsh Government-led multi-stakeholder taskforce to develop a new strategy for the future of Holyhead

The Committee will be closely monitoring the work of this taskforce and believes that its objectives should include:

Understanding the causes of the events at Holyhead to understand whether there are any implications for the wider ports sector or ports policy;

Ensuring the future safety of the Port;

Improving facilities for drivers through Holyhead;

Assessing the resilience of, and improving transport links, to Holyhead including consideration of rail connections;

Supporting the long-term viability of the Port and avoiding trade diversion; and

Ensuring there is a strong contingency plan for any future closure at Holyhead in particular and Welsh ports in general. In particular, this should include traffic management, communications, implementation of alternative maritime routes and support for local businesses

Andrew RT Davies MS, Chair of the Senedds Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee said: Holyhead is the UKs second busiest ferry port and last Decembers storm damage, after more than a month of closure, seriously affected some local businesses. We heard of some firms reporting losses of tens of thousands of pounds.

We are very disappointed by the lack of speed and urgency in the Welsh Governments response to the closure of a crucial European trade route.

We have seen limited evidence that the Welsh Government has adequately addressed the issues caused by the closure. It is local action and cooperation between ports that prevented Holyheads closure from being even worse for Welsh trade and the wider economy.

It is clear that the Welsh Governments response was not acceptable  it was too slow to act and uncoordinated. Many people were left in the dark because communications were not good enough  this must not happen again.

Ports and freight are vital to our economy and the Welsh Government has ignored these areas for too long. We were promised new policies by last December but this has now been kicked into the long grass until next year  this is not good enough, we need action now.

The Welsh Government will now be asked to respond to the Committees report.
The Washoe County District Attorney's Office has provided new details on the sentencing of two men convicted of DUIs resulting in deaths.

54-year old Javier Sambrano was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of hit and run causing death, and one count of hit and run causing substantial bodily harm.

Sambrano was arrested after a crash in April 2023 where he rear-ended a van while speeding, causing the van to drive head-on into a concrete guardrail, killing the driver.

22-year old Jose Zepeda-Carmona has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to DUI resulting in death.

Zepeda-Carmona was arrested in June of 2023 after NSP Highway Patrol troopers were called to the site of a crash at U.S. 395 ALT near William Brent Road.

When troopers got to the scene, they found Zepeda-Carmona covered in blood; they learned that he had driven off of the edge of the road and struck a tree. A 19-year old passenger was thrown over 20 feet from the car and died.

NSP established that Zepeda-Carmona was driving at least 120 mph at the time of the crash.

Both men will be eligible for parole after serving a portion of their sentence.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters dropped the first game of the series against the Utah Grizzlies, extending their losing streak to three games.

Isaac Johnson recorded two points with seven other players registering a point, but special teams' issues plagued Tahoe for the third straight game.

Things started off in the right direction for Tahoe as Patrick Newell scored off a two-on-one rush with Logan Nelson just 44 seconds in. However, woes on the power play began as they concluded the first period with zero goals on two attempts.

Tahoe started the second period with another missed powerplay opportunity which led to Luke Manning scoring for the Grizzlies moments after. But 13 seconds later Luke Adam put Tahoe back on top off of a rebounded shot from Anthony Collins.

Halfway through the second, while Tahoe was on the penalty kill, Derek Daschke put one past Jesper Vikman marking the beginning of Utahs deadly powerplay.

That trend carried over into the third as the next two goals by the Grizzlies were on the man advantage despite only having four shots in the final 20 minutes.

Tahoe attempted a late comeback with a Sloan Stanick goal that came with an extra attacker, but by then it was too little, too late. The buzzer sounded on another disappointing game for the Knight Monsters, who have now allowed nine power play goals in their last five games.

The Knight Monsters will look to end their losing skid Saturday against the Utah Grizzlies at the Maverick Center at 6:10 p.m.

The Tahoe Knight Monsters contributed to this report.
A senior couple has easier access around their home after volunteers spent all day renovating it.

They did all kinds of stuff; from cleaning their yard and fixing their front door to replacing their deck. This is all hard labor that the homeowners are unable to do themselves.

Patricia Gallimore, the homeowner, says, "For me almost being 68, my husband's going to be 70 - with some of the different disabilities being able to manage."

Patricia and her husband Donald have both been retired for 13 years. And as they continue to age, she says it's become very difficult to safely move around the house and maintain it physically and financially.

"It's just that as you retire, money runs out," says Patricia.

So, Rebuilding Together Northern Nevada (RTNN) has partnered with the Home Depot Foundation, bringing out several volunteers to upgrade the Gallimore's cherished home of 34 years.

Greg Hamilton, operations manager of RTNN, "We have some inside concerns that came up, especially with plumbing. And the front door being insecure - was actually broken in half."

David Slater, team depot captain for the Home Depot, says, "We rebuilt the deck on the back of the home. It was not 100% safe, it was weak."

Volunteers also fixed other fire hazards such as removing debris in the yard and off the roof, checking smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and replacing the side gates.

Gallimore says, "This is giving us our house back. We'll be able to go out in our front yard and enjoy our front yard. Go in our backyard again and sit out at the deck."

Extra security measures and touch-ups are also being added, including a front entry screen door with a lock. Volunteers are also sanding, staining, and painting the front porch.

Slater, says, "We do as many projects as we can. A lot of it is veteran focused and seniors, and wherever there's a need we always try to jump in and help."

RTNN says they help rebuild 120 homes each year and they struggle to find more volunteers as the need for help grows.

Hamilton says, "Everybody needs help to some degree. The need here with our seniors and some of our more vulnerable populations is huge."

"I told them that I'm going to volunteer as much as I can do and give back my time to go back and give back to the community," says Gallimore.

To volunteer or learn more and sign up to be a recipient you can head to Rebuilding Together Northern Nevada's website.
With a foundation in social media management at Filter Coffee Co. and Zap Creatives, Saurabh Pandey is currently Manager  PR & Corporate Communications at White Rivers Media. His journey reflects a seamless transition from managing real-time digital conversations to crafting strategic narratives that elevate brand perception. Drawing from his diverse experiences, he brings a strong understanding of storytelling, media dynamics, and brand voice alignment, all while ensuring that communication efforts are both meaningful and measurable.

In conversation with Adgully, Saurabh Pandey, Manager  PR & Corporate Communications, White Rivers Media, shares the mantra for building the agencys thought leadership and media presence, blending agility with long-term strategy. From creating PR strategies that align with business goals to maintaining strong media relationships and managing high-stakes communication, he emphasizes the importance of timing, tone, and relevance. Pandey also stresses on the power of well-crafted narratives, continuous learning, and intentional media engagement and shares how they have played a key role in shaping White Rivers Medias external image and driving impactful storytelling.

How do you navigate your role as a Manager - PR & Corporate Communications at White Rivers Media, given your previous experiences as a Social Media Manager at Filter Coffee Co. and Zap Creatives? How have these roles shaped your approach to communication and storytelling?

Managing PR and corporate communications at White Rivers Media is about ensuring the agencys narrative is as impactful as the work we create for brands. My experience as a social media manager honed my ability to craft stories that engage audiences in real time. It taught me the nuances of digital-first storytelling, the power of moment marketing, and how to translate brand essence into conversations. Handling multiple brand voices across industries also strengthened my ability to switch tones seamlessly. Today, I apply those lessons to build a strong external presence for WRMensuring our work is recognized, our leadership is heard, and our industry impact is not just seen but felt.

With your diverse work experience, what are the biggest challenges you face in managing multiple responsibilities, and how do you ensure each role gets the required attention and output?

The biggest challenge is balancing agility with depthswitching between fast-paced media interactions and long-term strategic planning without losing momentum. Prioritization is key. I structure my day around immediate press opportunities, long-term thought leadership initiatives, and internal alignment to keep WRMs communication sharp and consistent. Delegation, proactive planning, and staying ahead of the news cycle help me ensure every task gets the attention it deserves. I also set clear objectives for each initiative, ensuring that whether its an industry feature, a crisis response, or an executive interview, everything ties back to WRMs overarching narrative.

Could you walk us through a typical day in your life at White Rivers Media? What are the top 5 to 7 tasks you prioritize daily to drive impactful PR and communication, and storytelling?

A typical day blends strategy, execution, and quick pivots. My core priorities include:

Tracking media landscapes to identify opportunities for WRMs thought leadership, ensuring we contribute to relevant industry conversations.

Drafting and reviewing press materials, including press releases, op-eds, and executive quotes, to maintain a compelling and consistent narrative.

Coordinating with leadership to position WRMs brand story and ensure our key voices are represented in the media.

Managing media outreach and relationships to amplify WRMs influence through interviews, features, and expert commentary.

Overseeing corporate storytelling across platforms, from articles and case studies to keynote addresses at major industry events.

Monitoring sentiment and engagement, adjusting PR strategies to maximize impact.

Aligning with internal teams to ensure external communication accurately reflects the depth of WRMs creative and strategic work.

What inspired you to transition from Social Media Management to PR and Corporate Communications? How did you prepare yourself for this career shift, and what key skills have you developed along the way?

Social media gave me a front-row seat to how brands shape narratives, but PR lets me build those narratives from the ground up. The shift was driven by a desire to influence industry conversations at a larger scale. To prepare, I upskilled by diving into media relations, corporate positioning, and crisis management while leveraging my social media expertise to create digital-first PR strategies. The most crucial skills Ive developed include relationship-building, strategic messaging, and the ability to craft stories that resonate beyond fleeting trends. Additionally, mastering reputation management and understanding the intricacies of the media landscape have helped me navigate high-stakes brand communication with confidence.

Did you have any mentors or role models during your career journey, especially while transitioning between different roles? How did their guidance influence your professional growth?

Ive been fortunate to learn from industry leaders who excel in narrative building and media strategy. Their guidance shaped my approach to PR, not just as an extension of marketing but as a discipline that influences perception at scale. One of the biggest lessons they imparted? The best PR isnt just about what you say, but when and how you say it. Their emphasis on anticipating media cycles, building lasting journalist relationships, and crafting stories with a strong hook has significantly influenced my strategy today.

Balancing personal well-being with high-pressure roles can be challenging. What practices or routines do you follow to manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance?

The fast-paced nature of PR means that work never truly stops, but setting boundaries makes all the difference. I structure my day with dedicated time for creative thinking, step away from screens when possible, and focus on activities that help recharge. Staying ahead in PR is about sharp thinking, and that only comes with a fresh mind. I also make it a point to disconnect when I can, engage in fitness activities, and maintain a strong support system. Managing stress isnt just about taking breaksits about actively building habits that sustain long-term performance.

Could you highlight some major career milestones or key achievements that have defined your professional journey so far? How did these achievements impact your career growth?

Building WRMs PR function from the ground up has been a defining milestone. Securing high-impact media coverage in top publications, positioning WRMs leaders as industry voices, and ensuring our work gets recognized on the right platforms have all shaped my trajectory. A key highlight has been crafting PR strategies that not only drive visibility but also contribute to business growth, helping WRM cement its reputation as a thought leader in the industry. Each success has reinforced my belief in the power of strategic storytelling and its role in building an agencys legacy.

In a fast-paced and dynamic agency like White Rivers Media, how do you stay informed and up-to-date with the latest industry trends, ensuring youre always ahead in crafting impactful communication?

Staying ahead means consuming information with intent. I follow key industry publications, engage with thought leaders, and track cultural shifts to anticipate whats next. A strong network within the media industry also helps in gaining insider perspectives that shape forward-thinking PR strategies.

What drives your passion for PR and Corporate Communications, and how do you constantly evolve in this field to remain relevant and effective in creating compelling brand narratives?

The thrill of shaping perceptions and influencing conversations keeps me going. PR is dynamicwhat worked yesterday may not work today, which makes adaptability crucial. I evolve by continuously refining my storytelling approach, staying connected to media trends, and ensuring that every narrative I craft has an impact that extends beyond just visibility. My approach is rooted in storytelling that builds trust and credibility, ensuring that every communication effort is not just seen but remembered.

Also Read: Ad lands young guns: Akshita Bahuguna, Senior Business Specialist, Teamology Softech
The Wikimedia Foundation, which operates the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, has been directed by an Indian court to remove specific statements from the Wikipedia page of the domestic news agency Asian News International (ANI). The Delhi High Court ruled on Thursday that certain descriptions of ANI on its Wikipedia page were "defamatory" and tarnished the agency's professional standing, ordering their removal.

This directive marks the latest instance of a major technology platform facing legal pressure in India over content moderation. Wikimedia follows X (formerly Twitter) in becoming entangled in court battles concerning content takedown orders in recent years.

The lawsuit was initiated last year by ANI, which claimed that a description on its Wikipedia page stating it had faced criticism for being a government "propaganda tool" was defamatory. ANI sought the removal of these statements from the online encyclopedia.

In its order, the Delhi High Court stated that the "impugned statements are... defamatory and tarnish the professional reputation of" ANI, thus necessitating their removal.

As of now, the Wikimedia Foundation has not issued a response regarding the ruling or indicated whether it intends to appeal the decision. Similarly, Reuters, which holds a 26% stake in ANI, has not commented on the matter. Reuters has previously clarified that it is not involved in ANI's business practices or operational activities.

The legal proceedings are ongoing, with ANI seeking approximately 20 million rupees ($240,000) in damages and a formal apology from Wikimedia.

Sidhant Kumar, a lawyer representing ANI, told Reuters that the court's ruling "affirms the fundamental right to reputation."

The legal dispute has prompted Wikimedia, based in the United States, to raise concerns about the state of free speech within India. In October of last year, the same court had ordered the removal of a Wikipedia page directly related to the ongoing dispute, citing it as "interference in court proceedings." This earlier order led Wikimedia to file an appeal with the Supreme Court in January.

In its Supreme Court filing, Wikimedia argued that "the selective and permanent takedown... creates a chilling effect on free speech, and restricts access to knowledge."

Separately, X is also currently challenging government directives to block certain posts related to Indian farmers' protests that occurred in 2021.

The Delhi High Court will continue to hear the defamation case filed by ANI against the Wikimedia Foundation.
During his visit to Startup Mahakumbh, Shri Piyush Goyal offered a critical perspective on the Indian startup ecosystem, expressing concern over the prevalent focus on consumer-facing applications rather than deep technology sectors like AI, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing. He questioned the ambition of limiting Indian startups to "dukaandari," or simple transactional businesses, and called for a "reality check" regarding their priorities. He emphasized the need for startups to create a greater impact on the national economy and strive for global recognition, pushing for the development of exportable, world-leading products and services. Goyal also voiced concerns about the creation of "cheap labour" through certain business models, urging a shift towards sustainable, high-value sectors. He even directed criticism towards the "Shark Tank" culture, calling for a change in perspective to promote startups that build towards long-term national goals, urging a move away from "fancy ice cream and cookies" startups, and towards more impactful, transformative technologies.

Following these remarks, a wave of responses has hit the shore from Indian startup founders, eager to defend their innovations and perhaps challenge the minister's assessment of their contributions.



Ashneer Grover

Ashneer remarked,The only people in India who need a reality check are its politicians. Everyone else is living in the absolute reality of India.

The only people in India who need a reality check are its politicians. Everyone else is living in the absolute reality of India.



China also had food delivery first and then evolved to deep tech. Its great to aspire for what theyve done - maybe time for politicians to aspire pic.twitter.com/6WT8moviAz  Ashneer Grover (@Ashneer_Grover) April 4, 2025



Aadit Palicha

It is easy to criticise consumer internet startups in India, especially when you compare them to the deep technical excellence being built in US/China. Using our example, the reality is this: there are almost 1.5 Lakh real people who are earning livelihoods on Zepto today - a company that did not exist 3.5 years ago. 1,000+ Crores of tax contribution to the government per year, over a billion dollars of FDI brought into the country and hundreds of crores invested in organizing India's backend supply chains (especially for fresh fruits and vegetables). If that isn't a miracle in Indian innovation, I honestly don't know what is.

It is easy to criticise consumer internet startups in India, especially when you compare them to the deep technical excellence being built in US/China. Using our example, the reality is this: there are almost 1.5 Lakh real people who are earning livelihoods on Zepto today - a  Aadit Palicha (@aadit_palicha) April 3, 2025



Anupam Mittal

From AI & space-tech to material science, Indian entrepreneurs are ready to take on the world. But capital & the eco-system for growth & commercialization are severely lacking.
Motorola Mobility India is pleased to announce the appointment of Gagandeep Bedi as the Head of Marketing for Motorola India. In this pivotal role, Bedi will report directly to Shivam Ranjan, Head of Marketing, Motorola Asia Pacific and lead the brands marketing strategies across the Indian market. As Motorola continues to redefine the landscape of the Indian smartphone industry with groundbreaking innovations and disruptive product launches, this strategic appointment further reinforces the company's commitment to excellence. Bedis leadership will play a key role in driving Motorola's growth journey in the Indian market.

With over 17 years of experience, he has successfully launched and scaled brands, crafted integrated marketing strategies, driven business growth through innovative go-to-market strategies along with leading major product and campaign rollouts across technology, telecommunications, retail, and other sectors. He has previously held leadership roles at Infinix & Tecno Mobile (Transsion Holdings), Beetel, Reliance Jio, Bharti Retail, Samsung and more.

Commenting on the new appointment Shivam Ranjan, Head of Marketing, Motorola APAC said, As we continue to expand our presence in India, I am excited to welcome Gagandeep Bedi to the team. India is a key growth market for us in Asia Pacific and we are committed to grow aspiration and desire for our brand in the market. With Gagandeeps deep expertise in brand strategy, go-to-market strategies, and brand transformation, we are confident that he will play a pivotal role in propelling our brand to new heights.

Sharing his views, Gagandeep Bedi, Head of Marketing, Motorola Mobility India said: "I am thrilled to join Motorola at such an exciting time in its growth journey. Motorola is an iconic brand with a strong legacy of innovation, and I look forward to leveraging my experience to further strengthen its market presence in India. With a rapidly evolving consumer landscape, I am eager to drive impactful marketing strategies, enhance brand engagement, and contribute to the brands continued success in the country.

Motorola has been registering exceptional growth in India over the past 2 years with double digit premium to market growth and triple digit growth YoY over the last 3 quarters. This consistent growth underscores the rising consumer confidence and increasing market acceptance of Motorolas innovative offerings. Positioned for sustained expansion, Motorola remains focused on enhancing user experience and strengthening its market presence further.

Also Read: Motorola rolls out #FlipTheFOMO campaign, spotlighting Motorola Razr 50
Thums Up, Coca-Cola Indias iconic billion-dollar homegrown brand, is all set to redefine the no-sugar beverage space with its latest drop - Thums Up XForce. A bold new entry into the world of power-packed, no sugar beverages that delivers an All Thunder experience with its strong raw taste and high fizz. As the brand nears its 50th anniversary, this launch marks a significant milestone, reinforcing Thums Ups strong and bold identity with a no-sugar offering that doesnt compromise on its iconic strong taste.

ALL THUNDER, NO SUGAR. The tagline says it all. Thums Up XForce is crafted for those who feel their only competition is with themselves, want to feel limitless & constantly push boundaries. With an edgy, premium black design that commands attention  it aims to create an effortlessly powerful aura around its young drinkers.

Demand for Thums Up XForce has been soaring even before its official debut. Thums Up and Zepto collaborated to launch a Q Com industry first Pre Book feature to enable exclusivity and build excitement. The seamless integration on the app enabled Consumers secure their first sip of Thums Up XForce before the nationwide rollout, experiencing the next evolution of the brand ahead of everyone else. The partnership reflects both Thums Up and Zeptos commitment to be relevant to the youth and bring them premium products be leveraging technology in innovative and seamless ways.

Sumeli Chatterjee, Category Head  Sparkling Flavours, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia said, With Thums Up, we have always been ahead of the curve. Thums Up XForce is a bold step in that direction, a no-sugar offering that delivers the same strong taste and thunderous kick that our consumers love. It reflects our commitment to innovation while staying true to what makes Thums Up iconic. Partnering with Zepto, we are ensuring that consumers get early access to the most-awaited new beverage in the market, redefining how brands and platforms come together to set newer benchmarks in the industry.

Kaivalya Vohra, Co-Founder Zepto said "The overwhelming demand for Thums Up XForce even before its official launch made it the perfect product to introduce our first-ever pre-booking featuresomething typically seen only in electronics. With thousands of sign-ups already, this milestone reinforces Zeptos position as a tech-led innovator, transforming the quick commerce experience. By leveraging our platforms agility and deep user insights, were not just delivering conveniencewere shaping the future of how India shops."

Thums Up XForce is set to hit nationwide shelves soon, but Zepto users will be the first to experience the thunder. Get ready to push the limits and take your first sip of All Thunder, No Sugar.




A capital murder warrant has been issued in the shooting death of his girlfriend, a beloved Alabama State University dancer.

Rogers McCloud Jr., 20, is charged in the slaying of 21-year-old Gennia Grimes, a member of ASUs Honey Beez dance team.

McCloud was arrested Friday and is being held without bond in the Montgomery County Detention Facility.

The investigation began on March 27 when Montgomery County sheriffs deputies were dispatched to a report of a person shot on Highway 80 East in the Waugh community of Pike Road.

Grimes, of Georgia, was treated by medics on the scene and was then airlifted to the hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

The sheriffs office immediately launched an investigation.

Authorities said there were conflicting stories about what happened from McCloud, who was in the vehicle with Grimes at the time of the shooting.

The evidence just wasnt linking up the way he described it, said Sheriff Derrick Cunningham.

Rogers McCloud Jr., 20, is charged in the slaying of 21-year-old Gennia Grimes, a member of ASUs Honey Beez dance team. (Montgomery County Sheriff's Office)

Assistant Chief Wesley Richerson said investigators have been diligently working on the case for more than a week.

This case involves domestic violence where a young innocent woman was murdered at the hands of her boyfriend, Richerson said. To protect the integrity of the case, we have not publicly discussed the details of this investigation.

However, please do not confuse our silence with inaction, Richerson said. We have been meticulously working to gather evidence and to determine the facts surrounding Gennias death.

Sheriffs Office Investigators, crime scene technicians, and criminal analysts have worked diligently over the past week to ensure the truth was exposed, he said, and the suspect was arrested for this terrible crime.

The Montgomery County District Attorneys Office and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys State Bureau of Investigation worked alongside sheriffs investigators.

Grimes was studying criminal justice at ASU. She was set to graduate in August.

Gennia Grimes (Contributed)

Gennia was full of life, love, and ambition. She was a dedicated mother, a bright student at Alabama State University, set to graduate in August 2025 with dreams of becoming a lawyer, according to a GoFundMe. She was also a talented dancer with a passion for making a difference. She was the youngest in her familytheir miracle babyso full of kindness and grace.

Now, instead of celebrating her future, we are preparing to lay her to rest, the site reads. Our family is raising funds to cover funeral expenses and support efforts to bring her 9-month-old baby home so he can say goodbye to his mother.

We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and all who were touched by her kindness and spirit, ASU posted on social media. Our thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones during this difficult time.
A 4-year-old boy was airlifted to a Birmingham hospital Friday after he is believed to have accidentally shot himself.

Blount County sheriffs deputies were dispatched Friday morning to UAB St. Vincents Blount where they learned the child was critically injured with gunshot wounds to the leg and arm.

He had been driven there by private vehicle.

The boy was airlifted to Childrens of Alabama.

The shooting happened at the familys home on Holliday Drive in the Sugarland Lake community.

A search turned up drugs and multiple unsecured guns inside the home, as well as a crocodile and about 30 snakes, including a python. Six of the snakes were dead.

Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey said the Department of Human Resources were called to the scene and removed other children from the home.

Fish and game officers also responded because of the crocodile and snakes.

Casey said charges are expected.

I am working with law enforcement to determine exactly how the child was able to come into possession of the firearm and to determine why emergency medical was not called to the home, Casey said.

Parents must ensure guns are properly stored in the home out of the reach of small children.
Kim Spencer told FOX 13 Tampa Bay that she plans to walk in safer areas after she rescued her dog from an alligator attack earlier this week. (Image Courtesy of FOX 13 Tampa Bay) FOX 13 Tampa Bay

A Florida woman threw herself into the jaws of an alligator rescuing her dog after the gator lunged out from a lake and grasped the dogs upper body and head in its mouth.

On Tuesday, Kim Spencer was walking Kona, a 9-year-old rescue dog, when she heard something from a nearby lake, she told FOX 13 in Miami.

Suddenly, I saw the eyes. I saw it turning itself around, so I started pulling her right away, Kona, lets go!, she said, but shes a really strong dog.

The alligator sprung out of the lake facing Kona and bit her around the shoulders with her whole head inside its mouth. Spencer, who was facing the gator from behind, said she stopped thinking and dove on the gators back. She straddled the reptile and pried its jaws open with her bare hands. Her effort worked.

We just got lucky because just as quickly as it ran after us it went back in the water and I got up and we were out of there.

Spencer said her coworkers asked her which hand was on which part of the alligators jaw but she has no clear memory of that.

Spencer and her husband are empty nesters, and she sees her dog as her baby so she didnt hesitate to put herself in danger.

Yep, you owe mommy forever, she turned and said to Kona, who while wearing a cone was laying on a dog bed next to a stuffed alligator during an interview with FOX 13.

Both Spencer and Kona are recovering from stitches. Spencer warned others to be more cautious.

People say theyre more afraid of us than we are with them. Its clearly not the case.
The Flying Biscuit Cafe on Governors Drive in Huntsville will offer Southern dishes with a twist. Flying Biscuit Cafe

Sisters Leah Lynn and Jeannie Hicks were looking for a new adventure after spending more than 30 years in the physical therapy and occupational therapy fields.

Weve just gotten to an age where its just time for a change, Hicks said.

They hope that desire for a change will mean a change in eating habits for many Huntsville residents.

On April 21 the sisters are opening a Flying Biscuit Cafe at The Foundry on Governors Drive in the Stovehouse District.

We did a lot of research on different franchises, Hicks said. We came across the Flying Biscuit and we met with everyone in (the corporate office) Atlanta one day. We felt like that was the choice for us. They were super supportive. It was wonderful food. We just decided to team with those guys and become part of the Flying Biscuit family.

They are opening the third Flying Biscuit Cafe in Alabama. The Huntsville location marks the brands 37th location nationwide,

Sisters Leah Lynn and Jeannie Hicks are the owners of the Flying Biscuit Cafe opening this month at The Foundry in Huntsville on Governors Drive. April 5, 2025. Flying Biscuit Cafe

It wasnt just the amazing food that brought us here; it was the core values that The Flying Biscuit brand represents, Lynn said.

The Flying Biscuit is all about community and creating a warm, inviting atmosphere where people can gather, laugh and enjoy great food together, Hicks added. We are thrilled to introduce the Southern staple to Huntsville.

They describe that staple menu as Southern with a little bit of a twist to it.

Flying Biscuit Cafe in Huntsville will offer a brunch menu seven days a week, Flying Biscuit Cafe

Weve got the biscuits and the grits and the potatoes, Hicks said. Its like what a Southern grandmother would fix. But it also has like a Southwestern flare. Its a unique menu we think a lot of people will enjoy.

They just rolled out a new menu in the last two months with a lot more sandwiches and appetizers and lunch items, too, Lynn added.

For 30 years, the Flying Biscuit Cafe franchise has served classic all-day brunch seven days a week. The offerings include twists on Southern classics, double shot Bloody Mary, and offerings that include stuffed French toast to the health-conscious Piedmont Omelet, vegan to gluten-free.

The sisters have hired experienced cooks and servers to provide the menu to patrons. Flying Biscuit Cafe will have a full bar with drink specials and signature drink items. There will also be a patio that will be heated and cooled so people can enjoy it year-round.

Hicks and Lynn believe The Foundry is an ideal location for the restaurant. That part of Governors Drive is one of the most traveled in the city. The restaurant is only about three miles from the Medical District and Redstone Arsenal.

And The Foundry itself is home to 342 apartment units. The sisters said they hoped to serve the residents there, as well.

Operating hours will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restaurant offers takeout, catering and delivery.

Flying Biscuit Cafe has a variety of grand opening specials planned, including:

The Fabulous 50: Throughout the Grand Opening week, The Flying Biscuit will honor its first 50 visitors each day with a $10 gift card, redeemable between noon and 2 p.m on Monday through Friday of opening week.

Brunch is the New Lunch: A $5 Stage 5 Clinger cocktaila bold double bloody Mary with a skewer of bacon wrapped shrimp, celery and moon dusted rim will be available Mondays through Fridays.

Student Day: On Tuesdays, The Flying Biscuit is offering 50% off to-go meals with a valid student ID.

Phone Eats First Promotion: From the opening until May, guests can post a story or reel of Flying Biscuit Huntsville and receive a $10 gift card,

Teacher Appreciation Day: To honor local Huntsville educators, Flying Biscuit will offer 50% off breakfast for teachers and school administrators every Wednesday as a thank you.

For more information on The Flying Biscuit Cafe, visit flyingbiscuit.com or follow along on social media @flyingbiscuit_huntsville.
Eric Nelams was fatally shot outside of his Phenix City home on Sept. 26, 2003. His family is still fighting for answers in the case. Courtesy of Season of Justice

The reward for information to help solve a more than 20-year-old Alabama homicide has been increased to $15,000 in the death of Eric B. Nelams as his family continues to seek justice.

The HigherHope Foundation has contributed funds to increase the reward for solving the September 2003 fatal shooting.

We hope this reward encourages anyone with information to come forward and help provide this family with the answers they deserve, the foundation said in a statement Saturday.

The family is asking the attorney generals office to continue prioritizing the case, the statement said.

Nelams was killed at the age of 32 outside of his Phenix City home on his way to work, according to Project Cold Case.

On Friday, a candlelight vigil will be held in Montgomery in honor of National Crime Victims Rights Week. Nelams family plans to attend, according to the release.
The Coosa River. The city of Gadsden's water utility sued a number of companies in 2023, alleging contamination of their water source, the Coosa River. On Friday, the Alabama Supreme Court dismissed claims against several of the plaintiffs. (Courtesy: The Coosa Riverkeeper)

The Alabama Supreme Court dealt a significant blow to the Gadsden water utilitys PFAS lawsuit Friday, dismissing the utilitys claims against DuPont, one of the largest chemical companies in the world, as well as others.

However, the court did not dismiss the suit against several other defendants.

In 2023, the Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Gadsden filed a lawsuit against numerous companies, including DuPont de Nemours, Inc., and several affiliated entities; chemical manufacturer Daikin America; and several waste management companies.

The suit alleges that the companies contaminated the utilitys drinking water source, the Coosa River, with chemicals known as PFAS: per- and polyfluroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals.

PFAS are used in a wide variety of everyday items, like nonstick pans, waterproof fabrics, and electronics. But theyve gained notoriety in recent years because of how long they persist in the environment; studies have shown that exposure to even small amounts of PFAS can have negative health effects, including increased risk of cancer and reproductive issues.

The suit alleges that the drinking water source for the city of Gadsden was contaminated with PFAS from the carpet manufacturing industry in Dalton, Ga. According to the suit, industrial carpet manufacturers in Dalton, where more than 90% of the worlds carpet is produced, discharged wastewater contaminated with PFAS. Those chemicals then allegedly made their way into the Coosa River.

Attorneys for the Gadsden water board and for the defendants did not respond to requests for comment.

After Etowah County Circuit Court Judge William Ogletree denied the defendants motions to have claims against them dismissed, the DuPont defendants, Daikin America, and defendant INV Performance Surfaces appealed to the supreme court. The landfill defendants, as they are referred to in court filings, joined DuPont and Daikins petition.

While the supreme court declined to grant the landfill companies petition, it agreed to dismiss the claims against DuPont, Daikin America, and INV by a vote of 8-0. Supreme Court Justice Greg Cook recused himself.

In his opinion, Associate Justice Brady Mendheim agreed that the Gadsden water boards claims against Daikin and DuPont are precluded by the statute of limitations. The Etowah County Circuit Court does not have jurisdiction over INV Performance Surfaces, the court ruled, as the company does not have ties to Alabama.

This isnt the first lawsuit the Gadsden water board has filed related to PFAS from the nearby (but across state lines) carpet industry. In 2016, the utility sued 3M and more than 30 other companies, including some Dalton carpet manufacturers, alleging PFAS contamination that its water treatment plant was unable to handle.

That case was settled and dismissed in 2022, and at the time, the utility said it would build a new, $80 million water treatment plant using the settlement funds, according to Mendheims opinion.

Since the utility had already sued over PFAS contamination from the carpet industry, Mendheim agreed with DuPont and Daikin that the harm to the utility began in 2016, seven years before the utilitys current suit was filed and outside of the statute of limitations for this case.

Thus, in 2016, the amount of PFAS in Gadsden Waters raw-water intake already had exceeded the EPAs 2016 [Lifetime Health Advisory] limit. In other words, harm to the water source initially occurred in 2016, Mendheim states in his opinion. The fact that in 2022 the EPA lowered its acceptable threshold of PFAS in drinking water did not create a new injury to Gadsden Water that restarted the applicable limitations periods.

Thousands of lawsuits have been filed related to PFAS contamination in public water systems all over the country. Many of those cases were consolidated into a multi-district litigation (MDL) and centralized in South Carolina.

The Gadsden water suit was briefly stayed until U.S. District Judge in the District of South Carolina Richard Gergel approved a more than $14 billion settlement of the multi-district litigation in February of 2024, according to a news release from Beasley Allen, the law firm representing the utility.

Gadsden opted out of that settlement, according to the news release.

The case will now be sent back to circuit court.
Alabamians against Trump administration policies rallied in cities across the state Saturday as part of coordinated nationwide protests.

When our communities rise up together, we can topple tyrants and destroy dictators, Angelica McCain, state organizer for political action group 50501 told a crowd at Railroad Park in Birmingham Saturday.

Protesters at Railroad Park wore T-shirts and carried signs with sayings like Make lying wrong again, Deport Musk, Hands off our Democracy and Girl, you should run for office more. State Reps. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, and Mary Moore, D-Birmingham, spoke to the crowd over a loudspeaker.

Rep. Givan told the crowd that President Trump is slashing federal jobs to make Elon Musk the first trillionaire in history. She said the future of Medicaid, Social Security and a womans right to choose must be fought for by grassroots efforts.

We must continue the good fight. We must stay united, Givan said. We must keep marching. We must keep screaming. We must keep fighting.

Jeremy Bagley, 44, of Irondale, said he attended the rally because he is a part of the LGBTQ community, and he is afraid his rights will be taken.

I hope that this opens a door for more people to know that its OK to stand up for what you believe in, he said of the rally.

Bob Greene, 81, Birmingham, said he is an unreconstructed liberal hippie who marched for civil rights and against the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 70s. He said he is most worried about recent federal cuts to health care for people who need it most.

I think theres been a certain amount of discouragement after the last election, but certainly the way the economy is tanking right now, it ought to bring a lot of folks out onto the street, he said when asked whether he thought the administrations grassroots progressive opponents would continue to take action.

Rallies were planned for several Alabama cities and towns, including Tuscaloosa, Dadeville, Huntsville, Montgomery, Opelika, Mobile and more.

In Florence, protesters gathered downtown at Wilson Park Saturday as a part of the nationwide event.

Amanda Gautney, a mom of two teenagers, said she was protesting anti-LGBTQ policies and attacks on diversity.

Were in 2025 and were going backward, she said.

Gautney began to cry as she spoke about her friends and neighbors who are LGBTQ.

It breaks my heart to see them getting treated differently than me.

Errol Van Stralen, an Air Force veteran who attended the protest in Florence said he fears he will lose health care as a veteran.

He said he does not believe wholesale, random cuts by the Trump administration are helping with corruption. The only corruption is in the White House, he said.

Melody Bresett, a Florence resident attending her first-ever protest said she was raised more conservative but is protesting Trump because she thinks his policies will only help the richest people, the 1 percent.

As a mom, as a human being, its hard to sit by and watch that happen, she said.

Two friends of 70 years who live on the East and West coasts met up in Birmingham this weekend for the wedding of one of their nieces. They decided to attend the rally in Railroad Park.

One of the friends, Sharon Lockwood, 84, a retired economics professor who lives in Washington, D.C., said she found the rally inspiring, especially in a conservative state.

Its inspiring that people have the courage to go against the norm because it takes courage, and were going to need a lot of courage.

Managing Producer Ashley Remkus contributed to this report from Florence.

Editors Note: This article was updated at 5:08 p.m. to correct the name of the group Angelica McCain serves as state organizer for.
A former corrections officer trainee was arrested Friday and is accused of attempting to smuggle contraband into an Alabama prison.

Tommy Middleton allegedly was found bringing approximately 212 grams of marijuana and two cellphones into Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore.

The contraband was uncovered during a search conducted by ADOC K-9 Officers, the Alabama Department of Corrections said in a press release Saturday.

Middleton was taken to Escambia County Jail and charged with possession of marijuana, promoting prison contraband, attempting to commit a controlled substance crime, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental operations, according to the agency.

The investigation is ongoing and could lead to more charges.
In the Arctics icy waters, a strategic gem lies in the hands of a distant nationone that is struggling to keep it afloat, while another stands ready to offer the support it desperately needs. Greenland, often overlooked on the global stage, holds immense strategic value far beyond its seeming geographic isolation. For nearly a century, its security and defense have been primarily handled by the United States, not Denmarkits colonial ruler for centuries.

As tensions rise in the Arctic and geopolitical dynamics shift, its time to consider a future where Greenland is no longer a dependency of Denmark but is, instead, a key strategic asset under U.S. sovereignty. This piece explores why transferring Greenlands sovereignty to the United States would benefit Greenland, Denmark, and the U.S., creating a unique win-win-win situation for all parties involved.

The Strategic Importance of Greenland

Greenlands location at the crossroads of the Arctic and North Atlantic means that, in the modern ear, it has always been strategically vital. During World War II, the United States recognized the islands importance and occupied it on behalf of Denmark, a neutral nation at the time.

Public domain image via Picryl.

This set the stage for a deep, enduring American military presence that continues to this day. The Thule Air Base, constructed in 1951 under the Greenland Defense Agreement, is a linchpin of U.S. Arctic defense. It allows Washington to monitor air traffic and early-warning radar across the northern hemisphere, serving as a critical part of Americas nuclear defense system.

During the Cold War, Greenland played a central role in monitoring Soviet activity in the Arctic. The establishment of Thule Air Base allowed the U.S. to deploy early-warning radar systems that were essential for detecting potential Soviet missile launches. The base remains a key piece in Americas global defense infrastructure, symbolizing the long-standing military cooperation between Greenland and the U.S. Furthermore, as Russia continues to assert its presence in the Arctic, maintaining this strategic asset has never been more critical.

Today, as the Arctic region becomes increasingly important in global geopoliticsthanks to melting ice and growing competition for resourcesthe U.S. has more to gain from controlling Greenland than does Denmark. Greenlands proximity to Russia and its vast mineral resources, including rare-earth elements, make it an asset in the ongoing competition for Arctic dominance. For the U.S., its a matter of national security.

Moreover, Greenlands proximity to the newly opening Arctic trade routes means that the island could become even more pivotal as international shipping and resource extraction increase in the region. Americas military and economic interests in Greenland are aligned with its broader geopolitical goals in the Arctica region that will only grow in strategic importance as climate change accelerates and global competition intensifies.

Denmarks Limited Stake in Greenland

While many Danes feel a cultural and historical attachment to Greenland, the reality is that the island has been more of a burden than a boon. Greenland is more than 2,000 miles away from Denmark, making it an administrative and logistical challenge for Copenhagen to manage. The Danish government has struggled to make Greenland economically viable. Despite receiving billions in subsidies, Greenlands economy remains dependent on Denmark, with little sign of self-sufficiency in the near future.

The cold, harsh climate, remote location, and lack of infrastructure mean that developing Greenlands economy is a gargantuan task, one that Denmark simply cannot afford. A recent analysis estimated that it would cost Denmark $17 billion to bring Greenlands economy to a sustainable levelan amount that far exceeds the Danish budget. By contrast, the U.S. has the resources to invest in Greenlands future and can do so without straining its finances.

Greenlands resource wealth remains largely untapped, but the infrastructure needed to unlock these assets is prohibitively expensive for Denmark. The island holds valuable minerals like rare-earth elements, which are increasingly crucial for global technology industries. Developing a sustainable mining sector could dramatically boost Greenlands economy, but without substantial investment in transportation, infrastructure, and technology, these resources will remain out of reach. The U.S., with its vast technological and financial resources, is better equipped to bridge this gap, providing the funding and expertise needed to fully exploit Greenlands natural wealth.

In 1951, when Denmark signed the Greenland Defense Agreement, it allowed U.S. forces almost totally free access to the islands territory. This agreement has enabled the U.S. to maintain a military presence on Greenland, but it has never equated to sovereignty, nor has it been seen as an economically viable long-term solution for the island. For Denmark, relinquishing control of Greenland would free up resources to focus on its own priorities and allow Greenland to develop in ways that Copenhagen is incapable of supporting.

Greenlands Quest for Self-Determination

The people of Greenland have long sought greater autonomy. In 1979, Denmark granted the island home rule, and in 2009, Greenland gained further autonomy with the Self-Government Act. While these steps have empowered Greenlanders politically, they have not led to true self-sufficiency. Despite having its own parliament, the island still relies heavily on Denmark for financial support and defense.

The notion of self-determination is a powerful one, and Greenlanders deserve the opportunity to make their own decisions about their future. But self-determination is not just about political independenceits also about economic independence. Greenlands vast natural resources, from minerals to fisheries, could provide the foundation for a prosperous future, but only if the island receives the support necessary to develop these industries. The U.S. can offer that support, both financially and logistically, in a way that Denmark simply cannot.

A transfer of sovereignty to the U.S. would give Greenlanders the autonomy they seek while ensuring the islands long-term economic viability. With American investment, Greenland could become a prosperous, self-sustaining entity within a broader American geopolitical framework. Unlike Denmark, which lacks the resources to sustain such an effort, the U.S. could offer substantial financial support and the infrastructure necessary to jumpstart Greenlands development. This would allow Greenland to manage its own destiny while remaining strategically secure in the face of international competition.

The U.S. Path Forward

For the United States, the argument for absorbing Greenland is straightforward. The island is critical to American security and its strategic position in the Arctic. The U.S. has long treated Greenland as a de facto protectorate, so why not formalize that relationship? The move would strengthen U.S. influence in the Arctic and enhance its ability to respond to emerging threats from Russia, China, and other global powers.

While the idea of transferring sovereignty over Greenland may seem radical, it is not without precedent. The U.S. has historically annexed territories for strategic reasonsHawaii, Guam, Puerto Ricoand in each case, American sovereignty has provided those territories with greater security, investment, and economic opportunities. Greenland is no different.

Moreover, this move would benefit Denmark by relieving it of the financial and military burden of supporting Greenland, allowing Copenhagen to focus on issues closer to home. For the U.S., it would secure a critical piece of Arctic real estate and further cement its position as the dominant power in the region. By taking control of Greenland, America would strengthen its military presence in the Arctic, solidify its geopolitical position against competing powers, and better protect its national security interests.

As global competition intensifies in the Arctic, with Russia and China increasingly seeking influence in the region, American control over Greenland would send a clear message about the U.S.s commitment to defending its interests in the North. Chinas growing interest in Arctic shipping routes, as well as its investment in Arctic resources, is a direct challenge to U.S. dominance in the region. Securing Greenland under U.S. sovereignty would enhance Americas ability to assert its leadership in the Arctic Council and ensure that the region remains open for international trade under a rules-based order.

Conclusion

Greenlands future is at a crossroads. The islands vast resources and strategic location have long made it a prized asset, but under Denmarks stewardship, it has struggled to achieve self-sufficiency. A transfer of sovereignty to the United States would not only benefit Greenlands people by offering them the economic opportunities and security they need but also strengthen Americas position in the Arctic and relieve Denmark of an expensive responsibility.

This is not a zero-sum game but a win-win-win scenario, where all partiesGreenland, the United States, and Denmarkstand to gain. The time has come to move beyond old colonial legacies and embrace a future where Greenland is empowered to control its own destiny while the U.S. provides the resources and security to ensure its prosperity. A bold new chapter for Greenland awaits, one that benefits its people, secures the Arctic, and strengthens the global balance of power.
A couple days ago, the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, gave a press conference during her short whirlwind trip to Greenland.

Nothing new about that EXCEPT that she read out a statement to the press in English that was targeted to the American president, though she made it sound as if she was speaking to the American people. The statement was clear. Keep your hands off Greenland. It is not for sale. It cannot be annexed and the Danish government is not going to let you Americans take it for any reason, and certainly not for your "national security interests."



Cynical and suspicious people might say that, in fact, the whole trip was really about the opportunity to stand between the outgoing Greenland prime minister and the incoming one, just as the new government there was officially constituted to give a two-minute warning shot across the bow of the Resolute desk.

That message being, that to invade a sovereign land, even one whose population was no greater than that of Maple Grove, Minnesota, would not be tolerated by Denmark and its allies in the EU.



And so begins the new war of words over the the world's largest block of ice.

I fully expect that President Trump will now throw down the other shoe and take his case to Truth Social, X, and all the other social media platforms to launch the equivalent of an invasion by rhetoric designed to get the backing of Americans and to win the hearts and minds of the Greenlandic people.

Before he does that, however, he would do well to remember that in July, the Danish PM will take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union, effectively giving her the perfect podium for coalescing support for protecting Greenland from the clutches of the Americans.



If President Trump is not able to keep his cool (and not regard Mrs. Frederiksen's remarks as a threat to his political manhood), he is liable to make some critical tactical errors at a time when much of Europe is already well on its way to becoming America-haters because of his tariff policy and refusal to keep funding the Ukrainian war machine.

A better approach might be for America to copy the Chinese model of the "belt and road" initiative and to regard Greenland as a potential Puerto Rico-type partner and encourage investment there from American companies now operating in China.

In short, use Greenland as a stepping stone for those companies not wanting to go the whole way back to the U.S., but offer them incentives to invest in Greenland.

Trump could then use "greenback power" to woo the Greenlanders towards America.

The Danish government would then have to match the Americans' example or cede the battlefield to them.

At a time when Denmark is trying to fund its ambitious three-part environmental program, pay for its military rearmament, keep supporting Ukraine as well as writing checks to Greenland to the tune of $600 million each year for its block grant, they will be hard pressed to find the Kroner to subsidize Danish companies to do the same.



The war of words will escalate but not replace targeted action.



Rhetoric that supports a political agenda is often labeled as "propaganda," and I have no doubt that American rhetoric on Greenland will also be labeled as such, but if the administration is serious about strenghening its position on and with Greenland, words will help. All the same, they will not take the place of positive actions that are also viewed as positive by the Greenlanders.

The new Greenland Action Plan (GAP) should be a three-part plan.

The first part must start with a cessation of tough talk on the part of the White House.

It must be replaced by an appeal to American industry to step up and join with the U.S. government in investing in the island.

The first investments should be in tourism because if more Americans visit Greenland, more Greenlanders will be more inclined to welcome them -- and their dollars -- to their country and perhaps, over time, come to the realization that the U.S. is not Russia and that Donald Trump is not Vladimir Putin.



The second part of the GAP is the actual investments. They should be made with a view towards strengthening the U.S.'s military presence in the country at new bases of operation and by enlarging the existing Pituffik base. Each new investment and each new expansion must be preceded and followed by a media and social media blitz, highlighting those investments.

The Office of the Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs now located in the State Department should be replaced with a new office that reports directly to the vice president (who desperately needs some image-rebuilding when it comes to Greenland) that is comprised of a representative from State, Commerce, the intelligence agencies, and the Defense Department. The office would coordinate all programs of a government nature and be the liaison with the U.S. business community.



If a tree falls



It will do no good to do good if no one hears about it. That's why I stress the need for a coordinated media and social media strategy that will inform the U.S. citizenry and especially the Europeans with a special focus on Greenland and Denmark of the progress being made in making Greenland stronger, more self-sufficient and more profitable.

Since bad news tends to travel faster than good news, a concerted effort must be made to make the good news stemming from the new GAP more lasting and sustainable.

Social media will play a key role, but the White House should not expect the mainstream media to help them. They are too busy trying to help the Democrats win in the mid-term elections that are now less than two years away.



The final step is for more of the administration's cabinet members to visit Greenland, starting with a business delegation led by the Commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, and with the participation of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The delegation's theme should be that of an exploratory nature and should not be tied, necessarily, to a visit to mainland Denmark but instead be focused on the Arctic.

An alternative to that could be an American-organized event in Denmark immediately preceding the Greenland visit to which would be invited all the Department of Commerce Senior Commercial Officers from all American embassies in Europe to brief them on the administration's efforts and its expectations of them to promote such investment.



It is now time for more thoughtful measures to replace the less thoughtful ones and to remember something from 9:11 (not the day, but from Ecclesiastes): " the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all."

Time may not heal all wounds but it will help us remember how we got them and God knows we all deserve another chance to correct our mistakes.



Stephen Helgesen is a retired career U.S. diplomat specializing in international trade who lived and worked in 30 countries for 25 years during the Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton, and G.W. Bush Administrations. He is the author of fourteen books, seven on American politics, and has written over 1,500 articles on politics, economics and social trends. He now lives in Denmark and is a frequent political commentator on Danish media. He can be reached at: stephenhelgesen@gmail.com



Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
Today, the most dangerous weapon in Americas federal district courts isnt a statute. Its the injunctionand the refusal of judges to require the party seeking that relief to post a bond. And the injunction, once a rarely granted tool of last resort, has become a chaos agentdeployed incessantly to paralyze the current administration and grind lawful executive action to a halt.

Thats precisely what weve seenagain and againas activist judges block significant Trump administration policies without requiring plaintiffs to post the injunction bond that Rule 65(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure flatly mandates.

Heres the textbrief, unambiguous, and routinely ignored:

The court may issue a preliminary injunction or a temporary restraining order only if [emphasis added] the movant gives security in an amount that the court considers proper.

Not may. Not should. Only if.

Yet across the federal bench, this rule is all too often honored in the breachwaived, ignored, or omitted when the political stakes demand expedience over equity.

Take U.S. District Judge James Bredar, who recently ordered the federal government to rehire thousands of employees terminated under a presidential reorganization directive. The order, initially nationwide, was later narrowed to the 19 states and the District of Columbia that filed suit. But the scale of the relief remained staggering: backpay, benefits, re-entry processing, and administrative disruption across dozens of federal agencies.

Judge Bredar did require the states to post a bondbut only $100 apiece, totaling a mere $2,000 in security for a sweeping injunction that could cost taxpayers millions. In form, a bond was imposed. In substance, it was little more than a token gesture. The result: a massive federal directive hogtied with virtually no financial accountability.

And Judge Bredar wasnt alone. In a separate case, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order halting deportations under the Alien Enemies Act after the Trump administration invoked it to remove foreign nationals associated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. But according to a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Boasbergs ruling didnt even mention Rule 65(c)let alone justify waiving its bond requirement.

Whether thats deliberate judicial activism or casual carelessness is a distinction without a difference. The result is the same: federal action is paralyzed, costs are shifted to the public, and plaintiffs are shielded from consequences.

Rule 65(c) is a substantive procedural guardrailrecognized and enforced by appellate courts across jurisdictions. This rule exists to balance the equities when injunctive relief is granted, ensuring that should the court improvidently grant an injunctionthe restrained party can recover damages for the harm wrongly inflicted.

In Hoechst Diafoil Co. v. Nan Ya Plastics Corp., 174 F.3d 411 (4th Cir. 1999), the Fourth Circuit wrote:

This rule is mandatory and unambiguous. Although the district court has discretion to set the bond amount in such sum as the court deems proper, it is not free to disregard the bond requirement altogether. In view of the clear language of Rule 65(c), failure to require a bond upon issuing injunctive relief is reversible error. [Internal citations omitted.]

The Third Circuit, in Instant Air Freight Co. v. C.F. Air Freight, Inc., 882 F.2d 797 (3d Cir. 1989), was equally blunt:

The bond requirement serves to protect the restrained party from losses Its waiver is appropriate only in the most extraordinary circumstances.

And yet, courts continue to enjoin the executive branchsometimes forcing hiring, sometimes halting deportations, always bypassing or truncating the bond. This judicial free-for-all has created a patchwork of enforcement, wildly divergent from district to district, judge to judge. It is now well past the point where only the Supreme Court can reassert uniformity consistent with the demands of the Rule.

The justices cannot remain on the sidelines while lower courts treat Rule 65(c) as optionaldepending on whose ox is being gored. If fundamental procedural safeguards are no longer applied consistently across the judiciary to the detriment of the political branches, then the Constitution is imperilednot just policy.

In just the first ten weeks of President Trumps second term, federal courts issued 17 nationwide injunctionsa pace that far exceeds anything seen under presidents Bush, Obama, or Biden. By contrast, the first Trump administration faced 64 nationwide injunctionsmore than double the total issued against Bush, Obama, and Biden combined.

The goal is unmistakable: to delay, drain, and disableusing the courts as a procedural chokehold on lawful executive action.

President Trump anticipated the ambush. In March, the White House ordered DOJ attorneys to demand injunction bonds in all applicable casesa defensive measure against lawsuits that tie down entire government departments.

Still, many judges ignore it. Others, like Judge Bredar, treat tangible financial accountability as incompatible with the aims of progressive litigation.

Congress has noticed. Senator Chuck Grassley has introduced legislation to limit nationwide injunctions by restricting court orders to the actual parties before the court. In the House, Republicans are advancing the No Rogue Rulings Act this session in an effort to rein in such rulings. But with razor-thin margins in both chambers, the odds of final passage for any such legislation remain uncertain.

That leaves another constitutional remedy: limiting the jurisdiction of the district courts under Article III. If judges continue acting as one-person Supreme Courts, Congress has every authorityand growing necessityto narrow their reach.

Yet Rule 65(c) is no mere procedural nicety. It is a condition precedent to equitable relief, grounded in the principles of due process and judicial restraint. When courts waive or ignore it, the result is more than an abuse of discretionit is a circumvention of a rule rooted in a 1914 statutory command, later codified through the Rules Enabling Act and approved by Congress. That is a direct intrusion into the legislative domain.

But the overreach doesnt stop there. In issuing sweeping nationwide injunctions that compel federal rehiring, halt deportations, or command public expendituresall without requiring a just and proportionate bondthe judiciary isnt merely encroaching on Congress. It is usurping the executives constitutional role.

Simply put, the courts are initiating a full-blown constitutional crisisintruding simultaneously on the prerogatives of both elected branches of government, each directly accountable to the citizenry of the Republic.

We are witnessing the judicial assumption of power that was never theirs to wield. It is, in Hamiltons words from Federalist No. 78, the least dangerous branch only so long as it possesses:

[N]o influence over either the sword or the purse; no direction either of the strength or of the wealth of the society; and can take no active resolution whatever. It may truly be said to have neither FORCE nor WILL, but merely judgment; and must ultimately depend upon the aid of the executive arm even for the efficacy of its judgments.

And yet, here we arewith judges wielding the sword, spending the purse, and evading the bond. That is how far weve drifted from the Founders vision. That constitutional crisis no longer lurks in the shadowsit is growing in plain sight, and at such an alarming rate that the Supreme Court can no longer look the other way.

Its time to restore the bondand take a small but necessary step toward restoring constitutional balance.

Charlton Allen is an attorney, former chief executive officer, and chief judicial officer of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. He is the founder of the Madison Center for Law & Liberty, Inc., editor of The American Salient, and the host of the Modern Federalist podcast. X: @CharltonAllenNC

Image from Grok.
News broke over the last couple of days that one of Chief Justice John Robertss good buddies is Norm Eisen, one of the chief instigators of the plot to destroy Donald Trump through Deep State manipulation and lawfare. Under a long-standing federal rule of judicial conduct banning even the appearance of impropriety, Justice Robertss close relationship with Eisen means he should step down.

We all know who John Roberts is. Hes the squish who leapfrogged from having been an appellate court judge for only two years to suddenly being Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Since then, he embedded Obamacare in America and has rather consistently sided with the Courts activist justices on issues that, as a matter of constitutional law and Supreme Court precedent, deserved originalist outcomes.

Most egregiously, when Roberts presided over the first impeachment against Trumpwhich conservatives believe was to keep people from learning about Joe Bidens corrupt dealings in Ukraine through his son Hunterhe ensured that Trump was denied basic due process. To that end, he denied Trump access to any of the proceedings in the House and to Democrat witnesses, and Trump was not allowed to bring his own witnesses. This was the first time in history that impeachment, a proceeding with roots in medieval England, was carried out without due process for the accused. Heck, even a drug dealer would have had more rights.

Image by Andrea Widburg using AI.

Not everyone, though, knows much about Norm Eisen, although they should. Eisen rose to prominence in 2007, when he campaigned for his fellow Harvard law classmate, Barack Obama. Obama rewarded Eisen (ironically) with a role in ethics and government reform. Also ironically, Eisen aggressively pushed for greater government transparency, the very thing that Elon Musk is now making happen and that Democrats are burning Teslas to stop.

Where Eisen really started flexing his muscles, though, was when Trump was elected. It was Eisen who was the architect of the Ukraine impeachment against Trumpagain, something conservatives believe was a fraudulent effort intended to stop (and that did stop) Trump from exposing how Biden was manipulating foreign policy to enrich his family. According to the WaPo, Eisen was a critical force in building the case for impeachment.

Also, during the Trump years, Eisen was one of the people who sought to destroy professionally and personally John Eastman and Jenna Ellis, Trumps attorneys during the fraught post-2020 election. This was the first time ever that the government has persecuted lawyers in this way. Eisen is a pure Democrat party hack who has the contacts and intelligence to advance a variety of initiatives that conservatives continue to believe do not align with facts or law.

Thats why it was shocking to learn that Eisen and John Roberts (the same man who denied Trump his due process rights during the impeachment that Eisen orchestrated) are good friends:

According to Norm Eisenthe man who practically wrote the Deep States playbook on color revolutions, all things anti-Trump, and lawfare in the UShe and Chief Justice John Roberts are not only good pals, but they even spent a week together in the Czech Republic. According to Norm, the two BFFs were there working on American rule of law issues. Hmm Norm was so proud of this that he actually bragged about the trip and made it very clear that Roberts isnt corrupthes just a close friend who happened to fly overseas and stay at Eisens posh 150-room palace to collaborate on transatlantic political projects.

Moreover, Eisen has spoken publicly about the fact that Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett (a highly intelligent woman with a small mind and a stunning lack of wisdom who owes her place on the Supreme Court to Trump) dislike Trump and want to block his administration. In other words, it seems Eisen is saying the two justices are pre-deciding cases out of personal animus toward Trump and the agenda that the American people elected Trump to implement:

Norm Eisen said his longtime friend John Roberts probably did not like Trumps address to Congress so Norm thinks John and Amy Coney-Barrett (who also apparently does not like Trump) will continue to vote against the Trump administration. pic.twitter.com/GeYLG8l8oN  The Researcher (@listen_2learn) April 3, 2025 Alex Jones, who was on the receiving end of Eisens efforts, has more about what Eisen has spearheaded to advance the Democrat agenda, in addition to talking about the Roberts-Eisen relationship. Jones makes clear, again, how Eisen is the architect of every anti-Trump lawfare effort beginning in 2017: John Roberts Works for the Democrats and his handler is Norm Eisen.



John Roberts Is Completely Compromised and MUST Resign Now! pic.twitter.com/8kNqYNKukI  Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) April 4, 2025 Alex Jones, who was on the receiving end of Eisens efforts, has more about what Eisen has spearheaded to advance the Democrat agenda, in addition to talking about the Roberts-Eisen relationship. Jones makes clear, again, how Eisen is the architect of every anti-Trump lawfare effort beginning in 2017:

Some might say, well, just because hes a Supreme Court justice doesnt mean Roberts cant have friends. We want a government that has functional people who can understand each others values and speak across the aisle. But thats really not the case for Supreme Court justices. If their relationships reasonably cast doubt on peoples belief that they can be impartial, theyre done as judges. (And please note, this is different from Clarence Thomas having rich friends who are Republicans but who do not have cases pending in court and are not amongst the most powerful figures in the Republican party.)

It's not just me saying that. Its right there, in the Code of Conduct for United States Judges: Canon 2: A Judge Should Avoid Impropriety and the Appearance of Impropriety in all Activities. (Emphasis mine.) In the commentary to that Canon, we learn that,

An appearance of impropriety occurs when reasonable minds, with knowledge of all the relevant circumstances disclosed by a reasonable inquiry, would conclude that the judges honesty, integrity, impartiality, temperament, or fitness to serve as a judge is impaired. Public confidence in the judiciary is eroded by irresponsible or improper conduct by judges... A judge must avoid all impropriety and appearance of impropriety. This prohibition applies to both professional and personal conduct.

It's a sure thing after the Eisen revelations that both Democrats and Republicans believe that Roberts is irredeemably hostile to Trump in a way that impairs his ability to rule impartially on anything involving the administration and, moreover, that he is getting marching orders or, at the very least, gentle guidance from Norm Eisen. Whether one likes this (Democrats) or is horrified (Republicans), it is an unsustainable position for a Supreme Court justice, especially the most powerful member of the Supreme Court.

Roberts should resign immediately, and Coney Barrett should probably follow close behind. Neither can serve anymore in a way consistent with the Code of Conduct, and both will best preserve their reputations and that of the Supreme Court by retiring gracefully.
Driving while black? Jogging while black? Stabbing a white kid at a track meet over a minor dispute while black? (Austin Metcalfs accused killer already has a generous amount of boisterous support from the anti-white black community on X.)

But what about fighting for babies while black?

Savannah Craven, a pro-life activist based out of New York City, was brutally attacked while conducting interviews on the street by an unhinged and violent leftist (but I repeat myself). Here is video of the assault, a photo of Savannah after the attack, and a still of the assailant:

VIDEO OF THE ASSAULT OF PRO LIFE JOURNALIST BY PRO-ABORTION ADVOCATE IN NEW YORK



Savannah Craven was working with Live Action conducting man on the street interviews, asking Do you know what Planned Parenthood does? when she was attacked



She is at hospital now pic.twitter.com/oTOKATXsjp  Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) April 4, 2025

Savannah was transported to the hospital, where she required stitches and monitoring.

Now to be fair, if Savannah were white, I have no doubt the woman would have attacked her all the samebut theres something about a black conservative, like Savannah, that really pushes them over the edge.

Where is the Black Lives Matter outcry?

(To follow Savannahs work, and consider donating to her security needs, see her Patreon channel here, or her YouTube channel here.)

Image from X.
Although bringing the Israeli hostages back home from the hell of the Gaza tunnels is a top moral imperative for the Netanyahu-led Israeli coalition government, the ultimate issue occupying the military strategists in the Kiriyah is dealing with the Iranian nuclear threat.

For Israel, there are several key reasons why now is the opportune time to deal with Iran. Primary among those reasons is President Donald J. Trump. And from Trumps perspective, inasmuch as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has degraded Irans major proxies, including the Lebanese Hezballah, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and the demise of the Bashar Assad dictatorship in Syria, it is now easier to employ the military option against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Whats more, Israel destroyed the Iranian air defense systems late last year.

President Trump, however, has his own timetable. He has restored maximum economic pressure on Iran, and he sent a formal letter to Irans supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, delivering a clear and decisive ultimatum: Iran has two months to accept a new nuclear deal or face severe consequences. Simultaneously, President Trump has directly blamed Iran for the aggressive actions against international shipping vessels in the Red Sea by the Houthis of Yemen, holding Iran accountable for the Houthis actions.

For Israel, the two-months ultimatum is perhaps too long a period, given Irans aggressive advances in its quest for a nuclear bomb. According to a Bloomberg Report, Iran has been ramping up production of fissile material in recent years and could likely produce the amount of enriched uranium needed for a bomb in less than a week. Iran has enriched uranium at weapons-grade levels of 60 percent purity  something achieved only by atomic-armed nations.

Israel has clearly demonstrated that Irans nuclear sites are well within reach of Israeli air power. And U.S. air power is, without doubt, a major force. Such force is unquestionably an option, and one that Prime Minister Netanyahu has said he favors, especially since Israel has the most at stake.

President Trump seems to believe that economic pressure will bring the radical ayatollahs regime to its knees. In fact, Irans currency, the rial, is in free fall. The impact of U.S. sanctions is being deeply felt in Iran. However, Iran rejected direct nuclear negotiations with the U.S. in its response to Trumps letter. Moreover, to parade its toughness, the Iranian regimes arm of the Iranian state TV, Press TVEnglish, sighted American targets in a recently published article, including Camp Thunder Cove on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, alleging that the U.S. is stationing its stealth B-2 bombers to attack the Yemeni Houthis. The outlet implied that the U.S. bombers will be targeted.

The U.S. State Departments response to President Pezeshkians rejection of the U.S. offer to negotiate reiterated, President Trump has been clear: the United States cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. Former president Joe Biden also declared that the U.S. wouldnt let Iran develop a nuclear weapon, yet he did nothing but appease the ayatollahs. Biden looked the other way as Iran resumed the sale of its oil, which provided it with the revenue that enabled it to fund its proxies.

In the meantime, Israel TVs Channel 11 reported that Iran has loaded its missiles on underground launchers as a reaction to Trumps threat.

What must be clear to Israel is that President Trump, who declared early on that he wants to be remembered as the peace president, is unlikely to opt for a military option. His threat to Iran is simply meant to force the Islamic Republic to come to the negotiation table. Trump is more than likely to use economic pressure and diplomacy rather than military might. Israel, on the other hand, understands that only military action can put an end to Irans nuclear buildup.

Trump is willing to give time to find a lasting diplomatic solution to curb Irans nuclear program. Israel, though, doesnt have the time that the U.S. has. Iran poses an existential threat to Israel. Israel cannot wait while Trumps maximum pressure may or may not bear fruit.

The avoidance of war is commendable in most cases, and that is what the Trump administration is seeking. However, radical ideologies like Irans must be dealt with in similar fashion to how the radical Islamist ideology of Hamas and ISIS was fought. Economic measures that leave the ayatollahs regime in place will not solve the existential threat to Israel, nor will it lessen the danger for America and its allies in the region and beyond. Another nuclear deal struck between the U.S. and Iran, albeit tougher, would just delay the eventual clash between the Islamic Republic and Israel, and eventually with the U.S.

The ultimate goal of U.S. policy regarding Iran must be for regime change. It would serve not only the interests of the people of Israel and the moderate Gulf states, such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, but also the oppressed people of Iran. If the ayatollahs regime continues to reign in Tehran, it will foment tension and violence that could impact the region as well as the U.S.

Empty threats, such as the one recently used by President Trump toward Hamas that there will be hell to pay if Hamas doesnt release the hostages, dont advance U.S. credibility. The same is true with regard to Iran. Instead, the Trump administration must work overtly to delegitimize the ayatollahs regime, whose support among the Iranian people has steadily declined. Nevertheless, in the end, it will require military action to collapse the regime and eliminate its nuclear threat.

Image: Chickenonline via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Instead of screaming and yelling at President Trump's tariff schedule, as the European Union and China are doing, smart nations have taken the side door to cut deals with President Trump and get their nations off the tariffs list entirely.

It's as if they are sorting themselves out, smart ones from dumb ones.

Start with Argentina, which got the deal done immediately:

 UNITED STATES AND ARGENTINA BECOME THE FIRST ZERO-TARIFF COUNTRIES



Presidents Trump and Milei will sign the first international trade agreement free of tariffs for both American and Argentine products.



This is how negotiations should be done pic.twitter.com/TTcVpOXQ8U  George Papadopoulos (@GeorgePapa19) April 4, 2025

We know President Javier Milei, who is a libertarian economist on the side, hated tariffs with a purple passion anyway. Whatever was there on the Argentinian side was the doing of his socialist predecessors. Getting rid of these tariffs was easy as empanada pie for him and he presides over a growing economy in need of good markets.

Now it's Argentinian steaks for all of us! Celebrate!

Then comes Cambodia, which has a manufacturing base heavily dependent on U.S. buyers.

They slashed their own tariffs by two thirds so as to have something nice to bring to the table when they get facetime with President Trump. Look how courteous and cordial their letter is:

Cambodia cutting tariffs to 5% fm 15%. List of nations grows wanting tariff deals, watch @EveningEdit tonite for full list. This is the greatest recession that has yet to happen. pic.twitter.com/1n2r0TOuzG  Elizabeth MacDonald (@LizMacDonaldFOX) April 4, 2025

Why pay high tariffs when all you have to do is lower your own and the much of the problem is solved? They know Trump will play fair with them.

With Israel, it's the same -- they are getting ready to deal and bringing something to the table:

BREAKING: Israel Has Removed ALL TARIFFS On American Products & Therefore Will Have ZERO Tarrifs Issued By @POTUS Trump.

ANY NATION Wishing Not To Be Tarrifed Can Do The Same. pic.twitter.com/zNiMs8U5tA  John Basham (@JohnBasham) April 1, 2025

There's also this list -- all good countries:

BREAKING: Tariffs are bringing many countries to the bargaining table this morning.



The leaders of Thailand, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Australia and Ireland have said they are ready to negotiate. Even the EU has done so, though they are drafting counter-tariffs to put on the pic.twitter.com/4wJHpVdgZn   Freedom Piper Media (@FreeThinkerInc) April 3, 2025

More here -- not sure about the EU, having read their statements, but anything is possible:

BREAKING: Already Israel, India, the EU, Japan, Vietnam, and Cambodia all plan to drop tariffs if Trump agrees to do the same.



Weird Trump's plan is actually working as intended. pic.twitter.com/1OkxazwsUt  TaraBull (@TaraBull808) April 4, 2025

This list is probably the most reliable, given the source:

A dozen nations now talking tariff and trade deals with the Trump White House: Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, the U.K., Israel, Argentina, Canada and Mexico  Elizabeth MacDonald (@LizMacDonaldFOX) April 4, 2025

They want to fix this for themselves and for the U.S. And as hedge fund biggie Bill Ackman noted earlier, the best deals are going to be the first ones, and they know this. Now they are standing up and being counted.

If deals are reached, trade should be tariff-free and we Americans should be in for some abundant and pleasant times -- the good nations going for real free trade, and all sides benefiting.

It may be what President Trump wanted all along, to find out which allies are real allies -- and ties with these countries, all worth strengthening, will be strengthened on an even playing field. If all goes well it could be the exact opposite of what the doomsaysers have been predicting.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
With the rollout of President Trumps Liberation Day tariffs, foreign countriesleaders are faced with two options.

One: A rational person would consider the option of lowering his pre-existing import tariffs to avoid the incoming export tariffs on products being sent to the American market, as Israel just did and as Vietnam has offered to do.

Two: A non-rational person (i.e., leftists) would challenge the president head-on by threatening to escalate his existing tariffs, creating a tariff war.

As the worlds largest economy, and with many of these foreign countries dependent on exports to the U.S. to drive their economic fortunes, engaging in an escalating tariff war with the United States is a fools errand. If this is the case, why would a foreign leader pursue this strategy?

For insight into this pursuit, let me quote Chinese strategist Sun Tzu:Burn it down to rule over the ashes.

Americas trading partners cant win an increasingly ratcheted trade war, but they can damage the president (and America) while simultaneously destroying their own economies. A Faustian bargain, if you will. But would the globalist left pursue this almost certain worldwide economic collapse? Absolutely!

Leftist leaders from China, Canada, and the European Union may calculate that their petulance, while damaging to their own economies, might create the circumstances whereby they can destroy our economy, damage Donald Trump and Republicans, and provide the Democrats a path to electoral victory in 26 and 28.

A tariff economic realignment, where America begins to build out its manufacturing base, create a prosperous middle class, and become self-sufficient is a country that is no longer dependent on the whims of foreign allies and adversaries.

I can picture Barack Obama whispering in the ear of Chinas Xi, Canadas Mark Carney, and the E.U.s Ursula von der Leyen: Stay tough in response to President Trumps tariffs. I will have more flexibility in 2028.

Will rational heads prevail, or will the globalist left burn it all down in hopes of ruling over the ashes?

Image: Old Photo Profile via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
Leftists across the nation are caught up on the latest social justice craze. This time theyre not committing vandalism, arson and assaultno murders yetin the name of a black, addicted, violent felon. Theyre doing it to preserve our democracy from Elon Musk. Theyre damaging and torching Teslas, Tesla dealerships, Tesla chargers and Tesla owners because Musk isnt elected and hes leading a team saving billions and discovering criminals who have been ripping off Americans forever. That some of them will probably turn out to be congressmen is a bonus.

Theyre right: Musk isnt elected, but neither is virtually anyone who works for the federal government. In Musks case, hes lawfully appointed and is actually doing his job while taking no pay or other perks.

It makes no sense to attack anything Tesla. Theyre electric vehicles, months ago beloved by the left. Many, if not most, Tesla owners are also leftists. But adhering to reality and sanity have never been requirements for joining the leftist club. Better yet, AG Pam Bondi is treating Tesla vandals as domestic terrorists, so theyll be facing state and federal felony charges, courtesy of Tesla, which includes multiple cameras with each vehicle to record the vandals.

Here, courtesy of American Thinker and Hot Air.com is a rogues gallery of the best the American left has to offer, beginning in Boston (all are X screenshot):

And we move to Dallas:

West Fargo, ND:

Arizona:

Kentwood, MI:

Baldwin, MO:

Getting arrested for your political hatreds doesn't seem to be as much fun as acting on them...

Miami:

Brookhaven, Miss:

Columbus, Ohio:

What do these people have in common? We dont know that theyre all part of a nationwide conspiracy, though the FBI does have a taskforce set up to deal with them.

Theyre young to elderly, male and female, and presumably leftists and Trump/Musk haters, though its certainly possible some are simply the kinds of criminals and social degenerates who take advantage of the high-minded politics of leftists without necessarily embracing them, as was the case during the 2020 summer of love.

Could they have been so stupid as to believe that with Bidens Handlers no longer in power, they wouldnt be arrested or prosecuted, or if by some miracle were both and convicted wouldnt suffer any real penalty? Even though Tesla cameras have been widely publicized, and surveillance cameras are everywhere, they keep behaving like drug addled juveniles.

Are they too stupid to realize keying a vehicle is going to result in felony-level damage? Could they really think it would only be a misdemeanor?

Americans paying attention have always known such people live among us, but repeated reminders are nonetheless jarring.

Its also interesting and richly ironic that most of the crimes are taking place in blue states and cities. Even if locals wont arrest and prosecute themand apparently most arethe feds plan to have their turn, and they likely wont end up in country club prisons. The idea of suing them is also brilliant, and for at least some, may serve as a deterrent. Most, however, are likely too brain damaged to accurately process risk/reward.

And what, exactly might the reward be? Do they hope to shut Tesla down, throwing 100,000 or so Americans out of work? What about the additional thousands supplying parts for Tesla? The thousands building Tesla chargers? Elon Musk is only a part owner of Tesla. If Tesla goes under, hell still be a billionaire many times over and DOGE isn't going to quit.

On the other hand, Tesla vandals are being identified, which will give Normal Americans the opportunity to keep an eye on them. Theyre not the kind of folks that cause sane people to rejoice when they move into the neighborhood.

And what of leftist politicians who might weakly say domestic terrorism is sort of a bad thing, but complain the Trump Administration is engaging in politics by picking on Tesla vandals? Do they really imagine Trump would ignore leftist thugs if they attacked Ford or Chevy? A coordinated campaign of national violence, regardless of how loosely coordinated, is domestic terrorism and if were to keep a constitutional republica countrywe cant have that.

As Benjamin Franklin said to a woman who, after the Constitutional Convention, asked what kind of government the delegates had given Americans: A republic, if you can keep it. In a republic, one of governments primary tasks is preserving the private property and lives of citizens. Now that Donald Trump is in office, government is once again assuming that obligation.

If we cant deter and punish any and everyone involved, at any level, in this or any wave of domestic terrorism we cant keep our republic. Our democracy, sure, but then domestic terrorism will become the rule rather than the exception.

But thats what they want, isnt it?

On a different subject, if you are not already a subscriber, you may not know that weve implemented something new: A weekly newsletter with unique content from our editors for subscribers only. These essays alone are worth the cost of the subscription.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.
On March 27, 2023, Audrey Hale attacked the Covenant Presbyterian Christian School in Nashville, TN. It took only 12 minutes from when Hale shot her way through several locked, glass doors until she was killed by police. The police arrived within 10 minutes and killed her two minutes later. Hale was able, within the early minutes of the attack, to kill three students and three staff.

Graphic: NPD report. Public Domain.

The school, as has been true with virtually every mass attack in American history, was a gun free zone.

Hale was immediately identified as trans, and from that moment, the Nashville Police and the FBI did everything they could to bury that factor. Despite numerous lawsuits and public demands for the release of Hales manifesto, authorities resisted its release. Theyve claimed copyright protections, claimed victims parents didnt want it released, claimed the contents were too dangerous and would provide future shooters with vital information, anything and everything to keep it secret.

What they never denied was that there was such a manifesto. Now they have.

Ive written extensively on this case at my home blog. Finally, the Nashville Police Department has released its report, which is available here.

Graphic: NPD report. Public Domain.

The report claims there was no manifesto as such, but Hale left voluminous journals, art works, digital files and other records of her intentions. She had been planning an attack for years at various locations. She was impressed by the Columbine shooters, thinking them gods and hoping her attack would raise her to equally godlike status.

She legally bought the three guns she used in the attack, and while her parents and psychologist were aware of them, and of her suicidal tendencies and her raging hatred toward her father and others, she was able to repeatedly convince them she had no intention of acting on those deadly impulses.

The report provides the first apparently comprehensive timeline. It goes into great detail about Hales mental illness. Her first treatment began at age six, and during her final years, she was medicated and under constant treatment.

What the report is careful to avoid is any real examination of Hales trangenderism. It spends page after page speaking of her mental illness and her goals of being remembered and admired for her attack. It mentions her sole attraction to women and mentions that during her final days she identified as male, wore male clothing and adopted a male name. It also notes she apparently never took steps to transition to male and at autopsy was female but thereafter drops the subject.

In all those pages about Hales mental illness, her time with her therapist, interviews with family, the therapist and her few friends, theres no mention of her trans ideation. That would violate the Trans Superiority Narrative.

While its possible her trans ideation played no motivational role, thats unlikely. Such peoples lives tend to be dominated by that impulse. Its what they think they are, and it fills their thoughts, acts and speech. A complete, non-political, investigation would fully explore that factor and comprehensively explain why it wasnt the prime motivator. This report does not.

Even so, this case, like many others, provides useful lessons:

*If the potential killer is careful to hide their intentions, its virtually impossible to intercept them before they carry out an attack.

*Hindsight is always 20/20.

*Attackers are virtually always mentally ill to some degree and are often under psychological treatment and/or medication.

*In recent attacks trans ideation has played a significant role, though the media and government do all they can to ignore or downplay that factor.

*Schools are virtually always gun free zones and killers choose them for that reason, as was true in this case.

*Once an attack begins, killers have the freedom to kill as many as they please, and seconds are an eternity.

*The police will never be present when an attack begins, and virtually always have no role in ending one. This attack was a rare exception.

*Current police policy to immediately enter, find and kill attackers works, but virtually always, theyll be too late. Killers usually commit suicide.

*Killers usually obtain their weapons through legal means, as was the case here.

*Banning assault weapons or limiting magazine capacity would accomplish nothing.

*The only effective means of deterring attacks or stopping them when and where they occur is ending gun free school zones, allowing willing teachers and staff to carry concealed weapons and widely and often publicizing those facts while never revealing how many teachers in a given school are armed or their identities. Even if a school has no armed staff it enjoys the deterrent effect.

The Nashville PDs attempts to keep this information secret, and their careful suppression of Hales trans ideology give the reasonable person cause to doubt them. If and when the FBI releases its findings, Americans have more than reasonable cause to doubt them in advance.

On a different subject, if you are not already a subscriber, you may not know that weve implemented something new: A weekly newsletter with unique content from our editors for subscribers only. These essays alone are worth the cost of the subscription.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.